animals – Vegans.UK

For The Foxes March in Edinburgh 2018

March 26, 2018 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

If you asked most people if fox hunting was banned in Scotland, they’d say yes it is. A piece of legislation was passed sixteen years ago by the Scottish Parliament called The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002. Most MSPs and members of the public thought this would mark an end to the barbaric practice of fox hunting in Scotland. We were first with the smoking ban and also this. Scotland was paving the way for progressive legislation in the UK! Or was it..?

Well, the trouble is that the Act has so many loopholes in it, that it’s simply not fit for purpose. Trail hunting is allowed (where horses and hounds are supposed to follow a scent trail only.) This is completely stupid, as trails of fox urine are laid (how do they even collect that?) and the hunts take place in areas where there are foxes running around. You can’t blame the hounds for following a trail of fox scent only to eventually find a real fox. It’s all a complete con. There’s an alternative to trail hunting called drag hunting, where non-animal scent is used in areas where there are no foxes. Doing drag hunting would lead to far fewer ‘accidental’ fox killings, but it seems the hunts are more than happy for these ‘accidents’ to happen pretty regularly.

Another type of hunting that’s allowed in Scotland is called ‘flushing to guns.’ This means that hounds are allowed to flush out a fox from cover, so the huntsmen can shoot the fox ‘humanely’. Give me a break. If Scotland likes to think of itself as so progressive, the government may have trouble explaining why only two dogs are allowed for this type of hunting in England and Wales, but a whole pack are allowed under Scottish law.

There were ten hunts in Scotland, mainly in the Borders, when the Act came into force. Today there are, erm, ten. So essentially it seems that the hunts are doing as they please and getting away with breaking the law on a weekly basis. The reason so much is known about the illegal activities of hunts in Scotland and elsewhere is because of the quite fearless Hunt Saboteurs. The hunt sabs are absolute heroes in my eyes. They literally (and I mean literally) risk life and limb to expose illegal hunts, document what they find on film and stop foxes from being killed.

Hunt sabs are regularly verbally and physically abused by those participating in illegal hunts, many of whom are members of the establishment who presumably feel they should be above the law. I could go on and on about how wonderful the sabs are, but I’ll let you read more about their relentless bravery on their website. They save hounds who have got themselves into accidents though running across roads or getting caught in fences when the hunt doesn’t care. They trek miles on foot across uneven fields for hours on end to protect the lives of the foxes. They endure abuse from the hunts and apathy from the police at every turn and still go back for more.

And so, it was on Saturday 24^th March that over five hundred people, including me, took part in a protest march in Edinburgh. We marched from St. Giles cathedral, down the Royal Mile, to the Scottish Parliament building. There were people dressed as foxes, people blowing hunting horns and everyone was there to spread the message that the hunt should be banned. An overwhelming majority – 80% of our fellow Scots – want to see an end to fox hunting in Scotland. There were representatives from Scottish Labour, the Scottish Greens and the SNP. Also speaking were IFAW, The League Against Cruel Sports and the main organiser, One Kind – an Edinburgh based charity that opposes animal cruelty.

We will get this done. It’s only a matter of time.
#ForTheFoxes

How to Go Vegan – Veganuary – Kate Schuler

January 10, 2018 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

The very title of this book sums up what many people have pondered over the years. Sure, they think, it’d be great to go vegan. I can see the benefits for the planet, the animals and maybe even me, but how on earth do I do it? Sometimes it seems as though there’s some sort of mysterious power that vegans have to be able to do what they do. Other times outsiders assume that vegans simply enjoy living in misery eating lentils out of a clog. Whatever people assume (and I have firsthand evidence of this) they certainly assume that they could never do it.

The book begins by detailing why people might go vegan, starting with the main one – the animals. This section covers the facts about animal farming. Perhaps it’s because I’m a bit of a hardened activist, but I felt the information was delivered in a measured way. They thank the reader at the end as it’s a tough read, but I suppose when you’ve read the animal section in Skinny Bitch, nothing that follows seems like a tough read. Basically it paints the awful reality without totally traumatising the reader.

For someone like me, it’s all about the animals and any other benefits can be seen as a bonus. That is the opinion of abolitionist movements such as Go Vegan World too and I can see how they may get frustrated with Veganuary’s approach. There’s a casual ‘hey, don’t be too hard on yourself’ theme that runs through this book that I know would shock some vegans. For myself though, I see this non-threatening approach as quite useful. Once you have someone taking part, whether it’s for the animals, environment or whatever, they tend to find out that they can survive and thrive without animal products, and as Edgar’s Mission says ‘If we could live happy, healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn’t we?’

After a section about environmental benefits, such as reduced water usage and pollution, it’s on to health. It’s true that, especially in January, people can turn to Veganuary as part of a health kick. This book not only covers personal health, but also global health, mentioning diseases we get from farmed animals and the threat of antibiotic resistance. Then the book suggests doing Veganuary ‘for the adventure.’ I think this will appeal to a very small group of people, but you never know, once they’re onboard they may stick with it for the animals.

