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Animal Voices Podcast by Lauren Corman

Steven passed away in 1997 but his words remain the foundation for why Animal Voices exists today.

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J.E., February 17, 2006
Reviewer: J.E. from Chicago, Illinois

The Animal Voices podcast keeps listeners informed of the latest happenings in the world of animal rights advocacy. The show usually starts off with a brief reading of animal rights news, and then moves on to an interview with someone involved with the cause.

I like animals well enough and I am interested in seeing them receive fair and humane treatment, but I don't consider myself an activist. So some of these topics were a bit "out there" for me. For example, one show included a discussion with someone from an organization that is fighting to grant great apes some of the same basic legal protection currently reserved only for humans.

On the whole, though, I think this podcast has a great purpose, so I'm willing to listen again. If you feel strongly about animal rights, you will definitely want to subscribe to this one.

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Sweet Satisfaction: Interview with Temptation Vegan Ice Cream's Founders

animalvoices@gmail.com
Tue, Oct 23, 2007

Ryan Howard and Dan Ziegler are two cherries on the top of a yummy vegan sundae. As founders of Temptation — Vegan Ice Cream, they're also great examples of people who put ethics before profit. For them, this means paying attention to the details, which includes using fair trade tea, chocolate, and coffee. It also means striving to use organic, non-GMO, and local ingredients, and actively making the ethical choices that other companies happily overlook. As veteran vegans, they're also 100% committed to doing right by animals; they produce their tantalizing range of ice cream flavours on dedicated vegan equipment. As they put it,

"We live our word. We are not another dairy company trying to capitalize on the rising non-dairy market (i.e. Soy Delicious, Purely Decadent, Tofutti.) While we respect them, we continue to do things our way: as vegan as it gets with no compromise. We are dedicated to lessening the suffering of animals through simple consumer choices while upping the pleasures of living a compassionate lifestyle."

What was that about pleasure? How about Peach Cobbler, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Fair Trade Chocolate (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?), and a bunch more. Or, maybe you're feeling seasonal. Why not try a Temptation Pumpkin Pie, made with pumpkin ice cream? Or some Temptation Soft Serve?

Lest you think this interview will just be a forty-minute advertisement for Temptation, don't worry, we'll take our best shots at these guys. We promise. But seriously, we'll learn about how Temptation makes flavours creamy without cows, keeps a sticky hand in activism, and pacifies its unruly labour force with ice cream. (Just kidding!) We'll also go on an aural tour of Temptation factory, to discover how all that delicious stuff is actually made. Sounds tempting, doesn't it?

News links:

• Animal rights groups want Iowa vet sanctioned
• Marchers condemn Vega Baja massacre
• Huge dairy doesn't fit organic image
• Parrot Mocks Fire Alarm, Saves Family

© iStockphoto.com / Laurin Johnson

We're biting our nails, crossing our fingers, and searching for a few four-leaf clovers.

Did you know that, as part of the community radio station CIUT 89.5 FM, Animal Voices must fulfill a minimum quota of new members during the bi-annual fund-raising drives? Each $25 donation qualifies as a membership, and membership renewal also counts toward meeting our quota.

Twice a year Animal Voices needs to prove that our audience wants to keep hearing innovative speakers, passionate activists, and inspiring international content. Simply put, without people like you, we won't stay on the air. As a volunteer-run show, Animal Voices continues to be a labour of love.

To become a member, or to renew your membership, check out your donation options by clicking here, or go to www.ciut.fm to learn more about the CIUT prizes. Please indicate that your pledge is on behalf of Animal Voices. We thank you kindly! Also, please drop us a line (animalvoices@gmail.com) once you've donated so we can publicly thank you.

Your donations allow us to have continued access to CIUT's resources, including a weekly hour segment, a strong broadcast signal, multiple phone lines, a budget for international calling, and some limited advertising funds to promote the program. We wouldn't be able to provide the diversity of perspectives, nor our weekly programming, without access to CIUT's infrastructure and support.

There are so few public forums for people to talk and exchange ideas about animals, especially controversial perspectives; community radio is one of the only places that animal issues become part of the public landscape. The mainstream media routinely distorts and diminishes the work of animal advocates; community radio is a platform where we can represent ourselves: not only to honour our histories and activism, but to also speak back to these distortions.

Tune in for highlights of the past six months. Thanks for your ongoing support!

