Animal Friendly: Recent Episodes
Animal Friendly
The Human-Animal Alliance is a hugely impactful organisation that raises funds to grant directly to programs that share their belief in the power and value of the human-animal connection.
Equine-assisted therapy, Pet Pantry programs, support for humans and animals affected by hurricanes or wildfires, summer-camp scholarships, trauma-recovery programs and much more: since 2022 the organisation has raised and granted over $400,000 to programs that they describe as truly exceptional yet often overlooked.
Jackie Ducci - advocate, philanthropist, equestrian - says that animals have provided life-changing support and friendship to her throughout her life and she wants to enable others to feel that same connection.
We talked about her journey to setting up The Human-Animal Alliance and delved into some of the programs they support. We also chatted about Unspoken Bond, a documentary which tells the stories of people whose lives were changed dramatically through their relationships with animals.
The Human-Animal Alliance website:
https://h-aa.org/
List of Past Grants of The Human-Animal Alliance:
https://h-aa.org/our-impact
Jackie's website:
https://www.jackieducci.com/
The Unspoken Bond film - info and trailer.
https://unspokenbondfilm.com/
Links to social media can be found on these websites.
Featured Music:
New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Hamilton - or Hammy - is a beagle that was rescued from a research laboratory where he'd spent the first four years of his life. Melanie Kaplan adopted him and started on a journey to learn more about his past, as well as the broader world of animal research.
In her book - Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research - she investigates the breeding and the use of beagles for biomedical research, drug and product testing, as well as education.
Throughout the book, she brings us along with her to find answers. How did Hammy end up in a research facility? Why are we still using millions of animals a year in experiments? Are we learning anything from it? Is there another way?
Melanie and I chatted about these questions and she shared her findings about the history of animal research as well as the current state and future direction of using animals in science.
https://www.melaniedgkaplan.com/
Buy it here (free shipping in Ireland):
https://www.kennys.ie/shop/lab-dog-a-beagle-and-his-human-investigate-the-surprising-world-of-animal-research-kaplan-melanie-d-g-9781541604988
Buy it here in UK:
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781541604988?utm_source=Waterstones&utm_medium=pdp&utm_campaign=oos-link
Warm Hearts, Wet Noses, and the Questions We Can't Ignore - Full Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO_LVouCK4k
SynDaver website.
https://syndaver.com/product-category/vet-full-body/
Save the Buns website.
https://www.savethebuns.org/
Rodent Sanctuary Instagram links.
https://www.instagram.com/dr.rebeccagooley/
https://www.instagram.com/rodent.sanctuary/
How 2,000 beagles set the animal rights movement on fire (Marina Bolotnikova, Vox).
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/486973/beagle-rescue-ridglan-animal-testing-research-rights
The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals (Larry Carbone).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240731347-the-hidden-lives-of-lab-animals
Mickey Mouse - The Mad Doctor (1933)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPW70q4w5pw
Featured music:
https://soundcloud.com/jayjenmusic/sparkle
Track: Sparkle by JayJen
Watch: youtu.be/A7eloLKR-A8
Free Download / Stream: fanlink.to/JayJenSparkle
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Wasseem Emam is the Director and Head of Research at Ethical Seafood Research. He holds advanced degrees in applied aquatic ecology and has spent over 15 years working iwth various organisations across the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Drawing on this background, Wasseem recognised a critical gap: aquatic animals are the most numerically exploited yet the least protected animals in the food systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where aquaculture (fish-farming) is rapidly expanding.
He founded Ethical Seafood Research and their goal is to improve the lives of fish by advancing ethical and sustainable practices in aquatic food systems. From better slaughter methods and water quality monitoring to farmer training and policy advocacy, ESR works to embed animal welfare in aquaculture systems, bridging the gap between animal welfare science and day-to-day practice.
Learn more about their work here:
https://ethicalseafoodresearch.org/
https://ethicalseafoodresearch.org/success-stories/
https://ethicalseafoodresearch.org/underwater-explorers-rescuers/
Clip taken from webinar presentation: Wasseem Emam & John Nyambane (ESR) Assessing fish welfare in Africa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw5HSxmddLE
Featured music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOq2P2DQWpE
Umoja by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Laura Broxson has been deeply involved in Ireland’s animal rights movement for over two decades. They founded NARA – the National Animal Rights Association - in 2007. This is a voluntary, vegan animal rights group, working towards a world where animals are free from use, abuse, and exploitation.
In 2019, they successfully brought about a ban on fur farming in Ireland with a multifaceted strategy which involved undercover investigations, working with politicians to bring about legislative change, and engaging with the public at large to mobilise groundswell of support.
They are now applying the strategy to other campaigns like the banning of blood sports, such as fox-hunting and hare-coursing, as well as seeking to put an end to Ireland’s pig industry.
They actively promote a transition to plant-based agriculture by offering animal farmers a practical path out of the industry (in collaboration with James O’Donovan from Nature Rising).
We covered these topics and more - and the depths and breadth of Laura’s knowledge and enthusiasm became obvious as they responded cheerfully to any question with expert ease. Their calm confidence and determination offers a beacon for all animal rights advocates, and indeed anybody wanting to bring about positive change in the world.
https://www.naracampaigns.org/
Irish Pig Farm videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwmyaHZrjRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xHFCYxR9pE
Hare-coursing video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQDqLGotOSE
James O’Donovan (Nature Rising) report: Transition to an Irish Vegan Agricultural System.
https://naturerising.ie/transition-to-an-irish-vegan-agriculture-system/
https://naturerising.ie/
Dr. Alice Brough.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alice_thepigvet/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alice_thepigvet/videos
Support Animal Free Research Ireland: https://safrireland.com/
Featured Music:
New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Harper Garrison is a high school student from Austin, Texas. She raised a lamb (who she named Onion!) through the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. They soon formed a bond and Harper began to question Onion's fate; to be returned to the farm at the end of the program where she would be used as a 'breeder' and then sent to slaughter, once she was no longer profitable.
Harper got help from LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet), PETA2 and Austin Farm Sanctuary to remove Onion from the program and move her to the farm sanctuary where she now lives, enjoying her days and hanging out with other animals.
Harper tells her story of the rescue, as well as her growing involvement in animal advocacy. She talks about the organisations that helped, and her increasing awareness of the plight of farm animals. We discuss the encouraging growth of organisations that promote empathy and compassion, groups that are facilitating a new way to engage with animals.
Sources:
https://leapforanimals.org
https://leapforanimals.org/saving-onion-the-sheep-from-slaughter/
https://www.peta2.com/culture/harper-onion/
https://www.austinfarmsanctuary.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/showlambpage/posts/9928691373925428/
Dr Crystal Heath on Healthification podcast:
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/what-vets-arent-taught-about-animal-rights-with-dr-crystal-heath/
FFA website:
https://www.ffa.org/
Further resources:
https://www.teachkind.org/
https://www.teachkind.org/ffa-4h-school-agriculture-programs/
https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Empathy-Now-Guide-for-Schools-8.5x11-PRINT-VERSION-2022_300.pdf
Danielle Hanosh, founder of LEAP, on the Better Life for Animals podcast:
https://betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/024-danielle-hanosh/
Alternatives to 4H:
https://thehumaneleague.org/article/alternatives-to-4-h
Jessica Long – the case of Cedar the goat:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23669586/goat-girl-4-h-shasta-county-seizure
Featured music:
Another Good Day by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Jack Morley has a background in media and advertising and he is now using those creative skills to illustrate and convey the beauty of Irish nature and wildlife, as well as some of the many challenges facing our native plants, insects, birds, fish and mammals.