So, onto the how: They suggest different approaches, from giving up one animal product at a time, to going all out the first day. They are sensible to suggest easy swaps, such as soy mince for beef, plant milk for cow’s and veggie stock in soup instead of chicken: Basically, things that won’t upset your life too much. They also mention the array of foods people will have in their cupboards that are ‘accidentally vegan.’ Folk are always delighted to find out they can still consume Skittles for example!

There’s useful information on how to read labels and nutrition. It’s not too complicated, so people will be encouraged rather than put off I think. There are tips on how to get around family issues and how to travel with confidence. A list of myths follows, which will be useful for the fledgling vegan who wants to answer the most common questions they’ll be asked. There’s even a small vegan bingo board on one page, which I enjoyed! Meal plans and recipes are in here too, although of course much more can be found on the website.

As I said before, I know many vegans will find this book’s approach far too casual. However, it’s not aimed at them. It’s aimed at people who know in their hearts they should be changing the way they live and for some, this non-threatening approach will work wonders. The pull to be conventional is strong and if participants can allay their own fears by telling themselves ‘It’s just for a month…’ then that may actually help them to keep going. The social justice of veganism creeps up on some and is an overnight realisation for others. I’m somewhere between an abolitionist and a pragmatist. I don’t believe in reductarianism and think that veganism is the moral way to live, but I feel that different people get there in different ways. The softly, softly approach of this book will suit many people. After all, more than 65% of last year’s participants stayed vegan. And with over one hundred and fifty thousand sign-ups this year, far more than ever before, those are some pretty good projected numbers. This book will definitely help veganism into the mainstream, which is in all our interests.

Meat Logic – Why do we eat animals? By Charles Horn

February 6, 2017 by Tofu Temptress 3 Comments

If you are a vegan, I’m sure you’ve had questions from non-vegans about your choices. Some may be borne out of genuine interest or curiosity. Some questions are simply designed to wind you up. Whatever it is, most vegans know that the more you look into animal welfare and rights, the state of the environment and even health trends over the years, it’s impossible to argue against veganism. However, it doesn’t always feel like that when confident omnis are hitting you with what they think are persuasive arguments right and left. It can be easy to get flustered and often you feel under pressure to know everything there is to know about veganism.

Is it moral to cage animals, just because we can?

Well, Meat Logic addresses the questions and assertions you may get from a philosophical point of view. It’s pretty comprehensive and covers everything from the common ‘We’re at the top of the food chain’ to the reasonable ‘People in the industry would lose their jobs’ to the just plain annoying ‘Mmmmm, Bacon’. Even if you feel like you have answers to these points, the chances are there may be some issues in here that you’d not thought of before. This book would certainly be of help to the new vegan and even for a relatively old hand like me, it was helpful. We’re always learning and it’s important to remain open to new information.

The book takes an incredibly logical approach. First, there’s a brief introduction to the relationship between philosophy and animals. This is really useful, as it lays the groundwork for most arguments. It poses many interesting scenarios, such as if beings came to this planet who were smarter than us and had the power to lock us up in sheds, would that give them the right to eat us? Animals are worthy of moral consideration because they think and feel and everything stems from that.

The book then goes point by point through each ‘objection’. It devotes many paragraphs to each one, from the easy to disprove ‘Animals are just things’ to ‘We wouldn’t have evolved big brains if our ancestors hadn’t eaten meat’ which may require a little more thought. Throughout the book the tone is calm, rational and measured. There are notes on each topic at the back of the book, giving more detail and sometimes suggestions for further reading, as well as a bibliography.

This is an extremely useful read if you sometimes find yourself at a loss during discussions. It will give you plenty of facts, but the basic principle that runs throughout the book i.e. that animals matter, should see you right in most situations. Meat Logic to me is pretty simple. Just because we can, doesn’t mean that we should.

Animal Rights by Mark Rowlands

July 25, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Pig in factory farm. Jo-Anne McArthur We Animals

I have been described, rather disparagingly, as ‘one of those animal rights people.’ The phrase ‘animal rights’ seems to have gone out of fashion, sometimes replaced with ‘animal welfare’ as though to see non-human animals as having rights at all is ridiculous -the strange, non-conformist philosophy of crazed left wing hippies. The theme of whether animals do or should have rights is explored in this book, written as part of the All That Matters series, which aims to bring all manner of different subjects to new readers. They’re written by top authorities in each field – Mark Rowlands is a professor of philosophy specialising in animal rights.

The book is divided into sections looking at situations we encounter in everyday life where animal rights need to be considered. The author makes the argument that animals count in a moral sense and goes on to explain why this is. For those of us who are vegans for ethical reasons, this seems a no-brainer, but it needs explaining to those who, through societal conditioning, have come to believe that they don’t. The chapter on using animals for meat explains how doing the ultimate harm to an animal (killing them) can’t be morally justified because we don’t need to eat them. Again, for ethical vegans, this seems obvious, but it is refreshing to have an academic philosopher put forward this reasoning.

