Prop. B Victory!!!

Thanks to Missouri voters yesterday, the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act will go into effect in Missouri in one year.  This is the first step to the end of puppy mills!  Missouri is the fifth state to pass Prop. B, lets bring it to Illinois!

Adopt, Don't Shop!


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live fashionABLE!

Mocha Club has just unleashed their newest project, fashionABLE. fashionABLE is dedicating to creating sustainable business for women in Africa through jobs and support.  Many of these women live in unbearable poverty and have been forced into prostitution to feed and support their families.  "Women At Risk" is an organization dedicated to rehabilitating former sex workers.  If you are familiar with Mocha Club, you may have already chosen to support "Women At Risk," and fashionABLE is just another way to get involved.  Purchase a beautiful scarf, handmade by women in Ethiopia, and 100% the money you spend will go toward rehabilitating more women, and creating more jobs.  It is a beautiful cycle!

These are two of the scarves, each named after a women whose life has been changed through this project.  The scarf on the left is Meselu, and on the right is Bezuayhu.  Watch their stories and purchase a scarf for yourself, your friends, and your family at http://livefashionable.com/.  

We are all ABLE to make a difference

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YES to Prop. B!

The Missouri Dog Breeding Regulation Initiative, Proposition B, will be on the ballot next week in Missouri.  If passed, this initiative would put regulations on the growing number of puppy mills in Missouri.  The laws would require "breeders"(as these mass breeding facilities call themselves) to provide dogs with the proper amount of food, water, space, and veterinary care.   Missouri law would also cap the number of dogs a breeder is allowed to have at 50.  This initiative would make a huge difference in Missouri, a state with one of the largest populations of puppy mills.

As many of you already know, I am extremely passionate about puppy mill education and the prevention of the mistreatment of dogs.  To provide a brief definition, puppy mills are mass breeding facilities where dogs are kept in horrendous conditions with little to no water or food, and are basically forced to breed over and over again.  There are so many obvious problems with these puppy mills, as well as many secrets that surround this whole industry of breeding.  When I first got involved with puppy mill education, I learned that about 98% of pet stores are supplied by puppy mills*.   This is obviously a huge statistic, and is often discounted by pet stores with statements such as "Our puppies don't come from puppy mills, they come from breeders".  The Merriam-Webster definition of a breeder is "one that breeds".  While the word breeder might not have a negative connotation, anyone that puts two dogs together for the purpose of breeding can be called a breeder, and does not mean that they have treated the dogs in a humane way or even that the dogs are healthy.  The reason that pet stores are supplied by puppy mills is that a responsible breeder would never sell their puppies to a pet store because they would want to meet the potential owners before letting them take the dog.  Many dogs purchased from pet stores also end up deathly ill from the diseases spread at the puppy mills.

There need to be regulations put in place to stop puppy mills and to end the mistreatment of dogs.  This devastating cycle can only change through education and action, and Prop B is the first step!  Oprah once stated a powerful message: "Now that you know, you can't pretend you don't".

Check out the Humane Society of the United States' recent report 'Missouri's Dirty Dozen'-worst puppy mills here.

*aspca.org

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Let's go out for a steak dinner, inc?

Who doesn't love food?  My friend Melissa longs for a ol' good steak and potato dinner, while my friend Amy would sell the clothes off her back for a real New York bagel.  My sister works out for hours on end before we go to dinner so she can order her favorite chicken parmesan. Me? All of those things sound delicious, but my weakness is dessert, specifically frozen yogurt.  I have loved Pinkberry since the first warm, summer day we spent together five years ago in L.A.  I have slaved many long hours at work only to splurge my paycheck at the Red Mango down the street from my house.  We all enjoy food, and we're willing to do just about anything to indulge in our favorites.  Food tastes good and why would we think twice, especially when there are corporations out there doing whatever they can to make sure we don't ask any questions.

