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AR-NEWS Digest 573
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Admin Note--New Policy for Inappropriate Posts
by allen schubert
2) Health priorities
by Andrew Gach
3) Making invertebrate history
by Andrew Gach
4) Noah's Ark Trial
by SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
5) Noah's Ark
by SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
6) (US) Farm Scene: another Engineered Corn Plant Heading to Farms
by allen schubert
7) (US) Residents Concerned About Egg Factory
by allen schubert
8) (NL) Greenpeace Blocks Soybean Import
by allen schubert
9) (ID) Thousands of dogs to be destroyed
by Vadivu Govind
10) New S.African animal groups website
by Vadivu Govind
11) Pig-organ transplants for Muslims 'okay'
by Vadivu Govind
12) British pigs sent to Vietnam to breed
by Vadivu Govind
13) (HK/SG) Crabs and the stock market
by Vadivu Govind
14) (SG) Guide for would-be pet owners to be out in February
by Vadivu Govind
15) Korean animal group newsletter
by Vadivu Govind
16) Re: Request from subscriber: Feed the Children Fund?
by allen schubert
17) Noah's Ark Judge needs letters and info on Olivia in Indiana
by "Vicki Sharer"
18) Sears Anti Fur Action, The 11th Hour
by MINKLIB@aol.com
19) FW: RED ALERT! Wolf control decision pending!!!
by Jill Hein
20) Dawn Ratcliffe Interview
by Jackie Dove
21) FW: IMPORTANT CORRECTION/wolves/alaska
by Jill Hein
22) (UK) Save the Hillgrove Cats Campaign
by "Arc News"
23) Babies poisoned by whale meat
by Andrew Gach
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 00:20:32 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Admin Note--New Policy for Inappropriate Posts
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19971111002032.00693ae4@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Due to the sudden surge of inappropriate postings to AR-News, the Listowner
(me) will implement a new policy in dealing with such postings. At the
_earliest_possible_convenient_time_, I will ban the offending individual
from posting to AR-News for a minimum of two (2) weeks. An individual who
repeatedly posts inappropriate material _may_ be banned from posting
permanently.
***NOTE: If you are banned from posting, be sure to remind me when the two
weeks are up. The process to REMOVE the person from a "banned" status does
not always work well. A potential side effect of the process is that it
may "lock" the AR-News list, meaning that no one may post or
subscribe/unsubscribe.
If you have questions as to the appropriateness of a post, DO NOT HESITATE
to contact the Listowner ( ar-admin@envirolink.org ) concerning the
appropriateness of a news item. I have supported this in the past, though
these discussions did not make it to the list.
I am avoiding making this a "moderated" list (one in which the Listowner
approves/releases posts to the list) as such action will reduce the speed
of posting -- plus, it puts the decision of what is considered "animal
rights" in the hands of one person. My goal here is to eliminate non-news,
discussion/opinion posts to AR-News and not to decide what is/isn't *animal
rights* and to allow news items to be posted as rapidly as possible.
Further, a "moderated" list would punish the many for the infractions of
the few. (Something that I found highly offensive since childhood.)
***If you have problems with this policy, please feel free to e-mail me
_privately_ to discuss this. (Posting to the list would be inappropriate.)
allen
-------------------------------
Please do not post commentary or personal opinions to AR-News. Such posts
are not appropriate to AR-News. Appropriate postings to AR-News include:
posting a news item, requesting information on some event, or responding to
a request for information. Discussions on AR-News will NOT be allowed and
we ask that any
commentary either be taken to AR-Views or to private E-mail.
Continued postings of inappropriate material may result in suspension of
the poster's subscription to AR-News.
Here is subscription info for AR-Views:
Send e-mail to: listproc@envirolink.org
In text/body of e-mail: subscribe ar-views firstname lastname
Also...here are some websites with info on internet resources for Veg and
AR interests:
The Global Directory (IVU)
http://www.ivu.org/global
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 22:50:43 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Health priorities
Message-ID: <34680043.71E3@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Young men too often reject advice from heart doctors
Reuters, ORLANDO, Fla. (November 10, 1997 3:17 p.m. EST)
Young men with heart failure who do not stick to a diet or exercise
regularly, or take their heart medication, risk death even more than
older patients, doctors said Monday.
A series of studies presented at an American Heart Association (AHA)
conference showed that people are dying of heart disease unnecessarily
because they do not take their medicine, fail to diet and do not
exercise properly.
It was not always their fault, the researchers said. While some patients
ignored doctors' orders, others could not afford drugs, did not
understand their value, or were unable for various reasons to follow
recommendations for diet or lifestyle changes, the researchers said.
"We really need to increase the public's awareness," AHA president Dr.
Martha Hill said. "People need to know and understand what they're being
asked to do and how this relates to improvements in their health."
University of California at Los Angeles researchers found that men
younger than 40 with advanced heart failure were half as likely as older
men to take their medication as directed, follow a recommended diet or
keep health care appointments. They were more likely to smoke, drink or
abuse drugs and more likely than the older men to die within a year.
A study in Finland found men and women with heart disease were losing
the benefits of simvastatin, a drug prescribed to reduce cholesterol,
because they put on weight at the same time.
"If the body weight is increased, it's one of the major factors
stimulating cholesterol synthesis," Dr. Tatu Miettinen of the University
of Helsinki told the conference.
