tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50606028363778104402024-03-05T00:18:51.110-08:00The Animal Rights Action SiteAnimal Rights, Vegan Lifestyle, and PhilosophyCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-15966791455811401472018-11-22T15:48:00.004-08:002018-11-22T15:48:25.688-08:00Moving Towards a Vegan Option in CanadaHello everyone!<br />
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I wanted to give you all a quick update. You may remember two of my previous blog posts, letting you know about a petition calling on the Canadian government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.” In practice, this means that a vegan option would be required to be served in all public schools, hospitals, prisons, and other public institutions. This is an important step that our country can take towards animal rights and vegan rights. A similar law is already in place in Portugal.<br />
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I didn’t start the petition, but I signed it and mentioned it on my blogs because this issue matters a lot to me.<br />
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In total, the petition received 3106 signatures from the public, and it was presented to the House of Commons on February 7, 2018. The government’s response was disappointing—basically, they implied that they don’t plan on taking action on this issue.<br />
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Fortunately, however, the dedicated vegan advocates who are working on this issue are not giving up! A new organization, Vegan Option Canada, has been founded to advocate for this new law. Vegan Option Canada is currently running two versions of their petition: an official paper petition and an unofficial, supplementary online petition. You can sign both, as the signatures for each petition are counted separately. You can access the online petition directly by clicking <a href="https://www.change.org/p/government-of-canada-implement-a-vegan-option-in-menus-of-public-institutions-schools-hospitals"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">here</span></a>. Check out <a href="https://veganoptioncanada.org/en/vegan-option-canada/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Vegan Option Canada’s website</span></a> to learn more about this issue and to find a paper petition near you.<br />
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Alternatively, you can order sheets of the paper petition so that you can collect signatures yourself!<br />
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I feel quite confident that this initiative can succeed. Let’s work together and make it happen!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKCvKRUhthSSepEgS_xUwdm91cC3zvZGe_P3c1ujz9eZdroNrz-M3oY_d9DFnCeRbipWqV4uop3ZX4kb51Poh7IZtgB_kl9f8fWagC3FCBkTJF7WN5cEySJzxH-fOjbsYQBTs83AJK34/s1600/20170517_145811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKCvKRUhthSSepEgS_xUwdm91cC3zvZGe_P3c1ujz9eZdroNrz-M3oY_d9DFnCeRbipWqV4uop3ZX4kb51Poh7IZtgB_kl9f8fWagC3FCBkTJF7WN5cEySJzxH-fOjbsYQBTs83AJK34/s320/20170517_145811.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole Wheat Banana Muffins by Carolyn Harris.</td></tr>
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Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-38630739888083779012018-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:002018-02-08T10:23:03.818-08:00Update on Petition Calling on Canadian Government to Provide A Vegan Option at Public Canteens <span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently I received an e-mail from the House of Commons Electronic Petitions website notifying me that on February 7<sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span></sup>, 2018, petition e-1205 was presented in the House of Commons. The e-mail goes on to say, “You will be notified once a government response has been tabled.”</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a petition that I mentioned on my blog <a href="http://theanimalrightsactionsite.blogspot.ca/2017/10/petition-to-government-of-canada.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">previously</span></a>—it was calling on the federal government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.” You can see the full text of the petition <a href="https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1205" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">here</span></a>, although it is no longer open to signatures.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the House of Commons website, it is mentioned that this topic was brought up as well, but it doesn't say if or how anyone responded to it. You can see what I am talking about <a href="http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/house/latest/hansard" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">here</span></a>.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am looking forward to seeing how the government responds. I will post on this blog again to let you know how they responded once I receive further information on the subject!</span></span></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-55642041685722872412018-01-05T09:06:00.000-08:002019-04-18T13:23:34.790-07:00Next Steps for the Revision of Canada's Food Guide<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy New Year, everyone!</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those of you who have been following this blog for a while probably have heard that Health Canada is currently in the process of revising Canada’s Food Guide, the government-created resource that provides dietary recommendations to Canadians.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that it’s 2018, I thought I would give a re-cap of what has happened so far in that process and let you know what Health Canada is planning for the process in the coming couple of years or so.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><strong>From October 24, 2016 to December 8, 2016</strong></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">, Health Canada held Phase 1 of the online public consultation in which Canadians could share their views and experiences about Canada’s Food Guide. During that time period, I wrote a blog post entitled “<a href="https://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/2016/11/fixing-problems-on-canadas-food-guide.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Fixing the Problems on Canada’s Food Guide</span></a>”, in which I discussed why and how Canada’s Food Guide needs to change. I also included my response to a question on the survey that I completed for the first stage of the online consultation. Additionally, I had an Op-Ed published on the Epoch Times website called “<a href="https://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/2016/11/opinion-article-health-canada-should.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Health Canada Should Recommend a Vegan Diet</span></a>”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><strong>From June 10, 2017 until July 25, 2017</strong></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">, the second phase of the online public consultation was held, in which Canadians could comment on some of the proposed dietary recommendations for the new Canada’s Food Guide. The proposed new Guiding Principles showed that Health Canada is planning on recommending that Canadians shift towards eating more plant-based foods. I wrote an in-depth blog post on the subject <a href="http://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/2017/06/our-voices-are-being-heard.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">here</span></a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The Government of Canada has also held some focus groups amongst Canadians to learn more about how they use the dietary recommendations. In one series of focus groups, participants were presented with a series of proposed “</span>foundational <span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">statements” that may be used in Health Canada's dietary recommendations and were asked to give their feedback. The statements were as follows:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Make it a habit to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods and beverages each day. Many foods fit healthy eating, choose those that you enjoy and that reflect your culture and traditions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Choose mostly plant-based foods. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grains and some protein foods, especially those foods that come from plants. </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Include foods that have healthy fats. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Limit processed and prepared foods high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fat. If you choose these foods, eat them less often and in small amounts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Cook with foods that are lower in sodium, sugars and saturated fats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Make water your drink of choice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Replace sugary drinks with water. (Option 1) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Choose water instead of sugary drinks. (Option 2) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Avoid sugary drinks. (Option 3) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Plain milk, unsweetened fortified plant-based or soy beverages can also be healthy beverage choices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Healthy eating is more than the foods you eat. It is also about how, where, when and why you eat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Be mindful of your eating habits <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Enjoy your food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Take time to eat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Notice when you are hungry and when you are full. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings;">§ </span>Plan. Cook. Eat together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Plan what you eat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Cook more often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Eat with family and friends often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">– Share your foods skills, food traditions and culture.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is encouraging to see that “plant-based foods” are mentioned in the first statement on this list, as well as “foods that come from plants” making an appearance in the second statement! Also notable is the de-emphasis of milk (as compared to previous Canada’s Food Guides) and the inclusion of dairy-free beverages. However, these things are not particularly surprising, as the previously-released proposed Guiding Principles already showed us that Health Canada is most likely going to recommend a shift towards more plant-based eating, anyway. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, I would like them to recommend that Canadians eat a purely plant-based, whole-foods vegan diet. That being said, these statements show a clear improvement over Canada's previous dietary recommendations, and that is something to be happy about. There is still definite room for improvement, however.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-food-guides/revision-process.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">the Government of Canada’s website</span></a>, in <strong>2018</strong>, they will release “Part 1 of the new dietary guidance policy report for health professionals and policy makers, which will consist of general healthy eating recommendations”, and “supporting key messages and resources for Canadians”. In <strong>2019</strong>, they will release “Part 2 of the new dietary guidance policy report, which will consist of healthy eating patterns (recommended amounts and types of foods)”, and “additional resources for Canadians”. It remains to be seen what exactly these resources will be like, but I’ll be sure to report on them for this blog once they come out!</span></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-31498559149165801422017-10-21T11:58:00.000-07:002019-04-18T13:29:37.492-07:00Petition to the Government of Canada Regarding Food Policy<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently I found out about a new petition that was posted on the Parliament of Canada’s E-petitions website. </span><a href="https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1205" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The petition</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, which is being sponsored by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, is calling for all public canteens under federal jurisdiction to serve a vegan option (and for the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to implement this law at their levels, as well).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The main part of the petition reads, “We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Judging by the way that the petition is worded, it sounds like, if the petition becomes law, this could lead to hospitals, schools, universities, colleges, prisons, and other public institutions to be required to serve a vegan option. This would be a win for vegans, for, as a matter of human rights, it is essential that vegans have access to vegan food. Furthermore, this law would help animals, as it would make it easier for more people to eat a vegan diet, and it could help to indirectly raise awareness about veganism and to help people realize what vegan food actually is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In March 2017, Portugal passed a law requiring all public canteens (at hospitals, schools, prisons, etc.) to serve a vegan option. Canada needs a law like this, too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Canadian citizens are able to sign the petition and read more about it </span><a href="https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1205" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb; font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The petition is open until November 29, 2017, at 2:32 p.m. EDT.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1PYEZmPCDcG1H78L1wCc_CBkIPGGZvKnqYXZ7ENyLdy5WK-gaK7k4KIqt81oM1r2LzQdGRA6_B6ZyA9d7sShB7i9d4mWwbixbS1YAfIxapvoVVLzcNp8n4a0zcs_YKVMCM5RYI8quSU/s1600/20170517_142153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1PYEZmPCDcG1H78L1wCc_CBkIPGGZvKnqYXZ7ENyLdy5WK-gaK7k4KIqt81oM1r2LzQdGRA6_B6ZyA9d7sShB7i9d4mWwbixbS1YAfIxapvoVVLzcNp8n4a0zcs_YKVMCM5RYI8quSU/s400/20170517_142153.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright Carolyn H. 2017</td></tr>
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</span></span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-5679036370416637172017-10-17T14:13:00.005-07:002017-10-17T14:13:57.860-07:00World Vegan Day is November 1st!<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">World Vegan
Day takes place every year on November 1<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup>, and the entire month of
November is </span></span><a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/take-action/campaigns/world-vegan-month" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">World Vegan Month</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The annual
celebration started in 1994 on the 50-year anniversary of the first meeting of
the Vegan Society in the UK, which took place some time in early November 1944.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According
to the Vegan Society’s website, “In a natural progression, World Vegan Day
evolved into World Vegan Week and now, what we celebrate as World Vegan Month,
where vegans and veganism is celebrated in workplaces, shops, restaurants and
in homes all over the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In November
2017, to commemorate World Vegan Month, the Vegan Society will be releasing a
new app called VNutrition, which helps people achieve their nutrition goals on
a vegan diet. They also will be launching a new campaign called “Vegans on the
Go”, which will aim to get more retailers to serve on-to-go vegan lunches. You can check out the World Vegan Month webpage </span><a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/take-action/campaigns/world-vegan-month" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldVeganMonth/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is their Facebook Page.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course,
every day is a good day to advocate for a vegan lifestyle, but this special day
is an especially useful opportunity to raise awareness about the “why’s” and “how’s”
of going vegan, as well as to celebrate the lifestyle and those who follow it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are
some ideas of ways we can make a difference on World Vegan Day and throughout
the month of November:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1)
Obviously, if you aren’t already vegan, please go vegan. You can take </span><a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/take-vegan-pledge" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Vegan Society’s 30-day Vegan Pledge</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
to help you go vegan as quickly as possible!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2) Share
the </span><a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/take-vegan-pledge" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vegan Pledge</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> with your friends and family, on your blog, and/or on social
media.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">On
November 1<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup>, why not wish the people in your life a happy World
Vegan Day? It may help spark conversations that could lead them to consider
going vegan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4) On
social media and/or your blog, share something related to veganism and/or World
Vegan Day. For example, you could share your own story of why you went vegan; a
picture of a vegan meal you made; </span><a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">a link to the Vegan Society’s website</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; a
vegan recipe; or even just a quick post saying “Happy World Vegan Day!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5) Host a
vegan meal or potluck for family, friends, and/or your local community. If it’s
a potluck and not everyone attending is already vegan, make sure that everyone
knows to avoid using any animal-derived ingredients in the food they bring; it
can be helpful to ask people to bring an ingredients list.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6) Perhaps
you could go leafleting, and wish passersby a happy World Vegan Day!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7) With
your local vegan or vegetarian association, you could even help organize a talk
from a vegan speaker or a vegan-related movie screening.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">8) Bring
vegan food to work or school, and share it with your peers. </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> You could just casually share it
with them, or you could set up a table in a busy place where people can take the
free vegan food and literature on veganism.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">9) Try to
get World Vegan Day or World Vegan Month recognized by your school or
workplace. They could introduce a vegan menu in the cafeteria starting in
November, for example (if there isn’t enough time for them to plan out a
complete vegan menu in time for World Vegan Day, they can still start working
on it by November).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10) If
you’re a writer, write a letter to the editor, Op-Ed, or vegan recipe and
submit it to a newspaper or magazine.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have a great World Vegan Day and Month!</span></span></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-77252720462002456032017-10-17T13:33:00.000-07:002017-10-17T13:33:00.667-07:00Published on Elephant Journal website: "Healthy Vegan Breakfast Ideas to Start the Day off Right"<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I recently wrote an article that has been published on the Elephant Journal website. The article is titled "<a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/10/healthy-vegan-breakfast-ideas-to-start-the-day-off-right/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Healthy Vegan Breakfast Ideas to Start the Day off Right</span></a>"; I hope it helps encourage people to go vegan!</span> </div>
</div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-47664840862157905292017-09-12T18:25:00.000-07:002017-09-12T18:26:33.260-07:00Ethics and Pets on CBC Radio One<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This morning on a radio show called <em>The Current</em> on CBC Radio One, Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed Gary Francione, Stanley Coren, and Jessica Pierce about their differing views on the ethical issues surrounding pet ownership. It was a very interesting discussion-- you can listen to it and/or read the accompanying article <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-september-11-2017-1.4281425/they-re-property-love-not-enough-to-justify-pet-ownership-says-animal-rights-author-1.4281472" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Have a nice day!</span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-55283295046800074232017-06-17T15:59:00.000-07:002017-06-17T16:00:15.053-07:00Our Voices Are Being Heard!<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Health Canada has proposed new dietary recommendations for Canadians, recommending a shift to more plant-based eating! You can learn more (and find out how to get involved) in my blog post on Vegan-Forget-Me-Nots at </span><a href="http://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/2017/06/our-voices-are-being-heard.html">http://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/2017/06/our-voices-are-being-heard.html</a>.<br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica";">Thank you for caring!</span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-11992182607443130052017-03-27T11:54:00.000-07:002019-04-18T13:31:01.994-07:006 Ways to Distribute Vegan/Animal Rights Literature (besides leafleting)Leafleting is a good way to get the vegan/animal rights
