August 2008

In this edition... Top Stories    Feast or famine: Meat production and world hunger    Mad cows (and livid lambs)    Fat Europeans ditch Mediterranean diet Health    Large study links meat consumption to increased cancer risk    Canada confirms 14th case of mad cow disease    Controlling diabetes might be easier than you think with vegan diet    Africa courts animal-spread diseases Environment    Humans eating monkeys into extinction    On trail of elusive carbon footprint    Eating less meat and junk food could cut energy use almost in half Lifestyles and Trends    Bringing an end to the shame of food waste    Kids are picking up on eco-friendly lifestyle    Lots of choices ease the transition to a healthier lifestyle    Answers about the vegan lifestyle in New York (and elsewhere) Animal Issues and Advocacy    In a flap over caged hens    From battery farm to family pet    A farm boy reflects Books and Perspectives    Animal advocate envisions a vegetarian world    KidLit: Book teaches compassion and respect    A vegetarian recipe starter set Are They Serious? Unfortunately Yes    Just right for the UK garden: A mini-cow Of Note   Please help support VegE-News! We'll say thanks with a special gift. Click here. 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     Feast or famine: Meat production and world hunger Full story: OpEdNews, PA, U.S. [A] report released July 29 from the Center for Strategic and International Studies [recommends] urgent action for long-term relief [of] the global food crisis. . . Jeremy Rifkin, president of the Foundation on Economic Trends in Washington, DC, states it succinctly: "People go hungry because much of arable land is used to grow feed grain for animals rather than people." He offers as one example the Ethiopian famine of 1984, which was fueled by the meat industry. "While people starved, Ethiopia was growing linseed cake, cottonseed cake and rapeseed meal for European livestock," he says. "Millions of acres of land in the developing world are used for this purpose. Tragically, 80 per cent of the world's hungry children live in countries with food surpluses which are fed to animals for consumption by the affluent. . . We are long overdue for a global discussion on how to promote a diversified, high-protein, vegetarian diet for the human race," says Rifkin, whose book Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture addresses the moral paradoxes of eating meat. Are those steaks and cheeseburgers really worth all the lives they take - human and non-human? OpEdNews, PA, U.S. - August 9 Related: Petition 'FOOD vs FEED' to the UN EVANA Mad cows (and livid lambs) Full story: Telegraph, UK Marauding elephants, aggressive sea lions, snap-happy crocodiles. . . As animal attacks on humans reach frightening levels, scientists are beginning to understand exactly what the beasts are thinking. And it's not good. This disquieting pattern has only recently been detected, in part because it is so disparate and weird. But it's now widely accepted that the relationship between humans and animals is changing. One of the world's leading ethologists (specialists in animal behaviour) believes that a critical point has been crossed and animals are beginning to snap back. After centuries of being eaten, evicted, subjected to vivisection, killed for fun, worn as hats and made to ride bicycles in circuses, something is causing them to turn on us. And it is being taken seriously enough by scientists that it has earned its own acronym: HAC - 'human-animal conflict.' Any sane person might decide that [the] theory, which posits that beasts are working in concert to take revenge on humans, is insane. But in the regions where the most research into HAC is being carried out, scientists have concluded that revenge for our myriad barbarities could indeed be a motive. [The article also talks about the observed altruism of animals.] Telegraph, UK - August 10 More on animal sentience: Mirror test shows magpies aren't so bird-brained New Scientist (August 19) 'They're like us,' elephant researchers say Videos available - ABC TV, U.S. (July 24} Fat Europeans ditch Mediterranean diet Full story: Toronto Star Obesity is on the rise across southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East as people on the shores of the Mediterranean abandon the lean diet of their ancestors and opt for fatter and faster foods, a United Nations agency said [July 29]. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said that in the 40 years to 2002 daily calorie intake in countries including Greece, Italy and Spain has increased by 30 per cent, more than the 20 per cent recorded in northern European Union countries. The report says the typical Mediterranean diet based on olive oil, fish [in small amounts] and vegetables also is declining in the Middle East and North Africa, where eating habits are changing and calorie intake increasing. Mediterranean people have used higher incomes to add a large number of calories from meat and fats to a diet that was traditionally light on animal proteins, said FAO senior economist Josef Schmidhuber, who authored the paper. What they now eat is "too fat, too salty and too sweet," he said. Toronto Star - July 29 Related: U.S.: Study predicts obesity apocalypse by 2030 ABC News, U.S. (August 2)     Health     Large study links meat consumption to increased cancer risk Full story: Natural News A new large-scale study has provided more strong evidence linking the consumption of red and processed meats to an increased risk of cancer. Researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute examined