In this edition...
Top Stories |
 | World hunger: Agriculture and food in crisis |
| | This just in: Vegetarian diets are fine (to say the least) |
| | American Medical Association prescribes sustainable food chain |
| | Meatless Mondays: Do something good for the earth and your health |
Health |
| | Vegetarian diet protects against some cancers |
| | Embattled pigs source of Ebola virus, too |
| | Wine, veg and minimal meat give the Mediterranean diet its most punch |
| | Carbs: the secret to slim |
Environment |
| | The planet's future: Climate change 'will cause civilization to collapse' |
| | Environmentalist Etiquette: 4 tips for how not to be a buzzkill at your next cocktail party |
| | Reduce your carbon footprint by half in three steps |
Lifestyles and Trends |
| | The rise and rise of the vegetarian |
| | 'I could never live without cheese' |
| | For some Jews, kosher isn't enough to satisfy ethical standards |
| | Idea of the day: Tax meat |
Animal Issues and Advocacy |
| | Hint of conservation push brightens whaling stalemate |
| | Almost 25 per cent more foods labeled 'humane' |
| | Don't have a cow, man - it's got rights |
Books, Movies and Perspectives |
| | Roger Ebert reviews 'Food, Inc.' |
| | Author helps children understand 'why we don't eat animals' |
| | Effective advocacy for animals |
Of Note - Recipes, Websites, Videos and More |
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(Excerpts are included from current news stories. Click on the "Full story" link to read the full article.)
Top Stories 
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World hunger: Agriculture and food in crisis
Full story: Monthly Review
"Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?," asks the title of an article by Lester Brown in Scientific American (May 2009). Just a few years ago, such a question would have seemed almost laughable. Few will be surprised by it today. In 2008 people woke up to a tsunami of hunger sweeping the world. Although the prospect of rising hunger has loomed on the horizon for years, the present crisis seemed to come out of the blue without warning. The causes for the extraordinary spike in food prices in 2008, doubling over 2007 prices, brought together long-term trends, at work for decades, with a number of more recent realities. The most important long-term trends leading to the current situation include increased diversion of corn grain and soybeans to produce meat as the world's per capita meat consumption doubled in about forty years. As much as 95 per cent of calories are lost in the conversion of grain and soybeans to meat... "Food for people, not for profit" must be the slogan of the new agrifood systems.
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This just in: Vegetarian diets are fine (to say the least)
Full story: Los Angeles Times
Vegetarians have been pretty confident about this - and it likely comes as no surprise to anyone capable of understanding a nutrition label. But the new assessment comes from the American Dietetic Association so might carry some weight with disease-threatened people on the fence. The judgment is offered up in the organization's updated position paper on the matter. And the more relevant aspect is that the paper says going meat-free may help prevent or treat some chronic diseases. "It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes."
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Los Angeles Times - July 1
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American Medical Association prescribes sustainable food chain
Full story: Environmental Leader
The American Medical Association (AMA) has approved a new policy that supports a healthy and sustainable food chain within healthcare systems. AMA also plans to work with healthcare and public health organizations to educate their community and the public about the importance of healthy and ecologically sustainable food systems. The AMA's new Sustainable Food policy builds on a report from its Council on Science and Public Health.
Excerpt from the report (full report available from the link):
A sustainable food system includes sustainable agricultural practices as well as other practices within the entire food system that promote and preserve ecology, social values (just working conditions, humane treatment of animals), health, and economic viability (fair incomes for families and local economies). Using a "more/less" rather than "either/or" approach, local food is usually the most sustainable. However, even eating more conventionally produced (i.e., nonorganic, nonlocal) fruits and vegetables in place of animal products improves the sustainability of the food system. Conclusions: Healthy diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in unhealthy fats, sodium, and added sugars, but they also support environmental sustainability, economic viability, and human dignity and justice. [Our emphasis.]
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Environmental Leader - June 18
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Meatless Mondays: Do something good for the earth and your health
Full story: AlterNet
[By Kathy Freston.] I love a practical solution, especially when it's good all around - for personal health, the environment, and for living consciously. So when I received an email from Chris Elam, the director of the Meatless Monday campaign - a project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Columbia University School of Public Health, in association with twenty-seven other public health schools - I was thrilled. The campaign is focused on convincing the world not to eat chickens, pigs, and other animals - just one day per week. When [such organizations] argue that the less meat you eat, the better off you'll be, it's worth listening to them. Chris also wanted to share their new video. I know that some vegetarians pooh pooh Meatless Monday as not enough. I'm sympathetic to that view, but I think it's unnecessarily strident. For people who think that going totally vegetarian is too challenging, the Meatless Monday campaign offers a gentle entrée into the idea of eating without eating animals. And another point for those who might think that Meatless Monday is not enough: The first family of vegetarianism - Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters - recently launched the campaign in the UK.