message to people who otherwise might not see it. However, to those vegans who
might not want to stand on a street corner and hand out literature to strangers,
there are still other ways you can spread vegan/animal rights literature! Here
are some ideas:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
1. Place some brochures for your local vegan association, or
some Vegan Starter Kit booklets, in the <strong>rack of free magazines and newspapers
at your local grocery store</strong>. When people are grocery shopping, they are already
thinking about food, and will probably be more likely to pick up a vegan starter
guide than they would be at other times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
2. Place some leaflets, booklets, or brochures <strong>around your
school or at your workplace</strong>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
3. Go to your <strong>local health food stores, eco-friendly stores,
and other like-minded shops</strong> and ask if they will set out brochures for your
local vegan association at the cash register. Now that veganism is becoming
increasingly mainstream, you may find them very willing—or even eager—to see
your literature!</div>
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4. Stop by the <strong>local library or community centre</strong> and ask if
they will set out the literature.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
5. Put up “Go Vegan” <strong>posters on telephone poles</strong> around your
city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
6. Bring booklets, leaflets, and other literature with you
<strong>when you go out</strong>—you never know when you’ll run into someone who might want some
vegan/animal rights information!</div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-28930291691385306752017-02-22T11:04:00.000-08:002019-04-18T13:33:01.035-07:00Ten Things You Can Do To Help Animals Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7Plw_9nveQNQBSH6pZ5ypC28SptlCaflOQPnHJ1bFxMChd7Eh8O8_TF6iJRe-Vu2b60ctr_IYXK21QOtcNa1wJegG8NQcNMiJf6UP_ei19icEntmc0P1Wy0Cp0XE0tplMtgH1hdF43w/s1600/P1050462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7Plw_9nveQNQBSH6pZ5ypC28SptlCaflOQPnHJ1bFxMChd7Eh8O8_TF6iJRe-Vu2b60ctr_IYXK21QOtcNa1wJegG8NQcNMiJf6UP_ei19icEntmc0P1Wy0Cp0XE0tplMtgH1hdF43w/s320/P1050462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>Print out posters advocating for veganism, and put them up on telephone poles and public bulletin boards around your city or University campus. Make sure to be aware of your local postering laws first! You can find printable posters online, or make your own, or order some from an animal rights organization.</li>
<li>Order some leaflets promoting veganism (or print them off your computer-- have you seen <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzC9bTdfS67Pb1VnYldFWXFHUmc/view">the ones I've designed</a>?). Once you have your leaflets, hand them out to passersby on a busy street corner!</li>
<li>Write a letter to a local grocery store, restaurant, or cafeteria asking them for more vegan options. Remember to give them specific examples of vegan foods that will be used instead of animal products! One thing you could ask for is the new VeganEgg, for example.</li>
<li>Bake vegan treats and give them to your co-workers, classmates, friends, and/or family. Don't forget to tell them that it's vegan!</li>
<li>Order some animal rights stickers to stick on your laptop, wallet, or water bottle.* When you take these items into a public place, people who see them will be reminded of the animal rights and vegan ethic.</li>
<li>Write a Letter to the Editor or an Op-Ed on a recent vegan-related or animal-related issue, particularly if it's something about which the newspaper has recently published a story. Even if your letter doesn't get published, the newspaper staff will still see it and may be influenced by your message in some way.</li>
<li>Get some sidewalk chalk and write pro-vegan messages on the pavement outside (in places where it's legal to do so, of course). Bonus: if you take a photograph of your chalk creation, you can send it in to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/veganchalkchallenge">Vegan Chalk Challenge</a> and they'll post it on their Facebook Page!</li>
<li>Put together a little booklet of your favourite vegan recipes to give to family and friends. Alternatively, you could make the recipes into an e-book, and then send the e-book to people by e-mail and/or post it on Facebook! Bonus: include photographs of the foods in your booklet!</li>
<li>Send a nice note or e-mail to your favourite vegan activists to thank them for the work they do. A thank-you letter can really make someone's day, and encourage them to keep working for animal rights.</li>
<li>The ideas I've given above are just a few ways to inject some activism into your everyday life, but there are also more long-term projects that you can do to help animals. If you have the time and energy for long-term activist projects, why not take some time out of your day today to brainstorm about how to combine your talents, skills, and interests for animal rights? For example, you may wish to start a blog, host a podcast, give presentations at local schools, write a book, start a vegan business or organization, or run vegan cooking classes.</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthFp98yvfq33jVtxGNICrme9et0F1O8kkFh9rP4gJu3DBLEQEjFxK9gsTpHdKKW7WzgW5BsFu0j7M9X7dtfFWKFbA0GTMPmLwplrtwKg4ysW13IZ7urSJz3j2xesNvtrbqHwWuVoeMYQ/s1600/P1050495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthFp98yvfq33jVtxGNICrme9et0F1O8kkFh9rP4gJu3DBLEQEjFxK9gsTpHdKKW7WzgW5BsFu0j7M9X7dtfFWKFbA0GTMPmLwplrtwKg4ysW13IZ7urSJz3j2xesNvtrbqHwWuVoeMYQ/s320/P1050495.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBROF_ERhI1fXbelLF3BztRxv0cqMLPOaTUxCQ15COQES4adUFS2AZcvYaZlnjFYvJ_vpPp2g3dFtmXj5U4xz2ZUlUFHBGjGSANCv_Qj6_cdqCd22HSs40WxfKpU55fqf8Gi1ECx-AG9o/s1600/P1050503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBROF_ERhI1fXbelLF3BztRxv0cqMLPOaTUxCQ15COQES4adUFS2AZcvYaZlnjFYvJ_vpPp2g3dFtmXj5U4xz2ZUlUFHBGjGSANCv_Qj6_cdqCd22HSs40WxfKpU55fqf8Gi1ECx-AG9o/s320/P1050503.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<em></em><br />
<br />
If you're really keen to dive into animal rights activism, you could try doing one of these things every day for ten days! Or, just pick and choose from this list whichever activities you'd like to try. Thank you for working to create a kinder, and more just, world.<br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-42142638920673020632017-02-19T14:02:00.000-08:002017-02-19T14:02:01.954-08:002017 Animal Rights and Vegan Conferences!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Every year, several conferences and events for vegan/animal rights activists take place across North America and around the world. These events can provide a forum for activists to network, learn about issues and advocacy strategies, and be inspired to make a difference! Below is a list of some of the animal-rights-related conferences that will be held in 2017. Please note that this is not a complete list, and, as I haven’t been to any of these events in previous years, I can’t say which ones are the best/most worthwhile to attend!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2sQX_vdRD-kco5-P-UA91cczj0JpswrVGZDfw9ULPX89j2MKFy45wQZrWogpemp57zTXms0nbs9gvjsn1r8X_BuBhTjksthPpdFPj0_in9O2ST7-xDGdUmkBf1UIo11wGejYFtEEDZks/s1600/Animal+Rights+NC.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2sQX_vdRD-kco5-P-UA91cczj0JpswrVGZDfw9ULPX89j2MKFy45wQZrWogpemp57zTXms0nbs9gvjsn1r8X_BuBhTjksthPpdFPj0_in9O2ST7-xDGdUmkBf1UIo11wGejYFtEEDZks/s320/Animal+Rights+NC.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.arconference.org/index.php"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Animal Rights National Conference 2017</b></span></a>: According to this conference’s website, the Animal Rights National Conference is the largest and longest-running animal rights gathering—the first one was held in 1981! It is organized by the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM). If you can go to only one conference this year, consider making this the one you go to. Here’s what they say you can expect:</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Animal Rights National Conference is designed for people who wish to improve their animal advocacy skills or simply to network with other animal activists. The Conference offers a number of educational and networking opportunities, including:</span></i></div>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sessions on animal advocacy, organizing, tactics, and issues</span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">More than 100 speakers from 60 organizations</span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eyewitness reports on key campaigns</span></i></li>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Where: Alexandria, Vermont (just outside of Washington, DC), USA</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFCxrv8shb0gvB2a0-I3rPsmgLed9Tq6-a1AXZ6w0oropzu5l8moO9KzVLABOoNS3sdhyU8DEPG4V5BHc1aGGj_VzhyphenhyphenQFaFJwB10PRUuF7ecCTcQjDI2nKgxkF2PWXs7-k1mzpmXLlweZ/s1600/Vegetarian+Summerfest+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFCxrv8shb0gvB2a0-I3rPsmgLed9Tq6-a1AXZ6w0oropzu5l8moO9KzVLABOoNS3sdhyU8DEPG4V5BHc1aGGj_VzhyphenhyphenQFaFJwB10PRUuF7ecCTcQjDI2nKgxkF2PWXs7-k1mzpmXLlweZ/s320/Vegetarian+Summerfest+Banner.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="https://summerfest.navs-online.org/"><b>Vegetarian SummerFest 2017</b></a>: This is an annual vegan festival and conference. The 2016 conference was jam-packed with world-renowned vegan speakers, cooking classes, fitness classes, vendors, and more!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">When: July 5-9, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Where: last year it took place in Pennsylvania.