A Seasonal Horror Story

This is one of those tragedies of capitalism and human appetites. About five years ago, part of the ethical food movement, along with emphasizing "local produce" and an explosion of demand for fair-traded and organic products, was the promotion in the UK of game birds and meats as an ethical alternative to farmed animal-based foods. As so often happens, the decision turns out to be more shaded greys than black-and-white. The rising popularity of game birds has meant there is not nearly enough supply in the traditional supply chain of seasonal shooting. So we see speciality farms raising caged quail, partridge and pheasant, and selling the meat and eggs as "game". You can see where this is going.

The Brown Dog of Battersea Park

I came across this gem in my occasional perusal of Wikipedia's site of the day. I love how this highlights radical history, makes links between seemingly disparate movements, and also tells a touching story of courage and principles. Even the "see also" linklist at the end is like a roll call of all that is dear to me.

Veal - Fug-gedaboudit

Must watch video presentation from the Farm Sanctuary's No Veal Campaign.

The Pig Who Sang to the Moon

Dave at How to Save the World has a review of Jeffrey Masson's latest book on the emotional lives of animals, The Pig Who Sang to the Moon. Masson's two previous books have dealt with wild animals and pets; this one is about farm animals, or, as he says they should more properly be called, farmed animals. Dave says it's a brilliant exercise in gentle persuasion toward a more vegetarian way of eating, or at least to a deeper awareness of the lives of the animals on farms.

Animal rights

Some Are More Equal. Peter Singer (Animal Liberation, 1975) on the current state of animal rights in the world, as part of National Vegetarian Week.