nico is an activist and a scholar. They completed their M.A. in Animal Studies from New York University, and has led grassroots animal rights and environmental protection campaigns in Colombia, Colorado, New York, and California. Their work focuses on addressing Big Meat’s devastating harms with the urgency they demand, and is currently working working on a book, “Ban Meat? A Not-So-Radical Policy Proposal.”
The past year nico has worked on Animal Law and Policy with Harvard Law School, Richman Law & Policy, the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, and Compassionate Bay. During this time, they have published articles and chapters with the Journal for Critical Animals Studies, Routledge [forthcoming], Lantern Publishing [forthcoming], and Sentient Media.
unfortunately, i think shockingly few people are willing to make significant personal “sacrifices” for ethical reasons (i put “sacrifice” in quotations because i don’t see being vegan as a sacrifice—the important thing, however, is that others still do...).
i think there are a lot of reasons that hold people back from “going” vegan… the [perceived] hassle, social cost, free-rider effect, associated identity change, etc.
i think the solution is winning systemic change, i.e., policies that change the entire decision-making environment. e.g., as i argue in my forthcoming book (shameless plug), if the sale of meat was banned, all of society would go vegetarian by default (and the collective transition would make it easier for everyone). this systemic change reduces (or eliminates) the hassle, social cost, fear of free riders undermining us, and the need to change identity that often comes with going vegan.
the key, in my mind, is creating the social conditions that will allow for far-reaching systemic changes to become viable, and i view the Pledge as one action (among others) that individuals can take to help.