Via Think Progress:

Today, the AP reports on new draft rules being proposed by the Bush administration to gut the Endangered Species Act. This would be the biggest change to the groundbreaking legislation since 1988, and would not require the approval of Congress.

Currently, federal agencies are required to consult with an independent agency — the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service — to determine whether a project would harm an endangered species. The AP reports that under the new rules, agencies would simply be able to “decide for themselves”:

‘The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants. New regulations, which don’t require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft obtained by The Associated Press.

The draft rules also would bar federal agencies from assessing the emissions from projects that contribute to global warming and its effect on species and habitats.’

… The Bush administration has been attempting to bypass or kill the Endangered Species Act for years. Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff used his power to waive federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, in order to expedite building the U.S.-Mexico border fence. Unclear if the new rules are the doing of Vice President Cheney, who has been maneuvering increased control over environmental policies.

» Full article

They might bomb Iran before they leave… but take heart in that there’s only:

until the idiot is gone.

Via Contact Music:

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has joined the fight against litter on Britain’s beaches - designing his own surfboard to raise funds for the campaign.

The former Beatle is concerned about the state of seaside resorts in his native U.K. and is backing an initiative by Surfers Against Sewage - aiming to clean up beaches around the country.
MCCartney has designed an eco-friendly surfboard which will go under the hammer at London auction house Bonhams in October.

Other stars to have joined the campaign include British artists Tracey Emin and Gavin Turk.

» Full article

» Surfers Against Sewage

(Niki’s on alert now) “What ? shoes ? vegan ? gimmie !”

Alexia over at Fish and Chimps let us know about a competition that PETA are running.

They’ve got three pairs of designer shoes from Georgette vegan shoes to give away.

All you have to do is go over here and fill in the form.

Georgette is run by twin sisters Katleen and Liesbet, who are self-confessed fashion addicts, and we couldn’t be happier to team up with them to help you dress with fashion finesse.

So, what’s the deal with leather?

The meat industry would like to have us think that leather is a small and unimportant by-product of slaughtering animals for food, but this is not true. Farmers earn more than just a few pennies on leather: leather pulls in a hefty £600 million per year in the UK alone!

And cows aren’t the only animals who suffer for the leather and fashion industries. Exotic skins are regularly found on catwalks and celebrities’ bodies. Every year, the leather industry claims the lives of millions of snakes, alligators, seals, zebras and other beautiful animals.

But what’s a girl or guy to do? First, vow never to buy leather again. Second, go shopping! Cruelty-free shoes and accessories are widely available, and there’s no need to forfeit style for a dash of compassion.

The pleather used to make Georgette shoes is soft, durable and kind to the environment, and the styles are simply to die for. Working together with small family-run companies in Italy and Spain, Georgette produces exclusive collections made from the best non-leather and eco-friendly materials, including natural fabrics and luxurious Italian faux leathers. Choose from slinky sky-scraping heels, cute ballerina pumps, sexy knee-length boots and more – all in a range of colours and always in fashion.

» PETA compo page

» Georgette Shoes (Flash site, has sound, doesn’t work with Firefox)

- Spotted this previously unknown (to ScouseVeg) food venue via Happycow.net.

SOUPERNATURAL it is a vegetarian and vegan only takeout place deep in the heart of the city.

Located just off Water Street in the Norwich House arcade Soupernatural is only open office hours - from 8.15 to 3pm, Monday to Fridays.

Click the image to the right to view a map of their location:

Just Jonas reviewed them last March in his newsletter (scroll down a little bit) and raved about it:

“…Soupernatural, Rumford Street L2, can be described as a soup, salad and sandwich bar with not a hint of animal in sight and I have to say, I am hooked.

Mike and Karen took the Soupernatural plunge just 6 months ago and already they have a loyal (and delighted) customers base who regularly frequent a vast and varied menu of inexpensive and flavoursome vegetarian fare.

