You Are What You Eat & What You Throw Away
Every time someone asks me how I'm enjoying Ireland, I tell them that I love it, but I miss the sun.
In the teeniest little inlet of ocean, there is St. George's Bay, made of pebbles and rocks. It's not the most luxurious place, but the sun was out, so I was happy. After crisping in the sunlight for a while, I decided to go scavenge down some shells (or go shellin', as my family calls it).
But I couldn't find a single one. All I found was a trapezoid of coral, and bits of plastic literally every inch that I sorted through. Worn and smoothed, they were like our own versions of shells. I was about to settle on the sad piece or coral as my souvenir, but I couldn't bring myself to take it.
The beach's shells are now twist-off caps, beer bottles, saran wrap, and bendy straws. I felt an overwhelming guilt and sadness to be a part of the most destructive race on the planet, with such extensive collateral damage that we are hardly even aware of. How could I take away the only natural part of the sea left in this place?
I decided to become vegan in April of last year, mostly because of the environmental impact that it makes. I experience a lot of moments similar to how I felt at the beach, and being vegan is something I can deliberately change in my day to day life to offset some of the horrors humans as a whole are responsible for.
I can't always make every meal completely vegan, but that's okay. I've set veganism as a goal because of its impacts and how it can shock a system so far corrupt, for the sake of animal rights, pollution and environmental impact, worker’s rights, health, and the negative impact on marginalized communities within and near corrupt industries, and even just by attempting, I am making a difference.
I am not trying to take the high road in saying I’m better than everyone else because I am vegan, but I am proud of myself for prioritizing my morals when I eat despite its constant challenge. It’s very frustrating and difficult to find options that are even vegetarian, especially in Ireland and in the UK. I know that being vegan is not a realistic choice for everyone, especially when it comes to financial constraints.
By not consuming animal products, I am making a significant impact on the success of these corrupt industries, even if it may not be enough to make change come faster. But even in making significant changes to my diet, I still can’t avoid the byproducts that come from runoff and the unsanitary practices that bleed into the rest of the food industry, and that is very frustrating and makes my actions feel futile.
It took me a long time to get to the point of being vegan, and I’d seen lots of documentaries and heard lots of statistics that just didn’t really drive it home until several years later. So I try not to judge people for not being as passionate about it or changing their lifestyle so drastically and so quickly. But I can’t help being disappointed when all these people around me watch these films and feel repulsed for a few days, then after that do nothing to change their actions to rid themselves of the cognitive dissonance. I think in part it has to do with a lack of daily reminders of all these horrors.
I also strive to minimalize my needs in every area that I can think of, and produce less waste and need less material items. I carry my own silverware with me, don't use straws, avoid single-use plastics, take short showers, utilize reusable bags when grocery shopping or traveling, go to thrift stores whenever I need clothes, use homemade deodorant and toothpaste, and eat from our family garden in the summer. But there's still so much more I could do. I could be much more minimalist than I am, I could buy local more often, bike to places instead of drive (although I do use a lot of public transit), invest in renewable energy like solar panels, refuse unneeded papers like bank statements and receipts or even makeup wipes.
We are living in a real-life dystopian plot. The industries have taken over and consumers are unaware of all the corruption in the system, and if we don’t dedicate ourselves to change, we will run ourselves out of existence along with everything else that shares this planet with no one to blame but ourselves.
While grim and seemingly a little ridiculous, it's true, and I often feel that I can sense this impending doom much more strongly than others. So I will continue to search out ways to improve myself and the planet, and immerse myself in the joy of everything I have the privilege of exploring.
Malta, and St. Peter's Pool
So I went on a quick weekend trip to Malta, a small island off the coast of Italy, known for its cliff diving scene. I figured some vitamin D would do me some good!
In the teeniest little inlet of ocean, there is St. George's Bay, made of pebbles and rocks. It's not the most luxurious place, but the sun was out, so I was happy. After crisping in the sunlight for a while, I decided to go scavenge down some shells (or go shellin', as my family calls it).
But I couldn't find a single one. All I found was a trapezoid of coral, and bits of plastic literally every inch that I sorted through. Worn and smoothed, they were like our own versions of shells. I was about to settle on the sad piece or coral as my souvenir, but I couldn't bring myself to take it.
The beach's shells are now twist-off caps, beer bottles, saran wrap, and bendy straws. I felt an overwhelming guilt and sadness to be a part of the most destructive race on the planet, with such extensive collateral damage that we are hardly even aware of. How could I take away the only natural part of the sea left in this place?
I decided to become vegan in April of last year, mostly because of the environmental impact that it makes. I experience a lot of moments similar to how I felt at the beach, and being vegan is something I can deliberately change in my day to day life to offset some of the horrors humans as a whole are responsible for.
I can't always make every meal completely vegan, but that's okay. I've set veganism as a goal because of its impacts and how it can shock a system so far corrupt, for the sake of animal rights, pollution and environmental impact, worker’s rights, health, and the negative impact on marginalized communities within and near corrupt industries, and even just by attempting, I am making a difference.
I am not trying to take the high road in saying I’m better than everyone else because I am vegan, but I am proud of myself for prioritizing my morals when I eat despite its constant challenge. It’s very frustrating and difficult to find options that are even vegetarian, especially in Ireland and in the UK. I know that being vegan is not a realistic choice for everyone, especially when it comes to financial constraints.
By not consuming animal products, I am making a significant impact on the success of these corrupt industries, even if it may not be enough to make change come faster. But even in making significant changes to my diet, I still can’t avoid the byproducts that come from runoff and the unsanitary practices that bleed into the rest of the food industry, and that is very frustrating and makes my actions feel futile.
It took me a long time to get to the point of being vegan, and I’d seen lots of documentaries and heard lots of statistics that just didn’t really drive it home until several years later. So I try not to judge people for not being as passionate about it or changing their lifestyle so drastically and so quickly. But I can’t help being disappointed when all these people around me watch these films and feel repulsed for a few days, then after that do nothing to change their actions to rid themselves of the cognitive dissonance. I think in part it has to do with a lack of daily reminders of all these horrors.
I also strive to minimalize my needs in every area that I can think of, and produce less waste and need less material items. I carry my own silverware with me, don't use straws, avoid single-use plastics, take short showers, utilize reusable bags when grocery shopping or traveling, go to thrift stores whenever I need clothes, use homemade deodorant and toothpaste, and eat from our family garden in the summer. But there's still so much more I could do. I could be much more minimalist than I am, I could buy local more often, bike to places instead of drive (although I do use a lot of public transit), invest in renewable energy like solar panels, refuse unneeded papers like bank statements and receipts or even makeup wipes.
We are living in a real-life dystopian plot. The industries have taken over and consumers are unaware of all the corruption in the system, and if we don’t dedicate ourselves to change, we will run ourselves out of existence along with everything else that shares this planet with no one to blame but ourselves.
While grim and seemingly a little ridiculous, it's true, and I often feel that I can sense this impending doom much more strongly than others. So I will continue to search out ways to improve myself and the planet, and immerse myself in the joy of everything I have the privilege of exploring.
Malta, and St. Peter's Pool
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