July 2010

In this edition... Editor's Note    A mother's love Health    Cancer at your cookout: The five most dangerous foods to grill    How to control menopause symptoms with a vegetarian diet    'Cut down on meat to lose weight'    Ignore the anti-soya scaremongers Environment    10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet    Tuna's end    Divers are pulling together to save sharks    What happens if we all quit meat? Lifestyles and Trends    Eco-Vegan Fashion    Olivia Wilde and Bob Harper are 2010's 'sexiest vegetarians'    Vegetarian and vegan jobs board continues to grow    Veggie Celebs: Interview with Paul McCartney    All-vegan team completes Vegan 15 Peaks Challenge in Wales    Chef Chloe's vegan cupcakes win the 'wars' Animal Issues and Advocacy    A humane egg    What's the godly way to treat animals?    Study: Conflicted meat-eaters in denial that meat animals have the capacity to suffer    Canadian officials investigate after hundreds of pigs found dead    Rescued goats thriving at Farm Sanctuary    Four questions to ask your egg farmer Books and Perspectives    Not just another diet book Of Note - recipes, events, more   Don't forget to visit: (Excerpts are included from current news stories. Click on the "Full story" link to read the full article.)   Editor's Note     A mother's love - When baby goats - and pigs and cows and sheep - are born, their mothers turn to nuzzle and lick them. Given the chance, they nurture them lovingly and watch over them until they're ready to fend for themselves. They cry out for days in search of them when they're taken away and would even die to protect them. That's this month's one thought for meat-eaters as you lift a piece of meat to your mouth: pause, for just a few seconds, to reflect that a mother once loved it.     Health     Cancer at your cookout: The five most dangerous foods to grill Full story: PCRM Chicken grilled for just six minutes can contain dangerous levels of a carcinogenic compound. That puts barbecue chicken at the top of a new list of the five worst foods to grill. Based on analysis by dietitians with the Cancer Project, the list highlights the risk of cancer-causing chemicals produced by high heat in many commonly barbecued meats. High levels were also found in grilled steak, pork, salmon, and hamburger. Meat need not be charred or well done to contain these chemicals. [Visit CancerProject.org for the full report and a video of healthier grilling ideas.]   Read more... PCRM - July How to control menopause symptoms with a vegetarian diet Full story: eHow Every minute of the day, menopausal women are heating up, and by this, I mean hot flashes. Hormone treatments have so many side effects, you would think that there would be a better way. Well there is. In fact, you can control your menopause symptoms with a vegetarian diet. Only seven per cent of Japanese women suffer from hot flashes - these Japanese women live in America. In Japan, there is not a word in their language for hot flashes. So what are the eastern women doing differently from the women of the western world? First thing that comes to my mind is diet. If you are interested in controlling your hot flashes and other menopause symptoms then follow these tips. [Editor's note: Better choices for including omega-3s than the fish oil mentioned - which, of course, is not vegetarian - are hemp seeds, ground flax seeds and walnuts.]   Read more... eHow - July 'Cut down on meat to lose weight' Full story: BBC A European study of almost 400,000 adults found that eating meat was linked with weight gain, even in people taking in the same number of calories. The strongest association was found with processed meat, such as sausages and ham, the Imperial College London team reported. It suggests that high-protein diets may not help slimmers in the long run. The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also support public health messages advocating cutting down on the amount of meat we eat, the researchers said. The study looked at data from adults taking part in a large project looking at the link between diet and cancer. Participants from 10 European countries were weighed and measured at the start and then asked to report their weight five years later.   