A n i m a l W r i t e s
© sm
The official ANIMAL
RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue # 09/03/00
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~
MicheleARivera@aol.com
~ SavingLife@aol.com
Layout ~ Corrynthia@aol.com
THE EIGHT ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ Part I: Science Under Fire:
DOW Official Pressured CU to Put
Limits on Outspoken Prof
by Brian Hansen, Colorado Daily
Staff Writer
Part 2: Lynx and academic freedom - by
Marc Bekoff
2 ~ The Amazing Talking Cat by Jon Carroll -
jrc@sfgate.com
3 ~ Job Opportunity submitted by:Jeff Novick,
MS, RD, LD,
Vegetarian Resource
Center
4 ~ New "Got Milk?" Billboards - by
Robert Cohen
5 ~ Group Criticizes Campaign
Featuring 'Thermy,' a Cartoon
Thermometer, for Trivializing Risks
of Meat Consumption
submitted by Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine
6 ~ Lecture on Legal Standing for
Animals -
submitted by jerry@activist.com
7 ~ Poem: Pig Sty - by Diana Moreton
8 ~ Quote to Remember - Christopher Morley
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Part I:
Science
Under Fire:
DOW Official Pressured CU to
Put Limits on Outspoken Prof
by Brian Hansen
Colorado Daily Staff Writer
Colorado Daily - July 16, 1999 - The former
director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife's lynx-reintroduction program
attempted to silence one of his most outspoken critics CU biology professor
Marc Bekoff by threatening to withhold grant monies and personal funds from the
university, the Colorado Daily has learned.
John Seidel, who headed the state agency's controversial program until his
retirement three months ago, wrote to CU President John Buechner in
March and asked him to "look into" Bekoff's public criticism of
the program.
"I would appreciate it if you could have your staff look into this matter
and explore the possibility of a meeting between your dean, Dr. Bekoff and
personnel from the Division," Seidel wrote Buechner. "I am quite
frustrated by this situation and would appreciate any suggestions you might
have for reducing this public conflict."
Seidel did not use CDOW stationery for his letter but nevertheless acknowledged
that he composed his thoughts while wearing "several hats."
In his letter, Seidel complained to Buechner about how Bekoff had criticized
the CDOWs lynx-reintroduction program at a November 1998 academic conference in
London.
"Hopefully, state funds did not pay for that trip," Seidel declared.
Seidel also complained to Buechner that Bekoff "has used his position to
organize students into protests" over the lynx-reintroduction program,
which, at the time, was operating at a 40-percent mortality rate.
Moreover, Seidel decried Bekoffs practice of submitting lynx-related letters and
op-ed pieces to local newspapers.
"He (Bekoff) states he is a scientist yet I have seen little science and a
lot of something called yellow journalism," Seidel wrote.
Seidel then laid out the financial consequences of the situation to Buechner.
"I have applied to the Turner Foundation for a $30,000 grant to be used
with a university to sponsor a graduate student to do an in-depth study of lynx
ecology," Seidel explained. "I have been discussing the possibility
of giving this money to CU ...(but) after the recent attack by Dr. Bekoff my
coworkers have insisted that we direct the money to CSU."
The $30,000 grant wasn't the only leverage that the state official used in
his attempt to influence Buechner.
"My wife and I both graduated from CU and we are DINKS (double income no
kids)," Seidel declared. "My current will leaves one-fourth of my
estate to the school of environmental studies at CU. Dr. Bekoff has
seriously made me consider changing my will."
Richard Byyny, chancellor of CU-Boulder, was quick to support Bekoff.
"Marc, we value you. Keep up the good work on behalf of the
University," Byyny declared in an e-mail message to the outspoken biology
professor.
Byyny then composed a letter to Seidel.
"We are grateful that you have put our environmental studies program in
your will, and we of course hope that you will not change your mind,"
Byyny wrote. "We also hope that
you will make your decision about the Turner Foundation funds based upon who
is really most qualified to conduct the lynx ecology
study."
In an interview this week, Byyny described the significance of the situation.
"I stood up for (Bekoffs) right to speak out, and for his academic
freedom," Byyny said. Bekoff, who has published more than 150
peer-reviewed articles and 10 books on a host of animal-related subjects, was
stunned by strange events.
