A n i
m a l W r i t e s © sm
The official ANIMAL
RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Editor
~ JJswans@aol.com
Issue # 05/11/03
Publisher ~ Susan
Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Journalists ~ Greg Lawson - ParkStRanger@aol.com
~ Michelle Rivera
- MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ Dr. Steve
Best - sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ Put A Turkey In Your Tank by Greg Lawson
2 ~ Environmentalists = Terrorists: The New Math by Karen
Charman
3 ~ New 'Cruelty Free' Test Developed by Amanda Katz
4 ~ A Duck In Need by Donna Zeigfinger
5 ~ The End Of Animal Research by Robert Cohen
6 ~ ACT Radio - Animal Concerns of Texas
7 ~ Old Dog In A Locket by Heidi Stamm
8 ~ Memorable Quote
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`
~1~
Put a Turkey in Your Tank
By Greg Lawson - ParkStRanger@aol.com
I recently read an article in the May issue of
the science magazine Discover that really gave me mixed emotions. The
article was entitled "Anything into Oil," and described an incredible
scientific breakthrough. A company named Changing World Technologies has
perfected a process called thermal depolymerization that breaks down anything
from municipal garbage to sewer sludge into gas, oil, sterilized water and
minerals.
Other companies have tried to develop this process in the past, but the amount
of energy needed to run the machinery was as much as or more than the fuel
recovered. The CWT pilot plant began operation in 1998 in Philadelphia
and was able to convert 7 tons of garbage a day into oil, gas, water and
minerals. The process is 85% efficient, there are no secondary pollutants
produced and everything distilled is of value. A portion of the gas
produced is used to run the machinery.
It sounds too good to be true. This technology could indeed change the
world, solving several of our biggest problems at once. It would mean a
future with no more landfills, no garbage, no sewage problems, no wastes at
all...the ultimate dream of recycling. If only the United States'
agricultural wastes were subjected to this process, it would result in 12
billion barrels of oil a year according to CWT estimates.
Free of our dependence on foreign oil supplies, there would be no need for us
to make up excuses to conduct wars in the Mideast, no need for oil drilling in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or at South Padre Island National Seashore,
no need for transporting oil in sinkable boats across the seas.
CWT's patented thermal depolymerization process (TDP) breaks down the long
chain molecular bonds into the shorter chains of petroleum hydrocarbons in the
same way the earth changes organic material into oil over millions of years of
tectonic plate shifting, heat and pressure. The difference is that TDP
does it in the amount of time it takes to cook brown rice.
Anything can be turned into oil. Plastic wastes, medical waste and
municipal waste and tires result in the highest yields. Organic wastes
such as sewer sludge and agricultural byproducts yield a little less oil, but
more sterilized water. Even metallic wastes such as computers and
appliances can be reduced to oil and minerals.
Okay, so why do I have mixed emotions about this new technology that could
solve so many of our problems? Construction has just been completed on
the first commercial thermal depolymerization plant in Carthage, Missouri,
right next door to a ConAgra Butterball turkey slaughterhouse. Shortly,
the TDP plant will begin turning 200 tons of turkey guts a day into oil.
Feathers, bones, guts, and turkey excrement will produce a gas to fuel not only
the TDP plant and the slaughterhouse, but also yield oil for commercial sales.
Unfortunately, this endeavor will increase the monetary value of turkey and
greatly increase profits for ConAgra, the second-largest food company.
ConAgra kills approximately 30,000 birds per day at it's Carthage Butterball
plant, and spends a lot of money to dispose of the wastes. Converting the
wastes into oil will allow the plant to be seen as more "environmentally
friendly" to everyone but the turkeys.
Currently, the plant discharges over a million gallons of slaughterhouse wastes
per day to the City of Carthage wastewater treatment system. One of the
company's waste lagoons was leaking a million gallons of wastes per month, but
ConAgra did not close the lagoon until over four years had passed, and after
six written requests by Missouri officials. The facility has been cited
numerous times by state and federal officials for pollution violations of it's
operating permit and has paid approximately $42,000 in fines (a drop in the
bucket when you consider ConAgra has received 100 million dollars over the last
decade just from the national school lunch program). Now ConAgra will
have the motivation to recycle (higher profits) thanks to thermal
depolymerization technology.
