Category: cruelty-free economy

Why Vegan Intentional Communities?

As a human people we were once a community.  Life was difficult, with few resources.  So, people banded together for the common good—for themselves and for those in their immediate vicinity.  After World War II, intentional communities were created as one answer to the dis-connection, or de-evolution of our human society.  But do they take the intention far enough?

Earth Day Brings Humane Party’s 9th Birthday and Release of 2018-19 Platform

Earth Day 2018 (Sunday, April 22) will mark the 9th anniversary of the launch of the Humane Party.  As per tradition, the HP will also release its bi-annual party platform on Earth Day. The 2018-19 platform includes two new sections and several significant updates.

United States Live Animal Trade

The Humane Party’s Economic Transition Team has completed its report on live animal trade in the United States.  The purpose of this report is to put together for the first time in one place the vast United States live animal trade industry data.  It is meant to highlight the number of animals from all species who are both exported from and imported to the United States.  The report also seeks to document the more than $3.5 billion U.S. industry that is the live animal export and import trade and to draw attention to the countries in which this trade is occurring. 

Veganizing the Great Works—the “Classics”—of Literature

While subjection to speciesism may be required by physical and political forces in the real world, no such necessity holds in imaginary worlds.  The author, editor, and publisher of a story, a play, a novel, a poem, a song, a movie script, a video game, or some other piece of literature wield plenary power over the manufactured universe in which that piece is set.  If we want readers and viewers to escape from speciesism, even just for a little while and even just in their imaginations, we can enable that escape by keeping speciesism and animal exploitation out of literature altogether.  This end can be achieved both (i) by writing new works that are, from the outset, free from anthropocentric and speciesist content and (ii) by editing existing works to meet that criterion.

Animal Cruelty Inherent in Animal Dissection in Schools

About 6 million vertebrate animals are dissected every year in high schools across the United States.  This figure does not include elementary schools, middle schools, or colleges and universities.  A similar number of invertebrate animals are also dissected in schools.  Some of these animals are experimented upon while still alive.  About 170 types of animals are used, the most common being frogs, fetal pigs, and cats.

Members of the European Parliament Vote to Ban Electric Pulse Fishing

The European Parliament voted on January 16, 2018 for a ban on the controversial fishing practice of electric pulse fishing, in which electrically charged lines are dragged just above the sea floor, stunning marine life up into trawling nets.  The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), the only directly elected body to represent the European Union (EU), voted 402 to 232 in favor of the ban. 

Norway Pledges Fur Farming Ban

The newly formed coalition government of Norway, led by Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg, announced on January 14, 2018 a pledge to end all fur farming in Norway, with the phase-out complete by 2024/2025.  Norway is the 14th European nation to phase out fur farming.  Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg are also considering legislation to ban fur farming.  The United Kingdom was the first to institute a ban in 2000, followed by Austria in 2004.

The Hazards of Rising Rates of Meat Consumption

According to the socially conscious Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return (FAIRR) investor initiative, global meat consumption increased five-fold between 1992 and 2016.  This rise has worldwide implications for human health as well as the environment. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the average American consumer will eat a record-breaking 222.2 pounds of red meat and poultry in 2018.

First Amendment Victory for Animal Activists in Idaho

In a split decision on Idaho’s 2012 “ag-gag” law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on January 4, 2018 that audio and visual recordings in animal agricultural facilities could not be prohibited by the state, upholding an earlier ruling that invalidated the Idaho law for violating free speech. The January 4th ruling is a partial victory for animal activists. 

Distribution of Animals Used for Agriculture and Manure Generated: Ratio of Manure to Land Application–Conclusions and Findings

The Humane Party’s Economic Transition Team has completed its report analyzing the manure generated from animals. The purpose of the document is to understand the daily generation of animal manure due to animal agriculture and its implications. Recommended rates of manure application to farmlands are taken into account along with each state’s total land and farming-allocated land to evaluate whether the amount of manure generated per state is insufficient, sufficient, or excessive to meet the fertilization needs of each state.

The Paw Project

There are 21 countries in which it is illegal to have your cat declawed: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. Conspicuously missing from this list is the United States.

What Does It Take?

Knowing the devastation that factory farming causes to water, land or human health hasn’t convinced industry captains of the error of their ways. The myth of efficiency boosted factory farming for these many decades. Now the devastation it causes is coming back to haunt us. A conference in London, taking place October 5-6, will bring it all together.