The Banality of Evil is a phrase coined by Hannah Arendt, one of the most influential political philosophers and historians of the 20th century. Arendt argues that Adolf Eichmann, a key figure in the Nazi Party and participant in enabling the Holocaust, was not psychotic or particularly anti-semitic in his personal beliefs.If the empirical claim that many meat eaters know that animal agriculture is unethical but fail to become vegan due to weak appeals to culture, comfort and convenience, those who eat meat should be seen through the same lens as those who participated in the Holocaust without any particular ideological motivation.

"Who is sustainability for?" is a great question, but I am consistently disappointed with the answers from academics and activists alike. Environmental, ethical consideration has already been extended to individuals without regard for geography, sex, race and age and should now be extended to all sentient beings regardless of species.

Agriculture can be a powerful force for good. It alleviates hunger, provides jobs and allows for productive, healthy individuals and societies. Despite the positives it brings, agriculture also undeniably negatively affects the planet. The challenge is to reduce this impact to the minimum possible whilst meeting nutritional demands sustainably and equitably.

Climate change exists and is being accelerated by human activities. To deny this is to create and enable a system where politics creates reality rather than a system where politics is guided by reality. A lack of care towards the biosphere upon which all socio-economic systems inherently rely is already shaping policy.

The legal end goal of veganism is to make illegal practices which unnecessarily harm, exploit and kill sentient, non-human animals. Where vegan alternatives are available, this is almost always an ‘opt-in’ system. By switching the standard option to vegan meals, the standard benefits animal liberation, health, the environment, costs and inclusivity.

The belief in animal liberation is the lowest common denominator that all vegans share. Yet rather than coming together to advance the political objective of animal liberation, vegans spend far too much time arguing about philosophical nuances which are irrelevant to the cause. Vegans must argue for veganism itself, rather than for veganism backed by a particular normative or meta-ethical theory.