If you’re looking for inspiration and yearning to keep active in our fight against animal agriculture, then Animal Rebellion introduces to you Hope Bohanec.

Hope Bohanec has been actively protecting animals and the environment for over 25 years. She started her journey with Earth First! and has taken part in all types of actions.

Hope is the Executive Director of Compassionate Living, based in California. Compassionate Living is a non-profit, plant-based advocacy organisation which has a huge focus on removing misinformation caused by labels on food. As consumers become more aware of what animal farms are really like, the industry has offered several “‘alternatives” such as sustainable, organic, and free-range. However, these labels do more to de-sensitise humans from the facts about their food than it does for the better treatment of Earth and the animals. Compassionate Living aims to “support ethical and eco-friendly living by highlighting the abundance of plant-based options that heal our bodies, our planet, and our relationship to animals”.

Consumers are continuously opting for labels such as “cage-free” or “free-range”. So, in 2013, Hope Bohanec published a book called “The Ultimate Betrayal: Is There Happy Meat” which explores the true costs of these products to the environment and animals. Hope deconstructs how labels misinform consumers and raises animal, global-health and food choice awareness.

For nearly a decade, Hope has been working with United Poultry Concerns, an organisation which focuses entirely on “chickens, turkeys, ducks and domestic fowl”. Hope organises projects such as the International Respect for Chickens Day and does outreach, demonstrations and fundraisers. United Poultry Concerns reveals how poultry is exploited; providing information on how the use of these birds in science, food production, entertainment and education deteriorates the relationship between humans, non-human animals and the environment.

On Friday 22nd May, 19:00–20:00 BST, Hope Bohanec is joining Animal Rebellion to share her knowledge in an interview and Q&A session on Facebook Live.

Don’t forget to book your tickets on Eventbrite in advance, to participate in the question and answering session on Zoom! If you can not tune in live, the talk will be available either on the Animal Rebellion Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Find your inspiration with Hope

Compassionate Living

United Poultry Concerns

Hope’s Podcast: Hope for the Animals

The post Hope Bohanec: An Inspiration for Compassionate Living first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

The domino effect is when one change occurs, triggering another and then another. This is the situation for many countries around the world right now. The first change always feels like the hardest adjustment but, once people get used to it happening we begin to embrace new things more quickly. Branching out of our comfort zones seems scary at first, but change is not really difficult: it is inevitable. We need to abandon the ‘business as usual’ approach and, instead, take radical action to ensure that the future we want — to live in a just and sustainable world — becomes our present. Protecting our future cannot be done by anyone alone but requires the combined efforts of governments and systemic change.

As a result of COVID-19, the UK is in a current state of lockdown, as are many other cities and countries across the world. It is highly likely that COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, meaning it was transmitted from non-human animals to humans. Other zoonotic diseases in the past include SARS, Ebola and HIV which, together, killed millions of people worldwide. Zoonotic diseases are usually spread by wildlife and farmed animals, which is exacerbated by intensive animal farming and, thus, the meat industry. A global plant-based food system will dramatically reduce our chances of contracting future zoonotic diseases, while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to mitigate the current climate emergency.

Life is very different right now. Many of us are risking our lives to go to work, whilst many others are forced to work from home or not at all. We now queue outside supermarkets, connect with friends and family through video calls, attend online quizzes and seminars, and we have more apps on our phones than ever before. We take full advantage of our daily allowance of exercise, whether we prefer to cycle, run, or walk; our time spent outside has become precious. We have had to adapt to this new way of living in a very short period of time.

The fragility of our food system has been highlighted during COVID-19. Research by the Food and Land Use Coalition found that just 1% of the yearly £560 billion government paid farm subsidies is used in ways to protect the environment; it is mostly used in destructive practices, such as deforestation. Since the pandemic began, we have seen empty shelves in our supermarkets and there are still ingredients we cannot find. Unharvested vegetables have been left to rot due to worker shortages. Fortunately, most of us will survive this pandemic, but we cannot risk similar situations in the future. We do not yet know how infectious COVID-19 is, as not all cases have been identified, but it is likely that the next pandemic will be worse. Severe food shortages are probable and the death toll may be considerably higher.

