Category Archives: dairy

Learning lessons

Posted on September 19, 2020 by There's an Elephant in the Room

Recently, someone died; someone who was everything to me. ‘How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand… there is no going back? There … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, dairy, Eulogies, Health and plant based eating, Speciesism | Tagged advocacy, animal rights, breast milk, commodification, consumer demand, dairy, Grief, harm, health, heartbreak, human superiority, loss, misery, moral choices, motherhood, veganism | 23 Comments

Say ‘cheese’ – but there’s nothing to smile about

Posted on October 21, 2019 by There's an Elephant in the Room

I’ve just been watching a mainstream TV program in the UK about ‘meat free eating’. As a blogger and an animal rights advocate I’ve written extensively about the difference between veganism and the various dietary permutations that are adopted so … Continue reading →

Posted in consumer demand, dairy, Terminology | Tagged calf, cheese, kid, lamb, newborn, rennet, stomach, vegan cheese, vegetarian cheese | 4 Comments

‘Surely taking milk and eggs doesn’t kill?’ – FAQ

Posted on July 9, 2018 by There's an Elephant in the Room

There are many who persist in the notion that taking milk and eggs from other individuals does not result in their deaths. It’s an assertion that’s frequently seen on social media and it simply could not be more incorrect. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens and eggs, dairy, FAQ | Tagged breast milk, chickens, Chickens and eggs, commodification, dairy, death, harm, lactation, milk, sentience, slaughter, truth, vegan, victims, violence | 12 Comments

Thoughts for another Mother’s Day

Posted on March 5, 2018 by There's an Elephant in the Room

Every specially designated ‘day’ presents a shameless commercial opportunity to flood the market with consumer goods and Mother’s Day is no different. Shops and online commercial enterprises are filled with items targeted at those who gladly embrace this annual occasion … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens and eggs, consumer demand, dairy, Festivals | Tagged chickens, Chickens and eggs, commodification, consumer demand, dairy, emotion, harm, health, human superiority, love, milk, moral choices, mother, motherhood, mothering, resources, respect, rights, sentience, slaughter, vegan, veganism, victims | 4 Comments

Harm is driven by consumer demand – thoughts about dairy

Posted on February 2, 2018 by There's an Elephant in the Room

Most of us were raised to believe that we ‘needed’ to consume dairy to be healthy. We were also taught that taking milk didn’t harm cows. Many of us live our whole lives without ever challenging these childhood myths. The … Continue reading →

Posted in consumer demand, dairy, Statistics, Uncategorized | Tagged cheese, commodification, consumer demand, dairy, harm, health, milk, resources, sentience, slaughter, truth, victims, violence | 14 Comments

FAQ – But don’t cows need to be milked or it causes them pain?

Posted on November 10, 2017 by There's an Elephant in the Room

Q – Cows produce far more milk that a calf could drink. Surely we have to milk them or they will be in pain? A – Once triggered by pregnancy and birth, the hormonal fluid known as ‘milk’ is produced … Continue reading →

Posted in dairy, FAQ | Tagged breastmilk, commodification, consumer demand, dairy, health, milk, victims, violence | 7 Comments

Goats and dairy: all we need to know

Posted on November 9, 2017 by There's an Elephant in the Room

Just as a reminder, dairy is the impregnation of female mammals followed by the removal of their infants so that the lactation their bodies produce for these infants may be pumped out and sold for use by humans. That is … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Happy' exploitation, dairy | Tagged cheese, commodification, consumer demand, dairy, ethics, harm, health, milk, sentience, slaughter, vegan, veganism, victims, violence | 4 Comments

Dairy: thoughts on motherhood and cultural conditioning

Posted on June 16, 2017 by There's an Elephant in the Room

When we are not vegan and we hear the word ‘dairy’, what do we think of? We think of milk and cream, of yogurt and crème frais, of butter and cheeses, and of ice cream and chocolate. We think of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, dairy | Tagged abolition, advocacy, campaigns, cheese, commodification, compassion, consumer demand, dairy, ethics, harm, health, humane, justice, love, milk, resources, sentience, slaughter, speciesism, truth, vegan, veganism, victims, violence, websites, welfare | 9 Comments

A thought for Mother’s Day

Posted on March 23, 2017 by There's an Elephant in the Room

Mother’s Day is a time when we traditionally remember our mothers with love and with gratitude. If we are mothers ourselves, it’s a time when we spend time with families, celebrating and reinforcing the special bond between mother and child, no … Continue reading →

Posted in Awakening to veganism, Chickens and eggs, dairy, Festivals | Tagged advocacy, Chickens and eggs, commodification, dairy, harm, health, love, milk, sentience, vegan, veganism, victims, violence | 1 Comment

The price of milk and cheese

Posted on November 19, 2016 by There's an Elephant in the Room

This tiny calf has eyes to melt the hardest heart. He’s so small, so innocent, so fragile and vulnerable; so heartbreakingly, breathtakingly, perfectly beautiful. And clearly terrified and distressed beyond words. As I sit here writing, gazing in wonder at … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Awakening to veganism, dairy | Tagged abolition, advocacy, cheese, dairy, harm, milk, sentience, truth, vegan, victims, violence | 11 Comments