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AR-NEWS Digest 377
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Action Alert Update Dolphin Capture
by ScottVanValkenburg
2) British Hunting Ban Praised
by Mike Markarian
3) (US) DRAG DIVAS ROAST PELT PUSHERS AT PETA'S FASHION WEEK BASH
by allen schubert
4) (TW)PETA--PIGS BEATEN, ELECTROCUTED, AND BURIED ALIVE IN
TAIWAN
by allen schubert
5) Protest Ron Wood!
by Suzanne Roy
6) Austrians Overwhelmingly Reject GE Food In National Referendum
by pmligotti@earthlink.net (Peter M. Ligotti)
7) Animal communication
by Andrew Gach
8) Science and the bottom line
by Andrew Gach
9) Animal systems
by Andrew Gach
10) [UK/HK] Marine 'fired at rat' during secret mission
by David J Knowles
11) [US] Hockey fans asked not to throw octupus
by David J Knowles
12) [UK] MoD joins alliance to save the black grouse
by David J Knowles
13) [CA] 'Wild kingdom' day has premier, MLA dodging animals
by David J Knowles
14) [CA] 'Ifs' drive new animal-abuse punishment
by David J Knowles
15) Fwd: [CA] Vancouver beluga transfer
by David J Knowles
16) (CN) Restaurants serving snake multiplying in Shanghai
by Vadivu Govind
17) (IN) Indian animal rightists demonstrate for cows
by Vadivu Govind
18) (IN) Experts flay claims over tiger population
by Vadivu Govind
19) (SG) 35 mosques forced to cancel ritual
by Vadivu Govind
20) Some rams stray into gay baas: Scientists
by Vadivu Govind
21) More on THAT Fish Study
by Vadivu Govind
22) (IN) New Indian Animal Rights Website
by Vadivu Govind
23) Connect with Action
by allen schubert
24) Re: (TW)PETA--PIGS BEATEN, ELECTROCUTED, AND BURIED ALIVE IN
TAIWAN
by Ming-Lee Yeh
25) (TH) Wildlife Sanctuaries
by Vadivu Govind
26) Connecticut AlertConnecticut Action Alert- Help Defeat Bill
857 Connecticut Activists: Friends of Animals needs your help to
defeat Bill No. 857, which has already been approved by the
Environment Committee and is likely to reach the General Assembly
floor for a vote. Please contact your legislators today. The bill
would give the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental
Protection carte blanche with regards to wildlife management. It
states that the Commissioner "...may destroy and dispose of any
species which he determines to be undesirable..." If the bill is
passed it would do the following: -Place absolute power in the hands
of the DEP without the benefit of broad public input. It would allow
the DEP to cater to hunters without the input of most citizens who
insist on being represented when wildlife policies are being debated
and analyzed. -Mute swans and other nongame species would lose
protection. Since 1981, Friends of Animals has fought the DEP to keep
by Friends of Animals
27) More Resources: Genetic Engineering of Food and Animals
by pmligotti@earthlink.net (Peter M. Ligotti)
28) Bardo Speaks Out???
by "H. Morris"
29) Mcd's new Promo
by "H. Morris"
30) (Fwd) abuse update
by "Alliance for Animals"
31) Indiana Farmer Dies from Mad Cow Related Illness??? (US)
by LCartrLong@aol.com
32) SUMMER-Africa/Brazil> ProjDIRs/Interns ('97 & '98)
by allen schubert
33) (US) Bill Would Weaken Tuna Rule
by allen schubert
34) [UK] Police set up genetic database for birds
by David J Knowles
35) (US) Tiny Waterborne Organism Kills Fish
by allen schubert
36) Urgent RFI
by David J Knowles
37) Shrine Circus Seattle - Sponsors
by bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
38) (US) POTOMAC ENDANGERED
by allen schubert
39) Linda Blair New Jersey Calendar Signing
by
40) (CU) 'Free Willy' was a movie, Menique is real
by allen schubert
41) Legal Help for Hungerstriker
by nnetwork@cwnet.com
42) Fwd: Bardot Again Blasts Sheep Killing
by LMANHEIM@aol.com
43) (US-PA) Harrisburg AR Group to Protest Laboratory Animals
by allen schubert
44) (US-PA) EarthSave Central PA--Upcoming Events!
by allen schubert
45) Fruit flies hold the key to human alcoholism
by Andrew Gach
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 14:08:15 -0700
>From: ScottVanValkenburg
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Action Alert Update Dolphin Capture
Message-ID: <13252396509.12.SCOTT@mathom.xkl.com>
I sent out an alert on Friday concerning the Dallas World Aquarium Ts outrageous plans to
capture and display Amazon River Dolphins. The Aquarium now admits to plans to grab four of
these highly endagnered animals from their home waters. Only one facility (Pittsburgh Zoo)
currently has one of these fresh-water dolphins in captivity. He was given the educational name
of Chuckles by his captors. The animals are found in South America.
Please help stop this capture. Fax notices to Daryl Richardson, President,
Dallas World Aquarium, and demand that he withdraw plans to capture and
display Amazon River Dolphins (or any marine mammal!). Fax him at 214/720-
2242. Please act today.
Groups in Dallas interested in organizing, please email me privately.
Also, please send a POLITE letter (or cc the above fax) to the Mayor of
Dallas, Honorable Ronald Kirk, by fax to 214/670-0646. Let him know that you
won't visit any facility that houses captive marine mammals, and that any
city allowing capture and display will be viewed unfavorably by the public.
Thanks for acting to keep dolphins free.
scott
scott@xkl.com
-------
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 13:49:59 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: British Hunting Ban Praised
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970415213039.594fb71c@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> c The Associated Press
>
> By SUE LEEMAN
> LONDON (AP) - Animal welfare groups rejoiced and hunters
>threatened legal action Thursday when one of Britain's largest
>landowners banned stag hunting, saying the sport is unduly
>stressful to the animals.
> The National Trust's 40-member governing council voted
>unanimously to ban stag hunting on its 600,000 acres, council
>member Rodney Legg said.
> The decision pointed up sharp divisions in Britain over hunting,
>which attracts some 240,000 enthusiasts, either on horseback or
>following the riders and dogs on foot.
> ``We believe this is a very big nail in the coffin of hunting,''
>said Kevin Saunders of the League Against Cruel Sports.
> ``We're now calling upon all political parties to make their
>positions clear on this issue and ban all types of hunting,
>including fox and hare hunting.''
> Peter Davies, director-general of the Royal Society for the
>Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said a ban ``would reflect the
>views of the majority of the British public.''
> But Arnold Garvey, editor of the hunting magazine ``Horse and
>Hound,'' said hunters are likely to challenge the Trust's decision
>in court.
> ``I am sure hunting will go on,'' said Garvey, who rode out with
>the Devon and Somerset Stag Hounds in southwest England on
>Thursday. ``I believe hunting ... is a natural cull. It is nothing
>to be ashamed of.''
> The vote came a day after the release of a scientific study that
>concluded deer suffer extreme stress when chased for miles by packs
>of dogs and hunters on horseback.
> The study, directed by animal behaviorist Patrick Bateson of
>Cambridge University and commissioned by the National Trust, drew
>no conclusions about foxes and hares, which also are hunted with
>dog packs.
> Bateson said stalking deer and killing them with rifles was a
>better method of controlling deer populations.
> ``The hunting of red deer with hounds causes unnecessary
>suffering to the animals that is far beyond their natural
>expectations,'' said Charles Nunneley, chairman of the 102-year-old
>National Trust.
> Sir Robin Dunn, 79, whose wife's family gave land to the
>National Trust on the basis that hunting would continue, said
>Thursday that he would seek another opinion on the Bateson report.
> The ban could be fatal for the 90-year-old Quantock Staghounds,
>which hunts solely on Trust land in southwest England. ``It appears
>it will mean the end of the hunt,'' spokesman Dennis White said.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 17:59:46 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) DRAG DIVAS ROAST PELT PUSHERS AT PETA'S FASHION WEEK BASH
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970416175942.006a5a64@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from PETA news release page:
-----------------------------------------------
DRAG DIVAS ROAST PELT PUSHERS AT PETA'S FASHION WEEK BASH
Fashion Icons Impersonated in Times Square
For Immediate Release:
April 11, 1997
Contact:
Dan Matthews 757-622-7382
New York -- PETA's runway parody of fur by New York's trendiest
cross-dressers promises to bring Fashion
Week to a flaming finish.
Downtown drag doyenne Mistress Formika--dressed to the nines as Vogue
editor Anna Wintour--will host
PETA's "Fur Is a Drag" fashion bash at Club Expo, 124 W. 43rd St., just a
block away from the tents near
Times Square. Wintour's incessant pelt promotions have made her a primary
PETA target.
"Anna" and pelt-pusher "Karl Lagerfeld" (performance artist David Ilku)
will host an open bar and press
reception at the club from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and will preside over a
fur-ocious fashion show at midnight
featuring Miss Understood, Sweetie, Ragu Mountain Woman, Jem Jender, and
Hedda Lettuce, who was
arrested in a fur protest at the CFDA Fashion Awards last month.
Among the guests will be singer Kate Pierson of The B-52's, who was
arrested at Vogue headquarters
during an antifur PETA sit-in.
PETA's colorful invitation to the event--featuring a dour "Anna"
clutching a spoof copy of Morgue
magazine--touched off a fire storm of controversy this week as the Vogue
editor threatened to sue PETA if all
of the invitations bearing her likeness were not destroyed.
Undeterred, the show will go on as planned with guest DJ techno superstar
Moby, whose new album on
Elektra just happens to be titled Animal Rights.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 18:01:28 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TW)PETA--PIGS BEATEN, ELECTROCUTED, AND BURIED ALIVE IN
TAIWAN
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970416180125.006e5334@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from PETA news release page:
---------------------------------------------
PIGS BEATEN, ELECTROCUTED, AND BURIED ALIVE IN TAIWAN
PETA Appeals to President Lee to End Cruelty
For Immediate Release:
April 14, 1997
Contact:
Michael McGraw 757-622-7382, ext. 310
Taiwan -- The recent outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease among pigs in
Taiwan has sent the Taiwanese
government on a violent killing spree, with hundreds of thousands of pigs
being cruelly beaten and
slaughtered in extremely painful ways in attempts to curb the epidemic.
Reports from Taiwan show soldiers bludgeoning pigs, crudely electrocuting
them, or burying them alive in a
mass extermination campaign that may eventually include more than 2
million pigs.
PETA has faxed an urgent request to Taiwan's President Lee, urging him to
take immediate action to end
the torture and violent slaughter of the pigs and to guarantee the pigs
are given a humane death at the very
least.
An estimated 900 million pigs are confined to intensive factory
farms--where disease spreads rapidly
because of extreme overcrowding--in Taiwan.
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 17:07:27 -0500 (CDT)
>From: Suzanne Roy
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Protest Ron Wood!
Message-ID: <199704152207.RAA02552@dfw-ix4.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
PROTEST NIH COVER-UP OF RON WOOD'S ANIMAL ABUSE AND FRAUD
WORLD WEEK FOR ANIMALS IN LABORATORIES
Thursday, April 24, 1997 Washington, DC
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. SW
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Join us as we converge on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
to protest the NIH's outrageous whitewash of animal abuse and scientific
fraud committed by infamous vivisector Ron Wood. Help us focus attention
on NIH's scandalous decision to re-fund Wood's crack smoking experiments on
monkeys after they were shut down amidst federal charges for hundreds of
violations of the Animal Welfare Act. A strong show of force is necessary to
convince HHS Secretary Donna Shalala to stop this tragic waste of tax
dollars and animal lives.
Speakers at the protest will include Ray Greek, M.D. of the Medical Research
Modernization Committee; Kenneth Shapiro, Ph.D., Executive Director of
Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Anjay Elzanowski,
Ph.D., Assistant Director for Research at Humane Society of the United
States; Rhoda Ruttenberg, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in the treatment
of drug addiction; Tracy Reiman of People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals; and Paul Shapiro of Compassion Over Killing.
For more information, contact In Defense of Animals at 415/388-9641.
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 15:18:32 -0700
>From: pmligotti@earthlink.net (Peter M. Ligotti)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Austrians Overwhelmingly Reject GE Food In National Referendum
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
GREENPEACE: AUSTRIAN REFERENDUM SENDS
STRONG MESSAGE ON GENETIC ENGINEERING
Greenpeace: The world must listen! - Stop genetically engineered food!
Vienna, April 14, 1997 -- "The European Commission should listen
to the 1,226,551 Austrian citizens who signed a referendum
calling on their government to stop the release of genetically
engineered organisms into food and the environment,"
Greenpeace Austria Executive Director Ulrike Schelander said today.
The referendum on genetic engineering came in second in the
list of referenda in Austria. It was the most successful vote
on enviromental issues.
"With this sensational result, the Austrian people have given a
very strong signal to the other EU countries and the whole world:
A vast part of our population does not want to eat genetically
altered food. Now the politicians have to act accordingly",
Schelander said. "It is not only Austrians who do not want
genetic engineering in their food or environment. Greenpeace is
getting a similar message from consumers and Governments all
around Europe and beyond."
France and Italy have banned the growing of genetically
engineered maize; Austria and Luxembourg have also banned its import.
The EU Parliament last week strongly criticised the EU Commission
for its outrageous behaviour in authorising genetically engineered
maize. European Commission President Jacques Santers' reaction to the
Parliamentary resolution last week was not one of concern, but rather
the opposite: he is trying to try to find ways to stifle
such strong criticism from the Parliament in future.
