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AR-NEWS Digest 507
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) RCD Emergency plan-killer rabbit virus(New Zealand)
by bunny
2) [CA] Fish farm report says "risk low"
by David J Knowles
3) [CA] All the fun of the fair
by David J Knowles
4) Polar Bears' Ice Habitat Threatened by Global Warming
by David J Knowles
5) Dutch Oil Co Threatens GP With Legal Action Over Climate
Change
by David J Knowles
6) [UK] MPs admit they are addicted to cars
by David J Knowles
7) [UK] Sausage overdose warning
by David J Knowles
8) [UK/NZ] Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
by David J Knowles
9) [UK/IN] Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
by David J Knowles
10) [CA] How safe are burgers in Canada?
by David J Knowles
11) TEAR Press Release for 8/27
by Greg Thomisee
12) Boston Globe 8/26: McDonald's beefing up foreign presence; Fast-food
by Maynard Clark
13) [UK] MPs admit they are addicted to cars
by David J Knowles
14) [UK/NZ] Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
by David J Knowles
15) [UK/IN] Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
by David J Knowles
16) [UK] Sausage overdose warning
by David J Knowles
17) TEAR Press Release for 8/27
by Greg Thomisee
18) (NZ) Rabbit virus illegally released in infested farmlands
by allen schubert
19) (US) Dangerous Juices Glance
by allen schubert
20) New Zealand RCD outbreak (ABC TV Australia)
by bunny
21) Fwd: Gorilla-Shooting Man Nabbed
by LMANHEIM@aol.com
22) Detroit News Soundoff: Should Hunting Be Allowed in
Parks--Call!
by Mike Markarian
23) MD killing Canada Geese
by Jean Colison
24) Kim appears in the cover of a Spanish newspaper
by "sa338@blues.uab.es"
25) ELLE magazine promotes cruelty
by "sa338@blues.uab.es"
26) ar pictures
by liberation2@juno.com
27) (US) Meatpackers May Alter Beef Methods
by allen schubert
28) King Royal update
by PAWS
29) RCD/RHD(deadly rabbit virus)"Uncontrollable"-New Zealand
by bunny
30) Kiwis race to contain rabbit killer (New Zealand)
by bunny
31) (US) Philadelphia/C.A.R.E./Mobilization for Animals--tabling
by allen schubert
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 13:01:32 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RCD Emergency plan-killer rabbit virus(New Zealand)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827124503.3ea74c74@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Wed, 27th August 1997
RCD Emergency Plan (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Agriculture hopes roadblocks will stop the RCD rabbit killer
virus spreading further, but says there is still a confusing picture on how far
the RCD virus has spread.
Attempts to stop the virus spreading in Australia have failed but MAF's
chief vet, Barry O'Neil, says it's hoped the road blocks now in place in
Central Otago will work.
He says they're doing their best to contain the virus and prevent illegal or
accidental spread of the disease.
However Mr O'Neil says MAF is looking at properties as far north as
Marlborough where the killer rabbit virus may have spread.
He says a helicopter surveillance of Central Otago has spotted large numbers
of dead rabbits. But so far only one property has been confirmed with the
virus through laboratory tests.
One of the Cromwell farmers whose farm is quarantined is elated the rabbit
killer virus RCD has arrived.
MAF placed four properties under quarantine yesterday, including that of
farmer Donald Young . Mr Young says he has no idea how the virus has
reached his property. He says the rabbit damage to his farm is horrendous
and he's delighted that RCD is here.
Biosecurity Minister, Simon Upton, doesn't believe the virus is established
here yet and says it's not yet known if RCD will naturally spread rapidly here.
He says the insects suspected of spreading RCD in Australia probably aren't
present in New Zealand.
But an Australian RCD expert, Dr Brian Cook, believes the virus will spread
quickly in New Zealand, but not as quickly as in Australia.
There the virus spread over 50 kilometres a day, and even crossed Bass
Strait into Tasmania. Dr Cook says the climate in New Zealand is different
however.
But he says RCD will probably travel a few kilometers every week, touching
some areas but not others.
Farmers say it's a waste of time trying to stop the RCD virus spreading.
Cromwell farmer Jeff Brown says farmers are in no doubt it's already killing
rabbits in areas beyond the Cromwell quarantine area.
He says from what he's heard the RCD virus has already spread from one end
of the South Island to the other. He says his farm's plagued by rabbits and
it's been the best day of his life.
Meanwhile the Department of Conservation says 29 native species are at risk
from RCD virus.
Conservation Minister Nick Smith says its mostly birds such as the black
stilt and yellow-eyed penguin, which could be targeted by ferrets and wild
cats who normally prey on rabbits. But he says native lizards and insects are
also at risk.
(27.8.97)
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
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/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Fish farm report says "risk low"
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014005.19c7a28e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
VANCOUVER, BC - The long-awaited report on the future of salmon farming in
B.C., conducted by provincial government scientists over the past two years,
was released Tuesday.
The report found that the environmental risks from the farms were "low", but
also admited that there were gaps in scientific data about these risks.
The scientists looked at the risks to humans from the use of antibiotics in
the salmon which are similar or the same as those used in human disease
treatment; the risk to the wild Pacific salmon population from the escape of
the farmed Atlantic species; and the risk to the marine environment as a
whole from the waste products from the farms into the sea.
The report recommended that the moratorium imposed on opening further farms
be kept in place for the time being.
A spokesperson for the Sierra Legal Defence Fund called on the government to
find the missing data before acting on the report's recommedations.
Fisheries minstry spokesperson said it would take several months for all the
information in the report to be studied.
A spokesperson for the BC Salmon Farming Association, the industry lobby
group, refered to the report as "not bad."
David J Knowles
Animal Voices News
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] All the fun of the fair
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014010.19c7a6a0@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
VANCOUVER, BC - The Pacific National Exhibition is an annual agricultural
fair, which has been noted for its insensitivity and cruelty towards animals
on display.
Several years ago, the PNE adopted an animal welfare policy, which according
to the document, states they were "aware of the increasing interest in
matters of animal welfare."
Whilst further stating that they were unable to meet all the objectives
immediately, they were "strongly committed" to their achievement.
How many of these objectives have been met?
The objectives are:-
1 - All animals must be transported to and from the fair in a matter
consistent with the appropiate codes of practice.
(Although Animal Voices has no evidence to suggest the above isn't been met,
the codes of practice for animal transportation are voluntary, have no
meaning in law, and are weakly enforced.)
2 - Whilst at the fair, all animals must be maintained in an excellent state
of health. The fair veterinarian may require an ill or diseased animal
to be removed or treated.
3 - All animals must receive appropiate food and water, and bedding as
necessary. Housing must be appropiate for the species and condition of
the animals, Trained and competent staff must be in attendence between
the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12 midnight.
(The staff are mostly school students, hired for the duration of the fair,
and most receive only minimal training. They appear unable, or unwillling to
stop children from putting their fingers into enclosures and prodding the
animals.)
4 - All animals must be humanely treated, and kept free of stress and pain.
