Erik

myspace.com/145614294

is excited that his new book, The Ultimate Vegan Guide, has just hit Amazon.com! Mood: pleased pleased

  • 42 / Male
  • Santa Cruz, California, US
  • Last Login: 12/3/2008

Music Player

Interests

  • General

    Apart from animal protection work, my main interests are reading, vegan cooking, listening to music, snowboarding, and watching movies. If you're as into vegan cooking as I am, you'll probably enjoy these great recipes:

  • Music

    Boston, Graham Parker, Thin Lizzy, Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens are some of my faves.
  • Movies

    Anything either incredibly smart or breathtakingly stupid: The Godfather, Goodfellas, Life is Beautiful, As Good as it Gets, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Borat.
  • Television

    Giants football every Sunday. Olbermann excerpts on MSNBC. Also a big fan of the HBO Series: Oz, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and The Wire.
  • Books

    Meat Market, Anthony Trollope, David Foster Wallace, Jane Austen.
  • Heroes

    Winston Churchill, Henry Spira

Details

  • Status: Single
  • Here for: Networking, Friends
  • Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
  • Orientation: Straight
  • Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
  • Religion: Atheist
  • Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
  • Children: I don't want kids
  • Smoke / Drink: No / Yes
  • Education: Grad / professional school
  • Occupation: Writer, Speaker, Publisher
  • Income: No Answer

Schools

Networking

Blurbs

About me:

I work seven days a week on efforts related to animal protection and promoting vegetarianism. I publish Vegan.com, which features my daily blog, and my weekly podcast. Please check out the site:


I'm also the author of two books: Meat Market-Animals, Ethics, and Money (2005), and Vegan-The New Ethics of Eating (1998, 2001).

I do a regular podcast on Vegan.com that provides news, recipes, and commentary. My main activist focus relates to "dismantlement" -- a branch of the animal protection movement specifically devoted to stripping animal agriculture of its key assets. Dismantlement is the theme of Part II of Meat Market.

An important part of my work relates to helping vegetarian activists hone their rhetoric in order to become more persuasive. Towards that end, I advocate the "commodity-cruelty argument." This argument is described at length in Meat Market but can be boiled down to just a few sentences. Specifically, animal products tend to be almost pure commodities. As such, only the lowest cost producers can stay in business. It turns out that the main way to bring down the costs related to raising poultry and livestock is to resort to overcrowding the animals and subjecting them to inadequate care. So what we have in the United States is an industry that systematically brutalizes nearly every single one of the ten billion farmed animals it raises each year. And on top of that, the industry consistently lies about the cruelties it inflicts upon all these animals.

I'm devoted to helping people learn to advocate effectively for farmed animals, and inspiring them to take up a variety of activist efforts. If you'd like to find out more about my work, please check out my podcast on Vegan.com.

Who I'd like to meet:

That's really easy. I want to meet people who are disgusted by cruelty and who want to work to make the world a more compassionate place. Above all, I would like to meet people with the ambition to make a big difference: how would you like to keep a million animals out of the slaughterhouse?

Comments

Displaying 50 of 446 comments
  • Nov 27 2008 3:53 PM

    Happy VEGAN Thanksgiving to you!!
  • Nov 25 2008 1:27 AM

    Just sendin' ya a "whoop-whoop"!

    So....Whoop Whoop, Vegan SuperHero!
  • Nov 8 2008 1:43 AM

    Really cool! Thanks for getting back to me! I will be on the lookout for the new book - what is the name? I'm going to begin reading "Slaughterhouse" next......the more I read these books and watch videos, I just want to become a full-time activist! I'm adopting a turkey for Thanksgiving from Farm Sanctuary too! So cute!!
  • Nov 7 2008 3:11 AM

    Erik,

    I just got done reading Vegan, the New Ethics of Eating and I have to say it was truly wonderful and such an eye opener! I became vegan for the animals, but it's great to know that it does help on other levels as well. Really want to try your cashew cheese though! Thanks for writing such a wonderful book!!