This week the Commission has been summoned yet again to a meeting
at the United States Department of Agriculture which has reacted
to the European opposition to genetic engineering by saying
`this shouldn't be allowed to happen.'
"For whom is Mr. Santer working - the United States Department
of Agriculture or Europe? Are we to have no democracy or rights
in Europe?" asked Greenpeace Director Schelander.
Following the successful referendum, Greenpeace and the other
initiators demanded a package of immediate measures from the
Austrian government:
1. An immediate moratorium on all releases of GMOs;
2. A ban on the production of genetically manipulated organisms;
3. An import ban on GE maize has to be complied with and defended,
if necessary up to the European Court;
4. Austria should ban the import of GE soya;
5. An Austrian veto against the EU patents directive;
6. Strict liability-regulations for GE production and transport;
7. Strict and comprehensive labelling of all GE food in Austria;
8. Austria should be take a proposal to the EU for a
moratorium on releases of all GMOs in Europe.
"In 1978, the Austrian population voted against the nuclear plant
Zwentendorf and thus, as the first country in the world, said no
to nuclear power. Now Austria once again has become a worldwide pioneer,
by pushing back genetically manipulated food and agricultural products",
said Schelander.
for further information:
Matthias Schickhofer, Greenpeace Austria
Tel: ++43-1-7130061-44 or ++43-664-3386503 (mobile phone)
Attila Cerman, Greenpeace Austria
Tel: ++43-1-7130061-58 or ++43-663-9208162 (mobile phone)
Cindy Baxter, Greenpeace International, Tel: ++31-20-5236279
notes to the editors:
1) The referendum against genetical engineering was organised
and supported by a broad coalition of environmental and animal
protection organisations, Austrian farmers and parts of the
catholic church of Austria. It was up for signing between
April 7 - April 14:
NO GENETICALLY MANIPULATED FOOD
Ban of the production, import and sale of genetically manipulated food
and agricultural products in Austria.
NO GMO RELEASES IN AUSTRIA
Ban of the release of genetically manipulated plants, animals and
microorganisms.
NO PATENTING OF LIFE
Ban of the patenting of living beings.
2) According to Austrian law, every referendum that receives
more than 100,000 signatures has to be dealt with by the parliament
within one year. The most successful referendum in the
past was against the construction of the
Vienna Conference Centre in 1982
(1,361,562 signatures).
3) There are 5.76 million voters in Austria.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:50 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Animal communication
Message-ID: <33545816.52E5@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Researcher believes animals have a lot to say
San Francisco Examiner
SAN FRANCISCO (April 15, 1997 01:02 a.m. EDT) -- Unlike humans, animals
lack sophisticated languages -- but that doesn't mean they aren't saying
anything.
According to legend, Eskimos have hundreds of different words for
"snow." Likewise, animals have multiple ways of crying "Help!" that vary
according to the type of threat, a top scientist says. Certain monkeys
even know how to lie, and for the same reason that many humans lie --
for sex, says researcher Peter Marler.
In Africa, vervet monkeys utter one type of cry when threatened by a
snake; another when attacked by a leopard; and yet another when
assaulted by an eagle, said Marler, who works at the University of
California-Davis.
That way, Marler explained at a language conference Saturday at the
California Academy of Sciences, their fellow vervets will know where to
hide: say, in a tree, far above the snake; or in a bush, where the eagle
can't reach them.
Also, field researchers in Africa have observed male vervet monkeys
attracting females by uttering the vervet word for "food," Marler said.
Just as some human females discover that their blind date's "BMW" is a
rusting Chevy and his "high-powered job" is the night shift at Arby's,
the female vervet rushes up to the male and discovers the "food" is a
twig or leaf.
Marler is "the doyen of animal communication research," said the
scientist who introduced him, Nina G. Jablonski, chair of anthropology
at the academy.
For centuries, scientists have wondered whether the animal world's
cacophony of clucks, tweets, woofs, meows and cock-a-doodle-doos are
primitive forms of language.
Or are they just meaningless grunts, peeps and squeals that creatures
utter as automatically and helplessly as a wind-up doll's plea to
"Change me"? Many animal lovers prefer to believe the former; animal
"behaviorists," the latter.
The contentious science of "animal communication" peaked in the 1970s.
Back then, scientists claimed they had trained primates how to
communicate with sign language.
But critics analyzed videotapes of the training sessions and claimed the
primates didn't really "understand" what they were "saying." Afterward,
the field withered and federal research funds largely dried up.
Nowadays, most animal communication experts' goals are far more modest.
Instead of trying to "talk" via sign language with animals, they
passively observe animals in the laboratory or the field and tape-record
their utterances.
What if the animals are, so to speak, tongue-tied? Well, like movie
Nazis, the scientists have "vays of making zem talk." Nice, harmless
ways, that is.
For example, scientists have startled a chicken into squawking the
chickenish cry of "Hawk!" by placing a TV set over its head, then
showing a videotape of a hawk attack.
In the field, researchers play tape recordings of vervet monkey cries to
see how these affect real monkeys. For example, they'll play a vervet
monkey cry that, translated into human English, means "Look out! Snake!"
Startled, the real-life monkeys stand on their hind feet and look around
for snakes.
And when the scientists play a cry that is monkey-speak for "Look out!
Eagle!", the real-life monkeys hide in a bush where the eagle can't
reach them.
Such experiments offer "great, compelling hints" that the monkeys' cries
aren't simply dumb reflexes, Marler said. Rather, they're the equivalent
of human words that refer to specific objects in the environment, Marler
says.
It raises the $64,000 question: If certain animals utter "words," can
they assemble those words into "sentences"?
This is "the most difficult (issue in animal communication research),
the one I feel most timid in approaching," Marler acknowledged. On the
one hand, he is "virtually certain" there is no evidence that animals
can assemble words into sentences.
On the other hand, tape recordings of certain bird calls show they
contain an intricate internal structure. That structure includes "a
simple library of six (musical) note types" that the bird rearranges
into a complex variety of songs, he said.
In other words, he joked, animal "talk" isn't totally explained by what
a colleague scorns as "the GOP theory" -- a theory that animal
utterances are just "grunts of pain."
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:43:07 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Science and the bottom line
Message-ID: <335458DB.5CC6@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Researchers say drug company blocked publication of unfavorable study
The Associated Press
CHICAGO (April 15, 1997 5:25 p.m. EDT) -- For more than six years, a
drug manufacturer suppressed research that could have helped an
estimated 8 million Americans save $356 million a year by using cheaper
alternatives to the company's synthetic thyroid hormone.
Knoll Pharmaceutical Co. finally threatened to sue to halt publication
of a study that could topple its near-monopoly on the $600 million
retail market for the drug, the study's lead author told The Journal of
the American Medical Association. The journal published the research on
Wednesday for the first time.
Knoll said it had scientific objections to the study.
With the drug industry spending millions each year on medical studies,
the episode raises troubling questions about the companies' influence
over research findings on which their profits may depend.
"We don't know whether things have been locked up in laboratories that
could save lives," said Dr. David Blumenthal of Massachusetts General
Hospital. "That is probably overdramatic, but I do think there is
probably some delaying ... slowing the progress of science."
Knoll's product, Synthroid, controls 85 percent of the market for
synthetic thyroid hormone, used by people whose thyroid glands have been
damaged by disease or have been surgically removed.
Thyroid hormones regulate metabolism, the chemical activity in cells
that releases energy from nutrients or fuels the manufacture of other
substances, such as proteins.
Synthroid dominates the market in part because it was the first
synthetic thyroid hormone. Natural thyroid extracts had been marketed
for years before federal rules required a scientific benchmark for the
drugs' effectiveness.
In 1987, Synthroid's manufacturer -- at the time, Flint Laboratories --
commissioned a study of the drug. Betty J. Dong, a pharmacist at the
University of California at San Francisco who had published findings
suggesting Synthroid might be superior, was hired to compare Synthroid
to three other,
similar drugs.
Her study showed clearly that the cheaper competitors -- one brand-name
drug and two generics -- worked just as well as Synthroid for thyroid
deficiency.
Over the next four years, the company tried to discredit the study and
prevent its publication, the journal said in an editorial.
After demands for revisions and a university investigation that found no
problems with the work, the study was sent to the journal and slated for
publication in January 1995.
Twelve days before it was to appear, Dong suddenly withdrew the
manuscript, saying Knoll had threatened to sue because her contract
prohibited publication without the manufacturer's OK.
The company has admantly denied making such threats but said it withheld
its permission because of scientific objections to the study.
"It did not meet the requirements of a valid study, which include the
proper selection of patients, appropriate testing methods and control of
drug dosage," Knoll said in a statement this week.
The manufacturer still faults the study but agreed to publication,
partly at the urging of the Food and Drug Administration and of former
U.S. Health Secretary Dr. Louis Sullivan, who is on Knoll's board, the
editorial said. JAMA had five outside experts review the work and judged
it sound.
Synthroid costs two to three times as much as its competitors. At a
Walgreen's drug store in Chicago this week, 100 tablets of a typical
daily dose of Synthroid cost $22.99. The same amount
of Levoxyl, a brand-name alternative, cost $6.99. At those prices, a
year's supply of Synthroid would be $83.91 and of Levoxyl would be
$25.51.
Dong and university officials declined to be interviewed, but she and
her colleagues said in a letter to the journal, "The difficult, sobering
and painful lessons learned should be remembered by all when
collaborations between industry and academia occur."
The incident is hardly unique, according to another study in Wednesday's
journal. About one in 20 faculty members at universities that do
life-science research said publication of their research has been
delayed for months when it yielded "undesired results."
Consumer medical advocate Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe said those results are
terrifying.
"Much of this is derivative of this huge profit motive that these
companies have," said Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health
Research Group in Washington. "Everyone thinks that because they're in
the health-care area ... they really operate by different standards, and
they don't."
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:48:53 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Animal systems
Message-ID: <33545A35.3B55@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Chemicals in coffee aroma may prevent disease, researcher says
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (April 15, 1997 00:55 a.m. EDT) -- What makes that morning
whiff of coffee so alluring? It could be your nose telling you, "Drink
up, it's good for."
A University of California-Davis chemist found that beguiling smell of
freshly brewed coffee is caused in part by chemicals that form potent
cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Individually, the chemicals are not potent. But when combined, as in
brewed coffee, the activity increases and is comparable to antioxidants
found in fruits and vegetables.
Takayuki Shibamoto said his preliminary study shows that chemicals in
fresh-brewed coffee might be equal to the amount found in three oranges.
"That's not a very scientific comparison, but it makes it easier to
understand," said Shibamoto, who presented his findings Monday at the
national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Shibamoto cautioned that the chemicals detectable in coffee's aroma
escape rapidly into the air. "You have to drink it in about 20 minutes
after it is brewed," he said.
Shibamoto warned that the research is preliminary, restricted to
test-tube analysis. If he gets funding, he hopes to take a look at how
animals might be affected by coffee.
Sara Risch, a Chicago-based consultant who has studied antioxidants and
holds a doctorate in food science, called Shibamoto's work "an exciting
start."
"It's fascinating that he's found a new category of compounds that can
serve as antioxidants," she said. "If there's a caution, it's that this
is a laboratory study. The next step is to find out if there is truly
any biological activity -- if you take it into an animal system, do we
still see the antioxidant activity?"
A UC-Davis chemist for 18 years, Shibamoto began studying antioxidants
more than a decade ago. He decided to examine possible health benefits
of coffee after being intrigued by the fact that many of the world's
cultures have been drinking it for ages.
"That got me started," said Shibamoto, whose research was done with
university funding. "So many other researchers have studied the toxicity
of coffee -- they gave the negative and undesirable effect. I began
thinking there must be some beneficial effect we are getting from
coffee."
==================================================
Unscientific minds like yours and mine will think that the best way to
find out whether coffee aroma confers health benefits is by doing an
epidemiological study of people who drink fresh brewed coffee and people
who don't.
Not so with the vivisectors. For them, the next step is always to
take it "into an animal system" - ignoring the fact that success
or failure in rodent studies will prove nothing about the effects in
humans.
Andy
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 01:32:57 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK/HK] Marine 'fired at rat' during secret mission
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416013348.4917b6f2@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, April 16th, 1997
Marine 'fired at rat' during secret mission
By Tim Butcher, Defence Correspondent
A ROYAL Marine serving in Hong Kong shot at a rat while on an undercover
mission, a court martial hearing was told yesterday.
Cpl Steven Leech faces two charges of negligence after firing his Browning
9mm pistol during the secret operation. "Leech said words to the effect that
he was fed up with the rat and was going to take it out," Lt Cdr Mark
Emerton, prosecuting, told the hearing at HMS
Nelson in Portsmouth. "At this point there was a loud bang and Leech said
something like 'I have either blown it away or missed it by miles'."
The hearing was told that Cpl Leech, 27, who served with 45 Commando Royal
Marines, based at Arbroath in Scotland, was taking part in an operation to
monitor smuggling between Hong Kong and China. Traffic in cars stolen in the
colony and shipped illegally into the People's Republic was the target of an
anti-smuggling unit made up of members of the Armed Forces.
Lt Cdr Emerton said Cpl Leech was with another Royal Marine and two Gurkhas
in an observation post deep in the New Territories when the incident
happened last August. "The post was on a ledge on the side of a hill that
overlooked a location they were watching," he said.
"The other Marine, Philip Harris, said in his statement that in the
afternoon of the next day he heard the noise of the grab bag where the guns
were kept being opened and he saw Leech with a 9mm pistol in his hand. It
was the noise of Leech cocking the pistol that drew his attention."
