Jane Goodall, the world-renowned primatologist and conservationist, passed away at age 91 while still on a speaking tour — a testament to her lifelong dedication to science, activism, and the environment. Beyond her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees, Goodall also championed a way of living that aligned with her values: decades ago, she adopted a plant-based diet.
According to CNBC, Goodall’s shift came in the 1960s when she looked at a pork chop and realized it represented “fear, pain, death.” From that moment, she swore off meat, citing not only her compassion for animals but also the damage meat production causes to the earth. She later wrote, “I didn’t become vegan just because of my health. I became vegan for ethical reasons. I’m vegan for the environment.”
Her choice was ahead of its time. Today, studies confirm that red meat consumption contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and shortens lifespan. Cutting meat, especially beef and pork, improves personal health while helping reduce climate impacts. For Goodall, the benefits were immediate — she said she felt “better, lighter” after going plant-based.
Goodall’s ethical stance challenged others to rethink what they eat and how food choices ripple outward into deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and harm to wildlife. As an activist, she connected the dots between factory farming, human wellbeing, and planetary survival, long before it was common to do so.
Her life reminds us that aligning our diets with our values can be a powerful form of activism. Choosing plants over meat isn’t just about health — it’s about compassion, justice, and the future of our planet. Carrying forward Goodall’s legacy means protecting animals, embracing sustainable food systems, and building a world that reflects the love and respect she showed throughout her remarkable life.
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Easy Ways to Help the Planet:
- Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
- Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
- Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Stand against fast fashion Pollution by supporting circular brands like Tiny Rescue, which create cause-based collections using recycled, zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill.
- Shop Sustainably for Your Home: Visit SustaiNOBLE.org, an eco-friendly and ethically sourced home decor store that will empower your home with luxurious fair-trade, and sustainable products made by global artisans.
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- Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!
