In addition to the bi-monthly NewsBeet column I write for VegNews magazine, I also write the NewsBeet briefs (see below).

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November 2007


Vegan Environmental Awards
The 5th Bristol Vegan Fayre, billed as the world's largest vegan festival, was recently held in the UK. More than 9,000 people from all over the globe came to enjoy delicious food, live music, lectures, cooking demos, and other festivities promoting a compassionate and healthy lifestyle. Among the events was announcement of the Yaoh 007 Vegan Environmental Awards, presented by Yaoh, a Bristol-based purveyor of organic hemp products. Winners received honors in seven categories, from Best Vegan Product (Booja Booja truffles) to Best Vegan Organization (Viva!). Suspicious of the fact that VegNews didn't even place in the Best Vegan Media/Publication category, VN publisher, editor-in-chief, and cheeky tongue-in-cheeker Joe Connelly resorted, in stunned disbelief, to demanding a recount of the ballots. Still, we remain hopeful that VN can win the hearts of judges next year. To nominate us (and your favorites in other categories) for the 008 Yaoh Awards, email info@yaoh.co.uk.  yaoh.co.uk

Deadly Delicacy
We know that force-feeding ducks and geese to make foie gras is bad for the birds, but researchers have recently announced that the fatty liver pate may also be harmful to those who eat it. In a process similar to the transmission of prions in mad cow disease, evidence suggests that the consumption of foie gras may pass along amyloids that are responsible for causing rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, and Alzheimer's disease. After being ingested, microscopic amyloid protein fibers can mutate and become misfolded, gathering in various vital organs—such as the liver, heart, and brain—and remain there indefinitely. Eventually, enough amyloids can accumulate to cause massive organ failure and kill their unfortunate host. Lead researcher Alan Solomon, M.D. recommended that "Perhaps people with a history of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or other amyloid-associated diseases should avoid consuming foie gras and other foods that may be contaminated with fibrils."  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Meat Takes Heat for Global Warming
In May, UK-based animal protection organization Viva! released an email they received from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs suggesting that a meat-free diet could significantly slow global warming. However, the official also wrote that the government agency is "unlikely to ever suggest adoption of a fully vegan lifestyle" due to "the risk of alienating the public." Viva! therefore publicly criticized their refusal to promote vegan environmentalism. Likewise, with the links between meat-eating and global warming now scientifically established, both Moby and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) blasted promoters of the Live Earth music festival, a series of concerts held around the world to raise awareness of climate change, for serving meat at the shows. Moby, a Live Earth performer, compared this in his blog to "talking about someone with lung cancer and neglecting to mention that they smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day."  Telegraph UK

World's Wurst Zoo
The director of the Thueringer Zoopark in Erfurt, Germany was sacked following allegations that zoo employees were running a macabre side business: killing animals and selling their carcasses as meat. Authorities charge that prospective diners hand-picked the animals they wanted to eat, and zookeepers killed and butchered them that night. Wild pigs, goats, deer, sheep, and anteaters are among the species the black marketers are suspected of having stolen. An official investigation is underway, with preliminary results suggesting that this underground meat market has been active for at least several years. German animal rights groups have long charged that similar scandals are taking place in zoos throughout the country. Notably, there is no law in Germany against killing zoo animals and selling their flesh for human consumption, but the Thueringer Zoopark lacked the requisite veterinary permit. If found guilty, the zoo's employees could face stiff fines and lengthy prison terms.  Der Spiegel

Environmental Pollution Agency
You'd assume that with a name like the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA would be trying to hold concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) accountable for the massive amounts of toxic pollutants they spew into the atmosphere. Yet the government agency recently entered into an agreement that allows thousands of factory farms in 42 states to pollute at will for the next two years without fear of getting sued for violating the Clean Air Act. For a $2,500 membership fee and a "penalty" payment of between $200 and $100,000 (depending on the number and size of their farms), the EPA is exempting agricultural companies from compliance with environmental regulations and lawsuits based on past or present infractions. The money will fund a study to determine the level of greenhouse gasses emitted by factory farms, but of the approximately 14,000 participating CAFOs, the EPA will only use a sample set of 20.  Forbes

False Profit
The Federal Trade Commission revealed that vegetarian Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey posted more than 1,100 messages over an eight-year period on Yahoo! Finance stock forums under a false identity, some of them trashing rival natural foods grocer Wild Oats Markets, Inc. In 2005, writing under the alias "Rahodeb," Mackey opined that no competitor would buy Wild Oats at $8 a share. About 18 months later, CEO Mackey publicly announced that Whole Foods would do just that—even though Wild Oats stock was then valued at $18.50 a share. The takeover bid prompted a federal probe that uncovered the deception, bolstering the government's antitrust lawsuit which ultimately blocked the $565 million deal. While not strictly illegal, Mackey defended his actions by claiming such "macho posturing" is common behavior among CEOs. Later, with a Whole Foods internal investigation underway, Mackey formally apologized for his "error in judgment" and begged stockholders' forgiveness.  Wall Street Journal

