Bethany Chester
Freelance writer and blogger.
I write about veganism, sustainability, plant-based health, spirituality, social justice issues and simple living.
PROJECTS
vegansociety.com
How veganism relates to other ideologies
Veganism is essentially the belief that it's wrong to exploit animals for human gain. As a result, vegans boycott products containing animal-derived ingredients, along with products tested on animals and activities which treat animals as entertainment.
Given this definition, it seems clear that veganism is an animal rights movement. But in recent years, the environmental impact of rearing animals for food has been widely acknowledged. For this reason, many people now say they have gone vegan ...
animaljusticeproject.com
New Report Casts Doubt on the Effectiveness of Animal Experiments
A recent paper appearing in the journal Business and Society Review has claimed that researching drugs on animals is both ineffective and misleading.
The authors, Lisa A. Kramer and Ray Greek, looked specifically at the impact of animal experiments on stakeholders. They concluded that animal research does more harm than good, even when the welfare of animals is not taken into account.
Kramer and Greek point out that humans are complex systems which differ substantially from animals, and so an...
animaljusticeproject.com
Animal Justice Project Wins The Pollination Project Grant!
The Animal Justice Project has won a grant from The Pollination Project to help fund its campaigns against animal exploitation. The Pollination Project received 550 applications for the grant this year, from which it selected 71 to receive funding.
The grant will support the next phase of the Animal Justice Project’s growth, enabling the organisation to continue working towards the eradication of animal experimentation and other forms of speciesism. It will help to finance advocacy, education...
animaljusticeproject.com
BLOG: New Research Raises Hopes of an End to Animal Experiments – Bethany Chester
A team from the Computer Science department at the University of Oxford have won a prestigious prize for their work towards ending animal experiments. The prize was awarded by the organisation NC3Rs, which funds research into reducing animal experiments. GlaxoSmithKline were the sponsors of the project.
The team, led by Dr Elisa Passini, built a computer model which can predict with 89 per cent accuracy whether a drug will cause heart problems. This is one of the main reasons why new drugs do...
animaljusticeproject.com
BLOG: China Takes Steps Towards Eliminating Animal Testing! – Bethany Chester
China is home to one of the world’s largest cosmetics markets, valued at £21.6 billion. It is also one of the few countries which still requires that all cosmetics sold there are tested on animals.
The reasons why are complicated. China has gained a reputation for fakes and poor quality products, something which the government has come under fire for. Although there are now many viable alternatives to animal testing, Chinese labs generally don’t have the required training and certifications t...
vegan-connections.com
The impact of animal agriculture on humans
It’s something most vegetarians and vegans have heard before: “Why worry about animals when so many humans are suffering? Surely that’s more important.” This argument has obvious flaws – it’s possible to care about multiple issues, and besides, human superiority is a matter of opinion. Regardless, anyone who’s truly concerned about human suffering should eliminate animal products from their diet.
The Flaming Vegan
Going Vegan? Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Protein
Getting enough protein is often cited as a concern by those considering a vegan diet. Protein is traditionally associated with meat and other animal products, so it's unsurprising that people wonder where they will get it from if they go vegan.
With millions of healthy vegans all over the world, it's clearly possible to meet your nutritional requirements without meat. But how? This article answers that question.
The Flaming Vegan
Why Veganism and Spirituality Go Hand in Hand
When I first went vegan, I remember experiencing a kind of shift in consciousness. I felt lighter, as though a weight I’d been carrying my whole life had been lifted off my shoulders. Though I’d never been much of an animal lover, I suddenly found myself full of compassion for other beings, including humans. It was as if my conscience was truly clear for the first time.
Several people I’ve spoken to have reported similar experiences, and many in the vegan community consider themselves to be spiritual. But why does the connection between veganism and spiritual development appear to be so stron
littlegreenseedling.com
Can GMOs Feed The World?
I’ve never been too comfortable with the idea of genetically modifying crops. There are no proven negative health effects of consuming GMOs, and many people confidently assert that they’re our best bet for feeding a growing population. But I still have my doubts about the necessity of genetic modification.
littlegreenseedling.com
Can Palm Oil Really Be Sustainable?
High-yielding and easy to grow, palm oil has become the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. In developed countries, it’s found in up to 50% of household products – these include packaged and processed foods, toiletries, cleaning products and cosmetics.
In recent years, palm oil has become a very controversial topic. Most people are now aware of the related environmental issues, which include the destruction of vast swathes of rainforest for palm oil plantations and the consequent habitat destruction of creatures like the orang-utan and Sumatran tiger.
littlegreenseedling.com
Behind Closed Doors – An Animal Rights Exhibition
Art is a powerful tool for communicating important messages. With that in mind, artist and YouTuber Aisha Eveleigh is organising an art exhibition to raise awareness of animal exploitation and its consequences.
The name ‘Behind Closed Doors’ refers to the way our mistreatment of animals is hidden from the general public – most of us have little idea what happens to animals behind the doors of factory farms, slaughterhouses and vivisection labs. The exhibition seeks to bring these issues into the light, changing the way we think about animal rights.
michelangelo.net
Madonna of Bruges
This sculpture by Michelangelo is a depiction of the Madonna and Child, carved from a single piece of marble.
It was created in about 1504 and measures 4 feet 2.5 inches. Upon completion, the sculpture was taken to the Flemish city of Bruges by the wool merchant who commissioned it, hence the name by which it is now known. It is thought that the sculpture was intended to be placed on an altar.
fernandleger.org
The Railway Crossing
Fernand Léger's The Railway Crossing is an excellent example of his style, which is a modified form of cubism.
Léger was inspired by Pablo Picasso and George Braque, but his work is more colourful and less angular than that of his contemporaries.
The simplified style of his work has led many to view it as a predecessor to pop art.
david-hockney.org
Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive is David Hockney's largest painting, done in acrylic on canvas. It reflects his love for his home city of Los Angeles, specifically depicting the drive from his Hollywood home to the studio.
Unusually, he painted the scene from memory and completed it within a few weeks, in spite of its colossal size.