He wants to amplify the stories of the people around the country who are making efforts to restore and revitalise our natural environment and he blends history, botany, ecology and humour into an appealing mix that educates and entertains.
In this episode we talk about the different ways in which we communicate about nature and you'll be able to answer questions like: What is Ireland's only legally protected insect? How did wasps help to write the Irish Constitution? Which are some of the butterflies that use nettles as a host plant? What IS a host plant?
...and where did that deer go?
LINKS
https://www.youtube.com/@TheRewildlife
https://www.instagram.com/the_rewildlife/
An Irish Wildlife Haven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ8Xj2wJLIo
Shifting baseline Syndrome. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ_-IG_Ms8i/
Oak gall wasps. https://www.instagram.com/p/DIUCHvHsfB4/
Mombretia. https://www.instagram.com/p/DMp2xdqMfSx/
Badger. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNHQPXDEKA/
Fox and deer video. https://www.instagram.com/p/DQnCIEvjJj-/
Marsh Fritillary. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLDZSLvs8tN/
https://iwt.ie/species-of-the-week-marsh-fritillary/
The film Birdsong on RTE Player.
https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/birdsong/506726951986
The film Listers on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo&t=457s
Nature Spy cameras. https://naturespy.org/
Craghoppers fleece with birdsong soundwaves.
https://www.craghoppers.com/ie/CMA1425_1GG/
Featured Music:
San Fran by Schematist | http://www.schematistmusic.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Billie Talyn Groom has worked with a wide variety of dogs for over three decades. She is an award-winning behavioural therapist as well as an author, a podcaster, a TEDx speaker and the founder of the Institute of Canine Psychotherapy.
The Institute is an online educational platform which allows anyone to learn Canine Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a method developed by Billie and one which can be applied to any dog over the age of 6 months, especially those dogs that might be termed difficult or challenging.
“With the increased acceptance of animals as sentient beings, CCBT is quickly becoming a recognised method and a sustainable solution in the canine behaviour and animal welfare sectors.”
Billie is highly motivated to spread awareness of her method in an effort to help the high number of dogs in shelters and rescue organisations that are unable to find homes due to behavioural issues. With CCBT exercises, dogs like these can be helped to reset their thought patterns and to self-regulate.
We talked about the evolution of her method as well as the need to consider dogs’ motivations and reasoning, not just their behaviour.
https://www.instituteofcaninepsychotherapy.com/
Why analyzing behaviour is important – Dog Training DisrUPted podcast
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vdd4s8Zi1wYtJPGoHc5nr
Beyond Dog Training: The Movement toward Sentience. (TEDx talk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avUugazybwc
“Rescued Dogs; the Misunderstood Breed” by Billie Groom.
https://www.amazon.com/Urban-People-Adopted-Rescued-Methodology/dp/1525547283/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1653954372&sr=8-1
Featured Music:
New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Project Wild is a wildlife media company that promotes ethical wildlife tourism by showcasing the organisations that bring tourists and wildlife together in a way that respects the animals’ natural behaviours.
I was delighted to talk to the founder, Connie Needham, about her years of experience in wildlife conservation and her studies in anthrozoology that led her to set up Project Wild.
With thousands of followers and an active social media presence, she is driven to show that wildlife conservation is open to everybody and that we can all make a difference through our actions and the messages we put out to the world.
https://www.projectwild.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/connie.needham
https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-needham-2031b3240/
For the Love of Monkeys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW_aZl0O1zo&t=7s
Queen of the Primates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdNcZjXUP_o
Featured Music:
New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Kate Galli is a vegan health coach, author and master podcaster - with over 900 episodes of her podcast, Healthification.
Listen in as we discuss how she draws inspiration from her guests, the painful pathway that led to her intention to lead with love, compassion and deliciousness, as well as some of her tips for defining your goals, dealing with overwhelm and developing confidence and consistency in your life.
http://strongbodygreenplanet.com/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.lpages.co/plant-positive-journal-v2/
https://www.instagram.com/strongbodygreenplanet/
https://www.facebook.com/KateGalli/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/chef-babette-ageing-strong-and-why-love-is-easier-than-hate/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/e552-dr-melanie-joy-carnism-and-creating-effective-communication-between-vegans-and-non-vegans/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/638-petas-ingrid-newkirk-animals-are-not-ours-to-experiment-on-eat-wear-use-for-entertainment-or-abuse-in-any-other-way/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/transforming-anger-into-strength-after-great-loss-with-vegan-bodybuilder-geoff-palmer/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/dr-michael-greger-and-how-not-to-age-the-scientific-approach-to-getting-healthier-as-you-get-older/
https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/what-vets-arent-taught-about-animal-rights-with-dr-crystal-heath/
Featured Music:
Dreamy - Soft Piano And Strings by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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FarmKind are on a mission to help people who love animals to help the animals most in need: those in factory farms.
They identify charities with the best track record of making farming kinder and help introduce them to you, the potential donor, with the aim of making your donation do as much good as it possibly can.
Thom Norman - one of the co-founders of FarmKind - spoke on the podcast about reaching out to their growing community of people who love animals and want to help make farming kinder, not just for the animals, but for the planet too.
https://www.farmkind.giving/
Try the Compassion Calculator:
https://www.farmkind.giving/compassion-calculator
Clip taken from Dan Harris podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-science-of-generosity-why-it-makes-you-happier/id1087147821?i=1000645223359
Organisations mentioned:
https://www.joinhive.org/
https://veganhacktivists.org/
https://www.ambitiousimpact.com/
https://philzoothropy.com/
Featured Music:
San Fran by Schematist | http://www.schematistmusic.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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It's that time when we start getting ready for one of the biggest festive celebrations of the year!
It's not what you think...I'm talking about Veganuary!
Veganuary is a celebration of veganism that happens in January (and throughout the year) and it's going from strength to strength. People from over 228 countries and territories have taken part and more than 2,100 new vegan products and menu items were launched for Veganuary 2024.
Anyone can take part. Just sign up with your email at https://veganuary.com/ to join the fun and learn about veganism in a friendly environment. There's no pressure and no judgement - everyone and anyone can participate.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Sandra Hungate (U.S. Director of Veganuary) and learned about the start of Veganuary as well as how they spread the word through engagement with retailers, restaurants and organisations. Sandra obviously loves her work and her enthusiasm is contagious. She recommends starting to think about Veganuary now and getting your preparations ready for the new year.
Veganuary - give it a go!
https://veganuary.com/
Featured Music:
Another Good Day by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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If you're thinking, hmm, I've never heard the word philzoothropy before, you're right!
It's a totally new word.
Philzoothropy is a love of animals, especially as shown by contributing time, money, influence etc to their general welfare. It's a new take on an existing word (philanthropy) and makes us think about how we can spend money in more intelligent ways, that helps both animals and humans.