Five Star Rock Star
Pretenders’ front-woman Chrissie Hynde performed a free concert at the mid-September grand opening of VegiTerranean, her new restaurant in her hometown of Akron, Ohio. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who now lives in the UK, has been a vegetarian since 1969 and is an outspoken animal rights advocate. She coined the name “VegiTerranean” to describe the type of cuisine being served at her new eatery—gourmet vegetarian Italian. Hynde's business partner Joel Testa said they hope VegiTerranean will become known as someplace "that's very hip, cool and the talk of the town, even if you took the menu completely away." The restaurant's debut was held in conjunction with the first Crossing Water Music and Arts Festival, at which Hynde and other native Akron musical acts performed. Hynde's fame as a rocker and connections with PETA ensured that there was no shortage of veg-friendly celebrity guests at the grand opening. Beacon Journal

Milking Weight Loss Claims
A National Dairy Council ad campaign claiming that dairy consumption promotes weight loss was censured by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for lack of nutritional evidence to support their claims. The ads asserted that people could shed pounds by consuming dairy, using slogans such as “3-A-Day. Burn More Fat, Lose Weight” and “Milk your diet. Lose weight!” The FTC’s ruling came in response to a petition submitted in 2005 by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which charged that the Dairy Council was misleading the public. This was the same year that federal dietary guidelines were revised to include a recommendation that people boost dairy consumption from two to three servings per day based on a single study financed in part by the dairy industry. According to PCRM’s Dan Kinburn, independent research shows that “Milk and cheese are more likely to pack on pounds than help people slim down.”  New York Times

Beating Breast Cancer
A recent study indicates that women suffering from breast cancer can significantly reduce their risk of recurrence by consuming a plant-based diet high in fruits and vegetables. PCRM’s Cancer Project teamed up with researchers from the University of California, San Diego to analyze the eating and exercise habits of 1,500 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1991 and 2000. Results showed the survival rate for women who exercised regularly and ate a diet rich in fiber, fruits, and vegetables was 44 percent higher than subjects who led a sedentary lifestyle and consumed more animal products. Weeks after publication of the study, Dr. John McDougall accused another team of researchers studying the same subject of scientific fraud. He said those who conducted the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Randomized Trial, which claimed a plant-based diet had no effect on breast cancer survival, “intentionally deceived the public” with false data.  Journal of Clinical Oncology

Intelligent Insurance
Life insurance companies will charge you more for a policy if you indulge in harmful habits like smoking, but typically don’t ask whether you eat artery-clogging meat products that increase your risk of disease and early death. But now, one Britain-based business is trying to change all that by offering reduced-price life insurance to vegetarians as a reward for making a healthy lifestyle choice. The new “No Meat Rewards” policy offered by Animal Friends International (AFI), a dog and cat insurance company that donates 100 percent of its net profits to animal-related charities, can save a vegetarian approximately 10 percent on premiums over the life of a policy. AFI hopes that enough people sign up for the discount to convince their corporate underwriter, LV= (formerly Liverpool Victoria), to create a separate policy recognizing diet as a factor. Too bad only UK citizens are eligible for the “No Meat Rewards” policy. Guardian UK


September 2007


Smell On Wheels
Tyson Foods and petroleum giant ConocoPhillips recently announced plans for a new biodiesel made out of surplus animal fat from factory farms that can be used to feed car engines. Forget horsepower: motorists may be able to fill 'er up with processed cow, pig and chicken byproducts at gas stations across the U.S. before 2007 is out. The companies claim this new biofuel will pollute less than conventional diesel, but say nothing about whether cars will start to smell like mobile rendering plants. Driven by the threat of global warming (and the promise of profit), the race is on to develop the latest renewable resource to replace fossil fuels, and some of the most promising are plant-based. Along with its decidedly non-vegan lard-gas, ConocoPhillips has developed a soybean oil biodiesel. Meanwhile, BP created the ethanol-like biobutanol from sugar beets, and Chevron is working on an alternative fuel made from switchgrass.  New York Times

Eau De Bœuf
If you've always suspected that eating meat stinks, scientists may have recently found some proof. For a study entitled "The Effect of Meat Consumption on Body Odor Attractiveness," Czechoslovakian researchers at Charles University in Prague asked female volunteers to rate the scents of two different groups of men in blind tests based on pleasantness, sexual attractiveness, masculinity and intensity. The only thing separating the randomly-assigned male subjects was that one group had not eaten red meat for two weeks, and the other had. On a seven-point scale, female scent raters scored the aroma of those in the non-meat category as considerably more attractive and pleasant, and less intense, than the meat eaters while being equally masculine. The researchers speculate that meat consumption changes axillary chemicals (perhaps aliphatic acids) in both quantitative and qualitative ways. Additional studies could shed light on the body odor effects of eating other kinds of meats.  Chemical Senses

