IDA - Bay Area Events

IDA EVENTS
1. IDA's Chinese Fur Industry Protest in SF

OTHER BAY AREA EVENTS TO HELP ANIMALS
1. Compassionate Cooks' January Cooking Class
2. Volunteer to Help Animals on MLK Day
3. Mega-dairies Threaten Museum of African-American Heritage
4. First Vigil for Animals at UCSF of 2007
5. Dr. Neal Barnard Talk in SF
6. California Fish & Game Commission Proposals Regarding Animals

IDA EVENTS

1. IDA's Chinese Fur Industry Protest in SF

Over half of the world's fur today is produced by China, a
country with no animal welfare laws where millions of dogs and
cats are also killed for fur every year. Undercover video
investigations have shown Chinese fur farm workers skinning
animals alive without concern for their pain, leaving them to
slow and agonizing deaths. Though illegal in the U.S., dog and
cat fur still winds up on store shelves through a loophole which
exempts manufacturers and retailers from having to label fur
garments under $150 with information about the species of
animal or country of origin.

IDA is one of the many organizations around the world fighting
to stop this ongoing atrocity, and proudly joins the
International Anti-Fur Coalition in the annual global day of
action against the Chinese fur industry taking place on Tuesday,
February 13th. IDA is coordinating demonstrations at Chinese
Consulates and Embassies in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New
York. Other participating groups will hold protests in Spain,
Portugal, Brazil, Ireland, Israel, Estonia, France, Turkey,
Thailand and Belgium.

What You Can Do:

Please stand up for the cats, dogs and other animals suffering
on Chinese fur farms by joining IDA at our upcoming San
Francisco protest.

What: San Francisco protest against the Chinese fur industry
When: Tuesday, February 13th, starting at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in
San Francisco, 1450 Laguna Street (at the corner of Geary &
Laguna) ( http://tinyurl.com/ykae6y )

Whether you can attend a protest or not, please write or call
the Chinese Embassy or Consulate and urge them to promote the
creation of meaningful animal welfare laws in their country. Let
them know you will boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics if
emergency action is not taken immediately to stop the
institutionalized torture of innocent animals for fur. Remember
to be polite and respectful in your communications: the
intention is not to harass diplomatic staff but to educate them
about the monstrosities being committed in their country and
ignored by their government.

Consulate General of the People's Republic of China
1450 Laguna Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Tel: (415) 674-2949

OTHER BAY AREA EVENTS TO HELP ANIMALS

1. Compassionate Cooks' January Cooking Class: "Healthful
Resolutions"

Join IDA-sponsored Compassionate Cooks
( http://www.compassionatecooks.com ) at their next cooking class,
"Healthful Resolutions," and learn to make five delicious,
nutritious dishes, including Homemade Hummus Wraps with Roasted
Red Peppers, Creamy Potato Leek Soup, Pasta Primavera with
Seasonal Veggies, Fast & Fabulous Fajitas and German Apple Cake.
The class will also include a test taste of various types of
rice, such as Brown Basmati, Wehani, Forbidden and more.

Using local, in-season, mostly organic ingredients,
Compassionate Cooks features easy-to-prepare recipes and debunks
myths about plant-based diets. Join the class in January for
yummy food samples and a lot of fun!

What: Compassionate Cooks' January Cooking Class: "A Healthful
Holiday Feast"
When: Saturday, January 13th, 2007, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Where: The First Unitarian Church of Oakland
( http://uuoakland.org/directions.htm ), 685 14th Street (at
Castro), Oakland

The cost of the class is $50, plus $5 food/materials fee due
on the day of class. Fees cover demonstration, food samples,
copies of recipes, coupons for restaurants and local groceries,
resources and much more. Be sure to register in advance by
Friday, January 12th either online
( http://www.compassionatecooks.com/reg.htm ) or by calling (510)
531-COOK. You can also sign up for a cooking series. Check out
class packages ( http://www.compassionatecooks.com/deals.htm ).

2. Volunteer to Help Animals on MLK Day

During his lifetime, the great humanitarian and civil rights
leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. established an extraordinary
legacy of peacefully pursuing freedom and equality for everyone,
regardless of race or ethnicity. The foundation of his life's
work was the twin pillars of non-violence and selfless service
to others. As a leader of the people, he promoted the creation
of mutually-supporting communities that could work together
across a broad range of social justice issues to bring about
progressive change.

To honor this great American hero, Congress passed the King
Holiday and Service Act in 1994, officially designating January
15th as a national day of volunteer service. Every year,
millions of people across the country celebrate and commemorate
MLK's shining example by taking action with others to address
social problems of all kinds. Of the King Day of Service
( http://www.mlkday.org ), Dr. King's wife, Coretta Scott King, said "The
greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of
all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated this holiday by
performing individual acts of kindness through service to
others."

