Rethos.com - bostonvegan's Global Feed

Cage Free Eggs: Behind the Myth

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:03:34 -0400

From HumaneMyth.org, which was created by award-winning filmmakers James LaVeck and Jenny Stein and launched this week.

Oprah Tries Veganism as a"Cleanse"

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:43:44 -0400

Pictured are Delectable

Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Baked by Yours Truly

Kathy Freston has a new book, Quantum Wellness, wherein she writes of the importance of "Conscious Eating," which sounds very much like part of I thought I'd let you all know about a project I was working on, to see whether or not it was something you (and/or someone you know) would be interested in supporting with a donation.

The project, I’m Vegan, is a series of short documentary profiles featuring vegans from all walks of life, produced with an eye toward addressing preconceived notions about vegans and veganism (and, yes, I do intend to seek out potential subjects from here on these very forums). ...

On Alliance Politics

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:11:45 -0400

Animal Rights Africa (ARA) was launched last month in South Africa, with the One Struggle conference, "ushering in a brand new era of strengthened activism for animals. ARA is committed to the promotion of inclusive justice, showing compassion across species and building a better future through campaigns, research and analysis." Dr. Steve Best was invited to deliver the Keynote, as he has ...

Is "Compassionate Carnivore" an Oxymoron?

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:05:43 -0400

Is Compassionate Carnivore an Oxymoron?

It's become fashionable to call yourself a compassionate carnivore if you aren't going to stop eating animals and their secretions (milk) and menstrual excretions (eggs), but you don't want to appear barbaric and you want people to know that you don't agree with the atrocities committed in the name of factory farming.

I don't personally know anyone in 2008 who thinks factory farming is anything but cruel. But I do know a lot of people--and I read about similar people every...

Ally Request - Lee Purcell

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:13:03 -0500

Animals and Culture, Part Deux

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:20:49 -0500

Animals and Culture, Part Deux

Part of our culture is the media that confirms the values we're supposed to have. In most of the United States, when we're young, we play with all manner of furry creatures and stuffed animals, and most of us enjoy that experience and feel a kinship with other creatures. At the same time, our parents and the world around us tell us that our instinct of kinship across-the-board is not acceptable, and they begin to whittle away at any connection we naturally experience with other creatures, with the excepti...

Excellent Video on Earth Day TV

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:25:30 -0500

Here is an excellent video from the Earth Day Network - It's a production of the University of South FLorida, about an hour long, and very inspiring! A great model for what we can do with the 3 finger Solution! Look at www.SustainabilitySymbol.com and check out EarthDay TV

The Invasion of Bits of Plastic Doom

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:17:33 -0500

At twenty-one years old, I am starting to feel a bit like that crazy old guy with the sign that reads: “The end is near”.

The more I go to the beach, check out the everglades, read the news, and reflect on the rising temperatures, the more I realize that we’ve hit the alarm clock of environmental consciousness and slept right through those crucial moments when we should have woken up. Now we find ourselves snapping into awareness, feeling groggy and a little hung over, and running lik...

Animals and Culture

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:32:56 -0500

Animals and Culture

Through an accident of birth and geography, you grew up with a certain name for your god and certain beliefs about animals. You were taught that some animals are for eating and some are for petting. And yet others are for entertainment. Your beliefs about your god and about animals are similar in that, whether you think of it this way or not, you hold them both sacred.

But what does it mean to hold something sacred? Why do we cling to beliefs and customs? Is there something intri...

Nonviolence: Practical or Practically a Fantasy?

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:22:53 -0500

Help! I need your opinion on something.

I’ve been practicing self-defense for a while now, and I constantly find it arguing with my instincts about nonviolence. If you could, consider this article and let me know what a non-practitioner thinks about it.

In martial arts circles (particularly Aikido), there is a bit of an ongoing debate about nonviolence, and I can’t make heads or tails of this mess. Opinions on nonviolence in self-defense are of a wide variety.

Some believe that you can disarm and tame an opponent without harming him, but my scho...

