Officials are scrambling to contain the beyond-massive oil spill that's headed for the Gulf Coast and its wetlands and wildlife areas. At times like this, I know it's popular to blame big business, and that's fair enough. But in a free-enterprise system, business only gets big (and sloppy and greedy) because of consumer demand. This morning, PETA delivered that message to Alabama residents by flying a banner over downtown Mobile reading "Meat on Your Grill = Oil Spill."

Raising animals for food causes environmental devastation on a massive scale, and oil spills can be blamed in large part on the oil-guzzling meat industry—which owes its existence to the meat-guzzling public. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it takes more than 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce a calorie of animal protein as it takes to produce the same amount of plant protein.

This disaster will have a devastating, long-lasting impact on the region and its residents, including more than 400 animal species, but crying over spilled oil and blaming big corporations won't make a difference. To ease tremendous animal suffering, safeguard human health, and help prevent oil spills, go vegan.

Written by Karin Bennett

Things that nonbelievers thought were never going to happen but did: "Octomom" saying "Yes" to our spay-and-neuter billboard, the Large Hadron Collider smashing proton beams into one another, and (drumroll, please) author, social entrepreneur, and longtime vegetarian Michael Mann agreeing to donate his half of the hotly sought-after $50 million domain Sex.com to PETA (pending IRS approval of this tax-deductible donation, of course).

Mann's offer to donate his share of Sex.com has us poised to tell the world that a vegan diet supports a lifetime of good health and great sex. If all goes as planned, visitors to the new site will see our sizzling ads such as "Veggie Love" and get information that will help turn on carnivores to the power of "veggie Viagra." Mike's generosity makes everyone a winner: He'll score a huge tax write-off, meat-loving men who tend to limp through their later years (thanks to their artery-clogging diets) will learn how to make their sex lives sizzle by going vegan, and countless animals will be saved from the horrors of factory farms and slaughterhouses.

Written by Karin Bennett

aitkencollege / CC

Pennsylvania's Lincoln University recently caused quite an uproar with the news that it requires obese students to enroll in—and complete—a fitness course before they can graduate. PETA applauds the school's effort to promote healthier lifestyles, but—let's face it—mandating fitness classes will have little or no impact if students continue to chow down on cheeseburgers and milkshakes. So we're urging Lincoln University officials to go a step further by making the school what PETA believes is this nation's first all-vegan campus.

The evidence is clear: Vegans are likely to be thinner and in better overall health than meat-eaters. The American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals, found that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than do meat-eaters. By swapping chicken nuggets for tempeh tacos, university officials will help students realize the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Plus, countless animals will be spared horrendous suffering on factory farms and cruel deaths in slaughterhouses.

Written by Karin Bennett