Original air date: June 15, 2000

Please join us for a conversation with esteemed feminist biologist, Lynda Birke. With numerous titles to her name, including The Sacrifice: How Scientific Experiments Transform Animals and People (co-authored, 2007), Feminism and the Biological Body (2000), Feminism, Animals, and Science: The Naming of the Shrew (1994), among others, Birke has been breaking new ground for over three decades. In our conversation, we'll discuss her laudable academic legacy, including her research on animal behaviour and experimentation, the intersections between feminism and biological ideas, and the rhetoric of science. Also, we'll hear about how Birke's activism and personal relationships with animals have shaped her scholarship.

Lynda Birke was the Senior Lecturer in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Warwick, U.K. She currently works part-time with the Anthrozoology Unit (Biology Department) at the University of Chester, U.K.

News links:

• Broiler chicken celebrates finger lickin' golden anniversary
• Cat-napping outcry after fur traders admit buying animals killed in Britain
• Animal Liberation Front Rescue Ducks

Original air date: January 8, 1996

News links:

• Foie gras forced off restaurant menu after protests
• Student blames professor as he fails to make the cut
• Polk County inmate wanting veg diet does on hunger strike
• Banfield Partnership
• Turkeys visit NY town for US Thanksgiving, leave single-file before dinner
• This 13-year-old is dogged in her pursuit

Bear baiting. Public domain image from Wikipedia.

We often look back on previous eras with moral righteousness, but how far have we really come in our treatment of animals? How complete is any history that fails to acknowledge the enormous role animals have played in shaping human culture, and our self-identity?

Historians have rarely regarded animals as a serious topic of study. Yet animals have their own histories and have signficantly shaped human history. In this interview Dr. Fudge, Reader in Literary and Cultural Studies at Middlesex University, shows the importance of studying animals in history, specifically those in the early modern period in Europe. From "bear-baiting" to "pet-keeping", Fudge discusses how understandings of animals are intimately — and complexly — tied to various powerful ideas, including those associated with progress and civility.

In the midst of dominant historical accounts, too, are competing voices and alternative visions. For example, Montaigne's (1533-1592) views on animals were radical for his time, and remain radical today. Tune in to hear about how he challenged the ethical orthodoxy of his era, and continues to influence contemporary writers. Also, in the second half of the program, Fudge talks about how animals are used to tell stories (often about ourselves), so much so that sometimes the animals themselves get lost. From Babe, Black Beauty, and Lassie Come Home, Fudge offers some useful ways to engage with contemporary cultural images and texts.

Those who subscribe to the axiom "those who fail to understand history are bound to repeat it" will likely enjoy this engaging interview with Dr. Erica Fudge.

Fudge is the author of many books, including Brutal Reasoning: Animals, Rationality and Humanity in Early Modern England (2006), Animal (2002), Perceiving Animals: Humans and Beasts in Early Modern English Culture (2000), and various articles. She is also the director of the British Animal Studies Network.

Tune in for our weekly news segment, and a fun holiday program. We'll be talking to Marisa King, one of the founders of the vegan and environmentally-friendly company, Comondi. We'll discuss "green consumerism", the small-scale suppliers behind the products, negotiating economics and activism, and what King wishes she'd known years ago about running a business. She'll also be giving away some goodies to listeners during the live program. Ah, it's about the perks!

If you've ever thought about starting your own company, or if you're shopping for some gifts you can feel good about, tune in as we delve into the people and materials that Comondi proudly features.

News links:

• Animal hoarders proving difficult to contain
• Animal investigator gets job back

This week we catch up with Shannon Keith, filmmaker and activist, to talk about her upcoming film Skin Trade: Fur, Fashion and Truth. After her highly successful and critically acclaimed documentary Behind the Mask, Keith is back planning and shooting her next film. This time, she sets her sights on farmers and clothing designers, to challenge the fur industry and the fashion world at its core.

Though the production is still in its early stages, we learn what viewers can expect from Skin Trade, which is sure to be a provocative and intense piece.

News links:

• Man's part-time best friend
• Bill Could Halt New York Carriage Horses

© iStockphoto.com / Kenn Wislander

Tune in to hear a grabbag of animal-friendly and veg-related resolutions for 2008. We've tapped our listeners, and a few past guests, to hear what's cooking for the new year. Wanna know what Sarah Kramer, of How it All Vegan and La Dolce Vegan fame, has in store for 2008? (Hint: It's stringy!) Maybe you're curious about why activist and perennial AV guest Rae Sikora isn't interested in earning more than $10,000 this year? Or perhaps you'll identify with a listener's pledge to make peace with city squirrels.

