We are all the same.
We all want to live a life of freedom, self-determination and without pain, oppression and agony.
F * ck Speciesism!
Regards and a good night from Venus
Joaquin Phoenix, Amazon Watch & Extinction Rebellion: ‘Guardians of Life’
We partnered with Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix, and Extinction Rebellion for a short film urging action on the climate and ecological emergency!
Phoenix is joined in the film, entitled Guardians of Life, by an array of Hollywood stars including Rosario Dawson, Matthew Modine, Q’orianka Kilcher, Oona Chaplin, Adria Arjona, and Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes.
Right now, indigenous peoples and their lands are increasingly under threat from vast economic exploitation across the Amazon — a rainforest vital for the health of our planet. The Amazon removes about 5% of total emissions caused by human activity. Without the Amazon, the planet would be warming faster than scientists already observe.
But, the Amazon rainforest is at RISK.
Just last year, over 11.2 M hectares in the Brazilian and Bolivian Amazon burned. New analysis of extensive satellite imagery revealed that many of the fires were actually burning the remains of areas that were recently deforested.
In Brazil, the threats are escalating: Bolsonaro’s Administration recently announced plans to hand out indigenous lands to the very industries responsible for deforestation. In the Brazilian Amazon, those industries are land speculation, mining, and agribusiness, specifically soy and cattle. Companies in these industries are bankrolled by global financial institutions like BlackRock, JP Morgan Chase, HBSC, BNP Paribas and Vanguard. They too, are responsible for the Amazon’s destruction.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. According to scientific studies, indigenous lands are “currently the most important barrier to Amazon deforestation.” Indigenous peoples are the best protectors of the Amazon rainforest, so protecting indigenous rights is instrumental.
The Amazon Rainforest is known to be a home to millions of different species, from plants, to animals, to even some indigenous tribes. It’s been referred to as the Earth’s lungs, because it produces 20% of the oxygen in it’s atmosphere.
About half the size of the United States of America, the Amazon Rainforest has a huge impact on slowing down global warming, and the world as a whole.
But recently, wildfires have gotten so out of control, cities have been completely blacked out, with smoke from the fires covering their skies. It seems as of now, the Brazilian government and president Bolsonaro isn’t stepping in to slow down the fires, and up until quite recently, news stations weren’t covering the story either.
In hopes of raising awareness about how important the Amazon Rainforest really is, we decided to answer the question: What If The Amazon Rainforest Burned Down?
Very easily: we`re killing ourselfes
My Comment: While the fire in Amazonas destroyed the lives of animals and humans, Bolsonaro specifically advised all presidents not to interfere in the internal affairs of his country.
“My country, my forest,” he said demonstratively against his critics.
It is by no means “his forest”, not even that of his corrupt party.
There are also many people in Brazil who are interested in the conservation of the rainforest.
It is the forest of the Brazilians and above all of the aborigines and animals that have protected areas there and whose livelihood is being illegally destroyed in favor of some private profit bandits.
But above all is the human forest, which is based on this “green lung” and thus ensures our survival.
There, animal and plant species are irrevocably eradicated. These are missing from now on and will never come back. Part of our common heritage is lost just because some powerful fascists want to enrich themselves.
The rainforest in the Amazon region has also been cleared in the past, but never to the same extent as under the fascist and traitor Bolsonaro.
Humanity has nothing more than adaptation anyway, and it is feared that we can no longer save anything from now on, it is simply too late.
We just have to try to live with the damage we have caused ourselves and that will make our lives and the lives of the next generations hell.
My best regards to all, Venus
For Immediate Release: February 20, 2020
Groups to Host Screening of Documentary Film that Exposes the Shadowy World of Wildlife Killing Contests
First Gentleman of Colorado Marlon Reis will give remarks
DENVER, CO – The Institute for Human-Animal Connection, Sturm College of Law, and DU Media, Film & Journalism Studies, in partnership with Project Coyote, will host Banning Wildlife Killing Contests in Colorado on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the University of Denver. This free event will raise awareness about wildlife killing contests in Colorado — where participants compete to kill wild animals, including coyotes and prairie dogs, for entertainment and prizes. For information and to RSVP, click here.
The event is part of the 2nd Human-Animal Coexistence Catalyst Series Event and will feature a screening of Project Coyote’s award-winning documentary KILLING GAMES ~ Wildlife In The Crosshairs. The event will include remarks by First Gentleman of Colorado Marlon Reis and a discussion session with Project Coyote Executive Director (and KILLING GAMES Director) Camilla Fox and Project Coyote Science Advisory Board member and Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado Marc Bekoff.
