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This week we kick off the start of our Sanctuary Series by bringing back a classic episode, our review of 73 Cows. The first film we reviewed from director Alex Lockwood was one that we both felt pretty dang positive about and we thought it would be a great time to bring our discussion back to help set the table for the next few episodes ahead in which we will delve into some of the more ethically complicated aspects of running a sanctuary. You can watch all 15 short and sweet minutes of 73 Cows for free on Vimeo.  Vote for us as Best Vegan Podcast in the VegNews Veggie Awards(Closes Jan 31st) You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com 

For many of us, a New Year serves as a time to reflect on where we’ve been, where we’d like to go, and set intentions for the year ahead. Paul and I recently sat down and had a frank discussion about how we’re feeling about the podcast, what works for us, what doesn’t, what we could improve upon, and how we can make sure it is sustainable for us in the long run. The good news: we both want to keep making the podcast! But we also wanted to make a few changes. So in today’s episode we are going to bring you in to that conversation. If you’re a first time listener, this one probably isn’t a great place to start (and actually, you should start here) but if you’re like us and enjoy looking behind the curtain and hearing two people over-explain their process, this one is for you! We’ll also talk about some good news in the world of animal advocacy and discuss a few of the things that brought us joy in 2020.  You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Find a full transcript of the episode here. Vote for us in the VegNews Veggie Awards HERE. Support the podcast here 

This week The Bearded Vegans dive into a very tricky topic, invasive species. The more Paul and Andy looked into the topic, the more they realized how highly unique every situation and species is. So while they will speak broadly on the idea of “invasive species”, they will mostly zero in on an email they received about the spotted lantern fly. These insects have been declared invasive in Pennsylvania and the state has started a campaign to promote their eradication. One of the most common solutions is to a apply a layer of sticky tape around trees, to catch the bugs. Problem is, this tape also catches all sorts of non-invasive insects, as well as some birds as large as a hawk. A local vegan group is considering making a video to show people how they can combat the lanternflies, without harming other animals. But one member is questioning if this is the work vegans should be doing. Paul and Andy will do their best to suss it all out! You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  A full transcript of the episode can be found here. Support the podcast, get merch, bonus episodes, and early access here. The Links: Killing spotted lanternflies is the relief I needed in 2020(The Inquirer) Do Insects Matter Morally? Episode 156

In our final episode of the year, we continue our tradition of reviewing the latest installment in Plant Based News’ Vegan 20XX series. Every year PBN puts together a highlight reel of vegan related events and developments. This has served as a great way to look back on the events of the year as we take a closer look at the effectiveness of the film as a whole.  We’ll reflect on the evolution of this series, ask who these films are created for, and generally muse on the World’s Longest Year. Watch Vegan 2020 free on YouTube.  You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com 

It’s time for another mailbag episode, in which we do our best to respond to listener submitted questions, comments, and concerns. We’ll start with some lighter fare, such as our favorite holiday roasts and then move quickly into some stickier ethical conundrums. Is it ethical to force a horse to donate blood to save another horse? Should we allowing animal testing if the end goal is to benefit non-human animals? How do we tell our well-meaning friends and family to stop recommending vegan documentaries to us? Should vegans disclose their dietary practices when trying to adopt a child? How do we feel about lab grown meat made from consenting humans? All that and much more! A transcript of this episode is available here You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Support the podcast on Patreon or PayPal  The links: Donate to Full Circle Farmed Animal Sanctuary  The Bearded Vegans Recommend Playlist(Spotify) First case of the coronavirus detected in the wild(NatGeo) Steaks Grown From Human Cells Spark Interest and Outrage (New York Times)

This week The Bearded Vegans tackle a question that has long been sitting in their inbox, should artificial intelligence be a part of the moral sphere of consideration for vegans? If humans, for some unfathomable reason, are able to create a being that has self-interest, would it be unethical to use it? Isn’t A.I. just a bunch of math and logic, and no matter how convincing it is, never truly be sentient? Should concern for the rights of A.I. be wrapped up in the vegan framework? Free will, determinism, nature vs nurture, oh my! TRANSCRIPT  You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com 

For as long as we’ve been vegan, lab grown meat has been touted by some as the best chance to saving the most animals, while others staunchly oppose using or advocating for it. Up until now, discussions around cell based agriculture have largely been theoretical, but the announcement that Eat Just has been approved to sell their cultured meat to the general public (in Singapore, at least) has turned sci fi into reality. Although we have had an extensive discussion about the ethics of lab grown meat in the past, the abundance of internet arguments on the matter had us thinking that this would be a prime time to revisit our views on the topic.  We’ll also discuss David Perdue attempting to dunk on John Ossof for eating at Slutty Vegan and take a look at Million Dollar Vegan’s latest makeover.  Transcript available here You can always reach us by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com  The Links: Sen. David Perdue mocks Jon Ossoff for eating vegan burger (Fox News) Million Dollar Vegan website  Ep 24: Should vegans be excited about Lab Grown meat? (Feb 23rd, 2016) Eat Just to sell lab-grown meat in Singapore after gaining ‘world first’ regulatory approval (Tech Crunch) No-kill, lab-grown meat to go on sale for first time (The Guardian) ‘CULTURED MEAT’ IS ON THE MENU AT THE CHICKEN RESTAURANT IN TEL AVIV(Globe Trender)

Hey beardos, this week we take a moment to catch up on some news stories that caught our interest over the last month but we just couldn’t find a space for them in the episode. We’ll try to make sense of the bizarre food labeling law developments in the EU: Vegan Burger good! Plant based milk bad? But also Oatly can’t copyright their claim that their product is “like milk, but made for humans” because everyone knows cows milk is bad? It’s enough to make your head spin! Plus attempt to sort out our feelings over an interested marking tactic from This, and do some extensive follow up on the Denmark mink situation. A transcription is available here You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com Support the podcast on Patreon  The Links: Danish Government May Exhume Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dead Minks And Burn Them(Washington Post) EU lawmakers vote for ‘veggie burgers’, take hard line on dairy labels(Reuters) Oatly trademark rejected(World Trademark Review) This commercial (YouTube)

This week we bring you an interview with chef Raul Medina, founder of Taqueria La Vengaza, to discuss Let’s Eat On Stolen Land, an anti-thanksgiving cookbook created in collaboration with BIPOC chefs from Oakland, CA. Let’s Eat… features family recipes based on harvest dinners for colonizer “holidays”. 100% of proceeds of the sale of the cookbook and e-version are donated to Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, an urban Indigenous women-led trust facilitating the return of stolen land to Indigenous people. A transcript of the episode is available here You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The Links: Purchase your copy of Let’s Eat On Stolen Land  Sogorea Te’ Land Trust – Instagram – Website  Chef Raul Medina on Instagram 

Hey beardos. I wish we could say this week’s mini episode is about something uplifting. Alas, we’ll be discussing a rather tragic situation in which Denmark may be killing upwards of 15 million mink as a means of preventing coronavirus spread. To think that so many sentient beings could be killed in order to prevent the spread of a virus that was, in all likelihood, already the result of humans exploiting animals and/or encroaching on their natural habitat seems especially unjust and cruel. However, many are also speculating that this could spell the end of Denmark’s fur industry. Throw into the mix that these animals were already destined to live lives of abject misery only to become a capitalist status symbol, it brings up some really complicated feelings about this quickly evolving situation. Can we look at this as a net positive? Why are so we upset about this when these animals were going to die anyway? We’ll do our best to work through and embrace the messy feelings in this one. A transcript will be available here on Nov 18th.  You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The links: Mink and the Coronavirus: What We Know (New York Times) Coronavirus: Denmark shaken by cull of millions of mink (BBC)

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