Freedom of Species

The Freedom of Species Team
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Animal advocacy on the airwaves, hosted by a team of local animal advocates.

  1. 22h ago

    How to become an advocate for the animals in 2027 and beyond

    This week, Lottie gives a crash course in how to transition to being vegan. For all about WHY to be vegan, listen to our previous episode 'Ten reasons why caring for animals aligns with your values and what you can do about it' October 26th 2026. Resources: The importance of identifying as a vegan, animal justice advocate, or similar: https://faunalytics.org/why-some-people-stick-with-meat-free-monday-and-others-dont/; Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteriaVegan pledges (sign up for recipes and advice): 10 weeks to vegan https://10weeks.org/; Vegan Easy 30 day challenge https://www.veganeasy.org/; Challenge 22 https://challenge22.com/; Veganuary https://veganuary.com/; Veguary https://www.afrovegansociety.org/veguary; V-March https://www.chinavegans.org/news/v-march-a-vegan-challenge-like-no-other; No Meat May https://www.nomeatmay.org/resources; Meat free May https://www.meatfreemay.org/resources; Meat-free Mondays https://meatfreemondays.com/our-recipes/.    Recipes:Vietnamese and Asian: https://veggieanh.com/; Indian: https://holycowvegan.net/; Arab: https://plantbasedarab.com/; Mexican: https://mexicanmademeatless.com/; African: https://veganafricanews.com/plant-based/; https://africanvibes.com/vegan-african-recipes-over-all-continent/; Ethiopian: https://ethiopian-food.org/ethiopian-vegan-dishes/; Recipes from Food Empowerment Project: https://foodispower.org/vegan-cultural-food-sites/; Recipes from Afro-Vegan Society: https://www.afrovegansociety.org/resources; Celiac friendly: https://strengthandsunshine.com/recipes; Recipes with videos: Rainbow Plant Life: https://rainbowplantlife.com; Andrew Bernard: https://makeitdairyfree.com/; Cheap Lazy Vegan: https://thecheaplazyvegan.com/Cooking, shopping and nutrition:Vegan umami flavours: https://thewoksoflife.com/umami-ingredients/. Fussy Vegan app: https://www.fussyvegan.com.au/. Nutrition information by Registered Dieticians: https://veganhealth.org/. Anti-diet and weight-neutral vegan nutrition: https://taylorwolfram.com/blog/Previous Freedom of species episode: 'Being the Only Vegan at the Dinner Table: Exploring the Social Aspects of Veganism' May 7th 2023. Vegan social events: Food Not Bombs (global - free vegan dinners) https://foodnotbombs.net/info/locations/; Veggly https://app.veggly.net/; VGN Social https://vgn.me/; Melbourne Vegan Meetup Group https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/melbourne-vegan/; Cause & Events (Melbourne) https://www.cause.events/Psychological biases to avoid: Meat-animal dissociation: https://www.all-creatures.org/strategies/strategies-meat-animal-mads.html; Cognitive dissonance: https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html; Guilt and shame cycle: https://mywellbeing.com/therapy-101/understanding-guilt-complex; All-or-nothing thinking: https://www.simplypsychology.org/all-or-nothing-thinking-examples.html; Moral licencing: https://cognitivetrain.com/moral-licensing/Travel: HappyCow: https://www.happycow.net/; The Veganary: https://www.theveganary.com/.      Non-food: Cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics https://consciousbunny.com/; Animal-free clothing https://goodonyou.eco/; Adopt don't shop for pets https://www.petrescue.com.au/; Sanctuaries https://veganaustralia.org.au/blog/vegan-farmed-animal-sanctuaries; Cruelty Free Super: https://www.crueltyfreesuper.com.au; Plant Based Treaty: https://plantbasedtreaty.org; Plant Based Universities: https://plantbaseduniversities.org; Animal Justice Party: https://www.animaljusticeparty.org. Start with these actions if easier than changing your diet: https://taylorwolfram.com/non-food-animal-advocacy/. Email us at FoSradio@proton.me with feedback, questions or topic requests. Music: Animal liberation - Los Fastidios https://www.losfastidios.net/; Wha me eat - Macka B; #Vegan - Jerry Heil; 40-year-old Vegan - Chokeules.

