Species Barrier #1 Podcast & Show Notes

Pilot episode... This week we introduce ourselves, tell our personal vegan stories, talk to Lincoln's MP Karl McCartney to gage his environmental beliefs, check in with new coffee shop Lincs2Nepal regarding their vegan options, discuss the killing of calves on TV, vegan boxers... and more...

Listen to The Species Barrier Episode 01 Why Vegan here: http://archive.org/details/TheSpeciesBarrier01WhyVegan

Or download/listen to the mp3: Here


Show notes for episode #1 of The Species Barrier:

Definition of veganism: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vegan

Lincs2Nepal: http://lincs2nepal.wordpress.com/

Jimmy Doherty and The Giant Supermarket on killing calves: http://jimmysfarm.com/jimmy-doherty-tackles-veal-issue-on-new-channel-4-documentary-series/

Lincolnshire farmers urged to power Biomass Plant: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Lincolnshire-straw-willow-crops-help-power-nation/story-16363961-detail/story.html

"Veganism: Saving The Planet One Plant At A Time" winner of the Young Environmentalist Film Award for 2012. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQynrc0C3xc

WBO Welterweight champion Tim Bradley on his plant based diet: http://theplanteater.com/2012/06/01/boxer-tim-bradley-on-his-vegan-diet/

Mike Tyson on being vegan: http://www.treehugger.com/culture/mike-tyson-loves-being-vegan-its-changed-his-life.html

Better Transport address Lincolnshire's wind farm controversy: http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/blogs/roads/070612-lincolnshire

Greenhouse gas levels pass symbolic 400pm CO2 milestone: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/01/record-greenhouse-gas-trouble-scientists

Avaaz Petition on renewable energy in Lincolnshire:  http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Continue_Renewable_Energy_Investment_in_Lincolnshire/

Lazy Day Foods: http://www.lazydayfoods.com/engine/shop/index.html

First UK Vegan Radio Show- The Species Barrier

BIG VEGAN OUTREACH LINCOLN AND EAST MIDLANDS NEWS!

https://www.facebook.com/TheSpeciesBarrier/

First pilot episode of what we believe to be the first and only vegan radio show in the UK is this Thursday at 2pm, locally on 107.3 Siren FM or online at http://www.sirenonline.co.uk/

This week we introduce ourselves, tell our personal vegan stories, talk to Lincoln's MP Karl McCartney to gage his environmental beliefs, check in with new coffee shop Lincs2Nepal regarding their vegan options, discuss the killing of calves on TV, vegan boxers... and more...

Show notes and podcast will follow after broadcast.

Bring and Share: Wednesday 20th June

In episode one of The Species Barrier radio show we found out about Lincs2Nepal from founder Gary, on the Wednesday the 20^th of June we held a vegan bring and share at the venue. The evening was a great success with around 25 people attending and Gary was glad to report that as a result that day saw the highest takings to date.

The gastronomical merriment ensues

As you would expect with a bring and share a wide variety of vegan food was brought along for the event. Everything from avocado pesto pasta to Lasagne to pizza, to sausage rolls, to cashew nut balls and many salads etc. For dessert Ruth had made iced doughnuts and espresso chocolate chip cookies, suffice to say it was all very well received and people also purchased tea and cake in order to further support Lincs2Nepal’s work.

Tempting tasters

We were kindly sent some Kara chocolate coconut milk so instead of hoarding it as Ruth was tempted to we took it to the meet up to see what everyone thought of it. Kara’s coconut milks are widely available in supermarkets and join a wide range of alternatives to cow’s milk, along with soya, almond, hazelnut, quinoa, hemp and rice milks.

We asked the attendees what they thought of the evening, listen in to episode two of the The Species Barrier entitled "Vegan Children" for the result.

Everyone is welcome to attend and if you’d like to come to a future meetup then follow Vegan Outreach Lincoln East Midlands on facebook or this blog for a heads up.

Review: Vegan Freaks

Going vegan? Quite right too! The right tools are the most important things you can have and 2005's Vegan Freaks, Being Vegan in A Non-Vegan World is certainly a fantastic tool. Vegan Freaks was the first book that Ruth read about veganism and it is still her favourite vegan book of all time.

