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Meat is Murder - Comedy Horror short film tackles the vegan debate
How far would you go for a cause you care about? Meat is Murder, a new comedy horror short film from director Max Sobol whose previous short The Photographer picked up the best cinematography award at the 2017 British Independent Film Festival; asks just that question – with deliciously dark results.
The story focuses on Patrick, a young filmmaker investigating a group of vegan vigilantes. At first they seem harmless, but when their de facto leader Steven faces a leadership challenge from hardliner Julie, the group starts to head down a much darker path.
Debut writer Matt Hynds explains his inspiration.
“The vegan debate has always interested me,” he says. ”As a meat eater who is also an animal lover, I am aware of the hypocrisy involved.”
“The industrialisation of farming is obviously horrific and yet we still eat meat, so why isn’t everyone a vegan yet? Is it stubbornness? A lack of options? Or simply the fact that veganism has an image problem?”
It was these open-ended questions that brought him round to devising a script which investigated these themes through the guise of a group of vegans struggling to decide the best way to spread their message.
Director Max Sobol on what attracted him to the project:
“Whether it’s veganism or politics, infighting and manoeuvring often gets in the way of the real issues at stake, detracting from the actual cause or true message” he explains “This struggle lies at the heart of our story.
“The vegan message is often delivered in extreme ways that leave its advocates open to attack from their opponents. We were careful to ensure that we weren’t doing that with our film, but rather opening up the debate and asking people to think more carefully about the messages they are hearing and where they are coming from”.
INVESTIGATION: The Cruel Impact of Italy’s Buffalo Mozzarella Production
Animal Equality Italy has released a new investigation which documents the horrors of buffalo mozzarella production in Northern Italy. Read more: youtube.com/watch?v=ja3f6NOce1s
Joaquin Phoenix Releases New Must-See Animal Rights Documentary
Vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix executive produced the new animal rights documentary "The Animal People."
“The Animal People,” an animal rights documentary executive produced by Joaquin Phoenix, premiered at the Austin Film Festival last Saturday. Jorja Fox (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”) produced and Denis Henry Hennelly (“Goodbye World”) and Casey Suchan (“Rock the Bells”) co-directed.
“The Animal People” shows “what happens when activism rattles the institutions of power.” It features interviews with six members of the American arm of British animal rights group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. Interviews took place over the course of more than a decade.
Activists Labeled Terrorists
According to the synopsis, “Seeing the future of social movement organizing, the activists used the then fledgling internet to dramatically magnify their impact as they systematically knocked out the pillars of financial support that kept the company in business.But when letter writing and protests began to mushroom into dead-of-night vandalism and worse by unknown activists, this corporation and the government formed an alliance to destroy the group.”
Millions of chickens raised for meat die each year before ever reaching the slaughterhouse. In fact, figures obtained between 2016 and 2017 by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) show that 1.35 million chickens were found to have died during transport to the slaughterhouse or while awaiting slaughter. Many of these deaths are caused by the harsh living conditions and unnatural growth rate that puts immense pressure on the bodies of these sensitive animals.
UNNATURAL GROWTH: The average chicken today has been selectively bred to grow 300% faster than chickens raised for meat in 1960. According to researchers at the University of Arkansas, these chickens grow at a speed equivalent to a two-month-old human baby weighing 660 pounds! Being bred to put on an abnormal amount of weight in a very short time leads to many birds spending most of their miserable lives lying down in their own feces, sometimes dying from infection or not being able to reach their food and water. As high as 90% of chickens raised for meat are affected by a muscle tissue abnormality, such as “spaghetti meat,” caused by rapid growth. This unnatural growth is a huge strain on the birds legs, heart, and other organs.
Around the world, intensive animal agriculture is driving many of our most cherished wild species—from jaguars to bison to bees—to the brink of extinction.
SEVEN WORLDS, ONE PLANET: WHY THE FUTURE IS ON OUR PLATE
Who could fail to be captivated by the brilliance of Sir David Attenborough’s latest series, Seven Worlds: One Planet? The title itself sums up beautifully the interconnectedness of life on Earth. How we all depend on each other. How the living world around us is the very life support system for humanity.
What I think particularly important about Sir David’s latest series is how it shows the all-encompassing impact of global warming.
One of the big contributors to global warming, of course, is our global hunger for meat and dairy.
Despite governments signing up in Paris to limit runaway climate change, precious little has been done to reduce emissions from our food.
Farm animals already contribute 14.5 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than all the world’s planes, trains and cars put together. Already, 74 billion farm animals are reared for food every year. As things stand, tens of billions more animals will soon be reared and slaughtered each year for meat.
The UN predicts a doubling in demand for meat globally by the middle of the century.
The UN warns that global warming must be kept within 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century or the consequences will be catastrophic.
Those two predictions are incompatible. Things are going the wrong way to save the planet. To stop mass wildlife extinctions and a collapse of the living world around us.
Meat, milk, eggs put out far more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of protein than plant products such as grains, vegetables and pulses. A recent Chatham House study underscored the point that global temperature rise is unlikely to stay below 2 degrees Celsius without reducing consumption of meat and dairy.
That is why one of the most important things we can all do to help safeguard the future of life on Earth is to eat more plants, less and better meat and dairy. And by better, I mean not from factory farms. Instead, from more humane and environmentally friendly farming systems like pasture-fed, free range or organic.
Scientists tell us we have but a decade to solve climate change or leave a deeply impoverished planet as a legacy for our children.
We can all play a big part in shaping a better future three times a day through the food we choose.
Joaquin Phoenix recently starred in the DC Batman's origin story "Joker," directed by Todd Phillips. Phoenix has been vegan since the age of 3 years old, and has used his fame to help improve animal welfare. Prior to receiving an award at the Toronto International Film Festival for his performance in "Joker," the star stopped by a local subway station to show his support for an animal welfare campaign called "Be Fair Be Vegan." The actor was also spotted wearing an Animal Liberation Front sweatshirt to opening day screenings of "Joker" in Los Angeles.
He has been an animal advocate for years, starring in a vegan thanksgiving campaign in the 1990s. Since then, the "Walk the Line" star has lent his voice to vegan documentaries, 2005's "Earthlings" and 2018's "Dominion." Most recently, he has been featured on a billboard in New York City, with the tagline End Speciesism. The star has also spoken out about wool, fishing, and the use of dogs in the leather industry.
Phoenix has recently gotten engaged to fellow vegan actor Rooney Mara. The couple met on the set of 2013's "Her," but fell in love during filming of 2018's "Mary Magdalene." Mara engages in animal activism as well, and joined Phoenix in a mock funeral procession for animals in June 2019. The goal of the campaign was to shed light on the abuse of animals in the food, fashion, entertainment, and scientific research industries.
PBN Documentary 'Vegan 2019' To Screen In Major Los Angeles Theater
Vegan 2019 features leading names in the world of entertainment, sports, and animal advocacy, whose stories weave together to create a thrilling tapestry of this vibrant movement.
Plant Based News' upcoming documentary Vegan 2019 will premiere in a theater in Los Angeles next month due to overwhelming demand.
This year is the first time the annual film will be shown in a cinema outside of London.
Vegan 2019
In a bid to investigate the phenomenal growth of veganism over the last 12 months, Mitchell took a deep dive into how and why plant-based diets are rising to prominence, looking at some of the most significant vegan moments from the year.
Dr. Josh Cullimore Reviews 'The Game Changers' As It Launches On Netflix
'It only took a week to become the biggest selling documentary of all time on iTunes, and today it is released on Netflix where it will be able to reach the millions of viewers it deserves'
How many other vegan men out there hear the ‘but how do you build muscles?’ question on a regular basis?
As a doctor, a man, and a person who likes to work out, I have been acutely aware for a long time of how many dietary myths and mistaken cultural beliefs persist about veganism, health, athleticism and masculinity.
The Game Changers
When I first heard about The Game Changers, a documentary covering all these topics with some big-name producers behind it (including James Cameron, Arnold Schwarznegger, Novak Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Chan) I was excited but also nervous about whether it would do the justice the issues deserved.
It turns out my fears were unfounded: when I finally saw the film at the cinema last month, I was blown away by how good it is. The Game Changers is a fantastic achievement, and I believe it will actually live up to its name.
The film starts with James Wilks - elite Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner - recovering from an injury and researching the best ways to speed up recovery. To his surprise, he discovers that the Roman gladiators were vegetarian, which challenges his deeply held beliefs about masculinity, athletic ability and virility.
Winner: 2019 Best Film ‘Overall’ & 2019 Best Film ‘Animal Welfare’
Bucking Tradition, United States
Directed by: Sharon M Boeckle
Bucking Tradition explores one of America’s most iconic competitions—the rodeo. With thousands of events held across the nation and around the world every year, this “sport” is hailed by some as one of the last traditions of the American West. By others, it’s decried as one of our nation’s last legalized forms of systematic and brutal animal cruelty masquerading as sport and family entertainment. Do some traditions deserve to die? Maybe they do.
Winner: Best Film ‘Short’
Casa de Carne, United States
Directed by: Dustin Brown
On a night out with friends, Eric tries a new restaurant that takes the dining experience full circle. Set in a not-so-distant dark future, "Casa de Carne" is a thought-provoking short film about hard choices and hidden truths.
Winner: Best Film ‘Environmental Protection’
#Powerplant, Netherlands
Directed by: Robert, van Tellingen
The Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation presents its 5th documentary with Marianne Thieme. After ‘Meat the Truth’, ‘Sea the Truth’, ‘The Pacer in the Marathon’ and ‘One Single Planet’, this new documentary explores the prospects of a plant-based society.
#Powerplant provides added insight into the link between climate change and meat consumption, a topic that Marianne Thieme was the first politician to address in the climate documentary ‘Meat the Truth’ in 2007, an issue that has become even more pertinent since then. According to Oxford researcher Marco Springmann, a transition to a plant-based diet can prevent up to 8 million deaths per year in 2050, and on a global scale, can lead to savings that have a value to society of up to thirty trillion USD (30,000,000,000,000). Adopting a plant-based menu can reduce up to 73% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions and can make it possible to revert 76% of all agricultural land back to nature, says Joseph Poore, also a researcher at the University of Oxford. The study is described by The Guardian as “the most comprehensive analysis to date” in this field.
Winner: Best Film ‘Health & Nutrition
Code Blue: Redefining the Practice of Medicine, United States
Directed By: Marcia Machado
Through the lens of filmmaker Marcia Machado, code blue reveals lapses in the current state of medicine and provides a common sense solution by featuring the practice of lifestyle medicine to prevent, manage and reverse nearly 80% of chronic illnesses. It presents the hurdles to the proposed shift: outdated curricula in medical schools, confusion in the media, inadequate government policies, and the underlying influences of the pharmaceutical and food industries. With a dose of lighthearted humor, combining science and common sense, code blue follows a passionate physician, Dr. Saray Stancic, as she reflects upon her journey from a multiple sclerosis diagnosis to wellness through her own adoption of lifestyle medicine. Stancic introduces us to expert physicians/scientists who are paving the way to turn the tide on the chronic illness epidemic, empowering audiences to stand up and reclaim their health.
Winner: Best Film ‘Lifestyle’
Gold Doesn't Rust: Animal Testing and its 21st Century Alternatives, United States
Directed by, Dr. Theodora Capaldo
Animal testing has been the standard of scientific research and testing for centuries, in spite of a long history of ineffective results and unimaginable cruelty. Now, emerging technologies promise to revolutionize the field of biomedical research by rejecting the failing animal model in lieu of human-based in-vitro methods. Can these new models break their way into mainstream, or will they be blocked by a scientific community so deeply rooted in animal research?
'With the planet on the brink of ecological disaster, and chronic disease rates skyrocketing, this is a story of real-world solutions'
Award-winning environmental documentary The Need To Grow, directed by Ryan Wirick and Rob Herring, has made its global premiere.
The film, executively produced and narrated by Marvel star Rosario Dawson, is 'focused on cutting-edge solutions to build a new food ecosystem and regenerate our planet's dying soils'.
The Need To Grow, which won Best Documentary at Beaufort International Film Festival this year, as well as a plethora of other awards, is available to watch online for free until October 15.
'The Game Changers' Is Bestselling Documentary Of All Time On iTunes
The film, which will be released on Netflix later this month, was initially available on the Apple platform
Pro-vegan documentaryThe Game Changershas become the best-selling documentary of all time on iTunes - within just a week.
The film, which is directed by Oscar-winner Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by Oscar-winner James Cameron, 'documents the explosive rise of plant-based eating in professional sports'.
Vegan Documentary The Game Changers Is Coming to Netflix This Month
The groundbreaking film—which focuses on elite athletes who thrive on a plant-based diet—will soon be available for viewing worldwide.
On October 16, vegan documentary The Game Changers will be available for viewing on streaming service Netflix worldwide. Narrated by mixed martial arts champion and Special Forces trainer James Wilks, the film follows a diverse group of elite athletes that have thrived on a plant-based diet with the aim of dispelling the myth that consumption of animal products is key for athletic performance. The first cut of the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year and the second edit includes additional footage and highlights game-changing athletes such as Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch, German strongman Patrik Baboumian, and a slew of NFL players, amongst others, alongside doctors who demonstrate the performance advantages of consuming a plant-based diet. For its second cut, the film added martial arts legend Jackie Chan, NBA player Chris Paul, tennis star Novak Djokovic, and world race car champion Lewis Hamilton to its impressive list of executive producers, which also include Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, and Louis Psihoyos—director of award-winning film The Cove. The Game Changers made its digital debut through iTunes on October 1 after screening at 1,000 theaters worldwide during a special one-day premiere on September 16.
A team of American special ops veterans employs commando tactics to stop the powerful and brutal dog meat trade in Korea. In post-production. dogwarfilm.com
We wondered if the film-makers and operatives in this film are vegan ... i.e. that they extend the same morality to pigs, cows, chickens and such? We've asked the question and are awating a response.
Environmentalist Greta Thunberg Made Her Parents Feel Guilty For Eating Meat And Dairy
The 16-year-old climate change activist says she tried showing them graphs and data - but when that didn't work, she warned her family that they were 'stealing her future'.
PBN Documentary 'Vegan 2019' To Premiere In Central London Cinema
Vegan 2019 features leading names in the world of entertainment, sports, and animal advocacy, whose stories weave together to create a thrilling tapestry of this vibrant movement.
Tickets are now available for Plant Based News' latest documentary Vegan 2019, which will premiere in central London in November.
PBN founder Klaus Mitchell directed and produced the film, which will be screened at Leicester Square's Prince Charles Cinema on November 30.
A Q&A featuring special guests will take place after the screening.
In a bid to investigate the phenomenal growth of veganism over the last 12 months, Mitchell took a deep dive into how and why plant-based diets are rising to prominence, looking at some of the most significant vegan moments from the year.
‘The Game Changers’ Nabs iTunes Best-Selling Documentary Download
The Game Changers" is iTunes best-selling documentary download. James Cameron's vegan movie explores plant-based performance and the world's best athletes.
