Category: Environmental

Environmental, General News

Indonesia: The Monkey Haters – INDONESIAN SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR TORTURING MONKEYS AND SELLING THE VIDEOS ONLINE.

BBC – The Monkey Haters

The Monkey Haters: BBC Eye exposes ring behind torture videos – Media Centre

INDONESIAN SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR TORTURING MONKEYS AND SELLING THE VIDEOS ONLINE

By Lady Freethinker | February 13, 2024

Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates welcome action taken by West Kalimantan Police in Indonesia in the arrest and subsequent charging of an individual suspected of torturing and killing baby monkeys on camera and selling the videos to buyers in the U.S. and abroad for $50-$100 USD per video.

The person has now been charged under Article 91 of the Law on Animal Husbandry and Health; and/or Article 302 of the Criminal Code concerning Mistreatment of Animals. He faces a prison sentence of 9 months.

Police reportedly found a dead, mutilated monkey wrapped in plastic outside the suspect’s home; torture apparatus inside the home, including a gas stove, soldering iron, hammer and slingshot; and 58 videos depicting sadistic torture of baby, long-tailed macaques on his mobile device. The suspect’s name has not yet been released publicly.

Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates, together with other animal groups such as Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), have been investigating the disturbing world of online monkey torture rings for over two years to end the horrifying violence inflicted upon baby monkeys for online circulation.

The collaboration began with an investigation in 2021 that uncovered the disturbing escalation of private online groups on platforms like Telegram, in which people in Indonesia created custom monkey torture videos for an audience of monkey “haters” in the U.S., U.K., and elsewhere. Members of the group paid for and dictated what method of torture they wanted inflicted on the monkeys.

These underground rings were the topic of the recent BBC documentary “The Monkey Haters,” for which Lady Freethinker, Action for Primates and JAAN provided information and intelligence.

In the last 18 months, two other individuals in Indonesia have been convicted and imprisoned for their part in torturing and killing baby monkeys; one individual in the U.S. has been jailed with two others charged for their roles in online monkey torture gangs, and there have been several arrests in the UK.

Shockingly, many of these graphic videos – depicting mutilation, burning, beating, and more – have also been posted on Facebook and YouTube, making them easily available for others, including children, to access and view. Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates are calling on social media and video sharing platforms to take immediate action to stop the proliferation of animal torture content that is being posted online.

“I’m thankful to West Kalimantan Police for arresting the person thought to be responsible for horrific violence against dozens of innocent monkeys for profit,” said Lady Freethinker founder Nina Jackel. “Such crimes must be taken seriously, especially as evidence shows time and time again the link between animal cruelty and violence against humans.”

“We welcome the action taken by the Indonesian Police,” said Action for Primates Co-Founder Sarah Kite. “Filming the torture and killing of baby monkeys for ‘entertainment’ is abhorrent and must never be tolerated. We hope the arrest and subsequent charging of this individual will deter other people from becoming involved in these perverted and sadistic activities.”

Mark / Diana

Environmental, General News

USA: Nearly 15% of Americans don’t believe climate change is real, study finds.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/14/americans-believe-climate-change-study?utm_term=65cd9a5b44b003170809dd5a0271e274&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email

Comment – Not a surprise. The citizens of the USA are some of the most misinformed in the world. Just look at Trump!! A conman, liar, convicted rapist. Running again for President. Countries get what reflect the people in that country. Stupid in and stupid out.

Please check ‘Comments’ to see this.

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

EU: 2040 climate target – EU Commission half-heartedly recognises the role of shifting diets. So, What’s New With EU ?

2040 climate target – EU Commission half-heartedly recognises the role of shifting diets

6 February 2024

Press Release

Today, the European Commission published its communication starting the process for establishing a 2040 intermediary climate target on the EU’s road towards climate neutrality by 2050, yet it fails to recognise the full potential of shifting diets to fully achieve these goals.

The final text no longer includes a reference to a 30% cut in non-CO2 emissions from agriculture, such as CH4 emissions from livestock and N2O emissions from soils. Similarly, parts of the communication recognising the role of lifestyle changes, including dietary shifts, in bringing greenhouse gas emissions down have also been dropped. On a more positive note, the communication stresses the role of the food industry in contributing to food environments making healthy diets an easy and affordable choice for consumers.

The last-minute watering down follows the farmers’ protests which have unfolded across Europe. Policymakers are responding to farmers’ discontent by settling on short-sighted compromises and rolling back climate policies, rather than adopting necessary long-term measures. Yet, the agriculture and food sectors have great potential to enable dietary shifts, reduce climate-harming emissions and improve human and animal health.

The link between dietary patterns and greenhouse gas emissions is now beyond question. It is beyond understanding that the Commission has deliberately ignored it. If we want to be serious on the climate crises, EU policymakers must regulate food environments, and make our food choices healthy and sustainable by default. They must use the One Health approach – in all policies – as a reflex, not a slogan.

