Our very own “Rubber Chicken” and friends, battery hens rescued from a cull during the change in ownership of a factory farm. In the US, several workers from poultry and dairy farms have tested positive for H5N1, a type of avian influenza or “bird flu”. Millions of chickens and nearly 100 dairy herds over 48…
The graph below says a lot. We can greatly reduce our environmental footprint if we don’t need pasture and feed crops to produce beef and lamb. If we eliminate dairy it will help even more. Much of that extra land can grow forest and soak up carbon dioxide and support wildlife (there are more domestic…
My wife Valerie and I love podcasts about plant-based living, mindfulness, and health. The hosts and guests tend to be quite concerned about the environment. That might be no surprise, but what raises my eyebrows is when the host ask their guest something like: “How is the family? You’ve got five kids right?” Whoa, five…
When you think of the words “dog lovers”, you might have visions of the legions of breeds, their breeders and fans at their show-of-shows, the Westminster Dog Show. A great sendup of this world can be found in the Christopher Guest mockumentary “Best in Show” (which also includes Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, more recently…
This past week we learned of another death. Oliver died at little more than a year old. That seems tragic enough, but he wasn’t expected to live past six weeks. Oliver was a suckling pig, destined like his brothers and sisters to be the tender main feature at a barbecue or luau. A kind-hearted person…
Letter to the editor of the AZ Republic March 30th, 2020 (limited to 200 words and 1200 characters) During the coronavirus pandemic, there have been tons of stories of people freaking out when they can’t get their eggs, milk or meat at their local grocery store. They should consider themselves lucky. Many of these “staples”…
“A Kinder World” – image copyright Susan Pitcairn – susanpitcairn.com This week more than any other since October when I kicked off my writing efforts, I am struggling to write. Valerie was listening to a podcast today where a man described the pandemic like a mix of the trepidation around a tsunami or hurricane and…
What does it take to change a mind? This is not just a question about individuals, but also our “collective mind” as a society. Last weekend, Healthy World Sedona (in Sedona, Arizona) held a conference that looked at this question through the eyes of world-class speakers on plant-based living. Speakers included Dr. Michael Greger of…
I would love to introduce you to our neighbor Nugs and her housemates Mike, Pat, Flo, and Charmayne. They all sleep together in the same open-concept tiny house. The odd names and the unorthodox living situation will make more sense to you when I explain that these neighbors of ours are chickens. Years ago, I…
If only we had the numbers! Someday we will be in the majority. Then, we can effect real change. Whether you fight for farm animal rights, to keep plastic out of the ocean, or to ensure equal pay for equal work, this thought has probably crossed your mind. Using the United States as one small…