Good news if you are taking a trip up the coast – there’s somewhere good to eat when visiting Southport.

The opening of The Eatery cafe will benefit Freshfields Animal Rescue too.

This is a snippet from an article which appeared in the Southport Visiter:

Vegetarian cafe opening in aid of Freshfields Animal Rescue
Feb 26 2010 by Laura Jones, Southport Visiter

‘A couple of animal loving vegetarians are set to open an eco-friendly cafe in Southport.

Alan and Nicki Wade-Mak will be serving up vegetarian and vegan food at “The Eatery” on Leicester Street.

And true to their passion for pets the husband and wife team has created a recycled retro look by furnishing the cafe with second-hand furniture bought from the Freshfields Animal Rescue shop.

And Alan and Nicky, a lifelong vegetarian, are so impressed by the work of the charity that they are collecting donations for the rescue centre at their opening event.’

“We want to encourage people to eat more vegetarian food and have a healthier lifestyle which is less cruel to animals.”

“Every single meal we dish out, that’s one less animal slaughtered.”

“We are really hoping that lots of people will come along and have some great free vegetarian food and that they will be generous and donate to the animal rescue…”

» Read the full article

More:
- Freshfields Animal Rescue

- I’ve created a permanent page for the cafe (which you can also view their menu).
You can find that and many other establishments in the EATING OUT section.

- If you plan to visit then take a camera and email pics to us via scouseveg [at] gmail.com.

- Also if you’ve visited already then leave a comment on the page.

Over this past week The Guardian has been posting extracts from Jonathan Safran Foer’s first non-fiction book: Eating Animals.

The American author has been an occasional vegetarian (some years vegetarian, some years omnivore, occasionally vegan) since the age of 10.

With the birth of his first child Jonathan pondering the responsibility of making dietary choices on his son’s behalf and he began to urgently explore his eating choices. His journey led to visits to factory farms in the middle of the night, ponderings on favorite meals from his childhood, and the questioning of some of the most elemental questions regarding the morality of eating animals. Combining philosophy, literature, science, memoir, his own detective work, and his personal feelings, Eating Animals examines the different ideas that Americans use to justify their eating habits, and offers a critique of America’s inhumane factory farm system.

Before the extracts there was this first article in which Jonathan Safran Foer took a look at himself and his decision to finally go veggie:

Jonathan Safran Foer: Why I lost my appetite for meat
For years he was happy to be a 'selective omnivore'. So what made the author give up eating meat for good?

“Perhaps the first desire my son Sasha had, wordlessly and before reason, was the desire to eat. Seconds after being born, he was breastfeeding. I watched him with an awe that had no precedent in my life. Without explanation or experience, he knew what to do. Millions of years of evolution had wound the knowledge into him, as it had encoded beating into his tiny heart.

Now, at four, he is able to carry on quite sophisticated conversations, and increasingly the food he and his one-year-old brother Cy eat is digested together with stories we tell. There are thousands of foods on the planet, and the question of why we eat the relatively small selection we do requires some explaining. That the parsley on the plate is for decoration, that pasta is not a “breakfast food”, why we eat wings but not eyes, cows but not dogs.

Children confront us with our paradoxes and hypocrisies, and we are exposed. You need to find an answer for every why – Why do we do this? Why don’t we do that? – and often there isn’t a good one. So you say, simply, because. Or you tell a story that you know isn’t true. And whether or not your face reddens, you blush. The shame of parenthood – which is a good shame – is that we want our children to be more whole than we are, to have satisfactory answers. Having children not only inspired me to reconsider my approach to eating animals, but shamed me into reconsideration.”

» Read the full article

Next up is harder reading for those of you who still do eat meat because it describes in detail on how animals are slaughtered before it becomes that bit of steak/cutlet/fillet/wing on your plate:

Jonathan Safran Foer: How cows become beef
Some of the animals are bled, skinned and dismembered while conscious

It isn’t hard to figure out why the beef industry won’t let even an enthusiastic carnivore near its slaughter facilities. Even in abattoirs where most cattle die quickly, it’s hard to imagine that any day passes in which several animals (tens, hundreds?) don’t meet an end of the most horrifying kind.

