Are you concerned about Factory Farms? Do you live near a Factory Farm, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFOs)? Are you concerned about the animal waste at animal feeding operations such as those located near your home? Did you know they commonly generate toxic gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide? Are you concerned about the negative impact that such toxic releases may have on your health and that of your family? Do you ever smell odors? Suffer health effects? Are you concerned about the farmer workers’ exposures while working in CAFOs? Do you think these agricultural operations should have to supply regulators and emergency state and local responders with their pollution information?

The Center for Food Safety has just become a party to an important lawsuit challenging a midnight rule change by the outgoing Bush Administration exempting CAFOs from our pollution laws. CFS needs your help!

Please respond ASAP to the True Food Network if you are interested in this issue and want to help in this important case. We need TFN members that:

* Live within a few miles of a CAFO or more than one, especially a small or medium size one
* Spend time outside in their yard, walking in their neighborhood, etc..

If you live near a CAFO and would consider speaking to us about our lawsuit, please email us at office [at] centerforfoodsafety.org with “CAFO” in the subject line.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts center for food safety true food network cafo factory farms factory farming pollution epa lawsuit environment class action lawsuit meat food farmed animals

FDA APPROVAL OF FOOD FROM CLONED ANIMALS STALLED BY PASSAGE OF MIKULSKI-SPECTER AMENDMENT IN FARM BILL!

(December 14, 2007) A broad coalition of consumer, farmer, and animal welfare organizations today applauded passage of a provision in the Senate’s Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) that would delay the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) endorsement of the use of food from cloned animals. This amendment, advanced by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and co-sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), calls for a rigorous and careful review of the human health and economic impacts of bringing cloned food into America’s food supply. The senate overwhelmingly passed the bill this afternoon by a vote of 79 to 14.

The amendment requires that two rigorous studies be performed before the FDA is able to issue a final decision on food from clones. The amendment directs the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to convene a blue-ribbon panel of leading scientists to review the FDA’s initial decision that food from cloned animals is safe, and to study the potential health impacts of cloned foods entering the nation’s food supply. The bill also directs the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to examine consumer acceptance of cloned foods.

During a public comment period that ended earlier this year, the FDA heard from more than 150,000 citizens rejecting the Agency’s proposed plan to introduce clones into the U.S. food supply. In addition, dozens of members of the meat and dairy industries and nonprofit organizations urged the FDA to consider comments from the widest possible sample of Americans in consideration of the untested nature of cloning technology.

We applaud the Senate’s passage of this amendment, and hope the House will follow its lead!

CFS True Food Network members like you sent thousands of letters urging the passage of this important provision in the Farm Bill. Thank you for your support! We will keep you informed as the legislation moves forward – stay tuned!

To read more about the amendment, visit our website.

For a safe and sustainable food future,

The Center for Food Safety

To support CFS’s important work on animal cloning, protecting your right to know and creating a safe and sustainable food supply, please consider making a tax-deductible year-end donation.

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Center for Food Safety.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts Center for Food Safety Cloning Amendment farm bill 2007 farm bill cloning animal cloning cloned meat meat factory farming animal research animal testing animal experimentation vivisection public health public safety food

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Center for Food Safety – office [at] centerforfoodsafety.org
Date: Oct 1, 2007 7:35 PM
Subject: Senate Taking Up Farm Bill Soon – Urge Them To Support Organic Programs

The Senate Agriculture Committee and the Senate Finance Committee are taking up the Farm Bill any day now. It is time for Organic Farmers and Consumers to tell their senators what organic means to them and ask for support for organic programs.

Tell the members of the Senate Agriculture and Finance Committees to support Organic in the Farm Bill. Top priorities are:

* Organic Certification Cost Share — $25 million over 5 years
* Organic Research – At least $15 million in mandatory funding
* Conservation Security Program — with full funding and including and easy crosswalk for certified organic producers
* Organic Conversion Program — $50 million a year with at least half going to technical assistance for farmers

Contact your Senators TODAY and urge them to support organics! The tentative schedule is to consider the Farm Bill the week of October 1. Once the process starts, it could move very quickly so please stand by for urgent action alerts!

