Day: September 14, 2021

Vivisection

WAMOS AIR – stop flying monkeys to laboratories!

Call on Spanish airline — WAMOS AIR — to stop flying monkeys to laboratories

Wamos Air, the Spanish airline that operates holiday charter flights, is also involved in transporting many hundreds of monkeys to research laboratories in the USA.

Wamos Air is a subsidiary of the Royal Caribbean Group (formerly Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd), the world’s second-largest cruise line entity.

Torn from their family and social groups, monkeys are imprisoned on their own in small transit crates and travel on Wamos Air as cargo.

The journeys are extremely long, including about 24 hours of flying time and many hours in transit to and from the airports and layovers at Madrid airport.

We appeal to Wamos Air and the Royal Caribbean Group to discontinue their direct or indirect association with the cruel global trade in monkeys.’ [Action for Primates : https://actionforprimates.org/%5D

(This petition to Wamos Air and Royal Caribbean Cruises has been launched by Stop Camarles, Action for Primates and One Voice and is written in Spanish, English and French).
Please see below.

(Spanish) Llamamiento a la aerolínea española — WAMOS AIR — para que cese el transporte de macacos destinados a la experimentación

Wamos Air, la aerolínea española que opera vuelos chárter de vacaciones, también está involucrada en el transporte de cientos de monos destinados a laboratorios de experimentación en EEUU, Wamos Air es filial de Royal Caribbean Group (anteriormente Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd), la segunda compañía de cruceros más grande del mundo.

Apartados de su familia y su grupo social, son enjaulados en su cajas de transporte y viajan con Wamos Air como mercancía. Los vuelos son extremadamente largos, alrededor de 24 horas, y muchas horas en tránsito entre aeropuertos y escalas en el aeropuerto de Madrid.

Reclamamos a Wamos Air y a Royal Caribbean Group que paren su asociación, directa o indirecta, con el cruel comercio global de monos. [Stop Camarles : @Scamarles]

(French) Appel à la compagnie aérienne espagnole WAMOS AIR pour qu’elle cesse de transporter des singes vers les laboratoires

Wamos Air, la compagnie aérienne espagnole qui exploite des vols charters pour vacanciers, assure également le transport de plusieurs centaines de singes vers des laboratoires aux États-Unis.

Wamos Air est une filiale de Royal Caribbean (anciennement Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd), deuxième plus grande compagnie de croisières au monde.
Arrachés à leur famille, enfermés seuls dans de petites caisses, ils effectuent le trajet en tant que fret.

Les trajets sont extrêmement longs, comprenant environ vingt-quatre heures de vol, de nombreuses heures de transit en direction et en provenance des aéroports, ainsi que des escales à l’aéroport de Madrid.

Nous demandons à Wamos Air et Royal Caribbean de ne plus participer directement ou indirectement à la barbarie que représente le commerce mondial de singes. [One Voice :https://one-voice.fr%5D

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/de/takeaction/776/007/311/

And I mean…On 21st August, Wamos Air flew monkeys from Cambodia, via Madrid, to the US.

“Action for Primates” Organisation has been informed through contact in Europe, that the shipment comprised 720 individuals, destined for Envigo.
The suffering these intelligent and sensitive individuals experienced during their traumatic ordeal, packed into small crates and travelling as cargo for over 24 hours with many hours in transit to and from the airports and a layover at Madrid airport, is unimaginable.

It is simply not possible to confine non-human primates to small crates, away from familiar surroundings, and transport them on long journeys across the world without causing considerable distress, physical and psychological suffering.

The transportation and resulting suffering of these sensitive and highly intelligent animals is unacceptable.

What lies ahead for these individuals in the laboratories is unthinkable.

Envigo is a global contract research company that uses various species of animals, including monkeys, to carry out tests on behalf of other companies.
It was formed in 2015, following the merging of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) and Harlan Laboratories.

Neither Wamos Air or Royal Caribbean Cruises, one of the parent companies of the Spanish airline, has responded to the appeal of Action for Primates Organisation to end their involvement in this cruel trade.

Please take action and ask others to do likewise. It is important to show Wamos Air and Royal Caribbean Cruises the strength of public feeling on this issue.
Without our resistance, animal abusers will do their work much more easily

My best regards to all, Venus

Farm Animals

Germany: 250 mummified pigs – like in a horror movie!

