31 May 2007
Organic Milk
My cousins Craig and Kevin Hicks are dairy farmers, specializing in organic milk. They also sell pasture-fed beef and pasture-fed chicken. I spent some of the best times of my life on their farm in North Branch, Michigan. Here is their website.
30 May 2007
27 May 2007
From Today's New York Times
To the Editor:
Your overture in “My Dear Fellow Species” (Week in Review, May 20) to the 150th anniversary celebration of Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species” through his letters is a fine attempt to briefly summarize his personality.
But in a Darwin letter of April 3, 1880, which I have, where he thanks Georg Heinrich Schneider for sending him a copy of his recently published treatise “Der thierische Wille”—a valuable contribution to animal psychology—Darwin seems to sum up his life’s work in one sentence: “Everything about the minds of animals interests me greatly.”
Fittingly, few words, much content!
Alfred S. Posamentier
River Vale, N.J., May 20, 2007
Your overture in “My Dear Fellow Species” (Week in Review, May 20) to the 150th anniversary celebration of Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species” through his letters is a fine attempt to briefly summarize his personality.
But in a Darwin letter of April 3, 1880, which I have, where he thanks Georg Heinrich Schneider for sending him a copy of his recently published treatise “Der thierische Wille”—a valuable contribution to animal psychology—Darwin seems to sum up his life’s work in one sentence: “Everything about the minds of animals interests me greatly.”
Fittingly, few words, much content!
Alfred S. Posamentier
River Vale, N.J., May 20, 2007
23 May 2007
From Today's New York Times
To the Editor:
Re “Death by Veganism,” by Nina Planck (Op-Ed, May 21):
I am a nutritionist who testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial of the parents of Crown Shakur. As the lead prosecutor in this case told the jury, this poor infant was not killed by a vegan diet. He was starved to death by parents who did not give him breast milk, soy-based infant formula or enough food of any kind.
Well-planned vegan diets are healthful for pregnant mothers and their infants, as well as for older children, according to a large body of scientific research. Contrary to Ms. Planck’s assertions, there are healthy plant-based sources of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA; calcium can be absorbed about as readily from soy milk as from cow’s milk; and soy does not inhibit growth.
Studies have found that vegan children are within the normal ranges for weight and height, and I personally know vegan mothers and vegan children who are healthier than many of their omnivorous peers.
Amy Joy Lanou
Washington, May 21, 2007
The writer is senior nutrition scientist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
To the Editor:
Nina Planck’s article touches on a particularly important topic. Her use of the term food “fashion” is appropriate: many people today do not make informed choices about their diet; rather, they are influenced by trends, advertising and the political correctness of food.
Many adults do not understand the difference between feeding a baby, a child and themselves. Babies and young children who do not receive a balanced diet, with complete proteins, fats and vitamins, face potential lifelong developmental and cognitive delays. The medical journal Lancet recently published findings showing that children who are not adequately nourished in the first five years of life sometimes never catch up to their peers.
A diet that may be adequate for an adult is not always good for a baby or a child. Feed your children properly now; they will thank you later.
Ross Smith
New York, May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
I am shocked by the ignorance of the recent outcry against vegan diets in the media, most recently Nina Planck’s article about the dangers and irresponsibility of vegan diets during pregnancy and infancy. What these naysayers consistently neglect is that vegan diets, as with all other restricted diets, must be well planned.
It is not enough to simply cut animal products (or carbohydrates, or calories) out of one’s diet. Without a concerted effort by the consumer, restricted diets of any kind may fail to provide adequate nutrition.
Generalizing from a handful of ignorant vegans to the entire vegan population does a disservice to those of us who have spent years educating ourselves on human nutritional needs and how to meet them on a plant-based diet.
Well-planned vegan diets have been shown repeatedly to be sufficient, and even beneficial at all stages of life, including during pregnancy and infancy.
Nicole Speer
Boulder, Colo., May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
“Soy milk and apple juice” is not a vegan diet. Such a regimen would jeopardize anyone’s health, whether infant or adult.
Although vegans do not eat foods derived from animals, we do eat everything else—and enjoy a delicious array of high-nutrient foods, including grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and herbs prepared in tantalizing combinations and textures. It is well settled that a balanced diet of these foods provides the same essential amino acids that Nina Planck finds in an egg.
