Living Without Meat

Picture this: After an early, hard-working morning, I am sitting poolside after lunch with my laptop computer doing work. The rain and thunderstorms that have been virtually non-stop the last month in Philly have finally taken a break and the sun is out. It’s a gorgeous, relaxing day. Nothing could interrupt, right?

Wrong. I am jolted back to reality when I hear the thud of a flip-flop smacking against the concrete. A little boy is going to town smashing what I can only assume was once a bug. Then I hear his mother, “Did you get it? Good job! You’re so good at that! Is it definitely dead?”

I find that when I am handing out veg pamphlets on the street (a.k.a. leafleting), kids are very receptive when I say, “info on helping animals” while handing their parents a pamphlet. More often than not, regardless of how the adult responds, the child says, “I want to help animals!” Usually it seems that kids have a strong sense of respect for all living things (when do we lose this, by the way?), but that didn’t help me feel any less sad that this mother was clearly raising an apathetic son with little or no respect for life.

In other news … the 18-year-old serial cat killer, Tyler Hayes Weinman, was charged for a string of cat killings and mutilations in the Miami area. Hmm … bet he was a bug squisher as a kid.

Want to parent your kids in a way that helps them understand respect for others? I highly recommend keeping up with Wired for Noise, the blog of Summer, a mother of three or at least read her recent post “Attachment Parenting, Feminism, and Raising Sons”.

Lawmakers are really making positive strides lately for animals (usually thanks to an animal rights groups shaking the ground beneath them, but progress is progress).

Hawaii lawmakers are looking to pass two new bills that will clarify current animal cruelty laws. The first will allow protection of pets in restraining orders, particularly in cases of domestic violence. The second will redefine animal hoarders as having 15 or more pets, down from the previous 20. Pinch, choke, or prong collars for tethering will also be banned.

European Parliament endorsed a ban on Canadian seal products. Meanwhile, over in Canada, a major restaurateur removed foie gras from his menus.

Maine became the sixth state to ban gestation crates and veal crates.

Bolivia, a country that has already banned military training exercises that use animal subjects, is now looking to ban circuses.

I am assuming that by now you have heard more about the swine flu outbreak than you ever wanted to. Every news station is reporting on it. Every newspaper is stretching it out into multiple stories each day. And every blogger - especially the veg ones - is blogging their opinions about it (sometimes eloquently, other times just ranting and raving).

I, however, don’t have much to say because I haven’t taken the time to read up much about it. So rather than waxing philosophical on a topic that is foreign to me, I would like to share with you the opinion of the animal advocacy group that I agree with most often (though not always): Farm Sanctuary.

This morning, Tuesday, April 28, Farm Sanctuary released this public statement from president and co-founder Gene Baur about the outbreak of swine flu and its connections to factory farming:

For more than 23 years, Farm Sanctuary has warned that cramming thousands of animals into factory farms is not only bad for the animals. These stressful, filthy, disease-ridden confines are also bad for humans. Animals packed by the thousands in unnatural conditions suffer immensely and these unhealthy, overcrowded operations are a breeding ground for disease. For too long, agribusiness and the USDA have failed to adequately address animal and human health risks - swine flu, avian flu, MRSA, e-coli, salmonella, mad cow disease - the list goes on. Factory farms are nothing less than a prescription for disaster.

Today the FBI made a move heard ’round the vegan world: an animal rights activist has been added their most wanted terrorists list. The governmental crime-fighting organization has certainly investigated, secretly watched, and even infiltrated vegan and animal rights people and events, but this is the first time a “strict vegan” has been listed.

So is it time for us to start worrying? Are they after us all now?

Yes and no.

Yes, it certainly hurts our cause that “terrorist” and “vegan” are labels on the same FBI case file. But no, you should not worry about your own actions getting FBI attention.

The listed man, Daniel Andreas San Diego, 31, is an expert bomb builder and has blown up multiple buildings. He is not wanted for trespassing, making threats, or other charges often brought against animal activists.

According to the FBI, San Diego made sophisticated bombs with ammonium nitrate brand explosives that were set off by “kitchen timer style mechanical timer devices.”

