Interview with Andrew Knight BSc., BVMS, PhD, CertAW, MRCVS, DipECAWBM-AWSEL, FOCAE

Australian bioethicist Andrew Knight is a ridiculously busy bloke. He is a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, which is dedicated to advancing the ethical status of animals through academic research, teaching and publication; the Director of Animal Consultants International, which provides multidisciplinary expertise for animal issues; and a Spokesperson for Animals Count, a British political party for people and animals. Andrew also practises veterinary medicine in London.

Not all Andrew’s ventures have been successful, however. Whilst attempting to relax he founded the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association to showcase vegan fitness. Unfortunately, this resulted in risks to life and limb from which he has yet to fully recover.

Andrew has produced over 50 scientific publications on animal issues. His key publications can be found at www.AndrewKnight.info and include a major series examining the contributions to human health-care of animal experiments. These have attracted several awards at international scientific conferences, and formed the basis for his 2010 PhD. They also provided the foundations for his 2011 book The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments.

Andrew’s other publications have examined the contributions of the livestock sector to climate change, vegan companion animal diets, the animal welfare standards of veterinarians, and the latest evidence about animal cognitive and related abilities and the resultant moral implications. His informational websites include www.AnimalExperiments.info, www.HumaneLearning.info and www.VegePets.info.

Andrew has also authored more than 30 popular publications. The most interesting concern the medicine and husbandry of supposedly mythical animals. As the world’s most published veterinarian in this esoteric field, he is well on the way to becoming the first registered specialist in Veterinary Cryptozoology (Dip. Crypt.), specialising in the medicine and surgery of animals considered extinct or otherwise non-existent by (regrettably closed-minded) mainstream biologists.

To date, Andrew’s studies have taken him to Loch Ness, remote alpine summits, Ireland and even London’s eminent College of Psychic Studies. The outstanding success of most of these trips has been only marginally diminished by the unfortunate absence to date of any of the creatures he has actually sought. Nevertheless, he remains determined to bring the benefits of modern medicine to the rarest and most wonderful of the world’s creatures, no matter how many mountains he must climb, snowfields he must ski or tropical islands he must search, and no matter how much time he must – with the deepest of regrets – take off work. Andrew’s travel adventures have been extensively chronicled in British veterinary journals, and his photos and stories are available via www.AndrewsAdventures.info.

Andrew why did you first become an animal advocate?

When I was eight, my parents gave me a book about baby animals. I looked at the pictures of baby deer and other animals, and announced I was going vegetarian. My parents smiled. It would only last a week, they thought.

A decade later, I was still vegetarian – but I didn’t trouble myself to learn or think too deeply about the issues until my early twenties. I was appalled at what was being done to people and animals around the world and rapidly became first a human-rights and then an animal-rights activist.

When I was 23, I started dating a veterinary nurse. We both went vegan in an attempt to impress each other with our ethics. Unfortunately, I also had to ditch the non-vegan sweet collection I’d been building up for years, which by then occupied a substantial portion of my kitchen. The demands of romance can be merciless.

Tell us about your pathway since.

For the next several years, I alternated between studying, working, travelling and campaigning about animal rights and other issues. I’d always thought it was who you were and what you did that were important, not what job you held. Nevertheless, it began to frustrate me when I was repeatedly asked in radio interviews what I did for a living. Once I realised that people judge the merits of your arguments by things such as your appearance and qualifications, I began to seriously wonder if I should try to get into a profession.

I considered a number of professions, but becoming a veterinarian seemed likely to enable me to advocate most effectively for animals. I was also attracted to a job that would enable me to do a great deal of good in my day to day work, and that would enable me to travel and to financially support myself and my campaigns.

And so I returned to school, studied hard and made it into Western Australia’s Murdoch University veterinary course. I had the vague idea that parts of my training might involve doing nasty things to animals, as well as a vague idea that humane alternatives probably existed elsewhere, but I was ignorant of the details of either.

Soon enough, I found myself drawn into a titanic struggle to win the right for students to ‘conscientiously object’ to harmful animal use and for implementation of humane teaching methods. By the end of my course, in 2001, Murdoch had become the first Australian university to formally allow student conscientious objection. Almost all of our invasive animal-physiology laboratories had been terminated and we’d established our first humane veterinary surgical training program.

I continued to support students across Australasia and abroad, and by 2005, several other universities had implemented humane teaching methods and conscientious-objection policies, and the first students had graduated from every Australian veterinary school without killing animals during their surgical training.

After graduation, I worked briefly for several US animal-protection organisations. Some commissioned me to conduct studies to examine the human clinical or toxicological efficacy of invasive animal research. I continued that research for about a decade, until the present time. It has resulted in a large number of published scientific studies and conference presentations, my 2010 PhD, and my book on animal experiments.

Tell us more about your book on animal experiments.

The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments was published in 2011 by Palgrave Macmillan as part of an advanced series of at least 15 texts on animal ethics being produced by the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. It combines more than a decade of research, analysis and experience in order to provide evidence-based answers to the key question: is animal experimentation ethically justifiable?

The book expands on my PhD, which critically assessed the human clinical and toxicological utility of animal experimentation. It includes over 500 scientific references, and relies on large-scale systematic reviews as its primary form of evidence. Within the medical and scientific worlds these are considered to provide ‘gold-standard’ evidence about clinical or research questions, because they pool a large amount of data and aim to minimise sources of bias. The book also comprehensively reviews alternative research, testing and educational strategies.

