"At the Edge of the World": Powerful Documentary Concerning Sea Shepherd's Antarctic Campaign Against Illegal Whaling: In Portland, OR Oct 16th to 27

At The Edge of the World

Clinton Street Theater Beginning Fri, Oct 16
2522 Se Clinton Street. Portland, OR. (503) 238-8899

There will be Q&A with two of the key crew members after selected screenings.

Shows at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm. No 9pm show on 10/16, 10/22 and 10/23.

No 7pm screenings on 10/24-26 and starts at 9:30 instead of 9pm.

General Admission - $6

Tuesday Admission - $4

You can also view the film’s trailer, notes, and photos at www.AtTheEdgeOfTheWorld.com and at www.WhaleCampaign.com. I've also attached it to the end of this posting.

Winner of the Audience Award for Top Environmental Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

I’d like to thank the director Dan Stone for putting the time into such a worthy project. Many of you are aware of the Sea Shepherd's Antarctic campaign against illegal whaling by the Japanese brought to life via the show Whale Wars. If you are in Portland, Oregon during Oct 16th to Oct 27th, please support the film. If you are not, please spread the word and also visit www.AtTheEdgeOfTheWorld.com to view the tailor and access other information.

Awards and Reviews:

“Over the weekend, At the Edge of the World won the Conservation Award at the Bend Film Festival. (Since our premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, At the Edge has been honored to receive the Elizabeth Taylor Environmental Award, the Haskell Wexler Cinematography Award, a Jury Award for Cinematography, a Jury Award for Best Documentary and an Audience Award for Best Documentary.)”

"An intrepid record of modern-day piracy. Directed by Dan Stone to highlight moral as well as legal conflicts, this strikingly humane film may function as a prequel to Animal Planet's 'Whale Wars' but is light years ahead in visual clarity and narrative ambition."
Jeannette Catsoulis
(The New York Times)
NYT Critic's Pick

"A bizarre and breathtaking high-seas adventure set in the remote, spectacular Ross Sea off Antarctica, 'At the Edge of the World' is the summer season's most surprising and thought-provoking documentary."
Andrew O'Hehir
(Salon.com)

"It's a true David-and-Goliath story. For anyone interested in real environmental activism, this passionate film is a must-see. The best scenes run on sheer adrenaline. For a real thrill, be sure to keep an eye out for this one."
Michael Lee
(Film Forward)

"This real-life drama and its vast setting demand to be experienced on the big, instead of the little screen-men go overboard, skiffs go missing, and the long arm of the law threatens in this lean, sharply directed film."
Elena Oumano
(Village Voice)
"Highly recommended" Selection

"At The Edge of the World is a superb advocacy documentary and travelog that presents a compelling cause, fascinating cast of characters, eventful and dramatic story and artful cinematography. It takes you to a place you might not otherwise know and presents it in the genuine fullness of event and experience."
Jennifer Merin
(About.com)

"'At the Edge of the World' is one of those rare documentaries that could easily function as a compelling fiction thriller. Superbly shot from a wealth of angles and perspectives and edited to emphasize the tension in their quest, it's a grand entertainment that only offers time for reflection once the lights go up."
Robert Levin
(Critic's Notebook)

New York Times review (NYT Critic’s Pick): http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/movies/28edge.html?8mu&emc=mua1?em

Salon.com review: http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2009/08/28/edge_of_world/index.html

Village Voice review: http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-08-25/film/at-the-edge-of-the-world/

Film Forward review: http://www.film-forward.com/attheedge.html

About.com review: http://documentaries.about.com/od/revie2/fr/AtTheEdgeOfTheWorld.htm?p=1

Critic’s Notebook review: http://www.criticsnotebook.com/2009/08/at-the-edge-of-the-world.html

The Aftermath of Michael Vick: Life through the Eyes of a Dog Traumatized at the Hands of the Convicted Animal Abuser Michael Vick

What a great story. Written from the experience of one of the pit bulls that Michael Vick was planning to have mauled in his sick dog fighting ring. As was typical of how Vick treated dogs, this dog Frodo was five months old and, like all puppies, chained outside exposed to the elements. Michael Vick has a large disrespect for life, and this proves it.

Frodo was one of the lucky ones. He was found alive and nursed to health by BAD RAP (Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pit bulls). As this article states, BAD RAP is a group that “…takes troubled rescue dogs and places them in loving homes. There, they can learn to become family-friendly.” They hope to offer “…a response to the "difficult issues facing this misunderstood breed."

Here are some excerpts from the story below:

“Whatever happens, Frodo won't care much. He was five months old when cops raided the Vick property. The puppies there were chained to a partially buried car axle, left largely exposed to the elements. Frodo was taken to a shelter where he lived for seven months with little human contact.”

“He now cuddles up to Ramirez and loves to eat treats from her hand. But it's no wonder that Frodo is generally shy around people and jumpy whenever he hears an unfamiliar sound.
‘Anything mechanical, the sound bothers him,’ said Ramirez, an information analyst at Kaiser Permanente. "We have ceiling fans at our house and he would become fixated on them, looking up at them with apprehension. If I opened a cabinet, he would shy away. Or popcorn in the microwave. I don't know, maybe the popcorn equates to gunshots for him. I don't think he witnessed any of the fights. But I'm sure he heard them."

“Ramirez at first calmed Frodo the way she would treat a frightened infant, by wrapping him tightly in blankets and gently petting him in her arms for 45 minutes straight, if necessary. In the back of her head, Ramirez wonders if Vick has ever done any of this stuff — for any dog, ever. The public apologies made by the Philadelphia quarterback haven't impressed her much.”

Article:

Purdy: The aftermath of Michael Vick

http://www.mercurynews.com/raiders-headlines/ci_13556373?nclick_check=1

By Mark Purdy

Mercury News Columnist
Posted: 10/13/2009 09:54:29 PM PDT
Updated: 10/14/2009 03:51:28 AM PDT

Frodo won't be at the Raiders' game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. He will be way too busy.

Probably playing with other dogs.

"To him, dogs equal good," said Kim Ramirez, who adopted Frodo several months ago. "Humans equal scary."

Frodo is a pit bull. He really doesn't know much about football. But he knows Philadelphia's backup quarterback, Michael Vick. They once had a very personal relationship.

Unfortunately.

Vick was convicted two years ago of financing and participating in a dogfighting ring. He served prison time. This is his first regular-season road game since being reinstated by the NFL three weeks ago. But what of the dogs left behind at his grotesque kennel operation in Virginia? After spending several months in shelters, most found foster homes. A dozen of the dogs have ended up in the Bay Area.

Frodo is one of them. He came to Ramirez's home through a local non-profit organization called BAD RAP, which stands for Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pit bulls. Basically, the group takes troubled rescue dogs and places them in loving homes. There, they can learn to become family-friendly.

Ramirez understands that people can be skeptical about that. But that's why BAD RAP exists. The group was founded (quoting here from the Web site) as a response to the "difficult issues facing this misunderstood breed."

And for sure, the Michael Vick case definitely qualifies as a difficult issue. Crowds in Philadelphia have been largely supportive of his comeback. But what about this weekend? How will he fare with the public here in the animal-rights-intensive Bay Area?

Donna Reynolds, BAD RAP's executive director, said she will have an announcement today about the group's plans for Vick's visit to Oakland. She has been in touch with the Eagles, so the plan potentially involves the team — and maybe even Vick.

Whatever happens, Frodo won't care much. He was five months old when cops raided the Vick property. The puppies there were chained to a partially buried car axle, left largely exposed to the elements. Frodo was taken to a shelter where he lived for seven months with little human contact.

That's where BAD RAP co-founder Tim Race, met and named him. Race flew to Virginia and assessed which of the Vick dogs might best travel back to the Bay Area for adoption. A certain dark-coated dog reminded him of a Hobbit character from "Lord of the Rings."

Hence, Frodo. He now cuddles up to Ramirez and loves to eat treats from her hand. But it's no wonder that Frodo is generally shy around people and jumpy whenever he hears an unfamiliar sound.

"Anything mechanical, the sound bothers him," said Ramirez, an information analyst at Kaiser Permanente. "We have ceiling fans at our house and he would become fixated on them, looking up at them with apprehension. If I opened a cabinet, he would shy away. Or popcorn in the microwave. I don't know, maybe the popcorn equates to gunshots for him. I don't think he witnessed any of the fights. But I'm sure he heard them."

Ramirez at first calmed Frodo the way she would treat a frightened infant, by wrapping him tightly in blankets and gently petting him in her arms for 45 minutes straight, if necessary. In the back of her head, Ramirez wonders if Vick has ever done any of this stuff — for any dog, ever. The public apologies made by the Philadelphia quarterback haven't impressed her much.

"It's not about what you say, it's about what you actually do," Ramirez said. "Just because he's done the time for what he did, that doesn't mean everything's all right now. The damage done to these dogs will last the rest of their lives."