data on 494,000 participants in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP Diet and Health Study. Red meat was defined in the study as any meat originating from a mammal, including beef, pork and lamb. Researchers found that people who consumed the most red meat had a 25 per cent higher risk of developing colorectal cancer in the study period compared with those who ate the least, and a 20 per cent higher risk of developing lung cancer. The risk of esophageal and liver cancer was increased by between 20 and 60 percent. . . Prior studies have also linked meat consumption to increased cancer risk, particularly the risk of colorectal and stomach cancer. Other studies have found associations between meat intake and the risk of bladder, breast, cervical, endometrial, esophageal, glioma, kidney, liver, lung, mouth, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Natural News - July 2 Canada confirms 14th case of mad cow disease Full story: Reuters Canada Canadian officials on [August 15] confirmed the country's 14th case of mad cow disease in a six-year-old beef cow that was born years after Canada banned feed practices thought to cause the disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said no part of the animal's carcass entered the human-food or animal-feed systems. The agency has identified its birth farm in the province of Alberta and is tracing its herdmates and looking for possible sources of the infection, concentrating on what the animal ate. Mad cow disease is believed to be spread when cattle eat protein rendered from brains and spines of infected cattle or sheep. The rendered protein was still allowed in pig and poultry feed until July 2007, when regulators, fearing cross-contamination, ordered that brains, spines and other high-risk material from old cattle be removed at slaughter and destroyed. The CFIA has said the strict feed rules should help eliminate the disease nationally within a decade. Reuters Canada - August 15 Related: Calculating chance of contracting mad cow disease Scroll to post 149 - writer doing the math points out we have a 1.5 chance in a thousand of contracting the human version of BSE every time we eat beef - Live Earth (Also check out the post from yours truly at #171) 1 dead, 16 others ill: Tainted meat suspected Toronto Star (August 20) Controlling diabetes might be easier than you think with vegan diet Full story: Diabetes Health Do you want to lose weight and improve your blood glucose levels? Do you want to do it without having to weigh your portions and count your calories? Try a low-fat vegan diet. A vegan diet is one with no animal products: no fish, no eggs, no dairy, and, of course, no meat. Caroline Trapp is director of diabetes education and care at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, in Washington, D.C., a group that promotes vegan diets, among its other missions. She started her presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators with [the positive] research findings on vegan diets and gave practical tips for switching to a vegan diet. The good news? You won't need to count calories or restrict portions. You may feel that you are eating a lot, but you'll probably be consuming fewer calories than you did when you were eating meat and sugary foods. Diabetes Health - August 14 Africa courts animal-spread diseases Full story: The Nation, Kenya Last year's outbreaks of the deadly Marburg and Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever viruses in southwestern Uganda and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo's province of Kasai Occidental and the sporadic outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) across the continent once again bring to light the threat zoonotic diseases pose to sub-Saharan Africa in particular and the world generally. It is estimated that about 75 per cent of the new diseases that have affected humans over the past 10 years have been caused by pathogens originating from animals or animal products. This was the case of the HIV - the virus that causes AIDS, which experts believe jumped the Darwinian divide from apes to humans. The Nation, Kenya - August 14 Related: Impoverished Zimbabweans are killing elephants, claim activists Telegraph, UK (August 14)     Environment     Humans eating monkeys into extinction Full story: The Age, Australia Nearly half of all primate species are at risk of extinction, according to an evaluation by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The study - the most comprehensive analysis in 12 years - found that the conservation outlook for monkeys, apes and other primates has worsened dramatically, with 303 of the 634 species and subspecies in the highest threat categories: vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. In some regions, a thriving bush meat trade means the animals are being "eaten to extinction." In Asia, more than 70 per cent of primates are classified as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. In Vietnam and Cambodia the figure is 90 per cent. "What is happening in South-East Asia is terrifying," said Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy chief of the IUCN's species program. "To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, unlike anything we have recorded among any other group of species to date." The Age, Australia - August 6 On trail of elusive carbon footprint Full story: Chicago Tribune Frank Bentley's life changed seven years ago when he took an Internet survey that estimated his annual share of greenhouse gas emissions. Bentley, then a college student, entered information about his lifestyle