What will 2008 bring?

On the day that the Government decided to renew its commitment to nuclear power,
I started to feel that nothing really ever changes. But then I found an interesting review of vegan ups and downs for 2007 (more ups than downs). Read the article here.
And then I wondered about how things have changed for us at Essentially Natural this year - we've now got a full range of vegan products, are recognised by the vegan society and are seen as a green company, and also as an ethical one.
It wasn't that long ago that green and vegan were dirty words, and I can only applaud the fact that society has moved forward in the last year.
But there are still issues that need to be ironed out: the vegan lobby must be careful not to become more fragmented than it already is, and the vegetarian movement itself must remain true to its own beliefs and not become swallowed up in the rush towards veganism.
Let me illustrate what I mean.
It was not only us that were confused when we attended the Incredible Veggie Show in London last June to find out that 'veggie', for this show at any rate, meant 'vegan'. Many of the public, too, were expecting vegetarian goods and services, and many of the customers we met there declared themselves only mildly interested in vegetarianism, not yet fully committed to giving up mean, let alone ready to take on veganism.
The show was organised by Viva!, an up-and-coming, go-for-it organisation that itself started as an offshoot of the Vegan Society, the original society for vegans; hence my earlier point about fragmentation.
I think we all agree that cruelty to animals is not to be tolerated. But it will take a long, long time before society gives up eating meat completely - how long I would hesitate to say. But I do believe that, at some point in the future, we will think it strange, if not barbaric, that the main staple of man's diet for protein was got by killing animals for so many thousands of years.
The point I'm trying to make is that before society can accept that raising dairy herds for milk or keeping bees for honey is exploitation the majority of people will, I feel, have to move through the stage of 'it's wrong to kill animals to eat'. And I wonder about the harm the seeming headlong rush towards veganism, backed up by some admittedly good scientific research, is doing.
I also have another concern, and that is the split between what I call 'ethical' and 'don't care' veganism. The need to find alternatives to animal biproducts can lead to a blindness towards the use of harmful chemicals or synthetics and the harm these do to the environment.
This is in no way intended to be vegan-bashing. We at Essentially Natural produce our vegan range not as a money-making ploy but because there is a need. But I feel it's up to those of us who really do care to sound a word of caution. We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater if the misuse of veganism may lead to the use of harmful chemicals in the production of synthetic alternatives to natural animal materials such as wool for instance.
On this point I must declare myself a traditionalist in that I believe that many manmade materials do not allow the skin to breathe. The benefits to the feet of wearing a good pair of shoes with leather soles and uppers cannot be denied.
It's a matter of choice, and people need to become educated before they can make choices. We must just be careful not to impose views on them that may be shortsighted at times, or for which society is not yet ready.
Comments please!