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AR-NEWS Digest 589
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) (FR) French Butchers Protect Their Image
by allen schubert
2) (US) The Making Of The Presidential Turkey, 1997
by allen schubert
3) Leghold traps: EU reaction to U.S. proposals
by Andrew Gach
4) clinton pardons turkeys
by NOVENAANN@aol.com
5) Article-Animal Rights:Teaching or Deceiving Kids
by NOVENAANN@aol.com
6) EU say U.S. fur proposals do not go far enough
by NOVENAANN@aol.com
7) Please help us Protect the Black Bears of TN!!
by Michael Nunnally
8) (CN) Scientists working to preserve rare monkey
by jwed
9) (US) It Only Stinks for a Little While
by allen schubert
10) (US) Bounce From Truck Saves Turkey
by allen schubert
11) (US) Potbellied Pig Saved By Heimlich
by allen schubert
12) (US) Fur industry says it's back
by allen schubert
13) (US) Hold the turkey: Vegetarians and Thanksgiving
by allen schubert
14) (AU) McDonald's fined for burger with bolt
by Vadivu Govind
15) [CA] Duck gets a lift
by David J Knowles
16) NJ- $66 million Science" Park" plans boost Newark
by LGrayson
17) Gene Tech Fables and Chemical Facts (Soy)
by bunny
18) Seeds of discontent
by bunny
19) RODENT EXPLOSION - CHINA (BEIJING)
by bunny
20) Call to Action: US California
by "Paul Wiener"
21) (US) Vandals damage signs, buildings at Sea World
by CircusInfo@aol.com
22) EU SAY U.S. FUR PROPOSALS AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH
by Vegetarian Resource Center
23) [NZ]Continuing cruelty to rabbits in NZ
by bunny
24) (HK) Chief Executive's Wife buys fur in Vancouver
by jwed
25) Heimlich maneuver saves potbellied pig
by Andrew Gach
26) (FR) France Allows Production of Trans-Genetic Corn
by allen schubert
27) EU To Halt American Fur Imports
by allen schubert
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 23:58:40 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (FR) French Butchers Protect Their Image
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971126235837.006cc310@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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from AP http://wire.ap.org/
---------------------------------------
11/26/1997 18:59 EST
French Butchers Protect Their Image
PARIS (AP) -- People who cut meat for a living in France say they're
getting a raw deal from journalists who insist on describing killers as
``butchers.'' So they've got a request:
Stop bloodying our image.
The butcher ``has nothing to do with executioners or torturers,'' the
French Confederation of Butchers, Pork Butchers and Caterers says.
They outlined their biggest beefs in a statement Tuesday titled ``From
Algiers to Luxor'' -- a reference to recent massacres in Algeria and
Egypt in which the killers used knives to do away with some of their
victims.
The butchers conceded that the word ``butcher'' has figurative flair. But
they questioned the appropriateness of an image that ``systematically
wounds an innocent profession'' with a ``welcoming image and nourishing
function.''
The butchers suggest journalists ``who run out of words'' try adjectives
such as ``cruel'' or ``barbaric,'' ``ferocious'' or ``savage'' to
describe people who misuse the tools of their trade.
For ``butchery,'' the group suggested words like ``carnage,''
``killings'' or ``massacre.''
``The butcher distributes meat that people share with wine and bread,''
the confederation noted. ``His role evokes peace and brotherhood.''
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 00:32:59 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) The Making Of The Presidential Turkey, 1997
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19971127003259.00696eb4@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
posted for Dawn
---------------------------------------------
The Making Of The Presidential Turkey, 1997
By Alain L. Sanders/TIME
WASHINGTON (Nov. 25) -- Ever since 1947, the National Turkey
Federation has presented a turkey every year to the President of the
United States to mark the Thanksgiving season. The Golden Anniversary
presentation this year will be made by NTF Chairman Sonny Faison.
Tradition dictates that the chairman oversee the raising of a turkey
from his home state, and so this week, a North Carolina tom will
become the 1997 National Thanksgiving Turkey. The tale behind the bird:
APRIL: Top-of-the-line breeder-stock turkey hens lay eggs at the Tar
Heel Turkey Hatchery in Raeford, North Carolina, and the eggs are
placed in incubators. The future national turkey will emerge from here
and hail from the nation's largest turkey producing state.
MAY: The eggs begin to hatch and turkey poults weighing approximately
2.2 ounces emerge from the shells. The flock will eventually number
2000 birds.
SEPTEMBER 4: At 16 weeks the first fateful decision is made. Ten
candidates are selected from the flock--all toms (or males) because
they're bigger. The criteria: Size, feathers, posture, and
temperament. The last
measure is not insignificant. In 1984, a flustered national turkey
flapped its wings in President Reagan's face and leaped off the
presentation table in the Rose Garden.
OCTOBER 16: At 22 weeks, the field of contenders is further narrowed.
Four birds make it through this crucial Presidential primary.
NOVEMBER 20: The 1997 National Thanksgiving Turkey is chosen. "He
stands tall and has good color," says Sonny Faison, noting the very
white feathers of this year's bird. By presentation day, the winner will
weigh more than 60 pounds. A runner-up is also selected -- to serve in
waiting like a good veep. (You never know what might happen to number
1.)
NOVEMBER 25: The national turkey and the runner-up are flown to the
nation's capital on Faison's personal jet and whisked by van to the
Hotel Washington on Pennsylvania Avenue, where all top
turkeys have stayed for the last 30 years. The hotel gives the birds a
VIP welcome and ushers them
up to their luxury rooftop accomodations. "We treat all of our guests
with the same outstanding service, whether they be presidents,
ambassadors or turkeys," says J. Troy Cardwell, director of sales and
marketing. Dining on the best grain available, the turkeys spend the
night next to the hotel's summer
kitchen, overlooking a spectacular view of the White House.
NOVEMBER 26: The Big Day. The two birds are driven to the White House.
The National Thanksgiving Turkey is escorted into the Rose Garden for
the Presidential ceremony. (The runner-up remains in the
van. "We tell him not to play the radio," says NTF spokesperson Julie
DeYoung). At around 11: 00 A.M., Faison presents the national turkey
to the President, with the help of official turkey handler Joel
Coleman. The President, who has pardoned 53 humans during his time in
the Oval Office, is then expected to grant clemency to the National
Thanksgiving Turkey. Last year's executive order: "I am going to keep
at least
one turkey off the Thanksgiving dinner table by giving a pardon to a
turkey from Ohio."
EPILOGUE: Afterwards, both turkeys are taken to the Kidwell Farm at
Frying Pan Park in Fairfax County, Va., a working 1930s model farms,
and the retirement home for all recent Presidential turkeys and their
understudies. The national turkey will hold a scheduled news
conference, conducted for the benefit of young children visitors.
Then the two birds will be introduced to their new home, a red barn
shed with surrounding pen, where they will share quarters and two
meals a day, and gobble up their fame with last year's birds (the only
ones still living).
===
To make fur coats, animals are electrocuted, gassed, or have their
necks broken in captivity, or are trapped, drowned, or bludgeoned to
death in the wild.
DawnMarie@rocketmail.com
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 21:46:19 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Leghold traps: EU reaction to U.S. proposals
Message-ID: <347D092B.2990@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
EU say U.S. fur proposals aren't good enough
Reuters - BRUSSELS (November 26, 1997 9:06 p.m. EST)
New U.S. proposals do not go far enough to end a quarrel with the
European Union over the trapping of fur animals or to avert a threatened
EU ban on American fur imports, an EU official said on Wednesday.
In its latest proposal, the United States said it was prepared to phase
out steel-jawed leghold traps within eight years, the first time the
Americans had offered a cut-off date for use of the traps, EU sources
said.
But while progress had been made in the talks, eight years was too long
and negotiations would continue, an EU official said.
U.S. officials confirmed that a new proposal was sent to the EU on
Wednesday. A U.S. spokesman could not be reached for comment on the EU
reaction to the offer.
A European Union ban on American fur imports is set to take effect on
December 1 unless agreement can be reached before then, raising the risk
of a trade war.
The European Union is seeking to outlaw the use of steel leghold traps
in the killing of fur-bearing animals such as mink, otters and wolves.
Russia and Canada have already agreed to phase out some of the traps by
2000.
Critics of the traps say they do not kill the animals outright but often
break their legs and imprison them until they drown, starve or bleed to
death.
Washington says the EU's demands would jeopardise the livelihood of
trappers.
European Commission officials made a short report on the latest U.S.
proposals to EU ambassadors on Wednesday and the ambassadors asked the
Commission to continue negotiating, the EU official said.
The issue could be a sensitive one at an EU-U.S. summit to be held in
Washington on December 5.
