It’s been raining fur-free ads from PETA lately — and to cap off the week, we’ve got Irish supermodel Suzanne McCabe striking a pose.

The shot is actually a collaboration between PETA U.K. and the Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN). A long-time animal lover and vegetarian, McCabe recently signed on with ARAN to help them campaign against Canada’s annual slaughter of baby seals for their fur.

The ad debuts in the wake of the Republic of Ireland’s wonderful announcement that fur farming will be phased out in the country over the next three years.

For more info, hit PETA UK here.

If for some reason you feel compelled to own Sarah Palin’s new book “Going Rogue”, might we suggest you grab it from these guys?

San Francisco’s Green Apple Books has decided that the best way to justify selling Palin’s book is to have it benefit some cause. To that end, they’ve decided to give 100% of the proceeds from sales of “Going Rogue” to the Alaska Wildlife Federation. From their blog,

“With all due to respect to the Republicans who were as overjoyed as I was (for different reasons, of course) by Sarah Palin’s nomination to the McCain ticket last year, Green Apple is donating 100% of the profits from sales of Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue: An American Life to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.”

Founded in 1978, the AWA is the only group in Alaska solely dedicated to the protection of Alaska’s wildlife. That means wolves, bears, and other animals that were consistently under threat under Palin’s tenure as Governor of Alaska. We can’t think of a better way to offset this book — and commend Green Apple for not just going rogue, but being “mavericks.”

Providing us with further proof that Mariah Carey is living on another planet, the singer’s list of diva demands for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at a London mall was recently leaked. In it, she asked for 20 white kittens and 100 white doves to accompany her at the extravagant event. She also asked to be showered with butterfly-shaped confetti while standing on a custom made pink podium and waving a magic wand.

Unfortunately, while the organizers were able to source the 100 doves that were to be released into the sky, the kittens proved troublesome. A source told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper: “In the end, it was made clear that due to health and safety, there was no way we could have the animals at Westfield. Pets are not allowed in Westfield – that rule would apply for everyone.”

We have no idea if they were also successful in coming up with a “magic” wand. No doubt, Mariah would have pointed them towards Diagon Alley; it being London and all.

via Baltimore Sun

And so it begins.

The Japanese whaling fleet, led by the factory ship Nisshin Maru and its catcher boats, left port today for Antarctic waters. Groups such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Greenpeace condemned the departure; while the Australian government expressed “deep disappointment” and called on Japan to join its $32 million non-lethal whale science program. As we’re all aware, Japan’s research claims are a giant joke. “With well over 9,000 minke whales killed in 22 years and no useful data produced, Japan’s so-called research’ in the Antarctic is an international embarrassment,” Jun Hoshikawa, Executive Director of Greenpeace Japan.

According to a rep for the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research, the whaling fleet is targeting 850 minke whales and 50 fin whales. Humpback whales will be spared — effectively extending a postponement agreement from 2007.

There’s reason to hope that the 2009/2010 whaling season may be the last from Japan. As we reported last week, the new Japanese government is looking to cut programs that are bloated and a waste of taxpayer money — something the whaling industry is a perfect example of. With demand for whale meat decreasing and costs increasing, it may be only a matter of time before the flow of government subsidies to the fleet is cut.

And of course, waiting in the wings to help quicken the industry’s demise is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Paul Watson and his crew will kick off Operation Waltzing Matilda on December 7th. Along for the ride once again will be a camera crew from Animal Planet’s Whale Wars, as well as the org’s latest ship, the high-tech ‘Harpoon Blocker” Ady Gil.

The topless shot should actually come as no surprise to our British readers, as Hazell has been a regular in the UK Sun’s racy Page 3 spreads. She’s also been voted an “environmental hero” for the eco-friendly tips she regularly dishes out to readers. Who knew Page 3 could be so informative?

“I always make a point of telling stylists at shoots that I won’t wear fur,” the 23-year-old told PETA. “It’s never been a problem after all, everyone from Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood to H&M and Topshop have no-fur policies,” she explains. “I like to support designers who are able to create fashionable and popular clothes without getting blood on their hands.”

To learn more about Keeley’s work with PETA, jump here.

Jane Goodall is one of my all-time favorite people! A tireless advocate for compassion, Jane has proudly earned her title as “UN Messenger of Peace.”

