Again courtesy of Feministing, yet another misogyny-meets-speciesism advert, this one from rapper Ludacris. In his quest to help out the young wimmins, dear Ludacris narrated a recently released women’s basketball documentary. To which blogger Ann says, “Ludacris empowers and uplifts young ‘hoes’”.

Ann includes an excerpt from an ET article:

One of my main reasons in doing it is because of how powerful I think it is for ladies to watch it. We have a lot of problems and troubles with the youth, period, but it’s the young women who need to be especially strong at this point. [...] I want to empower the young ladies out there. It’s about women’s battles on and off the court.

Her reply?:

Like women’s battle not to be seen as meat? The cover of his album Chicken-n-Beer features Ludacris salting a woman’s leg and getting ready to bite into it. (Sexual Politics of Meat, anyone?)

Here’s the cover in question, via Amazon.com.
 
 

 
 
And a second picture, this one of the cover plus a pull-out (my best guess, anyway), which reveals more of the image.
 
 

 
 
Of course, the primary message is that women shouldn’t be viewed as (and treated like) “meat” – as objects to be consumed in order to please another. The other part of the equation, which is often negelected in discussions of this sort, is the animal, the “meat.” Just as women shouldn’t be objectified, abused, and treated as a means to an end, neither should animals.

As a feminist, animal rights advocate, and social science geek, this is the sort of topic that fascinates me. Unfortunately (well, fortunately for me!), I’m heading off for a much-deserved three-week vacation soon, so I don’t have time to expound, but this is a hint of what’s to come when I get back and have more time to devote to easyVegan.info.

Imagery that propagates the women-as-animals meme is, sadly, more common than you might realize. Common enough to justify a recurring “Consuming Women” series, methinks. I’ll post ‘em as I find ‘em; if you’d like to contribute, send me the image of offense at easyvegan [at] gmail [dot] com.

—————-

Tagged: animals animal+rights speciesism speciesist women sexism sexist misogyny feminism anti-feminist The+Sexual+Politics+of+Meat Carol+J.+Adams AnimalsWomen Consuming+Women meat Ludacris

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Katelyn Sabochik, SaveOurEnvironment.org – action [at] saveourenvironment [dot] org
Date: Jun 12, 2006 10:58 AM
Subject: Stop skyrocketing gas prices – support fuel efficiency amendment

Action Alert

We may soon have a chance to help lower gas prices, decrease our dependence on oil and fight global warming by raising fuel economy standards.

Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Edward Markey (D-MA) will be proposing an amendment that would require an increase in the fuel economy of both cars and light trucks to 33 miles per gallon by 2016.

Click here to urge your member of Congress to vote for the Boehlert-Markey fuel economy amendment.

The Boehlert-Markey amendment would save an estimated $19 billion in fuel costs and give the average family an additional $495 savings at the pump every year, while taking a significant bite out of global warming pollution and our national dependence on oil.

We need to reduce our reliance on oil to ensure both the health and the safety of future generations. New technology exists today that would make our cars and trucks go much farther on a gallon of gas, a simple solution that would help reduce our dependence on oil. The average car on the road today gets less than 21 mpg–that’s less than the Model T got!

Click here now to send an email to your Representative urging him or her to vote for the Markey-Boehlert fuel economy amendment.

This is the biggest single step we can take to help save money at the gas pump, curb global warming, and cut America’s oil dependence.

Once you’ve contacted your Representative, please forward this message to your friends, family and co-workers and ask them to join you in contacting Congress today.

Thank you again for your support,

Katelyn Sabochik
Online Campaign Manager
info [at] saveourenvironment [dot] org

Support Our Work – Click here now to make a secure online donation to help support our efforts to protect our clean water, clean air, endangered species and wild places.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals – alerts [at] idausa [dot] org
Date: Jun 12, 2006 9:32 AM
Subject: Writing Alert: Death of Gita Renews Calls to Move Elephants to Sanctuary

The Los Angeles Times and many newspapers around the country ran stories about the death of Gita, an elephant at the L.A. Zoo, and the subsequent calls to send the remaining two elephants to a sanctuary. Please write a letter to the editor of Times, or your local newspaper if it runs the story, about the suffering elephants endure in zoos, including a host of problems like arthritis and foot and joint problems directly attributable to the surfaces on which they must stand for extended lengths of time. Urge readers to support sending the remaining elephants at L.A. Zoo to a sanctuary. Send letters to the editor at letters [at] latimes [dot] com.

