38 Surreal Images With Animals To Spread Awareness About Speciesism

I Created 38 Surreal Images With Animals To Spread Awareness About Speciesism by Andreas Häggkvist

How To Start A Vegan Business (Tips For First Time Entrepreneurs) | LIVE...

Cory Booker 2020: His Animal Welfare Plan of Action

"Our treatment of animals is a test of our character and a measure of the compassion of our society. Both in his personal life and as a US Senator, Cory has long been a leading voice on animal welfare issues." 

Read what Senator Booker plans to do if elected President:

Cory Booker 2020: His Animal Welfare Plan of Action

Four Places United to Form Vegan World Alliance

"The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are partnering to be a unified voice for vegan issues globally."

Read more about it here:

Four Places United to Form Vegan World Alliance

Major Vegan Film Festival Announces Nominees

"The Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival (OIVFF) has announced its 2019 lineup. Last year, director Alex Lockwood was titled the overall winner for his documentary 73 Cows - which later went on to win a BAFTA for Best Short Film. Now in its second year, the festival has selected 26 films out of 40 submissions from 14 different countries around the world. 60 percent of which have been directed by women."

Full story here: 

Major Vegan Film Festival Announces Nominees

Travel Tips Especially for Vegans

(source: www.thewanderfulvegan.com)

Although vegan traveling is much, much easier in this day and age, there are still places--especially remote places of travel--where vegan food and other vegan provisions may be difficult to find. So, here are some travel tips for vegans that may be of help to you.

First, always research your destination. HappyCow is an awesome app in finding all local vegan and vegan-friendly places near your destination.

While packing, be aware of which items will pass security and which ones won’t. Depending on where you are coming from regulations may vary. You can use this list as a reference:

TSA Food Guidelines

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all

While it doesn’t hurt to do a bit of research ahead of time, again, the wonderful Happy Cow app almost always has you covered. Like Yelp for vegans and vegetarians, Happy Cow might not help you find vegan dining options if you’re somewhere very remote, but if there are any vegan options near you, Happy Cow will find them. Yelp is also useful. Available in book or app form, The Vegan Passport is a multilingual phrasebook and guide to eating vegan anywhere in the world. The Vegan Passport includes the languages of over 96 percent of the world’s population and with a small fee, you can download from iTunes or Google Play.

Other useful websites with travel tips are Vegan Travel, Vegan Society, Is It Vegan, Google Translate or Veganagogo for translation, Bunny Free for products tested on animals, and Air Vegan for information about vegan airport food.

Notify Your Accommodation. Before booking into a hotel or hostel online, get in touch with the accommodation management or customer service team and make inquiries on how vegan travel friendly they are. This normally takes a day or so to go through due to the waiting time between the first contact and their reply so it's best to contact them at least a few days in advance. If your airline offers vegan meals, they usually require that you order your meal at least 24-hours in advance of the first leg of your flights. For very long flights, call the airline at least 72 hours prior to your flight to request vegan options. Some flights ask that you state meal options at the time you book your flight. Vegan meals are sometimes called “Strict Vegetarian”, but most airlines use the code VGML for Western style vegan meals. If you want food on boats, planes, trains, or buses, you should research in advance and order plant-based foods with your tours, accommodation, and transport. Although vegan snacks will be available at most airports and on many flights, your options may be quite limited.

For environmental reasons as well as convenience, it's a good idea to try to download your boarding pass to your phone rather than printing them. It’s especially time saving if all you have is carry-on luggage and have the option to just go to the security line without having to check in at a ticket counter. Boarding passes from many airlines can easily be stored on free apps like Wallet on the iPhone. But with some, the airline emails you and asks you to click on a link to view your boarding pass. This is fine if you have good cell phone coverage, which may not always the case. A great idea in that situation is to view your boarding pass when you do have good reception--before you leave your home or accommodations--then taking a screen-shot of it; this will save a copy in your Photos folder so when you get to the security line, all you need to do is pull up the image to show them so they can scan its QR Code. 

It’s best to bring along your favorite snacks. If you can’t stand black coffee, you should probably start taking your own coffee creamer onto planes. Even though vegan milk is more popular than ever, most airlines don’t offer dairy-free options. So the next time you fly, try to find a vegan coffee creamer or plant-based milk under four ounces.

Don't forget to pack your vitamins/minerals and any other supplements you use on a regular basis, such as omega 3.

Also, don't forget to carry cruelty-free cosmetics; if you can find travel sizes, that's even better. As you know, saving animals goes, of course, beyond what we eat. So also, be sure to keep your toiletries on hand. Health-food stores such as Whole Foods have a great selection of travel-sized products that aren’t tested on animals. Or you can just take whatever you already have at home and fill up empty containers with it.

It's worth packing a number of light, reusable items that come in handy such as a fork, spoon, tote bags for shopping, and a coffee cup.

