Author: Tracy I
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The perverse tradition of “pardoning the turkey”
It’s Thanksgiving in the U.S. today (we had our Canadian Thanksgiving back in October). Frequently called “Turkey Day,” Thanksgiving is a day when the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 46 million turkeys will be eaten. Another 22 million will find their way onto Christmas tables. Altogether, Americans consume an estimated 245 million (PETA) to 250…
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Vegan catering fail—gluten free pizza, no cheese
I think “Vegan Catering Fail” and “Vegan Catering Win” are going to become blog series because bad vegan catering is just so common and good vegan catering is just so refreshing. I know some people might think I should be happy, grateful even, that there was any option at all that I could eat. But…
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Vegan catering win
I experienced a wonderful vegan catering win yesterday that unfortunately I didn’t think to take a photo of (it wasn’t apples). It was proof of how simple it is to make a vegan happy. I attended the Southwestern Ontario Feminism and Philosophy Workshop yesterday in Guelph. It is a rotating meeting where we gather to…
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What’s wrong with non-human animal research?
Last week I had the pleasure of being an examiner for a truly brilliant PhD thesis by philosopher, Jess Du Toit, entitled, What Do We Owe the Other Animals in Health-Related Research. It’s a compelling and sustained philosophical analysis for what is wrong with the majority of health-related animal research and what major reforms would…
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Spicy Saturday
I’ve been thinking about spice ever since last Sunday, which was “Spice Week” on The Great Canadian Baking Show [sadly the show is not vegan but I can’t help being in love with it anyway]. Then I got a note from Shelley asking if I had anything to say about herbs and spices. So it…
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The dark side of dairy
The dark side of dairy isn’t some secret underbelly of practice that we don’t know about. It’s obvious that the main reason mammals produce milk is as a source of nutrition for their babies. No recent pregnancy? No milk. So yes, in order for cows to lactate, they need to give birth. In order to…
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Discovering grapes as if for the first time
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but lately the grapes seem bigger, firmer (without being hard), and more tasty. Whether red or green, over the past few months I’ve had some absolutely delectable grapes that are the size of small plums. In case there are any people out there who are still “meh” about…
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Happy World Vegan Day / Month!
Happy World Vegan Day to one and all! Since November 1, 1994, this day has been set aside for vegans to celebrate. I got an email from Veganuary this morning that offered five things we can celebrate today: Eating plants spares animal lives. One million people switching to a vegan diet for one month would…
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Hummus: humble and reliable, even if part of a vegan stereotype
If there is one vegan stereotype that I embrace, it’s the hummus-lover. At any given time, I have at least two kinds in my fridge. And I keep a supply of extra, with cascading expiring dates, so that I never have to fear running out. I’m not sure why the iconic Middle Eastern dip is…
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Unreflective carnivores, the marginal case argument, and making a difference
I’ve been reading around quite a bit as I prep to write a new paper. When I say “reading around,” I am referring mostly to philosophy papers on topics in food and animal ethics, mostly as they seem relevant to veganism, meat-eating, animal suffering, and possible moral requirements that facts about animal suffering might yield.…
