1. "Henry Bergh [founder of ASPCA]" by Mike Ferguson www.ufeta.org/henrybergh.htm
2. "Vegan Eateries Not Just for Hippies," reprinted from the NY Times
www.ufeta.org/veganeateries.htm  View the newest UFETA ad Here

ANEMIA & VEGANS "give up dairy for sure .. it is the number one cause of anemia - it has no
iron of its own and often causes occult blood loss through the GI tract, thus iron loss. The best source of iron is GREENS!!! Kale, broccoli, collards, etc. .... but not spinach, beet greens, or chard ... the iron in them is not well absorbed. Also it is important to get vitamin C at each meal to help absorb the iron. It is in the greens, but if they are overcooked, some fresh fruit (citrus, melons, berries) at the meal would be advised."
George Eisman, RD [George Eisman is considered one of the nation's foremost educators on vegetarian nutrition and is the author of two books, The Most Noble Diet (1994) and A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition (2003). Purchase George Eisman's books online from Farm Sanctuary.]

BEEF RECALL On February 18, the USDA issued the largest recall of beef in U.S. history, the latest action in response to the Humane Society of the United States’ groundbreaking undercover investigation of a dairy cow slaughter plant in Southern California. This recall came two days after San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos filed criminal charges against slaughter plant workers caught on video torturing crippled cattle.
See the video and take action.
See a Mark Fiore cartoon.   
[submitted by Anna Sylvester, UUSF]

A response by The Rev. John Gibb Millspaugh, Minister, Tapestry, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Mission Viejo,California

"People of all faiths can join voices to celebrate the USDA's recent stand for human decency. By shutting down the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., the USDA sends a clear message: we have responsi- bilities for the animals in our care, even those raised for meat. As a minister, I'm all tooaware that current procedures in slaughterhouses and factory farms are out of step with society's desire that animals be treated humanely, for their sake and for ours.

"To believe that humans have stewardship over other animals is to believe that we have special responsibilities to ensure their well-being--responsibilities that come with the role of steward. To believe in creationism or evolution is to believe that animals and humans come from the same source and are literally kin--that is to say, family. To believe that meat-eating is an archaic practice that should be left in the past, or to believe that meat-eating is natural and should be treated as such, is to take a moral stance against the mechanized, systemic abuse of animals in modern animal agriculture.

"Whether we believe that God has a plan for humanity, or that spirituality has more to do with actions than beliefs, or that we are on our own to make way in this universe, we must grow to understand the special responsibility these beliefs place on us: to build a more decent society.

"What a wonder: a government agency taking a meaningful moral stance that people of all faiths can celebrate. When it comes to aligning the
agricultural industry with our values as a society, may it be so today, and tomorrow and tomorrow."

A Religious Proclamation
for Animal Compassion

On November 7th, I was present on Capital Hill as one of the co-authors of the Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion. I was invited by Best Friends in July 2007 to help write a proclamation with many other religious leaders. The hope of this proclamation is to send a message to people of faith that nonhuman animals are a religious concern. It will also send a message to our political leaders that we humans desire our government to protect the interests of all beings. This will be especially effective if we can get the one million signatures that Best Friends seeks. The UFETA Board of Trustees encourages you to consider this proclamation and SIGN ON.

For many this document will fall short of what it could have been. The religious language is not inclusive and the action steps should certainly go much further. Best Friends hopes that each faith tradition will interpret this proclamation according to its own tenets and traditions. Then, in 2009, Best Friends will hold a religious summit for Animal Compassion where we may all have a chance to continue the work of producing documents that speak of the interconnected web of life where all beings merit our respect, care, and compassion.

Until then you might consider signing on as an individual or working with your UFETA Chapter or Green Sanctuary Committee to gather signatures. To do this you can bring a laptop computer to your congregation and have people sign on, gather signatures on paper and then enter them yourself, or wait for further materials from Best Friends that will help you gather signatures. Each signature needs the following: First Name, Last Name, Zipcode, and whether you are a member of clergy. You may also use the proclamation to hold a discussion in your congregation or to build bridges with other congregations. In Florida, the UU Fellowship of Gainesville is using the Proclamation to build an interfaith coalition first by hosting a vegan dinner with discussion, and then a Religious Summit to discuss the role of faith in animal compassion.