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="https://ar-conference.org/"><b>International Animal Rights Conference</b></a>: This conference took place in Luxembourg in September 2016. Their website does not yet mention if there is going to be a 2017 conference, but I speculate it is likely that there will be, as they have had six of these conferences to date.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.ar-conference.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="International Animal Rights Conference 2016 in Luxembourg" border="1" src="http://www.ar-conference.com/b468x60.png" height="60" style="cursor: move;" width="468" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisowGrdJ2lOFPMr2MmjIDmqVwKPZ38aKhkjtbphpv1r43duvC8CreKPtkQPRep_FCriGatwCOWfCLWS3B7gc79hOk6LkQIoLUNOIjHCLE80niXxTjq2PmTKmtTxCu4dXzWg2JVA6YmgQ9P/s1600/Conscious+Eating+Conference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisowGrdJ2lOFPMr2MmjIDmqVwKPZ38aKhkjtbphpv1r43duvC8CreKPtkQPRep_FCriGatwCOWfCLWS3B7gc79hOk6LkQIoLUNOIjHCLE80niXxTjq2PmTKmtTxCu4dXzWg2JVA6YmgQ9P/s200/Conscious+Eating+Conference.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.upc-online.org/pp/winter2016/6th_conscious_eating_conference.shtml"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Conscious Eating</span></i></b></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://www.upc-online.org/pp/winter2016/6th_conscious_eating_conference.shtml"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>2017 Conference</b></a>: This conference, hosted by United Poultry Concerns and Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy, will focus on the ethics of eating and the role that religions play in the issue of animal liberation.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">When:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Saturday, March 11, 2017, 10am-6pm</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Where: Berkeley, California, USA</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Cost: $15/person (free for students)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="http://www.afsconference.org/"><b>The Anti-Fur Society Vegan Conference</b></a>: This conference is focused on promoting vegan alternatives to fur in clothing.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">When: Saturday, April 8, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Where: Manhattan, New York, USA</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ342uABpjgcHsOM5xTSh-e6rJVgE4EV47UMRD03_2B5ibUv_x8Zhd2PGQjNmQsah4N8CMKN0IS226IxNpsvJtmfC7b52OkWazTuEDZGD-q64LZEU0vGinqZtVb7r6aaZF9Cz0fqrENxs/s1600/ffl-training.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ342uABpjgcHsOM5xTSh-e6rJVgE4EV47UMRD03_2B5ibUv_x8Zhd2PGQjNmQsah4N8CMKN0IS226IxNpsvJtmfC7b52OkWazTuEDZGD-q64LZEU0vGinqZtVb7r6aaZF9Cz0fqrENxs/s200/ffl-training.png" style="cursor: move;" width="153" /></a><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><b><a href="http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/ffl/training">Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine "Food For Life" Training</a></b>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><b></b>Interested in getting certified by PCRM to teach<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">healthy</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>vegan cooking in your community? Anyone interested in this can register to attend the next training! This isn't a conference, but I've included it because vegan activists may be interested in it anyway.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">When: Wednesday, May 3 - Friday, May 5, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Where:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>Washington, DC, USA</div>
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<b>Your local VegFest</b>: Don't forget to find out when your local VegFest will be taking place this year!</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There's also:</span></div>
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<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.animalfilmfestival.org/festival"><b>The Animal Film Festival</b></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on February 25, 2017 in California</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><a href="http://worldvegansummit.com/">The World Vegan Summit</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>(date not yet announced) in the USA (I cannot confirm that there will be one in 2017, but it sounds like there will be)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.eacas.eu/2016/12/15/cfhas-conference-cfp-animals-and-social-change-29-30th-june-2017-liverpool-uk/"><b><i>Animals and Social Change</i></b></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Conference</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>from June 29 - June 30, 2017</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in Liverpool, UK</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><a href="http://careconf.eu/">Conference on Animal Rights in Europe</a></b>, which took place in 2016 in Warsaw, Poland (I don't know if there will be a follow-up conference to this)</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.activistsforum.com/"><b>Animal Activists Forum 2017</b></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in October 2017 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.activistsforum.com/"><b>Vevolution Festival 2017</b></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>(date not yet announced) in London, England</span></li>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There is also<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://conference.cfhs.ca/">an animal welfare conference</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>taking place in Ottawa, ON, Canada in 2017. It doesn't look like it's related to animal rights at all, but if you live in Ottawa, it might be good to bring your vegan voice to that conference, to raise awareness! </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The events that I've listed above are the ones that I believe are the most relevant, but you can find a list of some other events at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.all-creatures.org/events.html">All-Creatures.org</a></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, and a list of some major vegan festivals at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.vegan.com/festivals/">Vegan.com</a>.</span></div>
</div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-61848109660162709052017-02-04T15:29:00.001-08:002017-03-06T12:24:20.333-08:00February Issue of "alive" Magazine is About Being Vegan!<i>Alive </i>magazine is a Canadian magazine that is supported in part by the Natural Health Products industry. It is available for free in health food stores across Canada, and I used to read it.<br />
<br />
I stopped reading <i>alive </i>magazine about a year ago, as I found it disturbing that they had so many animal products in their recipes.<br />
<br />
However, today I went to my local health food store and saw the latest issue of <i>alive </i>on the counter. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this month's issue of <i>alive </i>is all about "Being Vegan"! The Guest Editor is Brendan Brazier, a vegan Ironman triathlete, author, and co-founder of the "Vega" health products. And so, for the first time in about a year, I picked up a new copy of the magazine.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there are still non-vegan advertisements in this issue of the magazine, and I am not going to go back to reading their magazine on a regular basis unless they stop including dead animals in their recipes, but I find it heartening to see that veganism is entering the mainstream more and more.<br />
<br />
This issue has tips about vegan substitutions when baking, provides lots of vegan recipes, and includes stories about vegans. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQwtMe5g_bBjdqbQghZWc9ffaLcZLA2ZQOplP8xlw-DGh2T-QztUqN2H6bLkg2Wg7TOaGj2Ah4l5I7KoODcCsHc-OkDW2e_80m3SSj5w2Bd5XtTzb_endmdhHtGXd-myur3siJhzuHq8/s1600/P1060266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQwtMe5g_bBjdqbQghZWc9ffaLcZLA2ZQOplP8xlw-DGh2T-QztUqN2H6bLkg2Wg7TOaGj2Ah4l5I7KoODcCsHc-OkDW2e_80m3SSj5w2Bd5XtTzb_endmdhHtGXd-myur3siJhzuHq8/s640/P1060266.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Keep speaking up for the animals, everyone-- I think the logic of veganism is being heard with a greater intensity every year. :)Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-45594252633059893682016-12-04T11:27:00.000-08:002019-04-18T13:36:03.519-07:00Veganism in Politics-- Britain's new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism and VeganismGood news-- in the UK, an "All-Party Parliamentary Group on
Vegetarianism and Veganism" has been formed. This group will be made up
of politicians from various UK political parties, and it will aim to
promote legislative change that will have a positive impact for
vegetarians, vegans, and the issues that matter to us (which may include
"food and medicine labelling, vegetarianism and veganism as protected
beliefs, impact of diet on climate change, and institutional catering
provisions", according to <a href="http://vegappg.org.uk/">the group's website</a>,).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi9eSCTfrFOtr8V-98dtnaNpv80v0AH6PvFb8_DXff2vXCfmwBMPA1UJT0GU_XY4d_UIDiW8GqVXeYdC3E3kt54aA9vlQIgPoZXFJTMSM2XjGhoRE0lAUhLikWXDX2QNnVvxPB1O3Jw06/s1600/British+houses+of+parliament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi9eSCTfrFOtr8V-98dtnaNpv80v0AH6PvFb8_DXff2vXCfmwBMPA1UJT0GU_XY4d_UIDiW8GqVXeYdC3E3kt54aA9vlQIgPoZXFJTMSM2XjGhoRE0lAUhLikWXDX2QNnVvxPB1O3Jw06/s400/British+houses+of+parliament.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Vegan Society's website.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Vegan Society, the Vegetarian Society, and
Vegetarian for Life are collaborating to form this group. The groups has
four "Officers": Christina Rees (Labour MP), Kerry McCarthy (Labour
MP), Henry Smith (Conservative MP) and Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
(Green Party Peer).<br />
<br />
I don't know whether all the Officers of the group are
vegan or not, but I do know that Labour MP Kerry McCarthy is vegan,
according to <i>The Vegan Option </i>podcast (see link below).<br />
<br />
According to <a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/whats-new/news/vegan-society-announce-formation-parliamentary-group-vegetarianism-and-veganism">the Vegan Society</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The APPG on Vegetarianism and Veganism will be a great platform for
discussion and learning, with the aim of encouraging legislation change. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This will be a forum for exchanging ideas and concerns relating to
vegan and vegetarian issues. Speakers will be present at each of the
quarterly meetings, providing an insight to their various expertise.
