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July 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this edition...

 

 

 

 

 

Top Stories

 

  

World hunger: Agriculture and food in crisis

 

  

This just in: Vegetarian diets are fine (to say the least)

 

  

American Medical Association prescribes sustainable food chain

 

  

Meatless Mondays: Do something good for the earth and your health

 

 

Health

 

  

Vegetarian diet protects against some cancers

 

  

Embattled pigs source of Ebola virus, too

 

  

Wine, veg and minimal meat give the Mediterranean diet its most punch

 

  

Carbs: the secret to slim

 

 

Environment

 

  

The planet's future: Climate change 'will cause civilization to collapse'

 

  

Environmentalist Etiquette: 4 tips for how not to be a buzzkill at your next

cocktail party

 

  

Reduce your carbon footprint by half in three steps

 

 

Lifestyles and Trends

 

  

The rise and rise of the vegetarian

 

  

'I could never live without cheese'

 

  

For some Jews, kosher isn't enough to satisfy ethical standards

 

  

Idea of the day: Tax meat

 

 

Animal Issues and Advocacy

 

  

Hint of conservation push brightens whaling stalemate

 

  

Almost 25 per cent more foods labeled 'humane'

 

  

Don't have a cow, man - it's got rights

 

 

Books, Movies and Perspectives

 

  

Roger Ebert reviews 'Food, Inc.'

 

  

Author helps children understand 'why we don't eat animals'

 

  

Effective advocacy for animals

 

 

Of Note - Recipes, Websites, Videos and More 

 

 

 

 

 

Please help support VegE-News!

 

 

 

We'll say thanks with a special gift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to visit:

(Excerpts are included from current news stories. Click on the " Full story "

link to read the full article.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Top Stories    

 

 

 

 

World hunger: Agriculture and food in crisis

Full story: Monthly Review

 

" Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?, " asks the title of an article by

Lester Brown in Scientific American (May 2009). Just a few years ago, such a

question would have seemed almost laughable. Few will be surprised by it today.

In 2008 people woke up to a tsunami of hunger sweeping the world. Although the

prospect of rising hunger has loomed on the horizon for years, the present

crisis seemed to come out of the blue without warning. The causes for the

extraordinary spike in food prices in 2008, doubling over 2007 prices, brought

together long-term trends, at work for decades, with a number of more recent

realities. The most important long-term trends leading to the current situation

include increased diversion of corn grain and soybeans to produce meat as the

world's per ca pita meat consumption doubled in about forty years. As much as 95

per cent of calories are lost in the conversion of grain and soybeans to meat...

" Food for people, not for

profit " must be the slogan of the new agrifood systems.

 

 

 

 

Monthly Review - July 1

 

 

 

 

 

This just in: Vegetarian diets are fine (to say the least)

Full story: Los Angeles Times

 

Vegetarians have been pretty confident about this - and it likely comes as no

surprise to anyone capable of understanding a nutrition label. But the new

assessment comes from the American Dietetic Association so might carry some

weight with disease-threatened people on the fence. The judgment is offered up

in the organization's updated position paper on the matter. And the more

relevant aspect is that the paper says going meat-free may help prevent or treat

some chronic diseases. " It is the position of the American Dietetic Association

that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan

diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequa te and may provide health benefits in

the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets

are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including

pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes. "

 

 

 

 

Los Angeles Times - July 1

 

 

 

 

 

American Medical Association prescribes sustainable food chain

Full story: Environmental Leader

 

The American Medical Association (AMA) has approved a new policy that supports a

healthy and sustainable food chain within healthcare systems. AMA also plans to

work with healthcare and public health organizations to educate their community

and the public about the importance of healthy and ecologically sustainable food

systems. The AMA's new Sustainable Food policy builds on a report from its

Council on Science and Public Health.

 

Excerpt from the report (full report available from the link):

A sustainable food system includes sustainable agricultural practices as well as

other practices within the entire food system that promote and preserve ecology,

social values (just working conditions, humane treatment of animals), health,

and economic viability (fair incomes for families and local economies). Using a

" more/less " rather than " either/or " approach, local food is usually the most

sustainable. However, even eating more conventionally produced (i.e.,

nonorganic, nonlocal) fruits and vegetables in place of animal products improves

the sustainability of the food system. Conclusions: Healthy diets are rich in

fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in unhealthy fats, sodium, and

added sugars, but they also support environmental sustainability, economic

viability, and human dignity and justice. [Our emphasis.]

 

 

 

 

Environmental Leader - June 18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meatless Mondays: Do something good for the earth and your health

Full story: AlterNet

 

[by Kathy Freston.] I love a practical solution, especially when it's good all

around - for personal health, the environment, and for living consciously. So

when I received an email from Chris Elam, the director of the Meatless Monday

campaign - a project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and

the Columbia University School of Public Health, in association with

twenty-seven other public health schools - I was thrilled. The campaign is

focused on convincing the world not to eat chickens, pigs, and other animals -

just one day per week. When [such organizations] argue that the less meat you

eat, the better off you'll be, it's worth listening to them. Chris also wanted

to share their new video. I know that some vegetarians pooh pooh Meatless Monday

as not enough. I'm sympathetic to that view, but I think it's unnecessarily

strident. For people who think that going totally vegetarian is too challenging,

the Meatless Monday campaign offers

a gentle entrée into the idea of eating without eating animals. And another

point for those who might think that Meatless Monday is not enough: The first

family of vegetarianism - Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters - recently

launched the campaign in the UK.

 

 

 

 

AlterNet - July 7

More on the Meatless Monday campaign:

Meet Meatless Monday

Huffington Post (July 6)

UK: Meat Free Monday campaign with Paul McCartney

Paul sings about it!

UK: Why we should have meat-free Mondays

The Times (July 5)

Israel's finest restaurants join Vegetarian Monday initiative

Ynetnews, Israel (June 26)

Australia: Why flesh is the new fur

The Age, Australia (July 21)

A Mighty Appetite

Food blog by Kim O'Donnel of the Washington Post with weekly Meatless Monday

recipes and other info

Join the Meatless Monday movement

Global " meat free " petition

Meatout Mondays - a terrific weekly recipe and info resource

Ghent's veggie day info

On another front: Calls to curb meat consumption through labelling

The WWF suggests that red meat packs should carry labels advising people to

consume no more than three portions a week, and dairy products no more than

three a day, according to reports. - Food Navigator (July 1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Health    

 

 

 

 

Vegetarian diet protects against some cancers

Full story: Globe and Mail

 

If you favour meat over vegetarian fare, you might want to reconsider your menu.

According to a study published [week of July 13] in the British Journal of

Cancer, vegetarians are less likely than meat eaters to develop cancer. The most

striking difference was in cancers of the blood - leukemia, multiple myeloma and

non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It seems that the notion of a vegetarian diet being better

for you does, in fact, have strong scientific backing. The most recent study

compared the risks of 20 different types of cancer among 61,556 meat eaters and

vegetarians living in Britain who were followed for more than 12 years. The

researchers found that vegetarians were 12 per cent less likely to be diagnosed

with cancer than the meat eate rs - even after accounting for other risk factors

including smoking, alcohol intake and obesity. Compared to meat eaters,

vegetarians' risk of stomach cancer was reduced by 64 per cent, bladder cancer

by 53 per cent, multiple

myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow) by 75 per cent and non-Hodgkin lymphoma by

43 per cent. Previous studies have linked vegetarian diets with lower blood

cholesterol and blood pressure, lower body weights and a reduced risk of cancer.

 

 

 

 

Globe and Mail - July 15

 

 

 

 

 

Embattled pigs source of Ebola virus, too

Full story: Toronto Star

 

Pity the poor pigs. Seems they can catch anything but a break. First they were

the source of the H1N1 virus that's now reached pandemic proportions around the

globe. And now a form of Ebola - a contagious hemorrhagic ailment that can make

the worst swine flu look like a case of the sniffles - has been found in pigs, a

new study in the journal Science says. The disease, which can cause bleeding

from every cavity and organ and an agonizing death, was thought to reside

largely within remote monkey populations. But the confirmation of Ebola in at

least two pig herds in the Philippines has placed the disease a disconcerting

step closer to humans, researchers says.

 

 

 

 

Toronto Star - July 9

 

 

 

 

 

Wine, veg and minimal meat give the Mediterranean diet its most punch

Full story: Telegraph, UK

 

It has long been heralded as the perfect recipe for a long life but a new study

suggests that not all foods that make up the Mediterranean diet carry the same

benefits. Researchers found that eating large amounts of fish and seafood or the

low levels of dairy traditionally associated with the diet did little or nothing

to lengthen life span. However, drinking a glass of wine or two a day as well as

large amounts of fruit, vegetables and olive oil while keeping [meat and meat

product] consumption to a minimum did add up to a recipe for a longer life.

Drinking wine had the most benefit on life span the findings suggest, followed

by reducing meat consumption and then eating high numbers of fruit, vegetables

and nuts. [Link to study publish ed in the " British Medical Journal " . Note: The

original " Telegraph " article mentioned " red meat, " but the BMJ abstract says

" low consumption of meat and meat products. " The abstract also points out that

fish and seafood

consumption was low in the study group. " ]

 

 

 

 

Telegraph, UK - June 24

 

 

 

 

 

Carbs: the secret to slim

Full story: Globe and Mail

 

In the post-Atkins era, this might seem like strange advice: Eat carbohydrates

to help you stay lean. But according to a study of 4,451 healthy Canadians,

those whose diets contained the most carbohydrate had the lowest risk of being

overweight or obese. For the past decade, the debate over the best diet to

maintain a healthy weight has been centred around carbohydrates. In fact, recent

studies suggest that a high carbohydrate diet is indeed effective for losing

weight and outperforms a high protein diet when it comes to losing body fat and

lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. The current study, published in the July

issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, [concluded that] the

likelihood of being overweight or obese declined steadily as car bohydrate

intake increased.

 

 

 

 

Globe and Mail - July 14

 

 

 

 

 

Related/More Health News:

Weight gain problem for Asian immigrants to New Zealand

At home student Sophie Chang's parents had cooked all her meals, which involved

a lot of rice and vegetables, but in New Zealand she often ate fast food

takeaways. - Stuff, NZ (July 20)

Study: High-fat diet, especially one rich in animal fats, tied to pancreatic

cancer

WebMD (June 29)

Nitrites in meats fingered in rise of diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

Discovery News (July 15)

Antibiotics injected into chicken eggs is making Canadians resistant to meds

Macleans Magazine (June 17)

Polyphenols and health

Polyphenols (found in nuts, soy, chocolate, fruits, vegetables) may perform much

more important roles than previously thought, from providing basic nutrition to

reducing risk against chronic diseases. - Malaysia Star (July 19)

The common sense diet

Local, organic, humane, heirloom, slow, hormone-free, sustainable, ethical,

free-range, grass-fed, fair trade, heritage, non-GMO . . . or whatever - Calgary

Herald/Ottawa Citizen (July 23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Environment    

 

 

 

 

The planet's future: Climate change 'will cause civilization to collapse'

Full story: Independent, UK

 

An effort on the scale of the Apollo mission that sent men to the Moon is needed

if humanity is to have a fighting chance of surviving the ravages of climate

change. The stakes are high, as, without sustainable growth, " billions of people

will be condemned to poverty and much of civilization will collapse. " This is

the stark warning from the biggest single report to look at the future of the

planet. Backed by a diverse range of leading organizations such as UNESCO, the

2009 State of the Future report runs to 6,700 pages and draws on contributions

from 2,700 experts around the globe... Jerome Glenn, director of the Millennium

Project and one of the report's authors, said: " There are answers to our g lobal

challenges, but decisions are still not being made on the scale necessary to

address them. Three great transitions would help both the world economy and its

natural environment - to shift as much as possible from freshwater agriculture

to saltwater

agriculture; produce healthier meat without the need to grow animals; and

replace gasoline cars with electric cars. "

 

 

 

 

Independent, UK - July 12

Related:

Global catastrophe or sustainable future? It will depend largely on our food

choices!

By Richard H. Schwartz, President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)

and Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) - European Vegetarian

Union (July)

Q & A on Factory Farming with Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary

Vegetarian Times (June 25)

On a happier note from Farm Sanctuary... Escape from New York slaughterhouse: A

runaway goat’s survival story - 7-month-old Doughty's charming personality -

and his heroic getaway - challenge the commonly-held assumption that farm

animals are merely sources of food.

 

 

 

 

 

Environmentalist Etiquette: 4 tips for how not to be a buzzkill at your next

cocktail party

Full story: Huffington Post

 

Recently, I walked into my friends' house for a drinks-and-barbecue

get-together, and before I could even hug the hostess hello, she greeted me with

an apology. " I'm so sorry I didn't have time to go to Whole Foods to buy organic

meat. I hope regular hamburgers and hot dogs are OK. " I assured the hostess that

despite my passion for everything green, I was not keeping tally of her

household's environmental missteps. OK, maybe I was, secretly. But there's a

fine line between engagement and annoyance, and I've found that by sticking to

the following code of etiquette, I've been successful in sparking people's

interest in environmental issues without driving them nuts. 1. Recognize that

none of us is perfect. 2. Know your audience. 3. Lead by example. 4. Most

importantly, make green fun.

 

 

 

 

Huffington Post - June 29

Related:

The above tips for environmentalists are equally relevant for vegetarians and

vegans too. Here are thoughts in a similar vein:

Can vegans be fun?

The best moments in vegan activism come when someone looks at the way we eat and

says, 'Wow - I could do that.' - The Vegan Dietician Blog (July 2)

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce your carbon footprint by half in three steps

Full story: Planet Green

 

Your carbon footprint can be sort of a difficult thing to visualize - you can't

really see your carbon emissions trailing up into the atmosphere as you go about

your life. You surely know that burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gas

emissions, and that it's not just your car that contributes to your carbon

footprint - the electricity you use in your home, your airplane travel, even the

food you eat has a significant impact on the number that goes with your

particular footprint. And, while every person's footprint is a bit different,

one thing is true for everyone: You can reduce your carbon footprint by half (or

more!) with these three tips. 1. Become a weekday vegetarian, 2. Buy green

power, 3. Fly less... It's no good to stand around shouting at folks wh o just

won't give up meat. Happily, we've found a happy medium: Be a weekday

vegetarian. It's simple, easy to remember, much cheaper than buying all meat,

all the time, and still has a significant

impact.

 

 

 

 

Planet Green - July 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Lifestyles and Trends    

 

 

 

 

The rise and rise of the vegetarian

Full story: Independent, UK

 

Forget lentils and tofu. Vegetarian cooking is enjoying a makeover, prompting

meat-eaters to put down their steak knives. New green cuisine is tapping into

the rise of the " flexitarian, " the occasional vegetarian who is helping their

waistline and the planet by eating less meat. Vegetarian food is hitting the

mainstream. A recent poll showed that 86 per cent of Brits eat non-meat meals

once or twice a week, forcing restaurants to follow suit. " Historically, chefs

haven't liked vegetarians but that is changing. Younger chefs particularly

understand the need for vegetarian food, " said [one chef], who owns several

restaurants in London. " So many more people want vegetarian food these days and

it's my job to cater for them. " The doyen of crossover cooking is the French

triple Michelin-starred chef Alain Passard, who took meat off the menu at his

vaunted Parisian restaurant L'Arpège at the height of the BSE scare in 2001.

 

 

 

 

Independent, UK - July 12

Related:

Recession flexitarians

Today, the USDA estimates that the production of meat from every major category

of farm animal will drop for the first time since 1973. - Gourmet Magazine

(June)

Majority of school nutrition programs now offer vegetarian school lunches

Medical News Today (June 22)

 

 

 

 

 

'I could never live without cheese'

Full story: Earthsaver Newsletter (pdf - scroll down)

 

It's a cry I often hear when telling people I'm vegan, one I sang many times

myself before switching to a plant-based diet. There's something about cheese,

in its many forms, flavours and uses that makes us a little crazy, makes us

panic at the thought of living without it, even for short periods of time. But

I'm here to tell you there is life after cheese. I knew I had an uphill battle

and would need some strategies. [The article includes ideas tha] helped me and

may help you... Eating a plant-based diet, I've discovered so many new recipes

and ways of preparing food that I really don't miss cheese. I never thought it

was possible, but I don't. Not only is there life after cheese, there's

delicious, healthy food and, for me, a greater sense of compassion and peace.

Whethe r it's because I no longer get cheese rage or because my eating habits

are keeping baby cows out of crates and cow-poo out of rivers, it's definitely a

better life. One I wouldn't give

up for all the Gouda in the world.

 

 

 

 

Earthsaver Newsletter (pdf - scroll down) - July - September

 

 

 

 

 

For some Jews, kosher isn't enough to satisfy ethical standards

Full story: Austin American Statesman, TX, U.S.

 

Malka Dubrawsky and her husband, Robert Trent, decided to go vegetarian after

she heard a radio show about mad cow disease, she said. By keeping a vegetarian

diet, she and her husband are also keeping kosher, a Jewish dietary law spelled

out in the Torah that prohibits mixing meat with dairy and requires that birds

and mammals be slaughtered in a way that ensures they do not suffer. Dubrawsky

and Trent, both 42, are part of a trend among Jews to combine their religious

views with the goal of consuming local, organic food. Called ethical kashrut,

it's the idea that adherence to Jewish dietary laws is as important as the

ethics and social justice involved in the creation and processing of food.

 

 

 

 

Austin American Statesman, TX, U.S. - June 28

Related:

Daniel Brook: Why Jews should consider vegetarianism

Tikkun Magazine (June)

A SACRED DUTY: Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal The World

JVNA video

 

 

 

 

 

Idea of the day: Tax meat

Full story: The Atlantic

 

Reasons for eating less meat range from the personal to the global... So how do

we cut back? Convincing the world's meat-eaters that cattle, sheep, and pigs are

our relatives may take more time than we have. But there's always the pocketbook

route to changing behavior. Taxing meats with a surcharge that would go into a

fund to care for people with meat-induced illnesses would be one approach. And

ending the U.S. and international policies and subsidies that have made meat,

especially beef, artificially cheap would drive meat-eating out of fashion in a

hurry. Less meat for the world's most privileged people? Sounds like a

win-win-win: better health for people, animals, and planet.

 

 

 

 

The Atlantic - June 22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Animal Issues and Advocacy    

 

 

 

 

Hint of conservation push brightens whaling stalemate

Full story: New Scientist

 

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) may be shifting towards a more

conservation-oriented role after this week backing an ambitious Australian plan

for non-lethal whale research. " It's part of a move by the IWC from being a

whalers' club to being a whale conservation body, " says Patrick Ramage, director

of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). " There's a bit of a sea

change going on at the commission. " Presented by Australian environment minister

Peter Garrett, the AU$1.5-million ($1.2 million) plan aims to demonstrate the

value of non-lethal methods for tracking and researching whales. It contrasts

with Japan's controversial " research " program, which has been described as a

front for commercia l whaling.

 

 

 

 

New Scientist - June 26

Related:

Watching whales watching us

Whales, we now know, teach and learn. They scheme. They cooperate, and they

grieve. They recognize themselves and their friends. They know and fight back

against their enemies. And perhaps most stunningly, given all of our

transgressions against them, they may even, in certain circumstances, have

learned to trust us again. - New York Times (July 12)

 

 

 

 

 

Almost 25 per cent more foods labeled 'humane'

Full story: Food and Drink Europe

 

The availability of [so-called] humanely produced food products in U.S.

supermarkets has risen by nearly a quarter since last year, according to a

survey from The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). U.S.

programs director for WSPA Dena Jones said: " The survey results indicate that

people are becoming more sensitive to the cruel and unsustainable methods used

to raise farm animals and are seeking humane alternatives. Consumer demand

influences what stores offer. " However, WSPA claimed that consumers are confused

by the array of different labeling systems in use. The organization also warned

consumers about the use of labels that claim 'no antibiotics used' or 'no

hormones administered,' and said: " 'No antibioti cs used' suggests animals were

not raised on a factory farm, but by itself does not indicate high animal

welfare. " In addition it pointed out that 'natural' " has no relevance to animal

welfare " and 'naturally raised' is subject to a

voluntary definition that " does not require freedom of movement and access to

fresh air and sunlight for the animal. " [We are lucky to have WSPA working for

animals world-wide. Their current campaigns can be found on their website. Also,

check out the Farm Sanctuary petition in the " Of Note " section below.]

 

 

 

 

Food and Drink Europe - July 10

From the VegE-News archives:

The trend is a positive sign that consumer attitudes are moving in a more

thoughtful direction, but, as the article points out, all the more reason to be

vigilant. There have been many articles in past issues of VegE-News on this

subject. Here is one from the January issue: 'Naturally raised' - what it

doesn't mean

American Prospect (January 22)

Also, here is some info from Farm Sanctuary Truth behind labels

Please also see the link to the Farm Sanctuary petition in our " Of Note " section

below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't have a cow, man - it's got rights

Full story: Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

 

He was dux [top student] of his school at 15, and though barely old enough to

buy a beer or to vote, is already in the fourth year of a combined law degree.

So what does Sining Wang, 18, once described as a boy genius, get up to in his

university holidays? A bit of string theory? Some laidback actuarial algorithms?

Researching the law as it applies to pigs and cows and chickens, actually.

" There's so much potential in animal law, " he said. " It's an area where you can

really make a difference and see it. You could compare it with environmental law

back in the day. No one really cared about it, and it's now among the most

important issues we talk about. " He and a fellow student at Melbourne Law

School, Edward Liew, 22, see legal advocacy a nd lobbying as the way to a better

world for farm animals and the people who rely on them.

 

 

 

 

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - July 21

Related:

Should boiling lobsters alive be outlawed?

Includes video and a poll - Huffington Post (June 26)

Betting the farm against reforms

HSUS (June 30)

Poor earnings lead Smithfield to delay phaseout of gestation crates for pigs

An example of why legislation is needed - Virginian-Pilot, U.S. (June 25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Books, Movies and Perspectives    

 

 

 

 

Roger Ebert reviews 'Food, Inc.'

Full story: Chicago Sun-Times

 

The next time you tuck into a nice T-bone, reflect that it probably came from a

cow that spent much of its life standing in manure reaching above its ankles.

That's true even if you're eating the beef at a pricey steakhouse. The next time

you admire a plump chicken breast, consider how it got that way. The

egg-to-death life of a chicken is now six weeks. They're grown in cages too

small for them to move, in perpetual darkness to make them sleep more and

quarrel less. They're fattened so fast they can't stand up or walk. Their entire

lives, they are trapped in the dark, worrying. All of this is overseen by a

handful of giant corporations that control the growth, processing and sale of

food in this country. [They] are committed to the goals of most corporati ons:

maximize profits and executive salaries. This review doesn't read one thing like

a movie review. But most of the stuff I discuss in it, I learned from the new

documentary Food, Inc.. I figured it

wasn't important for me to go into detail about the photography and the

editing. I just wanted to scare the bejesus out of you, which is what Food, Inc.

did to me.

 

 

 

 

Chicago Sun-Times - June 17

Related:

The movie is receiving a lot of buzz and, though it is not overtly pro-vegan,

many animal rights activists are also promoting it as a must-see precisely

because it has the potential to enlighten the mainstream in a way that many

movies have or could not. Here are more links:

An interview with director Robert Kenner

AlterNet (June 25)

Lettuce from the garden, with worms

New York Times (June 21)

A vegan take on 'Food, Inc.'

Despite my misgivings, " Food, Inc. " nevertheless does a great service to the

vegan cause, because as long as agribusiness is corrupt, powerful, and gigantic,

veganism will always be on society’s fringes... The enemy of agribusiness is

my friend, so with that in mind I’m thrilled that " Food, Inc. " has been

released. I expect it to inflict a lasting blow upon factory farming interests.

- Vegan.com (June 25)

An Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter,

and Poorer - And What You Can Do About It - Companion book to the movie

 

 

 

 

 

Author helps children understand 'why we don't eat animals'

Full story: Green Muze

 

Ruby Roth. Remember that name, as you'll be hearing a lot more about her. An

American teacher, writer and artist, Roth has come up with an innovative and

somewhat controversial solution for helping children foster compassion towards

animals - tell them the truth. Don't terrify or shame them, but with kindness,

whimsy and age-appropriate imagery, show children that animals are sentient

beings. Roth's new book That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans,

Vegetarians, and All Living Things is the first book of its kind targeted toward

young people. A candid, but gentle book that discusses what are normally

considered taboo subjects for children, such as factory farming, battery hen

cages, overfishing, habitat erosion, rainforest health and endangered species in

relation to food. We caught up with Ruby Roth to ask her a few questions about

writing the first book for kids that deals honestly with the plight of animals

and if it was difficult to find

a publisher for her cutting edge work. [The book has been endorsed by Jane

Goodall, Alicia Silverstone, Ingrid Newkirk, Ed Begley, Rory Freedman, and

others. Here's the book's website. Ruby talks about the book on youtube.]

 

 

 

 

Green Muze - July 6

 

 

 

 

 

Effective advocacy for animals

Full story: Examiner.com

 

I knew I would like The Animal Activist's Handbook even before I picked it up.

I've long been a fan of Matt Ball who is co-founder of Vegan Outreach. His

essays (published on that group's website) are among the most thoughtful,

generous and focused pieces I've read on veganism and animal rights [Editor's

note: ditto]. I knew less about his co-author Bruce Friedrich, and was curious

to hear about his perspective, since he works for PETA, whose tactics don't

always sit well with me. Bruce brings an interesting background to his work -

coming to animal rights from employment in a homeless shelter - and I ended up

being pleasantly surprised by his point of view. Together, these two seasoned

activists have put together a guide that is motivating, inspiri ng and - best of

all - useful. The book ends with a chapter titled " Is Animal Liberation

Possible? " If you're looking for a little morale boost, this chapter alone is

worth the price of admission. Animal

liberation is the moral imperative of our time and, according to Matt and

Bruce, we can revel in the opportunity we have to be a part of the world's next

great ethical advance. It will happen - but it is dependent on optimal advocacy.

That's why every animal rights activist needs to read this book. [Watch an

informative VegSource interview with Bruce Friedrich.]

 

 

 

 

Examiner.com - June 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Of Note - Recipes, Websites, Videos and More    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer salad a feast for the eyes too!

With a fridge full of fresh organic veggies and fruits, yours truly was inspired

to create this tasty summer salad, featuring roasted asparagus, yellow pepper

and fennel with blueberries, strawberries and edible flowers from the garden.

You'll find the recipe for it and lots more - ideas for picnics, barbques, light

lunches, easy vegan desserts - at the link below. And, not to forget our readers

from downunder, there are recipes for winter fare, too! Plus, if you're just

getting started on veggie eating - or want some healthy eating info - be sure to

browse " Lana's tips " at the link. VegE-News recipes

 

 

The 'Vegan Poet' invites participation in her new 'Vegan Voices' project

Butterfly Katz has launched a great resource to inspire and enlighten - the

VEGAN VOICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD project. Check out the web link below. She is

seeking more profiles of leaders within the vegan movement, vegan activists,

forerunners of the first vegan societies, humane educators, authors and

journalists, vegan chefs and cookbook writers, philosophers, website owners,

vegan-abolitionist bloggers, founders and directors of organizations, athletes,

politicians, doctors and lawyers, registered dieticians, vegan business owners,

and vegan event trendsetters. (Phew!) If you are a fit or if you have

nominations, please send them to her via the site.

Vegan Voices

Time for Change - article by Butterfly Katz

More articles by Butterfly Katz

 

International veg guide

VegGuide.org has useful info on vegetarian shopping and dining around the world.

VegGuide.org

 

Video: Dr. McDougall on health care

Dr. McDougall weighs in on the health debate in the U.S., but his comments have

import everywhere. " We're eating the world - and ourselves - to death... The

U.S. health care system is based on profit - all the financial incentive is

toward sickness "

Dr. McDougall MD on health

 

Calls to action

Here's an impressive effort my a young man to make a difference by calling on

his fellow students to get involved to help hungry children and endangered

gorillas.

1000 classrooms

 

Support academic freedom at Cornell University. Your vote can help reinstate Dr.

T. Colin Campbell's plant-based nutrition course " Vegetarian Nutrition. "

Academic Freedom Petition

 

Pets in Korea need protection against cruel practices!

Stop pet slaughter in Korea

 

Farm Sanctuary is asking for help to reach their goal of 10,000 signatures on

their petition urging the USDA to reconsider its decision to allow a " naturally

raised " label on meat products from animals on factory farms.

Farm Sanctuary Label Petition

 

Walk for Farm Animals - October 2

Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel

practices of the " food animal. " The Walk for Farm Animals helps fund and raise

awareness about their vital, education and advocacy efforts.

Walk for Farm Animals 2009

 

Attention veggie organizations and members

If you are a vegetarian organization that would like your own customized version

of VegE-News, let us know. We are pleased to produce customized versions of

VegE-News for the Australian Vegetarian Society, the New Zealand Vegetarian

Society, Vegetarians of Alberta, the Toronto Vegetarian Association, and the

Winnipeg Vegetarian Association. Members receive the regular VegE-News PLUS

listings of their local events. If you are a member of one of those

organizations, but not receiving the customized version, just drop us an email

to switch you to the specific list.

Email VegE-News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note:

Whenever possible, stories are linked to the original source. Some sites may

require registration, and/or not archive the stories. All links were active at

the time of publication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow these links to  to the VegE-News.

 

For more information about this newsletter, contact: VegE-News

 

Click here to view the VegE-News archives.

 

 

 

 

 

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