» Read the full article

Jonathan Safran Foer: The truth about factory farming
In this disturbing extract from Eating Animals, the novelist reveals the unpalatable truth about factory-farmed poultry

This is a farm

It’s hard to get one’s head around the magnitude of 25,000 or 30,000 birds in one room. You don’t have to see it for yourself to understand that things are packed pretty tight. In its Animal Welfare Guidelines, the US National Chicken Council indicates an appropriate stocking density to be eight-tenths of a square foot per bird. Try to picture it. Find a piece of printer paper and imagine a full-grown bird shaped something like a football with legs standing on it. Imagine 25,000 of these rectangles in a grid. Now enclose the grid with windowless walls and put a ceiling on top. Run in automated (drug-laced) feed, water, heating, and ventilation ­systems. This is a farm.

» Read the full article

Jonathan Safran Foer: the truth about fish farming
In the extract from his book Eating Animals, the novelist reveals how intensive rearing of sea animals in confinement is essentially underwater factory farming

Modern fishing techniques are destroying the ecosystems that sustain more complex vertebrates (such as salmon and tuna), leaving in their wake only the few species that can survive on plants and plankton, if that. As we gobble up the most desired fish, which are usually top-of-the-food-chain carnivores such as tuna and salmon, we eliminate predators and cause a short-lived boom of the species one notch lower on the food chain. We then fish that species into oblivion and move an order lower. The generational speed of the process makes it hard to see the changes (do you know what fish your grandparents ate?), and the fact that catches themselves don’t decline in volume gives a deceptive impression of sustainability.

» Read the full article

- Eating Animals website

- Buy the book via the Guardian book shop
- Buy the book via Amazon

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the ban on hunting with dogs.

League Against Cruel Sports have released a video which records the reactions of various celebrities as they watch footage of traditional hunting. In the video is former Doctor Who Colin Baker; actress Annette Crosbie; Time Team presenter Tony Robinson; and naturalist Bill Oddie. Former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson is reduced to tears when viewing the film.

Tony Robinson compares fox-hunting to “hoodies picking on an asthmatic.”

Watch below:

» Keep Cruelty History

“Nature’s Boutique is about Natural Beauty, offering natural organic products derived from nature.
We believe that ‘Green is Glam’. Being green doesn’t mean that you have to comprise on quality or luxury; quite the opposite in fact, as we have carefully selected pure eco luxury brands with some of the most finest natural organic ingredients.
We only stock what we believe to be of a high standard, good quality and what actually works.

All our products are suitable for Vegetarians and many suitable for Vegans.
None of our products contain lanolin or carmine. None of our products include leather or wool. None of our cosmetic brushes contain animal hair.”

» http://www.naturesboutique.com

Two items spotted on Ecorazzi:

The first one is a report about how Kate Moss is going to take part in Meat Free Monday, not because she thinks that it is an ethically sound thing to do, but because she’s trying to appease Stella McCartney with this token gesture:

“Kate Moss isn’t going to win points with animal rights activists anytime soon, but the model is definitely trying to score some with Stella McCartney. It’s often reported that the two friends gripe over Moss’s love of fur — but it appears this time that McCartney’s vegetarian ways are having something of an influence.

According to The Scummy Sun, Moss is taking on Stella’s “Meatless Mondays” campaign and giving up one day of meat a week. In preparation, has ate only raw foods and vegetables to detox for a week, giving her a taste of what it feels like to be a vegan. A source told The Scum: “Kate has spent time catching up with Stella during Paris Fashion Week and finally agreed to support her friend by going without meat for a day each week.”

» Read the full article

Also this on Ecorazzi: (the picture above, third from the right)
Dear Kate Moss: How Many Big Cats Died For Your Coat ?

Found via DiscoveryNews:

So-called “faux” fur may actually contain dog hair, according to Humane Society of the United States investigations.

Inspectors for the Humane Society say fur from a canine species known as the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) was found on garments labeled as being “faux-fur.”

During the recent winter holiday shopping season, for example, Neiman Marcus advertised and sold animal fur online as being “faux.” The item in question was a $1,300 Burberry women’s jacket.

“Neiman Marcus has repeatedly sold garments where the animal fur was misrepresented or even described as fake fur,” said Pierre Grzybowski, manager of the fur campaign for The HSUS. “How many of this latest jacket were sold to unsuspecting consumers who thought they were buying fake fur?”

Burberry has since changed its marketing for the item, but this is just one example in a long line of misrepresentations by other brands and retailers. In fact, “finnraccoon” is a well-known term used by the fashion industry to market fur from the raccoon dog, a canine indigenous to east Asia.

