Written by PETA
What do Bill Clinton, former President George W. Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully, and the Rev. Al Sharpton have in common? They're all political animals who don't eat meat. Sharpton first got an idea of what happens to animals on factory farms when he appeared in PETA's video exposing cruelty in slaughterhouses that supply KFC and called on the black community to join PETA's boycott of the fast-food chain. His message to KFC? "That's foul!"
We caught up with Sharpton, who now hosts MSNBC's show PoliticsNation, to ask him what inspired him to change his eating habits, how his new diet makes him feel, and what his favorite foods are.
"I overhauled my diet after a 40-day hunger strike when I was in jail for the Vieques [military bombing practice] protest," Sharpton told us. "I dabbled with weight loss ideas, wanting to keep off the pounds I lost. First, I gave up red meat, then chicken. I ran into Bill Clinton, who told me how he has more energy, needs less sleep, and can think more clearly since going vegan, and I can tell you the same thing happened to me. I also kept in mind the words of another vegetarian friend—Coretta Scott King—who always spoke of the ethical reasons to give up meat."
Sharpton dedicated his PETA Humanitarian Award to King when he accepted it at PETA's awards gala in New York City in 2006.
Avoiding meat is the way to eat for anyone with a highly charged life," Sharpton says. "A vegetarian diet has a way of absorbing the stress and gives you greater endurance. I don't eat many starches or [refined] sugars. I just love greens and grains. I eat a lot of salad and fruits. I feel like a new, improved me.
To date, the reverend has lost more than 120 pounds. To read more about Sharpton's triumphs and tribulations, check out his essay in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book One Can Make a Difference.
If you want to be a champion for animals, take the pledge to go vegan. Not only will you enjoy reduced stress and more energy, you'll also be less likely to suffer from obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Written by Monica Alexander
To celebrate "Make a Difference" Day—a national day of volunteering taking place on Saturday—we're offering you the chance to win a copy of the aptly named One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World autographed by PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk to help inspire you to make a difference for animals every day.
One Can Make a Difference contains more than 50 original essays by "differencemakers," including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sir Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Russell Simmons, Brigitte Bardot, and Oliver Stone. The book also makes the point that you do not need to be famous to impact the world—all you need is determination.
To enter to win a signed copy of One Can Make a Difference, leave a comment about what you are doing to make a difference for animals.
To pick up a copy of One Can Make a Difference right now for yourself or for a friend, visit the PETA catalog. Happy "Make a Difference" Day!
The contest ends on October 31, 2011, and the most inspiring animal-friendly comment will win. We'll contact the winner on November 1, 2011. Make sure that you read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
The first African woman ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Professor Wangari Maathai, has passed away after losing her battle with cancer. Recognizing that social progress and environmental protection go hand in hand, she founded The Green Belt Movement in 1977, providing job opportunities to women in rural areas of Kenya who planted millions of trees. We have lost a brave pioneer whose work in behalf of women, human rights, and conservation changed Africa—and the world—for the better.
In a thought-provoking essay that she wrote for PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World, Ms. Maathai wrote about the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have made a positive impact:
Conviction, vigilance, preparedness, confidence, imagination, these are some of the traits that bring victory, and victory brings great joy. As do your accomplishments, especially accomplishments that are likely to outlive you. These are accomplishments that will testify to your belief and your faith long after you're gone. If you believe that you have improved the situation for the better, this makes you feel that life is worth living.
To read Ms. Maathai's entire essay, along with more than 50 other inspiring essays by people who have positively impacted the world in all sorts of interesting ways, read One Can Make a Difference. In memory of Ms. Maathai, let us all resolve to do whatever we can to accomplish changes that will outlive us. Even an incremental change—like helping pass a fur ban or convincing a company to stop testing on animals—can have a lasting impact.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
A discarded mayonnaise jar proved to be more dangerous to a coyote pup than anything the Road Runner could dish out. The pup was freed from the jar—which, according to witnesses, had been stuck on his or her head for at least a week—by two kind Seattle men who spotted the coyote in their backyard. Because the pup was so weak from lack of food and water, they were able to hold the youngster and pull off the jar, and the freed coyote immediately trotted off into the woods.
