In this edition...
Health and Environment |
 Controlling cholesterol and beating heart disease |
| New study: Increased milk intake doesn't help bones (but does promote cancers) |
| Worldwide bluefin tuna boycott |
| Protecting the earth is a moral obligation |
| World is running out of places to catch wild fish, study finds |
Lifestyles and Trends |
| Veggie experiences: Vegan compassion is in the bag |
| Increase in popularity of veggie lifestyle seen on U.S. college campuses |
| Sign of the times: Convenience chain to offer vegan food options |
| Holiday stress-busters |
| Veggie celebs: Bob Harper on his vegan switch for health and the animals |
Animal Issues and Advocacy |
| UK: The great animal rights betrayal |
| The truth behind your holiday bird |
| Animals: Which to eat? Which to pet? Why? |
| Poultry giant sued for 'humane' label claims |
| Australia: Worker decapitated in chicken factory after being sucked into machine |
Books and Perspectives |
| The family dinner |
Of Note - Recipes, Videos, Calls to Action, More |
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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.)
Health and Environment 
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Controlling cholesterol and beating heart disease
Full story: Oped News
Numerous scientific studies show that reducing your cholesterol, among other activities, is the best way to beat heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other deadly diseases. A major study by Kaiser Permanente and the University of Kuopio (Finland) also concluded in August 2009 that high cholesterol is associated with Alzheimer's Disease. In general, your liver produces all the cholesterol you need, a necessary function for building cell membranes. Consuming cholesterol, however, can create an excess, which often leads to the clogging of arteries, causing heart disease (a blockage in the heart) and stroke (a blockage in the brain). Here are the top ten most effective foods known for lowering cholesterol and beating heart disease. Whenever possible, you should eat them in their unprocessed form and in combination with each other, consuming them regularly, even daily, for your optimum health...
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New study: Increased milk intake doesn't help bones (but does promote cancers)
Full story: VegSource
Flying in the face of the usual corporate "milk-for-strong-bones!" propaganda is the latest study on the subject. A recent meta-analysis of cohort studies of over 500,000 men and women found no relationship between milk intake and hip fracture rate. You probably haven't heard about this study, despite the fact it highlights results from over a half million people. But this is an example of what happens when "health experts" in the mainstream media appear on shows which rely on financial support (advertising) from food companies, especially the dairy food industry... Better known in the medical research is the fact that there is a significant cross-cultural association between consumption of animal protein (including milk) and hip fracture rates. In plain language, protein from animal foods - including milk - causes osteoporosis. On another note, we recently highlighted results of the EPIC Study that indicates milk causes prostate cancer. Another study that included over 60,000 women also found a relationship between milk and ovarian cancer.
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Worldwide bluefin tuna boycott
Full story: ENN/Centrer for Biological Diversity
More than 20,000 people have agreed to boycott bluefin tuna as part of the Center for Biological Diversity's campaign to save this fish, driven to the brink of extinction to supply the sushi market. In the first week of the boycott, consumers from all 50 states and 91 countries signed a pledge not to eat bluefin or spend money at restaurants where it's on the menu.
Read more... |
ENN/Centrer for Biological Diversity - December 8
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Protecting the earth is a moral obligation
Full story: E- The Environmental Magazine
Of all the psychopathology in the climate issue, the most counter-functional thought is that solving the problem will require sacrifice. As though our wastefulness of energy and money is not sacrifice. As though war built around oil is not sacrifice. As though losing polar bears, penguins, coral reefs, and thousands of other living companions is not sacrifice... We think we don't want to sacrifice, but sacrifice is exactly what we're doing by perpetuating problems that only get worse; we're sacrificing our money, sacrificing what is big and permanent, to prolong what is small, temporary, and harmful. We're sacrificing animals, peace, and children to retain wastefulness - while enriching those who disdain us. [By Carl Safina, founding president of Blue Ocean Institute. Excerpt from the book "Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril," a collection of essays from more than 80 writers, thinkers, leaders, visionaries and activists, from Barack Obama to the Dalai Llama, asked to answer a single question: "Do we have a moral obligation to take action to protect the future of a planet in peril?"]