Dr. Milka Sokolovic, Director General, European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)

Today the Commission failed to recognise the need for shifting to healthy, plant-rich diets and raising fewer animals under much higher conditions to achieve the EU’s climate objectives. Without such a transition the EU falls short on  its ambitions on animal welfare whilst jeopardising its climate, environmental and health objectives.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

However hard the Commission tries to handle farmers with kid gloves, facts are stubborn things: our food and agriculture systems contribute a big chunk of the EU’s climate impact. Consumers are willing to change the way they eat and play their part in the fight against climate change, provided sustainable, healthy food becomes more available and affordable. Now the ball is in the court of the next European Commission, who will have to urgently dust off the overdue Sustainable Food Systems law and put it on the table. Such law must incentivise industry and retailers to better support consumers in the transition.

Monique Goyens, Director General, European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)

This short briefing outlines why shifting diets has a positive impact on health and climate. 

Put Change on the Menu is a collaborative project between BEUC, Eurogroup for Animals, and the European Public Health Alliance.

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Vegan Recipes

Shift Funding From Animal Agriculture, Says EU Science Board.

Europe should move towards a plant-based food system, the report states

Funding should be moved away from animal agriculture towards “lower-emitting products and activities,” according to Europe’s top scientific advisors.

The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change made the comment in a new report titled “Towards EU climate neutrality.”

Specifically, the board recommends “better aligning the EU’s common agricultural policy with the EU climate ambitions.”

The common agricultural policy (CAP) has been a key part of the European Union (EU) since 1962. The CAP currently takes up about a third of the EU’s budget. The majority goes to subsidies for animal farmers.

Lucia Hortelano, EU Senior Policy Manager, ProVeg International told Plant Based News (PBN): “We agree with this report that subsidies for intensive animal agriculture should be shifted towards the production of more climate-friendly, plant-based foods. This proactive shift will pave the way for a legacy that future generations will deeply appreciate.”

Animal agriculture holds back EU progress

The report from the European Scientific Advisory Board does not introduce any new targets. Instead, it fills in some gaps from previous documents.

One major gap is meat and dairy. Animal agriculture is responsible for around 16.5 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite this, policymakers have ignored food system change as a solution for years. At COP28, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) mentioned “benefits” of cutting meat consumption in rich countries but fell short of calling for a transition towards a plant-based food system.

Calls for a plant-based food system have been getting louder. In a recent letter, 250 scientists and experts urged the US Secretary of Agriculture to “address both production and consumption of animal-based foods.” A growing number of councils and governments around the world have endorsed the Plant-Based Treaty.

Now, the EU’s leading climate scientists have acknowledged that animal agriculture is holding back progress on climate change.

Hortelano added: “By prioritizing funding for a climate-friendly initiative, we can contribute to a healthier planet, cleaner waterways, and improved well-being for countless animals. The EU is in a position to set a powerful example to the rest of the world by channelling its finances into research and development, production and export of plant-based foods.”

Subsidies for plant-based transition needed

The report mentions the lack of financial incentives for farmers to transition towards plant-based food as a key issue to address.

The authors note a need to “strengthen measures to encourage healthier, more plant-based diets,” as well as “develop a strategy for a just transition to a food system consistent with climate neutrality.”

This means updating the CAP to support farmers away from emission-intensive animal agricultural. Elsewhere in the report, the scientists are more blunt. The EU needs “concrete policies for delivering a sustainable food system, reducing food waste and encouraging healthy, plant-based diets,” they write.

Despite the report’s strong conclusions, some campaigners and politicians remain unconvinced that it will lead to anything in practice. Anna Spurek, COO of Green REV Institute, told PBN that the European Commission is “spending public money on meat and dairy advertising campaigns, and shelving the draft regulation on a sustainable food system.”

Spurek added: “Work has now started on the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027. But we are under no illusion. Unfortunately, the climate crisis and the planet will not wait – it is time to veganize the CAP.”

Regards Mark

Shift Funding From Animal Agriculture, Says EU Science Board
Shift Funding From Animal Agriculture, Says EU Science Board
Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

EU: The time is right to finally drop the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement.

2 February 2024

Press Release

Thousands of farmers have been protesting across Europe in recent days, and many gather today in Brussels to denounce the unfair competition brought about by the implementation of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) like the EU-Mercosur, and the resulting poor working conditions and low income.

Friends of the Earth Europe, Eurogroup for Animals and the European Trade Justice Coalition (ETJC) share European farmers’ frustration over having to compete with imported products exempt from the EU environmental, labour and animal welfare standards. As President Macron, who reportedly asked the European Commission to stop the EU-Mercosur negotiations, meets Ursula Von der Leyen today at a summit of European Union leaders, groups reinforce the call to end the EU-Mercosur deal and stop other FTAs in progress. 

