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Animal Rights & Vegan Resources


I have dedicated this page to
Animal Rights & VEGAN Resources


I try to keep this page updated with helpful information related to 
VEGANISM
and
ANIMAL RIGHTS.

 This wasn't always a vegan website...

 I found out the truth about how much animals suffer to make products that we don't need from corporations that don't care about US, their workers, or the animals AT ALL.

 These factory farms and corporations that exploit animals to enrich themselves, their CEOs, their board members, risking our health, our environment, our lives, workers lives, and billions of animals lives
when we don't have to eat or use animals to survive as delicious plant based food is not only available but plentiful.

 It is clear that animal agriculture causes zoonotic diseases like Covid 19 (SARS, MERS, Swine Flu and Avian Flu and most viruses are a result of confined animals (livestock) connecting humans to diseases that naturally occur in wildlife. 

 Here's everything you need to know to go vegan and speak out for animal rights and help END this era of oppression


If you just want the recipes, you can head over here:
or
has some of the BEST recipes

If you are looking for VEGAN Resources in SAN DIEGO this PDF has every vegan business that exists within our community: 

Are you interested in information about going VEGAN?


Here is the information and links to my research on veganism, plant based diet, animal rights, the effects animal agriculture has on the environment and how a plant based diet promotes health. I am not a health professional but I've been compiling research from doctors, health professionals, scientists, journalists, activists, the government, animal rights groups, and more. 

I thought I'd start with the definition of veganism and then roll into everything you will ever need to know about going vegan AND becoming an animal rights activist because it is more important than ever to get others to join our cause to save our species and every other species we can while we face the 6th mass extinction with as much compassion and determination as possible.




The Definition of Veganism: 
(from TheVeganSociety.com)

 Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

 *Plant Based Diet is a diet devoid of animal products, otherwise known as a vegan diet but I like to note that simply because someone says they are on a vegan diet does not make them a vegan. Veganism takes it a step further.
 Vegans try not to use animals for anything to the point where it puts their very own survival at risk. In some societies, especially here in the US, the foods we eat, clothes, and even the beauty and cleaning products we use can be pretty easy to swap out to avoid animals products and animal cruelty if you can read ingredients and do your homework on products and brands. Your life-saving medication may not be. That's what it means when it says "as far as is possible and practicable".


Three main reasons to go vegan.


Animals

Animals are sentient beings which means they are able to perceive or feel things. Farming practices are inherently cruel because they kill animals who exhibit fear and fight death and do not want to die at a small fraction of their natural life span.


Health

We don't need to consume animal products to be healthy and many studies have shown better health outcomes for illness and disease for those on plant based diets.


Environment

Animal products are not sustainable and require too many natural resources and create too much pollution to support the global population.










FREE Resources to Switch to a 
Plant Based Diet

 Ready to switch to a Plant Based Diet but don't know where to start? Here are some of the programs that are out there that help you remove the animal products from your life and continue to enjoy your food and satisfy your hunger.  With so many plant based food options out there now it is easier than ever to make a smooth transition to veganism without sacrificing the taste of your food or or your health. In fact, a majority of the people who go vegan see improvements in their health and well-being. That is what happened with myself and my family and I hope a plant based diet can work you too. 


1. Go Vegan the DIY way (How we did it):

For some people, it isn't actually that difficult eat plant based, avoid leather, wool, and other consumer goods, cleaning products, beauty products, but some find it much more difficult to eliminate animal products completely from their diet and lifestyle.

I personally cut meat, eggs, and cheese out of my diet and tried all the substitution foods like black bean burgers, seitan, tofu, Gardein brand, Tofurky, Field Roast, Follow Your Heart, Chao etc. and eating more of the foods we ate that were naturally vegan like fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta.

I stopped buying anything made of leather, silk, or wool, and started reading the ingredients and asking about everything when eating out in a non-vegan place.

Here's a really basic meal plan that we did when we lived in Japan where we didn't really have access to a lot of the frozen, premade, prepackaged vegan food and my family really transitioned into veganism. Our Vegan Japan Meal Plan is a really simple family meal plan without much of the processed vegan food you can find in the US.

This Veganuary label guide is a good way to learn how to spot non-vegan ingredients hidden in foods you may not suspect.






