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AR-NEWS Digest 391
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Newsweek (US): animal intelligence
by PrairieD@aol.com
2) The Brave New World of Genetically Engineered Mice
by Andrew Gach
3) Laxative causes cancer in rats
by Andrew Gach
4) The Anxiety Gene
by Andrew Gach
5) ... and the heroin addiction gene
by Andrew Gach
6) Dallas Morning News: Group Protests Aquarium's Dolphin Display Plan(US)
by Marisul@aol.com
7) (US) Dole's Dog Bringing Home the Bacon
by allen schubert
8) (US) Man Charged for Shooting Squirrel
by allen schubert
9) (TW) Taiwan Pork Industry in Crisis
by allen schubert
10) Newswire: New AIDS Vaccine Protects Chimps (US)
by Lawrence Carter-Long
11) Newswire: Vaccine Prevents AIDS Infection in Chimps (US)
by Lawrence Carter-Long
12) More info on hiring...
by Animal Alliance of Canada
13) (CA)Compassionate Shopping Guide
by Animal Alliance of Canada
14) NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK, 1997
by Mike Markarian
15) (US) Dolphin emergency
by allen schubert
16) Lecture by Jeffrey M. Masson
by "Zoocheck Canada Inc."
17) (SG) Plant hormones offer new hope for menopause
by Vadivu Govind
18) (TH) Wildlife Centre with Vegetarian Founder
by Vadivu Govind
19) (JP) Osaka cat thieves nabbed red-handed
by Vadivu Govind
20) Global warming, city sprawl breeding new diseases
by Vadivu Govind
21) (US) Oklahoma City's Spay/Neuter Drive
by JanaWilson@aol.com
22) Bruner withdraws candidacy from Florida Game Commission
by Icare87855@aol.com
23) Paul Watson Faces New Charges
by SPYKE@arc.unm.edu (Lawrence Carter-Long)
24) "Gift" of Rhinos To London Zoo Challenged
by SPYKE@arc.unm.edu (Lawrence Carter-Long)
25) New police unit
by SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
26) Protest Iowa Deer Kill
by Suzanne Roy
27) Swedish Attacks Against Mink Farms
by MINKLIB@aol.com
28) (US)APHIS Press Release Genetically Engineered Organisms Press
Release Reissued
by allen schubert
29) NASA pulls out of Russian space monkey research
by Vegetarian Resource Center
30) Gelatin not free of Mad Cow Disease - US FDA panel
by Vegetarian Resource Center
31) Advisory MHWU Local 420 to Boycott McDonald's
by Vegetarian Resource Center
32) Kuwait kills cow & 8 calves
by Vegetarian Resource Center
33) Are dogs susceptible to "Mad Cow" disease?
by Vegetarian Resource Center
34) Cattle feed demand fluctuates with BSE concerns
by Vegetarian Resource Center
35) CDC says CJD deaths rare, not tied to BSE
by Vegetarian Resource Center
36) TX Alert: Ban Ownership of Dangerous Wild Animals
by Mike Markarian
37) Whale killing vessel torched
by bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
38) (US) Police nab runaway emu after highway chase
by allen schubert
39) 9% rise 1st Qtr for Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
by Vegetarian Resource Center
40) FWD: Calcium from Dairy Foods thought to reduce female kidney
stone risk
by Vegetarian Resource Center
41) FWD: consumer promotion features Martha Stewart
by Vegetarian Resource Center
42) European Parliament BSE monitoring reforms
by Vegetarian Resource Center
43) man charged for shooting squirrel who ate open plants
by Vegetarian Resource Center
44) milk promotion really hot stuff, say milk promoters (FWD)
by Vegetarian Resource Center
45) SEAC confirms calves get BSE from mothers
by Vegetarian Resource Center
46) Transfer of rare rhinos from Nepal to UK slowed from BSE
concerns
by Vegetarian Resource Center
47) US FDA says bone meal not infective for BSE
by Vegetarian Resource Center
48) EU offers food safety guides
by Vegetarian Resource Center
49) European Commission asked to back formal gelatin ban
by Vegetarian Resource Center
50) National Cattlemen's Beef Assn statement about BSE
by Vegetarian Resource Center
51) European Parliament committee adopts report on organic
livestock farming
by Vegetarian Resource Center
52) EP creates cross-party committee to monitor BSE action
by Vegetarian Resource Center
53) AR protesters at Yerkes plead "not guilty" Monday
by Vegetarian Resource Center
54) Dutch vets confirm BSE cases are domestic
by Vegetarian Resource Center
55) British farmers want EU meeting on BSE
by Vegetarian Resource Center
56) Old Infections Come Back to Haunt Humanity
by Vegetarian Resource Center
57) GREENS: Elephants doomed if ivory trade resumes
by Vegetarian Resource Center
58) Fr. Flanagan's Boys' Town charges that PETA is too radical
by Vegetarian Resource Center
59) Mad Cows, Angry Farmers haunt Britain's Conservatives
by Vegetarian Resource Center
60) soybean prices related to BSE concerns / interests
by Vegetarian Resource Center
61) Deaths in Japan linked to Mad Cow
by Vegetarian Resource Center
62) GREENLines Issue#370
by Vegetarian Resource Center
63) rescue in Cairo
by Vegetarian Resource Center
64) Book: "McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial"
by allen schubert
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 00:31:26 -0400 (EDT)
>From: PrairieD@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Newsweek (US): animal intelligence
Message-ID: <970501002754_1188898892@emout07.mail.aol.com>
The current (May 5)issue of Newsweek includes a story on artificial
intelligence titled
>Can They Feel Your Pain< by Danny Hillis.
The author's main concern is whether machines can be sentient, but he remarks
in passing:
>There is no scientific reason to suspect that consciousness is unique to
humans. >Animals are probably conscious, at least a little.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:37:35 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: The Brave New World of Genetically Engineered Mice
Message-ID: <33681E0F.5F6A@worldnet.att.net>
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Runty rodents turned into supermice with one small switch
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (April 30, 1997 2:38 p.m. EDT) -- With a single genetic switch,
scientists have created a strain of supermice two to three times more
muscular than usual, with big, broad shoulders and massive hips.
The genetically altered giants can't outpace speeding locomotives, or
leap much of anything in a single bound. But their creators believe the
mice could spur a revolution in the treatment of muscular dystrophy and
similar diseases, and perhaps even transform the
livestock industry, where bigger muscles would mean more meat.
The supermice were made by Se-Jin Lee, Alexandra McPherron and Ann
Lawler, molecular biologists at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine in Baltimore. The researchers created the mice by deleting a
single gene that appears to limit muscle growth.
"They do look a little strange," McPherron said. She and her colleagues
describe the mice in Thursday's issue of Nature, a British scientific
journal.
Though they seem stronger than their peers, the supermice are gentle
giants. "When I poke them they don't run away as fast as a normal
mouse," McPherron said Tuesday. "They don't seem to be bothered by it."
Aside from their musculature, the mice are physically identical to their
scrawnier kin.
The Hopkins scientists created the burly beasts by knocking out the gene
for a growth factor they discovered. Growth factors are proteins that
either stimulate or suppress the growth and division of certain cell
types, such as bone or nerve -- or muscle.
It turns out the growth factor the Hopkins researchers found, myostatin,
inhibits muscle growth. The researchers found that out as soon as they
saw the mice they had bred without the gene.
The result -- totally buff. And promising.
Drugs could be developed that block the action of myostatin, for
example. Those drugs might counteract some of the muscle wasting that
occurs in diseases such as muscular dystrophy and cachexia, a muscular
deterioration that accompanies AIDS and some forms of cancer.
There's also the possibility that farmers could breed overdeveloped
poultry and cattle, because the researchers have found a corresponding
gene in chickens and cows. Not only would those animals produce really
impressive cuts of meat, but it would be lean meat because eliminating
myostatin affects only muscle. It does not increase fat production.
"We could end up with chickens with two to three times the amount of
meat," Lee said.
It's a long road to reaping the benefits of myostatin, however. And a
long shot, too.
The researchers still haven't shown that humans and other animals also
have the mouse myostatin. They haven't shown that blocking the action of
the protein has the same effect as genetically preventing its creation.
And they haven't shown that bulking up muscle mass by
blocking myostatin would actually help people with muscular dystrophy
and other diseases.
"This is hypothesis, this is projection, this is a possibility raised by
these studies," said Joan Massague, a research scientist at the Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in
New York City. "Only time will tell."
Could genetic engineers someday create people who would make Arnold
Schwarzenegger look like Pee Wee Herman?
Yes, in principle anyway. But as Lee pointed out, there are already
powerful drugs to increase muscle mass, and the vast majority of
ethicists consider it wrong for athletes to use them.
"We would all have to work very hard to make sure that's not the group
that would be targeted for those drugs," he said.
By MATT CRENSON/AP Science Editor
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:43:20 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Laxative causes cancer in rats
Message-ID: <33681F68.3056@worldnet.att.net>
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Ingredient in common laxative found to cause cancer in rats
The Associated Press
ROCKVILLE, Md. (April 30, 1997 9:26 p.m. EDT) -- An ingredient used for
more than 90 years in a common laxative causes cancer in laboratory rats
at high doses, according to a study by federal scientists in North
Carolina.
Rats fed high doses of a compound called phenolphthalein, one of the
ingredients in the popular laxative Ex-Lax, developed lymphomas after
six months, according to researchers at the National Toxicology Program
office in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
The doses of phenolphthalein that caused cancer were 30 times higher
than humans would absorb from prescribed doses of the over-the-counter
laxative, according to officials of the Food and Drug Administration.
The report was presented at a meeting of the Carcinogen Assessment
Committee of the FDA. The committee went into executive session,
excluding the public, without taking action.
The group will make a report to another FDA committee which, in turn,
could decide whether the agency will move to restrict or modify the use
of phenolphthalein in laxatives, said Joseph J. DeGeorge of the FDA,
chairman of the committee.
The manufacturer of Ex-Lax said the product has been sold since 1905 and
that the company knows of no health risks from the product when
consumers follow the directions on the package.
"We believe that the dose levels used to test on the rats is very high,"
said Mark B. Gelbert, vice president of Novartis Consumer Health Inc. of
Summit, N.J., which makes Ex-Lax. He said the rats used in the study may
not be a "valid model for determining risks in humans.
"Based on over 90 years of human use, we still believe the drug is
extremely safe," he said.
June K. Dunnick of the Toxicology Program said tumors taken from the
laboratory rats were tested for the presence of a gene called p53 and
that of 21 cancers tested, all lacked that gene. P53 is a cancer
suppressor gene, and it is missing or flawed in many human cancers.
"There was clear evidence of the loss of p53," said Dunnick.
The new study is the second to show that phenolphthalein may pose a
cancer risk. The National Toxicology Program scientists a year ago found
that high doses of the compound fed to rats for two years caused a
variety of tumors -- including lymphomas and cancers of the kidney,
ovary and adrenal gland.
FDA officials at that time asked the toxicologists to conduct more
studies, using lower doses of the chemical.
In the new studies, phenolphthalein was fed to five groups of rats at
doses of 200, 375, 750, 3,000 and 12,000 parts per million for six
months. For comparison, another group of rats received none of the
chemical.
"Thymic lymphoma was significantly increased in groups receiving" the
very highest doses, the toxicologists reported. Changes in tissue, a
condition called hyperplasia that is often a precursor to cancer, were
found in animals getting the 750 ppm dose or higher. There were also
changes found in blood cells, the scientists reported.
Some of the types of cancers found in the first study were not reported
in the latest findings.
DeGeorge said the first effect in the rats was shown in doses that would
be equivalent to about 30 times the normal labeled dose of
phenolphthalein in laxatives.
The committee chairman said it may be several days before his group
reports to the Over The Counter committee of the FDA. It is not known
when that committee might start considering the
issue.
By PAUL RECER, The Associated Press
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:48:22 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: The Anxiety Gene
Message-ID: <33682096.7729@worldnet.att.net>
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Study finds no sign of last year's 'anxiety gene'
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (April 30, 1997 6:56 p.m. EDT) -- It made headlines last year:
Scientists said they'd identified a gene that helps determine how
anxious or laid-back people are. Now another group of scientists says
they found no sign of that effect.
That doesn't necessarily mean last year's study was wrong. It may only
mean the gene affects anxiety traits in some groups but not others, says
one author of the new study, Richard Ebstein of the Sarah Herzog
Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem.
But an author of last year's study says Ebstein's project couldn't have
detected the effect anyway.
It's at least the second time since November that a study proposing a
personality gene has been followed by another that found no evidence.
Last November it happened to Ebstein.
The new study followed up on a report from scientists at the National
Institutes of Health and in Germany.
That report assessed 505 people with two psychological tests. In
addition to those results, researchers used the data to predict how the
subjects would have scored on a third test, which measures an
anxiety-related trait called "harm avoidance."
Across the three measures, a particular variant of the gene showed a
consistent but small effect on a cluster of personality traits that are
related to anxiety, they reported.
The gene plays a role in a brain communication system that uses the
chemical serotonin.
Ebstein and colleagues report in the May issue of the journal Molecular
Psychiatry that they found no effect of the gene variant on the harm
avoidance trait, which they measured directly in 120 men and women.
"Now there is some element of doubt (about the original study) but it
doesn't mean they're wrong," Ebstein said in a telephone interview.
Because of differences in genetic backgrounds and environment, the gene
may influence the trait in some groups but not Israelis, he said.
Dean Hamer of the National Cancer Institute, one author of last year's
study, called Ebstein's result meaningless.
The Israelis studied far too few people to detect the small effect on
harm avoidance that last year's study found, he said. Even with the 505
people in last year's study the effect was barely noticeable, Hamer
said.
Ebstein said he didn't check statistically to see if he had enough
people to find an effect of the size reported last year. But his results
didn't even give a hint of one, he said, so he conclude's it's not
there.
Ebstein himself published a study last year that suggested a gene
influenced a trait called novelty-seeking, which includes impulsivity
and excitability. Hamer and NIH colleagues got confirming results.
But 10 months later, another group reported finding no trace of that
effect in two groups of Finns.
-- By MALCOLM RITTER, The Associated Press
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:53:05 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: ... and the heroin addiction gene
Message-ID: <336821B1.C9E@worldnet.att.net>
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Vulnerability of heroin addiction might be due to gene
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (April 30, 1997 5:14 p.m. EDT) -- Scientists said Wednesday
they have identified a gene that might slightly raise a person's risk of
getting addicted to heroin.
The work is preliminary, but experts said it could be a step toward
giving doctors a way to identify people vulnerable to heroin addiction.
Such people could then be steered into prevention programs.
The gene is the same one that made headlines last year when researchers
linked it to a personality trait called novelty-seeking, which includes
impulsiveness, excitability and extravagance. Not all studies have found
that link.
Drug abusers tend to score high on tests for this trait, which was one
reason researchers decided to see if the gene influences the risk of
heroin addiction.
In fact, the novelty-seeking trait might lead to the addiction risk,
said Richard Ebstein of the Sarah Herzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem,
the main author of the new study.
The gene also plays a role in a brain communication system that's
implicated in addiction. Many brain cells communicate with each other by
squirting a substance called dopamine. These brain-cell circuits are
crucial to producing the psychological reward people feel with drugs.
Brain cells receive the dopamine signal on surface structures called
receptors. The gene in the new study tells cells how to make one type of
dopamine receptor.
Ebstein and colleagues focused on one variant of this gene. They found
that 29 percent of a group of Israeli male heroin addicts had this
variant, compared with only 12 percent of a group of nonaddicted Israeli
men.
A statistical analysis found that people with the variant are about 2
1/2 times as likely to become addicted to heroin, the researchers
reported in the May issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
The study involved 141 addicts and 110 men with no history of substance
abuse.
Ebstein said the gene variant is common in the general population, found
in perhaps 30 percent of people in Europe and North America, so it's
obviously not enough to make somebody a heroin addict. But "it gives you
a slightly increased risk."
Scientists need to look more genes that affect a person's vulnerability
to heroin addiction, he said.
Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called
the work encouraging but stressed that genes aren't the only reason for
addiction.
By MALCOLM RITTER/AP Science Writer
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:23:19 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Marisul@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Dallas Morning News: Group Protests Aquarium's Dolphin Display Plan(US)
Message-ID: <970430212145_549678630@emout18.mail.aol.com>
Copyright 1997 The Dallas Morning News
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS April 28, 1997, Monday, HOME FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 18A
Group protests aquarium's dolphin display plan -- Owner has pledged that
project would keep animals healthy, provide scientific benefits
BYLINE: Sandy Louey, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
A dozen members of an animal rights group protested Sunday against the
Dallas World Aquarium's plan to capture four endangered Amazon river dolphins
and put them on display in downtown Dallas.
Standing outside the private aquarium and restaurant in the West End,
members of the Texas Establishment for Animal Rights held signs such as "West
End is Dolphins' End" and "Leave the Dolphins at Home."
