Those of us in the business of selling vegan products will attest to the amount of eye-rolls and questions about the topic of veganism. There are certain stigmas attached to being a vegan. Most vegan's will not smear your fur coat with bright red paint as you walk to an event, not all vegan's are sage-burning hippies, and most will sit next to you while you enjoy a fine steak and mind their own business.
In fact those who sustain a vegan lifestyle are largely savvy and educated, and better still, conduct themselves gracefully while remaining passionate about their lifestyle. Some extremists have given veganism a negative reputation - this article is intended to stomp out some of the misconceptions so that people can feel more comfortable about putting a foot forward to care for our planet.
Sustaining a vegan life:
The practice includes not eating meat or other animal bi-products, not wearing leather or silk, and not using products that in any way test on animals. This could obviously be elaborated on, but the point of this article is not to explain all the ways to go vegan, rather why it is important to at least know a bit about the practice.
A few reasons why opting vegan when possible is a great idea:
Going vegan is a conscious choice made by millions, for many reasons. Some are crusaders for the ethical treatment of animals, some believe that this is the healthiest diet for their bodies; others practice in honor of their religious beliefs, and some are seeking to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing excessive consumption of land-mass here on Earth.
Examples of over-exhausting our Earth’s resources:
Animal Farming requires immense use of land, resources and energy; exhausting natural resources and contributing to climate change, land degradation, and water pollution. The quantity of green house gases (measured in CO2) dedicated to livestock is nearing 19% according to various global studies. The amount of grain and corn used to bulk up the livestock is ten-fold of that which is created by the livestock itself. And I think we can agree in a world that contains famine and starvation, this is not the most intelligent use of our resources. So I guess it is a battle between indulgence and compromise.
On top of that, millions of gallons of water from our earth’s supply are diminished daily because of the toxic nitrates that contaminate water so badly that it becomes impossible to filter for drinking.
How you can help:
If you are one of those who want to be mindful about their impression on our Earth but can’t fathom the idea of giving up a diet enriched by meat – you are certainly not alone!
Switching to a vegan lifestyle is not a viable option for all people. It is not a practice that most of world supports or even understands, and most vegan's know how difficult finding a suitable menu when traveling is… a major headache.
You can make an enormous impact by going vegan when possible. For example, there are many amazing personal care products (like Worldwide Skin) on the market that are vegan and luxurious. Why not try a couple and see if you can’t make the switch. You will likely find that you will not miss your products full of additives – in fact, you will not miss them at all after using these products.
It should be a top priority to reduce consumption of animal products when possible. And while it is understandable that going vegan is not for everybody, each person can reduce their imprint by going “green” every now and again. Every little bit helps.