There is no denying the devastating cost of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we must find lessons in our experiences and silver linings where possible. Communities across the world have pulled together to help each other. The voluntary sector has been inundated with volunteers, as 750,000 have signed up to help the NHS alone. This influx of volunteers has not been seen since the war. Young people shop for their vulnerable neighbours, while others trade food supplies over the garden fence. WhatsApp groups have been created to connect entire streets, who give each other support and offer tips for keeping busy during the lockdown.

There are two key points to note: firstly, how quickly this transformation has happened; and secondly, how quickly we have all adapted. This begs the question: is change really that difficult? The answer will, of course, vary on an individual basis but, from a systemic and government viewpoint, the answer is, no. COVID-19 has shown us how quickly things can move during a crisis. This speed of transition needs to be applied to the climate crisis too. In politics, we are forever told that “there is no money for this and no money for that”, which squashes campaigns for new sustainable policies and practices. Though, in this pandemic, the Government appears to have suddenly found enough cash to pay 80% of millions of people’s salaries as part of the new Furlough scheme. The cost was estimated at £42 billion, and this is before the scheme was extended by a month. Not to mention the potential millions of pounds the Government may pay in big business bailouts, such as airlines.

Governments have a history of implementing new policies during times of crisis, which are designed to go unnoticed. Naomi Klein’s award winning book, The Shock Doctrine, reveals America’s exploitation of national crises to establish controversial policies. America is certainly not the only culprit at fault for doing this and, already, the UK Government is talking about bailouts, though this is rarely publicised through mainstream media. Animal Rebellion has been campaigning for #NoDairyBailouts, an industry that has been in decline for some time and which relies heavily on government subsidies. The UK Government recently declared they would not bailout the dairy industry at this time, but we must ensure they stick to their word. At the same time, we must also ensure the Government does not use taxpayers money to bailout the beef industry and airlines, both of which seriously contribute to global warming.

Claims that governments do not have enough money to lead a transition towards a sustainable future is unfounded. A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency proposes the Transforming Energy Scenario (TES), which offers ‘a sustainable, low-carbon climate safe foundation for stable, long-term economic development’, ensuring global warming remains below 2°C and in line with the Paris Agreement. The TES plans to transform energy pathways, based mostly on renewable sources and vastly improved energy efficiency. To return to ‘business as usual’ after the lockdown is estimated to cost $95 trillion globally. The TES is proposed to cost $110 trillion, though it would generate savings of an estimated $50 trillion to $142 trillion by 2050, effectively paying for itself. To pursue a ‘business as usual’ approach, when such blatantly more cost effective, beneficial and sustainable options are possible, would be sheer ludicracy.

Following this lockdown we will have one joint responsibility: not to allow a return to ‘business as usual’. By learning from these lessons, we can take action to help prevent future crises. Must we really wait for the next pandemic before humans understand the true severity of the climate emergency we are facing? One opinion poll reports that 48% of the public would like to see the government respond to the climate crisis ‘with the same urgency’ as it has done with this pandemic, and only 28% disagreed. The Government must take responsibility and act in the public’s interest; ‘business as usual’ is not a satisfactory response to COVID-19 nor the climate emergency we are facing.

COVID-19 has presented us with an opportunity — though it comes with devastating costs — for radical change. The lockdown has proved that it is possible for the Government to implement quick radical action and that humans are capable of adapting swiftly. We know there are viable proposals, such as the Transforming Energy Scenario, that will combat the climate emergency, without the added financial burden that would otherwise result from a ‘business as usual’ approach. We must act now to prevent more crises, whether related to health, economical or environmental. A just and sustainable future for all is within our reach.

The post Change is Happening All Around Us Right Now and This Could Spark Something Big first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Unless you have been living under a rock, we are all aware of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The death toll is increasing as the virus spreads rapidly around the world. On 14th March 2020, the total number of deaths increased from 11 to 21 in the UK. These numbers may sound small, but it means deaths almost doubled in 24 hours warning us of what is to come. This crisis is a taste of an ongoing ecological breakdown, a result of our systemic abuse of the environment (of which pathogens are a reactionary part, empowered by the system’s disbalance). If we continue on our current trajectory with the rate of climate change, there will be suffering on an even greater scale than we are experiencing right now. Once again, it will be the most vulnerable people who will be at most risk. We have an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and heed this warning. To prevent a more severe situation, we must take drastic action to reduce emissions to net zero by 2025 and stop global warming.

