Fall 2002, Vol. 11, No. 3

New organic guidelines: Are humane stipulations to be trusted? page 6

Commentary from the editor: TIME is not always on our side page 2

Sound solution: Ultra bombardment of hog urine and feces page 11

Photo essay: VivaVegie reaching the public, helping vegetarians pages 9, 15

Marketing meat: Even meat producers can’t agree on this game page 13

The VivaVine is a publication of the VivaVegie Society, New York City’s premier vegetarian-outreach organization.

BY MIYUN PARK Inside Factory Farming

BY MIYUN PARK could barely breathe. The air was heavy with ammonia and dust seep- I ing through my surgical mask. The overpowering smell of sickness and filth made my eyes water. I was inside an egg farm with other Chronically killing to eradicate Compassion Over Killing (COK) investi- wasting disease in deer and elk gators. The fumes assaulted me with un- page 10 bearable intensity. Imagine being one of the 800,000 hens housed there, without reprieve. Never having space to stretch. Never seeing sunlight. Never eating or taking a step without pain. Never know- ing a moment of freedom. Like the dogs and cats we pamper, the animals we call food are conscious indi- viduals who experience fear and joy, pain and sadness. Yet they are treated so abusively that similar treatment of companion animals could be prosecuted in every state. Factory farming: profit first According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 10 billion land animals are slaughtered for food annu- ally. While animal agribusiness wants us Illustration by Christine Russo to envision frolicking animals in bucolic pastures, more than 99 percent of Candle Cafe benefit farmed animals are confined to cages and stalls in huge factory farms, where for the VivaVegie Society the goal is to raise the maximum num- DEC.10 See the back page for details. ber of animals with minimal time, space, Continued on page 3 COMMENTARY: BAD PRESS FOR ? Time out: What TIME didn’t tell us last July about eating meat

BY GLEN BOISSEAU BECKER human consumption but not always And oh, yes: One inescapable byprod- properly isolated) mixed with the uct of the meat industry, with its empha- Five reasons to eat meat: 1) It tastes ground-up remains of farm animals, un- sis on breeding as many animals as pos- good, 2) It makes you feel good, 3) wanted pets, and roadkill, plus “bakery sible, is an inconceivable amount of waste,” drugs, hormones, steroids, and a sewage. In many places, this results in It’s a great American tradition, 4) It large percentage of manure. Thanks to enormous “lagoons” of putrid nitroge- supports the nation’s farmers, and 5) the mad-cow scare, it is no longer legal nous waste, which become a dire hazard Your parents did it. Oh, sorry ... those to feed cow remains to other cows, but to the soil, the air, and the water supply. are five reasons to smoke cigarettes. rendered chickens’ corpses are still fed to cows and vice versa. ather than mentioning any of his was the promising beginning Dairy cows, chemically stimulated to these catastrophic issues—or of the nine-page TIME cover produce great quantities of milk, wind up Rfully exploring the severity of T story for July 15, 2002, “Should with monstrously large and heavy ud- meat’s long-term danger to human We All Be Vegetarians?” It was one of ders, which often become infected. health—the TIME article pursued tan- many recent media articles discussing Rather than living for 20 or 25 years, they gents like the argument that even using a vegetarianism’s increasing visibility. And are sold for slaughter when their milk tractor to plow a field is likely to being written primarily by an editor production begins to taper, usu- kill rodents and birds. The author hardly who had just given the lifestyle a try, ally at the age of 4. seems to realize that in it aimed to present a balanced Even “organic” dairy present-day conditions, view, with a rather cautious em- cows are ultimately that amount of (inadver- phasis on health issues. Indeed, sold for their meat. tent) killing is vastly readers from both and Chickens on egg farms compounded by our in- meat camps may have found the are brutally debeaked. Egg efficient system of feed- presentation a bit too sympathetic to- production is stimulated by ing the grain to larger ward the opposition for comfort. forced molting, which means depriving animals before killing them in turn. To But how is meat produced? By treat- them of all food and light for up to two propose letting cattle simply graze is all ing his subject primarily as a ques- very well, but what is the reality? tion of nutrition and secondly as a so- The author almost entirely Grazing land is all too often created cial and philosophical fad, Richard overlooked the underlying story by mowing down tropical rainforests Corliss almost entirely overlooked and other irreplaceable ecosystems. the underlying story that gives ur- that gives urgency to all other TIME’s comments on gency to all the other aspects. Few aspects: the horrid realities of were especially provoking—includ- Americans can begin to imagine the ing a short, rather snide chapter in horrid realities underlying the pro- meat and dairy production. the magazine’s online edition. To ve- duction of nearly all meat, eggs, and gans, we read, honey represents the milk in America today. weeks at a time. Unwanted male chicks oppression of bees, and a silk tie ex- In factory farms—as described else- are often killed by crushing. ploits the worker worms. The lack of where in this issue—vast numbers of ani- comprehension is obvious. In fact, hon- mals spend their lives crammed into ther atrocities range from the eybees (whose subtle communication tightly packed yards or sunless crates forcible overfeeding of geese systems still baffle scientists) will fight and stalls. (Picture stepping into the most O (for foie gras) to the lifelong re- to the death to defend their hives. And crowded subway train you could conjure straining of calves raised on an anemic the only way to produce genuine silk is up in a nightmare—and then being liquid diet (for veal). to kill large quantities of silkworms be- trapped there for the rest of your life.) After being prodded, kicked, or fore they can hatch from their cocoons. Pigs and chickens invariably are raised dragged, the larger farm animals are ulti- Consuming such products is just not in cages, stacked so the animals are bom- mately transported long distances in necessary. barded by the droppings of others above packed trucks—without heat, cooling, Predictably, the article played up the them. (Now imagine being surrounded by or water—until they reach a slaughter- potential deficiencies of a vegan diet and filth, insects, and prematurely dying house. There, amid flies, blood, and ma- downplayed the health risks associated members of your own species.) nure, the terrified animals are butchered with eggs and dairy products. World- Cows and other animals—vegetarian in an “assembly line” moving so quickly wide, it should be noted, most adult hu- by nature—are fed a highly unnatural that many of them are hoisted and cut mans cannot even digest cows’ milk. diet of cheaply available ingredients, apart while still conscious. Severe in- One of the article’s central problems typically including genetically engi- juries to the workers are was its failure to interview some of the neered grain (considered unsafe for also common. Continued on page 12

