“[Animal agriculture] is one of the largest industries on the planet, with the biggest environmental impact. And they are trying to keep us in the dark about how they are operating…” Will Potter, independent journalist & TED Senior Fellow

A little over a year ago, I shared an amazing conversation with Kip Andersen & Keegan Kuhn, the dynamic filmmaking duo behind Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. If you missed that episode, I encourage you to check it out here— it’s one of my most popular episodes to date.

An Inconvenient Truth meets Blackfish, Cowspiracy is an incredibly sobering and powerful (yet also funny and entertaining) documentary that takes a hard, unflinching look at the incredibly negative impact of animal agriculture on the health, well being and sustainability of our planet and it’s precious, dwindling resources.

Whether we are talking about carbon emissions, climate change, the blindingly rapid destruction of our rain forests, over consumption of water, species extinction, the depletion and destruction of our soil, the pollution of our rivers, lakes and oceans or the obliteration of natural wildlife habitats, you might be surprised to discover the very inconvenient and uncomfortable truth that animal agriculture is the industry by far most responsible for the global environmental catastrophe we currently face.

If this is true, then why aren’t we talking about it more?

Cowspiracy is the rather shocking tale of what Kip and Keegan discovered trying to answer this very question.

The little indie film that could, Cowspiracy is a true grassroots phenomenon. Crowd-source funded, rejected by the film festival circuit and lacking distribution, Kip and Keegan spent the last year traveling the country in a van attending independently organized, homespun screenings. Getting the word out one screen at a time, one audience at a time.

Then something truly amazing happened. The film fell into the hands of Leonardo DiCaprio. The biggest movie star in the world didn’t just fall in love with the movie, he came on board as Executive Producer with a mission: that Cowspiracy become required viewing for everyone and anyone who gives a slightest damn about the health of our planet.

This week that mission moves towards reality. On Tuesday, September 15, Cowspiracy will premiere on Netflix worldwide. For those of you that have already seen the film, this is a new and improved cut — tighter with updated facts, it demands another view.

The impact of Leonardo’s name and credibility on the film’s reach is astronomical and cannot be overstated. I am extremely proud to be an early supporter and associate producer on this project. I’m excited for mainstream audiences to finally discover this important film. I’m over the moon that Kip and Keegan will now be recognized on a mass level for their incredible work.

But mostly I am excited for the dynamic environmental conversation that will inevitably ensue. And the positive changes to follow.

Picking up where our first conversation left off, today’s podcast covers a lot of ground, including:

the broad effects of animal agriculture on society

ethical & environmental concerns

the fallacy of ‘sustainable’ livestock

the Alan Savory myth

soil & ecosystem degradation

educating charitable organizations

grass roots vs. mainstream media

how Leonardo DiCaprio got involved

the Netflix effect on enviro advocacy

Kip and Keegan are truly breaking paradigms. Making the world a better place. And changing lives with what I think is the most important film of the year.

I aspire to their level of courage and advocacy. And I sincerely hope you enjoy this exchange.

Peace + Plants,

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