When considering costs and benefits overall, and particularly, the published studies examining the human clinical or toxicological utility of animal research, one cannot reasonably conclude that the benefits accruing to human patients or consumers, or to those motivated by scientific curiosity or profit, exceed the costs incurred by animals subjected to scientific procedures. On the contrary, the evidence indicates that actual human benefit is rarely — if ever — sufficient to justify such costs.

I very much hope my book will be widely consulted by students, scientists and policy-makers concerned with animal research and alternatives. One of my deepest hopes is it will be included in university libraries wherever life and health sciences or philosophy courses are offered. The book can be ordered via www.Palgrave.com.

You’re a Spokesperson for Animals Count, a UK political party for animals. What are the party’s aims?

Whilst broad concern for animals is certainly a mainstream priority, unfortunately this is poorly reflected in the policies of most political parties in the UK and elsewhere. Animal protection often ends up near the bottom of the political agenda. Meanwhile, millions of animals continue to suffer in unacceptable conditions.

Animals Count is a UK political party for people and animals, established in 2006. We branched off from the Dutch Party for the Animals, which was the world’s first party to achieve electoral success. As of 2011, they had 23 politicians elected at national, provincial and local levels. Animals Count has received thousands of votes in British elections but has not had any candidates elected yet, a fact that’s partly attributable to the UK political system, which discriminates against minor parties.

However, we aim to encourage or pressure other political parties – some of whom do have real power – to incorporate more animal-friendly policies within their own manifestos. We seek to engage them in dialogue, and we also contest seats, particularly in constituencies in which a small number of votes can determine the outcome. Losing votes to Animals Count helps other parties understand the need to better represent animal interests.

Similar parties for the animals exist in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Canada, and Australia (the Animal Justice Party). Some other parties and leaders — particularly the Greens – also have good policies for animals. Unfortunately however, this is far from uniform. While inconsistencies remain, dedicated political parties such as Animals Count will continue to represent the interests of animals within the political realm.

Why do you advocate vegan diets for companion animals?

Many people have become vegan for the sake of the animals, the environment, or their health. This has done an enormous amount of good. However, most of these caring people still continue to feed their companion animals meat-based diets, which achieves opposite effects. They do this out of fear of adverse health consequences of vegan diets, and ignorance of how these might be avoided. Accordingly, I created www.VegePets.info, which reviews in detail the health and nutritional aspects of vegan and commercial meat-based diets for companion animals.

The health hazards for dogs and cats (and, of course, for ‘food’ animals) inherent within commercial meat-based companion animal diets are numerous and difficult to avoid. Such diets provide an industrial dumping ground for abattoir waste products, meat considered unfit for human consumption, such as that obtained from animals who arrive dead, dying, diseased or disabled (4-D animals) at the abattoir; old or spoiled supermarket meat; large numbers of rendered dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters in countries such as the US; old restaurant grease, complete with high concentrations of dangerous free radicals and trans fatty acids; and damaged or spoiled fish, complete with dangerous levels of mercury, PCBs and other toxins.

These diets may contain pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses and even prions, and their associated endotoxins and mycotoxins – and particularly when manufactured in countries like the US, they may contain hormone and antibiotic residues and hazardous preservatives.

Diseases described in the scientific literature as more common following long-term maintenance of cats and dogs on meat-based diets include kidney, liver, heart, neurologic, visual, neuromuscular and skin diseases; bleeding disorders; birth defects; immuno-compromisation; and infectious diseases (e.g., DiBartola et al. 1993, Dow et al. 1989, Freytag et al. 2003 and Strieker et al. 1996 — see www.VegePets.info).

My veterinary experience over many years leads me to believe that so-called degenerative diseases such as cancer, kidney, liver and heart disease are probably much more common than would occur naturally – and I think some cases are probably exacerbated, if not directly caused by, the hazardous ingredients in many meat-based diets.

Vegan diets aim to meet all the nutritional needs of cats or dogs using only plant, mineral and synthetically-based ingredients. There is absolutely no scientific reason why such diets cannot be formulated to meet all of the palatability, nutritional and bioavailability (which primarily refers to digestibility) needs of cats, dogs, humans, or virtually any species. Crucially, vegan diets also avoid most of the hazards found in meat-based diets.

However, use of a complete and balanced nutritional supplement with a home-made diet, or a nutritionally complete commercial vegan diet, is essential to safeguard health. Supplements and diets may be obtained from the suppliers listed at www.VegePets.info.

Regular urine pH monitoring is also important in order to detect the urinary alkalinisation, with its consequent potential for urinary stones and life-threatening blockages, that may result from a vegan diet in a small minority of cases (most commonly among male cats). Advice on monitoring and correcting alkalinisation using dietary additives is available at www.VegePets.info.

Finally, some animals maintained on certain meat-based diets long-term may be very resistant to change. The most important factors for transitioning difficult pets are very gradual change and persistence. Additional guidance is available at www.vegepets.info.

What’s the purpose of the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association?

Veganism helps animals and the environment, and enables more efficient use of global food and water resources, thereby saving human lives too. However, many people resist these logical arguments for cultural reasons. Veganism is culturally alien to them. Some seem to imagine that vegans must endure grim and joyless lives of self-denial: no meat pies, leather jackets or animal-tested lipstick? Surely, we must dream of little more than our own untimely deaths, as we feebly stagger through our days, made pale and weak by lack of essential animal proteins? What kind of folk would subject themselves to such extremes?

I created the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association to demonstrate just how fun and fit vegans can really be. Growing numbers of athletes, as well as otherwise normal folk, have discovered some very important truths: by exercising basic consideration for the lives of those they would otherwise eat, and the people and animals who share our environment, vegans almost always become healthier and fitter! Karma, perhaps? Whatever the reason, being vegan can be seriously fun!

