Social Change and My Community by Holly Geringer

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:07:33 UTC

Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary rescued 275 pigs from a hoarding situation. I, along with a couple dozen others volunteered to set up temporary enclosures for the pregnant pigs and their piglets. I pet them, watered them, fed them. Many had never even seen the sun or felt grass before. It was overwhelming and incredibly rewarding. I took this picture of one of the pigs who had just given birth that morning amid the chaos.

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:13:39 UTC

Portland is vegan paradise. There are community events, dozens of restaurants, and online hubs for sharing information and support.

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:14:26 UTC

Many argue that veganism is unaffordable and only the "elite far left" can afford such an extravagance.

Cutting Through the Cognitive Dissonance

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:18:49 UTC

Some ways vegans try to promote plant based eating is through memes that combine of humor while addressing people's cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive Dissonance and Pushback

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:21:23 UTC

Oftentimes the message gets lost in bramble of inane worries and questions.

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:24:42 UTC

Historically, vegans and veganism have a pretty bad rep. Vegans are viewed as hyper judgemental. And veganism is seen as unhealthy and unsustainable.

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 20:27:12 UTC

The vegan community may be strong. But it is also very small. That smallness coupled with a significant amount of hostility from some non-vegans makes being vegan feel pretty lonely at times.

Vegans Aren't Exactly Well Loved

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 21:50:31 UTC

In a 2015 study, drug dealers were the only group less liked than vegans. Veganism stirs up a ton of emotion out in the world. Even people like me, quiet vegans, get a surprising amount of hate, even from people we view as our closest friends and family.

Veganism and the Environment

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 21:56:14 UTC

A recent study published in Nature, thoroughly examined the environmental impact of the dietary habits of 55,000 people: from vegans to heavy meat eaters, and everyone in between. The study followed the diets of these people and used data (greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, etc.) collected from 35,000 farms in 119 countries to calculate the environmental impact of each type of diet. The results were even more staggering than I anticipated: “vegan diets resulted in 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution, and land use than diets in which more than 100g of meat a day was eaten,” (Carrington, D). Interestingly, the study also showed that how the food was produced (using different methods in an effort to reduce the environmental impact) had little to no effect in reducing pollution related to meat production. Additionally, while there is some reduced environmental impact by eating less meat or gravitating toward a pescatarian or vegetarian diet, the real impact benefiting the environment is in eating a plant based diet.

Who knew Percy Shelley was a vegan!

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 22:40:12 UTC

Another unexpected famous vegan, Pythagoras.

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 22:41:19 UTC

Siddhartha, the original Buddha was vegan as well

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 22:44:10 UTC

The Formation of the Vegan News

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 22:48:26 UTC

The Vegan Society was formed in 1944...

hollygeringer — 2025-06-29 23:58:12 UTC

I think what makes the vegan community so close-knit is that we've all lost friends/family because we don't consume animal products. Even if you are the most laid back, apologetic vegan on the planet, some people will be unusually angry about your choices. It's a surreal experience. And that shared shunning we experience makes us feel even more relieved and safe when we are around each other. We can relax, breathe, and not worry someone will come for us if we order tofu. lol.

Is the Future Vegan?

hollygeringer — 2025-07-18 21:50:43 UTC

This brief video by The Economist describes how globalization and the spread of veganism affects and could affect the world.

Vegan Around the World

hollygeringer — 2025-07-18 21:51:59 UTC

This websites breaks down the number of vegans and vegetarians around the world. It also shows whether those numbers are increasing or decreasing.

Google Search Data for the Word "Vegan"

hollygeringer — 2025-07-18 21:55:19 UTC

This is a cool little graph that shows the popularity of the google search "vegan" over the last decade or so.

Intersectionality Between Race and Veganism

hollygeringer — 2025-07-18 21:56:12 UTC

Veganism used to be thought of as a white, upper middle class movement. The reality is far from that. In the last few years, intersectionality has become more and more important to vegans when pushing for rights and change.

