They're Trying To Kill Us:
A new film from What The Health co-director on racism in the food system.
Cowspiracy/What The Health co-director Keegan Kuhn has teamed up with health advocate and activists John Lewis (aka Badass Vegan) to raise awareness of the health disparities for Americans of Color and the systems keeping it that way.
Audiences journey with co-director John Lewis as he crosses the country seeking answers to why Americans of Color suffer from disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease than their European American counterparts, while examining the intersections of food, disease, race, poverty, institutional racism and government corruption. Through interviews with cultural influencers, doctors, researchers, politicians, attorneys, professional athletes, activists and experts in the field of food justice, John begins to unravel a story of collusion that has kept millions of Americans sick, while the industries responsible make billions of dollars.
The film follows John as the protagonist and narrator in the documentary due to his unique experience being adopted at birth from his drug addicted birth mother, growing up as an overweight kid in the violence of Ferguson, to becoming a prominent health and wellness advocate promoting compassion.
The film has a crowdfunding campaign running to help raise additional funds to propel the film into the wider world.
Please consider supporting this important film and message on their Indiegogo page: igg.me/at/TTTKU/x/156996#
PALM OIL is DEVASTATING the RAINFOREST
Why is this plant-based oil devastating the rainforest? You may not know it, but many products you encounter every day can contain palm oil. Packaged snacks like chips and cookies contain palm oil, and household products like lipstick and toothpaste do, too. There is an increased demand on this cheap and versatile oil, and companies cut corners on sustainability to make a profit.
There are environmental impacts related to palm oil due to deforestation, as land is cleared for palm plantations. There are also impacts on wildlife - the Bornean orangutan, Sumatran tigers, rhinos, and elephants are some of the species at risk. There are impacts on indigenous communities and activists who try to protect the land.
How can we move forward from palm oil? Several countries have implemented bans, though experts warn that another land-intensive oil will simply take its place. Dr. Jane Goodall supports the sustainable production of palm oil, but it has to be done right. Governing bodies such as the RSPO provide sustainability regulations for palm oil production. There are also lab-grown palm oil alternatives that may soon take palm oil's place.
Common Ground S1E3.5: Food-based outreach & Unifying the Grassroots
As animal advocate we want to advance the plight of our fellow animals as fast as possible. But what about the overall strategy and how do our tactics fit into this? What campaigns should we be dedicating our limited time to?
Common Ground is a new series from The Animal Rights Show. We invite all animal advocates from around the world to discuss important and complex topics. We may not always agree, however through respectful solution-based dialogue we attempt to find common ground. See: facebook.com/TheAnimalRightsShow
VEGMOVIES – Vegan Film Platform Launches
VegMovies recently debuted with a database of 200 films to make vegan-themed movies easy to access and share.
The VegMovies platform—built by website design company Veg Groups—features films with strong vegan and animal-rights themes, vegan characters, and/or messages regarding climate change. It allows users to browse titles in categories such as “Animals,” “Health,” “Environment,” and “Family Friendly,” and provides information such as run time and plot summaries, along with testimonials from people that have been positively impacted by each film. The platform also organizes films based on their streaming platforms, allowing users to see which films they can view with their existing Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions, and directs viewers to where the films they wish to view can be purchased or streamed for free. In its “Coming Soon” section, VegMovies also helps films that are in development gain support by directing users to funding platforms.
“The launch of VegMovies has been three years in the making,” Veg Groups Founder Jason Schramm said. “There are so many great movies that are animal-oriented or have a vegan focus, but it can be hard to filter through all of the choices. Until now there hasn’t been a single place where all of the movies could be easily found. Somewhere that was constantly updated with the latest objective information on each film and where to watch them.”
VegMovies is a living platform that will continue to update titles as they become available. Current films featured on the platform include British documentary Hogwood, popular health-centric documentary The Game Changers, and They’re Trying to Kill Us—a film currently crowdfunding for its post-production costs that focuses on the intersection of veganism, poverty, and systemic racism told through the lens of hip-hop culture. vegnews.com
How 2020 could be about to get a LOT worse - Earthling Ed
Surge's new ‘Not If, But When’ campaign is centred around discussing the inextricable link between animal farming and infectious zoonotic disease. As a recent UN report has further highlighted, animal farming and animal exploitation have to be eliminated if we are to reduce our risk of future pandemics, because simply put, whilst we have animal farms we will have pandemics. #NotIfButWhen
The latest case of bubonic plague is a reminder that diseases of the past are still a threat. We have the tools to fight them off but for how much longer will that be true?Presented by Klaus Mitchell
Billions of frogs are being killed ... Want to help?
Right now, as you read this, billions of frogs across the world are being tortured, maimed, and killed. Stolen from the wild, they die in pain. It is estimated that in Asia alone, between 180 million and a billion frogs are currently stolen each year for use in traditional ‘medicine’.
In Laos, tiny rice paddy frogs are dipped into boiling oil and fried alive on sticks. Or they are put into blenders and liquidized before being added to curries and stews, boiled in soups or barbecued on an open flame.
In Vietnam and Japan, live bullfrogs are served to diners, filleted while their hearts are still beating. In China, Asiatic grass frogs - a protected species - are butchered for use in traditional ‘medicine’ (hasma is made with the fallopian tubes of dried-up female frogs and is supposed to help consumers “look younger”).
Video footage from Cambodia shows frogs kicking and squirming in pain as their snouts and rear legs are cut off with scissors. Still alive, they are thrown in a pile of other maimed frogs and left to endure a slow death. These frogs are not only massacred for their legs, they are also turned into trinkets and curios for the tourist industry.
In Europe and the United States, an exploding exotic pet trade sees glass frogs plucked from tropical rainforests and stuffed into tiny glass containers, destined for the pet trade. Many frogs die before reaching their destination and those that don’t die later perish from the long-term effects of capture and transport.
Across the world, aquatic African clawed frogs, semiterrestrial bullfrogs, and terrestrial toads are still used in classroom dissections and teaching exercises in a harrowing process known as “pithing”. Pithing leaves the frogs defenceless while students cut them open, apply drugs to their beating hearts, and attach electrodes to their exposed leg muscles after peeling off their skin.
The cruelty being inflicted on frogs for cosmetics or when they are barbarically killed for a sick frill for diners is so blatant, so abhorrent and so dangerous that governments must act now. Your donation will help us make them pay attention.
Frogs play a vital role in the food chain, as both predators and prey. As tadpoles, frogs eat algae, reducing the chances of algal contamination and they, in turn, are an important source of food for birds, fish, monkeys and snakes.
Their diet includes mosquitoes, lowering the transmission risk of killer diseases including Dengue fever, malaria, West Nile fever and Zika.
Right now, frogs are racing headlong to extinction, but if we act fast to stop the international trade, we will give the frogs a better chance of survival and save billions of creatures from merciless cruelty.
Every single animal life is important.
It’s never been easier for animal pathogens to spill over into humans.
Over the last 40 years, disease outbreaks among humans have become more and more frequent. The majority of those diseases are zoonoses, or diseases that originated in animals, like Ebola, West Nile virus, and probably Covid-19. But what makes zoonotic outbreaks likelier than ever is actually something humans are doing.
According to science journalist Sonia Shah, author of the 2017 book "Pandemic," the expansion of humans onto more and more of the planet’s land has increased the likelihood of disease outbreaks in two ways. First, as humans move into what were once animal habitats, we end up living closer to animals that might contain dangerous pathogens; and second, as we destroy or alter animal habitats, we’re driving away or killing off animals that once served as a “firewall” between those pathogens and us. And the human land development driving this trend shows no signs of stopping.
Common Ground S1E3.4: 'Animal Racing' + Empowering the Grassroots
As animal advocate we want to advance the plight of our fellow animals as fast as possible. But what about the overall strategy and how do our tactics fit into this? What campaigns should we be dedicating our limited time to?
Common Ground is a new series from The Animal Rights Show. We invite all animal advocates from around the world to discuss important and complex topics. We may not always agree, however through respectful solution-based dialogue we attempt to find common ground. See: facebook.com/TheAnimalRightsShow
THIS JAMES ASPEY SPEECH WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
You’re about to feel empowered to make one of the greatest choices you could ever make. After watching this speech you’ll never look at life the same again.
This week's news: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces a $100 million investment in plant-based protein. Lizzo confirms she is vegan on TikTok while cooking a vegan omelette made from JUST egg. Paul McCartney and his daughters, fashion designer Stella McCartney and photographer Mary McCartney, have signed a draft letter to encourage vegan food at UK schools. Doctors are also urging the US government to ditch dairy.
In the U.S., Starbucks launches Impossible vegan sausage sandwiches. In the UK, Papa John's is rumored to be launching spicy vegan pizzas. Colombia’s capital, Bogota, is moving towards a ban on bullfighting. Dutch fur farms that shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak will not reopen, parliament has ruled.
Amazon has announced a new $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund. Four major meat producers—Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., JBS SA, and National Beef Inc.—have been subpoenaed by the U.S Department of Justice on allegations of antitrust violations. Scientists just named a new spider species after teenage environmentalist Greta Thunberg. The youth activist inspires kids to recycle.
WE WANT TO LIVE – UK REBELLION ... 1st September 2020 with Extinction Rebellion
We face an intersection of global crises. Climate breakdown, COVID-19, racial injustice, economic inequality – all are symptoms of a toxic system propped up by corrupt politicians, that is driving us to extinction – a system built on inequality, the destruction of nature, and the exploitation of Black, brown and Indigenous people.
We can not carry on like this. The system is broken.
It’s 2020. Siberia is burning. Extinction is beckoning – but the Government is looking the other way. Peaceful rebellion is the only option we have before us.
New Swine Flu Identified - With Pandemic Potential
As the world starts to emerge from lockdown, we find that ANOTHER viral strain has been identified which is capable of causing the next pandemic. Watch this Plant Based News exclusive report to find out more about this developing story.
Animal Equality Works to End Animal Sacrifice at the Gadhimai Festival
Animal Equality is once again working to end animal sacrifice at the Gadhimai festival, an event where thousands of animals are in danger of being brutally slaughtered by festival attendees. The festival, taking place in Southern Nepal with violent animal sacrifice as the main component, happens every 5 years and has been subject to intense backlash from animal protection organizations like Animal Equality.
DOCTOR Answers GOOGLE QUESTIONS About A VEGAN Diet
Do vegans get enough protein? Is plant-based meat healthier than animal meat? Does a plant-based diet provide adequate nutrients – omega 3s, choline, and iron? Dr. Joel Kahn is here today to answer commonly googled questions about a vegan diet.
Dr. Joel Kahn is a Professor of Cardiology, Summa cum Laude grad, Kahn Center for Longevity and GreenSpace & Go, author, “The Plant Based Solution.”
The forgotten ones during virus outbreaks
Everyone is talking about a pandemic now because us humans feel threatened by it, we can die from this current virus, Covid 19. Previously we rarely talked about viruses, because most of us humans didn’t feel directly life-threatened by one. But almost every year viruses break out among our very own farm animals in multiple places around the world; Mad Cow Disease, Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine Fever, Pig Flue, Avian Flue, Q-Fever… and what do we do? We mass kill them, often using horrible methods, like burying them alive, smothering them with gas, clubbing them, turning off the ventilation and blowing in steam to heat them to death locked inside their barns…
This pandemic is making us realize how precious life is and how scary death it. But where is our compassion for animals that face these virus outbreaks, largely due to human activity (keeping millions together in cramped conditions, transporting them around the world…). Is it not time that we worked towards a more plant-based future to reduce the risks of causing more suffering, of them and of us now?
