What happens when a cow is pregnant at the time of slaughter? I almost wish I didn't know. From the calves experiencing their mother's death from inside her, while they too suffer or die their own terrible death, to live calves being cut from their dead mother's womb, so that their blood can be drained for science while they're still alive--it's all horrific, and none of it is ever talked about, even though it's a part of the dairy and beef industries and a part of how people get their "finest" leather. There's enough to cover here that two posts are required. This is the first.
By accident a few months ago, I ended up watching a video of a pregnant cow already stunned and hung upside down--and the video showed an apparently almost-full-term calf struggling inside and against the mother's body, kicking in desperation, dying a horrible death inside the womb. Later came the image of that young calf's presumably dead body tossed into a bin (though it seems still live calves are often tossed as well).
This is one particular horror I'd previously failed to consider. Dairy cows especially (more than beef cows, that is, given that dairy cows are kept perpetually pregnant) may go to slaughter while pregnant if they become unprofitable before giving birth or if the producers decide to kill a bunch of cows even more prematurely than usual to save money when demand is down. And so while workers stun them, hang them upside down, cut open their throats to let the blood from their body drain out, cut off their legs, and pull off their skin, all that time, there is a calf inside them, fighting and dying a horrifying death. How soon in the process the calf inside dies likely varies according to how developed he or she was and how fast the slaughter process moves. In an "efficient" slaughterhouse, the calf could still be dying--dying but still living, still suffering terribly--at the time of her mother's dismemberment and disembowelment.
A UK survey in the 1990s at one slaughterhouse found that, "of the slaughtered cows, 23.5 per cent were pregnant and 26.9 per cent of these were in the third trimester." 23 percent were pregnant. That's a lot. One percent--or even 1 calf--would be too many.
---
Photo of calves taken from slaughtered pregnant cows courtesy of Viva!UKby Stephanie Ernst
Published May 21, 2009 @ 08:14AM PT
What happens when a cow... more
We all make choices throughout the day that have enormous impact on others whether we realize it or not. Every time we chose what to eat, buy, and wear, our decision can support unfathomable violence and brutality towards animals. We know that by choosing Vegan food we not only make a delicious and nutritious choice, we make a Peaceful Choice.
We choose not to support cruelty to animals.
We choose to try the endless and exciting possibilities that a Vegetarian diet has to offer.
We choose not to support environmentally destructive animal agribusiness.
We choose to be aware of what we eat, not who we eat.
We choose to be healthy, educated, and compassionate consumers.
GREAT NEWS! Vegan living is easy, healthy, and it empowers you to save lives every time you eat, drink, and shop. Remember, every time you eat, you are either making a Peaceful Choice, or a destructive choice… the animals have NO choice.
Get your Vegan Starter Guide to learn how and why so many people are making vegan choices. It is loaded with information on the many benefits for the animals, the environment and your health; tips on nutrition; advice on shopping and dining out; helpful resources; and plenty of delicious recipes.
Order your Free Vegan Starter Kit today, Download a PDF copy, or click here to view Vegan Starter Guides available online.We all make choices throughout the day that have enormous impact on others whether we... more
Whether cattle are reared organically or with conventional farming methods, the end effect is bad for the environment, according to a new German consumer report. The agricultural lobby, however, is preventing politicians from tackling this massive source of greenhouse gas emissions.
REUTERS
A cow being measured for emissions. Cattle may be gentle creatures but farming them is contributing to climate change, says consumer group Foodwatch.
For most people, it's the very picture of rural bliss, of a life in tune with nature and the wholesome world of farming: the happy cow standing on a lush meadow, calmly chewing its cud, a calf at its side.
But for Thilo Bode, the sight of this gentle-eyed creature is everything but reassuring. Bode, the head of German consumer protection organization Foodwatch, warns: "The cow is a climate bomb."
Whether they are raised conventionally or organically, one thing cows have in common is that they burp and fart to their hearts' content. Like all ruminants, cows are constantly emitting methane -- a greenhouse gas that is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide -- from both ends. As malodorous as pigs may be, it is the gaseous emissions of billions of cattle, goats and sheep that are contributing to global warming.
