Thursday 26 February 2015
Tuesday 24 February 2015
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Alix
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Check it out and subscribe:)
Alix
Monday 23 February 2015
Petition for Vegetarian and Vegan Options in Luxembourg!
Before I went 'Vegan,' I never had a huge problem when eating out at restaurants with my family. Sure there were some places we just couldn't go to because there were NO VEGETARIAN options on the menu, but in general I could usually find something (smothered in cheese.)
Then I became a Vegan and the list got way shorter, like less than 5 places shorter (This was 5 years ago.) Every time my family would invite my husband and I out for a meal I felt really guilty.....because I knew it was going to be difficult for me to find something to eat and would also limit their choices massively. It wasn't a pretty picture, so I started 'declining' their invitations, just so I didn't put them in an awkward position.
Then 'ONE DAY' I suddenly said to myself.....,
So the 'Worm turned' and I started to be a right, royal pain in the arse when eating out!"What the hell! Why should I be deprived of spending time with my family because I choose not to harm animals!????"
Now don't get me wrong, there are some places in Luxembourg that are happy to cater for us Herbivores and carnivores alike - Indies is one - Bless you Indies! But if you want to try one of the 10 Michelin star restaurants and you are Vegan.....Forget it!
So when I learnt about petition 478 to offer vegetarian and vegan options in ALL Luxembourg restaurants, I was Ecstatic!
Camille Muller is the brains behind the petition and you can read all about it on the Vegan Society Website.
It's really quite simple, we are asking for restaurants in Luxembourg to offer at least One (JUST ONE) option for us non-meat eating folk! It's not a massive request and, as I see it, in no way a 'hassle' for restaurant owners who already have vegetables, beans, legumes and grains somewhere on the menus!!
More importantly scientific study after scientific study has manifested the benefits of eating a plant based diet as it:-
- Significantly reduces your likelihood to contract 'some' cancers, heart disease, Diabetes etc
- Benefits the planet
- Is the most compassionate diet, saving millions of animals each year.
- Could help to end world hunger!
If these were not reasons enough.....It is also YUMMY and can help you lose and maintain a healthy weight!
N.B - You might want to skip the Vegan donuts below!
So, How can you help!?
The Petition requires 4,500 signatures to be heard by the Chamber of Deputes. So far we have around 10% of that figure and the petition closes on 27th March 2015.
Please, please, please take a couple of minutes to sign the petition (you can do it anonymously if you wish.) You will then receive an email from the Chamber of Deputes asking you to confirm your signature, PLEASE ACCEPT this!
Spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers etc. asking them to sign the petition! Share on your FB Status or Twitter feed!
There is SO much you can do, just from the comfort of your own home, so please take a minute to help out.....Your body, the planet and the animals will Thank you!
Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. - Albert Einstein
Thursday 19 February 2015
Say No to Fur on Saturday 21st February at LUSH
"Beautiful animals and ugly people wear fur!"
Come and join Save the animals on Saturday 21st February outside the LUSH store on Grand Rue to show you support against fur!
We will be there from 11am onwards, with lots of information and yummy vegan snacks.
Follow the link for more info!
Looking forward to seeing you!
Alix
Saturday 14 February 2015
Kill it, Skin it, Wear it
If you are still undecided about wearing fur....watch this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r7TQVW4dZQ
Friday 13 February 2015
Global Divestment Day Luxembourg
Unless you
have been living in a cave for the last 20 years, or you happen to be Former
President George W Bush; you will have heard of a little thing we call ' Global
Warming!'
Global Warming is the increase of Earth's
average surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide emissions from, amongst other things, the burning of fossil fuels.David
Suzuki, scientist and environmental activist, said of Climate
Change;
"Humanity is facing a challenge unlike any we’ve ever had to confront. We are in an unprecedented period of change."
Global Divestment Day takes place on 13th and 14th February 2015 in 380
cities and 48 countries around
the globe . In Luxembourg it came a little earlier, with Greenpeace holding it's on Divestment
Day at the Place Clairefontaine on the morning of 11th February.