Flexitarian Nation
One in four American adults has reduced their meat consumption in the past year, says a new study by the Humane Research Council (HRC). Based on a recent survey of 3,000 people and information gathered by conducting focus groups, HRC found that the number of semi-vegetarians (sometimes known as "flexitarians") is on the rise in the U.S., growing at three times the rate of those who ate more meat this year than last. The researchers focused on existing semi-vegetarians to provide "an in-depth analysis of the behavior, motivations, and barriers" of this population's reasons for reducing instead of eliminating their meat habit. Their conclusion: that the vast majority of American adults are much more open to incremental changes in their diets than giving up meat altogether. The findings have implications for the way vegetarianism is marketed, suggesting an approach that encourages reduced meat consumption with less emphasis on dietary restrictions.  humaneresearch.org

Twinkie Defense: "It's Vegan!"
What better way to celebrate the publication of a book called Twinkie, Deconstructed than with a launch party in New York City featuring an organic vegan Twinkie alongside other varieties of the iconic American snack cake? Using whole wheat and natural sweeteners, celebrated vegan dessert chef Fran Costigan created a trans fat and cholesterol-free Twinkie based on the vanilla cupcake and tofu cream recipes from her first cookbook. Of course it was a huge hit with the crowd, which took only 45 minutes to snatch them all up. Reporter Marci Harnischfeger, covering the party, got to sample all of the Twinkies, but her favorite was the vegan version. She described it as "Nutty, toasted, almost raisiny flavored cake with a cool and refreshing cream filling that left no aftertaste." Costigan plans to publish the recipe so vegans can enjoy the nostalgic goodness of the classic treat sans unnecessary animal products.  chewswise.com

Mars Invasion
Vegetarian advocates in the UK were outraged recently when Mars, Inc. started using whey with rennet, an enzyme extracted from the stomach lining of dead veal calves, in their Mars, Snickers and Milky Way brand chocolates, making them no longer suitable for vegetarians. Within a week, the company was inundated with over 6,000 emails and phone calls from customers who complained that they could no longer enjoy the candymaker's tasty confections. The media also scoffed at the announcement, and 40 members of parliament submitted a petition in protest. Mars, which originally decided to use whey containing rennet to broaden their supply base, quickly reversed their position and distributed a formal letter of apology admitting the move was a mistake. The company has already reverted to their original recipe, which includes a non-rennet form of whey, a common dairy by-product. This leaves organic fair trade dark chocolate as vegans' top choice.  BBC

God Save the McQueen
McDonald's plans to introduce an expanded line of meatless menu items across the UK that will be officially certified by the venerable Vegetarian Society. The new choices are still in development, but the 160-year-old organization has already given their seal of approval to several of Mickey Dee's offerings since 2004, including a deli sandwich and their Quorn Premiere Burger (which has been discontinued). Vegetarian Society auditors personally observe onsite manufacture of each ingredient to confirm that no meat is used during production, and then make surprise visits to McDonald's kitchens to make sure vegetarian foods are prepared in a separate area from meat products. The group sees endorsement of McDonald's meat-free options as necessary to bringing vegetarianism into the mainstream by giving people more fast food options and introducing meat eaters to vegetarian foods. Vegetarian Society CEO Tina Fox emphasized that the group is "approving the product range…not approving McDonald's."  Manchester Evening News

Air Vegetarian
An Indian real estate conglomerate recently launched the world's first all-vegetarian airline for domestic flights within the country. MDLR Airlines offers its customers a range of vegetarian specialty meals on jets flying between the cities of Chandigarh, New Delhi, Ranchi and Kolkata, with plans to gradually serve more destinations soon. The venture taps into the growing market of international travelers who are vegetarian, and also caters to religious tourists flying to places of pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation is urging all airlines operating in India to create separate "vegetarian sections" on planes, just as there used to be smoking and non-smoking sections. Sri N. Sugalchand Jain, a spokesman for the group, points out that the pungent scent of meat is distasteful to many vegetarians, and can make them lose their appetites. He also claims such diet-based seating arrangements would improve staff efficiency and result in fewer meals being wasted.  expresstravelworld.com

Certified Ethical
The new Fair Labor Practices and Community Benefits certification program seeks to give socially responsible companies the recognition and publicity they deserve for treating workers and the environment respectfully. Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the International Labor Rights Fund and Numi Organic Tea headed up the initiative in hopes of setting new quality standards for businesses in the agricultural sector, from farming to manufacturing. The confluence of partners from the fields of third-party certification, labor advocacy and organic foods brings together a wealth of knowledge upon which the groups drew for criteria. Certification is granted based on each applicant's documented employment policies (e.g., hiring practices, workplace conditions, health benefits, etc.) and environmental record. SCS Vice President of Corporate and Social Responsibility Ted Howes believes the program "will improve the lives and livelihoods of agricultural workers worldwide and provide greater assurance to consumers and businesses that social responsibility commitments are being met."  scscertified.com

