Planting seeds of change | live vegan, sustainable, spiritual
Most of us rarely think about the plight of the animals we eat. Their lives and deaths are hidden from us, and we spare them little more than the occasional guilty thought. But every so often, something happens which brings these animals into the public eye. Over the years, various animals have escaped on their … Read More
I’ve taken part in many types of vegan activism over the past couple of years, but last Saturday was a new experience. A group of us gathered in the city centre to raise awareness of animal rights issues – using giant inflatable animals. There were four – a pig, a sheep, a cow, and a … Read More
We humans like to flaunt our superiority over other animals. But not only do I think this superiority is a myth, I also think there’s a lot we could learn from our fellow earthlings. Dolphins are a great example. As I mentioned in the post linked above, they have even more developed brains than we … Read More
If you are an activist, you probably spend a lot of time encouraging people to stop doing things. I know I do! ‘Stop supporting animal exploitation’, ‘don’t use disposable plastic’ and so on. And sometimes this approach does a lot to raise awareness and get people thinking. But is it really effective activism? All too … Read More
Recently, I attended my second vigil with Bristol Animal Save (read about my first here). If you’re not aware, a vigil involves standing outside a slaughterhouse and bearing witness to the animals who are going to be killed. The idea is to show them love in their last moments, as well as documenting what they go … Read More
Many of us are under the impression that wearing fur is a thing of the past. Public opinion of the fur industry is still very negative, and most people are at least partially aware of the suffering endured by animals who are killed for their fur. Some people don’t even realise that it’s still legal … Read More
“Laid in Britain…by hens free to roam, peck and cluck in the Great British countryside.” So reads the text on cartons of free-range eggs from Asda, one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets. The phrase ‘free-range’ often evokes images of happy hens roaming free over rolling hills. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the vast … Read More
I didn’t post last week, as I’d just left home to set off on my workawaying adventure. Now that I’ve settled in at my workaway, hopefully I can get back into my routine. This week, I want to touch on the attitude that some vegans – albeit a minority – have towards meat-eaters. This attitude … Read More
When people decide to give up meat, they often exclude fish. I was no exception, as I initially went pescetarian rather than fully vegetarian. It’s hard to explain why many of us view fish as separate to meat. From an ethical point of view, some people don’t believe fish feel pain. Others find it harder … Read More
When you’re passionately vegan, it’s easy to become disheartened by what you see around you. Yes, you’re avoiding all forms of animal exploitation, but so many people are still contributing to it. You can control your own actions, but not other people’s. And you sometimes start to wonder if you’re really making a difference. I’ve … Read More