To begin with...
Firstly, check out this very eloquent talk from Earthling Ed:
Also, have a read of this article, “Six reasons to go vegan, according to science” (The Telegraph, 1 November 2018).
Here are some useful articles and resources (click on the titles to be taken to the articles):
Animal rights
1. “Pigs are Intelligent, Emotional, and Cognitively Complex” (Psychology Today, 12 June 2015)
2. "Don’t be fooled by the pretty box: find out the horror behind your egg" (The Guardian, 27 February 2017)
3. “Supporting the dairy industry inflicts more pain on cows than you know. And yes, that includes drinking their milk” (The Independent, 25 September 2018)
4. “Are we wrong to assume fish can’t feel pain?” (The Guardian, 30 October 2018)
5. “There’s a Christmas crisis going on: no one wants to kill your dinner” (The Guardian, 19 November 2018)
6. “This is the animal suffering that goes into your Christmas dinner” (The Independent, 22 December 2018)
7. "Nando’s, Domino’s Pizza and McDonald’s among fast food giants forcing misery and pain on billions of chickens, global study says" (The Independent, 14 January 2019)
8. "Pigs recorded using tools for the first time" (National Geographic, 4 October 2019)
Health
1. “Processed meats rank alongside smoking as cancer causes – WHO” (The Guardian, 26 October 2015)
2. "This is your brain on cheese" (Forbes, 26 June 2017)
3. “British Dietetic Association confirms well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages” (The BDA, 7 August 2017)
4. "Yes, bacon really is killing us: Decades’ worth of research proves that chemicals used to make bacon do cause cancer. So how did the meat industry convince us it was safe?" (The Guardian, 1 March 2018)
5. "The lifesaving food 90% aren’t eating enough of" (BBC News, 11 January 2019)
6. "Cholesterol from daily egg consumption may increase risk of heart attack death, study says" (The Independent, 15 March 2019)
7. "Harvard researchers: Red meat consumption tied to early death" (Harvard, September 2019)
8. "Why Bristol City's Ashley Williams is no longer a meat and potatoes defender" (Bristol Post, 19 September 2019)
9. "Review: ‘The Game Changers’ makes an athlete-fueled case for a plant-based diet" (LA Times, 26 September 2019)
10. "12,000 doctors just urged the FDA to put cancer warnings on cheese" (Live Kindly, 8 October 2019)
11. “Nutrition overview”(The Vegan Society)
12. “Factsheet: The Safety of Soya” (Viva)
The environment
1. "Is grass-fed beef good or bad for the climate?" (Oxford University, 3 October 2017)
2. "Vast animal-feed crops to satisfy our meat needs are destroying planet" (The Guardian, 5 October 2017)
3. “Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth” (The Guardian, 31 May 2018)
4. "Meat and dairy companies to surpass oil industry as world’s biggest polluters, report finds" (The Independent, 18 July 2018)
5. “Huge reduction in meat-eating ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown” (The Guardian, 10 October 2018)
6. “How could veganism change the world?” (YouTube – video published by The Economist, 27 November 2018)
7. “Climate change: Which vegan milk is best?” (BBC, 9 January 2019)
8. “‘We’re humus sapiens’: the farmers who shun animal manure” (The Guardian, 12 January 2019)
9. "Why we must cut out meat and dairy before dinner to save the planet" (The Guardian, 28 September 2019)
10. "Healthy diet means a healthy planet, study shows" (The Guardian, 28 October 2019)
Next steps
If you would like to explore vegan food – recipes and cooking tips – there is a lot of free information and support available from Challenge 22 and Veganuary. Also check out the Vegan Society.
As you begin or move forward in your vegan journey, consider the following wise words:
“Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.”
(The Bhudda)