into an online calculator, which spit back a number showing how much he might be contributing to climate change - his "carbon footprint." Now [he] tailors his habits to minimize that number, including living close to work, biking and using public transportation when possible, and eliminating meat from his diet. But he also encountered a common problem that is seldom advertised - there's no single, universally accepted way of calculating someone's carbon footprint. Chicago Tribune - August 10 Eating less meat and junk food could cut energy use almost in half Full story: Science Daily [Scientists] at Cornell University in New York set out a number of strategies which could potentially cut fossil energy fuel use in the food system by as much as 50 percent. The first, and very astute suggestion they put forward is that individuals eat less, especially considering that the average American consumes an estimated 3,747 calories a day, a staggering 1200-1500 calories over recommendations. Traditional American diets are high in animal products, and junk and processed foods in particular, which by their nature use more energy than that used to produce staple foods such as potatoes, rice, fruits and vegetables. By just reducing junk food intake and converting to diets lower in meat, the average American could have a massive impact on fuel consumption as well as improving his or her health. The authors [also] suggest that moving towards more traditional, organic farming methods would help because conventional meat and dairy production is extremely energy intensive. Science Daily - July 24     Lifestyles and Trends     Bringing an end to the shame of food waste Full story: Nutraingredients, Europe Have you ever scavenged through a supermarket bin looking for your next meal? It's a strange question to put to readers - and most would shrink at the thought. But that's just how the 'freegans' decide what's for dinner. Freegans are not poor. They can afford to buy food first-hand, but they would rather live off discarded, yet perfectly edible [mostly vegan] food that others do not want than leave it to clog up land fill sites. It's a pretty poor reflection of our food system that some green crusaders are so fed up with so much food being thrown away they have taken to such extreme measures as rummaging through rubbish. . . I am not usually one to wish hunger on anyone. But in the case of the freegans - and I am sure they would agree - when their stomachs are rumbling for want of enough wasted food to live off then we'll know we've managed the waste issue Nutraingredients, Europe - August 4 Kids are picking up on eco-friendly lifestyle Full story: Newsday, NY, U.S. Environmental organizations are noticing the spike in youth involvement. Nearly 1.2 million people up to 21 have registered with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the activism group known for its provocative ways of advocating vegetarian lifestyles. Among those are 30,000 kids aged 6 to 12. The organization has also recruited another 200,000 youths this summer while tagging along with the music and sports festival Warped Tour, said Lara Sanders, the group's head of youth marketing. "Kids have been making the connection between the environment and a vegetarian diet and knowing that going vegetarian is the best thing that you can do for the environment," she said. Newsday, NY, U.S. - August 11 Lots of choices ease the transition to a healthier lifestyle Full story: Harvard University Chronicles Ah, the love of the burger. It's a unifying American experience. But if the fat content in fast food burgers makes your heart burn with shame, and meat recalls have you worrying about what's in that burger you made at home, you're not alone. "People are understandably concerned about what they're serving their families," said Gary Torres of Food for Life, a vegan food company that is seeing increased interest in meat-free foods. "But it's not just confirmed vegans who are seeking these alternatives. We're seeing increased interest in vegetarian and vegan foods by people who don't consider themselves to be followers of either lifestyle." The health advantages and expanded availability of more vegan choices seem to be key factors inspiring more people to incorporate meat-free meals into their lifestyles, Torres said. Not sure if you can incorporate vegetarian or vegan foods into your family's diet? [The article provides tips and resources.] Harvard University Chronicles - August 10 Answers about the vegan lifestyle in New York (and elsewhere) Full story: New York Times Rynn Berry, the author of The Vegan Guide to New York City, answers readers' questions about his views on shopping, eating and living a vegan lifestyle. Q: This is an honest question, and not just snarkiness: Why are so many omnivores so incredibly hostile towards vegans? A: Vegans are culinary gadflies whose very existence sting people into re-examining the morality of eating murdered animals. If vegans provoke omnivore chefs into fits of pique, it is only because vegans threaten the gastronomic status quo. New York Times - August 6     Animal Issues and Advocacy     In a flap over caged hens Full story: Toronto Star What do hens want, and how do humans know? That's the issue at the heart of a fierce battle looming in California between animal rights campaigners and egg producers over the welfare of caged hens that could crack the state's $300 million egg production industry. A November ballot measure seeking more space for calves raised for veal and breeding pigs could also make California the first U.S. state to ban the housing in