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Episodes
- Seal hunt clip show
(14mb)
Tue, 1 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
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.
- We get by with a little help from our friends... (13mb)
Tue, 8 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
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!
- Remembering Seals: An Interview with Fred Bruemmer (12mb)
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
© 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
- When Species Meet: An Interview with Donna Haraway (13mb)
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Dr. Haraway with Cayenne. Photo © Rusten Hogness
In this interview we speak with Dr. Donna Haraway about her new book, When Species Meet. Haraway is well-known for her cyborg-related scholarship, through such essays as "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century." Though not abandoned, the cyborg now rides sidecar to "companion species," the driving figure in her current work.
Born of real infoldings of flesh, trust, and respect, "companion species" entails lived relations of significant otherness. In her own words, "When Species Meet is about the entanglements of beings in technoculture that work through reciprocal inductions to shape companion species." The book is greatly informed by a cross-species sport called agility. In particular, When Species Meet introduces us to two dogs, Cayenne and Roland, her partners in the practice. Importantly, though, "companion species" also resonates beyond human-dog relationships, and maneuvers through, in, and around all sorts of fascinating terrain.
Donna Haraway is a Professor in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received her Ph.D. in Biology from Yale in 1972. In 2000, Haraway earned the J.D. Bernal Prize, a lifetime achievement award from the Society for Social Studies of Science. A scholar of feminist theory, animal studies, cultural and historical studies of modern science and technology, she is the author of numerous books, such as The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness; Modest_Witness@Second_Millennium. FemaleMan©_Meets_OncoMouse™: Feminism and Technoscience; Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature; and Primate Visions: Gender, Race, and Nature in the World of Modern Science.
News links:
Tags: Companion Animals
- New Media and Animal Life: An Interview with Carol Gigliotti (11mb)
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
photo from Gigliotti's forthcoming edited book, Leonardo's Choice: genetic technologies and animals
As technologies change so does art in its response and engagement. New ethical questions emerge, while old debates are reignited, both about the meaning of art and the world beyond. In this conversation, we speak with artist and professor Dr. Carol Gigliotti (Emily Carr University of Art and Design) about contemporary artists' use of animal life in interactive technologies, also known as New Media. Gigliotti guides us through some case studies, including that of Alba, artist Eduardo Kac's "GFP (green fluorescent protein) Bunny," while she elaborates on her own ethical and aesthetic interpretation of such projects. Informed by years of study and relationships with other artists, Gigliotti deftly challenges New Media's cutting edge as it slices across art and science, social taboos, and animals' lives.
Gigliotti's upcoming book is entitled Wildness and Technology. She is the Co-Chair of the Community Engagement Research Cluster for Vancouver's Center for Interactive Research in Sustainability, and is the Associate Editor of the Journal for Critical Animal Studies. For more information, please see her extensive website www.carolgigliotti.net.
News links:
- Dogs killed because owner on welfare, Sask. tribunal hears
- Mining company gets prospecting permits near Nunavut bird sanctuary
- Group pushes for moratorium on Baffin Bay polar bear hunt
- Wind farm plans changed to protect birds
Tags: Arts & Music
- Bob Barker & Taimie Bryant: Animal Rights in the Classroom and the Courtroom (12mb)
Tue, 6 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Bob Barker & Frederico
Taimie L. Bryant
Original air date: November 22, 2005
First, Bob Barker, venerable host of The Price Is Right for the past 34 years, explains his motivation for donating 1 million dollars each to the law schools of Stanford, Columbia, Northwestern, Duke, UCLA and Harvard to fund animal rights law courses. A passionate animal advocate, Bob also set up the DJ & T Foundation in honour of his wife, Dorothy Jo, and his mother, Matilda (Tilly) Valandra, to fund low cost spay/neuter clinics and voucher programs as a way to help relieve animal over population.
Then we speak with Taimie L. Bryant, PhD, professor of law at UCLA who has taught classes in animal law since 1995. In 1998, she was the lead drafter of California state legislation to shift animal sheltering from killing to saving lives. More recently, Professor Bryant is utilizing the literature of social justice activism in feminism and disability rights areas in order to inform activism for animals. In particular, she seeks to combine the approaches of radical feminism and social justice activism in her work on animal protection. She is also developing projects that combine social science with law with funds from a generous endowment by Bob Barker to UCLA Law School for the purpose of animal rights law teaching and scholarship.