  2. Oct 25

    Ten reasons why caring for animals aligns with your values and what you can do about it

    In this episode, Lottie gives ten reasons why being vegan is the kindest choice. Look out for her episode on November 8th 2026 where she'll give a crash course in how to go vegan, with lots of tips and resources. (1) Animals feel pain and pleasure, and are social and intelligent. The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness: https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nydeclaration/declaration; Evidence that animals feel pain: https://scienceinsights.org/do-animals-feel-pain-the-evidence-across-species/; Farm animal personalities when free: https://sentientmedia.org/farm-animals-personalities-when-free/; Animal communication https://sentientmedia.org/new-research-on-animal-communication/; Farmed animal sanctuaries in Australia: https://veganaustralia.org.au/blog/vegan-farmed-animal-sanctuaries/. Videos of rescued farmed animals: @gentlebarn: https://youtube.com/shorts/SSI-1qbAQ_I?si=oC7o0_kuwVWXZbPT; https://youtu.be/Y2VjfEEFJTI?si=H16GMJo2WVTQgl2_; The Dodo: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLoPYaJqlcK7WZBY4qvvEU9ziRJlPDcLV; Called to Rescue (feature length documentary): https://youtu.be/wGT8ott4dTo; (2) Animals raised for food, clothing, experimentation or entertainment have painful lives. (3) Animals raised for food, clothing, experimentation or entertainment are killed cruelly and early in their lifespans. Dominion (2018): https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch; Food Empowerment Project. E.g., 'Humane Myths' https://foodispower.org/animals-on-land/humane-myths/; Faunatylics Fundamentals https://faunalytics.org/fundamentals/; Sentient Media. E.g. https://sentientmedia.org/do-fish-feel-pain/; (4) The scale is huge.86 billion land animals slaughtered every year for their flesh: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/animals-slaughtered-for-meat; 8 billion male chicks killed every year: https://faunalytics.org/global-chick-culling-2019-2024/; Billions or trillions of sea creatures (https://faunalytics.org/fundamentals-ocean-life/) and bugs ( https://faunalytics.org/fundamentals-invertebrates/); Per capita, the mass of meat produced has doubled in the last 60 years: https://ourworldindata.org/meat-production; https://ourworldindata.org/population-growth. (5) Eating vegan is the most impactful change to your diet, if not all your behaviours, you can make for the environment. Hannah Ritchie (especially her book 'Not The End of The World') https://hannahritchie.com/; Faunalytics animal product impact assessment: https://faunalytics.org/animal-product-impact-scales-2026-updated-u-s-estimates-and-the-u-k-s-first-animal-product-impact-data/; Human depopulation is too slow and small to save the planet: https://hannahritchie.substack.com/p/population-growth-decline-climate and previous Freedom of Species show 'Antinatalism and humans' impact on the planet' July 26th 2026; A plant-based food system is a possible near-term change: https://climateactiontracker.org/publications/cop30-briefing-energy-methane-goals/. (6) Eating vegan is more ethical for humans. Environmental racism: https://foodispower.org/environmental-and-global/environmental-racism/; Human trafficking and slavery in the fishing industry around the world: https://foodispower.org/human-labor-slavery/workers-in-the-fishing-industry/#_ftnref9; Slaughterhouse work: https://foodispower.org/human-labor-slavery/slaughterhouse-workers/; "The Dying Trade" documentary: https://youtu.be/3qb-9Q0YhVA?si=CNjUhMCGMatLsmJn