In this edition...
Editor's Note |
 | Be of good heart |
Health |
| | Eating animals is making us sick |
| | Healthy diet may reduce middle-aged depression |
| | Intake of vegetables during pregnancy may prevent diabetes in unborn child |
| | Soy intake decreases risk of hip fractures |
| | How appetizing! U.S. urged to ban feeding of chicken feces to cattle |
Environment |
| | Worldwatch Institute: Livestock impact on climate change much greater than thought |
| | Climate chief Lord Stern: Give up meat to save the planet |
| | Drop that burger - Biochemist says meat's days are numbered |
| | What you eat isn't just personal anymore |
| | Make meat-eaters pay: Ethicist proposes radical tax |
Lifestyles and Trends |
| | Sexy vegetarianism could save the world |
| | Town gets healthy, adds longevity, together |
| | Veggie experiences: Quietly making the jump to a meatless existence |
| | When behavioral economics meets climate change, guess what's for dinner |
Animal Issues and Advocacy |
| | Compassionate choices |
| | Pigs prove to be smart, if not vain |
| | Canadian Member of Parliament calls for more respect for livestock on way to slaughter |
| | Researchers ask: Are caged chickens miserable? |
Books, Docs and Perspectives |
| | Eco-thriller exposes dolphin capture trade |
| | Documentary challenges 500 years of globalisation |
| | Alicia Silverstone's 'The Kind Diet' |
| | Mark Twain - America's first animal welfare advocate? |
Are They Serious? Unfortunately Yes |
| | Sarah Palin takes aim at vegetarians in 'Going Rogue' |
Of Note |
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Don't forget to visit:
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(Excerpts are included from current news stories. Click on the "Full story" link to read the full article.)
Editor's Note 
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Be of good heart
Several articles in this month's issue point to the wilful ignorance on the part of individuals that perpetuates the meat, dairy and egg industries and factory farms. Many vegans can relate as we didn't grow up in vegan households. Yet, they were likely households that instilled in us a love of animals and set the stage for a time when, for whatever reasons, we would let the veil of ignorance be lifted in our own lives. Unfortunately, the newfound awareness of the enormity of the suffering can then seem overwhelming. I live in a place where daily walks take me past huge displays of meat, roasting chickens and outdoor fish markets, making it particularly hard not to feel debilitated by it all. Assuming, however, that we are not going to remove ourselves to a vegan monastery and surround ourselves only with like-minded friends, we have to make our way in the world as it is.
Over the years, I have been buoyed by the words of Tooker Gomberg, a Canadian environmental activist who sometimes felt oppressed by the difficulties he faced in fomenting change, but counseled that we have to maintain balance to be effective. "Take care of ourselves and each other, spend time with loved ones, take breaks when necessary, and enjoy each moment on this lovely green and blue planet," he said. Anger, confrontation, and depression, while understandable, won't help in our quest. Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach, in his Letter to a young Matt, says: "Despite all the current horror and suffering, if we take the long view - and are willing to devote our limited time and resources to the work that needs to be done - we should be deeply optimistic." The articles this month from Forbes, Washington Post, and others certainly give rays of hope.
Like so many in the animal rights and welfare movements, I desperately want change to happen faster - for wilful ignorance to no longer be the norm that delays a healthier, more compassionate world. I believe, however, that I won't do any good for myself or animals unless I look, literally and figuratively, past the meat and fish markets with all the suffering and degradation they represent, unless I feel and reflect happiness in life, and unless I can share a joyous dinner with friends and look into their eyes, not at the faces on their plates. In the spirit of American Thanksgiving on November 26, I am thankful for each positive step along the way and look to a better future for the planet, humans and our fellow animals.
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| Health
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Eating animals is making us sick
Full story: CNN
[By Jonathan Safran Foer, author of the new book "Eating Animals."] Like most people, I'd given some thought to what meat actually is, but until I became a father and faced the prospect of having to make food choices on someone else's behalf, there was no urgency to get to the bottom of things. I'm a novelist and never had it in mind to write nonfiction. Frankly, I doubt I'll ever do it again. But the subject of animal agriculture, at this moment, is something no one should ignore. If the way we raise animals for food isn't the most important problem in the world right now, it's arguably the No. 1 cause of global warming: The United Nations reports the livestock business generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. It's the No. 1 cause of animal suffering, a decisive factor in the creation of zoonotic diseases like bird and swine flu, and the list goes on. It is the problem with the most deafening silence surrounding it.
