Why Vegan?

You may have already seen how animals are treated on todays farms.
You even may have seen how they are killed in slaughterhouses. You probably dont like seeing
those pictures and videos. Why? Youre a kind and decent person. You dont want others to suffer
unnecessarily.

Vegans don't participate in the exploitation of animals. In other words, they avoid anything that
requires animals birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, and so on to be used or killed. This includes
food, clothing, entertainment, and transportation.
Right now millions of nonhuman animals are being used treated like things or resources. Each is
a unique individual who values his or her life. Each wants to avoid harm and feel contentment. You
know this well if you have ever cared for cats or dogs. (Chickens love sunbeams and snuggling no
less!) Experiences aside, you probably think we should hurt animals only when necessary.
Reflecting on this intuition will help you understand our obligation to be vegan.

1) We shouldn't cause animals to unnecessarily suffer or die.

2) Pleasure, convenience, and tradition can't make something necessary.

These principles are based on beliefs held by nearly everyone, but they don't match most people's
behaviours. So the question is: What would happen if we applied them to our daily lives? We would
realise that over 99.9% of the suffering and death we impose on nonhuman animals isn't
necessary in any sense. Most nonhuman exploitation can only be defended on grounds of
pleasure, convenience, or tradition.

some text on this page quoted from www.candidhominid.com/p/veganism.html"

 Environmental aspects of Veganism
We are in the midst of terrible ecological devastation. Raising animals for food is the single
greatest human-caused source of destruction to our environment. It is the largest source of
greenhouse gases, land use and degradation; the number one source of water pollution and
rainforest deforestation. Its also a major contributor to air pollution, ocean dead zones, habitat
loss, and species extinction. And when we include all the resources that go into raising animals for
food the land, fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides, fossil fuels and freshwater animal
agribusiness is shockingly inefficient and a costly and wasteful use of our limited natural
resources. Veganism is the solution.

The Land
Raising animals for food uses 45% of Earths total land and is
responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction, with 1-2
acres of rainforest being cleared every second. The Amazon
Rainforest covers over a billion acres, encompassing areas in
Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and the Eastern Andean region
of Ecuador and Peru. If Amazonia were a country, it would be
the ninth largest one in the world. Its been described as the
Lungs of our Planet because the rainforest provides the
essential environmental world the service of continuously
recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen; more than 20 percent of
the worlds oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.

Save the Rainforest

For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on
rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have
been destroyed. And its not just the rainforest. In the United
States, more than 260 million acres of forest have been clear-
cut for animal agriculture. With increased per capita meat
consumption, and an ever growing population, we can only
expect to see more deforestation in the future.

Water
Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water
resources to meet the demands of water usage and it affects
every continent. More than 1.2 billion people, or almost one-
fifth of the worlds population, lack access to clean drinking water. Animal products form the
single most important factor in humanitys water footprint and we need to re-examine the place
meat and dairy have in the diet of modern man. Eating 1 beef burger is equivalent to 3 months of
showering and eating 1 egg would have the same water use as letting your tap run for more than 3
hours.
 The Humane Myth
There is an idea being propagated by the industries who make money using animals and some
animal welfare organisations that it is possible to use and kill animals in a compassionate or
humane way. The idea is built upon the concept that there are farmers and ranchers who treat
animals with care and respect, implementing best livestock husbandry practices that protect
animals health and well-being. They raise animals on pasture land, allowing them to move freely
and engage in instinctive behaviours, consume a natural diet, and avoid the stress and illness that
are often associated with factory farming and confinement. This idea is called The Humane Myth.

Even with intensive confinement factory farming methods currently dominating global animal
agriculture, farm animals still use 45% of the Earths entire land surface. If we attempted to
pasture feed all of the roughly 32 million cows in the United States on grass, as humane/
sustainable farming advocates suggest, the cows would need (using an estimate of 10 acres per
cow) 320 million acres of land- which doesnt include the land we would need to raise all of the
pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats free-range. We simply dont have
enough resources (land, water, etc.) for an agricultural system of that size.

How?
If you have questions about staying strong and healthy on a vegan diet, first know that its not
difficult. You dont have to become a nutrition expert. You wont have to keep a food journal or
plan your meals. Remember the bottom line: Every single nutrient needed for a happy and
healthy body is available in a plant-based form
 Questions?

You can always message us with questions via instagram @wokevegan, or send an e-mail with
questions to julieouwehand@hotmail.com and I will be happy to answer your questions or guide
you in this vegan journey

Inspired to do your own research to educate yourself on this subject? These are some great
inspirational sources I can recommend:

Ethical aspect of veganism:

Greatest speech by Gary Yuroski on Youtube
speech by James Aspey on Youtube
Earthlings documentary
the real reason we eat meat - Dr. Melanie Joy Tedx

health aspects of veganism

Forks over knives documentary on Netflix
What the Health documentary on Netflix
how not to die - Dr. Gregger
China study - T. Colin Campbell,

Environmental aspects of Veganism

Cowspiracy documentary on Netflix
101 reasons to go vegan

Vegan recipes
cheap lazy vegan on Youtube
vegan corner on youtube
But I could never go vegan cookbook
Bosh on facebook

Always remember the reasons behind your decision. Veganism is a matter of justice, not of
mercy or compassion. It should be expected of us because it's morally right, not reg
arded as a praiseworthy option. Vegans are not heroes. They are just people doing the minimum
required to show respect for nonhuman animals.

Sources: http://www.candidhominid.com/p/veganism.html
http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/environment/
http://evolvecampaigns.org.uk/evolve/environment.aspx
cowspiracy.com
http://www.livevegan.org/getting-started