Labels: animal rights, animal welfare, companion animals, veganism

Labels: interview, radio, veganism

Labels: abolition, activism, animal rights, literature, veganism

Labels: fundraising, imvegan, movies, veganism

Labels: activism, documentary, fundraising, imvegan, movies, veganism

Labels: activism, documentary, fundraising, imvegan, movies, veganism

Labels: abolition, activism, animal rights, literature, veganism

Labels: veganism

Labels: animal rights, environment, veganism

Labels: activism, documentary, fundraising, imvegan, movies, veganism

Labels: abolition, activism, animal agriculture, animal ethics, animal welfare, battery cages, eggs, factory farming, happy meat, HSUS, humane meat, Peter Singer, regulation, veg*nism, veganism

Mr J.W. Robertson Scott, Editor of "The Countryman", has written to us - "I should be glad to hear what success you have in collecting non-dairy produce consumers. I have always felt that from the agricultural point of view the vegetarian occupies an illogical position, for just as eggs cannot be produced without killing cockerels, dairy produce cannot be economically got without the co-operation of the butcher." The clarity by which vegetarians generally are seeing this issue is well represented by the result of a recent debate arranged by the Croydon Vegetarian Society, when the motion was carried almost unanimously 'That vegetarians should aim at eliminating all dairy produce'.

We may be sure that should anything so much as a pimple ever appear to marr the beauty of our physical form, it will be entirely due in the eyes of the world to our own silly fault for not eating 'proper food'. Against such a pimple the great plagues of diseases now ravaging nearly all members of civilised society (who live on 'proper food') will pass unnoticed.

Labels: abolition, activism, animal rights, veg*nism, veganism

Going vegan is taking personal responsibility for abolishing animal exploitation. In this respect, it is an essential step toward achieving animal liberation and their right not to be treated as property. Nothing else comes close.

Unfortunately, legal processes are not yet open to eliminating the property status of animals, mainly because at this time not enough people in our society support such an idea. Activism on the corporate level fails as well, particularly with respect to boycotts, which are generally a tool for reform, not for abolition.

In a typical boycott, faced with public pressure, companies institute reforms that eventually restore confidence in their business. Once such measures are in place, consumers return to purchasing its products and the boycott ends. However, respecting the right of animals to not be treated as property means never accepting their use for our trivial interests in food, clothing, entertainment and so on. In other words, the boycott can never end.

By way of example, a boycott of one company because its workers were caught using chickens as footballs only serves to express disapproval over using chickens as footballs. It does nothing to convey how seriously wrong it is to have bred that chicken as a commodity in the first place, which is ultimately how he ended up as a football. Once the company can assure the public that the chickens it owns are no longer being kicked around, there is nothing to prevent consumers boycotting the company for this abuse from buying its products again. But the company still owns the chickens, and the chickens' intrinsic interests are still subservient to the economic interests of the company.

Cargill, ConAgra, Tyson, Smithfield and others will never stop enslaving animals until the demand for such products subsides to the point that no profitable system can be found to carry on, hence the need for consistent, widespread vegan advocacy, not a boycott. After all, it's not one particular company that's a problem, nor is it the way these companies produce the products, per se. It is the products themselves--it is the fact that the products are even products to begin with.

The issue is becoming particularly urgent as we see animal exploiters, with help from some animal welfare organizations, carve out a whole new "conscientious consumer" category, adopting and touting "humane reforms" that ultimately improve their bottom line while doing nothing to eradicate the perception of animals as property. Quite the opposite, "humanely-raised meat" (and related labels) help consumers to feel better about eating animal-derived products, many of which have been called "guilt-free", as if selectively breeding, mutilating, dominating and killing sentient beings for no good reason can ever be considered guilt-free.

For many, what seems to matter most is that animals live their lives as pain-free as possible while they are being exploited, never mind that their rights are being violated so long as they are property (since, as discussed, the interests of property can never be properly balanced with the interests of the property's owner). Illuminating the faulty basis for some people's dietary choices, some vegans have reportedly gone back to eating meat now that it's allegedly "happy". A recent issue of Good Magazine even highlights a former animal activist who is now a rancher! If a boycott means improving the treatment of animals, and not eliminating their use as commodities, then this is where it ultimately leads.

Companies must know that we will not eat any of their products, as long as they are derived from animals. So, unless vegans are boycotting Tyson or Smithfield in hopes that they will eventually stop exploiting animals and will become all-vegan companies (don't hold your breath on this one), they must be vegan for other reasons. That reason must be abolition.

As many of us have realized, the only way for us to abolish our own contribution to animal slavery is to go vegan. Doing so rejects the speciesism that contributes to our society running roughshod over animals' interests in avoiding pain and suffering, feeling pleasure, bearing offspring, nurturing their young, and so on.