Had Dr. King not been assassinated in 1968, he probably would
have followed the compassionate example of Coretta and their
oldest son Dexter, who both became vegan for ethical reasons.
Dexter, a minister like his father, has been a vegan since 1988,
and has called animal rights a "logical extension" of his
father's commitment to non-violence. Coretta, who died in
January 2006, said that her conversion to veganism in 1995 was
"a blessing." Both saw animals as deserving of respect and
liberty and made these values an integral part of their daily
lives.

Animal advocates can help carry on and extend Dr. King's values
by doing something to help animals on January 15th. Just as
Dexter and Coretta Scott King clearly recognized that human and
animal rights are interconnected, Dr. King would have agreed
that brutally exploiting other species is just as wrong as
holding a class of people down because of the color of their
skin. As he so eloquently said in a watershed 1963 speech that
continues to echo in the souls of caring people more than four
decades later, "I have a dream that one day...the sons of former
slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit
down together at a table of brotherhood." Were he alive today,
Dr. King might add to his dream the hope that one day the human
race will end its enslavement of animals for food, clothing,
entertainment and experimentation so that all sentient beings
can be free to live in peace and harmony.

What You Can Do:

1) The King Day of Service is a wonderful opportunity to help
make Dr. King's visionary dream a reality by showing others that
respecting animals is a vital expression of the non-violent
philosophy MLK stood for. Therefore, please take "A day ON, not
a day OFF" on Monday, January 15th by volunteering to do
something to help animals. Here are some ideas for activities:
- Bring vegan meals to homebound neighbors or to volunteers who
are taking part in King Day of Service activities. Find a list
of events scheduled for your area
( http://my.mlkday.gov/public/indexSearch.aspx ).
- Table or leaflet at a King Day of Service event or at a health
fair, or even on a busy street corner in your area.
- Ask your local humane society or animal shelter what you can
do to help them on January 15th and throughout the year.

2) If you volunteer or work for an animal protection
organization, register to sponsor and organize a single service
project or a series of projects to help animals on the King Day
of Service
( https://my.mlkday.gov/public/CreateUserAccount.aspx ).

3. Mega-dairies Threaten Museum of African American Heritage

In 1908, inspired by Booker T. Washington's philosophy of
African American self-reliance, a former slave named Colonel
Allen Allensworth founded a town in California's San Joaquin
Valley where African American people could live and work free of
prejudice and discrimination. Allensworth was the first and only
town of its kind in California, and at its peak was home to more
than 300 families. About three decades ago, the state spent
millions of dollars to restore and reproduce 23 buildings and
made Allensworth a 240-acre state park that preserves what is
perhaps the most important piece of African American history
west of the Mississippi, drawing approximately 70,000 visitors
every year.

Today that legacy is threatened by land developers who want to
build two huge dairy farms of 320 acres with about 9,000 cows
right across the highway. If they succeed, the park's supporters
fear that the tons of manure, swarms of flies, dust and acrid
stench produced by the neighboring operation will drive visitors
away from this important historical site. Locals and lawyers
from the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment
( http://www.crpe-ej.org ) have also expressed concerns about groundwater
contamination and the very real health hazards a stockyard would
pose to children with allergies and asthma.

Cows on dairy farms also suffer greatly
( http://www.idausa.org/vegandays/faq.html#q4 ), and are slaughtered for
hamburger meat when their milk production declines. It is also
especially offensive that this unique monument to African
American heritage could be sullied by neighboring dairies when
70% of African Americans are lactose intolerant
( http://www.idausa.org/vegandays/fs/lactose_intolerance.html ).

The fact that Allensworth is a four-hour drive from San
Francisco hasn't stopped Bay Area residents from busing down
there to protest the plan at county meetings. These concerned
citizens realize that despoiling the land, water and air around
this state museum is to debase and endanger an irreplaceable
symbol of African American cultural independence. As Americans,
have a right to fight for the preservation of our cultural
history, no matter where in this nation we make our home.

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors
( http://www.co.tulare.ca.us/government/board/default.asp ) apparently
doesn't see it that way, dismissing the protests of these
"out-of-towners" who should be commended for caring about what
happens beyond their own backyards. Even though there are
already more than 300 dairies in the county, the Board
unanimously approved the plan, and will take a final vote on
March 20th. Fortunately, those who want to preserve African
American history, protect the environment and prevent cows from
suffering still have a chance to stop the developers.

What You Can Do:

Urge the Tulare County Board of Supervisors NOT to approve the
plan to build dairy farms near Allensworth
( http://ga0.org/campaign/allensworth/udinnk4zbwi3bx? ). Also call them, or send them a
letter or fax. Please be polite and respectful to the
Supervisors, as we want them to listen to our concerns, not
dismiss them because people are being rude.