"So what is Global Divestment day and how does it affect us here in Luxembourg?"
The Fossil fuel industry is the richest
trade body in the world, in 2014 there estimated net worth was approximately $5
trillion. It's this financial strength that has allowed the fossil fuel industry to have our political
process in shackles and is the moral and ethical conflict most politicians are
reluctant to discuss..............'Money,
and more specifically making it!'
So whilst world leaders nod their
collective heads and agree that we have to look at alternatives to fossil
fuels, they continue to spend public money in the exact same companies through
investments!
Take Luxembourg as an example, according to
the 2013 annual report, the Luxembourg pension fund (Fonds de Compensation)
invested €1/2 billion alone in the petroleum industry through the purchase of
stocks and bonds. In addition, approximately €7 million was invested in French
nuclear companies. In the same year, only 0.7% of Luxembourg's primary energy
came from sustainable sources!
Perhaps it's just me, but isn't there something fundamentally wrong with this
picture?
"Should we be putting our money into an industry that is polluting our planet?"
Martina Holbach of Greenpeace Luxembourg spoke briefly to the Minister Romain
Schneider (responsible for the FDC) to
urge the Luxembourg government to 'rethink' their current investment policies
and look for moral and ethical alternatives.
On the 13th and 14th February the same
message will be delivered to governments throughout the globe. Urging an
immediate freeze on 'New Investments' in fossil fuel industries and a complete
phase out over the next 5 years.
It can be done.....earlier this year, the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth (oil) fund
divested from 22 companies, potentially totalling billions of dollars in
assets. Given Norway's' economic
reliance on the oil industry in particular, this was something of a 'coup
d'état' and one we can only hope other countries will follow!
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” - Howard Zinn
Remember there is no planet B!
Alix
*Photo credits - Greenpeace Luxembourg/Alix Burton
It's time to ban European Fur farms!
It's around this time of year that 'certain' individuals decide to dress themselves in the skin of dead animals. Why? Quite simply....Vanity! Wearing fur is 'alledgedly' a sign of wealth, glamour and social status. Therefore it's hardly surprising that there is a proliferation of fur coats in Luxembourg.
Personally, and I am sure I am not alone here, I think it looks vile and discussing. Every time I see someone wearing a fur coat, I want to ask them if they know the cruelty imposed on the animal they have draped around them? On more extreme occasions, I wish I had a can of red paint! I've concluded, there isn't enough red paint to go around!*
I actually once sat in a cafe in town on a balmy summer day and watched a woman gently stroke the fur pelt she had strewn across her neck. It was quite visibly a fox as it's head and tail were still attached! How on Earth can someone think this is publicly acceptable?! If it were the skin of a dead cat or dog swathed around her neck, someone would have surely called the police!
Did you know, that the European union is the world's largest producer of factory farmed animals?
"Around 30 million mink, 2 million fox and 100,000 raccoon dogs are killed each year in EU factory farms." -Source: - Humane Society International.
There are 6,000 fur farms in Europe; accounting for 63% of global mink production and 7% of fox production. The worst offenders are Denmark ( which produces 28% of global mink production), Finland and the Netherlands. Fur factory farms can also be found in Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia,France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.
The most common factory fur farmed animals are Mink, Foxes, Raccoons and Chinchillas. On average to make one single fur coat:-
30 - 70 Mink are killed
10 - 20 Foxes are killed
30 - 40 Raccoons are killed
30 - 200 Chinchilla's are killed
Since their meat is not consumed in Europe, the carcasses are just discarded.
As if these statistics were not grim reading enough, these animals are treated abhorrently. Fur farms use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gas and poison.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most widely used technique for killing in the EU and European legislation still permits it. This is despite scientific findings that the animals die an extremely slow and painful death often first provoking excitation and convulsions.
Thankfully, there have been some success stories! Austria and the U.K both passed legislation to fully prohibit the breeding of animals for fur production. The Netherlands banned the production of fox and chinchilla fur in 1995 and 1997 respectively and mink farms are to be phased out by 2024.