Experts, leaders in their fields and parliamentarians are all welcome to
join."</blockquote>
As the Vegan Society mentions, "The APPG on
Vegetarianism and Veganism is an important opportunity to get veganism
on the political agenda."<br />
<br />
I think that it's extremely
important for veganism to be acknowledged in political forums. If we
want to create a world in which all animals are free from abuse and
exploitation, it's important for veganism and animal rights to enter all
major areas of society, including (but not limited to) popular culture,
industry, media, commerce, law, education, and, indeed, politics.<br />
<br />
I'm
glad that this group plans to put a focus on veganism, rather than farm
animal "welfare" reforms. Although I respect my fellow vegan activists
who take a "welfarist" approach to farmed animals, I never spend my time
advocating for farmed animal "welfare" reforms. The problem with simply
enacting more farmed animal "welfare" reforms (such as putting chickens
in bigger cages, etc.) is that "welfare" reforms don't work to
eradicate the underlying exploitation of the animals, and they often
don't translate into a big change for the animals, anyway. Rather than
encouraging people to go vegan and therefore stop the inherent cruelty
of exploiting and killing our fellow sentient beings, arguing for farmed
animal welfare reforms is ignoring the fact that exploiting and killing
animals is fundamentally wrong. Although I wouldn't advocate <i>against </i>farmed
animal welfare reforms, I believe we can save more of these animals and
transition to a vegan world faster if we focus our energies on veganism
and animal rights. I hope, therefore, that this group will keep the
focus on veganism and the rights of vegans and vegetarians.<br />
<br />
If you're
interested in learning more about vegan politicians and how veganism has
begun to make its way into the political realm, <i>The Vegan Option</i> podcast has a three-part series called "Veganism in Politics". <a href="http://theveganoption.org/2011/11/01/vegan-politics-chris-williamson-cathy-jamieson-kerry-mccarthy-kucinich-gandh/">Part 1</a>
includes interviews with some vegan or vegetarian MPs from Britian, the
US, and India who were in office at the time the episode was recorded. <a href="http://theveganoption.org/2011/12/01/veganism-in-politics-chris-williamson-mp-cathy-jamieson-mp-and-kerry-mccarthy-mp-answer-your-questions/">Part 2</a> has a Q & A with three vegan British MPs, and <a href="http://theveganoption.org/2011/12/13/veganism-politics-british-parliament-world-vegan-day-mccarth/">Part 3</a>
is the recording of a debate in the British House of Parliament on
World Vegan Day. You can also read about two more vegan politicians in a
blog post on The Vegan Option's website <a href="http://theveganoption.org/2014/01/24/vegan-politicians-2014-netherlands-australia/">here</a>. <br />
<br />
If
you are a member of the British public and would like to attend the
first meeting of the APPG on Vegetarianism and Veganism, you can <a href="http://vegappg.org.uk/">RSVP on the group's website</a>. If I lived in Britain, I would be very keen to go!Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-86074678946690068692016-11-09T11:42:00.001-08:002019-04-18T13:37:47.340-07:00Fixing the Problems on Canada's Food Guide<span style="color: #444444;">Some of you may remember the blog post I wrote for the NCVA blog a little while ago, on <a href="https://ncva.ca/2016/09/04/giving-kids-a-plant-based-education/">teaching kids about healthy vegan nutrition</a>. In that post, I mentioned how<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the dietary recommendations <span style="font-family: inherit;">of </span>Canada's Food Guide were influenced by the dairy, meat, and egg industries, according to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/the-politics-of-food-guides-1.1268575">this CBC article</a>. For example, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">the 2003 version of the Food Guide was revised by a panel that included food industry lobby groups.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> More shockingly, w</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">hen the 1992 <span style="font-family: inherit;">revision </span>of
Canada’s Food Guide was released, the meat, dairy, and egg industries
successfully lobbied the government to increase the recommended number
of servings of these products, according to the CBC article. You can see
the effect that these lobby groups had on the government-endorsed
dietary </span>recommendations<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">in the article <a href="http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/context/fg_history-histoire_ga-eng.php">"Canada's Food Guides from 1942 to 1992"</a> on the <span style="font-family: inherit;">Government of Canada's <span style="font-family: inherit;">website</span></span></span>-- in 1982, the Food Guide had 2 servings of "Meat and Alternatives" and 2 servings of <span style="font-family: inherit;">"M</span>ilk"; but <span style="font-family: inherit;">in</span> 1992, the<span style="font-family: inherit;">se numbers increa<span style="font-family: inherit;">sed to</span></span> 2-3 servings of <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="font-family: inherit;">M</span></span></span>eat and <span style="font-family: inherit;">a</span>lternatives<span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span> and 2-4 servings of "<span style="font-family: inherit;">M</span>ilk". These new, increased recommendations continue to exist on the most recent Food Guide to date.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Canada's current Food Guide <span style="font-family: inherit;">consi<span style="font-family: inherit;">sts of </span></span>four
food groups: Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk and
Alternatives, and Meat and Alternatives. In school, children are taught
that the </span>recommendations<span style="font-family: inherit;"> on the Food Guide<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">comprise</span> th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e <span style="font-family: inherit;">fundamentals of a healthy diet</span></span></span></span></span></span>.
