27 Nov Insight has Landed on Mars – Make America Great Again!

Insight has landed on Mars and has just sent back the first images. I am proud of my IITM classmate, Dr. Gani Ganapathi, and his fellow engineers at Jet Propulsion Labs and at NASA who made this happen. These are the finest explorers of our species assembled from across the globe in the melting pot of the United States.

Engineers are applied scientists who have to take everything into account. They cannot ignore inconvenient scientific facts or pretend that something isn’t happening. If they do, they will have a burnt up mess on their hands, not a successful Mars landing. Which brings me to what Robert Swann calls “the last great exploration on Earth, which is to survive on Earth.”

From all available facts, I estimate that the world will be largely Vegan by 2026. The rate at which wild animals are dying out and the rate at which the climate is worsening will force humanity to do that which is minimally necessary, which is to go Vegan by 2026. At the moment, this may seem like a pipe dream but that’s because the explorers of our species in the US have not been taking a lead on tackling these existential problems. In fact, the US government is busy pretending that climate change is not happening and it is the only national government other than the Vatican to have not signed on to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Trump administration tried to bury the latest National Climate Assessment on Black Friday and President Trump himself has dismissed it with, “I don’t believe it.” The National Climate Assessment lays out the stark implications of inaction in the face of climate change, but at least there was a scientific assessment on climate change. On biodiversity loss, a far more urgent problem than even climate change, the US scientific community has been largely silent and absent.

But this will all change soon as America truly is the home of the brave, more so than the home of the frightened cowards, tear gassing women and children. To prepare for this change, Climate Healers hosted the Vegan World 2026 Conference in Mesa, AZ (the most conservative city in America!), last month, Oct 26-28, 2018, where we explored questions on how such a shift can be accelerated and what the brave new Vegan world would look like. Here’s a list of the questions we generated during our two day conference:

Ecological Shift Questions:

1. How can we educate in schools, globally, to stop speciesism?
2. How do we help farms transition their businesses and what happens to all the millions of animals?
3. How can we respectfully and effectively communicate with environmentalists who don’t acknowledge animal agriculture’s role, especially those fixed on rotational grazing?
4. How do we involve the education system into learning as part of curriculum and future careers?
5. How many large animals can the planet support? What percent should be human and what percent should be wild? (e.g., “Half Earth” by E. O. Wilson)
6. How do we change the conversation from CO2, fuels, and energy to animal ag and its more potent greenhouse gases?
7. How do we restore the Rainforest and bring balance to the crisis of species extinction?
8. How do we rapidly communicate the environmental urgency to motivate timely change?
9. How do we change the conversation from sustainability to regenerative and restorative?
10. How can we green the deserts with Veganic farming?
11. How do we come together in a safe container with animal agriculturalists and how can this be created?
12. How do we link economic policies with ecological realities and how do we integrate veganism into these policies?
13. How do we teach animal and nature communication globally?
14. How do we change the idea of hunting as “conservation”?
15. How do stop soil erosion, which is happening 10 to 80 times faster than soil formation?
16. How do we get every human being to actively put their hands in the dirt and heal the Earth with Veganic permaculture, creating abundant forest gardens, etc., and rehabilitating wildlife habitats?
17. When animal liberation happens, how do we create space for the farmed animals, aquatic sea life, etc.?
18. How can we help people understand that air travel, especially long distances, is environmentally destructive?
19. How do we deal with all the released animals (from zoos and other captive places) into conservation efforts?
20. How do we shift animal ag to plant-based agriculture?
21. How do we eradicate the use of fossil fuels?
22. How can we implement sustainability practices?
23. How do we raise awareness of the rapid deforestation in Brazil for Animal Ag?
24. How do we involve city planning into creating a greener country/cities?
25. How do we feed all humans and domestic animals using Veganic regenerative agriculture?
26. How do we make Vegans ALL-IN environmentally sustainable (including zero waste, plastics and other consumer habits?)
27. How to advocate for HEMP fuel/plastic?
28. Is it possible to add Veganism in the educational system?
29. How can we ensure ecosystems end forced collapse?
30. How can we get governments to fund the transition from factory farming to sanctuary?
31. How can we get farm subsidies for Animal Ag reduced or eliminated?

