Sylvia Earle's TED Wish

Please take the time to watch this, her speech is phenomenal and this is SO important to everything on this planet.

The UNICEF Tap Project

Though this blog is largely dedicated to helping animals, humanity often lacks compassion towards those of its own species. I stumbled upon this UNICEF Tap Project today and I am absolutely in love with it. It's kind of fun and interesting to see how long I can go without moving my phone and the fact that putting down my iPhone for just 10 minutes a day can provide 1 day of clean water to someone in need is so intriguing.

If you want to try it out visit the UNICEF Tap Project website here, and don't worry- it's free! Donation is optional of course but I find the no-phone thing to be more fun.

The Chipotle Pork Shortage: A Prelude

I don't feel that I have yet acquired enough information to write a comprehensive post about activism in larger chain restaurants, but I did want to bring the Chipotle pork shortage into the spotlight. I've never been a huge fan of Chipotle (I just never really liked their food even when I ate meat), but this article did earn them some of my respect. I learned that Chipotle greatly values the treatment of the livestock they sell to their customers, especially the pigs that go into their pork. When the company discovered that some of the facilities they were receiving pork from had fallen behind the curve, they stopped selling meat from those providers. This has caused a number of Chipotle locations to stop offering pork options on their menus. Chipotle also prides themselves on using organic and non-GMO products, another discovery I made while researching this article. I definitley like where they're headed with their ethics, though of course there is always room for improvement (meant in the least sassy way possible).
Adele Douglass, the executive director of Humane Farm Animal Care (and she has my vote on this one), still holds hope that the government will provide loans to farmers in order to better maintain "sustainable" conditions for the animals.

Chipotle also tries to use humane beef, but finds themselves slipping up on that front more often than pork. I think this is a step forward for consumer-centered society. How big that step is is yet to be determined but I'm very proud of Chipotle for how their holding up.

Photo from One Green Planet

I will start that information accumulation for a larger article though (fingers crossed), however I may not get around to it until closer to the summer time (AP's, Finals, College Prep, etc).

To read the whole Huffington Post article, click here

Ethical Foie Gras?

A little while ago, I posted an opinion about Foie Gras (which you can read here) and how I believe the ruling to lift the ban should be overruled. Although I still hold fast to that opinion, I recently stumbled upon an article concerning "ethical foie". I do not recommend eating foie gras in any form for health reasons, but if one does choose to consume it, I would suggest only from a reliable source that does not promote the industrial-agricultural complex.
The Guardian posted an article online this morning about a farm in Spain where the geese are treated properly before being turned into human fodder. The geese on Eduardo Sousa's voluntarily devour the food given to them by the friendly farmer until their liver naturally changes to the state in which it is considered for foie gras. Sousa is very attached and empathetic to his animals, even when describing their demise he says, "We slaughter them by group, if you leave some of them they become very sad, they’re widows. But I’m confident that with the way we do it, the animal doesn’t suffer at all.” Sousa also scorns the path industrial foie gras has taken by saying that "[the foie gras industry] has gone too far...These are animals that have a family, that fall in love, that are intelligent. When you see this animal in a cage with all these machines, you know it is suffering.”

As I mentioned before, I am fully supportive of the repeal of the most recent ruling, however, should it stay in place, I believe Sousa is on to something sustainable. The animal's bodies transform to the condition needed naturally, and they are allowed to experience their lives as natural geese; in the sun, with mates and community. No cages needed. Should the California ruling stay in place, this is the next step that needs to be taken- foie gras must be made ethical, or not made at all.

To Eduardo Sousa I say: Gracias, bravo y buen suerte

Photo from Swide.com

The Guardian: Can foie gras ever be ethical?

Sousa's Website

Doritos: Love at First Bite

This is so important good work SumOfUs.