This coyote's close call should serve as a reminder that our trash can be mistaken for treasure by wildlife, sometimes with deadly results. That's why it's important always to rinse out discarded jars and to crush metal cans. Cut open one side of cup-like containers and cut apart all sections of plastic six-pack rings, including the inner diamonds. Securely cover garbage cans and recycle bins so that animals can't get into them and become trapped inside. And don't forget to keep an eye out for other people's trash too. I always bring an extra bag with me when I walk my dog so that I can pick up trash along the way.
When shopping, choose paper bags or your own reusable bags whenever possible. Wildlife filmmaker Rebecca Hosking convinced her hometown of Modbury, England, to become the first in the U.K. to ban plastic bags. You can read more about her battle against the "plastic plague," and other inspirational stories, in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book One Can Make a Difference.
Written by Alisa Mullins
If you make a donation of more than $100 before July 31, not only will your generous gift be matched, you will also receive a signed copy of Ingrid E. Newkirk's book One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World. Here are the rules: You must send us a copy of the donation receipt you received in return for your gift. Receipts must be dated between June 11, 2010, and July 31, 2010, and must be received by PETA by August 15, 2010. E-mail us your donation receipts or mail them to the following address: Kim Venetzc/o PETA "Bob Barker Book Offer" 501 Front St.Norfolk, VA 23510 Requesters must be U.S. residents. Limit one book per household.
If you make a donation of more than $100 before July 31, not only will your generous gift be matched, you will also receive a signed copy of Ingrid E. Newkirk's book One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World. Here are the rules:
Kim Venetzc/o PETA "Bob Barker Book Offer" 501 Front St.Norfolk, VA 23510
The following blog originally appeared on PETA Prime:
There are moments in history when individuals make a choice in concert with others, and that choice reverberates for decades. Groups often form in response to a challenge from one individual. Take Henry Bergh, for example, a man of the early 19th century who led people to band together to bring about anti-cruelty legislation. Or Ingrid E. Newkirk and her decision 30 years ago to found PETA, which has resulted in monumental progress for animals. And now, with the generous help of Bob Barker, PETA is looking for 1,000 people who will step forward for animals by July 31. Will you be among the ranks or otherwise help us meet his challenge?
As you may know, Bob Barker recently gave PETA $2.5 million to create a new nerve center for animal rights in Los Angeles. At the time that the Bob Barker Building was dedicated, Barker issued a challenge: He offered to donate an additional $2 million to match certain gifts to PETA—one of those gifts being new memberships. And that's where you come in, even if you already are a member.
PETA always has more opportunities to help animals than financial resources to carry out the work. The new Bob Barker Building isn't just about bricks and mortar. Just as PETA investigators go wherever change for animals is needed, PETA wants its staff members to be based wherever they can benefit animals the most. By relocating our International Grassroots Campaigns, Youth Outreach Campaigns, and Marketing departments to our new Los Angeles headquarters, PETA will have more space to grow and more power to carry out our mission. You can help us change the world for animals by supporting Bob Barker's challenge.
If you are not yet a member, please step forward now with a contribution of $16 or more and support PETA’s work to end cruelty and promote respect for all animals and Bob Barker will match your gift. We are trying to recruit 1,000 new members by July 31 to kickstart our fundraising goals. You can become a PETA member by clicking here. Your donation will make a great difference because PETA is efficient as well as effective, with almost 81 cents of every dollar going directly to programs that help animals—and in this case, Bob Barker will double your dollar!
If you are already a member, please help us by finding one friend or family member who will step forward now for animals and have their gift matched by Bob Barker. You can help by sharing this blog post via Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail or in any other way that you can think of to help spread the word.
All current members receive a one-year subscription to PETA's colorful and informative magazine Animal Times, which features great new vegan recipes, heart-warming stories about animals, and information on how you can help protect animals.
In the first three decades of PETA's existence, we've seen great progress, but there is still so far to go. Won't you seize this historic opportunity to build PETA's membership so that we can continue to expose cruelty and act to end it? Please help PETA meet Bob Barker's challenge and change the world for animals!
Written by Scott VanValkenburg
My "Things That Make You Go Aww" folder is thick with the obvious and the not-so-obvious.
