Elizabeth and Buda

Elizabeth Collins inadvertently witnessed two slaughter videos in 2007 while watching television (MNN).  Although she was not eating flesh nor drinking milk, she had not yet understood the breadth of animal commodification. She had also decided to avoid leather, and searching for vegetarian shoes led her to animal websites, including a link to Earthlings.  While it took her awhile to build up her courage to actually watch the film, she quickly bought it.  She was sobbing just from watching the trailers for the film, and in conjunction with the slaughter films, she knew it would be horrific.  To gather information, along with her courage, she went on the forums for the film, and started hearing more and more about veganism.   She felt compelled to watch the film, although there was a corresponding dread to doing so, something most sensitive people may well understand.  In the interim between the purchasing and the viewing of the film, she began buying “free range” eggs, thinking it would eliminate suffering.  Her education was about to begin.

One night, she finally got her courage up and watched the entire film.  Again, she went back to the forums, because the experience of watching the film was so devastating.  The vegan advocacy on the Earthlings forum helped her to take her first step towards becoming vegan.  After learning as quickly as she could about animals and their suffering, she decided she needed to dedicate herself to non-violent vegan education, which led then her to podcasting.  Being alone in her struggle to understand the enormity of what was being done to animals and how she could change the current status quo, she realized there was a need for education and support for others who were learning the same things.  Living in New Zealand, she became aware of the lack of vegan education there, and NZ Vegan Podcasts began.