Agonising about vegan encounters: Exploring the role of vegan activism in the pursuit of (net)zero carbon

This project explores the political role that vegan activism plays, and could play, in the pursuit of (net) zero
carbon. Today, vegan activists are a frequent sight on UK high streets, often displaying imagery of animal
cruelty and treatment within food production networks to encourage the adoption of a vegan diet. There are
evident benefits of a plant-based diet in the pursuit of (net) zero carbon. For example a meat-based diet
produces 7.2 kg CO2e per day, whilst a vegan diet around 2.9 kg (Scarborough et al., 2014). However, activist
tactics have proved polarising, producing a certain affective politics from the often-graphic imagery they
introduce into the public sphere. Focusing on this urban 'micro-climate of political activity' (Pikner, 2016, p.
80), and novelly bringing together academic literature on the geography of encounter and post-foundational
political geography (PFPG), this research evaluates the political potential of vegan activist tactics. It does so to
2
consider how these often-confronting tactics are staged, encountered, and received in order to make practical
suggestions for improvement in pursuit of ecologically sounder futures.