Martina McClay is just as skeptical. She has adopted another Vick dog, Leo, through her Our Pack rescue operation in Los Gatos. She has trained Leo to be a "therapy dog" who visits elder care facilities and cancer clinics to cheer up patients. McClay watched Vick's interview on "60 Minutes" and rolled her eyes.

"I just didn't see the remorse," McClay said. "Maybe he is remorseful and he's just not good at communicating it. But it looked very rehearsed to me. You know, like a sock puppet? He just says he made bad choices and what happened was bad. I haven't heard him say a word about the dogs. What should he do to show he has changed? Why ask us? I think the NFL should answer these questions, not us."

She has a point. It would be a fine thing in our world if, when athletes commit crimes beyond the pale, fans stopped buying tickets to watch and cheer them. But it's not going to happen, at least not in the country's most popular sports league. Eleven years ago in St. Louis, a defensive tackle named Leonard Little was convicted of manslaughter for killing a woman while driving drunk. He returned to the NFL. He is being cheered every Sunday. So is Vick.

Just not by Frodo.

Ridiculous Religious Festival in Nepal will Slaughter At Least 200,000 Animals - 60,000 Buffaloes, 140,000 Rats, Goats, Ducks, Roosters and Pigeons

Buddha Boy Uses Reason to Attempt to Stop

Here is a link you can visit to sign a petition to this mass slaughter - http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-gadimai/signatures.html

Apparently, this Ancient Nepali Festival takes place once every five years in honor of the goddess Ghadi Mai, also known as Durga. Unbelievably, “[t]he organisers plan to slaughter at least 200,000 animals — including 60,000 buffaloes and 140,000 rats, goats, ducks, roosters and pigeons in the two-day-long Mela.”

One man is attempting to stop this via simple and understandable reason. Palden Dorje, also known as the Buddha Boy due to his “…six year meditation at fifteen to promote world peace in May of 2005. He meditated for at least ten months in front of crowds apparently without sustenance in Bara District’s Ratanpuri before disappearing to continue his meditation in private. He interrupts his meditation once a year to give blessings to pilgrims. He is in the fifth year of his meditation.”

Palden Dorje uses simple logic to show how ridiculous and irrational this festival is:

“The belief that the divine blessings can be achieved through animal sacrifice is a mirage. It goes against the very fact that all living beings are a creation of the god,” he argues, appealing all to refrain from killings or harming the animals.”

“In a recent interview with mediapersons, Bomjan had said that the goddess represented mother of all living beings, including those animals and would never be pleased with the sacrifice of her own children. “Human beings have turned brutal by offering animal sacrifice to the goddesses. This practice must be stopped now,” he said. Geshe Ngima, meanwhile, urged the devotees to offer posy, fruits and vegetables, incense sticks, tika, sweets and coconuts instead of animals and their blood to appease the goddess and help restore peace in the country.”

I’ve posted the story below.

Here is a link you can visit to sign a petition to this mass slaughter - http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-gadimai/signatures.html

Article:

Palden Dorje Plans to Give Blessings to Pilgrims and to Protest Animal Sacrifice at Ancient
Festival

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-331005?ref=feeds%2Flatest

In Nepal, from November 19th to the 24th, 2009 Palden Dorje a.k.a. Ram Bahadur Bomjan (Ram Bomjon) will bless pilgrims at the site of the Gadhi Mai Fair which is likely the largest animal sacrificing festival in the world. He plans this appearance in order to protest the killing of more than 550,000 large animals and countless small ones before they take place on the 24th at the Gadhi Mai Festival near Nijgad in Bara District. This Ancient Nepali Festival takes place once every five years in honor of the goddess Ghadi Mai, also known as Durga. The sacrifices are said to bring good fortune.

Palden Dorje, 19, has been negotiating the ceremony with the leaders of the Ghadi Mai Mela (fair). The priests of the fair are showing an unwillingness to co-operate as the sales of animals at the stalls provide a substantial profit. This year is foreseen to be the largest festival ever with a few million pilgrims, both from Nepal and India.

Palden Dorje became world famous when he began a six year meditation at fifteen to promote world peace in May of 2005. He meditated for at least ten months in front of crowds apparently without sustenance in Bara District’s Ratanpuri before disappearing to continue his meditation in private. He interrupts his meditation once a year to give blessings to pilgrims. He is in the fifth year of his meditation.

Last year, 2008, he gave blessings in November. Approximately 400,000 pilgrims queued in the Halkoriya Jungle to receive his blessings over a 12 day period. He made two speeches in which he urged people to recognize the compassion and loving kindness in their hearts.
This year Palden Dorje is expected to make two speeches at the opening and closing of the blessing ceremony encouraging people to reconsider this cruel practice and to make vegetarian sacrifices instead.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Supports Animal Cruelty by Vetoing a Pair of Bills Related to Convicted Animal Abusers and Puppy Mills

Well, Arnold proves again that he has more respect for animal abusers and less for those attempting to stop animal abuse. Both of these bills were pretty light, and he still vetoed them.

“AB 241 — would have limited the number of potential pets to 50 in the hopes of eliminating large-scale breeding operations colloquially known as “puppy mills…”

“The second bill, AB 243, was also vetoed, but would have required judges to prohibit convicted animal abusers from owning pets for a set period of time.”

Article:

Governor Denies Acts

http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=19443

By Evan Sherwood

Published Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Issue 16 / Volume 90

On Sunday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a pair of bills authored by local assemblyman Pedro Nava aimed at strengthening animal rights.

The defeated legislation, authored by Nava, was part of a three-bill animal rights package Nava shepherded through the California legislature this year. While the governor approved a third law increasing the penalty for attending a dogfight, he vetoed similar bills that would have instituted stricter punishment for animal abuses and put a cap on the number of cats or dogs owned for breeding purposes, respectively.

The later bill — AB 241 — would have limited the number of potential pets to 50 in the hopes of eliminating large-scale breeding operations colloquially known as “puppy mills,” an approach Schwarzenegger did not agree with.

“An arbitrary cap on the number of animals any entity can possess … will not end unlawful, inhumane breeding practices,” Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. Nava said he disagreed with the governor and that the cap was not arbitrarily decided.

“We used the best advice from California animal control officers and law enforcement in coming up with that figure,” Nava said.

The second bill, AB 243, was also vetoed, but would have required judges to prohibit convicted animal abusers from owning pets for a set period of time.

Nava said he will reintroduce both bills next year.

“These problems don’t go away just because the governor failed to understand them,” Nava said.

The Philadelphia Eagles Make Good on Pledge to Support Animal Welfare Groups Due To Making Convicted Animal Abuser Michael Vick A Millionaire Again

We’ll see if this continues. I suppose it’s the least they can do for making a convicted felon and horrendous animal abuser / dog fighting supporter Michael Vick a millionaire again.

Though 50K is a drop in the bucket compared to Vick’s salary, it will help those groups who need money. Maybe they’ll be able to put a curb to any potential “little Vick” wannabes who see that you can get convicted of horrendous animal abuse and still become a millionaire.

Article:

Eagles hand out first animal welfare grants

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/s/2020/10-13-2009/20091013033508_19.html

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Months after facing sharp criticism for signing convicted dogfighter Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles are making good on a pledge to support animal welfare groups.

The team on Monday unveiled a program called TAWK, which stands for Treating Animals With Kindness. The initiative aims to reduce animal abuse, encourage spaying and neutering, and end dogfighting through public education and awareness.

The Eagles awarded grants of $50,000 each to Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, the Humane Society of Berks County and the Humane Society of the United States.

Team spokeswoman Pamela Browner-Crawley says Vick is working with children to discourage them from dogfighting.

Land Donated to Begin Construction of Location for the Northeast Nebraska Humane Society and Animal Shelter near Norfolk, Nebraska

Very positive to see that people have come forth to help this important facility become a reality.

As stated below, this should help with the pet abandonment issue and help with educational outreach. The facility will be built near Norfolk, Nebraska.

Article:

Land donated for animal shelter

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091010/NEWS02/710109829

By Kathryn Harris

WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

NORFOLK, Neb. — The Northeast Nebraska Humane Society is one step closer to having a home.

Sister Kevin Hermsen, a humane society board member, said four acres of land have been donated to the group. A fundraiser kicked off this week for the roughly 6,000-square-foot shelter the organization wants to build.

“The land was donated in honor of the donor's mother and aunt who were committed to animal rights,” Sister Kevin said.

She said she and other humane society members know raising the projected $250,000 for the building, which will be six miles north of Norfolk on the east side of U.S. Highway 81, will be “a tough go” but worth the effort.

The rough economy has played a role in the number of animals being surrendered. Some people are being forced to choose between feeding their children or feeding their pet, Sister Kevin said.

“As difficult as it is, those pets need to be surrendered,” she said.

Unfortunately, people often don't know what to do with their pets. “They're left on the front step when people move . . . or they're taken out to the country and just dumped off,” she said.

