"For me, going vegan was an ethical and environmental decision. I'm doing the right thing by the animals"

Alexandra Paul frames veganism as an act of personal integrity, beginning with the phrase “for me.” That qualifier matters. It signals a deliberate choice rooted in self-reflection rather than a performative stance or a passing trend. It also acknowledges the terrain of moral pluralism, where people weigh values differently, while affirming her own responsibility to act in accordance with what she believes is right.

Calling the decision both ethical and environmental situates eating within a broader moral landscape. Food becomes more than fuel; it becomes a daily ballot cast for a certain kind of world. The ethical dimension centers on the recognition of animals as sentient beings worthy of moral consideration. “Doing the right thing by the animals” expresses a duty to avoid complicity in practices that inflict suffering. It conveys more than sympathy; it’s an assertion of obligation, a shift from seeing nonhuman life as a resource to seeing it as part of our moral community.

The environmental justification widens the lens. Animal agriculture is tied to deforestation, high water use, biodiversity loss, and significant greenhouse gas emissions. Choosing a plant-based diet becomes a practical intervention, aligning private consumption with public ecological goals. It’s a stance that binds personal habits to planetary outcomes, transforming an intimate act, eating, into climate action.

There’s also a theme of coherence. By selecting foods that reflect her values, Paul reduces the gap between belief and behavior, the dissonance that can arise when compassion collides with convenience. The assertion of “doing the right thing” articulates moral clarity without insisting on universal agreement. It leaves room for incrementalism and learning while still staking a principled claim.

Ultimately, the statement merges empathy with stewardship. It is a portrait of ethics lived at the dinner table, of environmentalism grounded in routine choices, and of a moral circle expanded to include those who cannot speak for themselves.