Read more... BBC - July 22 Ignore the anti-soya scaremongers Full story: Guardian, UK There's no evidence that soya is harmful to humans. In fact, both we and the planet would benefit tremendously from eating more. Last time I was interviewed for BBC Radio London, the presenter asked if soya foods were safe, then fell about laughing saying he didn't want to grow man-boobs. I've been asked if soya is safe for babies, can it interfere with the thyroid, does it contribute to deforestation, some people even think it may cause cancer... Soya is the great divider; you're either for it, or against it. Is this humble pulse really such a demon bean, or is the anti-soya brigade using scare stories and pseudo science to further their own agenda? If you look carefully, most anti-soya stories can be traced back to one single group in the U.S. called the Weston A Price Foundation [whose advice] contradicts all the leading health advisory bodies in the world, including the World Health Organisation, American Dietetic Association and the British Medical Association.   Read more... Guardian, UK - July 1 More Health News: All about Omega-3 Omega-3s are found in the green leaves of plants. Fish are full of omega-3s because they eat phytoplankton and seaweed. You can get all your Omega-3s from green leafy vegetables, legumes, flax seeds, chia seeds, or walnuts. - The Healthy Librarian - VegSource (Jan 24) New study: Vegetarians are happier than meat eaters It was previously believed that plant-source omega-3s, found in nuts, flax, and oils, are less effective in boosting brain and physical health than EPA and DHA, since it’s harder for our bodies to convert these plant sources into usable amino acids. But this new study seems to turn that logic on its head. - Rodale (June 16) Fat or carbs? Which are worse Dr. Andrew Weil’s article in the "Huffington Post' has led his readers to believe that saturated fats in the diet, which are primarily from meats and dairy products, are better for them to eat than carbohydrates, which are from plant foods. He bases this on a March 2010 analysis that he failed to mention was funded by the National Dairy Council. - Dr. McDougall (May 21) A scientific critique of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans The final report of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a transparently biased review of the scientific literature in favor of the livestock industries, and especially the dairy industry. - Dr. McDougall (June) Forget viagra - go veggie to avoid sexual dysfunction Yes, the percentage of sexual dysfunction is less among men who are vegetarian. Vegetarians are also found to live longer than those who have non vegetarian diets regularly. - Good Health (July 13)     Environment     10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet Full story: Guardian, UK The average British carnivore eats more than 11,000 animals in their lifetime [similar figures apply in most affluent countries], each requiring vast amounts of land, fuel and water to reach the plate. It's time to think of waste as well as taste. If we really want to reduce the human impact on the environment, the simplest and cheapest thing anyone can do is to eat less meat. Behind most of the joints of beef or chicken on our plates is a phenomenally wasteful, land- and energy-hungry system of farming that devastates forests, pollutes oceans, rivers, seas and air, depends on oil and coal, and is significantly responsible for climate change. The way we breed animals is now recognised by the UN, scientists, economists and politicians as giving rise to many interlinked human and ecological problems, but with 1 billion people already not having enough to eat and 3 billion more mouths to feed within 50 years, the urgency to rethink our relationship with animals is extreme. Here are ten ways a vegetarian diet will make a difference...   Read more... Guardian, UK - July 18 Tuna's end Full story: NYT Magazine Bluefin tuna are warmblooded. That bluefin can be huge - 10 feet and more than a thousand pounds - is a side note. For those of us who have seen their football silhouettes arise and vanish in less than a blink of an eye or held them alive, their hard-shell skins barely containing the surging muscle tissue within, they are something bigger than the space they occupy. All fish change color when they die. But with tuna the death shift feels more profound. Fresh from the water, their backs pulsing neon blue, their bellies gleaming silver-pink iridescence, they seem like the ocean itself. And in a way they are, which explains the second reason bluefin have come to possess such totemic power. For bluefin tuna and all species of tuna are the living representation of the very limits of the ocean. Their global decline is a warning that we just might destroy our last wild food. [This well-written article by "Four Fish" author Paul Greenberg provides valuable insights. It also has limitations as Vegan.com points out in their review of it: "...Greenberg neglects to so much as mention a third way forward: simply avoiding fish in the first place."]   