Violent crime is strongly linked to cruelty of animals in a number of studies - findings show that at least 50% of offenders in many types of violent behavior previously were involved in cruelty towards animals.
Link: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bear-in-mind/201301/bang-bang-we-all-fall-down
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
A hit and a miss: Guardian article on quinoa and veganism by Joanna Blythman
A recent article pointing to the problem of increasing demand for quinoa worldwide is having in Peru and Bolivia is full of holes.
The first is that vegans alone (a tiny consumer minority) are driving quinoa consumption. Perhaps it is being driven by vegetarians or health-conscious meat eaters. Where is the proof that vegans are to blame?
Second, the article alleges that a vegan 'lobby' (a hilarious choice of words, especially if you compare it to animal agriculture - check out http://www.countinganimals.com/meat-industry-advertising/ for a U.S. comparison in advertising dollars.
Third, and this point has been made already, that most soya goes to feed animals, not vegetarians and vegans. The percentage is about 97% worth, I believe.
Finally, I think Ms. Blythman makes an incorrect assumption that all vegans really care about humans and social justice. I think it's true for the most part - and definitely true for this reader. But why does she not hold non-vegans to the same standard?
Overall, I found this article to be interesting in its approach, but to give it the headline it received and to single out vegans and vegetarians amounts to nothing more a cheap shot which doesn't begin to address the real problem: climate change.
Link: http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa
The first is that vegans alone (a tiny consumer minority) are driving quinoa consumption. Perhaps it is being driven by vegetarians or health-conscious meat eaters. Where is the proof that vegans are to blame?
Second, the article alleges that a vegan 'lobby' (a hilarious choice of words, especially if you compare it to animal agriculture - check out http://www.countinganimals.com/meat-industry-advertising/ for a U.S. comparison in advertising dollars.
Third, and this point has been made already, that most soya goes to feed animals, not vegetarians and vegans. The percentage is about 97% worth, I believe.
Finally, I think Ms. Blythman makes an incorrect assumption that all vegans really care about humans and social justice. I think it's true for the most part - and definitely true for this reader. But why does she not hold non-vegans to the same standard?
Overall, I found this article to be interesting in its approach, but to give it the headline it received and to single out vegans and vegetarians amounts to nothing more a cheap shot which doesn't begin to address the real problem: climate change.
Link: http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa
Friday, January 11, 2013
Wolf Memorial at DNR Headquarters in Madison
killed in Wisconsin's innaugural wolf hunting season. I'd say there were
40 people or so, plus 2 or 3 camera crews. The program consisted of
several speeches, the lighting,then extinguishing of 117 candles, plus a
poem and bell ringing in honor of these wolves' lives. The event was
cosponsored by the Alliance for Animals and Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic.
There was a single protester of our event, which if you ask me is like
protesting a funeral (see photo).
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Vegetarians live longer, study shows
A very large study conducted by Loma Linda University looking at a variety of dietary choices by tens of thousands of study participants dating back to 1958 has found that those who kept a vegetarian diet tended to live longer than those who ate meat. The study also found that vegans, or those who eschew dairy and eggs in addition to meat, had lower rates of cancer.
Vegetarian diets not only lengthend lifespans according to the study, but also reduced:
Vegetarian diets not only lengthend lifespans according to the study, but also reduced:
a person's risk for diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, control body mass index and waist size, and boost brain health.Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12/vegetarians-live-longer-longevity_n_1961967.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living
120 Cattle perish in Manitowoc-area dairy barn fire
The number of animals that die in fires every year is in the tens of thousands. It is a fact that is often overlooked when weighing the costs and benefits of factory farming - but one that should not be ignored. This is something that can happen even at the smallest of farms.
Link: http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/wisconsin-dairy-barn-fire-kills-cattle/article_db5aff20-89e6-5db6-9315-7be4a6736aa7.html
Link: http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/wisconsin-dairy-barn-fire-kills-cattle/article_db5aff20-89e6-5db6-9315-7be4a6736aa7.html
Friday, January 4, 2013
Dogs are biggest loser, as Wisconsin judge lifts wolf hunting injunction
A Dane County judge has lifted his injunction against wolf 'hounding.' Taxpayers will pick up the tab for dogs that are killed or wounded up to $2,500 per dog. The state paid out $37,000 to bear and other hunters for their dead dogs in 2011. If the law stands, Wisconsin will be the only state to allow wolf hunting with dogs - a totally unscientific and cruel approach to wolf management.
Link: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/judge-allows-wolf-hunting-with-dogs-i188jcv-185706241.html
More info about wolf depredation: http://wiwildlifeethic.org/2012/06/21/the-livestock-depredation-payment-gravy-train-and-wolves-as-scapegoats/
Link: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/judge-allows-wolf-hunting-with-dogs-i188jcv-185706241.html
More info about wolf depredation: http://wiwildlifeethic.org/2012/06/21/the-livestock-depredation-payment-gravy-train-and-wolves-as-scapegoats/
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