I’ve been gone for the past few day, but this should make up for it.
- Brazilian fishermen illegally net and soffocate 83 dolphins, then proceed to laugh about it – caught on tape. Apperently, dolphin jaws, eyes, and penises are sold for good luck, fortune, and women. Yeah, every time I see a guy eating some ground dolphin penis I can’t help but throw myself at him.
- After a recent flood in China, the country is being overrun by rats. Citizens have been poisoning the burdens, causing unknown harm to the soil and environment. The rat population has grown so extensive they are now being sold as food in live markets.
- Check out this post with 62 uses for vinegar. Granted, not all 62 are veg friendly, but who knew vinegar could relieve jellyfish stings?
- Corn crops and production will cause the largest dead zone ever in the Gulf of Mexico, estimated to reach 8,500 square miles.
- “The National Park Service is cutting down hundreds of acres of trees on the Gettysburg Battlefield to restore historical accuracy.” Since when does accuracy mean destroying nature. Come on now, no one needs to see the exact battlefield that bad.
- Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna was thought to be extinct untill a tribesman told researchers that he just ate one.
Categories: China · animal love · endangered species · food · sustainability · tourists
Belching cows – We all know animal agriculture is anything but good for our environment, but did you know that a significant portion of methane comes not only from manure but burping? Now they’re trying to find ways to limit methane gas from being excreted by cows, a.k.a. how do we make cows stop burping and pooping? Yep, good luck with that.
Categories: animal love
I had no idea that this was even a national holiday. Turns out that today is national ice cream day, so go grab some fake stuff, and enjoy!
Categories: holidays
Bitting back at our refusal to import chinese seafood, China has now blocked import of chicken and pork from two of the largest producers in the U.S., Tyson and Cargill. Both of these companies have been supposedly exporting products with chemicals and bacteria.
Categories: China · food
This is a PSA that was aired at Live Earth. The messege is to go vegetarian one day a week. It’s a clever PSA, but I will warn you: poop. Check it out!
Categories: sustainability · vegetarian
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is contemplating downgrading the Florida manatees from endangered-status to threatened-status. Also, considering climate change and fishing, 10 species of penguins will be reviewed and possibly placed on the endagered species list along with the sand dune lizard, Oregon spotted frog, England cottontail rabbit, and the Texas hornshell clam.
Categories: endangered species
Everyone has addictions, especially vegans (don’t lie to yourself, you know you do.) I figure it’s about time I share a few of mine:
Method products – hand soap, dish soap, laundry, mops, shower gels, “aroma rings” – They’ve got it all! And it’s all vegan, no animal testing or animal products. The sleek design of every little bottle is what has turned my love for Method into a full fledged addiction.
http://www.methodhome.com/
Smart Water – It’s just that. Smart. Water. Water with electrolytes. For someone like me with admittedly low electrolytes, it doesn’t get any smarter. Only thing is, I hate buying bottled water (what a waste of plastic) so I buy and reuse instead. Smart.
Pear Sauce – Perhaps my most dangerous of all addictions. They sell this stuff at Trader Joes right next to the apple sauce (as if apple sauce and pear sauce were even on the same level, ha! Apple sauce could never compare!)
Check ‘em out.
And tell me…
What are your addictions?
Categories: addictions · vegan
As many of you know, a spay-neuter bill has been in the works in California for a while now. The bill would mandate all dogs and cats get sterilized by 6 months or pay a $500 fine. There were exeptions written into this legislation, such as show dogs, animals of poor health, etc. The goal of the bill is to cut down on companion animal reproduction and therefore ease the strain on shelters. I’ve heard that this peice of legislation prompted more public response (emails, calls, etc.) than any other in decades.
Yesterday, assemblyman Lloyd Levine who led the bill through congress tried to ammend it hoping to improve its chances of being voted into law. The ammendment he proposed would only require sterilization after an animal showed signs of violence. In the end, the ammendment was not added to the bill and the bill was shelved. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine plans to revisit the bill again next year.
I have to say that this outcome does not suprise me in the least. Most people have major issues with being told how to treat their property. However, the fact that this bill got as far as it did is a good sign, not good enough unfortunately, but good. Perhaps we will see a more compassionate outcome in a year.
Categories: legislation
In and around Swift Current, Sask., gophers are becoming quite a problem. Such a problem in fact that farmers in the southern grainbelt are opening there homes to tourists. These farmers offer free room, board, and even free ammunition. Why? To kill all the gophers, of course. Tourists will come from days away to hunt gopher endlessly. I’ll have to agree with TasteBetter.com, “I smell a new ‘gopher-friendly’ food certification system coming on here…”
Categories: food · tourists
What did I do for the 4th of July? I went to the farm sanctuary! The farm is locted just outside of Orland, in northern California. The Independence Day celebration is an annual event at the farm where they give free tours and free food.
My friend and I arrived at about noon and took off on a nearly hour-long tour. The first stop was the “special needs” animals, a pasture with cows, sheep and goats. Some of these animals had arthritis because of their weight. Almost all of them were very friendly, with the exception of a few that would run away if you came too close. We also walked through the pig barn and peered into the chicken barn, duck and goose hatches, turkey barn, and the rabbit barn. It’s such a great experience to see (and touch) an animal that is cared for, loved, and not forced to do anything. After the tour, back at the “People Barn” the staff served up veggie dogs and sausages, chips, popsicles, cookies, lemonade, watermellon, and ice cream bars – all totally vegan. The whole farm is vegan, including all the staff an interns living on it.
The Farm Sanctuary began as a safe haven for animals raised for food. There are two sanctuaries, one in California (300 acres) and the other in New York (150 acres, about.) The animals at the farm have come from a variety of different situations; one piglet jumped off a transportation truck headed to slaughter; the first animal, a sheep named Hilda, was saved from a dead pile; authorities often utilize the sanctuary when there are animal abuse cases in town; or sometimes, animals are simply dropped off out front. In any case, the sanctuary provides a safe place for the animals to live out their lives. Kudos!!
If you are interested in visiting the sanctuary visit http://farmsanctuary.org/ to get more information about their sanctuaries, philosiphies, animals, annual events, and campaigns.
P.S. Pictures from the sanctuary will be coming soon!
Categories: animal love · farm sanctuaries · food · holidays · vegan
