Tag: Ethics
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The future is (alt) meat
We have a breakfast and lunch place near us in Toronto called Evviva. They have two menus. One is “regular” and the other is a full plant-based menu, the most extensive I’ve ever seen for breakfast and brunch. You can get scrambled or sunny-side up eggs with your plant-based bacon and sausage. You can get…
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You don’t have to eat dead birds on Thanksgiving (or ever)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US. It’s an occasion where millions of people give no thought whatsoever to their tradition of eating a dead, stuffed bird. 46 million turkeys die to become the focal point of festive tables across the country. That volume of production means factory farming, which accounts for 99.8% of all turkey…
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Can Jane Goodall inspire you to go vegan?
The world lost Jane Goodall last week, but her legacy of advocacy for non-human animals will have a lasting impact. Many people have lamented her death, posting tributes and professing to share her values. In 2017, Jane Goodall wrote: “There are three main reasons why we should eat less – or preferably no – meat.…
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The “Wellness Industry” Is Not Kind to All
I recently celebrated my birthday by spending the day at Thermea Spa Village in Whitby, Ontario. These Nordic-style spa villages are a thing now, where different temperature pools and saunas are interspersed among loungers and hammocks and wood-burning fire pits. You’re encouraged to do a “thermal cycle” of heat (sauna or hot pool), cold plunge,…
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Is it rude to eat animal products in the presence of vegans?
Awhile back I foreshadowed some future topics for the blog, all of which took up the intersection of ethics and etiquette in a way I find interesting. I find it interesting because mostly I think it’s a matter of ethics and environmentalism; but since so many people don’t consider the ethical or environmental impact of…
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Has beef really been “unfairly” vilified? Spoiler: no.
A while back a few people sent me an article from the New York Times about meat “making a comeback.” To believe that you need to believe it went anywhere. The narrative reminds me so much of when people start wringing their hands about “unqualified workforces” because suddenly there is a small percentage of people…
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Maybe it’s time to rethink eggs if you’ve not yet done so
Avian flu has created an egg shortage in the United States and other parts of the world that has driven up prices and reduced supply. And that means it’s getting the attention of consumers of animal products. I’ve seen friends in the US post photos of empty supermarket refrigerators or of egg fridges showing astronomical…
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What’s wrong with wool?
Why do vegans avoid wool? This question comes up the way questions about eggs, dairy, or honey come up. Whether they’re genuinely curious or just trying to justify animal exploitation, people love to press about various animal products that, to them, seem harmless. The first response is that wool is an animal product and therefore…
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To whom should plant-based alternatives be marketed?
Whenever a new plant-based product shows up on the shelves or in the freezer of a local supermarket, my vegan community group lights up with posts letting us all know. It is truly exciting to many of us to have a new product to try in the ever-expanding line-up for plant-based options being developed for…
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Is being vegan “too demanding”?
One of the great things about writing a blog, which anyone who has ever done it knows that for most of us it’s a labour of love, is that you never know who is reading. And then it is such a delight when someone reaches out in response to a post, whether with a smart…
