Written by Michelle Kretzer
London Fashion Week hasn't even started yet, but already up-and-coming British designer George Nemsadze's dress made of nori (the seaweed paper used in sushi) is getting media attention. Our thoughts? Love it!
Then again, seaweed, schmeaweed—PETA's been making clothes out of lettuce for years:
As well as out of cucumber and kiwi:
© Photo: Ricardo Sanit-Cyr, Stylist/makeup artist: Isabella Scott, Splurge Studios Production
asparagus:
© Photo: www.sebreephoto.com, Hair: Lorenzo Martin for True Beauty, Makeup: Mitzi Spallas for Cloutier, Dress: Mia Gyzander Costumes, Inc.
and beans:
© Le Studio (Paris) Design, Daniel Jasiak, Photography: Martine Houghton
The seaweed dress is a thousand times prettier (and more eco-friendly) than the foul-smelling clothes that designers have made out of milk or meat, and with the increasing demand for animal-friendly clothes, vegan clothing lines are set to knock our succotash socks off.
Written by PETA
People should be encouraged to dump meat just as smokers are encouraged to give up tobacco, according to The Future of Food and Farming, a British report featuring contributions from 400 researchers around the world.
With the global population expected to jump from 6.8 billion to more than 9 billion by 2050, the report predicts that farmers will need to produce 70 percent more food while using the same amount of land. Since this will be extremely difficult—if not impossible—people will need to drastically reduce their meat consumption in order to stave off food shortages. This is because raising animals for food is grossly inefficient: Animals consume large quantities of food but produce comparatively small amounts of meat in return. More than 70 percent of the grain that we grow in the U.S. is fed to farmed animals.
The report's authors expect that efforts to promote plant-based diets will be met with the same resistance from the meat industry that anti-smoking initiatives were initially met with by tobacco companies. But they say that's a small price to pay in order to help prevent poverty, starvation, climate change, loss of wildlife, and environmental damage. Not to mention animal suffering.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
Our parents always told us that fruits and veggies would make us healthy, but they never said that they could make us cuter! Researchers are saying that eating more fruits and vegetables will improve your appearance in just two months. A study conducted at St. Andrews and Bristol universities in the U.K. found that people who had a golden skin tone were considered more attractive by their peers. They attribute the coloring to carotenoids, which are found in numerous fruits and vegetables, including plums and carrots. I wonder if this means that the produce section will soon become the new singles scene …
Strong, healthy heart—check.
Slim, trim body—check.
Increased energy—check.
Lovely, sun-kissed glow—wait, what …?
Fair-skinned folks should know that the secret to a sexy tan is in the fruit basket, not the tanning bed. That's right: Researchers at Bristol University have found that a golden tan enhanced by beta-carotene found in orange and green fruits and vegetables was preferred over that leathery look brought on by baking in the sun.
And just like that, there's yet another reason (there are billions more) to load up the grill with asparagus this Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
Written by Karin Bennett
We already know that vegetable consumption can help fight America's biggest health risks, including obesity, heart disease, and cancer, as well as horrific cruelty to factory-farmed animals. But could it be that artichokes and sweet potatoes have the ability to stop terrorist activities too?
We recently told you about Ghulam Rasool Khan, the suspected al-Qaida member jailed in India who refuses to eat his vegetables. Now we've learned that the Indian military is making grenades that release a gas similar to tear gas—except it's made out of chili peppers. The chili-pepper grenades are being used to immobilize terror suspects.
Seems like veggies might cramp terrorists' style. What's next—will U.S. troops stockpile asparagus spears? Will we walk softly and carry big carrot sticks?
Apparently, NBC has something against girls who love their veggies. After we submitted our proposed Super Bowl ad, which features a comely crop of models demonstrating their fondness for fresh produce, NBC nixed the ad, saying it "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards." No joke, this is straight from NBC—so stop fondling your fruit salad right now and read the list of shots NBC requested we cut before they’d reconsider:
Wow, that list even made us blush! You can read the full NSFW letter from NBC here and then watch the video to see what the controversy is all about. Not as pure as eating apple pie, but it sure does drive home the fact that vegetarians make better lovers. And I'm pretty sure that most Super Bowl fans would find the ad a lot more appealing than the impotence and other not-so-sexy effects that a steady stream of chicken wings and burgers can have on their love lives.
Why so grouchy NBC? Sounds like someone’s not getting enough um…vegetables. I’m thinking network execs could really benefit from a broccoli booty call.
That said, what do you think about our sexy Super Bowl ad? Do you agree with NBC's decision to reject it?
Written by Amy Elizabeth
Hold on to your loincloths, boys and girls—another adaptation of Tarzan (yes … in addition to the 88 that already exist) will be swinging into theaters in 2010! Critics say co-writer and director Stephen Sommers will be focusing on jungle love, but this classic story is sure to have scenes of a boy raised by great apes in the jungle. So, when Anjelica Huston (who has been speaking up for animals abused in the film industry since she was a kid) heard about the film, she contacted Sommers. Anjelica writes:
"Ever since I heard my father complain about animal trainers on the set of his epic The Bible, I've worried about what happens to animal 'actors' behind the scenes. . . . Critics lauded King Kong … for the emotional depth that the giant ape displayed—without any real apes suffering in the process. Can I please hear that you similarly plan to use only creative alternatives to great apes in Tarzan?"
"Ever since I heard my father complain about animal trainers on the set of his epic The Bible, I've worried about what happens to animal 'actors' behind the scenes.
. . .
Critics lauded King Kong … for the emotional depth that the giant ape displayed—without any real apes suffering in the process. Can I please hear that you similarly plan to use only creative alternatives to great apes in Tarzan?"
Luckily, Sommers has a history of using flashy special effects and CGI in his blockbuster films, which have included Van Helsing and The Mummy. Hopefully, he'll continue to do what he does best and leave great apes in the jungle where they belong. Oh, and Sommers, if Anjelica's lovely letter doesn't convince you, here's a promise: Leave out the live apes and I'll be your personal Jane.
P.S. If you haven't seen it yet, check out Anjelica's behind-the-scenes exposé about great apes forced into the entertainment industry here.
Written by Liz Graffeo
As one of his first orders of business, President Barack Obama has suspended a plan to remove several gray wolf populations from the Endangered Species List. Originally, the Interior Department wanted to remove the wolves from the list, thereby exposing them to harm and slaughter.
By taking this action, President Obama has saved some lives. It's estimated that as many as two-thirds of the gray wolf population would have been affected by the plan—meaning that 1,000 out of almost 1,500 wolves would have been in deep trouble.
Bravo, Mr. President!
Written by Lianne Turner
Our local Norfolk, Virginia, pizzerias, like others in the country, offer all sorts of vegan toppings, so when PETA heard that Sammy's Pizzeria in Niagara Falls was planning a buffalo wing boycott (No, Jessica, they actually come from chickens) that gave us an idea. Sammy's is boycotting buffalo wings because of the increased prices and a shortage of wings, but we have offered another suggestion: Serve soy chicken wings instead!
Sam Musolino, owner of Sammy's Pizzeria, is calling on all pizza places to join him in the buffalo boycott, and while it's great news that diners might not be buying into any chicken killing now … we think going faux would be perfect!
We're even offering a few "chicks" of our own to help serve the new menu item.
Please join us in telling Sammy how easy and delicious it can be to go vegetarian by posting a comment below.
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