Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news42~1.htm/text0002.txt

Text File | 1998-04-03 | 34.5 KB | 779 lines

>From the Greenpeace Media Release Server

IRISH SEA LOBSTERS CONTAMINATED BY BRITISH PLUTONIUM FACTORY

Paris, June 6, 1997 - Newly released data indicate that radioactive
contamination of lobsters in the Irish Sea is increasing  dramatically due
to discharges from the British Sellafield plutonium reprocessing factory.
Greenpeace has warned that the new level of contamination found in the
lobsters is 30 times higher than the limit set by a 1989 EC Directive for
radioactivity in foodstuffs following a nuclear accident.

"Sellafield is poisoning the environment and risking the public health of
millions of people in the UK and neighbouring countries," said Damon Moglen
of Greenpeace International.
"This is all but criminally negligent behaviour and we call on the new
British government to stop these discharges as part of its review of UK
environmental policy."

According to data contained in British Nuclear Fuel's Statutory
Environmental Monitoring Programmes for the fourth quarter of 1996, lobster
samples taken from the Irish Sea near Sellafield contained disturbingly high
levels of the radioactive isotope Technicum-99--as high as 36,000 Becquerels
per kilogram (1). This is more than twice the contamination found in
lobsters checked during the first quarter of 1996 and is some 92 times
greater than levels found in lobsters off the site in 1993.

Sellafield is now estimated to discharge as much as 9 million litres of
radioactive effluent into the Irish Sea each day (2).  Contamination from
the plant is found throughout the Irish Sea and up into the North, Baltic,
Norwegian, Barents and Greenland Seas.

The frightening revelation comes amidst allegations that radioactive
discharges from the French La Hague plutonium factory is causing similar
risks to the environment and public
health.  Contamination has been found at increasing levels in seaweed, fish
and crustaceans around La Hague and up into the North Sea and Nordic and
Arctic waters. On a yearly basis, La Hague pumps some 230 million litres of
radioactive effluent into the Atlantic Ocean.  La Hague is in fact the
single largest source of radioactive contamination in the European Community.
-----------------------------

FOR INFORMATION :
Damon Moglen, mobile phone: ++31-6-5341-7947

 NOTES:

(1) Technetium-99 (Tc-99) is a radioactive isotope of technetium.  It emits
beta particles and has a half-life of 213,000 years.  In the human body,
Technetium is believed to concentrate in the thyroid--but little research
has been done on its effects on human health.Technetium does not occur
naturally in the environment to any significant extent and has been
introduced into the environment through nuclear weapons testing and
plutonium reprocessing.

(2) Reprocessing activities at Sellafield greatly increased as of 1994 with
the opening of new plutonium factory called THORP (Thermal Oxide
Reprocessing Plant).  In preparation for the
opening of THORP, the UK government approved 900% and 1100% increases in the
site's liquid and gaseous discharges respectively.










Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 01:17:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Quarantine rules for pets may be scrapped
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Saturday, June 7th, 1997

Quarantine rules for pets may be scrapped

THE Government is to consider scrapping the tough quarantine rules for
animals coming into Britain if they are inoculated against rabies.

Jeff Rooker, the agriculture minister, confirmed in a Commons written answer
yesterday that he was prepared to consider inoculation as a substitute for
the current six-month quarantine requirement. It follows last month's
announcement that ministers would review the whole
quarantine system as it affected domestic pets. A ministry spokesman said
the details of the review had yet to be set in place. "You have to make sure
that any substitute is as effective as quarantine in keeping Britain
rabies-free."

Lady Fretwell, chairman of the lobby group Passports for Pets, said the
answer was "a step in the right direction". Lady Fretwell, who had to put
three of her dogs through quarantine on returning with her husband from
diplomatic duties, said her group would still be pushing
for a "clear policy statement" from the Government, as well as a Green
Paper. "We still have a long way to go," she said. "But we hope they will
make a decision based on information and will correct the myths that have
existed."

 ⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.

Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 23:18:36 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Macau bullfights a red rag to students
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>South China Morning Post
Saturday  June 7  1997
     Macau bullfights a red rag to students
     HENRIQUE ALMEIDA

     Two dozen bulls are being flown to Macau for another series of fights
despite threats of protests, organisers said yesterday.

     Last year, a bull-fighting tournament aimed at promoting the enclave
attracted condemnation from students and animal rights protesters.
It was postponed because of bad weather, although the Macau Government
deemed it a success.