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More on the Meatless Monday campaign:
Meet Meatless Monday
Huffington Post (July 6)
UK: Meat Free Monday campaign with Paul McCartney
Paul sings about it!
UK: Why we should have meat-free Mondays
The Times (July 5)
Israel's finest restaurants join Vegetarian Monday initiative
Ynetnews, Israel (June 26)
Australia: Why flesh is the new fur
The Age, Australia (July 21)
A Mighty Appetite
Food blog by Kim O'Donnel of the Washington Post with weekly Meatless Monday recipes and other info
Join the Meatless Monday movement
Global "meat free" petition
Meatout Mondays - a terrific weekly recipe and info resource
Ghent's veggie day info
On another front: Calls to curb meat consumption through labelling
The WWF suggests that red meat packs should carry labels advising people to consume no more than three portions a week, and dairy products no more than three a day, according to reports. - Food Navigator (July 1)
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| Health
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Vegetarian diet protects against some cancers
Full story: Globe and Mail
If you favour meat over vegetarian fare, you might want to reconsider your menu. According to a study published [week of July 13] in the British Journal of Cancer, vegetarians are less likely than meat eaters to develop cancer. The most striking difference was in cancers of the blood - leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It seems that the notion of a vegetarian diet being better for you does, in fact, have strong scientific backing. The most recent study compared the risks of 20 different types of cancer among 61,556 meat eaters and vegetarians living in Britain who were followed for more than 12 years. The researchers found that vegetarians were 12 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the meat eaters - even after accounting for other risk factors including smoking, alcohol intake and obesity. Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians' risk of stomach cancer was reduced by 64 per cent, bladder cancer by 53 per cent, multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow) by 75 per cent and non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 43 per cent. Previous studies have linked vegetarian diets with lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure, lower body weights and a reduced risk of cancer.
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Embattled pigs source of Ebola virus, too
Full story: Toronto Star
Pity the poor pigs. Seems they can catch anything but a break. First they were the source of the H1N1 virus that's now reached pandemic proportions around the globe. And now a form of Ebola - a contagious hemorrhagic ailment that can make the worst swine flu look like a case of the sniffles - has been found in pigs, a new study in the journal Science says. The disease, which can cause bleeding from every cavity and organ and an agonizing death, was thought to reside largely within remote monkey populations. But the confirmation of Ebola in at least two pig herds in the Philippines has placed the disease a disconcerting step closer to humans, researchers says.
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Wine, veg and minimal meat give the Mediterranean diet its most punch
Full story: Telegraph, UK
It has long been heralded as the perfect recipe for a long life but a new study suggests that not all foods that make up the Mediterranean diet carry the same benefits. Researchers found that eating large amounts of fish and seafood or the low levels of dairy traditionally associated with the diet did little or nothing to lengthen life span. However, drinking a glass of wine or two a day as well as large amounts of fruit, vegetables and olive oil while keeping [meat and meat product] consumption to a minimum did add up to a recipe for a longer life. Drinking wine had the most benefit on life span the findings suggest, followed by reducing meat consumption and then eating high numbers of fruit, vegetables and nuts. [Link to study published in the "British Medical Journal". Note: The original "Telegraph" article mentioned "red meat," but the BMJ abstract says "low consumption of meat and meat products." The abstract also points out that fish and seafood consumption was low in the study group."]
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Carbs: the secret to slim
Full story: Globe and Mail
In the post-Atkins era, this might seem like strange advice: Eat carbohydrates to help you stay lean. But according to a study of 4,451 healthy Canadians, those whose diets contained the most carbohydrate had the lowest risk of being overweight or obese. For the past decade, the debate over the best diet to maintain a healthy weight has been centred around carbohydrates. In fact, recent studies suggest that a high carbohydrate diet is indeed effective for losing weight and outperforms a high protein diet when it comes to losing body fat and lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. The current study, published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, [concluded that] the likelihood of being overweight or obese declined steadily as carbohydrate intake increased.