From making the switch from vegetarianism to veganism, eating more local foods, adopting a goat, doing animal rights and environmental outreach, indulging in more cupcakes... among other ideas, join us as we ring in the new year with a few laughs, and some concrete actions for 2008. Also, join us as we bid farewell to the long-running Animal Voices' show introduction. Karol premieres the new intro and tells us about how the piece came together. The news segment is back too!

News links:

• When Animals Go AWOL, Zoos Try To Tame Bad PR
• U.S. delays decision on status of polar bears
• Assigned a seal to deliver: Rescuers aid wayward animal in P.E.I. town

Photos from: veganmusclepower.org

To some, the idea of an herbivorous bodybuilder might seem laughable, but Kenneth Williams is living proof that mass and veganism can go hand-in-hand. Tune in to learn the surprising story of how he became vegan, and the even more surprising story of how he started bodybuilding. Also, Evelyn Molina-Williams talks about how she overcame a serious health issue through nutrition and exercise. Starting from a place of compassion not only toward animals, but also toward their own bodies, Evelyn and Kenneth are passionate about a holistic approach to diet and exercise. Peek into the fridges and hearts of these role-models, who seem to enjoy outreach just as much as (or maybe even more than) their leafy greens and amaranth. (And yes, we ask the question on every skeptic's mind: But where do you get your protein?)

News links:

• European seal product bans 'a crisis': industry group
• Have you herd? Anxious farmer waits for the cows to come home
• Quitting meat

Maggy. Photo from Best Friends Network.

Animals on their way from Beirut to Utah. Photo from BETA.

Seasoned traveller Sarah Kramer invites you to share your favourite recipes from How it All Vegan, The Garden of Vegan, and La Dolce Vegan, for her upcoming cute and compact travel book. In this fun interview, we peek into Vegan A Go-Go, and hear Sarah's essential tips for the road.

Then we connect with Maggy (Marguerite Shaarawi) from Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. In this moving conversation, Maggy tells us about a cat they rescued, literally right as we ended our interview in 2006. We also learn what it's like to fly over the Atlantic with three hundred animals (they definitely don't fit under the seat), and how BETA keeps hope alive in the midst of political instability and violence.

Click to watch the short video "From Beirut to Best Friends - BETA - In Their Own Words".

News links:

• Animal-human embryo research is approved
• Chefs' New Goal: Looking Dinner in the Eye
• Tiger-attack victim admits taunting animal at San Francisco Zoo

"The White Bone is an attempt, however presumptuous, to make a huge imaginative leap — to imagine what it would be like to be that big and gentle, to be that imperiled, and to have that prodigious a memory. It may well be true, by the way, that elephants never forget." - Barbara Gowdy

Gowdy argues that, if animals have emotions and consciousness (and ethological research confirms this), then animals likely have stories. The White Bone tells the story of Mud, a young orphaned elephant, and her adoptive family as they roam sub-Saharan Africa in search of the "Safe Place," free from human violence. Mistakenly grouped with works such as Animal Farm, Gowdy's story sharply departs from the fabulist tradition, which uses animal behaviour to highlight human folly. Instead, in this unusual piece of adult fiction, Gowdy draws upon her extensive research on elephants to construct a narrative from their perspectives. Tender, yet unsentimental, the result is a text that both compels and shocks.

In our conversation, prized Canadian author Barbara Gowdy shares the motivations and techniques involved in writing such a startling book. Tune in to hear one of Canada's most prized writers discuss literature, ethics, and the animals who inspire her.

Gowdy is an award-winning author whose previous books include The Romantic, The White Bone, Mister Sandman, We So Seldom Look on Love, Falling Angels, and most recently, Helpless. In 1996, she won the Marian Engel Award. She has been a finalist for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and a repeat finalist for the Giller Prize, the Governor General's Award, the Trillium Award and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction prize.

News links:

• Chips could put lab rats out of work
• Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler

Photo by Jeremy M. Lange. Source: porchlifeproductions.com

Meat-eating is a ubiquitous practice through many parts of the world. While vegetarians are frequently asked why they eschew animal products, it is less likely to hear omnivores reflect on their dietary choices. Eleni Vlachos, with camera in hand and judgement reserved, takes to the streets in the United States to talk with activists and non-activists alike about animals, culture, food, and the many factors that shape daily consumption. We also travel with Vlachos to Greece, as she meets with her father and other family to explore these questions in person. What emerges is a set of intimate conversations that are at times funny and bittersweet. Those who have found themselves misunderstood by their families because of their veganism will likely see their experiences reflected in these moving and sympathetic family portraits.

