Marine Scientists Defend Iberian Orca, Holden Farms Exposé & more – Month in a Minute
The August edition of Sentient Media's popular Month in a Minute series is here! Watch their 60-second recap of the top stories in animals, food and farming.
In August over 30 marine scientists signed an open letter regarding Iberian orcas and their interactions with boats, asking the media not to characterize them as aggressively attacking vessels or seeking revenge.
The Orca some call Lolita dies after more than 50 years in captivity, while in Canada a new exposé by the Canadian Press reveals that 14 whales and one dolphin have died at Marineland since 2019.
An undercover investigation at Holden Farms in Minnesota shows, amongst other things, employees mixing intestines of dead piglets to feed to pregnant sows, turning them into cannibals.
In Michigan dairy farmers are slated to start transforming milk into fuel by using lactose-laden byproducts of the local dairy industry.
The ‘Gigantic’ power of the meat industry is blocking green alternatives, a new study finds, showing that animal farming receives most of the public financial support for food producers.
Speaking of which, the USDA updates the livestock disaster payment rate to assist producers hard-hit by heat and humidity, with officials stating, apparently without irony, that “a changing climate is creating immediate challenges for farmers and ranchers”.
New research shows that Price-, Taste-, and Convenience-Competitive plant-based meat would not currently replace meat, stating that social and psychological factors also play important roles.
Meanwhile new data from the Monthly Meat Demand Monitor shows that the older you are, the less you care about the environmental impact of meat, and the more you care about the taste.
In an effort to share the message behind the film as far and as wide as possible, Broxtar Productions made it free to watch on as many platforms as they could. Of those, one of their favourites is WaterBear.
WaterBear is an entirely free platform that puts its mission above all else, and that mission is to change the future of our planet by sharing groundbreaking climate stories and documentaries.
Eating Our Way to Extinction recently became the most-watched film ever on the platform.
Netflix viewers 'not wanting to eat' and 'going vegan' after watching 'eye-opening' new documentary Poisoned
"This Poisoned documentary on Netflix makes me wanna turn vegan"
Netflix viewers have had very strong reactions to the streaming platform's latest 'eye-opening' documentary about flaws in the food industry. In the 'stomach-churning' new film, Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food, filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig investigates how America's systemic fractures lead to outbreaks of foodborne pathogens – and deadly consequences.
On Netflix's Tudum, a synopsis for the documentary reads: "Poisoned sheds light on how the bacteria in what we consume can cause fatal diseases. The film unearths food companies’ cover-up attempts, reveals disturbing truths about America’s food supply system, and details criminal prosecutions that have resulted from these contaminations.
Despite having only been released on Netflix a day ago (August 2), there has already been major reaction from viewers on social media. Ayoonine tweeted: "Just watched poisoned on Netflix. Thinking imma go vegan boy was I wrong." Itsmarisol_ echoed: "This Poisoned documentary on Netflix makes me wanna turn vegan."
Koeppel_emily declared: "I may never eat again." Jayhap2013 asked: "Why did I watch this one day after making chicken salad, & the same night after eating spinach salad... from a bag?!! #eyeopening."
Amazon's 34% Deforestation Drop & Vegan Diet Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Month in a Minute
The July edition of Sentient Media's popular Month in a Minute series is here! Watch their 60-second recap of the top stories in animals, food and farming.
In July a new study on the environmental impacts of food went viral, showing that people who eat a plant-based diet account for 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than those who eat meat.
A new report on Animal Markets and Zoonotic Disease in the United States concludes that ‘the risk is staggering’, with a ‘regulatory landscape that is inconsistent and full of holes.’
Lab-grown milk has huge potential to disrupt dairy, a new study shows, with the opportunity to nab up to 33 percent of dairy’s current market share.
In Brazil, Amazon deforestation drops 34% in the first six months under president Lula, mainly by ‘prioritizing environmental law enforcement’ and seizing thousands of illegally raised cattle within embargoed areas.
The Australian trial of seaweed cow feed fails to achieve hoped-for methane cuts, as researchers look to trying daffodils instead.
The slaughter of 78 whales made headlines, but only because it happened in front of cruise ship passengers.
In the EU conservatives score a big win on industrial emissions rules, which will now exclude cattle farms altogether.
In Scotland, on the Isle of Skye cows were found chewing on plastic rope from washed-up fishing nets.
And In Santa Cruz an otter continues to evade wildlife officials as she’s pursued for the alleged crime of ‘boardjacking’.
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones – coming to Netflix!
Travel around the world with Dan Buettner to discover five unique communities where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.
We’re excited to announce that Blue Zones is coming to Netflix! Travel around the world with author Dan Buettner to discover five unique communities where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.
In the early 2000s, Dan Buettner collaborated with National Geographic to reverse-engineer a formula for longevity. He scoured the globe for years in pursuit of places where people live much longer than average, and the concept of blue zones came to fruition. To date, the expeditions unveiled Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California, as blue zones with the highest rates of living centenarians. These five spots share some similar elements — a plant-based diet, natural movement, and putting family first — that have been proven to promote longevity and health in residents.
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones takes members around the world to investigate the diet and lifestyles of those living the longest lives. Explore the original blue zones, be immersed in their culture and lifestyles, and see how Blue Zones is applying the research in communities across the United States. Buettner offers insight on how to benefit from following at least some of their leads, because the only thing better than looking good as you age, is feeling good as you age.
‘It’s Pseudoscience’: George Monbiot Blasts Regenerative Grazing In Heated Debate
A recent debate at Oxford University saw prominent environmental activist George Monbiot challenge Allan Savory's "holistic management" approach to animal agriculture
On July 11, 2023, a debate between environmentalists Allan Savory and George Monbiot took place at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The two discussed livestock grazing’s role in the climate crisis. The debate, chaired by Dame Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland, saw them clash about the viability of regenerative grazing (also known as holistic management).
Zimbabwean farmer Allan Savory is the earliest and most well-known proponent of the method. He appeared on Netflix series Kiss the Ground, and has given talks and written books on its supposed capabilities. Holistic management is the idea that grass-fed cattle on rotational systems can “mimic nature” and help the land sequester more carbon through their grazing. It’s believed that their doing so stimulates the plants to grow back and causes their roots to grow deeper into the soil, which removes carbon from the atmosphere and improves biodiversity. In a 2013 TED Talk, Savory argued that well-managed grazing systems could “reverse” climate change. He has even encouraged the world to eat meat to help the planet.
The substance of Savory’s argument, however, has been questioned by many scientists and environmental campaigners. Monbiot is one of his most well-known critics, and the writer has frequently pointed out apparent holes in Savory’s arguments.
Global Backlash Aims to Stop Sumatra’s Dog Meat Trade
The animal rights organization Lady Freethinker has released new footage of Sumatra’s dog meat trade in Indonesia, sparking a global backlash
Nina Jackel, the vegan activist also known as Lady Freethinker who runs an animal rights media organization under the same name, is famous for coalescing a global response to injustice. Now, she’s showing the world the terrible reality of Sumatra’s dog meat trade and mobilizing an international backlash. The footage, obtained by one of her investigators, is far too horrific to be shown here. Just a few still images have sparked global outrage regarding the infliction of mass cruelty that mirrors the way pigs, cows, chickens and other farmed animals are treated in the United States and Canada. Several petitions are gathering massive amounts of signatures to pressure the decision-makers on this lush Indonesian island to stop the barbaric treatment of dogs. Since Sumatra’s tourism industry is key to its economy, it’s hoped the international pressure will convince authorities that killing dogs for meat is not worth the lost tourism dollars.
Earthling Ed used a controversial argument ... Did it work?
In today’s video Ed debated David, a meat eating student who openly admits to viewing animals as resources and whose responses to my questions lead him down a rabbit hole of contradiction.
So in an attempt to highlight why the arguments he uses are flawed Ed used his logic and applied it to a different example. His reaction was certainly very telling!
New Documentary Reveals the Power of Plant-Based Diets in Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
From the director of PlantPure Nation and producer of Forks Over Knives comes this revealing new documentary.
The nonprofit PlantPure Communities has released a revealing new documentary, From Food to Freedom, exclusively at FoodToFreedomFilm.com. Directed by Nelson Campbell, known for his work on PlantPure Nation, the film follows a group of individuals as they embark on a journey to reverse their type 2 diabetes in just 10 days by adopting a healthy, plant-based diet.
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes with a Plant-Based Diet
Under the guidance of Nelson Campbell and his wife, chef and cookbook author Kim Campbell, a live-in immersion program was set up in Greensboro, North Carolina. Six participants (plus two spouses) diagnosed with type 2 diabetes joined the program. With daily plant-based meals prepared by Kim and Chef Fernando Peralta, close physician supervision, and biometric testing, participants experienced astonishing results shortly after transitioning to a whole food, plant-based diet.
From Food to Freedom explores not only the participants’ personal stories but also topics such as nutrition, chronic disease, immunity, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Contributions from Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, shed light on the connection between pre-existing lifestyle conditions like type 2 diabetes and adverse Covid-19 outcomes, highlighting the importance of optimal health through diet.
The Future of Food: Lab-grown Chicken, AI Food Tech and Overfishing – Month in a Minute
The June edition of Sentient Media's popular Month in a Minute series is here! Watch their 60-second recap of the top stories in animals, food and farming.
June saw the US approve chicken made from cultivated cells, making it the nation’s first ‘lab-grown’ meat.
In Canada, Parliament Passes a groundbreaking bill to end toxicity tests on animals.
In Brazil, more than 800m Amazon trees have been felled in six years to meet global beef demand.
In the UK, supermarket supplier’s chickens are being given antibiotics critical for humans.
A new World Bank report finds that subsidies for fossil fuels, agriculture, and fisheries exceed $7 trillion and are making climate change worse.
AI food tech company Climax Foods announces the major discovery of a plant-based casein replacement.
A new study on the widespread diversity deficits of coral reef sharks finds that overfishing is driving resident shark species toward extinction.
Dairy producers in the Midwest are dumping milk amid over-supply and plummeting milk prices.
And in Iceland, there’ll be no whaling this summer, as a minister halts fin-whale hunting.
Earthling Ed's response to the Grand National controversy.
We need to talk about horse racing ...
In today's video Ed discusses the recent controversy surrounding the animal rights protests that took place at the Grand National.
He responds to the reactions and outrage of those within the horse racing industry and the truly baffling comments that the jockeys and breeders have been making..
