Subject: October News from Marin VEG
From: Patti Breitman
Date: 2016-10-01 9:25 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;

Marin Vegetarian Education Group
October, 2016

I am honored beyond words to have been chosen from a group of 180 nominees to be one of ten people named this year as a winner of the Lisa Shapiro Award for Unsung Vegan Heroes, sponsored by The Pollination Project.  This award is named for a beloved and effective animal rights activist who died in 2015.  It is humbling to be in the company of so many powerful, vegan activists. To learn more about the awards and to see winners from years past, go to https://thepollinationproject.org/unsungveganhero/  The 2016 winners are scheduled to be announced today at https://thepollinationproject.org/portfolio_skills/lisa-shapiro-award-winners-2016/  and at http://www.ourhenhouse.org/ and at http://www.veganstreet.com/   I was moved when I  read about the excellent work of the other winners (who would be hard pressed to  be more surprised or more grateful than I am to have been awarded this honor).   I extend enormous gratitude to The Pollination Project a wonderful organization that supports social change makers around the world. Learn more about The Pollination Project and the inspiring work of their grantees at https://thepollinationproject.org/

Most likely I'm the only winner who does not use Facebook. And, because I've been asked to share news of these awards on FB, I ask you, dear readers, to please share these awards on your FB page. Thank you! 

October 1 is World Vegetarian Day. May the world embrace kindness ASAP! I wish you a happy October and a happy World Vegetarian Day.


Vegan Pot-Luck and My Talk on Moving Toward Vegan
Wednesday, October 5
Everyone - that's you! - is invited to a mixer at the Community Media Center of Marin (819 A Street, suite 21 in San Rafael) where I will be a guest presenter on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 7 to 8:30 PM.  There is no charge to attend. Please bring a vegan dish to share if you can. And please RSVP to marinartists@hotmail.com  or at 415-721-0636, ext. 15 if you can attend.   My talk will be about the environmental urgency of moving toward or adopting a vegan diet.  Learn more about the Community Media Center of Marin at http://www.cmcm.tv/ 

San Francisco World VegFest
Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9
From 10 AM until 6:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, join the San Francisco Vegetarian Society at the annual World Veg Festival. The event is in the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, off Lincoln near 9th Avenue. This is going to be a fun and informative weekend.  To learn about the speakers, vendors and the schedule, go to http://www.worldvegfestival.com/

Dharma Voices for Animals Meeting
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1:30 Outside World Veg Festival
If you are interested in the teachings of the Buddha, including the first precept which asks us to not take the life of any being, join the Bay Area Chapter of Dharma Voices for Animals on Saturday at 1:30 just outside the main entrance to World Veg Fest.  Look for the banner for Dharma Voices for Animals for a short gathering to get to know one another and plan our next strategy to help bring veg policies to Dharma centers around the world.

Sugar and Heart Disease and Industry Meddling
We really should not be surprised to learn that industry often manipulates studies to serve their own interests. Still, I was surprised to learn that in the 1960s scientists were paid by the sugar industry to skew results in studies of heart disease and sugar consumption.   And while I had been aware of the possible link between sugar and cancer, I had not heard before about the link between sugar and heart disease. Here is the story that opened my eyes: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone

Update on Hampton Creek's Just Mayo Story
Here is the latest from Bloomberg Business Week about the accusations of buying back Just Mayo to make Hampton Creek's numbers look good.  I hesitated to share this because I love the product, and this is a damning article. But I promised to keep you posted on what is published on this saga,  so here is a long piece about further accusations.
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-hampton-creek-just-mayo/

Mushrooms as Pesticides
Thanks to Linda Riebel for telling me about this exciting article. It looks as if mushrooms - safe and even edible - may be able to replace chemical pesticides in the near future.
As annoying as it is to read on-line articles that are peppered with ads, this piece is worth reading.  http://www.ecosnippets.com/environmental/patent-that-could-destroy-monsanto/

Many Ways to Get Support for Going Vegan
If love of cheese or ice cream is what is keeping you from moving to veganism, Allison Rivers Samson, of the late, great Allison's Gourmet, has just the thing for you.  She has created a 12-day on-line course called The Dairy Detox to help people eliminate dairy from their diet.  This program includes daily videos, dairy-free recipes, and a private, on-line community to support you. This course is $67, and you can learn more about it at https://www.thedairydetox.com/  Registration is now open, and the program begins on November 1. The program will be offered after that on the first of every month.

And there are two programs that are free:
Vegan Outreach is offering a mentor program to help people go vegan. If you need support in the transition, or if you want to be a mentor, you can sign up here:
http://veganoutreach.org/vegan-mentorship-program/

And there is the popular PCRM 21 Day Vegan Kickstart program, which begins on the first of every month.  Sign up at http://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome

VegNews Magazine
The current issue of VegNews magazine includes, as always, some interesting trends in veganism. It reports that Midland Memorial Hospital in Texas is now serving patients vegan meals and that staff, visitors and patients are educated on the benefits of plant-based eating.  Also in this issue: Google reported that searches for vegan cheese are up 80% and searches for vegan ice cream are up 109%.  Alas, Marin VEG no longer offers a free subscription to supporters. And we are no longer asking for contributions, as we are flush for the next few years with few expenses and many generous donors in the past.   To receive VegNews magazine on paper or online, subscribe at vegnews.com  

What To Do This Month
As always, be sure to look at  http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm  and  http://www.meetup.com/marin-vegan/  to find out what's happening in the coming weeks. Also, check out Compassionate Living in Sonoma County. Their web site is  www.socoveg.org/ and The San Francisco Veg Society at www. SFVS.org.

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