I first saw Food, Inc. last spring and have since watched it three times.  Although I like to think that I'm aware of current issues, this film reassured me that I have a lot to learn.  It's not that I was uneducated, or not paying attention, its that these corporations operating within our food industry don't want us to know where our food is coming from.  Why you ask? As the film states, "If you knew, you might not want to eat it" (Kenner 2008).  Food, Inc. director Robert Kenner features a number reputable investigative journalists and authors such as Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollen throughout the film.  Food, Inc. explores various food systems and popular food items we consume daily and describes where they really come from.  A part of the film that really struck me was when Schlosser traveled to farms raising chickens for large companies such as Tyson and Smithfield.  It was so upsetting to hear the farmers describe the hold that these major corporations have over them.  Farmers are constantly threatened with termination of contract if they don't follow everything that the companies instruct them to do, and they are living with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and have no choice but to take out more and more loans to keep up with the demands these corporations put on them.  Companies such as Tyson advertise as if they are so farm-friendly, when all they care about are profits, profits, profits.  Another important part of the film to note is the discussion of corn-fed cattle.  Cows used to be raised on grass, but as the corn industry grew and corn became cheaper, people realized they could feed cows corn. While corn may be readily available and cheap, it can also cause cows to grow e-coli in their stomachs which spreads to other cows through manure and inevitable ends up in our food.  There are endless examples of sickness as a result of e-coli. While cows could feed on grass, these corporations demand huge amounts of meat and cheap, and so the consensus is corn.

It is unreasonable to expect people to become vegetarians and stop eating meat all together, or to cook everything by hand, or even to demand to know each and every ingredient our food is being made with.  Many of us enjoy these foods and they are a part of our daily lives.  What I've learned is it is really about social awareness.  I am still going to enjoy my yogurt with it's high fructose corn syrup(also mentioned in the film), just as my sister should eat her chicken parmesan.  The lessons I took from the film are to be aware of these companies and the ways they are treating animals and farmers.  To not be in denial, but to constantly ask questions and to demand these companies provide us with safe food.  Food serves many important functions in our bodies and in our lives, and we should be able to count on these companies to have our best interests at heart.

Get "Hungry for Change," visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/

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Mocha Monday!

I'm going to try and do a post each Monday dedicated to Mocha Club and awareness in Africa.  I became a campus representative at U of I for the Mocha Club last Spring.  The Mocha Club is a nonprofit organization that was started to get college students involved in helping out and making a difference in Africa.  The premise of MC is that each and every one of us can make a huge impact in Africa for little to no money (giving $7/month, equivalent to the price of two mochas) Did you know that $7 gives clean water to 7 African's for a year?? Or that $7 can sustain life for 1 person living with AIDS?  These are just a few examples of the extent just $7 can go.

MC also makes your donation very personal.  You can choose which projects you are most passionate about:
-Clean water
-Education
-HIV/AIDS + Health Care
-Child Mothers + Women at Risk
-Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children

When you sign up, you will also get a monthly email with photos, videos, blogs from MC members traveling and working in Africa, along with information on your specific project area and the lives being impacted.  If you're interested in going on a trip to Africa, there are also many opportunities available.

So tell your friends, start or join a team! We all need Africa... can you give up $7 this month?

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There may be hope after all- first 'Nissan Leaf' EV delivered!

Yesterday, the first 2011 Nissan Leaf was delivered to Lance Armstrong's home.  This super cool, 100% electric, zero emissions vehicle will hopefully be one of many electric vehicle's (EV) to be released in the next few years.  Although we might like to think otherwise, we are going to run out of oil at some point and we need to start looking to alternatives.  These EV's are quiet, can go over 100 miles on a single charge, and best of all they don't pollute the air!  Don't worry, I'll stop sounding like a Nissan car-salesman, but really, this car is awesome and there are already 20,000 people on the waiting list to get one...  I guess I'd better start saving!

So.. check out the website for the Nissan Leaf EV! And definitely watch the film "Who Killed the Electric Car" if you haven't seen it! It's a really informative documentary that discusses the destruction of the electric vehicle in the US.  The film presents the release of the car, the popularity of the vehicle, and its unfortunate destruction; along with the roles that the auto industry, oil companies, and the California government played it in.

Have a good night and TGIF (tomorrow!)

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