Global network of sadistic monkey torture exposed by BBC
A year-long BBC investigation has uncovered a sadistic global monkey torture ring stretching from Indonesia to the United States.
The World Service found hundreds of customers in the US, UK and elsewhere paying Indonesians to torture and kill baby long-tailed macaques on film.
The torture ring began life on YouTube, before moving to private groups on the messaging app Telegram.
Police are now pursuing the buyers and several arrests have already been made.
BBC journalists went undercover in one of the main Telegram torture groups, where hundreds of people gathered to come up with extreme torture ideas and commission people in Indonesia and other Asian countries to carry them out.
The sadists' goal was to create bespoke films in which baby long-tailed macaque monkeys were abused, tortured and sometimes then killed on film.
Is Chris Packham Vegan? Here’s What He’s Said About The Movement
Chris Packham is a hugely popular naturalist and TV presenter - find out everything he’s said about veganism
Over the last few years, Chris Packham has quickly become a household name in the UK. The naturalist is known for his passion for wildlife and conservation, and is also a vocal campaigner for animal welfare. That has led many people to ask: is he vegan?
Packham is a BBC presenter, famous for his work on Springwatch, as well as the CBBC series The Really Wild Show. He holds a bachelor degree in zoology from the University of Southampton, and has a longstanding interest in the natural world.
In May 2023, it was announced that he’d taken up the role of RSPCA president. In a statement at the time, he said he was “immensely proud” to hold the position. He said that animal charities like the RSPCA were needed “more than ever,” as he urged people to call for higher welfare for non-human animals.
Here’s everything you need to know about Packham’s veganism and animal advocacy.
Is Chris Packham vegan?
Packham has indeed stated that he is vegan. And, he has publicly discussed his decision not to eat animals a number of times.
Prior to becoming plant-based a few years ago, he was a vegetarian for 36 years. Around two years ago, he opened up about his decision not to eat meat. “I don’t see any difference between the way I should treat my dog – who I love and whose well-being I’m preoccupied with – and a pig, who is just as intelligent and important as Scratchy, but is kept in a concrete pen where it can’t turn around,” he previously told his The Really Wild Show colleague Michaela Strachan.
After successfully completing Veganuary in 2019, he adopted the lifestyle permanently. He cited animals and the environment as his reasons for doing so.
“We know the world is eating too much meat, and we know that we as individuals have to do something about it, so I was one of the record 250,000 people who signed up to Veganuary this year,” he wrote in the Guardian at the time. “Two years ago, I visited a modern British dairy farm where the cows were kept in very clean conditions, indoors, all year round. I hated it. So I switched to oat milk, and last year gave up eating cheese.”
“Plants could feel MORE than animals” - new debate with a hunter.
In this video, Earthling Ed debates Victor, a Boston University student and hunter who doesn’t believe there is enough evidence to suggest that the animals he eats actually have feelings.
They dive into his beliefs and uncover some interesting double standards that suggest that Victor believes more about the sentience of these animals than he is letting on ...
Iconic Vegan Documentary ‘The Game Changers’ Is Getting A Sequel
Athlete empowerment brand Uninterrupted is working with the creators of 'The Game Changers' on a new sequel
The hit vegan film, The Game Changers, is getting a sequel. The new feature-length documentary will be directed by Stephanie Soechtig and Kristin Lazure, who worked on Fed Up, Knock Down the House, and The Devil We Know.
The upcoming sequel will be made in partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s production company SpringHill Entertainment. SpringHill, which counts Serena Williams as a board member, creates content for digital media platform Uninterrupted, where athletes tell their stories in their own words. James and Carter will also be executive producers on the Game Changers sequel, alongside Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron.
“With The SpringHill Company’s unparalleled track record fusing athlete-led storytelling with progressive subject matter — plus Stephanie and Kristin’s expert ability to weave compelling personal narratives with hard-hitting investigative journalism — we couldn’t be more thrilled about this team,” said James Wilks, producer and star of the film.
The impact of ‘The Game Changers’
The original Game Changers film was released in 2018. It was described as a “quest” to find the optimal diet for humans. The documentary highlights the health benefits of plant-based eating, with particular focus on athletes and professions such as firefighters. It has now been watched by more than 100 million viewers, and credited with changing many people’s mindsets around the false perception of the “manliness” of meat consumption.
Breaking Down Food Industry Controversies: Tyson, Oatly, and Prop 12 Explained – Month in a Minute
The May edition of Sentient Media's popular Month in a Minute series is here! Watch their 60-second recap of the top stories in animals, food and farming.
This month brought a legal victory for animal advocates as the Supreme Court upheld California’s Proposition 12 and the state’s right to regulate animal welfare. Plus, Tyson stock dropped 12 percent, as pork and chicken demand fell and drought killed cattle. And undercover footage revealed a Tyson farm manager saying not all ‘free-range’ birds get to go outside.
Plus: The Department of Labor investigated child labor violations by a Minnesota slaughterhouse sanitation company, which is continuing to lose contracts in the wake of the news.
The Most Inspiring Vegan SLAM Poem You'll Ever Hear By Jaimie G
Comedian Jaimie G talks about our treatment of animals, the environmental impact of animal agriculture and much more in this classy vegan spoken word poem.
Vegan Couple Turn Wedding Day Into Animal Rights Protest & Movie
A vegan couple in Switzerland is making an animal rights documentary that includes protests, open rescues, and arrests, all around their vegan wedding day
Anja and Matej Glivar got married in Switzerland on April 4, 2022, in what is arguably one of the world’s wildest weddings ever! The wedding itself was 100% vegan. No shocker there. But, they also turned their wedding day into an eye-popping display of animal rights activism that included rescuing some lambs from a farm, bridal screams and a bike crash. It was all caught on tape and will soon be coming to a theater near you!
Anja is a nurse from Switzerland and Matej is a content creator from Slovenia. They fell in love at an animal rights workshop. The film follows their inspiring mission to have a completely vegan wedding while carrying out animal rights actions. The documentary will feature exclusive interviews with various vegan and non-vegan notables, farmers, influencers, vegan celebrities and ordinary people who say they love animals but still eat them. Hence, the animal dilemma.
This extraordinary vegan couple was interviewed by UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez-Mitchell. UnchainedTV was the very first media outlet to show clips of the upcoming film publicly. This never-before-seen footage is captivating. You can find the entire conversation and the film clips here: unchainedtv.com/2023/05/25/vegan-couple-turn-wedding-day-into-animal-rights-protest-movie
Extinction or Regeneration Sowing the Seeds of Hope and Action by Philip Lymbery
19 May 2023
Three years in the planning, the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023 hosted by Compassion in World Farming and our key partner, IPES-Food, will live long in the memory and sowed seeds for hope and future action.
Two days of conference, 5 plenary sessions, 6 parallel sessions and 1 closing panel. 63 speakers and chairs (32 female, 31 male) from 20 countries. 740 delegates plus 370,000 people watching the live stream including thousands on official Chinese Government websites. 25 international journalists attended and one news story ran in over 250 publications.
To date, there have been over 550 mentions of the conference in the press and a potential reach of 1.98 billion.
The hashtag #Extinction2023 was trending on Twitter in the UK, with nearly 20 million potential opportunities to see it.
In total, we had representation from 41 countries and have had some truly amazing feedback.
To gain an audio snapshot of the views, thoughts and sheer energy of the Extinction or Regeneration Conference, please listen to this short podcast.
Extinction or Regeneration was about finding urgent solutions to fix the broken food system and ensure the future well-being of animals, people and the planet.
Over the two days, we brought together world-renowned academics, food and financial experts, doctors, animal welfare specialists, ecologists, activists and farmers from around the world, to discuss topics ranging from soil health and regenerative agriculture to the role of governments, business and investment in the food system.
I was honoured to work with IPES-Food Co-Chair and UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, to host this unique event, alongside other partners from diverse sectors.
Whilst it would be impossible to cover the huge breadth and quality of insights afforded by such a talented range of global speakers, here I offer a flavour of the extraordinary contributions over the course of an uplifting two days in London.
The conference was opened by primatologist Dr Jane Goodall DBE, who gave a superb and stirring opening speech calling for an end to factory farming amid the ‘extreme’ animal cruelty, ‘Unless we wake up and act now to reduce this calamitous overconsumption, it will simply be too late’.
Oliver De Schutter followed, explaining the inequalities of our food system, including hunger and poverty for the most disadvantaged, whilst at the same time seeing record profits for a handful of powerful corporations.
Extinction by Design
Professor Tim Benton asked, ‘Did you know over 60% of grain is used for animal feed?’ He highlighted how this offered enormous potential for transformative change. That if we stopped factory farming there would be so much more we could do with the land. Further how we currently only produce a third of the fruit and vegetables we need, making the recent decision to scrap the horticulture strategy even more depressing.
Stefanos Fotiou from the UN FAO and Director of the UN Food Systems Hub confirmed that food relates to so many wider issues and how changing the way we produce it, can bring about a sustainable future.
John Webster, Professor Emeritus, University of Bristol, discussed the importance of recognising animals as sentient beings, who can feel pain and joy and how they must be treated with respect.
Dr Vandana Shiva, activist, academic and campaigner, spoke eloquently of how ‘this extinction we are living through is an extinction by design.’ Referring to the chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers that are spread so liberally on intensively managed farmland, she said, ‘Look at the arsenal that has been created to drive species to extinction.’
Dr Vandana Shiva, activist, academic and campaigner, spoke eloquently of how ‘this extinction we are living through is an extinction by design.’ Referring to the chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers that are spread so liberally on intensively managed farmland, she said, ‘Look at the arsenal that has been created to drive species to extinction.’
The Soil
Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science, The Ohio State University, told us all that ‘soil is like a bank account, you can’t take out more than you put in. The health of soil goes down, the health of everything else goes down with it’ and that ‘Waste is a crime against nature’. He was unequivocal when he spoke about famines, saying they were “man-made” and “unthinkable, morally toxic.”
Seth Watkins, Pinhook Farms farmer gave an emotionally charged presentation and with humility and passion, suggested that there is ‘no sustainability without diversity’ and that we need to embrace human innovation to feed the world. That we need to make farms smaller and more diverse, giving more value to the natural world. How regenerative farming can ensure everyone receives the food they need while protecting the planet and that farmers ‘can be profitable, but enough is as good as a feast’.