When Rebecca Cappelli found dogs caged on a fur farm in China, she dropped everything to save five of them.
This is the story of their rescue, from cages to freedom.
You won’t believe what the dairy industry did with your tax money
In the midst of the current global pandemic, the UK dairy industry has launched a new campaign called Milk Your Moments, encouraging people to buy more cows’ milk products. The campaign itself is costing £1 million, but half of that is your taxpayer money, a hand out from the UK government in the form of a Defra grant. During a crisis where charities are struggling to provide food to the most vulnerable people, our taxes are being spent on social media and TV ads shoring up an industry that was failing long before COVID-19. Is the answer really more subsidies and hand-outs, or is there a better way for farmers and taxpayers?
Bad Ass Vegan Stars In New Film 'They’re Trying To Kill Us' About Racism And Food Justice
'If you're not hungry for justice, it's because you're full of privilege'
A new documentary starring prolific advocate Bad Ass Vegan (aka John Lewis) will focus on racism, disease, and food justice.
The film, titled They’re Trying To Kill Us, is the follow-up to the smash-hit movie What The Health.
Produced by Keegan Kuhn (Cowspiracy, What The Health) and John Lewis (Badass Vegan, Vegan Smart), the film 'focuses on food (in)justice told through the lens of Hip Hop and urban culture'.
Make the switch to vegan & get all of the support you need: switchtovegan.co.uk
TOP 10 VEGAN MILKS Better Than DAIRY
The global vegan milk market is expected to surpass $34 billion dollars. There are plenty of plant-based milk options available that are better than cow's milk. Where dairy is harmful to the environment, many types of vegan milk are more eco-friendly. Between almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, even hemp, hazelnut, and pecan - which vegan milk is the best for the planet?
You’re invited to follow our intrepid group of undercover investigators as they enter HOGWOOD farm for the very first time. The conspiracy unfolds as we fight against some of the most powerful players in the animal agriculture industry. This is a gripping tale of negligence, greed and inaction, and our unrelenting fight to help the pigs trapped in Hogwood Farm.
Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play Movies: www.hogwoodmovie.com
Common Ground S1E3.3: Campaign Strategies (Bonus Episode: Debate Around Bans)
As animal advocate we want to advance the plight of our fellow animals as fast as possible. But what about the overall strategy and how do our tactics fit into this? What campaigns should we be dedicating our limited time to?
Common Ground is a new series from The Animal Rights Show. We invite all animal advocates from around the world to discuss important and complex topics. We may not always agree, however through respectful solution-based dialogue we attempt to find common ground. See: facebook.com/TheAnimalRightsShow
End the Cruel Dog Meat Trade
Animal Equality's brave investigators risk it all to expose what goes on behind closed doors in cruel industries that exploit animals. One investigator recounts what it was like to infiltrate the dog meat trade.
The Vegan Pod Podcast: How Vegan Businesses Have Coped with the Challenges of Covid-19
In this first episode, we discuss how vegan businesses have coped with the challenges of Covid19. We are joined by Mike and Joe from One Planet Pizza, Richard from Doisy and Dam and Gregg from Fruitive.
What causes a pandemic and how can we stop future ones?
With so much conversation around Covid19, it's important to understand what's causing these pandemics. Hear WWF's Jess explains where global pandemics come from and how we can prevent future ones.
More than 70 billion animals per year not only endure captivity for their entire lives, but are forced to live in conditions that are filthy, cramped, and often fail to meet even their most basic needs.
Humans are inherently compassionate beings, and most of us understand these feelings of pain and isolation. So how are we able to justify a system that subjects animals to intolerable suffering?
Join us to demand they improve conditions for workers, adopt animal welfare measures, and ultimately transition away from factory farming all together in favor of healthier plant-based alternatives: thehumaneleague.org/broken-food-system
Introduction to The Vegan Pod
Welcome to The Vegan Pod! This introduction explains what the podcast all about and what you can expect in further episodes. This introduction is also over on PodBean at podbean.com/ew/pb-s2ngu-dfe975
Common Ground S1E3.2: Campaign Strategies (Where should we focus our efforts?)
As animal advocate we want to advance the plight of our fellow animals as fast as possible. But what about the overall strategy and how do our tactics fit into this? What campaigns should we be dedicating our limited time to?
Common Ground is a new series from The Animal Rights Show. We invite all animal advocates from around the world to discuss important and complex topics. We may not always agree, however through respectful solution-based dialogue we attempt to find common ground. See: facebook.com/TheAnimalRightsShow
BBC How A Vegan Diet Could Affect Your Intelligence Nutritionist's Response
There's an article still on the BBC's website claiming that a vegan diet could be harmful to the human brain. Hench Herbivore thought this anti-vegan nonsense needed addressing!
Dairy farmer DEBUNKS Vegan LIES about Artificial Insemination
Apparently vegans are spreading lies about dairy industry Practices. So the Sask dutch kid has taken it upon himself to DEBUNK these claims. Joey Carbstrong retaliates!
INVESTIGATION: Chickens Suffer on Spanish Factory Farm
Animal Equality, along with Spanish online newspaper Público, has released an investigation into a factory farm in Spain that documents the cruelty of the environment and rapid growth that chickens suffer. Read more.
“Is the Next Pandemic on our Plate?” Our food system through the lens of COVID-19.
Compassion in World Farming webinar and Q&A exploring the links between farmed animals and zoonotic diseases with Global CEO, Philip Lymbery and Chief Policy Advisor, Peter Stevenson. Compassion’s mission to end factory farming and transform our outdated food system is as relevant as ever and an important bio-security strategy to protect animals and people from zoonotic diseases. In response to the pandemic, we are calling on the world’s most influential organisations, including The World Bank, the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, to agree to replace factory farming with a food system that respects animals, nurtures our planet, and reduces the risk of pandemics.
Tennis ace Novak Djokovic was struggling with his health and at a low point in his career when Dr. Igor Cetojevic saw him playing in the 2010 Australian Open and reached out to his parents and offered to work with the athlete.
Djokovic adjusted his diet, removing gluten, sugar and dairy and said he felt immediate relief. Now, Djokovic maintains a strictly plant-based diet.
In a recent interview Dr Michael Greger shared what he ate in a day, what a time he gets up and goes to bed, what time he eats dinner and finishes eating for the day! You'll learn about his special prebiotic mix, what he eats when he has no fresh produce in his house and why he's so fascinated about chronobiology!
How COVID-19 could change the way we eat forever – EarthlingEd
In this video I talk about how the current pandemic has taught us several fundamental lessons, and how in particular it has exposed the failings of the agricultural industries. I discuss how consumers are waking up to the inherent violence of animal farming and how, even though those most at risk of dying from COVID-19 are those with underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, the animal agriculture industries are still campaigning to get people to eat more animal products.
Common Ground S1E3.1: Campaign Strategies (Burnout, street outreach, and press releases)
As animal advocates we want to advance the plight of our fellow animals as fast as possible. But what about the overall strategy and how do our tactics fit into this? What campaigns should we be dedicating our limited time to?
This week's news: Black lives matter. In 2020, this should go without saying. Vegan celebrities and allies are showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and in seeking justice against police brutality. Beyonce seeks justice for George Floyd, Jay-Z thanks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for appointing Black Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Floyd case, Lewis Hamilton urges fans to denounce racism, and Snoop Dogg shares Instagram posts in solidarity with the movement. Celebrities sign an open letter to defund the police, and re-allocate resources to communities.
A United Nations-backed organization is urging investors to back sustainable, plant-based food products. For the first time in more than 600 years, white storks have hatched in the wild in Britain. A member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference urges the organization to eat vegetarian meals during receptions. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, China is embracing veganism.
Vegan boxing legend Mike Tyson says he is getting back in shape and may re-enter the ring. Simon Cowell may release a vegan cookbook after losing 60 pounds on a plant-based diet. Cher is working to put an end to animal exploitation and helped free "the loneliest elephant" Kaavan from a zoo in Islamabad. Kevin Hart advocates for a meat-free diet on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast and urges the media to be on the right side of history.
Freshwater makes up a small fraction of the earth’s water. The UN estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of the global population will live in areas affected by water scarcity. Another issue is that it disproportionately affects People of Color, and the situation is expected to get even worse.
Agriculture accounts for 92% of humanity’s water footprint and animal agriculture represents one-third of that. Animal agriculture is resource-intensive and freshwater is needed for growing feed and hydrating animals. When our diet is the biggest contributor to our water footprint, what can we do?
Water saved by going vegan could conserve drinking water for those who are suffering from a lack of access. Crops grown for animals could be dedicated to human consumption and help alleviate food insecurity. Land could be used to grow more sustainable plant-based protein. Animal agriculture is not only a threat to our water supply, but also ocean ecosystems, global temperatures, and human health.
Mass-Extermination of Iowa Pigs Amid Pandemic Revealed
Iowa’s largest pork producer, Iowa Select Farms, has been using a cruel and excruciating method to kill thousands of pigs who have become commercially worthless due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Common Ground – The Relationship Between Human and Other Animals' Rights
We invited all animal advocates from around the world to discuss important and complex topics. We may not always agree, however through respectful solution-based dialogue we attempt to find common ground.
In this episode we explore a frequent and at times controversial topic in animal advocate circles, whether human rights is relevant to animal rights.
Common Ground is a brand new series from the Animal Rights Show. We go through questions prompts to help spark discussion. By sharing each others' perspectives the hope is that we can understand each other and the topics better. We want to hear from you! Let us know what you think in the comments and don't forget to share if you know others interested in these topics :)
Liz Marshall's smooth, accessible documentary may change some minds as it unpacks the specifics of the slaughter-free "clean meat" movement.
“Meat the Future” is a slightly goofy title for a film that takes its subject very, very seriously. The wordplay feels like a token flourish of whimsy in Liz Marshall’s quietly educational documentary about the rise of alternative, environmentally friendly but still animal-based meat, as if to gently beckon carnivorous viewers who might be expecting a dour lecture. That isn’t on the cards here, however. “Meat the Future” unfolds as a thorough and persuasive presentation for a cutting-edge product that it wants us to start thinking about in normalized terms; it’s got too much to explain and advocate to leave much time for moral repudiation. “Clean meat,” as cell-grown protein has been branded by the scientists developing it, is the future; Marshall’s doc treats the present as a formality to be politely put behind us.
What causes a pandemic and how can we stop future ones?
With so much conversation around Covid19, it's important to understand what's causing these pandemics. Hear Jess explain where global pandemics come from and how we can prevent future ones.
Kate Nash 'I Went Vegan After Watching Okja - I Never Thought I Would'
'I never dreamed I would be vegan. I used to think that was crazy'
Kate Nash has revealed that she went vegan after watching the movie Okja.
The Netflix film, which has an animal rights perspective, tells the story of 'superpig' Okja, who has been genetically modified to feed as many people as possible. It was directed by Bong Joon-ho and stars Ahn Seo-hyun and Tilda Swinton.
Across Asia, an estimated 30 million dogs are slaughtered each year as meat and sold for human consumption, but attitudes are starting to change. Though China hosts the controversial Yulin Dog Meat Festival every June, 64% of the Chinese population wants the festival to end. Over half of China's population want to see dog meat banned altogether.
In April 2020, Shenzhen became the first Chinese city to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat. Zhuhai quickly followed suit. Experts are calling it a 'watershed moment' and are hopeful that this will lead to a domino effect across the country.
