Hampshire Animal Rights

= Mission Statement =

Hampshire Animal Rights is founded on a simple principle; animals should not suffer and are entitled to the same right that humans have to live a peaceful existence. Our goal is to educate and be a safe and positive space for people to comfortably discuss topics such as veganism/vegetarianism, animal testing, animal entertainment businesses, factory farming, etc. We aim to inform the community about these various animal cruelties, raise awareness and alleviate animal suffering. We utilize discussion circles, take part in activist campaigns/protests/events, and do our very best to create an environment of compassion, equality, health, and safety to all animals (humans included!).

= Resources = Below you can find articles, both ethical and scientific, on the impacts of the use of non-human animals by human beings--on our planet and environment, on our bodies and minds, and on the animals themselves.

Compassionate
"Some people think that the companies producing products with alternative labels are heroically defying factory farming norms and are the saviors of our food supply. The disheartening truth is that there is little distinction; the similarities far outweigh the differences. Most of the other horrors a farmed animal endures in animal agriculture still apply to any of these alternative labels."
 * Factory Farming vs. Alternative Farming: The Humane Hoax

Environmental

 * Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States concludes that just 11% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to food consumption come from transportation and 83% from production. This implies it's roughly 8 times more important (in terms of reducing GHG emissions) what you eat then whether you buy it local or not. Further, the authors find that per Calorie the production of red meat produces roughly 3 times the the CO2 of fruits and vegetables, 8 times the CO2 of grains, and 20 times the CO2 of oils and sweets.