As the university year rolls to a close, it’s time to look back on the rise of the Plant-Based Universities campaign! Students across the UK are standing up and demanding their institutions listen to the science and make the just and sustainable transition humans, animals and the planet need to see.
How Change Happens
Reflections on Rebellion – How People Power can Take the World By Storm The recent documentary Rebellion tells the story of how Extinction Rebellion went from a vision to a global movement. This blog post reflects on the theory of change behind both Extinction and Animal Rebellion and how we can build transformative people power. What if I told you that one book held the answers to achieving positive social change? Would you believe me? When I first picked up a book that claimed to do just that, I was sceptical. I was at a stage of my life where, after becoming aware of the scale of injustice affecting animals, humans and our planet, I was increasingly desperate for any[…]
Plant-Based Universities campaigners drop banners on 3 London universities highlighting climate crisis
Students from 3 prestigious universities have unfurled large banners and let off non-toxic smoke flares at key university locations in order to confront their institutions on their cafes and restaurant’s impacts on the climate. The students say they plan to remain in place for one hour before peacefully dispersing. Sofia Carolina Fernandes Pontes, 25, student at London Metropolitan has said “It’s simple, universities have to act on the climate crisis and that begins with their menus. We know that industries like meat, fish, and dairy are driving climate collapse, deforestation, and ocean dead zones. This is all whilst we produce enough to feed ten billion people, yet have hundreds of millions starving all over the world because of our woefully[…]
The Marine Stewardship Council: A flawed sheen of respectability for an industry in denial
When faced with a crisis, making something slightly less bad won’t cut it. There’s making a real difference and then there’s green-wash. The UK-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) falls firmly into the latter category. So what’s wrong?
Protestors block London’s last slaughterhouse to demand community gardens
Animal Rebellion campaigners are calling for an end to the last slaughterhouse in London in a protest against climate change and animal suffering. Early this morning, Gardens Not Slaughterhouses campaigners blocked the trucks coming out of the Kedassia chicken slaughterhouse in East London, disrupting its operations. The protestors have climbed an empty truck, preventing it from leaving. Those involved said that they waited for the chickens to be taken inside before blockading the entrance so as to not prolong their suffering, but are now disrupting the operations of Kedassia slaughterhouse. Miranda Whelan, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, said “We need to build a just and sustainable future by replacing slaughterhouses, which kill gentle and intelligent animals and damage the environment,[…]
Animal Rebellion paints the Marine Stewardship Council red to demand the end of fishing
Four people have sprayed the headquarters of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blood red, to call on the organisation to stop certifying the fishing industry and support a just transition to sustainable industries. Protestors from the non-violent direct action group Animal Rebellion used modified fire extinguishers to spray the building red, before sitting down in the paint holding placards reading Protect the Seas – End Fishing and MSC – Stop Certifying Destruction. Orla Coghlan, a spokesperson for the organisation who attended the action today, said: “Evidence has shown that our oceans could be empty as soon as 2048 because of fishing. The MSC has a responsibility in their claims to be sustainable. They have a duty to revive the ocean[…]
Amazon Deforestation for McDonald’s Profit
If we have any chance of slowing down climate change, the rampant and widespread deforestation taking place in Latin America must be stopped, and fast. Many of us are aware of the monumental problem that is deforestation and make efforts at an individual and collective level to recycle, use less paper, and donate to charities who plant trees. However, what we might not be aware of is that we are sabotaging our own efforts to protect these habitats through our dietary choices, in particular by stopping off to grab a meal at one of the world’s most popular fast-food chains: McDonald’s. For those of us in the UK, we may wonder how buying a burger from a McDonald’s outlet halfway[…]
Veganuary, Food System Change and the Responsibility of Corporations
More than a challenge, Veganuary is making waves in our culture and food industry. We explore how it is direct catalyst for food system change and what is the responsibility of corporations.
Doubt and Lies: the tactics of a struggling meat and dairy industry and why we won’t fall for them
Imagine you’re working for a community organisation. There’s been a problem for many years with people going hungry and an unequal distribution of food. You’ve hired someone to fix it and given them one year to turn things around and develop a plan to feed the community while having a positive impact on the environment. The year comes to an end and, reviewing their work, you find that, far from supporting the community, their solution is fragile, unstable and is having a devastating effect on the local environment. When questioned, their response is that all the reviews are wrong, their system is the only possible system and that’s that. Do you think you’d rehire this person? It’s a pretty obvious[…]
Industrial farming: Fighting for its survival
The meat, dairy and fish industries are fighting an ever more vitriolic and unpleasant but losing battle for survival. Those that speak out against them are attacked from all sides, as a Spanish politician recently discovered.