Displaying items by tag: ethical

Tuesday, 02 April 2013 05:52

Is Palm Oil Vegan?

"If conscientious consumption means we avoid contributiong to suffering, palm is clearly problematic." ~ Mark Hawthorne

 

My vegan lifestyle is a continuous evolution - I'm constantly learning something new about food, nutrition, the environment, ethics, politics, etc. No wonder many people find veganism intimidating - there's a lot to consider! When I first went vegan I looked at it very simply - I didn't eat any products that came from animals and I could verify this by looking at labels, seeking out vegan certifications and avoiding the obvious (meat, dairy, leather, silk, etc). But as I became more passionate about the lifestyle and made it my career to inspire and educate others on the topic, I realized that there's a lot more than meets the eye. Some may find this overwhelming, but I believe that if we take things step by step and strive to be informed, we can each develop a well-rounded perspective on our personal choices. A perfect example is palm oil - in this article I explore this confusing and touchy subject, and offer some suggestions on how you can keep your purchases as ethical as possible

Published in Vegan 101

I was deeply saddened when the blogosphere and social media world released information about Bob's Red Mill donating money to OHSU, a facility that is known to do animal testing. I recently interviewed Bob Moore and had posted the video just days before this happened. However, I was unsure how to react and felt that there must be more to the story - it didn't seem like Bob would knowingly give money to a place that did this kind of testing. Along with many other bloggers, Tweeters, and Facebook users I communicated my feelings to the company and even touched base with one of their team members via email, who seemed very disturbed by the situation. Well, the waiting paid off - Bob published a letter tonight on the company website explaining his decision and the Dean of OHSU responded as well. Here are the highlights:

Published in Vegan 101

April 2011 was intense as far as vegan controversy goes:

That's a lot of negativity for a group of people who aim to be compassionate, and it makes me feel very sad. Instead of taking a step towards a kinder world, it feels like we're taking a step back because of anger and frustration.
Published in Vegan 101