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Related/More Health News:
Weight gain problem for Asian immigrants to New Zealand
At home student Sophie Chang's parents had cooked all her meals, which involved a lot of rice and vegetables, but in New Zealand she often ate fast food takeaways. - Stuff, NZ (July 20)
Study: High-fat diet, especially one rich in animal fats, tied to pancreatic cancer
WebMD (June 29)
Nitrites in meats fingered in rise of diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
Discovery News (July 15)
Antibiotics injected into chicken eggs is making Canadians resistant to meds
Macleans Magazine (June 17)
Polyphenols and health
Polyphenols (found in nuts, soy, chocolate, fruits, vegetables) may perform much more important roles than previously thought, from providing basic nutrition to reducing risk against chronic diseases. - Malaysia Star (July 19)
The common sense diet
Local, organic, humane, heirloom, slow, hormone-free, sustainable, ethical, free-range, grass-fed, fair trade, heritage, non-GMO . . . or whatever - Calgary Herald/Ottawa Citizen (July 23)
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| Environment
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The planet's future: Climate change 'will cause civilization to collapse'
Full story: Independent, UK
An effort on the scale of the Apollo mission that sent men to the Moon is needed if humanity is to have a fighting chance of surviving the ravages of climate change. The stakes are high, as, without sustainable growth, "billions of people will be condemned to poverty and much of civilization will collapse." This is the stark warning from the biggest single report to look at the future of the planet. Backed by a diverse range of leading organizations such as UNESCO, the 2009 State of the Future report runs to 6,700 pages and draws on contributions from 2,700 experts around the globe... Jerome Glenn, director of the Millennium Project and one of the report's authors, said: "There are answers to our global challenges, but decisions are still not being made on the scale necessary to address them. Three great transitions would help both the world economy and its natural environment - to shift as much as possible from freshwater agriculture to saltwater agriculture; produce healthier meat without the need to grow animals; and replace gasoline cars with electric cars."
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Independent, UK - July 12
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Related:
Global catastrophe or sustainable future? It will depend largely on our food choices!
By Richard H. Schwartz, President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) and Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) - European Vegetarian Union (July)
Q&A on Factory Farming with Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary
Vegetarian Times (June 25)
On a happier note from Farm Sanctuary...
Escape from New York slaughterhouse: A runaway goat’s survival story - 7-month-old Doughty's charming personality - and his heroic getaway - challenge the commonly-held assumption that farm animals are merely sources of food.
Environmentalist Etiquette: 4 tips for how not to be a buzzkill at your next cocktail party
Full story: Huffington Post
Recently, I walked into my friends' house for a drinks-and-barbecue get-together, and before I could even hug the hostess hello, she greeted me with an apology. "I'm so sorry I didn't have time to go to Whole Foods to buy organic meat. I hope regular hamburgers and hot dogs are OK." I assured the hostess that despite my passion for everything green, I was not keeping tally of her household's environmental missteps. OK, maybe I was, secretly. But there's a fine line between engagement and annoyance, and I've found that by sticking to the following code of etiquette, I've been successful in sparking people's interest in environmental issues without driving them nuts. 1. Recognize that none of us is perfect. 2. Know your audience. 3. Lead by example. 4. Most importantly, make green fun.
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Huffington Post - June 29
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Related:
The above tips for environmentalists are equally relevant for vegetarians and vegans too. Here are thoughts in a similar vein:
Can vegans be fun?
The best moments in vegan activism come when someone looks at the way we eat and says, 'Wow - I could do that.' - The Vegan Dietician Blog (July 2)
Reduce your carbon footprint by half in three steps
Full story: Planet Green
Your carbon footprint can be sort of a difficult thing to visualize - you can't really see your carbon emissions trailing up into the atmosphere as you go about your life. You surely know that burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gas emissions, and that it's not just your car that contributes to your carbon footprint - the electricity you use in your home, your airplane travel, even the food you eat has a significant impact on the number that goes with your particular footprint. And, while every person's footprint is a bit different, one thing is true for everyone: You can reduce your carbon footprint by half (or more!) with these three tips. 1. Become a weekday vegetarian, 2. Buy green power, 3. Fly less... It's no good to stand around shouting at folks who just won't give up meat. Happily, we've found a happy medium: Be a weekday vegetarian. It's simple, easy to remember, much cheaper than buying all meat, all the time, and still has a significant impact.
