Another great read, thank you. I like your point about the cowardice of simply following the majority when if eating animals was a minority stance, very few people would be speaking up for it. I am reminded of my routinely cowardly behaviour in not speaking up for the animals when opportunities arise in everyday life and I look for reasons why ''it's not the right moment'' to say something -meaning in reality that I don't want the social discomfort in that moment of upsetting someone I care about or even just being seen as preachy. I will do better.
Hi Sarah, happy to hear that you like the article! I was also amazed by the different arguments that came up in the process of researching / brainstorming for this article. If eating animals was a minority stance, only absolute lunatics would speak up for it. No doubt about that.
When it comes to opportunities for advocating veganism in everyday life, don't be too hard on yourself. If you don't feel like it, don't force yourself. Everyday vegan outreach is a subtle art. One that I certainly haven't mastered myself. But I think one of the most important aspects is to identify the opportunities with real potential: these moments where people around us seem somehow open and receptive. We don't want to speak to their inner demons and cognitive dissonance, we want to speak to their hearts.
Anyway, I'm sure you could teach me more about this than I can teach you. :) Have a wonderful day, Sarah, and talk soon!
I wanted to add one more note. I also noticed since I gave up meat and fish, I require far less food.
The desire to over eat reduced.
The plant based mimics help due to the lifelong programming to eat animal and offer a great alternative that fills the desire for a protein usually satisfied in most who eat meat and fish.
Inside your mouth tells you what you are meant to eat ! A horse has teeth for eating grass , a dog has teeth for eating meat and us as humans have teeth designed to eat meat and vegetables it really is that simple! And meat is actually delicious 😋!
Hi James, first of all, thanks for leaving a comment. I hope we can have an honest exchange here.
Science is clear: we don’t need meat at all. We are actually healthier without it. A plant-based diet is the best choice not only for our own health but also to protect animals, climate, exploited humans, and the environment. I‘m happy to provide sources if you need any.
If you confine, torment, and slaughter animals without any necessity - or pay other people to do it - you are a coward (I used to be, too). In my article above, I explain why. Let me know if anything is unclear and have a nice day.
On the water footprint of cashews and almonds: I personally don't eat much of this stuff. I'm fine with products like oat milk, which have a vastly superior environmental footprint. Also, water footprint is just one of many areas where animal agriculture causes harm. The livestock sector also causes animal suffering of unimaginable proportions and heavily contributes to rainforest destruction, ocean dead zones, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, air pollution, antibiotic resistance, displacement of indigenous people, pandemic risk, and world hunger. Focusing on water footprint only is a very narrow view of the issue.
I personally enjoy eating, so I don't mind "eating much" to be honest. I actually think it's a great feature of veganism to be able to eat big amounts without worrying about my health or body weight.
Yes, cow milk is nutrient-rich, but it obviously isn't meant for human consumption. Dairy consumption brings various health risks, mainly related to the sexual hormones and growth hormones (IGF-1) contained in it. There are hundreds of studies on this.
I'm very sorry to hear that you're dealing with Crohn's Disease. Consuming animal products when you absolutely need to doesn't even go against the definition of veganism: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals."
Thanks for your elaborate response. Just two remarks:
You say "We clearly can drink cow's milk, so the fact that it came into existence to feed baby calves is irrelevant." -> Yes, it is relevant. For mainly two reasons: (1) the composition of cow's milk is optimized for the nutritional needs of fast-growing ruminants and, for this reason, brings several health risks for humans; (2) taking the milk from cows requires several forms of animal abuse (incl. repeated forced impregnation and taking babies away from their mothers).
You say "many vegans claim to be 'for the environment' but are not." --> It is no secret that living vegan, overall, is vastly superior in literally all areas of the environmental footprint. This isn't vegan propaganda, this is international scientific consensus.
It's fair to believe that humanity is doomed. I think there is still good reason for hope - especially when you consider the huge amount of resources that would be set free, for example, by a transition towards a plant-based food system: https://ourworldindata.org/land-use-diets
And even if there isn't hope, I don't think that gives us the right to needlessly exploit innocent sentient beings. (In the case of your disease, I don't consider it "needless", of course, but for most people it is.)
Wow, Pala, you are not pulling your punches. Great article!
Thank you so much, Louise ❤️🙏 We have just begun to fight. And we shall not rest until this industry is gone forever.
This might be a safe space for me
Welcome to Vegan Horizon. I hope it is! Thanks so much for joining <3
Great article! Very good points.
Thank you! I just started this blog, and really appreciate your interest in my work. Have a wonderful day.
Your piece inspired me to write a response:
https://substack.com/@jimcolbert/p-165492722
Hi Jim, thanks so much for letting me know — I really appreciate it. And apologies for the slow reply; I’ve been away on holiday the past few weeks.
