Livin’ Veg

Saving Earth’s Oceans And Marine Life November 19, 2009

Last night I was fortunate enough to see Carl Safina, cofounder and president of the Blue Ocean Institute, talk about his work to save our planet’s oceans. As veggies, I think we spend a great deal of our time advocating for farm animals and (because they are in our homes) companion animals. I know that’s where I focus most of my efforts. There is so much suffering taking place and we have the video footage of factory farms and puppy mills to inspire us to be active. Sadly, I do feel as if the AR world ignores marine life a little bit. Especially when it comes to the plethora of life beneath the surface.

Sure, we pay a lot of attention to seals, whales, dolphins, and sharks. The biggies. But overfishing is quickly depleting the ocean of all its inhabitants, not just the popular ones. And we don’t have the undercover video footage to shock us into action because most of it is taking place on boats and away from the watchful eyes of activists. Consider the picture of the Loggerhead turtle I took off the Blue Ocean Institute’s website. That turtle is an unintentional catch. Meaning, the fisherman who caught it were actually looking to catch shrimp off the coast of South Carolina. But the fact is, we pull out millions of creatures from the oceans every day and because of that fact, the earth’s oceans are in mortal peril. They need us to speak for them, to act for them, and to change their fate.

I’m going to be posting about more take actions having to do with ocean life. Safina gave some wonderful advice to activists last night. He said that we should all channel our activism into areas we are good at. If you like the law, become an environmental lawyer. If you like to write, then write. If you’re a teacher, then teach the topics. Personally, I will be writing about the topic and teaching kids about the issues.

Want some ideas on what you can do now? Check out the take action section of the Blue Ocean Institute’s website and make a difference.

Zoos: Ethical or not? November 6, 2009

People love to see animals up close. They like them on television, but really, they love even more to be ten feet away and make eye contact with the subject of interest. I don’t think anyone can deny that it’s thrilling to see an animal up close. But does that desire trump the animal’s right to freedom? Or, in the case of some animals that are taken in by zoos because they can’t survive in the wild due to a human who wanted an exotic pet of their very own -  how about a space where they don’t have to be heckled by adults and small children. Most credible sanctuaries aren’t even open to the public. They do that because it’s in the best interest of the animal to have huge amounts of space to move around in, and zoos aren’t conducive to that.

Some arguments I’ve heard people make for zoos:

1. They do a lot of work for conservation. They put money in habitat preservation and help breed endangered species.

2. Many animal lovers and conservationists develop their love of animals through early childhood visits to the zoo.

I personally think zoos are horrible places. During my junior year of college at Sarah Lawrence I took an animal rights elective. We went to the Bronx Zoo to see what we thought. Please note that in terms of zoos, the Bronx Zoo is like the Four Seasons. And even the Four Seasons of zoos made me want to cry. Kids banging on the plastic partition to get a gorilla to look their way. The lion exhibit is TINY and depressing. Yes, they do a lot of good work. Yes, many people develop their love of animals by going to the Bronx Zoo. But at the end of the day, the animals are used as an attraction. People pay to gawk. The animals are not given enough space - how could they get enough room to live in the Bronx, especially when the enclosure has to be small enough that people can see the animal at all times.

I believe that if a child is going to appreciate an animal, they need to see the animal living for herself rather than as an attraction for spectators. People already believe that animals are here for our amusement rather than for their own lives. And zoos perpetuate that belief. It cultivates it from an early age.

Also, please note that most zoos are in no way as good at the Bronx Zoo. That’s the top of the line and still falls short. Many are roadside zoos or small zoos that keep animals in cages rather than in simulated natural environments.

Now, I’ve gone on for a while. My question to you all is how do you feel about zoos? For or against? Do you think it’s a good place to bring children or a sad prison for sad animals? Here is a little bit to think about from HSUS on the topic…

Lacoste Against Fur September 2, 2009

Some companies get it right from the beginning. Although for a company that has been around for 76 years, it’s especially amazing that they have never once used fur. I believe most people know that Lacoste’s logo is a crocodile. HSUS did an interview on Lacoste’s commitment to animal issues. Here is what CEO Christophe Chenut has to say about using materials that may look like their logo:

Several of our products have been inspired by crocodile skin such as polo shirts, bed linen, and towels. We believe that as an innovative brand we must not limit ourselves and try to recreate the crocodile skin in new materials without endangering any animals.

