Take the Pledge: Vegan for 30 Days

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Posted on 17 March, 2012 by Veganistan

Maybe you’re considering a vegan diet and would like to “test drive” it. Maybe you care for animals and want to reduce your consumption of meat, dairy, or other animal products out of compassion. Maybe you’re recovering from disease, wanting to lose weight, or wanting to reduce your carbon footprint.

Whatever the reasons may be, a thirty-day pledge is a great way to wade into the warm waters of the vegan lifestyle, and taking a pledge is a great way to make sure you stick to it. See PETA’s vegan pledge page to take the pledge or sign up to recruit others.

ACTION: Tell the US EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides immediately

Posted on 3 June, 2016 by Veganistan

Around the world, countless millions of bees are dying, in danger of extinction and threatening disaster for farmers and the global food supply.

From Credo:

According to two stunning new reports, the collapse of honeybee populations is worse than we ever thought. In its first-ever honeybee health survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that commercial honeybee populations fell 8.1 percent in 2015.¹ Likewise, researchers in another study found that among all beekeepers 44 percent of bees were lost nationwide from 2015 to 2016.²

In addition to showing the horrific loss of honeybee populations, this research also suggests that bee-killing neonicotinoid (neonics) pesticides are one culprit of colony collapse.³

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing the effects of neonics on pollinator colonies. With this new data proving honeybees are on the brink of widespread collapse, we must act now to urge the EPA to ban these toxic pesticides once and for all.

Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in our food production system by enabling the production of many of the nuts, fruits and vegetables in our diets. In total, pollinators make possible an astounding 35% of global food production and contribute more than $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy. But the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States has declined from six million in the 1940s to just 2.5 million today – jeopardizing our food supply and domestic agriculture industry.⁴

This isn’t the first time the federal government has admitted pesticides are a leading contributor to colony collapse. Last year, a similar survey, funded in part by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, revealed that U.S. beekeepers lost over 42% of their colonies between April 2014 and April 2015, a significant upswing of losses from the previous year.⁵⁶

You can sign the petition here.

ACTION: Protect Sea Turtles from Shrimp Trawl Nets

Posted on 3 June, 2016 by Veganistan

Save sea turtles

From our friends at Oceana:

Of the seven species of sea turtles living in our oceans, all are listed as endangered or threatened. Every year more than 50,000 sea turtles are killed by shrimp trawling nets in the Southeastern waters of the United States as non-targeted catch. Together, we can help protect these sea turtles.

Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) installed in shrimp trawl nets can save 97 percent of sea turtles caught, while also benefiting the U.S. shrimp fishery and protecting fish stocks for the future. And new and improved TEDs could be even more effective.

Raise your voice: Sign the petition to US President Obama here: http://act.oceana.org/sign/obama_sea-turtle-TEDs_foe

Thanks for caring!

ACTION: Tell St. Kitts & Nevis to Save Endangered Fin Whales

Posted on 26 June, 2015 by Veganistan

The beautiful fin whale is an endangered species that has been severely threatened by inhumane whale hunting for meat. Avaaz has launched an urgent petition to pressure the government of St. Kitts and Nevis to end its support of the whale meat trade. Please read below and click through to raise your voice in support of the right of whales to live in peace.

From Avaaz:

The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole.

But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers!

Sign now and share with everyone urgently — Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings.

Please sign the Avaaz petition here.

ACTION: Protect Dolphins, Seals & Pelicans from Oil Spill

Posted on 28 May, 2015 by Veganistan

Last week, a major oil pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, burst — and now thousands of dolphins, sea lions, and pelicans are drowning in oil slicks.

According to Terra Lawson-Remer of Avaaz in San Diego:

“The pipeline that burst lacked basic safety features, like an automatic shut-off valve. And Plains All American is one of the most reckless companies in the US, with over 175 documented violations in the past decade. They’ve been warned time and again, but did nothing.

…While our rocky shores are awash in oil and dead fish, Plains All American CEO Greg Armstrong raked in over $5 million compensation last year, and is guaranteed a $29 – $87 million golden parachute. These guys broke the law to make a quick buck.

But if we hold them accountable, we can prevent another catastrophe by putting oil company executives everywhere on notice that they can’t get away with these kinds of shady games on our watch.

