An Introduction to Carnism

On Friday January 29th, author and renowned psychologist Melanie Joy from the University of Massachusetts, Boston spoke at the Harvard Coop for a book signing on her newest book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows.



Joy spoke to a captivated audience about carnism: the belief system that says it's okay to eat certain animals and not others. Like vegetarianism, carnism is a belief system some humans adopted since we are omnivours and, thus, can survive on plants or meat. Joy points out the coeservice system set in place in order for the mass human consumption of meat to take place including the secretive system of factory farming and the literal production of animals for consumption without acknowledging our products as living, breathing, feeling beings: a system dangerous for our health, our environment, and the animals themselves.

By recognizing our free will is choosing a life of meat (and therefore, continuing the cycle of factory farming), Joy argues we can better understand the detriments of a meat-eating diet without justifying it as "natural" and with intent to change the system for the better.

Check out Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows on Amazon!

Out-of-this-World Vegetarian Fare

Located in bustling Harvard Square, Veggie Planet offers up delicious vegetarian fare made from organic vegetables and pizza dough from Boston Organic.

This eatery is a local favorite for college students looking for a healthy alternative. Located next door to Club Passim, you can experience your meal with music on most nights (but check in advanced because they usually charge in advanced for tickets!).

At Veggie Planet, you can get your meal of their organic pizza dough, sticky coconut rice, or brown rice; go for the pizza dough on your first try though, it's their specialty. I had their soup (cauliflower soup) and salad (Greek salad) combo--the soup was so-so but the salad was amazingly fresh and crisp. Also, try their daily dessert also (it's usually vegan!).

PLUS! This Saturday the Harvard Vegetarian Society (VEGITAS) and Harvard Law School's Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) are having a meeting at Veggie Planet at 11:00am. We'd love you to join!

Veggie Planet
47 Palmer Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
11:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M., 7 days a week.

love<3

Hello World!

So my name is Natalie and I’m a Harvard student interested in all things healthy, vegan, awareness; awareness as consciousness and enlightenment.

Sometimes we, and I especially am guilty of this, become so caught up every next moment of our life that we forget to be, here, now.

This is just my experience with some of the smaller things in life: recommendations on where to find the perfect tea shop, easy & healthy recipes for other starving and poor college students, and updates on interesting events going on around Boston and beyond (including travels through-out the states and then some). I could go in depth into the many reasons I'm vegan (personal and communal health, the environment, animal cruelty), but I figure it will be more clear through-out posts (so I'm sorry if there are occasionally non-vegan features).

Anyway, please look around, leave comments, questions, (nice) criticism… I know I'm just another of many with a blog, but hopefully this can just be one contribution to an ever-growing community of accessible personality and wisdom online.

Love<3