Current E-News
AFA E-News 5-28-08
Welcome to another AFA E-News.
We have been extremely busy organizing for summer outreach and with our spring outreach, which is already in full swing. We apologize for not communicating for a while.
Since we last wrote, AFA has had extremely successful outreach booths at Worldfest in Los Angeles, CA; VegFest in Portland, OR; the University Street Fair in Seattle, WA; and the Sasquatch Music Festival. We distributed well over 10,000 flyers and/or booklets about veganism and animal protection and several thousand CD-ROMs on factory farming. Thank you to everyone who volunteered at these events and who helped in the office preparing literature for outreach.
We are busy preparing for several summer events, the largest of which is the Vans Warped Tour, the music tour we do vegan outreach on every summer. AFA will also have a table at three national animal rights conferences this summer, and we will be actively distributing veg literature at many Seattle events.
We will send more info about volunteering at Warped Tour in a separate email.
If you are interested in volunteering for AFA in Seattle, WA or in Portland, OR over the summer, please contact Amanda at Amanda@afa-online.org or you may write her via AFA’s Buzznet page: http://actionforanimals.buzznet.com/user/
Finally, please watch this new egg farm investigation. Even if you are already vegan, it is important to witness the abuse so you can share what you have seen with others. Please also add this video to your MySpace page, YouTube Favorites, etc.
2008 California Egg Farm Investigation
http://www.youtube.com/v/XXuY8rK3kTw
Positive Feedback
"The 250 Go Green, Go Vegan! [flyers that AFA sent] lasted less than two hours at a local Green Expo."
- Jeff, Fargo, ND
"You guys turned me to a vegetarian :) Lovin every second of it. Thanks man."
- Ben, Connecticut
"Thank you for the add and providing info to help me go from vegetarian to vegan!"
- via MySpace
"Wow thanks for all that information, I really appreciate it. It's completely true that no food is worth the harm of an innocent animal. I think actually it wouldn't be as hard as I think it would to go vegan. Thanks again for all that. I will defiantly look into it."
- Crystal, TX
“I cannot stop crying over the video inside the pig farm. I don't understand it and I can't stop crying over it... but hey, at least we're out here trying to do something. Bless you for your messages and for all that you do!”
- Danielle, SLC, UT
AFA’s reply:
Dear Danielle,
It is very upsetting, but none more than for the animals actually enduring the abuse. The good news is that we can stop supporting it—stop paying people to do it—just by going vegan. The better news is that we can convince many other people to stop supporting it by showing them the videos and encouraging them to go vegan.
Obviously being vegan personally is a must, but by being an activist and taking every opportunity and utilizing every avenue you can to educate others, you can not only save the 100 animal a year that you don't eat, you can save tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, that other people would have eaten!
Articles, Notes, and News
Veganism Recommended for People with Hepatitis
We were asked via email about the best diet for people suffering from Hepatitis. We looked into it and were not surprised to find that a vegan diet is recommended.
More info: http://www.hepatitis-central.com/hcv/diet.htm
Pew Commission Condemns Factory Farming
The prestigious Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, a project of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, just concluded its 2.5-year study of American animal agriculture with unanimous findings from its 15 members. The Commission was chaired by former Kansas governor John Carlin and included, among others, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, and former Dean of the Univ. of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Michael Blackwell.
The panel concluded that factory farms pose unacceptable risks to public health, the environment, and animal welfare. It also issued a series of recommendations, including a phase-out of battery cages, gestation crates, veal crates, foie gras, and tail-docking of dairy cows, along with inclusion of poultry under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
Related News Article
“Report Targets Costs Of Factory Farming”
http://tinyurl.com/5odc7j (Washington Post)
Oprah Tries Vegan for 21 Days
In her book Quantum Wellness, best-selling author and spiritual counselor Kathy Freston suggests trying a 21-day cleanse as a way to jump-start an inner makeover. Oprah has decided to give it a try! The plan is to eliminate caffeine, sugar, alcohol, gluten, and animal products from your diet for up to 21 days. Read along as Oprah blogs for three weeks about the highs and lows of her experience.
Read more at:
http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/cleanse/blog/blog_main.jhtml
If you want to write letters of encouragement to Oprah, send vegan recipes, etc:
http://www2.oprah.com/email/email_landing.jhtml
Federal Government Documents Show Illegal American Egg Board Interference with California Anti-Cruelty Ballot Initiative
http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/pressrel/american_egg_board_051508.html
Gallup Poll on Treatment of Animals
http://www.gallup.com/poll/107293/PostDerby-Tragedy-38-Support-Banning-Animal-Racing.aspx
Did You Know…
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed a letter with USDA this week supporting a legal complaint that calls for an investigation of the two factory farms that the Horizon organic dairy company manages and sources for a significant portion of their "organic" dairy products. The OCA has called for a boycott of Horizon's (Dean Foods) dairy products, due to the corporation's practice of packing as many as 8,000 cattle onto feedlots, with little or no access to pasture.
More info on “organic” dairy [second page of PDF]:
http://afa-online.org/docs/dairy_eggs.pdf
Action Alerts
Offset Al Gore's Eco-Unfriendly Diet!
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/offset_gore?c=weekly_enews
Urgent: Speak Out for Animals Still With Apparent Washington State Hoarder!
http://www.peta.org/actioncenter/ActionAlerts-item.asp?id=2507
Tell Congress to end invasive research on chimpanzees
http://ga0.org/campaign/hr5852/napmdjm7b?
"Eight Belles" Should Sound the End of Racetrack Betting
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/eight_belles/wk7ikxir17xnmxix?
DMX Arrested for Cruelty to Animals
Ask officials to prosecute DMX to the fullest extent of the law
In the News
"Tread lightly; go vegan"
http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1208825721128850.xml&coll=7
“Earth Day presents us with a reminder to consider how our daily lifestyle choices affect the planet and to make changes to reduce our impact. One of the best ways to do so is to adopt a vegan diet—one that is free of meat, eggs and dairy.
“The effects of animal agriculture on the Earth are not often given much attention, yet raising animals for food is a leading contributor to global warming.
“According to a United Nations report, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined. Additionally, waste from factory farms pollutes water sources, and millions of acres of rainforests are burned down each year to make pasture for cattle.
“The consumption of animal products supports these assaults on the environment, so if we truly wish to take care of our Earth, we must be vegan.”
Editor's Note: This is the second editorial by an AFA Board Member that has been published; The Seattle Times published a similar letter.
"New York bans grisly electrocution of animals for fur"
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQhg2Z5W9M0rXGnXFT5ZplM3tl8wD90CFUEG0
"Animal rights group uses undercover video to push for probe of poultry firm"
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-eggs6-2008may06,0,2676478.story
"For some teen vegetarians, a meat-free diet is a style statement"
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/winterpark/orl-vegeteen08may11,0,881132.story