But for some, as big a step as going vegan may have been, it is not enough.

Labels: activism, animal rights, animal welfare, boycotts, happy meat, humane meat, veganism

November 1st is World Vegan Day, a time when millions of people around the world celebrate veganism, a way of living that seeks to eliminate the exploitation of animals for our own use. And what a lifestyle to celebrate! There are not many opportunities for the average person to make a difference in their world, but veganism is a powerful statement for peace that one can make at every meal. By removing the violence from our plates--meat, eggs and dairy products--we are consciously choosing to cultivate a more compassionate society, one in which animals' interests are taken seriously. When we stop killing other individual sentient beings simply because we enjoy the taste of their flesh and secretions, we begin to see just how far the consequences of all our actions go.

And the benefits of veganism extend beyond valuing and saving animals. Vegans have a 75% lower risk of heart disease than the general population. Their diets have been shown to reverse both heart disease and diabetes, and they eliminate the leading sources of dietary carcinogens, replacing them with healthy, cancer-fighting foods packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients and fiber. In the midst of an obesity epidemic, it should be noted that vegans are, on average, 10-13 pounds lighter than those who eat meat.

As we look around at ways we can personally do more to help the environment, the impact of going vegan should not be understated. It takes the equivalent of one gallon of gasoline to produce only a pound of grain-fed ground beef in the United States. A vegan diet is far less wasteful and more fuel efficient. According to a recent study at the University of Chicago, the average American diet also requires the production of an extra ton and a half of carbon dioxide-equivalent--that is, actual carbon dioxide, plus methane and other greenhouse gases.

Further, animal agriculture threatens fresh water supplies, putting pressure on the poor around the world. Biodiversity on our planet is threatened as well, with the oceans expected to be effectively emptied by 2048 at our current rate of exploitation. On land, farmed animals account for about 20% of the total terrestrial animal biomass. The land area they now occupy was once habitat for wildlife. Two thirds of Conservation International's "global hotspots for biodiversity" are affected by farmed animal production, characterized by serious levels of habitat loss.

So, World Vegan Day is a great time to highlight how easy it is to give veganism a try. The wholesome staples of a vegan diet--grains, legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits--are widely available and more affordable than a diet centered on animal products, particularly when one considers the long-term costs of unhealthy eating. And, as consumers have become more conscientious about what they put in their mouths, grocery stores have begun catering to the rising demand for vegan convenience foods. No longer are vegan products consigned solely to natural food stores. Even Stop & Shop and Shaws have gotten into the action!

Need help figuring out what or how to eat without animal products in your diet? This past October alone brought us two truly epic cookbooks that demystify vegan food prep, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's "The Joy of Vegan Baking" and Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's "Veganomicon." Paging through these mouthwatering tomes, you will find a wide variety of vegan goodness at your fingertips. And the internet is positively loaded with free vegan recipes that can have you cooking vegan in short order.

For those occasions where you prefer to dine out, you may be surprised to learn how many Boston area restaurants offer vegan menu selections, in addition to the restaurants that focus exclusively on vegan eating. Some fine dining establishments, including Chez Henri and Upstairs on the Square, will prepare delightful multi-course vegan meals for you when you specify your dietary preference at the time of reservation. Check out our ever-growing restaurant database at bostonvegan.org for more vegan-friendly options.

What more excuse do you need to give veganism a try for the month? Who knows? By the end of the November, you will likely find yourself feeling better, lighter and more energetic, and you may choose in good conscience to never look back.

Labels: Letters, vegan, veganism

The Weekly Dig elected to publish my letter in reply to a nasty letter that was sent in response to my initial letter a few issues back. Are you following all this?

To recap: The Dig had published a An Edible Compendium from A-Z, placing two vegan restaurants--TJs and Grasshopper--under "U" for Union Square in Allston, rather than "V," where readers instead came across a recommendation to eat "happy veal." Here's my initial letter, with some editorial snark inserted for good measure. I had to scan it and upload it because, for some strange reason, it was never included in the Letters section on their website.

The following week, a hater in Jamaica Plain had a vituperative response published (this one was posted online). I saw this as an opportunity to further educate readers about the reasons for veganism and to use the hate as a call for peace, but I missed the cut-off date for the very next issue.

Fast forward to today, and the current issue of The Weekly Dig (10.31.07 - 10.7.07) includes not just my letter, but also Sarah Poulette's. Thanks for writing in, Sarah! Here are those letters online at The Weekly Dig.

And no editorial snark! 

Labels: Boston Vegan Association, Letters, vegan, veganism

Labels: animal agriculture, meta, restaurants, travel, vegan food, vegan restaurants, veganism