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- British science magazine opposes hasty ban on human cloning
-
- Agence France-Presse
- LONDON, January 19, 1998 4:13 p.m.
-
- The British medical review The Lancet cautioned Monday against a
- 'precipitous' ban on human cloning, quoting an expert as saying the
- cloning of human organs and tissues could have 'immense clinical value.'
-
- In an editorial, The Lancet noted the storm of protest, led by US
- President Bill Clinton, to a report that US physicist Richard Seed
- planned to open a cloning clinic to help childless couples.
-
- Britain, on the contrary, has shown a 'refreshing' attitude toward
- cloning, a 'more considered and informed route toward decision on human
- cloning,' said the review.
-
- It applauded Britain's Human Genetics Advisory Commission for its
- intention to issue a public consultative document by the end of this
- month.
-
- 'The aim of this publication is to explain the process by which a human
- clone could be made, and to list the possible benefits of such a
- technique together with the inevitable ethical pitfalls.
-
- 'The approach seems sensible and neatly cuts through knee-jerk reactions
- of blanket bans and ill-informed hysteria,' said The Lancet.
-
- It quoted Robert Winston, fertility professor at the University of
- London, as saying, 'There will be immense clinical value in being able
- to clone human tissues and organs, rather than whole people.'
-
- US scientists will soon report the first use of a cloned human vein in
- laboratory animal experiments, said the editorial.
-
- Cloning could help with presently untreatable infertility, and would
- enable the production of transgenic animals for transplant organs.
-
- But despite the benefits cited by Winston, said The Lancet, he describes
- Richard Seed as 'clearly unhinged.'
- Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 21:32:55 -0800
- From: Andrew Gach <UncleWolf@worldnet.att.net>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: From the pasture to the plate
- Message-ID: <34C43707.A12@worldnet.att.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- Big profit in mini-cows?
-
- The Associated Press
- BISMARCK, N.D. January 19, 1998
-
- Can half-size cows turn giant profits for American producers? Yes, says
- Neil Effertz, a rancher north of Bismarck who is promoting a rare breed
- that he calls "Loala" -- to rhyme with koala, the little Australian
- marsupial that looks like a teddy bear.
-
- "It's going to be profitable right away. We have got a vertically
- integrated system in place ... from the pasture to the plate," he said.
-
- The key, he said, is high-tech breeding and multilevel marketing.
-
- Effertz recently established American Loala Management LLC, a marketing
- company with exclusive rights to import Loala embryos and semen to the
- United States from Canada and Australia. The breed was developed in
- Australia from more traditional Angus stock.
- Loala is known in other parts of the world as miniature Angus, miniature
- lowline, lowline Angus or lowline.
-
- Aggressive marketing is needed because many ranchers and farmers,
- accustomed to gambling on the weather, are reluctant to take a chance on
- a new kind of cattle, said Wade Moser, executive vice president of the
- North Dakota Stockmen's Association.
-
- "It's unpredictable," Moser said. "There's a tendency to go back to the
- established breeds that people have got a lot of information on."
-
- Only 500 to 700 miniature Angus exist, Effertz said, and he touts them
- as "the most valuable cattle in the world."
-
- "By the end of the year 1999, we should have probably 200 to 300 females
- in production" in the United States, Effertz said. "Then you can start
- to generate quite a bit more."
-
- Most cows deliver one calf a year, but technology will allow Loala
- heifers to produce about 30 calves annually.
-
- Loala semen is artificially inseminated into cows that have been given
- fertility drugs so they produce more than one egg. Once the eggs are
- fertilized to become embryos, they are removed and frozen. They can be
- sold or placed in a normal cow that becomes what is called a pregnant
- recipient, which also can be sold.
-
- The new company is selling Loala semen ($25 a unit), embryos ($3,000
- apiece) and pregnant recipients ($17,500 each), all at significantly
- higher prices than those of more traditional cattle breeds. Buyers can
- earn commissions by getting new customers.
-
- "We are establishing a nationwide marketing network to market the
- embryos, the semen and the pregnant recipients, and eventually the live
- cattle from this breed," Effertz said.
-
- The long-term allure of the Loala may be its quality. Although cute and
- cuddly at only about half the size of most cattle, Loalas produce a 30
- percent higher ratio of prime cuts and reach market weight (about 750
- pounds) for roughly one-third the feed costs, Effertz said.
-
- He said there is an upscale niche market for Loala meat, which has
- smaller cuts more suitable to many consumers' appetites.
-
- "These cattle can produce $60,000 to $90,000 a year in annual income,"
- Effertz said.
-
- Dick Jensen, who ranches near Williston, N.D., has one bull calf Loala
- and two pregnant recipients that will deliver heifers next month. He
- said investing in the new breed is no more risky than other farm
- venture.
-
- "If you buy ... land for $40,000 to $50,000, you don't know how much
- you're going to get out of that either," he said.
-
- "I figured it would be a good semi-retirement project. You have a few
- less cattle around and less work, and make more money, I hope."
-
- By JEREMIAH GARDNER, Associated Press Writer
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 14:28:34 +0800 (SST)
- From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (HK) 26 more ill after eating big reef fish
- Message-ID: <199801200628.OAA21100@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
-
-
- >Hong Kong Standard
- 20 Jan 98
-
- 26 more ill after eating big reef fish
- By Cindy Sui
-
- CONSUMERS should avoid eating tiger garoupa and other large coral reef fish,
- health officials advised on Monday after 26 more people fell ill with
- ciguatoxin poisoning.
-
- The latest cases raise the total number of people affected to 76 in 13
- incidents that all happened this month.
-
- ``This is a little out of the ordinary because in this short period we're
- seeing this many cases,'' said Thomas Tsang Ho-fai, a Department of Health
- medical officer.
-
- All the victims are in good condition with only seven still in hospital for
- observation.
-
- The victims suffered symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea after eating
- tiger garoupa and flowery cod either in a restaurant or at home.
-
- The cases were spread throughout Hong Kong.
-
- The fish contained ciguatoxin from poisonous algae they had consumed.
-
- In the last three quarters of last year, 95 people were affected in 13
- cases. In 1996, 70 people were affected in 17 cases.
-
- But incidents in previous years happened over a longer period of time.
-
- Mr Tsang said officials were investigating whether the fish involved in the
- recent cases came from one catch.
- He advised people to take the following precautions:
-
- Avoid eating reef fish heavier than three catties (about 2 kilograms).
-
- Eat only small quantities at any one time and cut down on the frequency
- of consumption.
-
- Avoid alcohol before eating the fish because it can aggravate the symptoms.
-
- The outbreak of recent cases is unlikely to prompt the government to step up
- fish testing, officials said.
-
- The government does not inspect fish. The only testing is small samplings
- done by the Health Department at markets as part of its food surveillance
- program.
-
- ``It's not a surveillance issue,'' said an Agriculture and Fisheries
- Department spokesman.
-
- ``There's a risk in eating this kind of fish. When people know that, they
- can exercise their own judgment instead of Big Brother _ the government _
- doing everything.''
-
- The coral reef fish sold in Hong Kong come from the mainland, Indonesia, the
- Philippines, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries.
-
- Keung Yin-man, chairman of the Hong Kong & Kowloon Floating Fishermen
- Welfare Promotion Association, urged the government to pin down the origin
- of the fish quickly to prevent a public scare that could harm the fishing
- industry.
-
- ``Not all coral reef fish are unsafe. We need to find out in which area the
- problem occurred,'' Mr Keung said.
-
- ``Don't wait until the public is as scared of fish as they are of chickens.''
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 00:38:48 PST
- From: "Cari Gehl" <skyblew@hotmail.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Iran Experiments on Dogs, Humans
- Message-ID: <19980120083849.8601.qmail@hotmail.com>
- Content-Type: text/plain
-
- The Press Telegram
- 16 January 1998
-
- CHEMICALS: UN says videotapes seized in '95 show chemical, biological
- experiments on animals.
-
- By Roger H. Reid
- AP
-
- UN - The American-led team banned by Iraq had been pursuing leads raised
- in a 1995 UN Raid, UN officials said Thursday: pictures showing beagles
- writhing in agony from chemical and biological agents and a human arm
- covered with lesions.
-
- The videotapes and photo were among a wealth of evidence UN teams found
- in August 1995 in a search of a chicken ranch owned by a son-in-law of
- Saddam Hussein. The cache supplied much of what the UN knows about the
- status of banned chemical and biological weapons programs in Iraq.
-
- UN spokesman Fred Eckhard confirmed the raid found videotapes showing
- "there does seem to have been experimentation on dogs."
-
- Eckhard refused to release the tapes, although the AP obtained a copy of
- the UN video that showed what the narrator said were apparently the
- empty cages of animals used in experiments.
-
- UN sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said other parts of the
- tapes showed beagles and other dogs squirming in pain as chemical and
- biological weapons were sprayed on them.
-
- Ewan Buchanan, a spokesman for the UN Special Commission on Iraq, said a
- photograph was found at the same time showing a human arm covered with
- lesions. But he said it was unclear where or when the photo was taken.
-
- Eckhard said the picture was inconclusive on the question of suspected
- experimentation on humans.
-
- UN officials, again speaking on anonymity, said they had other evidence
- about possible tests on humans, but refused to elaborate.