All who subscribe to our fun and life-affirming sporting ideals may consider themselves members of the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association. They can showcase their exploits on www.ExtremeVeganSports.org. We currently include pictures or videos of vegan body builders, bungy jumpers, cyclists, dune tumblers, hikers, mountaineers, martial artists, runners, sky divers and yodellers. I encourage your readers to send in pictures of their own exploits via the website. All sports will be considered, but participants must be vegan!

Click to view slideshow.

What advice would you give to others interested in an animal advocacy career?

Large-scale advocacy – as distinct from hands-on animal welfare work – is aimed at achieving social change. To have any chance of success, it is essential that advocates present cases that will be seen by their target audiences as reasonable and rational. They should also present messages that are as close as possible to mainstream culture, rather than alienated from it, as sometimes occurs with more militant activism. If direct action tactics are used, then they should be ones that generate mainstream support for a campaign, rather than opposition. There are some outstanding examples from Australia and elsewhere that have very effectively used humour, for example.

It’s also fundamentally important that advocates are realistic. We need to be realistic about human psychology – particularly, the psychology of behavioural and social change, in order to determine the most effective strategy and tactics. We must also recognise that in many cases, relatively small, incremental changes are the best that may be achieved, and that inappropriate tactics can jeopardise even these. Advocates should focus on perhaps one or two issues likely to result in the greatest positive change, rather than picking too many issues, or those less winnable. Our time and resources are very limited. We must combine reason with a realistic world view to ensure we achieve the maximum impact possible, both for the sake of the animals, and perhaps, ourselves.

If the possibility exists, then it may also be worth pursing a career that will maximise one’s ability to advocate for animals. Excellent choices include medicine, veterinary medicine, law, dietetics and environmental science. The movement also needs support skills such as IT, graphic design, photography and videography, management, marketing and fundraising.

Andrew Knight – what an inspiration! More interviews with amazing vegan athletes to come soon!

For those wanting to spread the cool vegan word around (your) town, we are excited to announce the launch of the Vegans Are Cool online store. From Vegans Are Cool teddy bears to t-shirts, there is the perfect gift at our store for your vegan friends and family. This is the official Vegans Are Cool store and the place to get Vegans Are Cool branded clothing for infants, children, men and women. Check us out at:  www.cafepress.com/vegans_are_cool.

Until next time, have a vegantastic day!

Kathy x

Hope you had a vegantastic New Year and are ready to embark on an awesome 2012!

I have done a bit of reflecting lately and have decided to offer the e-book(PDF) version of Vegans Are Cool free of charge. Quite an unorthodox thing to do for a book that has just launched a month ago. Yes, true. But, after thinking about the countless numbers of animals slaughtered for food and the precarious state of the planet, I have decided this is the right thing to do. I am sure this is what the animals would want. We need to get the message out as quickly as possible for them and the planet.

Vegan businesses worldwide are giving the book to their customers. I have also offered the book to animals rights organisations, to give to their members.

If you would like to get your hands on the e-book version of Vegans Are Cool, send an email to: vegansarecool@gmail.com with the subject header: I want the Vegans Are Cool e-book!

If you feel inclined, you can  “Pay what you wish” via Paypal (vegansarecool@gmail.com). The money will be used for vegan promotional activities such as vegan billboards and also to support animal rescue organisations. This is totally optional as the book is available for free to everyone that requests it.

Now I would like to share an inspiring excerpt from Vegans Are Cool from the youngest contributors. Mitch and Imogen Dawes are young vegans from Australia who are passionate about the vegan lifestyle and keen to inspire people to follow their lead.

Meet Mitch and Imogen Dawes

 How old are you?

Imogen: 6      Mitchell: 10

How long have you been vegan? Were you vegetarian before that and if so, how long?

Imogen: since I was less than one.

Mitch: since I was 4½. Our family had been vegetarian before that. My mum went vegetarian when she was a teenager, and Dad became a vegetarian after he met Mum.

What are the benefits of being vegan for you?

Mitch and Imogen: We’re healthier than other kids we know, and we have lots more energy. We hardly ever get sick, and when we do, we get better much faster than the other kids in our classes. Neither of us have had to have a day off school because of sickness for a couple of years. We like it that because of the way we eat, we don’t harm animals and we’re not supporting factory farms that treat animals cruelly.

What do other kids at school think about your choice to be vegan?

Imogen: Some of my friends tell me they would like to be vegan but their parents make them eat meat because they think they need it to be healthy. One of my friends said if you don’t eat meat you can’t be strong and healthy, but I’m stronger and healthier than her!

Mitch: Some of my friends think what I bring to school for lunch is pretty weird, but they don’t give me a hard time about it. Sometimes kids ask why I don’t eat meat, and they try to tell me it tastes really nice – but I don’t think death could ever taste nice.

Why do you think it is important to be vegan?

Imogen: Because being vegan means you don’t think you’re better than animals and that you’re allowed to hurt them and kill them and eat them. We’re animals too!

Mitch: Because we’re saving animals’ lives and it’s better for our health and for the environment. If you eat plants rather than feed plants to animals and eat the animals, you don’t need as much land to grow food. Then trees don’t have to be cut down and endangered animals’ habitats can be saved so they won’t go extinct.

What are your favourite vegan foods?

Imogen: My mum makes yummy, healthy vegan cakes that have fruits and vegetables in them. I love strawberries, mango and broccoli.

Mitch: I love Lebanese and Thai food – anything spicy! I also like goji berries, Pink Lady apples, raspberries, mangoes, kale in cashew sauce, broccoli and Brussels sprouts – really! My mum makes chocolate pudding that has beetroot, spinach and blueberries in it. It’s really yummy!

Do you have a message for other kids your age about being vegan?

Mitch & Imogen: Being vegan is good for you because you live longer, you’re healthier and you don’t get sick very often. It’s good for the animals because you save farmed animals from being killed and eaten and you protect endangered animals from going extinct. And it’s good for the environment because it reduces forest clearing, toxic runoff from factory farms and greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

Last but certainly not least, my friends Dave and Mandy from Vegan Era have put together a great 21 Day Program to revitalize your life in 2012! It starts on the 15th January. Embark on this beautiful compassionate journey to a healthier, happier you. Check it out here: http://www.veganera.com/Program.htm

May this be the year that veganism takes hold worldwide!

Until next time,

Kathy

Great news just in – Vegans Are Cool is now available to buy on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Last Friday, over 130 attended the launch party in Sydney, Australia. It was vegantastic! Lots of pics to come!

Here is a video by our cover model, the gorgeous Noel Polanco from New York, talking about Vegans Are Cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiKJmxMsxlw

The book has become available just in time for Christmas and is making a really lovely Christmas gift for those curious about the vegan lifestyle and not sure where to start, and for vegans who are keen to ‘fill in their knowledge gaps’.

Here is another sneak peak from the book:

“Climate scientists are very concerned about carbon dioxide emissions because this gas lasts for hundreds and thousands of years in the atmosphere – in fact some of the carbon dioxide released at the start of the industrial revolution is still up there, warming the world. There is a seldom-told but remarkable story of how we can draw down a large amount of this legacy gas by implementing steep cuts in animal agriculture.

 If all animal agriculture ceased:

• 60 – 80 percent of global deforestation (responsible for over a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions) would cease;
• Fire for deforestation and pasture maintenance would cease (80 – 90 cent of open fires are deliberately lit);
• 70 percent of all agricultural land could be returned to forest or natural grassland, drawing down at least 20 years of carbon dioxide emissions in above and below-ground carbon.²¹

This natural, low cost and large scale draw-down of carbon dioxide is the basis for a study by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, which reported that a global transition to a low-meat diet would reduce climate change mitigation costs by about 50 percent, a no-meat diet would reduce mitigation costs by 70 percent, while an animal free diet would reduce costs by 80 percent. This study found that up to 2700 million hectares of pasture and 100 million hectares of cropland could be abandoned, resulting in a large carbon uptake from regrowing vegetation, in addition to the substantial methane and nitrous oxide emission reductions.

Governments are increasingly faced with the stark reality of meeting these costs, more commonly in the form of extreme weather events such as the 2011 floods in Australia and the drought in China and the USA. Considering the cost of climate change mitigation alone, the diet change option offers a growing appeal when compared to high cost technological solutions such as carbon capture and storage from coal fired power stations. This argument alone is a compelling reason for diet change.”

Taken from Vegans Are Cool, Chapter 7, Livestock’s Environmental Impact by Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop and Lefkothea Pavlidis from World Preservation Foundation, pp 188-89.

 ”I grew up with a genuine love and affinity for animals, so it made perfect sense to my small-child logic that my family didn’t eat them, or products that were taken from them. I had more difficulty understanding why the rest of the world did.”

Taken from Vegans Are Cool, Chapter 4, Growing Up Vegan by Kamina Wüst, pg 128

I am heading to Melbourne this week for a launch party on Friday 16th December at 7pm at Kindness House – 288 Brunswick St Fitzroy. You are welcome to join us to celebrate!

Until next time!

Kathy Divine xx

I am thrilled to announce that the details of the Vegans Are Cool book launch have been finalised!

Join us to celebrate the launch of Vegans Are Cool - a collaborative book written by members of the global vegan community.

There will be a delicious collection of vegan yummies to sample – from cupcakes to savoury delights – you will be in vegan foodie heaven!

This is a no-alcohol, family friendly event. All ages are welcome to attend!

One of the aims of the event is to introduce non-vegans to the variety and tastiness of vegan cuisine. Please, please, please bring your non-vegan friends, family, colleagues, neighbours and significant others to enjoy the night with you and discover how cool the vegan lifestyle truly is.

The first 100 people to arrive receive a gift bag full of goodies that have been graciously provided by numerous vegan businesses.

There will also be lucky door prizes such as $100 worth of vegan cosmetics by Amina (amina.com.au). Little gifts will be on offer to take home to your canine friend courtesy of Vegepooch (www.vegepooch.com.au)and Vegan Pet (www.veganpet.com.au).

Vegans Are Cool was written by 63 vegans from around the world. Several of these beautiful people will be present at the party and available to sign copies of the book. Vegans Are Cool will be available to purchase on the night for $19.95.

To find out more about the book, please visit www.vegansarecool.com.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends.

Where: Redfern Community Centre – 29 Hugo St Redfern NSW 2016 (Sydney, Australia). Redfern Community Centre is a 2 minute walk from Redfern train station. Free on-street parking is available near the venue.

When: Friday 9th December 2011, 6pm – 9pm

Please RSVP by emailing vegansarecool@gmail.com so we can ensure there is plenty of food for everyone.

The event is also on Facebook – you can RSVP there and check out who else is attending.

You don’t need to get there exactly at 6pm, it is a casual party, so please feel free to drop by at any time between 6pm and 9pm.

If you are a vegan business and would like to have a presence at the party (by contributing to the gift bags, contributing food samples or a lucky door prize) please contact me via vegansarecool@gmail.com.

Look forward to seeing you there!

All the very best,

Kathy Divine x

p.s The venue asks that you don’t wear stilettos. It’s a wooden floor.

p.p.s. If you live in Melbourne there will be a launch there on Friday 16th December 7pm-9:30pm at Kindness House – 288 Brunswick St Fitzroy. You can check out who has already rsvped on Facebook.

Vegansarecool.com HQ is buzzing as the launch of Vegans Are Cool: A delicious collection of essays, interviews and articles by cool vegans from around the planet is coming soon! This vegantastic book will be available to buy on amazon.com, bookdepository.co.uk, amazon.co.uk, barnesandnoble.com and other major online book stores.

What is it all about?

Vegans Are Cool is a collection of writings by members of the global vegan community. The aim of this collaborative project is to showcase the knowledge, creativity and heart of individuals from a diversity of races, cultures and backgrounds. All the contributors have one thing in common: they’re living the healthy, environmentally friendly vegan lifestyle.

There are contributions from Australia, Africa, Asia, America, Europe and New Zealand. Vegan professionals from all around the world including naturopaths, a nutritionist, scientists and veterinarians contributed, as well as vegan athletes, mothers, men, chefs and business owners. Vegan children and teenagers also wrote for the book as well as people that have been vegan their entire life. Issues such as where to get vegan sources of iron, protein and B12 are discussed as well as how to undergo a successful vegan pregnancy. Building muscle and strength via the vegan diet, how to raise your children vegan, and why the vegan diet is great for the environment are other issues discussed in Vegans Are Cool.

Vegans Are Cool is for people who are considering making the switch to the vegan lifestyle as well as for vegans who would like to fill in their knowledge gaps. It is also for people who are simply curious about what living the vegan way is all about and for those who have relatives and friends who are vegan and want to learn more.

The chapters

Chapter 1 – What does ‘being vegan’ actually mean?

Chapter 2 – Let’s chat about health: yes, the vegan diet is healthy!

Chapter 3 – Cruelty-free fashion – because animals don’t need to suffer for you to look chic

Chapter 4 – Raising children on a vegan diet: yes, it’s healthy! Vegan parents and kids have their say

Chapter 5 – Vegan teens: leading the charge towards a more compassionate planet

Chapter 6 –  Can athletes thrive on a vegan diet? Yes, they can!

Chapter 7 – A sustainable planet via the vegan diet: vegans are saving the planet!

Chapter 8 – The vegan diet is great for weight loss too!

Chapter 9 – Vegan compassion: being the voice for animals

Chapter 10 – Mouth-watering vegan recipes from around the globe

Cool vegan excerpts from Vegans Are Cool

Health

In your opinion as a naturopath, is it okay or even desirable to raise children as vegans? Is there anything special we need to be aware of?

The more we learn about the dangers of eating animal products at any age, the more it seems to me that it is unwise, not to mention unethical, not to raise children on a high-nutrient vegan diet. Junk vegan diets are just as bad as junk omnivorous diets, on the other hand, and no one should delude themselves into thinking that a diet of vegan hot dogs, marshmallows and chocolate bars will give children the start in life they deserve.

The same components of animal foods that cause disease in adults, either cause those diseases in children, or lay the groundwork for them in their adult lives. For example, a high intake of animal fats causes children’s arteries to develop early atherosclerotic lesions. During the long-running Bogalusa Heart Study, researchers found anatomical changes in the blood vessels of children as young as five, who were eating the typical American diet of animal products and refined carbohydrates. Consumption of naturally-occurring growth hormones in dairy products and meat is associated with rapid growth in childhood, early puberty, elevated blood pressure, and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancer in later life.

Like vegan adults, children being raised on a vegan diet need a regular, reliable source of vitamin B12, either from supplements or fortified foods. Parents should also make sure their iodine intake is adequate, either by regularly including seaweeds such as nori, wakame and dulse in their diet or by giving them iodine supplements.

- Robyn Chuter, naturopath. Chapter 4, Vegans Are Cool.

Interviews with cool vegans

What are the benefits for you of following a vegan diet?

I strongly believe that eating animals and all their by-products isn’t good for us, isn’t natural and doesn’t provide the nutrients we need – and is completely gross. But besides all the health issues, I’d say that I live better now I act according to my values, as an animal lover. Since becoming vegan I’ve found it feels really good to look at an animal and not feel embarrassed about being human any more. Knowing that I don’t finance any type of mistreatment is simply the best feeling.

Also I’ve become much more aware of what I’m eating. I read food labels, and I always get to know exactly what’s in a specific product. As consumers, I believe we all shouldn’t be alienated, and that we should instead question what exactly we are buying and financing . . . Oh and I almost forgot: we all become good cooks, as we get creative! I don’t know even one, single vegan who doesn’t cook.

- Julia Harger, designer from Brazil, chapter 3, Vegans Are Cool. She designed the Vegans Are Cool book cover

Vegan Kids

What do other kids at school think about your choice to be vegan?

Imogen: Some of my friends tell me they would like to be vegan but their parents make them eat meat because they think they need it to be healthy. One of my friends said if you don’t eat meat you can’t be strong and healthy, but I’m stronger and healthier than her!

Mitch: Some of my friends think what I bring to school for lunch is pretty weird, but they don’t give me a hard time about it. Sometimes kids ask why I don’t eat meat, and they try to tell me it tastes really nice – but I don’t think death could ever taste nice.

Imogen and Mitch Dawes, 6 and 12 years old, Chapter 4, Vegans Are Cool.

Vegan teens

What advice would you give someone reading this who’s thinking about making the switch to a vegan diet?

Good on you for thinking about giving it a go. All I can say is that being vegan is much easier than it seems, and there’s nothing to worry about. If you think you’d find it hard to give something up, have a look at the food section of the Cruelty Free Shop website. There are so many delicious vegan alternatives to nearly everything, and whatever you order is delivered to your door.

In an article in Vegan Voice (the wonderful Australian vegan magazine that’s now unfortunately finished), I learnt that every vegan saves the lives of about 100 animals, at the very least, every year, so by becoming vegan, you’re not only being kind to animals; you’re being kind to yourself.

Genevieve Doyle, 13 years old, Chapter 5, Vegans Are Cool.

Vegan athletes

What do you say to people who think that vegans cannot be strong and fit?

Watch my videos, and check the size of the stones a vegan can catch, throw and carry. Just train and be disciplined. Focus on your goals, and know you want to change. Vegans can be fit and strong, but the important thing is to not only focus on this objective while you are doing some physical activity but to also focus on rehabilitation of natural movements. When you do these things, the consequence will be a fit body. Vegan animals such as rhinoceros, gorillas and elephants are considered the strongest in the world.

- Alex Souza, Chapter 6, Vegans Are Cool

The environment

Ecological impacts of a global shift to plant-based diets will be far reaching:

• Deforestation will rapidly drop, and reverse when forests re-grow on grazed lands;
• Grain production will reduce (current production would be 50 percent more than needed⁷);
• Greenhouse emissions will reduce by as much as 51 percent;
• Climate change mitigation costs will reduce by 80 percent;
• Extinctions and biodiversity loss will drop by 60 percent;
• Soil degradation, water pollution, air pollution and ocean pollution will quickly improve; and
• Ecological balance will be restored to our fragile environment.

Further, adoption of an organic plant-based global diet would result in:

• Rapid draw-down of greenhouse gases now in the atmosphere, to be stored in the soil;
• Soil health improving dramatically, strengthening the web of life beginning in the soil, and resulting in healthier more nutritious crops; and
• On-farm employment increasing, attracting people from cities back to rural communities.

- Gerrard Weddernburn Bisshop and Lefkothea Pavlidis, World Preservation Foundation, Chapter 7, Vegans Are Cool.

If you are in Australia, you can pre-order personally signed copies of the book directly from us. Please email your requests to vegansarecool@gmail.com. Books will be posted in time for Christmas. Personally signed copies are $26.95 which includes postage.

We are super keen to spread the message about Vegans Are Cool in order to save animals and reverse the stereotypes that exist about the vegan lifestyle. You can help by posting this link on your Facebook page, Twitter, blog and anywhere else you connect with others. Please also share with your vegan blogging friends and journalists who may be interested in writing a story about Vegans Are Cool. The most creative article written and published about Vegans Are Cool will win a personalised signed copy of Vegans Are Cool and a Vegans Are Cool eco-friendly bag. Please email the link for your chance to win!

There will be a launch party in early December in Sydney, Australia. If you would like an invitation, please email vegansarecool@gmail.com to be added to the invite list.

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks from Vegans Are Cool.

Below is all the info. courtesy of the founders of this cool vegan concept:

Sign Up NOW to the Vegan Easy Challenge!

November 1-30, 2011

There are fantastic prizes to be won by participants including $500 worth of vegan gifts and vouchers for the First Prize. As well as fun and informative activities for participants to enjoy including cooking demonstrations, a vegan shopping bus tour in Melbourne, a film night and even a vegan market day at the Port Phillip Eco Centre in St. Kilda, Victoria.

All participants Australia-wide will receive a Welcome pack with plenty of helpful information and will also have the opportunity to take advantage of the great discounts many of our sponsors are offering for the month of November.

Like the last Challenge in March, the Vegan Easy Challenge Facebook page is an excellent way to interact with the Vegan Easy team as well as other participants, and at the same time discover new original recipes, ask questions and receive great tips on everything vegan.

ALV is also thrilled to release two new videos promoting the 30 Day Vegan Easy Challenge: one features November’s VEC ambassador Chris DeRose and the other ALV’s Vice president Noah Hannibal.

If you’re thinking of eating vegan now’s the time to sign up and tell your friends too! Sign up today at VeganEasy.org and begin changing your life for the better.

I met the vivacious and beautiful Nami recently at a vegan meet up in Sydney, Australia. This sixteen year old’s passion and enthusiasm for spreading the vegan message and leading the way for other young people is truly inspiring. I was dying to know more! Here it is….

1. When did you decide to go vegan? If you were vegetarian first, when did you start being vegetarian?

I have been a vegetarian since birth, but after learning about the shocking treatment of cows in the dairy industry, I decided to try the vegan diet around a year ago.

2. What are the benefits of the vegan diet for you?

The vegan diet is so beneficial, to our body, to the animals and to the environment. I can eat delicious food without feeling guilty about where it was derived from and I feel so much more healthy!

3. Would you recommend that people go vegan? If yes, why?

I think every person should at least go vegetarian, if not vegan. People need to be aware of how horrific animals in the meat and dairy industry are being treated. It’s not right that such barbaric practices even exist! There are so many options for a cruelty-free diet so there is no reason why people should be consuming animal products.

4. Do you think animals have intelligence and can feel pain?

How can they not feel pain and have intelligence! When you see a mother affectionately cradling her baby you can not doubt that they have emotions. Animals in slaughterhouses are always trying to escape and you see the pain in their eyes. As for intelligence, many animals have proven to have far greater logical reasoning than humans. Although they can’t reason like humans, that is no excuse for killing them by such unnecessary means.Click to view slideshow.

5. Are you involved in any animal advocacy groups? Please share with us any of your current activities in this area.

I am a member of PETA and Animals Australia and write articles to various organisations when needed. I am also the ambassador for native animals at ATAAC (Australian Teens Against Animal Cruelty) and youth spokesperson for The Vegan Society NSW. This mainly involves speaking out against various animal rights issues and helping out at events

6. Do you think vegans are cool? If yes, why?

Of course! Our bodies are healthier, we are saving lovely animals and keeping the environment natural

7. Anything else you would like to add?

I would just like to make people aware of the misconceptions they have of the vegan diet. There are plenty of healthy and delicious alternatives to meat and dairy. “Addiction Food” has the most amazing deserts I have ever tasted, they are based in Sydney (addictionfood.com.au) and “Peace Harmony”, an appetizing Thai restaurant in Sydney’s CBD attracts many people! Be sure to check it out!                                                                                                                       

The aim of the book is to reach people who are considering making the switch to a plant based diet and are seeking more information and tips about how to make the transition. We also want to help vegan businesses, organisations, bloggers and vegan experts reach a wider audience and get their message “out there”!

We are looking for contributions from vegans from all walks of life, ages, industries, professions from all around the world in order to showcase the diversity of the vegan community. Vegans Are Cool – the book is a global vegan community project. We welcome your input and contribution.

If you are interested in contributing, please contact me to express an interest and to secure your spot in the book.

The following is what we are looking for in terms of contributions:

1. Essays on your area of knowledge: ie. 1500-2000 words by vegan doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, environmental scientists, veterinarians, activists, bloggers, heads/spokespersons of organisations, athletes etc…. If you know someone who fits this category but they are not tagged in this note, please either forward it to them or pass on their details to me. All contributors must be strict vegans (diet, clothing, etc… –  basically they never use or consume anything that has been tested on animals or contains animal ingredients). They must have a life-long commitment to a vegan lifestyle and have been following this lifestyle for several years.

The tone of the book will be light and positive yet informative and grounded in well-researched content. References at the end of essays are essential for credibility and to enable people to follow up for further reading purposes. We may also include a couple of opinion pieces by bloggers and others if they fit in with the feel of the book. Please contact if you think this would suit your writing style/message. Please reply with your suggested topic and a short summary.

2. Interviews – If you feel it would be better for you to respond in an interview format, the people that fit into the above category are also welcome to contribute this way. Interviews can be done via email (preferred) or via telephone/in person.

3. Top 10 tips – if you don’t have time to do an interview or essay and still want to contribute/promote yourself and/or your business, you can submit a “Top 10 Tips” page. Tips can be on any subject related to the vegan lifestyle. For example, tips for health, fashion, environment, baking, cooking, raw lifestyle, socialising as a vegan etc…

At the bottom of all contributions, a detailed blurb about your business including your website and contact details can be attached. The aim is to connect you with the book audience so they can follow up with you if they so desire.

4. Recipes – Have a favourite recipe that you have created? Original recipes are welcome showcasing how easy and delicious vegan cooking (or uncooking) can be. Both raw and cooked recipes welcome! One or two recipes are fine. At the bottom of your recipe we will include your website/blog/twitter/fb page etc… This category is open to all vegans worldwide. A diverse range of recipes from as many cultures as possible is desired.

5. If you have an idea or novel concept that you feel would be cool that hasn’t been addressed, please contact me to discuss.

We are planning to also do an interview chapter with vegan teens and vegan children.

The deadline for all submissions is strictly 10th September 2011 to ensure the book is available for pre-Christmas sales. Submissions during August would be ideal, to give more time for editing and the overall pre-publishing process.

For all inquiries please email vegansarecool@gmail.com.

Please pass on this note to anyone you think might be interested in contributing.

Thank you so much for your time.

All the Best,

Kathy Divine

www.vegansarecool.com

www.kathydivine.com

1. What inspired you to go vegan? Was there a particular moment where you made the connection or was it a gradual process?

I had been a vegetarian for the majority of my life, but when I was asked to host a gala for a farm sanctuary fundraiser, I found out how mistaken I was in my belief system. That night I learned the truth about “free-range” farming. I’d always been under the assumption that the animals being used for egg and milk production were leading comfortable, distress-free lives, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There are no government laws or standards regulating the use of terms such as “free-range” and “free-roaming” on egg cartons. Those labels generally mean that hens are uncaged but confined indoors in overcrowded sheds. For animals raised for meat, the USDA mandates that free-range chickens must have “access to the outdoors” and free-range cows/sheep must be “grass fed and live on a range.” No other criteria is stipulated, like the size of the “range,” the amount of space required for each animal, or any guidelines for animal care and handling.

On dairy farms, calves are taken away within 2 days after birth. The males are destined for veal production and are confined to small crates that are 22″ wide and 58″ long, making it impossible for them to move. That’s done deliberately to keep their muscles from developing so their flesh remains tender. They’re fed a diet of milk powder and water, that lacks adequate iron, to deliberately cause anemia in order to keep their flesh pale. Then after four to six months of this, they are killed.

This, coupled with the knowledge that dairy cows are kept in a state of perpetual pregnancy only to be robbed of the milk that their bodies are naturally producing to nourish their own offspring, was enough for me to say, “No more.”

2. There seems to be a lot more media coverage about veganism lately. Are we possibly making some progress? Do you see more people going vegan around you?

I live in a city and country where vegetarianism and veganism are more mainstream than they were even as little as a decade ago. I think we are living at a very exciting time, in terms of how society is becoming more and more open to what was always labeled and judged a “fringe” lifestyle. To be able to fly on an airplane and order a vegan meal and then land in an airport for a connecting flight and be able to find vegan options in a strip of what was once just a long stretch of carnivorous kiosks shows remarkable progress. Veganism has gone from being the shunned, ostracized nerd on the playground to being the coolest, most popular kid in school.

