Environment

A proactive way to protect the environment is to eat a plant-based diet of fresh, local, wild and organic foods. In contrast, eating an animal-based diet pollutes and depletes the earth's water, land and air resources in ways that may be irreversible.

Animals have an inherent right to exist for their own purposes and not to satisfy the wants of humans. Ethics in practice includes not eating animals or animal byproducts, not wearing products made from the skin or hair of animals, including leather, fur, wool and silk, and not supporting the use of animals for entertainment.

Decades of studies have shown that eating primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases and reversal of heart disease. Studies have also shown that black vegetarians have lower rates of chronic diseases than blacks who eat meat.