It’s World Vegan Day!

November 1, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Happy World Vegan Day!

November 1st is a day to celebrate being vegan. If you’re not a vegan, try it–even for just today!

November is also World Vegan Month. It’s a perfect time test the waters and pledge to cut out meat, milk, and eggs. One way to start your vegan journey is by ordering a vegan starter pack. Several organizations have free info packs to help you get started with food and lifestyle changes (click the image of the lamb on the left to see a list). The packs include things like recipes, nutritional info, and compelling reasons to go vegan (like saving animals, improving your health, and helping the environment). Being vegan is a life-changing (and life-saving) decision!

World Vegan Day was started in 1994 to celebrate The Vegan Society’s 50th anniversary. The Vegan Society formed in the UK in 1944. That was the year that the term “vegan” was coined and defined.

Vegans come in all shapes and sizes and walks of life. It’s hard to generalize who a vegan is. Here is a bit of information about what vegans strive for:

Vegans abstain from animal products. Food wise, that means meat (including fish), eggs, and dairy. Veganism extends to other areas as well. Vegans don’t wear animal products (fur, leather, wool, silk, feathers, or any other item from an animal), or use household products containing animal ingredient or products tested on animals. Vegans don’t support captive animals acts like those in the circus or SeaWorld.

Vegans view animals as the sentient beings that they are, and not commodities to be exploited and used by humans.

So whether you’re just thinking about veganism or you’re well on your way, World Vegan Day is a great time to make a commitment to the animals, the earth, and your health.

Visiting Pigs Peace Sanctuary

October 28, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Last Saturday I had the chance to visit Pigs Peace, a sanctuary for abused and neglected animals. A hundred and ninety-one pigs now call the sanctuary home. They, and a few non-pigs, will get to spend the rest of their lives in peace. Old age is something most pigs never see, so living a long life is very special.

I went to the sanctuary because Jo Lombardi, a grief counselor, was offering a healing retreat for animal rights activists. Activists are often the people who see the things that others turn away from. We see the damage that others cause, and we know the dire situation that a lot of animals are in. That can be stressful, so having a safe place to talk among like-minded people was refreshing.

Jo is switching the focus of her practice to help animal activists exclusively. What a treat! She led us on guided meditation, a way to de-stress, and gave us materials so we could create an action plan and work toward balance in our lives. We were treated to vegan chili and snacks, and got a chance to share our stories with others.

After the retreat, sanctuary founder Judy Woods took us on a tour of the sanctuary.

A pig poses

We saw a group of pot-belly pigs rescued from a hording situation, we saw pigs who’d escaped slaughter and others who’d been rescued from neglect and abuse. The biggest pigs were 900 pounds! Unfortunately humans have been breeding pigs to be bigger and bigger. In the mid-1800s, a pig on a farm usually grew to 150 pounds.

One thing that struck me is how clean the farm was. It didn’t stink. The barn smelled like fresh hay. Pigs are naturally clean animals and don’t eliminate where they sleep. The barn was a place where the pigs could pile up, nest, cover up with hay, and get cozy. They did their business elsewhere. Of course pigs can’t sweat, so on hot days, you might find them cooling off in water or mud!

I was also surprised by how hairy the pigs were. I always pictures “pink pigs” as being hairless. Well the “pink ones” had white hair. Others were brown, black, spotted or two-tone.

Pigs are smart! Smarter than dogs. They’re funny, playful, responsive, inquisitive, and a joy to watch.

We got to throw pumpkins to the pigs. They came running through the fields from all directions when Judy called them. And within a few minutes, two wheelbarrows full of pumpkins were gone!

Next up: Carrots. Judy rang the dinner bell and the pigs ran to the cement feeding area that we were busy littering with carrots. One again, the pigs ate them all–all 100 pounds of carrots!

One pig, a beautiful gray spotted one, would gather up as many carrots as she could. She walked far away, carrots spilling from her mouth the whole way, and then ate her “stash.” None of the other pigs did that, but she preferred to eat “buffet-style.”

If you ever get a chance to visit Pig Peace, I encourage you to. If you can’t get there, visit their website and look at all the pigs and read their stories. Judging by the amount we fed them, I’m guessing it’s not cheap to run a pig sanctuary. Pigs Peace is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, so consider making a donation.