"It's cruel to capture them in the first place," said Lydia Nichols,
TEAR's director and campaign coordinator.
U.S. officials are considering whether to grant a permit to let four of
the animals be captured in their native Venezuela and taken to the aquarium.
Aquarium owner Daryl Richardson was out of town Sunday and could not be
reached for comment. He has said previously that new approaches would keep
the dolphins happy and healthy and that the project would educate the public
and allow scientists to study the freshwater dolphins in a controlled
environment.
International groups have criticized Mr. Richardson's plan, saying it
could not be supported on educational, scientific or moral grounds.
Ms. Nichols said TEAR, based in Dallas, is joining the fight to defeat the
aquarium's permit application, which is pending before the National Marine
Fisheries Service.
Ms. Nichols said Sunday's hourlong demonstration kicked off the group's
campaign to educate the public about the plan and encourage them to write
letters opposing the dolphin display.
The protesters on Sunday chanted, "Hey, Richardson, you are callous,
dolphins don't belong in Dallas" and aimed other pointed remarks at the
aquarium owner. They also handed pamphlets to aquarium visitors.
"He's not going to pay, but the dolphins are," said Ms. Nichols, who said
her group plans more protests.
The freshwater mammals were a popular attraction in aquariums in the 1960s
but have had a poor record of surviving in captivity.
According to a federal study, more than 100 of the dolphins have been
brought from South America to other countries for display since 1956. In the
wild, they live up to 35 years. But in captivity, the study found, nearly
all died before reaching half that age.
Only two Amazon river dolphins remain alive in Europe now; the lone
survivor in North America lives in the Pittsburgh Zoo.
In a previous statement, Mr. Richardson wrote that the dolphins would be
part of a new, 200,000-gallon display called "Orinoco - Secrets of the
River." The Orinoco River lies just north of the Amazon in Venezuela.
He wrote that the dolphins would be taken from the Orinoco Basin. The
display would also include toucans, poison dart frogs, crocodiles, anacondas
and numerous mammals from the Orinoco region.
Protester Shellaine Conant of Dallas said the aquarium wants to use to
dolphins to make money.
"They don't care about the welfare of the animals," she said.
Whatever steps the aquarium plans to take with the display, a tank cannot
replace the dolphins' natural habitat, said TEAR member Shaun Cook.
"Their true habitat is where they are now," the Dallas resident said.
Some aquarium visitors said Sunday that they had no problems with Mr.
Richardson's bringing the dolphins to Dallas.
"I'm sure they'll take good care of them," said Ludis Birss of Dallas.
Scott Sloan of Wylie said he loves visiting the aquarium with his family.
As for the protesters, he said, "They need to get a life."
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 08:27:39 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Dole's Dog Bringing Home the Bacon
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501082736.006b5854@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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(I wan't planning on posting until I saw the last couple lines.)
from AP Wire page:
----------------------------
05/01/1997 03:23 EST
Dole's Dog Bringing Home the Bacon
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bob Dole's not the only one in the family bringing home
some
big bucks.
As the former Kansas senator starts his new job at a Washington law firm, his
14-year-old schnauzer, Leader, is making some money in the private sector,
too.
Leader is being paid $5,000 by Ralston Purina Co. to appear on a 1998
calendar of
celebrity dogs, Dole said Wednesday. Leader sat in on an interview Dole
gave to The
Associated Press.
``He likes everybody. Rub his ears,'' Dole told a guest. ``I think he's
losing his
strength. But he's all right.''
The money will be donated to the Washington Humane Society, where Leader was
adopted.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 08:28:59 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Man Charged for Shooting Squirrel
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501082857.006b5854@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
05/01/1997 00:45 EST
Man Charged for Shooting Squirrel
EDGEWATER, Fla. (AP) -- A man was charged with cruelty to animals for
allegedly
shooting a squirrel to death with a bow and arrow after he saw it eating his
tomatoes, guavas and papayas.
Sammie Parris, 67, was arrested after a neighbor called police to say he
saw him
trying to catch the squirrel as it climbed a tree.
``The squirrel had an arrow through it,'' the neighbor said in a written
statement.
Parris said Tuesday his lawyer told him he was within his rights to
destroy the
squirrel as long as the animal was on his property.
Lt. Joy Hill of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission said it
isn't illegal
to destroy a squirrel on private property if the animal is being
destructive. But Robin
Feger, an Edgewater animal control officer, said Parris was charged
because of the
cruel way in which the animal was killed.
Parris, who was arrested Friday, was released after posting $1,000 bond.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 08:48:38 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TW) Taiwan Pork Industry in Crisis
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501084836.006969c0@clark.net>
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from AP Wire page:
----------------------------
05/01/1997 07:33 EST
Taiwan Pork Industry in Crisis
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN
Associated Press Writer
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- It's a time of crisis for Taiwan, so it was natural
to see the
president stepping up to the TV cameras the other day to offer his people
reassurance.
He did so by eating a pork knuckle.
Lee Teng-hui's action was meant to calm a populace in panic over an
outbreak of
hoof-and-mouth disease that is decimating pig herds and the economy in
general.
Troops have been mobilized for a mass pig slaughter so horrifying that the
government asked TV stations not to show footage during mealtimes.
An ominous byproduct is a rumor pulsing through Taiwan that China
deliberately
planted diseased pigs on the island to damage its rival's economy. How
else to
explain a disease that hasn't hit Taiwan for 83 years?
Such rumors are hardly helpful to an already volatile political
relationship, and the
government has been quick to clarify that the diseased pigs could have
come from
anywhere in East Asia.
Meanwhile, Japan, which buys half of Taiwan's annual $3.2 billion pork
production,
has halted imports, and officials say the outbreak may shave up to 1.4
percentage
points from Taiwan's estimated 1997 economic growth rate of 6.2 percent.
More than 700,000 of Taiwan's 11 million pigs have died of the disease,
and 3.6
million more are being slaughtered. All but one of Taiwan's counties have
been
ravaged since the outbreak was detected in mid-March.
The industry, which employs over 100,000 people directly and untold more
in related
industries, may take three years to recover, say agriculture officials.
Hoof-and-mouth disease is characterized by high fever and bleeding
blisters in the
animals' mouths and feet that prevent them from eating. Humans can carry
the virus,
but don't develop the sickness.
Still, not unexpectedly, consumers are repulsed by the idea of putting
diseased meat
in their mouths.
The government has sought to boost domestic sales by ordering civil
servants to
serve pork at official banquets.
But such gestures, and Lee's televised pork feast, seem to have had limited
success.
``The meat those officials are eating on TV has been rigorously
safety-checked. But
it's hard to trust what you just buy in the market,'' said one shopper at
Taipei's
Tungmen market, who wouldn't give her name.
However, restaurant-goers are back to ordering pork dumplings, wontons and
soup,
says Tsai Tien-hsiang, owner of a family-run chain of Taipei noodle shops.
Taiwanese eat nearly 90 pounds of pork a year on average, compared with
less than
seven pounds of beef, and butchers say prices are stabilizing, if only
because the
slaughter has left so little pork on the market.
``The price is slowly recovering, but the customers still aren't coming,''
says Lin
Yu-sheng, who runs a pork stall at Tungmen.
He says he used to sell 80-90 pounds of pork a day, but sells only 10-20
pounds
now. Pork chops, $3.60 a pound before the disease hit, bottomed out at
less than
half that, before climbing back to $2.70 a pound, says Lin.
The government has promised farmers $430 million to ease the blow and finance
low-interest loans.
Delays in procuring vaccines may have worsened the crisis. Several
thousand of
Taiwan's 25,123 pork farms bought smuggled Chinese vaccines, despite doubts
about their effectiveness, the Agricultural Council says.
Meanwhile, the Council has been denounced by animal rights groups for
allowing
pigs to be bludgeoned to death or buried alive.
Supplies of electric prods are sufficient now, though lack of equipment at
first led to
some ``undesirable'' practices, says Chen Chung-chang, vice director of the
Council's Animal Industry Department.
Buddhist groups have set up altars to appease the spirits of slaughtered
pigs.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 06:44:50 +0000
>From: Lawrence Carter-Long
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: idals@mindspring.com, aavsonline@aol.com
Subject: Newswire: New AIDS Vaccine Protects Chimps (US)
Message-ID: <33683BE2.D22@arc.unm.edu>
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Wednesday April 30 1:48 PM EDT
New AIDS Vaccine Protects Chimps
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- For the first time, researchers have protected two chimpanzees from
HIV-infection by using an experimental DNA-based vaccine, according to a new report.
However, much more study is needed to confirm the results and to determine if the vaccine would
be effective in humans, according to the report in the current issue of the journal Nature
Medicine.
"I think this is significant result," said Dr. Alan Schultz, chief of preclinical aids vaccine
development
branch at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in Bethesda, Maryland. "It's
the
first time that DNA alone has been shown to protect a primate, in this case a chimpanzee, from
virus
challenge -- but I think it's a very modest step."
Other vaccines have had similar chimp-protecting results, but did not pan out as a workable
human
vaccine, he noted. DNA-based vaccines are currently being tested for other illnesses as well, such
as hepatitis and influenza.
"We will have to wait to see whether this vaccine will become an HIV-1 vaccine," said senior
investigator Dr. David Weiner in a release from the University of Pennsylvania. "A great deal of
work
remains to be done before we can say that. But these results do give us confidence to go
forward,"
said Weiner, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
The experimental vaccine contains a circle of DNA, called a plasmid, that carries HIV genes.
Some
cells of the body absorb the plasmid, and the DNA begins to produce HIV proteins -- without any
virus or infectious agent that could wreak havoc with the immune system. The researcher hope
the
foreign proteins will stimulate the immune system to attack and destroy the real virus if exposed.
Two chimpanzees were given the vaccine, one was given the vaccine without any HIV genes and
another received no vaccine at all. Two of the vaccinated chimps were injected with HIV eight
times,
and sensitive blood tests showed very low levels of the virus -- about 50 copies per milliliter of
blood -- 6 to 8 weeks after inoculation. However, later tests showed no signs of the invader. The
chimpanzee without the vaccine, on the other hand, had 10,000 copies of the virus per milliliter of
blood after exposure to HIV.
The research was a done in collaboration with scientists at the University of South Florida in
Tampa,
Coulston Foundation in Alamogordo, New Mexico, Harvard University in Boston and Apollon
Inc.,
in Malvern, Pennsylvania,
Because chimpanzees do not get sick with an AIDS-like illness, it's impossible to tell if the vaccine
would protect against immune dysfunction. And it's not clear if the vaccine protects against other
strains of HIV.
"This is a significant observation, but its not time to start talking about when we should we expect
to
line up for our own vaccination," Schultz said.
SOURCE: Nature Medicine (1997;3:526-530)
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 07:04:52 +0000
>From: Lawrence Carter-Long
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: aavsonline@aol.com, idals@mindspring.com
Subject: Newswire: Vaccine Prevents AIDS Infection in Chimps (US)
Message-ID: <33684094.14C8@arc.unm.edu>
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New Vaccine Prevents AIDS Infection in Chimps
PHILADELPHIA (Reuter) - Researchers reported Tuesday they had
successfully vaccinated two chimpanzees against the virus that causes
AIDS, pointing the way to possible use of the technique in humans.
The vaccine's effectiveness is unprecedented in a primate species,
which, like humans, is susceptible to infection with the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the University of Pennsylvania said. The
DNA-based technology used to produce the vaccine could also be used in
fighting other diseases, researchers said.
Results of the study were published in the May issue of the journal
Nature Medicine.
"We were able to protect (against HIV infection), and we were able to
protect against a signficant dose," lead researcher David Weiner, told
Reuters by telephone. "While this is encouraging ... how close we are
really (to a human AIDS vaccine) is going to require work in the
clinic."
Referring to the technique in general, he said, "it's likely that DNA
vaccines will find a place in human diseases."
In addition, preliminary findings in related research have shown that
treatment with the vaccine can also reduce the presence of HIV in
chimpanzees previously infected, Weiner said. He is an associate
professor in pathology and laboratory medicine at the University.
The scientists reported that two chimpanzees treated with the vaccine
were protected against exposure to HIV in quantitities large enough to
infect 250 animals. The virus succeeded in infecting a control animal,
which received a similar injection that lacked the vaccine.
The vaccinated chimps were virus-free when checked as long as 48 weeks
after exposure, although each of them briefly tested positive for the
virus within 6-8 weeks after exposure. This is consistent with the way
traditional vaccines work against disease, Weiner said.
"There was some limited replication (of HIV), but the immune system
was ultimately able to effectively control that infection," he said.
The vaccine was made through a new DNA-based technique using genes
that help make up the virus. The genes, representing about 75 percent
of the proteins in the virus from both its outer coat and core, are
"weakened" to block their molecular function and injected into the
body.
These genes in turn stimulate the both arms of the human immune system
-- the antibody and "killer T cell" responses -- to attack the virus
when it invades the body.
Weiner said the DNA technique enables killer T cells to find and
attack viruses inside cells. This is a feature shared with older-style
vaccines using live but weakened viruses.
But unlike live vaccines, the DNA-based vaccines appear to carry no
risk of reverting to infectious agents, Weiner said. Vaccines based on
dead viruses, while safer to use, are unable to stimulate killer T
cell function.
Studies have suggested that to control HIV infection both components
of the immune system would have to attack the virus, which can
reproduce inside the cell. Vaccine genes do not become a permanent
part of the recipient's genetic makeup.
Rights to the vaccine technology are held by Malvern,
Pennsylvania-based Apollon Inc., a privately held firm, under
stipulations of a grant program funding the research.
Apollon said separately it was conducting clinical studies in humans
with a portion of the vaccine -- that relating to the outer coat of
HIV -- at the University of Pennsylvania and the National Institutes
of Health. The company said it aimed to begin trials of the viral-core
related component soon.
Apollon president Vincent Zurawski also said the company was testing
the use of the technology in vaccines against herpes simplex virus,
papilloma and hepatitis B and C.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 10:55:16 -0400
>From: Animal Alliance of Canada
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: More info on hiring...
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501093241.006aca5c@inforamp.net>
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I didn't realize that our signature did not appear on my last message
regerding hiring Canadian students for the summer.
Here is how to contact Animal Alliance:
Animal Alliance of Canada
221 Broadview Ave. Suite 101
Toronto, On M4M 2G3
Phone: (416)462-9541
Fax: (416)462-9647
E-mail: aac@inforamp.net
Website: www.inforamp.net/~aac
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 10:55:17 -0400
>From: Animal Alliance of Canada
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (CA)Compassionate Shopping Guide
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501094649.006aca5c@inforamp.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Animal Alliance of Canada has just published our 1997 Compassionate
Shopping Guide. Copies are free, but keep in mind this Guide covers
companies who's products appear in Canada only. The list is also available
on our website at: www.inforamp.net/~aac
If anyone wants copes to be distributed, or for personal use please contact
Animal Alliance of Canada at:
221 Broadview Ave. Suite 101
Toronto,On M4M 2G3
Phone: (416)462-9541
Fax: (416)462-9647
aac@inforamp.net
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 07:51:32 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK, 1997
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970501105723.2ae7ce5c@pop.igc.org>
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> THE WHITE HOUSE
>
> Office of the Press Secretary
>
> _______________________________________________________________
>
> For Immediate Release April 19, 1997
>
>
> NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK, 1997
>
> - - - - - - -
>
> BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
>
> A PROCLAMATION
>
>
> Our Nation is blessed with a wealth of wildlife, wild
> places, and natural resources that enrich the lives of all
> Americans. Conserving our wildlife -- whether antelope or
> grizzly bear, salmon or serpent, or plumed bird -- is of urgent
> importance. Our vast system of wildlife refuges has played a
> vital role in this endeavor. Helping to ensure greater harmony
> between people and nature, more than 92 million acres of land
> and waters are dedicated to wildlife conservation, encompassing
> 500 refuges, with at least one in every State and within a short
> drive of most major cities. These wonderful resources provide
> opportunities for people of all ages and from all walks of life,
> and from cities, suburbs, and the rural heartland, to learn
> about and participate in the effort to preserve the places and
> wildlife that contribute so much to our Nation's heritage and
> natural wealth.
>
> The appreciation and protection of wildlife, particularly
> of endangered or threatened species, is both the right and
> responsibility of all Americans. Indeed, countless individuals
> and private volunteer organizations across the United States
> have already made a significant contribution to wildlife
> protection. Only by engaging communities in conservation,
> by taking note of and rewarding community service efforts,
> and by maintaining diverse approaches to wildlife protection,
> can we preserve our wildlife today and for future generations.
>
> We set aside this week to celebrate the role that citizens
> and private volunteer organizations play in engaging in service
> activities, and in advancing the knowledge, appreciation, and
> protection of wildlife and the environment. Let us also work
> to spread this message to broader audiences and encourage all
> individuals and groups to contribute to this national goal. I
> urge all Americans, private organizations, businesses, community
> leaders, elected officials and governmental agencies to do all
> they can to preserve and value the role of wildlife resources
> in our lives. This tradition of nature education will continue
> to teach our children how to be lifelong stewards of the
> environment and help to build the knowledge and understanding
> essential to the protection of nature's abundant gifts.
