Guest Post by Alan OReilly

Since the use of animal products in all manner of both common and obscure items is endemic, it is impossible to be a perfect vegan. In fact, even in a completely vegan world we could not avoid causing some indirect or inadvertent harm, despite our best efforts.

Enter the nirvana fallacy, which is the fallacy of comparing actual things with unrealistic, idealized alternatives, and it is a favourite justification for not being vegan; since veganism cannot be perfect, there is no point in being vegan at all, they trumpet. Now we may expect this kind of nonsense from nonvegans, but recently there seems to be an increasing number of people identifying as vegan using this particular fallacy to mitigate their occasional consumption of animal products. This is usually included in a confession, presumably made to obtain moral absolution from their peers. These incidents are often referred to as slip ups but, regardless of the reason given for such a lapse, deliberate and knowing animal use is not slipping up in anything like the same sense as, say, missing the declaration of whey powder in the ingredients list of a packet of biscuits. It is certainly not vindicated by our inability to be 100% vegan.

In a recent account, a vegan told of periodically consuming a couple of poached eggs due to an irresistible urge to satisfy a pleasant childhood memory. The question was asked that if such a person was not vegan at the time the eggs were consumed, when could they subsequently be regarded as vegan once again? This is, of course, a question designed to elicit a reply which implies that veganism is something to be dropped and picked up again according to the whim of personal preference and convenience. Realistically, a rational response could only be attempted if veganism were framed as merely a matter of dietary preference rather than the moral philosophy it is. Consuming the eggs was certainly an unvegan act, but we need to look beyond this to the ethics of veganism. In my view, that person was not vegan prior to consuming the eggs; if they had been, would their ethical principles not have prevented them from doing so (let alone for such a trivial reason) in the first place?

Sadly, these incidents are further evidence of the erosion of the definition and meaning of veganism which has occurred over the years, fostered by the mainstream animal movement relentlessly promoting it as just one of a number of measures which can be taken to reduce suffering, a growing band of YouTube vegans more interested in self-promotion and an almost universally anti-vegan media. If we take the position that sentient beings have the basic right not to be treated as resources and exploited then veganism is a moral obligation, an obligation fulfilled by not violating that right through eating, wearing or otherwise using them. It is the minimum that the victims of exploitation deserve. Someone identifying as vegan who knowingly commits a rights violation must judge for themselves whether or not that act constitutes an abandonment of their personal commitment to the ethical foundation of veganism.

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WHEN IS A VEGAN NOT A VEGAN? - Ecorazzi

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Due to decades of oppressive communist rule, Cubans unconnected to the Communist Party have little, if any, access to meat staples like beef, chicken, and pork, making Cuba a baffling choice for PETA to expand its advocacy in.

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The lettuce ladies arrived in Havana on Tuesday and plan to hand out vegan recipe books, veterinary supplies, and exacerbate Havanas stray dog problem by distributing dog treats. The advocates will target tourists in the areas of Havana off-limits to Cubans Cuba maintains an apartheid system in Havana tolimit tourists exposure to non-Party-approved Cuban nationals with $1,000 in supplies which also include vegetable themed pens and informational booklets.

Weve taken this campaign around the world and we absolutely wanted to take it to Cuba, PETA spokeswomanAshley Byrne told theMiami Herald. Byrne described the lettuce ladies as a fun way to teach about going vegan and insisted that PETA had not discussed our plans with the Cuban government.

It had been more than 50 years since a U.S. airline last flew to Cubas capital, and for the first time ever, two Lettuce Ladies carrying green suitcases that proclaim, Vegan Ambassador to Cuba, and wearing little more than strategically placed lettuce leaves were on board, PETA announced on its websiteon Tuesday. Their mission? To encourage new friends on the island to help animals by going vegan.