Today that file is bursting at the seams, thanks to Sergeant Mark Fry, a caring cop in Toledo, Ohio, who raced to respond to a call about a pregnant deer who'd been hit by a car. Because of her severe injuries, the doe was euthanized, but her fawn was saved, thanks to Fry's swift, decisive action. He not only performed a C-section at the scene, he also administered CPR to the surviving fawn and then instinctively knew to nourish the weak baby with the doe's milk. Later, during a media interview, he admonished the unknown hit-and-run driver for fleeing the scene and abandoning the injured animals.
Sergeant Mark Fry's heroic efforts reflect his belief that "[a] life is a life, it doesn't matter if it's an animal or if it's a human being." For his compassionate actions, we're presenting him with PETA's "One Can Make a Difference" award. Please leave Sergeant Mark Fry a note of thanks in the comments section, and then read up on how to help deer and other animals in your city.
Written by Karin Bennett
Oh, Mickey, you're so kind, your love for animals blows our minds … Hey, Mickey!
Why am I cheering for Mickey Rourke? Look at the mock croc he rocked at this week's Iron Man 2 premiere:
"[It's] some kind of crocodile or something," says Rourke. "It's not real, though … I didn't make it. A guy named David August made it. Sylvester Stallone turned me on to the guy. He's really a rock and roll dude."
A dude who has always worn his heart on his sleeve (and lapel), Mickey wouldn't hurt a fly—or a crocodile, a dog, or any other animal. Just check out his moving essay in the paperback version of PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's book, One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World. He writes about how his six rescued dogs brought him back from the brink and "saved my life!"
Via Vegetarian Star
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
There may not be many seals in the Sunshine State, but any who do venture that far south have a friend in U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings. The senior Democratic whip is lobbing a virtual pie in the face of the Canadian government by introducing a resolution this week urging our neighbors to the north to ban the commercial seal slaughter.
Seal fur and other spoils of the slaughter are already banned in the U.S., and the Senate passed a similar resolution last year condemning Canada's annual baby seal massacre—but this is a first for the House.
Why not add your voice to Rep. Hastings' by urging Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make like a snowbird and retire the seal slaughter? (And don't forget to spread the word to your friends and family too.)
Yesterday, Nanci Alexander—one of our most generous and tireless friends to animals—joined a myriad of PETA supporters in D.C. to cut the ribbon and officially open the doors to PETA's Washington home, The Nanci Alexander Center for Animal Rights:
Nanci, whom Ingrid E. Newkirk describes as "an animal rights activist's activist," is the woman to whom Newkirk dedicated her book One Can Make a Difference. She is also the founder of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida and the creator of Fort Lauderdale's fabulous all-vegan world cuisine restaurant Sublime, where Sir Paul McCartney and Steve-O have enjoyed meals, and as Ingrid says, if George Bernard Shaw and the Buddha were alive, you'd find them eating there too. She was among the first to spark debate over SeaWorld's horrible confinement of killer whales and dolphins and was also behind Florida's pig gestation-crate ban.
Finding herself seated next to President Bush the elder one day, Nanci asked him to do one thing: think about the suffering of the animals he shoots. If everyone spoke up that way, the world would be a far kinder place. Nanci has devoted her life to waking people up to cruelty to animals and changing everything from what they think to what they eat. PETA plans to do great things from the building now named after her.
Written by Logan Scherer
Revenge for seals is just a click away. In Adult Swim's addictive new game, Polar Bear Payback, you control a bloodthirsty polar bear as he battles through hordes of seal slaughterers (level 1 of the game) and whalers (level 2), all while saving animals and the environment.
And bloodthirsty is right. To keep your health meter high, you must bite the heads off the animal abusers and suck the blood from their skulls. After you spit out the skull, one of your baby-seal companions will use his head to toss it like a rubber ball. No, this game is not for the faint of heart.
The release of Polar Bear Payback, created by Smashing Ideas, couldn't have come at a better time for taking action to save Canada's seals. Today is the International Day of Action for Seals, so one of the many things you can do for seals today is to kill a bunch of (virtual) sealers.
Written by Joel Bartlett
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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