Enewsletter

Vegan Outreach has put together a page documenting the links between food choices and global warming. The report from the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, combined with research from the University of Chicago, shows convincingly that our food choices are at least as important as our other choices in terms of our contribution to global warming.

It is, of course, much easier to drive a different car or use CFLs than to choose vegetarian. But we use this well-heeded research on a hot topic to bring people to consider the animals' plight, and inform them of the compassionate alternative.

Vegan Outreach has been adding this information to our booklets as we do updates. Also, we have registered www.atrulyinconvenienttruth.org, and have been taking out ads on a number of blogs (e.g., Feministing; coming soon: EcoGeek).

The New York Times mentioned this campaign in their article, "Trying to Connect the Dinner Plate to Climate Change":

Even tiny pro-veggie operations are starting to squeeze dollars out of their shoestring budgets to advertise the eating meat/global warming connection. Vegan Outreach, a 14-year-old group in Tucson with just three full-time workers and a $500,000 annual budget, is spending about $800 this month to run ads and links to its Web page on about 10 blogs. And, it will give more prominence to the global warming aspect of vegetarianism in the next batch of leaflets it orders....

Mr. Ball is incensed that high-profile people like Al Gore -- or environmental groups with deeper pockets than his -- have not stepped up to the plate.

"Al Gore calls global warming an existential risk to humanity, yet it hasn't prompted him to change his diet or even mention vegetarianism," he complained. "And I guess the environmentalists recognize that it’s a lot easier to ask people to put in a fluorescent light bulb than to learn to cook with tofu."

[Note that the original version of this article listed Vegan Outreach's budget as $5 million. VO's cumulative income since being founded in 1993 doesn't even come close to $5 million!]

Feel free to use these graphics and link to atrulyinconvenienttruth.org. If you would like to make a donation to expand this tactic (and help us come closer to $5 million :-) you can contribute on-line. Thanks!

Adopt a College: Rolling Thunder

As schools start up around the country, dedicated AAC activists are greeting new students with the hidden realities of modern agribusiness.

At right, Rebecca Solomon (age 4) leaflets at Cal State, Northridge; photo by Stewart Solomon. Team Solomon -- also including Stephanie (11) and Zachary (13) -- handed out a total of 2,523 booklets.

If you are interested in taking your commitment to the next level and creating real, fundamental change in our society, please contact us!

Update on Housing Request

Thanks to those of you who have generously offered to house Victor Tsou or Jon Camp during their upcoming tours.

During mid-September, Victor still needs housing for one to four nights near the following areas: Salt Lake City, UT; Bozeman, MT; Pocatello, Moscow, and Boise, ID. Jon Camp still needs housing for one or two nights near the following areas in October: Kutztown and E. Stroudsburg, PA; Morgantown, WV; Athens, OH; and Stevens Point, WI. If you'd be willing to house either of these courteous young men, please email tour (at) veganoutreach.org. Thanks so much!

Product of the Week

B Wolf: I absolutely love Hodgson Mills' ground flax seed. It can be added to virtually anything, it has 2600 milligrams of omega 3's per serving, it is gluten-free, and may also be used as an egg substitute. One tablespoon of ground flax plus three tablespoons of H2O equals one egg.

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to product (at) veganoutreach (dot) org; previous products can be found here.

Notes from All Over

Thought for Food

Via COK, an NBC reporter discusses her evolving awareness: "We ask ourselves to 'drink responsibly' but we must also ask ourselves to 'live responsibly,' to be conscious of our actions and their impact. ... And be responsible for your life. Think about the animal suffering. In some cultures they eat dogs and cats. Abominable, you say? Those cultures place no value on their lives. We get to decide. At some point we must be conscious of our choices." Read more.

Humane Meat: A Contradiction in Terms

Via DawnWatch: "First, is there such a thing as truly 'humane meat'? Second, would consuming only humane meat satisfy the demands of ethical living? And third, do we, as individuals, have good reason to promote 'humane meat' rather than vegetarianism?" Read more.

Notes from Our Members

While leafleting at Purdue today, I met about 10 vegetarians and 3 vegans. I heard from students who had gotten the booklet at Warped Tour in Chicago, and Milwaukee. I also heard from 2 separate students who stated that they became vegetarian after getting the booklet in the past.
-Joe Espinosa, 8/22/07

Anne Green leaflets at the University of Arizona; photo by Matt Ball

Miranda and I had lots of great moments when we leafleted UC Berkeley's freshman convocation:

• People stopped in their tracks, reading the Even Ifs.
• A man in the marching band asked for a copy , and then gave it to others in the band, who huddled around it.
• After a man received a booklet, his partner asked him what it was. He said, "You don't want to read this." When she saw what it was, she took it out of his hands, came back to me for another copy, then went over the booklet with him.
• Got many positive comments, including: "This booklet changed my life;" "I've been wanting to read this."

-Victor Tsou, 8/20/07

Vegan Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of farmed animals by promoting informed, ethical eating. All donations are tax-deductible. Vegan Outreach POB 30865, Tucson, AZ 85751-0865