Two items spotted on Ecorazzi:

The first one is a report about how Kate Moss is going to take part in Meat Free Monday, not because she thinks that it is an ethically sound thing to do, but because she’s trying to appease Stella McCartney with this token gesture:

“Kate Moss isn’t going to win points with animal rights activists anytime soon, but the model is definitely trying to score some with Stella McCartney. It’s often reported that the two friends gripe over Moss’s love of fur — but it appears this time that McCartney’s vegetarian ways are having something of an influence.

According to The Scummy Sun, Moss is taking on Stella’s “Meatless Mondays” campaign and giving up one day of meat a week. In preparation, has ate only raw foods and vegetables to detox for a week, giving her a taste of what it feels like to be a vegan. A source told The Scum: “Kate has spent time catching up with Stella during Paris Fashion Week and finally agreed to support her friend by going without meat for a day each week.”

» Read the full article

Also this on Ecorazzi: (the picture above, third from the right)
Dear Kate Moss: How Many Big Cats Died For Your Coat ?

Found via DiscoveryNews:

So-called “faux” fur may actually contain dog hair, according to Humane Society of the United States investigations.

Inspectors for the Humane Society say fur from a canine species known as the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) was found on garments labeled as being “faux-fur.”

During the recent winter holiday shopping season, for example, Neiman Marcus advertised and sold animal fur online as being “faux.” The item in question was a $1,300 Burberry women’s jacket.

“Neiman Marcus has repeatedly sold garments where the animal fur was misrepresented or even described as fake fur,” said Pierre Grzybowski, manager of the fur campaign for The HSUS. “How many of this latest jacket were sold to unsuspecting consumers who thought they were buying fake fur?”

Burberry has since changed its marketing for the item, but this is just one example in a long line of misrepresentations by other brands and retailers. In fact, “finnraccoon” is a well-known term used by the fashion industry to market fur from the raccoon dog, a canine indigenous to east Asia.

The problem also doesn’t only impact individuals concerned about animal welfare. Buyers willing to shell out big bucks, thinking they are getting clothing made from the fur of exotic animals, may actually be wearing common farm animal hair…

» Read the full article

What ?

The monthly ScouseVeg social gathering.

Where ?

The Egg Cafe, 16-18 Newington, Liverpool   Map/Directions

When ?

Friday February 5th, 2010
From 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm

More info:

Scouseveg’s monthly meeting at The Egg Cafe in city centre Liverpool. Join us for an informal gathering, and meet some like-minded people. Families welcome! The Egg Cafe is completely vegetarian and has a good choice of vegan dishes as well. Prices are very reasonable and you can bring you own wine but there is a charge for corkage. Alternatively, you can sample the juices or hot drinks available. We will be there from 8pm onwards. We are usually upstairs in the gallery – look for the stairs to the right of the serving counter. Please contact us if you are thinking of attending as we may need to reserve a table (or two)

- Contact us

Hannah Moorcroft writes:

“Dear all at ScouseVeg,

I’d like to tell you about an absolutely amazing, ethically sound organization called “Food for Life”. This is the worlds largest vegetarian/vegan food relief. Serving more than 1.500.000 veg meals daily. Food for Life operates in more than 50 countries and includes orphanages, free schools, hospitals, animal shelters and organic farms.

“Food for Life” are at the moment out there in distaster striken Haiti helping to feed the many hungry people with cruelty free food. Check their website www.ffl.org for details on how anybody can help, so that all those who would love to donate, but hate the idea that their money will be spend on meat etc, could donate with a clear conscience.

Thank you for your time!”

Additionally:
» Oxfam – Haiti earthquake

Time to bake some muffins people:

Hi, this is Gary Loewenthal from Compassion for Animals, a Washington, DC-area grassroots animal advocacy group (www.compassion4animals.org – perpetually under construction). I wanted to invite you to participate in the second annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale, April 24 through May 2, 2010 (www.veganbakesale.org).

