Livin’ Veg

Mercy for Animals NYC Gala December 9, 2009

Mercy for Animals, a fantastic animal rights organization, is hosting its Celebrating Compassion Gala in NYC on January 23rd. I for one have already bought my tickets and can’t wait to live it up with other activists. For those of you who have not been in the Prince George Ballroom, it’s exquisite. There is going to be live music, vegan dinner, wine and spirits, a silent auction and an awards ceremony.

What do I love most about animal rights galas such as this one? It’s an opportunity to be surrounded by people who think and feel like I do. Nothing you eat has to be questioned and you can start a conversation with any person in the room and have something in common. Unless you work in AR, this is probably not an experience you have in your day to day life. Even for me, working in AR, it’s still a welcomed and valued experience. Plus, you get to fancy yourself up for a night and who doesn’t love that! I already have my formal attire picked out.

The tickets are $75 each which in my opinion is pretty darn reasonable considering the cost of many other galas I have wanted to attend but couldn’t for financial reasons.

Two of my favorite places are sponsoring the event. Cow Jones Industrial and Moo Shoes. I’m volunteering and helping with the silent auction so I can tell you that the silent auction is going to be amazing too.

Hope to see you there!

NY League of Humane Voters 2009 Gala! November 13, 2009

Last night my husband and I attended the NY League of Humane Voters annual gala at the Prince George Ballroom in NYC. It was fabulous. NY state Governor David Paterson gave the keynote address. He spoke about the reforms that have taken place in NYC this year. And he spoke about the things that still need to be done (mentioning the plight of carriage horses by name). The ballroom was full of hundreds of animal advocates- everyone from Gene Baur to Nathan Runkle to Peter Max to Leanne Hilgart Meyer to Congressman Eliot Engel.

There is nothing more inspirational than being in a room full of hundreds of activists. Especially when all of those people share a passion for animals and are working in their own way to protect them.

The NY League of Humane Voters allow the public to understand each politician’s record on animal issues. I definitely recommend checking them out and signing up for their updates. I’m not a single issue gal, but how a politician votes on animal issues is important to me and factors into my vote. Imagine if all AR advocates had that information and got out the vote. Well, that’s what NYLHV is for. To organize us and to put humane people in power. Don’t think we have any power? Then why would the Gov of NY State be spending his time talking to us about animals?:) So check out NYLHV and be a part of the movement, a part of a more humane world.

No Impact Man - Review October 28, 2009

On Sunday I saw No Impact Man, a film I had been looking forward to ever since I heard about it. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed. The film did a great job of weaving in a narrative while staying focused on what it’s like to become the ultimate greenie.

What steps did they take to reduce their impact?

- They ate all local foods
- They bought nothing new (they were allowed to buy used items)
- They turned off their electricity for 6 months
- They composted
- They didn’t use cars, elevators, subways etc. They only walked or biked.
- They ate all vegetarian foods (not vegan which I was kinda bummed about)
- They only used reusable items (things that most people throw away) like bags, diapers, toilet paper…
- They made their own cleaning supplies.

I’m sure there are more but those are the things that I can remember off the top of my head. I was happy that they talked about animal agriculture contributing to global warming. Although as I mentioned, they did not go vegan. I think they should have gone vegan to really go the full mile. I mean, if you’re going to shut off your electricity, you’re obviously not afraid of working hard. And being vegan isn’t even hard work. It’s just learning a new way of eating.

My only other complaint was that when they talked about having children, they did not mention the impact having a child has on the world/environment. The human species is reproducing so fast that it’s important to note that having a child does have an impact.

Those were my only two gripes. Otherwise, a seriously inspiring film. My husband and I left knowing we could do more than we are doing right now. I think we do most things pretty well, but there is room for improvement. When someone goes full steam ahead, it’s easy to see where you are failing.  And the No Impact Family certainly went full steam! Go out and see it. Then be inspired to up your greenie creds big time.

Also, visit his website and learn lots of cool info.

The Simpsons Halloween Episode Pokes Fun At Evil Meat Practices October 21, 2009

On The Simpsons Annual Halloween special, they did a skit on a new kind of burger. “The Burger Squared.” Why is it squared? Because it’s made by cows who are killed, fed to other cows, and then those cows are killed and made into a burger. They turn the cows into cannibals. What happens when they do this disgusting practice? The people who eat it are contaminated and turn into “Munchers.” Munchers are basically zombies.

I thought it was a great episode and successfully poked fun at the heinous things humanity does to farm animals. Also, the risks we take when we eat foods made by irresponsible factory farms. Making the people zombies was funny but the real consequences of eating tainted meat aren’t so silly. Mad cow, e-coli, etc.