Vending Off Hunger
Vending machines are not the first place people usually look when they want a healthy snack to get them to the next meal. But that is changing with the growth of YoNaturals, a California-based company that stocks its machines with organic energy drinks, juices, smoothies, natural cookies and power bars. YoZone coin-operated kiosks are already in hospitals, hotels and schools, and could soon be spreading to colleges, health clubs and corporate break rooms. A survey done in 2004 by the Center for Sciences in the Public Interest showed that junk food makes up about 75 percent of the food sold in vending machines. The fatty foods like soda, chips and candy bars found in most vending machines are part of America's growing obesity epidemic. Young people are especially susceptible, since many cash-strapped schools have signed exclusive vending contracts with corporations like Coke, Pepsi and Frito-Lay over the last two decades.  yonaturals.com

Beegone
You may have heard the buzz that billions of bees have mysteriously disappeared in countries around the world. Dozens of flowering crops – including nuts, fruits and vegetables – rely on domesticated honeybees for reproduction. In the U.S., beekeepers truck the insects from state to state every winter and spring so they can pollinate plants, after which the bees are supposed to return to their colonies. Only this year, many bees flew off and never came back. Smaller die-offs have occurred in the past, and seasonal losses are usually about 20 percent. However, beekeepers are now seeing losses between 35 and 80 percent. Scientific sleuths are trying to solve the mystery, and theorize that the newly-named Colony Collapse Disorder may be caused by mites, fungus, pesticides, a virus, lowered immunity to disease, increased stress, or a combination of these factors. About one-third of commercial crops depend on honeybees for pollination.  Los Angeles Times


July 2007


Taxing Animals
Meat remains a staple of the American diet in large measure because the government provides subsidies to factory farms for land, water, oil, and other resources to keep consumer prices for their products low. Producing the meat-based diet is so resource intensive that, in a truly free market, hamburger would cost about $35 a pound. The hidden expenses, amounting to billions of dollars a year, are picked up by taxpayers—even those who see animal agribusiness as an unjust industry that slaughters innocent creatures, pollutes the planet and makes people sick. U.S. Representative Adrian Smith (R-NE) hopes to expand these privatized privileges with H.R. 1217, a bill that would reward concentrated animal feeding operations simply for complying with the Environmental Protection Act. If you think that corporations rather than taxpayers should foot the bill for adhering to environmental regulations, then urge your member of Congress to oppose this industry-driven proposal.  Dairy Herd Management magazine

Are You Being Greened?
Restaurants comprise about one-tenth of the U.S. domestic economy and collectively consume more energy than any other industry in the retail sector. That is why Michael Oshman, founder of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), has no reservations about the 17-year-old non-profit's mission: Working directly with businesses to reduce the industry's ecological footprint. To earn GRA certification, a restaurant or chain must make four annual operational changes promoting sustainability, such as switching to energy-efficient lighting or low-flow plumbing, purchasing non-toxic biodegradable cleaning products, or offering more plant-based menu options. "Eating low on the food chain makes a huge difference environmentally," says Oshman, a longtime vegan. "When GRA encourages non-vegan restaurants to offer meatless meals, we emphasize that this is a great way to do something positive while simultaneously attracting a growing base of customers who are concerned about the impact of their food choices on animals, the planet, and their health."  dinegreen.com

“Go Veg, Al Gore!”
At this year’s Academy Awards, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore took home the “Best Documentary” Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth, the popular and critically-acclaimed film that has made global warming one of the new millennium’s hottest topics. Unfortunately, there is another inconvenient truth the movie completely ignores—the fact that, according to the United Nations, the animal agriculture industry emits more greenhouse gasses than all the automobiles and trucks in the world combined. Leave it to the folks at PETA to point this reality out to the ex-veep turned environmental crusader in an open letter, and to remark that Gore’s own omnivorous diet contributes to glacial melting. PETA’s missive urged Gore to go veg as a matter of ethical consistency, and even included an invitation to a faux fried chicken dinner. Attentive readers will note that PETA’s message echoes sentiments that VegNews first expressed in our September 2006 issue.  GoVeg.com 
      
Trimming the Trans Fat
Lawmakers around the country are taking aim against trans fatty acids, a type of mono or polyunsaturated fat that increases the risk of heart disease. At least 23 states are considering bills to limit or ban artificial trans fats sold in stores or served in restaurants and school cafeterias. While improving public health, these measures could also increase production costs for vegan eateries and food makers that cook with partially hydrogenated plant oils. New York City passed a law in December 2006 to phase out all artificial trans fats by July 2008. Freedom Tripodi, the owner of Food Swings, a vegan fast food restaurant in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, is concerned about paying more for non-hydrogenated margarines and passing the costs on to customers. “If that happens, it will reinforce the argument that being vegan is more expensive, which is something that we have worked very hard to debunk,” he says.  USA Today

