Watch This 10-Year-Old Explain How Going Vegan Can Save the Planet

Two years ago, Long Beach resident Genesis Butler took home the title of PETA Kids’ Cutest Vegan Kid—and last month, the 10-year-old became one of the youngest people ever to give a TEDx Talk. In her humor-filled presentation, she reveals why going vegan is the easiest way to help the environment.

“I see a lot of people in their eco-friendly cars, with their ‘Save the Earth’ bumper stickers, but they’re in drive-throughs ordering burgers,” Genesis said. “I have come to you as a representative of my generation and future generations … to ask you to think about the foods you eat.”

Genesis shares that she (and her mom) stopped eating animals when she was three, after learning that animals were killed for chicken nuggets—and the rest of the family went vegan soon afterward.

“It’s been four years since I went vegan, and I love it because I know I’m helping animals and also the Earth, too,” she said. “According to many scientific studies, raising animals for food is the primary cause of global climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution and water shortage, just to name a few.”

“Genesis Butler is living proof that there’s no minimum age for making the world a better place,” said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) senior director of youth outreach and campaigns Marta Holmberg. “Genesis was already an accomplished animal rights advocate when she took home the title of PETA Kids’ Cutest Vegan Kid, and two years later, she continues to inspire people of all ages to go vegan and save animals’ lives.”