When working in climate action a theme that comes up a lot is “How can I be more inclusive?”.

The reason for this is that in today’s world, where extremist propaganda and “fake news” consume our media outlets and journalistic integrity is at an all-time low, the way we communicate information and engage with others is important. For example, discussing a topic like climate change with family or friends can have some very intense reactions and create animosity and tension in relationships. 

So how does one approach the conversation of taking action on climate change without creating conflict with the ones we love? Well, it’s definitely easier said than done, and is perhaps a topic for another blog post, but what I want to get across here is that the narratives we choose to create, support, and regurgitate can have both positive and negative impacts. This is why we must tread carefully if we want to grab the attention of the masses and enact real change in our society.

A perfect example of a narrative gone-wrong would be the Western plant-based movement. 

Now I will be the first to rave about the many benefits of eating a plant-rich diet, being a vegetarian myself, but I can’t ignore the fact that certain people have earned us vegetarians and vegans a bad reputation through their shaming of meat-eaters and comparing animal cruelty to atrocities like the Holocaust. The Western plant-based movement has become tainted and inaccessible, which is why we must rewrite the common narrative if the plant-based movement is to have any success in mitigating the GHG emissions produced by industrial animal agriculture. 

The plant-based movement needs to go in a new direction of inclusion, understanding, and acceptance. This begins with listening to others and showing compassion. It can also be done by acknowledging our privilege in getting to eat plant-based, by acknowledging that eating plant-based is not the only sustainable diet out there and that it isn’t necessarily a viable lifestyle for everyone. Eating plant-based, for me at least, has taken a lot of effort and planning in order to make sure that I’m eating right, which is why I want to also highlight the fact that not everyone has access to a variety of nutritious foods and not everyone can afford the luxury of cooking nutritious meals. That being said, eating plant-based does not need to be expensive – us broke students can also afford to eat plant-based! You don’t need to shop at Whole Foods or buy meat and dairy replacements to have a healthy and well-balanced diet. Eating plant-based does not need to be some pretentious or elitist trend that excludes. In addition to the socio-economic barriers that a plant-based lifestyle can often present, systemic racism also plays a part in restricting people from adopting plant-based lifestyles…

In many Indigenous communities, particularly those in more isolated regions of Canada, consuming fresh, healthy produce is not always possible and their diets can consist instead of highly processed foods with little nutritional value. The numerous health problems present in these communities and in other minority groups can be associated with a lack of food security and lack of access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods. All of this transcends into the greater issue of white veganism, which “creates a toxic environment where voices are silenced and people are dehumanized in the name of animal liberation,” (Anna Jepson, The Slant) and this is exactly the type of thing we are trying to avoid. Another writer from the online journal Medium, Juliana Yazbeck, feels that white veganism “disregards the fact that the meat and dairy industries are inherently colonial legacies,” and, furthermore, that “it comes charging in on its moral high horse, enforcing its beliefs that veganism is the only way forward, overlooking the truth: that the white popularization of plant-based consumption is only shifting unethical food production from meat to plants,” (Juliana Yazbeck, Medium). Learning about these issues and confronting our privilege in its many forms is, in my opinion, the first step to take when taking action on climate change, as it is a crisis that will affect people very differently. Through events like our Ask Me Anything Meetups we seek to create a welcoming and respectful atmosphere where people can feel comfortable to express their opinions and ideas and ask any questions they may have. We want to shift the one-sided, preachy monologue to a conversation between individuals who all share similar values and passions. Creating community and bringing people from different walks of life together is the best thing we can do to handle this crisis, and in fact the only way we will make any progress as a society.