Despite these small accomplishments, there is still a long way to go to introduce a complete ban on fur farming in Europe.
1) First and foremost, if the demand for fur decreases, there will be no need for fur farms. Quite simply put; DON'T BUY FUR! You can take the Fur free pledge at PETA's website!"5 things you can do to help? "
3) Sign the petition to Ban Fur Farms in Europe.
4) Write to your local government representative urging Luxembourg to support an EU wide ban on fur farming.
5) Save Animals Luxembourg will be organising several events to promote the ban of fur. Visit the Save Animals Facebook page to keep yourself informed of where and when these will take place.
Be a Voice for the animals! Say NO TO FUR!
Alix
*Please note that it's a common misconception that activists use red paint....We would be arrested if we did. Leafleting is much more effective!
Sunday 8 February 2015
Luxembourg and the fox hunt
Like most animal activists, I was delighted to hear the news on January 16th 2015 that Fox hunting would soon be prohibited in the Grand Duchy!
From 1st April 2015 there would be a complete ban on fox hunting in Luxembourg!
It has been just over a decade since England and Wales banned fox hunting with hounds, but this legislation is currently up for review with the coming general election and a "Complete" ban in the U.K seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. So I couldn't help but rejoice at the Luxembourg ban with the hope that other European countries would follow our lead!
However, it wasn't long before the hunters were deeming the new legislation, "irresponsible" and citing their own list of "potential scenarios" and "possible outcomes" if the new legislation was implemented. I say,"potential scenarios", because, thus far, the hunters do not have any factual arguments to oppose the new law. Their arguments range from, " What if there was an increase in tapeworm infections in foxes?"to,"What if foxes became rabid?" (Luxembourg has been rabies free for over 10 years, despite our "open borders".
At a press conference, the Secretary of State for the sustainability ministry, Camille Gira, gave 3 main reasons for the complete ban:-
1) In the past 15 years the number of foxes in Luxembourg has declined from 5,802 to 2,504 - some 57%.
2) Fox meat is not consumed and therefore fox hunting has no benefit to the public.
3) Rabies was eradicated from the Grand Duchy more than 10 years ago.
However, this has not been enough to appease the hunting community who have joined forces to launch a petition against the ban. The petition requires 4,500 signatures to force a debate in parliament on the subject. According to the wort.lu, Georges Jacobs - President of the FSHCL said that the government had "misrepresented" facts about fox hunting and the dangers posed by the animals. Dangers - really? For Monsieur Jacobs and his supporters, here are a few facts about foxes that they appear to be unaware of:-
1)The red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) is the most widely distributed wild carnivore with an average age span of 3-5 years in the wild.
2) Foxes are omnivores. The bulk of their diet consists of rodents,rabbits, insects and fruit.
3) Foxes help to control populations of rodents/rabbits making them an ASSET to arable farmers. In the U.K alone they are estimated to save farmers 7 million GBP .
4) Most fox deaths (60%) are caused by road accidents.
5) In size, most red foxes are a little larger than a domestic cat. Therefore they do not have the physical capability to kill larger farm animals such as cows, pigs and sheep. It is estimated that fewer than 1% of lambs are killed by foxes annually.
6) Foxes do not kill for pleasure. They will only kill what they need and cache the remainder of the food for winter.
7) As the fox is territorial, efforts to control the population are pointless. If a fox is killed, another fox soon moves in to the unoccupied territory.
8) Since the hunting ban was introduced in England and Wales in 2004, there has been no change in the fox population.
Whist the hunters would like you to think otherwise........Fox hunting has "Never" been about controlling the population of foxes. It is a recreational and "barbaric sport" which has no place in today's society. Why kill an animal that poses no threat and provides neither sustenance nor clothing? As Camille Gira highlighted,"We humans are not the only creatures that have feelings and feel pain."
All hunting is inherently inhumane, unnecessary and unfair, whilst the hunter is armed with a rifle, the animal is utterly defenceless. We would not condone such behaviour in the human animal kingdom, indeed we would define it as murder.
However a ban on Fox hunting, is a big first step in the right direction and the Luxembourg government should be applauded!