(As reported last week, Animal Voices encountered a lame piglet, which was
reported to the display barn supervisor, whose response was to do nothing as
the piglet was only worth $30 to the farmer, and it would cost in the region
of $500 to treat.
One of the major "attractions" at this year's fair - as in previous years -
was a rodeo, and this year saw the re-introduction of pig racing into the
program of events. Pig racing was removed from the PNE in 1986, after local
animal-rights activists drew attention to the cruelty involved in this event.
Additionally, the petting zoo, sponsored by a local dairy company, allows
only a one hour rest and food break for the animals between the fair's
opening at 10:30 a.m. and the close at 10:30 p.m.)
5 - In all exhibits (such as the cow calving) the natural dignity of the
animal must be protected from the public by clever exhibit design (use
of one-way mirrors etc.), limited access, or by video taping and
replaying on a large screen.
(The cow calving display continues to be one of the saddest displays at the
PNE. No attempt at using any of the above is evident, and the cows must give
birth in full view of often-cheering members of the public.)
6 - All animals must wear appropiate identification.
7 - All rules pertaining to animal welfare as set out in the various prize
lists will be strictly enforced.
8 - Increasingly, the exhibition of animals at the fair will be for
educational rather than entertainment purposes.
(There has been a token effort at education. Signs posted on some cattle
displays point out the "fact" that cattle graze on land which is unsuitable
for other purposes, and other, similar, tidbits of information.)
9 - The PNE wishes to take a prominent role in the area of farm animal
welfare and will promote discussion and exhibition of the various
options to increase farm animal welfare as they are developed
throughout the world.
(Whilst taking some small, cosmetic steps, it remains as a promoter of
animal abuse. It manages to dress up the reality of modern farming by trying
to give the impresion that animals are generally well-cared for, but even
then fails to meet its own standards.)
David J Knowles
Animal Voices News
[I will be following this up and will post again soon.]
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Polar Bears' Ice Habitat Threatened by Global Warming
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014013.19c7bad2@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From Greenbase - Greenpeace's press-release server
POLAR BEARS' ICE HABITAT THREATENED BY GLOBAL WARMING
BEAUFORT SEA, Alaska, August 26, 1997 -- Shrinking sea ice in the Arctic due
to rising temperatures will cause reductions in ice algae crucial to the
entire Arctic food chain: from fish to seals and polar bears, scientists
have told a Greenpeace expedition.
The Western Arctic is one of the fastest warming regions in the world,
warming at a rate of 0.75 degrees C per decade for the past three decades,
several times the average global rate. Norwegian studies have found the
area of the Arctic Ocean covered by sea ice has declined 5.5 per cent since
1978. The Arctic is seen as an early indicator of the impacts of global
climate change, caused primarily by the burning of oil, coal and gas.
Dr. Vera Alexander of the Fisheries and Ocean Science Department at the
University of Alaska, an expert on ice-edge ecology, has been observing
dramatic changes in temperature and ice-edge extent for the past 20 years.
Alexander stated that the continued decline of the sea ice will affect the
production of algae, which live beneath the ice, and form the very base of
the arctic food chain. "Without the ice algae", Alexander noted "there would
be no possibility of a food chain as we know it". The resulting impacts
would ripple up the food web affecting fish, seals, whales and polar bears.
World renowned polar bear biologist Jack Lentfer (retired, formerly with the
Marine Mammal Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service) also expressed
concerns about the impacts of global warming. Noting that bears give birth
in snow dens, Lentfer stated that rising temperatures and earlier spring
melts could expose bear cubs too early in their development to the harsh
arctic environment.
Amidst the increasing signs of human-induced climate change, the oil
industry in the Alaskan Arctic is rapidly expanding towards the Russian and
Canadian borders, seeking to develop and open up several major new oil fields.
"We can't afford to burn the oil we have already found," said Steve Sawyer,
Greenpeace Arctic Expedition leader. "Burning more than about one quarter of
the world's existing reserves of oil, coal and gas risks causing
catastrophic climate change. It's completely irresponsible to spend billions
exploring for more."
Lentfer has also predicted serious direct impacts for polar bears resulting
from Arco's off-shore oil development in the area of Camden Bay, off the
coast of the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. Lentfer told Greenpeace the area has the highest number of
polar bear dens in Alaska. ARCO Oil plans exploratory drilling there in
November, 1997.
In December nations of the world will meet in Kyoto, Japan to agree on
carbon dioxide emission limitations and reductions. Greenpeace is calling
for an end to all new oil exploration as a first step in the necessary
phase out of fossil fuels.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Dutch Oil Co Threatens GP With Legal Action Over Climate
Change
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014015.19c7b6de@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From Greenbase - Greenpeace's press-release server
DUTCH OIL COMPANY THREATENS GREENPEACE WITH LEGAL ACTION OVER
CLIMATE CHANGE PROTEST
AMSTERDAM, August 26, 1997 - Greenpeace said today it would continue its
action to protect the global climate ahead of a legal action of at least
$US1 million a day by the Netherlands Oil Company (NAM), half owned by
Shell and Esso.
Greenpeace learned this afternoon that NAM will seek an injunction and a
possible damages claim against Greenpeace Netherlands this Friday in
Amsterdam. "While Greenpeace awaits the court's decision on the injunction
we will continue our action," said Greenpeace spokesperson Martijn
Lodewijkx. Greenpeace is calling for NAM to withdraw its injunction and halt
its proposed exploration underneath the Wadden Sea.
"Esso and Shell are showing indifference to dangerous climate change and are
resorting to legal intimidation to stifle public protest," Lodewijx said
"These companies through the Netherlands Oil Company want to use the
drilling site as a stepping stone to new exploration and production of gas
on the Wadden Sea area, a wetland with a crucial role for biodiversity in
Europe, particularly migratory birds."
The injunction application follows Greenpeace's occupation of NAM's
exploratory gas drilling site north of the Wadden Sea between the islands
Ameland and Schiermonnikoog off the north coast of Holland on Sunday. The
action continues the environmental organisation's international campaign to
protect the climate from global warming.
"The activities of NAM demonstrates the need for the Dutch government to
step in and take concrete action towards the reduction of CO2 emissions,"
Lodewijkx said.
Over the past several months Greenpeace has confronted British Petroleum
at its Foinaven field in the Atlantic Ocean northwest of the Shetland
Islands, and American oil company Arco in the Arctic off the north coast of
Alaska.
The NAM drilling rig, which is being towed by two tugs, is 1.4 nautical
miles away from the drilling site. The drill site is only 2.3 kms away from
a location at which the Dutch company
was not allowed to drill after a Dutch court ruling in April. It is only 100
metres outside the North Sea Coastal Zone in which drilling is banned.
"We cannot afford to burn more than a quarter of the global fossil fuel
reserves without causing a dangerous escalation of global warming and
catastrophic climate change - more severe droughts, floods, storms and the
spread of infectious diseases such as malaria."
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] MPs admit they are addicted to cars
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014018.19c7b5ec@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
MPs admit they are addicted to cars
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
MOST MPs, by their own admission, drive in preference to
using public transport, tend to travel alone in cars with large
engines and frequently exceed the speed limit on motorways.
