Podcasts by The Vegan Option - Vegetarianism: The Story So Far

Spillover Diseases: Covid 19 and other Zoonoses. With Jonna Mazet and Aysha Akhtar from 2020-04-29T19:43:33

How does animal exploitation increase the emergence of new diseases? With the world fighting a vicious new pandemic, Ian asks a front-line physician, an epidemiologist, a public health expert an...

VegHist Ep 15: Liberation. Veganism, hippies, and the animal rights movement. With Sam Calvert and Maneka Gandhi; at London, Cambridge, and Bangalore from 2017-09-13T14:57:19

Radio times summary.  Episode 9: Renaissance Old medieval certainties are cracking under the combined assault of new sciences and rediscovered classics. It’s an age when “natural phi...

VegHist Ep 14: Diet Reform. On consumerism, lebensreform, and Gandhi; with Ramachandra Guha; at Sabarmati Ashram, India from 2017-06-29T08:26:15

Radio times summary.  Episode 9: Renaissance Old medieval certainties are cracking under the combined assault of new sciences and rediscovered classics. It’s an age when “natural phi...

VegHist Ep 13: The Vegetarians. Abolitionism, colonialism, and Victorian reformers; with Julia Twigg and Bhaskar Chakraborty. In London from 2017-05-16T15:51:28

In the late nineteenth century, the new vegetarian movement is intertwined with other struggles – including Victorian reformers, the Indian reaction to British colonialism, and most import...

VegHist Ep 12: Radicals&Romantics. Bible Christians, Grahamites, and Transcendentalists; with Adam Shprintzen and Derek Antrobus; at Deerfields, Fruitlands, and Salford from 2017-04-28T12:48:46

In the 1800s, overlapping circles of utopians, mystics, and romantics in both Europe and America develop arguments against meat until “vegetarianism” finally becomes a real movement....

VegHist Ep 11: Enlightenment. Colonial India, Voltaire, Rousseau, and the French Revolution; with Partha Chatterjee, Christophe Martin, and Renan Larue; at the Black Hole of Calcutta, and Musée Rousseau Montmerency from 2017-02-07T17:00:10

The philosophers of Paris discuss reports of Indian vegetarianism, question the morality of eating animals, and inspire radicals who preach vegetarianism from the barricades of the French revolu...

VegHist Ep 10: Revolution. English civil war, diet gurus, and the poetry of Sensibility; with Tristram Stuart and Anita Guerrini; at the Ahmedabad Panjrapole from 2017-01-03T17:00:50

When printing lets ordinary people access a world of ideas, including Indian vegetarianism, some European radicals and diet gurus begin to oppose meat-eating. Episode 10: Revolution In England, ...

VegHist Ep 9: Renaissance. Descartes, Montaigne, Gassendi, and the “sparing diet”; with Jean-Charles Darmon, Deepak Kumar, and Justin Begley; in Paris, France from 2016-12-08T14:34:31

Ancient philosophers inspire Renaissance thinkers to challenge the old hierarchy of man over beast.  Episode 9: Renaissance Old medieval certainties are cracking under the combined assault of ne...

VegHist Ep 8: Contacts. Indian Sufism, Bhakti, Akbar, Portuguese Christianity, and Gaudiya Vaishnavism; with Sanjukta Gupta; in Agra, Delhi, and London from 2016-10-06T00:49:28

When conquerors who profess Islam or Christianity rule over Indian vegetarians, the conversations about food ethics go both ways. Episode 8: Contacts Ian discovers the ecstatic dancing and singi...

VegHist Ep 7: Heresies. On Chinese Buddhists, Cathars, Bogomils, Islam, and Manichaeans; with Vincent Gooseart, John Arnold, Jason BeDuhn, and Ven. Chueh Yun; at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, in London from 2016-09-06T23:16:15

In the Middle Ages, three very different monastic orders spread from the Mediterranean to the South China Sea, surrounding themselves with lay believers and challenging the norm of meat-eating. ...

VegHist Ep 6: Hinduism. On Indian Vegetarianism, Vaishnavism, Satvik, and Mahayana Buddhism; with Sanjukta Gupta, Deepak Anand, and Ranjan Garavu; at Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Bhubaneswar and Nalanda Mahavihara from 2016-07-05T15:34:15

In the first millennium CE, Indian vegetarianism advances from an ascetic fringe to a mainstream high-status lifestyle. Episode 6: Hinduism How did vegetarianism permeate Indian society? Ian tra...