First-time documentarian Eleni Vlachos offers a film whose ethical heart rests at the seat of conversation. Join us as she shares the challenges and rewards of making Seeing Through the Fence.

News links:

• Lawmakers take aim at 'canned hunts'
• Protests free monkeys from cages
• Yogurt maker Dannon sued over probiotic claims
• Bombers strike markets in Baghdad, kill 91

A sequence of photos by Eadweard Muybridge, 1887.

Rather than predetermined and fixed, the categories "human" and "animal" are in flux. In this interview, Akira Lippit talks about how notions of humanity and animality are tightly bound together. Tracing the disappearance of animals from various ecospheres and the simultaneous appearance of animals in cinema (among other technological media), Lippit explores the figure of the animal within the context of modernity. Understood as without language and thus unable to conceptualize death, Western thought strangely maintains that animals cannot die. Turning a critical eye to the expression, "It's only an animal," the interview concludes with an analysis of violence against humans and animals during modernity. Given the weight of history, Lippit responds to the question, is resistance and agency possible? If so, how?

Original air date: October 11, 2005

Lauren: "Years ago, an irate university student accused me, a new vegetarian, of "being worse than meat-eaters because [I] steal the cows' food!" Even at the time his logic seemed a little faulty. Thankfully, with the help of folks like Danielle Nierenberg, a research associate with the World Watch Institute, we're all a lot more educated about world food systems."

We discuss Nierenberg's recent report Happier Meals: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry, which addresses the devastating effects of factory farming on the industrialized and "developing" world. If you've ever been curious about how widespread factory farming has become or what animal issues have to do with globalization, this will be the show for you. From the health, ecological, and humane issues associated with factory farming, we've got it covered.

Then, we'll hear from Adam Weissman from Freegan.info. Adam will discuss the philosophy of freeganism and living as a freegan. What does consumption, capitalism, and First World affluence have to do with animals? According to Adam, quite a bit.

Russell (left) and Fawcett (right)

In this lively panel discussion, colleagues and friends Dr. Leesa Fawcett and Dr. Constance (Connie) Russell reflect on environmental education, critical pedagogy, and the rise of "human-animal studies." Russell (whose research interests include animal-related ecotourism) and Fawcett (whose research interests include animal consciousness and cultures) offer their personal and professional experiences to highlight questions related to advocacy, classroom dynamics, feminism and ideological shifts in the Academy. Never satisfied with simple answers, these interdisciplinary scholars bring a sense of humility to their work to offer complex and ethically-informed analyses of human-animal relationships. Notably, too, as mentors to the current host of Animal Voices, both Russell and Fawcett have greatly influenced the direction of the radio program.

Connie Russell is co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University.

Leesa Fawcett is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at York University. In 2001, she received the University-Wide Teaching Award for Teaching Excellence from the York University Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning and the York Parents Association.

News links:

• South Africa removes elephant cull ban

Isa Chandra Moskowitz (left) and Terry Hope Romero (right). Author photo from the Veganomicon, taken by Evan McGraw.

1924 - Penniless Sci-Fi author H.P. Lovecraft writes his first story that includes the Necronomicon (book of the dead), a book of spells and incantations designed for protecting yourself from malevolent intergalactic space creatures. His stories don't become famous until after he dies, but many future generations of geeky teens are enthralled by Lovecraft's paranoid and supernatural musings.

2008 - Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero bring forth the Veganomicon, a book of culinary spells and delicious incantations designed for protecting yourself from vegan cooking boredom. Luckily for us, they are still alive and will be joining us this week to talk about their latest vegan bible. If Vegan with a Vengeance was just enough to whet your appetite, and if Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World filled your belly with cake-y goodness, you won't want to miss this interview with New York's vegan queens. Tune in to hear about cooking, community, and Terry's biblical carob moment.

News links:

• 1,270 birds destroyed after raid on B.C. cockfighting ring
• From wheat to meat: cattle producers anxious over jumping grain prices
• Compassionate Campaigners: How animal voters are shaping the 2008 presidential election

"Grace happens when we act with others on behalf of our world." - Joanna Macy

Please join us for a much anticipated conversation with Dr. Joanna Macy. Widely recognized as a scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology, Macy is less well-known as a proponent of animal issues and veganism. On this program, we'll explore some of the philosophical ideas and practical insights offered through this beloved mentor's engaged teachings, including their relevance to animals.