and previous Freedom of Species show 'The Dying Trade film chat' July 19th 2026; Colonisation and food sovereignty: https://foodispower.org/environmental-and-global/exporting-factory-farms/; Food deserts: https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/; https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/01/are-you-living-in-a-food-desert--these-maps-suggest-it-can-reall. Vegans of Colour around the world: Vegans for Palestine podcast https://vegansforpalestinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/; Food Empowerment Project https://foodispower.org/; Afro-Vegan Society https://www.afrovegansociety.org/; Umoja Greenlands https://umojagreenlands.org/. Sunaura Taylor on veganism and disability: Her book Beasts of Burden: https://sunaurataylor.net/books/beasts-of-burden-animal-and-disability-liberation/; Her interview on 'The Dig' podcast: https://thedigradio.com/podcast/beasts-of-burden-w-sunaura-taylor/. Animal-based clothing and "by-products" have similar issues, for example: Leather: https://scienceinsights.org/when-did-factory-farming-start-the-key-turning-points/; Gelatin: https://foodispower.org/our-food-choices/gelatin-byproduct-of-cruelty/; Pet food: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1569372/full. (7) Animal agriculture causes many public health issues and a vegan diet can be healthy for many people. The Hidden Health Impacts of Industrial Livestock Systems: https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/our-campaigns/food-systems/factory-farming/hidden-health-impacts/; Health impacts of climate change: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health. Food guidelines examples: Mediterranean diet https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16037-mediterranean-diet; EAT-Lancet https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/the-planetary-health-diet/; Danish food guidelines https://en.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/food/nutrition-and-health/the-official-dietary-guidelines. Vitamin B12: https://veganslate.com/how-did-humans-get-b12-before-meat/. (8) We are living in unprecedented times and eating animal products today is not "natural". Factory farms have only been around for 100 years: https://scienceinsights.org/when-did-factory-farming-start-the-key-turning-points/; 'Why “Back to Nature” Isn’t the Answer for Healthy and Sustainable Diets' by Ginny Messina substack: https://theresistancekitchen.substack.com/p/why-back-to-nature-isnt-the-answer. (9) Everyone's individual choices make a difference. 'Being Vegan Makes a Difference' by Wonder & Aporia substack https://wonderandaporia.substack.com/p/being-vegan-makes-a-difference. 'Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change' by Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva and Daniel Kelly: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049788/somebody-should-do-something/ and previous Freedom of Species episode 'Somebody Should Do Something: How to help create social change for the animals and environment' Sept 13th 2026. (10) Why not? Even if you can't eat 100% vegan straight away, consider whether you can: Acknowledge that animals matter and globally we need to eat much fewer animals, Change your mindset to identify as an animal advocate, and Commit to one manageable change that brings you closer to being vegan. Email us at FoSradio@proton.me with feedback, questions or topic requests. Music: Animal liberation - Los Fastidios https://www.losfastidios.net/; Go Vegan - C5; Dominion - Vegan Queen V; Animal Kingdom - Prince.