>
> NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
> United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested
> in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States,
> do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 26, 1997, as National
> Wildlife Week. I ask all Americans to find ways to promote the
> conservation and protection of our wildlife and wild places.
>
> IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
> nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen
> hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the
> United States of America the two hundred and twenty-first.
>
>
> WILLIAM J. CLINTON
>
>
> # # #
>
>
>
>
>
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 12:24:08 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Dolphin emergency
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501122405.006b79bc@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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from private e-mail:
-------------------------------
URGENT ALERT
The first animal bill of the year is likely to be on the floor of
the U.S. House of Representatives next week, and it's an awful bill.
Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved, and sent to
the floor, H.R. 408, the so-called "Dolphin Death bill. Sponsored by
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest and backed by the infamous Rep. Don Young, the
bill would gut dolphin protection laws to allow Mexican commercial tuna
fishers to market their tuna in the United States as "dolphin safe"
even if dolphins were chased, harassed, encircled with nets, and
injured and killed.
The animal protection community has been united in opposing this
terrible bill, and we've been joined by Sierra Club, Defenders of
Wildlife, Earth Island Institute, the Teamsters, National Consumers
League, and about 80 other organizations. Supporting it are the wise
use movement, the tuna boat industry, Mexico and other Latin countries,
and five environmental groups.
It is critical that readers contact their U.S. Representatives and
urge them to vote "NO" on H.R. 408. The bill
* lifts the embargo on dolphin deadly tuna.
* gives Mexico and other Latin American countries our "dolphin safe"
label even if dolphins are encircled with nets and harmed and killed.
* dupes consumers.
* caves in to pressure from foreign lobbyists and governments.
Let me know if you have questions about where your Representative
is on the issue. You can reach all Congressional offices by calling
the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Thank you for your help. Again, this is the first animal bill to
come up in the 105th Congress. We must kill it.
If you wish, please call your Senators about the Senate companion
bill. S. 39. Tell them to oppose S. 39.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 12:43:45 -0400
>From: "Zoocheck Canada Inc."
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Lecture by Jeffrey M. Masson
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501124337.006f6494@idirect.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii"
When Elephants Weep - A Lecture by Jeffrey M. Masson
On Thursday June 5, 1997, at 7.30 pm., Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author
of the internationally acclaimed book When Elephants Weep,
The Emotional Lives of Animals, will present a lecture at
the J.J.R. McLeod Auditorium in Toronto. The event is sponsored by
Zoocheck Canada.
For more information, or to order tickets, please phone (416-696-0241),
fax (416-696-0370) or e-mail Zoocheck.
Zoocheck Canada Inc.
3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729
Toronto, ON M4N 3P6
(416) 696-0241 Ph
(416) 696-0370 Fax
E-Mail: zoocheck@idirect.com
Web Site: http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck
Registered Charity No. 0828459-54
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:03:35 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (SG) Plant hormones offer new hope for menopause
Message-ID: <199705011703.BAA16795@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
MAY 1 1997
Plant hormones offer new hope for menopause
By Lea Wee
PLANT hormones found in some herbs and soya products seem to
offer a promising alternative to conventional hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) for relieving menopausal symptoms such as hot
flushes and nervousness.
But the role of these plant hormones, called phytoestrogens, in
preventing long-term problems like heart disease and osteoporosis
in menopausal women is still not clear, said Associate Professor
John Eden from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
He was speaking at a public forum on Aging Gracefully:
Alternative Ways to Manage Your Menopause, organised by the
Obstetrics And Gynaecological Society of Singapore, on Saturday.
In an interview with The Straits Times, he pointed out that there
is good evidence -- from about 16 studies done in Germany over 30
years -- that a herbal supplement, remifemin, helps relieve
menopausal symptoms.
Early findings from a Singapore General Hospital study of 23
women with at least two menopausal symptoms found that after
three months' of taking the extract made from the rattle weed, a
flowering shrub found in central North America, the incidence of
symptoms was halved.
Some symptoms, such as hot flushes and nervousness, were reduced
by as much as 60 per cent.
Prof Eden added that a few uncontrolled studies have also
suggested that a diet rich in soya products -- such as soya bean
juice and soya bean curd -- may also reduce the number and
severity of flushes.
Phytoestrogens appear to be relatively free of side effects.
However, HRT, which replaces the female hormone oestrogen, has
been associated with side effects such as breast pain and the
resumption of menstrual bleeding.
There is also a small risk of developing breast cancer.
Prof Eden added that about half of the 15-20 per cent of
Australian women who took HRT stopped within six months due to
these reasons.
He said: "Some women also feel they should not be taking a drug
for menopause, which is a natural process of being a woman."
But phytoestrogens usually take longer to take effect.
For instance, the full effects of remifemin, which has been sold
over-the-counter in Singapore since last year, come after about
three months.
HRT takes only a month.
He said: "For women who are having 50 flushes a day, who cannot
function or sleep, we will still recommend HRT."
The role of phytoestrogens in preventing long-term problems in
menopausal women is still not clear, though early findings from
the SGH study showed that remifemin seems to help prevent bone
loss.
Until more studies are done, HRT remains "the gold standard" in
providing protection for menopausal women against osteoporosis
and heart disease.
"But these effects of HRT are usually seen after 20 to 30 years
and many women simply refuse to be on HRT for so long," said Prof
Eden.
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:03:58 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: jwed@hkstar.com
Subject: (TH) Wildlife Centre with Vegetarian Founder
Message-ID: <199705011703.BAA15528@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Bangkok Post
May 1, 1997
It's a jungle out there
A wildlife centre in northern Thailand is a haven
for maltreated beasts and a place where humans can
learn to love creatures not of their own species
[Photo] -----------------------------------------
Talk to the animals: Visitors are
introduced to Teddy, a three-year-old Asian black
bear who was bought as a pet and then dumped when
he grew too big.
Story and pictures by Rachel Flower
----------------------------------------------------
Southeast Asia is blessed with some of
the most spectacular vegetation and
wildlife in the world. However if
present trends continue, this
luxuriant natural resource could soon
be little more than a beautiful
memory.
Much of the region's rare and exotic
wildlife is falling prey to the most
brutal of predators: illegal poachers.
The market is huge and lucrative as
customers are willing to pay
handsomely for the prestige of owning
a gibbon, a bear or even a tiger,
knowing nothing of the cruelty of
their capture, nor how to feed and
handle such creatures. Many animals
are also destined for the cooking pot,
particularly black bears whose paws
are considered a delicacy in parts of
Asia.
A few determined individuals have
dedicated their lives to alerting the
public to the plight of the region's
endangered species. One such person is
Marianne Willemse, founder of Chiang
Mai's animal haven and Interspecies
Communication Centre in Thailand.
Located 20 kilometres from the city,
the centre cares for maltreated and
unwanted wild animals.
Her "family" includes several gibbons
(rescued from markets), monkeys, civet
cats, leopards, birds and an
impressive three-year-old Asian black
bear called Teddy.
"Teddy is one of the lucky ones," says
Marianne, explaining how he was bought
as a pet and then dumped when he
became too "active". In other words,
the owner became scared of the growing
bear and his growing teeth, as is so
often the case.
Many bear cubs are smuggled into
Thailand from Burma, Laos and Cambodia
(their mothers often having been
killed) and sold as pets. But as they
grow, they become very powerful and
dangerous to handle. The food bill
also becomes enormous and many owners
cannot afford to build cages big
enough to house the animals.
So invariably, the bear ends up in a
tiny cage in the corner of a garden
somewhere. Owners may consider
donating them to temples, thinking
they will make merit and get rid of
the unwanted pet at the same time.
But often, the monks don't want the
bears either and keep them because
they don't know what else to do.
Again, the bears are often kept in
cruelly small cages.
"But these are the more fortunate
ones," says Marianne, and tells the
horrific tale of the many bear
restaurants in Asia and how the paws
are sought after to satisfy the exotic
tastes of their customers,
particularly in Korea and Taiwan.
---------------------------------------
[Photo]
The welcoming committee: A flock of
geese patrol the grounds of the
Interspecies Communication Centre.
---------------------------------------
"Sometimes the paws are even cut off
or cooked while the animal is still
alive," she adds. "Believe me, the
paws are much better left on the
bear."
Thai authorities are beginning to
clamp down and several seizures of
bears and bear carcasses have been
made, but the trade continues to
thrive.
Every plant and animal has a role to
play in the maintenance of a healthy
ecosystem, says Marianne, and she
explains the valuable work that bears
do, describing them as "nature's
gardeners".
They remove pests and fungus from tree
bark ensuring a longer life for the
tree. They also germinate and spread
the seeds of certain trees by eating
the fruits and passing the seeds. Many
of these plants would otherwise be
unable to propagate.
Many of the animals in Marianne's care
have been given to her by Forestry
Department officials after being
confiscated from poachers seeking to
supply the illegal market in exotic
pets. Elmo is one such case.
This adorable young gibbon clings to
Marianne as she speaks. Seeing his
expressive features and endearing need
for contact, it is easy to understand
why so many people wish to possess
such a loving pet. The truth about
their capture, however, is far from
lovely.
"See this," says Marianne holding out
the ape's one-fingered hand. "They cut
off the other fingers to separate him
from his mother."
Marianne goes on to tell how, in order
to catch a baby gibbon, the mother has
to be shot. She falls to the ground
with the baby, if still alive,
clinging to her. Sometimes the baby
clings so tightly that the only way
the poachers can get it off is to
sever its fingers.
"Many of our rescued gibbons have
fingers missing," says Marianne.
"These animals will never be able to
swing in the trees."
The survival rate for baby gibbons
living in captivity as pets is
extremely low - perhaps one in twenty
sold in markets survive the first
year. Nevertheless, illegal hunting of
the creatures has reached dangerous
levels in rainforests throughout
Southeast Asia, pushing gibbons closer
to extinction.
Deforestation is also threatening
their survival. Being almost solely
tree dwellers (some gibbons never
touch the ground) they rely on a thick
forest canopy for their movement and
nourishment. The canopy acts as a lid,
keeping in moisture and trapped rain
water for drinking, and supporting a
host of insects which form part of the
gibbons' diet.
Even a single road running through
gibbon territory can devastate their
environment for it breaks the canopy
and limits their movements.
Another threatened species is the
swallow, whose nests are a prized
delicacy for many a Chinese palate.
Poachers scale the walls of the caves,
take the nests and throw any eggs or
young chicks to the ground to die.
Tigers in the wild are all but extinct
in this part of the world. And again,
this has much to do with the exotic
tastes of those who fall under the
illusion that certain tiger parts will
make them healthier and stronger, or
those who simply want an unusual pet.
Marianne recently helped relocate two
Siberian tigers which had been housed
for years in a tiny filthy pit in
northern Thailand. Six by four metres
and full of faeces, the pit had never
been cleaned, the owners being too
scared to let the tigers out.
Countless wild animals such as these
have been relocated or adopted by the
Interspecies Communication Centre in
the five years it has been in
operation. Marianne hopes that with
the expansion of the centre's work,
not only can more animals be saved,
but the cruel practice of poaching
could one day be stopped altogether.
Unfortunately, most of the animals she
has rescued will never again know life
in the wild, having already lost their
ability to forage for themselves and
be productive members of the forest
community.
"Each animal has a job," says
Marianne, "So it's important for them
all to be there in the forest. When
people take them out, it disturbs a
fine balance that nature has
perfected. Whatever we do in one place
affects another place, and so we must
learn to understand the diversity and
interconnectedness of life."
She hopes one day that the centre will
be a halfway house for the offspring
of captured animals, but such plans
remain on hold for the time being as
Marianne focuses her energy on
educational projects.
Raising community awareness of the
cruel practices of poachers is an
important part of reducing the demand
for exotic pets, she says. Illegal
poaching will continue as long as
there are customers willing to pay
large sums of money, so the centre
aims to inform people of how the
animals are captured.
And the animals themselves are great
teachers - ambassadors for their
companions in the wild. The many
children who frequent the centre
certainly seem to be getting the point
and are helping spread the message.
Close contact with these tame wild
animals helps them to feel closer to
nature and learn to love and respect
their environment.
"We get to feed them, touch them, love
them," says 13-year-old Patisha who
comes to the centre every week. "Plus
a free lice check from Elmo!"
The children enjoy the many activities
on offer which includes art, singing
and sleepovers where they get to wake
up to the sounds of nature.
Now in the process of constructing an
art sala at the centre, Marianne plans
to start a cottage industry making
decorative animal shapes from recycled
rubbish.
"So many animals have suffered to
produce these products," says
Marianne, referring to the animal
testing carried out by many
manufacturers, "So I want to make them
useful."
She also prints endangered species
T-shirts and cards for sale at the
centre, and spends much of her time
preparing for presentations she is
invited to give to various groups
around Chiang Mai.
As well as raising public awareness of
illegal poaching through her
presentations, she takes the
opportunity to promote vegetarianism
as a way to reduce cruelty to animals.
"Do you know your role on the planet?"
asks Marianne at a public talk. "It's
definitely not to be a carnivore," and
she cites meat eating as one of the
reasons there is a food shortage in
the world.
Large areas of rainforest are cleared
to make pasture for beef cattle, and
as the big fastfood chains get a
foothold in the Asian market, the
future looks grim for the forest and
its wildlife.
"Did you know that five square metres
of cleared rainforest equals a 100
gramme beef burger," she tells the
audience.
"Animals are my friends. I don't eat
my friends," says Marianne, and animal
friendship is the feeling you get in
the extensive grounds of the
Interspecies Communication Centre.
This is a place where gibbons talk to
cats, geese to dogs, and bears to
monkeys. And no one here will think
you're mad if you talk to the animals
too.
In fact, the staff at the centre
encourage visitors to listen to the
animals. And just maybe, if their
message is heard by enough people, the
wild creatures could be assured of a
bright future under a thick forest
canopy stretching for miles in all
directions.
Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:04:07 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (JP) Osaka cat thieves nabbed red-handed
Message-ID: <199705011704.BAA16515@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Asahi Shimbun
April 30, 1997
NATIONAL: Osaka cat thieves nabbed red-handed
OSAKA--Cat protection group members turned over two cat snatchers to Osaka
police Tuesday morning after nabbing them near their truck with
cat-catching traps in hand, police said.
The members found 30 other boxes inside the truck, releasing 12 cats found
there, police said.
Two of the cats took to their heels when the boxes were opened but the
remaining 10 were taken to a veterinary hospital in Kobe.
One of the cats was wearing a collar bearing the telephone number of its
owner and was returned to its home in Osaka's Nishi Ward later the same
day, they said.
The two captured feline nabbers told investigators they intended to sell
the cats to samisen manufacturers. Samisen are Japanese traditional
stringed instruments which use cat skins in their construction.
The cat protection group in Kobe said it first received a call from a woman
in Osaka's Naniwa Ward in the early hours of Tuesday morning saying there
was a trap on the first floor of her apartment building containing a cat.
Six members hurried to the site and caught the two men when they came to
collect the box at around 5:20 a.m., the group members said.
The group pointed out that cats are often caught in and around Osaka and
then sold to samisen manufacturers or to laboratories for animal
experiments.
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:04:15 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Global warming, city sprawl breeding new diseases
Message-ID: <199705011704.BAA18588@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>DAWN
27 April 1997
Global warming, city sprawl breeding new diseases
By Chris Mihill
LONDON: Global warming and the rapid growth of megacities around the world
are breeding new diseases as well as bringing back infections once thought
to have been conquered, an international specialist warned on Thursday.
Doctors and public health specialists now needed the help of experts in
ecology, veterinary science, meteorology, agriculture and forestry to try
to spot where the next threat to health would emerge, said Paul Epstein, of
the Centre for Health and the Global Environment, at Harvard Medical School
in the United States.
Periods of transition, particularly the growth of huge new cities lacking
sanitation, opened the way for pests carrying viruses and bacteria to
proliferate, said Dr Epstein. This had been true of the Justinian plague of
AD 541, of the Black Death in 1346, and of the 19th century epidemics of
tuberculosis, smallpox and cholera — and was true now.
Dr Epstein told an international conference on new and resurgent infections
at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine there was growing
evidence that climate change and population growth were interacting to
damage natural biological defence mechanisms and thus to threaten human
health.
As an example, algal blooms of plankton, the huge growth of which were
turning seas red or brown, had recently been found to be carriers of
cholera. Outbreaks of the disease had followed the growth of algal blooms
off Bangladesh. The plankton had passed directly into river water used for
drinking, but the cholera could also be passed by eating fish or shellfish.
Dr Epstein said that within months of plankton blooms being seen in the
Black Sea near the Crimea, there had been a cholera outbreak in Moscow.