He then read from the statement from one of the Gurkhas, which said: "Leech
was holding the pistol with both hands, taking aim at a bush in front of
them. He heard Leech repeating the word 'rat' and then 'rat' again." The
hearing was told that Cpl Leech did not report the shot and it was
discovered only later when the weapons were inspected.
Cpl Leech told Royal Navy investigators that he shot at the rat because he
thought that it posed a health risk. He said that the incident was reported
immediately but he suggested that it might not have been logged because of a
language difficulty with the Gurkha radio operators.
Cpl Leech, who has been in the Royal Marines for 11 years and served in
Ulster and Hong Kong, denies the charges.
The hearing is expected to end today.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 01:32:59 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [US] Hockey fans asked not to throw octupus
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416013350.09cf0e6e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
[Always thought some hockey fans were strange]
According to a report on tonight's BCTV's News Hour Final, fans of the
Detroit Redwings National Hockey League team have been asked by team
officials not to throw octupuses (or should that be octupi) onto the ice
during the Stanley Cup play-offs.
The throwing of a dead octpus has been done fans by of the Redwings since
1952, but new regulations brought in by the NHL only permit the throwing of
hats after a hat-trick. Any other odjects will result in a two minute
penalty for the whole of the home team.
Redwing officials have brought in sniffer dogs in order to prevent the
octopses being brought in to the arena.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 01:32:55 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] MoD joins alliance to save the black grouse
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416013345.4917ce86@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, April 16th, 1997
MoD joins alliance to save the black grouse
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
A PLAN to halt the decline of the black grouse was launched by conservation
groups and the Ministry of Defence yesterday.
Numbers have decreased from 25,000 cocks in the 1980s to 6,500, according to
the Game Conservancy Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds. This amounts to a fall of 10 per cent a year.
The females, known as greyhens, are harder to count than the noisier cocks
at their display sites, or leks but the number of cocks roughly equates with
breeding pairs.
Dr David Baines, the Game Conservancy Trust's head of woodland and grouse
research, said the decrease represented only part of a "monstrous" decline
from when the black grouse, one of the most spectacular moorland birds, was
an abundant species in the last
century.
It was found in heathland all over southern England. In the 1860s, 4,500
birds were shot in one year on one of the Duke of Buccleuch's Scottish estates.
The reason for the black grouse's accelerated decline in recent years, said
Dr Baines, was overgrazing on the moors as a result of EU policies which pay
farmers by the head of sheep. "This has been accruing for two decades. Now
the sheep have had the plants the grouse like to eat, the trees they use as
shelter from the snow and the habitat for the insects they eat and use to
feed their young."
The new project, which has the backing of 10 landowners, including the
Ministry of Defence, English Nature and Forestry Enterprise, will employ a
full-time project officer in the black grouse's last English stronghold, the
North Pennine moors of Co Durham, Northumberland,
Yorkshire and Cumbria.
John Barrett, of English Nature, said: "We hope the project will identify
positive measures which will enhance the status of black grouse."
The landowners involved are willing to use the sums available under
Government heather improvement schemes - £25 for each sheep removed. This
compares with payments of £35 per sheep kept on the hill.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 01:33:00 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] 'Wild kingdom' day has premier, MLA dodging animals
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416013351.4917ae14@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From The Vancouver Sun - Tuesday, April 15th, 1997
By Jim Beatty
Sun Legislature Bureau
VICTORIA - From stampeding horses to suicidal birds, the animal world had it
in for New Democrats [the governing party in B.C.] on Monday.
In the morning, a horse pulling a carriage in quaint Victoria charged over
the legislature lawn and rammed a van owned by MLA [Member of te Legislative
Assembly, or provincial MP]. Then, only hours later, a seagull on a death
mission threatened to down the helicopter taking premier Glen Clark to the
capital from Vancouver's harbor.
The latter might have been disastrous. The helicopter, owned by Helijet
Airways, did some sky-high manoeuvring - including an uncomfortably quick
turn over English Bay - to aviod the seagull, but to no avail.
The bird hit the front fuselage and, well, exploded.
"It sounded like a gunshot," said Clark, who was reading the paper when the
bird was struck. "I was shocked."
Covered in feathers and seagull parts, the helicopter landed at Vancouver's
International Airport to be cleaned and to ensure no debris was caught in
the engine.
"It looks worse than it is," said Helijet operations manager Gordon Jones,
adding aircraft often strike birds, although helicopter strikes are more rare.
Most birds are drawn away by the downdraft, Jones said.
Earlier in the day, Randell (MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds) was clearing branches
and debris from his Dodge Caravan after the horse's rampage.
"The horse just ran amok...It ran across the lawn and knocked all the
branches over and just pushed in the hood," said Randell, recounting what
police had told him.
"I couldn't believe the horse had hit the car right there in the parking lot."
Owner Bruce Wright, of Princess Black Beauty Carriage Tours, said the horse
was spooked when a passerby extended an automatic umbrella.
"We were training the horse and it just bolted," he said. He said the animal
only stopped after it hit some small trees in front of Randell's vehicle.
No passengers were in the carriage.
With the horse uninjured and back at a nearby farm, the seagull was the
day's only casualty.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 01:33:03 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] 'Ifs' drive new animal-abuse punishment
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416013353.09cf0d3e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
[This just about sums up the attitude of the Canadian government - at all
levels - towards even animal welfare.]
>From The Vancouver Sun - Tuesday, April 15th, 1997
By Nicholas Read - posted with permission of author
IF the federal Liberals win the next election, IF they have sufficient
political will and IF various interested parties can agree to a change in
the wording, it's possible that the Canadian Criminal Code may be ammended
to make it easier to punish abusers of animals.
That's a lot of ifs and, even if they were eliminated as pre-conditions,
there would be no guarentee that anything would change.
This is not Europe.
Canadian politicians are notoriously backward where animal issues are
concerned; so much so that even when there is massive public support for an
intiative, Candian officials usually can be counted on to find a way to keep
things rooted in the past. For example, while 80 per cent of Canadians want
the leghold trap banned, the government continues to fight for its use in
discussions with the European Union. A long-promised Endangered Species Act,
supported by 90 per cent of Canadians, is still waiting to be debated in the
House and may well die before the next election.
Nevertheless there is hope. Documents I obtained under access-to-infromation
legislation show that the feds are at least considering updating the
Criminal Code to reflect a changing public attitude to animal protection.
Among the points addressed are:
-An increase in the maximum jail sentence for offenders to five years from
six-months.
-The inclusion of stray animals in the law. Currently, it applies only to
animals with owners.
-The combination of existing "archaic and redundant" regulations into a
single, comprehensive section.
But for change to be really effective, more has to be done. Currently, it's
almost impossible to prosecute anyone accused of being cruel to animals
under section 442 of the Criminal Code because of three obstructive words:
"wilful", "unreasonable" and "unnecessary".
They appear in the following clause: "Cruelty, in relation to any animal,
means the wilful infliction upon the animal of pain or suffering that in its
kind or degree, or in its object, or in the circumstancesin which it is
inflicted, is unreasonable or unnecessary."
"But how can anyone prove an act of cruelty is wilful?" humane society
workers ask again and again. And who's to say what's unreasonable or
unnecessary ? Setting an animal on fire in a laboratory can be deemed
necessary if the experimenter says it is.
So, for any real progress to be made, those words have to go.
Will they? Jennifer Lang, communications assistant to Justice Minister Alan
Rock, says it's too soon to say. This project is only at its most
preliminary stage, she says, so in fact., it's too soon to say much of
anything.
What's more, concerned parties have to be consulted before any any firm
change in wording can be approved.
For example, the Fur Institute of Canada has already expressed concern that
changes to the code could threaten standard fur industry practices. These
include a trapper allowing an animal to remain in a steel-jawed trap for
five continuous days and nights, or a fur farmer keeping a bobcat or lynx
locked in a cage scarcely bigger than it is until it is gassed or
electrocuted for its pelt.
Last July, the institute sent a letter to the government wanting assurances
that any plans to ammend the code would not affect trapping or hunting. It
said the inclusion of the words "wild animals" in the code and changing the
definition of animal "to mean any living non-human vertebrate" would be "of
very real concern to us."
It needn't have worried. Justice department lawyer Mark Berlin made that
clear in an interview in which he said that any changes wouldn't affect
"legitimate, legal animal-use industries."
Unfortunately, it's precicisely in these industries - intensive farming,
trapping and vivisection, among them - that the abuse of animals is most
prevalent.
Stll, a properly amended law would help. Recently, an Ottawa couple were
convicted of abandoning their dogs for two weeks after they moved out of
their house. One dog had to be euthanized when it was discovered starving in
the basement; the other was found frozen to death chained to its doghouse.
Their punishment? A slap on the wrist: Three years probation and a
prohibition against owning animals for two years.
Frances Rosenburg, exective director of the 200,000-member Canadian
Federation of Humane Societies, says her society has spent more than 10
years trying to persuade the government to amend the code. Thousands of
letters and signatures on petitions have been sent in support of such a
change. All that's happened is an expression from the government of a
willingness to talk.
But it's a start. A tentative beginning. And given the sorry state of animal
welfare in ths country, that, sadly, is all she can hold on to for now.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 01:33:06 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fwd: [CA] Vancouver beluga transfer
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416013356.09cf0280@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The following is posted on behalf of Annelise Sorg (Whalesave/Coalition For
No Whales in Captivity. Please reply direct to her. Thanks]
>Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 23:57:50 -0800
>To: adncstr@muskoka.com, cbp@island.net, johnsonm@istar.ca,
> sheehan@mars.ark.com, per.andre@sas.se, craigm@eriv.com,
> isisani@aol.com, dknowles@dowco.com, jmcousteau@aol.com,
> kevin@eagletree.com, ldill@sfu.ca, markc@eriv.com,
> reelife@sunshine.net, fsharpe@sfu.ca, aschwarz@langara.bc.ca,
> Dennis_Dorgan@nykatt01.attmail.com
>From: WhaleSave
>Subject: Vancouver beluga transfer
>
>Following is our response to today's Vancouver Aquarium press release.
>Needless to say, we welcome any ideas and information you can provide.
>Thanks. // Annelise
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 15, 1997
>
>AQUARIUM'S PROPOSAL VIOLATES
>CANADA'S BELUGA EXPORT BAN
>
>The Vancouver Aquarium announced today in a press release that it has
>applied for export permits to transfer a male beluga called Nanuq, to Sea
>World in San Diego on a two-year breeding loan. The Coalition For No
>Whales in Captivity believes this is illegal.
>
>The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) banned the export of
>wild-caught belugas in 1992. The ban came shortly after the Shed Aquarium
>in Chicago captured and killed two of four Canadian whales by injecting
>them with a roundworm vaccine made for cattle.
>
>The DFO must reject the aquarium's export permit application and disallow
>the proposed inhumane back-and-forth transfer of Nanuq to the United
>States. The ban on exportation of wild-caught Canadian beluga whales
>should apply to *all* wild-caught belugas, whether they were caught ten
>days or ten years ago.
>
>Canadian whales should stay in Canada. Instead of sending beluga whales to
>profit the US Anhauser Busch/Sea World Corporation, the whales should be
>scientifically introduced into a natural sea pen in Nova Scotia. The
>belugas could then retire in a natural environment and the hard-pressed
>local economy could benefit from increased tourism.
>
>The Toronto-based group Return To The Wild is co-ordinating efforts with
>biologists and conservation agencies to develop a beluga retirement site in
>the pristine ocean waters of the Bras D'Or Lakes in Cape Breton, Nova
>Scotia. In a September 1996 report to the Vancouver Park Board proposing
>the phase-out of the aquarium's whale exhibits, Vancouver marine mammal
>biologist Dr. Peter Watts wrote "Certain inlets in Bras D'Or, which could
>be netted off, experience ice cover during the winter, which would
>especially suit them for use by belugas. Further, the absence of native
>marine mammals in Bras D'Or effectively eliminates any fear of transmitting
>disease to wild populations.". According to Canada's world renowned beluga
>expert Dr. Pierre Beland, the Bras D'Or project has merit.
>
>The Vancouver Aquarium's claim that Nanuq's transfer to a show tank will
>aid conservation research is ludicrous. In 20 years of keeping beluga
>whales in captivity, the Vancouver Aquarium has not published a single
>scientific paper on the species. The aquarium should aid Canadian
>conservation efforts by participating in the Bras D'Or project, instead of
>being supportive of California's Sea World.
>
>For more information, please contact:
>Annelise Sorg
>Director
>Coalition For No Whales In Captivity
>102-1365 West Fourth Avenue
>Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3Y8
>Canada
>Tel. (604) 736-9514
>E-mail
>
>
>
>
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:53:50 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (CN) Restaurants serving snake multiplying in Shanghai
Message-ID: <199704161153.TAA21915@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> The Star Online
Wednesday, April 16, 1997
Restaurants serving snake multiplying in Shanghai
Focus
By Leu Siew Ying
SHANGHAI: Pit vipers, protected cobras, freshwater
snakes, sea snakes — you name it and 6,000 specialised
restaurants here will bring it to your table.
Snake restaurants have multiplied here, serving up 4,000
tonnes of the exotic fare that connoisseurs say tastes
like chicken meat and has aphrodisiac and medicinal
values.
But almost all the restaurants, from small family
operations to large enterprises, were operating
illegally, said the latest issue of Life Weekly.
