Ep 18: Zoos with Freedom For Animals

This week Tylor, Evy and Robbie take on the heavily-debated subject of whether or not zoos are vegan-friendly. As animal-lovers, many vegans crave the opportunity to meet animals in person and zoos might seem like the obvious option, however there is no denying that wild animals in captivity are caged against their will. We talk about our experiences with zoos and the role zoos play in education and conservationism. Later on, we interview Maddie Taylor, the Campaigns Officer for the animal rights organisation, Freedom For Animal (previously known as the Captive Animals Protection Society). Also on this episode…

• Are not-for-profit zoos more ethical?
• Tylor: “We don’t want bigger cages; we want empty cages.”
• Listener question: What about zoos that help conserve certain species?
• Is Newt Scamander’s suitcase a zoo or a sanctuary?
• Breaking news from the vegan wizarding world brought to you by The ChickPeeps’ most persistent tweeter.
• What is life like for animals in zoos?
• Maddy: “I think part of the problem is that a zoo is very much about creating a great day out for the visitor… giving you the perception that those animals are free.”
• What is Stereotypic behaviour and what are some examples of it?
• Marius the giraffe and “Surplus” animals - how was Copenhagen Zoo allowed to kill a perfectly healthy animal and is this a common practice?
• Where do zoos get their animals?
• What about zoos’ role in conservation projects?
• Alternative ways to learn about animals
• Do certain zoos improve the lives of animals in captivity?
• What we can do to help animals in captivity now?
• Robbie takes issue with Evy’s vegan highlight of the week

Links:

Freedom For Animals' Website

Take part in Freedom For Animals' Zoo Awareness Weekend

Follow Freedom for Animals on Facebook and Twitter.

Article by YourDailyVegan on Zoos (List of alternative ways to learn about animals at bottom of page)

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Ep 17: Fighting Animal Testing with Hilary Jones

This week, Momo and Evy delve into the complicated world of vegan beauty products, and how to make sure your vanity table is 100% vegan. We discuss the apparent oxymoron of cruelty free products that are not vegan, and why we demand more stringent measures from beauty brands than from food manufacturers. Later on (18.30) we interview Hilary Jones, the ethics director of Lush cosmetics, a 32 year vegan and a fierce and knowledgable advocate for ending animal testing. Also on this episode…

• What is the difference between cruelty-free and vegan?
• Crushed beetles, sheep’s wool and pig fat: Momo and Evy discuss the hidden non vegan ingredients often found in cosmetics.
• Our favourite beauty bloggers.
• The China thing: the legislation that blocks the world’s biggest beauty companies from being cruelty free.
• Are our expectations too high? How can we expect makeup brands to be totally Cruelty-Free as we vegan food at non vegan restaurants?
• How to veganise your cosmetics closet.
• Why is fighting animal testing part of Lush’s mission?
•  “Companies create paranoia and sell products off the back of that... We don’t want to test on animals, we don’t want to make people feel bad about themselves.”
• "That’s not science, that’s just brutality” -Hilary explains how animal testing is not necessary or effective way of verifying the safety of our products.
• How do Lush test their products if not on animals?
• What happens to animals during testing.
• The LD50 test: Hilary explains the standard test that kills 50% of its subjects.
• What is The Cosmetics Drive and the Lush Prize.
• Will Lush ever go vegan? Hilary shares her feelings on being a vegan at a vegetarian company and her hopes for the future.
• What can individuals do to achieve a world free from animal testing?
• “Think about the animals in all that you do.”