Economic Shift Questions:

1. How do we replace capitalism with a more sustainable and equitable system? And what is that system?
2. How do we structure a healthcare system that incentivizes health creation, health promotion and positive health outcomes instead of just paying for expensive and ineffective drug and surgical interventions?
3. How do we change the current food subsidy system that artificially props up Animal Ag? Do we remove all subsidies and let the free market support healthy sustainable food, do we incentivize whole plant foods, or is there a third alternative?
4. How will we provide jobs for those leaving slaughterhouses and other animal harming jobs?
5. How do we give vegan business ideas a strong opportunity to flourish?
6. How do we navigate having a livable income with wanting to do vegan activism full time AND wanting to provide nutrition education, food demos and coaching to anyone at no charge … while knowing that many do not VALUE what they have not invested money into?
7. How do we transform the tremendous power currently being used to exploit by the system of industries and corporations that benefit by animal ag and its ill effects on human health (animal ag, processed food, pharmaceuticals, medicine, weight loss, etc.)?
8. How to build resource based communities, end capitalism and money?
9. How do we change from an ownership model to a stewardship model?
10. How do we structure, implement and advocate for a carbon tax on food?
11. How do we keep the most powerful from over taking us?
12. How can we put all vegan businesses in under one roof which will encourage them to start more and consumers as well to find products in one place?
13. How do we stop economic growth? If so, how do we link veganism with anti-growth movements?
14. How do we get money out of politics?
15. How do we employ all vegans to make Vegan World 2026?
16. How do we get individuals to become more self-reliant and develop their own relationship with the Earth and growing food and taking care of the natural world? How do we stop being so dependent on corporations and government, etc., to do everything for us?
17. How are we going to save all the farm animals when animal ag starts collapsing?
18. How to show/create a plan to grow the green economy?
19. How do we address dairy farmers who are in a co-op get into a more sustainable drink product?
20. How do we make vegan companies more profitable?
21. How do we express the importance of voting in the current political system?
22. How do we stop the BACONIZATION of food in restaurants, etc.?
23. Is our energy better spent trying to change the current system from within, or creating a new system that people can jump to as the current one collapses?

Political Shift Questions:

1. How do we end the subsidizing of animal products for food and get Big Ag to pay for their use of the fresh water supply and land use?
2. How do we govern ourselves without political boundaries?
3. How do we get politicians who run on a plant-based platform? How do we get laws for sentient beings?
4. How can we dismantle our current toxic government? We can’t reason with greed and capitalism. How do we set higher standards?
5. How do we create political equilibrium in our world and root out deception and greed?
6. How can we eliminate wealth and the owners of capital’s influence on the political process?
7. How do we get out political systems and health care systems to understand that a plant-based public will save their precious $$$?
8. What kinds of legislative, policy, structural and economic strategies will reverse the externalization of the costs of animal ag, fishing onto the environmental, health, mental health, community etc.?
9. How should we vote, Democratic, Green or Humane? Obviously, the Humane party is more aligned with our ideals, but from a strategic standpoint, it might make more sense to vote Democratic to get all of the Republicans who want to protect wealth the heck out of there!
10. How do we get the Green party to become more involved in bringing up Veganism?
11. Do we promote reform or revolution? What kind of reform, or what kind of revolution?
12. How do we transition the US/world to new political principles as quickly as possible?
13. How do we stop the Farm Bill – as a nearer term goal – from supporting animal agriculture?
14. How do we collapse the current monetary system and replace it with something more equitable?
15. As we subvert the hierarchical, patriarchal paradigm, can we create a non-hierarchical, nonviolent system of non-government?
16. How can we get all vegans to back up/join the Humane party, a vegan, national political party?
17. Can we really work within the current system if it is so corrupt already?
18. How do we align ourselves with non-vegan political parties or groups, e.g., Democrats, Socialists, Sierra Club, etc.?
19. How do we get money out of politics?
20. What happened to “We, the People”? Shift the paradigm for capitalist contraption to “For the best of all”
21. What is the catalyst in a paradigm shift in consciousness?
22. How can Vegans advocate hunting/fishing rights for indigenous people?
23. How do we get more Vegans elected?
24. How can we get more people on board to vote for the Humane party?