Goodall recently appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to discuss her lifetime of work. In the interview, she talks about the dangers of keeping wild animals as pets, saying:

“The full range of chimp emotion is the same as ours. It’s exactly the same. They have a dark side, they have a bright side. But I’ve worked with chimpanzees in the wild for nearly 50 years, they don’t bite off our faces. They’re not meant to be in homes — they’re wild animals.”

Amen!

Goodall also discusses her organization, Roots and Shoots, which engages and inspires young people to work for human, environmental and animal issues. I mean can she get any cooler? Check out the video out below the fold to hear more of what Jane has to say!

Earlier this year, Ecorazzi reported that Sir Roger Moore was speaking out against foie gras in a BIG way! The well-known actor had targeted  Selfridges–one of the largest supermarkets in the UK–and asked them to stop selling the cruel stuff. Moore even sent a private letter to Selfridges’ owner, offering to buy the company’s entire remaining stock if they agreed never to carry it again.

Well…WE HAVE A WINNER!

After two years of targeted campaign efforts, Selfridges has agreed to take foie gras off its shelves. WOO!! A big thank you to PETA, Moore and all those who worked hard to convince the major retailer to drop the foie.

To learn more about this victory, visit PETA.org!

NFL tight end (word play!) Tony Gonzalez and wife October are the latest pair to pose for PETA’s “rather go naked than wear fur” campaign. The 33-year-old made waves two years ago in the sports world after announcing that he was going vegan; something he credits for dramatically improving his health. “I’m going into my 13th year in the NFL, and I switched over [to a plant-based diet] two years ago. … [T]he day after a game, everybody’s sore … and I’m jumping rope and they’re looking at me like, ‘Man you’re supposed to be the old guy on the team. You’re acting like you’re the youngest guy on the team.’”

Check out PETA interview with Tony and his wife by jump here.

[Update: Thanks to YourDailyVegan.com for pointing out that Gonzalez is no longer vegan.]

Forget the rotten butter bombs, batmobile speedboats, or international protests. What may ultimately doom the Japanese whaling industry is money.

For the longest time, Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd gang have harassed the Japanese whaling fleet with the goal of reducing their quotas and hemorrhaging their bank accounts. Under the guise of “research”, the whaling industry has enjoyed massive government subsidies to help make up for a declining market. The last few years, however, have not been kind — especially with the SS on their tails. Worse for the wear, the Japanese whaling industry needed $1.2 million in taxpayer money to break even during the 2008-2009 season. Total whaling subsidies have amounted to $164 million since 1998.

According to Greenpeace, the Japanese government is currently looking to tackle bureaucratic waste through cost cutting and elimination of blood-sucking programs. Directly in their sights is the Japanese Overseas Fisheries Co-operation Fund, which supports the whaling fleet’s manager. If the OFCF’s loans went belly up, the manager, the Institute of Cetacean Research, would be in financial trouble.

We’re tuning up the world’s smallest violin in anticipation. Stay tuned.

via The Age

This week has been event-central here in New York City. From the Global Green Sustainable Design Awards to the HSUS’s Cool vs. Cruel fashion event, we’ve been running around town like crazy people!

Last night, I had the honor of attending the New York League of Humane Voters’ annual gala and taking part in the celebration of an amazing organization.

The NYLHV is a non-profit which works to pass animal protection laws, elect humane candidates to office, educate the public on matters of public policy, and hold politicians accountable to their constituents.

They’ve achieved a record number of successes this year and celebrated those last night with a fancy schmancy party full of famous faces and well-known politicians, including Governor David Paterson whom delivered the Keynote speech.

“I have a concern about the horses that ride the carriages around Central Park,” said Paterson. “There is a certain sort of aesthetic quality to life in New York, but it should not be exacerbated at the behest and the slaughter of some of nature’s finest jewels.”

Paterson ended his speech with a story:

“I used to read a story to my son…about an animal called a lorax. A lorax was an environmentalist and was often asked, ‘Why are you so curt and why do you speak so much?’ And the lorax said, ‘I speak for the trees because they have no voice, and I speak for the animals because they have no voice.’ And so, to all of you here at the New York League of the Humane Voters, I say keep speaking.”

The evening closed with a delicious all-vegan dinner and lots of cheers for a group that work their tale off for the betterment of New York State. Visit the New York League of Humane Voters website to learn more about this important organization.