-
- A UN weapons inspection team led by American Scott Ritter had been
- pursuing suspicions that Iraqis tested chemical and biological weapons
- on prisoners several years ago, weapons inspections chief Richard Butler
- said.
-
- It was the team that Iraq banned Monday, saying it had too many
- Americans and Britons.
-
- On Tuesday, however, Iraqi UN Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon wrote the
- Security Council that Iraqi officials blocked Ritter's team because
- Ritter had claimed that Iraq had sent prisoners to a secret location in
- summer 1995 "where tests of chemical and biological agents had been
- performed on them."
-
- Hamdoon denied any human experiments and claimed Ritter's team was
- simply seeking to discredit the Iraqi government with unsubstantiated
- charges.
-
- Ritter's team remains idled by the Iraqi ban, although other UN teams
- are continuing their work.
-
- The Security Council ordered the destruction of Iraq's nuclear, chemical
- and biological weapons programs as a condition for ending the Gulf War
- in 1991. UN officials report progress in eliminating the nuclear and
- chemical programs but suspect Iraq is holding back considerable
- information on biological weaponry.
-
- During the 1980-1988 war between Iran and Iraq, both sides were reported
- to have used chemical agents that inflicted heavy casualties on both
- sides.
-
- In March 1988, Saddam ordered the bombing of the Kurdish town of Halabja
- with chemical agents after he accused the Kurds of supporting Iranian
- troops.
-
- Kurdish and human rights groups say about 10 000 people were killed in
- one day when the Iraqi warplanes and artillery blasted the mountain town
- with the chemicals.
-
- Saddam again used chemical agents during a campaign to drive Kurdish
- guerrillas from their hideouts, killing thousands of Kurds.
-
- ______________________________________________________
- Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 00:40:13 PST
- From: "Cari Gehl" <skyblew@hotmail.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Correction: IRAQ Experiments on Dogs, Humans
- Message-ID: <19980120084013.17334.qmail@hotmail.com>
- Content-Type: text/plain
-
- Oops, that should have been IRAQ, not Iran - my mistake. Sorry!
-
- Cari
-
- ______________________________________________________
- Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 20:24:36 +0800
- From: bunny <rabbit@wantree.com.au>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Australian Gene Survey Result
- Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980120201717.2cff86d0@wantree.com.au>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- ALL WELCOME TO 1998.
-
- Dear Friends,
-
- Further to the following action alert of last week, I am pleased to report
- that the vote was:
-
- 71 NO to 43 YES.
-
- Not an overwhelming rejection of this foolishness, but encouraging at least.
-
- Cheers,
-
- Bob
- ______________________________________________________________________
-
- ACTION ALERT
-
-
- THURSDAY JANUARY 15, 1998
-
- GOOD FOR TODAY ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
-
-
- THE HERALD SUN NEWSPAPER VOTELINE QUESTION TODAY IS:
-
-
- "SHOULD SCIENTISTS BE INTERFERING WITH GENES TO STOP AGEING?
-
- TO VOTE "NO" CALL 0055 68300 IT COSTS 25CENTS
-
-
-
- ONLY GOOD TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
- AFTER THAT YOU'LL VOTE ON SOMETHING ELSE
-
-
- Bob Phelps
- Director
- Australian GeneEthics Network
- c/- ACF 340 Gore Street, Fitzroy. 3065 Australia
- Tel: (03) 9416.2222 Fax: (03) 9416.0767 {Int Code (613)}
- email: acfgenet@peg.apc.org
- WWW: http://www.peg.apc.org/~acfgenet (under construction)
- ========================================================
- Rabbit Information Service,
- P.O.Box 30,
- Riverton,
- Western Australia 6148
-
- email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
-
- http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
- (Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
-
- /`\ /`\
- (/\ \-/ /\)
- )6 6(
- >{= Y =}<
- /'-^-'\
- (_) (_)
- | . |
- | |}
- jgs \_/^\_/
-
- It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
- - Voltaire
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 20:46:04 +0800
- From: bunny <rabbit@wantree.com.au>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (Aust)Re "Celia" ABC TV Wed Night
- Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980120203845.113761fc@wantree.com.au>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- For Australia Only - ABC TV - Wednesday night (21/1/98) "Celia"
-
- Further about the movie "Celia" which screens on ABS TV on Wednesday night.
-
- Please keep your eye out for a cruel scene where children try and "brand" a
- rabbit with a heated branding iron. If I am correct and this is the movie
- that I
- once saw a clip from on a movie-making documentary (late 1997), I wrote and
- complained to the ABC. If Celia shows implied torture of animals by children
- or adults please complain to ABC TV Australia.
-
- Any help on this much appreciated.
-
- Kind regards,
-
- Marguerite
- Rabbit Information Service
- Western Australia
- ========================================================
- Rabbit Information Service,
- P.O.Box 30,
- Riverton,
- Western Australia 6148
-
- email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
-
- http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
- (Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
-
- /`\ /`\
- (/\ \-/ /\)
- )6 6(
- >{= Y =}<
- /'-^-'\
- (_) (_)
- | . |
- | |}
- jgs \_/^\_/
-
- It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
- - Voltaire
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 98 08:43:11 UTC
- From: SDURBIN@VM.TULSA.CC.OK.US
- To: ar-news@Envirolink.org
- Subject: A Smart Cracker
- Message-ID: <199801201441.JAA15629@envirolink.org>
-
- (From the magazine "Birds and Blooms") - The highlight of our vacation
- to Arches National Park in Utah was an entertaining and smart raven.
-
- It was feeding on bits of bread, picking each one up and flying off.
- We got into the act by leaving a soda cracker. The raven returned, picked
- up the cracker and flew off to its cache.
-
- Then we left two more crackers, then three, then four - each time it
- returned, the raven stacked them and carried them away in its bill.
-
- At five crackers, we thought the raven had met its challenge. The growing
- crowd watched the bird place them in a perfect stack of five. It tried to
- pick them up from several angles but couldn't get them all in its bill.
-
- After a moment's hesitation, the raven ate one, picked up the remaining
- four and flew off! We all cheered. - (Written by Martha Hill, Oregon)
-
- -- Sherrill
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 11:23:40 -0500
- From: Wyandotte Animal Group <wag@heritage.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: CNN: Oprah goes to court
- Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980120162340.2f47a93e@mail.heritage.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- > OPRAH GOES TO COURT TO SETTLE BEEF WITH TEXAS CATTLEMEN
-
- Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday in a
- lawsuit against TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who is accused by Texas
- ranchers of defaming their beef. Winfrey and vegetarian activist Howard Lyman
- are being sued in federal court over comments they made about beef safety on
- her April 16, 1996, show. Beef prices plunged after the show was aired. Cattle
- feeder Paul Engler says he lost about $6.7 million. He and others are seeking
- to recoup losses of $12 million plus damages.
-
- -->Oprah moves show to Amarillo
- ..... http://cnn.com/US/9801/19/briefs.pm/oprah.beef.ap/index.html
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Jason Alley
- Wyandotte Animal Group
- wag@heritage.com
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 13:16:49 +0000 (GMT)
- From: Pat Fish <pfish@fang.cs.sunyit.edu>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: CNN show on Oprah/Lyman witchhunt
- Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.95.980120131403.26950A-100000@fang.cs.sunyit.edu>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
-
- Today (Monday) at 12:30PM (EST US) CNN's "Burden of Proof" will again talk
- about the beef lawsuit. The last show seemed to presume that Mr. Lyman was
- wrong, as they focused on every issue but the central one: accuracy.
-
-
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 01:37:27 +0800
- From: bunny <rabbit@wantree.com.au>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Fwd: Transcript of Oprah "Mad Cow" Show
- Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980121013006.33af90b6@wantree.com.au>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- Date: Sunday, January 18, 1998 3:45 PM
- Subject: Fwd: Transcript of Oprah "Mad Cow" Show
-
-
- With the Oprah, Lyman vs Texas Beef trial in the week (Jan 20), a review of
- it's basis might be of interest in this moment.
-
- My concern is that our First Amendment rights to free expression are also on
- trial here, as well as our rights to expect truth and integrity from that
- same
- agency established to guard us and our rights to healthy agricultural
- products.
- TLR/LSI:
-
- Transcript of Oprah "Mad Cow" Show.
-
- Howard Lyman (HSUS), Gary Weber (NCBA), Dr Hueston (USDA) on
- Oprah Winfrey Show
- April 15th, 1996
-
-
- Show transcript
-
- Mad Cow Disease, it's a medical mystery spreading panic across the
- Atlantic. In England, 20 puzzling deaths of young people in recent years
- may be linked to a rare and fatal brain disorder in cattle. British
- scientists believe the victims may have eaten diseased beef, as many as
- 10 years ago. The afflicted cattle shake and contort like mad dogs
- before what must be an excruciating and inevitable death.
-
- In human beings, dementia and paralysis precede death. Scientists
- speculate that cattle contract the disease by feeding on sheep parts
- that are infected with another disease. A practice officially banned in
- England in 1989. The disease can take years to develop. McDonald's and
- Burger King in England have stopped selling British beef. Europe has
- refused to import it and now Britain will destroy 4.7 million older cows
- that may have fed sheep parts. The scare is turning a nation of beef
- eaters away from their favorite food. Could it happen here? American
- officials say no, but so did the British government until last month.
