Emily Deschanel’s All About Animals and the Environment
As a huge fan of Bones, I was giddy to learn that Emily Deschanel is an environmentalist who puts her money where her mouth is—literally—by eating a vegan diet.
We couldn’t think of a better person to feature smack-dab in the middle of “Meat’s Not Green” Week than Emily and, luckily, she was able to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.
Here Emily is in her own words:
Do you have any animal companions? I don’t have any animal companions right now. My amazing dog Snookie passed away a year ago. She was 17 years old. I miss her. She was super sweet and smart. I’m not ready for another animal in my life right now, especially because I wouldn’t have the time to take proper care of them (we work 16- to 17-hour days). I look forward to the day I can bring another animal into my home. They enrich our lives so much! Of course, I would adopt!
What made you decide to go vegan? In high school, a teacher screened the documentary “Diet for a New America” based on the book of the same name. It exposes the dirty business of factory farms: the cruelty that the animals experience, the dangers of a meat-based diet to your health, and the devastating environmental impact. I decided to go vegetarian on the spot with the intention to go completely vegan when I was ready. It took me two years. I’ve never looked back.
What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods? I love anything Dave Anderson makes at Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles, and I love the food at Candle 79 in New York City. I’m obsessed with cookies from Sun Flour Bakery.
I don’t really cook for myself right now since my schedule is insane. I look forward to the day I can pick up my Veganomicon cookbook and go to town!! I also indulge in raw chocolate on a daily basis.
If you could make people wake up to one issue involving animals or one particular form of cruelty to animals, what would it be and what would you wish for? In my experience, the issue that is avoided the most is [raising] animals for food, specifically factory farms. Nothing makes me more upset than when someone says they don’t want to know about the horrors going on. Ten billion animals every year in North America have to live and die in horrible ways; the least we can do is hear about it. I have hope, though. More and more people are going veg and vegan. Look at the popularity of Skinny Bitch and PETA as an organization and how they have changed people’s minds about animals and food. It is so much better than it was almost 16 years ago when I made the switch to being vegan.
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Looking for a little more Deschanel? Check out her vegetarian testimonial and then click here to learn more about meat’s impact on the environment.
Written by Shawna Flavell