Should Vegans Just SHUT UP? Cosmic Skeptic spreaks with Joey Carbstrong
Joey Carbstrong is an Australian animal rights activist and vegan. Formerly a criminal, Joey turned his life around and now campaigns for animals, his views having been widely syndicated across various platforms including national television, radio, and his own highly popular YouTube channel.
Joey speaks to Alex O'Connor, AKA Cosmic Skeptic, about how to advocate for veganism, and whether the forthright methods employed by many activists does more harm than good. Should vegans calm down?
First episode: Common Ground – The Language of Animal Rights
We brought together animal advocates from around the world to discuss complex topics. We may not always agree, however through respectful solution-based dialogue we attempt to find common ground.
In this brand new format of the Animal Rights Show, we go through questions prompts to help spark discussion around the language of animal rights. We explore language from strategic and rights-based perspectives as well as some ideas for how we can dismantle speciesism / human superiority.
The time to start thinking about the next pandemic is now. And there's a bigger threat on the horizon than what we've experienced so far with COVID-19.
From wet markets abroad to factory farms in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has made one thing clear: we need to radically change our relationship with animals in order to prevent human catastrophe.
Plant-based diets have been around for ages - literally. In ancient Greece, philosophers questioned the morality of eating meat. In the age of enlightenment, Leonardo Da Vinci introduced the concept of speciesism - the false assumption that humans are superior to animals. Famed inventor Benjamin Franklin gave up meat in his youth, while others like Einstein, Edison, and Newton gave it up later in life. Nikola Tesla spoke out against animal cruelty and rarely ate meat.
Social justice reformers also abstained from eating meat. Rosa Parks and Mohandas Gandhi were vegetarians. Susan B. Anthony supported the animal rights movement and the first American Vegetarian Society.
Vegan and Animal Rights Talk Show: Should we Focus on Creating Activists?
Should we focus on others living vegan? Perhaps we should focus simply on inspiring others to get active? Or what about both?
In this episode of the Animal Rights Show with Jeremy and Roger, we briefly discuss these questions with long-time vegan Bernie Wright of the Dublin-based group Alliance for Animal Rights.
Emma Thompson Takes on Climate Activist Role in Short Vegan Film
he short satire film “Extinction” stars Emma Thompson and was based on last year’s London protests by the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion. It was due to these protests that the UK finally became the first country in the world to declare a climate emergency.
Dame Emma Thompson stars in the comedic film as an environmentalist and member of Extinction Rebellion. The British actress is a longtime environmental activist and serves as a member of Greenpeace and an ambassador for the Galapagos Conservation Trust. The team behind the film approached Thompson with the hopes of her playing a character who shares her same values.
Avoiding high-emission foods can have a bigger climate impact than any other consumption change.
Our consumption habits emit billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Our diets account for one-fourth of those emissions.
The food we eat emits so many greenhouse emissions because of the land it takes to grow it, but it also has something to do with biology. This video explains why the production of some foods emit more than others, and which foods to avoid to be a more climate-conscious consumer.
17 Celebrities Call to SHUT DOWN Wild ANIMAL MARKETS
The wild animal trade and live animal markets have been linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most wet markets in Asia sell fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices, and fresh meat, but the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan had a separate section for live and slaughtered wild animals. When diseases jump from humans to animals, they are called zoonotic diseases. The novel coronavirus is believed to be zoonotic, emerging from bats or trafficked pangolins.
Celebrities, politicians, and influencers are calling for an end to wild animal markets. Dr. Jane Goodall believes our disregard for nature has led to this pandemic. Ricky Gervais says wild animal markets need to end now, before another deadly pathogen transfers to humans. Sir Paul McCartney wants to see action taken to close these markets for good.
Other notable celebrities such as Queen guitarist Brian May, 'Friends' star Courteney Cox, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Leonardo DiCaprio are urging governments to end wildlife markets. Here are 17 celebrities calling to end live animal markets.
Is Animal Rights 'Too Intellectual?' (Vegan Street Outreach)
"You won't believe how much they open up during this vegan street outreach conversation!
Since 2018, I have been applying a rights-based approach to my animal advocacy. This is one of the first discussions since doing this where I was consistently challenged to explain my position, and thanks to their open-mindedness I think we both learned a lot and were inspired from the interaction." Jeremy Hess
Disgraceful vegans use pandemic to exploit vulnerable people
Kay Johnson Smith of Animal Agriculture Alliance recently published an article about how vegans and animal rights activists are using the current pandemic to push their agenda, and to exploit vulnerable people. Earthling Ed responds to her article, and to the absurd claims made within it.
Was this made in a lab? Are doctors exaggerating case rates for money? Are pharmaceutical companies sitting on a cure for autism? These claims and more examined with research and logic.
This week on LIVEKINDLY News: Icelandic whaling company IP-Utgerd has announced it is ending whaling for good. Austria closed its last-remaining coal-fired power plant in favor of green energy. Dublin’s Trinity College is urging Ireland to ditch meat to reduce global greenhouse emissions.
Meat plant workers are pushing back at Trump's executive order to keep slaughterhouses open. Fast-food restaurant chain Wendy’s is facing major beef shortages due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are speaking out about the factory farming industry, noting that it is much worse than wild animal markets. Joaquin Phoenix spent a weekend grilling vegan barbecue from Crossroads Kitchen.
Olivia Colman recently helped to deliver vegan meals to London’s most vulnerable communities. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski revealed the chain is getting ready to launch vegan options in the US. A vegan hotel is set to open this summer in Mykonos, Greece.
Has COVID-19 changed the economic case for meat and dairy?
An economic recession is looming in the wake of COVID-19 - the impacts of which are already far worse than the 2008 financial crash. The thing is though, we've known this was coming for years. Population growth and intensive animal farming have created a breeding ground for outbreaks like COVID-19. So we have to ask ourselves, what is the price we are willing to pay to continue to have meat on the menu?
Exclusive clip: Liz Marshall’s Hot Docs film “Meat the Future” explores cell-based meat
Director Liz Marshall (The Ghosts in Our Machine) will premiere her latest documentary Meat the Future on Thursday (May 7) as part of Hot Docs at Home on CBC.
The film centers on the U.S. movement toward cell-based meat — also known as “clean meat” and “cultivated meat” – a scientific process of growing animal cells to harvest poultry, beef, pork, fish and seafood.
Filmed between 2016 and 2019, Meat the Future goes behind the scenes with the movements’ pioneers — namely activists, scientists, researchers, marketers and policy experts — who believe the process can help prevent zoonotic foodborne diseases and reduce the greenhouse gases that result from animal agriculture, among other benefits.
Over 6,500 workers at meat processing plants have been sickened or are in isolation due to COVID-19. Smithfield, JBS, Tyson Foods and Cargill have halted operations at 22 slaughterhouses and processing plants in North America. But with President Trump’s new executive order, these plants are being forced to stay (at least partially) open. While the meat industry is expected to lose $13.6 Billion dollars due to closures, workers on the front lines say it is not worth the health risk. However, many are scared to speak up out of fear of losing their jobs. How will this pandemic affect meat production in the future?
INVESTIGATION: Animal Equality Shows Torment of EU Animals Shipped for Slaughter
A new investigation from Animal Equality shows the pain and torment of Spanish lambs as they are shipped across long distances, with journeys lasting up to ten days, and slaughtered while fully conscious after arrival.
THE DETAILS: In distressing footage shot by our investigators, we documented how lambs, all less than a year old, are treated during their live transport from Spanish farms. Tens of thousands of lambs are first shipped hundreds of miles by truck to Spanish port cities and then forced to travel by sea to countries in the Middle East to meet the demand for meat coinciding with Ramadan and the feast of the Sacrifice of the Lamb. Lambs are particularly sensitive animals that become paralyzed when they are afraid. During the journey, workers are shown throwing the animals and grabbing them by their legs to prevent them from retreating.
A TERRIBLE JOURNEY: Once the lambs are loaded onto the ships, they have to endure a 10-day journey in which there is no guarantee that the basic animal welfare standards set by the European Union will be met. To those in charge of their fate, it doesn’t matter if the lambs are injured during the journey or are in an advanced state of pregnancy—the only requirement is that they arrive at their destination alive. When they reach the country that purchased them, the lambs will have to then spend between 15-21 days in quarantine until they’re taken to slaughterhouses where they’ll endure an agonizing death. According to ritual slaughter rules to ensure the meat is halal, the lambs will be sacrificed with their throats slit and left to bleed out to death while fully conscious.
COVID-19 A FACTOR: The meat industry is utilizing the exports of lambs to Middle East countries as a way of compensating for the lack of domestic demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as 90% of these animals are consumed in bars and restaurants. Data indicates that this year alone more than 250,000 lambs will be sent to countries in North Africa and the Middle East for Ramadan celebrations.
BILLIONS OF ANIMALS ENDURE CRUEL LIVE TRANSPORT: Worldwide, more than two billion farm animals undergo long-distance of travel each year as a means of transporting live meat. Thousands also die during long sea journeys, with their bodies thrown overboard, appearing on beaches days later. In a 2019 report following an accident in which 14,000 sheep drowned in the Black Sea while being transported from Romania to Saudi Arabia, the European Commission acknowledged numerous deficiencies in this type of long-distance transport. The report points out that the welfare of these animals depends largely on the conditions of the ship and because there are no suitable inspections carried are carried out, there are no guarantees that these ships have an adequate drainage or ventilation systems. In fact, for ships bound for Saudi Arabia, port operators or livestock owners are not even allowed access to the vessels’ interior.
WHAT WE’RE SAYING: "Our investigations have clearly documented the mistreatment of lambs on these trips. It’s time to demand that both the Spanish government and the European Commission ban long-distance travel of live animals," says Silvia Barquero, Executive of Animal Equality Spain.
WHAT ELSE WE'RE SAYING: "From farms to slaughterhouses, animals exploited for food suffer tremendously. What is often forgotten in this never-ending cycle of violence is the immense cruelty that happens when these animals are transported to be slaughtered. It's more than time for this cruelty to be stopped and Animal Equality will continue to use its investigations to expose these truths," says Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality.
LIVE TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS OUTSIDE OF THE EU MUST END: In Europe, Animal Equality launched a petition addressed to the European Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries calling for an end to long-distance transport to countries that do not guarantee basic EU animal welfare standards. We are hopeful that our efforts will lead to much-needed change and will prevent the suffering of hundreds of thousands of animals every year. In the meantime, you can make a difference for animals by sharing out our investigations and ditching animal products. Saving lives starts with consumer choices, and you can help end suffering by making the switch plant-based. The animals, the planet, and your health will thank you.
Most of us have grown up believing dairy is a health food—we're told it builds strong bones and turns athletes into champions. However, that simply is not reality—it's marketing.
Dairy (in all forms) can cause something as inconvenient as acne and bloat to more serious issues such as chronic inflammation, increased risk of hip fracture, and hormone-dependent cancers. It's time to look beyond the ads.
Female Warriors Fight Poaching in New James Cameron Movie & David Attenborough is Teaching Kids About Wildlife Online – LIVEKINDLY News
This week's LIVEKINDLY news: James Cameron's new documentary was just release about the world’s only all-female anti-poaching rangers unit. Pamplona, Spain, has cancelled its annual “Running of the Bulls” event due to the coronavirus pandemic. Courteney Cox and Leonardo DiCaprio speak out against the illegal wildlife trade.
The coronavirus has forced six meat giants to close processing plants across the US. The dairy board calls upon the government as milk supply exceeds demand by at least 10% in the U.S. Sir David Attenborough is teaching quarantined kids about geography and animals for the BBC.
