Factoryfarmmap.org (created by the Food and Water Watch) lets you check out how factory farms for different animals are distributed across the country and across individual states.
And, an editorial from the NY Times on why it's an important map.
Showing posts with label The New York Times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The New York Times. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Animal Welfare and the Food Industry in the New York Times
Ok, first things first. How 'bout those photos on the first page of the article? Nothing cuter than happy pigs.
Kim Severson's article for the NYT on the evolution of animal welfare in the food industry touches on everything from the changes in activists' tactics over the last few decades to the recent foie gras ban in Chicago. Because it's only a three page article on a pretty broad topic, Severson skims over a few details, like the fact that while the demand has increased for humanely raised animal products, animals raised in "free range" or "cage free" environments often live in conditions as appalling as their caged counterparts. The timeline on the left is kinda cool, but also glosses over some important facts.
But she does bring up some interesting and maybe counterintuitive tactics for activists, like investing in the companies they seek to change and then enacting that change from the inside as shareholders. And though she quotes several corporate bigwigs who say activists have had no influence on their corporate policies on animal welfare, they also say that they've created or improved their company's animal welfare policies due to pressure from consumers. And pressure from consumers is often sparked by campaigns by activists.
So, whether you're an activist, a consumer, or somwhere in between--speak up. They're listening.
Kim Severson's article for the NYT on the evolution of animal welfare in the food industry touches on everything from the changes in activists' tactics over the last few decades to the recent foie gras ban in Chicago. Because it's only a three page article on a pretty broad topic, Severson skims over a few details, like the fact that while the demand has increased for humanely raised animal products, animals raised in "free range" or "cage free" environments often live in conditions as appalling as their caged counterparts. The timeline on the left is kinda cool, but also glosses over some important facts.
But she does bring up some interesting and maybe counterintuitive tactics for activists, like investing in the companies they seek to change and then enacting that change from the inside as shareholders. And though she quotes several corporate bigwigs who say activists have had no influence on their corporate policies on animal welfare, they also say that they've created or improved their company's animal welfare policies due to pressure from consumers. And pressure from consumers is often sparked by campaigns by activists.
So, whether you're an activist, a consumer, or somwhere in between--speak up. They're listening.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Zinn on Vonnegut
In this month's copy of The Progressive, Howard Zinn pays tribute to Kurt Vonnegut. Zinn recounts a memory from of Vonnegut that seems especially pertinent as tens of thousands of Iraqis die in the name of our "War on Terror":
"When the newspapers were full of alarms about Iran possibly developing a nuclear bomb, Kurt sent me a copy of a very short letter he wrote to The New York Times: 'I only know of one nation that has dropped nuclear bombs on innocent people.'
The Times did not print the letter."
"When the newspapers were full of alarms about Iran possibly developing a nuclear bomb, Kurt sent me a copy of a very short letter he wrote to The New York Times: 'I only know of one nation that has dropped nuclear bombs on innocent people.'
The Times did not print the letter."
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