James Cameron’s documentary about the world’s top vegan athletes, “The Game Changers,” is the best selling iTunes movie pre-order.
The new film “documents the explosive rise of plant-based eating in professional sports, mixing real-time, groundbreaking science with cinematic stories of struggle and triumph.”
New vegan movie The Game Changers immediately turns viewers vegan
New pro-vegan documentary The Game Changers, a film which dispels myths about needing meat for top athletic performance, has finally been released and been met with rave reviews.
The documentary features high profile sports stars including Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Arnold Schwarzenegger – who are all executive producers.
The highly anticipated movie is out in cinemas now, and some viewers were immediately convinced to turn vegan.
The Land Of Ahimsa: A New Vegan Documentary You Should Get Behind
The dairy industry is one of the cruelest in the world. Cows are forcefully impregnated, bulls have their semen extracted via electroejaculation, calves are forcefully torn away from their mothers – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
And, despite knowing that cows don’t magically just “give” us milk, we still continue to use dairy products.
India, unfortunately, is one of the largest producers and consumers of dairy globally. From festivals and weddings to religious rituals and home-cooked meals, milk finds its way on to Indian plates on a daily basis. Dairy is ingrained in our culture, and the constant demand for it creates a lifetime of pain and cruelty for cows and bulls – all while worshipping the cow as a mother.
This is the paradox we have to address. Ahimsa, or the spirit of non-violence, has its roots in Indian culture, but we don’t practice it when it comes to what we eat or wear – and a new documentary is about to change that.
“We Are Striking to Disrupt the System”: An Hour with 16-Year-Old Climate Activist Greta Thunberg
In her first extended broadcast interview in the United States, we spend the hour with Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist who has inspired millions across the globe. Last year she launched a school strike for the climate, skipping school every Friday to stand in front of the Swedish parliament, demanding action to prevent catastrophic climate change. Her protest spread, quickly going global. Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren around the globe have participated in their own local school strikes for the climate. Since her strike began in 2018, Greta has become a leading figure in the climate justice movement. She has joined protests across Europe. She has addressed world leaders at the U.N. climate talks in Poland and the European Union Parliament. She has even met the pope. And now she is in New York to join a global climate strike on September 20 and address the U.N. Climate Action Summit on September 23. Greta has refused to fly for years because of emissions, so she arrived here after a two-week transatlantic voyage aboard a zero-emissions racing yacht. She is also planning to attend the U.N. climate summit in Santiago, Chile, in December. Greta joined us Tuesday in our Democracy Now! studio.
Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday: democracynow.org
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - Speech at The Official Animal Rights March 2019
Speech at The Official Animal Rights March 2019. The animal agriculture industries are fighting back. Unity, friendship and trust have never been more important. We must continue to work together to create a better world.
The animal agriculture industries are fighting back. Unity, friendship and trust have never been more important. We must continue to work together to create a better world. Please join Animal Rebellion on October 7th in London for one of the most historic actions in history - animalrebellion.org
Major Vegan Film Festival Announces Nominees – OIVFF
'We have a powerful mix of films from around the world that cover all aspects of veganism'
The Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival (OIVFF) has announced its 2019 lineup.
Last year, director Alex Lockwood was titled the overall winner for his documentary 73 Cows - which later went on to win a BAFTA for Best Short Film.
Now in its second year, the festival has selected 26 films out of 40 submissions from 14 different countries around the world. 60 percent of which have been directed by women.
The Lineup
Lifestyle Category:
Apollo: Rise of the Poly-Vegan Soldier (New Zealand)
A Strange Trial (Switzerland)
Gold Doesn't Rust: Animal Testing and its 21st Century Alternatives (USA)
Let us be Heroes - The True Cost of our Food Choices (Singapore)
Pig Man (New Zealand)
The Hunter and the Girl with Pokemon (Belgium)
Bad Vegan: The Original Recipe (Canada)
Double Decade Vegan (Australia)
Health and Nutrition Category:
H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters (Austria)
Code Blue: Redefining the Practice of Medicine (USA)
Multiple Seasons (USA)
Animal Welfare Category:
Casa de Carne (USA)
Reclaim (Canada)
Cow's Milk? (Germany)
Cows Come Home (USA)
Bucking Tradition (USA)
Coming Closer (USA)
The Cube of Truth (New Zealand)
Why Not Me (USA)
The Door (Denmark)
Hami Shelter (Iran)
Environmental Protection Category:
Diet Change Not Climate Change (Germany)
The Farm in My Backyard (Canada)
The Man of the Trees (Italy)
#Powerplant (Netherlands)
Planet Vegan: Episode One (USA)
'A powerful mix'
"I am very excited for the audience to see the outstanding films in this year's festival," Founder of the festival, Shawn Stratton, told Plant Based News.
"We have a powerful mix of films from around the world that cover all aspects of veganism. Topics range from mink farming in Nova Scotia to an elite vegan soldier from New Zealand to the animal testing for medical research to a film that explores one of America's most iconic competitions-the rodeo and much more."
The awards will be announced at the Festival's Premier event on October 6 at The Chamber Theatre in Ben Franklin Place in Ottawa, Canada.
Slice of Life: The Future of Food Documentary trailer
With the world's population projected to reach 9.7 billion as early as 2050, the current wasteful, inefficient, outdated and destructive food production system is being reimagined. Slice of Life features founders of plant-based food technology startups and restaurateurs who strive to offer ethical solutions to this problem.
The film explores the growing popularity of plant-based food, largely fueled by increasing public awarness of inhumane factory farming conditions, devastating effects of animal agriculture on climate change and significant health risks posed by heavy meat and dairy consumption.
Last weekend, salmon farm protestors led by Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch, held events to raise awareness of the toxic pollution being pumped out of fish farms and into the sea.
What they were highlighting was sadly nothing new; an issue of immense animal suffering, environmental devastation and imperilled wildlife.
The protests were inspired by footage taken last year around some of Scotland’s salmon farms; my blog (below) remains just as true today as it was when I first wrote it last Autumn:
Damning footage of parasite-ridden salmon on a Scottish fish farm is some of the most shocking I have seen and has prompted Compassion to renew its call for urgent action to stop the suffering and halt the expansion of intensive fish farming in Scotland.
The film, taken by photographer Corin Smith in late August 2018, shows salmon riddled with lice, red-raw around the gills, crown and face as the parasites effectively eat the fish alive. Taken at a site believed to be supplying major British supermarkets, these harrowing scenes have again brought to the surface the appalling cruelty of these factory farms in the sea.
BAFTA-Winning Film Director Releases New Film On Animal Testing
The brains behind the award-winning vegan documentary 73 Cows will debut his latest film this month.
BAFTA-winning film director Alex Lockwood is releasing a new film on animal testing.
Titled Test Subjects, the film will premiere at Raindance Film Festival on September 20 at 5.45 - and will be shared for free online shortly afterwards.
Telling the story of Frances, Emily, and Amy, Test Subects documents the torment of three aspiring scientists who felt testing on animals was a necessary part of their research.
Speaking to Plant Based News about the film, Lockwood said: "Animal testing is still widely accepted as a useful way to explore what does and doesn't work when it comes to the human body. I think most people think that for this reason, it's a bit of a necessary evil and that it generally does more good than bad.
"I hope that this film will help to challenge that belief and shed light on the fact that animal testing is predominantly ineffective when it comes to human health.
"With my film Test Subjects, I explored the stories of scientists who have had first hand experience of testing on animals and who now want to speak up and share their stories. I really hope that through these testimonies that eyes will be opened, and that this knowledge will become widespread."
The Scariest Movie Ever Made Is a Vegan Documentary
The scariest movie ever made is a vegan documentary. "Dominion" exposes the conditions on Australian farms and has inspired national protest.
Vegan documentary “Dominion” — released in 2018 — is so disturbing, some viewers said they were unable to finish watching it.
According to The Daily Mail, one social media user wrote, “got six minutes into Dominion and that’s all I could cope with.” Another added, “I believe it should be compulsory viewing for all omnivores.”
Some said they felt sick whilst watching and others said that although they found it difficult, they forced themselves to watch the whole thing.
Shocking Cruelty Shown in Italian Slaughterhouse Video
Animal Equality Italy has released a horrifying new video with scenes shot inside an Italian slaughterhouse showing the brutal killing of pigs. Read more.
Be a part of The Game Changers' Sep. 16th ONE NIGHT ONLY global event! This theatrical experience features a special "after show" — "hosted" by master storyteller James Cameron — and features never-before-seen footage including deleted scenes, extended interviews and surprise appearances! Hurry - tickets won't last!
8 Netflix documentaries that will make you want to save the planet
OPINION: If you're in need of a little motivation when it comes to saving the planet, these Netflix documentaries could be just what you need.
Pick your cause, give it a watch and get inspired to take action.
Chasing Ice
Chasing Coral
Minimalism
Live & Let Live Cowspiracy
Our Planet
Water School
Behind The Curve
Viva! revisits Hogwood Horror Farm in an undercover investigation July 2019.
You probably know the story – we've told it twice before. Back in June 2017, Viva! Campaigns went inside one of Britain's largest Red Tractor-approved pig farms supplying Tesco: Hogwood. The horrors that our team filmed were impossible to forget.
Just last month, we returned – this time armed with hidden cameras to capture round-the-clock surveillance. What we discovered was shocking: pigs ruthlessly kicked by farm workers and struck with metal riding crops and hand tools
Against all odds, Viva! Campaigns have returned to Hogwood pig farm to expose shocking conditions for the third year running. In response to the footage Viva! obtained, Red Tractor have suspended Hogwood’s certification and Tesco have dropped them with immediate effect.
Tesco and Red Tractor have DROPPED Hogwood Farm following our third investigation! Tesco have stated that these “distressing and unacceptable” scenes are well below their high animal welfare standards.
We’ve settled and farmed on grasslands all over the world. They are the unique home to the great herds and some of our biggest land mammals. It’s time to rethink the way we use our grasslands, before we lose them.
Did you know that food production produces 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally? If we all choose to eat a more climate friendly diet, it could have an amazing effect on the state of our planet.
Let's stand with fishes sign the petition here - rethink.fish
How climate crisis threatens world’s food supply and land
Climate change is degrading the very land we depend on to sustain human life. That's the stark finding from the latest UN report, which warns of potentially irreversible damage if we fail to act urgently.
But the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change does offer some hope - arguing climate crisis CAN be averted, if we are prepared for fundamental change.
Our Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson is in Greenland, where recent record temperatures saw over ten billion tonnes of ice melt in a SINGLE day last week.
A brand new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows just how much global warming affects our use of land, and how land use affects the planet. From farming to forests, we have to learn to protect our land from ourselves.
5 Ethical REASONS You Should GO VEGAN (And Stay Vegan)
Why should you go vegan? The world is going vegan in record numbers, including celebrities like Ariana Grande, Beyonce, and Jay-Z.
This video outlines 5 ethical reasons you should go vegan, including:
1) Why Eat One, And Not The Other? Why does North America eat turkeys, pigs, cows, chickens, and not cats or dogs?
2) Environmental Impact - deforestation, habitat lost, ocean dead zones, and endangered species such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers have all been linked to animal agriculture.
3) Ending World Hunger - Could we feed the world if we stopped raising livestock? A study reveals that we grow enough food on this planet to feed our growing world population expected to hit 9.8 billion by 2050.
4) The Reality of Animal Agriculture - The violence and oppression of migrant workers, and of the animals being tortured and killed to meet demand. Farmers struggle to maintain the broken business model of factory farming.
5) Moral Compass - if you had to kill your own food, could you do it? A study finds that vegans and vegetarians showed increased sign of activity in the brain centre that controls empathy. .
Animal Equality Investigation Reveals Truth Behind Italy's Pig Farms
Animal Equality Italy, in collaboration with the country’s national media outlet, Tg2, has published a new investigation exposing atrocities inside a pig farm in Northern Italy. As a result of the investigation, the owners of the farm have been reported to the authorities.
Arnold Schwarzenegger no longer eats meat. The 'Terminator' star, former bodybuilder, and former governor of California has spoken up about reduced meat consumption on several occasions.
Having witnessed the effects of climate change, Schwarzenegger is passionate about protecting the environment. He has appeared in a "Less Meat, Less Heat" commercial alongside vegan director James Cameron, urging fans to reduce their meat intake.
He also recently appeared in a video prank on his own social channels. In it, he plays the role of a used car salesman, and pranks potential buyers by offering them gas guzzlers when they request electric cars. The point of the video is to highlight the benefits of electric vehicles over gas cars.
In Spring 2019, Compassion visited two UK pig farms to investigate the use of farrowing crates to confine sows. The film below, narrated by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur, Deborah Meaden, presents the findings of this investigation.
A new undercover investigation released on the 22nd of July exposes the grim reality for millions of dairy calves across the EU. Separated from their mothers shortly after birth and confined in small, individual pens, these dairy calves are deprived of their natural behaviours and social interaction.
The investigation film - which contains new footage obtained from five Polish dairy farms as well as footage from other EU countries (Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic and Denmark) - exposes further welfare concerns; hungry calves repeatedly attempting to suckle an investigator’s hand as well as evidence of poor hygiene and inadequate protection from cold temperatures. Additionally, there were incidents of EU law infringement: with calves completely unable to see and touch each other; and calves around three to four months old being kept illegally in pens that were too small for them.
Dr. Jane Goodall: "Every animal is an individual." | H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters
In this bonus interview, Dr. Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace shares her lifelong love of animals and her firm belief that every individual who realises the consequences of their choice and chooses better, can make a difference.
If you want to know more about Dr. Jane Goodall and the other experts featured in our documentary "H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters", please visit our website: www.hope-theproject.com/the-film
EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION, an upcoming vegan film by Ludo Brockway, update!
We are in the final month of filming and could not be more excited. These next two weeks will include our last trips to capture the remaining shots needed, and then it’s a wrap!
What a journey we have all been on. It has been invigorating, sometimes testing, often emotional but overwhelmingly highly rewarding to travel to all the corners of the Earth, seeing some of the most breathtaking, awe inspiring pockets of the world, and the most devastatingly sad destruction unfolding before us in large part due to livestock farming.
We hope to make huge changes with this film, and cannot wait for you all to see it.
Having been to Brazil once before, we were lucky to go one more time to delve even deeper into the stories over there. It was a trip for the books, and we have met such incredible people in all of our travels. However a special thank you to Caren, our totally wonderful fixer, who we could not have got this trip done without. Photo's left for some sneak previews of our time over there.
We are also super excited to announce that having met our total raise of £1.5 M we are powering full steam ahead, and the film will be ready for our release date early 2020.
A huge thanks as always for your continued support, without each and every one of you we would not be where we are now. Let’s keep fighting the good fight!
Eating Our Way To Extinction Team
What are we feeding our pets? Have you ever questioned why we feed dogs meat, and what is actually in current dog food products?
