Demand for Skins Drives a Deadly Industry
Every time you choose to buy a leather jacket or leather shoes, you sentence animals to a lifetime of suffering. Buying leather directly contributes to factory farms and slaughterhouses, since the skins of animals are the most economically important coproduct of the multibillion-dollar meat industry. The vast majority of animals slaughtered for their skin suffer all the horrors of factory farming-intense confinement, painful mutilations, deprivation, harmful hormone and antibiotic injections, and cruel treatment during transport and slaughter.
Cattle
Leather from cows comes from animals raised for both beef and milk. Cattle raised for beef spend most of their lives on overcrowded feedlots. Studies have found that ranchers maximize profits by giving each steer less than 20 square feet of living space-the equivalent of putting 12 half-ton steers in a typical American bedroom! They are subjected to painful procedures like castration; branding, which causes third-degree burns; tail-docking; and dehorning - all without painkillers. Deprived of veterinary care, exposed to the elements with no shelter, these breathing, thinking, feeling beings, who feel pain just as we do, suffer immensely. Instead of treating them humanely, they are fed a steady diet of hormones to fatten them and antibiotics to keep them alive.
Dairy Cows
Cows raised for milk are typically confined to crowded concrete-floored milking pens, where they are milked by machines that often cut or shock them. Some farmers inject cows with synthetic growth hormones, which increase the likelihood of mastitis, a painful infection in the cows' udders. They are repeatedly impregnated, only to have every baby torn from their side shortly after birth. Both calf and mother cow, powerfully bonded by maternal love, are known to cry out desperately for days when separated. The cows' female offspring are forced to become future "milk machines," and their frightened male calves are trucked to veal farms where they are chained inside tiny, dark crates. Motherless and alone, they are unable to take even one step in any direction, turn around, or lie down comfortably. When they are slaughtered, they are often too sick or lame to walk.
Transport
After short dismal lives, cows are jam-packed into metal trucks where, confused and terrified, they suffer from injury, freezing cold and blistering heat, overcrowding, hunger, and thirst. In the winter, cows routinely arrive for slaughter frozen to the sides of transport trucks, frozen to truck bottoms in their own feces and urine, and injured or dead from the journey. Frequently collapsing during their hellish ride, many cows arrive at the slaughterhouse unable to walk off the backs of transport trucks and are instead dragged off with chains-bones breaking as they hit the ground.
Slaughter
Every year, 35.7 million cows are stunned, hung upside down, bled to death, and skinned in slaughterhouses. The federal Humane Slaughter Act stipulates that cows should be stunned by a mechanical blow to the head and rendered unconscious before they are strung up, but the high speed of assembly lines that often process up to 400 cows per hour results in the improper stunning, each year, of millions of cows, who are consequently skinned and dismembered while they are still kicking and crying out in terror.
Cows are not the only animals who are raised for their skins. Millions of other animals are also victims of the cruel trade.
Jul 11, 2009
Jul 10, 2009
No Beef with Ban By JUG SURAIYA
No Beef with Ban
By JUG SURAIYA
I like beefsteak, and frequently eat it when I happen to be abroad. At the same time, I agree with the Supreme Court’s upholding of the Gujarat law banning cow slaughter. My reason has got nothing to do with Hindutva. Nor am I guilty of hypocrisy and double standards when I permit myself to eat beef abroad, but argue against cow slaughter in India. It’s merely that I recognize the special role the cow has long played in the social dynamics and the unorganized political economy of the country. In his book Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches: The Riddles of Culture, American sociologist Marvin Harris has formulated a persuasive, secular rationale behind the Indian mystique of the scared cow. According to Harris, the cow represents the only capital that the landless in India can hope to possess. By deeming the cow to be sacred, we protect this literally grass-roots capital: The poor, landless man’s cow can with impunity graze on the rich man’s fields and yield milk and biofuel for her master and his family.
The trespassing cow represents social justice and a seminal beginning of the redistribution of wealth. This holds true in urban as well as rural areas. Cows meander through our city streets like perambulatory traffic islands, much to the amusement of foreign visitors. The cattle forage at will, without fear of harm, from the refuse bins of vegetable markets and roadside eateries, relieving their owners of the financial burden of having to buy fodder. If, in addition to its employment guarantee scheme, the UPA government enables every Indian below the poverty like to own a cow, we could witness an economic sea change in the country. On the other hand, Bangladesh is a cautionary example of what can happen to a country which has depleted its cattle wealth. On a visit there some years ago, I was intrigued to discover that there were hardly any cattle in the country, almost all having been butchered for meat. The result? Bangladesh have to import vast quantities of powdered milk from Australia and Europe, a luxury it can ill afford. Even the humblest village tea stall has tins of Nestle. Operation Flood? Forget it. So tuck into your filet mignon, if you fancy it. Just make sure it’s from a foreign cow. Spare the Indian cow, the great white hope of the dispossessed.