In case it’s not obvious by now, I want to remind people that pigs are beautiful creatures who don’t belong on a dinner plate. I’m so sick of the cult of bacon. Bacon, pork chops, sausage–they’re all the same. It’s the flesh of a pig. And pigs deserve better than this. They deserve peace too!

And now for your viewing pleasure: pigs!

Giving livestock isn’t charitable

October 23, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Imagine, if you will, that you live in an impoverished community in an underdeveloped nation. Your one-room hut has a dirt floor without electricity or running water. You have to a make a fire just so you can cook. Food is scarce but you do your best to feed your children.

Then a western charity gives you a cow (or goat, or maybe a flock of chickens) so you can use this animal to improve your life. Sounds good, right?

Not so fast.

Ever raised a cow? Tried predator-proofing a chicken coop? Taking care of animals is hard to do. It’s a real burden, especially for people trying to raise a family and meet their basic needs.

cow in Africa

Livestock costs a lot. Animals get sick and require vet care, they drink a lot of water (water that might not be easily accessible), and they eat food that could be used to feed people. Animals eat more than they produce. Often the price of food for livestock is greater than the money families can get from selling milk or meat.

The chances of the animals getting good care (when people can’t give their families proper care) are slim. Sometimes animals are used as currency and are bartered away. Other times children are pulled out of school to tend to the animals.

Eating high on the food chain isn’t wise. But western charities promoting western lifestyles and diets, would make you think it’s ideal. By introducing western eating habits, they’re introducing western diseases. The majority of people in countries where livestock is gifted are lactose intolerant anyway, so what good is a dairy cow?

The environmental costs of bringing more animals into a region are high too. Water pollution and waste runoff is one issue; desertization of land is another. Raising animals for food is a bigger contributor to global warming than all forms of transportation combined.

As a vegan, I care about animals. That’s why I can’t give money to charities that promote the mistreatment and slaughter of animals. I also care about people, which is why I don’t support charities that promote meat as an optimal food.

This holiday season, when you’re looking for ways to help others, look for organizations that promote ethical, sustainable ways to invest in communities. Here are a few:

Alternatives

Vegfam – Self-supporting, sustainable, plant-based food programs, and water resources.
Trees for Life – Fruit trees, books, education, clean water, and fuel-efficient stoves.
Plenty – Plant-based nutrition, healthcare, education, self-sufficiency, and disaster relief.
A Well-Fed World – Plant-based nutrition, education, farm animal rescue, and food sharing.
Kiva – Micro-loans for people to start small businesses and get themselves out of poverty.
SALEM – Education, shelter, environmental protection, nutrition information, and vegetarian meals.

Further reading

Animal People News – Livestock charities do not help poor nations.
Examiner – Heifer International may do more harm than good.
A Well-Fed World – The dark side of animal gifts.
All Creatures – What’s wrong with gifting animals?

The circus is in town

October 8, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Last weekend, the Northwest Animal Rights Network held peaceful demonstrations in Kent, WA, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This weekend, we’ll be doing the same thing in Everett.

This style of circus reeks of colonialism and is a throwback to Victorian times, when swindlers like Ringling, Barnum, and Bailey first got started. P.T Barnum was a money-grubbing showman who’s known for saying “there’s a sucker born every minute.” He promoted blackface minstrel shows and got away with exploiting animals, women, minorities, little people, people with health issues, and anyone else he could make a buck off.

These days at Ringling, only the animals are allowed to suffer.

Ringling will tell you (as they do on their site) that they provide excellent care for their animals and that the animals are ambassadors for their wild counterparts. However, there’s no denying that Ringling had to pay the largest fine for animal abuse in US history ($270,000) for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

No matter how the animals are treated, here’s one thing I stand by: Wild animals don’t belong in circuses. They’re not here for our amusement. They don’t deserve to be caged and carted around, forced to perform 11 months a year, and beaten into submission (that’s essentially how one “trains” an elephant).

Seeing an elephant balance on her hind legs teaches me nothing about how they behave in the wild. I guarantee that bears don’t want to ride bikes, and tigers never line up to jump through fiery hoops. Circuses are bad for animals, and not safe for spectators.

If the circus comes to your town, find something else to do. I can think of at least 10 ideas:

Spend the day riding roller coasters
Ride your bike, go for a hike, or fly a kite
Two words: Go carts!
Catch that blockbuster film you’ve been wanting to see
Visit an animal sanctuary
Go to the beach
Attend a sporting event
See your favorite band in concert (or check out the symphony)
Spend the day at a flea market or craft fair
Take a cooking class
Go kayaking (or swimming–if you fall out)

Or, go to a circus–a circus that doesn’t exploit animals! Cirque du Soleil and other acrobatic, theatrical shows are exciting and showcase very talented humans–who aren’t enslaved, and actually like what they do!

