Why
Vegan?
What is a VEGAN? A vegan
(pronounced VEE-gun) is someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid
using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use
flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather,
wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals.
Why VEGAN? Veganism,
the natural extension of vegetarianism, is an integral component of a
cruelty-free lifestyle. Living vegan provides numerous benefits to animals'
lives, to the environment, and to our own health–through a healthy diet and
lifestyle.
FOR THE ANIMALS
Despite the common belief that drinking milk or eating eggs does not kill
animals, commercially-raised dairy cows and egg-laying chickens, whether
factory-farmed or 'free range,' are slaughtered when their production rates
decline.
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the earth. It is an
inefficient way of producing food, since feed for farm animals requires
land, water, fertilizer, and other resources that could otherwise have been
used directly for producing human food.
FOR OUR HEALTH
The consumption of animal fats and proteins has been linked to heart
disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease,
hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating conditions. Cows'
milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for young calves, but far too
much for humans.
(Information from
http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/index.html)
Other Vegan Websites:
The Vegan
Society
Viva