"My first two reactions were anger and incredulity," the CU biology
professor said. "It felt like I was being blindsided."
Seidel, who continues to defend the scientific soundness of the CDOWs
lynx-reintroduction program, nevertheless regrets his letter to Buechner.
"The letter was a horrible mistake," Seidel said this week. "It
was very poor judgment on my part."
Seidel, a 28-year veteran of the CDOW, acknowledged that the situation contributed
to his decision to retire last April.
"This whole (lynx-reintroduction) project got very stressful, and I didn't
need that," Seidel said. "I'm a biologist, and I wanted to do a
biologists job, but it got very political.
Seidel's comments certainly ring true for environmental activists opposed to
Vail Resorts controversial "Category III" expansion. Activists have
long maintained that government agencies have failed to adhere to environmental
protection laws that could have and should have prevented Vail from expanding
into what many studies have concluded is critical lynx habitat.
Curiously, the CDOW, thanks to yet another piece of questionable
correspondence, has found itself embroiled in the middle of the Vail
controversy as well.
In a Nov. 12, 1997 e-mail obtained through the Freedom of Information
Act, CDOW employee Rick Kahn described a meeting that state officials had
the previous day with representatives of Vail Associates.
Kahn described a "quid pro quo" agreement that Vail attorneys proposed
to the CDOW.
"VA posed the following question," Kahn recalled in the e-mail.
"If VA takes the lead in securing funding for lynx (and) wolverine
recovery, would the state be willing to release VA from all further
obligations for preserving and protecting lynx habitat in the Vail ski area
expansion zone?"
According to Seidel, the CDOW "took the money (approximately $200,000),
but we didn't give them anything for it."
Bekoff and many others aren't so sure.
"As far as the Vail connection goes, there are a lot of strings that
nobody seems to be able to tie together," he said.
Still, Bekoff said he was "amazed" that state officials such as
Seidel and Kahn would leave such a damning record of their actions.
"Don't they realize that this stuff is going to come out eventually?"
he asked.
< > < > < >
< > < > < >
Part 2:
Lynx
and academic freedom
by Marc Bekoff <bekoffm@spot.Colorado.EDU>
Guest Opinion
Lynx, freedom of speech and academic tenure seem strange partners.
However, recent stories in the Camera (July 17, p. 1B) and other newspapers
have shown that they aren't. Prior to the reintroduction of Canadian lynx
into Southwestern Colorado on Feb. 3, 1999, I and others were against their
release, although we've supported other similar efforts. Opposition was
broad-based and involved people who rarely talked with one another (animal
rights activists, ranchers and wool growers). Shared concerns centered on
questionable political, social, economical and biological aspects of the
project.
Lynx:
We also were told: (1) Vail Associates gave $200,000 to the project (questions
about a Vail-CDOW connection concerning Vail's proposed Category III expansion
into suitable lynx habitat were hastily dismissed, but there's evidence that
CDOW did pursue this possibility). (2) Lynx no longer live in Colorado
(but experts strongly disagree, no lynx surveys were conducted around Vail
after their expansion was approved in 1994, and lynx have recently been
"rediscovered" in Oregon. (3) A death rate of 50 percent was expected
and acceptable. When I asked why 50 percent mortality was acceptable I was told
because "they'll die up there anyway." I also was told no public
opinion survey concerning the lynx project was done. Subsequently, Mr. Seidel
referred to the lynx release as "an experiment of sorts" and admitted
the project was rushed (http://cfapps.insidedenver.com/opinion/8.cfm). I
was surprised by Mr. Seidel's cavalier attitude. Why were his and CDOW's
speculations any more valid than critics' speculations that were summarily
dismissed? I subsequently wrote an essay titled "Jinxed Lynx"
(http://www.bouldernews.com/opinion/columnists/mark.html) and organized three
protests. As each lynx succumbed to the predictable lack of food, I and others
voiced our concerns. Our worries were ignored or categorically dismissed, so I
figured these discussions were going to be one-sided preachings to the
converted. I was wrong.