Bode wanted to find out just how strong the effects of the greenhouse gases methane, nitrous oxide and CO2 are. On Monday Foodwatch published a comprehensive study of the effects of agriculture on the climate, the first study of its kind that differentiates between conventional and organic farming. The scientists who conducted the study, with Germany's Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IOeW), accounted for both the CO2 emissions resulting from the production of feed and fertilizers, as well as the land requirements and productivity of various production methods.
The results are enough to send diehard fans of steaks and burgers into a panic. Even if all farms and methods, organic or otherwise, were optimized to reduce their effects on the climate, Foodwatch concludes that the principal approach to making agriculture more climate-friendly would require a drastic reduction in beef production. This would mean a radical increase in the price of steaks and the like. "It's time we went back to the days of the Sunday roast," says Bode.
...full article at link...
The difference can be illustrated by drawing a comparison with automobile emissions. The production of one kilo of grass-fed beef causes the same amount of emissions as driving 113.4 kilometers (70.4 miles) in a compact car. Because of more intensive production methods, producing one kilo of conventional beef is the equivalent of driving only 70.6 kilometers (43.9 miles).
DER SPIEGELA kilo of cheese, produced conventionally, comes to 71.4 kilometers (44.3 miles) of driving, while organic cheese is somewhat more favorable, at 65.5 kilometers (40.7 miles). Producing a kilo of pork causes the equivalent of only 25.8 kilometers (16 miles) of driving, and only 17.4 kilometers (10.8 miles) for organic pork.
Vegans eat in a decidedly climate-friendly way. However, even opting to go without beef can significantly improve a person's carbon footprint.
...full article at link...By Michaela Schiessl and Christian Schwägerl
Whether cattle are reared organically... more
MTV inspires vegetarianism via their new ad campaign:
“Our 2009 MTV Pro-Veg Ad campaign launches tonight: viewers around the country will see, perhaps for their first time, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the cruel world of factory farming—and they’ll be further directed to visit our website TryVeg.com for more information."
Do you think it will work? (I know every time I pass a chicken truck on the highway I swear I will never eat chicken again).MTV inspires vegetarianism via their new ad campaign:
“Our 2009 MTV Pro-Veg Ad... more
While reading this, remember that pigs have the intelligence at the level of or greater than man's best friend- the dog and have similar personalities. They are loyal, loving, and sentient. -AL
__
Pigs that can't stand up on their own may still be butchered and their meat sold for human consumption despite a state law designed to prevent that, a federal judge ruled Thursday in Fresno.
The law, which took effect Jan. 1, made it illegal for anyone to butcher and sell animals too sick to stand. But slaughterhouses argued that the law was too broad and caused meat from healthy animals to go to waste.
At issue was whether the state law could take precedence over a 102-year-old federal law also designed to protect food safety. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill ruled that it couldn't.
In his 21-page ruling, O'Neill stopped the state from enforcing the law against swine slaughterhouses.
The state legislation was approved last summer after the largest beef recall in history. That recall came after the Humane Society of the United States secretly videotaped animal abuse at a Southern California slaughterhouse -- including a man dragging sick cows and shocking them.
But the National Meat Association and the American Meat Institute challenged the law, saying federal law preempts state law.
O'Neill agreed, citing the 1907 Federal Meat Inspection Act.
"The very purpose of the FIMA is to ensure the safety of the nation's food supply and to minimize the risk to public health from potentially dangerous food and drug products," O'Neill wrote.
American Meat Association spokeswoman Janet Riley praised the decision.
"We do believe that the argument for federal pre-emption is strong," Riley said. "It seems the judge is sending a positive signal."
Riley said pigs can become stressed and fatigued, especially after being moved. When they arrive at a processing plant, they might not want to walk, but are not necessarily sick. If given a chance to rest, they often walk, she said.
Under the state law, however, such pigs might be euthanized and thrown away, which potentially could waste good meat. Federal law, Riley said, already requires a veterinarian to be on site. That person is required to examine pigs and determine their health.
