We’re already chic, but what about green? The vegan lifestyle is inherently sustainable – we all know the detrimental contribution the meat industry has on the environment, not to mention the agricultural runoff associated with conventional farming and the dairy industry. Every day that we choose to eat plants over animals, we are making another choice, whether we recognize it or not, to sustain our planet – our home. It has been said that you cannot call yourself an environmentalist without first being a vegetarian. I would like to turn the tables, and argue that, perhaps, you cannot be a vegan without being an environmentalist. As it is, we have all taken the biggest step in sustainability by choosing this lifestyle.
I am thrilled to be joining Chic Vegan, and penning a regular column to address sustainability. I would like to share with you the pressing environmental issues of the day – small things that we can do to make a big difference. Whether it is how we vote with our dollar (the things we buy) to the way we consume energy, there are always steps to take. Promoting wellness does not end with our health, but the health of the world around us.
Everything we do, everyday, has a larger impact than many of us realize. The clothes we wear, the skincare products we use, the electronics we rely on, all have an impact on the environment. By making more informed choices – thinking not only cruelty-free, but destruction-free, as well, we can make a big difference.
What I love most about this lifestyle – this movement – is that one facet of activism is linked so closely with another: health and environment, fair-trade and sustainability, humane practices and organics. I look forward to having you join me on this journey, where we will become chicly and sustainably vegan!
Hey Abby,
I admire your determination to get down to the facts about veganism and ecological sustainability. There is certainly a correlation and, I too, have been digging and doing my own research. It is beautiful how our health and the Earth’s health are so closely linked. I think that is what makes it all so obvious. I decided to write an article about my carbon footprint in an effort to expand my knowledge of how my diet affects the Earth. I learned some new things and will certainly be putting some new ideas into practice. http://www.forkstofeet.com/2013/04/ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint.html You see, I decided to go vegan a few months back to encourage faster recovery time between my long distance runs. I’ve been a long-distance runner for a couple of years and was beginning to feel some pain due to inflammation. I truly didn’t decide to go vegan to change the World. I actually didn’t even care that much about the animals. I just did it for my own selfish reasons. What’s great, is that I now know how my little decision to eat vegan has helped to maintain the world I live in. I have also grown to appreciate the Earth and all of its little creatures.