When Lisa hears about the burger she says that it’s an abomination. Marge responds and says, “Now Lisa, you’re a vegetarian but these cows have made a different choice.” So great! Obviously farm animals (and domesticated animals in general) have no say in what they eat. It’s up to humans to care for them. And the fact that cows are herbivores makes this episode all the more great in its disturbing satire. Thank you Simpsons for continuing to tackle big issues through ridiculousness. You’re awesome.

Watch the episode for free here!

No Impact Man September 25, 2009

No Impact Man is making its tour around the country and I’m desperate to see it. Sadly, it’s already been to NY so I’m going to have to wait. What is No Impact Man? It’s a film about a family that tries to produce zero waste for an entire year. That means no trains, subways, cars, elevators, food that isn’t local, tv, etc. Green to the nth degree.

I’m pretty green, but this movie is going to make me look like some wasteful celebutant. Not all my food is local. I drive to work 3 days a week (and work the rest from home). I am on my computer ALL the time. I go to the gym. I used to take the stairs, but a pesky foot problem has made it so I have to take the elevator. Basically, I want to see No Impact Man so it can give me a much needed kick in the butt. Sure 50% of my clothing is used, but what about the other 50%? How do we enjoy life and be as effective as possible. I think this movie might have some answers to that question.

I think we all wish we had the courage and conviction to do with No Impact Man has done in his book/film. Watch the trailer and be inspired. Then support the film when it comes to a theater near you. Or, buy the book. Even though, technically, that’s not too good for the environment. So! Buy the book used:)

Eco And Vegan Birth Control/Sex July 21, 2009

I had never really put much thought into eco/vegan contraceptives. Besides for the obvious lambskin, which just seems wrong from any standpoint. Really? Lambskin? But I never knew that most latex has an added milk enzyme. Therefore, not vegan. I had also never given much thought to the zillions of condoms flushed down the toilet and thrown in the garbage. I don’t think anyone is going to recycle a condom. Ew. And what about taking birth control pills? That’s got to be eco, right? Well, we’re learning new things all the time on how the hormones are polluting our water. So, the pill, it turns out, is not so eco.

So what’s an eco/vegan to do? Abstinence? Ha. Maybe if Sarah Palin had her way. If you’ve got all the kids you’ll ever want, perhaps a little procedure to make you sterile would be the best bet. But for those of us who are not quite ready to procreate, how can we be eco/vegan?

This great article on Huff breaks down the issues involved. They recommend Glyde condoms for the vegan minded. No milk enzyme.

For the environmentally friendly gal/guy, they say stay away from polyurethane - it won’t break down. Do not flush your used condoms down the toilet. Instead, put them in the garbage. They can’t be recycled, but they don’t need to go through our water system to end up in the landfill.

Perhaps the greenest method is the IUD:

“The copper IUD is hormone-free; made from a small amount of a cheap, plentiful metal; and can last up to 10 years. It’s also 99 percent effective in typical use, as compared with 82.6 percent for condoms and 91.3 percent for the pill. Nevertheless, less than 2 percent of contraception-using women in the United States use copper IUDs.”

The article has tons more information. I recommend taking a look to get all the info and links. Especially on the issue of estrogen in our water system. Not good. Not good at all.

Review of Food Inc. June 8, 2009

On Saturday I was lucky enough to see a preview of the new film Food Inc. The director and Eric Sclosser were there to discuss the film after. I posted the trailer here a few weeks ago…

I would recommend that everyone sees this film. Now, vegetarians and vegans are my primary audience on this blog. So I’m asking all my veggie ladies (and gentlemen) to bring an omni friend to the film. And not an enlightened omni. Someone who has never really thought about their food choices before. It’s not a pro veg film (necessarily) so you won’t be accused of trying to convert others.

This film deals with factory farming,  corn subsidies,  e coli, worker’s rights, and childhood obesity. They name companies and their bad behaviors calling out big businesses like  Purdue, Smithfield, Tyson, and Monsanto. They talk about the difficulty in getting government to protect us - especially considering the people in the FDA and the USDA have a history being advocates for the very companies that are abusing the system. It’s an expose and a good one.

The film is only 90 or so minutes, but they do an enormous amount in that time. They can’t possibly talk about everything but they cover a huge spectrum balancing the general with the specific very well.

