Maynard S. Clark
Maynard S. Clark's Veggie and Boston Blog talks about vegetarian topics AND Boston-related topics, often intersecting them interestingly.
Maynard S. Clark is a long-time and well-known vegan in Greater Boston, who often quips in his 'elevator pitch':
"I've been vegan now for over half my natural life, longer than most human earthlings have been alive."
This web site, How to Do Animal Rights, is your completely free online-book about how to do animal rights as a practical and legal activity. Find out what animal rights (and welfare) are and be an activist!
You are welcome to copy the text of this online guide for your non-profit use to promote animal rights. You may also buy the printed paperback version or the ebook version of this web site.
We live in a human-made animal holocaust and mass extinction about which most people give no thought.
So let's defend life and promote a humane society. Pursue animal rights as a meaningful and legitimate successful activity!
I remember a story from my childhood about the $300 Waldorf-Astoria red cake recipe. The story details have morphed, but I still find versions of that story. We believed the details of the typewritten recipe passed from homemaker to homemaker. Thinks I wouldn't touch today were smashed and stirred into the batter,including butter - lots of it, red cake dye - lots of it, and sugar - lots of it, also!
These small 'cakes' remind me of the Waldorf-Astoria cake, but much more manageable than the culinary behemoths my mother and her neighbors proudly produced with 'the precious recipe' in hand, with which to celebrate each endearing gift to treasured friends, neighbors, and family members. In my LONG tenure as a vegan, I've learned that nearly everything can be veganized. SOME veganization requires more effort; other veganization is much quicker and more direct. Can a 'fantastic looking' cake or pie be veganized? Without a doubt. Whatever you see COULD be (made) vegan (with only a little effort). NOTES: The Unknown History of the Red Velvet Cake
By Judith Friedlander, University of Technology, Sydney
Are soy milk’s environmental attributes based on substance or froth? Is soy a sustainable solution in the dairy debate?
Comparative environmental analysis of different food groups is like comparing, well, apples and oranges.
Reports such as the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Livestock’s Long Shadow document the negative environmental impacts of cattle and dairy production and consumption.
If cattle are major emitters of the intensive greenhouse gas methane and use large amounts of water, are protein alternatives such as soy less harmful to the environment?
Soy, of course, is much more than soy milk. According to the CSIRO, “60 per cent of all products at the supermarket already contain soybean”. (Look at the ingredients lists on breads, flours, oils, pet food and sausages, for example.)
The Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry’s (DAFF’s) Australian Food Statistics (2011) report states that Australia produced 47kt of soybeans in 2010-11 and imported $36M worth of oilseeds in 2010-11 (soybean is classified as an oilseed rather than a pulse).
In 15 years, world production of soya has doubled. Carol Von Canon
According to Dr Andrew James, who leads CSIRO’s soybean breeding program, the vast majority of whole-bean soy products Australians consume – such as tofu, soy milk and many baking products – derive from Australian grown beans. However, the soy components used in processed foods generally come from imported soy protein powder, isolate or lecithin.
“We also import 500 to 800,000 tonnes of soybean meal. A crude guess is that would cost about $600 a tonne. That’s $500 million or more,” says Dr James.
Australians have been developing a taste for soy milk over the last decade. A Soy Australiareport showed in 2009 Australians drank three litres each of soy milk a year. This is a 50% increase on 1998.
The report also claimed that most of the soy milk production in Australia is based on imported soy protein or soy protein isolate, a refined form of soy protein made from defatted soy flour.
Says Dr James: “If the milk is made from whole beans it will be Australian-grown beans that are used. If made from protein powder or isolate then that will be imported.”
In 2010-11, Australians drank 2296 ML of “dairy milk”, and 2061 ML in 2005-06. The annual average 2005-07 milk consumption per Australian was 230kg (approximately 223 litres).
Soy milk, soy-based drinks, soy dairy-free products and energy bars showed the strongest growth. Traditional foods like tofu have seen a decline in the past couple of years.
It takes less energy to produce soy beans than cows' milk. Melissa Powers
Australian data on the environmental impact of the dairy and soy industries is not as comprehensive as from other countries such as Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom. While there are international differences in production, life cycle analysis research is informative.
A recent Swedish study showed a span of 0.4 to 30kg of CO₂ equivalents produced per kilogram for different food items. The lowest emissions per kilogram were from legumes, poultry, and eggs. The highest were from beef, cheese and pork.
Cornell University scientist, David Pimentel, has found it takes about 14 kilo-calories (kcal) of fossil-fuel energy to produce 1kcal of milk protein using conventional milk production. Organically produced milk might require a little less than 10kcal of fossil-fuel energy per kcal.
In comparison, Pimentel’s data suggests that in a conventional soybean production system, one kcal of fossil energy invested produces about 3.2kcal of soybean. For 1kcal of fossil energy invested in organic soybean production, you get an average of 3.8kcal of soybeans. This means it takes between .26 and .31kcal of fossil fuel to make 1kcal of soybeans (contrasted with 10-14kcal to make 1kcal of dairy milk protein).
Pimentel states that soy protein accounts for about 35% of those kilocalories, so it appears that making soy protein is more energy-efficient than dairy protein.
Soy milk, of course, is the sum of its parts and whether using ground soy beans or soy isolate, other ingredients are added to make the liquid that consumers use in their coffees and cereals. These extras include calcium and oil. So the production process and its energy and water components need to be considered.