If you are in agreement, please VOICE your support for the ban and spread the message to others! You can sign up to the Face book group -https://www.facebook.com/Luxforfoxes
As Gandhi once said,
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it's animals are treated."
Luxembourg is a great nation, now is the time for us to lead by example!
Alix
Wednesday 4 February 2015
Sunday 1 February 2015
A 'Vegan' Valentines Day from LUSH
On Thursday 29th January the lovely people from LUSH Luxembourg, invited us Bloggers for a sneak peak at their all new Valentines Day themed collection.
Now, first and foremost, I say the LOVELY people at LUSH because they are truly fantastic! Every time I pop in the shop, which I confess is often, they greet me with a cheery smile and are always keen to explain things and help out! I also suspect they are a little bit on the wacky and crazy side which, being a bit weird myself, I completely LOVE!
As a Vegan and an animal rights activist purchasing cosmetics can be a bit of a mind field to navigate. Thankfully LUSH not only label all their products Vegan or Vegetarian, they ensure that none of their products are tested on animals. This also means that they thoroughly "vet" all their suppliers to ensure they adhere to the same standards. So you can be sure that EU law is not being bypassed by outsourcing to China, something many cosmetics companies currently do!
LUSH was founded back in 1995 in the "ickle" town of Poole, Dorset. Today they have over 900 stores worldwide.
The vast majority of their products are handmade and they have a 21 day delivery policy from factory to store, so you can be sure your product is as fresh as can be. All products have a sticker on them telling you when the product was made and the exact sell by date. They also have a picture of the person who made your product on the sticker, from glancing at my collection, Ben at Lush has been a very busy man indeed! Thank you Ben!
If that wasn't already enough to love about LUSH, they also have the Lush prize which provides funds to entrepreneurs with unique and ethical practise's for making new cosmetics. Have a great idea for an ethical cosmetic product? You can apply for the LUSH prize which will aid you financially - www.lushprize.org.
LUSH Luxembourg often partners with NGOs and charity organisations. Sales of their charity pot go into the "Lush fund"- which helps small, local charities. They have also partnered with Save Animals Luxembourg and Sea Shepherd Luxembourg to raise awareness of animal rights.
Now many people would support LUSH just based on their strong ethics and principles (and craziness of course) BUT it just so happens that their products are totally awesome! I have hair which is often dryer than the darn Sahara.....i just plop a little bit of LUSH's R&B treatment on it and voila.....luscious locks that smell good enough to eat! You are meant to envisage me seductively shaking my long wavy hair now......but alas I have a short blonde crop.
Anyhoo, I am massively "going off topic".....I'm meant to be telling you about LUSH's new Valentines inspired products (the real reason I was there.)
There are love hearts, kisses, sex bombs, floating flowers and lots and lots of Jasmine! But most importantly there are Unicorns......And to quote Agnes from Despicable Me,
"Its SO FLUFFY, I wanna die."Okay, seriously now it was only the Unicorn hat that was fluffy, but the Unicorn Horn (Pain Moussant) is all sorts of sparkly and fantastic (see photo below.)
As the quote goes, "Always be yourself, unless of course you can be a Unicorn....then "ALWAYS be a Unicorn" - obviously, DUH!
One of the most fun parts of the evening, and there were lots of them, was that we got to get our whole Blue Peter thing on and make sh**t. We made the Catastrophe face mask which is a gentle face mask to radically transform your face on the days when you resemble the walking dead! Some of us pounded blueberries and I got to squidge all the stuff together in a gooey mess. Excellent fun!
One of the products I particularly love is the Kiss Lip gloss which leaves your lips all sorts of soft and kissable and smells good enough to eat.
I can't Thank for the folks at LUSH Luxembourg enough for such a fun evening! They are so kind, that they even gave us a bag of little goodies to take away with us and try.....LUSH Luxembourg ....
'You ROCK!"
Lush Luxembourg
60, Grand Rue
Luxembourg
Phone - 0035226270520
Email - Luxembourg@lush.fr
www.lush.co.uk
or
www.lush.fr
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