In other cases, patients who wanted to understand and adhere to medical
treatments ran into obstacles.
A University of Illinois at Chicago study of 110 indigent inner-city
patients found many could not afford the drugs that cost an average of
$250 per month, or one-third of their income.
"Many individuals were faced with trying to pay for basic, housing
utilities and food costs in an urban area and still reserve hundreds of
dollars each month to pay for their medications," clinical pharmacist
Marieke Schoen said.
A sampling of 3,174 Medicare patients in the Midwest found that fewer
than half of them were given written instructions about prescribed
drugs, only one-third were told how to manage their diet, and an even
smaller proportion were given details about watching their weight.
Researchers said the findings were particularly important because 60
percent of people who re-enter a hospital after congestive heart failure
have not adhered to their diet, taken their medications properly or
acknowledged signs of worsening disease.
Similar problems can affect researchers trying to learn more about how
to help heart patients.
Johns Hopkins physicians said many older people with chronic congestive
heart failure dropped out of an aerobic exercise program because they
lacked transportation to the training facility, and not because of their
heart disease.
Earlier Monday another group of researchers said doctors were failing to
get their patients' cholesterol down low enough.
They told the conference more than 60 percent of the 5,000 patients
being treated for high cholesterol they studied failed to get their
cholesterol levels down to recommended levels and said doctors needed to
be more "aggressive" in their treatment.
By MIKE COOPER, Reuters
*****************************************************
On the margin:
There's no money to help the poor to buy medication that may possibly
help them, but billions are spent to develop new drugs that are often
inferior to the ones already on the market.
There's no money to help the elderly with transportation to attend their
exercise classes, but billions are spent on laboratory animal research
which is full of promises but never pans out.
There's no time and no money to explain heart patients what they need to
do and why, but there is plenty of time and money to conduct PR
campaigns that serve doctors' and researchers' financial interests.
Andy
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 22:57:27 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Making invertebrate history
Message-ID: <346801D7.1890@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Crickets and the wonders of sound
The Christian Science Monitor
(November 10, 1997 1:59 p.m. EST)
The cricket in hand is smaller than a prune pit. Robert Wyttenbach and
his colleagues dab the cricket's back with a spot of glue, then attach
him to a thin wire in their cricket flight chamber.
A fan is turned on. In the dim light, the male cricket feels the wind
and flies, as crickets do at night. A computer attached to speakers
simulates the sound of other crickets, and most important, the
ultrasound of bats.
The experiment makes tiny invertebrate history. Wyttenbach and his
colleagues in neurobiology and behavior research at Cornell University
in Ithaca, N.Y., discovered recently how crickets make life-or-death
"decisions" in flight.
The insects distinguish the ultrahigh-frequency sounds of echolocating
bats from cricket chirps and thus avoid becoming a bat meal.
"When the cricket hears a sound," says Wyttenbach, a postdoctoral
associate in neurobiology, "it faces a choice of going toward it, away,
or ignoring it. This requires the need to classify that sensory input
according to certain criteria. What frequency is the sound? High-pitched
or low-pitched? What pattern is it? What species?"
At night, crickets hear a rapid-fire cacophony of sounds. On their
forelegs are "ears." Prior research at Cornell by Ronald Hoy in 1978
established that crickets detect the bats' ultrasound, which is beyond
the range of human hearing. But the ongoing research discovered how a
cricket reaches the cutoff line between "attractive" and "repulsive"
sounds.
The cricket decides this by "categorical perception," a sophisticated
capability used by humans and other animals. Invertebrates, as suggested
by the experiments, use it too.
In humans, categorical perception comes into play, for instance, when an
infant hears the sound of "pa" repeated, and becomes habituated to it.
The infant responds less and less until it hears a new sound "ba," and
becomes attentive.
Wyttenbach discovered that crickets categorically label sounds at and
above the range of 16 kilohertz (kHz) as perilous. Below that, all is
well. But out of many night sounds, the bat zings a ba-like sound at 16
kHz. The insect takes evasive action.
"It's a stretch to say that the cricket is smarter than the bat," says
Wyttenbach. "You don't have to be smart to outwit a prey detection
system." He also says the cricket is not always successful.
"Smart is a human concept," says Don Lewis, an entomologist at Iowa
State University in Ames. "Insects are not doing things in a logical way
in the same fashion that we would think," he says. "Over hundreds and
hundreds of generations they have developed to be what they are."
Wyttenbach believes the cricket makes a decision, but with a limitation.
"The problem with saying it makes a decision," he says, "is that this
carries all sorts of baggage about consciousness. You can be agnostic
about whether crickets are conscious or not, and still say they decide.
I say the cricket classifies the input and makes a decision, but without
the cognitive baggage we associate with that term."
Categorical perception was initially thought to be unique to human
speech, but experiments proved it was present in visual stimuli in
humans regarding colors. Experiments with chinchillas and monkeys
indicated they also use categorical perception.
Wyttenbach used crickets common to Polynesia, Australia, and Hawaii.
They fly more readily than local crickets. "You can look at this in the
broad historical view that a lot of insects evolved nocturnal behavior
to escape daytime predators like birds," he says, "but the bats are a
counter because they evolved to detect prey in the dark to circumvent
that. Much goes on at night that we aren't aware of."
