Middleboro Review and so on blogspot: BIG AG

Showing posts with label BIG AG. Show all posts

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Kill orders have been issued in Washington

More kill orders have been issued on wolves -- this time, two of the nine wolves in Washington’s Togo pack are the targets. The hunting lobby and Big Ag are taking advantage of weak endangered species laws to slaughter wolves with impunity. Take action now to protect wolves: Donate $15 to Friends of the Earth Action.

The Togo wolf pack lives in Central Washington and is composed of five adults and four wolf pups. This is the fifth time since 2018 that this wolf family has been in the crosshairs. Three years ago, sharpshooters killed the breeding male of the Togo pack, leaving behind his mate and her two pups. Shooters then attempted to eliminate the entire rest of the family in the fall of 2019. Kill orders were again issued for the family in 2020.

Wolves are social animals. Killing a single wolf has horrific impacts on their families as they lose their parents, pups, and valued packmates. And there being fewer wolves has tremendous consequences for our ecosystems.

Wolves are already struggling in Washington. As of the end of 2020, the state counted only 132 wolves with another 46 wolves estimated on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation land.

But it’s not just Washington. Wolves everywhere are under threat. This year alone, states including Montana and Idaho have passed laws legalizing brutal “hunting” methods from snares to helicopter chases. In May, Idaho called for the killing of 90% of its wolf population -- only 150 wolves would remain.

We know what happens when wolves aren’t protected -- when their lives are left up to the whims of Big Ag interests and the trophy hunting lobby. States like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have already loosened protections -- and in the last decade, more than 3,200 wolves have been killed. Currently, around 6,000 wolves remain, occupying less than 10% of their historic range.

Wolves are a cherished part of our natural heritage, an icon of wilderness, and an irreplaceable player in ensuring that our ecosystems are healthy and diverse.

Right now, bad actors from Big Ag to the trophy hunting lobby are ruthlessly targeting America’s most vulnerable wildlife. If we don’t fight back before it’s too late, fragile species will be driven to extinction, and America’s wild places will never be the same.

At Friends of the Earth Action, we’re fighting to protect endangered species, ecosystems, and public lands at every level. We’re pressuring local decision-makers in states like Washington, Oregon, and Wisconsin, to put a stop to these dangerous, cruel, virtually unrestricted wolf-hunts and unnecessary kill orders. And we are pushing the Biden administration to restore comprehensive protection for wolves before it’s too late.

We’re prepared to fight this fight at every level. For wolves. For endangered species. For all of us.

We have a narrow window to secure permanent, national protection for wolves and other vulnerable species. But we need your help.

Standing with you,
Raena Garcia,
Fossil fuels and lands campaigner,

Friends of the Earth Action

Monday, August 30, 2021

Animals suffering in factory farms

440 million tons of hog waste is being stored in open ponds or pits throughout the country. The toxic mix of waste and chemicals is polluting our air and water! Take action now.

The factory farm industry harms our environment and subjects farm animals to intolerably cruel conditions. Yet the federal government hands these factory farms billions of dollars each year for “conservation.”

There is another way. Small-scale farmers and many farmers of color have found ways to feed their communities with sustainable farming that is better for our health and the environment. But Congress is still putting Big Ag first. We can stop subsidizing Big Ag and its polluting factory farms, but we need you to use your voice.

Demand Congress stop supporting factory farms over small, sustainable farmers.

Factory farm corporations use extensive greenwashing campaigns to make their operations appear harmless. And Congress has largely been in their corner.

But Big Ag doesn’t want you to know the extent of suffering it causes animals or the damage it does to the climate in the name of profit.

Congress could invest in a sustainable farming structure that supports small-scale farmers, including farmers of color, instead of factory farms, but your representatives won’t act unless they hear from people like you.

Tell your Members of Congress: Stop supporting factory farms.

Factory farming harms people’s health. Big Ag operations are often located in low-wealth Black and Brown communities. These operations release methane, a potent climate warming gas, along with other pollution linked to health impacts including asthma, “blue baby” syndrome, and antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.

But Big Ag corporations spend millions lobbying each year to make sure they receive their subsidies at the expense of more sustainable farms and to keep Congress on the hook to support them.

We’re fighting back to push Congress to support small-scale farmers and farmers of color instead of Big Ag’s factory farms. Can we count on your help?

Demand Congress support small farmers, not factory farms.

Standing with you,
Jason Davidson,
Senior food and agriculture campaigner,
Friends of the Earth