| You might wonder how food, sustainability and | | | | the world in 2001 and has been taking place |
| New York City are associated with one another. | | | | annually ever since. |
| Unfortunately, the Earth is currently experiencing | | | | I was grateful to be able to partake in the expo |
| a rapid loss of biodiversity, and unsustainable | | | | and music performances by the Cheryl Hill Band |
| human activity is now the greatest threat to | | | | that followed the parade at Washington Square |
| biodiversity. Industrial agriculture reduces | | | | Park. Those familiar with the park know that it is |
| biodiversity by damaging the environment through | | | | home to many rallies and other activities with its |
| pollution from untreated animal waste, chemicals | | | | unconventional, open space. Vendors included |
| and soil erosion. Excessive amounts of manure | | | | VegNews magazine, People for the Ethical |
| created by the thousands of animals found on | | | | Treatment of Animals (PETA), Farm Sanctuary, |
| large industrial farms create air, groundwater and | | | | and Wildwood Organics. The entire event was |
| surface water pollution. In addition, industrial | | | | spearheaded by Pamela Rice of VivaVegie |
| agriculture uses enormous amounts of pesticides | | | | Society, New York City's premier non-profit |
| and chemical fertilizers that leach into the ground | | | | organization in advocacy and outreach for |
| and water and consequently pollutes its | | | | vegetarianism. She is also responsible for |
| surroundings. | | | | composing "101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian." I |
| According to the book "Our Ecological Footprint: | | | | had the privilege of meeting her a week before |
| Reducing Human Impact on the Earth" by Mathis | | | | the parade began when I wanted to volunteer for |
| Wackernagel and William Rees, "current rates of | | | | the event. I heard about the event itself when I |
| resource harvesting and waste generation deplete | | | | read AM New York's May 12th issue. In the |
| nature faster than in can regenerate, [but] | | | | announcement, Rice shared her hopes that "the |
| pressure on both ecological integrity and social | | | | event will allow vegetarians to come out of the |
| health is mounting [that will require] more | | | | shadows while dispelling misinformation about |
| effective sustainability initiatives É including | | | | vegetarianism." She added that "with the 'go |
| tools to stimulate a wider public involvement, | | | | green' movement gaining prominence, [w]e've lost |
| evaluate strategies and monitor progress" (pgs. | | | | our orientation to our food. There remains a |
| 1-3). Food and agriculture corporations are driven | | | | conspicuous silence toward animal products that |
| by profits, often at the cost of public health and | | | | we need to examine." |
| environmental protection. But we, as voters and | | | | There was extensive media coverage. According |
| consumers, have the power to challenge them | | | | to The New York Times, the parade attracted |
| with their very own source of power profits so | | | | about 600 people "and at least one vegan dog" |
| vote with your fork! As consumers, we all have | | | | despite the bad weather. There was a faux |
| the power to break down agribusiness by buying | | | | marriage ceremony between a seven-foot-tall |
| our food from small, local farms. If nobody buys | | | | pea pod and a giant carrot. Other sources include |
| food from agribusiness and industrial farms, | | | | New York 1, New York Sun, CBS-TV local news, |
| corporations will no longer have the financial | | | | New York Daily News, 1010 WINS Radio, New |
| power to influence policymakers and legislators. | | | | York Metro, and Vegan Radio. For more |
| How do we begin? We should eat more | | | | information, please visit |
| vegetables, fruit, and grains and less meat. We | | | | I hope this article connected to you, wherever |
| should look for meat that is produced in the least | | | | your food politics may lie. May 18th marked a |
| harmful way: grass-fed, organic, antibiotic- and | | | | milestone for vegetarians and vegans, and New |
| hormone-free. We should also buy organic | | | | York City is certainly heading in a greener |
| whenever we can, as well as from small, local | | | | direction. There are currently over 100 vegetarian |
| sources to reduce environmental impact. There | | | | restaurants and an estimated 50 greenmarkets in |
| are over 45 Greenmarket Farmers Markets in | | | | the City, and who knows how many there'll be |
| New York City, and I'm always looking forward to | | | | next year. As environmental historian William |
| shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket. | | | | Cronon once said, "We are never outside the |
| I've also been a vegetarian for a little over a | | | | natural world, no matter where we live or what |
| year, and this is my way to support biodiversity. I | | | | we do. The great challenge of modernity is to |
| also participated in the Veggie Pride Parade on | | | | remember, in the face of all that tempts us to |
| Sunday, May 18th 2008, the first of its kind in | | | | forget, just how interconnected the world is." We |
| America. The U.S.-based parade was inspired by, | | | | as consumers have the power to shop for a |
| but not affiliated with, the Veggie Pride Parade in | | | | healthier planet - we only have one - and it's time |
| Paris. The Parisian parade was the first ever in | | | | that we started using it. |