Joseph Duplantier of Gojira calls on fans to embrace veganism

Joseph Duplantier, the vocalist for Gojira, goes from singing a song from the French Revolution to spearheading the vegan revolution in a new PETA advertisement, following the band’s Grammy Award nomination and their stunning debut as the first metal band to rock out at an Olympic opening ceremony. In a dramatic photo taken at Silver Cord Studio in New York, the musician and activist appears to be surrounded by animals on the Brooklyn Bridge. In a video that goes with the group’s song “The Trails,” he explains why going vegan is important for the planet’s future, human health, and animals.

I became vegan for the animals. It’s about the life of the animals and what they go through. But another benefit of being vegan is for your own health. I have more energy now when I perform since I became vegan. I believe people have a responsibility to challenge the laws and the traditions in society … in order to move gracefully to a future where we can actually be alive. It’s not just an ethical question anymore, but it’s also a question of survival for our species. You have to go vegan.

Even if all other sources of fossil fuel emissions were abolished, researchers have found that current agricultural practices would still make it difficult to meet climate goals. Going vegan is arguably the best approach to lessen one’s negative influence on the environment because it reduces one’s food-related carbon footprint by up to 73%. Additionally, they lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity in almost 200 animals annually, saving them from a dreadful existence and a terrible end. For individuals who are prepared to make the transition, PETA offers a free vegan beginning kit. “Animals are not ours to eat” is part of PETA’s tagline. The organization emphasizes that Every Animal Is Someone and provides free Empathy Kits to those who need a kindness lesson.