Corey Knowlton and the Black Rhino

Photo provided by NBC

A story has been in progress since Sunday, January 12, 2014, about a the Dallas Safari Club's auction in which they were selling the license to hunt a single black rhino. If the fault in this sale item doesn't strike you right away, here are a few facts to add some weight to the purchase:

• The African Black Rhino is extremely endangered (only 5,055 left in the wild)
• Females are pregnant for 15-17 months and calves stay with their mothers for 2-4 years (This means less babies less often)
• Black Rhinos live up to 30-35 years in the wild (35-45 in captivity)
• More male calves are born than female calves (less babies again)- however males tend to have a higher mortality rate (still not good)



Photo from Wikipedia

• Poachers are the biggest threat to the rhino population

Corey Knowlton paid $350,000 at the Dallas Safari Club auction for the license to kill a single black rhino. Knowlton is now receiving death threats from many activists for his intent to lessen the already declining participation that much more. However Knowlton shows no intention of backing down. In no way to I condone or justify the threats targeting the hunter's life, I disagree with the situation entirely. The Safari club should not have the right to sell the life of another creature, especially not one so rare and endangered. There is already a major fine in place for poaching the rhinos, so why should a recreational group from another country be allowed to waive that fee?

Ben Carter, the director of the Safari Club, argues the rhino being targeted is "old, male and non-breeding and is likely to be targeted for removal anyway because it [is] becoming aggressive and threatening other wildlife." Does this impact the value of the rhino's life? Are we the ones to judge the male's practicality in the population? Perhaps we have the data, but we do not possess the empathy.

I do not believe Knowlton is the enemy, I believe he is the embodiment of a larger problem; the lack of value that humans hold for other earthlings. Knowlton, who is scheduled to rob the life of this rare beast, stated that he "deeply care[s] about all of the inhabitants of this planet and [he] is looking forward to more educated discussion regarding the ongoing conservation effort for the Black Rhino." Knowlton has also acknowledged that he sees both sides of the argument, and holds to his reasoning as the fact that he "want[s] to experience a black rhino. [Knowlton] want[s] to be intimately involved with a black rhino." This man does not deserve to die for his actions. Reprimanded? Yes. Fined for the catch if he does harm the animal? Definitely. But death is not the answer.

Knowlton with a recent kill (Photo from Independent.co.uk)

After all, one of the reasons the message for animal rights is often misconstrued or pushed aside is because all the public is shown is radical and violent displays of the cause. I believe Knowlton's license for the rhino hunt should be immediately revoked, no matter how much he spent on it. There are peaceful ways to share experiences with the other beings of this earth, a (peaceful) safari trip to and African country that the rhino inhabits (Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa) could provide a similar connection without the premature loss of energy in that ecosystem. Do not blame Knowlton, but do prevent him, for the sake of a disappearing species.

 The Independent Articles Following Knowlton's Purchase:
Big-game hunters in Texas bid for licence to kill one of Africa’s rare black rhinos 

Hunter who paid $350,000 to kill a black rhino defends his actions in face of backlash

Black rhino hunter Corey Knowlton receives death threats after winning license to shoot endangered animal

Rhino Facts:

Black Rhino Profile 

Rhino Population Figures 

National Geographic

 

 

Apes Are People Too

 And no, I don't mean in the Planet of the Apes fashion.

Animals, in a lot of nations in the world, are considered "things" not beings and are therefore deprived of rights and just treatment. However, in December of 2014, an orangutan named Sandra residing the Buenos Aires Zoo in Argetina was granted the legal standing of "nonhuman person." By granting Sandra legal personhood, the court acknowledged that the ape was in psychological pain and required her treatment to improve. She is now on her way to a reserve in Brazil where she can live peacefully. The Baleric Islands of Spain granted personhood to all great apes in 2007, and the Spanish parliament decided that apes should be treated like unaccountable humans (such as children or the mentally incapacitated) and receive the same rights. Swiss law also recognizes all animals as beings and not things, thus providing them with more protection.

Having animals, not just apes (though that is wonderful), recognized as beings is a major step forward on a global scale. Sadly the creatures inhabiting the United States have yet to achieve this status, but  I believe as other nations lead by example, the rest will soon follow. Sandra's story is beautiful in that she can now live out her days without the emotional and psychological stress of being a display piece for the masses. I am truly glad that Argentina has allowed her this chance, and that nations like Spain, Switzerland, and India are taking similar steps. Animals are creatures that can experience fear, pain, love, and content; just like humans can. If we ourselves would not want to live in a cage, why should we force others to endure such conditions?