A survey of MPs shows that the vast majority are addicted
to their cars - possibly even more so than the public - at a
time when the Government is pledged to reducing car
dependency among the public.
While a majority of MPs who replied to a questionnaire
from the Bolton Institute of Higher Education agreed that
more people should travel by public transport, 69 per cent of
them said that their cars were "a necessity".
Eighty-five per cent of the respondents said that their car
was their main mode of transport and almost as many said
that they used their cars as a matter of convenience. Almost
half of the 100 MPs who replied to the survey admitted
driving cars with an engine capacity of more than 2.3 litres.
More than five per cent of the MPs, whose names are not
disclosed, were candid enough to admit that they travelled at
more than 80mph, given a clear motorway and 55 per cent
admitted that they would travel at more than 70mph under
the same conditions.
The survey was aimed at sitting MPs of all parties just
before the general election. It did not show significant
differences between parties.
Christopher Nwagboso of the Vehicle Systems Research
Centre, one of the authors, said: "If MPs are saying we
should end our love affair with the car it seems only fair that
they should be showing an example.
"In practice they tend to have driving habits that can be
interpreted as being detrimental to the environment by
driving alone, fast and in cars with large engines."
No response was received from John Prescott, the Deputy
Prime Minister, who drives a Jaguar, and Tony Blair
declined to fill in the questionnaire for "personal reasons".
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Sausage overdose warning
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014020.19c75650@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
Sausage overdose warning
A MAN who collapsed after eating too many sausages may
have been affected by the dangerous chemicals used in
cured meats, a doctor warned yesterday.
The 58-year-old man ate 10 sausages in 20 minutes at a
doctor's party before he suffered a drop in blood pressure.
He recovered within 10 minutes. But Dr Justin Stebbin,
from St George's Hospital, London, said the man had a
lucky escape.
He suggested that he was affected by the high nitrate content
of the sausages. These chemicals could be lethal in sufficient
quantities. Nitrates and nitrites are commonly used to colour
and preserve cured meats such as ham, bacon and certain
sausages.
The chemicals are converted to methaemoglobin, which
displaces oxygen in the blood. Dr Stebbin said the sausages
at the party each had 150 parts per million of nitrate. The
statutory safety limit is 250 parts per million.
After the man collapsed, the doctor host measured his blood
pressure, and found that it was extremely low. "The 10
sausages consumed were calculated to be equivalent to
68mg of ingested nitrate," Dr Stebbin wrote in the
Postgraduate Medical Journal.
However, the Ministry of Agriculture said wide margins
were set for the safety limits. A person would have to eat
several pounds of food containing nitrates to suffer any ill
effects.
A spokesman said: "You'd probably feel sick from the
sausages first." A spokesman for the British Sausage Bureau
said those at the party were almost certainly imports. He
said: "Most British sausages use ascorbic acid as their
preservative, which is essentially vitamin C."
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK/NZ] Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014024.19c7b4c2@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
SCIENTISTS have set up instruments downwind of
flatulent and burping sheep to investigate methane gas
emissions thought to contribute to global warming.
The study is being conducted in New Zealand, where there
are 50 million sheep and 3.7 million humans. Ruminant
livestock are responsible for 70 per cent of New Zealand's
methane emission, and belching sheep account for half of
that.
The nation generates eight times the OECD average of
methane emission per head of human population, said Dr
Mark Ulyatt of the Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston
North.
Two Crown research institutes are monitoring individual
sheep to see what affects methane production, while another
two measure methane concentrations in the air.
Dr Murray Judd, one of the air testers, said researchers from
New Zealand Pastoral Agricultural Research found a flat
part of the country with consistent wind directions and had
set up a tower downwind of the sheep paddocks, with
instruments to measure wind, temperature and methane
concentrations.
Dr Ulyatt said most testing of individual sheep used a sample
device over the noses and mouths of grazing animals.
Special respiratory chambers can be used to test emissions
from the other end but the team was not testing flatulence
this time. "I get a lot of flak from this," he added.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK/IN] Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827014026.19c7b38e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
AN Indian state plans to raise mongooses and peacocks to
kill snakes after the death of 40 people from bites in the past
three months. The plan has been drawn up in the central
state of Madhya Pradesh where 506 people have died from
bites in the last decade. The incidence of bites reportedly
rose during the monsoon when floods washed snakes into
villages.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 02:59:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] How safe are burgers in Canada?
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827030018.2e9fc5de@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
VANCOUVER, BC - How safe are the burgers sold in Canada? Depends on who you
ask. There has been a lot more awareness of the potential for contamination
with E.Coli since the recent outbreak in the U.S., but government officials
maintain that Canadian consumers have little to fear.
Dr Jim Brunton, a microbiologist at Toronto Hospital, told CBC television
that only 5 - 10% of people infected, usually children between 18-months and
12-years-old, suffer the serious kidney failure. But, he addded, between a
third and a half of those infected suffer from bloody diarrhea, severe
abdominal pains and tenderness - what Brunton refers to as a "very
unpleasant experience."
Brunton says that the meat inspection carried out only looks for gross
abnormalities, such as the meat being obviously bad, but such examination
doesn't detect E.Coli contamination.
A study by the University of Guelph, Ont, showed that every herd out of 80
studied showed some degree of infection by E.Coli, but the cattle do not
show any symptoms of the disease.
Around 1,000 Canadians are infected annually, but government meat inspectors
say the strict system in Canada means that Canadian meat is essentially safe.
Rick Hutfloetz, a federal meat inspector, told the CBC that random sample
testing for E.Coli is carried out several times a day at federally-inspected
slaughterhouses, but many slaughterhouses in Canada are not federally-inspected.
Brunton points out that what worries him is the spread of E. Coli infection
to vegetables - something which has not received the same amount of media
attention as outbreaks in the meat supply. He said that in Japan, 8,000
schoolchildren were affected by an outbreak of E.Coli H0157 which was traced
to radish sprouts served as part of a school lunch.
Dr Jean Kamanzi, a senior official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,
credited the relatively low level of infection in Canada to the strict
monitoring in place, but also admitted to some luck.
He told the CBC that Canada has "one of the best systems in the world." - a
common theme put out by all Canadian officials from the minister of
agricuture downwards, whenever a concern about a potential danger is drawn
to their attention.
Anne Nickerson-Jackie, whose daughter contracted Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome,
and now has chronic renal failure, advocates mandatory labelling on ground
beef which would include safe cooking and handling instructions, similar to
that required in the U.S. She is supported by the Kidney Foundation of Canada.
She told the CBC that although a meeting had taken place between the grocery
industry and Health Canada, in March, 1996, nothing further has happened.
Chris Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Consumers Association of Canada,
opposes the idea of mandatory labelling, pointing out that not all consumers
read labels, and that according to figures from Stats Can 40% of Canadians
do not have sufficient reading skills to make use of such labelling.
Mitchell believes that the government and meat industry do all they can, and
that the system is much better than that in the U.S. - something
Nickerson-Jackie disagrees with.
