…and he’s been busy:

Hello everyone,

“As some of you may know I’ve been living and working in Vancouver since last October.

Vancouver is amazing for being vegan and vegetarian. There are many exclusive veggie and vegan places to eat out and shop in.

I’m working on a mini series called “Veggie In Vancouver”. It’s aimed at promoting vegetarianism and veganism through the positive example of Food and day-to-day way of life that vegetarian and veganism is for many people.

I’ve created VeggieWorld, a site that will be used to categorise places by City and have video guides for a particular city. It’ll also have further information about each video guide/particular show such as a map and location of a eatery, close ups of food and embedded link of the video.

VeggieWorld : http://www.veggieworld.org.uk/

The video channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/VeggieWorld

I’ve only (last night) put the Video up for Gorilla Food, a vegan organic raw food eatery in downtown Vancouver. If you want to see what it’s like and see some great examples of raw food then check out
both parts on the video channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/VeggieWorld

There will be more shows appearing in the next week or so (I’ve got three to edit up yet, and filming a couple this week).”

» Jay Davé.com

Via the Echo:

Everton kit failed quality control

EVERTON had to shelve the launch of the club’s new kit because the first batch was not good enough.

The ECHO understands strip manufacturer Umbro decided to pull the original set of shirts after suffering problems with its producers in the Far East.

The firm is said to have cut its workforce back after a big fall in demand for its England shirts after the home nation failed to qualify for this summer’s European championships.

It is understood there were subsequent quality problems with kits produced for Everton and two other Premier League clubs.

The Blues postponed the launch of its 2008-09 strip until this Thursday earlier this month, for reasons the club described as being beyond its control.

Fans reacted angrily when the original July 10 launch date was put back, pointing out that Liverpool’s new kit has been on sale for some time.

Today, Umbro would not comment specifically on the quality of the first batch of Everton strips, although the club promised fans that kits going on sale this Thursday would be “of the highest possible standard”.

An Umbro spokesman said: “The Everton kit delay was due to logistical issues in the Far East.

» Full article

Shortage of child slave labour to make them…?

» Clean Clothes Campaign
» Ethical Consumer

» Following up on the item the other day which mentioned about any artist performing in China would be the subject of censorship - here’s a list of musicians that will soon be on a blacklist.

E! Online report via Yahoo News:

Sting, Matthews, Mayer Gamer for Tibet Than Beijing

Just in time for China’s moment in the spotlight, some of the biggest voices in showbiz are taking another stand on behalf of Tibet.

Sting, John Mayer and Dave Matthews are among the rockers lending their musicianship to Songs for Tibet, an all-star album intended to draw more attention to the Asian province’s ongoing struggle for national sovereignty.

The album, which will also feature tunes by Alanis Morissette, Moby and Garbage, will have a global release on iTunes Aug. 5, three days before the 2008 Summer Olympics get underway in Beijing. Hard copies will hit stores Aug. 12.

“We wanted to express our support for the Tibetan people and their message of peace through music, a fundamental means of expression, at a time when the eyes of the world are on China,” said the Art of Peace Foundation’s Michael Wohl, whose Dalai Lama-supporting nonprofit is behind the CD project.

Also on the track list are songs from Rush, Suzanne Vega, Imogen Heap, Damien Rice, Underworld and Duncan Sheik.

“The commitment and enthusiasm from such a wide group of artists has been astonishing and truly heartfelt. It’s been exciting orchestrating such an historic project,” album producer Rupert Hine said.

Wohl added, “This album will focus people’s attention on the importance of Tibet, the gifts of its culture, and the crisis the Tibetan people are facing today.”

And yes, the timing of Songs for Tibet’s release was deliberate, he said.

In addition to being the culmination of four years—or lifetimes—of training for thousands of athletes from all over the world, this year’s Olympics has been the most controversial since the Cold War-era Moscow Games, which the U.S. and others chose to boycott in 1980.

China has been questioned from all sides about a range of issues, from its air pollution to its human-rights record to its ties to the Sudanese government.

Steven Spielberg stepped down from his role as artistic adviser of the Beijing Olympics earlier this year in opposition to China’s relationship with Sudan despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

In March, both Björk and the seemingly less-controversial Harry Connick Jr. were both told to keep a lid on it—Björk after she shouted pro-Tibet sentiments during a concert in Shanghai, and Connick before he’d even sung a word.