What are you going to do instead of going to a circus with animals?

Why Paleo diets belong in the Stone Age

October 2, 2013 by Jean Coburn

The Paleolithic, or Caveman, diet has gotten a lot of press lately. It sounds similar to the Atkins diet of a few years ago (remember that?) with a few more fruits and veggies added in. Many proponents claim eating like early man is how we’re designed: Lots of lean meats (especially wild game) and no grains is what the doctor ordered. Or is it?

First the positives: The Paleo diet encourages people to avoid dairy and processed foods. Sounds healthy enough. But with about half its calories coming from animal protein, it’s not a wise option.

Making assumptions

Paleo assumes early humans were mostly hunter, partly gatherer. Women (the gatherers) get little credit and macho hunting men become responsible for catapulting cavemen into civilization. Hunting without modern weapons is difficult and gathering was likely a big part of their diet.

If early humans were opportunistic hunter-gatherers, doing what they could to survive, they’d surely eat all parts of the animal. No one I know salivates over boar’s eyeballs or deer hearts (but maybe I just don’t know the right people).

The diet also assumes that eating this way was the best choice; it might have been the only choice. And was it healthy? They probably wouldn’t didn’t live long enough to develop heart disease anyway. Back then, life was brutal–and short.

Ignoring what we know

Research about our ancestors is revealing that they were mostly plant-eater, with a bit of opportunistic meat-eating (including cannibalism) thrown in. Leaves, fruit, wood and bark likely made up the biggest portion of their diets.

We also know that diets high in animal protein are unhealthy. And when we cut out carbs, we tend to add in fat. On the contrary, a whole-foods, plant-based diet can give us the most nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, while avoiding cholesterol and saturated fat.

Using diet as an excuse

Adopting a Paleo diet is a great way to say “I need bacon” and “this burger is the best thing for my body.” It gives people the green light to continue bad habits. I know a few people who eat Paleo, and none of them remember that coffee and alcohol is off-limits too. When it’s convenient, Paleo suits them fine, but the rules get broken.

Funny how people embrace the Paleo diet but also accept modern medicine, technology, and other luxuries. To be Paleo, shouldn’t we eschew antibiotics, anesthetics, dentistry, cars, computers, and central heating? Why is only the food of early humans valued, and not the rest of their simple lifestyles?

Flipping off the environment

I like that the Paleo diet steers people away from factory-farmed meats, but free-range, grass-fed meat is a luxury afforded to the affluent. Plus, we’d need an whole other planet for livestock if we wanted to raise all farmed animals in grassy plains.

Regardless of where animals are sourced, raising them requires vast amounts of water and fossil fuels. Not to mention the enormous piles of feces they produce. The meat industry is a bigger polluter than all transportation combined. Paleo, by encouraging people to increase their meat consumption, is contributing to the destruction of our planet.

Alternatives

From The China Study to PCRM, evidence points to whole-food, plant-based diets as superior to diets that include animal products. Animal-free diets are better for us (reducing risks of heart disease, stroke type 2 diabetes, many cancers, as well as obesity), they’re better for the environment, and they’re much better for animals.

Maybe it’s time to evolve.

Resources

Unglamour shots: Posing with baby animals

September 29, 2013 by Jean Coburn

What’s wrong with this picture?

Five points if you said my mullet! Ten if you said the lion cub in my lap.

As a teenager in the 80s, I thought nothing of this. I was in the mall with my brother, a makeshift studio was set up in a corner of an open area, and I got to pick which baby animal I wanted to pose with.

I never thought to question the obvious: Where is this cub’s mother? Why is he being carted around from mall to mall for photos instead of being in his natural environment? Is there a danger to humans? What will happen to him when he’s too big and unruly to be cuddly?

Sadly, animals like this are still being exploited in malls, fairs, and at roadside zoos. When these babies are too big, they end up at shoddy roadside zoos, in the pet trade, in canned hunts, or killed for their meat.

The best thing you can do is never pay for a picture with a wild animal. The Humane Society has a campaign against primates, tigers, lions, and bears being used in photo sessions. These sessions with the public fuel the exotic pet trade, puts animals at risk, and endangers the public.