U.S. fur exports to Europe are worth about $20 million a year.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 03:12:54 -0500 (EST)
From: NOVENAANN@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: clinton pardons turkeys
Message-ID: <971127031253_1672249353@mrin40.mail.aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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The Associated Press
W A S H I N G T O N, Nov. 26 ùWillis and Wayne are two North Carolina
turkeys whose fates are far sunnier than most of their colleagues this
week. President Clinton pardons turkey in a ceremony that was the 50th
annual National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. (AP Photo)
áááá In a Rose Garden ceremony today, Duplin County hog and turkey
producer Sonny Faison presented Willis to President Clinton. The bird
received a presidential pardon and will retire to a Virginia farm for
the rest of his days.
áááá Wayne, his trip companion and brother, played backup in case
something happened to Willis. He got the pardon, too, but was kept in a
van outside the White House, safe from crazed turkey assassins.
An Old Tradition
TodayÆs ceremony was the 50th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey
presentation, a tradition that started during Harry TrumanÆs days in the
White House.
áááá Two dressed turkeys will also be given to the president, but
theyÆll be deposited at the White House kitchen to avoid riling animal
rights activists, said Julie DeYoung of the National Turkey Federation.
áááá Willis and Wayne, named for Tarheel Turkey Hatchery overseer Wayne
Willis, are top-of-the-line breeding toms of the bald-breasted Nicholas
breed. They hatched this spring at the Raeford operation.
áááá As chairman of the federation this year, Faison has the honor of
having the national turkey chosen from his state.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 03:41:54 -0500 (EST)
From: NOVENAANN@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Article-Animal Rights:Teaching or Deceiving Kids
Message-ID: <971127034154_1306354189@mrin86.mail.aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=unknown-8bit
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
>From http://www.junkscience.com/news/animal.html
Animal Rights:Teaching or Deceiving Kids
by Deborah Runkle and Ellen Granger
Science 1997;277:1419 (september 5, 1997)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students in grades kindergarten through 12 are a prime target for animal
rights advocates, and the research community needs to counter their
misinformation with good information. Representatives of a prominent
animal rights group, one dressed as a fish, passed out anti-fishing
leaflets that said "eating fish isn't good for you" at a Florida
elementary school,* one example of how these groups deliberately confuse
popular issues of healthy eating habits and environmental concerns with
an animal rights message. They attract older students by recruiting rock
musicians and movie stars to plead their case. Animal rights literature
flooding middle and high schools exploits teenagers' growing social
awareness and concern for the helpless, a concern that is usually not
tempered with knowledge of the part that animals play in improving human
health, or personal experience with disease and death. And teachers of
subjects other than science often play a role too by, for example,
promoting the animal rights agenda during a discussion of civil rights
or an exercise in letter-writing.
Egregious examples of articles with a strong animal rights bias have
recently appeared in magazines with a young audience. For example, the
March 1997 issue of Muse, a children's publication affiliated with the
Smithsonian, had a pathetic-looking cow on its cover, with the headline
"Please Don't Eat Me!" A long feature clearly conveyed the message that
kids who are vegetarians are more thoughtful, sensitive, and moral than
their peers. The article failed to make any positive mention of the use
of animals in biomedical research. Among the suggested readings is Mrs.
Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, a story with a strong animal rights
message. There is no mention of positive animal research resources, like
those available from the Foundation for Biomedical Research. Although
the publisher of Smithsonian admitted that the piece was imbalanced, the
children had already been propagandized.
In the February 1997 Scientific American, a forum on "The Benefits and
Ethics of Animal Research" consisted of an introduction, articles for
and against using animals in research, and an overview. The overview
clearly equated moral progress on the part of the research community
with movement toward the animal rights position. The views of leading
mainstream organizations and individuals in the biomedical research
community were presented as "propaganda" on a par with the animal rights
literature that advocates total abolition of animal use by medical
scientists. This way of thinking ignores the fact that many scientific
societies, including AAAS, have passed resolutions strongly supporting
responsible use of animals by scientists and science educators.
Professional societies and research universities have begun focusing
increased attention on K-12 science education. They hope to foster an
appreciation for science as a creative enterprise that promotes human
welfare, thereby encouraging scientific careers for some students and
increasing appreciation of science among all students. Examples include
AAAS's Project 2061, a long-term initiative to reform K-12 science
education; educational programs of the Society for Neuroscience; the
University of Texas Health Science Center's Texas Math & Science
Hotline; and a science high school created by New York University School
of Medicine and the New York City public schools.
In a project directly targeted at the animal rights movement, called
Science for Life, Florida State University provided middle and high
school science teachers with information and exercises that (1)
increased knowledge about the role of basic research in continuing
medical progress, (2) examined the role of animals in research and the
guidelines for their use, and (3) taught critical thinking, particularly
about animal rights literature. Follow-up studies demonstrated a
significant and positive shift in attitudes toward use of animals in
research among students. Although the results need to be duplicated in
other states, they indicate that direct educational interventions can
increase science literacy and build positive images about science in
general, and basic research in particular.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Runkle is with the Directorate for Science and Policy Programs,
American Association for the Advancement of Science; Ellen Granger is
with the Department of Biological Science, Florida State University.áá
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 03:55:37 -0500 (EST)
From: NOVENAANN@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: EU say U.S. fur proposals do not go far enough
Message-ID: <971127035536_508844685@mrin58.mail.aol.com>
EU say U.S. fur proposals do not go far enough
08:59 p.m Nov 26, 1997 Eastern
BRUSSELS, Nov 26 (Reuters) - New U.S. proposals do not go far enough to
end a dispute with the European Union over the trapping of fur animals
or to avert a threatened EU ban on American fur imports, an EU official
said on Wednesday.
In its latest proposal, the United States said it was prepared to phase
out steel-jawed leghold traps within eight years, the first time the
Americans had offered a cut-off date for use of the traps, EU sources
said.
But while progress had been made in the talks, eight years was too long
and negotiations would continue, an EU official said.
U.S. officials confirmed that a new proposal was sent to the EU on
Wednesday. A U.S. spokesman could not be reached for comment on the EU
reaction to the offer.
A European Union ban on American fur imports is set to take effect on
December 1 unless agreement can be reached before then, raising the risk
of a trade war.
The European Union is seeking to outlaw the use of steel leghold traps
in the killing of fur-bearing animals such as mink, otters and wolves.
Russia and Canada have already agreed to phase out some of the traps by
2000.
Critics of the traps say they do not kill the animals outright but often
break their legs and imprison them until they drown, starve or bleed to
death.
Washington says the EU's demands would jeopardise the livelihood of
trappers.
European Commission officials made a short report on the latest U.S.
proposals to EU ambassadors on Wednesday and the ambassadors asked the
Commission to continue negotiating, the EU official said.
The issue could be a sensitive one at an EU-U.S. summit to be held in
Washington on December 5.
U.S. fur exports to Europe are worth about $20 million a year. REUTERS
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 06:45:31 -0600
From: Michael Nunnally
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Please help us Protect the Black Bears of TN!!
Message-ID: <347D6B6B.3B7B@Mindspring.Com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Dear Sir or Madam,
We need your help. I am on a campaign with other families to bring to
the attention to the public the travesty that took place in a tri-county
area in TN. Approx. 1/3 of that areas population was killed in the
first leg of the annual hunt. There is another hunt scheduled for Early
December. We are running out of time...pleaase help. The TWRA
(Tennessee Wildlifee Resource Agency) claims that it is too late to stop
the hunt scheduled. Of the bears that were killed, 143 were female even
today no one is quite sure what the long term results of the hunt will
be. Still orphaned cubs are being found and in some cases showing
eveidence of being attacked by hunting dogs. I have contacted the major
News agencies, indian tribes everyone possible to help. I ask for your
assistance. This initiatve is on the net....please visit my user forum
for more details. http://www.photo-ops.com/forumboard/forumboard.html
and http://www.chahta.com/bears.html these sites will give you the
latest information. This is real...there are millions of tourist
dollars involved and they would love to brush the under the rug.
Please contact: Laura Turner # 615-790-7665
Alex and Doris Kruk #423-430-8902
Dr. John Hadidian--wildlife biologist #301-258-3144
- Jayne Vaughn, president of Tennessee Humane Association
- Phil Snyder, regional director of Humane Society of the US
- Don Elroy, Don Elroy director of TN Network for Animals
- Vicky Crosetti, execcutive director Humane Society of TN Valley
- Grace Thompson, vice president Animal Protection Association
- Elliot Katz, president in defense of Animals
- Also contact Gov. Sunquist state of TN (615)741-2001
Please anything you can do or anything you can suggest will be breatly
appreciated.
Thanks for Listening,
Michael Nunnally
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 21:53:17 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (CN) Scientists working to preserve rare monkey
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971127215317.007bfcb0@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Date: 11/27/97 Author: Xiao Hong Copyright⌐ by China Daily
THE Kunming Animal Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences
is endeavouring to create a haven of safety for the golden monkey.
Since the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys were found in 1987, the institute has
been undertaking measures to protect them, including environmental
protection, cage feeding and molecular biology genetics research, said Ji
Weizhi, director of the institute.
After nearly a decade of surveys and studies, the distribution of the
Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys and their environment is now well known. As a
result, the country has been able to establish nature reserves for the
monkeys in Deqin and Weixi counties in Yunnan Province.
Since 1994, the number of golden monkeys in the institute has grown from
four to 17. Living in cages, they are in good condition. It spends 50,000
yuan ($6,000) a year on their care.
There are three kinds of golden, or snub-nosed, monkeys in China -- 1,400
black-and-white Yunnan monkeys, 8,000 yellow-and-golden Sichuan monkeys and
600 grey Guizhou monkeys.
Most golden monkeys in the world live in China, where they have first-grade
State protection.
"Effective measures should be taken to protect the living environment of
the golden monkeys," Ji said.
The institute is also planning to clone the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey within
three to five years. It will use up-to-date methods to study the genetic
diversity of the snub-nosed monkey based on molecular biology.
"We will try to clone the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey in order to maintain the
breed's strength," Ji said.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 08:57:36 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) It Only Stinks for a Little While
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127085733.006bb658@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
factory farms (hogs)
from AP http://wire.ap.org/
------------------------------------
11/27/1997 02:42 EST
It Only Stinks for a Little While
By ROGER MUNNS
Associated Press Writer
WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) -- It doesn't get any smellier than this on Jerry
Burger's hog farm.
Normally, a blanket of straw over his million-gallon manure basin
conceals the odor. But the crops are harvested now and it's time to pump
some hog waste.
Big fire hoses carry the glop known as slurry to tractor-mounted blades
in surrounding fields. The rig injects the manure 4 to 8 inches beneath
the surface.
``It costs a little more, but you don't lose the goodie,'' Burger said.
Also, it doesn't smell when it's injected. It doesn't get on your boots.
And it won't pollute creeks with run-off.
But with the transfer going on , the odor downwind from the basin is
sharp.
``This lasts 24 hours, the smell you got now,'' he said. ``My neighbors
don't smell a thing rest of the year. We live closer than anybody to
this, and we don't smell anything, either.
``We're 400 feet to the west, and we hold graduation receptions in our
back yard. People say, `Yeah, sure.' But it's true,'' he said.
Burger sells about 16,500 hogs a year from an expanding operation. He
says he doesn't understand why people should complain about its size.
``Why is it OK for the row-crop guy to get larger and larger to get the
economies of scale, like every other industry does, but not the livestock
guy?'' he said.
Opponents of big hog operations said their case would weaken if all of
the farms were like Burger's.
``This person sounds like a responsible operator,'' said Louis Fallesen,
of Gilmore City, who argues passionately about the ``corporate mindset''
that is insensitive to neighbors and causes pollution.
``That would certainly help, if other operators were like him,'' Fallesen
said.
But Jeff Schnell, spokesman for the Iowa Pork Producers Association, said
it would be a mistake to require all operators to inject manure and
prevent lagoon odor like Burger does.
Injection ``doesn't work well with low-tillage (plowing) methods, and if
you inject in some areas, you can violate your conservation plan because
you tear up too much soil,'' he said. Injection is also more
time-consuming and expensive.
Covering lagoons with straw virtually ends odor, Schnell said, but again,
it takes special equipment and it's expensive -- as much as $1,000 a
year.
Burger said his operation is a lot more environmentally friendly than
when his grandfather began raising hogs in 1919.
``People think we throw the stuff on the soil, willy nilly, just to get
rid of it. That's not true,'' he said.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:00:12 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Bounce From Truck Saves Turkey
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127090010.00721d20@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP http://wire.ap.org/
---------------------------------------
11/27/1997 08:02 EST
Bounce From Truck Saves Turkey
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A well-timed bounce sent Fortuna the turkey from
the slaughter truck to a bird's paradise.
Instead of a dinner table, the trip down U.S. 63 bounced Fortuna out of
the truck and onto the side of the road. A kindly traveler saw him,
picked him up and called the Central Missouri Humane Society.
Jim Johnson, who runs a foster program for strays and is on the society's
board, took the bird home and gave him a name befitting his luck. He and
his wife, Glenna, gave Fortuna the run of five acres, and have developed
quite a fondness for the bird.
``Maybe it is because they are not real bright, but they are real gentle
creatures,'' Johnson said.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:02:25 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Potbellied Pig Saved By Heimlich
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127090222.006c8958@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP http://wire.ap.org/
-------------------------------------
11/27/1997 07:58 EST
Potbellied Pig Saved By Heimlich
KELSO, Wash. (AP) -- A passed-out potbellied pig was saved from hog
heaven by a 911 dispatcher who talked the animal's owner through the
Heimlich maneuver.
The pig's owner called 911 in a panic Monday.
``My pig! She's choked, and she's passed out,'' said the woman, her
trembling voice recorded by the county dispatch service. Her name was not
released.
Dispatcher Tracy Mosier relied on emergency cards used in human choking
emergencies to talk the woman through the Heimlich maneuver.
Lift the unconscious pig to its feet, put your arms around its middle and
squeeze, she instructed the distraught woman.
The pig came to with two belches.
The county's 911 director, Cindy Barnd, said operators have helped talk
other pet owners through ``mouth-to-snout'' resuscitation of a Chihuahua
and the Heimlich maneuver on a puppy.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:19:33 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Fur industry says it's back
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127091930.006ca474@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Time to get psyched for FFF! (BTW, some interesting stats, including why
some people become veg.)
from www.bergen.com via NewsWorks http://www.newsworks.com/
-----------------------------------------
Fur industry says it's back
Sunday, November 23, 1997
By DEENA YELLIN
Staff Writer
After years of declining sales and adverse publicity, furriers are beaming
again. This year will be the best season in more than a decade, they say,
pointing to the improved economy, the plethora of designers featuring fur
in their collections, and the enthusiastic coverage of those collections in
fashion magazines.
With Cuban cigars, big steaks, and extra-large vehicles in style, the furry
stuff is back, too.
But not everyone is buying it. Animal-rights activists say most Americans
refuse to don fur and that all the hype this season is a result of the fur
industry's public relations tactics rather than any change in consumers'
attitudes toward fur.
Over the past decade, people have become more sensitive toward animals, and
wearing fur, once a symbol of prosperity and social class, has become as
politically incorrect as cracking an ethnic joke, they say.
That attitude affected fur sales. The fur industry lost millions in revenue
during the Eighties. In the late 1980s, Chicago-based Evans, the largest
furrier in the country, posted large losses and had to slash inventory and
close stores. Other furriers went out of business, including many in North
Jersey.
But times have changed, and the fur is flying again, says Stephanie Kenyon,
spokeswoman for the Fur Information Council of America, based in
Washington, D.C. Business "has been on the upswing a few years now and
sales have been steadily climbing," she says, adding that fur sales have
increased 15 percent in the past two years.
Retail fur sales in America have grown from $1.1 billion in 1994 to $1.25
billion in 1996, according to industry figures.
And, although only 42 designers were working with fur in 1985, more than
160 are now producing fur designs, Kenyon adds. Fur is not just for coats
anymore, but for bags, sweaters, dresses, scarves, and even trim on shoes.
Fur is a must-have for this season, says Alice Ryan, public relations
director for Oscar de la Renta, who has created numerous fur designs over
the years and for this season. "It's an essential element for fall. It
creates texture and definition as well as giving a strong look," she says.
At least some customers are buying up.
Maximilian, the fur salon at Bloomingdales, has seen consistent growth
since 1990, says Leslie Freund, marketing director for Maximilian. "We have
had a 61 percent increase in business in the month of October of 1997
compared with October of 1996. And that is early in the season, so it's a
very positive signal for us of what's to come in the next few months," she
says.
Neiman Marcus in Paramus also has a growing fur business, says Diane
Porter, public relations manager. But she refused to give sales figures.
"The fashion designers recently started using fur trim and fur in all their
collections, and fur has been in style for the past few seasons, so women
have been getting used to wearing it again," says Porter. "It's on the
ready-to-wear and all the couture pieces. It's a big fashion trend now."
As a result of the renewed interest in fur, Macy's expanded their fur
departments. "Last year, we added fur salons to 15 stores because so many
customers wanted them," said Ronnie Taffet, vice president of public
relations at Macy's. However, she would not give sales figures.
It may be for good reason that some stores refuse to provide figures on
their fur sales: Despite all the talk about fur's comeback, revenues are
nowhere near where they were in fur's heyday.
In 1987, fur sales reached a high of $2.3 billion and then began a free
fall to $1 billion in 1991. Since then, sales have been rising slowly.
"You still see a decrease in fur sales, and rarely do you see people
wearing fur on the streets," says Jenny Woods, spokeswoman for the People
for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Norfolk, Va.