Social Shift Questions:

1. How do we end toxic masculinity and its association with “meat”?
2. How do we create laws/legislation for sentient beings?
3. How can we unify Vegans and end infighting?
4. How do we build solidarity amongst the Vegan community as well as with other social justice groups?
5. How do we get communities, especially the under-privileged, to see the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, especially the price of health, lifestyle ailments, disability, sick children and other expenses and financial problems?
6. How do we reach women?
7. How can we build our prototype vegan communities – start them in various locations and use/promote them as the model?
8. Should we support small animal welfare reforms or only a movement for immediate abolition of animal exploitation?
9. How can we create a safe platform for children who want to choose this lifestyle, yet or opposed by the system or parents?
10. How are we going to be the voice that will effect social, political and fundamental change in our world system of violence?
11. How do we transform from the current Animal Whites movement to the all-inclusive Animal Rights movement and abolish systematic racism?
12. How do we reach women who live within oppressive religious systems?
13. How do we follow up with those persons who are still consuming animal products after they have attended a vigil/bearing witness and making the connection?
14. How can we get more Vegans to be activists?
15. How can we create a huge cross-movement movement that is inclusive of reducitarians, vegetarians, environmentalists, animal rights activists, whole-food plant-based people and others, so that we have critical mass?
16. How can we get more people to focus on animal liberation instead of just animal welfarism?
17. How do we create inclusiveness and let go of separation?
18. How do we get other/all social activists to see the connections to the exploitation of animals?
19. How do we move it forward as a political movement, inclusive of Vegetarians also?
20. How do we promote social responsibility?
21. How can we become more loving Vegans and learn to respect those who are not yet Vegan?
22. How can we get beyond people’s conditioning and programs of reality and help them seek more knowledge and consciousness that will change their perceptions and choices?
23. How do we diminish fears of prejudice in pre-vegans without compromising our fundamental message of respecting the rights of other animals?
24. How do we help the world’s hungry go Vegan?
25. How can we be culturally sensitive while traveling?
26. How do we educate people effectively about PROTEIN so they won’t worry about deficiency?
27. How will Ahimsa Coin allocate to the disabled, etc.?
28. How do we convey Veganism is more than a personal choice – it’s a moral choice?
29. What can we do to create collaboration and coalitions among vegan groups that stand as a strong force that is acknowledged and a powerful presence?
30. How do we build a resource-based economy?
31. How do we get people to align their ethics and values with their actions?
32. How do we create/build empathy?
33. How do we respond to pushback?
34. How do we help aspiring Vegans to not feel excluded/misunderstood by their families?
35. How do we infiltrate anti-Vegan propaganda?
36. How do we get the attention of the masses?
37. How do we promote Veganism through the cooperatives movement?
38. How do we develop an effective VECOTourism system?
39. How do we define “Vegan to other “vegans” to establish unity within the communities of activists and non-activists?
40. How do we get new Vegans from relapsing?
41. How do we get politicians whose platform is Veganism?
42. How do we reach young children effectively and raise awareness without sugarcoating the realities?
43. Democracy, anyone? Why can’t national/international/local Vegan groups accommodate this social form?
44. How do we end unconscious consumerism?
45. How do we change habits?
46. How do we let go of acquiring property?
47. What is the appropriate response to those who see nothing wrong with killing/exploiting animals?
48. How do we make different Vegan groups support each other?
49. How do we set boundaries and rules on allowing animal products in your home from guests?
50. How can we get more Vegans to become animal rights activists?
51. How can we unite all social movements to embrace Veganism?
52. What program management method or framework do we use to develop, monitor and control our plan for Vegan World 2026? Agile, PMI, Lean?
53. How do we best identify and utilize fellow vegans (and non-Vegans) talents in our revolution?

Spiritual Shift Questions:

1. How can we engage all faiths to see that Veganism is the essence of the Golden rule?
2. How are we going to change religious traditions that believe animals are given to us as food?
3. How do we convey our message of lovingkindness for all beings to yoga/meditation teachers and spiritual leaders who teach kindness but eat animals?
4. How can we transition from the traditional/sacred and ancient practices that have been passed down culturally that still have underlying pieces unaligned with a Vegan world?
5. How can we help bring about spiritual awakening for others and help them discover their true identity that exists in their hearts and souls?
6. How do we raise the vibration of the planet through Vegan practices?
7. How can we create peace without egos?
8. How do we connect stewardship of the planet means taking care of the animals?
9. How to start my spiritual journey?
10. How do we break the disconnectedness habit since disconnectedness from the consequences of actions is the basis of ignorance and always increases exploitation?
11. How can we advocate/educate spirituality of Veganism in practical ways that appeal to Western culture and avoid religion?
12. How do we effectively and spiritually use visioning to actually manifest?
13. How do we let go of different religions?
14. Would widespread use of psychedelic/plant medicine help open us up to the inner-connection of all creation?
15. How do we get our prominent spiritual leaders to acknowledge the power of plant-based living?
16. What is Spirituality?
17. How is Spirituality and Veganism connected?
18. How do we make life practices spiritual?
19. How do we help/implore religions to adopt veganism as a spiritual practice?
20. How can we bring spirituality into the education system?
21. How do we empower women?
22. How do we transform patriarchy’s dominator mindset to the mindset of Ahimsa?
23. How can we truly, deeply connect spiritually with the world?
24. How can we create a Vegan paradigm?
25. How can we learn to treat our bodies as a sacred temple?
26. How do we use the Christian Bible to bring the Vegan message forward?
27. How do we unify all spiritual/religious beliefs?
28. How do we involve Meditation with Veganism?
29. How do we educate mindfulness to Vegans and Veganism to mindfulness practitioners?
30. How can we teach congregations and mainstream religions (synagogues and churches) to embrace Veganism?
31. How do we make people want to care about this?
32. How to bring more spiritual teachers?

NEW MODEL

Ecological New Model Questions:

1. How do we rehabilitate areas poisoned by toxic factory farms?
2. How do we initiate the healing and balancing of the biomass crisis through Veganic Permaculture world wide?
3. How do we acquire forest and ranch lands to heal and preserve to sequester the carbon we need to save life from extinction?
4. What is the maximum sustainable human population and what is the optimum human population in a Vegan world?
5. How do we transition the organic market to Veganic in order to have sustainable and healthy produce without compromising ethics?
6. How do we deal with/dismantle our current cities/structures and redesign how we live, interact and travel?
7. How do we rehabilitate inner cities and suburban sprawl so that these spaces support life and community?
8. How can we limit population growth without coercion?
9. How do we deal with invasive species who are making regeneration hard?
10. How do we stop using rainforest destroying Palm Oil?
11. How do we change the idea of property and ownership?
12. How do we deal with overpopulation of wildlife such as deer?
13. How do we transform city planning to protect wildlife, forest, animals?
14. How can we create wildlife corridors connecting countries and continents?
15. How can farmers make more money not raising and killing animals?
16. How do we plan to restore deforested land in countries like Brazil where cattle farms used to be?
17. Should we establish a policy of “half Earth” for wilderness (not humans, not agriculture, not domesticated animals)?
18. How can we stop people from drinking cow’s milk?
19. How much Veganic agriculture can/should the Earth support?
20. How do we ensure people are Vegan?

Economic New Model Questions:

1. What do businesses and current corporations look like in the new system and do they continue to exist? What incentives do people and businesses have to join the new system? How do we convince people to give up their power and wealth?
2. How do we enable a distributed land trusteeship system?
3. How do we develop a world so no one is living in poverty and are equal?
4. How do we end income inequality?
5. What new economic metrics do we use to measure ecological disparity/prosperity?
6. How do we decide the worth of people’s work?
7. How do we team up with chef schools, restaurant associations and former cooperatives to create a new paradigm?
8. How do we over grow the government and create abundance for ALL LIFE?
9. Should we establish a basic income for all citizens?
10. How do we create a love based currency that never deflates?
11. How can we value emotional, mental and spiritual health?
12. Are there limits to economic growth in a Vegan World? If so, what are they?
13. How can we support activists financially?
14. How do we make sure everyone has enough?
15. How do we team up with local restaurants and transition to an entirely Vegan menu?
16. How can everyone have a safe, sound and sanitary home?
17. Is it time to invest in a new monetary system?
18. How can we effectively educate on the true cost of animal agriculture?
19. How do we create community programs that use local resources, providing excess to surrounding states and reduce carbon footprints?
20. How do we share intellectual property across the globe?
21. How do we all use the new money system?
22. How do we establish fair pricing for animal products?

