Genesis Butler:

I think my generation is just so amazing with how we have been using our voices, and I think that a lot of us are realizing our plan is on the future. Everybody’s future is on the line, so we’re all becoming activists and we’re talking with world leaders because we realize the importance of it, and I think that it’s just really amazing that my generation is really stepping up to raise awareness about our planet.

Jay Ruderman:

Hi, I’m Jay Ruderman, and welcome to All About Change, a podcast showcasing individuals who leverage the hardships that have been thrown at them to better other people’s lives.

Montage:

This is all wrong.

I say put mental health first because if you don’t…

This generation of America has already had enough.

I stand before you, not as an expert, but as a concerned citizen…

Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.

Louder.

Yes, we can.

Louder.

Yes, we can. Yes, we can.

Jay Ruderman:

This week on All About Change, we welcome Genesis Butler. Genesis is an environmental activist focused on animal rights. At age six, when she discovered where her food came from, she became vegan. At age 10, she became one of the youngest people to give a TEDx Talk.

Genesis Butler:

I kind of just said it like, when I got older, I wanted to give a TED Talk, but I didn’t really know that it happen so soon. And then I got a message and they were saying for me to apply to the TED Talk near me, so then I did, but I did it just to see, “Maybe I’d be able to get in, because there’s so many people playing and I’m really young, so maybe they won’t pick me.” But then I realized after I did get chosen to give the Talk, people do want to hear my message.

Jay Ruderman:

Since then, Genesis has been featured in dozens of articles and interviews in various news outlets. She founded her own nonprofit organization, Genesis for Animals. Later on, at a time when the world was coming to grips with COVID-19, she started a global youth-led climate organization, Youth Climate Save.

Genesis Butler:

A lot of youth had so much time in quarantine to learn about more things and to educate themselves, and a lot of them were figuring out more about climate change, so then, after all these youth are figuring out about this, they want to get active and they want to use their voice and do something, but some people don’t have the platform for it, or they don’t know how to start.

Jay Ruderman:

Thank you. Genesis, welcome to All About Change. I’m really excited to have this conversation. In your honor, after we finish, I am having a vegan burger, so that’s been your initial influence on me. Let’s talk about your beginnings. You became a vegan at six years old. Where did that decision come from?

Genesis Butler:

Well, I’ve always loved animals. I didn’t have any pets or anything growing up, but I would always see them on TV, so I knew that I loved them just from looking at them. And then I started to wonder about where my food was coming from, so I started to ask a lot of questions, like where my food was coming from, and my mom finally told me how we had to eat animals and kill them for my food.

That really devastated me, and I was like, “I don’t want to eat this again,” so then I went vegan. My whole family went vegan with me.

Jay Ruderman:

How did they accept the decision to join you in becoming vegan?

Genesis Butler:

It was just hard for my mom at first, because she always loved chocolate, so that was one of the things that she was really upset about, was that she wouldn’t be able to eat it anymore. But now there’s so many different vegan options of chocolate, but before, that was the only thing that was kind of hard.

And with the meat products, because they would always eat meat before, so then they were like, “Oh, well, what are we going to eat now?” But once they figured out that there were substitutes, they were totally for it. And my siblings were the same, because they realized that vegan food was really good, so they were really all for it.

Jay Ruderman:

I think I remember you telling a story about how you found your mother in a closet eating chocolate when you first got into this, and then obviously she changed and became a vegan. What about your friends, relatives? How did they accept it? Did they join you? Or did they ridicule you for you making this decision?

Genesis Butler:

My friends were super supportive, and my grandparents, my whole family was all really supportive. My grandma is Mexican, she’s with my Mexican side, so at first it was kind of difficult with tamales or things like beans and rice, because then she didn’t know how to veganize them, but she learned how to veganize all of those recipes, so she has always been super for it.

She’ll put vegetables in my tamale, she’ll make the masa with coconut oil instead of lard. She is always just been super supportive with my veganism.