Wise words echoed by Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes, World Resources Institute who made an equally strong case for regenerative farming based on her experience in Africa: ‘The way we grow our crops has a huge impact on soil health’.
Banks Fund Broken Food Systems
Jennifer Clapp, Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, reminded all delegates that we also need to think outside the food system. That we need better laws and stronger regulation on financial markets and rules to ensure asset managers don’t dominate the food system.
Compassion’s own Chief Policy Advisor, Peter Stevenson, spoke out about how we must lobby banks to only fund high animal welfare ‘Every year, the big banks pour out millions into funding factory farming’. Banks have a significant role to play in reducing the intensive farming system and promoting and encouraging regenerative, nature-friendly farming.
UK food strategist and co-founder of restaurant chain, Leon, Henry Dimbleby, informed us that ‘the animals we breed to eat weigh twice as much as all the people on the planet, and 20 times the wild animals’. He called for legislation to raise standards and help consumers make informed choices. He advised that in 150 years he didn’t believe we’d be eating killing animals for food.
He was followed on stage by James Bailey, Executive Director of Waitrose on the need for disruptive thinking ‘If customers don’t yet understand what’s happening, they can’t make the change’. He sought collaboration to help shake up the food system.
Delegates were wowed by a motivating speech from Compassion’s own patron, Dame Joanna Lumley, on the importance of ending factory farming.
Summary
Extinction or Regeneration was a meeting of extraordinary minds. More from the speeches delivered at this superlative event will be posted online shortly.
I would like to thank everyone who came, and to all those who support us, for being part of this beautiful movement that is saving the future for animals, people and the planet.
I close with the wonderful words of Dr Vandana Shiva ‘“Compassion feeds the world; compassion heals the world; compassion sows the seeds of hope, compassion is not a means to an end but the purpose of life.’
New from Killer Yoghurts!
The latest yoghurt, produced with only the finest ingredients – the stolen milk of grieving mothers.
This advert launches alongside our newest campaign Müller Killer in which you learn just how cruel and heart breaking the dairy industry truly is. viva.org.uk/muller-killer
The clever marketing we have been sold, that of idyllic scenes of cows grazing and living out enriched and beautiful lives, is actually obscuring the far more gruesome and abhorrent reality.
Now picture this: mothers side by side, on concrete flooring, deprived of the ability to display their natural behaviours, some in excruciating pain with infections, all living out a life imprisonment.
This is the reality for one in five dairy cows in the UK, with Müller, a dairy giant, driving this zero grazing change.
Learn more about how you can no longer be complicit in this cruelty and try vegan today! v7.viva.org.uk
Why on Earth, the Powerful Award-Winning Wildlife Documentary Featuring Clint Eastwood, is Now Available in the UK and on Major Airlines Including Emirates, United & Etihad
Peace 4 Animals has announced Why on Earth, the compelling new feature-length documentary by prominent animal advocate and filmmaker Katie Cleary, premiered in the UK on Sky Store for Premium VOD on May 15th. The film is currently streaming on major airlines, including Emirates, United, and Etihad, and it will be released on CANAL+ International in France and French-speaking countries in Africa. The film is also set to air on The Weather Channel.
This gripping film takes a comprehensive look into our current environment, uncovering many issues affecting our natural world and the animals who inhabit it. The documentary reveals the vital connection between humans, animals, and the growing plant-based movement.
"Why on Earth has been a labor of love for the past four years. We are so excited to finally share with the world this important documentary to raise awareness about the many issues that impact our planet's critical species," shared Cleary, whose previous award-winning documentary Give Me Shelter premiered on Netflix in 2015. Cleary is also the Founder and President of the animal welfare organization Peace 4 Animals and its popular animal news network World Animal News.
"There are simple things that we, as humans, can and must do to prevent the devastation of our rainforests and to enact stricter penalties for poachers who kill endangered and threatened species.".
9 Animated Films That Remind Us to Be Kind to Animals
Animated films may often appear to primarily appeal to children and to younger audiences in general, yet people of all ages should be able to glean something from those films listed below (and many more not named here).
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro — whose 2022 stop-motion version of “Pinocchio” is featured here — said it best when he noted that “animation is cinema.” And, sometimes, the best cinema can teach us valuable lessons; such is the case with the 10 films listed below, which all remind us to be kind to animals. A few of the films may also convince people to go vegan or vegetarian, or to at least think twice before consuming animal products. Films like “Bambi” and “The Fox and the Hound” are actively anti-hunting, “Ferdinand the Bull” and “Ferdinand” show the dangers of bullfighting, and del Toro’s Pinocchio depicts how monkeys are treated in circuses.
1. Bambi
2. Charlotte’s Web
3. Chicken Run
4. Ferdinand
5. Finding Nemo
6. The Fox and the Hound
7. Free Birds 8. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
9. Shark Tale
Chris Ogden, Communications Officer at the Vegetarian Society, reviews Jason Goldman's inspirational film about animal activist Renee King-Sonnen.
Given their deep connection to animal agriculture, farmers may seem unlikely allies to vegetarians and vegans. However, there may be more common ground between the two groups than one might expect. This is the subject of the film Rowdy Girl, an observational documentary that explores how ranchers too can be animal activists.
Rowdy Girl explores the story of Renee King-Sonnen, who married into a family of cattle ranchers and persuaded her husband Tommy to join her in transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. The pair now use their ranch in Waelder, Texas as an animal sanctuary and help other farmers to move towards plant-based food production.
Named after the Sonnens’ rebranded ranch, Rowdy Girl refers just as much to Renee as it does the sanctuary itself. She is a fascinating, charismatic figure, a fact that director Jason Goldman wisely recognises as she takes up almost all the film’s screen time. The film follows Renee as she goes about her activism, as we watch her tirelessly speak with other farmers and advocate for a plant-based future with inspirational determination. Despite the earnestness of Renee’s mission, Rowdy Girl is light in touch too, as Goldman finds plenty of space to present the animals under Renee’s care and her evident love for them.
One of Rowdy Girl’s more interesting undercurrents is how it shows the bravery and innovation of farmers like the Sonnens as they seek to move towards a plant-based future. One scene shows Renee taking another farmer’s much-loved cow into her sanctuary, while another sees the Sonnens visit a barn which its owners plan to turn into an automated mushroom farm. “If people like you [can] go vegan, you can make such a difference,” Renee says.
Goldman takes care to show that life is not easy for these alternative farmers as they move towards viewing their animals as family rather than food. Renee does not shy away from the hardships she and her husband faced for that change, and one affecting scene shows her consoling a distraught friend on the phone. However, Rowdy Girl shows that more farmers are making that decision, thanks in part to the Sonnens’ selfless work in encouraging change and connecting like-minded people. If more farmers can take the bold path of pioneers like Renee, a kinder future for agriculture awaits.
Can vegans ride horses? The answers may surprise you!
The ethics of horse riding remains an extremely controversial and divisive topic. This video covers arguments for and against horse riding, the ongoing debates between horse riding schools and methods, whether horse riding hurts horses, the harm of horse riding tack, whether horse riding is vegan, and more. It goes beyond the questions of "is horse riding cruel" and "is horse riding vegan" for a deeper exploration of the ethics of horse use.
Milk – Blood is thicker than milk. A film for the forgotten, by Ed Winters, has won the The Webby People’s Voice Award!
“What we show in Milk is literally the best of the best when it comes to dairy farming, yet, as soon we view what happens from the perspective of the mother cow, it becomes clear that this is an industry that runs on the exploitation and suffering of animals. By using animation we are able to show a unique perspective and tell the story of the mother cow in a way that cannot be done from investigative footage alone. Milk centres the cow as the protagonist of her own story and allows us to view what is happening to her from an up close and personal perspective.
Organic, free-range, high-welfare, humanely raised. It doesn’t matter what label we put on dairy products, all dairy cows are victims of an industry that forcibly impregnates them, takes their babies from them, exploits their bodies and then sends them to a slaughterhouse to cut their throats. It's time to end the dairy industry.”
- Ed Winters
Animals Are Critical For All Life On Earth – by Philip Lymbery
Why urgently reshaping our relationship with sentient animals is not just a moral and ethical question, it is imperative for the sake of the planet
Our Extinction or Regeneration conference is just around the corner – bringing together some of the world’s greatest thinkers from animal welfare to environmental policy, climate activism to regenerative farming – to discuss solutions for fixing our global food system, before it’s too late.
One of these experts is John Webster, a great friend of Compassion and one of our ‘Visionaries’. John was Chair of Animal Husbandry at Bristol University where he established the centre for study of animal welfare and behaviour. A founder member of the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council, he is also former president of the British Society of Animal Science.
Here John shares some of his reflections on the ethical and moral case for the way we consider our relationship with sentient animals, coupled with the scientific argument around shifting our focus away from diets that are heavy in animal-sourced foods:
"For most of my working life I have sought to examine our relations with sentient animals in ways that are loving without being sentimental, scientific without being arcane. My approach rests on two central pillars of good sense; one moral, one scientific.
The moral case lies with Albert Schweitzer: ’The great fault of all ethics hitherto has been that they believed themselves to have to deal only with the relations of man to man. In reality, the question is’ what is his attitude to the world and all that comes within his reach?’ The scientific case is based on the irrefutable Darwinian principle that ‘it is not the most intellectual of species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives. It is the one that is able best to adapt to the changing environment. Successful adaptation of any species to the environment is achieved by maintaining its genetic inheritance as a stable contributor within a sustainable ecosystem."
John will be delving deeper into these issues at our conference in May as part of a plenary session which considers what happens if we put the wellbeing of animals and the planet at the centre of our food system design. For further information about Extinction or Regeneration, and to register please go to extinctionconference.com
Bird Flu Crisis Escalates, Japan's Bear Meat Vending Machine & more – Month in a Minute
The April edition of Sentient Media's popular Month in a Minute series is here! Watch their 60-second recap of the top stories in animals, food and farming.
This month brought good news for cultivated meat, but alarming concerns over the meat industry and public health. A new report from the World Health Organization concluded cultivated protein raises no more food safety concerns than conventional meat. Japan is running out of room to bury over 17 million birds culled due to avian flu. Meanwhile, China reported the first human death from the H3N8 strain of the pathogenic influenza, and the U.S. began testing poultry vaccines. And: Oxford researchers found animal agriculture’s use of the antimicrobial colistin has endangered human immune systems with treatment-resistant E coli.
