Puppies and Pets for Christmas

This is just a friendly reminder to really think about the gift of a new life this holiday season. Many children who beg and beg for dogs or animals for Christmas grow bored or the family isn't prepared for the responsibility and the dog ends up in the local pound or abandoned. Please be thoughtful before adopting this holiday season. You are committing to the care of another sentient, feeling being's life. Be sure you're ready for it. And if you are- your new companion will have nothing but love to share with you!

Helpful articles:
http://www.petrescue.com/petlibrary/pet-rescue/no-christmas-puppies-please/
http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/12/many_pets_given_as_christmas_g.html
http://www.statisticbrain.com/animal-shelter-statistics/
http://dogtime.com/puppies/1261-holiday-puppies-nightmare

Being Vegan: Why Would You do That to Yourself? (A Rant)

After being vegetarian for about a year and a half, and after doing hours of research, I went fully vegan when I moved out of the house and into the dorms at college. Here in Southern California, people are generally pretty accepting of veganism and there are plenty of food options for me on and off campus. Luckily I met a wonderful group of people who respect my decision not to eat animal products and are pretty respectful of my diet.
However, being an herbivore there is something that I (and many others) grow tired of hearing; and that's the general "I couldn't give up (insert animal product) ever, it's too good," or "how do you live without (animal product)," or even that I "need" to be eating meat to survive/be healthy. I understand people's connection to eating meat and I respect their choice to do so, I don't generally judge people on what they eat and I don't hold my friends in any less esteem for eating animals. This post is not about refuting those comments because that particular set basically creates the debate platform for and against veganism.
Last night, however, one of my friends who didn't yet know I was vegan found out when my suitemate bought me vegan cookie dough because I wasn't eating the one with eggs and milk in it. His response was: "Vegan? Why would you do that to yourself?" I played it off with a casual "I'm into it, it's kinda my thing," but as I was going to bed his words kind of stuck with me, and here's what I have to say:
I'm "doing it to myself" because I care about more than myself. I'm not "doing it" for myself either, I'm doing it for you. As long as people like me are eating the way we are, the world put off it's fiery, polluted doom for just that much longer, whereas as long as people continue to eat like you, the forests will continue to burn, the ocean to acidify, and the air to grow unbreathable. I'm also doing it for them. Who, you ask? The animals, all animals. The cows, pigs, chickens, fish, turkey, and more that you choose to slaughter and consume, as well as the elephants, dolphins, tigers, and apes who's homes are in grave danger. Each day thousands (if not millions) of acres of habitats are destroyed for the purpose of your eating.
Not to mention the adverse health effects meat and dairy consumption has on your body. Cholesterol, obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes; these are just a few of the lovely things you can experience on an animal-product diet. The more death you put in your body, the more your body dies.
Eating an animal product centered diet hurts the environment, your body, and everyone and thing around you.
So to wrap it all up I guess I just have one thing to say (ask) to/of you:
Why would you do that to yourself?

World Health Organization Claims Processed Meats Cause Cancer

The World Health Organization has officially declared that processed meats are a level 1 carcinogens, right up there with asbestos and tobacco smoking. Red meat was then placed as a level 2A carcinogen, which is just the next step down. This is a huge step forward for vegan movement, but it's even better for the planet as a whole. The less meat people eat, the cleaner our world will become, as justified in Cowspiracy.
The article continues on to claim that there are health benefits to eating red meat, such as iron and B12. However these can be found risk free in many plant foods and are abundant in many other non-animal resources. The meat industry is of course mortified and against the article, claiming that studies the industry funded prove that the link is non-existent, but who are you going to believe: the composite of 800 studies or the biased few of payed-off scientists?
This is great news and such a large step toward improving the health of the planet and those who live on it as a whole.

Check out news articles on the reports here:
http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/index.html?section=money_latest
http://www.news4jax.com/news/money/meat-industry-slams-cancer-report-alarmist-and-theoretical/36051310
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/processed-meat-causes-cancer-red-meat-probably-does-group-says-n451396

And a few fun videos about it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATvv71ycifU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cig4tNvulAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbtP_LrmRHQ

COWSPIRACY: The Sustainablility Secret (And Why You Should Watch It)

One of the most talked about documentaries in the plant based world is "COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret," and last night I finally watched it. Due to its recent unveiling on Netflix, I felt a good way to kick off its career was to review it. I was not sure what to expect from the film, based on the many people raving about it I assumed that it would be along the lines of "Earthlings," which is why I put it off for so long because I wasn't prepared to go through something so heavy again. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film had a healthy dose of humor and centered mainly along the lines of environmentalism and how food animal production has on the planet and the imminent threat that eating animal products causes.

If you enjoyed "Vegucated," "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," or other films that follow a specific person's journey, you will love this film. It follows the directors, Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn, as they travel to the different head quarters of big environmental groups like Green Peace, the Sierra Club, and the Surfrider Foundation to ask for opinions on the impact raising cows has on the planet and what can be done to reduce it. However, none of the organizations are willing to admit that agribusiness is the main issue, instead they focus on fossil fuels, palm oil, and coal.

This film is a wake up call to any and all people; environmentalists, big business, farmers, teenagers, everyone inhabiting the Earth. It is chock full of facts that are broken down in an easy, understandable, and entertaining way, as well as plenty of non-aggressive warnings about the overuse of land, the dead zones in the oceans, deforestation, and the very real threat that pollution is providing.

If you are considering switching to a plant based lifestyle but can't seem to motivate yourself to do so, watch this film. If you are already plant based and want to know more about your carbon footprint, watch this film. If you are simply looking for an educational film, watch "Cowspiracy."

I honestly cannot stress enough how important it is that this film is spread around and watched by as many people as possible. It is very well done, it is very entertaining, and its message is so damn important.

As of today, September 15, 2015, "Cowspiracy" is available on Netflix streaming. If you do not have Netflix you can buy the DVD or the download on their website. And if you absolutely don't want to spend money on the film but still want to watch it I'm sure there are websites where you can find the movie for free (although I strongly advise against it because Keegan and Kip could use all the help they can get and buying the film or watching it on Netflix are the best ways to do that).

Wake Bali Captive Dolphins

Four dolphins are being kept in a 10mx20m chlorinated pool at the Wake Bali resort. In the exhibit, tourists are allowed to pet and hug the dolphins, which have gone nearly blind from the chlorine. On top of that, the pool in which they are kept overlooks the ocean, as if the conditions were not cruel enough.

Dolphins are highly intelligent and sentient creatures that have the ability to form complex family ties and a language outside of our comprehension. To keep them confined and drenched in chemicals is inhumane and wrong.

I don't feel that this post needs to be extremely long because the photos and logic speak for themselves.

Please sign the Change.org petition here to make sure our voices are heard.

Daily Mail article

Animal Dissections in Schools: a Debate

A month or so ago I posted a quick take on the video of Oklahoma students performing a dance routine with the bodies of cats intended to be used for educational purposes (see that post here), and today I am going to attempt to shed a little more light on the subject. Dissection of animals in the classroom has become a rather touchy subject throughout recent years. Debates have become quite heated as the treatment and production of the donated animals, as well as the actual necessity of the activity and how comfortable the students themselves are with the process. So let's dive in: The pros and cons of animal dissections in schools and why, ultimately, I believe that the activity should be banned.

Photo from pragmaticmom.com

We will begin with the positive effects of using real animals for scientific studies in schools. To begin with, studies have shown that many students better absorb the material being taught to them when they have hands-on experience. By dissecting the actual animal in their textbooks, they are able to comprehend the structures and functions of the body systems more easily than in a slideshow presentation, worksheet, or video. Others argue that once the animal is dead, why waste its body by simply disposing of it instead of using it to further our children's knowledge of the workings of the natural world around them. Another argument is that it is an experience, similar to a tradition or right of passage, and an important part of a student's life. I am not going to discount the importance of experiences in a person's life and how they shape them. I myself dissected a cow bone in the third grade, as well as two rats in my high school career. However, in my personal experience, these activities could have been just as easily completed on paper or virtually, as I had a solid comprehension of the material we were being taught and the formaldehyde fumes made me light-headed. Experiences are very important in a person's life, especially the developing youth that are going to shape the future of our world, and I am no one to discount that. However I do not believe that education should be the reason for any kind of suffering, and on that note, we move into the arguments for the banning of dissections in schools.

In my previous post about the students in Oklahoma, we witnessed the abuse of the bodies of cats that were intended for educational use. This is not an exception, this is not the only case. Students from Newport Harbor High School "were pictured [online] posing with the dead animals. One student held up a cat's head and pretended to lick it. The head of another turned up in a student’s locker," reported the Pacific Standard. 

The bodies of these animals are being abused by some teenagers, and causing emotional harm to others. In some schools, students are not given the option to opt out of dissecting animals, no matter how squeamish or uncomfortable they may feel. The acquisition of animals for these classes is not always honest. Yes, there are companies who breed animals specifically to donate their bodies to science, but there are also "donations" from pounds and pet shelters, slaughterhouses, pet stores, and even companion animals who "escaped" from their homes. Sometimes the animals are not dead when they are injected with formaldehyde, and must suffer a slow and painful death at the hand of the chemical. Others are cruelly killed by the workers in supply factories. PETA describes an instance where "one rabbit, still alive after being gassed, tried to crawl out of a wheelbarrow full of water and dead rabbits. Employees laughed as a coworker held the rabbit’s head underwater and pulled him out just as death seemed near, repeating the process again and again until, bored with the “game,” the employee held the animal’s head underwater long enough to drown him." These acts are horrific and the "educational experience" provided from the bodies of these abused earthlings is not even close to being worthy of their suffering.
Banning dissection programs is not the same as depriving the students from an important biological lesson, there are plenty of cruelty-free options and programs designed to give the students a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of organ systems. PETA provides a list of good programs here. These virtual animals provide the students with the option to complete the dissection without the needless death of an animal, as well as provide the more sensitive students with a preferred alternative to the real thing.

I understand that not all schools may be able to afford enough computers for students to run these programs, and that is not the school's fault. I do however, believe that the killing of innocent creatures for the purpose of elementary science is not necessary. Cruelty is not a necessary part of learning, and if anything should be minimalized in the educational system.

Photo from veganbean.com

To learn more check out:
PETA
Debate
NEAVS
NAVS
Pacific Standard
NSTA

Animal Dissection in Schools: Oklahoma

Until school ends in a couple of weeks I will not be able to produce an in-depth and better informed article on the controversy of using real animal corpses in academic dissections, but this video has recently brought the topic to light again. A very reputable charter school in Oklahoma, Harding Charter Preparatory High School, posted a video on their Facebook page of some of their students dancing with dead cats to the meow mix jingle. The cat corpses were to be used for in-class dissections, an activity that the Humane Society and PETA are now aggressively tackling at the school. The Humane Society recommends "the school could switch to plastic models, while PETA said it has software available for schools that wish to use computer models," stated a Huffington Post article.

Harding Charter's Facebook page is currently shut down and the students in the video (who still attend the school) are facing repercussions.

The Huffignton Post article touched briefly on the methods in which the cats and dogs used for dissections are acquired, but I will not go in-depth in that until school is over and I can provide a more comprehensive and detailed post on the acquisition and experimentation of dissection-destined animals.

To read the Huffington Post article click here

The Kim Kardashian Controversy: Fur

Kim Kardashian has always been a perpetrator of the fur business, often photographed in very large and expensive real fur coats, and she has always faced retaliation from viewers because of it. However, recently a video filmed at one of her book signings shows activists calling her a murderer and being removed from the store. I understand that fashion is a way for Kim to demonstrate her status, but the fact that she is simply ignoring the suffering behind her coats is very aggravating indeed. She has not issued any statements regarding her coats and does not confront her fans who ask her to change her ways.
The fur industry is brutal, small mammals (like rabbits and minks) are farmed in horrible confined conditions, skinned alive, and then have their bodies dumped in a massive pile. Not only is the industry wasteful, but it is inhumane and murderous.
There is very high quality faux fur on the market and it is becoming very hard to tell the difference, if Kim really wanted to use her fame for the greater good or any reason outside of being famous, she would switch to faux and show her support for her fellow earthlings. Not only would she then be taking some responsibility, but she would also be providing her fans with an affordable and doable action that they could take to help better our planet.

Here is the book signing video:

Tehuacan Private Zoo

Sergio Gomez, a conservative congressman for the Congress for the National Action Party in Mexico possessed a private zoo filled with 240 rare, and extremely cramped animals. The Tehuacan zoo was receiving complaints at the conditions the animals were living in and the safety of the guests. The animals were crammed into small cages that were vastly out of proportion with their needs. The Mexican government has already banned animals in circuses and recently passed a series of new laws regarding the treatment and rights of animals.

Photo from BBC

Due to the obvious violation of Gomez's zoo, officials took action; raiding the zoo and rescuing over 100 of the 240 held captive. Among those rescued were animals like tigers, lions, buffaloes, monkeys, crocodiles, pumas, bears, and jaguars. The animals had been held in cages stacked precariously on top of one another, causing them to be irritable as well as to experience serious psychological stress. (This set up also put the guests attending the zoo in danger) It is a good sign that even government officials cannot get away with animal cruelty in Mexico and I believe events like this don't get enough coverage. If other governments were to see how seriously the animal ethics laws are taken in other countries, maybe they would follow the example and mandate higher standards for the treatment of non-humans. I am proud of Mexico for standing by their legislation and acting on such a valuable cause.

To read the whole BBC article, click here

Berlin's Bear Controversy

Photo from The Guardian

Berlin's last living mascot, Schnute the bear, has grown old, frail, and ill throughout her 34 years of life. Now, the conditions Schnute has lived through have not been very healthy, as she and her now deceased sister bear, Maxi, were, according to the Berlin ear Alliance, "for 14 hours a day... kept in the inner enclosures of 8.5 by 11 square meters, only during the animal keepers’ working hours are they allowed on to two tiny concrete platforms surrounded by a wall mounted with giant iron thorns. Aluminum beer barrels, car tires, and a kind of paddling pool are supposed to provide distraction." The organization is now offering to put Schnute to sleep due to her psychological strain and apathetic behavior. I'm unsure where I stand on this issue, but I do feel that the situation should be spread.

To read the full Guardian article, click here

Triumph of Trunks

In the beginning of March the Ringling Bros., a very popular traveling circus, announced they would be retiring all circus elephants by 2018. Other large circus groups such as Barnum & Bailey Circus have followed suit, also announcing the end of the use of elephants for performances. By 2018, many major performers will no longer be using elephants in their shows, instead the gentle giants will be sent to reservations to live out their days in safety and comfort.
India, who has lead the way on several other animal rights moves, has also made progress in the circus elephant department, in fact, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has outright banned the use of pachyderms for entertainment. 67 elephants were released from neglected and abused captors when this ban was put in place, all retired to a safer habitat.
As many people know, elephants are extremely intelligent creatures and they suffer greatly psychologically and physically in many of the enclosures they're kept in for human purposes (see Chai and Bamboo). It is so relieving to see major entertainers and even governments are beginning to recognize that animals are not objects but earthlings and are actually taking action for it. This was a major move on the part of the circuses and I am proud of them for doing it.

Photo from NPR

Photo by KirschnerKorner

NPR Article
India release

SeaWorld Stops Dolphin Feeding

Now, as many of us know, SeaWorld has a pretty dark reputation when it comes to how they treat their sea creatures. Recently, the SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, has ended it's guest dolphin feeding program. The consistent offerings of food were causing obese, lethargic, aggressive, and underweight dolphins. With such a constant stream of food being offered, the dolphins grew more competitive, resulting in the weaker/lesser dolphins receiving very little food as they were constantly being bullied away by the larger, stronger dolphins. In light of the trainer deaths at SeaWorld (I recommend watching Blackfish to learn more) the dolphin feeding program had been facing a lot of criticism. When it became apparent the program was negatively affecting the dolphins in the exhibit, the program was cut.

SeaWorld has been disintegrating slowly for a long time now, and this degenerating has been seen as beneficial to the animal rights movement. The conditions the SeaWorld animals live in are in no way conducive to the well being of the animals themselves or the environment. Sea parks use up millions of gallons of water daily and in no way benefit the creatures housed in them. In a time where both life and water are so precious, the personal economy of tourist industries seems rather small doesn't it?

Photo from South Villa Orlando

To read the full Guardian article, click here.

Beyond Carnism

Oops another video :)
Melaine Joy presents a very logical argument and a very fascinating speech. It is a Ted Talk so it's under 20 minutes for those of you who have tight schedules. Enjoy and spread around!

Beyond Carnism- an idea worth spreading. Let's get that global paradigm a-shifting!

Saintfield Cruelty

Two farmers from Northern Ireland were jailed recently for incredible animal abuse on their farm. The vet that visited had to put down 75 of the animals which inhabited the farm, mostly cows and pigs. The BBC reported that "an inspection of the farm found animals not being properly fed and watered, and not given dry areas on which to lie," and also found the "carcasses of dead animals" on the farm. The judge overseeing the trial at the Downpatrick Magistrate Court called the scenario "one of the worst cases of cruelty in Northern Ireland or anywhere in these islands."
The animals were held in an extreme state of neglect, to the point where the dead bodies of others were not even noticed or removed from the holdings. This is a despicable act that was committed and I am proud of the government for interfering on behalf of the farm animals. 59 of the inhabitants managed to be saved, but that is still 16 less than the ones that had to be euthanized by a veterinarian because of the conditions they had been kept in. It's heartbreaking that there are still people who are identified as farmers who still treat their animals this way. These beings did nothing to deserve the treatment they received, and it is because of stories like this that I am so proud to be a member of this community. This community truly cares about the planet and helps to spread the word that once we are good to others, we are good to ourselves and societies will benefit.

