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Helping Animals 365 Days a Year

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Towards the end of 2011, I went through a period of discouragement. I suppose it had something to do with the holidays and the focus on food traditions like turkey and general gluttony. I began to feel that making any changes to the world view of using animals for food and other products was impossible. Every time I thought about it I got depressed and felt helpless. I desperately wanted to do something to end the suffering.

Well I realized, once again, that even though the task is huge, things are changing and I just have to keep plugging away. So I decided to make a new year’s resolution whereby every single day of the year I would make sure to do something to raise awareness of the plight of animals – and I would keep track of them on my Farm Sanctuary calendar! My mission is to do something, anything, as direct as possible, involving someone who is not vegan, every single day. And it doesn’t have to be something different every day. But if a day has almost gone by and I haven’t done anything – I do something! It has been surprisingly easy and has definitely helped me feel more in control of the situation. Here are some of things I have done…

  • wrote a letter to Mountain Equipment Co-op asking them to consider selling only products that are cruelty-free (and I got a response!)
  • when asked by a colleague if I’d read any good books over the holidays, I lied and said ‘Food Revolution’ by John Robbins (which I’d read over a year ago!)
  • wrote a letter to the Province about an article about the escaped cow regarding the fact that the cow had been referred to as ‘it’ several times in the article
  • baked some vegan cookies to thank my neighbour for giving me a jump when my car battery died
  • had 5 different conversations with students in my classes about veganism – all started when students asked about the ‘animal peace’ necklace I always wear.
  • have Farm Sanctuary and PETA reading materials available for students to borrow during ‘silent reading’ time
  • put up posters in Kitsilano promoting the movie Vegucated
  • loaned my neighbour the cookbook ‘Supermarket Vegan’ as she is trying to lose weight
  • answered questions from a man who asked about my Humane Myth bumper sticker
  • put PETA address labels on 3 letters I mailed
  • when writing a reference for a friend’s daughter to get in to the TREK program, I slipped in a comment about how she had such mature questions for me when I decided to become vegan!
  • went to our monthly volunteer night and wrote letters regarding the deer culls in Kimberley, Penticton, and Invermere, as well as the Canadian government’s decision to begin live export of cattle to the United Arab Emirates.
  • had some neighbours over for a vegan dinner
  • invited some non-vegan friends to come to see Vegucated
  • added Gandhi and Albert Schweitzer quotes to the signature lines of my email.

I think you get the idea. Of course I am always careful to not be preachy – I just try to casually work things in. It’s become a fun challenge and helps keep me hopeful! Maybe you want to try it too – New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to start on Jan. 1! Just think of the possibilities if every one of us was consciously doing something every day! I would love to hear some ideas any of you have! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Take 5 minutes, save 5 animals

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

 

The Humane League has discovered yet another way to engage in onlineadvocacy.  The process is simple: You go to Take5Save5.com, which chooses a random Craigslist page for you, and post an ad stating that you have a free vegetarian starter kit to send it out to anybody who responds with their mailing address.  Any addresses you receive are plugged into the form at Vegstarterpack.com.  They do the rest.

Ads with cute pictures get more results!

Posting an ad on Craigslist is free and relatively painless–you have to register, but just once.  In fact, 5 minutes is a bit of an exaggeration: with the exception of the registration process, it takes about half a minute to post an ad.   Attach a cute farm animal photo (ads with pictures tend to get more attention than those that don’t) and hit “submit”.  The whole process is remarkably easy, and survey results indicate that it works.

Okay, so you may be curious as to what my experience with Take5save5 has been like.  I’ve already told you that it’s exactly as easy as they claim, but is it actually successful?  Over the past couple of weeks or so, I’ve posted a total of 10 ads.  I did them one at time–anything else and you run the risk of spamming Craigslist, which will result in your ads being flagged and removed.   Even if you haven’t done anything wrong, however, you might get flagged: I found that it happened pretty frequently, despite the fact that Take5Save5 says it won’t.  It’s a minor irritation, though, considering the fact that it only takes thirty seconds to post a new ad anyway.

Anyway, I posted 10 ads and got 21 responses.   While some of those ads ended up being flagged, it usually didn’t happen until at least a couple of people had already contacted me!  For maybe a minute of work a few times a week, I’d say that’s more than worth it.  I’m definitely going to keep it up.

Has anybody else used Take5save5?  What was your experience?

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Eating Vegan at UBC, part 2: Sushi

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

So, this is a little embarrassing. Long, long ago, I started a series of posts on vegan food at UBC, but I never got past the first post. (I guess it was a series of post.) Well, it’s a new year, and time to get that series going again. This time, there will be more than one post. At least two! I swear!

