EarthSave International is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on the virtues of a plant based diet. The group's motto is "Healthy People, Healthy Planet." The group is much less, um, emphatic than groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in their advocacy of vegetarianism. According to their website, "EarthSave promotes food choices that are healthy for people and the planet. We educate, inspire and empower people to shift toward a plant-based diet and to take compassionate action for all life on Earth."
The group was founded in 1988 by John Robbins, of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream Robbinses, after the publication of his book, Diet for a New America. He is still active with the organization, holding the title of Chairman Emeritus. The current president is Howard Lyman LL.D., formerly a fourth generation cattle rancher and co-defendant with Oprah Winfrey in the Texas cattle ranchers' lawsuit."
Some of the group's educational programs include the following:
- Healthy Beginnings, a series of short classes for people wanting to move towards a more plant based diet. You learn how to cook, how to shop, how to order at restaurants, and how to deal with inquisitive omnivores.
- VegPledge, a 60 day commitment you make to yourself to integrate more plants into your diet. You get a starter kit to help you get going and a discounted t-shirt when you finish.
- In Louisville, we have a fair called "Taste of Health." Local grocers and restaurants feature their vegetarian food and experts hold seminars on a variety of subjects from herbalism to homeopathy to heart disease.
Information gathered from my own experiences as a member of this organization as well as EarthSave Louisville's and EarthSave International's websites (louisville.earthsave.org and earthsave.org, respectively.)