———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Legislative Coordinator Kyle Ash
Date: Dec 19, 2007 9:00 AM
Subject: Update: Senate Passes Farm Bill

The Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill on Friday, Dec. 14–and thanks to all of your phone calls and e-mails, a remarkable number of senators found the courage to ignore special interests and vote yes on the FRESH Amendment. The FRESH Amendment, which was introduced by Sens. Lugar and Lautenberg, represented our best chance to reduce subsidies for cruel factory farms and unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, the amendment failed by a vote of 37 to 58. But the vote was much closer than people anticipated, and it reflects an important change on Capitol Hill: Public health and children’s nutrition are finally becoming a priority.

Find out how your senators voted on the FRESH Amendment. If you would like to contact your senators about how they voted, click here.

More than ever before, the media, celebrities, politicians, and the public are talking about how the American crisis of obesity and chronic disease is fueled by the federal food policies that continue to surround Americans with high-fat, sugary products. Reforming the Farm Bill is an uphill battle, and PCRM will continue working to improve federal food policy.

The Farm Bill debate is not completely over until it passes the president’s desk in 2008. And in 2009, the Child Nutrition Act will be reauthorized. Please stay tuned for more updates about how you can help. You can also visit our Web site for the latest information on our efforts on Capitol Hill.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Research Program Coordinator Ryan Merkley - rmerkley [at] pcrm.org
Date: Dec 13, 2007 10:45 AM
Subject: Save Animals at Medical College of Wisconsin

Animals are still in danger at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). As you may remember, about 60 dogs were killed in a physiology lab at MCW in February 2007. Despite efforts by PCRM members, concerned citizens, and a coalition of animal protection organizations led by the Wisconsin Humane Society, MCW is scheduled to hold another round of unnecessary animal labs in February 2008. The school will use pigs instead of dogs for the first-year physiology course in February. With the lab just a few months away, we urgently need your help to save these animals.

Here’s what we need you to do today:

* Please call the Department of Physiology chairman Allen Cowley Jr., Ph.D., at 414-456-8277 and ask him to cancel the pig lab and implement humane alternatives. It is extremely important that your phone call is polite.

* Send an automatic e-mail to MCW president and CEO T. Michael Bolger, chairman Cowley, and director of MCW’s pig lab Jean-Francois Liard, M.D., Ph.D., and politely ask them to end the school’s live animal lab program.

* Forward this e-mail to all of your friends and family in Wisconsin and ask them to take action, too.

* Visit www.savemcwanimals.org/ for the most up-to-date information about our campaign to end MCW’s pig lab and how you can help.

Over the past year, three medical schools have ended their live animal physiology labs. In fact, only 10 out of 126 medical schools in the United States still offer live animal courses. Learn more about live animal labs.

It’s clear that MCW has felt enormous public pressure to change—and now we have to keep that pressure on. Thank you so much for taking action to help save these pigs and reform physiology education at MCW. Please feel free to contact me at rmerkley@pcrm.org if you have any questions.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Legislative Coordinator Kyle Ash - kash [at] pcrm.org
Date: Sep 28, 2007 10:40 AM
Subject: The Farm Bill: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

Ever wonder why cheeseburgers are so cheap? Or why school cafeterias still serve more meatloaf and hot dogs than fruits and vegetables? The answer may surprise you.

The Farm Bill, America’s primary federal food policy, keeps high-fat, cholesterol-laden pork, beef, cheese, and other unhealthy animal products cheap and widely available. That’s why I hope you’ll take action today to help spread the word about PCRM’s new hard-hitting Farm Bill commercial.

The Farm Bill doled out more than $70 billion in food subsidy payments from 1995 to 2005, and more than three-quarters of that money went to producers of meat, sugar, oil, dairy, alcohol, and feed crops used in meat production. Fruit and vegetable farmers received less than 1 percent of government subsidies. To make matters worse, the federal government purchases Farm Bill surplus foods like cheese, milk, pork, and beef for distribution to food assistance programs—including the National School Lunch Program.

As you may know from my previous e-mails, the House of Representatives made only minor changes to the subsidy system when it passed its version of the bill in July. Now that the Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to begin marking up its version of the Farm Bill in October, PCRM and other groups are calling for sweeping changes. PCRM has been calling attention to the problem with a new television ad about the Farm Bill, which directs people to StopChildhoodObesityNow.org. Our ad has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, MSNBC.com, and many other media outlets. As the bill comes before the Senate over the next month, I’ll need your help to send a strong message about reform.

www.youtube.com/user/PCRM

Here’s how you can help:

1. Watch PCRM’s new Farm Bill ad on YouTube. Make sure to share it with your friends!
2. Forward this e-mail to your friends and family and let them know why they should care about the Farm Bill, too.
3. Call and e-mail your senators. Urge them to make healthy changes to the Farm Bill.

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Action Alerts

European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE): Help Us Stop Primate Experiments. For Good.
We currently have a real opportunity to get a ban on all primate experiments across Europe – but we need your help.