Dogs can be vegan if fed the proper diet. Pet food startup Wild Earth has developed a dog food that contains all 10 essential amino acids your dog needs to obtain from diet. Watch the video to find out more!
Top Director Keegan Kuhn To Release Vegan Documentary Hungry For Justice
The upcoming documentary will also be directed by John Lewis, aka Badass Vegan.
Top filmmaker, Keegan Kuhn, best known for co-directing the documentary Cowspiracy, is to release a vegan documentary titled Hungry For Justice.
The feature-length documentary, which focuses on 'hip hop and food justice', is also directed by John Lewis - commonly known as Badass Vegan.
Hungry For Justice will explore themes such as food deserts, environmental racism, hip-hop culture, and the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and nutrition - and features an array of celebrities including Grammy award-winning Producer, Jermaine Dupri.
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Filming A Vegan Documentary
From hearing how everyone has an opinion to realizing how many mistakes you will make along the way...it's all been a learning curve.
A new five-part vegan documentary series covering the rise of the vegan movement from a global perspective is set to be released later this year.
Planet Vegan will feature stories from all around the world, with the aim of 'completely reshaping the public's view of what it means to be vegan.
Below, director James Hoot discusses his experiences making the series - and the things he wishes he knew before he started.
1. The editing process takes absolutely forever
When I started filming Planet Vegan (previously named Vegan Round the World: The Series…which also made for the world’s most obnoxiously long Instagram handle) I was expecting to film for a year, edit for six months and then have it ready for a network.
I was wrong. On so many levels, I was wrong. Going into this project, I had zero filmmaking experience and throughout the editing process, that fact has frequently illuminated itself.
We've now spent about five months on the pilot episode (one of seven episodes), although much of that time was on creating a badass intro to play at the start of each episode, cutting up interviews, and creating animations.
Moving forward, we've got a much more streamlined editing workflow and I'm sure we’ll have this thing 100 percent completed within a few weeks (joke).
PBN World Exclusive: Jessie J opens up about her Vegan Lifestyle
Plant Based News' Robbie Lockie sat down with Jessie J in this world-exclusive 2019 interview. Jessie goes into detail about why she is vegan, her motivations as well as her understanding of what the vegan lifestyle means.
This is the first time Jessie is talking publicly about being vegan.
In the dairy industry, it's standard practice to separate calves from their mothers so that humans can drink the milk that was meant for them. We filmed these heartbreaking scenes on a British dairy farm.
4 SHOCKING FACTS You Need To Know About Fish Farms
Did you know that over 50% of fish consumed globally comes from fish farms? Check out this video for 4 SHOCKING FACTS about FISH FARMS that you NEED to know!
If you care about fish and the ocean consider trying vegan, get all the support and help you need for free: challenge22.com
How a major meat company is linked to Amazon deforestation
In an investigation with Repórter Brasil and the Guardian, we found that the world's largest beef supplier is buying cattle from a company that illegally grazes its cows on deforested land.
The organisers of the second Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival say that they are thrilled to announce that they are now accepting film submissions for the 2019 festival!
For more info on film submissions or how to submit a film, visit: www.oivff.com/submit The deadline for this year’s film submissions is July 31, 2019.
The Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival is a trailblazing event dedicated to celebrating the vegan ideal: a healthier, compassionate, environmentally friendly lifestyle that can be achieved through the consumption of plants and animal-free alternatives.
Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Chan Co-Produce New Vegan Documentary
Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Chan have teamed up with James Cameron to executive produce the vegan documentary "The Game Changers."
Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Chan have co-produced the highly anticipated vegan documentary “The Game Changers.”
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Louis Psihoyos (2009’s “The Cove”) and produced by James Cameron (“Avatar”, “Titanic”), the film initially premiered over a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival.
Hamilton, the 5-time Formula One race car champion and martial artist and action film star Chan, were announced as part of the production team in a recent post on Facebook.
Hamilton is a firm believer in plant protein; he initially adopted a vegan diet after watching the 2017 documentary “What the Health,” which examined the link between animal products and disease.
Since then, the athlete has adopted a more ethical stance, regularly speaking out against animal cruelty on his Instagram.
Chan made headlines last year when he expressed concern for animal welfare, urging followers to adopt not shop.
Investigation: Extreme Suffering Exposed on Three Giant British Chicken Farms
Animal Equality UK investigated three Red Tractor-certified chicken farms (Saltbox, Ladywath and Mount farms ) in Lincolnshire between February and April 2019. We uncovered horrifying conditions and extreme animal suffering. The farms all raise chickens for Moy Park, the UK’s second largest chicken company which supplies major retailers including McDonald’s, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Ocado. Read more...
A vegan diet is just what the doctor ordered. As the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle are going mainstream, these doctors are leading the charge on advocating for plant-based nutrition as medicine.
Russell Brand Discusses Truth About Vegan Documentary ‘What the Health’
Comedian Russell Brand discusses the vegan diet with 'Cowspiracy' and 'What the Health' filmmaker Kip Andersen on his latest 'Under the Skin' podcast episode.
Comedian, author, and podcast host Russell Brand discussed veganism on the latest episode of his podcast “Under the Skin,” with guest Kip Andersen, co-director of controversial films “Cowspiracy” and “What the Health.”
2014’s “Cowspiracy” directed by Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, looked at the environmental impact of the livestock industries. Andersen attempted to interview a number of environmental groups on the issues; the filmmakers were interested in why organizations working to combat climate change weren’t more focused on promoting a plant-based diet as a means to reducing global warming. According to the filmmakers, livestock industries produce more greenhouse gases than all transportation sectors combined, yet an overwhelming majority of environmental groups focus on transport and industrial pollution instead of livestock production.
A clip from the upcoming Under The Skin podcast with Kip Andersen co-director of 'What The Health' and "Cowspiracy' (both on Netflix!). His documentaries came under fire as some refuted the facts and statistics used in them - here Kip defends his position and all the sources used in the documentaries. If you'd like to visit the sources he mentioned go to whatthehealthfilm.com/facts
Dr. Anthony Hadj interviews Dr. Michael Klaper on the benefits of a plant based diet.
Despite being drenched in Melbourne rain, Dr. Hadj had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Michael Klaper MD on his November 2017 visit to Melbourne.
Documentary shines spotlight on elephant tourism industry
A groundbreaking documentary from Lek Chailert, founder of Save Elephant Foundation, exposes the truth behind the elephant tourism industry.
Lek is a world-renowned Asian elephant conservationist and TIME Magazine’s Hero of Asia, and the founder of Elephant Nature Park. Her movie is called Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story, directed by American filmmaker Ashley Bell. This film chronicles Lek and Ashley’s journey as they embark on a daring mission 480 miles across Thailand to rescue a 70-year old trekking elephant and bring her to freedom at the sanctuary.
Earthling Ed discusses discusses a New Report that Suggests ‘High Likelihood of Human Civilization Coming to an End’ Starting in 2050 ...
The climate change analysis was written by a former fossil fuel executive and backed by the former chief of Australia's military and was reported on in Vice.
Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old climate activist that wants you to panic. She warns the public that we are years away from an irreversible climate disaster, and that we need to act now. Thunberg is the leader of school strike for climate. Beginning in her hometown in Sweden, Thunberg began protesting climate change by missing Fridays at school to protest at Swedish parliament. Frustrated by politicians' lack of action for the environment, she decided to take a stand. Now, hundreds of thousands of students have joined her across the globe to stand up for their environment and their future. Thunberg has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. She is also a vegan - recognizing the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Here is a look at some of her most powerful speeches.
Eating Animals review – painful portrait of factory farming
Natalie Portman narrates an unsettling documentary about how agribusiness resorts to ever greater squalor and cruelty
‘You vote at least three times a day with your fork,” says a farmer in this sombre, painful, relevant documentary about agribusiness from film-maker Christopher Quinn, based on the 2009 non-fiction bestseller by Jonathan Safran Foer, co-written with him and narrated by Natalie Portman, who was so energised by the book that it reportedly turned her into a vegan activist.
t’s a film that tells you what you already knew – and then made a conscious or unconscious decision to forget, if you are a meat-eater. Factory farming is a horrible business.
VeganFlix today announced the launch of VeganFlix Studios, a new independent studio dedicated to producing entertaining, diverse, and original content that fosters respect and compassion for people and animals.
“Vegans are often invisible on screen or we are portrayed as stereotypical one-dimensional characters,” explains Sara Millman, Founder of VeganFlix Studios. “There has been a tendency to make vegan characters look silly or weak in movies and TV, which can hinder the message of ‘compassion for all’ that many vegans stand for."
Millman added, “Also, as young people worldwide are going vegan in higher numbers than ever before, it is important to stop the outdated and negative on-screen stereotypes which are harmful to everyone, especially children."
The food served to cast and crew during productions will be 100% vegan/plant-based. Millman, a vegan for over 40 years, believes in providing food that is kinder for the animals, healthier for the actors and crew, and better for the earth. "We want to tell stories that inspire kindness. and that means producing them with kindness too."
VeganFlix Studios currently has three projects in the works including a feature film, “The Golden Bow,” a streaming series, “Com (dot) Passion,” as well as a short film, “Jackie Jones”.
More about these projects can be found on their website, www.veganflix.com.
VeganFlix Studios encourages vegan actors, crew, producers, benefactors, and independent movie lovers to be in touch
VeganFlix was founded in 2016 by filmmaker and writer Sara Millman, VeganFlix is the result of Millman’s dedication to social justice for all, and passion for storytelling. Along with providing the VeganFlix Video Seed Grant Program, Veganflix has now expanded into VeganFlix Studios to produce entertaining movies and content that fosters respect and compassion for all sentient beings.
Breaking: A Horrifying Look Inside a Thai Slaughterhouse
Video reveal workers using sledgehammer to bash cows in the head before slitting their throats.
This week's vegan news: Italian luxury fashion brand Prada makes a commitment to ditch fur. Macklemore gives up meat, and wears a vegan faux fur coat to the MET Gala. Justin Bieber teams up with Schmidt's to develop a natural vegan deodorant. A new bill may soon ban wild animal circuses in the United States. Vegan Game of Thrones actor Jerome Flynn becomes the lord of cryptocurrency, and Woody Harrelson calls for an end to Texas' cruel Bacon Bash.
This video answers a number of questions like:
• Aren't there laws to keep animals safe?
• Is Stevia the healthiest sweeter?
• What if we don't care about bees?
• Should we buy organic?
• What should animal advocates keep in mind?
Featuring:
• Veronika Powell (Senior Campaigner & Researcher)
• Natalie Heath (Nutrition Health Coach, Plant Powered Wellness)
• Dr. Josh Cullimore (@vegandoctorjosh)
• Jeremy Hess (Vegan Interactions)
Watch and share the new investigation film, which shows why the world must come together on 14th June to Stop Live Transport.
Filmed over three days, this investigation reveals the cramped and gruelling conditions animals are forced to endure during UK live exports. Hearing the calves cry out, and watching them try to suckle and bite the bars of their truck, is heartbreaking.
Sadly, UK live exports are just one terrible example of the cruelty inflicted on animals, worldwide, by long distance live transport. That is why it is crucial we come together to grow the global movement to end this trade.
An investigation documenting the live transport of calves from Scotland to the port of Ramsgate and onto Abbeville, France. Narration by Peter Egan.
Although many see it as the ultimate in free-range farming, the seemingly idyllic scene of a ewe and her lambs out grazing the British countryside hides the stark reality of life for these gentle souls. They spend their entire lives under human control – mere products of an industry that relies on manipulation, misery and mutilation. As a result, their lives are painfully short, filled with neglect, disease and ultimately fear on their long journeys to market and eventually slaughter
In 2018 investigators for Viva! Campaigns filmed undercover at an abattoir in Cornwall, where six young sheep were shot in the head, hung by the legs and killed for meat. But it doesn’t have to be this way! With so many delicious plant-based alternatives now available it’s never been easier to choose a kind, healthy diet that benefits not just the animals and your health, but also our planet.
He'll Turn You VEGAN In 2 MINUTES (Earthling Ed) | LIVEKINDLY
Earthling Ed is an animal activist whose work focuses on animal rights. Devoting his time to the cause, he focuses on educating the public about the morality of using and consuming animal products.
Russell Brand Says He Went Vegan Again Because of Vegan Film “What the Health”
British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who went vegan again this year, said he went back to veganism after watching the vegan documentary “What the Health.”
Our food system is driving millions of species, including our own, to extinction. Video from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), 6 May 2019.
Plant-based health professionals UK is an education and advocacy organisation whose aim is to educate health professionals and the general public on plant-based nutrition and other lifestyle interventions for the promotion of optimal health and well-being. plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com
Josh is a vegan medical doctor/GP, based in Brighton, UK, with a Masters in Public Health and a passion for lifestyle medicine and plant based diets: facebook.com/pg/vegandoctorjosh
Ed Miliband Stars in New Vegan Short Film ‘What If’
Ed Miliband is Prime Minister in a futuristic vegan universe in the new short film "What If," sequel to 2009's "The Age of Stupid."
Member of Parliament and former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband now lives in an alternate universe. And it’s entirely vegan.
Well, sort of.
Miliband, who served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition between 2010 and 2015, plays a version of himself (named “Fred Miliband”) in the new short film, “What If,” a sequel to “The Age of Stupid,” a 2009 British documentary film by Franny Armstrong.
In a parallel universe, Fred Miliband, Carolyn Lukas, Zack Harries, Jon Snowflake, Kris Peckham, Jonathan Pie and the President of the Maldives battle to save the people of Earthly from suffering the same fate as "those poor people on Earth".
Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, and Like 100 Other Celebs Release Song for Climate Change
Leonardo DiCaprio, Sia, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Miley Cyrus and a number of other celebrities have come together to release a new climate change-focused hit.
In honor of Earth Day, rapper Lil Dicky rallied together as many influential singers, actors, and celebrities as he could find — apart from Barack Obama, because he’s saving his “Obama ask” — to sing on “Earth.”
Each celeb appears as an animal or plant of some sort; Grande is a Zebra, Snoop Dogg, naturally, is a marijuana plant, Bieber is a baboon, and Cyrus is an elephant. Kevin Hart plays Kanye West — Lil Dicky left it “too late” to ask West himself to appear — and DiCaprio appears as a CGI version of himself.
The A-Lister consistently raises awareness of climate change and the current threats to our environment. Most recently, he backed a $150 million climate change fund, and he has invested in a number of vegan brands. More here: livekindly.co/leo-sia-bieber-climate-change-video
Pull up a couch, it's environmental awareness time. These are the top 5 must-see documentaries that will make you want to take climate action. According to LIVEKINDLY.
LIVEKINDLY is your home for informative, thought-provoking content FOR HUMANITY, OUR HOME, AND THOSE WHO SHARE IT WITH US. Featuring new plant-based videos every Tuesday and a weekly vegan news recap every Friday.