Entrance to the neatly designed bar is via the link way between Rumford Street and Covent Garden. Mike and Karen who both have a history in television design have given the space much thought in presenting a deli-style, utilitarian and spotless takeaway that frankly equals their nearest counterpart, Philpot’s.

Though there is limited space to eat-in, the majority of lunchtime grazers tend to take-away. I started with a delicious portion of cream of spinach soup and was delighted when it was presented in a recyclable bowl shaped container rather than a polystyrene cup. I was shocked by the volume of taste complimented by a generous wedge of sundried tomato bread.

My plan was to follow up with their famous nut loaf sandwich but sadly because of its popularity I had to make do with the marinated tofu and hoi sin duck wrap. It was sensational and I struggled to believe there was not a sign of duck to be seen…”

- A couple of ScouseVeggies have visited and this is what Stevie saw:

“On the day I went in (the menu changes a lot it seems) for lunch there were 6 soups on offer 2 of which were vegan veggie. There was also a choice of hot meals including a vegan veggie chilli and lasagne and quiche for ovo / lacto veggies. A choice of around a dozen salads on offer - all vegan veggie except 2.

Sandwich wise there was a decent choice of breads and fillings.

There are cakes, biscuits and cookies.

The breakfast menu seems to include croissant, pain au chocolat, Danish patries, toast, bagels, muffins, Greek breakfast and porridge.

Drinks wise it’s the usual teas & coffees (soya milk available), juices and water.

I thought the place was fine. The guy who served me was very helpful me as a vegan veggie. The atmo was fine and price wise it was pretty much what you’d pay elsewhere (but elsewhere is unlikely to be all vegetarian).”

» Full review here

…and Lil H popped in the other day:

“…The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about all dietary needs. It’s only a small place, with a seating area in the window (a little like a breakfast bar). However, they more than make up for it’s size with the varied menu available. It’s a very clean pleasant place, and you can see all the food being prepared in front of you…

… this place has become very popular with not just us lot, but meat eaters too. So I suggest you get in there fairly handy, as all the most popular dishes will be gone.”

- At the time of posting the owners are on holiday and the place will reopen on AUGUST 18th.

- They don’t have a website but you can visit the Eating Out page we created for them. We’ll update it when we have more info.

An American swimmer competing the Olympics in China took part in PETA’s Fur is Dead campaign by posing nude for the campaign publicity. The Chinese authorities tried to shut down a news conference but in the end PETA were allowed to continue.

The Grauniad has an article posted by Reuters about the whole thing:

US nude swimmer defies ban on animal rights protest

BEIJING, Aug 6 (Reuters) - U.S. swimmer Amanda Beard unveiled a demure nude photograph of herself urging women “Don’t wear fur” on Wednesday, hours after Chinese authorities had prevented her from her staging a news conference for “safety” reasons.

The Athens 2004 Olympic gold medallist said she was determined to carry on even after plainclothes police banned her scheduled news conference at a Beijing hotel “for our safety”.
Beard, 26, declined to say if she believed that was the real motive for the ban.

She went ahead with her campaign, only at a different location. Instead of the hotel, she appeared in front of reporters and TV cameras outside the heavily fenced Olympic athletes’ village.
“What happens with animals when their skin is ripped from their bodies when they are still alive, it’s heartbreaking for me,” she said. The Olympics provided a great platform for making those views known, she added.

Chinese Olympic security guards watched the media scrum from the South Gate of the village but did not intervene. The German Olympic cycling team, heading out for training in hot, muggy weather, stopped for a look.

PETA spokesman Jason Baker said eight Chinese security officials in plain clothes showed up at the group’s hotel late on Tuesday to announce the planned press conference would not be permitted. They cited safety concerns, he said.

“I think they just didn’t understand what we had planned,” he told Reuters. “We are not protesting against China. We just want to promote compassion for animals.

“We know they don’t like talking about animal rights. I guess they didn’t want to take any chances right ahead of the opening of the Olympics,” Baker added.

But there would be no protest, he said. “Five years ago we wouldn’t even have considered doing this here.”

