Vegan charity helps close ‘pig slum’, but Trading Standards back away from prosecuting ‘abusers’
A district judge at Leicester Magistrates Court ruled on Tuesday (8 November) that directors of Flat House Farm would face no jail time or community service for the abject cruelty Viva! investigators witnessed on their farm.
A total of 68 charges were brought by Trading Standards which ranged from failing to supply adequate drinking water to failing to ensure that faeces, urine and food were cleaned up in a timely manner.
Farm owners, Elvidge Farms Ltd, pleaded guilty to just one count of breaching the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Section 9 – duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare).
Flat House Farm first attracted media attention in 2020 when Viva! released undercover footage of the farm revealing grotesque conditions.
As a result of Viva! Campaigns releasing this footage, Red Tractor dropped Flat House Farm, stating that they were “appalled” by the footage.
Trading Standards’ own investigation then led to the prosecution of Flat House Farm but at the start of the trial, Trading Standards offered no evidence on all but one of its charges – despite having conducted a full investigation at the public’s expense. They said there were no grounds for disqualification and sought no costs.
District Judge Nick Watson sentenced Elvidge Farms Ltd to pay a £4,500 fine, along with a maximum surcharge of £181 within three months. A 10 per cent discount was awarded due to the company’s guilty plea. As it was Elvidge Farms Ltd that pleaded guilty – and a company cannot go to prison or be disqualified from rearing animals – no jail time or community service was given.
However, the court proceedings revealed that Flat House Farm is no longer farming pigs.
Speaking about the result, Viva! Founder and Director, Juliet Gellatley said:
“On the one hand I am delighted that no pigs are now suffering in the filthy slum that was Flat House. I am truly proud of Viva!’s role in this outcome. On the other hand, it is appalling that the UK legal system has deemed that those running a farm with a mountain of evidence against it will face no jail time, instead paying a measly fine.
"Today’s sentencing just proves that farmed animals in the UK have almost no legal protection. If organisations such as Trading Standards aren’t prepared to protect these animals, who will?"
Is India really “The Land of Ahimsa”? Or is there a darker, cruel underbelly Indian society refuses to see?
This feature-length documentary follows Dolly Vyas-Ahuja on her journey to veganism. Dolly narrates and produces the film alongside Bollywood actor Aryeman, who directs.
Throughout the film, we interview plant-based doctors, athletes, Animal Activists, and entrepreneurs and visit sanctuaries to illustrate the importance of “Ahimsa” in action in India with the hope this will resonate across the globe. We demonstrate how by rising to the true meaning of the word, we can create a non-violent world that will relieve the suffering of all living beings, improve our health and wellness, and allow us to live in a clean environment.
Why is this film important? “The Land of Ahimsa” will encourage Indians, as well as viewers all around the world, to practice “Ahimsa”, non-violent behaviors. This will greatly transform the state of the country and return it back to the peaceful place it once was. Inspiring viewers to adopt a vegan lifestyle will benefit their health and wellness, and the state of the environment and will reduce the unnecessary suffering of animals. Watching the film will make viewers feel motivated and empowered to change the world, starting with the food they eat to the way they treat others. Everyone has an inner activist who seeks truth and justice, and this film will hopefully bring out this inner voice.
Undercover Footage Shows LIDL'S Cheap Chicken Makes Farmed Animals Pay The Price
Calls to ban fast-growing chicken breeds have redoubled following an undercover video investigation into a German chicken supplier for Lidl, the discount supermarket that now has about 170 stores in the U.S. The undercover video was filmed over several months by Spanish animal rights group Equalia and released in partnership with The Humane League.
The video appears to show chicks struggling to stand up, dead and dying chicks and chickens, chickens pecking or eating other dead chickens, workers collecting dead chickens and a person urinating in the chicken shed.
According to the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), fast-growing chickens mature so quickly “that their skeleton and internal organs are placed under a huge amount of stress [and they] have such large chest muscles that many of them can no longer keep their balance.”
“Only a ban on fast growing chicken breeds will lead to a significant improvement in broiler welfare,” says Laura Dixon who watched the video. Dixon is a poultry welfare specialist and programme director of the MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law programme at Scotland’s Rural College in the UK.
I’m a Celebrity. 17,000 complaints to UK RSPCA. Why?
The twenty-second series of I’m a Celebrity, of which I haven’t watched twenty-one, has finally ended, with the usual fanfare. It is a show which TV critics believe unites the country in a national conversation and arouses anger over the use of animals. But does anyone really care? – John Brookland
The twenty-second series of I’m a Celebrity, of which I haven’t watched twenty- one, has finally ended, with the usual fanfare. It is a show which TV critics believe unites the country in a national conversation and in some quarters arouses anger over the use of animals. But for the vast majority of viewers it is eagerly awaited and watched. So is it really worth complaining about every year.
This year the number of complaints to the UK RSPCA about the the use of animals increased. But as usual the producers brushed off any complaints because they know the viewers like it just the way it is and they can survive without those that don’t. It makes huge revenue for the ITV so there is no chance of them ever changing the format. People watch it because they like to see the contestants squirm and they like to squirm with them. .
If dogs or cats were used on the show.
The animals involved are mostly rats, fish, reptiles and insects which are viewed by many as not “proper animals.” They are not the kind that viewers can empathise with and it is also difficult for people to grasp the notion that such lowly creatures may feel pain or distress, particularly when many cultures eat them anyway.
To most people they are just pests, creepie crawlies, bugs and slimy dangerous reptiles, which we stamp on, spray toxic chemicals on and randomly kill all the time. They are plentiful and not endangered and are mainly of nuisance value to us, so it is difficult to convince anyone to care. Now if dogs or cats were used on the show it would be a different matter. We have, and unfortunately always will have, this rather speciesist and hypocritical attitude to the status of animals and their welfare.
The RSPCA says:
"Every year, we are faced with serious concerns about the use of animals, including snakes, insects and other live creatures during the filming of the show. Since ‘I’m a Celebrity’ was first aired, animals have been dropped, thrown, handled roughly, crushed, chased, overcrowded, scared by contestants and prevented from escaping from stressful experiences."
The RSPCA has had 22-years to do something about the show without success which is probably proof that it is an impossible task. This is because they do not have the weight of public opinion supporting them. In reality clogging up their telephone lines and workforce is a fruitless task when their time could be better spent dealing urgent cruelty calls in the UK. They do have a campaign (also see below) at the moment whereby you can email ITV for all the good that will do. Far better perhaps to campaign and complain to the Australian RSPCA and State officials to stop them hosting the show, but of course they have their own version and seem little interested.
Stop the use of live creatures on ITV's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here
Returning for its 22nd season, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here is one of ITV's most anticipated reality shows. It's also one of the most worrying.
Every year, we are faced with serious concerns about the use of animals, including snakes, insects and other live creatures during the filming of the show.
Since 'I'm a Celebrity' was first aired, animals have been dropped, thrown, handled roughly, crushed, chased, overcrowded, scared by contestants and prevented from escaping from stressful experiences.
With this year's series returning to Australia, we're more concerned than ever about the use of live animals on the show and the example it sets for viewers.
The show's messaging and the potential to prompt people to try and copy the 'bushtucker trials' at home for entertainment is also worrying and we feel that deliberately portraying certain species as nasty or frightening or as objects that can be used purely for entertainment rather than sentient, living creatures sends out totally the wrong message.
International Vegan Film Festival: How To Attend Virtually From Anywhere In The World
The festival will screen 44 films from eight countries
People from across the world will be able to virtually attend the International Vegan Film Festival (IVFF) this month.
The event, which is hosted by plant-based food brand Wicked Kitchen, takes place in Ottawa, Canada, on Saturday, November 5. It will be followed by virtual screenings from November 7-24.
The virtual screenings will show 44 films from eight different countries. Attendees can purchase an entire festival pass, which will grant them access to 12 feature and 32 short vegan-themed films. They can also buy tickets for individual film blocks, which are around 90 minutes each.
Film categories include Best Overall Film, Animal Advocacy, Lifestyle, Environmental Protection, Health and Nutrition, and Public Service Announcement.
New Sentient Media podcast episode: Brian Kateman on celebrating wins in meat reduction
In this episode, Brian Kateman shares his thoughts on celebrating wins, why longtermism could actually be a bad idea for the future of life on earth and more.
Brian Kateman coined the term “reducetarian” to describe a person who is deliberately reducing their consumption of meat. In 2015, Kateman founded the Reducetarian Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing societal consumption of animal products.
He is the author ofThe Reducetarian Solution,The Reducetarian Cookbook, andMeat Me Halfway and is the lead producer of the documentary version ofMeat Me Halfway released and streamed on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and more. He is a regular contributor to Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Forbes, and his writings have appeared in The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post, among others. Kateman lives in New Jersey with his wife Isabel and rescue dogs Tobey and Cooper.
Paul McCartney has urged his legion of followers to be ‘careful about what we eat’ in order to solve the current climate crisis.
The Beatles star, whose family spearheaded the Meatless Monday initiative, plugged the award-winning documentary Eating Our Way to Extinction on Twitter.
Narrated by Kate Winslet, the film sheds light on how animal agriculture and factory farming is the most destructive industry in the world, making audiences ‘question their everyday choices’.
“Hi there, this is Paul McCartney, I’ve recently seen a film called Eating Our Way to Extinction… Anyway listen, give it a look because it explains that what we eat is so important…” the star wrote.
“If we are careful about what we eat, it’s probably the best thing for solving the ecological crisis that we’re now in.”
“If we are careful about what we eat, it’s probably the best thing for solving the ecological crisis that we’re now in.” – Paul
New documentary ‘I Could Never Go Vegan’ which explores the barriers to going plant-based will launch next month
'I Could Never Go Vegan' features a number of prolific plant-based dieters, including George Monbiot and Olympic silver medallist Dotsie Bausch among others.
A new vegan documentary which addresses the barriers to going plant-based will debut next month.
I Could Never Go Vegan explores the various common arguments against veganism, why they exist, and whether they are justified.
It boasts interviews with a range of prolific plant-based proponents, including George Monbiot, Dr Melanie Joy, Olympic silver medallist Dotsie Bausch and powerlifting champion Sophia Ellis, and pig vet and animal rights activist Dr Alice Brough among others.
Also featured are plant-based health experts including Dr Shireen Kassam, Dr Alan Desmond, and Dr Gemma Newman, and foodies The Happy Pear.
Additionally, slaughterhouse workers, farmers, and food professionals are interviewed as the filmmakers grapple with the reasons people refuse to stop eating animals.
To mark World Vegan Day, co-producers, brothers Thomas and James Pickering have released the film‘s trailer.
I could never go vegan. Five words spoken around the world by so many non-vegans, but why? On a quest for the truth, a filmmaker sets out on a journey to find out the leading arguments facing the vegan movement, and if they're justified.
Blood is thicker than milk. A film for the forgotten, by Ed Winters.
"We made Milk so that we could show the reality of the dairy industry from the perspective of those trapped within it. We never stop to think about what these animals are being forced to endure, so by highlighting the story of an individual mother, we hope that people will recognise that there is always a victim when we buy dairy products.
What happens to the mother cow is what happens to all female dairy cows. We specifically chose to show the standard legal practices to illustrate how ingrained and normalised the suffering of dairy cows is within the dairy industry. The location of the farm and slaughterhouse are based on real locations that are considered high welfare and humane.
What we show in Milk is literally the best of the best when it comes to dairy farming, yet, as soon we view what happens from the perspective of the mother cow, it becomes clear that this is an industry that runs on the exploitation and suffering of animals. By using animation, we are able to show a unique perspective and tell the story of the mother cow in a way that cannot be done from investigative footage alone. Milk centres the cow as the protagonist of her own story and allows us to view what is happening to her from an up close and personal perspective.
Organic, free-range, high-welfare, humanely raised. It doesn’t matter what label we put on dairy products, all dairy cows are victims of an industry that forcibly impregnates them, takes their babies from them, exploits their bodies and then sends them to a slaughterhouse to cut their throats. It's time to end the dairy industry."
Living Planet Report 2022, Billions of snow crabs have disappeared & more – Month in a Minute
Got a minute? Watch our super-fast recap of October’s biggest stories in animals, our global food system and the environment.
It’s time for the October edition of Sentient Media’s "The month in a Minute", narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
October brought a sobering report from the WWF showing an average decline of 69 percent across wildlife populations since 1970, primarily driven by habitat destruction for agriculture. Meanwhile, in New Zealand farmers may have to pay for greenhouse gas emissions in a world-first – and this month also saw activists acquitted in a trial for rescuing piglets from Smithfield Foods in 2017.
Catch these stories and more in our October media roundup:
Are Animals Individuals or Statistics? New Short Film ‘Super Cow’ Connects the Dots.
With music donated by Moby, ‘Super Cow’ filmmaker Dustin Brown tells the story of ‘retired’ dairy cow Daisy to help make the connection that each of the 70 billion animals slaughtered for food every year are individuals.
More than 70 billion animals are raised and slaughtered for food every year—and this is just the number we count. Imagine 70 billion of anything: cars, people, marbles. It’s impossible to grasp without a reference point. But the suffering of one of those animals—perhaps a cow who nuzzled you—is palpable and real.
Filmmaker Dustin Brown—known for his 2019 short Casa de Carne—thought about tapping into this portion of human psychology when he created Super Cow, a stop-motion animation film produced by Last Chance for Animals that grips viewers with a relatable message: everyone has hopes and dreams and we all want to live.
The film follows Daisy as she is “retired” from her five-year servitude as a dairy cow and must now face her final fate at the slaughterhouse. Viewers see Daisy as she watches other cows lose their lives and join her on a fantastical escape journey. She dodges death at every turn, stopping to feel the sun and freedom on her skin.
Here Earthling Ed discusses how "Queen Elizabeth was a prolific animal abuser and how the royal family are among the most notorious animal killing families on the planet."
UnchainedTV Launches LIVE Trial & Breaking News Coverage of Underreported Events
UnchainedTV was launched to counteract the national broadcast media’s apparent news blackout on the animal rights and vegan movements.
UnchainedTV, the new global streaming TV network, launched its LIVE breaking news coverage with 16-plus hours of LIVE coverage of the groundbreaking trial of two men facing prison for rescuing two sick piglets from a Utah factory farm.
The massive facility was described this way by The New York Times: "The film shows sows with bloody and mangled teats; pregnant sows gnawing on the bars of the narrow stalls they live in until they give birth; and piglets clambering over and nibbling dead siblings."
"Beyond the crucial issue of the gruesome treatment of animals in massive industrial facilities, aspects of the trial raise concerns about fairness within the justice system," said UnchainedTV founder and former cable news host Jane Velez-Mitchell. "Astoundingly, the jury was not allowed to view the video of the alleged crime in progress. In order to avoid accusations that the footage presented a distorted impression of the facility, the video - titled Operation Deathstar - was recorded by the defendants utilizing a 360-degree virtual reality camera system."
Both defendants were found not guilty on all counts. That led to an emotional and electrifying celebration on the courthouse steps. The acquittal, characterized by The Intercept as "historic," was also covered by The New York Times, AP, local TV news stations and some other print outlets.
"But it appears to have been completely ignored by advertiser-based national cable TV news networks," Velez-Mitchell added. The defendants, both part of an advocacy organization named Direct Action Everywhere, argued for their right to rescue the animals from suffering, much as someone would be hailed as a hero for breaking into a hot car to rescue a suffering dog.
UnchainedTV was launched to counteract the national broadcast media's apparent news blackout on the animal rights and vegan movements. This completely free streaming TV network advocates compassionate plant-based solutions to society's most pressing problems, such as climate change, habitat destruction, wildlife extinction, water pollution, drought, antibiotic resistance, heart disease and world hunger. UnchainedTV LIVE-STREAMED throughout the trial, simulcasting its coverage on the UnchainedTV APP, its YouTube page and more than 30 Facebook pages.
Animal Aid's new film highlights the stark reality of factory farming.
Most people would say that they are opposed to factory farming. But the reality is the vast majority of meat produced in the UK – and globally – comes from animals who have been raised in intensive conditions.
But it is worth remembering, as the film states, whether the animals are raised in factory farms or so-called ‘high welfare’ farms, they all face a brutal and terrifying death at the slaughterhouse.
'Written by vegan communists!' Jeremy Clarkson slams David Attenborough's Frozen Planet II
Jeremy Clarkson has slammed David Attenborough's Frozen Planet II for banging the "climate change is bad gong", claiming the days the programme was "fun" have gone.
Jeremy Clarkson has blasted David Attenborough's Frozen Planet II claiming that the new series of the show is only concerned with pushing the "message on climate change". The former Top Gear host, 62, didn't hold back as he took issue with the popular BBC series, while slamming the wildlife expert's alleged "lack of involvement" with the creation of the show.
The Grand Tour host started by saying how brilliant David's nature documentaries were, applauding the biologist for making it "fun" to learn things.
However, Jeremy was quick to claim that he no longer finds it the case.
The motoring expert penned: "Today, Sir Attenborough is too old to appear in the films and I’m afraid he doesn’t even write the script any more."
He went on to claim the show is now written by people who are keen to push the message of climate change.
Jeremy went on: "He just reads out words that have been written by a team of vegan communists who have only one thing on their minds.
"Climate change," he wrote in his column for The Sun.
The Clarkson's Farm star branded the series a "joke", claiming it's hitting the "'climate change is bad' gong."
He continued: "I’ve been watching Frozen Planet II and it’s a joke, because we learn nothing at all.
"We see some dramatic footage of a polar bear and before we are told anything at all, we are warned that because of human activity and capitalism and Donald Trump, the poor bear’s habitat is disappearing."
Vegan Society #OneLittleSwitch launch and a free Ebook
The Vegan Society have relaunched their Plate Up for the Planet campaign, which encourages people to make #OneLittleSwitch and kickstart their vegan journey to protect the planet.Why not check out the promotional video on YouTube?
A free eBook shows people how to take the first step on their vegan journey, by switching to vegan alternatives and illustrates the positive impact this can have on the environment, as well as providing recipes to show how that can look in their everyday lives.
Visit plateupfortheplanet.org to download the FREE eBook packed with veganized recipes, blogs, tips and more to help you on your journey!
HOGWOOD: a Modern Horror Story from Viva! is NOW ON NETFLIX!!
You’re being lied to. Each day, you are bombarded with messages reassuring you that the UK has the highest welfare standards in the world. Through careful marketing and misleading labels, we are led to believe that farmed animals are well cared for and that eating meat is natural, normal and necessary. It’s time to uncover the truth. This is the film the meat industry doesn’t want you to see.
Narrated by Game of Thrones actor Jerome Flynn, HOGWOOD: a modern horror story has already sent ripples throughout the animal agriculture industry. It sparked a nationwide Day of Action where thousands of people came together to protest outside 150 Tesco stores. Over 70,000 people signed a petition urging Tesco to drop Hogwood. It became one of Viva!’s most far-reaching campaigns to date.
The film will be the culmination of months of investigative work by the Viva! team who worked tirelessly to expose the kind of unspeakable cruelty to animals many mistakenly think we have consigned to the history books.
It shows the concerted efforts to silence Viva! and exposes the negligence and inaction by government bodies and corporations alike. The film follows the Viva! Campaigns team as they enter some of Britain’s biggest factory farms for the very first time and sheds new light on the shocking things that lie beyond the public gaze. It explores why factory farming is supported and follows the brave fight to expose the truth and change the world.
Peter Egan, British Actor best known for his roles in the TV shows Ever Decreasing Circles and Downton Abbey, and the films Chariots of Fire, Bean, and Death at a Funeral.“I truly believe HOGWOOD can change the hearts and minds of all who watch it. This powerful documentary could put an end to the damaging animal industries which threaten our very existence. HOGWOOD must be shared far and wide.”
"Anyone who eats pigs (pork, jowl, shoulder, butt, belly, ribs, hock, side, loin, ham, sausages, bacon, chops, foot/trotter … all names for flesh from a cut-up dead pig) should make themselves watch this film.
In fact anyone who consumes animal products full stop should give enough of a fuck to actually see where the majority of meat/dairy comes from. Despicable places, hidden away from public view, places that torture animals with unimaginable cruelty just to produce cheap meat, eggs and dairy products. Anyone who buys these products should know that this horror story is entirely in their name. This knowledge should make you sad, angry, and sick to the stomach. The awareness should make you want to engage in helping to end such vile practices. Don’t make excuses for the perpetrators of these crimes. Don’t be complicit. Don’t look away.
I hear so often through my work that “people don’t like to be preached to”, that "people don’t want to get home from a hard days work to watch something depressing and finger-wagging”, that “vegans think that they are better than non-vegans and so this holier-than-thou approach creates a barrier to communication, putting them at odds to those they are preaching to rather than enabling the finding of common ground”.
Frankly I am sick of hearing these things. They are all excuses for not allowing the truth to be told. I truly believe that if everyone had seen all of the films, footage and real-life cruelty that I’ve seen, read the many books, scientific papers and articles that I’ve read … On the cruelty, on the vastly damaging impact of the animal agriculture industry on the planet, on the natural world, the climate emergency, including pollution (air, sea (dead zones), rivers/freshwater, eutrophication, micro-plastics, soil degradation etc), habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, extinctions and the genesis of viral pandemics, on antibiotic over-use creating resistance, and on general human health (listen to my friend Dr Josh Cullimore in the film!) … I truly believe that they would independently come to the same conclusions that I have. That they can’t be a contributing part to all of the atrocious wrongdoings born out of the animal agriculture industry. They just need to make the effort to look … then choose to accept and act.
“If we don’t act now, who will?” Jerome Flynn, who narrates the film
Please watch this film with an open mind and I would genuinely love to hear what you think. I’ll be very happy to point you towards other resources that might help you see. Just ask!" JP
WATCH: Live Q&A With The Director Of Vegan Fashion Documentary ‘SLAY’
Rebecca Capelli, who created the documentary SLAY, spoke to PBN's Robbie Lockie about the film
SLAY, a new documentary looking at animal abuse in the fashion industry, was released earlier this year.
The film looks at the animal welfare and environmental costs of materials like leather, wool, and fur.
It was directed by Rebecca Cappelli, who traveled to Australia, China, India, Europe, the US, and Brazil to explore the side of fashion the industry doesn’t want you to know.
She recently did a Q&A with Plant Based News co-founder Robbie Lockie, where she discussed the background of the film, the hugely misunderstood wool and leather industries, and the impact of these on workers.
JBS settles pork price-fixing lawsuit, Bird flu in the Netherlands & more – Month in a Minute
It’s time for the September edition of Sentient Media’s The month in a Minute, narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
September saw meat giant JBS payout $20 million for a pork price-fixing settlement, after conspiring with other meat companies to inflate the price of pork.
A new report from Nature updated their estimate of how much floating plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from fishing activity, which they now put at 75 to 85 percent. Meanwhile beloved North Atlantic Right Whale “Snow Cone” was sighted entangled in fishing gear and “there is no longer hope for her survival”.
Maine politicians then complained after lobsters were consequently placed on the ‘red' list.
This video of a horse collapsing and being whipped led to 71% of New Yorkers supporting a horse carriage ban.
A new report looking at animal-sourced food consumption and Canada's emissions targets revealed that Canadians should eat less meat and dairy to reach climate goals.
An investigation found that cattle in the Nestlé supply chain was linked to disputed Indigenous territory.
In Europe, The Food Safety Authority recommend improvements to animal welfare during transport including more space, lower temperatures and shorter journeys.
In the Netherlands, bird flu continued to spread causing over 3.7 million chickens, ducks and turkeys to be culled in the most serious outbreak ever, while the Dutch city Haarlem will become the world’s first town to ban meat adverts in public.
In Spain, all slaughterhouses must now install video cameras.
Over in the UK, retailers blocked moves to end the killing of day-old male chicks.
And Merriam-Webster added the terms ‘oat milk’ and ‘plant-based’ to the dictionary.
Watch all this and more in our September media recap:
New film exposes the brutality and waste of the shooting industry
Animal Aid has made a brand-new short film that exposes the horrors of the shooting industry.
Its release comes just ahead of the pheasant killing season, on 1 October, when wealthy shooters will use live pheasants for target practice.
Many people think that pheasants and partridges are wild, and that a few are shot for food. The reality is very different.
Around 60 million pheasants and partridges are purpose-bred every year – many of whom will have come from vast, industrial farms in the UK and Europe. It is on these very farms that we also find the use of battery cages for the ‘breeding stock’ – the birds who are used for egg-laying. Their eggs are taken away and hatched, and the chicks are boxed up and sent to shoot operators.
Eggs and even live chicks, considered sub-standard will be tossed into a huge grinding machine, known as a macerator.
Those who are ‘fortunate’ enough to escape the macerator will be reared, until the start of the shooting season, when they will face a barrage of gun fire. Many are not shot outright and face a slow and agonising death.
Most people don’t go shooting. Most people are against shooting. Please help us bring an end to this brutality and waste of innocent lives.
Shocking new “kitten meat” video exposes climate carnism!
Beyond Carnism just launched what they believe may be their most compelling video yet: an entirely unique approach to explaining the imperative of making animal agriculture a climate priority. Rather than simply present the facts about the impact of animal agriculture on climate change, the video illuminates the reason people tend to dismiss and debate those facts: carnism
Montreal Vegan Festival is Back For First In-Person Event Since 2019
The popular Canadian vegan festival will return in October 2022
Vegans living in Montreal, Canada, will be delighted to learn that the popular festival celebrating all things plant-based will be returning next month.
