Category: General News

USA: Average American Believes US Could Be ‘Entirely’ Meat-Free By 2039, Poll Finds.

Vegan Breakfast Potato Hash | Recipes | Daily Harvest Express

WAV Comment – Having enjoyed many states in the USA over many years; 12, 14 visits –  lost count; and witnessing some people eat, ‘dive in and eat all you can’ type thing; especially in say, Las Vegas, for example; I personally have big doubts that the USA would ever ‘entirely’ be meat free.

Obviously I would love to see it happen, but am afraid this maybe just media hype rather than reality.

Quote from article – Despite the optimism for a meat-free future, 52% of respondents said turning plant-based isn’t a ‘realistic possibility’ for them right now.

On the other hand, this 2039 scenario is approximately 18 years in the future; and so, hopefully, the very young children of today will be well educated teenagers by then; hopefully eating plant based diets, meat free, for the benefit of them, their health, animals and the environment, as so much present research clearly shows.

Only on 4/8 I was talking to a good (female) friend about all these issues; she is a hairdresser by profession and so meets many people in her work each week.  She told me that from her own experiences, so many of her younger clients (we are in England) are now so fully aware of environmental, animal welfare and food issues, so divorced and so much away from the traditional ‘Sunday Roast’ mob that you sometimes find with some older, entrenched generations who have always had it that way.

So, lets hope those youngsters of today will be taking the issues with them into adulthood.

Possibly, in 20 years time, the amount of Americans who have changed to plant based eating will be huge.  Maybe this vision will eventually become a reality..

Regards Mark

3,706 BEST Beef Carcass IMAGES, STOCK PHOTOS & VECTORS | Adobe Stock

Average American Believes US Could Be ‘Entirely’ Meat-Free By 2039, Poll Finds

Despite the optimism for a meat-free future, 52% of respondents said turning plant-based isn’t a ‘realistic possibility’ for them right now

The average American believes the US could be ‘entirely’ meat-free by the year 2039, according to a new poll.

The 2,000-person survey was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Vegan Strong. It found one in three respondents agrees that everyone will be eating meatless foods in the future. 

The average year participants think everyone will follow a plant-based diet is 2039.

‘Plants have all the protein you need’

Despite the optimism, a staggering 52 percent of those surveyed said turning plant-based isn’t a ‘realistic possibility’ for them right now. Moreover, one in five said plant-based diets are too expensive and 19 percent think it would be ‘too time-consuming to learn the ins and outs’.

Similarly, 55 percent worry they ‘couldn’t survive on a vegan diet’ based on the amount of protein it provides.

Robert Cheeke is Vegan Strong’s National Tour Director. In a statement sent to PBN, he said: “Most people don’t realize that plants have all the protein you need.  

“Yet many elite athletes are converting to a plant-based diet because they are seeing their performance and strength improve dramatically.”

However, 31 percent admitted to having given a vegan recipe a go for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Plant-based eating can be incredibly affordable if you focus on eating fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, nuts, and seeds,” Cheeke then added.  “Going vegan is better for your health, your wallet, and the earth.”

Is the future meat-free?

Moreover, in 2019, a major report predicted 60 percent of meat consumed in 2040 won’t come from dead animals.

The report, by global consultancy AT Kearney, says 35 percent of meat will be lab-cultured and 25 percent will be vegan alternatives.

The predictions were based on interviews with experts. Environmental impact and animal welfare concerns were cited as reasons behind the growing interest in alternative protein.

Source:

Average American Believes US Could Be ‘Entirely’ Meat-Free By 2039 | Plant Based News

What is a violation?

Think about who you needleslsy violate when you aren’t vegan.


In all of the ways that matter, non-human animals are others who experience reality and suffer just like humans do, and being vegan is basic decency in our co-existence with other animals.
Humans who still aren’t vegan in the modern world should have their freedoms rubbished.
Humanity may then finally awaken to the reality of the situation for them.

Text: Anonymous for the Voiceless

And I mean…As natural as the legalization of human superiority over other animals in our everyday life appears at first glance – in reality and in plain language it is like this: In fact, there is no human being who is more valuable than the living beings that he enslaves, exploits and uses for own purposes.

By the way, we might as well…
-Transporting people for days without food and water?
– Getting human mothers pregnant again and again in order to steal their milk?
-Taking away their children from the constantly impregnated human mothers so that the human babies do not drink the milk?
-killing the human babies taken from human mothers and process them into meat and sausage?

So there must be other reasons why pigs are eaten and humans are not. Probably has to do with the fact that pigs are the weaker ones.
And what is someone who abuses and exploits the weaker?

Oh well, humans have rights and animals don’t, because … well, … because we just set it that way!

My best regards to all, Venus

England: 5/8/21 – UK Government Responds To Issue Of Ex Racehorse Welfare and Slaughter.

Things appear to be on the move a little.

Recently, in addition to our English slaughterhouse actions – England: Update 5/8/21 – Abuses At English Slaughterhouse. We Now Have Initial Reply From Food Standards Agency (FSA). – World Animals Voice  we have been working regarding the suffering of some ex racehorses at specific English (horse) slaughterhouses.

There was also a government petition about this, which we signed.  Under UK law, if a petition gats 100,000+ signatures, then it will be debated formally in the House of Commons, the house where new acts are formatted before going on to the House of Lords.  Sadly, despite actions by many thousands of activists, the necessary 100k signatures were not met.

Regardless, the government has been sent a clear message. They have responded as follows.

Regards Mark

Here is a copy of the original petition:

Introduce national limits on horse breeding

Unrestricted horse breeding has led to an excessive number of equines. The result is the slaughter of thousands of horses each year. We call on the Government to introduce a national limit on the number of equines that can be produced by horse breeders, reducing the number of unwanted horses.

The absence of Government intervention in horse welfare has led to going equine crises. Over-breeding is a major cause of problems. The Government needs to address this issue by setting clear limits on the number of foals born annually. All breeders would need to apply for a licence to breed horses. There would be significant sanctions for anyone breeding horses without a licence or breeding more horses than licensed to do so, including anyone sending horses to slaughter.

The UK government has replied to this action and provided us with the following response:

———————————————————————————

Dear Mark Johnson,

The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Introduce national limits on horse breeding”.

Government responded:

The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare. We continue to have close engagement with the equine sector and are monitoring the situation regarding the supply of foals.

The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare, and we are committed to enhancing the UK’s position as a world leader in the protection of animals. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare (APAW) is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government’s main priorities on animal welfare and conservation, including horse welfare. The Action Plan can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/action-plan-for-animal-welfare

The Government continues to take positive action to promote and improve equine welfare. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 came into force on the 29 June 2021. The Act’s new maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine will apply to animal cruelty offences, including causing unnecessary suffering, and is a significant step forward in improving animal welfare.

To promote responsible ownership, there is clear guidance available to educate and remind horse owners of their responsibilities to provide for the welfare needs of their animal. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids makes clear that you should consider buying or rehoming a youngster before taking the decision to breed. The foal’s individual future must also be considered before breeding from your equine, and the code highlights the UK’s overpopulation problem at the time of publication.
The Code can be found here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf

Further information on responsible breeding is available to the public, including World Horse Welfare’s “Need to Breed” initiative which can be found here:
https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/do-you-need-to-breed.

Information regarding the British Horse Society’s “Think Before You Breed” campaign can be found here:
https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/welfare/our-campaigns/think-before-you-breed

The welfare of horses at end of life is a priority for the Government. As set out in the Code of Practice, horse owners should proactively develop a plan for a horse’s end of life in order to prevent unnecessary pain and distress. World Horse Welfare provides advice on end of life decision making:
https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/end-of-life .