Vegan22 or Challenge22 is a FREE 22 Day Vegan Challenge anyone can do. They provide a mentor, recipes, and support from clinical dieticians so you can try it out, save the animals, the planet, and yourself! This is a volunteer based support network, no credit card or payment required.



The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has a free 21 Day Kickstart program to "help you take control of your health with a plant based diet".
Visit our 
Vegan Recipes Page
and our
 Pinterest Account 
for all our favorite vegan recipes.









Films to Watch:
One of the best ways to understand WHY we don't consume animal products is to watch some of these films. Some are very graphic - great for people who really have a difficult time making the connection from their food to an animal's life. 


 What the Health and Game Changers on Netflix

WatchDominion.com (free)

8 Speeches That Will Leave You Speechless
from MillionDollarVegan.com

 Earthlings (free)
Cowspiracy on Netflix




Dominion is a very graphic film which depicts the lives of each animal that is used for human consumption from birth to death. After watching this, I can confidently explain the truth to people as needed.





Resources for KIDS that want to Go Vegan (free):










Vegan Outreach - Resources and Information

 Whether you want all the answers to common questions surrounding veganism for yourself









3. Earthling Ed's 30 Days 30 Excuses - Earthling Ed's Youtube Channel



4. Amazing Vegan Outreach youtube channel










At least half of all animals are taken from their mothers and killed when they are infants! 

Male Chicks - ALL killed as newborns. 

Male Calves - almost all males including many females are killed as infants.

Female Cows - have several births taken and often go to slaughter during a final pregnancy at 4-6 years old. Babies are cut from her body and sold for meat.

Female chickens are bred to be super-producers lay eggs painfully and rapidly until it kills them or their broken, pecked bodies get slaughtered for cheap meat.

Pigs - up to half of all infants die or are killed on factory farms. To compensate, moms are bred and confined to super-produce until they themselves are slaughtered or thrown in the trash.

ALL animals on farms or used for almost any purpose suffer some sort of physical, sexual, and/or mental abuse at various points throughout their lives.










Animal Agriculture Laws and Regulations

I think that part of understanding what his happening with animals on farms is to see what the regulations say. Here is a collection of interesting information I find compelling to convey the dark reality of animal agriculture.
1. Certified Humane Label

Even the most humane standards for dairy cows do not allow the baby to grow up with the mom:

This is the Certified Humane regulations for dairy farming:

FW 16: Weaning a. Calves must not be weaned before five weeks of age. Nutritional weaning (ceasing to feed milk or milk replacer) must be accomplished gradually by either diluting the milk with water or reducing the milk volume over a period of at least 5 days. b. Removal of calves from individual pens into social groups should not coincide with weaning. Both of these practices are stressful to the animals and should be carried out separately.

In other words, on a humane farm, calves only have to be left with their moms for 5 weeks.
Left to wean naturally, it may take up to two years!

From the USDA - you can see even an organic farm animal has plenty of synthetic pharmaceuticals and substances allowed in treating illnesses, disease, and health issues:
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances


The animals don't want to die and they suffer even in a "humane" operation.




Vegan and Animal Rights Resources:



Environmental Resources Supporting Veganism


Livestock and Climate Change - WorldWatch.org
Resources for HEALTH related vegan diet information:

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes ...The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals. 
From US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health - The National Center for Biotechnology Information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864/



2. The Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine finds plant-based diets an ethical and effective through scientific research.

Their research has concluded that plant based diets are ideal to prevent and reverse some of these major diseases and health issues. This organization is made up of over 12,000 physicians and led by president Neal D. Barnard, M.D.
Heart Disease
People who eat a plant-based diet have a lower risk of dying from heart disease when compared to non-vegetarians. Plant-based diets have been proven to prevent and reverse heart disease, improve cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.
Diabetes
Plant-based diets prevent, manage, and reverse type 2 diabetes. Plant-based diets lower body weight, improve insulin function, and increase beta-cells’ ability to regulate blood sugar, which helps reverse symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes.
Weight Loss
Plant-based diets lead to weight loss, even without exercise or calorie counting. Replacing high-fat foods with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes naturally reduces calorie intake.
Cancer
Avoiding animal products and high-fat foods and eating plant-based foods can lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
Brain Health
Saturated fat and trans fat—found in dairy products, meat, and fried foods—can increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions. A plant-based diet avoids these foods and is rich in antioxidants, folate, and vitamin E, which may offer a protective effect.