Jay Ruderman:

You didn’t want to eat animals and you didn’t want to have milk, but you were able to see a much bigger picture out there and the impact in the world. How did that come about?

Genesis Butler:

That really started when I first gave my TED Talk, and I gave that on the environment, and that made me realize people aren’t really talking about animal agriculture, and a lot of people didn’t really know, so I wanted to start talking about it, and then I really started to realize I wanted to make that my main focus.

Because at first, I was an animal rights activist. That was the only form of activism that I was doing. But then I started to think, “Well, I want to do more and I want to have a thriving planet to live on,” so then, I started becoming more of an environmental activist, and that has been my main focus, because I have a little sister and I want her to have a thriving planet.

And I want to raise awareness about how animal agriculture is harming our environment, because sometimes people just don’t know, so I think it’s super important to get that message out there.

Jay Ruderman:

Do you think that your generation is much more hyper aware of climate change and the impact that it’s having on our lives right now, but it will have on your future lives as you guys get older?

Genesis Butler:

I think my generation is just so amazing with how we have been using our voices, and I think that a lot of us are realizing our plan is on the future. Everybody’s future is on the line, so we’re all becoming activists and we’re talking with world leaders, because we realize the importance of it. And I think that it’s just really amazing that my generation is really stepping up to raise awareness about our planet.

Jay Ruderman:

And I think you’ve said in the past that the impact of agriculture on our environment is not something that the environmental movement is really focusing on. When you started to interact with other environmentalists and bring this issue to them, how was that received?

Genesis Butler:

It was hard for me to get into these environmental spaces because I talk about animal agriculture, because most of the focuses in these climate spaces were fossil fuels. Yes, that’s harming the environment, but animal agriculture was left out, which is a big piece of the climate crisis.

At first it was hard, not from the activist side, but more from the people that have these summits or have these conferences. At first, I wasn’t invited into these spaces, but now I’m starting to get invited more into the climate summits. I’ve been speaking at them. Now, I’m super nicely perceived by them, and they’re more open to hearing about it, but I would say at first, it was really hard for me to start to get into these environmental spaces.

Jay Ruderman:

Let’s talk about agriculture, and specifically the growing of animals. You look at it in two different ways. One is, “What are we doing to animals? Why are we treating animals the way we treat them when we process them from meat?” And two, the impact that so many animals and raising them on land and using space and water is really impacting the environment.

Can you talk about both aspects of what motivates you to become an animal activist and its impact on the environment?

Genesis Butler:

Yeah. First, I became an activist for the animals, because I realized everything that they have to go through, how they’re in these tiny spaces. I have been to sanctuaries, and being around these animals made me realize animals are super smart and they have different personalities, and to know, because some people think before the animals are killed for food that they just don’t feel anything or they don’t know it, but I’ve been to events like pig vigils and you see the animals and you go bear witness before they go into the slaughterhouses, and you can really tell they know what’s going on and they’re scared and a lot of them are killed when they’re babies, so it’s just super sad.

And that was originally why I became an activist. But then after that, then I realized about how much land and water was going into the meat products that we’re eating, and then it made me like, “This doesn’t really make sense. The food that I’m eating, I could eat other options that won’t harm my environment,” but people would rather choose the other options, so then I started to realize it’s super important to make the right choice and to eat a plant-based diet, because then I started to realize the meals that I’m eating isn’t worth my planet. I want to have a thriving planet to live on.

Jay Ruderman:

First of all, I have to give you a lot of credit, because at such a young age, to be witness at a slaughterhouse and see what most of us don’t see, because most of us, when we consume meat, we’ll pick it up at the supermarket or order it at a restaurant and we are not subjecting ourselves to the horrors of a slaughterhouse. How were you able to do that at such a young age and to see this real, very disturbing activity?

Genesis Butler:

At first, before I went to a pig vigil, it was really hard for me and something that I didn’t really want to do, because it was hard enough for me to see slaughterhouse footage online, let alone to be there in person. But I realized that it was really important to be with these animals in their last moments. And we give them water, you give them love.

