Friday, March 5th, 2004
PAWS
Actionline
A weekly opportunity
to make a difference
for animals
PAWS Campaign Against Circuses That Use Performing Animals
Important Links
PAWS Animal Cruelty Resources and Links
Legislative Links
Washington State- House of Representatives
- Senate
Federal
- House of Representatives
- Senator Maria Cantwell
- Senator Patty Murray
Vote Smart is an excellent resource for all sorts of legislation.
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PAWS Mailing Address:
PO Box 1037
Lynnwood WA, 98046
PAWS Physical Address:
15305 44th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98037
WA Fish & Wildlife Might List Orcas as Endangered- Letters of Support are Needed!
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has recommended that Puget Sound's orcas be added to the state's list of endangered species. PAWS submitted the request for the orca listing over five years ago. Thus, we are extremely pleased with the Department's recommendation. WDFW's recommendation came out this week in its final status report for the killer whale, which stated that "marine mammals are at critically low levels and are vulnerable to several continuing threats." Listing is based on the biological status of the species, and WDFW noted that the population of "southern resident" orcas has declined 18 percent since 1995. The orcas, which frequent Puget Sound and British Columbia, already are listed as "depleted" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Also, as a result of a federal lawsuit, they are being reconsidered for endangered status under the federal Endangered Species Act.
What you can do:
The deadline for comments on the report and listing recommendation is April 1, 2004. Please send comments in support of WDFW's recommended listing, and urge final passage of the report. Make sure to also thank the WDFW for undertaking this study! Comments may be sent to:
Endangered Species Section Manager
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way N
Olympia, WA 98501-1091
Or e-mail to: wildthing@dfw.wa.gov
The final report, listing recommendation and public comments will be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for action at its April 2-3 meeting in Spokane.
The full status report is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov. To obtain a copy of the report, call (360) 902-2515, or send an e-mail request (with your mailing address) to wildthing@dfw.wa.gov
The following articles include more information on this subject:
Agency wants orca on state's endangered list (03/02/04) Seattle P-I
Endangered status proposed for orcas (03/02/04) Seattle Times
Wildlife officials want to call orcas endangered (03/02/04) Tacoma News Tribune
Former USDA Employee Talks about Mad Cow
Dave Louthan - the man that slaughtered the US's first mad cow and who testified before Congress tells his story and what has happened since. A whistleblower, Dave has testified before Congress, the WA State legislature, and the California State Senate. He has also appeared on numerous radio shows. Dave exposes what really went on and shares his comments with supporting photos.
Meet Dave from Noon-6pm. Mr. Louthan will give a presentation at 2pm, entitled, "Dave Slaughters the USDA Lies." Call (206) 328-6499 for more information.
When: Saturday, March 6, 2004. Noon to 6 p.m. - presentation at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Museum of the Mysteries, Cultural Center
623 Broadway Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98201
The Low-Carb Diet Craze: Bad News for the Environment, Human Health, and Animals
Recent spikes in demand for beef and other animal products have been attributed by some to the increasing number of people adopting a low-carb/high-protein diet. Such diets are popular because they can result in weight loss despite consumption of fatty foods such as bacon, eggs, and butter. Missing from the debate over this trend is a thorough discussion of the impact the Atkins craze is having on animals, the environment, and the health of those who pursue a diet comprised mainly of cholesterol-laden animal products.
Grist Magazine estimates that if all the world's overweight people were to adopt an Atkins-style diet, "the meat, dairy, poultry, and seafood industries would have to increase output by 25 percent." In addition to taking up an extra quarter-billion acres of land needed to grow feed grains for all those extra cows, pigs, and chickens, such an increase in animal consumption would lead to even greater air and water pollution from feedlots, bird and hog confinement operations, and slaughterhouses.
Some medical experts warn of the potentially increased risk of developing liver and heart disease for people on high-protein diets. Dr. Neil Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) stated in a recent report that serious health conditions in some people on Atkins may be traceable to complications associated with the diet: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/19/earlyshow/health/main584585.shtml
Worst of all for animal lovers, the low-carb diet craze is incompatible with a shift toward a sustainable and animal-friendly world. The more people on Atkins and other similar fad diets, the more animals will suffer on factory farms before being turned into food.
What you can do:
Visit these links to learn more, and share this information with friends, family, co-workers and neighbors:
Grist Magazine article:
www.gristmagazine.com/soapbox/cox020904.asp
PCRM analysis of the Atkins diet:
www.atkinsdietalert.org
Dr. Andrew Weil on a healthy, balanced diet:
http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.html-command=Ailment-articleId=51-pt=FAM
King 5 story:
www.king5.com/health/stories/NW_021904HEKatkinstruthEL.b1b5b71.html
All rights reserved. ©2004 Progressive Animal Welfare Society
