Subject: May news from Marn VEG
From: Patti Breitman <eatplants@earthlink.net>
Date: 4/15/2019, 5:43 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;

Marin VEG News
May 2019 (Yes, very early)
I will be away at the end of the month, so I'm sending the May newsletter a few weeks early.  Be sure to read below about a new film screening (reservations required), Berkeley's Earth Day celebration, a surprisingly good book, and more. 
 
Next Sunday, April 21
Berkeley Earth Day Celebration
Wild and Scenic Film Festival
Compassionate Living is sponsoring a day long celebration/conference for Earth Day in Berkeley's David Brower Center from 10 to 5 on Sunday, April 21. This is a free event featuring speakers, food, and sustainable living vendors.  At the event there will be (for a charge of $15) a Wild and Scenic Film Festival with movies that speak to environmental concerns and that celebrate the planet.  Order tickets for the films at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wild-and-scenic-film-festival-on-tour-april-21-22-2019-tickets-56655563315?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Learn more about the free event at http://berkeleyearthday.org/


Saturday, May 4
international Respect for Chickens Day
United Poultry Concerns is the only organization devoted to protecting chickens, turkeys and other birds raised for human consumption.  This is the fourth year they have designated May as a month to celebrate chickens and protest the bleakness of their lives in farming operations.  Speak up for chickens at every opportunity, but especially in May.  To learn more about chickens, eggs, and alternatives to them in you diet,  and to support this wonderful not for profit, go to www.upc.org/


Wednesday, June 26 (Yes, June)
Film showing: A Prayer for Compassion
Opera Plaza in San Francisco
Will Tuttle speaking during Q&A
A Prayer for Compassion is a new documentary film aimed at religious and spiritual people who are not yet vegetarian or vegan. The movie features leaders from many different religious and spiritual paths talking about how veganism is in alignment with and called for by each of the religions and paths.  The film will be shown on Wednesday, June 26 at the community room at Opera Plaza in San Francisco.  Will Tuttle, who is in the film, will be there for the Q&A following the screening.  Reservations are required, and this is likely to fill up fast, so mark your calendar and reserve your spot today.  The evening begins with a delicious, vegan meal prepared by Patricia Koot. The cost for the meal and film is $15, payable at the event.  Reserve your space by email to RSVP@wellnesscentral.us or by phone at (888) 234-1361  Once you are on the list, details about how to get there will be emailed to you.  I am proud to be an executive producer of A Prayer for Compassion (which means I made a financial contribution towards its creation).  I look forward to seeing you on June 26 for this first Bay Area screening. Learn more about the film and watch a trailer at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/aprayerforcompassion

Book Recommendation
The Fearless Benjamin Lay by Marcus Rediker
I am reading a fascinating biography called The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist.  This remarkable 18th century  man was a vegan, an abolitionist, and an influential force in the Quaker abolitionist movement.  He used "street theater" to call attention to how wrong slavery was, and his fierce determination to show kindness to all beings is inspiring.  I am learning a great deal about the early Quaker church; It wasn't always anti-slavery, for example. And about life in England in the late 1600s; households were taxed according to how many fireplaces were in the home, for example. The author of the book, Marcus Rediker, is a thorough historian and an excellent story teller. 

Jane Brody of New York Times
Calling for a More Plant Based Diet
Jane Brody writes about health for the New York Times. In a column this month she cites a report from the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet and Health compiled by 37 scientists from 16 countries that urges us to eat more plants and fewer animals.  She shares an easy recipe in the piece, and while not recommending a vegan diet, she recommends moving in that direction, which, for her and her readers, is a big deal.  Read her article at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/well/eat/a-guide-to-sustainable-eating.html

Prescribing Veggies and Fruit Could Save Billions
A report from Tufts University concludes that if doctors prescribed fruits and vegetables to their patients and if 30% of the cost of the food were covered by Medicare or Medicaid insurance, it would save 100 billion dollars in health care costs. Read about this thrilling report at https://www.news-medical.net/news/20190321/Study-estimates-health-and-economic-impacts-of-healthy-food-prescriptions.aspx


 
What Else to Do in May
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. And 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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