Our previous article entitled, “Ways to Be Sustainable in Everyday Life,” pointed out simple ways to help save our planet. Today, we’ll continue on the same idea with a parallel topic – veganism.
Veganism has gone mainstream and it’s not just a movement anymore, it’s become a lifestyle that’s backed by millions of Americans. Vegan Bits points to a study that noted how there were approximately 19,630,000 vegans in the US in 2020. While many have jumped on board for a healthier lifestyle, ethical and environmental factors have also attracted people to becoming vegan.
Going vegan can reduce deforestation, save the lives of animals being slaughtered, and reduce the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing meat products. Thankfully, more and more people are becoming aware of these atrocities and are finding ways to help spread the word. In fact, celebrities are helping push veganism and are not shy when it comes to voicing their opinions about what needs to be done. Let’s explore some of these celebs.
1. Stevie Wonder
He is a legendary singer that went vegan for a greener lifestyle. The renowned musician Stevie Wonder turned vegan in 2016 and acknowledged that eating healthily is important, but believes we need to also think about the environment we live in. In an interview with AOL at the 2014 Global Green’s Annual Pre-Oscar Party, Wonder said, “We have to be about making our planet greener, the urban areas more sustainable for the children. We can’t just talk about it, we have to be about it.” Becoming a vegan shows his dedication to saving the environment and hopes that others will double down and follow suit.
2. Daniel Negreanu
Even one of the world’s most popular poker players is a fan of the vegan lifestyle. Daniel Negreanu has won two World Poker Tour titles, six World Series of Poker bracelets has over $42 million in live tournament cash, and has been a vegetarian since 2000. He was aware that consuming meat puts a person at risk for cancer, strokes, and heart disease. So, to minimize the risk, he completely removed meat and animal products from his diet.
CREDIT: Captain Q Farf, DNegs_at_2022_WSOP.jpg, CC-BY-SA-4.0
The poker legend went all-in in 2006 and became a dedicated vegan and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Negreanu told a source, “Although my veganism started out absolutely about health, it’s also become about the environment and animal cruelty. The way animals are treated and the conditions are atrocious. They’re force-fed steroids, the chickens are de-beaked. You end up eating sick, diseased chickens because they’re living in shit. It’s like a holocaust on animals.”
3. Pamela Anderson
The famous actress, model, and activist Pamela Anderson is also a proud vegan. She made the transition around 1990 and for the past three decades, she is anything but shy about veganism. In fact, she has used her blog as a platform to speak on behalf of animal welfare and promote saving our planet.
She posted, “Veganism is about more than choosing not to eat animal products. Veganism is bigger than that. Animals are harmed. The environment is harmed. The developing world is harmed. Our health is harmed. Society is harmed. Veganism is about saving animals, saving ourselves, saving our societies, and saving our planet!”
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4. Woody Harrelson
The distinguished actor and animal activist Woody Harrelson has been a vegan for over 30 years. He has a passion for the environment and often tries to encourage other celebrities to try veganism. In fact, as a staunch activist and supporter of the Million Dollar Vegan campaign, Harrelson even tried to persuade the Pope to go on a vegan diet during Lent. In 2019, he teamed up with the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to protest an annual pig rodeo in Texas. He spoke out during a campaign and said, “We’ve got a lot of corporate industrial agriculture, and the way they do it now is extremely destructive.”
While going vegan was once thought of as a fad diet, it’s now a lifestyle with a purpose and celebrities are at the forefront leading the way to a better world. Whether it’s for personal health reasons, animal rights, or saving our planet, the benefits are numerous and it makes life better for everyone on our planet.
CREDIT: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin R. Pacheco, Woody_Harrelson_191020-N-NU281-1028_(cropped).jpg, CC-PD-Mark
