Two vegans, one an old-timer (Norman) and another newer to the scene (Jeannine), exchange banter on all things vegan, from products to events to controversial topics to the shelf life of rutabaga fondue. 

J: What would you stock up on if you couldn’t leave your home for weeks?

N: Remember those cookies I made for the Vegan swap? They’re indestructible and can last forever with no preservatives.

J: What’s in them?

N: Oats, flour, sunflower seeds, coconut blossom syrup and hemp seed oil. What would you stock up on?

J: Bananas; I’d freeze them, along with other fruit. And can’t forget about beans and rice.

N: What if you didn’t have electricity?

J: I guess your basic peanut butter and jelly then. 

N: Speaking of world crises, maybe surviving corona virus is good training for surviving climate change.

J: I’d say so. As the planet warms and the ice thaws, scientists warn that we could see a re-emergence of viruses, which have lain dormant in glaciers for thousands of years. These viruses could “wake up.”

N: Does that make climate change scarier?

J: Certainly. I think it’s a reason for people to wake up and face this reality. The world as a whole needs to make drastic changes. Waking viruses is on a long list of things to watch out for in the future. 

N: So global warming can bring us increased viruses, decreases in agricultural production, more pests. The future sounds bright and rosy! What’s a poor vegan to do?

J: Spread the message of veganism and encourage others to jump on board to save themselves from the fiery depths of hell.

N: I just read Chinese state-backed food companies are seeking animal-free protein sources. They’re interested in Just Egg and Impossible Foods. They already had protein shortages due to swine flu and African swine fever and Avian flu. If a lot of Chinese switch to eating Just Egg and Beyond Meat, that’s a lot more mung beans and peas being planted, which I think is good for the climate. Both of them “fix” nitrogen, meaning that they convert nitrogen from the air to make it available for the plant.