The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights (FTCR) / OilWatchdog: Stick It to Big Oil
Send a free fax to your U.S. Senator by clicking here, and ask him or her to support McCaskill’s “Fair Fuel” bill, S. 1997!

Four Paws: Join us in a protest against the ruthless dog mafia in Europe
FOUR PAWS wants to thwart the unscrupulous trade in puppies. Take part! Support our protest and sign our online petition.

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Get Tina and Jewel Out of the Circus
Urge USDA to send suffering elephants to a sanctuary now

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Ask Prosecutor to seek maximum sentencing for animal hoarders
Over 100 Animals Removed from Animal Hoarders’ Home; Supplies needed to care for 68 surviving dogs and cats

(more…)

Action Alerts

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): TELL CONGRESS: DON’T FAIL FREEDOM
Stand with the ACLU and demand that Congress live up to its promise to protect and defend the Constitution, starting with immediate fixes to the outrageous FISA legislation that made warrantless NSA spying on Americans legal.

DawnWatch: NPR commentary on dog fighting and canned hunting 8/8/07
“National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Wednesday, August 8, 2007, aired a piece by commentator Frank Deford on dog fighting and on various forms of hunting”

DawnWatch: Wall St Journal front page on pig castration 7/6/07
“These Little Pigs Get Special Care From Norwegians But Meat People Squeal, And a Lot of Other Folks Are Holding Their Noses”

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Pull Congress Back Into the Wiretapping Fight to Restore Your Rights
Tell your representatives to repeal this legislation and restore your rights now.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Urge Congress to clean up our beaches
Your senators and representatives have the opportunity to help clean up contaminated beaches and to make sure sources of beach pollution are identified and addressed.

(more…)

Action Alerts

Best Friends Animal Society: Selling Bunnies Is Selling Out

Corporate Accountability International: National Day of Action Today! Will Pepsi “Move the Mountain”?

Defenders of Wildlife: Take Action for Wildlife Conservation on Farm and Ranch Lands

Environmental Defense: Take Action for Tougher Air Pollution Standards

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Protect the Western Arctic Reserve

Campaign Updates, Press Releases, etc.

Help Get Justice for Bob! (Bob the Tortoise, that is; page last updated 7/19/07)

Bob the Tortoise on MySpace

Newsletters

The Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC): Dissent Is Patriotic: July 2007, Vol. 6, No. 6

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): BioGems News: July 2007

The Ocean Conservancy: eNewsletter: July 2007

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) Event: Diabetes Video Support Group Weekly Session

The Sierra Club: Club Currents: Volume VI, #74: July 24, 2007

Vegan Outreach: E-Newsletter, July 25, 2007

VegCooking.com: Recipe of the Week (Thai Vegetarian Chicken With Snow Peas)

Petitions

Stop using animals in the circus!

Stop Zoos from killing Tigers for collectors

Support Family Farms, NOT Mega-Farms

Environmental Demands

(more…)

Action Alerts

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?

(more…)

Just got the following email from PCRM and am unexpectedly excited about this unexpectedly unexpected news. I thought Section 123 would go the way of AETA for sure. Hey, I’ll take good news wherever I can find it…

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Legislative Coordinator Kyle Ash - kash [at] pcrm.org
Date: Jul 12, 2007 12:30 PM
Subject: Legislative Success: Section 123 Removed from Farm Bill

I am writing to share some exciting news: Section 123 has been removed from the Farm Bill! This would not have happened without your help, and we appreciate the efforts of everyone who voiced their concerns about section 123 by calling and e-mailing Congress.

As you may remember, if section 123 had become law it would have weakened food safety and animal welfare policies by invalidating hundreds of state and local laws that provide greater protections than federal laws. Efforts to challenge the way the meat and dairy industries sell, market, and label their products would have been significantly thwarted.

While the success with section 123 is significant, our efforts to improve the Farm Bill continue—and we still need your help. Many of you have already contacted your representative about HR 2720, or FARM 21, a new bill that would be beneficial for farmers wanting to produce healthy foods and for Americans wanting to eat a healthful diet. FARM 21’s subsidy reforms would also free up money for nutrition programs that would enhance every American’s ability to eat a healthy diet. Learn more about HR 2720 and how to contact your representative today.

Thank you so much for your help with section 123. We hope to share more Farm Bill successes with you in the future. Stay tuned for more updates about the Farm Bill and other legislative activities that affect the health of Americans. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at kash [at] pcrm.org.