If you have any ideas or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the circle of all life, Rev. LoraKim Joyner, D.V.M.

Want to save the environment? Read these statistics: According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock agriculture contributes more to global warming than all transportation sectors (cars, trucks, planes, ships, trains) combined.

There are lots of livestock animals. Meat and dairy animals now account for about 20% of all earth's biomass. Cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc. outnumber people 3-1.

A cow produces up to 130 gallons of methane a day. Methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2 as a green house gas. While atmospheric levels of CO2 have risen about 31% since pre-industrial times, levels of methane have more than doubled, due to our insatiable appetite for meat. Livestock manure also produces nitrous oxide, 296 times more powerful
than CO2 as a green house gas. Livestock excrete 7 trillion tons of manure every year.

Eating a hamburger is like driving your car 25 miles.This gives new meaning to MacDonald's slogan, over 50 billion sold. It's going to get worse. The FAO expects global meat consumption to more than double by 2050.

According to the FAO, livestock grazing is also among the top contributors to other environmental problems like deforestation, water pollution and species loss.

Tropical forests are cleared for pasture land. In both 1993 and 1994, the U.S. imported over 200,000,000 pounds of fresh and frozen beef from Central American countries. Two thirds of these countries' rainforests have been cleared, primarily to raise cattle whose cheap meat is exported the U.S. food industry.

Livestock now use 30% of the earth's entire land surface. U.S. forests are also disappearing at the rate of a football field every second. Meat production wastes resources. The water required to produce one pound of California beef, according to the University of California Agricultural Extension Department, is 5,214 gallons. (Producing one pound of grain takes 250 gallons.) You could save more water by not eating a pound of beef than by not showering for six months.

The production of one quarter-pounder causes the loss of 5 times the burger's weight in topsoil. Antibiotics, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used to spray feed crops are a major source of toxins in the environment. Of all poisons in our food supply, 90% comes from animals, only 10% from fruits, grains and vegetables.

In the U.S., livestock produce 130 times the waste that people do. While human waste is carefully treated and sanitized, regulations concerning animal waste are lax or non-existent.

According to the 2000 census, the U.S. ranks number 3 in the world in per capita beef consumption, gorging on 100 lbs per year. We are also leaders in obesity, heart disease, hypertension and colorectal cancer-all conditions with proven links to eating fatty red meat. We are more susceptible to diseases of all kinds because of the massive antibiotics fed to livestock.

The Good News: Cutting meat from our diet can have a quick and dramatic positive impact on the planetary environment and human health.

While CO2 can remain in the atmosphere for more than century, methane circulates out in just eight years. Reducing meat consumption has rapid results. The turnover rate for ruminant farm animals is 1-2 years, moreover, unlike coal fired power plants or automobile factories that last for decades.

A shift from methane-emitting food sources is much easier than cutting carbon dioxide. Concerned citizens can make a difference three meals a day, without waiting for legislators or political leaders to reach new international agreements or enforce new standards on industry.

It is hard to imagine our economy shifting to zero emissions in terms of CO2. But a 100% decrease in methane emissions is at least theoretically possible, with much less economic dislocation.

According to the University of Chicago, cutting meat from you diet does more to help the planet than switching from a gas guzzler to a hybrid car.

Reverend Gary Kowalski is the author of bestselling books that explore spirit and nature, including "The Souls of Animals" (Stillpoint 1999), "Goodbye Friend: Healing Wisdom For Anyone Who Has Ever Lost A Pet" (Stillpoint 1997), "The Bible According To Noah: Theology As If Animals Mattered" (Lantern 2001), and "Science & the Search for God" (Lantern 2003). His next volume, titled "Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fathers" will be published by BlueBridge in 2007. More Information

UFETA Board Endorses "Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice" for the next Study Action Item!
At our last Board meeting in March, the UFETA Board voted to endorse the proposed Study Action Item on Ethical Eating. We did so because Ethical Eating would invite UU congregations to study and reflect upon animal rights and welfare, including domestic species and wildlife. Now is the time to come together as an association of congregations to see how human welfare is tied into the flourishing of all species. How might we feed ourselves while reducing the suffering of other beings? To address the well-being of the vulnerable amongst our species and others, we suggest that you encourage your congregational delegates to vote for this Item during General Assembly 2008 in Ft. Lauderdale. For more information:
www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissues
/55648.shtml