It was possible the plankton also acted as a marine reservoir of salmonella
and shigella, which could cause food poisoning and dysentery. One cause of
algal blooms was the use of fertilizers in farming.—Dawn/The Guardian News
Service
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 13:07:50 -0400 (EDT)
>From: JanaWilson@aol.com
To: Ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Oklahoma City's Spay/Neuter Drive
Message-ID: <970501130749_1886476773@emout07.mail.aol.com>
In 1915 the American Humane Association established the
first national week for animals -- "Be Kind to Animals Week".
Recognized officially by the 103rd Congress, it is now the oldest
week of its kind in the nation.
On May 4 thru the 10th, animal agencies throught this country
will continue to honor BKAW's 82 year-old message of being
kind to animals. Volunteers for Animal Welfare, Inc. (VAW)
will celebrate this week by sponsoring its annual reduced-cost
spay and neuter progrsm , "Operation Fix-it".
"Operation Fix-it" will kick off on May 4th and end on May 31st.
Pet owners can call VAW's spay and neuter hotline at
(405) 843-4755 to receive the list of eleven participating veterinary
clinics and hospitals located through out the Oklahoma City
Metro area.
VAW strongly believes that spaying and neutering is truly one
of the kindest acts a pet owner can do for their pets. The
only alternative to pet birth control is the mass destruction of
millions of unwanted surplus pets. This is not only costly to
the taxpayer but repulsive to all of us who care. Spaying and
neutering also has several health benefits for pets and enhances
their contentment. If pet owners already have their pets
neutered, VAW challenges them to celebrate "Be Kind to
Animals Week" by offering to spay or neuter a pet belonging to
others such as your friends, neighbors, relatives, and senior
citizens.
For the Animals,
Jana, OKC
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 13:32:49 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Icare87855@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Bruner withdraws candidacy from Florida Game Commission
Message-ID: <970501133249_1651713794@emout09.mail.aol.com>
Glee over Joe Bruner's demise on the Fla. Game and Freshwater Fish Commission
is a bit presumptuous at this point, regrettably. According to news accounts
and the HSUS, whose Ken Johnson has done a laudatory job on the matter since
Bruner's name first arose, Bruner's "withdrawal" was merely from the
confirmation hearings.
When asked if he was RESIGNING his post, appointed by coonskin cap wearin'
Governor Chiles, he refused to answer the question definitively. His
withdrawal from the confirmation proceedings means nothing. The full senate
will not vote this year on whether to confirm him, and he can remain in his
"acting commissioner" post until the senate holds hearings next spring.
There is a possibility, of course, that he will resign. We can only hope
that will be the case.
Charlene Inglis
I CARE
P.O. Box 279
Osprey (Sarasota), Florida 34229
941/966-4075
FAX 966-7647
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 11:55:17 -0600 (MDT)
>From: SPYKE@arc.unm.edu (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Paul Watson Faces New Charges
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
This news story is from the Environment News Service:
http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ens/
---
WATSON FACES NEW CHARGES
MARINA DEL REY, California, Apr. 30, 1997 (ENS) - The Norwegian government
has filed new charges against Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson in addition
to the demand for his extradition to Norway from the Netherlands. Watson is
being held in Lelystad Penitentiary awaiting an extradition hearing. His
application for bail was denied. The case will be heard on May 26 at the
Haarlem Court.
Norway wants Watson extradited to serve a sentence of 120 days in jail
imposed when he was tried "in absentia," that is while he was not present.
The case involved the scuttling of a Norwegian whaling ship at port in the
Lofoten Islands in 1992.
Three additional charges have now been filed by the Norwegian government.
They all relate to the 1994 encounter between the Sea Shepherd vessel,
Whales Forever, and the Norwegian Coast Guard ship, the Andenes.
The Norwegians allege, "...that the Whales Forever has navigated in such a
manner that another ship has been damaged or has been endangered."
Norway has charged Watson with, "...violation of the regulations regarding
the entry to Norwegian territory in peacetime of alien and non-military
ships;" and, "...violation of the regulations regarding distress-signals
and other emergency-signals."
Watson maintains that the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel rammed his unarmed
ship. At least 10 journalists were aboard the Whales Forever, and Watson
claims that their video footage will show that the Norwegian ship was the
one at fault in the incident. The Sea Shepherd says these journalists are
willing to testify in court in Watson's defence. The Norwegians also have
video of the incident showing the Sea Shepherd ship to be at fault which is
often shown on Norwegian TV. Sea Shepherd claims the Norwegian video is
heavily edited.
The Sea Shepherd position is that Watson is being held responsible for the
actions of the Norwegian government, embarrassed at the failure to take him
into custody when the Coast Guard ship confronted Whales Forever in
international waters off their coast.
Just where the incident occurred is at issue. The Norwegians charge it took
place in Norwegian waters, while the Sea Shepherd statements consistently
say Whales Forever never entered Norwegian waters.
In prison Watson views this as a critical time to focus attention on
Norway's continued "illegal" whaling activities. He uses the word "illegal"
not with regard to Norwegian laws, but in terms of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC). Norway is not a member of the IWC, which has
imposed a global ban on commercial whaling since 1986.
Watson, an early Greenpeace organizer in Vancouver, British Columbia in
1971, has actively opposed Norway's commercial whaling operations since
1992. Widely distributed photographs of him from 1976 show him as a
Greenpeacer confronting Russian whaling vessels in a small inflatable raft,
the first action of this now popular type of protest.
Watson is a Canadian citizen whose past marine mammal protection campaigns
include seal hunt protests off the coast of Newfoundland in the 1970s and
early 1980s during which he popularized the spraying of baby whitecoat
seals with green paint to make their pelts worthless. He takes credit for
the sinking of Spanish and Portugese whalers, has fought to save dolphins
in Japan, the Caribbean, and the United States, and has worked against
driftnet fishing in all the oceans of the world. He ran for mayor of
Vancouver last year, but lost to the incumbent.
Watson was arrested by Dutch authorities at Schiphol Airport April 2 on an
Interpol warrant from Norway. He had been released after a hearing by
German authorities on the same warrant three days earlier. Watson was
arrested March 31 by the Germans in the port of Bremerhaven while
supervising the transfer of the newest Sea Shepherd vessel in preparation
for a campaign against drift netting in the Mediterranean.
The Sea Shepherd home office in Marina del Rey has mounted an international
campaign to pressure the Dutch government to release Watson. His wife and
the organization's International Director Lisa Distefano fears that he will
not get a fair trial in Norway, and that he will be killed in a Norwegian
prison. "Paul has received specific death threats from Norwegians for
years," says Distefano. "If Paul is imprisoned in Norway, we know he'll
never leave alive."
Watson supporters have been demonstrating in various places around the the
world since he was jailed. On April 16 A demonstration was held at both The
Ministry of Justice and the Norwegian Consulate, The Hague.
In Montreal on April 15 a demonstration took place at the Dutch consulate.
That day in Los Angeles a stellar group of Hollywood notables held a news
conference in Watson's support.
On April 14 in Stockholm a group demonstrated at the Dutch Embassy. In
Toronto, on the 14th, more than 100 demonstrators gathered at Toronto
Ryerson Rink, and took part in a protest march. On April 5 Toronto Police
sealed off a downtown city block where 100 demonstrators chanted "Free Paul
Watson!"
On April 10 in New York Watson supporters walked from the Dutch Consulate
to the Norwegian Consulate.
Norwegian newspapers report that in the event of Watson's extradition, the
Norwegian military will seek compensation for the damages caused
to the Coast Guard cutter Andenes in the collision with Sea Shepherd's
Whales Forever. Johan Wroldsen, chief of the legal office of the military
high command, estimates damages at 1 million kroner, including interest.
---
The EnviroNews Service | E-Mail: newsdesk@envirolink.org
A Project of the EnviroLink Network | Phone : (412) 683-6400
General Info: info@envirolink.org | Fax : (412) 683-8460
To un/subscribe, send an e-mail message to: listproc@envirolink.org with
the word: HELP as the body of the message, and then follow the directions.
Lawrence Carter-Long
LCartrLong@aol.com
SPYKE@arc.unm.edu
"Nothing is given to humanity, and the little we can conquer is paid for
with unjust deaths, but humanity's greatness lies elsewhere. It lies in
our decision to be stronger than our condition, and if our condition is
unjust we have only one way of overcoming it, which is to be just
ourselves." -- Albert Camus, 1944.
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 11:58:11 -0600 (MDT)
>From: SPYKE@arc.unm.edu (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: "Gift" of Rhinos To London Zoo Challenged
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
This news story is from the Environment News Service:
http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ens/
---
"GIFT" OF RHINOS TO LONDON ZOO CHALLENGED
By Deepak Gajurel
KATHMANDU, Nepal, Apr. 28, 1997 (ENS) - Conservationists and environmental
journalists in Nepal are furious when over the capture last week of two
one-horned rhinos to send to London Zoo as "gift."
One male and one female rhinoceros were trapped Thursday by the officials
of two organizations: the Department of National Parks and Wildlife
Conservation (DNPWC), a government department, and the King Mahendra Trust
for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), a government-run group. The wild rhinos
were captured in Royal Chitwan National Park, on Nepal's southern plains,
bordering India.
Nepal is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES), which requires a clear and transparent policy for the
transfer of any endangered wild animal for scientific research. Nepal does
not have any policy in this regard. "If Nepali government wants to 'gift'
the rhinos out to London Zoo for research, there must be a clear policy
under the provisions of CITES. Handing over of rhinos without having any
policy is a violation of CITES," says journalist Gopal Guragain, a
specialist in wildlife issues.
Guragain suspects that the endangered and precious wild animals are
actually being sold, although the transfer is being called a gift. "If the
government is giving rhinos legally and with the CITES norms, why are all
things done secretly?" Guragain questions.
London Zoo's pursuit of the rhinoceroses started in 1993 when the Zoo sent a
letter to Forest Ministry asking for two females. There was an attempt to
transfer two rhinos to London Zoo last year in the same manner. But a
strong protest from the press and wildlife conservation experts succeeded
in aborting the government's attempt.
A 1994 count revealed that there are about 460 one-horned rhinos in
different national parks and wildlife reserves in Nepal.
Upon learning of the trapping of the two rhinos in the national park, a
delegation of experts and journalists from Nepal Forum of Environmental
Journalists (NEFEJ) met with the Minister for Environment and Population
Bidhya Devi Bhandari and demanded that the trapped rhinos be released into
the wild immediately.
The delegation urged the minister to formulate appropriate policy in
accordance with the guidelines of CITES before sending any endangered
species to any foreign country. "The minister has assured us that she will
promptly take necessary action in this matter," NEFEJ president Murari
Shivakoti said.
But the situation became more complex with diplomatic pressure from a
friendly but powerful nation, the United Kingdom, applied to the government
of a poorer nation, Nepal, to go against the norms of conservation.
The Nepali Minister for Forests, Rameshwor Raya Yadav, made a decision
late Sunday night to sent the rhinos to London when the British embassy
in Kathmandu exerted pressure on Nepal government to 'make necessary
arrangements to board the endangered rhinos Lufthansa flight on Monday,
April 28.
In an attempt to put pressure on both governments, activists protested
Sunday before the British Embassy in Kathmandu and Lufthansa Airlines'
Kathmandu office. The protest banner said, "Don't Cheat our Conservation;
Don't Steal Our Rhinos; Think Twice, London."
The protesters were not successful in stopping the transfer. The rhinos
were flown Monday to London. The animals were handed over to the London
Zoological Society official by Yadav.
Conservationists are now demanding a transparent policy on the practice of
gifting rhinos. They argue that, on the one hand, no comprehensive studies
have been carried out to ascertain whether the rhino population has reached
a sustainable level in the country, while on the other hand, they allege,
hefty under the table payments are being made in exchange for the
endangered animals.
This one-horned species of rhino is found only in Nepal and in India. Their
habitat is on the borderline between Nepal and India. The rhinos frequently
move across the Nepali-Indian border. Nepali conservationists suggest that
Indian conservationists too have to come forward to prevent such transfers
of endangered and preserved animals.
Twenty-five one-horned rhinos from Nepal have been gifted to different
countries so far. Nine of them were sent after the restoration of democracy
in 1990.
---
The EnviroNews Service | E-Mail: newsdesk@envirolink.org
A Project of the EnviroLink Network | Phone : (412) 683-6400
General Info: info@envirolink.org | Fax : (412) 683-8460
To un/subscribe, send an e-mail message to: listproc@envirolink.org with
the word: HELP as the body of the message, and then follow the directions.
Lawrence Carter-Long
LCartrLong@aol.com
SPYKE@arc.unm.edu
"Nothing is given to humanity, and the little we can conquer is paid for
with unjust deaths, but humanity's greatness lies elsewhere. It lies in
our decision to be stronger than our condition, and if our condition is
unjust we have only one way of overcoming it, which is to be just
ourselves." -- Albert Camus, 1944.
Date: Thu, 1 May 97 13:17:05 UTC
>From: SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: New police unit
Message-ID: <199705011815.OAA10772@envirolink.org>
Tulsa, OK (USA) has a new police unit specifically for animal abuse cases.
Formerly, these cases were handled by homicide - which means they got tossed
aside, usually. The policeman who was interviewed said they were educated
to the fact that stopping animal abuse stops human abuse in the long run.
So far, they've gotten 300 calls for the new unit! They plan on going out on
every single abuse call. This is wonderful news!
-- Sherrill
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 13:48:01 -0500 (CDT)
>From: Suzanne Roy
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Protest Iowa Deer Kill
Message-ID: <199705011848.NAA26886@dfw-ix7.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
CONTACT: Gretchen Hersman, 319/643-2175
IOWA SET TO APPROVE KILLING DEER WITH PISTOLS
In Iowa, the Legislature approved a bill (59-33) allowing a pistol season
for deer hunters. Supporters of the bill claim it will give hunters another
opportunity to enjuoy the outdoors and might help thin the state of Iowa's
large deer herd.
Critics of the bill said legislators were allowing pistol-packing hunters
loose in the woods and warned of the dangers of stray bullets. One
suggested that legislators were so eager to kil deer that the next step
would be a season "for heat-seeking missiles!"
ATTEMPTING TO KILL DEER IN SUCH A MANNER WITH PISTOLS WILL CAUSE
UNTOLD PAIN
AND SUFFERING FOR THE MANY DEER WHO WILL SUFFER AGONIZING DEATHS
MUCH LATER
AS A RESULT OF BEING WOUNDED.
STATUS OF THE BILL: The Governor has been out of town and has not signed
this bill as of yet.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD'S OFFICE AT 1-515-281-5211 OR
SEND
EMAIL TO: ewoolso@max.state.ia.us, and ask that he veto this legislation.
At this time, we do not know how Gov. Branstad feels about this bill.
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 16:18:11 -0400 (EDT)
>From: MINKLIB@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Swedish Attacks Against Mink Farms
Message-ID: <970501161752_-964395313@emout11.mail.aol.com>
We received a communique from Sweden informing us of the following actions.
On April 18th the Wild Minks raided a farm in Eksjo. The targetted farm is
well known for being a top breeder. 46 breeder males were released into the
wild. All of the breeding cards (300) were stolen and a feeding machine was
totally destroyed. All sorts of paperwork was stolen as well., slogans were
painted, and holes were cut in the fence. Traps used to capture escapee mink
were smashed.
That same night a leather shop in Nassjo was attacked. 3 windows were
smashed, slogans were painted, black paint was poured all over the store, and
excrement from a fur farm were smeared over the windows that weren't broken.
On April 19 another mink farm in Eksjo was raided. 50 mink were released,
and the fence was cut open.
These actions follow previously reported attacks by the Wild Minks and the
ALF since the beginning of 1997. So far 5 farms have been hit with live
liberations and arson attacks on processing buildings. The Wild Minks claim
that they will fight until the last fur farm is destroyed.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 18:18:03 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US)APHIS Press Release Genetically Engineered Organisms Press
Release Reissued
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501181801.006ba8ec@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from USDA:
-------------------
Jim Rogers (301) 734-3256
jrogers@aphis.usda.gov
Jerry Redding (202) 720-6959
jredding@usda.gov
USDA AMENDS REGULATIONS FOR GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
ORGANISMS
WASHINGTON, May 1, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is
amending its regulations pertaining to genetically engineered plants
introduced under USDA's notification and petition regulatory processes.
"The amendment will simplify procedures for the introduction of
certain genetically engineered organisms, expedite review for certain
determinations of nonregulated status, and adjust procedures for the
reporting of field tests conducted under notification to the biology of the
test organisms," said John Payne, director for biotechnology and
scientific services with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a
part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area.
Developing and commercializing new genetically engineered plant
varieties most often involves field testing under APHIS oversight,
followed by submission of a petition for determination of nonregulated
status by the agency.
APHIS grants nonregulated status to a new plant variety when it
determines that the new variety has no potential to pose a plant pest risk
and is as safe to grow as any other variety of the same plant.
The amended regulations will allow a broader application of existing
simplified procedures for requests for movement or field testing of
genetically engineered plants. They will also streamline the determination
of nonregulated status for plant varieties that closely resemble other
varieties that have already been through the determination process. This
will enable APHIS, when appropriate, to extend the existing determination
of nonregulated status for new products that do not raise new risk
issues.
For plants that are being evaluated in field tests, reporting
requirements have been made more consistent. For example, for trees
and other long lived plants field data reports will only need to be provided
upon the conclusion of the trial. However, applicants must apply to
APHIS for yearly renewal to ensure appropriate measures are taken
when plants become reproductively mature.
APHIS will also use appropriate guidelines to provide additional
information to developers of regulated articles and other interested
persons regarding procedures, methods, scientific principles, and other
factors that could be considered for various aspects of its regulations.
The first guidelines will provide information to help applicants on requests
for xtension of a determination of nonregulated status.
Payne added that USDA has the responsibility to ensure that, in
releasing any bioengineered plant, no plant pest risk is presented. APHIS
reviewers focus on the biology, propagation, and cultivation of the plant.
The reviewers also consider the source of the engineered genes, the
vector sed to transfer them, and the stability of the insertion.
The original final rule which was printed in the April 24, Federal
Register was retracted April 25, a month before it would have gone into
effect. This final rule supersedes the previous one issued.
For further information on the regulatory changes, contact John
Payne, director, biotechnology and scientific services, 4700 River Road,
Unit 98, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1237; (301) 734-7602. For technical
information, contact Michael Schechtman, biotechnology and scientific
services, plant protection and quarantine, Unit 146, Riverdale, Md.
20737-1237, (301) 734-7601.
Notice of this action is scheduled for publication in the May 2 Federal
Register and becomes effective June 2.
#
NOTE: USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet. Access the APHIS Home Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases."
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically. Send an e-mail message to
majordomo@info.aphis.usda.gov
and leave the subject blank. In the message, type
subscribe press_releases
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:27:31 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-NEWS@envirolink.org
Subject: NASA pulls out of Russian space monkey research
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501191947.02268ea0@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
.c The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA is pulling out of Russian space monkey
research following an investigation into the death of an animal that flew in
space four months ago, officials said Tuesday.
The rhesus monkey died in January after postflight surgery to collect samples
of bone and muscle cells.
Although the other monkey on the two-week spaceflight survived the operation,
an independent review board found an unexpected mortality risk associated
with anesthesia for bone and muscle biopsies upon return to Earth.
NASA said it has determined the risk is unacceptable and discontinued its
participation in monkey experiments on the next Bion mission, scheduled for
1998.
The two monkeys were launched Dec. 24 from Russia. They had restraining rings
screwed into their skulls and electrodes embedded in their muscles as part of
the biomedical tests.
NASA had targeted about $35 million for the two monkey missions, intended to
shed light on the debilitating side effects of space travel.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which had protested NASA's
involvement in the monkey missions, was thrilled with Tuesday's news.
``Our point was always that it's far too dangerous, much too painful for the
monkeys to endure,'' said Mary Beth Sweetland, director of research and
investigations for PETA.
AP-NY-04-22-97 2243EDT
Copyright 1997 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP
news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:27:41 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Gelatin not free of Mad Cow Disease - US FDA panel
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501192343.00de3708@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Robert Rohwer, a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Baltimore, told the committee that if there is a risk of BSE transmission, it
would not be the same for every foodstuff or product that uses gelatin. He
said the risk seemed highest for products that are injected or applied to the
skin, as opposed to eaten.
((Washington commodities desk, 202 898 8467))
23:33 04-24-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:46 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-News@envirolink.org, AR-News@envirolink.org
Cc: mclibel@europe.std.com
Subject: Advisory MHWU Local 420 to Boycott McDonald's
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501193644.00db608c@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
News Editors
ADVISORY...for Tuesday (April 22)
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
-0- WHEN: Tuesday, April 22
12 noon
WHERE: (in front of) Elmhurst Hospital
79-01 Broadway
Elmhurst, Queens
WHAT: Municipal Hospital Workers Union, Local 420, DC 37, AFSCME is
continuing its efforts to stop plans by Elmhurst Hospital to contract out
the employee cafeteria to McDonald's by announcing a boycott and planned
demonstration for Tuesday. The union and community supporters claim that
McDonald's, famous for its fatty, cholesterol packed foods has no place in a
hospital. Employees should be entitled to more nutritional choices of food,
not food like the kind McDonald's sells that can lead to poor diets and
health. -0-
--30--jc/ny MEM
CONTACT: Local 420 AFSCME, New York
Rosia Blackwell-Lawrence, 212/860-1580
fax: 212/996-6576
KEYWORD: NEW YORK
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICINE RESTAURANTS ADVISORY REPEATS: New York
212-752-9600 or 800-221-2462; Boston 617-236-4266 or
800-225-2030; SF 415-986-4422 or 800-227-0845; LA 310-820-9473
Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet
with Hyperlinks to your home page.
URL: http://www.businesswire.com
BW1345 APR 21,1997
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:50 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Kuwait kills cow & 8 calves
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501192944.00da9f8c@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
KUWAIT (Reuter) - Kuwait has killed and burned a cow imported from the
Netherlands and eight calves suspected of infection with mad cow disease,
newspapers reported Sunday.
``On April 16 the suspected cow and the eight calves were burned,'' the Arab
Times quoted an official as saying. One of the calves was the offspring of
the imported cow.
``Just one infected cow was tracked in Kuwait...The suspected cow was
exported to a Kuwaiti farm from Holland in November 1996,'' the
English-language daily added.
Kuwait and the five other Gulf Arab states last July kept their ban on
imports of British beef and beef products as part of measures to combat the
spread of mad cow disease -- bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). REUTER
10:11 04-27-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:51 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Are dogs susceptible to "Mad Cow" disease?
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501192929.00dabdb8@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
By Maggie Fox
LONDON (Reuter) - The British government said Monday its scientists have
found dogs were susceptible to mad cow disease but denied it covered up the
findings, which a spokeswoman described as ``insignificant.''
Scientists critical of the way the government had handled the mad cow crisis
accused it of deliberately hiding the study and said it was important for
understanding mad cow disease.
The debate over the dog study worsens the crisis over bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease), already the cause of tension between
the government and the European Union.
The Independent newspaper reported that government veterinarians had studied
the brains of 444 hunting hounds in 1991 and found they could be infected
with BSE.
Doctors believe cattle got BSE from feed made using the ground-up remains of
sheep infected with scrapie, their own version of the brain-destroying
illness. Dogs would presumably get it from dog food that used infected beef
products.
A spokeswoman for the Agriculture Ministry confirmed the Independent report
but said there were ``no ethical grounds'' to research the matter further.
``It is unnecessary in terms of human health and in terms of animal health,''
she said.
Last year British scientists said they had found a new variant of the human
version of the disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and said it probably
came from eating infected beef.
The European Union immediately banned the export of all British beef
products.
Microbiologist Richard Lacey, who has been critical of the government's
handling of the BSE epidemic in cattle, said the research on dogs could be
important.
``Whenever you get a disease of this sort it takes on the properties of the
host it's in. It's possible dogs develop a disease of this sort that, because
it is in a new host, is slightly different,'' Lacey said in a telephone
interview.
``The more we know about it the better.''
Lacey accused the government of deliberately hiding its findings. ``It's part
of a cover-up. They've only published the minimum they had to on BSE
throughout in order to produce as little as possible for people to worry
about.''
Other animals are known to get spongelike brain diseases from infected beef
-- including cats. Antelope, mink, ostriches and a range of other animals
have also developed their own versions of the deadly brain-wasting disease.
10:18 04-28-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:54 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Cattle feed demand fluctuates with BSE concerns
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501192808.00dd5e24@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
CHICAGO, April 16 (Reuter) - Local and state health officials in Indiana said
they were unaware of a report that an Indiana farmer had died of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human version of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease.
A wire service report on Wednesday attributed the death on Tuesday of a rose
farmer, Joseph Gabor, 62, of Schererville, to BSE. Schererville is about 10
miles south of Hammond, Ind.
A spokesman for the Indiana Department of Health in Indianapolis said the
department was unaware of the report. The Lake County coroner's office, which
covers Schererville, also said it had no information about the report.
Both offices said they would check the report.
Cattle and grain futures prices fell sharply in morning trading as talk of
the possible BSE death spread in the markets on concerns that consumer fears
could cut beef consumption and cattle feed demand.
18:12 04-16-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:44:46 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: mcliber@facteur.world.std.com, Veg-News@envirolink.org,
AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: CDC says CJD deaths rare, not tied to BSE
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501193902.022a564c@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
ATLANTA, April 16 (Reuter) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday that deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
(CJD) were very rare in the United States and are not known to be linked to
"mad cow" disease.
Asked about press reports that a 62-year-old Indiana man had died of CJD,
which has been called the human version of "mad cow" disease, CDC spokesman
Tom Skinner said about 200 people die from the disease in the United States
each year but the variant of CJD linked to "mad cow" had not been found.
"If this person died of CJD, it is a rare instance but not unknown," Skinner
said.
"We have not seen the new variant form of CJD" linked to "mad cow" by reports
last year from Britain, he said.
Mad cow disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), sparked a
consumer panic when a new strain of CJD in Britain was linked to BSE in
British cattle.
No case of BSE has ever been detected in the United States cattle herd,
Skinner said.
((Atlanta bureau, 404 870 7340))
21:21 04-16-97
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 14:41:20 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu,
en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: TX Alert: Ban Ownership of Dangerous Wild Animals
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970501174731.5b87ab20@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
TEXAS ACTION ALERT
SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO BAN THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF DANGEROUS WILD
ANIMALS
Animals need your immediate help on two companion bills in the Texas
Legislature which will prohibit PRIVATE OWNERSHIP of certain dangerous
animals such as lions, tigers, cougars, wolves, coyotes, and non-human primates.
Senate Bill 1235 was introduced by Senator Mike Moncrief of Fort Worth, and
House Bill 1828 was introduced by Representative Toby Goodman of Arlington.
The current laws regulating the ownership of dangerous wild animals will
expire on September 1, 1997. If this legislation is not enacted there will
be no laws to regulate the ownership of dangerous wild animals in Texas.
The animals regulated by this legislation are wild by nature and not "pets."
Besides being cruel to keep wild animals in seedy roadside attractions or to
shoot captive animals released for "canned hunts," these animals pose a
threat to the safety and well-being of people when kept in captivity. The
proposed legislation allows for exemptions for legitimate animal
sanctuaries, zoos, state and federal agencies, and animal control authorities.
WHO SUPPORTS THESE BILLS? The Fund for Animals, The Humane Society of the
United States, Texas Humane Legislative Network, Texas Animal Control
Association, Texas Federation of Humane Societies, and Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department.
WHO OPPOSES THIS LEGISLATION? Trophy hunters, roadside zoo operators, and
exotic animal breeders. The very industries that profit from the sale and
exploitation of animals are flooding the Capitol with calls and letters
trying to defeat this legislation.
PLEASE CALL OR WRITE BOTH YOUR TEXAS STATE SENATOR AND YOUR TEXAS
STATE
REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT SB 1235 AND HB 1828. If
you do
not know who your State Senator and State Representative are, you can call
your local County Clerk's office or the local chapter of the League of Women
Voters.
Write to your State Senator at:
The Honorable __________
Texas Senate
PO Box 12068 - Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711
Write to your State Representative at:
The Honorable __________
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
Thank you for your help!
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 19:43:09 -0700 (PDT)
>From: bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Whale killing vessel torched
Message-ID: <199705020243.TAA19800@siskiyou.brigadoon.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Forwarded message:
>Norway: Whaling Vessel "Senet" Torched
>
> (1 May 1997): The combined fishing and whaling vessel "Senet" was set on
>fire in the early hours of Wednesday April 30. The police believe they are
>dealing with an act of arson as the vessel was burning in several different
>places and a petrol can was found nearby, reports the Norwegian radio
>station P4 on April 30. The "Senet" has previously been targeted by
>activists from Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace.
>
>The fire brigade was quick to gain control of the fire, which was reported
>to the police at 5.45 a.m.. At present, the extent of the damage is not
>known. A person, representing a group calling itself "Agenda21"[most likely
>referring to the World Charter for Nature, Section 21 & 24 sic], has claimed
>responsibility for the fire. The "Senet" is a 56 foot long haling vessel,
>and was moored at Slevikkilen on the island of Onsøy just off the town of
>Fredrikstad.
>
>Michael Kundu
Bob Chorush Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 (206) 787-2500 ext
862, (206) 742-5711 fax
email bchorush@paws.org http://www.paws.org
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:06:51 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Police nab runaway emu after highway chase
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501230648.006bfb74@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
Police nab runaway emu after highway chase
May 1, 1997
Web posted at: 10:33 p.m. EDT (0233 GMT)
DURHAM, North Carolina (CNN) -- Animal control
officers spent two days chasing an emu through
woods and traffic before catching the animal
Wednesday.
The emu, a flightless bird that looks like a small
ostrich, seemed unharmed by its ordeal Wednesday
night. Authorities didn't know who owned the
unusual bird.
It was spotted Tuesday afternoon and then again
Wednesday afternoon in Durham, said Durham County
Sheriff's Deputy W.M. Oakley III. Animal control
officers chased the five-foot bird into the woods
to keep him safe from traffic, he said.
But startled motorists on U.S. 70 spotted the bird
again during evening rush hour. The bird rescuers
finally caught their quarry when the emu hesitated
before crossing a creek.
They placed a specially designed emu collar around
the bird's neck, and took it to a Durham home
where other emus are being raised.
The docile animals are native to Australia and are
raised in the United States for meat.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:24 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-News@envirolink.org, AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: 9% rise 1st Qtr for Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501202728.00db6164@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
PORTLAND, Ore., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Wholesome & Hearty Foods, Inc.
(Nasdaq: WHFI) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended
March 31, 1997, showing a 9% increase in net sales over the same period in
fiscal 1996. The Company also reported a net loss for the period which was
in
line with its operating plan and analysts' estimates.
For the first quarter ended March 31, 1997 net sales increased 9% to
$10,010,000 from $9,164,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 1996. This also
represented a $2 million increase in sales from the fourth quarter of 1996,
the largest sequential quarterly sales increase in the Company's history.
The
gross profit percentage in the first quarter of 1997 was approximately 48%
compared to a gross profit percentage in the first quarter of 1996 of 49%.
Selling and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 1997 were
$4.4 million, or 44% of net sales, compared to selling and marketing expenses
in the first quarter of 1996 of $2.9 million, or 32% of net sales. The
increase was due to the Company's investment in sales and marketing
activities
during the first quarter of 1997 associated with its planned national
roll-out
in the retail grocery channel. General and administrative expenses in the
first quarter of 1997 were $1.1 million, or 11% of net sales, compared to
general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 1996 of
$1 million, or 11% of sales. The slight increase was due to additional
management personnel and costs.
The Company incurred a net loss for the first quarter of 1997 of
($355,000), versus $58,000 in net income in the same period last year. The
net loss per share was ($.04) per share in the first quarter of 1997, down
from net income per share of $.01 in the first quarter of 1996. The net
loss
in the first quarter of 1997 occurred due to the investment in sales and
marketing expenses to achieve retail grocery distribution, and was in line
with the Company's 1997 operating plan and communications with investors.
"We are encouraged by the increase in our sales from the fourth quarter of
1996 and are also encouraged by the enthusiastic reception Gardenburger(R)
has
received from grocery retailers around the country," said Lyle G. Hubbard,
chief executive officer. "By today's date we have been authorized for sale
in
retail grocery stores that account for over 80% of all grocery sales in the
United States. However, this is just the beginning as we intend to invest
aggressively in terms of advertising and promotion support so that
Gardenburger(R) achieves the same targeted success in grocery stores as it
has
demonstrated as the number one selling veggie patty in the food service and
club store channels. Over the next several years we intend to make
Gardenburger(R) the recognized brand of choice for consumers in their rapidly
growing demand for great tasting, convenient, meatless foods."
Founded in 1985 by GardenChef Paul Wenner, Wholesome & Hearty Foods is an
innovator in meatless, low-fat food products. The Company distributes it's
flagship Gardenburger(R) and other GardenProducts(R) to more than 30,000 food
service outlets throughout the U.S., Canada and abroad. Retail customers
include more than 10,000 grocery and specialty food stores and more than
4,000 natural food stores. Based in Portland, Oregon, the Company currently
employs more than 160 people.
This press release includes forward looking statements. These statements
are necessarily subject to risk and uncertainty. Actual results could differ
materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements as a
result of certain risk factors set forth in the Company's SEC Form 10-K
statement dated December 31, 1996 and Annual Report dated December 31, 1996.
These risk factors include, but are not limited to, the Company's reliance on
product acceptance, the Company's ability to execute on its retail
distribution plans, the effectiveness of the Company's sales and marketing
efforts and intense competition in the meatless food products industry which
the Company believes will increase.