CNN adds that “authorities allege San Diego bombed facilities in Emeryville and Pleasanton, California, because he believed the Chiron and Shaklee Corporations had ties to animal-testing labs.” CNN also reports that the FBI has stated that San Diego has prominent tattoos: One in the center of his chest depicting a burning hillside with the inscription “It only takes a spark.” Another, on his abdomen, is of burning, collapsing buildings. His back is covered in a leafless tree rising from a road above buildings that are burning. (Read CNN’s full report.)

So as long as you are not concocting explosive devices in your garage and detonating them in public buildings, your animal rights actions should not cause you to end up on the FBI’s most wanted terrorists list.

The Grey’s Anatomy episode about animal testing, “Life During Wartime,” is re-airing on Lifetime right now!

Find a brief review and recap with quotes and pictures at TV.com. BuddyTV.com has an elaborate, four-page recap.

Still haven’t seen the highly talked about episode? Check it out in its entirety at Cucirca.com.

It’s not just fur sales that are hitting a slump - nobody is buying alligator skins either. Louisiana’s $60 million a year industry has hit a brick wall. Companies that once sold 75,000 alligator skins to fashion designers each year, haven’t sold a single one in at least a year.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Gerald Savoie Jr.told Louisiana newspaper Houma Today. “It’s never been this bad. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace, they’re not buying. And if they’re not buying, we’re not selling.”

Savoie currently has over 60,000 gators on his now profitless farm and nothing to do with them. In addition to the lucky ones that are still alive, many are getting killed and tanned only for their skins to sit around and collect dust. Last month, there were almost three times as many unsold gator skins on the market than normal.

Groundbreaking movement in the fashion world this week! For the first time ever W Magazine wrote an article with an animal-friendly slant.

Senior Fashion Features Editor Dana Wood put together a cruelty-free collection of “The Best Vegan-friendly Accessories” for the online exclusive article. The list of 13 items features bags, shoes, makeup brushes, and more by top designers including Vivienne Westwood, Matt & Nat, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and others.

“It’s not easy to be a fashion-conscious vegan when every bag, belt and shoe seems to involve calfskin, suede or python,” writes Wood, who is personally passionate about good veg fashion.

The only problem? The cashmere dress by Stella McCartney is not vegan. Cashmere is a light-weight wool from the kashmir goat. Many people don’t know this, and many also falsely believe that Stella is a vegan designer - even though she regularly uses wool and silk - so I’ll let this one slide. But if the vegan feature becomes a regular occurrence, which I really hope it does, a little more fact checking will be needed.

All things considered, this article is very exciting to me as a stylish vegan. Thanks, W!

Cross posted at Style Fix.

Yesterday, April 1, Mercy For Animals (MFA) released brand new undercover investigation footage and testimony that reveals unacceptable abuse at New England’s largest egg factory farm, Quality Egg of New England (QENE) in Turner, Maine.

What MFA Found
The farm in question, which was selected at random for this investigation, has despicable living conditions that are worsened by lack of vet care, insufficient killing methods that leave injured birds to slowly die in trash cans and manure pits, workers blowing cigarette smoke into the hens’ faces, rotting corpses in cages with hens still producing eggs for human consumption, lack of proper training for handling the birds, and much more. What’s worse: the owner, Jack DeCoster, has a long history as a notorious polluter and animal abusers, having been fined multiple times for his gross negligence for the environment and animals.

What MFA is Asking of You
Eggland’s Best, a company that boasts high standards, uses QENE as a supplier. MFA is asking all of us to use our money to help their efforts. MFA needs you to refrain from buying any Eggland’s Best products until they agree to stop using QENE. You can also contact Eggland’s Best and let them know that you will not stand for such inhumane production of your food. Furthermore, these conditions are, unfortunately, a industry-wide problem and going completely egg free will help immensely.

What is Being Done
MFA will continue discussions with Eggland’s Best and other QENE distributors. Additionally, the state of Maine is stepping up! Yesterday, the state received a warrant to raid QENE, based on the conditions being a violation of Maine’s anti-cruelty laws.

Learn More
* Get egg-free recipes at ChooseVeg.com
* Watch the undercover footage at MFA’s site
* Get facts about battery cages at Wikipedia
* View an animated Animal Visual to get an inside look at life in a battery cage

Plenty of “duh!” research study results presented in the medical and vegan news worlds lately.

