Top products from r/veghumor

Sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner, but as you may imagine, the information below took some time to compile. Due to its long length, I've divided the information into two posts.

These are by no means all the reasons that exist, but I think it's a pretty good primer. The long and short of it, for me, is that there is no really good reason to consume animal products, and plenty of compelling reasons not to. Feel free to ask questions, provide counterpoints, whatever.

ETHICS

"Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing and any other purpose."

Avoiding unnecessary harm is a value that many people share, and most would agree that if you can avoid causing or endorsing pain or suffering that it morally desirable to do so. At the same time, many people take the use of animals for food, clothing, entertainment and more for granted. However, these practices cause suffering on a large scale and are entirely unnecessary for most people most of the time.

The use of animal products causes suffering.

• Cruelty in farming practices
  
• The vast majority of meat produced comes from factory farms.
  
• Animal testing
  
• Can animals feel pain?
  
• Animal sentience, the concept that animals are capable of subjective experiences of pleasure and pain, has been well documented among species as varied as chimps, dogs, rats and fish.
  
  This suffering is largely avoidable and unnecessary.
  
  
• Vegan diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.
  
• Plant-based diets are actually more affordable, as evidenced by the fact that meat consumption increases with a country's wealth.
  
  Pleasure and convenience are not morally convincing reasons to make choices that endorse or inflict suffering on other beings
  
  
• Not including seafood, the average person eats 31 animals per year, which are bred and raised in cruel conditions for the purpose of being consumed. Seafood is a whole other deal, which I'll discuss in more detail in the environment section.
  
• Our cultures are arbitrarily selective about which animals it is selective to consume. For instance, we keep dogs as pets and eat pigs, despite the fact that pigs are at least as intelligent as dogs. See Melody Joy's Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs & Wear Cows.
  
  If you really want a good overview of the practices that go into producing animal products, give the documentary Earthlings a watch at your own risk.