The report said a snake market in Tongchuan Road here
was the biggest supplier of the reptiles, with one
seller delivering at least two tonnes of snakes to
restaurants daily.
In this market, 10 species including sea snakes,
freshwater snakes, cobras and long-noded pit vipers were
kept in iron baskets. Only boas, not native to China,
are missing.
Cobra costs 114 yuan (RM34.86) per kg and one kg of pit
vipers costs 360 yuan (RM110).
If customers do not find exactly what they want, they
can always try the seven other snake markets around the
city, including in the Pudong New Area development zone.
Snake eating first became popular in southern Guangdong
province but has caught on among Shanghainese.
Restaurants are springing up everywhere but competition
is so keen they fight it out through advertisements.
Huimin Lao Mi Snake Island, which opened in February,
bought a front page advertisement in the Liberation
Daily saying the quality of its snake meat was assured
and the restaurant was supervised by the Xuhui district
consumers association.
The restaurant charges 316 yuan (RM96.63) for one kg of
cobra, 576 yuan (RM176.13) for one kg of pit viper and
76 yuan (RM23.24) for one kg of water snake.
Customers pack its lobby every night waiting for seats,
while snakes writhe nearby in glass tanks.
More than 90 per cent of the snakes that end up on
dinner tables here have slithered their way from the
mountains of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Hunan
provinces.
Officials from the Shanghai Wildlife Protection
Administration Bureau said snake restaurants should have
two licences, but 99.9 per cent of the restaurants had
no licences at all.
Provincial snake businessmen, who had obtained the
licences issued by their own provincial departments,
were not licensed by local authorities here to do
business here, the officials said.
May to October is the peak period for eating snakes
because they are more abundant in the wild and the meat,
blood, gall bladder and skin are believed to have a
cooling effect and are good for the complexion and the
sex drive. — AFP
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:54:06 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (IN) Indian animal rightists demonstrate for cows
Message-ID: <199704161154.TAA21792@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
[THE HINDU]
Wednesday, April 16, 1997
SECTION: Regional
Police lathicharge animal rights activists
Date: 16-04-1997 :: Pg: 06 :: Col: d
By Our Staff Reporter
BANGALORE, April 15.
Police resorted to lathicharge and burst teargas shells
to disperse a mob at the Yelahanka Police Station here
today. The demonstrators were demanding to know the
whereabouts of about 60 cows, allegedly being taken to
slaughter houses.
The activists of Akhil Karnataka Pranidaya Sangha (AKPS)
had intercepted three lorries packed with cattle, some
of which bore injuries, near the police station in the
early hours of today. They were allegedly being
transported to slaughter houses on the eve of Bakrid.
However, high drama prevailed when some ``miscreants''
allegedly assaulted the activists while the animals were
being taken to an ashram and hijacked the animal-laden
vehicles.
Following this, the AKPS activists organised a dharna in
front of the police station, demanding that the animals
be brought back and handed over to them.
The AKPS activists, ``acting on a clue,'' had kept a
watch on the incoming vehicles at Yelahanka since
midnight. During morning the activists intercepted three
lorries, in which the animals were ``packed like cotton
bales.'' At least one of the cattle had died due to
suffocation and a few others bore deep cut wounds on
different parts of their bodies, it is stated. One of
the lorries was said to be stinking because of the
oozing blood from the injured cows, infested with flies.
Mr. Sunil of the AKPS said the activists were not
allowed to feed the animals nor was any treatment given
to them.
Later, it was decided to take the cattle to Vijayapura
Ahsram under police protection, which were accompanied
by some of the activists. But a group of men suddenly
stopped the cavalcade, it is said, and assaulted the
activists and drove the vehicles away.
The angry activists of the AKPS and their supporters,
numbering around 350, resorted to ``rasta roko'' in
front of the police station. The crowd indulged in
stone-throwing and burnt a maruti van. Mr. Ananthkumar,
BJP MP, sought action against the policemen alleging
``dereliction of duty'' in saving the cows.
Tension subsided when Mr. Revanasiddhaiah, Commissioner
of Police, and Mr. Kasturirangan, Additional
Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), assured the
agitators to trace the lorries and animals and initiate
action against the police, if found guilty.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:54:12 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (IN) Experts flay claims over tiger population
Message-ID: <199704161154.TAA22056@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
[THE HINDU]
Wednesday, April 16, 1997
SECTION: National
Experts flay claims over tiger population
Date: 16-04-1997 :: Pg: 16 :: Col: a
By Our Staff Correspondent
BHOPAL, April 15.
Wildlife experts have lashed out at the Madhya Pradesh
Forest department authorities for attempting to project
through TV and newspaper reports that the tiger
population has increased in the State even before the
tiger census began earlier this month.
Mr. Valmik Thapar, who is a member of the Project Tiger
Steering Committee, MP Tiger State Committee and also
IUCN-Cat Specialist Group, has written to the Union
Minister for Environment and Forests expressing dismay
over attempts by the State Forest Department authorities
to speculate on the tiger population at a premature
stage. Tigers are being counted across the country and
it is only by the end of this year that some indicators
about the health of the tiger population would be
available, he has emphasised through his letter to the
Union Environment Minister.
He has demanded that all State Wildlife Wardens be
instructed to not come out with any indicators or
figures till the All-India Tiger Estimation is over.
When approached for comments, publisher and editor of
``Sanctuary,'' Mr. Bittu Sahgal - who is also a member
of the Project Tiger Steering Committee and Madhya
Pradesh Tiger State Committee - termed it as an
``unhealthy development''.
This goes against the directives of Project Tiger, he
said and added that instead of the week-long census
operation, an exercise should be conducted round the
year keep tabs on the tiger population and this should
be done in close coordination with scientific groups
that can simultaneously help assess whether or not
adequate prey-base is available to support the tiger
population.
He even went to the extent of saying that it had been
''painfully`` noticed that the State forest department
authorities were using Tiger Census to cover up their
failure when it came to protecting tiger population.
The week-long census operation began in Madhya Pradesh
on April 4 amid fears that certain attempts might be
made by the concerned authorities to cook up statistics
and fudge tiger figures by manipulating the tracing of
pug marks and collecting other related evidence by the
forest employees. Meanwhile, an experts group has
already recommended, at the Government of India level,
an alternative approach to the estimation of tiger and
prey population.
It has been pointed out that research on population
estimation techniques applicable to large mammals has
now conclusively established the fact that approaches
based on the concept of ''sampling`` are more rigorous,
reliable, replicable and cost efficient as compared to
earlier approaches based on total counts.
It has been suggested that there should be a mapping of
tiger distribution once a year by the forest department
staff and the park authorities should not be asked to
come up with exact numbers of either tigers or prey.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:54:21 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (SG) 35 mosques forced to cancel ritual
Message-ID: <199704161154.TAA22096@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> The Straits times
APR 16 1997
35 mosques forced to cancel ritual
By Indrani Nadarajah and Ting Siew Lee
MADAM Maryulis Marlian had been looking forward to the ritual
sheep sacrifice, or korban, that was due to take place at the
Sultan Mosque on Friday, Hari Raya Haji.
This was the first time that the mosque was to have this ritual
and she and 10 other women were to cook for about 30 needy
families
So, she was shocked yesterday, when Muis, the Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore, said that korban would be cancelled at the
Sultan Mosque and 34 other mosques this year.
Muis said the animals could not be shipped in on time. About
3,500 Muslims will be affected.
"We were so looking forward to preparing mutton curry and meat
stew for needy families as well as for visitors. We had bought
all the ingredients like onions, ginger and garlic," explained
Madam Maryulis, 42, a canteen operator who also heads the
mosque's women's committee.
The animals were to have been slaughtered to provide the meat.
This is the first time this has occurred since 1992, when Muis
took over bringing in animals for Hari Raya Haji. It last
happened in 1991, said Muis secretary Syed Haroon Aljunied. But
one of the 35 mosques, the Hasanah Mosque will be getting 200
sheep from an importer though they had ordered only 50.
For 37 other mosques which had arranged on their own to have the
animals shipped in, the ritual will go on as scheduled this
Friday.
Muis president Maarof Salleh said at a press conference yesterday
that Shafiq Halal Food Pte Ltd won the tender to provide 3,424
sheep and 20 cows.
On Monday, it told Muis it had problems shipping the animals from
Australia and could deliver on Friday at the earliest.
"But this would be too late, because the animals wouldn't be able
to meet the one-day quarantine requirements," said Mr Syed
Haroon.
Korban can only take place on the four days of Hari Raya Haji.
"Basically, it reminds us that the prophet Abraham was prepared
to sacrifice his own son for God, but because he was spared at
the last minute, he offered up a sheep instead," he said.
Yesterday, the Muslim religious head of Singapore, Mufti Syed Isa
Mohamed, said that as korban was not obligatory, Muslims who had
made the vow this year, could defer it till the following year.
However, canteen operator Zubaidah Marlian, 38, had made plans to
do it in Batam.
"I have contacted some relatives there who will make the
arrangements for me. It would be too disappointing not to do it,
because of its religious significance." she said.
All attempts by The Straits Times to contact Shafiq Halal Food
yesterday for comment failed.
The Australian company that is believed to be supplying the
animals, Austral Asia Trading House, also could not be contacted
yesterday.
Muis will form a committee to look into this problem, and ensure
it does not happen again.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:54:27 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Some rams stray into gay baas: Scientists
Message-ID: <199704161154.TAA22030@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> The Straits Times, APR 16 1997
Some rams stray into gay baas: Scientists
LONDON -- Sheep farmers counting their lambs this spring may not
have realised what a gamble they took last autumn, when they
relied on their rams' naturally lustful instincts.
A US study suggests that 10 per cent of rams are attracted only
to other males and another 10 per cent have no interest in sex at
all, said the Internet edition of the Times on Monday.
Animal behaviour specialist Anne Perkins of Montana's Carroll
College said: "If a ram does not pay attention to a female on
heat within 30 minutes, then the chances are that it has very low
libido, is asexual or male-orientated." She said that because
rams were usually reared in all-male groups, even heterosexual
ones often showed some homosexual behaviour. But as researchers
have suspected that even this did not explain poor breeding
performance, they ran an experiment in which two rams and two
ewes on heat were tethered in a rectangular field, into which
other rams were released. The scientists noted that the
homosexual rams sniffed at but did not mount the females, but
they responded to the urine of the males. If a tethered male
urinated, they would smell that and proceed to mount them.
The scientists found that about one in 10 rams was turned off by
sex with animals of either gender, while others appeared to have
a low sex drive or shyness and would perform only at night or if
exposed to a female repeatedly.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:54:40 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: More on THAT Fish Study
Message-ID: <199704161154.TAA22385@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Please note that I am posting news whether I find the contents agreeable or
not.
Those who are/know researchers/other scientists may want to find out more
about the study and perhaps write a rebuttal to the Journal and post it to
the list.
Vadivu
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
> The Straits Times,
APR 16 1997
Eating fish may curb heart attacks -- study
Conducted among 1,822 workers in Chicago, it found an overall
reduction of 42 per cent in deaths from heart attack among the
fish-eaters over 30 years.
---------------------------------
A LARGE long-term study has found that men who eat 200 g or more
of fish a week -- about the size of two beef patties -- are less
likely than those who rarely eat fish to die of heart attacks.
The finding, published in The New England Journal of Medicine,
joins eight other studies that have linked a heart-protective
effect with regular fish consumption.
The study, conducted among 1,822 employees of Western Electric,
in Chicago, found an overall reduction of 42 per cent in deaths
from heart attack among the fish-eaters over a period of 30
years.
Most of that reduction was accounted for by a low rate of cardiac
deaths that were not sudden, or those occurring more than three
hours after the onset of a heart attack.
The researchers, headed by Dr Martha Daviglus, a
preventive-medicine specialist at Northwestern University Medical
School, in Chicago, took into account dozens of other factors
that could influence cardiac risk in the study participants,
including the possibility that protection came not from eating
the fish but also from the replacement of meat in the men's diet.
No matter how the data were analysed, fish-eating was associated
with a reduced risk of cardiac deaths.
"The good news is that eating small amounts of fish -- amounts
that can fit easily into all people's diets -- make a
difference," Dr Daviglus said in an interview.
Although the study did not record the kinds of fish consumed, she
speculated that much of it was probably canned tuna and lean fish
like flounder or cod.
"From this study," she said, "we can say that eating small
amounts of fish, even lean fish, is associated with protection
against heart attacks."
Dr Charles Hennekens of Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston,
whose Physicians Health Study has also suggested that eating fish
reduces cardiac risks, said: "The public should be reassured that
there is likely to be a small to moderate benefit to eating fish
twice a week."
Still, he emphasised that the evidence to date is "suggestive but
not conclusive and more research ought to be done on this".
Dr Jeremiah Stamler, emeritus professor of preventive medicine at
Northwestern and a co-author of the new report, pointed out that
"we don't yet know the mechanism by which fish-eating protects
against cardiac deaths".
"It would be nice to know how it may be working," he said.
Dr Stamler emphasised, however, that the findings "have nothing
to do with popping capsules of fish oils, the long-term effects
of which we know nothing".
One shortcoming of the study and others like it is that
information about the participants' diets was gathered at the
beginning of the project and nothing is known about subsequent
changes that might have occurred in the men's eating habits.