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 2 COVER STORY, CONTINUED

Continued from page 1 To maximize milk yields, dairy farmers cost, and effort for the greatest profit. pump cows full of drugs and artificially Disease is commonplace, and the vast inseminate them so frequently that they majority of animals are denied their are in near-constant cycles of pregnancy. most basic desires, including fresh air Female calves join the dairy line; males and room to move. are sold to become veal or beef. COK in- While many countries have banned vestigators have documented calves at battery cages for their cruelty, U.S. egg auction, too young to walk, their umbili- producers still cram up to ten hens into cal cords still attached as they were dragged off. The myth of free ranges While many picture “free-range” farms as places where pigs relax in mud baths, chickens nest on their eggs, and cows graze as their calves play nearby, the Photograph by Pamela Rice reality is very different. The USDA defines “free- The USDA defines “free-range” loosely range” and “free-roaming” (a huge henhouse may have one small loosely (a huge henhouse, for instance, may have door leading to a tiny cement yard), one small door leading to and it has no inspection system. a tiny cement yard), and it has no inspection system. cause they’re considered food, billions As Charles Olentine, edi- of animals are legally abused from birth a space the size of a file drawer. Accord- tor of Egg Industry, wrote in the October to death. ing to Poultry Digest, an industry publi- 2002 issue: “Just because it says free- With every bite we take, we can say no cation, a hen needs 290 square inches range does not mean that it is welfare- to animal cruelty. By choosing vegan op- merely to flap her wings, yet the indus- friendly.” tions, we choose compassion over killing. try norm is 50 square inches. Optional Even factory-farmed fish are jam- new guidelines call for 67 to 75. packed in shallow concrete troughs, Miyun Park is president of the nonprofit I’ve seen how these animals suffer. with barely enough oxygen to survive. animal advocacy organization Compas- Every step causes disruption within a sion Over Killing in Washington, D.C. You packed cage. Countless hens become im- The choice can obtain COK’s free Vegetarian Starter mobilized in the wires. Those unable to For our supply of flesh, milk, and eggs, Guide, for yourself or a friend, by visiting free themselves die of dehydration, animals are denied nearly everything www.TryVeg.com or calling 1-866-MEAT- inches away from water. natural to them. Their treatment would FREE. For information on COK, visit Factory farming has turned pigs, horrify us if we were witnesses. Yet be- www.cok.net. chickens, and turkeys into genetic mu- tants whose rapid, massive weight gain challenges their bodies to function. Walking and even standing can be diffi- cult, and bones sometimes break. The stress of severe overcrowding and the frustration of life in factory farms often lead to fighting. Animal agri- business responds by mutilating the ani- mals without painkillers: searing off birds’ beaks, amputating turkeys’ toes, and cutting off piglets’ vulnerable tails and teeth, punching holes in ears, and castrating. Cattle are likewise castrated and dehorned as well as branded.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 3 GRAPEVINE • Q & A No meat all week! Instant results Thank you again, Pamela, for speaking to our group. My friend Sara’s father went home after you spoke and read the entire “101 Reasons.” He instantly became a veg- etarian! He hasn’t eaten meat all week. He feels thinner, healthier, and much more vi- brant. In my eyes, this was the most suc- cessful meeting yet. a publication of Jim Whitten VivaVegie Society, Inc. Northern Connecticut Vol. 11, No. 3 Visiting the big FALL 2002 212-871-9304 vegan-friendly Apple Thank you for your kindness in meeting Publisher: Pamela Rice with us at the Vegetarian Center. You are Our pro bono attorney, Ken Ehrenberg. Editor: Glen Boisseau Becker so lucky to live in New York! I was amazed Advertising sales: Pamela Rice at the variety of vegetarian food every- feel so much better! I would never have Layout and design: Pamela Rice where (even in nonveg restaurants). I been able to move around NYC a year ago, Graphics consultant: Christine Russo found a vegan bakery in the East Village 50+ pounds heavier. I have a long way to Contributors: Glen Boisseau Becker, that had been there since 1978. In Detroit go with losing the weight, but I know that Miyun Park, Pamela Rice, Christine we have two veg restaurants that have I will reach my goal and stay a vegan for Russo, and Cortney Rhoads been around for 20 years, but I don't think the rest of my life. Thank you for promot- Calendar editor: Evelyn Gilbert a veg bakery would make it. But things are ing the cause that has helped so many, Gaggle of veg-evangelists: getting better for vegetarians as time myself included. Jake Halpern, Bernard Goetz, passes, so maybe someday.… Karen Tom Lyons, Joan Zacharias, I am glad I became a vegan last June. I Detroit, Michigan Kate Garrison, Judea Johnson, Rachel Summerose, Jessie Legue, Ask VivaVegie: Go ahead, raise ’em veg Tom Thompson, John V. Ciprio, and Rochelle Goldman Influencing the next Just how exploited are bees? EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS: Perhaps you can tell me why honey is such • , Ph.D., generation a no-no. I recognize that bees are living I am saddened by people who won’t listen creatures and that they're a vital link in the • Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., or even give the vegetarian lifestyle a web of life, but just how exploited are they? author, Judaism and Vegetarianism chance. I love animals and this planet, and Of course, I don't go around guzzling • , M.D. by eating meat people are destroying jars of honey, but while browsing the veg- • Mike Hudak, Ph.D. both. When I become pregnant, I plan on etarian frozen entrees and such at the raising my child to be a vegetarian, though supermarket, I inevitably end up rejecting Special thanks to NALITH my husband is only reluctantly going most of these products because they along with it. I could use a good book for have either cheese, milk, or egg ingredi- Note about memberships: reference. ents. However, sometimes one will have No definite date has been fixed for Thanks again for your beautifully writ- none of these but still have honey. So I'm the next issue of The VivaVine. We ten articles. I just hope they can make oth- wondering just how concerned about it I can’t even promise that the publica- ers think about how horrible their cheese- should bee! tion will continue. If you would like burger is! KC Carmichael to receive a refund or to be repaid in Amber Bean Waterford, Michigan kind for issues you are due, please Champaign, Illinois To some extent you’ve answered your own contact the VivaVegie Society at the I recommend Vegetarian Children: A Guide question: Bees are living creatures. Why phone number above. VivaVegie to Good Health and Family Harmony, by cause suffering when it’s unnecessary? For Society is an all-volunteer-run, Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina. Find the inside story, go to www.vegetus.org 501(c)3, nonprofit organization. more at www.vegetarianbaby.com. /honey/honey.htm.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 4