Sick pets are in greater danger of being abandoned because veterinary care can be expensive, she said.

“If you don't have the funds to take care of a sick pet, you don't know what to do,” she said. “We don't want to be judgmental about that.”

It's the goal of the Northeast Nebraska Humane Society to provide a place for people to take their pets when they can no longer take care of them.

Sister Kevin said the organization wants space for 25 to 30 kennels for dogs and roughly the same number for cats. For now, the organization won't be able to handle large animals such as horses.

The money raised also will include a cushion for hiring a full-time shelter manager and a couple of part-time workers.

“We're going to rely heavily on volunteers to help with cleaning the cages, walking the dogs and socializing the animals,” she said.

As with the land, Sister Kevin said, members of the humane society board are hoping citizens will offer to help build the shelter.

“We understand there's a lot of fundraising going on right now. This could be a struggle,” Sister Kevin said. “The need is just so great right now that we feel like we need to move forward on it.”

Green Party of Ireland Successful in Putting Forth Measure to Ban Fur Farming

Another positive step toward ending the unnecessary and overly-cruel issue of fur and fur farming. As stated below, the ban would not take place now, but in three years. Unfortunate that we have to wait, but a strong sign and message to the rest of the world.

Article:

Animal welfare groups welcome ban on fur farming

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1012/1224256435882.html

SEÁN Mac CONNELL

ANIMAL WELFARE and rights groups have welcomed the Green Party Programme for Government as a victory for animals here, particularly the ending of fur farming in three years.

Caft Ireland (Coalition to abolish the fur trade) said it was “absolutely thrilled” its greatest goal had been achieved by the Green Party and it would now turn its attention to banning fur imports.

Bernie Wright of the Alliance for Animal Rights said it was the best day in 20 years in the campaign for animals.

She said the banning of fur farming, the ending of stag hunting after March next year, the ending of badger culling when a vaccine against bovine TB was found and promised new animal welfare legislation, was a major victory.

“Thank you Green Party and thank you John Gormley,” she said in a statement.

Compassion in World Farming said the ban on fur farming was a major step forward for animal welfare standards in the Republic of Ireland.

“We congratulate the Green Party on its commitment to improving the protection of animals.

The ban on fur farming will send out a strong message to the world that Ireland takes farm animal welfare very seriously,” said Mary-Anne Bartlett, director of the organisation here.

Will Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm Sign Legislation Requiring that Farm Animals Confined in Small Spaces have Enough Room to Fully Extend Limbs?

If the bill is signed, it will make Michigan “…the seventh state to ban certain cages and crates.”

As always, we aren’t saying that this bill is perfect, but, should it be signed, it’s just another positive step toward future stronger measures and toward educating people as to the realty of confining farm animals such as veal calf crates and gestation stalls affecting pregnant pigs.

As stated below, “[t]he bill applies to egg-laying hens, pregnant pigs and veal calves. Commonly used cages for hens and stalls for pregnant pigs will be banned in about 10 years - veal crates in three years.”

Article:

Law protects farm-animal rights

Granholm set to sign bill banning cramped cages, crates in Michigan

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20091003/NEWS04/910030318/1005/NEWS04/Law-protects-farm-animal-rights

David Eggert • Associated Press • October 3, 2009 • From Lansing State Journal


Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to soon sign legislation requiring that farm animals confined in small spaces have enough room to fully extend their limbs and making Michigan the seventh state to ban certain cages and crates.

The bill is a compromise between the farm industry and animal rights groups, which have tussled in the Capitol over the care of farm animals. The Humane Society of the United States says it no longer will push a 2010 ballot initiative on the issue.

Granholm supports the legislation, her office said Friday, a day after the measure won final approval in the Legislature.

Michigan has about 200 industrial livestock farms that each keep thousands of animals in confined areas.

The bill applies to egg-laying hens, pregnant pigs and veal calves. Commonly used cages for hens and stalls for pregnant pigs will be banned in about 10 years - veal crates in three years.

Animal advocates consider close confinement inhumane.

"Giving animals enough room to turn around and extend their limbs is something we can all support," said Gene Baur, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, N.Y., the first haven for rescued farm animals in the country.

Farming groups say the legislation is better than the ballot proposal threatened by animal welfare groups, which would have phased out the cages sooner and put more "onerous" penalties on farmers who violate the law.

"No one likes change and no one likes to spend money to make those changes," said Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association. "The fact of the matter is that agriculture recognizes we must be more responsive to consumer demand and perceptions."

National restaurant chains such as Burger King have been asking suppliers for more cage-free eggs and crate-free pork.

The Humane Society says Michigan is the second state to ban battery cages for chickens, the fifth to ban veal crates and the seventh to ban stalls for pregnant pigs. The stalls still can be used in the week before a pig's due date. Each hen will have to have at least 1 square foot of usable floor space.

The Human Society of the United States Animal Protection Legislation Web Page: Animal Rights-Related Legislation Facing the 111th Congress

I’m not naive enough to believe that any of these will pass, and, I’m certainly not saying that they go far enough or that this is a comprehensive list of needs. However, it’s good to be aware that at least these issues are being heard. We’ll see what becomes of each for the remainder of this year and into the next session.

You can view the various legislative issues at http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/

The U.S. Supreme Court Seeks to Decide Whether a Federal Law that Makes it a Crime to Depict Animal Cruelty Violates the First Amendment

It’s obvious what we think about this, but just wanted you all to be aware of this issue. We’ll see how it goes.

Article:

Hypotheticals Dominate Animal Cruelty Argument at High Court

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202434344826&rss=newswire

Tony Mauro

The National Law Journal

October 07, 2009


It was a day of wild hypotheticals Tuesday, as the U.S. Supreme Court reached far and wide for help in deciding whether a federal law that makes it a crime to depict animal cruelty violates the First Amendment.

By the end of the riveting hour of argument in United States v. Stevens, it seemed likely that a sizable majority of the Court was ready to strike down the law as too broad or too vague.

"Certainly the tone of the argument would suggest that the statute is in trouble," said Andrew Tauber of Mayer Brown, who attended the argument and filed a brief against the law for the National Coalition Against Censorship. The law sweeps so broadly, Tauber added, that "it takes very little imagination to come up with dozens of hypotheticals" of depictions that could be vulnerable to prosecution but should be protected by the First Amendment.

That's just what the Court did, for much of the hour.

What if, Justice Antonin Scalia said, "I am an aficionado of bullfighting" who wants to spread the word about how it ennobles "both beast and man?" Would it be a crime to use a video to get that argument across?

The urbane Justice Stephen Breyer asked another one: would a video depicting "stuffing geese for pate de foie gras" violate the law?

The bow-tied Justice John Paul Stevens posited videos of "hunting with a bow and arrow out of season," when it would be illegal.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. asked if a law aimed at depiction of cruelty to humans -- not animals -- would pass constitutional muster.

Could Congress ban a video depicting modern-day Roman gladiators fighting to the death, asked Justice Samuel Alito Jr. Or what about a pay-per-view "Human Sacrifice Channel?" he asked.

Early in the argument, Deputy Solicitor General Neal Katyal sought to tamp down the "endless stream of fanciful hypotheticals" by asking whether there is a "realistic danger" that the hypos might come true.

In the 10 years the law has been in effect, Katyal said, no bullfighting videos have been prosecuted, nor would they be, given the legislative intent of Congress. The law also exempts depictions that are educational, historic or journalistic, but Breyer said the words were so vague that people won't "know what to do to avoid the risk of being prosecuted."

Katyal's argument drew an angry comment from Justice Anthony Kennedy, in effect stating that the Court has never found a law restricting speech to be constitutionally acceptable just because prosecutors have so far used restraint. Justices also seemed not to like the idea of leaving the determination of whether certain videos fit or do not fit the exceptions in the hands of prosecutors or jurors.

Kennedy's comment seemed to be a death knell for Katyal's argument, but he kept at it. He asserted that the law is constitutional because it, like laws against child pornography, is aimed not at expression but at "trying to dry up an underlying market," in this case for fetish and dogfighting videos that harm animals in their production. He said the law was successful in diminishing production of such videos until the law was struck down by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

After Katyal sat down, it seemed that his adversary, Patricia Millett of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, would have an easy task ahead. Millett represented Robert Stevens, a Pennsylvania man who was the first person prosecuted under the law, targeted for a series of dogfighting videos -- videos that he said were documentaries that did not foster or approve of dogfighting.

Millett did, in fact, face fewer tough questions than Katyal, as she acknowledged that a "properly drawn statute," aimed only at fetish videos that appeal to prurient interest in seeing animals harmed, might pass constitutional muster. But she said the Court should not rewrite the law for Congress. "Congress has a job to write with a scalpel and not a buzzsaw in the First Amendment area," she said.

Alito was the only justice who repeatedly challenged her to recognize that in the "real world," many of the hypotheticals raised by her and other justices would not in fact be prosecuted.

