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LOCAL News :: Activism : Animal Rights
Turn Down the Heat!
Author
- Eastern Shore Sanctuary
Date Created
- 28 Dec 2005
December 2005 newsletter of the Eastern Shore Sanctuary and Education Center
BraveBirds Times Online
December 2005
Online newsletter of the Eastern Shore Sanctuary & Education Center
Turn Down the Heat!
What's your most important New Year's Resolution for 2006? Here's ours: We're going to do more against global warming.
What does that have to do with animals or agriculture, you ask? Everything! As the climate changes, habitats become less inhabitable and animals die. Meanwhile, the methane released into the atmosphere by the millions of cows and other animals crowded into feedlots and factory farms is one of the chief causes of global warming.
Climate change is the number one challenge facing all animals today. Normally, we don't believe in ranking problems. The exploitation of hens in egg factories is neither more nor less important than the exploitation of ducks in foie gras factories. The enslavement of girl children in brothels is neither more nor less of an emergency than the impressment of boy children as expendable soldiers.
But the fact remains that none of our work to liberate animals or achieve social justice will make much of a difference when the planet becomes uninhabitable due to climate change. And, as we saw with hurricane Katrina, the most vulnerable people and animals will be hurt the most by the environmental catastrophes that occur along the road to extinction for everyone.
What can you do? First, learn about the causes and effects of climate change. Then, share what you know with everybody in your life. Change your own behavior and encourage everyone you know to do the same. Finally, include work on climate change in your activism for the animals or find an extra hour or two each week to devote to just that.
Global warming is caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (also called CO2) and methane in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide comes from power plants, cars and trucks, airplanes, and deforestation. Methane comes from the flatulence of millions of beef cattle and dairy cows as well as from the manure lagoons used by hog installations and other factory farms.
To reduce your own CO2 emissions: Turn down the heat and turn off the lights; drive and fly less; walk, bike, or take public transportation more; buy fewer items that have been trucked or flown from far away; and buy, borrow, or dumpster-dive used goods instead of new items made at energy-guzzling manufacturing plants. If you can afford to do it, buy a hybrid vehicle or install wind or solar energy in your home. To reduce the amount of methane that ends up in the atmosphere thanks to you: Go vegan!
Upcoming Events
Continuing our program of speaking up for animals in places where no-one expects to hear their voices, Eastern Shore Sanctuary cofounder Pattrice Jones will be speaking at two academic events this spring: the College English Association annual conference and the Agricultural History Society annual meeting. Research on social change concerning such issues as anti-racism and gay liberation has shown that university professors tend to be ahead of the curve and then help to create change by conveying progressive attitudes to their students. Those of us who are able to do so need to help that process along by bringing the voices of the animals into the academy however we can.
Sanctuary Update
We close out the year with our highest sanctuary population ever. Local "broiler" chickens, former egg and foie gras factory inmates, rehabilitated fighting cocks, and Katrina refugees all keep warm with the barn cats in the coops as we wait out the winter. Because the birds eat more and need more bedding to keep them warm, winter is the most expensive time of the year for us. Frozen hoses in the morning and cold winds pushing us back as we push wheelbarrows of straw make it a particularly cranky season too. Nonetheless, we always end the year grateful for the opportunity to do such useful work and for the supporters who make it possible for us. Truly, we couldn't do it without you!
Eastern Shore Sanctuary & Education Center
13981 Reading Ferry
Princess Anne, MD 21853 USA
410-651-4934
www.bravebirds.org
December 2005
Online newsletter of the Eastern Shore Sanctuary & Education Center
Turn Down the Heat!
What's your most important New Year's Resolution for 2006? Here's ours: We're going to do more against global warming.
What does that have to do with animals or agriculture, you ask? Everything! As the climate changes, habitats become less inhabitable and animals die. Meanwhile, the methane released into the atmosphere by the millions of cows and other animals crowded into feedlots and factory farms is one of the chief causes of global warming.
Climate change is the number one challenge facing all animals today. Normally, we don't believe in ranking problems. The exploitation of hens in egg factories is neither more nor less important than the exploitation of ducks in foie gras factories. The enslavement of girl children in brothels is neither more nor less of an emergency than the impressment of boy children as expendable soldiers.
But the fact remains that none of our work to liberate animals or achieve social justice will make much of a difference when the planet becomes uninhabitable due to climate change. And, as we saw with hurricane Katrina, the most vulnerable people and animals will be hurt the most by the environmental catastrophes that occur along the road to extinction for everyone.
What can you do? First, learn about the causes and effects of climate change. Then, share what you know with everybody in your life. Change your own behavior and encourage everyone you know to do the same. Finally, include work on climate change in your activism for the animals or find an extra hour or two each week to devote to just that.
Global warming is caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (also called CO2) and methane in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide comes from power plants, cars and trucks, airplanes, and deforestation. Methane comes from the flatulence of millions of beef cattle and dairy cows as well as from the manure lagoons used by hog installations and other factory farms.
To reduce your own CO2 emissions: Turn down the heat and turn off the lights; drive and fly less; walk, bike, or take public transportation more; buy fewer items that have been trucked or flown from far away; and buy, borrow, or dumpster-dive used goods instead of new items made at energy-guzzling manufacturing plants. If you can afford to do it, buy a hybrid vehicle or install wind or solar energy in your home. To reduce the amount of methane that ends up in the atmosphere thanks to you: Go vegan!
Upcoming Events
Continuing our program of speaking up for animals in places where no-one expects to hear their voices, Eastern Shore Sanctuary cofounder Pattrice Jones will be speaking at two academic events this spring: the College English Association annual conference and the Agricultural History Society annual meeting. Research on social change concerning such issues as anti-racism and gay liberation has shown that university professors tend to be ahead of the curve and then help to create change by conveying progressive attitudes to their students. Those of us who are able to do so need to help that process along by bringing the voices of the animals into the academy however we can.
Sanctuary Update
We close out the year with our highest sanctuary population ever. Local "broiler" chickens, former egg and foie gras factory inmates, rehabilitated fighting cocks, and Katrina refugees all keep warm with the barn cats in the coops as we wait out the winter. Because the birds eat more and need more bedding to keep them warm, winter is the most expensive time of the year for us. Frozen hoses in the morning and cold winds pushing us back as we push wheelbarrows of straw make it a particularly cranky season too. Nonetheless, we always end the year grateful for the opportunity to do such useful work and for the supporters who make it possible for us. Truly, we couldn't do it without you!
Eastern Shore Sanctuary & Education Center
13981 Reading Ferry
Princess Anne, MD 21853 USA
410-651-4934
www.bravebirds.org
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