Vegan Film Dominion Viewed 55,000 Times in 48 Hours After Australian Protests
Animal rights campaigners across the country coordinated a series of actions aimed at raising awareness of animal suffering and asking people to watch the documentary - but politicians have responded angrily
Vegan documentary Dominion was viewed 55,000 times in 48 hours following a series of coordinated protests across Australia, Plant Based News can reveal.
The actions, which marked the one-year anniversary of the release of Dominion, included protests outside slaughterhouses in areas across the country including Corio, Pakenham, Toowoomba, and Bacchus Marsh among other locations.
In addition, campaigners brought Melbourne to a standstill, blocking traffic at one of the biggest intersections in the city center while holding signs saying 'you have been lied to; watch Dominion' and 'this is a peaceful protest'.
Vegan Film Director Wants Consumers to Watch Animal Cruelty Videos Before Buying Meat
Chris Delforce, animal rights activist and director of vegan documentary Dominion, said that consumers should be shown animal cruelty videos before buying meat.
In an interview with Australian news program Sunrise, Delforce said that no one supports animal cruelty yet people buy meat because they are not aware of what really happens to animals behind closed doors.
He added that farmers should show images of their animals being gassed to death so consumers will become aware of where their food comes from.
“They need to be showing the footage of every single pig going into that chamber screaming and thrashing in agony,” Delforce said in the interview.
Here's what happened when the director of the doco that sparked yesterday's vegan protests went head-to-head with the Victorian Farmers' Federation President LIVE on Sunrise. pic.twitter.com/Moj89SXyQU
“The fact is these animals don’t want to die. They fight to the very last breath and there are plenty of cruelty-free alternatives.”
“We can live happily without killing animals, so why wouldn’t we?”
Delforce’s comments follow an animal rights protest in Australia this week, where he is one of the organizers..
Vegan protesters raid farms and stage blockades around Australia
In a highly orchestrated series of sit-ins, blockades, and abattoir invasions, a group of vegan activists have staged a nationwide protest against animal cruelty. In a move which angered many Melbourne residents, the group blocked off the centre of the Flinders Street intersection, which is one of the busiest in the country. Meanwhile, a group of nine protestors were discovered inside the Southern Meats abattoir in Goulburn, chained to machinery, around 2.30am in the morning. After two hours chained to a conveyer belt, the group were cut loose and removed from the premises. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, weighed in on the protestors during his pre-campaign rounds, calling them 'un-Australian' and pledging commonwealth support for any civil actions taken against them.
The Ostrich Effect: The truth we hide from ourselves | Ed Winters | TEDxLundUniversity
Why do we hide our heads in the sand when we get confronted with a challenging reality? Ed explores what truths we hide from ourselves by drawing on his experience as a documentary maker and activist. Ed Winters or "Earthling Ed" devotes his life to be a voice for the voiceless as an animal rights activist. He went from a meat-eater to vegan and as a social media phenomenon, regular visitor as major new channels such as BBC, he advocates for animals using discussion and debate.
Should humans exploit animals for a temporary taste-experiences?
This is torture on an industrial scale... **A new We Animals short film**
In many countries around the world, markets for fur are closing down as demand wanes. But in the tiny Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the government is putting its own citizens' wellbeing second to this controversial industry, doubling down on its support for the fur industry despite its devastating impacts on the environment, animals, and the local residents pleading for change.
'We Animals' is working with leading groups in Canada and around the world to end fur farming.
(Profits will go to animal sanctuaries – yet to be announced which ones)
Go vegan, get active and fight for the liberation of all beings!
Why 'Bound'?
1. Non-human animals are 'bound' to, and by, human beings. We exploit them for food, clothing, medicine and entertainment. We confine them in trucks, in pens, in slaughterhouses. We forcibly breed them, separate them from their families, and treat them as objectified possessions. Their entire existences are often bound to our will. This is unnecessary, cruel and morally reprehensible.
2. Our fate is 'bound' to that of other animals, and of the earth as a whole. As a species, we often see ourselves as being somehow above or outside of the natural interconnectedness of all life. It is this concept, this speciesism, that allow us to forget that we are animals too. We need to learn – incredibly quickly – how to co-exist peacefully with other species in order for all life on earth to continue.
3. This movement of empathy, justice and liberation for all sentient beings is 'bound' in a certain direction: it is growing exponentially. Hundreds upon hundreds of actions have been carried out against speciesism in the past few years, including vigils, outreach events, marches, disruptions, liberations and direct actions. Thousands of activists across the world are raising their voices in solidarity with those we silence. Millions of people now live vegan.
4. When an anymal (human or non-human animal) is free and happy, sometimes they 'bound' (jump) with joy.
BAFTA Winning Vegan Film '73 Cows' Viewed 150,000 Times In 2 Days
The highly-anticipated short film, which tells the story of former cattle farmer Jay Wilde who gave his cows to a sanctuary to turn to vegetable farming, is now available to watch online.
The multi award-winning short documentary tells the story of Jay Wilde, a former cattle farmer who gave his cows to a sanctuary and went vegan, when he could no longer face sending the animals to slaughter.
We Can't Go On Eating Meat Like We Have' Says David Attenborough
The broadcaster, who was interviewed for the upcoming issue of Radio Times magazine said people need to be responsible when it comes to trying to keep the planet healthy
People cannot keep eating meat at the same rate they have been, according to broadcaster David Attenborough.
According to Sir David, he has lost his appetite for meat, and he says he thinks he's been inspired by the state of the planet.
"We can't go on eating meat at the rate we have been," he said when asked whether people needed to reduce their meat consumption.
"I haven't been a doctrinaire vegetarian or vegan, but I no longer have the same appetite for meat. Why? I'm not sure.
"I think subconsciously maybe it's because of the state of the planet. Although, I've never really been one for eating enormous meals and I'm not particularly a gourmet either, so I can't pretend that I'm feeling deprived in any way or that it's cost me all that much."
David Attenborough talks climate change, vegetarianism – and working with Netflix
The 92-year-old broadcaster and voice of Netflix's Our Planet reflects on a career spanning almost seven decades.
Our Planet, Netflix’s highly-anticipated nature documentary, begins not with an aerial shot of Earth, but with an image of the Moon.
As we look out over its shadowy craters, a familiar voice starts to speak: “Just 50 years ago, we finally ventured to the Moon.”
The voice, of course, is David Attenborough’s.
People eat 65 billion chickens every year. It is the fastest-growing meat product. Yet pound for pound the price of chicken has fallen sharply. How has this happened?
Chickens are the most populous bird on the planet. There are 23 billion of them at any given time - that's ten times more than any other bird. It's by far the fastest growing meat product but pound for pound the price of chicken has fallen sharply. How has this happened?
This farm is at the forefront of a technology revolution that has drastically changed chicken farming. It's run by David Speller who's pioneered the use of CCTV and CO2 monitors in chicken sheds. Along with his own farm, he works as a consultant overseeing the raising of around 3 million chickens in the UK.
Chickens were first domesticated over 8,000 years ago but it wasn't until the 1940s that major efforts were made to create a super breed. The chicken of tomorrow competition in America would change chickens forever.
Today the lifecycle of broilers, chickens that are bred purely for their meat, is entirely preordained. They grow faster and bigger than ever before and they can only live supported by human technology. Chickens have changed so quickly they are now four times the size they were in the 1950s.
A barnyard chicken can live up to 10 years showing the huge evolutionary change the broilers have undergone. But selective breeding on a global scale comes at a cost. If the chickens live beyond their planned life they develop huge medical problems. And there are concerns the chicken industry is relying on an increasingly small gene pool.
Keeping chickens in battery cages was banned in the EU in 2012 but some people want to create better lives for broiler chickens. Free-range birds have more access to open air runs, while organic chickens are typically free from antibiotics, hormones and other synthetic chemicals. Organic chickens get to live the longest - 81 days compared to intensively reared birds which live between 35 and 40 days. Free-range chickens get the most access to open air runs but when it comes to living space, organic and free-range fair far better than intensively reared birds where as many as 17 adult birds live in a single square metre.
Organic farming might offer animals a greater quality of life but consumers are largely driven by cost and in an average UK supermarket, an intensively reared chicken cost several times less than its free-range or organic cousins.
Over 95% of broiler chickens are intensively reared in the UK. Organic and free-range chickens make up the rest. For as long as shoppers want cheap and plentiful chicken, they will continue to be bred ever more intensively.
The organisers of the second Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival say that they are thrilled to announce that they are now accepting film submissions for the 2019 festival!
For more info on film submissions or how to submit a film, visit: www.oivff.com/submit
The deadline for this year’s film submissions is July 31, 2019.
The Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival is a trailblazing event dedicated to celebrating the vegan ideal: a healthier, compassionate, environmentally friendly lifestyle that can be achieved through the consumption of plants and animal-free alternatives.
“Building on the success of its inaugural year in which it received 29 film submissions from 8 different countries, the Festival aims to showcase quality short and long form films from around the world,” said director Shawn Stratton. “The Festival accepts films from both professional and amateur filmmakers with large and small budgets.”
He added that 73 Cows, a vegan short film about a dairy farmer who went vegan and gave all his cows to a sanctuary, was produced on a small budget yet not only was it the Grand Prize winner in the festival last year, it also received the Best Short Film prize at the prestigious BAFTA Awards this year. More: vegannews.co
If you want to make a change in the world, Food For Thought is your opportunity to be involved in a project that will make a difference to human health, animal welfare and the environment.
What is 'Food For Thought'?
A feature length documentary presented and narrated by actor, Born Free Foundation ambassador and animal conservationist, Dan Richardson, who also produces and co-directs alongside award-winning filmmaker, Giles Alderson.
With a positive and inclusive tone throughout, Food For Thought documentary will deliver a relatable version of the plant-based message to the non-vegan majority, aiming to inspire and encourage them to join us as we explore the driving forces behind the fastest growing lifestyle choice in the world.
We speak with various experts, advocates and nutritionists to learn why momentum is now at an all-time high, and discover how this shift is having a positive impact on animals, our health and the world we live in.
The film also follows the journey of an eclectic group of non-vegans as they commit to a 30-day plant-based challenge, documenting their experience with video diaries. This provides their peer group - our target audience - with a relatable, inspiring and insightful look at the realities of living a vegan lifestyle.
We will try to answer the questions vegans always get asked "Where do you get your protein", "What would happen if we all went plant based tomorrow?", "What would happen to the animals", "What if...?"
New Documentary About Veganism And Religion To Premiere In London
The screening of the film, A Prayer For Compassion, will be hosted by Plant Based News in collaboration with Bright Zine.
A new vegan documentary which looks at veganism is the context of religious spirituality will premiere in London in May.
The screening of A Prayer For Compassion, at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, is hosted by Plant Based News in collaboration with vegan zine Bright Zine.
Would you watch football if injured players were killed? So why support horse racing?
An average of 150 horses die as a result of racing in the UK every year. Broken necks, backs and legs are commonplace on British racing tracks, where horses are whipped to make them run faster and jump over dangerous obstacles. The pressure inflicted on their bodies during the race can lead to painful gastric ulcers and bleeding lungs.
89 horses have been killed on Cheltenham Racecourse since 2008 – ten of these in 2018 with seven horses destroyed in 2018’s Cheltenham Festival.
Autoimmune Diseases: Can a Vegan Diet Help? asks/answers Mic the Vegan
Can a vegan diet help with autoimmune diseases? Which diseases does it fight best? This video looks at over 25 studies to find answers on diseases from Crohn's and Rheumatoid Arthritis to Multiple Sclerosis and Type 1 Diabetes and beyond.
Ryan is currently a dairy farmer living in Ireland. Ed had the opportunity to debate the ethics of the dairy industry and the environmental issues surrounding animal agriculture, as well as discussing the standard practices he adheres to whilst working on dairy farms.
Find out more about what Ed does & join his mailing list: www.earthlinged.org
Dear Humans: End the Cage Age ...
Does this little piggy sound familiar? Prepare to have your heart melted by these super-cute farm animals…and look out for some familiar faces ;-)!
But beware – there’s more to this happy story than meets the eye…millions of UK farm animals are suffering in cages.
Think all mother pigs live free from cages? Wrong: more than 250,000 mother pigs – over 50% of all UK sows – are forced to give birth in farrowing crates, where they can't even turn around and have to suckle their piglets through bars. Think all British egg-laying hens are free range? Wrong: around 16 million – more than one third of all hens nationwide – are still locked up in cages.
Sign the petition now and help raise 100,000 signatures to #EndTheCageAge: ciwf.org.uk/endcages
Excerpt From Upcoming Plant-Based Film: On A Scale of 1 to 10
On A Scale of 1 to 10 - A Film About Chronic Pain – The Silent Epidemic
"Chronic pain affects 1 out of 5 people and has triggered an opioid crisis with no solution in sight so far. We go on a journey across North America, exploring various holistic therapies, modalities, mind body connections and lifestyle approaches to better deal with this crucial issue. In the process, we interview top experts who often challenge our traditional beliefs around chronic pain and open our minds to our bodies' innate power to heal."
Vegan Documentary 'The End of Meat' To Launch Globally
The film considers the hugely beneficial possibilities of a post-meat world and what that might look like for humans, animals and the planet
A vegan documentary described as 'groundbreaking' will be available to view globally from March 12.
Created by Marc Pierschel, The End Of Meat poses the question: "What would happen if meat disappeared?" Offering an optimistic vision - through interviews with activists and attorneys, scholars and scientists, entrepreneurs and industry disruptors, from Berlin to India, New York City to Silicon Valley - the film declares: "The future of meat is history.
Take a Peek at the Vegan Documentary ‘Game Changers’
It’s been over a year since the James Cameron-produced documentary “Game Changers,” a film that explores vegan athletes and the myth that you need to eat meat to be strong, premiered at Sundance and the hype is still strong.
The forthcoming film, directed by Academy Award winner Louis Psihoyos (2009’s “The Cove”), and produced by Academy Award winner James Cameron (“Titanic”, “Avatar”), follows James Wilks, elite special forces trainer and winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” as he travels the world “on a quest for the truth behind the world’s most dangerous myth: that meat is necessary for protein, strength and optimal health,” the film’s website notes.
Not just another vegan documentary, “Game Changers” builds its story around some of the world’s most well-known and winning-est athletes including former bodybuilder, action-film star, and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Sustainability On Screen coming soon – May 5th and 6th 2019, Portobello Road, London
A film festival celebrating and showcasing environmental sustainability and veganism.
The SOS Film Festival is a trailblazing event dedicated to celebrating a sustainable and vegan ideal: a healthier, compassionate, environmentally friendly lifestyle. Thought provoking and hard hitting screenings of short and feature films, showing the impacts of our diet, consumption and how we live is affecting the world and local communities we live in. We will be screening award winning films and documentaries and Q&As with leading film makers, environmentalists and musicians. Topics include climate change, waste pollution, vegan and plant based diet and environmental sustainability. We aim to explore how our every days lives are affecting climate change, pollution and the health of communities.