The anti-fur movement has everything to do with the fur industry's
shrinking profits, she says.
With ads of naked supermodels condemning fur and images of helpless animals
caught in traps, the fur industry has been under fierce attack by the
animal-rights movement since the late 1980s. That has caused such
irreparable damage to the fur industry, it will never recover, Woods said.
"Most people today would refuse to wear a fur," she says. "Fashion is
supposed to be fun. There's nothing fun about killing animals."
Leslie Friedman, owner of Bon Ton Fur Shop in Ridgewood, which has been in
business since 1925, has seen a lot of his competition come and go over the
past decade.
In Bergen County alone, he counts Fred the Furrier, Meyerowitz Furs, Abrams
Furs, Knauer Furs, and Alexis Furs among the casualties when the fur
industry was suffering mightily in the late 1980s. "The whole industry went
down," he recalls. "The economy was bad, the winters were too warm, and of
course, the animal activists came along so it wasn't easy."
Bon Ton remained, he says, because most of its business consists of not
selling furs but remodeling, repairing, storing, and cleaning them. "We do
very little business with selling new furs," he says.
Some designers refuse to work with fur, among them Todd Oldham. The
Manhattan designer says, "I have never felt that murdering animals for
reasons of vanity was a good idea. There are many beautiful synthetic
options available at all prices." Although publicity for fur clothes is
ever-present these days, "I do hope that a lack of compassion and respect
for life will not be treated as a trend," he says pointedly.
A survey in November 1995 by International Communications Research group in
Media, Pa., suggests it has yet to become a serious trend. The survey found
that 59 percent of those interviewed believe it is wrong under any
circumstance to kill an animal for fur, a gain of 15 percent over a similar
poll conducted in 1989. The survey also showed that 67 percent of the
interviewees thought an animal's right to live free of suffering should be
just as important as a person's right to live free of suffering.
Fur industry insiders deny that the animal-rights movement had anything to
do with the decline in fur sales, but instead blame the recession, weather,
and changing fashion trends. In the 1990s, the grunge look and recycling
were in, they note.
"You have to look at what was happening economically at the time when the
fur industry had the decline," says Freund. "That was when the stock market
took a dive. All high-end products suffered. The anti-fur movement had
minimal impact."
Steve Greene, public relations director of the National Trappers
Association in Bloomington, Ill., says, "We've gone up and down like any
industry. In the Eighties, the whole world seemed to go into a major
recession, so we suffered, since we are a luxury product. We also had
several warm winters in a row, which is a problem for our industry."
As for the animal-rights activists, he says, "Their hype has been rejected
by a majority of the people. In most of the world, it had no impact. It had
more to do with weather, fashion, and the economy."
Andrea Mither, associate editor of Vegetarian Times magazine, disagrees.
"There's been a change in attitudes toward animals in the past decade.
People seem to be more tuned into animal issues than before." A poll showed
that nearly 22 percent of Vegetarian Times subscribers and 15 percent of
those in the general population have become vegetarian out of concern for
animal welfare, she says.
Mither is skeptical about the fur industry's statistics on sales, pointing
out that most of the clothing shown on the runway does not show up on the
street. "The average two-income family in America can barely afford day
care, much less a $10,000 fur," she says. "Regular Americans are not buying
fur. The designers and the upper crust of society is."
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:31:30 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Hold the turkey: Vegetarians and Thanksgiving
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127093128.006ca8cc@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(ref to Farm Sanctuary)
from Naples Daily News http://www.naplesnews.com/today/neapolitan/vegan.htm
via Newsworks http://www.newsworks.com/
--------------------------------------------------------
Hold the turkey: Vegetarians and Thanksgiving
Monday, November 24, 1997
By JENISE G. MORGAN, Staff Writer
When Ronnie Poplock sits down to dinner with her family Thursday, she'll
give thanks for her turkey. Poplock's big bird, however, will be spared
from the roasting pan. As far as Poplock knows, the turkey, named Ahisma,
is alive and well and living on a farm in New York.
This is the third year Poplock, who eats no meat or animal products, has
"adopted" a turkey at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, N.Y. For $15,
Poplock received a framed color photo of Ahisma, a description of the
turkey, an adoption card, and a year's subscription to the animal farm's
magazine.
(story continues after update)
------------------------------------------------------------
FOR MORE INFORMATION: The Naples Vegetarian Club will meet Tuesday, Dec.
9 at 7 p.m. at SunSplash Market, 850 Neapolitan Way. The next gathering
of the Vegetarian Society of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers will be
Wednesday, Nov. 26, at Razzberries Natural Foods Restaurant, 2026
Clifford St., in Edison-Ford Plaza on McGregor Boulevard.
The pre-Thanksgiving dinner - for $12 - will feature a variety of holiday
favorites, including green beans almondine, butternut squash soup,
cornbread stuffing and sweet potato-pecan pie. Tofurky, a prepacked
dinner made with roasted tofu, also will be served. For reservations to
the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. seatings, call the restaurant at 334-8622.
-----------------------------------------------------------
(story continues)
On Thanksgiving Day, the photo of Ahisma will be placed in the center of
the Poplocks' dining room table. Last year, Poplock adopted a turkey
named Sunflower.
"We make a centerpiece out of it so it's kind of like a tribute to
turkeys on Thanksgiving," said Poplock, who moved to Naples from New York
three months ago. "It's their world, too."
Poplock, who has been a vegetarian for eight years, says she stopped
eating meat primarily for ethical reasons, citing a disgust of the
treatment of animals at slaughterhouses. She also is founder of an animal
protection group in upstate New York.
While talk about mistreatment of turkeys may seem a little heavy for
non-vegetarians to digest this week, Poplock and other area vegans
believe it's important to get their message out. Vegans are strict
vegetarians who consume no animal or dairy products.
Poplock is one of about 30 area residents who recently began meeting
monthly to swap recipes and thoughts about animal rights and health
issues.
The Naples Vegetarian Club, founded by Debbie Aldridge, meets every
second Tuesday at 7 p.m. at SunSplash Market, 850 Neapolitan Way.
Non-vegetarians are welcome to attend, Poplock said.
"It's so easy to find food that's vegetarian these days," Poplock said.
"There's no reason to eat animals."
Although there will be no meat on the Poplocks' dining table Thursday,
the family will not be deprived of a bountiful meal.
"We probably eat every other thing that people eat," Poplock said about
herself, her husband and her two adult sons. "We have a baked tofu and
lentil loaf instead of turkey. It has a lot of body and protein."
And there are all the trimmings.
"We have stuffing without animal products, without drippings from gravy,"
Poplock said. "We have sweet potato souffle you can make without eggs,
cranberries, vegan pumpkin pie." Mashed tofu or soy milk is used in the
pie.
For vegetarians who want a turkeylike dinner, there's a product called
Tofurky.
Tofurky is touted as a heat-and-serve vegetarian feast in a box. It
consists of prebaked, seasoned organic tofu, organic whole wheat
stuffing, tempeh "drummettes" and golden mushroom gravy.
At SunSplash, Tofurky is $25.59 a package and is supposed to serve four
people.
Last week, Everett Brocka, manager of Sunsplash's grocery department,
said he only had received one request for the frozen package.
However, one health food item that's likely to be popular is a new recipe
for an old favorite. It's tofu pumpkin pie spiced mix.
"You take tofu, honey, vanilla and pumpkin," Brocka said. "It tastes just
like pumpkin pie."
Carrie Packwood, founder of the Vegetarian Society of Southwest Florida,
will get to taste plenty of holiday dishes made with tofu next week. On
Wednesday night, she'll attend a Thanksgiving dinner at Razzberries
Natural Foods Restaurant in Fort Myers. On Thursday, she's invited to a
vegan potluck. On Friday, she'll cook a meatless holiday dinner for her
boyfriend and his parents.
Packwood, 25, says people shouldn't be turned off by tofu.
"By itself it's somewhat bland," she said. "It's something that
definitely needs spicing up. I don't sit down and grab a big chunk from
the refrigerator."
Like Poplock, Packwood uses tofu instead of ricotta to make lasagna. And
she uses it on pizza.
Other popular foods for vegetarians are pasta, rice and bean dishes.
Vegetarians scoff when they hear meat eaters say it's too expensive to
change their eating habits.
"A pasta dish is going to be cheaper than prime rib," said Packwood, who
maintains it's no longer difficult to find restaurants that offer
meatless meals. But she concedes that organic items found specifically at
health food stores tend to cost more.
"I'm willing to spend a little more," Packwood said. "It depends on how
healthy you want to be."
Packwood, who has been a vegetarian for four years, said giving up meat
was a gradual process that took her about eight months.
Naples resident Karin English said she gave up meat when she was 16.
