the animal industry

Cows look out the viewer from behind bars

Legal Slavery in the 21st Century

July 29, 2011
As surely as the abolitionists of the past knew that no man or woman should be the property of any other, the abolitionists of today know that the legal property status of animals stands in the way of their ever receiving any meaningful rights or protection, let alone being granted the freedom to live according to their own needs and desires.
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A young boy gazes into the eyes of a goat

A Matter of Life and Death

December 31, 2011
Even a quick and genuinely painless death deprives an individual of the chance to experience his or her life, in any capacity, ever again. It stands to reason then, that if we believe other animals ought to be protected from being harmed unnecessarily, they ought to be protected from being killed unnecessarily. 
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Drone view of cows on a feedlot

Taxpayer-Funded Cruelty and Devastation

October 24, 2011
The animal industry (including the huge monoculture crops that feed it), is supported by tens of billions of dollars in annual farm subsidies and other government handouts that make it highly profitable to produce animal-based foods over plant-based foods.
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Person's hands holding a restaurant menu

Animal Cruelty: Who is to Blame?

September 26, 2011
While institutionalized exploiters certainly have a lot to answer for, it is consumers who are primarily responsible for animal cruelty through their purchases of animal products.
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Close up of milking machine on a dairy farm with cows in the background

A Call to Feminists

June 16, 2012
Animals of both sexes suffer under institutionalized exploitation. However, the female of the species often experiences more prolonged abuse, including an ongoing cycle of forceful artificial insemination, physical abuse of her mammary glands, and invariably being separated from her young.
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White laboratory rat looking straight at the camera, held by gloved human hands

10 Things You Should Know About Animal Testing

April 7, 2015
Most consumers would never suspect that many of the products they purchase on a regular basis have been tested on animals. However, one simply needs to stroll down the aisle of a local grocery store or pharmacy to be surrounded by companies that routinely conduct animal vivisection.
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A stunning close-up portrait of the face of a grey goose

The Birds of the Down Industry

August 24, 2013
Down and feathers are technically "by-products" of the meat and egg industry, and the story of their production is just as disturbing as that of any other animal-sourced product.
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A pile of maroon colored leathers

What’s Wrong with Leather?

February 1, 2013
It's often assumed that leather is merely a byproduct of meat, and that it does not contribute to a profoundly brutal and immoral institution. This is a false assumption. Not only is it highly profitable for the meat industry, much of the world's leather comes from animals killed primarily for their skins.
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Macro detail of many silkworm cocoons with many yellow silk worms

Why Vegans Don’t Use Silk

December 1, 2012
Being vegan is about embracing a worldview that is starkly different from the dominant premise that other beings exist simply to fulfill human desires. The reality is that we do not need to exploit insects, and there is no justification for using them as a resource for our own ends.
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Two sheep with a white lamb on a green meadow, looking at the camera

What’s Wrong with Wool?

December 31, 2011
Wool often tends to be overlooked by animal advocates because its cultivation does not necessitate the death of the animal. However, the cultivation of wool is far from the pastoral idyll one might imagine.
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A fluffy yellow chick sitting next to a broken egg shell on the grass

Cage-Free? Not Free Enough.

June 22, 2012
Do these labels really indicate an improvement in ethical standards, or are they simply a way for the animal industry to regain consumer confidence in their products?
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A group of hens gathered in a barn with light streaming in

What’s Wrong with Backyard Eggs?

March 31, 2012
As we look more closely at the reality of the backyard chicken trend, it becomes increasingly clear that it is the same commodification of animals, packaged in niche marketing to appeal to the modern “conscious consumer”.
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Beautiful honey bee hovering next to a magenta flower

3 Reasons Not to Eat Honey

November 28, 2011
While you may spread a heaping tablespoon of honey on your morning toast without thinking, creating each drop is no small feat. To make one pound of honey, a colony will have to visit over two million flowers and fly over 55,000 miles, at up to 15 miles per hour.
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Close up on the arms of two businessmen shaking hands

Making a Killing with Animal Welfare Reform

August 29, 2011
The animal welfare model overwhelmingly benefits industry – not only by providing guidelines which help producers to adopt a more effective business model, but also by assuring consumers that it is possible to breed, raise, exploit, and slaughter animals in an ethical way.
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Brown cow lying down on green grass with a chain around her neck

Humane? Ask the Animals.

August 26, 2010
Terms such as free-range, grass-fed, and humanely-raised have not only taken over the dialogue around the animal use debate, but have come to symbolize “it's okay – you can eat me now.”
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