Social Change and Food

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:08:15 -0500

AN UNPOPULAR VIEW OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Food just might be the most powerful medium of social change, although most people don’t see it that way. In the 20th Century, with the development of concentrated feeding operations (CAFOS, or factory farms) the way human animals thought of nonhuman animals took a bit of a turn. Though we used nonhuman animals for virtually whatever purpose we wanted before then, the Industrial Revolution led to the dominance, control, exploitation, mutilation and slaughter of nonhuman animals as an industry<...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:01:54 -0500

According to her… she heard the noise but couldnt figure out what it was, to her it sounded like the problem was in the basement. Also she was spending too much time at work to worry about it. It was the toilet at the front of the house on the ground level. It is more outside the house than inside and she almost never used it.

According to the water company she used almost enough water to fill a commercial swimming pool.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:02:33 -0500

Yay, there I am. This comment and the previous 3 are all mine. I’m done now. All fixed.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:01:50 -0500

hmm… am I me yet?

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:59:01 -0500

hmm strange. I guess I accidentally created two profiles at some point. Christopher Howse is me. The creator of this post.

About the $2000 dollar water bill… Does that mean he was not home to hear his toilet running for 3 months? I don’t get it. When a toilet is running it is not silent.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:53:09 -0500

Treehugger.com hates this post I guess, but I still think it is a great hack for most toilets. Thanks for all the positive responses people. I guess Iâ€™ll add that if you have a new model toilet that only uses 1 and a half gallons to flush, you should leave the rod alone. It is already low flow, and you may end up having problems getting it all down. Therefore, you may flush twice. That kind of makes the whole hack pointless. My toilet is olive green, aka, old as hell.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:41:27 -0500

If you must play with itâ€¦ take a screwdriver and adjust the level screw never bend the rod. Due to the pressure of the water on the rod it will slowly rotate and eventually go to a point higher than the original. This can make the toilet run constantly. My brothers ex was hit with a $2000 water bill (over a 3 month period) due to a toilet that kept on running. Other than that it is a great way to save water!

Quit spinning your wheels, silly auto industry!

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:55:54 -0500

Electricity, atomic energy, bio fuel, hydrogen, peanut oil, and alcohol: what do all of these have in common? The answer is that they have all been considered as a means to power those four-wheeled vessels that we use to go to the store and get our peanut butter and orange juice. All of these fuels have, at one point or another, been considered the future energy of the world, or at least a pleasant alternative to one of the more common types of fuels out there. And yet, for all of our research and development, our cunning and skill, none of these has produced a widespread and useful vehi...

Nonviolence and Food

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:09:49 -0500

AN UNPOPULAR VIEW OF NONVIOLENCE

If I were to ask you to define nonviolence, what would you say? The traditional macro-type answer would have something to do with peaceful resistance to a government. And either you believe in passive resistance or you think that sometimes force of some kind is necessary; sometimes violence is necessary.

Now what about nonviolence on a micro level—on an individual level. What does nonviolence mean in your daily life? More specifically, do you ever think of your eating habits as ha...

New comment - No Longer Vegan

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:29:33 -0500

This is a great post! The controversy for many individuals over the vegan or vegetarian diet is red hot. I agree with the voice of this article about the mood and tone of moral superiority that infects these populations. I myself decline to state my dietary inclinations in public, as i have witnessed and sometimes participated in the heated debates about who is a “better” or more “disciplined” food consumer. It does put people off to talk about why these choices are made, when others are left in the aftermath feeling like they might be inadequate or stupid̷...

Thinking Critically About Animal Rights: What you need to know, What you need to question (Part 4)

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:06:46 -0500

Thinking Critically About Animal Rights:

What you need to know, what you need to question Part 4

As you know if you’ve read Parts 1-3, I’ve left what is perhaps the most controversial item for last: What to do with your charitable dollars. It’s controversial because most groups that are known for being “animal rights groups” are indeed not. Rather, they are animal welfare groups, meaning they campaign for better treatment of the animals we use for food, clothing, etc… However, unless you’re v...

