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Genesis Butler and Million Dollar Vegan campaign acknowledge blessing and ask to share a vegan meal at the Vatican

As we begin the first day of Lent, 12-year-old climate change campaigner Genesis Butler has received a response from Pope Francis regarding her plea for him to try vegan for Lent as part of the Million Dollar Vegan campaign. However, Pope Francis has not confirmed whether he will do so, and therefore the campaign is now asking whether His Holiness can meet with Butler over a vegan meal at the Vatican, during the Lenten period, to discuss her concerns.

Should Pope Francis accept, Million Dollar Vegan will gladly donate $1 million to a charity (or charities) of His Holiness’ choice. If the Pope prefers to meet Genesis over a vegan meal, without the $1 million donation to charity, that will also be gratefully received.

The response from Pope Francis, signed by senior priest and Assessor for General Affairs Paolo Borgia, reads: “His Holiness Pope Francis has received your letter, and he has asked me to thank you. He appreciates the concerns about care for the world, our common home, which prompted you to write to him.

“The Holy Father will remember you in his prayers, and he sends you his blessing.”

A copy of the letter, as well as a photo of Butler holding it, can be found here.

Butler has recorded a new video message for Pope Francis, and is responding directly to his letter with: “Your Holiness, I am truly humbled with gratitude by your acknowledgment of my request to observe a vegan Lent. Thank you so very much for blessing me and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. It means more to me than I can ever express in words.

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“Your Holiness, if it is not too much to ask, may I humbly request an opportunity to sit down and share a vegan meal with you any time during Lent? It will be an enormous honor for me and everyone in the vegan community to have an audience with Your Holiness and receive your blessings in person. Eagerly awaiting your further response. Respectfully Yours, Genesis.”

People of all faiths are being encouraged to join Orthodox Christians in trying a plant-based diet for the Lenten season. A Vegan Starter Kit is available to download from the Million Dollar Vegan website, packed with helpful information about switching to a vegan diet.

Matthew Glover, CEO of Million Dollar Vegan – who also co-founded the Veganuary campaign – said: “We are grateful that Pope Francis was able to take the time to respond to Genesis, but we are now politely requesting that His Holiness take action to address the issues of climate change, loss of biodiversity, species extinction, animal suffering and world hunger – all of which are linked to animal agriculture – by meeting with Genesis and discussing these issues. We would like His Holiness to consider what Jesus would say about factory farming, and also the fact that – according to research from Oxford University – we can reduce our personal greenhouse gas emissions by around 30-50 percent by adopting a plant-based diet.”

The Million Dollar Vegan campaign also launched a change.org petition calling on Pope Francis to fight climate change with diet change, which has been signed by almost 85,000 people.

SOURCE: Million Dollar Vegan

California State Assembly Member Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), accompanied by cosponsors Social Compassion in Legislation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, announced the introduction of AB 1586, the Replacing Animals in Science Education (RAISE) Act. Under the proposed legislation, all California schools would replace animal dissection activities with contemporary and humane teaching methods in line with industry standards and best practices.

Dissecting animals is costly, exposes students and educators to carcinogenic chemicals, hurts animals and the environment. Advances in medical-simulation technology, educators’ need for better teaching and assessment tools, and growing concern about animal use in laboratory experiments have all contributed to a paradigm shift in biomedical education. Today, simulation-based learning is more widely available.

The popular understanding of dissection in schools is the dissection of frogs and worms. However, a recent survey of schools that require dissection as a part of their science curricula include fetal pigs, cats, sharks, sheep and other animals. The use of these animals can number in the hundreds per academic school year. When accounted for in totality it provides a clearer picture of both the fiscal impact to schools and the impact that the sourcing of these animals can have on the environment and fragile ecosystems.

“Learning about anatomy in schools is important scientific pedagogy but dissection presents a significant impact on the environment and our fragile ecosystems. Advancements in educational technology have expanded access to this important scientific instructional methodology without having to rely on animals,” said Assembly Member Kalra. “With the development technological alternatives, virtual and computer-based science teaching practicum offer more humane teaching methods that help to better prepare students for higher education and careers in science.”

Judie Mancuso, Founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation, added, “The fact is, we do not need to put our young people through this. There is a better way, and California can and should move to the more modern and accepted use of digital dissection resources. There is no reason for any student to cut apart an animal or be exposed to carcinogenic formaldehyde when there is state-of-the-art 3-D software available for free. Not only is getting rid of dissection the right thing to do, it will save taxpayer money.”

Top academic programs including the International Baccalaureate, the Next Generation Science Standards (which California adopted in 2013), and The College Board’s Advanced Placement program do not require—or even mention—animal dissection in their curricula.

“PETA hears from scores of students who are being compelled to dissect animals, either with the threat of a failing grade or with perceived ostracism from teachers or peers,” says Samantha Suiter, professor of biology and PETA’s manager of science education. “Formaldehyde is used as a preservative and also found in cigarette smoke—it is classified as a human carcinogen, and repeated exposure to low levels can cause respiratory difficulty, eczema, and skin sensitization.” Suiter goes on to say that “Passage of AB 1586 would end the practice of animal dissection without relying on individual students to voice their ethical concerns when they may not feel comfortable doing so. This is a step forward for science, educators, students, and animals.”

John J. Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C., director of academic affairs at the Physicians Committee, adds, “It’s long past time for animal dissections to be replaced by modern, interactive dissection software that is far more comprehensive and a better educational tool.”

AB 1586 is also supported by the National Hispanic Medical Association, Humane Education Coalition, Center for Healthcare Education, Inc., and the United Federation of Teachers -Humane Education Committee.

SOURCE: Social Compassion in Legislation