VEGETARIAN NEWS Coming and Going: Vegetarians lose with gov’t subsidies the ancient Hodgson. He points espe- Relief for beef or beef assistance for ranchers and cially to the proliferation of farmers, an amount that is reefs to death such techniques as dynamit- for relief? 6,000 times as much as the The world’s ancient coral ing and poisoning fish. As plant eaters all over the government allots to organic reefs are famous for their Even with less harmful country celebrated World agriculture. beauty and intricacy—and in- methods, the widespread Vegetarian Day on October 1, The Senate passage comes creasingly for their fragility. killing of reef fish and sea ranchers of cattle, buffalo, on the heals of the notori- In August the UCLA Institute urchins invites algae blooms goats, and sheep began ap- ously bloated $180 billion of the Environment’s Reef to take over, smothering the plying to the U.S. Department farm bill that passed into law Check program published the live coral and sometimes de- of Agriculture for amounts in in May—which can only be results of a five-year global stroying entire reefs. Pollu- the neighborhood of $18 a described as a continuation study, to which over 5,000 tion, including human and an- head for drought relief. The of windfall subsidies to feed- international scientists and imal waste, is another serious disbursements were in keep- grain and other program-crop volunteers contributed. A key hazard. ing with provisions of a $752 producers. finding: Overfishing has dam- The report was summa- million giveaway that tipped As far as Thune and his vic- aged 95 percent of the 1,107 rized by the Associated the scales in the election of tory were concerned, a mil- reefs monitored. Press: “Reefs where fishing John Thune, the South lion-dollar provision in hand Coral reels have experi- has been banned or re- Dakota Republican who an- is better than billions in a bill. enced more damage in the stricted show signs of recov- nounced the program in Sep- past 20 years than in the pre- ery. But virtually all of the tember alongside the USDA. New organic rules vious 1,000, according to the world’s reefs show signs of Hunger advocacy groups— stipulate humane program’s founder, Gregor declining health.” including Bread for the World, which analyzed the ramifica- provisions, or do they? tions of the Thune maneu- On October 20, federal guide- ver—concluded just before lines for the classification of the November election that organic food went into effect, the program would end up di- marking a milestone for those verting $66 million to feed live- committed to a system of agri- stock from $5.9 billion in ap- culture without synthetic pes- propriated American hunger ticides, antibiotics, and hor- relief, according to The New mones. The provisions were York Times. The groups de- mostly anticipated. However, clared that the drought relief rules concerning animal wel- would impede food banks and fare came as a surprise to schools in their attempts to some. In order to be certified obtain government purchases organic, flesh foods will have of surplus commodities— to be derived from animals such as and , raised under conditions that as well as beef and salmon. allow them to spend time out- Thune’s eventual victory at side in a manner suitable to the polls was a critical com- their species. ponent in a fever-pitched This brings to mind the du- midterm election battle for bious notion of “free-range,” a control of the U.S. Senate. concept that has been loosely Bread for the World, as well defined and is essentially un- as a few disgruntled Democra- regulated. When the federal tic senators, suggested that a rules are closely inspected, better program for the ranch- the conditions of “organic” ers to draw upon would have animals may be equally open- been the billion-dollar disas- ended. ter-relief measure that is still Today’s small organic in bill form. In early Septem- farmers fear the usurpation ber, the U.S. Senate over- of their niche by giant con- whelmingly approved $6 bil- glomerates. Already the U.S. lion in emergency disaster Continued on page 8

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 6 Make your own Cream of Incredible Mushroom Soup Ingredients: soy milk! 2 quarts freshly made soymilk 1 medium-sized chopped onion 1 minced shallot 1 minced garlic clove 1 quart mixed chopped shiitake, cepes, chanterelle, oyster, & regular store-bought fresh mushrooms 3 tablespoons safflower or sunflower oil (divided) 5 or more vegetable-based bouillon cubes, to taste 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms for garnish (optional)

Method: Sauté onion, shallot, and garlic in two table- spoons oil in a six-quart pot until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms, stir, and continue cooking until the onions begin to caramelize (brown). Immediately add soymilk. Add bouillon cubes to taste. Gently boil for fifteen minutes. Sauté one cup of sliced mushrooms in one tablespoon of oil and sprinkle atop each portion prior to serving. Serve with a crusty bread and salad.

