FREE Living passionate Com CThe Mag of MFA. LSPRING 2016 HIP-HOP’S HAPPY VEGAN PROBLEM AT PERDUE MFA’S HIDDEN CAMERAS EXPOSE BIRDS STOMPED TO DEATH AT PERDUE FARMS DOING THE MOST GOOD HELPING THE MOST ANIMALS THROUGH EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM I TRANSFORMED BYE-BYE MY LIFE HOW GOING VEGAN CHANGED BATTERY CAGES FIVE PEOPLE’S LIVES GRASSROOTS MOMENTUM SIGNALS A CAGE-FREE FUTURE DEAR FRIENDS, Fifteen years ago, when I was a teenager, a team of brave MFA investigative rescuers and I risked arrest nearly a dozen times to expose the plight of egg-laying hens. Through unlocked doors in predawn hours, we went to work recording conditions inside Ohio’s soon leading to restrictions on battery cage largest egg factory farms. operations in Michigan and Ohio. What we found was heartbreaking: hens But the real tidal wave hit last year when crammed for life inside tiny wire cages barely McDonald’s announced that it would require able to move, dead birds left to rot, and birds egg suppliers to free hens from cages. From trapped in cage wire. These animals were Nestlé and Wendy’s to Costco and Tim deprived of life’s simplest comforts. Hortons, since then nearly 100 of the world’s largest food companies have answered the I made a commitment to them to never give cage-free calls of impassioned advocates. up fighting on their behalf. Cage-free certainly does not mean cruelty- The evidence gathered on those adrenaline- free. Hens on cage-free farms still live in charged nights helped shine a light on their overcrowded conditions and are killed when tragic lives. Egg-laying hens are arguably the their egg production declines. Their unwanted most abused animals on the planet. Images of male chicks are still ground up alive. bloody hens packed tightly together in cages captured the media’s attention and many Hens are able to walk, perch, peck the consumers got their first glimpse into an egg ground, and spread their wings, however. factory farm. Every American can agree that in a society founded on morals, this is the least they We helped put the nightmare of caged egg deserve. production on the map. The shift we are seeing represents a tipping Just 15 years ago, no state had banned point in society’s view of animals. That such mistreatment of hens. No major food chickens have thoughts, feelings, and needs company had enacted a policy against worthy of protection is no longer debated. selling eggs from hens tortured in cages. The Ours was once considered a fringe movement. situation seemed nearly insurmountable. Now people from all walks of life embrace it. But we pushed on. The impossible has become the inevitable. Thanks to you and all your actions big and Onward! small, today we have more than hope. We have an inevitable end in sight to cruel confinement of hens in battery cages. The tidal shift began in 2008 with the passage of California’s Prop 2, which set into law a Nathan Runkle requirement that hens be given enough President space to stand up, turn around, lie down, and extend their wings. The battle waged on, @nathanrunkle ussell Simmons isn’t just a Eating animals and abusing animals fun stuff you can eat, but look for it musical pioneer, successful is one of those practices that, if before you start. Rentrepreneur, and selfless you understand it, you wouldn’t do philanthropist. He’s also a hero for it. Most of us can’t even squeeze Is going vegan difficult? all animals, often teaming up with one chicken’s neck. But you eat it MFA to encourage others to adopt a because you’re disconnected from It is very simple to go vegan. My vegan diet. We were honored to talk the suffering you’re causing. daughter told me my book was to Russell about his compassionate remedial. lifestyle and new book. What advice do you have for people looking to go vegan? Read Russell’s full interview starting Why do you think otherwise on page 18. compassionate people continue to Pick a day and lay out what you’re eat animals? going to eat. Realize there’s a lot of 2 COMPASSIONATE LIVING SPRING 2016 The EPA doesn’t require factory farmers DEAD to report greenhouse gas emissions, but impassioned environmentalists are speaking truth to power. After COP21 in Paris, legendary primatologist Jane Goodall proclaimed that she became vegetarian largely to combat climate change. A meatless future could be on the horizon. As millennials drive Americans further away from animal products, the Associated Press heralds cultured and plant-based meat companies for revolutionizing the way we eat. Meanwhile in Minneapolis, the first-ever vegan butcher shop, The Herbivorous Butcher, has opened its doors. The next generation of fast food is It’s no exaggeration to say that 2016 here and it’s vegan. is testing Subway is poised to be the year of the vegan. vegan subs while Wendy’s tries out NPR reports that vegetables are quickly a black bean burger and Taco Bell moving to the center of our plates and promotes a vegetarian menu. Even Ikea Food & Wine magazine has declared recently introduced vegan meatballs. 