Vegan news portal

A car that runs on air and releases no pollutants into the atmosphere at low speeds could be on sale in India as soon as this year. The three-seat fibreglass OneCAT weighs only 350kg (770lb) and is expected to be priced at about £2,500. The engine technology is backed by Tata, the Indian conglomerate that last month unveiled the world’s cheapest car, the £1,250 Nano. Refuelling involves topping up on compressed air, which is used to power the OneCAT’s piston engine. In a couple of minutes - and at a cost of as little as £1 - the vehicle is ready to travel another 200 to 300 kilometres (125 to 185 miles), its inventors said.

Almost half of the oceans have been badly damaged by humanity and no region has been left untouched, the first global map of Man’s impact on marine ecosystems has revealed. The ambitious project to chart the changing ocean environment shows that Man has exacted a much heavier toll on the seas through fishing, pollution and climate change than had been thought. The world map, which was created by dividing the oceans into kilometre squares, shows that 41 per cent have been affected strongly by 17 human activities, a much higher proportion than expected.

US restaurant group Zen Burger aims to revolutionise the fast food world with a chain of vegetarian outlets. The first Zen Burger fast food restaurant has opened in New Yorks' Lexington Avenue. It specialises in meatless comfort foods that copy those sold in traditional fast-food chains, such as the ZenSausage breakfast sandwich, ZenBeef burgers, crispy ZenChicken sandwich, ZenTuna sandwich, ZenHotDog, ZenChicken tenders, ZenShrimp and French fries, as well as organic soups salads

Hip sandals, slingbacks, pumps and messenger bags are in for spring, and are included in Vegetarian Shoes and Bags’ fashionable spring line announced this week.The company, located in Tarzana, California, offers convenient online shopping that welcomes consumers to “fear-free browsing.” Consumers can find shoe styles and bags for men and women to fit every outfit and fashion need, all of which are guaranteed to be completely cruelty-free. Their extensive product line features such name brands as Ecolution, Earth, Simple. CL by Laundry and more. All products at Vegetarian Shoes and Bags are made from faux leather, faux suede or fabric, allowing consumers to shop compassionately, while being confident that all materials are free of animal products.

Like any other industry, the film business puts out its share of waste: building and taking down sets, printing and shipping film reels, even the bags and cups used at concession stands. And like many other industries today, film studios, distributors and exhibitors are taking steps to “go green,” by doing everything from installing solar panels to using disposable forks made from potatoes“Not just with theatres, but in all of our day-to-day lives, there’s always all kinds of little steps you can take,” says Nancy Gribler, VP of marketing for Sundance Cinemas.

Mobile handset leader Nokia has promised to halve the power consumption of battery chargers as well cut the company's overall energy use. In a series of carbon reduction pledges as it joined the WWF Climate Savers program, Nokia will also ensure that 50% of the electricity that powers the company's plants and offices will derive from green sources.

Does saying no to meat mean you have to fall asleep in class? Anne Schuster, the special coordinator of the community health department at Wardenburg says she thinks that it is possible for vegetarians to eat healthy."You just need to be watchful with the amount of protein and vitamins you get. Vitamins like B12 and B6 are more difficult (to get) but not by any means impossible," Schuster said. The American Dietetic Association says that vegetarian diets offer many nutritional benefits

EnviroCAB the nation’s first all-hybrid taxicab fleet, officially opened for business in greater Washington, D.C. today(February 11,2008). The fleet of hybrid Toyota Priuses, Camrys and Highlanders and Ford Escapes guarantees passengers environmentally-friendly taxicab service at no additional cost (standard taxicab fares apply).

John F. Brock, president and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE), joined Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to announce that the company is undertaking energy saving measures in New York, including introducing the five hybrid-electric trucks to their distribution center in the Bronx. Currently, the Bronx sales center has 90 trucks servicing 8,700 customers in Manhattan and the Bronx, delivering more than 8 million cases of product annually. The hybrid-electric trucks use 32 percent less fuel than standard trucks and use technology to eliminate emissions when they're idling or in traffic.