PETA has attempted to engage the island nation before, publishing guides for tourists on how to eat vegan while staying in Cuba. Vegans do not eat meat and abstain from consuming any food made with animal products, including dairy and eggs. The PETA guide to eating vegan in Cuba places emphasis on what the organization appears to believe is common Cuban cuisine: plantains, rice and beans, tubers like yuca andmalanga. While staples of Cuban cuisine in the U.S. exile community, wherebasic foods are readily available, Cubans on the island struggle to feed themselves properly againstcrippling poverty and an increasingly stringent rationing system.

Dr. Carlos Eire, theT. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History & Religious Studies at Yale University and a member of the Cuban exile community, reacted to the PETA publicity stunt with outrage, highlighting that meat of any kind is very scarce for 99% of the population and it would be impossible for Cubans to follow a vegan diet, due to the scarcity of certain food items:

Before you deliver a single lecture to Cubans, go live in Castrogonia as Cubans for at least three months, trying to survive on a vegan diet as Cubans would do, on a ration card and an income of 20 dollars a month.

While youre in Castrogonia, wear your lettuce bikinis all the time, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Or, if that proves inconvenient, go naked. After all many of your PETA ads against fur-wearing feature naked celebrities.

Join the Ladies in White for one of their Sunday events and be sure to get arrested and beaten along with them. See if your conception of ethical treatment is affected in any way by the experience.

Specifically, Cubans are limited in what they can buy by a Communist Party ration book. According to the Cuban journalist Yusnaby Prez, the average Cuban ration book allows for the monthly purchase, among other minor items, of five eggs, five pounds of rice, half a pound of oil, 1/4 pound coffee cut with toasted split peas, two one-kilogram packages of salt a year, a pound of chicken, and another 3/4 pound of chicken meant to substitute a no longer existent fish ration. Prez quotes one pensioner as estimating that the monthly rations last him an average of ten days.

Families with school-aged children can rely on schools feeding their sons and daughters outrageously meager lunches, exposed in a Cuban television report that resulted in official sanctions by the Communist Party for the network that aired it. In the report, a schoolboy protests that his food largely consisting of a watery split pea soup was full of rocks, dirt, it has no salt, the split peas are watery:

The Miami-based outletMart Noticias consulted aCuban nutritionist identified as Leonardo to evaluate the quality of the average Cuban diet last year. In Cuba, the variety of food is very limited. It has been years since Cubans have eaten fresh fish, beef, or shellfish, he explained. People do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. Half the population gets its calories from carbohydrates like pizza, bread, and sweets, what we call junk food. Despite the possible presence of eggs in some of the pizza dough and sweets, Cuban diets are already largely vegan-friendly by necessity.

The situation only appears to be getting worse, reports indicate, because of tourists like the lettuce ladies. In a report in December, the New York Timeswarned that increased tourism to Cuba triggered in part by the Obama administrations decision to issue major diplomatic concessions to the Communist dictatorship has forced the government to scramble its food supply to feed tourists, leaving many Cubans starving. Its a disaster, one woman told theTimes, who complained she had not been able to buy an onion for the entirety of 2016.

Tourists are quite literally eating Cubas lunch, theTimes concludes.

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PETA Deploys Bikini-Clad 'Lettuce Ladies' to Turn Impoverished Cuba Vegan - Breitbart News

Written by PETA | March 1, 2017

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and PETA came together to discuss vegan and sustainable clothing as part of the universitys annual Sustainability Awareness Week. PETA curated a special panel for the students, featuring five superstars of the vegan fashion scene: Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart (Vaute), Bianca Moran (SUSI Studio), Joshua Katcher (Brave GentleMan), Sydney Brown (Sydney Brown), and Sugandh Agrawal (GUNAS).

The How to Make It in (Vegan) Fashion discussion was moderated by model and activist Renee Peters. Topics included where to find high-quality vegan textiles, why cruelty-free apparel is an unstoppable trend in todays industry, and, in line with the panels title, how to make it as a sustainable designer.

Designers dont need to contribute to the horrific treatment of animals in order to be successful in the fashion world, which is why we teamed up with FIT to showcase some of the best designers leading the way with sustainable vegan fabrics.