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Related:
Also by Jonathan Safran Foer: Food industry dictates nutrition policy
CNN (October 30)
Jonathan Safran Foer - America's #1 terrorist?
Huffington Post (October 30)
Interview with Jonathan Safran Foer
We make decisions all the time guided by our values that make our lives less convenient and less enjoyable. We do them because they're things that matter more to us than a momentary pleasure, momentary comfort. I don't know why food would be an exception. - Salon.com (November 6)
Jonathan with Ellen Degeneres
The Ellen Show (November 4)
Eating Animals review: A silent suffering of ‘animals’
Harvard Crimson (November 20)
Roots of H1N1 swine flu pandemic lie in factory farming
Straight.com (November 19)
Healthy diet may reduce middle-aged depression
Full story: Psych Central
UK researchers have discovered a well-rounded, healthy diet may protect against depression in middle-aged people. Scientists compared the incidence of depression among individuals consuming a diet consisting of a high proportion of fruits, vegetables and fish to that of individuals whose diet contained a high proportion of high-fat dairy food, processed meat, fried food, refined grains and sugar-laden desserts. They discovered a whole food diet was consistent with a 26 per cent lower risk for depression while a high processed diet was associated with a 58 per cent chance of depression - five years later. [Editor's note: It probably wasn't the fish that helped, according to a recent Arizona University study on diet and mood.]
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Psych Central - November 4
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Intake of vegetables during pregnancy may prevent diabetes in unborn child
Full story: XinhauNet, China
Mothers who eat plenty of vegetables during pregnancy will have children who are less likely to have type 1 diabetes, a new study suggests. The risk of type 1 diabetes was twice as high in children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy, and lowest among children whose mothers ate vegetables every day of their pregnancy, according to the study published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatric Diabetes. [PCRM has a series of excellent videos on diabetes - the first one includes information on recent information that dairy products fed to babies can trigger type 1 diabetes.]
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XinhauNet, China - November 2
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Soy intake decreases risk of hip fractures
Full story: PCRM
In a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, intake of soy products reduced the risk of hip fractures as much as 36 per cent among women who consumed more than the least amount of soy. All intakes above the least amount consumed, for example any amount greater than one-fourth cup tofu per day, averaged a 30 per cent protective effect. The study was part of the Singapore Chinese Health Study and looked at more than 63,000 male and female adults.
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How appetizing! U.S. urged to ban feeding of chicken feces to cattle
Full story: Los Angeles Times
A fight is brewing over the practice of feeding chicken feces and other poultry farm waste to cattle. A coalition of food and consumer groups that includes Consumers Union and the Center for Science in the Public Interest has asked the [United States] Food and Drug Administration to ban the practice. McDonald's Corp., the nation's largest restaurant user of beef, also wants the FDA to prohibit the feeding of so-called poultry litter to cattle. Farmers feed 1 million to 2 million tons of poultry litter to their cattle annually, according to FDA estimates. Using the litter - which includes feces, spilled chicken feed, feathers and poultry farm detritus - increases the risk of cows becoming infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, said Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumers Union.
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Los Angeles Times - October 31
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| Environment
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Worldwatch Institute: Livestock impact on climate change much greater than thought
Full story: New York Times
With the approach of the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen next month, the livestock industry is coming under renewed scrutiny for its contribution to greenhouse gases. A 2006 report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization attributed 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases produced each year to livestock. But a more recent report [Livestock and Climate Change: What if the key actors in climate change are ... cows, pigs and chickens? (pdf)] for the World Watch Institute, by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang [both formerly with the World Bank], estimates this figure to be much higher: 51 per cent, when the entire life cycle and supply chain of the livestock industry is taken into consideration. As things stand, global meat and dairy consumption is projected to more than double by 2050. Reversing the role of livestock in climate change is "even more important than the urgent transition to renewable energy," Dr. Goodland wrote. The report states "livestock (like automobiles) are a human invention and convenience, not part of pre-human times, and a molecule of CO2 exhaled by livestock is no more natural than one from an auto tailpipe." Their solution to livestock's global warming effect is simple: eat less animal products, or better still, none at all.
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New York Times - November 16
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Climate chief Lord Stern: Give up meat to save the planet
Full story: Times Online
People will need to turn vegetarian if the world is to conquer climate change, according to a leading authority on global warming. In an interview with The Times, Lord Stern of Brentford said: "Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world's resources. A vegetarian diet is better." Direct emissions of methane from cows and pigs is a significant source of greenhouse gases. Methane is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas. Lord Stern, the author of the influential 2006 Stern Review on the cost of tackling global warming, said that a successful deal at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December would lead to soaring costs for meat and other foods that generate large quantities of greenhouse gases.
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Times Online - October 27
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Drop that burger - Biochemist says meat's days are numbered
Full story: Forbes Magazine
Patrick O. Brown, a Stanford University biochemist, has changed science twice by giving stuff away. In the early 1990s Brown invented the DNA microarray, a tool that measures how cells make use of their DNA; he then showed researchers how to make their own, transforming genetic research. In 2000 he was one of three scientists who launched a free, online scientific journal called the Public Library of Science (PLOS); it has already broken the stranglehold of $200-a-year scientific publications like Science and Nature. Now he is tackling an even bigger foe. Over the next 18 months Brown, 55, will take a break from his normal scientific work in order to change the way the world farms and eats. He wants to put an end to animal farming, or at least put a significant dent in our global hunger for cows, pigs and chickens. Brown brings scientific clout to the debate... "There's absolutely no possibility that 50 years from now this system will be operating as it does now," says Brown. "One approach is to just wait, and either we'll deal with it or we'll be toast. I want to approach this as a solvable problem." Solution: "Eliminate animal farming on planet Earth."
[Editor's note: In reading some of the comments to this article and the meat industry's reaction to threats in general, one is reminding of the opening of the film "Earthlings" - the three stages of truth: 1.Ridicule 2.Violent Opposition 3.Acceptance.]
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Forbes Magazine - November 12
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What you eat isn't just personal anymore
Full story: Washington Post
I gave a talk recently on the environmental virtues of a vegetarian diet. The only applause came during the Q&A period when a member of the audience said ... "what I eat is my business - it's personal." Until that evening, I'd never actively thought about this most basic culinary question: Is eating personal? We know more than we've ever known about the innards of the global food system. We know that farming touches every aspect of our lives - the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we need. So it's hard to avoid concluding that eating cannot be personal. What I eat influences you. What you eat influences me. Our diets are deeply, intimately and necessarily political. This realization changes everything for those who avoid meat. As a vegetarian I've always felt the perverse need to apologize for my dietary choice. But the more I learn about the negative impact of meat production, the more I feel that it's the consumers of meat who should be making apologies.
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Washington Post - November 16
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Make meat-eaters pay: Ethicist proposes radical tax
Full story: New York Daily News
[By Peter Singer.] Taxes can do a lot of good. They pay for schools, parks, police and the military. But that's not all they can do. High taxes on cigarettes have saved many lives... But the reasons for a tax on beef and other meats are stronger than those for discouraging consumption of cigarettes, transfats or sugary drinks... Meat-eaters impose costs on others, and the more meat they eat, the greater the costs. They push up health costs for taxpayers, pollute our rivers, threaten the survival of fishing communities in the Gulf of Mexico, push up food prices for the world's poor, and accelerate climate change. Red meat is the worst for global warming, but a tax on red meat alone would merely push meat-eaters to chicken, and British animal welfare expert Professor John Webster has described the intensive chicken industry as "the single most severe, systematic example of man's inhumanity to another sentient animal." So let's start with a 50 per cent tax on the retail value of all meat, and see what difference that makes to present consumption habits. If it is not enough to bring about the change we need, then, like cigarette taxes, it will need to go higher.