Sit near the front of the plane whenever possible, because often, vegan snacks and meals are more popular with omnivores than the options with animal by-products. Airlines don’t always pack enough for every passenger, so you can end up missing out on snacks or meals altogether if they run out of vegan options before they get to you. So when possible, choose a seat near the front to ensure you’ll be among the first passengers to make your food selection.

If a vegan meal is not offered on your flight, it is easy to bring your own meal with you. You can carry most meals through security lines. And you can even bring sauces and salad dressing with you as most airport security allow you up to take containers with liquids up to 100 ml/3.4 oz. Here for example are the TSA Liquids Rules for all U.S. airports. Security in the USA usually has stricter traveler requirements than airport security in most countries, so as a general rule their rules are a good guideline of security requirements for most international and domestic airports worldwide. Whether it's a short flight or long flight, it's always a good idea to pack your own food. Even if the travel destination or mode of transportation (such as your flight) guarantees vegan food, carry at least some snacks just in case; there could be that rare time when your vegan meal went somehow missing, so it's better to plan ahead and be prepared.

When the flight attendant serves your vegan meal, please be sure to verify that any condiments served along with your meal are also vegan. Many times, less knowledgeable flight attendants will serve non-vegan bread spreads, creamers, or snacks along with your pre-ordered vegan meal. The ingredients can be tiny or in another language, so be sure to ask your flight attendant to confirm that they are vegan.

Once you land and get to your accommodation, be sure to take a look around or ask your host where the nearest grocery store is located. While there, you can stock up on your vegan favorites, like fruit, nuts, veggies, hummus, salsa, etc.

Should your chosen bed for the night not provide a vegan-friendly meal or vegan-friendly bed covers, remember that you may be the first vegan they've come into contact with, so be mindful of the things you say and the decisions you make. Do your best to inform and help them prepare for the next vegans who decide to book with them.

If you're in a restaurant that doesn't have vegan options, get creative. For example, replace the meat in burritos or fajitas with vegetables, potatoes, rice, and/or guacamole. Order pasta dishes with marinara sauce or grilled veggies tossed in olive oil. If you can’t be 100 percent sure about whether something you’re ordering contains eggs or other animal ingredients, don’t worry. Veganism isn't about perfection; it’s about doing your best to minimize suffering. You can also compromise by choosing a non-vegan restaurant that still has vegan-friendly options. Cuisines known for being the vegan-friendliest include Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern, although you can delve into other restaurants' menus to find even more choices. Learn the local language for the word 'vegan' and learn the words for milk, eggs, chicken, meat, etc. by saving them onto your phone. Research how to express that you’re vegan. Here’s how to say “I’m Vegan” in the world’s 10 most widely spoken languages.

Unfortunately, some cities just aren’t that veg-friendly and eating out gets expensive. So when you have the option, make sure to book lodging that provides access to a kitchen. You don't have to spend all of your time slaving away to prepare a vegan feast each night. However, it's a great idea to have yourself the option to cook, should you struggle to find a place to eat out. Plus, there are plenty of AirBnBs and home rentals that are both functional and architecturally gorgeous. You can also rent an apartment if you plan to stay at your location for a long period of time.

If you’re planning to stay with friends or relatives, politely let them know ahead of time about your dietary preferences. This will save them from going through the time of cooking animal-based foods that you won’t eat, and you never know, you may even get them interested in a vegan lifestyle. As long as you’re respectful about it, other people usually will be, too. Or you can offer to cook one night. In this way, they don’t have to cook for a night and you get to show them how easy it is to make a great meal that’s also cruelty-free!

Some cultural events will include animal abuse/exploitation; avoid partaking in tourism that uses animals, supports animal exploitation and the illegal wildlife trade, such as horse, donkey, or elephant riding, and monkey selfies. Research your destination’s food norms. Every culture has unfortunate rituals, celebrations, and customs that revolve around killing and eating animals. Plus, people from one culture might eat the animals that your culture has historically protected, and this can be especially unsettling if you’re not expecting it. So while unpleasant, learn about how your destination’s culture uses animals for food.

I hope these tips really help you in making your vegan trip planning a lot easier.

Web Developer Launches Vegan Search Engine - Proceeds Benefit Animals!

"The service, which is completely free to use and is a non-profit project, is the world's first of its kind!"

Fruitbox

How to Know a Quality Vegan Bag in 7 Steps

"What are the best quality options? And how can you know a quality vegan bag as opposed to a piece of toxic junk that’s going to fall apart easily, and harm animals in its life-cycle process?"

