News
The number of news found: 18.
09/30/2016 HARD ROCK CAFE DEBUTS MEATLESS MENU
Global American comfort food chain Hard Rock Cafe will debut a meatless menu in honor of World Vegetarian Month at 42 locations across North America on October 3. The chain launched its vegetarian menu in response to customer demand. The limited-time meatless menu will feature several vegan options—such as the Fennel, Beet, & Orange Salad, and the Wascally Wabbit, a mocktail made with carrot, apple, and orange juice—along with the Ratatouille Wrap (vegan without aioli) and Pico de Quinoa Arugula Salad (vegan without Feta cheese). While Hard Rock previously launched meatless menus in other regions including Dubai and London, this marks the first time the chain took on the North American market. "Today, consumers are more demanding than ever," Alex Merchan, Senior Director of Marketing for Hard Rock International says. "They want variety and shareable, immersive dining experiences, and we've seen more and more of our U.S. based-guests looking for meatless options while dining out."
09/29/2016 LEATHER ALTERNATIVES PREDICTED TO TAKE OVER SPORTS SHOE INDUSTRY
International research firm Technavio's recent global leather market report reveals that non-leather materials are primed to dominate the sportswear shoe industry in the coming years. Thanks in part to major brands such as Nike and Adidas—which are consistently opting for animal-free synthetic materials to manufacture their new product lines—consumers are becoming more inclined to purchase faux leather. "As a result of the high prices of raw leather, and the subsequent high prices of the finished products, consumers are now shifting toward the more affordable faux leather goods," lead analyst at Technavio Poonam Saini says. The report further predicts that the use of synthetic materials instead of animal leather is poised for a faster growth rate in the next five years. The same report predicts that leather is still a top-seller amongst the non-athletic segment, however luxury apparel brand Prada reported a 22-percent decrease in sales of its leather products during the first quarter of 2016.
09/28/2016 US PRISONS TO START OFFERING VEGAN MEALS
Starting on October 2, every federal prison in the country will begin offering vegan entrées to its prisoners, activist and author Mark Hawthorne reports. The Federal Bureau of Prisons introduced its new national menu for the 2017 fiscal year—which includes Tofu Fried Rice, Soy Taco Salad, Bean Burritos, and Soy Hot Dogs—and says the unprecedented move came after an annual assessment of inmate eating preferences and other operational factors. "The Bureau seeks to provide a variety of options, including vegan options, which also support religious dietary accommodations," Justin Long, spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, told Hawthorne. Earlier this year, actress and long-time vegan Pamela Anderson made headlines when she urged the Louisiana prison system to adopt a vegan menu in an effort to save taxpayer money and spare animal lives.
09/27/2016 ALMOND MILK LEADS TO 10,000 FEWER DAIRY COWS IN CALIFORNIA
Dairy farmers in California are opting for more sustainable crops. Bloomberg writers Leslie Patton and Lydia Mulvany analyzed the shift in California from dairy to almonds, revealing that 350,000 acres of almond groves have been incorporated into the state’s agricultural lands in the last decade. In contrast, the number of dairy cows in the state has fallen by 10,000 in the period between January and July of this year. According to Patton and Mulvany, California dairy farmers are actively replacing animal farms with almond crops. Though almonds have previously been categorized as a water-intensive crop, according to an exposé published in the New York Times, it takes 15.3 gallons of water to produce 16 almonds, as compared to four glasses of milk which require 143 gallons of water to produce. Almond milk is driving the exponentially growing dairy alternative market which is estimated to reach $35 billion by 2024. (vegnews.com)
09/26/2016 FREE ELECTRIC HORSELESS ECARRIAGE
Meet the cruelty-free electric horseless ecarriage! Phasing out the use of horse carriages and replacing them with 21st Century "Horseless eCarriage" for current carriage drivers is one possible solution that will preserve employment for everyone in the industry. No one is losing a job -- they are simply moving to a modern, humane alternative. Adoption homes will be offered to all 200 carriage horses, provided by NYCLASS, ASPCA, HSUS and numerous organizations and individuals. No horse will be sent to slaughter. There are viable alternatives to NYC horse drawn carriages that will avoid the safety and quality of life issues currently faced by New York City's residents and its horses. In partnership with the ASPCA, NYCLASS commissioned The Creative Workshop in Dania Beach, Florida to design and create a fully electric, vintage-replica vehicle prototype to replace the horse drawn carriages. These electric cars can provide rides for tourists, offer jobs to workers currently in the horse carriage industry with the potential for higher wages, and maintain the historic and romantic feel of the tours.
