The nice thing about Kim Stallwood’s blog is that, if you get tired of reading about veganism, you can dip into Kim’s recommendations for “pubs what the Grumpy Vegan likes.” I don’t actually know how grumpy Kim is (I met him once and he seemed perfectly genial), but I do know that he is a smart experienced activist who has been involved in animal rights since the 1970s. (He’s a former executive director of PETA and was editor of The Animals’ Agenda.) Kim’s blog includes an assortment of posts related to animal rights, England, the aforementioned pubs, etc, all written in an amusing third person voice.
The Sea at Hastings Old Town
“Traumatic ‘shocks to the system’ needed to jolt politicians”
Even today’s climate optimists acknowledge that there are going to have to be some traumatic ‘shocks to the system’, induced by accelerated climate change, to jolt politicians the world over to move up a gear (well, several gears).
These shocks will come, and from the perspective of our long-term prospects, they need to come as rapidly as possible. And to be as traumatic as possible – otherwise, politicians and their electorates will rapidly revert to the current mix of non-specific anxiety and inertia.
Leaders will be shocked into climate action by Jonathon Porritt
The Future of Publishing?
Yesterday, the Grumpy Vegan was book shopping in London’s West End before going on to the excellent talk given by American environmentalist, Lester Brown, which was organized by Compassion In World Farming.
In Blackwell’s book shop in the Charing Cross Road he saw for the first time the print-on-demand machine that he’s heard so much about. You give them a computer file with your manuscript on it. Hey Presto! You’re given a published copy of your book.
It was simultaneously strangely compelling and disturbing. But is it the future of publishing?
Simon Hollington: The Outward Urge
There’s a truly great exhibition of drawings, “The Outward Urge,” by Simon Hollington at The Smithfield Gallery but you only have until November 7 to see it. Hurry along now!
These drawings depict the first earthlings ever to venture into space. Taken from contemporary documentation, they employ the backdrop of early space exploration to observe our difficult relationship with the animals that are man’s nearest biological relatives.
The Grumpy Vegan believes there is a fine line between good and bad art which addresses society’s treatment of animals. What distinguishes them is how the humans are depicted. Good art involving animal exploitation tends to depict humans sensitively and sympathetically and caught up as unwilling players in a set of tragic circumstances. Generally, bad art tends to demonizes humans involved in the depiction of injustice toward animals thereby making them stereotypically villains. We are, of course, all villains to varying degrees throughout our lives. We are all complicit.
Hollington’s drawings sensitively depicts the chimpanzees and shows the humans present as players involved in the animals’ exploitation but not as evil characters. Anyway, what do you think? The Guardian has an excellent slide show.
Methane Comparisons
This graphic is from The methane makers which is published by the BBC in their online magazine. It was originally produced by NASA. So, tell me again why we should be eating meat?
