Day 2: Veganism- How One Person Can Make A Difference

I became vegan a little over two years ago-no I'm not a lifer. I grew up in a small-town with a meat eating family. Back then, I never questioned what was put on my plate, I just ate it. I often thought about the cruelty involved, but I looked past it.

It wasn't until I moved out of my parents house to go to college three years ago, that I began to truly walk on my own. Before then, it felt like my parents were inflicting all of my decisions. Almost as if I wasn't my own person.

The first program I went to school for was Fashion Design. YES, fashion is one of the top three industries that contributes majorly to the carbon emissions that are killing our planet. It was in my first semester sustainable fashion class where my eyes were initially opened, and the bubble that I had been living in popped.

Sustainable fashion is still something that I advocate for, and it is the base of all of my designs. Though, that was just the beginning of my journey in sustainability. I started researching sustainability, to the point where it was all I thought or spoke about. (My family and friends were in disapproval, but I watched them over the months, and years as my words inflicted change within them.)

Animal Agriculture is ranked high on the climate change contributors list.

https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/opinions/gallery/top-climate-change-contributors/index.html There are certain industries which would take higher authorities than one civilian to completely shut it down. However, one thing you can do is to simply cut back on your consumption of animal products.

YouTube has blessed us with the ability to watch this life-changing documentary for free.

https://youtu.be/thuHNqEQMIs This is Cowspiracy, if you haven't watched it before. It is also available on Netflix.

^ This is a breakdown of how largely animal agriculture is contributing to climate change ^

I always speak volumes on this documentary because it really did change my life. I stopped eating meat after watching this documentary. I would love to say that I completely went vegan, but I didn't. I can say that in the beginning, I struggled with it. However, watching this documentary, whether you become vegan, you cut back a little bit, or move on and forget you watched it, I promise you will feel guilt. For me, it was the guilt after learning all of these effects animal agriculture has on the planet, and not putting what I learned into action. I felt guilty because I learned that one person could make a difference, but I was so accustomed to how I was raised. I was worried that my family and friends would judge me, and to this day, they still do (which is completely fine with me, as I know that I am making a difference). People make fun of others when they feel guilty too, or when they just don't understand. You know what? That's okay. Everyone is able to change, but not everyone is as willing.

Becoming vegan, you really must feel it from within, If you don't have a reason to become vegan, then I promise you it won't last. I can also promise you that if you do make this change, slow or cold-turkey, you will feel a positive shift. Doing good feels good.

Make sure you watch Cowspiracy's new documentary Seaspiracy, It's coming to Netflix March 24th 2021. I am so excited for these new discoveries and Information! You can watch the thrilling trailer here: https://youtu.be/1Q5CXN7soQg Here is more information about what to expect from this documentary: https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/seaspiracy-fishing-industry-destruction-uncovered-by-cowspiracy-filmmakers-in-new-netflix-documentary/

Here are some other documentaries that have also made an impact on my life:

Blackfish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km4t7TUiA84 (or Netflix)

What the Health: https://youtu.be/KPD1oIKnnjs (or Netflix)

Earthlings: https://youtu.be/8gqwpfEcBjI

I hope that you allow your mind to be open to new topics, and try to see what you could change in your daily routine to decrease your carbon footprint.

ANYWAY.

Enjoy your day humans.

x

Kailee