Please sign it and learn from my mistake. Wild animals are not stuffed toys. Whether at home or abroad, vote with your dollars and say no to animal exploitation.

Visiting Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW

September 26, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Yesterday I had the privilege of being a guest at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. The sanctuary, 90 miles east of Seattle in the beautiful Cascade mountains, is home to seven former biomedical test subjects who now live out their days in peace and free from harm. It’s not a zoo (it’s set up for the chimps, not for visitors) and I was lucky to be able to stop by.

I had a hard time imagining the sad existence these intelligent, curious creatures had to endure for a quarter century. They lived (if you can call it living) twenty-four hours a day in a steel cage like the one I’m standing next to. It’s almost the same as me living in solitary confinement in my bedroom closet.

A cold metal cage with slats for waste to fall through was the only environment they had. They were warehoused indoors, away from sun and fresh air–all in the name of science. I’ve written before about why I don’t agree with animal testing, and these chimps are seven more reasons why I want it stopped.

The sanctuary is home to Jamie, Annie, Jody, Foxy, Missy, Burrito, and Negra. I visited over the lunch hour and watched the chimps forage for a meal. Volunteers hide food over Young’s Hill, the chimps two-acre outdoor enclosure, so they have an experience closer to how wild chimps find food.

The chimps enjoy lots of fresh fruit and veggies and they enjoyed the sunny fall day, as they wandered through the grass looking for treats. There’s even an artificial termite mound so the chimps can use tools to pull treats out of tubes in the structure.

Some of the chimps, like Negra, and possibly Jody and Annie, were born in the wild, and saw their families get slaughtered so people could take the babies–them–to be used as pets or research subjects.

Others, like Jamie, Missy, Foxy and Burrito, were born in captivity. Burrito lived in a human home for his first four years, but was then rented out to an animal trainer and later sold to a research lab. He’s the very reason I do not support companies or movies that use primates in their commercials or films. The chimps they use are babies who have been stolen away from their families and will likely end up in research when they’re too old and unruly–or simply warehoused and left to suffer alone.

Jody, Annie, Foxy, Missy, and Negra were all used as breeders and had several babies each taken away from them to be used in experiments too. It’s heartbreaking to think about how they must have grieved over their losses.

When they’re not enjoying the great outdoors (and safely behind an electric fence), the chimps have a great indoor space to enjoy. They play with toys, color and paint, and make chimp nests out of blankets. They’re making up for lost time.

This group of chimps came from the same lab and knew each other in their previous lives. They’re seniors now and deserve to live life at whatever pace they choose. Sometimes that means running around full of energy; other times, it’s relaxing in front of the window and watching the world go by,

The chimps have been deprived their whole lives and are at the Sanctuary to heal and become whole again. They’re still very much wild animals so they’s no direct contact with them. They’re finally free to choose how and where to spend their time, and that’s a valuable thing,

Over 900 chimpanzees are still in research labs around the USA–down from 3000 at the height of primate research. Only the USA and Gabon still test on chimps. You can help wild and captive chimps by joining Eyes on Apes and participating in action alerts to stop testing, poaching, and using chimps in entertainment.

May all chimps one day see blue skies, not barren steel.

Walk for Farm Animals 2013

September 23, 2013 by Jean Coburn

This past Saturday was the Seattle Walk for Farm Animals, organized by Farm Sanctuary. About 120 people raised funds for America’s largest farm animals sanctuary (although it looked like a lot more were in the walk). Together, we raised almost $11,000–just shy of our goal.

Animal advocates in the Walk for Farmed Animals (photo courtesy of Paul Litwin)

We met at Green Lake, a beautiful Seattle park with a 2.8 mile path around a lake. Despite rain in the forecast, we had a beautiful, sunny day. My friend Shelly and I got to carry the event banner! I felt like I was in a parade. The walk was a great opportunity to honor farm animals–both the ones who are rescued and the ones who’ve lost their lives because of people’s desire for animal flesh.

Several people gave us a “thumbs up” or peace sign. Many more were learning for the first time that there are people who care about all animals and who don’t want to eat them.

Barb helped distribute posters for people to carry in the walk

When we finished the walk, the Green Lake Community Center was set up for us with a delicious, filling buffet, live music by Gary Finkelstein, and a slide show of rescued farm animals.

