UPDATE, 10/5/07:

Still adding to the post…

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UPDATE, 7/27/07:

I’ve been updating this post almost daily; newest links at the top of the link dump. Feel free to add to the roundup via the comments section.

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Unfortunately, the justice system don’t work thataway, so let’s hope for life six years (Six years! WTF!?!) behind bars.

Anywho, a number of animal rights/welfare groups have sent out alerts on this subject, so I’ve included a link roundup below. Links shall be updated as necessary. Also, after the jump, forwarded alerts that are not otherwise available online. (Keep up to date with the latest news via teh Google.)

* DawnWatch: Vick dogs on NY Times front page, and Los Angeles votes for spay-neuter 2/2/08

* Best Friends Animal Society: eNews: December 14, 2007 (Preparing for the Michael Vick dogs)

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Vick Received Federal Sentence–Demand Tough State Prosecution Now!

* DawnWatch: Michael Vick sentence on AJC front page and in many other papers 12/11/07

* Last Chance for Animals (LCA): Michael Vick Sentenced Today, Mon 12/10

* The Petition Site: Keep Michael Vick Out of the NFL!

* Best Friends: Vick dogs cleared to come to Best Friends

* Kinship Circle: Vick’s Dogs/ YOU Helped Save Their Lives

* Kinship Circle: OCT. KC DIGEST – Killing JFK Cats, Shot Iraq Dog, Petitions… (Parts 1 & 2) [Section 9, "Ensure Vick’s Dogs Are Spared, As Promised"]

* Kinship Circle: UPDATE/ Vick’s Dogs: Clemency For All But One

* American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): eNews Alert: October 5, 2007 (Update on Michael Vick Case/Dog Health Chat Today!)

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Michael Vick Takes Empathy Course at PETA HQ

* Kinship Circle: LETTER/ Vick Teammate Faces Unrelated Cruelty Charges

* The Petition Site: Stop Dogfighting Now!

* The Petition Site: To the NFL: Help Pitt Bulls while Punishing Michael Vick!

* In Defense of Animals (IDA): Give Vick Dogs a Fighting Chance at Life

* Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF): Congressman Garrett sides with dogfighters — speak out at rally next Wednesday

* Dogs Deserve Better (DDB): “Falling Star, Rising Son: The Football Player and the Pit bull” Art containing Actual NFL Football Tickets from Steeler/Eagles Game

* ROAR: Donate your VICK jerseys – you’ll never wear them again!

* Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare: Michael Vick: Now the Hypocrisy Begins

* Kinship Circle: [GULF COAST] Two Years And Still Counting (Section #9, Michael Vick Did NOT Adopt 14 Katrina Pit Bulls)

* Kinship Circle: LETTER/ Salvation For Vick’s Dogs?

* The Petition Site: Please help get Michael Vick’s fines donated to Pit Bull and other animal rescues

* Now if only Vick’s sentence was meted out in dog years… (easyVegan blog post, 8/27/07)

* In Defense of Animals (IDA): Urge Atlanta Falcons to Kick Vick Off of the Team

* Last Chance for Animals (LCA): 8/27 Michael Vick Update!

* American Humane Association Urges Severe Sentence for Michael Vick Appropriate to the Severity and Inhumanity of His Crimes; Historic Organization Seeks Prison Time, Fines, Banishment from NFL

* American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): Michael Vick Pleads Guilty/ASPCA President Invites Letters of Thanks

* Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Vick goes before judge – now YOU be the judge

* DawnWatch: Michael Vick case spurs comments on other animal cruelty 8/22 — 8/26/07

* Best Friends Animal Society: The dogs in the Michael Vick case

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Tell the NFL to Recognize Animal Abuse as an Offense Warranting Suspension–and More

* Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSUS): Congressman Graves sides with dogfighters — speak out at rally on Monday (Kansas City)

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): What to Do if You See Animal Abuse

* The Petition Site: Save Vick’s Dogs

* In Defense of Animals (IDA): Urge Amazon.com to stop promoting illegal animal fighting

* In Defense of Animals (IDA): Breaking News: Vick to Plead Guilty to Dog Fighting Charges

* Kinship Circle: No Deal For Sick Vick’s Dogfighting Crimes

* Last Chance for Animals (LCA): Michael Vick Admits Guilt, Plea Deal To Be Announced!

* Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Thank the U.S. Attorneys in the Vick Case!

* API: End Dog Fighting for Sport, Sign a Petition to Help Wildlife, and much more…

* Kinship Circle: [RELIEF GLOBAL] Flooded NY Shelter/ TX-KS Updates/ Left Behind In War Zone… (Section #5, 63 Kittens Used As Dogfighting Bait Dumped At Shelter)

* DawnWatch: NPR commentary on dog fighting and canned hunting 8/8/07

* DawnWatch: “‘Culture’ Argument Doesn’t Excuse Cruelty” — Richmond Times-Dispatch 8/6/07

* Kinship Circle: ACTION-UPDATES / The Vick Dogfighting Files

* Kinship Circle: LETTER / To NFL: Release Michael Vick Without Pay

* Michael Vick Blog Carnival #2 (August 2, 2007 @ Campaign to Sack Michael Vick)

* What do you think about the SCLC’s plan to honor Falcons player Michael Vick, who has been indicted on dogfighting charges? [Poll and story on AJC.com, 8/3/07]

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Sign the Statement Against Dogfighting

* The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Help Pass the Dog Fighting Prohibition Act

* The Petition Site: Ban Michael Vick From The NFL

* DawnWatch: Nike drops Vic plus NY Times spay-neuter column 7/30/07

* Michael Vick Blog Carnival #1 (July 28, 2007 @ Campaign to Sack Michael Vick)

* Campaign to Sack Michael Vick

* In Defense of Animals (IDA): Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Faces Felony Dog Fighting Charges / Urge the NFL to suspend Michael Vick from play under strong suspicion of criminal activity

* Dogs Deserve Better (DDB): Michael Vick & Dogfighting

* Working Assets / Act for Change: Tell Nike to Cancel Michael Vick’s Endorsement Contract

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): Tell Nike to Drop Vick NOW!

* The Petition Site/HSUS: Suspend NFL Quarterback Michael Vick for Dogfighting!

* The Petition Site: Petition to let the NFL know how stupid they look

* DawnWatch: “Warning on red meat and greenhouse gases” Australian, (and Vick update) Friday July 20

* DawnWatch: CBS stories, polls, and other coverage of Vick and dogfighting 7/18/07

* Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) -> NFL, Throw the Book at Michael Vick

* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) -> Tell the NFL to Suspend Michael Vick!

(more…)

UPDATE, 7/19/07:

See also: Make sure your Rep. supports the RES and fuel efficiency amendments, from the League of Conservation Voters and Hey Congress: Clean My Ride, Flex My Fuel, via the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

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Today I bring you two enviro alerts for your clicking pleasure:

Audubon: Give Renewable Electricity A Chance

The House will soon debate its version of America’s energy policy. We want to ensure that any energy legislation includes a strong nationwide renewable electricity standard (RES). Twenty-three states already have renewable electricity standards, which require utility companies to generate a certain percentage of electricity from clean, renewable sources like wind and solar. Audubon is committed to advancing these approaches in ways that safeguard birds, other wildlife, and their habitat. Establishing a nationwide renewable electricity standard is one of the biggest steps we can take to reduce global warming pollution. We have the technology to do this right now, but we need Congress to lead the way.

National Environmental Trust (NET): Urge Your Representative to Increase Gas Mileage Standards

Last month the Senate passed groundbreaking legislation to increase fuel efficiency standards for the first time in nearly 30 years. Now the momentum has shifted to the House of Representatives where a similar vote is expected shortly. It’s time to urge House members to follow the Senate’s lead and increase fuel efficiency standards that meet or exceed the mileage targets of the Senate bill.

The bipartisan Senate legislation set a target of raising fuel efficiency to a fleet-wide average of 35 miles per gallon by model year 2020 for cars and lights trucks (SUVs). A proposal by Representatives Ed Markey and Todd Plats seeks similar targets that would help consumers save money at the pump and reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil.

