Oh California...

Why dost thou leave me with such mixed feelings! You are *in* for Proposition 2, which aims to raise the welfare of confined animals. But you are *out* for Proposition 8, disallowing same-sex marriage. Sadness.

Flaming on the CBC! I flames! (Not really, I was very polite)

CBC has a little food blog, and one of the writers wrote about whether falling in love with carnivore will influence a veggie to give up vegetarianism. Naturally opinions on vege-ism are being posted, including the mandatory Self-Righteous Vegetarian. I ignored the SRV, but did respond to two others:


By Johnny Ramsoda: "I agree with your [previous person's] comment, except for one tiny thing. Humans are not omnivores. That is a myth perpetrated by the food industry. It's true, we can survive on meat (example: Eskimos can live on whale blubber and polar bear meat), but they would thrive if their diet was strictly vegetarian. Just because we humans are "opportunity eaters", doesn't mean we are not designed (evolved, if you like) to eat only plant material. The plant world has everything we need."

Dear Mr Ramsoda (I love your last name, by the way) -- anyone who can digest and get nutrition from meat has evolved to eat meat. That's not a myth, it's just logical.

It's true that we can choose not to eat meat, though it's not much of a choice if you live somewhere in the world where you take whatever calories you can get. (I'm a vegan, and I count myself very lucky to live in the Land of Abundant Canned Chick Peas.)


By Nathan: "I was vegan for a number of years; during that time I felt well, and I was healthy. But in retrospect, many of the socio-political reasons for being a vegan stripped my enjoyment of food. Politics has no place in the bedrooms, or on the tables of the nation. By the by, my conversion moment was in a restaurant in Beijing when I had turtle (that arrived intact - head, feet etc.) and pigeon. Also intact."

Dear Nathan: I absolutely sympathize with the idea that we should take pleasure in food, and most vegan cookbooks today emphasize this. But I won't live my life blocking out the suffering of others, human or animal, just so they won't spoil my day. Everyday we make choices that hurt others in this world--surely it's not wrong to want to minimize the harm we do? If politics doesn't belong in the bedroom or at the table, surely compassion does?

Palin hates bears too

Well... doesn't Ms. Palin sound just wonderful. Why anyone who supported H Clinton would even think of transferring their vote to McCain because of this woman, boggles me. She's SO conservative. Who cares if she's a woman--she wanted to ban books from the local library! Ease.

From: Grizzly Bay

"Palin supports aerial hunting of wolves and bears even though Alaskans voted twice to ban the practice; Palin used $400,000 of state money to fund a media campaign in support of aerial hunting; Palin approved the hunting of black bear mothers and cubs with the goal of killing 60 percent of the black bear population west of Anchorage; Palin herself instituted the $150 bounty on wolves; Palin is a champion for big oil and supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Palin opposes listing polar bears as an endangered species and is suing the federal government over it; and Palin believes global warming is a farce.

It is not just a vehement disregard for the environment and biological science that makes Palin’s policies so antiquated. Palin believes creationism should be taught in public schools; Palin opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest; and Palin is presently under investigation in Alaska for abuse of power."

Phew! There are other vegans like me out there...

Tidbits from a Washington Post interview with Karen Dawn, author of Thanking the Monkey.


"You're not a bad person if you're not thinking about the animals. I don't believe in bad or good people. I think people make choices, and you can always choose again."

"My vegetarianism didn't happen overnight. . . . I'm still a cheating vegan: If I'm dying for Doritos -- and I know they have a bit of whey in them -- I still eat them. But I think if I wasn't a cheating vegan, I might not even be engaging in this lifestyle at all. It's not an all-or-nothing thing."

"Some things are better than others. . . . it's better to eat an occasional piece of steak than an omelet every day, both health-wise and also because of the amount of cruelty involved."

"I was sitting on the grass [at a rescue organization], and this turkey -- whose beak and toe ends were sheared off when she lived on a turkey factory farm -- comes hobbling over to me. And I put up my hand to stroke her, and she crawls into my lap. I was just flabbergasted. She was so soft and so clearly loved being stroked and petted. She fell asleep in my lap. And I don't think people expect that of turkeys."

"It's interesting when you meet chickens: They are sentient beings and not particularly stupid at all. And you suddenly don't want to be contributing to the battery cage industry."

Sniff sniff!

The number 1 top reason I'm a vegan really goes back, way back, to the Childhood Love of Animals. My total and utter suckee-ness... my total falling apartness at the thought of them suffering. BWAAAAAAH. At the heart of it, it's not about logic or politics, it's just pure emotion.

Evidence: That this god damned Pampers commercial, using a song I had never previously liked, makes me weepy every time.

Cruelty free hair?

Over the past few years I've slowly tried to cut out animal-tested (and preferable animal-igredient) products such as shampoos, cleaners etc. Luckily it's getting easier all the time to find these kinds of products at common stores, and not too expensive. And once you know what to buy, and where, you never have to think about it again.

I've added a photo album to the right, showing the labels of some of these products--ones that I've found at the local pharmacy or grocery store or Zellers. I'll add to it when I can.

