We welcome Vegan Outreach activist Caleb Wheeldon to the show as a guest co-host, and we start this episode with a discussion on the effectiveness of our activism for the animals via social media networking, sharing stories and thoughts of our own experiences. Speaking of social media networking, please remember to join us on Facebook, if you haven’t already!
Dr. David Steele, The Antibiotics in Our Meat System
Our first interview is with molecular biologist Dr. David (or Dave) Steele, who is also the President of the non-profit organization Earthsave Canada, which strives to educate people on the health, ethical and environmental impacts of their food choices, and promotes a move towards a plant-based diet.
Dave speaks about the antibiotics in our meat system, and how feeding our farmed animals antibiotics influences their effectiveness in human beings.
The FDA (Federal Drug Administration in the U.S.) has recently issued a press statement which says:
“Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria or other microbes develop the ability to resist the effects of a drug. Once this occurs, a drug may no longer be as effective in treating various illnesses or infections. Because it is well established that all uses of antimicrobial drugs, in both humans and animals, contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, it is important to use these drugs only when medically necessary.”
Dr. Steele gives us his thoughts on the overuse of antibiotics in farmed animals being called a world-wide crisis, and what needs to be done to avert this crisis from spreading further.
Nick Cooney, Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change
Our feature interview is with author and activist Nick Cooney. Nick is the founder of the animal advocacy organization The Humane League, and currently works as the Compassionate Communities Manager at the non-profit organization Farm Sanctuary. His advocacy work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio. Nick holds a degree in Non-Violence Studies from HofstraUniversityand formerly worked conducting nutrition education programs with the Universityof Pennsylvania’s Urban Nutrition Initiative.
He is also the author of a recent book called “Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change”, and he speaks with us about some of the many points of interest discussed and explored in this book to help us understand more about how the human mind works so that we may be empowered to use this knowledge to help the animals.
Please check out this video where Nick talks about one of the many subjects discussed in his book: mental barriers in people that prevent change:
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