Read “Death of Gita Renews Calls to Move Elephants to Sanctuary” online.

You can use the following points to help you in your letter or visit www.HelpElephants.com for more information.

(More below the fold…)

A quick action alert from In Defense of Animals:

Support Bill to Stop Abductions of Animal Companions

The Pet Safety and Protection Act, H.R. 5229, would amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit Class B Animal Dealers from selling cats and dogs to research labs, as well as making it illegal for research labs to buy cats and dogs from such dealers. This will prevent strays or stolen family pets, and those acquired through deception, from being sold to labs. Please take action to urge Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Charles Schumer to co-sponsor this important bill. Also please Tell-A-Friend who also lives in New York about this issue and donate to IDA so that we can continue working for animals.

The entire alert, along with a sample letter, is available here.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Jun 11, 2006 5:50 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun on Cage-free eggs 6/11/06

The Sunday, June 11, Chicago Tribune (Pg 3) and Baltimore Sun (pg 12a) are both carrying a story on consumer interest in cage free eggs. The Tribune has headed the story, “Cage-free eggs take flight; Some shoppers like that birds can roam.”

It opens with a quote from a shopper who seeks out cage-free eggs and says, “There’s been more publicity about how stock animals are handled. It hasn’t made me a vegetarian yet, but it might.”

We read:

“The concerns of shoppers like Taylor are part of a growing public interest in where food comes from–whether beef cows were fed on grass, whether asparagus came from local farmers, how much geese suffer in the production of foie gras.

(More below the fold…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: GlenBarry [at] EcologicalInternet.org
Date: Jun 11, 2006 7:32 AM
Subject: RAINFOREST ALERT UPDATE: Chinese Olympic Committee Must Independently Prove Olympic Torch Not Burning World’s Rainforests

ACTION ALERT UPDATE PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!

Chinese Olympic Committee Must Independently Prove Olympic Torch Not Burning World’s Rainforests

By Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet, Inc.

www.RainforestPortal.org/

June 11, 2006

TAKE ACTION
Beijing Olympics 2008: Destroying Papua’s Ancient Rainforests to Raise the Olympic Torch

www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=olympic_timber

In April of 2006, Ecological Internet alerted the world to plans by the Chinese Olympic Committee to destroy ancient Papuan rainforests in Indonesia to construct facilities for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Since then our network has sent over one million protest emails to Chinese and Olympic officials, which even the authoritative Chinese government has been unable to ignore. In response the Chinese Olympic Committee has offered vague assurances that construction companies have “specifically prohibited the use of virgin timber”. But no independent proof is provided to back up these dubious promises. A country that hides the truth about Tiananmen Square and human rights is certainly capable of misleading regarding holding a “Green” Olympics. Chinese denial of using ancient rainforest timbers is therefore not credible without independent inspections and monitoring that verify this is in fact the case. Given the tawdry state of China’s own forests and the reality of huge imports of endangered timbers to meet domestic demand, it is highly unlikely construction of this scale (estimated to require millions of cubic meters of timber) could occur without using ancient rainforest timbers. The Chinese government and Olympic committee must commit to independent inspection to prove their claims. Otherwise the reputation of China and the Olympics will be irreparably tarnished. This campaign has only just begun.

Please take action now and widely forward the alert at: www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=olympic_timber

—

To subscribe, send a blank email to join-ecological_internet [at] ecoearth.info

Or visit here: www.ecoearth.info/subscribe/

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch [dot] com
Date: Jun 11, 2006 12:21 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Los Angeles elephant Gita has died. Demo today and Los Angeles Times article – 6/11/06

Sad news from Los Angeles today. A headline on the front page of the Los Angeles Times Metro section reads, “Gita, the Los Angeles Zoo’s 48-Year-Old Elephant, Dies.”

