Greenwashing Meat, Whitewashing Milk: Dr. Vas Stanescu Uncovers Animal Ag's Tricky PR Tactics

You'll be fascinated to learn how the animal ag industry (following the tobacco and fossil fuel industry playbook) influences academic climate research to highlight or produce favorable findings to trick the public and policymakers into continuing to subsidize it and avoid needed regulations that would protect wild and domesticated animals, workers, surrounding ecosystems, and our climate. Associate Professor of Communication at Mercer University, Dr. Vasile Stanescu, has a lively discussion with fellow critical animal studies scholar and vegan advocate Carrie Freeman (host of In Tune to Nature) in this 54-minute podcast where he explains his intriguing research on the meat and dairy industry's rhetorical tactics. He attended industry conferences where they talk about how to undermine legitimate reports/research exposing the devastating harms of their animal exploitation industry. We end with ways to move forward to honestly promote a needed transition to plant-based agriculture and how and why to thank a vegan. We also discuss his podcast with his partner Devs called How We Win: Achieving Animal Liberation at https://www.winforanimals.org/ 

Check out some of the open-access publications that Dr. Stanescu references on the show:

Cowgate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378179039_Cowgate_Meat_Eating_and_Climate_Change_Denial

“White Power Milk”: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363267122_Animal_Studies_Journal_'White_Power_Milk'_Milk_Dietary_Racism_and_the_'Alt-Right'

“Slaughterhouse Capitalism” (from Current Affairs; it makes the class-based argument we discussed): https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/how-industrial-slaughter-became-the-blueprint-for-modern-capitalism

The Guardian uncovers a Master's in Beef Advocacy:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/03/beef-industry-public-relations-messaging-machine 

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly hour-long radio show airing Wednesdays at 6pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station) hosted by me, Carrie Freeman, or friend Melody Paris. The show's website and my contact info can be found at https://wrfg.org/intunetonature/  While there, consider donating to Radio Free Georgia, a 50+ year old progressive, non-commercial, indie radio station, run largely by volunteers like me and Melody.

Take care of yourself and others, including other species, like wild and domesticated animals.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on In Tune to Nature do not necessarily reflect those of WRFG, its