Pick any material made from animals, and there are many high-quality, contemporary options that you can wear instead. Take leather, for example. From Ultrasuede and cork, to surprising materials such as pineapple, kombucha tea, and mushrooms, many new vegan leather innovations are hitting the scene. Thinking about ditching your itchy wool coat? These natural fabrics make for fantastic soft-knit options. Not down with down feathers? Try any of these cruelty-free high-tech fabrics instead. The list goes on and on, because vegan fabrics have hit the ground runningand simply put, theyre the future of fashion.

Take a step toward sustainability with us by supporting vegan leather, fur, down, and wool suppliers the next time that youre out shopping for clothing and accessories.

Want to receive more compassionate content, delivered to your inbox once a week? Sign up for our popular PETA Living E-News.

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Why Sustainable, Vegan Design Is the Future of Fashion - PETA (blog) (press release)

Christopher Buchanan, WXIA 5:57 PM. EST March 01, 2017

HULL, Ga. -- A Georgia woman is behind bars after deputies said she slammed into a chicken truck, fled the scene and then refused to leave her home once authorities tracked her down.

The investigation began when a truck driver told police he was traveling west on Hwy. 72 when a red four-door car hit the side of his truck. The driver said he initiated his brakes only to have the suspect vehicle slam into his truck once more - spinning in front of the truck in the process.

The truck driver pulled over and called 911 as the red car fled. He only had a basic description of the driver, a woman with shoulder length red hair. Had that been all that Madison County deputies had to work with, she might not have been as easy to find. However they reported that there was debris from the crash left on the side of the road - including her license plate.

A records check tracked the car's owner back to a residents in the 2300 block of Spring Circle in Comer, Ga. When police initially arrived, they found no one there. However, a second attempt found both the vehicle and a driver matching the driver'svague description.

The woman refused to leave the home unless the officer's secured a warrant but did speak with deputies through multiple windows of the house, explaining what happened. The woman, later identified as Judith Moriah Armstrong, 26, admitted she was involved in an accident and fled for fear of what would happen to her license.

But further questioning revealed that the accident wasn't all that accidental. She told officers she hit the other vehicle because it was a chicken truck and she was a vegan. Armstrong said she was heading home from work when she hit the truck and denied having alcohol before making the drive. However, claimed to have "taken a couple of shots" when she arrived home.

A report states that Armstrong continued to refuse leaving the home after repeated requests that she step outside. Officers eventually obtained a warrant and she surrendered to police. She was tested for alcohol consumption in jail and blew a .089 which is over the legal limit.

Authorities said she now faces charges of hit-and-run, aggressive driving, driving under the influence, and obstruction.

( 2017 WXIA)

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Ga. woman's reason wrecking into chicken truck: 'I'm vegan' - 11alive.com

Today marks the first day of Lent, and many people around the around the world even those who don't consider themselves practising Christians are gearing up for 40 days of abstention from some perceived vice or other. We've all heard that Theresa May has given up crisps a popular choice, alongside alcohol, chocolate, and fizzy drinks.

But what if there was something you could give up that could not only improve your own health but also help combat climate change and save lives? Who wouldn't want that kind of bang for their buck?

Well, for those of you still undecided about what to forgo, you're in luck, because you can do exactly that by choosing not to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products and giving them up may be easier than you think.

Can people tell the difference between real and vegan cheese?

The days when vegans brought their own cartons of soya milk to the coffee shop are long gone. As people have become increasingly aware of the systematic cruelty endured by animals raised for food as well as the devastating impact that animal agriculture has on the planet and the health problems linked to the consumption of animal-derived foods more and more of us are choosing to leave them off our plates. Google searches for "vegan" have increased by380 per centin the last five years, while supermarkets, restaurants, and other businesses are falling over themselves to meet the ever-increasing demand for vegan food.

