Cause of death unknown Sam de Brito, 46, an internationally syndicated author and columnist known for acerbic comments about vegetarians and vegans before becoming a vegan himself, was found dead on October 12, 2015 at his home in North Bondi, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The cause of death was not immediately […]
Fallen crane & stampede take spotlight from haj animal victims
At least 900,000 animals killed among 24 nations RIYADH, Saudi Arabia––After decades of global controversy over animal transport and slaughter in connection with Eid al Adha sacrificial rites, the animal victims of the 2015 Islamic pilgrimage season went almost unnoticed amid furor over human victims. The start of the pilgrimage season, called the haj […]
Did botched pre-Ramadan sheep shipment start an epidemic?
TBILISI, Georgia––How many sheep were casualties of a botched pre-Ramadan live transport from the nation of Georgia to Saudi Arabia and Jordan in late May 2015? The authentic toll might never be known. Exported for ritual sacrifice, the sheep instead fell ill in transit, were refused at several ports, and reportedly died in large numbers upon […]
Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity, by Lester R. Brown
Earth Policy Institute (1350 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20036), 2012. 141 pages, paperback. $15.00. Reviewed by Merritt Clifton Publicity materials for Full Planet, Empty Plates credit Lester R. Brown with producing more than 50 books, including the annual Worldwatch reports he edited for 30 years as founder of the Worldwatch Institute. Leaving the Worldwatch Institute in […]
Videotaped Eid al Adha slaughter cruelty in Gaza shocks Australia
(November/December 2013) GAZA, CANBERRA––Amateur videos posted to social media by witnesses to Eid al Adha slaughters in Gaza on October 15, 2013 appear to have provided some of the most damning evidence yet of the failure of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System to protect Australian livestock from abuse after arrival […]