Montreal Vegan Festival, the largest of its kind in Quebec, will take place on October 8-9. This will be the first in-person event since 2019, as it took place online in 2020 and 2021.
The festival will feature a number of lectures, cooking demos, and exhibitors. They will all aim to highlight the benefits of a vegan lifestyle for the animals, environment, and health.
Among those conducting demos are Jermy and Marc-Olivier, a couple who founded vegan dessert shop Vegateau, and Nicolas Leduc-Savard, a podcaster and nutritionist.
Animal euthanasia is supposed to be an act of mercy. When animals are suffering from illness or injury and their quality of life is not going to improve, humans may opt for euthanasia to relieve their suffering in a way that kills them as painlessly as possible.
We humans tend to think about euthanasia for our pets but there are instances when it can be appropriate for wild animals too. If you read the media coverage ofFreya the walrus — shot dead by Norwegian authorities in August — you might believe her case was one such example. It wasn’t.
Most media reporting on the killing uncritically repeated the fishing ministry’s statement that Freya was euthanized. The Guardian/Agence France-Presse, Euronews, CNN, the Independent and NPR were among the many outlets that used the word, even though Freya was neither ill nor injured nor suffering in any way. Rather, she was killed, according to Norways’ Directorate of Fisheries, on the grounds that she had become too much of an attraction to people who would not heed warnings to keep their distance from her and was now considered a “continued threat to human safety.”
While some newspapers also reported on the criticism of the decision to kill Freya, they failed to question or avoid — as this New York Times piece did, in a rare exception — the language used by the fishing ministry. This includes the implications of its statement in a news release that the possibility of relocating Freya was considered “not a viable option” because of "the extensive complexity of such an operation.” As Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson wrote in a recent article, “Clearly a cost-benefit analysis was done, and it was concluded that it would just be too difficult to move Freya elsewhere.” Freya’s life didn’t just rank lower than the welfare of humans willingly putting themselves in harm’s way, but lower even than some logistical effort and expense from the authorities. In light of this, it isn’t just incorrect to say she was euthanized, it is arguably a form of humane-washing.
Worse still, the fisheries ministry has so far refused to release any further details about Freya’s killing, including how the decision was made and why other measures, such as fining people who got too close, weren’t tried first. Some critics have suggested that the action was taken to protect the fishing and whaling industries of Norway from the public developing too much sympathy for marine mammals, including the seals who are legally hunted in Norway and routinely killed by fish farming companies. I don’t expect reporters to have speculated on any potentially hidden motives for Freya’s killing, but there could have been more effort to highlight what information was missing or being withheld, as well as that the fisheries ministry is primarily concerned with managing “marine resources” and not with wild animal welfare.
Freya’s death is just one clear example of how the media is often complicit in perpetuating the myths told about killing animals. “Euthanize,” “cull,” “depopulate,” and “humanely slaughter” — these euphemistic terms most frequently appear in articles on the deaths of farmed animals, but also wild animals killed in the interests of the meat, dairy and aquaculture industries. They hide the usually brutal realities of slaughterhouses and mass killings carried out for reasons such as stopping disease spread or reducing competition for resources like grazing land. They make these killings sound like something perhaps regrettable, but definitely unavoidable, rather than the outcome of our choices.
In replicating this pattern of reporting in the case of Freya, the media failed her.
From the producers of Cowspiracy, SLAY takes a unique perspective on the animal skin trade in the fashion industry and what has to change.
This is a never-before-seen documentary that brings together a host of celebrities, experts and campaigners to expose unethical practices whilst showcasing practical solutions.
SLAY asks us an important question to consider: Is it acceptable to kill animals for fashion?
"SLAY is a critically important and timely film about greenwashing of fashion's dirty secrets"
- Keegan Kuhn, Co-director of Cowspiracy, What the Health
Is leather just a byproduct of the meat industry? The answer may surprise you.
Learn more about leather than you ever thought to ask, like: where leather comes from, what leather is made of (spoiler alert: there's a chance it's a cat or dog!), whether leather supports animal cruelty, and the environmental devastation and public health threat of leather production.
How Many Animals Are Killed for Food According to the FAO? – Sentient Media Explains
Every second the counter ticks and several hundred more animals have lost their lives.
The Animal Kill Clock serves as an eerie reminder of the lives and possibilities that are lost with every moment that passes..
All around the world animals are dying in order to feed people. The numbers are staggering — with over 55 billion animals being killed every year in the United States alone, according to the clock.
Whether it’s meat, dairy, or eggs, many people consume some sort of animal product at almost every meal. So, how many animals does it take to meet this demand?
Undercover Keep The Ban investigation exposes sick birds bred to be shot
WHO CARES? NOT THE SHOOTING INDUSTRY.
We all know that that the shooting industry is all about selling birds to shooters to use as live targets on ‘days out’. It supports a cruel hobby that masquerades as a ‘sport’.
Shooting profits by rearing flocks of near-tame birds to kill, promising its clients huge ‘bags’ (the disrespectful collective term they use rather than referring to individual birds) and charging them hundreds of pounds a day for the privilege of standing in a valley by a woodland while ‘beaters’ drive the unsuspecting birds towards them.
It’s obvious that they don’t care about the birds they send out to be shot, but you would think that they would at least properly look after the young birds in their care before then.
In fact, as footage taken by the Hunt Investigation Team (HIT) this summer clearly shows, the shooting industry doesn’t even care about ‘their’ birds when they’re young and still growing.
The video we’re publishing, filmed during the heatwave on an estate in Derbyshire though it could have been taken almost anywhere the shooting industry has set up shop, shows the reality.
Keep The Ban was established in 2015 to expose and eradicate cruelty inflicted on wildlife. Since then, thousands of people have joined us on our mission, and we rely on our supporters to help fund our campaigns and support anti-hunting organisations across the country: If you would like to help us, please consider giving a small one-off or recurring donation from as little as £1 a month: keeptheban.uk/donate
BBC: Chris Packham should NOT be silenced by hunters
The Countryside Alliance has launched a petition, in a long-running campaign, to get Chris Packham removed from the BBC because of his anti-Hunting beliefs.
This petition is to show support for Chris Packham, and to encourage the BBC not to be bullied by pro-hunting groups such as the Countryside Alliance who wish to continue unopposed in all public arenas.
This particular complaint centers around the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) recent and very successful action against the Grouse shooting in the peak district. Chris Packham tweeted a link to the HSA press report
And when it looked as if momentum might falter, we were given what we wanted by the controllers of the money supply. They took a word that had dubious connotations, and turned it into something praiseworthy. Debt became credit. Wages became irrelevant, and it ceased to matter how much a person earned when they could borrow multiples of it.
“Oh dear, what a shame, next . . . More top work by @HuntSabs”.
Hardly offensive to anyone unless you like shooting birds for fun.
The Countryside Alliance is claiming that this breaches the BBC's impartiality rules and supports illegal activity, particularly citing aggravated trespass as a criminal offence. This is despite the police being present, no such charges or arrests being made, and the incident in question taking place on open access land.
The truth is that the Countryside Alliance cannot stand that such a public figure, and knowledgeable naturalist, as Chris Packham supports the work of the Hunt Saboteurs Association in opposing bloodsports in all its forms, as do the majority of the public as is shown time and again in public opinion surveys.
Chris has also been the target of terrorist attacks by hunting supporters, hanging dead animals on his gate, and setting fire to a car outside his house, a tactic the Countryside Alliance keeps quiet about.
Please support the petition to encourage the BBC not to be bullied and prevent Chris Packham from being forced to choose between his freedom of speech or his work at the BBC.
Plant-based alternatives continue to grow, Spain's new animal rights law & more | Month in a Minute
It’s time for the August edition of Sentient Media’s The month in a Minute, narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
Climate activists in the UK are taking their government to court for its lack of proposals to reduce meat and dairy consumption. A new investigation also revealed that the country now has more than 1,000 livestock mega-farms - that’s up 200 from five years ago. Meanwhile the government’s own Food Tsar stated that England must reduce meat intake to avoid climate breakdown.
Plant-based alternatives continued to spread across the fast-food industry as a new study from Future Foods confirmed plant-based animal product alternatives really are healthier and more environmentally sustainable.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands plant-based meat is now cheaper than animal meat.
The USDA announced it must now publicly report all animal welfare violations, ending a practice which permitted animal welfare inspectors to omit certain violations from public reports.
An animal sanctuary founder was jailed after cows wandered from a nearby cattle farm onto her property.
In Europe, Spain banned pigeon-shooting, zoos and dolphinariums while Italy banned the slaughter of male chicks.
A report by Earthsight revealed that US agribusiness giants’ soy is linked to stolen indigenous land and murder in Brazil, while in Britain hens will be fed insects to lay carbon-neutral eggs for supermarket chain Morrisons to avoid the whole soy issue. Meanwhile scientists say Insects could be used give a meaty taste to food to help the environment.
And Freya the walrus, who liked to bask in the sun in an Oslo fjord, was euthanized because, according to officials, they could not guarantee the wellbeing of the animal. I’ll say.
Watch all this and more in our August media recap:
Sam's story & 5 things the Government doesn't want you to know about fish farming
Meet Sam (pictured), he's one of the tens of millions of salmon who are farmed each year in the UK.
Sam's story begins in a freshwater 'growing tank' in a facility on the Scottish mainland. It's a small, empty place, very different from the streambeds he'd naturally grow up in.
A year in, Sam and the thousands of other young fish in his 'batch' have grown enough to be transferred to a sea cage.
And so one day Sam is unexpectedly taken from his tank and pumped through a network of pipes into a well-boat. He feels stressed and disoriented as he hits the water and finds himself in an unfamiliar container packed with thousands of other fishes. Amidst the chaos, he's aware of the sensation of seawater against his gills for the first time.
The boat transports him many miles away to a sea farm off the Scottish Isle of Skye. It is here that he will spend the remainder of his life.
Here Sam finds himself confined to a cage with a tiny fraction of the space that he'd have in the wild. His natural migratory instincts are frustrated by the barriers in every direction and the crowded and barren environment means he has little opportunity to satisfy his urge to explore and investigate.
He notices that other fishes in his cage also seem to be struggling. There are those that float dully near the surface and show depression-like symptoms. And then there are those who are being eaten alive by sea lice - parasites which run rampant on salmon farms.
In fact, up to 20 million of Sam's peers will die prematurely that year from diseases, infections, and mistakes involving machinery or chemicals. These victims are often simply dumped or burned by the companies responsible.
After over a year of life in this cruel and unnatural environment, Sam is moved to a 'processing facility' on land in preparation for slaughter.
This is where Sam's story ends.
Shockingly, because fishes do not have the same legal protections at slaughter as other farmed animals, there is no law preventing Sam from having his gills cut while he is still conscious and able to feel pain.
It is a truly harrowing thought that he could spend his last few minutes in agony as he slowly bleeds to death - a reality that was documented by investigators at a Scottish salmon slaughterhouse last year.
The farming of fishes is cruel on an industrial scale. But, with you by our side, we're making a stand for these forgotten animals.
As I mentioned last week, the release of a key Opinion from the UK's Animal Welfare Committee is approaching. With your help, we'll be fighting to ensure the UK governments act to make it illegal for farmed fishes to be killed without stunning.
To see the reality of fish farming in the UK, watch our video: 5 things the Government doesn't want you to know about fish farming (warning: graphic content).
Clint Eastwood Endorses Plant-Based Diets In New Wildlife Documentary
Celebrated director Clint Eastwood appears in new documentary Why On Earth
Clint Eastwood has discussed the benefits of plant-based diets, saying that they “effect positive changes for the wellbeing of animals and people.”
The actor and director, who is known for his work on a number of popular Westerns, also spoke about his love of animals in the new wildlife documentary Why On Earth.
He said: “I’m an animal person, I appreciate the beauty of them. I just like to see everything live.”
Why On Earth explores the connection between humans, animals, and the planet. It covers topics like palm oil-related deforestation, trophy hunting, poaching, and the animal agriculture industry.
When the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) endorsed the practice of Ventilation Shutdown Plus (VSD+), they didn’t expect the public to hear about it.
But this research footage uncovered by Animal Outlook has lifted the curtain on just how horrific this killing method really is. We've created this video to reveal what VSD+ is really like for animals—and with your help, we can ensure that this appalling cruelty is brought to light.
We know this video is hard to watch. But cruelty thrives under a veil of secrecy. That’s why it’s even more important that we share it for all to see.
As avian flu continues to ravage factory farms across the country, the number of innocent animals being subjected to VSD+ is still climbing. Countless activists like you have already flooded the AVMA’s social media pages, phone lines, and email inboxes calling on the organization to reverse its approval of VSD+. They're hearing us, and we're not backing down.
How sanctuaries are creating a better world for animals
Where can we look to find hope for animals?
The scale of the daily global war on animals used for food, clothing, research and entertainment can sometimes feel incomprehensible. In the U.S. alone, over 55 billion animals are killed each year for food. Animal agriculture is driving the climate crisis, fueling what scientists predict will be the next mass extinction. In the face of this crisis, however, there is reason to stay hopeful.
A small percentage of animals are rescued each year and given a new life at sanctuaries. At these havens, animals can live out their lives in safety, receiving veterinary care, food and relative freedom. There is much risked by the caregivers who take in animals from situations of abuse and neglect. Not only is there physical risk, but caregivers experience emotional trauma too, as not all animals will survive. Still, many rescuers will tell you their work is rewarding — a chance to witness what some call the remarkable capacity of animals for resilience and forgiveness.
This week, join us as we explore the risky and complicated world of animal sanctuaries — including dangerous backlash from livestock farmers, former zoos and circuses rebranding as “sanctuaries” to fool consumers and the challenge of fundraising through “compassion fatigue.”
Kate Winslet Reveals A Shocking Truth About Our Planet’s Future
A destructive industry is killing our planet! Documentary 'Eating Our Way To Extinction' shines a light on why we MUST take the role of animal agriculture seriously when it comes to the climate crisis.
EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION takes audiences on a cinematic journey around the world, from the depths of the Amazon rainforests to the Taiwanese Mountains, the Mongolian desert, the US Dust Bowl, the Norwegian Fjords and the Scottish coastlines, telling the story of our planet through shocking testimonials, poignant accounts from indigenous people most affected by our ever-changing planet, globally renowned figures and leading scientists. This powerful documentary sends a simple but impactful message by uncovering hard truths and addressing, on the big screen, the most pressing issue of our generation – ecological collapse.
In Earthling Ed's new debate he sits down with a UC Santa Barbara student who discusses his Syrian heritage and challenges him on whether the practice of Halal slaughter should be considered humane.
If you find Ed's work at universities valuable, you can become a regular supporter or make a one-off contribution through the following links: earthlinged.org/support & patreon.com/earthlinged
The Case for Loosening the Rules of Veganism
Should vegans be less 'strict'?
In this video Earthling Ed takes a look at an article that advocates for the rules of veganism to become loosened so that veganism is less strict and therefore more appealing. He analyses the author’s arguments and provides his own commentary on whether or not he agrees with the proposed idea.
A Hungarian chef who thinks "we are predators" went up against a newly turned vegan to discuss whether or not adopting a plant-based diet is more sustainable in this 2018 debate from Brain Bar.
When people say “shouldn’t the government be the ones to do something?” - the answer is of course yes. But they’re not going to, at least not until we make the changes ourselves.
In this video Ed explores what Prime Minister contenders Rishi Sunak and Lizz Truss have said about animal farming and how the recommendation from the government’s own scientific advisors to reduce animal product consumption is being ignored.
At this point, the scientific literature showing that we need to shift towards a plant-based food system has become overwhelming in both its volume and clarity. Even the government’s own scientific advisors are telling us that we need to reduce our animal product consumption. However, disturbingly, our elected officials are still refusing to take any action and have even spoken about increasing animal farming production instead.
The reality is, governments won’t implement the necessary changes required unless we make it seem politically acceptable. This means that we have to be the ones to make the changes ourselves as if we don’t, our agricultural system will continue to destroy our environment and cause suffering to billions of animals at the same time.
New Documentary Warns Of ‘Tremendous Suffering’ In Brazil’s Animal Export Trade
Actor Luísa Mell features in the new short film, which shines a light on cruel practices in the animal export industry
A new documentary is spotlighting cruelty in the live animal export industry.
Produced by Mercy For Animals and fronted by Brazilian actor Luísa Mell, the short film aims to raise awareness of the 11 million bovines who are shipped around the world every year, before being slaughtered at their end destination.
According to the documentary, 280,000 cattle leave Barcarena’s Porto De Vila Do Conde (Brazil’s main port for live animal export) every year. From there, in cramped, dirty conditions, they are shipped off on weeks-long journeys to the Middle East and North Africa.
“In slaughterhouses in the Middle East, animals are slashed in the legs with knives, gashed at the throat, and left to bleed to death, all while conscious and able to feel pain,” Mercy For Animals states.
“Live export causes tremendous suffering, and it needs to end now.”
The story of how modern chickens were invented is shocking. It’s a story of greed, it’s a story of placing profit over ethics, and it’s a story of creating unprecedented suffering.
"I want to share this story with you today because, even though we can’t change the past, we can shape the future - and the choices that we make today will decide what the future will look like and we can decide to create a future that increases suffering or a future that dramatically reduces suffering. That choice is ours." Earthling Ed
Haywards Heath becomes the first town in Europe to endorse the call for a Plant Based Treaty in response to the climate emergency.
By The Plant Based Treaty
21st July 2022
Today Haywards Heath Town Council endorsed the Plant Based Treaty, becoming the first town in Europe to join the initiative to tackle emissions from animal farming and attributed deforestation, a key driver of the climate emergency. The proposed Treaty is backed by 17 municipal governments worldwide, including Boynton Beach in Florida and Rosario in Argentina.
Green Councillor Dr Richard Nicholson, who first presented the Plant Based Treaty to the Climate Change Committee, said, “The Climate Crisis is no longer a distant future threat but an existential crisis that is upon us in 2022. The South East of England has endured the highest ever summer temperatures in history and people’s properties have been destroyed by fire and flood. We cannot wait for governments – we must all act immediately – and moving to a plant-based diet is the most impactful thing any individual can do to help address the grave situation we face. I’d encourage all Town, District, County and Metro councils to sign the Plant Based Treaty immediately.”
Haywards Heath Town Council is launching an Education and Business Environmental Awards Scheme. The Plant Based Treaty and food waste reduction will be cornerstones of these initiatives. They will seek to engage local community, environmental groups, and Parish councils to help progress these ground-up activities.
The council has taken a science-based approach to the climate crisis using research from project drawdown to provide a solid scientific foundation. While the council is unable to build large solar farms or wind turbines, we can educate and encourage the local community to reduce food waste and move to plant-based diets to reduce CO2 emissions; activities which are as impactful as a large-scale move to green energy! Not only this, a move to a Plant Based foods helps increase global biodiversity, will improve the local community’s health and, importantly, reduce weekly food bills. Having already supported the 2022 Veganuary initiative, endorsing the Plant Based Treaty was the obvious next step in an ongoing journey for Haywards Heath Town Council.
Nicola Harris, communications director at Plant Based Treaty, said, “Haywards Heath’s decision to call for urgent global action on plant-based solutions to the climate crisis demonstrates true leadership. It will be welcomed by those experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change.
Record-breaking 40C+ temperatures this summer are a bleak reminder that cuts to emissions from fossil fuels and animal agriculture can’t come soon enough. Animal farming is directly responsible for a third of human-caused methane. Therefore we need local, national and international cooperation to reduce food-related emissions through a shift to plant-based diets, boosted by action on food waste.”
Climate campaigners are calling on other towns and cities to follow Haywards Heath’s lead and help create a national council-led movement calling for a shift towards healthier, more sustainable plant-based diets. A petition calling Glastonbury to endorse the Plant Based Treaty has attracted almost 5,000 signatures.
150 councillors from almost 60 towns and cities have individually signed the Plant Based Treaty from parties including Conservatives, Green Party, Labour, and Liberal Democrats.
20MPs signed Early Day Motion 434 , including the Green’s Caroline Lucas and Labour’s former Shadow Chancellor John McDonell. The motion welcomes the Plant Based Treaty and calls for the UK to be a “world leader in recognising the negative impact of industrial animal agriculture on climate change and commit to developing a global strategy to transition towards more sustainable plant-based food systems.”
The Plant Based Treaty has secured high-profile endorsements from celebrities, including Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney, who issued a written statement calling for politicians to support the Plant-Based Treaty. They said: “We believe in justice for animals, the environment and people. That’s why we support the Plant Based Treaty and urge individuals and governments to sign it.”
The Plant Based Treaty is modelled on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and inspired by treaties that have addressed the threats of ozone layer depletion and nuclear weapons. Since its launch in August 2021, the initiative has received support from 43,000 individual endorsers, 5 Nobel laureates, IPCC scientists, more than 800 NGOs and community groups and 700 businesses, including Ecotricity, Linda McCartney Foods, Oceanic Preservation Society, Environmental Alliance Project, VIVA!, BOSH!, Animal Rebellion, and chapters of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Extinction Rebellion.
Kate Winslet-narrated climate doc Eating Our Way to Extinction debuts on YouTube for free
The pro-plant-based film, narrated by acclaimed actor Kate Winslet, sheds light on how animal agriculture is the most destructive industry in the world.
Award-winning climate change documentary Eating Our Way to Extinction is now available to watch for free on YouTube.
Narrated by acclaimed actor Kate Winslet, the film sheds light on how animal agriculture is the most destructive industry in the world, making audiences “question their everyday choices”.
‘Ecological collapse’
“Eating our Way to Extinction is a documentary which takes audiences on a cinematic journey around the world,” the film’s description reads.
“From the depths of the Amazon rainforest to the Taiwanese Mountains, the Mongolian desert, the US Dust Bowl, the Norwegian Fjords and the Scottish coastlines; telling the story of our planet through testimonials from indigenous people most affected by our ever-changing planet and globally renowned figures”.
World-renowned experts such as Dr Sylvia Earle (Former Chief Scientist of NOAA and explorer) and Prof. Olivier de Schutter (Former United Nations Special Rapporteur) also feature in the doc.
Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop, a former Principal Scientist who appears in the film, said: “Scientists have predicted that in just over two decades, species loss will be so great that we won’t recover, the Earth will suffer ecological collapse and the most impactful thing you and I can do to stop this, is to change our diets.”
Our Fight for the World's Wildlife – The world’s wildlife is rapidly disappearing, and with it the foundations of humanity’s survival.
Viva!'s brand new campaign 'Eating the Earth' focuses on global wildlife loss as a result of our insatiable demand for meat, dairy, fish and eggs. This campaign reveals how animal agriculture is the number one driver for wildlife extinction and will highlight what this means for our future health and livelihoods.
We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, with currently one million species under threat. There is only one solution to the climate and wildlife crises - GOING VEGAN!
Help Viva! to save the world’s wildlife by acting now and getting involved in our campaign - it’s urgent!
In this debate Earthling Ed sits down with Kyle, a hunter from Texas.
"We spoke about the ethics of what we do to animals and of his history of hunting, which led to a very interesting discussion about Kyle’s beliefs and in particular how he deals with the guilt he feels when he hunts. How do you think it went?"
Animal Aid’s latest investigation: Pheasants and Partridges in Wales
Caged, wounded and distressed: latest game bird farm investigation
Animal Aid has been investigating the game bird breeding industry in Wales and England since 2004, and in November that year our undercover footage was shown on BBC’s Countryfile programme. Our first major report, the following year, revealed in detail the horrors of the use of battery cages for breeding birds.
The birds are so stressed by being confined, that they repeatedly fly upwards in an effort to escape, and they attack one another out of frustration and lack of space. Often, the gamekeeper’s solution is to put clips on the birds’ beaks to restrict movement and dressings on the birds’ backs to prevent mating injuries. But of course, this does nothing to alleviate the birds’ anxiety and may even serve to increase it.
Since 2004, Animal Aid has made numerous visits to game farms in Wales and England, cataloguing the miserable confinement of the breeding birds, their physical injuries and their anxiety. We have reported our findings to the relevant authorities, and repeatedly called for a ban on the use of the cages.
Our latest investigation has revealed that, almost 20 years later, nothing has changed. An inspection of two game bird breeding operations in Wales in May this year, found countless pheasants and partridges confined in dreadful battery cages on these vast, soulless industrial farms. See timeline, here, for details.: animalaid.org.uk/pheasants-and-partridges-in-wales
New Kate Mara Documentary Highlights Environmental Racism In The Meat Industry
Human and animals suffer at the hands of Big Pork
Actor Kate Mara has executively produced a documentary that shines a light on the environmental racism of factory farming.
The Smell of Money exposes the societal impacts endured by the predominantly Black community of Duplin County in North Carolina.
Showcased as the villain of the story is meat production behemoth, Smithfield. The manufacturer has operated an industrial hog farm in the region for years and seemingly demonstrates little regard for residents’ health.
Coined by Big Pork, “the smell of money” describes the stench of pig feces that lingers in the air in eastern North Carolina.
A platform for equality, the film sees Duplin County resident Elsie Herring and others discuss the negative impact of living close to Smithfield.
Most pertinently, it exposes the inequality of a white-owned business directly lessening the quality of life for neighboring Black communities. It has done so by simply buying land and setting up shop.
MEATPACKING: A CLOSER LOOK AT A SECRETIVE INDUSTRY
Behind the walls of meatpacking plants, millions of animals and human workers alike suffer as the victims of a lucrative industry built to produce as much cheap meat as quickly as possible. The U.S. meat industry is largely controlled by just a few multi-billion dollar companies that control their supply chains from the top down — a highly consolidated business model that too often prioritizes the bottom line above all else.