Nickerson-Jackie said it was just luck that Canada hasn't has a large
Jack-in-the-Box-type incident, but believes the government would act quickly
if such an incident did occur.
What action it would take in this event remains to be seen.
David J Knowles
Animal Voices News
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 06:50:34 -0400
From: Greg Thomisee
To: AR News
Subject: TEAR Press Release for 8/27
Message-ID: <199708270650_MC2-1E4F-FEAE@compuserve.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Disposition: inline
TEAR
TEXAS ESTABLISHMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS
660 Preston Forest Center
Suite 354
Dallas, TX 75230-2718
Phone 972-623-6170
Fax 972-416-3555
Press Release
Contact: Greg Thomisee
Phone: (972)623 6170 or (214) 763 7681
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 1997
ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROTEST EMU BEATING DEATHS
Fort Worth -- Animal rights activists will protest the decision made by the
Tarrant County district attorneys office NOT to prosecute Steven and
Russell Vinson for clubbing to death 22 emus on June 28. The demonstration
will be at the Criminal Court Building, 401 W. Belknap Street, Ft. Worth,
Texas, beginning at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, August 27. The demonstration is
organized by Texas Establishment for Animal Rights (TEAR). The group does
not condone such acts of violence and strongly encourages the grand jury to
prosecute this case.
On Wednesday, Don Feare will file a case with the Grand Jury requesting the
prosecution of medical doctor Stephen Vinson, who along with his brother
Russell, beat to death 22 emu on June 28, 1997. Richard Alpert, a Tarrant
County prosecutor, said that Texas law allows owners to kill their animals
as long as they do not torture them. The district attorneys office said on
July 21 that there was no proof that the men's conduct was cruel. The last
bird to die in the pen was described by the humane investigator as vomiting
blood and staggering until it fell on the ground and couldn't get up
anymore.
TEAR is determined to not let this tragedy go unanswered!
-End-
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 23:09:21 -0400
From: Maynard Clark
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Boston Globe 8/26: McDonald's beefing up foreign presence; Fast-food
Message-ID: <199708271133.HAA08474@envirolink.org>
McDonald's beefing up foreign presence=20
Fast-food giant looks to dominate global market
By Patricia Commins, Reuters, 08/26/97=20
CHICAGO - Faced with intense competition in the United
States, McDonald's Corp. is increasingly relying on its
international operations for the majority of its profits and the bulk of
its new-store openings.=20
''I think there definitely will come a time when 80 percent of our
profits come from outside the United States,'' James Cantalupo,
president and chief executive of McDonald's international
operations, said in a telephone interview. ''I would describe our
international business as one of huge opportunity.''
McDonald's, which reaped nearly 60 percent of its overall
operating income outside the United States in 1996, has
restaurants in 103 countries. The latest - Bolivia and Ecuador - are
slated to open in October.=20
For McDonald's, the global market, where it has more than 9,000
restaurants, represents an open field compared with the United
States.=20
While McDonald's dominates the US fast food market with more
than 12,000 restaurants, the domestic industry is considered by
many analysts to be saturated. Thus, for players like McDonald's,
Grand Metropolitan's Burger King, and Wendy's International Inc.,
the US strategy is one of stealing market share.=20
McDonald's, which from mid-1995 to the end of 1996 saw six
straight quarters of declining US same-store sales, has scaled
back on its domestic expansion. Of 2,400 restaurants expected to
be opened this year, 80 percent will be overseas. In the past, about
two-thirds of McDonald's new openings have been overseas.=20
International operations account for 60 percent of McDonald's
profits and more than 80 percent of new units and are expected to
grow at about four times the rate of its business in the United
States, Merrill Lynch analyst Peter Oakes said in a recent report.=20
McDonald's international presence goes back more than 25 years
to a time when the company was starting to sell hamburgers
abroad while its US business was carrying the profit load.=20
'' [The] US business carried our international operation for many
years, while we were building an infrastructure that is paying
dividends today,'' Cantalupo said.=20
With McDonald's opening some 2,000 restaurants outside the
United States each year, it will open more units overseas in the
next five years than it did in the past 30 years, Cantalupo said.=20
About 40 percent of McDonald's international restaurants are
company owned, with another 40 percent operated by franchisees
and another 20 percent in joint ventures.=20
''Now our challenge is to dominate those markets ... because that's
where the world income is represented,'' he said.=20
After establishing a presence in many international markets -
including a foothold in places like India, where it sells lamb and
vegetarian sandwiches, and China - McDonald's has taken the
lead from its global competition.=20
'' [The] most significant international markets [i.e., ones with large
populations and growing incomes] have already been entered, and
most well ahead of the competition,'' Lehman Brothers analyst
Mitchell Speiser said in a recent report on McDonald's.=20
Still, Cantalupo says, repeating an oft-quoted company statistic,
McDonald's serves less than 1 percent of the world's population on
a daily basis. That, he believes, presents a ''huge'' opportunity to
sell hamburgers and french fries to a growing world population with
an increasing appetite for Western products.=20
''If you use 12,000 restaurants in the States as any potential
benchmark for outside the United States, even adjusting for
income levels you have the potential for many times what we have
today outside the United States,'' Cantalupo said.=20
McDonald's stock fell 7/16 to 495/16 on the New York Stock
Exchange.=20
This story ran on page D06 of the Boston Globe on 08/26/97.=20
=A9 Copyright 19docroot Globe Newspaper Company.=20
Boston Globe 8/26: McDonald's beefing up foreign presence; Fast-food gian
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] MPs admit they are addicted to cars
Message-ID: <199708271133.HAA08478@envirolink.org>
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
MPs admit they are addicted to cars
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor=20
MOST MPs, by their own admission, drive in preference to
using public transport, tend to travel alone in cars with large
engines and frequently exceed the speed limit on motorways.
A survey of MPs shows that the vast majority are addicted
to their cars - possibly even more so than the public - at a
time when the Government is pledged to reducing car
dependency among the public.
While a majority of MPs who replied to a questionnaire
from the Bolton Institute of Higher Education agreed that
more people should travel by public transport, 69 per cent of
them said that their cars were "a necessity".
Eighty-five per cent of the respondents said that their car
was their main mode of transport and almost as many said
that they used their cars as a matter of convenience. Almost
half of the 100 MPs who replied to the survey admitted
driving cars with an engine capacity of more than 2.3 litres.
More than five per cent of the MPs, whose names are not
disclosed, were candid enough to admit that they travelled at
more than 80mph, given a clear motorway and 55 per cent
admitted that they would travel at more than 70mph under
the same conditions.=20
The survey was aimed at sitting MPs of all parties just
before the general election. It did not show significant
differences between parties.
Christopher Nwagboso of the Vehicle Systems Research
Centre, one of the authors, said: "If MPs are saying we
should end our love affair with the car it seems only fair that
they should be showing an example.
"In practice they tend to have driving habits that can be
interpreted as being detrimental to the environment by
driving alone, fast and in cars with large engines."
No response was received from John Prescott, the Deputy
Prime Minister, who drives a Jaguar, and Tony Blair
declined to fill in the questionnaire for "personal reasons".