Read the answers here: How to Know a Quality Vegan Bag in 7 Steps

"The Ultimate Vegan Road Trip: Tips for Making The Most Of Your Journey"

 

"Hitting the open road for a fun adventure is one of summer’s pure pleasures for many travelers. When you’re a vegan, a little extra planning can ensure you experience the most fun without looking for vegan-friendly places to eat at the last minute. These tips were designed to help simplify the complex task of planning a vegan road trip to remember."

Read more here:

The Ultimate Vegan Road Trip: Tips for Making The Most Of Your Journey

Vegan Fashion Museum Opens In Los Angeles

"A vegan fashion museum showcasing cruelty-free and ethically made clothing is opening in Los Angeles.

The  F.A.K.E Museum - which stands for 'Fashion for Animal Kingdom & Environment' - is on Melrose Avenue, in front of Melrose Place. It will be open to the public until August 31.

It will host designers from around the world, and feature alternatives to silk, leather, wool, and other fabrics."

Read more here:  Vegan Fashion Museum Opens In Los Angeles

Eight Essential Tips for Vegan Beginners

"Here are some essentials tips to keep in mind for vegan beginners."

Eight Essential Tips for Vegan Beginners

How Would You Choose?

Last night, I went to see the 1988 film, Gorillas in the Mist; it is part of an eco film festival they have at the movie theatre several times a year.

I have seen Gorillas in the Mist many times before; I own it on DVD, but I went to the theatre to see it on the big screen, to support the cause, and to hear an animal rights lawyer speak at the end of the film.

The AR lawyer is animal welfare, meaning although he may be for all animal rights, he focuses on specific animals to actively fight for. Most animal welfarists choose to specifically fight for mammals--especially large mammals, and he is no exception. His particular fight right now is for elephants.

I'm for all types of animal rights people working to end animal suffering and exploitation, but with animal welfarists, my question to them is:

How do you choose which animal to actively fight for?

For example, it would be like for children's rights; instead of fighting for the rights of all children, you just fight for the rights of girls, or children of a certain age, or fight for the rights of children with green eyes....This sounds absurd.

How  would you choose?

This is why I'm an animal rights activist who actively fights for all animals; I would never want to pick a certain animal to fight for--I wouldn't know how to choose which animal to fight for anyway. I tend to promote animal rights by way of veganism: simply educating and encouraging people to not eat or use animal products in any way, as well as not supporting the exploitation of animals, like not going to places where animals are used for entertainment.

In this way, I can effectively help ALL animals.

What it's Like to Go on an Eco-Friendly, All-Vegan Tour in India (by Kayla Hill)

"Growing interest in cruelty-free lifestyle sees firms keen to offer trips to destinations that explore less popular tourist areas and offer genuine interactions with locals."

Read full article: 

What it's like to go on an eco-friendly, all-vegan tour in India

BREAKING NEWS: The Game Changers Announces Release Date [Official Film T...

Why These 7 Doctors Are Vegan

"A vegan diet is just what the doctor ordered. As the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle are going mainstream, these doctors are leading the charge on advocating for plant-based nutrition as medicine."

"I tried eating like Leonardo da Vinci" (by Melissa Breyer)

"When I stumbled across some of da Vinci's favorite *vegetarian recipes, I knew I had to try them. Here's how it went..."

I tried eating like Leonardo da Vinci

*Please note: Vegetarian can also mean a vegan diet in some places.

Animal Activist Mary Max Has Died by Suicide

Wife of legendary artist Peter Max, Mary Max dedicated her life to helping animals in need.

Read more here: Mary Max

Regarding Comments

Hey everyone, I have not been notified of any comments in the past months so sorry for the long delay in approving comments!

Several of you asked what website host I'm using. I don't own this site; Blogger.com owns it.

Also, I post many articles from other sources, linking to the original article, so I just use their title for my title blog so as not to be confusing with the article. This is why it may lack a "creative title" as someone hinted at.

The top 10 most friendly vegan countries has no part two to it--that I know of. Someone had asked about that.

Thanks so much everyone for your comments! And now I will be sure to check my comments section for any comments waiting approval. Thanks again for all the feedback and keep them coming in. :)

For the animals....

The Easy Vegan Guide To Protein

"While many people often equate high-protein foods with meat, the truth is that there are plenty of vegan protein sources available that allow you to meet your protein intake needs, while still following a vegan diet.

In addition to containing high levels of this muscle-building nutrient, plant-based protein sources such as grains, veggies, nuts and legumes offer other vitamins and minerals that aid in your body’s optimum function."

Read more at: The Easy Vegan Guide To Protein

WHAT I EAT FOR DINNER: Dr. Barnard & Other Plant-Based Doctors

Sweden Has Almost No Trash

"Sweden's recycling system is so efficient that the country has virtually run out of rubbish, the Independent reported.

The Scandinavian nation has imported rubbish from other countries for several years to keep its recycling plants running.

Since 2011, less than 1 percent of Swedish household waste has been sent to landfill."

