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

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

Yulin's "Festival of Cruelty"

Caged dogs unable to move provided by Huffington Post

Yulin's dog eating festival has been around since the 1990's to welcome and celebrate the summer solstice each June. This year, the city of Yulin is expected to slaughter 10,000 dogs for the event. There are many issues that this festival brings forward, and this year all of them have been brought to light and met with more opposition than ever before. (THE IMAGES PRESENTED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE GRAPHIC)

The first point of concern is that China does not have animal protection laws, it is not illegal to eat dogs or cats in China; in fact, they are a common dish in the country. It is not their usual consumption that is the issue (as I will cover soon.) The local officials in Yulin claim that the festival is illegal and nonexistent, though it has been a reoccurring event for the past 25 years. This puts the blame and responsibility on the public, who are the ones celebrating the festival to begin with. Thus the festival has run unopposed by officials, however protesters have gathered each year to buy dogs off of participants, pray for dogs killed, and attempt to liberate the animals from the slaughterhouses.

The second issue is the health and sanitation, or lack there of, that is applied to the Yulin festival. Accounts of Rabies have increased greatly in Yulin in recent years. Michael Koziol of The Sydney Morning Herald reported that "there had been 338 reported cases between 2002 and 2006, making Yulin one of China's most affected cities." The blood and internal organs of the dogs slaughtered are strewn about slaughterhouse floors, causing even more dangers to health. Not only does this festival harm sentient animals, but it holds dangers to the human participants as well.

This brings us to the reason the festival is being protested: the treatment and acquisition of the dogs used in the celebration. Not all of the dogs used are bred for the festival or donated by willing owners and breeders. Household pets and strays from all over China are swiped from homes and off the streets, stolen from their families and lives to be slaughtered for the entertainment of another city halfway across the country. Children are losing their beloved companions for a horrific bloodbath that steals the lives of thousands of dogs (and cats) yearly.
Finally, we address the treatment of the dogs that are to "participate" in the Yulin festival. The dogs are packed into tiny cages, several in each one, providing no room for movement. Some even die of starvation or dehydration before they are taken out for slaughter. Some are burnt alive, some are boiled. Andrea Dung from the Duo Duo project claimed she witnessed dogs being slaughtered while "still wagging their tails," reports the UK Independent. The slaughterhouses are filled with carcasses of skinned dogs and those being drained of blood with their fur still intact. The conditions are truly horrific and can be described more accurately in pictures than in words. This is a second warning: these photos are graphic.

Dog being boiled alive as tweeted by Ricky Gervais

Dog meat preparation photo from The Guardian

A dog being burned alive, as tweeted by Ricky Gervais

Many will say that it is not my place as a westerner and someone who is not native to Yulin or China to criticize the culture and tradition and demand change. But the westerners are not the only ones protesting. Many Chinese citizens have voiced their disapproval online and at the protests in the city itself.

Times are changing, and traditions must too. In order to evolve, some things must be left behind. We can learn to live in peace but we must stop pointless slaughter like this to do so. If you want your voice to be heard make sure you sign the petition to stop the festival here and tag your photos, tweets, and other social medias with #stopyulin2015. We can change the world and we can save lives if we try together.

The Sydney Morning Herald
The Huffington Post
TIME
The Guardian 1 & 2

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