Growing up, I, too, assumed that the Food Guide was based upon
scientific fact. More recently, however, science has been finding something<span style="font-family: inherit;"> different: meat, dairy, and eggs actually increase the risk of many chronic diseases, <span style="font-family: inherit;">while </span>a vegan diet </span><span style="color: #444444;">is a very healthy way to eat</span> and <span style="color: #444444;">can </span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">prevent <span style="font-family: inherit;">cer<span style="font-family: inherit;">t<span style="font-family: inherit;">ain </span></span></span>diseas<span style="font-family: inherit;">e</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;">s</span><span style="color: #444444;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Although many vegan activists are already spreading the message<span style="font-family: inherit;"> about <span style="font-family: inherit;">the healthfulness of veganism,</span></span> it isn't just activists who are willing to point out the health benefits of <span style="font-family: inherit;">a<span style="font-family: inherit;">n anima<span style="font-family: inherit;">l-free diet</span></span></span>. Here are some statements on veganism and plant-based diets from just a few high-profile organizations around the world:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vegetarian-Diets/Eating-Guidelines-for-Vegans.aspx">Dietitians of Canada</a>:
"A healthy vegan diet has many health benefits including lower rates of
obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,
type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864">American Dietetic Association</a>:
"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that
appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or
vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide
health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444;">World Health Organization:</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">"<a href="http://www.who.int/topics/diet/en/">Specific recommendations for a healthy diet</a>
include: eating more fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains;
cutting down on salt, sugar and fats. It is also advisable to choose
unsaturated fats, instead of saturated fats and towards the elimination
of trans-fatty acids."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2015/pdfs/pr240_E.pdf">The WHO </a>has declared some types of meats to be Group 1 carcinogens (right up there with cigarette smoking) and Group 2 carcinogens.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">According to a study conducted by students at the <a href="http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/news/201603_Plant_based_diets">University of Oxford</a>, if the world went vegan, millions of human lives would also be saved due to <span style="font-family: inherit;">dramatic re<span style="font-family: inherit;">duction in the incidence of chronic disease</span></span>: "<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">A
global switch to diets that rely less on meat and more on fruit and
vegetables could save up to 8 million lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by two thirds, and lead to healthcare-related savings and
avoided climate damages of $1.5 trillion (US)... ...</span>They found
that adopting diets in line with global dietary guidelines could avoid
5.1 million deaths per year by 2050. Even greater benefits could come
from vegetarian diets (avoiding 7.3 million deaths) and vegan diets
(avoiding 8.1 million deaths)."</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/vegetarianfoodfacts.pdf">British Dietetic Associaton</a><span style="color: #444444;">: "Well planned vegetarian diets </span><span style="color: #444444;">[including vegan diets, which they mentioned as a form of vegetarianism] </span><span style="color: #444444;">can
be nutritious and healthy. They are associated with lower risks of
heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, certain
cancers and lower cholesterol levels."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/Portals/24102/PDFs/PriorityProductsAndMaterials_Report.pdf">United Nations Environment Programme</a>: "</span>A
substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a
substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products." (Found on
page 82 of <a href="http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/Portals/24102/PDFs/PriorityProductsAndMaterials_Report.pdf">this document</a>, or page 84 of the PDF)</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #444444;">Based in the United States, </span><span style="color: #444444;">an
organization of medical professionals called the Physicians' Committee
for Responsible Medicine more actively promotes a vegan diet as a way to
prevent and reverse chronic disease. They've devised a new food guide
made up of <a href="http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vsk/vegetarian-starter-kit-new-four-food-groups">"The New Four Food Groups"</a>, which include Fruit, Vegetables, Legumes, and Whole Grains.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b>Click on the image to see it in full-size!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.pcrm.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/health/4foodgroups.pdf"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oWCbPgQZ674nEGNN4CWp812bUdCa_gIst_meS60fG4tpkBmo_7K5AVBiW_oA80wDZzlt0z6dobrEGMC7iTYHbifIoNXZyp3v76wABPKJQFEsGFh4Jgmzu9qiZGFJUylniBhcHyoaGM3S/s1600/New+Four+Food+Groups.png" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;">When
one combines the health, environmental, humanitarian, and, of course,
animal-related reasons to live vegan, it becomes obvious that the
government ought to start supporting it, too!</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">So,
why am I telling you all this? Well, Health Canada is now working on
its next revision of Canada's Food Guide. From October 24, 2016 to
December 8, 2016, Health Canada is holding an online public consultation
on the Food Guide to get the public's input; all Ca</span><span style="color: #444444;">nadians are welcome to submit their opinions through the </span><a href="http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/health-system-systeme-sante/consultations/foodguide-guidealimentaire/index-eng.php">Government of Canada's website</a><span style="color: #444444;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">In
Mid-2017, the government will present a revised version of the Food
Guide to the public, at which time Canadians will have another
opportunity to provide their feedback on the revisions. After that, the
new materials will be published.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">I've
already completed the questionnaire. On one page of the questionnaire, I
was asked whether I find the current four food groupings in the Canada
Food Guide helpful. I clicked "no", and then a box came up asking, "Why
do you say that?"</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">Here was my response:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>"I
don't bother using the Food Guide, because the current recommendations
simply doesn't apply to vegans like myself. The Food Guides' current
food groupings are actually promoting ill health among Canadians.
Furthermore, the current Four Food Groups are not at all accommodating
for vegans and others who follow a dairy-free diet.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>Dairy
is not essential to the human diet. Although it is the perfect food for
baby cows, it simply was not designed for human consumption. Some may
claim that dairy is healthful because it contains calcium and protein,
but the fact is, there are plenty of healthier plant-based sources of
protein and calcium available. According to the Dieticians of Canada,
calcium can be found in abundance in leafy green vegetables, fortified
soy products, tahini (sesame seed butter), and many more vegan foods;
protein can be obtained from soy products, beans, grains, nuts, and nut
butters, to name a few.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>According
to the Dieticians of Canada, “A healthy vegan diet has many health
benefits including lower rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood
pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and certain types of
cancer.” (Source:
http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vegetarian-Diets/Eating-Guidelines-for-Vegans.aspx)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>I
would like to propose 4 new food groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains,
and Legumes/Nuts. The latter category combines the current two food
groups of “Dairy and Alternatives” and “Meat and Alternatives” into an
overall “Plant-based Protein” food group. The Physicians’ Committee for
Responsible Medicine, an organization of medical doctors in the United
States, also promotes this idea (Source:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vsk/vegetarian-starter-kit-new-four-food-groups).</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="color: #444444;"></span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>I
hope that Health Canada can start promoting healthy eating in the ways
I’ve mentioned above. I also hope that Health Canada can specifically
mention the word “veganism” as a healthy diet on the Food Guide itself."</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">I
also gave more information, such as statistics on the environmental
benefits of veganism, in response to another one of their questions.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;">In
addition, one thing that Health Canada seems to be focusing on in this
revision of the Food Guide is reducing sugar consumption. If you are
going to be filling out this survey, you may wish to point out that
dairy products are actually quite high in sugar-- for example, there are
13g of sugar in one cup of 1% M.F. cow's milk.<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">That being said, we must not hesitate to voice our ethical views about veganism-- if Health Canada is aware that people are vegan for ethical reasons, they may be more likely to accommodate vegans in their next version of the food guide.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">If
you believe that veganism should be better represented and promoted on
the Food Guide, please consider taking a few minutes out of your day to
fill out the questionnaire. Feel free to copy and paste the quotations
from the organizations I've listed above in your responses.</span><br />
<br />
Thank you for caring!<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"></span>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-90587671477396947952016-11-09T10:05:00.000-08:002016-11-09T10:05:31.673-08:00Printable Vegan Environmental Brochures!Hi everyone!<br />
<br />
I've created some more brochures that promote veganism; these ones have a
focus on the environment this time. Please feel free to print them and