Read more... NYT Magazine - June 27 Divers are pulling together to save sharks Full story: E/The Environmental Magazine Most people are afraid to share the water with sharks. But not the scuba divers who make a point of seeking them out. Instead, they call the sharks they encounter "graceful," "compelling," even "beautiful." As with many terrestrial apex predators like tigers and lions, sharks have a bad reputation. The truth is, it's humans who pose a major threat to sharks, not the other way around. Sharks are vulnerable to extinction from overfishing because they have long life spans and low birth rates. It's estimated that 100 million sharks are killed each year, with 73 million of those destroyed through shark finning. Shark finning is the practice of cutting off the fins and dumping the animal back in the ocean to die - only the fins are kept to sell for shark fin soup and medicines across Asia. Despite the threat to shark populations, in March 2010 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international agreement between governments, failed to accept proposals for regulating trade of the four shark species facing threats.   Read more... E/The Environmental Magazine - July 15 What happens if we all quit meat? Full story: New Scientist If you're a typical westerner, you ate nearly 100 kilograms [over 200 pounds] of meat last year. This was almost certainly the costliest part of your diet, especially in environmental terms. The clamour for people to eat less meat to save the planet is growing ever louder. If less is good, wouldn't none be better? You might think so. "In the developed world, the most effective way to reduce the environmental impact of diet, on a personal basis, is to become vegetarian or vegan," says Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society in the UK. It seems like a no-brainer, but is it really that simple? [Despite listing in great detail the toll meat takes on the planet and the absolute necessity of eating less meat, the author goes on to say that he believes eating no meat wouldn't work. Vegan Organic Network has issued an excellent critique pointing out what it calls "muddled logic and several omissions."]   Read more... New Scientist - July 14 More Environmental News: Where wild salmon really comes from The Atlantic (June 22) Note: You can just as easily get your Omega-3s from plant sources - and be happier for it (see health section) Conscious choice of food can substantially mitigate climate change, research finds Science Daily (June 29)     Lifestyles and Trends     Eco-Vegan Fashion Full story: VegNews If the words "vegan" and "fashion" conjure up images of hemp skirts that could double as tents, you're thinking of '90s eco clothing-practical, but hardly chic. Enter 2010, a time when top designers are changing the face of cruelty-free fashion by creating clothing that isn't only green, but also animal-friendly, thanks to fabulous, fashionable alternatives to wool, leather, fur, and silk. Some of these animal-free textiles are not exactly new, but rediscovered and repurposed in our era of environmental consciousness. Browsing online, you can shop at companies pioneering eco clothing and at new green boutiques that are cashing in on the current wave of demand. Make sure to look for outfitters who use the following earth-friendly threads...   Read more... VegNews - July Olivia Wilde and Bob Harper are 2010's 'sexiest vegetarians' Full story: MTV Put down that burger and listen up! PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2010 have been crowned. According to the company's site, this year's top honors go to actress Olivia Wilde, and "The Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper. Olivia, who stars in the Fox series "House," swears by her vegan lifestyle. "Beyond my desire to boycott the torture factories, I am also way happier when I eat a plant based diet, and I feel about a thousand times more energetic," she explained. Bob Harper doesn't just get his clients in shape, he takes his own health and fitness just as seriously. Since going vegan, he says the health benefits are endless. "I enjoy living a plant-based diet because it makes me feel clear headed and strong, not to mention my genetically high cholesterol dropped more than 100 points," he said. "That was all the motivation I needed."   