Feature Archives

The California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act would prohibit some of the most egregious practices in factory farming such as packing egg-laying hens into wire "battery cages" and confining pregnant pigs and baby calves in crates so small that the animals cannot even turn around. Volunteers are currently working to collect 650,000 signatures by the end of February to place the measure on the ballot in the November 2008 general election.

On Friday, November 24th, ("Fur-Free Friday") approximately 10 individuals protested the selling of fur at J. Malnick's at 1901 Broadway in Oakland. Protesters educated passers-by about the horrors of the fur industry, including how animals are commonly killed using cruel methods including poisoning, gassing and anal electrocution and how cat and dog fur is often mislabeled as coming from another animal. Further demonstrations have been regularly scheduled.

On December 14th, Rod Coronado entered a guilty plea in federal court in San Diego to one count of distribution of information related to the assembly of explosives and weapons of mass destruction. This was the charge that Rod had fought for almost two years and for which he faced approximately five to ten years in prison if found guilty at trial. Rod stated in an open letter that “hopefully this plea agreement will once and for all grant me closure in a well-known campaign of repression against me for my past involvement, association and support for covert campaigns against environmental destroyers and animal abusers..."

In early December, members of the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) in Montana met with Yellowstone National Park administrators and also attended the Interagency Bison Management Plan open house. At both meetings the news from the agencies wasn't good. BFC was told that it will likely be a very bad winter for the buffalo.

Thousands of fish are stranded on Prospect Island, located on the northern section of Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, due to the draining of the island by a contractor hired by the Bureau of Reclamation. As of November 21st, striped bass make up the vast majority of the fish seen stranded on the island. Endangered and threatened species, including Delta smelt, salmon and steelhead, are expected to perish soon unless a fish rescue is conducted.

Early in the morning of Wednesday, November 7th, activists opposed to UC Santa Cruz's Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) launched a tree-sit in redwoods near Science Hill. UCSC plans to develop the occupied site into a new Biomedical Sciences Facility. The facility would be the first project under the University's plan to develop 120 acres of forest in order to accommodate 4,500 new students.

On September 19th, after more than two full days of deliberation, a 12-person jury informed Judge Jeffrey Miller they were hopelessly deadlocked and determined that further deliberation would not deliver unanimity. Outside the courtroom, attorneys were informed that the majority was voting for acquittal of the environmental and animal rights activist on trial for a speech he gave in San Diego in 2003.