Tell your House member to support legislation that matches or exceeds the Senate bill and to oppose any legislation, such as a current proposal by Representatives Baron Hill and Lee Terry, which offers considerably lower mileage targets and includes industry loopholes.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts net National Environmental Trust Audubon climate change global warming energy res renewable electricity standard renewable electricity wind power solar power wildlife conservation habitat fuel efficiency standards green lcv league of conservation voters center for american progress

Via the Sierra Club:

Tell the EPA to Keep Gender-Bending Toxic Chemicals Out of Our Water

Male fish with eggs? Cases of such “intersexed” fish have now been documented from the Potomac River to the Pacific coast. Yet the EPA has not taken sufficient action to protect our waters and our health from these gender bending chemicals. Many countries and private companies have already taken action and switched to safer alternatives. It’s time the EPA followed suit.

Tell the EPA to keep gender bending chemicals out of our water!

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts the sierra club epa environmental protection agency pollution chemicals water water pollution fish wildlife animals nature conservation intersexed public health public safety

Via The Wilderness Society:

Protect Open Space by Investing in National Forests

According to the Forest Service, 64 million acres of open space, recreation lands, and forests will be developed by 2020, with higher rates of development around national forests and other public lands. This amounts to the size of Colorado, with 6,000 acres coming under development per day (about 250 football field’s worth of open space every hour).

To address this, the US Forest Service recently issued a draft Open Space Conservation Strategy. While the plan acknowledges the need to protect rapidly decreasing open spaces, it does not address the need for greater investment in federal land conservation programs such as the Land and Wildlife Conservation Fund and Forest Legacy.

The Forest Service needs to hear that should emphasize proactive plans for increasing conservation funding – not simply talk about how funding would be helpful. Please take a minute to write the Forest Service and emphasize the need to protect existing open space in America’s forests using conservation funding, improved management, protection of roadless areas, and increases in designated wilderness acres.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts the wilderness society open space green nature conservation land wildlife Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy federal land Land and Wildlife Conservation Fund Forest Legacy development

Via Greenpeace:

Speak Up for Steller Sea Lions

Endangered Steller sea lions are fighting to survive in the waters of the Bering Sea, Alaska. They’re in a battle with factory trawlers, who are snatching up fish and tearing up ocean habitats that Stellers depend on for survival. Without enough food and ocean safe havens, the Steller sea lion population has declined dramatically. While the sea lions fight off starvation, the government is dragging its feet on implementing Endangered Species Act protections.

Take Action >> Tell the government to give maximum protection to these magnificent creatures.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts greenpeace wildlife conservation fishing Steller sea lions esa endangered species act endangered species Bering Sea Alaska trawlers trawling green nature environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Farm Sanctuary – info [at] farmsanctuary.org
Date: Jul 17, 2007 9:08 AM
Subject: Tell Amazon to Stop Foie Gras Cruelty

Tell Amazon to Stop Foie Gras Cruelty

Farm Sanctuary has just released new and shocking undercover footage taken at Elevages Perigord, Canada’s largest foie gras production facility. The footage, which can be viewed online at the Farm Sanctuary website (www.farmsanctuary.org/media/pr_fg_amazon.htm), reveals the abuses inherent in every stage of foie gras production, from the hatchery to force feeding to the slaughterhouse. Canada is responsible for a large percentage of the foie gras imported into the U.S. annually.

A product of a partnership between Global Action Network and Farm Sanctuary, this groundbreaking investigative work is integral to Farm Sanctuary’s efforts to permanently eradicate the barbaric practices associated with foie gras production. The footage reveals the atrocities committed against hundreds of thousands of innocent animals for the sake of a high-end paté. Prosecution against the foie gras plant is pending.

You can help put an end to foie gras cruelty by cutting the supply chain!

In the United States, Amazon.com hawks foie gras produced at Elevages Perigord. Please put the power of your purse to work to stop this intolerable cruelty, and tell Amazon that they won’t earn back your business until they stop selling foie gras.

Contact Amazon at:

206-266-1000 (press 1 for customer service, 5 for corporate receptionist and ask for customer service.) If you have an account with Amazon.com, go to www.amazon.com/help, log in and click on customer service to send an email registering your concerns.