Plus: An explosion on a Texas dairy farm killed 18,000 cows.
The Michigan attorney general asked top U.S. grocery chain Kroger to clarify animal welfare claims on its egg labeling.
And: the story of Cedar the goat went viral, after his slaughter by Shasta County Fair officials sparked outcry.
End Stag Hunting: Dr Amir Khan lends voice to new animation
Protect the Wild has launched a new short animation slamming illegal stag hunting and featuring the voice of broadcaster, wildlife campaigner and full-time NHS GP Dr Amir Khan.
In the animation Dr Khan explains how deer hunts can last up to six hours and are ‘exempt’ under the Hunting Act 2004 because hunts claim they are undertaking ‘observation and research’. No hunt ever backs these ridiculous assertions up with peer-reviewed reports or ever submits data to relevant scientific bodies.
The 60-second film is part of our campaign for a ‘Proper Ban on Hunting’ which aims to pass new legislation into law, The Hunting of Mammals Bill, which will end fox, hare and deer hunting for good. It comes just a week after harrowing footage emerged from hunt sabs which showed a stag that had been chased to the point of exhaustion by the notorious Quantock Staghounds.
This form of wild animal torture takes place week in, week out for months – every year! It has to be stopped.
As the world’s leading animal photojournalism agency, it is our mission to document the stories of animals in the human environment. Our growing network of contributing photographers, videographers, writers and fixers extends throughout the world, allowing us to capture content from a wide range of animal industries. We also connect these stories to broader issues, such as climate change, and explore solutions to these important problems.
Our current focus areas are:
Animals farmed for food
Farmed and wild fish and crustaceans
The future of food – e.g. vegan innovation and technology
Though we do consider animal stories covering other topics, priority is given to stories that fall within our current areas of focus, or those which can be used to help further the campaign efforts of partner NGOs.
If you would like to contribute to We Animals Media, please fill out the appropriate form below. Before submitting, please take a moment to explore our strategic plan.
We look forward to reviewing your submission, but please note that we are not able to contact everyone. A member of our team will be in touch if we are interested in licensing your visuals or taking the next step with your pitch.
Are you an aspiring animal photojournalist or videographer but aren’t yet ready to pitch us a story or submit work for the stock platform? Please explore the We Animals Media Masterclass, a self-paced instructional video series developed to foster the next generation of animal photojournalists. Check it out at: weanimalsmedia.org/masterclass
What Happens When You Eat Soy?
What Happens When' is the series where Plant Based News’ takes a deep dive into the topics that concern our health and wellbeing and hear from experts who debunk some of the most common myths.
In this episode you will learn what happens when you eat soy.
The soybean is one of the most versatile food sources. Edamame, soymilk, tofu, sprouts, miso, tempeh, soy sauce – foods made of soy in both unfermented and fermented form have been the bedrock of Asian cuisine for millennia.
But since its rise in popularity in Western cuisine over the past 60 years, soy and its effects on the body have become the object of many studies, myths, and debates.
'Science, past and present.' - Image by Sam Bagguette
Time to end animal experiments – starting with ‘Lethal Dose’ tests!
The 24th of April, is World Day for Animals in Laboratories. On this day we remember the many animals that suffer in laboratories today and all of those who suffered and died throughout history. These are animals with whom we also share our lives – mice, rabbits, dogs, cats, horses and more.
Please sign our petition to help bring an end to animal experiments forever. And please share it as widely as possible.
World Day for Animals in Laboratories was founded in 1979, which is the same year that Animal Aid highlighted the cruel and scientifically pointless LD50 test. The LD50 involves groups of animals being given increasing doses of a substance until 50% of them are dead.
There is now an exciting development in the world of science – AcutoX. This test, which is ready to replace the LD50 test, is 100% animal-free, using donated human skin cells to test how toxic substances are. As well as being cruelty-free it is actually accurate and relevant to humans, unlike the LD50 test!
To spread the word, we have joined forces with global retailer, Lush Cosmetics to call on government, regulators and industry to stop commissioning and conducting the LD50 test.
Our new campaign was launched at Parliament last week, where our petition gained support from MPs and industry alike. To highlight how much has changed since the invention of this outdated LD50 test, the campaign launch also featured a stunt at the Lush store on Oxford Street, with an old-fashioned scientist arriving in an original Rolls Royce from 1927. Along with a gramophone-winding flapper, this was a poignant reminder that the LD50 tests, invented before all women had the vote, have had their day – and that it’s time for better science.
On this World Day for Animals in Laboratories please sign and share our petition to help bring an end to animal experiments forever.
Once you've signed and shared the petition, don't forget to view and share our brand new animation, explaining more about the LD50 test - narrated by the wonderful Diane Morgan!
NEW FILM: 'You Eat Other Animals?' – A Vegan Sci-Fi Comedy
A sci-fi comedy from @WilyFilms in which two happy-go-lucky men are being taken to an alien planet and untold wonders when their vegan hosts discover something stomach-churning.
Starring Evanna Lynch, Anna Ballantine, James Eeles and Michael Jinks.
Eating Our Way to Extinction's extended interview with Jeremy Rifkin available now!
Brilliant full interview with Jeremy Rifkin...
Jeremy Rifkin is one of the world's foremost thinkers on the impact of environmental change for the world's largest economies.
His insight into how the gigantic animal agriculture industry has impacted upon global society is featured throughout Eating Our Way to Extinction.
He pulls no punches, and is unrelenting as he spells out the trap that humanity is sleepwalking towards.
Jeremy articulates how the livestock industry has a chokehold over the global economy, and the ravaging environmental catastrophes that result from this. His interview is packed with hard-hitting facts.
Jeremy Rifkin is an American economic and social theorist, writer, public speaker, political advisor, and activist. Rifkin is the author of 21 bestselling books about the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the workforce, society, and the environment.
An analysis of the beef culture incorporates anthropology, history, sociology, economics, and ecology to demonstrate how "cattle culture" has changed our world.
Explore further interviews, behind the scenes facts, and the four year process of filming Eating Our Way to Extinction with the movie companion book – a beautifully presented production with exclusive photography, details and interviews. Here: Amazon.co.uk
The REAL Reason Plant-Based Dieters Quit…
Why are they no longer vegan? Here's the REAL reason plant-based dieters quit...
Why do you think we are seeing an influx of ex-vegans?
Earthling Ed’s film ‘MILK’ nominated for acclaimed Webby awards
“This is a really amazing opportunity for a film about veganism and animal rights to win the most prestigious award of its kind, and together we can make it happen!”
Vegan activist Earthling ED’s short film MILK has been nominated for the acclaimed annual Webby Awards.
It has been nominated in the highly competitive category ‘Video: Animation’ —and is up against films such as ‘A Flammable Planet’, ‘Only a Child’, and ‘Public Enemy – Lost At Birth’, among others.
Ed’s film, like every other nominee, is eligible to win two awards: the Webby Award, selected by the Academy, and the Webby People’s Voice Award, voted on by the online community.
The Webby Awards
The awards, established in 1996, have been called the “Oscars of the Internet.”
The annual program honours excellence in internet content and creativity. It is not only a celebration of digital innovation and creativity but also an opportunity to recognize the individuals and organisations that contribute to the evolution of the internet.
The 27th Annual Webby Award nominations have been announced by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS).
MILK
Earthling Ed’s nominated film, MILK, documents the life of a typical “dairy cow” and presents some hard-hitting facts about the dairy industry.
Blood is thicker than milk. A film for the forgotten, by Ed Winters: therealcolourofmilk.com
Vegan debates "screaming tomatoes" on live TV
Earthing Ed had to debate "screaming tomatoes" on live TV. He's not joking!
"Believe it or not but this wasn’t an April Fool’s Joke. It says a lot that I’m more likely to be asked to debate whether or not plants feel pain than the fact that animals do actually feel pain. Why do we care about tomatoes making noises through releasing gas but not animals screaming because they’re actually suffering?"
POODUNNIT? – A Wildlife Detective Story about the Polluted River Wye, by Richard Brock
By Jason Peters
4th April 2023
Dying Wye. Why?
You may have seen and heard about the bad conditions on our waterways, rivers, lakes, shores and coasts. Clean water is precious, both to us and wildlife, as Sir David Attenborough has stressed in his major wildlife conservation series on BBC 1, “Wild Isles”.
Fixing it will be a massive challenge and costs will be high affecting what we will have to pay. But who is getting richer too? And how? It’s a scandal, involving what amounts to a crime, or rather a number of crimes.
So, in addition to the massive media coverage and long-term news campaigns, we offer a film “POODUNNIT?”
Different from the inevitable foul examples in what were pristine rivers “POODUNNIT?” tracks down the potential culprits with several Sherlock Holmes logos (+ farts!) in an hour-long hunt for the criminals on one of Britain’s most favourite rivers – the Wye, which flows between England and Wales – 155 miles.
The journey follows the threatened Wye, through one year, from source to sea, using that ace fisherman the heron, and the handsome wild duck the mallard, as our guides, revealing whodunnit? along the course of the dying Wye.
This is a wildlife detective story, very watchable, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but with a serious intention, plus outstanding wildlife film production values with BBC Natural History Unit experience.
Watch it. Become a Sherlock Holmes and find out! “POODUNNIT?” Whodunnit? Is doing it?
One of our finest, favourite rivers is in trouble. Kingfishers and otters, plants and insects are threatened. The beautiful River Wye is dying. Why? Become a Sherlock Holmes in this wildlife detective story and find out in “POODUNNIT?”.
In this conversation, Moby — musician, songwriter, producer and animal rights activist — and Sentient Media’s founder, Mikko Järvenpää discuss punk rock’s tie to veganism, animal agriculture’s impact on the world around us, American media’s coverage of animals (or lack thereof) and Moby’s new film.
Vegan Reacts To VICE News Carnivore Diet Documentary
Just when you thought you'd seen everything...
In this video, @florianwueest is reacting to the new and highly disturbing carnivore documentary of Vice News 2023 called ‘Why Raw Meat Is the Latest Online Diet Craze’.
Unleash the power of choice. Let’s give our kids the facts on where their food comes from, including meat from animals, so they can make smart and conscious food decisions, all while developing empathy for their furry friends.
If you're in the UK, sign the petition to demand that primary schools be required to teach students about the process of animal slaughter here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/634575
Find out more about the 'Peppa Is Bacon' campaign here: peppaisbacon.com
Meat eater devastated by the truth - goes vegan on the spot?