"I haven't eaten turkey in about 20 years," said English, who considers
herself a lacto vegetarian because she still eats some dairy products.
On Thanksgiving Day, she usually cooks the meal because she doesn't eat
"everybody's cooking."
She doesn't want to run the risk of eating stuffing made with chicken
broth or green beans seasoned with hamhocks, she explained.
Her Thanksgiving lineup will be an array of favorite foods.
"I'm going to have walnut-pecan dressing, mashed potatoes with
marshmallows, asparagus with Welsh rarebit, cranberries, rolls, salad,
iced tea and that's it," she said.
English said she didn't give up meat because of animal-rights issues -
she did it purely for health reasons.
When people first give up meat, Packwood said, they're usually doing it
for health reasons but they become educated about everything related to
animals - from farm sanctuaries to slaughterhouses.
For the last three years, Packwood has been making donations to New
York's Farm Sanctuary, sort of a rescue center for turkeys, chickens,
ducks, pigs, cows, rabbits and other animals.
Three years ago, Packwood "adopted" a chicken from the farm. This year,
she chose a turkey named Cinnamon Bun for a 10-year-old cousin as a
Christmas gift. It will be the same deal Poplock received with her Ahisma
and Sunflower.
"He'll get a picture of Cinnamon Bun and a little profile of her,"
Packwood said about her cousin.
To Packwood, that's a simple gesture that anyone can do - vegetarian or
not.
"Instead of eating a turkey," she said, "they can feed one."
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 00:42:25 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (AU) McDonald's fined for burger with bolt
Message-ID: <199711271642.AAA01141@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
27 Nov 97
McDonald's in Australia fined for burger with bolt
MELBOURNE -- McDonald's Australia was fined A$2,000 (S$2,160) yesterday
after it sold a hamburger containing a 22 mm metal bolt.
It was the first time that the food chain, which pleaded guilty to one
count of selling adulterated food, had faced such a charge, Melbourne
magistrates heard.
Prosecutor Graeme Peake told the court that a woman customer complained
to Melbourne City Council after finding a bolt in a Sausage and Egg
McMuffin on June 11.
During a June 19 inspection of the premises and equipment, it was noted that
a bolt in the lid of the egg poacher was identical to the one found in
the burger, he said.
The store manager said he had replaced a missing bolt in the lid on
June 18, a week after it went missing.
"It appears that the bolt had fallen from the lid of the egg poacher
when it was being closed . . . into a raw egg," Mr Peake said.
A new poacher had since been designed and installed at all McDonald's
stores, the court heard.
The customer was not injured.
Mr Stephen Dewberry, for McDonald's Australia, said that the store concerned
had the fifth largest turnover of all Australian McDonald's stores.
He added that the company complied with the highest possible standards
in food preparation and threw out products if they were not sold within
10 minutes.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Patrick Street said that it was the first
blemish in a long record of serving the public good, healthy food. -- AFP.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:15:06
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Duck gets a lift
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971127091506.2bcfd86e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Just heard this on CFMI 101.1 news.
A duck turned up at the front door of the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Ressources in Toronto yesterday, and was noted to have a frozen wing.
The duck, who apparently was a little tardy in leaving for a warmer
climate, also had a take-off problem as most of the waterways in the area
are frozen over.
A local transportation company came to the rescue, and agreed to take the
duck on the 400 kilometre trip south in one of their trucks.
David
SAY NO TO APEC
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 12:22:32 -0500
From: LGrayson
To: ar-news
Subject: NJ- $66 million Science" Park" plans boost Newark
Message-ID: <347DAC58.4FC7@earthlink.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Newark's Science Park Takes Another Step Forward
By RACHELLE GARBARINE
[W] ITH $60 million in state financing and leases from
three tenants in place, plans are moving forward on
a 161,600-square-foot medical research building that
will anchor the second phase of development at the
50-acre University Heights Science Park in Newark's
Central Ward.
Half of the $66 million International Center for Public
Health, which is expected to be completed in two years,
will house the new headquarters of the Public Health
Research Institute, a private organization now based in
Manhattan that conducts research on infectious diseases.
It will also be home to the National Tuberculosis Center
and the department of microbiology and molecular
genetics, both part of the Medical School of the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
The university is one of the four institutions of higher
education in the city's core that 12 years ago began
discussing turning the ramshackle neighborhood in their
backyard into a university-related science park. The
others are Rutgers University, the New Jersey Institute
of Technology and Essex County Community College.
The three entities in the International Center for
Public Health track, treat and seek to prevent the
spread of infectious diseases, from tuberculosis to
AIDS. The existing two smaller buildings totaling 45,000
square feet, which were completed last fall, house
offices, the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials and
Medical Devices and incubator space for 17 start-up
technology companies. They alsoinclude a day-care center
for 100 children.
The newbuilding is to rise on three acres -- the site is
yet to be determined --within a 14-acre area bounded by
Lock, Warren and Norfolk Streets and Central Avenue that
will be acquired under the state financing. The land
acquisition will cost $12 million.
Dennis E. Lower, executive director of University
Science Park Inc., the nonprofit entity created in 1992
to develop the park with the city, community and private
industry as partners, said the remaining $18 million
needed for the project was expected to be secured from
public and private sources by next fall.
The $350-million park is intended to draw emerging
high-technology and biotechnology companies to Newark by
forging links to the 35,000-student, faculty and
employee population of its academic neighbors and, in
the process, promote economic development.
The park, which will need additional financing for land
acquisition and construction, could take as long as 15
years to build. And the project will include demolition
of commercial buildings and housing.
Eventually, the park will consist of one million square
feet of office, laboratory and incubator space, as well
as housing and shops.
If fully realized, the park could produce 6,000 jobs,
including 700 at the International Public Health Center,
Mr. Lower said.
[E] XPLAINING the significance of the new building, the
result of 16 months of discussion among industry,
local, state and Federal Government leaders, Stanley S.
Bergen Jr., president of the University of Medicine and
Dentistry, said: "This gives us credibility and proves a
science park can be created in Newark."
Apart from the building itself, the park also will gain
something Mr. Lower said it never had before -- the
ability to market 11 acres of developable land on which
three more structures could be built, with up to 150,000
square feet of space each.
"This project," he said, "breaks the park wide open for
private investment."
Before year's end, Mr. Lower said, a developer also will
be named to turn two blocks adjacent to the new building
into up to 80 new and renovated mixed-income residences.
And by next spring a site, outside of but close to the
park, will be selected for the science and technology
high school, which is expected to have 800 students.
The announcement of the International Public Health
Center is the latest bit of good news for Newark, whose
slow revitalization has recently gained momentum. Glenn
A. Grant, the city's Business Administrator, said that
about $1 billion had been invested in Newark in the last
four and a half years in developments that are beginning
to bear fruit.
Last month the $180 million New Jersey Performing Arts
Center was completed, and ground was broken on Oct. 16
for a 100,000-square-foot speculative industrial
building that will be called the South Ward Industrial
Park. Two weeks later the St. Barnabas Medical Center of
Livingston announced plans to build a commercial laundry
on an undetermined site, which will employ 400 people.
Additionally, hundreds of mixed-income residences have
gone up in Newark's neighborhoods.
"The Science Park project, like the others, marry
housing with jobs and economic development," said Mr.
Grant. "To revitalize the city we cannot have a
single-development oasis, but communities where people
can live, work and shop."
There are 140 such research parks in the nation,
including two others in New Jersey, according to the
Association of University Related Research Parks, a
trade group in Washington, D.C. The two others in New
Jersey are the 2,200-acre Princeton Forrestal Center in
Plainsboro and South Brunswick and the 50-acre
state-sponsored Technology Center of New Jersey in North
Brunswick.
The majority of such parks are in suburban centers, so
launching one in Newark, with its checkered
redevelopment history, carried its share of risks. But
the sponsors felt in 1985, as they do now, that the
city's central location and mass-transit links, with
access to Manhattan, combined with the $100 million in
research done annually by the universities would attract
science-based companies to the park.
[T] HOSE factors are what attracted the Public Health
Research Institute, said Lewis M. Weinstein,
president of the 56-year-old biomedical research group.
It will relocate from the 60,000 square feet it has
occupied for 30 years on First Avenue, at East 26th
Street, in Manhattan to 80,000 square feet at the new
building.
"We needed to grow," said Mr. Weinstein. "And the
advantage of the Newark building is that it provides us
with the space and the intellectual environment we need
in a location close to New York."
The institute now employs 115 people, a number that is
expected to grow to about 200 in the next five years, he
said. Other factors, he added, were the potential for
interaction between his group and the building's other
tenants and the state's $60 million commitment to the
science park.
The National Tuberculosis Center and the department of
microbiology and molecular genetics, both of which also
need to expand, will fill the remaining space in the
building. They will occupy 33,600 and 48,000 square
feet, respectively.