     This year's five million pataca fight will bring to the enclave some of
the best Portuguese bullfighters and 24 bulls for what the Portuguese call a
festa brava (wild party). Up to 5,000 spectators are expected to fill the
purpose-built bamboo stadium.

     But opponents of the spectacle pledged to relaunch action which turned
last year's planned party into a controversy.

     "It just shows an incredible lack of sensitivity from the Macau
Government in regard to animal life and money," Yuri Pereira, 17, a student
from the Liceu de Macau, said.

     He said students would oppose the fights and animal protection groups
based in Hong Kong were considering their strategies.

     Amy Chow Tak-sum, a member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to  Animals, said: "We are discussing with other concerned organisations in
Hong Kong  what the most appropriate action is."

     This year, the organisers aim to familiarise the Macau population with
bullfighting, which in Portugal dates to the 12th century, by exhibiting
bullfighting weapons and paraphenalia.

     "We want to spread the Portuguese culture and the bullfighting
tradition of Portugal,"  Jose Pinto, one of the organisers, told a Chinese
newspaper.

     The event is scheduled for September 27 until October 5.

Bulls and horses will be flown in on a charter flight, arriving five days
before the show.


Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 23:18:43 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) Zoo-born Jingxin offers hope as pandas decline in
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>South China Morning Post
Saturday  June 7  1997
     Zoo-born Jingxin offers hope as pandas decline in
     the wild
     REUTER

     Beijing Zoo officials yesterday showed off a bouncing baby panda that
represents a chance for the survival of the endangered species.

        "This is the only panda born in a Chinese zoo last year to survive,"
Beijing Zoo's panda consultant Hou Qiming said as he picked up a wriggling,
eight-month-old Jingxin in her cage.

     Jingxin was born on October 4 last year, but her birth was kept secret
for several  months until her keepers were sure she would survive.

     She lives under the 24-hour watch of dedicated keepers in the panda
compound of the  Beijing Zoo.

     Jingxin is a product of careful monitoring by panda experts,
round-the-clock care and  attention from her keepers and a brief one-hour
mating between her famously frigid parents.

     Only 1,000 pandas survive in China and experts fear their numbers are
slowly declining  due partly to their notoriously poor ability to mate and
reproduce.

     Mr Hou estimated that pandas living in the wild had a 20 per cent
chance of producing  a healthy cub while those that bred in captivity had a
90 per cent chance of survival.

     Jingxin was one of a pair of cubs born to the Beijing Zoo's Le Le, or
Happiness, last October. Her sibling did not survive.

     Le Le, 11, became pregnant last year after twice being artificially
inseminated and also after two one-hour mating sessions with males Liang
Liang and Ying Ying.
The pairings have left zoo keepers with the problem of trying to trace the
father to  prevent future inbreeding. However, Mr Hou said he was fairly
confident that Liang  Liang, 11, was the father of the cub.

     Jingxin showed off for visitors by sprawling across an old tyre hanging
in her cage,  sliding over a metal rocking chair and gambolling around her
keeper in search of arrow  bamboo stalks.

     "She's in a very good condition. She was separated from her mother at
five months . . .  because we thought that we should let the mother rest,"
Mr Hou said.


Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 23:18:49 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TW) Pandas may come to Taiwan
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>CNA Daily English News Wire
PANDAS MAY COME TO TAIWAN

Taipei, June 6 (CNA) Zoologists from both sides of the Taiwan Strait
gathered in Taipei on Friday to discuss the preservation of endangered species.

Wang Binluo, the director of the Chinese Zoological Association and the
leader of the 14-member mainland delegation, said that one of the main
topics of discussion is the possibility of sending Pandas to Taiwan.

Only a few thousand Pandas are left in the wild, mostly in remote
mountainous regions of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in mainland China.

Wang said that Taiwan's climate and zoo facilities would have to be
evaluated prior to any exchanges.  Hung Wen-tung, director of the Taipei
Zoological Society and sponsor of the seminar, expressed optimism that the
first batch of endangered animals from mainland China, such as lesser pandas,
clouded leopards and otters, would soon be exhibited in local zoos.

However, the Council of Agriculture (COA) was more reserved. On Thursday the
mainland delegation, which includes preservation experts and zoo directors
from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, met with COA officials to
discuss the possibility of sending endangered animals to Taiwan.

COA officials noted that many factors have to be taken into consideration,
such as Taiwan's climate and environment and whether Taiwan is capable of
taking care of Pandas and other endangered species. They added that the
animals also have to pass quarantine.