A vocal critic of industrial growth society, Macy will describe her understanding of the Great Turning, "the essential adventure of our time: the shift from the Industrial Growth Society to a life-sustaining civilization." For those who despair in the face of so many environmental and social crises, she encourages, "don't be afraid of the anguish you feel, or the anger or fear, for these responses arise from the depth of your caring and the truth of your interconnectedness with all beings. To suffer with is the literal meaning of compassion". Through decades of activism within the ecology, justice, and peace movements, Macy's interdisciplinary "work that reconnects" remains deeply grounded, and infused with profound gratitude.

Joanna Macy is the author of numerous books, such as Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age (1983); Dharma and Development (1985); Thinking Like a Mountain (with John Seed, Pat Fleming, and Arne Naess; 1988); Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory (1991); World as Lover, World as Self (1991); Rilke's Book of Hours (1996, 2005); In Praise of Mortality (2004) (with Anita Barrows); Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World (with Molly Young Brown, New Society Publishers, 1998), and a memoir Widening Circles (2000).

Source: Humane Society of the United States / ABC News

At the top of hour, we connect with Cyrus Showkati from Canadians for Effective Animal Cruelty Legislation, a coalition that is raising awareness about the weaknesses of Bill S-203. A bogus piece of legislation, argues the coalition, Bill S-203 is set to pass in Parliament in April. Not only does the proposed bill not go far enough to address animal cruelty, but CEACL also claims that it could actually distract attention from the real problem and from creating meaningful change. (Shockingly, Canada's animal cruelty legislation has not been updated since 1892!)

For our feature interview, Gary Patronek explains animal hoarding, a term he coined in 1997. Patronek, who founded the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC), has worked with colleagues for over ten years to understand this disturbing psychological and social phenomenon. Tune in to hear about what compels people to hoard, the different types of hoarders, and what can be done to help both the animals and humans involved.

Still strikingly under-researched by the academic and medical communities, animal hoarding largely remains misunderstood by the public, as those who hoard are often demonized, or understood as simply loving animals too much. As Patronek discusses, the HARC research suggests a nuanced account of this difficult problem.

Original air dates: March 15 2005, April 19 2005, April 11 2006, and March 27 2007.

This show re-presents interviews about the seal hunt with Rebbeca Aldworth of the Humane Society of the United States, Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Cathy Kangas of PRAI Beauty, and activists from ARK II, Wild at Heart, and the Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition.

Photo © kevindooley

A huge thank you to everyone who donated during the Spring "Friends of 89.5" fundraising drive. During each drive, most spoken word programmers struggle to achieve their minimum membership quotas, us included. Fortunately, since '96, people like you have helped the program flourish.

As an exclusively volunteer-run show, we strive to bring you quality and compelling programming. As you know, Animal Voices works at the intersections of the animal, environmental, and social justice movements, bridging activism and scholarship, while highlighting topics often neglected and views little known. Many hours each week are spent researching, organizing, and producing original content.

There are so few public forums for people to exchange ideas about animals in a critical way; community radio is one of the only places that animal issues become part of the public landscape. If you missed the opportunity to donate, please hang on to that cash until the next fundraising drive in the Fall. It would be great if we could count on you to help us meet our quota next time. In the meantime, check out the archived program to hear some highlights of the past six months. Thanks for your ongoing support!

© iStockphoto.com / Oliver Anlauf

While the mainstream media tends to frame the Canadian seal hunt as a clash between protesters and supporters, it's easy to forget about the seals' perspectives and experiences, especially those beyond the hunt. In response, today we're speaking with Fred Bruemmer, world-renowned nature photographer and researcher. In this program, we primarily focus on Bruemmer's encounters with Canadian harp seals, as we peek behind the camera to learn more about these animals, and one man's celebration of their lives.

Part natural history, part memoir, Bruemmer's reflections capture a deep affection for animals and an ongoing passion for his work. Tune in to hear about his interactions with seals (and other animals), their remarkable lives, and the nature of his craft.

More about Bruemmer...

Born in Latvia, Bruemmer emigrated to Canada in 1951. Among his many notable accomplishments, Bruemmer was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1983, an Honorary Doctoral Degree from the University of New Brunswick, and the North American Nature Photography Association Lifetime Award, and other accolades. He has written extensively for a variety of magazines and journals, and has penned over twenty books, including Arctic Memories: Living with the Inuit (1993), The Life of the Harp Seal (1977), Seals in the Wild (1998), and Survival - A Refugee Life (2005).

News links:

• Big dam! Alberta beavers build 850-metre barrier
• Group raises funds for pet neutering
• 7,000 pigs perish in Hutterite barn fire

Tags: Seals