Sound clip taken from: MATTHIEU RICARD - A Plea for Animals, the Planet & Human Beings (english). Clip starts at 13:40 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDEQY6svpfM
Organisations mentioned in episode.
https://weanimals.org/
https://veganuary.com/
https://plantbasednews.org/
https://www.akashinga.org/
https://hiddeninsight.org/
Articles cited:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/how-does-a-word-get-into-the-dictionary
https://philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu/news-events/news/_news/2024/giving-usa-us-charitable-giving-totaled-557.16-billion-in-2023.html
https://www.charitiesregulator.ie/en/information-for-the-public/search-the-register-of-charities
https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/uk-giving-reports/uk_giving_report_2024.pdf
https://mccrindle.com.au/article/charitable-giving-behaviour-in-australia/
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/364288/how-factory-farming-ends-animal-rights-vegans-climate-ethics
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/01/eu-four-times-more-money-farming-animals-than-growing-plants-cap-subsidy
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/vegandonuteconomics/
Featured Music:
I Walk With Ghosts by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley
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Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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When millions of people were forced to flee their homes due to the invasion of Ukraine, they were unable to take their companion animals with them. An estimated one million dogs and cats were left homeless and living on the streets.
Dan Fine heard about this from a Ukrainian friend in Vancouver, and he was moved to help.
He teamed up with volunteers and animal charities to organise missions to vaccinate and sterilise these stray pets, with two important aims. To prevent more dogs and cats being born, and to prevent the spread of rabies from wild animals to these strays and then to humans.
It sounds like the plot of an action film but this is a race that’s happening in real time.
Dan came on the podcast to talk about their documentary, War Tails; which explains the problem, but also the solution.
www.wartails.org
www.uwarf.com
Featured music:
https://wartails.bandcamp.com/album/war-tails-original-soundtrack
Please consider writing to the European Union about this rapidly developing problem.
https://european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en
Here is a template message written by Dan Fine.
To help the animals of Ukraine, would you please consider sending something like below to DR ANDREA GAVINELLi - Andrea.Gavinelli@ec.europa.eu?
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to draw your attention to a pressing animal welfare crisis in Ukraine that has arisen as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region. The Russian invasion has not only displaced millions of people but also forced over one million pets into homelessness. This situation is documented in the dog population growth chart available https://lnkd.in/gx6NWwfa. Alarmingly, around 90% of these animals are currently unsterilized, leading to significant public health concerns, including the rapid spread of diseases such as rabies.
Local veterinarians in Ukraine are ready and willing to address this issue; however, they are in dire need of resources to carry out mass sterilization and vaccination programs. This is a humanitarian and animal welfare issue of immense scale and urgency.
The European Union has always been a global leader in animal welfare, and your leadership in the Animal Welfare Unit has been exemplary. As Ukraine looks towards the possibility of future EU membership, addressing this crisis promptly and humanely would not only alleviate current suffering but also align with the EU's high standards for animal welfare. Failure to act now could result in the necessity of a massive culling in the future, which would be both tragic and contrary to the principles we uphold.
We urge you to consider providing the necessary support and resources to Ukrainian veterinarians. Your intervention could prevent a catastrophic public health crisis and demonstrate the EU's commitment to humane solutions and international cooperation.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I am hopeful that, under your guidance, we can work together to address and resolve this crisis effectively and humanely.
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In this episode I was joined by Pei Feng Su, the founder of ACTAsia, to talk about her autobiography which has just been published.
Life of Pei: The Battle for Compassion takes us through Pei’s life from traumatic teenage years to her investigative work with the World Society for the Protection of Animals to the founding of ACTAsia, which aims to promote compassion for animals, people and the environment through visionary education programmes.
Pei has a unique perspective on both East and West and her book describes how animals, and indeed humans, are impacted by cultural norms in Asia that people in the West might not understand or appreciate.
ACTAsia have won many awards for their ground-breaking work and it was a real pleasure to talk to the author of a book that I enjoyed so much.
https://www.actasia.org/
https://www.actasia.org/about-us/peis-bio/
https://lanternpm.org/book/life-of-pei/
Live book launch on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ACTAsiaEducation/videos/1294997104750728
Follow Pei:
LinkedIn @actasia
Instagram @actasia @peisu_
Facebook @actasia @pei f. su
Featured Music:
Uniqueness by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
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Julius Kirumira is a young vegan advocate from Uganda, who set up the organisation, Vegan Planet Africa, in 2019. They are committed to spreading awareness about the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle; not just as a dietary choice but as a conscious decision that aligns with their values of compassion, health and sustainability.
We talked about his dog, Max, who first inspired him to seek justice for animals; about the various projects that Vegan Planet Africa undertakes; about climate change and how his activism has helped him evolve and grow in his life.
Although he displays great strength and determination himself, he never hesitates to credit those around him who have helped him in his journey and he emphasizes that we are all united in this fight to save our planet and to help animals.
https://veganplanetafrica.org/
LInked In profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAADuYAvcBVUPJE40WmCfjGfE6lxFtXLbQMtE&keywords=julius%20kirumira&origin=RICH_QUERY_TYPEAHEAD_HISTORY&position=0&searchId=a62db5c7-9c5a-4803-b6b4-a0850061f854&sid=r_~&spellCorrectionEnabled=true
https://mariquitasolis.com/
https://loveforalluganda.org/atlas-vegan-community-school/
https://vegnews.com/vegan-news/uganda-first-vegan-school-zoonotic-disease
Julius talking to Mariquita Solis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnIFUGHWYRI&t=2581s
Julius talking on SanusPlanet podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPwyobMLs6E
Featured music:
'They Didn't Know It Was Impossible' by Sapajou
Free download: https://bit.ly/3awa3Jg
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Dog Advocacy Ireland is a dedicated group that campaigns for meaningful change regarding dog welfare protection in Ireland.
There are thousands of dogs in puppy farms all around Ireland, to the extent that we are known as the puppy farm capital of Europe. These dogs lead utterly miserable lives while their pups are easily bought and then discarded after a few months or years.
It is left to the Irish animal rescue groups to deal with this excessive dog population and they are now under tremendous pressure. An overhaul of Ireland’s dog breeding legislation is crucial and I talked to Zara about this, as well as other DAI objectives.
If you love dogs then you'll want to hear about their work and maybe even get involved yourself!
https://dogadvocacyireland.ie/
https://dogadvocacyireland.ie/objectives/
https://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts/in-the-news/how-did-ireland-become-the-puppy-farm-capital-of-europe/
https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/operation-begins-remove-220-doneraile-26072017
https://dogadvocacyireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Inside-Irelands-E120m-puppy-farm-industry-%E2%80%94-where-designer-dogs-sell-to-Singapore-for-E5000.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDqyOLCFJ3c
https://www.animalfriendly.earth/17-protect-animals-protect-people/
Featured Music:
Folk Travel Vlog | A Folk Story by Alex-Productions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKCEd2cKKjg|
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Eurogroup for Animals brings together 98 animal protection organisations with the aim of providing a voice for animals in the European Parliament. Their work encompasses many areas of concern, such as, animal use in science, trade and animal welfare, aquatic animals, wildlife, equines, farm animals and much more.
In this episode I talked to their CEO, Reineke Hameleers, about four main topics; the current state of animal welfare legislation in Europe; obstacles to moving to animal-free science; food system transformation...and the Vote For Animals campaign which is currently underway on the run up to the European Elections in June 2024.
Animal advocacy and activism comes in different forms and it was fascinating and compelling to hear about this important work being done in the political arena, and how we can all take part in it.