Political New Model Questions:

1. How do we shift from governing separate countries to governing each ecosystem factor?
2. What would a decentralized government and currency look like?
3. How do we insure the interests of assorted marginalized populations are addressed effectively?
4. How do we overturn Citizens United so that we can get money out of politics?
5. How do we create politics based on Vegan compassion, animal rights and environmental stability?
6. How do we remove someone from office who is not looking out for the collective well being?
7. How do we govern ourselves/community without egos?
8. Can we create a political system that is not based on hierarchies and is equal in ranks?
9. How would an environmentally responsible country interact with other countries which are not environmentally responsible or less so?
10. Aside from voting and living a vegan lifestyle, what actions can we take that will have the most impact?
11. What kind of structures will insure inclusion, equality and justice for those who don’t fully embrace veganism?
12. How do we avoid substituting the oppression of animals with the oppression of those who don’t identify as Vegan?
13. How do we reclaim our right as sovereign citizens under local community/state rule?
14. Will we still vote in regular elections?
15. How can we protect our rights with our government?
16. How will things get done? Are there certain rules?
17. How can we show the true cost to taxpayers and how oppression parallels that of nonhuman animals?
18. How do we make our new system impervious to selfishness and greed?
19. How do we govern ourselves without political boundaries?

Social New Model Questions:

1. How do we create a system in which everyone is thriving?
2. How do we create an environment of racial equality and mutual respect?
3. Do we have prisons in a Vegan World or have they been transformed?
4. How do we get people to become more self-reliant and do more for themselves in terms of establishing personal and communal food systems, cutting out corporate/government middle men, and establishing their own relationship with the Earth?
5. How do we transition to a culture of normalized nonviolence?
6. How do we deal with animals eating crops and gardens?
7. How do we relate with those who are violent (mental health issues)?
8. How do we create equality so that there is no dominant race?
9. How do we transform billions of acres into food forests, rewilded lands, Veganic agriculture and sanctuaries of all kinds?
10. How do we transform the Vegan community to EcoVegans caring for the environment as well as the animals?
11. How do we create communities of racial, ethical, religious acceptance and belonging?
12. How do we get everyone to be treated equally?
13. How do we avoid recreating discrimination and classism, this time based on how Vegan someone is?
14. How can we sustain a supportive Vegan community without internal conflict?
15. How do we get people to work as a team and take on equitable work?
16. How do we create self-organizing teams who follow through on their commitments?
17. How do we handle a situation with an animal being violent toward humans?
18. How do we instill self-esteem in our young to counter years of programming of violence?
19. How do we get animal rights activists to become holistic vegans for health, environment, ethics, mindfulness, zero waste, etc.?
20. How do we end the male machismo and make it socially acceptable for men to be compassionate and nonviolent?
21. What are we going to do to get all the millions of meat restaurant owners to become Vegan?
22. How do we all live apart from the current normalized violent society?
23. How do we establish social and economic equality? How much equality?
24. How do we clean up the landfills and toxicity?
25. How do we help people and animals to heal from the trauma of the past?
26. How do we redesign our education, healthcare and other key systems?

Spiritual New Model Questions:

1. How do we establish centers and schools where people can seek knowledge and consciousness pertaining to healing, cleansing and reconnecting our lives to living in harmony with Nature and becoming the true stewards of the Earth that humans are meant to be?
2. How can we heal negative judgements about religion so that we can preserve their rich traditions and heartfelt experiences of connection and praise, while simultaneously aligning religions, practice, teachings and expressions with the spiritual principle of the Oneness of all Life?
3. How do we help people and animals heal from the trauma of the past?
4. How do we create spiritual centers that are united by Vegan compassion?
5. Will religion become obsolete or will there be a new type of institution that teaches and promotes positive ethics and values without systematic oppression, racism, sexism, homophobia, speciesism, etc.?
6. How do we unite as one spiritual body?
7. How can we effectively transition many religious institutions to focus on an environment of stewardship for the planet in the present in order to move away from lack of accountability and detachment, with the only real concern for a “greater afterlife”?
8. How do we remove religion from government?
9. How can we address and abolish homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia and speciesism within religious and spiritual communities?
10. How do we redefine spirituality and separate it from religion so that it is accessible to all?
11. Is Love the Religion?
12. “All life is sacred”. Can we accept this as a culture?
13. Should we forgive the intransigents?
14. How do we ensure respect for religious differences?
15. How do we transform the concept of dominion?

We have formed 13 study groups and a systematic process for addressing these questions so that we can make America and humanity truly great again!

Namaste,
Sailesh.