He also pressed Millett on whether, under her reading of the First Amendment, a cable channel devoted to depictions of human sacrifice could be outlawed. Millett hedged and seemed briefly in trouble, but Katyal in his rebuttal said such a channel would be hard to ban under the First Amendment, an answer that seemed to help his adversary.

GEARI Blog - Animal Rights Information and News Resource Blog - is Again Blogging / Posting Regarding Animal Rights Issues and News

GEARI Blog - Animal Rights Information and News Resource Blog - Companion Blog for www.geari.org – is again blogging / posting at http://geari.blogspot.com/ regarding animal rights issues and news.

GEARI would like to thank all who read this blog. We are again posting/blogging on issues related to animal rights. We follow animal rights news stories and present them to you so that you can stay up to date and not worry about tracking the various resources. Due to time, we took a month away from posting. However, after finding dedicated volunteers to help keep up with the unfortunate stream of news, our regular postings will continue.

As you know, GEARI (the Group for the Education of Animal - Related Issues) is a non-profit educational group dedicated to assisting you in your search for information on animal rights-related issues, the environment and human health. Your reference source for animal rights information. In essence, and briefly, the goal of this blog and of the main site - www.geari.org is to assist individuals in conducting research on issues related to animal rights.

Michael Vick: From Felony Dog Torturer and Convicted Animal Abuser to Millionaire Overnight: Only in the NFL & with Help from the Phildelphia Eagles

Very sad. Hard to believe that 1. The NFL would allow a convicted felon found guilty of horrendous charges of torturing and killing dogs / dogfighting to again play and tarnish the league AND to send the message that cruelty and torture and felonies are OK 2. The Philadelphia Eagles would allow him to come to their city and set up shop with a million dollar salary and to state the message that animal abuse is OK and that felony convictions are OK.

Don’t tell me that he won’t eventually go back to his thug gangsta’ ways. I guess we can tell a lot about that Eagles from this deal.

For those who have forgotten, please visit our story about the Michael Vick dog fighting conviction and description of horrible abuse of dogs he carried out at http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/08/michael-vick-former-quarterback-of.html

I posted an article below that sums up the disgust stated by decent people in seeing a felon returned to millionaire status. Also, in a related article, I pulled out these paragraphs to make us all remember just how disgusting Michal Vick is. I think this sums it up.

"PETA and millions of decent football fans around the world are disappointed that the Eagles decided to sign a guy who hung dogs from trees. He electrocuted them with jumper cables and held them under water," PETA spokesman Dan Shannon told The Associated Press.

"You have to wonder what sort of message this sends to young fans who care about animals and don't want them to be harmed."

Article:

Animal activists boo Eagles' signing of Vick

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20090814_Animal_activists_boo_Eagles__signing_of_Vick.html?53182717=Y&submit=Vote&oid=2&mr=1&cid=8500281&pid=53182717

By Amy Worden

Inquirer Staff Writer

News that the Eagles had signed quarterback Michael Vick, a convicted animal abuser, was met with swift outrage last night by members of Philadelphia's animal-welfare community.

Many said they were concerned that the move would cast a pall over a state in which animal advocates - led by Gov. Rendell, who has three rescue dogs - have fought to improve conditions for dogs, particularly those who suffer in substandard commercial kennels.

"Over the last three years, Pennsylvania has made historic strides in bringing attention to the abuse and neglect that so many dogs suffer in this state and throughout the country," said Tom Hickey of Drexel Hill, a member of the governor's Dog Law Advisory Board. "For the Philadelphia Eagles, knowing the heinous crimes committed by this man, to sign him is unconscionable."

The initial reaction, which included the launching of a Twitter feed called "Boycott the Eagles," is a likely indication of the angry response to come.

"Michael Vick is coming to a city with some of the strongest and most outspoken animal advocates," said Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs. "In a city where thousands of pit bulls are destroyed every year because we don't have the resources to rehabilitate them, it's shameful that we are willing to rehabilitate Michael Vick."

Vick, who played with the Atlanta Falcons, pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges in 2007, admitting that he participated in the destruction of dogs that did not perform, including drowning, hanging, and slamming them to the ground.

He spent 18 months of a 23-month sentence in federal prison, during which time he admitted "using bad judgment and making bad decisions," and vowed to redeem himself.

Since his release from house arrest last month, Vick has participated in events in Atlanta and Chicago with the Humane Society of the United States, where he spoke to inner-city young people about the cruelty of dogfighting.

Jen Utley, a board member of the Pennsylvania SPCA and the wife of Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, declined to comment last night specifically on the Vick signing, saying the PSPCA board would release a unified statement today.

"My goal has always been and always will be to prevent cruelty against animals in the city," said Utley, who adopted a rescue dog and who, together with her husband, has raised thousands to support PSPCA activities.

In a statement last night, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals expressed disappointment that the Eagles had signed a man who had committed such brutal acts against animals.

"What kind of message does this send to young fans who care about animals and don't want to see them be harmed?" the statement asked.

European Union Nations Gave Final Approval to a Ban on Importation of Seal Products: Could Force Canada to End its Annual Baby Seal Slaughter

Even if this doesn’t fully end the horrible and brutal Canadian baby seal slaughter, a move such as this, if permanent, will definitely help to lessen the numbers killed each year. This is a great example of getting a strong ban in place via an official body. We can only hope that it holds.

For those who need to be reminded of just how cruel the annual Canadian seal slaughter is, please see our posting at http://geari.blogspot.com/2009/03/sick-cruel-canada-begins-its-annual.html

Article:

EU gives final OK to seal product ban

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090727/ap_on_re_eu/eu_eu_canada_seal_hunt_2

By CONSTANT BRAND, Associated Press Writer – Mon Jul 27, 9:22 am ET

BRUSSELS – European Union nations gave their final approval Monday to a ban on imports of seal products in an effort to force Canada to end its annual seal hunt.

A majority of the EU's 27 member states see the way Canada conducts its hunt, the world's largest, as inhumane.

The EU's foreign ministers said the a ban was being put in place "in response to concerns about the animal welfare aspects of seal hunting practices."

The ministers said in a statement the ban would be implemented in all EU countries over the next nine months and will be in place before the annual seal hunt off Canada's eastern coast.

The ban was approved without debate at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers, although Denmark and Romania abstained from backing the measure, which Ottawa is protesting as an unfair trade restriction. Austria also abstained because it wanted an even stricter ban.

The measure was already adopted by the European Parliament in May.

The import ban will apply to all products and processed goods derived from seals, including their skins — which are used to make fur coats, bags and adorn clothing — as well as meat, oil blubber, organs and seal oil, which is used in some omega-3 pills.

It will exempt products derived from traditional hunts carried out by Inuit in Canada's Arctic, as well as those from Greenland, Alaska and Russia. However, they can only export products to the EU "on a not-for-profit basis."

Canada appealed Sunday to EU countries not to follow through with the ban.

Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea appealed to the EU "to reconsider" the trade ban, rejecting European claims that the way the Canadian hunt was conducted was inhumane.

They said in a statement issued in Ottawa that the measure "will serve no purpose other than to damage the livelihood of coastal and northern Canadians and their families." It added that the EU was "misinformed" over Canada's indigenous Inuit community and its traditions.

Canada is pursuing a trade case against the ban at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

Lesley O'Donnell of the International Fund for Animal Welfare said the ban will save the lives of thousands of seals.

"We expect the commercial seal hunt to continue its inevitable decline until it is wiped out once and for all," she said.

Canada's East Coast seal hunt is the largest in the world, killing an average of 300,000 harp seals annually. The EU bill targeted the Canadian hunt because of the size of the annual slaughter and the way seals are killed — either clubbed or shot with rifles. In the past, they also have been killed with spiked clubs, or hakapiks.

One-third of the world's trade in seal products passes through EU countries. Last year, Canada exported seal products — pelts, meat and oils — worth around euro3.5 million ($5 million U.S.) to the EU.

Cruel Namibia Once Again Allows Massive Seal & Baby Seal Slaughter: Expected to Club Over 90,000 Seals & 85,000 Pups: Videos Show Horror

Like the Canadian baby seal slaughter http://geari.blogspot.com/2009/03/sick-cruel-canada-begins-its-annual.html, this brutal and violent bloodbath has become an annual event in Namibia - http://geari.blogspot.com/2007/07/cruel-namibia-at-it-again-begins-bloody.html.

To see just how cruel and blatantly violent this is, see the following videos. Hard to believe that there are humans out there that can do this; and to do so with such hate. The second video even shows them cutting one open while still alive. Let the videos speak for themselves.

Article:

Namibian seal hunt to go on, 90,000 to be clubbed

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090706/ap_on_re_af/af_namibia_seal_hunt_1

Buzz UpSendSharePrint

By MICHELLE THERIAULT, Associated Press Writer – Mon Jul 6, 11:48 am ET

JOHANNESBURG – Namibia's annual commercial seal hunt will go on despite objections by animal welfare groups, a government official said Monday.

