Posts By: Gary Smith
Gary Smith
An Open Letter to Nonvegans About Bird Flu
The next pandemic, the H5N1 bird flu virus, has officially jumped to mammals, including humans—a Michigan dairy worker and a Texas farmer—and to cows. The virus has been confirmed in 80 dairy herds in 10 states since March. Dairy cows
Being Vegan During a Global Pandemic
The novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19 has been a challenge, to say the least, for all of us. It has been a particular challenge for vegans.
It seems Impossible, but I guess I’m a vegan purist
I never really thought of myself as a vegan purist. Being an ethical vegan for the last 11 years, I always considered myself just a vegan, doing the bare minimum of trying to do the least harm possible in regards to nonhuman animals.
Silence is what’s actually hurting animals
The #metoo movement is finally catching up to the animal protection movement, at least in the public arena. Over the past week, articles have come out exposing prominent men in the corporate animal welfare arena for bullying, abusing power, sexual abuse and harassment, and general disrespect towards women.
If my dog could talk he’d say fuck you, Daiya
Daiya Foods was purchased by an international pharmaceutical company, Otsuka, for $325 million last week. Otsuka tests on animals. As in vivisection. When I heard the news, my immediate reaction was to say goodbye to Daiya forever and to switch to Follow Your Heart, a truly vegan company. And I thought this position would be clear to vegans. Boy, was I wrong!
A Mark Hawthorne Ethic
Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots and Bleating Hearts, is one of the movement’s best and most prolific writers. We last talked to Mark on the occasion of Bleating Hearts, and caught up with him again regarding his latest book A Vegan Ethic: Embracing a Life of Compassion Toward All.
Even Thinking Vegans Die
Ginny Messina, MPH, RD has written ten books for vegans including Vegan for Life, Vegan for Her, and most recently Even Vegans Die. She writes and speaks about vegan nutrition, preventing ex-vegans, and the importance of body positivity in the
Welcome to the Vegan Club
Constantin Philippou is a self-taught vegan street artist better known as “Le Fou” (#L3Fu) – “the crazy” in French. Born in Greece, raised in Paris, and currently living in Los Angeles, he has spent his life so far experiencing and being influenced by different cultures and artistic works. After discovering the living conditions of animals in factory farms, the theme of his work has become mixing famous icons with vegan messages through pop art, combining his passion for animals and justice. Currently in Los Angeles, his now-iconic “Vegan Club” posters sport portraits of well-known figures.
Jasmin Singer: Always Too Much and Often the Exact Right Amount
Our Hen House is one of our favorite resources for activists and vegans. Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan are multimedia queens, with a weekly podcast (more than 320 weeks without a break), plus single-issue podcasts on vegan cooking and
Meet Mr. Universe, Vegan Barny du Plessis
Barny Du Plessis, reigning Mr. Universe, calls himself “a vegan warrior fighting for the animals and our planet.” He’s been a competitive bodybuilder since 1998, and holds a number of other championships and first-place wins in the last 15 years. After 55 competitions, Barny says he’s performing better than ever as a vegan.
Vegamusicomic Jamie Kilstein: “If we weren’t changing minds I would be pretty sad”
Comedian and animal activist Jamie Kilstein, who recently killed at the closing night of FARM’s Animal Rights National Conference, is the co-host of Citizen Radio, a political podcast spiked with humor, and co-author of #NEWSFAIL: Climate Change, Feminism, Gun Control, and Other Fun Stuff We Talk About Because Nobody Else Will (Simon and Schuster, 2014) with co-host and co-author Allison Kilkenny, a writer for The Guardian and The Nation.