Freedom of speech:
On March 16, 1999, I learned Mr. Seidel had written a letter directly to John
Buechner, CU's President, regarding my asking "pointed questions"
about the lynx program. President Buehner forwarded it to me, the
Chancellor of the Boulder Campus and other campus officials. Mr. Seidel's
letter was an attempt to intimidate, coerce and censure. My response began:
"You raise numerous important and often complex and contentious issues,
two of which are dear to my heart, freedom of speech and academic freedom. Of
course, freedom of speech not only is a right protected by our Constitution,
but it is a right that we all cherish. Indeed, you exercised your freedom of
speech by chastising me, but you seem unwilling to grant me the right to
question the lynx project. . . I hope that you can honor the right to freedom
of speech by both your supporters and critics. Open discussion is essential
when . . . there are competing views."
Money showed its face. Mr. Seidel wrote (sic): "My wife and I both
graduated from CU and we are DINKS (double income no kids) my current will
leaves 1/4 of my estate to the school of Environmental Studies at CU. Dr.
Bekoff has seriously made me consider changing my will."
Not only were personal funds involved but there were hints of diverting other
funds. Mr. Seidel wrote: "I have applied to the Turner Foundation for a
$30,000 grant to be used with a university to sponsor a graduate student
to do an in-depth study of lynx ecology. I have been discussing the possibility
of giving this money to CU . . . After the recent attack by Dr. Bekoff my
coworkers have insisted that we direct the money to CSU . . . "
So, did money talk? No. The university unequivocally supported me. But
that wasn't all. It got pretty personal. Mr. Seidel wrote that unnamed sources
told him: "He is a recognized animal behaviorist, but my colleges (sic)
advise me that he has not published anything since 1980." Not so. Since
1980 I've published eight books and over 100 professional articles, many on
coyotes and carnivores of which I know some of his colleagues were aware. (Was
he duped?) Mr. Seidel also claimed I was asked to be on the lynx advisory team.
I wasn't. He later apologized for his false accusations concerning my academic
record and my being asked to be on his team. (He also provided information
about the lynx project.)
Finally, concerning teaching, Mr. Seidel wrote: "Animal Rights is a
difficult subject to teach since it involves core values and would probably be
better dealt with in one's quest for answers to spiritual questions. Is Dr.
Bekoff paid to teach animal rights? There is considerable difference between
animal behavior and animal rights." I, similar to my colleagues, am
paid to teach what I believe is important in my fields of expertise. And there
are tight links between animal behavior and animal rights. Many people,
including policy makers, make decisions about animal use and animal well-being
and rights based on their behavior and also their capacities to experience pain
and suffering. Great Apes are banned from use in research in Great Britain
because of their behavior, intelligence, and sentience. Similar legislation's
pending in New Zealand. Academic tenure and freedom of speech: A primary
function of tenure is to allow individuals to speak out on controversial issues
without risking their jobs. It's essential both to be able to express diverse
opinions without retaliation and to cherish this right. All attempts to squelch
dissent must be vigorously resisted. Who'd have guessed the lynx would be
responsible for rekindling and driving these fundamental points home? Many
thanks to these magnificent cats for teaching these lessons. Let's wish
them the best of luck on their journeys.
Marc
Bekoff teaches in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biologyat CU
Boulder. His children's book, "Strolling with Our Kin" will appear
this fall. July 22, 1999
http://www.bouldernews.com/opinion/columnists/bekmarc.html
bekoffm@spot.Colorado.EDU (BEKOFF MARC)
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The
Amazing Talking Cat
by Jon Carroll - jrc@sfgate.com
SO
I AM SITTING at my computing machine earning my living, and my cat wanders in
and speaks to me. I recognize that category of discourse immediately; it
is meowus ordinari, the common house cry.
The two other primary varieties of cat speech are meowus bigtroubli, a sort of
low growling moan, and screechus extremeli, which is an upper-register
howl designed to alert people in Utah to the existence of certain
troubling facts.
Those two modes of expression always demand my immediate attention. The
former usually means there's an opossum in the kitchen; the latter mean that
the cat is being abducted by aliens -- a not uncommon occurrence, alas.
Meowus ordinari often has to do with food. Less often, it has to do with
access. Boomer has a cat door, but she does not like the cat door.
She is a large cat, and her door is not a large door. She would
much prefer the services of a doorman.
So I am sitting, as I say, my stubby fingers flying over the keys, and the cat
is standing in the middle of the room and speaking. Whatever she is
talking about, I know she can wait just a minute.