KFC China launched vegan chicken nuggets—made by major U.S. meat producer, Cargill. Starbucks China adds Beyond Meat items to its menu. Luxury parka brand Canada Goose is finally ditching virgin fur.
The Pandemic That Could Have Been Prevented – The Disclosure Podcast with Earthling Ed feat. Mic the Vegan
Earthling Ed speaks with Mic the Vegan, a highly influential vegan educator and YouTuber, about what’s happening right now in slaughterhouses in relation to COVID-19, as well as the possibility of the coronavirus also being able to be spread through animals such as pigs.
Bill Maher has blasted factory farms - branding them 'just as despicable as wet markets'. The comic made the comments during his Real Time With Bill Maher show last week.
Three in four of the world’s new or emerging infectious diseases come from animals.
Responsible for nearly three million deaths a year, these diseases are largely transmitted through trading wildlife (legally and illegally) and factory farming.
It’s time to make the connection between eating meat and the decimation of wildlife, antibiotic resistance and disease outbreak. It’s time to end factory farming and to choose vegan.
While humans are stuck in quarantine, the planet has benefitted from society slowing down. Turtles are hatching on empty beaches, uninterrupted by beach-goers. Ocean life is swimming through areas that have been overcrowded by noise and boats. Animals have taken to the streets in large numbers across the world. They are even taking over national parks - like the lions found sleeping in the streets at Kruger National Park.
Pollution has taken a major dip. Cities across the world have been on lockdown, and the lack of cars on the road has resulted in a drastic decline in air pollution. Some residents in Jalandhar are seeing an unobstructed view of the Himalayas for the first time in their lives. Have you seen an increase in wildlife activity near you? Let us know about it in the comments.
Remarkable COVID-19 Recovery! Dr Baxter Montgomery
Meet the plant based cardiologist who is helping his heart patients who have COVID-19 with diet and supplements and medical intervention where necessary. Learn about the supplements he uses and the diet he prescribes. In this video you will hear the remarkable recovery of one of Dr Montgomery’s patients who had COVID-19.
COVID-19: Our Treatment Of Animals Could Lead To An Even Worse Pandemic
There is a lesson that we as a species have failed to learn despite hundreds of years of powerful warnings. Tuberculosis, measles, whooping cough, typhoid, leprosy, and the common cold all have one thing in common: They jumped from animals to people when we started domesticating, farming and exploiting animals.
Just in the last hundred years, flu pandemics have spread across the world killing up to 100 million people. These were followed by SARS, bird flu, swine flu, MERS, and now COVID-19. Each of these infectious diseases spread rapidly after jumping from animals to humans, and they all exist as a direct result of the exploitation of animals for their meat, milk, eggs and skins.
3 Attacks on the Animal Movement and How to Fix Them (Invitation to Discuss) – Jeremy Hess
Jeremy says: Is the animal movement holding itself back?
Animal use and veganism may prove to be the defining moral issue of our time. In order for animal issues to be taken seriously, it's essential that it is tethered to consistent moral philosophy. At the moment the underpinning philosophy of the animal movement does not call for an end to animal use. That, along with the other two points raised, are why I made this video.
I've been vegan since 2014 and I have spent the bulk of my hours campaigning for other animals since 2017. In that time I've had countless discussions with myself and others. I've observed three key attacks on the animal movement that I think are keeping this movement from reaching its potential.
In this video I go through both sides of each topic as well as my opinions on them.
James Cameron Just Made a Film About All-Female Vegan Anti-Poachers
James Cameron's new film "Akashinga: The Brave Ones" tells the story of an all-female, vegan anti-poaching team of rangers.
A new film was just released about the world’s only all-female anti-poaching unit. The documentary, entitled “Akashinga: The Brave Ones,” is produced by three-time Academy Award-winning director James Cameron and directed by Maria Wilhelm. Read more: livekindly.co/james-cameron-just-made-a-film-about-all-female-vegan-anti-poachers
Executive produced by James Cameron and directed by Maria Wilhelm, AKASHINGA: THE BRAVE ONES tells the story of Akashinga, the all-female anti-poaching unit in Zimbabwe that is revolutionizing the way animals are protected and communities are empowered.
Jo Kidd: Co-founder of Vegan Organics Kent, an emerging veganic agroforestry project and earth friendly hub, based on permaculture principles for the benefit of humans animals and the earth.
Piers Warren: Conservationist, author and keen grower of organic fruit and vegetables. Author of several books and co-author ofThe Vegan Cook and Gardener; he will be sharing his expertise of growing and storing delicious healthy food all year round.
Ellen Mary: Horticultural radio show host, TV presenter, writer and of course vegan. Travelled all over the world to discuss the benefits that nature provides to our wellbeing – specifically gardening.
Now more than ever it is vital that we engage with how our food is grown.
This week's news: Dog and cat meat have been banned in a second Chinese city - Zhuhai, China. World-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall says ‘disrespect for animals’ caused the coronavirus pandemic. Queen’s lead guitarist, Brian May believes veganism is the “way forward” from the coronavirus pandemic.
Smithfield Food Inc. is closing its Sioux Falls-based pork plant indefinitely as hundreds of slaughterhouse workers test positive for coronavirus. Snoop Dogg is helping Beyond Meat donate vegan burgers to hospital workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Activists have launched a legal challenge against the Scottish government for inhumane calf exports. The government of Abu Dhabi is investing $100 million in indoor farming. A new study finds 75 percent of people who consider going vegetarian do so for their health. Filmmaker Kevin Smith is officially opening a real-life version of the fictional fast-food joint, Mooby’s.
IVFF VIRTUAL WORLD TOUR NOW SHOWING FOR A LIMITED TIME
Message from Shawn Stratton IVFF – Founder, Director:
We’re living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 virus may have temporarily shut down our World Tour Screenings, your local Veg Fest, Expos, and visitation to the animal sanctuaries but it can’t extinguish our community!
For the last 2 years, the International Vegan Film Festival has brought some of the world's most relevant vegan-themed stories and visual artistry to theaters around the world. Connecting with friends and strangers alike at our theater screenings is at the heart of the World Tour, however with the current cancellation of the Tour we don't want you to miss out on viewing these important films. So, we are adapting and responding to “social distancing” to offer you 90 minutes of films from our World Tour screening, free of charge. This is our hometown, feel-good, theater experience, streamed into the comfort of your own living room.
Film and photo submissions are now being accepted for the 2020 Festival. Awards to be announced on October 17th, 2020. Submit your film here, and photos here.
PLEASE ENJOY THIS LIMITED TIME FREE STREAM OF THE 2019/2020 IVFF WORLD TOUR WHILE YOU ARE TUCKED SAFELY AT HOME.
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In these uncertain times, the International Vegan Film Festival is proud to bring the festival’s world tour to anyone, anywhere. with the spread of COVID-19 and the international quarantine, the world tour has come to a halt for now. From now until June 30, 2020, all films that were available on the world tour will now be free to watch here.
All films (except Planet Vegan) that were on the world tour are now available for free.
Films Included: The Farm in My Backyard, Canada - Directed by: Jo-Anne McArthur 0:00:30 Apollo: Rise of the Poly-Vegan Soldier, New Zealand Directed by: Amy Taylor 0:17:21 Coming Closer, United States Directed by: Meghan McClymonds 0:24:17 Casa de Carne, United States Directed by: Dustin Brown 0:29:47 THE DOOR, Denmark Directed by: Rasit U. Tas, Simon Sonne 0:34:27 Cow's Milk? Germany Directed by: Roxy Velez 0:38:57 Reclaim, Canada Directed by: Jo-Anne McArthur, Kelly Guerin 0:40:19 Gold Doesn't Rust: Animal Testing and its 21st Century Alternatives, United States Directed by: Dr. Theodora Capaldo 0:42:15 Pig Man, New Zealand Directed by: Amy Taylor, James Muir 1:05:44 Bucking Tradition, United States Directed by: Sharon M Boeckle 1:13:37 Diet Change Not Climate Change, Germany Directed by: Roxy Velez 1:22:37
Photo Essay Contest 0:32:17
Animal farmers are using the current pandemic to debunk veganism for good. So with this in mind, I decided to go through the latest viral post which thousands of farmers have been spreading around Facebook.
If everyone around the world lived the same lifestyle, how many Earths would it take to sustain us? In honor of Earth Month, we dive into this question and all aspects of our everyday consumption.
Is it actually better to drive an electric car? Is taking transit a greener commute? What role does diet play in terms of environmental impact? What about plastic and fast fashion? Watch our latest video to find out more.
Can we stop a future pandemic? Dr. Michael Greger M.D explains what's next to Earthling Ed.
Dr. Greger is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognised speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. Dr Greger has also worked on the human health implications of intensive animal agriculture, including the routine use of non-therapeutic antibiotics and growth hormones in animals raised for food, and the public health threats of industrial factory farms. In his speech from over a decade ago, ‘Pandemics: History & Prevention’, Dr Greger spoke about the inextricable link between animal use and zoonotic disease, as well as the dangers associated with industrialised farming of birds and pigs. In this episode of The Disclosure Podcast we discuss those dangers, as well as how to prevent the next pandemic.
Netflix’s “Tiger King” will be remembered for getting many of us through a few hours of what seems like eternal quarantine. It hits all the points that make for good television: dynamic characters and fascinating plotlines that include murder, mystery, and, of course, tigers. Lots and lots of tigers. But what it offers in daytime-television-worthy cliffhangers, it misses in addressing the issues with animals in captivity. And that may make its most lasting memory turn out to be an abject failure for animals.
LIVEKINDLY MEDIA ACQUIRED BY GLOBAL PLANT-BASED FOOD COMPANY
LIVEKINDLY Media has joined forces with The LIVEKINDLY co. in order to bring more plant-based food and news to a planet hungry for change. What started out as a vision to bring thought-provoking and inspiring stories to people eager to change the world, is now in position to take this movement of kindness to an even wider audience.
LIVEKINDLY Media will continue to operate independently, will further drive conversation around the global shift to a plant-based diet and compassionate living, featuring industry-relevant news and brands. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
The newly formed LIVEKINDLY co., founded by Roger Lienhard, an early investor in Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, is now the leading collective of heritage and start-up brands with $200 million in funding committed to changing the future of food through the creation of delicious plant-based products, without the need for animals or the depletion of natural resources. And the LIVEKINDLY media division, which will continue to operate independently, will further drive conversation around the global shift to a plant-based diet and compassionate living, featuring industry-relevant news and brands.
Chinese culture was thrust under the spotlight of the world’s media after one of its wet markets was suggested as the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. But COVID-19 is not the first virus of its kind - nor is it likely to be the last. So why isn’t the media looking at the bigger - and more frightening - questions? Is there a much bigger global issue that the press is keeping silent about?
Episode 1 of The Animal Rights Show from Jeremy Hess & Roger Yates
In this episode of the Animal Rights with Jeremy and Roger Show, we briefly introduce Dr Tom Regan, the originator of rights-based animal rights, who will be mentioned several times throughout this series.
We also introduce a number of topics that we have in the works, and you'll get a behind the scenes look at the banter that goes on between us, including a debut singing performance by Roger.
Animal Farming is the Cause Debunked? Earthling Ed vs The Media
Earthling Ed claimed that this sweeping disease is a result of animal farming which wouldn't exist in a vegan world. USA Today and PopSci have both snapped back with retorts.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, questions have been raised about the virus' origin. Experts believe the novel coronavirus stemmed from wild animal meat sold at a wet market in Wuhan, China.