Many thanks to Mighty-O, Violet Sweet Shoppe, Araya’s, Veggie Grill, Pizza Pi, Field Roast, and all the other businesses that donated vegan eats for the hungry walkers.

I’m glad I bought raffle tickets before the walk. I ended up winning a beautiful faux leather bag by Susan Nicole! There were many other prizes too, like dog treats by Adventure Days, pet portraits by Vegan Me, and a mini vacation at Someday Farm Vegan B&B.

The walk was a wonderful time for community with like-minded people and a chance to help support a great organization. I’m looking forward to next year!

What’s wrong with dairy?

September 16, 2013 by Jean Coburn

“I could never live without cheese.”

That’s what a lot of people tell me when they find out I’m vegan. I used to feel the same way. Today, cheese has a different connotation for me and I not only don’t miss it, I loathe it.

For 18 years I was a vegetarian. If people asked me if I ate cheese and drank milk I answered, “yes, because the cows don’t get killed.” I was ignorant and completely clueless to reality. I wish someone had told me the truth.

I don’t eat dairy now because cows DO suffer and die and also because it’s disgusting and unhealthy. Here’s what the dairy industry doesn’t want you to know:

Cows need to be pregnant before they lactate

Just like a human female, cows don’t “give milk” until after they have a baby. And the dairy corporation can’t have all those babies drinking their profits. That milk is for people! In order to keep milk in production, cows are kept pregnant.

Norman was rescued from the veal industry and lives at Farm Sanctuary

Calves are stolen away from their mothers

Cows don’t give us their milk. We take it away from them. Just like we take away their babies. Normally a calf nurses for up to a year, but usually within a day, calves are either killed or auctioned off for veal (if they’re “useless” males), or separated into pens where they can grow up into milk producers to replace their mothers.

Dairy cows are sold for meat

After four or so years of constantly being pregnant and lactating, a cow’s milk production goes down. She isn’t profitable anymore. She is “spent.” Dairy cows are auctioned off and turned into cheap, ground beef. They’re normal lifespans are closer to 20 years.

Fanny, a “spent” milker, was rescued by Farm Sanctuary too

Milk doesn’t do a body good

Milk will turn a small calf into a 1000-pound cow. It does the job well, but I don’t want to grow that big. I don’t want to drink hormones and antibiotics. I don’t want to fuel disease. Milk has too much protein, and we excrete the excess–along with calcium from our bones! It taxes our kidneys, and increases our risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, heart attack and stroke. I get calcium just like cows do: from dark leafy greens. Milk doesn’t have fiber, but it is full of cholesterol and fat. Who needs it (well, besides cows)?

It doesn’t matter if milk comes from a small, organic dairy farm or a large corporation. These things remain constant:

Cows are kept constantly pregnant;
Calves are taken from their mothers, killed, sold for veal, or raised to be milkers;
“Spent” dairy cows end up as hamburgers.

I wouldn’t drink milk from a dog or a monkey so why drink milk from a cow? After infancy, no other animal even drinks milk at all–not even from their own species!

So next time you think about life without dairy, think about the animals who suffer for our taste buds.

Alternatives

With a plethora of dairy-free alternatives, you won’t miss milk. We have choices like dark chocolate, coconut yogurt, hemp, oat, soy, almond and rice milk, non-dairy creamer, sorbet and soy or coconut ice cream, and delicious vegan cheeses from companies like Daiya and Tofutti.

Dump dairy and ditch cruelty!

Gearing up for Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Farm Animals

September 8, 2013 by Jean Coburn

In less than two weeks, September 21st to be exact, the 2013 Walk for Farm Animals comes to Seattle. The event is organized by Farm Sanctuary, the largest farm animal shelter in North America. Farm sanctuary’s mission is to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.

That’s why I’ve joined the event and have started raising funds for the cause. The purpose of my blog isn’t to solicit money, but if you’re interested in donating to a great cause, I’d love that! Of course if you’re in the area (or in a participating city), you’ll probably have fun joining the event and raising your own pledges.

I’m walking for Mesa, a friendly hen who escaped the brutal world of cock-fighting; for Winston, a scared piglet who escaped a live market in New York City; for Mark, a lamb who was sick and headed to slaughter; and for Michael, a dairy calf who was on his way to becoming veal.

There are many other stories like the ones above, and that’s why I support Farm Sanctuary (I even have a Farm Sanctuary credit card, so a small portion of my purchases can help animals).

Won’t you walk with me?