OK, we’re going to start things off easy, with sushi. Lots of the work has already been done: in late 2009, the Ubyssey ran a column on sushi at UBC, and not much has changed since then. I’ll just add a couple of things here to veganize their work, so to speak.

1. Don’t bother with Osaka Sushi if you’re vegan: there’s mayo in everything. But the Honour Roll, Suga Sushi, and One More (my personal favourite) all have plenty of vegan rolls. I confess I’ve never been to Mio Japan, so I can’t say how much of their menu is vegan–they’re right down the stairs from One More, and if I’ve walked all the way to the Village, it’s probably specifically to go to One More or Curry Point (see last post). Does anyone else have anything to say about Mio Japan?

2. I’m much less keen on Suga Sushi than the Ubyssey’s reviewer is. I’ve eaten there a handful of times, and their rice often seems to be… funky. Two or three times, I’ve gotten rice with a strong, not entirely pleasant taste & odour. But that might just be my wimpy tastebuds–your mileage may vary. And on the other hand, they’re open through the winter break, unlike most of the other places on campus–so if you’re on campus between terms & craving sushi, this is the place to go (& that’s why I’ve gone back to their funky rice).

Next time: vegan options in the SUB, other than the Delly (which deserves its own post).

To read other posts in Eating Vegan at UBC series, click on the tag “vegan-UBC” below.

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Say ‘no’ to animal donation programs

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

(This blog post was originally published in December of 2010.)

Buying charitable gifts for people is a great way to celebrate the true spirit of the holidays, but not all charitable gifts are equal.

Over the last few years, we’ve been hearing a lot about animal donation programs such as those offered by Oxfam in Heifer International.  Last year, we published a blog post about this issue: Goat for Gold, not a good idea.

Kamlabai Gudhe with her high-eating, low yielding cow that cost Rs. 17,500 of which she paid Rs. 5,500. (Picture by P Sainath).

Since the holidays are upon us again, I wanted to post a quick update–an account of these programs from the perspective of the people who “benefit” from them.  From Kamlabai Gudhe, a farmer who lives in Lonsawala, Wardha:

“I said we don’t want this. We have never kept cattle and don’t know how to. Give one of us a job, any work. Instead, my son is full time in service of this cow. Were he not tied down by it, he would earn Rs.50 a day [i.e., about $1] as a labourer. This brute eats more than all us in this house put together. And we don’t get more than four litres of milk in a day from it.”

Read more at There’s No Such Thing as a Free Cow.

Remember, there are plenty of charities that feed the hungry without hurting animals.  For example:

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Compassion and Joy for the Holidays

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

The holidays are a wonderful time to spread the message of compassion, along with holiday cheer to our family, friends, and work colleagues.  From potluck dishes to “Secret Santa” gifts, we can demonstrate that vegan choices are more delicious, more festive and more fun!

Your holiday shopping is a great time to support your local vegan stores, bakeries and restaurants:

Get your vegan field roast for your holiday dinner, some gorgeous chocolates and all sorts of other treats at Karmavore.

Karmavore: The Vegan Store is located at 610 Columbia Street in New Westminster- 604-527-4212.  According to their website “[They] are an independent 100% vegan owned & operated variety shop, featuring a retail store with a natural grocery, deli and bakery, as well as a unique collection of eco-friendly shoes, cosmetics, cookbooks, personal care items, and much more!”

All sorts of fashion forward stocking stuffers and gifts can be found at Nice Shoes.

Nice Shoes is located at 3568 Fraser Street in Vancouver – 604-558-3000.  “Nice Shoes is Vancouver’s only vegan shoe store located conveniently on Fraser Street & 19th Avenue. We carry a wide selection animal friendly brands. We also carry purses, bags belts, wallets, guitar straps and more.”

If you don’t have time for seasonal baking try Edible Flours, Sprout Vegan Bakery or Fairy Cakes for your vegan holiday goodies.

Celebrate the season with friends and family at your favorite vegan restaurants. There are so many wonderful choices in Vancouver and beyond.  Check out some of the choices at the Happy Cow: The Healthy Eating Guide or Earthsave’s Vegetarian Directory.

If you are interested in donating to ethical charities please read Lesley Fox’s very informative recent article in the Georgia Straight.

We hope these tips help make it easy to have a festive and compassionate holiday season!

Happy Holidays from everyone at Liberation BC!

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Save a life this Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Even though we live in Canada, many of us celebrate US Thanksgiving. Please take a minute to read this excellent article about just who you might be eating on Thursday.