The slaughter of sick or "downed" cattle is already prohibited by federal law and was not part of the challenge.
State Attorney General Jerry Brown -- the lead defendant in the case -- will consult with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office about "the appropriate next steps," spokesman Scott Gerber said. The state could appeal O'Neill's decision.
Gerber said it is important to "take steps to ensure that our food supply is safe."
Joining the state in support of the revamped law is the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Humane Farming Association, Farm Sanctuary Inc., and the Humane Society of the United States. O'Neill last week granted their request to intervene on the state's side.
Animal advocates think sick pigs may be entering the food chain, and are also concerned that ruling's such as O'Neill will likely derail the entire law.
John Harris, a west-side rancher and CEO and chairman of Harris Farms, supports O'Neill's ruling, even though he is a cattleman and doesn't deal with pigs.
"I think O'Neill did the right thing," Harris said. "It is nice to have states' rights. It is an important tenet of the Constitution. But on food safety, it should be federal pre-emption."
The legal battle isn't over. O'Neill's ruling is preliminary. But if the state doesn't appeal the ruling, the National Meat Association and the American Meat Institute will ask O'Neill to make it permanent.
--
Read response and analysis of this ruling here: http://animalrights.change.org/blog/view/calif_judge_gives_the_ok_to_keep_dragging_downed_pigs_to_slaughterWhile reading this, remember that pigs have the intelligence at the level of or... more
Part 1: Let's Be Reasonable
...
The benefits are so far-reaching that it's not an exaggeration to say that "going veg" is one of the best choices (if not the best choice) we can make to help solve the world's most pressing and stubborn problems. Huge benefits are available for an incredibly small price: a little effort to make the change and a little inconvenience while more restaurants and grocers continue to increase their options.
So why the resistance? Why are Americans the largest per capita meat consumers in the world (40% more than Europeans)? Eating meat is not motivated by our concern for health. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are America's top killers in large part thanks to meat, which is fiber-less, vitamin-free, cholesterol-filled, and saturated with saturated fat.
It's not like we don't have other options. There's plenty to eat without eating meat. Look closely, and you will notice that it is meat-defenders who are quick to deny hard facts as if they were Jim Perdue with billions to lose. Eating meat is not only emotionally motivated and habit-driven; it is also irrational and less sustainable.
Want proof?
There are many angles that could be highlighted in addition to health: pollution, water use, energy conservation, and perhaps the most pressing, global warming. The 2006 United Nations report "Livestock's Long Shadow" details the harm of animal agriculture, especially as the largest anthropogenic (human-induced) emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The UN is far too political to actually say "meat is the #1 contributor to global warming," but they do conclude that it contributes more GHGs than "all transport combined."
You don't need to be a climate change scientist to do the math. What "human-induced" cause could be greater than meat or transport? I don't know of any, and it seems that neither does the UN. For all practical purposes:
Meat GHGs › Transport GHGs → Meat = #1 human cause of global warming.
For agriculture to be sustainable, it must emit less greenhouse gas.
Meat Is Overconsumption
I could go on and on about pollution and global warming, but space (like food) is limited, and I want to explain why reducing global meat consumption is necessary to reduce global hunger for the poor and increase global food security for all.
In short, meat is resource-intensive, food scarcity is on the rise, and meat increases the cost of all food.
Animals are inefficient converters of food, consuming many more calories (and more protein) than they produce. Meat also requires massive amounts of energy, land, and water relative to plant-based options. This is well documented. Even meat proponents concede that vegetarian and vegan diets require less food and environmental resources to feed the world.
...
The question is not can we "clever" our way out of the environmental destruction and health consequences of increased meat consumption. The question is not how do we meet this increased "demand." Instead, the question is how do we reverse this destructive trend before it's too late? Advocating for reduced meat consumption, vegetarianism, or veganism should be on the agenda of those out to make the world a better place.
Freedom Food Cruelty Exposed … Again
Posted 19 February 2009
This month, Hillside Animal Sanctuary took a Channel 5 reporter to visit a Freedom Food turkey farm in Norfolk. They filmed many bloodied, blinded, wounded and dying animals. The suffering was so shocking that the RSPCA - which accredited this farm to its own Freedom Food scheme - has launched a criminal investigation.
