Why Is Sesame Street Promoting the Egg Industry? November 12, 2009

Posted by Marta at November 12, 2009 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

Back when I was a little kid, I watched Sesame Street all the time. So needless to say, it's extremely disheartening to find out that the show is promoting the "Good Egg Project" in exchange for the egg industry's financial sponsorship of Sesame Street's 40th season.

Hens have the tips of their beaks cut off with a hot blade and are crammed into tiny wire cages with up to 10 other birds for their entire lives—so people can have eggs. On top of that, eggs are basically cholesterol bombs that studies have shown contribute to type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and strokes. Shouldn't Sesame Street be teaching children compassion for animals and proper nutrition (rather than promoting an industry that both harms people's health and is cruel to animals)?

Remember the undercover investigation into the egg industry conducted by Mercy for Animals? If you need a refresher, here it is:

Absolutely horrifying, right?

Please take a moment to write to the president of Sesame Workshop (the company that produces Sesame Street) asking him to reconsider Sesame Street's promotion of the "Good Egg Project" and revoke the egg industry's sponsorship.

New Undercover Investigation: Chicks Ground Up Alive September 1, 2009

Posted by Ryan at September 1, 2009 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 152 ) | TrackBack

The Chicago-based group Mercy for Animals has just released a shocking new undercover investigation, which documents male chicks being ground up alive in an egg industry hatchery. You see, because male chicks don't lay eggs—which means lost profits for the corporations—the industry doesn't consider them worth keeping alive.

Of course, I could describe this inexcusable cruelty until I'm blue in the face, but the video says it all:

Pretty horrific, right? It's important to note that this is a routine practice for both regular AND commercial free-range, cage-free, and organic eggs. Think free-range means cruelty-free? Think again.

What do you think: If you wouldn't grind up chicks alive—is it any more acceptable to pay other people to do it for you?

Virtual Reality? August 17, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at August 17, 2009 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

advocacy.brittanica / CC

With our Sea Kitten and Woof campaigns, we've definitely tried to hammer it home that no matter what they look like, all animals feel and deserve freedom. As simple of an idea as that may seem to most of us now, to some people, it's just as out there as ever before.

Take for example, a new virtual reality exhibit in New Orleans, where visitors can experience the senses of birds, snakes, dogs, and other animals who are quote, "in our own backyard". It's "fascinating" to be able to hear the sounds of the birds, and see how and what they see in this exhibit. " ... there are things we don't even know how they can be sensed. That's a really fascinating area," Chris LaFayette, of Texas A&M University said.

Well, I know one thing that can be sensed by other birds who might not be in our backyard, but that are even closer—on our plates: fear. But it isn't these birds we'd like to know more about. With AnimalVisual's Virtual Battery Cage, it's definitely easy to get an idea of what's being sensed by the estimated 300 million "egg-laying hens" in the U.S, who will spend their entire lives in a cage roughly the size of a file drawer. They're miserable.



And just like people don't know that some birds can see ultraviolet light (one of the enticing facts about the New Orleans exhibit), most people have no idea that their eggs come from mother birds who will never spread a single wing until they're thrown into a truck bound for slaughter.

Sadly, there may never be a chicken senses exhibit (not that we don't try!), but letting people know about the cruelty of the egg industry is literally a click away—share the Virtual Battery Cage on Facebook by clicking here, put it on your MySpace, or send it to everyone you know through e-mail. Millions of birds thank you!

Are Eggs Chicken Periods? A Nurse Gives the Lowdown May 18, 2009

Posted by Marta at May 18, 2009 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

It's been a while since we've had Kelli the nurse bestow her infinite wisdom on you, and we know you're itchin' for more. Check out what she has to say (though, of course, we're just giving you this info to be nice—we're not trying to replace your doctor or nutritionist! If you need medical, dietary or other professional advice, of course go see a qualified specialist who can advise on your individual needs), then let us know your favorite way to replace eggs (straight-up or when baking). I love tofu quiche (I'm fancy)!
-Marta

"Are eggs really chicken periods?"

For a straightforward question like this one, I say we skip the small talk and jump right into some (poorly) hand-drawn diagrams!

Exhibit A
Every month, a (human) girl produces an egg from one of her ovaries. The walls of the uterus become a nice comfy home for the egg by filling with blood to become plush cushions. If the egg meets a sperm, the cushions become a sofa for a baby to relax on for nine months. If the egg doesn't meet a sperm, the uterus says, "These cushions are so last month. Let's make some new ones," and the body gets rid of the cushions. The uterus, like many of you, is a DIY diva. The body does some interior decorating ... and the girl has her period.


Exhibit B
Hens, female chickens, have a cycle that can be daily during certain times of the year. Like humans, hens have ovaries, though only the left ovary develops fully. This ovary sends a yolk on its path. The yolk forms what we know as an "egg white" as it moves through the reproductive tract into the shell gland. The shell takes about 21 hours to form and "Cluck!"—out pops an egg! Because this egg is unfertilized, it won't grow into a cute baby chick like peta2's Nugget.

So, a human "period" is an unfertilized reproductive cycle and the eggs at the grocery store are unfertilized reproductive cycles. I'll let you decide if eggs are "chicken periods," but don't get grossed out now! When you really think about it, our bodies and chickens' bodies do some pretty awesome things. It's reassuring to know that our bodies are working fulltime whether we are studying hard or on summer vacation. It's the egg industry that should gross you out with their lazy practices.

Practically all of the hens who lay eggs to be eaten in our country have their claws and beaks cruelly sliced off and are never given the chance to spread their wings. Hens undergo these conditions their entire lives. These practices leave hens mutilated, stressed, and more prone to become infected with salmonella ... which they pass on in their eggs to humans.

Many people decide not to eat eggs for cruelty reasons and many more decide not to eat eggs because they are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat (70 percent of the calories in one egg is from pure fat!). Eggs are wonderful for nourishing a baby chick for a few days, but all of that fat can lead to heart problems in humans.

Besides, we don't need eggs in this day and age. Grocery stores sell egg-free substitutes for eggs used in baking recipes. Sometimes you can even just replace an egg in a recipe with half a mashed banana or a few spoonfuls of applesauce. You can even try grilling up some black bean burgers held together by tomato paste mixed with your favorite seasonings for a kick. And when it comes to taste, tofu scramble beats scrambled eggs any day. It just takes a little interior decorating in the refrigerator to finds new ways to be healthy and cruelty-free.

-Kelli

Kelli Ellis is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing who is currently working on her Master's at Penn State University while working at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

Billboard Placement Fail April 23, 2009

Posted by Marta at April 23, 2009 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 10 ) | TrackBack

Check out these amazing billboards that went up right next to each other—I bet McDonald's wasn't too thrilled.

Don't you just love it? How many people do you think will reconsider eating an Egg McMuffin after seeing these billboards?

The thing is, there are so many reasons to stop eating eggs. Here are just a few:

• On egg factory farms, hens are kept in "battery cages", which are roughly 18 by 20 inches and hold five to 11 hens for their entire lives.
• Male chicks are considered worthless to the egg industry, so every year millions are tossed into trash bags to suffocate or are thrown into high-speed grinders while they are still alive.
• After two years, an egg-laying hen is considered "spent"—and guess what happens to her? Yup, she's shipped to slaughter—to be used for things like chicken noodle soup.
• There are so many great egg alternatives! You can use applesauce, tofu, or bananas instead of eggs when you bake—tastier and cholesterol-free! And tofu scramble or tofu quiche? Delish!

What do you think of the juxtaposing billboards? Do you think it will make pro-lifers reconsider eating eggs?

Easter Is Almost Here! April 6, 2009

Posted by Pulin Modi at April 6, 2009 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

We're all about recycling here at peta2. And with Easter around the corner we wanted to make sure you reuse these completely awesome e-cards that we have around from a couple years ago.

There's this one which features a cute bunny.


And this stars a character who looks sort of similar to Mr. T!

If you're looking to do some educating out in the "real world" at school, church, or anywhere else around town, we've got some flyers for you! One of my favorite things to do in college was to put leaflets inside those plastic eggs along with some candy and leave them all over the place or hand them to friends! It's a creative and really fun approach because people will want to see what's inside these plastic eggs! Make sure you get permission from your school and then try it!



If you hand out the leaflets, make sure you submit a report for points! We'd love to know how it goes!

Could You Spend Your Entire Life in One of These? February 26, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at February 26, 2009 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

A lot of us who go vegan do so because of a video or because of an image that stayed in our head. Maybe of a single animal who conveyed his or her misery more than any other in "Meet Your Meat" or in a different undercover investigation.

For me it was a few different images. The first one being the pig who falls from the hook while on the slaughter line and tries to scramble to her feet while laying in a puddle of blood in one of the scenes in "Meet Your Meat", and the opening scene, where the two chickens, packed together in a battery cage, somehow forget how miserable they are, and take comfort by cuddling next to each other. One of them closes her eyes tight, and I only imagine that opening them again to find the same life is such a nightmare.

Chickens raised to produce eggs spend their entire lives confined to these "battery cages" so small that they can't ever spread even a single wing. They'll be crammed into these metal boxes with five to eleven other birds, living in the filth and stench of their own urine, feces and corpses of other birds whose bodies couldn't endure the abuse. Chickens used for their eggs have no laws to protect them—and will suffer for years until their bodies are too weak to be profitable, and they're sent off to be killed. Being thrown onto transport trucks will be the first time many of these birds ever feel sunshine on their backs.

You can read about this all day—but it's hard to imagine—and a lot of people just don't want to have to watch what happens to animals. The website AnimalVisuals.com is working on some new projects to give people an idea of just how much animals suffer on factory farms, and the first is a virtual battery cage—check it out below:



The best way to prevent this kind of suffering from happening is to stop paying for it. Don't eat eggs! Download leaflets and speak up for the millions of chickens that will be crammed into these cages this year, and send the virtual battery cage to everyone you know.

Oprah is Going Vegan for 21 Days! May 21, 2008

Posted by Patricia at May 21, 2008 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

Photo Credit: NPX/starmaxinc.com

You read that right, Oprah Winfrey is going vegan as part of a 21 day cleanse! She announced on her show yesterday that she is thinking about going vegetarian. She read Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston, and has decided to eliminate all animal products from her diet as part of an "inner makeover", i.e.: a vegan cleanse for three weeks!

I love me some Oprah. I was an Oprah fan long before most of the country even knew who she was. I grew up watching Oprah when she did double-time as an anchor and as a co-host of a chat show on WJZ-TV channel 13 in Baltimore and have been enamored of her ever since.

Of course now that she's Oprah Winfrey: Media Mogul and World-wide Mega Star, she has the power to influence millions and save countless animals. She's already started blogging about the experience stating, "Wow, wow, wow! I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying. I had been focused on what I had to give up—sugar, gluten, alcohol, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese. "What's left?" I thought. Apparently a lot. I can honestly say every meal was a surprise and a delight, beginning with breakfast—strawberry rhubarb wheat-free crepes."

Yum, crepes. Sounds delightful to me! Here's hoping she sticks to her vegan diet, and that her legions of fans follow in her footsteps.

xox
Patricia

P.S. If you're considering eliminating animals from your diet but aren't sure where to start, we can help. Start by taking the seven day veg pledge!

New Investigation Reveals Egg Industry Abuse May 6, 2008

Posted by Marta at May 6, 2008 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

I have to say, I've watched a lot of horrifying undercover investigations, but there's something about all of the egg industry footage that's just so unbelievably twisted.

Maybe it's because most people have trouble believing that egg-laying hens are treated cruelly. People think, well, hens lay eggs anyway, so what's wrong with buying eggs?

A new investigation by our friends at Mercy for Animals shows everyone just why the egg industry is so terrible. Workers at a supplier of NuCal—one of the largest egg companies in the U.S.—were documented ripping weakened birds out of tiny metal battery cages and throwing them violently into a "kill cart." Sick and injured birds were denied veterinary care and were left to die in filthy, crowded cages. Undercover investigators caught one worker twisting a sick bird's neck, throwing her on the ground, and leaving her to die. It's absolutely sickening. Watch the video for yourself.

You can help stop abuse like this. Please urge Triarc—the major restaurant company that owns Arby's and that will soon own Wendy's—to lessen the abuse of animals in the egg industry by only buying from farms that sell cage-free eggs. We know that Triarc purchases a vast majority of their eggs from factory farms and choosing the least cruel farms possible will eliminate some needless suffering.

Want to go one step further to help? Stop eating eggs altogether. If this investigation didn't convince you that hens in egg factory farms are treated bad enough, just know that egg-laying hens are still killed for food, too. Once their egg production drops, they are considered to be "spent" and are shipped off to slaughter to have their flesh made into things like chicken noodle soup.

And really, there are many amazing alternatives to eggs, so give it a shot. Try using banana or applesauce instead of eggs when you bake, or scramble up some tofu and veggies for your first meal of the day.

Let's help these hens!

♥ Marta

Easter Is No Time For Cruelty March 13, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at March 13, 2008 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 32 ) | TrackBack

You know how people celebrate Easter by dying chickens' eggs all sorts of colors at home or school? Ok, first off that's just a little weird if you think about it. Are those supposed to be rabbit eggs anyway or what?

Second of all, it's cruel to the hens to be snatching and dying their eggs. Did you know that a large portion of each hen's beak is cut off with a burning-hot blade, and no painkillers are used? After enduring these mutilations, hens are shoved into tiny wire "battery" cages, which measure roughly 18 by 20 inches, with several other birds. Each egg laid requires more than a full day in these conditions, plus the hens are all eventually slaughtered for their flesh. Oh, and on top of that, there's no real use for males in the egg industry so millions of baby chicks are tossed into trash bags to suffocate or are thrown into grinders while still alive.

So yea. Totally not a cool thing to support ever, and especially not on Easter which is supposed to be a celebration of life. There's plenty else to eat or decorate.

That's why we want you to print out these flyers and hand them out at school ASAP. Easter is coming up and the more people who learn about the cruelty of the egg industry, the less animals will suffer. You can make a huge difference.

1) Print out these flyers.
2) Hand them out at school, church, home, or anywhere else you go.
3) Send a photo to StreetTeam@peta2.com
of you in action handing these flyers out. Or better yet, upload it here. Include a little note about where you handed them out, too. We love hearing from everyone on the Street Team.
4) The best reports will get featured on the blog and we'll even give one lucky person his or her choice of any shirt from our CafePress store!

Since this is technically a contest, we are supposed to make sure you're down with our privacy policy and terms and conditions. You have until March 24th to enter and we'll announce the winner that same day, too!

-Pulin