Sandra waving from her zoo habitat in 2010 (Photo by TIME)

Huffington Post : Legal Personhood for Apes
TIME: In Argentina, a Court Grants Sandra the Orangutan Basic Rights
BBC: Court in Argentina Grants Basic Rights to Orangutan

Foie Gras: A Step Backward for California

As of today, January 8, 2015, the delicacy known as foie gras is no longer banned in California restaurants. For those who may not know, foie gras is made of fatty duck or goose liver, and has been banned in the state since 2004 due largely to how the poultry being consumed were treated. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals state that "workers ram pipes down male ducks’ or geese’s throats two or three times daily and pump as much as 4 pounds of grain and fat into the animals’ stomachs, causing their livers to swell to up to 10 times their normal size," in order to achieve the quality meat necessary to prepare the dish. Because of these enlarged livers, many of the birds had trouble standing and, similar to the hens held by the thousands in industrial chicken facilities, turned to ripping out their own and their neighbors' feathers as well as cannibalism. This level of confinement and forced food consumption is akin to torture and very common in industrial meat facilities today. Chefs in California are rejoicing at the lifting of the ban, as they no longer have to skirt the law by "gifting" foie gras to customers instead of "selling" it and can openly provide the food. Animal Rights activists have vowed to appeal, though, according to National Public Radio, it is unclear if the Federal Court will change its ruling.

Personally, I am disappointed in U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson for his decision. I cannot see any long term benefits to the decision for the state, economically, politically, or environmentally. It appears to be another example of the government choosing pro-business over pro-ethics and this is a quality that needs to change. The government can only respond to what the people want if the people participate and I beg of you, dear readers, to do just that.

It is our job as the predominant species on the planet to keep it inhabitable for other species and generations. The ruling of lifting the ban only clears the path for societal morals to sink even lower when concerning "lesser" species. By re-imposing legality on the cruel torture of these birds, we as California, and the nation, are only allowing speciesism to further penetrate our society. If you are living in California (and even if you are not) I implore you to write to or call (any form of contact) your local legislator and plead the case of the poultry, for it is vital to our future well-being to reverse this decision. Foie Gras is animal torture, and it should not be allowed back into our establishments.

(Photos provided by Wikipedia)
 







NPR: Out of the Shadows And Onto Menus: Foie Gras Is Back In California
PETA: Foie Gras: Delicacy of Despair

Speciesism: A High Shcool Junior's Essay

Speciesism is not a widely recognized concept, so I try my best to spread awareness everywhere I can; even to my high school teachers. I wrote this essay last year as part of my English class and I was pretty damn proud of it. So, without further ado, here is my first take on Speciesism (2014).
**IF YOU CHOOSE TO SHARE OR QUOTE PLEASE GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE**

