8 Inspirational, Life-Changing Talks on Eating Compassionately
These educational presentations reveal how ditching meat, eggs, and dairy “products” is the best thing that we can do for animals, the environment, and our own health.
1. “101 Reasons to Go Vegan”
James Wildman of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida gives a fun and informative presentation suitable for teens and adults alike.
“If cow’s milk is biologically meant for a calf, why would it be necessary for humans to drink? It is not. …The greatest trick ever pulled was convincing people they need to drink milk.”
—James Wildman
2. “Carnism: The Psychology of Eating Meat”
University of Massachusetts psychology professor Melanie Joy explains how we have been conditioned to see certain animals as food and other animals as companions and how we can break away from that way of thinking.
“Our caring is what makes us want to turn away from the truth, but our caring is also what gives us the courage to face the truth—to bear witness.”
—Melanie Joy
3. “Get Real With Skinny Bitch”
Author Rory Freedman talks about her journey from eating meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to discovering the benefits of vegan eating.
“The countries that had the highest intake of dairy and other meat products had the highest rates of osteoporosis.”
—Rory Freedman
4. “PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk Discusses ‘Humane Meat’”
PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk explains why “humane meat” is a myth created by the meat industry to increase profits by making people feel better about eating animal carcasses.
“The momentum for vegan living is on our side, and it will take every one of us to bring this change about by being active advocates for vegan living.”
—Ingrid E. Newkirk
5. “A Life Connected: VEGAN”
In under 12 minutes, you can see how going vegan saves water, trees, and the lives of both humans and other species.
“[B]eing vegan, you could leave your shower on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and still you couldn’t waste as much water as someone consuming an animal-based diet.”
—NonviolenceUnited.org
6. “Breaking the Food Seduction”
Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, describes the standard American diet, all the negative health effects that come with it, and how a healthy vegan diet is really the best way to avoid the most prevalent health problems.
“Americans now eat more than a million chickens per hour. …And we’re convinced it’s health food. We are in the worst shape we’ve ever been in.”
—Dr. Neal Barnard
7. “Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death”
Dr. Michael Greger addresses the leading causes of death and why eating vegan foods can protect our health and ultimately extend our lives.
“[C]onsuming the amount of cholesterol found in just a single egg a day appears to cut a woman’s life short as much as smoking five cigarettes a day for 15 years.”
—Dr. Michael Greger
8. “A Vegan Bodybuilding Experiment”
Vegan bodybuilder Joshua Knox describes his family roots in the dairy industry and what led him on a healthier path.
“It was actually very easy for me to go seven days with no meat, no animal products whatsoever.”
—Joshua Knox
Hungry for more? For movies and documentaries that you can watch online, check out this list.