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| Lifestyles and Trends
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The rise and rise of the vegetarian
Full story: Independent, UK
Forget lentils and tofu. Vegetarian cooking is enjoying a makeover, prompting meat-eaters to put down their steak knives. New green cuisine is tapping into the rise of the "flexitarian," the occasional vegetarian who is helping their waistline and the planet by eating less meat. Vegetarian food is hitting the mainstream. A recent poll showed that 86 per cent of Brits eat non-meat meals once or twice a week, forcing restaurants to follow suit. "Historically, chefs haven't liked vegetarians but that is changing. Younger chefs particularly understand the need for vegetarian food," said [one chef], who owns several restaurants in London. "So many more people want vegetarian food these days and it's my job to cater for them." The doyen of crossover cooking is the French triple Michelin-starred chef Alain Passard, who took meat off the menu at his vaunted Parisian restaurant L'Arpège at the height of the BSE scare in 2001.
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Independent, UK - July 12
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Related:
Recession flexitarians
Today, the USDA estimates that the production of meat from every major category of farm animal will drop for the first time since 1973. - Gourmet Magazine (June)
Majority of school nutrition programs now offer vegetarian school lunches
Medical News Today (June 22)
'I could never live without cheese'
Full story: Earthsaver Newsletter (pdf - scroll down)
It's a cry I often hear when telling people I'm vegan, one I sang many times myself before switching to a plant-based diet. There's something about cheese, in its many forms, flavours and uses that makes us a little crazy, makes us panic at the thought of living without it, even for short periods of time. But I'm here to tell you there is life after cheese. I knew I had an uphill battle and would need some strategies. [The article includes ideas tha] helped me and may help you... Eating a plant-based diet, I've discovered so many new recipes and ways of preparing food that I really don't miss cheese. I never thought it was possible, but I don't. Not only is there life after cheese, there's delicious, healthy food and, for me, a greater sense of compassion and peace. Whether it's because I no longer get cheese rage or because my eating habits are keeping baby cows out of crates and cow-poo out of rivers, it's definitely a better life. One I wouldn't give up for all the Gouda in the world.
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Earthsaver Newsletter (pdf - scroll down) - July - September
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For some Jews, kosher isn't enough to satisfy ethical standards
Full story: Austin American Statesman, TX, U.S.
Malka Dubrawsky and her husband, Robert Trent, decided to go vegetarian after she heard a radio show about mad cow disease, she said. By keeping a vegetarian diet, she and her husband are also keeping kosher, a Jewish dietary law spelled out in the Torah that prohibits mixing meat with dairy and requires that birds and mammals be slaughtered in a way that ensures they do not suffer. Dubrawsky and Trent, both 42, are part of a trend among Jews to combine their religious views with the goal of consuming local, organic food. Called ethical kashrut, it's the idea that adherence to Jewish dietary laws is as important as the ethics and social justice involved in the creation and processing of food.
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Austin American Statesman, TX, U.S. - June 28
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Related:
Daniel Brook: Why Jews should consider vegetarianism
Tikkun Magazine (June)
A SACRED DUTY: Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal The World
JVNA video
Idea of the day: Tax meat
Full story: The Atlantic
Reasons for eating less meat range from the personal to the global... So how do we cut back? Convincing the world's meat-eaters that cattle, sheep, and pigs are our relatives may take more time than we have. But there's always the pocketbook route to changing behavior. Taxing meats with a surcharge that would go into a fund to care for people with meat-induced illnesses would be one approach. And ending the U.S. and international policies and subsidies that have made meat, especially beef, artificially cheap would drive meat-eating out of fashion in a hurry. Less meat for the world's most privileged people? Sounds like a win-win-win: better health for people, animals, and planet.
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| Animal Issues and Advocacy
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Hint of conservation push brightens whaling stalemate
Full story: New Scientist
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) may be shifting towards a more conservation-oriented role after this week backing an ambitious Australian plan for non-lethal whale research. "It's part of a move by the IWC from being a whalers' club to being a whale conservation body," says Patrick Ramage, director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). "There's a bit of a sea change going on at the commission." Presented by Australian environment minister Peter Garrett, the AU$1.5-million ($1.2 million) plan aims to demonstrate the value of non-lethal methods for tracking and researching whales. It contrasts with Japan's controversial "research" program, which has been described as a front for commercial whaling.
