In collaboration with fellow blogger and education studies student Chloe Goldthorpe (a vegan), I am looking into the politics behind veganism in this most recent post.
Depending on who you talk to, veganism is either the social movement that will solve the world’s problems and usher in a new utopian society where humans treat animals with upmost respect or it’s an annoying dietary fad that’ll go the way most modern diets. Chloe’s experiences are broad, she is the type of vegan who will cook meat products for others but won’t eat them herself. She doesn’t follow the stereotype of a vegan.
Coming from the perspective of environmentalism and sustainability, a plant-based diet saves about 600 gallons of water daily. The focus on animal ethics is one of the factors that makes this argument so personal. People who eat meat are often called murderers, at least this is how it’s portrayed in the media. Veganism is yet to enter mainstream politics on a large scale. However, it has been focused on much more than in previous years. Labour and the Greens both have policies that aim to gain the votes of the vegan electorate, promising better animal welfare laws.
I hate to be that guy when I say this but I do blame capitalism for the problems with animal welfare. We as a society consume a lot of meat and animal products, not only is this bad for the environment but it also means animals are often poorly treated, even with the current laws that are in place. People like cheaper meat and unfortunately that means that it’s giving big businesses the demand they require to have massive warehouses filled with animals all destined for our plates. Despite the fact I’m not a vegan myself, I do aim to eat less meat and animal products in 2019 to reduce the environment impact and when I do eat these products I must try and get them from ethical, organic (if possible) and locally sourced farmers and butchers to ensure the carbon and ethical footprint on my plate is considerably smaller.
So, the real question is, can you do the same?