give them out to your environmentally-conscious friends, and/or hand
them out while leafleting at environmental events!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzC9bTdfS67PWVNFQ2Y4QWtxQTg/view?usp=sharing">The brochures can be downloaded (for free, of course) here.</a><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEEYgo1o8HtnsWgqEFOSTc0NxwCeu8Zv5X6Dvl9IgbXJ9Tce0_Br2sZS7ulJ-XhArG6tuk3HcYJyn3IV2gH6pFtJsrnwlC7xBZXdUJ5V7rYQB0V8sZI_Bb0zFqpf3AKwtd6Rqn2yWecM/s1600/JoAnneMcArthur+Goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEEYgo1o8HtnsWgqEFOSTc0NxwCeu8Zv5X6Dvl9IgbXJ9Tce0_Br2sZS7ulJ-XhArG6tuk3HcYJyn3IV2gH6pFtJsrnwlC7xBZXdUJ5V7rYQB0V8sZI_Bb0zFqpf3AKwtd6Rqn2yWecM/s320/JoAnneMcArthur+Goat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-18986430047261582682016-11-09T10:01:00.003-08:002016-11-09T10:02:11.861-08:00Opinion Article: "Canada's Food Guide Should Recommend a Vegan Diet"An opinion essay I wrote, titled "Health Canada Should Recommend a Vegan Diet", was published on the Epoch Times website on November 2-- you can find it on <a href="http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2180473-canadas-food-guide-should-recommend-a-vegan-diet/">the Epoch Times website here</a>.<br />
<br />
Although the Epoch Times website makes it look like I wrote this Op-Ed on behalf of the NCVA, please note that I only wrote it as a representation of my own opinions.<br />
<br />
A longer blog post on Canada's Food Guide is coming soon!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeP_esBcuKiYtnAlSw4UyRYmVuJyCYKlh7IErU6GaYBvKnJlS3xp-l5myPy7zdYKndT4V4UPwpXOV8_td0If72Y7PtjHcPX4POKHOvXN6f4UXp9rJJbm1X1vUJ0GbTPRXUn9D7hBeWD4/s1600/Epoch+Times+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeP_esBcuKiYtnAlSw4UyRYmVuJyCYKlh7IErU6GaYBvKnJlS3xp-l5myPy7zdYKndT4V4UPwpXOV8_td0If72Y7PtjHcPX4POKHOvXN6f4UXp9rJJbm1X1vUJ0GbTPRXUn9D7hBeWD4/s320/Epoch+Times+Logo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logo of the Epoch Times</td></tr>
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<br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-19503454714812076332016-09-07T13:11:00.000-07:002016-09-07T13:11:00.490-07:00Bringing Education on Plant-Based Nutrition into SchoolsI have recently written a blog post for the National Capital Vegetarian Association's blog (I'm currently a member of the NCVA's Board of Directors) that discusses and shares some resources for bringing education on plant-based nutrition into schools. The resources that I linked to in the post are in English, and in the comments section, I've also linked to some that are in French. You can find my post at <a href="https://ncva.ca/2016/09/04/giving-kids-a-plant-based-education/">https://ncva.ca/2016/09/04/giving-kids-a-plant-based-education/</a><br />
Have a great day!Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-22475421103858386092016-08-22T13:40:00.000-07:002016-08-22T15:31:36.553-07:00My New Printable "Why Vegan" Brochures!Hi everyone!<br />
<br />
Lately I've been working on writing literature on animal rights and veganism. One of the things I've written is a brochure called "Why Vegan?". In the brochure, I discuss the reasons for going vegan and include some details on how to make the switch. I also provide links to other websites, so that people can learn more! I've used some of Jo-Anne McArthur's beautiful photos of animals and humans (since she allows advocates to use her photographs as long as they give her credit for her work) in these leaflets, so they are visually attractive, too!<br />
<br />
I created these brochures because I felt that there weren't enough options of leaflets out there. I wanted to hand out leaflets that were non-graphic, that promote veganism unequivocally, that focus on the underlying values of veganism, and that would appeal to people in the mainstream.<br />
<br />
I have recently made a brochure for the National Capital Vegetarian Association that is very similar to this one, but that one isn't available for download through my blog. If you live in Ottawa, you might see the NCVA version being handed out at events, however!<br />
<br />
You can find my brochures at Google Drive at <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzC9bTdfS67Pb1VnYldFWXFHUmc/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzC9bTdfS67Pb1VnYldFWXFHUmc/view?usp=sharing</a><br />
<br />
Feel free to print off my brochures and hand them out, if you'd like-- let's spread the word about compassion and justice, one leaflet at a time! :)Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-67895465501961477852016-08-01T14:46:00.001-07:002016-08-01T14:46:03.854-07:00Free Downloadable "I Am A Vegan" Posters<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to put up more posters advocating for veganism? I've
created some downloadable posters that you can print off your computer and put
up around your city or town! Each poster says, "I am a vegan..." and
then gives a reason to go vegan. Some of them are in colour, while others are
not. There are five of them in all. Thanks to Jo-Anne McArthur for letting me
(and all other animal rights activists!) use her lovely photos!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To give an example, here is one of the posters:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOd8Wo8OtDkZxe8Jh0kyOMwQZ2Ovjb-KsR-JzWTgfK0YVm2mtCU0QIp6mMDUBI5FE6oNIqQaAUJzKspvLahyphenhyphendKm1BD419b5HIShhmLJGMBsNueY-F3TtFfEDllT-XvHfM1DfoJM78md4/s1600/I+am+a+vegan+poster+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOd8Wo8OtDkZxe8Jh0kyOMwQZ2Ovjb-KsR-JzWTgfK0YVm2mtCU0QIp6mMDUBI5FE6oNIqQaAUJzKspvLahyphenhyphendKm1BD419b5HIShhmLJGMBsNueY-F3TtFfEDllT-XvHfM1DfoJM78md4/s400/I+am+a+vegan+poster+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To download all of them, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzC9bTdfS67PWGktbllmVTdWbEk/view">see the PDF here</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks, and keep advocating for the animals!</span></div>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-28238069673765882872016-05-29T13:10:00.002-07:002016-05-29T13:10:37.446-07:00A Big AnnouncementHello everyone! Today I have a big announcement to make... I'm starting a new blog! It's called <em>Vegan Forget-Me-Nots</em>, and it's a blog on which I will share my latest activism projects and provide resources for other animal rights/vegan activists.<br />
<br />
I felt the need to start a new blog in addition to this one because I wanted to start a more focused "homepage" of sorts for my activism-- one on which people can be easily find videos, posters, and other content that I'm making.<br />
<br />
I am still going to keep posting sporadically (as I have been doing) on <em>The Animal Rights Action Site</em>, however. I started writing for this blog when I was 15, and have been keeping at it for nearly the past 5 years! This blog has been a useful place for me to develop my writing skills and spread the word about animal rights, and I'm so glad I have kept with it for so long. I love this blog, so don't worry, it isn't going away!<br />
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On Vegan Forget-Me-Nots, I am working on a project called "Reasons To Be Vegan". I'm making (a) video(s) and posters for this, so please check out my new blog and sign up for e-mail updates of new blog posts!<br />
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You can find it at <a href="http://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/">http://veganforgetmenots.blogspot.ca/</a> .<br />
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Have a great day!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Wei6TSm_c3mHHVtWMFNG3WGtAmBOxuRM2Z2XGkwAdSnvZPZB3U2b_cEfS4AEt8-lK7AWR6SpAVoBDI4HZeNx_8BtaGBS91d0i90IQtEfm_oiqEOCMvkszn7xDieLcsBPDjSwqBVPVHI/s1600/20160514_115711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Wei6TSm_c3mHHVtWMFNG3WGtAmBOxuRM2Z2XGkwAdSnvZPZB3U2b_cEfS4AEt8-lK7AWR6SpAVoBDI4HZeNx_8BtaGBS91d0i90IQtEfm_oiqEOCMvkszn7xDieLcsBPDjSwqBVPVHI/s400/20160514_115711.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright C. H. 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-37162947232706209662016-04-14T14:02:00.001-07:002019-03-31T12:06:46.618-07:00Ban of Selling Commercially-Bred Dogs and Cats from Ottawa Pet Stores!Hello everyone,<br />
A while ago, I did a post on how the City of Ottawa was considering banning the sale of commercially-bred dogs, cats, and rabbits from pet stores in Ottawa. Well, now I have some pretty good news-- a new law has been passed! Once it starts being enforced, the only dogs and cats that will be allowed to be sold at Ottawa pet stores will be animals from animal shelters and rescues.<br />
The bad news, however, is that these changes will not come into effect for 5 years. Also, none of the articles I have seen on the subject mention rabbits or other small animals at all, so presumably rabbits and other "pocket pets" will still be sourced from commercial breeders. :(<br />
Still, it's encouraging to know that the regulations are changing surrounding this! :)<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of links to articles about this:<br />
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/council-bans-for-profit-pet-sales-ottawa-1.3534339">http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/council-bans-for-profit-pet-sales-ottawa-1.3534339</a><br />
<a href="http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016/04/13/ottawa-council-approves-pet-shop-bylaw-reform.html">http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016/04/13/ottawa-council-approves-pet-shop-bylaw-reform.html</a>Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-79252756014675009652016-04-11T17:30:00.000-07:002019-03-31T12:05:01.385-07:00Why whether or not one eats meat is not a "personal choice"Sometimes non-vegans say that vegans shouldn't try to convince others to go vegan, and that "eating meat is a personal choice" that vegans should respect. But is eating animals really a "personal choice"?<br />
I don't think it is. Here's why...<br />
To begin, let's define "personal choice". In this context, a personal choice is a decision that does not harm or seriously affect anyone else, so the individual making the choice has the right to do as they wish, without anyone else intervening.<br />
But eating animals-- and supporting the cruel and exploitative animal industries in general-- does harm others. It harms the animals. Animal agriculture is responsible for the imprisonment, torture, exploitation, and murder of billions of animals every year.<br />