By JUG SURAIYA
I like beefsteak, and frequently eat it when I happen to be abroad. At the same time, I agree with the Supreme Court’s upholding of the Gujarat law banning cow slaughter. My reason has got nothing to do with Hindutva. Nor am I guilty of hypocrisy and double standards when I permit myself to eat beef abroad, but argue against cow slaughter in India. It’s merely that I recognize the special role the cow has long played in the social dynamics and the unorganized political economy of the country. In his book Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches: The Riddles of Culture, American sociologist Marvin Harris has formulated a persuasive, secular rationale behind the Indian mystique of the scared cow. According to Harris, the cow represents the only capital that the landless in India can hope to possess. By deeming the cow to be sacred, we protect this literally grass-roots capital: The poor, landless man’s cow can with impunity graze on the rich man’s fields and yield milk and biofuel for her master and his family.
The trespassing cow represents social justice and a seminal beginning of the redistribution of wealth. This holds true in urban as well as rural areas. Cows meander through our city streets like perambulatory traffic islands, much to the amusement of foreign visitors. The cattle forage at will, without fear of harm, from the refuse bins of vegetable markets and roadside eateries, relieving their owners of the financial burden of having to buy fodder. If, in addition to its employment guarantee scheme, the UPA government enables every Indian below the poverty like to own a cow, we could witness an economic sea change in the country. On the other hand, Bangladesh is a cautionary example of what can happen to a country which has depleted its cattle wealth. On a visit there some years ago, I was intrigued to discover that there were hardly any cattle in the country, almost all having been butchered for meat. The result? Bangladesh have to import vast quantities of powdered milk from Australia and Europe, a luxury it can ill afford. Even the humblest village tea stall has tins of Nestle. Operation Flood? Forget it. So tuck into your filet mignon, if you fancy it. Just make sure it’s from a foreign cow. Spare the Indian cow, the great white hope of the dispossessed.
Jul 8, 2009
Quotes
Quotes
Killing a bull is equivalent to killing a cow.
(Jesus Christ)
Cow’s milk is tonic, its ghee is ambrosia and its meat is disease.
(Hazarat Mohamed)
Cow is the source of progress and prosperity. In many ways it is superior to one’s mother.
(Mahatma Gandhi)
Cow protection is the eternal dharma of India
(Dr. Rajendra Prasad, 1st President of India)
One cow in its life time can feed 4,10,440 people once a day while its meat is sufficient only for 80 people.
(Swami Dayanand Saraswati)
Till cows are slaughtered, no religious or social function can bring its fruit.
(Devarah baba)
The first section of Indian Constitution should be on prohibition for Cow slaughter.
(Madan Mohan Malviya)
The pressure of Muslims for cow slaughter is the limit of foolishness. I have studied both Koran and Bible. According to both of them, to kill a cow even indirectly is a great sin.
(Acharya Vinoba Bhave)
Since the cruel killing of cows and other animal have commenced, I have anxiety for the future generation.
(Lala Lajpat Rai)
Kill me but spare the cow.
(Lokmanya Tilak)
According to me under the present circumstances, there is nothing more scientific and intelligent act than banning cow slaughter.
(Jai Prakash Narayan)
Cow is the God even of God.
(Shri Haridas Shastri)
We want to live in the world while being called as Hindus then we have to protect cows with all our might.
(Shri Prabhudata Brahmachari)
The offensive act of British Rule towards cows will go down in the history as an abominable deed.
(Lord Lonlithgo)
Cow is the foundation of our economy.
(Giani Zail Singh – Former President)
Neither Koran nor the Arabian Customs permit killing cow.
(Hakim Ajamal Khan)
Killing a bull is equivalent to killing a cow.
(Jesus Christ)
Cow’s milk is tonic, its ghee is ambrosia and its meat is disease.
(Hazarat Mohamed)
Cow is the source of progress and prosperity. In many ways it is superior to one’s mother.
(Mahatma Gandhi)
Cow protection is the eternal dharma of India
(Dr. Rajendra Prasad, 1st President of India)
One cow in its life time can feed 4,10,440 people once a day while its meat is sufficient only for 80 people.