Taipei Zoo Director Chu Hsi-wu said that while the zoo has the necessary
facilities and manpower to accept endangered species from mainland China,
there are concerns whether Taiwan is a suitable place for the preservation
of such creatures.

The Taipei Zoo holds exchanges with other zoos in the region. On Thursday
the facility received brown bears, a crocodile, a python, leopards, pumas
and other animals from the Singapore Zoo. The animals will be allowed to
adjust to their new environment before being put on public exhibition in the
summer.
(By Lilian Wu)

Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 11:50:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] A twist to feeding geese
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The following appeared as an editorial in the Vancouver Sun - Saturday, June
7th, 1997

A twist to feeding geese.

Shocking though it may sound to some, it's probably not a bad idea for
Vancouver to follow the lead of Mississauga, Ont., and consider having
Canada geese on the table instead of in our parks. Yes, eat them.
Mississauga is applying for federal permits to kill 2,000 geese and give
them to food banks.

Now, let's not pretend our sensibilities are too delicate to discuss cooking
our geese. We are, after all, creatures who keep baby cows in crates, slam
them in the head with stun guns, slit their throats and call it veal piccata
at $20 a plate. And let's face it: geese were introduced to B.C. only in the
'60s and '70s. They aren't our national animal (that's the beaver) nor our
provincial bird (Stellar's Jay), and they make a disgusting mess of our
parks. Humans mucked about with nature bringing geese to B.C., and, as
usual, nature pays the price. Our mistake might be easier to bear if we feed
the poor.

Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 15:29:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Fwd: State Senate gets into Kodo ferret death  penalty foray
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In a message dated 97-06-07 08:25:17 EDT, AOL News writes:

<<       SAGINAW, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 1997--

              State Senator Christopher D. Dingell ( D-07)
           introduces resolution to protect ferret owners' loving pets

 Resolution text is as follows:

       Whereas, Kodo the ferret has been the catalyst for a movement
 towards changing out-dated and incorrect rules concerning the
 treatment of ferrets as pets in our state.  The Domestic Ferret is
 believed to have been first domesticated approximately 2500 years
 ago.  It is a developed species and depends on mankind for its
 continued survival; and
           Whereas, The domestic ferret arrived in the Americas in the first
 sailing ships and around the turn of the century they were bred for
 their fur and for rodent control in ships, barns and silos.  Ferrets
 did not disappear with the ban.  Ferrets proved their usefulness
 during WWII by running wires through conduits in the large bombers.
 In fact they are still used to run fiber optic strands in long,
 twisting conduits; and
           Whereas, Ferrets as pets began to rise in popularity in the
 1970's.  In those states where ferret ownership was restricted,
 sentiment began to grow toward easing or eliminating ownership
 restrictions.  Today there are an estimated 10 - 12 million ferrets
 in the U.S. making them the third most popular companion animal in
 the country; and
           Whereas, For ferrets, horses, and a number of other species, the
 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has in the past expressed
 uncertainty as to the period between rabies infection and the animal
 beginning to shed the virus.  The CDC has recommended in all cases of
 bites that an individualized inquiry be made.  For ferrets, this
 seems to always result in an order to kill the ferret.  For
 unexplained reasons, horses are not so treated; and
           Whereas, In February 1990, the first rabies vaccine was approved
 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use in ferrets.  Rone
 Merieux, with their IMRAB-3, was shown to be at least 94.4% effective
 in preventing rabies in ferrets for up to one year following
 vaccination.  This was verified through testing 90 ferrets, 3 times
 the number of animals required by the USDA.  The vaccine has a proven
 effectiveness greater than required (86.7%, a number derived for the
 dog.); and
           Whereas, 3 distinct studies have been done by U.  Forster at the
 Paul Erilich Institute in Germany; J.  Blancou, M.  Aubert, and M.
 Artois from the French National Institute for the Study of Rabies;
 and J.F. Bell of the United States.  All these studies show a
 mean-time from onset of the symptoms, until death of 4.2 days, with a
 maximum of 7 days.  These studies on three different rabies strains
 show that the ferret does not typically shed the virus; and
           Whereas, The cities of Saint Paul and St.  Lewis Park, Minnesota
 require only that the ferret be examined by a veterinarian familiar
 with small animals.  If the ferret is found to be healthy, vaccinated
 or unvaccinated, it is released back to its owner.  A conservative
 approach to establishing a quarantine would be to consider "death" as
 an easily recognized symptom of rabies, and to establish the
 quarantine period at 7 days.  This is the maximum time, from the
 initial onset of symptoms until death; and
           Whereas, In light of these recent studies on shedding periods in
 ferrets and past studies regarding this issue, the Massachusetts
 Department of Public Health has changed their kill and test policy
 and created a 10 day quarantine period for ferrets recommended for
 most domestic ferret circumstances; and
           Whereas, The quarantine period is not meant to prove that the
 animal does not have the rabies virus; just that it was not capable
 of passing on the disease at the time of the bite.  An animal cannot
 pass on the virus until the virus is secreted by the salivary glands
 during the final stages of the disease; now, therefore, be it
 Resolved by the Senate, That the Michigan Departments of Agriculture
 and Community Health enlighten their views on ferret quarantine
 policies or the lack thereof, to make recommendations similar to
 those of the State of Massachusetts and to treat ferrets and their
 many owners with fairness and sympathy and to realize their place
 next to the canine and feline friends in our Michigan families; and
 be it further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded
 to Robert Jacobs, Kodo's owner, as a symbol of our common cause.
 -0-

