Links for June 2010
Looking back over the month that was…
- Whaling remains controversial; while some talk compromise, others call for human rights for whales. Obama is accused of supporting whale slaughter. Australia heads to the ICJ, and New Zealand struggles to catch up. Still others criticise the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for, apparently, cutting New Zealander Peter Bethune loose, on trial in Japan. Is whaling in the balance?
- The Florida Gulf oil spill has put the brown pelican back on the brink of extinction.
- On Human-Nonhuman Relations continues to add new dimensions to the animal rights discourse, now stressing the importance of language.
- Great advances! Mankind has created the first…mathematical…model…of…cow…behaviour. Um.
- I couldn’t make it up: ‘Hippopotamus on menu at Beijing zoo‘.
- Crafar Farms is still making news (‘Mr Norman earlier said the top-level visit would add pressure from China to win approval for a bid to buy thousands of hectares of dairy farm land from the Crafar family.’). Nandor Tanzcos editorialises. Prime Minister John Key’s blind trust has invested in…the Dairy Investment Fund.
- The link between cruelty to animals and to humans receives more comment.
- Interesting links between veg(etari)anism and empathy.
- Worldwatch criticises food waste (such as omnivorous diets?).
- Another year, another animal law course, another article on the growth of AnimalLaw (via AnimalBlawg).
- Mike King reprises his attack on the NZ pork industry.
Bullfighting Ban Proposed in Spain
A 'noble art'
UPDATE: The ban was passed into law by the Parliament of Catalonia on the 28th of July 2010. The final vote was 68 for the ban, 55 against, with nine abstaining.
Bullfighting afficianados have been treated to some spectacularly gory action in 2010. In Spain, in a widely-publicised incident in May, bullfighter Julio Aparicio’s jaw and lower throat were pierced by a bull’s horn which emerged from his mouth. Only one month earlier, Spain’s most charismatic and popular bullfighter, José Tomás, suffered a severe goring in Mexico which required a transfusion of eight litres of blood. The human body normally contains five litres.
But despite the inherent risks, only fifty-two toreadors have died in the ring since 1700. Read more…
Return of the Links Digest
After a long absence, the links roundup is back from the grave. What can I say? Life’s been too busy, but now, fortified with six eight shots of espresso ['I could see colors that weren’t in the visible spectrum...'], I give you a summary of animal law and animal rights related links from the last few weeks.
- An orca killed someone again. The American Family Association blames them godless vegetarians. Vegan.com extracts the urine. The Telegraph is half insightful and half inane, and Change.org analyses the gibberish.
Chalk another death up to animal rights insanity and to the ongoing failure of the West to take counsel on practical matters from the Scripture.
- Orca kills man: Controversy. Man kills orca species: Who cares? Read more…
Dog Killers Set for Trial
The two men charged with the dog killings in Wellsford have now appeared in court. It was pretty much a standard appearance to enter a plea, and they won’t be back in court for a few more weeks, when a pre-commital hearing will take place. The surprising piece of information coming out from this appearance was that the two defendants have elected a trial by jury. Had anyone asked beforehand, I would have bet heavily that they would have gone for trial by judge alone. Seems to me that their only chance of success in this case is showing that the dogs didn’t suffer sufficiently during the killing spree, and were killed quickly. As hard as that sounds to believe, it would have a better chance of success before a judge, who would have a strong understanding of the prosecution’s burden of proof, and would be less likely to be swayed by the emotions of the situation. I struggle to believe a jury will care about technicalities in light of the number of dead dogs, the “massacre-like” nature of the killings, and the sheer craziness of it all.
The defence’s most likely strategy is to put the dog owner on trial, suggesting that he had too many dogs, that their own dog was killed by his, and that he consented to the killing and is the real person to blame. They may well be able to weaken his credibility as a witness, and perhaps sway a few jury members who worry about dangerous dogs. As I’ve indicated in prior posts, Mr. Hargreaves is no choir boy, and has a lot to answer for himself – but I still don’t see how attacking him buys an acquittal.
This case should be won or lost on the basis of the scientific evidence, and the SPCA’s ability to show that the dogs suffered. Regardless of the reasons for the killing, it was done in a manner that the SPCA should be able to show was detestable, and the owner’s actions will not be enough to legally absolve the defendants of responsibilty for what happened. Still, with a jury involved, it should be a rousing trial, and an interesting one to follow.