Read more at:

SWEDEN IS SO GOOD AT RECYCLING IT LITERALLY HAS NO TRASH

National Animal Rights Day: June 2, 2019

Sunday, June 2 is National Animal Rights Day....Check out the link for any NARD events in your area--throughout the world!

The National Animal Rights Day

Also, for more information about NARD: Our Planet. Theirs Too.

Being Vegan

Every Argument Against Veganism | Ed Winters | TEDxBathUniversity

@RomeshRanga asks: why do people hate vegans?

"Veganism has been shown to be, like, one of the two best things you can do to save the planet. So why are you annoyed at me?"

Click below for answer:

@RomeshRanga asks, why do people hate vegans?

20 of the Best Vegan Hangover Foods

"The science of hangovers (and how to prevent them) is largely unstudied, which is why people have been inventing their own “cures” for centuries."

Here is a link to 20 vegan hangover foods that could help you the next time you have a hangover:

20 of the Best Vegan Hangover Foods

V-EGANISM Updates

I've had this blog for quite some time here, but in the past, I had not been posting much news--until recently.

I now want to focus more on this blog, keeping you up-to-date on any big news going on in the vegan/animal rights world.

Years ago, when I would post information on a more regular basis, things were different. People didn't know a lot about veganism/animal rights. There were many people on Tweeter or other social media asking, "How do you become vegan?" and asking for simple cruelty-free recipes.This this current time, I notice there are far less people asking about how to become vegan and wanting more information about cruelty-free recipes because there is so much information in the world now, especially on the Internet.

So my blog will mostly focus on veganism/animal rights in the news. I will also provide links to interviews I think are interesting.

As many animal rights people seem to be fading out of social media, I want to be one of the people still providing news in the vegan/animal rights community and world.

I will also be adding more vegan links on this blog in the "Links We Love" section. I have already weeded out the "dead" links and added a few new ones.

Finally, if you have any questions about veganism, animal rights in relation to animals, people, or the world, please contact me for more information. 

Raise Vegan Magazine for Parents

Raise Vegan Magazine, is the world’s first parenting magazine created for vegans.

Check it out at: Raise Vegan Magazine

Insect Sounds Compilation

Living in a Country That Thinks Green

"These five countries are making positive global contributions to the planet and climate, according to the Good Country Index":

Living in a Country That thinks Green

Book: "Allowed to Grow Old: Portraits of Elderly Animals on Farm Sanctuaries"

Through photographs and writings, Isa Leshko shares the stories of aging animals in her book Allowed to Grow Old: Portraits of Elderly Animals on Farm Sanctuaries, published by the University of Chicago Press in April 2019.

For more information about Isa Leshko and her book, listen to the interview with CBC.

Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Countries Revealed By New Data

"Using Google Trends data, online food blog Chef's Pencil, compiled the list which compares the popularity of veganism across the world."

Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Countries Revealed By New Data

Volvo Designs Fully Vegan Car For Its 'Forward-Thinking Audience'

"The car manufacturer's Polestar car is being touted as a rival to Tesla’s Model 3"

Volvo Designs Fully Vegan Car For Its 'Forward-Thinking Audience'

Online Calculator Works Out How Your Food Choices Impact The Planet

"The calculator shared by the BBC lets you input your food choices and the frequency with which you consume them and works out the greenhouse gas emissions and water use."

Online Calculator Works Out How Your Food Choices Impact The Planet

12 Houseplants That Have the Power to Heal

"A growing body of research proves that simply being around nature can improve human health and happiness."

12 Houseplants That Have the Power to Heal

Plastic pollution threatens human health on a global scale

“The heavy toxic burdens associated with plastic – at every stage of its life cycle – offers another convincing argument why reducing and not increasing production of plastics is the only way forward. Plastic is lethal, and this report shows us why.”

Plastic pollution threatens human health on a global scale

Beyond Veganuary: How To Continue Your Vegan Journey

"It can take time and effort to implement new habits - but it is worth pushing through. A vegan lifestyle has huge positive impacts on animal suffering and the environment."

Beyond Veganuary: How To Continue Your Vegan Journey

The Official Animal Rights March Is Back For 2019

"In 2018, the annual vegan march, founded by the animal rights organization Surge, had over 28,000 global participants from four different countries."

The Official Animal Rights March Is Back For 2019

The 'Vegan Internet' Has Just Launched

"A new social network called VSOCIETY is now available in the UK and has attracted the attention of many plant-based influencers."

The 'Vegan Internet' Has Just Launched

8 Eco-Friendly Vegan Fabrics to Replace Wool - Without Plastic

"Innovations in textile development mean it's becoming much easier to ditch animal-derived materials and choose eco-friendly plant-derived options instead."

8 Eco-Friendly Vegan Fabrics to Replace Wool - Without Plastic