 Note: News conference/rally for Kodo -- scheduled Saturday, June 7,
 1997 (3PM) -- Wayne Ford Civic League (1645 N. Wayne Road) Westland,
 Mich.  -- hundreds of ferrets and their owners to attend -- great
 visuals
           --30--cl/bos
       CONTACT:
       State Senator Dingell's Office
       State House
       [phone]
       or
       District Office
       [phone] x213
       or
       Jackson Communications
       Bud Jackson
       [phone]
       Beeper: [phone] >>


---------------------
Forwarded message:
Subj:    State Senate gets into Kodo ferret death  penalty foray
Date:    97-06-07 08:25:17 EDT
From:    AOL News

      SAGINAW, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 1997--

             State Senator Christopher D. Dingell ( D-07)
          introduces resolution to protect ferret owners' loving pets

Resolution text is as follows:

      Whereas, Kodo the ferret has been the catalyst for a movement
towards changing out-dated and incorrect rules concerning the
treatment of ferrets as pets in our state.  The Domestic Ferret is
believed to have been first domesticated approximately 2500 years
ago.  It is a developed species and depends on mankind for its
continued survival; and
          Whereas, The domestic ferret arrived in the Americas in the first
sailing ships and around the turn of the century they were bred for
their fur and for rodent control in ships, barns and silos.  Ferrets
did not disappear with the ban.  Ferrets proved their usefulness
during WWII by running wires through conduits in the large bombers.
In fact they are still used to run fiber optic strands in long,
twisting conduits; and
          Whereas, Ferrets as pets began to rise in popularity in the
1970's.  In those states where ferret ownership was restricted,
sentiment began to grow toward easing or eliminating ownership
restrictions.  Today there are an estimated 10 - 12 million ferrets
in the U.S. making them the third most popular companion animal in
the country; and
          Whereas, For ferrets, horses, and a number of other species, the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has in the past expressed
uncertainty as to the period between rabies infection and the animal
beginning to shed the virus.  The CDC has recommended in all cases of
bites that an individualized inquiry be made.  For ferrets, this
seems to always result in an order to kill the ferret.  For
unexplained reasons, horses are not so treated; and
          Whereas, In February 1990, the first rabies vaccine was approved
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use in ferrets.  Rone
Merieux, with their IMRAB-3, was shown to be at least 94.4% effective
in preventing rabies in ferrets for up to one year following
vaccination.  This was verified through testing 90 ferrets, 3 times
the number of animals required by the USDA.  The vaccine has a proven
effectiveness greater than required (86.7%, a number derived for the
dog.); and
          Whereas, 3 distinct studies have been done by U.  Forster at the
Paul Erilich Institute in Germany; J.  Blancou, M.  Aubert, and M.
Artois from the French National Institute for the Study of Rabies;
and J.F. Bell of the United States.  All these studies show a
mean-time from onset of the symptoms, until death of 4.2 days, with a
maximum of 7 days.  These studies on three different rabies strains
show that the ferret does not typically shed the virus; and
          Whereas, The cities of Saint Paul and St.  Lewis Park, Minnesota
require only that the ferret be examined by a veterinarian familiar
with small animals.  If the ferret is found to be healthy, vaccinated
or unvaccinated, it is released back to its owner.  A conservative
approach to establishing a quarantine would be to consider "death" as
an easily recognized symptom of rabies, and to establish the
quarantine period at 7 days.  This is the maximum time, from the
initial onset of symptoms until death; and
          Whereas, In light of these recent studies on shedding periods in
ferrets and past studies regarding this issue, the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health has changed their kill and test policy
and created a 10 day quarantine period for ferrets recommended for
most domestic ferret circumstances; and
          Whereas, The quarantine period is not meant to prove that the
animal does not have the rabies virus; just that it was not capable
of passing on the disease at the time of the bite.  An animal cannot
pass on the virus until the virus is secreted by the salivary glands
during the final stages of the disease; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That the Michigan Departments of Agriculture
and Community Health enlighten their views on ferret quarantine
policies or the lack thereof, to make recommendations similar to
those of the State of Massachusetts and to treat ferrets and their
many owners with fairness and sympathy and to realize their place
next to the canine and feline friends in our Michigan families; and
be it further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded
to Robert Jacobs, Kodo's owner, as a symbol of our common cause.
-0-

