Chimps one step closer to full protection
The National Institute of Health has decided that most Chimpanzee research is unnecessary and should be phased out. The rationale? From the NIH press release:
However, new methods and technologies developed by the biomedical community have provided alternatives to the use of chimpanzees in several areas of research.
CBS News explains the scope of the new rules:
Collins also announced the NIH temporarily barred new government-funded studies involving chimps as his agency began implementing the new limits. The NIH will also decide whether to phase out about 37 ongoing projects, half of which Collins said probably don’t meet the new standards.
The rule changes only apply to government-funded experiments, not private research. Nonetheless, it’s nice to codify the sentiment that chimpanzee research is generally unethical, even if there are exceptions seen today in practice. I’m not at all sure (yet) about chimp research, but in general animal testing is conducted in the U.S. almost solely because it is required for FDA certification of new drugs. That requirement is generally considered outdated by the scientific community, something added after research is basically complete. Note that places in the world with more stringent rules and bans on animal research also tend to create and certify new drugs years ahead of U.S. schedules. Some researchers want to use chimps in medical research is because they are like us biologically and mentally. That sounds like a macabre rationale to me. Destroying something or someone doesn’t become more ethical because it’s like an activity most people would label criminally violent.
Friday ~ December 16, 2011 by b
wining
laxatives in wine?: Winemakers are notorious for failing to disclose enough information for vegetarians to know whether they’re willing to drink a particular wine. Apparently they don’t care whether consumers like it or not.
“Do consumers need to be told about the substances that go into wine production?” Lee [the Wine Institute's general counsel] asked. “I’m not sure there’s a lot of useful information in that.”
Wednesday ~ December 7, 2011 by b
new rule
You can only call a fetus an “unborn baby” if you seriously call yourself an “undead human”.
Friday ~ July 29, 2011 by blog
tornado alleyway
Recently my home dodged a tornado by perhaps 100-200 ft. I wasn’t home at the time, so I didn’t see the twister. I came back later that day, early enough to see some of the damage in my neighborhood, but late enough that I did some work clearing the front yard after dark. I grew up in a town that sees hurricanes blow through every few years. I’ve walked outside in the calm after a hurricane to see half the trees on my street down, smashing plenty of cars and houses along their way. Trees are very heavy and moving fast when they collide with things. You could hit one with a truck and it wouldn’t topple over. On one instance, I saw a tree bisecting a volvo, with the underside resting on the asphalt. Hurricanes spawn tornadoes. Most of the storm was below the threshold for a minor hurricane, some shingles and things that could be caught in unusually strong gusts. When driving home, I passed what used to be a trailer park. Instead of trailers, there was a group of emergency services vehicles with lights on. In case it’s not obvious, never stay in a trailer or car during a tornado warning. Never. Lying face down in a ditch is far safer. Tornadoes have unusual damage. This time, the top of one tree was sheared off just higher than the level of nearby (intact) telephone poles. A tree 30 ft away was missing one side of its top, and the other was fine. The branches weren’t all broken in the same direction. A house down the street had damage like a missing chimney, and the trees in that side of that yard were blown down in several directions. A telephone pole was pointed almost directly at the side of the house with the outline of a chimney, as if the wind had changed 180 degrees in a few feet. At a nearby construction site, sheet metal was bent around the metal frame like saran wrap and twistie-ties. A tornado is like a blender inside-out, with a debris field as blades. This storm system was barely starting as I left on an hour-long drive south. Within 2 hours it was half-over.
Thursday ~ April 28, 2011 by b
fair & balanced… teamed up with knowledgeable & aware…
From Fox News:
The vice president post was empty when Mubarak tapped Suleiman for the job after the protests began. Suleiman would stand to take over as interim leader of Egypt in some of the proposals reportedly being considered for an expedited political transition. Fox News’ senior administration source expressed surprise that news of the assassination attempt was just now breaking, “because he is the transition plan … or at least one of them for the Egyptians.”
Because no one looking to sow chaos would ever assassinate a leader in Egypt right now. Just like the incredibly unpopular (or popular, if you like secret police) head of Egyptian intelligence wouldn’t encounter any resistance after the announcement that he’s about to assume power.
Friday ~ February 4, 2011 by b
lol
I need more funnies here. I know, because I’ve got about 400 articles I’ll never publish out of their being too serious. So, this gem from CNN:
Hey, did you know that before “LOL” came to mean “laughing out loud,” it was code for “little old lady” in the medical world? Well, unless you’re a doc alerting your compatriots to the arrival of a particularly ornery blue-haired broad, never should you stir your vocal cords to utter the phrase “LOL.” Why? Because you’re not actually laughing.
Friday ~ September 17, 2010 by b
May 1st
Happy May Day! For those of you lost, May Day is a celebration that originates from two different places… Most recently from celebrations similar to U.S. Labor Day, and often referred to as Labour Day or International Workers’ Day in other countries. In the U.S., it originally commemorated the beginning of a standard 8-hour work day (as opposed to much longer) that was secured by a combination of unions and other labor-related groups. It originally was tied to remembrance of the Haymarket Affair, a police riot in Chicago during a strike in which several protesters were shot or later executed. The federal government instituted the holiday to draw attention away from the traditional celebrations tied to labor movements. It’s also a group of traditional festivals from Celtic and Germanic cultures dating to pre-Christian ceremonies surrounding Beltane. The focus of those celebrations is in early May, and varies with the most important day occurring May 5-7. Some groups have heavily secularized the holiday, and others celebrate it as a religious tradition. This is where the May Pole originates.