I’ll leave the question of infant care to the physicians, but I know firsthand that an adult vegan can enjoy robust physical health without contributing to the cruel suffering of animals on today’s factory farms.
Lynette C. Kelly
New York, May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
Thank you for publishing Nina Planck’s excellent article, “Death by Veganism.”
It’s appalling that anyone would think that a diet based on a dubious morality would build a human infant. Children need protein.
George Mazzei
St. Petersburg, Fla., May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
“Death by Veganism,” by Nina Planck, strays far from the truth about vegan diets. I’ve raised a vegan child since conception. Although I am a 5-foot-1, 98-pound woman, and my husband is 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, both of us having grown up on meat and dairy, our son was a long 22 inches and 8 pounds 9 ounces at birth.
His pediatrician marveled at his outstanding health. She warned us to expect him to have colds and fevers regularly once he started day care, but he got sick only once during his first three years of life. He’s now 13 and remains healthy and strong.
Yes, vegans need to ensure that their children get proper nutrition, including vitamin B12 and omega-3s, but this is easy to do. What’s harder is having a child who eats the typical American diet stay healthy.
Zoe Weil
Surry, Me., May 21, 2007
Re “Death by Veganism,” by Nina Planck (Op-Ed, May 21):
I am a nutritionist who testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial of the parents of Crown Shakur. As the lead prosecutor in this case told the jury, this poor infant was not killed by a vegan diet. He was starved to death by parents who did not give him breast milk, soy-based infant formula or enough food of any kind.
Well-planned vegan diets are healthful for pregnant mothers and their infants, as well as for older children, according to a large body of scientific research. Contrary to Ms. Planck’s assertions, there are healthy plant-based sources of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA; calcium can be absorbed about as readily from soy milk as from cow’s milk; and soy does not inhibit growth.
Studies have found that vegan children are within the normal ranges for weight and height, and I personally know vegan mothers and vegan children who are healthier than many of their omnivorous peers.
Amy Joy Lanou
Washington, May 21, 2007
The writer is senior nutrition scientist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
To the Editor:
Nina Planck’s article touches on a particularly important topic. Her use of the term food “fashion” is appropriate: many people today do not make informed choices about their diet; rather, they are influenced by trends, advertising and the political correctness of food.
Many adults do not understand the difference between feeding a baby, a child and themselves. Babies and young children who do not receive a balanced diet, with complete proteins, fats and vitamins, face potential lifelong developmental and cognitive delays. The medical journal Lancet recently published findings showing that children who are not adequately nourished in the first five years of life sometimes never catch up to their peers.
A diet that may be adequate for an adult is not always good for a baby or a child. Feed your children properly now; they will thank you later.
Ross Smith
New York, May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
I am shocked by the ignorance of the recent outcry against vegan diets in the media, most recently Nina Planck’s article about the dangers and irresponsibility of vegan diets during pregnancy and infancy. What these naysayers consistently neglect is that vegan diets, as with all other restricted diets, must be well planned.
It is not enough to simply cut animal products (or carbohydrates, or calories) out of one’s diet. Without a concerted effort by the consumer, restricted diets of any kind may fail to provide adequate nutrition.
Generalizing from a handful of ignorant vegans to the entire vegan population does a disservice to those of us who have spent years educating ourselves on human nutritional needs and how to meet them on a plant-based diet.
Well-planned vegan diets have been shown repeatedly to be sufficient, and even beneficial at all stages of life, including during pregnancy and infancy.
Nicole Speer
Boulder, Colo., May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
“Soy milk and apple juice” is not a vegan diet. Such a regimen would jeopardize anyone’s health, whether infant or adult.
Although vegans do not eat foods derived from animals, we do eat everything else—and enjoy a delicious array of high-nutrient foods, including grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and herbs prepared in tantalizing combinations and textures. It is well settled that a balanced diet of these foods provides the same essential amino acids that Nina Planck finds in an egg.
I’ll leave the question of infant care to the physicians, but I know firsthand that an adult vegan can enjoy robust physical health without contributing to the cruel suffering of animals on today’s factory farms.