Read more... MTV - July 1 Vegetarian and vegan jobs board continues to grow Full story: Yahoo! News Last December job seeking vegan and vegetarian individuals were given a Vegan Jobs Board by marketing company Vegan Mainstream - and six months later the job selection is growing and more successful than ever. It [enables] animal cruelty-free companies to advertise for vegetarian or vegan employees seeking work in ethical businesses. The Jobs Board advertises an ever-increasing variety and number of jobs - from engineering to IT to arts-based positions - for all types of candidates, whether entry or senior level. [It] is open to employers all over the world.   Read more... Yahoo! News - July 20 Veggie Celebs: Interview with Paul McCartney Full story: Guardian, UK Paul McCartney, rock star, family man, northern lad, contender for most famous person on the planet ... explains that, for him, vegetarianism came as an "epiphany." "I caught a fish and pulled him out and I could see the little thing struggling for his life. And whereas normally I would have said, 'Yeah, you're my dinner', and put him in my tin, I just thought, 'Oh, I'm really killing you, and I could do something about this.' So I gently got the hook out and it was, 'There you go mate.''' You objected to the cruelty? "Yeah, just the idea of it. I wouldn't jump across the couch and take your life." Thanks. "Yeah, well, I don't want to make you nervous!" he laughs. "But you know what I mean? In our society, to take another person's life you have to be a bad person. I started to see that that logic extends into all of the animal world. That's how it feels for me anyway." [An entertaining, wide-ranging article in which Paul McCartney talks on diet, Linda's veg food company, bringing up a family and ticking off the Dalai Lama for eating meat.]   Read more... Guardian, UK - July 18 All-vegan team completes Vegan 15 Peaks Challenge in Wales Full story: Extreme Vegan Sports Who on earth would attempt to climb all 15 Welsh mountains above 3,000 feet in the same day? The Extreme Vegan Sporting Association, of course! On the 5th of June, at the ungodly hour of 4 am, an all-vegan team of 2 girls and 6 blokes donned head-torches and weaved their way through the pre-dawn mist to an infamous knife-edge ridge, rising out of the gloom. They would have to climb thousands of feet up its sheer edge to reach the summit of Wales' highest peak, Mt Snowdon. And that was only the start point... Fortunately, however, they were fueled by a range of scrumptious gourmet vegan goodies, supplied by their kindly sponsors. They also had the added motivation of fund-raising for half a dozen worthy animal charities. [The Extreme Vegan Sporting Association aims to showcase vegan fitness, and to "put the fun back into veganism." There's a truly spectacular set of pictures, "mostly thanks to an amazing dawn, high on the peaks," at the "full story" link. Check out their website for future vegan adventures.]   Read more... Extreme Vegan Sports - July Chef Chloe's vegan cupcakes win the 'wars' Full story: VegNews She's worked at some of the best vegan restaurants in the country, holds a degree from one of the nation's premiere culinary schools, and just became the first vegan chef to win a Food Network cooking competition - all before the ripe old age of 23. Yes, Chef Chloe Coscarelli is a culinary force to be reckoned with. On June 22 [she] blew past the non-vegan competition on Cupcake Wars, taking first place on the latest episode of the Food Network series. Coscarelli squared off against three bakers to claim top honors, wowing the celebrity judges with four decadent vegan cupcakes - Ginger Nutmeg Spice with Date Caramel Drizzle, Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake, Crème-filled Chocolate Orange with Candied Orange Peel, and Raspberry Tiramisu. [Recently,] Coscarelli found time to give VN the scoop on her historic Cupcake Wars win...   Read more... VegNews - July More Lifestyles and Trends News: More on PETA's sexiest vegetarian 2010 Story and video - CBS (July 2) Coping as a vegetarian in a meat-eating family: Four ideas Suite 101 (July 18) Twelve vegetarian actors Videos - Care2 (July 18) Australian diners eat up but choosing healthier options The article says that the survey also revealed that "only" 11 per cent of respondents claimed they had increased their ordering of vegetarian meals over the past 12 months. - That seems like very good news! - Hospitality, Australia (July 22)     Animal Issues and Advocacy     A humane egg Full story: New York Times Editorial The life of animals raised in confinement on industrial farms is slowly improving, thanks to pressure from consumers, animal rights advocates, farmers and legislators. [For example, in California, a new law requires that by 2015], every whole egg sold in the state must come from a hen that is able to stretch her wings, standing or lying, without touching another bird or the edges of her cage. Heartening as these developments are, there is also strong resistance from the food industry and from fake consumer-advocacy groups that are shilling for it. In fact, there is no justification, economic or otherwise, for the abusive practice of confining animals in spaces barely larger than the volume of their bodies. Industrial confinement is cruel and senseless and will turn out to be, we hope, a relatively short-lived anomaly in modern farming. [Also check out DawnWatch's excellent comments on the significance of this editorial.]   