OMNI
VEGETARIAN ACTION NEWSLETTER #37
MAY 10, 2017.
Edited by Dick Bennett for a Culture
of Peace, Justice, and Ecology
OMNI’s MAY VEGETARIAN POTLUCK is Wednesday, MAY 10, at
OMNI, Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology (2ND Wednesdays) at the OMNI
Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology. We
usually begin at 6:00, but tonight we’re showing a film, so I will be coming
early.
All are
welcome.
You may want to
enjoy some old or new vegetarian recipes,and discuss them, to talk about
healthier food, or you are concerned about cruelty to animals or warming and
climate change. Whatever your interest it’s connected to plant or meat
eating; whatever your motive, come share vegetarian and vegan food and your
views with us in a friendly setting.
As an extra treat, thanks
to Bob Walker we will be showing the new film What the Health! created by the makers of Cowspiracy. We would have more films and programs if we had the
money, so please give a donation. If you are new, get acquainted with OMNI’s
director, Gladys. At OMNI, 3274 Lee
Avenue, off N. College east of the Village Inn and south of Liquor World.
More information: 935-4422; 442-4600.
Contents: Vegetarian
Action Newsletter #37, May 10, 2017
Vegan Poetry
Dr Ravi P Bhatia. Seeking Peace in Vegetarianism
Health, Nutrition
VegNews each
number packed with articles, recipes, ads for products about veg/vegan food.
What the Health! New
film about meat eating/carnivorism vs. health.
Marta
Zaraska. “Vegetable Regimen Can Aid
Weight Loss, Researchers Show.” NADG (March 27, 2017).
Masterson,
“Science, Not Emotion.” NADG (April
29, 2017). Vs. CAFOs.
Protection of Animals, Compassion
Wayne
Pacelle. The Humane Economy: How
Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of
Animals. From the Humane Society of
the United States. Dolores Proubasta, “Lawmakers
Target Free Speech to Protect Industry.”NADG
(3-17-17). Arkansas’”Ag-gag” Bill.
Brian Bolton. Evangelicals
Inconsistent on Animal Care. Freethought Today · March 2017.
Chicago Tribune Editorial. “Attacking Animal Cruelty.” NADG (May
8, 2017).
OMNI Vegetarian
Newsletter (October 2017)
Hawthorne, A Vegan Ethic
PETA Global (Spring 2017)
Climate, Carnivorism
Bourdain, Documentary Wasted!
The Story of Food Waste
Climate and Eating Meat
Climate and Eating Meat Google Search, May 2, 2017.
TEXTS
START HERE
www.soystache.com/berniejones.htm
These poem pages are a forum for artists to share their work with
others. Unless otherwise noted, the poems are copyrighted by the individual authors.
www.animalliberationfront.com/.../Poetry/Vegan%20poetry%20by%20Bernie%20Jon...
Unique poetry to promote the many benefits of a plant-based (vegan) diet. ...
These poem pages are a
forum for artists to share their work with others.
Seeking Peace in Vegetarianism
Dr Ravi P Bhatia –
TRANSCEND Media Service
https://www.transcend.org/tms/2017/03/seeking-peace-in-vegetarianism/
20 Mar 2017 – The concept of peace has
several dimensions – political, religious, economic, social and even personal
traits. Peace is not just the absence of conflict or violence. Even in the
absence of violence, we may not always have peace. Peace is a positive aspect
that is a reflection of friendship, amity, religious harmony, well being. We
also have a sense of peace and joy when we have a clean environment around us.
Another aspect of peace is vegetarianism or in other words, not
eating meat or chicken or even fish. We will discuss this aspect a little
later.
A clean healthy environment is not only conducive in keeping
pollution or global warming at bay but also provides peace and happiness. A
healthy environment gives us joy, tranquility; it allows religious leaders and
ordinary persons to meditate, to be kind, to have compassion, to seek spiritual
union with the Almighty.