Joanne loves turkeys

When most people hear the word turkey, they think of a roast on the table at Thanksgiving—the piece of flesh whose entire purpose is to satisfy our need to follow a tradition. It’s something that everyone must have at Thanksgiving, no questions asked.

 

I like asking questions. My favourite question to ask around Thanksgiving time is: Have you ever met a turkey? The answer to this question usually varies from “Oh, I’ve met lots of turkeys. My brother-in-law is one!” to “I heard they drown when they look up in the rain.” The responses do not surprise me, since most people who eat turkey do not have the opportunity or an interest in meeting the incredibly cuddly and affectionate creature in its living state. You must think I’m out of my mind to even suggest that an ugly bird can be cuddly and affectionate. But turkeys, like dogs, are truly affectionate by nature.

 

Read the full article…

Looking for an alternative to a dead turkey? Download our turkey information leaflet, complete with recipes for a complete (and delicious!) holiday meal.

Or, try making your own Unturkey:

However you celebrate Thanksgiving, please make it a happy and compassionate day for all!

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Two Giraffes Die Within One Week at Vancouver Zoo

Sunday, November 20th, 2011
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Giraffe at Greater Vancouver Zoo, by flickr user www.metaphoricalplatypus.com

A second giraffe has now died at the Vancouver Zoo – both within one week.

On Tuesday November 15th, the Zoo’s 3-year-old baby giraffe was found dead in his enclosure. The cause of death is still under investigation. Now his mother has been found dead in her barn on Saturday, November 19th. The Zoo has stated that the mother giraffe was considered a senior, at the age of 23.  This is the third giraffe death at the zoo; another baby died in 2006.

The Vancouver Zoo has a very poor track record of taking care of their animals. In 1983, the zoo had two hippos in its care drown after falling through the ice after being given access to a frozen outdoor pond.

In 2004 the zoo lost its accreditation from the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums due to keeping 2 hippos in an unheated barn in severe cold during the winter months. A couple of years later, with no improvements in terms of animal welfare, CAZA reaccredited the zoo.  (Learn more about the shady business of accreditation here.)  Of these 2 hippos, Gertrude died in 2004 at the age of 22 (half the life expectancy of a hippopotamus); Harvey died a year later in 2005 at the age of 20. They both lived their entire lives in the zoo in substandard conditions.

In 2006, the zoo was charged with animal cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act as they were once again providing inadequate housing to a hippo: this time a baby Hippo named Hazina (you may know her from the very popular TELUS advertising campaign seen on TV and billboards a few years ago.)

The only water she was provided with was a 2 feet deep wading pool, not sufficient to help alleviate the weight of her 1,000 pound body on her joints. She was not permitted to go outside and graze; also, she was not provided with any rubber padding to help alleviate the weight of her body against the concrete in her enclosure.

Hazina died after being transported to the Calgary Zoo in 2007.

In April of 2009 five zebras died after zoo caretakers carelessly released two Cape Buffalo into their enclosure, a decision which caused such extreme stress to the animals that they died of strokes.

Zoos are not sanctuaries. Giraffes and other exotic animals do not belong anywhere in Canada. These beautiful animals have to endure long winters trapped indoors, often in isolation; in the wild or on large sanctuaries in warm climates they have hundreds of miles to roam free and can fulfill their need for rich social interaction.

Please show your support for the animals and do not visit the zoo. Every dollar you spend is a vote – please do not support these facilities whose only aim is to profit off of the animals who suffer in their care.

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The population explosion

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

As you probably know, the human population reached 7 billion last week.  Do you remember when it hit 6 billion?  You just might–it was only 12 years ago, in 1999.   But for thousands of years, our population was apparently pretty stable.

In 1800, there were 1 billion of us.  That’s when we managed to harness the power of fossil fuels, and the population explosion began.  By 1930, there were 2 billion people; by 1975, 4 billion.  That means that the number of humans on the planet has nearly doubled in the last 35 years; in 2020, we will reach 8 billion.  No large vertebrae animal has ever grown so much, so fast, and one of the many tragic results of our growth is the mass extinction of other species. Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson estimates that extinction claims 30,000 species a year–or 3 every single hour.  12 percent of mammals, 12 percent of birds, 31 percent of reptiles, 30 percent of amphibians, and 37 percent of fish are threatened with extinction.  There have been other mass extinctions before, but they were caused by planetary or galactic physical processes; the fault for this one rests entirely on our many, many, many, many, many (etc.) shoulders.  We are watching species are disappear at a rate approximately 1,000 times faster than is typical for the planet’s history.

