Book Club

Are you interested in sitting in the shade and doing some reading this summer? Do you want to become well-versed in the different perspectives about animals and the food that we eat? Join our book club! At the first meeting on Thursday, June 10, at 7pm, we will be discussing the first six chapters of Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. In this both funny and terrifying book, Schlosser examines the effect that the ubiquitous fast food industry has had on us. You should be able to find copies of this book at the public libraries as well as your local used book store. Email us if you need help finding a copy or have any other questions.

Time: 7pm on Thursday, June 10 (and every 2 weeks thereafter)
Location: Spokes Pizza Collective

Bush Speechwriter Emerges as Animal Welfare Advocate

By Shankar Vedantam, The Washington Post

Quick, does Matthew Scully sound like a Republican?

He wants increased government regulations of corporations that mass-produce animals for slaughter. He is against "free-market" techniques of conservation, in which some animals are killed or captured in order to raise money to protect others. He wants the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the Safari Club, a powerful hunting advocacy group.

Scully may sound like a liberal, but he is a conservative with impeccable credentials: He works in the White House as a speechwriter for President Bush.

He has also emerged as a potent voice for animal welfare in what is widely regarded as a red-meat White House. Groups fighting animal cruelty consider him a powerful advocate, and Scully is helping to advance their issues.

Click here for the full article. (Free registration required.)

Industry Watch: Dairy and Veal

Traditional small dairies, located primarily in the northeast and midwest are going out of business. They are being replaced by intensive 'dry lot' dairies which are typically located in the southwest.

Regardless of where they live, however, all dairy cows must give birth in order to begin producing milk. Today, dairy cows are forced to have a calf every year. Like human beings, the cow's gestation period is nine months long, and so giving birth every twelve months is physically demanding. The cows are also forced to give milk during seven months of their nine month pregnancy. In a healthy environment, cows would live in excess of 25 years, but on modern dairies, they are slaughtered after just 3 or 4 years and then used for ground beef.

Click here for the full article.

Free Veg Starter Kit!

Interested in vegetarianism but don't know where to start? Order a FREE Veg Starter Kit off of our website! This kit has all of the necessary information, including reasons to become vegetarian, information on eating a healthy vegetarian diet, recipes, a list of companies that don't test on animals, and even stickers!

Click here to order one now.

For those who have stopped by our table, the pamphlets in this kit are People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Vegetarian Starter Kit, Vegan Outreach's Vegan Starter Pack, and a Cruelty-free Shopping Guide.