We will be screening award winning films (including 2019 BAFTA Winner - '73 Cows' a 2018 PANDA Award Winner), from award winning directors and documentary makers- topics include vegan and plant based diet, climate change, animal conservation and environmental sustainability. We aim to explore how veganism can have a positive affect on climate change, pollution and the health of communities. Conservation and wildlife films include 'Love and Bananas - Elephant Rescue'; 'Down to earth' and Celine Cousteau's new film 'Tribes on the Edge'.
In the third episode of The Disclosure Podcast, Earthling Ed speaks to Mark, an ex-dairy and sheep farmer (and now a passionate vegan) who approached him to confess some dark industry secrets.
Vegan Film “Casa De Carne” Wins Top Prize at Film Festival
“Casa De Carne,” a pro-vegan short film that shows animal suffering in food production, won first place and a $3,000 cash prize at the Tarshis Film Awards.
The vegan film, which was created by filmmaker Dustin Brown for non-profit organization Last Chance for Animals (LCA), shows three friends in a fine-dining restaurant with a feature that requires the customer to slaughter the animals that they order for dinner ...
A beef farmer battles with his conscience every time he takes his cows to slaughter. He knows he must make a change. 73 Cows is a short documentary about the journey and personal conflict of Jay Wilde, the first farmer in the UK to embark upon transitioning from beef farming to entirely organic plant based farming.
“Without a doubt, A Prayer for Compassion is the most powerful film ever made on the issue of religion, animals and food.” ~ Jewish Veg
A Prayer for Compassion is a feature length documentary that strives to inspire and encourage those already on a religious or spiritual path, to expand their circle of compassion to embrace all life, regardless of species, and make choices in alignment with this value.
The film follows Thomas Jackson on a quest across America, that ultimately takes him to Morocco for the UN Climate Conference and throughout the Indian subcontinent to ask the question, “Can compassion grow to include all beings? and Can people who identify as religious or spiritual come to embrace the call to include all human and nonhuman beings in our circle of respect and caring and love?”
Drawing on traditions including Christianity — evangelical, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Friends (Quakers), Seventh Day Adventism, Unity, and more; Judaism; Islam; Hinduism; Buddhism; Jainism; the Native American tradition; Unitarian Universalism; Zoroastrianism; and the “spiritual but not religious” point of view — A Prayer for Compassion calls on people of faith and spiritual seekers of every stripe to come together to bring about a world in which “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them…They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6 and 11:9)
We’re only one full month into the New Year, and what a start it’s been! The Economist coined it “The Year of the Vegan." Dozens of other news reports have shown that the world is embracing plant-based diets, and compassion. We have momentum on our side. Catch up on the latest headlines by giving our video a quick watch, and please share it to keep the momentum going!
We are asking Pope Francis to go vegan for Lent to protect the planet | Million Dollar Vegan
Million Dollar Vegan, along with 12-year-old activist Genesis Butler, is asking Pope Francis to go vegan for Lent to help fight climate change with diet change. Going vegan is the single biggest thing we can do to protect the planet - it helps reduce out climate impact, prevent deforestation and protect oceans and rivers. It also prevents the suffering of billions of animals, improves human health and helps feed a growing world population.
Rescued ESTHER THE WONDER PIG Turned Her Dads Vegan | LIVEKINDLY
Esther the Wonder Pig is changing hearts. A Canadian couple adopted a rescued "mini pig" in 2012, but she grew to be 650 pounds. The rescued farm animal now lives on a sanctuary called The Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary.
Her dads, Steve and Derek went vegan after adopting her. The sanctuary's mission is to give neglected and abused farm animals a loving home.
“As we enter the Year of the Pig, could we resolve to get to know this intelligent animal a little better?” – Eline Helena Schellekens
Today is Chinese New Year and 2019 is the Year of the Pig – a powerful opportunity for us to give pigs a voice. You can speak up for all pigs suffering in intensive conditions right now: just watch and share this compelling, award-winning short film about the life of a factory-farmed piglet, premiering online today.
Every year, across the UK and EU, around 10 million sows and their piglets are locked up for weeks at a time in farrowing crates. Trapped in these cages, the mothers can barely take care of their young. The cramped conditions prevent them from turning round, restrict their natural behaviours and cause intense suffering.
'M6NTHS' is a short film showing life through the eyes of piglets growing up on an industrial farm, having never experienced the joy of being outside. Filmed on farms in the UK, France and Belgium, it gives a unique perspective into how factory farming treats life as a commodity and fails to recognise that animals are smart, sensitive beings.
For two weeks only, Compassion in World Farming is screening ‘M6NTHS’ on our website, in support of the campaign to End the Cage Age. Catch it while you can – it’s available from 5-18 Feb only!
Produced and directed by the award-winning, Bristol-based filmmaker Eline Helena Schellekens, this powerful film has already won the Panda Award for Best Short – the most prestigious wildlife film award.
All over Europe, people are joining together to free more than 300 million farm animals from a life in a cage. You too can take action to support one of the biggest ever animal welfare campaigns. Watch and share 'M6NTHS' today!
Vegan Doctor Garth Davis, MD, is the medical director of the Davis Clinic at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, and starred on the hit TLC show Big Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Davis also competes in marathons and Ironman triathlons and is the author of Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession With Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It.
Our undercover investigators visited Fir Tree Pig Farm in Lincolnshire, England, in April and May 2018 after an anonymous tip-off. They uncovered repeated, deliberate violence by several workers. Without the bravery of the whistleblower and our investigators, these workers would still be beating pigs at Fir Tree Farm today. You can find out more about the investigation at animalequality.org.uk/beaten-for-bacon.
Three men, Troy Wagstaff, Gavin Hardy and Artis Grogprkevs, have been convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
Fir Tree Farm is owned by Elsham Linc - one of Britain’s biggest pig producers - and supplied large retailers including Tesco. Consumers concerned about cruelty like this taking place on factory farms can help put a stop to it by choosing from the variety of delicious vegan alternatives now widely available in shops and restaurants across the UK.
Slice of Life: The Future of Food Documentary Trailer
Slice of Life is a documentary that explores the solutions that the food technology startups offer to create highly efficient plant-based foods. The film features CEOs of plantbased food technology startups and restaurateurs who share insight into changing consumer dietary preferances. Fitness instructors discuss the myths surrounding protein sources and physicians who talk about their patients making lifestyle modifications to reduce or reverse chronic conditions.
The Gillette Ad, Vegetable Genitals, and Toxic (Vegan) Masculinity
Last week, international animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) suggested that men can “cure toxic masculinity by going vegan.”
The statement was released in response to the American Psychological Association’s new 20-page guideline on psychological practices for boys and men, where it wrote, “Socialization for conforming to traditional masculinity ideology has been shown to limit males’ psychological development, constrain their behavior, result in gender role strain and gender role conflict, and negatively influence mental health and physical health.”
Not long after that, Gillette launched an ad highlighting some of toxic masculinity’s biggest problems – the suppression of emotions, bullying those who don’t conform to standards, and sexual harassment, to name a few – leading to the hopeful message that men can help shut toxic masculinity down by calling it out when they see it. The internet kind of lost it and one guy even tried to flush his razor down the toilet, but some great memes were had..
“Traditional” masculinity is DEAD. The secret to male sexual stamina is veggies. pic.twitter.com/51DUsqzyO3
The Canadian government wants you to eat what? The new food guide JUST came out so let's talk about what they recommend, what they don't, and how people are reacting.
Extreme Live Animal Eater Goes Vegan (Food For Louis Reborn)
Louis says: Welcome back to the relaunch of Food For Louis, it was almost 6 years since my last video upload. My life has changed a lot since 2013 and I wanted to share the journey I’ve been on. I am also so excited about the rebirth of this channel and to take it in a completely new direction..
Please Subscribe and hit that notification bell to follow my new journey of discovering the beautiful and delicious world of plant-based foods. From home cooking to culinary travel adventures! Stay tuned!
Chris Packham Calls For Non-Vegan Products To Come With Warning Labels
TV Presenter and wildlife expert, Chris Packham, is pushing for 'honest factual packaging' on non-vegan products, to inform consumers about where their food comes from.
TV program, Good Morning Britain, has debated whether or not non-vegan products should come with warning labels, in a similar way to how cigarettes are now sold.
Veganuary Ambassador, Chris Packham, who believes this change should happen, said: "I'm merely encouraging people to think about their diet... we know that eating too much meat is bad for us...and we know that ecologically speaking meat eating is extraordinarily expensive.".
Will She Know It's Vegan? (Vegan Food Challenge on the Radio!)
This is Jeremy Hess's first radio interview about veganism. He says "We taste amazing vegan food, talk about the upcoming Vegfest Brighton on the 23/24-March, talk about animal rights, and have a few laughs along the way."
Isobel Hutchinson - Do Farmed Animals Have a Humane Death
"Animal Aid has secretly filmed inside 15 UK slaughterhouses, and we found lawbreaking in most of them. This included animals being kicked, punched and even burnt with cigarettes. We even filmed electric stunning tongs being used sadistically."
PETA's mission statement is that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way:
peta.org/about-peta
Give Veganuary A Chance
HIPPEAS say "We're stoked to be officially supporting our friends at Veganuary. For every person that takes the pledge to go meat & dairy free for the month of January via our affiliate page (www.Veganuary.com/hippeas), we'll donate to their campaign!"
'Livestock farming contributes more to climate change than all the cars, planes, ships and trains on the planet. It’s a key driver of deforestation; it wastes land, energy and water, and it pollutes the air, waterways and earth.’ - Tobias Leenaert
A plant-based diet is better for the planet, people and the animals. If you are interested in trying vegan and learning more, sign up for our free 31-day pledge now: veganuary.com/register
Undercover Investigators | Animal Equality
Undercover investigations inside facilities where animals are suffering are an essential part of our work. Little by little, we lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds animal agriculture and reveal what happens beyond the walls of factory farms and slaughterhouses.
To accomplish this, our brave investigators push themselves to new limits every time. They will always show you the truth!
The Irreversible Consequences Of Not Eating Enough Fiber! Dr Michael Greger
Are there life threatening consequences to not eating enough fiber? Are diets such as the ketogenic diet and carnivore diet safe? Can not eating enough fiber cause you to have an organ removed? What are the dangers to not eating enough plant foods? Do we need out appendix? What does out appendix actually do? Keep listening as Dr Michael Greger answers these questions on Plant Based Science London.
Dairy Farm Burns Calves' Heads Without Painkillers; Man Calls It 'Fun'
Calves kicked and cried out in pain as a worker pressed a hot iron to their heads. He said that burning calves without pain relief "makes it more exciting."
Visit: peta.org + the website the meat industry doesn't want you to see: meat.org
Gordon Ramsay Tries Vegan Food | LIVEKINDLY
Gordon Ramsay has done it, he's participating in #Veganuary. He made the announcement by sharing an image of a beet wellington to instagram fans.
Jamie Oliver has released a free meal planner called Jan Plan that includes vegan options.
Guy Fieri enjoys plant-based cooking and intends to write a vegetarian cookbook.
‘When i looked in to vegan diets it opened my mind to the suffering and the environmental impact of the dairy and egg industries, which although i had been vegetarian for years, i had been blind to.’ Ultrarunner Mari Mauland talks to Veganuary about life as a plant-based athlete!
Mid-month and almost a quarter of a million people have signed up so far to try vegan this January! If you haven't already, it's not too late to join in! Register now - veganuary.com/register
Jerome Flynn Urges People to Go Vegan
Game of Thrones actor Jerome Flynn has spoken out for veganism and against animal cruelty in farming practices. In this video made for animal right organisation PETA, Flynn talks about the intense suffering of animals and asks everybody to join him by rejecting cruelty and live vegan.
21 Must-Watch Vegan Documentaries That Will Inspire You to Change the World in 2019
For many vegans, it was a hard-hitting, heart-wrenching documentary that first inspired the switch to a plant-based, cruelty-free lifestyle. Whether your passion lies in personal and public health, animal welfare, or the state of the planet, veganism is a way for many to align their values with their everyday behaviors.
These 21 must-watch documentaries, chosen by Livekindly, will open your mind and your heart to the downfalls of animal agriculture and the many benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
Now that it’s well into the 21st century, mainstream society has accepted that taking care of the planet is a good idea. There has never been a better time to draw attention to the link between animal agriculture and ecological crises such as climate change, ocean dead zones, and water shortages.
“Cowspiracy” manages to do exactly that while simultaneously calling out several environmental organizations for ignoring – or even obscuring – the truth about animal agriculture’s impact on the planet.
You can watch it on Netflix or buy the “Cowspiracy” book online.
Piers Morgan Taste Tests Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll
Piers Morgan taste tests Greggs vegan sausage roll and faces a hilarious twitter response. Boots introduces vegan all day breakfast sandwiches and a vegan BLT to its lunch deal menus. Modern Meadow creates leather-like fabric with yeast-derived collagen. Elon Musk believes humans will be on Mars in 7-10 years, and that the colonies will likely be vegan.
Piers Morgan took a stab at Greggs new vegan sausage roll – and the bakery chain shut him down with the best response.
Replying to Greggs’ Twitter announcement of the meatless sausage roll’s arrival, which read “the wait is finally over,” the Morgan replied, “Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns.”
Greggs took the jab in stride, responding with, “Oh hello Piers, we’ve been expecting you.”
Our new Veganuary ambassador, naturalist Chris Packham!
Plus many, many more. We're so proud of this video, which has already helped to inspire over 220,000 people to try vegan with us this year in January so far.
2019 is the biggest Veganuary ever. With this many people forgoing meat and dairy for January, we are making a huge difference for animals. Plus we're reducing some of the most harmful impacts of animal agriculture on the environment. What a result!
Filmmaker Alex Lockwood caught Wilde’s interesting story and asked for his and his wife Katja’s permission to make a short film about the farmer’s vegan journey.
When asked about the film’s success and nomination for BAFTA 2019, Lockwood said: “I’m over the moon to have been nominated for a BAFTA. I’m really proud of the team and I think we’re all just a little bit shocked at the moment. It hasn’t quite sunk it
McDonald's forces unthinkable misery and pain on billions of chickens. Bred to live fast and die young, life is not worth living for these sensitive and intelligent animals.
On the 15th of January, global advocacy organisation SumOf Us joined ranks with The Humane League UK to demand that McDonald's take urgent action on the issue. See: blog.thehumaneleague.org/sumofus-joins-the-fight-to-end-the-abuse-of-chickens-at-mcdonald-s
The Humane League is an international nonprofit ending the abuse of animals raised for food: thehumaneleague.org
There are lots of reasons people go vegan; sometimes they don't like meat or killing animals, others do it for health reasons but more and more are ditching meat because of climate change.
Veganism has become really popular in recent years. Veganuary - where people go vegan for a month - is now an annual event while plenty of people are getting angry about it - particularly vegan sausage rolls.
What's certain is that veganism is now a mainstream diet and is here to stay. But the amount of meat we eat globally is going up, which is having an increasing impact on the environment.