- Though the link between cattle and humans has not been definitively
- proven, and there's no test for Mad Cow Disease, the fear it has
- generated may destroy an industry and dramaticall alter the way we eat.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Participants:
-
- Oprah Winfrey - host
- Howard Lyman - Executive director of Humane Society's Eating With
- Conscience - Humane Society of the United States
- Gary Weber - National Cattlemen's Beef Association Representative
- Dr. Will Hueston - United States Department of Agriculture
- representative
-
- Oprah:
- Dr. Gary Weber is with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. He
- says our government regulations has seen to it that our beef supply is
- safe. My next guest disagrees, he believes the United States will face a
- similar crisis within the next ten years, have mercy. Howard Lyman is a
- former cattle rancher, turned vegetarian. You hear me? Former cattle
- rancher turned vegetarian, we wanna know why, and executive director of
- the Humane Society's Eating With Conscience Campaign. You said this
- disease cold make aids look like the common cold?
-
- Howard: Absolutely.
-
- Oprah: That's an extreme statement you know?
-
- Howard: Absolutely, and what we're looking at right now is we're
- following exactly the same path that they followed in England. Ten years
- of dealing with it as public relations rather than doing something
- substantial about it. 100,000 cows per year in the United States are
- fine at night, dead in the morning. The majority of those cows are
- rounded up, ground up, fed back to other cows. If only one of them has
- Mad Cow Disease, has the potential to effect thousands. Remember today,
- the United States, 14% of all cows by volume are ground up, turned into
- feed, and fed back to other animals.
-
- Oprah: But cows are herbivores, they shouldn't be eating other cows.
-
- Howard: That's exactly right, and what we should be doing is exactly
- what nature says, we should have them eating grass not other cows. We've
- not only turned them into carnivores, we've turned them into cannibals.
-
- Oprah: Now see, wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me just ask you this
- right now Howard. How do you know the cows are ground up and fed back to
- the other cows?
-
- Howard: Oh, I've seen it. These are U.S.D.A. statistics, they're not
- something we're making up.
-
- Oprah: Now doesn't that concern you all a little bit, right here,
- hearing that?
-
- Audience: Yeah!
-
- Oprah: It has just stopped me cold from eating another burger!
-
- Audience: (Claps loudly and shouts) yeah!
-
- Oprah: Dr. Gary Weber says we do not have a reason to be concerned, but
- that in itself is disturbing to me, cows should not be eating other
- cows!
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: Well, let me clarify that. There is a reason to be
- concerned. We've learned from the tragedy in Great Britain and made a
- decision here both government...
-
- Oprah: Well we learned in the past two weeks...
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: No, no, we started taking initiatives ten years ago to
- make sure this never happened here. Let me go back and correct a couple
- of things. Number one, we do not have BSE in this country and we have a
- ten year history of surveillance to document that based on science, we
- do not have it. Also, we have not imported any beef in this country
- since 1985 from Great Britain.
-
- Oprah: Are we feeding cattle to the cattle?
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: There is a limited amount of that done in the United
- States...
-
- Audience: (groans)
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: Hang on just a second now... the food and drug
- administration...
-
- Oprah: Cause I have to just tell you that is alarming to me, that is
- alarming to me.
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: Yeah, now keep in mind that before you view the ruminant
- animal, the cow is simply vegetarian, remember that they drink milk.
-
- Oprah: So you're saying that this could never happen here?
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: No, we're doing everything we need to do.
-
- Oprah: I know, but Dr. Weber are you saying that we've been watching
- this for ten years, are you saying that every cow that's ever died,
- they've examined the reason why that cow died, before they ground that
- cow up and fed him to another cow?
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: No that's not what I'm saying, I'm saying we do not have
- the disease here, we've got ten years of data, the best scientists in
- the world who are looking for this. Over 250 trained technicians and
- veterinarians around the country. Everyone's watching for this, everyone
- would like to in a way, want to find this if it is there because they
- want to protect our industry and of course the public.
-
- Oprah: OK, lets meet this man, Dr. Will Hueston is with the United
- States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Hueston, you think Mad Cow is a
- threat to U.S. cattle?
-
- Dr. Will Hueston: I think it's an issue we need to be on top of at all
- times but there's no evidence at all that we have the Bovine Spongiform
- Encephalopathy in the United States.
-
- Oprah: What dya' just say?
-
- Audience: (laughs)
-
- Dr. Will Hueston: What I, yes, I've given you a mouthful, but I think
- it's important Oprah, and especially, and I appreciate you having this
- show to help clarify some of these issues...
-
- Oprah: Yeah, me too!
-
- Dr. Will Hueston: That the term Mad Cow stimulates a whole lot of
- feelings and concerns in people, and remember cows can get mad for a lot
- of reasons. This is a disease, a specific disease in Great Britain, a
- tragic disease of cattle called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and we
- use they initials B.S.E.
-
- Oprah: OK, I wanna know why Howard, who used to be a cattle rancher, it
- was a cattle rancher you were?
-
- Howard: Yes.
-
- Oprah: Why are you now a vegetarian? What made you turn?
-
- Howard: Well, what I know about what is happening out there with cattle,
- like feeding cows to cows, I look at it and say that's a risk that I am
- unwilling to take. The same things that we've heard here today, is
- exactly what was heard for ten years in England, "Not to worry, we're on
- top of this." You know, we've had a ban in the United States of feeding
- sheep to cows for a long time, but when they went out and looked, 25% of
- the renderers admitted that they were paying no attention to it.
- Voluntary bans do not work and if we continue to do what we're doing,
- feeding animals to animals, I believe we are going to be in exactly the
- same place because I've heard all of these things before in England,
- we're on top of this, it's safe, we would not put the public at risk, th
- ey have put the public at risk.
-
- Oprah: Yeah, of course they said that, yeah. Even Dr. Weber, you know
- that of course they said that, because what else are they going to say?
- What else are they going to say? They going to say public you are at
- risk, some of you may die and the cows are going to go crazy, they
- couldn't say that.
-
- Howard: Ask yourself the question. Today we could do exactly what the
- English did and cease feeding cows to cows. Why in the world are we not
- doing that? Why are we skating around this and continuing to do it when
- everybody sitting here knows that, that would be the safest thing to do,
- why is it, why is it? Because we have the greedy that are getting the
- ear of government instead of the needy and that's exactly why we're
- doing it.
-
- Audience: (applause)
-
- Oprah: We have a lot of questions about this Mad Cow Disease that we'd
- like to try to get resolved, because we don't want to just alarm you
- all, but I have to tell you, I'm thinking about the cattle being fed to
- the cattle and that's pretty upsetting to me, Yes mam?
-
- Audience Member:I just had one question, I'm confused about why cattle
- are being fed lamb and why are they being fed beef?
-
- Howard: Well, what it comes down to is about half of the slaughter of
- animals is non-sellable to humans. They either have to pay to put it
- into the dump or they sell it for feed, they grind it up turn it into
- something that looks like brown sugar, add to it all of the animals that
- died unexpectantly, all of the road kills and the euthinized animals,.
- add it to em', grind it up and feed it back to other animals. It's about
- as simple as you can be. We are doing something to an animal that was
- never intended to be done.
-
- Oprah: OK, so the point I wanted to ask Dr. Weber, and I think I asked
- this earlier, but let's get this clear, Oh that's your point isn't it?,
- during the commercial break, oh the lady in black, what was your
- question? You can ask it.
-
- Audience Member: My question was, are the animals tested before they're
- ground? Are all of the animals that are ground into feed that are fed to
- the cows?
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: There is no test other than analyzing the brains, and
- sinc we don't have animals with these symptoms, not every brain is going
- to be evaluated.
-
- Oprah: OK, so the answer to your question is no.
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: Its no, that's correct. No animal can enter the plant
- that has any of these symptoms, by law. And there's veterinarians and
- inspections and it doesn't happen Howard and you know it. It doesn't
- happen.
-
- Howard: Oh come on, let's get real! Any animal that is not staggering
- around goes in there, you know as well as I do, we have 100,000 cows per
- year that die. They take 2,700 brains out, of those less than a hundred
- of them, they look for preons, they were looking for Spongiform. We
- ended up feeding downed cows to mink, the mink come with the disease,
- transferred it to animals, the animals came down with it, and your
- sitting here telling everybody that it's safe, not true.
-
- Dr. Gary Weber: Howard, Howard, I understand...
-
- Audience: (applause)
-
- End of Segment
-
-
-
-
-
- ========================================================
- Rabbit Information Service,
- P.O.Box 30,
- Riverton,
- Western Australia 6148
-
- email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
-
- http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
- (Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
-
- /`\ /`\
- (/\ \-/ /\)
- )6 6(
- >{= Y =}<
- /'-^-'\
- (_) (_)
- | . |
- | |}
- jgs \_/^\_/
-
- It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
- - Voltaire
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 01:46:38 +0800
- From: bunny <rabbit@wantree.com.au>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (Queensland-Australia)Illegal/pets animals
- Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980121013917.33af01a8@wantree.com.au>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- (This list forgets to note that the greatest carrier
- in Queensland of a rabies-like virus (Lyssavirus)
- seems to be the fruit bat or flying fox - not introduced but native
- and prolific through Queensland)
-
- *********************************************************************
-
- Illegal pets/animals - Queensland- Australia
-
- PA24 November 1995⌐ The state of Queensland
- Why control pets?
- Many animals introduced into Australia have
- become serious pests. Examples include the
- cane toad, fox, cat and (European) rabbit and
- many other less common animals.
- These animals cost Queensland a great deal of
- money and may have contributed to the extinction
- of several native animals. Introduced animals can
- spread infectious diseases including exotic
- diseases such as rabies.
- If there were no controls over the keeping and
- importation of potential pest animals:
- some animals would inevitably escape due to
- either poor cage construction or accidental
- release or
- irresponsible owners may dump unwanted pets
- intothe wild. Released animals could then breed
- feral populations.
- The importation and keeping of such animals as
- pets is restricted by legislation.
- Prohibited pets
- Produced by Land Protection Sub Program
- Author:
- Agdex
- ISSN 1327-5402
-
- The basic philosophy behind the law is: ôprevention
- is much cheaper than cureö. Legislation protects
- QueenslandÆs environment and economy from
- further damage by new species of introduced
- animals.
- DonÆt risk a fine
- It is illegal to keep most declared mammal species
- as pets in Queensland.
- The Department of Natural Resources, in
- conjunction with local governments, control the
- keeping of declared animals as pets. The list of
- declared animals presently contains mammals and
- reptiles only. The maximum fine for keeping
- declared mammals or reptiles is $3 000.
- The keeping of most native wildlife and certain
- introduced birds is regulated by the Department of
- Environment and Heritage. The keeping of certain
- exotic fish is regulated by the Department of
- Primary Industries. A $60 000 fine applies for the
- keeping or release of noxious fish species from
- aquariums.
- Pets that are prohibited in
- queensland
- Prohibited Mammals
- All introduced mammal species are prohibited as
- pets unless listed as exceptions.
- Prohibited mammals include:
- Alpacas/Llamas Foxes
- Feral buffalo Hares
- Bali cattle Monkeys/marmosets
- Squirrels Deer
- Gerbils Feral camels
- Ferrets/polecats Raccoons
- Stoats Rabbits
- Weasels Hamsters
- Dingoes/hybrids Bears
- Exceptions
- Introduced mammals may be kept as pets legally in
- Queensland (subject to local government by-laws):
- Dogs Cats
- Horses Goats (domestic)
- Donkeys Guinea pigs
- Blackrats Brown rats
- House mice Domestic pigs
- The keeping of native mammals is controlled by the
- Department of Environment and Heritage, phone
- (07) 202 0200.
- Prohibited reptiles and
- birds
- All reptile species introduced to Queensland are
- prohibited. Reptiles include snakes, lizards and
- turtles. Certain exotic birds are also prohibited.
- Some native reptiles may be kept under a permit
- and some native birds may require a permit issued
- by the Department of Environment and Heritage,
- phone (07) 202 0200.
- Prohibited Fish
- Certain introduced and native fish are prohibited,
- including:
- Tilapia Walking catfish
- Koi carp Piranha
- The list of prohibited fish is subject to change.
- For more information contact the Queensland
- Department of Primary Industries Fisheries Service
- on (07) 239 3403.
- Reporting prohibited pets
- Please report any illegal activities such as the
- importation, sale and keeping of prohibited animals.
- Your action will protect QueenslandÆs agriculture
- and environment from further degradation by
- introduced pest animals.
- Further information
- Is available from Land Protection Officers,
- Department of Natural Resources 008 803 788
- (local call) can provide the telephone number for
- your nearest office.
- Brochure party funded by Rural Protection Fund.
- 2
-
- ========================================================
- Rabbit Information Service,
- P.O.Box 30,
- Riverton,
- Western Australia 6148
-
- email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
-
- http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
- (Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
-
- /`\ /`\
- (/\ \-/ /\)
- )6 6(
- >{= Y =}<
- /'-^-'\
- (_) (_)
- | . |
- | |}
- jgs \_/^\_/
-
- It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
- - Voltaire
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 14:40:01 EST
- From: NOVENA ANN <NOVENAANN@aol.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: NFI Denounces Animal Rights Activist Campaign Against Seafood
- Message-ID: <ce84b8d8.34c4fd97@aol.com>
- Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
- Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
-
- National Fisheries Institute Denounces Animal Rights Activist Campaign Against
- Seafood Consumers
-
- ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Fisheries Institute (NFI)
- announced its opposition to a new campaign by animal rights activists and
- others that encourages restaurants to stop offering swordfish caught in North
- Atlantic waters. The "Give Swordfish a Break" campaign, sponsored by the
- "SeaWeb" campaign, the Natural Resource Defense Council and a Washington, D.C.
- restaurant, advocates that other restaurants boycott swordfish during 1998.
- Campaigners argue that such action is necessary to ensure the conservation of
- wild swordfish populations.
-
- According to Richard E. Gutting, Jr., Executive Vice-President of NFI, "In our
- view, the expert scientists and officials who are responsible for conserving
- these swordfish stocks, and who have authorized their harvest, are better
- qualified to judge what is needed for conservation than the self- appointed
- advocates of this boycott campaign."
-
- Federal fishery officials limit the total amount of swordfish that can be
- harvested each year. These officials also allocate this total catch among
- various groups of fishermen. Federal law requires that these allocations
- ensure that swordfish stocks remain productive, and that the allocation among
- fishermen is fair and equitable. These U.S. catch limits and allocations must
- also be consistent with the strict measures adopted by international fishery
- commissions made up of many nations.
-
- Swordfish migrate widely throughout the world's oceans and are harvested by
- fishermen from many nations. In the U.S., swordfish are harvested in the
- Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These fish are highly valued by both big game
- fishermen and those fishermen who make their livelihood supplying restaurants
- and supermarkets. The competition for swordfish between these two fishing
- groups is fierce.
-
- Past swordfish harvests in the Atlantic were too high and depressed the size
- of their stock. Following the most scientific assessment of these fish in
- 1996, the world's most expert swordfish scientists advised the international
- commission that because of the resilient nature of swordfish, lower harvests
- would improve the condition of the stock. These limits were quickly approved
- by the international commission and were then implemented by U.S. officials.
- U.S. fishery officials concluded that these reductions would "stop the decline
- of the swordfish stock." These strict new limits, which cut harvests in half,
- are now being enforced.
-
- "Some big game fishermen apparently are angry that fishery officials did not
- give them the exclusive right to harvest swordfish when the new harvest limits
- were imposed," says Gutting. "If they now could convince everyone to stop
- buying swordfish, only big game fishermen would be harvesting them. These
- sport fishermen appear to have joined forces with animal rights activists who
- believe for moral or philosophical reasons that humans should not eat other
- animals."
-
- Despite the progress made towards conserving Atlantic swordfish, NFI remains
- concerned about the stock. It is vital that all fishing nations adhere to the
- strict international harvest limits, otherwise the sacrifices of U.S.
- fishermen will be for naught. Fortunately, most nations are complying,
- however, some may not be enforcing these limits.
-
- According to Nelson Beideman of the Blue Water Fishermen's Association, an
- organization representing commercial fishermen, "American fishermen have
- abided by all national and international regulations governing swordfish. In
- fact, we have sacrificed over 50 percent of our catch since 1989 to promote
- the conservation of these fish. Any boycott would unjustly harm both American
- fishing families and seafood consumers without providing any tangible
- conservation benefits."
-
- Under federal law, U.S. fishery officials must evaluate the performance of
- other nations. If they find that any nation is failing to adhere to
- international standards, these officials are directed to ban the importation
- and sale of the products concerned. This government-to-government strategy
- aimed at violators offers the best way to ensure compliance, and NFI is
- working closely with U.S. officials to ensure that international harvest
- quotas are enforced strictly.
-
- According to Gutting, "Broad-based boycotts, even when well intentioned, often
- hurt innocent people. We fail to see how a boycott would be justified in this
- circumstance when it would punish American fishermen and others complying with
- conservation requirements, and there is a better way to obtain compliance."
-
- Neighboring Washington, D.C., restaurateurs, too, are opposed to the
- campaign's approach. According to Bob Kinkead, owner and executive chef of
- Kinkead's, "While we all want to conserve our wild fish population for future
- generations, this campaign is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath
- water. If restaurateurs are concerned about the profusion of small fish, then
- they should demand only large fish from their suppliers. The solution is that
- simple."
-
- As 1998 is the "Year of the Ocean," annual rights activists, sport fishermen
- and other groups with marine-related campaigns are attempting to position
- their efforts in terms of fishery "conservation." Please bear in mind that
- big game and commercial fishermen compete for the fish, and that some people
- believe passionately that humans should not eat animals. In reality, this
- debate really has more to do with who should get the fish, or whether fish
- should be harvested at all, than it has to do with the biological condition of
- the stocks.
-
- The National Fisheries Institute is a non-profit trade association
- representing more than 1,000 companies involved in all aspects of the fish and
- seafood industry. The Institute acts to ensure an ample, sustainable and safe
- seafood supply for consumers.
-
- The commercial seafood industry directly employs more than 250,000 people and
- contributes more than $41 billion to the economy which includes $27.8 billion
- in expenditures at foodservice establishments and $13.2 billion at the retail
- level.
-
- SOURCE National Fisheries Institute
-
- CO: National Fisheries Institute; Natural Resource Defense Council; Blue
- Water Fishermen's Association; Kinkead's
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 14:41:39 EST
- From: NOVENA ANN <NOVENAANN@aol.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Cloned Cows Could Produce Drugs
- Message-ID: <1cd3ee87.34c4fdf6@aol.com>
- Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
- Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
-
- Cloned Cows Could Produce Drugs
- .c The Associated Press
-
- By ALISON FITZGERALD
-
- BOSTON (AP) - Researchers announced today that they have successfully cloned
- two identical, genetically engineered calves, a step that could lead to the
- mass production of drugs for humans in cows' milk.