No Longer Vegan

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 08:01:58 -0500

My New Year’s Resolution: No Longer Vegan

by Deborah Mitchell, Vegetarian Resource Group of Tucson (VRGT)

Recently I was privy to a heated discussion over the definition of “vegan.” Person #1 insisted that people who said they were vegan but ate honey were not truly vegans. Person #2 said honey wasn’t such a big deal, that she considered herself to be vegan but occasionally ate foods that contained honey and that she even ate vegetarian cheese that contained casein on rare occasions.

Person #3 said that Person #2 had no right to ca...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:42:29 -0500

Willow:

Why would your friends find it strange that you use the bathroom? hehe

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:47:40 -0500

That’s an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing! My friends will all be wondering why I suddenly start making trips to their toilets…

GLOBAL ROAR - URGENT: Global Emergency! Sign Petition and Share Sustainability Symbol

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:20:11 -0500

Please take a moment right now to sign the new global emergency petition at this link, then tell all your friends:

http://www.avaaz.org/bali_emergency/3.php

Take this opportunity to join the virtual climate change march in Bali, and hold your 3 fingers of the Sustainability Symbol high above your head. Sign the global petition, share the Sustainability Symbol (www.SustainabilitySymbol.com) and consider encouraging more allies on Rethos http://www.rethos.com/?token=8de60be286974a0aa3c4bd22de135f9a9cc29e38

I just joined a virtual climate change march on Bali&#...

Opportunity for Webmasters and Bloggers! FREE USE OF WEBSITES

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:32:14 -0500

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

My gift to you this season are some of the valuable Sustainability-related domains I’ve collected over the years.

All I ask in return is that you design a really cool site that gets people involved, spreads the Sustainability Symbol around the world and brings attention to at least one of the Climate Change related projects we’re working on (Like “STOP the GLOFs”) The rest will be up to you.

Almost one year ago we introduced the 3 Finger Sustainability Symbol (Peace Plus One) to the HK Environ...

I'M GIVING AWAY MY DOMAINS (Free) for you to create powerful communication portals

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:26:08 -0500

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

My gift to you this season are some of the valuable Sustainability-related domains I’ve collected over the years.

All I ask in return is that you design a really cool site that gets people involved, spreads the Sustainability Symbol around the world and brings attention to at least one of the Climate Change related projects we’re working on (Like “STOP the GLOFs”) The rest will be up to you.

Almost one year ago we introduced the 3 Finger Sustainability Symbol (Peace Plus One) to the HK Environ...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:08:52 -0500

Not a toilet safe in Oslo this christmas!

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:52:13 -0500

Christopher!!! You are my hero!!!! Vandalism that benefits us all!!! Hooray! I will do this to every toilet I use if the tank cover can be removed!!!!! Yipee!! Look out Gas stations in California here I come! Beware restaurants I’m on my way…..OOOOHHHH yes I’ll get you at the beauty salon too!!!!!! lol lol lol lol lol

Let's build an Institute of Ethical Entrepreneurial Commerce - starting with a few Pennies in the Jar

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:45:35 -0500

Here’s an effort that’s starting to take off!

Let’s build an Institute that promotes Ethical Commerce – based on sharing a few Pennies in the Jar to keep things going.

The McMaster Institute for Sustainable Commerce is a grass-roots effort which is attracting people and interest from every political, social, economic and environmental spectrum.

The Institute is committed to encouraging Ethical, Entrepreneurial, Eco-Commerce and welcomes anyone who is willing to share their efforts and support the efforts of others.

What̵...

Thinking Critically About Animal Rights: What you need to know, What you need to question (Part 3)

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:26:33 -0500

NOW WHAT? Most people who begin considering why and how we use animals say the same things: *I never thought of it that way! *It seems so all-encompassing and overwhelming! *Weâ€™ll never live in a society where animals arenâ€™t treated heinously! *Abolition will never become a reality! *What can one person possibly do?