Shortly after Björk was denounced for “turning a commercial show into a political performance,” censors forced the New Orleans-bred crooner to revise his set list after certain songs on the original list were deemed off-limits.

» Full article

Article via the Independent:

Experiments on animals rose to 3.2m last year

By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent
Tuesday, 22 July 2008

More than 3.2 million experiments on animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys, were carried out last year – the highest total since the early 1990s.

Government figures showed it had presided over a steady rise in the number of animals used for research in the past 11 years, despite promises in opposition to cut the numbers. Ministers insisted the experiments were tightly controlled and essential for medical research but anti-vivisection groups accused the Government of reneging on promises to look for alternatives.

The number of experiments went up by 190,000 to 3,202,000 last year, a rise of 6 per cent. The main reason for the rise was the growing practice of breeding genetically modified mice and fish for tests in which disease-causing genes are inserted or removed. About 1.15 million such procedures took place last year, an increase of 114,000. The Home Office also recorded the use of monkeys on almost 4,000 occasions but the number of tests was down by 6 per cent.

Wendy Higgins, of the Dr Hadwen Trust, a charity that promotes humane medical research, said: “For a government that claims animals are only used when absolutely necessary, this is a shameful record indeed.”

Meg Hillier, a Home Office minister, said: “Advances with non-animal test methods continue to be made but at present licensed animal use remains essential to develop improved healthcare technologies.”

» Full article

- Alexia over at PETA Europe’s Blog has a few words to say about this plus pictures of some protesters who went to the Home Office after this news got out.

The Olympics are on 19 days away now and here are some items about the Chinese government’s efforts to control every aspect - From the environment to what people can see and hear.

How they are combating pollution, or not as the following item reports:

Beijing Begins Massive Shutdown To Curb Pollution Before Olympics

Beijing’s Olympic shutdown begins Sunday, a drastic plan to lift the Chinese capital’s gray shroud of pollution just three weeks ahead of the games.

Half of Beijing’s 3.3 million vehicles will be pulled off the roads and many polluting factories will be shuttered. Chemical plants, power stations and foundries left open have to cut emissions by 30 percent _ and dust-spewing construction in the capital will be halted.

In a highly stage-managed Olympics aimed at showing off the rising power of the 21st century, no challenge is greater than producing crystalline air for 10,500 of the world’s greatest athletes.

“Pea-soup air at the opening ceremony would be their worst nightmare,” said Victor Cha, director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University.

Striking venues and $40 billion spent to improve infrastructure cannot mask Beijing’s dirty air. A World Bank study found China is home to 16 of the 20 worst cities for air quality. Three-quarters of the water flowing through urban areas is unsuitable for drinking or fishing.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has repeatedly warned that outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour will be postponed if the air quality is poor.

» Full story

- An item about the American television channel NBC, who paid millions for exclusive coverage of the events for the USA and what will happen and what would they do if anyone protests during the ceremonies:

NBC Officials Uncertain What Censorship They Will Face In China During Olympics

For several years now NBC has meticulously planned all the details for its coverage of the many sports events at the Summer Olympics in China.

But with the Games only 19 days away, many at the network are concerned about how they will be permitted to cover any unscheduled events, like political protests or government crackdowns — or whether the Chinese government will allow them to cover such things at all.

One of the most common hypothetical questions NBC officials have bandied about involves the opening ceremonies on Aug. 8.

Hundreds of athletes will parade into a stadium in front of world leaders, including President Bush, and a huge global television audience. If an athlete holds a protest sign or waves a Tibetan flag, how will the Chinese hosts react? Will the television networks show the scene? How will the Chinese handle the media for the rest of the Games?

The stakes are high for both the network, which paid $900 million for broadcast rights for the Olympics, and the reputation of NBC News. If it covers any controversies aggressively, it risks drawing the ire of the Chinese and interfering with coverage of sports events. But if it shies from coverage of any protests, NBC risks being criticized in the West for kowtowing to China — particularly since its corporate parent, General Electric, is aggressively expanding its investments in China.

It is a moot point actually. Since the broadcasting of pictures from the Olympics will be done by the Chinese government controlled television stations, if there are any protests it will never be seen. The screens will just go black.
» Full story.