The problem also doesn’t only impact individuals concerned about animal welfare. Buyers willing to shell out big bucks, thinking they are getting clothing made from the fur of exotic animals, may actually be wearing common farm animal hair…

» Read the full article

Hannah Moorcroft writes:

“Dear all at ScouseVeg,

I’d like to tell you about an absolutely amazing, ethically sound organization called “Food for Life”. This is the worlds largest vegetarian/vegan food relief. Serving more than 1.500.000 veg meals daily. Food for Life operates in more than 50 countries and includes orphanages, free schools, hospitals, animal shelters and organic farms.

“Food for Life” are at the moment out there in distaster striken Haiti helping to feed the many hungry people with cruelty free food. Check their website www.ffl.org for details on how anybody can help, so that all those who would love to donate, but hate the idea that their money will be spend on meat etc, could donate with a clear conscience.

Thank you for your time!”

Additionally:
» Oxfam – Haiti earthquake

Time to bake some muffins people:

Hi, this is Gary Loewenthal from Compassion for Animals, a Washington, DC-area grassroots animal advocacy group (www.compassion4animals.org – perpetually under construction). I wanted to invite you to participate in the second annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale, April 24 through May 2, 2010 (www.veganbakesale.org).

The idea is simple: Groups across the globe hold vegan bake sales during that period. Participating groups can do whatever they want with the proceeds. Compassion for Animals is coordinating global publicity for the event, and will leverage the event to get positive mainstream press about all the bake sales and about the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet.

In 2009, a hundred groups on four continents participated, raising the equivalent of over 25,000 euros for river cleanups, cancer patients, animal shelters, farm sanctuaries – you name it. They also introduced thousands of people to the deliciousness amd diversity of vegan baked goods. And had a lot of fun! 2009 highights are HERE. We hope to double the number of participants and money raised this year.

We’re very appreciative of ScouseVeg promoting the event last year; undoubtedly that was one of the reasons for such awesome UK representation.

You may be able to get funding for your bake sale! Details are here: http://www.veganbakesale.org/veganbakesale/vbs-funding.html

If you’re seriously interested in getting a bake sale together but need more volunteers, consider checking out the Post Punk Kitchen (PPK) Forum, specifically this section: http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=25. Some bake sales were formed last year as a result of PPK collaborations.

There’s much more information at www.veganbakesale.org. The sign-up form CAN BE FOUND HERE. For questions, or to sign up if you hate forms, please contact info@veganbakesale.org. We’re also on Facebook, and on twitter as wwveganbakesale.

We hope that this is an exciting and fulfilling way to raise funds and to be part of something bigger which could help the earth, animals, and humans.

Found via Naked Capitalism:

… We (International Journal of Biological Sciences) investigated three different GM corn namely NK 603, MON 810 and MON 863, which were fed to rats for 90 days. The raw data have been obtained by European governments and made publically available for scrutiny and counter-evaluation. These studies constitute a model to investigate possible subchronic toxicological effects of these GM cereals in mammals and humans. These are the longest in vivo tests performed with mammals consuming these GMOs. The animals were monitored for numerous blood and organ parameters.

From the conclusion:

…. in the three GM maize varieties that formed the basis of this investigation, new side effects linked to the consumption of these cereals were revealed, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others . We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity. This can be due to the new pesticides (herbicide or insecticide) present specifically in each type of GM maize, although unintended metabolic effects due to the mutagenic properties of the GM transformation process cannot be excluded.

» Read more at the International Journal of Biological Sciences.

» StopAnimalTests.com

Other reading:
Germany bans Monsanto’s GM maize
- Wikipedia – Monsanto

I keep saying...if left unchecked she will take over the world... but nobody listens.

A few weeks ago (12th Dec 2009) the star of television’s Come Dine With Me was on City Talk FM. Yet Again. This time as a guest of Neil Fitzmaurice on his early Saturday morning show.

Niki appeared along with Amanda Moss – the Editor of Lifestyle Monthly Magazine.

I have extracted from the programme some bits where Niki was talking about being vegan, vegetarianism and all things related. Listen in below to the clips – or the entire show:

Neil talks to Niki about being vegan and being on Come Dine With Me:
7mins 20secs

Neil talks about a vegetarian diet and about animal experimentation:
2mins 27secs

Niki on eating out and finding vegan food:
3mins 18secs

Full show:
1hr 54mins