Scientific studies have shown that soy lowers cholesterol, prevents osteoporosis and cancer. • Make fresh soymilk from dried beans in just • Make creamy dairy-free soups, cheese, butter, sour cream, 25 minutes at 4¢ per quart! veggie burgers, mayo, ice cream, and much more

• No need to soak beans overnight • Made from surgical stainless steel with durable plastic exterior To order call: 888.not.milk (888.668.6455) visit us on the web! www.soytoy.com VEGETARIAN NEWS, CONTINUED A First in Florida: The public says no to gestation crates Continued from page 6 and $1 million is to go to the Striking a blow for Are we smart enough Department of Agriculture is North American Vegetarian using the word “flexible” to Society, among others. the pigs to recognize their assuage the concerns of large In Florida this Election Day, producers, who worry that al- Mercury’s rising not only politicians but pigs intelligence? lowing animals to roam free Is fish a safe and healthful al- emerged as winners. By a Pigs, sheep, and chickens are presents numerous sanita- ternative to meat? Not ac- 55/45 margin, voters ap- smarter than scientists previ- tion problems—everything cording to a USA Today cover proved an amendment to the ously realized, according to from the animals’ exposure to story on November 5, which state constitution banning the September articles circulated salmonella enterititis, avian warns that fish consumption use of the notorious “gesta- by Ananova and Reuters. A influenza, and disease from is linked to dangerous levels tion crates” in which pregnant researcher at the University rodents to the menace of ani- of toxic mercury (methyl- sows spend most of their lives of Bristol has shown that mal waste contaminating mercury). on factory farms. These two- “pigs can develop quite so- nearby soil and water, ac- In a yearlong study, Dr. by-seven metal cages leave phisticated social competi- cording to an October story Jane Hightower found that the pigs almost totally immo- tive behavior,” outwitting in The Washington Post. many of her San Francisco pa- bilized, often resulting in leg each other much the way At the end of April 1998, tients suffer from low-level ailments and bone fractures chimpanzees and even hu- when an extended 90-day pub- mercury poisoning, with as well as intense distress. mans do. lic-comment period The bill, spon- Sheep demonstrate a re- was closed, the USDA Florida voters approved an sored by Floridians markable memory for the had received 280,000 amendment to their constitution For Humane Farms, faces of people and of other overwhelmingly neg- was truly a citizens’ individual sheep. A biologist ative comments banning the cruel “gestation initiative. Vegetarians from the Babraham Institute about what the gov- crates” in which pregnant sows from all over the in Cambridge, England, has ernment was about country came to announced that an isolated to define as organic. spend most of their lives. Florida earlier this member of the flock can evi- The record-breaking year and collected dently find comfort in a pho- response was a lesson to symptoms including fatigue nearly 700,000 signatures to tograph of a familiar and those who think that citizen and depression, hair loss, ensure that the measure “friendly” sheep face. And action is lost on our public of- headaches, and inability to would appear on the ballot. studies of chickens have been ficials. The cynic, however, concentrate. These problems The victory is a modest showing that these birds can- may say that such an outcry improved when patients one, inasmuch as Florida’s not be written off as crea- will only make the govern- stopped eating fish. pig population numbers only tures of instinct; they depend ment more crafty in its pre- The danger is especially about 800, and the bill will significantly on teaching and sentation the next time. serious for the children of not take effect for six years. It learning within the family It remains to be seen how women who eat mercury- is nonetheless a landmark—a structure. the federal rules eventually laden fish prior to or during successful outcome to the Slowly and surely, science play out in bringing the or- their pregnancies. These chil- first American public referen- seems to be recognizing that ganic movement to a more dren have been found to be dum for improved treatment the similarities between the general market and away prone to learning disorders. of farmed animals—and may human animal and other from the boutique world of An FDA committee warns that serve as a useful precedent species far outweigh the dif- elite consumerism. a pregnant woman eating for other states. ferences. McD to pay and pay more than two cans of tuna per week is at risk. Factory farming goes global, a presentation Earlier this year, McDonald’s Dr. Hightower acknowl- was obliged in a class-action edges that individuals’ sensi- Wed., Dec. 11, 2002, 6:30 P.M.• Hear Danielle Nierenberg, lawsuit to pay $10 million to tivity may vary widely. A mer- staff researcher at the Washington, DC–based Worldwatch vegetarian and religious cury dosage considered safe Institute, discuss how the U.S. model of meat production and groups for concealing the use by the Environmental Protec- consumption is being exported around the world. Nierenberg of genuine beef flavoring in tion Agency is only about will report on her recent travels in Asia and her ongoing work, its French fries. According to one-fifth the amount allowed including a project to educate the public on the an early report revealed by by the Food and Drug Admin- environmental, public health, and Jeff Nelson of VegSource.com, istration. But the EPA has no consequences of becoming a “fast food nation.” Lantern $1.4 million is to go to the authority to regulate fish sold Books, 1 Union Square West (at 14th Street), Suite 201, Vegetarian Resource Group, for food. Manhattan. Free; refreshments will be served.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 8 VIVA VEGIE SOCIETY NEWS (more on page 15) Outreach: Promoting veganism to the public at every chance VivaVegie Society broke an outreach record on March 31, when it distributed 2,000 copies (four cartons) of its “mighty convincer,” the 16-page “101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian,” in just 3 hours at the annual Easter Parade in New York City. Ac- tivists included Tom VivaVegie presented a popular exhibit at the first Earthsave NYC Thompson, Judea Taste of Health Expo on June 22. Volunteers included Bernie Johnson, Jesse Goetz and Tracye McQuirter. See www.nyc.earthsave.org/. Legue, Kate Garri- son, Bobbie Flowers, VivaVegie staged its ninth annual ob- John V. Ciprio, and servance of Veal Ban Day, Sunday, Pamela Rice. Bernie May 19, across from the Astor Place Goetz was Penelo “cube.” Activists beckoned passers-by Pea Pod. to sign a petition that was sent to Pres- ident Bush and U.S. Department of VivaVegie president Pamela Rice gets a bear hug from “mad Agriculture secretary Ann Veneman. cowboy” at the North American Vegetarian They also distributed a fact sheet on Society Summerfest in August. Pamela gave three talks at the veal production to interested by- annual vegetarian festival— standers and sat in the crate them- two on the environmental selves. The slogan this year: “Your din- impact of meat (including a ner led a horrible life.” This year’s special talk on global fish- activists included Pamela Rice, Bobbie ing) and one on government Flowers, and Irene Ginsberg. subsidies to the meat indus- try. Howard was the recipient On August 8, of NAVS’s “Vegetarian of the Pamela Rice Year” award. This year joined vegetarian Penelo Pea Pod also endured author the trek to Johnstown, Penn- (right) on WBAI’s sylvania, making a special “Walden’s Pond,” effort to attend the confer- hosted by Shelton ence. She strutted her green Walden (center). in front of the VivaVegie Shelton has pro- Society exhibit table, which duced the show for presented a display about over thirteen years. our Vegetarian Center.