Other chapters cover the meat industry, animal research, hunting, blood sports and other sports involving animals. Some of the less discussed areas of animal rights are covered here too, such as the morality of having companion animals, how we should treat wildlife, how to approach conservation and the relevance of zoos. The tone of the book is calm, logical and even humorous at times. Rowlands has a likeable voice and I can’t help thinking that this would be a great book to give to a friend or family member who is struggling with your philosophy of life. In no way does he come across as an extremist, a kook, or overly emotional, although he takes a moral stance that most find tricky to deal with.

The cramped conditions endured by racing greyhounds. Jo-Anne McArthur We Aniamlas

He forces the reader to take a long look at why we behave the way we do and why we believe the things we do. There’s also great boxed text and quotes from famous philosophers, vegetarians and academics that can sum things up pretty succinctly. Here’s one of my favourites from C.S Lewis: ‘If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing up our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies or capitalists for the same reason.’

Each subject is fully explored and provides alternative suggestions for behaviour that would be morally preferable. The FAQs cover a few enquiries we get as vegans, so there are some good discussion points. There’s a list of one hundred ideas at the back too, giving resources and examples of what you can do to help the cause. If everyone read this book and took on its philosophy, I think it might well make the world a better place.

Highly recommended.

Pigs

January 10, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Pigs are more intelligent than dogs. Does that surprise you? The phrase ‘pig ignorant’ is a complete misnomer. I think that pigs are one of the world’s most underrated animals. People see them as meat and respond to any article on pig intelligence or worth with the, always hilarious, ‘Mmmm, bacon.’

Bred to fool people - an ex 'micro pig' — Bred to fool people – an ex ‘micro pig’

I mean sure, there was the ‘micro pig’ pet craze, where people followed celebrities’ leads and purchased cute little pigs as companions. What you maybe didn’t hear about was the sheer number of innocent pigs who were abandoned once the novelty wore off; or the many pigs who were bred to look like micro pigs but were in fact just piglets – baby pigs. I personally know of pigs like these who simply kept growing and their owners had to give them up as they lived in a flat! Those lucky pigs ended up in a sanctuary, but because of the way they were bred by unscrupulous idiots chasing a fast buck, their legs were too small to support their bodies when fully grown and so they died young.

Pigs have mastered computer games that have stumped dogs and even some primates. Research shows that they have a level of self awareness that babies don’t have, by using a mirror to find food. Pigs are smarter than three year old children, so why do we, as a society, think it’s ok to pen them up in horrific conditions, only to kill them for meat before they’re six months old when their natural lifespan could be up to fifteen years? Why indeed. Because we’ve known for a long, long time how clever they are. The tale of ‘The Learned Pig’ who used to tour county fairs in the late seventeen hundreds, had been trained by his handler to spell out words (interpreting subtle signs from his handler), to tell time and even to read minds! These days, a quick search on youtube will take you to pigs doing the kind of tricks you would expect dogs to do and yet we love dogs, and kill pigs for food.

Pigs deserve respect, not to be killed for meat.

The cruelty of the conditions in which farmed pigs are kept in this country are hard to exaggerate. One undercover investigation after another reveals that even so-called ‘high welfare’ farms are keeping pigs in their own personal horror movies. A chain hanging in their cramped cage counts as ‘an enriched environment’ to comply with the law. Farrowing crates are still legal in this country, so breeding sows are kept in a metal cage so small they can’t turn around, being driven mad at not being able to properly care for their piglets. She is kept this way five weeks at a time, for three to five years, after which she too is killed for meat. The most recent investigation I’ve seen is Viva!’s into a Red Tractor Approved pig farm that supplies Morrisons. It’s a tough watch/read but if you want to know the truth about British pig farms, then this is it. Don’t think you can simply get pig products from another supplier as everyone from Tesco to Sainsbury’s to Marks and Spencer to Whole Foods so-called Happy Meat (another glaring misnomer) have been shown to get their pork, bacon and ham from disgusting, depressing houses of horror just the same.

Pigs are of course not only to be valued for their intelligence. The fact that they can feel pain and joy and fright and pleasure just the same as us should be enough for us to know that killing them for meat is wrong. Sometimes though, when you reveal a surprising fact about a farm animal, it can lead people to view them in a different way. Several years ago in January 1998, two pigs managed to escape from a truck bound for the slaughterhouse and the ensuing chase had the whole country routing for ‘The Tamworth Two.’ They dodged everyone, even the RSPCA. When they were eventually captured, a national newspaper purchased them, named them ‘Butch and Sundance’ and sent them to live on a sanctuary. They lived to a ripe old age, both passing away in 2011 seven months apart.

I wonder though, when people sit down to watch ‘Babe’ or cheer for the Tamworth Two, are they doing it while munching on a bacon sandwich? Or have these tales led them to choose vegan bacon instead? When you make the connection, it’s not a difficult decision to make.

Sponsor an ex ‘micro pig’ here. Read about Toby the Learned Pig here.

Vegans.UK Cookies Policy