Those are all understandable reactions. Fortunately, thereâ€™s plenty that you can do . . .

WHAT YOU CAN DO It may indeed be true that we will never stop using nonhuman animals. How...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:53:14 -0500

Shhh! I just hacked 4 of my neighbors toilets…don’t tell! What a great idea…I have never thought about that. I will now vandalize every toilet I come across!

Picture This!

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:00:14 -0500

Picture This! A world that has found it’s way through the fragmented reality in which it currently exists. Imagine a world in which you could easily and readily feel the interconnectedness of all things. Imagine a world where you feel like you are Living. WHAT? Living. Hold on. I was just beginning to imagine. Living, what would that be? I wish that I could answer that question for everyone around me, but alas….. there isn’t an answer that sits well with everyone at every moment. What I do know is that there is a growing movement to describe...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:29:43 -0500

genius

Attitude from Altitude the EcoEverest Expeditions

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:09:40 -0500

Sorry to all the schools and organizations that asked for a presentation about the 3 Finger Sustainability Symbol… something very important that may help nudge the tipping point to Sustainable Thinking has arrived.

...and the Rethos.com community is the FIRST to hear about it!

I’m off to Nepal to help with the EcoEverest expedition -

if you are interested in participating, enjoying an amazing adventure, and helping bring a “three finger focus” to this area of the planet where climate change and global warming...

Column A (Solution) or Column B (Problem)?

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:58:59 -0500

Are you in Column A (part of the Solution) or Column B (still part of the Problem)?

The instigator of the Sustainability Symbol, Philip McMaster, says there are two types of people on the planet – people who are 1. still part of the PROBLEM (ignorant, delusional, deniers, inconsiderate, irresponsible, self-righteous, self-serving) and people who are 2. part of the SOLUTION (aware, realistic, curious, considerate, responsible and good at risk assessment)

The science teacher in this video clearly and effectively ...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 09:22:58 -0500

@ Jerry…

And while we’re convincing the farmers, let’s not be hypocritical and make sure we don’t waste so much water ourselves.

A day in the life: Cops, cell phones, and being a planeteer.

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:35:48 -0400

â€˜Local Actionâ€™: Itâ€™s the trendy catchphrase that you see all over any website that has even the most vague reference to environmental, social, and political subjects. But really, what is it?

The easiest answer is carrying a big sign and marching about. Perhaps, also, it is being involved in an organization that focuses on the problems around you, such as the Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, or any of the multitudes of local action groups. But it seems that I stumbled upon a new (to me) means of getting stuff done. I have dubbed this method â€œCalling the Cops.â€ Plea...

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:18:10 -0400

Dugg on Digg.com. Go here to Digg it yourself and move it up in the rankings.

http://digg.com/environment/Save_Water_Hack_Your_Friends_Toilets

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:31:14 -0400

I don’t believe it is a good idea to go screwing around with other peoples toilets. Besides, household use accounts for only 15% of water use (agriculture 70%, industrial 15%) so if we get farmers to stop growing rice in the desert (because of access to cheap plentiful water) then we could save more water than messing around with a million friends toilets.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:48:26 -0400

Am I the only one who doesn’t want my friends fucking with my toilet?

Alliance Accepted! - Kristen Fields

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:36:28 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Bill Landis

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 02:30:20 -0400

Are you a great designer, or translator?

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:15:45 -0400

We are in the process of translating the word/concepts/phrase of

1. SOCIETY

2. ENVIRONMENT

3. ECONOMY

... into the languages of the world, and adapting the different ways of writing to the three fingered hand symbol.

You can see a sample of the Sustainability Symbol in Chinese script on this message.

Your name will be forever associated with the chosen modification of the symbol that represents “Society, Environment, Economy” in your lingui...

Convert website into something attractive

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:51:00 -0400

The three finger Sustainability Symbol is beginning to attract attention on and off the internet. This is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, more and more people are learning about the campaign (personally passing it along from one individual to another),

on the other hand, our website stinks.

It’s homemade, and as you will see, I’m no web designer!

