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VEGI-INFO BELGIEN
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Dear Readers,
not even astrologists could have foreseen that the last quarter
of the year 2001 would turn out like it did: dramatic events shook the
world community and upset the individual. Violence cost many lives and
made even those far away from hot spots fear for their safety. In an atmosphere
of uncertainty I found the following article by Mark Bekoff especially
comforting and that is why I would like to share it with you.
In hoping that the New Year is going to bring peaceful solutions
and improvements for the living conditions of all, people and animals,
I wish you and your families a happy 2002.
Herma Brockmannn
VEGI-INFO Belgien 26, Rue Moncoureur, 7011 Ghlin, Tel 0032 (0)65/362584
e-mail OfficeBE@vegetarismus.org
In this edition will find the following information :
· Mark Bekoff: Hope is the Answer When Things are Grim
· Nature's pharmacy: The Ancient Greeks ate a clove a
day to stay healthy
· Retiring farmer gives last pig to animal rights group
· Vegetarian diet cuts cholesterol in young women
· Take Five
· Recipe of the month - Chilli with soy mince
· Feline good ... Custard taking a dip in hydrotherapy
pool
· Ｗhale protection in Japan: "Whale conservation Coalition
of Japan"
· Monkeys get brandy winter warmer
· Germany: Tons of Beef to Be Destroyed After Faulty BSE
Tests
· EU Drops Remaining Foot-And-Mouth Restrictions on British
Livestock Exports
· UK: The cost of foot-and-mouth
· Demonstration in London against live animal export trade
on 9 Feb 2002
I am a patient and compassionate activist who believes that “getting my hands dirty,” getting out there and showing people about the horrible things we do to far too many animals, is the best way to make long-lasting changes in their hearts and heads (for a wonderful discussion of the trials and tribulations of activism and also of its innumerable fruits, see Julia Butterfly Hill’s book “The Legacy of Luna”). Indifference is deadly. My activism centers on getting people to think and to tell me why they think, feel, and act the ways they do. I also am careful not to get too involved debating opponents over and over again, for this diversionary tactic takes time and energy away from being pro-creatively active. We only have a finite amount of energy that can go into different activities. As an unwavering dreamer and optimist, I often feel victimized by hope. Nonetheless, it is my passionate dream that changes in attitude and heart will ultimately bring forth harmony in the relationships between animals and humans, for nonhuman animals will forever be competing with humans, their dominant, big-brained, mammalian kin. Without a doubt, the animals are likely to lose most of these encounters as humans continue to try to redecorate (manage, control) nature for their own selfish ends.
Activism for animals has also helped me tap into my own spirituality for there are numerous costs to activism—harassment, intimidation, humiliation, and frustration—that often become personal. I have felt the effects of attempts to silence my asking questions about the re-introduction of Canadian lynx into Colorado as well as my questioning why dogs had to be killed in physiology courses in medical school for students to learn about life. (I left a graduate medical program because I did not want to kill cats or dogs as part of my education “in the name of science.” I did not want to kill animals to learn about life and gave up a life-long dream.) Such assaults made me dig deeply into my heart in my efforts to understand and to explain to others why I was doing what I was doing, whether it was organizing protests to save animals or partaking in candlelight vigils and prayer services for animals who had been killed. Suffice it to say, compassionate people who push the envelope can easily engender the wrath of small minds. (I was once called a “flake” by some of my colleagues for my position on animal rights. I was flattered and wondered why they were taking the time to engage a flake—surely they have better things to do with their valuable time!)
One worldview that drives me is that I believe that every individual counts and that every individual makes a difference. As Margaret Mead noted: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Creative proactive solutions drenched in deep humility, compassion, caring, respect, and love need to be developed to deal with the broad range of problems with which we are currently confronted. Activism often underlies their formulation and implementation.
My own spirituality and hope are based on a deep drive for a seamless unity— wholeness, holism, oneness—motivated by compassion, respect, and love. During my brief tenure on earth as a visitor to this wondrous planet, I am more than happy to open the door of my heart to all beings. I am a dreamer and envision a unified peaceable kingdom—a peaceful kinship—based on respect, compassion, forgiveness, and love. It is essential to maintain hope when things are grim. A firm commitment to make this world a better place for all living beings and a deep belief that a collection of individuals working together can make a difference is what keeps me going, forever.
"There is no reason why *most* people cannot be vegetarians
or even vegans.
These diets are far more healthy than those that include animal
meat and they are much more ethical and humane. No one can argue that
a world with less cruelty and more respect, compassion, humility, grace,
and love wouldn't be a better place in which to live and to raise our
children and theirs."
