Conscious Choice: An Animated Attack on Veal

July 2004 | Choice News

An Animated Attack on Veal

FOUR WISE guys sit around a table at a restaurant. One orders veal scaloppini. The others react in shocking disbelief and launch into a lament about how veal is produced: calves are crammed into crates, chained by their necks, fed poorly and pumped with drugs, all to “have that soft pale slab of breaded meat on [his] plate.”

“Veal Fughedaboutit” is by Free Range Graphics, which strives to create messages that go “beyond turning the world into a strip mall.” The Washington D.C.-based production company works with groups such as the Sierra Club, Students for a Free Tibet, the Discovery Channel, Friends of the Earth, Planned Parenthood and Greenpeace.

It teamed up with Farm Sanctuary to create the two-minute animated flash film for the animal welfare activist group’s No Veal Campaign.

The most challenging and rewarding part of this and other campaigns is spreading the word about worthwhile causes, versus taking on commercial accounts, says Free Range Graphics’ co-founder Jonah Sachs: “In a world where idealism is squashed, here it’s our greatest asset.”

To view “Veal Fughedaboutit,” go to www.factoryfarming.com. Visit www.freerangegraphics.com to view other flash films.

— Elena Velkov

Victory for Greenpeace

A TRIUMPH for Greenpeace in the 11th District Court signals a critical victory for activists and free speech proponents nationwide.

The environmental watchdog group faced serious federal charges, including conspiracy, over a 2002 incident in which two of its members boarded a ship in the port of Miami that allegedly carried illegal mahogany from the Amazon, according to Greenpeace lawyers (see “Pirates versus Patriots,” April 2004). The activists, who planned to raise a banner that read, “President Bush, Stop Illegal Logging,” expected arrests and fines — and got them.

But what no one expected was for the U.S. Attorney General’s Office to fire back with a lawsuit that, if held up in court, could have cost Greenpeace its tax-exempt status and exposed the organization to further federal investigations.

The lawsuit hinged on a law last used 113 years ago prohibiting “sailor mongering.” The law was intended to keep ne’er-do-wells from boarding ships with alcohol and prostitutes in an effort to get the land-starved sailors to squander their wages. The extraordinary effort by the attorney general’s office to levy this law against Greenpeace was one of many alarming aspects of the case. Critics saw it as an aggressive political act by the Bush administration to punish and silence dissent.

On May 20, a federal judge agreed and dismissed the charges against Greenpeace. “This is a great day for our Constitution,” says People for the American Way Foundation President Ralph G. Neas. “By throwing out a case intended to intimidate dissenters and attack those who disagree with the government’s viewpoint, the rights of all Americans to speak freely have been reaffirmed.”

— Mandy Burrell

Monsanto Bags GM Wheat

SINCE 1997, Monsanto Co., the largest seller of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the United States, has poured time and money into field-testing a specially developed crop, Roundup Ready Wheat. The patented wheat allows crops to withstand the herbicide, Roundup, even as the weeds die from the harsh chemicals.

However, in early May, Monsanto announced that it will no longer try to market the GM wheat.

This was a small victory for those who worried that resistant wheat would lead to increased use of herbicides. This was a particular concern because wheat is produced primarily for human consumption.

Many farmers also are relieved, as they worried that European countries would not buy the wheat. Nearly half of American wheat is exported, and European markets have denied the import and cultivation of Monsanto’s GM wheat for the last six years. “Virtually every major wheat user in the world had already rejected this product before it even was allowed on the market,” says Juan Lopez of Friends of the Earth International. “This must be one of the most rejected products ever developed.”

Indeed, in North Dakota, nervous farmers called for federal regulations and moratoriums on the crops (see May 2004, Choice News, “The Next Frankenfood?”) The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting the planting of GM wheat in the state, but the measure couldn’t garner enough votes in the state senate to become law.

Several attempts to contact Monsanto were unsuccessful. But the company seems to have gotten the point. In a public statement, Monsanto said that it now plans to direct its energies toward crops that have already been successfully modified — soybeans, corn, cotton and oilseeds.

Visit www.organicconsumers.org for more information about GM foods.

— EV

Now It’s Frankengrass?!

AT THE same time Monsanto dropped GM wheat, the company is field- testing another product it hopes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will approve. Monsanto and lawn care company Scotts are pairing up to bring Roundup Ready Creeping Bentgrass to some of the United States’ 17,000 golf courses. Like the specialized wheat, the Scotts grass can withstand Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, and live even when doused with the weed killer.