- Lastly one from the Guardian about the knock on effect from Bjork’s appearance in Shanghi:

China to screen setlists for anti-government songs

Björk’s protest song forces China’s Ministry of Culture to review musicians who ‘threaten national unity’ or ‘violate religious policy or cultural norms’

Sean Michaels/Friday July 18, 2008

When Björk yelled “Tibet! Tibet!” at a concert in Shanghai earlier this year, she might as well have been shouting “O Chinese government - crack down on foreign artists!” Though the state’s initial response was just to rebuke the Icelandic singer, they have now implemented new policies to guard against musicians who “threaten natural unity”. China will not just be screening artists’ work visas - they will even be screening setlists.

“Any artistic group or individual who has ever engaged in activities that threaten our national sovereignty will not be allowed in,” the Ministry of Culture announced in a statement. Artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas will be under particular scrutiny.

China has already banned pop festivals and restricted outdoor events in the lead-up to this summer’s Olympics, fearing protests or simply unruly crowds. Björk seemed to have protesting in mind when she performed her song Declare Independence in March, throwing Tibet’s name into the mix.

China has occupied Tibet since the 1950s, calling it their own rightful territory. The Tibetan independence movement - long active on the world stage - has received renewed attention in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

China has now promised to ban any performer who “threatens national unity”, “whips up ethnic hatred”, “violates religious policy or cultural norms” or “advocates obscenity or feudalism and superstition”. These conditions are sufficiently vague that we suspect Ringo Starr could be banned, say, just for singing of a superstitious Octopus’s Garden. The Ministry of Culture will also be reviewing setlists for hints of trouble - for example, any songs called Declare Independence. Even encores will be subject to government scrutiny. “Nothing that has not been approved will be allowed to be performed,” they have stated.

» Full article

… always finish with a song:
Bjork - Declare Independence:

Via the Beeb:

Gore challenges US to ditch oil

The Nobel laureate and former US vice- president, Al Gore, has urged Americans to abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade.

Mr Gore compared the scale of the challenge to that of putting a man on the moon in the 1960s.

He said it did not make sense that the US was borrowing money from China to burn oil from the Middle East which then contributed to climate change.

Critics say weaning the US off fossil fuels is not possible within a decade.

Mr Gore, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his work on climate change, insists his goal is achievable and affordable.

“The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels,” he said in a speech in Washington.

“When you connect the dots, it turns out that the real solutions to the climate crisis are the very same measures needed to renew our economy and escape the trap of ever-rising energy prices.”

To secure this green revolution, Mr Gore said the single most important policy change would be to “tax what we burn - not what we earn”.

Green campaign?

Mr Gore’s speech elicited huge cheers from a packed conference hall near the White House, but whether his message is taken up in the presidential election campaign depends on how much the electorate warms to his vision, says the BBC’s Warren Bull.

» Full article

Last year we had extensive coverage of the Mars debacle.

Quick reminder for those too lazy to click the link: Masterfoods, the makers of Mars products decided to change their recipes and include ingredients from animals. [Namely rennet] and this decision provoked a massive outcry and because of this Mars backed down and issued an apology. But still left some confusion on which bars had rennet and which didn’t.

We thought that Masterfoods (Mars) had learnt their lesson with trying to involve anything to do with animals with their food.

But sadly not.

Alexia over at Fish & Chimps: PETA Europe’s Blog reports on a petition sent to Mars in the UK urging them to stop their U.S counterparts from funding experiments on animals:

Mars Swap-Shop: This Chocolate Bar for That Rabbit’s Life

More than 5,000 petition slips have been sent to the UK branch of Mars in a bid to get the company in the US to stop funding painful and deadly tests on mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits. What really rattles us and is that these experiments aren’t even required by law and violate Mars’ own written policy…

… in a letter sent with the petitions, we urge Mars to forward the slips to the company’s US president and ask if similar tests are being conducted in the UK. And this is something we would all want to know about, as PETA US discovered that just a handful of tests which Mars has funded include:

• Rabbits forced to eat high-cholesterol diets with cocoa. Later, the animals were killed, and the primary blood vessels connected to their hearts were removed and examined.
• Rats force-fed through plastic tubes, which were shoved down their throats. Then the rats were cut open and killed.
• Plastic tubes were surgically attached to guinea pigs’ carotid arteries, and cocoa ingredients were injected into their jugular veins.