09/23/2016 MOBY ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF VEGAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
On September 10 evening, the stars came together for the 2016 Mercy for Animals Hidden Heroes Gala held at the beautiful Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. Performer Moby has been a vegan for over 30 years and a animal rights activist working with Mercy for Animals. Moby announced he will be starting a vegan festival with Mercy for Animals and Tony Kanal which will happen on October 23 at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles and all proceeds will go to the Mercy for Animals Foundation. Celebrities such as Tony Kanal, Russell Simmons , Kat Von D, Mark Pontius, Daisy Fuentes, Alison Eastwood, Skye P. Marshall, Daniella Monet, Michelle Forbes, Evanna Lynch, Lesley Nicol, Elaine Hendrix and Jon Ecker show their support. Mercy for Animals is the world's premiere farmed animal protection organization, and honored the work of its brave undercover investigators. Inside of the gala, music mogul Russell Simmons, Grammy-nominated artist Moby, and celebrated reality star and entrepreneur Kat Von D all presented awards.
09/22/2016 UK TO BAN FISHING FROM A MILLION SQUARE KILOMETRES OF OCEAN
The UK is to ban commercial fishing from a million square kilometres of ocean around British overseas territories, the government said on last Thursday. In total, the government is creating marine protected areas around four islands in the Pacific and Atlantic, including the designation this week of one of the world's biggest around the Pitcairn Islands. A 840,000 sq km (320,000 sq mile) area around Pitcairn, where the mutineers of the Bounty settled, became no-take zone for any fishing from last week. St Helena, around 445,000 sq km of the south Atlantic ocean and home to whale sharks and humpbacks, is now also designated as a protected area. The foreign office said it would designate two further marine protection zones, one each around two south Altantic islands – Ascension by 2019 and Tristan da Cunha by 2020. (theguardian.com)
09/21/2016 THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH SPONSORS GREEN MONDAY
In an official statement on August 30, 2016, minister Dario Nakic stated that the Ministry of Health has officially chosen to sponsor the Green Monday campaign. Green Monday is an international campaign being implemented in more than 30 countries around the world, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of healthy nutrition and represent plant food by encouraging the exclusive consumption of foods with plant origins for at least one day a week. After it gained the support of the Cities of Zagreb and Samobor, the Ministry of Agriculture and former Croatian president Ivo Josipovic, now the Ministry of Health supports Green Monday as well, wishing them every success in the implementation of all planned activities.
09/20/2016 SEAWORLD TO STOP BREEDING KILLER WHALES IN CAPTIVITY
SeaWorld will stop breeding killer whales in captivity, bowing to years of pressure from animal rights activists. But the orcas already at its three parks will continue performing as they live out their remaining years. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc's decision came after it pledged in November to replace its signature "Shamu" killer whale shows in San Diego with modified presentations of the animals that focused on conservation. "We don't need all these theatrical 'tricks,'" SeaWorld President Joel Manby told reporters on a conference call. He said the parks will use birth control to halt reproduction among its killer whales, also known as orcas. SeaWorld, which operates marine parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio, has a total of 29 killers whales, including six on loan to a park in Spain. Five of them were captured in the wild, but it has not caught orcas at sea for almost 40 years. The parks have been criticised for their treatment of the captive marine mammals, with some activists seeking an end to public exhibition of killer whales altogether.
09/15/2016 THOUSANDS OF ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS GATHER IN MADRID TO PROTEST BULLFIGHTING
Thousands of animal rights activists have gathered in Madrid to demand an end to Spain's long tradition of bullfighting. Animal rights political party Pacma called for Saturday's protest, which went through central Madrid including major tourist sites. Crowds chanted "less violence and more intelligence," and "torture is not culture." The protest is part of a growing tension between progressives who see the practice as a blatant form of animal cruelty and traditionalists who defend it as part of Spain's culture. At least 17 Spanish cities and towns have cut municipal funding for bullfights and bull runs, or passed legislation condemning or banning it since the new leftist party Podemos won its first seats in local and regional elections a year ago.
09/14/2016 ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HOLD SILENT PROTEST IN TEL AVIV
Hundreds of vegan activists representing the Animal Liberation Front of Israel marched through central Tel Aviv in total silence Thursday night, to protest for animal rights. The demonstrators walked slowly in two orderly lines down the pedestrian corridor in the center of Rothschild Boulevard, one of Tel Aviv's main thoroughfares. Police escorted the marchers and stopped traffic along the way. The protesters held signs with slogans that read: "Meat is not food. It is someone else's body," "Fish also feel pain," "Eggs are murder" and "Your food had a face." Gilboa, a prominent activist and winner of the popular Israels Big Brother reality TV show, established the local branch of the Animal Liberation Front three years ago. She said that the event's attendees represented only a fraction of the group's members nationwide, and that there were branches of the organization in different regions of the country. The Israeli branch is not as extreme as some of their counterparts, Gilboa said.
09/13/2016 CATTLE RANCHER TRANSFORMS FARM INTO ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Canadian cattle farmer Mark Lanigan is transitioning his cattle farm into an animal sanctuary called Farmhouse Garden Animal Home, where farmed animals will be able to live out the rest of their natural lives. The 100-acre property which Lanigan previously used to raise animals for slaughter will now serve as a safe haven for nearly two dozen cows, horses, geese, and a guard donkey named Buckwheat. Lanigan is also using the land to plant vegetables to sell at the local farmers' market along with maple syrup and lumber. The farmer had a change of heart when caring for a newly born calf. "How hypocritical of me to give something so much love, [when] the end thing is so different from that love," Lanigan says. The farm is currently raising funds to fully transition into a sanctuary, one that Lanigan hopes will eventually house cows rescued from neighboring farms.