Marc Bekoff to Vegi-Info in December 2001
Marc Bekoff teaches biology at the University of Colorado. One of his books is “Strolling With Our Kin: Speaking for and Respecting Voiceless Animals” - Lantern Books
Thirty years ago, it was the most reviled foodstuff in Britain - a reeking, continental affectation that could ruin a decent spaghetti bolognese and make a trip on the Paris Metro unbearable. Now, in these cod-Mediterranean, Jamie Oliver days of aioli, hummus and gaz- pacho, we are warming to Europe's most pungent herb and using it in excess while garlic powders, pills and supplements are prominent on chemists' shelves. The current thinking is that garlic doesn't just taste good roasted or fried, but is a source of vitamins C and E, protein, calcium, cobalt, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur and zinc. Last year, scientists at Wolverhampton University concluded that garlic could kill the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers, while in March, Yuji Karasaki at Kitakyushu University reported that the protein lectin, extracted from garlic, inhibits the growth of cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells intact. Then, in May, garlic producers rejoiced when a US trial showed that 72 volunteers who took a daily Allimax capsule (containing allicin, the main active ingredient in garlic) were one-third as likely to develop a cold as the 72 who took a placebo. If they did succumb, they recovered more quickly.
Though the pro-garlic lobby is vociferous now, the herb has traditionally had a bad press. The Roman satirist Horace declared it "more poisonous than hemlock" and said it made him ill. (Indeed, garlic can produce heartburn and flatulence when taken on an empty stomach - and it is not recommended for children under 12 with immature digestive systems, or during pregnancy, because it can stimulate menstrual bleeding.) In the Muslim faith, there is a legend that when Satan left the Garden of Eden, a clove of garlic sprang up where he had planted his left foot - perhaps the origin of the western idea that garlic wards off werewolves and vampires. In Ancient Greece and Egypt, however, garlic was considered magical in other ways. Greek athletes chewed it before competing, as a way of boosting energy. The Egyptian slaves who built the pyramids of Cheops were given a clove a day to sustain their strength and fight off illness.
The truth is, garlic stinks - and this has created a challenge for manufacturers of herbal supplements. Walk into any chemists and you will find coated pills to swallow whole and "odourless" capsules containing charcoal or parsley to neutralise the smell. Though many work, some interfere with the very mechanism that gives garlic its medicinal effect. In 1858, Louis Pasteur confirmed the antibacterial action of garlic (which has 1% of the strength of penicillin and was used as a cheap antibiotic in the trenches during the first world war) and biochemists subsequently linked this to the active ingredient allicin. Because allicin is unstable when heated, odourless preparations made by heating or solvent extraction may not work. What's more, allicin isn't present in the bulb itself but is produced by enzyme reaction when the clove is digested or crushed - and chewing remains the best way to release it. Last year, scientists at the University of North Carolina found no benefit in taking garlic supplements as a way of reducing the risk of stomach cancer. By comparison, those who regularly ate raw or cooked garlic cut the risk by half. That is not to say supplements should be shunned. Properly prepared, "standardised" garlic tablets can slightly lower cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, minimise clotting and generally protect the heart.
(Source: The Guardian)A retiring Belgian farmer has given his last pig away to an animal rights organisation. Hans Versteden says he wants the pig to live his life enjoying himself in the mud. Animal Rights group GAIA plans to give the pig to a children's farm where he can live out his days. Mr, Versteden, 48, has been farming at Tielt, breeding more than 1,000 pigs a year, since 1972. But he says the cost of keeping them in a "friendly environment" was so high that he had to quit. He was left with just one pig which he decided should be allowed to live out his days in peace. "It's a reaction against those awful pictures during the foot and mouth period of herds being killed and treated as dangerous waste," he told Het Niieuwsblad. GAIA chairman Michel Van den Bossche accepted the pig and promised it to donate him to a children's farm where he will live until he dies of old age.
Pre-menopausal women may be able to dramatically lower their cholesterol
levels by eating a low-fat, vegetarian diet, new research suggests. In
just 2 months of restricting their intake of fat to 10% of their total
caloric intake and avoiding animal products, 35 young women reduced their
LDL (''bad'') cholesterol levels by nearly 17% and total cholesterol by
13%, according to the recent study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine. Their report is published in the April 15th issue of the American
Journal of Cardiology. Based on these findings, everyone should consider
reducing their consumption of fat and avoid meat and meat-based products,
advised Dr. Donna Hurlock, one of the authors of the study. ''The bottom line
is humans were designed a lot like gorillas and gorillas are vegetarians,''
she told Reuters Health. The low-fat diet was also found to reduce menstrual
cramps in pre-meno-pausal women, a factor that motivated many of them to stick
to what might be considered a very restrictive eating pattern, Hurlock noted.
