Freedom of Species

We talk with Damien Mander, the Australian founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, about his work in southern Africa, the future prospects of the rhino, and being unwussy.  www.iapf.org

Lauren Ornelas is the founder/director ofFood Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a vegan food justice nonprofit seeking to create a more just world by helping consumers recognize the power of their food choices. F.E.P. works in solidarity with farm workers, advocates for chocolate not sourced from the worst forms of child labor, and focuses on access to healthy foods in communities of color and low-income communities. While lauren was the director of Viva!USA, she investigated factory farms and ran consumer campaigns. In cooperation with activists across the country, she persuaded Trader Joe’s to stop selling all duck meat and was the spark that got the founder of Whole Foods Market to become a vegan. She also helped halt the construction of an industrial dairy operation in California.  She served as campaign director with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition for six years. Watch her TEDx talk on The Power of Our Food Choices. Learn more about F.E.P.’s work at www.foodispower.org and www.veganmexicanfood.com.

We chat with Shakira Free Miles from SaveABulls, a veterinary led campaign to create awareness about breed specific legislation, promoting responsible dog ownership & an end to breed discrimination. We also discuss the reecnt recommendations regarding BSL in Victoria after an extensive inquiry into the legislation in Victoria, Australia with Bruce Poon from the Animal Justice Party.

Fancy living with other like-minded folk in a self-sufficient paradise? Well, now you can! We hear from co-founding members behind Vegoa, a new vegan ecovillage initiative taking shape in Portugal. We also have a presentation from Melbourne's recent Sustainable Living Festival by Sea Shepherd volunteer Claire, about Operation Icefish. www.vegoa.orghttps://www.seashepherd.org.au/news-and-commentary/news/operation-icefish-sea-shepherd-launches-new-southern-ocean-campaign.html

We ask Athans Steffen from People Against Canned Hunting about how the selfie has become a weapon of mass destruction when it comes to wildlife & how we must start sizing up the very idea of big cat sanctuaries.

Kangaroos are in "plague proportions" and everywhere aren't they?Isn't roo meat the green choice?We talk with Elise Burgess from Voiceless about their new campaign for kangaroos, "Their fate is in your hands"

We ask Hannah from Humane Research Australia why the Easter Bunny threatens to boycott Easter. We also discuss the opening of the duck shooting season with duck rescuer & long time Coalition Against Duck Shooting supporter, Kate Gracey.To take action in the cruelty -free campaign: http://www.becrueltyfree.org.au/becrueltyfree/take-action-be-cruelty-fre...- See more at: http://www.freedomofspecies.org/show/should-easter-bunny-boycott-easter-photo-credit-brian-gunn-iaapea#sthash.jCSJxmqL.dpuf

We share the excellent talks given by Paul Mahony (climate change activist/blogger & Melbourne Pig Save co-founder) & Mark Doneddu (President of Vegetarian Victoria) at Melbourne's 2016 Sustainable Living Festival. They speak about the massive toll that animal agriculture has on climate change, human health and poverty.  These talks reference the Australian and international contexts.  Both speakers are a wealth of information.Paul Mahony's blog - www.terrastendo.net

More cruelty footage of pig farming cruelty was exposed recently by Animal Liberation from the Yelmah piggery in SA. Tune in Sunday 1pm 3CR 855AM -We ask why pigs in the food production system literally have no chance in hell in escaping cruelty under present regulatory systems. We speak with Campaign Director for Animal Liberation, Emma Hurst, Chris Delforce from Aussie Farms & Pete Crosbie from Willowite Sanctuary.