(Swami Dayanand Saraswati)
Till cows are slaughtered, no religious or social function can bring its fruit.
(Devarah baba)
The first section of Indian Constitution should be on prohibition for Cow slaughter.
(Madan Mohan Malviya)
The pressure of Muslims for cow slaughter is the limit of foolishness. I have studied both Koran and Bible. According to both of them, to kill a cow even indirectly is a great sin.
(Acharya Vinoba Bhave)
Since the cruel killing of cows and other animal have commenced, I have anxiety for the future generation.
(Lala Lajpat Rai)
Kill me but spare the cow.
(Lokmanya Tilak)
According to me under the present circumstances, there is nothing more scientific and intelligent act than banning cow slaughter.
(Jai Prakash Narayan)
Cow is the God even of God.
(Shri Haridas Shastri)
We want to live in the world while being called as Hindus then we have to protect cows with all our might.
(Shri Prabhudata Brahmachari)
The offensive act of British Rule towards cows will go down in the history as an abominable deed.
(Lord Lonlithgo)
Cow is the foundation of our economy.
(Giani Zail Singh – Former President)
Neither Koran nor the Arabian Customs permit killing cow.
(Hakim Ajamal Khan)
Jul 7, 2009
Cow eats diamonds hidden in hay
Cow eats diamonds hidden in hay
Cow Eats Diamonds Hidden In Hayby Sherry MorsePosted on February 18, 2004
An Indian diamond merchant has been waiting almost a month to retrieve a stash of diamonds eaten recently by one of his cows.
Dilubhai Rajput stashed a bag filled with more than 1700 small diamonds, worth about $1000, in a pile of hay at his home in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Unfortunately, his hungry cow ate the diamonds along with the hay.
In desperation, Rajput has resorted to offering the cow a diet of grain, grass, and fruit to encourage her to pass the diamonds.
Man Waits for Cow to 'Pass' Diamonds
He has also briefly tried feeding the cow laxatives, but found that the laxatives did not help her pass any more diamonds. The grass and vegetables seem to do the job better.
Within the first three days of the new feeding regime Rajput had retrieved 300 of his diamonds. However, according to veterinarian A.S. Manvar, even though Rajput was able to get some of his diamonds back he most likely will not get all of them back.
"The cow is a ruminant animal which has its stomach divided in four compartments," Manvar explained. "It is impossible to recover all of the diamonds
Manvar suggested using surgery to remove the diamonds, but Rajput rejected that idea as being sinful.
The cow has become the center of attention for people in her town, and even throughout the region, who wait each day in the hope that she will produce more diamonds.
Rajput has reportedly moved his bed closer to the cow so he can keep an eye on her.
"I won't budge from this place," he said.
Cow Eats Diamonds Hidden In Hayby Sherry MorsePosted on February 18, 2004
An Indian diamond merchant has been waiting almost a month to retrieve a stash of diamonds eaten recently by one of his cows.
Dilubhai Rajput stashed a bag filled with more than 1700 small diamonds, worth about $1000, in a pile of hay at his home in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Unfortunately, his hungry cow ate the diamonds along with the hay.
In desperation, Rajput has resorted to offering the cow a diet of grain, grass, and fruit to encourage her to pass the diamonds.
Man Waits for Cow to 'Pass' Diamonds
He has also briefly tried feeding the cow laxatives, but found that the laxatives did not help her pass any more diamonds. The grass and vegetables seem to do the job better.
Within the first three days of the new feeding regime Rajput had retrieved 300 of his diamonds. However, according to veterinarian A.S. Manvar, even though Rajput was able to get some of his diamonds back he most likely will not get all of them back.
"The cow is a ruminant animal which has its stomach divided in four compartments," Manvar explained. "It is impossible to recover all of the diamonds
Manvar suggested using surgery to remove the diamonds, but Rajput rejected that idea as being sinful.
The cow has become the center of attention for people in her town, and even throughout the region, who wait each day in the hope that she will produce more diamonds.
Rajput has reportedly moved his bed closer to the cow so he can keep an eye on her.
"I won't budge from this place," he said.