Mad Milk
Scientists with the Swiss biotechnology firm Alicon AG have discovered free-floating prion proteins in commercially-sold milk, raising new concerns that mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE) could be transmitted to humans who consume dairy products. While the concentration of prions in milk is very low, these protein particles were detected in milk that was homogenized, pasteurized and sold in supermarkets. Further tests are being conducted to determine whether the prions found were of the normal or potentially infectious variety. The news comes at a time when the USDA is drastically scaling back its mad cow screening and tracking efforts based on the claim that the number of diseased animals in the country’s food supply is “extraordinarily low.” Worldwide, more that 180,000 cattle have contracted mad cow disease, and at least 150 people have died from BSE since it was first identified in Great Britain over twenty years ago.  PR Newswire

Ducking the Issue
The diseased duck or goose liver “delicacy” known as foie gras continues to create controversy. However, this time the debate is not over whether force-feeding waterfowl to make their organs expand is cruel, but whether it is humane to let them stuff themselves with as much food as they want to eat. Foie gras is traditionally made by shoving metal tubes down birds’ throats and pumping in massive quantities of food, fattening their livers. A new Spanish method allows geese to feed at will just before their winter migration cycle, during which they naturally gorge in preparation for the journey ahead. However, foie gras “artisans” kill them instead and harvest their organs. California’s foie gras ban starts in 2012, but the law makes an exception for foie gras made without force feeding. If California’s producers adopt Spain’s technique, we could see more bans on force feeding rather than foie gras.  The Telegraph

Persuasive Plates
While you probably won’t see these classy commemorative plates featured on the Home Shopping Network anytime soon, the Food for Thought dishware set has become something of a bestseller thanks to vegetarians who appreciate the not-so-subtle ironies of our carnivorous culture. Each of the four pastel plates features an anatomical illustration of an animal such as one might see in a butcher’s shop, with cuts of meat sectioned off and labeled in precise instructional detail. Of the four plates, the green one is the topper, with a drawing of a legless canine in profile. The disturbing image serves to remind diners that the difference between the family dog and other “food” animals is negligible. One is only left to wonder why they didn’t make a fifth plate showing where a steak would be sliced from a human. Food for Thought dishes can be purchased online for $10.50 apiece at store.sprouthome.com/foforthpl.html.  The New York Times

Whole & Oats
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em…or, get bought out by ‘em! That is the fate of natural grocer Wild Oats Marketplace, which was recently purchased by Whole Foods Market for approximately $700 million. With 110 stores in North America and annual sales of about $1.2 billion, the Wild Oats acquisition is the largest in Whole Food’s 27-year history, and will make the Fortune 500 company—already the country’s largest natural and organic foods retailer—an even bigger force in this rapidly expanding industry. Converting Wild Oats stores will enable Whole Foods to enter new geographic areas and saturate smaller regions like the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain states and Florida. As part of their standard rebranding process, Whole Foods will significantly remodel Wild Oats stores before reopening them as Whole Foods Markets. When the transition is complete, Whole Foods Market could have over 300 stores in the U.S. and Canada.  wholefoodsmarket.com

Faux Fur or Fido?
Fashionistas beware: your coat labeled as faux fur may actually be made from dogs. A recent exposé by The Humane Society of the United States revealed that many garments from top designers sold in major retail outlets were actually produced using the hides of domestic dogs and raccoon dogs, but mislabeled as being faux fur. Researchers conducted mass spectrometry tests to determine that garments by designers Tommy Hilfiger, Andrew Marc, Michael Kors and others were actually trimmed with canine fur, mostly from Chinese farms. HSUS investigators analyzed a total of 25 coats, all but one of which turned out to be either mislabeled or misadvertised. It has been illegal to sell dog and cat fur in the U.S. since 2000, and intentional importation carries a $10,000 fine for each violation. However, none of the designers or stores involved (including Nordstrom’s, Lord and Taylor, Macy’s and J.C. Penney) has been charged.  Associated Press

Meow Zedong
Though not traditionally known as a haven of animal rights, China may be on the cusp of yet another cultural revolution that promotes greater respect for other species. In 2006, the Year of the Dog, hundreds of people protested in the streets of the capital when tens of thousands of canine companions were brutally killed in yet another rabies cull. More recently, over 100 members of the group “Love Kitty” surrounded a market where cats were being slaughtered for their meat and fur. After a confrontation and subsequent negotiation with police, they actually rescued more than 400 felines. Delegates to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference this year called for bans on bear bile farming and the consumption of sharks’ fins. With the 2008 Olympics set to be held this summer in Beijing, animal advocates the world over are pressuring the Chinese government to pass laws protecting animals from abuse.  South China Morning Post 