Read more... |
E- The Environmental Magazine - December 12
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World is running out of places to catch wild fish, study finds
Full story: Washington Post
Global fisheries have expanded so rapidly over the past half-century that the world is running out of places to catch wild fish, according to a study conducted by researchers in Canada, the United States and Australia. Looking at fleets' movements between 1950 and 2005, the five researchers charted how fishing has been expanding southward into less exploited seas at roughly one degree latitude each year to compensate for the fact that humans have depleted fish stocks closer to shore in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Washington Post - December 2
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| Lifestyles and Trends
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Veggie experiences: Vegan compassion is in the bag
Full story: Montreal Gazette
Inder Bedi has often told the story of how he built a handbag empire on compassion. The 37-year-old founder of Matt & Nat vegan accessories was asked at age 18 by a Hare Krishna priest to go vegetarian for 30 days: "And it changed my whole life," he says. Almost 20 years later, Bedi's Via Vegan company is thriving. His faux leather bags, belts and wallets under the Matt & Nat label are sold in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Italy, Germany, France and elsewhere - in perhaps thousands of shops, Bedi allowed. "It's not about the numbers. It's about the people that we touch. I meet someone who says, 'I love what you guys stand for,' '' Bedi said. Bedi was in the news recently when a former employee complained that the company violated her rights as a non-vegetarian by banning meat and fish on company premises. Asked what he means by authentic, Bedi responded, "I started this business because I wanted to prove to myself, to the world that we could do beautiful products and still stand for compassion.
[A Care2 post comments on the case by the carnivorous employee ... The use of phrases like "my rights as a carnivore" is a semantic clue to how we view animals and their lives. In western society, the general culture is so hostile to the idea of animal rights that we take the exact opposite view: not only do animals not have the right to live, but we have the intrinsic and inalienable right to kill them for food.]
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Montreal Gazette - December 14
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Increase in popularity of veggie lifestyle seen on U.S. college campuses
Full story: Philly.com, PA, U.S.
Bon Appétit Management Co., which manages more than 4,000 corporate, college and university accounts, has noticed an upswing in the number of students who say that they are vegetarian or vegan, said Terri Brownlee, the regional director of nutrition for Bon Appétit. In a 2005-2006 feedback survey among college students at campuses that Bon Appétit oversees, an average of 8 per cent said that they were vegetarian, and less than 1 per cent identified themselves as vegan. The 2009-2010 survey, however, had very different results: 12 per cent identified themselves as vegetarian and 2 per cent said that they follow a vegan diet. [This increase has no doubt been helped in no small way by Vegan Outreach's tremendous efforts on college campuses.]
Read more... |
Philly.com, PA, U.S. - October 14
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Sign of the times: Convenience chain to offer vegan food options
Full story: New York Daily News, U.S.
[A major U.S. convenience store chain] has gone vegan. 7-Eleven has added artichoke spinach noodles, vegetable lo mein and two types of dumplings - all minus meat, egg or dairy - to Slurpees and hot dogs at its New York city stores. "There was demand in the New York and Philadelphia area, not only from our customers but from our employees and franchisees, some of whom are vegetarians," Margaret Chabris, director of corporate communications said.
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New York Daily News, U.S. - December 3
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Holiday stress-busters
Full story: VegNews
The holiday season is in full swing. We know you love the gift-wrapping, cookie-making, carol-singing joy of it all; but between the ribbon curling and party throwing, you still need to find time to deck your dingy halls, make your own holiday cards, and find the perfect, professional gift for your boss. Let's be honest, sometimes the holidays can be a little, well, stressful. To which we stay, stop, take a deep breath, and know that it's all going to be OK. VegNews serves up 10 no-fail stress-busters to keep you jolly all season long.