WHOLESOME & HEARTY FOODS, INC.
First Quarter Ended
March 31, 1997 March 31, 1996
Net Sales $10,010,000 $ 9,164,000
Net income (loss) $ (355,000) $ 58,000
Net income (loss) per share $ (.04) $ .01
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding 8,566,456 8,894,408
WHOLESOME & HEARTY FOODS, INC. BALANCE SHEET
(Unaudited)
March 31, December 31,
1997 1996
(Unaudited)
Assets
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,019,000 $ 7,755,000
Accounts receivable, net of allowances 3,944,000 2,800,000
Inventories, net 5,427,000 4,790,000
Prepaid expenses 827,000 378,000
Income taxes receivable 823,000 653,000
Deferred income tax benefit 470,000 470,000
Total Current Assets 15,510,000 16,846,000
Property, Plant and Equipment, net of
accumulated depreciation 7,774,000 6,814,000
Other Assets, net of accumulated amortization 1,237,000 1,274,000
Total Assets $24,521,000 $24,934,000
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 1,978,000 $ 2,173,000
Payroll and related liabilities payable 435,000 458,000
Accrued employee bonuses 309,000 221,000
Accrued relocation 59,000 178,000
Accrued brokers' commissions 272,000 199,000
Other current liabilities 345,000 224,000
Total Current Liabilities 3,398,000 3,453,000
Deferred Income Tax Liability 502,000 502,000
Commitments and Contingencies -- --
Shareholders' Equity:
Preferred Stock, no par value, 5,000,000
shares authorized; none issued -- --
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
no par value, 250,000 shares authorized;
none issued -- --
Common Stock, no par value, 25,000,000 shares
authorized; shares issued and outstanding:
8,566,456 and 8,566,456 8,468,000 8,468,000
Additional paid-in capital 4,139,000 4,139,000
Retained earnings 8,014,000 8,372,000
Total Shareholders' Equity 20,621,000 20,979,000
Total Liabilities and Shareholders'
Equity $24,521,000 $24,934,000
WHOLESOME & HEARTY FOODS, INC.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
Three months ended March 31,
1997 1996
Net sales $10,010,000 $ 9,164,000
Cost of goods sold 5,188,000 4,641,000
Gross margin 4,822,000 4,523,000
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing 4,369,000 2,933,000
General and administrative 1,114,000 1,000,000
Acquired in-process research &
development -- 612,000
5,483,000 4,545,000
Operating income (loss) (661,000) (22,000
Other income (expense):
Interest income 67,000 113,000
Other, net (4,000) (1,000
63,000 112,000
Income (loss) before provision for
(benefit from) income taxes (598,000) 90,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (243,000) 32,000
Net income (loss) $ (355,000) $ 58,000
Net income (loss) per share $ (0.04) $ 0.01
Shares used in per share calculations 8,566,456 8,894,408
SOURCE Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
CO: Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
ST: Oregon
IN: FOD
SU: ERN
04/15/97 16:17 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:51 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-Biz@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: FWD: Calcium from Dairy Foods thought to reduce female kidney
stone risk
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501200312.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
WASHINGTON--(BW HealthWire)--April 11, 1997--In the ongoing debate on the
value of dairy products vs. calcium supplements as a source of minerals,
there is good news for dairy. A new study suggests that women who rely on
low fat milk and other dairy foods for their calcium may be at lower risk of
developing kidney stones. The study published in the Annals of Internal
Medicine found that a high intake of milk and milk products, the major
source of dietary calcium, significantly decreased the risk for kidney
stones among women with no prior history of stones. No reduction in risk
was observed in those relying on calcium supplements.
In the past, patients at risk for kidney stones were often advised to limit
their intake of calcium. In recent years, however, research has indicated
that low-calcium intake may increase the risk of kidney stones in healthy
individuals. A low-calcium diet also increases the risk for osteoporosis,
particularly among women.
"The findings reinforce the value of getting your nutrients through food,"
said Fredric L. Coe, M.D., from the University of Chicago Medical School,
who wrote an accompanying editorial urging physicians to drop dietary
calcium restriction from their list of preventive and therapeutic measures
for patients at risk for kidney stones. "And the implications are
critically important today when you consider the widespread calcium
deficiencies in the country, which has created a whole generation of young
women at increased risk for osteoporosis," he said.
To meet current calcium requirements (1,000 milligrams/day as set by the
National Institutes of Health), at least three servings of milk or milk
products are recommended daily. According to the most recent government
statistics, nearly 9 out of 10 women fail to meet these calcium
recommendations. But even with this shortfall, experts point to the
nutritional advantages of closing the calcium gap with food instead of
pills.
While the new study did not determine the reason for the reported reduction
in the risk of kidney stones observed, the researchers suggest that it may
be linked to a reduction in the absorption of oxalate (calcium oxalate
stones are the most common) that occurs when calcium is consumed as part of a
food, hypothesizing that calcium consumed without food may not have the same
effect.
This is the second study in recent months pointing to the benefits of milk
and milk products vs. calcium supplements. A study published in the October
issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who
relied on skim milk as their calcium source significantly improved not only
their intake of calcium, but of the many other nutrients including protein,
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, thiamin and zinc. In contrast,
women who relied on calcium supplements increased only their intakes of
calcium and sodium.
The most recent study concerning the risk of developing kidney stones,
conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard
School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital, analyzed the
diets of more than 91,000 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study.
The women were aged 34 to 59 years of age with no prior history of kidney
stones. -0-
Source: Curhan, Gary C., et al.: Comparison of dietary calcium with
supplemental calcium and other nutrients as factors affecting the risk for
kidney stones in women. Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 126, No. 7, April
1, 1997.
CONTACT:
Bozell Public Relations
Janet Helm, 312/988-2343
Rachel Greene, 312/988-2325
KEYWORD: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ILLINOIS MASSACHUSETTS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICINE FOODS/BEVERAGES PUBLISHING EDUCATION
BW1032 APR 11,1997
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:56 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-Biz@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: FWD: consumer promotion features Martha Stewart
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501200417.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
WASHINGTON--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--April 9, 1997--
Mooove over Spike Lee and Tyra Banks,
culinary expert and lifestyle authority Martha Stewart is the latest
to show off a milk mustache as she helps introduce a new program
called Make It Better With Milk. In addition to a new milk mustache ad,
Stewart lends her expertise to the program by sharing tips on how to
enhance food's flavor and nutritional value by substituting milk for water.
The ad pictures Stewart with a bovine friend and the copy reads:
"Three words. Just add milk. It's a good thing. Whenever appropriate,
substitute milk for water in your recipes. The milk enhances the dish, and
the calcium and other nutrients enhance you. Next time, how to remove
spots from your coat. No offense."
New Promotion Helps Make It Even Better With Milk
The ad is just one element of a larger consumer promotion that showcases
products that can be made better with milk. Make It Better With Milk
partners include: Nabisco Biscuit Co., Hershey's Syrup, Slim Fast, Idaho(R)
Potato Commission, General Mills, Maxwell House(R), Nestle, Red Rose Tea,
Drake's Cakes and Lance Crackers.
A free-standing insert (FSI) is scheduled to appear in newspapers nationwide
on Sunday, April 27. The FSI will feature a milk-mustachioed Cheryl Tiegs
and offer consumers savings incentives as they make their favorite foods
better with milk. Tiegs' likeness will also appear on displays, banners and
other point-of-sale items in grocery stores across the country. Plus, the
June newsstand issue of Better Homes & Gardens will offer readers a free
32-page recipe book filled with tips on finding more ways to include milk in
their daily diets.
More From Martha
A consumer booklet featuring recipes and tips on how to enhance a recipe
with more flavor and nutrients by using milk in surprising ways was created
by Stewart and other culinary professionals and is also available to
consumers.
The free booklet, which consumers can order by calling the 1-800-WHY-MILK
hotline or visiting the Web site at http://www.whymilk.com/, offers such
helpful tips as:
- Cook ears of corn in milk for more flavor
- Make a fat free shake by blending fat free skim milk, your
favorite fruit and ice cubes
- Melt chocolate and fat free skim milk in a fondue pot for dipping
fruit
Why Milk?
Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be missing from the average
adult's diet. The Make It Better With Milk program is designed to get more
of this important nutrient into the diet by combining milk with favorite
foods and recipes. The National Institutes of Health recommends 1,000 mg of
calcium per day for most adults, the equivalent of about three 8-oz. glasses
of milk a day. Milk contains other important nutrients in addition to
calcium, including vitamins A, B-12, and D as well as potassium, phosphorus,
protein, niacin and riboflavin. A cup here and half a cup there adds up;
making the simple switch to milk from water in favorite foods is an easy way
to help get three a day.
Stewart's milk mustache advertisement debuts on April 13 in Parade magazine.
The advertisement will appear in more than 10 major consumer magazines in
May. -0-
The "Milk, Where's Your Mustache?" campaign was developed under the guidance
of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, an organization funded
by U.S. milk processors. This multi-faceted education program was initiated
to change attitudes and correct misconceptions about milk and increase milk
consumption.
CONTACT:
Bozell Worldwide, Chicago
Ilene Siemer, 312/988-2306
Londonne Corder, 312/988-2357
KEYWORD: ILLINOIS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PHOTO PHOTOWIRE ENTERTAINMENT MEDICINE
OODS/BEVERAGES SUPERMARKETS PUBLISHING EDUCATION
PHOTO: 0409bw1
BW1021 APR 09,1997
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:58 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: European Parliament BSE monitoring reforms
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501200618.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NEWS REPORT PRESS RELEASE
DOCUMENT DATE: APRIL 24, 1997
MONITORING REFORMS AFTER THE BSE CRISIS
The temporary committee to monitor action taken on Parliament's
recommendations on BSE held its constituent meeting in Brussels on 24 April
and elected its bureau: Dagmar ROTH-BEHRENDT (PES, D), chairman, and Giacomo
SANTINI (UFE, I) and Salvador JOVE PERES (EUL, E), vice-chairmen. The former
chairman of the committee of inquiry, Reimer BOGE (EPP, D) was appointed
rapporteur.
Mrs ROTH-BEHRENDT said the new committee's task was to follow up the
recommendations made by the committee of inquiry and Parliament. It was not a
duplicate committee of inquiry. This committee would investigate how far the
Commission and Council implemented the recommendations, from a legislative,
staffing and organizational point of view, and would highlight any omissions.
The temporary committee will meet in Strasbourg on Monday 12 May.
Further information: Etienne BASSOT - Tel 32 2 284 47 41
END OF DOCUMENT
09:58 04-25-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:30 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: man charged for shooting squirrel who ate open plants
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501195059.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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.c The Associated Press
EDGEWATER, Fla. (AP) - A man was charged with cruelty to animals for
allegedly shooting a squirrel to death with a bow and arrow after he saw it
eating his tomatoes, guavas and papayas.
Sammie Parris, 67, was arrested after a neighbor called police to say he saw
him trying to catch the squirrel as it climbed a tree.
``The squirrel had an arrow through it,'' the neighbor said in a written
statement.
Parris said Tuesday his lawyer told him he was within his rights to destroy
the squirrel as long as the animal was on his property.
Lt. Joy Hill of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission said it
isn't illegal to destroy a squirrel on private property if the animal is
being destructive. But Robin Feger, an Edgewater animal control officer, said
Parris was charged because of the cruel way in which the animal was killed.
Parris, who was arrested Friday, was released after posting $1,000 bond.
AP-NY-05-01-97 0045EDT
Copyright 1997 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP
news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:32 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-Biz@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Cc: Ar-News@envirolink.org
Subject: milk promotion really hot stuff, say milk promoters (FWD)
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501200245.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
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CHICAGO--(BW SportsWire)--Dec. 18, 1996--Amy Van Dyken, who
captured world attention by winning four gold medals in the 1996
Olympics takes the plunge by becoming the newest athlete to appear
in a milk mustache ad.
This ad is the latest in a series of milk mustache ads shot by
famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who captured Van Dyken in an
underwater pose. Van Dyken's ad touts milk as having everything she
needs to be a winner.
In addition to the back stroke and the butterfly, I
can perform a world-class chug-a-lug. With milk. It
has protein for my muscles, plus essential vitamins
and minerals like calcium and potassium. All of which
help me get the one mineral every Olympian craves. Gold.
Milk Drought
Although Van Dyken realizes the importance of milk as part of a
balanced diet, nine out of ten women in the United States fail to
meet calcium requirements of 1,000 mg per day (according to the
National Institutes of Health), or at least three 8-ounce glasses of
milk a day.
"We chose Amy Van Dyken because we want women who are physically
active to know that milk is an important part of an athlete's diet,"
says Kurt Graetzer, executive director of the Milk Processor
Education Program. "With Amy, we hope to get the message across
that the calcium and eight other essential nutrients in milk are
critical to good health."
Van Dyken's ad will appear in more than a dozen January issue
magazines.
The "Milk, Where's Your Mustache?" campaign was developed under
the guidance of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board,
an organization funded by U.S. milk processors. This multi-faceted
education program was initiated to change attitudes and correct
misconceptions about milk and increase milk consumption. A series
of education booklets are available free by calling 1-800-WHY-MILK
or by visiting the new milk Web site at http://www.whymilk.com/ .
CONTACT: Bozell Public Relations
Gayle Glickman, 312/988-2302
Rebekah White, 312/988-2176
st 12-18-96 17:16 et
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:45 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: SEAC confirms calves get BSE from mothers
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501200756.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
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By Maggie Fox LONDON, April 18 (Reuter) - Britain's main advisory
committee on mad cow disease confirmed on Friday there is evidence cows can
pass on the illness to their calves "at a low level" but said they still did
not know how.
The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) said in its final
report to the health and agriculture ministries that it was likely fewer than
10 percent of infected cows passed mad cow disease to their calves. The
committee, made up of scientists, doctors, veterinarians and other experts,
said in its preliminary report last year there could be a 10 percent
transmission rate of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
The final report, published on Friday, confirms this but the scientists said
they did not know what the route of transmission might be.
They said last year it was almost certainly not milk as the 600 calves in the
seven-year study did not get their mothers' milk. The milk is reserved for
human consumption.
The committee said this low rate of transmission was not enough to sustain
the BSE epidemic in British herds. Other studies indicate BSE should die out
naturally by 2001.
The EU slapped a global ban on the export of British beef products last year
after scientists revealed a new variant of the human version of BSE --
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) -- might have been caused by eating infected
beef.
British scientists say BSE was almost certainly caused by giving cows feed
containing the remains of sheep that had been infected with scrapie, a
related disease. Britain banned using such feed in 1989 but the government
said contaminated feed was used after this date.
Peter Smith of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a member
of SEAC, said some of the calves in the study were probably infected this
way.
"It is likely that the calves in the cohort were exposed to infected feed,"
he told Reuters in a telephone interview. "Even after the feed ban we now
know there was infected feed getting out to farms."
Smith said the committee thought it possible a combination of maternal
transmission and an inherited susceptibility to infected feed were both at
work in the calves. It is known that a genetic mutation makes cows
susceptible to BSE.
The committee urged more research into just how mothers might be passing the
disease on to their calves. "There has been extensive testing of the
transmissibility of blood and indeed of milk," he said.
Neither had been found to be infectious. "That doesn't rule out very low
levels of infectivity that just haven't been detected," he added.
The agriculture ministry said in a statement that it considered milk safe and
said measures now in place to ensure beef was safe were sufficient.
Agriculture Minister Douglas Hogg said he had written to European Union
agriculture commissioners about the report.
"There are no recommendations for urgent action," he said, adding that it
would be left until after the national election on May 1 for any decision to
be made.
Since 1986, about 178,000 BSE cases have been confirmed in the European Union
and Switzerland. Nearly all were in Britain.
Britain has slaughtered 1.3 million older cattle since April 1996 and has
started to cull 100,000 more animals believed to be most at risk of
developing BSE.
12:35 04-18-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:47 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Transfer of rare rhinos from Nepal to UK slowed from BSE
concerns
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501195017.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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KATMANDU, Nepal (Reuter) - Two single-horned rhinoceroses will be flown next
week to Britain from Nepal where wildlife experts hope the rare beasts will
breed in captivity, authorities said Wednesday.
The two female calves of 14 and 16 months are part of a global conservation
drive for breeding the endangered species in captivity at the Whipsnade Wild
Animal Park near London. The park already has seven rhinos of the same
species.
The one-horned Asian rhino is found only in the swampy grasslands of India
and Nepal. Nepali wildlife experts captured the two rhinos in March in the
Royal Chitaun National Park, about 60 miles south of Kathmandu.
Last year the Nepali government decided to donate two rhinos to the
Zoological Society of London. But the transfer was delayed due to concern in
Britain over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
Beef exports from Britain were banned by the European Union in March last
year after the brain-wasting bovine disease was linked to the human
equivalent, Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD).
Wildlife experts said the rhinos had been in quarantine since being captured.
British officials said the animals would be transferred to London next
Monday.