The piece, by Carla Hall, opens:

“Gita, the Los Angeles Zoo’s female Asian elephant who had become the focus of a highprofile controversy over whether the giant animals should stay in zoos, died Saturday morning in her yard after several hours of attempts to save her life. Gita, who turned 48 this month, had lived at the zoo since 1959.

“Two keepers found Gita about 5 a.m. in the outdoor part of her off-exhibit enclosure, sitting dog-style, with her back legs tucked under her and her front legs outstretched — a perilous position for the circulatory system of an 8,000-pound animal, according to zoo officials.

“A zoo veterinarian, who contended that Gita had completely recovered from a severe foot ailment, said it was a mystery why she was prone.”

(More below the fold…)

Here’s an update I received on an earlier action alert – a petition to ‘Unchain the Avondale Pits’ (for the original alert, click here):

———- Forwarded message ———-
Posted by: “Mary”
To: Dogs Deserve Better
Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:51 am (PST)

PLEASE PASS ON AND CROSSPOST WIDELY

Lots of good news!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JUNE 8th
Case AS2006-012 (this was the case number for Messina’s court)

Today’s hearing was “administrative”.

All our information was submitted. ACO’s were present and submitted their reports – apparently they’d been to Mr. Davis’ house 3 times, one time was to get the second dog we had found (white / brindle patches w/ the doubled chain) and euthanize him at Mr. Davis’ request, as he was “too aggressive for the owner to handle”.

Judge Messina reviewed evidence, looked at the pics and alond with the Parish Attorney, informed Mr. Davis that he was sending the case to the DA for criminal prosecution. The DA will decide, based on evidence, as to whether to prosecute or not. The dogs will not be released until this is resolved.

Mr. Davis will be charged on 3 counts of cruelty under state law, not just Parish Ordinance if the DA decides to move forward. If not, the case will return to Judge Messina for decision.

Elena has agreed with getting Phoenix to SAF for treatment!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JUNE 10

I spoke w/ Anne at SAF and, per Anne’s typical wonderful response…”Of COURSE we’ll take him”. I love Anne Bell. Anyway, going to find out if Phoenix has had any shots at all, and if not, whether JPAS can give him some before we move him to SAF. There, they’ll get him healthy and begin HW treatment.

Check the Blog for updates on when we get him to SAF!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve put up a website for updates: www.geocities.com/unchainingtheavondalepits/

For whatever reason, geocities makes you allow popups to see the Blog “Updates” link.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you would like to help with costs of his medical treatment (which, we’re sure will be staggering) you can:

Send money directly to Southern Animal Foundation Southern Animal Foundation

Attn: Anne Bell
1823 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 671-8235

****Please make sure you note on your check or a note that says the donation is for Phoenix / Avondale”****

OR

Purchase an “Unchaining the Avondale Pits” t-shirt. Brenda Shoss (Kinship Circle) has kindly donated the use of her “With My Eyes” poem for the back of the shirt. Phoenix’s “chained” picture with “Fighting For Their Lives, Unchaining the Avondale Pits” text, is on the front.

All proceeds from sales will go directly to medical treatment with Southern Animal Foundation & transport to Villalobos Rescue for Phoenix, a formerly chained & abused dog from Avondale.

www.cafepress.com/0221

OR

You can make a donation through PayPal to me (thaleia [at] triad.rr.com ) and I will send checks to Anne

My thanks, love and respect again, to every single one of you who continue to fight this fight for these beautiful creatures

Peace~

Mary

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Save the Manatee Club – action [at] savethemanatee [dot] org
Date: Jun 9, 2006 7:03 PM
Subject: Protest Manatee Downlisting!

Action By State Agency Puts Manatees In Great Jeopardy

We Need Your Immediate Help!

Despite a huge public outcry, on June 7, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted unanimously to downlist manatees from Endangered to Threatened status.