Golf club owners see this as a convenience, saving them time and money on grass maintenance. However environmentalists take issue with Roundup Ready grass because of its ability to hybridize with more than 12 other kinds of wild grass. Many fear that if it reaches neighboring lawns, the Creeping Bentgrass would develop resistant weeds and overtake native species.

For the companies to market it, the GM grass first must be approved by the USDA; the USDA reports its status as pending.

Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Organic Consumers Association, calls this project an “idiotic scheme” because of the grass’ ability to spread. He doubts that the USDA will approve it before the elections. “They’ll have one heck of a battle on their hands,” he says. “I’ll be surprised if they approve this any time soon.”

— EV

Losing the Blue in Blue Bag

CHICAGO IS trying a different approach to recycling with the residents of the North Side’s 47th Ward. The pilot program allows people to lose the Blue Bags and instead slap a sticker on a regular bag, essentially turning any bag into a Blue Bag. The city will distribute stickers, fliers and plastic bags to the 10,000 households in the 47th Ward. Thereafter, program participants must obtain the stickers from their alderman’s office.

The pilot program will try to determine what happens when the city makes it easier to recycle. “This program is geared toward people in the ward who aren’t going to take an extra step for the environment,” says Matt Smith of the Department of Streets and Sanitation. “We want to take out any obstacles or excuses people may have for not recycling. This is a program we think could pull a lot of people into the mix.”

Recycling activists, however, say the city is simply putting a Band-Aid on a bad program. The Chicago Recycling Coalition (CRC), a local watchdog group, points out that most residents have never visited their alderman’s office or even know where it is located, so it’s unlikely that they’re going to pick up stickers there.

The nation’s best recycling initiatives include separate pickups for general waste and recyclables, according to CRC (www.chicagorecycling.org). It wants the city to purchase recycling trucks, since it believes many residents don’t trust a program that collects trash with recyclables.

For more information on the city’s pilot program, visit www.ward47.com.

— Moira Elizabeth Bartel

These Boots Were Made for Vegans

EVEN DYED-in-the-cotton vegans will tell you that stylish, durable, leather-free shoes are about as tough to come by as cheap gas these days.

It’s a dilemma that the Earth Shoes company hopes to solve with its new vegan collection — shoes and boots that look like leather but are certified cruelty-free by the Vegan Society.

Customer demand spurred the vegan line, and response has so far exceeded expectations, according to Earth Shoes. Like the company’s leather line, the vegan shoes come in a range of styles and colors and feature the yoga-inspired “Negative Heel Technology,” a design that positions the heel below the toes to encourage natural body alignment.

Check out www.earthfootwear.com for Earth Shoes’ vegan-friendly shoes.

— MB

Return of the Swamp Things

A LANDSCAPE ravaged by industrial development and neglected for more than 30 years is set to become the heart of a multi-faceted habitat renewal project on Chicago’s South Side. Once occupied by steel mills and factories, 4,800 acres of land will be transformed into a new environmental center by Lake Calumet.

The marsh and wetlands that surround the new center, an area ecologically devastated by industrial development, will be restored to support the nearly 800 species of plant life and 200 species of birds that eke out an existence in the region.

The development — called the Ford Calumet Environmental Center — also will serve as an educational resource center and a site for both research and volunteer opportunities.

Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects, handpicked for the job by a jury of architectural and green building experts, will design the new sustainable facility. Studio Gang’s “Best Nest” design, receiving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status, will reuse slag from old steel mills to create structural columns. It also will implement a nest-like facade on the all-glass structure to prevent birds from colliding with the building.

“The new environmental center is a great statement to say this area of the city matters,” says Doug Chien of the Sierra Club’s Illinois Chapter.

— MEB

Another Title for Prez Bush?

DO YOU know what a “pollutocrat” is, boys and girls?

Chances are you don’t, but don’t worry. Until a little more than a year ago, “pollutocrat” wasn’t even a word. Then in April 2003, Texan Alice Veley took up Seattle-based Grist Magazine’s challenge to its readers to invent a new word that captured “the essence of the anti-environmentalist.” The contest — officially titled in cheeky Grist-fashion, as the “Cheer Us Up the Weather is Godawful and We’re at War Contest” — offered no prize other than the dissemination of the word that won the most votes.

“Pollutocrat” is a clever hybrid of “plutocracy” (which means “government by the wealthy”) and “pollute.” It handily beat out 350 other entries. Yet 14 months later, based on a Google-search and word on the street, Grist admits that “pollutocrat” has yet to become a “permanent part of our lexicon.”

So Grist has launched another reader contest, this time challenging folks to infiltrate the media with the newly-coined “pollutocrat.” Contestants’ specific task is to send a letter to a publication that addresses any environmental issue and seamlessly weaves “pollutocrat” into the narrative. The person who has proof of the most published letters wins.