This is not the first time that the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme - which claims to ensure high animal welfare standards - has been exposed for causing terrible suffering.
In July 2008, Hillside exposed a Freedom Food egg farm, also in Norfolk. Just one week later, Freedom Food was back in the news when Animal Aid revealed that numerous chickens on a Freedom Food 'broiler' farm in Somerset were suffering from agonising leg and hip injuries, which left them unable to reach food and water.
Despite regular investigations indicating that animals can and do experience terrible pain and suffering on Freedom Food farms, the scheme still receives fulsome endorsements from celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver.
This latest exposé shows once again that, for as long as animals are treated as commodities - to be mass-produced and slaughtered for food - they will suffer. It doesn't matter how their carcases are labelled.
Hundreds of thousands of America's dairy cows are being turned into hamburgers because milk prices have dropped so low that farmers can no longer afford to feed the animals.
Dairy farmers say they have little choice but to sell part of their herds for slaughter because they face a perfect storm of destructive economic forces. At home, feed prices are rising and cash-strapped consumers are eating out less often. Abroad, the global recession has cut into demand for butter and cheese exported from the U.S.
Prices for milk now are...
Read the Rest at Link...Hundreds of thousands of America's dairy cows are being turned into hamburgers because... more
This is a segment we produced about an animal right group that wound up in prison for their website, not actions.
This was an objective piece as I'm not an animal rights person. Something very much up Current TV's alley.This is a segment we produced about an animal right group that wound up in prison for... more
After a decade of nothing being done to address this serious environmental problem, let's see what Lisa Jackson does under the Obama administration. She will have to coordinate her efforts with Tom Vilsack of the USDA, and that may prove to be a sticky situation if he has to put pressure on Monsanto and other agribusiness companies (factory farms) whose phosphate herbicides and fertilizers are contributing in great part to this problem. Monsanto knowingly poisoned an entire town in Alabama with PCBs. Now their chemicals along with other toxic runoff and fertilizers poison our waterways. It has to end.After a decade of nothing being done to address this serious environmental problem,... more
National surveys show that the majority of Americans are opposed to the inhumane treatment of farm animals. In fact, Americans are in opposition to the very treatment animals face every day on factory farms. This disconnect that people have between the food they buy and the industries they support is exactly what agribusiness counts on to maintain its bottom line.
However, a growing movement of people are opposed to factory farming and the commodification of animals. They are organizing, documenting the living nightmare that animals face, and speaking out against animal agriculture.
Fowl Play illuminates the plight of factory-farmed laying hens through interviews with people who are fighting diligently to save them. A story of hope emerges as footage recorded inside battery cage and other facilities is balanced with personal accounts of the individuals working to protect the often-forgotten victims of the egg industry.
The film also introduces us to animals who survive the system: Hope, a hen left to die in a garbage can but then rescued by activists; and Consuela, a hen gassed on a farm when she was no longer useful but who survives to be rescued at a landfill.
The suffering that animals face on factory farms won't end until enough people are motivated to change it. Fowl Play connects the dots between consumers and the practices they support, and leaves viewers with a groundbreaking message of personal change and community outreach.Fowl Play Trailer (Now Playing)
National surveys show that the majority of... more
-- America's taste for meat is a well-known enemy of the environment; growing feed for livestock guzzles far more oil and water, and pumps out far more nitrogen-laced runoff, than if we were all vegetarians.
Now new research shows how the leftover fertilizer is contributing to an oxygen-starved dead zone where the Mississippi River drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Last summer, the zone was nearly the size of Massachusetts.
Gidon Eshel of Bard College at Simon's Rock in Massachusetts and Pamela Martin of the University of Chicago calculate that if Americans kicked their meat habit, it would prevent seven million tons of nitrogen from spilling into the gulf -- a reduction of nearly 90 percent.