But Dr Stamler said: "Despite changes in dietary patterns that
have occurred in our country, the limited data we have indicates
that people tend to continue to eat more or less the way they ate
before." -- NYT
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 22:12:32 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (IN) New Indian Animal Rights Website
Message-ID: <199704161412.WAA26473@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The URL of the Beauty Without Cruelty, India website that Manoj referred to is
http://giaspn01.vsnl.net.in/~bwcindia/
Vadivu
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 10:19:05 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Connect with Action
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417101902.006be4c4@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
EnviroLink Network, host of the Animal Rights Resource Site, as well as
this e-mail list, has a new feature designed for activists:
Connect with Action
http://www.envirolink.org/connect/
Right now, only one portion has content: Tools for Activists
allen
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 11:45:00 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Ming-Lee Yeh
To: allen schubert
Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: (TW)PETA--PIGS BEATEN, ELECTROCUTED, AND BURIED ALIVE IN
TAIWAN
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Dear PETA and all friends,
Thank you for your support to the animals in Taiwan. The Life
Conservationists Association (LCA) in Taiwan very much appreciates what
you have done.
Acctually, President Lee is an expert in agriculture economy. As we
understand from all media, what he and his government is more considering
about how to rescue the pork markets rather than other issues related to
this disease. However, the experiences tells is that his government does
care about the international images of Taiwan. So we always believe that
international voice will help any animal rights activities within that
island.
All supports and voices are most appreciated. And we do wish the
international continues to support. In addition, we also want to know how
President Lee and his government respond your appeals. By this way, the
LCA is able to judge which strategy is more effective in the future.
Please let us know any response that you receive from Taiwanese
government. Thank you for your help!
Minglee Yeh
Representative in the US
Life Conservationists Association of Taiwan
myeh@osf1.gmu.edu
tel/fax/: 703-2041858
On Wed, 16 Apr 1997, allen schubert wrote:
> from PETA news release page:
> ---------------------------------------------
> PIGS BEATEN, ELECTROCUTED, AND BURIED ALIVE IN TAIWAN
> PETA Appeals to President Lee to End Cruelty
>
> For Immediate Release:
> April 14, 1997
> Contact:
> Michael McGraw 757-622-7382, ext. 310
>
>
> Taiwan -- The recent outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease among pigs in
> Taiwan has sent the Taiwanese
> government on a violent killing spree, with hundreds of thousands of pigs
> being cruelly beaten and
> slaughtered in extremely painful ways in attempts to curb the epidemic.
>
> Reports from Taiwan show soldiers bludgeoning pigs, crudely electrocuting
> them, or burying them alive in a
> mass extermination campaign that may eventually include more than 2
> million pigs.
>
> PETA has faxed an urgent request to Taiwan's President Lee, urging him to
> take immediate action to end
> the torture and violent slaughter of the pigs and to guarantee the pigs
> are given a humane death at the very
> least.
>
> An estimated 900 million pigs are confined to intensive factory
> farms--where disease spreads rapidly
> because of extreme overcrowding--in Taiwan.
>
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 00:41:04 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TH) Wildlife Sanctuaries
Message-ID: <199704161641.AAA09785@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
April 16, 1997
[BANGKOK POST]
WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES
Bid to stall management transfer scheme
Environmentalists, academics resist Forestry
plan
Chakrit Ridmontri
Academics and environmentalists want to delay a
Forestry Department plan to hand over management
of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to
regional forestry offices.
"We should do something to delay the process, as
the department has not carefully considered both
the positive and negative points of the
handover," said Surachet Chetthamas, a lecturer
at the Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart
University.
Sathit Sawinthorn, Forestry Department chief,
has ordered the Natural Resource Conservation
Office to submit to him on Friday the list of
parks and sanctuaries to be handed over.
The first batch will be made up of about 50
forests being prepared to be set up as parks and
sanctuaries.
The go-ahead prompted a group of academics,
environmentalists and some park officials
dissenting from the plan to take action for fear
that fertile forests in the country mostly
remaining in the parks and sanctuaries would be
adversely affected, because regional forestry
offices lack skills in conservation work.
"We have to inform Prime Minister Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh and Agriculture Minister Chucheep
Harnsawat about the negative effects of the
plan, asking them to order the departmental
chief to exchange views with us," said Mr
Surachet, who was speaking at a meeting of
opponents held recently at the faculty.
Uthis Kutintara, another forestry lecturer, told
participants to put pressure on the department
chief to consider the plan at the national park
and wildlife sanctuary committees chaired by the
permanent secretary of the Agriculture Ministry
and the minister.
He said the committees, which comprise a number
of forestry experts including NGOs, would enable
the department to obtain a wide range of views
regarding the positive and negative aspects of
the plan so that it could make the right
decision.
Mr Sathit, meanwhile, said he had carefully
considered the plan, saying he has assigned a
working committee chaired by one of his deputies
to gather information on both aspects from
various concerned parties.
"Any park official who wants to offer his
opinion on the plan can inform the committee
directly," he said, adding that the process was
transparent.
According to Mr Sathit, the plan is aimed at
tightening the management of the parks and
sanctuaries so as to get rid of corruption and
to increase the ability to protect the forests.
But opponents said regional forestry offices are
too weak to prevent local influential people
from encroaching on and poaching in preserved
forests.
They accused Mr Sathit of trying to keep away
conservation officials to do conservation work
in order to pave the way for tourism in the park
and sanctuaries.
Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 09:57:43 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Friends of Animals
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Connecticut AlertConnecticut Action Alert- Help Defeat Bill
857 Connecticut Activists: Friends of Animals needs your help to
defeat Bill No. 857, which has already been approved by the
Environment Committee and is likely to reach the General Assembly
floor for a vote. Please contact your legislators today. The bill
would give the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental
Protection carte blanche with regards to wildlife management. It
states that the Commissioner "...may destroy and dispose of any
species which he determines to be undesirable..." If the bill is
passed it would do the following: -Place absolute power in the hands
of the DEP without the benefit of broad public input. It would allow
the DEP to cater to hunters without the input of most citizens who
insist on being represented when wildlife policies are being debated
and analyzed. -Mute swans and other nongame species would lose
protection. Since 1981, Friends of Animals has fought the DEP to keep
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970416124540.5a3fc92e@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 12:13:01 -0700
>From: pmligotti@earthlink.net (Peter M. Ligotti)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: More Resources: Genetic Engineering of Food and Animals
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
BOOKMARKS ON GENETIC ENGINEERING FOR THE WWW
(Compiled by Jim McNulty)
SOME GOOD STOP OFF POINTS WHEN BROWSING
http://web.its.smu.edu/~dmcnickl/miscell/pfcamp.html
Anti-food defamation laws in the USA
http://www.fairfield.com/wuebben/TM/genetic.html
Help to avert the dangers of GE food
http://www.netlink.de/gen/info.html
Combined Web Pages (SWEDISH)
Greenpeeace.NLP Pure Food Campaign .
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF INFORMATION
http://www.t0.or.at/~global2000/gentech.html
GLOBAL 2000 in the German language,
but definitely worth getting a translator for.
http://www.newspage.com/NEWSPAGE
You can set Newspage to search the whole of the internet for you,
so you have a newspaper e-mail delivered everyday without having
to search; the only catch is $5 dollars a month. Mine is set with
six choices 1 Biotech Agriculture.2 Bio-tech Companies. 3.
Enviromental Regulations 4.Animal testing 5 Bio-Tech Medicine etc.
EXCELLENT SOURCE OF INFORMATION
http://www.greenpeace.org/
Greenpeace Homepage. Excellent, as you would expect.
http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/cbio/geneng.html
Greenpeace Bio-tech
Information and Campaign Highlights
http://lcweb.loc.gov/ Library of Congress. Very useful tool when
needed. American Law and Constitution Reform is available here.
http://www.yahoo.com/
Yahoo; one of the best Internet Search Engines
http://www.reutershealth.com/ Reuters Health Information.
It has a good Search Engine that specializes in
Health issues worldwide.
http://www.netlink.de/gen/biopiracy.html
Swedish anti-biotech info service this article
covering Bio-Diversity
http://lcs.usatoday.com/news/court/nscot000.htm
Supreme Court Index.
Another excellent tool for information when needed
http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/cbio/newsindx.html#geneng9
Another good source of info from Greenpeace on gentic engineering news.
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9604/13/agent_orange/index.html
CNN article about the 300,000 Vietnamese children Chemical War
Victims from the Vietnam War. Monsanto as one of the makers of
Agent Orange(Dioxin). They have not paid out compensation
owing to the Constitutional Protection they received
from the US Government. I myself accessed this article
when the picture of the vietnamese child Thoa was included
(I HAVE COPIES) IT HAS BEEN REMOVED. WHY?
http://www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~ecstein/gen/biofacts.html
Good article about Intellectual Property Rights.
http://www.reutershealth.com/news/search.html
Reuters News Service
has good Search engine to browse for up to date news.
http://www.monsanto.com/
>From those Loveable Folks At Monsanto.
Gives a bit of an insite into their sordid world.
http://ci.mond.org/9619/961910.html
Interesting Triple selection of
Web pages from Greenpeace and on the opposing sides
Monsanto and Soya Growers.
http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~farnswor/
Sustainable Agriculture.
http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~stratsoy/expert/resource.html
Converse with an expert on soya politics
http://www.agri-net.com/centralsoya/
Combined pages for growers
and exporters of Soya .(US)
http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/veg/Orgs/VegSocUK/Campaign/genetics.html
Vegetarian Society on Genetic Engineering
http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/ef/toxmut/bio.html
Earth First
(Devon)
Good articles on Genetic Engineering
http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/ef/toxmut/flavr.html#cflower
Earth First again with an excellent article about the
cauliflower mosaic virus.
http://www.cnn.com/SEARCH/index.html
CNN Searcher.
Good source of material available on health,
enviroment politics etc worldwide.
http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Trans/hmepg.html#info
Transgenic animals available for research
http://www.jax.org/resources/documents/pricelist/index.html
To order your transgenic animals for research
purposes, etc. here's the place.
http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/ef/toxmut/dsart.html
Earth First Toxic Mutants etc.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1527/
Pure Food Campaign Homepage
Excellent campaign from Jeremy Rifkin and compadre's,
old adversaries of Genetic Engineering.
http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Another US News Service but priceless to gauge things US.
http://www.natural-law-party.org.uk/ge_index.html
Natural Law Party.
Well presented auguments on all issues pertaining to the struggle.
John Fagan: one of the leading speakers on GE.
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/projects/doe/doe5.html
ACRE Information releases.
http://biosafety.ihe.be/GB/Leg_EurGB.html
Euro/British Legislation
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/economic/esn/codex/codex.htm
Codex.
Very important issues decided by this commitee
appointed by GATT AND WTO (World Trade Organization)
to oversee the introduction of G/E foods
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~doe/
Department of the Enviroment
The UK Ecological Warrior Force.
http://www.lisco.com/mothersfornaturallaw/
Mothers for Natural Law
Succesful group of concerned mothers instrumental
in many campaign endeavors.
http://www.epa.gov/
Enviromental Protection Agency
The place to check on Legislation and
press releases in US of EPA
http://binas.unido.org/binas/
Part of Unido
http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/RTS.html
Last but by no means least RTS!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:54:36 -0400
>From: "H. Morris"
To: "ar-news@envirolink.org"
Subject: Bardo Speaks Out???
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970416155413.00706c28@pop01.ny.us.ibm.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I don't know about those comments of hers on Muslims.....as a Sufi myself,
I might take offense....
.c The Associated Press
By CHRISTOPHER BURNS
PARIS (AP) - A defiant Brigitte Bardot has again blasted the
Muslim practice of slaughtering sheep, despite facing court charges
of racism in earlier comments on the subject.
``One more time, one too many times,'' the animal rights
campaigner and former screen siren said. The four-day ritual of Eid
Al-Adha, which begins Thursday, ``will bathe France's earth in
blood,'' she added.
Bardot linked Algerian Muslim fundamentalists to the slaughter,
which she contends is cruel to sheep.
``They've slit the throats of women and children, of our monks,
our officials, our tourists and our sheep. They'll slit our throats
one day and we'll deserve it,'' she said in a statement released
Tuesday.
Muslim militants in Algeria have recently slashed or beheaded
scores of villagers and they have killed a number of French
nationals in their 5-year-old insurgency.
A human rights group threatened to press charges, the daily
France Soir reported today.
``Freedom of expression, yes, but racism is a crime,'' said
Mouloud Aounit, president of the Movement Against Racism and
Anti-Semitism and for Friendship Among Peoples.
Bardot is to appear Sept. 11 before the Paris Court of Appeals
for allegedly ``provoking hatred and racial discrimination'' last
year. A lower court acquitted her of the charge in January.
A conviction could bring one year in prison and a fine of
$55,000.
The 62-year-old former actress last year described the ceremony
as ``torture, signs of the most atrocious pagan sacrifices.'' She
also condemned ``the invasion of France by an overpopulation of
foreigners, notably Muslim.''
During the springtime celebration following the Islamic fast of
Ramadan, many of France's 3 million Muslims sacrifice a lamb in a
rite of peace, as Islamic and biblical teachings say God allowed
Abraham to do instead of killing his son.
Bardot's foundation has called for the ritual slaughter to take
place in state-supervised slaughterhouses and for the animals to be
stunned before being killed.
AP-NY-04-16-97 0445EDT
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:55:40 -0400
>From: "H. Morris"
To: "ar-news@envirolink.org"
Subject: Mcd's new Promo
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970416155532.00684ebc@pop01.ny.us.ibm.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
.c The Associated Press
By CLIFF EDWARDS
CHICAGO (AP) - Teenie Beanies are proving just as popular as
their bigger siblings.
