Puppies, Pandemics, and Public Health

Animal Testing: The Science Has Changed. Has the Public? | Ep23

EPISODE SUMMARY For 40 years, governments have quietly acknowledged that animal testing often fails to predict what medicines will do to humans. So why does the public still believe it's the gold standard? Jeffrey Brown, an epidemiologist who advises on animal-free testing methods, explains why the science has moved on, even if the narrative hasn't. IN THIS EPISODE - Why animal testing results often don't translate to human safety outcomes - The 1986 European Union directive that called for moving away from animal methods - How basic cell and molecular biology research differs from regulatory safety testing - The latest EU data showing animal use in research is declining - What the FDA and other regulatory agencies actually need from safety testing - How to evaluate conflicting messages from research institutions and advocacy groups - The gap between public perception of animal testing and what scientists know KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Animal testing is not the reliable safety check most people assume it is, and scientists who work in regulatory affairs know this. 2. The European Union has tracked animal use in research for decades, and the numbers keep dropping as better methods take hold. 3. Moving away from animal testing is not just an ethical position. It is a scientific one, backed by 40 years of regulatory policy. 4. When governments and drug approval agencies push for non-animal methods, they are trying to get more accurate data, not less. 5. You do not have to be an expert to ask better questions about where safety data comes from. KEYWORDS Jeffrey Brown, animal testing, non-animal methods, FDA, drug safety, epidemiology, cell biology, medical device testing, European Union animal research policy, regulatory science, public health, animal-free research, toxicity testing, Science Consortium

Factory Farming Is Polluting America’s Water and Nobody’s Stopping It | Ep22

EPISODE SUMMARY Factory farming produces 98% of the meat Americans eat, and its environmental damage runs far deeper than most people realize. Ken Swensen, founder of Inside Animal Ag, breaks down how industrial animal agriculture has become the primary driver of water pollution in the United States, contaminating drinking wells, killing aquatic life, and creating dead zones in our oceans. IN THIS EPISODE - Why 98% of animal products in the U.S. come from factory farms, despite misleading packaging - How concentrated manure and fertilizer runoff cause nutrient pollution in waterways - The link between factory farming and the Gulf of Mexico dead zone - Nitrate contamination in private wells and why 1.5 million Americans drink unsafe water - Health effects of nitrate exposure, including blue baby syndrome, cancer, and birth defects - Agricultural exceptionalism and why regulators look the other way - How meat labels deceive consumers into thinking they're buying humane products KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Factory farming is the primary cause of water pollution in the United States, driven by excess manure and fertilizer from feed crops. 2. Even nitrate levels at half the EPA's legal limit can cause serious health problems, including cancer and birth defects. 3. Most consumers believe they're avoiding factory farm products, but deceptive labeling keeps them in the dark. 4. Aquatic species are the most threatened animals in the U.S., largely because of nutrient pollution from industrial agriculture. 5. The health and environmental costs of factory farming are quietly transferred from corporations to rural communities who never agreed to bear them. KEYWORDS Ken Swensen, Inside Animal Ag, factory farming, industrial animal agriculture, water pollution, nutrient pollution, nitrates in drinking water, Gulf of Mexico dead zone, manure runoff, feed crops, agricultural exceptionalism, food labeling, public health, environmental health, rural communities

Behind the Label: How Industries Shape What We Believe About Animals | Ep21

In this episode of Puppies, Pandemics, and Public Health, Dr. Johnny Lieberman talks with Ashley Frohnert, Director of Social Media at PETA, about humane-washing, consumer psychology, and the hidden realities behind products marketed as ethical, humane, or compassionate. From her childhood in 4-H to leading one of the world’s most influential animal advocacy social media teams, Ashley shares how questioning deeply held beliefs can lead to unexpected discoveries about animals, industry, and ourselves.

Humane Washing: The Labels Consumers Trust and the Truth Behind Them with Amber Canavan | Ep20

Amber Canavan joins Dr. Johnny Lieberman to discuss humane washing, the marketing tactics used to make industrial animal agriculture appear ethical and compassionate. Together, they explore consumer psychology, public perception, animal advocacy, and the growing role of social media in exposing hidden realities behind food labeling and animal welfare claims.

Why Animal Testing Is a Broken System and What's Replacing It with Mackensey Alexander | Ep19

What if the biggest obstacle to curing Alzheimer's, ALS, and cancer isn't funding or effort, but the model we've been using for 2,000 years? Mackensey Alexander, bioethicist and law student at Lewis & Clark, makes the case that animal testing isn't just ethically wrong, it's scientifically broken. With a 90% failure rate in translating results to humans and $23 billion in taxpayer dollars spent annually on animal models, Mackensey and Dr. Lieberman break down the growing field of New Approach Methods (NAMs), from tumor organoids to organ-on-a-chip technology, and why the science of the future is already here. Plus: what's happening right now in Washington D.C. that could change everything.