In this debate Earthling Ed sits down to chat with Lucio, a meat eating student who begins to feel very conflicted between his enjoyment of meat and the fact that he recognises that animals matter.
Lucio makes some really great observations, but will he go vegan?
Fish Expert Reacts to Investigative Footage From Scottish Fish Farm
Animal Equality asked fish expert Mark Borthwick to give his expert opinion on their latest investigation into the fish industry. He was shocked by what he saw.
In February, Animal Equality UK released exclusive drone footage documenting the life and death of farmed fish in Scotland.
The investigation shows fish crammed into pens, being left to suffocate and not being effectively stunned before being killed.
Little is known about the fish farming industry and what it’s like for fish in these places. That’s why we’ve asked fish welfare expert, Mark Borthwick, to comment on the footage.
Watch as he breaks down the most worrying issues he has observed while watching our investigation.
Coffee Wars and Other Vegan Films You Need to See in 2023
We’re calling it: 2023 is the year of the vegan. More and more, people are seeing the benefits of eating and drinking plant-based products. Better for the planet? Check. Better for the animals? Yup. Better for your health? Usually, yes.
Now, veganism is making a splash on the big screen… and in a big way. Check out these three vegan movies that are coming out in 2023.
Coffee Wars
Starring singer and “Glow” cast member Kate Nash, “Coffee Wars” is about a vegan barista and entrepreneur named Jo who enters an international latte-making competition with a delicious almond milk latte recipe. At the same time, she’s behind on her bills, and her coffee shop is at risk of closing. Will this green-haired veganista succeed with her plant-based cuppa joe? Will she show the world that almond milk is better—and far more sustainable—than its dairy counterparts? You’ll have to watch this funny and quirky nail-biter of a comedy to find out. Just make sure you root for her along the way.
Punk Rock Vegan Movie
Punk rock? Veganism? Moby?! We are here for all of it. Moby made the documentary “Punk Rock Vegan Movie” to show the link between punk rock and animal rights activism. It turns out there is a very strong connection. The movie stars musicians like Ian MacKaye (Fugazi and Minor Threat), Dave Navarro (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Rob Zombie. Moby said he made the film because, “There’s nothing in my life more important than being an animal rights activist… My hope is that this movie maybe makes people question, Why am I continuing to support a food system that kills a trillion animals a year; destroys the rainforest; causes antibiotic resistance; causes climate change, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity?” You can watch the full film on Moby’s YouTube channel.
I Could Never Go Vegan
The upcoming documentary “I Could Never Go Vegan” follows filmmaker Thomas Pickering, who was raised on a vegetarian diet and has never eaten meat. In his film, he explores the reasons why people say they could never give up meat and go vegan. For example, it is a common misconception that people need B12 and protein from animals, but Pickering works to dispel that myth. He also demonstrates the environmental and health detriments of consuming animal products. Watch the trailer for “I Could Never Go Vegan” and check back on the film’s website to find out when it’ll be released.
Fur and Stupid People - The Downs and Ups of The Arctic Fox
It looks better on an Arctic Fox than on a model.
That little white animal needs its beautiful fur to survive the killing conditions of the Arctic winter.
It roams far and wide across the ice and snow, and tries to sustain itself and its family when the parents turn dark before winter returns to the tundra of Iceland. Killing conditions threaten there too, not only from hunters and trappers, but worse, much worse is inflicted on captive arctic foxes elsewhere.
In tiny cages where they are driven mad in confinement, they are reared to be stripped of their life-saving coat – to be sold at a price not only to the little arctic fox, but to some greedy fashion people clustered round the fox-walk of torture and death.
Three interconnected stories behind a single fur coat from the trapper who catches the fox, to the seamstress who sews the coat, to the shopper who buys it.
Featuring the song "everything i wanted" by Billie Eilish.
Bird Flu caused mass death of sea lions, 'Super Cows' cloned & Meat Taxation | Month in a Minute
The February edition of Sentient Media's popular Month in a Minute series is here! Watch their 60-second recap of the top stories in animals, climate and our food system.
This month, public health news dominated the headlines. A catastrophe unfolded in Ohio: Derailed train cars were called “non-hazardous” as chemicals burned and pollution contaminated waterways. Residents were ordered to evacuate amid reports of "alarming numbers" of dead animals.
Meanwhile, the reported spread of avian flu between mammals has health officials on high alert while the Biden administration announces new plans to test vaccines.
And: animal agriculture’s use of antibiotics is projected to rise by 8 percent from 2020-2030 even as a UN report calls antimicrobial resistance a top 10 health threat.
Plus: The U.S. Department of Labor fined a food sanitation company $1.5 million for employing over 100 children in meat plants, some cleaning “razor-sharp saws,” using “caustic chemicals” and working overnight.
Watch all this and more in our February media recap!
Watch Maa Ka Doodh
(Mother’s Milk):
Uncovering A Nation’s Dairy Disaster
In a country where cows are considered sacred, how has their flesh become a lucrative Indian export?
Dr Harsha, the doctor turned documentarian, quits his day job to embark on an investigative journey to expose the link between the nation’s massive dairy consumption and its meat exports.
“I was stunned to learn India was one of the largest exporters of beef in the world. The perception I had growing up was that the vast majority of Indians were against beef, but this perception was contradicting the truth. I set out to discover how this came to be.”
- Dr Harsha Atmakuri
The award-winning feature-length documentary explores the untold stories behind the success of India’s White Revolution – The World’s Largest Dairy Production and Development Campaign, along with the ethical, cultural, environmental, religious, economic and political influences the consumption of dairy in India has created for millennia.
Please share the film with your friends and family. Let us raise awareness and empower each other in making informed choices. No permission required for private screenings. Just use the hashtag #MaaKaDoodh when posting on social media.
Can Veganism Solve World Hunger? An Honest Answer ...
The fourth video that Emily Moran Barwick did for BiteSizeVegan covered whether veganism could solve World hunger, national debt, and colon health—all in under 4 minutes!
Here, she revists the claim that veganism is the answer to World hunger.
Can veganism solve world hunger? As good as this claim looks for veganism, such a sweeping statement has to be backed up with facts. So let's take a hard, honest look at what it really takes to solve world hunger.
This book offers an absorbing look at why and how humans can so wholeheartedly devote ourselves to certain animals and then allow others to suffer needlessly, especially those slaughtered for our consumption.
Social psychologist Melanie Joy explores the many ways we numb ourselves and disconnect from our natural empathy for farmed animals. She coins the term "carnism" to describe the belief system that has conditioned us to eat certain animals and not others.
In Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows, Joy investigates factory farming, exposing how cruelly the animals are treated, the hazards that meatpacking workers face, and the environmental impact of raising 10 billion animals for food each year.
Controversial and challenging, this book will change the way you think about food forever.
"An absorbing examination of why humans feel affection and compassion for certain animals but are callous to the suffering of others." -- Publishers Weekly
"I think Gandhi would have loved Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. For this is a book that can change the way you think and change the way you live. It will lead you from denial to awareness, from passivity to action, and from resignation to hope." -- John Robbins, author ofDiet for a New America andThe Food Revolution
"Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows is groundbreaking. Melanie Joy brilliantly explains why people resist information that would help themmake more healthful food choices--and how they can overcome this."-- Michael Greger, MD, New York Times bestselling author ofHow Not to Die and founder of nutritionfacts.org
The book is available at Book Depository with FREE delivery worldwide.
Dr. Melanie Joy is a Harvard-educated psychologist, celebrated speaker, and the author of six books, including the award-winningBeyond Beliefs: A Guide to Improving Relationships and Communication for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Meat Eaters. Her work has been featured in major media outlets around the world, and she has received a number of awards, including the Ahimsa Award - previously given to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela - for her work on global nonviolence. Joy has given talks and trainings in over 50 countries, and she is also the founding president of the nonprofit organization Beyond Carnism.
Kate Nash Stars In New Vegan Film ‘Coffee Wars’, All Profits To Be Donated
The new 'Coffee Wars' movie zeroes in on the life of a vegan entrepreneur named Jo
Coffee Wars, a new feature film starring British singer-turned-actor Kate Nash, will soon be available to watch on Amazon Prime.
The film follows Nash’s character, Jo, as she attempts to run a successful vegan coffee shop. All the while, she is hampered by her team of loveable but unreliable staff. In a bid to win some money to keep the shop open, the group enter the World Barista Championships. The lingering question is: will they beat their dairy-fuelled opponents?
While being an entertaining watch, the comedy also aims to shine a light on the need to embrace dairy-free living. This, while also underscoring the importance of ethical consumption and women empowerment in the professional world.
What the cast say
Nash, a passionate vegan and feminist activist, said in a statement: “Coffee Wars brings pressing issues to a global audience in a laugh-out-loud comedic way.
“It invites viewers to challenge their beliefs about what it means to be an ethical consumer and the overall environmental impacts of their purchases.
Fellow cast members, including Toby Sebastian, who play’s Nash’s nemisis Rudy, agree. The notion of delivering critical messaging through lighthearted entertainment seems to be a driving force behind the entire production.
“I think a lot of the hardest issues in the world, the biggest problems such as the issues of global warming and it’s dire effects, are often tackled, sometimes best, through comedy,” Sebastian told Plant Based News.
A stunningly designed accompaniment to the filmEating Our Way To Extinction, this book contains all of the most pertinent information covered in the film, from the most critical environmental statistics to exclusive interviews with key personnel, alongside beautiful on-shoot photography.
This book is a must-have for anyone who truly wants to understand the critical role the animal agriculture industry plays as a leading cause of climate change and ecological devastation.
This book also shows clearly and scientifically how a plant-based diet can effectively offset the worst effects of climate change in a time frame that can buy us time to develop technological solutions.
Introducing plant-based cuisine across multi-cultures, this beautifully photographed cookbook is brought to you by the makers of the acclaimed environmental documentary film Eating Our Way To Extinction, as a tool to help us all shift towards a more planet-saving sustainable food system.
Where other classics seek to define cuisines, this one refines them and teaches us that food is not just about our palettes, but how what we eat is interconnected with the earth's ecosystems.
Featuring vegan recipes from the major food regions of the world, this book takes us on a culinary journey, and in so doing we undertake the greatest journey of all – developing a new understanding of eating.
We’ve never met a kid who doesn’t want to save the world. These plant-based recipes will help them to do just that.