Under the terms of the financial agreement, the state
will provide $18 million in grants and $42 million in
loans, the latter raised through the sale of bonds. The
state loans initially will be repaid through lease
payments, which will be kept at or below the
$30-a-square-foot market rate for new lab space, said
Mr. Lower.
At the end of its 12-year lease, the Public Health
Research Institute will purchase its space for $12
million. The other two tenants will rent for 30 years
and then assume ownership of their space. Since his
group will retain ownership of the land tenants will
also pay a yet-to-be-determined ground-lease payment,
Mr. Lower said.
Science-á and technology-related companies are
considered a growth engine for the state, whose large
concentration of pharmaceutical firms conduct 85 percent
of the industry's research, providing a strong resource
for young companies. The state is home to some 500
biotechnology, biomedical and health-care-related firms
as well as 6,000 software and information technology
concerns, according to the New Jersey Technology
Council, a Princeton-based nonprofit trade group.
In a statement, State Treasurer James A. DiEleuterio Jr.
said that the International Center for Public Health
would "enhance New Jersey's reputation for being a
leader in the field of biomedical research."
"It not only provides an international research magnet,"
said Mr. Lower of University Heights Science Park Inc.
"But it primes the pump and sets up a level playing
field for us to compete head to head for our share of
technology-based companies in the region."
Copyright 1997 The New York Times Company
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 03:16:26 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Gene Tech Fables and Chemical Facts (Soy)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971128030957.3cef3a82@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From the Victoria Times Columnist, Victoria, BC Canada
Sunday November 16
>
> Pleasures of the Table
>
>The Tale of the Soya Bean and the Giant, by Pam Freir
>
>This week's story is a scary one. It's the tale of the soya bean plant and
>a very rich, very clever giant named Monsanto.
>
>Not everyone in the land fears this giant, Monsanto. In fact, many would
>argue that this is a most benign and gentle giant dedicated, as the glossy
>brochures will tell you, to "better food, better nutrition, and better
>health for all people"? That's Monsanto's mission statement. The soya bean
>unfortunately does not, as far as I know, have a mission statement. We just
>know it's good.
>
>The soya bean is one of the richest, cheapest and most readily accessible
>sources of protein in the world. We drink its "milk" and toss its sprouted
>seeds into stir-fries. We splash its oil on salads. Tofu, soy sauce,
>margarine, mayonnaise, baby food and ice cream all utilize the soya bean in
>some form or another.
>
>About 60% of all processed foods on the market contain soy. Which is what
>makes the story of the corporate giant, Monsanto, so unsettling.
>
>At the heart of the tale is a chemical called Glyphosate. It's sold under
>the name Roundup and is the world's biggest selling herbicide. Monsanto's
>patent on Roundup, which earned the company nearly $1.5 billion last year,
>runs out in the year 2000.
>
>But not to worry. Our clever giant has not been sleeping. For the past ten
>years Monsanto has been engaged in some genetic juggling a concept that
>never fails to make my tummy wobble and has successfully manipulated a
>whole range of crops to make them resistant to Glyphosate. This means that
>a farmer can drench his fields in his favourite chemical bath which will
>kill the weeds and leave the magically altered Monsanto Super Plants
>unaffected.
>
>Happily for Monsanto, new patent legislation in Europe and the US gives it
>exclusive rights, world wide, to these genetically discombobulated crops.
>And first off the assembly line is the new-generation soya bean.
>
>Isn't that good news? Now we can look forward to new, improved, magically
>reconfigured, chemical-immune soya bean products to bulk up our weenies and
>slather on our bread. Yummy.
>
>Environmentalists and consumer groups have responded to this free-wheeling
>interference with howls of protest, demanding that food with genetically
>altered soya beans be labeled as such.
>
>Gosh now, we can't do that, said the giant with a smile. Why, we can't be
>sorting through all those trillions of itty-bitty beans that come tumbling
>down the production line now can we? Besides you can't tell a Roundup-ready
>bean from a regular bean anyway. Sorry. But the soya bean is just one small
>ingredient in this spicy global stew.
>
>In the last two years alone Monsanto has been gobbling up shares in seed
>and biotechnology companies. It now owns the genetically warped Flavr-Savr
>tomato. It has purchased the US patent on all genetic manipulations of
>cotton, and controls 35% of the germlines on American maize. Monsanto's
>"life-scientists" are, even as we speak, experimenting with new strains of
>maize as well as potatoes, rice, sugar beet and rape. And these new
>products are so popular with farmers that Monsanto has even managed to
>persuade to them to sign away their rights to the seeds they grow.
>
>Pretty soon this insatiable giant will own the world's entire supply of
>food. It won't be the old fashioned kind of food that that reliable old
>warhorse Mother Nature has been delivering to us all these years. It will
>be food conceived in the name of science and, until someone beats Monsanto
>at their own game, it will be the only food that can withstand the
>onslaught of the world's largest selling herbicide. Just think of it! How
>could this possibly happen?
>
>It's called lobbying. I'm not entirely sure where lobbying ends and
>influence peddling begins but I suspect they both involve golf. And
>Monsanto has "golfed" every major player in government and trade
>organizations around the world. It has managed to persuade the European
>parliament to permit companies to patent "genetically enhanced" plants and
>animals. It lobbied for the repeal of laws banning the import of
>genetically manipulated maize. And in the US a Monsanto vice-president is
>reportedly a top candidate for commissioner of the FDA (food and drug
>administration), the US regulatory body for the food industry on which a
>significant contingent of Monsanto heavies already holds key posts.
>
>I quote from The Guardian Weekly where this story appeared: "With
>astonishing rapidity, a tiny handful of companies is coming to govern the
>global development, production, processing and marketing of our most
>fundamental commodity--food."
>
>I don't want to sound alarmist here but I think we'd better start growing
>things. We need to create our own supply of safe, natural,
>honest-to-goodness food. We need to grow wheat on our front lawns. Plant
>tomatoes on our rooftops. Turn our driveways into cornfields. Cultivate
>mushrooms. Raise chickens in our basements.
>
>I'd suggest adopting a cow but it's likely to have been injected with
>bovine growth hormone. BVH. Yet another better-health-for-all-people
>product from the friendly giant, Monsanto.
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 03:17:59 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Seeds of discontent
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971128031131.3cef3a76@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Seeds of Discontent: Cotton Growers Say Strain Cuts Yields
>
>from New York Times, 11/19/97--Monsanto's RR Cotton Bombs
>
>By ALLEN R. MYERSON
>
> CLARKSDALE, Miss. -- One year ago, Rodney Garrison was a true believer
>in a breakthrough cotton strain that had been genetically engineered to
>resist spraying with Monsanto Co.'s Roundup weed killer. "Roundup Ready
>cotton is going to be as revolutionary to the cotton industry as the cotton
>picker," he proclaimed under a grinning photograph in a corporate brochure.
>
> Today, Garrison's ardor has turned to rancor. "See this?" he shouted over
>drumming rain on a recent tour of Roundup Ready fields that he had sprayed
>with Roundup, he held up a branch mottled with scars where closed green
>cotton bolls had withered and dropped. A single white tuft clung to the
>limb's end. "Six positions," he said, counting out to the end of the shoot.
>"Five are missing." He sloshed a few steps down to some branches whose few
>bolls were flattened or hooked. "See this one?" he asked. "Here's a
>deformed boll -- a hawk-bill."
>
> Monsanto calls the genetically engineered cotton it developed with Delta
>and Pine Land Co. the most successful product introduction in farming
>history -- likely to make cotton the nation's first crop in which
>genetically altered varieties predominate. But here in the Mississippi
>Delta, the revolution has produced enough casualties that officials are now
>warning farmers to hold off until further testing proves the technology's
>reliability.
>
> Garrison's disillusionment, shared by dozens of other farmers here who
>are seeking perhaps millions of dollars in damages from the two companies,
>exposes the risks of speeding new technology to a market like agriculture
>where caution has ruled. In Texas, the companies face a lawsuit over the
>performance of another genetically altered variety. And last week, Pioneer
>Hi-Bred International Inc., the nation's largest producer of seed corn,
>announced its refusal to add Monsanto's Roundup Ready gene to its corn,
>saying Monsanto's proposed charges and restrictions outweigh the benefits
>for farmers, a point Monsanto disputes.
>
> These objections mark the strongest resistance yet from within the
>agricultural camp. Environmentalists have protested for years that
>bioengineering can have dangerous and unpredictable side effects; just last
>week, a Greenpeace ship blocked the unloading of Monsanto's genetically
>engineered soybeans in Amsterdam. Now, some who cheer corporate efforts to
>control genetic destiny are, for purely business reasons, drawing back.
>
> For Monsanto, the stakes could not be higher. The $9 billion company is
>transforming itself from a chemical company into a biotechnology and "life
>sciences" conglomerate, spending billions on research and acquisitions.