This action has little to do with how manatees are actually faring in the wild and everything to do with pressure from developers, the marine industries, and go-fast boaters. The FWC has projected that the manatee population could plummet to half its numbers within the foreseeable future. Now, boat speed zones can be rolled back, and marina and coastal development can move forward at an even faster pace. More and more boats will gain access to Florida’s already overcrowded and dangerous waterways, and there will be more pollution from stormwater runoff.

Although the FWC is vehemently denying that the manatee’s Threatened status will result in less protection, this is emphatically untrue, and a marine industry representative speaking at the FWC meeting was already asking for the boat speed zones to be reviewed for weakening protections.

Save the Manatee Club, along with 16 other organizations, has filed a legal petition asking the FWC to fix its imperiled species classification system.

What You Can Do:

-Please help protect manatees by sending a quick online letter to FWC’s executive director, Ken Haddad, the FWC commissioners, and Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The e-mail protests the manatee’s reclassification and asks the FWC to accept our legal petition to fix its imperiled species classification system. You can also get more background information on this issue.

Click here to send an online letter

-Please make a donation now. You will be helping us do whatever it takes to defend manatees from a self-serving politically driven process that not only devalues these beloved animals, but also puts all of Florida’s imperiled wildlife at greater risk.

Click here to donate now

-Please forward this e-mail to as many people as you can.

Thank you for your help on this important issue for manatees!

Sign up for our free Paddle Tales E-Newsletter: Go to www.savethemanatee.org/enews_signup.htm

Our postal address is:

500 N. Maitland Ave.
Maitland, Florida 32751
United States

About SMC
Save the Manatee Club is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 by former Florida Governor Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffett. To learn more about manatees and our work, go to www.savethemanatee.org

Join Us!
Adopt-A-Manatee and join Save the Manatee Club. Your contribution will support our work to help protect endangered manatees and their habitat. For more information, go to www.savethemanatee.org/adoptpag.htm

Pass It Along
Help spread the word about manatees! Please forward this action alert to your family and friends. If you got this message from a friend, sign up to receive our Action Alerts at our Take Action page at www.savethemanatee.org/action.htm

Questions?
You can get updates on Action Alert issues by visiting the Take Action page of our web site. If you have additional questions, e-mail us at action [at] savethemanatee [dot] org

You can read Farm Sanctuary’s latest newsletter online!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Farm Sanctuary – info [at] farmsanctuary [dot] org
Date: Jun 9, 2006 4:35 PM
Subject: Farm Sanctuary’s E-News & Action Alert 6/09/06

The Activist-at-Large

When going out this summer, either in your own neighborhood or far away, please remember to take a few moments to raise awareness about farm animals. Simply keep some Farm Sanctuary restaurant cards in your purse, backpack or wallet. Order them now: force-feeding ducks for foie, cruel veal production, Wolfgang Puck restaurants and veg menu options (see links below this message). Give these cards to restaurant managers or leave them at establishments, as you travel out and about.

Email mailto:Campaign [at] FarmSanctuary [dot] org to let us know where you have distributed them and if you receive feedback from establishment proprietors.

secure.vegsource.com/farmsanc/item.cgi?rm=edit_item&item_id=6709

secure.vegsource.com/farmsanc/item.cgi?rm=edit_item&item_id=7814

secure.vegsource.com/farmsanc/item.cgi?rm=edit_item&item_id=25061

secure.vegsource.com/farmsanc/item.cgi?rm=edit_item&item_id=6268

Farm Animal of the Month: Jeremiah

Before arriving at Farm Sanctuary, Jeremiah lived in a pond in the busy shopping district of a San Francisco neighborhood, surrounded by noise and traffic. Completely blind, his life was very difficult. But thankfully, with the help of a kind woman who knew he deserved a better home, he found his way to our California Shelter. Here he is given the love and special care he needs to thrive, and he gives back to us in many ways as well. We love Jeremiah, and we know you will as well.

