Ed Winters Is A Vegan Propagandist

Today we wade neck-deep into the waters of veganism—an admittedly emotive, often divisive topic for many.

Fear not however, as these waters are warm, thanks to my esteemed guest Ed Winters, a vegan advocate and animal rights activist globally known as Earthling Ed on the internet.

Ed is an educator, public speaker, author, and content creator with a large cult following on YouTube who’s lectured at many universities and corporations—including Cambridge, Harvard, Google, Facebook, and The Economist—and has appeared across a multitude of mainstream media outlets, including the BBC.

In addition, Ed is the co-founder and co-director of Surge, a non-profit animal sanctuary in the rural Midlands of England. In 2018 he opened Unity Diner, a 100% vegan restaurant and cocktail bar in London that donates all of its profits to animal causes, along with No Catch Co., a growing plant-based fish and chips restaurant and soon-to-be chain.

The occasion for today’s conversation is Ed’s new book, This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You), a tremendous breakdown on veganism from all vantage points for both skeptics and the converted.

Beyond Ed’s incredibly poised and cerebral disposition, it’s his calm demeanor and unflappable equanimity in debate that impresses me most. Although just 27 years old, he is truly one of the most compelling and powerful voices in the vegan movement, and I’m delighted to share this wide-ranging conversation on all things vegan, including:

• the moral philosophy that underpins veganism;
• Ed’s rebuttal to many of the common arguments against veganism;
• the many ways in which cultural forces drive cognitive dissonance around our food and consumer choices;
• the ethical, environmental implications of those decisions;
• how to be an effective advocate and activist;
• and many other fascinating topics.

The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you find yourself vegan-curious but haven’t yet found the will to commit, I suspect Ed just might be the catalyst you’ve been waiting for. We cover a lot today but there’s so much more to learn—so if you find yourself eager to continue your investigation I encourage you to pick up Ed’s new book This is Vegan Propaganda, available for pre-order now and hitting US bookstores on June 15th.

To close things out, on the back cover of said book you’ll find a quote by yours truly:

“When it comes to the vegan movement, Ed Winters is a truly unrivaled, once-in-generation voice, a modern-day Peter Singer and the advocate for our moment.”

Our conversation today has solidified this statement. I learned a ton from Ed, and I am positive you will too.

Peace + Plants,