You can also write Jeffrey Bezos Amazon’s CEO directly: Jeffrey Bezos, CEO, Amazon.com Inc. 1200 12th Ave South, STE 1200, Seattle, WA 98144-2734

–

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

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts farm sanctuary foie gras meat liver duck liver ducks force feeding amazon video you tube undercover investigation Elevages Perigord Canada Global Action Network Amazon.com Jeffrey Bezos

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals – takeaction [at] idausa.org
Date: Jul 16, 2007 10:58 AM
Subject: Writing Alert: Coming this fall: Zoo expansion plans

The Birmingham News published a story about Birmingham Zoo’s future plans for a new elephant exhibit. Please write a letter to the editor on the suffering elephants endure in zoos urging the zoo to scrap any such plans. Send letters to the Birmingham News at epage [at] bhamnews.com.

Read “Coming this fall: Zoo expansion plans” online.

Coming this fall: Zoo expansion plans

Sunday, July 15, 2007
STAN DIEL and WALTER BRYANT, News staff writers

Mona, the elephant beloved by her fans but pitied by animal rights activists before her death last month, will not be the Birmingham Zoo’s last elephant.

An ambitious zoo expansion plan to be unveiled in the fall will include a “much bigger” elephant exhibit, said Dr. Bill Foster, the zoo’s chief executive officer.

(more…)

Via Ecological Internet / The Rainforest Portal:

Protect Uganda’s Mabira Rainforest Preserve from Sugar Production for Biofuel

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni continues to pursue legally dubious plans to destroy large areas of the Mabira Forest Reserve, Uganda’s most important intact and protected rainforest, to produce sugar for biofuels. Some one-third of the reserve, about 7,000 hectares of an area which has been protected since 1932, will lose its protection for sugar cane production by the Mehta Group of India’s “Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited” (Scoul). Earlier indications had been that the project was to be reviewed and cancelled, illustrating once again that no rainforest is protected for long. [...]

Continued destruction of Uganda’s surviving forests will have further grave ecological consequences — threatening ecotourism revenues, rare species, and causing soil erosion and water pollution. Local people are critically dependent upon remaining forests for firewood and building houses. The forest absorbs pollution in an industrial area, sinking millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, and helps maintain central Uganda’s wet climate. Their removal would bring drier weather and hurt crop yields. Mabira is a watershed for two rivers contributing to the Nile, an ecological stabilizer between two major industrial towns and it protects Lake Victoria. According to the Uganda Tourism Board, eco-tourism generated some $300 million for Uganda last year.

What is so exciting is that this cyber-protest is in support of one of Africa’s first grassroots modern ecological protest campaigns – with local peoples organizing boycotts against Scoul sugar company, setting up cyber-petitions and text messaging via cell phones to organize protests. A dramatic discussion is being held in Ugandan society and in the media regarding the legitimacy of giving away forest reserves to private business interests. Efforts to save Mabira rainforest are a spontaneous, home-grown rainforest conservation protest that deserves the international community’s continued support.

Click here to learn more and take action.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts ei ecological internet the rainforest portal wildlife conservation green uganda Mabira Rainforest Preserve sugar biofuel Lake Victoria deforestation water

—– Original Message —–
From: – info [at] speakcampaigns.org
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 6:48 PM
Subject: [Global AR List] [SPEAK Campaigns] Felix Solidarity Day

Felix Solidarity Day – 4th August 2007

To learn more about Felix go to: www.speakcampaigns.org/Felix/felix.php

Wherever you live in the UK or even the world you can now help us to help Felix. SPEAK appreciate the fact that it’s not always easy to get to Oxford or to other areas of the UK where we might be holding an event. If you live in another country it is even more difficult.

Therefore, why not hold an event in your area? It doesn’t matter how large or small it is. What matters is that everyone who truly cares about ending the barbaric and fraudulent practice of vivisection highlights the plight of Felix. The country, and indeed the world needs to be told the truth about Oxford University and the horrific suffering Felix will be going through.

We are asking activists all over the world to unite on the 4th August and SPEAK out for Felix and all animals imprisoned and suffering inside Oxford University. This worldwide event will be known as Felix Solidarity Day; a day when everyone, no matter where they live, can join SPEAK in its Fight to save Felix.

Felix at this moment sits alone in a barren cage. See for yourself, watch the video: www.speakcampaigns.org/Felix/fighting_for_felix_video.php

The sad truth is that the experiments on Felix have no doubt already started. He will be alone, confused and almost certainly in pain. Felix has no one to help him but us. He is surrounded by people who only want to do him harm and if we don’t act NOW, the very same people who have inflicted unimaginable horrors on him will kill him; a fine reward for quietly enduring so much misery. They will have no remorse. They are incapable of having any empathy with a living sentient creature who they see as nothing more than a tool, something to abuse and then once they have finished abusing they will dispatch without a moment’s thought
for the poor creature they have used so horribly.