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Related:
Watching whales watching us
Whales, we now know, teach and learn. They scheme. They cooperate, and they grieve. They recognize themselves and their friends. They know and fight back against their enemies. And perhaps most stunningly, given all of our transgressions against them, they may even, in certain circumstances, have learned to trust us again. - New York Times (July 12)
Almost 25 per cent more foods labeled 'humane'
Full story: Food and Drink Europe
The availability of [so-called] humanely produced food products in U.S. supermarkets has risen by nearly a quarter since last year, according to a survey from The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). U.S. programs director for WSPA Dena Jones said: "The survey results indicate that people are becoming more sensitive to the cruel and unsustainable methods used to raise farm animals and are seeking humane alternatives. Consumer demand influences what stores offer." However, WSPA claimed that consumers are confused by the array of different labeling systems in use. The organization also warned consumers about the use of labels that claim 'no antibiotics used' or 'no hormones administered,' and said: "'No antibiotics used' suggests animals were not raised on a factory farm, but by itself does not indicate high animal welfare." In addition it pointed out that 'natural' "has no relevance to animal welfare" and 'naturally raised' is subject to a voluntary definition that "does not require freedom of movement and access to fresh air and sunlight for the animal." [We are lucky to have WSPA working for animals world-wide. Their current campaigns can be found on their website. Also, check out the Farm Sanctuary petition in the "Of Note" section below.]
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Food and Drink Europe - July 10
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From the VegE-News archives:
The trend is a positive sign that consumer attitudes are moving in a more thoughtful direction, but, as the article points out, all the more reason to be vigilant. There have been many articles in past issues of VegE-News on this subject. Here is one from the January issue:
'Naturally raised' - what it doesn't mean
American Prospect (January 22)
Also, here is some info from Farm Sanctuary
Truth behind labels
Please also see the link to the Farm Sanctuary petition in our "Of Note" section below.
Don't have a cow, man - it's got rights
Full story: Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
He was dux [top student] of his school at 15, and though barely old enough to buy a beer or to vote, is already in the fourth year of a combined law degree. So what does Sining Wang, 18, once described as a boy genius, get up to in his university holidays? A bit of string theory? Some laidback actuarial algorithms? Researching the law as it applies to pigs and cows and chickens, actually. "There's so much potential in animal law," he said. "It's an area where you can really make a difference and see it. You could compare it with environmental law back in the day. No one really cared about it, and it's now among the most important issues we talk about." He and a fellow student at Melbourne Law School, Edward Liew, 22, see legal advocacy and lobbying as the way to a better world for farm animals and the people who rely on them.
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Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - July 21
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Related:
Should boiling lobsters alive be outlawed?
Includes video and a poll - Huffington Post (June 26)
Betting the farm against reforms
HSUS (June 30)
Poor earnings lead Smithfield to delay phaseout of gestation crates for pigs
An example of why legislation is needed - Virginian-Pilot, U.S. (June 25)
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| Books, Movies and Perspectives
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Roger Ebert reviews 'Food, Inc.'
Full story: Chicago Sun-Times
The next time you tuck into a nice T-bone, reflect that it probably came from a cow that spent much of its life standing in manure reaching above its ankles. That's true even if you're eating the beef at a pricey steakhouse. The next time you admire a plump chicken breast, consider how it got that way. The egg-to-death life of a chicken is now six weeks. They're grown in cages too small for them to move, in perpetual darkness to make them sleep more and quarrel less. They're fattened so fast they can't stand up or walk. Their entire lives, they are trapped in the dark, worrying. All of this is overseen by a handful of giant corporations that control the growth, processing and sale of food in this country. [They] are committed to the goals of most corporations: maximize profits and executive salaries. This review doesn't read one thing like a movie review. But most of the stuff I discuss in it, I learned from the new documentary Food, Inc.. I figured it wasn't important for me to go into detail about the photography and the editing. I just wanted to scare the bejesus out of you, which is what Food, Inc. did to me.
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Chicago Sun-Times - June 17
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Related:
The movie is receiving a lot of buzz and, though it is not overtly pro-vegan, many animal rights activists are also promoting it as a must-see precisely because it has the potential to enlighten the mainstream in a way that many movies have or could not. Here are more links:
An interview with director Robert Kenner
AlterNet (June 25)
Lettuce from the garden, with worms
New York Times (June 21)
A vegan take on 'Food, Inc.'