Throughout history, many pandemics have spread to humans from animals - these are called zoonotic diseases. The Spanish Flu of 1918 is believed to be linked to infected livestock, including pigs, chickens, and ducks. The flu pandemic of 1957, known as the Asian flu, is believed to have origins in wild ducks or poultry. In 1968, another flu pandemic began in Hong Kong. It was the first known outbreak of H3N2, linked to turkey and swine farms.
There has also been the Swine Flu outbreak (H1N1). It is believed to have mutated from the Spanish Flu. The SARS outbreak was linked to horseshoe bats, with civet cats sold in wild animal markets as a probable carrier.
Even produce can be affected by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Several e. Coli outbreaks in lettuce were linked to infected livestock feces used as manure or found in water run-off.
What can we do? As long as humans continue to eat meat, we run the risk of coming into contact with new zoonotic diseases. Dr. Michael Greger alludes to this in his book "2006 Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching." A shift away from animal agriculture and wild animal meat toward a new, plant-based food system could help create a safer, healthier, and kinder world.
Award-Winning Documentary About Veganism And Religion Debuts On Amazon Prime
Executive Producer and celebrity actor Jerome Flynn says the film 'has the power to transform the lives of millions of people'
Award-winning documentary A Prayer for Compassion, which links religion and veganism together, is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.
The film, which is executively produced by celebrity actor Jerome Flynn, follows director Thomas Jackson across America to Morocco for the UN World Climate Conference, and throughout the Indian subcontinent.
find out more about what he does & join his mailing list: earthlinged.org
Animal Equality's Campaign to Ban Wet Markets
Citing public health and safety, Animal Equality has launched a worldwide campaign and petition calling on the United Nations (UN) to immediately close wet markets across the globe. Not only do these markets pose an immediate danger to humans, but they are also intensely cruel and abhorrently inhumane to animals. It’s because of the public health crises these markets cause, as well as the intense suffering inflicted on farmed animals, that we are urging that all wet markets be banned.
A BREEDING GROUND FOR DISEASE: Wet markets get their name in part from the blood, guts, scales and water that soak the stalls’ floors, remnants from animals brutally killed for customers who desire to eat freshly killed meat. In these markets, exotic and traditionally farmed animals are mixed together in cramped cages and unsanitary enclosures, creating the perfect breeding ground for zoonotic diseases. In exclusive footage shot by Animal Equality at wet markets in China, Vietnam and India, animals such as deer, raccoons, crocodiles, and dogs are shown living in filthy conditions, suffering from dehydration, starvation and disease. It is in these unregulated markets where diseases like SARS originated, and where scientists believe COVID-19 began.
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF: It’s still not 100 percent clear where the outbreak of COVID-19 started from, but researchers speculate that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan notorious for also trading in wild animals. This wouldn’t be the first time that a deadly virus was linked to animal trade and consumption—H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are two other recent examples of viruses that likely originated in animals and then jumped to humans causing dangerous outbreaks.
A THREAT TO ANIMALS AND PEOPLE: Wet markets represent a direct threat to animals and, based on the previously mentioned cases, presents a major public-health risk. For animals, the prospect of abuse and suffering on factory farms has been well-documented. For people, the issue becomes the exposure of customers and purveyors to living and dead animals at unhygienic markets, creating a greater likelihood that animal-borne diseases will make the leap to humans.
WE NEED TO GO FURTHER: Recently, China banned the buying, selling, and eating of wild animals in an emergency effort to prevent infectious diseases from jumping from animals to people. This measure was taken as a direct reaction to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, as more and more experts suspect the pandemic was caused by the illegal trade and consumption of wild animals. However, this ban needs to be made permanent and more needs to be done. For the health and safety of both animals and people, wet markets must be immediately shut down.
WHAT WE’RE SAYING: “Wet markets have no place in our society and should be immediately closed. Not only are these markets extremely cruel to animals, scientific research has shown their connection to animal-borne disease outbreaks, proving they are also an immediate threat to public health and safety,” says President of Animal Equality, Sharon Núñez.
WHAT THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IS SAYING: “If you take wild animals and you put them into a market with domestic animals or other animals, where there's an opportunity for a virus to jump species, you are creating … a superhighway for viruses to go from the wild into people. We can't do this anymore. We can't tolerate this anymore. I want the wild animal markets closed.” Dr. Ian Lipkin, Infectious Disease Expert
“The animals have been transported over large distances and are crammed together into cages. They are stressed and immunosuppressed and excreting whatever pathogens they have in them. With people in large numbers in the market and in intimate contact with the body fluids of these animals, you have an ideal mixing bowl for [disease] emergence.” Professor Andrew Cunningham, the Zoological Society of London
WHAT YOU CAN DO: As our investigations and scientific research has shown, animals are abused every day in horrendous conditions that not only perpetuate an atmosphere of never-ending suffering but also have at times created strains of viruses and infections that have been previously unknown or experienced. Not only is consuming animals and animal products a detriment to human health and safety, but it’s also one of the leading causes of climate change and is extremely cruel to animals. Switching away from animal products and embracing a plant-based diet is the safest option for both humans and animals, and is one way you can directly make a difference for us all. Another way to make the world a better place is to sign our petition asking the UN to immediately close all wet markets. It’s more than time to end this global threat, once and for all.
Corona crisis and calves: exports of unweaned calves from Ireland to the Netherlands
Today (April 2) Eyes on Animals and L214, with assistance from Ethical Farming Ireland, are publishing the findings of their recent investigation into the long-distance transport of unweaned calves. The investigation, conducted in March 2020, shows the plight of calves born in Ireland and exported to intensive veal farms in the Netherlands.
Four different countries are crossed, 2,000 km traveled, more than 50 hours of transport: this investigation demonstrates the irresponsibility of the EU and Member State governments which are determined to maintain this trade route even in times of a pandemic.
At a time when more and more countries are locked down and people are told to stay at home, we continue to transport live animals as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, transport is a major cause of spreading corona further.
The virus can live on the surface of truck equipment and animals on board and travel this way. It can also be transmitted between the various people involved in this trade: from the Irish farmers and traders who sell these calves on the cattle markets to the international truck drivers, veterinarians or veterinary inspectors, custom officials, employees of the control post in France, to the Dutch veal farmers. These calves are transported to farms where they will be fattened for 6 months. Keeping these calves en route is not a question of preventing a food shortage since these calves will not be killed and transformed into meat for another 6 – 7 months. This non-essential transport poses unnecessary risks to public health.
The investigation reveals harsh transport conditions for these 2 to 3 week old calves. These young animals are weakened by the long journey and hungry and thirsty due to the lack of adequate feeding systems on board the trucks and being withheld from adequate feed for longer than the EU maximum time of 19 hours. After being confined on the trucks for 26,10 hours without any feed/milk, as documented by Eyes on Animals and L214, the unweaned calves are unloaded at the Couville control post, near Cherbourg, to be finally fed, but in a hurry. As one can see in the video footage, the calves are kicked and beaten with sticks during the feeding session in order to move them through quickly as almost 2000 calves, still wobbly on their legs, have to be processed by just a few people. After a 13-hour stop, they are reloaded again into the livestock trucks and transported for another 900km to the Netherlands.
Can you get all of the essential Omega-3 fatty acids on a plant-based diet? Omega-3s are important for your physical and mental health, and there are three types that our bodies need - ALA, EPA and DHA. According to the National Institutes of Health, adult males require 1.6 g of ALA each day, and females require 1.1g each day.
According to Dr. Mills and Dr. Radak, our bodies can convert alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) from plant sources into EPA and DHA, though how well your body converts them varies from person to person. You can also obtain a good dose of EPA and DHA directly from algae oil and seaweed products. The reason why fish are high in omega-3s is that they consume microalgae and seaweed.
Plant sources of ALA include walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, Brussels sprouts, avocado oil, tofu, and kidney beans. Many plant-based beverages are also fortified with omega-3s, so be sure to check the label.
The Case For Animal Rights - Narration By Dr Tom Regan (Non-Graphic)
This video is a one minute summary of case for animal rights as framed by the originator of rights-based animal rights Dr Tom Regan.)
The philosophy of animal rights can be quite complex, but at it's basic level, is quite simple. This short video attempts to highlight the key points which underpin the philosophy.
What The CORONAVIRUS Teaches Us About The CLIMATE CRISIS
The Coronavirus has changed everyday life as we know it. Borders have closed, non-essential travel has been banned, non-essential businesses are closed, and schools have been put on pause for several weeks (or for the rest of the school year).
While the severity of the virus pandemic is unprecedented, it also shines a light on other issues, including climate change. What can the global response to COVID teach us about approaching climate change? Let’s find out.
What the Health Director to Release Film Exposing Link Between Animal Agriculture and Coronavirus
Keegan Kuhn and Alex Lockwood plan to expose how the global animal agriculture industry is responsible for public health crises such as food-borne illness, MRSA, and now COVID-19.
Keegan Kuhn—co-director of vegan documentaries What the Health and Cowspiracy—is currently producing a new documentary about the spread of diseases from animals to humans. The film will be directed by Alex Lockwood—the award-winning British director behind 73 Cows and Test Subjects—and aims to expose the culpability of the animal agriculture in creating massive public health threats such as antibiotic resistance, swine and bird flu, food-borne illness, MRSA, and, our current pandemic COVID-19, which started at a wet animal market in Wuhan, China late last year. “Alex Lockwood and I started working on this film almost six months ago, long before COVID-19 began making headlines because the dangers of zoonotic diseases in its present form have been with us since humans started farming animals,” Kuhn said. While the film does not yet have an official title, Kuhn believes it will be the first feature-length documentary about COVID-19 and plans to release it sometime this year. “Whilst the public is becoming increasingly aware of the threat of zoonotic diseases, animal agriculture’s threat still isn’t being given the level of urgency it requires with regards to media attention,” Lockwood said. “With this film, we hope to lift the veil of misinformation and corruption which help to keep this scientific reality a muted rumor.”
Ed Winters is a vegan educator, public speaker and content creator based in London, England. Winters is the co-founder and co-director of Surge, an animal rights organisation determined to create a world where compassion towards all non-human animals is the norm. In 2016 Surge founded The Official Animal Rights March which succeeded in a growth from 2,500 participants in London in 2016 to 41,000 participants across the world in 2019.
Winters has spoken at over 1/3 of UK universities and at 6 Ivy league colleges, including as a guest lecturer at Harvard University in April 2019. He has given speeches across the world, including at the University of Cambridge, EPFL, Google NYC and Google Zürich. In early 2019 he gave two TEDx talks, reaching a total of 1.1 million views online. His speech “You Will Never Look at Your Life in the Same Way Again” has over 33.4 million accumulative views online and has been given to thousands of students across UK universities.
In October 2018 Winters opened Unity Diner, a non-profit vegan restaurant in London where all of the profits go directly back into helping animals. He also hosts The Disclosure Podcast.
In 2019 Earthling Ed gave 107 talks to a total of 27,600 people & in a 12 month period 33,248 people signed up to go vegan through Ed’s online content.
Our food is the number one cause of deforestation, but it's often impossible to know for sure that you're avoiding products that could be leading to this devastation of our planet. Hear Jess explain how our food could be causing our forests to burn and threaten our amazing wildlife, but more importantly, what we can actually do to stop this.
The Animal Aid Summer Vegan Pledge is a month-long campaign which takes place in June. It encourages non-vegans to try veganism/a plant-based diet for the month of June. Animal Aid provides all of the information you need to take part. Sign up now and you will also be entitled to exclusive offers at vegan eateries throughout the UK and there is also a trip to The Retreat Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary and Cafe. A vegan diet is better for animals, the planet and a well-planned vegan diet will provide your body with all of the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Is Vegan Meat ACTUALLY BETTER for The ENVIRONMENT?