Saturday ~ May 1, 2010 by b
Animals in Idaho
There are a couple of issues brewing in Idaho over animal rights. Cockfighting and derailing the opposition. First, Idaho has finally joined 40 other states in declaring cockfighting a felony. Yes, seriously, it was a misdemeanor and still is in some states. Idaho is not exactly on the forefront of animal rights legislation. OK, yay and go Idaho for passing important legislation, nonetheless. Second, a state Senator is proposing a bill to maneuver around potential backlash to bring chicken farms into the state. HSUS was specifically declared as the primary “radical animal rights group” for its opposition. An advisory board on animal welfare has been formed. The board was not formed as a compromise or with the support of HSUS, and they do not consider it to represent their interests. I can’t say I blame them. Even though HSUS helped draft another part of the bill, they will not be welcome. In fact, many of the “animal welfare” groups listed are effectively unions and PACs for cattle farmers. No other groups have advocated in favor of animal welfare on a scale as large as HSUS in Idaho. The board is usually presented by Idaho lawmakers as a step to preempt animal welfare groups by “proving” that Idaho is handling any animal cruelty, and appease anyone who might otherwise listen to them. Such boards are now commonly fought in other states as the existing opposition to animal welfare, and are generally considered a backward step among animal advocates. When one accuses a group of a crime, the alleged criminals do not belong on the jury. HSUS is the organization that runs advertisements telling people not to abuse their animals, in the most common definition of abuse. They won acclaim among animal advocates for sending volunteers into NOLA after Katrina to rescue pets caught in the storm’s aftermath. Not exactly a revolutionary group trying to overthrow The Man. Labeling them as such without any clarification or any further description is simply trying to stir up prejudice.
Tuesday ~ March 2, 2010 by b
Posted in cat,dining,poli,veg | No Comments | blog@goodtofu.org
Haitian quake 2010
So, now seems like the appropriate time to pimp the charities I like best…: MSF / Doctors Without Borders is a perreniel favorite of mine. Doctors to anywhere in the world (like Gaza and Afghanistan) for emergency care. The American Red Cross. Not my favorite for a variety of reasons, but they do a very large job well. Text 90999 with the single word “Haiti” to make a $10 donation directly from your cell phone, repeatable up to 3 times. It’s apparently really legit. Several groups have banded together under an umbrella organization named the Animal Relief Coalition of Haiti (ARCH). Those groups include: HSUS and HSI (the international counterpart), ASPCA, WSPA, American Humane, and Best Friends. Prior to the quake there was no infrastructure in the country for animal rescues, no veterinary care, no shelters, and no local relief groups like an SPCA.
Saturday ~ January 16, 2010 by b
euthanasia and reality
There’s a dust-up about an animal shelter in Toronto that was found to have quite a few mistreated, malnourished animals dying in pain. The shelter happened to be a no-kill shelter in name… but from what I’ve heard, they didn’t follow the well-established policies of no-kill shelters. Clean cages and untreated painful terminal illness have nothing to do with whether the shelter is no-kill and doesn’t kill to control its population. In the U.S., the ASPCA is moving to no-kill shelters everywhere, because they work even better at improving animals lives for a given amount of money. More than not killing to solve shelter overcrowding, it’s an entire set of policies that is labeled “no-kill” by convention. Given the horror cases I’ve heard, even peta (yes, that peta) euthanizes more readily in their shelters than the shelter in Toronto, to stop suffering from terminal conditions. I had a cat who I ordered euthanized. He had congestive heart failure, and would probably have spent several days feeling as if he were drowning, ultimately having a rather painful death while possibly alone. I was prepared to spend what would be reasonably required to make him healthy. It’s not an easy decision for anyone, and points out how humans treat the deaths of other humans differently, including euthanasia. Most people apparently consider the least cruel treatment they can afford, for any treatment a vet can provide. The way which provides the best quality of life. It’s not hard to see why we make the decision to spend money on medical procedures on a pet. When we accept them into human society as pets to be loved, we have an obligation to give them the best life possible. Your obligation to another is identical to that being’s rights. Pets really are creatures adapted to live inside human society. They form feral colonies otherwise, but those aren’t stable or safe in the same way as a pack of wolves or a herd of deer. They actually live much shorter lives on their own outside. A rescue cat brought to the vet seems to be considered a set of (unknown) medical problems that’s just short of an emergency. The cat may simply be too old to survive at 2 years. A house cat’s life outdoors is rough, short, and psychologically damaging. Their ideal social life is among humans, in what would otherwise be unhealthy captivity in an undomesticated species. If you doubt that pets have a personality, a psychological makeup backing the idea… consider that psychiatric medications are routinely tested on dogs to gauge their effectiveness. They’ve evolved to be with us. It is the responsibility and obligation of humans to improve their lives, wherever possible.
The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind. There is no fundamental difference between man and the higher animals in their mental faculties.… The lower animals, like man, manifestly feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery. My condolences if you need to euthanize your own pet. It’s not easy. But if you can muster it up, it’s possibly better to be there. I’ve heard several times that when their caretakers leave, pets continue to look for them.
—Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man
—Charles Darwin
Monday ~ December 7, 2009 by b
Creative Commons