>Monsanto has spliced its Roundup Ready gene into soybeans as well as
>cotton, and had also improved cotton with a gene that makes the plants
>their own pesticides.
>
> Though the cloning of a sheep has been this year's splashiest
>genetic-engineering feat, such tinkering in the muddy furrows of the
>nation's farms is having a far greater impact on the commodities we
>consume. Almost overnight, scientists are producing improvements in crops
>that used to take years or decades of selection and breeding.
>
> "We are just at the beginning of an industry transformation that in a few
>years will be looked at as greater than the computer revolution," exulted
>Robb Fraley, co-president for Monsanto's farming products.
>
> Cotton is a natural target for Monsanto and its bioengineers. The crop is
>to farming what leveraged buyouts are to corporate finance -- big money,
>high risk, high reward, with scant margin for error. Without the new
>Monsanto strains, farmers here must apply more than a dozen herbicides,
>insecticides and other chemicals. The payoff from cutting back on these
>costly treatments can be huge.
>
> But so are the risks. If genetically engineered cotton produces poor
>harvests, big losses can result. To finance the next year's crop, said one
>farmer who did not want to be identified because of his close ties to
>Monsanto, "I might have to go to my banker wearing kneepads."
>
> Monsanto and Delta Pine, the world's largest producer of cotton seed,
>portray the local discontent here as aberrations. They blame freak cold
>weather, freak insect infestations and farmers' mistakes for the damage
>here and in Texas last year. With the harvest not yet tallied, all but a
>few of the growers will do well enough to invalidate any claims, the
>companies predict.
>
> "It's a very small, localized issue," said Fraley, the Monsanto
>executive. "One can't focus on 60 farmers and ignore the benefits that this
>technology has brought on 800,000 acres."
>
> At this sort of talk, the genteel farmers of this area shake their
>graying heads. They are no rebels. Until this year, the Mississippi Seed
>Arbitration Council had only two damage claims since its creation in 1989.
>This year, however, about 46 of the 200 farmers who planted Roundup Ready
>seed in Mississippi have asked the council to have the companies cover
>their losses on almost 30,000 acres. They say they lost as much as 40
>percent of their Roundup Ready cotton when it failed to resist spraying
>with Roundup. The council only arbitrates, but farmers must stop there
>before going to court.
>
> Though damage reports are concentrated here, state officials say
>complaints have come from seven other states. Monsanto says scattered
>protests have come only from another three.
>
> Nor are the Mississippi protests the first. About 25 Texas farmers have
>joined to sue the companies for losses from cotton bollworm damage on more
>than 18,000 acres planted last year with genetically engineered Bollgard
>varieties that produce their own insecticides. Monsanto blames unusually
>heavy infestations and points to company pamphlets that say some spraying
>might still be necessary. The farmers display other brochures making
>stronger promises, including one that pictured a few worms and said,
>"You'll see these in your cotton and that's OK. Don't spray."
>
> Tom Kerby, a Delta Pine vice president, recounts five years of Bollgard
>development and tests. But only after the widespread sale of Bollgard
>cotton last year did the companies notice that its pollen had too little
>insecticide to keep determined bollworms from feasting.
>
> For state and federal cotton experts in Mississippi, the barren cotton
>branches are an unwelcome vindication of their fears. While they usually
>test new seed varieties for three years before giving their approval, which
>is customary but not required, this time, they say, the companies hurried
>Roundup Ready cotton to market without allowing them to test it.
>
> Bill Meredith, a geneticist and research manager for the U.S. Agriculture
>Department in Stoneville, Miss., asked for a single pound of seed last
>year, enough for just a tenth of one acre. The companies said they could
>not spare that much, he recalled, even though farmers chosen by the
>companies planted Roundup Ready cotton on thousands of acres.
>
> The result has been a rare breakdown in the usually cordial relations
>between agribusiness and government. "We weren't able to find out what was
>going on," Meredith said. "These new varieties and new technologies are
>going out with less evaluation than they had in the past with traditional
>varieties."
>
> Meredith publicly suggested that the companies recall their seed,
>prompting Delta Pine to ask his bosses to shut him up. Roger Malkin, Delta
>Pine's chairman, says that one of Meredith's supervisors apologized;
>Meredith says a manager merely asked him to tone his comments down.
>
> Even the companies' partisans talk of friends who have suffered crop
>damage or spent unexpected sums on pest control. "We are used to having
>things brought to us that are ready to go," said Emery D. Skelton, a farmer
>chosen by Delta Pine to recount his own productive experience. "Maybe this
>wasn't ready to go."
>
> The companies retort that far from shifting the risks and expense of
>testing to farmers, they carried out thorough research and won all the
>necessary federal approvals. Roundup is not to blame for deformed bolls,
>only for some that fell, they add.
>
> Farmers, squeezed by rising pesticide costs and shrinking federal
>subsidies, acknowledge their desperation. "We're embracing anything that we
>can find that will lower our costs," said Herbert Huddleston, a local
>grower who planted only Roundup Ready cotton this year. "We were begging
>them for it."
>
> Kerby of Delta Pine adds that the companies could not afford a longer
>wait to recover their heavy research and development costs, which included
>flying seed to Argentina and South Africa to cram as many as three growing
>seasons into a single year. "We have a lot of money tied up," he said.
>
> In the marketplace, genetically engineered cotton is a galloping success,
>rising from 1.8 million acres last year to about 3 million this year and a
>projected 5 million to 6 million next year. By 1999, Fraley of Monsanto
>expects more than half the nation's 14 million acres of cotton to have the
>company's potent genes.
>
> And Monsanto is only beginning. Next will come a stronger variety of
>insect-resistant cotton in 1999, then cotton that can protect itself from
>boll weevils, and in 2003 or sometime after, cotton that is naturally
>colored, without chemical dyes. By then, the company also hopes to have
>biologically engineered, supersweet and disease-resistant strawberries, as
>well as plants that can produce biodegradable plastics.
>
> That glorious future for Monsanto is little consolation to Garrison and
>his ruined cotton field, the farmer who recently toured his ruined cotton
>field. In July, he noticed his plants were shedding their bolls. In the
>following weeks, as other farmers saw similar losses, the fields were
>swarming with Monsanto and Delta Pine executives, state and federal
>officials, researchers, consultants and lawyers for both sides. "If I could
>charge per head, I'd be all right," Garrison said.
>
> How many farmers the companies compensate could depend on whether the
>state compares cotton yields to historic averages or to this year's bumper
>crop. The companies also plan to include stronger cautions on their seed
>bags.
>
> Some Mississippi officials ask whether tougher rules are needed to make
>sure the new, genetically engineered products work under all local
>conditions. In the meantime, Robert McCarty, the state Agriculture and
>Commerce Department's chief regulator, tells farmers to watch out.
>
> "I sure couldn't recommend they plant one of these varieties and take
>that kind of risk," McCarty said, "unless someone could assure them they
>wouldn't have the kind of problems we had in 1997."
>
>
>Copyright 1997 The New York Times
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 03:28:52 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RODENT EXPLOSION - CHINA (BEIJING)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971128032223.2eff87e6@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
RODENT EXPLOSION - CHINA (BEIJING)
**********************************
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 14:22:47 -0500
Source: Beijing Daily, 18 Nov 1997 and other media reports
Rampaging rats in the Chinese capital have led health officials to
distribute 250 tons of poison bait throughout the city - in public parks,
sewers, restaurants and food markets and to distribute 300 thousand
pamphlets seeking assistance from citizens in combating the problem.
The newspaper account said there are reports of rats chewing the garments
of guests in big metropolitan hotels and damaging telephone and power
lines. Zhou Yubing, head of Beijing pest control, said rats are commonly
seen downtown during daylight hours, but that the worst problem is in the
sprawling suburbs and rural aspects, where state toleration levels of
rodent density are greatly exceeded. The population explosion in the past
decade has been blamed by experts on the loss of predators, such as owls,
weasels and cats whose diets are composed of hunting remains and not pet
food.
(If these reports are accurate, we can expect disease to follow.)
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 97 13:00:21 -0800
From: "Paul Wiener"
To: "AR-News (to post)"
Subject: Call to Action: US California
Message-ID: <199711272102.OAA21205@smtp03.primenet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
California Senate Bill 621 (SB621) amends portions of the Lockyer-Polanco
Pet Warranty Act to provide wider protection to consumers and require some
accountability on the part of anyone who breeds a dog.
If you endorse this effort, please send a letter (see sample) to Chairman
John Burton (D) of the Senate Judiciary Committee and copies to each member
of the committee. The committee members are:
Vice Chair:Tim Leslie (R)
Democrats:
Charles Calderon
Bill Lockyer
Jack O'Connell
Byron D. Sher
Republicans:
Ray Haynes
Cathie Wright
All members may be addressed:
c/o State Capitol
Sacramento CA 95814
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Chairman John Burton,
I am writing to voice my support for Senator Rosenthal's Breeding
Regulation Bill (SB621) which requires California breeders to acquire a
breeding permit and a reseller permit.