Note: News conference/rally for Kodo -- scheduled Saturday, June 7,
1997 (3PM) -- Wayne Ford Civic League (1645 N. Wayne Road) Westland,
Mich.  -- hundreds of ferrets and their owners to attend -- great
visuals
          --30--cl/bos
      CONTACT:
      State Senator Dingell's Office
      State House
      [phone]
      or
      District Office
      [phone] x213
      or
      Jackson Communications
      Bud Jackson
      [phone]
      Beeper: [phone]

To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 15:59:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) NYC CACC Demo
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Hi all--
As many of you know, the City of New York, which has three members on the
Board of the Center for Animal Care and Control, all of whom have veto power,
refused to let the Board hire Ed Sayres, an experienced and qualified
candidate for executive director. Now, Randy Mastro, the Deputy Mayor, has
made clear that the only candidate who will be considered is Ed Alloco, a
City employee from the department in charge of juvenile justice who has no
experience with animals.  This is an absolutely crucial time to demonstrate
to the City that we will not sit still while they once again put animals at
the very bottom of the agenda.  New York City needs a qualified Executive
Director who has experience running an animal shelter, is committed to animal
welfare, knows how to raise funds, coordinate volunteers, promote adoptions.
     There will be demonstrations every day next week, Monday through Friday
(June 9 through June 14) at both Gracie Mansion (the Mayor's residence) and
City Hall.
     The Gracie Mansion demonstration will meet at York Avenue and 88th
Street at 7:15 a.m. (I know, I know) until the mayor leaves for work, which
is generally by 7:45
       The City Hall demonstrations will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Meet
on or as close to the steps of City Hall as possible.
     Please bring dogs (weather permitting) if possible.  Signs will be made
available, but feel free to bring your own if you can.
     Those of you who are already collecting signatures for the Shelter
Reform Action Committee or who are thinking of joining in, please note how
perfectly this demonstrates how much we need a law which requires the City to
hire qualified people.
     Please come to at least one demo if you possibly can. And whether or not
you can come, please contact Randy Mastro and tell him that it is crucial for
the City to hire a qualified person:
Randy M. Mastro
Deputy Mayor for Operations
The City of New York
OFfice of the Mayor
New York, NY  10007
phone [phone]

Thanks.  Mariann
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 17:32:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Moscow Circus Folds - animals stranded
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

>From Reuter
***************************************
ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuter) - The bid to open a permanent facility in Florida has
ended with the circus shut down and some of its performers stranded, circus
officials said Thursday.
``It was just a mistake,'' said Tony Azzi, the show's manager, who said
competition from other Orlando area attractions, among them Disney World and
Universal Studios Florida, had proved too much for the circus, which boasts
some of the world's top acrobats and animal trainers.
The show averaged weekly ticket sales of $5,000, versus expenses of $75,000
per week. Some of the performers left in Florida had not been paid since
mid-May, he said.
The Moscow Circus traces its roots back to the 17th century, but has fallen
on hard times, along with other state-supported arts institutions, since the
breakup of the Soviet Union.
The organization had announced in January that it planned to operate in
Orlando for six months, although it hoped the attraction would prove
successful enough to become a permanent fixture.
But the U.S. production was trouble-plauged from the beginning, missing its
scheduled opening on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) by a month. It also was cited
by the state of Florida for keeping bears in cages that were too small. Azzi
said he hoped to be able to make a deal to move the circus to Los Vegas.
If not, the Pirate's Dinner Adventure, a tourist attraction near the circus's
closed facility, has promised to sponsor a benefit performance to raise
travel money so that the stranded entertainers and animals can go back to
Russia.
15:13 06-05-97

