TresSugar

Shark Fin Bans: Environmentally Conscious or Culturally Insensitive?

Susannah Chen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:00:08 PST

In less than four months, the state of Hawaii will be shark fin-free, and soon, the same could happen in California. The golden state is currently deliberating a piece of legislation that would ban the sale and possession of shark fins, too.

Proponents of the ban don't just cite the inhumane practice of cutting fins off live sharks, but the staggering drop in ocean shark populations as well: 73 million sharks are killed every year, and populations are just 10 percent of what they used to be. And, argues one San Francisco food critic, there are plenty of viable (and innocuous) substitutes for shark's fin.But not everyone feels this way. "The practice of shark's fin soup has been in our culture for thousands of years. There ought to be a way to find a balance between the environment and preserving culture and heritage," California state Sen. Leland Yee maintained.

"While we're at it, I'd also ban Caspian caviar and bluefin tuna until their fisheries recover. No doubt, that would raise an uproar in certain other cultural communities," Chinese-American chef Jonathan Wu retorted. Tell me what you think: is banning shark's fin environmentally conscious, or culturally insensitive?

Source: Flickr User closari

No Shark Fin Soup For You! Hawaii Bans Shark Fin

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:45:35 PDT

Hawaii is still the land of poke and poi, but come 2011, don't expect to find shark fin. On Friday, governor Linda Lingle passed a bill prohibiting the possession, sale, or distribution of shark fins come July 1, 2011, making Hawaii the first U.S. state to ban the commodity. Shark fin is considered a delicacy in certain Asian countries, particularly in Chinese cuisine, where it's been served in opulent dishes since the Ming Dynasty.The practice of shark finning has long been the subject of animal rights activists, who cite that sharks are being killed for their fins at a shocking rate of 89 million per year, disrupting the ocean habitat. I'm torn on this issue. On the one hand, I understand the delicacy's environmental repercussions; on the other, I believe such laws are unlikely to reform Asian palates. Where do you stand? Do you see other states following suit?

Source: Flickr User avlxyz

YouTube Creates Teenage Vegetarians

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 PST

A vegetarian diet is becoming increasingly popular. Many celebs forgo meat to be healthier, such as Marla Maples and Alanis Morissette. Others, like Alicia Silverstone and Kellie Pickler, choose this lifestyle for moral reasons. According to recent news, as many as one in 200 teens are ditching meat because of animals rights issues as well. Easy Internet access and shocking animal slaughter videos on YouTube have been cited as reasons for this lifestyle change. Teens under 18 choose tofu over chicken not for their health, but rather out of their compassion for animals. Once they make the connection that what they're eating was a living being, just like their family pet, eating meat just isn't an option.

Why are parents concerned? To find out,

A vegetarian diet can be extremely healthy, if it includes fruits, veggies, whole grains, and a sufficient amount of protein. The problem is, many kids are giving up cheeseburgers and eating french fries and other junk food instead. Not only are they filling up on refined carbs and sugar, but those who are vegan (no meat, dairy, or eggs) aren't getting enough vitamin B12, D, iron, or calcium. Plus sticking to a diet full of bread, pasta, and potato chips isn't exactly low-calorie, so parents are concerned about their children gaining weight. Since teens are old enough to choose what they eat, it's up to the parents to help educate their kids about how to achieve a balanced vegetarian diet.

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Do You Take Your Kids to the Circus?

LilSugar — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:00:07 PDT

The circus is a place for slushies, spinning flashlights and animal acts, but over the years as reports have surfaced about elephants and tigers being mistreated to put on the greatest show on earth, many moms and dads are against taking their kids to witness what goes on under the big top. What's your opinion?
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Eco-Nudists Go Naked to Save the Planet & Paltrow's Fur Furor

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:46:39 PDT

Want to help the planet? Then what are you doing sitting there all dressed and everything? The newest wave in eco-activism is all natural, sans a stitch of clothing. Gwyneth Paltrow may be wishing she'd followed that example after her deal with Italian designer Tod's and resulting ad showing her wearing fox fur and fur-lined boots has earned her heat from animal rights groups.

Gwyneth has been known for her embrace of holistic practices, yoga, vegetarian husband, and pal and vegan designer, Stella McCartney - but this campaign stands to erase that cred. The director of Respect for Animals, said: "Gwyneth Paltrow should be ashamed. I can only assume that Paltrow either is ignorant of the facts or lacks human decency and compassion." Friends have even said that Gwyneth's decision will flay her close friendship with Stella McCartney.

If Gwyneth wants to get back on track, maybe she can embrace the naked eco-movement? To see the story and a cheeky protest,

Not satisfied with the casual sun-bathing reputation of nudists, Econudes.org have embraced the naked as the ultimate way to erase your carbon footprint. After all, clothes (and everything that goes into making and transporting them) are a major cause of climate change. Take those off, and the planet might be happier. It's apparently an ancient practice dating all the way back to the 70s when nudism was defined as "a way of life in harmony with nature, characterised by self-respect, respect for others and for the environment."

If warming skepticism is more your schtick, you can shuck your socks for that too, sort of. A renegade group called Nudists Opposing Winter actually like the warmer weather because, well, it's nicer to be nude. The founder "Pantsless James" says, "we actively support pro-global warming places and companies. No longer will nudists be forced into the fetish of clothes wearing. It frees up everybody to go clothing-free, the way God intended."

Silliness aside, is nudity a good way to bring attention to the strain on the planet we wear on our backs everyday? Is Gwyneth's endorsement deal a slap to animals? Should we all just go-go naked?

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Running of the Bulls: Cruel Tradition or Bunch of Bull-oney?

LibertySugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:00:08 PDT

The annual running of the bulls kicked off in Pamplona, Spain yesterday and so far one Irish tourist has been killed. Despite the risk of death and injury, thousands of people let bulls chase them for over 800 meters on the way to the bullfight arena.

While human injury upsets everyone, some animal rights activists get particularly upset about how the traditions entails "torturing and killing a defenseless animal." PETA describes the festival like this:

Bulls are bred in fields and are not accustomed to the noise of the crowd or being surrounded by people. They are kept in crowded, dark enclosures, and when they are prodded onto the streets with electric shocks, they are momentarily blinded by the sunlight. They are terrified and are hit by runners with rolled up newspapers.

In order to show their opposition, PETA supporters participate in the Running of the Nudes two days before the major tourist-attracting bull runs. Whose side are you on - PETA's or Spain's?

View 10 Photos ›

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Spending Gone Wild: Proposal to Euthanize the West's Horses

LibertySugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:30:59 PDT

America's wild horses may be the latest casualties of federal budget problems. Thirty-three thousand wild horses roam the West, well above the 27,000 target. Expensive holding facilities house another 30,000 rounded-up horses, making them available for adoption. The government says it can no longer afford to control the population with pricey housing. Thus, the US Bureau of Land Management wants to euthanaize part of the population to cut costs.

Horse activists are leading an opposition. One animal rights activist called the plan "killing pure and simple to balance the books for an agency whose reckless management has caused immeasurable harm to a national treasure at considerable cost to the American taxpayer."

Other opponents of the euthanasia proposal want lawmakers to promote horse birth control, and give landowners incentives to keep horses on their property, reports the New York Times.

Since horses compete with ranchers' needs, should the government put emotions aside and choose euthanasia as the effective solution? Or should these national treasures be protected from budget mismanagement?

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PETA Will Pay $1 Million For Lab Meat

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:15:00 PDT

What if you could have your animal and eat it too? Or even better, not have your animal and eat it too.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering $1 million to whomever figures out how to grow meat in labs. The winner must develop a commercially viable chicken-meat product that does not contain, or make use of animal-derived products, except for starter cells obtained in the initial development stages.

Basically, PETA wants someone to use stem-cell science technology to skip the whole bird, and go straight to the bucket of chicken. Sound like you want an extra order of biscuits? To see what animal activists have to say,

Animal activists, including those within PETA, feel the contest abandons the philosophy that animals are not ours to eat. They also argue that the health risks of a carnivore diet - including obesity, diabetes, and cancer - will not be appeased.

Proponents counter that this is a practical solution, which could end the maltreatment of animals, such as caging, drugging, and brutal slaughtering.

Do you think PETA is compromising its mission with this contest, or making the ethical treatment of animals more realistic? With all the news about the origins of meat and its environmental impact, is this a step in the right direction? Would you eat an in vitro chicken-meat product?

Got BlackBerry Thumb?

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:30:00 PST

Are you slightly addicted to your Blackberry? You're not alone and one of the many side effects from constantly typing away on your little hand-held is Blackberry thumb, which is a sore thumb that results from tapping on a hand-held computer.

Luckily for all of us addicts, spas are catching on to the constant demands of technology on our bodies with treatments targeted specifically at ailments such as Blackberry thumb, tech neck and cell phone clog (when the skin on your face gets irritated due to transferring the bacteria on your cell to your face).

The Graceful Services Spa in New York City offers the Blackberry Finger Massage (one hour of treatment is $60) that works on the vital muscles on the back, shoulder and neck and acupressure at the points which relieve the inflammation of the joints to help high tech and hard working hard people. The spa also offers Work On The Face, with a deep cleansing facial to clean the bacteria and relax facial muscles pressed against cell phones (one hour is $80).

Check out all the techie services Graceful Services offers online at GracefulServices.com. Not near NYC, ask your local spas what kind of treatments they offer for your tech related soreness.

This could also be a great way to reward yourself for a job well done!!!

Mad Men's 5 Maddest Moments: "At the Codfish Ball"

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:26:21 PDT

This week's Mad Men puts the spotlight on Megan, who has a career breakthrough at work, though she's less successful with her visiting parents. Peggy's domestic situation is also highlighted when she takes her relationship with Abe to the next level, and Roger is bouncing back from his separation from Jane quite nicely - though it would have been nice if he could have kept his pants on.

This week's episode is far less stressful than last week when Megan goes missing, but there's still plenty of fodder to chat about. To see what I thought were the five maddest moments of the night, just read more.