ACTION: Tell the US EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides immediately

Posted on 3 June, 2016 by Veganistan

Around the world, countless millions of bees are dying, in danger of extinction and threatening disaster for farmers and the global food supply.

From Credo:

According to two stunning new reports, the collapse of honeybee populations is worse than we ever thought. In its first-ever honeybee health survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that commercial honeybee populations fell 8.1 percent in 2015.¹ Likewise, researchers in another study found that among all beekeepers 44 percent of bees were lost nationwide from 2015 to 2016.²

In addition to showing the horrific loss of honeybee populations, this research also suggests that bee-killing neonicotinoid (neonics) pesticides are one culprit of colony collapse.³

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing the effects of neonics on pollinator colonies. With this new data proving honeybees are on the brink of widespread collapse, we must act now to urge the EPA to ban these toxic pesticides once and for all.

Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in our food production system by enabling the production of many of the nuts, fruits and vegetables in our diets. In total, pollinators make possible an astounding 35% of global food production and contribute more than $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy. But the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States has declined from six million in the 1940s to just 2.5 million today – jeopardizing our food supply and domestic agriculture industry.⁴

This isn’t the first time the federal government has admitted pesticides are a leading contributor to colony collapse. Last year, a similar survey, funded in part by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, revealed that U.S. beekeepers lost over 42% of their colonies between April 2014 and April 2015, a significant upswing of losses from the previous year.⁵⁶

You can sign the petition here.

ACTION: Protect Sea Turtles from Shrimp Trawl Nets

Posted on 3 June, 2016 by Veganistan

Save sea turtles

From our friends at Oceana:

Of the seven species of sea turtles living in our oceans, all are listed as endangered or threatened. Every year more than 50,000 sea turtles are killed by shrimp trawling nets in the Southeastern waters of the United States as non-targeted catch. Together, we can help protect these sea turtles.

Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) installed in shrimp trawl nets can save 97 percent of sea turtles caught, while also benefiting the U.S. shrimp fishery and protecting fish stocks for the future. And new and improved TEDs could be even more effective.

Raise your voice: Sign the petition to US President Obama here: http://act.oceana.org/sign/obama_sea-turtle-TEDs_foe

Thanks for caring!

ACTION: Tell St. Kitts & Nevis to Save Endangered Fin Whales

Posted on 26 June, 2015 by Veganistan

The beautiful fin whale is an endangered species that has been severely threatened by inhumane whale hunting for meat. Avaaz has launched an urgent petition to pressure the government of St. Kitts and Nevis to end its support of the whale meat trade. Please read below and click through to raise your voice in support of the right of whales to live in peace.

From Avaaz:

The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole.

But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers!

Sign now and share with everyone urgently — Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings.

Please sign the Avaaz petition here.

ACTION: Help Stop the Slaughter of African Lions for Sex Potions

Posted on 1 November, 2013 by Veganistan

Does the idea of murdered cats get you hot? If by “hot” you mean “angry,” we’re inclined to agree — and, thankfully, so are the African courts.

For decades, tigers were slaughtered because their bones were highly valued by certain manufacturers of “male sex enhancement” products for the Asian market. Bones, fierce animals… we trust you get the idea. But international outrage over these practices resulted in laws passed to protect endangered tigers. Since then, the focus of the dubious trade has turned to other “manly” animals.

According to Avaaz, which has been active in campaigning to protect the rapidly-declining lion population in Africa:

Lions are farmed under appalling conditions in South Africa for “canned hunting,” where rich tourists pay thousands to shoot them through fences. Now experts say lion bones from these killing farms are being exported to phony ‘medicine’ makers in Asia for record profits. Trade is exploding and experts fear that as prices rise, even wild lions — with only 20,000 left in Africa — will come under poaching attack.

… There is a solution: banning and punishing the trade of lion bones and organs. South Africa is currently the largest exporter of lion trophies, bones and organs — it is also the only African country actively breeding lions in large numbers to supply trophy hunting.

Avaaz placed awareness posters and ads in airports in South Africa, but these were quickly taken down by the government. Avaaz then challenged the decision, and the courts ruled that the censorship was inappropriate and ordered the ads to be restored.

But the battled continues. So far, South African President Jacob Zuma has refused to take action to stop the lion slaughter. According to Avaaz:

But if we can show that allowing this senseless trade can hurt South Africa’s booming tourism industry and make visitors flee, president Zuma could be forced to act.

Follow the link below to add your name to the voices of concern and send a letter to President Zuma and Environment Minister Edna Molewa asking them to put a stop to the brutal trade in lion bones and other body parts:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_lion_slaughter_for_sex_aides_rb_en/

ACTION: Help save Yellowstone wolves from slaughter

Posted on 21 November, 2012 by Veganistan

Wolves from Yellowstone National Park have been killed just outside the park’s borders. The reported death count as of November 20, 2012, is seven. Five of these animals were wearing radio collars and were the subjects of intensive conservation study.

Wild wolves must roam widely in search of food and mates, both of which are critical for survival of the species. Naturally, it happens from time to time that they venture beyond the unfenced boundary of the park.

We think caring people will agree that the killing of Yellowstone wolves is unconscionable. Please join us in telling the governors of Wyoming and Montana to put an immediate stop to the wolf hunt in lands on the periphery of the park.

The petition is here.

New Animal Abuser Registry in New York Goes Live

Posted on 16 May, 2012 by Veganistan

Animal abusers in one county in New York now have more to fear than bad karma.

In 2010, Suffolk County (on the eastern half of Long Island), passed a law to create the first-ever registry of animal abusers, and the bill came into effect this month. Under the new law, those convicted of animal abuse charges in the county will be listed on the registry for five years, with their names, addresses and photographs displayed online, and convicted abusers who fail to furnish the required information will face fines and jail time. The goal is to serve as a deterrent to animal abuse, much as “Megan’s Law” is designed to deter sex offenders from repeat offenses.

The law also requires pet stores, breeders and animal shelters to check the registry before selling animal companions or offering them for adoption, and prohibits them from giving custody of animals to anyone named in the registry, according to the Animal Law Coalition.

The law was prompted by 362 recent animal abuse cases in Suffolk Country, including some rather horrifying incidents that received enough media attention to bring the issue into the public awareness, generating support for the bill.

This is, apparently, the first such database in the USA, despite several prior efforts. Earlier in 2010, lawmakers in California and Tennessee rejected similar bills, and Colorado shot one down in February of this year, but advocates are marching onward. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has organized a national campaign to promote similar legislation across the USA. Nationwide animal abuse registries would make it harder for serial abusers to bypass the restrictions of one county or state merely by moving to another.

According to Care2:

Registries like Suffolk County’s could also prevent crimes that hurt humans. A person who abuses or kills animals is five times more likely to commit violence against humans and four times more likely to commit property crimes, according to a Business Week report on a 1997 study by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA.

You can see Suffolk County’s new online animal abuser registry here.

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Tag Archives: animal rights