Back in May, on one of those last blissful days of the school year, I found myself sitting at a table in Culver's surrounded by girls laughing and gossiping and sharing fries as we celebrated our success at the track sectionals meet. I was chompin' away at my fries and admittedly complaining about my hunger. Fries can keep a girl satisfied for only so long. So one of the girls whom I did not know very well asked me why I hadn't ordered any chicken nuggets or at least a burger, to which I responded, "Oh, I'm actually vegetarian." And the girls surrounding me took a sudden interest in what I had just said. They wanted to know why I'd decided to alter my diet. They wanted to know if it was a difficult decision or if I ever regret it. One girl even told me that I should write about it on here, as my next article. So that's what I'm doing. (Thank you for the inspiration, Makayla.)
My decision to go vegetarian has been one of my most favorite decisions quite possibly ever. Choosing and sticking with this diet have taught me quite a bit about the food I consume and how important it is to be mindful of what I'm voluntarily and often unwittingly putting into my body. It helps remind me that I am connected to what I eat. It allows me to gain a deeper appreciation for my body and my sources of energy. It makes me feel proud of what I'm doing for myself, the environment, and the cute animals that often serve as my motivation. But I don't say this when someone asks me why I'm vegetarian. And quite frankly, people aren't interested in hearing my lengthy explanation. But it deserves to be heard.
Most people make sure to do a very loud and flamboyant job of letting me know just how amazed they are by my ability to stick with this commitment. It's sweet (and a little bit silly), don't get me wrong- but I think that this sense of awe stems from a common misconception. People often remark at the incredible amount of self-restraint it must take to be vegetarian, and when I see as a menu option sautéed salmon on a bed of pasta with capers, sometimes it does require strong will power to go with the plain alfredo. But I am able to turn away from such temptation--and more than that, I want to turn away from such temptation--because I am vegetarian for the animals. Vegetarianism isn't for everyone (and that's okay), but it IS for every animal. I made this decision not for myself, but for the environment and the animals that live in it.
Vegetarianism has been on the rise for the past decade, and its limitations have become more accomodated as a result. Plant-based meal options, tofu substitutes, cafés that specialize in tasty quinoa bowls and chickpea salads, and soy products realistic in taste and texture are becoming more prominent. Furthermore, approximately six to eight million adults in the U.S. alone have eliminated all meat from their diets. Makes me happy.
Now, these six to eight million people have their reasons and a lot of them coincide but some of them will be unexpected. A lot of people will make the transition for its health benefits. Some base their decision on religious conviction. Others still are convinced by concerns regarding animal welfare (this could include abuse, hygiene, GMOs, and the use of antibiotics/hormones). The negative spillover exerted on the environment also often serves as motivation to make the switch.
So predictably, one of the first questions I'm always asked is, "Why did you become vegetarian?" Here's what got me started:
About two and a half years ago, I was watching a documentary about vegetarianism and the woman said, quite simply: the animals that are put through these slaughterhouses and are kept malnourished and are tortured by their hooves and forced to live crammed from day to day undergo so much anxiety and stress. Up until the moment they die, they are broken and frightened. Do you really want all that stress and fear entering your body? Are you going to voluntarily put that misery and pain into your system? A system that is already navigating a hectic schedule, complicated relationships, and personal goals?
As a teenager in high school, the stress of studying for important exams and figuring out what kind of person I want to be while balancing responsibilities with growing relationships places enough weight on my heart and my body as it is. So no, I'm not particularly fond of the idea.
Following a vegetarian diet isn't going to work for everyone, and that's okay. (Although I've managed to turn some of my friends on to the idea, and that has got to be one of the best feelings.) But I think it's more than okay to maintain an open mind. Making the choice to neglect meat is about more than just us humans. The meat industry affects the animals and the environment, and in case you haven't heard, our forests and clean air aren't holding up too well. So even if you are inclined to eat meat, there are other efforts you can make to create a positive change. I like lists so here are some fairly simple, non-demanding ideas you can take and apply to your life:
1. let's recycle. we've been taught its importance since elementary school--around the same time we were learning to color inside the lines and recite the alphabet. likewise, recycling is pretty dang important. it should be second nature (this may be a bit of a stretch, but imagine if it weren't). educate yourself on what is and isn't recylable in your community (bottle caps aren't, for example). don't let laziness get the best of you. walk the extra two feet to the recycling bin, because while this may seem like a futile action to take, if everyone took it, the world would be in a heck of a better condition.
2. invest wisely. from bamboo toothbrushes to metal straws, cloth napkins to reusable wax paper, people have made careers out of providing consumers with sustainable, practical products. these products are durable and they are made with the environment in mind. support local businesses and shop organically- there's a lot more love and a lot less carbon emission. making fun of metal straws has become, for whatever reason, one of society's recent pasttimes. "save the turtles" has become a slogan for the VSCO elite only. this sort of disinterest is what undermines all the efforts that are being taken to reduce carbon footprints, cut down on pollution, and lead more eco-friendly lifestyles. this inclination to poke fun at what we don't understand is not an excuse to continue to live in ignorance. educate yourself and educate others. and once you've spread the word, be an example of everything good that you've learned. here are a few neat websites:
3. cut down on the beef. drama for sure, but i'm talking about the literal kind that you flip on the grill. cattle ranching is the world's largest single driver of deforestation. acres upon acres of land are being cleared to make way for more cattle farms. furtherstill, animal agriculture requires massive amounts of not only land, but also feed, energy, and water. a 1/3-pound burger requires 660 gallons of water. a whole lotta water for a single patty. such animal agriculture is also associated with the unsettlingly high production of mathane, a potent greenhouse gas and about 80 times more powerful than CO2 at warming the earth over the span of 20 years. researchers at the university of oxford found that cutting meat and dairy from your diet can reduce your environmental impact from food by 73%. this doesn't mean you have to completely eliminate meat, dairy, and poultry from your diet. i haven't. but isn't it worth considering "meatless mondays" or cutting out red meat from your diet or simply being more conscious about your restaurant orders if it means you're making even the (seemingly) smallest difference? a lot of this global crisis seems out of our hands, but what we eat is something we can control.