Soy beans have a low and energy footprint, but then there’s the footprint of converting beans to milk. gallixsee media/flickr
A 2010 “current and possible futures” study into greenhouse gas emissions across the top 45 food commodities in the UK recommended dairy milk and products be replaced by soy-based milk products.
A recent Dutch study comparing the water footprints of soybean and equivalent animal products found that soy milk and the soy burger have much smaller water footprints than cow milk and the average beef burger. The water footprint of the soy milk products analysed in this study was 28% of the water footprint of the global average cow milk. The water footprint of the soy burger examined was 7% of the water footprint of the average beef burger in the world.
Another important environmental parameter to consider is how much phosphorus is used to produce food. Modern agriculture is dependent on phosphorus derived from phosphate rock. It’s a non-renewable resource, and current global reserves may be depleted in 50 to 100 years. Meat and livestock production are associated with high phosphorus use and a vegetarian diet demands significantly less phosphate fertilizer than a meat-based diet.
The genetic modification (GM) debate is a series on its own, but it is relevant to note that all soybeans grown in Australia are GM-free, according to CSIRO’s Dr James. He compares this to the US, Canada, Argentina and Brazil, where over 90% of the soybeans grown are genetically modified.
Dr James says that if the soy milk bought in Australia states it is made from whole soybeans, it is “most likely” made from non-GM Australian soybeans. If the label says it is made from soybean isolate, it is “most probably imported from the US”.
Coffee anyone? Judith Friedlander does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
This article was originally published at The Conversation.
Read the original article.
Exclude hot dogs and other obesity- and cancer-causing foods from photo ops that feature the president.
The nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine believes that food-related photo ops featuring the president, vice president, first family, or members of the cabinet routinely conflict with government health messages. The photos often present foods that contribute most strongly to cancer, obesity, and premature mortality in a favorable light. A typical photo op depicts a president entertaining a foreign dignitary, with both stuffing processed meats or hamburgers into their mouths for the assembled cameras. All recent presidents have been involved in such events. There is no justification for encouraging Americans to eat foods that will harm them and their children. Instead, photo ops that include food should portray government officials eating healthfully.
CANARY SQ.—A Jamaica Plain chef and bestselling cookbook author was injured April 6 when her bicycle hit a car door at Centre and Moraine streets.
Didi Emmons said she spent a night in the hospital with a concussion after the accident in a post on her Facebook page. She noted that she fell in front of an MBTA bus that stopped before hitting her.
“It has spun a whole new spin on my existence,” she wrote. Emmons did not respond to a Gazette interview request.
The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is presented by the Boston Vegetarian Society. All labor, time, and talents of the Organizing Committee are donated.
The Boston Vegetarian Society is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, founded in 1986, offering programing throughout the year that advances a vegetarian way of life.
Look for our handsome Festival T shirt in super-soft 100% organic fair-trade cotton On sale at the BVS table! Click on the image above to enlarge.
Available in olive green and slate grey, box style and women's style.
“Great success! A lively and enthusiastic crowd—wall to wall people—great energy... The location was ideal.” —David Doctorow, Whole Foods Market, Principal Sponsor
“I think this is one of the best things Boston offers to the world." —Charlie Behrens, BVFF Volunteer
The Boston Vegetarian Society proudly presents The 16th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
Saturday, October 29, 2011, 11AM* - 6PM and Sunday, October 30, 2011, 10AM - 4PM
New! *Saturday 10 - 11 AM preview. Limited number of tickets ($5) available to visit the Exhibitor Room before the doors open at 11 AM for Free Admission to all.
Reggie Lewis Athletic Center 1350 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts Subway stop across the street
This Festival brings together an amazing array of vegetarian natural food providers, top national speakers and chefs, and educational exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment. It is a chance to talk directly to food producers, learn the newest items in the marketplace, taste free food samples, shop at show special discounts, or simply learn what vegetarian foods are available and where you can find them!
Whether you are a longtime vegetarian or vegan, or someone simply wanting to add more healthy and delicious foods to your meal repertoire, or if you are just curious what it's all about, you are welcome here! We offer you free admission, free food sampling, free speaker presentations, free parking and a T stop across the street.
You also can learn of ways to benefit the environment, help animals, and enhance your health and well being. There are activities for kids, too! Learn more about the Festival.
Sponsor and Exhibitor Opportunities
Opportunities are available for the 2011 Festival. Introduce your products and services to thousands of interested attendees. Email us for information, giving your company name, product, and website. Read what previous sponsors and exhibitors say about our Festival!
Volunteer Opportunities
If you would like to be involved in the exciting process of planning, publicizing, or helping on the day of the Festival, please contact us! Many volunteers are needed for a wide variety of tasks.
Media
Contact us for high resolution photos and interviews.
Presenters
Read our schedule of Speakers and Cooking Demos. We bring you top national experts and authors on health and nutrition, the well-being of animals, the environment, and other aspects of veg living, as well as cookbook authors and chefs teaching recipes and helpful kitchen tips.
How about FREE liposuctions for ALL Americans (kind of a "Year of Jubilee" so that every overweight or obese American can start over on a level plane) to make American "energy sufficient" - so that the energy consumption can be done without jeopardizing the nation geopolitically? Leave out the nonhuman animals; they ought to be free to live their own lives." Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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