Why I Support Fair Trade
By Natalie McCabe, age 19
"It was a line in an email from my mother that really got to me. My aunt's father-in-law had been sick for some time. He had lived a hard life full of strenuous labor, a poor farmer and rancher in Mexico, raising many children without the benefits of electricity or even running water..."

Hold Your Breath
By Natalie McCabe, age 19
""Mmm. The cow this burger came from sure tastes good," an acquaintance teased at a recent cast party. "Real blood." I replied, "You mean the several cows, or several dozen, who contributed to one of your meals." I didn't enjoy stooping to his level, but comments like these had interrupted more agreeable conversation all evening..."

Rethinking Milk
By Emilia Cataldo, age 22
"I don't drink milk. Never had a taste for it. But then again, I was never very cool. According to the dairy industry's battle cry: Drink Three! Three glasses of milk every day are essential to maintaining not just my health, but social status as well..."

Is the Vegan Movement Worth Compromising?
By Laura Schwartzmann, age 16
"While most people aren't receptive to a bowl of soy ice cream or Tofutti, I'll bet anyone could be swayed by organic ice cream. Don't get me wrong; I love Tofutti. But the fact is that most people don't, and this raises (for me, at least) a question: would animal-rights advocates have more success touting organic meats and dairy, instead of just suggesting vegetarianism and veganism?"

Starving Budgets, Obese Students
By Angelina Drake, age 15
"Standing in line amid the crowded clamor of lunchtime, eagerly awaiting the crunch of potato chips, or plop of a Twinkie at the vending machine, we don’t often consider what we’re doing to ourselves, or how our school may be sponsoring dangerous lifetime eating habits..."

What's Wrong With Animal Products?
By Melissa Kania, age 13
"Leather, wool, suede... what's wrong with these things? They come from animal furs and are made into coats, pants, shirts and necklaces. Just think, an animal dying just so some person can look pretty. People sometimes come up with the approach that if they buy one thing, what harm can it do?"

How we are Raised to Abuse Animals and What we can do About it
By Rick Kump, age 17
"The amount of animal abuse in this world is the most catastrophic it has ever been. Animals are beaten, scalded, cut, shot, electrocuted, stolen from their homes, chained, caged, burnt, skinned, whipped, suffocated, poisoned, stabbed , and tortured. Compassionate people are understandably confused and feel disheartened by this. Surely kindness is not a phase that one grows out of?"

Heifer International - or is it Halfwit Irrational?
By Wolf Clifton, age 12
"A terrible fundraiser for the organization Heifer International infiltrated my school. It was called Read to Feed, and during the course of the period between April and June, it convinced virtually every other kid in the Team A 6th grade that it was the ultimate solution to all the world's problems..."

Wildlife is in Danger
By Sarah Bau, age 13
"Hunting is the number one threat to wildlife today. Hunters kill over 200 million animals every year. So why do people hunt? Most hunt for one or more of the following reasons: tradition, to be in the club, recreation, to be close to nature, to feel "like a man", or to experience the thrill of the kill..."

Breaking the Cycle of Violence
By Ocean Robbins
"I come from an unusual background. My dad, John Robbins (author of Diet for a New America, and an inspiration to millions) and my mom, Deo, are not just parents to me; they are also my dear friends. From an early age, they helped me to look at problems in the world not as monsters to fear but as opportunities for healing. 'However bad things are,' my mom used to tell me, 'is exactly how much better they can be with a change.'"

This Ain't No Walk in the Park
By Liz Worth, age 21
"I live in Toronto and we have an annual event here called Rib Fest, which is basically what it sounds like - an outdoor party where people eat meat. While Rib Fest was being advertised, a couple of local activists spraypainted vegetarian slogans (think along the lines of "Be cruelty free - go veg") across the >advertisements..."

To Prove or Not to Prove
By Amy Blizzard, age 20
"I had always been bombarded with questions about my lifestyle, most of the questions loaded with ignorance that I would simply neglect to answer. Until I was dealt the outlandish, haunting question 'what does it prove?'"

The Blame Game, Part 3
By Kristin Daniels, age 18
"I would arise a half hour earlier every day to pack a wholesome lunch for my youngest sister just so she would not have to consume the milk, mashed potatoes, and beef tips over white pasta that her school offered..."

PETA's "Holocaust on Your Plate"
By Kim Scott, age 13
"Opponents of the "Holocaust on Your Plate" campaign say that it is tasteless and disrespectful, "trivializing" a horrific event...They see the pictures and think that PETA is saying that those in the Holocaust were 'no more important than chickens.'"

To Trick or Not To Trick…That is the question
Non-vegetarian friends and family are not always willing to try vegetarian cuisine. Is it ethical to trick people we care about into trying new foods?