2016 “the year to surrender to vegan McDonald’s and other chains should take note if they want to stay in business. cheese.” 3 COMPASSIONATE LIVING SPRING 2016 Nick Cooney Nick Cooney is an innovator, speeding the shift in society’s view of farmed animals and plant-based eating. He is the author of three books on social psychology and effective advocacy. As MFA’s vice president, Nick is a leading creative mind behind MFA’s outreach resources and strategies. Moments Nick doesn’t spend protecting animals he spends listening to punk music and working out. Words to Live By: “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” —Vince Lombardi Q: What inspired you to go vegan? At my college orientation I met someone who told me about animal testing. I’d never really thought about animals before, so when I got home I went to the library and checked out the two available books on animal rights. One was Animal Liberation by Peter Singer, which showed how animals are treated on factory farms and elsewhere. I went vegetarian a few days later, and then vegan shortly after that. MFA Position: Vice President Philadelphia Hometown: Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned while Email: [email protected] working at MFA? I’ve learned that creative new ideas are one of the most important things you can bring to a job. And that creativity is often copying something from one area and applying it to a new one. For example, at MFA we’ve used viral videos MEMBERS ON A MISSION and click-worthy blogs to become a sort of Buzzfeed for vegan advocacy. Andrew Kirschner Q: Read anything good lately? Whether leafleting on South Florida’s beaches, speaking at universities, or fundraising for MFA This might be surprising, but I almost never read vegan or through his online $5 Fridays initiative, Andrew animal rights books. I mostly read stuff from the business Kirschner is an indefatigable champion of field that I hope will make me a better advocate for animals. farmed animals. Most recently that’s been the Harvard Business Review, a textbook on venture capital, and a book on startup companies. Meghan Smith From leading a legion of volunteers in the Q: What do you find most rewarding about your job at Atlanta Pride Parade to tabling the city’s not- MFA? to-be-missed annual veg fest, Meghan Smith The obvious answer is that the work our donors make would do anything to get Atlanta excited about possible spares millions of animals a year from incredible vegan living. suffering. I’ve walked around battery cage egg farms, hatcheries, and veal farms and seen that horrific suffering up close. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to help Carrie Thompson remove some of it from the world. I also love the intellectual This summer, 18-year vegan Carrie Thompson challenge of constantly trying to figure out smarter things to will bike 2,750+ miles from Canada to New do and ways to help more animals with each donor dollar Mexico along the Great Divide Mountain Bike we spend. It’s a lifelong puzzle that’s enjoyable to work on. Route to raise money for MFA’s investigations department. Q: When you’re not saving animals, where can we find you? Become a hero for animals too. MercyForAnimals.org/fundraise At the gym, on a hike, or watching TV (no one likes to admit that, but we all do it!). 4 COMPASSIONATE LIVING SPRING 2016 On the heels of expansion into Latin America, MFA has hit the ground running in two more giant regions of the world: India and Brazil. With educational staffers on the ground in both nations, 1.5 million combined social media followers, The blockbuster video game series videos. His videos, which feature and investigators compiling footage Grand Theft Auto is best-known for cows and chickens on farms and at of factory farm cruelty in India, its world-record sales and extreme slaughterhouses—real scenes from unstoppable major change is underway. violence. But filmmaker and MFA Grand Theft Auto V—have caused a supporter Lee Iovino has edited stir in the gaming world and been footage from the game to produce viewed hundreds of thousands of heartwarming pro-vegan viral times. TWO BILLION. That’s the number of times people viewed pro-veg Facebook posts from MFA in 2015.