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Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.
With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News!
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Cruel Badger Cull Meets Embarrassing End
Two controversial badger culls have been labeled as failures and have finally been stopped after it became clear that those going after them wouldn’t be able to kill enough badgers to meet their targets. While this has led to relief among animal advocates, it also raises concerns that what was done will make things worse.
The pilot programs were run in Gloustershire and Somerset in an effort to stop the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) among cattle, but killing badgers to solve the problem has caused controversy among scientists, farmers, the government and animal advocates.
The programs were designed to see whether or not shooting free-running badgers at night, as opposed to trapping them, would help stop the spread of bTB. Scientists and animal advocacy groups — including the Badger Trust, Humane Society International/UK, RSPCA, League Against Cruel Sports and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, among others — have all come out strongly opposing using badgers as scapegoats for a problem affecting cattle.
Animal Welfare Movement is Growing Fast in China
Chinese animal lovers are banding together to lobby their government for laws that protect animals. The growing number of animal advocates is chipping away at the country’s image as a hotbed of indifference to animal suffering.
The New York Times reports that revulsion at animal abuse is growing among the Chinese. Citizens have been taking matters into their own hands, rescuing cats and dogs headed to restaurants to be slaughtered and served to customers.
They are also pressing the government to take systemic action. No law protects animals from cruelty in China, except for endangered species and animal husbandry situations. Animal advocates have been working for years to change that. In 2009, with the help of sympathetic law professors, activists submitted proposed animal welfare legislation to the National People’s Congress.
Victory! EU’s Seal Product Ban Upheld by World Trade Organization
In a landmark victory for seals, the World Trade Organization ruled on Monday to uphold the European Union’s (EU) ban on imported seal products over ethical concerns.
In 2010, the EU enacted a ban on seal products, with exceptions for Inuit and other indigenous communities and for products that were derived for non-commercial purposes as a result of managing marine resources. The move was challenged by Canada and Norway, which both argued that the embargo violated global trade rules and that the hunts are humane and sustainable, despite evidence to the contrary.
The WTO pointed out inconsistencies and problems with trade agreements, but ruled in the end that the ban was valid because it fills “the objective of addressing EU public moral concerns on seal welfare to a certain extent, and no alternative measure was demonstrated to make an equivalent or greater contribution to the fulfillment of the objective.”
Conservationists and animal advocacy groups are celebrating the victory, not only because it’s a big one for seals, but because it’s a big one for global animal welfare issues in general. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which has been campaigning against the hunt for decades, noted that the WTO’s recognition of our right to oppose products that we believe are cruel and unsustainable is cause for celebration.
Breaking News: Elephants out of India's Circuses
Earlier this year, PETA India and Animal Rahat released the results of a shocking nine-month undercover investigation of more than a dozen circuses that travelled across India. The investigation – authorised by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) – documented heartbreaking cruelty to elephants.
Now – little more than two months after this groundbreaking investigation rocked India and made headlines around the world – the AWBI has confirmed in just-released notes that it has "decided to stop registration of elephants for performance … in view of huge cruelties and abuse suffered by them ," a move that will effectively mean an end to the captivity of elephants in India's circuses. The AWBI is also preparing to seize elderly and injured elephants named in PETA India's report so they may be rehabilitated. While the board hasn't yet done so formally, its notes also indicate support for an eventual ban on the use of all animals in circuses in India.
Success! No Amur Falcons Murdered This Year
Just about a year ago a Care2 writer wrote about 14,000 migrating Amur Falcons that were being murdered every day in the Indian state of Nagaland, a stopover in their migration from Siberia to Africa.
Now, as a result of action from Care2 and other groups, as well as three Indian villages, no birds have been massacred this year. Almost 9,000 Care2 activists signed our petition to save the Amur Falcons.
Thank you, Care2 activists!
Groundbreaking Lawsuit Says Chimps Are Literally People, Too
This week, efforts that have been years in the works have finally made their debut with the filing of the first of many lawsuits seeking to demolish the legal wall that separates humans from nonhuman animals.
Unbeknownst to Tommy, a 26-year-old chimpanzee, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) filed a lawsuit this week in New York state under the writ of habeus corpus seeking to have him released to a sanctuary that is part of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA).
Good News for African Elephants
Representatives from 30 countries came together to discuss the poaching crisis and potential measures to save Africa’s elephants at the African Elephant Summit.
The African Elephant Summit finally brought key nations together to focus on the entire trade chain and address problems from where elephants live to where ivory ends up.
They agreed on 14 Urgent Measures that will take a zero-tolerance approach to poaching and will hopefully protect elephants from further suffering. A few of the measures include working with local communities on conservation efforts and campaigning to end the demand for ivory to increasing on-the-ground efforts that will give local law enforcement and wildlife protection agencies the means to deal with powerfully armed poaching syndicates and strengthen cooperation between agencies. One measure also includes creating a network of forensic labs that will be able to determine where ivory came from and provide evidence that can be used in court.
Probably the most important measure is the agreement to classify wildlife trafficking as a “serious crime,” which will “effectively unlock international law enforcement cooperation provided under the United Nationals Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, including mutual legal assistance, asset seizure and forfeiture, extradition, and other tools to hold criminals accountable for wildlife crime.”
