Freedom of Species

For many, the goodwill of sharing a meal at Christmas often camouflages animal cruelty when it comes to pigs in the food production system. For activists, there is much opportunity to speak up for these individuals this festive season. Today we speak with Lisa Ryan, a  campaigner busy trying to stop an intensive pig factory farm intended to hold 22,000 pigs being built in Harden NSW.  Fore more in...

Josh Agland - Where time is money and compassion is a cost. Ex-industry insider who worked in an abattoir for 3 years explored the realities of a modern slaughterhouse, and the effect they have on animals, workers and the surrounding community.

We speak with Lawrence Pope, a successful Melbourne campaigner for over two decades for bats, cats, dogs and horses. 

Our guest is Mae Lee Sun, editor of the comprehensive " Wild Horse Journal ". We'll be talking about  many issues surrounding wild horses in Australia including the Snowy brumby management plan designed to reduce the brumby population from 6000 to 600. It's not too late to voice your support for the Snowy brumbies! Please, PLEASE follow the link on how to: http://australianbrumbyalliance.org.au/wp...

The introduction of the Australian brushtail possum to New Zealand for the fur industry has resulted in a highly successful population of approximately 30 million.  We speak with Hans Kriek of SAFE New Zealand about the broad context of the issue, including the possum's entrenched demonisation in NZ society.  We also hear from Nicholas Holm of Massey University about how the possum takes the blame...

Today's Freedom Of Species show features Alexandra Sedgwick, animal activist, former science student at Deakin University and founder of Cruelty Free Labs Australia. Alexandra discusses what led her to start the organisation, and where to next for her and CFLA. If you would like to contact Alexandra, go to the Facebook page Cruelty Free labs Australia Inc.

This week, the FOS team will be joined in the studio by our friend Justine Curatolo who has recently returned from volunteering in Zimbabwe with the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF).International Anti-Poaching Foundation: http://www.iapf.org Justine's fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/2nn97q2s

Last April, we recorded the fantastic talk given by Dr Michael Klaper at Melbourne's Astor Theatre, an event hosted by Animal Liberation Victoria. Dr Klaper is an acclaimed doctor, dedicated environmentalist, and passionate educator. He has been a champion of the vegan diet since the early 1980s, recognising the devastating impacts that animal agriculture has on human and planetary health and, of...

We chat with many illuminating minds about dairy cows, including Elise Desaulniers, the author of "Cash Cow - Ten Myths about the Dairy Industry".Why is China encouraging the consumption of dairy whilst at the same time discouraging meat consumption in the latest dietary guidelines?   We also chat with Mia Macdonald from Brighter Green, a public policy action tank that works to raise awareness of...

We chat in the studio with Adam Cardilini, an ecologist at Deakin University.  Adam tells us about his journey to becoming an animal rights activist, educator, and scientist.  He also speaks about his animal advocacy training project that's been short-listed for a funding grant by Voiceless, his VeganSci initiative, and his recent attendance at the Institute for Critical Animal Studies (ICAS) Ocea...

Catherine CaddenCatherine Cadden has been an educator since 1987 finding alternatives to teaching, learning, and conflict resolution that work with the principles of nonviolence. She is a certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication bringing over 14 years of experience practicing, living and teaching Nonviolent Communication (NVC) internationally to participants of all ages. In 1...

This week's show will feature an interview with Dr Peter John Chen. Ahead of his upcoming talk at October's Animal Activists Forum we chat with Peter about lessons that can be learned form the history of the animal rights movement in Australia. Peter John Chen DipMR, BComm(Hons), PhD is a lecturer in Australian politics, media and policy at the University of Sydney. He is the author of Electronic...

Has the use of the word 'feral' been a great weapon of distraction from the institutionalised violence & environmental destruction caused by the livestock industry? We play a thought-provoking presentation by Fiona Probyn-Rapsey from the School of Humanities & Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong. Fiona is also the Chair of the Australasian Animal Studies Association. To send your submissions...

Paul Mahony, climate change & animal rights campaigner, describes the links he's found between Australia's environmental organisations & the livestock industry, which he's mapped out in his online presentation "The Link That Too Many Ignore".  Could this explain why so few people are talking about the very significant role of animal agriculture in climate change? Paul's blog:  https://terrastendo....

Lucy's Project is hosting the Domestic Violence & Animal Abuse, International Perspectives Conference in November. We chat with the creator of Lucy's Project, Anna Ludvik, & also chat with Lisa Craig about the project "Saving Grace" which she has co-created with photojournalist Richard Wainwright & will be launching at the conference. "Saving Grace" focuses on the individual stories of people who...

Do we have to choose between wildlife and cats? Before we go to a cruel & expensive war on cats, the Threatened Species Commissioner is holding a round table on this issue in a week. We speak with Lynda Stoner from Animal Liberation NSW who will be attending & play an informative discussion hosted by Mini Kitty Commune. The MKC discussion includes Arian Wallach who co-authored "Let's give feral ca...

We chat with Dr Lynn Johnson, founder of Breaking the Brand, an organisation fighting the rhino horn trade from a completely different angle.

"Dairy is often promoted as a ‘no harm’ industry, yet at the core of this multi-billion dollar business is the exploitation of the dairy cow and her calf."Voiceless sat down last year with a dairy farmer, a vegan, an academic and an animal activist to talk about the ethics of high production dairy farming in Australia.

We hear from Shir Friedman of Israeli food biotech start-up SuperMeat, about the anticipated arrival of cultured meat into our supermarkets. "Cultured meat packs a triple punch. First, it helps drastically reduce unsustainable environmental impacts that are common in the current meat industry. Second, it will set free countless of animals who currently undergo tragic conditions prior to slaughter....

This week we are very happy to be presenting our interview with Dr Jonathan Balcombe. Jonathan Balcombe is the director of animal sentience at the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy and the author of a number of books, including Second Nature, Pleasurable Kingdom, and the newly released What a Fish Knows. Balcombe has three biology degrees, including a PhD in ethology from the Univers...

19th August is the deadline for sending your submissions to the Kosciusko Brumby management, or put more aptly, the brumby eradication plan. Don't let that date literally mean the DEAD line for thousands of brumbies! We play conversations with Jill Pickering, President of the Australian Brumby Alliance & Lynette Sutton from Hoofs2010 Brumby Rescue about their objections to, and frustrations with,...

Paul Bashir, co-founder and director of Anonymous For The Voiceless, explains the motivation and method behind this new highly effective direct action and public outreach initiative in Melbourne.  He details how his astonishingly successful approach gets passing pedestrians to commit to veganism on the spot.www.facebook.com/anonymousforthevoicelesswww.aussiefarms.org.au

This week we chat have a chat with Andy Meddick of the AJP about the recent Australian federal election, and then hear a recorded talk by Jasmijn de Boo, founder of The Animal Welfare Party (UK).https://www.facebook.com/AndyMeddickAJP/

We chat with Steven Wise, the central figure in the outstanding new documentary Unlocking the Cagethat will screen at the 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival. Unlocking the Cage follows animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. After thirty years of struggling with ineffective animal welfare laws, Steve a...

We feature a talk by Dr Andrew Knight, recorded at a recent Animal Justice Party seminar in Melbourne. Andrew describes how he got to where he is today - setting up a new centre for animal welfare at the University of Winchester in the UK. He discusses how people may become professional animal advocates, and also about the upcoming distance learning Masters course in Animal Welfare. Andrew's websi...