So do we all need to go vegan and will it actually help prevent climate change?
The World Famous VIRAL Clash Between Vegan Activist Joey Carbstrong and Celebrity TV show Host Jeremy Vine.
This is the controversial and intense Radio debate that started a tirade of media in the UK. I was heavily criticised for my aggressive conduct in this debate even by the vegan community, but does the good outweigh the bad? You can be the judge...
On the 2nd of January 2019 Channel 4 Dispatches aired a documentary called "The Truth About Vegans". They made several allegations about Viva! and their investigation of Hogwood Farm, and attempted to portray them as ‘extremists’. Here, Viva! founder and director Juliet Gellatley responds to the documentary.
Introducing Veganuary's latest ambassador: Chris Packham!
Veganuary says "We are both elated and proud to announce Chris Packham as our latest ambassador!"
There was much excitement to be had when we received the news that renowned wildlife campaigner, photographer, presenter, writer and conservationist Chris Packham would be adopting a vegan diet for January! Chris’s incredible career working alongside wildlife from a young age, together with his remarkable broadcasting skills and passionate conservation work, both charitable and professional, make Chris well suited to his ambassador role for Veganuary.
It was a huge year for celebrities adopting a kinder lifestyle. Filmmaker Kevin Smith went vegan after suffering a major heart attack earlier this year and has not only embraced the health benefits of his newfound diet, but celebrated his compassion for animals. Beyoncé launched a vegan meal planner, Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am promoted eating a healthy vegan diet, the ever-outspoken Miley Cyrus promoted veganism and cruelty-free fashion, and even 10 cast members of “The Avengers” happened to be vegan or vegetarian.
Athletes like five-time Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton, Icelandic powerlifter Hulda B. Waage, and the NFL’s Tennesee Titans proved that you don’t need meat or dairy to be at the top of your game.
View the EATING ANIMALS trailer to unlock a donation of up to $25,000
to support sustainable family farming.
Underwritten by EJF Philanthropies as part of the Eating Animals impact initiative.
Nearly all of the meat, eggs, and dairy we eat comes from the industrial system known as "factory farming." This system destroys our environment and harms public health, and never before has humankind caused more suffering. Eating Animals spotlights the heroic farmers, whistleblowers, and innovators who are standing up, against all odds, to fight this system and provide a new way forward.
"If the phrase 'eating animals' makes your mouth water, then you are, in fact, the ideal audience for this documentary investigation into where our meat comes from. The movie, loosely adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer's 2009 memoir and narrated by Natalie Portman (who is one of its producers), isn't a sanctimonious veggie harangue. Directed by Christopher Quinn, it is, at certain moments, almost a love letter to the time-honored splendor of the carnivorous impulse."
- Owen Gleiberman, Variety.
Reese tells the stories of activists using data to steer policy and behavior, scientists making clean meat — real meat made from animal cells without animal slaughter, entrepreneurs founding million-dollar food companies (even a billion in one case!), and thoughtful consumers driving demand to help build this animal-free food system. The End of Animal Farming calls upon readers to join these change-makers in one of the most important social movements of our time. In broader terms, Reese outlines methods for studying effective social change and the expansion of humanity's moral circle, paving the way for future effective altruists to tackle the world's most pressing social problems.
Humans Need to Stop Eating Meat to Reduce Climate Change Crises, Says David Attenborough
Television host and natural historian Sir David Attenborough has stated that mankind must stop eating meat for the good of the planet.
In a recent video, Attenborough “warned” that “we need to start making serious changes in order to combat climate change,”Sky News reports.
Television series “Our Planet” – made in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and narrated by Attenborough – highlights both the beauty and struggles of the world in matters like climate change, overfishing, and deforestation..
Wildlife-film.com will have been going for twenty years next year (July 2019) and whilst it’s always been very pro-conservation films (early thanks to founder Piers Warren, also a co-founder of Filmmakers For Conservation), in recent years I have found myself including a lot of vegan film news right across the site,Wildlife Film News(WFN) and our social medias. This has been partly because I adopted a vegan diet myself (again!) some four years ago (along with Piers after watching Cowspiracy) and partly because of the huge increase in content relating to plant-based living. The world is changing and veganism has become much more mainstream than ever before.
Sometimes my postings have felt a little off brand as they’ve not all been about wildlife, more animal welfare/rights, along with the affects of the industry on wild ecosystems and the climate, plus all the many health benefits ... So, whilst I believe it’s all connected, many films, stories and articles have strayed from being strictly ‘wildlife film’ and that’s perhaps tricky when those very words are in the name!
So that’s why I’ve set up Vegan Film News (VFN) ... I will still include some vegan film news in WFN but the dedicated pages of VFN will enable comprehensive coverage of all things vegan film-related, with lots that have nothing to do with wildlife!
We are in a climate emergency and I wholly believe that adopting a plant-based diet is the most effective thing that any of us can do to help combat global warming, which in turn will help save many wildlife species from extinction.
Hope you all like it!! Cheers, Jason
Please let me know what you think or send me your vegan film news: news@vegan-film.co.uk)
Underwater factory farms revealed ... It's time to Rethink Fish.
Underneath the surface of the water, a fascinating world is being revealed to us. New scientific discoveries are proving that fish are sensitive, intelligent, emotional animals capable of far more than we ever thought. They feel pain, they use tools and they form social bonds. They need celebrating.
But fish also need protecting. In vast underwater factory farms, or when pulled out of their ocean homes, fish are being slaughtered in the most gruesome of ways. Fish suffer silently in their trillions every year.
Compassion supporters like you have spoken up to protect chickens, pigs and cows in the past — now will you help shine a light on one of the greatest animal welfare challenges of our time?
Will you create an ocean swell of support for fish by sharing this video with family and friends? The water is alive with the incredible intelligence, personalities and complicated lives of fish. Our new campaign seeks to raise awareness of these discoveries and turn that excitement into political action.
Millions of fish are silently suffering in vast underwater factory farms across Europe. And we have proof that, out of sight, fish fight for their lives when being killed in ways so painful they are illegal according to European Law. These fish need your help.
Compassion in World Farming recently sent undercover investigators to fish farms across Europe. We discovered fish like sea bass, sea bream and trout being kept in appalling conditions.
Confined to concrete tanks on land or in floating ocean nets by the thousands, these fish spend their short, miserable lives swimming in cramped waters where disease and parasites can thrive. Dead fish were found floating in tanks as live ones swam around them.
Equally shocking is the cruel way fish are killed. Sea bass and sea bream are commonly dumped into large buckets of ice slurry, where they thrash about, fighting for their lives, as ice gets lodged in their gills and they struggle to breathe. They can remain conscious throughout this ordeal, and many are still alive when they are packaged for sale.
Our team also witnessed trout flailing about in pools of bloody water after having their throats cut, a clear sign that the stunning system wasn’t working properly. This kind of suffering is illegal according to European law, which mandates animals should not suffer unnecessarily while being killed.
More humane slaughter methods for fish already exist, so please, write to your Agricultural Minister, asking them to introduce national legislation protecting fish at their time of death.
Just like other farm animals, fish are sentient. These intelligent, sensitive animals are capable of feeling immense pain and they desperately need you to speak up on their behalf.
George Monbiot: Ending Meat & Dairy Consumption Is Needed to Prevent Worst Impacts of Climate Change
"We look at the link between climate change and meat consumption on the heels of a series of damning reports that say if humans don’t act now to halt climate change, the results will be catastrophic. A new study by the World Meteorological Organization shows the past four years have been the hottest on record. On Tuesday, the United Nations reported that carbon emissions reached record highs in 2017 and are on the rise for the first time in four years. Radical reductions are necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the level that would prevent the worst effects of catastrophic climate change. Livestock for meat and dairy products worldwide is responsible for almost 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second largest source of emissions after the fossil fuels industry. We speak with British author and journalist George Monbiot, who argues that the fate of the planet depends on the way we choose to eat." Democracy Now!with Amy Goodman with Nermeen Shaikh.
Philip Lymbery dines with Joanna Lumley and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at a vegan banquet at The Savoy
Philip chats to patron of Compassion in World Farming, Joanna Lumley and River Cottage chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as he leads the capital's largest ever vegan banquet at The Savoy Hotel as guests of WACl, Women in Advertising and Commmunications, London, the city's oldest women's business club.
Plant Based News say it is delighted to announce the release of its' new documentary Vegan 2018.
The feature-length film, which premiered on their youtube page on the 28th November, paints an exciting portrait of our changing world and features leading names in the animal advocacy movement, as well as top media figures, environmentalists, celebrities, and entrepreneurs.
We attended the VEGAN 2018 PREMIERE + Q & A with Earthling Ed, Heather Mills & Maria Chiorando in London on the 27th of November, a day before it's release on YouTube. The Prince Charles Cinema, just off Leicester Square, was packed full, with a largely if not exclusively vegan crowd. Plant Based News have been making an annual end of year VEGAN film, directed by Klaus Mitchell, since 2015 ... See the the past three in the playlist below. Each film has improved in line with the growing, more confident and essentially more successful movement. The 2015 film was 24 mins long, with 2016 at 35 mins, 2017 at 47 mins and this years' comes in at a feature-length 57 mins and has a slicker feel, is very comprehensive with input from people right across the celebrity vegan world (including Saudi Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, James Cameron, will.i.am, Lewis Hamilton, Miley Cyrus, George Monbiot and Dr Jane Goodall) and is undoubtably inspiring. It tells of the rise and growth of the vegan movement right across the world, featuring leading names in the animal advocacy movement, as well as top media figures, celebrities and entrepreneurs, Vegan 2018 paints an exciting portrait of our changing world. We recommended it as a good and entertaining place to start if you are not vegan but are interested in finding out what veganism is all about or, if you are vegan, for reassuring you that you are in the right camp and things are getting better (for the animals, the planet and likely your health) year on year!
They say: "Plant Based News is an award winning resource for the latest up-to-the minute plant-based-interest content. It is stuffed with news, blogs, reviews, and more.
Our aim is to use our platform to create awareness about animal rights, environmentalism, ethical consumerism and the plant-based lifestyle. Not a false narrative - but information that empowers people to make better choices.
Whether you’re interested in health, the environment, or video interviews with the biggest names in the vegan world, you will definitely find something to entertain or inspire you."
HELP END THE DOG MEAT TRADE! Each year, tens of millions of dogs are farmed or stolen, and then slaughtered for food throughout parts of Asia. In Korea, popular myths claim that a tortuous and painful death enhances the taste of the meat and the sexual "stamina" of the men who eat it. Welcome to the hidden world of the dog meat trade – a practice that has become a flashpoint in South Korea, where some believe the Asian custom originated, and where cultural and generational shifts have drawn entrenched battle lines.
Enter a team of American special ops vets who join forces with Korean activists and employ commando practices to stop this lucrative and powerful industry. Working mostly undercover, they enter and disrupt the shadow world of the dog meat trade, saving one or hundreds of dogs at a time, and help to transform an industry and country. Leaving behind families and critics that question their motives and tactics, the vets risk it all to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves – dogs brutally tortured for human consumption. Directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson (the filmmaker behind the Oscar-semifinalist Under Our Skin), Dog War goes behind the scenes as the battle unfolds, looking at the complex forces that pit dogs' lives against human livelihoods, and revealing haunting truths about the breach of contract with man's best friend.
Interest in vegan food and its associated health benefits has been booming across the rich world. A global retreat from meat could have a far-reaching environmental impact.
By 2050 the world's population could approach 10 billion - and around 60% more food could be needed to feed everyone. The environmental impacts of the food system are daunting its responsible for about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and uses about 70% of all freshwater resources, and it occupies about 40% of the Earth's land surface.
Food rated emissions could increase to 50 percent by 2050 and fill up the total emissions budget that we have in order to avoid dangerous levels of climate change.
Interest in vegan food has been booming across the rich world. A major study has put the diet to the test - analyzing an imagined scenario in which the world goes vegan by 2050. If everybody went vegan by 2050 we estimated that food-related greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 3/4.
Cows are the biggest emission contributors. Bugs in their digestive system produce methane and deforestation for their pasture releases carbon dioxide - these gases warm the planet. If cows were a country, they'd be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter.
Plant Based News say it is delighted to announce the release of its' new documentary Vegan 2018.
The feature-length film, which will premiere on their youtube page on the 28th November, paints an exciting portrait of our changing world and features leading names in the animal advocacy movement, as well as top media figures, environmentalists, celebrities, and entrepreneurs.
Click on the link and tap the bell to be notified of when the film launches on their channel.
Interesting use of language when it comes to describing vegans on ITV's This Morning!
So, we've noticed that ITV's This Morning has a habit of using inflamatory and devisive language when it comes describing vegans on their show. Apparently we are all militant, hardcore, extreme, part of a cult etc etc ... When a vegan activist uses a negative word to describe carnists, this is also used out of context or blown out of proportion ... Bias much?
Farmer Mat Carter has started offering his customers the chance to choose, name and even help look after their Christmas turkey before it's slaughtered. However, ‘militant’ vegans have since vandalised the farm and even sent Mat and his butchers death threats. Mat Carter joins us from his turkey farm in Exeter. We’ll also be joined by ‘Made In Chelsea’ star, Lucy Watson who believes we should all be going meat-free this Christmas. Broadcast on: 27/11/18
The number of vegans in Britain has risen by 360 percent in the last decade, that's 3.5 million people choosing a plant-based diet. There has been an increase in activists targeting farmers, slaughterhouses and butchers to persuade people to give up meat. Are these activists justified or has it gone too far? We're joined by Ed Winters, an animal rights activist who believes peaceful protests are key to reducing our meat consumption and therefore saving the planet, and Journalist Julie Bindel argues that veganism has become a ‘cult’. Broadcast on: 06/11/18
Dairy farmers Jonny and Dulcie Crickland say they have an ethical farm and treat their animals fairly, but have recently come under fire from hardcore vegans sending them abuse. Militant vegan campaigner Joey Carbstrong explains why he thinks there is no need for farming in the world. Broadcast on 05/02/2018
When Selene Nelson pitched some articles on plant-based food to magazine editor William Sitwell, he wrote back suggesting a series on killing vegans - and was forced to resign in the storm that followed. Here Nelson explains what it was like at the centre of that storm, and how it felt to meet Sitwell for The One Show.
It began slowly. "Selene Nelson is a vile disgusting bitch," the first tweet read, "she deserves a disease." The next, a few minutes later, was even worse: "I hope this self-righteous, vindictive bitch never appears on a byline again," it went. "Lonely miserable (here there was a four-letter-word) with no substance in her life." For a few days the abuse came in thick and fast, as did the media requests - Good Morning Britain, LBC, The Daily Mail and many foreign publications too, from New Zealand and Australia to the US. More here: bbc.co.uk/news/stories-46348167
Selene Nelson appeared with William Sitwell (left) and the BBC's Justin Rowlatt on The One Show, on BBC One, on Monday 26 November: Click here to catch up on the iPlayer
The first ever OIVFF took place on October 14, 2018 at the Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The OIVFF was honoured to present a collection of short and feature length films that made lasting impressions and ignited audiences’ imaginations. These vegan themed films were bursting with creativity, compassion, and inspiration.
