Remember the Exxon Valdez disaster? It may soon be seen as small potatoes compared to the ever-spreading, ever-gushing oil spill off the Gulf Coast. But when it comes to how oil affects wildlife, even "minor" spills can cause major damage. As the International Bird Rescue Research Center points out, millions of birds die every year because of oil from jet skis and motorboats as well as oil washed off streets and into storm drains after it rains. That makes it pretty important to watch out for improper trash disposal.

But here's a surprise: Much of the oil used in America is used to produce meat. It takes approximately 10 times more fossil fuels to produce meat than to produce vegan foods.

So instead of blaming big business for oil spills, let's encourage people to do something positive! Ask everyone you know to curb America's appetite for oil and reduce the chances of devastating spills—of both oil and manure—by going vegan. You might also consider making a donation to an organization that works day in and day out saving wildlife, including birds who are unlucky enough to suffer as a result of human carelessness.

A PETA staffer rescued this swan and removed painfully embedded fishing hooks from her foot and beak.

Written by Heather Moore

To be honest, I haven't really cared about the outcome of a beauty pageant since watching Olive compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" contest. But after learning that Miss New York USA Davina Reeves is vegan, that's all changed. After suffering from health problems, lethargy, and skin flare-ups, Davina decided to try a vegan diet.

Her yearlong trial is now a lifetime commitment: "I just can't go for it and not have the new knowledge affect me. The effects are far beyond my body—it's the environment, my carbon footprint, and treatment of animals," she says.

Sexy and smart: a winning combination. I know what I'll be doing on May 16, when Davina vies for the Miss USA crown. Save the date!

Via Ecorazzi

Written by Paula Moore

Apparently, furriers who push their pelts as "green" think that we were all born yesterday.

Members of PETA and Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA) along with our favorite hockey star, Georges Laraque, teamed up outside the North American Fur and Fashion Exposition of Montréal (NAFFEM) yesterday to set the record straight:

© Massacre Animal
CARA-ful! That fur is toxic!

Claims that mink coats and fox-fur hats are eco-friendly couldn't be further from the truth. It's estimated that it takes 15 times as much energy to produce a fur coat from ranch-raised animals as it does to produce a faux-fur coat. And not only are fur garments treated with toxic chemicals to keep them from rotting, fur production also pollutes waterways. And while we're on the subject of pollution, I get chills when I consider the noise pollution generated by screaming animals on fur farms and trap lines. Their cries are both harrowing and deafening.

Now won't you raise your own voice and help them?

Written by Karin Bennett

Bravo to the good folks at CBS 5 in San Francisco for running with a chilling Swedish investigative report on the down industry.

In case you think that the down filling in coats and pillows is gathered by a kindly farmer who just follows molting birds around all day and fills a sack with their lost feathers, here's an eye-opener: An investigative team from the Swedish TV show Cold Facts went undercover on goose farms in Poland, Hungary, and China and videotaped workers yanking fistfuls of feathers out of live birds, a process that a veterinarian contacted by CBS 5 described as "torture." At one farm, a worker is shown using a needle and thread to sew a goose's skin back together after the skin had been ripped apart during plucking.

Makes that down comforter seem less comforting, doesn't it? Luckily for geese and the people who don't wish to hurt them, down-alternative comforters are just as cozy and cuddly as those made from down. I speak from personal experience—I happen to have one on my bed … along with three toasty kitties and a dog.

Written by Alisa Mullins

Forget the Alamo; There's something else for Texans to remember—the imprisonment of Tilly the orca:

Today, PETA's billboard went up near SeaWorld San Antonio to remind Texans not to mess with marine mammals. Our plea to free Tilly and other captive wild animals comes on the heels of last week's congressional hearing about marine abusement parks, to which PETA submitted testimony urging a ban on the confinement of orcas and other wild animals at SeaWorld and other profiteering prison-parks.

So what can you do? Remind everyone to steer clear of marine animal exhibits. And if you're looking for an animal-friendly place to visit this summer, I hear the Alamo is an interesting place to go.

Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth

Barely stopping to catch her breath after a sizzling Argentine tango on Dancing With The Stars (DWTS), Pamela Anderson—accompanied by her dance partner, Damian Whitewood—headed to the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles today to hand-deliver her letter to Gary Doer, the Canadian ambassador to the U.S., detailing her concern that the Canadian government is subsidizing the seal slaughter.

Pamela has taken her fight for seals from one end of Canada to the other, but her personal appearance at the consulate is her first action in the U.S. regarding this issue. Just like when she dances, Pamela takes one step for animals and then takes 10 more. Do you really need any other reason to tune in to DWTS on Monday and cast your votes for her? Polls open at 8 p.m. EDT, and the phone and text lines stay open for 30 minutes after the end of the show. Online voting remains open until 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday. It only takes a few minutes to help vote this compassionate activist for animals to the top! Call 1-800-868-3411; text the word "vote" to 3411 if you're an AT&T mobile customer; or go online and vote for Pam six times.

Written by Jennifer O'Connor