NEWS OF THE WEEK:

PETA Criticizes The Pope, Norway Bans Fur Farms, Jan. 9, 2018 – Jan. 15, 2018

By Leslie Goldberg

THE POPE TRIES…AND FAILS

Perhaps without really thinking about it, Pope Francis has invited some 2,000 poor people and refugees to a circus in Rome. “His Holiness' concern for the downtrodden must rightly extend to the wild animals who have been taken from their homelands and are enslaved, caged, chained and beaten so that they'll perform tricks that baffle and stress them,” PETA said. Over the last couple of years the pope has succeeded in offering Laundromats and showering facilities, as well as medical services to the homeless. We like that, but the circus? Not so much. (CNN, Jan. 11, 2018)

FUR FARM BAN IN NORWAY

It’s not happening tomorrow but Norway announced that it will shut down all its fur farms. The date is set for 2025. Currently Norway has over 300 fur farms which breed and kill some 700,000 minks and 110,000 foxes a year. It is unclear whether or not Norway will ban the sale of fur. (Live Kindly, Jan 14, 2018)

LOBSTERS GET A BREAK (SORT OF)

The Swiss Federal Council prohibited Swiss cooks from boiling lobsters alive, mandating that the crustaceans must first be knocked out by electrical shock or have their brains “mechanically destroyed” beginning March 1 this year. (Washington Post, Jan. 13, 2018)

FREEDOM DENIED

Lolita, a Florida whale held at the Miami Seaquarium, will remain there because a federal appeals court has denied claims that her captivity does her great harm. PETA brought the lawsuit in July of 2015, three months after the National Marine Fisheries Service recognized whales such as Lolita as an endangered species. PETA said it may appeal.  “This ruling sentences this highly intelligent, deeply lonely and distressed orca to a lifetime of physical and psychological harm, confined in a tiny concrete cell without family, friends or freedom,” Jared Goodman, director of animal law at the PETA Foundation, said in a statement. Reuters reported the appeals court said accepting critics’ “expansive” conception of illegal harm and harassment could upset the USDA’s regulatory scheme to help ensure the humane treatment of captive animals used for exhibitions and research. We at DxE believe that some “schemes” need to be upset! – (Reuters, Jan. 14, 2018)

ARIZONA GETS ITS FIRST ALL-VEGAN GROCERY STORE

Vegan shopping will be getting a little easier in Glendale, AZ thanks to Dylan and Sandy McKee, who will soon be opening the Veggie Rebellion, an all-vegan grocery. The couple said they got the idea after visiting a veg market in Portland OR. Are you listening Whole Foods? – (AZCENTRAL, Jan. 14, 2018)

THE “ALTERNATIVE PROTEIN” BIZ IS BOOMING IN EUROPE

The agribusiness specialist Rabobank is expecting, for the next five years, the alternative protein market to grow a whopping 8 percent a year in Europe. The think tank says a similar trend is happening in Australia and the animal foods industry there is feeling the burn. The Straits Times reported that Meat & Livestock Australia, which does marketing and research for the meat industry, said the growing desire for alternative protein had increased the need for the sector to promote the benefits of meat, particularly its health benefits and the use of sustainable farming practices. How about just switching your business model? – (The Straits Times, Jan. 12, 2018)