Best regards,

Kyle Ash
PCRM Legislative Coordinator

* Click here to read more about the 2007 Farm Bill

* Click here to read the text of the 2007 Farm Bill

* Contact your rep. about HR 2720

Subscribe to future PCRM e-mail communications

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016 Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info [at] pcrm.org

View this message as HTML in your browser

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts pcrm Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine farm bill section 123 state’s rights federal laws state laws local laws food food safety diet healthy foods nutrition

UPDATE, 7/2/07:

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**

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

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UPDATE, 6/11/07:

See also: Urge Congress to Combat Obesity and Support Nutrition Programs!, from Trust for America’s Health.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Legislative Coordinator Kyle Ash - kash [at] pcrm.org
Date: Jun 4, 2007 10:30 AM
Subject: Ask Congress to Support Healthy Changes to the Farm Bill

Congress is revising the Farm Bill, which will directly affect the health of all Americans—and we need your help to implement federal policy changes that will support healthy foods.

The Farm Bill helps determine what foods are available in schools, nutrition programs, and the entire food economy. There is a direct link between America’s growing rates of chronic disease and our access to cheap and unhealthy food products that are high in fat and cholesterol. That’s why we must encourage Congress to support healthy foods and stop heavily subsidizing animal agriculture.

Here’s how you can help:

* Call your representative and senators today and ask them to reduce or eliminate subsidies for meat, dairy, and feed crops through the Farm Bill. Phone calls are an extremely effective way to communicate with Congress. After you’ve made your calls, send a follow-up e-mail.

* If you belong to an organization that works on health and nutrition issues or cutting health care costs, please let that organization know that you want agricultural policy to be high on its agenda.

* Consider e-mailing a special group of members of Congress who may be instrumental in supporting healthy changes to the Farm Bill. Learn more about this group and send them an e-mail.

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The May ‘07 issue of PCRM Online is now available online; you can view the entire newsletter online here.

Current action alerts include the following:

Duke University Ends Live Pig Lab in Medical School Curriculum

Last month, PCRM learned that Duke University School of Medicine has joined the nearly 90 percent of U.S. medical schools that have completely eliminated live animals from their undergraduate medical education curricula. The school’s live pig lab was replaced with modern non-animal teaching methods.

What you can do ->

PCRM Billboards Educate March of Dimes Walkers

Participants at March of Dimes WalkAmerica events have one goal in mind: raising money to help babies through effective medical research. PCRM’s goal in placing mobile billboards at many WalkAmerica events was to educate those participants that much of that money goes toward funding ineffective and cruel animal research.

What you can do ->

PCRM Seeks Nominees for the Golden Carrot Awards

While the healthfulness of school lunches is slowly improving, many children get by on a diet of chicken nuggets, French fries, and cheese pizza during the school day. However, some students are lucky enough to dine on fresh vegetables, hearty bean soups, veggie burgers and other low-fat vegetarian fare. To recognize food service professionals who go the extra mile to keep kids healthy, PCRM is seeking nominees for its fourth annual Golden Carrot Awards.

Read more ->

An archive of past alerts is available for browsing here.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts PCRM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine animal testing animal research vivisection golden carrot awards contests march of dimes march of crimes duke university live pig labs pigs school lunches diet

Via the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

Duke University Ends Live Animal Lab

We have wonderful news from North Carolina: I am happy to report that Duke University School of Medicine recently confirmed that it has stopped using live pigs in its third-year surgery course. This means that only 13 medical schools (of 125) continue to use live animals in medical student courses. PCRM physicians worked hard to explain the educational and ethical advantages of non-animal alternatives to the school, and Duke deserves praise for this wise and compassionate decision.

But we still need your help. Five medical schools continue to use live animals in surgery courses. Please send a polite e-mail to these schools and ask them to follow Duke’s lead and stop using live animals to teach surgery. You can send an e-mail or write to the five medical schools that use live animals for surgery courses at the addresses below:

(more…)

Get right with D-O-G!:

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Legislative Coordinator Kyle Ash - kash [at] pcrm.org
Date: Mar 20, 2007 11:30 AM
Subject: Urgent: Call Congress Now About the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

Please call your representative and senators today and urge them to attend a briefing on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). If you recall, this bill passed last November and was signed into law in December.

The briefing will discuss issues of free speech and how the AETA now sets the stage for the criminalization of peaceful forms of advocacy undertaken by citizens and organizations seeking change. The briefing is organized by the Equal Justice Alliance and the Office of Rep. Tom Lantos of California. Speaking will be Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild; Odette Wilkens, executive director of Equal Justice Alliance; Will Potter, freelance journalist; and possibly Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. The briefing will take place on Wednesday, March 21, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in room 2255 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Please, call your representative and senators today. Then, send a follow-up e-mail.

Forward this e-mail to your family and friends. Thank you, again, for urging your representative and senators to attend this important meeting. Feel free to contact me at kash [at] pcrm.org if you have any questions

Best regards,

Kyle Ash
Legislative Coordinator
kash [at] pcrm.org

Click here to read the text of S. 3880

Subscribe to future PCRM e-mail communications

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016 Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info [at] pcrm.org

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts PCRM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine AETA Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act congress 110th congress free speech first amendment censorship terrorism animal rights terrorism eco-terrorism Will Potter EJA equal justice alliance activism freedom of speech Dennis Kucinich