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20
[UK] MPs admit they are addicted to cars
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK/NZ] Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
Message-ID: <199708271133.HAA08483@envirolink.org>
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor=20
SCIENTISTS have set up instruments downwind of
flatulent and burping sheep to investigate methane gas
emissions thought to contribute to global warming.
The study is being conducted in New Zealand, where there
are 50 million sheep and 3.7 million humans. Ruminant
livestock are responsible for 70 per cent of New Zealand's
methane emission, and belching sheep account for half of
that.
The nation generates eight times the OECD average of
methane emission per head of human population, said Dr
Mark Ulyatt of the Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston
North.
Two Crown research institutes are monitoring individual
sheep to see what affects methane production, while another
two measure methane concentrations in the air.
Dr Murray Judd, one of the air testers, said researchers from
New Zealand Pastoral Agricultural Research found a flat
part of the country with consistent wind directions and had
set up a tower downwind of the sheep paddocks, with
instruments to measure wind, temperature and methane
concentrations.
Dr Ulyatt said most testing of individual sheep used a sample
device over the noses and mouths of grazing animals.
Special respiratory chambers can be used to test emissions
from the other end but the team was not testing flatulence
this time. "I get a lot of flak from this," he added.=20
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20
[UK/NZ] Wind velocity test on flatulent sheep
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK/IN] Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
Message-ID: <199708271133.HAA08487@envirolink.org>
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
AN Indian state plans to raise mongooses and peacocks to
kill snakes after the death of 40 people from bites in the past
three months. The plan has been drawn up in the central
state of Madhya Pradesh where 506 people have died from
bites in the last decade. The incidence of bites reportedly
rose during the monsoon when floods washed snakes into
villages.=20
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20
[UK/IN] Killer mongooses and peacocks to curb snake bites
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 01:39:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Sausage overdose warning
Message-ID: <199708271133.HAA08490@envirolink.org>
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, August 27th, 1997
Sausage overdose warning
A MAN who collapsed after eating too many sausages may
have been affected by the dangerous chemicals used in
cured meats, a doctor warned yesterday.
The 58-year-old man ate 10 sausages in 20 minutes at a
doctor's party before he suffered a drop in blood pressure.
He recovered within 10 minutes. But Dr Justin Stebbin,
from St George's Hospital, London, said the man had a
lucky escape.
He suggested that he was affected by the high nitrate content
of the sausages. These chemicals could be lethal in sufficient
quantities. Nitrates and nitrites are commonly used to colour
and preserve cured meats such as ham, bacon and certain
sausages.
The chemicals are converted to methaemoglobin, which
displaces oxygen in the blood. Dr Stebbin said the sausages
at the party each had 150 parts per million of nitrate. The
statutory safety limit is 250 parts per million.
After the man collapsed, the doctor host measured his blood
pressure, and found that it was extremely low. "The 10
sausages consumed were calculated to be equivalent to
68mg of ingested nitrate," Dr Stebbin wrote in the
Postgraduate Medical Journal.
However, the Ministry of Agriculture said wide margins
were set for the safety limits. A person would have to eat
several pounds of food containing nitrates to suffer any ill
effects.
A spokesman said: "You'd probably feel sick from the
sausages first." A spokesman for the British Sausage Bureau
said those at the party were almost certainly imports. He
said: "Most British sausages use ascorbic acid as their
preservative, which is essentially vitamin C."
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20
[UK] Sausage overdose warning
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 06:50:34 -0400
From: Greg Thomisee
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: TEAR Press Release for 8/27
Message-ID: <199708271133.HAA08494@envirolink.org>
TEAR
TEXAS ESTABLISHMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS
660 Preston Forest Center
Suite 354
Dallas, TX 75230-2718
Phone 972-623-6170
Fax 972-416-3555
Press Release
Contact: Greg Thomisee
Phone: (972)623 6170 or (214) 763 7681
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 1997
ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROTEST EMU BEATING DEATHS
Fort Worth -- Animal rights activists will protest the decision made by the
Tarrant County district attorneys office NOT to prosecute Steven and
Russell Vinson for clubbing to death 22 emus on June 28. The demonstration
will be at the Criminal Court Building, 401 W. Belknap Street, Ft. Worth,
Texas, beginning at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, August 27. The demonstration is
organized by Texas Establishment for Animal Rights (TEAR). The group does
not condone such acts of violence and strongly encourages the grand jury to
prosecute this case.
On Wednesday, Don Feare will file a case with the Grand Jury requesting the
prosecution of medical doctor Stephen Vinson, who along with his brother
Russell, beat to death 22 emu on June 28, 1997. Richard Alpert, a Tarrant
County prosecutor, said that Texas law allows owners to kill their animals
as long as they do not torture them. The district attorneys office said on
July 21 that there was no proof that the men's conduct was cruel. The last
bird to die in the pen was described by the humane investigator as vomiting
blood and staggering until it fell on the ground and couldn't get up
anymore.
TEAR is determined to not let this tragedy go unanswered!
-End-
TEAR Press Release for 8/27
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 08:08:15 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NZ) Rabbit virus illegally released in infested farmlands
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970827080813.006e876c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from USA Today web page:
---------------------------------------
Rabbit virus illegally released in infested farmlands
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A rabbit-killing virus has been illegally
introduced into farmland on New
Zealand's South Island, apparently by farmers desperate to save their
grazing lands. The Ministry of Agriculture
confirmed Tuesday that rabbit calicivirus disease has been found on at
least four farms in Central Otago, and
suspected outbreaks at three other South Island locations. All these areas
have huge wild rabbit populations.
Police immediately quarantined the farms where the dead rabbits were found,
set up roadblocks to monitor
traffic, banned the movement of any stock animals and began an
investigation to track down those people
responsible. The virus may have been brought in from Australia.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 08:23:02 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Dangerous Juices Glance
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970827082258.006e9d40@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
more on e. coli
from AP Wire page:
------------------------------------
08/27/1997 01:31 EST
Dangerous Juices Glance
By The Associated Press
E. coli bacteria, usually associated with undercooked meat, only recently
was found in unpasteurized apple juice or cider. Until recently, cider
was considered too acidic for E. coli to survive, but a new strain is
strong enough to pose a risk to children, the elderly and people with
weak immune systems.
How could E. coli, found mainly in the intestinal tracts of animals, get
into cider? Apples that fall off the tree could pick up bacteria on the
ground. Apple pickers whose shoes leave bacteria on a ladder could
transfer it to apples after touching the ladder rungs. Or orchards could
be irrigated with contaminated water.
Over 98 percent of fruit juices are pasteurized, a heat treatment that
kills E. coli. Any unrefrigerated apple juice has been pasteurized;
juices sold chilled may or may not be.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 22:10:28 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: New Zealand RCD outbreak (ABC TV Australia)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970827215352.2bf764e2@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
ABC TV (Australia) - Inaccurate reporting on the TV News Wednesday
27th August 1997 re New Zealand RCD outbreak.
