Imagine vegan landscapes
Join us in imagining and discussing ecological change in a vegan world.
Imagine vegan landscapes
Join us in imagining and discussing ecological change in a vegan world.
Let's talk about ecological principles in a vegan world
Welcome to VeganEcology.org!
As the number of vegans increases, so will the landscape and ecosystems in our world. What will that look like? How will the field of ecology change? What challenges will arise as we move toward a more compassionate world? How can the science of ecology and the value of doing the least harm practicable to animals leap-frog to a more peaceful world for all creatures?
This site is a start at bringing ecologists and vegans together to discuss ways to live more lightly on the land and water with a key goal of minimizing harm to mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates of all kinds…and humans.
In a majority of cultures around the world, survival (and later other goals of accumulating wealth, increased comfort, fun, and intellectual curiosity) has steered us to less care for other living beings on the planet. Ease of acquiring calories for living, a view of creatures other than humans as being inferior with a purpose of serving humans, a tendency among some parts of human societies to dominate others, false beliefs about nutrition requirements, and ignorance of food sources have led to terrible and unnecessary conditions for animals. Intense animal agriculture, hunting, fishing, trapping, caging, and more, create harmful consequences for domestic and wild creatures.
The benefits of a vegan lifestyle for humans is also becoming increasingly clear. Health benefits abound. Studies suggest the assumption of dominance over animals and the killing of sentient beings other than humans increases violence toward other humans. Acknowledging that other beings desire to stay alive and that taking those lives lessens us as human beings can transform people!
As humans have come to believe, generally, that humans need meat to survive, and as the field of ecology has grown, certain belief systems have led to ecologists establishing assumptions that are no longer valid from a vegan perspective. For example, the need to hunt to control populations of animals is rejected by vegans. A vegan viewpoint would say, perhaps, that a deer population might exceed its carrying capacity, but rather than needing to hunt them, natural selection would reduce the population to an equilibrium. Vegans would also point to a decimated natural landscape for wildlife in an area dominated by ranchland. What would happen to a meadow where cattle no longer grazed there? Using principles of ecology such as food chains and energy loss, vegans might choose to leave the meadow open for grazing wildlife or to grow more energy-efficient food for humans.
This is not to say that a transition would necessarily be smooth! What would vegans do with all the myriad farmed animals currently being farmed? How would landscape vegetation change with an increase in herbivores in previously farmed areas? How would humans who have relied on fishing for food but without significant land resources transition to a vegan diet?
This site is a beginning, a way to critically consider possibilities of transforming our natural world to a more humane and sustainable one. Considering options, being creative in our thinking, and envisioning the future all help move us forward.
As a start, this site will begin analyzing various ecological terms and how they might be reconsidered from a vegan perspective.
I’m excited to have people (respectfully) join in the conversation! I hope this site will expand exponentially, and I look forward to hearing from you – and I’ll share your thoughts here as a start. Please email me at carole@veganecology.org.
Thanks!!
Carole
My Blog
Capturing images of vegan landscapes - send us some to post!
Support Vegan Ecology's Environmental Initiatives
Help us protect the planet and make a difference by making a donation today.
Contact Us
Vegan Ecology
Subscribe
Get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up for our newsletter!
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.