News links:
- Few survivors after 500 ducks take dip in Alberta oilsands waste
- European retailers join mulesing ban
Tags: Law | Staff Picks
- Relief Efforts for Animals in Burma/Myanmar (9mb)
Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
WSPA in Pakistan after an earthquake in 2005. Source: wspa-international.org
Although animals are clearly affected by natural and political disasters, their lives are often not prioritized in relief efforts, while their plight also receives little media coverage. WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) predicts that many animals have already died and countless others are now suffering in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in Burma/Myanmar. In this interview, Project Manager Josey Kitson explains the role of WSPA's emergency response team and what they hope to accomplish once the country's borders open to foreign aid. We hear about the role of the team, their preparations for disaster relief, and the lessons learned from years of experience. (Click here for an update on the situation, and WSPA's efforts.)
News links:
- Calgary Zoo staff shaken by deaths of dozens of stingrays
- No independent review of duck deaths: Alberta
- Pet shop takes a stand, stops selling puppies
- Europe gets bullish on animal rights issues
Tags: Animal Rescues
- Life and Death in Vet School (11mb)
Tue, 20 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Ever considered becoming a vet? If so, you may encounter some unexpected ethical dilemmas in your training. In this engaging interview, Dr. Erika Sullivan provides an intimate portrait of her veterinary school experience. An award-winning graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario, Sullivan is concerned that many students still choose to practice surgical techniques on live animals. The animals are transported to the college, kept in the students' care, later anesthetized, operated upon, and then killed. Where do the animals come from, and why are healthy animals being "euthanized"? Given that an alternative stream exists, why do the majority of students opt for the regular program? Which program provides the better learning experience? Dr. Sullivan answers these and other questions as we don our scrubs and tour the veterinary classroom. Invaluable to both potential students and the general public, Sullivan's perspective is informed as much by science as compassion.
News links:
Tags: Animal Experimentation | Dissection
- Everyone Counts: Homeless Cats in the City (11mb)
Tue, 27 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photo from Annex Cat Rescue
In our first interview, Barbara Isherwood, a member of the volunteer-run Annex Cat Rescue (ACR), talks about the ins and outs of working with feral cats. We delve into the elusive lives of these animals, the underlying causes of their homelessness, and the creative ways the ACR helps.
With the arrival of spring comes the birth of many kittens, and the need for volunteers grows even greater. From feeding cats for an hour a week, to screening potential adopters, aiding with the Trap-Neuter/Spay-Return (TNR), or making a financial donation, among other useful contributions, the Annex Cat Rescue offers crucial support to thousands of cats who are too often neglected or simply forgotten. Isherwood calls her volunteering with the ACR the most rewarding aspect of her life. Tune in to find out why.
Then, Michelle Cliffe, WSPA's Communications Manager, provides an update about the organization's efforts to help animals affected by Cyclone Nargis in Burma/Myanmar.
News links:
- Vegan preschool builds its own garden
- Monkeys are bred to die of brain disease - As scientists search for cures
- Sharks swim closer to extinction
- Humpbacks make a comeback in Pacific
Tags: Animal Rescues
- Striking at the Roots: An Interview with Mark Hawthorne (19mb)
Tue, 3 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photo from strikingattheroots.com, taken by Marji Beach
What happens when you ask one hundred and twenty animal activists their advice about strategy, tactics, and making meaningful change for animals? The answer is Mark Hawthorne's new book Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism. Highly readable, Hawthorne's text demystifies advocacy, showing the myriad entry points where people can get effectively involved, from the small-scale to elaborate, from the casual to highly organized. Showcasing the voices of activists, the personable text pulses with infectious enthusiasm. Tune in to hear Hawthorne talk about what surprised him, who inspires him, and where the movement stumbles (and thrives!).
News links:
- B.C. man found guilty of cooking a cat alive
- Class pets facing extinction in Britain
- Utah's Temma Martin has dedicated her life to standing up for pets
Tags: Activist Burnout
- Animal Activism and Visual Culture: An Interview with Keri Cronin (19mb)
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Detail from "Second Stage of Cruelty" by William Hogarth. Public domain image from Wikipedia.
The animal movements are known for their use of graphic images, but what is the history behind such strategies? How have these images changed over time? When are these images successful and when do they backfire? Dr. Keri Cronin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at Brock University, discusses the history of the movements, some of the key advocates, and the strategies they deployed. For example, Cronin describes the legacy of social reformer and antivivisectionist Frances Power Cobbe, particularly her creative appropriation of scientific images.
At times subverting the status quo, and other times reinforcing it, the visual history of early animal activism tells us something important not only about past treatment of animals, but also about the social contexts within which advocates struggled.
