Category: Reflections
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“Meatless Monday” is two-thirds there, once a week
You’ve probably heard about Meatless Monday, a campaign or, as the Mondays folks call it, “a global movement,” that encourages people to reduce their meat consumption “for their health and the health of the planet.” It’s a great idea and easy to do. It’s true that a plant-based diet has health benefits. This message has…
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Lab-grown meat? I’ll take a veggie burger, please
In recent years you’ve likely encountered reports of lab-grown or cultivated meat. As outlined in the article, “Will I See Lab-Grown Meat in Supermarkets Any Time Soon?” some people consider it a great alternative that addresses any ethical concerns they might have about killing animals for food. And we are one step closer to it…
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Why is talking about food ethics so prickly?
In my “about” blurb I mention that the blog is a companion to a book-in-progress. One thing the blog is helpful for is working through some issues I’m having with tone. I realize that food ethics in general raises issues that immediately put people on the defensive. Why so prickly? I touched on this a…
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Plant-based and synthetic yarns have lots to offer
For lots of us, figuring out our food options when we start trying to make vegan choices is just the beginning. It slowly radiates out from there when it becomes clear just how much our commitment can have an impact on other areas of our lives. I am an enthusiastic knitter, and used to love…
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The amazing sensory worlds of non-human animals
I just finished reading An Immense World by science writer Ed Yong. While it’s not immediately relevant to veganism, being more about animals in the natural world than about farmed animals, but it is worth a read for anyone who cares about animals and wants to learn more about how they experience the world. The…
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Some Reflections on Fish and other Seafood
A lot of people ease their way into vegetarianism or veganism through pescatarianism. Pescatarians avoid meat and poultry products, but they still consume and enjoy fish and seafood. In the past, I used to eat fish and seafood despite eating mostly vegetarian. So many “mostly-vegetarian” people will eat seafood on occasion (sometimes as a treat…
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Ways to be imperfect
Ever since I started my project on imperfect veganism, thinking of it more as a practice than as a theory, I’ve been reflected on the various ways a practicing vegan, who is vegan for ethical reasons, might be imperfect. I mention ethically-motivated vegans in particular because I think that someone who is vegan for health…
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Kindness Matters
kindness noun /ˈkaɪnd.nəs/ the quality of being kind kind adjective /kaɪnd/ generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings (from the Cambridge Dictionary) When vegans talk about their stance towards non-human animals, they often offer thoughts about the importance of kindness and compassion. The slogan “Kindness Matters” comes up a lot, and it is not…
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Yes, vegans have a sense of humour
A friend sent me a funny vegan thing the other week and I just have to share it. It’s a humourous piece by Jessica F. Lillian, published in the Belladonna Comedy, called “Things People Say When You Tell Them You’re Vegan BINGO.” I would love to just show you the whole thing here, but I…
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An Invitation to Be Imperfect
Really I don’t need to invite you to be imperfect. We are all already imperfect in so many ways. A frequent rejoinder these days is “don’t be so hard on yourself.” Few people are harder on themselves (or frankly on others), than people who have strong ethical convictions that they sometimes fail to live up…
Vegan Practically 