I mean, she's a cat. She weighs 13 pounds. I weigh 195. I do
not have claws, but I have a certain animal cunning. I can purchase
weapons. I am the alpha male. If I am creating lovely sentences,
the cat is going to have to like it or lump it, although she will certainly
lump it.
And she can just go on lumping it until I am ready to deal with her
demands. There can be nothing less than absolute clarity on the power
dynamics. Me: Big human, opposable thumb, knows many words of
French, can drive a car. Her: Small cat, no thumb, limited speech,
owns no vehicles. I ask you: Who is the master?
BUT SHE DOES not meow just once. She meows and meows and meows. She
walks up and down, as though she were doing the Meow Play in a
theater-in-the-round. She attempts to establish eye contact.
Well, of course it is impossible to create prose with a damn cat yowling in
one's ear. I stand up, stare down at the cat and say, "OK, what is
it?"
She immediately goes into the "Quick, Timmy, come quick, old farmer
Roberts is drowning in the crick" dance. She races toward the object
of desire and turns to see if I'm coming. If I'm not, she runs back
toward me, turns and runs away. "Follow me, Timmy, the whirlpool at
Devil's Bend is dragging him under!"
Reluctantly, I follow her. Unsurprisingly, our destination is the food
bowl.
I GET DOWN on my knees. I run my fingers through the kibble.
"Look, Boomer, plenty of food still left. None of these Poultry
Platter Flavor bits are over 24 hours old. Besides, and forgive me for
mentioning this, you're a cat."
But no. The food doesn't smell right or something. I know that if I
were to leave the house in a rush and forget to fill the cat bowl, then somehow
the vile food that did not smell right would be all gone when I returned home
to strenuous recriminations.
Boomer understands my attitude instantly. She runs in distressed
circles. "Poison, poison, my master is trying to poison me.
Whatever am I to do? I am but a poor neutered cat with no means of
support. Oh poor me, oh dear."
I know where this is leading. If I go back into my room, she'll follow,
and the dance will begin again. I get some more food and put it in her
bowl.
She walks away, not wishing to seem over-eager. She lies down and starts
washing herself. Food? She is indifferent to food. I let
loose a howlus anguishii, the cry of the American cat owner.
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Job Opportunity
submitted by:Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD
ChefJeff7@WorldNet.att.net
VRC@tiac.net (Vegetarian Resource Center)
Registered Dietitian
The world-renowned Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa is looking for an
up-beat and energetic registered dietitian. Must be experienced with the
science and practical application of a healthy low fat, high fiber, plant-based
diet. Must also be experienced in
public speaking, recipe development, menu planning, and counseling people with
heart disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Computer skills and
knowledge of nutrition analysis programs helpful.
Fax resumes to Jeff Novick, 305-935-7111
or e-mail resumes to ChefJeff@ChefJeff.net
Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD
Director of Nutrition
Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa
The Yacht Club at Turnberry Isle
19735 Turnberry Way
Aventura, FL 33180
800 842 4434 ext 342
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New "Got Milk?"
Billboards
by Robert Cohen
i4crob@idt.net
PETA's
billboards parodying the popular "Got Milk?" campaign went up
Wednesday in Wisconsin with a picture of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
wearing a milk mustache and asking, "Got prostate cancer?"
PETA's controversial ad has drawn criticism, but perhaps this time, they
were NOT strong enough.
Hundreds of studies have identified a hormone manufactured by the human body as
the KEY factor in the growth of prostate cancer. That hormone is called
insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). This powerful cellular growth accelerator
is identical in cows and humans. Eat pizza with mozzarella or Parmesan on
pasta, ice cream or yogurt, and you deliver this powerful hormone to your body.
SCIENCE magazine was started by Thomas Edison in the late 1880's. This
prestigious journal is read by over 500,000 scientists every week. On January
23rd, 1998 (vol. 279. p. 563), IGF-I was called the key factor in prostate
cancer.
There are forty-three thousand species of mammals, and hundreds of millions of
different proteins in nature, and only one hormone in the entire animal kingdom
is an exact match between two species. That hormone is IGF-I.
The latest scientific confirmation was published in the July issue of the
British Journal of Cancer (p 95-97, Volume 83, Number 1, July 2000).