Every single meal is designed to be highly nutritious for a growing child, as well as delicious, and they’ve been tested far and wide with even the fussiest children.
The dishes are easy to make, so whether you will prepare the food for your kids or invite them for their first foray into the kitchen with you, this book will be treasured for years to come.
From the makers of the acclaimed environmental documentary film Eating Our Way To Extinction, this book was created with parents of kids in mind, as a tool to help us all shift towards a more planet-saving sustainable food system.
You don't have to be an animal rights activist to take an interest in how we treat other creatures.
All of us, with few exceptions, use animals in some way: for food, research, recreation and companionship.
In Britain we eat around a billion chickens every year, while 60% of all mammals on Earth, by biomass, are now livestock. In 2020, approximately 2.88 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain.
Because all this happens in our name, as consumers and citizens we have a duty to understand, to care and to exert some influence over how animals are used. But because such use is ingrained in our daily lives and largely happens behind closed doors, we are barely aware of it. The animals deserve better. Understanding the inconsistencies in our attitudes, in the law and in what is deemed acceptable practice is an important first step.
This timely and incisive book makes compelling reading for anyone who has an interest in animals, whether wild or domestic, free-living or captive, people intrigued about how their food is produced, and those keen to make informed and intelligent decisions.
'This is a brilliant book and I recommend that you buy it and read it.' -- Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner
'This fascinating and engaging book challenges us all to make better lives for animals.' -- Chris Packham, broadcaster and author of Back to Nature
Alick Simmons is a veterinarian and a naturalist. After a 35-year public service career controlling epidemic diseases of livestock, in 2015 he began conservation volunteering. As well as practical tasks such as surveying waders and catching cranes, he advises a number of conservation organisations on animal welfare and ethics.
Cosmic Skeptic Shares Health Details, Here's What Mic the Vegan Would Tell Him
Another Vegan influencer breaks down Cosmic Skeptic's explanation of why he's no longer vegan.
After sharing his health story surrounding pre-existing IBS and mental challenges, Mic The Vegan attempts to put forth potential solutions for Alex as well as address the vegan vitriol that he has faced.
Animal Equality Investigation: The Face of Italian "Excellence"
Animal Equality's investigators returned to a pig farm in Northern Italy to see if conditions improved after our initial investigation in 2019 uncovered extreme abuse.
The farm produces products for the DOP (“Protected Designation of Origin”) supply chain that claims higher-quality items from regulated sources. When packaged for grocery store shelves, these products are labeled with "Made in Italy" excellence. But what Animal Equality found was anything but "excellent.".
Animal Equality has been investigating pig farms around the world since 2008—uncovering painful mutilations, deliberate abuse by farm and slaughterhouse workers, the deprivation of natural behaviors, and the extreme confinement of these intelligent and curious animals.
You can join our fight to end the physical and psychological trauma of animals, like pigs, trapped inside our food system by reducing your intake of animal food products. Visit LoveVeg.com to learn more about animal-free foods and discover plant-based recipes.
The Best Vegan TV Adverts
Here's PBN's rundown of the BEST vegan TV adverts EVER!.
This cimlilation includes ads featuring Viva!, Veganuary, PETA, Quorn, Vegan Friendly, Hallmark, The Vegetarian Butcher and Tesco ... Which was your favorite TV advert?
Cosmic Skeptic talks about why he is no longer vegan ...
Alex O'Connor
AKA Cosmic Skeptic, a popular vegan activist, is no longer vegan and has faced quite the backlash!
Following up on his announcement on the his YouTube Community page, and tweeted here, where Alex said he's started consuming animal products again, he talks about the reasons why ...
PETA’s latest ad shows in stark detail what lies ahead if the meat, egg, and dairy industries continue to raise and kill billions of animals every year for unhealthy foods that no one needs.
Animal agriculture is killing the planet, spewing out 16.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the climate catastrophe along with mass deforestation and severe loss of biodiversity, all of which combine to create the perfect conditions for the next global pandemic.
Be a good parent. Protect our children and the future by going vegan.
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: www.meat.org
The #1 Anti-inflammatory Food & Food Component! The Answer May Surprise You!
What is the number 1 most anti-inflammatory food you can eat?
But also what is the number 1 anti-inflammatory food component you can add to your diet? Also what is the number 1 pro-inflammatory food component! Well let's find out!!
Cambridge Student Gets into VERY UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION
The topics of todays debate at Cambridge University include: Which makes more sense animal rights or reducing animal suffering? Should we advocate to 'eat less meat' (reducetarianism) over Veganism?
Then finally we discuss the ethics of 'freeganism' ... Joey Carbstrong
Ten Years of Veganuary & End of 2023 Campaign Wrap-Up
Veganuary 2023 was our biggest yet! There were simply too many highlights to share from this year's campaign, but we did our best!
Veganuary inspired and supported over 620,000 people to try vegan during our 2022 campaign – with participants from over 220 countries and territories. We have worked with businesses to drive up vegan food provision in shops and restaurants, and have made veganism more visible and accessible through our work with national and international media.
Did you know you can take part in Veganuary at any time? Not just January?
Sign up at any point, it's always free and you'll receive the 31 days of supportive emails, along with PDF cookbooks, meal plans and everything you need to try vegan.
Vegan Friendly is a non profit organisation that works to promote and improve vegan lifestyle in the UK and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 2012 and has since launched a large number of groundbreaking projects. We operate on two main levels: The first one is making veganism more accessible. This is done by encouraging businesses to add vegan options, labelling vegan products and restaurants with the association's logo and arranging huge events for thousands of people every year. The second level is raising awareness of veganism through unique and impactful projects.
EPA eyes CAFO pollution, FDA eases animal testing mandate & more – THE MONTH IN A MINUTE: JANUARY 2023 from SENTIENT MEDIA
The first Month in a Minute for 2023! Narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
As Veganuary continues to grow in popularity, researchers say restaurants are removing meat dishes from their menu.
In the U.S., the FDA no longer requires all drugs to be tested on animals before human trials, a law originally passed in 1938.
Utah’s great salt lake is set to dry up in five years, scientists have warned, thanks to unsustainable water use to grow hay and alfalfa to feed livestock.
There were calls to end macaque experimentation at Harvard Medical School as it was revealed that researchers sewed shut the eyes of infant monkeys.
In a historic turnaround, the EPA commits to studying factory farm pollution and whether stronger pollution rules are needed; a first in fifteen years.
Footage from spy cams revealed the grim reality of slaughterhouse gas chambers, showing pigs squeal and thrash violently around in the cage, disproving industry claims that asphyxiation of pigs improves animal welfare and reduces suffering.
A new report detailed how factory farming drives up the use of toxic agricultural pesticides for animal feed which not only destroys native biodiversity but also threatens wild plants and animals via the heavy use of herbicides and insecticides.
Meanwhile global pollinator losses are causing 500,000 early deaths a year due to the resulting 3% to 5% loss of fruit, vegetable and nut production.
A global cohort of researchers have warned that bird flu outbreaks are fuelling the chance of a human spillover, while an outbreak at a Spanish mink farm triggered pandemic fears.
We’re on the highway to climate hell with a methane-emitting meat burger in one hand and our foot on the fossil fuel gas pedal. In 2022, global warming became increasingly dangerously close to spiraling out of control.
As we bear witness to the impacts of animal farming on the climate, we demand that politicians stop ignoring the cow in the room.
The Plant Based Treaty offers hope and a plan for addressing the much-needed changes to our food system at the local and global levels.
Please join us and campaign for a Plant Based Treaty in your city.
You can work on a school campaign, establish a community garden, lobby government, build alliances, or help create bottom up pressure by collecting endorsement.
Moby's Punk Rock Vegan Movie Streaming For Free on the Slamdance Festival Website
MOBY's "Punk Rock Vegan Movie," a new documentary written and directed by MOBY is available to stream for free now via the SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL website.
The film, representing noted vegan MOBY's directorial debut, premiered on opening night of the 2023 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL JANUARY 20th in PARK CITY, UT. Described as "a passionate and stylistically idiosyncratic look at the ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights," it includes interviews with punk icons like IAN MACKAYE, BAD BRAINS' HR, DAVE NAVARRO, AMY LEE, ROB ZOMBIE and CAPTAIN SENSIBLE, among many others.
MOBY tells the story of how punk rock became such a "fertile and surprising" breeding ground for vegan activism. It’s also a call to action, unapologetically reminding people that in a deeply broken world it’s incumbent upon each of us to stand up and fight intelligently, passionately,\ and loudly against injustice.
Noted MOBY, “’Punk Rock Vegan Movie’ was created to shine a light on the surprising and inspiring history of punk rock and animal rights, but also to remind people of the importance and desperate urgency of adopting the uncompromising ethics and actions of the original punk rock activists. After it makes its world premiere at SLAMDANCE, it's yours. It's my goal to give the movie away, as I can't in good conscience try to profit from what is essentially a labor of love and activism."
'David Attenborough's Made Things WORSE' Animal Rebellion Slam Broadcaster In Feisty Debate ... Headline chosen by TalkTV
Animal Rebellion spokesman Joel Scott-Halkes says David Attenborough has made things worse for climate change in his years as a legendary broadcaster and has not 'been helpful at all' in promoting the climate crisis.
Animal Rebellion sat down with Archie Manners to discuss their methods; whether spilling good milk in Harrods, spray painting buildings and disrupting the rail and road network for working people helps in anyway to bring the public with them and further their cause.
Joel tells Archie that David Attenborough has 'anaesthetised' the country into thinking 'everything is fine' with the planet for 50 years before finally saying that lots of species are dying and that he hasn't helped at all with the campaign to prevent climate change.
Joel also discusses the impact the meat industry is having on planet earth while Archie challenges him that the pressure group need to keep the public on their side to have any chance of getting their point across.
In a clash over their methods Joel admits that he does condemn Extinction Rebellion, a related group to Animal Rebellion, disrupting the tube in what he calls a 'working class' area and says it would have been better if it was aimed at 'middle class people'.
Didn't Joel do well!? Find out more about Animal Rebellion: animalrebellion.org
Help Viva! expose The True Costa Dairy
An undercover investigation by Viva! Campaigns has revealed rampant cruelty at Kent’s Home Farm dairy and we need your help to expose the abhorrent reality of dairy farming to the British public.