Vegan Politicians: Kerry McCarthy MP on Brexit from 2016-06-11T21:04:30

As the British public make their biggest decision in a generation, Ian asks Kerry McCarthy MP about the potential impact of Brexit on animals. Vegan MP on EU Referendum In this special short ext...

VegHist Ep 5: Flesh and Spirit. On Egyptian monasticism, Early Christianity, Plutarch, Neoplatonism, and Manicheansim; with David Grummet, Nicholas Baker-Brian, Michael Beer, and Fr. Abouna Yostas St. Athanasius from 2016-06-07T20:10:54

In the eastern Roman Empire, several faiths and philosophies agree on one thing; that you need to eschew flesh to live a life of the spirit. Episode 5: Flesh & Spirit Not all Romans celebrat...

VegHist Ep 4: Ashoka. On India’s animal advocate Buddhist king and the spread of the ?ramanas; with Bharati Pal and Suchandra Ghosh; at the Kalinga rock edict, India from 2016-05-03T19:02:45

In the largest ancient Indian empire, at the height of its power, its Buddhist king advocates for animals in his edicts, and tries to change India for good. Episode 4: Ashoka In the fourth century...

VegHist Ep 3: Pythagoreans. On the Cults of Orpheus and Pythagoras in Ancient Greece; with Hugh Bowden, Michael Beer, John Wilkins, and Armand D’Angour from 2016-04-05T15:42:34

In Ancient Greece, vegetarianism belongs to a secretive subculture – amongst the mystery religions of Orpheus and the musical mathematical cult of Pythagoras. Episode 3: Pythagoreans The G...

VegHist Ep 2: The Middle Path. On Siddharta Gautama, and Buddhism; with Rev Varasambodhi Thera, Peter Flugel, and Richard Gombrich; at Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya, India from 2016-03-01T00:38:58

Ian travels to the tree where the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment, and explores the paradox of his early followers’ attitudes to vegetarianism. Episode 2: The Middle Path Of ...

VegHist Ep 1: Ahimsa. Mahavir, the Jains, and other ?rama?as; with DN Jha, James Serpell, Richard Gombrich, & GC Tripathi; at Veerayatan, Rajgir, India from 2016-01-22T21:46:31

In the Ganges plain in Northen India in the middle of the first millennium BCE, the idea of “ahimsa” – non violence – emerges. Episode 1: Ahimsa Ian visits the intelle...

Digital Vegans: Picking up the Tab, with Stephanie Redcross of Vegan Mainstream from 2014-02-02T23:39:53

Digital Vegans: The Tab As the internet transforms the media landscape, how can vegan organisations and businesses survive and thrive? In the midst of the crowdfunding campaign for Vegetarianism...

Palm Oil: with Catherine Laurence, Eric Lambin, Orangutan rescuer Daniek Hendarto, RSPO SG Darrel Webber from 2013-09-13T15:14:20

Palm oil is everywhere - from cooking oil to soap to vegan margarine. Equatorial rainforest and peatland are cleared and replaced with serried ranks of oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis). The w...

Science Fiction and Animals: from Jonathan Swift and HG Wells to Star Trek and Doctor Who; with Sherryl Vint, Robert McKay, and Tara Lomax from 2013-07-05T17:16

From Jonathan Swift's talking horses to Star Trek's Vulcans, and from HG Wells to Doctor Who, science fiction has tackled the big questions about our relationship with other animals.

Join...

Cats: Ethics. With Erin Red, Evolution Diet’s Eric Weisman, and vets Lorelei Wakefield, Andrew Knight, and Jean Hofve from 2013-03-13T21:02:39

Erin Red joins Ian McDonald as they investigate what vegans should feed cats, respond to listener comments, and discuss the ethical conflict between our cats and the animals they'd very much lik...

Cats: Can they be vegan? With vets Lorelei Wakefield, Andrew Knight, and Jean Hofve; and special guest Erin Red from 2013-02-01T18:06:53

Three experienced veterinarians with experience of vegan cats say whether and why they think cats can thrive on a vegan diet.

Jean Hovfe argues - out of bitter experience - that cats need...

Extended interviews on iTunes, starting with Dr Julia Minson from 2013-01-08T22:33:49

Rough edits of extended interviews - such as this one with Dr Julia Minson - will now go into the podcast feed (used by iTunes and Stitcher) as well as the website.

The post Listen

South East Asia: Finding Vegan Food in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia from 2012-11-28T23:18:32

Ian travels through South East Asia from equatorial island to the far north of Thailand, discovering the vegetarian threads running through the region, talking with restaurateurs, and finding so...

Judgemental: with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Dr Julia Minson, and Marla Rose from 2012-10-06T23:59:48

What is "judgement"? How does it really affect the relationships between vegans and others? What can scientists say about it? And how do vegan activists react to the charge?

