These days most people are aware of the cruelty and suffering endured by animals that are raised for human consumption. We have all seen images of battery hens, and pigs lying in squalor and unable to move around in their pens. For many people, the plight of animals is enough to make them want to choose a vegetarian diet.

Sadly though, most people are still not aware of the cruelty involved in the egg and dairy industries; nor do they recognise the enormous cost to the environment of large scale production of livestock for human consumption. It has been said that choosing a vegetarian diet will have a more positive impact on the planet than driving a hybrid car. And I know which option is cheaper!

You see, while we are all taking short showers and only washing the car on Sundays in order to conserve our precious water resources, billions of litres of water are being used every year to grow crops to sustain the meat and dairy industries. The ABS keeps data on our national water usage. Here is where 70% of our water goes:

Not to mention the methane produced by livestock contributes a whopping 18% to our national greenhouse gas emissions!

So we have animals suffering and the planet suffering. Not only that but increasingly the cost to our own health of our meat-loving ways is being acknowledged, as more and more research confirms that the most deadly diseases of our time, the "diseases of affluence" are clearly linked to our consumpton of animal products. Many of us are quite literally dying for a steak.

These are three good reasons why some of us choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle.

Most of the justifications people use for consuming animal products are not necessarily based on fact. People like to eat meat and many people don't know any other way of life. But the truth is we don't 'need' meat for protein any more than we need milk for calcium. We don't NEED to exploit billions of animals, destroy our planet and kill ourselves in the process.

It's difficult to summarise all the reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle in just a few brief paragraphs, but I hope this introduction has provided a succinct overview. More information about the benefits of a vegan diet can be found on our links page.

For me personally, I can't think of a single good reason not to be vegan.