Articles, Studies, and Essays:




Plant-based diets could save millions of lives and dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions - Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food
About Meats and Poultry, evidence from food pattern modeling has demonstrated that lean meats can be part of a healthy eating pattern, but as discussed in Chapter 2, average intakes of meats, poultry, and eggs, a subgroup of the protein foods group, are above recommendations in the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern for teen boys and adult men. - From the 
PDF: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf
from https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/
the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary,U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 



ETHICS

Eating Someone - Farmed animals have personalities, smarts, even a sense of agency. Why then do we saddle them with lives of utter despair? and essay in Aeon by Lori Marino - neuroscientist and an expert in animal behaviour and intelligence. 

It is no coincidence that the places with the longest living people also mostly have plant based diets https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/2013-03-29-where-people-live-the-longest/







More Interesting Facts and Links:


1. Statistics on Animal Agriculture

California Agriculture Statistics: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/

 In the 2015 we slaughtered 9.2 billion animals. 

 The Vegan Calculator is useful to see how many animals are killed from the second you open the page.

In 1960 we killed 1.8 billion animals for food in the US.
In the 2015 we slaughtered 9.2 billion animals. 

Since the start of THIS century we have been averaging around 9 billion animals killed each year for food. 

Numbers from The Humane Society

 Those animals killed for food are not the only ones being kept against their will. Billions of cows and pigs are repeatedly impregnated in order to reproduce or for lactation (cow's milk) and that is their only purpose in their short lives before they too are slaughtered or left to die.


Cattle production is the most important agricultural industry in the United States, accounting for $67.1 billion in cash receipts in 2018. Overall, cattle production represents about 18 percent of the $371 billion in total cash receipts from agricultural commodities in 2018 

The US beef cattle herd has expanded to reach 94.8 million head of cattle on January 1, 2019







2. Most of the GRAINS grown in the US are to feed LIVESTOCK.
US CROPS GROWN in 2018 by acreage from USDA Economic Research Service (you can download the spreadsheet instead of using the search tool)

 Corn - 89 million acres
Sorghum - 5.69 million
Barley - 2.5 million
Oats - 2.75 million


(2018 there was approximately 899 million acres of farmland in the US)



 This is what typical dairy cows eat (from the United Dairy Industry of Michigan)
It can include different things, depending on the farm and area of the country, but here are some common ingredients in Michigan:
  • Corn silage – The entire corn plant (stalk, cob, kernels and leaves) chopped into various sized pieces
  • Haylage – The chopped alfalfa plant has a lot of moisture in it and is stored in airtight bags or covered by large pieces of plastic to protect it from the elements.
  • Soy Meal – Soybeans that are cracked, dried, heated and pressed. During this process, the soybean oil is removed and used for other things such as cooking oil.
  • Distillers grain – A byproduct of the brewing and ethanol industries, this is the grain left after the sugar and starch has been removed
  • Hay – The chopped alfalfa plant that is dried by the sun, mowed, and then gathered into large bales that can be round or square
  • Cottonseed – After the cotton boll (the fluffy part of the plant) is removed and used to make our clothes, the cottonseed is harvested and given to dairy cows to provide energy
FROM: https://www.milkmeansmore.org/what-do-cows-eat/
CORN
 From USDA:
"Corn is the primary U.S. feed grain, accounting for more than 95 percent of total feed grain production and use." 


  • More than 90 million acres of land are planted to corn, with the majority of the crop grown in the Heartland region.
  • Most of the crop is used as the main energy ingredient in livestock feed.
from Feedgrains Sector at a Glance from the USDA

Vast animal-feed crops to satisfy our meat needs are destroying planet The Guardian 10/5/2017

The United States is the world's largest corn producer. Roughly 20% of US corn is exported. The rest is divided between ethanol and animal feed.

US Corn distribution in 2018:

562 million tons - animal feed
250 million tons - food alchohol and industrial use (ethanol)
125 million tons - exported

Keep in mind, the majority of the corn grown in the US is Genetically Modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides, particularly glyphosate.

____

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations





SOYBEANS

 Production practices show that U.S. farmers commonly grow soybeans in crop rotation with corn.

