The document discusses how animal agriculture and the fashion industry harm animals and the environment. It notes that millions of animals are killed each year for fur, leather, cosmetics testing, and food, and are often treated cruelly. Alternatives exist for many animal products but are not widely used. Animal agriculture is also environmentally damaging due to greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and pollution from the leather tanning process. Going vegan could help reduce this harm to animals and the planet.

1. VeganismArticle
So many animals are affected by our need to keep
up with fashion trends, even when there are many
cruelty free alternatives, which eliminate millions
of animals being tortured. As well as this animals
are a lot like humans and are capable of feeling
pain and stress meaning that the production of
these products is very distressing for them. Due to
the food and fashion industry using large-scale
mass production just to make money, animal’s well
being is oftenlooked over to produce goods
quickly and cheaply.
The fashion industry is one of the key places where
animals are worst affected;this is mainly down to
the fur and leather industry where millions of
animals are killed every year just to produce
clothing alone. Within the fashion industry fur is
everywhere,whether it’s the collarof a coat, the
cuff of a bootor a full jacketfor every one of these
that are made there are millions of animals that
are treated horrendously on fur farms, in which
animals live in tiny cramped wire cages and are
killed in the cheapest and most aggressive ways.
Another area of fashion, which contributes a lot to
the amount of animals that are killed yearly, is the
leather industry. You can never truly know where
the leather you are wearing is fromas the majority
of leather comes from China and their leather
comes unlabelled meaning that there’s no certainty
of where yourleather is from.The leather from
China is made froma variety of differentanimals
such as cows,pigs, goats, sheep, alligators,

2. ostriches, kangaroos and even cats and dogs. The
fashion industry contributes so largely to animal
cruelty when there is no actual necessity for it as
there are so many cruelty free fabrics including a
range of faux furs, whichare available in most
stores.
Cosmetics and makeup is also a key culprit of
unnecessarily killing animals withlittle benefits.
Animal testing for cosmetics and toiletry products
has been illegal across the UK for 3 years now,
whichsince has led to animal testing being banned
across the European Union. Although things are
changing and improving here, elsewhere in places
like China it is compulsory forproducts to be
tested on animals before being sold. There are
many high street companies such as LUSH, which
have their very ownline of vegan cosmetics and
The Body Shop, which are on the PETA(Peoplefor
the Ethical Treatment of Animals) cruelty free list,
making it easier to shop vegan. As well as this even
though animal testing forcosmetics is banned,
there are still hundreds of rats, mice, rabbits and
guinea pigs are still in toxicity tests forchemicals
whichare used in household products, to test
these the products are injected into the animals
skin or forceddown their throats whichcan cause
organ failures and many other side effects.
Howeverthere are vegan alternatives for
household cleaning products such as Astonish
cleaners.
As wellas the fashion industry largely affectingthe
animals, it also has negative impacts on the

3. environment due to the tanning process used in
the leather industry, whichadds more toxins into
the environment. ‘51% ofglobalgreenhousegas
emissionsisdue to the byproductsoflivestock.’ –
Cowspiracy.Many species homes are being
destroyed by fishing, pollution and deforestation.
Producing meat also wastes gallons of water,
whichcould be put to such better uses in under
developed countries, forexample a pound of beef
requires 2,500 gallons of water. ‘82% of starving
childrenlive in countrieswherefoodis fed to
animals,andwesterncountries’eat the animals’ –
Your Daily Vegan. The production of meat and
dairy accounts for70% of global water
consumption, meaning that without the meat and
dairy industry alone there wouldbe 70% more
freshwater whichcould be spread throughout the
world and save many lives. ‘Animalproductscause
moredamagethan[producing]construction
mineralssuch assandor cement,plastics ormetals.
Biomassandcropsfor animalsareas damagingas
[burning]fossilfuels.’ – Professor Edgar Hertwich.
By carrying out a vegan lifestyle it contributes less
to air pollution and puts less pressure on natural
resources as there is less of a requirement forland,
fossil fuels and water.
Why not try Veganism foryourself and find out
more at veganuary.com