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"Being a vegetarian makes it easier for us to
increase our loving kindness and compassion."
~ Zen Master Thich Thanh
Tu
To view QGAR news online at QGAR site -
http://www.qgar.oceandrop.org/Apr_15_06_QGAR_News.htm
SUBJECTS: Action - Theres No Excuse for Torturing
Live Animals (PETA); LETTER: Horses bled to death in Turkey & action ;
PETA stages 'crucifixion' at cathedral ; Scientists find prions in soil ;
EU DROPS MOUSE TESTS FOR SHELLFISH ; Drug trial disaster prompts call for
new procedures ; Pink backs PETA on her website ; CRT's Lawsuit: A Six
Year Battle With Biotech and the FDA ; Three Cruelty Cases, Dozens of
Abused Donkeys and Dogs, and How You Can Help ; Sir Paul McCartney has
launched a campaign against the use of animals in medical research. ;
ITALY URGES EU TO FIGHT SEALING ; Children more likely to accept vegan
diet ; China Mainland now a leading producer of French delicacy ; United
Poultry Concerns Supports Delaware Bill to Give Egg-Laying Hens More Space
; *United Poultry Concerns Supports Delaware Bill to Give Egg-Laying Hens
More Space* ; Lahore Zoo animals have Trypnosomiasis ; Make a Film for
Farm Animals! ; Healthcare with Heart: Giving Birds with Disabilities the
Chance to Thrive ; Mall Plans to Irresponsibly Give Rabbits Away Like
Toys! ; Reality TV Hits a New Low: On Celebrity Circus, Reality Bites ;
This Easter, Paint a Picture of Compassion ; Scientific Evidence - A new
report by Farm Sanctuary illustrates how cattle suffer by the exploitative
beef industry ; Prepare Your Swimming Pool Early This Year! Skamper-Ramp
is the patented water-rescue device for animals ; Thanks to Contributors ;
to unsubscribe ; disclaimer.
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Quotes
"As long as people will shed the blood of innocent
creatures, there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people.
Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together." Isaac Bashevis Singer
"The Buddha's teaching leads us to the realization
that we must always strive to harm no sentient being, human or nonhuman,
whether or not it is in our selfish interest to do so."
~ Norm
Phelps
The Great Compassion: Buddhism & Animal Rights
"Meat eating and a compassionate religion do not
go hand in hand."
~ Bodo Balsys
Ahimsa : Buddhism and the Vegetarian
Ideal
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Theres No Excuse for Torturing Live Animals
(PETA)
April 14, 2006
Theres No
Excuse for Torturing Live Animals http://getactive.peta.org/ct/n1_HQhY1Yzg6/
Disturbing video footage http://getactive.peta.org/ct/n1_HQhY1Yzg6/
that was obtained during an investigation at the
Refik Saydam Hygiene Center (RSHC) in Turkey shows conscious horseswith
their legs tightly bound to their bodiesas their necks are slashed. The
barbaric blood-collection procedure obtains horse serum for the government
as a cheap but dangerous substitute for human serum in medical products.
Its extremely important for RSHC to know that there is no excuse for
torturing live animals. Tell RSHC to stop the cruelty today.
http://getactive.peta.org/ct/n1_HQhY1Yzg6/
LETTER: Horses bled to death in Turkey
From
Barb (VeganWay)
ISSUE
----------------------------------
See
sample letter below.
Go to:
http://www.stopanimaltests.com/f-turkishHorses.asp?int=weekly_enews
SEND LETTER TO:
Mustafa Ertek, M.D., President
Refik Saydam
Hygiene Center
Cemal Gursel Caddesi, No. 18
06100 Sihhiye,
Ankara
Turkey
mustafa.ertek@saglik.gov.tr (saglik.gov.tr)
His Excellency Ahmet Necdet Sezer
President
of the Turkish Republic
Cankaya Kosku
Sehit Ersan Caddesi, No.
14
ankaya, Ankara
Turkey
cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr (tccb.gov.tr)
His Excellency Ahmet Necdet Sezer
Prime
Minister of the Turkish Republic
Babakanlk
Necatibey Cad., No.