Lynette C. Kelly
New York, May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
Thank you for publishing Nina Planck’s excellent article, “Death by Veganism.”
It’s appalling that anyone would think that a diet based on a dubious morality would build a human infant. Children need protein.
George Mazzei
St. Petersburg, Fla., May 21, 2007
To the Editor:
“Death by Veganism,” by Nina Planck, strays far from the truth about vegan diets. I’ve raised a vegan child since conception. Although I am a 5-foot-1, 98-pound woman, and my husband is 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, both of us having grown up on meat and dairy, our son was a long 22 inches and 8 pounds 9 ounces at birth.
His pediatrician marveled at his outstanding health. She warned us to expect him to have colds and fevers regularly once he started day care, but he got sick only once during his first three years of life. He’s now 13 and remains healthy and strong.
Yes, vegans need to ensure that their children get proper nutrition, including vitamin B12 and omega-3s, but this is easy to do. What’s harder is having a child who eats the typical American diet stay healthy.
Zoe Weil
Surry, Me., May 21, 2007
22 May 2007
21 May 2007
The Perils of Veganism
Do fetuses and infants need animal products in order to survive and flourish? See here.
19 May 2007
18 May 2007
Freedom of the Will
Do fruit flies have free will? See here for what appears to be an affirmative answer. If fruit flies have free will, then it's possible for them to suffer from weakness of the will.
10 May 2007
Veganism
Here is a tragic story about misguided vegans. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) famously said that "There is no difficulty in proving any ethical standard whatever to work ill if we suppose universal idiocy to be conjoined with it . . ." (Utilitarianism [1861], chap. 2). The same could be said of any diet.
04 May 2007
Equine Breakdown
Here is a New York Times op-ed column about measures that are being taken to prevent injuries to race horses. Does anyone out there advocate abolition of horse racing? If so, on what ground?
02 May 2007
April Statistics
There were 2,825 visitors to this blog during April. That's an average of 94.1 visitors per day, which is a record. Thanks for visiting. I hope to do more posting during the summer months, when I have more time. By the way, if you're a publisher and would like one of your books listed in the bibliography, please send me a copy for review.
27 April 2007
From the Mailbag
Good morning professor [KBJ]
I hope all is well. I wrote to you about a year ago to inform you of my decision to stop eating meat. At the time you advised that I should do so slowly, rather than just stopping one day. At the time, I decided to continue eating fish, just to make sure that I wouldn't crave too much. It was helpful to keep me sane.
A year later, I want to say that I have been very successful. I have eaten meat 1 time in 1 year, by accident. In May, I ordered some dirty rice and ate it on reflex, only realizing what I had done about 3/4 of the way through (at which time I stopped). Since then not a piece of land-animal has gone into my mouth on purpose, and rarely by accident (I have, I am sure, eaten some by product, such as gelatin, inadvertently, though I read ingredients on everything I eat now). I have also stopped eating fish for the most part, though on occasion the craving is unbearable, likely because I have not found a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know as a testament—I had lived 22 years on a nearly carnivorous diet, and I can't imagine anyone less likely to do so. However, I certainly feel an air of accomplishment in altering my diet—it is fulfilling to know that I have made an ethical decision as a result of reason and not simply because it 'feels right.'
Regards,
Shelby
I hope all is well. I wrote to you about a year ago to inform you of my decision to stop eating meat. At the time you advised that I should do so slowly, rather than just stopping one day. At the time, I decided to continue eating fish, just to make sure that I wouldn't crave too much. It was helpful to keep me sane.
A year later, I want to say that I have been very successful. I have eaten meat 1 time in 1 year, by accident. In May, I ordered some dirty rice and ate it on reflex, only realizing what I had done about 3/4 of the way through (at which time I stopped). Since then not a piece of land-animal has gone into my mouth on purpose, and rarely by accident (I have, I am sure, eaten some by product, such as gelatin, inadvertently, though I read ingredients on everything I eat now). I have also stopped eating fish for the most part, though on occasion the craving is unbearable, likely because I have not found a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know as a testament—I had lived 22 years on a nearly carnivorous diet, and I can't imagine anyone less likely to do so. However, I certainly feel an air of accomplishment in altering my diet—it is fulfilling to know that I have made an ethical decision as a result of reason and not simply because it 'feels right.'
