How Veg*an are You?

[moonshyne]

since my concern is the health, safety and well-being of animals and not about personal health (although this is also an important issue for me, just not the main reason for my diet XP) i have always tried to go out of my way to avoid products that test on animals or use animal products. what surprised me about this is how many people who are vegetarian will still use products like lotions and certain soaps that might contain animal products or test on animals.

since so many of even the "green" products are owned by a parent company that uses animal testing, I clean my house using baking soda and vinegar. ^^ the only soap I do use is Dr. Bronners. I check the labels of every single piece of clothing I buy to make sure there's no wool, angora, or other such fibers. I plan on never again adopting an animal that needs to eat meat, which kinda sucks because i LOVE cats. but I absolutely cannot/will not support the pet food industry.

I do smoke occasionally, but i only smoke American Spirit since that seems to be the ONLY tobacco company within the US that does not test it's products on animals. and I'm dropping that crap as well, because gawd knows I don't need it.

So anyway, I was just wondering how far the rest of you take it. Like, would you wear leather? I know alot of people who wear it second hand. how about hand creams that may contain lanolin or other animal products? Would you avoid a product that you really wanted if the label said it contained lactic acid, even though it may/may not have come from an animal source?

this post is not intended to pass judgment or tell others that they're not veg*an enough, I'm just curious.

Thanks in advance for answering. ^^  

[Sexual Liberationist]

I'm vegan, and that's more than not eating animal products. I also avoid soaps and other products that are made with animal products. I won't buy clothes with fur, leather or wool, but I will pick up things like shoes and gloves which are second hand and free, like out of dumpsters. I rescue stunned bees from the side of roadways. Most of the time, they seem to be able to tell that they're being helped, and will climb right onto my bare finger, and I'll carry them to open flowers where they might recuperate. I'll also rescue stranded worms on sidewalks and roads. I talk to all kinds of animals, even bears that I meet up with in my woodlands.

I'm also a peace, social justice, and environmental activist. I never knowingly buy Nestle products, because they repeatedly dump their baby formula in developing countries with devastating results on children. I'll favor cocoa and chocolate that are organic, which reduces the odds that they're connected to child slave labor. I don't have a car. My sleeping spot is in a tent. My ecological and carbon footprints are about 90% reduced from the average American's....  

[moonshyne]

oh my gawd marry me! I also rescue little bugs and creatures most people wouldn't bother giving a second glance to. <333 I hate the way people might find a spider in the corner of their bathroom, just hanging out not bothering anyone, and they freak out and smash it. I let them stay, unless their poisonous and then I just take them outside. we had several mice in our house last winter, and we caught every single one of them by hand and released them. I've rescued so many turtles from roadways that I don't even bother counting them anymore. Sadly, I live in an extremely rural area and I have to drive, but as soon as I get another bike I plan on cutting most of that out.

Nestle sickens me. In fact, I don't think I can come up with a single major corporation that DOESN'T make me wanna puke and set all of their buildings on fire.  

[Sexual Liberationist]

I am single...  

[moonshyne]

single, you say? lol, we should get together and ride bikes sometime...

XP  

[Sexual Liberationist]

I'd probably like that... Ashland, Oregon, here. A very vegan-friendly place to live. If PETA had done a list of small towns that were vegan-friendly, Ashland would be vying for the top of the list...  

[moonshyne]

lucky. I'm on the other side of the country, way way out in the middle of nowhere, Georgia. Other than a few select locations in Atlanta, there's not much around here that's even vegetarian friendly...and definitely nothing vegan friendly.

Everyone i know hunts. I've been wanting to move out to OR for a few years now, but the way I see it, it's almost like my duty to stay here and try to spread the word, and make people a little more aware of what really goes on out there in the world. It's crazy you know, there are things that seem so obvious to me, and they are all completely oblivious to all of it. That goes far beyond veganism though, and it's probably best that I not get into it because I'd be here all night ranting. (^_~)  

[Sexual Liberationist]

I've been to Georgia a couple of times, for the School of the Americas Watch protests at Fort Benning in Columbus. That issue touches on vegan and vegetarian issues, since the School of the Americas is where they train military and paramilitary personnel from the Latin American countries where cheap beef for cheap hamburgers comes from (as well as other things), and it has happened that these US-trained personnel have been part of death squads, massacres, assassinations, and other acts of terrorism against people seeking basic democratic rights. ("Some people eat the cattle; while the cattle eat some people.")

When the protests happen in November, the protesters contribute millions of dollars to the local economy. I've thought if a generous millionaire could front a few hundred thousand dollars, much of that contribution to the local economy could be channeled into making a seed-works (tofu, tempeh, seed milks), a bakery, and other production facilities that could help transform the local economy into another direction from being dependent on the military spending....  

[moonshyne]

yeah, the protests are this weekend, but I'm not gonna get to go this time. I made plans for it back like a month ago, but things didn't work out the way I need them to.

You know what's funny about the SoA is that even though it's basically in my backyard, like an hour away, no one around here has ever even heard of it. I didn't know about it until around 2000 or 2001, when one of my black bloc friends happened to casually mention it. they don't show the protests on the local news, I imagine if they did, the general population would wonder what was being protested, and then wonder why such a place is even allowed to exist in the first place. They try to keep us in the dark about it.  