Frans Tsheehama of the Namibian fisheries and marine resources ministry said that the season started on July 1 and will run until Nov. 15.

Hunters are expected to club over 90,000 seals, including 85,000 pups.

The hunt was expected to begin last week, but there was confusion over whether the killings had begun after numerous media reports that a South African-based animal rights activist was in negotiations to halt them.

Namibia is one of only a few remaining countries with a commercial seal harvest. The government argues that the seal population needs to be controlled to protect fish stocks.

However, animal rights activists say the practice is inhumane and outdated.

Seals are hunted for skins, fur and meat, and seal genitals are sold as traditional medicines and aphrodisiacs in Asia.

Activist Francois Hugo of Seal Alert South Africa said last week that he had made a bid to buy out the company that purchases the Namibian seal pelts, effectively halting the hunt.

Hugo said that clubbing an animal to death is cruel, criminal and in defiance of international animal protection laws.

He also challenged the Namibian government's claim that the hunt maintained healthy seal populations, saying that in the past whole colonies had been devastated.

Namibia's seals number about 850,000 and live on a dozen remote, rocky islands off the coast of the sparsely populated southern African country.

The hunt takes place under clandestine circumstances to avoid the glare of publicity — and to avoid upsetting tourists.

The government has said seals consume 900,000 tons of fish each year, more than a third of the fishing industry's catch, and that the cull is needed to protect fisheries. Animal welfare groups counter that most of the seals killed are still-nursing pups.

AJ Cady of the International Fund for Animal Welfare said that the industry is "collapsing" worldwide, citing a recent European Union ban on the import of seal products combined with the global economic downturn. In this year's Canadian harvest, sealers killed less than a third of their quota on weak demand.

"The great question here is who is really buying these things?" Cady said. "The cruelty is so obvious."

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health & Columbia U School of Public Health & 27 Public Health Schools Start Meatless Monday Campaign

The direct link to the website for the Meatless Monday campaign is http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

The fact that it’s well known and respected schools of public health that are behind this shows that vegetarianism isn’t just an animal rights issue; it is a health issue as well. If you look at the website you’ll clearly see that the goal is to help people increase their level of health. And, quite simply, eating a meatless diet, even one day a week, will increase your level of health. As they state at their site:

“Our goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

“Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.”

Here is an excellent video on the project and about the many people who have decided to pledge to go meatless on Mondays.

So check out the site. It also contains recipes and nutritional facts. The direct link to the website for the Meatless Monday campaign is http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Article:

Here’s an article about the Meatless Monday Campaign

Meatless Mondays: Do Something Good for the Earth and Your Health

http://www.alternet.org/immigration/140978/meatless_mondays:_do_something_good_for_the_earth_and_your_health/

By Kathy Freston, AlterNet. Posted July 6, 2009.

A new campaign is focused on convincing the world not to eat chickens, pigs, and other animals -- just one day per week.

I love a practical solution, especially when it's good all around -- for personal health, the environment, and for living consciously. So when I received an email from Chris Elam, the director of the Meatless Monday campaign -- a project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Columbia University School of Public Health, in association with twenty-seven other public health schools -- I was thrilled.

The campaign is focused on convincing the world not to eat chickens, pigs, and other animals -- just one day per week (on Mondays, as you may have guessed).

Since it's sponsored by a slew of public health schools, the campaign was set up to promote health, and since I've already written extensively about the fact that eating meat leads to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and lethargy (for example here), I'll skip extended analysis of these facts, other than to say: When Johns Hopkins, Columbia, the American Dietetic Association, and dozens of other health organizations argue that the less meat you eat, the better off you'll be, it's worth listening to them.

Chris wrote to share the fact that Michael Pollan had just argued in favor of the campaign on Oprah, saying, "[w]e don't realize it when we sit down to eat, but that is our most profound engagement in the rest of nature... To the extent that we push meat a little bit to the side and move vegetables to the center of our diet, we're also going to be a lot healthier..." I wasn't surprised, since Pollan's most recent book calls on all of us to eat "mostly plants," and his new movie (Food, Inc.) offers a stomach-turning look at factory farming and slaughterhouses (I highly recommend it).

As an aside on Food, Inc.: The scene that I found most interesting is the one where Joel Salatin, proprietor of Polyface Farm, was slaughtering chickens and talking a mile-a-minute through the process. He was talking about treating the animals with respect, but in the theater where I saw the film, this scene elicited perhaps the most audible shock of the entire movie because you can actually see the animals being slaughtered (contrast this with the secrecy of factory farms and slaughterhouses -- no one is allowed because, as Paul McCartney likes to say, the process would turn everyone vegetarian). Anyway, this scene seemed to shock a lot of people, even though this is poultry slaughter at its most humane. Actually, the scene reminded me of that Sarah Palin interview that she conducted in front of the turkey slaughter; it's worth remembering that most chickens and turkeys have a far more horrific experience in the factory farms that process more than 98% of the birds we eat.

Chris also wanted to share their new video, in which their scientists tell us that if all Americans switched from eating chickens and pigs to eating beans and grains for just one day per week, that would stop as much global warming as if everyone in the U.S. shifted to ultra-efficient Toyota hybrids (which is the weekly equivalent of using 12 billion fewer gallons of gasoline). Of course I have to point out the obvious: If we all stopped eating animals completely and shifted to vegetarian foods, that would save 84 billion gallons of gas per week (and all the troubles that go with that kind of consumption).

I know that some readers will argue that the issue is not the meat industry, but factory farmed meat. But in fact, environmentally, all meat requires exponentially more resources to produce than eating grains and beans, as eloquently discussed in the Audubon Society's magazine a few months back. And all meat contributes to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and so on. Some meat may be "less bad," but according to the science, no meat is good.

And I know that some vegetarians pooh pooh Meatless Monday as not enough. I'm sympathetic to that view, but I think it's unnecessarily strident. For people who think that going totally vegetarian is too challenging, the Meatless Monday campaign offers a gentle entrée into the idea of eating without eating animals. My hope is that people will use the campaign as a stepping stone -- first one meatless day per week, then three, then five, then seven. As we lean into meatless eating -- switching out more and more meat meals for meatless meals -- we end up feeling better, both physically and ethically.

And another point for those who might think that Meatless Monday is not enough: The first family of vegetarianism -- Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters -- recently launched the campaign in the UK. Stella and Mary have been vegetarian since birth, and Paul has been a vegetarian for more than two decades.

For recipes and cooking information, check out the Meatless Monday site. And for tips on making the transition to vegetarian eating, please click here. http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Cruel China at it Again: Brutally Kills over 36,000 Dogs in City of Hanzhong: Dog Killing Squads Beating Dogs to Death with Sticks and Rocks

Some Burned Alive

I’ll tell you….China just never stops being the cruelest country on Earth. In this ridiculous episode of torture and cruelty, they have allowed the brutal, bloody massacre of ALL dogs in a city because of A FEW cases of rabies. And of course, being China, they make sure the killing is cruel, bloody, painful and merciless via the use of sticks, bats and rocks. As you’ll read below, some are burned alive.

A few articles have been published about this. I have included an email below that I received that has some links that you can follow to take some action. I don’t endorse the group (or any for that matter), but they seem to be the only one doing anything (if they are). Nonetheless, I wanted to bring this to your attention and make sure that everyone still knows that China is the cruelest country on Earth.

For more information on just how cruel China is, also see our article “Crash Course in the Unbelievable Cruelty Behind the Eating of Cats and Dogs in Korea and China: Sick Countries Beyond Ethically Challenged” at http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/03/crash-course-in-unbelievable-cruelty.html

The email below has this link too, but to send an e-mail to the Chinese Ambassador urging China to stop mass dog slaughters like the one in Hanzhong City follow this link: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_united_states/get_involved/take_action/take_action_2.php?msource=DR090601001#x

Email I received:

A massive cull in the Chinese city of Hanzhong has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 dogs - and now we need your help to make sure that it never happens again.

To contact the Chinese Ambassador in your country to call for an end to mass slaughters like this and to encourage China to pass legislation that protects all animals, including companion animals follow this link: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_united_states/get_involved/take_action/take_action_2.php?msource=DR090601001#x

The local government ordered the mass slaughter of all dogs as the result of a few cases of rabies deaths. Dog killing squads are stalking the streets, mercilessly beating dogs to death with sticks and rocks.

Friendly dogs - even healthy family pets - are being slaughtered right in front of their owners. Can you even begin to imagine how you'd feel if that happened to your dog?

IFAW has pleaded with government officials to stop the killing - and now we turn to you.

Please help us stop these cruel and massive slaughters once and for all.

Horrifying scenes of cruelty

Some of the pictures from culls like these are so horrifying that I can't even show them to you. And I hate having to describe this, but I think you need to know the truth about what's happening.

