A vegan’s email to his entire company has had an incredible reaction.
Czech-born Lukas Buricin, who works as a games programmer, decided to educate his colleagues about veganism and sent an email to the whole of his company in Knutsford and Wilmslow, Cheshire.
In the detailed email, Lukas carefully explains the ethical, environmental, and health reasons for why he does not consume any animal products.
He calmly explains the horrendous reality of the egg industry, where male chicks are killed because they are classed as a useless byproduct, and talks about how male calves in the dairy industry are also routinely killed for the same reason.
Lukas goes on to explain how animal agriculture releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane, a leading driver of climate change which could cause devastation to the planet.
Finally, Lukas details the damaging health effects caused by the consumption of meat and other animal products. He includes a list of references, providing links to all the credible sources that back up the facts detailed in his email.
Lukas writes that he doesn’t expect his colleagues “to go vegan after reading one e-mail” but that he “would be happy if you watched and read some of the following links and gave it a try. If you don’t believe something then google it, question it, doubt it, but please, don’t ignore it.”
Briliantly, Lukas’s email had a really positive impact.
Many of his colleagues expressed shock at the information and his email triggered discussions and debates around the company. Some colleagues contacted Lukas to tell him that that they wanted to change their lifestyle, whilst others said they’d been inspired to make the first step towards veganism by going vegetarian.
Lukas’s company provides free cow’s milk for its employees, but following his email a colleague beckoned Lukas to the staff fridge and with a smile told him, “Look what your e-mail did”:
This great story shows how speaking out to friends, family and colleagues can create real change. When calmly and rationally presented with the facts about why one should go vegan, or at least cut down on animal products, many people really do listen and make positive changes to their lifestyles.
Actions like Lukas’s are inspiring and a lesson to us all about how we can educate and influence others, for the sake of the animals, our own health, and the planet.
What a inspuration.. Love it!!!! Most people when informed are shocked at the levels of cruelty in the system but are hoodwinked by the big players… Some folks are waking up at last.
Amazing, just No words…
I took The Liberation Pledge a year ago (liberationpledge.com) and so had to email all my friends, family and colleagues that I’d no longer sit with them if they were eating animals or animal products. Similarly I had an amazing response. There is something to writing a heart felt, vunerable, authentic letter that just says how you feel. It does seem to change people’s practices and I’ve had the best conversations ever on Veganism, speciesism and animal liberation.
I sincerely hope that you also publically and vocally avoid:
1: ANY shop that sells ANY products derived from non-human animals,
2: ANY social establishment or venue (i.e. cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs, theatres, etc.) that includes ANY products derived from non-human animals in its offerings,
3: ANY leisure or lifestyle activity (including holidays and work) that may in ANY way be percieved as potentially harmful to non-human animals, even indirectly,
4: ANY activity whatsoever that may be perceived in ANY way to be potentially exploitative of or harmful to ANY animal, whether human or non-human,
&
5: ANY association in ANY way or form with ANYONE who engages in ANY activity that may fit into ANY of the heretoaforementioned categories.
I also hope that you are entirely self-employed and self-sufficient.
Thanks for the link to the website, which represents one of the most hypocritical forms of elitist non-engagement, that apart from being a form of emotional and psychological bullying, also risks alienating non-Vegans from Vegans and vise-versa.
Furthermore, just what IS ‘liberating’ about signing up to a pledge that means you HAVE TO do certain things?
Where does the soy and almonds come from? How many thousands of acres of monocultured and irrigated crops are required to produce that alternative milk, with no wider ecosystem or living soil beneath? Where are the nutrients coming for these crops, and for the vegetables and fruits you eat? Please don’t neglect the bigger picture; vegetables need nutrients which either come from animals or from synthetic fertilisers which are a lot worse for the environment and people. Animals are part of a healthy ecosystem, and are part of a regenerative agriculture which our future depends on.
Definition of Veganism
Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.