Citigroup plans to build a $232 million LEED-certified data center in Frankfurt, Greener Computing reports. The data center, which the company said would cost no more to build than a traditional facility, will go online in March 2008.Citigroup estimates that the facility will save 11,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and cut energy use at the site by 75 percent.

A new study has found that technology leads to a dramatic increase in energy efficiency and is actually a net saver of energy by a 10:1 ratio across the economy.The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy found a direct correlation between gains in energy productivity and investments in information and communications technology.

There are as many reasons for becoming vegetarian as there are vegetarians; it's a highly personal and individual decision to make. But in a survey conducted on behalf of The Vegetarian Society, the majority of people said that they gave up meat and fish because they did not morally approve of killing animals, or because they objected to the ways in which animals are kept, treated and killed for food.With the growing awareness of the importance of healthy food, many people are also becoming vegetarian because it matches the kind of low fat, high fibre diet recommended by dieticians and doctors.

Kay Hansen is the nutritionist and director of the Live-for-Wellness program at the Emerald Valley Wellness Center in Creswell, OR. Hansen and her husband, Richard A. Hansen, M.D., operate the non-traditional treatment center together. They treat patients who suffer from a range of diseases and illnesses, including cancer and diabetes. A vegan diet is no longer a trend. It’s increasingly acknowledged and proven as a healthy model to follow for enhanced health and well being.

After years in development, Rare Natural Care, Inc. announces RARE2B®, a new skincare line that is 100 percent vegan, organic, vegetal and natural and made from non-GMO sources.The products include special ingredients like seaweed, olive oil and passion fruit seed oil that nurture and nourish the skin

The Hungry Vegan has launched the first nationwide all-vegan, organic meal delivery service. Though some local vegan and vegetarian meal delivery services are scattered around the country, this is the first company of its kind.All of the food is prepared using organic ingredients – from fresh produce all the way down to the spices.Because vegans often are faced with few food choices, The Hungry Vegan offers a new menu each week.

Meat lovers beware: there is a new warning that has been issued by the National Cancer Institute that states that those that consume a large mount of red meat have a high likelihood of receiving colon and lung cancer.This is stated to be of a huge breakthrough, as there are now medical doctors as well as scientists that have come to believe that they may be able to help save their patients curb the possibility of receiving these cancers by cutting back on their red meat intake.

With veggie burgers, veggie dogs, sweet-and-sour tofu and vegetable-and-tofu chow mein on the menu, the Utah Department of Corrections has ranked on animal rights group PETA's top 10 list for vegetarian friendly prison systems."Prison food has traditionally gotten a bad rap, but you won't hear many complaints from vegetarians and vegans who are serving time in Utah," the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a statement Tuesday.(Dec 18,2007)

Workers at a North Carolina slaughterhouse caught on hidden camera brutally abusing pigs have been fired.Several employees of Murphy Family Ventures, which owns pig-breeding farms that supply the country's largest pork producer Smithfield Foods, were filmed by an undercover investigator from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) dragging and beating swine, gouging out their eyes and castrating their babies without painkillers.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has named a Richmond business as its company of the year for developing food that looks, tastes and feels like meat, but isn't.Garden Protein International manufactures Gardein, a trademarked meat substitute made entirely from vegetable sources that it sells as an ingredient to vegetarian food producers around the world.

MiV, a new vegan consultancy, says “ All the signs point to the fact that key elements within the catering, retail and manufacturing industries have finally grasped the potential of veganism and ethical consumerism.” “More importantly it seems that many new vegan campaign groups have worked this out too and are increasingly prepared to work in synergy with business. The International Bristol Vegan Fayre on the 31st May and 1st June will once again unite Vegan organisations with Vegan businesses to promote vegan lifestyles”.Ethical market worth £29.3 billion