I can't speak for XR or any other organisations but it is another conundrum; modern life is complex and we have to start change from the current state … as I indicated in an earlier post I'm pragmatic about these things, and more interested in change through education and persuasion. There are conflicts between pet ownership and veganism. There's the purist argument that owning pets for human pleasure is exploitation of animals so against the vegan philosophy. Definitely a case for some pragmatism: given the number of animals needing rescue homes it's surely better for one of these to be looked after by a vegan (or veggie) who cares about animal welfare? If one looks at the issue of what they eat: firstly, dogs can live happily on a vegan diet provided it's properly balanced (I know at least one and I know there are many others); secondly, cats do need meat so it would be unhealthy for them not to have a carnivorous diet, and at present there's no shortage of waste products from the food industry so cat ownership isn't sustaining the meat industry while most humans are carnivorous. (There is vegan cat food which has the required additives needed for a healthy feline diet but I'm not sure it's kind to feed cats on it.)I'm not sure a comparison of veganism and green energy are valid although being vegan certainly assists alleviating the climate emergency. One can be vegan relatively easily by not buying non vegan products and selecting vegan options in restaurants. (They need to accommodate allergies and lactose intolerance anyway.) Consumer pressure means most chain restaurants - even 'spoons pubs - have vegan options; if they didn't they'd rule out group bookings including one or more vegans. Using green energy is more difficult. Ok, at home one can buy energy from, for example, Ecotricity who supply electricity from renewable sources and are seeking to produce gas from plant sources (although I'm not convinced about that but I'm sure Dale Vince has done his sums). However, one has no control over the source of power used by the trains one has to travel on or where an electric Zipcar isccharged (in fact even Zipcar don't when they use public chargers). That can only be driven by government policies - and my understanding is that's what XR are targeting, not individuals who may have little control over the energy they use. Obviously, individuals can make a difference by not flying when greener options are available, or walking or cycling instead of using cars for shorter journeys.
Michael Ixer ● 1387d