Read more... New York Times Editorial - July 12 What's the godly way to treat animals? Full story: USA Today What comes to mind when I say moral blind spots? Abortion if you're a conservative? Gay rights if you're a liberal? Mahatma Gandhi - viewed by many as one of the greatest moral leaders of the 20th century - opined that the moral fiber of a society is best gauged by how we treat our animals. So as a Baptist preacher who is interested in the morality of my country, I decided to check us out. What I found has alarmed me. Worse still is the fact that so few of us are talking about it. Eureka. A moral blind spot... As for the animals we raise for food consumption, my guess is that few Americans have any inkling of the horror these poor creatures endure... The problem with moral blind spots is they're invisible. At least until someone points them out. And believe me, blissful ignorance has its benefits. Part of me wishes that I was still tooling down life's highway blithely munching my bacon-wrapped chicken nuggets.   Read more... USA Today - June 15 Study: Conflicted meat-eaters in denial that meat animals have the capacity to suffer Full story: Science Daily A new study from the University of Kent [along with Melbourne and Queensland] has found that people who wish to escape the 'meat paradox' - i.e., simultaneously disliking hurting animals and enjoying eating meat - may do so by denying that the animal they ate had the capacity to suffer. Those participating in the study also reported a reduced range of animals to which they felt obligated to show moral concern. [The lead researcher] explained: "Some people do choose to stop eating meat when they learn that animals suffer for its production. An overwhelming majority do not. Our research shows that one way people are able to keep eating meat is by dampening their moral consideration of animals when sitting at the dinner table." [The] study has shown that when there is a conflict between people's preferred way of thinking and their preferred way of acting, it is their thoughts and moral standards that people abandon first - rather than changing their behavior.   Read more... Science Daily - July 15 Canadian officials investigate after hundreds of pigs found dead Full story: CTV News An investigation is underway after hundreds of pigs were found dead and many others were discovered suffering from neglect at a farm southwest of Winnipeg, said RCMP. Officers received a complaint from a Hutterite colony about colony members being denied access to hogs they had boarded at a local farm. Officers discovered as many as 500 dead pigs, along with about 160 that were so sick that they had to be put down. Many of the animals were found living without proper food, water or ventilation. RCMP said evidence of "severe neglect" was observed. About 2,000 animals were rescued. [Visit CETFA - Canadians for Ethical Treatment of Food Animals for more info and to take action.]   Read more... CTV News - June 22 Rescued goats thriving at Farm Sanctuary Full story: Auburn Citizen, NY, U.S. Three months after being rescued from a negligent owner, six malnourished goats and the kids that their rescuers had no idea were on the way are thriving. After three months of rehabilitation at Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization, six goats seized from a Locke man are doing well - they are putting on a few pounds, becoming less shy around their caretakers and doting on their healthy babies. "They're doing great - they run around and jump and spin," said Susie Coston, shelter director of the Farm Sanctuary, which is based in Watkins Glen [NY]. The kids bounce around, the mothers coddle their babies and they all share a bond, Coston said. Love was the word she used.   