09/12/2016 CHICKEN PRODUCERS SUED FOR KILLING FLOCKS TO INFLATE PRICES
A class-action lawsuit filed by distributor Maplevale Farms reveals that major chicken producers—including giants Tyson, Perdue, and Koch Foods, amongst others—engaged in conspiring for eight years to illegally dispose of entire flocks of broiler chickens in order to inflate market prices by 50 percent. Sadly, the illegal practice is not limited to this one incident. In 2010, the Humane Society of the United asked the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a federal criminal investigation against the United Egg Producers regarding an animal-welfare program launched by the egg industry as a cover-up scheme to drive up egg prices. The UEP settled this suit for more than $8 million. A similar case initiated by animal-rights group Compassion Over Killing—in which the dairy industry colluded to slaughter 500,000 cows to inflate milk prices—was just settled for $53 million.
09/09/2016 24-YEAR-OLD OPENS QATAR'S FIRST VEGAN CAFÉ
Evergreen Organics—the first all-vegan café in Qatar—opened its doors recently in the capital city of Doha. The eatery serves whole-food, mostly raw fare such as nutrient-dense salads, raw tacos, cold-pressed juices, and desserts like raw mango turmeric and vanilla cheesecakes. Retail areas are stocked with medicinal herbal teas, take-home healthy treats, and gluten-free products, while free space will be devoted to workshops and health-related events. Twenty-four-year-old Ghanim AlSulaiti, co-founder and an engineer by trade, was featured on Qatar Living where he shared his journey to veganism. "It took me one whole year to fully give up on meat, dairy, and animal products," he said. "I had to really feel the difference and the impact it had on my body to actually stick to this lifestyle. The benefits are abundant." (vegnews.com)
09/08/2016 CHICAGO BOY STARTS VEGAN POPCORN BUSINESS
While some kids spent their summer playing video games, one 12-year-old in Chicago is busy building his dream business. Jayden Hammond is a gourmet popcorn entrepreneur, and his food is vegan and also uses organic ingredients! Every weekend Jayden's family spends time growing the business, popping up at festivals and farmer's markets around the city. His parents say they were excited when he asked about starting the business. "It excites us very much because we know he's going to be alright. He's going to be alright no matter what because he can define his own path," said Jayden's mom Theresa. Jayden currently has two flavored popcorns, in addition to plain, and all are inspired by a recipe used for a family movie night. He donates 5% of his earnings to help with the Flint water crisis.
09/07/2016 HUMANS ARE WIPING OUT THEIR CLOSEST RELATIVES
If humans continue down our current path, we may soon find ourselves living in a world with no other great apes. On Sunday, the Eastern gorilla, the largest living primate species, was listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's updated Red List of Endangered Species. The reclassification means that four out of the six non-human great ape species ― the Eastern gorilla, Western gorilla, Bornean orangutan and Sumatran orangutan ― are now listed by IUCN as critically endangered, the closest category to extinction. The other two, the chimpanzee and bonobo, are listed as endangered. The Eastern gorilla's new designation comes on the heels of an April survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society that showed an estimated 77 to 93 percent decline in Grauer's gorilla across its range. IUCN's updated list highlights the extinction crisis taking place across the planet. (huffingtonpost.com)
09/06/2016 10-YEAR-OLD BOXING CHAMP IS VEGAN
Ten-year-old Ra-leek Born is the American's top-ranked boxer in the 8-to-10-year-old age class, having won a championship belt at the Ringside Worldwide Boxing Tournament. He's also vegan, following the example of pro boxers such as David Haye, Timothy Bradley, and Cam Awesome. Born lives in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood of Queens, NY and trains six days a week at Eastern Queens Boxing Club, while also excelling in his fifth-grade classes. After his dad, Ra-tru, gave his blessing for the young boxer's new diet, he did some research and decided to go vegan himself as a way of managing his type 2 diabetes. "My life has completely changed," Ra-tru said. "I lost 60 pounds, and I no longer take any medication. I feel great now. I give all the thanks to my son for pushing me to let him be a vegan. I tell him all the time that he may have saved my life!"
09/01/2016 WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXPANDS VEGAN OPTIONS
In order to meet demand from millennials who desire more plant-based options, Washington State University has hired vegan dietician Alice Ma to increase the quantity and quality of the school’s cruelty-free offerings. "It's a common stereotype that vegans are limited to just tofu and vegetables," Ma said, "and having a variety of tasty and filling options can demonstrate just how possible it is to eat fewer animal products." WSU currently has a "75% Satisfied" rating on Peta2's Vegan Report Card, which grades colleges on their vegan offerings, but will likely earn higher marks as a result of Ma's efforts.
The number of news found: 18.
