The Vegan Side of Twitter

by Annie Hartnett · 2010-05-27 10:10:00 UTC
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I knew they used a little bluebird as their mascot, but who knew Twitter was so animal-friendly?

Twitter co-founder, Biz Stone, went vegan in 2001 after visiting Farm Sanctuary. He spoke at an event at the organization's California sanctuary earlier this month, delivering a speech called Compassionate Communication: Using Social Media as a Force for Good. Biz Stone's personal twitter account (@biz) has over 1.6 millions followers, and he regularly tweets on animal and environmental causes.

Biz Stone is also lobbying for vegetarian meals in school lunches. He sent a letter to Rep. George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, writing: "Hundreds of thousands of students across the country don’t eat meat, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. However, these young vegetarians often can’t find healthy, meatless meals in the school cafeteria."

Biz Stone obviously believes in the power of lunch, because Twitter's San Francisco headquarters provides free vegan lunches to its employees. The headquarters was also painted without the use of toxic Volatile Organic Compounds, which may cause cancer in animals and humans. Much of the furniture at the headquarters is made of recycled material. There's also a real piano in the lobby, according to Biz Stone's tweet on April 6.

But beyond its founder, Twitter is animal-friendly because you can be part of a community that cares about animals. There is a constant stream of vegan twittering. People share articles and vegan recipes, as well as encouragement and frustrations. Check out the list of the most commonly followed vegans on twitter.

I'm new to Twitter (follow me @anniiemal), but now that I know that it is such an animal-friendly place, I'll be writing in 140 characters more often. Be sure to follow us at @changeAnimals as well.

Photo Credit: Pasquale D’Silva

Annie Hartnett is a writer and animal advocate who has worked for several wildlife rehabilitation centers and environmental programs.
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