108
Ankara
Turkey
bimer@basbakanlik.gov.tr (basbakanlik.gov.tr)
----------SAMPLE
LETTER-------------------
mustafa.ertek@saglik.gov.tr ,
cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr ,
bimer@basbakanlik.gov.tr
Stop the torture of horses
Dear Dr. Mustafa Ertek, President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer, and Prime
Minister Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
I was shocked and horrified after learning of the
treatment of
horses in Turkey by the government-run Refik Saydam
Hygiene Center (RSHC). I urge you to stop these cruel procedures
immediately and ensure that the Ministry of Health adheres to Turkey's
Animal Protection Law.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
has obtained
undercover video footage showing horses violently dragged
to the ground with ropes so that their necks can be slashed with a scalpel
while they are completely conscious. Their blood is then collected and
used in medical
products. The video captures shocking images of
struggling horses
whose blood is used in serum production. Workers
bind the horses' legs closely to their bodies for restraint and sit on top
of the struggling animals to hold them down. Moans of agony and shudders
of pain reveal the horses to be fully conscious during the procedure,
which sometimes lasts for hours. The horses are then left to bleed to
death. Finally, their bodies are dragged outside and dumped beside the
street.
In the United States and Europe, blood is collected
from horses just
as it's collected from human beings: A needle is
inserted through the skin and into a vein.
Horses stand comfortably in a stall during the
procedure, and several liters of blood are collected without harming
or killing the horses. It is nothing compared to the anguish experienced
by the horses at the RSHC. The video reveals RSHC technicians who cannot
or will not make a proper needle insertion and who instead crudely slash
the horses' necks in order to expose the jugular vein. There is no
excuse for this coarse and cruel technique.
The RSHC produces horse serum for the government as
a cheap but dangerous substitute for human serum in medical products. The
United States long ago used horse serum for rabies shots and other
antitoxins until it was discovered that horse antibodies lead to a
dangerous condition called "serum sickness" in 16 percent of patients.
Today, horse blood is increasingly unnecessary for medical use in the
U.S., but when it is needed, obtaining it is nothing like what happens in
this house of horrors run by the Turkish government.
Again, I urge you to stop the torture of horses
immediately. This
horrific cruelty will not be tolerated by civilized
society.
Sincerely,
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PETA stages 'crucifixion' at cathedral
Rights
group raises ire of church, officials in Vienna
http://tinyurl.com/rsnqk
April 14, 2006
The edgy animal-rights group People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals peta.org stirred controversy in Vienna on Good
Friday with a protest to symbolically "crucify" three activists wearing
animal masks outside the city's famous Catholic cathedral.
See photo here - http://www.worldnetdaily.com/images2/viennaprotest.jpg
The blood-smeared activists each carried a cross as
nearby protesters in the square outside St. Stephen's Cathedral held signs
with messages such as "We suffer and die for your sins of nourishment."
Bruce Friedrich, spokesman for PETA in the U.S., told WorldNetDaily
causing offense was not the goal, but if there are any objections they
should be about suffering animals, not "street theater."
"Words and images aren't offensive to God," he said.
"What is offensive to God is the satanic treatment of God's creature by
factory farms and slaughterhouses."
PETA said it wanted to capture the attention of
consumers who ignored the suffering of animals, but the local
parliamentary representative condemned the protest.
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Scientists find prions in soil
MADISON, Wis.,
April 14 (UPI) -- Scientists at the University of Wisconsin have
discovered that prions, which cause chronic wasting disease in deer, can
live in the soil.
CWD is one of a family of neurological disorders
known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies that also include "mad
cow" disease, sheep scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease in humans. The
diseases are incurable.
For full article http://tinyurl.com/etoaf
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EU DROPS MOUSE TESTS FOR SHELLFISH
UPI, April 14,
2006
Brussels -- The European Union has dropped
a
requirement that tissue from shellfish being tested for
human
consumption be injected into mice.
Animal rights activists say mice injected with
shellfish toxins die
after a period of convulsions and
paralysis.
--
full story: http://tinyurl.com/jt3y8
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Three Cruelty Cases, Dozens of Abused Donkeys
and Dogs, and How You Can Help
http://www.peta.org/alert/Automation/AlertItem.asp?id=1873&int=weekly_enews
Please respond and forward as
appropriate.
Whether cruelty-to-animals cases concern you because
the victims are defenseless, sentient beings who dont deserve to be the
target of cowardly abusers or because abusers typically also target
defenseless humansor because of a combination of these factorsyour
letters to the prosecuting attorneys in such cases profoundly impact
officials and help to ensure that justice is won.
Please send a quick note to each of the following
officials asking that, if they win convictions, they work with the court
to ensure that convicted animal abusers are incarcerated, ordered to
undergo a thorough psychiatric evaluation and subsequent counseling at
their own expense, and barred from ever again having contact with
animals.
Prosecutors should receive only courteous
correspondence.