Call the Capitol Switchboard and ask for your Senator’s office: 202-224-3121.

For a list of Senate Finance Committee members, click HERE
For a list of Senate Agriculture Committee members, click HERE
Don’t know who your Senators are? Look them up HERE

Talking Points:

I am calling to urge your support for organic programs in the 2007 Farm Bill. In particular, I ask that the following provisions be included and fully funded:

Organic Certification Cost Share – Mandatory funding of $25 million for the 5-year life of the Farm Bill:
For many organic producers and handlers, the annual cost of organic certification is burdensome. The current program to help defray these costs should be reauthorized and updated to reflect increased costs and funding needs.

Organic Research – At least $15 million in mandatory funding:

Although organic currently represents about 3 percent of total U.S. food retail market, the share of USDA research targeted to organic agriculture and marketing only represents about 0.6 percent annually ($12 million). In order to adequately meet the public research and data needs of the rapidly growing organic sector, the 2007 Farm Bill should reauthorize valuable organic research programs at higher funding levels, and make sure that existing USDA research and data collection efforts are expanded to include organic-specific activities.

Conservation Security Program – with full funding and including and easy crosswalk for certified organic producers:

The Conservation Security Program was authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill to provide on-going financial assistance to reward farmers for implementation of conservation practices on their farms. However, the program has been significantly curtailed by spending limitations imposed through the annual appropriations process. In addition, changes need to be made to make it easier for organic producers to participate in the program.

Organic Conversion Program – $50 million a year with at least half going to technical assistance for farmers:

The process for farmers to convert to organic takes at least three years. During this conversion process, farmers incur the higher costs associated with organic production but do not receive the higher price premiums that come with final organic certification. In addition, financial assistance is needed for nonprofit organizations around the country to provide technical assistance to farmers in the organic transition process.

Thank you for taking my views under consideration.

You can also post your comment to the Senate Agriculture Committee at the website below:

Senate Agriculture Committee comment form (will open in a separate window)

or visit the web comment forms of members of the Senate Finance Committee (the Senate Finance Committee does not have a comment form)

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Center for Food Safety.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts center for food safety farm bill 2007 farm bill farming factory farming agriculture animal agriculture section 123 organic meat produce subsidies health safety obesity public health public safety food diet

Center for Biological Diversity: Oppose Aerial Herbicide Spraying on Public Lands

The Center for Food Safety: House to Vote on Farm Bill – Take Action Today!

DawnWatch: CNN’s Paula Zahn to cover dogfighting, Thursday 7/26/07

DawnWatch: Dan Mathews “Committed” summer tour — July-August 2007

DawnWatch tip: NBC Nightly news on calls for bullfighting bans 7/23/07

DawnWatch: Extraordinary coverage and commentary from NPR’s Scott Simon, Weekend Edition Saturday, 7/21/07

DawnWatch: Newsday piece on runaway steer and vegetarianism 7/22/07

Defenders of Wildlife: We Can End Aerial Gunning of Wolves: Sign the Petition Today!

Earthjustice: Adopt the Sky

Earthjustice: Restore Balance on Our Public Lands!

Environmental Defense: Tell Congress to Support Conservation Friendly Farming

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM): The “Fairness in Farm and Food Policy” amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill

Campaign Updates, Press Releases, etc.

The Animal Welfare Institute: “Barbaric, Barbaric, Barbaric!” / Vick Dog Fighting Charges Symptomatic of a Larger Problem

Carnivals

Carnival of the Green #87 (July 23 @ Hippy Shopper)

Newsletters

Earthjustice e-Brief: July 2007

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Animal Update Online: July 2007

Sierra Club Insider: July 24, 2007

Petitions

Felony indictment for dog fighting in Georgia

Please help stop brutal murders of dogs in Chernihiv!

The animal welfare in Romania – Street cleansing with poison – Braila 2007

Stop Animal Cruelty Now!

