Is it Ethical for Museums to Collect Dead Animals?

"Museums collect dead animals. Sometimes the carcasses are collected for private scientific research, and sometimes the carcasses go through a process called taxidermy where they are put on display. But is it ethical for museums to collect dead bodies?"

Read more from this article here:  Is it Ethical for Museums to Collect Dead Animals?

Controversal Plan To Phase Out Earth's Predatory Species

Should animals be permitted to hunt and kill other animals? 

Some futurists believe that humans should intervene, and solve the "problem" of predator vs. prey once and for all. British philosopher, David Pearce wants to use radical ecoengineering to put an end to the carnage.

A world without predators certainly sounds extreme, and it is, but Pearce can't imagine a future in which animals continue to be trapped in the never-ending cycle of blind Darwinian processes. It's up to us, he argues, to put our brains, our technologies, and our sense of compassion to good use, and do something about it. It's part of his overarching Hedonistic Imperative, a far-sighted "abolitionist project" set with the goal of achieving nothing less than the elimination of all suffering on the planet. And by all suffering, he means all suffering.

Read more here:  The Radical Plan To Phase Out Earth's Predatory Species

Exhibition Shines Light on Animal Activism

Animal activist John Darroch photography images of a caged hen being released and piglets taking their first steps outside will be on show in the Animal Exploitation and Liberation art exhibition next week. The event has been organized by the Auckland University Animal Rights Group and is showing at the Te Karanga Gallery on Karangahape Rd from August 4 to 8.

For more information: Animal Exploitation and Liberation: charity auction for animals

L.A.'s National Museum of Animals & Society Focuses on Animal Rights

The National Museum of Animals & Society, is a new museum in Los Angeles, featuring an active roster of exhibits and events focused on representing the animal rights movement.

There are many other social justice movements, like women's suffrage, civil rights, etc., and various labor movements have museums--or sections of museums--dedicated to those causes, but there has never been any museum that focuses on animals and animal rights. 

Beyond animal rights, the museum focuses on events where animals and society intersect through the arts, humanities, science, and humane education.

Current Exhibits at Animals & Society

Light in Dark Places was their first exhibit this summer. (The exhibit is open one final weekend, closing on August 3.) The show, curated by writer and animal advocate Julia Orr, traces the history of the Anti-Vivisection movement from Victorian England to modern day. The Anti-Vivisection Society was originally created to end various types of medical testing on animals. Experimenting on animals has been done through the ages, and pre-dated any type of anesthesia for humans or animals. The extent of inhumane treatment knew no bounds. Today Anti-Vivisection Societies still exist in this country and worldwide to fight to end animal testing done by medical and cosmetic groups.

The exhibit documented the involvement of notables such as Mark Twain and George Bernard Shaw, both of whom used their influence to stand up for this cause. Caroline Earle White (1833-1916) is among the many women who are highlighted. Ms. White was the founder of the first animal shelter in the United States.

The next exhibit is Dog, Cat, Mouse, which features work by three California artists showing the art they have produced featuring dogs, cats, and a rodent. A percentage of the proceeds of any art sold will be donated to the SPCA of Los Angeles. The opening reception will be on August 9 at 7 p.m.

Other Exhibits of Interest

The museum sends representatives into schools and they host field trips on site for parents, teachers, and educators. Be Kind: A Visual History of Humane Education 1880-1945 is a popular program; there is also a pop-up exhibit on this subject that can be sent out on loan.

My Dog is my Home was among the early exhibits at the Museum of Animals and Society and also exists as a traveling show. It tells the story of homeless people and their animal companions and the very important bond between them.

There was another exhibit titled Uncooped. This exhibit explored the origins of and the cultural attitudes towards one of the most common--yet most often overlooked--of all domesticated animals: the chicken. For this exhibit, the museum hosted a chicken adoption event and found homes for 93 rescue hens.

Enriching the Lives of Both Animals and People

The goals of the museum also include enriching lives of animals and people. A year ago they coordinated the largest service fair on Skid Row for people and their companion animals. The animals received free grooming, veterinary care, food, and supplies. Food and supplies were donated and made available for the people as well. 

The museum is located at 4302 Melrose, Los Angeles, but for those not in the Southern California area, there is a website. Visit the National Museum of Animals and Society and My Dog is My Home.

10 Things You Should Know About Being Vegan in College

Freshman year and fresh into vegan eating 101. The first year in college can put vegan eaters before the bells of dorm room microwaves and in the hands of meal-plan chefs, so it’s good to get to know the ropes before you’re up against them. Here is a link to a great article to help you be prepared!

10 Things You Should Know About Being Vegan in College

Vegan Kitchen Takeover

Once a month, The Vegan Kitchen Takeover team of Chef JR and Chef Justin creates a full vegan menu at local Michigan Restaurants with a percentage of the proceeds going to animal rights/sanctuaries/organizations.

Here is a video and sample of their menu: Experience a Vegan Kitchen Takeover

Psychological Factors Regarding the Environment

There is a mental distance that many people invoke when thinking about the damage happening to the environment. A feeling that becomes present when realizing that the current lifestyle that many of us live will be the very thing that eventually kills or limits life on this planet is hard to face. There is a  sense of denial that we live with in order to cope with the reality that today’s luxuries are contributing factors to the destruction of the Mother Earth, which is why some psychological process needs to be addressed and explored regarding the problems of climate change and other environmental issues that are continuing to manifest. But doing right by the environmental movement means that we have to do without the very luxuries that we have been conditioned to believe make life worth living. 

We as people have failed to take into account the psychological conditioning that capitalism and other such systems like in the United States have had on the average person. We are continuing to struggle between the messages of society that are based on worth, gain and monetary values.

This is why the solutions lie very much in the psychological and the spiritual realms of activism; we cannot combat hundreds of years of programming with a simple Public Service Announcement or by using guilt tactics that promote recycling. We have to reach beyond the borders of our average activist actions and embrace the concept of majickal intervention as a means to transformation in thought, action and healing. We must also incorporate the knowledge we have gained from the social sciences in understanding how systems of denial operate, how dissociation from reality becomes a protective measure against what feels threatening, and how the social construct of our environment will shape and mold value systems. 

We live in a society that exists in so much pain, and with so many struggles that life becomes about the struggle and not about the beauty. We have to look at the struggle for environmental justice in combination with the many other struggles of justice we are fighting: They do not exist separately.

The fight for environmentalism is a combination of a psychological, spiritual, societal and historical wound that is wrapped in unchecked privilege, oppression, pain and the trauma of a world. We need to intensify our efforts to support ourselves in a healthy, whole and integrated way, so that we can change and heal the world.