-
- Named George and Charlie, the male calves born last week were created through
- a combination of cloning and genetic engineering by Dr. James Robl at the
- University of Massachusetts and Dr. Steven Stice of Advanced Cell Technology
- Inc.
-
- ``The applications for this in pharmaceutical production are enormous,'' Stice
- told the International Embryo Transfer Society as the researchers presented
- their findings.
-
- The calves aren't the first animal clones with altered genes - lambs Molly and
- Polly have a human gene expected to make them produce a protein helpful in
- blood clotting. But even Dr. Ian Wilmut, the Scottish researcher who
- genetically engineered the lambs and the now-famous Dolly, acknowledged that
- drug-making cows could be more valuable because cows produce much more milk
- than sheep.
-
- Researchers said the calves mark the most viable step so far toward
- ``pharming'' - developing pharmaceuticals using farm animals.
-
- ``It's a big deal,'' said Mark Westhusin, a researcher at Texas A&M
- University. ``This technology has the potential to be a lot more efficient
- than the technology that we have now.''
-
- The calves were born at a ranch in Texas.
-
- George and Charlie contain two genetic alterations - a ``marker'' gene and one
- that made cells resistant to an antibiotic. Those markers have shown up
- everywhere, from the blood to the spleen to the bones.
-
- The UMass researchers haven't produced a cow that can produce a drug, but that
- next step could be coming soon. The researchers said they have pregnant cows
- carrying female fetuses that have been altered to produce milk with the human
- serum albumin, a protein essential to the blood that is widely used by
- hospitals.
-
- Advanced Cell Technology, the company founded by the researchers, already has
- a deal with Genzyme Transgenics Corp. of Framingham to produce albumin.
-
- ``We've taken a significant step toward making this commercially viable,''
- Robl said.
-
- Robl said the technique his team used to clone the calves was a variation on
- the nuclear transfer process Wilmut used last year to clone Dolly the sheep,
- the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
-
- But Stice said unlike the method used with sheep, cloning the calves did not
- require surgery and was relatively quick.
-
- In nuclear transfer, scientists remove the nucleus from an egg and replace it
- with the nucleus from another cell. The egg is then placed into the uterus of
- a surrogate mother that gives birth to an offspring that has only the genes of
- the original cell.
-
- But the process can require at least two surgeries. The UMass researchers said
- the genetically altered eggs they used were grown in a laboratory, then
- inserted into the uterus without surgery.
-
- Another researcher on the team, Jose Bernardo Cibelli, said the team's
- technique takes cells that have already differentiated to produce a specific
- type of tissue - muscle, for example - and brings them back to the state where
- they can divide and form every type of cell in the body.
-
- Robl and Stice say that process could lead to the ability to produce cells
- that can be transferred into humans to treat such diseases at Parkinson's and
- Alzheimer's.
-
- ``The cells that we use are very easy to program, very easy to genetically
- alter,'' Robl said.
-
- The lambs Molly and Polly, born in July, differ from Dolly in that they were
- cloned from the cell of a sheep fetus, not an adult animal. The sheep will be
- tested this spring to see if their milk produces useful quantities of factor
- IX, a protein that helps blood clot.
-
- It is hoped that the factor IX could be extracted from the milk and used to
- treat patients with hemophilia, an inherited bleeding disorder in which the
- blood lacks the ability to clot.
-
- ``Obviously, I'm delighted that the nuclear transfer technology is very
- robust,'' Wilmut said upon learning of the cloned calves.
-
- Neither the lambs nor the calves are absolute pioneers.
-
- Other techniques have been used to reap drugs for the treatment of cystic
- fibrosis and heart attacks from the milk of genetically engineered sheep or
- goats. These animals, however, were produced by injecting genes into a
- fertilized egg and then implanting the egg in a surrogate mother, a technique
- less efficient than cloning.
-
- Only about 2 percent of such eggs grow to live animals and only a small
- percentage of the survivors actually contain the target genes.
-
- Scientists at the conference, many of whom are researching animal cloning,
- said the arrival of George and Charlie has been much anticipated.
-
- ``It's not Dolly, but it's a substantial contribution,'' said Dr. Caird
- Rexroad, the society president. ``We've all been awaiting more information on
- what you can do with cattle. A cow can make a tremendous amount of protein.''
-
- AP-NY-01-20-98 1326EST
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 14:51:26 -0400
- From: "Adele Faiks-Olsgard"<afaiks@ns.tssc.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Addresses for Companies that Test on Animals
- Message-ID: <85256592.006CE824.00@tssmta1.memphis.tssc.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
-
-
- Do any of you have addresses for animal-testing companies that I could
- write to? Particularly, I am looking for the address of Proctor & Gamble.
- I want to let them know why I have avoided buying their products for years.
- Please let me know if this is not the appropriate forum to ask.
-
- Adele
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 16:12:15 -0800
- From: Mesia Quartano <primates@usa.net>
- To: "ar-news@envirolink.org" <ar-news@envirolink.org>
- Subject: (US) Consumer Reports Tests Pet Food
- Message-ID: <34C53D5F.95DC955B@usa.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- >From Business Wire; 01/20/98
-
- (Consumer Reports February issue cover story) Consumer Reports Tests Pet
- Food; Does Your Dog or Cat Need The Most Expensive Food to Be Healthy?
-
- Pet Food Labels May Not Give Consumers All the Information They Need
-
- YONKERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 1998--America's 70 million cats
- and 60 million dogs -- not to mention those of us who feed them -- may
- be surprised at the findings about pet food reported in the February
- issue of Consumer Reports. Less expensive brands don't necessarily
- cheat your pet on nutrition. More costly "superpremium" brands may not
- provide a significantly healthier diet. And foods marked "light" are
- not always lower in calories and
- fat to help the overweight pet slim down.
-
- Consumer Reports found good news regarding price. If you're now buying
- one of the expensive foods, you can save hundreds of dollars a year by
- buying regular national brands whose nutrition is often just as good.
- And because even nutritious food won't do any good if a pet won't eat
- it, Consumer Reports enlisted staffers' dogs and cats in a small,
- informal taste test. Our cat and dog panelists showed no preference for
- "superpremium" foods when they were pitted against a few less expensive
- ones.
-
- When it came to nutrition and labeling, there were some disturbing
- discoveries. To learn whether pet foods deliver the nutrients they
- should, and whether the expensive types are worth their extra cost,
- Consumer Reports analyzed key nutrients in 97 products and consulted
- with veterinary nutrition experts.
-
- -- More than half the cat foods and more than one-fourth of the dog
- foods -- including some "superpremium" types -- fell significantly short
- in at least one of the nutrients in guidelines set by the Association of
- American Feed Control Officials. Low potassium and calcium levels were
- among the chief concerns.
-
- -- If you follow the recommended serving size on some dry dog foods,
- you'll feed too much, spend too much, and could end up with a fat dog.
-
- -- Pet foods marketed as "lean" or "light" aren't necessarily the lowest
- in fat or calories
-
- -- You don't have to buy food labeled "puppy" or "kitten" for a young
- animal. Any food marked "For All Life Stages" is required to have the
- extra protein and calories young animals need to grow.
-
- -- An older animal needn't be fed "senior" food and in fact, there are
- no regulations governing the use of the term.
-
- Americans spent an estimated $10 billion on pet food last year. With
- products ranging from inexpensive supermarket brands to pricey
- "superpremiums," dog owners can spend anywhere from $80 to $1200 a year
- to fill Fido's bowl. Cat food expenses can range from $50 to $900
- annually.
-
- Your pet's food ought to have all the protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and
-
- minerals he or she needs to thrive without gaining too much weight.
- Gleaning this information from the label may be difficult however
- because labels either contain a nutritional analysis or a statement that
- the food's nutritional adequacy was confirmed by a feeding trial, but
- not both. Feeding trials are preferable because they prove that an
- animal will eat the food, digest it and thrive. Consumer Reports
- recommends buying a food that fell within established nutritional
- guidelines in our tests and one that is labeled as having been tested on
- animals. Once you've narrowed your choices, you can pick the least
- expensive food your pet will eat. Foods that delivered good nutrition
- at a low price included:
-
- -- Among Dry Dog Foods: We suggest four store brands appropriate for
- dogs of all ages: Ol' Roy Original (Wal-Mart), Pet Pride Chunk Style
- (Kroger), American Fare Adult (Kmart), and Safeway Tasty Nuggets. A
- good nationally-available alternative is Purina Dog Chow.
-
- -- Among Canned Dog Foods: Ken-L Ration Premium Hearty Chunks in Gravy,
- Friskies Alpo Chunky, Cycle Puppy (for puppies), or Pedigree.
-
- -- Among Dry Cat Foods: Purina Cat Chow Original and Friskies Ocean
- Fish for cats of any age. Purina and Friskies "kitten" foods and
- "special care/special diet" foods are also recommended.
-
- -- Among Canned Cat Foods: Friskies, Alpo, and Friskies Senior stood
- out.