Regards,
Shelby
25 April 2007
Does Your Dog Love You?
Ever wonder whether your dog loves you? If you want to find out, then study his/her tail wag. According to a recent study published in the March 20 issue of Current Biology, when dogs feel fundamentally positive about someone, their tails wag more to the right side of their rumps. More information about the study and asymmetric tail-wagging responses can be found in this New York Times article.
California Hoe Down
See here.
Addendum: I got to wondering about the origin of the term "hoe down." Here is what I found in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed.:
Addendum: I got to wondering about the origin of the term "hoe down." Here is what I found in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed.:
hoe-downThis is not very illuminating, is it? I suspect the term comes from the practice of laying one's hoe down (i.e., taking a break from work) in order to frolic in the field.
A noisy, riotous dance; = breakdown 2.
[1807 W. Irving Salmagundi 7 Mar. 98 As to dancing, no Long-Island negro could shuffle you ‘double trouble’, or ‘hoe corn and dig potatoes’ more scientifically.] 1841 Picayune (New Orleans) 14 Jan. 2/1 He looks and walks the character to the life, and some of his touches are of the genuine ‘hoe down’, ‘corn-field’ order. 1849 T. T. Johnson Sights Gold Region iv. 38 One of our party commenced a regular hoe-down, knocking his shins with heavy boots. 1855 Knickerbocker XLVI. 227 Rude, high-legged reels and ‘hoe-downs’. 1860 in Bartlett Dict. Amer. (ed. 3). 1885 Libr. Mag. (N.Y.) July 1 They [negroes] danced their vigorous hoe~downs, jigs. 1919 T. K. Holmes Man fr. Tall Timber vii. 84 A medley of old-time hoe-downs and jig music. 1961 Times 30 Mar. 6/7 The hoe-down sequence in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. 1963 Punch 3 July 23/3, I was invited to the last hoe-down. 1967 ‘J. Munro’ Money that Money can't Buy ix. 114 Two more cowboys appeared... They played hoe-down music. 1969 Guardian 2 Sept. 8/2 The atmosphere was that of..a hoedown in—well, perhaps in Hibbing, Minn.
22 April 2007
From the Mailbag
Hi Keith,
Here are some links to some exceptionally moving and informative online audio lectures on vegetarianism & animal ethics from a Christian perspective. They are by Matt Halteman, an excellent philosopher from Calvin College. I bet all your readers—religious and secular—would learn a lot from these talks and be inspired. If you would inform them of this resource, that'd be great.
Nathan Nobis
Here are some links to some exceptionally moving and informative online audio lectures on vegetarianism & animal ethics from a Christian perspective. They are by Matt Halteman, an excellent philosopher from Calvin College. I bet all your readers—religious and secular—would learn a lot from these talks and be inspired. If you would inform them of this resource, that'd be great.
MP3: "Animal Rights & Christian Responsibility"Thanks,
MP3: "Living Toward the Peaceable Kingdom"
Notes: "Compassionate Eating as Care of Creation"
Notes: "Animal Rights and Christian Responsibility"
Nathan Nobis
18 April 2007
Earth Day Lecture
Since a number of "Animal Ethics" readers reside in the northern Illinois area, I thought I would call your attention to an exciting lecture that is taking place on Northern Illinois University's campus. This Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, at 6:00 p.m., Kathie L. Jenni, Ph.D. (who has occasionally posted comments on this blog) will present a lecture entitled “The Best Kept Environmental Secrets: How We Can Hurt or Help the Planet Every Day.” The lecture will take place in Wirtz Auditorium on NIU’s Main Campus in DeKalb, IL. Dr. Jenni is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Redlands in Redlands, California, where she has taught for the past 18 years. She specializes in Environmental Ethics, Human-Animal Ethics, and Moral Psychology. Some of her notable publications include: “The Power of the Visual,” “Western Environmental Ethics,” “Vices of Inattention,” and “The Moral Responsibilities of Intellectuals.”
