7 Reasons Choosing Veganism Is True Compassion

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“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi

How do you define compassion? A quick Google search states: compassion is sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

So basically, in order to care for someone else, you have to be able to put yourself in their shoes and understand what they’re going through. Pretty straightforward, huh? But for many, it depends on how they define the word ‘other’. Throughout history, many of the most barbaric things were done with a different definition of ‘other’. They believed another group of people were beneath them. After all, how could you justify injustice? You have to make sense of it somehow in your mind.

And now today, it’s the same thing with farm animals. In order to justify the extreme mistreatment of animals, most people view them as not intelligent, emotional, or even able to comprehend much of anything that goes on in their lives. Animals are looked upon as numbers and food.

But maybe it’s time to flip that idea on its head. These are a few important facts to know about eating plant-based. Hopefully, they can help you make an informed decision.

*Full disclosure: this isn’t supposed to be some sort of judgmental article. This is simply to encourage deeper thoughts about our decisions and impact.*

SEE ALSO: Migraine & Headaches: How To Treat Them Holistically

1) Most farm animals are quite calm and approachable. They trust humans — and to a degree, they are like little children. Without a doubt, they think, feel, and have emotions. To them, their life and experience are just as important as yours. Modern slaughtering practices completely disregard this in order to justify their horrific slaughtering practices.

2) Did you know that an average person at 75 years old eats roughly 6600 animals in their lifetime? That’s a lot of meat! Going vegan, or at least plant-based, saves the lives of many innocent lives.

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3) Animals take an enormous amount of resources to grow and sustain. 13 pounds of crops go to produce one pound of flesh. The massive demand for these animals could literally feed the world’s hungry. And yet we persist in these practices.

4) In an effort to systematize the birth, growth, and slaughter of animals, farms have turned into highly compact and overcrowded operations. Many animals clearly suffer from psychological stress and have to be kept from hurting themselves. For instance, chickens have their beaks cut off so they don’t peck themselves and each other 24/7. Cows often cry for days and weeks when separated from their young.

5) Antibiotics that are given to animals for slaughter actually make their way into our diet through waste runoff and meat contaminated by gut flora. This is dangerous because it creates resistant bacteria, which ultimately increases the likelihood of humans contracting illnesses that can’t be controlled.

6) Climate change is a hot topic that nearly everyone has a strong opinion about. Rainforests and land are cleared as far as the eye can see in order to make room for animal factories. This greatly adds to climate change, because forests actually disperse heat very well, and use it to feed their cells. Moreover, clearing carbon-breathing plants adds to the greenhouse effect.

7) 18% of greenhouse gases come exclusively from animal farming. That’s even more than transportation, which accounts for 13.5%. This is because the industrial supply chain is far more complex, as it includes food for the animals and their associated support. Compared with a vegan diet, the average US diet creates 1.5 tonnes more carbon dioxide. Becoming vegan or making vegan choices is actually more environmentally friendly than purchasing a green car.

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