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/vote-animals
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/what-we-do/areas-of-concern/use-animals-science-still-too-high
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/what-we-do/areas-of-concern/food-system-transformation
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/why-meps-and-spitzenkandidaten-should-sign-vote-animals-pledge
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/italy-bans-cultivated-meat-and-meat-related-labelling-plant-based-food
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/library/illusion-choice-why-someone-already-decided-what-you-will-eat-lunch
It's time to think outside the cage. TED talk by Charu Chandrasekera
https://www.ted.com/talks/charu_chandrasekera_it_s_time_to_think_outside_the_cage
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/3/20/24105735/peak-meat-livestock-emissions-plant-based-climate-deadline
https://animal.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/Paris-compliant-livestock-report.pdf
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No. 4 by The Denotes | https://thedenotes.bandcamp.com
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Mark Randell retired from the police as a Detective Inspector and has since dedicated his life to preventing animal crime, abuse and exploitation through education and investigation.
His organisation – Hidden in Sight – helps law enforcement and animal groups investigate abuse, as well as training police around the world to integrate animal welfare protection into their work of safekeeping the community.
He is also campaigns manager for Nature Watch Foundation and their campaign – Protect Animals, Protect People – calls on those engaged in the public protection of humans to include animal welfare in their policies, strategies and legislation.
We had a really interesting and wide-ranging chat about the need to treat animal abuse and exploitation seriously – both for the sake of the animals and as a way of targeting those who would also harm humans.
And I got both a film and a book recommendation at the end - excellent!
Please note: we did not go into any graphic details of animal abuse in the discussion.
https://naturewatch.org/campaigns/protect-animals-protect-people/
https://hiddeninsight.org/
https://naturewatch.org/
Francesca Sorcinelli, "Links between animal and human violence in Italy".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3JPmAW86dM
Teena Stoddard, "Human Violence and the links with animal abuse".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SS1UcIRGiQ
Slay (movie about fashion industry and use of animals)
https://www.slay.film/
Defending Animals by Kendra Coulter.
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262048286/defending-animals/
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The Leap by Sapajou | https://soundcloud.com/sapajoubeats
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Welcome to the first native wild bee sanctuary on the planet, nestled in the south-east of Ireland.
I talk to Paul Handrick about the process of setting up a bee sanctuary, and what needs to be done to rescue the wild native bees of Ireland, and restore our wider environment in the process.
We talk about letting gardens go wild; about farmers caught in an unsustainable system and their desire to restore the countryside to former glories; checking if bee-friendly plants really are that friendly, and how a queen bee tells you to Buzz Off!
Join me as we head on over to Coolafancy…
www.thebeesanctuaryofireland.com
www.savingbees.ie
Where to find Paul...
X @the_beeguy
Instagram @beesanctuaryireland
Facebook @beesanctuaryireland
Mastodon @thebeeguy@mastodon.ie
Artwork thanks to Clare-Louise Donelan: Common Carder Bumblebee foraging on Bush Vetch
The Dave Goulson study that was mentioned…
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117305158
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/goulsonlab/blog/bee-friendly-flowers
Featured music:
Mountain Mist by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
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Based on personal experience - sadly - this episode talks about the efforts made to try and find a lost cat; meandering around topics like the kindness of strangers, labyrinths, Yeats and Schrodinger's Cat.
The cat in question, Goldie, hasn't been found yet - this episdoe will be updated if/when he ever is.
Please support your local cat rescue groups.
https://www.galwaycatrescue.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/galway.catrescue
https://www.facebook.com/galwaymayolostandfound
found cats only (Ireland) on Facebook (private group) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1524533841376115
Featured Music:
Another Door by Savfk | https://www.youtube.com/savfkmusic
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Secret Love from Calamity Jane. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU8tQpCZEzg
Forever Autumn by Justin Hayward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJbp_GjD9VE
Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poxnVl2bBPQ
The Cat and the Moon (WB Yeats) read by Robert Lindsay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2LrPWXrLHU
Aisling's Song from The Book of Kells.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32DM5tNeHBA
All efforts have been made to contact the copyright holders of any clips used in this episode. If you are a copyright holder and are unhappy with the use of your clip, please do get in touch at animalcraic@gmail.com
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In order to raise awareness of the plight of the Galgos in Spain, Travis Patinaude decided he had to try and fake being a photographer in order to get into photography circles.
To his surprise, he actually had a talent for it, and is now an award-winning and much admired photographer, or as he puts it, a photoactivist.
The Galgos are used for hunting in Spain and due to overbreeding and commercialisation of this activity, it is estimated that anywhere from 50-100,000 dogs are killed every year when they are no longer useful for racing or hunting.
In 2013, a scared little white Galgo named Leena inspired Travis and his wife, Amanda, to start Love Hope Believe Galgo Adoption; and Stinkeye Photography followed soon after.
In this episode he shares his story as we talked about how dogs and a passion for justice can change your life.
https://www.stinkeyephotography.com/
https://www.adoptagalgo.com/
Watch the documentary Yo Galgo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLZVpWnn0V4
Watch Unbreaking the Galgo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXdKk7qUpao
Galgos excluded from new Spanish animal protection act. https://inspain.news/hunting-and-working-dogs-are-definitively-excluded-from-the-spanish-animal-protection-act/
Gravity by A Perfect Circle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GIrp4M664I
Sound clip from the movie, Juno. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJLv7pXmaxM
Featured Music:
To Count The Stars by Sapajou | https://soundcloud.com/sapajoubeats
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Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
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All efforts have been made to contact the copyright holders of any clips used in this episode. If you are a copyright holder and are unhappy with the use of your clip, please do get in touch.
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Vets helping vets to help animals.
Traditional conservation groups working with endangered species can sometimes miss the fact that local vets might not have had much training in wildlife medicine.
That's where Wildlife Vets International comes in.
This dedicated group of people - including biologists and veterinarians - use the knowledge they've gained though their training and experience to help local vets and conservation groups in their efforts to save animals which are under threat from injury and disease.
From the Amur big cats to Mediterranean turtles to African Painted Dogs to Asian vultures - WVI aim to transfer their knowledge as widely as possible.
https://www.wildlifevetsinternational.org/
https://www.instagram.com/wildlifevets/
https://www.wildlifevetsinternational.org/news/interview-with-amir-sadaula
https://www.wildlifevetsinternational.org/wvi-shop
Featured clips:
Despicable Me, "so fluffy" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB1qppAPxk4
The Tyger, by William Blake, read by Ian Richardson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4sz2lCKg-U
Dracula: Dead and Loving It, "look into my eyes" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDMhl-GV79s
Steve Leonard, WVI Patron - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9mreqgFQdo
Featured music:
Second Goodbye (Instrumental) by Sapajou | https://soundcloud.com/sapajoubeats
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Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
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All efforts have been made to contact copyright holders regarding the use of sound clips. Please get in touch if you are a copyright holder and you are unhappy with the use of your clip. Thank you.
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Dave Goulson has spent his life getting up close and personal with bees, and many other insects along the way. We chat about the various threats to insect life on the planet, the ramifications of insect disappearance and why we should all do our best to make our local environments a more hospitable place for our six-legged friends. (And learn some 1920s dancing along the way).
Dave is a Sunday Times bestselling author, check out his books: A Sting in the Tale, A Buzz in the Meadow, The Garden Jungle, Bee Quest, Gardening for Bumblebees, Silent Earth.
