What’s Mike Posner’s Secret to Being So Energetic and Happy?
Earth Day (Saturday, April 22) is a time to celebrate our planet and all the amazing things it provides us. And no one celebrates better than musician Mike Posner. You might know him for his award-winning music or because he climbed Mount Everest and walked all the way across the U.S., or maybe you’ve caught a video of him on social media running for miles and miles powered by sprouts. When we met him, we realized he lives up to his reputation. He has energy for days, and animals and the Earth are key beneficiaries of his compassionate lifestyle.
For Mike, sprouts aren’t just a delicious source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are essential for our health, they also represent a magnificent opportunity to grow and eat our own food. Sprouts are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the extraordinary bounty that the Earth offers us. From grains and fruits to vegetables and herbs, all the food we need to stay healthy and strong grows out of the ground.
“The really empowering thing about sprouts is the ability to grow my own food. This really changed my relationship to my food and my diet. I’m just eating foods that are alive healthy.”
—Mike Posner
The choices we make about our food have a real impact on the planet and the other animals we share it with. The violent meat industry kills billions of animals every year. And before their throats are slit, they suffer from severe crowding, confinement, and mutilation, in addition to the separation of mothers and their babies—all practices designed to maximize profit at the expense of animal welfare.
Today, nearly all the animals raised for food in the U.S. spend their lives on factory farms, including those labeled “organic,” “grass-fed,” “free-range,” or “cage-free.” The sensitive beaks of chickens are seared off with a hot blade, and male cows and pigs are castrated without painkillers. These animals feel pain and fear, just as the dogs and cats who share our homes do. Cows mourn the deaths of and even separation from those they love, sometimes shedding tears over their loss. The mother/calf bond is particularly strong, and there are countless reports of mother cows who’ve continued to call and search frantically for their babies after the calves have been taken away and sold to veal or beef farms.
Plus, raising animals for food is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions. A report from the United Nations concluded that a global shift toward vegan eating is vital if we’re to combat the worst effects of climate change.
Power Yourself With Sprouts
This Earth Day, take a cue from Mike and embrace the power of sprouts and other veggies, the tremendous gifts of the Earth. Eating vegan is one of the easiest and most effective things we can do to help the environment, and it allows you to spare nearly 200 animals each year a life of suffering and a horrible death. If you’re ready to go vegan, now is the best time to begin!