Links:

Lush's website

Follow Lush on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

The Tasty Vegan non-vegan ingredients list

Our favourite CF/Vegan beauty bloggers: Logical Harmony and Cruelty-Free Kitty

Logical Harmony's list of Cruelty-Free Beauty Brands

Article on Animal Testing in China and hope for ending it

Lush's Live Demonstration on Regent's Street (warning: this video is graphic)

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Ep 16: Attractivism with Victoria Moran

Special guest alert! This week Evy tries to keep her shit together as she interviews the woman who inspired The ChickPeeps Podcast in the first place, and who is an all-around beacon of light in the vegan community, Victoria Moran. Victoria is the host of the award-winning vegan podcast, Main Street Vegan, the author of thirteen books and the founder/director of the Main Street Vegan Academy where she trains and certifies vegan lifestyle coaches. A vegan for 35 years, Victoria shares what it was like being vegan when nobody knew what that meant, and discusses the concept of Attractivism as a tool for change. She also explains how veganism is an extension of her faith and spiritual life and shares her best advice for accelerating the dream of a vegan world. Also on this episode…

• 35 years vegan! Victoria talks about what life was like as a vegan over three decades ago: ‘It was so weird that very few people criticised it.
• Victoria shares her struggle going vegan as she was trying to overcome a binge eating disorder.
• What is a ‘Main Street Vegan’?
• ‘If we’re going to have a vegan world then we’re going to have to be open to liberals and conservatives and religious people and atheists and agnostics and rich people and poor people…the way I look at it is that every human being has at least one thing in common and that is that we all have a heart.’
• The Main Street Vegan Academy - Victoria describes the process of becoming a Vegan Lifestyle Coach
• Attractivism - Living in a way that makes other people want what you have.
• Is attractivism enough? We discuss the best way to do in-person activism.
• Raising a child vegan and Victoria’s advice to worried parents of young vegans.
• 'In every reputable study over the past 50 years -with the exception of vitamin B12 - we don’t see any [health] problems with vegans.'
• Veganism and Religion - how extending love to animals should be a core tenet of one’s spritiual practice.
• Victoria’s advice to all vegans wishing to make a change: Be aspirational. Live your very best life.
• Tylor and Evy discuss their vegan weeks and a problematic story circling the vegan news sites.

Links:

Victoria's Website, Main Street Vegan

Become a Vegan Lifestyle Coach!

Victoria's Podcast, Main Street Vegan

Victoria's upcoming movie: A Prayer for Compassion

NutritionFacts.org

Book Recommendation: The Medical Medium

Victoria on Twitter @Victoria_Moran and @MainStreetVegan

On Facebook @MainStreetVegan

On Instagram @MainStreetVegan

Subscribe to MainStreetVegan on itunes

Check out Man by Steve Cutts

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Ep 15: Honey with The Vegan Society

Many people struggle with the concept that honey is not vegan because they don't understand how taking their honey hurts the bees or they argue that if the bees were unhappy they could just fly away, or that the bee population needs commercial honey-making in order to thrive. So this week Tylor and Evy discuss the much debated topic of honey and why it isn't vegan. Later in the show, Evy interviews Elena Orde of The Vegan Society, the organistion that coined the term vegan, to learn about the many non-vegan standard practices in the stages of honey production. Also on this episode:

• Please send healing vibes to our dear Momo!
• Tylor explains how sentient bees are harmed in the process of commercial honey production.
• Elene Orde of the vegan society shares a bit about the life of a honey bee.
• Why do bees make honey?
• The differences between naturally produced and commercially produced honey
• - artificial insemination of the queen bee
• - sugar solution substitutes
• - the fate of queens bees in commercial hives
• - Smoking out the hive
• Why don’t bees just fly away if they’re unhappy?
• Reminder: Beeswax = E901
• Honey as a health food - is it nutritionally superior to other sugar and unprocessed sugar-alternatives
• Bees and their role in the eco-system. Does our environment need commercial honey production to survive?
• How can we support honey bees?
• Is there an ethical-vegan way to consume honey?
• The Bees by Lalline Paul
• If insects die in the production of vegetables, isn’t that the same as consuming honey?
• Listener Shoutouts

Links:

The Vegan Society

Sign up to The Vegan Society's 30-day pledge!

Friends of The Earth - The Great British Bee Count

Health Benefits of Honey Article by Viva!