Read more... |
Veggie celebs: Bob Harper on his vegan switch for health and the animals
Full story: Fitness Magazine
More than three years ago, The Biggest Loser [U.S. weight loss reality show] fan favorite and poster child for healthy living had a shock at his physical. "The doctor said I had high cholesterol," Harper says. So he studied up on plant-based diets and tested out vegan living in an attempt to lower his cholesterol. To the shock of Harper and his doctors, his total cholesterol count dropped 100 points after making the switch. Since then, Harper has connected his diet with his love for animals. He's now the spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary, which aims to end animal cruelty. Harper took a break from filming The Biggest Loser to chat about his vegan lifestyle, his healthy eating tips, and his crusade against factory farms... "My body went through a major transition, but I can say as a vegan and now 45 years old, I feel better, stronger, and cleaner."
Read more... |
Fitness Magazine - November 19
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| Animal Issues and Advocacy
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UK: The great animal rights betrayal
Full story: Independent, UK
Millions of hens will have their beaks mutilated; game birds will remain in cages; pigs, sheep and cows in abattoirs will lose crucial protection from abuse; badgers will be culled and lions, tigers and other wild animals will continue to perform in the big top. In a series of little-noticed moves, the [new UK government] has scrapped or stalled initiatives to improve animal welfare some weeks before they were due to come into force. The Agriculture minister James Paice, who part-owns a farm, has been behind most of the moves - which have infuriated welfare groups. In the latest of a series of controversial decisions, Mr Paice [recently] delayed by five years a ban on beak mutilations of laying hens due to come into force in January.
Read more... |
Independent, UK - November 13
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The truth behind your holiday bird
Full story: Tonic
 Dark, filthy warehouses that reek of excrement. Masses of animals in distress. Mutilated beaks and toes. Sick, injured birds left to suffer and die without anyone to help them. These are not the kinds of images we tend to think about at [the holidays], yet they are indicative of the reality faced by more than 46 million turkeys raised every year in the U.S. for Thanksgiving alone. Through their Farm Animal Adoption Network, Farm Sanctuary physically adopts out rescued turkeys to loving, permanent homes too. This annual event, called Turkey Express, shatters conceptions that some animals are for eating while others are for loving. Like cats and dogs, turkeys are social, sensitive animals who deserve to be treated as part of a family and given a comfortable home to call their own. Read more... |
Animals: Which to eat? Which to pet? Why?
Full story: Chicago Now
Society has made dogs and cats our pets. I ponder this often, as I look down at my first puppy, wondering, "Why her? Why not a chicken? A calf? A salmon?" I don't know why we didn't choose pigs or chickens or even cows - all animals that show amazing abilities to be companions, to mate, their intelligence and gentle nature evident when given a chance. They play, they frolic, they show the capacity to learn and grow, just as our pets do. In some countries, dogs are eaten. A solution was proposed in Jonathan Safran Foer's incredibly insightful book, Eating Animals, that if we ate all the dogs who are euthanized each year, we would save money and not let animals go to waste. But, no one can quite wrap their head around eating Fido, but chickens and pigs? Bring on the bacon and roasted bird! We have no emotional attachment to these animals, so we can eat them just fine.
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Poultry giant sued for 'humane' label claims
Full story: WBOC News, U.S.
[United States] Poultry giant Perdue is being sued over claims its chickens are humanely raised. The Humane Society of the United States said it filed the class-action lawsuit [recently] on behalf of a consumer, claiming Perdue is violating the state's Consumer Fraud Act. The group said Perdue is charging premium prices for chickens labeled as humanely raised, but its standards fall below what any reasonable consumer would consider humane. "Companies like Perdue are exploiting the dramatic growth of consumer demand for improved animal welfare for their own profit," said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president and chief counsel of animal protection litigation for the Humane Society. "Rather than implementing humane reforms, Perdue has simply slapped 'humanely raised' stickers on its factory farmed products, hoping consumers won't know the difference." [HSUS video.]