...and feature articles like this one... https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/10/david-attenborough-wild-isles-online-tv-british-nature
Bumblebee Conservation Trust. https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/
Opening track: The Flight of the Bumblebee played by KATICA ILLÉNYI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtAu7xkwNjQ
Raj Patel: the $200 hamburger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oagmlbhobnY
How to Bees Knees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkHap6c6Lc
1920s dancing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psch9N4PmO4
Life on Air by David Attenborough. https://play.calibreaudio.org.uk/book/?bookCatalog=6994
EO Wilson (2002) The Best Documentary Ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBFUt6IZ2Kk
EO Wilson (2017) Half-Earth, How to save the natural world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maDUbKdczTk
Samuel Ramsey TED talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Fi9tmJ5t4
I Walk the Earth (Voice of the Beehive). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnW9bw9kU8o
Eric the Half a Bee (Monty Python). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftomw87g61Y
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright owners of all clips used in this episode. If you are a copyright owner and would like your clip removed, please get in touch at animalcraic@gmail.com.
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This episode tells the story of the near-extinction of Asian vultures.
In the mid-nineties, millions of vultures began dying, all across the Asian subcontinent. Teams of scientists scrambled to find the cause and to save the remaining birds.
I talked to Chris Bowden of SAVE (Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction) about this remarkable conservation effort - spanning decades - as well as the underappreciated value and beauty of these magnificent birds.
Photo Credit: Oriental White-Backed Vulture by Nikita Prakash
https://save-vultures.org/
https://save-vultures.org/how-you-can-help-2/
https://save-vultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SpaceToSurvive.pdf
Articles referenced:
https://india.mongabay.com/2018/02/declining-vulture-population-can-cause-a-health-crisis/
https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/poison-pill-the-mysterious-die-off-of-indias-vultures
https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/19/india-critically-endangered-vultures-wild-release-aoe
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/sep/28/painkiller-increase-heart-attack-risk
Clips used:
Wednesday Addams once said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSho6btj40c
Acid, Poop and Barf: Vultures' secret weapons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieBhJlCxnt8
House of the Dragons, HBO Max. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34
Why I Love Vultures (Munir Virani). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhyzTTaMN7E
Nature Magic podcast (featuring Eanna Ni Lamhna). https://www.naturemagic.ie/podcast/episode/7a0e9d79/episode-56-eanna-ni-lamhna-is-passionate-about-our-wild-world
Featured music:
Ray Of Hope by JayJen | https://soundcloud.com/jayjenmusic
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Meet the HeroRats of APOPO - African giant pouched rats which are trained to sniff out landmines (in order to remove them and make land safe) and detect tuberculosis in lab samples. In this episode we learn about their training and their work, as well as some potential future projects.
Hang out with Magawa, Ronin, Carolina and more - and change your perspective of rats forever!
APOPO website
HeroRat adoptions: https://apopo.org/support-us/adopt/?v=d2cb7bbc0d23
Magawa's award ceremony. https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-awards-programme/pdsa-gold-medal/magawa
Bart Weetjens TED talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/bart_weetjens_how_i_taught_rats_to_sniff_out_land_mines
Training rats for earthquake victim rescue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuShm833KW8
Rats detecting tuberculosis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtrRtfmN_T8
Full-cheek Friday! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0C01fq3Otk
Featured Music:
Another Good Day by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
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Happy 2023!
This episode celebrates Veganuary with a mash-up of clips from famous or influential vegans, telling their stories of how they started on their vegan journeys.
Follow the links here to the featured podcasts, and for more details of Veganuary.
https://veganuary.com/
Seb Alex talking to Damien Mander: https://www.sebalex.org/podcast/episode/7a992153/damien-mander-and-the-all-female-vegan-rangers-the-akashinga
https://www.iapf.org/
How I Vegan podcast, Molly Elwood episode: https://www.stitcher.com/show/how-i-vegan-podcast/episode/how-i-vegan-podcast-episode-20-dog-meat-death-threats-woke-sausage-207812908
https://www.elwooddogmeat.com/
The Real Heal podcast, Pinky Cole episode: https://omny.fm/shows/the-real-heal-with-alicia-silverstone/providing-for-your-community-with-pinky-cole
https://sluttyveganatl.com/pinkycoleexperience/
James Cromwell on ethical veganism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAwMzwT_8ak
That'll do pig... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zHmeTeLgMY
Plant-Based News podcast, featuring Alicia Silverstone: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/does-the-perfect-vegan-exist-alicia-silverstone-on/id1255981965?i=1000588099316
https://thekindlife.com/
Featured Music:
Be Inspired by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
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Have you ever wondered if a particular product is really as animal-friendly as it might appear?
Never fear, Ethical Consumer are here to help. They are a cooperative that provide tools and resources that can help to answer that question and enable us all to make informed choices at the checkouts.
This means that we can direct our spending away from the the companies and organisations that exploit animals - and towards businesses that we'd like to see flourishing.
In this episode, I chatted to Jas Owens, a researcher with Ethical Consumer.
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/social-movement-greenwashing
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/how-to-shop-ethically
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/subscriptions
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/shopping-guide/high-street-clothes-shops
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/vegan-cheese
https://weare.lush.com/lush-life/our-prizes-awards/lush-prize/
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycott-amazon
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/about-us/our-ethical-ratings
Featured Music:
Wonders by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/
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Happy World Vegan Day 2022!
Did you know that Ireland has an ancient heritage of veganism and vegetarianism?
Far from being the land of meat and potatoes, the Irish used to enjoy a wide variety of plant-based foods. Let's bring it back!
Featured Music: Kevin Keegan playing Contentment is Wealth/The Cat in the Corner
Featured Clips from:
Eric Adams interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYoA-_LZktw
The Gamechangers movie. https://gamechangersmovie.com/
Dr Corey Lee Wrenn, author of Animals in Irish Society, talking to Animal Rebellion Ireland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHR6iJ9x2LU
Dr Corey Lee Wrenn, podcast, Animals in Irish Society - episode 4
John Gibbons, of ThinkorSwim, talking to Sentient Rights Ireland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN0fYeaihw8&t=1129s
The Day the Earth Stood Still. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkeDTL7bIKM
Bring Me The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart?
"Sin é an scéal anois. Go raibh míle maith agaibh as éisteacht agus fheiceann sibh an chéad uair eile." English translation: That's the story now. Thanks a million for listening and I'll see you next time.
TRANSCRIPT
[Irish music playing]
Narrator: Hello, and welcome back to the Animal Friendly podcast. This solo episode is all about the surprising history of veganism and vegetarianism in Ireland. When I say that I'm vegan now, there is a question that I hear a lot, always asked in the same bewildered tone, "But, what...what do you eat?"
People living in the current food system in Ireland are flummoxed at the idea that you can survive without any type of meat, fish, milk, butter or eggs. They're not even really thinking about survival, as such, they're just wondering; what are you going to have for lunch today? Or dinner?
Vegans joke about this all the time on social media. Seb Alex is a vegan educator and I think it was on his Instagram, where he was asking people how they respond to this question, and there was a whole bunch of comments, until one guy wrote, "Wait...you guys are eating food? I thought we were just supposed to survive on our sense of moral superiority. No one told me we could have food!"
When people say, but what do you eat, it makes me think, well, what are you eating? Because it's fairly common knowledge by now that the most nourishing diet you can have is one that's centred around plants. I'll let the Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, explain, as he talks about his compelling reasons for establishing lifestyle medicine centres in New York City, where people can learn how to live a healthy, plant-based centred life.