  3. Oct 18

    Animal Liberation Film Trivia: Chock-full of Cinema including Chicken Run, Charlotte’s Web and Cow!

    Listen in and see if you can think of the answers before those who were playing live! This animal liberation film trivia show is hosted by Savanna, Stephen, Cassie and Nick. We chose this topic in light of the upcoming Animal Liberation Film Festival. This festival is being held from 6-8 November in Melbourne – at Cinema Nova in Carlton. For more information on the festival, see: https://alff.org.au/  You can also hear another recent show we did on animal liberation film: When It’s Humans Who Are Hunted – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (featuring Pleatherface) and Other Animal Liberation Movies – 4 October 2026: https://www.3cr.org.au/freedomofspecies/episode/when-it%E2%80%99s-humans-who-are-hunted-%E2%80%93-texas-chain-saw-massacre-featuring  Music: Animal Liberation by Los Fastidios. Woke Up New by The Mountain Goats. Dogs by So Good. Ride the Lightning by Metallica.

  4. Oct 11

    Interview with vegan dietician Taylor Wolfram: Advocating compassionately for health and animal justice

    Today Lottie spoke to registered dietician and ethical vegan Taylor Wolfram about weight-neutral approaches to health and ethical veganism. Taylor talked us through some of the negative health consequences of weight stigma and rigid ways of eating. She explained an alternative - Intuitive Eating, an approach that integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought when deciding what to eat and how to move our bodies. We talked about how ethical veganism can certainly fit within Intuitive Eating practice, but that some people's disordered eating might make strict veganism unwise at this point in time. Taylor and Lottie discussed how the ethical vegan movement can help promote evidence-based, holistic health behaviours and meet people where they are in their vegan journey, in ways that do not perpetuate weight stigma and diet culture. Resources:Taylor Wolfram: https://taylorwolfram.com/ Includes vegan nutrition information and many blog posts including the two below.10 Non-Food Ways to Advocate for Animals: https://taylorwolfram.com/non-food-animal-advocacy/.How to Eat Plant-Based for Health while Ditching Diet Mentality: https://taylorwolfram.com/plant-based-diet-mentality/.Intuitive Eating books by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/our-books/.Ways to get involved with animal justice in Australia other than how you eat: Animal Justice Party Australia: https://www.animaljusticeparty.org/get_involved; Plant-based Treaty: https://plantbasedtreaty.org/volunteer; Volunteer with or donate to a sanctuary: https://veganaustralia.org.au/blog/vegan-farmed-animal-sanctuaries/.People going vegan/vegetarian for ethical reasons may be less likely to lapse than people mostly motivated by health (https://faunalytics.org/a-summary-of-faunalytics-study-of-current-and-former-vegetarians-and-vegans/; https://faunalytics.org/exploring-the-factors-behind-vegan-dietary-lapses/) but this isn't the only factor that predicts vegan/vegetarian longevity (https://faunalytics.org/going-veg-motivations-and-influences/). Music:Animal Liberation - Los Fastidios: https://www.losfastidios.net/;Human - Brandi Carlisle;Feels So Good To Be You - Mama Duke;Body Love (Parts 1 & 2) - Mary Lambert.Send us your feedback at FOSradio@proton.me

  5. Oct 4

    When It’s Humans Who Are Hunted – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (featuring Pleatherface) and Other Animal Liberation Movies

    We discuss the animal liberation themes in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Charlotte’s Web, War Horse and Bold Native. Cassie, Stephen, Julia and Nick are discussing animal liberation movies in light of the upcoming Animal Liberation Film Festival. This festival is being held from 6-8 November in Melbourne – at Cinema Nova in Carlton. For more information on the festival, see: https://alff.org.au/  We also encourage listeners to check out the 2026 International Association of Vegan Sociologists conference. Recordings of the talks will be available on this website soon and there are recordings of talks from previous conferences available now: https://www.vegansociology.com/conference/  Previous Freedom of Species shows referred to: Horror Movies and Challenging the Human/Animal Dichotomy – 28 August 2022: https://www.3cr.org.au/freedomofspecies/episode/horror-movies-and-challenging-humananimal-dichotomy The Dying Trade film chat, 19 July 2026: https://www.3cr.org.au/freedomofspecies/episode/dying-trade-film-chat  Music: Animal Liberation by Los Fastidios. Animal by Def Leppard. Sadie by Joanna Newsom. War Pigs by Black Sabbath.

  6. Sep 13

    Somebody Should Do Something: How to help create social change for the animals and environment

    Lottie and Hayden discussed how anyone, yes even YOU, can help create social change for important issues like animal justice and the climate. They drew from the book 'Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change' by Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva and Daniel Kelly, which argues that rather than either/or, both individual and systemic actions are needed to create lasting, positive changes. And in fact they feed each other in a constant feedback loop. A key example is recognising that you have the power to influence the people around you, and to make sure you harness that for good. With this in mind, wouldn't you rather be an animal justice and pro-vegan influencer, instead of an anti-vegan influencer? Lottie and Hayden discuss some easy changes you can make in your everyday life to be an advocate for the animals, which is essential if we are ever going to achieve lasting systemic changes like a more just global food system. 'Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change' by Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva and Daniel Kelly: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049788/somebody-should-do-something/ Endorse the Plant Based Treaty to support structural changes towards a plant-based food system: https://plantbasedtreaty.org/endorse/ Music: Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson The Times They are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan From Little Things Big Things Grow - written by Kev Carmody & Paul Kelly, performed by Dan Sultan, John Butler & Missy Higgins