SAY NO TO JAPANESE SCHOOLCHILDREN VIEWING WHALES BEING BUTCHERED

I am not a nugget!

Fight Against Asthma by Adopting the Sky!

Pledge to Live a One Planet Life!

Tim Horton’s – Making the Cups Recyclable!!!

Is God Green?

Your Daily Click-Through Reminders

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist green nature action alerts activism link dump link roundup link farm link sanctuary click through sites click to donate care2 the animal rescue site the rainforest site Center for Biological Diversity dawnwatch The Center for Food Safety Defenders of Wildlife Earthjustice Environmental Defense Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PCRM The Animal Welfare Institute AWI International Fund for Animal Welfare IFAW Sierra Club The Petition Site petitions newsletters campaign updates carnivals

See also: Plot to Cut Protections Must be Stopped!, from the Society for Animal Protective Legislation and Ask Your Representative to Cosponsor the “Healthy Farm Bill” Today, from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

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UPDATE, 6/21/07:

See also: Don’t Let Congress Eliminate Food Safety and Animal Welfare Laws, from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). This is in addition to their 6/4/07 alert, PCRM: Ask Congress to Support Healthy Changes to the Farm Bill.

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UPDATE, 6/19/07:

See also: Tell the House Agriculture Committee Not to Allow Language Preempting State’s Rights in Farm Bill from the Center for Food Safety. If you decide to use the sample letter provided by the Center for Food Safety, be sure to add some language reflecting concern for animal welfare laws as well as those regarding food safety and states’ rights.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Jun 14, 2007 10:46 AM
Subject: LETTER/ Farm Bill Undoes Cruelty Laws, State By State

Kinship Circle Primary – PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN
(Please do not delete identity/disclaimer information)

6/14/07: Farm Bill Undoes Cruelty Laws, State By State
KINSHIP CIRCLE ACTION CAMPAIGN

www.KinshipCircle.org

SOURCE OF INFORMATION:

Farm Bill Strips Communities of Power to Make Local Laws!
LINK: www.farmsanctuary.org/campaign/fed_section123.htm

Don’t Let Congress Undo State and Local Animal Laws
LINK: www.humanesociety [at] hsus.org

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

SAMPLE LETTER & CONTACT INFO

Sample letters are prepared to give you ample background on an issue.

Try to change some words, pare down letters, and make them your own.

**DELETE ALL REFERENCES TO KINSHIP CIRCLE BEFORE SENDING**

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

To identify your federal legislators and find contact info, try:
Congress.org: www.Congress.org
USA Senate: www.senate.gov
USA House of Representatives: www.house.gov
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

The Honorable Representative _________________________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Senators ______________________________________
The U.S. Senate, U.S. Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Representative _____________________ and Senators _____________________:

I am a registered voter in your district who firmly opposes Section 123 of the imminent House Farm Bill.

This careless stipulation blocks states from implementing their usual authority to ban practices judged adverse to public health, safety, and ethics. Section 123 means states could no longer prohibit horse slaughter for human consumption or the intensive confinement of animals on factory farms. Section 123 strips states of their power to police trafficking in exotic wild animals — an underground trade already outlawed in several states due to public endangerment and animal cruelty concerns.

Section 123 undercuts the democratic system. It sacrifices the right of citizens to pursue state or local laws regarding humane conduct or food safety. For example, many citizens disapprove of routine agricultural practices that disallow sufficient space and movement for animals.

Modern hog factories warehouse 600-pound sows in metal gestation stalls. Veal calves are chained by the neck inside two-feet-wide crates, unable to shift positions, flex muscles or die down with ease.

In November 2006, Arizona voters enacted measures to ban cruel veal crates and gestation crates for pregnant pigs. In 2002, a citizen initiative in Florida also outlawed gestation crates for breeding pigs.

If the Farm Bill containing Section 123 passes, it invalidates current state or municipal bans on gestation and veal crates, the forced tube feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras, and horse slaughter.