May 2007


Enlightened Eating
Every year, thousands of Buddhists from around the world and every sect come to India for the International Kagyu Monlam, a nine-day prayer and meditation festival held in Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. At the most recent festival, a photo exhibit presented by Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA) gave many pilgrims insight into the suffering caused by eating meat. After five days of tabling at Kagyu Monlam, the TVA activists went to hear His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speak at a peace ceremony in Hansur. At this international gathering of over 100,000 people, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Tibetan spiritual leader urged everyone to help animals by becoming vegetarian. phayul.com

Ice Scream
If you still eat ice cream made from cow’s milk, you might also be eating proteins from genetically-modified fish. Unilever, the biggest supplier of frozen desserts to the U.S. and owner of the Ben & Jerry's, Breyer's, Klondike and Popsicle brands, has started using "ice structuring anti-freeze" proteins in some of its products. Unilever claims that the compound, which is synthesized from genetically modified yeast that comes from the blood of the ocean pout, will prevent the "crystallization" of ice cream when it melts and is refrozen. Meanwhile, vegan ice creams like So Delicious and Tofutti remain fish free, so don't be afraid to indulge. counterpunch.org

Vegan Pedal Power
Cyclocross has earned a reputation as a physically demanding sport that pits riders against thick mud bogs, gritty sand pits, steep embankments, plank barriers and other grueling obstacles in a race to the finish—perfect for athletes who have honed their well-toned physiques on a vegan diet. At least, that seems to be the case, considering that plant-eaters made such an impressive showing at the Cyclocross Nationals in Providence, Rhode Island in January. Sami Fournier of Bend, Oregon won the Master's Women 40-44 age category, while three other vegans—Molly Cameron, Christine Vardaros and Adam Hodges—took top ten spots in other competitions. Kudos and congratulations all around! organicathlete.org

Endangered Hamburger
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is sounding the alarm about the extinction of species that most people think of only as food—the cows, chickens, pigs and other animals raised for meat, milk and eggs. The FAO calculates that, of the over 7,600 farmed animal species in their database, one-fifth are already in danger of extinction. The main cause of this crisis is factory farming’s reliance on specialized breeding techniques (like artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization and genetic engineering) that are used to accelerate meat, dairy and egg production. With farmed animal species disappearing at the rate of about one per month, analysts worry that industrial agriculture could inadvertently phase some breeds right out of existence. UN News Centre

Are Vegetarians Smarter?
Maybe you've always suspected that vegetarians tend to be brainier than meat-eaters, but a study published recently in the British Medical Journal actually provides some corroborating evidence to back up this claim. In 1970, researchers tested the IQs of over 8,000 10-year-olds, and then checked back 20 years later to see how many had become vegetarians as adults. Overall, the 366 self-defined vegetarians' IQ scores were an average of five points higher than those of the meat-eaters in the study pool. Based on these results, it has been suggested that the smartest kids will grow up to be vegetarians because they realize it is a compassionate, healthy choice that helps animals, people and the planet. Reuters

Weighing the Veg Option
A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association shows that vegetarians lost more weight after 18 months on a low-fat diet than those who ate a low-fat diet that included animal products. Choosing only overweight subjects for their study pool, the researchers assigned 96 participants to eat an omnivorous diet and the remaining 80 to the vegetarian group. Those who followed the meatless diet throughout the study period lost an average of 16.5 pounds, while omnivores lost on average only 10.4 pounds. In addition, vegetarians' levels of "bad" cholesterol dropped significantly only six months into the study, reducing their risk of heart disease along with their weight. WebMD

Dietetic Diabetic
A team of medical researchers led by Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), recently announced the results of a study showing that a vegan diet can actually reverse the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. Of the test subjects assigned to a low-fat, low-sugar vegan diet, 43% were able to either stop taking insulin or glucose-control medications or reduce their doses after a 22 week period. Participants on the vegan diet not only had lower blood sugar levels than those on the standard American Diabetes Association diet (which includes animal products), but also lost more weight while improving their cholesterol counts and kidney functioning. WebMD

Copy Cow
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that eating the meat and milk of cloned animals is just as safe as consuming the flesh and dairy of non-clones, paving the way for the commercial sale of replicated animal products. Yet consumer groups charge that the FDA’s research does not conclusively settle all safety concerns, while animal advocates object that cloning is inhumane because the process causes many “reprogramming errors” (like significantly higher death and deformity rates). The FDA will not require producers to label cloned meat any differently from conventional meat, even though polls show the majority of consumers are uncomfortable about cloning. Associated Press