These precious creatures are now drowning in oil because of the profiteering short cuts of the Plains All American, but we can hold the culprits accountable. “

In response, to protect marine life and the California coastline, Avaaz is petitioning California Attorney General Kamala Harris and local District Attorney Joyce Dudly to file civil and criminal charges against Plains All American and its leadership. The petition reads:

“We call on you to file civil and criminal charges against Plains All American and its senior leadership, for reckless and willful disregard of the law and public safety, causing the massive oil spill now contaminating Santa Barbara’s precious coastal waters. The Plains oil profiteers must be held accountable for their reprehensible actions.”

You can read the full text and sign the petition here:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/santa_barbara_oil_spill_loc/

ACTION: Help Stop the Slaughter of African Lions for Sex Potions

Posted on 1 November, 2013 by Veganistan

Does the idea of murdered cats get you hot? If by “hot” you mean “angry,” we’re inclined to agree — and, thankfully, so are the African courts.

For decades, tigers were slaughtered because their bones were highly valued by certain manufacturers of “male sex enhancement” products for the Asian market. Bones, fierce animals… we trust you get the idea. But international outrage over these practices resulted in laws passed to protect endangered tigers. Since then, the focus of the dubious trade has turned to other “manly” animals.

According to Avaaz, which has been active in campaigning to protect the rapidly-declining lion population in Africa:

Lions are farmed under appalling conditions in South Africa for “canned hunting,” where rich tourists pay thousands to shoot them through fences. Now experts say lion bones from these killing farms are being exported to phony ‘medicine’ makers in Asia for record profits. Trade is exploding and experts fear that as prices rise, even wild lions — with only 20,000 left in Africa — will come under poaching attack.

… There is a solution: banning and punishing the trade of lion bones and organs. South Africa is currently the largest exporter of lion trophies, bones and organs — it is also the only African country actively breeding lions in large numbers to supply trophy hunting.

Avaaz placed awareness posters and ads in airports in South Africa, but these were quickly taken down by the government. Avaaz then challenged the decision, and the courts ruled that the censorship was inappropriate and ordered the ads to be restored.

But the battled continues. So far, South African President Jacob Zuma has refused to take action to stop the lion slaughter. According to Avaaz:

But if we can show that allowing this senseless trade can hurt South Africa’s booming tourism industry and make visitors flee, president Zuma could be forced to act.

Follow the link below to add your name to the voices of concern and send a letter to President Zuma and Environment Minister Edna Molewa asking them to put a stop to the brutal trade in lion bones and other body parts:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_lion_slaughter_for_sex_aides_rb_en/

ACTION: Save the Chimps in Cameroon!

Posted on 18 August, 2013 by Veganistan

Worldwide demand for palm oil is on the rise, as millions of people use it for cooking, cosmetic and beauty products, and snack foods. Look at the ingredients list of any junk food package and the chances are pretty good it will contain palm oil.

Unfortunately, this demand for palm oil is driving deforestation, as the industry cuts down rainforests to create new palm plantations. Naturally, this is devastating for people, animals, and biodiversity.

Now, this industrial production of palm oil is threatening to ravage Africa. The next target: Cameroon. Herakles Farms, a US-based corporation, is currently planning to destroy a giant swath of rainforest in Cameroon, threatening the habitat of chimpanzees and the subsistence of Cameroonian farmers.

According to Greenpeace:

New science shows that the rainforest Herakles wants to destroy is home to wildlife like elephants, chimpanzees, and other endangered wildlife like the red colobus monkey. It also provides for the livelihoods of more than 14,000 Cameroonians who rely on the forest for small subsistence farming, many of whom strongly oppose the project.

Yet Herakles Farms’ CEO Bruce Wrobel refuses to acknowledge these facts, instead claiming that the company is aiming to help the community through economic development. But the facts on the ground tell a different story. The Herakles Farms project is simply the wrong project in the wrong place.

…That’s why we’re calling on a U.S. corporation, Herakles Farms, to halt their plans to plow down an area of chimp rainforest ten times larger than Manhattan to create a palm oil plantation in Cameroon.

Please take a moment to write the CEO of Herakles Farms and ask him to cancel the plans for this site and choose a different location for their palm oil plantations — one that doesn’t threaten people, chimps, or biodiversity.