I feel like if everybody was to go to a pig vigil, everybody would be vegan. And you don’t really ever get used to going to vigils and seeing the animals, but I feel like it made me want to be a stronger activist, because you see them before they’re about to go into these places like the slaughterhouse is, and it’s just terrible.

Jay Ruderman:

Most of us, I would think, in America, people are very attached to their dogs and their cats, and if we were slaughtering wholesale dogs or cats, I think Americans would be in an uproar. How do we get Americans or citizens of the world to be in an uproar over the killing of domestic animals?

Genesis Butler:

I think just the more and more people that get exposed to this, because I feel like when a lot of people see either slaughterhouse footage, or sometimes on the freeway, you can see the trucks that are heading to the slaughterhouses, and you can see the faces of the animals in the little hole, so I feel like the more people that just start to really realize what’s happening to these animals before they’re killed.

They’re not just killed and that’s it, there’s stuff that leads up to them. They’re kept in these super tiny cages their whole life before they’re killed. I think just really starting to make people get the connection. These animals don’t just go to the slaughterhouse and that’s it. Their whole life, they don’t know what love is. I think that when people really start to realize these animals really go through so much, then they’ll really realize this is terrible.

I do hear that a lot. Whenever people figure out cats and dogs are being killed for meat, it makes people so sad, it makes them start crying. But I feel like people should have the same reaction for farmed animals, because farmed animals act the same way as their cats and dogs do.

Jay Ruderman:

So you did a TED Talk, which became very, very well received and viewed when you were 10 years old.

Genesis Butler:

When I was three years old, my favorite food was chicken nuggets. I loved chicken nuggets. I could eat them almost every day. One day, I was getting…

Jay Ruderman:

How did that come about at such a young age, that you were asked to do a TED Talk that got such great exposure?

Genesis Butler:

Well, first, when I told my mom that I wanted to give a TED Talk, I kind of just said it like when I got older, I wanted to give a TED Talk, but I didn’t really know that it would happen so soon. And then I got a message and they were saying for me to apply to the TED Talk near me, so then I did, but I did it just to see, maybe I’d be able to get in, because there’s so many people applying and I’m really young, so maybe they won’t pick me.

But then I realized after I did get chosen to give the talk, people do want to hear my message, and that really helped me become more of an activist and start realizing the power of storytelling, because if I didn’t tell my story and if I didn’t use my voice when I gave that TED Talk, then people probably wouldn’t have known why I became an activist or why I am the way that I am.

Jay Ruderman:

Was the TED Talk the impetus for you to become a full-fledged activist?

Genesis Butler:

The TED Talk really helped me start to shift to more talking about the environment, because at first before I gave that talk, I was only an animal rights activist, and I wasn’t focusing on other causes. But then after I gave that talk, then that made me realize I should really continue speaking about this.

I was a gymnast before then, so I was trying to choose between doing my activism or my gymnastics, because that was what I really loved. But then I started to realize I can’t do any of the things that I love on a dead planet, so I shifted to becoming an activist, and the TED Talk really pushed me to start to talk about the environment, because I realized how important it was.

Jay Ruderman:

Genesis, you’re taking on one of the largest industries in the United States and in the world, and you’re an active voice out there. Do you ever feel threatened that you’re threatening the livelihood of a huge industry?

Genesis Butler:

I think sometimes it can, because my mom always asks me if I feel threatened by it, but I just know that what I’m doing is right and that it’s important to use my voice and talk about this, so I’ll continue speaking about it for as long as I have to, because I know that somebody has to do it and somebody has to talk about this, no matter if it makes people feel uncomfortable, if it makes people feel threatened. We need to make sure that we’re putting our planet before our profits, so I think it’s super important for all companies to realize that.

Jay Ruderman:

Let’s talk to the listeners here who might be listening and saying, “Genesis is making a lot of sense. What I’m engaged in as a consumer and buying meat and consuming meat, and it’s not great for the planet, but you know something? I don’t know, I just love the taste of meat.” What do you tell people when they confront you and they ask you those questions?

