Will some of the most politically powerful women in the world go vegan?

cidse / CC

Following a recent UN report that finds that women—particularly those in poor countries who make up the majority of agricultural workers and don't have other job options—are going to be most impacted by climate change, PETA has fired off letters to Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice, and Madeleine Albright asking them to adopt a vegan diet and speak out about the environmental hazards of eating meat. PETA Germany is asking Chancellor Angela Merkel to do the same.

Raising animals for meat and dairy products produces more climate-altering gasses than all the cars, trucks, ships, and planes combined. By leaving animals off their plates, these powerful women would demonstrate their commitment to helping hundreds of millions of women—who live on a dollar a day or less—weather climate change. Climate change isn't good for anyone (unless you really like poison ivy), and switching to a vegan diet is a great way to help the environment, animals, and women everywhere.

Written by Heather Drennan

Less than a year and a half after taking over as the University of Georgia's (UGA) mascot following the death of his predecessor, Uga VII died last week. With his passing comes a communal outpouring of grief and new discussions about the search for his successor.

theunquietlibrarian / CC

It's no coincidence that Uga VII died of a heart ailment similar to the one that killed Uga VI. Puppy peddlers rely on inbreeding to preserve bloodlines, which creates genetic defects and makes dogs susceptible to congenital illnesses. After years of genetic manipulation, countless bulldogs suffer from constant skin and eye infections, hip dysplasia, and weak respiratory systems—which are worsened by the kind of poor ventilation and hot, humid weather that Uga VII was exposed to as a constantly traveling mascot. Bulldogs also can't give birth naturally because of their large heads and small hips, so breeders artificially inseminate the females then cut them open year after year for c-sections.

In addition to breeding deadly defects, breeders contribute to the companion animal overpopulation crisis. Every year, approximately 4 million animals in animal shelters are euthanized because there simply aren't enough good homes. To help end the crisis—and UGA's string of preventable mascot deaths—we're asking the University to honor Uga VII by replacing him with an animatronic or solely using their costumed mascot, Hairy Dawg.

We can't think of a more fitting legacy for Uga VII than to stop the breeding of animals, which causes so many lethal genetic problems like those that undoubtedly contributed to his untimely death.

It's always right to root for compassion.

Written by Logan Scherer

Eva Mendes' performance in Bad Lieutenant has Hollywood talking. And today, with Fur-Free Friday fast approaching, the talk of tinsel-town debuted PETA's new fur exposé.

Eva says, "I didn't always know how animals were killed for their fur, and I even wore fur once myself." But then the compassionate (and smoldering-hot) actor learned that millions of animals are killed every year in the cruel fur industry. "I swore that I'd never wear it again," she says. Now, in PETA's new exposé (and just in time for the holiday shopping season), Eva is urging viewers to go for a look that kills without killing animals—by forgoing fur in favor of glamorous alternatives.

Why should you go-go-faux? Dogs, cats, foxes, minks, rabbits, and other animals often suffer the pain of having their skin ripped from their bodies while they are conscious and able to feel every agonizing minute. The only way to bring an end to the suffering is to follow Eva's lead and never wear any fur.

Written by Logan Scherer

Hey, NBC: We'd like to know … if a family-friendly announcement against abusing turkeys (who live in dark, ammonia-filled sheds where workers clip their beaks, break their legs and wings, and crush their heads) doesn't meet your standards, then what does?

When we first submitted our newest commercial to NBC in the hopes of running it during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the station asked us to give more information about the cruelty behind turkey slaughter to back up the statements made in the ad. But even after we sent the network this New York Times article chronicling the grisly facts about turkey factory farming, it nixed the ad, claiming that "this commercial does not meet NBC Universal standards."

We made this commercial with the parade's kid-centric audience in mind, hoping to empower children to make informed, healthy, and humane decisions about their diets and to stand up for those decisions.

While NBC's standards are a bit foggy, we've made sure that ours are crystal clear.

Written by Logan Scherer