Over a hundred vegetarian restau- the program at any time after we give VegDining.com rants have already signed up, including VegDining.com a two-week advance Promote your restaurant with England, France, Ireland, Scotland, written notice.” the VegDining Card, your online Finland, Australia, and South Africa, as Then give us the name of Vegetarian Dining Around the World guide to vegetarian restaurants well as Canada and the United States. restaurant, address, contact It’s simple to take part. Just mail person, position, signature, around the world. Come join in the The first worldwide dining card specifically or fax (703-832-3065) a letter stating and date. VegDining Card designed for vegetarian restaurants. the following: “YES, our restaurant Send this to Suite 610, By participating, your restaurant will would like to participate in the 4A-3421 Portage Ave., Promoting Your Restaurant To the World! gain valuable international exposure. VegDining Card program! As part of Winnipeg, Manitoba, You’ll be listed prominently in the spe- the program, our restaurant will offer a Canada R3K 2C9. cial VegDining Card section on our 10 percent discount on all food and Phone: 204-831-7377. Web site as well as in printed materials nonalcoholic beverages purchased by Fax: 703-832-3065. Proud to support the VivaVegie Society. accompanying the card. VegDining Card holders. We may leave E-mail: [email protected].

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 9 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE Mad Deer and Elk: Disease with links to “mad cow” Sport hunters often claim that they toms of slobbering, extreme weight loss, A massive slaughter are somehow helping the balance of na- and death. The prions involved are re- ture, or that they kill because they need lated to those found in bovine spongi- targets healthy and to eat. In the current crisis, however, form encephalopathy (BSE), commonly they are being warned not to eat the known as mad cow disease. unhealthy alike. meat of any deer or elk without first hav- ing it tested. Since test results can take hile mad cow has been BY CHRISTINE RUSSO three weeks to arrive—and testing a vast shown to infect humans with number of carcasses is not feasible— W a devastating variant of he hunters are the ones who are most of the animal bodies are simply de- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, no human afraid this year—if not for their stroyed. Thus, entire herds are being an- link to CWD has been found. Those who T lives, then for their way of life. A nihilated so that if all goes according to fancy eating venison should take note, desperate and unprecedented hunt is on plan, hunters can eventually resume however: There is no proof that such a in Colorado and Wisconsin, aiming to killing for pleasure, and for meat, confi- link does not exist. Six years elapsed be- eradicate the fatal deer and elk condi- dent that the possibility of contamina- tween the time the U.S. stopped import- tion known as chronic wasting disease tion has been theoretically eliminated. ing cattle from the Britain (with its mad (CWD) by killing tens of thousands of an- In fact, relatively few animals have cow epidemic) and the emergence of the imals who may or may not be infected. contracted the disease: In Colorado, for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in In Colorado, where CWD was first dis- instance, it has reportedly affected 1 to humans. covered, the number of slaughtered ani- 15 percent of the deer and only 1 per- CWD was discovered 35 years ago in a mals reached 10,000 by May, according cent of the elk. Yet it may not be easy to confined deer research facility in Col- to The Wall Street Journal. Local commu- contain. It has been found in Wyoming, orado, but it received little attention nities banded together to safeguard Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, until the mad cow outbreak. The disease what they consider both a favorite sport South Dakota, and Saskatchewan, evi- was slow to spread under natural condi- and an economic necessity, accompa- dently spread by elk traders who trans- tions but flourished in recent years as nied by government-employed sharp- port live animals across state lines. the deer- and elk-farming industries grew. shooters who gunned down the helpless Deer and elk are raised both for meat animals from helicopters. In Wisconsin, Anatomy of a disease and for “canned” hunts. Elk antlers are where is a billion-dollar indus- Chronic wasting disease is a result of also sold as a nutritional supplement at try, the current season began with plans rogue proteins called prions, which form a profitable $17 an ounce. for total elimination of the native deer in the brains of infected animals. The population in a three-county “hot disease can lie dormant for up to 30 Panic and suffering zone”—an estimated 25,000 deer. months, ultimately manifesting in symp- How CWD is transmitted from animal to animal is still unknown, but scientists believe that contaminated blood, saliva, urine, and feces may all play a role. When it was found in wild free-range an- CITY STATIONERS CORP. imals, officials began to fear they had an epidemic on their hands. They ordered the slaughter of thousands of animals, both healthy and unhealthy, under the premise that fewer animals meant fewer with disease. Quite apart from the panic and suffer- Fifty-seven years of serving New York City’s stationery needs ing the hunted animals have been expe- riencing, many scientists argue that na- CORPORATE ACCOUNTS WELCOME ture should be allowed to take its own course, lest the mass slaughter of a 20 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010 largely healthy population destroys a ro- bust pool of disease-resistant genes. As Tel.: (212) 675-0724 • Fax: (212) 727-8568 for the hunters—a sector that often pur- ports to care about conserva- Proud to have VivaVegie as a long-time customer. tion—they may not be merely escalating their habitual bloodshed; they may be shooting themselves in the foot.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 10 VEGGIE NUGGETS The original Candle Cafe they are. Eat them 1307 Third Avenue at 75 Street (212)472-0970 well cooked—or skip Veggie the meat! Mad ash in Nugggets your house It’s been reduced to What, me worry? ash, but some people still fear The world leaders came to rid it, because it came from dead the planet of hunger and envi- farm animals banned from use ronmental destruction. Yet how in animal feed. In England you GO TO do you take these problems too can no longer feed rendered seriously when your own per- animal carcasses to sonal surroundings are nothing because of the link to mad short of lavish, and your belly cow disease. But what’s a ren- is full to cholesterol-laden ex- dering industry to do with all cess? So was the fare imbibed the excess? by presidents, prime ministers, Switzerland and France Be kind to animals and sheiks at the Johannesburg have an answer: Use ash from Don’t eat them summit in September. burned animal remains as ma- The gathering’s comestibles, terial for building houses, according to The Sun of Lon- bridges, and roads. Now Eng- don: “5,000 oysters, more than land’s renderers, with 400,000 1,000 pounds of lobster and tons of meat and bone meal other shellfish, buckets of yearly, want to follow suit, ac- caviar, and piles of paté de foie cording to London’s Daily gras.” Add in several thousand Telegraph. Just the thought of pounds of steak, chicken it gets us burned up. breasts, salmon, , and HEALTH bacon. Even when it wasn’t de- A tech fix for a stench rived from an endangered That perennial problem: the specie or downright eco- searing, burning stench from unfriendly, the menu dished up the local hog factory farm. You plenty of animal cruelty. Mean- could always shut such places while, a perfect example of the down. Or you can pull one kind of poverty and squalor more technological fix from organic seasonal vegan menu that the leaders came to allevi- your hat. With all the brain ate was but a short bike ride power that must be working on down the road. this, it stands to reason that re- Pathogens: baked, searchers would eventually hit on something. Their latest so- broiled, or fried lution: Bombard cesspool-fulls To chicken eaters this is rou- of feces and urine with ultra- tine: Rinse raw flesh before sound waves, which can in- cooking. But wait! Microscopic duce useful changes at the mo- evidence says otherwise. The lecular level. seemingly harmless practice is Researchers took the tech- apparently risky, because it nology to the field, literally— tends to spread more germs one in Iowa. Titanium tubes vi- than you’re likely to wash brating 20,000 times per away, according to recent find- second have been rigged to ings publicized on the Web site sweeten the smell of a 1,300- of the U.S. Department of Agri- head confinement barn, ac- time out new york: culture. So just leave all of cording to an Associated Press best vegetarian restaurant in 2001 those feces-begotten patho- story in August. Human “smell www.candlecafe.com gens—such as salmonella and testers” have been employed campylobacter—right where to monitor the results.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 11 WHAT TIME DIDN’T TELL US, CONTINUED

