the pigeon’s nest

reality: two words: harm reduction

capitalism will never be ethical, but ethics is not a binary (ethical vs. non-ethical): it’s a spectrum. animal agriculture causes more harm. more trees clear cut on Indigenous land. more watersheds drained. more emissions, pollution, & waste. more habitat ripped away from species on the brink of extinction. more animal and human suffering. those hit first and hardest by the climate crisis perpetuated by westerner’s taste for meat are racialized people in the global south. GOING VEGAN IS HARM REDUCTION.

reality: veganism is not immune to colonization by white people but its origins do not run white

the origins of ethical veganism lie in Black activism and the cultures of People of Color all around the world including the Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Rastafarianism religions, the Diné and Choctaw tribes, and more.

reality: when you buy meat or dairy you’re paying for the animals you love to be violated, tortured, and killed

99% of farmed animals are imprisoned on factory farms where workers frequently take their own lives because conditions are so bleak. animals are forcefully impregnated, endlessly, until their bodies can physically take no more and they die of fatigue. they’re kept in cages so incomprehensibly tiny and crowded that they simply cannot move. driven to cannibalism due to constant torture, workers respond by brutally mutilating animals’ teeth and beaks. ag-gag laws criminalize activists exposing these horrors (e.g. the Excelsior 4 who exposed the horrors at an abbotsford pig farm).

reality: vegan food is delicious, exciting, diverse, and can be adopted gradually

like anything worth doing, becoming fully vegan is a process with a bit of a learning curve. many first-timers use vegan meat and dairy substitutes as a way to gradually and sustainably transition to full-time veganism. they’re easy to find and plentiful but can be hit and miss — so look up reviews!

reality: with a bit of attention to nutrition, veganism can have you feeling better than ever before, long-term

veganism brings many scientifically proven health benefits. vegan foods are richer in many nutrients, pose significantly lower risk of cancer and other diseases, are anti-inflammatory, can increase energy, and much more. well-planned, diverse vegan lifestyles are healthy at any age, including during pregnancy and lactation, and can even boost athletic performance.

reality: vegan food often is the same or even less expensive than meat and dairy

tofu is now less expensive than ground beef in protein per dollar. fruits, vegetables, tvp, seitan, beans, grains, and nuts are more sources of cheap, tasty nutrition. the price gap between plant milk and dairy is closing too!

reality: animal agriculture is a driving force behind the climate crisis with 85% of the global soybean crop used as animal feed

the scientific evidence is clear: going vegan is among the single most impactful things we can do individually to combat the climate crisis. studies have shown that if everyone went vegan, emissions contributing to global warming would be cut by 70%, agricultural land use threatening biodiversity would be reduced by 75%, our oceans, waterways, & rainforests would be revived, countless extinctions would be prevented, & much more.

The Pigeon's Nest in collaboration with Revolve Cowichan

join us for a free, all experience levels welcome workshop and discussion on digital privacy/security and how to divest from big tech in our personal lives and community organizing hosted by someone working in the digital privacy space. we’ll go over digital privacy/security basics, the current state of big tech’s influence, then identify some key services to divest from (e.g. google search) and discuss how to do so in a way that’s as accessible as possible. we’ll focus on the most high-impact areas of improvement and less on the minutia, taking a “harm reduction” approach throughout. bring your questions!