As a result, there's a greater choice of widely available vegan options than ever before for those of you who are new to the game. In fact, half of Britain's top restaurant chains now offer a vegan main course, according to research by Ethical Consumer. There are veggie fajitas at Las Iguanas, a chilli sin carne at Le Pain Quotidien, miso dumpling Ramen at Yo! Sushi, vegan cheese pizzas at Zizzi, and even a vegan curry at JD Wetherspoon. Plus, dedicated veggie spots are popping up all over the country in London, you'll find a queue right down the road for Temple of Hackney's vegan fried chicken, while Bristol is poised for the opening of a vegan fish and chip shop.

Although most of us were raised eating animals and have been conditioned not to think about the terrified living being who was killed for our steak, we cannot deny that cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals used for their flesh have feelings, thoughts, and personalities just like the millions of beloved cats and dogs in this country who are viewed as part of the family. How, then, can we justify the way in which they are treated like machines and endure enormous suffering in the food industry? Cows on dairy farms, for example, are repeatedly forcibly impregnated, and their calves are torn away from them shortly after birth. The males are killed or sold for meat, while females who are destined for the same cycle of misery as their mothers are mutilated and kept in filthy and severely crowded conditions.

When chickens are only a few weeks old, they endure a stressful and terrifying trip to the abattoir, where many are killed while they're still conscious. On occasion, animals such as pigs have made extraordinary dashes for freedom while on their way to slaughter by jumping from moving lorries, leaping fences, or swimming across rivers because they value their lives just as we do.

Last year, the World Health Organisation listed processed meat including sausage and bacon as a carcinogen in the same category as tobacco. Its research found that consuming 50 grams of processed meat a day (less than two slices of bacon) increased a person's chances of developing colorectal cancer by 18 per cent. Another study found that eating exclusively plant-based foods lowers the risk of developing prostate cancer by 35 per cent. Being vegetarian or vegan also reduces the risk of suffering from heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, some of the country's biggest killers.

Going vegan also helps ensure a greener tomorrow. The Worldwatch Institute estimates that a staggering 51 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are caused by "livestock and their by-products", which makes sense when you think about the vast swathes of rainforest that are being cut down in order to grow crops to feed the billions of animals we raise every year for meat as well as the energy required to run the factories, the water wastage, the cows' methane emissions, the fossil fuels burned during transportation, the energy required for refrigeration, the materials used for packaging, and so on. Just imagine how much more efficient our food systems would be if we ate the crops ourselves instead of funnelling them through animals. It's no wonder the United Nations has warned that a global shift towards a plant-based diet is vital in order to alleviate the worst effects of climate change.

Veganism also goes hand in hand with Christian values of compassion and respect for all creation. After all, the Garden of Eden was vegan!

Given all these compelling reasons not to eat animals, it's hardly surprising that 12 per cent of adults in the UK are now vegetarian. The number of 16-24 year-olds who say they're vegan or vegetarian is even higher: 20 per cent and growing. These numbers lead to one conclusion: we're experiencing a fundamental shift in our collective psyche towards a kinder, more respectful way of living. If you haven't tried it yet, Lent is the perfect time to take the plunge, and PETA offers a free vegan starter kit on its website to help people make the transition. After 40 days, I suspect you'll be so hooked that you'll consider making it a choice for life.

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This is why you should go vegetarian or vegan for Lent and how to do it - The Independent

Idaho Statesman (blog)

New ice cream shop with beer, wine infusions? Kid, vegan, wacky flavors? Mmmm Idaho Statesman (blog) Vegan ice cream? A flight of craft beer and ice cream? Orange Crush and Fruity Pebbles ice cream? Allen and co-owner Dan Sell have spent hours experimenting with flavors, he says. We've made one or two that haven't been as good as we have hoped, ...

