30 Days of Vegan (Day 21); and The Impact

Day 21 (if days were years, my vegan adventure blog would be old enough to drink)

Anywho, I wanted to discuss "impact" today.

There are a LOT of ways that a vegan diet impacts the world (and you). I couldn't adequately cover them all in one blog.. so perhaps in the future. In all honesty, I can't really give even one effect its due, but I felt like it was important to address one in particular.

You see, I've already encountered several people.. that when I told them I was going vegan, the response was, "Why bother? You're not going to make a difference." and "You can't change the world."

Well, nevermind the benefit to my OWN health, or the environmental implications.. but just in the case of animal welfare.. it does make a difference.

It is estimated that for each person that goes vegan/vegetarian, 95-100 animals are saved from slaughter each year.

With an estimated 600 million vegetarians/vegans in the world.. that's a lot of animals.

Heck, even if just my husband and I stick with our current diets, that's around 200 animals we saved. If my mother sticks with her Meatless Mondays, that brings it to about 220.. Three people. The size of an average family. One of whom is only giving up meat one day per week.. can save 220 animals from torture and pain.

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
—Elie Wiesel

If my actions saved that many human lives per year, would people still tell me how 'pointless' it was to try?

It is worthwhile.

It does change the world..