If there are any talented web designers out there in the Rethosarian community, please have a look at www.DragonTHINK.com and make a suggestion of how we could use some of the existing conte...

Alliance Accepted! - Philip McMaster

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:04:04 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Jason Boyer

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:04:01 -0400

New comment - Why Animal Rights matter

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:02:52 -0400

Christopher—go figure, I disagree with you still. I mean, don’t you think that the people who do reprehensible things (unjust, unsustainable, destructive to the environment) believe they are doing it for the betterment of some higher goal? If I want to go off and dump chemicals in the nearest river, I’m not doing it because I want to kill the fish, I am going it because I want to improve something or other with my product. If I go kill some people in the next village, I am doing it most likely because I think their rights are not a priority whereas “mine” (m...

Alliance Accepted! - Kryss

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:32:14 -0400

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:29:25 -0400

love it! i am so in…Bryan…prepare to be toilet abused.

Alliance Accepted! - Sled Dog Watchdog Advocacy Group

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:12:52 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Christopher

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:10:20 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Christopher Fox

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:08:44 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Mary Martin

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:29:02 -0400

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:33:49 -0400

Those toilets with the half flush option were all over Australia when I was there, and I have never seen one in Canada.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:47:21 -0400

Why the heck aren’t toilets just designed with this kink in place? You do see some modern toilets with the ‘half-flush’ option, but surely all modern toilets shoulds be designed to work at the most effective standard.

What is the actual policy on flushing: ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow’ – is this best? Is it best to avoid flushing even in other people’s homes? Obviously it’s not so bad for us guys…

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:45:58 -0400

not many people know that water companies often have to pump the fresh water to homes. So using less water actually reduces energy use as well .

Let's build the Rethos community

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:49:57 -0400

If you know any bloggers or read any blogs regularly that touch on your issues of passion…

We’d love to have the whole community benefit from those bloggers’ passion and energy as well.

So this is a call to action to comment on any blogs you read, and include a link to your rethos.com profile. Ask bloggers and blog readers to come join you here to take action and build change!

New comment - Why Animal Rights matter

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:50:01 -0400

I disagree with you. The slippery slope argument doesn’t work here. It’s not legitimate to say that to disrespect animal rights is the first step to doing medical testing on babies. As nice as it is to say, “Hey, that dog looks like its smiling at me. Look at those cute little eyes! That obviously makes it a ‘being’ in the same way that humans are!”. That’s stupid- the fact is that animal rights are definitely a back seat priority in the face of the human suffering that is occurring at this very moment. One of the most repulsively immoral things ...

New comment - Why Animal Rights matter

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:28:02 -0400

Word!

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 19:31:23 -0400

Wow, what a great idea! I will definitely be linking to these sites from EarthThreat.org in the near future, and when I have a place of my own I will certainly install a system such as these.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:13:33 -0400

Great hack! here is something that I found long time ago.

The Aqus system collects the water from a bathroom sink and filters and disinfects it before it gets re-used as flush water for an adjacent toilet. It saves between 10 and 20 gallons of fresh water per day for two person bathrooms with normal activities. This represents between 3,650 and 7,300 gallons of fresh water saved per year. An equal amount of wastewater cost is also saved.” This would mean an annual savings of $40.88 to $81.76 (based on an average rate of $5.60 per 1,000 gallons) from using a device like th...

New comment - Why Animal Rights matter

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 23:20:28 -0400

Don’t hurt or EAT animals. Photograph them.

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 16:51:52 -0400

Haha! Good man. I’ve already attacked a hand full my self! Why stop now?!?

New comment - Why Animal Rights matter

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:48:36 -0400

Repect for animals is the best path to take, in the poorer counties animals are generally treated very badly indeed

New comment - Abuse Your Friend's Toilets

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:28:16 -0400

Great tip, can’t wait to start hacking away at my friend’s toilets.

Save Our Planet

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:56:11 -0400

Enough is enough, and it’s time for a change.

-Christopher Howse – EarthThreat.org