Male crickets make a sound - called stridulating - between 4 to 5 kHz,
just above the highest note on a piano. They produce the sound by
rubbing a rough forewing across the opposite wing with some 200 teeth.
Small crickets stridulate as much as 10,000 cycles a second.
Crickets use several songs or signals at night, including a courtship
signal and an aggressive signal. "There is even a sort of victory song
that a male will sing after winning an encounter," says Wyttenbach.
"It's probably a signal that he has this territory."
Wyttenbach is now turning his attention to two other questions: how an
animal can tell where a sound is coming from in the presence of echoes,
and how frogs and crickets decide when to call. "There are several
lifetimes of research left to be done on the cricket," he says.
By David Holmstrom, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
***********************************************************
Strangely, missing is the obligatory phrase on how such research "may
one day lead to" reversing deafness and whatever else.
Apparently, the researchers are so confident of the great scientific
value of their cricket project that they believe promises of medical
benefits are superfluous.
Andy
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 97 07:19:35 UTC
From: SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
To: ar-news@Envirolink.org
Subject: Noah's Ark Trial
Message-ID: <199711111315.IAA26614@envirolink.org>
Would someone please refresh my memory on dates/times the Noah's Ark
trial will be on TV? Thank you.
Sherrill
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 97 07:23:28 UTC
From: SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
To: ar-news@Envirolink.org
Subject: Noah's Ark
Message-ID: <199711111319.IAA26921@envirolink.org>
P.S. I realize the trial is over, but I had heard it was going to be
put on TV after the fact. - Sherrill
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:45:56 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Farm Scene: another Engineered Corn Plant Heading to Farms
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971111084554.006dc768@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN http://www.cnn.com/
---------------------------------------------
Farm Scene: another Engineered Corn Plant Heading to Farms
AP
11-NOV-97
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) A gene drawn from soil bacteria is being harnessed in
a Southern Illinois University laboratory to help corn more efficiently
process fertilizers. Researchers say the development could be worth
millions in extra revenue for farmers while reducing environmental damage.
The genetically altered plant soaks up more nitrogen than traditional corn
hybrids, resulting in higher protein yields and less fertilizer runoff,
said biotechnologist David Lightfoot, who began his work with the gene in
1981.
"When the plants first emerge, there's oodles and oodles of nitrogen around
and the plant isn't equipped to deal with that. By equipping it with this
gene, the plant absorbs more, so less escapes," Lightfoot said.
Field and greenhouse trials show corn containing a gene known as GDH, or
glutamate dehydrogenase, grows 10 percent bigger and has about 7 percent
more protein than unaltered hybrids. The plants also reduce fertilizer
residues left in and on the soil by up to 50 percent, Lightfoot said.
The university, which is seeking a patent on the gene, expects to bring the
seed to market by 2003. When it arrives, it should be a big hit, said Dale
Gustafson, a commodities analyst with Smith Barney.
"It's the kind of thing we need to see. Yields have been very constant over
a number of years, unlike soybeans, which have trended upward a little
bit," he said.
Seed that would reduce fertilizer runoff while providing higher yields
couldn't help but be a hit with farmers and the public, Gustafson said.
GDH helps young corn shoots absorb more nitrogen in a useful way, leaving
less to wash away or be eaten by soil bacteria, which convert it into a
chemical that can be dangerous to infants and livestock, which consume
large quantities.
In Illinois cornfields, for example, about 2.2 billion pounds of
fertilizer, typically ammonium nitrate, are applied each year. Farmers
aspire to a 10 percent runoff rate, meaning they expect to lose at least
220 million pounds. GDH corn could save half of that, Lightfoot said.
While the environmental threat is, in Lightfoot's words, "small and
inconsistent," it is there.
Several rural Illinois communities experience chronic nitrate contamination
of their water supplies due to agricultural runoff, said Joan Muraro, a
spokeswoman for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Fertilizer runoff poses a greater threat to fish, which can be killed after
rain and agricultural accidents allow large concentrations of nitrogen to
pour into streams. The fertilizer nourishes algae, which consume a stream's
oxygen supply.
While the environmental benefits are nice, researchers say it is the higher
yield and protein content that will make farmers money.
Lightfoot has recently entered into a partnership with SIU animal
nutritionist Richard Dado to study the benefits of the genetically altered
corn on livestock.
If palatable to animals, livestock producers could use the higher-protein
corn in place of costly supplements, Dado said.
He estimates the potential feedstock market at $305 million a year in
Illinois alone.
Although the seed will sell at a premium, the cost should be negligible,
given lost-fertilizer savings of up to $2 an acre and potential yield
increases worth $50 an acre, Lightfoot said.
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:46:58 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Residents Concerned About Egg Factory
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971111084655.006aaa6c@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN http://www.cnn.com/
----------------------------------------------
Wisconsin State News
Reuters
11-NOV-97
Residents Concerned About Egg Factory
(WHEELER) -- Some residents of the area around Wheeler have some concerns
about plans announced for a huge egg operation in the area. Primegg says
its facility will be about the size of two football fields. Some area
residents are concerned about waste polluting the Red Cedar River. They are
also concerned about the possible smell coming from the plant. Company
officials say the plant will meet all state and federal environmental
standards.