In one series of pictures, several small and fluffy white dogs - you can just tell they're used to snuggling on the laps of their loving owners - are trapped in a makeshift cage. One by one, the dogs are pulled out with a pair of long metal tongs, and brutally beaten with a stick. And then - even though it appears that some of the dogs may still be alive - they're tossed into a pit to be burned.

I can't even imagine the pain and terror these poor dogs endure when the fire is set.

So many dogs will suffer slow and painful deaths...we must stop this cruelty now!

What we're doing and how you can help

We have received so many messages in the past few days from animal lovers like you inside and outside China - pleading with us to step in and stop the slaughters like the one in Hanzhong City.

I assure you, IFAW is working to end these culls:

* We've already contacted local authorities in Hanzhong City to urge them to end the slaughter. Now you can help by contacting the Chinese Ambassador in your country.
* IFAW is creating an emergency rabies vaccination fund so that we can offer rural communities in China an alternative to mass slaughters like the one in Hanzhong. Please give generously to our emergency rabies vaccination fund.
* We're working with the central government to pass animal welfare legislation in China that will ensure the humane treatment of all animals. IFAW has already helped major cities like Beijing establish dog regulations that mandate humane vaccination and population control.

We CAN stop culls like this

We recently joined with concerned animal lovers in China to stop a similar mass slaughter in the city of Heihe by pointing out that the killing of dogs that have rightful owners is a violation of the basic rights of a citizen - owned dogs and cats are considered the "personal property" of Chinese citizens, and should be protected under China's Constitution.

Plus, it has been proven that rabies can be effectively controlled by a well-managed vaccination program. In fact, a humane vaccination and neuter program in Chennai, India, has dramatically reduced rabies cases there by over 95%.

So we must act now to stop the killing! Please click here- http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_united_states/get_involved/take_action/take_action_2.php?msource=DR090601001#x to contact the Chinese Ambassador in your country to call for an end to mass slaughters like this and to encourage China to pass legislation that protects all animals, including companion animals.

And then please donate what you can today to help us set up an emergency vaccination fund to help cities in China establish rabies prevention programs, help eliminate these mass dog culls once and for all, and to continue our mission to protect animals around the world from cruelty.

The slaughtered dogs of Hanzhong City deserved a better fate. Please help us ensure that dogs in other communities in China are protected from similar mass killings.

To contact the Chinese Ambassador in your country to call for an end to mass slaughters like this and to encourage China to pass legislation that protects all animals, including companion animals follow this link: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_united_states/get_involved/take_action/take_action_2.php?msource=DR090601001#x

Jane Goodall States that Global Economic Crisis Affecting Chimpanzees and Other Non-Human Primates

So, all primates – human and non-human affected.

Article:

Monkey business hard to sustain in slump, Goodall says

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5570UX20090608

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Chimpanzees, long under threat from humans encroaching on their habitat, are now facing another risk caused by that same member of the Great Ape family: the global economic crisis, says primatologist Jane Goodall.

Funding to the Jane Goodall Institute, a nonprofit organization that aims to conserve primate habitats and increase awareness of animal welfare activities, has declined by about 10 percent since the financial crisis hit.

"Money that came in last year was less than we had expected," Goodall told Reuters in Singapore while visiting for events related to World Environment Day. "The private donors and some of the foundations pulled back."

The institute, which has an annual budget of $10-11 million which funds its activities in Africa, has had to dig into its endowment fund to keep some of its programs running. Some projects were cut and staff laid off.

Goodall, who rose to fame in the 1960s through her ground-breaking study of chimpanzees in East Africa, said the root cause of most problems was overpopulation and the materialism of most human societies.

"Underlying everything is the sheer number of people on the planet," said 75-year-old Goodall. "We take far, far, far, far more than our fair share of these precious natural resources."

"We have to help people understand that enough is enough. We have so much more than we need, we have a throwaway society."

Such strident demands on the environment have seen previously forested areas being taken over by humans for housing, agriculture and business, leading to a dwindling population of chimpanzees and other animals in the wild.

Goodall estimates there are currently there are about 300,000 chimpanzees spread across 21 nations in Africa, down from the 1-2 million in 1960.

The animal rights activist, who fulfilled her childhood dream to live in the wild and write books, spends 300 days a year on the road using her personal story and fame to inspire youth to become more environmentally responsible.

"Root & Shoots," a youth organization she started with 12 high-school students in Tanzania in 1991, now involves people from pre-schoolers to university students and prisoners across 111 countries. It aims to raise awareness about the planet.

"People understand a lot more, but it doesn't mean they always change their behavior though," Goodall said. "The last hurdle is to get people not only to understand, but take action. The bigger problem is that again, again and again that people honestly cannot believe that what they do makes a difference."

Taiwan will Enact Strict law on Labeling Vegetarian Food: New Categories will Indicate if Food is Fully Vegan

Very incredible movement. Who would have guessed that Taiwan would lead the way. Read on below to see just how far this important act is going. Truth in labeling move that we can only hope other countries follow.

Article:

Taiwan to enact world's strictest law on veggie food labeling

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/272296,taiwan-to-enact-worlds-strictest-law-on-veggie-food-labeling.html

Taipei - Taiwan is to enact the world's strictest law on labeling vegetarian foodat the request of Buddhists and people who eat vegetarian for health reasons, the health ministry said Monday. Starting from July 1, Taiwan foodmanufacturers must use five categories, up from the current two, to identify the content of vegetarian food. Violators will be fined from 40,000 to 200,000 Taiwan dollars (1,200-6,000 US dollars), the Department of Health said.

Currently the labelling only indicates whether food is pure vegetarian or contains no meat but egg and milk. Now added are categories separating egg and milk as well as vegan.

Pure vegetarian refers to food which does not contain meat, egg, milk or plants including onion, garlic or leek, which are spicy and considered unclean and bad for meditation. They are banned for strict Buddhist practitioners. Vegan, on the other hand, may contain the "unclean" vegetables.

The new rule also bans food manufacturers from labelling food as vegetarian if it is fermented - like chilly sauce - and its alcohol content exceeds 8 per cent.

"We request clear labeling of vegetarian food to meet the needs of the growing number of vegetarian food users of about 2 million, and to help religious practitioners not break food taboos," health department official Hsu Ching-hsin said.

Most Taiwan food manufacturers support the government's labelling requirements, but find it difficult to implement them.

"We will comply with the rule, but we are afraid that it could be confusing to consumers if we print too much information on the food packages," Wu Hsu-hui, a spokeswoman for Uni-President Enterprises Corp, Taiwan's largest food conglomerate told the German Press Agency dpa.

But Pasadena Bakery, which sells more than 100 kinds of cakes and bread in three outlets in Kaohsiung, south Taiwan, sees no difficulty in following the new rule.

"We are already using the pure veggie and egg/milk veggie labels. It is easy for us for us to expand that to five labels," Chien Su-ling, the bakery's brand name manager, said.

Tebala Shrine Circus Accused of Mistreatment of Elephants

Another circus sticking to the cruel and antiquated use of Elephants.

Article:

PETA Calls for Seizure of Elephants at Loves Park Circus

http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/47169197.html

Elephants are the iconic symbol of circus' around the world, but animal rights activists are calling for the seizure of three of them being used in a circus right here in the stateline. 23 News Reporter Chris Norman takes us under the big top with a look at this creature controversy.

Wide eyed excitement at the Tebala Shrine Circus, tainted by allegations of animal mistreatment. PETA, or people for the ethical treatment of animals, says three elephants, one seen here lost a combined 18-hundred pounds, just in the last year.

"These elephants are dragged around the country in over heated trailers for most of the year instead of walking up to thirty miles a day free of chains with their extended family in their native homeland," said RaeLeann Smith, PETA Circus amd Government Specialist.

Hamid Circus brought the elephants to the Indoor Sports Center. Its VP James Hamid Jr. says he and other circus owners hear these allegations all of the time. He denies PETA's claims and says there's nothing wrong with how his elephants are treated.

"There are certain people out there that don't do the right thing, and it's up to the producers to go out and find people who are following the letter of the law and treating their animals correctly, everyone on our show we feel does that," Hamid said. Hamid says he stays up to date with the US department of agriculture. An inspector was actually just out on Sunday. But PETA wants the government to step in now.

"We're hoping the USDA will act swiftly to ensure that these animals are pulled off the road and receiving adequate vet care before it's too late for them, " Smith said.

Hamid asks us to look at the animals, and judge for ourselves.

In its history the USDA has only confiscated two elephants. Over the weekend about 10,000 people attended the shows..

Biomedical CO Bioreliance Corp.Cited - 18 Violations of The Animal Welfare Act: Animals Regaining Consciousness in Refrigeration Unit for Carcasses

Includes Animals Regaining Consciousness While in a Refrigeration Unit for Storing Carcasses

More disturbing proof of the reality behind the doors of organizations that engage in vivisection or animal testing. It’s bad enough to be tortured, but then to wake up in a refrigerator full of carcasses and then die of freezing. Unacceptable.

