Do you know what you're seeing when you look at seafood? It seems that most of us don't. When Consumer Reports tested 190 different samples of fish from restaurants and stores, they found that more than 20 percent were being marketed as something other than what they actually were. A similar investigation by the Boston Globe found that as much as 48 percent of fish flesh is mislabeled.

The findings will no doubt dismay people who try to buy only species of fish that they think are sustainable. But "sustainable" is simply a marketing buzzword that the seafood industry likes to use. Eating any fish at all contributes to the decimation of the ocean's ecosystem.

© Alaska Fisheries Science Center

The massive nets and long-lines used by factory fishing trawlers are indiscriminate in what types of fish they catch, and fishers simply toss overboard the dead or dying dolphins, sea turtles, and other "bycatch" they don't want. Farmed fish such as salmon and sea bass are often carnivorous, so many pounds of wild fish must be caught to feed those on farms.

Whether the label on the package matches the fish under the cellophane, one thing we can be sure of is that the flesh we are eating came from an intelligent animal with a unique personality who did not want to be gutted alive or suffocated. If we can eat faux fish, such as Vegieworld's codfish, salmon, shrimp, and tuna, that tastes the same, is free of harmful toxins like mercury and PCBs, and doesn't claim any animals' lives, why not?

Written by Michelle Sherrow

I'm such a map geek that I study the road atlas for fun. But I was equal parts intrigued and disturbed by the latest map that I laid eyes on: Food & Water Watch's Factory Farm Map. This interactive online map shows which areas of the U.S. have the most animal factories, and it also allows you to filter the results by the types of animals who are raised and killed for their flesh, milk, or eggs.

Wherever they are, factory farms lead to animal suffering, environmental destruction, and a lower quality of life for everyone. We can help keep factory farms out of our communities by showing our friends and families the many benefits of going vegan and why everyone would be vegetarian if slaughterhouses had glass walls.

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

… by going vegan. Sure, we at PETA sing the praises of electric cars, but hybrid car owners who load bags of revolting meat and dairy products into their trunks need to start humming a different tune.

That's why PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman has written a letter to James Hunt, chief of Boston's Environmental and Energy Services, offering to buy space on the city's planned electric-car charging stations for PETA's "Meat's Not Green" ads.

The raising of billions of animals to become meat-lovers' main courses is a main contributor to environmental destruction—it's a leading source of greenhouse-gas emissions and causes water pollution and topsoil erosion. The meat industry runs on enormous amounts of fossil fuel and water—and the denials of those who ignore the fact that each package of meat represents immense, intense animal suffering.

Will PETA's ads grace electric-car charging stations in Boston? We'll keep you updated.

Written by Karin Bennett

Leilani Münter is fast, hot, and compassionate. She recently revealed to readers of The Huffington Post that her love for animals inspired her to go vegetarian years ago.

Now we know why this red-hot racecar enthusiast went vegetarian—and why sexy actor Michael Dorn went vegan (unlike his Star Trek character, Worf, a spaceship-steering, raw meat–eating Klingon).

We're still wondering: What drives you to be a comely and conscious cook?

Written by Karin Bennett

Not long ago, we told you that celebrity chef Mario Batali was introducing special "Meatless Mondays" options at all of his 14 restaurants. Well, thanks to Freep.com, we get to meat meet up with Mario for a progress report: He says that he feels better as his diet becomes increasingly veggie-heavy. And he predicts that environmental concerns will prompt others to embrace a vegetarian diet. Oh—and he reveals that his own vegetarian cookbook is in the works.

Could Batali be channeling vegan chef Tal Ronnen? I'd love to think so, but one thing's for certain: Both Chef Mario and Chef Tal are inspiring countless flesh-loving foodies to think outside the T-bone.

Written by Karin Bennett

It's so hot in the city, you'd think I'd be making another batch of lemonade—but I've got a hankering for some Internet Soup. It's been a while since the last batch, so dig in!

