Meat eater armed with an ARSENAL of anti-vegan arguments during campus debate 

It’s so interesting how, without necessarily realising, people have internalised a whole host of arguments against veganism without ever taking the time to actually substantiate them. Veganism is one of those issues which everyone has a set of beliefs around, yet so few people actually scrutinise their arguments or think about them deeply. Do you think Geoff will make changes? Support my university campus tours here (thank you!): earthlinged.org/support & patreon.com/earthlinged

99% of vegan debates is just convincing people to act on things they already believe! So awesome to see this guy connect the dots!

I will never understand how plants have feelings but fish don’t Edit: come on y’all ur smarter than this.. When we get injured, our pain receptors release neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters then transmit a signal to the thalamus (part of the brain). The thalamus then sends that signal to other areas of the brain to be processed. Once the brain has received and interpreted this signal, the brain sends a “personalized pain signal” (simplest way to describe it) back to the nerves-It is *only now* that you will feel pain. *You’re brain is what creates the sensation of pain.* Everything else simply gives your brain information so that your brain can decide when, where, and how intense you should feel the pain. Saying plants can feel pain is like saying plants can have kidney stones. You need a brain to feel pain, and you need kidneys to have kidney stones. Not to mention that they also need to be sentient in order to *experience* pain. There is absolutely no reason to believe plants are any more sentient than my skin is. And honestly sentience is what really matters, the ability to feel pain is just an added reason why hurting animals is double fxcked up.

This guy is definitely someone who would go vegan but unfortunately, I think his fear of not fitting in with friends and family will prevent him from not going vegan...this is the conundrum for many, many potential vegans.

"The only argument there is against veganism, is that you just don't give a sh**"

"Does a pig have to be killed for us to come together?" Exactly! Ridiculous to kill to be social.

Ed your candor and empathy is amazing. I dabbled in veganism for a while until I found your videos. After listening to the way you explain the argument for veganism, I felt so empowered to make the change completely. 2+ years now and haven't looked back. Thank you for all you do!

I wish I could debate like Ed. With his calm demeanour gently guiding the meat eater down the rabbit hole. The vegan community are so grateful for having an advocate like him.

The "plants have feelings" one is always so hilarious.

After being vegan for 3 years I just don’t understand why people keep using the wild animal comparison as an excuse. We aren’t wild!

Ed, I honestly think you are one of the best debaters on youtube: I feel like your audience would greatly benefit from a YT video on how to approach these conversations. Too often, people lose arguments / support because of their approach to conversations rather than their actual points. Cheers

Ed is a living hero, just his patience and empathy alone is legendary. I really believe if he keeps going he will be remembered in the history books for a being a special human being who changed the world

Jeff was thoughtful and honest, and I wish him success in finding out how great plant-based options are. Jeff may read these comments so to anyone who posts, let’s be encouraging and show some vegan💚

Earthling Ed is the best vegan activist IMO. His calm demeanor and effective communication skills make him above and beyond anyone else at effectively communicating the philosophy. I would like to see him explore the foundation principles of the moral argument for veganism more though. Defining those principles will help him connect with others from different walks of life better who hold those same foundational principles in other aspects of their life.

I think this guy was respectful and listen really well

He expresses himself well. I hope the seed has been planted and will grow. It was a very fluid chat, and Ed as usual, uses positive wording throughout. Brilliant

I always wonder if any of these people have any idea of what they are getting into when they sit down to talk with Ed. Like, do they expect an easy, heated debate that they are going to win? I'm guessing most don't expect to be listened to and spoken to with such calm and kindness. Also, I wish he would announce when he's going to be in Phoenix! I'd love to meet him

I have absolutely no idea how you stay so calm and collected having listened to the same arguments over and over again, it’s a real testament to your character.

What a great conversation. A great exchange in ideas. Ed is amazing and I appreciate how he helps people connect the dots. Please keep spreading the word. I'm on board!❤👍

I love how non-judgemental and civil you approach debates. You are able to make people question their own actions/morals without making them feel like you're judging them. That approach has undoubtedly helped you convince people who other activists could not.

ED is a real professor at debating.

We're gonna need a bigger bingo board

Ahhh yes the appeal to nature fallacy to begin with. This is going to be a good one 😁

I've already watched hundreds of your interviews, and I have already had thousands of discussions on the topic, and yet, I will never grow tired of watching you so cleverly discuss with meat-eaters. Thank you for educating the world!

The kid seems very knowledgeable about the animal agriculture industry. Great conversation. Hope he makes the switch.

I think Geoff seemed like a very intelligent and nice guy. Much more educated than I was before going vegan in certain questions raised here. He had some arguments that needed to be debated. But he listened to Eds counter arguments and seemed to take what Ed said seriously. We shouldn’t call his arguments ”dumb” as I see some people write here. Remember like 95% of all not-yet-pro-vegans come equipped with similar arguments. It’s not because they’re dumb, it’s because they are taught to believe these things since childhood as well as through constant indoctrination campaigns from the animal-industry. Before having the great fortune of stumbeling upon a legend like Ed who challenges your unquestioned beliefs and can help you connect the dots, how is a non-vegan supposed to find the right way? It needs to be prompted. It won’t happen automatically. Please, let’s all help keep the vegan community nice and welcoming, so that people will feel compelled to join and be willing to associate themselves with being ”vegan”. This is the way 🤓😊🖖😎🚀

Nice job Ed. Thank you for raising awareness

March 2020, fell on games changers, what the health and then on earthling Ed asking if taste is more important than life... It clicked.. vegan overnight! ❤

Let's remember that the hook for this kid was the images he had seen of factory farms. If people just open their eyes and look, they can make a start; they just have to realize there is no meat, dairy, egg, or fish consumption without cruelty and suffering-- there is no kind way of engaging in animal agriculture, and there is no humane way to kill someone. When they see a factory farm, they are looking at their consumer dollars at work.

Hi I went to the weatherspoons in Huyton and I seen ur RU-vid written on the toilet door so I subscribed 😁🥰

Ed brings it, yet again! 🥰

He was already halfway there. Knew a lot of facts. Hates factory farming. ❤

The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham

Ooooh vegan bingo! Hang on, I’ll go get me card.

Ed, thank you for everything you do. You're a continuing source of inspiration for so many, and you're catalyzing real change for the benefit of all animals.

Yess!!!! Love the way Ed approaches activism! Some just have it within them to do it. (I'm not the best activist in this type of situation, I might hit someone over the head with a book or something😆, so I can really REALLY appreciate those within our community who do activism like this)

excellent conversation. very thought provoking. many thanks.

This was brilliant!!!! Informative and also fun at times ;)

Great job, Ed! Thanks so much for leading the charge!

Props to this guy. Ed just totally dismantled this guy's whole worldview and you can see him struggle with saying "my morals align with being vegan"

Masterful. Well done.

It’s always the same arguments. Things they’ve heard their friends say that they memorise because they think it’s a zinger.

The transition to a vegan world probably will be gradual…that said, as vegans, we want that transition to happen as quickly as possible …so let’s say Earthling Ed and other prominent vegans are on tv every day and the transition happens over months instead of years…sure, there will be a question of what do we do with all the animals in slaughterhouses…but I rather us be having that conversation then letting animals get slaughtered by the billions every year

I wonder how many of these interviews per day you can make. I admire your patience, especially because, if anyone would watch 3 of your videos, all the questions will be answered. It's the same topic over and over again. Have you ever heard an argument or a question that actually surprised you?

You are such a great speaker, i wish i would have your way of debating

I love how Ed lets them say their lazy shit, and then smashes them with common sense.

To be fair...Dori (Finding Nemo) had memory issues 🤷🏽‍♀ In all seriousness, thank you Ed for your work. When I can't seem to move the needle with the folks around me, I lean on you and see that it is important to keep trying...for the animals.

Great conversation Jeff and Ed

Most plant consumption doesn’t kill plants. Fruits, nuts, and seeds are a symbiotic relationship between plants and animals… and grains and beans are seasonal plants that complete their natural life cycles before being harvested and resowed.

YOU DID IT ED, YOU CHANGED HIM BY PLANTING A SEED. LETS GOOOO

As I got towards the end of this discussion I suddenly realised what a total BEAST Ed is! Incredible debating and education skills. So inspiring...

It’s so nice to see this. I had my first conversation yesterday where it felt like the opposing side was truly understanding vegan logic. Props to you my friend, keep up the good work🙌🏽🌞🌿🧚🏽‍♂️

Potential future vegan… this guy is switched on and honest enough to understand the negative impacts

For the life of me, I don't know WHY these people sit down with Ed. They're doomed from square one!

Nice, always so happy to see an honest convo with someone chill like him, it’s seems like he just needs time to think it trough 😊 …although tbh i almost get disappointed when the opponent doesn’t turn out to be some crazy sounding anti-vegan, they are so entertaining lol

I love you, Ed! Thank you for the work you do!!!

Why would humans 'starve to death' if everyone didn't eat meat? Is Ed dead then? Some people just don't think before they speak.

“But at the same time… [completely contradictory argument to what he just conceded]”

He proved all of the points to be vegan while trying to argue against it. Christmas ham? Come on.

Even though he had the typical corpse eating programming, he managed to almost instantly make the connections in his mind about the inconsistencies of that programming. He seems like a curious, open-minded guy. Love to see it.

it's pathetic how people will agree that animals shouldn't be killed but don't care enough to actually change their diet and make an impact

That went very well! I ended up liking the guy more than I thought I would. He seemed open to adjusting his views as he gained more info and he seems to agree with the moral arguments for veganism. I believe he’ll make changes accordingly, either soon or eventually.

Ed has the glasses on because he's so badass!

I have a super random question, but I feel like it's something that anyone transitioning to veganism or even vegetarianism will come up against, and since it's so ethical I wonder what Ed's response would be. Say I have cans of tuna or some type of preserved meat when I've finally made the decision to become vegan. Is it more ethical to go ahead and finish them, or is it more ethical to go ahead and decide "no, I've made the decision to go completely vegan" and then throw them out knowing you will never eat another animal?

Im thankful for this video. My mom hits me with the plant suffering fairly often

This kid is on the right track! More positive conversations like this one are the key!!

I'm sure lynchings brought the community together too.

You nailed it Ed! 💪🏼

Farming did occur in nature outside of humans. Ants have been farming aphids, and fungi. The honeypot ant farms their females. They invented agriculture long before humans arrived on this planet. Ants are bad ass.

I love all these debates/conversations. Ed, you are definitely the best at it. I hope we can see your eyes in the next one. That would probably be better for the person sitting in front of you also. Easier to connect that way x

Jeff seems so open-minded and I'm so happy he's looking to make some changes ❤

That was one of the most beautiful, small epiphanies that I have seen. You were stunningly persuasive, Ed, in your crystal clear, patient and respectful manner. At first the kid made me groan with his non-sequiturs and unwitting listing of all the ol' "anti-vegan arguments." But as the discussion progressed, I grew to respect this kid and felt a warm place in my heart for him. It was an awakening before my eyes. Thanks for everything, Ed. I never stop learning from you.

I'm 34, turning 35 next month. I'm just shaking my head at the guy because when I was going veg back in the mid '00s, what he was saying to justify meat-eating is what most of my classmates and family and co-workers would say- and that was just from me *mentioning that I'm going veg, not that they all ought to be going veg. I'm shaking my head as well b/c this guy was probably born around the time that I began (when I was 14/15). So, it's very telling how *slow it takes for humanity to merely be both aware of vegan-ism/vegetarianism as an *option, and that you can be someone who also can be committed to it for a very long time and still live your life healthily, not being a vegan-zealot. Just these 2 have yet to take shape into most people's minds whenever they're confronted with "vegans".

Splendid work as always, Ed!

Fish: guy has never watch much RU-vid on people interacting in a friendly way with friendly fish?

It's funny how "smart" this Guy is in arguments FOR veganism but so bad with arguments against it. C'mon Boy make the connection in your brain and heart and go for it

Plants have feeling therefore I feed them to Animals and eat the Animals so I do no harm to all these Plants Vegans eat🤔

Bro was stunned in his seat

What a great conversation! It's so fun seeing when people begin to connect the dots.

This was pure perfection Ed. Unwrapped his arguments with elegance and ease, and then course-corrected his thoughts at the end.

A model of civil discussion about a contentious topic. My guess would be that because of Ed's polite, logical tone and the absence of confrontation or any other negative dynamic, Geoff will walk away at least starting to think more critically about the sources of his own beliefs and the weakness of his justifcations. To me, that's a start and a win.