This particular farm supplies cow’s milk to Freshways – “the UK’s largest independent processing dairy” – whose customers include Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, Budgens, Nisa, Londis, British Airways and Iceland.
In response, Viva! is launching TWO nationwide Days of Action outside Costa Coffee shops – and we need you to help stand up for cows, by holding your very own event outside your local Costa Coffee.
On this day we will be educating the public about the devastating reality of dairy farming and empowering them to instead order a cruelty-free plant-based milk
When: Saturday, 28 January 2023 and Saturday, 11 March 2023 Where:nationwide outside Costa Coffee
Join hundreds of passionate activists and supporters who are getting involved across the nation.
Vegan Doctor Debunks Carnivore MD
Vegan Doctor, Matthew Nagra, debunks viral influencer, Carnivore MD, following his recommendations that everybody should be eating more meat...
Dr.Nagra
talks about what the CarnivoreMD
says about vegetarians needing to eat mean and meat eaters needing to eat MORE meat!
Discussing the "essential nutrients", or are they,
mentioned by the influencer: Vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Biotin, Creatine, Carnitine, Anserine,
Taurine,
Vitamin K2
& Protein.
Bite Size Vegan Replying to Earthling Ed 6 Years Late
Are We Making a Difference? Earthling Ed & a Message to Activists
"This is a message to everyone trying to make a difference for the animals, the planet, and our society. To every activist out there fighting this fight every day and wondering if they’re making an impact. It’s a message I believe we all—myself very much included—need to hear." Emily Moran Barwick AKA Bite Size Vegan
"I stumbled upon a 6-year-old comment from Earthling Ed that completely blew my mind. This video is more than a (very belated) response to Ed—it's a message to every activist out there fighting this fight every day and wondering if they're making an impact. It's a message to everyone trying to make a difference for the animals, the planet, and our society. It's a message I believe we all—myself very much included—need to hear." – I hear you Emily!! JP
The Lies, Myths & Misinformation Of Animal Agriculture - PBN's Full Earthling Ed Interview
Watch this full episode of the PBN Podcast with Earthling Ed and learn about "Vegan Propaganda" and the lies the meat industry tells you ...
"I am so excited to be joined today by none other than Ed Winters (aka Earthling Ed). Ed is a vegan educator who’s content boasts over 200 million views, he has also hosted numerous viral speeches, debates, and videos engaging in dialogue with non-vegans and skeptics. Ed has delivered speeches at numerous schools, universities, and major companies including Google, he has engaging audiences all around the world.
As an activist, vegan educator and more recently a published author, he is a firm advocate for animal rights and the vegan lifestyle. Ed’s advocacy centres around compassion, empathy, and open communication. In 2016, he founded a grassroots animal rights organisation called Surge. Two years later he launched Unity Diner - a non-profit vegan restaurant in London, all the proceeds from which go directly to helping animals. The culmination of that work is his longtime passion project Surge Sanctuary, which houses rescued animals on a vast 18 acre property.
Most recently, Ed has published his first bookThis is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You), which presents an indisputable case for veganism. This is a book that is as much for non-vegans as it is for those who already lead a vegan lifestyle, empowering them to talk more confidently about veganism with the non-vegans in their life. The book explores the effects of animal farming across the globe and how they are rooted in a number of factors that have created our current system.
I am delighted to welcome Ed and find out more about the inspiration behind the book and everything else that he has been up to with his advocacy work recently."
The PBN Podcast is hosted and produced by Robbie Lockie, Edited by Phil Marriott.
Get a copy of Ed's book This Is Vegan Propaganda: (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You), the empowering and groundbreaking book on veganism that everyone, vegan and sceptic alike, needs to read. Now available in paperback.
“Ed has used his vast knowledge regarding meat & dairy production to create a must read book for everyone, vegan and non-vegan alike. His arguments are compelling and grounded in facts and logic. This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) presents an indisputable case for veganism and shows us that there is a far better way of feeding the planet. An eye-opening book of our time."
– Moby
What better time is there than Veganuary for Moby to launch a film joining the dots between the world of punk rock and the world of animal liberation? He has decided the time has come to “shine a light on the surprising and inspiring history of punk rock and animal rights, but also to remind people of the importance and desperate urgency of adopting the uncompromising ethics and actions of the original punk rock activists”.
What is particularly exciting about this form of proselytising is that the film will be available to stream FOR FREE after its premiere at Slamdance festival on 20th January . The award-winning music artist, activist and now film-maker said: “After it makes its world premiere at Slamdance, it’s yours. It’s my goal to give the movie away, as I can’t in good conscience try to profit from what is essentially a labour of love and activism.”. Good on him! It will be streaming free on Slamdance after the premiere and then on Youtube after 30th January.
Interspersed with cartoon chapter credits and brief skits from Moby himself – often involving Bagel the talking dog – the overall approach is entertaining. The subject matter is deadly serious but Moby realises that you need to engage people to change the way they think. It is not littered with footage of animals being slaughtered but there are some heartbreaking images of the conditions that farmed animals are kept in. However, there are also positive images of humans communing with traditionally farmed animals on sanctuaries.
For those who don’t know the back story, there are introductions to Punk Rock – which arguably nails it better than far more detailed attempts – and to Straight Edge. The hypocrisy of attitudes to animals you pet and animals you eat are explored. Alongside folks from bands, activists whose journey began in the punk and hardcore scene, testify to its importance. As several interviewees mention, rejecting animals in your diet is in keeping with the punk attitude of rejecting the mainstream and questioning authority. And there is humour and warmth in these interviews. Examples of the efforts involved in trying to eat while on tour now seem ridiculous in hindsight, but will ring true for many – eg. taking sandwiches with you and even cooking up a meal by the side of the road.
An interview with JEROME FLYNN from Viva!'s screening of HOGWOOD in London
Jerome Flynn narrated the multi-award-winning film HOGWOOD: a modern horror story from Viva!
Jerome comments: “It is an honour to be presenting this very important film. After seeing the horrendous conditions and animal abuse that is happening behind Hogwood’s walls I had to do something. The pigs of Hogwood aren’t just meat products, they are sensitive, emotionally aware beings just like us and they deserve better than this.”
This interview explores why Jerome chose to narrate HOGWOOD, why he originally became vegan and his advice to new vegans.
HOGWOOD explores the reasons behind factory farming and exposes the negligence and inaction by government bodies and corporations alike. It highlights how meat pollutes our planet and puts us at risk from disease outbreak. It explores why factory farming is supported and follows the brave fight to expose the truth and change the world.
In We Animals Media's new short film, “Transfarmation”, we follow Sarah Heiligtag, a woman in Switzerland helping transition animal farms into vegan farms and sanctuaries by working directly with farmers seeking a different relationship with animals.
Going vegan is the ONLY way to STOP the sixth mass extinction. Viva! are asking people to make one vital change – to go vegan to prevent further species loss.
Experience the heart-breaking true story of the wild animals across the world who are clinging onto survival because of our insatiable demand for meat and dairy products.
Forests are being cut down and wild animals’ homes are being destroyed to make space for farmed animals' food. Without their homes, wild animals die. And without wildlife, WE can't survive.
In terms of weight, 60 per cent of the mammals on Earth are livestock, 36 per cent are humans and only four per cent are wild.
You can still change the narrative and save wildlife – by going vegan now.
In this debate Earthling Ed sits down with a student in Arizona who is also a keen fisherman.
Things get a little tense at times as he struggles to grapple with his cognitive dissonance and defend his actions, which are in direct contradiction with the values he says that he has.
Viva! have uncovered rampant cruelty at Kent’s Home Farm dairy and we need your help to make a difference for cows.
Now, you may not have heard of Home Farm, but you have heard of Costa Coffee. Home Farm supplies Freshways, who provide milk to Costa Coffee, one of the nation’s largest coffee shop chains.
Viva! investigated Home Farm in Kent after a tip-off. We were horrified – but what happens here happens on thousands of farms across the UK.
Dr. Neal Barnard clears up common myths about plant-based diets, including concerns about protein, calcium, and supplements in this episode of The Exam Room podcast.
THIS YEAR IN FOOD AND FARMING NEWS: 2022 SUPERCUT – SENTIENT MEDIA
A new year is almost here, but there’s still time for a quick look back at 2022. Check out our twelve-minute supercut recap of the year’s top stories in animals, climate and agriculture.
2022 has been full of contradictions. The agriculture industry has surpassed itself in greenwashing, bluewashing and misinformation campaigns. We saw the worst bird flu outbreak in the history of the U.S., which devastated both farmed and wild bird populations across the globe, while at COP27, we saw major food firms agree to eliminate deforestation by 2025. Meanwhile JBS admitted to buying almost 9,000 cattle from one of Brazil’s biggest deforesters.
Catch up on the year in headlines with our Supercut of The Month in a Minute series.
What a year 2022 has been. Russia invaded Ukraine. The UK was plunged into a cost of living crisis. We had three prime ministers in the space of a few months. And, we are set for a turbulent winter with many workers striking over pay and working conditions.
Against this backdrop, Viva! has continued its fight for animals, the planet and public health. Take a look at what we have achieved in 2022!
Viva! is the UK’s leading vegan campaigning charity, specialising in undercover investigations and animal, health, environmental and lifestyle campaigns. Founded in 1994 by Juliet Gellatley, we have spent almost 30 years creating a kinder, more sustainable world for humans and animals alike.
Biodiversity is more than just the wide variety of species found on earth. It describes the critical balance of diverse species needed to keep an ecosystem regulated and functioning. Without that balance, we lose species of wildlife and put human health and local economies at risk.
Our global food system is the primary cause of biodiversity loss. Farming threatens 86 percent of the species at risk of extinction — mostly driven by the expansion and export of factory farming around the globe. The global rate of species extinction today is higher than the average rate over the past 10 million years.
Over 1.5 million cattle graze on U.S. public lands to the detriment of biodiversity. And 80% of global soy is fed to farmed animals. Clearing room for grazing and soy production wipes out wild plants and woody trees. Even low-density grazing alters ecosystem biodiversity and crowds out deer and elk from grazing. It also impacts the quality and quantity of food available for native wildlife.
An open letter to James Cameron & Avatar crew by Ric O’Barry
“I was hoping it was a mistake.
“It wasn’t, but it was a brutal wake up call.”
I watched the video of the Avatar: The Way of Water Tokyo Press Event several times – held on/around December 10 at the Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa. I hope you will watch it, too.