It must have been a horrific sight – the stench was bestial. Residents from the tranquil Nikolaus village in the district of Cloppenburg (Lower Saxony) find 250 dead pigs in an abandoned stable.

Their mummification had already started, probably from drying out. There is no trace of the pet owner!

When police officers opened the stable on the outskirts of Nikolaus village, they came across skeletonized and, in some cases, mummified dead pigs. Experts from the veterinary office had to count the skulls of the animals – and came to around 250.

It is unclear why the farmer left 250 pigs die miserably and helpless, when he left the farm (!!!)

Nobody of the around 1100 inhabitants in the small Nikolaus village suspects what terrible fate must have played out behind the red stable walls.

“We have started an investigation against the pig owner for violating the Animal Welfare Act,” replied a spokeswoman for the Cloppenburg police station. The farmer had moved to another area in 2018.
It is unclear how long the animals had been lying alone in their boxes.

The veterinary office is also investigating the case

The police and the veterinary office in Cloppenburg, which is also investigating the case, do not want to give more precise information about the causes of death of the animals.
“The Cloppenburg district immediately ordered the former livestock keeper to remove the remains of the pigs from the stable and to have them disposed of harmlessly,” reports a spokesman for the veterinary office.
And further: “Then the stable must be cleaned and disinfected. This is monitored by the authorities.”

Pig farming was deregistered from the Cloppenburg district on December 31, 2012 and cattle farming on October 23, 2018, confirms veterinary office spokesman Frank Beumker. Controls after de-registration of the animal husbandry are not provided.

“The company was previously not noticed because of violations of animal welfare regulations,” (!!!) said the spokesman for the veterinary office.

https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/250-mumifizierte-Schweine-auf-verlassenem-Hof-entdeckt,schweine730.html

And I mean…The police found 250 dead pigs on a farm in Lower Saxony. The operator left the farm several years ago and apparently let the animals die.
How could this happen? in a country with the “best animal welfare” in Europe?

Quite simply: because farms that keep animals are checked on average in Germany (at best) every 17 years. Veterinary offices in their current form are part of the problem. They lie and cover up cruelty to animals.

So if the veterinary office has come to the conclusion that… “The company had not previously been noticed for violating animal welfare regulations”, it is an outrageous lie.
Has the farmer deregistered his business and nobody from the veterinary office has asked for proof of the whereabouts of the animals?
It seems like nothing was checked here …

That means that the responsible veterinary office has not done its job.
This is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act due to omission!
But that’s not the only shame in this story.

Didn’t anyone notice how the pigs were roaring to death for weeks after the criminal farmer ran away and let the pigs slowly  perish?
has that only dawned on people after years?
and just because it stank?

We are a society of cowardly accomplices

My best regards to all, Venus

Farm Animals, General News, Vegan Recipes

UK: We Welcome Welfare labels on meat to say how animal was killed: New law is in pipeline after campaign on halal and kosher livestock that isn’t stunned before slaughter. Link to take part in Government Consultation which closes 6/12/21.

MPs have also been calling for the change.

Sir Roger Gale said: ‘Brexit has presented us with the opportunity to reform our farming systems.

WAV Comment – For a very long time, welfare campaigners in the UK have been calling for this. ALL food should be clearly labelled to show production methods, nation of origin, and how the animal was slaughtered is clearly identified on the packaging. We very much welcome this decades (far too late) late legislation, but are hugely supported by the fact that so many Brits are demanding to see how their food is produced – and that animal welfare is a ‘high up the chain’ concern.

If you personally wish to get involved with, and submit to the consultation, then please go to;

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-welfare-market-interventions-and-labelling/labelling-for-animal-welfare/

The consultation closes on 6/12/21.

Regards Mark

At the moment, it is not compulsory to label meat as halal, so campaigners have argued that those who eat the products and care about animal welfare should be able to make the choice to buy meat killed in a more humane way [Stock image]
At the moment, it is not compulsory to label meat as halal, so campaigners have argued that those who eat the products and care about animal welfare should be able to make the choice to buy meat killed in a more humane way [Stock image]

Welfare labels on meat to say how animal was killed: New law is in pipeline after campaign on halal and kosher livestock that isn’t stunned before slaughter

  • It currently not compulsory to label meat as halal but new bill could change that
  • Campaigners argue shoppers concerned with animal welfare should be able to make the choice to buy meat killed in a more humane way
  • The Bill is in the early stages and is currently the subject of a public consultation 

Welfare labels on meat to say how animal was killed | Daily Mail Online

Halal and kosher meat will have to be labelled in a victory for animal welfare campaigners.

