Veganism meets UK Grime

I have wanted to write this post for such a long time but I just couldn't find the right angle to go with or the right moment. The time has finally come for my JME appreciation post.

If you are not a fan of UK Grime then this post may seem irrelevant to you but just hold on in there, it may well be worth it. 

A Grime artist with a big passion for animal rights; JME uses his fame as a platform to educate the masses about Veganism and how it can benefit us as humans, the planet we live on, and most importantly, the animals. I hold so much respect for him as I do anyone who uses their voice to speak up for those who don't have that option. 

JME mentions Veganism in his songs more times than I can count on my hands and he uses his Twitter account to spread the message far and wide; he is so dedicated to the cause and always educates fans that question him. 

So whether you are a fan of his music or not, if you have any interest in Veganism and living a cruelty-free lifestyle then I suggest you pop over to Twitter, find @JmeBBK, and hit that follow button cause this guy says it like it is and has got his priorities right. 

Personally, I would like to thank JME on behalf of the animals that he saves every day.

Bex

P.S If you have never listened to JME's music and want to try something new you can listen to his latest album Integrity under my 'What I am listening to this week' section. It's a banger.

Everyday Should be World Oceans Day

As many of you probably already know, today is World Oceans Day and although I think it's great that we have a whole day dedicated to the oceans, I still believe that people should be appreciating and thinking about the amazing seas, that cover more than half of our planet, every day! 
 


Of course everyone is aware of the ocean that surrounds us but I often think it can be overlooked when it comes to the planet's concerns. 50% - 80% of creatures that inhabit this planet, can be found in the sea and too many of them are or are close to becoming endangered however, because we do not see or experience these creatures as often as we see land animals, they seem to be forgotten about.


These sea creatures need our help and that is why I am a volunteer for Sea Shepherd UK. Sea Shepherd is one of the only charities that takes direct action against illegal poachers of the sea. Their crews will sometimes even put their lives in danger or risk being arrested so that they can protect those that cannot protect themselves. 

The middle of the ocean is not accessible for many and that is why mass slaughters are often kept a secret.

This week, 200 Pilot Whales have been slaughtered in the Faroe Islands for no reason other than 'tradition' and this is something that happens regularly. It is very rare for the news to cover something like this and unless you are an animal rights activist, a member of an organisation like Sea Shepherd or rather active on social media, you may never be aware of these 'events'. 

Luckily, the media has been picking up on a lot more animal issues recently for example, a handful of papers have published reports on the seal slaughters in Scotland, something that has been described as 'Scotland's biggest secret'. 

Without the oceans and its inhabitants, we would not be here and I ask everyone to think about that everyday, not just today...

On that note, happy World Oceans Day!

BB

For The Oceans

Do what makes you happy//A ramble from Boolie

Hello everyone! So I was going to do a post on National Vegetarian Week however, I've already done a video on it (you can find my YouTube link on my blog), so I decided to ramble for a bit.

When I was 17 I moved to London from Cornwall which was a really big, scary move for me to make; I left my family behind and got a full time job at Boots in Farringdon. When my parents eventually moved to Chelmsford, Essex, I moved back in with them and after deciding that I couldn't see myself at Boots in 10 years, I left and started an apprenticeship at Essex County Council.

Going to apprenticeship after full time work obviously meant I wasn't earning half the amount but I thought it might be a good idea to gain some qualifications whilst working in an office environment. After about 9 months at the council I was so unbelievably bored. I had moved departments to try and inject a bit of excitement into my role but I was at the point where no matter where I was working in the office, I was not cut out for office work. That area of work seemed far too dull for me, I know that plenty of people enjoy that line of work, but I just needed a bit more colour in my career path.

I have always loved and had a passion for writing and after being given the opportunity to go to London Fashion Week (Thanks Ozzy x) I decided to pursue a career in Journalism. Seeing all the bloggers and writers at LFW really opened my eyes to a more exciting lifestyle and I thought 'I want a piece of that!'. I left the council and enrolled on a Journalism Diploma course at uni.