Escapegoat
It’s not every day that a goat winds up wandering the gritty streets of Brooklyn, New York, but that is exactly what Animal Care & Control officers found after responding to a call from a bemused resident. Judging from the plastic tag on his ear, they determined that the six-month-old billy was an escapee from one of the neighborhood’s many goat slaughterhouses which supply meat and milk to ethnic eateries and shops in New York and beyond. Happily, rather than being turned into chevon, “Joey” will spend the rest of his natural life with 34 other rescued goats at Farm Sanctuary’s shelter in upstate New York. farmsanctuary.org

Juice Excuse
Just hours after Whole Foods Markets threatened to pull their pomegranate juice from all stores if they did not stop testing it on animals, POM Wonderful announced they would immediately cease their experiments on non-human subjects. Animal advocates from across the spectrum spent months fighting the company’s research involving the deaths of mice and rabbits, which POM Wonderful conducted so they could make special health claims for their product. By ending animal testing, the company may be encouraged to redouble their efforts at proving the benefits of their juice through more relevant and humane studies on human volunteers. animalliberationpressoffice.org

KFC, Welcome to PETA Country
Yum Brands, the fast-food conglomerate that owns Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), recently got more than they bargained for from a proposed real estate deal. Wanting to open a franchise in downtown Norfolk, Va. the company offered $1 million to the owner of a vacant warehouse without realizing that it was owned by the PETA Foundation. Of course, the animal rights group, which has its headquarters in Norfolk, has conducted a lengthy campaign to get KFC to treat chickens better. PETA therefore offered to give Yum the property scot-free if KFC agreed to make its suppliers comply with stronger animal welfare standards, but the company declined this generous counteroffer. New York Times

Amazon Cans Cruel Soup
In an amazing display of cyberspeed, it took e-activists only 10 days to convince Internet retail giant Amazon.com to do the right thing and drop shark fin soup from their online catalog. The company wisely chose not to support the sheer savagery of slicing the fins off live sharks and throwing their bodies back into the ocean to make an expensive “delicacy” that is the leading cause of dangerously shrinking shark populations around the world. Activists are now trying to convince Amazon to help end the fatal feeding frenzy by explaining to their customers why they no longer sell shark fin soup. wetpixel.com

Not-So-Mad Cow
Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and pharmaceutical firm Hematech claim to have successfully bred cattle that are immune to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the disease popularly known as mad cow. Tests are still being conducted to confirm the findings, the results of which will not be available until at least later this year. Hundreds of people around the world have contracted the always-fatal prion disease that eats holes in the brain, and three mad cows have been discovered in the U.S. since 2003. Industry insiders hope BSE-proof cows will restore confidence in U.S. beef at home and abroad. Associated Press

Gestation Crate Phase Out
Smithfield Foods, Inc., the top pork producer in the U.S., has announced plans to phase out gestation crates for pregnant pigs over the next decade. Both animal welfare groups and corporate customers like McDonald’s and Wal-Mart put pressure on the pork supplier to stop using the cruel cartons, which typically only measure two by seven feet. The crates virtually immobilize hogs (who can weigh up to 600 pounds at the peak of pregnancy) for the duration of their four-month gestation period, causing severe physical and psychological suffering. Smithfield, the industry leader, says that by 2017, all 1.2 million of its breeder sows will be kept in group pens where they will be able to move about and socialize. Wall Street Journal


March 2007
 

Political Animals
In the 2006 midterm elections, animal advocates made their voices heard like never before, influencing the outcome of key races and announcing their arrival as a political force to be reckoned with. Leading this year’s electoral charge was the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), a newly-formed auxiliary branch of The Humane Society of the United States, the largest animal protection group in the U.S. with approximately 10 million members. Most non-profits are forbidden by their tax-exempt status to spend money actively advocating for or against political candidates and causes, but the HSLF is organized under a tax law that allows them to do so. Whether the Fund endorsed or opposed particular candidates wasn’t based on whether they belonged to the party of the donkey or the elephant, but rather their respective voting and sponsorship records regarding animal protection issues. For example, the HSLF was instrumental in the surprising defeat of seven-term Republican Representative Richard Pombo of California, the powerful chair of the House Resources Committee who tried to gut the Endangered Species Act, auction off drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and consistently block animal welfare legislation. All in all, about 90% of the more than 300 Congressional candidates endorsed by the HSLF were elected to office.  fund.org

Party Animals
Elections were also held this November in the Netherlands, where the Party for the Animals made history by winning two seats on the 150-member Parliament. This makes the Netherlands the first country in the world to elect members of a party founded on animal welfare principles to political office. “Our party’s highest priority is to end all animal suffering,” says party leader and founder Marianne Thieme. “People who treat animals in a civilized manner, will treat each other in a civilized manner.” In terms of membership numbers, the Party for the Animals was the country’s fastest-growing political party in 2005. The Dutch political system is based on proportional representation, so even more of the Party’s candidates could win seats on the legislature in the next election. Similar political parties have also sprung up in other European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and the UK. partijvoordedieren.nl/content/view/129

