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!

Posted by Patricia

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

Posted by 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

Posted by Pulin

Harris Teeter Victory February 21, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at February 21, 2008 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

You may remember that Safeway recently announced some pretty significant improvements to its animal welfare standards. Well, Harris Teeter, a subsidiary of Charlotte-based Ruddick Corporation, which has nearly 200 stores in seven states—has announced groundbreaking plans to improve conditions for some of the animals who are killed for its stores. According to the company's new plan, which places it at the forefront of the grocery industry regarding animal welfare, Harris Teeter will do the following:

• Give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to controlled-atmosphere systems—the least-cruel method of bird slaughter, begin purchasing 2 percent of its turkeys by the fall of 2008 from suppliers that use this method, and increase its purchase of chickens killed by controlled-atmosphere slaughter systems by 5 percent over each of the next three years (for a total of 26 percent).

• Give purchasing preference to suppliers that are phasing out gestation crates—restrictive metal enclosures that confine pregnant pigs—and increasing the amount of pig meat that it purchases from suppliers that are phasing out gestation crates by 10 percent in 2009, 15 percent in 2010, and 20 percent in 2011.

• Introduce a new line of Harris Teeter-branded cage-free eggs, give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs, increase the amount of cage-free eggs that it sells from 6 percent to 9 percent by 2009, and work toward increasing that amount to 12 percent in 2010.

What does this all mean? Basically, as an individual and as an organization, it's without a doubt best to not eat any flesh or eggs. Animals don't have "meat" on their bones for us to consume—it's a part of their bodies! And they don't lay eggs for people to steal and eat—it's actually part of their menstrual cycle. However, it's by far better to have Harris Teeter make these changes at the corporate level as standards for farmed animals become gradually better than to make no improvements at all. So we commend Harris Teeter for taking a step in the right direction.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Safeway Adopts New Industry-Leading Animal Welfare Policies February 11, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at February 11, 2008 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 9 ) | TrackBack

This is big news because companies obviously have a lot of power over factory farms and slaughterhouses which exploit animals. While peta2 and the Street Team work to educate individuals on how vegetarianism and veganism are the best ways to help animals, it's important to stay realistic on how we can pressure the corporate world to reduce and eventually eliminate some of the worst cruelties out there. Straight from our press release, check it out.

Following six years of discussions with PETA about the abuse of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses, supermarket giant Safeway has announced groundbreaking plans to improve the living and dying conditions for some of the animals who are killed for its stores. Safeway is North America's second-largest grocery chain, with 1,750 stores located throughout the U.S. and Canada. According to the company's new plan, which places it at the forefront of the grocery industry with regard to animal welfare, Safeway will do the following:

• Increase its purchase of chickens and turkeys killed by controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel method of bird slaughter—and give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to CAK
• Increase the amount of pig meat it purchases from suppliers that don't use gestation crates—restrictive metal enclosures that confine pregnant pigs—by 5 percent over each of the next three years and give purchasing preference to suppliers that don't use gestation crates
• Double the amount of cage-free eggs it sells to more than 6 percent by 2010 and give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs

Safeway's new plan also follows PETA's submission of a shareholder resolution—which PETA has now withdrawn—and independent discussions with The Humane Society of the United States on the issue of cage-free eggs.

"While we wish that shoppers would stick to the delicious vegetarian options that Safeway has available, the company should be commended for at least improving the lives and deaths of some of the animals who are killed for its stores," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich.

Since 2000, PETA has used high-profile campaigns and negotiations to reduce the suffering of animals who are raised and killed for food. In 2007, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Wendy's, and other companies made improvements similar to those that Safeway is now making.

To all the kind folks out there who help pressure companies to take animal welfare seriously, we thank you.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin

Would You Eat a Chicken's Period? January 24, 2008

Posted by Marta at January 24, 2008 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 20 ) | TrackBack

If I were to pose this question to fifty random people on the street, my guess is that the vast majority would say, "Of course not!" in disgust. And yet, these same people probably eat chickens' periods on a daily basis.

Not to get all menstrual on you, but a girl's period happens when an unfertilized egg and other tissue are discharged from her body, right? Well, when a hen lays an egg, it has either been fertilized, in which case a chicken will eventually come out of the shell, or it's unfertilized, and people apparently thought it would be a good idea to eat these eggs.

I used to eat eggs, too, but one day, I went to crack open an egg and found blood in it. That was enough to keep me from eating eggs only when they were mixed into other things (like cake, cookies, etc.), then a couple of months later I was making cookies and cracked open an egg only to find blood in that egg, too. It was pretty sickening, and then I made the realization that I found blood in the eggs because eggs are chickens' periods. Needless to say, I stopped eating eggs entirely after that.

I can't think of anything more gross than eating a period. Who wants scrambled chickens' periods? I'll take tofu scramble instead, thanks.

If you want to quit your egg habit, but aren't quite sure what to eat instead, here are some suggestions:

- Making cookies, cake, or some other baked good? You can use bananas or applesauce as a binder, or check out Ener-G Egg Replacer (Find it at a store near you here.).
- Or maybe you're looking to get all fancy on me and make something with eggs as a main ingredient? Try some vegan quiche, French toast, or chocolate mousse.

Seriously, look at how sad the egg industry is anyway:

And look at how delicious the egg-free, tofu-scramblin' industry is:


Comment below with what you like to eat instead of chickens' periods.

♥ Marta

PS - I was going to include a disgusting "chicken period" image that my friend Joel made in this blog, but I decided to spare you all from throwing up your last two meals. You're welcome.

Posted by Marta

Just In Time For Christmas, Good News For Hens December 21, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi at December 21, 2007 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Do you remember our Mepkin Abbey (a Christian monastery) egg farm investigation which shows hens crammed into cages, suffering with broken bones, and other hideous cruelty? The good news of the day is that the monks there have finally made the compassionate decision to stop enslaving birds. Yep! They're phasing out their entire egg operation and specifically stated that PETA's campaign (thanks to all of you) was a major factor in this move! You can read more about it here. Hooray!

In a time so close to Christmas, it's good to know that Christians in a position of power can use their lives to reduce suffering for others.

As my favorite author and animal advocate, Matthew Scully writes:

Animals cruelly dealt with are not just things, not just an irrelevant detail in some self-centered moral drama of our own. They matter in their own right, as they matter to their Creator, and the wrongs of cruelty are wrongs done to them.

If you haven't already read the book Dominion, I definitely recommend it—especially to anyone who has an interest in making the case that Christians and/or political conservatives should care about animals rights issues. It's a perfect Christmas present for that not-so-receptive relative who thinks you are crazy (you're not, by the way).

Again, especially in this holiday time it's essential to remember that kindness towards animals is one thing that transcends all boundaries of religion, race, gender, political party, sexual orientation and so on. Really, who purposely wants to be mean? No one (except the Grinch and probably Col. Sanders)! Let's stop making excuses and start acting with compassion.

-Pulin

Posted by Pulin