Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Contrary to Reports, the ALF Did Not Kill 40 Birds in Italy

A syndicated news story made its way into multiple English papers earlier this week claiming that arsonists with the Animal Liberation Front inadvertently killed dozens of birds in an attack on a zoo in Italy. Now the New York Times has reported that this may not be the case:

“A recent such protest in Italy turned nasty: so-called ecoterrorists attacked a bird sanctuary about 20 miles from Turin this week with Molotov cocktails, burning down structures and setting dozens of birds free.”

This sentence, buried in a somewhat-related story in today’s paper, directly contradicts the other report’s claim that activists burned down an aviary with 40 birds inside. Even more odd, however, is this report from an Italian paper that while claiming that 40 birds died, also includes two dozen photos of the damage — without a single photo of a dead bird.

Read the rest of this entry »

Coen Brothers Debut Hilarious New Ad for the Reality Coalition

Get Adobe Flash player

Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen have debuted a brand new TV spot for The Reality Coalition — just in time for Power Shift and Climate Action.

Lawsuit: Should Farmers Be Allowed to Define Animal Cruelty?

Animal rights activists have filed suit against Washington’s King County to dispute a state-wide law that essentially allows farmers to decide what treatment is humane and what is not.

In a press release, the Northwest Animal Rights Network declared that “Foxes should not be guarding the henhouse” and argued that the law is against the state constitution. The suit focuses on a handful of clauses in a Prevention of Cruelty to Animals law from 1994 that the group believes are particularly vague.

Read the rest of this entry »

FBI Arrests Four Animal Rights Activists, Claims “Terrorism”

Federal authorities have arrested four animal rights activists suspected in anti-vivisection actions in Santa Cruz and Alameda counties, a federal terrorism task force reported Friday.

The Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI arrested four animal rights activists as “terrorists.” Details of the arrests and the charges are still coming, but this is the most sweeping expansion of the War on Terrorism and the “Green Scare” to date. Read the rest of this entry »

Iceland’s New Government to Keep Increase in Whaling Quota

Contrary to previous reports, Iceland’s new government announced that they will keep the controversial increased whaling quota that the outgoing Fisheries Minister enacted last month, just one day before leaving office.

Steingrimur J Sigfusson, Iceland’s new Fisheries Minister, said that the country will keep the whaling quota, but added that whalers should not expect the quota to extend five years, as was originally planned. The quota increase has been criticized by environmental groups because it allows the killing of 150 endangered fin whales.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do You Know What’s in Your Detergent? Activists Sue to Find Out

Environmental groups will sue Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and two other chemical cleaner manufacturers later today to demand that they release the ingredients to their products.

Attorneys from EarthJustice will file the suit on behalf the Sierra Club and American Lung Association and four other groups. The lawsuit will be filed in New York to take advantage of a seldom-used 1976 law against using phosphates in soaps.

Read the rest of this entry »

UPS Refuses Special Handing for Old Lobster’s Trek Back to Sea

The 120-year-old lobster was out the door and heading towards freedom, but then an obstinate UPS driver wouldn’t agree to give the lobster’s box careful handling on its way back to the Atlantic.

Craig the 20-pound lobster made headlines after PETA asked Brooklyn restaurant owner Gina Ng to allow the animal to be released back into the wild. But yesterday, when PETA volunteers and a UPS driver arrived to take Craig away, the plan fell apart.

Read the rest of this entry »

Crocodile Eats 5-Year-Old Boy, Parents Want the Animal Spared

The parents of a 5-year-old Australian boy who was eaten by a 14-foot-long crocodile have asked authorities not to euthanize the animal, presumably recognizing that the crocodile was merely protecting its river home from an intruder.

The parents run a crocodile sight-seeing business, so it seems that they must understand that the animal is not vicious or sick. The animal will be sent to a zoo or park, but unfortunately will not be released back into the wild.

Read the rest of this entry »

Groups Ask eBay to Ban Auctions of Guided Trophy Hunts

The Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Big Wildlife, and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance have asked eBay to stop the sale of guided trophy hunts for top predators like bears, wolves, cougars, and wolverines.

While most guided hunts currently listed on eBay are for animals like deer, elk, and geese, some auctions for predators are available, including a hunt for Alaskan brown bears with a going price of $5,100 with four days to go.

Read the rest of this entry »

Greenpeace Coats 22-Story Hotel with 45 Acres of Green Tarps

Sixty Greenpeace activists in Spain covered the controversial Hotel Algarrobico with 190,000 square-feet of green fabric in an attempt to “rub out” the partially-built structure.

Greenpeace has won multiple court victories against the developer of the hotel, leaving it unofficially condemned since 2006. It was originally targeted because of its protected location along the Almerian coast in the Cabo de Gata Nature Park, but has now become a symbol against urbanization in Spain.

Read the rest of this entry »