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 09:55:55 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NL) Greenpeace Blocks Soybean Import
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971111095552.006adc48@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(genetically engineered food)
from Associate Press http://wire.ap.org/
---------------------------------------
11/11/1997 09:52 EST
Greenpeace Blocks Soybean Import
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Greenpeace activists blocked a freighter
from unloading soybeans in this port city today, part of a planned
Europe-wide protest of U.S. genetically engineered crops.
Greenpeace said its vessel, Sirius, occupied the berth of the freighter,
which is transporting an estimated 60,000 tons of genetically modified
soybeans from the United States.
Rotterdam Port Authority spokesman Rob van Dijk confirmed the blockade
was under way but said it did not disrupt shipping traffic at the world's
largest port.
He declined to say what measures were being considered to remove the
protesters, who contend that genetically manipulated food may pose health
hazards and environmental dangers.
Greenpeace International spokesman Jon Walter said today's protest was
the first of a campaign dubbed Genetic Hazard Patrol of Europe, targeting
shipments of genetically altered soya and corn from the United States to
Europe.
Activists will locate shipments along key European transport routes and
alert the public of their arrivals, he said.
``We are taking a major risk by releasing these genetically altered crops
into the natural environment ... when their impacts are so poorly
understood and untested,'' Greenpeace said in a statement.
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:11:29 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (ID) Thousands of dogs to be destroyed
Message-ID: <199711111611.AAA20149@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
28 Oct 97
WILD-DOG MENACE: Thousands of wild dogs roaming the Carita beach area in
West Java and thought to be infected with rabies will be destroyed in an
effort to free the area of the disease, the Jakarta Post reported yesterday.
The month-long eradication campaign is aimed at making tourists more
comfortable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wrote to Jakarta Post some time ago to get details but haven't received a
reply.
If anyone has access to information on how the dogs will be killed, what (if
any) stray animal management schemes/plans they have there, who the
authorities in charge are etc, please could you email me in private.
Thanks.
- Vadivu
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:12:15 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: New S.African animal groups website
Message-ID: <199711111612.AAA13594@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The URL is:
http://animals.co.za/Orgs/
Work on it is ongoing and will be complete shortly.
All suggestions/criticism/info/etc. are welcome.
Please write to Jacqlyn Edge
She will be happy to include relevant links.
- Vadivu
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:12:39 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Pig-organ transplants for Muslims 'okay'
Message-ID: <199711111612.AAA23449@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
1 Nov 97
Pig-organ transplants for Muslims 'okay'
GENEVA - An expert at a UN conference on the controversial issue of
animal-to-human transplants said on Thursday that Muslims and Jews should
have no ethical fears about trasnplants of organs from pigs.
Mr Abdullah Daar, chairman of the working group at the World Health
Oragnisation meeting here, told a news conference that Islam and Judaism's
restrictions against pork were only dietary.
"This is a subject we've been concerned with. But based on the views of
scholars, the maority opinion in both religions is that it (pig tranplants)
would not be a problem," Mr Daar, from Oman, said.
WHO called the meeting to discuss xenotranplants - the transfer, tissues and
organs between species- and their ethical implications. - Reuters.
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:12:48 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: British pigs sent to Vietnam to breed
Message-ID: <199711111612.AAA25629@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
8 Nov 97
British pigs sent to Vietnam to breed
HANOI -- A jumbo jet with 665 breeding pigs on board was being flown
into Vietnam from Britain on a mission to go forth and multiply.
The British Embassy and the Pig Improvement Company (PIC) Vietnam said
in a joint statement this week that the 600 females and 65 males would
be transported to the Britain-based firm's farm in Ninh Binh province,
115 km south of here.
PIC Vietnam, a wholly-owned company specialising in pig genetics, will
invest US$2.2 million (S$3.5 million) to breed swine and sell breeding
stock to Vietnamese farmers.
The statement said the project would bring an estimated US$6.5 million
in savings to Vietnam's pig industry.
This will be achieved through bigger litter sizes, faster growth rates,
increased lean-meat percentage, better meat quality and import
substitution. -- Reuters.
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:15:26 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (HK/SG) Crabs and the stock market
Message-ID: <199711111615.AAA19983@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Sunday Times
9 Nov 97
Crab-selling trade slows to a crawl
IT IS not just stock market punters who have been suffering in Hongkong lately.
Vendors of a favourite delicacy, Shanghai crab, say sales have
plummeted because people are afraid the name of the dish will bring them
bad luck in the financial markets.
Shanghai crabs are called "tai chap hai", or "big shackled crab".
In a place renowned for superstition, the hairy, "big shackled crab" is
a horrendously inauspicious name.
The clawed delicacies are now languishing unsold in shops, unwanted by
people who, until two weeks ago, used to feast on their tasty meat.
"Big shackled crab, big shackled crab, it sounds awful! How can you even ask
me to eat it?" cried secretary Kellie Ko, her lips curling at the edges
in horror at the thought.
"I won't go near them!" said the 28-year-old.
"Eating them will mean having all my cash tied down, like the 'big
shackled crab' ", she said.
One of the ordinary Hongkong people who plays the markets and has lost
her savings in recent weeks, Ms Ko said she had a paper loss of some
HK$50,000 (S$9,900) on shares bought over the past year.