-
- If you now use one of the foods we're concerned about, the best strategy
- is to monitor your animal. If he's active and healthy, with a shiny
- coat and no skin problem, you needn't switch foods unless you want to
- try another that is nutritionally sound but costs less. If you see
- something wrong, however, you may want to switch brands and have your
- pet checked by a veterinarian, who may find a non-nutritional reason for
- the problem.
-
- In addition, information and articles from Consumer Reports can be
- accessed online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
-
- Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, an independent,
- nonprofit testing and information-gathering organization, serving only
- the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about
- products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other
- consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products,
- inform the public, and protect consumers.
-
- CONTACT: Amy Wolfcale, 914/378-2437'
-
- ******************
- end of article
- ******************
-
- Consumers Union of United States, Inc.
- 101 Truman Ave.
- Yonkers, NY 10703
- Phone: 914-378-2000
- Fax: 914-378-2900
- http://www.consumerreports.org
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 17:46:11 -0800
- From: Mesia Quartano <primates@usa.net>
- To: "ar-news@envirolink.org" <ar-news@envirolink.org>
- Subject: (US) Out-of-Court Settlement for Killing of Six Trumpeter Swans
- Message-ID: <34C55363.12A30B@usa.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- >From GreenLines:
-
- Say you're sorry --
-
- The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday two Topeka men accused of
- illegally shooting six trumpeter swans will be required to issue a
- public apology as part of an out-of-court settlement arranged with U.S.
- Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office. The two men
- will be fined $1,500 each and will forfeit the rifles used to kill the
- rare migratory birds. News of the shooting outraged local people. "I had
- never seen a case produce this kind of emotion," said Jim Dunn of the
- Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 19:16:21 -0500 (EST)
- From: Jill Howe <howej@sunyit.edu>
- To: oceana@ibm.net, alathome@clark.net, LCartLng@gvn.net
- Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: MSNBC on Lyman Oprah. Calls needed
- Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.96.980120190158.15198A-100000@demeter.sunyit.edu>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
-
- Hello all On MS-NBC tonight they will continue to debate the
- Lyman-Oprah-Engler lawsuit.
-
- The schedule is (Eastern Std. Time)
- 7:00PM Internight (ON NOW- accepting calls)
- 8:00PM Big Show w/Ken Oberman (may or may not be worth it)
- 9:00PM News w/ Brian Williams (this one is least important)
-
- MSNBC accepts callers for some of their programs so please try to get on.
- The no. is 1-888-MSNBC-US
- Their voting line is 1-888-977-VOTE
-
- You can also use their chat room during the show. Be warned that the MS in
- MSNBC means you may not be able to get on unless you like being forced to
- use MSIE. If that is a problem, use the IRC command to go to
- chat.msnbc.com and join room #msnbc
-
-
-
- The media seems to be assuming Howard was wrong.
- Tell opinion@msnbc.com that they are missing the point.
-
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 19:35:03 -0500
- From: jeanlee <jeanlee@concentric.net>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Report on pet food
- Message-ID: <34C542B7.55E8@concentric.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- To anyone interested in the truth about what's in pet food, please go to
- Animal Protection Institute's website for their in-depth report. This
- post is in response to the post from Mesia Quartano about the Consumers
- Reports article. Find out what "animal by-products" in these big name
- brands translates into.
-
- http://www.api4animals.org/ShoppingGuide.htm
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 19:45:52 EST
- From: Dtbartlett <Dtbartlett@aol.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Zoo association supports cheetah killing. Letters needed.
- Message-ID: <76629666.34c54542@aol.com>
- Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
- Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
-
- In a response to a petition from Safari Club International, the USFWS
- opened a comment period in March 1996 on the reclassification of the
- Namibian population of the cheetah from endangered to threatened under
- the Endangered Species Act. If this occurred, hunters would be allowed
- to kill cheetahs in Namibia and import the "trophies" into the United
- States. What follows is a letter from the American Zoo and Aquarium
- Association (AZA), in which they state that they support the
- reclassification, and support increased trophy hunting of the
- endangered cheetah.
-
- According to AZA's Directory, "AZA represents virtually every
- professionally operated zoological park, aquarium, wildlife park, and
- oceanarium in North America." How do you suppose the American public
- would feel if they knew that their favorite zoo supported trophy
- hunting of endangered species?
-
- The Service reopened the comment period (Federal Register, Vol. 62,
- page 64800, 9 December 1997), and will accept comments from the public
- until 1 FEBRUARY 1998. Please write to the Fish & Wildlife Service and
- tell them that reclassifying the cheetah is unacceptable. You can
- contact them by email at: roddy_gabel@fws.gov
-
- To view the Federal Register Notice on the Web go to:
- http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr
- Search the Federal Register in 1997 using the keyword "CHEETAH." It
- should be the first listing.
-
- To contact AZA regarding their support of trophy hunting, write to:
- LTOMLINS@AZA.ORG (to the attention of Kristin Vehrs)
-
- (I retyped the following letter)
-
- 17 July 1996
-
- Dr. Charles Dane
- Office of Scientific Authority
- Mail Stop: Room 725, Arlington Square
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Washington, DC 20240
-
- Dear Charlie:
-
- The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) submits these comments
- in response to the 19 March Federal Register notice concerning the
- petition to change the classification of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatu)
- [sic] in Namibia from endangered to threatened status.
-
- The cheetah populations in Namibia have been stable at 2500 animals for
- a number of years. Utilizing various education programs, the Namibian
- Government has made tremendous strides in protecting the wild
- populations. In addition, increased trophy hunting would result in
- increased funding for ongoing conservation programs.
-
- Therefore, AZA supports this petition, but with one condition. We
- request the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism, in
- consultation with the Office of Scientific Authority (OSA), FWS,
- develop a program with enforcement provisions ensuring that some of the
- monies raised from the increased trophy hunting be used for
- conservation programs, including the funding of an annual cheetah
- monitoring program. Should the monitoring program find that the wild
- populations have fallen below 2000 animals, a moratorium must be placed
- on hunting for two breeding cycles (2 years). At the end of this
- period, another census of the population would be taken to ensure the
- population is viable and increasing prior to the resumption of hunting.
-
- AZA is committed to the long-term survival of the cheetah in nature
- through global management programs.
-
- Thank you for your consideration of our comments.
-
- Sincerely,
-
- Kristin L. Vehrs, Deputy Director
-
- Robert G. Howarth
- Legislative Affairs Specialist
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 17:45:14 -0800
- From: Alison Green <agreen@cnnw.net>
- To: afaiks@ns.tssc.com
- Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Re: Addresses for Companies that Test on Animals
- Message-ID: <34C5532A.2811@cnnw.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- Adele Faiks-Olsgard wrote:
- >
- > Do any of you have addresses for animal-testing companies that I could
- > write to? Particularly, I am looking for the address of Proctor & Gamble.
- > I want to let them know why I have avoided buying their products for years.
- > Please let me know if this is not the appropriate forum to ask.
- >
- > Adele
-
-
- PETA's web site provides lists of companies that do and don't test on
- animals, along with contact information. Go to
- http://www.peta-online.org/shopguid/shopguid.htm
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 19:57:38 -0600
- From: Steve Barney <AnimalLib@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu>
- To: afaiks@ns.tssc.com
- Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Re: Addresses for Companies that Test on Animals
- Message-ID: <34C55612.87FBA5C8@uwosh.edu>
- MIME-version: 1.0
- Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
-
- Proctor & Gamble's home page is at:
-
- http://www.pg.com/
-
- and you can write to them from their web page at:
-
- http://www.pg.com/aboutpg/english/feedback.html
-
- Adele Faiks-Olsgard wrote:
- >
- > Do any of you have addresses for animal-testing companies that I could
- > write to? Particularly, I am looking for the address of Proctor & Gamble.
- > I want to let them know why I have avoided buying their products for years.
- > Please let me know if this is not the appropriate forum to ask.
- >
- > Adele
-
- --
- Steve Barney, Representative
- Animal Liberation Action Group
- Campus Connection, Reeve Memorial Union
- University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
- 748 Algoma Blvd.
- Oshkosh, WI 54901-3512
- UNITED STATES
- Phone:920-424-0265 (office)
- 920-235-4887 (home)
- Fax: 920-424-7317 (address to: Animal Liberation Action Group, Campus
- Connection, Reeve Union)
- E-mail: AnimalLib@uwosh.edu
- Web: http://www.uwosh.edu/organizations/alag/
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 12:13:07 +0800 (SST)
- From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (HK) Fishermen sailing into more dangerous waters: biologist
- Message-ID: <199801210413.MAA27270@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
-
-
- >Hong Kong Standard
- 21 Jan 98
- Fishermen sailing into more dangerous waters: biologist
-
- By Cindy Sui
- MEETING the demands of the lucrative live reef fish market has local
- fishermen sailing farther and farther afield into waters where ciguatoxic
- fish are prevalent _ raising the risk of more people being poisoned, a
- marine biologist warned on Tuesday.
-
- ``They're going further into the Western Pacific to places like Kiribati and
- the Marshall Islands _ areas known to have ciguatoxin in their fish,''
- Yvonne Sadovy of Hong Kong University's Institute of Marine Biology said.
-
- ``I don't know if the fishermen know or if they care. The resources around
- here are depleting but the demand is rising.''
-
- Her comments came as authorities on Tuesday discovered six new cases of
- ciguatoxin poisoning affecting 14 people.
