Farmed Animal Watch
August 16, 2001                                                     (To Search This Page Press Ctrl F)
Issue #23

CONTENTS

1.  Possible Treatment For Mad Cow Disease
2.  Cloning Problems And Pursuits
3.  Water Wars
4.  Water Woes
5.  McDonald's Updates Ingredients List
6.  Milk: Does Every Body Good?
7.  Baltimore Sun Shines on Animal Advocates


1.  POSSIBLE TREATMENT FOR MAD COW DISEASE
A 20-year old victim of the human form of mad cow disease (vCJD) is said to
have made a "remarkable recovery"after treatment with 2 drugs. Quinacrine,
used to treat malaria, and chloropromazine, and anti-psychotic drug, have
been shown to stop the abnormal prions that cause mad cow disease in cattle
and vCJD in humans from spreading in mouse brain cells. The woman's
recovery may be the result of a misdiagnosis, or due to natural remissions
and relapses that characterize the condition. A second patient, afflicted
with a different type of CJD, failed to show improvement after treatment.
All 7 surviving victims of vCJD are to be treated with the drugs, but not
for several months until a trial design is decided. The disease incubates
from 3-40 years, but once symptoms occur death results in 6-12 months.

"Old drugs pull new tricks against vCJD," New Scientist, Clair Ainsworth,
August 14, 2001.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991153
"All British vCJD victims to try American 'cure,'" The Telegraph, Roger
Highfield, August 14, 2001.
http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/08/14/ncjd14.xml


2.  CLONING PROBLEMS AND PURSUITS
The National Academy of Sciences, which advises the government on science
and technology, held a workshop on human cloning last week. The lead
scientist who cloned Dolly, the sheep, warned against it due to "a great
range of abnormalities." Sheep, goats, pigs, cows, chickens and mice have
been cloned, many with disorders of the lungs, heart, immune systems,
bones, brain and kidneys. Abnormally large fetuses have also presented a
hazard to maternal health. Scientists expressed concern that behavioral and
emotional problems may also occur. Despite this, The National Institute of
Science and Technology has given 2 companies nearly $5 million to fund
chicken cloning research. Every year, billions of clones could be produced
who all grow uniformly. Animal welfare groups point out the cruelty of mass
producing fast-growing birds, as chickens are already commonly afflicted
with lameness and other disorders from excessive growth rates.

"Deaths, birth defects hover over cloning process," Toledo Blade, Michael
Woods, August 12, 2001.
http://www.toledoblade.com

http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=ANIMALCLONES-08-15-01&cat=A
"Cloned chickens on the menu," New Scientist, Andrea Graves, August 15, 2001.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991159


3.  WATER WARS
Throughout the nation -even in the Great Lakes region, which contains 20%
of the world's surface fresh water- water shortages are occurring and the
situation is expected to worsen. Global warming, sprawl, agricultural
demands and urban expansion all contribute to the problem, but the majority
of U.S. water is used by agriculture. About 60% of the nation's fresh water
comes from aquifers, underground sources. Many have long been depleted by
agriculture, and big rivers are also running low. With the majority of
farms being subsidized and failing to make money in a global market,
experts anticipate that agriculture will need to give up water to let it
meet urban needs. One expert sees the real water battle being between
agriculture and the environment.

Despite recent run-ins with the government over grazing rights, water use
and other environmental issues, western ranchers have launched their most
aggressive lobbying effort. They are looking for money to help pay the
costs of complying with the EPA's new water quality standards. A
spokesperson for the $35 billion beef industry said, "In order to provide
the public with the benefits they are asking for, we're asking for their
help to be able to do that." The ranchers are vying with others for the $16
billion allotted for conservation efforts over the 10-year span of the
pending farm bill. The USDA has promised to work with agribusiness and
possibly rewrite the regulations. Politicians continue to give agribusiness
interests increased consideration while drafting the farm bill.

The Bush administration, governors and members of Congress have joined
farmers in  pushing for a rewrite of a federal rule calling for the cleanup
of thousands of polluted waters. The rule requires states to develop plans
and begin cleanup and restoration efforts to attack non-point (i.e., not
traceable to a single source) pollution in 8-13 years. State officials
argue that they don't have the expertise or billions of dollars required to
comply. The EPA has requested 18 months to review the rule.