The Triumph of Team Vegan
Earlier this month Team Vegan had an impressive showing in the Oxfam Trailwalker. Our team of four walked 100km in 22 hours and 26 minutes – coming in 64th out of 265 teams. This photo shows our boundless elation at having finished such a mighty walking challenge. Not only did we give vegans everywhere a good name, we raised $3,320 for Oxfam New Zealand. Go Team Vegan!
The Trials of Moko the Dolphin: But not of anyone else
Over the Summer months, as well as writing a Masters thesis, I’ve been following the rather sad and brutal tale of Moko the bottlenose dophin.
He is but one in a long succession of “lone” dolphins who have actively sought the company of humans around coastal New Zealand. Two of the better-known since European settlement are Pelorus Jack (in the early 1900s) and Opo (1955-6). A common denominator in both of these stories is unprovoked human aggression toward intelligent animals who sought and enjoyed human company. A passenger on the Penguin took a shot at Pelorus Jack (follow the link for the tale of the sad fate of that ship) and there was strong suspicion that Opo was killed (whether deliberately or inadvertently) by an explosive charge set off in the water.
In the present day, scientists have pointed out in a recent study that of the 30 lone dolphins identified around the world in the last decade, 14 had already been injured or had died as a result of their interaction with humans. Read more…
Regular Transmission Will Resume Shortly
It’s been a quiet few weeks here at the Solution, but we have a few opinion pieces and articles in the pipeline. Where have we been?
- David and James have been frantically training, fundraising, and walking the Oxfam Trailwalker 2010. Last weekend, Team Vegan knocked off the 100km in 22 hours and 26 minutes – and, no, it’s not a relay. Team Vegan finished 64th out of 265 teams. Go Team Vegan!
- Vernon has been polishing off his thesis, coming up on the final weeks of his Master’s degree in law.
- Ed has been fighting the (mostly) good fight, buried in work at the Manukau District Court.
- Peter has spent six weeks back home in Canada.
Regular transmisson will resume shortly. In the meantime – or any time – if you’re interested in writing a guest column for the blog, email us at contribute@thesolution.org.nz.
Guest Post: Christian Vegetarianism: Misconceptions and Common Grounds
by James Morrison
James is a relatively recent graduate of the University of Auckland, who admits to an imprudent admiration of St Francis alongside a prodigious capacity for cognitive dissonance. He is currently researching the history of education law in New Zealand while contemplating matching words with deeds.
I am an amateur rather than a scholar of moral theology and the Bible, but I hope that by commenting on the relation of Christianity to veganism or vegetarianism, I can contribute to a more reasoned discussion of this topic than comes from some quarters whose enthusiasm can obscure accuracy.
The first point that I want to make has to do with ‘animal rights’ and ‘animal welfare’. Christianity does not support animal rights. It does support animal welfare. This may well disappoint the more hardcore vegans and vegetarians. Read more…
Animal Migration
by Susy Pryde
Doth the hawk fly by Thy wisdom and stretch her wings toward the south?
Book of Job (39:26)
With the Easter holidays approaching, chances are our family will join the ‘kiwi’ holiday migration for a bit of a lie around with a novel, aiming to accomplish nothing in particular for a few days. Technically it is not a necessary ritual though we do consider it a retreat to a more hospitable habitat.
But what if migrating at certain times of the year was necessary for our survival, as is the case in the animal kingdom? Imagine coordinating an epic journey over weeks or even months, crossing multiple borders or oceans in order to breed, find food, or escape seasonal changes. Read more…
Fur Is Dead! Well, not in New York
Fur is back in the news. The New York Times reports that ‘[f]or the first time in more than two decades, more designers are using fur than not.’ In New York alone, 2/3 of its fashion designers are using fur. The grisly facts of fur are well known and yet fur is staging a comeback. Why? In its report, the Times suggests that the increase in fur is due to an aggressive marketing campaign by fur producers:
Much like lobbying groups in Washington, various cooperatives representing breeders, farmers and auction houses around the world solicit designers to use their furs.