Is vegan meat better for the planet? It is a lot more efficient to produce vegan meat than animal meat. It requires fewer resources - making alternative meat out of legumes and grains cuts out the middleman. This also results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions as cows produce a lot of methane. Vegan meat is also better for animals, for our health, and it costs less money.
CORONAVIRUS: How Did it Really Start & How Do We Stop it From Happening Again? COVID-19
Many of the world’s deadliest outbreaks, including COVID-19, SARS and bird flu - are directly linked to the exploitation of animals by humans.
Summarised in our latest Surge Media campaign released amid the global coronavirus pandemic, and explored in greater depth in an upcoming white paper, Surge has brought together findings from the world’s leading authorities on infectious diseases including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Are you smearing dead insects on your face?
A common dye used in cosmetics, shampoos, and food is made from bugs who were crushed to death. 70,000 beetles are killed to produce just ONE pound of this ingredient
Find out what names this dye goes by to avoid detection!
PETA's mission statement is that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way: peta.org/about-peta
The website the meat industry doesn't want you to see: meat.org
How to go vegan: how-to-go-vegan.peta.org
Dr Greger Reveals Surprising Fact About Beyond Meat & Impossible Burgers!
Are beyond meat and impossible burgers safe to eat? Are there any downsides to the beyond meat and impossible burgers? Should we avoid the beyond meat and impossible burgers or are they healthy for us? In this video Dr Michael Greger shares any interesting finding regarding the beyond meat and impossible burgers.
As of early March 2020, a new coronavirus, called COVID-19, is in more than 70 countries and has killed more than 3,100 people, the vast majority in China. That's where the virus emerged back in December 2019. This isn't a new phenomenon for China; in 2003, the SARS virus also emerged there, and under similar circumstances, before spreading around the world and killing nearly 800.
Both SARS and COVID-19 are in the "coronavirus" family, and both appear to have emerged from animals in China's notorious wildlife markets. Experts had long predicted that these markets, known to be potential sources of disease, would enable another outbreak. The markets, and the wildlife trade that supports them, are the underlying problem of these pandemics; until China solves that problem, more are likely to emerge.
NOTE: As our expert Peter Li points out in the video, “The majority of the people in China do not eat wildlife animals. Those people who consume these wildlife animals are the rich and the powerful –a small minority.” This video explains how the people of China are themselves victims of the conditions that led to coronavirus. The virus is affecting many different countries and cultures, and there is never justification for xenophobia or racism.
This is an update that looks at the main numbers, lesser known numbers, whether or not this is a man-made virus, and the edgy question: Has the Coronavirus lead to a lower death rate?
These 13 electric cars are eco and vegan-friendly. Innovators in the automotive field, brands like Tesla, Nissan, and Porsche are paving the way for the future of cars. As people are waking up to the climate crisis, many are concerned about the impact of gasoline cars. Despite criticisms against them, electric cars have been shown to be 3x less polluting than its fuel-burning counterparts.
Leather interiors are also being overhauled by car companies. Leather poses health risks to tannery workers, and to the environment. The chromium used to dye animal hides is carcinogenic according to several health agencies. Kinder to animals as well, vegan leather and recycled plastics are making their way into the latest car models.
Extinction Rebellion History 2018-2019 ... Join Us!
We are facing an unprecedented global emergency. Life on Earth is in crisis: scientists agree we have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown, and we are in the midst of a mass extinction of our own making. scientistsforxr.earth/planetary-emergency
On 31st October 2018, we assembled on Parliament Square in London to announce a Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government. We were expecting a couple of hundred people. Instead, 1500 came to participate in peaceful civil disobedience. The energy was contagious! The next few weeks were a whirlwind. Six thousand of us converged on London to peacefully block five major bridges across the Thames. We planted trees in the middle of Parliament Square, and dug a hole there to bury a coffin representing our future. We super-glued ourselves to the gates of Buckingham Palace as we read a letter to the Queen. Our actions generated huge national and international publicity and, as news spread, our ideas connected with tens of thousands of people around the world. The XR project was resonating with a deeply felt need for community and solidarity. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” we chanted! Dozens of countries now have groups springing up, from the Solomon Islands to Australia, from Spain to South Africa, the US to India..
We need you – whoever you are, however much time you have – to help build a powerful movement. Our vision of change involves mass participation. Together we’re unstoppable.
HOGWOOD: a modern horror story. Coming Soon! Full Trailer.
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.
Brazil may be the biggest market for highly hazardous pesticides in the world, according to a new analysis of 2018 industry data. Almost two thirds of the toxic chemicals sold in Brazil were used on soya, grown to meet global demand for animal feed.
As part of an Unearthed investigation into the global trade of highly hazardous pesticides, we sent a video journalist to the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul to speak to beekeepers dealing with the chemical fallout from Brazil's soya boom.
Is it possible to be a meat-eating environmentalist? As the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned us, we have less than 10 years to mitigate climate catastrophe. The report called for “unprecedented changes” to all aspects of society to prevent warming beyond this level. Should ditching meat be part of this?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the global livestock industries account for 7.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent per year, representing 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. It also notes that 26% of the world's arable land is used for livestock, not to mention that 33% of all cropland is dedicated to growing animal feed. Deforestation is a huge issue, as 1.5 soccer fields are cleared in the Amazon Rainforest every hour to make room for grazing cattle.
There is also the issue of water availability - raising animals for food uses 1/3 of our potable water supply. Yet, 700 million people across the globe suffer from water scarcity.
Ocean dead zones have been linked to livestock manure and agricultural run-off. As ocean temperatures rise, coral reefs are dying and the water is becoming more acidic as a result. Ocean acidification makes it harder for marine ecosystems to thrive.
‘Gunda’ Review: A Visionary Case for Veganism in Black and White
Joaquin Phoenix serves as an executive producer on Viktor Kossakovsky’s mesmerizing look at the lives of farm animals.
More experience than movie, “Gunda” is a visionary case for veganism in black and white. Russian filmmaker Viktor Kossakovsky’s mesmerizing achievement removes humans from the picture to magnify the small moments in the lives of various farm animals, with his eponymous pig at its center. Over the course of 90 hypnotic minutes, his roving camera observes Gunda and her piglets, a handful of chickens, and a smattering of cows simply going about their lives on an unspecified farmland.
Devoid of music or any other obvious artifice, “Gunda” neither aims to document animal consciousness or anthropomorphize it. Instead, Kossakovsky’s fascinating non-narrative experiment burrows into the center of his subject’s nervous system, meeting the creatures on their own terms in a remarkable plea for empathy that only implores carnivores to think twice by implication. (With vegan activist Joaquin Phoenix signed on as an executive producer, it doesn’t need to make its message overt anyway.)
Joaquin Phoenix Rescues Mother Cow and Newborn Calf Day after Academy Awards Win
BREAKING: A day after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor—and subsequently making a headlining acceptance speech in which he spoke to the plight of mother cows and their babies used in animal agriculture—Joaquin Phoenix helped to liberate a cow and her newborn calf from a Los Angeles slaughterhouse and bring them to Farm Sanctuary, where they will live out the rest of their lives in peace. Phoenix named the mother Liberty and her daughter Indigo.
Phoenix said, “I never thought I’d find friendship in a slaughterhouse, but meeting Anthony [President/CEO of the slaughterhouse] and opening my heart to his, I realize we might have more in common than we do differences. Without his act of kindness, Liberty and her baby calf, Indigo, would have met a terrible demise.”
Phoenix was joined at the slaughterhouse by his fiancée and fellow activist Rooney Mara, both his and Mara’s mothers, Earthlings Director Shaun Monson, Los Angeles Animal Save Founder Amy Jean Davis, and Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur. The group worked with employees onsite to rescue Liberty—who had recently given birth at the slaughterhouse—and her newborn calf Indigo.
Phoenix added, “My hope is, as we watch baby Indigo grow up with her mom Liberty at Farm Sanctuary, that we’ll always remember that friendships can emerge in the most unexpected places; and no matter our differences, kindness and compassion should rule everything around us.”
It’s hard to imagine an experience more terrifying for a mother—or for her baby—than to give birth at a slaughterhouse. Witnessing the birth tugged at the heartstrings of the slaughterhouse owner—and not for the first time. This is the fifth mother-child bovine rescue secured by Los Angeles Animal Savefrom Manning Beef.
Phoenix concluded by saying, “Although we will continue to fight for the liberation of all animals who suffer in these oppressive systems, we must take pause to acknowledge and celebrate the victories, and the people who helped achieve them. Shaun Monson, Amy Jean Davis, and the entire LA Animal Save community, have taken their pain of bearing witness and turned it into effective, diplomatic advocacy for the voiceless. As a result, Liberty and Indigo will never experience cruelty or the touch of a rough hand.”
Special thanks to documentary filmmaker Shaun Monson for producing and directing this beautiful video.
Joaquin Phoenix Is Producing A New Documentary On Animal Sentience
Joaquin Phoenix is serving as an executive producer on Gunda, a new documentary focusing on pig sentience.
Created by award-winning Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky, the film examines the daily life of a pig and her three farm animal companions: two cows and a one-legged chicken.
Speaking to Screen Daily, Phoenix said he was “deeply moved by the film” and described it as a “visceral meditation on existence” that he hopes will change the way people perceive animal intelligence.
“Gunda is a mesmerizing perspective on sentience within animal species, normally – and perhaps purposely – hidden from our view,” the actor explained.
Hench Herbivore
says "Champion corpse-consuming advocate accuses all vegan YouTube bodybuilders of being gay. Is this just an obvious display of projection or am I missing something...?"
As of February 18th, the Coronavirus has over 73,000 reported cases in 25 countries, with most cases stemming from mainland China. Now named COVID-19, the virus originated in Wuhan at a seafood market that also sold wild game - including bats, civets, snakes, and foxes. Scientists have identified a 96.2% genetic similarity between COVID-19 and a bat virus, and a 79.5% genetic similarity to SARS.
Viruses can mutate and jump from species to species. Due to the outbreak's ties to the Wuhan seafood market, it has been shut down temporarily. Environmental activists have called for a permanent ban on such markets, due to the cramped and unsanitary conditions the animals are forced to stay in - a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.
Other major disease outbreaks have had ties to animal product consumption. Mad Cow disease, also known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease, originated in - you guessed it - cows. They were fed diseased sheep, infected by a prion called Scrapie, which also caused neurological damage. Banned from selling the sheep meat, farmers fed these diseased "waste products" to its cow herds, which mutated and infected humans.
Salmonella and e. Coli are among some of the other risks of consuming animal products. In April 2019, an e. Coli outbreak linked to ground beef sickened 209 people in 10 states. In 2019, the CDC linked minor outbreaks of salmonella to ground beef, frozen tuna, and ground turkey .
As disease crises and health issues continue to surface, the need to address the treatment of animals is paramount. A global shift away from animal meat could save countless lives.
Every day, forests are destroyed to make way for the food we eat. Now we know, we can fix it together and get deforestation off our plates. We already have more than enough land to feed our growing population. We don’t need to cut down a single tree more. Fight for our forests. Fight for your world.
To oppose animal exploitation, be vegan for life, but here's some help to get you started: veg22.co/februscary
Measuring our impact on the planet
Joaquin Phoenix has lived up to his surname. Rising from the flames – or, in this case, emerging from the bright white stage lights – he stood before the world: exposed, authentic, vulnerable. Phoenix at Sunday’s Oscar awards ceremony treated us to a uniquely raw, real and rare moment.
