Let’s talk about veganism. Now, before you write me off, saying, “Ah, there they go again, those darn vegans preaching their agenda everywhere,” I implore you to take the 10-15 minutes to read this and consider a different perspective on the matter. Sure, many vegans love animals and choose to be vegan because, man, those baby pigs. And can you blame someone for being passionate about other living creatures? But being vegan has impacts that extend beyond our earthly cohabitants. Veganism can do a lot towards improving and benefiting the environment, and also yourself.
Let’s start with the environment. It’s no surprise that it’s f*cked. We f*cked it up, big time, with our irresponsible growth and corporate abuse (because apparently money is more important than the survival of our planet which makes money even mean something in the first place). But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make an effort to reduce our environmental impact. How does veganism play into that? Well, according to this article about vegan eating’s environmental impact by Independent, “meat and dairy production is responsible for 60 per cent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions” while only minimally contributing to the necessary and beneficial calorie consumption and protein levels across the globe. Additionally, with only 3% of the world’s water being consumable to humans, can we really be spending the 3 to 30 gallons of water per day, per cow (according to this website from University of Nebraska-Lincoln) to continue to feed this nation’s obsession with burgers? It’s not environmentally conscious. It just isn’t.
Now let’s say that for whatever reason, helping the beautiful planet we live on isn’t motivating enough to you. Fine. But if that’s the case, let’s assume you care about yourself. You like to be healthy, you like the idea of living a long time with a well-functioning body, you like the idea of saving money. Now maybe you read the previous paragraph and you’re thinking to yourself, “But I need meat to get enough protein.” Respectfully, I’ll tell you that you’re wrong. Check out this article by Exploratorium and you’ll find that every protein you need that you can find in animal meat, you can also find in plants. I’ll stress this again–you can fully and fulfillingly survive on an entirely plant-based diet. If you couldn’t, there wouldn’t be that many vegans out there encouraging you to change the way you eat. Is it really their business? Not really, but it comes from a place of passionate advocacy and activism, and I admire that. Also, contrary to popular belief, veganism is NOT simply for the wealthy individuals who can eat avocado toast amidst our terrible economy. You can click over to Google and search “affordable vegan eating” and the internet will supply you with an endless wealth of information for what can actually turn out to be cheaper than eating animal products. For example, this website. Or this one.
I had the incredible opportunity to interview Geoffrey Luoma, an avid vegan and environmentalist, also the drummer for Animals In The Attic. Here’s what he had to say on the matter:
1.When did you first decide to go vegan? What inspired that decision?
Growing up, I had always heard about this thing called veganism but had never really thought anything of it until later in high school. At that time, these documentaries were coming out like, ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘Forks over Knives’ and everyone was raving about how gnarly the US’s food industry was. I took people’s word for it and played along without ever actually watching those videos. As time went on and I was getting ready to leave for college, I had been doing my own research about the animal-based food industry. I decided I did not want to support the killing of animals anymore so I went veggie. My mom and sister had been practicing vegetarians for as long as I could remember so it was not anything super new to me. Little did I know though at the time, the dairy and egg industry is just as f*cked up. I played ignorant and chose to pick my battles for a long time after. Towards the end of winter in 2018, I was dog walking for this wonderful elderly couple in a nearby neighborhood. They just happened to be an Environmental Philosophy teacher and a doctor who travelled around educating other doctors on nutritional science (so of course they’re practicing vegans). I would go on walks and talk with them for hours. The teacher, Beth, gave me a book she taught to her classes called “Eating Animals.” It explores this man’s process of deciding ethically whether or not to go vegan based on his research and findings about the animal industry. I got through the first chapter and I made the decision then and there to cut out the remaining dairy. I had gotten to a place in my life where I was sick and tired of feeling like a hypocrite. I was done trying to justify eating dairy. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has led me to a life of activism and speaking up for and about things I care about. For me it is clear, there is no going back, ever. And we’ll fight for what we believe is right and just.
2. What, to you, is the most important aspect to veganism?
For me, the most important aspect to veganism is where it is rooted. This is a movement based in compassion and love for all beings. To truly carry love for all things, we must not be afraid to speak up and be civilly disobedient towards unjust practices. I believe it is part of our evolutionary duty.
3. How do you see being vegan as contributing to your role as a steward of the earth?/What are the environmental impacts of being vegan, or conversely, of not being vegan?
Living a plant-based lifestyle is the single easiest thing one can do to make a positive impact in the world. All it is is changing a few habits that a lot of us were brought up with. The results are tremendous. There is so much scientific research out there at the tips of our fingers nowadays. It is not just an environmental issue, it is also a health issue. Animal protein is directly linked to being a big contributor to heart disease and the growth of other cancers. The animal protein in milk–casein–is linked to developing osteoporosis in bones. By switching to a vegan diet you reduce your risk of heart disease by half, and you reduce your carbon footprint to a third of what meat eaters produce. All in all, less meat equals less harm to the earth and less harm to the beings sharing the abundance of the earth.
4. Do you think everyone should adopt the same dietary restriction? If so, why? If not, why not?
I cannot speak for everyone, but if I want to live a truly compassionate and conscious life, there is no other option. To have the availability that we have, at least in this country, there should be no reason why we can’t treat our bodies and other beings with respect. When we have access to so much nutrition that eliminates unnecessary suffering, nutritional education becomes beyond necessary.
5. How has being vegan impacted your life, whether on a personal scale or a broader scale? Or both?
Going vegan has been one of the best decisions I have ever made, for myself, for animals, for the environment, etc. It’s really allowed me to grow and dig deeper into myself. I’ve fallen in love with taking care of myself. Healthy, green eating has become so important to me. It is a big part of my self care. We quite literally are what we eat. I have found a passion in becoming an activist for these social and environmental issues.
6. Have you faced any challenges, whether from when you first made that decision within yourself or from external sources?
Once I made the decision, there was no mountain too hard to climb. Sure, every now and then I have to explain to people that we get protein from plants. People will occasionally make comments about how being vegan is a privileged and expensive thing…bullshit. That’s just their excuse. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and pastas are the cheapest things in the grocery store.
Every day, we face decisions on what we choose to put into our bodies. Some of us are driven by taste, some are driven by dietary restrictions, and some of us count our micros and macros religiously. Being vegan is just that–choosing plant-based foods instead of animal products and byproducts. If you really feel like you can’t–and please forgive me for this–go “cold turkey”, check out this “I Love Vegan” article about easing yourself into it. A lot of the time, what’s daunting isn’t the dietary change, but that you’re making such a big change in the first place. Start small and work your way up. Smokers don’t quit in a day, alcoholics aren’t free in a week, and meat-lovers can’t be expected to drop it all in one go. I’m not here to tell you how to live your life; I’m simply inciting you to view another side to the world of food, especially amidst a dying planet and the way our food choices can impact it.