In celebration of Earth Day, The Mall was filled with different environmental outreach events coordinated by various clubs, including the Pierce College Vegan Society.
The events were organized to highlight different environmental problems and possible solutions to Pierce students.
Vegan Society treasurer Galit Ashkenazi said that the club has several similar events per semester to create a consciousness among the student body.
“Veganism helps for world hunger, against climate change and all those issues, and unfortunately people aren’t aware of those things,” Galit said. “The reason that we’re the Pierce College Vegan Society is because we want people to be educated on things like why a compassionate lifestyle is the best for your health, for the environment, for the animals, and also for society.”
Business major Samara Brown picked up a flier from one of the outreach events and said that although she’s not vegan yet, she’s glad that there are events on campus that share information about environmental issues.
“Even though I’m not fully ready yet to start making the transition, the word going around campus keeps reminding me and encouraging me to take the step forward,” Brown said.
The Vegan Society aims to break common misconceptions about a vegan lifestyle by spreading awareness about the health and environmental benefits of leading a plant-based diet.
Club adviser Stephanie Winnard said that adopting veganism helps reduce toxins in the water.
“According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 70 percent of the pollution of all our lakes, rivers and streams in the U.S. is caused by animal agriculture,” Winnard said.
The Vegan Society encourages those interested in taking further action to visit them in BIRCH 1101 on Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. for information about vegan events off campus.
