This is the online version of our newsletter. A Quick Look At The Stories This Last 7 Days - w/e 31st March 2024 ... you can sign up to our mailing list here.
Hello fellow space traveller,
We’re taking a well earned little Easter break for a few days so I’ll keep this short and sweet.
This week we’re looking at the plight of the Easter bunny, early reviews of the new Christpiracy documentary and how big dairy is squeezing out the little guy in Oregon.
So may I offer you this week’s slate of weekly vegan news across the web …
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… and now on with this week’s news roundup.
Thank you for being with us!
– Rohan 🙂
Recommend us to your friends …
This Week’s Top Story
A Rabbit Is For Life, Not Just For Easter …
This Easter time, as every year, there will be many who’ve bought a pet rabbit for their loved ones and a good percentage will have next to no idea what they’re taking on.
Sadly, rabbits are one of the most abandoned pets especially in the US and UK. Abandonment rates always peak in the weeks after Easter as people face the reality of what they’ve done.
Rabbits are complex individuals with some very specific needs and their ownership should not be taken lightly. You’re in it for the long term.
For starters, rabbits can live to 12 years old so if you’re not sure you can commit to this responsibility then you should make the decision not to buy that bunny.
Secondly, they are super cute when they’re young (which is when many people buy a rabbit) but it doesn’t take long for them to mature and become more wise to the world.
Rabbits can become more aggressive as they age, especially when not cared for properly. Often, when bought on a whim, the ongoing care needs of that cute little ball of fluff are not fully considered.
This leads to an unhappy animal which may show signs of stress, sometimes manifesting in aggressive behaviour like a little bite or scratch.
Loneliness can also cause a rabbit to become aggressive and this is just one of the potential issues that should be considered before taking that bunny home to the kids.
By the time this newsletter goes out, the thousands of rabbits which were destined to be ‘Easter discards’ will already be sitting in their cage wondering what the hell is going on as all these new faces stare down at them making strange ‘ooooohhhh’ and ‘ahhhhh’ noises!
I believe following a vegan way of life inherently means pet ownership is problematic but I also know not everything is black and white.
A loved and well cared-for pet can do wonders for your child’s mental health so who am I to proclaim that all vegans must refrain from having a pet?
That would just be arrogant of me.
So to wrap this up, I hope you enjoy the Easter break, if that’s something you do.
Spare a thought for the thousands of sentient beings who will have a less than Happy Easter as most of the population tuck into a traditional meaty fare.
… and as for the rabbits, well at least we try to keep them alive I guess!
Happy Easter from Vegan Slate … see you next week 🙂
– Rohan McAvee
Quick Links:
- REWE Vegan Supermarket to open in Berlin as German demand for plant-based skyrockets.
- AstaReal Presents new algal-derived formulation with astaxanthin and Omega 3 DHA & EPA.
- Vegan Easter Cooking – Delicious Plant-Based Recipes for a Joyful and Compassionate Easter
( paid link ) - Brooklyn School holds a plant-based food and cooking event for students and locals.
- Largs Moka confirms opening date for new plant-based cafe at 59 Main Street.
- Free Course – Vegan nutrition essentials.
- 10% Off Code for Vedge Nutrition Store-wide (use: VEGANSLATE)
( paid link )
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Around The Vegan Web This Week Ending 31st March 24
Christpiracy: new doco receives mixed early reviews …
Predictably enough, vegans love it and meaties hate it 🙂 Released ahead of the Easter break when most in the Western world will be tucking into plenty of meat-heavy dishes, Christpiracy delves into the links between religion and animal slaughter. Leslie Felperin in her scathing but watery Guardian review seems to have taken umbrage at the film. While a more positive stance is taken by Keith Akers in his expertly written and in-depth look at this divisive documentary …
Apetito launches new vegan meal options for care homes …
A major supplier of meals for UK schools, hospitals and care homes has introduced two new vegan options to their care home range in response to growing demand for plant-based dishes. Vegan sausages are now offered on the menu along with a tempeh, sweet potato and spinach hotpot which packs in 15g of protein per serving. Residents with a sweet tooth can indulge in a delicious, ‘guilt-free’ summer fruits sponge which is 100% dairy-free. More proof that plant-based food is mushrooming in popularity …
Stage & screen star, Cillian Murphy, chooses veganism …
After 15 years of vegetarianism, albeit with a brief hiatus due to the demands of a role where he was advised to eat meat to bulk up, award winning Irish actor Cillian Murphy has decided it’s time to finally ditch the dairy and go vegan. Citing health and ethical reasons, in a recent podcast Murphy said “I don’t miss the meat. I’ve been off the meat for a long time. I did have a kind of a relapse and I didn’t feel any better, so I’m back off it again.”
Meat & dairy is the biggest EU methane emissions source
The race is on! Every man and his dog seems to be getting into alternative proteins these days. It’s seen as one way to relieve the building pressure on our environment as, day by day, the damaging realities of meat and dairy production become more and more apparent. Enter Belgian producer Maash who have come up with a fungi based protein product called LoCylia. This innovative and scalable fermentation process uses 99% less land than traditional big-ag …
Beyond Meat announces expansion of ‘crumbles’ range
Potential investors have their eye on the launch of 3 new flavours of meat-free ‘crumbles’ from Beyond Meat, the well known plant-based company. It seems there’s no stopping this innovative outfit which is going all in on the health benefits of their newly announced Beyond IV platform and now this extended range of crumble ingredients. Designed to be a ‘convenient cooking ingredient’ the CEO emphasised certifications from both the Heart-Check program and the Better Choices for Life program.
Greedy ‘Big Dairy’ blurs CAFO label to squeeze out small farms
Oregon, USA: not content with already massive operations polluting our planet to turn a profit, the big players in the dairy industry have joined forces with government and sneakily introduced a re-classification of a CAFO which effectively makes small family farms bound by the same terms & conditions. It’s pure greed and while a legal challenge is underway, some farms have already fallen foul of the new regime. It seems there are no depths Big Dairy will not steep to!
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Blog Post: Previously on Vegan Slate …
Vedge Nutrition Organic Plant Protein Powder Review
Vedge Nutrition is a plant-based company coming from the right place! Their mission is to bring the highest quality vegan supplements to the market and give back to the planet. With vegan co-founders like bodybuilder Nimai Delgado & fitness coach Bianca Taylor, we just had to take a look so here’s our Vedge Nutrition plant protein powder review …
Thanks so much for reading Vegan Slate and have a non-violent day 🙂
– Rohan
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