As part of the proposed law, all meat will have to be marked with how the animal was killed.

Animals slaughtered to be compliant with kosher and halal rules are often killed without being stunned first and have their throats slit.

At the moment, it is not compulsory to label meat as halal, so campaigners have argued that those who eat the products and care about animal welfare should be able to make the choice to buy meat killed in a more humane way.

The Bill is currently in the early stages and is the subject of a public consultation. But ministers have privately said they aim to bring in the law – and that it is supported by the majority of the British public.

Animals slaughtered to be compliant with kosher and halal rules are often killed without being stunned first and have their throats slit. Pictured: A meat processing plant [Stock image]
Animals slaughtered to be compliant with kosher and halal rules are often killed without being stunned first and have their throats slit. Pictured: A meat processing plant [Stock image] Photo – Getty Images

Victoria Prentis, minister for farming, fisheries and food, said: ‘As a nation, we care enormously about animal welfare and increasingly about environmental standards.

‘Consumer information and labelling are part of the toolbox that we have when it comes to creating a better food system for people and the planet. It is something that we will be considering in detail with industry and stakeholders in the weeks and months ahead.’

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF), which the Prime Minister’s wife Carrie Johnson has long been a patron of, has been calling for this policy change for years.

Lorraine Platt, chairman of CAWF and a friend of Mrs Johnson, welcomed the news: ‘With the exception of whole eggs, there are currently no legal requirements to label products with information on how the animal was reared and slaughtered.

‘But the fact is the British public do care about these conditions – over 80 per cent of UK consumers are in favour of food labelling.

‘Where labelling does currently exist, consumers have been able to identify higher welfare products and subsequently many farmers have been rewarded with increased demand. It is our hope that through extending labelling to all farmed produce, we can help the growth of higher welfare farms in the UK.’

MPs have also been calling for the change. Sir Roger Gale said: ‘Brexit has presented us with the opportunity to reform our farming systems.

‘Transparency with consumers must be at the heart of these reforms and implementing labelling for animal welfare represents a critical step forward. In doing so we can empower consumers to make informed decisions about which farming systems they want to support – or avoid supporting.

‘There is an overwhelming democratic mandate for such a move, with around eight in ten British consumers stating animal welfare is an important consideration for them when shopping.’

Under new laws, there will also be stricter animal welfare labelling requirements – with how the animal was reared and cared for prominently displayed on the packaging.

This is part of a raft of legislation under the Animal Welfare Bill including plans to ban boiling lobsters alive and outlawing the sale and import of ‘cruel’ animal products such as fur and foie gras.

Halal meat is worth around £2.6billion a year in the UK, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

It accounts for around 20 per cent of all lamb and mutton sold, despite Muslims only comprising around 5 per cent of the population.

This is because ‘halal consumers eat more meat per capita than the general population’, says the AHDB.

About 42 per cent of all halal meat is not stunned before slaughter, according to the Food Standards Agency.

Slaughter of kosher livestock – the method is known as shechita – is a small percentage of all animals killed accounting for only 0.5 per cent of all cattle, 0.1 per cent of sheep, 0.3 per cent of chickens. 

Enjoy

Regards Mark

General News, Uncategorized

USA: New Slaughterhouse Investigation Reveals Critical Lapse in Federal Law.

New Slaughterhouse Investigation Reveals Critical Lapse in Federal Law

By Ingrid L. Taylor

September 7, 2021

In the same month the U.S. Senate recognized August as National Catfish Month, Animal Equality, an international animal protection organization that has conducted hundreds of investigations into slaughterhouses and industrial farms, released disturbing footage of an undercover investigation at Simmons Farm Raised Catfish. Simmons, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, is one of the largest USDA-inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S. and a supplier for Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s restaurant chains, as well as Kroger, Save A Lot, and Piggly Wiggly grocery stores. 

Video footage revealed catfish piled on overcrowded conveyor belts slowly suffocating as workers take lengthy breaks, fish returning to consciousness after electrical stunning and beheaded while fully awake, and undersized, deformed, or parasite-scarred fish languishing in bins without water for hours before being ground alive and turned into feed for growing catfish. A turtle, bycatch from the netting process that removes the farmed fish from ponds, was tossed onto a conveyor belt loaded with severed fish heads and tried to escape being shredded alive. 