Whether you are a vegan or a non-vegan is technically a choice, but it is not at all personal. It affects others. For this reason, although I respect <em>individuals</em> who eat meat, I do not have patience for the <em>choice</em> to eat meat. I don't try to aggressively push veganism on people, because I respect the personal space of others. However, when people tell me that they eat meat, I don't simply smile and shrug and say "it's a personal choice", either. Instead, I politely mention that veganism isn't as hard as many people make it out to be, and then let them change the subject if they want to. If they do want to engage in conversation about veganism, I am all too happy to talk about it, though!Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-55232132712659737142016-02-27T16:21:00.003-08:002019-03-31T12:05:01.276-07:00Amazing Spoken SongThis is an incredibly powerful video. This spoken song was written and performed by M. Edward King, son of a British farmer (his website is <a href="http://vegansongs.com/">http://vegansongs.com/</a>). Please watch it, and then show it/send it to anyone who will watch it! Thanks! I believe that his song has the ability to change hearts and minds, and to markedly shift the way many people think about animals.<br />
For the animals,<br />
Cat<br />
(If you'd prefer to see the video on YouTube, here is the link: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYyjel5VuHg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYyjel5VuHg</a>)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SYyjel5VuHg" width="854"></iframe><br />Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-17244621099079709172016-02-24T09:41:00.002-08:002019-03-31T12:06:46.394-07:00City of Ottawa Considering Restricting Sale of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits in Pet StoresGood news! The City of Ottawa (in Ontario, Canada) (a.k.a. my city!) is considering banning the sale of commercially-bred dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet stores. If these new laws come into place, the only dogs, cats, and rabbits who would be allowed to be sold in pet stores would be animals from non-commercial sources (animal shelters, rescues, humane societies, and maybe even from owners who surrender their pet directly to the pet store). I am very excited to hear this news-- it is long overdue!<br />
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This new law will likely help to reduce animal breeding operations (including puppy and kitten mills) and encourage adoption, as well as helping to curb the numbers of animals currently entering, living in, and being euthanized in animal shelters. Besides, animals are not property, and should not be treated commercial "products" to be bought and sold!<br />
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Currently, there are only three pet stores in Ottawa that sell dogs, cats, and/or rabbits from commercial breeders, but ending this practice in Ottawa once and for all will be a further "win" for the animals. Commercial breeders would still be able to sell animals in venues other than pet stores, but at least more homeless animals from shelters will be adopted than they otherwise would, and it will be harder for commercial breeders to profit from selling sentient creatures. I would like to see these new regulations extend to ALL animals-- not just dogs, cats, and rabbits-- but this is a step in the right direction, at least!<br />
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The City of Ottawa encourages residents to read the document explaining these proposed changes, and then to submit their opinions on the City's website.<br />
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Discussion Paper with more information:<br />
<a href="http://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents.ottawa.ca/files/documents/discussion_paper_pet_shop_bylaw_review_en.pdf">http://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents.ottawa.ca/files/documents/discussion_paper_pet_shop_bylaw_review_en.pdf</a><br />
<br />
Comment Sheet, which can be submitted online:<br />
<a href="https://app06.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/form.cgi?dir=pet_shop&form=form_en">https://app06.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/form.cgi?dir=pet_shop&form=form_en</a><br />
<br />
If you live in or near Ottawa, please take a few minutes to submit your opinion!<br />
<br />
For the animals,<br />
CatCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060602836377810440.post-88422149790685421612015-10-20T14:42:00.001-07:002019-03-31T12:05:01.440-07:00Think of the Animals on Remembrance DayIn November 2013, I wrote a blog post called "<a href="http://theanimalrightsactionsite.blogspot.ca/2013/11/remembering-animal-victims-of-war-on.html">Remembering the Animal Victims of War on Remembrance Day</a>", in which I discussed some of the ways that animals have been used in warfare and are still used for modern-day military purposes. I also mentioned Animal Aid's purple poppy campaign, in which people could buy a purple poppy to wear alongside their red poppy on Remembrance Day.<br />
With Remembrance Day 2015 coming up, I'd like to re-visit the issue of war's animal victims. To start with, you can read my 2013 post here: <a href="http://theanimalrightsactionsite.blogspot.ca/2013/11/remembering-animal-victims-of-war-on.html">http://theanimalrightsactionsite.blogspot.ca/2013/11/remembering-animal-victims-of-war-on.html</a>.<br />
One part of that post, however, is no longer current-- namely, Animal Aid's purple poppy campaign. Animal Aid is now replacing the purple poppies with purple paw badges instead. Here the reasoning behind the switch, as stated on <a href="http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/accessories/the-purple-poppy">Animal Aid's website</a>:<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>"Animal Aid Director, Andrew Tyler, explains a change of emphasis for our animal victims of war initiative.</em></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>When we at Animal Aid launched our purple poppy initiative – to commemorate the animal victims of war – no other organisation seemed to be addressing the issue. Our aim was to make it clear that animals used in warfare are indeed victims, not heroes. They do not give their lives; their lives are taken from them.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>But too often the narrative promoted by the media has been one of animals as the valiant servants of people in violent conflict. This is precisely the opposite message to that which we intended. An equivalent situation would be if animal victims of laboratory research were to be presented as brave heroes in the service of human beings – with Animal Aid’s name attached to that idea. Having said that, many of our poppy sellers have worked extraordinarily hard and with great passion on this campaign. Certainly, our message, via their work, has to a degree got through. But the dominant narrative (animal victims of war are heroes who died for us) is so deeply embedded that only a huge effort (costly in every way) can uproot it and lay down something that will benefit the animals. We considered the massive-effort option but decided that Animal Aid’s finite resources are best used on other urgent, more productive campaigns.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>We are, therefore, replacing the purple poppy with a </em></span><a href="http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/accessories/purple-paw-badge"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>purple paw badge</em></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em> that will commemorate all animal victims of human exploitation. It can be worn all year round – at special events or day to day. Rest assured that we will continue to promote our victims-not-heroes message every year in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday (but without the purple poppy), and we will continue to produce our </em></span><a href="http://www.animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/booklets/war.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Animals: the hidden victims of war</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <em>booklet and other resources."</em></span><br />
<br />
Although I really liked the idea of people wearing purple poppies on Remembrance Day (because it gives people a way to pay respect to animals on that solemn day in particular), I can understand why Animal Aid decided to switch. It's unacceptable to be giving people the message that animals volunteered to give their lives to help humans fight wars, and if that's the message that some people have been thinking after seeing the purple poppies, then maybe it does make sense for Animal Aid to switch to something else. Besides, the purple paw badge can be worn on any occasion-- it's not just for Remembrance Day-- and it is meant to commemorate not solely the animal victims of war, but all animals who are exploited by humans. However, the fact that it can be worn year-round is both a benefit and a problem; since it isn't specific to Remembrance Day, people might be less likely to talk about it, because it isn't for a special occasion. But the badge still does raise awareness about the exploitation of animals, and that's very important, so it's definitely worth buying a badge for yourself!<br />
If you do order a purple paw badge, I commend you for making the effort to raise awareness for the animals. Just make sure to explain to people what the significance of the purple paw badge is-- that it is meant to commemorate the animal victims (not voluntary heroes!) of war.<br />
You can check out Animal Aid's booklet, "Animals: the hidden victims of war", at <a href="http://www.animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/booklets/war.pdf">http://www.animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/booklets/war.pdf</a>. Perhaps consider printing it off your computer and handing out copies/leaving them out at school or work for people to take!<br />
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Summary of some things you can do to help:<br />
<ol>
<li>Order a <a href="http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/accessories/purple-paw-badge">Purple Paw Badge</a> from Animal Aid and wear it! (You can see all available accessories at <a href="http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/accessories">http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/accessories</a>.)</li>
<li>Print out "<a href="http://www.animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/booklets/war.pdf">Animals: the hidden victims of war</a>" and distribute it!</li>
<li>Write letters to the editor about the use of animals in warfare.</li>
<li>Call in to radio talk shows on or around Remembrance Day to educate people on the animal victims of war.</li>
<li>Do research on whether your country uses animals in the military. If it does, write to the people who are in charge of defence in your country to express your disgust with these practices.</li>
<li>Tell people in your life about how animals were/are used in war.</li>
<li>Post on social media to raise awareness for the Purple Paw Badge campaign!</li>
</ol>
This Remembrance Day, why not take some time to educate other people about the animal victims of war, and of other forms of human-caused exploitation?<br />
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Until next time!Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08923861384121689836noreply@blogger.com1