Hongkong's key stock indicator, the Hang Seng Index, has lost more than
25 per cent since early October.
For thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, of novice punters who
bought shares at high prices and saw them slide, selling their stocks
now might be too painful.
Instead, many people like Ms Ko hang on, hoping for a turnaround. But
they have to live with their hands and cash tied, just like the crabs in
the shops with their claws bound.
The crabs, which muck around in fresh-water lakes and rivers in
Shanghai and China's coastal province of Jiangsu, are harvested at this
time of year. Others are raised artificially in neighbouring Guangdong
for the Hongkong market.
Bound and wrapped in straw, they are shipped by the millions to
Hongkong where they are then stored alive in refrigerators.
Whether fried, steamed or boiled, the hard-shelled crabs are highly desired in
Hongkong, particularly for their huge chunks of scarlet roe.
And they are not cheap. One shackled crab, about half the size of the
adult human palm, costs between HK$60 and HK$200, depending on its quality.
Supermarkets and restaurants throughout this territory of 6.5 million
people are seeing sales fall sharply.
"Sales have fallen about 20 per cent for me," moaned Mr Wong Gui-pong,
58, who has been selling shackled crabs for 28 years.
"Most of my regular customers are rich. Only the rich can afford them.
But some of them have not been buying this year, maybe because of the
stock market," he said.
Mr Wong, who has his mobile refrigerator on a busy sidewalk outside a
popular restaurant, sells 200 to 400 crabs daily. He is luckier than
fellow crab seller Lau An, 41, who mans a refrigerator a few blocks away.
"Most of my customers have disappeared this year. They think it's very
bad sounding and won't have them," said Mr Lau.
Hongkong may be ultramodern, but its people remain highly superstitious.
Numbers, from the licence plates on cars to the floors of apartments,
are carefully selected according to ancient beliefs.
Numbers ending with the digit "4" are unpopular because the number
sounds like the word "death" in Cantonese, while "8" commands a high
premium since it sounds like "prosperity".
And as long as Hongkong punters hold on to their quirks, a slow death
is likely for the unwanted crabs.
"These crabs are very hardy. They can live up to one month in the
fridge. But we have to throw them away when they die," added Mr Wong.
"No one wants to eat crabs that have been dead for more than a few
hours." -- Reuters
Auspicious or not, S'poreans still shell out money for
delicacy
By MAGDALENE LUM
THE Shanghai hairy crab business is still doing all right here
generally, say restaurants selling the Chinese delicacy.
Six out of nine restaurant operators interviewed told Sunday Plus they
had good response to their hairy crab promotions.
The Ritz-Carlton is seeing such good sales that it has extended its
promotion period.
Said businessman Stanley Tan, 36: "I'm not superstitious about the name
of hairy crabs as I'm not Cantonese. The Cantonese in Hongkong are more
superstitious than Singaporeans." His favourite hairy crab haunt is the
Capitol Restaurant in Cantonment Road as it is near his office.
However, the Regent, Conrad International and Shangri-La hotels have
seen a decline in sales.
But they attribute it mainly to the current regional currency and stock
market turmoil rather than to the inauspicious name of the crab.
The crustaceans are a luxury item, costing $15 to $20 each at
independent eateries like Long Beach and range from $40.60 to as much as
$90 a piece in hotels.
Regent's Summer Palace has seen a 20 per cent decline in sales of hairy
crabs this year compared to last year, while Conrad International's
Golden Peony sells only an average of 10 crabs a day. It expects at least 10
per cent more business.
Shangri-La's Shang Palace is seeing a 15 per cent decline but it
nevertheless extended the promotion for an extra month as it is
confident more people will turn up later.
But other restaurants are doing fine. Said Ms Marina Wee, the public
relations manager of Ritz-Carlton: "We've sold 220 hairy crabs weighing
66 kg since our
promotion started on Oct 22. We've decided to extend it by two weeks to
Nov 16."
The promotion was supposed to have ended last Sunday.
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:15:36 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (SG) Guide for would-be pet owners to be out in February
Message-ID: <199711111615.AAA27338@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
8 Nov 97
Guide for would-be pet owners to be out in February
A VET who has taught his four-year-old daughter to love animals and to
show a proper respect for them is also helping to produce a guide for
would-be pet owners.
He and the Primary Production Department hope to spread the message of
responsible pet ownership by bringing out a booklet, the Pet Starter
Kit, next February. The booklet will be targeted at potential pet
owners, giving them information on pet care, pet laws and pet-related
services.
The vet who is coordinating the project, Dr Chew Hong, 37, said his
daughter, aptly named Cat, short for Catherine, had been asking him for
a pet cat. But he is holding off the purchase.
"She's just started to be interested in them, and plays with our
friends' cats when she can," said the head of veterinary administration
at the PPD. "That's when I also tell her about proper care, no pulling
of a cat's tail, no pinching or poking of its eyes.
"When we start them young, they'll grow up with a respect for animals.
"But she needs to know more about the responsibilities of being a pet
owner, so it's not time yet," he said.
The project, under the PPD's Centre for Animal Welfare and Control, was
announced last night by Mr Koo Tsai Kee, Parliamentary Secretary
(National Development), at the Veterinary Association's annual conference.