The month-long investigation further revealed that these were not isolated incidents, according to Animal Equality’s Director of Investigations Sean Thomas, but that catfish, turtles, and other bycatch fish were routinely left to suffer out of water before being killed. 

Pressing for Criminal Animal Cruelty Charges 

Animal Equality presented evidence to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office and County Prosecutor alleging that Simmons had violated Mississippi law against animal cruelty, which does not exclude fish from legal consideration, according to Kathy Hessler, Director of the Animal Law Clinic at Lewis and Clark School. Hessler further stated in a memo that “scientific research indicates that fish and turtles can suffer and feel pain, and that animals who live in water, fish, in particular, suffer when taken out of water.” Thomas points out that catfish are “robust” fish and can survive for prolonged periods out of water, making their slow suffocation even more excruciating. 

The slaughter process itself also causes pain and suffering. The catfish pass through an electrical stunning device intended to incapacitate them prior to decapitation. The fish are heaped on top of each other, and the stunning relies on the current being carried from fish to fish through their crowded bodies. However, videos of the slaughter line show catfish flopping, gasping, and moving their fins after stunning, and many appear to be fully conscious when beheaded and may even maintain consciousness for some time after decapitation. 

In one haunting scene, the severed head of a catfish gasps slowly as the conveyor belt passes. Studies in other species of fish have shown that respiration and gasping can persist for up to eight hours after decapitation, and research in rats suggests that brain death does not occur for a least a minute after decapitation—raising questions about how much suffering these conscious catfish endure, and for how long. To that point, Thomas cites a 2020 study showing that catfish are resilient to electrical stunning and most immediately regained consciousness. 

The organization has also reached out to companies that purchase catfish from Simmons, and Kroger has initiated an independent investigation into the allegations. Animal Equality also filed consumer complaints with Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee state attorneys general, stating that Simmons’s claim of “swiftly processing” catfish constitutes unfair or deceptive trade practices. In response, Simmons removed the claim from its website that the fish are processed “within 30 minutes.”

A Unique Opportunity to Demand Federal Oversight  

While catfish are not excluded from local animal cruelty laws, they are excluded from the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act, originally passed in 1958 and the only federal legislation overseeing animal welfare during slaughter. This act requires the “proper treatment and humane handling” of all animals slaughtered in USDA-inspected facilities but omits chickens and fish. According to Hessler, “fish and aquatic animals have no legal protections during transportation to, or within, the slaughter process. Methods of slaughtering fish and other aquatic animals can be quite gruesome, painful to the animals involved, and take significant periods of time.” In 2021, over 193,000 tons of catfish (measured in live weight) have already passed through slaughterhouses, with no oversight for their humane handling or welfare. 

However, catfish do hold the unusual status of being the only fish species inspected by the USDA, the federal organization responsible for enforcing the Humane Slaughter Act. This unique regulatory situation was implemented in 2016 to undercut foreign competitors to the U.S.’s home-grown catfish industry. Producers hoped that adding USDA certification to their products would give them an edge in the market. In the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, which collectively use 53,200 acres of water surface for catfish farming, catfish production is frequently marketed as “sustainable, traditional family farms” rather than as an industry bringing in significant sales, to the tune of 371 million dollars in 2020.  

Despite catfish’s special status, USDA inspectors don’t assess live fish in slaughterhouses. As Thomas explains, “it’s just for the sanitary conditions under which the fish are packaged. So, if a piece of that fish fell on the floor they would inspect it, but they’re not going over to the other side and watching where the live animals come in and seeing if stunning is occurring or anything like that.” Thomas points out that this sends a potent message to the industry “where the USDA doesn’t recognize them [the catfish] as animals deserving of even the most basic protections.” 

But, because USDA inspectors are already present in these facilities, Animal Equality sees this as an opportunity to press for federal oversight of catfish being slaughtered. And as Hessler states, the legislative framework is already present, and “these animals now vastly outnumber their mammal counterparts in the slaughter process, and scientific evidence has clearly shown that they can feel pain and suffer. It is therefore incumbent on us to protect them from unnecessary suffering during the slaughter process.” 

To this end, Animal Equality is petitioning Congress to include fish in the Humane Slaughter Act. Thomas admits that this is only a first step in humane oversight for farmed fish, but it would be a crucial move toward recognizing their capacity for pain and suffering and their need for federal protections. 