Euthanasia may be considered in several circumstances, including when a horse’s quality of life has deteriorated significantly for example due to chronic or age-related conditions. We would encourage owners to seek a veterinary opinion in such circumstances. If a decision is taken to end a horse’s life, they must be humanely destroyed by a vet or a suitably qualified, experienced and equipped person, such as a licensed slaughterman. The welfare of horses at slaughter is governed by the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 1995, The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) 2015 and retained EC Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing.

The APAW includes a commitment to pursuing the licensing of animal sanctuaries, rescue and rehoming centres. Defra has been engaging with rescue and rehoming organisations, including those involved with equines, to understand their views and the possible impacts of regulating the sector. Any proposals to bring forward licensing regulations will be subject to a consultation.

There are currently no plans to introduce statutory licensing in relation to the activity of horse breeding. Many other approaches already address the issue of overbreeding. It is also unclear how any national limit on equine births would be implemented and enforced in practice, without introducing significant regulatory burdens. The key issue at stake is how well equines are cared for after they have been born, and existing protections already address this. We continue to have close engagement with key stakeholders in the equine sector and are monitoring the situation regarding the supply of foals.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Click this link to view the response online:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/585547?reveal_response=yes

The Petitions Committee will take a look at this petition and its response. They can press the government for action and gather evidence. If this petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the Committee will consider it for a debate.

The Committee is made up of 11 MPs, from political parties in government and in opposition. It is entirely independent of the Government. Find out more about the Committee: https://petition.parliament.uk/help#petitions-committee

Thanks,
The Petitions team
UK Government and Parliament


England: Update 5/8/21 – Abuses At English Slaughterhouse. We Now Have Initial Reply From Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Petitions are good, but sometimes as individuals we have to take further actions to get any result. I think people are really out now to close this hell hole for animals down for ever.

Recently we covered in detail the issue of the English slaughterhouse which was not fit for purpose and which was non compliant with animal welfare legislation:

England: WAV Follow Up With Letter To Relevant Authorities Re English Slaughterhouse Abuses Filmed On CCTV. – World Animals Voice

England: Hewitt Slaughterhouse Abuses. WAV Now Write To Government Minister Responsible and Also To Food Standards Agency Re Veterinarian. – World Animals Voice

England: Shut Down Hewitt Slaughterhouse – Planned Events and Actions (If You Cannot Attend, Send A Letter) – Link Provided. – World Animals Voice

On the 4/8/21, I had a mail back from the Complaints and Transparency Adviser at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is the responsible section of the British government.  It is positive to read that an investigation into the abuses shown is already underway.

Further, it is also good to hear that the FSA should review all the procedures in the slaughterhouse constantly; which the approved veterinarian does not do from the footage obtained from the CCTV.

Also, it is positive to read that ‘We (FSA) are working closely with the slaughterhouse team and the relevant CCTV footage has been assessed by FSA vets. As this is part of an ongoing investigation with potential for criminal proceedings’.

As investigations are still currently ongoing, we accept that this statement is all that we can be provided with for the current time – but we do see several sounding positives here, especially the one relating to ‘potential criminal proceedings’.

I will publish further news on this issue as and when we hear more as a result of the investigation.

Regards Mark

————————————————–

The FSA letter is as follows (non edited).

Dear Mark,

Thank you for raising your complaint with us.

The Food Standards Agency takes animal welfare at slaughterhouses very seriously and in the interest of transparency we can confirm that an investigation into these allegations is already underway.

We have staff present in slaughterhouses during operating hours and CCTV, where there are live animals, is mandatory in slaughterhouses in England as part of measures to monitor and enforce animal welfare requirements.

We are working closely with the slaughterhouse team and the relevant CCTV footage has been assessed by FSA vets. As this is part of an ongoing investigation with potential for criminal proceedings, the FSA cannot comment further at this stage or pursue the matter through our external complaints process.

Yours sincerely,

Joe Montague

Complaints and Transparency Adviser

People and Organisational Change

Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Ethical Veganism

From Helmut Kaplan’s Facebook page:

// In the UK, all nursing staff will be vaccinated from October. However, this does not apply to vegans. The so-called ethical
Veganism was declared a protected worldview in a court ruling last year and is therefore subject to special protection under British labor law.