Jul 6, 2009
Toxins in Cow's Milk and Human Milk
Toxins in Cow's Milk and Human Milk
Milk may serve as a vector for the transmission of substances of extrinsic origin which can be potentially toxic to the consumer. These toxins may originate in cow's milk from the ingestion of plants known to contain toxic substances or feeds contaminated with mycotoxins, or residues of pesticides or herbicides. Harm to the consumer of cow's milk may also result from the use of antibiotics used for the treatment of disease in cows or for their growth enhancement. In the case of human breast milk, the routes of exposure can be quite diverse. These include milk derived from nursing mothers who have received medication in the form of drugs or antibiotics. Non-medical contaminants may originate from the mother's excessive use of alcohol, coffee, or tobacco. Other routes of contamination include the diagnostic use of radioisotopes, the transmission of allergens such as peanuts, mercury poisoning from dental fillings or fish, and contamination of the mother's diet with pesticide residues.
Milk may serve as a vector for the transmission of substances of extrinsic origin which can be potentially toxic to the consumer. These toxins may originate in cow's milk from the ingestion of plants known to contain toxic substances or feeds contaminated with mycotoxins, or residues of pesticides or herbicides. Harm to the consumer of cow's milk may also result from the use of antibiotics used for the treatment of disease in cows or for their growth enhancement. In the case of human breast milk, the routes of exposure can be quite diverse. These include milk derived from nursing mothers who have received medication in the form of drugs or antibiotics. Non-medical contaminants may originate from the mother's excessive use of alcohol, coffee, or tobacco. Other routes of contamination include the diagnostic use of radioisotopes, the transmission of allergens such as peanuts, mercury poisoning from dental fillings or fish, and contamination of the mother's diet with pesticide residues.
Jul 5, 2009
Red meat, cow's milk and low-fiber diets increase risk of lymphatic cancer, says new research
Red meat, cow's milk and low-fiber diets increase risk of lymphatic cancer, says new research
Highlight:
New research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that diets high in animal protein (red meat), saturated fat, eggs and dairy products (cow's milk) leads to an increased risk of lymphatic cancer (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or NHL). Simultaneously, the study concluded that diets high in plant fiber -- from broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables -- resulted in a 40% decrease in the risk of lymphatic cancer. It's an interesting study, but here's the real story: This study brings new scientific support to some of the dietary suggestions I've been sharing with readers for quite some time. Namely, red meat is bad for you, cow's milk and dairy products are bad for you, saturated animal fat is bad for you, and vegetables and dietary fiber and good for you. I realize that's an oversimplification of the research, but it's also a valid summary of it.
Red meat and cow's milk are unhealthy for human consumption for several reasons, most notably because cows are raised in an extremely unhealthy environment by the ranching industry. They're pumped full of illegal hormones, they are actually fed chicken litter and ground up diseased animals as part of their daily meals, and they are raised on feed that's typically laced with heavy metals (cadmium and lead) as well as pesticide residues. When you eat beef, you're eating all this, second-hand style. The cow ate it first, stored it in its tissues, and then you ate it. Many of these chemicals, by the way, tend to concentrate in animal fat tissues, so the juicier your hamburger, the more toxic substances it's likely to contain.
On the dairy side, cow's milk and other dairy products and bad for humans for a much simpler reason: cow's milk is food for baby cows, not for adult human beings. The substance is simply nutritionally imbalanced for humans. It lacks gamma-linolenic acid, it doesn't have much magnesium, and it is very high in difficult-to-digest proteins, among other problems. Baby cows do very well with it, but human beings don't.
This study is simply highlighting the results of consuming these unhealthy animal products on a regular basis. And you can bet that lymphatic cancer is just the tip of the iceberg here: the same foods probably also contribute to colon cancer, nerve disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. It all adds up to yet one more reason to consider avoiding red meat entirely. Even if you don't go vegetarian, you can replace all your red meat with chicken or turkey (that's what I do when I feel the need to eat meat). Or, at the very least, greatly limit your consumption of red meat. For dairy products, I highly recommend you try the 30-day "no dairy diet," meaning that you avoid all dairy products for 30 days and see how you feel. Most people notice a tremendous difference in their energy, their digestion, and they typically see a strong improvement in sinus conditions or asthma. You see, milk tends to aggravate all these problems, and sadly, many people haven't lived a single day without consuming cow's milk. Try 30 days, dairy free, and see how you feel. If you feel better, quit milk for good. I wouldn't touch cow's milk, personally.