4. be aware. as overly-simple and cliché as it sounds. be mindful, because your actions and interactions with the earth extend far beyond just the day and yourself. know what you're consuming and what you're expending, know that how you live is what you teach. go not even the extra mile, but the extra few feet. don't overcharge your phone or treat your shower time like it's designated for a long self reflection. run the dishwasher only when it's full. start a compost bin- those banana peels and coffee grounds don't belong in the trash. grow a garden with pretty flowers to help out our pollinators. don't order more food than your stomach can handle. even though school hand dryers suck, skip the paper towel. reduce leftovers when eating out--that styrofoam isn't doing anyone any favors. pick up trash on the sidewalk instead of just stepping over it. politely decline when asked if you want a copy of your receipt. check animal testing on your makeup. treat yourself to a little spree at plato's closet instead of big name companies. go LED. wrap your gifts in newspaper, not wrapping paper that's covered in an unrecyclable laminant. carpool to save gas when you can. the small actions add up, and to paraphrase the wise words of mahatma gandhi, you gotta be the change.
5. use your voice. unlike the hundreds of thousands of animals who can't stand up for themselves, the amazon rainforest--home to over 20 million indigenous peoples as well as 30 million species of plants and animals--that burns without an end in sight, the oceans that are swelling not with dignity but with pounds upon pounds of trash, we have a voice. we have the power to choose. every day, we are given the opportunity to take chances and to opt for the high road and to stand up for what we believe. i think we could all benefit from more of that. change demands that we challenge the status quo. friction is a necessary biproduct. support causes that get you fired up. advocate for grassroots environmental action. be part of an organization that works for the change you want to create. use whatever skills you've been given to spread the word. if you can write, write to your government representatives. if you can publicly speak, then teach your peers about the climate crisis. if you can draw or capture photos or paint, then use your artistic eye to remind the rest of us why it's so important that we preserve what we have and restore what we've lost. if you can sing, then sing with the songbirds and harmonize with the melodies of mother nature. make the world your stage, and when critics try to quiet you, write fiercer, speak bolder, draw bigger, sing louder.
6. keep yourself in the know. reuse, reduce, recycle is the mantra most of us have committed to memory, but we are notorious for not following through, and the reality is that less than 9% of plastic gets recycled in the end. granted, in the past decade, the rise of conscious living has blossomed from a grassroots movement reserved for "feminists and tree huggers" to a mainstream collective effort. starbucks has pledged to eliminate plastic straws. elon musk works in an admirable effort to produce energy-efficient, only somewhat outrageously expensive teslas and solar panels. people even here in northwest indiana, from moms to millennials alike, can be seen bringing their reusable bags to the grocery store. people are coming around, and education is the only way we're going to keep that up. be politically aware. involve yourself in conversation and don't back down in a debate. answer the questions that you can, but don't pretend to know something you don't. become not an expert, but a teacher.
7. ask questions. we are never going to get anywhere if we pretend we know what we're doing. the truth of the matter is that a lot of the damage we've inflicted is irrevocable, but the overshadowing truth is that we can work with what we've got left, and we can use that one pocket of hope to turn things around. we gotta take initiative, though. start by asking questions and demanding answers. from our politicians. the adults in our lives who can vote. but also from ourselves. what can I do? it's a good place to start.
Not a shred of the lives we lead would exist without the benevolence of the earth, and it is our disconnect from this truth that sits at the roots of the crisis in which we now find ourselves. Like the gossamer of a spider's web, we are all interconnected. With each other and with the earth. The ocean reflects as much a part of me as it does of you. The wind carries pollen as it gives wings to our ambitions. Butterflies evolve and plants grow just as we do. We crave affection just as our cute pups at home do. Doesn't it make sense then, that we are all part of the problem? That a responsibility is placed on each of us to take care of our planet? And yet, we have fallen short of this. No singular person is the cause of this crisis. It would be futile to turn against one another. For the sake of all that is alive and still here, let's be willing to have the tough conversations, to engage with people outside of our comfort zones, and to put faces on issues we don't fully understand. Change is today's reality. On September 20th, I and a couple friends went to Chicago to take part in the climate strike, and being completely surrounded by like-minded game changers was inspirational and reaffirming in ways that are beyond words. I feel at once blessed and humbled to be able to take part in creating the change that I want my children to grow up in, that I want to live out the rest of my days in. No action goes unnoticed. No word is insignificant. No action is negligible. In the words of Greta, "change is coming, whether you like it or not."
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