3. Are you involved with any particular animal advocacy or animal rights groups?

I am very proud to be associated with a number of non-profit groups who are doing extraordinary things to lessen the suffering of other earthlings. I serve on the Advisory Boards of these organizations:

Save The Chimps – http://www.savethechimps.org/ – the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary founded by the late Dr. Carol Noon. Save The Chimps is a 12 island sanctuary located on 200 acres in Florida, that is home to hundreds of chimpanzees retired from the NASA space program, bio-medical research and the entertainment & pet trades.

Born Free USA – http://www.bornfreeusa.org/ – the US off-shoot of the UK based Born Free, Born Free USA is a conservation and animal welfare charity that is run by Virginia McKenna. The organisation was founded by Virginia and her late husband, Bill Travers, who starred together in the 1964 film “Born Free”.

DreamCatcher Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary – http://www.dreamcatcherhorsesanctuary.org/ – a 1300 acre sanctuary in Northern California which was founded and is run by Barbara Clarke, an intrepid and soulful woman whose tireless advocacy for the animals humbles me. DreamCatcher takes in previously rounded up or adopted wild horses and returns them to a life similar to what they experienced in the wild. DreamCatcher also takes in aged or retired domestic horses. Many of the horses at the sanctuary were headed to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico, to be killed for human consumption in Europe and Japan.

ElephantVoices – http://www.elephantvoices.org – a non-profit founded and run by two of the world’s most respected authorities on elephants, husband and wife team, Petter Granli and Dr. Joyce Poole. Their goals are to advance the study of elephant cognition, communication and social behavior, and to promote the scientifically sound and ethical management and care of elephants. They accomplish these through research, conservation, education and advocacy.

National Equine Resource Network – http://www.nationalequine.org/ – a charity founded and run by Shirley Puga, a woman who has been at the forefront of equine rescue work for the last several years. Shirley facilitated the rescue of over 800 horses from situations where they were abandoned, abused, or scheduled to be slaughtered. A key objective of NERN is to fill a critical role of providing resources to new and existing rescues or sanctuaries. Currently many are struggling with high expenses, low donations, and a never-ending supply of horses. NERN wants to help them stabilize their business, and provide tools so they may become more self sufficient. 

Click to view slideshow.

4. Can you share with us your favourite recipe?

Ohhhhhhh my favorite vegan recipe…….Sticky Fingers Bakery in Washington, D.C. has downright addicting “Cowvin” Cookies which are oatmeal cookie sandwiches filled with vanilla cream. I only wish I could share the recipe with you, but I don’t know what it is. A recipe I do have that is unparalleled is for the Cauliflower Frito Misto from Sublime Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL – the BEST vegan restaurant in the world, owned by the glorious Nanci Alexander.

Recipe: Sublime’s Cauliflower Frito Misto

For the Sweet Chili Sauce:

• 1/3 cup water

• 4 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon paprika

For the tempura batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup rice flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 to 3 cups ice-cold soda water

• 2 heads cauliflower (about 4 pounds total), florets only

• 4 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the garnish:

• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons chopped thinly sliced scallions

To make the chili sauce: Combine water, garlic and chili flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar, sugar and paprika. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and is the consistency of syrup.

To make the batter: Combine all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of the soda water and mix just until it is incorporated. Do not over mix; batter may be lumpy. If the mixture is too thick, gradually add the remaining soda water until the batter is the consistency of syrup.

Separate the cauliflower florets by breaking them apart by hand; a small stem portion is OK. (Save the core and stem portions of the cauliflower for soup.) Dip the cauliflower florets into the batter until they are evenly coated. Heat oil to 350 degrees in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Deep-fry them in batches so as not to crowd pan, until brown and crispy. Drain well on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until golden brown.

Toss the cauliflower with the sweet chili sauce, and garnish with the sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve at once.

Makes 8 appetizer servings.

Per serving: 217 calories, 36 percent calories from fat, 9 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 milligram cholesterol, 32 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 10 grams total sugars, 30 grams net carbs, 3 grams protein, 121 milligrams sodium.

5. Has the vegan diet provided you with any health benefits?

Animal by-products are really an improper delivery device for the nutrients that our body needs. It’s like using a middle man, instead of going directly to the source. Since going vegan, my mental acuity has definitely become sharper. That has to be my favorite effect of this type of diet. But there have been so many other benefits, as well, like a decrease in my cholesterol levels, a decrease in the mucus my sinuses were producing, and of course, weight loss! Yay!

6. In the entertainment industry, there seems to be several actors and other artists that are going vegetarian or vegan. What do you think it is about these diets that is making them so popular amongst artists?

They photograph better on camera!! Their skin is clearer, their eyes are brighter, the bodies are leaner. What’s not to love?

7. Any final thoughts you would like to share with us?

I think we need to share our food with others who haven’t yet experienced life in a cruelty-free way. That’s how we effectively change the world. And with food, you don’t have to do a lot of talking. There’s never a need to get into all these lengthy arguments, you just give somebody something that tastes great and then they start asking questions. ‘Wow, that’s really meat free? That was amazing.’ And that’s how you start to shift perception. Food is the almighty persuader. 

Peace begins on your plate. 

…….

Thank you so much Mariana for sharing your inspirational words with us and for all you do to improve the lives of animals world wide.

 For more information about Mariana and her work to help animals please see www.mtosca.com and www.helpbilly.org.