I respectfully implore you do everything possible to overturn Section 123 and any language that preempts state and local animal protection laws.

Thank you,

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Sorry…but we’re still “begging…”
Kinship Circle has invested thousands of dollars in printing our educational literature for national distribution.

Can you help us recover by DONATING to the printing of our materials?

Unlike big national groups, we simply don’t have the funding, but we do have the facts and creativity to produce uncommonly effective literature. Your support is deeply appreciated.

DONATE NOW: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

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www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets/

Highest quality photos + facts for your advocacy materials

*******************************

Kinship Circle – Action Campaigns I Literature I Voice For Animals
Nonprofit working in animal protection/cruelty + animal disaster relief campaigns
Brenda Shoss, president * Janet Enoch, vice-president
info [at] kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

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UNSUBSCRIBE:
* Kindly do NOT use your junk mail filter.
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* Make sure the “To” line from our original alert is in your email, LIKE THIS:
—–Original Message—–
From: Kinship Circle
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 11:34 AM
To: 7. KINSHIP CIRLE Animal Disaster Relief List
Subject: [GULF COAST] Volunteers Still Needed in New Orleans

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SUBSCRIBE:
INDICATE WHICH OF 2 LISTS TO SUBSCRIBE YOU TO:

1. Kinship Circle Primary: subscribe [at] kinshipcircle.org
Action campaigns on animal cruelty issues worldwide
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY

2. Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Relief: kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters + companion animal alerts
TELL US: SUBSCRIBE TO KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF
IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA OR MISSISSIPPI

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*DISCLAIMER: The information in these alerts is verified with the original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information or for the consequences of its use. Nothing in this email is intended to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful activity. Nothing in this alert serves to promote such conduct.

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts kinship circle brenda shoss farm bill section 123 state’s rights federal government state government environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist legislation powers food safety horse slaughter center for food safety pcrm Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sapl Society for Animal Protective Legislation

No Cloning in Organic Production!

After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its plan to approve food from clones in December, organic advocates quickly noted that such products would be excluded from organic production under current rules. However, biotechnology industry spokespeople have stated that they believe that cloned food should be permitted in products labeled as organic. While the National Organic Program (NOP) announced in January that clones would not be allowed under organic standards, the question of the progeny of clones remains unanswered.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has a meeting planned to discuss this issue March 27 – 29, 2007. Tell the NOSB to adopt a ban on animal clones AND their offspring in the organic standards. Please send us your comments by March 26th – we will present all the comments we receive at the meeting!

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts Center for Food Safety cloning cloned animals meat milk cloned meat cloned milk organic Food and Drug Administration FDA National Organic Program NOP National Organic Standards Board NOSB

Tell FDA: No Food From Cloned Animals

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its review of food from animal clones and FDA regulators say that the agency will likely approve the sale of cloned foods this year.

FDA’s action flies in the face of widespread scientific concern about the risks of food from clones, and ignores the animal cruelty and troubling ethical concerns that the cloning process brings. What’s worse, FDA indicates that it will not require labeling on cloned food, so consumers will have no way to avoid these experimental foods.

FDA needs to hear that you don’t want food from animal clones – a public comment period is open until April 2 – send your letter now!

Creepy radioactive graphic à la Silkwood after the jump.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights animal+welfare environment environmental environmentalist environmentalism action+alerts cloning cloned+meat meat farming fda food food+labeling center+for+food+safety

FDA Okays Cloned Foods

As expected, the FDA announced on Thursday December 28th preliminary approval of milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring to enter the human food supply. Despite public outcry, FDA has not recommended these products be labeled if approved.

Stories about FDA’s announcement ran in newspapers across the country. Write a letter to the editor of your local papers and add your voice!

A sample letter is below. Please keep your letter to under 250 words (about the length of the sample), and feel free to use the talking points to create your own.

Click here to learn more, and here to view and customize the sample letter provided by the Center for Food Safety.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights animal+welfare health center+for+food+safety fda cloning animal+cloning capitalism bush george+bush george+w+bush