On Wednesday we had the pleasure of being able to show off the wannaveg booth at the annual Sony Electronics Environmental Expo.  The booth was quite a hit!  We had a raffle to win one of two vegetarian cookbooks.  We also had vegetarian starter kits and all kinds of information on going veg one day a week.  However, I’d say most people stopped by for the tofu teriyaki bites and the chocolate, peanut butter, banana bread samples we were giving out.  We figured about 400 people stopped by for a veg snack and we were happy to see them.

The show also featured Sony’s “green” initiatives and products, a whole host of hybrid cars (and a Smart car) and a bunch of other environmental related vendors showing off their stuff.

The vegetarian lunch option included a portobello mushroom burger (all the veggies were locally grown) and pasta salad.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a few hours on a beautiful San Diego day.  Thanks to Sony for letting us participate in the expo.

Not that we need a specific month to be or become vegetarian, but if we did…October would be that month.  October 1st has been designated by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) as World Vegetarian Day and the entire month is dedicated to vegetarian awareness and eductation.

Even if you’re not a vegetarian or never plan on becoming one, reducing your intake of meat will make big impacts on your health, the health of the planet and the lives of animals worldwide.

NAVS has a specific page dedicated to non-vegetarians.  Since our mission at wannaveg is to encourage meat-eaters to go vegetarian one day a week, I thought it would be good to list their ideas.

•	Eat meat-free for the day or throughout the month
•	Learn how a vegetarian diet can benefit you personally
•	Try the meatless options available at local restaurants and eateries
•	Discuss vegetarianism with your interested friends, family and co-workers
•	Host a meatless meal or potluck for your friends
•	Eat meatless meals on a regular basis

To find out more information on World Vegetarian Day/Month, check out NAVS webite.  There you can find out how to organize an event, attend an event or just go it alone.  No matter what your decision, try going veg for the month of October!  It’s easier and tastier than ever to adopt a veg diet…even one day a week.

Last night, 30 friends came over to celebrate the inclusion of a 2008 ballot initiative that helps farm animals in the state of California. In November, voters in our state will have a chance to vote on the measure. If passed, this initiative will be the largest piece of animal welfare legislature in U.S. history. Although it’s a modest measure, it will make a difference in the lives of chickens, pigs and calves in California by giving them minimum space standards in their living conditions.

Now that it’s going to be on the ballot, we are moving to the next step of the campaign; raising public awareness. In order to do this, Californians for Humane Farms and the Humane Society of the United States will create and run a television advertising campaign to educate voters about choosing a more compassionate way of raising animals for food.

So this leads me to the benefit dinner. Megan prepared an amazing meal for everyone. A couple dishes that stand out in my mind were the Turmeric Lo-Mein with Thai Tofu, the Thai Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing and for desert, the Vegan Peanut Butter-Banana Chocolate Chip Bread. For libations the Sangria was a huge hit.

The generosity of our friends was incredible, in total they donated $1,700 $1750 to help the campaign. A huge thank you to everyone that supported this initiative and donated.

If you are just now finding out about this and want to provide your support (even if you’re not a California resident), please do so today at www.humanecalifornia.org - you can sign up to host your own house party, endorse the initiative as a local business owner and of course, make a donation to help the campaign.

If this is the first time you’ve visited wannaveg, or if you have been here before, it is plain to see that you can make a big difference by going veg one day a week.  This kind of change may seem simple, and it is, but it is also extremely effective at reducing your environmental footprint. Furthermore, when you combine it with other simple things, like growing some of your own food, changing your light bulbs to CFL’s, buying food from local and organic sources, reusing a bag at the grocery store, ditching bottled water, unplugging your cell phone chargers, walking or riding a bike more…well you get it, you can see that a few small things add up to a huge difference in your habits, your lifestyle and your impact on the planet.

Sure, we can wait around for technology and governments to get it together and “save us,” but by the time that happens, there probably won’t be much worth saving (including ourselves).  So let’s do our part, let all of US “get it together” and start making a positive change with our own lives…and let’s pass that change on to others.  Spread the message that caring for our planet isn’t just for “environmentalists,” it is for everyone who calls this planet home.

I had the pleasure of being able to speak to a group of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Creekside Elementary School here in San Diego on Tuesday night. The topic of discussion was a recent article written by Michael Pollen for the New York Times, entitled “Why Bother.” His article discusses quite a few issues, but the main theme seemed to be about the importance of “doing something” to benefit our environment and ourselves (and more specifically, starting your own vegetable garden). Pollen includes some interesting facts about human specialization, personal responsibility for the environment and the bane of cheap energy.