You can submit your letter easily on this page at Greenpeace.org.

Bill Clinton & His Vegan Diet Make an Impression on AARP’s Joe Conason

Posted on 3 August, 2013 by Veganistan

After nearly dying from heart problems arising from years of a meat-heavy diet, former US president Bill Clinton was forced to make a change. His doctors recommended he eliminate all the meat and dairy from his diet. He has said that he was at first reluctant to do so, but gradually removed all the animal products from his diet — and now he’s thrilled with his diet and his newfound health.

Joe Conason of AARP magazine recently met (and dined) with President Clinton, and found the vegan meal and conversation was an eye-opening (and even mouth-watering) experience for him:

When Bill Clinton invited me to lunch in May, I knew better than to expect fried catfish or barbecued ribs. The former president is now a devoted vegan… and he has pursued a healthier way of life for more than three years. While I figured our lunch menu might be bland, that would be a small price to pay for private time with a world leader who is anything but.

As it happens, the fit, trim and sharply attired Clinton, whom I’ve come to know well during more than two decades covering his career, is his usual gregarious, charismatic self. But a bland menu? Not even close.

And President Clinton was happy to tout the benefits of his new diet:

I’ve stopped eating meat, cheese, milk, even fish. No dairy at all.” He smiled and yanked on his waistband. “I’ve lost more than 20 pounds so far, aiming for about 30 before Chelsea’s wedding. And I have so much more energy now! I feel great.

You can read the full article at the AARP website here.

ACTION: Support Avaaz’s Petition to Save the Bees

Posted on 18 July, 2013 by Veganistan

Quietly, across the USA, millions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. A new bill this week could ban one group of deadly pesticides and save bees from annihilation, but only if Congress feels the sting of public opinion.

Bees in the USA are facing what Avaaz terms “a chemical Armageddon.”

Just last week, 50,000 died in a single car park in Oregon after being exposed to pesticides, and last winter over 50% of all California’s bees died. Leading scientists blame one group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. The evidence is so compelling that the entire European Union has begun banning them, and the Save America’s Pollinators Act could impose a ban on these deadly poisons in the US…. Big Agriculture and powerful chemical companies like Bayer are already lobbying hard to stop the bill, but if we show an overwhelming public support for a ban, we can counter their influence

Please take a moment to sign the petition at the Avaaz site now.

ACTION: Raise your voice to save Indonesia’s orangutans

Posted on 21 May, 2013 by Veganistan

The following appeal is from Rudi Putra, Indonesia. 2013 winner of Future for Nature award:

I live and work in the last place on Earth where endangered orangutans, rhinos, elephants, and tigers still roam together — but it’ll be bulldozed to bits unless our President hears our call and steps in to save this unique habitat.

Right now in one of Indonesia’s most pristine and untouched forests, a local Governor wants to let mining and palm oil companies move in to decimate areas the size of a million football fields! And the national Forestry Ministry looks like it might let him unless the President steps in to reject this orangutan-killing plan.

We know the President wants to be seen as a keen conservationist, but we need to tell him his green reputation and possible future UN aspirations are on the line to ensure he does the right thing. We need to act fast — sign the urgent petition and tell everyone about this mortal threat to our majestic forest. If a million people sign in the next 3 days [by May 25, 2013], I’ll ensure the President hears us!

Click this link to sign the petition at Avaaz.

ACTION: Help Stop the Navy’s War on Whales & Dolphins

Posted on 7 March, 2013 by Veganistan

According to Greenpeace, the United States Navy is seeking a permit to conduct training drills using explosives that will injure and kill countless dolphins and whales. From Greenpeace:

The Navy would be testing sonar and explosives so powerful, the blasts can destroy a whale’s hearing, cause brain hemorrhaging, and leave marine mammals so disoriented that they beach themselves.

All the Navy needs in order to secure their proposal is approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and right now NMFS is considering giving the Navy what it wants. Only with enough public outrage will NMFS stand up to the Navy.

Please help us and Greenpeace speak for the millions of whales and dolphins that cannot speak for themselves. Sign the Greenpeace petition to demand that the National Marine Fisheries Service rejects the Navy’s plan.