McDonald's restaurants have been swamped with parents and kids
looking for the colorful beanbag animals, which, starting last
Friday, were offered with each Happy Meal.
The chain said it is selling out in Chicago, Minneapolis, St.
Louis, Kansas City and other Midwestern cities, selected areas of
New York City, parts of Connecticut and the South.
``People are buying them like there is no tomorrow,'' said
spokeswoman Lisa Howard.
Nationwide, supplies probably will be exhausted by April 25, Ms.
Howard said.
McDonald's grabbed hold of one of the hottest kid crazes to lure
tiny spenders and their parents into its restaurants.
The Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain produced nearly 100 million of
the toys - its largest order ever for a promotion - in anticipation
of heavy demand.
But word that the company was going to offer smaller versions of
the beanbag animals with each Happy Meal set off a feeding frenzy.
The company on Friday recommended that its owner-operators limit
the sale of Happy Meals to 10 after some customers bought them by
the caseload to get the Teenie Beanies.
McDonald's - which produced the toys itself under a license
agreement with toy maker Ty Inc., also of Oak Brook - made 10
different animals.
Two animals were to go on sale each week until supplies ran out.
But different restaurants sold different versions, and some parents
reported spending much of last weekend driving around to get all 10
versions.
Ty spokeswoman Anne Nickels said the popularity of the miniature
Beanie Babies is no surprise. ``They have an appeal to everyone,
not just girls, but boys, adults, senior citizens, kids, college
students,'' she said.
Beanie Babies, the original versions with names like Squealer
the Pig and Kip the Cat, made their debut in 1994, but sales have
soared this year.
Ty, whose Teenie Beanie Babies are made in China, has limited
distribution of the full-size toys so severely that stores have run
out nationwide. Demand is so strong that Ty doesn't list its
telephone number.
In all, there are 103 different Beanie Babies on the market.
Their suggested price is $5, but they often sell for much more.
The tiny toys at McDonald's sell for $1.50 without a food
purchase, while a Happy Meal with a cheeseburger, small fries, soda
and Teenie Beanie Baby cost $2.50.
Every six months or so, a few new Beanie Babies are ``born.''
But for every new one, an old one is retired. The company has
stopped production on 26 species - Beanie fans call them
``extinct'' - and those can draw big bucks.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 14:59:17 -0600
>From: "Alliance for Animals"
To: ar-news@cygnus.com
Subject: (Fwd) abuse update
Message-ID: <199704162005.PAA14894@mendota.terracom.net>
Hello,
Please write letters to local newspaper editors discussing how repeat
offenders get off easy..especially ANIMAL ABUSERS and ANIMAL KILLERS.
It would be wise to discuss how the hideous crimes were committed
in front of his child. What kinds of effects will this have on her?
Sure he had a bad childhood..OK, so he needs psychiatric help! He
needs to be off the streets, because as long as he walks, no animal
within his grasp is safe. This man has a lot of problems and should
not have custody of a nine year old daughter...(in my opinion).
Scott Dirks, the assistant DA on the case told me yesterday to ask
people concerned about the case to report any clues or evidence to
the JANESVILLE, WI POLICE DEPT AT: (608) 757-2244, and to write the
papers, etc..Scott also asked to have people write their concerns,
feelings on the case to him for the case file..at:
Scott DIrks
Office of the Rock County District Attorney
51 South Main St.
Janesville, WI 53545
His phone is: (608) 757-5615 bear in mind that he is swamped with
calls...
FAX is: (608) 757-5725
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>From: kaaronbe@facstaff.wisc.edu
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 11:32:41 +0000
To: alliance@allanimals.org
Subject: abuse update
ABUSE UPDATE -- 4.14.97
The assistant district attorney prosecuting the case is Scott Dirks.
Write to him at the Office of the Rock County District Attorney, 51 S.
Main St., Janesville, WI 53545. or call 608.757.5615 or fax him at
608.757.5725.
As of Monday, April 14, Herbeck had been released on his own
recognizance. He is due in court this afternoon at 3 p.m. (central
standard time) and a date will be set for his preliminary hearing.
************
To recap: The following article ran in the April 11, 1997 issue of The
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wisconsin.
Headline: Animal mistreatment called "gut-wrenching"
By Kathleen Ostrander
Rock County Correspondant
JANESVILLE (Wisconsin) Police arrested a man on felony animal
mistreatment charges after finding the corpses of a puppy and five cats
at his home.
One Rock County Humane Society official who was at the man's home
earlier this week described the case Thursday as "gut-wrenching."
Police were first called Sunday to Barry Herbeck's Janesville home
after his girlfriend found cat entrails down the garbage disposal while
she was cleaning the house.
She told police she then recalled that she came home about a month
ago when she was still living with Herbeck, 35, and found a dead cat in
the hallway. She said she also recalled the man's nine-year--old
daughter saying he had killed the family puppy.
Police found the rotting corpse of an eight-month-old female
German shepherd stuffed in a container on Herbeck's porch.
When police opened the container they saw that the puppy's nose
and mouth had been taped shut with duct tape and one side of the dog was
covered in blood.
Police searched for the man whom relatives said was at a
carpet-laying job, for several days, finally catching up with him
Wednesday.
The nine-year-old girl told police her father became angry when
the puppy urinated on the floor, so he taped its mouth and stuffed it in
the container. She said he told her not to let it out or feed it, even
thought it was whining.
She said he threw at least one cat against the wall so hard that
it died, and she saw another dead cat in the bathtub after it had bitten
her father. She said there had been a large, heavy box in the freezer
which she suspected was another dead cat.
In a statement to police, Herbeck said that he had been beaten as
a child and had a lot of pent-up anger. He said that he felt better
after he killed the animals and that it helped him release his anger. He
also said he felt guilty.
According to the report, Herbeck said that after he killed the
cats he had in the house he would answer ads in the papers for free
cats. He would dispose of dead cats in the dumpster where he worked or
put them out with the trash.
Herbeck, who has a felony conviction for robbery, was also
arrested on a charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon, because
police found two shotguns in the home. When Herbeck said Wednesday that
he was suicidal, he was committed to the Rock County Health Care Center.
Police said Thursday that they expected he would appear in court
when he was released, but they didn't know when that would be.
-- end story --
THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP:
If you know of any relevant websites or digests for this story, please
post it there -- local media coverage has been very sparse.
Also, please write your feelings on this case to the authorities
involved as soon as their addresses are available. I will try to get the
information out by Monday when city offices have reopened, but you may
wish to contact
This man's little victims must not be forgotten! And his daughter is
not only a victim of this monstrosity, but may be in physical danger
herself when and if he is released. Please, write or call and ask or
demand (whatever your personal style is) that Barry Herbeck be held
fully accountable for his actions and punished to the full extent of the
law!
Thank you so very much --
Rainey Clandennon (Kris Aaron)
kaaron@bminet.com
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 16:30:37 -0400 (EDT)
>From: LCartrLong@aol.com
To: farmusa@erols.com
Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Indiana Farmer Dies from Mad Cow Related Illness??? (US)
Message-ID: <970416162947_-734896296@emout13.mail.aol.com>
Corn, Soybeans Fall on Mad Cow Fear
Wednesday, April 16, 1997 4:11 pm EDT
CHICAGO (AP) -- Corn and soybean futures fell Wednesday on Chicago's Board
of
Trade as reports that an Indiana farmer died of an ailment similar to mad
cow disease
prompted worries that people will eat less meat, leaving less need for
animal feed.
The U.S. Centers for Disease control says there is no direct evidence that
mad cow
disease -- bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- can spread to humans. But
news
that 62-year-old Joseph Gabor died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which has
been
linked by British researchers to mad cow disease, prompted a selloff in
animal feed
grains and beef futures.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob reports also sent beef futures plunging on the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange. Pork prices, which have been independently strong,
gained on speculation that people may switch from beef to pork, analysts
said.
c Copyright 1997 The Associated Press
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 17:31:13 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: SUMMER-Africa/Brazil> ProjDIRs/Interns ('97 & '98)
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417173110.006b58d8@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From: USII@hotmail.com
>Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 14:02:46 EDT
>Reply-To: USII@hotmail.com
>Sender: USII@hotmail.com
>To: alathome@clark.net
from private e-mail...send any response to: USII@hotmail.com
-------------------------------------------------------------
>FWD'd / GREENer WORLD Internships
>
>[PLEASE SHARE/FORWARD]
>
>JOB ANNOUNCEMENT : 25 Project Director Positions
>
>
>
>Crossroads is now winding down recruitment for the Summer 1997 Prog in
>
>Africa and Brazil, and is now accepting applications for the Summer 1998
>
>Program.
>
>This may be of interest to those with interest in rainforest/ecology
>
>issues, international development and humanitarian work.
>
>CREDIT
>
>Interns/Volntrs usually arrange to receive academic credit - 7 to 15 units.
>
>C O U N T R I E S: Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Eritrea, Ivory Coast
>
> Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
>
> Malawi, Ethiopia, Namibia, Guinea Bissau,
>
> and Brazil (in South America)
>
>_____________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> S U M M E R J O B A N N O U N C E M E N T
>
>
>
> A F R I C A & B R A Z I L
>
>Position: P r o j e c t D i r e c t o r / G r o u p L e a d e r
>
>
>
> [Also, accepting Intern/Volntr Applications-college-age & up/all welcome]
>
>
>
>Director 26 years old & up; with experience or advance studies related
>
>Requisites to a Crossroads project or to development issues/concerns
>
> Professionals, faculty, staff, students, persons with
>
> skills - all interested are encouraged
>
> Canadians, Americans, others, WELCOME
>
>
>
>Location: 18 Countries in Africa, plus Brazil
>
>Duration: June 16 - August 12 (tentative dates)
>
>Director All travel and living expenses will be covered,
>
>Pay: plus you will receive an honorarium/stipend
>
>
>
>DEADLINE: Recruitment for the Summer 1997 Program is now winding down
>
> Applications for Summer 1998 are now being accepted
>
>
>
>Organization: Operation Crossroads-Africa & Brazil
>
> 475 Riverside Dr., Suite 1366
>
> NY, NY 10027
>
> A Non-Profit 501(C)(3) Organization
>
>
>
>Co-Sponsors: Various UN Programs, NGO's, Ministries [Health, Education,
>
> etc.], WHO, Int'l Econ Dev Orgs, Medical Schools, Local
>
> Hospitals, Clinics & Grassroots Organizations
>
>
>
>Contact: International Projects/Overseas Programs
>
> Tel: 212-870-2106
>
>
>
>E-mail:
>
>
>
>OnLine Info: E-Mail to
>
> & in the Subject Field, type either:
>
>
>
> 1- "SEND DIRECTOR/LEADER PACKET" [26 yrs & up w/ leadership skills]
>
> or
>
> 2- "SEND PACKET FOR VOLs/INTERNS" [all welcome; college-age & up]
>
> Crossroads helps Volunteers/Interns raise needed funds;
>
> Early application is essential
>
>
>
>Website: http://www.igc.org/oca/
>
> (here, find brochure, application, information, etc.,
>
> OBTAINABLE ALSO BY E-MAIL-see above)
>
>
>
>====================================================================
====
>
> P R O J E C T D I R E C T O R S / L E A D E R S
>
>====================================================================
====
>
>
>
>If you have experience in a field related to a Crossroads project, and
>
>a strong interest in Africa and in team work, pls contact the organization.
>
>
>
>As a Project Director/Group Leader, you will be in charge of
>
>10 to 14 Volunteers/Interns (who will be professionals, students,
>
>researchers, non-students and others, all ages), usually in a rural
>
>community or village setting. This is an intense living, learning
>
>and work experience.
>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>Multi-disciplinary Projects
>
>
>
> Nursing * Medicine * Clinical * Primary Care * Rainforest * Ecology
>
> Health * Social Sciences * Nutrition * Education * Econ & Comm Dev
>
> Gender Issues * Wildlife * Anthropology * Water & Sanitation * Folklore
>
> Agriculture * Dist Lrng * Ethnomusicology * Dance * Computer Literacy
>
> Construction of Clinics, Libraries, Homes * Traditional Medicine
>
> Human Rights * Land tenure issues * Work camps * Living in villages
>
>
>
> 200 - 250 Volunteers & 20 - 25 Projects
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>BRAZIL: Land Tenure Reform/Settlement Communities/Rainforest-Ecology
>
>
>
> << B A H I A >>
>
>
>
>
>
>This project with multiple objectives is in the Mata Atlantica (Coastal
>
>Forest) area in the Southern Cone of the State of Bahia. This is where
>
>local poor communities are struggling to gain access to land via
>
>articulated political effort.
>
>
>
>There are over a dozen officially recognized Land Reform Settlemnts in this
>
>region, where former landless peasants are striving to promote efforts
>
>to save the remnants of this unique patch of rich, bio-diverse forest, as
>
>well as to secure their access to land by changing the parameters of Land
>
>Tenure in that area.
>
>
>
>We have been contacted by leaders of these communities seeking help with
>
>the various projects they deem vital. These projects will deal with
>
>Reforestation, Human Rights, Youth Development, Education & Training,
>
>Primary Care and Health, as well as Ecological issues.
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Crossroads, cited by JF Kennedy as the model used for the Peace Corps
>
> Celebrating 40 yrs of service by 10,000 Volunteers
>
> A Non-Profit/Private 501(C)(3) Organization - Since 1957
>
>
>
> Website: http://www.igc.org/oca/
>
> E-Mail:
>
>
>
>
>
>_____________________
>
>
>
>University Services
>
>International Internships
>
>
>
>
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 18:28:22 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Bill Would Weaken Tuna Rule
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417182819.006be470@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP Wire page:
---------------------------
04/16/1997 18:11 EST
Bill Would Weaken Tuna Rule
By H. JOSEF HEBERT
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Legislation that would weaken the ``dolphin-safe''
label on
cans of tuna was endorsed Wednesday by a House committee and could be
considered by the full House within weeks.
