BOSH! How to Live Vegan. Henry Firth
don’t change first. Often, too, we’ve found it’s the ones who mock you the most who join you in the end – just like Henry used to laugh at Ian when he first went vegan!
Every big change in history has been started by a small collection of individuals, striving for a better world.
Whether it’s the creation of the United Nations as a peacekeeping organisation after World War 2,[66] the abolition of slavery or the global, ongoing move away from tobacco. These movements towards a better world were spearheaded by individuals changing their own views and actions, which in turn affected the views of others.
When people ask us why we’re vegan, one of our responses is: ‘To avoid awkward conversations with our unborn children.’ Our generation – and the generation before us – has presided over the biggest extinction event in recent history, and it is the next generation that will pay the price for our inaction.
You really can make a difference to the world just by virtue of the decisions you make.
There can be no greater way to care for the happiness of others than to preserve the planet and future for them. The predictions of where the planet may end up otherwise are too grave to consider. We owe it to our young people to do something about climate change before it’s too late. The effects of our actions will be felt by them. They will be clearing up our mess. Think about the conversations you’ll have with them in the future. ‘What did you do when we could have stopped climate change, Daddy?!’
It may feel easier to avoid responsibility by thinking that the problem is bigger than us, or has been around longer than us. But to put it into perspective, consider how long humans have existed, and how recently climate change has escalated.
Humans have been on the planet for 12,000 years, but it’s only in the past 140 years that we‘ve burned fossil fuels, which has caused a lot of our current problems. Just 30 years ago, we knew most of what we know now about climate change, and we nearly put the wheels in motion to stop it. But we didn’t. And since then we have done almost everything in our power to make it worse. We have a couple of decades to stop complete, irreversible disaster. It’s crunch time.[67]
We can’t sit back and do nothing. Let’s spend our time on Earth trying to fix what we’ve broken – and enjoy some amazing food along the way!
YOUR MONEY IS YOUR VOTE
The money you spend is a vote for how you believe the world should be. Every single thing you buy fuels the economy. Every plant-based product that you buy tells the global economy that you want more plant-based – and therefore more sustainable – products. And every animal product that you buy tells the global economy that you want to continue to consume animal products, which are, we know, significantly worse for the planet.
What the world needs, for us to survive, is for us to spend our money on delivering change. If enough of us change our buying habits, then we can take our planet off the pressure cooker. We can start to put measures in place to cool it again, while letting the animal kingdom recover.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
Right now, let’s take a moment to think about how we can all make a few simple changes to what we buy to help make a real difference.
What do you spend your money on?
What is the money that you spend demanding from our economy?
Are there any changes that you could make to start persuading food producers to act more sustainably?
If you do eat meat, how often?
Do you think you could reduce it?
GRETA THUNBERG
In 2018, at the age of just 15, Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg protested outside government about the need to take action on climate change. She caught the attention of the media, and went on to inspire hundreds of thousands of students in countries all around the world to follow her action with ‘school strikes for climate’. In March 2019 an estimated 1.4 million students from 112 countries joined her in strikes and protests. And another global strike in May 2019 saw 125 countries getting involved. Greta’s passion for her cause led to a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. So powerful and far-reaching has her influence been that it is known by some as the ‘Greta Thunberg effect’.
Greta has since staged a TEDx Talk, spoken at the United Nations summit on climate change as well as many other international events with some of the world’s most powerful leaders. She is an amazing example of the impact one person can have. In front of global governments filled with those old enough to be her parents, her grandparents or even her great-grandparents, Greta stood up for something she believed in and is making a difference.
YOU WILL PERSONALLY BENEFIT
One of the best things about being vegan is that, in some poetic twist of fate, the very thing that can save our planet is also a better way to live. The chances are, you will feel better on a plant-based diet. It can help you live a longer, happier, healthier life, while still delivering all the deliciousness that you’re used to. It can be cheaper and easier, too.
This might just be the best decision that you ever made.
We met an Uber driver once after a supper club we hosted. He was one of the most smiley men you’ll ever meet. But he told us a story. Five years ago, his sinusitis was so bad it was making his life impossible. He had tried everything. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t sleep. His face was on fire and his eyes were constantly streaming. Nothing worked and quite simply he didn‘t know what to do. He was miserable and at his wits’ end. Someone suggested he try a vegan diet but he ignored the idea. His suffering was so bad that it was seriously affecting his life, as well as his friends and family. Life couldn’t go on like this. He even considered ending it. Then he decided he might as well try going vegan.
He cut out meat, dairy, fish and eggs and switched to a diet based on whole foods and colourful vegetables. Within weeks his sinusitis cleared up. He felt better than he had in years. Over the following years he lost weight and shared his story, and his transformation, with everyone. Most importantly, he discovered a new way of living and eating. Stories such as this are really common.
We are constantly messaged by people who have seen incredible health benefits and recoveries from poor health following a switch to a plant-based diet. Whether it’s recovery from asthma or obesity, we have been told dozens of stories like