The 6-month study was based on a low-fat, vegetarian diet consisting of grains,
vegetables, legumes and fruits, but absolutely no animal products -- the
only source of dietary cholesterol. For the first 1 to 2 months, the women
ate their normal diet and had their cholesterol levels measured. After this
initial period, they were divided into two groups: those who continued to
eat as they always had but took a vitamin B12 supplement (a vitamin found
mainly in animal products); and women who followed the low-fat, vegetarian
diet. After the 2-month period, the groups switched diets. However, the
diet did have a downside. While LDL (''bad'') cholesterol and total cholesterol
fell, so did HDL (''good'') cholesterol, Hurlock told Reuters Health. ``I
wish it showed that HDL went up, but it didn't.'' The researchers do not
know why this occurred, or why triglycerides (fatty acids) rose when a
low level of triglycerides is considered healthier, she admitted. In addition
to lowering their cholesterol, women benefited by losing about one pound
per week while on the diet. As a result of these findings, Hurlock suggests
that all Americans should follow a diet comprised of only 10% to 15% of
fat. ``I recommend it for my 8-year-old daughter and for anybody who wants
to stay healthy,'' she said.
SOURCE: Reuters/American Journal of Cardiology
Fruit and vegetables are brimming with fibre, vitamins and minerals, and because they're low in calories, they're a healthy addition to any diet. Scientific studies have shown that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables may have a lower risk of getting illnesses, such as heart disease and some cancers. For this reason, health authorities recommend to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day - and it doesn't matter whether they're fresh, tinned, frozen, cooked, juiced or dried.
One portion is:
- One piece of medium-sized fruit - e.g., an apple, peach, banana
or orange.
- One slice of large fruit, such as melon, mango or pineapple.
- A few handfuls of grapes, cherries or berry fruits.
- A small handful of dried fruit.
- A glass (roughly 100 ml) of fruit or vegetable juice.
- A small tin (roughly 200g) of fruit.
- A side salad.
- A serving (100g) of vegetables, e.g. frozen peas, boiled carrots
or stir-fried broccoli.
- The vegetables served in a portion of vegetable curry, lasagne,
stir fry or casserole.
Put a pan over low heat and add the oil and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
Add the onions and fry until they are golden
Add the tomatoes plus juice. Stir and book for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Add the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper plus the chilli powder
Mix and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the soy mince and the vegetable stock and mix.
Add the beans, mix again and put a lid on. Cook for 5 minutes and
taste
Serve with a spoonful of soy-cream.
MIAOW’S about that! Custard the cat has amazed his owner — by taking up swimming in a hydrotherapy pool built for DOGS. Proud Sue Slade who runs a property management business, hit on the idea of hydrotherapy for her pet after he kept falling over — and a vet diagnosed weak hind legs. A pal whose dog suffered from a similar condition told how swimming could help. Now Custard loves nothing more than his trips to the pool at St Andrew’s Farm Kennels in Brooks Green, West Sussex. He wears a special harness as he does the moggy paddle — miaowing with pleasure. Sue, of nearby Warninglid, said: "Custard’s legs are now so strong he can even jump up on to the kitchen table. I’m delighted."
In November 2001, an anti-whaling Coalition in Japan was founded by the Dolphin and Whale Action Network, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Greenpeace Japan and Japan Whale Conservation Network as thecore members, having Ms Naoko Funahashi who is representative of IFAW in Japan as director. This new coalition will call for the following points:
1. Whales are wild large mammals with a long pregnant period, only one
calf at a time, thus not suitable for commercial exploitation.
2. There are whale populations not yet recovered from depletion
>from commercial whaling. The resumption of such whaling will cause expansion
of this industry and also stimulate poaching and smuggling. This may include
illegal hunting of endangered species.
3. Even now, protected whale species are found in markets, when
only limited trade in whale meat exist. Control and management of the
market would be almost impossible.
4. Whales in the high seas do not exist for whalers. It is time
to consider economical value of whales not just for food resources but
as tourism or education resources.
5. Current science is not sufficient to fully understand and manage
the ocean’s ecology, Japan should not claim to cull whales for management
purpose.
6. Unlike post-world war II, whale meat is not a source of necessary
protein to the Japanese people. There is report that a Japanese only take
1 gram per year in average.
7. Whale meat is highly contaminated as whale is the top of the
food chain, has long life and is warm-blooded. Eating such meat and blubber
is extremely dangerous to humans. Also it should be considered as a serious
threat to the whale population in future.
8. Economically successful countries particularly should restrain
from commercial whaling as whales are limited natural resources. Japan
should promote protection of natural resources instead of consumption.
9. It is a national problem that Japanese government uses its tax
money for "scientific" whaling to protect a single industry and uses
ODA funds to buy votes from developing countries.
Monkeys are being given brandy to keep warm during the winter at a zoo
in India. Lucknow Zoo's 35 primates will get a daily dose of brandy to
keep their spirits and temperatures up. The apes will get a mixer of brandy
with warm water and served in special glasses. The size of the shot will
depend on the age, size and weight of the primate. "Since apes and monkeys
have a digestive system that is almost similar to that of human beings,
they will have no problems digesting the drink,'' Lucknow Zoo director B.