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New ice cream shop with beer, wine infusions? Kid, vegan, wacky flavors? Mmmm - Idaho Statesman (blog)

Miami Herald

PETA 'lettuce ladies' take eat vegan message to Cuba | Miami Herald Miami Herald The animal rights group's 'lettuce ladies' took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for a Havana trip to spread their animal rights and vegan ... PETA's Lettuce Ladies In Cuba Selling Vegan Virtues And Bizarre ...WLRN Havana Bound: 'Lettuce Ladies' Take Their First-Ever Trip to Cuba ...PETA (blog) (press release) all 4 news articles »

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PETA 'lettuce ladies' take eat vegan message to Cuba | Miami Herald - Miami Herald

Baker Becca Jones cleaning up the icing top to the traditional vegan Ho Ho's at the Make, Believe Bakery, a vegan bakery in downtown that also offers gluten free vegan foods. Denver. February 23, 2017 Denver, CO. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Pastry is the embodiment of all that is right with the world.

Have I gone too far? Maybe. But for me, a great pastry has the ability to brighten my day, impress a group of friends or make someone feel loved.

But because dairy and eggs are often used to make wonderful pastry, many vegans are left standing outside on the sidewalk, staring longingly into a bakery as the rain washes away their tears. Dont you worry, my vegan friends. You, too, can have a rom-com moment with a pastry.

This is the part of the movie where you trip and fall into the loving arms of Make, Believe Bakery.

This vegan bakery which also touts lots of gluten-free options began in 2004 as Watercourse Bakery, said owner Dan Landes, who also owns City O City and formerly owned the restaurant WaterCourse Foods before selling it to Lauren Roberts in 2014. It became Make, Believe in the summer of 2016 and opened a storefront location in August next to City O City at 214 E. 13th Ave.

Heres a shocker: Not every pastry is appropriate for every situation. How to choose? Go to Make, Believe Bakerys co-managers Randa Duffy and Kelly McBride for advice. I hit them with four scenarios that require pastries, and asked for recommendations:

Its a Friday and you want to celebrate the weekend. Or its a Monday and you want to kick off the week with a bang. Or its literally any day of the week and you just want a morning pastry. What do you get?

McBride &Duffy:Both said theyd send customers next doorto City O City, where they stock the bakerys scones. Flavors rotate weekly. Weekenders can get a pack of four. Cost: $3 each.

(Other shop employees said the sweet potato cinnamon roll was the way to go. They swear that it melts in your mouth. Cost: $3.50.)

Its been a rough day. Work has been getting you down. Puddles of ice water seem to jump in front of your feet. An Instagram photo only got one like. You just need this one thing to go right. What pastry turns your day around?

McBride:The scout cookie, popular among both vegan and nonvegan folk. The cookies are the bakerys take on a classic Samoawith walnuts, sweet potatoes, coconut and chocolate. Cost: $3.50 per cookie or a dozen for $38. (Well worth it, trust me.)

Duffy: A brownie topped with raspberry cream cheese (she has a sweet tooth, after all). Cost: $6 each or a dozen for $65.

Everyone is bringing food to a party and youre trying to make an impression.This isnt the time to bring chips. What makes you stand out?

McBride: Hit them with a half dozen of each mini cupcake flavor. Theyre tiny roughly two bites so people can have a little bit of every flavor. Cost: $1.75 each, or $19 for a dozen.

Duffy:Roll up in style with key lime tarts. The tartlets are little, only about 3 inches. Cost: $7 for a single tart; a dozen costs $78.

Its your special persons birthday. You want your love to be expressed through this pastry. Which one screams I love you with each bite?

McBride:A very popular cake is the coconut cream. Its a coconut cake filled with coconut cream and vanilla frosting and finished with toasted coconut. For a fancier and more romantic dessert, she recommended the chocolate tart, which has a dense chocolate mousse center and seasonal fruit on the side.

Duffy:Go with the chocolate raspberry cake. Its chocolate cake with raspberry jam, covered in chocolate frosting and topped with dark chocolate ganache. Or, for a unique twist, try the mocha cake. Its chocolate cake with vanilla bean custard and espresso frosting.