Case One
Lawrence Douglas Vogel, 27, of Billings, Montana,
faces felony charges stemming from his alleged December 2005 attack on an
acquaintances dog, Chubby, on his N. 24th Street property. According to
news sources, the defendant is accused of bludgeoning Chubby with
bolt cutters after chasing the barking dog into his garage. The alleged
attack reportedly dislocated Chubbys jaw and left him missing several
teeth and bleeding profusely.
Ingrid Rosenquist, Deputy County
Attorney
Yellowstone County Attorneys Office
Yellowstone County
Courthouse
Box 35025
Billings, MT 59101
406-256-6931
(fax)
irosenquist@co.yellowstone.mt.gov
Case Two
Roosevelt, New York, residents Orin Green Sr., 67,
and his son, Orin C. Green, 34, reportedly face felony charges stemming
from authorities alleged March discovery of the rotting remains of a pit
bulland an emaciated, sore-covered survivorwho were chained inside their
shared, waste-strewn 127 Hudson Ave. garage. According to news sources,
the pair is suspected of fatally starving the dead animal and neglecting
the survivor so severely that she apparently only weighed approximately
two-thirds of her healthy bodyweight. That animal and another dog who was
also still alive were evidently removed from the property.
The Honorable Kathleen M. Rice
Nassau County
District Attorney
262 Old Country Rd.
Mineola, NY
11501
516-571-5065 (fax)
nassauda@nassauda.org
Case Three
Christopher D. Youngblood, 30, of Ben Wheeler,
Texas, faces 23 felony charges stemming from authorities alleged March 30
discovery of that many dead donkeys in his custody in Suwannee County,
Florida. According to news sources, Youngblood is accused of transporting
those animalsand 21 survivorsfrom out of state in a livestock trailer
that was so crowded that the animals fatally trampled one
another.
The Honorable Jerry M. Blair
State Attorney, 3rd
Judicial Circuit
P.O. Drawer 1546
Live Oak, FL 32060
386-362-5370
(fax)
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Drug trial disaster prompts call for new
procedures
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060413_trialfrm.htm
April 13, 2006
Special to World Science
A medical journal has called for changing
approval
processes for early-phase drug trials in the
U.K.,
following a disaster that put six volunteers in
intensive care
last month.
Researchers found that an experimental drug,
TGN1412,
had caused the ill effects in the previously healthy
men at
Londonfs Northwick Park Hospital. But the
reason for this was
puzzling, as earlier tests on
monkeys had gone smoothly.
gUrgent change is needed in the approval
processes
and regulation of phase I trialsh of drugs, stated
an
editorial in this weekfs issue of the London-based
journal The
Lancet. In Phase I clinical trials,
researchers test a new drug or
treatment in a small
group of people for the first time to assess
its
safety.
TGN1412 is dubbed a gsuperantibody,h an
experimental
treatment in which patients receive
artificially
enhanced versions of disease-fighting
substances
produced naturally by the immune system. The
Lancet
argued that those who authorize trials should take
into
account that this type of treatment is more
unpredictable than most
traditional, comparable ones.
The research journal Nature, in a news report in
its
April 13 issue, described a new theory on what
went
wrong.
TGN1412 is designed to activate immune cells
by
attaching itself to a molecule called CD28 on the
cellsf
surfaces. This molecule is identical in humans
and monkeys, so
researchers thought the drug would
have similar effects in both
species.
The report speculated that the natural
antibody
molecule that attaches to CD28 is slightly different
in
humans and monkeys. The human version could have a
gtailh that boosts
an immune response through a
process of linking tails with other
antibodies.
With the treatment, which used molecules based
on
human antibodies, this effect might go out of control
and lead
the immune system to run amok, the report
suggested. This might not
have occurred in earlier
testing because the monkey version of the
molecule
lacked this property.
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Pink backs PETA on her website
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=95931
Saturday Apr 15 12:18 AEST
Pop sensation Pink has launched
a global pro-PETA (People for the Ethical treatment of Animals) petition
drive on her website.
The Kick the Bucket campaign on the website
PinksPage.com, asks Kentucky Fried Chicken to stop its "cruel breeding
practices" and cruel killing methods in producing its chicken
product.
Celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, the Dalai Lama,
the Black Eyed Peas, and the Reverend Al Sharpton have lodged similar
complaints against KFC.
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CRT's Lawsuit: A Six Year Battle With Biotech and
the FDA
Alix Fano, MA
Director
Campaign for
Responsible Transplantation
April 7, 2006
The Campaign for Responsible Transplantation (CRT),
a New York-based
coalition of 90 international public interest groups,
believes that
cross-species transplants or xenotransplants should be
banned because of
the risk of infecting patients and the general
public with viruses from
genetically altered pigs - biotechnology
companies' source animals of
choice for cells, tissues, and
organs.