"When we did the calculations, it was astonishing," Eshel said. "The main reason is we're feeding so much corn to livestock. It takes 4.5 times more cropland to do that than if you feed people a plant diet, and corn is so nitrogen-intensive."Gulf Dead Zone | Discovery News
Video: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/video/
--... more
A new strain of the human form of 'mad cow disease' could kill more than twice as many people as its predecessor, it has been claimed.
The British government's chief advisor on variant CJD warned that up to 350 people could be affected by the strain.
That would be more than double the 164 people in the U.K. who have already died of vCJD, which came from cows infected with BSE.
....And don't think this issue is confined to England. We have mad cow here in America, the government have just reduced the amount of testing required making it easier to hide and deny.A new strain of the human form of 'mad cow disease' could kill more than twice as many... more
I know all the animal lovers out there will want to share this info so we can take a collective stance, world-wide to stop the cruelties occuring in places like China....10,000 cats a day!!!! Skinned while they are alive and dropped into a cooking pot or cut into pieces!!!! This is not real but it is...and every day we don't do anything about it, another 10,000 cats are killed in this way....let's take a stance and do something about it....together we can, I know it....I know all the animal lovers out there will want to share this info so we can take a... more
Hudson Valley Foie Gras in Ferndale, New York is the nation’s largest foie gras factory farm in the U.S. And while most factory farms shun visits from the public, Hudson Valley Foie Gras is an exception.
It surprisingly offers tours to the public. So COK’s undercover investigator took advantage of this opportunity by scheduling a visit, and wearing a hidden camera during the tour.
Even though this was a white-gloved, guided tour, the video reveals the sheer barbarity of this industry. What he documented can only be described as a torture chamber for birds—from pipes being shoved down their throats and food pumped into their stomachs to being grabbed by their wings, shackled upside down, and their throats slit.
What Is Foie Gras?
Foie gras is French for “fatty liver,” and in order to produce this so-called “delicacy,” ducks are force fed abnormally large quantities of food, causing their livers to become diseased and swell up to ten times the normal size. After 28 days of force-feeding, the birds are killed, and their diseased livers are marketed as foie gras.
The UK’s Independent reports on a study to be presented Tuesday to the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco by top cryosphere scientists:
Scientists have found the first unequivocal evidence that the Arctic region is warming at a faster rate than the rest of the world at least a decade before it was predicted to happen.The UK’s Independent reports on a study to be presented Tuesday to the annual... more
‘Ethical’ fur exposed: the case for a fur-free Christmas
Nov 24, 2008
A film released this month has exposed the horrifying extent of animal suffering in Norway’s fur farms, providing a timely reminder of the true cost of fur and fur-trims for all seasonal shoppers.
The film, produced by the Norwegian Network for Animal Freedom, can be viewed on their website. It is both distressing and distressingly representative.
Throughout 2008, the group obtained legal entry to 120 of Norway’s 500 fur farms to complete their study. Every single one was violating animal welfare law.
In countries like China, that provide most of the world’s fur but where animals have no legal protection, the suffering can only be worse.
Trust the label?
The film shatters the myth that Norway produces ‘ethical’ fur.
Despite Norwegian and Finnish fur producers using the ‘prestigious’ Saga Furs and Origin Assured labels – supposed to guarantee the utmost care for animal welfare – the truth is that the conditions are shockingly bad.
The footage shows one young fox with missing limbs, separated from his siblings, dragging himself around a barren cage.
Network for Animal Freedom has given its evidence to the Norwegian police and environmental authorities.
FoxSticker_150When you are shopping this Christmas – or at any time – the only label that truly demonstrates animal protection is the Fur Free Fox logo, awarded by the Fur Free Alliance.
The case for a ban
Norway already has legislation to protect fur animals and in 1998 the government even warned that fur farming would be phased out unless conditions for animals improved.
But ten years on, conditions are as bad as ever.
This investigation, while focussed on Norway, has far broader repercussions. It proves that legislation designed to protect fur-farmed animals is not enough to stop the shocking levels of suffering that they experience.
Unlike farm animals, the nature and needs of the species used for fur – such as minks, foxes, chinchillas, dogs and cats – means there is simply no way to rear them in farm conditions without significantly compromising their welfare.