Cost: Cakes are $32 for a 6-inch round cake; $48 for a 9-inch round cake. The tart is $36 for a 6-inch round; $54 for a 9-inch round.

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The perfect vegan pastry for 4 scenarios as picked by Make, Believe Bakery in Denver - The Denver Post

WHEN IS A VEGAN NOT A VEGAN? : Ecorazzi Ecorazzi Since the use of animal products in all manner of both common and obscure items is endemic, it is impossible to be a perfect vegan. In fact, even in a ... and more »

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WHEN IS A VEGAN NOT A VEGAN? : Ecorazzi - Ecorazzi

Jeanette Harris of Gluten Free Goat Bakery and Caf. All photos by Tom O'Connor.

People looking for fresh baked vegan and gluten-free options sometimes have to hunt a little harder to find what they want, but the Gluten Free Goat Bakery and Caf is making the search a bit easier.

The wholesale operation Jeanette Harris started two years ago is evolving with its first brick-and-mortar bakery and caf, now open on Penn Ave. in Garfield. The bakerys familiar doughnuts and brownies can be found along with a full counter service menu of brunch items, soups, salads and grab-and-go treats. Theres also Commonplace coffee and espresso, teas including a special blend from Tupelo Honey Teas available in the caf, and dining space.

Were calling it brunch all week, says Harris, referring to menu items that feature mostly breakfast and lunch options that will rotate weekly along with fresh items from the bakery. Both sweet and savory items are featured including Belgian Waffles made with real maple syrup and vegan butter, and the fun-sounding Falafel Waffles made with tabbouleh and tzatzikinot only delicious but alsovegan friendly.

Gluten Free Goat Bakery and Caf on Penn Ave. in Garfield.

Most items at Gluten Free Goat Bakery are vegan and some are vegetarian. A weekend-only menu features quiche, vegan benedict and veggie burgers. Salad options include fresh lentils with parsley and Mediterranean spices, and sesame noodles with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Apastry chef is on staff to handle special occasion cakes for weddings, birthdays and showers, all made right in the new commercial kitchen space.

Our wholesale customers have been our bread and butter, and Im so grateful they have helped me build my business to this point, says Harris. The bakery has more than 20 customers that will continue to be servicedtwice a week. The caf and new kitchen space provides anopportunity for the baker to grow and expand from what sheand her staff are already doing.

Harris has always loved to bake and cook, frequentlywatching PBS cooking shows with her sister when she was a kid. We were total food nerds she says.

After learning she was suffering from Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder where wheat affects a persons ability to absorb nutrients properly, Harris had to learn how to bake all over again. I had to start from scratch because its a whole new science baking with gluten free flour she says noting, Its hard to get the texture and flavor right.

Fresh baked apple cider doughnuts.

According to Harris, most gluten-free supermarket products are simply loaded with sugar and tapioca starch to try to emulate the flavor of wheat. I try not to do that. I start with organic rice bran flour as a base and use evaporated cane juice instead of bleached sugars, and sometimes dates or agave for sweetness she explains.

Recently, Harris has been collaborating with Reed & Co. on some of her baking projects. The recently opened juice and health food shop in Lawrenceville provides her with leftover fruit pulp which she in turns uses as a sweetening agent. I recently made lemon-rosemary cookies using a pure carrot pulp and they were delicious, she says adding, Im going to experiment with some of his combo flavors to look for nice flavor profiles.

Harris is thrilled to be opening her first shop in Garfield. The neighborhood is great. The community is wonderfully diverse and engaged, says Harris adding, I dont want it to change too much; I like it the way it is and I hope to be an inclusive place that is affordable and welcoming.

The new bakery and caf is open Wednesday throughFriday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. For more information on the bakery and caf, see their website.

bakingcafegluten free goat bakerygluten-free

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Gluten Free Goat Bakery and Caf brings new vegan options to Garfield - NEXTpittsburgh