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WBOC News, U.S. - November 30
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Australia: Worker decapitated in chicken factory after being sucked into machine
Full story: Daily Mail, UK
A man has been decapitated in a horrific accident at a chicken processing factory in Melbourne, Australia. Mr Sarel Singh, 34, was killed instantly when he was sucked into a machine and decapitated in an incident that has now placed the entire poultry processing industry under review. The factory was already under investigation over claims of unlawful and unethical treatment of its majority migrant workforce, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Lateline programme reported. On the night when Mr Singh was killed the machine was running 'at absolute capacity.' Instead of packing up to 40 birds a minute, inquiries had found that the machine was working at top speed and processing 183 birds a minute.
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Daily Mail, UK - December 3
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| Books and Perspectives
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The family dinner
Full story: OnEarth
Environmental activist, and An Inconvenient Truth producer Laurie David has published a new book, The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect With Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. Overflowing with recipes by Kirstin Uhrenholdt, life lessons, and advice from David's famous friends, the book aims to draw us back to the table and keep us there long past dessert. She recently sat down with OnEarth to discuss her ideas... It's shocking, but we are eating 500 per cent more chicken than our grandparents did. In their day, meat was a once-a-week treat. Today, many of us are eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's unhealthy and completely unsustainable. There are so many other great sources of protein that are much healthier. That's why there's a whole chapter in the book called "Meatless Mondays." And yes, definitely, if each of us chooses to eat just a little less meat each week, it can really add up, and make a very big difference.
Read more... |
Related/more book news:
Review/summary of "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard"
Vegan Outreach
Familiar Strangers
The Church and the Vegetarian
movement in Britain (1809 - 2009) by John M. Gilheany
Visit our VegE-Store for books and more
Thanks for your support!
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| Of Note - Recipes, Videos, Calls to Action, More
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Delicious - and fair - hoiday fare...
Holiday recipes, healthy tips, for a fair, compassionate holiday for all - just click below. Plus visit the VegE-News recipe section for veggie versions of traditional French-Canadian holiday fare such as tortière, a delicious meat pie (search for 'French-Canadian').
Toronto Vegetarian Association Holiday Survival Guide
VegWeb holiday recipes
Video: Curried sweet potato soup
VegE-News recipes and tips
Holiday survival strategies - advice from Farm Sanctuary
It can be hard when others are blissfully indulging in eating foods that you know involve horrendous cruelty - what to do? Here's some sage advice from Farm Sancturay: This holiday season, be a role model. Remember that compassion begins with you. Though there is no one right way to effectively advocate on behalf of farm animals, communicating in a kind, empathetic and understanding way is key to inspiring change in others. The likelihood is that there was a time when you didn’t know either, when you ate animals, and when you didn’t know about the egregious cruelty inherent in factory farming. Someone or something inspired you, and now you have the opportunity to inspire others. Read more.....
Farm Sancturay Activist Holiday Survival Guide
Just in time....
For your New Year's resolution, a new 21-day vegan kickstart from PCRM starts January 3. Get support, wonderful advice, recipes - everything you need to make a difference in your life - and the life of countless animals while you're at it.
21-day Vegan Kickstart
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Video shorts (and longs)
This month: Shot in all six continents and based on the book of the same title, The Meaning of the 21st Century narrated by Michael Douglas says we are at an extraordinary crossroads of human history. Our actions, or failure to act, during the next 20 years will determine the fate of the Earth and human civilization for centuries to come. VegSource has a short video with John Robbins on eating with awareness and the very compelling "Is it wrong to eat animals?" at the same link. "The Chef and the Dietitian" show how to make pistachio milk and explain why not to drink dairy milk. Hans Rosling as always makes statistics come alive in a visual representation of human progress over the last two hundred years showing the growth in standard of living for the countries of the world. The Cooking Channel has a new leading edge cooking show - The Veg Edge.