The crises of climate, workers rights and inequality we face cant be solved by more outdated and unjust trade agreements, negotiated behind closed doors. We need a u-turn on trade policy and to put the planet, and people at the centre. The only reasonable call is for more countries to join France in their demand to put a full stop to this disastrous deal.

Leah Sullivan, Coordinator, ETJC

Environmental, animal welfare, and trade justice NGOs also denounce current populist discourses seeking to blame green and progressive legislations for farmers’ unease. Farmers need fair and stable prices for more environmentally and animal welfare friendly produced food. In order to successfully transition to sustainable food systems and achieve food sovereignty, the EU must uphold the European Green Deal’s farming objectives and reform its Common Agricultural Policy. 

When thousands of farmers protest in Europe against unjust free trade agreements, a fight supported by environmentalists and a large part of civil society, how can the Commission still put corporate giants’ economic interests above our common well-being? The negotiations of the EU-Mercosur deal, a toxic and outdated deal, must stop now and for good”.  

Julie Zalcman, trade campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe

If implemented, the EU-Mercosur deal will create further unfair competition between European and South American farmers, reinforce the intensification of monocultures, intensive animal farming and extractive models in South America, and fuel deforestation, pesticide use and human rights violations. Those issues are inherent to the deal and cannot be fixed with a non-enforceable joint instrument, as proposed by the EU Commission.  

Even with the proposed joint instrument, the agreement would still increase the risks of animal cruelty, deforestation and human rights abuse due to the EU’s demand for commodities such as soya, beef, and poultry.” 

Stephanie Ghislain, Political Affairs Manager, Eurogroup for Animals

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

USA: Animal rights protestors rally outside of LA Zoo to call for elephant’s release to sanctuary.

Asian elephant Billy at the Los Angeles Zoo. Getty Images© Provided by CBS Los Angeles

Animal rights activists gathered outside of the Los Angeles Zoo on Sunday, calling for the release of an elephant who has spent more than three decades in the facility’s care. 

The groups, made up of members from Guardians of Los Angeles and Los Angeles for Animals, calling for Billy, an Asian elephant who has been at the zoo for about 34 years, to be released to an animal sanctuary and that he should be freed from what they called “incarceration.”

“The few elephants that have been removed from this kind of situation and placed into a sanctuary often will recover mentally and physically,” said LA City Councilman Paul Koretz, who joined protestors on Sunday. “After all the years he’s spent at the LA Zoo, he deserves to be an elephant near the end of his life.”

They say that deaths of two elephants at the zoo over the last year, including 53-year-old Asian elephant Shaunzi, are due to the “unnatural and neglectful conditions and confinement for male elephants” that are part of the reason that the zoo has earned a spot on the Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list.

A Los Angeles city committee voted to send Billy to a sanctuary, but the resolution has not yet been approved by the LA City Council. 

The zoo responded to Sunday’s protest with a statement that read:

“The health and wellbeing of all animals in our care continues to be our top priority, and our expert animal and veterinary teams provide the highest standard of care. The small number of activists campaigning to move Billy to another animal holding facility are basing their message on misinformation, untruths, and intentional mischaracterization of the L.A. Zoo elephant care program, and the Los Angeles Zoo categorically disagrees with their characterization of the care and welfare of Billy and Tina.”

Animal rights protestors rally outside of LA Zoo to call for elephant’s release to sanctuary (msn.com)

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Hunting, Live Transport

Vote for Animals: placing animal welfare at the heart of the EU Elections.

1 February 2024

Press Release

The Vote for Animals campaign, launched by Eurogroup for Animals, aims to place animal welfare at the core of the upcoming EU Elections. The campaign encourages candidate MEPs to take a pledge for the animals, while informing citizens about the importance of these elections for progress on animal welfare in the EU, helping them to choose candidates that share their values and encouraging them to vote.

Candidate MEPs are being encouraged to sign a pledge stating a clear commitment to work to improve animal welfare if they are elected to the European Parliament (EP). The pledge, composed of ten asks, addresses live animal transport, imports of animal-based products, welfare of aquatic species, non-animal science and the conservation of wild animals, among others.

By taking the pledge, candidates commit to represent EU citizens’ demands for better animal welfare legislation. European citizens have been very vocal in demanding the EU to do better for animals. Six of ten successful European Citizens Initiatives are related to animal welfare, of which 1.5 million citizens have asked for a Fur Free Europe, and 1.4 million asked for a transition to cage-free systems. The last Eurobarometer, showed that over nine in ten Europeans believe that it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals, while an overwhelming majority expressed the importance of better protection of kept animals during their entire lifetime.

Elected MEPs have the competence to drive animal welfare issues forward, by working to ensure it remains a priority on the EU agenda, being vocal on issues that need addressing, and voting in the interest of animals. During the current term, a significant number of MEPs have brought to light critical issues including the delay in the publication of the animal welfare legislation, the horrific nature of live animal transport and fur farming.