Eric Adams sound clip: If I would have followed the path that I was given, I would not be standing here. I was going blind. They said there's nothing they can do for you, Eric. You're going to be blind in a year. That tingling that I ignored, they said, you have permanent nerve damage, you're going to lose some fingers and toes. I was going to have to take insulin every day, I was taking medication, they gave me medication for my high blood pressure, medication for my cholesterol problem, several medications for my diabetes. I had an ulcer, they gave me medication for my ulcer. They said, Eric, this is permanent. Add those dollars, this is not sustainable. And so when you look at the fact, I'm...I did not have to buy that Metformin, the insulin, the high blood pressure, the statins, I don't have to get all of those things. So, it's not how much it costs for this program, how much it's going to cost us if we don't have this program, and those are just the dollar amounts. The traumatisation of my family members, I remember my son when he heard what happened. He says to me, he says, "Dad, you have a BMW, you put the best gas in your car, you didn't put the best food in your body?"
Narrator: But that's New York. It's a convention here in Ireland that we are a people born and bred on a bounty of meat and dairy. Since that is what the majority of Irish farmers produce now. It's almost seen as unpatriotic if you're aren't ingesting both of these three times a day. As Leo Varadker found out pretty quick when he made the comment that he wanted to cut down on his meat consumption. But in fairness, as a doctor, he had the right idea. Inflammation is the key word when it comes to a range of vascular and neurological diseases, and what's a major cause of inflammation? You guessed it, eating meat.
Sound clip from The Gamechangers movie: Protein's important but which package is your protein coming in, is the better question to answer. The plant-based protein, versus the animal protein, which package is going to help the body overcome inflammation and help the body to recover? In animal products, you're getting protein packaged with inflammatory molecules like Neu5Gc, endotoxins and heme iron. When we consume animal products it also changes the microbiome, the bacteria that live in our gut. And the bacterial species that have been shown to promote inflammation overgrow and begin to produce inflammatory mediators like TMAO. In plant-based protein, you're getting protein that's packaged with anti-oxidants, phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins that are going to reduce inflammation, optimise the microbiome, optimise blood supply and optimise your body's performance.
Narrator: But I know what you're thinking. What about the infamous vitamin B12? Don't we have to eat meat to get that?
Sound clip from The Gamechangers movie: It turns out B12 isn't made by animals after all. It's made by bacteria that these animals consume in the soil and the water. Just like with protein, animals are only the middlemen. Before industrial farming, farm animals and humans could get B12 by eating traces of dirt on plant foods or by drinking water from rivers or streams. But now, because pesticides, antibiotics and chlorine kill the bacteria that produce this vitamin, even farm animals have to be given B12 supplements, and up to 39% of people tested, including meat-eaters, are low in B12. As a result, the best way for humans to get enough B12, whether they eat animals foods or not, is simply to take a supplement.
Narrator: And wait 'til you hear this...it turns out that in Ireland, back in the day, our ancestors knew they could survive and thrive perfectly well on a plant-based diet, because they were doing it. Dr Corey Lee Wrenn has written a book called "Animals in Irish Society" and, in it, she explains that meat and dairy were not staples of the historical Irish diet. Far from it. In fact, the Irish were a largely vegetarian society. I'll let Dr Wrenn tell it.
Dr Corey Lee Wrenn sound clip: Veganism is not something that's completely foreign to Ireland. In fact, there's a long legacy of plant-based eating and plant-based foodways in indigenous Ireland. Now, this all changes through a series of different colonial waves, and in the book I go through those in more detail with the Normans...the Normans brought a lot of animal agricultural changes but, by and large, the biggest, longest-lasting colonial relationship was certainly with Great Britain.
Under British rule you see a huge shift to meat and dairy production in Ireland, and of course this tends to be owned by elites and by British absentee owners. And one author has actually explained it in this way, that Ireland was basically an outsourced feedlot, and I don't think there's a more succinct way to frame that.
Because, again, it's extremely resource-intensive, land-intensive, water, feed, all the things that are needed, it's extremely resource-intensive and so Ireland, basically served as that feedlot.
Now this plant-based, this rich plant-based diet that had been a major part of Irish foodways before, has been replaced. Before, it was hazelnuts, crab-apples, uhm, mushrooms, seaweed, goosefoot, knotweed, nettles, all kinds of - I could go on and on, and there's lots of archaeological research to show all the different foods that people ate. That is gone now, because people have been pushed off the land, and they've been disassociated, disconnected from the land.
And all that rich variety has now been completely replaced, and there's high food insecurity, as we famously know with the potato, people are relying on the potato for most of their calories. There's also cabbages. But the diversity of the foodway has just been completely subsumed under animal agriculture. Because, first off, people pushed off the land and secondly, the disconnect also leads to an increasing ignorance about the foods that are available, that are wild-growing.
And I've also heard some people responding to veganism saying, oh well, what about the famine, what about the famine? The potatoes failed us, so we need to rely on animal products, that's what's gonna sustain us, that's our security. But of course the whole reason the famine happened was not because of the potato, it was because of animal agriculture. That was the reason that people put on a naturally unsust...the potato of course is not indigenous to Ireland at all, so their indigenous foodways were completely disrupted, the potato was brought in just to sustain the people so everything else can be made way for animal agriculture.
Narrator: Even in times of hunger. The Irish called the Famine, An Gorta Mor - the Great Hunger. It wasn't technically a famine because there was food, we just weren't getting it. Privatisation of the land resulted in a widespread disempowerment of the people.
Dr Corey Lee Wrenn sound clip: They could no longer make a living off the land, they didn't have full rights to their own land anymore. They became tenant farmers. Most of the land had to be now cultivated for the British Crown. So there was a lot of loss of property rights, a lot of loss of independence and stability. A lot of the people were pushed off their land also just to make way for cows and sheeps and other agricultural pursuits.
But this is really at the heart of it, it was...this was a colonisation effort that was really premised on the expansion, not just of colonial power or British power but an expansion of animal agriculture. I actually prefer the Irish name for the Great Famine, An Gorta Mor, the Great Hunger, because this was about hunger, not necessarily famine.
In fact, there was more food being produced, during the series of famines that hit Ireland in the seventeen hundreds and the eighteen hundreds than really at any other point because so much of the land had been diverted to food production to feed the colonies. So there are accounts of carts packed full of food passing down lanes out to be exported, passing by starving people desperate for any kind of sustenance. Some people slumped over on the sides of the road, with green smeared around their mouths, where they'd been eating grass just to stay alive.
Narrator: So how did we end up as national producers and suppliers of meat and dairy? In his book, "Sapiens: A Short History of Humankind", Yuval Noah Harari describes how colonised countries will often keep the traditions and culture of the country that colonised them, because that's what they've been living with for hundreds of years, and their own historical culture has been lost. So, they adopt the new culture, tweak it to make it their own, and then become vehemently protective of it. Dr Wrenn describes the same phenomenon as it happened to the Irish.
Dr Corey Lee Wrenn sound clip: Unfortunately, what we see a lot of cases with colonial, ahm, previously colonised spaces, is they will actively embrace speciesism because that helps them to solidify themselves as 'not animal'. Look at us, we're the ones oppressing animals now so we can't be animals anymore. And because these foodways have really been cemented after hundreds of years of colonialism, that's what they're used to, that's what they think that they're good at, and say they use that as a way to secure their new position in the capitalist world system.