Article:

MD Research Firm Accused of Lab Animal Misuse

http://wamu.org/news/

June 08, 2009 - An animal rights group says a leading figure in Maryland's biomedical industry, the BioReliance Corp., has been cited for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The charge includes up to 18 instances in which seemingly euthanized animals regained consciousness while inside a refrigeration unit meant for storing carcasses. Research facilities like BioReliance come under regular inspections by the USDA. But animal welfare groups like PETA say the government office is doing little more than reporting violations when they occur and that inspections are too often based on information voluntarily reported by the labs themselves.

Dr Broom of Cambridge University Veterinary School on Cognitive Ability of Pigs: Also, Summary of Recent Laws Affecting Pigs in Factory Farms

Great article. Here are just a couple of quotes from below that provide a great summary of this issue:

“They have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs – and certainly three-year-olds.”

“I wonder if any of these people would dare keep their beloved companion Fido in the same conditions they deem perfectly acceptable for pigs?

Article:

Getting pig cruelty into the closet

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/opinion/2481992/Getting-pig-cruelty-into-the-closet

About pigs, Dr Donald Broom of the Cambridge University Veterinary School says: “They have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs – and certainly three-year-olds.”

So, what would you think of a neighbour who kept their three-year-old in a steel crate just a few centimetres bigger than the child was?

From the Stuff website: “I wonder if any of these people would dare keep their beloved companion Fido in the same conditions they deem perfectly acceptable for pigs?

“How do these people look at themselves in the mirror knowing they are deceiving the public and forcing such intelligent and social animals into a life so miserable I can hardly begin to imagine?

“They should try it out – go lock themselves in a closet. It might just make this world a better place.”

Some other facts that may help you if you fear that the bacon and egg argument about cruel confinement of pigs and poultry is simply an issue driven by wild-eyed, unworldly eccentrics in darned woolly jumpers and sandals. Plus someone you may rate as an odd columnist.

On May 12, the state of Maine passed a law banning gestation stalls and veal crates. Animals there will have to have enough room to stand up, extend their limbs and turn around freely, for the majority of the day. The law takes effect on January 1, 2011. A happier new year, indeed.

Colorado recently passed a law to phase out veal crates and pig gestation cages on the recommendation of what was described as an unlikely coalition of Colorado-based animal agriculture organisations and the Humane Society of the United States.

As long ago as 2002, Florida banned intensive caging of pigs in gestation crates – the first such measure in the US.

In 2006 Arizona overwhelmingly outlawed cruel confinement of breeding pigs as well as veal calves.

In June 2007, Oregon banned pigs in gestation crates.

Its act says: “A person shall not tether or confine any pig on a farm for all or the majority of the day in a manner that prevents such animal from lying down and fully extending its limbs or turning around freely.”

At that time, the US Humane Society, the largest animal protection organisation in the US – with more than 10 million supporters – said: “Even animals raised for food deserve humane treatment. Gestation crates are notoriously abusive.”

Tethering is banned entirely in the European Union and at least three countries, Sweden among them, have already stopped the use of gestation crates altogether.

That ban will effectively reach the rest of the EU by 2013 when all member countries will have phased out gestation crates entirely.

The United States’ largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, and Canada’s largest pork producer, Maple Leaf Foods, have both announced they will begin phasing out gestation crates in their pork production.

Burger King and restaurant chain Wolfgang Puck have also said they are moving away from pork producers who use them.

Group Asks for Truth in Advertising in Relation to “Naturally Raised” Meat

I received this via email. A great move. Just as with anything, it's only fair to have truth in advertising. Read below and follow the link to find out more and act.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently allowed companies to slap a “naturally raised” label on meat and meat products that come from animals whose upbringing was far from natural. Raising animals in intensive confinement on factory farms, with no access to sunshine or fresh air - is that natural? We say no! Furthermore, such a label misleads the public and exploits consumer trust in advertising and packaging claims and in government regulation of agriculture.

Let the USDA know you won’t stand for such deceptive claims. Sign the petition to tell the agency its “naturally raised” label is not natural!

Thank you for your compassion,

Gene Baur, President and Co-founder

Farm Sanctuary

https://secure2.convio.net/fsi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=296&JServSessionIdr011=er7x7rkci1.app14a

Wolfs Lose Federal Protection Under The Endangered Species Act: Obama Makes Bush-Like Move and Opens Gate for Wolf Hunting / Killing / Slaughter

I really don’t have to say much, and just let this quote speak for the reality of this situation and Obama’s ridiculous Bush-like decision (sadly many more to come): “The Obama administration, in one of its least popular moves with environmentalists, upheld a Bush era decision that gray wolves have returned from the brink of extinction and no longer require federal protection. That decision took effect today, opening the gate for hunting in Idaho and Montana, which share a population of some 1,300 wolves.”

Seems like Obama is not only like Bush in other areas, he’s also showing more and more that he’s no friend of animal rights either.

Article:

Wolf delisting takes effect today

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-04-gray-wolf-delisting-obama/

Wolf-people, give a howl for your lupine brethren, who lose federal protection under the Endangered Species Act in much of the northern Rocky Mountains and upper Midwest today.

The Obama administration, in one of its least popular moves with environmentalists, upheld a Bush era decision that gray wolves have returned from the brink of extinction and no longer require federal protection. That decision took effect today, opening the gate for hunting in Idaho and Montana, which share a population of some 1,300 wolves.

Wildlife groups have filed notice that they will sue to overturn the decision, saying state management plans don’t provide enough protection for the species that was listed as endangered in 1974.

Last Friday I proposed that “Save the wolves” campaigns typify a strain of old-school environmentalism that is being swallowed by the much broader movement against climate change. The poster-species for the new environmentalism, the polar bear, faces its own day of reckoning this week:

Later in the week, the legal status of polar bears will become clearer when the Obama administration must decide whether to overturn a last-minute Bush move that denied the arctic mammals key protections under the Endangered Species Act. Acknowledging that the polar bear is threatened by a melting habitat, Bush officials still ruled that endangered species protections cannot apply to causes originating outside of their habitat (in other words, the greenhouse gas emissions heating up the polar regions). Obama has until May 9 to overturn the decision; otherwise, it stands.

Greenwire has a piece on the behind-the-scenes tussle over the polar bear decision; look for more on Grist on this later in the week.

Oh, and it’s also a big week for a little mountainous mammal, the American Pika, whose high-elevation habitat faces climate disruption. KQED’s Climate Watch reports on the pika’s prospects for protection, which ride on decisions from the courts and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Australia Continues to Shoot / Kill / Slaughter Kangaroos

Just another writing in the segment “take the easy way out and kill” that we so sadly have to bring to attention monthly.

Article:

Australia to shoot 6,000 kangaroos

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_re_au_an/as_australia_killing_kangaroos_2

By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 8, 8:15 am ET

CANBERRA, Australia – Australia's army has started shooting 6,000 kangaroos to thin their population on an army training ground near the capital, an official said Friday, outraging conservationists who have vowed to protest.

The killings are intended to protect endangered plants and insects that share the grassy habitat with the kangaroos. A much smaller slaughter of 400 kangaroos on another Defense Department site in Canberra last year was disrupted by protesters.

Civilian marksmen contracted by the department began shooting the kangaroos on Tuesday night at Defense's Majura Training Area, where an estimated 9,000 of the wild marsupials roam, Army Brig. Brian Dawson told reporters.

"The culling is intended to reduce the kangaroo population to sustainable levels," Dawson said, describing the action as that of a "responsible landowner."

The nighttime shooting is expected to continue intermittently until August. The training ground covers more than 7,400 acres (3,000 hectares) and includes grenade and artillery firing ranges.

Bernard Brennan, president of Canberra's Animal Liberation conservation group, said protesters planned to descend on the area starting Friday night and many more would flock from around Australia next week. He could not predict how many.

"We're not going to sit back and let it happen," he said.

The kangaroo slaughter follows a recent government environmental report that the common eastern gray kangaroos are too numerous in Canberra's parkland and grassland, eating scarce native grass which is the habitat of endangered insects such as golden gun moths and perunga grasshoppers.

The kangaroo overpopulation is also threatening endangered reptiles, the grassland earless dragon and the striped legless lizard, the report said.

Kangaroos are slaughtered to control population throughout Australia, but government agencies have been reluctant to kill the beloved national symbol around Canberra in the past 20 years because of public outcry.

“Big Meat” Giant Agribusiness Politician to be put in Charge of Food Safety

No matter who is in charge, it’s still the same ol’ boys up there.  So, don’t expect much in terms of animal treatment changes.  

