Animal Slaughter

Goodwill Towards the Innocent Animals, Too!

Photo: Girl with a sow

In this month’s “Message from the Chief Vegetarian Officer,” Mark Fergusson notes that Christmas is a time to show compassion and goodwill toward all living beings, including the innocent animals. This is the true meaning of “peace on earth.”

Every Meatless Meal Makes a Difference

Photo: Sauteing Vegetables

At Down to Earth, we strongly believe that the single most important thing an individual can do for their health, for the environment, and for the sake of the innocent animals is to adopt a vegetarian diet. In celebration of National Vegetarian Awareness Month (October) and World Vegetarian Day (October 1st), let us take a few minutes to reflect on why.

Love Life

Photo: Cow with a Farm Dog

What makes it wrong to eat a pet that has a unique and lovable personality, but okay to slaughter other animals and put them on the dinner table?

It’s true that pets often earn a special place in our hearts. When you get home from work and your dog runs up and licks you in the face to welcome you--wagging his tail wildly—you can’t help yourself. Your dog loves you and you can’t help but love him back. Some would say that’s because, indeed, there is a person inside there. We often feel deep compassion for such animals.

The Toxic Price of Leather

Animal skins

When we consider livestock, we usually think of meat… but leather production is a major and lucrative component of the slaughter industry, with its own grim record of pollution and harm to the environment and to human health.

Make Every day Earth Day by Dreaming of a 'Green' Christmas

The holiday season is a time of giving and receiving, but not many people think about what they can give back to Mother Earth. This year you can make your holiday celebrations eco-friendly – and in return, you will receive the knowledge that you have helped make your home and the planet a ‘greener’ place.

The holidays can be extra tough on the environment: extra waste is generated from packaging and wrappers, more gas is burned on shopping trips, and many megawatts of energy go into light displays. Celebrate the planet this year with these eco-friendly holiday tips:

    Cruelty-Free Shopping

    As a conscious consumer, you may be interested in buying products that are free from animal by-products and not tested on animals. At Down to Earth, all of our health and beauty products are vegetarian and cruelty-free. But if you happen to be shopping elsewhere, it is important to be mindful of the ingredients in the health and beauty products you buy. Keep the following tips in mind:


    1. Look for words like “cruelty-free,” “not tested on animals,” “no animal testing,” and “vegan” or “vegetarian.”

    Vegetarian Solution - Part 3

    Sustainability is more than a trendy buzzword, it is a common sense guide to how we can live in harmony with the environment and our fellow citizens of planet Earth. There is a saying, “The Earth is able to provide for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.” An example of this is the typical American meat-based diet, which is becoming increasing popular around the world.

    Vegetarian Solution - Part 1

    The choice to become a vegetarian is one of the most positive, far-reaching decisions you can make to impact your personal health and the health of the environment. The reasons to choose a vegetarian lifestyle are as diverse as they are compelling.

    The "True" Inconvenient Truth

    The quickest and most effective way to reduce global warming will come through diet change, according to a letter that the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent to Al Gore. PETA wrote that his film, An Inconvenient Truth “...failed to address the fact that the meat industry is the largest contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions.” Their argument has teeth.

    A Lesson From McDonalds

    The primary motivation for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle is the desire to increase one’s health and wellness. It is no secret that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables decreases a person’s risk of cancer, heart disease, and other health problems. In contrast, a diet high in red and processed meats has been shown to increase these risks. Evidence of the dangers of a meat-based diet can be found in the recent fate of McDonalds' CEOs, Jim Cantalupo and Charlie Bell.