Genesis Butler:

Well, I would say that vegan products are getting really, really good, and they’re starting to taste exactly like the real thing. My grandpa, I would give him vegan burgers, and he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, and same for my grandma, and they have eaten meat their whole life and they weren’t able to tell a difference.

But I think now that veganism is more popular, there’s better products like the vegan cheeses, for example. When I first went vegan, the vegan cheeses were super coconutty and weird, but now they’re really, really good, and they’re starting to get really accurate. And I think that right now, it’s one of the best times to go vegan because of how many vegan products are appearing and how they taste just the same thing.

It’s also important to know taste is one thing, but the planet is another thing, and I think it’s really important to make a choice that isn’t just for right now. One cheeseburger isn’t worth everybody’s future on the planet, so I think that it’s super important to realize, “This one choice that I’m making right now can impact everybody’s future,” and now that there is being more options that tastes better, just to try those options and see if you like them.

Jay Ruderman:

You set up a nonprofit called Genesis for Animals to raise funds for rescued animals. What are some of the things that you’ve been able to achieve by establishing this nonprofit?

Genesis Butler:

I started that after I went vegan, because I started going to sanctuaries, and then I realized how many sanctuary owners needed help, or they put their animals before they put themselves, so some of them would go without eating so that they could have money to buy their animals food, and there are so many activists fighting for all these animals to be free, but once they’re free, they’re all going to need somewhere to go, so I realized it’s important to start donating to these animal sanctuaries.

And I’ve been donating to them especially after the wildfires, because a lot of the sanctuaries, it was really hard for them to get habitats for their animals again, or their food, or their main concerned was to hurry up and get the animals to safety, so I helped them get back on their feet after that, and also with vet bills, or if there’s any sanctuaries that need help with food, then I’ll donate to them in some.

I’ll also donate monthly to help their animals or sponsor the animals, because I realize these animals are living in peace on these sanctuaries and there’s so many animals that are starting to be freed, so once they’re free, they’re going to be at these sanctuaries, so I wanted to help out however I could.

Jay Ruderman:

You also started an organization called Youth Climate Save, which has chapters of young people all over the world. What do you think is so powerful about bringing together people from all over the world?

Genesis Butler:

I started Youth Climate Save during quarantine because I knew that there were so many youth that wanted to go out and do protests or speak to people, but we couldn’t do that since we were all quarantined, so then I wanted to figure out, “Well, what can youth do?” Because a lot of youth had so much time in quarantine to learn about more things and to educate themselves, and a lot of them were figuring out more about climate change.

Then, after all these youth are figuring out about this, they want to get active and they want to use their voice and do something, but some people don’t have the platform for it or they don’t know how to start, so I want to have a space for youth to be able to talk about whatever issue that they’re passionate about, and we have some activists that talk about plastic pollution or fast fashion.

We talk about all causes, but our main focus is animal agriculture, and I think that’s something that is so powerful about having all these youth from around the world, is all the different perspectives and all of the things that some of our members have never really thought about and how it can really change their mind. And now that COVID isn’t as bad, now we’re starting to table at big events.

Recently, Youth Climate Save tabled at the Billie Eilish concert, and there was a lot of youth that came up and were asking questions, and it really showed me how many youth are really curious about this, and they want to figure out what they can do to make a change.

Jay Ruderman:

Do you ever feel, Genesis, that the issue is so large that what can you actually do to make things happen? And what’s holding you back from that big breakthrough?

Genesis Butler:

Sometimes, I feel like a lot of youth can feel like the climate crisis, it’s just a lot to carry, because it’s something that’s affecting everybody’s everyday life, because the planet is getting hotter or colder all the time, and we know we have to do something and we have to act quick. But I think that a lot of youth are realizing it’s super important user voice.