First up, it has been confirmed that meat and mortality are in fact related. (Let me here the resounding “duh,” my veg friends.) After studying more than half a million people, the medical team determined that “high intakes of red or processed meat may increase the risk of mortality.” Read the full scientific study report by clicking here.

Next we move to the animal realm to learn from Ireland’s Queen’s University that … get ready for this mind-blowing announcement … “crabs not only suffer pain but retain a memory of it.” And again, “duh!” Click here to read the BBC News article.

Even though these results offer no new knowledge to most compassionate people, it is certainly helpful to have scientists backing us up. Now hopefully these studies were all performed without any animal testing.

Do you follow “vegan” mentions in the news? Well I do! Here are some recent headlines from around the globe and the Internet that were veg-related:

* Hot off the press, the March 23 issue of Newsweek features a health article by David Noonan titled “I Can’t Believe I’m Still a Vegan: Feeling Healthier as a Vegan.”

* The New York Daily News published “He hogties abuse on HBO documentary ‘Death on a Factory Farm’” on Friday, March 13.

* The New York Times printed a letter to the editor on March 10 called “A Vegan Plea.”

* Health News Digest asked ”
Can Domestic Cats Live On a Non-meat Diet?” on February 28.

* The Vancouver Sun had “Second Thoughts on Veganism and Pregnancy” on March 14, after asking on March 11 “Is Eating Vegan While Pregnant as Bad as Smoking, Drinking?”

Animal-friendly online store Vegetarian Shoes & Bags has just announced an exciting expansion. The site will now be carrying even more accessories that will always be 100 percent vegan and cruelty free. To more accurately portray their merchandise selection, the vegan-certified store has changed their name to Vegan Chic.

You will still find all of your vegan boots, shoes, and bags from companies including Simple, Earth, Ecolution, CL Laundry, Madden Girl, Punk Rose, and more. You can still enjoy “fear-free browsing.” The logo and site still look the same; the prices are still great deals. The company will still donate to animal charities and offer products that support their earth-friendly values. Only now the name relays the store’s vision and belief that everyone can “look fierce without being cruel.” So far, the merchandise expansion is set to include belts, wallets, and pet products.

Happy shopping, all you chic vegans!

As of yesterday, February 23, U.S. MTV viewers will be shown two vegetarian ads produced and paid for by Compassion Over Killing (COK).

Erica Meier of COK excitedly announced the new ad campaign, saying that “viewers around the country will see, perhaps for their first time, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the cruel world of factory farming - and they’ll be further directed to visit our website TryVeg.com for more information.”

The 30-second TV ads, “Exploring Your Food” and “A Side of Truth,” will run for the next five weeks. Watch them, and COK’s five other pro-veg ads, online by clicking here. COK began their ad campaign in 2004, and have since done test runs on MTV of select ads in target cities. At just pennies per viewing, the ads have “proven to be a strategic and cost-effective way to expose the hidden horrors on factory farms and encourage people to explore compassionate eating habits.”

COK is hot right now in the animal rights movement! Earlier this month, COK teamed up with Mercy for Animals and the Animal Protection and Rescue League to launch a campaign urging BOCA to stop using eggs in their veggie burgers and other products. Check out this campaign at BOCAEggFacts.com. Before targeting BOCA, COK had success urging Morning Star Farms to use less eggs, thus making more of their products vegan not just vegetarian.

COK is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that makes a nationwide impact with their efforts. Learn about all of their current and recent campaigns at COK.net.

There has been a lot of chatter in the news about vegetarianism in schools. Here’s a few recent highlights; click on a title to read the article.

* “PETA Urges Obama to Give Kids Vegetarian School Lunches,” U.S. News and World Report

* “Some school cafeterias offer more meatless meals,” Morning Sentinel, Maine

* “Maine Schools Expand Meatless Options,” Bangor Daily News, Maine

* “Free Money for College Students,” Washington Post

* “Vegan Students Start Grass Roots Campaign,” Daily Illini, Illinois

* “Public School Offers Fees Discount for Vegetarian Students,” Telegraph, U.K.

* “Scholar Wanted: Only Vegetarians Need Apply,” Independent, U.K.

* “Schools Offer Vegetarian Fee Cut,” BBC News, U.K.