Narrator: And that's why we still cling to the land-intensive practices of producing meat and dairy, with a lot of it going as export. The Irish countryside is still being used to feed the British, which would be fine, if it wasn't doing us any harm. But the Irish Environmental Protection Agency and the Irish Wildlife Trust regularly produce reports that animal agriculture in Ireland is responsible for the decimation of Irish wildlife, as well as the pollution and degradation of our soils and waterways. Not to mention emissions. And of course, the destruction of habitats in other parts of the world, in order to grow the food, which feeds our millions of cows, pigs and chickens here.
Damien Mander sound clip, from The Gamechangers movie: The rangers that we support patrol five million acres of wilderness, protecting these endangered species. But the actual biggest threat we have is the meat industry and the land that they are continually taking away from what we have left of these natural wilderness areas. Inch by inch, yard by yard, mile by mile.
Narrator: Animal agriculture is a practice that is running out of time. John Gibbons, environmental journalist, explains, talking first about worldwide land use and then zooming in on Ireland.
John Gibbons sound clip: How we use our land is probably, ah, really important, right? Half our habitable land is used for agriculture. Of our agricultural land, globally, 77% - over three-quarters - is given over to livestock production. Which is grazing land, including arable land. 77%. Yet, that 77% is only producing 18% of the global calorie supply, and 37% of the global protein supply. So, even though crops only account for less than a quarter - ah, crops for human consumption - less than a quarter of the land use globally, they're producing 83% of the calories. So what that tells you is, we have a system, ah, livestock based systems are incredibly inefficient way of feeding people. Incredibly inefficient way of feeding people! And any country, like Ireland, that is expanding its livestock in the teeth of a climate emergency, is flying in the face of science.
Narrator: The farmers here are not to blame. They are caught in the system of subsidies, and even with that, many find themselves lumbered with spiralling debt. The Irish agri-food industry likes to pit the farmers against anyone who is advocating for plant-based foodways.
It's a well-worn Machiavellian tactic. As he said; tyrants do not care if they are hated, as long as those under them do not love one another. If the tyrannised are busy squabbling with each other, with imagined enemies, then they don't have the time or the energy to question their real oppressors.
Vegans and vegetarians don't hate farmers. Many Irish citizens wish that farmers could be subsidised to grow far more fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, so we wouldn't be in the ridiculous situation of having to import these products while exporting most of the meat and dairy that's produced here. It would be in all our interests.
John Gibbons sound clip: These are some of the pressures that animal-based agriculture are applying to our global ecosystem: rainforest destruction, deforestation, habitat loss, nitrous oxide, climate change, wildlife destruction, etc. Now, this is from the Chatham House study from a couple of years back, and they said that without a significant reduction in global meat-eating, keeping global warming below 2 degrees will be nearly impossible. Tackling unsustainable meat consumption is therefore a necessity, okay? This is just science, nothing to do with how you feel about that consumption. This is the basic numbers on this. We have to, we have no choice. Researchers calculate that reining in meat consumption to the recommended level would cut agricultural emissions of GHGs by 29%. A global shift to a vegetarian diet would slash emissions globally from the system by 63% and ease all kinds of problems, from deforestation to desertification, eutrophication, water stress and free the land available to grow - to grow food directly for humans and also, by the way, to give land back to nature, to allow rewilding, to allow natural systems to recover. We have hammered nature over the last number of decades. We have to...we have to give nature back space to recover, and if we don't, we're goosed.
Narrator: And incidentally, if meat and dairy are held to be so ingrained and instinctive, why do we have so many ads for them? Why is it constantly being pushed at us? You mightn't think there are a lot of ads...wait 'til you go vegan, you suddenly realise they're everywhere. All these normalised images of dead animals. A lot of vegans and vegetarians find these images gruesome and upsetting, but there they are, on billboards, in bus-stops and flashing up on your computor and phone screens. Maybe you're thinking that the people who find these images upsetting should just grow up...ahh, snowflake vegans. But here's the other side of the story. When Sandra Higgins wanted to buy advertising space for the Go Vegan World campaign, she was told that her ads were too provocative and upsetting. The ads contained no graphic images, just ordinary photos of cows and pigs and lambs, with short paragraphs describing various farming practices. So, images of barbequeued meat are fine, but images of the live animals, with short descriptions of their very short lives, hmm, that's too upsetting. If you find yourself swayed by these ads for meat-eating, you're not alone.
Sound clip of advertising: Steak, that's what a man eats. Made from stuff guys need. Eat like a man, man.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, sound clip from The Gamechangers movie {with advertising voiceovers}: There's no one that can relate to that better than I do because I've lived in that world. Steak, is for men. {Go meat!} They show those commercials, burgers, George Foreman with the grill, and the big sandwiches and all that stuff. {Eat like a man and be full like a man} This is great, great marketing, by the meat industry. {Serious man food} Selling that idea that real men eat meat. {You'll look like more of a man with a quarter-pounder in your hand}
But you've got to understand, that's marketing. That's not based on reality.
I ate a lot of meat. I ate my ten, fifteen eggs a day and, you know, had my 250 grams of protein a day, because I weighed 250 pounds. {The one and only, Arnold Schwarzenegger!} But as I got older and as I started reading up on it, I recognised the fact that you really don't have to get your protein from meat, or from animals as far as that goes. So we start going more in the direction of vegetarian kind of a diet. Now, with doing it the right way, with the right spices, all of a sudden I love it much more than the meat. And, you know, the cholesterol went down, to around 109. It was the lowest that it ever was in my entire life.
Narrator: But even if we'd all rather be eating plants, we're told that, in Ireland, we have little choice because the Irish geology and climate is not conducive to growing plants. Huh. In 2019, a book was published called 'The Wild Food Plants of Ireland'. It's a beautiful book, packed with information and details about all the plants that grow naturally in Ireland, and, in reading it, you can easily see how the ancient Irish would have everything they needed in the plants available to them on the land. Hazel trees can be found almost anywhere in Ireland, and yet, most hazelnuts we use here are imported. As the book says, there's enormous scope for the revitalisation and support of an indigenous industry based around hazel trees.
You can also read about familiar wild foods, such as blackberries, sloes, elderberries and nettles, along with the less well-known sea-beet, sea-kale and sea-buckthorn, which are not all necessarily found at the sea. Seaweed is found at the sea and here in Ireland we are literally surrounded by this highly nutritious food. Fat hen, also called white goosefoot, is an extremely common plant and it has seeds that are high in vitamin A, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. So, there you go, to everyone who is so worried about vegans and their calcium, I have two words for you - Fat Hen.
Veganism is growing in popularity all around the world. It's not a fad, it's not a craze, it's a movement of people who want to live lives that are totally animal-friendly. And the fact is, that without these people, we're going to end up trying to bargain with the immutable laws of nature, much like the Jennifer Connelly character, pleading with Keanu in The Day the Earth Stood Still.
The Day the Earth Stood Still movie, sound clip: [JC] I need to know what's happening. [KR] This planet is dying. The human race is killing it. [JC] So you've come here to help us. [KR] No, I didn't. [JC] You said you came to save us. [KR] I said I came to save the earth. [JC] You came to save the earth...from us. You came to save the earth from us. [KR] We can't risk the survival of this planet for the sake of one species. [JC] What are you saying? [KR] If the earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. There are only a handful of planets in the cosmos that are capable of supporting complex life. [JC] You can't do this. [KR] This one can't be allowed to perish. [JC] We can change, we could still turn things around. [KR] We've watched, we've waited and hoped that you would change. [JC] Please. [KR] It's reached the tipping point, we have to act. [JC] Please. [KR] We'll undo the damage you've done and give the earth a chance to begin again. [JC] Don't do this, please, we can change...we can change. [KR] The decision is made. The process has begun.
