Posted in Health, Poetry, Protest, Sustainability, The News In Poetry

The News In Poetry | “Microplastics are contaminating the fruit and vegetables we eat.”

(revised)

This article is is written in reaction to a news-article posted by Dailymail. “Microplastics are contaminating the fruit and vegetables we eat including apples, carrots and lettuces after being absorbed through their roots, studies show.”

“For quite a while now, we have known that our oceans are About 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the sea every year, and if business continues as usual we face a future with more plastic in the Ocean than fish by 2050. Our plastic addiction and waste mismanagement is condemning countless marine birds and animals to death by entanglement or poisoning, and even leading to chemical contamination of the fish we eat.” says Ocean Unite, on their “key issues” segment.

Knowing this, I was not surprised when Dailymail announced that our fruit and vegetables are now polluted with microplastics through the rainwater. All because we don’t clean up our mess and choose the least sustainable option for our global basic packing material, and basic building blocks for all of our stuff.

Think about it, when rain falls down on us, we are showering in our own garbage. Hopefully we will find better options in the near future so our food remains safe to eat.  

The rocky relationship between Man and Rain
The clouds above were never my friend
because they would break off the fun we had
when everybody would run to seek shelter
from the raindrops pouring down

While I would wait to see it through
and let the drops fall on my fingers
which would turn cold and tingle a little
and the downpour would sound like singers

Now that I am older and see the parks
turn brown in the sun, while kids are playing
soccer on a square that once was a field
and hearing that life under the surface
is again exposed. when it’s not even healed

It makes me want to rain dance for the clouds
to come back. and sing down on us
feeding all life on earth purifying water
from which all life blooms

Let’s priorities the condition of the Oceans.

Posted in Animal Wellbeing, Artist Group A, Poetry, Protest, The News In Poetry

The News In Poetry | Hidden Crimes of our Meat Industry

Dear Readers,

This time I would like to have a conversation with you about a very sensitive subject: our meat industry. This does not mean I judge you for your diet, it means that I judge the meat industry for the way they’re treating animals.

Earlier this year, in May, I was watching the news with my partner. The journalists quickly informed us that “23.000 chickens were killed in a barn fire. Further investigation will be done to find the cause of the fire.” 10 seconds of the morning news, that was it.

In the following days I kept track of the news, hoping more people were occupied with the same question as me. What were 23.0000 animals doing in one single shed?
To my surprise and disappointment, nobody was asking this question. The only follow up I found was the cause of the fire: somebody had lit the fire on purpose.

Last week, an even more shocking item came out in the news. A Dutch animal activist organisation “The Pigs in Need Foundation” (Literal translation), had discovered a slaughterhouse was drowning pigs in boiling hot water, instead of sedating them and slaughtering them. The slaughterhouse had done this on multiple occasions and had been involved in animal abuse in the past. Right now, the only possible sanctions are a 1.500 euro fine or a warning. A 1.500 euro fine is way cheaper than sedating these animals before slaughter.

Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around this.
These things are happening right now, as we speak. All over the world.

Apparently, keeping 23.000 chickens in one single shed is normal.
Apparently, boiling pigs alive, is fine as long as you pay 1.500 euros.

Do we want to facilitate the abuse of an unimaginable number of animals worldwide?
Each cent we spend means our approval.

Sincerely,
Jovannah


Poetry: Jovannah Bär
Art by: Diane Michelin

We Are Deadly

By domesticating animals
As much as we possibly could
We are no longer seeing the world
In the way we really should
A place for numerous beings
To live, to eat and to sleep
Life for all on the planet
To enjoy, to grow and to keep