On November 27, 2000, CRT retained the Washington,
DC public interest
law firm of Meyer & Glitzenstein, and filed a
historic lawsuit against
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The lawsuit sought all
FDA-generated records related to side-effects,
including infections, and
deaths in human xenotransplantation
trials.
Published journal articles have revealed that, since
1992, at least 16
patients have died during or after xenotransplant
trials. Eight patients
died in 1997 after having their blood
"filtered" through pig livers at
Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los
Angeles. A year later, another
patient died at the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota after undergoing
a similar procedure. In all
these cases, the patients' deaths were
attributed to previous medical
conditions and not to the xenotransplants
themselves. But those deaths
have been kept out of the public eye and
CRT wanted to scrutinize the
records.
A brief filed by CRT on January 15, 2002, revealed
that by December
1997, one xeno trial sponsor, Diacrin, had documented
232 adverse events
in connection with clinical testing of its
NeuroCell-PD product alone,
which used pig cells to treat Parkinson's
Disease. In April 2000, the
FDA halted a Diacrin stroke trial because
two patients suffered
side-effects after having pig cells injected
into their brains.
The precise number of adverse events in
xenotransplant trials is unknown
because the FDA keeps that
information secret. In fact, the FDA has
spent almost six years
fighting the release of documents to CRT, costing
an immeasurable
waste of time, energy and resources for all involved.
And many have
indeed been involved.
In March 2001, six biotechnology companies
intervened in the litigation
between CRT and the FDA, to limit or
prevent disclosure of documents to
CRT. They were: Novartis
Pharmacauticals Corporation, Diacrin Inc.,
Genzyme Corporation,
Diacrin/Genzyme LLC, Circe Biomedical, Inc., and
Nextran, Inc.. All of
these companies are directly involved in
xenotransplantation research,
most with xeno-related investigational new
drug applications (INDs)
pending, or having been completed through the FDA.
In its lawsuit, CRT explained that the xeno-related
records it was
requesting should not be exempt from disclosure since
trial sponsors
have themselves divulged details about their human
experiments to the
media and the public through press releases, the
Internet and
presentations at FDA-sponsored public meetings. Although
the FDA claimed
that thousands of records could lawfully be withheld
from CRT as "trade
secret" and/or "confidential commercial
information," the Court
disagreed. On September 4, 2002, United States
District Court for the
District of Columbia Judge Ricardo M. Urbina,
ruled that the FDA failed
to prove that it could withhold
approximately 27,000 records concerning
xenotransplantation clinical
trials from CRT because the agency did not
describe the documents in
sufficient detail, or prove that they could
lawfully be
withheld.
In early summer 2003, the FDA released a sampling of
documents to CRT
related to "IND G" - one of 18 such xeno INDs.
Hundreds of pages were
redacted and/or contained meaningless meeting
or e-mail transcripts. But
some documents contained exactly what CRT
was looking for - information
about adverse events that occurred
during the course of "IND G" or IND
5680 - a Diacrin trial of its
NeuroCell-PD product.
Here is a sampling of what we found in numbered
documents that were
released to us in this FOIA case in
2003:
#473 - "This amendment reports a basal cell
carcinoma that was
surgically removed from one of the patients. In the
Phase II study there
have been several neoplasms reported. . . In view
of the transplant
cells containing PERV sequences, an increased
prevalence of neoplasms
needs to be carefully evaluated as a
possibility." ["No Action
Indicated" box checked on this
form.]
#501 - "This amendment reports a potential serious
adverse event related
to the product. The patient was markedly
confused post-op and required a
prolonged hospitalization."
#488 - "This amendment contains information on a
patient who had
neurologic symptoms after implantation that were
possibly related to the
product."
#696 - Death of patient 2. [No further information
on this death].
#367 - Basal cell carcinoma removed from patient
["No Action Indicated"
box checked.]
#368 - Malignant melanoma removed from patient,
thought possibly due to
medications ["No Action Indicated" box
checked.]
#14 and #592 - Post-op stress-related
encephalopathy, freezing and
hallucinations, other drug
side-effects.
#676 - "The location of subdural [hematoma] suggests
a relationship to
the transplant procedure itself. . ."
#269 - Chronic hematoma, headache, slurred
speech
#159 - (Brain) hematoma, body soreness
#584 - Patient with exacerbation of Parkinson's
symptoms, attributed to
medications
#583 - "Freezing and hallucinations in a subject,
deemed. . . related to
medications"
#574 and #591 - Subject 103-K-7 hospitalized and
evaluated for stroke;
patient admitted for stroke and coronary bypass
surgery.