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New York Daily News - October 25
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| Lifestyles and Trends
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Sexy vegetarianism could save the world
Full story: Eureka Street, Australia
Earlier this year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced their list of the sexiest vegetarians for 2009. Portia de Rossi, Russell Brand, Christie Brinkley and Orlando Jones were among those nominated, and are all undeniably sexy. So why is it that when most people think of vegetarians, it conjures up images of shapeless hemp pants, brown turtleneck jumpers and long unkempt toenails? Why is vegetarianism still so unfashionable?
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Eureka Street, Australia - November 8
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Related:
Greens to be gorgeous: Why eating your five fruit and veg a day makes you sexy
Daily Mail, UK (November 17)
Slideshow of some famous vegetarians
AZStarNet - sure doesn't look like any of them are unhealthy - or unsexy!
Town gets healthy, adds longevity, together
Full story: Seattle Times
Hardware store owner and heart attack survivor Leo Aeikens spent most of his life with a hankering for meat, cheese and ice cream. But an ambitious effort aimed at making his entire southern Minnesota town healthier has Aeikens calling himself a vegan and weighing 25 pounds less than just 10 months ago. The 69-year-old's radical lifestyle change came as part of the "Vitality Project," an endeavor spearheaded by AARP [American Association of Retired Persons] and United Health Foundation that organizers say has added an average 3.1 years to the lives of Albert Lea residents through improved diet, exercise and living habits. Adventurer and travel writer Dan Buettner hatched the idea and oversaw the project after identifying five areas around the world where people tend to live longer and healthier lives, research he documented in a 2008 book, The Blue Zones.
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Seattle Times - October 14
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Veggie experiences: Quietly making the jump to a meatless existence
Full story: The Georgetown Voice
For years, I considered making the switch to vegetarianism. Part of me was subtly rebelling against my parents and part was growing increasingly aware of the moral arguments behind vegetarianism. Peter Singer's seminal work Animal Liberation introduced me to new arguments for animal rights. Yet, something always held me back from making the jump away from omnivorous eating habits. My mother is a fantastic cook, and the thought of giving up her lemon chicken or seared pork was disconcerting. While I made no real effort to curb my meat consumption, I became increasingly aware of the grave environmental effects caused by eating meat, the compelling moral arguments that underlie vegetarianism, and the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. My thinking slowly changed this summer, when I began cooking for myself on a regular basis. As the summer wore on, I found myself eating less and less meat, almost naturally... the jump to vegetarianism is not as difficult as most think it would be.
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The Georgetown Voice - November 12
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More veggie experiences:
Lettuce lady takes vego fight to streets in Adelaide, Australia
"I grew up in a small farming community [in Canada] and when I was in grade two, I found a vein in a chicken nugget at McDonald's. Up until then I had never really thought about animals actually being meat." - The Age, Australia (November 18)
Diary: Embarking on a vegan diet
The Denver Channel, CO, U.S. (November 9)
Is this vegan? - Kids say the darndest things
The veg blog (November 9)
When behavioral economics meets climate change, guess what's for dinner
Full story: Reuters
When a meat-based entrée is being served, and people are offered a vegetarian alternative, about 5 to 10 per cent will request it. But what if the choices were reversed? Organizers of the 2009 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference, which began November 16 in Washington, tried an experiment: They made a vegetarian lunch the default option, and gave meat eaters the choice of opting out. Some 80 per cent went for the veggies, not because there were lots of vegetarians in the crowd of about 700 people but because the choice was framed differently. More than lunch is at stake here. "Omnivores contribute seven times the greenhouse gas emissions, when compared to vegans," says Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, the conference chair. Might there be broad-based ways to promote a vegetarian diet, while giving people the freedom to choose what they want? Can the insights of behavioral economics help fight climate change?
