In this episode of Voices for the Animals, cohost Courtney Scott interviews Dr. Marc Bekoff, PhD, professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Marc has written many books including The Animal Manifesto and Rewilding Our Hearts, Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence. His work has been featured on 48 Hours, in Time Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times, New Scientist, and BBC Wildlife to name just a few. We are delighted to welcome him on the program to discuss the not so happy cows in the dairy industry.
As the holiday season approaches, many will sit down to dinner laden with meat, mashed potatoes whipped with milk and butter and grandma's favorite pumpkin pie and cookes, and think they are providing their families with a healthy, nutritous meal. But what they often don't realize is the hidden cost of their meal--to the animals in the dairy industry, and even to themselves as more studies are discovering the link between cancer and dairy consumption.
Marc is keenly aware of the many ways cows suffer in the dairy industry. But he also has stated in his book "Animal Manifesto" that humans are hard wired for compassion. He advocates for people to be willing to see and understand how their food is produced, and then they will be better informed to make choices that reflect that compassion.
You can read more about Dr. Bekoff's work on his website. http://marcbekoff.com/
Mercy for Animals investigation: http://dairy.mercyforanimals.org/
- KBOO