#9 - Reviewer, James Kaiser, says that "the number
of SAEs [serious
adverse events] was too high for IND 5680.
#400 - Pig that might have tested positive for
viruses was used as a
source for neural tissue in Diacrin's
Parkinson's trial.
#353 - Memo from Phil Noguchi to Amy Patterson etc.:
He says: "I pointed
out that the public health concerns with
xenotransplantation are
considerably different than those faced by GTR
[gene therapy]."
These documents are concerning to us, particularly
the high rates of
different tumors in the patients. We were alarmed
that the tumors were
apparently not biopsied, and that there were so
many "No Action
Indicated" boxes checked on the Adverse Event
Reporting sheets, despite
what appeared to be serious adverse events,
including cancers. This is
especially worrisome in light of the fact
that mammalian C-type
retroviruses, like the porcine endogenous
retrovirus (PERV), cause a
wide array of diseases including
malignancies and immunodeficiencies.
In April 2005, the FDA began releasing more
documents pertaining to the
remaining 17 xeno INDs. On May 31, 2005,
the Court issued an Order
setting a "Document Production Schedule" for
the remaining documents at
issue. CRT is continuing to review
documents as they come in. CRT is the
only organization in the US to
have sued a government agency to obtain
information about the risks of
xenotransplantation. We consider this
long legal battle, and the
release of these documents by the FDA, a
victory for all activists
concerned about the dangers of biotechnology
and xenotransplantation
in particular.
The FDA, which has approved over a dozen clinical
xenotransplant trials,
has admitted that xenotransplantation is
dangerous. Leading virologists
and FDA officials have acknowledged
that the technology could transmit
known and unknown animal viruses to
patients, their families, health
care workers, and the public at
large, possibly triggering an AIDS-like
pandemic. Despite these
concerns, hundreds of patients have been treated
with xenotransplant
products since the early 1990s - many before the
issuance of any
formal guidelines. Companies and government health
officials are
promoting xenotransplantation as a panacea for the human
organ and
tissue shortage despite mounting concerns about risk and the
availability of safer options. Given a growing catalogue of new killer
pig viruses, bird flus, AIDS, and more recently bioterrorism,
shouldn't
we be putting our scarce health care research dollars to
better use?
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Sir Paul McCartney has launched a campaign
against the use of animals
in medical research.
...
The former
Beatle said animal testing was "a holdover from the dark
age of medical
science".
More modern methods are available but many
scientists are too
unenlightened to use them, he said.
Sir Paul has joined forces with People for the
Ethical Treatment of
Animals (Peta) to spearhead an anti-vivisection
campaign.
...
Next month Heather will give a speech to the
Vegetarian and Vegan
Foundation to back claims that drinking cow`s milk
may cause breast
cancer.
--
full story:
http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=10314&pt=e
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ITALY URGES EU TO FIGHT SEALING
(ANSA) - Rome, April 14 - Italy on Friday urged
the European Union to
take action to discourage seal-hunting as a
national ban on the import
of seal skins came into effect .
A government decree, approved this year after a
petition by Italian
animal rights activists, outlaws the import of seal
pelts. The ban
also covers products like seal-skin handbags and purses
.
"Italy is leading the way in this action against the
barbarous killing
of animals and now we ask Europe to take action
against all countries
that permit this practice," said Deputy Industry
Minister Adolfo Urso
.
--
full story:
http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2006-04-14_11416808.html
----- http://www.animalconcerns.org/
-----
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Children more likely to accept vegan
diet
http://www.baxterbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID==/20060411/NEWS01/604110354/1002/NEWS01
BRYANT STAMFORD
Baxter Bulletin, Mountain Home,
Arkansas
My choice to become a vegetarian more than two
decades ago mystified
my friends and colleagues.
They said you won't get enough nutrients to fuel
your body,
particularly if you are an avid exerciser, as I was. You'll
become
deficient in key vitamins and minerals, like vitamin B12. The
first
time you smell a T-bone on the grill, you'll be back.
Or, my favorite - real men don't eat plants.
I recall serving my sons vegetarian chili, in which
the ground beef
was replaced with soy crumbles. They didn't know what
they were
eating, but they sure enjoyed it, wolfing down three
good-size
bowls.
I waited until they had filled their bellies before
breaking the
news that their chili contained soy, not beef.
Amazingly, they gave me the squinched-face look that
only teenagers
can do and both said, "Yuk!" at the same time. Their
innate bias
overrode what their taste buds had told them.