Professor Jenni made her debut appearance in DeKalb in September 2002 when she presented her paper “The Power of the Visual” at the Northern Illinois Ethic Consortium’s inaugural conference Ethics in Contemporary Life. The NIU community is fortunate to have such a dynamic lecturer return to NIU.
Professor Jenni has won numerous teaching awards including: an Outstanding Teaching Award at Redlands, a prize for Outstanding Teaching in the Humanities from the Graves Awards Foundation at Pomona College, and an Innovative Teaching Award for her Community Service Learning course on human-animal ethics at Redlands. I am fortunate to have seen Professor Jenni lecture on a number of occasions and have always found her lectures to be thoughtful, provocative, and insightful, while remaining readily accessible in terms of their content. Her coming Earth Day lecture couldn't be more timely in light of our increasing awareness of global warming and other human-induced negative impacts on the environment.
Professor Jenni’s Earth Day Lecture is co-sponsored by NIU’s Department of Philosophy and NIU’s Vegetarian Education Group [VEG]. VEG is a non-profit student organization dedicated to educating the NIU community and surrounding area about the multi-dimensional benefits (human health, environmental preservation, animal welfare, and personal enrichment) of plant-based nutrition. More information about VEG can be found here.
Professor Jenni’s lecture is FREE and open to the public. If you are in the area and have an interest in animals and the environment, I hope you will join us for this special Earth Day event.
Professor Jenni made her debut appearance in DeKalb in September 2002 when she presented her paper “The Power of the Visual” at the Northern Illinois Ethic Consortium’s inaugural conference Ethics in Contemporary Life. The NIU community is fortunate to have such a dynamic lecturer return to NIU.
Professor Jenni has won numerous teaching awards including: an Outstanding Teaching Award at Redlands, a prize for Outstanding Teaching in the Humanities from the Graves Awards Foundation at Pomona College, and an Innovative Teaching Award for her Community Service Learning course on human-animal ethics at Redlands. I am fortunate to have seen Professor Jenni lecture on a number of occasions and have always found her lectures to be thoughtful, provocative, and insightful, while remaining readily accessible in terms of their content. Her coming Earth Day lecture couldn't be more timely in light of our increasing awareness of global warming and other human-induced negative impacts on the environment.
Professor Jenni’s Earth Day Lecture is co-sponsored by NIU’s Department of Philosophy and NIU’s Vegetarian Education Group [VEG]. VEG is a non-profit student organization dedicated to educating the NIU community and surrounding area about the multi-dimensional benefits (human health, environmental preservation, animal welfare, and personal enrichment) of plant-based nutrition. More information about VEG can be found here.
Professor Jenni’s lecture is FREE and open to the public. If you are in the area and have an interest in animals and the environment, I hope you will join us for this special Earth Day event.
Veal Is Back
Have a taste for veal? You can now eat it with a clear conscience—at least if you're a utilitarian. See here.
15 April 2007
From Today's New York Times
To the Editor:
Re “Japan’s Whaling Obsession” (editorial, April 1): Japan strongly supports the international protection of endangered whale species and advocates for the sustainable harvest of species in abundance only.
Whaling for scientific research is indispensable to establish the proper conservation of whales and ocean resources. Japan is sincerely committed to researching whales’ dietary habits and nutrition status, as well as the shift in whale populations by age over time.
Such studies provide valuable analytical data that reveals much about the whales’ life, their status and their environmental surroundings, information that is not obtainable through simple visual observation.
Scientific research from Japan has been highly commended by the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee.
Jiro Okuyama
Dir., Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan
New York, April 4, 2007
Re “Japan’s Whaling Obsession” (editorial, April 1): Japan strongly supports the international protection of endangered whale species and advocates for the sustainable harvest of species in abundance only.
Whaling for scientific research is indispensable to establish the proper conservation of whales and ocean resources. Japan is sincerely committed to researching whales’ dietary habits and nutrition status, as well as the shift in whale populations by age over time.
Such studies provide valuable analytical data that reveals much about the whales’ life, their status and their environmental surroundings, information that is not obtainable through simple visual observation.
Scientific research from Japan has been highly commended by the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee.
Jiro Okuyama
Dir., Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan
New York, April 4, 2007
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