The contest is ongoing through July 22. Visit www.gristmagazine.com for the rules.

— MB

Bank of America: Ultra Eco-Friendly

LET’S HEAR it for Bank of America (BofA), which has moved from one of Wall Street’s 10 most environmentally destructive mega-banks to become a progressive pacesetter.

This comes following Rainforest Action Network’s (RAN) campaign that last January targeted the 10 mega-banks and investment firms that it said had the most abusive to the Earth investment policies. It challenged them to meet or beat the best environmental practices of Citigroup, the world’s largest financial institution. Citigroup has embraced a landmark set of green initiatives in response to RAN’s four-year direct action campaign against them (see June 2004, Choice News, “Citigroup Antes Up.”)

The campaign aims to stop financing of deforestation and resource extraction (mining, oil, gas and logging) from rainforests and other endangered eco-systems. It also calls on multi-national lenders to shift investment to clean energy and sustainable development.

Only two (SunTrust and John Hancock) of the original ten “worst” ignored RAN. Goldman Sachs declared that RAN’s demands would “impede real thinking” around environmental and social issues, but the other seven responded positively.

Bank of America stepped forward with a set of targets and timelines that address climate change. These include reductions in the overall greenhouse gas emissions from their sizeable client energy/utilities portfolios and a pledge to transparent public reporting to all stakeholders. It also ended investing in areas that have outstanding land claims with indigenous peoples or in companies that practice resource extraction from old-growth tropical rain forests, temperate or boreal forests operations.

To get involved, visit www.ran.org.

— Carl Nagin

When Your Pet Outlives You ...

JUST BECAUSE it’s your time to go doesn’t mean that your pet needs to head off into the great unknown with you. Yet every year nearly half a million pets are euthanized at shelters or vets’ offices when their owners die without leaving plans for their animals’ care. These pet owners likely would be rolling over in their graves if they knew their animals’ fates, says longtime animal welfare volunteer Amy Shever, of California.

That’s why she founded PetGuardian, a program that charges folks a flat fee to set up a “pet trust.” For $500 — hundreds less than lawyers charge for similar services — Shever and company provide a comprehensive pet trust document that designates a caregiver for the pet; a cost analysis to determine the amount of money to set aside for the pet’s care; a list of complete pet care instructions; and wallet-sized ID cards that indicate what to do with pets in case of an emergency.

Shever also devised a backup plan in case the named caregiver cannot care for the pet. With the help of Best Friends Animal Society, the nation’s largest animal sanctuary, Shever will find a “backup caregiver” in a good home.

A portion of PetGuardian revenues support pet welfare organizations. Visit www.petguardian.com for more information.

— AB

Wolves Gone Wild

IT’S NOT easy living the life of a bachelor on the prowl — especially if you’re a Mexican gray wolf. So zookeepers at Brookfield Zoo have teamed up with the national Species Survival Program to help five brothers go wild.

The zoo’s new wolf exhibit, opened to the public June 18, features 2.1 wooded acres that include a cascading stream and natural wetlands.

In the first phase of recovery, zookeepers hope to study and breed the animals with others in the national Species Survival Program.

The program is designed to eventually release some wolves into the wild, and may help placate critics who object to keeping the canines in captivity. “Mexican gray wolves would be extinct if they did not have captive environments like zoos to facilitate breeding and reintroduction,” says Jennifer Hunt, Brookfield’s lead zookeeper.

Since the animals will be allowed to hunt their own food, form packs and raise pups, Hunt says they will be discouraged from forming bonds with humans and may have an easier time making the transition to their new wilder lifestyle.

For more information about the Mexican gray wolf exhibit, visit www.BrookfieldZoo.org.

— MEB

Organic Feedback

ORGANIC FOODS activists were appalled in May when the staff of the National Organic Program (NOP) set forth sweeping guidelines that actually lowered organic standards. Critics also denounced the staff of the program for creating new guidelines without consulting its own advisory board, an illegal move according to federal law that requires the program to take public input on new policies (see Choice News, June 2004, “Organics Under Assault”).

A nationwide outcry from the organic community didn’t fall on deaf ears: On May 26, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman pulled back the NOP’s controversial guidelines.

“By rescinding recent NOP ‘clarifications’ and directing the agency to work with [its advisory board] and the organic industry, Secretary Veneman has taken a gigantic step toward re-establishing the public-private trust that went into developing U.S. national organic standards in the first place,” said Katherine DiMatteo, Organic Trade Association’s executive director.

— MB

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