12:38 04-23-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:48 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-News@envirolink.org, AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: US FDA says bone meal not infective for BSE
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501194814.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
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WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuter) - A spokesman for the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that the agency did not believe
bone meal was an agent for spreading bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
"We have no evidence to believe bone meal is infective and we believe it is
not," the spokesman said.
He said the agency was aware of reports that an Indiana rose farmer may have
died of a human version of BSE. His widow speculated in one report that the
illness could have been linked to his use of fertilizer containing bone meal.
Tests were under way to determine the type of disease suffered by the farmer
and its cause, the FDA spokesman said.
22:03 04-16-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:08 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: EU offers food safety guides
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210358.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(Adds quotes, details, background)
By Peter Blackburn BRUSSELS, April 30 (Reuter) - The European Union
launched its food safety "bible" on Wednesday, pledging to protect the
"salad, steak and chips" with better food inspection and to put expert
reports on the Internet.
The plans, announced by the EU's new food safety chief Emma Bonino, are a
fresh attempt to reassure consumers shaken by the crisis over beef infected
with mad cow disease.
They include a proposal to hire another 263 food safety inspectors and other
experts.
"We want to give a new boost to food safety and (protection of) consumer
health," Bonino told a news conference.
The EU intends taking a "plough to plate" approach to ensure the entire food
chain is covered and although it will carry out formal audits to assess
national control schemes, Bonino sought to play down fears of excessive
interference.
"This is not going to be a health police," she said.
The shake-up fulfils a pledge by Commission President Jacques Santer to the
European Parliament in February after the assembly came out with a damning
report on the EU's handling of the crisis caused by bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease.
The promise helped persuade the parliament to delay until November a decision
on a motion to censure the Commission.
Bonino said that with greater resources the Commission could have dealt more
quickly and effectively with BSE.
She said she hoped EU governments and the European Parliament would agree the
money for the extra staff. "I hope and I will do my best to get it," she
said.
Bonino is due to appear before a parliamentary committee monitoring the
Commission's efforts to improve food safety in Strasbourg on May 14.
Member states will continue to be responsible for food hygiene controls which
will be coordinated by the EU's Food and Veterinary Office being set up in
Ireland, Bonino said.
Bonino said scientific advisers will have to declare their independence from
national or industrial interests and their advice, including minority
opinions, would be published on the Internet.
One of the underlying principles of the new approach was to separate
responsibility for food legislation from food safety controls and scientific
advice.
The new approach strips powers from Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler and
Industry Commissioner Martin Bangemann who on Wednesday separately launched a
debate on European food law.
"European food law...is very broad in structure and has become somewhat
cloudy and has shown some weaknesses," Bangemann told a news conference,
referring to food standards, controls and labelling.
Fundamental questions were whether the same rules should apply to fresh farm
products and processed food.
"We want a clearer link between the two," he said, asking whether a general
framework was needed or specific rules for each foodstuff.
Fischler said that if consumer protection was to be taken seriously there
must be a consistent policy from the "plough to the plate."
"When people sit down at the table we have to have standard protection for
the salad, steak and chips," he said.
15:46 04-30-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:20 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: European Commission asked to back formal gelatin ban
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210139.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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BRUSSELS, April 23 (Reuter) - The European Commisison will be asked on April
30 to back a formal legal ban on British exports of gelatine made from
domestic cattle, said spokesman Filippo di Robilant.
A proposal could then be sent to the EU's Standing Veterinary Committee and
if it gives its backing the Commission could then take a final decision but
this could take weeks or months, he added.
Commissioner Emma Bonino, who is responsible for food safety, is pressing for
a ban following recent advice from the EU's multi-disciplinary food safety
committee.
``The committee unanimously supported a recommendation two weeks ago that
British gelatine manufacturers cannot meet the heat treatment and other
conditions designed to ensure that mad cow disease is not transmitted in
gelatine,'' di Robilant said.
The committee recommended that the present de-facto ban should be replaced by
a de-jure ban ending the possibility of any British-sourced gelatine exports,
he added.
``Commissioner Bonino is anxious that the scientific advice should be
respected and she will be recommending that the Commission should support a
legal ban when it is considered at the end of the month,'' he said.
The EU imposed a worldwide ban on British exports of beef and beef products
in March 1996 after London disclosed that that mad cow disease, known
medically as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), could be passed to
humans.
But in June 1996 the European Commission controversially eased the ban on
exports of British gelatine, provided stricter processing rules were
respected.
Despite easing the ban, the Commission has not alllowed any exports of
British gelatine because British manufacturers have not fulfilled the
stringent preconditions.
A legal ban on gelatine made from domestic materials would not end the
practice by British manufacturers of importing raw materials for the
manufacture of gelatine for export, Robilant confirmed.
``British manufacturers have not asked for a lifting of the present ban,'' he
said
08:46 04-23-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:22 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: National Cattlemen's Beef Assn statement about BSE
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210127.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by the
National Cattlemen's Beef Association:
Concern has been expressed about recent news reports that a man in Indiana,
described as a "rose farmer," had died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
Since CJD strikes one out of every million Americans each year, this is not
an unusual event.
Please note the following facts:
* Eleven years of aggressive surveillance for Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) by USDA has documented that BSE does not exist in the
United States. An aggressive 1989 ban on imports of ruminants and ruminant
products from any countries where BSE has been found has effectively
prevented the introduction of the disease in this country.
* CJD is not related to the cattle disease BSE. A very different form of
human brain disease (called new variant CJD) has been diagnosed in England
and is thought by some to be related to consumption of cattle products
containing brain or spinal tissue from BSE-infected animals. The infectious
agent that causes BSE is not found in meat and milk. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported there have been no cases of new
variant CJD in the U.S.
* CJD occurs at a consistent rate of one case per million population per year
worldwide, including in nations where BSE has never been found and among meat
eaters and vegetarians alike. The CDC released a report in October 1996 on
the incidence of CJD in the U.S. from 1979 to 1994. The incidence of CJD in
the U.S. was approximately one case per million population per year -- the
same as the worldwide average.
* There is no connection between bone meal and any human neurological
disease, especially CJD. Research has clearly shown the infectious agent
believed to be responsible for BSE in cattle is not found in bone or bone
marrow.
* This issue should never have been of concern in the market. CJD is not
new, it is not a public health issue related to beef, and floor traders at
the Chicago Mercantile Exchange should not use issues like this to add
volatility to the market. SOURCE National Cattlemen's Beef Association
CO: National Cattlemen's Beef Association
ST: District of Columbia, Indiana
IN: AGR HEA
SU:
04/16/97 16:58 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:30 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: European Parliament committee adopts report on organic
livestock farming
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501205905.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NEWS REPORT PRESS RELEASE
DOCUMENT DATE: APRIL 23, 1997
ORGANIC LIVESTOCK FARMING: CONSUMER PROTECTION AND
GUARANTEES OF QUALITY
On 22 April 1997 the Committee on Agriculture (chairman Juan COLINO
SALAMANCA, PES, E) adopted the report by Christine BARTHET-MAYER (ERA, F) on
application of the Council Regulation (1991) on organic production of
agricultural products (see News Report No 62, 4 December 1996) (consultation
procedure) to livestock production.
The Commission text was an indication of Parliament's increased political
role following the BSE crisis. The crisis showed the need for a comprehensive
review of quality inspection systems especially with regard to animal
products and rules on organic livestock farming, as well as new protection
and guarantee policy for consumers inside and outside the EU.
Organic livestock production comes under the umbrella of sustainable
agriculture and ensures a balance between soil, crops and livestock with the
aim of:
protecting and increasing the production capacity of agricultural land;
producing high-quality organic foodstuffs without residues that cause
pollution;
increasing use of renewable energy and products in the production process;
maintaining biodiversity (in livestock, crops and the environment around
farms).
The committee argued that the regulation should allow Member States the
possibility to apply rules that took account of distinctive aspects of
national farming.
It also proposed amendments or additions with regard to:
improvements in product inspection and the independence and powers of the
inspection bodies;
a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms in farming and living
virus vaccines;
rearing densities and standards for animal feeding stuffs;
processed products of organic farming and financial resources needed to make
inspections effective.
At the end of a particularly difficult vote, in view of the number of
amendments (about 400), Mrs BARTHET-MAYER said she was pleased that most of
the compromise amendments had been adopted. Nevertheless she was sorry that
the amendment on increasing funds for the management and inspection of all
crop and animal livestock production had not been adopted, especially as
amendments enhancing labelling with a European logo associated with
inspections carried out by independently approved bodies had been adopted.
She also deplored the fact that the amendment on poultry rearing sheds had
been accepted since it removed all references to minimum standards on
density. This was inconsistent as limits on rearing densities had been
adopted for the pig, beef and veal sectors. It was difficult to imagine that
organic production could be combined with intensive farming.
Further information: Maria-Grazia CAVENAGHI - Tel. 32 2 284 22 39
END OF DOCUMENT
05:21 04-24-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:39 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: EP creates cross-party committee to monitor BSE action
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501205804.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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BRUSSELS, April 23 (Reuter) - The European Parliament approved on Wednesday
the creation of a special cross-party committee to monitor what the European
Commission is doing to improve the handling of the mad cow crisis.
The 20-member committee, which will operate for six months, aims to ensure
the Commission honours its promises to carry out the reforms which were
recommended by an EP committee of inquiry into the handling of the BSE
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy) epidemic.
When the committee of inquiry's report was published in February, the
parliament threatened to sack the entire Commission unless it introduced the
reforms by December.
Parliament's demands include changes to the Commission's internal management
structures and improved food safety policy.
The BSE monitoring committee will be chaired by German Socialist Dagmar
Roth-Behrendt.
Its final report, due out in November, will be drafted by German Christian
Democrat Reiner Boege, who chaired the EP's original committee of inquiry
into the mad cow crisis.
11:40 04-23-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:40 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: AR protesters at Yerkes plead "not guilty" Monday
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501205751.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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ATLANTA, April 28 (Reuter) - Dozens of jailed animal rights protestors
pleaded not guilty Monday, declined to post bond and said they would conduct
a hunger strike to protest their treatment.
They were arrested Saturday after police fired tear gas and pepper spray into
a crowd that pushed through a barricade at Emory University's Yerkes Primate
Research Centre.
Protest organiser Jean Barnes said 53 activists, who face charges including
trespassing and inciting a riot, did not plan to post bond and would not
leave the jail until all of them were freed. Bond for most of them was set at
$132.
The Yerkes centre at Emory is part of a national network of primate research
centres funded by the National Institutes of Health. The centre uses primates
in research on AIDS, cardiovascular disease and drug abuse.
More than 3,000 primates live at a 117-acre Yerkes field station about 30
miles northeast of Atlanta.
20:20 04-28-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:48 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Dutch vets confirm BSE cases are domestic
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210557.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
BRUSSELS, April 9 (Reuter) - Dutch Veterinary officials
have confirmed that two cases of mad cow disease diagnosed in
the northern province of Friesland involved domestically raised
animals, a European Commission official said on Wednesday.
Veterinary officials from the Netherlands made a report to
the European Union's standing veterinary committee on Tuesday
but were unable to explain the cause of the Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) outbreaks, the official said.
The Netherlands reported its second case of BSE, which has
been linked to the human brain wasting condition
Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, on Monday.
Experts are still trying to trace the cause of the first
outbreak reported on March 21 in a dairy herd which had no
record of introducing imported animals.
"Veterinary experts are satisfied that the outbreaks are
domestic and that they do not involve animals imported from
Britain," the offcial said.
05:46 04-09-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:49 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: British farmers want EU meeting on BSE
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210544.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
LONDON, April 25 (Reuter) - British farmers' leaders want urgent meetings
with the EU commission and the British farm minister over a leaked letter
which casts doubt on British proposals for easing the ban on beef exports.
``I am very concerned and disappointed at what has apparently been written in
the letter,'' Sir David Naish, president of the the England and Wales
National Farmers' Union said in a statement.
``We must see real progress and I shall be seeking further discussions to see
how real progress can be made,'' Naish said.
The doubts were expressed in a joint letter from EU farm commisioner Franz
Fischler and food safety commissioner Emma Bonino, a copy of which was
obtained by Reuters.
Britain, urgently trying to persuade the EU to ease the economically and
politically harmful ban, in February proposed setting up a ``certified herd
scheme'' to identify cows from BSE-free herds which could then be exported.
14:13 04-25-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:51 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Old Infections Come Back to Haunt Humanity
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210533.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
By Maggie Fox
LONDON (Reuter) - Old infections like Ebola, dengue fever, and malaria and
new ones like mad cow disease are having a field day with explosions in
population growth and changes in human society, experts told a conference
Wednesday.
To make matters worse, doctors and politicians thought infectious diseases
were a thing of the past and diverted resources away from fighting them,
speakers told the Seventh Annual Public Health Forum on New and Resurgent
Infections.
Anthony McMichael of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
which sponsored the conference, said new opportunities for microbes were
being created by demographic and cultural changes such as deforestation,
global warming, influxes of refugees and medical advances such as organ
transplantation.
``Fortuitously occurring mutants are often best able to thrive in such newly
available niches,'' he said.
``The seemingly transmissible form of bovine prion protein (believed to cause
BSE or mad cow disease and a new human variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)
is just one further instance,'' he added. ``Most fail -- a few succeed
spectacularly.''
Sometimes changes gave a second chance to microbes that scientists thought
they had defeated.
One example was dengue fever, said Duane Gubler, director of the Center for
Disease Control's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in Fort Collins, Colo.
Dengue virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, can cause mild fever or deadly
internal bleeding. It re-emerged in the Americas after the Pan-American
Health Organization stopped its program of eradicating mosquitoes, a plan
aimed at preventing yellow fever.
Dengue had not been a problem for 40 years but it quickly took hold again and
has spread through the Caribbean, Central and South America and as far north
as Texas.
Civilization did not necessarily mean health advances, especially in crowded
cities, Gubler said.
``Most consumer goods are now packaged in non-biodegradable plastic or
cellophane, which is discarded into the environment where it collects
rainwater and provides ideal larval habitats for the mosquito vector,'' he
said.
Bruce Levin of Atlanta's Emory University warned that cavalier use of
antibiotics had allowed resistant microbes to develop. Describing it as an
arms race, he said technology was losing out to the fast evolution of
bacteria.
Growing populations were also spreading into virgin jungle, where unknown
pathogens lurked.
``Most of the 'new' viruses discovered have probably existed for centuries,
escaping detection because they only exist in remote areas,'' said Pierre
Rollin of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
Urbanization, conflict and poor medical practice such as the re-use of
syringes help such viruses spread, he said. No one knew where Ebola lived
naturally, but as people intruded into wild forests, they would certainly
encounter it more often.
``Without warning, infected patients or incubating travelers can arrive in
unexpected and unprepared places,'' he added. Ebola, which causes
hemmorrhagic fever, has killed several hundred people in less than a dozen
outbreaks. Speakers said governments would have to plan more carefully,
trading their ``crisis mentality'' for careful planning, vaccination and
public health programs, he said.
13:18 04-23-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:52 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: GREENS: Elephants doomed if ivory trade resumes
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501210518.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
LONDON (Reuter) - Elephants in southern Africa and Asia could be wiped out by
poachers if a small group of countries succeed in overturning a ban on the
international ivory trade, an environmental group said Tuesday.
Trading in ivory is banned under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) but Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, backed by
South Africa and Mozambique, plan to petition the 134-member CITES to lift
the 1989 ban.
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said the proposal could spell
doom for the elephant population.
``The ban on international trade in ivory has been a huge success. Elephant
herds across Africa and Asia which were on the verge of disappearing have
started to recover,'' EIA Director Dave Currey said in a statement.
``Even a partial relaxation of the ban would send a message to poachers that
ivory trade is back. This would mean disaster for elephant populations across
the two continents.''
South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe all have large elephant populations which
they say often devastate their environment. Herds are often culled in an
attempt to keep numbers down.
The countries hope to convince governments and conservationists that the ban
merely drives trade underground. They plan to propose that ivory collected
from periodic culls be auctioned under tight controls instead.
Botswana says its 30 metric ton ivory stockpile is the result of natural
deaths and ivory seized from poachers and illegal traders. Officials say they
have a Japanese buyer for the ivory.
A similar move by Botswana in 1992, involving another buyer, was voted down.
The EIA and other environmental groups point out that the African elephant
population fell by more than 50 percent in the 10 years before the ban --
mostly due to ivory poachers.
The EIA said it had evidence that poachers were waiting for the ban to be
lifted.
``In February of this year two EIA investigators carried hidden microphones
and cameras during discussions with Namibian traders which indicated that
large amounts of black market ivory from neighboring Angola are available for
sale,'' it said.
The EIA added that sources in India had reported smugglers stockpiling ivory
in anticipation of a rise in profits.
