Veganism is a moral and ethical philosophy, which extends to diet. Our consumption of animals is the greatest exploitation that they suffer at our hands. Now, eating a plant-based diet is an element of veganism, but doesn't encompass the entire spectrum of the philosophy. You can be plant-based, but still go watch greyhound racing or buy a mink coat. The health element of a plant-based diet, I believe, is important to promote for the following reasons: 1) There is a mountain of evidence that the more whole plant foods you eat, the better your health outcomes will be. I do agree that one should apply healthy skepticism, but we should also not become so jaded by a culture of 'fake news' that we dismiss proper science; 2) Whenever someone goes plant-based, they eliminate from their footprint their largest contribution to animal suffering; 3) The more people eat plant-based, the more the environment changes (more demand = more supply) and the easier it becomes for people to eat this way; 4) the environmental benefits (see below); 5) There are many people who simply do not give a flyingfuck about animals and will never change their habits for ethical considerations. If they go plant-based for health, they reduce their contribution, even if it is for purely selfish reasons. Asking people to act altruistically is a very tall mountain to climb. Regarding the environmental benefits, it has been proven by numerous studies that it's the biggest reducer that Joe Soap can make to his carbon footprint. There are many big polluters that we, as an individual, simply can't change. So, change what you can - the stuff you put in your gob. Like with any social movement, there needs to be pragmatism. Simply asking people to care about animals, sadly enough, will not cut it.
