We all know that one of the major barriers to social change is convenience. The more convenient you make something, the more likely people will do it.

For example, that’s why cities put out public trash cans. When there are trash cans available people are less likely to toss their trash on the ground. Some cities take it a step further and offer recycling containers next to the trash cans. That encourages people to recycle their empty soda cans and water bottles instead of throwing them away. But remove the public trash cans and you make littering easier, thus more people litter. And the more people who litter, the more “normal” it seems and then more people do it without even thinking that it’s wrong.

Only a select few people are motivated to do the right thing even when it’s inconvenient. If you’re vegan, then you’re one of those people. Vegans do the right thing even when it’s inconvenient. But it doesn’t have to be inconvenient to be vegan. And it shouldn’t be inconvenient.

Shouldn’t saving animals, saving the planet, and treating your body well be easier?

So how do we make being vegan more convenient? Here are a few ways that you can get active to help make your community more vegan-friendly:

• Make Vegan Eating Out Easier: Read COK’s guide to restaurant outreach and learn how to inspire your local cafes and diners to offer more vegan fare. They say, “In our experience, the most important piece of literature to take [with you when you visit a restaurant] is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM’s) Vegetarian Starter Kit for Restaurants.This magazine-sized publication was created specifically for restaurants and focuses on the whys and hows of adding more vegetarian options. To request a free copy, visit www.pcrm.org or call 202-686-2210.”
• Enlarge The Vegan Population: Support Vegan Outreach by donating to them or by distributing their leaflets. Shouldn’t every college graduate have a basic understanding of veganism? Should everyone who holds a university degree know where their meat comes from? What a shame that they don’t! But you can help open people’s eyes and enlarge the vegan population by supporting Vegan Outreach.
• Give Kids Vegan Options At School: The Healthy School Lunch Campaign encourages schools to offer more healthy low-fat, cholesterol-free options, including reimbursable meals and beverages, a la carte items, and vending machine items.

Got more ideas? Please share!

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Sections: Vegan Activism
Topics: activism, cok, conveience, dining out, eating out, Food, pcrm, restaurants, school, school lunch, veg, Vegan, vegan education, vegan outreach