December 2009

  • Curse The Brussels Sprouts, Full Speed Ahead!

    By erika on 12/22/09 5:47pm
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    You have undoubtedly been passed the link to the recent New York Times article about how plants have feelings.  Probably you were past this link with a "Har har, you're not so superior now, are you?" kind of comment.  Most likely it was sent by the same wag who always took the opportunity to make a comment like, "Carrots are living beings, too!"

    Dude.  WE KNOW.

    This article didn't say anything that vegetarians hadn't already considered, or been told, or had supposedly "flaunted" in their faces.  It's nothing new to quip that "What if celery has feelings?"


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  • Give a Veggie Kit for Christmas

    By sarajean on 12/18/09 1:20am
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    Have a friend planning on going veg for the New Year? Maybe your friend is already vegetarian, but you’re still looking for the perfect holiday gift. You could always sign him or her up for the free PETA vegetarian starter kit—or, you could arrange something much more personal, meaningful, and fun. Here are a few ideas.

    Assemble a recipe basket. Include all of your favorite veggie meals on index cards—or include your favorite vegetarian cookbook—and finish it off with some ingredients for one of the meals. Tie a ribbon around it and voila—a perfectly personal gift.

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  • Vat Meat, Coming Soon to a Christmas Dinner Near You?

    By erika on 12/9/09 4:13pm
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    Scientists recently announced limited success in creating "in vitro meat," known also as IVM.  This vat grown meat is being hailed as one of the greatest accomplishments of modern society, an end to animal suffering, an answer to our carbon footprint woes, and a boon for the boutique meat market all in one.  But is it really?

    The claim: IVM is more humane than factory farming.  

    On this count, the IVM fans are absolutely correct.  Vat grown meat does not have nerve cells, and therefore cannot feel pain.  And being simply a collection of muscle cells, it has nothing that even approaches consciousness.  Factory farming is one of the greatest atrocities of the western world today, and anything that hastens its demise is a benefit to the world as a whole.


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