[moonshyne]

and I just noticed that we are the only ones in this thread. apparently this is a very slow forum....which is odd considering there are a few thousand people in it.

Or maybe I just make boring topics. XP  

[Sexual Liberationist]

It just waxes and wanes here. Towards the weekend is busiest, I think...  

[Ailinea]

Sexual Liberationist

I'm vegan, and that's more than not eating animal products. I also avoid soaps and other products that are made with animal products. I won't buy clothes with fur, leather or wool, but I will pick up things like shoes and gloves which are second hand and free, like out of dumpsters. I rescue stunned bees from the side of roadways. Most of the time, they seem to be able to tell that they're being helped, and will climb right onto my bare finger, and I'll carry them to open flowers where they might recuperate. I'll also rescue stranded worms on sidewalks and roads. I talk to all kinds of animals, even bears that I meet up with in my woodlands.

I'm also a peace, social justice, and environmental activist. I never knowingly buy Nestle products, because they repeatedly dump their baby formula in developing countries with devastating results on children. I'll favor cocoa and chocolate that are organic, which reduces the odds that they're connected to child slave labor. I don't have a car. My sleeping spot is in a tent. My ecological and carbon footprints are about 90% reduced from the average American's....

I admire your dedication, but some of this made me raise an eyebrow.

It's probably not safe for either you or the animals that you "talk to" to continue doing so. I'm hoping this isn't a one-on-one basis, or you might end up as Grizzly Man. I also hope you haven't taken to feeding your local wildlife.

As nice as it sounds, I really don't think the bee knew you were helping it. I'm trying desperately to avoid anthropomorphizing animals, and I am kind of hoping others do too. I'm not a stranger to helping insects or worms (people hate walking behind me on campus because I'll frequently side step to avoid worms or stop and pick one up), but I certainly don't think they're grateful for me helping them, they have no concept of the idea. I know you probably weren't being serious, but these days I can't tell. sweatdrop The fact that you're not waving your arms frantically or acting like a total idiot around them is enough to make them not sting you; remember, it's a defensive measure and will certainly end their lives.

I'm not a vegan though, so the rest of this topic doesn't pertain to me. sad But kudos to you guys! biggrin  

[Sakakikala]

I too am a vegan, and Try to live a chillax and eco-friendly Life.

I'm sad that I got my learner's permit because it means I have to drive a LOT but I'm glad we have super high MPG cars(volkswagon jettas) that my dad makes fuel for out of used veggie oil.

I can't really walk anywhere from my home because I live in a rural part. A ton on neighborhoods and houses but the closest grocery stores are out of walking distance. D=
However when I go to afterschool clubs I'll walk to the little health food store nearby! 'w'
There I buy my tofu and vegan goodies that my mom refuses to buy me(plus it's supporting the local economy over say hell-mart.)

My parents yell at me all the time because I'm an "extremist" when I really feel I don't do ENOUGH, when it comes to recycling and helping the earth.
I try not to preach veganism to them but when they complain about health problems all the time(such as high cholestoral) It makes it really hard to refrain from pointing out vegan foods are ALL cholestoral free. And when I do i still get yelled at. I'm constantly insulted by people in my photography class, and at lunch, if it wasn't for me, my friends would most likely kill the bees that get curious and want to eat any of the school food.

=o=
I live in a terribly un-vegan part of Maryland.  

[Tandahda]

I'm a vegan too, I avoid honey, silk, gelatin, leather and of course fur. I avoid angora wool, and all commercial wool. I cheat, I get wool for knitting from a close friend's farm where I've been there to help with lambing for three years straight. They don't eat their sheep.

I don't drive because I'm a danger on the road, I bike everywhere I can and transit the rest of the time. My city's great in some ways and balls in others so I get curbside compost pick up and have to bike about 10 km to recycle my glass. (seriously!)

I don't wear most cosmetics other than Green Beaver lipstick, and I'm weaning off of cleaning products, I've got a ton of stuff from when my fiance's mother was doing Melaleuca. I'm not sure it'll ever get used though, because my parents are janitors, and they taught me to clean. Hot water is all I generally use.

Generally, I don't do much that comes from a major corporation, but it's tough. Easy things like pop and beverages yes, farmers market in season of course.  

[pinkcatminht]

i'm a very recently converted vegan, & i unfortunately don't think i'm doing as much as i could. my mom tries to be helpful & buy me vegan/green stuff, but more often than not the parent company supports animal testing or not green practices.(ie, Tom's of Maine & the "green" clorox cleaner) still, i'm trying to educate her & teach her how to make her own... anything really(she's fallen in love with my homemade teeth whitening recipe lol). i also use Dr. Bronners though, & i still have a huge bar of Kiss My Face soap.

as for the adopting thing, they have vegan pet foods you can buy, or you can make your own(do a LOT of research if you do!). don't give up on adopting or fostering, you're helping so many animals when you do that!

i really hope you do quit smoking, that's bad for your body & the environment.

i don't wear leather, & i still unfortunately have a jacket that's half-wool. i'm thinking about donating it because i never wear it anyways.

but yes, i do try my hardest to avoid animal products & make my own products to avoid over-consumption. however, i do have a car. i can't avoid that one. -.-