I just published a piece in response to yours:
https://veganhorizon.substack.com/p/a-hunter-called-me-out-heres-my-response
I'm curious to hear your thoughts!
I agree with the title 💯
Another great read, thank you. I like your point about the cowardice of simply following the majority when if eating animals was a minority stance, very few people would be speaking up for it. I am reminded of my routinely cowardly behaviour in not speaking up for the animals when opportunities arise in everyday life and I look for reasons why ''it's not the right moment'' to say something -meaning in reality that I don't want the social discomfort in that moment of upsetting someone I care about or even just being seen as preachy. I will do better.
Hi Sarah, happy to hear that you like the article! I was also amazed by the different arguments that came up in the process of researching / brainstorming for this article. If eating animals was a minority stance, only absolute lunatics would speak up for it. No doubt about that.
When it comes to opportunities for advocating veganism in everyday life, don't be too hard on yourself. If you don't feel like it, don't force yourself. Everyday vegan outreach is a subtle art. One that I certainly haven't mastered myself. But I think one of the most important aspects is to identify the opportunities with real potential: these moments where people around us seem somehow open and receptive. We don't want to speak to their inner demons and cognitive dissonance, we want to speak to their hearts.
Anyway, I'm sure you could teach me more about this than I can teach you. :) Have a wonderful day, Sarah, and talk soon!
It’s never too late to do the right thing! Go vegan!
Yep, exactly! ❤️
I wanted to add one more note. I also noticed since I gave up meat and fish, I require far less food.
The desire to over eat reduced.
The plant based mimics help due to the lifelong programming to eat animal and offer a great alternative that fills the desire for a protein usually satisfied in most who eat meat and fish.
Give it a try. A great challenge!
Plant-based since 2007 🐝
The more one stays away from eating meat and fish the more enlightened to how unnecessary it is.
Honestly, beans have replaced my personal hunger demands since I gave up eating sentient beings.
Better shape and health numbers are healthier as well.
Inside your mouth tells you what you are meant to eat ! A horse has teeth for eating grass , a dog has teeth for eating meat and us as humans have teeth designed to eat meat and vegetables it really is that simple! And meat is actually delicious 😋!
Hi James, first of all, thanks for leaving a comment. I hope we can have an honest exchange here.
Science is clear: we don’t need meat at all. We are actually healthier without it. A plant-based diet is the best choice not only for our own health but also to protect animals, climate, exploited humans, and the environment. I‘m happy to provide sources if you need any.
If you confine, torment, and slaughter animals without any necessity - or pay other people to do it - you are a coward (I used to be, too). In my article above, I explain why. Let me know if anything is unclear and have a nice day.
Hi, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
On the water footprint of cashews and almonds: I personally don't eat much of this stuff. I'm fine with products like oat milk, which have a vastly superior environmental footprint. Also, water footprint is just one of many areas where animal agriculture causes harm. The livestock sector also causes animal suffering of unimaginable proportions and heavily contributes to rainforest destruction, ocean dead zones, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, air pollution, antibiotic resistance, displacement of indigenous people, pandemic risk, and world hunger. Focusing on water footprint only is a very narrow view of the issue.
On B12: please read these subsections here: https://veganhorizon.substack.com/i/146062351/a-common-misconception
I personally enjoy eating, so I don't mind "eating much" to be honest. I actually think it's a great feature of veganism to be able to eat big amounts without worrying about my health or body weight.
Yes, cow milk is nutrient-rich, but it obviously isn't meant for human consumption. Dairy consumption brings various health risks, mainly related to the sexual hormones and growth hormones (IGF-1) contained in it. There are hundreds of studies on this.
I'm very sorry to hear that you're dealing with Crohn's Disease. Consuming animal products when you absolutely need to doesn't even go against the definition of veganism: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals."
Hope you're having a good day!
Thanks for your elaborate response. Just two remarks:
You say "We clearly can drink cow's milk, so the fact that it came into existence to feed baby calves is irrelevant." -> Yes, it is relevant. For mainly two reasons: (1) the composition of cow's milk is optimized for the nutritional needs of fast-growing ruminants and, for this reason, brings several health risks for humans; (2) taking the milk from cows requires several forms of animal abuse (incl. repeated forced impregnation and taking babies away from their mothers).
You say "many vegans claim to be 'for the environment' but are not." --> It is no secret that living vegan, overall, is vastly superior in literally all areas of the environmental footprint. This isn't vegan propaganda, this is international scientific consensus.
It's fair to believe that humanity is doomed. I think there is still good reason for hope - especially when you consider the huge amount of resources that would be set free, for example, by a transition towards a plant-based food system: https://ourworldindata.org/land-use-diets
And even if there isn't hope, I don't think that gives us the right to needlessly exploit innocent sentient beings. (In the case of your disease, I don't consider it "needless", of course, but for most people it is.)
All the best!