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| Animal Issues and Advocacy
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Compassionate choices
Full story: Common Ground
It baffles me that so many 'animal lovers' can chow down on a chunk of animal flesh. People attribute human emotions to their pets and take their beloved pup, cat or bird to an animal clinic when medical care is needed and then proceed to eat another animal that is equally intelligent and capable of feeling. For interesting reading on this topic, see When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Masson and Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy. Each year, more than 55 billion pigs, cows, turkeys, chickens and other sentient land animals suffer and die in the world's factory farms and slaughterhouses. Loving parents, dedicated teachers, kind hearted philanthropists and even environmental activists somehow run out of compassion or look the other way when it comes to creatures that we have designated as 'food animals.' Children are naturally compassionate and they sense our kinship with animals. When a youngster has raised a pig or chicken, she or he recognizes the cruelty involved in sending their little friend to 'market.' That child must be convinced, through a flood of tears, that a sudden switching off of sentiment is required and that such lack of concern for the animal's plight is the norm in our culture.
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Related:
Book review: Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows
Vegsource (November 8)
Slaughterhouse Live
This article on a class where you learn to slaughter your own meat concludes with a quote from one student of such a class: “Animals do not want to die,” he wrote. “They can feel pain and fear, and, just like us, will struggle to breathe for even one single more second. If you’re about to run 250 volts through a pig, do not look it in the eyes. It is not going to absolve you. I truly believe that humane slaughter is important and possible, but, as I have been learning, here’s the truth about any slaughter: it is both morally difficult and really gross.” - New York Times (October 23)
Humane Society investigation: Calf slaughter cruelty
CNN video (November 5)
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Pigs prove to be smart, if not vain
Full story: New York Times
In the current issue of Animal Behaviour, researchers present evidence that domestic pigs can quickly learn how mirrors work and will use their understanding of reflected images to scope out their surroundings and find their food. The finding is just one in a series of recent discoveries from the nascent study of pig cognition. Researchers have also found that no matter what new detail they unearth about pig acumen, the public reaction is the same. "People say, 'Oh yes, pigs really are rather clever, aren't they?' " said Richard W. Byrne, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of St. Andrews.
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New York Times - November 9
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Canadian Member of Parliament calls for more respect for livestock on way to slaughter
Full story: Toronto Star
A Quebec Liberal MP is rushing to the aid of tired and thirsty livestock on their way to your plate. "We would like animals in transit from farms to slaughterhouses to be given some sort of respect and comfort until they get to the slaughterhouse," Alexandra Mendes said of her private member's bill to amend federal regulations on food and water for animals in transit. The current rules allow cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants (animals with more than one stomach) to be confined on the road for up to 48 hours without food or water. Horses, pigs and other animals with one stomach can be held in the same hungry and thirsty state for no more than 36 hours. Her bill would lower the limit to 12 hours for the ruminants and eight hours for the other animals to match standards in the European Union. Animal welfare groups applauded the move as an overdue step in the right direction.
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Toronto Star - November 19
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Some animal transportation links:
Canada
Australia
Europe
International
Researchers ask: Are caged chickens miserable?
Full story: ABC News
Are cramped chickens crazy chickens? Researchers are trying to answer that question through several studies that intend to take emotions out of an angry debate between animal welfare groups and producers. At issue are small cages, typically 24 inches wide by 25 1/2 inches deep, that can be shared by up to nine hens. About 96 per cent of eggs sold in the United States come from hens who live in the so-called battery cages from the day they're born until their egg-laying days end 18 to 24 months later. But even as [researchers] conduct research, some question the need to study an issue they argue was resolved long ago. Bruce Friedrich, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said banning the cages is a solution to an obvious problem. "Think about the ... effects of not moving for up to 24 months," Friedrich said. "Their bones and muscles waste away and they go insane." Hens lay eggs for up to two years, then typically are used as meat for humans or animal feed. Whether they're a delaying tactic - as animal welfare groups claim - or needed research, studies on chicken cages are proceeding.
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| Books, Docs and Perspectives
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Eco-thriller exposes dolphin capture trade
Full story: CNN
The Cove is a controversial documentary about dolphin slaughter that reveals the distressing secrets behind the multi-billion dollar industry in captive dolphins. It depicts the annual butchering of the sea creatures near the Japanese coastal town of Taiji, and has sparked an international campaign against dolphin hunting. The storytelling is anchored by Richard O'Barry, who trained the five dolphins used for TV's Flipper in the 1960s. O'Barry's life changed after one of those dolphins died, and he's spent the last 40 years fighting to free dolphins from captivity. Some of the dolphins captured at Taiji are sold to aquariums, parks and zoos, while the rest are killed for their meat. Psihoyos said in a bid to save the dolphins he had to show how humans have tainted the ocean to the point where dolphins are no longer safe to eat.