One of the main sources for hair products is Belvedere International. Today I bought a ginormous bottle of Down Under Natural's shampoo for just under $6, at Maxi. Their stuff is labeled "never tested on animals" and here is the response one vegan got when emailing the company:

hank you for taking the time to contact us, and for your concerns on
Animal Testing.
None of Belvedere International Inc. products are tested on animals, nor
do we contract this testing out.
Also, the ingredients used (as confirmed by our suppliers) are not
tested on animals either.
Hope this information is helpful.

Yours truly,
Patty Turnbull
Consumer Relations Dept.
Belvedere International Inc.
July 24, 2006

Next up for corn--kangaroooo

Apparently you can save the planet by eating kangaroos instead of cows, because they produce less methane gas. As opposed to just... eating less meat in general? If there's some sort of Kangaroo Ranchers Association, I can only assume the dude recommending this (Dr Wilson of the Australian Wildlife Services) is *in their pocket*?

"Dr Wilson is keen to see that population dramatically increased to produce the same amount of kangaroo meat as that currently produced by conventional livestock."

Sooo take an industry that is probably already functioning at a reasonable level--at the kind of level other meat industries should be at--and make commercialize it further? Not cool, dude. Not cool.

For Cat Owners: the best in food

I've been improving my own diet, but I've got to turn some attention to the kitty-tudes. I've finally found a good book, by a kitty vet and former cat food company pres, on how to feed them.

Hodgkins says: (1) cats should live to be 20 years old if they have the right food -- you should not consider a 10 year old cat *old* as most vets do; (2) cats eat the same diet from when they're weaned til they die, they just might eat a bit less--most of the *age appropriate* foods and *special diets* are based on poor science; (3) a raw food diet is best, but short of that only soft foods have high enough protein levels to match what cats eat in the wild.

To calculate the protein etc. in softy food you have to calculate it in "dry matter" terms. A small mammal such as cats eat in the wild is made of 55% protein (DM), 35% fat, and less than 2% carbs. She says, in buying soft food, to aim for 40% and up (DM) in protein, 25-35% (DM) in fat, and 10% or less (DM) in carbs.

To make the calculation yourself:
100 minus the protein % listed on the can, minus the fat, minus the water, minus the fibre, and minus the ash. What's left is, roughly, the carbohydrates. To understand the carbs more accurately, you then turn it into a % of the dry matter--she recommends dividing it by 25 (and then X 100).

The food I bought a the grocery store wasn't too bad, but I can't be sure of the quality of the ingredients since the industry is basically unregulated. My cats don't like the "mature formula" from the vet, which is too high in carbs. Today I went to Pitou Minou & Compagnons (Global Ryan's Pet Foods) and chose a few brands, to see what my kitties will like.

Here are the comparisons I made:

Medi-cal (Mature formula - from vet): as listed on can
protein 7
fat 7
fibre 1
moisture 78
ash 1.3
Bottom Line: 28% Protein, 22% Carb

President's Choice Finicky Cat
protein 10
fat 5
fibre 1.5
moisture 78
ash 2.7
Bottom Line: 40% Protein, 11% Carb

President's Choice Nutrition 1st
protein 10
fat 6.5
fibre .8
moisture 78
ash 1.9
Bottom Line: 40% Protein, 11% Carb

Wellness (no grain) : as listed on can
protein 10
fat 5
fibre 1
moisture 78
ash 1.95
Bottom Line: 40% Protein, 16% Carb

Go! (no grain): as listed
protein 12
fat 8
fibre .5
moisture 78
ash not listed
Bottom Line: 48% Protein, 6% Carb

Evo (high protein)
protein 12
fat 8
fibre .5
moisture 78
ash 3
Bottom Line: 48% Protein, Carb = doesn't register

So hopefully the kitties will like one of the last two. The gal at the store recommended Wellness because it has no grain, but I didn't have the heart to point out to her that carb-filler is still carb-filler, even if it's apples and cranberries rather than corn.

We'll see how the cats do. Sherry has colitis and anytime we've tried any food other than his lamb-and-rice based niblets he's gotten diarrhea, blood in his stool, and then goes off his food. But so far, with the increased softies, he's been fine. It's probably the carbs creating part of the problem anyway.

Nombly's belly and coat have already gotten better. (We was down to eating junk food treaties, having gone off crunchies.)






Haley... well she's still young, so there's no change. She runs around and beats everyone up and sings her own praises as usual.

Save the bees!

Just read an article on the bumblebee decrease in North America. As usual, industrial food production is one of the suspects. There's a pathogen killing native bees, introduced by imported European bees used "to provide industrial pollination services. Wild bumblebees, which have never experienced this pathogen before, began declining severely by the late 1990s."

Researchers from U of Toronto found higher numbers of infected bees near these imported bee centers (we import bees??) And apparently the solution is pretty easy--to fix any of the little gaps where bees can escape or get in. So. Easy-solution-happy-ending for once.

yet another randomly discovered reason for eschewing factory meat

Oh yay, more reasons to be a vegetarian. Sigh. Once you involve huge numbers of animals in industrial production, many many bad things are going to happen.