Simmons Farm Raised Catfish and The Catfish Institute could not be reached for comment. 

Read More

Fish Farming Giant Faces Animal Abuse Allegations

“If the Industry Won’t Tell the Truth, We Will”: Animal Equality’s Fight Continues

Factory Farming: Shedding Light on the Highly Secretive Industry

Regards Mark

New Slaughterhouse Investigation Reveals Critical Lapse in Federal Law
Environmental, General News

UK: Alok Sharma MP and Climate Summit President Criticised for ‘Excessive’ Air Travel.

Have been researching Alok Sharma MP a bit more this morning (14/9); amazing what you can find:

Regards Mark

Try again Contact Information for Alok Sharma MP:

Contact information for Alok Sharma – MPs and Lords – UK Parliament

MP and climate summit president Alok Sharma criticised for ‘excessive’ air travel and avoiding quarantine

MP and climate summit president Alok Sharma criticised for ‘excessive’ air travel and avoiding quarantine – The Canary

Political leaders have accused Cop26 president Alok Sharma of “hypocrisy” after it emerged he has flown to at least 30 countries this year in the run-up to the climate summit. Sharma also attracted criticism for failing to self-isolate after visits to red-list countries, most recently Bolivia and Brazil, by relying on rules exempting ministers from quarantine.

“Get-out-of-jail free” card

The former secretary of state for business remains in Brazil where he’s meeting with state and business leaders in a bid to get them to commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Liberal Democrat spokesperson Sarah Olney MP accused him of treating flexible rules for Crown servants as a “get-out-of-jail free” card.

As usual with this Government, it’s one rule for them and another for everybody else.

While Alok Sharma flies to red-list countries with abandon, hard-working families can hardly see loved ones or plan holidays as the Government changes travel rules on the hoof.

People are sick of the Government giving themselves get-out-of-jail free passes while the rest of us stick to the rules.

COP President:

COP26 President – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

‘One rule for them’: Alok Sharma criticised over flights to 30 countries

This article is more than 1 month old

Cop26 president accused of undermining climate effort after visiting 30 countries in seven months

‘One rule for them’: Alok Sharma criticised over flights to 30 countries | Alok Sharma | The Guardian

Alok Sharma, the government minister responsible for vital UN climate talks, is facing calls to self-isolate when he returns from Brazil, after he was hit with a double barrage of criticism for not quarantining when returning from “red-list” countries and for the environmental impact of his trips around the world.

The president of Cop26, which is being hosted in Glasgow in October and November, has visited 30 countries since February, including Brazil, where he has been this week, Indonesia and Kenya, it was reported.

Despite travelling to six countries on the government’s travel “red list” he was not required to isolate, according to the Daily Mail. The revelations came as the government added countries including Mexico to its red list, scuppering many people’s summer holiday plans.

The Mail also reported that Sharma had an indoor meeting – without masks – with Prince Charles days after returning from Bangladesh (a red list country) before going on a visit to a primary school.

With Sharma currently in Brazil, where the P1 and P2 variants emerged, he is now facing pressure to show he is not above the rules the public are subject to.

The Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, Munira Wilson, said: “It seems incredible that this government never seems to learn the lesson; it simply cannot be one rule for them and one rule for everyone else.

“Whether or not he should be going to red countries on his tour is up for debate – but whether he should be self-isolating when he returns is not.

“The Conservatives have made a terrible mess of international travel since March last year and it has cost many thousands of lives.”

Sharma has also been criticised for not leading by example when attempting to encourage others to reduce emissions. But Downing Street said face-to face talks were essential on occasion as Sharma tried to persuade major emitters to cut emissions and secure ambitious action ahead of the Cop26 summit.

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, told Sky News: “I’m afraid I do think it really undermines the effort that we know everybody has to make. We’ve all got used to having meetings with people in different parts of the world without needing to travel around the world to do it.

“And when we’re trying to persuade people to make the changes they need to make, we need to make, in our daily lives, transport, in our own homes, in the way that we think about the contribution we can make, we need the people at the very top to be demonstrating that they are doing that too, not thinking that that is for other people to carry that burden.”

David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, said Sharma’s behaviour demonstrated that “it’s one rule for them and another rule for us” and “feels to not be setting the example”.