US Soybean Land use
2016: 83.7 million acres

US Soybean production
2015: 3,929 million bushels

Soybean production, top five States, 2016 (estimated):
IL—600 million bushels
IA—560 million bushels
MN—380 million bushels
IN—329 million bushels
NE—310 million bushels

US Soybean Exports:
2015: 1,940 million bushels

Percent of US Soybeans exported
2015: 49 percent

From: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/soybeans-oil-crops/related-data-statistics/


From Modern Farmer:

Soy is the second-biggest crop in the US, just after corn. We grow $40 billion worth of soybeans in this country every year. But we eat hardly any of that, at least not directly: The vast majority of domestic soybeans are processed into oil and soy protein. A whopping 98 percent of domestic soybean production goes to animal feed, with the remainder largely focused on soy oil, which is used sometimes in edible oils (like margarine) and sometimes in industry.
The common foods made from soy, including tofu, soymilk, and edamame, are almost all made from imported soybeans, despite the fact that we have absurd amounts of soy right here.

From WPI Analysis Exporting Corn and Soy Through Pork :

In 2018, exports accounted for 14.6 percent of total U.S. beef production and 25.7 percent of U.S. total pork production, and accounted for: o 459.7 million bushels of corn utilization – with a market value of $1.62 billion at the year average market price o 2 million tons of DDGS use – with a market value of $291 million at the year-average market price o 2 million tons of soybean meal disappearance, which is the equivalent of 84.2 million bushels of soybeans – with a market value of $783 million at the year-average market price ❖ Since 2015, meat exports represent the fastest growing category of corn and soybean meal use.

ALFALFA (for HAY or HAYLAGE)

From Alfalfa, Wildlife and the Environment

California at 6,290,000 tons of alfalfa is the largest producer of alfalfa in the United States followed by Idaho & Montana.

The United States produces over 57.5 million tons of alfalfa.

from http://beef2live.com/story-states-produce-alfalfa-ranking-0-107298

The most important use of alfalfa is the dairy industry. Alfalfa is considered the premier forage for dairy cows.

However, alfalfa is also used extensively as a horse feed, and for sheep, beef and other animals.

Pesticides on alfalfa is a lot lower than other crops.

from (this is a downloadable pdf) http://agric.ucdavis.edu/files/242006.pdf



3. POLLUTION

Our water is polluted by feces, and pesticide run-off, and used in massive amounts to keep these animals watered and fed in increasingly arid environments.

 The EPA has a paper that is filled with helpful information on this subject. I've looked through the PDF and shared my notes here, pretty much quoted directly from the PDF. The Literature in Review of Contaminants in Livestock and Poultry Manure
Recognizing the potential for human and ecological health effects associated with the other contaminants in manure, this report focuses on the growing scientific information related to contaminants of emerging concern – particularly pathogens, antimicrobials, and hormones in manure – and reviews the potential and documented human health and ecological effects associated with these manure contaminants...

...For example, an average 160-pound human produces approximately two liters of waste per day (feces and urine), whereas an average 1,350-pound lactating dairy cow generates 50 liters of manure (including urine) per day.

Most animal manure is applied to cropland or grasslands without treatment (i.e., pathogens, antimicrobials, hormones, etc.; see Table 1-1) have potential to enter the environment

In 2007, approximately 2.2 billion cattle, swine, and poultry were produced in the U.S. (USDA 2009a), generating an estimated 1.1 billion tons of manure (manure estimates used here are as excreted, wet-weight).

CALIFORNIA is the #2 is the livestock and poultry manure producing state with 5,235,439 animals producing 68,496,143 tons of manure in 2007 
Also read:

This Factsheet on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Animal Agriculture - from the Humane Society of the United States