In addition to winning the Best Overall Film award, 73 Cows also won the Best Lifestyle Film at the Festival. Other winners included Promises, which won the Best Animal Welfare Film award, Eating You Alive, which was awarded the Best Health and Nutrition Film prize, and Where Do We Go?, which took home the Best Environmental Film award.
The Festival welcomed 29 film submissions, both short and full-length features, fiction and documentary from eight countries totaling over 17 hours of vegan-themed films. All entries were viewed by a pre-selection committee chaired by the Festival Director and Programming Director. Finalists chosen by this committee were then screened by an appointed international jury. OIVFF is sponsored by the National Capital Vegetarian Association, the essential resource for vegetarian and vegan in Canada’s national capital region.
The End of Meat is a groundbreaking documentary film envisioning a future where meat consumption belongs to the past.
Although evidence of meat consumption's negative impact on the planet and on human health continue stacking up as animal welfare is on the decline, humanity's love affair with hamburgers, steaks, nuggets and chops just doesn’t end.
In Germany, home of bratwurst and schnitzel, meat is an integral part of the diet. That is, until a few years ago, when perceptions somewhat evolved. Health concerns and meat scandals led to a public debate about the ethical implications of meat consumption and the rise of plant-based diets. Meat producers launched their own vegan products; 100% vegan supermarkets opened; and almost every food manufacturer was adding and labeling vegan options. Is this the beginning of the end of meat? Are we approaching a turning point in the human-animal relationship?
In The End of Meat, filmmaker Marc Pierschel embarks on a journey to discover what effect a post-meat world would have on the environment, the animals and ourselves. He meets Esther the Wonder Pig, who became an internet phenomenon; talks to pioneers leading the vegan movement in Germany; visits the first fully vegetarian city in India; witnesses rescued farm animals enjoying their newfound freedom; observes the future food innovators making meat and cheese without the animals, even harvesting “bacon” from the ocean, and much more.
The End of Meat reveals the hidden impact of meat consumption; explores the opportunities and benefits of a shift to a more compassionate diet; and raises critical questions about the future role of animals in our society.
"In line with our new environmental policy we will only serve plant-based food at Wildscreen events. In collaboration with The Epiphany Cafe, the Wildscreen Festival Hub will also be plastic and palm oil free - their delicious menu will be served in Vegware containers which will be composted following Wildscreen so please help us by disposing of all Vegware containers in the Vegware bins in the hub!
Wogan Coffee will supply all coffee served in the Hub. Wogan Coffee source and import exceptional coffees from sustainable and ethical farms worldwide, while building a better future for growers and their families. Wogan Coffee will be bringing along Rude Health plant-based milks, the perfect accompaniment to their expertly hand-roasted beans. Remember to bring your reusable coffee cup!
There will also be toilets with a twist: we are working with Loowatt and their waterless flush toilets - all waste generated from the toilets will be treated in utility run anaerobic digestion systems that recover energy and fertiliser from the waste!
Wildlife Programming Planet Pledge
As wildlife filmmakers from around the world, you see the impact of humans on the natural world first hand. You’re also aware of your potential to influence audiences and drive change.
We've collaborated with BAFTA’s Albert project, a UK-based television sustainability initiative, on a survey to better understand what role our industry should play in influencing global audiences to take action for nature and what we as a genre can do to reduce our production impact.
Results will be shared at Wildscreen 2018 as part of a session exploring sustainable production on Wednesday 17 October. This will also help inform the creation of a 'Wildscreen Wildlife Programming Planet Pledge', in partnership with Albert, so that as a global industry, we can all work together to increase action for and reduce our impact on nature.
Energy Revolution ... Movement For Change!
If you’re travelling to Wildscreen Festival this year you can help us by making a small donation to balance your fossil fuel miles, Energy Revolution will then invest 100% of your donation into projects that create clean renewable energy. Use Energy Revolution’s Travel Calculator to work out the fossil fuel emissions from your journey and balance them."
The UK in 100 Seconds: What if we made more space for nature?
I don’t think anyone really has a clue what Britain actually looks like.
It's just too big and complicated for us to get a proper sense of proportion.
And that’s a problem when people are making decisions about how we feed ourselves or how much more affordable housing we can build. Or, crucially, how much more space for nature we can have.
If we don’t have a proper sense of what the country looks like then how can we fix our problems?
– Dan Raven-Ellison, guerrilla geographer, National Geographic Explorer, filmmaker.
I had a simple idea
To go on a walk and make a short film that shows the United Kingdom in the correct proportions.
Every 1 second of the film represents what 1% of the UK looks like from the air.
It’s difficult to get a picture of what the United Kingdom really looks like. Imaginations and assumptions can distort decisions that affect our lives. We often hear the idea that there is simply no more room in the country. In reality, just six per cent of the UK is built on.
'The UK in 100 Seconds' is a provocative and thought provoking film that rearranges the United Kingdom's land into 32 categories and divides them over 100 seconds. Each second equates to 1% of what the country looks like from the air.
Made by guerrilla geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison and filmmaker Jack Smith, the film was made by travelling from Tongue in the north of Scotland to the New Forest in the south of England. Each second of the film covers roughly one metre of Raven-Ellison's walk through moorland and peat bogs, down a runway and over a dump.
Made in collaboration with Friends of the Earth, the film gives an honest reflection of what land looks like and how it is used in the United Kingdom and raises some challenging questions. A major inspiration for Raven-Ellison making the film is the amount of space that is used for feeding livestock and the question - what if we made more space for nature?
'The UK in 100 seconds' premiered at the Prince Charles Cinema, London, on 24 September 2018... We attended the screening and Q&A with the filmmakers. There was a series of six micro-talks and a forum with the audience. We discussed what the UK could look like in the future and what the effects would be if we made more space for nature. We suggested that we should all go vegan and give the land that would be spare from not having to feed millions of animals back to nature. The panel was cautiously open to at least giving some of it back, cutting back on meat two days a week etc, but they are mainly funded by meat-eaters, so the idea wasn't embraced as a solve-it-all!
'The UK in 100 seconds' will very likely change the way you think about our country forever:
See the UK as it really is - 100 seconds, with each second representing a percentage of the different land uses of the UK. Can we make more space for nature?
Taking place in Canada's capital city Ottawa on Oct 14, 2018, the Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival showcases short and full-length films with a vegan subject matter from filmmakers around the world... Nine films will be show this year, including 73 Cows, Promises, Undercover, Patrik Babounian, Built by Plants, and For The Voiceless ... More here: www.oivff.com/films.html
What we’re seeing now is a rapid expansion of veganism, particularly among the younger generation. They are embracing it. They have greater awareness and the heartening thing is that rather than ignore that education they have embraced it.
I’m not vegan. Yet. But I’m moving towards it. And here’s why.
Like many people in the world, I have had an interest in how what I eat impacts on the environment and on myself for a long time. I was brought up as an omnivore, but in my early 20s stopped eating meat after being pestered by Michaela Strachan – this is when we were doing The Really Wild Show. There was a thing called Veggie Pledge Week, where you pledge not to eat meat for a week. I only ate meat twice more, so I have not eaten meat, with no regrets whatsoever, since the 1980s.
But I continue to have concerns about animal welfare and transportation. I don’t see any difference between the way I should treat my dog – who I love and whose wellbeing I’m preoccupied with – and a pig, who is just as intelligent and important as Scratchy, but is kept in a concrete pen where it can’t turn around. The progress we have made on animal welfare standards is nowhere near good enough for me. I am joining Compassion In World Farming as a patron very soon, because it is really important.
Alongside that, I am aware how eating meat impacts negatively on the environment.
DEBUNKING the HUMANE HOAX - Does humane slaughter really exist?
Does humane slaughter really exist? PBN's Robbie Lockie went to the Animal Rights Conference 2018 and spoke to some of the leading minds and voices in the Animal Rights Movement. To ask this simple question. "How do we debunk the humane hoax?"
Watch: 'FIRST LOOK - VEGAN 2018 | The Year A Movement Went Mainstream' from PBN
Plant Based News has launched the trailer for its first ever feature-length documentary. Vegan 2018: The Year A Movement Went Mainstream paints a portrait of our changing society, showing a movement in its ascendency as more and more people start to move away from the ethical, environmental, and health horrors of animal exploitation.
Its predecessor Vegan 2017 has garnered more than 1,500,000 views on YouTube - and Plant Based News has been working on this year's film to make it bigger and better than ever before. More here: plantbasednews.org/post/trailer-plant-based-news-feature-length-documentary-vegan-2018
Vegan Documentary 'Running For Good' Launches Globally Next Week
The film was created by 'What the Health' and 'Cowspiracy' Co-director Keegan Kuhn
Highly-anticipated vegan documentary Running For Good will launch next week on Vimeo - and there is the opportunity to watch the film for free for the first four days after its release.*
The movie, directed by Keegan Kuhn and narrated by ultra-athlete Rich Roll, tells the story of the incredible athlete and advocate Fiona Oakes, an ultramarathoner who also runs a vegan animal sanctuary.
Oakes is the fastest woman in the world to run a marathon on all seven continents. She holds three marathon world records and five course records - all achieved after losing a knee cap to a debilitating medical condition in her teens.
As some of you have recognized, our Cowspiracy Facebook page was taken down on June 29. We appealed the decision on July 6, at first believing there was an algorithm or technical glitch. We have sent numerous emails to Facebook, asking for an explanation of our "violation" and have received zero response, other than that the case was closed on August 11. Our team continues to message Facebook, asking for an explanation and requesting for our page to be reinstated/published. We are being cautious to make any assumptions in regards to Facebook's intent, but here's a web site listing all the pages that Facebook has deleted over the past few months. There does appear to be a correlation... globalfreedommovement.org/facebook-censorship-rampage-killing-alternative-pages
As a concerned community rooted in transparency and truth, we ask that you use your voice and write to Facebook, demanding reinstatement of our Cowspiracy Facebook page.
Raindance, the UK's largest independent film festival, has shortlisted the virtual reality film iAnimal: The dairy industry in 360-degrees, for a VRX Award in the Best Social Impact Experience category!
The five-minute film, released in June 2017, is narrated by Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch and features 360° footage filmed by Animal Equality investigators inside intensive dairy farms and slaughterhouses, including farms in Devon and Somerset. It challenges people’s idyllic image of dairy farming.
The Official Animal Rights March is an annual vegan march founded by UK animal rights organisation Surge. The march began in London in 2016 with 2,500 vegans and in 2017 the march doubled to 5,000 vegans marching in London for animal liberation. In 2018 this number doubled again, seeing 10,000 vegans taking over the streets of London, demanding an end to all animal oppression. I was one of them. It was an humbling and inspiring experience... See my photo's and film clips here!
Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival - Taking place in Canada's capital city Ottawa on Oct 14, 2018, the Ottawa International vegan Film Festival showcases short and full-length films with a vegan subject matter from filmmakers around the world. Mission: Be the leading film festival for vegan films that inspire people to choose a healthier, environmentally friendly and more compassionate lifestyle through the consumption of plants and animal-free alternatives.
Dominion, a new film exposing animal cruelty in modern farming practices, had it's UK premiere in London on Saturday, June 16, 2018.
Exposing the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture through drones, hidden & handheld cameras, the feature-length film explores the morality and validity of our dominion over the animal kingdom. The film is narrated by Sia and other celebrities, find out more: dominionmovement.com
PBN hosted the UK premiere of this highly-anticipated documentary along with activism organisations Surge and The Save Movement.
"I attended the event and found the film to be a thorough and powerful light shining deep into the utterly unaccepatble widespread practices of a very dark industry, that which lacks transparancy, proper regulation or a semblance of compassion. This may be an Australian film, but like Earthlings and Land of Hope and Glory before it, the film shows how the livestock industry doesn't discriminate when it comes to geography, abhorrent practices that treat intelligent, sentient beings as if they were without feeling is widespread the world over and it is impossible to ever say that products derived from the livestock industry haven't been touched by some degree of horror. This film tells the truth and it should be seen by as many people as possible, because I really hope and have to believe that if people are shown that their diet choice is inflicting such astonishing amounts of pain and misery, then they will not be able to opt in to be a part of it." Jason Peters
Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival Call For Entries
Submit your film to OIVFF!
They are welcoming vegan-themed films from film-makers around the world – both short and full-length features, fiction and documentary.
All entries will be viewed prior to the Festival by a pre-selection Committee chaired by the Festival Director and Programming Director. Finalists chosen by this Committee will be screened by an appointed international jury.
All films must be submitted through Film Freeway HERE
Entry Deadlines:
July 31, 2018
Notification of Acceptance Date:
September 14, 2018
Event Date:
October 14, 2018
PBN EXCLUSIVE: The Man Behind What the Health & Cowspiracy
Klaus sits down with 'What the Health' and 'Cowspiracy' co-director Keegan Kuhn. The interview covers many topics including Keegan's upbringing and path to veganism, Leonardo DiCaprio's involvement in Cowspiracy, making 'What the Health' as well as much much more. This is the short version:
UK PREMIERE: Dominion London Screener ‘followed by Director Q&A’ from PLANT BASED NEWS
22 May 2018
Dominion, a new film exposing animal cruelty in modern farming practices, will have it's UK premiere in London on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM, at the Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square.
Exposing the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture through drones, hidden & handheld cameras, the feature-length film explores the morality and validity of our dominion over the animal kingdom.
The film is narrated by Sia and other celebrities, find out more here: dominionmovement.com
The film starts at 2:30pm and afterwards there will be a 30 minute Q and A with the directors.
Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival Call For Entries
Submit your film to OIVFF!
They are welcoming vegan-themed films from film-makers around the world – both short and full-length features, fiction and documentary.
All entries will be viewed prior to the Festival by a pre-selection Committee chaired by the Festival Director and Programming Director. Finalists chosen by this Committee will be screened by an appointed international jury.
All films must be submitted through Film Freeway HERE
Entry Deadlines:
July 31, 2018
Notification of Acceptance Date:
September 14, 2018
Event Date:
October 14, 2018
The Dark Side Of Britain: The Hunt - A UNILAD Original Documentary
In the first episode UNILAD's new original series: 'The Dark Side of Britain', we explore whether the ban on hunting foxes with hounds, which was put in place in 2002 in Scotland, and 2005 in England and Wales, has had any affect on the welfare of foxes.
Penguins could face extinction within the next 15 years. The South African Penguin population has plunged 70% over the last decade: find out what links the food on your plate to the demise of the South African ‘Jackass’ Penguin.
New film shines light on cattle industry link to Amazon deforestation
“Grazing the Amazon,” a new film is winning international acclaim and bringing public attention to severe deforestation caused by cattle ranching in the Brazilian Amazon.