“This is an industry which only values workers and animals for the profit they can generate,” Dr. Kendra Coulter, chair of labor studies at Brock University, told Sentient Media in 2020. “For the workers, it’s through the intense use of their labor. For animals, it’s in their early and unceremonious deaths.”
Meatpacking is considered one of the nation’s most dangerous industries, with employees enduring long hours in extremely hazardous conditions, all for low wages. Many workers are undocumented immigrants or hold work visas, and may be scared to report worker’s rights and safety issues to management, despite facing the risk of severe injuries. In 2018, the Guardian reported that packers in U.S. meat plants are three times as likely to suffer severe injury than the average worker, and there are two amputations suffered per week.
In the name of cheap protein production, 9.76 billion land animals are slaughtered for food in the U.S. each year. At some plants, increasing slaughter line speeds threaten to cause more suffering for animals already facing terrifying and painful final moments, while also putting workers in even more danger. “It is an assembly line of industrialized death and dismemberment,” says Dr. Coulter.
This week, we take a closer look at the meatpacking industry, its harms and how animal and worker advocates are fighting back.
Petition launched to demand transparency in labeling
Did you know, 80% of Americans take dietary supplements on a monthly basis and the supplement industry kills 24 billion animals every year? They hide those deaths behind confusing ingredient names like gelatin, magnesium stearate and omega-3 rather than using accurate descriptions like boiled skin and bones, pig fatty acids and fishes..
As it stands, companies in the US do not have to tell consumers that these, and many other secretive ingredients come from animal sources.
Help us change that
Animal Save Movement has partnered with vegan supplement brand Terraseed, to call for more transparency in the supplement labeling. We want to shine a light on one of the most hidden aspects of animal exploitation today and help consumers make informed choices.
Terraseed and Animal Save Movement have joined forces to create the Transparent Label Campaign, which is petitioning the FDA to require supplement facts labels to disclose the use of animal-derived ingredients.
We took your messages to the decision-makers! Thank you for raising your voice for hens.
2022 marks 200 years since Britain’s first animal welfare legislation. And yet, laying hens remain in cruel, outdated cages.
Your support has helped press the Government for a ban on cages every step of the way.
Thank you for making this protest possible and for demanding that decision-makers stop dragging their feet.
On Thursday morning, Good Morning Britain presenters read out a statement from Defra stating that moving away from cages is a Government priority, but we’re still waiting for their promised consultation.
Team THL UK took the debate to Defra’s doorstep and seeing over 600 of your messages fluttering in the breeze outside their London office was a sight I’ll never forget.
You are a vital member of a community that spans 200 years of pushing for laws that protect animals.
And, like Richard ‘Humanity Dick’ Martin MP who pioneered the first animal welfare law, we won’t rest until the law of the land enshrines the rights of hens like Beatrice.
Please watch and share our powerful new film which shows how the march of history over the past 200 years has left 14 million hens in the UK crying out for a ban.
The Land of Ahimsa: New Documentary Explores ‘Ahimsa’ and Nonviolence Towards All Living Things
A new feature-length documentary called “The Land of Ahimsa” follows Dolly Vyas-Ahuja on her journey to veganism and how she found Ahimsa. Dolly narrates and produces the film alongside Bollywood actor and director of the documentary, Aryeman.
“The Land of Ahimsa” is a feature length documentary that follows Dolly Vyas-Ahuja on her journey to veganism. Dolly narrates and produces the film, alongside Bollywood actor Aryeman, who directs.
“The Land of Ahimsa” will strive to inspire and encourage the people of India to reclaim their true role as keepers of the spiritual heart of Mother Earth, India. Ahimsa is the most beautiful word written in any language in any time, according to Phillip Wollen, featured in the documentary. True Ahimsa is embodied in a vegan lifestyle. .
The world is waking up to the truth that all animals are intelligent beings and deserve a chance to live. Veganism is steadily growing all around the world as people are recognizing the impact of animal exploitation on climate and health.
Throughout the film, we interview plant-based doctors, athletes, animal activists, entrepreneurs, and visit sanctuaries to illustrate the importance of “Ahimsa” in action in India with the intention this will resonate across the globe. We demonstrate how by rising to the true meaning of the word, we are able to create a non-violent world which will relieve suffering of all living beings, improve our health and wellness, and allow us to live in a clean environment.
The film follows Dolly as she returns to her homeland after having discovered the power of “Ahimsa” through her transition to a vegan lifestyle. She relates her experience to that of her grandfather, who was a freedom fighter who marched alongside Gandhi to liberate India from British rule. Similarly, the film shows her strength in fighting for justice of all beings through the Animal Liberation March. She uses her own voice to expose the truth about the cruelty of the Dairy industry by educating others through her presentations at various events throughout India and the US.
We will show viewers how accessible it is to put “Ahimsa” into action in their daily lives. After watching the film, we believe viewers will feel motivated to choose peace over violence and fight against injustices.
Executive produced by Dr. Sailesh Rao (Cowspiracy, What the Health and Prayer for Compassion) and Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones). Directed and Produced by Aryeman and Dolly Vyas and Mayur Ahuja.
Featuring Dr. Sailesh Rao, Philip Wollen, Keegan Kuhn, Dr. Neal Barnard, Arvind, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Dr. Rupa Shah, Dr. Will Tuttle, Abhishek Sinha, Dr. Munish and Dr. Bandana Chawla, Darshana Muzumdar, Jim Meyers, Dr. Nandita Shah, Dr. Deepak Kotecha, Kuntal Joisher, Dr. Sulekh Jain, Maneka Gandhi, Jerome Flynn, and others.
Avian Flu Outbreak 2022, Overfishing Effects on Climate Change & more | Month In a Minute
It’s time for the July edition of Sentient Media’s The month in a Minute, narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
The French government tried to prohibit plant-based products from using names like "steak" and "sausage", but just weeks later the country’s high court suspended the attempted ban, deeming it ‘unjustified’
The French government did however confirm charcuterie’s link to colon cancer.
Meanwhile the Turkish government banned vegan cheese. Not just the name, the actual product.
Dutch farmers protested their government’s policy to reduce livestock emissions, leading to clashes with the police. A group of them then blocked the businesses of plant-based food company Shouten and demanded that they change text on their website that listed the negative impacts of animal agriculture.
A report from Open Cages revealed that a million UK chickens die needlessly each week to keep prices low.
Meanwhile, avian flu spread from poultry farms continued to devastate wild bird populations.
A lawsuit was filed against dairy company Organic Valley for their claim that their milk is ‘humane’, alleging that the separation of newborn calves from their mothers could never be considered as such.
A report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization looking at the state of world fisheries concluded that Overfishing Urgently Needs Reeling in to Cope With Climate Change.
A new report from the Boston Consulting Group claimed plant-based meat is by far the best climate investment, delivering the biggest emissions cuts of all sectors.
And as we learned that world meat production rose 5% in 2021, the Pope urged young people to eat less meat.
According to the FAO, ostrich farms were once considered one of the most profitable agricultural projects and were called "farms of the future" because of the wide variety of products (meat, eggs, skins, feathers), the efficiency of production and reproduction, and the high-profit potential.
Ostriches have been farmed commercially for more than 100 years. Before trade sanctions, annual exports of ostrich skins from South Africa to the United States reached a record 90,000 skins in 1986. Shortages of ostrich skins after 1986 caused prices to rise. Due to this, ostrich farming began to be attractive and several entrepreneurs from Europe, and especially from the United States, started their production to try to satisfy a part of the international demand.
In the year 2000, the exploitation of the South African Black variety of ostrich (imported from Africa) began in Bolivia. This variety is also farmed in Peru and Chile. On farms, ostriches are killed when they are between 10 to 14 months old, but ostriches live for around 30 to 45 years in the wild—with some living into their 50s. In captivity, ostriches have lived for over 60 years. The oldest was allegedly 62 years and 7 months old.
In some places in Africa and the US, they are not only exploited for their meat and eggs, but they are also used in races as sport or entertainment for tourists. All this exposes them to stress and reduces them to objects of consumption and entertainment, ignoring their mental and physical health.
Despite being flightless, ostriches have wings that are used as rudders to help them change direction while running. Their powerful legs enable them to reach speeds of over 65km an hour, and each stride is between 3-5m. They can comfortably outrun predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas.
Contrary to myth, ostriches do not bury their heads in the ground. But they do have very acute hearing and excellent eyesight. The ostrich is the fastest two-legged animal in the world and the largest and heaviest bird in history. These unique animals are being exploited by humans, but we can work together to raise awareness by supporting organizations dedicated to ostrich welfare and education, like Sahara Conservation.
Vision Films Set to Release Compelling New Documentary 'Why On Earth' From Filmmaker and Conservationist Katie Cleary
Vision Films, Inc. ("Vision") announces the release of the feature length documentary Why On Earth to VOD, DVD, and Blu-Ray on August 16. The film was directed and produced by animal activist and filmmaker Katie Cleary, whose previous award-winning documentary, Give Me Shelter, debuted on Netflix in 2015. Katie is the president and founder of the animal welfare organization Peace 4 Animals and popular global news network World Animal News.
Her new film takes a comprehensive look into our current condition as a people; uncovering many issues that are affecting our natural world and the animals who inhabit it, revealing the vital connection between humans, animals, and the growing plant-based movement. A red-carpet premiere event and screening is scheduled for August in Los Angeles for industry professionals and friends of the film.
Exclusive interviews with well-known leaders in the worlds of animal welfare and conservation include fellow filmmaker and animal advocate, Clint Eastwood. The film was shot on a RED camera in five countries including South Africa, Kenya, and Indonesia. Rarely before seen footage highlights the people on the ground fighting to protect critical species including endangered orangutans in Indonesia, the depletion of the shark population in South Africa due to the illegal shark fin trade, the poaching of nearly extinct African rhinos, elephants, and lions throughout Africa, and the rapid deforestation in Borneo and Sumatra due to palm oil extraction. The film also shares the process of what it takes to pass legislation to protect animals in the United States.
Lise Romanoff, CEO and Managing Director of Vision Films says, "Why on Earth is truly one of the most illuminating and beautiful advocacy films we have seen. The connection between our human population and the creatures of our planet is undeniable and so very important to preserve."
Director and Producer Katie Cleary shares, "This film has been a labor of love for the past four years. We are so excited to finally share with the world this important film in order to raise awareness about the many issues that impact our planet's critical species." She adds, "There are simple things we as humans can do to prevent the devastation of our rainforests and to enact stricter penalties for poachers who kill endangered and threatened species."
Featuring: Clint Eastwood (Actor, Director, Animal Advocate), Leilani Munter (Race Car Driver, What The Health), Maggie Q (Actress, Animal Welfare Advocate), Kristin Bauer (Actress, Animal Welfare and Legislation Advocate) John Salley (Former NBA Star, Animal Welfare and Legislation Advocate), Shannon Elizabeth (Actress, Animal Welfare Advocate), and Dan Richardson (Actor, Wildlife Conservationist)
Also featuring: Damien Mander (Founder of International Anti-Poaching Foundation), his all-female anti-poaching team, Akashinga, Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas (Orangutan Foundation International), Petronel Nieuwoudt (Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary), Alison Towner (Marine Biologist, Save Our Seas Foundation), Paul Hilton (Conservation Photographer, Racing Extinction), Jim Abernethy (Conservationist, Photographer, Filmmaker), Shawn Heinrichs (Cinematographer, Racing Extinction), Wilfred Chivell (CEO of Marine Dynamics), Ian Singleton (Director, Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme), Panut Hadisiswoyo (Orangutan Information Center), David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust team, and more.
Why on Earth will be available on all major streaming and cable platforms across the U.S. and Canada on August 16.
We all need to eat, but the way we do it today is the main cause of biodiversity loss – the treasured variety of life on Earth. It is also a major contributor to the climate crisis – responsible for around one-third of all global greenhouse emissions.
The facts are pretty shocking, and the warning signs are clear. We’re seeing more extreme temperatures and erratic rainfall, increasing water scarcity, collapsed fish stocks, exhausted and eroded soils, and alarming declines in insects like bees that pollinate life-sustaining crops. There’s no doubt that our current food systems are eating our planet.
The good news is that there are huge opportunities to feed the world in a way that works with nature, not against it. If we do things differently, we can stop forests turning into fields, keep rivers flowing, restore soil fertility, reverse the loss of life on Earth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions – all the while ensuring there’s enough healthy and nutritious food for every person, now and in the future.
Celebrities vs Veganism At Top Gun Premiere In London
Plant Based News attended the red carpet event to ask celebrities and the public what they thought about veganism!
The responses were mixed... You don't want to miss this one!
WaterBear slates animal-cruelty doc Slay for Fashion Month premiere
Eco-activist content platform WaterBear Network has slated the premiere of Slay, a new feature doc that aims to raise awareness of the environmental damage wrought by the global fashion industry, for September 8, to coincide with Fashion Month.
Directed by Rebecca Cappelli, who also co-produces along with Keegan Kuhn (Cowspiracy), Slay foregrounds investigative footage shot over three years to make its case that the fashion industry is responsible for the deaths of 2.5 billion animals every year. The doc also includes interviews with experts and activists who seek to show that the industry also contributes to a host of other urgent contemporary problems, including deforestation, water contamination and the exploitation of low-wage workers.
“The fashion industry is not addressing animal suffering in their supply chain,” Cappelli said in a release. “We have an urgent moral obligation to respond to the suffering of hundreds of millions of individuals in the fashion industry, as animal rights and sustainability are intimately linked. We want Slay to open people’s eyes to the dark underbelly of some of the most common and sought-after skins in fashion.”
“WaterBear Network provides a global hub for converting storytelling into action,” added WaterBear founder and CEO Ellen Windemuth. “Our platform and streaming service helps activists, brands, consumers, and NGOs to deliver on their sustainability initiatives. It’s vital to have powerful documentaries like Slay on our platform to engage consumers and drive change in the fashion industry.”
Is Climate Change Really Real? A Don't Look Up Special.
Many people are still asking, 'Is climate change really real?'
Don't Look Up is a 2021 American apocalyptic comedy film written, produced, and directed by Adam McKay, and starring an ensemble cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and a host of other a list actors; it draws a stark comparison to the climate change and climate crisis that faces humanity today.
This video from @Just Stop Oil shows just how true to life the film 'Don't Look Up' is when comparing it to the climate change.
Why do Disney and Pixar always get animals so wrong?
DEEP DIVE: Two types of characters epitomise Disney like no other: princesses, and animals. But while Disney’s portrayal of female characters has left much to be desired with change only happening relatively recently, the studio giant’s treatment of animals is still sorely lacking, as Nina Copleston so deftly explains.
In recent years, Disney has been scrutinised for its overt - and covert - discrimination. There is undeniably sexism, racism, ableism and a severe lack of queer representation in these films - which, in some part, Disney is making an effort to shake off. Only last week, it was announced that Disney/Pixar will notedit out a same-sex kiss in the latest Buzz Lightyear movie, despite this causing the film to be banned in 14 countries.
One of the main ways Disney/Pixar has told stories is through its animal characters such as Bambi the deer, Dumbo the elephant and Nemo the clownfish. In fact, animals have been involved in Disney storytelling since its very first film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Disney is even given to poking self-aware fun at itself on this point - in 2016’s Moana, the demi-god Maui says to the film’s titular protagonist “If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you're a princess."
But what are these stories telling us about animals? Is Disney waving the flag for animal liberation - or digging itself a speciesist grave?
There are so many Disney films about animals. Most of them do not seem to be part of the cultural zeitgeist, largely forgotten and swept into the dusty library of Disney’s unsuccessfuls. One such film is Charlie the Lonesome Cougar (1967), which follows a cougar as his natural instincts start to kick in after living with humans for most of his life. The film ends with Charlie returning to the wild - a seemingly pro-animal rights stance which argues that wild animals do not belong under human rules - but the use of four real cougars to play Charlie sparks animal welfare concerns.
Indeed, the use of real animals for Disney films was incredibly common, particularly in the True-Life Adventure series that Walt created - a group of films designed to entertain and educate the audience about the animal kingdom in a nature documentary-style, and still being made today, quite differently, under the name DisneyNature. These films were largely praised; The Vanishing Prairie (1954) won an Academy Award - but in this series, and indeed in other films using real animals such as A Tiger Walks (1964) - animals suffered in order for these pictures to be filmed.
The most disturbing example of this is the film White Wilderness (1958), an addition to the True-Life Adventures series, which was uncovered by CBC Television in 1982 to have staged much of its ‘footage’. A polar bear falling down an Arctic hill was really filmed in a studio in Calgary - the bear having been pushed down the ice by crew members. Horrifyingly, one scene showed huge numbers of lemmings jumping off a cliff to their death. The accompanying narration stated that this mass suicide was not purposeful; the animals were migrating and mistook the Arctic Sea for a lake - something they thought they could cross (but drowned in instead). However, it was revealed that lemmings would never actually follow these migration patterns in the wild and jump to their death in this fashion - and that the whole thing had been set up. Lemmings had been bought and shipped to Alberta, placed on turntables to create frantic movement, and then driven off a cliff and into an expanse of water - with editing software making these numbers look far greater. Murder of animals… for fake footage.
This appears to be a pattern - Disney films often have the glimmer of an animal-centric stance - but have quite a different impact. 101 Dalmations (1961), for example, was quite revolutionary in its clear message that using animal skin for fashion is cruel(lla de Vil). At the time, cheaper pelts were becoming available for people of all classes, and so highlighting the ethics of animal fur by using a puppy - an animal universally adored - was shocking. It is worthy of praise that Disney highlighted this issue, but would it not have been more pertinent, perhaps, to depict the life of a mink or a cow whose skins are engrained elements of the fashion industry, and less obviously ‘adored’? And, despite the anti-cruelty messaging, what happened in reality? The number of dalmatians in puppy mills spiked as people demanded a dalmatian for themselves, wanting a piece of another sentient being for themselves with little regard to the wider picture or the animal’s welfare.
A similar occurrence happened after Finding Nemo (2003) ...
IPCC report, US Heatwave killed thousands of cattle, Pig cloned by robot & more – Month in a Minute
It’s time for the June edition of Sentient Media’s The month in a Minute, narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
Global meat consumption is on the rise, heatwaves devastate cattle in Kansas, and Maasai communities in Tanzania are displaced to make room for a hunting game reserve.
World of Wonder, Food Network set to plate vegan-friendly food competition
Food Network and Discovery+ have announced more details about a new culinary competition series launching this summer built around satisfying a variety of tastes, It’s CompiPlated.
The previously announced series premieres on August 11 on Food Network and streaming on Discovery+ and is hosted by vegan foodie and New York Times best-selling author Tabitha Brown. It’s produced by World of Wonder for Food Network and Discovery+.
Each episode finds four chefs competing in three rounds of cooking challenges to create dishes that will please judge Maneet Chauhan (Chopped) and a rotating panel of guest judges, each with a particular palate and specific food requirements. From Southern foods prepared using only plant-based ingredients and to an Instagram-worthy dinner party without fruits or vegetables, the chefs try to prove they can make delicious food under any circumstance.
“It’s CompliPlated reflects what it’s actually like to make a meal the whole family will love — it’s not easy to make one dish for everyone and this series makes it fun,” said Jane Latman, president, home & food content and streaming for Warner Bros. Discovery said in a release. “Tabitha Brown’s energy, sense of humor and real-life journey to becoming vegan make her the perfect host to take us on this adventure.”
Added Brown: “Becoming vegan changed my life and the way I cook — and I know folks can relate to the daily challenge of making the whole family happy with one meal, so we decided to make a game of it.”
98% of people fail this quiz. A lesson In cognitive dissonance.
There’s a phenomenon in psychology that affects all of us. It explains things like why Q-Anon supporters are so stubborn, but also things like why we collectively keep letting factory farms cause so much suffering.
Have you heard of cognitive dissonance? Well, even if you haven't, it will be something that you have definitely witnessed in others and even had to grapple with yourself. In today's video we explore what cognitive dissonance is and one of the biggest aspects of our lives where it is most noticeable. In fact, this aspect of it is so large, that it affects 99% of people every single day.
The continuous assault on our climate has continued unabated for most of their lives. For as long as they can remember, governments have failed to take meaningful action on climate change.
In the past decade, hundreds of species have gone extinct. Forests we learned about as kids disappeared before we graduated high school, and the oceans have been depleted. The survival of our planet hangs in the balance, but Generation Z is showing the world that the future of life on Earth is worth fighting for.
This week, we’ll speak with Gen Z activists to find out what motivates them and how we can follow their lead. Join us.
Eyewitness to Regan Russell’s Killing Wants Justice
What REALLY happened on the morning of June 19th, 2020?
Activist and Regan’s friend, Lori Croonen (@ms.vegan.warrior on Instagram), who was at the Toronto Pig Save vigil with Regan on that fateful day, describes Regan’s violent killing.
Lori said: "The most horrific day of my life, witnessing a friend, a beautiful human being, compassionate for all sentient beings, she was going to leave the vigil and go help her elderly parents with chores - struck down and killed by a 26-year-old man driving thousands of pounds of steel and 150 6 month old animals to the gas chamber. Was it an accident? I can’t imagine so unless the driver was completely incompetent. All he had to do is go around the corner at a normal speed and Regan would still be here with us, instead he put the pedal to the metal and ran straight at her after being at a dead stop for five minutes."
Support Regan Russell Foundation, an initiative by Regan’s family to fund and support the battle against “ag-gag” Bill 156, the battle that Regan died fighting: gofundme.com/f/the-regan-russell-foundation
Actress Miriam Margolyes Shares A Message About Dairy
Widely known for playing Professor Sprout in “Harry Potter,” British-Australian actress Miriam Margolyes has been on a “journey of discovery” after learning about the abuses of farmed animals.
She is now using her platform to raise awareness about calf-cow separation in the dairy industry by sharing an important message with you. This message comes soon after Miriam watched undercover footage captured by one of Animal Equality’s investigators inside a UK dairy farm – Madox Farm.
What did the footage show?
Footage captured inside Madox Farm aired on BBC’s “Panorama,” a popular British current affairs documentary program, and was watched by over 1.7 million viewers. Among other abuses uncovered, the footage showed newly born calves being separated from their mothers just hours after birth.
People across the country watched as a worker on the farm placed a newly born calf in a wheelbarrow and carried them towards the farm gate, with the mother cow chasing behind. As the worker closed the gate and took the calf away, viewers listened to the mother’s cries and saw her despair as she watched her baby disappear, never to return.
Why are calves separated?
Newborn calves are ripped from their mothers on dairy farms across the globe as a fundamental part of milk production. Like humans, cows must be pregnant to produce milk. The dairy industry breeds cows and farmers artificially impregnate the females by hand.
After nine long months of pregnancy, the mother cow will give birth to her calf. But the dairy industry won’t let the calf stay with the mother because the calf would drink their mother’s milk. Instead, the dairy industry wants that milk so it can be taken and sold to humans.
So, the dairy industry separates them. The mother and her calf will often only have a few hours together before the calf is taken away forever. Mother cows have strong maternal instincts and have been known to cry for hours or days after the separation.
But this is just the beginning for the mother cow. The process will start all over again – she’ll be impregnated, go through nine months of pregnancy, and her calf will be taken away again. This will happen over and over again until she becomes ‘unproductive’ – in other words, she doesn’t produce enough milk to be profitable for the dairy industry – and then they’ll send her to the slaughterhouse to be killed.
This painful reality of the dairy industry is hidden from so many people. Actress Miriam Margoyles was among those shocked when this horrifying truth was revealed to her.
"I’ve been on a journey of discovery…. I don’t mince my words, so I will tell you the truth: it broke my heart. But I am also thankful that this has been brought to my attention. Everyone deserves to know the truth. If we’re successful, more people will choose plant-based options and they’ll drink less cows’ milk, which means fewer cows will be separated and killed. I really believe we can make a difference. The world is harsh. Let’s make it kinder."
- Miriam Margoyles, Actress
Kate Mara’s New Documentary Exposes Environmental Racism of Factory Farming
Actress Kate Mara will host an exclusive screening of her documentary The Smell Of Money at Miyoko Schinner’s Mindful Eating Film Festival.
Actress Kate Mara’s new documentary The Smell of Money aims to expose the environmental racism behind factory farming. The new film gives a platform to the torment that Elsie Herring and other residents of Duplin County, NC have experienced for years at the hands of meat giant Smithfield, which operates a massive hog farm in the region.
Executively produced by Mara and produced by Jamie Berger, the film puts a spotlight on the health crisis created by the meat giant in the rural region which is home to mostly Black, low income residents. People here have been exposed to untreated waste waters—which are often sprayed into the air—from the hog operation for years, leading to major health issues such as respiratory illnesses and a severely reduced quality of life.
Libertarian sits down to prove vegan Joey Carbstrong wrong and gets caught out!
A libertarian meat eater sat down to debate and the conversation takes an interesting turn after Joey Carbstrng begins unpacking his moral system to see if it is consistent.
Earthling Ed got roasted in the comments of his TEDx talk
Ed says "I got roasted in the comments of my TEDx talk.
There's some rather entertaining ones in there and the video seems to be going down well in the comments, so I hope that you like it too!"
UK watchdog bans vegan TV ad for showing violence towards animals
ASA received 63 complaints over Vegan Friendly UK ad aimed at highlighting potential hypocrisy among meat-eaters
The advertising watchdog has banned a TV ad for Vegan Friendly UK after receiving complaints about graphic violence towards animals.