Continued from page 2 vegetarian movement’s most important spokespeople. The list includes such persuasive voices as EarthSave founder () and former International Vegetarian Union president Howard Lyman (Mad Cowboy). Years ago, both of them turned their backs on large family en- terprises—ice cream and beef cattle, respectively—and used their inside understanding of both health and humane issues to emerge as ardent champions for the vegetarian cause.

yman says there is “one indisputable scientific fact about flesh consumption: meat kills.” He is referring to its ef- L fect on humans, not farm animals. His view is backed by prominent doctors and dietitians like , , John McDougall, Colin Campbell, George Eisman, and Penelo Pea Pod recently wowed throngs of spectators at the Michael Gregor. And many of America’s meat inspectors, hav- Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Here she is joined by fel- ing seen what goes on behind the scenes, have stopped eating low VivaVegie veg-evangelist Jake Halpern, a giant sun-ripened meat themselves. None of these people were quoted in TIME. tomato, and a vivacious carrot who just happened by. Jake is a Pamela Rice, founder of our own VivaVegie Society, did get professional writer and was able to document his experience an interview. Her story was reflected only in TIME’s online edi- with our intrepid group in The New Yorker’s Talk of the Town. tion—fictionalized beyond recognition. There are any number of good reasons for not eating meat. the facts about current practices in animal At the very least, we must remember that the days of humanely agriculture. But most of the consuming public raised farm animals—if they ever existed—are over. In a 1993 hasn’t a clue as to what kind of hell their din- letter to The Wall Street Journal, animal-rights pioneer Henry ner went through on the way to the table.” Spira chided the author of an earlier opinion piece. His words are still apt: “There would be no need for the ‘tear-jerking ads’ Glen Boisseau Becker, our longtime copy editor, your writer derides if the media were providing readers with is the new editor of The VivaVine.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 12 MEAT PUSHERS

that? Most adult males in our society do cues? In The Sexual Politics of Meat, partake of the stuff. Carol Adams shows how regularly the Obviously, the pronouncement is not advertising encourages males to view meant to be informative; women and animal flesh it’s just a characteristi- interchangeably. cally manipulative slogan. The meatmongers’ mes- Men, you want to be mas- sage could almost be called culine, don’t you? Eat brainwashing. But for beef! Women, you want many, it merely reinforces your men to be mascu- longheld attitudes. line? Make sure they eat The marketing beef! Who wants some wimp who eats rabbit machine food? The meat, egg, and dairy BY CORTNEY RHOADS AND This is, almost literally, an appeal to industries are among the few that en- GLEN BOISSEAU BECKER our most primitive side. Cannibal tribes courage us to buy their products regard- once believed they could internalize a less of which brand. By pooling its re- Selling an unsavory product warlike enemy’s courage by consuming sources, each sector can spend a his flesh. Modern science confirms that whopping fortune on advertising (about emember the meat industry meat eating does promote aggression. $50 million a year for pork alone, and slogan “Eat beef and live Tough men are meat eaters. $180 million for dairy products)—and R longer”? No? Neither do we. Yet the industry’s advertising does can effectively lobby for massive gov- Meat producers don’t make such defi- not show us butchers with blood- ernment support. nite statements. They would be leaving spattered aprons. Instead, we see visual Who, then, pays for slogans like “Beef: themselves wide open to lawsuits for images designed to tell our subcon- it’s what’s for dinner”? The answer in- false advertising. Instead, they bombard scious minds that meat will satisfy all volves checkoff programs, which require us with carefully chosen lines like “Real our drives and hungers; it’s desirable beef farmers to pay the U.S. Department men eat beef.” How can you argue with enough to make us salivate. Suggestive Continued on page 14