About 30,000 households, or 4 per cent of all households here, own a dog,
said Mr Koo, who had also mooted the idea for the booklet.
But many acquired animals on impulse, he said, without realising that
it involved taking care of all the pet's needs for up to 20 years.
"In a way, keeping a pet presents greater challenges than raising a
child. By the time a child is five or six years old, he is quite
independent and can see to his basic needs.
"With a pet, an owner must be prepared to provide proper care and
supervision throughout the pet's life."
As a result, some pets get abandoned.
Last year, 5,523 dogs and 505 cats were imported -- but at the same time,
4,323 dogs and 6,122 cats were impounded, PPD figures showed.
Dr Chew said that the Pet Starter Kit would take potential pet owners
through certain questions such as "why they want a pet, whether the pet
they have in mind is suitable for their living environment, where to buy
a pet, the importance of licensing their pet dogs and getting their
shots to keep rabies at bay".
The guide also caters to pet owners, he said, giving them tips on where
to place their pets if they go on vacation, when to take their pets to
the vet, and how to take public transport with a pet.
The booklets will be available from next February at the 150 pet shops,
114 vet clinics and eight dog breeding/ boarding farms islandwide, and
at the PPD, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the
Centre for Animal Welfare and Control.
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 00:20:24 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Korean animal group newsletter
Message-ID: <199711111620.AAA25943@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Please email International Aid for Korean Animals and the Korean Animal
Protection Society for their latest newsletter if you are
interested in the work they do.
Postal address in US is:
P.O Box 20600
Oakland, CA
94620-0600
USA
Fax: 1510-451-0643
To read more about animals in Korea, you can refer to:
http://www.paws.org/korea/index.htm
- Vadivu
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 11:55:40 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: Kristin832@aol.com, ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: Request from subscriber: Feed the Children Fund?
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19971111115540.006a439c@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Does anyone still have a copy of this??
Occassionally, there are posts to AR-News concerning someone to resend a
post about a specific item, usually because a subscriber accidently deleted
that post (it happens to all of us). Just keep in mind that AR-News
Digests are saved on the Web at:
http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/digest/digest.html
This page is updated often (usually daily, though there are occassional
gaps in updating as people _do_ have lives outside of the net!).
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 97 11:55:55 CST
From: "Vicki Sharer"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Noah's Ark Judge needs letters and info on Olivia in Indiana
Message-ID: <9710118792.AA879278688@INETGW.WKU.EDU>
Noah's Ark Shelter directors are meeting with the lobbyist on =
Wednesday. . For those who can, please write to the Honorable Judge
Daniel P. Wilson, P.O. Box 844, Appanoose = Cty Courthouse,
Centerville, IA 52544. say how you feel = about what happened, how
you feel about the verdict and what you would = like the sentence to
be. Please sign your letters and give the judge your addresses.
David and Laura = Sykes along with the Noah's Ark Animal Foundation
are working with a = very high powered law firm in Des Moines and will
pursue filing a civil = action suit against the 3 defendants in the
coming weeks. An article is = coming out in People Magazine shortly,
either this week or the next, and = Court TV is doing a special show
on the incident which was taped both in = court and at the shelter
with the directors and animals. Geraldo = Riviera has asked us to
come to NY and possibly appear on his show as = well.
Also, I was reading on the page for Olivia that the pre-trial is
coming up November 25th. For more info, please see:
http://cat.plaidhamster.com/
There are two new notes from Lesley Davis reagarding her cat, Olivia.
Thanks,
vicki sharer
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 14:14:11 -0500 (EST)
From: MINKLIB@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Sears Anti Fur Action, The 11th Hour
Message-ID: <971111141407_-525360640@mrin83.mail.aol.com>
We have had some communications with Sears and we feel confident that with a
little more pressure we can get them to do away with fur trim. However, we
need you to get every single person you know to write and call them.
At present, many Sears stores are only selling fake fur trim. Some have real
fur trim on more expensive coats because customers have supposedly asked for
real fur. Sears does seem to be concerned about which way the majority of
their customers lean with this issue. Therefore anti fur activists have a
distinct advantage.
If you are a Sears card holder, let them know it. Let them know that you
won't be using your card again unless they drop fur trim.
If you aren't a Sears card holder, then let them know that you still will not
be making purchases in their stores until the entire company is 100% fur
free.
Please write and call:
Arthur Martinez
Chairman and CEO
Sears
3333 Beverly Rd.
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
847-286-5188
Please distribute this information to as many other groups, lists, etc. as
possible. Maximum pressure is needed.
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade
PO Box 822411
Dallas, TX 75382
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 13:49:10 -0800
From: Jill Hein
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: FW: RED ALERT! Wolf control decision pending!!!
Message-ID:
<5F68209F7E4BD111A5F500805FFE35B9081B64@red-msg-54.dns.microsoft.com>
Forwarded message......
> Subject:RED ALERT! Wolf control decision pending!!!
>
> The Alliance has learned that Governor Tony Knowles may decide whether to
> proceed with planned wolf sterilization and relocation in the Fortymile
> country as early as this week. Please call, e-mail, or fax the governor
> today and ask him to cancel this needless and destructive plan. He should
> honor his promise that there would be no wolf control without: Broad
> public support; Sound science; and Economic justification. The Fortymile
> plan meets none of these criteria.