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Documentary challenges 500 years of globalisation
Full story: IPS
French Filmmaker Philippe Diaz, in an illuminating documentary [The End to Poverty?] traces globalisation back 500 years to the Spanish and Portuguese conquests of the Americas. Diaz shows how the colonial North used the South's resources to build its industrial base and how its continued control over resources, global trade and debt rules prevents developing countries from ending poverty. The title is a play on a book by economist Jeffrey Sachs - without the question mark - who, Diaz told IPS, "runs all around the world with Bono and these guys claiming that if we bring mosquito nets and fertilisers, it will end poverty..." Aside from seeing solutions in agrarian reform, tax system changes, and an end to natural resources monopolies, Diaz calls for de-growth. That's not just eating or driving less, but creating another way of living to avoid what he predicts as the coming resource war when the poor rise up against their repression.
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Alicia Silverstone's 'The Kind Diet'
Full story: Wall Street Journal
Actress Alicia Silverstone made a major decision about 11 years ago: She decided to go vegan. That meant eliminating meat and dairy from her diet, and instead eating whole grains and what she calls "magic foods" such as miso and sea vegetables. She began to look and feel her best, says the actress who has starred in such movies as Clueless and Batman & Robin. Now Ms. Silverstone has set out on a mission to share the results from her lifestyle change with her new book, The Kind Diet. In this vegan cookbook Ms. Silverstone, 33 years old, explains her pursuit to reach "people who just want to feel amazing, want to look amazing, and who want to contribute to making this planet healthier." The Wall Street Journal talked with Ms. Silverstone about writing a book, the benefits of a vegan diet and being a superhero.
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Wall Street Journal - November 10
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Mark Twain - America's first animal welfare advocate?
Full story: Reuters
Leading Mark Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin`s latest research suggests
that Twain was the most prominent American of his day to throw his weight behind
the movement for animal welfare. In her new book entitled Mark Twain's Book of
Animals, Fishkin, a Stanford English professor, examines how Twain`s fascination
with, and advocacy for, animals reveals itself in many of his works. Fishkin suggests that Twain`s works played a pivotal role in raising Americans` concerns about cruelty to animals and the
exploitation of non-human animals by humans. The book also features six works by Twain which
are being published for the first time. Mark Twain was greatly influenced by the ideas that Charles Darwin laid out in his groundbreaking publication, The Descent of Man (1871), a book that "startled the world," as Twain put it. In particular, Fishkin found that Twain was affected by Darwin`s idea that man and animal were in reality, much more similar than people liked to believe. "Darwin wrote that the lower animals were capable of experiencing the same emotions as people and that they were capable of rudimentary reasoning, as well."
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| Are They Serious? Unfortunately Yes
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Sarah Palin takes aim at vegetarians in 'Going Rogue'
Full story: Examiner.com
Sarah Palin's highly anticipated memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, hit the bookshelves November 17. In the book, Palin traces her experiences from small town Alaskan girl to being on the national stage as the GOP vice presidential nominee. Besides addressing her views on the McCain campaign and the media, Palin, a passionate Alaskan hunter, takes aim at vegetarians. Palin states, "If any vegans came over for dinner, I could whip them up a salad, then explain my philosophy on being a carnivore: If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat? ... I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals - right next to the mashed potatoes."
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Examiner.com - November 15
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| Of Note
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Recipes for a gentle holiday season
Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving on November 26, their traditional start of the holidays, and soon we will all be in the swing of the festive season. We've included below a link to VegNews magazine's tips and tricks for celebrating a gentle holiday and Martha Stewart's show dedicated to a vegetarian thanksgiving with recipes and education. We've also included a link to "the one recipe everyone should know" - that's vegan Mushroom-Zucchini Ragout Over Creamy Polenta, according to cookbook author Mollie Katzen. We agree! Plus, as always, you'll find recipes and tips on our own Green Gourmet pages.