Specifically, it is animal testing with vaccines that contradict the ethical vegan philosophy. Since a vaccination would automatically mean that the vegans would have to act contrary to their worldview, they are exempted from the obligation to vaccinate. //

“Unfortunately, the provision will have little effect, as ethical vegans have long been a species that is becoming extinct,” commented the Austrian animal ethicist Helmut Kaplan on the decision.

We welcome the decision of the British, they are one step ahead of us Germans.

In this case, veganism is seen (almost) like a religion and consideration is given accordingly.

On the argument …” Yes, but most drugs also come on the market with animal testing, why now only refuse the vaccination”, we can say that a painkiller, for example, is not subject to any obligation, I take it if I want.

In any case … that ethical veganism is subject to protection is a very big step in our justice system and one can therefore hope that this decision can also positively influence the morality of our society.

My best regards to all, Venus

UN special rapporteur on torture requests info after video shows German police officer throwing elderly woman to groun

Mayhem on streets of Berlin: Anti-lockdown protests turn into violent scuffles with police in Germany, 600 arrested (VIDEOS)

Video: https://www.rt.com/news/530843-berlin-lockdown-protests-scuffles-police/

Nils Melzer, the United Nation’s special rapporteur on torture, has issued a request for information after a video showing a German police officer throwing an elderly woman to the floor during a protest went viral online.

The footage, allegedly recorded during the anti-Covid-19 lockdown protests in Berlin on Sunday, 1. August, showed the woman attempting to walk past an officer before he grabbed onto her neck with both hands and threw her forcefully to the ground.

2 Aug, 2021 11:50

Fellow protesters could be seen in the video admonishing the officer and trying to help the injured woman, as several officers continued to push others in the area with less force.

Melzer – who is also the human rights chair at the Geneva Academy in Switzerland – confirmed on Sunday that the video had been brought to his attention.

He has requested both witness statements and details on whether “an official investigation has been launched.”

The anti-lockdown protests in Berlin became chaotic after police tried to forcefully shut the demonstrations down. Around 5,000 Germans took part in the protests on Sunday, and around 600 were arrested.

Videos showed other instances of police violence, including officers kicking protesters, shoving people, pushing their faces, pepper spraying, and even grabbing onto and detaining a man for playing the trumpet.

One video showed an officer punching a teenage boy in the face while he was on the ground, and a 49-year-old protester collapsed and died during an identity check.

https://www.rt.com/news/530892-nils-melzer-berlin-police-violence/

And I mean…So, the UN, a major player on the global covid war, will be imposing crippling economic sanctions against German regime for blatant human rights violations, right?
Had his happened in Russia, China or Belarus the whole Planet would be flooded with front pages!!!

State sanctioned brutality. Back in time to the 1930’s.

https://qpress.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/folter-in-der-heutigen-zeit-pruegel-misshandlung-gewalt-staatsgewalt.png

Unique phenomenon in human history: a world dictatorship takes over power without tanks, without weapons, without political prisoners.
Only with obedient, submissive People’s cattle on the side, which promises eternal loyalty to both the pharmaceutical industry and governments (verifiable) with its Green Pass.

My best regards, Venus

Online Event – Working Animals: Empowering Sustainable Growth.

Event – Working Animals: Empowering Sustainable Growth

4 August 2021

The Donkey Sanctuary

News

Eurogroup for Animals, in partnership with the International Coalition for Working Equids, are pleased to invite you to join us on 28 September as we present an interactive panel event to showcase the role working animals play in helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The event is part of European Sustainable Development Week 2021. Joe Collins, Chair of Eurogroup for Animals’ Equines Working Group, will introduce the presentations and lead discussion during an interactive question and answer session.

An estimated 200 million working animals are essential to the livelihoods of many communities around the world; they are often key to bringing sustainable growth to those communities, with the ability to transport goods, collect water and work for a source of income. The Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved through many cost effective simple solutions, the welfare of working animals is one of them.