But I'm thankful I was able to hang on, because I
can say with
conviction that I believe my becoming a vegetarian saved
my life.
When I changed my diet, my health profile was bleak,
notwithstanding
my exhausting daily workouts. My serum cholesterol
level was much
too high, and my all-important total cholesterol/HDL
ratio was
horrific.
Clearly, my diet was killing me, and it was just a
matter of time.
Going veggie gets cool
Over the years, many parents have told me about
their children's
decision to switch to vegetarianism. In virtually
every case, the
child was a female, usually a teenager.
Boys are not so inclined, of course, because the
macho creed our
society imposes on young males and the need to fit in
are far too
intimidating.
But things appear to be slanting toward greater
acceptance of the
vegetarian way of life - including younger children
and boys.
Experts suggest that messages from movies such as
"Finding Nemo" are
having an effect. You may recall the line from
Nemo: "Fish are
friends, not food." Music popular among teens that
conveys social
themes also may be exerting an effect.
Survey results suggest that in youths ranging from 6
to 17 years
old, about 2 percent are bona fide vegetarians, avoiding
all red
meat, fish and poultry. This is admittedly a pretty low number
and
doesn't suggest the beginnings of a groundswell of support for a
plant-based diet.
However, another finding is quite encouraging, and
that is 20
percent of teenagers report that vegetarianism is not only
acceptable, it's "in."
This suggests that while they may not have adopted
the vegetarian
lifestyle, they are not opposed to it and would not be
likely to
condemn those who do not eat meat.
What's more, it's possible they might eventually be
inclined to
shift their diet in a healthier direction, even if they
don't go
vegetarian.
Reasons for kids going veggie are as varied as they
are for adults.
In the case of young females, often the driving force
is the ability
to manage body weight more easily and stay as slim as
society deems
necessary. Others are drawn by the environmental
implications.
Raising animals for food consumption depletes resources
and is a
source of pollution, whereas plants can be raised using
relatively
few resources, and they don't pollute our world.
The bottom line
Given the current state of youth health, this is the
first
encouraging piece of news I've seen in a long time.
Our kids are sedentary and fat, and they are getting
fatter every
year.
Their fatness is getting so far out of control, in
fact, that major
adult diseases, such as type 2 (maturity onset)
diabetes, are
showing up in preteens.
The vegetarian message could possibly save some of
these kids by
shifting them away from bacon cheeseburgers and toward
health-
enhancing foods that will reward them throughout their lives.
Bryant Stamford is professor and chairman of the
department of
exercise science at Hanover College in Hanover,
Ind.
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From MARC
Mainland now a leading producer of French
delicacy
Monday, April 10, 2006
South China Morning
Post
http://www.scmp.com/topnews/ZZZJ30K1DLE.html
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Paris
Wok-fried foie gras? Mainlanders are discovering the
rich, buttery
taste of the delicacy on French holidays and are asking
for it back
home, spurring a growing industry.
"The Chinese, who are seeing an improvement in their
standard of
living and are increasingly travelling to France, where
they have
discovered foie gras, are looking for such products when they
get
home," said Dai Ying, China's delegate to the UN organisation
for
industrial development.
That demand is putting the nation on the path to
becoming one of the
biggest producers of foie gras, made from goose
liver.
Qi Mingce, managing director of Jifa group that has
just signed a
deal with one of France's top foie gras makers, started
his career
as a chef and is making his 15th trip to France to learn
about the
secrets of successful foie gras.
He said Jifa had no intention of exporting its foie
gras to France
as many "hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and airport
shops" in China
were interested in buying it.
He has four shops in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong
and Changchun ,
selling foie gras products, but hopes to boost the
number to 200.
Jifa signed a deal last week with French foie gras firm
Delpeyrat.
"For the past two years we have produced about 100
tonnes of foie
gras in our Changchun factory - that's about two-thirds
of Chinese
production, force-feeding some 200,000 geese," said Mr
Qi.
"But our aim is to reach 1,000 tonnes over the next
five years with
2
million geese."
Delpeyrat, which has about 4.5 million ducks, is the
standard bearer
of France's second-biggest foie gras producer MVVH,
formed by a
merger of three groups of co-operatives based around
southern
France.
Foie gras has been designated by law as part of
French cultural and
gastronomic heritage, and is made by force-feeding
corn to caged
ducks and geese over a few months so that their livers
swell with
fat.