-
- Altogether 108 people became ill in 19 cases in the past three weeks.
- The victims' symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea, hot and cold flushes
- and muscle pains after eating tiger garoupa, flowery cod and possibly other
- types of reef fish.
-
- All have been treated and released from hospitals.
-
- Dr Sadovy said the government should begin monitoring fish imports to track
- whether catches come from high risk areas.
-
- The incidence of ciguatoxin poisoning increased in the 1990s at about the
- same time that boats from Hong Kong began journeying farther from the waters
- around Hong Kong and mainland coastal waters, she said.
-
- But an Agriculture and Fisheries Department official on Tuesday said
- fish-testing may not be necessary as the number of ciguatoxic fish is a tiny
- portion of total reef fish imports.
-
- Out of an estimated 175 tonnes of reef fish imported this month, only about
- 19 fish caused ciguatoxin poisoning, Leung Siu-fai, senior fisheries
- management officer, said.
-
- ``Just because fish from one area has problems doesn't mean all fish from
- that area has problems,'' Mr Leung said.
-
- Dr Sadovy agreed but argued a monitoring system would help the government
- track the source.
-
- ``There is no need to panic, not at all. But I would say the situation has
- changed. We don't understand this trade and we really should,'' she said.
-
- Authorities said the spate of cases in such a short period of time was
- unusual and suspect the fish may come from one catch.
-
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 12:13:36 +0800 (SST)
- From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (HK) Call for import ban after fish toxin alert
- Message-ID: <199801210413.MAA27420@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
-
- >Hong Kong Standard
- 21 Jan 98
- Call for import ban after fish toxin alert
- By Simon Ng
-
- THE fisheries industry on Tuesday called for a ban on live imports of fish
- until the source of toxic coral reef fish is pinpointed.
-
- About 50 fishermen and fish farming organisations representing 90 per cent
- of the industry's 40,000 workers have formed a committee to urge the
- government to devise an inspection system for imported fish and a
- registration system for companies engaged in the business.
-
- They slammed the government for being ``irresponsible'' in merely asking
- people not to consume fish, without effective inspection.
-
- ``The government should take up the responsibility of finding the problem as
- soon as possible, we don't want a repeat of the ordeal of the chicken
- industry,'' said committee spokesman Wong Yung-kan.
-
- According to the industry imported fish, especially those delivered by air,
- were most likely to be problematic.
-
- ``Those fish transported by air would be anaesthetised in the process . . .
- even if they are infected, the problem may not be discovered,'' Mr Wong
- said. The fishermen also say the government has given out misleading
- information on coral reef fish. ``Some of the fish mentioned like giant
- grouper and mangrove snapper are in fact not coral reef fish,'' Mr Wong said.
-
- Fisherman Chan Chi-kwong said the incident had dealt him an unexpected blow.
-
- Mr Chan, recently returned from a fishing trip with 4,000 catties (about 2.4
- tonnes) of his catch from Southeast China, said prices had dropped by over
- 50 per cent.
-
- ``In the past, all my fish were quickly snapped up by market stall owners
- and restaurants as the demand before Lunar New Year is so great.''
-
- He said that at the old prices he could get $150,000 for his catch. But
- under the current situation, he would be lucky to get $70,000 to 80,000.
-
- Although the industry is the apparent victim of the poisoning scare, they
- maintain they are not merely looking after their own interests in advocating
- the ban.
- ``The ban would allow authorities to classify whether the toxic fish come
- from imported fish or locally caught and raised fish,'' Mr Wong said. ``We
- don't mind having our fish inspected.''
-
-
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 12:14:11 +0800 (SST)
- From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (HK) Guangdong `to resume export of chicken before New Year'
- Message-ID: <199801210414.MAA27453@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
-
- >Hong Kong Standard
- 21 Jan 98
-
- Guangdong `to resume export of chicken before New Year'
- By Antoine So in Shenzhen
-
- HONG Kong people are likely to have chicken meat back on their menu before
- the Lunar New Year.
-
- Beijing has instructed Guangdong quarantine officials to complete
- preparations this Friday for the resumption of chicken exports to Hong Kong,
- it was learned on Tuesday.
- Shenzhen Animals and Plants Quarantine Service deputy director Tan Guoying
- said Beijing's Ministry of Economics and Trade and Hong Kong's Agriculture
- and Fisheries Department (AFD) will soon announce the exact date on which
- the trade in chickens is to resume.
-
- Mr Tan said the Central Government had sent directives to his office and his
- counterparts elsewhere in the province, pressing for the completion of the
- necessary quarantine measures to ensure only healthy chickens will be
- shipped to Hong Kong.
-
- ``We were told to be fully prepared before the 23rd of this month, but the
- actual date has yet to be announced by the Beijing and Hong Kong
- governments,'' Mr Tan said.
-
- Before the bird flu crisis, there were more than 100 farms in the province
- supplying more than 100,000 chickens to Hong Kong every day. Shenzhen had 21
- chicken farms designated for export to Hong Kong, but shares about 60 to 70
- per cent of the total supplies.
- Shenzhen's chicken traders had suffered huge losses as a result of Hong
- Kong's ban on chicken imports, Mr Tan said.
-
- Stringent quarantine measures were in place in all of the province's chicken
- farms and at the border, Mr Tan said. These measures included an increased
- sampling ratio of 25 to 1,000 chickens.
-
- If the lot size was 5,000 or above, 40 samples per lot would be taken for
- examination, Mr Tan said.
-
- According to the AFD, the safe ratio is 13 samples to 1,000 chickens.
-
- Mr Tan said the resumption of chicken export to Hong Kong from Shenzhen
- would be conducted in phases, with five to six farms being allowed to export
- in the first phase.
-
- After the resumption of chicken exports to Hong Kong, AFD veterinarians
- would be sent to selected chicken farms to carry out on-the-spot
- inspections, Mr Tan said.
-
- After inspecting Yuanling Chicken Wholesales Market on Tuesday, Dr Daniel
- Lavanchy of the World Health Organisation said he was satisfied with the
- sanitary conditions and separation of chickens and ducks in Shenzhen's
- poultry farms and markets. Hong Kong's proposed measures to
- separate the handling of ducks and geese from chickens, could help prevent
- cross-infection of the poultry with the deadly H5N1 virus, he said.
-
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 12:14:38 +0800 (SST)
- From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (HK) No test for frozen poultry
- Message-ID: <199801210414.MAA19759@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
-
-
- >Hong Kong Standard
- 21 Jan 98
-
- No test for frozen poultry
- By Sanna So
-
- THE Department of Health on Tuesday admitted it would be impossible to
- determine whether frozen poultry is contaminated by the H5N1 virus.
-
- ``We cannot rule out the possibility that frozen poultry are contaminated by
- the H5N1 virus,'' Assistant Director of Health (Hygiene) Tam Lai-fun told
- provisional legislators.
- ``Right now, there is no test on food to check whether they carry the virus
- or not.''
-
- Dr Tam emphasised the need to check on the origin of the frozen poultry,
- adding these products were tested before being imported to Hong Kong.
-
- Meanwhile, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department is now working with
- mainland authorities to ensure both live and frozen poultry imports were
- from non-infected farms.
-
- AFD Veterinary Officer Sit Hon-chung said imports of mainland poultry would
- resume after measures to prevent infected chickens from entering were put in
- place.
-
- The Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Poultry Market will re-open after the ban on
- mainland poultry has been lifted.
-
- Lawmakers were also worried that the ventilation system in markets had
- become a breeding ground for the virus, and Sit Wing-hang of the Electrical
- and Mechanical Services Department said the system was cleaned every one to
- two months.
-
-
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 12:14:58 +0800 (SST)
- From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Indonesia bans chicken imports from HK and mainland
- Message-ID: <199801210414.MAA27024@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
-
-
- >CNA Daily English News Wire
-
- INDONESIA BANS CHICKEN IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG, MAINLAND
- CHINA
-
-
- Jakarta, Jan. 18 (CNA) Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture has warned the
- public not to import poultry products from Hong Kong and mainland China
- within the next six months.
-
- "The ban is aimed at protecting the country from the bird flu virus," Antara
- quoted Darman Hasibuan, the ministry's public relations officer, as saying
- Saturday.
-
- The ministry, through its quarantine and animal husbandry services, has also
- alerted the public of possible contamination from any carrier of the disease.
-
- "People who see symptoms of the avian influenza should immediately report to
- the local animal husbandry service," he said.
- Hong Kong has killed more than 1 million chickens to stop the spread of the
- virus. Generally, the bird flu virus consists of types A, B and C, with the
- distinction being based on the antigen internal protein characteristics.
-
- To date, only the type A virus can be isolated, and it is divided into two
- subtypes: H (Haemaglutinis) and N (Neuraminidae).
-
- There are 14 kinds of subtype H and nine of subtype N.
-
- The type A virus was previously thought to infect only birds, including
- swimming birds. The first discovery of the virus was on a bird in South Africa.
-
- On the bird flu in Hong Kong, the type A virus was first isolated from a
- boy, showing that human beings could contract the virus from birds.
-
- An expert on the poultry disease, Prof. Kennedy Shortridge, said the type A
- virus could spread within 24 hours and has the characteristics of a pathogen.
-
- However, a member of the Influenza Survey Team of the World Health
- Organization, Dr. Daniel Lavandry, said the virus is not known to be
- transferable from one human to another.