Thanksgiving (or any holiday) tips and tricks - VegNews
Martha Stewart Vegetarian Thanksgiving
One recipe everyone should know
VegE-News recipes and tips
From comfort food to gourmet holiday feasts, Veggie Brothers has instant solutions
We like the philosophy - and the products - of Veggie Brothers. They're out to make a difference in the world with delicious, nutritious meal solutions, at the click of your mouse - delivered ready to heat to your doorstep throughout the U.S. and Canada. There's still time to order for American Thanksgiving - but hurry! First time customers save 10 per cent! Watch their short video below and click on their website to check out their amazing array of products for the holidays - or anytime.
Video: The Veggie Brothers experience
Veggie Brothers website
Pets can have a gentle holiday too
AMI Super Premium Vegan Pet Food offers nutritious and delicious food that's kind to the planet and fellow creatures. Popular in Europe, it has recently become available at retailers in Canada and the United States as well as over the internet. Find a retailer at the link below. They have just added new retailers in Newfoundland (Food For Thought, St. John) and Quebec (Viva Granola Vegan Store, St. Raymond).
AMI vegan pet food
A loonie goes a long way
In Canada we affectionately call our dollar coins "loonies" due to the picture of a that delightful aquatic creature on them. I mention this because, if each of our subscribers sent us just one Canadian loonie a year, it would really assist us with production and distribution expenses. A huge thank you to subscribers who have sent donations! We sincerely appreciate your kind contributions. If you would like to help, please click below.
Support VegE-News
Video shorts
This month from Vegsource: Austin Texas firefighter, Rip Esselstyn who wrote the Engine Two Diet gives a talk, an update on Rocco the sick cowboy who took Dr. Oz's vegan challenge - losing 30 pounds was just the start of his healthy transformation, and more on an elephant and dog who are best friends. Plus Supreme Master TV has some new videos on the long and fascinating history of vegetarianism.
The Engine Two Diet
Rocco, the cowboy vegan diet challenge results - Dr. Oz
Unlikely best friends
History of Vegetarian Movement - Supreme Master TV
Calls to action
A child dies of hunger every six seconds - you can add your voice to the UN petition saying this is unacceptable. Eating less meat is a simple way we can each individually help to end hunger in the world.
1 Billion Hungry petition
Since 2007, WSPA Canada has been working to convince the Canadian government to support the campaign to achieve a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW). In a landmark decision on November 6, MPs from all four political parties unanimously adopted a motion which calls on the Canadian government to support (in principal) the development of a UDAW. Click on the link below to learn more and send a thank you to your MP if you're one of our Canadian readers. Wherever you are from (and we have readers from every corner of the globe!), if you haven't already signed the "Animals Matter to Me" petition calling for a UDAW, you can click the link at the bottom of VegE-News to add your name.
Canadian parliament passes landmark law
November 27 2009 is Worldwide Fur Free Friday by the International Anti-Fur Coalition. Organizations across the globe are planning events and demonstrations against fur-selling shops. This is a great opportunity to focus on international companies that support the cruel fur industry! Last year about 120 demos took place worldwide. Check out planned actions or start your own.
Worldwide Fur Free Friday
If you've ever seen injured turtles by the road, you'll be happy to know that someone is doing something to help. "We couldn't bear the carnage," explains Douglas St. Cyr, when asked what inspired him to build Turtle S.H.E.L.L. Tortue, a trauma and rehab centre for turtles on his property. He and his wife, Michele, had been sickened by the sight of dozens of turtles struck by vehicles while trying to cross the highway in search of nesting areas. "We stopped to rescue some of them, but there was nothing the vets could do back then." So Douglas and Michele got to work. Read about their efforts at the link below.
turtleSHELLtortue
Adopt-a-Turkey Project
We know we're repeating ourselves from last month, but the message remains timely and close to our heart: The holiday season brings family get-togethers, love, laughter - and, unfortunately, untold suffering for millions of turkeys. These gentle, curious animals are killed for meals that should be about compassion and caring, not suffering and death. Farm Sanctuary invites you to adopt a turkey, instead of eating one. A gift adoption is a great way for vegans to raise the issue.
Adopt-a-Turkey Project
Gentle Thanksgiving events
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
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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.
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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.
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