small wire cages of egg-laying hens. The measure would come into force in California, which ranks 6th in U.S. egg production, in 2015, three years after a similar ban already agreed upon in the European Union. An undercover investigation in May by the vegan campaign group Mercy for Animals showed video of rotting hen carcasses in cages with live hens and scrawny hens covered in excrement. Toronto Star - August 1 Related: Vets group takes ethical stance on ballot measure Quote: To date, the veterinary profession has remained neutral on topics like farm animal confinement, the use of anesthesia and pain medications for farm animals, foie gras production and ear cropping for dogs. When one acknowledges that these positions are clearly not defensible from a welfare perspective, the profession needs to say so instead of being deemed irrelevant or taken kicking and screaming to the eventual proper ethical outcome. - Modesto Bee, CA, U.S. (July 31) From battery farm to family pet Full story: Guardian, UK The lifespan of an egg-laying battery chicken is 72 weeks, but a rescued 'ex-bat' can live for up to 10 years. From 18 weeks onwards, a chicken begins to produce six to seven eggs a week: if she lives in a battery cage then artificial lighting might convince her to lay even more frequently. Finally, usually at around 72 weeks, her productivity starts to significantly decline and the eggs will start to vary in size, which makes it hard for the farmer to sell them to picky supermarket buyers. The chicken is now officially uneconomic, so she is packed off to the slaughterhouse, from where her meat will be used in products such as stock cubes, pet food and pies. But in recent years an increasing number of campaigners have taken exception to the brutally short life of the typical egg-laying hen and decided to do something about it. In 2003, Jane Howorth set up the Battery Hen Welfare Trust, which takes battery hens - "ex-bats" as she calls them - and finds them new homes. "People adore them," she says. "Chickens have real characters: they can be very curious and cheeky. They're like little cats and dogs with feathers." Guardian, UK - August 7 A farm boy reflects Full story: New York Times We raised Chinese white geese, a common breed, and they have distinctive personalities. They mate for life and adhere to family values that would shame most of those who dine on them. Once a month or so, we would slaughter the geese. When I was 10 years old, my job was to lock the geese in the barn and then rush and grab one. Then I would take it out and hold it by its wings on the chopping block while my Dad or someone else swung the ax. The 150 geese knew that something dreadful was happening and would cower in a far corner of the barn, and run away in terror as I approached. Very often, one goose would bravely step away from the panicked flock and walk tremulously toward me. It would be the mate of the one I had caught, male or female, and it would step right up to me, protesting pitifully. It would be frightened out of its wits, but still determined to stand with and comfort its lover. . . So, yes, I eat meat. But I draw the line at animals being raised in cruel conditions. The law punishes teenage boys who tie up and abuse a stray cat. So why allow industrialists to run factory farms that keep pigs almost all their lives in tiny pens that are barely bigger than they are? More broadly, the tide of history is moving toward the protection of animal rights, and the brutal conditions in which they are sometimes now raised will eventually be banned. Someday, vegetarianism may even be the norm. New York Times - July 31     Books and Perspectives     Animal advocate envisions a vegetarian world Full story: Washington Post I should've eaten my ham sandwich before picking up Karen Dawn's Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals. After reading her description of how the deli meat got to my Tupperware container, I put off lunch until late in the afternoon. But I was so hungry I had to eat the sandwich at some point. With each bite into the ham, I heard the shrieking of pigs in my head. When will the pigs stop screaming, Karen Dawn? When? When the world converts to vegetarianism, she writes in the book. This will happen eventually. She's not militant about this point. She's logical. She's levelheaded. She's funny. That's why her message is so . . . darn . . . persuasive. Washington Post - August 17 Related: Book encourages people to rethink treatment of animals Charming video interview with author Karen Dawn as she visits an animal sanctuary - NBC TV (August 12) A heartfelt argument for going vegan American poet, writer, actor and musician Saul Williams writes that he was inspired by Karen's book to overcome his hesitancy to speak out about his vegan lifestyle - Ecorazzi (August 12) KidLit: Book teaches compassion and respect Full story: Hamilton Spectator, ON, Canada (scroll down) Wild Animals in Captivity is a book that asks provocative but necessary questions: How should animals be kept in captivity, and are there animals that should not be kept in zoos at all? Author Rob Laidlaw, director of Zoocheck Canada, has travelled the world, studying how man captures and exploits wild animals, and puts them to work as zoo displays with little or no thought to their welfare and well-being. . . Here's the scene Laidlaw paints of elephants in the wild: They are social creatures, living in families, with grandparents, parents, siblings, all following their matriarch. . . In captivity: An orphaned elephant, Maggie, is kept alone in a small outdoor pen of hard, compacted dirt with