The Labour MP told the broadcaster: “Well, the optics are very clear – it’s one rule for them and another rule for us, whether it’s Dominic Cummings, whether it’s Matt Hancock, whether it’s Alok Sharma.

“Of course some international travel is required, but this amount of international travel when you’re climate change minister feels to me bizarre, and feels to not be setting the example.”

The Green party peer Jenny Jones, who has already accused the former business minister of being “excessive” and “hypocritical”, on Friday added that Sharma’s flights to France and Belgium “could hardly be faster than rail if you take into account the ability to work efficiently on the train”.

Most of Sharma’s trips were during the winter and spring months when international travel from the UK was mostly banned.

He visited India, Costa Rica, Qatar and UAE in March, while in April he travelled to South Korea and Japan before going to Bangladesh in June.

Not all of the 30 known trips were return flights to the UK, but travel to and from all the destinations would total 200,000 miles, or the equivalent to eight times around the Earth.

The delayed Cop26 conference will mark the first time since the 2015 Paris climate change conference that countries will set ambitious new targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

A No 10 spokesperson said: “As Cop president, Alok Sharma is leading climate negotiations with countries including major emitters to cut emissions and secure ambitious action ahead of the Cop26 summit.

“The majority of this work is done remotely but some travel to key countries for face-to-face talks is essential. He has secured ambitious action as a result of the discussions he has had.”

The spokesperson added: “Ministers conducting essential travel such as this are exempted from quarantine, as set out in the rules.”

Asked if Sharma would quarantine on his return from Brazil, where he is currently, the spokesperson said: “He will continue to comply with the rules as set out.”

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Vegan Recipes

UK: UN COP26 Climate Summit – vegan eating can reduce food-related carbon emissions by 73%. Eating meat and dairy is part of what got us into this mess. So Why No Vegan Food At the Summit ???? – Take Action Below.

Important Note – we have just tried to e mail and telephone the office of Alok Sharma, and everything seems to be closed down – we are even told the wrong number by phone; which we took from his official ‘contact’ area on his site !! – strange. Lets hope he is getting the message about all this. Thus, the action links given below may not now work at present. All I can say is keep trying now and again.

Regards Mark

WAV Comment – Is this not like inviting the senior arsonist as a principal guest to the firefighters annual ball ?

What the hell are these people on ? – and they call themselves experts and politicians who are supposed to be dealing with the climate situation !

The United Nations’ COP26 climate summit—which will be the largest summit that the U.K. has ever hosted—is fast approaching, and we learned that there’s a plan to serve animal-derived food at the convention, even though animal agriculture is devastating for animals and the planet.

Vegan foods have a far smaller carbon footprint than their animal-derived counterparts. Speak out today to ensure that the COP26 climate summit sets a good example for the world to follow. See action below.

The 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP26) Climate Change Conference is fast approaching. Urge the president of COP26, Alok Sharma, to set a meaningful example during this climate crisis by serving a fully vegan menu at the event.

Eating Vegan Is Better for the Environment
The fishing, meat, dairy, and egg industries are not only cruel to animals but also catastrophic for the environment. For decades, the U.N. has identified animal agriculture as a leading cause of deforestation, pollution, ocean dead zones, habitat loss, species extinction, and the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Vegan foods have a far smaller carbon footprint than their animal-derived counterparts—even when comparing imported plant proteins to flesh from grass-fed, locally farmed animals—and a switch to vegan eating can reduce food-related carbon emissions by 73%. Quite simply, eating meat and dairy is part of what got us into this mess.

Animals can feel pain in the same way as humans. Just like us, they value their lives and don’t want to suffer.

In her natural environment, a hen will cluck to her chicks before they even hatch while sitting on the eggs in her nest. They peep back to her and to each other through their shells. In the ways that matter, humans and other animals are the same. There is no moral justification for exploiting animals for human purposes.

The COP26 Climate Summit Should Set an Example
Given everything that we now know about the devastating impact of animal agriculture on the environment, serving meat, dairy, or eggs at a climate change summit would be like distributing cigarettes at a health convention.

Plant foods are the way forward, and a vegan menu would not only allow attendees to dine with a clear conscience but also set an important example for the world to follow.

Take action and tell Sharma to serve only vegan food at the event.

Send emails to:

Alok Sharma
alok.sharma.mp@parliament.uk

Take action against this mentality:

Urge the COP26 Climate Summit to Serve a Fully Vegan Menu | PETA