Researchers at the Imperial Cancer Research Institute in Oxford found that a
diet without meat or dairy products could reduce the risk of contracting
prostate cancer. The authors cite
earlier studies suggesting that high levels of IGF-I play a key role in causing
prostate cancer. Vegetarians have lower levels of IGF-I than meat eaters, and vegans
have lower levels of IGF-I than vegetarians.
Prostate cancer is a killer, and Mayor Giuliani's cancer is shared by millions
of Americans. The dairy industry recently selected New York Yankee
manager Joe Torre as a model for a milk mustache ad. Giuliani is a New
York Yankee fan, and often appears with Joe. These two "heros"
of New York share a common disease and should share a common therapy:
NOTMILK!
Robert Cohen
Executive Director
Dairy Education Board
1-888-NOT-MILK (668-6455)
http://www.notmilk.com
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Group Criticizes Campaign
Featuring
'Thermy,' a Cartoon Thermometer, for
Trivializing Risks of Meat Consumption
submitted by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Email: pcrm@pcrm.org
WASHINGTON,
Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
(PCRM) filed a complaint today with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
over its new campaign promoting the use of thermometers in meat preparation.
The campaign features ``Thermy,'' a cartoon thermometer, who claims: ``It's
safe to bite when the temperature is right.'' On the eve of Labor Day, one of
the country's most popular barbecue days, PCRM hopes to alert the American
public that meat is unsafe at any temperature.
``While a thermometer can indicate whether food is hot enough to kill bacteria,
it can't do a thing about measuring fat, cholesterol, carcinogens, or all the
other deadly hazards in meat,'' says PCRM president Neal Barnard, M.D. ``To
suggest that meat is completely ''safe`` if cooked at a high temperature is a
deadly mistake. The USDA should not be ignoring the enormous body of research
linking meat consumption to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and
other serious health problems.''
PCRM's complaint argues that while heat may kill microorganisms, it's
useless against fat and cholesterol, two main culprits implicated in the
development of many chronic diseases. Moreover, meats prepared under high
cooking temperatures often contain heterocyclic amines, potent carcinogens that
form from amino acids, creatine, and natural sugars.
``The bottom line is that meat is a risky food, whether or not it's been cooked
thoroughly,'' says Dr. Barnard. ``The USDA would do better to promote a
healthy, vegetarian diet.''
For a copy of PCRM's complaint or interviews with PCRM doctors and dietitians,
contact
Ms. Simon Chaitowitz, Communications Director
at 202-686-2210, ext. 309
or via e-mail at simonc@pcrm.org.
Founded in 1985, PCRM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting
preventive medicine, especially better nutrition, and higher standards
in research.
pcrm@pcrm.org
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Lecture on Legal Standing for
Animals
submitted by jerry@activist.com
Please
join us at UCLA Law School on September 13, 2000, for a presentation by Sheldon
Eisenberg of Bryan Cave LLP. Mr. Eisenberg will speak about legal standing for
animals, with reference to litigation he conducted as legal counsel for Farm
Sanctuary.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in Room 2357, which is located on
the second floor of the Law Building.
There is no charge to attend the event. Parking is available at UCLA for $6 per
car. (Please note that parking costs more than last year and remember to bring
more!)
Directions to the Law School:
405 to Sunset heading toward UCLA (east)
Sunset to Hilgard (south)
Hilgard to Wyton (west)
There will be a parking booth directly in front of you. Attendants will
direct you to the nearest available parking lot. The Law School Building is
directly south of the parking booth.
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PIG STY
Rotunda baby
locked in cradle
woe and agony
we will bust you out
Some roam free
away from stench
of own bowel
alone and sad
Our eyes burn tears
to release your body
your tortured squeal
your lamentable face
We made you ugly
on purpose to relieve
ourselves of the guilt
of consuming you
Tormented friend
I whine and squeal
for you until the
dreaded key is turned
Sad sons of bitches
tiny, penetrating eyes
snouting sensitivity
crying for some love
2000 by Diana Moreton
tapster@mindspring.com
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Quote To Remember
"No one appreciates the very special genius
of your conversation as the dog does."
-- Christopher Morley
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
Susan Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights Online
P O Box 7053
Tampa, Fl 33673-7053
http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal Rights Online=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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