Date: Sat, 07 Jun 1997 21:09:03 -0400
From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: U.S. Ethics Panel Urges Ban on Human Cloning
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 Subject: U.S. Ethics Panel Urges Ban on Human Cloning
 Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 15:40:43 PDT
 From: [e-mail] (Reuter / Patricia Wilson)
Organization: xCopyright 1997 by Reuters

U.S. Ethics Panel Urges Ban on Human Cloning

Copyright 1997 by Reuters / Sat, 7 Jun 1997 15:40:43 PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuter) - A U.S. ethics panel Saturday recommended Congress enact
legislation to ban the cloning of entire human beings but allow the cloning
of human
embryos for private laboratory research.

Under the scenario proposed by the National Bioethics Advisory Commission,
scientists or doctors could make cloned human embryos for research purposes
but
would be prohibited from implanting them into women's wombs to make viable
babies,
a source familiar with the recommendations said.

President Clinton asked the advisory group in February to review the
complex legal and
ethical ramifications of cloning after scientists in Scotland reported they
had cloned a
lamb -- which they named Dolly -- from a single cell taken from an adult
sheep.

Their success was controversial, raising the prospect that the procedure
could be used
to make humans genetically identical to an existing man or woman.

The U.S. commission of 18 scientists, lawyers and theologians was faced
with trying to
reconcile the views of opponents of cloning who regard it as an affront to
nature and
demand a complete ban, and supporters who see it as a stunning scientific
breakthrough with promising medical repercussions.

Polls taken shortly after the announcement of the cloning of Dolly showed
90 percent of
Americans opposed human cloning.

Clinton in March broadened his 1994 prohibition on government-funded human
embryo
research to include federal funding of human cloning work, saying it raised
deep
concerns ''given our most cherished concepts of faith and humanity.''

``Each human life is unique, born of a miracle that reaches beyond
laboratory science. I
believe we must respect this profound gift and resist the temptation to
replicate
ourselves,'' he said.

The panel's proposal would extend that human cloning ban to include
privately funded
work, but leave in place the current policy allowing private embryo research.

The commission's recommendations appeared to meet the most immediate
concern of
many Americans -- that the scientific procedure that produced Dolly might
be used to
make children who would be exact genetic copies of a single adult.

But critics complained the commission had not gone far enough. Sen.
Christopher
Bond, a Missouri Republican, said they left the door wide open to future
cloning.

``I had hoped that the federal ethics commission would not be afraid to
make a strong
moral statement that human cloning is wrong, period, and should be
banned,'' he said.

Bond, who introduced a bill that would impose a total ban on human cloning,
said it
would be up to Congress and state legislatures to resolve the issue.

The Family Research Council accused the commission of ''completely avoiding
the
subject of ethics.''

``FRC strongly opposes this recommendation ... Such a policy is premised on
the false
assumption that human beings less than 14 days old are not completely
human, thereby
condoning the destruction of countless numbers of embryonic children for
the sake of
'research,''' the organization said in a written statement.

A pharmaceutical industry group welcomed the recognition of the importance
of genetic
research, but said any law against cloning complete human beings should be
narrowly
defined.

``Any legislative prohibition on the cloning of entire human beings must
not jeopardize
biomedical research that involves the cloning of human genes, cells or
tissues,'' the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said.
Date: Sat, 07 Jun 1997 23:15:14 -0700
From: FARM <[e-mail]>
To: Chickadee <[e-mail]>, Veg News <[e-mail]>,
        A/R Wire <[e-mail]>, A/R News <[e-mail]>
Subject: ANIMAL RIGHTS '97 Program brochures available
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hello, fellow activists in cyberspace.  Detailed program brochures for
ANIMAL RIGHTS '97, the National Convention, are now available and can
be obtained by calling 1-888-FARM-USA or by e-mailing [e-mail].
AR97 will be held on June 26-30th in the nation's capital. The program
features 12 plenary sessions, 12 rap sessions, 42 workshops, 40 videos,
and 70 exhibits, as well as professional entertainers. Key speakers
include Neal Barnard, Michael Fox, Alex Hershaft, Michael Klaper,
John Kullberg, Howard Lyman, Ingrid Newkirk, Tom Regan, Henry Spira, and
65 other movement leaders. AR97 is sponsored by FARM, with support of a
dozen other national organizations. Over 700 participants are expected.
To register, send $125 ($100 for students and seniors) to FARM/AR97,
PO Box 5888, Bethesda, MD 20824.


</pre>
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