In the Senate several members already have promised to use parliamentary
tactics,
including a filibuster, to slow the legislation down should it reach the
floor.
The proposal to lift the tuna import restrictions has divided
environmental groups,
with some arguing it will lead to the killing of thousands of dolphins in
the eastern
Pacific by fishermen who use nets to catch tuna. Others say it will allow
for broader
protection of the marine ecosystem and reduce the killing of other fish
and turtles
caught in the nets.
The bill, which cleared the House Resources Committee by voice vote
Wednesday,
would end the import ban on yellowfin tuna caught by using nets. Many
environmentalists have criticized the use of nets because fishermen often
deliberately catch dolphins along with the tuna.
But supporters said the bill would ensure that Mexico and other countries
with large
tuna fleets in the eastern Pacific take steps to protect not only the
dolphin but other
marine life -- sea turtles, small fish and other species -- now often
killed during tuna
fishing. Dolphin often swim with tuna in the eastern Pacific.
The legislation would allow tuna caught with nets to continue to be sold
with the
``dolphin-free'' label as long as it is certified that no dolphins
actually were found
dead in the nets.
Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of America said the issue has been pushed
by free-trade advocates and pressure from Mexico, whose fishermen cannot send
their fish into the U.S. market because of the dolphin-safe import rule.
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., called the bill ``a major setback for American
consumers that demand dolphin-safe tuna.'' Miller offered an amendment
that would
have limited the number of dolphins killed to 2,500, but the measure was
defeated
12-28.
Another proposal, offered by Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., that would have
allowed
net-caught tuna to be imported, but without the dolphin-safe label, was
turned back
by a 12-28 vote.
The White House has endorsed the legislation, as have some leading
environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Center for Marine
Conservation,
the World Wildlife Fund and the Environmental Defense Fund. They maintain
that
dolphin protection should be pursued internationally.
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md., sponsor of the bill, maintains dolphin are
killed by nets
in the eastern Pacific despite the U.S. import ban, and the legislation
would ensure
fishermen comply with a regional agreement that would afford greater
protection to
all marine life.
A similar bill was approved by the House last year, 316-118, but died in
the Senate,
where opposition still is strong.
The U.S. import ban has been credited for the dramatic decline in dolphin
deaths in
recent years.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:28:51 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Police set up genetic database for birds
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416152944.1ab7e322@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
BBC World Service Television News reported that West Yorkshire Police are
compiling a database of DNA from rare and endangered birds, such as the
periguin falcon, to help track down the trade in the animals.
Both the birds themselves, and their eggs, fetch large sums of money on the
blackmarket.
Police Constable Steve Dunn, a wildlife specialist with West Yorkshire
Police said that the database would assist him and his colleagues trace
whether birds found in human possession were taken from the wild.
Previously, DNA sampling was only possible using blood samples, which made
it expensive, difficult and stressful to the birds. A new technique allows
DNA to be obtained from the bird's feathers, which enables the samples to be
more easily obtained.
West Yorkshire Police are adding the bird DNA to their computerized database
of human criminals. If the scheme proves succesful, it will be extended
throughout the country.
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 18:35:35 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Tiny Waterborne Organism Kills Fish
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417183532.006bfc44@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
A tie-in with the North Carolina hog farming....
from AP Wire page:
-------------------------------
04/16/1997 16:12 EST
Tiny Waterborne Organism Kills Fish
By SCOTT MOONEYHAM
Associated Press Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Millions of fish in North Carolina's marshlands have
turned up
dead with ugly, open sores caused by a microorganism that feeds on their
blood.
Now some scientists suspect the organism preys on humans, too.
More than a dozen fishermen, divers and others have found open sores on their
bodies, reported feeling faint or complained of memory loss after coming into
contact with brown water fouled with dead fish.
The organism killing the fish is known as pfiesteria, and biologists call
it ``the cell
from hell.''
Pfiesteria has been likened to the piranha of the microbial world. Yet a
piranha
wouldn't stand a chance against this bloodthirsty menace.
Scientists say the tiny organisms secrete a toxin that eats holes in fish,
then slowly
paralyzes their muscles and suffocates them.
North Carolina State University researcher JoAnn Burkholder, who helped
discover
the one-celled organism in 1990, is convinced that pfiesteria's toxins
sickened her
and as many as nine other researchers. She and a fellow researcher said they
suffered severe neurological symptoms, including memory loss, after
handling the
organism in a lab in 1993.
But she said state health officials seem more concerned with avoiding bad
publicity
that could harm tourism than investigating the possible danger to humans.
Although
the state committed $585,000 to study pfiesteria in 1995, the money is
just now
making its way to researchers.
``We still need to know an awful lot,'' Burkholder said. ``It's an
unfortunate tragedy
that we don't know more by now.''
State officials defended their efforts, saying that they are collecting
evidence and
studying the problem and that there is no proof the organism attacks
humans. ``We
continue to try to gather information within the limits of our
resources,'' said Mike
Moser, director of epidemiology.
Pfiesteria, a one-celled organism called a dinoflagellate, has existed for
thousands
and perhaps millions of years. It has been found as far north as Delaware
and as far
south as the Gulf of Mexico. It can live in either fresh or salt water.
Nowhere has the tiny killer been more prevalent than in North Carolina's huge
estuaries, where slow-moving saltwater is captured behind the islands of
the Outer
Banks. It has left millions of menhaden, shad and flounder dead and
rotting on the
shores of the Neuse and New rivers.
Burkholder's research indicates that the tiny creatures proliferate and
take on a
deadly form when exposed to high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous --
byproducts
of human and animal waste.
She and others believe the organism became a problem in North Carolina waters
as the state's hog farming industry and population rose dramatically over
the past
decade.
David Jones, a New Bern fishermen who once ran a wholesale fish market on the
river shores, is convinced pfiesteria is responsible for the severe memory
lapses
and other neurological problems he says he suffers.
Jones said his problems began in 1988, when he experienced what he thought
was
heat stroke while working his crab pots during a fish kill.
``This stuff is real, and it's bad, and I certainly wouldn't want you or
anyone else to
have it,'' he said. ``What's inside of me eating me alive?''
Questions about pfiesteria's effects on people have grown since a book
tracing its
discovery, ``And the Waters Turned to Blood'' by Rodney Barker, was
released earlier
this month. State officials have criticized the book and complained that
it created
hysteria.
Burkholder said proving that people's health problems are caused by
pfiesteria is
difficult because researchers have yet to isolate and identify its toxins.
Until then, doctors won't be able to test people's blood or tissues for
evidence that
the sores or other symptoms have been caused by pfiesteria.
Dr. Chris Delaney, a New Bern physician who has treated two people with skin
sores, criticized the state's handling of the issue.
``I don't see this as high science, but the political lay of the land is
such that there is
a lot of resistance to change,'' he said.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:48:45 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Urgent RFI
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970416154938.232f3754@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi everyone,
Does anyone have any recent information regarding "Oncomouse" regarding the
patent application to the European Patents Office or elsewhere?
I have also heard that the unfortunate animal was not as sucessful as Havard
University had hoped in regard to its ability to develop cancers. Does
anyone have any details on this as well?
TIA,
David
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:52:12 -0700 (PDT)
>From: bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Shrine Circus Seattle - Sponsors
Message-ID: <199704162252.PAA25205@olympic.brigadoon.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
April 16, 1997
Dear Activist,
Listed below are the businesses that sponsored the Shrine Circus which
appeared at the Seattle Center
Key Arena last weekend. As you can see, it's an extensive list and a sad
reflection of the fact that so many
people are still unaware of the misery experienced by animals in circuses.
These businesses need to hear from all of us. Please write to as many of
them as possible. Your letter
does not need to be long or filled with details. Simply point out that
circuses are no fun for the animals
involved, object to their sponsorship of this year's circus and ask that
they refrain from sponsoring
circuses in the future. Please send a copy of any replies that you may
receive to Lisa at PAWS (address below). Thank you!
Sponsors of the 1997 Shrine Circus (Seattle)
Chris Maly, Marketing Director
Blockbuster Video
2025 1st, Suite 250
Seattle, WA 98121
Jim Anderson
Wight's Home and Garden
5026 196th SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Frank Fadden, President
Clark Office Products, Inc.
PO Box 27185
Seattle, WA 98125-1585
Rick Duell, Operations
Frank Lumber
17727 15th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98155
Kent Stanley
Stanley Roofing
19710 144th Ave NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
Jim McKenzie
Quality Inn
4303 Kitsap Way
Bremerton, WA 98312
Carla Stanford
Seattle Skating Club Bingo
22111 Hwy. 99
Edmonds, WA 98020
Jerry Dahl, President
Western Fleet Supply
620 S. Dakota
Seattle, WA 98108
Don Pells
Bayshore Electric
PO Box 691
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Ernest Jonson & Company, P.S.
Certified Public Accountants
PO Box 9129
Seattle, WA 98109
Dan Krpan
Day & Night Plumbing & Heating
PO Box 1021
Lynnwood, WA 98046
Office Administrator
Agra Earth & Environmental
11335 NE 122nd Way, Suite 100
Kirkland, WA 98034
Smokey Basler
Spartan Electric Service, Inc.
6263 Ellis Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98108
Tad Kasuya, General Mgr.
Hotel International
5621 196th SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Steven Jordan
Covenant Shores
9150 North Mercer Way
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Jimbo's Family Restaurant
19626 & Hwy. 99
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Gery and Dick Smith
C & S Auto Rebuild, Inc.
6805 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
Bardahl Additives & Lubricants
Bardahl Manufacturing Corporation
PO Box 70607
Seattle, WA 98107-0607
Bob Chorush Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 (206) 787-2500 ext
862, (206) 742-5711 fax
email bchorush@paws.org http://www.paws.org
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 19:38:00 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) POTOMAC ENDANGERED
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417193758.006e4424@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The effects of factory farming on the environment....
from WJLA Washington web page:
----------------------------------------------------
POTOMAC ENDANGERED
The Potomac is the 7th most-endangered river in the country. The group
American Rivers put the Potomac on the list announced Wednesday. The
principal reason--a huge increase in commercial poultry production upstream
from Washington in the last decade. The group says the number of chickens
raised has skyrocketed from 7,000,000 to 95,000,000. The increase in
poultry waste going into the Potomac has led to dramatic increases in
bacteria in the water.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 97 16:12:38 -0000
>From:
To: "ar-news"
Subject: Linda Blair New Jersey Calendar Signing
Message-ID: <199704170004.TAA08738@dfw-ix10.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Actress and animal animal supporter Linda Blair will be signing her
celebrity calendar which benefits Last Chance for Animals in New Jersey.
May 3, 1997
2:00 P.M.
Garden State Exhibition Hall
50 Atrium Dr.
Somerset NJ 08873
from David Meyer
Last Chance for Animals
lcanimal@ix.netcom.com
http://www.lcanimal.org
8033 Sunset Blvd., #35
Los Angeles, CA 90046
310/271-6096 office, 310/271-1890 fax
Read the new book "In Your Face, from Actor to Animal Activist",
the true story of Last Chance for Animals founder, Chris DeRose
Details available at http://www.lcanimal.org
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 21:37:48 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (CU) 'Free Willy' was a movie, Menique is real
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417213745.006b0f48@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN web page:
--------------------------------
'Free Willy' was a movie, Menique is real
Ecologists hope dolphin rescued from
Chile can be set free
April 16, 1997
Web posted at: 7:56 p.m. EDT (2356 GMT)
From Havana Bureau Chief Lucia Newman
HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- He may not be as famous as
the star of "Free Willy," but like the whale in
that 1993 movie, a dolphin named Menique has been
rescued from treacherous owners and brought to
safety -- in this case, Havana's National
Aquarium.
Animal rights organizations caring for Menique
(which, in English, means 'little finger,' or
'pinky') eventually plan to release the 7-year-old
dolphin back into the waters off Cuba, his
original home.
Covered in protective lanolin and sprayed with
water, Menique (pronounced: men-YEE-kay) arrived
on Monday in Cuba from Iquique, Chile, where he'd
lived for two years.
The 20-hour flight followed a long legal battle to
obtain the dolphin's release. Ecologists who won
the case said Menique's Chilean owners had kept
him under deplorable conditions.
"He was so thin you could see his bones through
his skin," said South Florida wildlife
rehabilitationist Lloyd Brown. "His skin was
covered with sores."
Good chance of survival in wild
While returning Menique to Cuban waters is the
goal, no one can say just how long that will take.
Releasing sea mammals back into their natural
habitat is not easy, but in the case of Menique,
there's reason for optimism.
Because he lived in the wild for five
years before being captured and sold to
Chile, Menique should still be able to remember
the basics of fending for himself, an animal
expert said.
"All the dolphins we've released into the wild
have adapted well and joined new pods," says Dr.
Celia Guevara, a marine biologist and daughter of
Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara.
Even after his long ordeal, returning home may be
Menique's biggest adventure yet.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:20:56 -0700 (PDT)
>From: nnetwork@cwnet.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Legal Help for Hungerstriker
Message-ID: <199704170220.TAA10655@main.cwnet.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 1997
Federal Court Asked To End 'Battery'
Of Force-Fed, Teen Hunger Striker
Immediately; Hearing Set Friday
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- A motion has been filed in U.S. District Court here
asking for a temporary restraining order to immediately end the
forced-feeding of a 16-year-old hunger striker at the Plainfield Indiana
Boys School.