And I think something that a lot of youth have realized and I have realized is that it’s super important to hold the world leaders accountable and to keep on putting pressure on them, because once people continue talking about a topic and world leaders really realize, “We have to do something,” then it’s starting to make a big change, but I think also, a lot of my generation are starting to become leaders, and there’s a lot of youth activists who talk to the UN or talk to these world leaders, or they’re just becoming the leaders themself.

And either they’re doing things like how I’ve started Youth Climate Save, and they have organizations, or they’re public speaking, or just using their voice, and I think that’s why there’s so many activists. But I think something that has really given me hope for the future is seeing how many youth are fighting for our planet.

Jay Ruderman:

Yeah, that’s great. And you’ve talked to some really famous people, Paul McCartney, Moby, the Pope, but I want to talk about you. Are there ever times, as an activist, that you feel isolated? Or you feel like you get down, you’re like, “Oh, is this ever going to be successful?”

Genesis Butler:

Sometimes I do, I do get really sad about our future, but I think that I have a really great community of activists who are also fighting for the planet, and they always really help bring me up and motivate me, and I think that it’s just super important to see the climate crisis as an issue for all of us to solve together.

And I think that something that is so powerful about people all coming together, because I have a lot of activist friends who talk about the climate crisis, and I think that they always really help build me up. Sometimes I do get really sad about it, but I just really think it’s super important to stay optimistic about the future, and I’ve always been super optimistic, but I think just using my voice has always helped me not be sad about the climate crisis, because I know that at least I’m doing something about it however I can.

Jay Ruderman:

I understand that you are related distantly to Cesar Chavez, who is a well-known activist. You seem to be very, very motivated, that this keeps you going. Can you talk about that, about your family history, and maybe how that might have affected your passion and your dedication as it is today?

Genesis Butler:

Cesar Chavez has really always helped me with my activism, especially since I’ve been an activist since I was so little. He really helped me continue with my activism through watching him through documentaries or seeing him on TV, because he would do these big, big events or protests, and there would be a lot of people, and something that would always scare me when I was younger, people would say, even though I was on property that was for everybody, they would say they were going to call the police. Since I was little, that would scare me.

But I would watch documentaries of Caesar Chavez and I would see that they would always tell him that even though what he was doing was right and they would say that they were going to call the police, but he knew what he was doing was right and he stood his ground, and that really helped me become more of a powerful activist, was just knowing that it’s important to continue using your voice.

And it also really helped me realize the power of unity, because he has so many people united, and he would talk about unity, so that really made me realize it’s important to be united with others and to look at these issues as a group issue, and to have everybody help out, because then you can get things done quicker when you have a lot of people supporting you.

Jay Ruderman:

You’ve made a comment in the past that people of color and marginalized groups are the most affected by climate change. Can you talk a little bit more about that and how you came to that conclusion?

Genesis Butler:

I think that some people think climate change isn’t happening, but it’s affecting people of color every single day, and I see this a lot through my Youth Climate Save members, because a lot of the people in these areas where climate change is affecting them every day are the people that are joining Youth Climate Save, and a lot of people of color are put in these areas where factory farms are.

I think that it really made me realize they’re in these areas where it’s a lot hotter or colder, or Native Americans are getting their land chopped down to put animals there or to grow their food, so a lot of people of color are in these areas. But something that really made me realize it is so important to speak up for these people, because they’re being affected and they have no choice but to be affected by the climate crisis, but there’s some people that have a choice where they aren’t affected by the climate crisis quite yet.

Jay Ruderman:

And do you think as a young activist that your age is an advantage or a disadvantage?

Genesis Butler:

I would say that it’s sort of both, because I think that a lot of people are more motivated by me since I am so young, but I think that sometimes it can be a disadvantage because I’m younger, so then people sometimes will think like, “Oh, she doesn’t really know what she’s talking about.” Or that will be their main claim is like, “Oh, she’s so young, her parents taught her this,” or, “She’s just researching this. She doesn’t know anything about it.”