I am very close to completing that course and have also managed to bag myself a part-time job at Lush; over the past few years I have become more and more passionate about animal rights as you all well know and I feel that being a part of Lush is such an excellent way to have an ethical job that involves animal rights as well as amazing, innovative products.

I am now in a strange position where I am so happy where I am at Lush that I have no intention of leaving the company. I know that perhaps people close to me may feel that I need a bit more direction in my career or a more stable job but I have come to a point in my life where I am determined to do what makes me happy. Obviously, I would never make any decisions to purposely hurt or upset anyone but if having a stable, high paid job means that I will be miserable then I will not be doing that!

Happiness is such an important thing; no one likes to disappoint their family but you have no idea what's around the next corner and where you may end up if you choose the unpopular option.

An example of this would be my brother. I never thought I would say this but I find him such an inspiration. My brother has made some decisions in his life that our parents may not have agreed with however, he is now living his dream, touring the world with his band and making enough money from doing what he loves that he can maintain a stable life in Brighton.

My next steps are a bit hazy at the moment but I hope it involves travelling a bit and eventually ending up in Brighton. I would love to stay with Lush and continue with my blog and YouTube videos alongside it. We shall see!

BB

For The Oceans

Boolie debates: Should we support charities that test on animals?

Controversial subject alert....DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

Being vegan can often leave a person with lots of personal choices to make and these choices can open you up to a lot of ridicule from others. I am questioned about my veganism almost everyday and people will often find my beliefs strange and a lot of the time they never truly understand.

Charities that test on animals for medical research is often a subject that causes lengthy and in depth debates. Of course everyone knows that animal tests are conducted all over the world for cosmetics and household cleaning products and of course everyone thinks that it is disgusting - although they still buy the products but this is an entirely different subject so I wont ramble - but what a lot of people seem to turn a blind eye to is the fact that animals are still put through these awfully painful and horrific tests for medical purposes.

There are various medical charities such as the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research that do use animals in their labs - I wont go into detail as you can find it all online - and I spent a long time going over it in my head but I think the answer for me was always there it just needed confirming.

As a vegan, I see animals and humans as equal; we are all earthlings and I do not for one second believe that humans have priority over animals on this planet. It would be hypocritical of me to have these beliefs and agree with animal testing. Whether it is for cosmetic or medical purposes, it is not acceptable for us to use animals in this way.

I will not support or donate to charities that test on animals as I do not believe that we should torture animals for our benefit. Why does a human being have more of a right to live than an animal? All animals are beautiful, intelligent creatures and we should not exploit them in this way regardless of whether we may be saving human's lives. An animal should not die or be put through pain for us to live; that's not how life works.

Now for something really controversial; Have you ever thought that perhaps if we cured all of these illnesses then there may be too many people in the world and we would in fact be attempting to 'play god'? (Side note, I'm not religious as such, that was just a figure of speech.) Not at all am I saying that people deserves these illnesses that cause pain and possibly death but at the same time neither does an animal, therefore I will never tolerate animal testing in any form.

I am very interested to hear what other people have to say about this subject, drop me a comment below.

BB

For The Oceans



Like British Heartless Foundation on Facebook for more.

Votes for Animals

Following on a little from my last blog post about the opening of Lush on Oxford Street, I wanted to also speak to you guys about the Votes for Animals march I took part in and the campaign we are running at Lush. 

When I attended a team meeting at work I was informed of the VIP Press opening day at Oxford Street and was also told that I could put my name down to take place in a march which runs alongside the campaign we will be running in Lush stores through to election day.

The campaign is called Votes for Animals and it is about encouraging people to consider animal welfare before voting; we want people to check out party policies on animal rights before making a decision. There are obviously certain parties who are more in favour of protecting animals and we want to ensure that people know where to find the information needed to choose a party that also speaks for animals who do not have a voice or a chance to vote for their own welfare. 

This year has seen the return of the May Day bath bomb which is designed as a cute little badger with fennel, rosewood and bergamot oils for an uplifting, refreshing scent. The money from May Day is split between three animal charities, The League Against Cruel Sports, Save Me and Animal Aid. Each one of these charities are also promoting the campaign. So just by popping into a Lush store and purchasing one, or even online, you will be helping.