The idea is simple: Groups across the globe hold vegan bake sales during that period. Participating groups can do whatever they want with the proceeds. Compassion for Animals is coordinating global publicity for the event, and will leverage the event to get positive mainstream press about all the bake sales and about the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet.

In 2009, a hundred groups on four continents participated, raising the equivalent of over 25,000 euros for river cleanups, cancer patients, animal shelters, farm sanctuaries – you name it. They also introduced thousands of people to the deliciousness amd diversity of vegan baked goods. And had a lot of fun! 2009 highights are HERE. We hope to double the number of participants and money raised this year.

We’re very appreciative of ScouseVeg promoting the event last year; undoubtedly that was one of the reasons for such awesome UK representation.

You may be able to get funding for your bake sale! Details are here: http://www.veganbakesale.org/veganbakesale/vbs-funding.html

If you’re seriously interested in getting a bake sale together but need more volunteers, consider checking out the Post Punk Kitchen (PPK) Forum, specifically this section: http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=25. Some bake sales were formed last year as a result of PPK collaborations.

There’s much more information at www.veganbakesale.org. The sign-up form CAN BE FOUND HERE. For questions, or to sign up if you hate forms, please contact info@veganbakesale.org. We’re also on Facebook, and on twitter as wwveganbakesale.

We hope that this is an exciting and fulfilling way to raise funds and to be part of something bigger which could help the earth, animals, and humans.

Found via Naked Capitalism:

… We (International Journal of Biological Sciences) investigated three different GM corn namely NK 603, MON 810 and MON 863, which were fed to rats for 90 days. The raw data have been obtained by European governments and made publically available for scrutiny and counter-evaluation. These studies constitute a model to investigate possible subchronic toxicological effects of these GM cereals in mammals and humans. These are the longest in vivo tests performed with mammals consuming these GMOs. The animals were monitored for numerous blood and organ parameters.

From the conclusion:

…. in the three GM maize varieties that formed the basis of this investigation, new side effects linked to the consumption of these cereals were revealed, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others . We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity. This can be due to the new pesticides (herbicide or insecticide) present specifically in each type of GM maize, although unintended metabolic effects due to the mutagenic properties of the GM transformation process cannot be excluded.

» Read more at the International Journal of Biological Sciences.

» StopAnimalTests.com

Other reading:
Germany bans Monsanto’s GM maize
- Wikipedia – Monsanto

Back in October last year the good people at vegan psicotik sound emailed to tell us about vegan (music) podcasts that they do. I loved this, right down our street this is and I told them that I’ll get something posted.

And then I promptly forgot.

But luckily in the middle of December they contacted me again to see how things were and I immediately remembered that I forgot and promised that I give them a shout out.

But I didn’t forget again. The festive season approached plus the fact that I must hold a record for being the… slowest…at…updating anything. But now finally. Finger is pulled out.

So who or what is the “vegan*psicótik*sound*system” ?

Actually I don’t really know myself. It is a podcast of ambient, transcendent, laid-back vegan friendly tunes. Something that you will (and I know Niki will !) groove and relax to…

Have a listen to their pod below:

Download the episode (46 mins)

Find out more by going to: http://veganpsicotiksound.mypodcast.com/

I keep saying...if left unchecked she will take over the world... but nobody listens.

A few weeks ago (12th Dec 2009) the star of television’s Come Dine With Me was on City Talk FM. Yet Again. This time as a guest of Neil Fitzmaurice on his early Saturday morning show.

Niki appeared along with Amanda Moss – the Editor of Lifestyle Monthly Magazine.

I have extracted from the programme some bits where Niki was talking about being vegan, vegetarianism and all things related. Listen in below to the clips – or the entire show:

Neil talks to Niki about being vegan and being on Come Dine With Me:
7mins 20secs

Neil talks about a vegetarian diet and about animal experimentation:
2mins 27secs

Niki on eating out and finding vegan food:
3mins 18secs

Full show:
1hr 54mins