Top 12 Stories of the Week

Random Goat Cuteness

This week has been jam packed with original vegan stories and vegan news from around the globe.  Didn’t get a chance to read everything?  Here it is, all in one place just for you.  We love you like that.

From The Daily Vegan Spin

Who Needs Vegetarian Vampires When You Have A Vegan Werewolf?

Here at YDV, we have our favorites. They differ among the group, but they’re there. One thing most of us agree on is the badass that is Monroe, Portland’s resident Blutbad on the NBC series Grimm.

Colbert’s Cognitive Dissonance: Eating Prosciutto While Pigs Watch

The other I night I was catching up on my favorite show, The Colbert Report.  Seconds into the March 27^th episode I was horrified.  In his cold open, the caption reads “When Pigs Fry,” and Stephen Colbert gleefully announces that his guest is a farmer who is trying to breed the tastiest pig.

A Budding Activist: Where Did I Come From?

My journey into vegetarianism is continually evolving process and that idea of evolving is evident in every aspect of my life.  I strongly believe that we have a responsibility to ourselves and our world to become more refined beings through personal experience and education.  It is because of these beliefs that it is difficult to tell you today who I am because today, who I am, may not be who I will become tomorrow.  But then again, that is the greatest part of evolution.  We can evolve to become better, smarter and more responsible for our actions as we educate ourselves about those around us and the effects we have on people or the environment.  Individuals have the power to change the world.  I am an individual who is looking forward to do just that.

ASPCA Founder Henry Bergh: Ahead of His Time

Henry Bergh is truly a hero and inspiration to those fighting cruelty of any kind.  His actions rattled the paradigm of human’s domination over children and animals.  While there has been a serious shift since Bergh was alive, more needs to be done about the cruelty against all life.  Today is a time to celebrate what he believed in and to honor his life and legacy of compassion for all.

Unsung Vegan Hero: Anya Todd

Anya Todd RD, LD is a registered, licensed dietitian specializing in vegan nutrition. Residing in Cleveland, Ohio, Anya has worked with a variety of clients in the last decade of practice. She has counseled children and adults in areas of weight management, chronic disease treatment and preventive nutrition.  She’s also our latest Unsung Vegan Hero.  We asked her a few questions, here’s what she had to say.

Going Vegan at Convenience Stores

It’s my position that veganism is not an inaccessible lifestyle that only the urban rich can attain.  No.  Veganism is a simple, budget-friendly, accessible lifestyle that anyone can attain.  Anyone, anywhere.  I decided to take my camera to the local-on-the-corner convenience store and see what I could dig up, vegan-style.

Jurassic Park Reminds Us That “Life Finds A Way”

here’s a lot going on in that discussion, isn’t there? I couldn’t help but think about other things that we do without thinking about it. We can industrialize the creation of billions of animals for food each year, but should we? Did we stop to think of the results for the planet, such as deforestation and climate change?  In the meantime, man is responsible for the extinction of a number of species due to his actions on this planet. Makes you wonder when nature is going to select us for extinction, right?  As Dr. Malcolm said when he was first informed of the “female only” intent of the Jurassic Park geneticists, “life finds a way.”

Vegan Recipe of the Week:

RAW Recipe: Jalapeno Flax Crackers

I went grocery shopping over this past weekend and scored a giant bushel of jalapenos for a ridiculously cheap price.  I’ve been dreaming up ways to use them ever since.

Since I have a fondness for raw flax crackers as a healthy snack, I thought that jalapenos would add some nice heat to my recipe.  I was right.

These are crunchy and savory with just the right amount of heat.

Vegan Stories from Around the Globe:

Monsanto Claims to Ditch Herbicide While Selling More of It. “Genetically modified seed giant Monsanto likes to trumpet its ‘commitment to sustainable agriculture.’ The story goes like this: by generating novel, high-tech crop varieties, Monsanto will wean farmers off of synthetic chemical poisons. The company even markets its flagship product, seeds genetically engineered to survive its own Roundup weed killer, as a tool they can use to to ‘decrease the overall use of herbicides.’ But as I’ve shown before, herbicide use has actually dramatically ramped up as the Roundup Ready technology conquers vast swaths of US farmland. That’s because weeds quickly developed resistance to it, forcing farmers to apply ever-larger doses and resort to older, more toxic herbicides to combat resistant weeds. And while the company has tried hard to leave behind its past as a purveyor of toxic chemicals and rebrand itself as a technology company, those toxic chemicals remain central to its growth and profitability, as its latest quarterly profit report shows.”

In search of the California sea otter. “The central California coast is known for its beautiful beaches, soaring cliffs, towering redwoods and world-class surf breaks. Lesser known – but wildly important to the health of the ocean – is the world’s entire population of southern (or California) sea otters. These dynamic animals are a keystone species without which the coastal ecosystem would collapse. Sea otters along the central California coast can spend their entire lives in the ocean, from eating and sleeping to making and having babies. And for travellers, watching them can be endlessly entertaining: the charismatic creatures play and fight, crack open shellfish and spend hours fastidiously grooming. But only 100 years ago, this now beloved species was thought to be extinct.”

Wildlife Managers Are Poisoning Rhino Horns to Stop People From Eating Them. “The poison, a mix of parasiticides and pink dye, now fills more than 100 rhinos’ horns, which were not harmed in the process. Anyone who eats horns laced with the poison will become ill, with symptoms including nausea, stomach ache and diarrhea  though they will not die, managers say. Conservationists hope the poison—which is easily seen thanks to the pink dye—make consumers think twice before eating the purported ‘medicinal product.’ Airport scanners can also detect the dye, whether it’s contained within a whole horn or ground into a powder.”

6 Amazing Ways Animals Show Compassion. “If you’re a Christian fundamentalist, you probably believe that morality comes directly from God (via a download of the Bible, to be sure). And if you’re a law-and-order conservative, you likely think we need strict rules, and harsh punishments, to keep people in line and prevent their baser impulses from taking over. But if you’re a primatologist? In that case, your view of morality is radically different. You probably see indications of “moral” behaviors all throughout the animal kingdom, and especially among our primate relatives such as bonobos—who show high levels of empathy, have a female-dominated social structure, and use sex, rather than violence, to solve in-group social conflicts, and even when they encounter other, potentially hostile groups.”

Photo credit: rowanseamus via Flickr