Photo from BBC News

To read the whole BBC article click here

A Dark Side of Greyhound Racing

I have never been a fan of dog/horse races and derbies. The latest discovery made by the ABC television network has only enforced my resolve. The ABC program "Four Corners" did an episode on greyhound racing in South Wales and revealed that trainers were tying live rabbits, piglets, and possums to mechanical lures to get their dogs to run faster. Not only is this practice abominable, it is also illegal in the industry (and in general).
The board of Greyhound Racing NSW has officially disbanded/stepped down for their inability or unwillingness to prevent this behavior. Deputy Premier Troy Grant claimed “The government is committed to ensuring anyone caught blooding their dogs will be kicked out of the sport for life and we will restore the integrity of the industry" when addressed with the problem.

Though I personally do not believe the industry to have had much integrity to begin with, it is good that it has ethics that it is willing to uphold.

Photo by oocities.org

To read the full article click here.

101 Reasons to Go Vegan- the Presentation

It's another long video but it's another important one for those of you who have the time. (Sorry for lack of posts life has been happening, will be back on the wagon now.)

Chai and Bamboo: The Woodland Park Zoo Elephants

Though some zoos are very helpful when it comes to preserving and aiding endangered species, a lot of the time the animals on display suffer from psychological damage and are extremely unhappy. Such is the case with Chai and Bamboo, two elephants living in the Woodland Park Zoo. An animal rights group, The Elephant Justice Project, is ready to sue the zoo over the emotional conditions of their elephants.

Chai and Bamboo are to be moved, but it is up to the zoo whether they will be placed in an elephant sanctuary, or sent to another zoo. The activists are claiming the elephant's captivity is a violation of the Endangered Species Act.

To read more, click here

Beyoncé's Vegan Delivery Service

Photo from eonline.com

One of the biggest singers around, Beyoncé Knowles, has just announced she has partnered with her trainer to launch a vegan food delivery service. Not only is it great that HUGE celebrities like Beyoncé are acknowledging and advocating the power of plant-based diets, but this service will allow people to try out veganism with little to no effort on their part. It provides an easy way for people to experience the power of clean, sustainable eating. Beyoncé was inspired after she and Jay-Z did a 22-day vegan challenge, which both enjoyed greatly.
I can't even begin to describe how excited I am by this. Beyoncé has a lot of influence over many people globally, especially in the young and upcoming generations. By setting a vegan example and encouraging vegan programs, she's paving the way for those younger generations to change their lifestyles to one of better nutrition and ecologically sound. I'm hoping this program will have a similar effect to her "I am a feminist" announcement, because when she stood up and supported her belief, many of her fans followed. People who stand together become a movement, and a movement changes the world. Of course there will be those who are against her cause, but I believe a woman like Beyoncé can really REALLY make a difference when she puts her mind to it.

So for this new development I am very thankful to the Queen.

 

 

 

To read about it click here or here

Photo from PSMag.com

"The Best Speech You will Ever Hear"

Gary brings a lot of things to light in this speech. His passion is empowering and his words and images enlightening. I watch this whenever I feel like I need to be reminded of why I need to work my hardest and continue trying my best to open people's eyes to the violent industry around them. He uses both humor and brutal honesty to get his point across. The speech has been translated into several different languages so it is available to a lot of people. Please take the time to watch it. It is an hour long so maybe if you don't have the morning watch this on the weekend or instead of your nightly TV episodes, but do watch it- for everything.

Obama Pushes to Preserve Alaska

President Barack Obama is pushing to reserve more of the Alaskan coastal plains as wilderness refuge instead of potential oil sources. This is an incredible step for the States considering the environment has been sidelined in politics for a while now. However, Big Business America is angry at the president for trying to make this change because it cuts off their access to POTENTIAL oil sources. The Alaskan coastline is believed to have rich oil deposits, but in that location, no one knows for sure.
If the extra 12.3 million acres Obama is trying to save to indeed stay untouched, it would be a huge accomplishment for the United States and a great benefit to the environment. Species living in the ever-deteriorating way north would be able to remain in their habitats safely. I urge you all to voice your support for Obama's cause, for the polar bears, for the planet.

Photo from BBCnews.com

To read the BBC Article and more click here