a shallow pond. In the winter she stands in a small, unheated barn. She becomes lethargic and sinks to her side. In which scenario do you think elephants should be kept? Laidlaw presents a compelling argument that elephants are among the species that should never be kept in zoos. . . Grade school and high school students alike will find this challenging book a remarkable reference. [More reviews on the book website] Hamilton Spectator, ON, Canada (scroll down) - August 16 A vegetarian recipe starter set Full story: Lexington Herald-Leader, KY, U.S. Whether you're dabbling with vegetarianism or just need help dealing with an end-of-summer zucchini onslaught, you're bound to find inspiration in this trio of new veg cookbooks: You Won't Believe It's Vegan by Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty. Well, with recipes such as raw cashew aioli and tofu hot wings, you probably will believe it. But that doesn't mean you won't like it. Sher and Doherty offer some inventive and appealing takes on vegan cooking. Get it Ripe by Jae Steele. As much vegan primer as cookbook, [it] is a great starter book for anyone stumbling through those first months of life without dairy and meat. Appealing recipes include chipotle black-eyed peas with maple mashed sweet potatoes and collard greens. Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy by the editors of Vegetarian Times magazine. The title says it all. Appealing recipes include grilled cheese with fig and basil; warm mushroom salad with arugula, pecorino and toasted walnuts; roasted cauliflower with olives; and mango-ginger pudding. Lexington Herald-Leader, KY, U.S. - August 10     Are They Serious? Unfortunately Yes     Just right for the UK garden: A mini-cow Full story: Times, UK It's the little cow with a big future. Rising supermarket prices are persuading hundreds of families to turn their back gardens into mini-ranches stocked with miniature cattle. Registrations of the most popular breed, the Dexter, have doubled since the millennium and websites are sprouting up offering "the world's most efficient, cutest and tastiest cows." For between £200 and £2,000, people can buy a cow that stands no taller than a large German shepherd dog, gives 16 pints of milk a day that can be drunk unpasteurised, keeps the grass "mown" and will be a family pet for years before ending up in the freezer. [Commentary on this article by vegan.com] Times, UK - August 17, 2008     Of Note     Back-to-school recipes Find lots of soups and other ideas for lunches and cooler weather meals as well as a wealth of going vegan tips! VegE-News recipes Practical thinking on playing the eco-card Always a voice of reason, Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach has written a thoughtful piece entitled Global Warming, Human Psychology, and Net Impact for Animals. In it he urges caution for vegatarians and vegans using the environmental argument to further the cause, however valid or heartfelt it may be. For one thing, it may result in more chickens being killed as people, with good intentions, resolve to "do something." Vegan Outreach article A note for veggie organizations and members If you are a vegetarian organization that would like to discuss having 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, Vegetarians of Alberta, Toronto Vegetarian Organization, and Winnipeg Vegetarian Organization with thier logo, a link and local events listed. If you are a member of one of those organziations, but not receiving the customized version, just drop us an email if you would like us to switch you to the specific list. Email VegE-News Chance to vote for innovative cultured meat project While it remains controversial, many believe that cultured meat, grown form animal stem cells, is a practical way to alleviate the overwhelmling suffering caused by meat consumption. Biologist Nick Genovese from Alabama has entered an American Express contest to raise funds for his postdoctoral research on cultured meat: Hydroponic Meat for a Sustainable Planet Earth You can vote for his project at the link below - but hurry, voting ends September 1. Vote for the project More on cultured meat PETA viewpoint Vegetarian Week - October 1-7: World Vegetarian Day - October 1, World Animal Day - October 4 Get set to celebrate, promote and get involved in "Vegetarian week" from October 1 to October 7, 2008. The European Vegetarian and Animal News Alliance (EVANA) reminds us that everyday is an excellent day to be a healthy and conscious vegetarian, but this week is a special opportunity to double our efforts and campaign towards a better world. Check out activity ideas for organizations, companies and individuals at the website below. Let EVANA know about your plans and they will be published on the website and through EVANA's news system. Vegetarian Week website EVANA website Contact EVANA Obama's vegan moment Nikki Benoit, Outreach Coordinator for Florida Voices for Animals had a chance to quiz Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama on the campaign trail. He didn't go all the way to making veganism a campaign plank, but he did make some promising comments. Vegan.com/blog   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 subscribe or unsubscribe to the VegE-News. For more information about this newsletter, contact: VegE-News Click here to view the VegE-News archives. Prepared as a public service by: To ensure that you continue to receive the VegE-News, please add the sender to your address book or safe list. This will help ensure that it doesn't get zapped by your spam filter and wind up in your JUNK or TRASH folder.