Dr Julia Mins...

London Olympics: Closing Update with Vx, Animals in the Opening Ceremony, and Vegan Food from 2012-08-13T17:48:23

London Olympics: Closing Update As the athletes celebrate their victories and defeats, and the Spice Girls rock the closing ceremony, we look back over the Olympics and update you on the vegan s...

London Olympics: interview with Kara Lang, vegan Olympian, Canada soccer team from 2012-08-09T12:40:07

Kara Lang holds the record as the youngest woman ever to score a goal in international soccer - but her passions also include vegan cupcakes.

Now retired from football, she took time out...

London Olympics from 2012-07-27T20:38:41

Athletes from across the world are coming to East London - where we produce the show - but what are the vegan perspectives on the Olympic games?

We talk to Sandra Hood, the Olympic torch ...

Vegan Cheese: Casein, Casomorphins, and the Daiya Redwoods Vegusto Taste Test from 2012-07-04T09:57:47

How do they make vegan cheese that stretches and melts?

Why is cheese such a challenge for new vegans?

Can Ian convince anyone who makes cheese to share their secrets? What's the p...

Born Vegan at Vegfest UK, with Ruby Roth, Mair Perkins, and a studio audience from 2012-05-31T12:21:35

We took the show on the road to VegfestUK to find out how vegan parents met the challenges of raising children vegan in a non-vegan world - such as what they told their children about how the re...

Born Vegan: from 1976 UK TV to the Hebrew Israelites, three very different vegan childhoods from 2012-05-01T20:27:13

What is it like to grow up vegan in a non-vegan world? We hear three stories of vegan childhood:
Rosemary- appeared as a baby on a BBC programme about veganism in 1976
Elishama - gr...

Lab Meat: Can in vitro meat save the animals? With Nicholas Genovese, David Pearce, and Jordi Casamitjana from 2012-04-03T12:37:16

A future with cheap lab meat could be drastically different - for humans and animals. How would it work? And is the development of this technology good for animals?

Ian talks to Nicholas ...

Rebel Poet: Benjamin Zephaniah discusses the life of Abul ?ala Al-Ma?arri (??? ?????? ??????), the medieval Arab vegan philosopher poet from 2012-03-06T21:53:15

A thousand years ago, Al-Ma'arri was writing Arabic poems of extreme complexity, promoting a rational ideal and most remarkably, making an ethical case for veganism. We tell the story of his life ...

Digital Vegans: with Happy Cow founder, iPhone apps, London Vegans, and Kerry McCarthy MP from 2012-01-30T18:58:14

How has the digital revolution changed being vegan? We talk to Eric Brent, founder of leading vegetarian restaurant finder Happy Cow. Diana reviews smartphone apps. Ian finds out how the digital...

Peace on Earth: will we ever have it? With Peter Singer and Gary Francione discussing Steven Pinker’s “The Better Angels of our Nature” from 2011-12-20T12:00:20

This season of peace and goodwill, in our special Christmas show, we ask whether there will ever be peace on Earth. Steven Pinker, author of "Better Angels of Our Nature", says that human viole...

Veganism in Politics: The British Parliament Debates World Vegan Day from 2011-12-13T19:00:49

At the end of our last episode, Kerry McCarthy MP said she'd asked for a debate in Parliament to mark World Vegan Day.

She was successful, and at the end of business on November 1st the H...

Veganism in Politics: Chris Williamson MP, Cathy Jamieson MP and Kerry McCarthy MP answer your questions from 2011-12-01T14:12:03

The three vegan Members of the British Parliament (MPs) answer your questions. Are they afraid about how voters will react to their veganism? And what's the food like at the House of Commons? Listen

Veganism in Politics: Chris Williamson MP, Cathy Jamieson MP and Kerry McCarthy MP with questions from Dennis Kucinich and Maneka Gandhi from 2011-11-01T00:08:52

We profile the handful of people who combine veganism with politics at their country's national level. I went to the UK Parliament to meet Britain's three vegan MPs. What was their path to polit...

The Pledge: the London Vegan Campaigns challenge to go vegan for a month from 2011-10-11T20:43:36

We start our show at the beginning - when folk choose the vegan option. In this case, for a month, challenged and supported by London Vegan Campaigns. I talk to mother Ananthi and middle-aged co...

A very small sneak peek. from 2011-10-11T00:22:57

This is a small introductory snippet to let folk who get our podcast in iTunes or other podcast readers check that it’s working – and the first hint of our theme tune.

The pos...