They go even further. Lacoste is also the first company to join the “Save Your Logo” initiative.

Here is what they have to say:

Lacoste is the international brand the most clearly associated with an animal. The brand’s commitment to the preservation of crocodiles seems natural, as this animal is part of Lacoste’s history and identity. As the first company to embroider a logo on apparel, it was only natural for Lacoste to be the first company to support the “Save your Logo” operation.

For more than 75 years a crocodile has been the Lacoste logo. Now the brand will actively support projects selected by the GEF to safeguard or protect the endangered crocodile, alligator, caiman, or gavial species, whose loss would jeopardize the biological balance of their natural habitats.

This is the first I’ve heard of the Save Your Logo campaign, but what a great idea! So many companies use animals for their image. How great would it be if they all put money towards their animals.

When I learn something like this about a company, I’m always more prone to support them. But mostly, it makes me feel like happy that there are major companies out there that care about issues as much as they care about profits.

Man Made Pollution Giving Animals Cancer? July 28, 2009

If you’re like me, just reading that headline made you upset/angry. This article in Newsweek talks about multiple instances where cancer rates have sky rocketed among animal populations and cites the contributing factors. But the chunk of it says that besides for habitat destruction, global warming, endangered species and your more general pollution, our nasty waste is giving animals cancer.

They aren’t talking about people who throw their bottled water in the lake. They are investigating the many nasty toxic carcinogens that we dump thoughtlessly into the environment everyday.

Here is a great example of what’s wrong and the good news. That it can be fixed:

The good news for animals suffering from pollution-induced cancer is that when contaminants are taken out of the environment, some species have shown marked drops in carcinogenesis. For example, catfish living in Ohio’s Black River had cancer rates ranging from 22 percent to 39 percent in the early 1980s. The disease killed virtually all fish before they reached five years of age. After a steel plant’s coking facility closed in 1983, PAH levels dropped significantly; cancer rates dropped 75 percent and the amount of fish living past five years has tripled.

I’d recommend reading the article. It’s going to make you sad. But it’s important to recognize all the ways in which we need to work to fix a broken system. A system in which the earth is our dumpster and animals are after thoughts.

Afghanistan Now Protecting 33 Species June 10, 2009

Afghanistan recently established its first national park and has a list of thirty three threatened and endangered species that are  guaranteed protection.

I find it pretty amazing that during a war this action was taken. It actual makes me feel great hope - that a country that has had so much upheavel can take time and resources to preserve these animals that need protection.

Here is a sample of some of the creatures now protected:

Snow Leopard
Goitered Gazelle
Paghman Salamander

This article talks about the critical timing of this great news:

The protected species list also comes at a critical time for Afghanistan’s wild species. The Presidential Decree banning hunting in the country expired in March 2009. Only one week ago it would have been legal for any person to kill an endangered species like the snow leopard in Afghanistan.

Kudos to Afghanistan for helping to preserve the many species that populate the earth.

Climate Change Worsening Animal Disease May 26, 2009

Climate change is doing a lot of bad stuff - contributing to droughts, further endangering already scarce species, raising temperatures. Now, add this to the list:

Climate change is widening viral disease among farm animals, expanding the spread of some microbes that are also a known risk to humans, the world’s top agency for animal health said on Monday.

The three most mentioned diseases were bluetongue, spread among sheep by biting midges; Rift Valley fever, a livestock disease that can also be picked up by people handling infected meat; and West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquito from infected birds to both animals and humans.

Read the full article here… Being veg is the best thing you can do to fight climate change. So kudos to you for already doing that. As we all know, climate change is very scary and a very real threat. It’s changing our entire world in both subtle and not so subtle ways. And we’re the ones responsible. That knowledge stops me dead in  my tracks sometimes. But then I take a deep breath, keep walking and brainstorm more ways I can be a better steward to the earth. I get better at it everyday. I’ll admit, sometimes it’s frustrating, but most of the time it feels great to know I’m making a difference, no matter what the size.

Great News For Seals! May 6, 2009

Yesterday morning, I received an email from HSUS (if you aren’t on that email list, you should be) about a HUGE victory for seals. Ready for it?

