December, 2017
Marin Vegetarian Education Group
The trees this year have been particularly colorful in Marin.
I hope you are enjoying them - and the green grass sprouting up on
the trail edges - as much as I have.
Only three weeks until the solstice and the beginning of longer
days! Wishing
you a joyful and peaceful December!
Monthly Vegan Lunch Date Change
The meetup group that gathers for lunch every month at Taj of
Marin (909 Fourth Street, San Rafael) is changing its lunches to
the first Sunday of every month. Please rsvp through Meetup if
you want to join these lovely people for a vegan buffet and great
company. https://www.meetup.com/marin-vegan/
Dairy is Not Thriving
Thanks to PlantbasedNews.org for these two stories about the
decline of dairy. The first is about how a major dairy's sales are
down 91% https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/revolution-dairy-producer-dean-foods-dramatic-91-drop-profits?utm_source=Plant+Based+News+Subscribers+Combined&utm_campaign=1e551a3568-24thOct_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5651a57357-1e551a3568-192762809&ct=t(24th_Oct_Newsletter).
This second story is about how non-dairy milk is gaining ground https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/revolution-dairy-producer-dean-foods-dramatic-91-drop-profits?utm_source=Plant+Based+News+Subscribers+Combined&utm_campaign=1e551a3568-24thOct_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5651a57357-1e551a3568-192762809&ct=t(24th_Oct_Newsletter)
If you subscribe (free) to PlantbasedNews.org, you will receive
emails about vegan trends, and not have to click these
ridiculously long url links.
Is Veganism Racist and Classist?
Have you ever been told that being a vegan was racist or
classist? This seven and a half minute video responds to that
accusation with facts and stories from around the world.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FJoy8yBpOQM
New York Times Front Page Story on Blacks Going
Vegan
and book called APHRO-ISM
On Wednesday, November 29, the Food section of The New York
Times had a very positive, front-page article about the growing
trend among Black Americans to go vegan. The article refers to a
book I am in the middle of reading, APRHO-ISM: Essays on Pop
Culture, Feminism , and Black Veganism from Two Sisters by Aph Ko
and Syl Ko. The afterword is by Carol J. Adams. Regular readers
of this newsletter know that I admire Carol Adams tremendously,
and that I had the privilege of writing three books with her.
APHRO-ISM is an in-depth examination of race, feminism and
advocacy. It advances a theoretical framework for looking at our
culture, our history, and our movement, including how and why
veganism is often thought of as a White movement. I have learned
a lot so far in the book about how people of color have been
"animalized," - called animals (considered less than human) -and
how oppression works both consciously and unconsciously in our
society. Also, there is much here about the interconnected
oppressions among different groups who have been oppressed. The
Times article only mentions the book briefly and is more about
different people of color who are embracing veganism. You can
read the story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/dining/black-vegan-cooking.html?_r=0
If Everyone Went Vegan
There were dozens of articles last month about a new study
showing what would happen if everyone in the United States were to
adopt a vegan diet. The study was published
in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, and it found that a vegan diet by all
people in the U.S. would cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from
agriculture by 28 percent. It also warned that people's
nutrition would be harmed. But wait! The authors of the study
are Robin White, of the Virginia Tech department of animal and
poultry science, and Mary Beth Hall, a U.S. Department of
Agriculture researcher in Madison, Wisc. So is their conclusion
about frightening, nutritional fallout must be taken with a
proverbial grain of salt. Here is one of many articles about
the study: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/what-would-happen-if-all-americans-went-vegan
VegReady now on Kickstarter
Mark Perlmuter's new, ready-to-eat, customized vegan meals
- now has its own Kickstarter account. Learn more about these
healthy and delicious meals and help create the company with a
pledge of a contribution of any size at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vegready/vegready-the-fusion-of-convenience-taste-and-ecolo
Vegan Cities by 2025
Three organizations are joining forces to collect one
million signatures that will be presented to the United Nations,
asking that body to include animals in its Universal Periodic
Review. This is the kick off of their Compassionate Cities
Campaign which asks cities to give animals legal protections
around the world. DxE, The Save Movement, and In Defense of
Animals are circulating a MoveOn petition to bring compassion to
cities across the globe:
https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/one-million-signatures?source=c.em&r_by=15286042
Dharma Voices for Animals - Creating and
Supporting Veg Buddhists World Wide
I am delighted to invite you to look at the on-line auction items
being offered to raise funds for Dharma Voices for Animals and its
new project in Sri Lanka. "Dharma" refers to the teachings of the
Buddha, and I am a co-founder and board member of this
organization. Buddhism calls for practitioners to live without
harming living beings, but many Buddhists do not follow this
precept. DVA is working to remind and encourage millions of
Buddhists to follow this precept in their food choices, and nuns
and monks in Buddhist countries are joining DVA and spreading the
message of non-harming among their followers. Even if you don't
want to bid on any item, consider a gift to this unique
organization. Learn more and see the auction items at http://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/home.cfm?auctionID=12493
Click on "view items" on the upper left to see the auction
items.
Forbes on the Future of Vegan Fast Food
This article about the current and future state of vegan fast food
encouraged me. Veggie Grill is just one of many vegan fast food
restaurants that are expanding across the country. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katrinafox/2017/11/14/move-over-mcdonalds-the-future-of-fast-food-is-vegan/#30c25614ac2f
More in December
Remember to look at www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm and 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 is worth knowing about and supporting.
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