Read more... Auburn Citizen, NY, U.S. - June 25 Four questions to ask your egg farmer Full story: Care2 Post With many consumers shifting towards local and organic meat, dairy and eggs, it is easy to be swayed to believe these products are produced without the ills we wish to avoid by purchasing them, over their industrialized counter part... Chickens originally only laid 15 to 35 eggs per year [intended to grow into baby chicks]. But when people started keeping chickens as captive animals, they realized that hens could be forced to lay more eggs if they weren't allowed to incubate their prospective babies. Today, many laying hens breed upwards of 300 eggs per year! There is absolutely nothing natural about this. This is the product of the farmer's desire to create an egg-laying machine from a sentient being... The cruelty, abuse and killing involved in egg farming is not always apparent, so here is a list of questions to ask your local egg farmer at the farmers' market next week.   Read more... Care2 Post - July 18 More Animal Issues and Advocacy News: California Gov. Schwarzenegger signs landmark egg bill "It would be hard to overestimate the potential of this bill to change the way laying hens are treated throughout the United States." - A Humane Blog, Wayne Pacelle, HSUS (July 6) Powerful NYT Magazine letter ...children who witness violence toward their family pet “suppress their own feelings of kindness and tenderness toward a pet because they can’t bear the pain caused by their own empathy for the abused animal.” That would appear to be exactly what people do whenever they sit down to eat... we all know what happens to the animals who end up on our plates. What does our willing ignorance of this violence toward billions of animals do to us as a culture? - Vegan.com (June 26) The life of a dairy cow Animal profile of the month from the Toronto Vegetarian Society (July) Four questions to ask your dairy farmer Care2 Post (June 30) Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell Transcript of Jane's excellent hour-long coverage of animal rights' issues: Animals suffering from Gulf oil leak; TV show works to save whales; Celebs, activists strive to change factory farming - CNN (July 5) Hunting the lion burger butcher How, exactly, does an Arizona restaurant manage to get its hands on African lion meat? Welcome to the mysterious world of back-alley exotic meat purveyance. - CNN (June 23) Industry response to undercover videos showing extreme cruelty? Use extreme caution in hiring The article includes photos and descriptions of known activists in the article. They're careful to also make statements about ensuring employees are properly trained in animal welfare. - Drovers Magazine (June 20) Mercy for Animals says veganism is answer; farm industry says education More industry reaction - Farm and Dairy (June 23) U.S. Pork Board gets roundly roasted for believing in unicorns Vegan.com (June 22)     Books and Perspectives     Not just another diet book Full story: VegSource The Perfect Formula Diet just another "diet" book? Not by a long shot! This book presents just the facts, but in a way that is so convincing that you have to wonder why anyone would put up with anything less than the best possible health... This book busts many common nutrition myths that may be blocking you from your perfect weight and health. For example, you don't need a specially identified source of protein in your diet any more than you need a special source of oxygen when you breathe. Calcium has little to do with the strength and durability of your bones. Supplements with unnaturally high levels of vital nutrients can damage your health... And, as one who was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer 28 years ago and not only survived that but went on to prove that this diet supports even marathons and the Ironman Triathlon, I can tell you that this program works! [Reviewed by Ruth E. Heidrich, Ph.D., Ironman Triathlete, Author of A Race For Life and Senior Fitness.]   Read more... VegSource - January 21 Visit our VegE-Store For books featured in this issue of VegE-News and more. Thanks for your support!     Of Note - recipes, events, more     Recipes: Green smoothie, breakfast scramble - and more Video recipe demonstrations: Julieanna Hever from Going Veg makes a healthy green smoothie to start the day and Katherine Lawrence, a Cancer Project Food for Life cooking class instructor, prepares a breakfast (or anytime) scramble. Chef Chloe Coscarelli (featured in our Lifestyles section above) shares scrumptious recipes on her blog. For simpler fare, July is Compassion over Killing's veggie hot dog month - so if you haven't had your dog yet, now's the time. Check for an event in your area at the link below. Finally, be sure to check out VegE-News' recipe pages for delicious ideas along with our own tips for making the transition to a vegan diet - or staying on one. Julieanna's Green Smoothie Breakfast Scramble Chef Chloe Veggie Hot Dog Month VegE-News recipes and tips Important