Put Your Fork Down & Stay Vegan

Are you vegan?  No, I mean, are you really vegan?  Are you vegan only at home- only at home during meals?  Did someone die to provide your shoes- your shampoo- your bicycle?  Do you think bees are nuisance insects whose only value is to provide the honey you find in the loaf of bread you really want to eat that’s brought to your table, during a dinner with friends, whom you don’t want to offend with your ethics, so you justify your non-vegan consumption of the animal’s by-product?

So, I ask again.  Are you vegan?  I did not say, “Do you eat vegan, (most of the time?)”  Here’s a hint.  Being vegan extends beyond your plate.

Humans recently found out that polar bears can swim continuously for nine days.  Correction- an adult, female polar bear can swim continuously for nine days- in search of ice that is no longer existent- for food for herself and her cub- at a cost of nearly a quarter of her body fat, and most importantly, her baby’s life.  Why?  Humans’ insatiable activities have warmed our planet, which has melted polar ice (among other extraordinary, irreversible changes), thereby effectively eliminating polar bear food- seals.

Vegans have a responsibility to save not only domestic farm animals, but wild animals as well, and this is not done by sharing recipes alone.  Vegans must be environmentalists.  I’ll take this opportunity to also state that environmentalists must be vegans if they want the changes they seek.  The environmental impacts of factory farming are well documented, as are those of the textile industry, the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, etc., all of which use animals in their production processes.

Major environmental organizations talk of eating local or sustainable animals- not eating vegan.  Being political groups, they are very much afraid of offending traditional sensibilities too much.  After all, it’s been a rough battle to sway the public’s attitude toward using cloth grocery bags and driving small electric cars.

For the sake of ALL the Earth’s animals, think beyond your plate and your unwillingness to offend people with your ethics.  There’s only so much we will be able to accomplish if ALL we do is share recipes and applaud celebrities for “going” eating vegan.

Don’t be afraid.  Be vegan.

The polar bear is listed as a Threatened Species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which means it is “at risk” of becoming “endangered” (in danger of extinction).  How very ignorant optimistic of the government to ignore omit irreversible planetary warming leading to sea ice melting, when evaluating such matters.  Do they think the sea will miraculously begin to freeze again despite the ongoing trend of warm temperatures?  Or do they think the polar bear can be relocated to Scandinavia to live in catered ice hotels?

via bbc.co.uk