I’m really good at smelling food and when it’s about to go off. If my nose even picks up a hint of rot that’s all I can smell. It’s really bad right now because our fridge died so everything smells like carcass in the house right now (even though it’s gone).

Listen, I understand where you’re coming from. But plant farming can be just as bad as animal farming. They cut down massive swaths of local wildlife, trees, flora, and use pesticides and other means that soak into the ground water and run off into lakes and streams. That affects literally everything too.

Yes, animal farming causes massive emissions. It’s filled with cruelty and waste. But so is plant farming. You can sustainably farm. But if you shop anywhere but your own back yard you’re contributing to that pollution. The produce we get at markets and stores comes from those big battery farms. Even farmer’s markets aren’t safe anymore - at least here the sellers are no longer small-time farmers. They’re resellers and from the big company owned farms that have more acres than workers. Because it’s too expensive for small time farmers to keep up with demand.

Vegan leather is so much worse for the enviroment than leather made from skin. Actual leather decomposes and becomes food for the earth. Vegan leather is usually made of plastic. The nail polish my spouse found recently is vegan - it’s made with plastics rather than biodegradable materials like beetle shells and plant-based colors.

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. You are a part of this cycle too.

“Treat others the way you want to be treated” is such a core belief of mine. Im in my late 20s now and I’m more and more disheartened by how rare it is to meet people who believe it. Growing up I couldn’t understand. Now that I’m older I still have issues coming to terms with it. People suck and it sucks.

Whatever the answer is, it’s going to take years if not decades. I wish I had the answers. I wish I had the power to make things right. I wish I could stop the suffering. All I can do is do what I can. For now, that’s surviving. For now, all I can do is continue to be kind to people and educate them when I can. Help them when I have the ability to.

My fellow disabled person, I see you. A murmur can become a tidal wave with time. We must stick together. We cannot lose hope. We must go on.