“The cow is the worst environmental problem in the Amazon, and in the world,” says Greenpeace’s Paulo Adario, speaking out in a new documentary which this April won the One Hour prize at the Film Research and Sustainable Development” (FreDD) festival earlier this month.
In his ground-breaking documentary, Grazing the Amazon, director Marcio Isensee e Sa alerts audiences to the fact that approximately one fifth of the Amazon has already been cut down, and attests that nearly 80 percent of this deforestation is attributable to the cattle industry. The film traces the history of the Amazon’s invasion by entrepreneurial ranchers, and examines the responsibility of all major actors in the supply chain, including livestock growers, slaughterhouses and government.
H.O.P.E. is a life-changing documentary uncovering and revealing the effects of our typical Western diet on our health, the environment and animals. It has a clear message: By changing our eating habits, we can change the world!
Greenpeace calls for decrease in meat and dairy production and consumption for a healthier planet
Global meat and dairy production and consumption must be cut in half by 2050 to avoid dangerous climate change and keep the Paris Agreement on track, says a new Greenpeace report. If left unchecked, agriculture is projected to produce 52% of global greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades, 70% of which will come from meat and dairy.
The report also finds that increased production and consumption of meat is behind a latent global health crisis. High red meat consumption has been linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, while millions of lives could be saved each year if people had access to a diet rich in plant-based foods. Industrial animal agriculture is also associated with antimicrobial resistance – which the World Health Organization declared a “global health emergency” – and is a significant source of foodborne pathogens.
Bunny McDiarmid, Executive Director of Greenpeace International said:
“Something is rotten in our food system. Governments continue to support massive meat and dairy operations, leading to more and more meat consumption while putting our health, our children’s health, and the health of our planet at risk. Instead, they should be supporting the increasing numbers of farmers shifting towards ecological production of healthy foods, and helping people access healthy plant-based foods.
“A new, diverse global movement is growing: one hungry for a better way of eating and producing food that is in tune with ourselves and the environment. Together, we can loosen the grip of industrial animal agriculture on our food system and build a healthier world for our generation and the next."
It's time to eat less meat and Industrial meat and dairy production threaten our forests, water, climate, and health. So we asked ourselves when the grown-ups don’t step up, what would six-year-olds do? Call for change! lessismore.greenpeace.org
Is Our FOOD KILLING Us? What Is On YOUR Plate? Could a Whole Food Plant Based Diet Be the Answer?
Can a whole food plant based diet turn around the tidal wave of disease the world is currently experiencing? Is our food killing us? Robbie interviewed the director and producer of Eating You Alive a new film about vegan food, whole food plant based eating, human health, disease and our diet.
Natalie Portman Narrated Vegan Documentary ‘Eating Animals’ to Hit US Theaters in June
“Eating Animals,” the highly-anticipated feature-length adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s critically-acclaimed 2009 book of the same name, will hit U.S. theaters on June 15th, the filmmakers said in a press release today. The film is co-produced and narrated by Academy Award winner and fellow vegetarian, Natalie Portman who contacted Foer after reading his book.
Directed and produced by Christopher Quinn (Sundance award winner “God Grew Tired of Us”), “Eating Animals” takes viewers on a journey through the farming system that processes more than 50 billion animals a year — both through massive factory farms that house tens of thousands of animals, and smaller family-owned farms.
Exciting new publication from our founder Piers Warren and his daughter Ella Bee Glendining: The Vegan Cook & Gardener: Growing, Storing and Cooking Delicious Healthy Food all Year Round
12 March 2018
Piers Warren and Ella Bee Glendining are both experienced vegan cooks. Piers is a conservationist, author and keen grower of organic fruit and vegetables. He is the founder and Principal of Wildeye The International School of Wildlife Film-making and has written a dozen books, including the bestseller How to Store Your Garden Produce. He has a long interest in self-sufficiency and permaculture and is convinced that growing your own food and following a vegan lifestyle are important contributions to lowering your carbon footprint and living more lightly on the Earth. Ella Bee is a passionate advocate of animal rights, having been vegetarian since the age of five and making the transition to veganism several years ago. She's spent much time since experimenting with different ingredients and developing delicious new recipes.
I say: Fabulous holistic vegan book that is bound to inspire!
This book is a must have for all people who care about the impact of their diet... vegans, aspiring vegans & omnivores alike... The book takes you on a gardening journey through the seasons from plot to plate. Learn about all the benefits of a plant-based diet in a fun, colourful and engaging way. So much fascinating information and very delicious-looking recipes... Can hardly wait to get planting, growing, cooking and eating!!
Dominion is the new film by Chris Delforce from organization Aussie Farms. Delforce, who previously made movieLucent, told PBN that Dominion is 'the film I wanted to make for 10 years'.
The feature-length documentary focuses on how animals are used and abused in Australia, looking at six primary facets of our interaction with animals - Pets, Wildlife, Scientific Research, Entertainment, Clothing and Food.
PlantPure Nation tells the story of three people on a quest to spread the message of one of the most important health breakthroughs of all time. After nutritional scientist and author Dr. T. Colin Campbell speaks to the Kentucky legislature, his oldest son Nelson works with Kentucky State Representative Tom Riner to propose a pilot program documenting the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Through this well intentioned effort, they inadvertently set in motion a series of events that expose powerful forces opposed to the diet. After industry lobbyists kill the pilot program, Nelson decides to try his own grassroots approach in his hometown of Mebane, North Carolina, before circling back to Kentucky for a dramatic ending.
A growing number of celebrities, athletes, TV hosts, and nutrition experts have promoted the plant-based diet in the past few years, and tens of thousands of people have documented their personal success stories. But as more doctors and public officials become aware of the healing power of plant-based nutrition the question arises: Why don’t they share the information with the public? Tragically, there have been few official medical or state-sponsored efforts in the nation to support the life sustaining benefits of a whole foods plant-based diet.
PlantPure Nation was filmed across the USA and includes world-renowned experts, doctors and authors. The Production team includes Director Nelson Campbell, and Producer John Corry & Writer Lee Fulkerson from the acclaimed documentary film Forks Over Knives.
Plant Based News' end of year film Vegan 2017 is here... Wildlife-film.com is a vegan company and recommends that you take the time to watch this film and then make up your own mind on the movement.
Landmark conference gives hope for a better future for animals, people and the planet.
CIWF CEO Philip Lymbery
Last week I was privileged to open our international Extinction and Livestock conference which explored the devastating impact of livestock production on animals, people and the planet and the need for a global move away from intensive farming.
Over 500 experts, campaigners, policy-makers and business leaders from around the world attended the event, organised by Compassion in World Farming and WWF-UK. Over the two days, renowned speakers took to the stage of the QEII Conference Centre in London to discuss how intensive livestock systems are at the heart of so many problems affecting health, food security, biodiversity, the environment and animal welfare.
I’m thrilled to share with you a podcast of the conference featuring just some of the very passionate speakers and delegates.
It features thoughts from Tony Juniper, Senior Advisor to The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit; award-winning author, Professor Carl Safina; and food activist, Professor Raj Patel.
Delegates in this episode include Alistair Curry of Population Matters; Rosa Diez Tagarro from Plataforma Loporzano SIN Ganadería Intensiva, a grassroots Spanish organisation; science commentator, Helen Pilcher; Dominic Wormell from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust; David Nally, senior lecturer at Cambridge University; and Bella Crowe from Nourish Scotland. Compassion patron, Joanna Lumley, who kindly hosted the future food networking event also features.
In coming weeks, we’ll be sharing videos of the speaker presentations and further podcasts on some of the key issues that were explored, so please watch this space!
The conference was just the beginning of what will be an international movement working to identify solutions to mend our broken food systems and to ensure that the current climate change targets and the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved in order to save the planet, and secure food for future generations.
If you are interested in finding out more about Extinction and Livestock, please look at some of the extensive media coverage. Here is a small sample of the many headlines the conference generated:
World-class environment experts and top food industry champions revealed as key speakers at international Extinction and Livestock conference...
From CIWF
6 September 2017
Extinction and Livestock Conference: 5 and 6 October 2017
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London
#extinction17
International experts on the environment, conservation and human rights as well as leading food industry figures have been announced as key speakers at a major conference examining the impact of livestock production on the planet.
Ocean sustainability expert Professor Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen, food activist Raj Patel of the University of Texas, former Director of the National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) in China Li Junfeng, Chair of Perdue Farms Jim Perdue, and Josh Balk, founder of Hampton Creek, are among leading international figures revealed as key speakers at the Extinction and Livestock Conference, which will examine how we can transform our global farming systems to work for people, the planet and animals.
Organised by Compassion in World Farming, WWF, Bird Life International, the University of Winchester, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the event will bring together diverse interests – such as conservation, biodiversity, agriculture, land and water use, environment, climate change, forests, ethics, food policy, production, security and business – and act as a catalyst for future collaboration and solution development.
The conference programme will set the planetary scene, look at the impact of livestock production on wildlife, the environment and humanity, and explore practical global solutions.
The launch follows the recent publication of a scientific paper in Nature warning that tens of thousands of species are threatened with extinction as a result of human activities. The paper, written by a team of international scientists, states: “Extinction rates for birds, mammals and amphibians are similar to the five global mass-extinction events of the past 500 million years that probably resulted from meteorite impacts, massive volcanism and other cataclysmic forces” but stresses that this can be turned around if action is taken.
Philip Lymbery, CEO of Compassion in World Farming and author of the book Dead Zone:Where the Wild Things Were, which explores the link between livestock production and the plight of some of the world’s most iconic and endangered species, said: “Many people are aware that wild animals such as penguins, elephants and jaguars are threatened by extinction. However, few know that livestock production, fuelled by consumer demand for cheap meat, is one of the biggest drivers of species extinction and biodiversity loss on the planet.
“Livestock production, the environment, wildlife conservation and human health are all interlinked so it’s vital that experts from each of these fields work together to come up with practical solutions to stop this before it’s too late.”
Glyn Davies, WWF’s Executive Director of Global Programmes, says: “The decline of species is reaching a critical point, and we cannot ignore the role of unsustainable livestock production. If nature is to recover, we need to work together and encourage sustainable farming systems which will limit pollution, reduce habitat loss and restore species numbers. The Extinction and Livestock conference is a launch pad for action on this global issue.”
Other key speakers at the conference include: award-winning author, Dr Carl Safina; World Food Prize winner, Hans Herren; Dr Hilal Elver, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Senior Adviser for the Sustainable Development in the European Policy Strategy Center (EPSC) and former EC Director General for Environment (2009-2014), Karl Falkenberg; bee expert, Professor Dave Goulson, of the University of Sussex; Britain’s best-loved environmentalist Jonathan Porritt; Professor Frank Hu of Harvard University’s School of Public Health.
Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became horrified at the development of intensive factory farming. Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending factory farming and achieving humane and sustainable food. With headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe in the US, China and South Africa.
Watch: Dead Zone films... Farming wildlife to extinction.
These three Dead Zone films from CIWF are on the topics of deforestation and how it is affecting wildlife in Sumatra, demand for cheap meat fuelling palm plantations in Sumatra, and the effect agricultural pollution has on our oceans.
Our demand for cheap meat is driving wildlife to the brink of extinction. The Sumatran rainforest is being cut down to make way for intensive palm plantations. The EU is the biggest importer of Sumatran palm kernel - and most of it is used to feed industrially reared farm animals. The critically endangered Sumatran elephant is being pushed out of it's home. Soon, there will be no room left for this amazing animal.
The Sumatran rainforest is one of the most biologically rich landscapes in the world, with elephants living alongside tigers, rhinoceros and orangutans. Huge swathes of the forest homes of these amazing creatures are being destroyed to make way for intensive palm plantations. Of course, we know about the palm oil ending up in so many biscuits, cosmetics, and other supermarket products. But how many people would imagine that the palm kernel is being used as cheap animal feed, fuelling factory farming and driving further deforestation?
Our hunger for cheap meat from animals fed on mass-produced corn grown in chemical-laced fields is poisoning our world and creating Dead Zones in our oceans. Philip Lymbery, author of Dead Zone:Where the Wild Things Were and CEO of Compassion in World Farming investigates the cause of pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, the second largest dead zone in the world.
Find out more and get involved here: www.ciwf.org.uk/DeadZone
Get a copy of Philip Lymbery's book Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were here: amzn.to/2fKcIFg
We think everyone should Watch This: Land of Hope and Glory – UK 'Earthlings' Documentary
"Through Land of Hope and Glory we aim to show the truth behind UK animal farming by featuring the most up to date investigations as well as never before seen undercover footage. The Truth Must Be Shared."
Watch in HD. The hidden truth behind UK animal farming - featuring approximately 100 facilities across the UK and never before seen undercover footage.
If you liked COWSPIRACY, you will love their new film!
What the Health is the groundbreaking follow-up film from the creators of the award-winning documentary Cowspiracy. The film exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick. What The Health is a surprising, and at times hilarious, investigative documentary that will be an eye-opener for everyone concerned about our nation’s health and how big business influences it.
"What the Health", from the Cowspiracy team, is about to be released!
The release of A.U.M. Films' new film “What the Health” will have a massive, worldwide online premiere on March 16th, 2017!
What The Health is the new, surprising, and at times hilarious, investigative documentary that will be an eye-opener for everyone concerned about our nation’s health and how big business influences it. The film-makers believe this film can have an even bigger impact than their last film “Cowspiracy" had!
But, they say WE NEED YOUR HELP!
On March 16th, the film will premiere online! For 4 days, 50% of all sales will be donated to feed people in need with healthy food, thanks to their partner Food Not Bombs.
Together, we will expose the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick.
Help spread the message by signing up with your social media account today! Visit: thunderclap.it/projects/53248-join-the-wth-online-premiere
We've seen the film and think it very much worth a watch. Cowspiracy was a ground-breaking film that had a huge impact on the understanding of animal agriculture on the health of out planet
In his tweet, DiCaprio included a link to a stunning video from Mercy For Animals, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals, and promoting compassionate food choices and policies.
The 4-minute clip, with the tag-line “This is the video future generations will be wishing everyone watched today,” starts by showing the awe-inspiring, grandeur of our living, breathing planet Earth as well as its incredibly vast biodiversity. It then turns dark as footage rolls of crumbling glaciers and disappearing coastlines, and links these global catastrophes to mankind’s insatiable appetite for meat.
The video points out that animal agriculture and meat consumption is the number one cause of environmental destruction, species extinction and ocean “dead zones”. The agricultural industry has consumed one-third of all fresh water and has destroyed 91 percent of the Amazon.
The video, however, ends on a good note. Its message, “She is our mother, there is only one, she is dying, she can be saved,” urges us all to help save our struggling ecosystems before it’s too late.
Watch here:
The Hollywood superstar is also the executive producer of Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, a searing documentary about animal agriculture and its contribution to environmental ill, as well as Big Ag turning a blind eye to the disaster in the making.
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by Philip Lymbery and how you can help.