    Peace & love,
    Michelle
  • Nov 7 2008 1:30 AM

    hey thanks!
    ill def. give vegan. com a look!
    thanks for the add its great knowing there is other vegans
    cause where i live i say im a vegan to people & they just look at me haha they have no idea what it means
    ttyl cya ~brooke haley bruce~
  • Nov 6 2008 12:00 AM

    yay for Prop 2!!!!
  • Oct 22 2008 7:53 PM

    Thanks for adding Tower Hill Stables to your friends Erik.

    Meet Marylin who was living at a petting farm in Dorest. She had lived there for 8 years and had been used to breed cute piglets so that the visitors could say "oh look at the piglets" etc - every one of her 88 babies were taken away from her as soon as they were a few months old and sent for slaughter.



    Please support if you can.
  • Oct 12 2008 12:40 AM

    Hey Erik,

    http://www. ecorazzi. com/2008/10/07/announing-the-veg-blog-round-up-news-from-around-web/

    Sure you know already but vegan. com was mentioned in the above link!

    My next Amazon purchase will be thru vegan. com!

    Jerry Garcia Later,

    The last vegan in Tahoe
    =)
  • Oct 9 2008 10:27 PM

    Erik, we are so proud of your lifetime dedication to the animals. Come to San Diego and try our vegan cupcakes and pizza!
    Thanks, Stephanie's Organic Bakery
  • Sep 24 2008 5:01 AM

    Thank you for Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating.... it changed me so much. I did a project on what career I would chose besides the one you want to pursue and I chose to be a vegan activist.

    :)
  • Sep 16 2008 11:49 AM

    Awe okay. Well I hope to see you soon. Make sure it's not all work and you do have some play. Don't want you getting stressed out and such.
  • Sep 16 2008 2:33 AM

    Are you coming to the Boston Vegetarian Fest this year? I would love to see you there again!
  • Sep 9 2008 4:16 AM

    ERIK!!!
    I am so sorry I missed you tonight! I wanted to finally meet you, was talking to my volunteers and boom, you were gone =(
    I hope to run into you soon, perhaps at the celebration party when prop 2 passes =)
    You looked great though haha!!

    **hugs**
    shani
  • Aug 22 2008 8:43 PM

    Just wanted to say I read The Meat Market and it changed my life forever.

    Thank you!

    Zelan Nothing
    Lincoln City, Oregon
  • Aug 6 2008 6:55 AM

  • Jul 23 2008 8:54 AM

    Love your page Erik--thanks for the support...stop by any time...
  • Jul 22 2008 8:15 PM

    Thanks for the add! Keep up the great work!!!
  • Jul 19 2008 2:39 AM

    Long time no see!
    I adopted a pig because I was reminded of you. Hazel! Going to do my best to make sure she has a home... Hi It's July
  • Jul 12 2008 2:59 AM




    Myspace Comments
    Thanks for all that you do! Hope you have a wonderful weekend :)
    Peace, Michelle
  • Jul 11 2008 1:08 AM

    Thank you for all you do!
  • Jul 9 2008 11:31 PM

    Thanks for the add Erik!
  • Jul 9 2008 6:09 PM

  • Jun 29 2008 11:11 PM

  • Jul 9 2008 5:41 AM

    Thanks Erik! I love to see what's on my Vegan. com widget everyday.
    You are such an awesome person doing amazing things for our animal friends and our environment!
  • Jun 5 2008 9:30 PM

    Frankly.... Im suprized..! I assumed that the increase in sales as a result of the gluttony encoraged my Ms. Paula Dean would MORE than make up for any drop in profit. My Bad! (Time to try to blame the vegans for driving up corn prices!) Also that Center for Consumer Freedom piece is so lame I am beyond words. Especially for thier attack on the PCRM.
    HELLO THEY ARE PHYSICIANS U ARE NOT - YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO CRITIQUE THEM!!!
  • Jun 3 2008 11:54 AM

    Love the vegan challenge idea!!!
  • Jun 2 2008 7:03 PM

    You are an inspiration to everyone who cares about animals and the environment. Thank you for everything!

