What about “humane” meat? What if an animal lived a good life and then was slaughtered? Those are some of the questions I get asked often. My simple answer is, there is no such thing as “humane” meat; it’s a euphemism, an oxymoron. Humane is “marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals”. How...
None of us really know how other people or animals experience pain; we only know what we ourselves sense when we are in pain. However, we can safely say that human and non-human animals are sentient creatures, who have the ability to suffer. The fact that we don’t share a common language with animals does not...
Food is tasty! It’s the basis of our life, comforting and at the center of our social, cultural and religious events: holidays, weddings, parties. But what do we know about our food and why don’t we know it? For instance, tomatoes. Whether you have grown tomato plants or not, you know that a tomato seed germinates...
When I first arrived to the U.S. years ago, I did not know much about Thanksgiving. The impression I got from the people around me, and the media, was that the primary focus of the holiday is food, more specifically the turkey. As someone who considers chickens and turkeys as birds, not food, I felt aversion...
The polar bear in the picture, Taco, was kept in captivity for 16 years at the Santiago Zoo in Chile. He was confined to a small space, with a shallow pool of water, in sharp contrast to the vast Arctic ice sheets polar bears roam and coastal waters they swim in. He suffered the hot Chilean...
I was astounded by the outpouring of public outrage and anger over the killing of Cecil the lion by Walter Palmer in a Zimbabwe sanctuary. I do not recall ever seeing such an intense and negative response to any mistreatment of animals. I’m happy about it; it demonstrates the public’s ability to feel compassion towards non-human...
Before I became vegan, on winter weekend mornings, we used to eat pancakes filled with either caramelized apples or blueberries. I missed eating them, until my friend Robin sent me this amazing vegan pancake recipe. The pancakes are better than the non-vegan ones: fluffy, light and delicious, really! So here is the recipe (with a few...
One of the first comments I received after launching my blog really pleased me. It was a request to incorporate guidance for people considering becoming vegetarian or vegan. That comment meant they were contemplating an important step towards compassionate living, by eliminating animals, and perhaps animal products, from their diet. I stopped eating chicken first, many...
I’d like to tell you about something I’ve thought about a lot, why is there such an enormous inconsistency between our moral codes on one hand, and our actions on the other? We say or think we believe in certain ethical values (justice, fairness, etc.), and can differentiate right from wrong; but do our daily actions...
Many of us have companion animals, usually dogs, cats, or other small animals. We love and care for them. Even people who do not have companion animals may feel a connection to them, they’ll tell you they love dogs, or cats. I admit, I too love dogs. But, I ask myself, thinking about the big picture,...
My friend asked me how I came up with the name “i’m an animal too”. I could not recall how I first arrived at the name, but my choice of name represents a realization. I’m into science, and it’s a scientific fact, I’m an animal, and you are an animal too, all humans are. The word...
