Western consumerism continues to devastate ecosystems and endangered species with its demand for palm oil. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil which is very attractive to profit-driven businesses and corporations because the tree from which it is derived has a high oil yield. Palm oil is ubiquitous – it’s added to many types of…
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Denmark has recently decided to ban the kosher and halal methods of slaughter. Denmark’s Agriculture and Food Ministry announced that this new ban will come into effect today. Similar bans already exist in Poland, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden. The halal and kosher method of slaughter involves exsanguination – slitting the throat of the animal…
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Blackfish is a documentary which focuses on Tilikum, an orca whale held captive in SeaWorld, who went on to kill three individuals. It looks at the negative consequences (for orcas and humans) of keeping these highly intelligent, emotional and social animals in captivity for their entire life. These orcas would attack each other, as well as…
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Conscientious objection to military taxation (COMT) is a principle which says that citizens be entitled to insist that their taxes not be spent for military purposes. COMT is supposed to logically extend from the principle of conscientious objection to conscription, which ensures that citizens can’t be forced to join the military and be in a…
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Since I have given up meat and cheese, people usually ask me if I miss eating them. “Do you not wish you could have a cheeseburger?” No, not really. Admittedly, when I first went vegetarian I probably did miss meat in a sense. I even had dreams about eating meat, only to wake up terrified…
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