In fact, the farm animal sector annually accounts for: 
9% of human-induced emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) 
37% of emissions of methane (CH4), which has more than 20 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2
 65% of emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), which has nearly 300 times the GWP of CO2 
According to the FAO (FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION), animal agriculture is responsible for 35-40% of anthropogenic CH4 emissions 
Methane. CH4 has 23 times the GWP of CO2 
Methane is also released by manure as it decomposes
Nitrous Oxide. N2O has nearly 300 times the GWP of CO2. 31 Global farm animal production, including growing feed crops, accounts for 65% of global N2O emissions.32 N2O can persist in the atmosphere for up to 150 years and is present in far greater quantities than ever before, with its concentration in the atmosphere now 16% larger than in 1750
Carbon Dioxide. CO2 is considered the most powerful GHG as it has the most significant direct-warming impact on global temperature as a result of the sheer volume of its emissions.16 CO2 is released from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum, and deforestation and other land-use changes that remove vegetative cover. Animal agriculture produces CO2 in a number of ways: High-Energy Feed. Factory-farmed animals are typically fed high-energy crops such as corn, which is dependent on large amounts of chemical fertilizer.17 The FAO estimates that the production of fertilizer for feed crops may emit 41 million tonnes† of CO2 per year globally. 18 Fueling Factory Farms. Intensive confinement operations require vast amounts of fossil fuel-based energy to cool, heat, and ventilate the facilities, and energy is also used to operate farm machinery to cultivate and harvest feed crops, resulting in at least 90 million tonnes of CO2 annually worldwide. 19  
from Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Animal Agriculture - HSUS
Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Causes & Sources Live Science


This article describes how the demand for animal feed is driving the hazardous pesticide market:
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/02/20/meat-soya-animal-feed-pesticides-hazardous/?fbclid=IwAR29tHLEQouQd4goEcXJmPTPbKaK-1rgm6f3gDZoKF3JXv3iH_UnevYqbDE




4. DISEASE

 This information is from the same EPA document from above The Literature in Review of Contaminants in Livestock and Poultry Manure
Pathogens found in livestock:
Bactria: Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and other shiga-toxin producing strains, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, Shigella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, Leptospira spp., Aeromonas hydrophila, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus anthraxis (in endemic area) in mortality carcasses

Parasites: Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum, Balantidium coli, Toxoplasma gondii, Ascaris suum and A. lumbricoides, Trichuris trichuria

Viruses: Rotavirus, hepatitis E virus, influenza A (avian influenza virus), enteroviruses, adenoviruses, caliciviruses (e.g., norovirus)

Survival times in manure and in the environment can range from days to years depending on the pathogen, the medium, and environmental conditions. Among the common zoonotic pathogens, however, Cryptosporidium is noteworthy because of its persistence, resistance to disinfection, and the lack of treatment for the illness it causes. It has been the causative agent of several large outbreaks for which manure has been identified as a possible source. Less is known about virus survival, and continued research is needed on virus occurrence, survival, and transport in environmental media.

From: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100H2NI.PDF?Dockey=P100H2NI.PDF

Here is a screenshot from the EPA document above:



Links and Quotes from Scientific Journals, Articles, Studies, and Textbooks related to CORONAVIRUS - COVID-19 - Zoonotic Diseases - Meat Contamination - and Animal Ag
Dr. Greger Talk:

Dr. Michael Greger on Pandemic Prevention | Infectious Diseases, Aids, Influenza, Coronavirus 
Video from 2008
Director, Public Health and Animal Agriculture of The Humane Society of the United States and founder of nutritionfacts.org. Video courtesy of HSUS.
 - “The two greatest threats facing humanity according to the United Nations are climate change and emerging infectious disease particularly pandemic influenza”
“When we brought animals into the barnyard, they brought their diseases with them”
“Human beings have been on this earth for millions of years yet throughout most of human evolution there were no epidemic diseases, no one ever got the measles because the measles didn’t exist, no one every got smallpox, no one got the flu, not even the common cold until about 10,000 years ago. Medical anthropologists have identified 3 major periods of disease throughout since the beginning of human evolution and the first started around 10,000 years ago with the domestication of animals.”
Every single epidemic in history came from domesticated animals: Smallpox, Measles, AIDS, 


Listings of books and scientific articles on 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/meat-contamination


From Science Journal The Lancet:
"The coronaviruses already identified might only be the tip of the iceberg, with potentially more novel and severe zoonotic events to be revealed."
Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China