So what are the outcomes of COVID-19 so far?

Panic. People are living in fear; for themselves and their loved ones. The UK government is currently inactive in this emergency, taking a ‘wait and see’ approach disguised as ‘herd immunity’. The World Health Organisation has been very critical of this plan. They argue there is not yet enough information to suggest ‘herd immunity’ would reduce the spread of infection, stating this approach is ‘risking many more lives than necessary’. Evidence shows that elderly people or those with poor health are most at risk of COVID-19 , and we all know someone who fits this category. The severity of the situation is made real when it is likely to affect someone dear to you. Many of us will be thinking of our parents at this time. Especially as Boris Johnson’s unsettling words state ‘many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time’.

Lockdown. Some countries are already in varying stages of lockdown, whilst the UK seems to be coasting along in a state of confusion. UK citizens are calling on their government to call a lockdown for non-essential businesses and schools, as well as carrying out wide spread testing and taking private clinics into public ownership. A lockdown may help prevent the spread of the disease, protecting the most vulnerable residents. But it could also lead to social isolation and financial difficulties. Encouraging online communities and regular phone calls could reduce social isolation and the associated mental health implications. Activist groups are demanding the Government to implement a Universal Basic Income (UBI) and statutory sick pay, which would address the financial implications. The Royal Bank of Scotland has already permitted a 3 month pause on payments for their mortgage customers who may struggle while they’re out of work. The UBI would be needed to help with other outgoings, such as bills and food costs we will still incur.

Animal deaths. It is typical to focus on humans during a pandemic, but we are not the only ones who are dying; the animal death toll has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 outbreak. In China, restrictions have been imposed on the transport of animal feed, and live animals to slaughterhouses. As a result, some poultry farmers have euthanized young birds. Also, in China, pets are at risk of being killed for fear of them transmitting the virus. However, the WHO says there is no evidence that animals can catch COVID-19. In India, one poultry farmer buried alive his flock of 6,000 chickens to, apparently, prevent the spread of the disease. In addition to other farm animals who are left to starve to death due to the inaccessibility of food, these are only a few examples of how animals suffer as a result of human actions. Animal agriculture and eating meat is not only detrimental to our planet as one of the leading causes of climate change, but is putting the human species at real risk of zoonoses (diseases and infections transmitted from non-human animals).

What does the future look like?

COVID-19 is a taste of what’s to come. It’s not the beginning because we have had similar warnings in the past with SARS, Swine Flu, Ebola, to name a few. Given the continuous increase in antibiotics resistance (due to the current animal agriculture practices) it is definitely not the end of global health crises. But in the context of a climate and ecological crisis, we are in a much worse situation — we are heading for the 6th mass extinction and entire species are already dying out. We haven’t learned from the past, but we can learn now. We have a small window of opportunity to make changes and change the trajectory of our society.

Times of crisis prove that humans can adapt and make changes quickly. A lockdown would have been unthinkable just one or two months ago, but now it is a reality for millions of people. In an interesting turn of events more people may actually be saved from atmospheric pollution as a result of drastically reduced emissions during the lockdown. The WHO estimates there are 7 million deaths from air pollution annually. This is evidence that radical action is effective. We could harness this power and be even more efficient at reducing emissions, tackling climate change, and saving lives. A transition from animal agriculture to a plant-based food system would not only significantly reduce the risks of zoonoses, but also enable a just and sustainable future for all; humans, animals and our planet. When we prioritize, our decisions are made easy. It is up to the Governments around the world to take the lead in this transition and put the lives of all its citizens first. This is an emergency and we must make a radical transformation. We have the knowledge and power to preempt and prevent the next emergency by acting now.

Change isn’t difficult, but it is inevitable.

The post How is COVID-19 Predicting the Future? first appeared on Animal Rebellion.