Episode 47: Akashinga - Plant-Based: Half-Earth

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we welcome back Damien Mander, environmentalist and founder of Akashinga, the first all-women, anti-poaching organization formerly known as the International Anti-Poaching Foundation.  We also welcome Nyaradzo Hoto, a Biodiversity Officer of Akashinga who focuses on research and data analysis collected by the Akashinga rangers.   The Akashinga rangers are not only working to protect precious wildlife from poachers, but they are also supporting countless other animal lives through their completely plant-based diet.We’ll discuss the uniqueness of Akashinga’s plant-based diet and how this also parallels helping to save the Earth as American biologist E.O. Wilson proposed in his book, Half-Earth.  Damien and Nyaradzo will share with us how eating a plant-based diet supports our health, the countless lives of animals that are not only part of animal agriculture but the wildlife and the health and stability of our home planet Earth.  Damien has been featured in the documentary Game Changers abouteating a plant-based diet and TedX, BBC, and National Geographic.Both Damien and Nyaradzo are two exemplary individuals who embody the spirit of a game-changer.I wanted to include in the show notes three quotes from the podcast that provide insight into how our collective actions affect the planet and all life on Earth:“I already know I’m not responsible for the death of animals.  I’m not carrying that weight on my shoulders, on my conscience and that is a powerful thing to be rid of.” Damien Mander on eating a plant-based diet.“For us as humans, we are in a unique position.  For the first time in history we are the only species that has the power to determine what level of suffering is acceptable for all other species on the planet.  But in having that power as well, we’ve been trying to play God in a negative way.  We’ve been trying to control everything without realizing what we’re doing to our own species.  If we really don’t start to respect the planet, or treating it like a bloody garbage dump, it’s gonna chew us up and spit us out.”  Damien Mander“We don’t need much space to grow vegetables.  As we grow vegetables, we are also supporting the climate exchange.  Like taking exchange for fighting for the climate change, because the more we grow plants in the environment, the more we are fighting on the climate change.” Nyaradzo Hoto, on how eating plant-based supports the planetWebsite: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange