May 2008


In this edition...

Top Stories
  Major new U.S. report targets costs of factory farming
  Carnivores like us - eating meat not just about individual choice anymore
  Oprah Winfrey goes vegan!
  Animals confiscated from slaughterhouse find refuge

Health
  Judge orders poultry giant to stop misleading ad campaign
  EU food agency: Food can pass resistant bacteria to people
  Hygiene in French abattoirs called 'apocalyptic'
  Ads saying dairy products help you lose weight are misleading, study shows

Environment
  Top 10 reasons why it's green to go veggie
  Cod fall may speed 'toxic tide'
  Is cheap meat bigger threat to Amazon than biofuels?

Lifestyles and Trends
  PETA India proposes veg diet to Bush
  How the Vatican views animals, and why Christians should care
  Do hamburgers cause crime?
  Proud vegetarians take to the streets of New York

Animal Issues and Advocacy
  Kangaroo killings draw protests
  UK: Roger Moore wages foie gras battle for PETA
  Paul Watson and the armada of death
  Working to help animals in Chinese markets
  Animal sentience: Horses can count, new study says

Books and Perspectives
  Karen Dawn 'monkey''s around in new animal activism book

Of Note
 

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(Excerpts are included from current news stories. Click on the "Full story" link to read the full article.)
  Top Stories    

Major new U.S. report targets costs of factory farming
Full story: Washington Post

Factory farming takes a big, hidden toll on human health and the environment, is undermining rural America's economic stability and fails to provide the humane treatment of livestock increasingly demanded by American consumers, concludes an independent, 2 1/2 -year analysis that calls for major changes in the way corporate agriculture produces meat, milk and eggs. The report released [April 29], sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, finds that the "economies of scale" used to justify factory farming practices are largely an illusion, perpetuated by a failure to account for associated costs. Among those costs are human illnesses caused by drug-resistant bacteria associated with the rampant use of antibiotics on feedlots and the degradation of land, water and air quality caused by animal waste too intensely concentrated to be neutralized by natural processes.

Washington Post - April 30, 2008
Related:
Report: Livestock industry needs overhaul
Des Moines Register (April 29, 2008)
Quote: “We found significant influence by the industry at every turn: in academic research, agriculture policy development, governmental regulation, and enforcement,” the study said.
The report: "Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Production in America" - pdf format


Carnivores like us - eating meat not just about individual choice anymore
Full story: Seed Magazine

For decades, anyone who argued that humans should be eating less meat, or none at all, did so largely on moral grounds such as animal rights, or for religious reasons - arguments that the rest of society was free to ignore. True, one could make a science-based case for eating less meat, especially the fatty meat that comes from grain-fed livestock. Yet if people wanted to clog their arteries, the damage came at one's own expense. Now the idea that meat-eating is purely an individual choice, and the costs affect only the individual, has been blown wide open. Just as chuffing on Marlboros or driving a gas-guzzling SUV have become the modern day equivalent of wearing a scarlet letter, so too has meat-eating graduated from the category of lifestyle choice to that of collective responsibility. What's more, it's clear that the question of how much meat we can or should eat cannot be resolved without a more global scientific approach. [The entire article, adapted from the forthcoming book "The End of Food" by Paul Roberts, is highly recommended.]

Seed Magazine - May 15, 2008


Oprah Winfrey goes vegan!
Full story: MSNBC

Oprah is championing a new cause - and not one animal will be harmed along the way. The talk show queen has announced she is going vegan for 21 days as part of a cleanse, on her official blog. After rereading the book, A New Earth, Oprah was inspired to remove meat and animal products from her life for a brief time. "How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?" she wrote. By day two of Oprah's new vegan life, she was extolling its virtues to her legions of fans. "Wow, wow, wow! I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying," she wrote [on her blog].

MSNBC - May 22, 2008
Related:
Oprah's blog: The 21-day cleanse
Quote: There was a passage in Kathy Freston's book ["Quantum Wellness"] that so related to me, I thought for a moment she was talking about me. In the passage, Kathy talks about an overweight friend who would gain and lose. She didn't conquer the weight issue until she became a "conscious" eater.
Oprah Winfrey goes vegan
Ecorazzi (May 21, 2008)
Want to join Oprah? Take the Veggie Challenge from the Toronto Vegetarian Association
The books that inspired Oprah: New Earth  Quantum Wellness


Animals confiscated from slaughterhouse find refuge
Full story: Center Daily Times, PA, U.S.

Farm Sanctuary, which operates the largest rescue and refuge network for farm animals in North America, and Animal Place, a nonprofit sanctuary for abused and discarded farmed animals, have responded to a call from Santa Cruz [California] Animal Services and are coming to the aid of 14 neglected animals confiscated from a slaughterhouse on May 1... "It is not only sad and frustrating to know these animals endured such neglect, but also alarming that these sick animals were destined for someone's dinner table," said Leanne Cronquist, California Shelter manager. "After the rampant abuse the public saw at the Chino slaughterhouse earlier this year - followed by a massive beef recall - as well as the abuse Farm Sanctuary investigators have witnessed at small and large facilities alike, it's clear that animal cruelty in agriculture is systemic. Fortunately, at Farm Sanctuary, these animals will now get the care they deserve and will never have to face the brutal end that awaited them had they not been saved."

Center Daily Times, PA, U.S. - May 5, 2008
Related:
Humane Society releases new video of mistreated livestock
KVIX, TX, U.S./Associated Press (May 8, 2008) - Watch the video
Animal rights group seeks probe of poultry firm after undercover video shows abuse
Los Angeles Times (May 6, 2008)
Farm Sanctuary

 
  Health    

Judge orders poultry giant to stop misleading ad campaign
Full story: Baltimore Sun, MD, U.S.

A federal judge ordered Tyson Foods to stop using a recent advertising campaign because he says it is misleading consumers into believing that the poultry giant is raising its chickens drug-free. The U.S. District Court ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed against the company by ... competing poultry producers [who] claim that they're losing millions of dollars to Tyson because its advertising falsely claims that the company's birds are not medicated. All three producers feed their chickens food containing antibiotic "ionophores," which prevent intestinal illness and are largely considered harmless antibiotics. But Tyson is the only one implying that its chickens are safer for consumers to eat. The case has highlighted concerns about food safety and how companies use marketing tactics to gain an edge over competitors. Excessive antibiotic use in animals has raised health concerns in the medical community, which fears it could lead to drug-resistant bacteria taking hold in people.

Baltimore Sun, MD, U.S. - April 23, 2008

EU food agency: Food can pass resistant bacteria to people
Full story: Tehran Times, Iran

The use of antibiotics and other anti-microbial agents throughout the food chain contributes to the growth of resistant bacteria that can be passed on to humans through food, EU's food agency said on [April 17]. The resistance of bacteria has become a growing concern as anti-microbials become less effective in fighting infections, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said in a statement. This has coincided with a rise in bacterial resistance to anti-microbial agents in animals, the EFSA said, citing a draft opinion paper by one of its expert panels which was looking into causes of the growing and diverse range of resistant bacteria and bacteria-borne resistant genes. The main foods carrying antimicrobial resistant bacteria were poultry meat, eggs, pork or beef as well as fresh salads, which can be contaminated during preparation, handling and processing, [and from land irrigated with water contaminated by animal sewage] it said. The panel found bacteria could be passed directly to people from contaminated food of animal origin.

Tehran Times, Iran - April 29, 2008
Related:
Antimicrobial meat decontaminates step nearer
NutraIngredients, Europe (April 3, 2008)


Hygiene in French abattoirs called 'apocalyptic'
Full story: WorldPoultry.net/Le Point, France

About a quarter of the meat that is sold in France was not processed in slaughter plants that meet European requirements on hygiene, the weekly journal Le Point recently reported on the basis of a secret report of the French department of food safety (DGAL). In almost half of the abattoirs for poultry and rabbits and in 42 per cent of the pig, cattle and calves hygiene issues were at stake, the magazine added. "The situation in the slaughterhouses can sometimes be called apocalyptic," [the journal says].

WorldPoultry.net/Le Point, France - May 6, 2008
Related:
One third of EU turkey flocks have salmonella
Farmers Guardian, UK (May 15, 2008)


Ads saying dairy products help you lose weight are misleading, study shows
Full story: Science Daily

There have been recent claims that dairy products can help people lose weight, and the dairy industry has hyped the assertion by investing millions of dollars in commercial advertising. However, a new review of the evidence reveals that neither dairy nor calcium intake promotes weight loss. [Researchers] evaluated evidence from 49 clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 that assessed the effect of milk, dairy products, or calcium intake on body weight and BMI, with or without the use of dieting. Evidence from the trials showed that neither dairy products nor calcium supplements helped people lose weight. An association between calcium or dairy intake and weight loss seen in some observational studies may be attributable to other factors, such as exercise, decreased soda intake, lifestyle habits, or increased fiber, fruit, and vegetable intake.

Science Daily - May 2, 2008
Related:
Calcium and strong bones
PCRM - Quote: Although many people think of calcium in the diet as good protection for their bones... In fact, in a 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women, those who drank milk three times a day actually broke more bones than women who rarely drank milk.
More evidence links cow’s milk to type 1 diabetes
Foodconsumer.org (May 11, 2008)

 
  Environment    


Top 10 reasons why it's green to go veggie
Full story: KGMB News, HI, U.S.

What we choose to eat is one of the most significant factors in the personal impact we have on the environment and the fastest path to climate change. A recent study, examining the impact of a typical week's eating, showed that plant-based diets are better for the environment than those based on meat. A vegan, organic diet had the smallest environmental impact. The single most damaging foodstuff was beef and all non-vegetarian diets, which require significantly greater amounts of environmental resources such as land and water. It is noteworthy that the United Nations and many leading environmental organizations - including the National Audubon Society, the WorldWatch Institute, the Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists - have recognized that raising animals for food damages the environment more than just about anything else that we do. Whether it's unchecked air or water pollution, soil erosion, or the overuse of resources, raising animals for food is wreaking havoc on the Earth.

KGMB News, HI, U.S. - April 22, 2008
Related:
Low carbon diet calculator
Bon Appétit


Cod fall may speed 'toxic tide'
Full story: BBC

Declining fish stocks could be partly responsible for algal blooms in the oceans, researchers have found. Scientists found that the fall in cod stocks in the Baltic Sea in recent decades increased numbers of the tiny marine plants that produce the blooms. Algal blooms - sometimes known as "toxic tides" - can be poisonous to people, fish and other wildlife, and may be on the increase worldwide.

BBC - May 7, 2008
Related:
How the world's oceans are running out of fish
Guardian, UK (May 11, 2008)


Is cheap meat bigger threat to Amazon than biofuels?
Full story: Spiegel International

Brazil plans to massively expand the production of biofuels but environmental campaigners worry about the effect this will have on the rainforest. Germany's environment minister, who recently visited the country, thinks demand for cheap meat presents an even great danger... He'd much rather that Germans came to an uncomfortable realization: the big problem concerns the soya that Europe imports as animal feed, and the subsidies that support European farmers. "German farmers are profiting from the logging of the rainforest much more than Brazilians," Gabriel said. He argues that German society must take a hard look at its meat consumption.

Spiegel International - May 7, 2008
Related:
Amazon soy moratorium: So far, so good
E/The Environmental Magazine (April 8, 2008)

 
  Lifestyles and Trends    

PETA India proposes veg diet to Bush
Full story: Times of India

One way to beat the worldwide grain shortage is for meat-eaters to turn vegetarian, and the movement should start with U.S. President George Bush, the Indian affiliate of the animal rights organization PETA has said. Jumping headlong into the controversy that began with Bush's misconstrued remarks about India's role in the rise of food prices worldwide, PETA India has written a letter to the US President urging him to become a vegetarian and asking other compassionate Americans to follow his example. How will kicking wealthy countries' addiction to meat help feed starving people? PETA India's letter points out that the world is already growing enough crops to feed every human being, but food that could be used to nourish starving people is instead fed to billions of chickens, pigs, and cows who are slaughtered for their flesh.

Times of India - May 15, 2008

How the Vatican views animals, and why Christians should care
Full story: Harvard Crimson

As 41,000 devout Catholics crowd the new Washington Nationals Stadium [on April 17] for a Holy Mass led by Pope Benedict XVI, animal protection is not likely to be on their minds. Amid the great questions of war, justice, and life, animals might also appear a humble concern for the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. But the Pope himself has suggested that the issue of animal protection is far from irrelevant to the Catholic faith. When a German journalist put the issue to the then Cardinal Ratzinger in 2002, he received a surprising answer. The Pontiff-to-be called the issue "very serious," detailing his theological belief that animals are God's creatures, deserving of merciful treatment by man. Ratzinger specifically attacked the practice of factory farming, which affects 10 billion animals in America each year. Yet the average American church is strangely out of tune with the Pope's sentiment.

Harvard Crimson - April 17, 2008
Related:
Inquiring minds ask: Where do animals and religion meet?
Los Angeles Times (April 17, 2008)
"Honouring God's Creation"
Documentary from Christian Vegetarian Association
"A SACRED DUTY: Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal The World"
Documentary from Jewish Vegetarians of North America


Do hamburgers cause crime?
Full story: New York Times blogs

Most of us who eat meat regularly would still rather not kill an animal with our own hands. So we have, for generations, delegated that work to others. Jennifer Dillard, at Georgetown Law, authored a new paper looking at what that delegation costs the workers of industrial slaughterhouses. She argues that prolonged work on a kill floor exposes workers to the risk of psychological damage, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and that they should be compensated for any ill effects they suffer. Giving slaughterhouse workers therapy might also reduce another cost associated with the meat-processing industry: increased crime.

New York Times blogs - April 19, 2008

Proud vegetarians take to the streets of New York
Full story: New York Times

There was a parade on [May 18] that brought all manner of people who love flora and defend fauna to the city's streets. It took place in downtown Manhattan and organizers called it Veggie Pride. The festivities began at noon in the meatpacking district - get it? - and drew about 600 people and at least one vegan dog - Simba, a tofu-fed black Labrador retriever. Some people dressed up as bananas, or heads of broccoli, or pigs or bloodied cows. A police officer, Jim Alberici, who was helping with crowd control, said he did not expect any violence. "Not unless someone shows up dressed as a meat processor," he said. No one did. The parade was the brainchild of Pamela Rice, the author of a widely distributed pamphlet, 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian. She was inspired by a similar parade held annually in Paris, and was also driven by the sense that the time for vegetarian pride was nigh. After all, she said, awareness about animal cruelty and the environmental perils of factory farming is spreading, as is the widening realization of the health hazards of meat.

New York Times - May 19, 2008
Related:
Veggie Pride Parade videos - France, Italy and New York
European Vegetarian Union

 
  Animal Issues and Advocacy    

Kangaroo killings draw protests
Full story: International Herald Tribune

Protesters took desperate measures [May 21] in an attempt to halt the cull of about 400 kangaroos on a former military base in the suburbs of the capital [of Australia], Canberra. Ministry of Defense contractors started killing the kangaroos this week after months of delay. On [May 21], the police arrested eight people who had climbed the 3-meter, or 10-foot, fence surrounding the site and built a small fire in a traditional Aboriginal "smoking" ceremony to "reclaim the land." "This is not a cull: this is a bloodbath. It's terrible what they're doing," Pat O'Brien, the president of Wildlife Protection Association of Australia, said by telephone from the site... It is unclear why the plight of the Belconnen kangaroos has attracted so much attention. The eastern gray species that live on the site are not endangered, and the number involved is small in comparison to the number that are shot commercially elsewhere in Australia. There is also a thriving industry in kangaroo meat, which is available in many supermarkets here, and leather, which is particularly popular for soccer shoes.

International Herald Tribune - May 21, 2008

UK: Roger Moore wages foie gras battle for PETA
Full story: The Canadian Press

A former James Bond is taking aim at one of Canada's wealthiest entrepreneurs over a French delicacy largely enjoyed by well-heeled gourmands. Sir Roger Moore has fired off a letter and a video on behalf of PETA to Galen Weston, demanding he remove foie gras from the shelves of Selfridges, Weston's chain of London-based stores. "(Foie gras) is arguably one of the most cruelly produced food products in the world," Moore writes in his letter. "Until I hear from you, I will have no choice but to boycott Selfridges and shop elsewhere during my frequent trips to London." [Foie gras] production is forbidden in the UK, where Prince Charles banned it from royal menus last month. A number of British grocery chains have stopped selling the expensive treat.

The Canadian Press - May 13, 2008

Paul Watson and the armada of death
Full story: Silver Donald on Sunday, NS, Canada

[The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's Paul] Watson was speaking for that new world [of people who recognize themselves as part of, not above, nature] when he said that the deaths of the four sealers [during the Canadian seal hunt] was a tragedy - but the deaths of 270,000 seals was an even greater tragedy. The striking outcome of that remark - as I saw it on a CBC News poll - was not that many people were outraged by it, but that perhaps two-thirds of the callers agreed with him. When I first met Watson, I'm quite sure that the proportion would have been reversed - that a single human life would have been considered far more valuable than the lives of any number of animals. That was in 1976, on the ice at the Front, north of Newfoundland. I was reporting on the seal hunt. Watson was there with Greenpeace, of which he was a founding member. In those days we hadn't begun to grasp the damage that human beings had already done to the oceans... But Watson understood in his viscera that we were confronting an armada of death supported by pliant and amoral authority. With growing support, he has fought them ever since - and, with his fellow green warriors - he has changed the world.

Silver Donald on Sunday, NS, Canada - April 20, 2008

Working to help animals in Chinese markets
Full story: Scientific American

The plight of stray cats in Beijing has long drawn the sympathy of Juan "Crystal" Wang. The demure, soft-spoken young woman has spent the past few years placing forlorn felines in good homes. But more recently, she boosted the fortunes of larger cats as well by helping expose the fact that the Xiongsen Bear & Tiger Zoo near the city of Guilin was killing the endangered cats in its "zoo" and serving the meat at its snack bar or dropping the carcasses into vats of wine. But today Wang is taking me to a pet market, as part of her work for a U.S.-based animal protection group, the International Fund for Animal Welfare - or, as it's translated into Chinese, the "International Animal Love and Care Fund." The critters - a profusion of different varieties and sizes from tiny turtle to giant carp - must make do with close quarters. So close, that one good-size turtle - wider than a dinner plate - couldn't turn around in its tank and the rabbits confined in wire pens could not move at all.

Scientific American - May 16, 2008

Animal sentience: Horses can count, new study says
Full story: Telegraph, UK

Horses can count, according to a new study that suggests they are more intelligent than previously thought. Researchers found that, when offered a choice, they consistently choose buckets containing higher numbers of apples. Babies aged from 10-months-old have been shown to have an innate tendency to opt for containers holding larger numbers of food items, as have many non-human primates such as rhesus macaques and lemurs... In a study published in February, Italian researchers found certain species of fish can count up to four.

Telegraph, UK - April 4, 2008
Related:
How one leopard changed its spots ... and saved a baby baboon
Daily Mail, UK (December 14, 2006)- Watch the video

 
  Books and Perspectives    

Karen Dawn 'monkey''s around in new animal activism book
Full story: Palisidian-Post, CA, U.S.

Karen Dawn doesn't take herself too seriously, and neither should you, she insists. But couched within her facetiously titled new book, Thanking the Monkey, is a serious concern. Subtitled Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals, Thanking supports Dawn's mission in life, which is, indeed, to win over people into showing compassion for our four-legged friends and combating animal exploitation. "We're trying to make this clear that it's not another animal rights book," says the Aussie-accented Dawn of Thanking's cheeky title. For nine years, the vegan author has based her animal activism in the Palisades [California]. Born in Atlanta, Dawn grew up in Cheviot Hills until her single mom moved her to Sydney. In Australia, Dawn attended the University of New South Wales and became a writer.

Palisidian-Post, CA, U.S. - April 30, 2008
More book reviews and links:
"Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism"
Empowering, useful guidance by Mark Hawthorne
"The Great Escape"
Delightful children's book by Natalie Haynes
"Vegan Bites: Recipes for Singles"
Easy and delicious recipes by Lynn Bennett
The VegE-Store
Find the books included in this newsletter and many more - thanks for your support!

 
  Of Note    

KeepGreenGoing
KeepGreenGoing.com helps to keep you on a greener path with inspiring, thoughtful and practical information - delivered right to you if you sign up for their RSS feed or e-newsletter.
www.keepgreengoing.com/

Animal victims of disasters too
While in no way under valuing the human suffering of the recent disasters in China, Chile and Myanmar, the Humane Society of the United States is also drawing our attention to the animal victims.
Humane Society International responds to disasters
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Animal victims gather attention - China Daily

Vegan Agriculture Network
The Veganic Agriculture Network is a new movement in North America to promote the production of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and cereals without the use of artificial substances or the use of animal products. It promotes sustainable, low-impact, plant-based farming and gardening, following the lead of the Vegan Organic Network, which has promoted plant-based agriculture in Europe since 1996.
Vegan Agriculture Network NA
International links

Vegan documentary asking for help
Documentary filmmaker Eric Prescott in association with the International Humanities Center and the Boston Vegan Association is trying to produce I’m Vegan, a "series of short documentary profiles featuring vegans from all walks of life, produced with an eye toward addressing preconceived notions about vegans and veganism." He's seeking help with production costs. More info at the web address below.
ecorazzi

Vegan World - new social network
Vegan activist Jeff Popick has launched a new social networking site created exclusively for vegans and vegetarians called VeganWorld.com. He advises that it is still a bit rough with not a whole lot of content just yet, but if you join right now (for free) you can get to be one of the beta-team members with some added perks. You can sign up, create your profile, add photos, and start helping to build the community.
www.VeganWorld.com

Church-related British sites archive writings
The Fellowship of Life provides an archive of Church-related general animal rights activity in Britain between the 1970s - 90s. The writings of 'The Order of the Golden Age' from a century ago may also prove adaptable and inspiring for contemporary advocates of benevolent religion and animal rights.
The Fellowship of Life
The Order of the Golden Age

Recipes and veggie tips
Check out our VegE-News recipes for lots of summer ideas!
VegE-News recipes and tips

The 38th World Vegetarian Congress - July 27-August 2, 2008
This year's congress in Kulturpalast, Dresden, Germany will celebrate 100 years of the International Vegetarian Union. More info at the website below. (The 2010 congress will be in Jakarta, Indonesia.)
World Vegetarian Congress

UK to hold largest vegan event in the world - May 31-June 1, 2008
It’s a celebration of every aspect of being vegan and is billed as the largest vegan event anywhere in the world today. There is an excellent line up of entertainment, with many different cultures being represented through food, music, 60 talks, cookery demos, as well as a wide range of stalls.
Bristol Vegan Fayre

 
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