Popular author speaks to EMU students
http://www.ypsilanticourier.
http://www.ypsilanticourier.
Gene Baur recalls the time he found a pile of dead sheep behind a stockyard in Lancaster, Penn. Continuing his investigation, he noticed something that shocked him. Among the decaying carcasses, one sheep was still alive.
In spite of pessimistic advice, Baur and his group managed to nurse "Hilda" back to health.
Baur became vegan in 1985. A year later, the Los Angeles native co-founded Farm Sanctuary, the nation's largest animal sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, where he currently resides.
Twenty years of research went into his new book, "Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food," released March 2008.
Baur's travels around the U.S. brought him to Eastern Michigan University on Saturday. In front of a packed student center auditorium, he presented a seminar based on the collective study presented in his book.
"I've been to factory farms across the country," Baur said. "I've documented animals living in small cages where they can't walk, or turn around, or even stretch their limbs."
Industrialized farms have more than doubled in size since World War II. According to Baur, many animals raised in these environments live merely a fraction of their normal life expectancies. In order for cows to regularly produce milk, they have to get pregnant every year.
Baur explained, in his seminar, that the average cow should live around 20 years. Cattle raised in dairy farms barely see five years of life. And their calves are immediately taken away, often to become veal.
"Newborn calves spend their short lives in veal crates, where they can't move, and are malnourished," he said. "They're fed a diet that consists of absolutely no iron, which is why veal has such a pale color when you see it at the store."
Factory farms also conduct practices such as keeping pigs in gestation crates. People in attendance groaned in disgust when Baur displayed a slide of a pig chewing at the bars of his confinement. Egg-laying hens are kept in battering cages, where they can barely move. According to Baur, members of Farm Sanctuary constantly try to get in touch with local and national legislators about providing healthier living conditions for these animals.
Baur informed the crowd of Proposition 2 in California, the largest dairy state in the U.S. This November, Californians will have the option of voting for the ban of veal crates, gestation crates, and battering cages in the state. He encouraged people in the crowd to encourage any friends or family they have in the Golden State to vote yes on this proposition.
Adopting a vegan lifestyle has been a common method of protesting animal cruelty. Baur also talked about the health benefits of it. He referenced Colin Campbell's book, "The China Study," in which the author uses biological explanations - teeth shape, lack of fangs and claws, long digestive tract - to argue that humans are not meant to consume animals.
"Most people are unaware that they're supporting a system that's unhealthy, cruel, and environmentally destructive," Baur said. "They'd be shocked to find out what happens on today's farms."Many people assume that, when they buy organic foods, the animals were treated fairly. Baur explained that the term "organic" can mislead people. While these animals have not been pumped with growth hormones and other drugs, they still endured torture.
"Labels sound a lot better than the practices," he said. "The organic standards are lower than what most people would expect"
Baur's presentation concluded with thunderous applause from the audience. People who owned copies of his book lined up afterwards for an autograph. EMU student, and member of the University's animal rights group, Megan Miramantez liked how Baur discussed the different angles of animal cruelty.
"I like how he covered all aspects of it," she said. "It's important that people see they're missing the bigger picture."
Baur hopes that his work will make people think about their food choices. He wants to encourage them to sustain a moral and healthy diet.
"Once people think, then hopefully they will take responsibility and eat in a way that's consistent with their values and interests," he said.
Baur's novel has made both The New York Times and Boston Globe best-seller lists. More information on it, and the cause of his organization, can be found on www.farmsanctuary.org.
Sotirios Adamopoulos is a freelance writer for The View and Courier newspapers. He can be reached at samadamopolous@gmail.com
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