Article:

Close friend of Big Meat may be put in charge of food safety 

http://www.grist.org/article/close-friend-of-big-meat-may-be-put-in-charge-of-food-safety/

POSTED 9:48 AM ON 11 MAY 2009

BY TOM LASKAWY

Politics, Food

USDA chief Tom Vilsack is once again on the verge of stepping in it regarding his pick for food safety czar, i.e. the head of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Some may recall that back in March the Obama administration nearly appointed Dr. Michael Osterholm to the post only to back off when his views on meat irradation (aka “Zap the Crap”) proved too hot to handle. Ironically, Osterholm—who has ties to the meat industry, biotech heavyweight Monsanto and defense contractor 3M—is also a legitimate expert on pandemic preparedness, a skill which might’ve come in handy recently. Ah, well.

Now, swelling rumor has it that Dr. Mike Doyle is the leading candidate for the post. Obamafoodorama first reported the rumor late last week and it has solidified in recent days. Doyle meanwhile is proving at least as controversial as Osterholm and is just as closely allied with the meat industry. Via Ob Fo:

Doyle is currently Director of the Center For Food Safety at the University of Georgia, and a professor in the department of food safety and technology. His work at the land-grant university has been heavily funded by major meat industry concerns, and Doyle has won big acclaim for his industry-friendly policy wonking, in particular from the American Meat Institute, a huge pro-meat/low-government intervention lobbying force on The Hill.  He’s also received big funding and support from the National Chicken Council, another industry lobbying group.  He’s also recived a lot of funding from USDA’s own Agriculture Research Service. How invested is Doyle in the economics of food safety? He actually holds patents on a number of microbiological solutions for disease outbreaks.

That last bit means that he could personally profit from decisions he might make as head of FSIS. But I’m sure he’ll recuse himself from any decisions regarding use of his patented methods for disease management. I’m sorry, did I say something funny?

Doyle is being championed (again according to Ob Fo) by GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. Note to Vilsack: Dude, the GOP LOST THE FRAKKING ELECTION!!! Since when do they get to pick top administration officials? And to hear that Vilsack is listening to Saxby Chambliss of all people, one of the idiots more conservative members of a party already far outside the mainstream, boggles the mind. And apparently, if the administration judges Doyle’s conflicts of interest to be manageable, he will in fact get the nod.

Doyle is also associated with the Animal Agriculture Alliance as well as the American Council on Science and Health (this report [PDF], lists him as on the ACSH science advisory board)—both industry-funded astroturf organizations whose shared mission is to undermine any research that questions the safety of industrial products or practices. To get a sense of where the Animal Ag Alliance is coming from, you simply have to read its full-throated defense of the use of sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics in livestock from this attack on the recent Pew report documenting the dangers of livestock factory farms. In fact, Doyle recently spoke at an AAA “summit” where he discussed his research claiming that sub-therapeutic antibiotic use is crucial to “safe” livestock practices. I wonder what Congress, which is considering legislation to outlaw the practice, will make of this.

The only good news regarding Doyle is that his naming hasn’t been officially announced. We can only hope that Vilsack and Obama come to their senses before it’s too late.

Massachusetts General Hospital to Use and then Kill Sheep in Trauma Training: What you Can do to Stop It

Received this from PCRM, a great group dedicated to ending vivisection.  Please read below for more information.  Pretty easy to act.

By the way, you’ll see the TraumaMan System mentioned below.  This is a surgical simulation tool that provides an alternative to animal testing or vivisection.  You can learn more about this incredible animal testing alternative at http://www.simulab.com/home-traumaman-system

Email received:

On Monday and Tuesday, live sheep are scheduled to be used and then killed in a trauma training course at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. We need your help to end this unnecessary and cruel practice.

Mass General may be one of the nation’s best hospitals, but it is woefully behind the times when it comes to teaching Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). Across the nation, more than 90 percent of ATLS courses are taught using only human-based simulators, which Mass General currently owns.

Please call, e-mail, or write a letter to Massachusetts General Hospital president Peter L. Slavin, M.D., and politely ask him to end animal use in the institution’s ATLS program. Then forward this message to your friends who care about animals and effective medical education. Being polite is the most effective way to help these animals. 

Peter L. Slavin, M.D.

President

Massachusetts General Hospital

55 Fruit St.

Boston, MA 02114

Tel: 617-724-9300

E-mail: pslavin (at) partners.org

Mass General owns the American College of Surgeons-approved simulator known as the TraumaMan System. The hospital uses the simulator to teach ATLS surgical skills to medical students while using live sheep to teach the very same procedures to practicing physicians.

On May 14, PCRM filed a formal request with Mass General’s Subcommittee on Research Animal Care asking that it deny the use of animals in the hospital’s ATLS program.

The letter cites an ongoing survey by PCRM, which has so far received responses from 201 ATLS programs in the United States and Canada. The survey has found that 187 of those programs (more than 90 percent) exclusively use nonanimal models for instruction. The vast majority of those 187 programs exclusively use the TraumaMan System.

Learn more about the TraumaMan System (http://www.simulab.com/home-traumaman-system). If you have any questions, please contact me at rmerkley (at) pcrm.org. Thanks so much for your help!

Best regards,

Ryan Merkley

Manager of Humane Education Programs

The Truth Behind The Kentucky Derby: Used Thoroughbreds are Shipped to Canada and

Hello again to you all.  I received this email regarding the upcoming Kentucky Derby.  Sadly, there is a truth behind the Kentucky Derby many have not heard of.  As you’ll read below, “Due to the recession, donations to rescue organizations are at record lows and many thoroughbreds are being shipped to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered. “ 

Please read on.  There is a link to a press release for more information - http://www.prweb.com/releases/horseslaughter/kentuckyderby/prweb2323154.htm

I know that you have covered horse related issues in the past and

thought you might be interested in this release:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/horseslaughter/kentuckyderby/prweb2323154.htm.

As you know, May 2nd marks the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby in

which many of the world’s fastest thoroughbreds will compete.

Yet there has rarely been a more difficult time for these magnificent

animals.   Due to the recession, donations to rescue organizations are

at record lows and many thoroughbreds are being shipped to Canada and

Mexico to be slaughtered.  (Some of these same animals have earned

millions of dollars for their previous owners.)

Without sufficient funds, nonprofits are unable to save these

ex-racers.  To remedy this situation, Chez Chevaux , a

Washington-based thoroughbred rescue organization, has issued a Derby

Dollar Challenge.  The organization is seeking to raise $135,000

before the Derby, reminding potential donors that even a single dollar

can make a tremendous difference in horses’ lives.

I would be incredibly grateful if you could mention this in your blog.

 Every day, more and more thoroughbreds who could be retrained are

needlessly going to slaughterhouses.

Sick, Cruel Canada Begins its Annual Baby Seal Slaughter: Bludgeoning, Skinning Alive Seal Pups: Largest Slaughter of Marine Mammals on Earth

Every year I unfortunately have to post about this. Unbelievable that it’s still going on. Again, this is grown men going out and bludgeoning baby seals.

As stated at http://www.peta.org/feat-canadaSealHunt.asp

“Canada’s annual seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Last year, the world looked on in horror as the Canadian government permitted the slaughter of more than 330,000 harp seals. During the hunt, baby seals are shot or repeatedly clubbed. Sealers bludgeon the animals with clubs and “hakapiks” (clubs with metal hooks on their ends) and drag the seals—who are still conscious—across the ice floes with boat hooks. Many of these animals are even skinned alive. Hunters toss dead and dying seals into heaps and leave their carcasses to rot on the ice floes because there is no market for seal meat. Veterinarians who have investigated the hunt have found that hunters routinely fail to comply with Canada’s animal welfare standards.

It is legal in Canada to kill seal pups when they are about 12 days old. During last year’s hunt, almost all the seals killed were 3 months old or younger. Many had not yet learned how to swim or eaten their first solid meals. Baby seals are helpless and have no way to escape from the sealers’ clubs.”

Unfortunately, they will now take their slaughter to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Friday.

For more about what you can do to stop this, and to view photos and videos that show proof of the horrible violence of this issue, see:

http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/

http://www.peta.org/feat-canadaSealHunt.asp

Article:

Seal hunt ends off Iles de la Madeleine; more than 17,200 killed

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090325/national/seal_hunt

By The Canadian Press

HALIFAX, N.S. - Seal hunters returned to the ice in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence for a few hours Wednesday to kill the last remaining seals allowed under their quota off Iles de la Madeleine.

Phil Jenkins, a spokesman for the federal Fisheries Department, said about 17,200 seals were killed on Monday and Tuesday, leaving only a few hundred remaining before the hunt ended at 10 a.m. local time.

Helicopters carrying observers from two animal welfare groups headed out to witness the final stage of the hunt, which involved sealers from the Quebec islands.

In addition to sealers in boats, the hunt involved sealers who were able to reach the animals by snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles because of ice that reached the shore.

Jenkins said a hunt in the gulf for sealers from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. Friday.

"That's the earliest, weather dependent," he said.

About 50 licensed sealers plus their crew will take part in that hunt between Iles de la Madeleine and Cape Breton. It has a small quota of 1,435 animals.

The federal government has set a combined allowable catch for this year's East Coast seal hunt of 338,200 harp, hooded and grey seals.