Despite my misgivings, "Food, Inc." nevertheless does a great service to the vegan cause, because as long as agribusiness is corrupt, powerful, and gigantic, veganism will always be on society’s fringes... The enemy of agribusiness is my friend, so with that in mind I’m thrilled that "Food, Inc." has been released. I expect it to inflict a lasting blow upon factory farming interests. - Vegan.com (June 25)
An Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer - And What You Can Do About It - Companion book to the movie
Author helps children understand 'why we don't eat animals'
Full story: Green Muze
Ruby Roth. Remember that name, as you'll be hearing a lot more about her. An American teacher, writer and artist, Roth has come up with an innovative and somewhat controversial solution for helping children foster compassion towards animals - tell them the truth. Don't terrify or shame them, but with kindness, whimsy and age-appropriate imagery, show children that animals are sentient beings. Roth's new book That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things is the first book of its kind targeted toward young people. A candid, but gentle book that discusses what are normally considered taboo subjects for children, such as factory farming, battery hen cages, overfishing, habitat erosion, rainforest health and endangered species in relation to food. We caught up with Ruby Roth to ask her a few questions about writing the first book for kids that deals honestly with the plight of animals and if it was difficult to find a publisher for her cutting edge work. [The book has been endorsed by Jane Goodall, Alicia Silverstone, Ingrid Newkirk, Ed Begley, Rory Freedman, and others. Here's the book's website. Ruby talks about the book on youtube.]
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Effective advocacy for animals
Full story: Examiner.com
I knew I would like The Animal Activist's Handbook even before I picked it up. I've long been a fan of Matt Ball who is co-founder of Vegan Outreach. His essays (published on that group's website) are among the most thoughtful, generous and focused pieces I've read on veganism and animal rights [Editor's note: ditto]. I knew less about his co-author Bruce Friedrich, and was curious to hear about his perspective, since he works for PETA, whose tactics don't always sit well with me. Bruce brings an interesting background to his work - coming to animal rights from employment in a homeless shelter - and I ended up being pleasantly surprised by his point of view. Together, these two seasoned activists have put together a guide that is motivating, inspiring and - best of all - useful. The book ends with a chapter titled "Is Animal Liberation Possible?" If you're looking for a little morale boost, this chapter alone is worth the price of admission. Animal liberation is the moral imperative of our time and, according to Matt and Bruce, we can revel in the opportunity we have to be a part of the world's next great ethical advance. It will happen - but it is dependent on optimal advocacy. That's why every animal rights activist needs to read this book. [Watch an informative VegSource interview with Bruce Friedrich.]
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| Of Note - Recipes, Websites, Videos and More
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Summer salad a feast for the eyes too!
With a fridge full of fresh organic veggies and fruits, yours truly was inspired to create this tasty summer salad, featuring roasted asparagus, yellow pepper and fennel with blueberries, strawberries and edible flowers from the garden. You'll find the recipe for it and lots more - ideas for picnics, barbques, light lunches, easy vegan desserts - at the link below. And, not to forget our readers from downunder, there are recipes for winter fare, too! Plus, if you're just getting started on veggie eating - or want some healthy eating info - be sure to browse "Lana's tips" at the link. VegE-News recipes
The 'Vegan Poet' invites participation in her new 'Vegan Voices' project
Butterfly Katz has launched a great resource to inspire and enlighten - the VEGAN VOICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD project. Check out the web link below. She is seeking more profiles of leaders within the vegan movement, vegan activists, forerunners of the first vegan societies, humane educators, authors and journalists, vegan chefs and cookbook writers, philosophers, website owners, vegan-abolitionist bloggers, founders and directors of organizations, athletes, politicians, doctors and lawyers, registered dieticians, vegan business owners, and vegan event trendsetters. (Phew!) If you are a fit or if you have nominations, please send them to her via the site.
Vegan Voices
Time for Change - article by Butterfly Katz
More articles by Butterfly Katz
International veg guide
VegGuide.org has useful info on vegetarian shopping and dining around the world.
VegGuide.org
Video: Dr. McDougall on health care
Dr. McDougall weighs in on the health debate in the U.S., but his comments have import everywhere. "We're eating the world - and ourselves - to death... The U.S. health care system is based on profit - all the financial incentive is toward sickness"
Dr. McDougall MD on health
Calls to action
Here's an impressive effort my a young man to make a difference by calling on his fellow students to get involved to help hungry children and endangered gorillas.
1000 classrooms
Support academic freedom at Cornell University. Your vote can help reinstate Dr. T. Colin Campbell's plant-based nutrition course "Vegetarian Nutrition."
Academic Freedom Petition
Pets in Korea need protection against cruel practices!
Stop pet slaughter in Korea
Farm Sanctuary is asking for help to reach their goal of 10,000 signatures on their petition urging the USDA to reconsider its decision to allow a "naturally raised" label on meat products from animals on factory farms.
Farm Sanctuary Label Petition
Walk for Farm Animals - October 2
Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal." The Walk for Farm Animals helps fund and raise awareness about their vital, education and advocacy efforts.
Walk for Farm Animals 2009
Attention veggie organizations and members
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