News links:
- Celebrities unite to battle animal activists
- Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
- New guidelines published as mouse models thrown into question
Tags: History
- Dr. Martin Balluch and the Austrian animal rights movement (16mb)
Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photo from www.vgt.at
This interview with Dr. Martin Balluch from 2004 is presented by Animal Voices as an act of solidarity with Dr. Balluch and three of his colleagues, who were brutally arrested in the early morning of May 21st, 2008 and remain in police custody without charge. In a statement from prison, Dr. Balluch writes that the Public Prosecution Service is determined to frame him and the other activists for alleged "animal related criminal activities," though they have not been formally charged with any offence. No evidence has been presented that links any of them to illegal acts.
There has been an outpouring of support from around the world for the imprisoned activists, including from Amnesty International, who have strongly criticized the actions of Austrian Police. For extensive coverage and analysis of these unlawful arrests, and for information on how you can get involved in helping the Austrian activists, please visit the Verein Gegen Tierfabriken (Association Against Animal Factories) website: www.vgt.at.
Links:
- Who's being caged? A group of animal rights activists are on hunger strike following police raids in Austria (The Guardian, UK)
- Statement from Amnesty International
- Advice from Best-Selling Vegan Cookbook Author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz (19mb)
Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Pancakes and photo by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
In this show, Isa Chandra Moskowitz of Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World fame, imparts her well-honed baking and cooking wisdom to our inquisitive listeners. On the sweet side, discover Moskowitz' all-time favourite cupcake and the one she still hopes to invent. On the savory side, check out Moskowitz' pointers for freezing casseroles and the secrets of a satisfying vegan brunch. You'll also learn Moskowitz' tips for introducing vegan food to teenagers and how to rescue a failing dish.
With her unique sense of humour and serious love of food, Moskowitz' culinary philosophies and practical advice go down like a dry martini: distinct and refreshing, with a touch of attitude.
News links:
- Homes sought for 70 rescued dogs
- Polar bears could survive — as brown bears: scientist
- SPCA Seizes 18 Birds From Site Of Alleged Cockfighting Ring
- Ontario facing massive cull of pigeons
- DDr. Martin Balluch is being artificially fed
Tags: Cooking
- Native Americans and Vegetarianism with Rita Laws, Ph.D. (14mb)
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Original air date: February 8, 2005
We speak with Dr. Rita Laws about connections between vegetarianism and Native Americans. Dr. Laws, who is Choctaw and Cherokee, will provide a historical analysis of hunting and colonialism, along with an examination of some Native American traditional views on non-human animals.
Dr. Laws has been vegetarian since 1979. In 1974 she witnessed the slaughter of a lamb in front of a mother sheep, and the experience strongly influenced her choice to become vegetarian. At the same time, she also learned about the "tens of thousands of kids in foster care [who] are waiting for permanency" and she became a special needs adoption activist. She has written several books and articles about domestic adoption and children with special needs. She is currently revising a book she wrote last year about Indian Peace Medals, which signify lasting friendship and peace.
Here is Dr. Laws' article entitled "Returning to the Corn," and additional info about the author:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rlaws/vegetarianindians.html
News links:
- Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes
- Canadians urged to don sealskin as "birthday" suit
- 2nd July 2008: Day of Solidarity
- Thousand Mile Song: An Interview with David Rothenberg (19mb)
Tue, 8 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
First, animal rights campaigner Paula Stibbe provides an update about the ten imprisoned Austrian animal activists who were arrested on May 21st. We learn of their recently-extended remand, and the condition of the advocates, including Dr. Martin Balluch who was on a hunger strike. Stibbe also describes the many successes of the animal rights movement in Austria, and what she believes are the political motivations behind the arrests.
To offer your support, please visit the VGT (Verein Gegen Tierfabriken/Association Against Animal Factories) website.
Then we reconnect with clarinetist, composer, and philosopher, David Rothenberg, author of such books as Always the Mountains, Why Birds Sing: A Journey into the Mystery of Bird Song and the recently-published Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound. With his characteristic exuberance and thoughtfulness, Rothenberg introduces us to the musical world of whales. Throughout, he urges his readers to revisit whale-song anew, with both an appreciation of current ethological research and a willingness to admit how little we really know.
Tune in to hear about the sublime lives of whales, anecdotes from Rothenberg's adventures, and his own attempts to blur the watery boundary between our species and theirs.
Tags: Arts & Music
- Animals Asia Foundation: Sanctuary and the Struggle to End Bear Bile Farming (18mb)
Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photos from animalsasia.org
Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation, joins us from Chengdu, China. Tune in to hear Robinson describe her work with Chinese and Vietnamese animal activists to provide sanctuary for moon bears (Asiatic black bears), and their efforts to stop bear bile farming.