A statewide Breeding Regulation Law will make professional and backyard
breeders accountable for the lives they create. It will reduce
indiscriminate breeding which results in surplus animals that ultimately
die in our pounds and shelters.
The problem of animal overpopulation will not go away unless we control the
number of animals being born. I believe SB621 will encourage responsible
breeding! Please support this legislation.
Sincerely,
cc:Tim Leslie
Charles Calderon
Bill Lockyer
Jack O'Connell
Byron D. Sher
Ray Haynes
Cathie Wright
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Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 16:35:23 -0500 (EST)
From: CircusInfo@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Vandals damage signs, buildings at Sea World
Message-ID: <971127163522_1470877170@mrin40.mail.aol.com>
San Diego Union-Tribune
>From www.uniontrib.com/
November 25, 1997
Vandals damage signs, buildings at Sea World
MISSION BAY -- Vandals with spray paint and marker pens did more than $5,000
damage to signs and buildings at Sea World early yesterday.
Police believe the vandalism occurred sometime between midnight and 2 a.m.,
said San Diego police spokesman Bill Robinson. He said the graffiti referred
to the capture of animals for display at the park. Police had no suspects.
However, a woman who said she was a member of an animal rights group claimed
responsibility for the incident in telephone calls to news media
representatives shortly after vandals had left the area, Robinson said.
"We're very angry about the graffiti," said park spokeswoman Jonna Rae
Bartges.
The vandalism occurred on the northeast side of the park, which is surrounded
by beaches and Mission Bay.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 19:26:16 -0500
From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: EU SAY U.S. FUR PROPOSALS AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH
Message-ID: <199711280031.TAA03138@mailnfs0.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Copyright © 1997 Reuters
BRUSSELS (November 26, 1997 9:06 p.m. EST http://www.nando.net) - New
U.S. proposals do not go far enough to end a quarrel with the European
Union over the trapping of fur animals or to avert a threatened EU ban
on American fur imports, an EU official said on Wednesday.
In its latest proposal, the United States said it was prepared to
phase out steel-jawed leghold traps within eight years, the first time
the Americans had offered a cut-off date for use of the traps, EU
sources said.
But while progress had been made in the talks, eight years was too
long and negotiations would continue, an EU official said.
U.S. officials confirmed that a new proposal was sent to the EU on
Wednesday. A U.S. spokesman could not be reached for comment on the EU
reaction to the offer.
A European Union ban on American fur imports is set to take effect on
December 1 unless agreement can be reached before then, raising the
risk of a trade war.
The European Union is seeking to outlaw the use of steel leghold traps
in the killing of fur-bearing animals such as mink, otters and wolves.
Russia and Canada have already agreed to phase out some of the traps
by 2000.
Critics of the traps say they do not kill the animals outright but
often break their legs and imprison them until they drown, starve or
bleed to death.
Washington says the EU's demands would jeopardise the livelihood of
trappers.
European Commission officials made a short report on the latest U.S.
proposals to EU ambassadors on Wednesday and the ambassadors asked the
Commission to continue negotiating, the EU official said.
The issue could be a sensitive one at an EU-U.S. summit to be held in
Washington on December 5.
U.S. fur exports to Europe are worth about $20 million a year.
⌐1997 Maynard S Clark Vegetarian Resource Center info@vegetarian.org
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 08:59:13 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [NZ]Continuing cruelty to rabbits in NZ
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971128085244.2c5f11d8@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Note from the article below "In one instance, one rabbit had
been found up a tree with its legs tied. "
>From The Southland Times - November 27, 1997
RCD in Southland
áTHE first RCD- infected rabbit has been confirmed in Southland.
Invermay Animal Health Laboratory manager Gary Clark said yesterday one
dead rabbit found at Rimu had been sent to the laboratory for analysis by
MAF Quality Managment staff in Invercargill.
But with only one rabbit confirmed with the rabbit calicivirus disease, Mr
Clark said it could not be discounted that it had been deliberately
dropped.
Other live rabbits had been seen in the area.
There had been similar cases of RCD infected rabbits being dropped off in
isolated areas around Dunedin, he said. In one instance, one rabbit had
been found up a tree with its legs tied.
Mr Clark said MAF Qual staff were on the lookout for any more dead rabbits
that could be sent for analysis.
The Rimu rabbit had been found on November 14.
Mr Clark said the initial Invermay Animal Health Laboratory's result was
confirmed yesterday after further testing at the Wallaceville Animal Health
Laboratory.
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 10:32:25 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (HK) Chief Executive's Wife buys fur in Vancouver
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971128103225.007af790@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
South China Morning Post - ThursdayááNovember 27áá1997
Apec Summit
Betty's trip to cashmere
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Several members of the Hong Kong delegation, including Tung Chee-hwa's wife
Betty, shopped for fur-trimmed cashmere coats from furrier Pappas Furs.
Mrs Tung bought two of the jackets, made by designer Lauren Greigher.
One was charcoal in colour, with a Persian lamb trim. The other was black
with a pink, silk leopard-print lining. "Mrs Tung is a very elegant and
refined lady," said owner Constantine Pappas.
"She represents Hong Kong very well."
He gave Mrs Tung a fox collar as a gift, but would not divulge how much was
paid for the coats.
A competing furrier estimated the cost at US$1,500 (HK$11,584) to US$5,000.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 19:38:57 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Heimlich maneuver saves potbellied pig
Message-ID: <347E3CD0.1D3E@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Heimlich maneuver saves choking pig
The Associated Press
KELSO, Wash. (November 27, 1997 09:06 a.m. EST)
A passed-out potbellied pig was saved from hog heaven by a 911
dispatcher who talked the animal's owner through the Heimlich maneuver.
The pig's owner called 911 in a panic Monday.
"My pig! She's choked, and she's passed out," said the woman, her
trembling voice recorded by the county dispatch service. Her name was
not released.
Dispatcher Tracy Mosier relied on emergency cards used in human choking
emergencies to talk the woman through the Heimlich maneuver.
Lift the unconscious pig to its feet, put your arms around its middle
and squeeze, she instructed the distraught woman.
The pig came to with two belches.
The county's 911 director, Cindy Barnd, said operators have helped talk
other pet owners through "mouth-to-snout" resuscitation of a Chihuahua
and the Heimlich maneuver on a puppy.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 23:17:18 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (FR) France Allows Production of Trans-Genetic Corn
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127231715.0071fbac@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN custom news http://www.cnn.com/
------------------------------------------
France Allows Production of Trans-Genetic Corn
Xinhua
27-NOV-97
PARIS (Nov. 27) XINHUA - The French government today gave the green light
to farmers to cultivate and produce trans-genetic corns, an important
animal food in France which up to now is imported from the United States.
But the government decreed a moratorium over other genetically modified
plants, such as colza and beetroot, and will launch a "grand public debate"
over genetically modified organisms in the next six months, said
Agriculture Minister Louis le Pensec.
The decision was unanimously adopted by the ministers at a cabinet session
chaired by Prime Minister Lionel Jospin today.
Trans-genetic corn does not present any harm to human health or
environment, as long as it does not cross with any wild plant species in
Europe, said the government in accordance with the views of many scientists
who support the introduction of trans-genetic corn.
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 23:28:42 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: EU To Halt American Fur Imports
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971127232839.0071d94c@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP http://wire.ap.org/
---------------------------------------
11/27/1997 11:35 EST
EU To Halt American Fur Imports
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Rejecting a last-ditch U.S. compromise on
banning leg-hold traps, the EU said Thursday it will halt American fur
imports starting next week unless a deal is reached by Dec. 1.
The 15 EU governments rejected an offer to give U.S. trappers of ermine
and muskrat four years to stop using metal-toothed leg-hold traps -- that
are considered cruel -- and those of other species eight years.
The eight-year grace period compares to a five-year period Canada and
Russia have agreed to in negotiations with the European Union.
EU Foreign Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan will relay the EU's
rejection to Washington.
``Hopefully the United States will improve on its offer, but the (fur)
import ban will still take effect Dec. 1,'' EU spokesman Nigel Gardner
told reporters.
``If we get an offer ... that we find acceptable we can prevent the ban
from taking effect. It is still possible to stop it. We look for a show
of good faith from the Americans.''
Animal welfare groups in Europe have long called for such a ban to get
trappers to employ more human trapping techniques.
The EU has talked about an import ban for years. However, deadlines have
come and gone as EU nations disagreed on whether animal rights should
prevail over trade and, finally, held difficult talks with Canada, Russia
and the United States.
Last December, the EU reached a deal with Russia and Canada to phase out
steel leg-hold traps over a period of a few years, leaving the issue
unresolved in negotiations with the United States.
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