Thousands of wild animals are killed in wildlife killing contests every year throughout the nation. There have been at least 18 contests in Colorado over the last five years, primarily targeting coyotes, bobcats and prairie dogs. Public scrutiny has caused many contest organizers to take their events underground, so the actual number of contests may be much higher. In Pueblo this year, teams paid $100 to enter the High Desert Coyote Classic. Teams who killed the “biggest,” “littlest,” and “ugliest dogs” won prizes.
“Given the myriad benefits of wild animals and their habitats to our beautiful State, I am excited to highlight the need for reforms to wildlife killing contests,” said Marlon Reis, First Gentleman of Colorado. “We can and must do better for the humane treatment of wildlife throughout the nation.”
In 2019, a coalition of organizations — including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, Project Coyote, and WildEarth Guardians — submitted a citizen petition asking the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to consider revising current regulations to ban wildlife killing contests for small game and furbearing animals. Colorado’s current regulations allow each contest participant to kill up to five animals per species over the course of one contest. The Commission may hear that petition at its next meeting in March. If the Commission decides to advance the petition, CPW staff will begin to develop proposed regulations, which will be open for public comment.
“Not only do wildlife killing contests undermine the moral fabric of our society, they are ecologically destructive,” said Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, co-founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and member of Colorado’s Governor’s Coalition for Animal Protection. “In short, there is no credible evidence that wildlife killing contests serve any beneficial wildlife management purpose.”
Contest organizers frequently claim that killing contests reduce coyote population numbers long-term, increase the abundance of species like deer, and protect livestock from coyotes. The best available science does not support these claims. Indiscriminate lethal control of wildlife including coyotes and prairie dogs is harmful to ecosystems. Randomly killing coyotes can even increase their numbers and increase conflicts with livestock.
“Project Coyote produced KILLING GAMES ~ Wildlife In The Crosshairs to shine a light on this bloodsport,” said Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of Project Coyote and director of the film. “We’re working with our coalition partners, ranchers, hunters, Native American tribal leaders, and community members to relegate these brutal events to the history books, just as advocates did with dogfighting and cockfighting.”
Wildlife killing contests have been outlawed in five states. Arizona and Massachusetts banned killing contests for predatory and furbearing species in 2019; New Mexico and Vermont abolished coyote killing contests in 2019 and 2018, respectively; and California prohibited the awarding of prizes for killing nongame and furbearing animals in 2014.
KILLING GAMES will also be shown at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival on Feb. 22 at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden. Purchase tickets here.
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To learn more about wildlife killing contests, visit the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests website here and read this Op-Ed in The Colorado Sun here.
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Indonesia Has Officially Banned Traveling Dolphin Circus Shows
Posted by Jane Wolfe | February 8, 2020
Following years of protest against one of Indonesia’s cruelest forms of “entertainment,” the country’s traveling dolphin circuses are officially banned via the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
The mobile shows force wild dolphins to perform for the “pleasure” of the public by starving them and making the poor creatures carry out unnatural routines to earn small morsels of fish.
The dolphins perform these routines over and over again in tiny pools of water so highly chlorinated that the splashes can sting the eyes of audience members. With music blaring in the background, the frightened animals jump through hoops blazing with fire.
After the shows are over, the innocent dolphins are locked in what animal welfare group Dolphin Project describes as “coffin-like boxes” for days and transported in trucks from event to event throughout the country.
In a major victory for these beautiful creatures, on February 5, the ministry decided not to renew permits for any traveling dolphin circus shows, putting them out of business for good.
In a letter to CNN Indonesia, Indra Explotasia, the head of the engineering center of the ministry, wrote that permits for all dolphin shows taking place outside of “a conservation institution or in a traveling dolphin demonstration” had expired and would not be renewed.
Despite the monumental success achieved in shutting down these shows, there is still work to be done. Harmful dolphin performances remain legal at “conservation institutions,” including zoos and safari and animal parks.
Dear Mark
Cheltenham Racecourse is one of Britain’s most deadly. It is home to the notorious Cheltenham Festival (10-13 March 2020).
Three horses died at last year’s Festival, and seven the previous year.
It is imperative to let the public know how dangerous this event is for horses, so please order some of our new leaflets and distribute them (outside your local train station or in your town centre) ahead of the event.
