Jonathan Safran Foer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Jonathan Safran Foer was recently the guest star on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. This was his second appearance on Ellen's show. Ellen, FYI, is a committed animal rights supporter and vegan. I love Safran Foer's approach and share pretty damn close to 100 percent of his views on the issues of animal rights and veganism. Please have a look at this video. This guy is brilliant. In November 2009, Safran Foer appeared on Ellen's show for the first time and he was equally wonderful. I'm including it here, too (below).

Safran Foer's book Eating Animals is having a huge impact. The book is an astonishing Number 38 on Amazon.com's sales ranking. It's a fantastic book and I believe it should be mandatory reading in every school across North America.

Dreena Burton, one of the best vegan chefs out there and the self-proclaimed "Vegan Soccer Mom," points out, "Five years ago the diet was not being discussed in the mainstream media." Now, by contrast, we're hearing about it fairly often. As Burton notes:

The vegan population is estimated at only about 0.5%, or 1 million people. The number of lacto-ovo vegetarians is higher at about 10%. So, for now, I’m not expecting to see the shopper next to me eschew their cheddar, eggs, chicken breasts, and frozen yogurt for quinoa, veggie dogs, kale, and rice ice cream. No, I’m not that naive. But, I am optimistic enough to assume that there will be more acceptance of a plant-based diet as healthy, rather than unwise or dangerous. I also expect to see more people opting for a meat-free meal a couple of times a week. And, in another few years, perhaps we’ll see those vegan population statistics rise… and even more significantly in five to ten years.

I do think a dietary revolution is underway. We are beginning to examine our food choices and food sources. What is healthy? What is sustainable? And, what is compassionate? A plant-based diet can answer all those questions.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Our numbers are growing. There are ample reasons to be encouraged, but there is also much work to be done.

PostScript on Safran Foer: He is a brilliant writer and thinker. I am about to go on Amazon order his book Everything is Illuminated, a critically acclaimed novel about the Holocaust based on his own family history. This terrific guy deserves our support.