Amazing detailed article on Why Honey is Not Vegan

The Bees by Laline Paull

The Vegan Society on Facebook

The Vegan Society on Twitter

The Vegan Society on Instagram

The Vegan Society on Youtube

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Ep 14: Vegan Fashion with Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart

The ChickPeeps discuss veganism vs the fashion industry and how to transition to a cruelty-free wardrobe. Momo and Evy talk about the vegan brands they like, what to do with your old non-vegan items and whether or not we would wear second-hand animal fabrics. Evy gets to interview another of her vegan heroines (13.30), the incredibly inspiring entrepreneur and found of the vegan fashion house, Vaute, Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart, who shares anecdotes from her journey from child animal activist to teacher to founder of one of the most influential vegan fashion houses. Leanne shares valuable insights on how not following the rules or doing things the way people in the fashion industry expected led her to being one of the leaders of the growing vegan fashion scene. Also on this episode…

• Leanne shares stories of her early forays into activism challenging vivisection at her school and making her own vegan tshirts, and how her mission often isolated her from her peers.
• How she built her Vaute from scratch: 
• The things that I did that were important to me, I did them without asking for permission or approval or support’.
• I don’t really think you can fail until you give up.’
• Fashion vs Veganism: How a vegan brand fits into a notoriously non vegan industry.
• ‘Revolutionary concepts can’t be understood by the current paradigm because they don’t uphold the current paradigm.’
• Why wool is not just a haircut - Leanne gives details on the lives of sheep raised for wool.
• ‘People aren’t trying to be cruel, what they’re trying to do is just make as much product as they can.’
• Animals just don’t belong in business.
• Veganising your wardrobe.
• Leanne explains why she’s careful not to wear products that look too realistic as animal products.
• I just did what was right in my heart. That wasn’t necessarily understood or popular or liked but I didn’t know any other way to do it.’
• The future of the fashion industry: will compassion ever be cool in the fashion world?
• ‘Part of our mission is to use a fashion house as a vehicle or empowering and inspiring and educating.’
• Leanne shares her practices her leading a joyful life and how she navigates the challenges of entrepreneurship.
• Momo shares her favourite vegan spots in Berlin.
• Listener Shoutouts

Links

Vaute Website

Why Wool isn't Vegan

Leanne's Book Recommendations: The Joy Diet, When Things Fall Apart, 

Vaute's Instagram: @vaute_nyc

Vaute's Facebook

Vaute's Twitter: Vaute Couture

Leanne's Instagram: @leannemaily

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Ep 13: Plant-Based on a Budget with Toni Okamoto

Is being vegan more expensive than other diets? Is veganism a luxury only privileged people can afford? Non-vegans often hold the perception that being vegan is a much more expensive lifestyle to lead, so this week Momo and Evy tackle that subject and discuss tips and tricks to making vegan life that bit cheaper. The fabulous Toni Okamoto, author and creator of the popular blog PlantBasedOnABudget.com, also graces the podcast this week and shares details of her work and how you can learn to be vegan for $18 a week! No excuses!! Also on this episode...

• Momo is back and representing the vegan Hufflepuffs!
• Momo shares her tips for saving money on a vegan diet.
• Check out Momo's friend @Jacks_patch on instagram to learn how to grow your own food.
• Toni explains how being a runner made her switch up her diet to improve her performance on the track.
• Is being vegan a luxury?
• What is a slow cooker and how it can improve your vegan life
• Is being vegan cheaper? Toni gives us her verdict.
• ‘My biggest tip is to not beat yourself up…It’s about progress and not perfection.’
• Evy ventures the idea of a Vegan Fairy-Godmother program.
• Toni shares tips for how you can eat vegan for $18 a week!
• Free Meal Plans in show notes :)
• Buying organic - is it worth the splurge?
• 'Budgeting is not only about saving money but it’s about saving time.'
• We discuss your feedback to last week's episode, in particular PETA's role in the Feminist Movement.
• Momo and Evy surmise on which of the ChickPeeps’ hosts is most likely to appear in a naked PETA campaign.

Links:

Plant-Based on a Budget

Toni's Free Meal Plans

Toni's Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook

The Friendly Vegan Cookbook

Article on The Dirty Dozen

Ingrid Newkirk on Feminism and Animal Rights

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch