DIET

JAN DECKERS: In this book, Jan Deckers addresses the most crucial question that people must deliberate in relation to how we should treat other animals: whether we should eat animal products. Many people object to the consumption of animal products from the conviction that it inflicts pain, suffering, and death upon animals. This book argues that a convincing ethical theory cannot be based on these important concerns: rather, it must focus on our interest in human health. Tending to this interest demands not only that we extend speciesism—the attribution of special significance to members…

KATIE KORTEPETER: The Law & Religion Clinic at the University of Texas and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed a lawsuit against the City of Houston, several Houston police officers, and Discovery Green Conservancy after police officers arrested an animal rights advocate for refusing to give up his First Amendment right to free speech in Discovery Green, a public park described as the “crown jewel of public spaces in downtown Houston.” The management of Houston’s public Discovery Green Park was concerned that passers-by might be “offended” by the advocates’…

CHARIS FUNG: “For you, it’s a meal. For them, it's their life.” This is one of the many slogans tourists and locals encountered beneath their feet outside Canterbury West Station on the sunny Saturday morning of September 2, 2023. Though a select few hurriedly strolled past without taking much notice, many passersby were surprised to see a large section of the previously unremarkable pavement bursting with colour from vegan messages and designs in chalk. “Pretty much everyone walking past is reading the messages on the ground,” said Alex, one of the activists involved in the chalking, “It's…

SILVIA PANIZZA: Discussion about the ethics of buying and consuming animal products normally assume that there are two choices equally available to moral agents: to engage or not to engage in such behaviour... In some cases, the experience of those who refuse to participate in animal exploitation is not a choice, but a reconfiguration of their understanding of what animals, and the products made out of them, are. Such reconfiguration involves not seeing animals as something to eat, wear, control, etc. Hence, it is not always correct to speak of veganism as a choice: the reason being that,…

EMMA BRYCE: Untangling the worst impacts of livestock on our planet won’t require us to completely reject meat and dairy: in fact, replacing 50% of these products with novel plant-based substitutes in our global diet would chop agricultural and land-use emissions by 31% in just 30 years. More intriguingly, that figure could be doubled if the land released by livestock was devoted to reforestation. There’s lots of talk about how transitioning to novel plant based foods like meatless burgers and soy sausages can revolutionize our food system. But until this study there hasn’t been a global…

NATION WORLD NEWS: Lawyers for a vegan firefighter argued in court that veganism is a non-religious belief and therefore the right is included in the Ontario Human Rights Code. Their client, Adam Knauff, was suspended in 2017 because he protested against his employer for not providing him with vegan meals at his workplace. Adam Knauff says that veganism is more than a life choice or way of life, but a belief. He even talked about ethical behavior and an undeniable characteristic of his personality... says that he is against all cruelty to animals, the exploitation of dairy cows and chickens…

VIVA: A vegan advert that was banned over fears it would cause “unnecessary stress” is now being seen by people all over the world due to extensive media coverage... The parody ad comes from UK-based animal advocacy organization Viva!. Dubbed New From Killer Yoghurts, the advert depicts a woman eating fake offal and blood from a corner-style yogurt packet... The advert launches alongside Viva's newest campaign Müller Killer in which you learn just how cruel and heart breaking the dairy industry truly is... Viva! is exposing the barbaric practice of zero grazing — life imprisonment for dairy…

KIRTIKA KATIRA: The choice to adopt a vegan diet is often driven by ethical, environmental, or health-related reasons. While a well-balanced vegan diet can offer numerous health benefits, including lower risks of heart disease and certain cancers, questions have arisen about its potential impact on fertility health. In this article, we will explore the relationship between a vegan diet and fertility, addressing concerns and offering guidance on maintaining optimal fertility while following a plant-based lifestyle. Before delving into the effects on fertility, it's essential to understand…

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LILY MEYER: Alicia Kennedy’s first book, 'No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating'... is a tour through meatless eating in the United States, starting with Frances Moore Lappé’s 1971 hit, Diet for the Small Planet, which made the case for vegetarianism as a solution to global hunger, and ending with contemporary debates over lab-grown meat and other food technologies as a major new culinary frontier. It’s also a work of climate activism. Industrial meat is a major source of the emissions causing global warming. Eating it regularly, Kennedy argues, is…