At the end of an item on ABC TV regarding the outbreak of RCD in New
Zealand, ABC commentator uttered the
words.."Authorities have ruled out possibilities of humans and any other
species [except rabbits presumably] contracting the virus [RCD/rabbit
hemorrhagic disease]."
This is totally inaccurate.Authorities cannot and have not proven that
rabbits and other species won't contract
RCD/RHD. In fact, on "60 Minutes" in 1996, Dr Brian Walker CSIRO said that
no guarantees could be given
that RCD would never infect any other species. The August 1996 report on RCD
contains results that show
"positive" reactivity to RCD in species other than rabbits, and the
Australian authorities have not proven that
RCD will not infect any other species.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health and the New Zealand Association of
Scientists both sent submissions to New
Zealand MAF against the adoption of RHD/RCD and three independent
virologists upheld the concerns of US
Calicivirus expert, Dr Alvin Smith who has spoken out in Australia and New
Zealand on the dangers of spreading
the RCD virus. Dr David Matson, a virologist and eminent authority on
calicivirus infections in humans also
warned both the New Zealand authorities and the Australian authorities on
the potential dangers of spreading
RCD/RHD.Australian authorities chose to ignore warnings from overseas
scientific authorities whilst New
Zealand authorities took heed of the valid concerns regarding the deliberate
spread of a deadly hemorrhagic virus
of mammals for which there is no cure and no safe vaccines to protect any
other species.
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 16:09:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: LMANHEIM@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fwd: Gorilla-Shooting Man Nabbed
Message-ID: <970827160700_546986705@emout12.mail.aol.com>
Allen, if this has any HTML, I resign!!!! :-) -Lynn
In a message dated 97-08-27 11:28:31 EDT, AOL News writes:
<< JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - A man who jumped into a
gorilla pen at the Johannesburg Zoo while fleeing police last month
is back in custody again, after running from the law a second time.
Isaac Mofokeng escaped Aug. 15 from a police jail, after gaining
notoriety for shooting a gorilla in the course of trying to avoid
arrest July 18.
That day, with police in pursuit, Mofokeng ran into the zoo and
leaped into the gorilla enclosure. Max, a 400-pound gorilla,
grabbed the man, apparently to protect his mate.
Mofokeng shot Max in the jaw and shoulder. The enraged gorilla
then attacked and bit two police officers who had also gone into
the pen. Mofokeng was captured; Max was sedated and taken to a
nearby clinic for treatment.
An instant celebrity who was given a bulletproof vest by police
and named a reserve officer, Max has been recuperating back at
home.
Mofokeng, already wanted on earlier charges of rape, abduction
and robbery, was charged after the zoo escapade with trespassing,
firearm violations, and contravening the nation's animal protection
act.
``I want to say I'm sorry to the gorilla,'' he told reporters at
his Aug. 11 court appearance. ``I was just protecting myself.''
He and another inmate escaped four days later, apparently by
slipping through the bars around an exercise yard at a jail.
He was taken into custody Tuesday after police tracked him to a
home in Mpumalanga province. Police Capt. Carla Prinsloo said he
put up no resistance this time.
``He merely asked permission to put his clothes on and came
quietly,'' she said. >>
---------------------
[embedded html file deleted]
To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 14:29:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, seac+announce@earthsystems.org,
en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Detroit News Soundoff: Should Hunting Be Allowed in
Parks--Call!
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970827181157.5367ac9a@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Forwarded from private e-mail:
>Today's Detroit News has a story about a golf course that the
>Huron-Clinton Metro Park System wants to obtain through a grant. The
>grant application specifies that hunting would allowed to reduce nuisance
>geese on the greens.
>
>The story, 'Golf Course Geese Face Death,' is the lead in the Metro
>section and has a corresponding Soundoff question: Should hunting be
>permitted in a Metropark for any reason?
>
>Please respond by:
>
>faxing at (313) 222-2335;
>call (313) 252-2200, and press News Hotline 0901;
>Write Soundoff, The Detroit News, 615 W. Lafayette, Detroit, MI 48226;
>E-mail soundoff@detnews.com.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 18:05:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jean Colison
To: Ar-news
Subject: MD killing Canada Geese
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
State plans hunts to thin out Canada geese flocks
by JoAnn Grbach , Staff Writer
Bethesda Gazette
------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 27, 1997
Hunters in Montgomery County and other parts of the state will begin to
thin out an increasingly booming geese population next week that
Maryland officials say is causing economic and health problems.
Roughly 60,000 to 80,000 Canada geese have made Maryland their home, and
officials say this has led to excess droppings, traffic problems and
damage to landscapes and crops.
"The problems that occur are going to occur more frequently and get more
acute as the numbers increase," said Bill Harvey, regional manager for
the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Because of this, the state has added two more hunts to the traditional
late fall and early winter season in order to kill more birds.
"As that population increases and expands, regulated hunting is really
one tool we have available to us to reduce that population density and
bring those numbers down," said Ken D'Loughy of the Maryland Wildlife
and Heritage Division. "We get calls from golf courses, farmers [and]
community associations ... that have ponds or extensive areas of grass.
Those seem to be magnets for resident Canada geese."
Maryland's Eastern Shore has always been a traditional site for geese
hunting, but now many of the state's western counties, including parts
of Montgomery, are joining the hunt as these waterfowl are quickly
adapting to more suburban and urban areas.
Hunting in Montgomery County is allowed in the northern and western
areas, including sections of Poolesville, Boyds and Barnesville. The
first hunt of the season is scheduled to begin Tuesday and last until
Sept. 25. Hunters are limited to five geese per day, according to
D'Loughy.
This is not the first time the state has tried to control a booming
wildlife population through hunting.
The county killed 313 deer during three managed hunts last December and
January as part of a total management scheme to handle the high numbers.
Deer were responsible for eating park vegetation and causing accidents
on county roads.
But there are those who believe hunting will not significantly reduce
the high numbers of geese in the area.
"Hunting is always the solution they come up with, [and] I don't see
that it does it," said Chris Montuori, director of Second Chance
Wildlife Center in Gaithersburg. "They don't shoot enough to make a
difference, and they're not shooting in the areas to make a difference."
Montuori sees at least eight ducks or geese come into the center each
day because they have been hit by a car or suffered other problems from
living in an urban or suburban area.
There are 11 species of geese, and the Giant Canada Goose has become
known as resident to this area. The geese have become domesticated to
the surroundings and can thrive almost year-round.
Many people don't realize geese are creatures of habit and tradition.
After eggs are hatched, goslings grow, learn to fly and then will always
return to the same location where those events occurred, according to
Harvey of the DNR. So year after year, more goslings return to where
there were only a few geese the year before and hatch their own eggs,
This causes the population to multiply quickly.
The population has steadily increased in the northeast region of the
country and in Maryland over the last 10 years, according to Diane
Pence, wildlife biologist with the Northeast Region of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Services Division.
The division estimates the resident population in the region is more
than 1 million now. At the same time, nearly 80,000 resident geese have
made Maryland their home -- up from between 10,000 and 15,000 less than
10 years ago. Numbers specific to Montgomery County were unavailable.