The ad, shown in March, was intended to highlight potential hypocrisy among meat-eaters who said they cared about animal welfare.
It showed two women and one man eating around a table juxtaposed with clips of a fish head still gasping for air, a live piglet alongside a pig with its eyes closed and a cow’s face that appeared to have tears coming from its eye. A further clip showed a cow’s skinned head with its eyes and teeth still present lying on its side.
As those at the table continued to eat, a caption said: “No animal was harmed, consumed, or purchased to make this advert,” followed by the text: “Make the connection.”
George Monbiot: ‘On a vegan planet, Britain could feed 200 million people’
The author, Guardian columnist and environmental campaigner answers your questions on farming, fuel and plant-based food
If the UK switched to a plant-based diet – and used regenerative farming to produce food on the arable land we have (not using artificial fertilisers or pesticides) – how much could we be self-sufficient in food, percentage-wise? dad_climate
The calculations that partly address it have been done by the author and small-scale dairy farmer Simon Fairlie, updating the earlier work of the ecologist Kenneth Mellanby..
We currently use 17.5m hectares of farmland in the UK. Fairlie finds that while a diet containing a moderate amount (less than we currently consume) of meat, dairy and eggs would require the use of 11m hectares of land (4m of which would be arable), a vegan diet would demand a total of just 3m. Not only do humans need no pasture, but we use grains and pulses more efficiently when we eat them ourselves.
This would enable more than 14m hectares of the land now used for farming to be set aside for nature. Alternatively, on a vegan planet, Britain could feed 200 million people.
'Highly recommend this important talk (and the book)
If only every (any) politician would watch this, any food producer, farmer, consumer... in fact - if you eat food...
The corruption, stupidity and shortsightedness of our global food production is staggering and damaging the world beyond belief.
Change must come. Be the change.' Piers Warren
Regenesis
– Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet by George Monbiot
The Sunday Times bestseller
*Longlisted for the Wainwright Prize*
From the bestselling author of Feral, a breathtaking first glimpse of a new future for food and for humanity
Farming is the world's greatest cause of environmental destruction - and the one we are least prepared to talk about. We criticise urban sprawl, but farming sprawls across thirty times as much land. We have ploughed, fenced and grazed great tracts of the planet, felling forests, killing wildlife, and poisoning rivers and oceans to feed ourselves. Yet millions still go hungry.
Now the food system itself is beginning to falter. But, as George Monbiot shows us in this brilliant, bracingly original new book, we can resolve the biggest of our dilemmas and feed the world without devouring the planet.
Regenesis is a breathtaking vision of a new future for food and for humanity. Drawing on astonishing advances in soil ecology, Monbiot reveals how our changing understanding of the world beneath our feet could allow us to grow more food with less farming. He meets the people who are unlocking these methods, from the fruit and vegetable grower revolutionising our understanding of fertility; through breeders of perennial grains, liberating the land from ploughs and poisons; to the scientists pioneering new ways to grow protein and fat. Together, they show how the tiniest life forms could help us make peace with the planet, restore its living systems, and replace the age of extinction with an age of regenesis.
'This book calls for nothing less than a revolution in the future of food' Kate Raworth
'A book offering evidence-based hope is a rare thing in these days of climate and nature emergency - yet that's exactly what George Monbiot has written. Inspiring and compelling, Regenesis sets out a transformative vision of a new food future with the potential to both restore nature and feed the world. Monbiot's blueprint is both wildly ambitious and deeply practical, and might well be our last best hope of stopping the sixth great extinction'
Caroline Lucas
The book is available at Bookdepository.com with FREE delivery worldwide.
CRUELTY APPROVED BY STONEGATE AND LINCOLNSHIRE CO-OP – Viva! urgently needs your help to end the suffering of ducks
Over two decades after we first exposed duck factory farming, comes the release of disturbing new footage from inside a filthy Lincolnshire duck egg farm – producers of Quack! Duck Eggs and suppliers of egg giants Stonegate and Noble Foods, who stock their products at major supermarkets Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado.
Following a tip off from an ex-worker, who reported extreme acts of animal cruelty and horrendous living conditions, Viva! Campaigns took immediate action and launched an investigation of Field Farm.
The undercover footage shows shocking scenes from inside the farm of lame birds dragging themselves over excreta-ridden barn floors using their wings and workers brutally killing ducks by dislocating their necks – a shockingly legal practice – and leaving lame, sick and blind birds to suffer in pain.
Here is a first-hand account of what an investigator found at the scene:
The smell was the first thing to hit me as I entered the farm and trudged through ankle-deep dirty layers of waterlogged straw; wet from leaked drinkers and rife with excreta. It was immediately clear that the conditions that these ducks live – and die – in are utterly appalling. Within seconds of being at the farm, I witnessed lame and injured ducks everywhere, left to suffer.
The drinking points, the only access to water these poor ducks have, were caked in dirt and, as a result, their drinking water was filthy and contaminated by the litter. Mice and pigeons accessed the ducks’ feed troughs.Viruses and bacteria could spread easily between ducks and wildlife.
I witnessed numerous lame ducks pushing themselves along this squalid litter on their bellies. They were unable to walk, so frantically flapped their wings in a bid to move. One duck I saw, walked with an unusual upright gait, her leg looked like it was rotting and the agony in her eyes was unmistakable. Other ducks had pecking injuries on their wings and the degradation these poor ducks faced, living like this, was almost too much to bear.
Help Viva! to expose the lies British consumers are being sold
Duck eggs are marketed as a luxury food in the UK, but the way that these intelligent animals are treated is abhorrent – British consumers are being sold a lie!
Will you help these poor defenceless ducks living in unsanitary conditions, pain and poor health?
We cannot turn our backs on animal suffering, and we will not. But we urgently need your help to support our ongoing investigations.
I am continually inspired by the overwhelmingly generous response that Viva! has from our supporters. Supporters just like you. Despite the cruelty, and horrific acts of senseless violence against animals carried out daily by humans, I never fail to be moved by how compassionate our supporters are. It reinforces my belief in humankind’s potential to improve the lives of animals and make a difference in the world. For this continued support and generosity, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
We Animals Media contributor Miguel Endara is a director, filmmaker and co-founder of Vidara Films, a film production company dedicated to creating films about veganism and animal rights.
Through his work, he hopes to expose truths, challenge norms, and show us realities that will help make the world a better, more humane place.
We Animals Media spoke with Miguel to learn more about his filmmaking and what drives him to do this important work.
We Animals Media (WAM): Which came first for you: animals or filmmaking? Can you tell us a little about your path to where you are today?
Miguel Endara (ME): I began working as a writer and videographer for a TV company in 2013, back when I didn’t even know what a vegan was. It was around that time that I was being assigned stories about environmental justice issues, which was a topic I knew very little about. Fortunately, that’s when I met very influential people doing incredible things for the planet, like Ian Somerhalder, Sylvia Earle, Mark Ruffalo, and Leilani Münter, just to name a few.
Leilani was the first vegan I had ever met, at least to my knowledge, and was the first person to open my eyes to the many arms of animal exploitation. Curiosity then led me to voluntarily start watching documentaries and videos about the meat, dairy and egg industry, all of which, again, I knew very little about. So it wasn’t long after being informed of their respective practices that I decided that I just couldn’t be a part of this network of abuse anymore.
After a few years of being vegan and a filmmaker, I became a vegan filmmaker. I now focus all of my energy on producing stories about the plight of animals and to educate others about the unnecessary suffering that animals experience everyday.
"They let pollution take over and the lakes turned green."
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.
How Mainstream Media Lets Animal Agriculture Off the Hook
Each day, mainstream media outlets cover topics like politics, wars, and sports, but issues facing animals are frequently overlooked.
Many people are drawn to stories about companion animals, but trillions of animals are exploited for food, entertainment, and research each year.
Approximately 23.3 million land animals are killed every single day in the U.S. alone. If you include shellfish and other sea life, this number jumps to over 150 million each day in the U.S. In addition to food, over 100 million animals are used in lab research each year in the U.S. including dogs, cats, monkeys, mice, and rats.
Many news outlets do cover environmental issues like the climate crisis, but often ignore one of its largest contributors: cattle farming.
For us to create sustainable change, consumers must be informed about their food systems and the animals within them. Reducing meat from your diet is one of the most effective ways to combat the climate crisis.
For everyone to gain access to this information, it’s imperative that media outlets report on humans’ relationship with animals.
Animal Aid's latest investigation into individual calf hutches reveals the shocking emotional toll these set ups have on the wellbeing of calves.
Footage from the investigation was analysed by Dr. Helen Lambert, an internationally renowned animal welfare scientist and expert on animal sentience. Her PhD focussed upon identifying measures of positive and negative emotions in dairy cows.
Says Dr. Helen Lambert:
“Cows are emotional, complex, intelligent, and social beings with markedly different personalities. Research shows us that keeping calves in these small hutches with little room to move, and few opportunities to interact with one another can have long-lasting and permanent effects on their well-being.”
Dr. Lambert describes how cows are emotionally intelligent animals who enjoy being groomed and being with their families… just like all other animals.
A new documentary film by BAFTA-award-winning director Alex Lockwood (73 Cows) and writer/producer Keegan Kuhn (Cowspiracy, What the Health) explores the underreported connections between animal farming and human disease. Weaving together whistleblower testimony and expert knowledge from scientists, physicians, and a veterinarian, “The End of Medicine” takes an unflinching look at how humanity’s exploitation of animals is leading to our own demise.
The film is executive produced by Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix, who said in a joint statement, “The End of Medicine explores how dangerously close the human population is to complete antimicrobial resistance, the government’s complicity and collaboration with the animal agriculture industry, and how unprepared we are for what’s to come if we continue to ignore the evidence around us.”
Risk of emerging pandemics
While the COVID-19 pandemic may have raised awareness about how infectious diseases can move from animals to humans–mainly by pointing the finger at wet markets in China–this awareness has led to few changes in our behavior toward animals. And, the looming threat of another pandemic disease emerging from the crowded, stressful conditions of animals on industrial farms is rarely talked about.
Lockwood’s film brings these issues to light, juxtaposing data from experts with images of animals in factory farms and slabs of meat being processed to draw the connection between how animals are used and consumed and the ever-present risk of a new pandemic. The film begins with a grave warning: Industrial farming is creating scenarios where viruses can mutate, and there may come a time when an emerging virus cannot be contained by vaccines and other measures.
Did you know that New Zealand’s animal farming industries are so powerful that they dictate the country’s foreign policy?
Our latest Surge Media production exposes the interconnectedness between New Zealand’s animal farming and Jacinda Ardern’s reluctance to take a stand against the genocide of muslims in China..
This is the story of a country so crippled and weakened by its exploitation of animals, that even a genocide goes unchallenged because of the fear that it will disrupt the farming of animals. New Zealand is often portrayed as a picturesque and progressive country but under the green-washed narrative that New Zealand likes to present, there is a dark secret that needs to be unearthed.
Our campaign in Europe to ban kangaroo imports is having an impact. ABC TV ran a 17 minute story on LANDLINE (watch above). Co-Director Mick McIntyre is interviewed and the TV Ad that we produced for Europe in 2021 is also featured in the story.
The campaign is gaining momentum as the Europeans are horrified at the kangaroo slaughter.
The Australian government are desperately trying to promote the killing of kangaroos by funding social media ads in Europe telling people to consume kangaroo products..
The campaign is growing. KANGAROOS ALIVE is working with the Eurogroup for Animals trying to get enough MEP’s (Members of the European parliament) to support a bill banning the import of kangaroo body parts into the EU. To date we have over 100 MEP”s supporting such a measure.
In February, Viva! brought together a panel of experts to discuss the sustainability of animal agriculture. During this unprecedented event, vegan advocates and farming experts – some of whom support animal agriculture – sought to find common ground and discuss their visions for the future of farming.
The debate marked the launch of Viva! Farming; a new project from Viva! which provides advice to farmers and campaigns for a UK transition away from meat, dairy and egg production.
When Pigs Escape: An Interview With Filmmaker Jusep Moreno
In 2021, a pregnant pig named Matilda escaped from a farm in Nottinghamshire, England, and gave birth to her ten piglets in the woods. Thanks to the work of Brinsley Animal Rescue, Matilda and her piglets were moved to the Surge animal sanctuary. They have lived there ever since, safe from the slaughter that awaited them at the farm.
Matilda’s story made headlines and moved people around the world. One of those people was photographer, videographer, and animal activist Jusep Moreno who decided to turn Matilda’s story into a documentary.
“When Pigs Escape,” Moreno’s first documentary, recounts the campaign to save Matilda and her piglets from being returned to the farm. It also explores the new lives that the pigs have enjoyed since being rescued.
Sentient Media spoke with Moreno about his experience making the documentary and what he hopes it will achieve.
Markos Hasiotis: Congratulations on your new film. What motivated you to make it?
Jusep Moreno: My main motivation to make this documentary was to acknowledge Matilda’s act of resistance and to elevate her story after she escaped from a farm to give birth to her piglets. I had read a few books on the topic of animal resistance, specifically Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era, by Sarat Colling and Fear of the Animal Planet, by Jason Hribal, which gave me a new perspective on animal agency and the efforts nonhuman animals make to resist their exploitation. When I heard about Matilda’s story, I thought: this is one of those acts of resistance. It was so local to me that I told myself I had to document it if no one else was going to.
Chef AJ Interviews Sentient Media's Executive Director Ana Bradley
Top five lessons learnt from pitching thousands of vegan and animal-centered stories to mainstream media that you can apply to your life. .
Ana Bradley is Executive Director of Sentient Media, a non-profit news organization established in 2018. Sentient Media delivers explanatory and investigative journalism alongside critical commentary - giving a voice to those bound up in exploitative food systems.
Ana joined Sentient Media as a volunteer and advisor in the summer of 2019 before becoming Executive Director in January 2020. Her background is in content production and startup consultancy in London where she founded digital agency PYPR.co.uk and worked with global clients and corporations for over a decade to help build dedicated, digital communities. She transitioned to serve the non-profit space in 2018 to work with organizations focused on building gender balance in the tech.
It’s been a challenging two years amidst the global pandemic and various lockdowns but during this time, Sentient Media carved out a niche serving readers, advocates, and other non-profit groups within animal protection.
In the last 12 months, their efforts have seen over 500 advocates across 35 countries undergo training in how to be effective writers and together they have published around 1,500 articles in publications like El Diario, The Observer, The Canary, The Guardian, The Nigeria Tribune, Byline Times, and DeSmog.
They have increased mission aligned organizations capacity for change by making their work more visible through extensive digital services. To date, they have worked closely with 15 high impact organizations and trained over 100 writers how to make their work more visible online. Together, this content has created visibility around the consequences of industrial agriculture and advantages of the vegan lifestyle reaching 78 million headline views in Google in 2021.
Respect For Chickens Day - Truth Behind "Poultry" industry
International Respect For Chickens Day - May 4th.
"We urge everyone to do a compassionate ACTION for chickens, on or around May 4th," says Karen Davis, president of United Poultry Concerns which promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of chickens and other domestic fowl.
The Fight To Ban Foie Gras
And Help Millions Of Ducks and Geese
Foie gras produced by force-feeding is immensely cruel and controversial. Millions of ducks and geese are force-fed on farms in Europe every year to produce foie gras, a so-called delicacy which is only a small fraction of people eat.
It’s illegal to produce foie gras in the UK, but not to import it. It’s a hypocrisy that must end.
Thanks to a huge effort from investigators, activists, MPs, celebrities and people all over the UK like you, we’re getting closer to securing a foie gras ban. See the latest updates from the campaign below:
10th May: The Government Drops Foie Gras Ban From Queen’s Speech
Despite extensive promises over recent months and years that the UK would enact legislation to secure its place as a leader on the world stage, this year’s Queen’s Speech, written by the Government and delivered by Prince Charles, failed to include mention of the Animals Abroad Bill.
Amongst other things, the Animals Abroad Bill sought to ban imports of foie gras made by force-feeding into the UK, imports of fur, and hunting ‘trophies’ – plans that have received widespread and overwhelming support from citizens across the nation.
Setbacks are common in legal advocacy, and we must not let this get us down. Since 2017, we have been campaigning to ban foie gras made by force-feeding and will continue to fight until the ban is implemented! Ducks and geese need us now more than ever!
Animal Equality has launched a new campaign to ban foie gras production in Spain. Spain is one of only five European countries where foie gras is still produced. Its production is banned in 18 countries.
Every year in Spain more than one million ducks and geese are subjected to the torture of force-feeding to produce foie gras. Their livers swell to up to ten times their normal size.
Animal Equality is demanding that the Spanish Government works to ban cruel force-feeding practices in Spain and across the EU. Spanish actress Sara Sálamo is supporting the campaign and features in the campaign video.
Kiwi Documentary 'Milked' Wins Humanitarian Award & Awards NZ Dairy Industry #1 Polluter Trophy
MILKED has won the prestigious Grand Prize Humanitarian Award from the IndieFEST Film Awards.
“A powerful wake-up call that the world is getting milked" - James Cameron
The goal of the Humanitarian Award is to honor filmmakers who are bringing awareness to issues of Ecological, Political, Social Justice, Health and Wellness, Animals, Wildlife, and Conservation importance combined with excellence in filmmaking craft. The winners are hand picked by the judges and staff from hundreds of entries throughout the year. In winning a Humanitarian award from IndieFEST, MILKED joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this important award.
Feedback from the judges included the following: "Well balanced and based on solid science, MILKED exposes the brutal animal cruelty, the sustainability crisis as well as the dangerous denial of impending agricultural disruption, but it also offers innovative solutions for countries around the globe to change their fate. Exceptional research, insightful scripting and tight editing."
The powerful feature documentary exposes the whitewash of New Zealand’s multi-billion-dollar dairy industry, and had its international premiere at Whanau Marama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2021. The film has since gone on to receive several international awards.
“It's an honour to receive this award, it reinforces the fact that it's an important film that needs to be seen, and helps make up for the fact that no local broadcaster has been brave enough to screen it yet,” says MILKED Director and Producer Amy Taylor. "We also decided to award the #1 Polluter trophy to the dairy industry to help bring some much-needed attention to the urgent issues that need addressing. We're aiming to create positive change, and we want the dairy industry to be honest, the government to help dairy farmers transition, and for consumers to know the truth about what they’re buying – that it’s unhealthy for them, destructive to the environment, and cruel to animals."
MILKED reveals that one cow has the equivalent effluent footprint of 14 humans, and that in NZ the dairy industry is the biggest water polluter, and a major stressor for biodiversity and soil health. In addition, a report featured in the film shows that Fonterra has been massively underreporting their emissions, and they create more emissions than the whole of Sweden.
Rick Prickett, who chairs The IndieFEST Film Awards, adds this about the Humanitarian Award win: “It takes great talent to tackle the world’s most pressing issues with film and do a great job. It takes an even greater heart. The IndieFEST helps set the standard for Humanitarian filmmaking worldwide. The goal of IndieFEST is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve for the incredible job that they do.”
Octopuses are very much in the spotlight at the moment as public interest in these amazing marine animals soars. The Netflix documentary, My Octopus Teacher, documents a heart-wrenching account of a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in South Africa.
The name of the film is apt, with Craig learning more than he could have ever imagined from his octopus friend. Foster describes the effect of this mentorship-like relationship the octopus provided him, teaching him a lesson on the fragility of life and humanity's connection with nature. Such was the profound impact the documentary had on its viewers; at the 93rd Academy Awards, it won the award for Best Documentary Feature.
People the world over have become fascinated by these incredible animals who are intelligent, curious, and have a fascinating ability to change their appearance.
Unfortunately, octopuses are also in the media spotlight at the moment for the worst kind of reason. The Spanish company Nueva Pescanova has invested €65 million to build the world's first commercial octopus farm in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Shockingly, over the last few years, demand for the consumption of octopuses has been rising dramatically in several Mediterranean countries in Europe, as well as in Asia, Mexico, Japan, and the United States. As a direct consequence of this increased consumer demand, food industries are keen to farm octopuses in captivity.
As the first demand of the Plant Based Treaty states, we should not be building new slaughterhouses or animal farms, but relinquishing animal agriculture facilities and not making the problem worse. Yet this octopus farm would lead to a million octopuses being killed for food each year (3,000 tonnes according to the company–the industry crudely refers to the octopuses killed by weight). The proposal would also put more pressure on the ocean, disrupt marine ecosystems, and kill other marine life who would have to be caught to feed the octopuses. Many, many millions of fish and other marine life would be affected and killed as a result of the farm. As the film Seaspiracy showed, our oceans are in crisis. Farming octopuses is as unsustainable as it is inhumane. Octopus farming also contravenes the EU Strategic Aquaculture Guidelines (SAG) because it will further deplete populations of fish communities living in the oceans.
There are currently no laws in place in Europe, the U.S., Mexico or Japan to protect octopuses from suffering or the particularly abhorrent killing methods. Pescanova has so far refused to explain how the octopuses will be killed. What we do know is that wild-caught octopuses are killed by methods such as clubbing their heads, cutting into their brains without anaesthetic, asphyxiation in a net, and chilling in ice. Scientists have also been studying three new slaughter methods including:
Chemical methods - an overdose of magnesium chloride, ethanal and clove oil.
Mechanical methods - destruction of the brain either by cutting between the eyes, or decapitation.
Electrical methods - electrocution of octopuses by passing an electric current through their body.
Experimental trials to farm octopuses have indicated that the mortality rate in an octopus farm would be around 20%. This means that 1 in 5, or 200,000 individuals of the million Pescanova plan to kill each year, would not even survive the ‘production’ cycle of the farm. To be clear we are in no way advocating for more humane conditions or killing methods for the octopuses. There is no humane way to hold anyone captive or kill anyone against their will.
This proposed octopus farm in the Canary Islands must be stopped. Outside Europe, plans are also being considered to develop octopus farms in the United States, Mexico and Japan. If the farm in the Canary Islands goes ahead, this will set a dangerous precedent across the world and could have dire implications with more octopus farms being constructed.
Animal Save Movement and Plant Based Treaty have launched a petition calling for the proposed slaughterhouse to be banned and instead, octopuses be recognized in Europe and around the world as sentient beings, something that has already been achieved in the United Kingdom. The petition so far has garnered over 35,000 signatures. You can add yours by clicking here. Together we can stop Pescanova and send a message to any other companies considering building an octopus farm to LEAVE OCTOPUSES ALONE!
“There are men in their 90’s that have normal, healthy erections. But that is the exception rather than the rule. Given that our bodies are going to gradually deteriorate as we age, including our circulatory system, we can slow that down with our lifestyle. I agree that lifestyle is an important component of sexual health.” - Dr. Arron Spitz
On the Switch4Good
Podcast: "Our guest today is an expert on all things related to the penis and male reproductive medicine. Although many folks are uncomfortable talking about issues related to the penis, Dr. Arron Spitz normalizes important conversations around it and sexual health. He specializes in male fertility and is a board-certified urologist who has a broad practice that includes nutrition-sensitive intervention. He’s outspoken about common problems like erectile dysfunction and delivers important information to us on today’s show that breaks down some of the age-old penis myths.
You may have seen him in The Gamechangers with Dotsie, or even read his book,The Penis Book. Today we have the honor of sitting down with Dr. Aaron Spitz and learning more about his book, the top reasons for erectile dysfunction, the truth about prostate cancer, and so much more."
As a companion to the UNFCCC/Paris Agreement, The Plant Based Treaty is a landmark international treaty and first of its kind to put food systems at the heart of combating the climate crisis.
The Treaty aims to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture, to promote a shift to more healthy, sustainable plant-based diets and to actively reverse damage done to planetary functions, ecosystem services and biodiversity.
The Treaty urges leaders to negotiate a global agreement around the following three principles:
RELINQUISH - No land use change, ecosystem degradation or deforestation for the purposes of animal agriculture
REDIRECT - An active transition away from animal-based agricultural systems to plant-based food systems
RESTORE - Restore key ecosystems and reforest the Earth
Produced by Kate Mara, 'The Smell of Money' Doc Highlights Environmental Racism of the Pig Industry
There are endless injustices within the pork industry, even going beyond the animal rights concerns and environmental damage. Those who live near pig farms and slaughterhouses have to deal with unthinkable pollution and health issues, and their stories highlight the plight of environmental racism in the U.S. — and the new documentary The Smell of Money aims to bring all of this to light.
“All the laws protect these industries, no one is protecting us,” activist Elsie Herring says in the film’s trailer.
Produced by actress and longtime vegan Kate Mara, The Smell of Money is a must-watch for anyone with a heart who wants to see things get better in the country — but especially for those who eat pigs and are unknowingly supporting this heartless and pollutive industry.
SLAY: The Film Fashion Brands Don't Want You to See
“The fashion industry has been keeping the animals out of people’s mind for too long. Together we can change that.”
- Rebecca Cappelli, director & producer
A.U.M. Films, makers of Cowspiracy and What The Health? say:
We’re very pleased to announce the first feature film of its kind on
the use of animals skins in fashion, with a focus on fur, leather and
wool.
SLAY is a feature length documentary focusing on investigative
filmmaker Rebecca Cappelli as she travels around the world to
uncover the dark side of the fashion industry.
Spanning 5 continents,
Rebecca's journey of discovery unravels a harrowing story of
greenwashing, mislabeling, animal cruelty and cover-ups from some
of the world's major luxury fashion brands.
Combining the polished
style of a Vogue magazine and the grit of Vice News, SLAY provides
an in depth and eye-opening look into the realities of today’s fashion
industry while pointing the way towards viable and sustainable
alternatives.