You can purchase it online here ---> May Day Bath Bomb

In support of the campaign, on the day of the VIP Press opening on Oxford Street, Lush employees & members of the above charities were invited to take part in a March from outside the new shop all the way to the Houses of Parliament where we then listened to speeches from various passionate people including Brian May and Peter Egan.

 

During his speech Brian May said: "We need a different kind of society, I believe we need a radical shake up.

 

"For the last five years and even beyond that we have been in a situation where there is no compassion for any other species apart from humans and believe me, there's very little compassion for humans either.

 

"I believe we are worthy of a better government and we will vote on May 7th for animals and for common decency!"

On the march people were encouraged to dress in the style of suffragettes and we wore Votes for Animals sashes & rosettes. It's safe to say that the march had a huge impact with extensive press coverage and many leaflets handed out.

I felt so overwhelmed by the turnout; it made me feel so proud to work for a company that are so dedicated to protecting our planet and those who reside here. 

You can check out the Votes for Animals website to gather some more information here: Votes for Animals

It is such an important campaign; we must speak up for these animals. Animals do not have the privilege of voting therefore we must be a voice for them and consider their welfare when placing our own votes.

BB

For The Oceans

VEGAN FOR GOOD

I have been vegan for almost a year now and I feel that it is time to explain my choices and my journey.

Enjoying vegan lemon sorbet at the beach

So my journey started back in 1994, when I was born. My parents were already vegetarians when I came into this world and they decided that, like my brother, they would raise me vegetarian. When I reached an age where I had a vague idea of what meat was and where it came from, my parents gave me the choice as to whether I wanted to try meat and I just couldn't understand why I would want to eat meat. At the time, I wanted to be a vet and save animals, I had no desire to ever eat an animal.

I have always loved animals and being around them, and I don't just mean your typical child who loves puppies and kittens. If you asked me at the age of 10 what my favourite animal was, I would reply with 'sharks' and would then go into detail about different types of sharks and their attributes; I was especially fascinated with hammerheads and tiger sharks.

As I grew up I continued to love animals and tried to support animal rights charities; this became a lot easier when I was in my teens and was able to use social media to raise awareness of animal cruelty.

When I was about 15, I was living in Cornwall and wanted to be the outcast of Bude (this tiny town where I lived), I met Nina, who very quickly became my best friend. We were two angsty, scene girls (and yes we were scene and VERY proud teehee) who stood out like sore thumbs in a town made up of surfers and 'normatrons'. It was amazing to meet someone who had quite radical beliefs and was just as opinionated as myself. Being a little scene kid I was obsessed with Bring Me The Horizon at the time and followed them all on various different social network sights; this was when I discovered that Jona Weinhofen, the band's guitarist, was a vegan. Jona had shared a video on Twitter and the footage showed what happened to chicks that are born to lay eggs and I was especially horrified to see that the male chicks were thrown, still alive, into a grinder. I then investigated into how dairy cows are kept and how they produce milk which again, was horrifying. I felt so naive; I couldn't believe that there were even more dark secrets to be uncovered about the food industry and the way it used animals. I immediately told my parents that I wanted to go vegan and they were surprisingly supportive. My best friend Nina also followed in my footsteps which gave people something else to taunt us about, not that it bothered us! 

I lasted as a vegan in Cornwall for 6 months; Nina had given up veganism and it was so hard to find any good food as we lived in a farming town which often held meat markets. There were no Holland and Barretts' and the local health food shop was so over-priced. I eventually had to give up being vegan but this led to a guilt that I didn't shift for a very long time. 

Sheep are friends not food or clothing

Up until last year I continued being vegetarian until once again, I came to the decision that I was going to attempt being vegan again. There was no specific moment where a lightbulb went off or anything like that, I was just being eaten up with guilt and although I knew that by being vegetarian I was doing something, it wasn't quite enough. 

By this point I was living in Essex and I have found vegan food much more accessible and half the price. I have met like minded people who have helped me along the way and have discovered that there is such a welcoming vegan/animal rights community in the Essex/London area; people have been a lot more supportive this time around. 

I have rambled on for quite a while so I will finish it up but, I feel so lucky now to be surrounded by people who are supportive of my decisions and are open to trying things themselves. Since turning vegan last year, I have known 8 people around me to also turn vegan which I think is so incredible. I don't think I could ever go back to being vegetarian; once you immerse yourself into the vegan world, you learn so much which makes it almost impossible to look at things the way you used to. I no longer look at a block of cheese or a pint of milk as food or drink, I now look at it as animal exploitation. 

I am determined to continue to fight for the rights of these animals and I will strive to be a voice for them.

If you are reading this and are not vegan or vegetarian, I just hope that you can come away from this with understanding; it is not impossible to be vegan. We are so lucky in this modern day to have plant based replacements for almost everything and it does taste good! I discovered the other day that after being vegetarian for 20 years, I have saved 4,040 animals, so who knows how many more I have saved by being vegan! 

I would love to hear your thoughts or journeys in the comments box!

 BB

For The Oceans

BBC3: Fighting the System//London Vegan Actions

I don't tend to watch too much 'normal' television, I am in fact a bit of a Netflix junkie and rarely watch scheduled telly however, the other night I heard that a program about activism was going to be on BBC3 and I was instantly intrigued.

Borrowed from LVA Facebook

Fighting the System was an excellent insight to the lives and hard work of activists. It followed four different groups of activists, focusing on some individuals, and we saw all the effort that these people had put in to contribute to positive changes on this planet.

The documentary overall was really interesting and it showed us a good variety of activists however, being vegan & very passionate about animal rights it's only natural that I was mostly inspired by the incredible work of sisters, Jane and Phoebe of London Vegan Actions.

It is reasonably easy for me to be vegan and cruelty-free but I have always wanted to do more, I would happily dedicate my life to saving animals and to raising awareness of animal cruelty in our world; this is what we witnessed Jane and Phoebe doing.

Footage showed the girls protesting outside many high street shops that exploit animals such as French Connection selling angora and fast food chains like KFC (blergh).

It restores my faith in humanity seeing people taking action and I hope that Fighting the System proves to the public that activists can make a difference and that anyone can make a difference if they try!

I could talk about this for ages but for now I will let you guys watch it and let me know your thoughts.

I would like to personally thank Phoebe and Jane; Although I thought I was already doing a lot for animals, you have showed me that I can do more and I will!


You can watch Fighting the System on YouTube here: Fighting the System
You can also find London Vegan Actions on Facebook and Twitter:


Facebook
Twitter 

 

BB

For The Oceans

Be Cruelty Free Week//Blog For Bunnies

Although I believe that every week is 'be cruelty free week', I like to take these opportunities to spread the word and shine a light on the cruelty free world so let's get started and #BlogforBunnies.

As we all know, unfortunately animal cruelty is everywhere we go, however one issue that really frustrates and upsets me is animal testing for cosmetics and household cleaning products.

Now, I don't want this post to become too preachy but I would rather inform people of the alternative options out there. The majority of us know what happens to animals when they are used for cosmetic testing (if you don't know then it is extremely simple to find information on the internet), so what I cannot understand is why do so many people turn a blind eye?!

I also want to make the point that there are no excuses; there are plenty of brands out there that are readily available and cruelty-free, some of them are even vegan. A lot of the time you can just look out for the Leaping Bunny sign on products.

Here are some lists of cruelty free brands:

Logical Harmony

My Beauty Bunny

Leaping Bunny 

The amount of cruelty free brands are certainly increasing and many companies are now taking notice of what the customers want and are changing.

If you need any more information feel free to drop me a comment and I will try to answer your queries or at least point you in the right direction.

Give it a go, try cruelty free.

BB

For The Oceans

 

We Remember Sam Simon; Animal Hero 1955 - 2015

Sam Simon was a true hero and animal activist, he devoted so much time and money to important causes and will be so missed. The world just lost a wonderful human being and he will not be forgotten. 

I am very saddened to be writing this post and it is a subject that is quite close to me especially now that I am part of the Sea Shepherd team. On 8th March 2015 we lost Sam Simon to Cancer. For those of you who do not know who Sam Simon was, he was a co-creator of The Simpsons and here is a few of the amazing things he did for the animal world:

In 2011 he hosted a comedy fundraiser in support of Sea Shepherd called 'Stand Up for the Oceans'. 

In 2012, Sam donated a ship to Sea Shepherd, the ship was named after him and it is still being used in our fleet today.

In 2014, knowing he had Cancer, Sam took the trip out to Taiji, Japan to become a Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian and documented the horrifying dolphin murders that occur in the infamous cove. 

He worked closely alongside PETA and bought a Chinchilla Fur Farm so that the animals could be freed. 

PETA also had a one of their head quarters buildings named after him.

Sam self-funded the Sam Simon Foundation which was dedicated to rescuing stray dogs.

Sam Simon & Captain Paul Watson

These are just a few of the amazing things that Sam did whilst he was alive but you can find many more online if you just search. Sam was also a vegetarian since he was 19, he then went vegan in 2005. 

This has hit me a lot harder than I would ever expect it to. Sam Simon was and will continue to be a true inspiration to me. Like most kids, I always loved The Simpsons but I never really took much notice to the creators etc. but I knew of Sam for his incredible generosity and dedication and that is what I will remember him for. 

Sleep tight Sam. x

You can read Sea Shepherd's remembrance article here: Sea Shepherd Remembers Sam Simon

 BB

For The Oceans

 

 

Vegan Life: Issue 4 Review

It's time for a review of the latest issue of my favourite magazine; Vegan Life magazine! 

Issue 4 of Vegan Life magazine - March/April 2015 - invites us in with the tastiest looking mushroom burger I have ever laid my eyes on and yes, the recipe is inside (page 24), YUM! 

So this issue contains just as many insightful articles and mouth watering recipes as the last, and more! 

I really love the first few pages of Vegan Life as they contain things like Vegan News and Vegan Diary; I love to keep up to date with what's going on in the vegan society so this is really great. It also lays out some of the key events coming up; I noticed that Vegfest Brighton 2015 has been mentioned a lot in this issue which excites me as I will be there and certainly plan to write about it afterwards, so keep your eyes peeled for that one! 

What's New? is one of my favourite sections; it's so great to discover new products and it's even better when you know that they are highly recommended. 

How Veganism Changed My Life was a really interesting article, obviously we all have our own stories as to how we became Vegan but I love hearing about them especially when they have a bit of a twist!

This issue also contained an article about angora which I thought was so important! The use of angora is something that EVERYONE, not just vegans, should be aware of. Personally, I do not see how using angora is any different to using fur but for some reason, so many high street stores like Topshop still continue to sell it. We really need to get the message out about angora and how horrific it is for the rabbits that have their fur ripped out to make jumpers and socks. I may write a future post about angora but for now if you want to know more, check out Vegan Life's article. 

My favourite article this issue was....drum roll please....Activist Burnout! I have picked this as my favourite article because I feel that the advice given could apply to such a huge variety of situations and not just activists. The article includes tips on how to de-stress and to generally look after your mind; I have found the information useful as someone who is easily stressed out, especially around the time of important exams etc. - Be sure to have a read! 

All in all another excellent issue, bring on issue 5! 

 BB

For The Oceans

In the News; Prince Hypocritical

If you are a follower of animal rights, the Royals or even just the news you would have heard about the wonderful speech Prince William made against poaching and illegal trading of ivory in China. But wait, what's this? Is Prince William a hypocrite? Well I never!

The Prince gave his speech after visiting an Elephant sanctuary in China, awww how lovely...or not. It was then revealed on the news by a very brave reporter (Peter Hunt I do believe) that the other half of the sanctuary actually held Elephants being trained to perform to the paying public. In this case the Elephants were playing football which may seem cute however, there is no saying how these animals are treated and also I strongly believe that these gorgeous creatures should not be used for our entertainment but should be released into the wild to live.  

Okay, so as if that wasn't bad enough, it was then reported that Prince William had been hunting - YES HUNTING - the day before making this speech. Now I know that some people are going to have a moan here, 'It's tradition, blah blah blah' but quite frankly I don't understand how murder can be classed as tradition. 

Now don't get me wrong, I am all for high profile individuals standing up for animals and raising awareness but, I am utterly baffled as to how Prince William, who is the President of the organisation United for Wildlife (funny, I know), can possibly explain his actions here. Maybe I should ask him?

Dear Prince William,

I would like to ask why you feel that the life of an Elephant is more important than the lives that you take when you go hunting?

Yours sincerely

Bex Piper (A very pissed off animal lover) 

I'm sure that would go down well! What are your thoughts on this situation? 

In other, happier news; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus' are to retire their Indian Elephants! HOORAY! The plan is to phase out the use of the performing Elephants by 2018, but this is still great news. This also means that there is hope for other performing animals in captivity. 

I think this picture by Andy Marlette really speaks volumes!

 BB

For The Oceans

For the Oceans: I'm a Sea Shepherd UK volunteer!

Ever since I was teeny weeny I have been a little water baby and growing up in Cornwall resulted in me developing the strongest love for the sea. If you merge this with my extreme love for animals then becoming part of the Sea Shepherd family is obviously very well suited to me! 

A few months back I filled out an application online to become a Sea Shepherd UK volunteer and I was lucky enough to receive an invite to an induction which I attended the Sunday just gone. The induction involved one of the senior volunteers showing us some of the incredible things that the charity do and what sort of things we will be able to do once joining the team. 

During the induction I had to check myself a couple of times to make sure my mouth wasn't hanging open in awe of the amazing things that Sea Shepherd have done and are continuing to do. Sea Shepherd are a registered, global charity that is split into different countries now, making everything a little bit more manageable. 

Sea Shepherd help protect and conserve the oceans and the creatures in it by running many campaigns around the world and dedicated volunteers take to the seas on the charity's fleet to track down and confront or expose illegal fisherman & hunters. Sea Shepherd use non-violent tactics to help prevent these criminals from destroying the oceans and killing off whales, dolphins, sea birds and many other fascinating creatures. 

The work of Sea Shepherd is something that I have followed for a long time and it is something that I feel very proud to say I have now part of. 

The whole Sea Shepherd UK family have been so welcoming and I can't wait to meet some more of them and spread the word about all their hard work & how the public can help. Maybe one day I will be out on one of the ships taking direct action! 

You can read all about Sea Shepherd UK on their site & you can also give their Facebook a like:

Website: http://www.seashepherd.org.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdUK



Hopefully I will be able to document some of the work that we do on here, so keep checking back...

Is Morrissey Vegan Yet? Iceland Show Cancelled After Venue Refuses to Turn Veggie for a Night.

Morrissey has cancelled his show in Reykjavik, Iceland after the venue refused his wishes for the concert hall to be meat-free on the night. 

In a statement he said: "I love Iceland and I have waited a long time to return, but I shall leave the Harpa Concert Hall to their cannibalistic flesh-eating bloodlust"

As many will know, this is not the first time Morrissey has attempted to make venues comply with his Vegetarian beliefs and he has previously succeeded however, will this be the last time or should we expect similar situations to occur on his upcoming UK tour? 

I am indeed a Moz fan myself but, my real question in all of this though is one that many have pondered upon; If Morrissey's beliefs about vegetarianism and animal rights are so strong that he is willing to disappoint so many fans by cancelling a show, then why is he not a vegan?

He has previously worked alongside PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on many campaigns and has made his feelings about animal cruelty very clear in the past; even his merchandise reflects his opinions:

Of course this is on my wishlist! 

Personally as a vegan, I appreciate the message that Morrissey gets out there regarding animal rights and I think it's great that he does not shy away from speaking his mind however, this latest step may be a step too far in my opinion. I myself have got a ticket to see Morrissey when he plays Birmingham and I am extremely excited therefore, I cannot help but feel sorry for the fans that are now missing out due to Morrissey's ridiculously high expectations! 

We still love the work you do though Moz! 

I would really love to know whether there are any specific reasons why Morrissey is not Vegan, perhaps he just loves cheese too much?! 

You can catch Morrissey on tour in the UK in March:

13th Nottingham Capital FM Arena 
14th Bournemouth International Centre
18th Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
20th Leeds First Direct Arena 
21st Glasgow SSE Hydro 
27th Birmingham Barclaycard Arena