American actor Mark Ruffalo is a passionate environmentalist. It makes sense that he would also be vegan in an effort to save the environment.
Mark Ruffalo transitioned to vegetarianism, then to veganism, in 2017 as he disagreed with the amount of consumption that goes into beef production. However, it seems that he now adopts a “mainly” plant-based diet although he occasionally eats meat.
The actor has made public statements encouraging his followers to move towards greener alternatives. Below is an overview of Ruffalo’s views on the matter.
Who is Mark Ruffalo?
Mark Ruffalo is an acclaimed Hollywood actor, having starred in several hit films.
He is known for his versatile acting skills, going from starring in romantic comedies such as 13 Going on 30 to crime thrillers like Zodiac.
The actor has been nominated for several Academy Awards, and has also received various other awards such as the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the MTV Movie Award.
He is also known to be one of Hollywood’s biggest environmentalists.
Mark Ruffalo’s Journey With Veganism
Ruffalo is passionately outspoken regarding the ill-effects of meat production. He is a spirited conservationist, and an animal rights activist.
Global Green USA honored Mark Ruffalo at their 15th Millenium Awards for being actively against hydro-trafficking.
These awards recognize celebrities who further their mission of sustainability, and the money raised from their annual events goes towards their green initiatives.
On a Reddit page, Ruffalo gave advice to a user asking how to help with water defense.
He said, “Well, take shorter showers. Don’t let the water run when you’re brushing your teeth. Don’t water your yard. Move to drought-resistant plants and ground covers. And put low-flow shower heads on your showers. And then last I would say, don’t eat meat one or two days a week. Every little bit makes a difference.”
Ruffalo also publicly commended the Golden Globe awards for introducing a vegan option on their menu for the first time in the award show’s history.
He tweeted, “Our industry leads by example. Vegetarian food is delicious and healthy and reduces greenhouse gasses about as much as driving electric cars. The HFPA should be commended for this and all the other awards shows should follow suit. #GoldenGlobes.”
One reason for Ruffalo’s excitement might be due to his troubles in the past with finding vegetarian options in some places.
During filming for his movie The Brothers Bloom, Ruffalo had to travel to Serbia in Eastern Europe.
He told Metro UK about his difficulties finding vegetarian food there.
“We ate a lot of what they call Shopska salads which was the only thing I could eat in all of Serbia because that’s the only thing that doesn’t have meat in it […] It was really sad for me there.”
The actor elaborated, saying, “When I told them I was vegetarian they were like ‘you must be from America because nobody here would ever be vegetarian – we tear you vegetarians to pieces and eat you!’”
From this statement, one would assume that Ruffalo’s diet is plant-based. However, in 2019, he confused fans by uploading a picture of himself eating fried chicken.
Regardless of his dietary choice, Ruffalo loves organic farming and maintaining his personal garden.
He spoke of his love for gardening to the New York Times.
Referring to the much-loved author and farmer Wendell Berry, he said, “Wendell Berry says the greatest act of independence and rebellion is to maintain a garden.”
Ruffalo elaborated about the benefits of gardening, telling the NY times, “You’re taking yourself out of a kind of capitalist culture and you’re making a point of self-sustenance.”
He supports the meat-free-Monday campaign, and attended one of its summits at the Ritz Carlton with other celebrities such as Lily Cole.
The event, hosted by Beyond Meat, attempts to encourage people to transition to plant-based alternatives and take the #MFMclimatepledge.