Graph from the Center for Biological Diversity

From the Center for Biological Diversity:

  • Humans annually absorb 42 percent of the Earth’s terrestrial net primary productivity, 30 percent of its marine net primary productivity, and 50 percent of its fresh water.
  • Forty percent of the planet’s land is devoted to human food production, up from 7 percent in 1700.
  • Fifty percent of the planet’s land mass has been transformed for human use.
  • More atmospheric nitrogen is now fixed by humans that all other natural processes combined.

We now know that a major cause of all this resource-draining activity is animal agriculture, which does more damage to the planet than all the transportation in the world combined.  And we also know that one of the best ways to help the planet is to go vegan.  But is that really enough?  Even a planet with 7 billion vegans would be stretched way beyond capacity!   Canada has one of the highest per capita ecological footprints in the world.  It’s time for us to recognize the overpopulation crisis, and to consider very seriously what we can do to combat it.

By the way, I got a lot of the info for this post from the aforementioned Center for Biological Diversity, which promotes “the empowerment of women, education of all people, universal access to birth control and a societal commitment to ensuring that all species are given a chance to live and thrive” as a solution to the overpopulation crisis.  Be sure to check out their website for lots more facts and for fun stuff like their Endangered Species condoms!

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2011 Walk for Farm Animals!

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

The 2011 Vancouver Walk for Farm Animals

Wow, what a busy weekend!  Liberation BC held our 5th annual Walk for Farm Animals to benefit Farm Sanctuary on Saturday, October 15th, and thanks to many, many caring people, it was a major success.  Every year I end up saying that our most recent walk was the best one yet, but it’s only because it always is!  Tons of great photos are available here and here.

This year’s Walk had been planned since May or so, but a couple of weeks ago we discovered that Occupy Vancouver had also chosen October 15th for their protests.  Everything went wonderfully and it also turned out to be a great opportunity for outreach.

Photo by Tanya Halvorson

2011′s Walk saw pleasantly warm, sunny weather–perfect for a celebratory march through the downtown area.  About 75 people took part, not including the local musicians from the Carnival Band who decided to march part of the way with us.  Their music was so fantastic and festive and really added another level of fun to the event.

Speaking of music, we were lucky enough to have local musician Sinead Sanders perform for us during the post-Walk festivities.

Sinead rockin' out.

Many thanks go to our amazingly generous sponsors! Nice Shoes held a bake sale for us on October 14th and raised about $400 for the Walk.  (They are also in the midst of a campaign to raise money for rescued battery-caged hens in Abbotsford.  More details on that soon.)

Thanks, Nice Shoes!

We are also very grateful to Colourful Grass, Arbonne, Vegetarian 3G Restaurant, Bandidas Taquerias, Gorilla Food, Lush, Faery Cakes, Capers Whole Foods, and Edible Flours.

As soon as everything is finalized, we will let you know the total amount of money that you raised for Farm Sanctuary.  Let’s just say for now that we know that it’s the most yet!

Update: We raised $11,679, almost twice as much as last year, and managed to come in #1 of all Canadian cities!

Good question!

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Yet another death at the Vancouver Aquarium

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

A tragedy, yes, but a completely predicable one.  On September 16th, beluga whale Tiqa died at the aquarium at the age of three.  (Vancouver Sun) This is the third such death in six years, and one that John Nightingale, president of VanAqua, claims they will investigate.

No real investigation needs to be done, of course: the answer is right in front of us.  The dwindling number of cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium is no mystery–at every aquarium in the world, captive whales and dolphins die regularly and at a fraction of their predicted lifespans.  There are a number of different factors that play into this, but they all stem from the same basic problem: cetaceans are too big and too complex to be kept in captivity, but they bring in the visitors.  At the Vancouver Aquarium, captive cetaceans draw the biggest crowds, and thus contribute in a major way to their bottom line.  To a business, this is what counts.

After Tiqa’s death, Nightingale described belugas as “putter-around whales…pretty ideally suited to life in an aquarium.”  In nature, belugas will dive for 15 minutes at a time, reaching depths of 800 metres.  40% of their dives are over 40 metres deep, and they spend about half of their time below the surface of the water.  That doesn’t sound much like “puttering around” to me.

Belugas in a barren tank at the Vancouver Aquarium (Photo: Zoocheck)

By the way, the average lifespan of a wild beluga is 50 or 60 years.  There have been 15 belugas exhibited at the Vancouver Aquarium since 1967, and all but three died within a decade of being born or wild-caught.

Tons more info (as well as references for the facts in this blog post) can be found at our brand spanking new information page on Aquariums at the LiberationBC website.  Check it out and pass it on!

 

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