Arguably the hottest person on our worryingly overheated planet right now, the world hangs on his every word. His tone was serious and sombre, his words tough and true. Phoenix was described by The Guardian’s Steve Rose as ‘Hollywood’s poster boy of progress’. This backhanded compliment holds some truth.
We’re all aware of the ‘Attenborough Effect’. In the space of just a year, and in large part thanks to David Attenborough’s Blue Planet and Our Planet series, over half of the UK population now uses fewer disposable plastics. The world is waking up to the truth. With each passing year plastic pollution is plummeting and conscious consumerism is on the up.
BBC: Vegan Diet Could Affect Intelligence – Debunked
Make no mistake, this is a vegan hit piece that only makes negative claims against a vegan diet for intelligence and overall brain health. The errors, out of date research, and exclusion of any positive points deserves a debunk.
To oppose animal exploitation, be vegan for life, but here's some help to get you started: veg22.co/februscary
Joaquin Phoenix Calls Out Injustice in Passionate Oscar Speech
At the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, activist Joaquin Phoenix delivered an impassioned plea during his Best Actor acceptance speech, imploring the audience to consider the role humanity has had in the world’s injustices, including the ongoing suffering of animals on factory farms.
Said Phoenix, “I think we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world. Many of us are guilty of an egocentric worldview and we believe that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.” More here.
Billion Pound Fish - Full Documentary from Lizzie Daly
Lizzie says: "In this documentary, I explore the environmental impacts of Scotland’s salmon farms alongside wildlife filmmakers, conservationists, an ex-salmon farmer and wildlife tour operators living and working alongside this Billion pound industry. I explore some of the biggest issues including the shooting of seals, who predate the salmon in salmon farms, Acoustic Deterrent Devices that pose a threat to marine mammals like dolphins and porpoises, damage to the sea bed underneath salmon pens and disease outbreaks including sea lice, parasites that attach to the skin of salmon causing lesions and compromising fish welfare.
This is an industry that is worth so much - but we need to see investment in better practice. After all, what’s the price of an ecosystem?"
To oppose animal exploitation, be vegan for life, but here's some help to get you started: veg22.co/februscary
The OSCARS Go VEGAN – LIVEKINDLY
This week's vegan news: The Oscars is the latest award show to go vegan, following the trend set by the Golden Globes last month. KFC trials more vegan chicken by introducing Beyond Fried Chicken to locations in Nashville, Tennessee and Charlotte, North Carolina. The Swiss public will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that guarantees better welfare for factory-farmed animals.
Sussex is now the first UK council to ban the fishing practice called trawling, in order to mitigate climate change. France will ban the controversial, commonplace practice of culling male chicks by live-shredding them. The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus a global health emergency, and it has been linked to wildlife markets.
Brits must cut their beef, lamb, and dairy consumption by 20 percent, according to a new environmental report. Beyond Burgers are now available in more than 1,700 Denny’s restaurants across the U.S. and Canada.
Watch this PBN exclusive interview with acclaimed ‘Joker’ actor Joaquin Phoenix as he attends an animal-rights protest in central london. “Things are really dire right now and the evidence is overwhelming that there is a link between the meat & dairy industry and climate change”
To oppose animal exploitation, be vegan for life, but here's some help to get you started: veg22.co/februscary
Joaquin Phoenix protests against factory farming
Joaquin Phoenix joined Animal Equality on Tower Bridge in London in advance of the 73rd BAFTA ceremony, in a daring action to draw attention to animal agriculture being a leading cause of climate change.
To oppose animal exploitation, be vegan for life, but here's some help to get you started: veg22.co/februscary
Is chicken bad for the planet? – WWF
MThe food we eat shouldn’t cost the Earth – but often it does.
With food being the leading cause of deforestation across the world, it's often confusing to know which specific foods are harming our planet, and which are okay for us to eat. Hear Jess explain the impact of eating chicken and what you can do to ensure what’s on your plate, isn’t destroying our planet.
PBN EXCLUSIVE Interview with Gaz Oakley aka Avantgardevegan
Mr Gaz Oakley of Avantgardevegan needs no introductions. With over 900,000 followers on his Youtube channel, this vegan maverick has taken the foodie world by storm cooking up some of the most exciting dishes you have ever seen. Gaz has succeeded in showing the world how cooking vegan can be fun, tasty and sexy. I sat down with Gaz at the end of 2019 to talk about the highlights of his year creating an innovative dish for @wagamama_uk as well as what is coming up in #2020. Preorder a copy of Gaz's new book now amzn.to/2w3h7KY
The Oscars are getting greener.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday that it will be offering entirely plant-based menus at today’s Oscar Nominees Luncheon and then in the Dolby Theatre lobbies prior to the 92nd Academy Awards on Feb. 9.
The post-ceremony Governors Ball will be 70% plant-based, and 30% vegetarian, fish and meat. All food will be responsibly sourced and sustainably farmed.
“The Academy is an organization of storytellers from around the world, and we owe our global membership a commitment to supporting the planet,” the org said in statement. “For the past decade, the Academy has been committed to reducing its carbon footprint. For the past seven years, the Oscars show has had a zero-carbon imprint. We continue to expand our sustainability plan with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral.”
2019 was a HUGE year for veganism and #ForTheAnimals. Almost every day, there was a new headline about how our movement is growing and getting stronger!
Meet the vegan sensations from Sheffield who now have their own TV show
Sheffield pals Ian Theasby and Henry Firth’s ideas for tasty vegan meals are a big hit, with 26 million watching their YouTube channel and their books selling well. Now they have their own ITV cookery show. Catherine Scott reports.
Less than a decade ago, saying you were vegan would send a shiver down any self-respecting meat eater, who feared they might be sucked into a vegan cult.
Not anymore. ITV’s decision to have the first vegan-only cookery show on a Sunday morning shows just how far we have come and how mainstream and acceptable vegan diets have become.
The show, aptly named Living on the Veg, is presented by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby.
In their early thirties, with trimmed beards and a jovial, easygoing manner, they epitomise a whole new generation of vegans.
The friends, who met when they were 11-year-olds growing up in Sheffield, started their YouTube channel BOSH .TV! nearly four years ago after they both became vegan. They have two million followers, making it the biggest plant-based online food channel and they have three best selling cookery books – the latest BOSH! Healthy Vegan was published last month.
China's New Coronavirus Explained | Symptoms and Origins
This novel coronavirus from China has a frustrating origin story. We cover the updates on cases and countries as well as the basics of the virus, symptoms, and those annoying origins.
This week’s vegan news: Robert Downey Jr., known for his role in “Iron Man” is going vegan. He made the announcement on the red carpet for his new film “Dolittle.” Vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix wins best actor at the SAG awards, then heads straight to a pig vigil in his Stella McCartney tuxedo. Environmentalist George Monbiot presents Channel 4’s new climate change documentary “Apocalypse Cow.”
Helicopters drop more than 22,000 kilos of veggies for wildlife stranded by the Australian bushfires. Primary schoolers in Leeds will eat vegan and vegetarian food twice a week. Ordering a vegan latte at Pret A Manger no longer comes with a surcharge.
Being an ethical vegan should come with the same protection granted to religions, says a British court. American bakery-cafe chain Panera Bread is removing meat from half of its menu to make way for additional vegan options. Snoop Dogg stars in Dunkin’s new national television commercial featuring the beyond meat breakfast sausage sandwich
Meghan Markle is a proud flexitarian - someone who follows a mostly plant-based diet but occasionally eats meat and dairy. She told Best Health in 2016: “I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends. But at the same time, it’s all about balance.”
While Meghan and Prince Harry may have stepped away from their royal duties, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex still hold great influence. From Meghan's vegan wedding reception dress to her affinity for vegan cheese, here are 5 reasons why Meghan Markle's flexitarianism matters.
STEVE IRWIN'S Family RESCUES THOUSANDS of Animals From Aussie Fires
This week's vegan news: Steve Irwin's family rescues thousands of animals from the Australian bushfires. Patient number 90,000, Ollie the platypus, was rescued from the fires and is currently in their care. Colgate launches two certified-vegan and cruelty-free toothpastes. After the successful launch of the vegan steak bake and the vegan sausage roll, Greggs is now looking to launch vegan chicken.
Fresh off his Golden Globe win, Joaquin Phoenix was arrested at Jane Fonda's "Fire Drill Friday" climate protest on Capitol hill. Phoenix called attention to meat and dairy as some of the leading causes of climate change. Domino's pizza is trialling vegan beef sausage and crumbles in the US. Aldi launches its own-brand version of vegan Magnum ice cream bars.
L.A. may soon implement laws that will require new Uber and Lyft drivers to operate electric vehicles. Hooters introduces meatless wings at all 318 US locations.
'Humans Have Overrun The World' David Attenborough Says In New Film
'Human beings have overrun the world. We're replacing the wild with the tame. This film is my witness statement and my vision of the future'
Sir David Attenborough says humans have 'overrun the world' in the trailer for his new film David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.
The documentary, which looks at the environmental changes that happened on Earth over his lifetime, also offers some solutions to the climate crisis.
Sir David has a history of making programs about the climate emergency, including last years BBC One documentary Climate Change: The Facts, and Our Planet which screened on Netflix.
The Humane League says: "Change for animals is happening faster than ever thanks to supporters like you.
Last year, you helped us raise awareness about the realities of factory farming and secure meaningful policy changes, making the world a kinder place for animals. Most of all, you helped us lay the groundwork for our biggest year ever in 2020. Thanks for rising up to be the change #ForTheAnimals!"
How to Steal Pigs and Influence People, Channel 4, review: A fascinating insight into the online world of veganism
Both sides of the argument were presented in extremes, with pignappers counteracting the beliefs of ex-vegans who now eat raw meat.
How to Steal Pigs and Influence People, Tom Costello’s fascinating documentary, explored the way vegan activists are exploiting online channels, including Instagram and YouTube. People with online names such as Earthling Ed and Earth Angel Jacqueline are racking up hundreds of thousands of followers.
Costello homed in on 23-year-old “pignapper” Wesley Omar as he tried to hit the big league of animal emancipation. Wes’s trademark was his night-time raids on pig farms to “liberate” piglets, filmed like clandestine SAS missions.
Susanna Gets Piers a Greggs' Vegan Steak Bake (Vegan Response)
After the popularity of the vegan sausage roll, Greggs launched a vegan steak bake. Susanna Reid brought some in for Piers Morgan to try!
In this video they bring up a number of current topics related to veganism. As there was no vegan representative on the show I decided to share my thoughts to present a more well-rounded view of the topic.
Doublespeak is language that obscures the meaning of words, in an effort to make the truth sound more agreeable. The term is inspired by George Orwell’s 1949 dystopian novel 1984, and since then, doublespeak has found its way into marketing efforts - particularly in the animal agriculture industry.
The meat industry uses doublespeak by using terms such as “humane” when referring to slaughter. The dairy industry uses flowery language like “caring dairy” and imagery of cows in green pastures in their advertisements. This stands in stark contrast to the reality of factory farmed milk, and the abuse that has been revealed at operations like Fairlife. Eggs are marketed with newspeak, too. “Cage-Free” eggs makes it sound like the birds have total freedom, when most are still in overcrowded factory farm conditions. The fishing industry uses terms like “dolphin safe” tuna, and Marine Stewardship Council (or MSC) certified environmentally-friendly fish when these terms are incredibly difficult to regulate. Due to bycatch and overfishing, neither of those promises hold any merit.