But I think it doesn’t matter what my age is, but I think that it can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, because some people will think that I’m too young, or some people will be motivated by my age, so it’s kind of tricky.

Jay Ruderman:

Yeah, I’m sure. Tell me what you’re doing right now. I understand you’re in college or you just finished your first year in college?

Genesis Butler:

My first year.

Jay Ruderman:

Yeah. How did that go?

Genesis Butler:

That went really well. I’d been taking some online classes just so that I can get a really early start, but it’s been going really well.

Jay Ruderman:

That’s awesome, and I wish you the best of luck.

Genesis Butler:

Thank you.

Jay Ruderman:

In the next few years, what are your hopes and goals? What do you think you can accomplish?

Genesis Butler:

Some of my goals, I want to start traveling more to speak again, and I’m really picky with where I travel to speak, because I know of the emissions, but I know if there’s a place that it could really raise a lot of awareness or people don’t really know about this, I want to start to talk to them again and to start doing more speaking events.

I also lobby, sometimes. I’ll go to Washington and I want to continue with that. Some of the things that I’ve done was to get plant-based foods in all prisons, nursing homes and hospitals in California.

Sound Bite:

California prisons have never been known for their cuisine, but they soon may be required to add vegan meals to the jailhouse menu.

Genesis Butler:

That was one of the ones that I’ve done, and that one got passed. And I also helped with the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act in California, so I want to continue doing more bills like that, because I realize the importance of it and how much of a change it can make, and also just continuing to build up with Youth Climate Save, because I know that there’s a lot of chapters that want to get started, so just continuing to help them and to do more actions that are in person.

Jay Ruderman:

Awesome. Genesis, give me a couple of dishes that you would say, “Listen, you’re not a vegan, but try this and you’re going to be hooked.”

Genesis Butler:

I have been posting a lot of recipes on my Instagram, because I realize a lot of people need good vegan meals to make, and one of the meals that I always like to make people is lasagna, and I use tofu to make the ricotta, and people cannot tell the difference. They love it, and they say that it’s even better than the normal thing.

I feel like with some people, it’s just super important to eat foods that you like and to veganize those dishes, because something that really stops people from continuing being vegan is they’ll try one meal and they hate it, and then they think all vegan foods are like that, but I think it’s super important to try things that you already like and veganize it.

Some of the things that my family really likes is things like tacos and burritos or pasta, so we’ll those dishes. But I think one food that people really like is plant-based burgers, and those are really good.

Jay Ruderman:

Well, Genesis, it’s been a pleasure speaking to you. I really have a tremendous amount of respect for you because you really follow through and you do, and you conduct yourself in terms of your life in a way that you really believe will make a difference, not only on a personal level, but also as an activist. Thank you so much. It’s been such a pleasure having you as my guest on All About Change, and I wish you to go from strength to strength, and I hope your movement continues to catch on. You’re a great young leader and I’m sure will continue to become a very serious and impactful person in our society, so thank you so much.

Genesis Butler:

Thank you for having me.

Jay Ruderman:

Thank you. After speaking with Genesis, I feel more invested in animal rights and curious about the connections between what we eat and the world we live in. But what about you? How do you feel about the consumption of farming animals and how it affects the environment? Tweet us at Jay Ruderman and let us know what you think.

All About Change is a production of the Ruderman Family Foundation. This episode was produced by Kim Huang, with story editing by Yochai Maital and Mijon Zulu. We hope to see you in two weeks as we hear from another activist, Lek Chailert, another voice for animals. She has dedicated her life to the plight of the Asian Elephant.

To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website, AllAboutChangePodcast.com. Lastly, if you enjoy our show, please help us spread the word. Tell a friend or family member, or consider writing a review on your favorite podcasting app. It helps us connect with more people and we really appreciate it.

All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Special thanks to our production team at Pod People: David Zwick, Grace Pena, Morgan Fouse, Bryan Rivers, and Aimee Machado. That’s all for now. I’m Jay Ruderman, and I’ll see you next time on All About Change.