SLAY asks an important question to the general public: is it acceptable to kill animals for fashion?
“SLAY IS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND TIMELY FILM ABOUT
THE GREENWASHING OF FASHION'S DIRTY SECRETS" -
Keegan Kuhn, SLAY executive producer, Co-director of
Cowspiracy, What The Health.
Three years in the making, SLAY features inspiring experts within the
fashion sustainability space and the animal rights movement,
with Samata Pattinson, Bandana Tewari, Dana Thomas, Joshua
Katcher, Lucy Watson, Earthling Ed, Melanie Joy, Emma Hakansson
and Alexi Lubomirski.
SLAY takes a unique perspective on the animal skins trade by
focusing on the animals, while exposing fashion’s greenwashing
tactics - and without forgetting the people who work and live at the
mercy of the industry.
SLAY is shot with a cinematic lens in Australia, China, India, Europe,
USA and Brazil. We were lucky enough to start filming a full year
before the pandemic and travel bans, and filmed in Australia, China,
India, Europe, US and Brazil and got exclusive access and footage
inside fur farms, tanneries, wool farms and sheepskin processors.
Because of how powerful the fashion industry is, we decided to keep
the film stealth for three years, and to not participate in any festivals to
avoid leaks ahead of the release.
“The fashion industry has been keeping the animals out of
people’s mind for too long. Together we can change that.”
- Rebecca Cappelli, director & producer
The film is now almost complete and we’re excited to share
this crowdfunding campaign that will allow us to:
finalise the production (sound design work, touch ups)
Subtitle the film in various languages
engage key audiences on social media
host press events for high profile environmental and fashion
journalists
online marketing
PR and social strategy
Legal counsel
Supporters of the crowdfunding have access to a number of perks
including gift cards and discounts from vegan brands - Save The
Duck, Unreal Fur, Bhava, Brave Gentleman, Sans Beast, Willow &
Claude, as well as film credits.
The film is too controversial for the mainstream media and we need
your help to ensure maximum impact.
Independent streaming platform, EarthStream announced today (May 2nd) it has partnered with the International Vegan Film Festival (IVFF) to stream some of their outstanding festival films and shorts. This agreement will allow filmmakers who have participated in the festival to showcase their films to a broader global audience who has an interest in animal welfare, wildlife, a plant-based lifestyle, and climate change.
“Partnering with EarthStream is a game-changer for our filmmakers,” said Shawn Stratton, founder and director of IVFF, “This venture will bring a new level of exposure for us and aligns with our goal of getting these inspirational films in front of new audiences.”
The content streaming from the IVFF will include films, shorts, and documentaries featuring some of the most well-known celebrities from the world of animal welfare and environmentalism. Films include “Dominion,” narrated by actors Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia, Sadie Sink, and Kat Von D, and co-produced by Shaun Monson (Earthlings, Unity, There Was a Killing). “Eyes” about the LA Animal Save Vigils featuring Moby (songwriter/musician), “Source” with Veganuary co-founder Matthew Glover, and “A Prayer for Compassion” directed by Victoria Moran (author) and Sailesh Rao (Founder, Climate Healers) are amongst the many issue-based offerings.
EarthStream has developed a “giving back” business model which will also feature non-profits in the animal protection world and allow subscribers to attribute their subscription to a non-profit of their choice. As well as featuring the work of non-profits, EarthStream showcases filmmakers’ work and enables viewers to go in-depth, connecting the dots between issues, filmmakers, and non-profits. EarthStream strives to deliver quality original content to subscribers while providing funding for all of the non-profits it helps support through subscription purchases.
“IVFF aligns perfectly with EarthStream’s mission to change the way people view our planet and the animals we share it with,” said Craig Swanson, EarthStream co-founder, “We are excited to share these compelling films with our subscribers.”
Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara’s Pro-Vegan Doc The End of Medicine Is All Facts, No ‘Gotcha,’ Says Director
A new documentary from Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara outlines in no uncertain terms the distinct possibility that antibiotics could lose effectiveness on humans within the next century. Although the overall message of the documentary is to promote a vegan, plant-based diet, director Alex Lockwood was extremely cautious not to step into the realm of “gotcha journalism” while making The End of Medicine.
The film makes the case that humans may soon build up antimicrobial resistance because of the overuse of antibiotics to treat factory farm animals. That’s not a wild-eyed conspiracy theory — PBS’s Frontline and The Guardian are among the news organizations that have also explored the threat of antibiotics, which are common in factory farming in part because they bulk up the animals and protect them from disease in close quarters.
“We didn’t want this to be a gotcha-type film. And you’ll notice, the film at no point focuses on a particular individual, a particular company or organization,” Lockwood told MovieMaker.
“We didn’t want it to be like, ‘Oh, we were going in to sort of embarrass people.’ We actually had a few more interviews in the film, and they were actually cut out of the film because it felt too much like they were only in the film to be proved wrong. Even [though] we’d given them lots of time within the film to express their point of view, it just didn’t sit right, and we didn’t want it to feel like that kind of film. We just wanted to be completely fair.”
But as with almost any documentary that includes criticisms of the meat and dairy industries, Lockwood knows there will be attacks.
“We’re definitely anticipating that some people are going to hate the film, and try and say it’s all a load of nonsense. And obviously, there will be people on the other side of that. What I would say to the people who obviously want to challenge the film is that everything we say in the film is led by the science and the data rather than our own agenda, and so we’ve always followed where the science goes, whether we like it or not,” Lockwood said.
“It’s all coming from leading experts and leading health authorities around the world. We’ve got that to back everything in the film up, so that gives us confidence. But yeah, it will definitely challenge people.”
'The End of Medicine' Trailer: Producer Joaquin Phoenix's Documentary Blows the Whistle on Factory Farms
When they aren't starring in acclaimed Hollywood movies, actors Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara turn their attention towards issues of sustainability and animal welfare. Their latest project, the documentary film The End of Medicine, for which they serve as executive producers is set to do just that.
Following Dr. Alice Brough, a livestock veterinarian, The End of Medicine explores "the link between global disease and our relationship with animals," and the consequences that humankind will face if we fail to make significant changes in the world of medicine and more importantly in how we interact with animals.
Powerful Short Film Likened To Black Mirror Has Everyone Saying The Same Thing
Everyone is saying the same thing about an unsettling short film, which has drawn comparisons to dark sci-fi series Black Mirror.
Casa de Carne was written and directed by Dustin Brown and whether you're a carnivore or vegan, the movie offers an interesting look at our eating habits with an extreme farm-to-table setup.
There's an age-old argument against meat-eating that you've probably heard before: would you kill the animal you're consuming?
In Casa de Carne, that premise is put to the test.
Why Nettle Is AMAZING! Foraging for FREE FOOD with Derek Simnett (Nutrition)!
Hang out today as we go out into the forest to try and find some stinging nettle then bring it home and make some delicious food with it!
This SUPER NUTRITIOUS green is great for the beginner forager (like us) since it's easy to identify and delicious. It also has a ton of medicinal benefits for both men and women!
It's that time again! At the end of each month, we recap the top stories in just one minute.
In April, antibiotic residue was found in “antibiotic-free” meat at Whole Foods, and investigators exposed the world's largest meat producer for increasing its emissions by 51 percent in just five years despite pledging to go net zero. Plus, bird flu continues to drive up the price of eggs in the UK, countries are upping their investments in cultivated meat, and much more. We bring you the month’s top stories in 60 seconds.
Exploring the Argument for Reducetarianism (Instead of Going Vegan)
New Surge media production on reducetarianism.
"I often receive comments or hear in debates that promoting that people simply eat 'less meat' would be a better, and more effective use of time and resources. So, is there any validity to this argument and would it be advisable to change tactics? Today, we're looking at the issue from the animal's perspective. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments." Earthling Ed
'Why On Earth' Documentary Wins Dozens of Prestigious Film Festival Awards Across Multiple Categories
The Crucial Film Highlights Many Issues Affecting Animals Around the World and The Inspiring People Who Are Fighting on the Ground to Protect Them
Peace 4 Animals' Why On Earthfilm is a compelling feature-length documentary by prominent animal advocate and filmmaker, Katie Cleary. The film takes an in-depth look into our current condition as a people; uncovering many issues that are affecting our natural world and the animals who inhabit it.
Why On Earth has received the highest praise across numerous film festivals worldwide.
"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for our film, and hope that it puts many important issues in the animal world at the forefront of the movement by highlighting the heroes who are on the ground fighting to protect our magnificent species from extinction, as well as new legislation that is needed to ensure their survival for future generations," said Cleary. "I was on the ground with our incredible partners to personally see what is happening in Africa and Indonesia, it's horrifying to witness what mankind is doing to the last of our species, driving them to the brink of extinction for greed and money. It must end!"
Why On Earth was filmed in five countries including South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, Mexico, and the U.S. The film includes a host of exclusive interviews with well-known leaders in the animal welfare and conservation world, including fellow filmmaker and animal advocate, Clint Eastwood.
"The powerful interviews throughout the documentary also highlight the benefits of not consuming animals and their by-products by exposing the horrors of factory farming, a detriment to our overall health as a society," continued Cleary.
"Our goal is to educate the public about the steps they can take on a daily basis for the betterment of our planet, as well as the animals who we share it with. We believe this film will be a significant catalyst for change in the future and for the well-being of our earth collectively," stated Why On Earth writer Kristin Rizzo. Read more ...
"It was such a life-changing experience directing and producing Why On Earth. Traveling around the world meeting the people on the ground dedicating and risking their lives to save the world’s most endangered species is something that I will never forget and carry with me forever." - Director Katie Cleary
Earthling Ed has uploaded a response to the absolutely absurd rant about vegans Piers Morgan made on Steven Bartlett's podcast The Diary of a CEO. Piers makes some extremely inaccurate comments during his segment on vegans, and it's time to put these nonsensical claims to rest once and for all.
Ed Winters is a vegan educator, best-selling author, public speaker and content creator. Ed has spoken at over 1/3 of UK universities and at 6 Ivy league colleges, including as a guest lecturer at Harvard University in both 2019 and 2020. He has given speeches across the world, including at the University of Cambridge, EPFL, Google NYC and Google Zürich. In early 2019 he gave 2 TEDx talks, surpassing a total of 2 million views online. His speech “You Will Never Look at Your Life in the Same Way Again” has 35 million accumulative views online and has been given to thousands of students across UK universities. Support Ed: earthlinged.org/support
Join Viva!'s fight for health!
Diet is linked to the diseases that kill most people in the affluent West - ‘degenerative’ diseases. Researchers at Viva! Health keep up to date with the latest science to show you why a varied vegan diet cuts your disease risk.
Our magnificent Vegan Recipe Club has hundreds of healthy, delicious and colourful recipes, helping people go and stay vegan.
Please consider joining Viva! today so we can continue educating the public about the benefits of living vegan: viva.org.uk/join
His girlfriend asked him to debate a vegan. This is how it went.
"In this episode of Debate a Vegan we're at UC Davis. James' girlfriend, who is vegan, asked him to join me at the table to debate whether or not veganism is a moral obligation. We had an interesting discussion where we talked about a range of different topics such as animal intelligence, social Darwinism and backyard eggs." Eathling Ed
Joaquin Phoenix Acquires Film Rights to ‘Free the Animals’
Phoenix also penned the foreword for the 30th anniversary paperback edition, out May 5, for PETA founder and president Ingrid Newkirk.
Oscar winner and longtime vegan Joaquin Phoenix could soon be taking his animal activism to the big screen.
The actor has acquired film rights to Free the Animals, the 1992 book by PETA founder and president Ingrid Newkirk, about the militant group Animal Liberation Front. Phoenix also penned the foreword for the 30th anniversary paperback edition, out May 5.
The tome’s full title is Free the Animals: The Amazing, True Story of the Animal Liberation Front in North America. It follows “Valerie,” a young police officer whose world is turned upside down when she comes face to face with a group of monkeys removed from an animal testing laboratory. Along the way, she encounters people who are willing to risk freedom for the cause, and she joins them in living on the run from the law that she swore to uphold.
In a bid to inspire the next generation of activists, Phoenix writes, “Yes, Free the Animals is about the balaclava-wearing heroes who break windows and laws to save animals, but it’s also about everyone. It’s a call to us all to take action. Whether it’s wielding crowbars and bolt-cutters or picking up a pen or a protest sign, every one of us can and must fight injustice and push for animal liberation every chance we get.”
Everything I COULDN'T say on TV. Reacting to my outrageous debate. – Earthling Ed
Ed says "Last week my debate with Martin Kennedy, Director of the National Farmer's Union Scotland, was aired on TV. This is everything I was unable to say during the segment"
The bond between a mother and her new born is one of nature’s wonders.
But it’s not allowed in dairy farming. All calves are taken from their mothers soon after birth.
No matter how long the mother bellows in anguish, no matter how frightened and bewildered the calf – no one cares. And all so the baby’s milk can be taken for humans.
Veganism will lead to a communist invasion – Mind-blowing argument against veganism
At Texas A&M Ed Winters, AKA Earthling Ed, had the opportunity to speak with Vladimir, who used what is potentially the strangest argument he has heard to date to justify eating animal products.
Genetic Cruelty: Investigation reveals a life of suffering for factory-farmed chickens
Animal Equality conducted a first of its kind investigation in Italy, revealing the cruelty of the meat industry’s chicken breeding from a new point of view.
With the support of expert veterinarians and specialized x-rays and tests, we have shown how fast-growing chickens—the most widely bred in Italy and factory farms around the world—are the result of genetic selection that has condemned them to continuous suffering, disability, and early death.
We analyzed the fate of chickens confined to factory farms and compared them to three chickens who were able to live in an animal shelter with adequate care and food. Our research showed that their breeding prevents them from carrying out their most basic, natural behaviors and living healthy, long lives, no matter the conditions of their environment.
We’ve asked the Italian government to stop this cruelty by banning the fast-growing breeds and supporting the ban in Europe.
"Misleading" Animal Rights Activists Cried Foul Over KFC Ad
After campaigners toured a farm recently highlighted in a film by a YouTube influencer, KFC has been accused of portraying poultry production in a "misleading" manner.
YouTuber Niko Omilana visited a farm managed by meat business Moy Park, one of Europe's top poultry suppliers, which provides chicken to KFC, in the Behind the Bucket film released last December.
On the Joe news and entertainment website's Twitter account, the film has been seen over 1 million times.
“Steroid pumped chickens? No, mate. We’re very proud of our animal welfare here.”
We took @NikoOmilana Behind The Bucket to see how KFC rear their chickens
Birds are shown in a shed with fresh straw on the floor and perches for enrichment in the film.
Undercover investigators working for the vegan food company VFC visited the farm in February and reported finding terrible overcrowding, little new straw, and ill, lame, and dead birds.
The floor looks sodden with animal feces, and there is little or no fresh straw in footage released by VFC from inside the farm, which has a capacity of 380,000 birds. It also depicts ill, damaged, or lame birds and dead birds on the floor. The film was also taken of bins carrying dead chicken corpses.
Prof Andrew Knight of the University of Winchester's Centre for Animal Welfare stated the birds looked to be housed at "extremely high stocking density, within a big shed, with little to no environmental enrichment," after viewing VFC's film from the farm.
"Severe crowding and a barren habitat meant these birds had minimal room to roam and practice highly driven natural behaviors like feeding and exploring," he continued.
When KFC teamed up with Joe.co.uk and social media influencer Niko Omilana to “go behind the bucket” at a flagship farm, we rolled our eyes and pulled on our PPE.
We’ve been inside enough chicken farms to know that none of them looked like the one being showcased here. Fresh straw! Swings to play on! Bells to ring! Lots of room to roam and express natural behaviours! It all looked like a sunny day at a holiday camp. We couldn’t wait to visit and join in the fun.
And so we supersleuthed. We pored over Google Earth, tracked down media reports and sifted through various promotional articles, and soon located the exact farm.
We went undercover and it soon became clear that someone was lying about “high welfare standards”.
Acclaimed Filmmaker Launches Campaign For New Feature Film About Animal Compassion
A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to fund an amazing new feature film that shows the connection between human and animal relationships. Matilda allows viewers to examine our relationship with animals, the universal power of compassion, and the values that guide our lives.
The film will follow a young girl on the brink of adulthood. She experiences an unlikely encounter in the woods with a runaway cow who escaped a slaughterhouse. The film shows the real struggles that these animals are up against when they escape slaughterhouses. Most are captured and sent back to be killed, while only a small number are rescued.
Marc Pierschel is the acclaimed director of the film and has directed successful films like The End of Meat and Butenland, which won the Grand Prize at the 2020 International Vegan Film Festival. Matilda will be Pierschel’s first feature film. He hopes to raise awareness in the community, finance pre-production, and convince funders, broadcasters, and distributors to come on board.
“This initial Kickstarter campaign, which has a target of 50,000 Euros, will allow us to fund pre-production costs as well as raise awareness of the issues covered in the film. As a benefit to those coming on the journey with us, we wanted to ensure that we provided donors meaningful rewards such as a set visit, limited edition artwork, an on-set meet-and-greet with Matilda the Cow, and even a role in the film.”
Producer Steffi Koehler ensures that the film will be produced eco-consciously,
“We want to implement the sustainable, ethical standards to the film’s production that we practice ourselves in our production company.” Steffi continues, “It is our intention to make the film completely green and we will only be working with rescued animals and professional, animal-friendly set care.”
Scubazoo Collaborates with SAYS, Malaysia's Number One Social News Site
"Scubazoo is proud to have worked with SAYS (Malaysia's #1 social news site) on producing this documentary that highlights the issue of depleting seafood in Malaysia due to illegal fishing every year."
Do you know how many baby sharks and rays are killed and sold in our fish markets daily?
This is mainly due to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which usually consists of wrongful activities such as overfishing, bycatching, and fish bombing conducted by not only local fishermen, but also foreign fishing boats.
Malaysia loses about 900,000 tonnes of seafood to illegal fishing every year, which costs us around RM3 billion to RM6 billion. Our fish stocks have been continuously depleting by 70% to 95% since the 1950s.
We say, not exactly a vegan film but another good reason to be vegan. We can't trust the MSC certification. We should stop taking. Stop killing. Just stop.
I couldn't believe he said this, I've had enough ... Earthling Ed Calls Out Farmer for Lying on TV
Ed says "I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing when Martin Kennedy, the Director of the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland, blatantly lied on television, stating that the standard practices I had just described didn’t happen in the UK. It’s hardly surprising that he would feel the need to lie, considering that what we do to animals is so horrific, a point made by the presenter. Interestingly, after I called Martin out for lying, he then backtracked on his statement, claiming that he didn’t actually say what he had said and that instead he had said that what happens to animals is not brutal and is done in their best interest. A slight 180 from him agreeing that what happens to animals is horrific.
Unfortunately, lying is something that animal farmers are used to doing. In fact, Martin made many outlandish claims that were simply untrue throughout the whole segment. The problem animal farmers find themselves in is that the truth is not what they want it to be, and if they were to accept the truth they would then need to acknowledge the harm and damage their industries cause and then change as a result. So instead, it’s easier for them to ignore the reality of what they do and then lie in the hope that they can spread enough disinformation to confuse and gaslight consumers."
Cow is a movie that has one purpose and one specific target audience. It exists to persuade vegetarians to go vegan. If you care enough about cows to go see a ninety-minute-long movie about them, you’re probably at least a vegetarian already. If you’re already a vegan, then it’s because on some level you already know everything this film has to show you and likely won’t gain much additional insight from it.
Dairy farming is horrible, you knew that, but probably not the details. Just like the fashion and textile industries, industrial fishing or sex work. Most people consider it a necessary evil that they prefer not to think too hard about. It’s one thing to know something and another to confront it. I didn’t know all cows had horns. I assumed female dairy cows were bred not to grow them, but no, they all grow them, except they’re cauterized off while the calf is young.
Holiday mealtimes can be challenging for vegans, but they don’t have to be.
Throughout history and across cultures, food and eating have been key ways in which people have bonded, creating community, strengthening family ties, and reinforcing social connections. However, when one person is vegan, this naturally social, connecting experience can become a cause of disconnection.
As people around the world prepare to gather together over the upcoming holidays, this can be a time of stress for many vegans, anticipating that nonvegan foods may be served at mealtimes. It can also be a time of stress for their nonvegan loved ones, who can interpret vegans’ choice not to consume certain foods as a rejection—not simply of eating animals but of their connection.
While holiday mealtimes can pose challenges in our relationships, by being clear with our friends and family about what we need to feel secure and connected with them, we can make our time together more harmonious.
Here are three respectful and reasonable requests that vegans can make of nonvegans:
Learn about veganism (within reason, and to the point where they genuinely understand why you are vegan).
Witness you as you share what it’s like to be a vegan in a nonvegan world, including what helps you feel emotionally safe and what causes you to feel unsafe.
Do things that will help you feel more supported, such as helping to prepare vegan dishes so you don’t have to do it all yourself.
One great way to start this conversation is by sharing our video “What to Say to Vegans—According to a Psychologist,” which is a powerful tool to help open up a productive discussion about veganism.
When groups with one or more vegans realize that the security and connection of the people they love matters more than the time it takes to change a couple of ingredients in a dish to vegan-friendly ones, they can continue to honor their traditions and mealtimes without causing disconnection.
If you’d like to learn more about how to foster healthy relationships among vegans and nonvegans, check out Melanie Joy’s book Beyond Beliefs. You can download the first chapter for free here: carnism.org/book/beyond-beliefs Buy on amazon.com or amazon.co.uk
Animal Sentience: the highs and lows – CIWF
It's official. UK law will now recognise that animals can feel joy, pain, and fear once again.
On Thursday 7th April, the House of Lords voted through the updated Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. It will now go to Royal Assent, so it can be enshrined in legislation.
For over three decades, Compassion in World Farming, alongside its supporters and patrons, has been campaigning to have animals legally recognised as sentient beings.
First by campaigning for the introduction of animal sentience in EU law, and recently focusing our attention on making sure animals in the UK have the same legal recognition following Brexit.
As we celebrate this historic victory, let's look back over the hard work and dedication that got us here.
1988: Compassion in World Farming starts campaigning on animal sentience
It was back in 1998 that Compassion in World Farming began campaigning to get the European Union to recognise animals are sentient beings.
Our former CEO and current Ambassador Emeritus Joyce D’Silva reflects on how the campaign started in her 2020 guest blog. She notes that in 1998 the EU treaty didn’t mention sentience, instead only referring to animals as “goods” and “products” like sacks of potatoes.
1988-1991: Compassion led a coalition of organisations across the European Union to gather signatures for animals to be recognised as sentient beings, able to feel pain, joy, and suffering.
1991: One million signatures to the EU
In 1991, we handed in over one million signatures to the European Commission calling for animals to be recognised as sentient beings. This was the first-ever EU petition to reach one million signatures!
1992: A declaration that recognised animals can feel was annexed to the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.
1994: The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament, and later, a majority of the full European Parliament, endorsed our petition.
1996: Dame Joanna Lumley delivers petition to 10 Downing Street
In 1996, our patron Dame Joanna Lumley delivered a petition to the British Prime Minister. This helped to secure the status of animals as sentient beings at the Intergovernmental Conference on Reform of the Treaty. The UK was also instrumental in convincing other Member States to act during the discussions on EU treaty reform.
Student tells vegan "killing yourself is the moral obligation" – DEBATE A VEGAN
In this episode of Debate a Vegan, Joey sits down to discuss with me if veganism is a moral obligation, he argues that veganism is also immoral, and that ending our own lives is the real moral obligation.
‘Impassioned, erudite, amusing….just fabulous’; Dame Joanna Lumley takes to the stage for Compassion in World Farming
On Saturday 2nd April, our wonderful Patron, Joanna Lumley delivered an outstanding lecture to a sell-out audience at the Oxford Literary Festival.
She spoke about ‘The True Meaning of Compassion’in honour of our Founder, Peter Roberts MBE, in the magnificent Christopher Wren-designed Sheldonian Theatre.
The following testimonials are just a few of those expressed by an enthralled audience.
‘I wish there were more Joanna Lumley’s in this world – what a fabulous speaker – compassionate, engaging, witty, and humble with it… bravo Joanna for all of the lobbying you do for the rights of others – of all species on the planet. What an amazing humanitarian.’
‘A thoroughly thought provoking, inspiring and engaging talk. Joanna was a fabulous speaker, and is an amazing woman for all she is and stands for. Thank you, Joanna.’
‘A thoroughly enjoyable event with some healthy debate at the end. Fabulous.’
‘Super engaging, interesting and informative.’
‘Joanna Lumley was engaging and charming, with a deep inner strength, talking from the heart and taking a stand against bullying whether fellow humans or animals.’
Last weekend, it was an absolute honour and privilege to welcome and interview Dame Joanna Lumley as part of the 25th annual Oxford Literary Festival. This prestigious festival has become the home of the annual Peter Roberts Memorial Lecture, which is held in memory of Compassion’s late founder, Peter Roberts MBE, a former dairy farmer who gave up farming to dedicate his life to ending factory farming. Peter and his wife Anna were good friends of Joanna who described Peter in her lecture as a ‘kind and gentle man with a compassion for animals and a very special vision, who taught me that it’s not enough not to harm something. You have to fight to do the right thing’.
Joanna, a BAFTA-winning actor, TV presenter, longstanding Compassion Patron and champion for animal welfare, began her lecture by talking of her childhood where her empathy for animals first began.
