Vegetarian Star

President Barack Obama has traveled to India to address parliament members on making the nation a permanent member of the U.N.

While he is there, Obama is getting the opportunity to partake in some of the nation’s cultural practices. Prime Minster Manmohan Singh has already served a completely vegetarian dinner to the president of the United States in his home in New Delhi.

Film maker Danny Boyle once said India was “vegetarian nation” and statistics compiled by government groups and other organizations back his description.

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Farm Sanctuary has started a petition to urge President Barack Obama to send this year’s pardoned turkey to its sanctuary instead of the traditional retirement homes at Disney Parks. Because turkeys bred for food are often raised so they grow as large as possible in a short time frame, they’re prone to health problems. Many turkeys sent to the Disney Parks die within one year and Farm Sanctuary would like the opportunity to care for them, giving them a chance at a longer life.

Gene Baur, President and co-founder of the Sanctuary said:

“We are offering the Obama administration an opportunity to distinguish themselves from past administrations by starting a new, compassionate Thanksgiving tradition that is more in-step with Americans’ growing concern about the welfare of animals raised for food…By sending the pardoned birds to Farm Sanctuary’s renowned shelter in Watkins Glen, N.Y., the Obama Administration can show that it cares about the humane treatment of animals, and ensure that the turkeys get the expert care they need to thrive.”

When passing this petition around to gather signatures, you may also want to share these facts about turkeys Farm Sanctuary has provided.

1. Turkeys recognize each other by their unique voices.

2. Researchers have identified more than 20 distinct vocalizations in wild turkeys.

3. Turkeys have excellent geography skills and can learn the specific details of an area of more than 1,000 acres.

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Today, October 12th, four students were scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama to share their business plans. The winners of the 2010 OppenheimerFunds/NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge are a diverse group, and one 17-year old named Nia Froome took home the grand prize for her vegan bakery, Mamma Nia’s Vegan Bakery, inspired by her mother’s battle with breast cancer.

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Barack Obama has incited the criticism of activists after his proposal to lift a 24 year ban on commercial whaling in Japan, Norway and Iceland. The administration argues that doing so will save more whales and countries will not attempt to use loopholes to hunt them and instead be required to follow strict reporting procedures of their whaling activity to governments.

The proposal would allow the countries to continue hunting whales in reduced numbers and also wants them to participate in a whale DNA registry.

Environmental groups aren’t buying it, and have already pressured Obama to withdraw his support before the Whaling Commission votes on June 20.

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Paul McCartney played for the Obamas and a crowd of celebrities and journalists during an event where he was presented with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by president Barack Obama.

Receiving the award from the president was comparable to being honored, according to McCartney.

“Getting this prize would just be good enough, but getting it from THIS president …You have billions of us who are rooting for you, and we know you’re going to come through.”

The Gershwin prize is named after songwriters and brothers George and Ira Gershwin, who’s collections are located at the Library of Congress, which awarded McCartney the honor.

Besides McCartney serenading the First Lady with the lyrics to “Michelle,” other performers at the event included Stevie Wonder singing “We Can Work It Out,” The Jonas Brothers “Baby You Can Drive My Car,” Corinne Bailey Rae on “Blackbird,” and Faith Hill performing “Long and Winding Road.”

If you were unable to get an invite to the White House, you can still watch the concert on July 28 on PBS.

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A writer in the Chicago Tribune has made some suggestions for president Barack Obama the next time he goes on an eating outing.

Stay away from the burgers and order some beans!

Obama should hit the veggie restaurants, writes the Food Critic, and partake in a salad bar photo op.

“I realize that, as a man of the people, you have to dig into what the locals eat. When in Buffalo, N.Y., as you were this month, delivering a speech on the troublesome economy to a particularly hard-hit city, you’re not going to be grabbing a steaming mound of quinoa at the local veggie restaurant. But wouldn’t it be cool if you did? But this effort needs a slogan. How do you feel about “Yes We Kale”?”

Make that an order of organic kale.

Obama’s own Cancer Panel recommends it.

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President Barack Obama received a report that says Americans buying and eating organic can reduce their exposure to environmental chemicals that increase their risk of cancer.

In the report, titled “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now,” the President’s Cancer Panel says that exposure to these chemicals is minimal in organic foods and consumers should verify the product is organic by looking for the USDA label.

“The American people — even before they are born — are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures,” the letter said. “The Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”

“Many known or suspected carcinogens first identified through studies of industrial and agricultural occupational exposures have since found their way into soil, air, water and numerous consumer products… Some of these chemicals have been found in maternal blood, placental tissue, and breast milk samples from pregnant women and mothers who recently gave birth. Thus, chemical contaminants are being passed on to the next generation, both prenatally and during breastfeeding.”

Now that the government has given the thumbs up to organic, let’s hope for an overhaul in the food system to make it more affordable and accessible to all!

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Journalist and author of Animal Factory, David Kirby, thinks Barack Obama should fight factory farming more aggressively and suggests taking this stance could even help him win votes in the next presidential election.

Obama was helped tremendously in the 2008 election by winning over Iowa, says Kirby in an article from the Huffington Post.

Kirby says Iowa sided with Obama due to his stance on changing policies in factory farming, which many conservative Americans see as an attack on hard working small farmers and personal property.

If Obama is to retain this support, changes in factory farm policies are needed, and Kirby provides a few ways in which the United States president can help both animals and constituents.

One way to do this is by limiting subsidies to corporate farms, which receive as much as 5 billion annually.

“If right-wing opposition to corporate bailouts runs so deep, then Obama should get some mileage from his promise to end the multibillion-dollar corporate farm subsidy boondoggle,” writes Kirby.

Kirby also thinks Obama should also tackle the monopoly big corporations have over the food industry and redirect programs to help small family farmers, something also valued by conservatives.

Read more at the Huffington Post.

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