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*United Poultry Concerns Supports Delaware Bill to
Give Egg-Laying Hens
More Space*
* *
*Contact Karen Davis of United Poultry Concerns,
757-678-7875 or Web:
http://www.upc-online.org
<http://www.upc-online.org/>*
* *
*DOVER**, Del. April 12 -- Today a bill will be
heard by the Delaware
Senate Agriculture Committee designed to provide
more space for caged
egg-laying hens in the state. Enacted into law,
Senate Bill 253,
introduced by Del. Senator Karen Peterson, would
require that caged
egg-laying hens have sufficient living space per
hen to allow each hen
to fully extend all limbs without touching the
sides of the living space.*
* *
*In an April 12 letter to Senator Peterson and the
Senate Agriculture
Committee, United Poultry Concerns (UPC) expressed
support for the
proposed legislation as an important animal welfare
measure with
potential to improve the lives of thousands of egg-laying
hens in
Delaware while providing a model for other states.*
* *
*Under current living conditions, caged egg-laying
hens in the U.S. are
typically confined within a space no larger and
often less than 61
square inches per hen in cages holding an average
of eight tightly
squeezed hens. Such confinement restricts hens'
ability to perform basic
behaviors including wing flapping and head
and leg stretching, which
hens in less-restricted spaces perform
frequently throughout the day.
The standard 61 sq. inches per hen does
not even allow egg-laying hens
to stand fully upright, UPC explained
to legislators.*
* *
*In addition, the effect of continuous rubbing of
the hen's body against
cage wires and against adjacent hens causes
body sores and feather loss,
said UPC. At a meeting with egg industry
leaders in Nov. 2002, farm
animal expert Dr. Temple Grandin of
Colorado State University criticized
the fact that egg-laying hens are
crammed so tightly in the cages that
half their feathers are missing.
Laying hens without feathers are "not
normal" and "the situation has
to change," Dr. Grandin told the meeting,
according to
UPC.*
* *
*Enacted into law, Senate Bill 253 would be a giant
welfare step for
egg-laying hens in Delaware while setting a precedent
for other states
to follow. "UPC is extremely grateful to Senator
Karen Peterson for
introducing this groundbreaking bill to reduce the
suffering of
thousands of caged egg-laying hens," said UPC president
Karen Davis.
"UPC supports this bill," Davis said.*
* *
*Contact Karen Davis, 757-678-7875, United Poultry
Concerns, PO Box 150,
Machipongo, VA 23405*
* *
*United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization
that promotes the
compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic
fowl.
http://www.upc-online.org
<http://www.upc-online.org/>*
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C04%5C11%5Cstory_11-4-2006_pg13_4
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Lahore Zoo animals have Trypnosomiasis
Staff
Report
LAHORE: Animals at Lahore Zoo are infected with
Trypnosomiasis, an infection
caused by blood parasites transmitted by
mosquitoes and flies (that act as
vectors), and many have died because
of it in the past few months, officials
told Daily Times on
Monday.
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Make a Film for Farm Animals!
If youre between
the ages of 18 and 26 and youre an aspiring filmmaker, we need you! Farm
Sanctuary has partnered with Film Your Issue, an unprecedented issue
film competition, to raise awareness about animal welfare issues. VIP
judges, including Walter Cronkite, George Clooney and Philip Seymour
Hoffman, are accepting entries on issues that matter to you! We would love
nothing more than to see Farm Sanctuary members submit a film on behalf of
farm animals. They need you to be their voice and we can help you make
that happen! Click here http://m1e.net/c?40167436-QIX/PYHgOD/Lc%401570546-hU0dC7BnExJ9k for more details.
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The Welfare Of Cattle In Beef Production A
Summary Of Scientific Evidence
A new report by Farm Sanctuary
illustrates how cattle suffer by the exploitative beef industry. Modern
beef cattle are routinely subjected to unanaesthetized mutilations,
handled by aversive techniques, trucked repeatedly in poor conditions, and
fattened in overcrowded feedlots. Feedlots are virtual crowded cattle
cities, where over 100,000 cattle are forced to grow faster than ever with
an unnatural grain diet, protein supplements, antibiotics, and growth
hormones. To view the report, click here. http://m1e.net/c?40167436-ycW2L6..0O7cA%401570545-dNUvEtiR0Z2So
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Healthcare with Heart: Giving Birds with
Disabilities the Chance to Thrive
Had Hope, Marino, and Fiddledeedee
never been rescued, they could not have survived for long. All three
arrived at Farm Sanctuary with badly misaligned beaks, a condition that
makes it difficult for them to eat and drink, clean their own feathers,
and protect themselves from harm. Each was struggling mightily just to get
by, until they were found and brought to sanctuary. Now safe and well
cared for, they are learning what it's like to be loved and to be given a
chance. Read more. http://m1e.net/c?40167436-xhHArY89hr5fs%401570547-WhABi9zZwPk7A
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Mall Plans to Irresponsibly Give Rabbits Away Like
Toys!