Intersectionality between Veganism and Feminism

hollygeringer — 2025-07-18 21:57:53 UTC

The dairy industry is the most obvious example how feminism extends and mingles with veganism. The way cows are treated is abhorrent. Repeatedly and forcefully impregnated. Delivering calves that are immediately taken from them, and if male slaughtered as veal. If female, they are raised to be dairy cows destined to the same lives as their mothers before them.

The Impact of Global Demand for Certain Crops

hollygeringer — 2025-07-18 22:05:15 UTC

While this is not directly related to veganism, there is a point that western demand for certain crops (quinoa, avocado, etc.) impacts the producers of these items in both negative and positive ways. In the case of quinoa: it is a food staple in the diet of many of the people living in the Andes. When the global demand for quinoa exploded, it was more advantages for people to export quinoa than not. Land grabs followed. So again, the few reaped the rewards while the many did not.

Food Deserts

hollygeringer — 2025-07-24 22:37:54 UTC

A Vegan Diet is Shown to Decrease the Chance of Disease, Lowering Healthcare Costs

hollygeringer — 2025-07-24 22:54:10 UTC

Health and environmental benefits of dietary change based on global guidelines on healthy eating (HGD), vegetarian (VGT) and vegan (VGN) diets. The value of environmental benefits is derived from estimates of the social cost of carbon (SCC); and the value of healthcare benefits is based on estimates of the costs of illness (CoI). (From a study PNAS.org

The Vegan Economy

hollygeringer — 2025-07-24 22:58:03 UTC

Jobs lost and jobs gained

hollygeringer — 2025-07-24 23:07:44 UTC

Dietary Recommendations

hollygeringer — 2025-08-04 20:59:57 UTC

New dietary guidelines urge Americans to cut back on red meat and saturated fat in favor of fiber-rich, plant-based foods like beans, nuts, and vegetables. These shifts align with vegan principles and could help reduce chronic diseases, while also supporting sustainability and animal welfare.

Plant Based School Meals

hollygeringer — 2025-08-04 21:02:38 UTC

Plant-based school meals could have a big impact on shifting food food systems toward sustainability. This review suggests that schools are one of the key places to enact change. The benefits of shifting toward plant based school meals include health, intersectionality, and the environment. Some school districts across the US have already started offering plant based meals.

More About Plant Based Lunches in Schools

hollygeringer — 2025-08-04 21:06:38 UTC

hollygeringer — 2025-08-04 22:13:06 UTC

hollygeringer — 2025-08-04 22:13:18 UTC

Jains. The OGs of Veganism

hollygeringer — 2025-08-06 22:21:47 UTC

Ethical Veganism Ticks All the Boxes to Qualify as a Religion

hollygeringer — 2025-08-06 22:23:30 UTC

Veganism Across Religions

hollygeringer — 2025-08-06 22:26:33 UTC

hollygeringer — 2025-08-06 22:28:06 UTC

hollygeringer — 2025-08-06 22:29:27 UTC

Veganism and Social Justice

hollygeringer — 2025-08-11 21:59:25 UTC

Veganism is expanding far beyond animal rights. It’s also about tackling big issues like racism, classism, and climate change. It pushes back against unfair systems in our food industry and works to make plant-based living accessible for everyone, especially marginalized groups. By connecting animal rights with social justice, veganism represents the goal of creating a kinder, fairer world for all beings.

Veganism and Social Justice

hollygeringer — 2025-08-11 22:10:40 UTC

Veganism isn’t just about food. It’s tied to social justice. Factory farms often harm low-income communities, and animal agriculture contributes to climate change and animal suffering. Choosing vegan can support marginalized people, protect the environment, and reduce cruelty, making it a meaningful step toward a more just and fair world.

So Many Ways to Connect

hollygeringer — 2025-08-11 22:12:47 UTC

Portland is a Vegan paradise. And it isn't just the plethora of restaurants and grocery stores. it's the many ways vegans and vegan-curious people can connect.

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

hollygeringer — 2025-08-11 22:26:12 UTC

The Physicians Committee promotes plant-based diets and ethical research, aiming to prevent disease, improve health, and replace animal testing with humane, effective scientific methods. PCRM offers endless, thoroughly vetted information and research.