-
- So far, the infection has only passed from bird to man. (By Wu Pin Chiang)
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 23:16:41 -0500
- From: Vegetarian Resource Center <vrc@tiac.net>
- To: Veg-NE@waste.org
- Subject: DAIRY INDUSTRY FALLS VICTIM TO NORTHEAST ICE STORM
- Message-ID: <Version.32.19980120231535.01549de0@pop.tiac.net>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- DAIRY INDUSTRY FALLS VICTIM TO NORTHEAST ICE STORM
- ááááá Copyright 1998 The Associated Press
- ááááá
- áá
- áá
- áá ALBANY, N.Y. (January 20, 1998 09:55 a.m. EST
- <http://www.nando.net/>http://www.nando.net) --
- áá Leeward Babbie has watched livestock die before, but he's lost seven
- áá cows in two weeks because a protracted power outage made it impossible
- áá to milk the animals.
- áá
- áá "To lose so many in such a short period of time, it's a disaster to
- áá the business," Babbie said Monday. "It will be a long time to
- áá recover."
- áá
- áá Babbie is one of 1,800 dairy farmers in upstate New York struggling in
- áá the wake of a deadly ice storm that caused millions of dollars in
- áá damage across the Northeast and eastern Canada.
- áá
- áá Utilities in New York said 39,900 customers were still without power
- áá Tuesday. In Maine, about 17,600 business and residential customers
- áá were without service, less than one-tenth of the total at the outage's
- áá worst.
- áá
- áá Hundreds of thousands of customers lost power during the storm that
- áá began Jan. 7, breaking tree limbs and power lines under the weight of
- áá an inch-thick coat of ice. About 210,000 homes in Quebec still have no
- áá electricity.
- áá
- áá Because so many people lost electricity, farmers had to wait days
- áá before they could find generators. It took Babbie three days -- far
- áá too long.
- áá
- áá If cows aren't milked, they can become sick and can die. Those that
- áá recover never quite regain the production level they had before,
- áá farmers say.
- áá
- áá In addition to the cows that died, Babbie has sold three others for
- áá beef because they could no longer produce milk.
- áá
- áá "We lost power for five days, but it was pure hell for five days," he
- áá said. "Of course it's still not back to normal."
- áá
- áá Babbie's plight has been replayed on hundreds of dairy farms in the
- áá Northeast since the storm struck New York, New Hampshire, Maine and
- áá Vermont. When the storm knocked out power, farmers also were forced to
- áá dump milk they could not process.
- áá
- áá Patrick Hooker of the New York Farm Bureau said that while the number
- áá of cow deaths was not huge, the loss of animals and milk will cost
- áá dairy farmers millions. Maple syrup producers, apple and Christmas
- áá tree growers and poultry farmers all are expected to take a hit.
- áá
- áá Ann Howard, a third-generation dairy farmer in Harrison, Maine, had to
- áá get rid of 7,500 pounds of sour milk because power was out for a week.
- áá
- áá "It's just one of those things," Howard said. "It's going to hurt us
- áá financially and it's going to take some doing to overcome it, but it's
- áá an act of God. It's not anyone's negligence."
- áá
- áá By DONNA LIQUORI, Associated Press Writer
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 23:39:49 -0800
- From: Mesia Quartano <primates@usa.net>
- To: "ar-news@envirolink.org" <ar-news@envirolink.org>
- Subject: (US-FL) Animal-rights activists sometimes step over the line
- Message-ID: <34C5A644.DC1DDF5B@usa.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- (Sarasota Herald-Tribune; 01/17/98)
-
- Animal-rights activists sometimes step over the line
-
- In response to the last four rapid-fire letters from our animal-rights
- friends, once I got past the recent rescue of an anhinga, this movement
- isn't so glamorous.
-
- During the festive holidays, I read about or watched animal-rights
- activists trespassing on private property and climbing a construction
- crane, assaulting Oscar de la Renta, theft at a mink farm (most minks
- were later found dead of starvation) and destruction of the private
- property of Joan Rivers.
-
- These activists choose to become vegetarians/vegans and promote removing
- animals from the food chain for the rest of us. Yes, animal flesh has
- fat and cholesterol, yet eaten in moderation it supplies us with protein
- and minerals and is perfectly safe. Near and dear to their hearts is the
- elimination of whole industries that supply us with animal products. I
- object to these activists trying to elevate animals up to the
- preciousness of human life and polluting human/civil rights issues with
- so-called animal rights.
-
- We've even been asked to "pray" for animals. Do we pray to the creator,
- who made them an integral part of the food chain, or pointlessly pray to
- the soulless creation? Some of these activists call incredible
- life-saving medical advances "myths" and, in their own smugness, anybody
- who objects to their activism or doctrine is quickly labeled misguided
- or uneducated. In all their labors, it must pain them to have read two
- recent reports in the Herald-Tribune
- that reported meat consumption keeps rising and the fur coat industry is
- rebounding in sales.
-
- The foundation of any movement is ideas, and this movement is very
- scary, but don't take my word for it. Here are their words:
-
- "Arson, property destruction, burglary and theft are acceptable crimes
- when used for the animal cause," said Alex Pacheco of PETA.
-
- "Humanity is the cancer of nature," and "The optimum human population of
- Earth is zero": Dave Foreman of Earth First.
-
- We seem to be drowning in special interest groups that are bent on
- influencing our lives. The common courtesy I miss most is this country
- is minding your own business.
-
- Randal Miller
- Venice
-
-
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 23:58:05 -0500
- From: Liz Grayson <lgrayson@earthlink.net>
- To: ar-news <ar-news@envirolink.org>
- Subject: Oprah -opening arguments tommorow (Wed) at 1 p.m.
- Message-ID: <34C58050.2BAB@earthlink.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- January 20, 1998
- Web posted at: 7:44 p.m. EST (0044 GMT)
-
- AMARILLO, Texas (CNN) -- A jury of eight men and four women was chosen
- Tuesday to hear the defamation suit brought by the beef industry
- against the queen of television talk, Oprah Winfrey.
- U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson told the jury to return Wed at 1
- p.m. for opening arguments.
-
- The panel was fashioned from a pool of 58 potential jurors,
- some of whom were dismissed because they were ranchers or former
- ranchers and others because they were friends or customers of the
- plaintiffs.
-
- Winfrey is being sued by a group of cattlemen, led by Amarillo
- feedlot
- The lawsuit arose from an April 15, 1996, Winfrey show in which
- cattlerancher-turned-vegetarian activist Howard Lyman said that feeding
- animal parts to cattle was a common practice that could spread mad cow
- disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, to humans in the United
- State s.
- "Now doesn't that concern you all a little bit, right here, learning
- that?"Winfrey asked the audience. "It has just stopped me cold from
- eating another burger."
-
- Congress passed a law last year prohibiting the practice of feeding
- animal parts to cattle.
-
- Cattlemen suing for $13 million
-
- According to the cattlemen, Winfrey's
- comment led to a drop in the cash
- cattle market, a loss estimated by
- analysts at about $36 million. Texas
- cattlemen say they lost almost $1
- million, and are suing Winfrey to
- recoup their losses.
-
- The lawsuit could be the biggest test
- yet of "veggie libel" laws. The laws,
- which are on the books in more than
- a dozen states, are designed to
- protect agricultural products
- from
-
- false and disparaging
- statements.
-
- Opponents contend that the laws violate constitutional rights to
- free
- speech and prevent healthy discussion about potential
- food
- dangers.
-
-
- "This law should be held unconstitutional because it's vague, Reggie
- James, head of tthe Consumer's Union office in Texas,
- said at a news conference in Washington.
- "Not only are these laws ludicrous, they are dangerous."
- But supporters say agricultural producers, particularly because their
- products have a limited life, must be protected from unsubstantiated
- claims that scare away consumers
- "Veggie libel" laws were adopted after reports in 1989 about the growth
- regulator Alar pushed down apple prices. Legal experts said the lawsuit
- against Winfrey could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
-
- Oprah inspires bumper stickers
-
- Five of those chosen for the jury have past or current connections with
- the beef industry. At least two potential jurors were dismissed when
- they said they like Winfrey and were likely to favor her. And all but
- seven of the 58 potential jurors said they had seen the Oprah Winfrey
- Show at least once.
- Winfrey was in court, sitting with her attorneys and listening intently
- to the proceedings. When Robinson asked if anyone was a regular viewer
- of the show, three women stood. When one of them was asked if she liked
- the show, she told the judge: "I've enjoyed some and not enjoyed some.
- Winfrey feigned a glare at the woman, drawing laughter, including from
- the judge. The woman was stricken from the juror list after she told
- Robinson she was "probably a little for" Winfrey.
-
- Winfrey's appearance in Amarillo has created a stir in this city of
- 150,000 in the Texas panhandle. Some people love her, others hate her,
- as reflected in two bumper stickers on sale: "Amarillo loves Oprah" and
- "The only Mad Cow in America is Oprah."
-
- The judge said she anticipated that the trial would include 150 hours
- of testimony divided about evenly between the two sides. That would meab
- the trial could last at least five weeks.
-
- Robinson also issued a summary judgment dismissing King World
- Productions as a defendant in the suit. The judge said that King World
- was only the distributor of Winfrey's show and had nothing to do with
- its planning and production.
-
-
-
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