The Meaning of the 21st Century
John Robbins: Eating with awareness
The Chef and the Dietitian
200 countries, 200 years, 4 minutes
New veg cooking show
Eco, veg, animal, and people friendly gift ideas
In case you're still looking for that perfect gift, we repeat our list of fave sources for gifts....
Farm Sanctuary
25 gifts under $25 - plus adopt a farm animal program
World Wildlife Fund
adopt a species and more ideas
Humane Society International or Canada or U.S.
loads of humane gift ideas
Top plant-based nutrition guides"
thanks to VegSource for a great list and excellent ideas for helpful gifts for family and friends - Buy them through our The VegE-Store if you would like to support VegE-News at the same time!
PETA
lots of gift ideas - or be an 'angel' and give a doghouse for a cold, lonely dog
Good Baby
hand made baby stuff
Patchwork Place
unique bags & totes
Ten Thousand Villages
amazing array of fair trade gifts for everyone
VegSource Healthy Lifestyle Expo '10 DVD set
13 hours of inspiring, enlightening, life-saving information (a good New Year's gift for yourself!)
Podcasts/Blogs
The goal of the 100 Thing Challenge is to break free from the confining habits of American-style consumerism. A lot of people around the world feel “stuck in stuff.” They feel like their closets and garages are too full of things that don’t really make their lives much better. But how to get unstuck? We like this idea - reminds us of Ghandi's "Live simply so that others can simply live."
Guy named Dave blog: The 100 Thing Challenge
If anyone has any doubts about the intelligence and emotional life of animals, they just need to read about Koko who has been communicating with sign language since 1971. You can read about her in Gorilla Talk, The Gorilla Foundation newsletter.
Koko jn Gorilla Talk
Carnism Awareness & Action Network works to expose and transform carnism, the invisible belief system that conditions people to eat animals. CAAN empowers vegetarian and vegan advocates and concerned citizens through education and activism.
Carnism Awareness & Action Network
Liz Longacres says she started Your Time Travels as a travel company for everyone who wants to help make the world a better place for animals. Whether you want to volunteer abroad with animal welfare projects (along with sightseeing/adventure activities and fabulous hotel stays), observe animals in their natural habitats through safari adventures, enjoy amazing vegetarian/vegan resorts, visit a farm sanctuary or travel with your own pets, the company can help. Great idea!
Your Time Travels Blog
Your Time Travels
Interview with Liz on the Farm Blog
Calls to action
A repeat holiday message from Planet Peace Daily: Every year millions of people in North America send out cards calling for "Peace on Earth." This year we at Plant Peace Daily think it's time to bring more meaning to those words. We are hoping that you will join us in a campaign to educate and stir the conscience of peace advocates and clergy across the land. We have revised the preface to the book Old MacDonald's Factory Farm by C. David Coates for posting on community bulletin boards and for sending to places of worship. The campaign has already contacted over 600 religious leaders around the U.S. (all 50 states) and Canada! Read the powerful A Holiday Thought at the links below and print out a pdf to spread the word by mail, e-mail, bulletin boards, etc.
A Holiday Thought
A Holiday Thought - Facebook link
PCRM plans to file lawsuits in Connecticut and California protecting children and adults from fraudulent business practices in which restaurants do not warn about the increased risk of cancer from eating processed meats. They are asking for people who have purchased meals at certain restaurants to help - check out details at the link below.
PCRM
Farm Sanctuary is asking for help to end experiments on pigs, sensitive, social animals who don't deserve to be subjected to these cruel and unnecessary procedures. Despite the fact that 95 per cent of medical centers have moved to human-based training methods, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center continues to use live pigs in their courses. The American College of Surgeons has already approved several non-animal training procedures for these courses.
Stop pig experimentation
Donations always helpful - and appreciated!
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