• Scientists know that pigs prefer a life like Arnold Ziffel's—full of Green Acres and some "luxuries" …
• … but this pug is partial to that other 60s hit, Batman.
• This video by Frank Strick has it all: A catchy song, an important question, and a big dash of cute—i.e., kid hugs turkey.
• Fisher nets baby black bear—but never fear! Mama to the rescue!
• We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Meat is never "green."
• Sure, beefcakes might make women swoon for a moment, but broccoli wins love for a lifetime.
• We know that Polly wants to fly. I'm guessing that Pauley wants to run.
• "Hummus: The Rap" has inspired me to finish my own masterpiece, Guacamole, A Concerto.
• Professor Turtle weighs in on how to be a hero.

Oof! I don't know about you, but I'm full after all that soup—and guac. This Special K needs a siesta. Until next time …

Written by Karin Bennett

Nino Barbieri / CC by 3.0

For those of you who grew up in more recent decades, "acid rain" is not the name of a death-metal band. In the 70s and 80s, sulfur dioxide emitted by power plants was turning rain into sulfuric acid, threatening fish, trees, and, yes, even statues. After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got the power plants to clean up their act, we thought we had the problem licked for the great outdoors. But if you lick something outdoors now, your tongue might dissolve. Acid rain has returned in a new form—nitric acid—caused by nitrogen oxide emissions. And the number one source of these emissions? Intensive factory farms.

So now we can add the resurgence of acid rain to the long list of environmental disasters caused in large part by using animals for food. It remains to be seen whether the EPA will step in again to address the problem, but fortunately we don't have to wait for them to get involved—after all, what better way to fight the disastrous effects of factory farming than by going vegan?

Written by Jeff Mackey

Humphrey Bolton / CC by 2.0

I have good news and, well, not-so-good news. The good news is that as a result of a lawsuit filed by environmental groups, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to pay closer attention to all the factory-farm manure that often spills into our waterways.

The not-so-good news is that the EPA plans to rely on factory farms to provide the data that the agency needs—every five years. The farms will be expected to disclose, among other things, information about their manure-storage facilities and how the "excess manure" is disposed of. In other words, the EPA is letting the fox guard the henhouse.

It's good that the EPA is doing something. But I have more faith in people like Goldman Environmental Prize–winner Lynn Henning, who gathers water samples and uses aerial photography to help hold factory farms accountable for mucking up our rivers and streams. Her efforts can really make a difference—and so can you by reminding people that farms cater to consumers. If there were no demand for flesh, eggs, or milk, then there would be no problem. So here's to a different kind of report: our success in encouraging people to help preserve America's waterways by going vegan.

Try passing out a copy of our vegetarian/vegan starter kit at your nearest stream!

Written by Heather Moore

Kekka / CC by 2.0

Thanks to the efforts of PETA India and Maneka Gandhi—the daughter-in-law of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and a staunch animal rights proponent—India's Central Board of School Education has banned leather shoes from school uniforms.

Leather shoes are seen as a vestige of British colonial rule, under which they were introduced as a requirement for Indian school uniforms. But in addition to the obvious cruelty to cows, leather shoes are unsuited to India's hot, humid climate, and leather manufacturing also takes a tremendous toll on the environment. Leather shoes in school uniforms will be replaced with comfortable, environmentally friendly, and easy-to-clean canvas plimsolls (no, not those Plimsouls).

PETA's campaign against Indian leather started a decade ago when PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk traveled to India to investigate the transport of cows to slaughterhouses. Since then, dozens of international retailers have agreed to stop purchasing Indian leather, costing the industry millions in lost revenue. Find out more about Ingrid's investigation here.

Written by Alisa Mullins

As if she's not busy enough getting ready to release her fifth studio album, We Are Born, Australian songbird and vegetarian Sia Furler (and her adorable puppy, Pantera) still found time to pose in a lively new PETA Australia ad urging people to help end the dog and cat overpopulation crisis by spaying and neutering their animal companions. In the ad, which launched in Australia, Sia is calling on her fans around the world to spread the word about the homeless animal crisis and how simple surgery can help curb the number of animals who must be euthanized each year for lack of good homes.

Sia is smoking hot—she's receiving critical acclaims for her contribution to the writing of Christina Aguilera's new album, Bionic, and her work with U.K. bands Zero 7 and Massive Attack. And she'll be touring with Lilith Fair this summer.

In the last few weeks, a trio of my favorite celebs have spoken up for animals! Sia joins Cloris Leachman and Glee's Jane Lynch in calling for an end to the senseless deaths of so many animals.

Written by Jennifer O'Connor