Fantastic interview Ed 🎉

Ed, the reason animals don’t have moral agency is not because they’re less intelligent than humans (which is highly debatable) but because they’re incapable of committing evil - unlike humans.

Thank you Ed!

It’s so interesting for me to see how most people cannot articulate their beliefs and worldview when asked simple questions.

Hi internet, hi @ed.winters, first off, i basically agree with all the arguments made by Ed and for now i would consider myself an opportunistic "carrion eater" if that makes sense. I dont support the exploitation of animals for food products, but i would eat leftovers. That being said, i have a long standing struggle with the following train of thoughts: Our diet causes arguebly the most suffering to other beings, but there is a lot of other products we use and behaviour we exhibit which down the line causes massive suffering to other beings as well. One could indeed ask for example whether it would cause more harm to consume an animal product like honey or using the public transportation system to get to the grocercy store. While considering a couple of those comparisons i came along a decision which arguebly is the most impactful in terms of reducing suffering: having children. Even if i assume the best case scenario (my child would make choices to reduce suffering it causes) it would still be another human which at least needs to be sustained. I guess everyone has their own imagination of what the worst case would look like ... In conclusion: would it not be morally imperative to not have children, if you can manage to do it? Of course there is the argument, that ones actions could prevent more harm, then the harm oneself causes - but i would argue that the likelihood of that statement to turn out to be true for a child is very low, if we took an unbiased look around. At the same time though it seems to be the only chance we have as a species. I would love to hear your thoughts about this Ed ❤

5:54 i think its , its , i think it is, it is its, its, ähm it is its Moral 😂😂😂

bit annoyed that i’ve just discovered you rather than at a time i could catch up because if i had the time to watch all of your videos i would. keep up the great, informative content.

Good point about the calve being taken away, but chickens also communicate with their chicks when they're still inside the egg. Wonder how that chicken must feel seeing that egg just go away on the conveyor belt.

You’re a role model, Ed. Thanks for doing what you do

Great interview, it's amazing the power of a conversation that digs a little deeper into some of the concepts people have around morality and veganism.

Hey Ed, great video and conversation! Kudos to the guy for willing to be open minded about factory farming and the contradictions in his moral framework. I wonder if when you go to schools such as Stanford, Brown, Columbia etc… and talk to meat eater students there whether they use the same arguments and or whether they’re more confident in them and backing them up

Wow what an amazing ending 👏👏👏

Maybe he just misspoke but chimpanzees are not our closest ancestors like he said at 3:49, they are our closest relatives. We have a common ancestor with chimpanzees 6 million years ago that was neither human or chimpanzee. After that humans and chimpanzees evolved parallel to each other with other intermediate species in between. We did not evolve FROM apes, we still ARE apes! :)

5:55 my friend when I ask where he got the money to buy a Mercedes (he's unemployed)

This guy had the look of 'oh shit what have I done' on his face the whole time, great video and would love to see if this guy has changed his habits in any way

That's a pretty weak arsenal. It didn't take long for this guy to start squirming with the fallacious arguments. Soon he's left with the equivalent of, "But... but... I really *want* to make animals suffer for my sensory gratification." Eventually, he unwittingly makes pro-vegan arguments."

Jeff absolutely "gets it" . . . he just doesn't quite know it yet. Thanx for always bringing it back to the animals, Ed. Will have to remember that line about B12 in dog s**t!

Thank you ED in particular for asking the question if he could walk up to cow and take a bite out of it. He admits immediately he cannot. Says it makes more sense to eat chickens. If someone was to bring him a live chicken there (assuming it’s lunch time) is he about to take a bite out of that? No. So then he’ll say….”well fish make more sense then”. Here’s a live fish sir enjoy your lunch. He uses the argument that chimps and Gorrilas are “meat eaters” as they eat insects. Ok well now he’d have a point. Insects can make sense for humans to eat. If you want to go out into the woods and eat the insects then go ahead. Haven’t met too many humans that would be interested in that though. It’s too bad there couldn’t be a way to bring along a live cow and live chicken and pig and say, “ok then go ahead. It’s lunch time show us your canine teeth in action.” The funny thing is he’s be arrested if he even attempted to. Human confusion everywhere.

The amount of patience Ed has is outstanding.