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 13 MEAT MARKETING, CONTINUED • VVS CONTRIBUTORS & VOLUNTEERS Continued from page 13 And why do we keep seeing “Got Thanks aplenty to the follow- of Agriculture a dollar per cow. Pork milk?” According to The New York Times, farmers chip in 45 cents for every $100 this campaign (launched in 1995 for $55 ing contributors to the in sales, and dairy farmers pay 2 cents a million a year) was designed to shift the VivaVegie Society gallon. These funds are used for generic focus from promoting health benefits, a advertising and promotion. tactic that failed to prevent a three- (since our pre- One unexpected result decade decline in per- has been infighting and law- capita milk consump- vious VivaVine) suits against the govern- tion. The current ment agency, as some meat slogan amounts to a FRIENDS ($25–$199): Richard Meade, Dr. and milk producers com- simple question: “Why & Mrs. William & Gloria Bennett, Else plain about the cost and aren’t you drinking & Samuel Matthews, Louis Fundora, content of the advertising, your milk?” Like the Grace Friend, Jason Mallory, Arthur which arguably helps large- “milk moustache” idea, Goldberg, Gail R. Levine, Leslie Gaye scale producers more than this is image manipula- Siegel, Sheila Shwartz, HanGawi small ones. In two recent tion; it relies on unspo- Restaurant, Naomi Weinshenker, Leslie cases, judges ruled to abolish the ken associations and a touch of mind- F. Ellman, Sarah E. Conroy, Tracye Mc- mandatory checkoff fees for beef and less humor rather than selling any real Quirter, Denise Szczucki, Dan A. pork. Both decisions are under appeal. product benefits. Balogh, Dr. Michael Klaper, Elena Ro- Unfortunately, even vegetarians’ taxes may indirectly help pay for what Secre- The ongoing struggle manova, Beth Sopko, Susan Kalev, Jay tary of Agriculture Ann Veneman calls an Despite such ploys, an increasingly & Bonny Stelzer, Doris Lin & Daniel “effective tool for market enhancement.” health-conscious public’s demand for red Kim, Paul Sheridan (by donating 100 The advertising does seem to be meat, pork, and milk is declining. Sadly, copies of “101 Reasons” to an activist in everywhere. A National Pork Board rep- poultry consumption is on the rise—and Connecticut), Murray Schecter, Manny resentative, interviewed by The Washing- the kind of small farmers who object to Goldman, Sendhil Revuluri, and two ton Post, described the latest efforts to the DoA taxation continue giving way to anonymous donors. give pork a more elegant image to com- even less humane factory farms. pete with chicken and beef. Lines like Consider what the vegetarian move- SPONSORS ($200–$499): Leigh & Helayne “Pork: the other white meat” and “Just ment could do if it coupled compelling Gaither and Irene Ginsberg. give pork a chance” aim to show pig flesh images with adequate funding. Just last in an “unexpected” light (and, no doubt, year, pictures of a cuddly rescued calf in MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS ($500–$1,999): Glen to downplay its notorious fat content). British media touched the populace and Boisseau Becker, Jessica Legue, Bernie Ironically, the latter slogan may have helped stop the indiscriminate killing of Goetz, Mia MacDonald, and one anony- been appropriated from the vegetarian livestock (to contain foot-and-mouth dis- mous donor. saying “Give peas a chance”—a takeoff ease). Alas, the reprieved animals were on the sixties phrase “Give peace a still destined for eventual slaughter and chance.” Perhaps the world is becoming human consumption. But let’s remem- Volunteers are like love; they more cynical: We are starting to hear ber the power of the image. Got soy “Give war a chance” too. milk, anyone? make our world go round There are many ways to make a differ- VivaVegie recommends ence if spreading knowledge about the Use dominion wisely pioneer , the book’s the public schools. Read her com- virtues of vegetarianism is your calling. Surely this year’s most powerful admiring reviewers concur that it ments online at www.vivavegie Special thanks to the following people new book about animal welfare is is likely to be a potent tool in at- .org/vvs/wic/index.htm. who helped the VivaVegie Society since Dominion: The Power of Man, the tracting supporters to the vegetar- Let’s go, vegans! the previous issue of The VivaVine: Suffering of Animals, and the Call ian cause. See www.Dawn- “ with Bob Linden,” an Elena Romanova, Tom Thompson, to Mercy by Matthew Scully (in- Watch.com/animal_media_alerts. hourlong vegetarian radio show, Adam Weinstein, Murray Schechter, variably identified as a former htm#dominion for an appraisal. can be heard anytime over the Cortney Rhoads, Evelyn Gilbert, Jessie speechwriter for George W. Bush). Feed the children Web (www.goveganradio.com). Legue, Arlen Baden, Rachel Sum- Whatever you think of the author’s During a hearing on the USDA’s Pamela Rice and many other lively merose, Kate Garrison, Nada Polanco, religious leanings, his willingness child nutrition programs in April, guests have been on past epi- Bobbie Flowers, Les Judd, Tracye Mc- to compromise on certain issues, Pamela Rice presented compelling sodes, some of which can be pur- Quirter, Ray Ocasio, Ken Ehrenberg, and his attacks on animal-rights arguments for vegan alternatives in chased on CD from the site. Seth Asher, John V. Ciprio, Judea John- son, Tony White, Roy Vanegas, Marion http://www.vivavegie.org Mata, and KC Carmichael.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 14 VIVA VEGIE SOCIETY NEWS (continued from page 9) Vegetarian Center Activities: An issue-rich potpourri Pamela Rice was scheduled to give three talks at the NAVS Summerfest in August. She fig- ured she might as well give the talks for the locals, too. This group heard her talk on the en- vironmental impact of society’s meat-centered diet. In the days that followed, she spoke about subsidies to the meat industry and the environmental impact of global fishing. Call 212-871- 9304 to schedule Ms. Rice to speak to your group.