Changing World Technologies is working with major hog companies to build plants
that run on the millions of gallons of hog waste that sits in lagoons across
the Midwest. While this development is certainly good for the
environment, it won't be good for the animals, and one of our big arguments for
vegetarianism, pollution, is being eroded.
It's a mixed blessing. I would rather see this technology applied to
plastic wastes, sewer sludge and municipal garbage. Being a vegan, I want
to have a choice at the gas pump. I would always select the hi test sewer
sludge over the unleaded turkey guts every time.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~2~
Environmentalists = Terrorists:
The New Math
By Karen Charman
From http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/7748
Have you ever signed a petition in support of an
environmental or animal-rights issue? Do you belong to the Sierra Club, the
Natural Resources Defense Council, or Greenpeace? Have you publicly protested
some environmental or animal rights outrage? If legislation crafted and
promoted by the ultra-conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
becomes law, these fundamental rights of American citizenship could become
illegal.
Exploiting the current political climate against terrorism, ALEC has teamed up
with the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, a pro-hunting group, to create a model
"Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act." The legislation is part of an
intense backlash against increasingly effective and vocal citizen campaigns
aimed at halting -- and holding corporations accountable for -- environmental,
animal-rights and public health abuses.
Forging this kind of marriage to produce anti-progressive legislation is old
hat to ALEC, now in its thirtieth year of policy bending. With an annual budget
of nearly $6 million, ALEC's funders read like a Who's Who of the right, and
include organizations like the National Rifle Association, Family Research
Council and Heritage Foundation. It counts conservative activists and
politicians such as Jesse Helms, Jack Kemp and Henry Hyde among its alumni.
Enron, Phillip Morris (now Altria) and several oil companies rank among ALEC's
corporate sponsors. And to bring the loop full-circle, ALEC boasts 2,400 state
lawmakers representing all 50 states among its current members.
In light of this, it's hardly shocking that ALEC is no friend to green groups.
According to a 2002 report by Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources
Defense Council, corporations and trade associations "funnel cash through
ALEC to curry favor with state lawmakers through junkets and other largesse in
the hopes of enacting special interest legislation -- all the while keeping
safely outside the public eye."
The strategy obviously works. ALEC spokesperson David Wargin estimates that out
of about 1,000 ALEC model bills introduced in the last legislative session, 200
were enacted.
The Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act may be next. Intended for states, it
criminalizes virtually all forms of environmental or animal-rights advocacy.
Versions of the proposed law were introduced in Texas in February and in New
York in March. New York Assembly member Richard Smith (D-Blasdell), who
introduced that state's bill, says four or five other states have also
expressed interest.
The Texas bill defines an "animal rights or terrorist organization"
as "two or more persons organized for the purpose of supporting any
politically motivated activity intended to obstruct or deter any person from
participating in an activity involving animals or... natural resources."
The bill adds that "'Political motivation' means an intent to influence a
government entity or the public to take a specific political action."
Language in the New York bill is similarly broad.
Michael Ratner, a human rights lawyer and vice-president of the Center for
Constitutional Rights, has never seen such draconian legislation in the United
States.
"This is unique. Even under the definition of domestic terrorism in the
Patriot Act, you have to at least do something that arguably threatens people's
lives," he says. "The definitional sections of this legislation are
so broad that they sweep within them basically every environmental and
animal-rights organization in the country."
Sandy Liddy Bourne, director of the ALEC task force that came up with the model
bill, insists the legislation is narrowly targeted at environmental and
animal-rights extremists who blow up buildings or destroy research facilities.
"We're certainly not attempting to interfere with anybody's civil rights
to protest or express their opinion on environmental or animal-rights
issues," she says. However, "there are legitimate business operations
across our country that are being targeted by environmental extremists, and
it's time to bring this kind of activity to a halt."
Ratner points out that there are laws against trespassing, vandalism,
destruction of property, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. The only
reason for this legislation, he says, is to eliminate all forms of dissent,
including the time-honored democratic traditions of nonviolent, peaceful
protest and civil disobedience.
Civil rights advocates who thought the Patriot Act was bad should turn their
attention to this legislation. Because if ALEC is successful, millions of
people might just lose the only tool they have left: the right to loud and
public dissent.
**Karen Charman is an investigative journalist specializing in agriculture,
health and the environment.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~3~
New 'Cruelty-Free' Test
Developed
By Amanda Katz
Posted on April 5, 2003
Two German scientists have developed a new method
of determining whether or not a substance is inflammatory that does not require
the use of animals.
The new test instead involves the use of human white blood cells grown in test
tubes. They are exposed to the substance being tested, and then examined to
determine if the cells have released molecules called cytokines that cause an
immune system response likely to produce inflammation.
According to the scientists who developed the test, University of Leipzig
researchers Karen Nieber and Sunna Hauschildt, it may eventually reduce the
number of laboratory experiments involving animals that are conducted by as
much as 25 percent.
A substantial number of so-called "cruelty-free" laboratory tests
have been developed and adopted by researchers during the last decade,
according to laboratory animal welfare activist Herbert Cohen.
"The widespread adoption of this test would be another step forward in
reducing the amount of suffering experienced by animals in laboratories,"
said Cohen.
Sources
University of Leipzig
New Test for Potentially Inflammatory Substances Developed
European Biomedical Research Association
www.ebra.org/regulat/germany.html
Animal Research in Germany
© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~4~
A Duck In Need
By Donna Zeigfinger - DZeigfinge@aol.com
This past winter was a monster with all the snow.
One afternoon I was driving in my neighborhood about ready to turn on a main
road when I noticed a mallard duck walking in the middle of the road. I stopped
and got out and he started to walk towards me. He looked so hungry and sad. It
looked as though he was asking "got anything for me."
He walked up to me but I could not get close enough to capture him. Finally a
neighbor stopped and asked if I needed help and I said do you have any food
with you? She said that she normally carries popcorn with her but today she
didn't. She did say that she had crackers. I said "great get them out, you
feed him and I will grab him from behind."
That's what we did and I was able to capture the poor guy. He was so weak and
tired that he did not put up much of a fight. I had to drive home with him in
my lap and take him in my house so I could get a cat carrier to put him in. I
then called Second Chance Wildlife and they said bring him over. I told them
that I wanted to release him near my house as I live right off of the Potomac
River. Fine no problem. Six weeks go by and last week my husband and I went out
to pick him up.
We get back to the house and walk down to the river to release him. I thought
that he would get out of the box and fly away but instead he waddled out and
immediately went to the river to go for his first swim in months. He was so
happy he just kept swimming and quacking. He was heading downstream when all of
a sudden 2 ducks flew above him in the opposite direction and he did a complete
u-turn and took off, flying after them and screaming like he was saying
"Hey wait up." They all met up in a tree and then we left. We
had a small audience that applauded!
**Donna Zeigfinger has been an animal rights activist and the owner of Green
Earth Travel the leading travel agency in vegetarian travel since 1998.
www.vegtravel.com
Toll free phone 1-888-246-8343
email Greenearthtravel@aol.com
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~5~
The End of Animal Research
By Robert Cohen - i4crob@earthlink.net
www.notmilk.com
April
19, 2003 -- I attended an animal research conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
The title of the conference was, "Testsmart - An Efficient and Humane
Approach to Predictors of Potential Toxic Effects of Drugs." Not since the
Trojan War has there been a horse more beautifully adorned than this conference
of ulterior motives. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Sage advice
regarding Greeks bearing Trojan horses. Odysseus hid in the belly of one such
wooden horse offered as tribute to the city of Troy, which would soon fall prey
to the passions and courage of a handful of warriors. I would be
Odysseus. I would infiltrate this insider's club. I would hide within the
belly of the beast.
My fellow attendees were directors of corporate pharmaceutical research animal
laboratories, and FDA "dinosaurs" who write and enforce the rules and
regulations requiring that animal research studies be the first step in the
approval process for new pharmaceuticals.
The average new drug approval costs hundreds of millions of dollars and takes
many years. What a waste of resources. Scientists could easily eliminate
the animal research phase and place all new drugs and techniques on the fast
track to approval. That would benefit the drug companies, humankind, and of
course, the animals.
The conference was set up by an extension of Johns Hopkins University, the
Bloomberg School of Public Health. Within that group is an organization named
the "Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing." The session chair
was Alan Goldberg. Dr. Goldberg heads CAAT, which name hints at the unveiled
motive of the sponsor. Indeed, CAAT was founded by Henry Spira, one of the
heroes of the animal rights movement. Spira was everybody's animal rights
"guru" of the 1960s and 1970s. At the same time that I was observing
the implantation of an electrode in a cat's hypothalamus at the Museum of
Natural History in 1972, Henry Spira was outside with signs protesting the
torture within. At that time, I was the clueless idealist animal researcher
seeking a cure for cancer.
The goal of Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives for Animals Testing is to
reduce the "need" to use animals as research models, and to one day
completely eliminate all animal testing.
I looked forward to attending the conference. Picking up the tab as co-sponsor
was Huntingdon Labs, villain to animal rights advocates. Why was Huntingdon
exploring alternatives to animal research? Did they recognize that alternatives
existed, and the wave of the future was in studying human tissue samples?
While at the conference, I made it my goal to ask every one of the 80 or so
attendees one question, "Can you give me an example of anything that
humankind has learned from an animal study which can be applied to
humans?" The question seemed easy to answer, defend, rationalize.
Yet, no man or woman could come up to the task. That question led to many
heated discussions which took up the better part of my three-day weekend.
By the time I got to one of the major players, she had been alerted that I was
coming. This woman represented a company that supplies transgenic mice and rats
to research laboratories. Her name was Donna Gulezian, and she worked for
Taconic Farms, and I was seeking to interview her. I put on my best
interviewers face, and approached Ms. Gulezian with a smile. "Mind if I
ask you a few questions?"
"Yes, I do," she responded.
She was dressed in black and did not smile. Her face was tense and her body
language communicated anger.
"I just wanted to ask whether Taconic Farms will be exploring non-animal
models for lab testing."
"I have no comment for you." She turned to leave.
"Excuse me, aren't you one of the sponsors of this conference, and aren't
you listed on the program as the session chair, today?"
"I'm not going to talk to you."
That was the end of that. We avoided each other for the remainder of the
conference.
I looked carefully at the list of conference attendees, and noted that not one
representative from Huntingdon was registered. I soon learned why. Huntingdon
raises animals for research. They've been guilty of animal abuse, and USDA has
taken them to task. As part of their punishment, it has been mandated that
Huntingdon sponsor conferences such as this one.
"Aren't they paying for this?" I asked Alan Goldberg of Johns Hopkins
Department of Environmental Health Services.
"In more ways than you could imagine," he laughed.
"I don't get it. Why aren't they here?" He shook his head.
Which brings me to a press release that was posted this past Monday, April
14th, by Fluor Corporation, a construction company.
Fluor will be building one of the world's largest cell culture manufacturing
facilities. They've been selected by Biogen to design and build a laboratory,
administrative offices, warehouse, and other facilities. Biogen is the oldest
biotechnology firm in the world, and one of the leaders in biologic research.
Hundreds of thousands of human tissue samples are stored in various world labs.
Tissue samples of lymphotropic virus from Indians in Panama. Cultures of breast
and prostate cancers from African Americans in New Jersey. Samples of
Wilms tumors from the Chinese, and astrocytomas from diet soda drinkers. CJD
(Mad Cow) and Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Spleens and kidneys,
pancreatic tissues, ovaries, stem cells. All kept in vials and stored for
future research.
Human skin grown for burn victims. Eyes for the sightless, and hair follicles for
the bald. Oh, the miracles that modern science will produce for our future
world.
Animal research teaches us many things. We learn that rats get cancer if they
smoke 14 packs of cigarettes each day. We learn that pigs will suffer if we
apply a blowtorch to their skin for 30 seconds. We learn that chimpanzees will
roll their eyes to the tops of their skulls when we surgically remove their
tongues, and we are amazed that white rabbits will lose their vision when 28%
acetic acid is applied to their eyes.
Yes, animal research teaches us many things about the specific species being
tested. Unfortunately, when humans apply such learning about other mammals to
our own human species, one never obtains same exact results. Humans have
completely different systems than do other non-human animals. Rat models are
not models at all for human biological systems. That is why human tissue
culture studies make so much sense.