Such an environment signifies wellbeing of all forms of life —
humans, animals, forests, plants and marine life. This environment is clean,
healthy and beautiful — here birds fly around, plants flower, trees grow and
produce flowers and fruit; bees produce honey; rivers flow and lakes and wells
have clean water for drinking and agriculture. Such an environment gives us
peace, solace and happiness and is essential for the survival of humanity as
well for avoiding global warming and climate change..
In forests we find birds chirping, animals loitering around,
healthy trees that bloom and give us fruit. All this gives joy and
happiness. Man has looked at forests with awe, wonder and hope for centuries.
Trees have symbolized life, shelter and rest for man. According to the Indian
religious and philosophical texts Vedas, the tree kalpvriksha has wonderful properties. A person
sitting beneath this tree in a contemplative stance gains knowledge and
spiritual strength. For Buddha, it conferred enlightenment
Issue of vegetarianism vs. non vegetarianism
What to eat and what not to eat is a debate that generates
controversy and occasionally ill will and has been going on for a very long
time in many parts of the world. In particular the debate is between eating
vegetarian food or non vegetarian food that includes meat, lamb, chicken, beef
and fish etc. The debate depends on several factors – religious, geographical,
ideological and of course economic.
Many religions especially Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism etc generally forbid a person
belonging to any of these faiths to eat non vegetarian food. There are of
course exceptions to this dictate. Some Hindus living in coastal regions eat
fish or in mountainous regions where vegetables do not grow easily, do eat meat
also. Similarly some Buddhists also eat meat or chicken although in India and
some other regions, Buddhists are generally vegetarian.
But Jains are more particular to eat only vegetarian food. In
fact some Jains go beyond this order. They not only do not eat meat
or eggs, some Jains do not eat anything that grows inside the soil – e.g.
potato, carrot, onion etc for this reason. They can eat beans or cauliflower
because these food items ripen above the ground and not below the soil. Why
this restriction for Jains? The answer is complex but essentially it is because
they are particular that they should not harm any animal or bird or insect
knowingly.
Muslims are by their faith forbidden from eating pork and the
meat that they may eat should be halal. I am not aware if Christians
have any particular taboos on what type of meat to eat or not. But generally
Christians will not like to eat the meat of a dog unlike in China and a few
other countries where there is no such restriction on eating this animal’s meat.
Perhaps Chinese are most liberal in eating the meat of any animal or
bird or fish.
There are some people called vegans who do not drink milk or eat any milk
product. The reason is perhaps ideological and reflects their concept of peace.
They feel that the cows are kept in such miserable conditions in order that
they may produce more milk that they do not want to take part in torturing
these animals and so avoid milk products or beef.
I have met some people who are nature lovers – who enjoy forests
and greenery and the birds and some animals which flock to these green areas.
Being in a forest, enjoying the quietness, the fresh air and birds hopping from
branch to branch of trees is a joy that gives peace and harmony as indicated
earlier. They love the wide diversity of nature. So when such people look at
the birds – sparrows or pigeons or wood peckers and innumerable other type of
birds, they wonder “how can we kill them and eat them? They give us so
much joy and peace – killing them would be a crime against God and the
environment.”
This argument although made on personal opinion and feelings is
a sound one; but there are counter arguments also. One such is the fact that
there is shortage of food in the world and many poor people would be further
deprived of nutrition if eating meat is forbidden. Similarly many tribal people
who depend on forest produce and hunting and fishing would not have been able
to survive since prehistoric times if they had become vegetarian.
So the question remains whether to be vegetarian or not?
Ultimately it depends on a person’s personal traits and one’s commitment to God
and to the environment. We can only applaud their honesty and hope that more
people learn to become vegetarian.
Dr Ravi P Bhatia is a member of the TRANSCEND
Network for Peace, Development and Environment, an educationist
and peace researcher. Retired professor, Delhi University. ravipbhatia@gmail.com
Health,
Nutrition
VegNews (Sept./Oct. 2017).
Examples
of ADS: Lightlife, Plant Protein, “Eat Meat Not Animals.” Follow
Your Heart. ”VeganEgg: 100%
Plant-Based Egg Replacer”
Shushana
Castle. Rethink Food & The Meaty
Truth. Many more.
Articles:
Marla
Rose. “Milk Money.” “Lunch at your average American school could
be on the menu of a fast-food restaurant” because “lobbyists are dictating what
our children eat when we send them off to school” “Our kids are being fed dangerously unhealthy
food while big corporations are cashing in.”
Interview
of “world-renowned cardiologist and former president of the American College of
Cardiologists Kim Williams,”who recommends vegan diet.
Books:
Jackie
Day. The
Vegan Way: 21 Days to a Happier, Healthier, Plant-based Lifestyle…
Chrystle
Fiedler. The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty.
Elanor Clarke. The Little Book of Veganism.
Angela
Liddon. Oh She Glows Every Day:…Plant-based Recipes.
Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby. V Street: 100 Globe-Hopping Plates on the
Cutting Edge of Vegetable Cooking.
Kathy
Preston and Rachel Cohn. The Book of Veganish: The Ultimate Guide to
Easing into a Plant-Based, Cruelty-Free…with 70 Recipes…
Forks Over Knives Family. The documentary turned into a book series
on cooking and parenting, with 125 recipes.
“’WHAT THE HEALTH’ – HOW CORPORATE COLLUSION
IS MAKING US SICK & COSTING US TRILLIONS.”
RichRoll
Podcast with Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn. March 12, 2017.
“There are two kinds of
cardiologists: vegans and those who haven’t read the data.”
DR. KIM WILLIAMS, MD PRESIDENT,
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
Imagine four
commercial airliners crashing every single hour of every single day of every
single year.
It’s unfathomable. And
yet that is how many Americans die from heart disease annually. In fact, an
unbelievable 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S. will perish from this one
disease.
Meanwhile, 70% of
Americans are obese or overweight. In the coming decade, 50% of Americans will
be diagnosed diabetic or pre-diabetic. An economic disaster, 75% of all health
care costs in America are attributable to these and a few other chronic
lifestyle illnesses.
It’s devastating. And
yet the most heartbreaking aspect of this crisis is that 80-90% of these
illnesses are very easily preventable and often entirely reversible via
some rather simple diet and lifestyle alternations.
It’s
the food, stupid.
This week I’m joined
by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, the filmmaking dynamic duo behind the
groundbreaking documentary Cowspiracy, to talk about their brand new follow up.
Equally groundbreaking, What The Health explores the relationship between our
food systems and big business, exposing the collusion and corruption that is
making us sick, keeping us sick and costing us trillions in healthcare dollars.
Whereas Cowspiracy explores the impact of
animal agriculture on environmental health, What The Health focuses
on human health. Perhaps the most important documentary you
will ever see, it’s a film about the power of special interest groups to drive
unhealthy consumer spending habits. It’s about environmental racism and the
impact of animal agriculture on community health. And it’s about why you need
to rethink for yourself everything you’ve ever been told about the relationship
between business and food, the impact of food choice on personal health, and
your body’s incredible, innate power to prevent, fight and even reverse the
chronic lifestyle illnesses that are unnecessarily killing people by the
millions.
Starting March 16, the film will be available to watch
worldwide at whatthehealthfilm.com – where you can also
pre-order the DVD and cookbook as well as set up a screening in your town (I’m hosting one on March 29). In addition, for the
first four days of the film’s release (between March 16 – 20), Keegan and Kip
will be donating half of all proceeds to Food Not Bombs – an amazing,
for-purpose organization that feeds thousands of people free vegan meals across
North America and the world.
Kip and Keegan are
truly breaking paradigms. Making the world a better place. And changing lives
with what I think is the most important film of the year. A film that just
might save your life or that of a loved one. I aspire to their level of courage
and advocacy. And I sincerely hope you enjoy this exchange.
RichRoll
Podcast.
THE HEALTH FILM THAT HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS DON'T
WANT YOU TO SEE!
Marta Zaraska.
“Vegetable Regiment Can Aid Weight Loss, Researchers Show.” NADG (March
27, 2017). “For
those hoping to shed some winter weight gain, research suggests that switching
to a plant-based diet can help.”
Masterson, “Science, Not Emotion.” NADG (April 29, 2017). Vs.
CAFOs, the harmful consequences of Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations to public health, the environment, and the welfare of the
animals. “Regulations remain lax because
the corporations that control CAFOs have the economic and political power to
prevent effective regulations”(quoting John Ikerd).
Protection of Animals, Empathy, Compassion
The Humane Economy: How Innovators
and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals by
Wayne Pacelle. humaneeconomy.org From the Humane Society of the United
States.
Arkansas’”Ag-gag” Bill, House Bill 1665,”would prohibit
freedom of speech concerning conditions in factory farms.” Dolores Proubasta, “Lawmakers Target Free
Speech to Protect Industry.”NADG (3-17-17).
Brian
Bolton. Evangelicals
inconsistent on animal care
Freethought Today · March 2017
Their official statement doesn't mesh with bible
We share our lives with 150 million dogs and cats, and 10 million
birds, fish, reptiles, and small mammals. More than 1 billion farm animals are
raised and slaughtered for food in the United States each year. We coexist with
untold billions of wild animals. However, we still tolerate the horrific
killing of hundreds of millions of sentient creatures for sport, the fashion
industry, traditional medicine, and by motor vehicles.
Possibly after considering similar information and sobering
facts about animals in America, Barrett Duke of the Southern Baptist
Convention, working with several other religious leaders, has drafted an
"Evangelical Statement on Responsible Animal Care." Christine
Gutleben of the Humane Society praised the statement, saying that it is the
result of wise and thoughtful reflection and has the potential to create
enormous good. I think that her effusive endorsement is unjustified. . . .
Life Member Brian Bolton is a retired psychologist, humanist
minister and sponsor of FFRF's graduate essay contest. The executive wing of
Freethought Hall bears his name. - See more at: https://ffrf.org/publications/freethought-today/item/28877-evangelicals-inconsistent-on-animal-care-by-brian-bolton#sthash.6bvnlWIo.dpuf
Chicago Tribune Editorial. “Attacking
Animal Cruelty.” NADG (May 8, 2017). No mention of industrial food system
which kills millions of animals each year, but of course killing is not cruel
inside industrial carnivorism. Orwell
called that doublethink.
VegNews (October 2017)
Ads:
AAVA/American
Anti-Vivisection Society, “For Pete’s Sake, Stop Animal Testing.”
Bungalow
360, “Cruelty Free Accessories.”
Article
on ethical clothes, “Cool Couture” animal-, planet-, and people-friendly
threads for every occasion.”
And
see pp. 56-7 for 8 vegan products chosen by VegNews
staff.
Mark Hawthorne. A Vegan Ethic: Embracing a Life of
Compassion Toward All. Changemakers
Books, 2017.
A very definitive body of work on animal
activism and being vegan. I have been vegan for many years and always respected
the work of Mark Hawthorne. In this book he extends our beliefs of being vegan
to compassion for humans as well . I appreciate his content on animal torture
and the meat industry. He examines why people out of ignorance and culture
choose to remain meat eaters and gives them solid life affirming reasons for
being vegan. As a strict vegan and animal advocate I found this book very
informative and to be useful for anyone that wants to explore being vegan,
acting with compassion and understanding the depravity and torture of the meat
industry. This should be required reading for any animal activist. Thank you
with gratitude for the ARC of this fine book. I will be purchasing several for
gifts and one to remain as part of my activism library. The knowledge here is
critical . ~ Lori Read, NetGalley
PETA GLOBAL (Spring 2017)
An
11”by 13” glossy magazine dedicated to “Raising the Animal Rights Flag
Worldwide.”
For
example, “PETA UK Launches First-Ever Vegan Tube Takeover.” Clapahm Common underground station was
plastered with more than 60 ads farm animals telling travelers, “I’m ME, not
MEAT. See the individual—go vegan.”
“Virtual
Reality Lets Human Experience Life as a
Chicken.” PETA is distributing “I, Chicken”to enable people to socialize
with other birds—until a truck pulls up to take them to the slaughter house and
eventually to a grocery store truck.