"Near Vast Bodies of Water, Land Lies Parched," The New York Times, Timothy
Egan, August 12, 2001.
http://www.nytimes.com
"Ranchers Lobby for Farm Bill Share," Associated Press, Christopher Thorne,
August 9, 2001.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010809/pl/farm_bill_ranchers_1.html
"Clean Water," Lean Trimmings (The Wall Street Journal), Jeremy Russell,
July 30, 2001.
http://www.nmaonline.org/files/lt7.30.01.htm


4.  WATER WOES
Premium Standard Farms (PSF), one of the country's largest pig companies,
has been cited with violations after spilling waste into Missouri streams 7
times in the last month. In 1999, the company promised to invest $25
million in new technology to address its  pollution problems in the state.
It is now looking into producing fuel oil from pig wastes. PSF has
thousands of pigs and hundreds of waste lagoons in Missouri, and many more
in Texas and N.C.

In North Carolina, a former top government water regulator of the state's
pig industry has become a lobbyist and environmental advisor for the N.C.
Pork Council. The head of the N.C. Sierra Club said the trend of regulators
going to work for industries they once oversaw is troubling

"Premium Standard Farms Cited for Waste Spills," Daily News, The Meating
Place, Joshua Lipsky, August 14, 2001.
http://www.mtgplace.com/meatingplace/DailyNews/News.asp?ID=7903
"Former watchdog joins Pork Council," The Charlotte Observer, August 7, 2001.
http://www.charlotte.com


5.  MCDONALD'S UPDATES INGREDIENTS LIST
McDonald's announced it will update its description of ingredients used in
its products, letting consumers know its french fries are flavored with
beef. The company's web site states that the ingredients for its fries
include "natural flavors (contains beef)." Harish Bharti, the lawyer who
filed claim against McDonald's, said the listing is "a victory for
consumers." He considers it a first step but is still pursuing the lawsuit
he filed in May. Mr. Bharti seeks class-action status for the suit,
representing 16 million people nationwide including 1 million Hindu
vegetarians who, for religious reasons, don't eat meat. He believes
McDonald's is only listing the ingredients due to the pressure of the
lawsuit. He hopes other restaurants will do the same.

"McDonald's opens up about 'natural flavors' in fries," The Seattle Times,
Frank Vinluan, August 14, 2001.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134329321_grease14m0.html
http://hbharti.com


6. MILK: DOES EVERY BODY GOOD?
Cow's milk is ideal for growing calves, but is it healthy for humans? The
dairy industry has long espoused the benefits of drinking it, claiming it
is essential to human health. A growing body of research disputes this.
Bovine growth factors, some proteins, fats and contaminants in cow's milk
can be problematic to human consumers. Links have been found between milk
consumption and such disorders as prostate and ovarian cancer, allergies
and intolerances, diabetes, heart disease, cataracts, infertility and
colic. Industry points to a Scottish study on longevity as validation of
its claims. Milk critics point to other studies for validation, including a
Harvard University study which found that drinking milk did not protect
people from osteoporosis.

"Is the white stuff the right stuff?" The Independent, Roger Dobson, August
8, 2001.
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=87723


7.  BALTIMORE SUN SHINES ON ANIMAL ADVOCATES
Kim Stallwood, long-time animal activist and editor of The Animals' Agenda,
and Pattrice Jones, founder of the Eastern Shore Chicken Sanctuary, were
profiled by the Baltimore Sun. Stallwood hopes to establish an institute to
commission research and recommend policies regarding animals. The institute
would report on such issues as the real cost of meat, including corporate
welfare, tax subsidies, labor and environmental costs. Jones brings both
her "feisty political skills and maternal instincts to the cause of the
hapless birds. While always ready to discuss the fine points of
'agricultural colonialism'....Jones takes great satisfaction in the rescue
of a single chicken."

"An advocate for all creatures," The Baltimore Sun, Linell Smith, July 29,
2001.
http://www.sunspot.net/features/arts/bal-as.stallwood29.story
"A Bird in the Hand," The Baltimore Sun, Stephanie Shapiro, August 13, 2001.
http://www.sunspot.net/features/bal-to.chicken13aug13.story?coll=bal%2Dfeatu