The European Union has officially banned seal products, making the cruel and archaic annual slaughter even less economically viable than it was before.

What does all this mean? Well, here is the breakdown from HSUS:

This is the beginning of the end for the Canadian seal hunt. The Canadian government estimates that losing this primary market will cost Canada’s sealing industry $6.6 million (CAD) each year. The hunt brought in less than $7 million last year. It’s not hard to do the math.

Just the promise of an EU ban was enough to drive the prices for seal fur down to $15 (CAD) per skin — a decline of 86 percent since 2006. As a result, many sealers stayed home. Out of this year’s quota of 280,000 harp seals, fewer than 60,000 have been killed so far.

Now that the ban is actually in place, I can only dream of how many lives will be spared. Today is a good day. A very good day.

1 in 3 Children Fear Environmental Doom April 29, 2009

Last week I saw an article on Treehugger talking about a recent study that was done by Habitat Heroes. One out of three kids (ages 6 - 11) are afraid that the human race is doomed and environmental destruction will happen in their life times.

What does this mean? Well, the message of the severity of our situation is getting out there, but in the education, we’re neglecting to inject hope and activism into the information provided.

Treehugger noted some stats from the survey including these:

• 50 percent say that hurricanes and tornadoes are the natural disasters that scare them the most.
• 28 percent say that they fear animals, such as polar bears and penguins, will become extinct and disappear from the planet more than any other environmental concern.

I’m a humane educator for an organization called HEART. We teach kids daily about issues affecting people, animals and the environment. As an educator I would just like to say that providing children with hope for the future while teaching them about the problems we face is vital.

My advice to Moms and Dads, educators and childcare professionals: when speaking with kids about serious issues like the environment, it’s important to make the child feel empowered. They can make a difference.  It’s easy to portray doom and gloom scenarios (even when we don’t know we’re doing it), but if we really want this generation to grow up to change the world, they need to believe it can be done. And thinking the world is doomed is both bad for the child and bad for the planet. Hope is what we should be promoting - and tangible ways in which we can all make a difference. An example: if your kid is learning about global warming - talk about ways in which they can personally help. Action is key. In fact, action is key for children and adults…

What Do You Think Of Zoos - Yay or Nay? March 12, 2009

The other day I mentioned my dislike of zoos, even the good ones like the Bronx Zoo. I’m curious about other people’s opinions. So tell me, do you think zoos are beneficial to animal welfare, or do you think they exploit animals? Leave a comment…

My problem with zoos is that exhibits can’t possibly give the animal anything like a normal life. And most zoos don’t have the money to give the animals much space. In college with my animal rights class, we went to the Bronx Zoo to look around and ask the hard questions. Some of the exhibits broke my heart. Even their primate exhibit which is supposed to be newly designed and amazing, to me, felt awful. Kids were banging on the plastic and the primates were on display like an xmas window at Macy’s.

There is the argument that zoos have great conservation efforts. But there is controversy there too. Does breeding endangered animals in captivity really do anything to help their numbers? And yes, they offer information on habitats and let kids see animals up close. But seeing them in captivity, held there for the benefit of people - I’m not sure that sets a good example. I think it shows kids that animals are here for our amusement.

Anyway, like I said, I’d love to hear some opinions on this…

Obama Fixes Bush’s Endangered Species Mistakes March 5, 2009

The animal and environmental world was furious when Bush made protecting endangered species even harder than it already was. It was a regulation that made it easier for those in power to make decisions without consulting scientists and experts - right, that’s just what we want, people making decisions without knowing what the hell that decision is going to mean.

Well, Obama is overturning that regulation(!!!)

The article says:

Obama issued a memorandum that effectively suspends the regulation while ordering a review to determine whether it promotes “the purposes of the [Endangered Species Act].”

“The work of scientists and experts in my administration, including right here in the Interior Department, will be respected,” Obama said. “For more than three decades, the Endangered Species Act has successfully protected our nation’s most threatened wildlife, and we should be looking for ways to improve it, not weaken it.”

These are the kinds of things that Obama does that make me want to scream from the rooftops with excitement that he’s our president. Bush did things to serve big business with no care for the environment. President Obama is a big picture kind of guy. And in his big picture, everyone, including those that don’t vote, are getting some attention. Brings a tear to my eye:)