‘Something happened to me as a child that I’ll never forget. It was during the Malayan emergency with the rabies scare. One’s dog had to have a tag or it would be shot on sight. Judy was our family rescue dog and my Mum and me were making our way past a submerged tank when we heard the last of a drowned litter of kittens. That kitten grew up to be the best and most adorable cat and repaid thanks by letting us dress her up in dolls’ clothes. My mother was the most compassionate person – she saved everything including spiders (our house was full of cobwebs!), mice, rats and toads. They were all loved, loved. She taught me compassion and to never let anyone bully anything, animals or people’.
It was a spell-binding lecture. Joanna was masterful in her ability to deliver key information and a serious message in a gentle manner, with good humour and a lightness of touch. There were quiet, reflective moments, time for serious thought, but also for smiles and for laughter. For light, for shade and for colour. The audience could not have asked for more.
We love our EATING PLANTS AMERICA cast members; including the Mayor of New York Eric Adams, Happy Cow Founder Eric Brent who has made plant-based lives more connected and Miyoko Schinner takes us through her successful 'Willy Wonka' creamery. Check out all the inspiring cast members below.
What happens in EATING PLANTS AMERICA?...with new plant based products hitting the shelves every day American celebrity host Katie Cleary gives us a first hand look at how these products are made and where to find them. Katie goes on a search to find the best health advice on how to reverse disease, how to bring up your baby vegan and tastes exciting new vegan alternatives that best shape a plant based diet.
This is a deeply personal topic, and was very challenging to put into words. While this video and article aren't everything I wanted them to be, I hope at the very least that sharing how I see the world differently may help others begin to think differently."
"How Autism Connects Me With Animals" Emily Moran Barwick AKA Bite Size Vegan
She says: "It's with some trepidation that I am finally speaking about how my Autism has helped me connect with non-human animals. I fear that I cannot possibly do this topic justice, but I wanted to try—best I can.
In today's video and article, I share about my experiences growing up Autistic. How my difficulties with communication strengthened my empathy for and understanding of non-human animals' sentience. How I knew how it felt to never be truly understood. How it broke my heart thinking of what non-human animals were experiencing at the hands of humans; that, no matter how desperately and clearly they communicated their terror and pain, they were ignored and discounted.
This is a deeply personal topic, and was very challenging to put into words. While this video and article aren't everything I wanted them to be, I hope at the very least that sharing how I see the world differently may help others begin to think differently."
Growing up Autistic, I believe my difficulties with communication strengthened my empathy for animals. It broke my heart that no matter how desperately and clearly they communicated their terror and pain, they were ignored and discounted.
Lice-nsed to Kill
– Plagues of sea lice feast on Scotland’s factory farmed fish – some might still be there when you cook it...
Our brand-new campaign will make even the most hardened of fish-eaters squirm - Lice-nsed to Kill. It highlights the plight of factory farmed fish and the parasitic invasion of sea lice across the UK’s salmon and trout farms.
Sea lice attach themselves to captive fish, gorge on their skin, mucus and blood; and ultimately eat them alive. They can wipe out entire fish farms.
More than half the fish on supermarket shelves come from aquatic factory farms. And in the UK, it’s Scottish salmon that tops the list. 100 per cent of Scottish Atlantic salmon are reared on intensive fish farms.
We’ll be touring the country with our eye-catching street actions encouraging the British public to swap to vegan fish alternatives.
We’ll be showing our new video, 'Lice with that?', which reveals harrowing footage from our recent fish factory farm investigations and explaining how the conditions provide the perfect breeding ground for these underwater parasites.
We’ll be visiting 5 cities and taking to the streets to share the campaign with the masses.
We need your help to join us at:
Stoke-on-Trent – Tues 12 April
Sheffield – Weds 13 April
Nottingham – Thurs 14 April
Cardiff – Weds 27 April
Exeter – Thurs 28 April
Our street actions will include a GIANT sea louse and FREE samples of the most delicious vegan fish alternatives, supplied to us by Future Farm.
We’ll be warning fish-eaters that they may be getting more than they bargained for when buying fish... a side of lice!
Our call to them: “The government and fish producers refuse to act meaningfully but you can – for yourself, the environment and millions of abused animals, GO VEGAN.”
Investigation: Scottish Salmon – Animal Equality UK
Animal Equality’s undercover footage has revealed animals suffering from prolonged pain in a Scottish Salmon Company slaughterhouse. The investigation, showing fish killing processes, is the first of its kind to be released in the UK.
The Scottish Salmon Company supplies major UK supermarkets Waitrose and Co-op, alongside premium retailers, hotels and restaurants. The corporation also has a global reach, exporting its products to over 20 countries across the world.
If you do one thing this Earth Day, watch EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION now FREE to View on Prime Video
In the run up to Earth Day,Eating Our Way To Extinction, from members
Otto Brockway and Ludovic Brockway, can now streamed for FREE to watch with Prime Video.
Narrated by Kate Winslet, this entertaining and surprising documentary will challenge the way you look at the food industry. What is the true cost of food? Who pays the price? Featuring shocking undercover footage and poignant first-hand accounts from indigenous people, this one-of-a-kind documentary will permanently change your perception of food and its connection to the future of our planet.
If we don’t act now, scientists predict there could be NO EARTH DAY BY 2045.
If you do one thing today, watch Eating Our Way To Extinction on Prime Video to learn how our greed is making the planet extinct and most importantly, what we can do to change our path. #noearthday #eating2extinction
IARC: Processed Meat Like Bacon Causes Cancer – Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
How did the meat industry, government, and cancer organizations respond to the confirmation that processed meat, like bacon, ham, hot dogs, and lunch meat, causes cancer?
In Photos: Refugees And Their Companion Animals Flee War In Ukraine
This month, We Animals Media contributors Andrew Skowron, Miloš Bicanski and Thomas Machowicz are on the ground in Poland and Ukraine to document the stories of humans and animals seeking refuge from the Russian invasion.
The impact of war on animal lives is something that has been observed throughout history – whether birds, dogs and horses forced to face and even fight in the frontline, or companion animals held tightly in the arms of people fleeing their homeland.
According to estimates from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than three million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s brutal invasion on February 24th, with almost two million of those people arriving in Poland. Amid the mass exodus, companion animals – dogs, cats, rodents and birds – also innocent victims of this war, accompany those fleeing in search of safety.
As thousands of refugees continue to cross the Ukraine/Poland border each day, volunteers from Poland and across Europe have set up stations to provide food, warmth, medical care, information and even convoys to other countries where accommodation will be provided to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.
Our contributor Thomas Machowicz is currently documenting what he calls the “Animal Rescue Pipeline”, which runs from western Europe to eastern Ukraine. Donations and supplies come in through Poland to western Ukraine, then get distributed by local groups to individuals and shelters. Animals (mostly dogs and cats) rescued from conflict areas in eastern Ukraine are transported to Lviv, then Poland, then to rescue organizations in Europe.
“As I conducted interviews with volunteers at the animal rescue camp on the Poland/Ukraine border a common refrain I kept hearing was “I couldn’t just stay home and do nothing.” That resonates so strongly with me. As I continue this work I feel acute sadness for everyone, but especially the families saying goodbye to loved ones of all species. I feel strength from the Ukrainian people as I’m witnessing first hand their resilience in the face of an existential threat. I feel a hope that in time we will stop these cycles of violence and live in true peace.” — Thomas Machowicz, Animal Photojournalist
What Happens When An Athlete Goes Plant-Based For 30 Days
What happens when athlete Ben Pflum eats a plant-based diet for 30 days?
Find out if he accomplishes his goal of completing the Spartan Race and if he continues his plant-based lifestyle.
Follow along his plant-based journey with holistic nutritionist Dave Coast and see what he eats in a day to gain muscle, eat healthy, and obtain vegan protein.
Microplastics found in human blood, avian flu cases surge in the U.S. & more in Month in a Minute
The time is here again! At the end of each month, we’ll recap the top stories in just one minute.
In March, bird flu raged on, claiming the lives of thousands of innocent animals. Plus, the UN adopted a historic resolution on animal welfare, researchers found shark DNA in pet food... and so much more.
EATING PLANTS is an upbeat series that explores plant based food,
the world’s fastest growing culinary trend. This spicy travelogue will bring the tips and
benefits of a vegan diet into homes across the globe.
Filmed in an exciting mix of popular vegan countries EATING PLANTS introduces the entrepreneurs who are creating plant alternatives such as diary-free cheese, animal-free meat, fish-free tuna and how these products are pushing their predecessors off the supermarket shelves.
Packed with lessons from doctors, athletes and chefs leading the movement, creating change for cooking, health and for the planet.
The first of its kind, this spicy travelogue will bring the tips and benefits of a vegan diet into homes across the globe.
Meet the Fashion Designer Using Sustainable 'Future Leather’
Making use of We Animals Media visuals, NowThis shows us the animal-free fashion designs that can turn heads without harming animals.
This designer is flipping the script on the fashion industry and ditching leather for high-tech, sustainable microfiber — and his pieces have been featured in GQ and Vogue.
Join the MILKED team, Plant Based News and thousands of others calling global leaders to demand a 25% reduction in the global dairy herd by 2025. Sign today here.
With more than a quarter-million factory farms to its name, America has officially ushered in the rise of industrial agriculture. But this wasn't always the case. In 1990, small and medium farms “accounted for nearly half of all agricultural production in the U.S.” Today, they represent less than a quarter.
Inside the large metal sheds that dot the hillsides of rural America, millions of farmed animals suffer every day. And while it's easy to be overwhelmed by their pain, it is important to remember that farmers, too, are caught in the gears of animal agriculture.
Since the industrialization of the U.S. farming sector, which began in the early 1950s, farms have become increasingly corporate. Half a century later, mega-companies such as Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods own nearly every aspect of their supply chains. In an effort to maximize profit, companies cut costs and speed up slaughter lines whenever possible. Struggling to keep up with the pace of production, farmers take out massive loans and often find themselves in debt and unable to properly care for their animals.
This week, we’ll take a closer look at the unique challenges farmers face, how they feel about the animals they raise, and what advocates are doing to slow the industry’s advance. Stay tuned for more.
Modern agriculture is increasingly intensive and mechanized. Crops, meat, dairy, poultry, and fish are farmed at an immense scale. In many countries, a few large companies control the majority of farming operations. Big Ag has consolidated farming in countries like the U.S., U.K., Australia, China, and Brazil.
In 2019, just 3% of U.S. industrial farms generated 44% of production value. While Big Ag continues to increase its profits, farmers are negatively impacted by corporate consolidation.
Despite increased production, farmer incomes have remained constant or even decreased. In 2015 - 2020, U.S. pig farmers earned nearly 5 cents less per dollar spent on pork. Big Ag engages in unfair labor practices to maximize earnings; undocumented farmworkers represent about 50% of farm labor. Farmworkers work long hours in hazardous conditions for very little pay.
Environmental toxins from this work can cause hearing loss, respiratory issues, headaches, and more. Physical injuries among farmworkers are also common.
It is important for us to advocate for farm workers’ rights. Farmer-led initiatives for ethical, sustainable farming are gaining ground. Choosing food that is sustainably farmed can help improve farmers’ lives and create a more equitable food system.
For more information on how Big Ag impacts farmers, visit sentientmedia.org
Vegan Cooking Competition ‘Peeled’ Debuts This Summer
"Peeled" will pit professional chefs against each other in the name of charity.
Between Gordon Ramsay’s nerve-wracking, high-pressure Hell’s Kitchen, the scrappiness and innovation of Chopped, and the absolute wholesomeness of The Great British Bake Off, television cooking competitions have a lot of variety. But, despite their differences, they have one thing in common: they all use animal products. That’s about to change very soon thanks to Peeled, the first plant-based culinary competition show for US broadcast.
Set to debut this summer, Peeled will follow in the style of existing reality cooking shows like Beat Bobby Flay and MasterChef. The digital platform vKind will lead the production, having gained interest after launching a concept episode on its YouTube channel. The show is being shot in Las Vegas at the Vegas Vegan Culinary School and Eatery.
“As a vegan and a foodie, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with cooking shows,” Star Simmons, founder of vKind and show creator, said. “Peeled allows vegans and vegetarians to enjoy cooking shows again and gives plant-based culinary arts a platform to be taken seriously.”
MILKED The Documentary Is Finally Here, And The Dairy Industry Might Not Like It
In an effort to increase transparency around food production, MILKED takes a deep dive into the dairy sector
Highly anticipated documentary MILKED has finally arrived, and can be watched now via Plant Based News.
Years in the making, the feature-length film dives deep into the darkest corners of the dairy industry, in an attempt to uproot the picture-perfect narrative carefully constructed by animal agriculture’s largest organizations.
In MILKED, activist Chris Huriwai travels Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand), speaking to experts in medicine, ecology, politics, and business in search of answers.
“We originally planned to investigate the environmental and health impacts of all animal agriculture in Aotearoa. But once we got further into researching, it was obvious that dairy was the story to tell,” MILKED director and producer Amy Taylor said.
And that story isn’t as idyllic as it’s often made out to be. Alongside disturbing animal welfare violations, the dairy industry is to blame for excessive water and land use, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, the film explains.
That’s part of the reason why the team behind MILKED launched a petition alongside the film’s release. The petition urges for a global reduction in dairy herds – by at least 25 percent – over the next three years.
There are four variations of the petition: one each for the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, and New Zealand. Those interested can sign the petition(s) here.
Motherhood: The Life Of A Mother Inside Factory Farms
A mother’s love is universal.
Millions of animals who are bred and killed every year on farms all over the world are mothers.
But on factory farms, a female animal who gives birth is not considered a mother.
Instead, she is considered to be a breeding machine, whose only purpose is to keep giving birth in order to keep feeding humans with her milk or the flesh of her babies.
Mother Cows In The Dairy Industry
Cows used for their milk in the dairy industry are all mothers.
Just like humans, a cow only produces milk for her baby.
Once she becomes pregnant, she carries her baby in her womb for nine months before giving birth.
Once she gives birth, she starts producing milk for her newborn calf – milk that her baby would naturally drink during the first 10 months of his or her life.
However, on dairy farms, the milk she produces will not be given to her baby, as it will instead be bottled up for human consumption.
And so her calf is separated from her – often within just hours or days of being born – and swapped for a milking machine which is attached to her teats.
This process lasts for three months until she is impregnated again in order to maintain unnaturally high yields of milk production.
This cruel, abusive cycle is repeated on average three or four times until the cow – exhausted by the repeated pregnancies, births and unnatural milk production – is killed and sold for cheap meat.
The separation of cows and calves is extremely distressing for both the mother and her baby.
During multiple investigations carried out by Animal Equality, mother cows and their newborn calves have been filmed calling out to each other desperately for hours or searching for each other in vain. These scenes can only be described as heartbreaking.
The meat industry uses female pigs – also known as sows – to breed piglets for human consumption. This means that these sows are artificially inseminated multiple times a year throughout their lives, forcing them to become pregnant.
About 60% of UK pregnant pigs are confined in tiny, barren crates for weeks at a time, where they are unable to carry out even the most basic of behaviours, like walking or even turning around.
In this miserable, unnatural environment, they will give birth and be forced to attempt to nurse their piglets while confined behind bars.
After going through this cycle twice a year for several years, they are then killed and sold for cheap meat.
Mother Hens in the Egg Industry
You’ve probably heard the expression ‘mother hen’.
It’s no surprise that they earnt this nickname, as research shows that hens are very maternal and protective mothers.
When her chicks are in distress, a hen will react physically, showing empathy. Her heart rate will increase and she will start calling for her babies.
Tragically, in the egg industry, hens do not have the chance to be mothers, as their only ‘purpose’ is to produce eggs destined for human consumption.
Selectively bred to produce the maximum number of eggs, millions of hens on egg farms in the UK spend their entire lives – up to two years – packed in filthy, wire cages with around sixty other birds.
The cages are so small and crowded that hens cannot even spread their wings fully, dust bathe, peck or play. They are stopped from carrying out these most basic natural behaviours.
Female chicks will take the place of their mothers to continue egg production. Male chicks instead, unable to produce eggs, are gassed to death.
Like humans, animals are capable of making their own choices, nursing their babies and displaying love towards one another. But farmed animals do not have the freedom to decide anything about their own lives or their young. Instead the animal agriculture industry makes these decisions for them, separating them, mutilating them and causing them immense suffering.
Help us protect these mothers by making a gift. A donation of any amount will have a huge impact on their lives and bring us closer to the world we envision. A world where all animals are respected and protected. A world where mothers and their babies can be together.
"Why do good people do bad things? Here’s my story" – Dr. Melanie Joy
When I was four years old, I killed someone.
I was on my father’s fishing boat, and I caught my first fish. My parents clapped and laughed and told me how proud they were, but I felt confused and distraught. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t share their happiness; as I watched the fish I’d pulled out of the ocean flop on the floor of the boat gasping for air, all I could feel was sadness. And guilt.!
My emotions were caused by a paradox that my young brain wasn’t developed enough to understand. I couldn’t reconcile how caring people could harm others and neither see nor feel troubled by this contradiction. My parents and other adults had instilled in me a strong commitment to practicing the Golden Rule, to treating others the way I’d want to be treated—they’d taught me to relate to others with respect. Yet it seemed like everywhere I turned, this supposedly highest principle was being violated, and nobody was the least bit concerned.
In Formula for a Better World, I explain that relational dysfunction is a common denominator among all forms of oppression and abuse —including the exploitation of fish and other animals—and I introduce a simple formula that can help transform all these problems.
If we want to create a better world for everyone, we need to change the way we relate.
To learn more, please visit formulaforabetterworld.org and share the video with your friends and family. You can also support this work by making a donation to Beyond Carnism. Together, we can work to create a more just and compassionate world for fish and all other beings.
Sincerely, Melanie Joy
Founding President
Beyond Carnism
After receiving hundreds of complaints, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has found no fault in a new television advertisement by animal advocacy organization Viva!.
The ad promotes a vegan diet by encouraging viewers to make the connection between the food they eat and the animals killed for it.
Between February 14 and March 5, “Takeaway the Meat” aired nearly 350 times on Channel 4, one of Britain’s public broadcasting networks, reaching over 15.5 million adults across the country. Although it contains no graphic slaughterhouse footage or bloody imagery, the 30-second spot received more than 400 complaints from disapproving viewers.
The ad begins with a couple sitting on the couch, their dog cuddled next to them as they decide what food to order. When the delivery driver arrives, he has with him not a prepared meal—but a live piglet. “Free gift for new customers,” he says, holding out a butcher’s knife.
“We are delighted that the ASA has ruled in our favor and decided not to uphold any of the complaints made against us,” says Juliet Gellatley, Viva! founder and director. Gellatley believes that the ruling “signifies a shift in how veganism and the wider vegan movement is perceived by the ASA and mass media.”
The customers in the ad seemed unsure of what to do next once faced with the face of the baby animal at their door. They weren’t the only ones. “Showing a pig with a meat cleaver is just plain disgusting,” one viewer tweeted.
How To Reduce Bloating On A Vegan Diet FAST - 7 Vegan Bloating Remedies
How can you reduce your bloating quickly? Here's a step-by-step process you can apply today from Florian Wüest:
If you feel bloated on a vegan diet there’s 7 things you can do today to reduce your bloating quickly.
That science-based process works both for you if you are a new vegan – or if you are vegan veteran, meaning vegan for a multitude of years.
So let’s just dive right in:
Before we talk about the treatment of being bloated, we first have to understand when bloating arises:
An average healthy individual produces about 700 cubic centimeters of gas per day. This gas production is absolutely normal. What is abnormal in a person that is suffering from bloating is the gas transit. While a healthy person can get rid of the gas quite easily, a person with bloating can’t.
That’s why the belly expands – because of the gas, right?
So here’s the step-by-step process you should do today to reduce bloating on a vegan diet:
1. Reduce the total amount of unnecessary gas
There’s two things you need to do though that will make you see drastic improvements:
1.1. Reduce carbonated beverages. Because they do have gas in the liquid, right?
1.2. Eat slower and less. Because if you eat fast, and you eat a lot of food, you swallow more air unconsciously.
Now the best next way to continue is to work on the gas transit time:
2. Water intake
There’s nothing that can pass quicker through our body than water. It’s liquid right?
One doesn’t have to chew it into small pieces and enzymes do not need to break it up. Sure a lot of water gets absorbed, but almost 75% of our feces are water.
A study found that even a water intake of only 1L a day decreases the chance of constipation by up to 14x.
3. Physical activity
The next thing that we must do if we’re bloated is to increase our physical activity.
This study here showed that just mild physical activity strongly decreases symptoms of bloating.
Our body is made to move. And light-intensity movements strongly decrease the total transit time of our digestion.
Heavy weightlifting is not meant by that, that might even be able to make your symptoms worse. Instead a good aim to have is to get 10,000 steps in every day.
You can also combine this with:
4. Standing more
The posture that we have in our day strongly affects the gas transit time.
If you’re suffering from bloating a good goal to have is to stand more – and ideally invest in a standing desk.
Or even better – a treadmill desk. So you can get your walks in while working.
5. Eat more veggies
There’s nothing. Absolutely nothing that will improve your bloating symptoms in the long-term more than enough fiber intake. The easiest way to do so is to eat more veggies and things such as oatmeal.
Studies have shown that fiber intake can decrease your transit time by half.
There’s a specific study that I found on kiwi that seems to improve total transit time. It’s worth eating 2-3 kiwis a day from now on that will provide some fiber without overdoing it.
6. Probiotics supplementation
Probiotics are literally bacteria that you eat and then get released in your gut – where your body needs it. You can think of these like reinforcements of an army that you send to fight the good fight.
The way to start with probiotics is to gradually increase the amount of colony forming units that you take in, until you reach about 100 bio CFUs a day.
7. Avoid Antibiotics
Once all the previous steps are completed your bloating should be gone.
The only way to mess up the entire process is by doing a course of antibiotics. That is the medication your doctor gives you – which kills of all the bad bacteria – but also all the good bacteria.
So literally all the work that you’ve done by cultivating a better microbiome due to better nutrition and probiotics – is gone. All of your bacteria friends are wiped out.
Antibiotics are a miracle drug. Yet also overprescribed in our current age.
If you do have a physician that constantly prescribes you antibiotics, it’s worth considering changing your physician to make sure that your long-term gut health is on point.
Have You Seen The Lingerie Protest On UnchainedTV Yet?
A group of bold women walk the streets in lingerie to raise awareness of animal cruelty in a brand new short documentary broadcast on UnchainedTV, the all-vegan streaming TV network.
The Lingerie Protest features Australian Dita Von Teese model and activist Stefania Ferrario, who wanted to draw attention to the cruelty animals face.
In the documentary she said: “Unfortunately animals in animal agriculture have no bodily autonomy so for us to use our bodies to spread awareness was incredibly powerful.”
Fueled by the lack of news coverage about the devastation of animal agriculture, Ferrario teamed up with fellow activist and vegan influencer Tash Peterson.
This is what the Animal Save Movement
got up to last year! Including their two most ambitious campaigns, Plant Based Treaty and Stop Animal Gifting!
"We would like to express a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has supported Animal Save Movement in the past year ! What a fantastic year 2021 has been for all our branches, Animal Save, Climate Save, Health Save and Youth Climate Save!
We have launched two major campaigns: Plant Based Treaty, our biggest campaign launch ever, and Stop Animal Gifting. And there have been lots of other exciting developments and campaigns this year. Please check out our End of Year review video to learn more about all our campaigns and successes throughout the year!"
Bad Vegan: Sarma Melngailis says Netflix show is ‘disturbingly misleading’
Former celebrity restauranteur at the centre of new series has criticised its ending
Sarma Melngailis has criticised the ending of the Netflix scam documentary Bad Vegan, calling it “disturbingly misleading”.
The four-part series explores how Melngailis, the celebrity restauranteur behind the starry New York eatery Pure Food and Wine, went from being a trailblazer in vegan cuisine to a wanted woman referred to as the “vegan fugitive”.
It tells the story of how, shortly after meeting a man named Shane Fox on Twitter in 2011, Melngailis began draining her restaurant’s funds and sending the money to Fox. He had allegedly manipulated her into believing he could make her and her beloved pitbull immortal (a claim Strangis has denied), and told her she had to wire him huge sums of money as a test of her trust in him.
A few years later, the couple got married and went on the run, after stealing nearly $2m from the restaurant and its staff. They were eventually found by authorities, hiding in a Tennessee motel, after Fox made the mistake of ordering a pizza to their room under his real name: Anthony Strangis.
At the end of the documentary, it is suggested that Melngailis have been in on the scam from the start, and was using Strangis to pay off her restaurant debts.
From the makers of Cowspiracy, MILKED premieres on WaterBear
From the makers of Cowspiracy, MILKED premieres on WaterBear, pulling back the curtain on New Zealand's multi-billion-dollar dairy industry.
"A powerful wake-up call that the world is getting milked"
James Cameron
Young activist, Chris Huriwai, goes deep into dairy land where he takes on the giants of New Zealand’s most powerful sector, and reveals how the sacred cash-cow industry has been milked dry.
Directed by Amy Taylor and Executive-Produced by Moby & Keegan Kuhn (co-director of Cowspiracy).
New Documentary ‘MILKED’ Launches Global Petitions To Dismantle Dairy Industry
Academy Award-winning director James Cameron says the new film is a “powerful wake-up call”
A new feature documentary called MILKED launched a petition today that aims to bring together the masses of people who are eager to protect the planet and its inhabitants. Specifically, by dismantling the destructive systems used by the dairy industry.