  7. Sep 6

    Animal Agriculture as a tool of Colonisation

    In modern times, over one third of the Earth’s ice-free land is dedicated to animal agriculture, but it was a centuries long journey to transform our diverse world into one big paddock. The British wool industry played a pivotal role in building the wealth of England leading up to the colonial period and the transition from feudalism to capitalism. In cases such as the Scottish Highland clearances, the Irish great famine and the British colonisation of Australia and New Zealand, Indigenous peoples were forced from their ancestral homelands to be replaced by wool sheep. Native apex predators were hunted to extinction by settlers and landholders to protect livestock. The sheep and the stolen land would go on to make their holders extremely wealthy as wool became a critical resource for military uniforms during the wars of the 19th and 20th century.In today’s show, Betty, Caroline and Lottie discuss how animal agriculture was used as an essential tool to expand the land occupied by the British Empire and how the British and Australasian wool industries have shaped the modern world.Music has been reoved from the podcast version of the show due to copyright. Please check out the music featured:This Land - Charlie Needs Braces: .  . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlJXsWscRPQ .  Indigenous Land - DRMNGNOW prod. River Boy: .  . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvgEl41ngh0&list=RDxvgEl41ngh0&start_radio=1 .  Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye: .  . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tffzUtPlD4E&list=RDtffzUtPlD4E&start_radio=1 Links: . Historic UK: . https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Wool-Trade/ .  . Defend the Wild: . https://www.defendthewild.org/

  8. Aug 23

    The ethics of reproducing and adopting children and non-human animals

    Today Lottie discussed the ethics of human and non-human animal reproduction and adoption. She argues that adopting pets reduces harm and saves lives. But adopting children is not a perfect analogue and removing children from their families and communities often causes a lot of trauma. She argues that an ethics of adoption that is consistent across species would center what is best for the animal or child, not treat them as commodities to profit from, and would keep existing families together whenever safe and possible.  Previous Freedom of Species episodes on this topic: 'Antinatalism and humans' impact on the planet' https://www.3cr.org.au/freedomofspecies/episode/antinatalism-and-humans-impact-planet 'Vegan Dogs & Cats / Human Population' (first 30 minutes) https://www.3cr.org.au/freedomofspecies/episode-201804011300/vegan-dogs-cats-human-population  Other media mentioned: 'Should vegans have children? Examining the links between animal ethics and antinatalism' by Joona Räsänen: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11017-023-09613-7 'Why (at least some) moral vegans may have children: A response to Räsänen' by William Bülow: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11017-023-09632-4 'Veganism, Anarchism, and Adoption' by Nathan Poirier and John Tallent in 'Veganarchism: Making veganism and anarchism dangerous again' edited by Will Boisseau and Nathan Poirier https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1850 Alé Cardinalle (international adoptee) https://wildheartcollective.care/ Karlos Dillard (transracial adoptee) https://www.lovewhatmatters.com/my-adoptive-mother-abandoned-me-gay-adoptee-foster-care-transracial-adoption-child-abuse/ 'The Baby Brokers: Inside America’s Murky Private-Adoption Industry' by Tik Roothttps://time.com/6051811/private-adoption-america/ 'The politics of ‘orphans’ and the dirty tactics of the adoption lobby' by Patricia Fronek https://theconversation.com/the-politics-of-orphans-and-the-dirty-tactics-of-the-adoption-lobby-10537  Sources of statistics mentioned on the show: 264 healthy cats and dogs are killed everyday in Australia: https://www.animaljusticeparty.org/companion_animals Conditions of animals raised for food including "humane" or "free range": https://foodispower.org/animals-on-land/humane-myths/ Australian adoptions statistics: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/adoptions/adoptions-australia/contents/adoptions Australian children in out of home care statistics: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2023-24/contents/insights/supporting-children US adoptions statistics: https://adoptioncouncil.org/article/adoption-statistics/ US foster care statistics: https://theworlddata.com/foster-care-statistics-in-us/ Poverty hinders reunification of parents and children: https://www.jstor.org/stable/48647842 Orphans worldwide statistics: https://cafo.org/orphan-statistics/  Music: 'The Pill' by Loretta Lynn 'Us and Pigs' by Sofia Isella https://www.sofiaisella.com/ 'NoBody is a Product' by Dakini Songs https://dakinitranslations.com/mantras-music/  Send us your feedback at FOSradio@proton.me

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Animal advocacy on the airwaves, hosted by a team of local animal advocates.

Information

  • Creator
    The Freedom of Species Team
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2026
  • Episodes
    472
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Freedom of Species

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