Speciesism and Animal Rights

    “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach,” Upton Sinclair stated after the success of his novel The Jungle, which exposed the terrible conditions of Chicago meat factories in the 1900’s. Even with the success of Sinclair’s novel and the amount of awareness many people hold in society today, most consumers are still blind to the conditions of the animals they eat. Many consumers see and treat animals as mere objects or lesser beings, and in that they experience fault. A single word can accurately sum up the terms and extent of animal suffering at human hands: speciesism. Speciesism defines the human abuse and repression of animals, from food to companionship, which shows no mercy.
    Speciesism was defined by Peter Singer as a “prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species.” In this definition, it is important to see the connections between sexism, racism, and speciesism. All three involve the suppressing or belittling of one party for the benefit of another. The concepts of speciesism cannot be found in the definition of “earthling.” An earthling is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “an inhabitant of the earth.” In no way does that definition place the needs of one race above another, the needs of one sex above another, or the needs of one species above the needs of another. Speciesism, in a less technical way, means respecting the rights of other species where they are due. We do not, for example, need to give cows or horses the right to vote; we do, however, need to recognize that they share the same basic desires as we as humans do. Every animal embodies a conscious spirit that feels the need for love, shelter, food, companionship, and safety just as we humans do. So why then, are animals so tremendously abused? We lock the animals we domesticate in cages, and the ones we eat in claustrophobic pens and factories. Animals are treated as mere objects by humans, just as slaves were by masters just 200 years ago. In the words of Isaac Bashevis Singer in his novel, Enemies, A Love Story, “in their behavior toward creatures, all men [are] Nazis... [exemplifying].. the principle that might is right.” Singer’s words are proven to be prophetic by the crimes committed against the animals that are designated as food.
    The treatment of the creatures set aside for the food industry is the exact opposite of what the media proclaims it to be and the very epitome of speciesism itself. The simplest lie told to consumers is communicated through the package label. Many meat products are labeled with a picture of an innocuous and friendly looking farmhouse, when in fact the meat came from an animal that had rarely even felt sunlight in its lifetime. Many Americans are comforted when buying chicken when it is labeled “free range” or “cage free”, when in fact the birds are receiving very little freedom and comfort. A poultry factory that is not cage free stuffs up to 5 hens into one small cage, so there is very little room for them to move. A cage free factory crams just as many birds onto a shelf, there are simply no bars in front of their faces; there is still little room to move or breathe. Additionally, the requirements that a factory must meet to be considered free range by the FDA simply state that “producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed to access the outside.” This statement leaves loopholes such as the fact that the farmers get to determine how much or little time the birds actually get to spend out of their pens. Consumers feel just as comfortable buying “kosher” meat, which is a way of claiming the cow, pig, or animal felt no pain at the time of death. In order to be classified as a Kosher killing many standards must be met by the factory, however they rarely are. During a kosher killing, the cow or animal may not be inverted, or flipped on it’s back. This is because when the throat is cut, an inverted cow chokes on it’s own blood; which is considered inhumane. Workers who are tasked with the killing of kosher cattle are not allowed to strike the animal or use electric prods, both rules are violated consistently at a majority of kosher meat facilities. Simply because the public doesn’t hear about it, the industries get away with it. Factory animals are treated as objects, slaves even, by the human food consumption industry; and due to how it is presented to the public, humans don’t care what they are doing to other living, feeling creatures; just as they are unaware of what harm that treatment is doing to them.
    It could be said that what goes around, comes around, and that it is that karma that is affecting the health of our society today. Not only are the animals in the food industry being abused, that abuse is leaking into the rest of the world and manifesting in people and the environment. Animal waste from the factories is being produced in mass quantities that cannot be stored at one time, causing it to run into waterways and the environment around the factory farms. Cattle are often fed grains, which they can’t digest, that are mixed with BST and GH, growth hormones, and antibiotics. This chemical combination causes illness and infections in it’s human consumers. Humane educator James Wildman emphasized in his speech, “101 Reasons to Go Vegan” that the countries that consume the most animal protein; the United States, England, and Sweden; also have the highest rates of Osteoporosis, a bone disease that has been linked with excessive animal protein consumption and exposure to the chemicals within it. The waste from the factories also endangers the health of natural inhabitants of the environment around them, such as birds and fish. The negative treatment of animals at human hands is reflected in the unhealthy effects that it has on humans themselves.
    Why is speciesism such a large problem and what has been done to stop it? It is important to know of speciesism because it is important to understand the ramifications of human behavior. Racists used to keep slaves, now their views are immoral. Sexists walked all over women, who are now proving that they are capable of just about anything they put their mind to. So why should speciesism continue? There is no such thing as a safe and healthy factory farm for the animals who are captive in it or the humans who surround it. There is no such thing as kosher killing because there is no such concept as “humane murder”.  Steps have already been taken in other parts of the world to end the abuse of fellow earthlings. India has declared dolphins to be “non-human” persons, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests has declared that “dolphins should have their own specific rights and [it] is morally unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment purposes.” India has set the stage for a new progressive movement toward total equality on the planet. It is not hard for an ordinary citizen to aide in the stopping of animal abuse and the furthering of animals rights. The step can be as simple as going without meat or dairy one to two times a week, signing a petition, or simply spreading the word to neighbors and friends. There is no doubt that steps must be taken to end the abuse of those who cannot speak for themselves. In the words of Henry Beston, author of The Outermost House, “they are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of splendor and travail of the earth.”

Works Cited

"Earthlings Transcript (Intro)." Veganise Me RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <http://www.veganise.me/earthlings_transcript>.

"India Declares Dolphins To Be Non-Human Persons." The Mind Unleashed India Declares Dolphins To Be NonHuman Persons Dolphin Shows Banned Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <http://themindunleashed.org/2014/02/india-declares-dolphins-non-human-persons-dolphin-shows-banned.html>.