Written by Bob and Jenna Torres who used to do a fantastic, irreverent podcast also entitled "Vegan Freaks", the book has every piece of information you could want from why you would go vegan, to how to go vegan, hell is other people, what to eat and drink, how to get involved in vegan groups and things you would never consider being non-vegan (Some wines etc).

The cover of the new edition

It is written in a funny and compassionate way and even now after being vegan for five years Ruth can still pick it up and learn something new. She loves the chapter called "Hell is other people" and can't tell you how much it has helped her deal with non-vegans, those who think they're nutritionists the moment you mention you're a vegan, those who stick meat in your face (Dad!) and how to turn negative events into positive ones (bring food, especially sweet and exceptionally tasty stuff).

It's a small book, only 150 pages long but one that every vegan should have and available cheaply new or used (Always the environmental choice) on Amazon what are you waiting for? Ruth has the first version but there is a newer, updated version so get that if you can.

Bob Torres released a further book in 2007 entitled Making a Killing: The Political Economy Of Animal Rights.

Easy and Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe with Orange Frosting

Here's one we made earlier

                 

Ingredients for cake:

500g self raising flour

2tsp baking powder       

8tsp ground cinnamon 

4tsp grated nutmeg  

200g vegetable margarine (I use Vitalite)

200g sugar (brown)

200g golden syrup

500g  grated carrot  

1 cup coconut/soya milk- coconut milk is more creamy.

Instructions:

1) Melt margarine, sugar and syrup over a low heat. Stir, and take off the heat.

2) Put flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl and pour sugar mixture on top

3) Whisk and add milk

4) Stir well and then add the grated carrots

5) This makes one cake- fill a 8.5 to 9 inch cake tin and cook for arouns 25-35 mins or until a skewer comes out with just a few crumbs

6) Leave to cool then remove from cake tin.

Ingredients for Icing:

12 tbsp vitalite or pure dairy free margarine

1.5 cups of icing sugar

1 orange (rind and juice only)

Instructions:
1) Grate the rind off and squeeze three tsp of juice from the orange into the mixture.

2) Whisk all of the miexture together until right consistency
3) Add more icing sugar if you want thicker or more juice to make it thinner.
4) Apply the icing to the cake.

Channel 4 Shocks The Public With Truth

Currently 58 people have complained over footage showing male calves being killed on a farm as part of a recent Channel 4 programme. Surely near all of the complainants meanwhile drink cow's milk. What are they trying to do? Scare TV channels into never again daring to show them the truth? No facts on our TV set please, our heads are happily in the sand, out of site, out of mind and all that good stuff?

The killing of calves is absolutely standard practice in all methods of dairy farming. The male being a by product of his mother's continued forced pregnancy cycles, deemed useless due to his lack of profitability. Then humans step in to steal and sell the milk intended for him from the grieving mother. The fortunate female calves meanwhile get to become the grieving, exploited mothers of tomorrow.

The less said about Jimmy Doherty's cynical pushing of how cute and innocent the slaughtered calves are the better. His conclusion as a farmer is that they should instead be kept around longer and then dished up as "rose veal", a position the ever toothless RSPCA and CIWF support. Sensationalism and self-promotion in the total absence of any consistent ethical foundation.

Cute... and sentient.

It never fails to surprise how ill informed the public currently is regarding how other animals are needlessly used on their behalf.  That the big animal welfare charities have solicited huge amounts of money and single issue petition signatures but neglected to educate on the very fundamentals of egg and dairy production is hugely telling. The failure assures that basic, grassroots, vegan advocacy performed by individuals will be vital to countering comforting, childhood myths many still hold regarding Old McDonald and his farm.

Remember vegetarians that if you demand dairy products then you also by default demand the killing of calves to produce them. This certainly makes for a puzzling irony regarding the avoidance of rennet in cheese, which after all is made from the stomach lining of slaughtered calves.

Don't want cows, calves or any other animals exploited and killed on your behalf? Go vegan.