To watch this particular group of filmmakers, whom I greatly admire and respect, applaud captive dolphins performing tricks in a tiny pool absolutely floored me. I was hoping it was a mistake. It wasn’t, but it was a brutal wake up call.
The clapping really got to me. It wasn’t just James Cameron. Everyone clapped. Everyone was amused and entertained: Jon Landau, Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang.
Apparently a good time was had by all.
Taiji dolphin slaughter, fueled by captive dolphin sales, goes on...
And at the same time, the Taiji dolphin slaughter — and related captures — rage on in Taiji, opposed by too few.
These are very intelligent people watching the live dolphin show. They are world travelers. Educated. Some are vegan.
At least some of these filmmakers have probably seen The Cove movie, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010.
Watching this video of the Avatar: The Way of Water press event left me feeling completely hopeless. It made me question everything we have been doing. Still does.
Our work at Dolphin Project is very specific: it’s all about the dolphin captivity issue. That’s our issue. We don’t profess to be saving the entire planet, or even the seven seas and the rainforest. We don’t have goals of the highest abstraction. We are focused on the dolphin captivity issue like a laser beam – educating and enlightening so people can make educated choices about which forms of “entertainment” they choose to support.
Have I wasted the last 52 years of my life?
Now I’m wondering if I’ve wasted the last fifty-two years of my life doing this? After all, if we can’t even get through to this select group of well-educated filmmakers, maybe we’re wasting our time trying to educate ordinary people in hopes they will think twice before buying a ticket from the dolphin abusement park industry?
At 83, I don’t want to spend my time wasting my time. I have been forced to rethink everything, now that I know we’re not even getting through to people whom I truly believed were already onboard: the producers, director and cast of the Avatar movies – blockbuster films about saving the environment, which includes dolphins.
Perhaps the film’s very title – Avatar: The Way of Water – is the silver lining in all this. For isn’t the way of water both gentle and strong, with water making up 90% of our blood plasma? Perhaps too, it is within our biological make-up to understand that water, and what depends on it, is sacred and a birthright amongst all creatures, including dolphins and other whales.
Inviting Cameron et al to Taiji
I am hereby formally inviting James Cameron, Jon Landau, Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang to join me and our team in Taiji, Japan.
Yes, I’ll be going back and am formally asking the Avatar team to join me for just a few days.
I’d like to personally show them where the dolphins that entertained them so well most likely came from.
I’d like to show them exactly how dolphins are captured in Japan. I’d like to show them that trainers who purport to care for dolphins work alongside those who brutally slaughter dolphins.
Would they ever applaud another dolphin show?
I’m sure, once they witness this first-hand, they will never applaud another dolphin show again.
Please share this letter far and wide, and help educate on the cruelty of dolphin captivity!
PBN’s Annual Film ‘Vegan 2022’ Is Out Now – Here’s How To Watch It
The environmental conversation tends to focus on fossil fuels, but is it missing something? Vegan 2022 addresses the elephant in the room
Plant Based News (PBN) has today (16th December) released Vegan 2022, a short film that spotlights animal agriculture’s impact on the climate crisis. And, highlights and celebrates the rapid growth of the vegan movement.
Despite the fact that livestock farming is one of the most environmentally destructive industries, it is often completely left out of the conversation. Its impact was barely mentioned at COP27 this year, with the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference even serving beef to guests.
With a runtime of 33 minutes, Vegan 2022 deep-dives into this hidden industry, exploring the “elephant in the room” of the climate crisis.
“This year’s film will focus on the missing link to hit net zero,” said PBN founder Klaus Mitchell. “It will look at how we need to shift away from animal agriculture, or at the very least start talking about it, because at the moment the conversation is just around fossil fuels.
“While there’s no doubt fossil fuels are important, livestock farming is also a necessary part of the solution. It really is the missing link.”
The short film features clips from author and social psychologist Dr Melanie Joy and IPCC expert Dr Peter Carter, as well as climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This figure has been disputed by many, however, with some experts arguing it’s much higher. It is also a leading cause of deforestation, having been responsible for around 91 percent of Amazon destruction.
On top of this, our global food system has been identified as a “primary driver” of biodiversity loss. A 2021 UN report found that a shift to a “plant-heavy” diet was essential to combat this.
Each December, PBN releases a short film that looks at what’s happened in the plant-based and vegan movement that year. They celebrate the increasing awareness of ethical consumerism, plant-based business, animal rights, environmentalism, the health of our planet, public health, personal health, and more.
The films include the biggest voices in the plant-based space, showcasing the developments and challenges that the movement has seen.
“Despite the fact that veganism has become even more normalized this year, the movement has also come under increased pressure from the media and meat industry, who are trying to push back,” said Mitchell. “This year’s film will provide a birds eye view of all the developments, good and bad, in an entertaining feature-length format.”
Bird flu continued to spread, Neurolink killed 1,500 animals in testing & more – Month in a Minute
Got a minute? Watch our super-fast recap of December’s biggest stories in animals, our global food system and the environment.
The final edition of Sentient Media's 'The Month in a Minute' for 2022, narrated by Jasmine C. Leyva.
As 2022 winds up, the CDC released figures showing that avian flu killed 53 million U.S. birds this year, making the outbreak the worst in U.S. history.
Meanwhile Bird flu also continued to spread through Peru, where thousands of pelicans were found dead.
Former richest-man-in-the-world Elon Musk’s brain-implant company Neurolink is facing federal inquiry after killing 1,500 animals in testing.
Scientists have traced how livestock systems act as a reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, in a new study that showed how easily antimicrobial resistance genes move between humans and livestock in a crowded urban environment.
The EU agreed to a new law preventing the import of goods linked to deforestation.
A new report from Greenpeace found that in the UK over 90% of UK Marine Protected Areas have no meaningful, site-wide regulation on the most destructive fishing activity.
Up to 3,000 ‘peak polluters’ were given their last chance to close by Dutch government amid a crackdown on ammonia and nitrogen oxide emissions, with farmers being offered more than 100% of the value of their farms to quit.
A new study claimed that in order to save the planet we should replace beef with spirulina, claiming the algae is superior to beef meat in terms of proteins, essential fatty acids and iron.
Another study found that Plant-based diets can cut bowel cancer risk in men by 22%.
And bats are the death metal singers of the animal world, according to new research that showed how they engage thick structures in the larynx called ventricular folds to communicate with each other at low frequencies.
Four strangers decide which animals they would eat.
Earthling Ed/Surge asked four non-vegans which species of animals they would or would not eat and why. This is what happened.
"In today's Surge Media production, we decided to do something a little different. With the aim of highlighting the contradictions society has regarding different species of animals, we put out a casting call asking for strangers to come into a studio to answer a series of questions.
What they didn’t know is that the questions where about which species of animals they would or would not eat and why. What followed was a very interesting array of responses."
"With gratitude, amazement, and yup a healthy dose of beaming pride,
I am thrilled to share our 66-page full colour impact report
as the final piece of a 6-year journey!
From inception (2016) to exhibition (2020) to impact (2022)
we worked with an amazing team to formally evaluate and chart the
global reach, influence, and legacy of Meat the Future.
By surveying participants both before and after they watched the film,
we were able to understand how the film influenced both their
knowledge of and support for cultivated meat and seafood.
100% of viewers told us they learned something new from watching Meat the Future.
As an educational companion to the film, this report is a contribution to the growing field of research in the cultivated meat and seafood space,
and for the broader alternative protein movement.
Concurrently, this impact report is a tool for the documentary film industry,
and for changemakers and storytellers.
A big thank you to our stellar and talented team and generous funders!
We couldn't have done it without you. " Liz Mars
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
It’s Rare That Farmed Pigs Get ‘Happily Ever Afters’ – But This Family Of 11 Did
Matilda hit headlines after escaping a Nottinghamshire farm in 2021
A new feature-length vegan documentary, When Pigs Escape, showcases the story of a family of pigs rescued from a UK meat farm.
The “Ollerton 11,” as they became known, was made up of Matilda and her 10 piglets. They attracted national media attention in June 2021 after a heavily pregnant Matilda escaped from a Nottinghamshire farm and gave birth in the woods.
Capturing the hearts of the UK public, Matilda’s freedom was negotiated by nearby rescue teams at Surge Sanctuary and Brinsley Animal Rescue. She is now living out her days in peace with her children at the former.
When Pigs Escape comes from director Jusep Moreno. It offers an honest look at the lives of Matilda and her piglets, while gently asking viewers to reconsider their relationships with and treatment of animals.
Often shot from their eye-level, it attempts to move past simple anthropomorphism of the animals (as seen in Hollywood films such as Babe) to offer real insight into their interactions. It also demonstrates how sociable, intelligent, and maternal pigs are.
Neil deGrasse Tyson on righteous vegans – Earthling Ed
Do you know what the only two foods on the planet that don't cause any death are?
Spoiler alert, it's not plants. In today's video I respond (again) to Neil deGrasse Tyson's utterly bewildering thoughts about veganism. Unfortunately his views around veganism are becoming more and more absurd, and his cognitive dissonance is really being turned up.
We spoke to our celebrity friends and brands about the impact Veganuary has had on veganism and the plant-based food landscape over the last decade.
These clips are from our upcoming Veganuary documentary, due out in summer 2023. So look out for a trailer and title announcement soon!
A massive thank you to Jasmine Harman, Elena Devis (Deliveroo), Ian & Henry (Bosh!), Derek Sarno (Tesco/Wicked Kitchen), Evanna Lynch, Jane Fallon, Jonathan Moore (Asda), Tom Lindley (Cauldron Foods), Peter Egan, and Andrea Harburn (Cauldron Foods) for their time and kind words!
Have you signed up to Veganuary yet? It's our tenth year this January so a great moment of celebration to get involved and try vegan for one month!
Since the late 1990s Wildlife-film.com has been the leading source of information for the wildlife filmmaking industry worldwide. For over twenty years the site has been Google's number one ranking site for 'wildlife film' and related searches. Our site is viewed in over 195 countries. Our newsletter, Wildlife Film News, is read every month by thousands of people involved in wildlife filmmaking - from broadcasters and producers, to cameramen - we encourage readers to submit their news. We also serve as an online resource for industry professionals and services. Find producers, editors, presenters and more in our Freelancer section, and find out about festivals, training and conservation in Organisations. We encourage amateur and professional freelancers to join our network and welcome all wildlife-film related organisations to join our team.
