THE VEGETARIAN BLOG

The other day I saw amazing footage of a massive rescue operation involving bulls. Santa Catalina Island, a few miles off the California coast, became the breeding ground of non-native bulls taken there in 1925 as part of a silent film. And they bred all right. In order to avoid the auctioning of the animals and their possible killing, IDA (In Defense of Animals) managed to remove part of the bull population back to where they belong: South Dakota. The rescue operation of the 105 animals involved several barges across 23 miles of ocean, then 1,800 miles by highway to South DakotaIDA now has the opportunity to rescue and relocate 150 more buffalo so they can join their cousings on Standing Rock, South Dakota. The organization needs $35,000 to get the job done. So, if you can spare a little bit of money, you could make all the difference to these gorgeous animals and avoid a huge amount of future suffering.

It really baffles me when people say they hate non-human animals. What have they done to us? If anything, it’s humans who have done a lot of damage to other species. It’s specially dangerous when politicians go around saying they hate animals, as did Idaho Governor Butch Otter.Wolves were only taken off the Endangered Species List in Idaho in May, 2009, but Mr Otter was very quick to not only endorse the proposed trophy hunt this fall, he’s vowed to participate in it.He told a group of hunters, “I’m prepared to bid for the first ticket to shoot a wolf myself.” The wolf hunt is an apparent effort to boost elk populations for hunters to slaughter, and will begin on September 1, 2009.Adding insult to injury, Mr Otter told The Idaho Statesman:  ”You can still hate them and respect their cunning and their place in nature.” The permit to kill a wolf costs $11.50 - with 220 wolves set to be killed state-wide. A life for $11.50 - what kind of world do we live in?Animal rights and veganism-promoting organization Friends of Animals’ president was outraged and decided to call for a boycott of potatoes produced in Idaho. “Gov. Otter’s enthusiasm for wolf killing not only demonstrates a complete lack of conscience and understanding of the word ‘respect,’ it shows a lack of respect for nature and the ecosystem; wolves don’t need Gov. Otter—or anyone else—to manage them”, says Feral.”As long as Idaho is in the business of killing wolves, the nature-respecting public should stop buying potatoes there.” Look for potatoes grown in Maine, Colorado, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and other states, advises the organization.Friends of Animals is a non-profit, international animal advocacy organization, founded in 1957. Its goal is to cultivate a respectful view of non-human animals, freeing them from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world.

I seldom write about fashion as it’s not really my bag, but I do know that vegans sometimes have a hard time finding stylish shoes. So I was pleased to hear that Fashion-conscience.com has added to its portfolio vegan shoes from designers OlsenHaus, Neu Aura and Melissa.New York designer, Olsenhaus (pictured), is the queen of vegan shoe-ism. Feted for their bold, fashion-forward designs, her pieces have been featured in U.S. Vogue and Marie Claire. Elisabeth Olsen, the creative force behind the brand, is an outspoken advocate for veganism.Neu Aura are designers committed to producing quality footwear without the use of any animal by-products. Their vegan shoes are produced in a factory which adheres to eco standards in recycling and non-use of toxic chemicals where possible.Finally, Melissa specialize on creating little pieces of architecture with recycled/recyclable plastic in their funky shoe collection. The company also adheres to sustainability codes of production.

I’m not a fan of the Meatless Monday initiative as I don’t see how cutting out meat once a week will actually lead anyone to vegetarianism, let alone veganism. But I do support mentored vegan introductions carried out over a continuous period of time. The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine is launching a 21-day program designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet. The program is based on research by PCRM’s president, Neal Barnard. That is the kind of initiative that I think can attract people to veganism on a permanent basis, perhaps not every single person who may use the service but certainly a proportion of them.

And what will subscribers get?

Daily e-tips that will put you on the path to weight loss, better health, and greater well-being; A delicious, easy, and satisfying recipe sent every day that will help you break your cravings for unhealthy foods; Weekly motivational nutrition webcasts featuring Dr. Barnard; Social support of other Kickstart participants through a message board where nutrition professionals answer your health and diet questions.

Great, eh? Besides, the service is free. Go on, give it a go – turning to veganism is the best way to help animals and it’s also beneficial to your health and the environment. Extend veganism to your clothes by excluding leather, silk and wool, cleaning and hygiene products (get ones without animal products and not tested on animals), and never support any service that exploits an animal, be it a horse-drawn carriage, a circus or anything else. Animals have the right to be free and have their physical integrity respected, just like we do.

To subscribe, go here. Good luck!

If you like good music and helping animals at the same time, here’s an opportunity. (more…)

An article in the London Times yesterday was a perfect example of how insidious turning veganism into a ‘fad diet’ can be. (more…)