Inspiration, Palm Oil

I’ve heard a lot of people say things like, “Why do vegans share so much ‘vegan propaganda’? Stop forcing it on others.” But case in point: I was inspired to look into veganism thanks to someone sharing a video.

I’m continually inspired by others sharing. Speaking of which, today, I saw this:

Say NO to Palm Oil! pic.twitter.com/pOTqUNvw5d

— Zucchinisaurus Ⓥ (@Zucchinisaurus) August 15, 2017

Funny how one year of veganism felt easy…then I realized there’s more to it, like animal testing and the very horrible impact of ingredients like palm oil (a cheap oil that’s now found in EVERYTHING). But this very simple tweet reminded me of that letter to Trader Joe’s I’d been meaning to write. I had a few moments free…so I did:

I’m a careful label reader and have been surprised by the number of TJs products that use palm oil. Will you please consider moving to an alternative source of oil? The impact on humans, animals, and the planet is massive: https://www.ran.org/palm_oil

What’s more, I think this would the amazing marketing opportunity for Trader Joe’s. I don’t think customers know the environmental impact of this ingredient–specifically, the fact that it is driving the extinction of orangutans. If your well-loved company were to speak out against palm oil, educate customers, and stop carrying it–the story would be huge. And I believe your customers–who, frankly, worship you guys–would be willing to pay a few extra cents in order to save animals. I know I would.

Thank you for your consideration,
Molly Elwood

The thing is, I’m not the only one talking about palm oil, but it’s not being widely shared just yet. But if more people were inspired share news articles or research, or to even write to their grocery stores–and, obviously, stopped buying items made with palm oil–maybe we could make a difference.

Again, it was the tiniest thing, that tweet, that moved me to take action. I might be easier to get motivated than others, though. 🙂 What inspires you to take action? What kind of actions do you take on a regular basis? I’m always looking for new ways to make a difference.

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