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AnimalExperimentFacts.info & HumaneLearning.info
Media Release 11 Dec. 2006
Animal experiments under scrutiny: recent scientific studies
demonstrate
poor predictivity for human medical outcomes.
Animal experiments have long been the subject of controversy. Although
many
claims have been made either way, until recently large-scale
scientific
studies of their efficacy in advancing human health have
been rare. Since
2004, however, several such studies have been
published in peer-reviewed
scientific journals, and presented at
international scientific conferences,
at which some have received
awards. The results have been remarkably
consistent: the stress
laboratory animals experience is greater than
commonly understood, and
experiments on them contribute far less to the
advancement of human
medical progress than advocates often claim. The
abstracts and,
usually, complete texts of these published studies, as well
as
published reviews of non-animal experimental models, and relevant
governmental reports, are freely downloadable from
www.AnimalExperimentFacts.info,
which was launched today.
Also launched today is www.HumaneLearning.info. It is
an unfortunate fact
that biomedical education has traditionally
involved the harmful use of
animals. Many millions of animals have
lost their lives in attempts to teach
practical skills and demonstrate
scientific principles which have, in most
cases, been established for
decades. However, many thousands of humane
educational alternatives
are now catalogued in databases, covering every
educational level and
academic discipline. These include computer
simulations, videos,
plasticised specimens, ethically-sourced cadavers
(obtained from
animals that have been euthanased for medical reasons, or
that have
died naturally or in accidents), models, diagrams,
self-experimentation, and supervised clinical experiences.
www.HumaneLearning.info
provides:
? over 250 published studies describing humane teaching methods, sorted
by
academic discipline, including a review of 28 studies conclusively
demonstrating that students using well designed humane alternatives
achieve
learning outcomes at least as good as those achieved via
traditional harmful
animal use;
? detailed submissions describing
the alternatives available in certain
academic disciplines, that have
successfully resulted in their introduction
at some universities;
?
a large photo gallery of humane alternatives and harmful animal use in
education;
? links to free on-line alternatives,
? links to
alternatives databases,
? links to alternatives libraries,
? links
to humane education email lists;
? links to other humane education web
sites; and,
? resources to guide and assist students who wish to
conscientiously object
to harmful animal use in their education.
It is my hope that these resources may assist others to successfully
introduce humane alternatives to harmful animal use in their own
universities and schools, as my colleagues and I have done at several
universities worldwide. It complements my existing site
www.LearningWithoutKilling.info
which provides encouragement and guidance
for students unwilling to
harm animals during their education.
Further information:
Andrew Knight BSc., BVMS, CertAW,
MRCVS
Veterinarian and Animal Advocate
www.AnimalConsultants.org |