Read more: www.farmsanctuary.org/adopt/rescue_jeremiah.htm

Give a Pig a Belly Rub

Join us as we continue to celebrate 20 years of rescuing and protecting farm animals at our annual Fourth of July Pignic. Guests will enjoy delicious veggie dogs hot off the grill as well as free tours of our shelters that are home to hundreds of rescued farm animals. Guided tours are available on the hour from 11 am until 3pm. Come out to our NY or CA Shelter and give a pig a belly rub!

www.farmsanctuary.org/visit/calendar.htm#july4

Use GoodSearch.com and Raise Funds for Farm Animals!

Make Goodsearch.com your home page so that every time you search the internet, you raise funds for Farm Sanctuary’s rescue and protection programs. A search engine with a unique social mission, it’s an easy way to help farm animals everyday. If every member of our E-Mail News and Action Alerts used GoodSearch twice a day for a year, Farm Sanctuary would earn over $73,000 for farm animals! To get started today, visit www.goodsearch.com and choose Farm Sanctuary as your designated charity. Thank you!

www.goodsearch.com/

Painting for Paws ~ Art With a Cause

This heartwarming farm scene titled “Hilda’s Friends,” by Karen Derrico raised $4,000 at our 20th anniversary Gala silent auction! Now you can purchase a limited edition of this beautiful artwork featuring Farm Sanctuary residents, including the beloved Hilda, with 25% of proceeds benefiting Farm Sanctuary. Click below to purchase “Hilda’s Friends.”

www.painting4paws.com/hildasfriends.html

IN THE NEWS

Foes See Foie Gras as a Fat Target
USA Today
June 2, 2006

Letter to the Editor by Farm Sanctuary president, Gene Bauston
Animal Cruelty at Head of Triumph Debate
Quad-City Times
June 7, 2006

USDA: Much Still Unknown About Two US BSE Cases
Cattlenetwork.com
June 8, 2006

Fixing the Downer Pig Problem
Meat & Poultry
May 1, 2006

Wild Birds’ Role in HPAI Crisis Confirmed
FAO Newsroom
June 1, 2006

Farm Animal Plush
Three adorable plush farm animals to choose from!

————————-

Farm Sanctuary is the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, we have worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the “food animal” industry through research and investigations, legal and legislative actions, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Our shelters in Watkins Glen, NY and Orland, CA provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. For more information about Farm Sanctuary or our programs, please visit www.farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583-2225. To become a Farm Sanctuary member or to make a donation today using our secure online form, www.farmsanctuary.org/join/donate2.htm. For updates on previous action alerts, www.farmsanctuary.org/actionalerts/update.htm.

————————-

To subscribe: www.farmsanctuary.org/signup.htm

Email list management powered by MailerMailer.com

Routinely I find myself surprised at the celebs who volunteer themselves for PETA PSAs. This one, however, really caught me off guard:
 
 

 
 
I’ll let the luchadores ‘splain:

Featuring bone-breaking masked Mexican wrestlers, or luchadores, and heartbreaking burlesque beauties, Mexican wrestling’s phenomenon, Lucha Va Voom, is unmatched when it comes to putting on a show full of glitter, glam, and body slams. Recently, this group of brawling babes and hard-hitters showed its softer side by taking time out from grappling with each other to tackle animal abuse together. In its colorful new PETA ad, the troupe tells people, “Animals Can’t Defend Themselves—Fight for Them! Join PETA.”

“[I]f we have feelings, if we have hearts, we don’t like to see anyone suffer. Much less little animals like cats and dogs,” wrestler Quinto of Los Villanos tells fans in an exclusive PETA video. “[We] only ask you to be more thoughtful in the care of those animals, because so much of their happiness depends on how we treat them, how our children treat them, how we allow others to treat them.”

You can read more about the campaign, download a larger version of the ad, and register to win tickets to Jack Black’s upcoming flick, Nacho Libre, here.

Read the latest ASPCA News Alert here.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: ASPCA – news-alert [at] aspca [dot] org
Date: Jun 9, 2006 7:00 AM
Subject: Is Your Backyard Safe for Your Pets?/New Dangerous Dog Laws

JUNE 9, 2006
Welcome to our weekly email newsletter, your source for the latest
news from our animal welfare community and information on pending
humane legislation.

—————-
ASPCA NEWS ALERT
—————-

KEEP YOUR BACKYARD SAFE (AND NON-TOXIC!) FOR YOUR PETS
Summer’s almost here, the time of year when the ASPCA Animal
Poison Control Center handles many requests from pet owners seeking
information about safe garden and yard care. What plants are toxic to
pets? What should you do if think your pet ate a poisonous mushroom?
Our experts know the answers to these questions, and more.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=txjVrE9Pik4THkb8zIdVTA..

ILLINOIS CRACKS DOWN ON DOG FIGHTING AND DOG ATTACKS
Governor Blagojevich signs important legislation that toughens
penalties against owners of vicious dogs.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=5ho4Vq63A2bToXSG3gU0dQ..

ASPCA SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK: ROADSIDE ATTRACTION
A car can take you far, but it can also put you on the road to the
perfect pet, as Linda Davis found out.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=rJYzDSBgtl2Fk6Ir9udatA..

HOW DO YOU LIKE OUR NEW PLANNED GIVING CENTER?
We think you’ll find it easier to navigate, with added
information about pet trusts.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=z1yhQS2oqp4Ayjku8csIBQ..

LITTER BOXES 101 FOR NEW CAT OWNERS
Just in time for Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, the ASPCA and Fresh Step®
litter have put together a few basic tips to ensure that your new
kitty finds her way to the loo.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=0XordDUrPpnms_yYlcqYxQ..

GOT BILLS? PAY ‘EM IN STYLE WITH ASPCA CHECKS
Imagine paying your bills with a smile on your face? You can make this
chore a little easier with cool dog and cat checks from Checks In the
Mail.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=rBzCMtBjC4yDbHmJs-M2RA..

———————
ASPCA ADVOCACY DIGEST
———————

HELP PROTECT PETS IN EMERGENCIES
If you haven’t already done so, please urge your senators to
support the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=c_wwyzKx119ikKm2FxnhxA..

LOUISIANA: COCKFIGHTING LEGISLATION FAILS
SB 652, legislation that would prohibit the cruel and barbaric
bloodsport of cockfighting, failed to be reported favorably out of the
House Agriculture Committee last week. Although the bill made history
by passing favorably out of two Senate Committees and achieving
victory and successful passage on the floor of the Senate, the bill
was deferred in the House Agriculture Committee by a vote of 9 to 4.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=xvt3k5F7s-ulRkXQcP5g2Q..

CONNECTICUT: LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAM ESTABLISHED!
Wonderful news! Last Friday, June 2, Governor Rell signed HB 5795,
legislation that will help both people and animals. Connecticut
residents, please thank the Governor today.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=kZxTiISZtwDq_Ke7TGQDig..

NEW YORK: URGE SENATE TO PASS “TAX CHECK-OFF” TO FUND
LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER
Please urge the Senate to pass A.3651-A/S.8070. This legislation will
infuse much-needed funding into the Animal Population Control Program,
which provides low-cost spay/neuter services to New York pet owners.

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=XrEmy2wZzSnjFVok6fzwIw..

MORE ALERTS FOR YOUR AREA…

www.aspca.org/site/R?i=B1777i-7iOUk8QpiCbNXVw..

————————————————

Tell a Friend: www.aspca.org/site/TellAFriend

Become a Member: www.aspca.org/site/R?i=Vzg5vOdT321UJi5PeYjHCw..

ASPCA Store: www.aspca.org/site/R?i=FzCHxxrUrlhr6i6ab30I-Q..

ASPCA Credit Card: www.aspca.org/site/R?i=rVwfw0EfoD9ygr6Gfz6qlg..

© 2006 The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®
424 E. 92nd St
New York, NY 10128
Visit us online at www.aspca.org

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch [dot] com
Date: Jun 8, 2006 6:30 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Wall Street Journal front page of emergency evacuation with pets 6/8/06

The Thursday, June 8, Wall Street Journal has a front page story headed, “In Case of Disaster, Mr. Milelli Has Plans For You and Your Dog.”