MILKED – which will soon be available to watch via Plant Based News – takes a deep dive into the dairy sector of Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand). The country is the largest exporter of dairy in the world.
Alongside the film’s premiere, the creators of MILKED have published four variations of a petition that aims to reduce global dairy herds by 25 percent in next three years.
The petitions – aimed at the UK, the US, Europe, and New Zealand – are directed at each country’s leaders. MILKED hopes that global collective efforts can help create a more sustainable food system. And, one that protects the lives of millions of animals too.
‘Bad Vegan’ Director Chris Smith on How the Chef Who Stole Millions Became Netflix’s Latest True Crime Star
“Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives” is the latest documentary from Chris Smith, the director of “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” and “100 Foot Wave,” and an executive producer of “Tiger King.”
The four-part Netflix docuseries, which Smith executive produced and directed, explores how New York City celebrity restaurateur Sarma Melngailis went from being the queen of vegan cuisine to fugitive on the run. In 2011, Melngailis – owner of Manhattan’s Pure Food and Wine – began draining the restaurant’s funds and funneling the money to Shane Fox, a con man. Fox convinced Melngalis that he could make her pet pitbull terrier immortal if she obeyed his every request without question. After stealing nearly $2 million from the restaurant and its staff, Melngalis and Fox were found holed up in a Tennessee motel by law enforcement. Their undoing? A charge made under Fox’s real name, Anthony Strangis, for a Domino’s pizza.
Are You Advocating Cruelty? Truth in Vegan Outreach – Bite Size Vegan
Are you advocating cruelty in your vegan activism and outreach?
It can feel easier to offer things like "Meatless Mondays" or "humane" alternatives than ask people to go "fully" vegan. But when we take this approach, we're not only doing a disservice to the animals, but also to non-vegans themselves. We're deciding FOR them that they can't handle the full truth. We're deciding FOR them that they can't, or won't, make the decision to go vegan.
In this speech, I address how to ensure we as activists avoid advocating the very things we are fighting against. In addition to covering examples of what NOT to say in our activism, I also touch on some approaches of what TO say—and HOW to say it, as well as ways to remove common barriers that arise when speaking with non-vegans.
Animal Aid and XCellR8 – working together for better science!
Science shouldn’t involve any sacrifice – either to the quality of work, or the lives of animals. We can do better. Proud to announce this wonderful collaboration: kinder to animals, safer for people.
Animal Aid is supporting the wonderful XCellR8 laboratory to replace the cruel ‘lethal dose’ LD50 test – developed nearly 100 years ago – with up-to-date human-based science! We've pledged £51,000 and hope this partnership will help save the lives of thousands – setting a much safer scientific precedent.
Animal Cruelty and Mutilations Found on Pig Farm in Mexico
New investigation by Animal Equality uncovers images of cruel and painful mutilations that pigs endure within days of birth in the meat industry.
Animal Equality has repeatedly denounced the cruelty that pigs experience in slaughterhouses. Now, we reveal the cruelty they experience from their first days of life on farms in Mexico, specifically in Jalisco, the main producing state, where they undergo extremely painful procedures such as tail mutilation and castration without anesthesia.
"Industrial farming has designed the most aberrant practices against animals. What this investigation shows is intolerable and devoid of social conscience."
Dulce Ramírez, Vice President for Latinoamerica, Animal Equality
Tail docking and castration without anesthesia
In Mexico, as in many countries, there are no protections for animals on farms. That is why practices as cruel as the ones our researchers witnessed are so common.
The images Animal Equality uncovered show:
Castration and tail mutilation without anesthesia and without veterinary care;
Pigs covered in blood, showing signs of pain after castration and tail mutilation;
Wounds and injuries that receive no treatment;
Various diseases such as mastitis, conjunctivitis and skin problems;
Sick or injured pigs who are considered “waste,” according to one worker. They are not treated and are left to agonize for days;
They do not have any type of stimulation or environmental enrichment throughout their lives;
Several pigs in very confined spaces (overcrowding);
Sows that cannot move freely because they are so confined, which sometimes causes them to crush their young;
Repetitive behaviors due to stress, such as chewing on the bars;
Unsafe living conditions and careless installations, such as deep cracks in the floor where pigs get stuck and result in fractures;
Aggression between pigs, derived from the terrible conditions in which they live.
Pigs are as smart as dogs and dolphins
In a study conducted by experts in animal behavior and intelligence on these animals, it was found that pigs have the ability to experience emotions that are affected by the state of other pigs (this is the basis of empathy), generate memories, plan, as well as enjoy the world through games, a characteristic that they share with other animals, such as dolphins and dogs. Pigs should be able to enjoy their lives free from harm, yet factory farming and meat consumption deny them of this.
"Animals are treated as raw material for production, which they are not, they are living sentient beings, which we are appropriating to produce."
Doctor Adriana Cossío Bayúgar, MVZ Animal Welfare Specialist
At Animal Equality we are determined to change the fate of animals used for food through investigations, corporate outreach, education, and legal advocacy. With your support, we will achieve important changes to get closer to a world in which all animals are respected and protected. Support here: animalequality.org/donate
As we see time and time again during Animal Equality’s undercover investigations, animals suffer and die in factory farms and slaughterhouses. We must do our part in ending their suffering. It is up to each one of us to end their abuse. Please keep animals off your plate and visit loveveg for more information and delicious plant-based options.
What is life like for farmed fish?
In partnership with Sinergia Animal, We Animals Media have just concluded one of their largest investigations, exposing the cruelty at Thai fish farms and markets.
We now have hundreds more photos and video clips available that lay bare the reality of farming fish for food.
Despite the enormous suffering fish endure, it can be difficult to encourage empathy with them. Off-land, unblinking, scaled and finned, it seems to require extra imagination for people to make a connection.
Thailand is a major consumer and exporter of fish, killing hundreds of millions each year. Our investigation documents fish tossed alive into buckets filled with ice; fish suffocated in open air or in plastic bags; diseased fish; and fish often gutted and descaled alive. This happens at small fish farms and at some of the largest markets and wholesalers in the country.
These visuals are free for all animal advocates to use so that less imagination is needed. Sinergia Animal is using these visuals for their advocacy, campaigning for these producers to change their practices.
Flagship Panel Series: CULTIVATED MEAT: NO LONGER SCIENCE FICTION
A revolution is coming to your plate! Meat harvested directly from animal cells, without the need to raise and slaughter animals is changing how we think about food.
Don’t miss our virtual and free panels. Hear from some of the world’s leading influencers as they offer diverse and insightful perspectives on the birth of the cultivated meat industry.
Registered attendees will be gifted with a sneak-peek screening of the award-winning documentary Meat the Future, including a live intro to the film by director Liz Marshall.
Hailed as one of the biggest ideas of the last century, is cultivated meat a silver bullet? By 2050 there will be 10 billion people on our planet, and meat demand is expected to double. Research indicates that cultivated beef is estimated, at scale, to reduce land use by more than 95%, climate change emissions by 74% to 87%, and nutrient pollution by 94%.
In celebration of Earth Month in April, and to highlight the need for viable solutions to the climate emergency, LizMars Productions invites you to Imagine a Sustainable Climate Future, a panel which convenes respected environmental influencers across North America.
Moderated by Liz Marshall, Writer, Director, Producer of Meat the Future, panelists will discuss the environmental impacts of conventionally produced animal agriculture, and the potential game-changing benefits of producing cultivated meat at scale. Hear from Bruce Friedrich, the Founder and CEO of The Good Food Institute, a nonprofit working internationally to accelerate alternative protein innovation, to mitigate the environmental impact of our food system, and ultimately feed more people with fewer resources. Anna Rathmann is the Executive Director of The Jane Goodall Institute, a global community-led conservation, research, advocacy, and youth empowerment organization, founded by Dr. Jane Goodall. Lou Cooperhouse is the President and CEO of BlueNalu, a leading cultivated seafood company with a mission to support the sustainability and diversity of our oceans. Nicholas Carter, an Ecologist and Environmental Researcher focused on the scientific links between agriculture and planetary health, is the Co-Founder of Plant Based Data.
If you find Ed's work valuable, you can become a regular supporter or make a one-off contribution through the following links: earthlinged.org/support
New documentary, Milked, set to expose the detriments of the dairy industry
Available from 18 March, new feature-length documentary, Milked, is set to show just how detrimental the dairy industry is to both the environment and in regard to animal welfare. It is based on New Zealand dairy farm practice which is the country with the largest dairy export in the world.
To add to its already impressive appeal, Milked is backed by, and includes interviews with world famous Primatologist and Anthropologist, Dame Jane Goodall as well as Cowspiracy Co-Director, Keegan Kuhn. The project is also supported by Academy Award-winning Director, James Cameron, who commented that the film is a “powerful wake-up call that the world is getting Milked.”
Beginning life as a crowdfunding idea Milked has since excelled in its goal of raising NZD $100,000…even more amazingly, it achieved this in just 12 days. As a result, the makers of the film have increased their goal by an additional $20,000 to help spread the message further.
Shadowing activist Chris Huriwai as he travels the country to understand the depths of the dairy industry, the film shows direct conversations with farmers as well as experts in medicine, ecology, the economy and even politics.
“We originally planned to investigate the environmental and health impacts of all animal agriculture in Aotearoa (M?ori name for New Zealand). But once we got further into researching, it was obvious that dairy was the story to tell,” said Milked Director and Producer Amy Taylor. “And with dairy giant Fonterra inviting Chris to meet with them and then backing out, we became even more curious about what was going on.”
Family-Sized Lasagna for Under $10 Challenge with Cheap Lazy Vegan – EATKINDLY With Me
Ready for a vegan lasagna of your dreams?
In this video Rose shows us how to make a budget-friendly, Italian-inspired dish, featuring layers of noodles, nourishing veggies, tofu ricotta, and savory red sauce. You can whip this vegan family-sized lasagna recipe up for less than 10 bucks. Trust us, you'll be savoring every last bite!
James Cameron backs new documentary exposing New Zealand’s dairy industry
A new documentary titled 'MILKED' that exposes New Zealand's dairy industry has received backing from Director James Cameron and secured its $100k crowd-funding goal.
The latest dairy exposé feature-length documentary, MILKED, has smashed its fundraising target.
From the creators of Cowspiracy, the New Zealand-based documentary shines a light on the catastrophic effects the dairy industry has on our environment and the animals it exploits.
In addition to reaching its crowdfunding goals in just 12 days, Academy Award-winning director James Cameron has dubbed the documentary as a ‘wake-up call’.
Funds raised will contribute toward final edits, marketing the film, and creating an educational version that will be distributed to schools.
UnchainedTV Enlists Plant Based News As Corporate Sponsor To Supercharge Their Shared Vegan Mission
The unique partnership will see both platforms working together to propel the vegan movement
The free vegan streaming television network, UnchainedTV, has announced it is partnering with Plant Based News (PBN) as its corporate sponsor for the year ahead.
The new vegan streaming platform and multi-award winning, awareness-raising resource PBN have a similar mission.
They aim to share the stories not often shown by mainstream media, that matter most for animals and the planet. And, shine a light on the narrative around plant-based and sustainable living.
UnchainedTV founder Jane Velez-Mitchell, an award-winning TV journalist, told PBN why this matters:
“Mainstream media is beholden to advertisers who are overwhelmingly meat, dairy, pharmaceuticals, and fast food. That’s why what we’re doing at UnchainedTV and what you’re doing at Plant Based News is so important.”
She added that the team is “so thrilled to be collaborating with Plant Based News” as their 2022 sponsor.
'A COW'S LIFE': THE BBC DOCUMENTARY EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
After watching this BBC Panorama film, viewers took to social media to blast the “shocking” treatment of dairy cows.
A new BBC Panorama documentary has viewers taking to social media to decry the “shocking” and “inhumane” treatment of cows in the dairy industry. Featuring undercover footage filmed by an Animal Equality UK investigator, the film titled “A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk” reveals animals hit or left to languish without veterinary care. One cow is also shown unable to stand as she is repeatedly kicked and hit with a shovel.
According to Animal Equality, the investigation that took place in late 2021 reveals “deliberate violence and neglect” filmed on Madox Farm, a large-scale dairy farm that supplies the major UK grocer Freshways.
“This is some of the most alarming animal abuse and neglect that I have encountered during my time as a veterinary surgeon,” states Marc Abraham Obe in response to the footage. “There is no doubt in my mind that these cows would have suffered significantly and that their prolonged pain was entirely avoidable.”
While disturbing violence was documented in the investigative footage, Animal Equality also states that the video reflects “the true cost of milk,” showing many standard practices–such as the separation of mother cows and their calves–routine on dairy farms throughout the industry and documented time and again by investigators.
The nonprofit reports that it is working with a legal firm in an attempt to have charges brought against the farm, but there have been more immediate results. According to Animal Equality, Freshways has confirmed that “the farmer involved has been suspended for all collections until such time as a reaudit and full investigation has been carried out.” More than 12,000 people have also signed a petition launched by the nonprofit, seeking more frequent farm inspections as well as prosecution for violations.
Most of us drink cow’s milk, but are we paying enough for it? Panorama investigates the dairy industry to find out whether animal welfare is being compromised in the drive to keep milk prices low. The film features disturbing undercover footage of farmworkers abusing cows, while reporter
Upcoming Documentary MILKED Announces New Crowdfunding Target
MILKED, an upcoming James Cameron supported documentary which unearths the environmental and animal welfare repercussions of the dairy industry, has eclipsed its crowdfunding goal of $NZD100,000 - and it took just 12 days.
In response, the team behind the movie have increased their goal by $20,000 to help amplify the message further. Additionally, an anonymous donor has committed to matching funds up to $100,000 - so every dollar donated so far will be doubled.
The upcoming film will be hosted for free on Plant Based News. Those interested in contributing to the crowdfunding campaign, or learning more about the film, can do so here.
For many people, cows are synonymous with milk and dairy. Cow’s milk is produced at an immense scale, but industrial dairy production damages the environment.
There are about 270 million dairy cows worldwide. Dairy cows emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Methane represents about 44% of all livestock emissions. The 13 largest dairy companies emit as many GHGs as the entire U.K.
Farming animals leads to ecosystem destruction and biodiversity loss. Feeding and grazing livestock requires the clearing of land and dairy production requires a lot of water. It takes about 300 gallons of water to make one Starbucks Frappuccino.
Dairy farming also causes significant water pollution. Cow manure and fertilizer used to farm animal feed often leaks into waterways. This chemical waste pollutes water and causes harmful algal blooms which kill marine wildlife and threaten our freshwater supply.
As the environmental impacts of dairy farming become more clear, customers are choosing plant-based milks like oat, almond, and soy. Plant-based milks emit far fewer GHGs and are more sustainable than dairy. This minor diet change can greatly reduce our environmental impact.
Vegan Trainer Andrew Roberts Purposely Gains 25Kg Of Fat To Boast Weight Loss On Whole-Food Diet.
"I’m a weight loss expert who has been featured in multiple national newspapers and some of the biggest news platforms on earth. I am also the man behind the Instagram and Facebook accounts with over 23,000 followers.
I am best known for intentionally gaining, and then losing, 55lbs in the space of 12 months. This challenge was fueled by my drive to be the best coach possible and to try and gain more of an understanding of the emotions and feelings my clients experience when they are losing weight. The journey affected me both physically and mentally in ways that I could never have imagined as I quickly fell into a viscous cycle of bad eating habits.
As well as giving me a huge amount of empathy for my clients, I also gained invaluable knowledge that few coaches have. I have since used that knowledge to create a unique 3 step system which has created life changing results for my clients."
Netflix's 'Bad Vegan' docuseries gets a pretty scandalous trailer
There's another tantalising Netflix docuseries on the way next month, all about the fall of one woman's vegan empire (and her "immortal" doggie).
Promising to take viewers on a journey "more bizarre than fiction" is probably enough to hook you into watching Netflix's docuseries 'Bad Vegan' this March.
The series will follow the life of one-famed vegan queen Sarma Melngailis, who was the driving force behind one of New York's most-loved restaurants. However, following a run-in with con-man Shane Fox, who convinced her that he could make her pitbull immortal, the health fanatic spiralled into a journey that no one could have forseen.
The four-part documentary comes from Chris Smith, who helped create two other Netflix documentary hits - 'Tiger King' as executive producer and 'Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened' as director.
Billie Eilish’s Green World Tour and IKEA’s 3D Vegan Meatballs
We are happier than ever that Billie Eilish’s world tour has a climate conscience! Not to mention that IKEA is developing 3D-printed vegan meatballs. Watch to learn more and get caught up on the latest vegan food and sustainability news!
Do you think Billie Eilish will inspire other musicians to make their tours eco-friendly?
LIVE DEBATE | Kurt Zouma: Prime Minister's Sister Rachel Johnson Defends THAT Cat Video
Ed was invited on to LBC to chat with Rachel Johnson about his recent video discussing the hypocrisy that the UK is showing over its outrage about Kurt Zouma.
However, the conversation quickly turned to whether Kurt Zouma should be ‘cancelled’ for his animal abuse. In defence of Kurt Zouma, Rachel then used the example of when she had to force her dog not to eat a chocolate bar (which would have harmed her dog) as a reason to justify Kurt not facing any meaningful consequences for his actions.
It should be relatively obvious that there is no comparison between wrestling with your dog to stop them from eating something that is going to cause them harm and kicking, slapping and abusing an animal because you find it enjoyable. Not to mention, the fact that Kurt and his brother not only found the abuse funny, but even went so far as to upload it themselves because they thought other people would find it funny, should be a worrying sign.
At the end of the day, they’re not remorseful about what they did. They’re showing remorse because they’ve been receiving criticism for something they didn’t even think was wrong in the first place. How do you get to the age of 27 and not know that kicking, slapping and terrorising animals is wrong?
The True Cost of Milk: Our Footage On BBC Panorama
Animal Equality’s undercover investigator talked about the cruelty behind the dairy industry on BBC1’s Panorama documentary ‘A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk’.
The farm supplies Freshways – the UK’s largest independent dairy processor and wholesaler that distributes dairy products to major retailers, including Costa Coffee and British Airways.
This video will change your view about the Kurt Zouma cat story.
Kurt Zouma, the professional football player who was filmed kicking, slapping and throwing objects at his cat, is clearly an animal abuser who should be prosecuted for animal cruelty and people are right to be outraged and disgusted by what he has done.
However, why are we only outraged by some forms of animal cruelty and not others? After all, if slapping a cat is worthy of global condemnation then why don’t we also condemn forcing pigs into gas chambers, taking newborn calves away from their mothers or cutting the throats of baby lambs?
Oceanographer Sylvia Earle On Resilience, Hope & Mysteries Of The Deep on the Rich Roll Podcast
Dr. Sylvia Earle was recently welcomed as a guest on the Rich Roll Podcast, where the two shared a rousing discussion about the current state of the ocean. Topics include her perspective on commercial fishing, deep sea mining, and why she believes recovery is possible for a healthier world for all.
In this episode of The Rich Roll Podcast, Legendary National Geographic fellow Sylvia Earle shares her thoughts on the importance of preserving and protecting our most vital resource: our oceans.
Extreme violence and neglect uncovered on a UK dairy farm
Covert filming by an Animal Equality investigator has revealed disturbing undercover footage of deliberate violence and neglect on Madox Farm, a large dairy farm in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. The troubling scenes include workers kicking and punching cows in the face and stomach, and hitting them with metal shovels. The footage was broadcast to millions of people on BBC One’s Panorama.
Milk from the farm is supplied to Freshways, the UK’s largest independent dairy processor and wholesaler. Freshways distributes dairy products to established retailers and businesses including Costa Coffee, British Airways, Londis, Budgens and P&O Cruises.
WATCH: PANORAMA: A Cow's Life: The True Cost of Milk? – Is animal welfare being compromised in the drive to keep milk prices low? Reporter Daniel Foggo speaks to farmers and vets about the lives most dairy herds can expect to lead.
BBC Panorama showed the reality of dairy. The reaction has been wild.
On Monday night the BBC aired an episode of its investigative documentary show Panorama entitled ‘A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk?’ The reaction from viewers has been huge and heartening, while that of the dairy industry has been furious but rather more predictable.
On Twitter, many people shared their thoughts after watching the program.
“I’m not buying cow’s milk again,” tweeted one viewer.
“I’ve decided to go vegan,” said another.
“[D]isgusting treatment of animals will never drink milk again,” said another.
“We’re Cooked,” a three-part series from NYT Opinion
“We’re Cooked” is an Opinion Video series about our broken food system and the three chances you get to help fix it — and save the planet — every day. The global food system is a wonder of technological and logistical brilliance. It feeds more people than ever, supplying a greater variety of food more cheaply and faster than ever.
The global food system is a wonder of technological and logistical brilliance. It feeds more people than ever, supplying a greater variety of food more cheaply and faster than ever.
It is also causing irreparable harm to the planet.
The system — a vast web of industries and processes that stretches from seed to pasture to packaging to supermarket to trash dump — produces at least a third of all human-caused greenhouse gases.
Yet somehow these impacts aren’t in the forefront of the conversation about global warming. Indeed, they often aren’t in the conversation at all.
In the Opinion Video above, we explore why. Our focus is American agriculture, an industry that, while feeding the United States, is also damaging the environment — contaminating the air and water, exhausting the soil, destroying wildlife habitats and spurring climate change.
But despite these harms, the sector has largely been spared environmental regulation. This exception reflects, in part, the special place that farmers occupy in the American imagination. But the industry, particularly the big corporations that are increasingly dominating the sector, are also aided by one of the most effective lobbies on the planet.
This is the first in a series of three Opinion Videos that we are publishing this month. each providing an angle on the food system and, we hope, changing the way you look at food and making you think twice about what you put on your plate. The second video will examine how a few powerful companies dominate the chicken industry, trapping farmers in exploitative relationships and condemning the animals to short, wretched lives. The third video will propose a dietary modification that may gross you out — but also might help curb climate change.
For now, pull up a chair at the lobbyists’ lunch table. Juicy, expensive steak is on the menu. If you’re a taxpayer in the United States, try your best to enjoy it. After all, considering agriculture’s enormous public subsidies and the harm the industry is doing to your land, air and water, it’s you who will ultimately be picking up the tab.
The titans of the U.S. chicken industry want you to view their sector as a great American success story. In just a few decades, they will tell you, the industry has evolved from a fragmented, homespun business to a well-oiled engine of efficiency that produces wholesome, nutritious products at increasingly affordable prices.
Chicken, they will point out, is now the most popular meat in the country.
But as the Opinion Video above reveals, these gains have come at extraordinary cost to the chickens themselves — and to the farmers who are contracted to raise them by the huge chicken corporations that now dominate the sector.
In the video, activists from the nonprofit group Mercy for Animals take us behind the industry’s closed doors, to a place that the chicken barons wish you never saw: the inside of an industrial chicken farm. The footage, supplied by Mercy for Animals, shows you how the system inflicts unimaginable cruelty on the animals, which are bred to grow really big, really fast, exposing many to injury, heart attacks, disease and death. More than 90 percent of chickens raised for food in the United States are grown by farmers working under contract with large poultry producers. We also introduce you to a chicken farmer who describes the strict terms under which he and others are contracted to produce poultry for the big companies that control the industry.
Yet there is hope in sight, for the chickens, at least. Popeyes, Subway, Burger King and around 200 other food companies have signed onto the Better Chicken Commitment, obliging their suppliers to adhere to a raised set of standards for chicken welfare. Perdue Foods, one of the largest poultry companies in the United States, began an animal welfare initiative four years ago — which includes improved living conditions for chickens — and has continued to lead the way in producing affordable chicken more humanely. Although these changes are a work in progress, their efforts show it’s possible for large-scale producers to incorporate more humane standards, and other producers should take note.
This is the second in a series of three videos we are releasing this month that explore some of the harms of the global food system and the urgent need to address them. The first, published last week, examined how the powerful American agriculture lobby has fended off environmental regulation, despite the harm done by the sector.
We hope that each video, in a different way, challenges you to weigh your dietary choices, with ethics, politics and the environment in mind.
What Insects Can Learn From Lobsters About Rebranding
Mealworm soup. Chile-lime cricket tacos. Charred avocado tartare with ant larvae.
In the West, edible insects have long been the domain of food adventurers, with few other takers — even as billions of people elsewhere on the planet count insects as a part of their traditional diets.
But as we explore in the Opinion Video above, a growing tribe of environmentalists, academics and entrepreneurs are arguing that edible insects must enjoy a wider acceptance to help create a more sustainable global food system and save the planet.
It’s a matter of numbers. The world’s population is booming. So, too, is agricultural production to meet the growing demand for food. Yet agriculture, particularly the production of meat, is a big driver of environmental harm.
Scientists have warned that unless we make major adjustments to the kinds of food we eat and how we produce it, we have no chance of meeting our climate goals. A change in dietary patterns, especially reduced demand for meat, would help relieve pressure on the environment and mitigate global warming.
That’s where insects come in. Though the research is still nascent, the early evidence suggests that some edible insects offer a more environmentally sustainable alternative to some conventional livestock. Insects also offer tremendous potential as pet food and a feed source for conventional livestock.
This video is the third in a series of short films we published this month examining problems with the food system. The first one explored the environmental harm of agriculture and the powerful lobby in the United States that has fought to maintain the status quo. The second exposed some ugly truths about the modern poultry industry.
Now it’s time for bugs. Whether you regard them as agents of filth or sources of nutrition, integrating more of them into your diet, this video argues, is among a suite of dietary changes that we urgently need to consider to deal with food insecurity, biodiversity loss and climate change.