Iris&Ibo, New York City’s vege- tarian caterers of choice, gave complimentary meals to six- teen VivaVegie Rap ’n’ Wrap Ron Nelson came to the Vege- attendees, July 8, at Viva- tarian Center to see what he Vegie’s Vegetarian Center. could do to spread the vegetar- Here, Ibo gives his famous ian word in the old “hood”— vegan health quiz after serving the projects. He obtained a up expertly crafted fare. Con- hundred copies of “101 Rea- tact Iris&Ibo (Ibrahimgencay sons Why I’m a Vegetarian” to @aol.com) to cater your next slide under the doors of his for- event. They’ve lent generous mer neighbors. support to VivaVegie, and oh, yes, their food is absolutely scrumptious!

Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., author of Judaism and Vegetarianism and more recently Judaism and Global Survival, spoke to a rapt audience at the Vegetarian Cen- ter on April 14. His talk illus- trated why the planet is threat- ened as never before and explored the notion that a switch toward vegetarianism is a societal as well as a religious imperative. A lively discussion followed. Dr. Schwartz is a con- sulting editor of The VivaVine.

The Vegetarian Center occa- Where does any vegetarian sionally allows groups that are with a bit of smarts go after not necessarily vegetarian in blowing into town, ready to focus to meet at the Vegetarian take on The Big Apple? The Center—in this case a mostly Vegetarian Center, of course! vegetarian-friendly meeting of Lori Robertson sees New York the Greenspeakers Toastmaster City as the only place to live Group. This group follows the and embark on what she rigorous Toastmasters format to hopes to be a brilliant career hone the speaking skills of its in law. In the meantime, the environmentally conscious Bloomington, Indiana, vegetar- members. For more, go to ian reaches for some literature http://groups.yahoo.com at the Vegetarian Center. /group/greenspeakers/.

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 15 VivaVegie Society, Inc. P.O. Box 294 Prince Street Station New York, NY 10012-0005

www.vivavegie.org

CALENDAR Compiled by Evelyn Gilbert Mon., Dec. 9 Thurs., Jan. 16 even-numbered month. 718-263-7160. Accent on Wellness raw-food support Earthsave NYC holds a dinner/lecture in Ongoing group meeting, 8:00 P.M., at Caravan of Manhattan on the third Thursday of every • NYC Vegetarians holds monthly dinners. Dreams, 405 East 6th Street (between 1st month from 6:30–10:00 P.M. A vegan buffet To be placed on the e-mail list, send a Avenue and Avenue A). is included. 212-696-7986, message to [email protected], or call Sun., Dec. 22 http://nyc.earthsave.org/. Les at 718-805-4260, Sunday through VegOut (a social group for lesbian, Sat., Feb. 1 Thursday before 10:00 P.M. gay, bi, and transgender vegetarians Earthsave Hudson Valley’s • There are two other great NYC and friends) celebrates its eighth monthly dinner and lecture events lists to be on: VivaVegie’s anniversary at the LGBT Community series features Mike Hudak Yahoo! group, http://groups.yahoo Center, 208 West 13th Street. Bring a speaking about livestock on public .com/group/vivavegie/ and NYC vegan dish and a contribution of $5. 212- land. 845-774-2811, www.hudson Vegetarians & Vegans’ list, http://www 802-8655, [email protected]. .earthsave.org. .topica.com/lists/VegNYC. Sat., Dec. 28 Sat., Feb. 8 • The Central Jersey Vegetarian Group Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society’s holiday Iron Vegans’ Raw Food Connection holds a holds occasional potlucks. P.O. Box 952, party. 845-876-2626, [email protected]. potluck on the second Saturday of each Manville, NJ 08835; 908-281-6388. Dec • December 10Candle • Café • Tues., Dec. 10 presents

• December 10 • December 10 • December 10 • December 10 • Vivaa benefit for theLa VivaVegie VegieSociety DecemberWe’ve got10 a • December 10 • DecemberDine at the Candle10 • Café December on Tuesday, 10 December • December 10, 2002 10 planet to save. from 11:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. —Bart Potenza 20 percent of the day’s receipts to be donated to the VivaVegie Society • December 10 • December 10 • December 10 TOO • BUSY December TO ATTEND? 10 • December Have your dinner delivered from 10 • December 10 • December 10 • DecemberCandle Café10 on• DecemberDecember 10 10 • De- or buy a gift certificate on that date; enjoy it later or surprise a friend. Candle Café: 1307 Third Avenue cember 10 • December 10 • December 10 • Decemberat 75th Street, 10 in •Manhattan December 10 Voted “Best Vegetarian Restaurant in NYC” by • December 10 • December 10 • DecemberTimeOut New 10 York • (2001) December and New York 10 Magazine • Decem-

Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza Reserve to avoid disappointment: 212-472-0970. (proprietors, Candle Café) ber 10 • December 10 • December December 10 10 • • www.vivavegie.orgDecember December 10 10 • www.candlecafe.com• • cemberDecemb10 December 10 •10• De- De- •

The VivaVine • Fall 2002 • 16