Ep 26: Environmentalism with Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn
May 24, 2018
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Filmmakers Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn explain the environmental impact of veganism and why they are ethical vegans. They discuss the true cost of animal agriculture, how organic and grass-fed meat is worse for the environment, and the global impact of meat and dairy consumption. They also share tips for talking to non-vegan environmentalists and discuss the environmental impact of importing foods.
Animal agriculture is the primary driver of environmental destruction and the leading cause of climate change.
Vegan activism should tailor its approach to resonate with different concerns and spread awareness.
Choosing a plant-based diet significantly reduces water consumption, grain usage, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Deep dives
The Environmental Impact of Veganism
Veganism has three main motives: animal rights, personal and environmental health. The documentary, Cowspiracy, argues that animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change and environmental destruction. Raising animals for food requires enormous amounts of water and produces more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation industry. It also leads to deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Going vegan is the single biggest action individuals can take to reduce environmental impact. Veganism is not just about ethics, but also about the interconnectedness of environmental and social justice issues. Governments and world leaders are starting to take notice and promote veganism.
The Importance of Vegan Activism
Vegan activism plays a crucial role in spreading awareness and education. Activists should tailor their approach to resonate with different individuals, addressing specific concerns such as the environment, health, or animal rights. The power of activism lies in creating conversations and providing information to help people make informed choices. Being an activist involves not only living a vegan lifestyle, but also actively raising one's voice through platforms like social media, blogs, YouTube channels, or supporting documentary films like Cowspiracy or What the Health.
Reducing the Environmental Impact of Pets
Being a responsible pet owner also involves minimizing the environmental impact of our pets. It is important to address the issue of companion animals, such as cats, that can negatively impact local wildlife. For outdoor cats, it is recommended to use collars with bells or other noise-making devices, as they can reduce predation on birds and other wildlife. Additionally, efforts can be made to limit outdoor access for cats and provide stimulating environments indoors. It is crucial to strike a balance between giving our pets a happy life and minimizing damage to local wildlife.
The Power of Going Vegan
Going vegan has a significant impact on water consumption, grain usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Choosing a plant-based diet can save large amounts of water, reduce grain consumption, and prevent deforestation. The carbon footprint of growing crops for plant-based diets is significantly less than that of raising animals for food. Veganism is a powerful solution to environmental issues and has the potential to make a substantial difference. It is a lifestyle choice that individuals can adopt to contribute positively towards fighting climate change and protecting the planet's resources.
The Intersection of Ethics and Environmentalism
Ethics plays a vital role in the vegan movement, as it encourages compassion towards all living beings. Recognizing our shared ethical responsibility with animals is crucial. The vegan movement is not just about animal rights, but also about social justice, human health, sustainability, and interconnectedness with the environment. By adopting a vegan lifestyle, individuals support the broader goals of promoting environmentalism, activism, and raising awareness about exploitation, animal welfare, and the planet's health. Veganism is a catalyst for change and contributes to a more ethical and sustainable future.
Here at The ChickPeeps we’ve talked about being vegan for the animals and vegan for our health but we haven’t talked about being vegan for the health of humankind and animals together aka. THE ENVIRONMENT! To address this topic, we interview the mastermind filmmakers Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn who put the environmental impact of veganism into focus with their groundbreaking documentary, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. In this interview Kip and Keegan expand on the information shared in Cowspiracy and explain precisely what impact one individual can have on the environment by being vegan. Also on this epsiode…
Kip and Keegan explain why they are actually ethical vegans.
Robbie gets nerdy with Keegan about the true cost of animal agriculture on the environment.
‘Literally anything you could care about in the environmental world, raising animals for food is the primary driver of its destruction, and yet it’s basically overlooked.
How organic or grass-fed meat is worse for the environment.
Why animal agriculture is also a people problem: ‘If there wasn’t such a demand for meat dairy and eggs in the so-called "developed world", we wouldn’t see these rates of poverty that we see - and starvation and hunger - in the developing [world].’
What difference can one person going vegan actually make?
Non-vegan environmentalists: how to talk to hardcore environmentalists who reject veganism.
Mangoes from India? Avocados from Mexico? The environmental impact of importing foods from around the world, and do we need to be focusing on local produce?
Are almond farms causing drought?
‘This is a movement from the grassroots up, I think it’s going to need to be us hitting a critical mass as vegans and vegetarians and environmentalists and compassionate people.’
Is veganism enough? Kip expands on how else we can be mindful of Mother Earth.
Kip and Keegan talk about their exciting upcoming projects.
Some listener feedback from the companion pets episode and an unusual ensemble for your cat.
