Animal Voices

Hunting. Mining. Pipelines. These are just a few of the threats that Tommy Knowles and the Wildlife Defense League are blockading in order to protect our natural world. After the launch of Operation Great Bear in September, the WDL has allied with the Klabona Keepers of the Tahltan Nation to successfully prevent trophy hunters from … Continue reading →

Coco Riot, a queer Spanish artist believes art is not a tool for social change but social change itself. “I feel that my art practice deals with a lot of powerful, mythical creatures oppressed by society in a labyrinth of rules and punishments,” says Coco. Symbolic imagery is something Coco is drawn to in order … Continue reading →

Israel’s claims to be leading the vegan revolution with vegan tourism, sympathetic politicians, misanthropic intellectuals, and accommodations for soldiers in the Israel Defence Forces. What does veganism have to do with what is going on in Palestine? Although there is seemingly a growing movement for animals in Israel, it is important to recognize that this … Continue reading →

The passenger pigeon once numbered in the billions in North America. However, due to habitat loss resulting from european settlement, deforestation, and overhunting; the passenger pigeon population in North America fragmented and never recovered. Stuart Pimm discusses the importance of understanding the passenger pigeon’s ecological history in the context of the broader history of european … Continue reading →

Building on ideas of larger struggles, crow discusses the philosophy of anarchism and the practical applications it has – how can anarchism create a framework for asking questions and challenge ourselves to envision different futures in which we don’t have all of the solutions. Crow draws on his experience with Common Ground Collective, which was … Continue reading →

For a long time, people thought a prairie dog chirp just meant “Danger!” Then Con Slobodchikoff recorded the chirps, slowed them down and analyzed them. Turns out they mean more like “The tall man in the red shirt is coming this way again and this time there’s a dog with him!” In this interview, Slobodchikoff explores prairie dog language, dog and cat communication, whale song, lizard body language, and much more. Continue reading →

How many animals do you save each year by going vegetarian? Does factory farming make meat cheaper? Who’s more animal-friendly, Democrats or Republicans? These are just a few of the questions Harish Sethu tackles on his blog, Counting Animals. Using the best data available, Sethu works to give animal advocates accurate, defensible numbers they can use in their arguments. Continue reading →

Dylan Powell talks with AV about veganism in occupied territories. The system of animal agriculture brought to the Americas 500 years ago is hungry for land — for grazing, for feedcrops — and its expansion is tied to land theft, displacement, and environmental destruction. Might activists fighting this system recognize as allies the Onkwehon:we (original people) activists fighting to protect remaining wild spaces against pipelines, fracking, and suburban sprawl? (Photo from ontarioplaques.com) Continue reading →

Hunters, horses and hounds vs. a lone, terrified fox. If you think that sounds one-sided, you’re not alone: the Hunt Saboteurs Association is marking 50 years of stepping in on the side of the animals. From laying false scent trails to sounding confusing signals with hunting horns, “sabs” do whatever they can to confound the hunt. (Photo from huntsabs.org.uk) Continue reading →

When the fashion industry promotes materials like wool and leather, then animals, workers, and the environment can pay a high price. Joshua Katcher, blogger at The Discerning Brute and creator of the fashion line Brave GentleMan, talks with us about moving men’s fashions — and our ideals of masculinity in general — in a better direction. Continue reading →

Vaute Couture was the first all-vegan fashion label to show at New York Fashion Week — and the models walked adoptable shelter dogs down the runway. Find out how founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart is pushing fashion forward with high-tech, ethical fabrics, and the many ways she integrates her lifelong animal activism with her work. Continue reading →

When Derek Walter and Steve Jenkins welcomed Esther the “micropig” into their home, they had no idea she would grow to 400 pounds — and change the direction of their lives! Through her Facebook page, Esther has touched the hearts (and changed the diets) of people worldwide. Then, we catch up with Chris and Jon, the team behind YouTube hit cooking show The Vegan Zombie. They just released the cookbook their fans have been asking for — and threw in a comic book adventure to boot! Continue reading →

On April 28, 2012 demonstrators spontaneously raided the Green Hill dog breeding facility in Italy. 70 beagles were rescued that day; later, Green Hill was shut down and every dog there was spared from life in a laboratory. Claudio Pomo, an organizer of the demonstration, joins us to reflect on what factors came together to make the Green Hill campaign so successful, and to update us on developments since. Continue reading →

(Photo by NNECAPA) Rachel Meeropol is lead counsel of a court challenge to the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). The lawsuit claims that the AETA is so vague that it potentially applies to anyone who speaks out against cruel practices, documents abuse, or attends a protest. Meeropol will give us some history about how the law has been used against activists, and walk us through what the new court challenge is trying to accomplish. Continue reading →

On the first half of this show, author Franceen Neufeld and editor Calvin Neufeld talk with us about Suffering Eyes, Franceen’s deeply personal account of her awakening to issues of animal suffering. Then, artist Kelli Clifton discusses her moving and intricate piece The Tragedy of the Orca Tilikum. Continue reading →