Ultimately, before a pharmaceutical is approved, there are human tests and
clinical trials performed upon paid human volunteers. Why not skip the animal
research and go directly to the human cell culture studies, then human
testing?
That is exactly what Biogen will one day be doing. I applaud the
construction of their new cell culture facility. Construction shall be
completed by the year 2006. I expect, in my lifetime, to see an end to all
animal research. It was never needed to justify a drug approval. It has always
been a betrayal to the animals who suffered, and the humans who painfully
relied upon such research.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~6~
ACT Radio - Animal Concerns of
Texas
By Greg Lawson - ParkStRanger@aol.com
Be
sure to listen to ACT Radio tonight at 9:30pm EST (7:30pm, mountain time) with
cohosts and Animal Rights Online journalists Greg Lawson and Steve Best, and
biologist Dr. Elizabeth Walsh. KTEP can be heard over the web with Real Radio,
which is a free download.
Tonight, Steve, Liz and I feature a conversation with Michael Robinson from the
Center for Biological Diversity on the impact of public lands grazing on
wildlife. Michael is an expert on the history of the grey wolf and the
wolf reintroduction programs.
If you enjoy the show, please contact KTEP and tell them you support ACT Radio
and are pleased to hear this kind of programming.
General Feedback: http://www.ktep.org/index.ssd
A note about getting Real Radio if you don't already have it...
On the KTEP website you will see an icon on the left that says Listen to KTEP
Online, click it. The next page will say "In order to listen to KTEP
on-line you will need the Real Player, which is available for free on the Real
website. Click here to visit their download area." Go there.
That page will try to sell you the deluxe RealOne Player, but look in the top
right hand corner, there is a link that says "Free RealOne
Player." Go there.
Now on this page, on the bottom right, you will see a link that says
"Download the Free RealOne Player Only." This is what you want.
The download takes a little time, so be sure to do this early so you won't miss
today's installment of ACT Radio.
El Paso NPR - KTEP 88.5 :
National Public Radio for the Southwest
http://www.ktep.org/program_detail.ssd?id=103
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~7~
Old Dog In A Locket
By Heidi Stamm
Old dog in a locket,
That lays next to my heart;
I will always love you,
As I did right from the start.
You were right beside me,
Through the darkest of my days;
It was your kind and gentle nature,
That made me want to stay.
Now I hold you in my arms,
Your breath still warm against my hand;
Our hearts still beat together,
And I wonder if you understand.
Through the hours that I held you,
Before the light did leave your soul;
I knew a way to keep you,
Forever in my hold.
I snipped the hair from around your eyes,
So I would always see;
The beauty that surrounds me,
Even in times of need.
I snipped the hair from around your ears,
So I would always hear;
Music in the distance,
To quiet any fears.
I snipped the hair from across your back,
To bring me strength in time of need;
And the power of your essence,
Would always be with me.
I snipped the hair from around your heart,
That beat in time with mine;
So I would know that love would find me,
At some distant time.
And so, your life slipped out of mine,
On a quiet Spring-like day;
But I knew that a part of you,
Was always here to stay.
Old dog in a locket,
That lays next to my heart;
I will always love you,
Even though we had to part.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~8~
Memorable Quote
"There can be no question that more hunger
can be alleviated with a given quantity of grain by completely eliminating
animals [from the food production process]. [ ... ] Thus, a given quantity of
grain eaten directly will feed 5 times as many people as it will if it is first
fed to livestock and then is eaten indirectly by humans in the form of
livestock products...
~~ M. E. Ensminger, Ph.D., former Department of Animal Science Chairman at
Washington State University
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
(Permission Granted To Quote/Forward/Reprint/Repost This Newsletter In
Whole Or In Part with credit given to EnglandGal@aol.com)
* Please forward
this to a friend who you think
might be interested in subscribing to our newsletter.
* ARO
gratefully accepts and considers articles for publication
from subscribers on veg*anism and animal issues.
Send submissions to JJswans@aol.com
** Fair Use Notice**
This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this
not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the
copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go
beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.