» Full article

- More info about the campaign can be found via Fur Is Dead.com

- More coverage about the photoshoot and press conference can be found on PETA Europe’s blog

Fancy a trip over the water in a couple of weeks ?

Peter writes:

“Hello everyone,
It was good to see so many of you at the Egg last Friday and another meal has been planned this month with Wirral Veggies at the Kerala Kitchen in Prenton on the Wirral on Wednesday 20th August at 8pm and everyone is welcome.

If you think you can make it, please contact either Margaret or Graham via info@wirralveggies.org.uk so they can reserve a place for you, let them know by 15th August and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. for more details on Wirral Veggies try the website on www.wirralveggies.org.uk “

Via the Beeb:

Chef sorry for poison plant error

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has apologised after he recommended use of a poisonous plant in recipes.

In a magazine interview about watercress and other wild foods, Mr Worrall Thompson said the weed henbane was “great in salads”.

Healthy & Organic Living magazine’s website has now issued an urgent warning that “henbane is a very toxic plant and should never be eaten”.

The chef had meant to recommend fat hen, which is a wild herb.

Mr Worrall Thompson, currently on holiday in Spain, told the BBC the mix-up was “embarrassing - but one of those genuine mistakes”.

Henbane - Hyoscyamus niger - has sticky serrated leaves, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers and a stale scent.

Its name has Anglo-Saxon origins - meaning killer of hens - and it can cause hallucinations, drowsiness and disorientation in humans.

Larger quantities can cause a loss of consciousness, seizures, trembling of the limbs and, in extreme cases, death.

The television chef said the poisonous weed has a “nasty history”.

“Henbane is associated with lots of mythical tales - it’s said to turn you black and it’s used in witches potions,” he said.

But fat hen is perfectly edible.

“You can use the leaves in salads like spinach, make tea and eat the roots,” said Mr Worrall Thompson.

He is unsure how the mistake happened.

“It’s a bit embarrassing but there have been no reports of any casualties. Please do pass on my apologies.”

» Full article

» Healthy & Organic Living

Kathy Freston explains…

Why Vegan Is The New Atkins

[A snippet from the article. Link to the full thing below]

…So what is someone who wants to lose weight supposed to do? The answer is fairly simple: Switch to a diet made up of a diverse selection of foods: vegetables, whole grains (we should skip the refined carbs– South Beach gets that right, of course), beans, chickpeas, nuts, fruit, lentils, etc. A wide array of evidence shows that vegans are less likely to be overweight or obese than meat-eaters–because it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle transition. Because these foods are less calorie dense and lower in fat than animal products, and because all plant foods contain zero cholesterol, eating that way allows us to shed weight in a sustainable way.

And a well-rounded vegan diet will provide us with a healthy mixture of complex carbs, protein and healthy fats, as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Because most nutrition advice is aimed at meat-eaters, it’s worth reading up a bit on how to maximize the health advantages of a vegan diet; I like the Optimal Vegan Nutrition web page. And of course we shouldn’t think that our healthy new diet means giving up tasty food–web sites and cookbooks with thousands of delicious vegan recipes abound; eating should be a celebration–and we should do it joyfully, like the French and others in the Mediterranean do.

» Full article

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… Abuse on dogs still on the rise in the UK.
We are supposed to be a nation of dog lovers. Obviously not.

Via the Beeb:

Rise in dog cruelty convictions

Convictions for cruelty against dogs rose by more than a third last year, the RSPCA has said.

A Staffordshire bull terrier whose owners cut its ears off to make it look more macho is included in the charity’s annual cruelty report.

It highlights a 12% increase in all RSPCA cruelty investigations leading to 1,149 convictions.

But new powers introduced in 2007 mean the increase may not represent higher levels of actual cruelty.

Tim Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate, said dogs had always borne the brunt of animal cruelty.

“That’s what makes this year’s horrendous 34% increase even more shocking: it’s a massive increase on an already high figure,” he said.