From Textbook: Food Safety and Human Health - Food handling 
Book Intro:
“Political, economic, and ecological changes have led to the re-emergence of many foodborne pathogens. The globalization of food markets, for example, has increased the challenge to manage the microbial risks.”
Chapter 6: Hazards and Safety Issues of Meat and Meat Product:
"Avian influenza, one of the virulent pathogenic viruses, resulting in almost 100% death in birds, can also cause human infection with certain levels of mortality."
Report from the World Health Organization: 
"Zoonotic origins COVID-19 is a zoonotic virus. From phylogenetics analyses undertaken with available full genome sequences, bats appear to be the reservoir of COVID-19 virus, but the intermediate host(s) has not yet been identified. However, three important areas of work are already underway in China to inform our understanding of the zoonotic origin of this outbreak. These include early investigations of cases with symptom onset in Wuhan throughout December 2019, environmental sampling from the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market and other area markets, and the collection of detailed records on the source and type of wildlife species sold at the Huanan market and the destination of those animals after the market was closed"
Link:
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf%E2%81%A3?fbclid=IwAR3Ik2XPROJOMz497AgVTDYIFeCJl-_m-bvUD8bzDVoBTIuEewcLmmjR3mY







Article from: The Journal of Infection and Public Health - March 19 2020:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034120303658
Shocking facts:
(SARS and MERS are also very deadly coronoviruses that can spread from animals to humans)
SARS-CoV - kills 10% of infected patients and mechanical ventilation is given to 20-30%
MERS-CoV - Bats were considered to be the natural hosts and the intermediate host was dromedary camels. Mechanical ventilation was given to 50%–89% of patients, associated with a mortality rate of 36%
"The source of zoonotic infection has not been identified. However, pangolins, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine are suspected, contributing to a ban of game consumption by Chinese government"
In 2002, a pandemic of SARS occurred endangering the lives of 8098 individuals with a mortality of 774 patients [5]. The epicenter of the disease was Guangdong, China, from where it spread internationally to more than twelve countries. It was assumed that bats were the natural hosts. Mechanical ventilation support was given to 20%–30% of the infected patients and the fatality rate was 10%. The human-to-human airborne transmission was perceived, and the pandemic was culminated by employing strict public health measures [5]. In 2012, a rapid-spreading infection, MERS, caused by MERS-CoV, emerged in Saudi Arabia. Bats were considered to be the natural hosts and the intermediate host was dromedary camels. A total of 2494 cases with 858 deaths were reported to be caused by expeditious nosocomial transmission. MERS demonstrated clinical features similar to SARS with prominent gastrointestinal symptoms and acute kidney failure. Mechanical ventilation was given to 50%–89% of patients, associated with a mortality rate of 36% [5].

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034120303658
3. ANTIMICROBIALS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Farms use antimicrobials to treat bacterial enteritis and other digestive problems, and respiratory illness in calves and mastitis in dairy cows.

Up to 400,000 pounds per year of antimicrobials are used in auqaculture.

More information from the downloadable PDF The Literature in Review of Contaminants in Livestock and Poultry Manure
Livestock and poultry are often given antimicrobials (i.e., antibiotics and vaccines) to treat and prevent diseases, as well as to promote animal growth and feed efficiency. Many of the antimicrobials administered to livestock and poultry are also used in human clinical medicine. Research indicates that sub-therapeutic use of antimicrobials can select for antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

In large livestock and poultry operations, antimicrobials may be administered to animals continuously or for extended periods of time at sub-therapeutic doses (e.g., in feed and water), because this approach is more efficient and sometimes the only feasible method of production (McEwen and FedorkaCray 2002).

According to the USDA, 20% of swine feeder/finisher farms with less than 100 swine administered antimicrobials sub-therapeutically, whereas 60% of operations with 2,500 or more swine administered antimicrobials (MacDonald and McBride 2009) 

U.S. Government Accountability Office (USGAO) has been advocating for better tracking and reporting mechanisms of antimicrobial use in livestock and poultry since 1999 (USGAO 2011a).

In accordance with a 2008 amendment to the Animal Drug User Fee Act, the USFDA released estimates of the annual amount of antimicrobial drugs sold and distributed for use in livestock and poultry in 2009 and 2010 (USFDA 2010 and 2011a). The USFDA estimates that approximately 29.2 million pounds of antimicrobials were sold for livestock and poultry use in the U.S. in 2010 (USFDA 2011a), or a 62% increase over 1985 use estimates (U.S. Congress, OST 1995). Tetracyclines and ionophores were the largest class of antimicrobials reported, accounting for over 70% of all livestock and poultry antimicrobials sold during that year (USFDA 2011a). 