It opens:

“Moved by the images of teary residents who resisted leaving their flooded homes after Hurricane Katrina because they couldn’t take their pets with them, Paul Milelli hit upon a plan to shelter man and beast together in public schools.

“‘Pets and people in our minds have to go together,’ says Mr. Milelli, Palm Beach County’s director of Public Safety. ‘It undermines our efforts to get vulnerable people out of harm’s way if they don’t want to leave Fifi or Fido behind.’

“But Mr. Milelli and other emergency managers are finding that placing loved pets with their owners under one roof isn’t easy. Palm Beach County’s school board recently refused to participate in his plan for so-called pet-friendly shelters because it feared lawsuits. The concern: Pet dander would get into a ventilation system, trigger an asthma attack or other allergic reaction in a student or school staff member long after a storm has passed.”

(More below the fold…)

Here are the actionable items from DDAL’s June eNewsletter. Follow the links to take action!

The Big Chill

While Congress continues to show an interest in the Antifreeze Bittering Act (see next item) time is running out to pass this important bill to help keep animals from dying! The Antifreeze Bittering Act (S. 1110/H.R. 2567) requires manufacturers of ethylene glycol antifreeze to add a bittering agent to make the antifreeze unpalatable. Children and animals are drawn to the sweet taste of antifreeze, which results in thousands of poisonings every year. Please contact your senators and representative and ask that they co-sponsor this bill. It is especially important to target the members of the House Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, which has jurisdiction over H.R. 2567.

Click here to find out if your help is needed to contact your U.S. Representative.

A United Warm Front

On May 23, 2006 DDAL Legislative Director Sara Amundson testified before the U.S. House Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials in support of H.R. 2567. Her intelligent testimony presented a compelling case in support of this bill. Other supporters appearing before the subcommittee included Dr. Melinda Eyrich, a veterinarian from New Mexico who has treated animals poisoned to death with antifreeze, and Jeffrey Bye from Honeywell International on behalf of the Consumer Specialty Products Association. Bill sponsor U.S. Representative Gary Ackerman (D-NY) spoke strongly in support of the legislation and continues to push for passage in the 109th Congress.

Visit the DDAL Web site to read Sara Amundson’s testimony.

Preparing For the Worst

With the official start of Hurricane Season on June 1st, many people have begun to plan for catastrophic storms, and so has the federal government. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act), which requires local and state authorities to include in their evacuation plans how they will accommodate household pets and service animals in the event of a disaster. While the Senate has yet to pass the bill, Louisiana’s state senate has introduced the “Emergency Preparedness Bill” to provide a disaster operation plan for service animals and household pets. Of course, a personal disaster preparedness plan is the first line of defense for you loved ones, both human and animal.

Visit the DDAL Web site for more information on animal disaster preparedness and the PETS Act.

The following is an excerpt from NRDC’s Earth Action.

To take action, click here.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Earth Action – earthaction [at] nrdcaction [dot] org
Date: Jun 8, 2006 11:40 AM
Subject: Special alert: Tell your representative to act now to stop global warming

==============================

NRDC’s EARTH ACTION:
The Bulletin for Environmental Activists

June 8, 2006

==============================

Special alert:
Tell your representative to act now to stop global warming

Take action now at www.nrdcaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=53587

==============================

Last year Representative Gilchrest (R-MD) and Representative Olver (D-MA) introduced the bipartisan “Climate Stewardship Act” to reduce global warming pollution. The bill would require the biggest polluting industries in the United States to cut carbon dioxide and five other global warming pollutants released by power plants, refineries and other industries. Patterned after the Clean Air Act’s successful acid rain program, the bill would use a market-based approach, with emissions caps and emissions trading, to cut global warming pollution at the lowest possible cost.

Global warming pollution from power plants, heavy industry and the burning of transportation fuels is raising the earth’s temperature and increasing the risks of rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes, more droughts and wildfire and the spread of infectious diseases. We can avoid the worst of these effects if we significantly reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants within 10 years.