>
> The Fortymile plan is aimed at decreasing wolf numbers in order to boost
> sport hunting of the Fortymile caribou herd. Although the Alaska
> Department of Fish and Game touts benefits to nonconsumptive use as well,
> there is no call for wolf control from nonconsumptive-oriented groups or
> individuals. This is a typical ADF&G wolf-control plan to artificially
> boost hunting convenience and success.
>
> Here are some of the flaws in the plan:
>
> * The essential issue is that there is no "need" for wolf control in the
> Fortymile. The Fortymile caribou herd has grown steadily from a
> population of ~6,000 in the mid-1970's to its current size of ~25,000, and
> continues to grow. The growth rate last year alone is estimated at 10%
> and 4% the year before. The goal of the Fortymile plan is a growth rate
> of "5-10%" Caribou numbers in Alaska as a whole are at all-time highs and
> increasing.
> * The plan has been called an "experiment" in "nonlethal" wolf-control
> methods. First of all, this is no experiment. It is wolf control plain
> and simple. In addition, even as an "experiment" the plan is fatally
> flawed. It is impossible to measure the success of an experiment to
> increase a caribou population that is already growing. Also, trapping in
> the area, intensified by a private bounty, will continue throughout the
> program. This will make it impossible to validate the effects of the
> "nonlethal" methods and lead to the likelihood that sterilized wolves will
> simply be killed.
> * The Fortymile plan does not have broad public support. The Alaska
> Wildlife Alliance and a coalition of twelve other environmental groups in
> Alaska have called for cancellation of the program. The "public process"
> involving the Fortymile Planning Team was not balanced. Only two of 18
> members represented an inclusive, pro-environmental perspective.
> Excepting one other tourism representative, all other members were
> hunters, trappers, and wildlife managers. The ADF&G representative was a
> strong advocate for wolf control.
> * Field sterilization is not nonlethal. Field surgery is risky, and
> complications are likely. In addition, wolf biology and sociality
> revolves around raising pups. Such needless manipulation is
> unconscionable simply to increase hunting success and convenience.
> * The ecological and monetary costs of this program will be born by all
> Alaskans, while any benefits are reserved for hunters alone.
> * The recent National Academy of Sciences review of Alaska's predator
> management policies recommends a cost-benefit analysis for any wolf
> control program that would include "consideration of the different ways in
> which people value Alaska's wildlife." No such analysis has been done.
>
> Please call, fax, or e-mail the governor today, even if you have already
> done so. Ask him to make the right decision. ADF&G is ready to begin
> sterilizing Alaska's wild wolves as soon as it receives a green light from
> the governor! WOLVES NEED THEIR 'NADS!!!
>
> Reach the governor at:
>
> PHONE:907-465-3500 (Governor's Office)
> 907-465-3982 (Governor's Public Opinion Line - Record Message)
> FAX:907-465-3532
> E-MAIL:governor@state.ak.us
>
> If you would also like to contact the advocates for this plan at ADF&G,
> contact Commissioner Frank Rue at:
>
> PHONE:907-465-4190
> FAX:907-465-6142
> E-MAIL:frankr@fishgame.state.ak.us
>
> THANK YOU!
>
> The Alaska Wildlife Alliance
> PO Box 202022
> Anchorage, AK 99520
> (907) 277-0897
> awa@akcache.com
> For more information, or to join the Alliance, please write, call, or
> e-mail us for more information. Thank you.
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 14:58:26 -0800
From: Jackie Dove
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Dawn Ratcliffe Interview
Message-ID: <3468E309.70C1@slip.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hello all,
I conducted a short interview with Dawn Ratcliffe on Saturday Nov. 8 as
part of the Web site for San Francisco Liberation Radio,
http://www.slip.net/~dove and my animal rights program, Unheard Cries.
We only had 10 minutes to talk, but I think it gives a good update of
her current situation. Thank you, Dawn.
------------------------------------------------
My conversation with Dawn Ratcliffe
Saturday, November 8, 1997
11:00 AM
At my request, and after an exchange of letters, Dawn Ratcliffe
telephoned me from the Schuylkill Country Prison in Pottsville,
Pennsylvania, where she is serving a 45-day sentence for protesting the
1996 Hegins Pigeon Shoot. She sounded very strong and in good spirits
despite her ordeal. We had a 10-minute conversation with frequent
recorded interruptions saying, "You are talking to an inmate from a
correctional facility." After 10 minutes, the call was automatically
terminated.
Here is a transcript of this conversation:
Thanks for calling. It's wonderful to hear your voice.
"I'm really glad you asked me to call in. It's so hard to get in touch
with the media. When you call them, and you get an answering machine,
that's it."
When will you be released from jail?
"I will be serving the entire sentence. It looks like I'll be out on
Nov. 15th or 16th."
What are your plans after your release?
I'm going back to work. I work at the recycling center in Charlotte,
N.C. I'll be going back to work Nov. 23. By December, I'll be able to
eat normally.
How is your health? How are you feeling?
I feel real good. I went off the hunger strike on day 29. Right now I'm
on a low-fat diet. I can't eat solids yet. Just oatmeal, liquids, things
like that. At first they were bringing in apples, but you can't digest
that after not eating for that long. The nuts and seeds will be the last
thing I'll introduce back into my diet.