Robinson provides detailed first-hand accounts of bear rescues, painting vivid pictures of the farms and the conditions that the bears endure. From mutilations and physical pain, to emotional and psychological damage, rescued bears face significant challenges in their recovery. Some do not make it. Others manage to thrive at the two Moon Bear Rescue Centers, one in Tam Dao, Vietnam, and the other in Chengdu, China. Listen in for some of the bears' stories.
Also in this interview, Robinson outlines the economics of bear bile farming, traditional medicines (TM), successful lobbying techniques, and the stumbling blocks the Foundation works to overcome.
One of our favourite interviews to date!
Tags: Animal Rescues | Captivity | Farmed Animals | Sanctuaries
- Nutrition Grab Bag (14mb)
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
This nutrition grab bag show re-presents clips from interviews with China Study author Dr. T. Colin Campbell, vegan triathlete Brendan Brazier, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine founder Dr. Neal Barnard, and registered dietitians Vesanto Melina and Bev Miller.
- AnimaNaturalis: Helping Animals in Ecuador and Beyond (18mb)
Tue, 5 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
A bullfight in Quito, Ecuador. © iStockphoto.com / Evert Van Scherpenzeel
Fueled by a dedicated group of animal activists, AnimaNaturalis continues to effect positive change for animals in Latin America. In this interview, we connect with Paula Gilbert who provides a behind the scenes peek into the work of the organization and the treatment of animals in Ecuador, in particular. Hear how Gilbert and others use creative — and sometimes even surprising — tactics to challenge practices such as bull- and cockfighting. Listen in, too, for information about AnimaNaturalis' appeals to Ecuador's constitutional assembly. In the aftermath of those appeals, the organization wonders, should the creation of a political party for animals be the next step?
News links:
- P.E.I. says fish kills in rivers could be extensive
- Fur flies between animal rights groups
- Message from Elmar, one of the Prisoners
Tags: Politics
- Behind the Scenes of Farm Sanctuary's Incredible Pig Rescue (19mb)
Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photo credit: Molly Wald / Best Friends Animal Society
Farm Sanctuary's Tricia Barry shares with us the extraordinary story of the large-scale pig rescue that occurred in the midst of the Midwestern United States' flood disaster. A testament to their incredible courage and industriousness, pigs from Iowa's factory farms fought the elements in truly perilous conditions. Those who were not killed by bullets, drowning, or hunger continued to starve as their skin burned under a blistering sun.
Photo credit: Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary and other animal organizations waged an emergency effort that was both a considerable technical and organizational achievement. Tune in for a gripping rendition of the events, including the logistics behind the rescue and the stories about the individual pigs who survived and who are now recovering in at the Sanctuary's New York shelter. Additionally, Barry provides insight into negotiating within a deeply agricultural state that was faced with a monumental crisis.
Tags: Animal Rescues | Pigs
- Toronto's Vegetarian Food Fair: A Delicious Celebration (14mb)
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Get the scoop on the upcoming 24th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair happening on September 5, 6, and 7 in Toronto. In this interview, we are joined by the Toronto Vegetarian Association's (TVA) enthusiastic and very busy Food Fair Coordinator, Mishka Alarcon. Alarcon provides an overview of the Food Fair, highlights from the events' schedule, and tips for getting the most out of your experience. We also hear about some exciting new additions, and why the TVA decided to focus this year's Fair on environmental themes. So make sure to bring some re-usable containers and cutlery, a big appetite, and your curiosity!
News links:
- Meat recall could cost millions more: Maple Leaf
- In cod we can't trust: DNA shows fish often mislabelled for sale
- PETA Is Sued by Author Over Slavery Comparison
Tags: Cooking | Veg Businesses
- The Vegan Hip Hop Movement (11mb)
Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photo by Brigitte Cronje
Listen in as we connect with Kevin Tillman, founder of the Vegan Hip Hop Movement website and promoter of all things people, animal, and earth-friendly. In this interview, Kevin takes us back to the roots of hip hop, and offers us insight into its message of empowerment that arose within the South Bronx and continues to inspire communities internationally. Indivisible from that resistant history, the world of vegan hip hop raises its voice for humans and nonhumans alike.
Engaging issues related to consumerism, colonialism, racism, animal exploitation, among others, the vegan hip hop movement cultivates a holistic anti-oppression approach that pushes veganism and animal rights to go further, while also urging hip hop to broaden its scope. Tune in to hear some fine tracks from vegan hip hop artists, and tap into a movement that shakes it all up.