Just say no
Fur farming can only exist in response to consumer demand, which has growth in recent years.
You can make a stand against cruelty by refusing to buy fur and by telling your friends what is really involved in making a fur coat or fur trim.
To make a further positive stand against fur, learn more from the Fur Free Alliance, and vote in their Design Against Fur student poster competition – the public vote is open until the end of November >>‘Ethical’ fur exposed: the case for a fur-free Christmas
Nov 24, 2008
A film... more
Graphic: There's nothing fashionable about wearing real fur.
This video shows graphics images of cats, dogs, foxes, and other animals abused in the fur trade. Be aware. If you can't bear to watch it, please be sure to boycott ALL fur and fur trim products.Cruelty by Design:
A Graphic Look at the Fur Trade
Graphic: There's nothing... more
The Vegan Food Pyramid is such a helpful tool. It points you in the right direction and takes the guesswork out of which foods one should eat in order to get the proper nutrition you need. (Maybe it should be called the Vegan Nutrition Pyramid?)our Vegan Food Pyramid
The Vegan Food Pyramid is such a helpful tool. It points you... more
This article manages to be much more polite about the way I feel about Thanksgiving and eating Turkey on an already corrupt holiday. So enjoy a less militant approach.
__
What Tofurky Day Means for Animal Rights
By Eric Risser
... full article at link...
Hi, I’m Eric, the president of Columbia Students for Animal Protection, and a long-time vegan/vegetarian. Every year, Thanksgiving seems to dredge up the same old questions for me. How should turkeys, as well as all other animals, be treated in a modern industrial world? Given all the excellent reasons against eating animals, should meat be eliminated from diets altogether? If so, what would this mean for the spirit of Thanksgiving, an American tradition going back almost 400 years?
It’s no surprise that Thanksgiving in particular gets a lot of attention from the animal rights community—it is a holiday based around eating an animal. It also has widespread popularity, a history, and an industry, the three ingredients that vegans need in order to raise awareness, get people to question their beliefs, and show the rampant corruption and cruelty people are supporting. CSAP has already begun this effort. Yesterday we held our annual Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner to raise awareness and show the Columbia community that vegan food can be delicious. In a movement where activists spend most of their time protesting into the ether, Thanksgiving gives us something tangible, something flesh-and-blood, which we can really sink our teeth into, so to speak.
Truth be told, though, Thanksgiving gets more attention than it deserves. Each year, over 46 million turkeys are slaughtered in preparation for the holiday. However, what most people don’t realize is that this is roughly double the 23 million chickens that are slaughtered each day in the US, according to Viva! USA, a group that campaigns on behalf of animals killed for food. This does not even mention the countless other animals which suffer in factory farms throughout the world. Is eating turkey on Thanksgiving ethical? Probably as ethical as eating turkey any other day—it all depends on your own beliefs. The nice thing about Thanksgiving is that it gives people the perfect chance to test out vegetarianism and make a difference without having to make a long-term commitment or life change.
The increased awareness of animal rights due to Thanksgiving raises the question of whether people should focus more on improving the treatment of the animals or eliminating meat from the holiday altogether. I’d say both. I don’t think people biologically need to eat meat; in fact, I’d go as far as to say that the quality and quantity at which it’s consumed in America significantly contributes to heart disease and cancer. According to the United Nations and several other respectable organizations, factory farming and the consumption of meat in general are major causes of many of the world’s worst problems including the state of the environment, high demand for oil, loss of arable land that could be used to grow crops, and even disease caused by water pollution. So, should you stop eating meat altogether? Once again, it’s your call. There is only one thing I can really be sure about—what’s going on in most factory farms today is wrong, inhumane, and should not be supported, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you believe in.
So how much does faux-meat change the spirit of Thanksgiving? Not much from what I can tell. ... Rest of article at link.
The author is a second year master’s student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science majoring in computer science. He is the president of Columbia Students for Animal Protection.This article manages to be much more polite about the way I feel about Thanksgiving... more