The motion for a TRO and preliminary injunction alleges that the state of
Indiana has violated the first, eighth and 14th amendments to the U.S.
Constitution and the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" by force-feeding
Anthony Wong, who began 52nd day on a hunger strike Wednesday.
"The defendants (the boys school and dept of corrections) are committing a
series of batteries upon Anthony B. Wong," asserted the motion filed in
federal court.
If the court does not grant the TRO within 48 hours, a full hearing will be
held, probably Friday, according to Mr. Wong's Indianapolis attorney,
Stephen Laudig.
"We are directing the defendants to cease force-feeding Anthony B. Wong and
to cease force-feeding (him) animal products and/or animal by-products
and/or animal tested products," said Mr. Laudig in his brief to the federal
court. Mr. Wong is a strict vegetarian and will not consume any products
produced by animals, or tested on them. Laudig likened that belief as a
"deeply-held, spiritual, oral and ethical" philosophy akin, legally, to a
religion.
Mr. Laudig argued in his brief that the force-feeding was done "over" the
objection of Mr. Wong and his parents, and was "not medically necessary."
Mr. Wong was on his 31st day of the hunger strike, still going to classes,
housed in a cottage, not an infirmary, and suffering no ill effects from the
strike when officials decided to force-feed him.
-30-
Contact: Cres Vellucci (916) 452-7179 or Steve Laudig (317) 443-7194
NOTE: A full text of the complaint is available by contact Mr. Vellucci.
FYI, Mr. Wong's declaration follows this release.
Activist Civil Liberties Committee
PO Box 19515, Sacramento, CA 95819 (916) 452-7179
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION
DECLARATION OF ANTHONY B. WONG
Anthony B. Wong, states the following to be true under the penalties for
perjury:
a. I reside at the Indiana Boys School in Plainfield, IN.
b. I am a "Vegan" and have been since 1995. This means that I have
deeply and sincerely held spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs in the
abstinence from consuming animal products and/or animal by-products and/or
consuming animal tested products.
c. The practice of veganism requires a practitioner to not eat or use any
animal products or animal by-products.
d. The practice of veganism also requires that the practitioner not eat
any foods that are cooked, or prepared, with animal products or animal
by-products or were developed by testing them on animals.
e. On or about 24 February 1997 I was placed in the custody of the Indiana
Department of Corrections pursuant to an order from Marion County (Indiana)
Superior Court Juvenile Division Judge James Payne date 24 February 1997 in
which guardianship of Anthony B. Wong was transferred from his parents to
the Indiana Department of Corrections.
f. On or about 24 February 1997 I began refusing to eat in protest of what
had been done to me.
g. On or about 24 February 1997 responsible persons in the Indiana
Department of Corrections were aware of my Veganism.
h. On or about 26 March 1997 the Indiana Department of Corrections made a
decision to force feed me.
i. This was done over my objection and I do not believe it was medically
necessary.
j. This force-feeding consists of inserting a tube into my nose and
pumping a liquid through it. This is a painful and uncomfortable medical
procedure and has resulted in the production of bloody mucous, sore throat,
stomach pains, constibation, bloody nose and sore turbinals.
k. I was informed by a Dr. Lovell that he would be force-fed "VIVONEX
T-E-N" and that VIVONEX T-E-N did not contain animal by-products.
l. Subsequently I came to learn that the manufacturer of VIVONEX T-E-N
would not guarantee that it did not contain animal products, animal
by-products or was not develped using animals. I informed Dr. Lovell that
the Sandoz Nutrition Corporation, Minneapolis, MN 55416, (which is the
corporation which makes "VIVONEX T-E-N" is the substance he is being force
fed) would not guarantee that VIVONEX T-E-N did not contain animal products,
animal by-products or animal-tested products.
m. I told Dr. Lovell that force feeding me animal products, animal
by-products and/or animal-tested products would be in violation of my
spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs.
n. Dr. Lovell responded, to the effect, that it didn't matter because my
personal beliefs were not recognized as religious beliefs and that I would
be force-fed regardless of my spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs.
o. A true and accurate copy of the VIVONEX T-E-N container is attached to
this affidavit and shows that VIVONEX T-E-N contains 'TAURINE" and "CALCIUM."
p. It is my understanding that 'TAURINE" and "CALCIUM" are each an animal
product, animal byproduct or an animal tested product.
q. I have been told that taurine comes from eggs, and fish and/or animal
brains or bile.
r. I have been told that calcium can come from plant sources, but
usually comes from bonemeal which is groundup animal bones. I am informed
and believe that the notation appearing before the list of ingredients
indicates that dairy derivative products are used in VIVONEX T-E-N.
s. The Indiana Department of Corrections refuses to recognize my
spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs as being the equivalent of bona fide
religious beliefs despite my affirmations and continues to force-fed me,
despite there being no medical necessity, and continues to force-fed me
animal products, animal byproducts and/or animal-tested products despite my
spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 22:23:46 -0400 (EDT)
>From: LMANHEIM@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fwd: Bardot Again Blasts Sheep Killing
Message-ID: <970416222101_49876746@emout17.mail.aol.com>
In a message dated 97-04-16 05:29:04 EDT, AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net writes:
<< Subj:Bardot Again Blasts Sheep Killing
Date:97-04-16 05:29:04 EDT
From:AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net
.c The Associated Press
By CHRISTOPHER BURNS
PARIS (AP) - A defiant Brigitte Bardot has again blasted the
Muslim practice of slaughtering sheep, despite facing court charges
of racism in earlier comments on the subject.
``One more time, one too many times,'' the animal rights
campaigner and former screen siren said. The four-day ritual of Eid
Al-Adha, which begins Thursday, ``will bathe France's earth in
blood,'' she added.
Bardot linked Algerian Muslim fundamentalists to the slaughter,
which she contends is cruel to sheep.
``They've slit the throats of women and children, of our monks,
our officials, our tourists and our sheep. They'll slit our throats
one day and we'll deserve it,'' she said in a statement released
Tuesday.
Muslim militants in Algeria have recently slashed or beheaded
scores of villagers and they have killed a number of French
nationals in their 5-year-old insurgency.
A human rights group threatened to press charges, the daily
France Soir reported today.
``Freedom of expression, yes, but racism is a crime,'' said
Mouloud Aounit, president of the Movement Against Racism and
Anti-Semitism and for Friendship Among Peoples.
Bardot is to appear Sept. 11 before the Paris Court of Appeals
for allegedly ``provoking hatred and racial discrimination'' last
year. A lower court acquitted her of the charge in January.
A conviction could bring one year in prison and a fine of
$55,000.
The 62-year-old former actress last year described the ceremony
as ``torture, signs of the most atrocious pagan sacrifices.'' She
also condemned ``the invasion of France by an overpopulation of
foreigners, notably Muslim.''
During the springtime celebration following the Islamic fast of
Ramadan, many of France's 3 million Muslims sacrifice a lamb in a
rite of peace, as Islamic and biblical teachings say God allowed
Abraham to do instead of killing his son.
Bardot's foundation has called for the ritual slaughter to take
place in state-supervised slaughterhouses and for the animals to be
stunned before being killed. >>
---------------------
Forwarded message:
>From:AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net
Date: 97-04-16 05:29:04 EDT
.c The Associated Press
By CHRISTOPHER BURNS
PARIS (AP) - A defiant Brigitte Bardot has again blasted the
Muslim practice of slaughtering sheep, despite facing court charges
of racism in earlier comments on the subject.
``One more time, one too many times,'' the animal rights
campaigner and former screen siren said. The four-day ritual of Eid
Al-Adha, which begins Thursday, ``will bathe France's earth in
blood,'' she added.
Bardot linked Algerian Muslim fundamentalists to the slaughter,
which she contends is cruel to sheep.
``They've slit the throats of women and children, of our monks,
our officials, our tourists and our sheep. They'll slit our throats
one day and we'll deserve it,'' she said in a statement released
Tuesday.
Muslim militants in Algeria have recently slashed or beheaded
scores of villagers and they have killed a number of French
nationals in their 5-year-old insurgency.
A human rights group threatened to press charges, the daily
France Soir reported today.
``Freedom of expression, yes, but racism is a crime,'' said
Mouloud Aounit, president of the Movement Against Racism and
Anti-Semitism and for Friendship Among Peoples.
Bardot is to appear Sept. 11 before the Paris Court of Appeals
for allegedly ``provoking hatred and racial discrimination'' last
year. A lower court acquitted her of the charge in January.
A conviction could bring one year in prison and a fine of
$55,000.
The 62-year-old former actress last year described the ceremony
as ``torture, signs of the most atrocious pagan sacrifices.'' She
also condemned ``the invasion of France by an overpopulation of
foreigners, notably Muslim.''
During the springtime celebration following the Islamic fast of
Ramadan, many of France's 3 million Muslims sacrifice a lamb in a
rite of peace, as Islamic and biblical teachings say God allowed
Abraham to do instead of killing his son.
Bardot's foundation has called for the ritual slaughter to take
place in state-supervised slaughterhouses and for the animals to be
stunned before being killed.
AP-NY-04-16-97 0445EDT
To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 22:59:39 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US-PA) Harrisburg AR Group to Protest Laboratory Animals
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417225937.006c9980@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Harrisburg Animal Action Group will be protesting Animals in
Laboratories on Saturday, April 26th, 11am to 1pm, at Schuylkill Haven, in
the Harrisburg, PA area.
For details and directions, call:
--Kate, 717-233-4070
--Doris, 717-385-2975
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 23:01:59 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US-PA) EarthSave Central PA--Upcoming Events!
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970417230157.006ca834@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
UPCOMING EVENTS -- April:
--Dining Out/Planning Meeting
--Diet for a New America -- Video Presentation
--Potlucks & Lectures
***************
Friday, April 18th, Dining Out/Planning Meeting:
Join us for an evening out at the Passage to India restaurand
located in the Holiday Inn on Front Street, Harrisburg, PA, April
18th, 7 pm. Reservations are required, so be sure to call
717-245-2329 no later than April 16th!
Thursday, April 24th, Video Presentation:
EarthSave Central PA will be offering a video presentation of
Diet for a New America at Border's Book Store, Lancaster, PA, on
April 24th, 7 pm. Free.
Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th Potluck and Lecture:
EarthSave Central PA will be featuring Sister Miriam Therese
MacGillis and her lecture, "Presentations on the New Cosmology
and it's Implications for our Lives," at our April 26th Lancaster
Potluck, Friends Meeting House, Tulane Rd., and April 27th
Monthly Potluck, Embers Inn & Convention Center, Carlisle, PA.
Both programs begin at 4 pm. For more information, call
717-391-2713 for Lancaster or 717-245-2329 Carlisle.
Sister MacGillis is a member of the Dominican Sisters of
Caldwell, N.J. She lives and works at Genesis Farm which she
co-founded in 1980 with the sponsorship of her Dominican
Congregation. Sister Miriam describes Genesis Farm as a learning
center where people of goodwill are welcome to search for more
authentic ways to live in harmony with the natural world and each
other. The farm practices Biodynamic methods of agriculture which
are in tune with the natural rhythms of the Earth. Sister
MacGillis coordinates programs exploring the work of Thomas Berry
as he has interpreted the New Cosmology. She lectures extensively
and has conducted workshops and seminars in the U.S., Canada,
Europe and the Philipines. Sister MacGillis is a member of the
Board of Advisors for EarthSave International.
The EarthSave Central PA monthly Vegetarian Potluck will give you
a chance to sample new foods, meet new people, gather great
recipes and learn from interesting speakers.
Sign-in is at 4:00PM. Everyone brings a plant-based dish. Guests
also contribute $3.00. (An additional fee of $5.00 is charged for
those who do not bring a dish.) The event will be held at the
Embers Inn & Convention Center, Carlisle PA. Please include a
recipe/ingredients card as well as your own place settings.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 20:59:25 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fruit flies hold the key to human alcoholism
Message-ID: <3355A01D.79E4@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Drunk fruit flies may hold key to alcoholism
Reuter Information Service
LONDON (April 16, 1997 8:43 p.m. EDT) - Tipsy fruit flies that act just
like people who have had a few too many could hold the key to why some
people become alcoholics, U.S. researchers reported Friday.
New Scientist magazine quoted Ulrike Heberlein and colleagues at the
University of California San Francisco as saying they had found five
previously unidentified genes in fruit flies that appeared to be linked
to alcohol susceptibility and tolerance.
They told a conference at the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore
that the flies, when made to breathe alcohol vapor, acted just like
human drunks -- stumbling, falling over and passing out.
This could add to evidence that genes are one source of tolerance to
alcohol, Heberlein said. "If we can get a handle on the genes, we might
be able to intervene," she added.
To try to find the genes involved, her group disrupted various gene
sequences in the fruit flies -- a favorite tool of genetic researchers
because of their fast life cycle.
The flies were put into an "inebriometer" -- a glass cylinder into which
alcohol vapour was pumped.
The drunkest-acting flies were picked out and their genes identified,
which is how Heberlein's group found the five possible genes involved in
alcohol tolerance.
"The genes we carry have many counterparts in fruit flies," geneticist
Ed Lewis of the California Institute of Technology in Pasedena said.
"There is a high likelihood that these
genetic pathways which affect behavior will carry over to humans.
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