German politicians from the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens on Wednesday proposed raising the value added tax (VAT) on meat to the standard rate of 19%. Currently, meat is taxed at a reduced rate of 7%. “I am in favor of abolishing the VAT reduction for meat and earmarking it for more animal welfare,” […]
By Jason Bittel Imagine you’re a redwing, a small, speckled bird in the thrush family. You weigh as little as two light bulbs, and yet each year you make a 2,300-mile journey from your summering grounds in Iceland to a winter refuge in Morocco. One night, you decide to stop off in an olive grove […]
By Ashley Edes Whether you find it fascinating or disquieting, people recognize the inherent similarities between us and our closest primate relatives, especially the great apes. As a primatologist I regularly field questions ranging from how strong gorillas and chimpanzees are (very) to whether monkeys throw poop (not yet observed in the wild) to how […]
By Tia Schwab It has been almost a year since Hurricane Florence slammed the Carolinas, dumping a record 30 inches of rainfall in some parts of the states. At least 52 people died, and property and economic losses reached $24 billion, with nearly $17 billion in North Carolina alone. Flood waters also killed an estimated […]
The future of meat consumption doesn’t lie with dead animals. That’s the conclusion drawn by a new report from consultancy firm AT Kearney, which predicts that 60 percent of “meat” in 2040 won’t come from slaughtered animals. Instead, it will come from either lab-grown meat or plant-based replacements like Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger. “The […]
By the end of June, it will be illegal to keep whales and dolphins in captivity in Canada, the Huffington Post reported Tuesday. The so-called “Free Willy” bill passed the Canadian House of Commons by an overwhelming majority Monday, CBS News reported. It now must pass through a process called “royal assent” in which either […]
Police are investigating after an animal rights group released disturbing video footage showing workers mistreating calves at an Indiana farm that Food & Wine once dubbed the “Disneyland of agricultural tourism,” The Associated Press reported. The Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) released the footage Tuesday after what they said was the “largest undercover dairy investigation in […]
New York State lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban cat declawing. If the bill is signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, it would make New York the first state to ban the practice that animal rights advocates say is cruel and unnecessary. “Cat declawing is a horrific, yet often practiced surgery that leads to a lifetime of […]
By Christy Spees On March 1, Denny’s stopped purchasing chicken treated with medically important antibiotics for its U.S. restaurants. Many consumers might expect to see such promises at Whole Foods or their local farm-to-table restaurant, but why is a chain like Denny’s (i.e., one that is enjoyed more for its assortment of inexpensive breakfast foods […]