So…the kids and I talked about a couple of simple (but important) things that Pollen pointed out in his article: Growing your own garden and going vegetarian one day a week (eating less meat). They were enthusiastic and really knew a lot about both topics. It was refreshing to see that many of them were already growing their own fruits and vegetables at home. The students understood that having a garden symbolized more than just growing food. They knew that it saves money, brings neighbors closer, produces less greenhouse gases, creates less waste, increases independence, it’s good excercise, and the list goes on.

This was the first time I’ve ever spoken to an audience (nevermind, young students) about these topics, but I felt it went very well. The kids were great participants in the conversation and I was shocked at how much they already knew about the environment and food. I left the school feeling encouraged that the next generation are more aware of their actions and will hopefully be good stewards to this planet.

Thank you Creekside Elementary for giving me the opportunity to speak with you.

A study released by Carnegie Mellon University has found that if you want to green up your dinner table; cut out the red meat.  The study found that eating vegetables and (alternatively) other kinds of animals such as fish and chicken creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than eating from local sources ONLY.

“We suggest that dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household’s food-related climate footprint than ‘buying local,’” the researchers write. “Shifting less than one day per week’s worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more greenhouse-gas reduction than buying all locally sourced food.”

However, it’s important to note that buying food from local sources still significantly reduces food related greenhouse gases. By combining these two methods together (cutting out the red meat and buying locally) you will make a big difference in your “food footprint.”

Read more about it here.

I normally don’t post information on companies or products, but I felt that Johnny Rockets (famous for being a “burger joint”) needed a pat on the back for recognizing World Vegetarian Week (May 19-25th).  Mr. Rockets is offering a free “Streamliner” veggie burger with a purchase of something else (check out the link for details).  This offer is available for the whole month of May, so if you’re in the mood for a burger, check them and let them know that veg food is in demand!

Get you coupon, great recipes and other info at http://www.vegcooking.com

Are you one of the 76 million Americans currently sick from a food borne illness?  I know I was when I visited San Fran a couple of weeks ago.  Urghh…I can still feel it if I think about it too much.

A report released yesterday by Trust for America’s Health concluded that “the safety of food in the United States is in a state of crisis.”  Well I’m not sure if this is new news or old news, but it’s targeted news that  highlights the huge shortcomings of several federal agencies charged with keeping our food safe.

In other news a report issued by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health criticized our current animal agriculture practices in the US.  Apparently, sticking thousands of animals together in cramped quarters in their own waste spreads disease?  Also, it’s been determined that injecting them full of hormones and antibiotics right before they hit the food supply probably isn’t that great for them…or the folks that eat them. (wow, I am really laying on the sarcasm here).

Read more about it here.

It’s official, California’s will have the opportunity to vote on more humane treatment of factory farmed animals. We needed just over 400,000 signatures to get on the November 11th ballot and we were able to gather 782,507 signatures! Almost double! This just goes to show that with some volunteer elbow grease and an educated public, we can all make a difference in the lives of millions of animals in this state.

But, we still need your help. The “opposition” will be mounting a formidable campaign with ridiculous claims of higher food prices, hurting small farmers and other silly things. They have lots of money to spend and will be advertising heavily. Please contribute to Californian’s for Humane Farms by either volunteering time, throwing a fund raising party and/or donating money. Any time or money that you can spare will make a difference!

Although this measure has a modest impact on helping factory farmed animals…it happens to be the largest initiative of its kind in the United States, ever! When this passes in California other states will follow and soon the lives of ALL factory farmed animals will be just a little bit better.

So remember, no one is asking that you stop eating meat (although it’d be a lot cooler if you did). All we are asking for is that before that pork chop or chicken wing makes it to your plate, the animal that provided it was able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. Pretty simple stuff.

http://humanecalifornia.org/

Help more pigs be happy like this guy!

Hi all, I know it’s been a long time since my last post. I am picking it up again (but probably not on a daily basis as I don’t have enough time). With that said, if you are a resident in California there is a great petition being circulated to help alleviate the suffering of many factory farmed animals. Your help and “John Hancock” is needed!

Californians for Humane Farms must collect 650,000 signatures to place a measure on the California ballot to prevent cruelty to calves raised for veal, pigs during pregnancy and egg-laying hens. We must collect these signatures and submit them for verification by the end of February 2008. We have just 7 weeks left! Join thousands of volunteers and collect signatures from registered California voters all over California.

Even if you can’t volunteer to gather signatures, please sign the petition yourself and get your friends and family to do so as well. More information can be found at http://humanecalifornia.org/ or by clicking on the pig on the sidebar. ->>

Meg and I gather signatures at Kobey’s Swap Meet here in San Diego on Sunday afternoons. If you’re in the area, stop on by to sign it (if we’re not there, others will also be volunteering and happy to take your signature).

If you want to view some photos of what types of cages this measure will do away with, click here.

Thanks and Happy New Year!