where science and ethics intersect with politics
The green iguana, found in South Florida, where I live, is considered to be an invasive species. Despite the rather benign behavior of these docile creatures, local citizens view them as pests. Iguana hunting, especially in South Florida, is legal. Homeowners possess the right to “kill-on-sight” if they believe that an iguana is becoming a nuisance.
Reports of poisoned drinking water, polluted air, animal deaths, as well as industrial disasters and explosions—all the result of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking—are termed “fraccidents” by the group Earth Justice. “The dangers of fracking to the food supply are not something that’s been investigated very much. ” And, “For sustainable agriculture, fracking is a disaster.”
On March 14, 2017, the Berkeley City Council will discuss a proposal to ban the sale of fur in the city. The proposal is the result of a petition started by the group Berkeley Coalition for Animals (BCA), a volunteer-led coalition addressing issues of animal rights legislation, business, and culture.
On February 14 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to amend the city’s health code, banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores unless they are obtained from animal shelters or animal rescue organizations.
The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) has developed a partnership with the Good Food Institute and UCB’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET) that challenges students to develop plant-based meat alternatives in a semester-long course.
Federal tax dollars are funding animal research projects. Whether the taxpayer agrees or disagrees with the use of animals in laboratory testing arenas is of no importance to the United States government.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new website hides animal welfare data, “based on our commitment to being transparent, remaining responsive to our stakeholders’ informational needs, and maintaining the privacy rights of individuals.”
Here the USDA uses language to proclaim the exact opposite of its action.
The United States meat industry is worried about taking a massive financial hit because of the new refugee policies that Trump has enacted.
Does Sonny Perdue’s nomination contradict what the position itself should ideally represent or will the former governor surprise us by transferring his generosity toward domesticated animals to the millions of farm animals whom he will now oversee as Secretary of Agriculture?
Although Perdue worked cooperatively with HSUS and HSLS to make dog fighting a felony and banned the use of gas chambers as well as raised awareness of cat and dog population, his nomination may be far from exemplary.
Elephants hunted for their tusks could receive some much-needed relief in 2017 following China’s recent announcement to ban the buying and selling of ivory throughout the nation by the end of the year.
A white-tailed buck temporarily took up residence in Harlem in mid-December, to the delight of his human neighbors. The buck ultimately died in custody, reportedly due to stress.
Abolition Amendment The Humane Party, a political party in the United States, has published the final, full draft of the … More
The Humane Herald 