Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Apr 08, 2009
70 six-week old chicks moved into a new sustainably built home, courtesy of some faculty, staff, and students of Vermont's Green Mountain College. The 130 square foot digs was constructed almost entirely from local materials at a cost of about $2,000.
"The lumber comes from white pine that was milled in town and the foundation and floor is made of slate supplied by a local quarry," said Lucas Brown, assistant professor of environmental studies at GMC. The only non-local building materials used are the roofing fasteners and the hardware.
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Mar 17, 2009
Text of the press release from the office of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter regarding introduction of legislation that would limit the use of antibiotics in livestock:
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY), Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee and a microbiologist with a Masters degree in Public Health, today introduced the "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act" (PAMTA) in the House of Representatives. This critical legislation is designed to ensure that we preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for the treatment of human diseases.
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Mar 16, 2009
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D, NY) was set to reintroduce the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009 (PAMTA) to congress today. The bill will seek the withdrawal of antibiotics important to human health from use on factory farms unless animals are sick. Medical experts agree that the misuse of antibiotics in industrial farming directly contributes to a dramatic rise in antibiotic-resistant infections in people.
According to estimates by the Union of Concerned Scientists, 50 million pounds of antibiotics - nearly 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. - have been used in food animals for purposes other than treating disease since PAMTA was last introduced two years ago. Antibiotics are commonly fed to entire flocks or herds in their daily feed or water to compensate for overcrowded, often unsanitary conditions and to promote weight gain, giving rise to new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At the same time, few new antibiotics are entering the market to take the place of ineffective ones. The Food and Drug Administration last approved a new antibiotic for humans in 2003.
I haven't been able to locate a bill number yet, and will post an update once it is on the "govtrack" site.
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Feb 04, 2009
This public service announcement was produced by an organization called "Let's Act Now". The goal of the clip is to raise awareness of the incredible amount of energy that is used in the process of growing meat. And yes, the massive volume of greenhouse gases that are emitted by the livestock themselves! According to a recent report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, animal farming produces more greenhouse gases than all global transportation combined.
I just can't give up my occasional burger or steak, but I've reduced my consumption for health, budgetary, and ecological purposes. So while I'm not fully on board with the meatless diet that Let's Act Now advocates, their PSA is effective, provocative, and worth sharing.
