Is Humanity Ready for Veganism?
Granted, if the overwhelming majority of the population are basically omnivores, then what are the chances of a bigger percentage of the population going vegan?
What would be the reasons for going vegan for the rest of us?
Given the fact that most of us were raised on meat, chicken, fish or pork, what would be the impetus for a radical shift or change?
These are questions I often ponder about, given that I have been a Vegan for so long, and having been raised with animal foods on the dinner table.
Compelling Reasons to Go Vegan
- Climate Change & Global Warming – 97% of our scientists agree that climate change is one of the big problems for our world and for future generations. Reading that animal agriculture creates 14%-18% of all the greenhouse gases, whereas emissions from automobiles is about 13%, it’s safe to assume that switching to vegan diet would help the planet more than switching to an electric car. But in reality, humas are more inclined to switch to an electric car than go vegan. It’s just easier for them.
- Health Problems & Diseases – The evidence is out there, that a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular diseases, namely heart attacks and stroke. And the occurence of hypertension and high blood pressure is a result of affluent eating habits of having animal foods at every meal. The diet that is usually prescribed to heart attack patients is one consisting of animal foods eaten only twice a week. This is something that is far from what most humans consume daily, that of having animal products at every single meal, being that we were programmed to believe that we need the protein from animals, and that animal protein is the best quality.
- Becoming More Compassionate – If humankind is to evolve like it has been for the last several thousand years, we need to expand our consciousness and elevate ourselves. This has been done by the cultural and artistic achievements of humankind, as well as our scientific technologies and social expansions. But, in order to expand further we need to expand our hearts. And practicing a universal love & compassion for all sentient beings (basically all mamals but also including insects, reptilesm, birds, etc) seems like the next logical step.
- Concern for the Environment – Our planetary ecosystem can be quite fragile, as many scientists have noted the disappearance of many species of animals. An ecosystem is something which is self-contained and as our populations increase, more care must be given to our ecosystem and how it is to be kept balanced. Recycling, reusing materials, repurposing, and reducing our use of plastics are some of the ways in which we can help our planet and the inhabitants that live within it.
Opening Our Hearts
I mention the story a few times, about how I was in the Philippines and the locals of this small town wanted me to do the honors of slaughtering a pig for the barrio fiesta.
To make a long story short, I was already holding the machete to the poor pig’s throat and it was already crying. It knew that it was about to die and I could see the emotions of this living being.
I couldn’t do it!
I walked away, and later in my room I could hear the squeals of the poor pig as it was being slaughtered. It was a big turning point in my dietary philosophy… how could I eat an animal when I couldn’t kill it myself?
To me this was one of the biggest epiphanies of my life. Showing compassion for another living thing that was about to be slaughtered. And I’m glad I didn’t slaughter the pig. I’m glad I didn’t slit its throat. For it felt like I was about to murder a living being.
On that day, my consciousness and my humanity expanded to another level.