According to the USDA, most hogs are raised in confinement, and large operations with 10,000 hogs or more typically administer antimicrobials through feed to promote animal growth, particularly in starter and grower hogs

In 2007, 90% of dairy operations administered intramammary antimicrobials (e.g., lincosamide) during non-lactating periods, and 80% of those operations treated all cows at the facility (USDA 2008a). Approximately 85% of dairy operations used antimicrobials to treat mastitis, administering the antimicrobials to 16% of the cows on those operations (USDA 2008a)

For growth promotion and disease prevention, 58% of dairy operations fed preweaned heifers dairy milk replacer, which was typically a combination of neomycin and oxytetracycline (USDA 2008a). In weaned heifers, approximately 45% of dairy operations used ionophores in feed for growth promotion and disease prevention (USDA 2008a).  

MacMillan et al. (2003) estimates that 54,000 to 72,000 pounds per year of antimicrobials are used in aquaculture, while Benbrook (2002) estimates that use is closer to 200,000 to over 400,000 pounds per year
Research suggests that, an estimated 70% to 80% of drugs administered in aquaculture operations are released into the environment, related to over-feeding and poor adsorption in the gut (Boxall et al. 2003, Gullick et al. 2007) 



 Protecting Ourselves from Pig Diseases - North Carolina Healthy Hogs Seminar:
https://projects.ncsu.edu/project/swine_extension/healthyhogs/book1999/morrow.htm

Duke University Study: N.C. Residents Living Near Large Hog Farms Have Elevated Disease, Death Risks 


7. Animals in extreme confinement and terrifying situations.

in swine production, hogs may be transferred from a farrowto-feeder farm during the initial life stages, to a feeder-to-finish farm and finally to a slaughter plant, rather than being raised at one facility 
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100H2NI.PDF?Dockey=P100H2NI.PDF


8. EXTINCTIONS OF WILD ANIMALS

Wild animals are going extinct at an alarming rate largely due to habitat loss from animal agriculture.

 Extinctions are currently happening 1000 to 10,000 times faster than the expected and natural rate of deaths.


These counters are found on The World Counts show the gravity of our climate crisis.



Most of the worlds forests are cut for grazing and to grow feed for animals.


Average World temperature right now:


Time left until the end of "seafood"


Time left until the end of oil:


Tons of melted ice this year:



Tons of antibiotics used for livestock this year:



9. Ingredients that are NOT vegan


We are also trying to avoid palm oil because it is pushing Orangutans to extinction.

Here is a partial list of other names for palm oil-derived ingredients:

PKO – Palm Kernel Oil
PKO fractionations: Palm Kernel Stearin (PKs); Palm Kernel Olein (PKOo)
PHPKO – Partially hydrogenated Palm Oil
FP(K)O – Fractionated Palm Oil
OPKO – Organic Palm Kernel Oil
Palmitate – Vitamin A or Asorbyl Palmitate (NOTE: Vitamin A Palmitate is a very common ingredient in breakfast cereals and we have confirmed 100% of the samples we’ve investigated to be derived from palm oil)
Palmate
Sodium Laureth Sulphate (Can also be from coconut)
Sodium Lauryl Sulphates (can also be from ricinus oil)
Sodium dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Elaeis Guineensis
Glyceryl Stearate
Stearic Acid
Chemicals which contain palm oil
Steareth -2
Steareth -20
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (coconut and/or palm)
Hydrated palm glycerides
Sodium isostearoyl lactylaye (derived from vegetable stearic acid)
Cetyl palmitate and octyl palmitate (names with palmitate at the end are usually derived from palm oil, but as in the case of Vitamin A Palmitate, very rarely a company will use a different vegetable oil)
*Disclaimer: Through research we’ve found that Vitamin A Palmitate can be derived from any combination of vegetable oil such as olive, coconut, canola and/or palm oil. Though in all the cases we’ve documented, companies use palm oil to make derivatives like Vitamin A Palmitate, it can be tricky to know for sure.



10. Changing Laws

 DIY passing and Ordinance:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/14633-A-Do-It-Yourself-Guide-to-Passing-an-Ordinance



See Examples of Nonviolent Action:
Home | Global Nonviolent Action Database (swarthmore.edu)

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