Good News for Rabbits: Angora Update: H&M, New Look and Esprit Listened
Following the viral success of PETA's video exposing how rabbits are treated on Chinese angora farms as well as actions by hundreds of thousands of concerned people, some of the UK's favourite brands have suspended angora production!
H&M, New Look, Esprit and ACNE are among the companies that have stopped manufacturing angora products because of animal welfare concerns. The combined impact of their decision is huge and will potentially spare hundreds of thousands of rabbits being imprisoned, manhandled and plucked alive. We're now hoping these companies will take the next step and banish angora from their stores permanently
People power made this possible, so thank you for being a part of this campaign.
Fur Free Friday 2013 a Huge Success
Fur Free Friday just celebrated its twenty-seventh year and it is still going strong! Coast to coast across the United States and in cities around the world, activists took time out of their holiday weekend to speak up for the fifty million animals slaughtered each year for their fur. We encouraged consumers to shop cruelty-free this holiday season by avoiding fur and fur-trimmed items.
IDA coordinated demos in forty cities for the Fur Free Friday event this year, which is almost double the number of cities that participated last year! Our movement is definitely growing! And thanks to caring people like you, thousands of people now know the truth behind the egregiously cruel fur industry.
Waitress Turns Anti-LGBT Discrimination into Something Awesome
This story is a heart-warming one of human kindness, in reaction to human ignorance. Dayna Morales, an ex-Marine and now server at the Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater, New Jersey, went to pick up the $93.55 bill from a family she had been serving that night, she was affronted to find a note scribbled on the receipt saying she would be getting no tip. The note read: “I’m sorry but I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and how you live your life.”
Morales sent a picture of the receipt complete with the note scribbled on it to the “Have a Gay Day” Facebook page. The Internet, in that way it sometimes does, then took over.
The post quickly garnered thousands of shares and hundreds of comments. Gradually, an idea formed: to donate $1 to Dayna to make up for the money she lost out on. Dayna has now received more than $2000, but she’s not keeping all of it. Instead, she has pledged to donate a portion to the Wounded Warriors Project which helps to rehabilitate and empower wounded veterans.
12-Year-Old Girl Fights for Her Right to Wrestle on the Boys Team
Twelve-year-old Audrianna Beattie has been a wrestler since the third grade. But when she moved from Iowa to rural Pennsylvania she found that she couldn’t compete against the boys.
I don’t mean that in a “she’s not good enough” kind of way. Last year she competed against boys, and her record was 5-3. No, what I mean is that at her new school she isn’t allowed to compete with boys. It’s against the rules.
She’s not taking this lying down. She’s literally making a federal case of it. Last week she testified for 40 minutes in front of a federal judge for her right to compete with the boys. Audrianna’s parents believe that their daughter’s ineligibility violates the federal equal protection clause and the state constitution’s equal rights amendment.
4 Countries That Got Rid of McDonald’s
While McDonald’s currently has restaurants in 118 countries, here are four countries that managed to get the company to close shop: Iceland, Bolivia, Macedonia, Bermuda.
Hopefully this will spread!
Flame retardant debate burns out for good in California
Last week the State of California officially passed a long-awaited fire safety standard that means furniture products sold in the state will no longer need to be treated with toxic flame retardants.
World’s Largest Landfill Will Soon Power Parts of New York City
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that Freshkills Park on Staten Island, once the world’s largest landfill, will soon be converted into the city’s largest solar energy facility. Once completed, the plant will produce up to 10 megawatts of power — five times more than any solar energy system in the city and enough to power approximately 2,000 homes.
Ending the Use of Triclosan
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under a court agreement signed recently, will end decades of delay and decide how to protect consumers from triclosan, a suspected endocrine disruptor linked to reproductive and developmental harm in laboratory studies.
The FDA first proposed in 1978 to remove triclosan from certain consumer products. But because it took no further action, the chemical has been widely used in antimicrobial soaps sold in the U.S.
In 2010, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued the FDA in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to force the agency to issue a final rule. The parties reached a settlement and, under a consent decree signed by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, the agency committed to taking final action on triclosan used in consumer hand soaps by 2016.
6 Awesome Celebrities Share Their Thoughts on Being a Feminist
It’s crazy that even to this day the word feminist in many circles, even among women, is considered negative and dirty. Why does believing in equality conjure up such negative reactions?
Probably because the word is incredibly misunderstood. That’s why it’s so important to proudly share your feminist identity with anyone who will listen.
Check out these 6 kickass female celebrities who proudly claim that yes they are feminists, too:
Heroes in Brown: 7 UPS Drivers Who Stepped Up to Save Animals
United Parcel Service (UPS) drivers sometimes are doing much more than dropping off boxes. Some of them are saving animals’ lives.
Check out these seven stories of UPS drivers who saw animals in trouble and did something about it, even when it would have been easier to simply return to their routes:
10 Random Acts of Kindness That Will Make You Smile
Lastly, check out these 10 random acts of kindness! :)
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