Simple interventions can empower owners to keep their working animals healthy and ensure their continued productive benefit.

Register now to attend.

Regards Mark

England: Badger cull in England in the spotlight again as wildlife groups provide further evidence for alleged breach of international treaty obligations.

WAV Comment – Badgers are protected by law in the UK; if I did kill one intentionally, then quite rightly, I would be prosecuted.  But if you are the UK government, it appears that you can kill over 140,000 badgers in the name of ‘protecting the spread of bovine TB.  We agree fully with the statement put out from Eurogroup for Animals, that being:

The UK government has sought to portray itself as a champion for animal welfare, and yet the ongoing cull of badgers leaves such a claim in tatters. Their policy flies in the face of science, evidence and any notion of the badgers as sentient beings. No animal deserves to be treated this way.

The cull must stop and stop now; enough animals have already been murdered by the UK government, let alone continue until 2025 when another 140,000 could be slaughtered.

The UK government are fools to lie to the British public that this killing is for the better, to stop Bovine TB spreading.  It will be one big issue that will be raised when MP’s come knocking on doors, for votes, when the UK has its neat election. Ministerial fools who know nothing except bullshit. With Badgers visiting my garden every night, they are wonderful, and badgers have friends, and those friends have votes !

Regards Mark

Badger cull in England in the spotlight again as wildlife groups provide further evidence for alleged breach of international treaty obligations

3 August 2021

Badger Trust

Press Release

A coalition of animal welfare organisations have submitted further evidence in support of a complaint which claims that the UK Government’s ongoing badger cull policy in England fails to uphold its duties under the Bern Convention

UK based charities Badger Trust and Born Free Foundation, alongside Eurogroup for Animals, based in Belgium, have supplied additional information to support their original complaint made in 2019. The complaint challenges whether the UK Government has adequately considered the impact of mass culling of badgers on the badger population and wider biodiversity, and whether there has been any significant disease control benefits to justify the culls.

Britain is home to over 25% of the European badger population. However, with more than 140,000 badgers killed under licence since the cull policy started in 2013, and with culling set to continue until 2025 under recently confirmed UK Government plans, that population is coming under severe pressure. The case was put on ‘standby’ by the Bern Standing Committee in 2020, with a request for further information, the first time a complaint made against the UK Government had not been dismissed at the initial stage. 

The additional information covers the following issues:

  • After 8 years of culling badgers in England, there is little evidence to show any substantive benefits to bovine TB rates in cattle in the cull areas. By contrast in Wales, where no mass culling of badgers has taken place, bovine TB rates in cattle are being successfully reduced using cattle-based measures alone;
  • More than 140,000 badgers have been killed in England since 2013, and in spite of UK Government claims that badger culling is to be phased out, it is estimated that the same number again could be targeted over the coming years, with a real risk that badgers could be wiped out completely from swathes of the country where they have lived since the ice age;
  • The UK Government has consistently failed to adequately monitor the impacts of culling on badger populations or the wider ecology, risking unforeseen and potentially disastrous consequences for badgers and wildlife more widely;
  • These and other failures of the badger culling policy clearly place the UK Government in breach of its commitments to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention), under which badgers are a protected species.

Dr Mark Jones, veterinarian and Head of Policy at the Born Free Foundation, said:

‘The UK Government and proponents of the badger cull have hailed the policy as a success. However, after 8 years of culling evidence for substantial disease control benefits among cattle herds in cull areas is lacking. More than 140,000 badgers have been killed over the past 8 years, most by ‘controlled shooting’, a method rejected by the British Veterinary Association because of welfare concerns. This ineffective, inhumane and unnecessary policy must end.’

Dawn Varley, Acting CEO of Badger Trust, said: 

‘With 140,000 badgers already lost, and with another 140,000 set to be killed according to our estimates, it has never been more urgent to challenge the UK Government on a policy that whilst they claim ‘is working’, just doesn’t stack up whichever way you look at it. We know the UK Government will reply by saying the cull is about to end, but in reality there is another 5 years of culling to come, which we argue would wreak havoc on the badger population – at unknown cost to this usually protected species, and for little benefit to the cattle affected by bovine tuberculosis.’ 

Reineke Hameleers, Chief Executive of Eurogroup for Animals, added:     

“The UK government has sought to portray itself as a champion for animal welfare, and yet the ongoing cull of badgers leaves such a claim in tatters. Their policy flies in the face of science, evidence and any notion of the badgers as sentient beings. No animal deserves to be treated this way. For their part, EU Member States and the European Commission have long been bewildered by the rationale of the approach in England. If farmers were not moving their cattle with such frequency, bovine TB rates would be much lower than at present. It is time to end this madness once and for all and to ensure that the European badger is properly protected, if needs be through common European action.”     

The Bern Convention is a binding international legal instrument in the field of nature conservation, covering most of the natural heritage of the European continent. It is the only regional Convention of its kind worldwide, and aims to conserve wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats, as well as to promote European cooperation in this area. 

The treaty also takes account of the impact that other policies may have on natural heritage and recognises the intrinsic value of wild flora and fauna, which needs to be preserved and passed to future generations.

Fifty countries and the European Union are signed up to the Convention, signalling their commitment to promoting national conservation policies, considering the impact of planning and development on the natural environment, promoting education and information on conservation, and coordinating research. 

Notes to Editors

The original complaint lodged with the Bern Convention in 2019 can be found at https://rm.coe.int/files22e-2020-uk-badger-culling-complaint-form/16809ce9d6 

The ‘additional information’ to the original complaint of 2019, and further to additional information supplied in 2020, was submitted prior to the deadline of 31st July. It is understood the Bern Convention will seek a response from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the UK Government. 

It is anticipated the case will then be subject to review by the Bern Convention Bureau, due to meet in September 2021.

Philippines: A 9 year old boy opened his own animal shelter

A 9 year old boy spent his pocket money on stray dogs and then opened his own animal shelter

The father was happy about his little son’s deed

Ken Amante is a minor citizen of the Philippines.
The boy has already set himself apart from his peers and deserves special respect.
Ken loves animals all his life.
And as soon as his parents gave him pocket money, he bought food for stray dogs.
Ken spent all of his money on it every day.

One of those days, his father decided to find out what his son was spending his money on. He was surprised by what he had learned because his young child bought food for stray dogs and fed them.

The animals had serious problems due to exhaustion, all their fur fell out and they had many wounds on their bodies.
Ken fed the dog and her little pups.
The boy even gave nicknames to his new friends: Belysh, Kashtan and Chernysh.

Although the dogs were happy to accept the food, they were afraid of approaching the boy.

The father was happy about his little son’s deed. The man took several photos and posted them on the Internet.

Photos immediately became popular, and many who did not remain indifferent began to offer him help, and there were many such people from all over the world.

With her help, Ken was able to fulfill his dream. And when he was nine years old, he founded his own animal shelter.
He named it “Happy Animals Club”.

The shelter started operating in 2014 and became the first in the Davao area.
Now the shelter is still working, and all thanks to the support of interested and caring people.

Ken’s parents are responsible for the organizational work.

They rented a plot of land independently, and also bought everything necessary for their full-fledged work.

Ken asked his parents to buy only high quality, healthy food for their dogs. At first the shelter was only intended for dogs, but now there are other animals.

The first to come to the shelter were the three dogs that Ken fed. And thanks to the veterinarian, they got rid of their health

problems. And shortly thereafter, Ken found a family for them!

The shelter has already rescued around a hundred animals and given them new homes and caring owners.*

*all photos by feiky.net

https://livreviews.com/welt/2858-ein-9-jaehriger-junge-gab-seine-taschengeld-fuer-streunende-hunde-aus-und-eroeffnete-dann-sein-eigenes-tierheim

And I mean…Respect and admiration for the little boy.
The earlier one learns love and compassion for the other animals, the more useful it becomes to our society

My best regards to all, Venus