Take action: Order leaflets to give to friends or colleagues who may bet on the Festival
| Order leaflets now |
Thank you,
Fiona Pereira
Campaign Manager
https://www.animalaid.org.uk/grand-national-campaign-leaflets/
Sticking a little with some Brits who have been killed in their belief for the rights of animals, this year on 1st February we did not publish anything on Jill as we were heavily involved with the German pig campaign. We know would have wanted us to do something current for the animals. But now we have a bit more time; here is information on Jill who was killed at a live animal export protest in 1995. Some of you will know about here; some overseas visitors may not.
Recent post:
https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/02/19/in-loving-memory-of-mike-hill/
I remember the ‘Jill’ incident well; as I was personally involved with live calf exports around that time from the port of Dover, Kent, SE England.
Top – me at Dover shaking a crated John Major warmly by the neck; bottom:
the then Prime Minister John Major is shoved in a veal crate. Alongside – a liberated calf !
Jill was aged just 31; was a British animal rights activist who was crushed to death during an animal rights protest in Baginton, Warwickshire, England, while she was trying to slow down a lorry transporting live veal calves heading for continental Europe via Coventry Airport.
On 1 February 1995, Phipps was one of 35 protesters at Coventry Airport in Baginton, protesting at the export of live calves to Amsterdam for distribution across Europe. Ten protesters broke through police lines and were trying to bring the lorry to a halt by sitting in the road or chaining themselves to it when Phipps was crushed beneath the lorry’s wheels; her fatal injuries included a broken spine. Phipps’ death received a large amount of publicity, being brought up at Prime Minister’s question time in the House of Commons.
The Crown Prosecution Service decided there was no evidence to bring any charges against the truck driver. Phipps’ family blamed the police for her death, because the police appeared determined to keep the convoy of calf carrying lorries moving despite the protest. The inquest heard that the driver may have been distracted by a protester running into the road ahead of him, who was being removed by a policeman. A verdict of accidental death was returned and Phipps’ father insisted that she did not want to die as she had a young son to live for.
Veal calf exports from Coventry Airport ended months later, when the aviation firm belonging to the pilot responsible for the veal flights, one Christopher Barrett-Jolly, went bankrupt following accusations of running guns from Slovakia to Sudan in breach of EU rules. One of the planes used to transport the calves also crashed in the UK, when returning empty from a calf delivery flight. https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-news-plane-crash-1994-12346964
Barrett – Jolly
In 2002 Barrett-Jolly was charged with smuggling 271 kg of cocaine worth £22 Million from Jamaica into Southend airport which is located in the South East of England. He was later sentenced to twenty years in prison. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/dec/06/theairlineindustry.drugs
The continuing level of protest was such that several local councils and a harbour board banned live animal exports from their localities. All live exports of calves later stopped due to fears of BSE infection. In 2006 this ban was lifted, but Coventry Airport pledged that it would refuse requests to fly veal calves.
Jill paid the ultimate for her belief in saving animals. On 1st February every year since her death 25 years ago, grassroots animal rights remembrance services in the name of Jill are held all over England and the UK.
She was much to young to die the way she did in the defense of animals – she still had so many years to give to the movement. Sadly, her life was cut short on that fateful day in 95. Jill’s day will always be marled as a day of unity for animal rights campaigners across the UK.
Regards; for Jill
It still hurts and upsets me; a beautiful girl; 25 years on; all she wanted was a world of compassion;
Mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=78o0Uh9J_aQ&feature=emb_logo
Other Links:
https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/04/19/some-questions-about-the-case-jill-phipps/
Vegan News from Mercy for Animals:
KFC Expands Beyond Fried Chicken Trial
https://chooseveg.com/blog/kfc-testing-plant-based-beyond-fried-chicken/
Plant-based company Beyond Meat just announced plans to test an updated version of its Beyond Fried Chicken at about 66 Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants! Lucky locations include Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Kentucky. Get the details.
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Yogurtland Launches Dairy-Free Flavors
Nationwide frozen treat company Yogurtland just added its first plant-based frozen yogurt flavor! Available for a limited time, the completely vegan Salted Chocolate Soufflé is made with coconut milk, cocoa powder, and salt. Get the scoop.Nationwide frozen treat company Yogurtland just added its first plant-based frozen yogurt flavor! Available for a limited time, the completely vegan Salted Chocolate Soufflé is made with coconut milk, cocoa powder, and salt. Get the scoop.
https://chooseveg.com/blog/yogurtland-first-plant-based-flavor/
Silk Debuts Heavy Whipping Cream
https://chooseveg.com/blog/dairy-free-brand-silk-launches-heavy-whipping-cream/
Whipped into a delicious dessert topping, added to soups for creaminess, or even made into your own dairy-free ice cream or coffee creamer, this new product presents endless possibilities. Find it near you.
“At 4.00 pm Saturday 9th February, 1991 Mike Hill became the first hunt saboteur to be killed whilst trying to protect wildlife. Mike was only 18 and for two years lived and breathed animal rights, not just dogs and cats but every living creature.
He was a vegan, worked at both Heavens Gate Sanctuary and Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre and was an active sab with Yeovil sabs and Merseyside sabs.
Mike was to nice a person for this world. There was no hurt nor malice in his soul. He thought good of everyone and everything. He was quite, unassuming, softly spoken and gentle.
He lived and died for his beliefs.
The facts
Hunt Saboteur, Mike Hill, was killed on the 9th of February 1991 at a meet of the Cheshire Beagles.
Towards the end of the day’s hunting, with no kill under his belt, the huntsman boxed up his hounds in a small blue trailer being towed by an open-top pick-up truck.
The kennel huntsman, Alan Summersgill, with another man, jumped into the pick-up and, on impulse, three sabs who were nearby, jumped onto the back of it to prevent them driving the pack to another location to continue hunting.
Summersgill drove off at high speeds down winding country roads for 5 miles with the terrified sabs clinging onto the back. It is thought that Mike, jumped from the pick-up as it slowed to take a bend. He failed to clear the truck properly, and was caught between the truck and the trailer, which crushed him.
Mike died where he lay on the road.
Despite the thud, and the screams of the other sabs, Summersgill continued driving for a further mile. The truck only came to a halt when one of the sabs smashed the rear window of the cab.
The sab was hit with a whip as he tried to stop the truck. Once it had stopped one sab ran back to Mike’s prone body while the other ran to a nearby house to call for an ambulance. Summersgill drove off.
He later handed himself in at a police station. No charges were brought against him and in a travesty of justice, a verdict of ‚Accidental Death‘ was brought at the inquest.
When the ban on hunting came in, Summersgill was still hunting hares.
http://totalliberation.blogsport.de/repressionschronik/ermordete-aktivist_innen/mike-hill/
My Comment: On April 3, 1993, Tom Worby, a 15 year old hunting saboteur, was crushed under the wheels of the Cambridgeshire Foxhound Hound Van. We reported about it: https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/12/28/england-hunting-sabotage-against-the-fox-massacre/#comments
No action was taken against 53-year-old hunter Tony Ball, the murderer of Tom Worby.
Mike Hill’s killer, Alan Summersgill, was also acquitted. In both cases there was a ridiculous process, the verdict was: “Accidental death”!
When it comes to hunter crimes, the courts show shamelessly how cooperative they are with the hunter caste.
On the other hand, these two cases show that those who regularly shoot innocent animals lose their compassion and respect for people!
Hunting means systematic dehumanization and brutalization!
Hunters are walking time bombs for humans and animals!
This bloody pleasure for psychopaths must finally end!
My best regards to all, Venus
Received anonymously:
13th February in Kent south East UK
Little Oakhurst in Kent, UK, was visited once again. For a while we have been keeping an eye on the wellbeing of the dog used as a shepherd’s tool to exploit the sheep.
After hearing Tracey’s sentencing by the judge and not happy with the fact that she is still allowed to keep two dogs and a cat, we decided to pay a visit to her farm.
It was of no surprise to find the collie stuck in the mud, locked in a cage without any shelter, food or water. Another of Tracy’s victims shoved in the barn in what we assume was an attempt to continue the abuse away from prying eyes.
Well Tracy, we have eyes everywhere. Even as you sit in prison and long after you come home we will still be watching you.
We want to see every single animal taken away from that place and go somewhere they will be respected and never neglected again. They deserve their freedom with no threat of slaughterhouses or cold muddy cages.
Seeing as the justice system failed to help this animal, just like so many others, we decided that the dog should come with us and spend the rest of their life in a safe and comfortable environment. Although it was obvious to us, it never fails to amaze that even with Tracey locked up in prison, the animals in the farm still suffer.
Luckily for that dog, they will never be used again as a tool to exploit other animals. They will never again have to endure life in a cage, mud up to their knees and no companionship. They will be able to express the love they surprisingly still have for humans however they need and they will receive love back.
Sadly we were unable to locate the second dog and the cat that were also allowed by the judge to stay under Tracey’s precarious ‘care’. No one else should suffer because of the acts of that horrible human.
There is no justice, there is just direct action.
https://animalliberationpressoffice.org/
Thanks ALF!
My best regards and a good night, Venus
Watch the video of disgusting conditions via the following link:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/farm-under-fire-over-dead-animal-photos-198880/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-50859389
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-47255970