Freelee. "5 Reasons to Stop Drinking MILK [warning Graphic]." YouTube. YouTube, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS9hh-Npc50>.

ARFF. "101 Reasons to Go Vegan - ARFF." YouTube. YouTube, 03 May 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-F8whzJfJY>.

"Food, Inc. (2008)." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/quotes>.

"They Eat What?" Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/our-failing-food-system/industrial-agriculture/they-eat-what-the-reality-of.html>.

"The Facts on Free-range: What Does It Really Mean?" Living RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/808002/the-facts-on-freerange-what-does-it-really-mean>.

To Start With a Bang

I couldn't really find the right words to kick off this second blog (check out my more personal/lifestyle one here) so instead I pulled this transcript up from the documentary Earthlings. Earthlings was a life changing documentary for me and it was what spurred a lot of my passion for activism today. So, in place of a proper introduction, I give you the introduction to a new way of thinking.

Earthlings Transcript (Intro)

"

THE THREE STAGES OF TRUTH
1. RIDICULE
2. VIOLENT OPPOSITION
3. ACCEPTANCE
EARTHLINGS
earth’ling: n. One who inhabits of the earth.
Since we all inhabit the earth, all of us are considered earthlings. There is no sexism, no racism or speciesism in the term earthling. It encompasses each and every one of us: warm or cold blooded, mammal, vertebrate or invertebrate, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, and human alike.
Humans, therefore, being not the only species on the planet, share this world with millions of other living creatures, as we all evolve here together. However, it is the human earthling who tends to dominate the earth, often times treating other fellow earthlings and living beings as mere objects. This is what is meant by speciesism.
By analogy with racism and sexism, the term “speciesism” is a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species.
If a being suffers there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that one’s suffering can be counted equally with the like suffering of any other being.
Racists violate the principle of equality by giving greater right to the interests of members of their own race when their is a clash between their interests and the interests of those of another race.
Sexists violate the principle of equality by favoring the interests of their own sex.
Similarly, speciesists allow the interests of their own species to override the greater interests of members of other species.
In each case, the pattern is identical. Though among the members of the human family we recognize the moral imperative of respect (every human is a somebody, not a something), morally disrespectful treatment occurs when those who stand at the power end of a power relationship treat the less powerful as if they were mere objects.
The rapist does this to the victim of rape.
The child molester to the child molested.
The master to the slave.
In each and all such cases, humans who have power exploit those who lack it.
Might the same be true of how humans treat other animals, or other earthlings?
Undoubtedly there are differences, since humans and animals are not the same in all respects. But the question of sameness wears another face.
Granted, these animals do not have all the desires we humans have; granted, they do not comprehend everything we humans comprehend; nevertheless, we and they do have some of the same desires and do comprehend some of the same things.
The desires for food and water, shelter and companionship, freedom of movement and avoidance of pain? These desires are shared by nonhuman animals and human beings.
As for comprehension: like humans, many nonhuman animals understand the world in which they live and move. Otherwise, they could not survive.
So beneath the many differences, there is sameness.
Like us, these animals embody the mystery and wonder of consciousness.
Like us, they are not only in the world, they are aware of it.
Like us they are the psychological centers of a life that is uniquely their own.
In these fundamental respects humans stand “on all fours”, so to speak, with hogs and cows, chickens and turkeys.
What these animals are due from us, how we morally ought to treat them, are questions whose answer begins with the recognition of our psychological kinship with them.
Nobel Prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote in his bestselling novel Enemies, A Love Story’ the following:
“As often has Herman had witnessed the slaughter of animals and fish, he always had the same thought: in their behavior toward creatures, all men were Nazis. The smugness with which man could do with other species as he pleased exemplified the most extreme racist theories, the principle that might is right”.
The comparison here to the holocaust is both intentional and obvious:
one group of living beings anguishes beneath the hands of another.
Though some will argue the suffering of animals cannot possibly compare with that of former Jews or slaves, there is, in fact, a parallel.
And for the prisoners and victims of this mass murder, their holocaust is far from over.
In his book ‘The Outermost House’ author Henry Beston wrote:
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical
concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creatures through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion.
We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man.
In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.
They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth."


See the transcript webpage here
Check out the 'Earthlings' website here 
To watch Earthlings online (though I highly recommend you buy it) click here