It is so good I found myself furiously taking notes. Then I thought "Why don't I just buy myself a copy of Joy's book?" and save myself the trouble of trying to get it all down.
I highly recommend that you make some time to watch this fantastic lecture.
It left me feeling glad that I have already made a big move towards being vegan and fueled my determination to reach my 100% vegan goal. I particularly related to Joy's description of the denial that it takes to continue consuming animal products.
A few weeks ago I was chatting with some friends over dinner (most of who are vegetarian/vegan) about our reasons for making the change in our approach to eating. My initial state reason for becoming a vegetarian was for environmental reasons. However, once I had made that decision I paid more attention to the animal welfare issues. I can see that previously I was suppressing any awareness of the animal welfare issues because I did not want to be confronted with the violence inherent in my diet. Once teh switch was made the flood gates opened and could see very clearly the horrendous implications of meat eating.
So why did it take me so long to take that first step towards veganism? Again - more denial and suppression of any thoughts contrary to my desire to consume dairy and eggs. It has been very interesting to see this veil lifted.
And now I am wondering what other areas of my life have I built a wall of blindness around? Peter Singer's "The Life You Can Save" is still sitting unread on my shelf. The last time I read a book by him was "The Ethics of What We Eat" and that sure had a life changing impact. I think it is time to quit stalling and read the next book and perhaps embark on the next chapter of my life.