Some of the reasons geese thrive in this area are because it is safe
from hunting and predators, as well as having access to plenty of food
and water.
Montuori and D'Loughy agree that two of the more heavily populated areas
in the county are Lake Whetstone in Gaithersburg and the lake at Rio in
the Washingtonian Center. Hunting is not allowed at either of the
locations.
The state's decision to liberalize hunting is one method to decrease the
rising numbers of geese in the state. And with the help of several
federal agencies, other measures are surfacing as a way to control that
wildlife population.
"The only reason we would try and manage a population is because it's
causing damage," Pence said.
Montuori is skeptical about the hunts' effectiveness.
"If they go in and blast away two-thirds of the ducks and geese, they're
going to get more," she said. "What people really need to do is look at
the design of the lake and make it less desirable."
Measures to control the population range from non-lethal habitat
modifications to one extreme where geese are rounded up to be taken to
slaughter houses -- a situation that first occurred in Minneapolis.
While Montuori has spent the last 10 years saving, rehabilitating and
relocating these waterfowl, she is not opposed to slaughtering because
the potential for extreme overcrowding, environmental stresses and other
natural occurrences will produce a much worse scenario.
"It's because I do love them that I feel it's probably the smartest
thing to do," she said. "The only solutions aren't going to be totally
unpalatable."
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 00:23:33 +0200
From: "sa338@blues.uab.es"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Kim appears in the cover of a Spanish newspaper
Message-ID: <3404A8E5.6F1A@blues.uab.es>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
I am Nuria from Barcelona.
Kim Basinger has appeared in the edition of the 27/8/97 in the cover of
El Periodico, one of the most important newspapers in Spain. The new is
about Kim's actions to save animals from circuses.For the animals,
Nuria http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 00:29:08 +0200
From: "sa338@blues.uab.es"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: ELLE magazine promotes cruelty
Message-ID: <3404AA34.1E00@blues.uab.es>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
I am Nuria from Barcelona.
In the spanish issue of ELLE magazine there are articles that promote
bullfighting and fur. Please tell them that cruelty is not ELLEgant
elle@hachette.es
More information here
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/1231/elle.htm
Thanks for your concern,for the animals
Nuria http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 20:16:57 -0400
From: liberation2@juno.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, ar-views@envirolink.org
Subject: ar pictures
Message-ID: <19970827.201708.10366.3.liberation2@juno.com>
Hey folks,
I'm pretty busy right now, so I can't promise when it will be up, but I'm
going to start working on a web site that will have a very extensive
collection of pictures of animal abuse(this will hopefully go far beyond
the arr's collection) Anyway's I'd appreciate it if people would send me
the addresses of site's that have picture's of animal abuse. At this
time, I don't have a scanner, however hopefully the 'vegan fairy' will
come through & I'll eventually get one, so when that day arrives I'll let
people know so that they can send me picture's via snail mail.
THANKS!
-Kim
(liberation2@juno.com)
**************************************
Check out the Voices for Wildlife website!!!
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/vfw
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 20:54:09 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Meatpackers May Alter Beef Methods
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970827205406.006c9ba0@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------------
08/27/1997 16:22 EST
Meatpackers May Alter Beef Methods
By EILEEN GLANTON
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Meatpacking trade groups are pushing the industry to
change hamburger processing methods and abandon the common practice of
mixing in one day's leftovers with the next day's supply.
Experts say the process, known as ``reworking'' the refrigerated meat, is
safe. But it's one more way E. coli bacteria that sickened about 16
people in Colorado this month could spread through several batches of
meat.
The entire meat industry has been rattled by Hudson Foods Inc.'s recall
of 25 million pounds of ground beef. It became the nation's largest meat
recall in history, expanding from 20,000 pounds to 1.2 million to 25
million as investigators discovered Hudson had reworked its leftovers.
Virtually every meatpacker reworks their supplies, said Rosemary Mucklow,
executive director of the National Meat Association, a trade group.
Typically, ground beef that hasn't been processed at the end of one day's
production run is covered, labeled and refrigerated. The next day, it's
added to the fresh supply for processing.
U.S. regulators have no set policy against the process. ``As long as the
meat is wholesome, the procedure is safe,'' said Mucklow.
But on Monday, Mucklow's group sent a letter to its 600 members,
including meatpackers, processors and equipment suppliers, recommending
that they no longer mix in the leftover meat.
``We are recommending an absolute break in continuity'' between one day's
production and the next, Mucklow said.
The Agriculture Department and Hudson Foods believe the E. coli bacteria
in Hudson's beef patties most likely came from one of several
slaughterhouses the company uses. The bacteria contaminated frozen beef
patties made at Hudson's Columbus, Neb., plant June 5.
Because the beef had been reworked, no one could prove that meat
processed on the ensuing days was not tainted, as well. ``There was no
clear break in production,'' Mucklow said.
The scare cost Hudson Foods one of its major customers, as Burger King
said it would no longer buy its beef from Hudson. It also spooked the
entire industry, said Janet Riley, spokeswoman for the American Meat
Institute.
``Everyone was shocked by the magnitude of what happened to Hudson,''
Riley said. ``It's particularly frustrating because, even in the most
perfect plant, there's no way to guarantee perfect product.''
Several meatpacking companies contacted Tuesday would not confirm plans
to change their reworking practices. But Michael Johnson, a
microbiologist at the University of Arkansas who has consulted with
Hudson Foods, said meatpackers are likely to act before the government
requires them to.
``It's in their best interests as businesses to adopt even stricter
measures than the government requires,'' said Johnson, also a member of
the Food Safety Consortium. ``They need to regain the confidence of the
companies they supply.''
The Agriculture Department is expected to issue a report on the Hudson
scare within two weeks, and many expect some recommendation on the use of
leftover meat.
Mucklow said the government would probably seek proof of a production
break.
``There is nothing wrong with rework,'' she said. But in the future, a
plant might decide to contain its leftovers, processing them the next day
but not mixing them into a fresh supply. Or, the leftovers could go into
a cooked-beef product, which kills bacteria.
Better record-keeping could also keep a future contamination scare from
growing to the scope of the Hudson recall, Mucklow said. Ground beef, for
example, often comes from more than one source, and careful records would
make it easier to pinpoint a possible source of contamination.
Experts note the production plant is only one of several points of entry
for bacteria. Johnson said scientists are developing animal vaccines and
pasteurization techniques, and restaurants have improved their
food-safety procedures, testing meat by temperature rather than by color
to ensure it's cooked through.
``There's no one magic pill to fix what's really a very safe food
supply,'' said Johnson.
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 21:04:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: PAWS
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: King Royal update
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
This article appeared in Wednesday's Albuquerque Journal:
Star Lauds Elephant Aid by City: Activists Want Circus to Stop Exhibiting
Hollywood beauty Kim Basinger was in Albuquerque on Tuesday to stop a
Texas-based traveling circus from what she called beastly treatment of
its own animals.