Narrator: The time to change is now. We often hear about the vegan athletes and world-record holders, the vegan actors or influencers, but there are actually millions of everyday, run-of-the-mill vegans: doctors, factory-workers, bakers [music fading in - Can You Feel My Heart, Bring Me The Horizon], teachers, farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, tech engineers, students, writers, airline pilots, podcasters, politicians and cyber-thrash musicians....[music playing]...Bring Me The Horizon, I hear ya. Anyway, as far as Irish vegans go, far from being unpatriotic, it's good to know that we're actually reviving and upholding our true ancestral food culture. Last word to you, Dr Wrenn.
Dr Corey Lee Wrenn sound clip: I do see that there kind of like a foodie movement that has emerged in the recent decades, where there's more and more curiosity about old foods and old diets and old menus and recipes, uh, like seaweed is getting a...seeing a resurgence, but I think that there's a lot of room to actually re-imagine that veganism is something indigenous to Ireland, not just something from elsewhere, like tofu and tempeh and falafel, which are all...which have all been staples of the vegan diet...but they're from elsewhere, right? So it doesn't just have to be like, foods of the world.
What about even here in Ireland, because I think that's one of the cruelties of the colonial process, is that it has stripped away that rich heritage of Irish cuisine, it's been lost. And I think that now’s the time for us to revisit that.
How can we then ride this crest of the vegan wave and apply it to these post-colonial spaces where food has been dramatically transformed and generally not for the best? We've transformed these countries into meat and dairy-based, like, factories basically where people are just gorging on this junk and non-human animals are dying by the billions.
What if we can remember what was food production and consumption like before all that happened? And so, this is something that is now at a tipping point and Irish culture is gonna have to decide how it wants to deal with it. Right? So do we wanna harken back on that nation-building legacy of colonialism, or do we wanna see veganism as something that's more endemic to indigenous Irish foodways?
[Irish music playing]
AF: Well said. Well, sin e an sceal anois. Go raibh mile maith agaibh as eisteacht, agus fheiceann sibh an chead uair eile. {Well, that’s the story now. Thanks a million for listening, and I’ll see you next time}.
[Irish music fading out].
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Limerick Animal Welfare rescue and rehome dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and any other animals that find themselves homeless through no fault of their own. This episode explores the purpose-built sanctuary and meets some of the wonderful staff and volunteers. We also hear from the many animals who are living here, all getting terrific care until they find their forever homes.
Limerick Animal Welfare
Limerick Animal Welfare | Nonprofit Organization (facebook.com)
RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives - YouTube
Whereabouts of 6,000 greyhound pups a year unknown, IGB told – The Irish Times
Remains of several greyhounds found in bog 2km from Newbridge Greyhound Stadium (breakingnews.ie)
Featured Music:
Awakening Dew by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Every summer the Cliffs of Moher give rise to another generation of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and other birds who flock here for breeding season. I spend a day visiting the cliffs and here are my musings on the birds, the cliffs, eggs, conservation and bird flu. All that and The Princess Bride too!
Featured music: Kevin Keegan playing The High Reel
Featured photograph: Sarah Kilian Sarah Kilian (@rojekilian) | Unsplash Photo Community
In Your Nature: In Your Nature Ep 11 - Seabirds on Apple Podcasts
In Your Nature: In Your Nature Ep 21 - Bird Flu. on Apple Podcasts
Climbing An Branán Mór An Branán Mór Cliffs of Moher Sea Stack Climb (uniqueascent.ie)
Seabirds at the Cliffs of Moher (cliffs-of-moher-cruises.com)
The point of a Guillemot’s egg - British Ornithologists' Union (bou.org.uk)
“The Scale Is Hard to Grasp”: The Avian Flu Is a Catastrophe for Seabirds – Mother Jones
Grave Threat to Irish Seabird Colonies from Avian Influenza - BirdWatch Ireland
Cliffs of Insanity - YouTube
Princess Bride - The Sword Fight - YouTube
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Chatting about whales, dolphins and porpoises - that's cetaceans to you and me - with Sibéal Regan of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. If you want to know about sightings and strandings, dolphin anatomy, cetacean friendships, sailing on the Celtic Mist and why we want Fair Seas, jump in!
Episode Photo - Common Dolphin, Pádraig Whooley
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (iwdg.ie)
Sail With Us | Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (iwdg.ie)
Short video of bait-ball activity: sardines being eaten by big fish from below and seabirds from above. Shearwater Attack! | Blue Planet | BBC Studios - YouTube
Our Centre | Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (iwdg.ie)
FairSeas | Building a Movement of Ocean Stewardship
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A topic often neglected by humans, but vitally important to the animals involved - ethical farming. Caroline Rowley, of Ethical Farming Ireland, talks about the many issues that concern the organisation - dairy farming systems, live export, pig welfare and the climate effects of farming.
And why it's so important to be aware of where our food comes from.
[Update: July 2022 - Ethical Farming Ireland launches judicial proceedings against the Minister for Agriculture. Court hears cruelty claim over transport of calves (rte.ie) ]
Ethical Farming Ireland - Campaigning for farm animals
Ethical Farming Ireland - Home | Facebook
THECALFATFOOTDAIRY - Home
Investigation into the export of unweaned calves to mainland Europe - Ethical Farming Ireland
ANIT Committee vote: a missed opportunity failing animals and citizens | Eurogroup for Animals
Dr Tamara Bronckaers: ‘Vet scandal was affecting my family life. I wasn’t sleeping, I was crying a lot, I was scared going into work’ - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
Lay of the Land: Shipping animals to war zones doesn’t bother our brave MEPs - Independent.ie
Exclusive: livestock ships twice as likely to be lost as cargo vessels | Environment | The Guardian
Ireland has imported 98,000t of animal feed ingredients from Russia this year - Farming Independent
Laura Kehoe - Home (weebly.com)
Read the Noteworthy investigation stories here: Noteworthy
Featured Music:
San Fran by Schematist | http://www.schematistmusic.com
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Chatting to Susan Mills - animal portrait artist - about science, art and her book of portraits and stories, The Human Rescuers. I also met her three inimitable dogs: Bonny, Peanut and Baby.
Susan Mills Animal Art Prints and Paintings
Gift For Animal Lover | The Human Rescuers
Animal Help Kerry - Home | Facebook
How Dogs Love US (gregoryberns.com)
A Marriage in Dog Years by Nancy Balbirer (goodreads.com)
Featured Artwork: Cooper, by Susan Mills.
Featured Music:
Homemade Gelato by Schematist | http://www.schematistmusic.com
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Walking the Connemara hills with SARDA Ireland
Dedicated to the training and deployment of Air Scenting Search and Rescue Dogs, SARDA Ireland’s objective is to assist in the search and rescue of missing persons on the hills or wherever they may be.
I spent a few hours being their dogsbody, that is, acting as a 'missing person' for the dogs to find. I spoke to Edelle (and Jessie) and Jarlath (and Sid and Shadow) all about the technicalities, difficulties - and fun! - of working with search and rescue dogs.
Learn more about their work here: SARDA Ireland | Search and Rescue Dog Association
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Welcome to the Animal Friendly podcast - this 2 minute introduction tells you all about the show's format and features.
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