documentary airing in Canada (and on the internet) July 28 No Country for Animals is set to air July 28th at 10 PM on Global National with Kevin Newman - Karen Pinker, noted producer and director with 90th Parallel Productions, and her crew joined CETFA [Canadians for Ethical Treatment of Food Animals] inspectors on investigation from last summer to fall. They caught with their cameras exactly what investigators see daily - government-sanctioned cruelty to farm animals in transport, on farms, collecting stations, auction houses and slaughterhouses. The crew then travelled to Europe to see that livestock agriculture doesn't have to be this way. Make sure you tune in if you're in Canada - or try to catch it on the net if not! CETFA Kickstart Your Health The 21-day vegan kickstart program is for everyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet. Even if you are already vegan, or don't want to go all the way, the program will give you tons of excellent nutrition info, recipes and more. So sign up for the next kickstart starting September 6 - it's fun. Can't wait until September? Take the Vegan Pledge at the Vegan Society's website and get your own mentor to help you along. (You can also offer to be a mentor.) Or take the Toronto Vegetarian Association's Veggie Challenge - they also offer lots of help plus prizes! 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Vegan Society Pledge TVA Veggie Challenge One Plus One Equals Twice as Many Do you know someone who would enjoy and benefit from reading VegE-News? Please tell them about it and help us spread the good word to veggies and non-veggies alike. If every subscriber adds just one name, we'll have twice as many people reading and talking about the issues! They can sign up at the direct link below. Subscribe to VegE-News Video Shorts This month: The happy story of Coco the goat, rescued by Farm Sanctuary; Brenda Davis explodes myths about veganism courtesy of Vegans and Vegetarians of Alberta; Top 10 Worst Foods. Coco the goat Brenda Davis explodes vegan nutrition myths Top 10 Worst Foods Podcasts/Blogs Rae Sikora of Planet Peace Daily and VegFund is a gifted writer who has a way of relating to the everyday experiences we all encounter - her May 31 entry "Why I Do What I Do" is a powerful testament and her June 23 "Untouchable Subjects" is profoundly touching and thought-provoking. Vegan Jobs is a new weekly blog on Vegan Mainstream featuring funny and/or interesting comment on the vegan workplace, the vegan marketplace and vegan jobs as a complement to its job board (see article link in our Lifestyle section above). Why I Do What I Do - Planet Peace Daily Untouchable Subjects - Planet Peace Daily Vegan Jobs Calls to Action Farm Sanctuary needs help with its no downer campaign for pigs - and changes in the U.S. will help efforts around the world. Every year in America alone, as many as 900,000 intelligent, sensitive pigs who are too sick, injured or weak to stand or walk are violently pushed or dragged to get them to slaughterhouse kill floors, where they are processed for the human food supply. Other pigs are cruelly cast aside, left to suffer for hours or days without food, water or veterinary care - until they die from this torturous neglect. It's the same in Canada and elsewhere. This is the face of suffering - Speak out for pigs Did you know that six horses were killed during the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada? In the chuckwagon event alone, more than 50 horses have been killed since 1986. Bell Canada is a repeat key sponsor of this event. Humane Society International is asking for support in its campaign to urge the lead sponsor Bell Canada to withdraw their sponsorship of this cruel and lethal event. It's easy at the link below. Stamp out cruelty at the Stampede For over 130 million years, bees have played an extremely significant role in our lives. But lately, they have been dying at staggering rates and entire bee species are at risk of extinction. If bees continue to disappear at this rate, it is estimated by 2035 that there will be no more honey bees. Without bees to pollinate crops, we are all in danger of extinction - crop yields could plunge as much as 90 per cent. Pesticides are likely a major cause (cellphone towers and genetic engineering theories have not been substantiated), but action to remove the danger is slow. It's crucial that the causes and solutions to this crisis be found. Operation Bee has a petition to the United Nations to ban pesticides at the link below. Operation Bee Video: Insecticide suspected in bee Colony Collapse Disorder - WSCH-TV, ME, U.S. (July 16) Are Australian honeybees