How did they talk about animals? I’ll admit, even for me, a gal who has worked in AR for 3+ years, who has watched the videos of suffering, this film has bits that were difficult to stomach. I found myself turning my head to my husbands shoulder while pigs and chickens were shown being slaughtered and abused. They show chickens being kicked, dead chickens among the living being removed from the floor. They take us inside a chicken house, and onto the kill floor.

When the director spoke at the end, he said he thought he left all of the really terrible stuff on the cutting room floor. Meaning, that even though terrible images of slaughter are shown, he didn’t actually put in the really bad stuff.

One farmer appears again and again throughout the film. A man who raises his pigs and chickens on a free range farm. It’s shown as a contrast to factory farming but the director doesn’t make it easy to watch. They show a scene in which the chickens are being hoisted, head down into cones where their heads are then pulled off. Think of when Sarah Palin stood in front of turkeys being slaughtered. It’s the same thing. So even though the film leans more towards humane farming, many people are still going to be turned off by the death that is shown - and death is never humane.

Even if you enjoy steak, you should still see this film. It will show you how big business runs our food system with little care for the health of the public. It’s about the bottom line. And that’s it. You may not go veg, but you will certainly think more deeply about the food you are eating.

Food Inc. officially opens in NYC, SF and LA on June 12th. Hopefully it will get an even wider distribution after that…

Review of Pixar’s New Film: Up June 3, 2009

Over the weekend my husband and I saw the film Up in 3D. We get pretty excited about Pixar films. And I’ve been especially excited about this one. From an animal rights perspective, it’s pretty endearing. (I am going to be talking about some aspects of plot. I won’t give away any big surprises or too many specifics but if you want to be totally surprised by the film, stop reading this review)

Two main stories are running through the film. The first is about a man who has lost his wife living out the dream they had as children. The other is about protecting an animal from being captured and taken from her habitat. As you’ve probably seen in the trailers the man and boy meet a beautiful giant bird. This bird is being hunted and needs the man and boy’s help to get back to her hungry children without being made into a trophy by a hunter.

That’s a nice message for kids all by itself - that animals have independent lives and should not be taken from their habitats, let alone hunted and killed for sport.

Talking dogs are also featured in the film and provide much of the comic relief. Dug the main dog who you meet in the previews shows (comically but still endearingly) how much companion animals need love and a home.

The film is definitely worth a watch - although it’s not (in my opinion) the best that Pixar has done. What it does have is the signature compassion that all Pixar films show to people, animals and the environment.

As far as other complaints - not related to AR - I thought that the film could have had more wildlife running around to make it more believable. We have a few creatures - the bird, a frog, the dogs (who are not native), some insects, but for a tropical place like that, I would have thought Pixar would take advantage creating a wild atmosphere. It was very tame and very people friendly. I found that to be a pretty unbelievable and one of my frustrations with the film.

Side note on Pixar films: they are VERY male centric. My friend Alex linked me to an article on how so far every main character in a Pixar film has been male. Read this blog about it. It’s fascinating and sad. Bring in some girls Pixar! And not as side characters, but as the main attraction!

This Headline Made Me Want To Scream January 26, 2009

What was the headline?

An 11-year-old has reportedly become the youngest matador to kill six young bulls in a single fight.

Yep. An 11 year old kid in Mexico killed 6 bulls for sport. Both animal protection groups and child welfare groups tried to ban the boy from being able to fight - but the boy’s father, a bull fighter himself, appealed and won.

His dad said, “I’m very proud that my son has goals, that he wants to improve. What else does a father hope for in a son?”

I’m too grossed out to even write anything about this. I’ll leave you with another fact from the article:

Michelito has been bullfighting since he was six years old. He has fought in about 100 bullfights and has never had a serious accident.

Read the full article here. And if you have any thoughts to share, or even just outrage, I’d love to hear it.

Britney Spears And Her “Circus” December 10, 2008

PETA, as always, is being smart by using a vapid celebrity to make a larger point. This time, Britney Spears is getting called out on her use of animals in her video for her new song, “Circus.” I’m sure just by the title, you know where this is going.

PETA has this to say:

“As Britney is such a victim of the paparazzi and always complaining and crying about how she hates to be held up in her guarded house and can’t feel free, she of all people should be able to relate to the horror that captive animals go through when they’re used for entertainment… Animals are ripped away from their mothers at a young age, kept in chains, and prodded with electric shock devices to make them perform. That doesn’t sound so voluntary to me.”

PETA did a great job comparing of Britney’s life and caged existance to animals in the circus. Traveling from place to place in a tiny cage, forced to perform tricks, and never getting the chance to be free. Now, Britney at least has an option. Circus animals do not. So asking for a little compassion isn’t over the line.