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Norfolk, Virginia 23510
United StatesLoring Harkness is the National Spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Please email him if you wish scheudle a presentation. Sample presentations are listed below:
Presentation Titles & Descriptions ¯Fall 2004
Beefcake!
Living Large at the Top of the Food Chain
Despite industry assurances that meat, eggs, and dairy products are produced in humane conditions, animals in modern intensive production farms still suffer from excessive confinement, systematic beatings, and improper slaughter techniques. But the agony that animals endure is not the only reason to go vegan. Medical authorities have proved that eating animal products greatly increases human risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and other health problems. Raising animals for food is also extremely resource-intensive, degrading natural ecosystems and squandering fossil fuels. By exposing the realities of the factory-farming industry, this presentation demonstrates that embracing a vegan lifestyle is not only the compassionate choice for animals; it also benefits human health and the environment.
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Is That Really in the Bible?
Biblical Christian Perspectives on Humankind’s Dominion Over God’s Creation
Perhaps the best kept secret in all of Christianity is the scriptural endorsement of vegetarianism. Throughout the Bible there exist two distinct dietary traditions: One promotes vegetarianism, the other allows eating meat. How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory traditions? The scriptures reveal that God desires all creation to live in peace and harmony, but He temporarily allowed eating meat in order to teach humans respect for life. But do modern factory farms reflect God’s desire for humans to respect all life? This scriptural investigation will challenge modern Christians to seriously question whether our benevolent and loving God would sanction the animal abuse, human disease, and environmental degradation that results from eating meat.
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Party Animals!
Why Both Conservatives and Liberals Are Embracing Animal Rights
Although the American public traditionally associates animal rights with liberalism, in recent years right-wing icons Pat Buchanan and Matthew Scully (President Bush’s senior speech writer) have embraced animal rights in the name of patriotism and Christianity. These compassionate politicians mark a continuing tradition of bipartisan advocacy for animals. Former Republican Senator Bob Dole spearheaded efforts to expand the Animal Welfare Act, while Democratic Senator Robert Byrd and Representative Dennis Kucinich continue to champion the humane treatment of farmed animals. As the American public continues to learn of the detrimental impact of factory farming on animal welfare, human health, and environmental protection, politicians in both parties are taking action. This presentation will examine why politicians are embracing animal rights as a patriotic duty.
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Goodbye, Green Pastures!
The History and Environmental Impact of Animal Agriculture
The green pastures and idyllic barnyard scenes of years past, which are still portrayed in children’s books, have been replaced by windowless metal sheds, wire cages, gestation crates, and other confinement systems—what is now known as “factory farming.†The factory farming system of modern agriculture produces the most meat, eggs, and milk as quickly and cheaply as possible, but the real cost of production is animal abuse, decline in human health, and environmental destruction. This presentation will trace the history of animal agriculture from small family farms to modern intensive production units in order to examine how the diet we choose impacts fossil fuel consumption, water pollution, rain-forest depletion, and other forms of environmental degradation.
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Food Fight!
The Struggle to Bring Mainstream Vegetarianism to a Meat-and-Potatoes America
In the past 20 years, the animal rights movement has become one of the most visible social movements of our times, making remarkable progress in the way people perceive and treat animals. As the boldest and most innovative animal rights group in the world, PETA utilizes both conversion and accommodation strategies in the pursuit of animal rights. Successfully marketing fundamental shifts in social consciousness to youth the way other corporations market clothes, PETA is pioneering an aggressive new style of youth activism. PETA also achieves animal-friendly structural policy changes by engaging the world’s largest corporations in all-out public relations wars. This presentation will discuss the history, current tactics, and shifting paradigms of the animal rights movement.
Added on 08-16-2004 Updated on 08-16-2004 |
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