The Power Plant Mall at Rockwell Center in Makati is
planning to give away hundreds of rabbits as an Easter promotion. Many of
these rabbits will be taken by people who dont know how to care for these
sensitive, complex animals or who will abandon them once the rabbits
become inconvenient.
Rabbits are playful and inquisitive animals with
distinct personalities, just like dogs and cats. They like to push and
toss their toys around, climb and crawl over objects, hop into the air,
dig, and chew. Some rabbits love to be stroked and gently petted and may
purr when they are content. Others prefer not to be touched at all.
However, they require a great deal of dedication and care every day. To
learn more about these rambunctious, quirky, and interesting animals,
visit http://www.helpinganimals.com/animalsHome_rabbits-easter.asp.
When the novelty fades and their level of care
becomes clear, many rabbits obtained for Easter will be dumped in the
streets, where they will be unable to fend for themselves and will die
from dehydration or predation.
Please contact the mall immediately and ask that
stuffed animals be given away instead of live rabbits:
(02) 898-1702
(02) 898-3351 (fax)
http://www.e-rockwell.com/feedback.htm
Thanks so much!
For all animals
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This Easter, Paint a Picture of
Compassion
Holidays offer the perfect opportunity to help
spread a message of compassion for all animalsboth human and nonhuman.
Here are some recipe and gift ideas for a cruelty-free Easter celebration
that everyone can enjoy.
Animal-Friendly Easter Menu http://www.cok.net/feat/easter06.php
Egg-Free Breakfast Scramble
Missing Egg Sandwich
Lots of Layers Lasagna
Creamy Chocolate Pudding
Vegan Treats to Fill
Your Easter Basket with Joy http://www.cok.net/feat/easter06.php#2
Dairy-free Chocolate Eggs
Vegan Jelly Beans
Chocolate Bunnies
And more...
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Reality TV Hits a New Low: On Celebrity Circus,
Reality Bites
http://www.peta.org/alert/Automation/AlertItem.asp?id=1868&int=weekly_enews
European media giant Endemol is strongly promoting
its new reality TV show, Celebrity Circus, which features celebrities who
perform with animals in the Circo Victor Hugo Cardinali, Portugals
largest animal circus.
The tricks that the animals are forced to perform
are unnatural for them, uncomfortable, and frightening. Animals in
circuses spend most of their lives in chains or small cages, and they
perform out of fear.
The circuss director and owner, Victor Hugo
Cardinali, has publiclyand unapologeticallyadmitted to beating animals.
Portuguese animal protection group Animal Defenders International has
released video footage showing that Cardinali jabbed an elephant more than
20 times in the face with a sharp metal spike. In a recent interview
with a Portuguese radio station, Cardinali said, I did hit the elephant
because he did not want to do the trick and I dont deny it. We cant let
an animal do what he wants to do, otherwise there is no respect and there
is no reason for the trainer to be on stage.
Please write a polite letter to Endemols chief
creative officer. Ask him to leave the animals out of Celebrity Circushe
can still have his reality show and use only willing human performers.
Animal-free circuses like Cirque du Soleil are fun, entertaining, and
dont involve cruelty to animals. Please pass this along to your friends,
and ask them to write a letter as well:
Peter Bazalgette, Chief Creative Officer
Endemol
NV
P.O. Box 678, 1200 AR
Hilversum
The Netherlands
consuelo.silva@endemol.cl
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Prepare Your Swimming Pool Early This Year!
Skamper-Ramp is the patented water-rescue device for animals
http://www.skamper-ramp.com/topic.asp?pid=1
Prepare Your Swimming Pool Early This
Year!
Skamper-Ramp is the patented water-rescue device for animals.
Because most living creatures are able to see the color white, the device
helps prevent drowning. Made of box-corrugated, UV- and chemical-resistant
polypropylene, the ramp is lightweight and highly durable. Skamper-Ramp is
for animals who weigh up to 45 pounds; Skamper-Ramp Big DogTM is for
larger animals and for use with most boats and docks.
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Queensland Group for Animal Rights
http://www.qgar.oceandrop.org
Thank you for all you do for our non human
animal friends.
Thanks to VeganWay, PETA, Mass. Coalition
for
Animal Rights MARC, VeganWay, Animal Net and numerous other
sources.
DISCLAIMER: Please note articles posted are for
information purposes only. We do not necessarily
endorse the
content of articles contained, nor
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contained in
this email is intended to encourage or incite
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