Prabhakar told The Asian Age newspaper. Only primates will be getting brandy
though. Other animals will have to make do with a high protein, high calorie
diet to stay warm through winter. Temperatures in northern India dip to
near freezing during the winter months of December and January.
Ananova Ltd Dec 2001
Following the recent discovery that testing procedures in Bavaria designed to detect mad cow disease, or BSE, were carried out negligently, almost 8,000 tons of beef will be taken off the market and destroyed, it was announced on Monday. The Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture Ministry said that the meat of all animals over 24 months of age that had been tested for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in an unlicensed laboratory in Westheim would be declared unfit for human consumption and recalled.
Authorities say the measure affects some two-thirds of the 39,500 cattle tested in Westheim in central Franconia. Each animal contains about 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of meat. The decision has not been made because there is an acute hazard to health, the ministry said, but "because last doubts concerning the safety of the tests that had been carried out could not be eliminated." The measure was agreed upon on Sunday at a three-hour meeting between the German government and the states. Even more embarrassing for the government is the fact that some of the meat in question was part of an aid shipment of beef to North Korea. That consignment will also have to be destroyed. Bavaria's consumer protection minister, Eberhard Sinner, said the European Commission had earlier declared that most of the meat analyzed in Westheim was unfit for consumption, but added that the national government and the states agreed it posed no immediate health hazard to consumers.
Last year, significant quantities of beef that had been inadequately
tested for the brain-wasting disease also came onto the market in Rhineland-Palatinate.
That state's government has meanwhile withdrawn the licenses of two private
laboratories due to faulty BSE tests. Margit Conrad, the state's Social
Democratic environment minister, said two private laboratories --
one in Ludwigshafen and one in Mainz -- had failed to carry out the tests
properly and violated the instructions of test manufacturers. Ms. Conrad,
who said the meat of the tested animals had most likely been eaten by now,
has withdrawn the two institute's licenses. The minister said in many cases
the Ludwigshafen laboratory had carried out the tests negligently and had
documented them insufficiently. The institute in Mainz shortened one of
the most important test steps from 60 minutes to 45 minutes in violation
of the manufacturer's instructions, she said. Ms. Conrad said there was no
indication that a positive test had been mistakenly issued as negative, but
she did say that in light of the deficiencies, "there could be no final certainty
about the accuracy of the tests."
(Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Feb. 4, 2002)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European Union veterinary experts have voted to allow Britain to resume exports of sheep and goats, lifting remaining restrictions imposed during last year's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the EU said Wednesday. Exports will be able to resume, once the decision is approved by the EU head office. However, sheep and goats will still need to go through 30 days of quarantine before they are shipped abroad. The EU has gradually phased out the total ban on British meat and livestock exports imposed after the outbreak began a year ago and lifted bans on pig and meat exports. Britain has had no cases of the highly contagious disease since Sept. 30 and the World Organization for Animal Health declared Britain was free of the disease on Jan. 23. The outbreak affected more than 2,000 British farms and led to the slaughter of more than 4 million animals, including 3.3 million sheep.
Play a part in ensuring that the cruel and unnecessary live animal export trade is never allowed to resume - Join CIWF's March for Compassion with Joanna Lumley, Gwyn Prosser MP and a live samba band on Saturday 9th February 2002 – 1 pm
Meet on North Carriage Drive, Hyde Park and march to Trafalgar Square for an unforgettable rally with special guest speakers.
It's been almost a year now since any farm animals left our shores to face the horrors of live exports, but UK farmers have made it clear that they want to re-start trade as soon as possible. Without your help, the appalling journeys which 900,000 animals face every year could resume as soon as this Spring. If you want to see this cruel trade abandoned for good, march with us. Call Sarah on 01730 264208 for more information or to register your interest.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Compassion in World Farming
Charles House, 5A Charles Street,
Petersfield, Hampshire, UK, GU32 3EH
Tel: 01730 264208, Fax: 01730 260791 - www.ciwf.co.uk
“Campaigning to end the factory farming of animals and long distance transport through hard-hitting political lobbying, investigations and high profile campaigns”
The vegetarian lifestyle has gained momentum during the last years. But enormous quantities of meat are still being “produced“ and the complex scope of this fact is not well known, not even to some vegetarians themselves. That is why VEGI-INFO Belgium, in connection with the organization Schweizerische Vereinigung für Vegetarismus (SVV) aims at informing people about the consequences of this life style. All aspects are being considered (health, politics, ethics, ecology, animal welfare, religion....).
For more information: VEGI-INFO Belgien
B 7011 Ghlin, 26, Rue Moncoureur
OfficeBE@vegetarismus.org
www.vegetarisme.ch/be