14:46 04-21-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:24:10 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Fr. Flanagan's Boys' Town charges that PETA is too radical
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501221830.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
OMAHA, Neb., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by
Boys Town USA:
Boys Town's child-care programs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in
California were alerted Sunday night (April 20) after an animal-rights
activist, mentioning the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA), which is a radical animal-rights group, threatened a Boys Town
telephone operator by saying: "What if I told you I was going to blow the
place up."
Boys Town has an emergency crisis shelter in Long Beach, and long-term
residential homes in Orange County. Both are residences for troubled boys
and girls. Long Beach police increased their patrols around the shelter.
The Boys Town National Hotline identified the source by Caller ID. When
police from Orange County went to the male caller's home to investigate the
matter, his sister told them that he had made the call and then abruptly left
for San Diego.
Boys Town Vice President Tom Gregory said the Boys Town National Research
Hospital had been accused by PETA of cruelty and "torture" of research
animals, and that these allegations were found to be without merit by the
National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He
also said that in the wake of PETA's repudiated allegations, animal-rights
supporters have staged screaming protests at Boys Town facilities, phoned
employees at work and home -- some very late at night -- and passed out
purposefully wrong and misleading pamphlets and information. He said there
have been letters and calls threatening death to researchers and employees.
"To quote a recent statement from the Catholic League for Religious Civil
Rights: `Just what the bigots at PETA will do for an encore is anyone's
guess'," Gregory said.
SOURCE Boys Town USA
CO: Boys Town USA; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
ST: Nebraska, California
IN:
SU:
04/22/97 17:33 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:24:13 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-News@envirolink.org, AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Mad Cows, Angry Farmers haunt Britain's Conservatives
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501221829.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
By Andrew Marshall
WOODBURY SALTERTON, England (Reuter) - A warehouse in this rural backwater is
filled with mountains of thick, brown powder -- all that remains of thousands
of boiled and pulverized British cattle.
Britain's beef industry remains in crisis and the ``mad cow'' affair could
see the election hopes of the ruling Conservative Party crumble into dust in
southwest England.
The small town of Newton Abbot, not far from the mad cow mountains of
Woodbury Salterton, has held a weekly livestock market for more than 700
years. The farmers who sell cattle there say there can have been few more
difficult years in the market's history than the one they have just suffered.
``It has been the worst year of my life. It has just been impossible to make
ends meet,'' said beef farmer John Reddaway. ``The farmers here have never
been so angry.''
The rural counties of Devon and Cornwall in southwest England are among
Britain's main dairy and beef farming areas. There are two targets for the
farmers' anger -- the European Union and Prime Minister John Major's
Conservatives.
``We've been let down by Major, but it's Europe that banned our beef. The
Conservatives just haven't fought for us like they should have,'' Reddaway
said. ``We've been sold down the river and they let it happen.''
The question of whether farmers decide to lay most of the blame with Europe
or the Conservatives could hold the key to Major's fortunes in rural areas in
Britain's May 1 election.
A YEAR OF DISASTER
Britain's beef crisis began in March 1996 with the announcement of a possible
link between bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a disease which had
reached epidemic proportions among British cattle, and Creutzfeld-Jakob
disease (CJD), a brain-wasting disease in humans.
Panic ensued. Beef sales slumped and the European Union slapped a worldwide
ban on British beef. Efforts by Agriculture Minister Douglas Hogg to have the
ban lifted have met little success, to the fury of Britain's farmers.
``Sales here collapsed overnight,'' said Paul Griffin, a cattle auctioneer at
Newton Abbot market. ``We were auctioning a couple of hundred prime steer a
week, then after BSE it fell back to single figures for a while. Prices just
dived.''
Many farmers have been forced to cull their herds in an attempt to eradicate
BSE. Their remains lie in warehouses throughout the country awaiting
incineration. Not surprisingly, Hogg has become a hate figure.
``Hogg has been a diabolical disaster,'' said Ian Pettyfer, a beef farmer and
chairman of the Devon branch of the National Farmers Union (NFU). ``Most
farmers want him gone, there's no doubt about that, and they may well vote
accordingly.''
Major, who has stuck by Hogg, has consistently blamed the EU for the crisis.
Officials and ministers denied for years that there was any link between BSE
and CJD.
Many farmers argue that their beef is safe. Trucks at the Newton Abbot market
are plastered with stickers proclaiming ``We eat British beef with
confidence'' and ``British beef is best.''
``I'm waiting with bated breath, I've got my fingers crossed and I'm
practically praying every night that we don't get an epidemic,'' Pettyfer
said. ``The last thing you want is to produce beef knowing you're poisoning
people.''
With their livelihoods threatened, Britain's traditionally Conservative
farmers are demanding action, and some say they will punish Major for his
failure to solve their problems.
The south-west is dominated by the Conservatives but the Liberal Democrats,
Britain's third-largest party, came a close second in several seats in the
1992 election.
If even a small number of voters defect, the Liberal Democrats could capture
a number of seats from the Conservatives this time. The farming vote could be
crucial.
Europe, the issue which has recently dominated the election campaign and been
a thorn in Major's side, is at the center of the farmers' concerns. Their
main priority is to get the European beef ban lifted.
``I've been involved in every election in Devon and Cornwall since 1964,''
said Paul Tyler, regional spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and member of
parliament for Cornwall North. ``I have never known so many farmers not only
saying they are going to vote for us, but also demonstrating their support
for us.''
The Conservatives' handling of the beef crisis had alienated thousands of
farmers, Tyler said. ``The last 12 months have been so horrendous for the
livestock areas of the country that there is a recognition that the
Conservatives are the party of the suburbs and we have become the country
party,'' he said.
But the Liberal Democrats are seen as the most pro-European of Britain's
three main parties. The Conservatives hope this will undermine Liberal
Democrat support among farmers angry at perceived unjust treatment from the
EU.
In a campaigning visit to a cattle market in Tavistock, Devon, Major demanded
an end to the EU's beef ban and defended his government's record in handling
the crisis.
He said the crisis was not the fault of farmers but ``the result of market
panic and in some cases political panic in countries right the way across
Europe.''
To loud applause from farmers in the market, he told other EU countries to
improve their own meat hygiene. ``Firstly, begin to lift the ban on British
beef and secondly, since you have felt to strongly about us putting our house
in order, isn't it about time that you put your own house in order?''
Tyler, however, believes his party's pro-Europe stance will win votes among
farmers. ``Farmers think above all that the Conservative civil war over
Europe will damage their industry,'' he said. ``And they recognize that
theirs in an industry which will benefit from a stable currency
arrangement.''
While politicians argue, the farmers are just struggling to survive. ``If
they were to take away my beef subsidies tomorrow, it wouldn't be a case of
tightening my belt. I wouldn't have a belt,'' Pettyfer said. ``I'd have to
give up farming.''
09:19 04-22-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:24:16 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-Biz@envirolink.org, Veg-News@envirolink.org, AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: soybean prices related to BSE concerns / interests
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501221848.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Soybeans also drew support from floor sentiment that Wednesday's losses were
unfounded. Soybeans fell on Wednesday after rumors surfaced that an Indiana
man had died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
The Indiana Health Department said it could not confirm the man died of CJD
but said the state has several cases of CJD annually. None have been linked
to any particular source.
Scientists in Britain last year said they may have found a link between some
strains of CJD and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), the "madcow"
cattle disease.
That news caused a consumer panic in Europe but U.S.
sources have said no such link has been identified in this country. Still,
traders said a scare in the beef industry could limit consumer beef purchases
and lessen demand for livestock feed.
Traders continued to watch developments in Brazil's stevedores strike. Any
disruptions in exports from Paranagua port could attract buyers to the United
States, traders said.
The July/November spread gained 7-1/2 cents to close at $1.54, premium July.
Traders said FCC spread 1.2 million bushels July/November at $1.47 to $1.51,
premium July and Term Commodities spread 800,000 July/November at $1.48 to
$1.50.
On the day, Goldenberg-Hehmeyer bought five million bushels May and one
million July, ADM bought 3.5 million July and Rand Financial and Tenco Inc
each bought three million July, pit sources said.
ABN-AMRO Chicago Corp sold 12 million bushels July and Cargill Inc sold one
million each May and August.
In options trade, Lind-Waldock bought 900 November $7.00 puts and sold 900
November $6.50 puts at 26-1/2 cents.
Soybean volume was estimated by CBOT at 68,000 contracts, compared with
Wednesday's actual volume of 81,900.
((Emily Kaiser 312-408-8749))
16:35 04-17-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:24:17 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: Veg-News@envirolink.org, AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: Deaths in Japan linked to Mad Cow
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501221956.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
By Maggie Fox
LONDON (Reuter) - The HIV virus that causes AIDS could be getting more
aggressive, Italian researchers reported Friday.
A study of nearly 300 people infected with HIV showed those infected after
1989 got sicker faster than those infected before, Dr. Allessandro Sinicco
and colleagues at the University of Turin said.
The virus could be mutating into stronger forms -- and early screening was
thus more important than ever, they said in a report in the British Medical
Journal.
``Our findings suggest possible changes in the course of HIV epidemic in the
1990s and raise intriguing issues on the course of HIV infection,'' they
wrote.
``The emergence of more virulent strains due to multiple biological
mechanisms may be responsible for a more aggressive course of HIV disease in
patients who have recently seroconverted,'' they added.
Seroconversion is when the body develops antibodies to HIV -- usually within
two weeks of initial infection.
If this was true, AIDS experts would have to think about different treatment
strategies, they said.
``In particular, if HIV disease has become more aggressive, more frequent
screening would be essential to identify patients who have just seroconverted
and could benefit from early antretroviral treatment.''
Experts now recommend treating HIV with a cocktail of anti-viral drugs as
soon as the immune system shows damage -- usually measured by counting immune
system cells known as CD4 cells.
Studies show this combination therapy can knock the virus back to
undetectable levels.
Sinicco's study included 285 patients infected with HIV recruited between
September 1985 to January 1995. They included women, drug users, homosexuals,
and a small group with other risk factors.
As the 10-year study progressed, more and more women showed up with HIV, as
did the number of men infected heterosexually.
Patients infected after December 1989 showed faster declines in immune system
function and a quicker build-up of the virus than those infected earlier,
they found.
``Consistent with previous reports, our data show that the first 12 months
after seroconversion are extremely critical for the future course of HIV
disease,'' they wrote.
People who seroconverted after December 1989 lost more CD4 cells every day,
they added.
Those infected later also developed AIDS sooner, Sinicco said.
It could take up to 10 years for those infected in 1985 to develop the
illnesses like pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma that define AIDS, while on
average it only took two and a half years for those infected between 1992 and
1995.
10:29 04-24-97
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:24:23 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org
Subject: GREENLines Issue#370
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501222855.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Subject: GREENLines Issue#370
GREENLines, Thurs. May 1, 1997 from GREEN,
the Grassroots Environmental Effectiveness Network,
A project of Defenders of Wildlife.
(202)789-2844x290 or email rfeather@clark.net
SENATE RIDER: The Senate Approps. Committee yesterday attached a
broad waiver of the ESA for flood control or maintenance activities
onto the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, according to a
Defenders of Wildlife press release. Sen. Craig's (R-ID) rider is
similar to Rep. Pombo and Herger's (R-CA) H.R. 478. "Here we go
again. The Congress claims it is greener, but attaches a backdoor
rider to an appropriations bill that would devastate the Endangered
Species Act," said DOW President Rodger Schlickeisen.
GRAZING DESTRUCTION: An archaeological treasure is being threatened
by the Bureau of Land Management's failure to enforce a ban on grazing
in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, reports the
Arizona Daily Star. Area resident Al Anderson has seen the cattle
stray into the area that is protected by an almost nonexistent fence
and destroy valuable artifacts. "I've been going out there since
1984, and each time the pottery pieces are smaller," said Anderson. A
U.S. attorney is currently reviewing whether BLM officials are
violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and Antiquities
Act
RED ROCK WILDERNESS: Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and 103 cosponsors
yesterday reintroduced America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, HR 1500,
according to a Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance press release. The
bill would designate 5.7 million acres of Utah public land that is
currently being managed by the Bureau of Land Management as
wilderness. "This is an overwhelming endorsement for the citizen's
proposal for BLM wilderness, from every corner of the country.
Americans want wilderness lands in Utah protected and are sending that
message to congress," said SUWA Executive Director Mike Matz.
KANSAS ESA: An unusual coalition of Kansas environmentalists,
government officials and agribusiness reps. drafted a state ESA that
was passed into law by the governor last week, reports the Topeka
Capital-Journal. "The biggest winners in this are all the species out
there that need our help to continue to exist," said Duane Hund, a
task-force member representing landowners.
DUPONT PROTEST: The 147 member Utah Wilderness Coalition denounced
DuPont's plans for oil drilling within the new Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument at the annual DuPont shareholders meeting.
"We don't believe that DuPont shareholders want a few extra pennies
of profit per share, at the price of destroying America's newest
national monument," said Tom Price of the Southern Utah Wilderness
Alliance in a press release.
==========================================================
Roger Featherstone -- Director
GrassRoots Environmental Effectiveness Network
A project of Defenders of Wildlife
1101 14th St. NW, Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 682-9400 x290 fax:(202) 682-1331 e-mail: rfeather@clark.net
check out our web page at: http://www.defenders.org/grnhome.html
==========================================
For correspondence regarding our listserve and GREENLines
contact: rfeather@clark.net (NOT listproc@envirolink.org)
================================
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:24:45 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center
To: AR-News@envirolink.org, AR-OLDS@envirolink.org
Subject: rescue in Cairo
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501230653.00df4b48@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
[AP, Cairo, Egypt, 31 Aug 1995 CAIRO, Egypt (AP)]
Six people drowned Monday while trying to rescue a chicken
who had fallen into a well in southern Egypt.
An 18-year-old farmer was the first to descend into the 60-foot well.
He drowned, apparently after an undercurrent in the water pulled
him down, police said. His sister and two brothers, none of whom
could swim well, went in one by one to help him, but also drowned.
Two elderly farmers then came to help, but they apparently were
pulled by the same undercurrent. The bodies of the six were later
pulled out of the well in the village of Nazlat Imara, 240 miles south
of Cairo. The chicken was also pulled out.
The chicken survived. ** yeah for the chicken!! **
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:29:09 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Book: "McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial"
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970501232904.006c4dec@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from McLibel e-mail list:
------------------------------------
Subject: Macmillan - Press Release
Date: May 1, 1997
>From: MSC, London
Macmillan - Press Release
UK
April 1997
McLIBEL: BURGER CULTURE ON TRIAL
by John Vidal
TO BE PUBLISHED ON 18 APRIL - PRICE 15.99 POUNDS
The McLibel Trial, the longest case in English legal history, is an unlikely
morality tale of our times. In 1990, McDonald's slapped writs on five
London activists for allegedly libelling them in a leaflet entitled "What's
Wrong With McDonald's?". They successfully silenced three. But the
international giant had not banked on the dogged determination of Helen
Steel and Dave Morris, who refused to apologise.
Denied a jury trial and ineligible for legal aid, they were forced to defend
themselves. Pitted against some of the top libel lawyers in the country,
this unlikely duo became the symbol of a burgeoning protest movement against
the globalisation represented by corporations such as McDonald's. For two
years, the trial ground through issues from employment, advertising,
recycling and litter, to nutrition, animal rights and deforestation, pitting
opposing philosophies against each other. The McLibel Support Campaign grew
around them - lawyers, nutritionists, ex-McDonald's workers, mothers,
teenagers - all weighed-in with financial or other aid. A site was created
on the Internet - McSPOTLIGHT - publicising the trial and giving millions
access to what McDonald's had tried to suppress. A very different side of
McDonald's to that portrayed in their $2 billion annual advertising budget
has been exposed. A company this size has never before been so carefully or
publicly examined. The tables turned and the corporation found itself on
trial.
The conclusion of the trial offers the first opportunity to measure the
lasting impact - and the very real political and legal significance - of the
case. McLIBEL, the book, tells the gripping inside story of this epic clash
of cultures and allows the public, denied the chance to be the jury, to
judge for themselves.
John Vidal has been Environment Editor of the Guardian for 6 years. Helen
Steel and Dave Morris, the McLibel Defendants, live near each other in North
London. Helen is a bar worker and former gardener. Dave is a single parent
and ex-postman. Both have for years been actively involved in a wide range
of grassroots movements concerning the environment, workers' rights, food
issues, anti-fascism, housing and animal rights.
*** Note from McLibel Support Campaign: ***
The book is now available in bookshops in the UK. It will be on sale in
some other countries soon. It can also be ordered by anyone having problems
obtaining a copy, from Veggies by mail order for cover price 15.99 pounds
(including postage within the UK). Overseas readers should contact Veggies
to check overseas postage costs.
Veggies, 180 Mansfield Rd, Nottingham NG1 3HW, UK, Tel +44-115 958 5666,
email .
- ENDS -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. McLibel Support Campaign Email dbriars@world.std.com
PO Box 62 Phone/Fax 802-586-9628
Craftsbury VT 05826-0062 http://www.mcspotlight.org/
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