Existing technologies such as wind and solar power, hybrid cars and fuels from crops are available for widespread use if we enact clean energy policies such as the Climate Stewardship Act. The Bush administration, however, continues to advocate a voluntary approach to global warming that will not stop — or even slow — the steady increase in global warming pollution.

[...]

For more information about NRDC or how to become a member of NRDC, please
contact us at:

Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax)
Email: nrdcaction [at] nrdc [dot] org

www.nrdc.org

Also visit:
BioGems — Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council

www.savebiogems.org

[end excerpt]

Today is World Oceans Day, and the Ocean Conservancy asks that you

Speak up for the Oceans on World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day was established during the Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 to raise awareness of the important connection between people and the oceans. You can speak up for the oceans, today, on World Oceans Day by urging the U.S. Government to make ocean protection a national priority.

Additional action alerts:

Help Protect Right Whales, Before It’s Too Late

Please take action today and demand that the National Marine Fisheries Service implement emergency measures to help save the remaining right whales before it’s too late.

…and…

Save Red Snapper for a Healthier Future for the Gulf of Mexico

Please take action to help rebuild severely depleted red snapper populations essential to a healthly Gulf of Mexico marine ecosystem.

You can also sign up for their eNewsletter here.

The following is the Table of Contents from this week’s IDA eNews:

IDA ALERTS

1. Stop Export of Elephants to Foreign Zoos

2. IDA Joins Manatee Coalition

3. Man Who Beheaded Cat May Escape Punishment

CAMPAIGN NEWS & UPDATES

1. IDA’s June Guardian of the Month: Siglinda Scarpa

2. Join IDA’s Elephant Task Force

3. International Day of action for Korean Dogs and Cats

You know the deal – click on the links above to take action on each item, click here if you’d like to donate to the cause, and to join the action center, go here.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch [dot] com
Date: Jun 7, 2006 3:10 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Newsweek magazine on microchipping — June 12 edition

Good news in the June 12 edition of Newsweek. An article (pg 10) headed, “Microchips: Fido Once Was Lost, But Now He’s Found” tells us that only 5% of pets in the USA are microchipped, part of the problem being that “competing U.S. companies keep separate registries and require different scanners.” However we that in July, “Bayer HealthCare plans to start selling ResQ, a universal scanner that can read all brands of pet microchips. It’s already shipping 20,000 free ones to shelters and pet hospitals nationwide.”

And we read that some cities are starting to require microchipping in all pets.

PETA’s Daphna Nachminovitch is quoted:

“It is not pleasant having something the size of a grain of rice embedded under your skin. But it is far preferable to never being reunited with your person.”

Imagine how different things would have been for rescuers and frantic families in New Orleans, after Katrina, if New Orleans had mandatory microchipping.

(More below the fold…)

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch [dot] com
Date: Jun 7, 2006 3:10 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: USA Today front page on Ringling Bros 6/7/06

The Wednesday, June 7 edition of USA Today has a big, light, front page story about changes at the Ringling Bros circus, headed, “Circus gets a makeover; In Hip-hop, a ringmistress Out Lions, tigers, the 3 rings.”

Ringling has changed the style of its circus, dropping the three rings. The article tells us:

“Circuses of all sizes and stripes are straining to meet the fractured attention spans of the iPod generation. They’re also reflecting the influence of Cirque du Soleil, the hugely popular Canadian acrobatic troupe that is expected to draw 7 million people this year with its modern mix of music, street art and multicultural flair.”

The influence of Cirque du Soleil, which uses no wild performers, is welcome news.

We read, “The new show has elephants, but it does not have the big cats — lions and tigers — associated with a Ringling circus.”

(More below the fold…)

In this week’s NRDC’s California Activist Network Action Alert:

June 7, 2006

In This Issue:

–Action Alerts–

1. Speak out to protect California’s high desert wildlands

2. Urge state leaders to pass a budget that protects the environment

–Updates on Previous Alerts–

November ballot initiatives

Plus: “An Inconvenient Truth” coming to a theatre near you!

Click on the links above to take action, or visit their Earth Action Center for additional action alerts.

To subscribe to one or all of the NRDC bulletins, click here.