I hear yours was one of the longest hunger strikes for animal rights.
Yes, one of the longest. Tony Wong went without food for 30 Days and
Barry Horne in England went without food for 5 weeks. After that, it is
hard to keep up with your long-term health. One hunger striker went
blind after 45 days without food. My health was OK even though my blood
pressure was low. It took three days to start eating vegan food.
What do you feel you've accomplished by this action?
The bill (to ban pigeon shoots) is now up for vote in Pennsylvania. I'm
not surprised that they didn't pass it yet, but many want to pass it. We
gained a lot of legislators who were in-between on the issue. We also
got a lot of people to join the animal rights movement and to go vegan.
We got a two-page feature in the local newspaper which put our position
out there. The most important thing is that this got the word out.
What are your activist plans after you get out of prison?
North Carolina now has a pigeon shoot and I'm going to focus on that.
I'll also be involved in the anti-fur campaign around Thanksgiving,
anti-vivisection actions and Earth Day. At one Earth Day, I got arrested
for passing out literature on veganism, so now we are working it out
with the Health Department to have information on veganism. In
Charlotte, Earth Day is controlled by the government and the
corporations because they see it as a way to make money. They have
contracts with hot dog vendors and folks like that.
How are you being treated by the prison staff?
They are very sympathetic. The guards are very sympathetic. I am
fighting the injustice of the system, not the guards in the jail. The
only problem I had was with the prison psychiatrist. He tried to say
that I was psychotic, delusional and having hallucinations in order to
institutionalize and force-feed me, but he lost. It was a political
thing for him. But that was the only problem I had in jail.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jackie Dove
Black Cat Creative
http://www.slip.net/~dove
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 16:35:00 -0800
From: Jill Hein
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: FW: IMPORTANT CORRECTION/wolves/alaska
Message-ID:
<5F68209F7E4BD111A5F500805FFE35B9081B72@red-msg-54.dns.microsoft.com>
> Our recent e-mail alert regarding The 40-mile Wolf Control Decision
> contained an incorrect e-mail address for Governor Tony Knowles in Juneau.
>
> WRONG:Governor@state.ak.us
>
> RIGHT:Governor@gov.state.ak.us
>
> Thanks for your immediate attention!!
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 16:35:40 PST
From: "Arc News"
To: arcnews@hotmail.com
Subject: (UK) Save the Hillgrove Cats Campaign
Message-ID: <19971112003543.13461.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
Save the Hillgrove Cats Campaign
Hidden at the back in windowless sheds of a farm in Witney, Oxfordshire,
(England), 1000 cats and kittens are bred until they are sent to
vivisection laboratories where they will be used in painful and horrific
experiments.
A campaign was set up some months ago to close this vile place down.
This weekend (Sunday 16th Nov) the next in a series of planned national
demonstrations is taking place, please try and attend if you can.
National demonstration
Sunday 16th Nov. Start 12 noon;
Followed by social event - Bands/DJ
Hillgrove Farm, Dry Lane, B4047 Witney/Burford Rd, Oxfordshire. England
More details from
http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/arc/campaigns/hillgrove.html
Save the Hillgrove Cats
Box CB, 111 Magdalen Road, Oxford. England
+44 (0) 121 632 6460
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 20:38:19 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Babies poisoned by whale meat
Message-ID: <346932BB.5BB4@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Babies of women who ate whale meat suffer mercury poisoning
Reuters
WASHINGTON (November 11, 1997 00:23 a.m. EST)
Women who ate seafood and in particular whale meat from the North
Atlantic may have had babies poisoned by mercury, U.S. government health
officials said on Monday.
They said tests on more than 900 7-year-olds born to women from the
Faroe Islands showed a clear relationship between neurological damage
and exposure to mercury during pregnancy.
The study confirms that mercury can build up in the fish and animals
that swim in polluted waters and can affect people who eat these
creatures.
"Impacts on several measures of children's attention spans, memory,
language and other brain functions were associated with the
methylmercury exposure," the National Institutes of Health, which
supported the study, said in a statement.
Dr. Pal Weihe, medical director of Faroes Hospitals, and colleagues
interviewed women who gave birth in 1986 and 1987 in the Faroes, islands
that lie north of Scotland and which belong to Denmark.
People there often eat the meat from pilot whales and are known to be
exposed to mercury in this way.
The officials took hair samples and blood from umbilical cords of the
babies to see if there were mercury levels in their blood. They then
followed up on the children.
"The brain is extremely susceptible to toxic chemicals during fetal
development, but we waited until the children were 7 years old so that
we could examine the effects in sufficient detail," Philippe Grandjean
of Odense University in Denmark said in a statement.
Each child underwent five hours of detailed examinations.
"Most of the results remained within normal ranges, but any
developmental delay in young school children may be a concern," said
Roberta White of Boston University, who worked on the study. She said
mercury exposure in the womb can affect several areas of brain function.
The researchers, who are also supported by the European Commission, were
reporting their findings in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
"Although most European and American diets do not include whale meat,
the study is relevant to general concerns about mercury pollution,"
Grandjean said.
"The study from the Faroe Islands suggests that increased vigilance is
needed regarding pollution with this neurotoxicant."
The NIH team is conducting a similar study in the Seychelles Islands.
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