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"Ascites—a common condition in factory-raised broilers—causes severe distress...

Forcing meat chickens to grow quickly, which is standard industry practice, can result in heart failure or "ascites." The underlying problem is that the chickens develop so rapidly that their heart muscles cannot keep pace. Ascites kills millions of birds worldwide and costs the industry an estimated $500 billion per year.

The toll is not just financial. Canadian researchers investigating the course of the disease determined that during the final stages of ascites, birds are severely distressed. "In advanced stages, the birds are unable to reach the drinkers and become dehydrated. Death is usually preceded by prolonged agony, and is likely a result of dehydration, starvation, respiratory failure, and heart failure. Given the severity of symptoms and chronic nature of this condition, the ascites syndrome must be addressed as an animal welfare problem.""

("Ascites in Broiler Chickens from a Welfare Point of View" A. A. Olkowski and H. L. Classen. Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B5, Canada)

http://www.eatwild.com/animals.html

KFC not the devil after all!

I haven't eaten at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in at least ten years. But KFC Canada is now going to ensure it buys better treated chickens, and offer a vegan item on its menu. Yay KFC Canada! Atsa nice.

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Canadian Press

"Following a five-year roasting by animal-rights activists, KFC Canada is promising improved welfare for the chickens it buys for its fast-food outlets in exchange for an end to a boycott campaign that will continue in the U.S. and elsewhere. ...

Among other things, the deal obliges KFC Canada to begin buying from suppliers who use gas to kill their chickens painlessly, considered to be the least cruel method of slaughter.

The company is also promising to insist on other "animal-welfare friendly" measures relating to how the birds are kept, including a maximum on crowding and phasing out non-essential growth-hormones and other drugs.

Customers of the popular restaurant chain will also be able to order a vegan "chicken" item."

We aren't All Bad after all...

Oh. My. God.

Change really is possible.

"Colorado’s Governor just signed a bill that will outlaw veal crates in four years and pig gestation crates in ten. Additionally, negotiations are currently being set up regarding making progress against battery cages." (From vegan.com)

High Fructose Corn Syrup: The Devil's Baby?

I'm reading Michael Pollan's previous book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. I borrowed it from work, but I'm going to have to buy it because it is blowing my little pea sized brain.

I have so many thoughts about this... I don't know where to start. Aiiiieeee. I'll try to post short thought-updates on my Practically Moral page, where I like to blab about politics and food. If you don't read them... well... you'll just have to suffer through me speechifying you every time we meet. ...I'll have to carry a script around with me, so I don't forget all my speechify points.

But here's one.

1. The US government (under the influence of food production industries) encourages farmers to grow as MUCH corn as physically possible.

2. Farmers grow corn like mozefozes.

3. There is so much corn on the market, that its value is low.

4. It costs farmers more to produce corn than the price it sells at, which is why the government has to subsidize them; this is also why farmers need to produce tons and tons of corn, to make back enough money to stay afloat.

5. The beneficiaries of cheap corn are the food producers--those who take corn and turn it into corny weirdo products; and then those food companies that buy the corny weirdo products to make new breakfast cereals.

7. SO: If you're an American, your taxes (about a quarter, I think he said) to subsidize farmers aren't really subsidizing farmers (at least re. corn and soy beans, the biggest sector of the industry) -- you are really subsidizing corporations.

8: And added to this, the glut of cheap corn means that every industry possible tries to use corn every which way they can, which is why beef cows are fed corn even though it makes them so sick, they also have to be fed antibiotics with their feed.

And presumably this is the same in Canada. And this type of economy is affecting the countries the US sells corny weirdo products to. They sell corn to MEXICO for God's sake, the home of corn! Because no small farmer can compete with this, growing corn the old way, or the old old way. (Old way=growing less corn, using chemical fertilizer. Old old way=using farm animals and bean crops to enrich the soil, on self-sufficient farms with multiple animals and crops.)

Dr Oz has been on Oprah a lot in the past couple years denouncing high fructose corn syrup, which is found in almost every processed food. I wasn't too freaked out because when you eat vegan you naturally gravitate away from processed food, so what little I consume probably isn't that bad for my health. The only change I made was to increase the amount of food I cook at home.

But now I see high fructose corn syrup as demon spawn! I'm not anti-corporation by default, but what the industrialization of food has done to animals, peoples, economies, and the environment is just immoral. I'm sure there are many, many lovely people who work in the food industry... but ah! ah! ah! Ahhhh!

Enviro-foolishness

From a BBC journalist writing about Midway island in the Pacific. Apparently tons of plastic garbagee bits wash up on shore, killing the wildlife:

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The island is littered with the bodies of albatrosses that haven't made it. Their stomachs are brimming with plastic.

Brightly coloured, and similarly shaped to the birds' much-loved diet of squid, the tiny plastic items we use every day often prove lethal.

Disposable cigarette lighters are a favourite. Without even trying too hard, we collected 62 in a short stroll along the shore littered with dead birds.

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