Thanks to Labtekwon, Farm Fresh, and Hush Money for giving us the green light to include their music in the podcast. We're still hoping to hear back from Loer Velocity, Ruffmic and Freedom Writer. Thanks also to Kevin for selecting the music, and helping us to meet our Canadian content requirements!
News links:
- News from the Prisoners
- EU moves to ban seal products derived from 'cruel hunting'
- Bob Barker To Lobby For City Spay/Neuter Law
Tags: Arts & Music
- Wildlife Photography: The Legacy of Camera Hunting, Masculinity, and Colonialism (18mb)
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Theodore Roosevelt with a dead elephant. Photo by Edward Van Altena, 1909.
In this conversation, Dr. Mathew Brower, Curator at the University of Toronto and Lecturer in Museum Studies, gives us a fascinating historical account of wildlife photography in the United States and Britain. With an emphasis on "camera hunting" and an eye toward masculinity, Brower notes the shifts in hunting and photography practices, and the larger accompanying political and cultural contexts that informed their development. From Roosevelt and the end of "manliness" to industrialization and the physical decline of "game" populations, the story of wildlife photography twists and turns through a number of interesting characters who were set on proving their prowess and skill, while animals at times disrupted the photographers' pursuits. Entangled with colonial history, tune in to learn how wildlife photography signifies much more than pretty pictures.
News links:
- Humpback whale on comeback trail, say conservationists
- One Animal protectionist Released from Remand
Tags: Arts & Music | History | Hunting
- Animals Are Part of the Working Class: Interview with Jason Hribal (16mb)
Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Original air date: November 28, 2006
How have animals shaped history? How is animals' work undervalued (or simply not acknowledged as such), and how might a class analysis be useful? What would a "history from below" mean in regards to animals?
On this show, Jason Hribal delves into these and other questions, as we explore his scholarship, including "Animals Are Part of the Working class: A Challenge to Labor History" (Labor History, 2003), and more recently "Jesse: A Working Dog" (Counterpunch.org), and "Animals, Agency, and Class: Writing the History of Animals from Below" (forthcoming, Human Ecology Review). Hribal's analysis interrupts conventional historical accounts, and challenges us to recognize that "[a]nimals do not 'naturally' become private property, no more than humans 'naturally' come to sell their labor. Rather there is an active history here—one of expropriation, exploitation, and resistance" (Hribal, 2003, p. 212).
News links:
- Death linked to cheese recall in Quebec
- 6,000 minks released by animal rights activists
- Teary goodbye to pets ahead of hurricane
- Jailed campaigner to run for Greens
Tags: History | Labour Issues
- Animals as Persons: An Interview with Gary Francione (19mb)
Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Gary Francione begins his new book, Animals as Persons: Essays on the Abolition of Animal Exploitation, with the following sentence-long paragraph: "My animal rights scholarship is controversial." Known for his staunch critiques of animal welfare, Animals as Persons draws together a number of essays relevant to the Western animal movement today. In this interview, Francione delves into the book's major themes, including why personhood is so important, and why sentience alone should qualify one as a member of the moral community. Explaining the economic forces that underpin many animal welfare initiatives, he also discusses the way in which various organizations play into the pocketbooks of animal industries. Additionally, Francione talks about his own journey to veganism, and the development of his animal rights theory. The interview ends with a discussion of environmentalism and its sometimes frictional relationship with animal rights.
News links:
- Manga artists join forces to promote animal rights
- Quebec reports 1st listeriosis death, recalls 11 cheeses
- Banged-up campaigners released
- A Look At Alabama's 8-Year Old Beefed Up Animal Cruelty Law
Tags: Philosophy
- Black Dog Syndrome (17mb)
Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT Author: animalvoices@gmail.com (Animal Voices)
Photo from Start Seeing Black Dogs
This show explores Black Dog Syndrome (BDS), defined as the "the low adoption and high euthanasia rate of black dogs in shelters." Two prominent BDS activists, Tamara Delaney (founder of Contrary to Ordinary: The Black Pearls of the Dog World) and Heather Rosenwald (founder of Start Seeing Black Dogs) share their insights about the disturbing phenomenon. Speaking together for the first time, Rosenwald and Delaney discuss factors contributing to BDS, effective strategies for change, and the animals who motivate them.
Creative and market-savvy efforts, such as black dog walks and sharp photography techniques, continue to improve the situation for black shelter dogs. Yet, as these two advocates stress, there is still much work to be done.
News links:
- Chino slaughterhouse regularly bought, abused sick cattle, ex-worker says
- Asian elephant cured in rehab of heroin addiction
- Wanna own a tiger? Website offers help, incurs wrath
Tags: Companion Animals
