All Blog Posts (696)

Here in Ontario, Canada, one of our MPPs (member of provincial parliament) is tabling a private members' bill calling for the removal of police powers from the authority of our provincial SPCA; this has long been an issue here in Ontario and throughout Canada as we have the OSPCA mandated by government as a registered private charity with the authority to lay charges both provincially under the Ontario Animal Welfare Act and federally under Canada's Criminal Code; there has long been…

I wanted to share some exciting news from my friends at www.neverfeltbettervegan.com who are starting up a vegan coop in Sacramento, California USA. I'm not sure if they do international shipping or not, but the membership can be 100% online!

More details on their vegan coop page:…

In a few days I’m going to pack a tent and sleeping bag into our inflatable kayak and paddle to an uninhabited mangrove island here in the…

Easygoing Speciesism.

Sociologist David…

You Put Your Left Wing In, You Put Your Left Wing Out……

A new species of chameleon.  The natural world never ceases to amaze.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-15/tiny-chameleon/3831804

Very interesting study about the effects of categorising animals as food. Below is a brief summary and some of my thoughts on the matter but there is a lot more in the paper, which can be found here http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666311001413

The study seeks to understand “the effect of categorization as food on the perceived moral standing of animals”. it has been suggested…

This is an appeal to sign a petition for tigers.  See details at;

http://www.tigertime.info/bantigertrade.html

There are something like just 3,200 tigers left and they are being killed still for Chinese medicine and other products. Some are literally starved to death to make a wine, and the sight of such a beautiful animal so emaciated is indeed tragic. 

This new network may be a good opportunity to share research and views about environmental and animal rights issues.

See website at:  http://www.ssrn.com/

You will have to subscribe, which is free, to have a look but if you see under the news headings you will find a link to a new Sustainability Research & Policy Network.

I note they include vegetarianism in their examples of what might be useful, but see no reason…

Life is good! I am currently residing in the beautiful mid-west, USA and I am no longer homeless. It’s wonderful that I can now cook my own meals again. After posting a photo of my vegan dumplings my good friend, Sandy, asked me for the recipe. I get many requests for recipes, so I am starting a new section whereby I may share my culinary delights.

Please keep in mind that I am vegan for the animals first, the planet second and…

Greetings! Unfortunately, some dog walkers discover a danger, only sadly, when victimized. Please see the recent canine shockings/electrocution on StreetZaps and our safer non-conductive strategy.  I confer with Con Edison's Stray Voltage and Public Affairs Units; The National Electric Code showcases the site. Shock victim, Aric Roman's, case first appeared on StreetZaps in 3/09 and is in pre-trial at Con Edison (please see Testimonies, Safety) as he is permanently disabled.  When you…

How does one get through everyday life when it includes a continuing awareness of the abject misery to which we subject endless animals, children and humans? How do you live within your own skin when others of your species are so abjectly cruel? Over the holidays, when I was placed at a table next to a “ham,” I could not help but consider the pig that was the living being,…

Portsmouth residents protest 'The Southern Co-operative’s plan to convert its existing funeralcare offices opposite The Tangier pub into a chapel of rest where bodies can…

If I recall correctly, the question was first asked of me (in a vegan/AR context rather than a more general one) when I expressed interest in seeing the slightly infamous documentary involving interaction between Peter Singer and Tipu Aziz. It seemed that certain acquaintances thought even watching the show constituted letting the side down. I think my reasons at the time were along the following lines:

-To see for myself whether Singer does in fact capitulate and express pro-vivisection…

Originally published on ThisDishisVeg.com



January 23, 2012

It is true that any social movement succeeds in stages. The time necessary for a society to see an issue as a problem, to see how their actions contribute to suffering…

In August 2010, I wrote a blog entry about whether specific animal welfare campaigning is necessary. The argument is predicated on the idea that there is a three-way relationship among social movements, their countermovements, and (broadly) the state - or specific state agencies.



There may be a complex web on interactions among these groups or…

It seems like Rob Johnson just can’t let go of his obsession with ARZone.

On Brandon Becker's Facebook page, Rob Johnson said a number of things that are all equally banal, but I’d like to focus on just this:

Similarly the latest ARZone blog, which I am told Yates was promoting yesterday, is on the fact that they deem ARZone to be successful and so they deem the AR movement to be successful as ARZone supports open debate. There's a famous Chomsky quote that…

Nicolette Hahn Niman argues in her recent book, Righteous Porkchop, that it’s acceptable to raise animals for food as long as they are treated humanely and killed quickly. She assures consumers that the animals at the ranch that she manages with her husband, Bill Niman, have a “good life and an easy death.”¹ Similarly, meat industry advertisers are doing all they can…

Vegansaurus highlights an obnoxious advert by Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine. Now, I like PCRM, in general. I have a few reservations about any group promoting veganism on health grounds, but can appreciate one that doesn't actually push it as a miracle cure/source of immortality. Likewise, they've always been a bit too anti-dietary fats for my taste (even if we ignored the health benefits of, say, olive or…