Our oceans are heating up, and fast.
Sea temperatures in 2019 were the highest on record.
Oceans are the clearest measure of climate change, since they absorb 90 per cent of the world's heat.
Warmer seas mean more intense storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.
The study is the latest warning on the climate crisis facing our planet.
However, greenhouse gas emissions are still at record levels.
Are we starting to tune out to the constant stream of bad news on the climate? If so, how should we change the conversation? Presenter: Martine Dennis
As Australia's ruinous wildfires continue to spread, so does disinformation. There has been fake news, conspiracy theories on social media, and even claims the fires were the work of 200 arsonists. A significant amount of this content went viral, sowing confusion and discord in an already rattled population.
While much of this has been the work of trolls, mainstream media outlets such as Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News and The Australian newspaper have also been criticised for their coverage. The debate is particularly contentious in a country where climate change has long been a controversial topic that often figures as an election issue.
In this show, we will hear the latest news from the epicenter of the disaster, dig into the disinformation campaigns and media controversy, and look at how indigenous people are responding to the devastation.
10 Must-Watch Nature and Animal Documentaries in 2020!
Documentaries have become one of the most powerful ways to shine a light on various issues taking place around the world and inspire people to get involved. Through these influential films, we can enter into another world that we wouldn’t usually have access to, from the Antarctic tundra to the deepest parts of the sea.
As technology and filmmakers become more skilled, documentaries become even more powerful. They are able to show every intricate detail, from a melting glacier to each hair on an endangered orangutan’s head, making these issues a reality and bringing them to the forefront of the viewer’s mind.
For those of us who are fighting for our planet, documentaries provide an outlet to inspire others to think with compassion, show respect for the earth, and make a change. Read on for a list of the most inspiring documentaries that were released in 2019 to enjoy with friends, family, and loved ones this year.
This was, perhaps, the most monumental documentary of 2019. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, “Our Planet” takes viewers to some of the most beautiful parts of the world and introduces the extraordinary wildlife who live there. The documentary opens our eyes to the fact that these places, and the animals who call it home, are severely threatened by human action. The never-before-seen footage of walruses tumbling to their death as the videographers helplessly watched on shook the nation and opened up a fresh conversation around the perils of climate change.
Executive produced by vegan actor and environmentalist Joaquin Phoenix, “The Animal People” follows six animal rights activists who find themselves indicted as terrorists for leading a controversial campaign to shut down the largest animal testing laboratory in the world. The feature documentary features extensive interviews that span more than a decade and rare archival footage of surveillance recordings, wiretaps, and government documents, depicting an unnerving portrait of what happens when activism challenges the institutions of power.
In this BBC documentary, science and wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin travels the world to highlight the dark truths behind the meat industry and the impact it has on our environment. “Meat: A Threat to Our Planet” takes viewers from Texas to the Amazon rainforest to unveil the negative effects of meat production, like biodiversity loss, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.
8. Saving Jaws
9. Seven Worlds, One Planet
10. 2040
5 films and TV shows almost certain to make you turn vegan
Forks Over Knives, The Game Changers, Meat the Family ... 5 inspiring films and TV shows likely to make you turn vegan
Celebrities from Lewis Hamilton to Kristen Bell credit their conversion to a vegan lifestyle to watching hard-hitting documentaries What The Health and Netflix’s Forks Over Knives – here’s our pick of the best films to watch if you want to make a more informed ethical choice about what you eat.
It’s hard to believe, but many vegans – including celebrities such as Kristen Bell and Lewis Hamilton – credit their conversion to watching a timely documentary. These days it’s not impossible to change your outlook overnight after simply watching what’s available on our favourite streaming services.
From documentaries that open our eyes to the horrors of factory farming, to artful dramas and reality TV shows that make us question if we would eat our own pets, information about a plant-based lifestyle is more accessible than ever before.
Here are five titles to add to your watch list if you’re interested in why veganism is becoming so popular – and perhaps if you should adopt the lifestyle too.
A new year is upon us. Have you made resolutions to be kinder? Kinder to yourself, the animals, and the planet? Here are 6 new habits to make 2020 the best year yet.
Find out more about what Ed do & join his mailing list: earthlinged.org
Burger King UK launch first ever plant-based patty
This January Burger King is launching a new plant-based burger in the UK called the Rebel Whopper. While the patty itself is vegan, it will be cooked on the same grill as the meat burgers and is served with egg mayonnaise unless the customer requests otherwise. This has caused some controversy in other countries where Burger King has already launched the Rebel Whopper, so we wanted to address the criticisms head on.
PBN's Giuseppe Federici went out and tried all the new vegan fast food options in his home town ahead of Veganuary. January is notorious in the UK for many new vegan food launches.
In this video, he reviews some of the UK’s newest and most hyped plant-based offerings. Including the bakery giant Gregg’s new vegan steak bake and donuts, coffee chain Costa’s hot vegan sandwiches, Subway’s Meatless Meatball Marinara Sub, and the game-changing KFC ‘Zero Chicken Burger’.
Apocalypse Cow: How Meat Killed the Planet, C4 — a radical take-down of food farming
British writer and activist George Monbiot on how the food industry is destroying the living world
Vegetarians and virtuous eaters should be warned that any feelings of smugness or superiority will quickly dissipate on watching George Monbiot’s radical take-down of food farming. Those free-roaming chickens and blissfully wandering dairy cows take up far too much land, for a start. A scientist proposes that one day his grandchildren will be amazed and disgusted to learn that human beings actually used to eat eggs. Even idyllic organic farms have too great an environmental footprint, when the growth in the human population is taken into account. “The food industry is destroying the living world,” Monbiot proclaims. More here: ft.com
In a provocative documentary, environmental campaigner George Monbiot argues that the biggest problem driving us towards global disaster is how we feed ourselves, particularly on meat
Watch how our celeb ambassadors react to Veganuary's first ever TV ad!
Our FIRST EVER TV AD drops in 3 days time! Some of our celeb ambassadors have had a sneak peak at the ad - but can you guess what it's about, based on their reactions?
Top 20 VEGAN FRIENDLY Cities You Need To VISIT IN 2020 – LIVEKINDLY
These 20 cities around the world are full of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants to explore. Grab a friend, pack your bags, and taste the world's cuisine one vegan-friendly city at a time.
Plant-Based Health Documentary Hits Over 1,000,000 Views On YouTube
PlantPure Nation covers the health benefits of plant-based eating, as well as the corruption in medicine, government, and advertising which seeks to keep these benefits under wraps.
A plant-based health documentary has garnered more than 1,000,000 views on Youtube.
PlantPure Nation, which was inspired by the work of famed plant-based physician T. Colin Campbell, covers the health benefits of plant-based eating, as well as the corruption in medicine, government, and advertising, which seeks to keep these benefits under wraps.
The 2015 film has been available to watch on Plant Based News' YouTube channel as well as PlantPure TV YouTube channel since 2018. In that time, it has picked up 462,982 views on PlantPure and 563,489 via PBN (at the time of writing).
I tell you without hesitation that The Animal People is the most important documentary of 2019 without a doubt in my mind. It way very well be the most important film of the decade not only in animal rights but within anyone that thinks free speech is important for a just society.
The film highlights the literal trials and tribulations of SHAC Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty an animal rights organization dedicated to shutting down Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) a contractor of animal testing for various industries most often pharmaceutical.
We follow the story of SHAC and its founders/activists Lauren Gazzola, Kevin Kjonaas, Jake Conroy, Josh Harper, Andy Stepanian, and Darius Fullmer as they give HLS the hell they deserve.
The FBI, State Police, Local Police and an entire alphabet soup of government orgs and entities conspire to twist and subvert the truth. The story of SHAC and what happen to those in it that were placed on trial is both a warning message and a message of hope to stand against what we are still up against even today in the animal rights movement.
There’s so much I wish I could discuss that happens in the film but I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s a must watch if you’re any kind of activist but especially an animal rights activist so go watch it right now.
You’ll cry, get rightfully angry and feel goosebumps through out as brave activists smash labs and rescue animals, get hurt by police and railroaded in the courts.
INVESTIGATION: The Brutality of the 2019 Gadhimai Festival
Animal Equality was once again on the ground working to end animal sacrifice at the Gadhimai festival, an event where thousands of animals were brutally slaughtered by festival attendees. The religious festival, which takes place in Southern Nepal with violent animal sacrifice as the main component, happens every 5 years and has been subject to intense backlash from animal protection organizations like ours.
Before you start to celebrate Christmas, you have to watch this.
Evanna Lynch Narrates Shocking Surge Campaign Film Revealing Abhorrent Conditions on UK Turkey Farms.
Shocking hidden camera footage of two UK turkey farms has revealed sickeningconditions in rearing sheds and ineffective stunning prior to slaughter. Our latest campaign film, The Nightmare Before Christmas features footage from independent Essex producer Grove Smith Turkeys from November 2018; and Catfoss Farm in East Yorkshire from October 2019, a farm operated by Avara Foods. The Nightmare Before Christmas is narrated by vegan actress and activist Evanna Lynch.
Before you start to celebrate Christmas, you have to watch this.
Narrated by Evanna Lynch, our new Surge campaign film reveals the hidden reality behind the #festive season.
Posted by Earthling Ed on Sunday, 15 December 2019
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CAN YOU EAT MEAT ETHICALLY?
"I was invited onto ABC's The Drum to join a panel with 3 people who opposed my view by supporting the exploitation and slaughter of animals for human consumption. My view is that supporting animal exploitation is unethical, unnecessary, unsustainable and unhealthy.
I'm very grateful they had me on to share my perspective. I wish I had more time to go over more points and also wish I worded a few things differently and overall pushed a bit harder, but overall I think it was a great segment and I will learn from it for next time.
What did you think of the discussion?" James Aspey
How To Eat Like A Game Changers Athlete – Hench Herbivore
"In this episode, I show you everything that I eat in a day to pack on lean vegan muscle just like the guys and gals in The Game Changers Movie, plus I get a chest and biceps workout and get to badmouth eggs on a radio show! XD"
Animal rights activist and actress, Rooney Mara, has joined global farmed animal advocacy organization, Animal Equality, on an undercover investigation inside two factory farms.
The investigation, called “With My Own Eyes,” narrated by Mara, reveals pigs and chickens who are raised for meat, languishing in abhorrent conditions and encourages viewers to examine the harsh and painful reality for billions of animals and the many reasons the global community must break its dependence on animal products.
Come along on the journey of three famous chefs, who are setting out to learn more about the ugly reality of our global industrial meat farming system and meet the people who are experiencing the consequences first hand.
Where do you get your protein
... a new eBook from Hench Herbivore
This book was designed to finally put an end to that age old question about where vegans get their protein from. I talk through my journey from being the biggest meat eater that most people have ever met to where I am today, some misconceptions about protein, how much protein you really need and where to get it from. I then present you with 30 delicious, healthy, high protein recipes including:
Morning meals
Dips and spread
Soups, chillies, stews and more
Salads and nibbles
Hearty mains
Baked savoury delights
And healthy treats.
All recipes have full macros included and the book can be downloaded on multiple devices.
While it’s true that the recipes in this book are perfect for those requiring a larger protein intake (e.g. strength and physique athletes), they are based around healthful whole plant foods, making them suitable for all. My aim for this book is to show you just how easy it is for ANYONE to meet their protein needs with plants so every recipe was created with that in mind. I didn’t want to create just another cookbook; I wanted to create something that really, finally, made it clear that protein is not an issue!
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