Covert footage reveals the untold horrors of dead animal disposal services in the UK
INVESTIGATION: Jumping up and down on a dead cow, repeatedly running over another, and bins of rotting carcasses left open to wildlife and the elements - all these are just some of the shocking scenes revealed by covert investigators.
Secret filming, commissioned by the energy provider Ecotricity, has provided a harrowing insight into the so-called ‘Fallen Stock’ service provided to farmers and landowners who pay hunts to dispose of their dead animals.
Little is known about this industry, hidden well behind the traditional hunting image of red coats, horses and hounds. And if the footage is anything to go by, it is an industry that is both morally and legally dubious.
As if hunts weren’t morally questionable enough, using the smokescreen of ‘trail hunting’ to skirt the 2004 ban on hunting with hounds, now it seems they can’t even help farmers dispose of their dead livestock without being thoroughly reprehensible.
In one clip, we see a worker standing on the dead body of a cow and bouncing up and down. In another, a worker repeatedly reverses his quad bike onto a dead cow for no good reason. The lack of respect with which they treat these once living, sentient individuals, while it speaks volumes about their characters, it isn’t surprising and tallies with the example set by other hunt workers, namely terriermen.
Terriermen, employed by hunts to dig out foxes who ‘go to ground’ by escaping into their dens or other holes, are not nice human beings by any measure. Countless encounters with hunt saboteur groups, filmed and shared on social media, have revealed terriermen to be little more than thugs paid to ensure a hunt continues uninterrupted, usually by intimidation and often actual violence that goes largely unpunished.
Secret footage exposes shocking scenes of dead animal disposal
Bouncing up and down on a dead cow and driving back and forth over the carcass of another - bizarre and shocking scenes revealed in footage shared with ITV News.
It’s a window into an industry behind the red coats, horses and hounds that make up the traditional image of hunting and it is both morally and legally questionable.
The secret filming, commissioned by the energy provider Ecotricity, gives an extraordinary insight into the ‘Fallen Stock’ service provided by hunts to farmers and land owners who pay them to dispose of dead livestock.
What does “cage-free” mean? In the simplest terms, cage-free means exactly what it sounds like: laying hens are never caged. But the simplicity of this label ends there.
What does cage-free eggs mean? The term may bring to mind happy chickens roaming free in a rolling green field, their lush feathers glistening in the ample sunlight. Unfortunately, this idyllic image is far from the true conditions for the hens who produce cage-free eggs. In order to make informed decisions as a consumer, you have to—and, I believe, deserve to—know what you’re actually choosing.
Empathy can be a powerful thing. Anyone who has a pet dog or cat gains fresh insight into their inner lives every day.
Some scientists have traditionally frowned at such empathy, describing it as ‘anthropomorphism’ – prescribing human characteristics to animals – and getting in the way of objectivity. But the unconditional love millions of dog and cat owners feel for their pets, cannot be underestimated. Recent research studies have identified that 14% of people in a relationship admit to loving their pet more than their partner.
But how many of those same animal lovers pause to think of the life of the sentient being behind their bacon sandwich, sausage, steak or burger? Why this disconnect with the life of the sentient animals who provide our food? How can we react strongly to cruelty to our companion animals, yet seemingly turn a blind eye to the intolerable suffering of farm animals?
Misleading Packaging and Claims
Today, many millions of pounds are spent on designing engaging packaging suggestive of happy farm animals in pretty farmyards and in buttercup fields. Brands and language is used to market the products under terms like ‘farm fresh’ and ‘country fresh’, in an attempt to convey a romantic ‘Old MacDonalds’ farm image.
The sad truth is that many of the products sold are fresh from factory farms, where animals are denied a life worth living. Powerful vested interests would prefer we suppress our empathy too for fear we would stop buying meat, milk and eggs if we knew the real facts behind the labels.
The Suffering of Sentient Creatures
Is it a genuine disconnect that has developed over time or a lack of information? Scientists have proved beyond doubt that pigs are every bit as intelligent as dogs, yet the life of a pig on an industrial farm is appalling. Just imagine how dog lovers would react if Labradors or French Bulldogs, our current most favoured dog breeds, were treated in the same way as a factory farmed pig. Mothering sows giving birth in farrowing crates so small they can’t even turn around for weeks at a time. Piglets’ teeth are often clipped and their tails cut off without anaesthetic to stop them from tail biting in the barren conditions.
Non-Stun Slaughter with CO2 Gas
As if these facts aren’t horrific enough, we know from reports that the pig industry has a dark secret because the vast majority of the big slaughterhouses in Britain and Europe do not kill pigs by electrical stunning, which would mean instant unconsciousness, but by lowering them in crates into chambers filled with carbon dioxide causing them to gasp for breath and hyperventilate, causing pain and panic amongst the terrified animals. The gas acidifies eyes, nostrils, mouths and lungs, meaning the animals feel like they are burning from the inside out for 15-60 seconds or more.
Meat prices going up, Insect Farming, Belgium shut down all fur farms & more | Month in a Minute – February
Welcome to Livekindly's monthly recap of the biggest stories in animals, food, the environment, and justice delivered to you in just one minute.
Frantic February? Let us fill you in on stories you missed with Sentient Media’s The Month in a Minute.
Let’s go.
It was a good month for mainstream media exposure as The New York Times ran scathing pieces on animal agriculture’s role in the climate crisis (short gap for video) and industrial chicken farms (short gap),
though they somewhat disappointed with a third video suggesting the solution to these issues was… (insect farming insert) …I mean really, are chickpeas that unappealing?
Meanwhile in the UK the BBC broadcast an unflinching look at dairy farms that led many viewers to ditch dairy
Fresh from reversing his own diabetes with a plant-based diet, the Mayor of New York launched vegan Fridays in schools
Good times at Tyson Foods as inflated meat prices led to record profits.
That would be the same Tyson who we just learned are using land ‘twice the size of New Jersey’ for animal feed, and whose farm in Kentucky was just found to have lethal bird flu, which while we’re at it was also found in Maine, New York, Virginia, Indiana, South Carolina and so on
Yet another study was released showing that climate disaster could be largely prevented by ending animal agriculture, this one stating that it would offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions this century.
In California a bill was introduced for a moratorium on factory farms and slaughterhouses.
In Spain, proposed limitations on animal agriculture were met with violent attacks on city council. Well, they do say that eating meat causes a spike in your cortisol levels.
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is using his financial leverage to press McDonalds into better treatment of pigs.
Germany banned the standard industry practice of culling male chicks
A Dutch-owned trawler dumped 100,000 dead fish in French waters
Belgium shut down all fur farms
And a maintenance technician was fired for exposing on TikTok how plastics bulk up pig feed.
Winner, winner, (plant-based) chicken dinner! You don’t have to miss out on sweet, savory, sticky chicken teriyaki when you go vegan. Nathan makes seitan at home (it’s totally doable!), flavors it with a classic teriyaki sauce, and serves it with noodles that soak up all that delicious sauce.
PETA urges people not to see 'Jackass Forever', alleges animal cruelty
PETA is urging people to boycott Jackass Forever, the newest release in the Jackass franchise due to alleged animal abuse.
In a public statement, PETA said the film had potentially violated California animal protection laws by provoking several animals into performing stunts leading the organization to push for a criminal investigation.
Some of the stunts questioned include goading a bull into hitting Johnny Knoxville, provoking a snake to bite Sean McInerney, endangering a tarantula, provoking honeybees into stinging Steve-O’s penis, and repeatedly hitting a scorpion so it would sting Rachel Wolfson.
“Jackass stunts are violent and vulgar, but if the talent is willing and the wounds are self-inflicted, that’s one thing—however, it’s quite another when animals are exploited, harassed, and harmed: That’s cruelty,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.
“Some people never learn.” It’s what the folks behind Jackass Forever would have you believe. But PETA thinks there’s a valuable lesson for the people involved in the upcoming Paramount Pictures movie to learn, perhaps by way of prosecution: Abusing animals is unacceptable.
New Documentary Transforms Cows From Methane Machines to Sentient Beings
After 90 grueling minutes, Luma—the bovine star of Andrea Arnold’s new documentary Cow—is led alone down a misty path to an empty barn. There, a bucket filled with food is placed down for her before a farmer walks onto the screen and, without fanfare, shoots her. In an empty cinema, my gaze is locked with Luma’s as she takes her final breath.
The documentary follows in the footsteps of Victor Kossakovsky’s award-winning Gunda, which chronicles the daily life of a pig from the birth of her piglets to the moment they are hauled away in a tractor. Arnold, like Kossakovsky, brought the camera to the eye-level of the animals, pushing the human workers who oversee Luma the cow’s life into the background.
Cows are often on the minds and lips of environmentalists as monstrous methane emitters who are destroying the climate. What makes Cow so unique is that in telling the story of Luma as an individual, her agency and resistance to her circumstances take center stage, challenging these dominant narratives of cows as an abstract mass of flatulence.
Student confronts vegan about indigenous culture | HEATED DEBATE
Earthling Ed has a new debate video up from UT Dallas! So far it's generated a huge amount of responses from you all in the comments, so if you haven't watched it yet, do check it out and let him know what you think. Have you dealt with any of these arguments before?
Order Ed's excellent book This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: Amazon.co.uk or here: Bookdepository.com (FREE Worldwide P&P!)
ICYMI: NATALIE PORTMAN’S VEGAN INVESTMENT AND CHANEL’S GREENWASHING
Natalie Portman is getting into the vegan bacon business and Chanel takes a step towards sustainability with a new 'eco' beauty line. Watch to learn more and catch up on the latest LIVEKINDLY news!
Do you think Chanel's 'nature-inspired' beauty line is greenwashing?
Chris Packham on narrating new National Geographic shows and his vegan diet
Chris Packham tells Georgia Humphreys about the shows he is narrating for National Geographic and how he ‘audits’ his life so it is more sustainable and regenerative.
Chris Packham is back in the wild, so to speak.
The presenter and environmentalist, 60, is voicing Russia’s Wild Tiger and Thailand’s Wild Cats for National Geographic WILD’s annual Big Cat Week.
Russia’s Wild Tiger tracks the battle for survival of big cats, including exploring the fate of Siberian tigers, while Thailand’s Wild Cats explores jungles which are home to some of the rarest wild cats on earth, including the clouded leopard and the Indian fishing cat.
Packham, who presents the BBC’s Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch programmes, says he loved voicing the Big Cat Week programmes.
He said: “I like the idea of these weeks that we have – they turn into more of a celebration. And I think that rather than having a one-off programme which can generate a bit of interest, if you have a week of programming, it tends to focus people more.
“National Geographic run their big cat initiative as well, where they provide funding for research and conservation.
“So there are ulterior motives and I obviously champion and support that. If you have a week it’s more than a gig, it’s a festival.”
He adds that “what I like about this style of filmmaking, is that some parts of it are what I would call sort of long form narrative”.
“Very often, when we watch programmes now, documentaries about animals, we see quite short sequences, and they give us remarkable insights into their behaviour and ecology, but we don’t see it in anywhere near real-time.”
Just how important are wildlife shows for raising awareness about the natural world?
“I always say that wildlife programmes are a great way of instigating an interest, but they won’t be able to fully satisfy it.
“I think wildlife programmes, particularly programmes like this, have a much stronger conservation message now than they used to have.
“And again, obviously, Nat Geo, they’ve got their initiative which runs in parallel with this, which is about proactively conserving and researching the animals, and that’s coming to the fore.
And obviously, I’m very pleased to see that.
“I’d like to see it go even further, frankly, because many of these species, well all of the cat species that we look at, even leopards now, are in trouble in some parts…
“So it’s really important to highlight that it’s not a utopia out there – these animals are struggling.
“And if we don’t help them, then it’s going to backfire for everyone, including us. I don’t think we’ve reached that point.”
Do people need to make more longer-term changes?
“My life now is a constant audit, constantly looking at what I do, how I do it, and thinking about how I can do it in a more, not just sustainable way, but regenerative way.
“I think we have to constantly ask ourselves, what do we do? How do we travel? What do we eat? What do we buy outside of food?
“All of these things. And obviously there are a plethora of ways that we can have a less damaging impact on the planet and its wildlife, and by simply changing the way that we live.”
He adds: “Now I am vegan, and I have been for some time; if you cut down, I’m happy, because that’s moving in the right direction.
Introducing Sentient Media’s brand new video series: The Month in a Minute ... with January!
Introducing Sentient Media’s brand new video series: The Month in a Minute. From avian flu to greenwashing, revisit January’s top stories delivered to you in one minute.
Busy month? We’ve got you covered. Welcome to the Sentient Media Month in a Minute. Every month, we’ll recap the top stories and give you the low down in just one minute.
Ready?
New year, new laws as California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3 go into effect, requiring that veal calves and hens be given enough room to stand up, lie down, and turn around.
Bird flu continued to spread across Asia and Europe resulting in massive culls and human infection, while new research suggests people still largely fail to recognise animal agriculture's link to infectious diseases.
Veganuary continues its year-on-year growth with a record 600,000 and-counting participants, while a new study suggests one in three will stay vegan.
“This is lovely, it’s like a chicken nugget! What’s the point in eating chicken when you can eat those? I’m gonna turn into a vegan! It’ll be so much better for the planet!”
In the US hunters killed 20 Yellowstone wolves that roamed out of the park, while in Scandinavia still-endangered wolf populations are being culled as they “may pose a threat” to livestock.
In Spain, there were cross-party calls for Minister for Consumer Affairs Alberto Garzon to resign for daring to criticise intensive animal farms.
The USDA was forced to release years of slaughterhouse records following a complaint by animal protection organizations.
The fur industry launched Furmark, a global certification greenwash aimed at assuring concerned consumers of high environmental standards.
President Biden pledged 1 billion for smaller meat farmers, in a kind of suffering stimulus package.
And a man in Maryland received the world's first successful pig heart transplant.
In 2021, We Animals Media laid the groundwork to continue bringing visibility to animals far into the future. As the pandemic and uncertainty swirled around us, we found creative ways to continue our field work. At the same time, we realized that We Animals Media also needs to continue expanding its capacities as the world’s leading animal photojournalism agency.
Watch our 2021 Year in Review video to see more of what we’ve built and achieved this past year and where we’re headed for the next two years.
What's Happened with Bite Size Vegan & What's Next?
What's going on with Bite Size Vegan? Where have I been? What have I been up to? Find out about all the developments and what you can expect from me and Bite Size Vegan moving forwards.
If you missed the previous video, see Foods That Cause Inflammation: youtu.be/xYo9J8RijQY
Animal Rights Advocate Ricky Gervais Finally Reveals He Is Vegan
It comes as more people, especially younger demographics, cite celebrity influence as a motivator in going plant-based
Actor and animal rights advocate Ricky Gervais has revealed he is now vegan. The comedian recently sat down with Jimmy Fallon on his eponymously named Tonight Show, and slipped his plant-based lifestyle into conversation. .
During the segment, which was released this week, Fallon questioned Gervais on some (mildly) divisive opinions.
Fallon asked the comedian – who penned and starred in the hugely popular After Life – who the best Beatle and James Bond was, for example.
Then, “If you had to be a cannibal, who would you eat?” Fallon wanted to know.
“Well I’m vegan so it’s even worse for me. I wouldn’t…” Gervais began to reply.
“What about Paul McCartney? He’s vegan,” Fallon joked.
“Well that doesn’t make any difference if you eat someone who’s vegan, you’re still eating meat, aren’t you? If you eat a cow that doesn’t make you vegan because you’re eating an animal that’s vegan,” Gervais retorted.
“So you wouldn’t eat Paul McCartney, even if you had the chance?” The host asked.
“Well I’d rather not eat anyone!” Gervais replied.
Natural Vitamin B12: The Nail in the Malnourished Vegan Coffin
Vitamin B12, the Achilles’ heel of veganism or just another example of the animal farming industries clutching at straws?
In their 2022 We Eat Balanced campaign, the AHDB advocate for the consumption of animal products by stating that it’s a natural source of vitamin B12.
However, when we consider that the majority of the animals we consume are either supplemented with B12 in the first place, or the minerals required for them to produce B12, it becomes apparent that this isn’t even true.
But more to the point, does it even matter if we get vitamin B12 naturally or unnaturally? The idea that something being natural means that it is better is clearly a misguided idea. There are many things that are natural but clearly terrible, such as certain diseases like anthrax, and there are many things that are unnatural but clearly good, such as medications like synthetic antibiotics.
In fact, the way that we live is completely unnatural, from the homes we live in and the clothes we wear, to even the food we eat.
Animal agriculture as an industry is unnatural due to it being a human construct that revolves around domestication, selective breeding, artificial insemination, and the list goes on. Even the bananas we eat are a product of selective breeding and are therefore unnatural - interestingly without being selectively bred bananas would naturally have been almost inedible.
So what is natural is not what is relevant, and in the case of B12 we can get what we need through eating fortified plant foods and taking a supplement. So we have the choice to either get B12 that way, or through supporting an industry that is not only one of the key drivers of the climate crisis, but also causes unimaginable suffering and cruelty to animals.
Industrial animal farms optimize their operations to maximize profits. To protect their product, factory farms use antibiotics on animals.
Antibiotics help prevent the onset and spread of bacterial infections. Liberal antibiotic use also accelerates farmed animals’ growth. With antibiotics, a pig can grow to slaughtering weight in less than 6 months—which is a fraction of a pig’s natural 15-20 year lifespan.
Using antibiotics to speed up animal growth can increase profits, and about 80% of antimicrobials in the US are marketed to animal farms. But the intensive use of antibiotics has major risks.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming more common in bacteria. AMR bacteria are much harder to treat because they can resist conventional antibiotics. These drug-resistant superbugs are also able to jump across species, increasing the likelihood of AMR bacteria being transmitted to humans.
Resistant strains of E. Coli and Salmonella have been found in U.S. pork samples. Manure from infected animals also contains AMR bacteria.
When this manure is used as a fertilizer, it pollutes the soil, water, and food crops posing a massive threat to community health around these farms and the health of people who consume these crops.
AMR causes 700,000 deaths worldwide each year, with more than 10 million annual deaths projected by 2050.
The threat of superbugs has prompted action from global organizations. The WHO has listed superbugs as a top threat to human health. The practices leading to the spread of superbugs must be curbed.
To prevent the spread of superbugs, we must reduce our reliance on factory farming.
2021: was there any progress for the vegan movement?
In this featured video Surge/Earthling Ed explore if veganism has made any progress throughout this past year and if societal attitudes towards animals are finally changing.
What were your experiences in 2021? Did you notice a shift in the area that you live in or changing attitudes towards veganism from friends and family?
Viva!'s new TV advert follows the journey of an everyday meat-eating couple as they decide which takeaway meal to order. Snuggled up on their sofa, with their beloved dog, they choose pulled pork from the food delivery app ‘Just Meat’.
Hungry in anticipation of their meaty meal, the couple race to the door when the delivery driver rings the bell. Upon opening the door, the couple are shocked to find an adorable little piglet on their doorstep and the delivery driver brandishing a butcher's knife announcing: “Just Meat, delivered fresh to your door.” Gob-smacked and confused, the couple don’t know what to do. Surely, they won’t kill the cute little piggy?
The advert encourages the public to make the connection between the animals they choose to keep as companions and the ones that are destined for their dinner table. Viewers are invited to consider the morality of eating meat, helping them to make the connection between animals and food. The solution? Try vegan of course!
The advert will premier this Valentine’s Day on Channel 4 and its associated networks.
For the release of Ed Winters debut book he was invited onto BBC Politics Live to discuss how he became vegan, and to debate whether or not veganism is a moral imperative.
Order Ed's excellent book This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: Amazon.co.uk or here: Bookdepository.com (FREE Worldwide P&P!)
NYC's "Vegan" Mayor, Oatly, and The Part Time Vegan – Mic the Vegan
Oatly's part time vegan marketing, NYC's "Vegan" mayor Eric Adams being imperfectly perfect, Vegan Fridays in NYC schools, expanding plant-based health programs and more.
Pre-order Ed's debut book 'This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: Amazon.co.uk or here: Bookdepository.com (FREE Worldwide P&P!)
PBN’s New Short Film ‘Vegan 2021’ Is Out Now
VEGAN 2021 is the latest in this series of annual wrap ups produced by Plant Based News to celebrate the achievements of the vegan movement.
2021 started with a bang, with a dizzying nearly half a million people signing up for Veganuary.
Throughout the year, plant-based meat companies forged partnerships with the biggest names in the food industry, like McDonald’s, Subway, and Dominos, to name a few.
A host of high-profile names spoke out about animal exploitation, including Grammy Award-winner Billie Eilish and Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who are both vegan.
Corporations shelled out millions of dollars to place behind alternative protein start-ups, and communities around the globe rallied together to help protect the planet from the climate emergency.
PBN’s last yearly recap,VEGAN 2020, was feature length and garnered nearly 700,000 views.
This year’s highly anticipated release is a short film, and will be hosted on shorter video platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as YouTube.
Klaus Mitchell, director of the PBN annual film series and founder of PBN, said the new short film has arrived at just the right time.
“More people than ever are paying attention to the vegan movement, and VEGAN 2021 highlights why. This short film sheds light on the growing awareness of plant-based living, and why picking up the lifestyle is easier, simpler, and more important than ever before,” he explained.
All I want for Christmas is for the needless mass suffering, exploitation and death of animals to stop, and for us to realise that traditions do not morally justify causing harm to others.
I've just uploaded our latest Surge Media production, and I really hope that it's a useful video for you to share this holiday season to raise awareness about what’s happening to animals for our celebrations.
Christmas can be such an incredibly difficult time for vegans, and I hope that you all manage to get through the upcoming weekend okay.
Pre-order Ed's debut book 'This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: Amazon.co.uk or here: Bookdepository.com (FREE Worldwide P&P!)
Sentient Media 2021 Year in Review - Wins & Setbacks: Seaspiracy, First Vegan Mayor, COP26, and more
Before we launch into the new year, let's have a look back at some of 2021's breakthroughs and setbacks in this block by block fight against animal exploitation. You ready?
Breakthrough: the European Parliament voted for a ban on cages by 2027.
Setback: The livestock industry aggressively up their lobbying to the UN.
Meat Eater VS Vegan: "Veganism will harm a LOT of humans!" – Earthling Ed
He says "I'm just checking in to let you know that a new debate video is up from my US tour, this was one of my favourite conversations that I've had so far, and judging from the comments it seems you all really like it as well! Let me know if you think that Dennis will make the switch to vegan."
Pre-order Ed's debut book 'This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: Amazon.co.uk or here: Bookdepository.com (FREE Worldwide P&P!)
The World Will Go Vegan Without Realising It - SPEECH
The World Will Go Vegan Without Realising It - a speech delivered at Imperial College London on 2nd December 2021 by Klaus Mitchell.
About Klaus: Klaus Mitchell launched Plant Based News in 2015 whilst studying an MSc in ‘Genetics of Human Disease’ at University College London. He has had a number of writing roles, including authoring an article published in the journal of Public Health Nutrition, which explored the effect of diet on various health markers. After founding the company in 2017 after joining forces with Robbie Lockie the year before, PBN now reaches over 70 million impressions each month across multiple platforms. More recently, he helped as script editor on Netflix documentary Seaspiracy and among his day to day management duties at PBN, his other labour of love is directing the company’s annual wrap up films, which have been shown in cinemas around the world.
Viva!'s Farming Coordinator, Kerri Waters, Speaks to GB News
Kerri Waters, Viva!'s Farming Coordinator, spoke with GB News on 3 December 2021. She called on the government to put in major subsidiaries to encourage better infrastructure in order to move away from meat and dairy production in favour of plant-based vegan farming. This will help to meet the growing demand from the plant-based market, and also help the numerous challenges faced by farmers.
Humans interact with nonhuman animals in many different ways. Humans eat animals, wear animals, invite them into their homes as pets, and even use them in sports. But a common and rarely mentioned use of animals is for animal testing. Many foods, drugs, and cosmetics are first tested on animals before they are made available for us to use.
Several animal species are used in testing. Many are mammals with genomes similar to our own. Common species include mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, dogs, cats, non-human primates, fish, and farmed animals. Animal testing prioritizes efficiency and speed and overlooks the well-being of animals. They are routinely experimented on against their will.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and many of the labs using these animals were shut down, lab authorities ordered the animals be killed—instead of delivering them to sanctuaries or paying for their continued care.
Animal testing continues to be mandated by medical authorities despite clear evidence it isn’t effective or even useful. The U.S. spends billions of dollars each year on animal testing, but it hasn’t improved the efficacy of drugs. Over 93% of cancer drugs that tested successfully on animals failed after entering the first phase of human clinical trials.
As awareness of animal testing’s flaws increases, more people are demanding that the practice be ended. An increasing number of customers now prefer cruelty-free brands that don’t test their products on animals. Cruelty-free cosmetics could be a $10 billion market by 2024.
Six U.S. states have already banned cosmetics that were tested on animals. The U.S. EPA has pledged to end all animal testing by 2035, and the EU recently voted to phase out animals from testing labs.
Technological advances enable sophisticated testing methods that prevent the abuse of sentient animals. In-vitro tests can simulate entire organs, lab-grown tissue has been used to test chemicals and drugs, and human-patient simulators are being used in classrooms to teach human physiology and surgical procedures.
Advocates continue to push for these improvements to end the unnecessary suffering caused by animal testing.
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He says "Right now I'm in Texas visiting university campuses here, it's been non-stop debates since I arrived in the US, but I'm excited to get all of this content out once the universities break for Christmas"
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