For those of you worried about getting calcium in a dairy-free diet, don't believe the milk industry hype. There are far better choices for dietary calcium. One cup of cooked quinoa (a supergrain) has more calcium than a cup of milk. A cup of broccoli juice does, too. You can get calcium from coral calcium supplements or from superfoods like chlorella and spirulina. If you're concerned about not getting enough protein in your diet without red meat, just look to the same foods: quinoa is very high in protein, and it's a complete protein, too (all eight amino acids). Spirulina has twelve times the digestible protein of beef, ounce per ounce, making it a far superior source of protein than cow flesh. Whey protein, even though derived from dairy, is also a good choice because it is isolated from the other problems typical of dairy products.
Reality check: I'm a strength trainer. I've put on maybe 10 pounds of solid muscle mass in the past year without touching a single piece of red meat. I get all my protein from spirulina, quinoa and soy products, with a piece of chicken or seafood from time to time. You don't need beef to get protein, and you sure don't need milk to get calcium. And, of course, if you avoid red meat and dairy products, you will also reduce your risk of lymphatic cancer.
Highlight:
New research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that diets high in animal protein (red meat), saturated fat, eggs and dairy products (cow's milk) leads to an increased risk of lymphatic cancer (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or NHL). Simultaneously, the study concluded that diets high in plant fiber -- from broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables -- resulted in a 40% decrease in the risk of lymphatic cancer. It's an interesting study, but here's the real story: This study brings new scientific support to some of the dietary suggestions I've been sharing with readers for quite some time. Namely, red meat is bad for you, cow's milk and dairy products are bad for you, saturated animal fat is bad for you, and vegetables and dietary fiber and good for you. I realize that's an oversimplification of the research, but it's also a valid summary of it.
Red meat and cow's milk are unhealthy for human consumption for several reasons, most notably because cows are raised in an extremely unhealthy environment by the ranching industry. They're pumped full of illegal hormones, they are actually fed chicken litter and ground up diseased animals as part of their daily meals, and they are raised on feed that's typically laced with heavy metals (cadmium and lead) as well as pesticide residues. When you eat beef, you're eating all this, second-hand style. The cow ate it first, stored it in its tissues, and then you ate it. Many of these chemicals, by the way, tend to concentrate in animal fat tissues, so the juicier your hamburger, the more toxic substances it's likely to contain.
On the dairy side, cow's milk and other dairy products and bad for humans for a much simpler reason: cow's milk is food for baby cows, not for adult human beings. The substance is simply nutritionally imbalanced for humans. It lacks gamma-linolenic acid, it doesn't have much magnesium, and it is very high in difficult-to-digest proteins, among other problems. Baby cows do very well with it, but human beings don't.
This study is simply highlighting the results of consuming these unhealthy animal products on a regular basis. And you can bet that lymphatic cancer is just the tip of the iceberg here: the same foods probably also contribute to colon cancer, nerve disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. It all adds up to yet one more reason to consider avoiding red meat entirely. Even if you don't go vegetarian, you can replace all your red meat with chicken or turkey (that's what I do when I feel the need to eat meat). Or, at the very least, greatly limit your consumption of red meat. For dairy products, I highly recommend you try the 30-day "no dairy diet," meaning that you avoid all dairy products for 30 days and see how you feel. Most people notice a tremendous difference in their energy, their digestion, and they typically see a strong improvement in sinus conditions or asthma. You see, milk tends to aggravate all these problems, and sadly, many people haven't lived a single day without consuming cow's milk. Try 30 days, dairy free, and see how you feel. If you feel better, quit milk for good. I wouldn't touch cow's milk, personally.
For those of you worried about getting calcium in a dairy-free diet, don't believe the milk industry hype. There are far better choices for dietary calcium. One cup of cooked quinoa (a supergrain) has more calcium than a cup of milk. A cup of broccoli juice does, too. You can get calcium from coral calcium supplements or from superfoods like chlorella and spirulina. If you're concerned about not getting enough protein in your diet without red meat, just look to the same foods: quinoa is very high in protein, and it's a complete protein, too (all eight amino acids). Spirulina has twelve times the digestible protein of beef, ounce per ounce, making it a far superior source of protein than cow flesh. Whey protein, even though derived from dairy, is also a good choice because it is isolated from the other problems typical of dairy products.
Reality check: I'm a strength trainer. I've put on maybe 10 pounds of solid muscle mass in the past year without touching a single piece of red meat. I get all my protein from spirulina, quinoa and soy products, with a piece of chicken or seafood from time to time. You don't need beef to get protein, and you sure don't need milk to get calcium. And, of course, if you avoid red meat and dairy products, you will also reduce your risk of lymphatic cancer.
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