Though I have been wanting to write this from a very long time, I finally got to writing it today, in the lap of nature. What better way to write than to have a view of fluffy clouds and a vast spread of green while you do so?!
Let us get straight to the point.
What is veganism? Why veganism? Why is there so much buzz around it? What are the advantages and disadvantages? The list of questions and doubts goes on ...
Veganism is a lifestyle in which consumption of all animal products is abstained.
Veganism is the need of the hour. It is the most effective lifestyle to reduce one’s carbon footprint on the planet. It originally was started to be a voice for the voiceless, the animals. To end animal exploitation and protect animal rights. As I continued to further educate myself on the topic, I found out about the immense benefits of this lifestyle on the environment and on our health.
Animal agriculture contributes significantly to the production and emission of greenhouse gases like methane which in turn causes global warming. Yes, global warming is real and is responsible for the much evident climate change in the past few years. The rising temperatures of summer, the decrease in rainfall in monsoons, conspicuous encroachment of seasons into one another are all the consequences of global warming. It is a large scale industry also responsible for the spread of zoonotic diseases, the most recent being Covid-19. I was shocked to learn that animal agriculture contributes to global warming more than the transportation sector. What?! I know, right?
Apart from restoring the environmental imbalance, veganism has a beautiful side effect of good health. It has the ability to reverse some of the most debilitating lifestyle health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, etc. It helps keep the biochemistry and physiology within the optimal levels in the body and lethargy at bay.
It is no joke that one of the world’s biggest problem, hunger, can be resolved to a great extent with veganism. There is inefficient usage and wastage of resources when huge acres of land and gallons of water are used to grow fodder for the animals, which can directly be consumed by humans.
Taking a walk in our mango farm and seeing some dried up trees made me teary-eyed. It helped me realise how I have been contributing in making the timing and volume of rainfall erratic over the years. Petting the sheep in the farm made me experience the potential of a beautiful friendship and the innocence in their eyes. I realised the hypocrisy in saying I am an environmentalist, love animals and then eat meat and dairy.
Everyday, I learn something new about this lifestyle and there is a lot of unlearning that happens more than learning. It is absolutely wonderful how you can practice harmony, coexistence, compassion, maintain good health, protect the environment and animals with your plate of food.
Educating yourself about how the food in your plate reaches your plate makes a ton of a difference in the connect you have with your environment. There was a drastic shift in my conscience once I started doing that.
This is what I am able to do right now and there is so much more to do. But at least I don’t hesitate to call myself an environmentalist now and it makes me want to put in more effort to help restore and retain the vibrancy of nature around us.
All this is to explain it in a nutshell, considering the scope of the subject. Veganism for me has been about aligning my actions with my beliefs and living life consciously. I hope all of us are motivated to live a life that is least harmful to planet Earth and I will be more than happy to talk about the specifics of the subject and help anyone who wants to start their journey.
Everyday is Earth Day.
Just because you can’t do everything, doesn’t mean you do nothing. Do something.
When you know better, do better.
Thank you!
Author: Dr. Meghana Reddy Tandra
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