One case highlighted in the report was the 2007 conviction of Abishai Hayes, 22, of Holloway, north London, who admitted torturing his 10-month-old dog.

The collie cross-breed was found with two broken legs, slash wounds to the face and deep stab wounds to the neck, legs, back and chest.

In another separate case, a dog was found in such a bad state of malnutrition that RSPCA workers struggled to identify the breed.

As well as dogs, convictions against cat and horse owners have also risen.

“These animals are the helpless victims of our throwaway society,” says Wass.

“They’re bought on a whim and discarded when the novelty wears off.”

» Full article

- A couple of local items about the abuse and neglect of some dogs - one of them from a vet.

Via the Echo:

Horror story of dog that was starved

Jul 30 2008 by Michelle Fiddler, Liverpool Echo

A PREGNANT dog was so emaciated she had to have her puppies aborted because she was too ill to carry them.

Cross-breed Donna was found together with 11 other dogs and a rabbit, many of which were on the brink of starvation, in a house in Huyton.

Her case was one of the most horrific to be highlighted as new figures released today reveal a 34% increase in convictions for cruelty to dogs across the UK.

Last year in Merseyside, 19 people were convicted of almost 40 offences.

Donna’s owner, Cheryl Antrobus, 62, of Oakfield Drive, Huyton, was given a two-year conditional discharge in June last year.

She was banned from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay £250 costs after pleading guilty to 10 counts of failing to provide an adequate diet and veterinary attention.

Two of the dogs recovered from her home by RSPCA inspectors had to be put down, as did the rabbit.

Donna was rehomed with new owner Angela Hampson and her family in Chester and has been renamed Molly.

» Full story

Also via the Echo:

Vet struck off after owner finds pet dead

Jul 30 2008 by Kevin Core, Liverpool Echo

A MERSEYSIDE vet who said he “took his eye off the ball” because a dog owner “got on his nerves” has been struck off.

Les Higgott was removed from the veterinary register at a hearing of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) yesterday.

The Wallasey vet’s conduct was described as “almost as far distant from the standards properly to be expected of a competent veterinarian as it is possible to conceive”.

The RCVS committee heard that while treating Patricia Cook’s dog Fliss in June last year, her pet was kept in a urine-soaked, faeces-encrusted box.

When she complained, Higgott told her: “I’ve never certified a cause of death as dog s*** and wee.”

The committee heard how on one occasion when Mrs Cook visited the Poulton Road practice, Higgott refused to let her in, saying: “For f***’s sake, you were only here yesterday.”

When she went to the back of the premises to check on Fliss, she found she was dead.

Mrs Cook told Higgott, but he argued she was mistaken, until he checked the body.

The hearing found Higgott guilty of “disgraceful conduct in a professional respect”.

In a written verdict, the committee said: “The circumstances prevailing in this case resulted in the dog Fliss suffering in conditions of absolute squalor.

“The committee was of the view that the respondent’s conduct was likely to undermine public confidence in the veterinary profession and did bring the profession into disrepute.

“It is for those reasons, and not without a heavy heart, the committee concluded the only proper sanction to impose in this case is the ultimate sanction of removal of the respondent’s name from the register.

» Full article

What ?

The monthly ScouseVeg social gathering.

Where ?

The Egg Cafe, 16-18 Newington, Liverpool   Map/Directions

When ?

Friday August 1st, 2008
From 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

More info:

Scouseveg’s monthly meeting at The Egg Cafe in city centre Liverpool. Join us for an informal gathering, and meet some like-minded people. Families welcome! The Egg Cafe is completely vegetarian and has a good choice of vegan dishes as well. Prices are very reasonable and you can bring you own wine but there is a charge for corkage. Alternatively, you can sample the juices or hot drinks available. We will be there from 8pm onwards, look out for The Vegetarian magazine on the table. Please contact us if you are thinking of attending as we may need to reserve a table (or two)

The ScouseVeggie's will be gathering downstairs this month. The gallery is already booked.

- Contact us