* “U.S. to Boost Healthy Lunch in Schools,” Green Planet, Italy

* “The School Lunch Revolution,” Health News, California

AFP, an independent news network, published this article today. I think it speaks for itself, so here it is as it appeared online.

Hamburgers are the Hummers of food in global warming: scientists

CHICAGO (AFP) — When it comes to global warming, hamburgers are the Hummers of food, scientists say.

Simply switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car at home a couple days a week.

That’s because beef is such an incredibly inefficient food to produce and cows release so much harmful methane into the atmosphere, said Nathan Pelletier of Dalhousie University in Canada.

Pelletier is one of a growing number of scientists studying the environmental costs of food from field to plate.

By looking at everything from how much grain a cow eats before it is ready for slaughter to the emissions released by manure, they are getting a clearer idea of the true costs of food.

The livestock sector is estimated to account for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and beef is the biggest culprit.

Even though beef only accounts for 30 percent of meat consumption in the developed world it’s responsible for 78 percent of the emissions, Pelletier said Sunday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

That’s because a single kilogram of beef produces 16 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent emissions: four times higher than pork and more than ten times as much as a kilogram of poultry, Pelletier said.

If people were to simply switch from beef to chicken, emissions would be cut by 70 percent, Pelletier said.

Another part of the problem is people are eating far more meat than they need to.

“Meat once was a luxury in our diet,” Pelletier said. “We used to eat it once a week. Now we eat it every day.”

If meat consumption in the developed world was cut from the current level of about 90 kilograms a year to the recommended level of 53 kilograms a year, livestock related emissions would fall by 44 percent.

“Given the projected doubling of (global) meat production by 2050, we’re going to have to cut our emissions by half just to maintain current levels,” Pelletier said.

“Technical improvements are not going to get us there.”

That’s why changing the kinds of food people eat is so important, said Chris Weber, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.

Food is the third largest contributor to the average US household’s carbon footprint after driving and utilities, and in Europe - where people drive less and have smaller homes - it has an even greater impact.

“Food is of particular importance to a consumer’s impact because it’s a daily choice that is, at least in theory, easy to change,” Weber said.

“You make your choice every day about what to eat, but once you have a house and a car you’re locked into that for a while.”

The average US household contributes about five tons of carbon dioxide a year by driving and about 3.5 tons of equivalent emissions with what they eat, he said.

“Switching to no red meat and no dairy products is the equivalent of (cutting out) 8,100 miles driven in a car … that gets 25 miles to the gallon,” Weber said in an interview following the symposium.

Buying local meat and produce will not have nearly the same effect, he cautioned.

That’s because only five percent of the emissions related to food come from transporting food to market.

“You can have a much bigger impact by shifting just one day a week from meat and dairy to anything else than going local every day of the year,” Weber said.

For more information on how to eat a low carbon diet, visit www.eatlowcarbon.org

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I strive to learn something new every day. Here’s what I learned today …

It’s becoming quite the trend nowadays for government officials, environment-related offices, and other departments striving to help make their community “green” to send out a public plea for people to eat less meat.

The Office of Environmental Quality in Cincinnati, Ohio, released a Green Cincinnati Action Plan that recommended encouraging reduced meat consumption among individuals and institutions. Read the full report.

Germany’s federal environment agency is strongly urging citizens to reduce their meat intake to only one meal per week, just as it was during the depression. The agency suggests having meat as a treat during Sunday dinner, as it was also once popular to do. Read more about Germany’s story.

The Chicago, Illinois, health commissioner, Dr. Terry Mason, is challenging his city to join in him in consuming a meat-free diet for the fourth consecutive year. Usually he suggests eating completely vegetarian for the month of January. This year, however, he plans to make it a personal health change for himself! Read an article about this.

The United Kingdom’s government, including the National Health Service, has pledged to reduce British greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and has reported that having a meat-free day each week is the biggest contribution people could make. In support of a more plant-based diet, hospitals are increasing their vegetarian options. Read about the U.K.’s suggestion.

Isn’t this fascinating? I love seeing such strong governmental support for vegetarianism! If you’d like to see a similar cause in your area, consider writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper urging your local government to do the same. Click on the picture to learn more about how meat negatively effects the environment.