Red (Meat) Alert
According to researchers at Harvard Medical School, a diet high in red meat puts premenopausal women at increased risk of developing a common type of breast cancer associated with the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Their study, which was recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, evaluated data from over 90,000 women between the ages of 26 and 46 over a period of 12 years. An analysis of the results indicated that those who consume 1½ servings of red meat a day were twice as likely to develop the hormone-related breast cancer as those who eat three or fewer servings a week. Every year in the U.S., breast cancer strikes more than 200,000 women and claims over 40,000 lives. While cases of hormone-related breast cancer are on the rise, women can stack the odds in their favor by dropping red meat from their diets. Washington Post

Choco-healthy Heart Medicine
A new study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition claims that eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day enhances heart health. The team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco who conducted the study credit a substance called epicatechin for the candy’s health benefits. Epicatechin is a particularly potent plant flavoniod that increases blood flow to the heart, which helps prevent artery-clogging cholesterol from accumulating in blood vessels and reduces the risk of dangerous clots. While confirmed chocoholics may rejoice at the fact that dark chocolate contains the highest concentration of flavoniods found in any food, those looking to enjoy the optimal benefits of this sweet elixir should only consume about 1.6 ounces a day. WebMD

Fishless Future
Will people still be eating seafood by the middle of the 21st century? Not if humanity continues to overfish and pollute the oceans, says a team of international ecologists and economists who have recently completed the most comprehensive study of the subject to date. Writing in the journal Science, these researchers warn that if the decades-long decline of aquatic populations continues, the world’s fisheries will run dry by the year 2048. Their dire predictions are based on an analysis of over 50 years of global catch data, fish demographics, ecosystem biodiversity figures and millennium-old sediment records. They conclude that nearly a third of all commercially-fished species have already shrunk below 90% of their original numbers, and that the damage only seems to have increased in recent years. The good news is that it’s not too late to avert mass-extinction: studies show that fish populations have recovered somewhat in areas protected from overfishing. Washington Post

Cardinal Compassion
Hey sports fans: did you know that Tony La Russa, manager of this year’s World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals, is a vegetarian? It’s true. "I don't eat anything that had a mother," he has quipped in explanation. Plus, this baseball legend is also an avowed animal lover. La Russa and his wife Elaine founded the non-profit organization Animal Rescue Foundation (arf.net) in 1991 as a no-kill shelter to help dogs and cats find homes. Their own San Francisco Bay Area home is populated by fourteen cats, four dogs and one rabbit. One can only speculate as to how La Russa manages this “home team.” Associated Press

Egg Logo a No-Go
Under legal pressure from state officials, animal rights advocates and consumers, the egg industry has agreed to permanently discontinue the “Animal Care Certified” logo that was stamped on the majority of egg cartons in the U.S. between 2002 and 2005. Investigations by Ohio-based Compassion Over Killing revealed that the hens who laid these eggs still had parts of their beaks seared off and lived in battery cages without enough room to even stretch a wing, debunking the implication that they were treated with “care.” COK is following through on this victory by petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to protect consumers against a broader range of misrepresentations on egg cartons, and is seeking public input from consumers and animal advocates. cok.net

Pen Power
When it comes to food politics, Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl doesn’t mince words. As one recent example, her presentation at the National Conference of Editorial Writers in Pittsburgh last September focused on the impact of our eating habits on everything from global warming and ecological devastation to human health and animal welfare. Reichl, an accomplished journalist herself, urged reporters to use their influence to help the public understand the vital link between our food choices and the rest of the world. She also sounded the alarm about the National Food Uniformity Bill and the 2007 Farm Bill, two corporate-driven legislative measures Congress is currently considering. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cattle Prod Global Warming
A new report issued by the United Nations warns that raising cattle for meat and dairy generates more greenhouse gases than all the automobiles in the world. About 9% of the total carbon dioxide produced by human-related activities is emitted by livestock, yet these animals also generate (mostly through manure) 65% of the nitrous oxide output, a chemical which has nearly 300 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2. The beef and dairy industries are also responsible for 37% of the methane output produced by human activity and 64% of the ammonia. According to the UN report, "The environmental costs per unit of livestock production must be cut by one half, just to avoid the level of damage worsening beyond its present level." UN News Center

Higher Vegucation
College cafeterias are offering more vegan and vegetarian choices these days thanks to an increasing demand among the student body. A survey of 100,000 collegiates conducted by Aramark, a large food management company that serves more 400 academic institutions, found that nearly one-quarter of students ranked finding vegan meals on campus as important to them. Reflecting this accelerating trend, PETA’s recently-released list of Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges ranks schools by the number and quality of meat-free options they offer. Indiana University-Bloomington won the number one spot with voters for their healthy and delicious fare like Sesame Noodle and Pea Pod Casserole, a Vegan Garden Burger and Hot Cakes. peta2.com/college