The Top 10 Everything of 2008

To highlight the plight of calves and cows, the advocacy group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote an open letter to the Ben & Jerry's ice cream company, urging them to swap the cow's milk in their products for human breast milk. "Your customers and cows would reap the benefits," PETA noted, arguing that cow's milk leads to human obesity, heart disease and allergies, among other ailments. Not surprisingly, Ben & Jerry's executives were non-responsive and their employees were somewhat disgusted. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk later told TIME that the breast milk campaign was designed to draw attention to the fact that calves are separated from their mothers soon after birth to be raised for veal, and the cows are milked by machine in the name of human consumption. Newkirk admitted the letter was a gimmick, saying, "It isn't feasible at all, but it's great fun to suggest it."