    Peace,
    -Will
  • May 26 2008 5:26 AM

    You are amazing! YAY vegans!
  • May 24 2008 5:06 AM

    Thank you Erik!! My 2 and a half year old grand daughter is Vegan! She even tells everyone she meets..."MEAT IS MURDER" !! You would be so proud of her! Have an awesome weekend! PhotobucketPhotobucket
  • May 19 2008 1:20 PM

    Hey, Eric! I'm stopping by to thank you for accepting my request! I've visited your website (vegan. com)plenty of times and learned a whole when I first decided to go vegan. Afterwards, I tried the fruitarian thing (did not work out for me)but veganism is the perfect lifestyle or me and my children.

    Thanks again,
    ChazzREG PIC
  • May 16 2008 3:40 AM

    Thanks for the add erik! Your Book "Vegan" is still the catalyst to my choice to make the change to a cruelty free lifestyle! Keep up the good work.
  • May 14 2008 11:28 PM

    Thanks for your support!

    www.humanecalifornia.org
  • May 2 2008 9:02 PM

    Thanks for the add, and of course for all of the work that you do!
  • Apr 23 2008 9:51 AM

    I love your page!!

    Thanks so much for being my friend!!

    Peace and Love, Wendy
  • Apr 21 2008 7:31 PM

    Photobucket

    Greetings Erik! Thank you for using your talent to help expose the cruel and environmentally damaging practice of factory farming.

    Earthy blessings to you,
    Mulina
  • Apr 16 2008 5:31 AM

    Mr. Marcus- i wanted to tell you how much i appreciate the constant updates on your website. Picking up where "tastes better" left off!

    Awhile ago, we exchanged emails concerning stopping by my co-op (other avenues) if you visit San Francisco.
    Hope to see you there sometime!
  • Apr 9 2008 8:18 PM

    Thanks for the post on vegan. com about homemade peppermint patties! Those look delicious and recently my boyfriend and I have been trying to come up with new ideas for treats to cover in chocolate.
  • Apr 6 2008 9:24 PM

    Hey Erik.. I am about to launch a healthy vegan snack cake called a Kind Cake that eduacates the consumer about the power of plant based eating.
    I would love to send you samples!
  • Mar 24 2008 1:56 AM

    When man first traveled in bands, food foraging their way into the formation of the state thousands of years later, meat was already a part of their plate. And though you do not need me to say this to you, I will still do. You challenged the whole history of humanity the moment you said NO to meat, and for that you deserve a big THANK YOU.

    Eating animals has already been incorporated into society's set of standard and accepted behavior. Society may call you a deviant because you do not follow this particular norm, but I call you amazing. Thank you for being so brave.

    Keep on being you. :)

    Long live the Earth and all Her animals!

    Respects,
    Kat
  • Mar 23 2008 9:01 PM

    Happy Easter Erik
  • Mar 21 2008 5:11 PM

    vegan. com looks awesome! Very streamlined... great logo! Listening to VegTalk right now!
  • Mar 21 2008 4:45 PM

    WOO HOO! I'm going to check it out (vegan. com) NOW! :D
  • Mar 14 2008 2:32 AM

    You're an inspiration!
  • Mar 13 2008 10:17 PM

    Have a great day Erik! <3 VO
  • Mar 7 2008 10:06 AM

    Have a nice day erik :)
  • Mar 6 2008 4:44 AM

    Thank you for all your hard work Eric.

    God bless you.
    Namaste,
    Edie Britt
  • Feb 29 2008 9:01 PM

    It's a leap day, so women are allowed to propose.
    Will you marry me Erik?
    Tradition also says that if the answer is no, you have to pay a fine of a kiss or a pair of gloves. Email me and I'll send you my address then...
  • Feb 26 2008 2:18 AM

    Hello my leafleting friend!
    I hope you are well
    and enjoying
    the early spring :-)
  • Feb 24 2008 2:43 AM

    We have reached our signature goal! Petitions will be submitted for a random check this week. Check out www. humanecalifornia. org and stay tuned!! This is a giant step in preventing cruelty to farm animals in California.
  • Feb 20 2008 7:33 PM

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    Greetings Erik! Thank you for adding Animals' Angels USA as a friend. We are not well known, but we are busy working with the animals to expose their suffering to the world. Thank you for writing about their suffering and promoting veganism.

    Many thanks,
    Animals' Angels USA
    www. animals-angels. com