This week, Paul and Andy have an in depth discussion around one of our favorite topics, learning when to shut up. Vegans often feel pressure to constantly speak up for animals at every possible opportunity, but are there any scenarios in which it makes more sense to hold our tongue? Are there situations in which we might need to realize we aren’t the best person to deliver a message? Sparked by a listener email regarding their experience at a protest targeting a local dairy operation, they do our best to get down to the bottom of it!

Episodes Referenced:

Episode 106 – Should Vegans Advocate For Human Population Control

The Food:

Plant Snacks – Beet and Vegan Goat Cheese Cassava Chips.

The Articles:

Fake ‘meat’ can’t be labeled as meat, Missouri lawmakers say (STL Today)

Iowa Residents to Sue the State Over Air Emissions from Industrial Hog Farms (Civil Eats)

Kat Von D Accused Of ‘No Longer Being Vegan’ – Because Of Pregnancy (Plant Based News)

“The question is not, can they reason?, nor can they talk? but, can they suffer?” this quote from philosopher Jeremy Bentham is often used as the basis for including animal’s within our moral sphere. But what if one could eliminate an animal’s ability to suffer? This is the exact proposal of one award winning ethics paper that concludes it is our ethical duty to advocate for genetically disenhanced animals, who cannot feel (and may even enjoy) pain. This, of course, opens up a host of ethical questions and the bearded duo will do their best to parse them out. They also break down the week’s news and visit one of NYC’s newest vegan eateries.

Food:

Arata (New York, NY)

Articles:

Bye SeaWorld! Attendance at San Diego Park Has Dropped the Most Out of ALL Theme Parks in the U.S. (One Green Planet)

European Parliament votes to support a push towards a global animal testing ban (Cosmetic Design)

Global Animal Testing Ban Is ‘One Step Closer’ After Winning MP Support, Say Campaigners (Plant Based News)

Republican Farm Bill Amendment Threatens Animal Rights (MSN)

What Is the “Protect Interstate Commerce Act” and Why Does It Matter? (Modern Farmer)

Why We Should Genetically ‘Disenhance’ Animals Used in Factory Farms (Practical Ethics)

The Practical Ethicist – An Interview With Peter Singer (Salon)

The Opposite of Human Enhancement: Nanotechnology and the Blind Chicken Problem by Paul B. Thompson (Nanoethics)

 Could Engineering Animals to Enjoy Pain End Animal Suffering?(The Stranger)

 Should Farm Animals Be Genetically Modified to Remove Their Capacity to Feel Pain? (Alternet)