At a news conference in front of the Rio Grande Zoo, Basinger praised the
city's swift and "compassionate" response to the August 6 discovery of a
dead 8 year old elephant and ten other animals inside a crowded,
overheated trailer belonging to King Royal Circus. She also praised
state District Judge Susan Conway's decision last week to award the city
temporary custody of the two elephants and eight llamas which the actress
saw briefly from a distance at their sanctuary at Albuquerque's San
Gabriel park.
Basinger has been actively involved with the Sacramento-based Performing
Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in easing what she calls "the terrible
plight of all animals in circuses" since viewing a videotape of an
elephant training session in 1994.
She called Tuesday for the USDA Secretary Dan Glickamn to follow
Albuquerque's example and "confiscate" animals she said are still being
abused by King Royal Circus and to make permanent last week's 21 day
suspension of the circus' right to exhibit.
Animals still belonging to King Royal, she said, "are being dragged
around the country and suffering in the name of entertainment."
Basinger and PAWS director Pat Derby, who attended the Tuesday news
conference presented a list of complaints to Glickman las April about
"the miserable lives of elephants in traveling shows," Derby told
reporters.
But King Royal's attorney Ron Koch, said by telephone the circus has the
right to operate while appealing the USDA suspension.
Koch, who was unsuccessful last week in staving off the city's custody
bid, said Basinger's statements about the circus were "reckless" and
"irresponsible."
Koch said he believes Heather's death was "purely and simply a tragedy,
an accident."
Koch said Basinger should have gone to "sit down and talk with" the
animals' trainer and handler, 23 year old Darryl Ben Davenport, who
remains with the surviving elephants and llamas.
Davenport, the son of King Royal owner John Davenport, has been charged
in a criminal complaint with one count of cruelty to animals; eleven
counts of failing to provide proper animal care; one count of obstructing
a police officer and has been cited for failing to have proper vehicle
registration and insurance. His assistant, 19 year old John Davis is
facing similar counts.
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 09:12:59 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RCD/RHD(deadly rabbit virus)"Uncontrollable"-New Zealand
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970828085612.2c077082@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Thu, 28th August 1997
RCD "Uncontrollable" (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Agriculture admits it won't be able to control the outbreak of
the rabbit virus RCD.
MAF spokesperson, Gary Clark, says the Ministry is waiting for test results
today to confirm if the disease has spread outside the Cromwell area.
He says little is known about how the virus will spread in this country. He
says there certainly aren't hillsides littered with dead bodies, but rabbits may
be dying in their burrows.
An Australian scientist says MAF hasn't a hope of containing the rabbit virus.
Ron Sinclair says the virus is spreading in parts of Australia with a similar
climate to where it has been released in Cromwell.
He says it spreads better in colder areas of Australia, than in warmer areas.
Test results from rabbits in Maniototo and the McKenzie country should be
known by midday and MAF will then decide whether to expand its control
area.
The virus was found in rabbits in the Cromwell area on Tuesday and five
farms in the area have been quarantined. MAF is also checking rabbits in the
Wairarapa and Waikato for RCD infection.
Meanwhile Central Otago police looking for the RCD smuggler are checking
local farmers passports. Police inquiries will include checking farmers names
against the immigration computer which monitors international arrivals and
departures.
But it could be a long job - a contingent of Central Otago farmers took time
off last month for the Tri Nations rugby in Australia. The suspicion among
some farmers is that it's likely the livers of infected Australian rabbits were
smuggled into New Zealand.
The Government says if RCD has spread, a decision will have to be taken on
whether containment is worth the cost and effort.
The Minister for Biosecurity, Simon Upton says that decision lies with
MAF's Chief Vet who can change the legal status of RCD. He says
Monday's Cabinet meeting will discuss the outbreak, and that will give MAF
time to make a decision.
(28.8.97)
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
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>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
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jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 09:14:44 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Kiwis race to contain rabbit killer (New Zealand)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970828085757.2c0783d4@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Kiwis race to contain rabbit killer
(The Australian newspaper, Thursday August 28th 1997)
[2 photos with this article, one presumably of Donald Young and truck titled
"Degradation to jubilation
...Donald Young's property in Central Otago was the first to be found with
the disease"-Fotopress picture
and "Dead rabbits adorn a fence at Lowburn" with four dead rabbits hanging
by their ears from a wire fence"]
Road blocks were set up and aerial searches conducted across the South Island
of New Zealand yesterday in an attempt to control the apparent illegal
introduction of the rabbit calicivirus disease, believed to have spread from
Australia.
The disease has killed up to 180 million rabbits across Australia since it
was accidentally released from a
research station in early 1995, which was followed by controlled releases
and has led to widespread revegetation
across wide sweeps of arid country.
When the NZ Government refused to release the virus last month, citing
unknown consequences, angry farmers
threatened to release it illegally.
Rabbits infest much of the New Zealand high country in both the North and
South islands.
On Tuesday, six samples from three dead rabbits found on a Cromwell, Central
Otago, property in the South Island
tested positive for calicivirus. Four farms in the area were placed under
quarantine immediately.
Officials were also checking rabbit corpses in the Twizel and Maniototo
areas in the lower central
South Island and conducting helicopter sweeps of suspected outbreak sites
hundreds of kilometres apart.
"It appears this disease has been deliberately and illegally introduced,"
said the Ministry of Agriculture's
chief veterinary officer Barry O'Neil.
Farmers Federation spokesman Mr Edward Orr said that while the federation
did not support illegal introduction
of a biological control agent, it always had believed it would arrive
accidentally or intentionally.
"A number of farmers on the brink of disaster from the degradation caused by
rabbits are delighted to see
a new tool to destroy this rodent," Mr Orr said. "That is why we are happy.
I would be too."
Farmer Geoff Brown, from Lowburn in Central Otago, described the calicivirus
devastation as "the greatest
day of my life".
Liz Brown, from Luggate, north of the outbreak said, said: "I hope it is
very virulent and spreads like hell.
I can't remember when I felt this excited. Its better than Christmas."
Chairman of the Australian calicivirus management group, Mr Graham Eggleston
said that with more than a dozen daily flights between Australia and New
Zealand and the disease's spread requiring only part of an infected animal,
it would be almost impossible to determine how the virus got to New Zealand.
He said if the New Zealand Government found it impossible to eradicate,
Kiwis would now have to consider
how best to make use of it.
Head of livestock for NSW Farmers, Mr Mick Keogh, said "We can understand
the frustration of the NZ high country farmers who, like Australian
producers, see rabbits as a major environmental pest and require tools to assist
in their eradication".
End
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 22:17:00 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Philadelphia/C.A.R.E./Mobilization for Animals--tabling
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970827221658.006ca7bc@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Compassion for Animals, Respect for the Environment (CARE) and Mobilization
for Animals will hold a tabling/outreach event on "Super Sunday" Sept. 7th,
11am-5pm in Philadelphia. Booths will be #405 and #407. Location will be
near 22nd St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The CARE and Mobilization for Animals booths will feature veggie dogs,
hummus & pita sandwiches, t-shirts ("I don't eat anything with eyes except
potatos"), free literature, etc..
For more information, call: 215-242-0465.
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