There is endless amounts of debate regarding vegans and omnivores alike and I would like to set the record straight.
Firstly, there are in fact a plethora of diets out there to each of which have their own special name.
Omnivores: eats either other animals or plants.
Pescatarian: eats fish, but no other animal meat.
Vegetarian: eats no animal meat.
Vegan: consumes no animal by-product such as eggs or dairy (this includes wearing leather)
The list can go on and on but I want to isolate the vegans in this article. Specifically myself.
I have avoided eating meat since 2012 (the end of the world) and in 2015 I made the switch to avoid dairy, and other by-products of animals. But it wasn't in the name of morality or anything ethical. In fact I believe it was a very reasonable choice to make.
I had learned that the amount of animal products that us humans consume is so immense that we incubate animals in a factory fashion in order to meet the demand. I had watched a short-documentary called From Farm to Fridge that briefly described the day to day functions in these factory farms. Now it wasn't quite like I was sick to my stomach or I was enraged by the injustice regardless of the validity of those perspectives. No, I was more concerned with these three ideas instead:
Environmental Factor:
Probably the least understood reason for people to choose vegan is that it is killing our atmosphere and as a result everything we hold dear. To start: climate change is real. If you disagree please leave and don't come back. Now with that out of the way, there are many factors that are contributing to CC. The natural warming of the planet, the excessive waste we produce, and the toxins our products and fuel add to the problem. But here's a not-so-fun fact: If you combined all of the worlds transportation methods (that is every single car, train, bus, boat, plane, bitchin' scooter, intense skateboard) and added up all of their CO2 emissions it still wouldn't be as much as the meat and dairy industry contributes to CC. If you have ever seen an arial photo from any factory farm you know exactly what I am talking about. The faeces of the animals forming lakes, stampeded ground preventing any hope of crops to be grown, it is no wonder companies have made it illegal to take photos. I want to repeat this. The owners have lobbied, fought, and spent probably millions of dollars in order to restrict photos of the daily activities inside their territory. I dont care what they are selling at this point I don't want to support that kind of shit with my money.
Economic Value:
Which brings me to my next point. What is money? (I know what you're thinking "ugh this fuckin' guy" just stay with me here). It's a vote. It is an amount that you and I agree to in order to give value to something that we can exchange with. When you spend your money, you are voting for the products you consume. If everyone buys (or votes for) the generic bread over the slightly more expensive but equally as bready brand then the more expensive brand either has to lower their prices or go out of business. It is your money and your votes that are either supporting the generic brand in supplying suitable living standards for your good mate Jimmy or allowing the CEO of the more expensive brand to live in mansions, driving a BMW. Today there is a large group of millionaires that are making a killing off of large scale suffering through mental and physical torture. I don't want to scare anyone away thinking I am "just another preachy vegan" but I will reinforce it is reasonable to consider what is being done in such a way. Some common practices are the separation of children from their mothers like in the dairy industry. Every day hundreds of chics put on a conveyer belt to be dropped into a grinder due to no economic value. Lifetimes spent in pools of faeces added with starvation to the point of living cannibalism. My point is this: I was sick and tired of supporting and supplying the individuals with the means to continue unneeded suffering, never-mind the Environmental Factor. I vowed to vote for companies that aligned with my values and beliefs.
The Enlightenment Possibility:
Probably the most douchy title I have ever written, frankly I could not think of any other title that starts with "E" for consistency reasons. Once I was through the growing pains and comfortable with my day to day diet, as well as respectfully avoiding the many debates that arose upon discovery of my decision, I had a powerful feeling in my gut. Once I started to shed the layers of me that I didn't agree with I couldn't stop. I went from a little dweeb that was scared of confrontation to a strong willed young man who stood for what he believed in. After healthy debates of words and ideas I gained respect from people I never expected to get it from. I felt I had more purpose in life, not because I was a vegan and there-fore I knew who I was meant to be type crap. No, it was because I knew what I was not. It has been six years of rushing down that rabbit hole and every single year I come out a better man. I am not vegan because I care about animals I am vegan because I am leaving behind the things that make me a lesser man (allow me to expand this sentence further).
I am not claiming to be better than anyone, what I mean is this:
There are many reasons to become a pescatarian and even a carnivore. There will be people that can change your mind, and there will be people that will solidify what you have came to know. All of the choices you make have a direct impact on both yourself, and the world around you whether you realize it or not.
I implore anybody and everybody to adhere to these words:
Ask yourself what you stand for. Do not be satisfied until you are certain every last ounce of you is confident in the answer. Every single day you have an opportunity to live by what you stand for. Now choose.
Here are some awesome sources for the info hungry peeps out there:
-Want to know more about a Plant Based Diet?
-Ten minutes to learn how animals are farmed
-Don't trust me? Check out these celebrities
-Earthling Ed