Nathan Runkle is the founder of Mercy For Animals, an organization that focuses on the prevention of cruelty to the billions of farm animals raised for food in the United States.
Nathan's just written an amazing memoir, titled Mercy For Animals, with friend-of-the-podcast Gene Stone. The book is part coming of age story, part exposé of the animal agriculture industry, and part gripping tale of adventure and risk and strategy as a few passionate, committed young people go undercover to expose the abuses that are a regular and normal and accepted part of our meat-based food chain.
Nathan's a fascinating guy. Born into a farming community where raising and eating animals was simply a way of life, he began his career as an animal rights activist at age 11. Soon after he became a vegetarian, reasoning that if he wasn't going to enslave, torture, and consume animals himself, he refused to pay others to do it for him.
By 13, he was attending national conferences. And at 15, he founded Mercy For Animals, now an international investigative, legal, and educational powerhouse for change. Now, in his 30s, Nathan is a beacon of clarity and common sense, and an indefatigable spokesperson for the most vulnerable among us: the domesticated livestock who live and die according to our whims.
I can't describe what an honor it was to get this man on the phone for an hour!
In our conversation, we covered:
- the four pillars of Mercy For Animals (undercover investigation, corporate outreach, legal advocacy, and education)
- Nathan's goal in writing the book
- animal rights work – seeing the darkest and brightest sides of humanity
- the piglet that catalyzed Nathan's life and mission
- “if someone did to a cat or dog what we do to farm animals, they would be referred for psychiatric evaluation”
- how to deal with our own anger as activists and channel it in productive ways (“animals need us to be effective”)
- “we don't get shamed, guilted, or yelled at into advocacy”
- when you see a non-vegan, think “pre-vegan” – and remember that you were once pre-vegan
- escaping the triangle of victimization
- why “mercy” is the right word
- the hidden heroes of the animal protection movement
- the realities and costs of PITS (perpetrator induced traumatic stress)
- the dance of opposition and collaboration with Nestlé
- the future of cruelty-free meats: Impossible Foods, Memphis Meats
- “we will see the end of factory farming in our lifetimes” – simply because it's economically inefficient
- and much more…
Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.
Links
Mercy For Animals: One Man's Quest to Inspire Compassion and Improve the Lives of Farm Animals
Nathan on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
The Missing Chins Run Club on Good Morning America: Thursday, October 26, 2017
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Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.
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Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.
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