behind U.S. hive collapse? - McClatchey News, Washington, D.C. (June 20) Bee colony collapse focus of new U.S. congressional caucus - Miami Herald, FL, U.S. (June 25) Veggie Organizations - Get your own version of VegE-News for your members If you are a vegetarian organization that would like your own customized version of VegE-News, let us know. We are pleased to produce customized versions of VegE-News for the Australian Vegetarian Society, the New Zealand Vegetarian Society, Vegans & Vegetarians of Alberta, and the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Members receive the regular VegE-News PLUS listings of their local events. If you are a member of one of those organizations, but not receiving the customized version, just drop us an email and ask us to switch you to the specific list. Email VegE-News Support is Appreciated We sincerely appreciate donations of any amount to assist us with production and distribution expenses. If you would like to help, please click below. You can also help by sponsoring an issue and by making your book purchases through the Amazon link in our VegE-Store. Support VegE-News The VegE-Store Events Don't miss the first online global Animal Freedom Day July 24 Eighteen year old Canadian film-maker Nadia Masoudi has organized the world's first online Animal Freedom Day - a global multi-venue music festival that will be streamed live from the Burlington Jazz'n Blues Festival and feature performances from legendary music icons. High-profile celebrities, environmentalists, politicians and major animal rights organizations will take part to free animals from abuse, torture and neglect. Animal Freedom Day was inspired by Nadia's documentary film Don't Eat Me. The event will bring an epic climatic moment to the film as the world unites for the animals. Animal Freedom Day Don't Eat Me Of Mice and Men: Animals, Research, and Alternatives Conference, August 26 and 27, Washington, DC Mice, like humans, express pain through facial expressions, according to recent study. In the experiments, mice were harmed to inflict pain. Sadly, the number of mice used in animal experimentation like this is increasing, rather than decreasing. But next month, PCRM’s Animals, Research, and Alternatives conference will bring together experts to discuss alternatives to the use of animals in research. Animals, Research, and Alternatives Conference Farm Sanctuary Walk for Farm Animals 2010, September/October - throughout North America Walk for Farm Animals is an annual event that helps spread the word about the treatment of animals on factory farms and raises vital funds for Farm Sanctuary's rescue, education and advocacy work. Walks occur across the U.S. and in Canada in September and October. Find a local walk or info on how to organize one at the link. Walk for Farm Animals The San Francisco Vegetarian Society presents The World Veg Festival , October 2 and 3 The festival will feature outstanding speakers all day long, international vegan cuisine, food demos, live entertainment, organic athletes, children's corner, and more. An organic vegan dinner will be served on Saturday night. Location: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco Fair Building, between 9th Avenue and Lincoln, from 10 am to 6 pm. World Veg Festival The 39th IVU World Vegetarian Congress 2010, Jakarta, October 1-6, 2010 and Bali, October 7-9, 2010 The Congress is a bi-annual program of the International Vegetarian Union. Theme: Save Our Life, Save Our Planet. If you've ever attended an international Vegetarian Congress, you know what an inspiring and recharging experience it is. More details and online registration at the website below. World Vegetarian Congress 2010 VegSource Healthy Lifestyle Expo, October 15-17, 2010 Get ready to learn the latest health info. Get ready to reconnect with like-minded friends. Get ready to be re-energized by spending a dynamic weekend with the top health experts in the world. It will all be at this annual VegSource event in California. VegSource Healthy Lifestyle Expo 2010   Note: Whenever possible, stories are linked to the original source. Some sites may require registration, and/or not archive the stories. All links were active at the time of publication. Follow these links to subscribe or unsubscribe to the VegE-News. For more information about this newsletter, contact: VegE-News Click here to view the VegE-News archives. Prepared as a public service by: To ensure that you continue to receive the VegE-News, please add the sender to your address book or safe list. This will help ensure that it doesn't get zapped by your spam filter and wind up in your JUNK or TRASH folder.