But we can’t let Felix die without fighting to save him. Save him we can, and save him we must. Felix needs US all and he needs us NOW. Felix might be just one of millions of animals killed in the name of a fraudulent scientific practice, but he is a symbol for all those many millions of poor creatures languishing and brutalised in vivisection laboratories around the world.

SPEAK have prepared information packs, which people can use on stalls or at any event they plan. These packs will consist of Felix leaflets and posters, leaflets that tell the Felix horror story as well as leaflets that expose the fraudulent nature of the type of Parkinson’s research that Tipu Aziz is conducting on Felix. Packs will also contain petition forms and posters and a DVD. Please contact us and book your information pack today. If you want ideas on what you can do to help or what sort of event to put on please contact us for advice.

The Fighting to Free Felix campaign can only be maintained and grow with financial help from those that support us. Leaflets and posters are free to anyone that requests them, but it takes finances to print and distribute them as well as the cost of postage. General advertising and organising demonstrations all take financing.

So why not join us today www.speakcampaigns.org/subscribewp.php or give a donation to SPEAK Campaigns www.speakcampaigns.org/donatewp.php and let’s together Fight to Free Felix, and just as importantly bring an end to the
horrific and fraudulent practice of vivisection.

Together we can and must win.

Please sign the Fighting for Felix petition and send details to family and friends: www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=3793

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts speak SPEAK Campaigns Felix Solidarity Day holidays observances events Felix Oxford Oxford University animal research animal testing animal experimentation vivisection uk august 4th Tipu Aziz primate macaque monkey macaque monkey

UPDATE, 7/20/07:

See also: Protecting the Public’s Right to Know, Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), from the ACLU:

Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) has placed a not-so-secret hold on bipartisan legislation that would strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the public’s right to know. The OPEN Government Act (S. 849) would, among other things, provide FOIA requesters a tracking number enabling them to follow the status of their request and impose reasonable consequences on federal agencies that missed deadlines for complying with FOIA.

The bill, sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee. And the House of Representatives recently passed similar legislation by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Senator Kyl’s hold is now the only thing stopping this bill’s passage.

Please contact your Senators and urge them to pressure Senator Kyl and the Senate Republican leadership to take his hold off this popular bipartisan bill.

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The following is an excerpt from the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s latest newsletter:

An Independence Day Resolution: Reform FOIA!

On July 4, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the FOIA into law. FOIA gave weight to a principle that is fundamental to any democracy: the right of the people to know what the government is doing. Forty-one years later, FOIA remains an essential tool used by the public, public advocacy groups (including EFF), and news organizations to uncover information that would otherwise remain hidden from public view.

But a recent report from the George Washington University’s National Security Archive and the Knight Foundation shows that FOIA is far from a perfect tool of transparency in government. The study found that requests for information often languish in bureaucratic limbo for years — the oldest dates back to 1987! The National Security Archive actually had to use FOIA to find out how many FOIA requests were still pending.

Luckily, a new bill to reform FOIA is working its way through Congress, supported by a broad coalition of organizations that spans the political spectrum. The OPEN Government Act (S. 849) brings much needed reform to FOIA and puts in place incentives for federal agencies to process FOIA requests in a timely fashion. The bill would create a tracking system for FOIA requests so that they don’t get lost in the bowels of federal agencies, as well as allowing requesters who prevail in FOIA litigation to recover reasonable attorney fees.

Meanwhile, EFF’s FOIA lawsuits are making steady strides. Along with uncovering information about National Security Letters, we’ve filed suit seeking orders, rules and guidelines issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court about the Administration’s warrantless surveillance program. There will be a hearing in the case on July 26 in Washington, DC.

Take action to support the OPEN Government Act: action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=285

For this post and related links: www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/005346.php

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Tagged: action alerts eff Electronic Frontier Foundation foia freedom of information act OPEN Government Act activism investigation transparency in government government transparency corruption politics government aclu american civil liberties union Senator Jon Kyl Jon Kyl