An
interview of Sue Coe, artist and
author of The Animals’ Vegan
Manifesto. Coe: “The minimum we owe
animals is to go vegan. Refuse to
participate in the violence of breeding others just to murder them.”
Two
articles on wool: “Why Joaquin Phoenix Won’t Wear Wool” and
“Nabbed! Historic Guilty Pleas in Sheep Shearing Cases.”
Article
on cheese: “It’s Not Your Imagination; You Really Are
addicted to Cheese,” including cheese-free dishes, “Cashew-Cream,” “Tofu
‘Feta,’””Fettucine Alfredo.”
Several
articles on PETA’s campaign to ban circus animals.
Climate,
Carnivorism, Industrial Agriculture in Capitalism, Climate Catastrophe
Reduce,Recycle DON’T
WASTE FOOD
Anthony
Bourdain, exec. producer of the
documentary Wasted! The Story of Food
Waste, directed by Anna Chai and Nari Kye.
Climate and Eating Meat Google Search, May 2,
2017.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/.../people-still-don-t-get-the-link-between-meat-c...
Apr 11, 2016 - People who
already eat less meat may be more open
to hear and retain information on the climate impacts of meat, while people who eat lots ...
https://ourworld.unu.edu/.../eating-less-meat-essential-to-curb-climate-change-says-re...
Curbing the world’s huge and increasing appetite for meat is essential to
avoid devastating climatechange, according to a new report. ... The global livestock
industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains
and ships combined, but a worldwide survey by ...
www.climatecentral.org/news/studies-link-red-meat-and-climate-change-20264
Apr 20, 2016 - Shifting diets away
from meat could slash in
half per capita greenhouse gas emissions related to eating habits worldwide
and ward off ...
www.peta.org › Issues
Climate change has been
called humankind's greatest challenge and the ... the most important thing that
you can do is stop eating meat, eggs, and dairy foods.
www.independent.co.uk/.../would-eating-less-meat-really-combat-climate-change-a67...
Jun 13, 2016 - World Meat Free Day 2016:
Would eating less meat really
combat climate change?
If every Briton went vegetarian, we could cut our ...
https://www.theguardian.com › Environment ›
Food
Mar 21, 2016 - Eat less meat to avoid dangerous global warming, scientists say ....
Linking health andclimate change in challenging our eating habits
could ...
www.davidsuzuki.org › What you can do › Food
and our planet
The food we eat also has an impact - on our health, and on the
environment. ... As meat consumption has grown around the world, so has its climate impact.
People also ask
How vegetarianism is good for the environment?
How does meat contribute to global warming?
How does global warming affect our food supply?
How does it help the environment if you eat less meat?
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34899066
Nov 24, 2015 - Laura Wellesley from
Chatham House explains how reducing meat consumption can affect climate change.
mashable.com/2017/03/22/americans-beef-consumption-climate-change/
Mar 22, 2017 - A new report says
U.S. beef consumption fell
19 percent from 2005 to ... Americans have accidentally been fighting climate change by eating ...
https://www.skepticalscience.com/how-much-meat-contribute-to-gw.html
Nov 30, 2015 - How much does animal
agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming? ...Eating vegetables
produces lower greenhouse gas emissions yet. ... in on beef and dairy is not
so much that we can solve the climate crisis ...
Contents: Vegetarian
Action Newsletter #36, March 8, 2017
http://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2017/03/vegetarian-action-newsletter-35.html
Health, Nutrition
VegNews (Feb.
2017)
Empathy, Compassion,
Protection of Animals
Steven Best, The
Politics of Total Liberation
Jim Mason, An
Unnatural Order
Carnivorism, Industrial Food System, Climate Catastrophe
The Great Climate Robbery
Germany “Bans Meat at Official Functions”
“Denmark Ethics Council Calls for Tax on Red Meat”
Recent Peace, Justice, and
Ecology Newsletters (all entirely or mainly about the USA)
Children May 6, Democracy May 5, Cuba April 25, Lawlessness
April 24, Earth Day April 22, WWI April 20
END OMNI VEGETARIAN ACTION NEWSLETTER #37
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