Elected representatives also have the opportunity to join the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, which provides a cross-party platform for MEPs to discuss and exchange views on animal welfare issues and to initiate and promote related  initiatives  in the EP. 

The Vote for Animals campaign page is translated in all official EU languages, and citizens are encouraged to send a message to their representatives, asking them to sign the pledge. 

MEPs can serve as catalysts to push for better animal welfare legislation. The Vote for Animals pledge is our commitment to do our utmost to make sure the European Commission comes forward with ambitious legislation on critical issues that need much attention. If I am given the trust by the public, I promise to continue to place these issues at the core of my work, representing the demands of citizens to do more in this aspect. I encourage other candidate MEPs to take the pledge.

Niels Fuglsang, MEP (S&D, DK)

With so many EU citizens asking for more action on animal welfare, the European Parliament must be representative of these interests, to drive forward much-needed progress. This campaign provides both citizens and MEPs the opportunity to shape an institution that keeps animals at the core of their work.

  • Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

Elections

Environmental, General News, Hunting

Russians kill innocent animals and shamelessly flaunt their deeds in photos – animal rights activists.

WAV Comment – Real Men always wear Combat Trousers !! ?

All Photos – UAnimals

Uanimals, a Ukrainian animal protection organization, has shared information that Russian soldiers have been killing animals in the occupied Kherson Oblast and proudly displaying their deeds in photographs.

The organization received the photos from a member of the volunteer community depicting Russians from the occupied part of Kherson triumphantly posing with the lifeless bodies of various animals.

Russian soldiers are shown holding dead hares and birds. Another picture shows a Russian posing next to a slain deer, a UAnimals associated at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology confirmed.
While the exact locations of these gruesome acts cannot be pinpointed, an analysis conducted by the organization validates that the photos were indeed taken in Kherson.

Before the invasion, deer thrived within the Askania-Nova Reserve and the Azov-Syvash National Park, both now under Russian occupation.

Read also: Russian occupiers pillage Askania-Nova Nature Reserve, committing ecocide

“These images are further evidence that Russians are killing everything alive in Ukraine and committing a true ecocide,” the organization said.

The left bank of Kherson Oblast has remained under Russian occupation since February 24, 2022, with military forces establishing an occupational “administration” within the Askania-Nova Reserve.

Ukrainian military personnel have reported that Russians are destroying natural reserves in the occupied Kherson Oblast. They deploy equipment, establish training grounds, and hunt unique animal species there.

Sick !!

Regards Mark

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/russians-kill-innocent-animals-shamelessly-141700369.html

I need something good after all this shit;

Time out – Enjoy – Brilliant Nige !!

Environmental, General News

EU: European Parliament votes to address welfare through the Common Fisheries Policy.

25 January 2024

Last week the European Parliament issued a resounding call to the European Commission, urging the Common Fisheries Policy to improve the welfare of aquatic animals.

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) encompasses both the aquaculture and fisheries sectors and is pivotal in establishing the foundational objectives for the management of fisheries and fish populations in the EU’s waters, along with the market and financial aspects of aquaculture. It ensures both sectors are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. 

On 18 January, the European Parliament (EP) voted on what the next steps of CFP implementation should include, adopting a new report laying out the achievements and shortcomings of the CFP since its last reform, over a decade ago. 

However, the report calls for updated legislation, ignoring the fact  that the key reason that the CFP is not resulting in sustainable fishing in the EU is because Member States consistently set fishing quotas above scientific advice. The priority should be better implementation and enforcement of the CFP, in line with the latest science. 

A critical flaw in the policy is the absence of any consideration of aquatic animals’ welfare, despite billions of them being farmed or fished and ultimately slaughtered every year in the European Union. Although Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union requires fishery policies – among others – to “pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals”, the CFP is the only EU policy which deals with living animals but contains no animal welfare provisions.

Last Thursday, the Members of the European Parliament asserted the need to change this, calling on the European Commission (EC) to take into account the welfare of farmed and wild-caught fish in the CFP. This move aligns with the sentiment expressed by European citizens, as over 90% of respondents in the 2023 Eurobarometer indicated a demand for farming and breeding practices to adhere to basic ethical requirements.. 

This vote follows-up on scientific recognition of the sentience of fish, as confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority) and the European Commission, and aligns the EP with the Council of the European Union which, in June, also urged the Commission to enhance aquatic animals’ welfare through the CFP.

In the same vein, Commissioner Sinkevicius also made a promising statement during the debate – “I (…) recognise that future research and innovation is required, in particular on species-specific welfare parameters (…)” – gives us hope that the European citizens’ demand for better animal welfare conditions – including for aquatic animals – will be heard.”

Regards Mark