» Read the full post here

Article posted on Treehugger:

Proven: Vegetarians Live Longer
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.13.08
Food & Health

Vegetarians Live Longer

The battle has long been waged, and will certainly continue in spite of this study. Are humans designed/evolved to eat everything and at risk of malnutrition as vegetarians? Or is vegetarianism the healthy and ethical choice? The most impressive data arises from a study of 1904 vegetarians over 21 years by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsche Krebsforschungszentrum). The study’s shocking results: vegetarian men reduced their risk of early death by 50%! Women vegetarians benefit from a 30% reduction in mortality.

Long-term Study of Vegetarians

The participants of the the German Cancer Research Center study included 60 vegans (no animal products consumed), 1165 vegetarians (eating eggs, milk but no meat) with the remainder described as “moderate” vegetarians who occasionally ate fish or meat. The health of these study participants was compared with the average German population. Living longer seems not to be exclusively related to eating meat, though, as the results for moderate vegetarians was not statistically different from those for vegan or strict vegetarian diets.

To the argument that it is not vegetarianism but a general interest in a healthier lifestyle which leads to such notable results, scientists reply with evidence that the majority of vegetarians do not cite health reasons for their lifestyle, but make their choice based on ethical commitment, environmental concerns or simply personal taste.

» Read the full article

Via Discover Magazine: Thomas M. Kostigen flew to the Hawaiian Islands to see for himself the amount of plastic garbage which is floating in the Pacific Ocean:

…I learned about the Eastern Garbage Patch, also called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, from studies the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, based in Long Beach, California, has conducted while trolling it seven times over the past decade. The foundation’s fieldwork has revealed an ever-growing synthetic sea where particles concentrate by season, trash commutes in the currents from far-off places, and plastic outweighs zooplankton, retarding ocean life. Fascinating stuff. Captain Charles Moore founded the Algalita foundation and commands its research vessel, the Alguita. (Maddeningly similar names, I know.)

Moore first discovered the garbage patch when he crossed the Pacific in 1997 after competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race. Since then he has been passionate about investigating it and creating awareness about its significance—and the significance of the Eastern Garbage Patch is enormous. His findings have gone a long way toward educating the science community, if not yet the public, on the magnitude of marine pollution and its impact on life—all life…

“In the central North Pacific Gyre, pieces of plastic outweigh surface zooplankton by a factor of 6 to 1,” according to a report based on Moore’s research. “Ninety percent of Laysan albatross chick carcasses and regurgitated stomach contents contain plastics. Fish and seabirds mistake plastic for food. Plastic debris releases chemical additives and plasticizers into the ocean. Plastic also adsorbs hydrophobic pollutants like PCBs and pesticides like DDT. These pollutants bioaccumulate in the tissues of marine organisms, biomagnify up the food chain, and find their way into the foods we eat.”

You’ll notice the emphasis on plastics. Most other materials biodegrade or are not as buoyant as plastics, which do not biodegrade. Their resilience is also their menace, as today plastics have invaded the most distant places, from the Bering Sea to the South Pole. Indeed, when I was exploring a remote beach past the South Point of Hawaii, I found pill bottles from India and mashed pieces of various products—oil containers, detergent jugs, plastic caps—with Russian, Korean, and Chinese writing on them. It’s hard to get your brain around these connections. But float these things did, to shore…

» Full article

» Here’s one to watch… if it is continually updated…

You see nearly 80% of blogs are abandoned after the first month of creation. I hope in this case that it will keep going because I’d like to keep up with the progress.

The Reluctant Vegetarian is a blog by an unnamed wife who’s husband one day decided to be a vegetarian.

As she explains on the About page;

one day my husband woke up and decided he wanted to be a vegetarian.

i had a choice to make. i could either continue on my merry meat-eating habits, making two lovely dinners each night. or. i could become a vegetarian with him…at home.

i chose the latter. the thought of cooking twice the fun each night was terrifying. and there i was pushed, reluctantly, into becoming a vegetarian.

it would seem that the story ends here. but it doesn’t. did i mention i’m a lactard? Lactose intolerant who also hates cheese? yep. and so the journey begins. to find tasty treats that both the hubby and i can eat.

this is our journey. into becoming veggies.

I’ve subscribed to her RSS Feed. As I said I hope that they keep up with the vegetarian diet and with posting updates.