Tulare County Board of Supervisors
Administration Building 2800 West Burrel Avenue
Visalia, CA 93291
Tel: (559) 733-6271
Fax: (559) 733-6898

To learn more about Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park,
visit http://www.friendsofallensworth.com . Also read the article from
the San Francisco Chronicle entitled "Battle for piece of black
history"
( http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/08/MNG4PNENHV1.DTL&hw=The+Tulare+County+Board+of+Supervisors&sn=001&sc=1000 ).

4. First Vigil for Animals at UCSF of 2007

For the past several years, Vigil For Animals has been putting
pressure on the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
to change their vivisection practices. Animal advocates have
been targeting UCSF for their animal abuse to protest the
wasteful misuse of tax dollars on cruel, useless experiments on
cats, dogs and other species. UCSF recently spent millions in
public funds to build new labs that muffle the heart-wrenching
sounds of their cries, but inside those walls they are still
suffering and dying.

Yet they remain unaccountable to the public that pays for their
research, and do all that they can to keep their shameful
activities secret. For one thing, they are currently in
violation of the law for failing to respond to the numerous
Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by Vigil for
Animals. UCSF tries to hide their animal abuse behind the facade
of scientific research, making it necessary for concerned
citizens to expose their deception to the public.

What You Can Do:

Please join Vigil for Animals at their first demonstration of
the New Year.

What: First 2007 Vigil for Animals in UCSF labs
When: Thursday, January 18th, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Where: UCSF's Parnassus Campus, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San
Francisco ( http://tinyurl.com/rpyyc )

If you want to take public transportation to UCSF, the San
Francisco Muni buses #6 and #43 both go right by the Vigil's
venue on Parnassus Avenue; you can also take the N-Judah
streetcar, get off at Carl & Arguello streets, enter the UCSF
facility and take the elevator up to Parnassus Avenue. From the
East Bay, you can take BART, get off at any stop between
Embarcadero and Civic Center in San Francisco, and then take an
outbound N-Judah streetcar (see above).

For more information, email vigilforanimals [at] yahoo.com or call
(415) 751-3756.

5. Dr. Neal Barnard Talk in SF

Author and clinical researcher Neal Barnard, M.D. is coming to
the Bay Area to talk about his new book, Dr. Neal Barnard's
Program for Reversing Diabetes
( http://www.nealbarnard.org/diabetes_book.htm ). As founder and
president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
(PCRM) ( http://www.pcrm.org ), Dr. Barnard is one of America's leading
health and nutrition advocates. Based on his experience as the
principal investigator of several human clinical research trials
whose results are published in peer-reviewed medical and
scientific journals, he concludes that consuming a low-fat vegan
diet can reverse the ill effects of many common diseases,
including diabetes.

If you or a loved one suffers from diabetes or you are a health
care professional who wants to learn natural approaches to
combat this disease, then you'll want to attend Dr. Barnard's
upcoming talk.

What: Talk by Neal Barnard, M.D. about reversing diabetes
When: Wednesday, January 24th starting at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Borders Books Union Square, 400 Post St., San Francisco
( http://tinyurl.com/tp2p3 )

For more information, contact PCRM's Claudia Delmon at (415)
750-4790 ext. 300.

6. California Fish & Game Commission Proposals Regarding Animals

The California Fish & Game Commission is currently considering
proposals regarding regulations that govern the trapping of
"pest" animals and the importation of foreign species for live
markets. Please read the information below and take action by
writing letters to the Commission in support of animal welfare.

Trapping Regulations

The Fish & Game Department is getting set to propose revised
regulations regarding the trapping of "pest" animals and write
an environmental report on the subject. The Commission is
currently required to "consider the welfare of individual
animals" and, in the past, each document had a chapter on animal
welfare. The Department has recently changed the wording from
"welfare" to "effects" in an effort to sidestep the concept of
animal welfare.

The passage of AB 87 in 2006 allowed "pest" control operators to
do business without having to acquire a Fish & Game license to
trap mice, rats, gophers and moles. SB 1645, passed in 2002,
requires "nuisance" and predator control wildlife trappers to
get a Fish & Game license to trap coyotes, raccoons, opossums,
skunks and other species. However, many trappers neglect to
inform their customers that the animals will be killed if not
released on site. In addition, many of them lack the required
licensure and are not caught due to lack of enforcement.

What You Can Do:

Write a letter to the California Fish & Game Commission politely
urging them to reinstate the chapter entitled "Welfare of the
Individual Animal," as required by law. Ask them to enforce the
existing law requiring "nuisance" and predator control trappers
to be licensed by the Department of Fish & Game and ask that the
list of licensed trappers be available to the public. Also
request that they include specific requirements for the humane
handling of wildlife, including bats.

California Fish & Game Commission
1416 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Turtles and Frogs in Live Animal Markets.

In our August 2006 Bay Area Alert
( http://ga0.org/campaign/CAlivemarketban ) we reported that the
California Fish & Game Commission was considering a ban on the
importation and sale of turtles and frogs in live markets. Thank
you to everyone who responded to that alert, as the Commission
has voted to "go to notice" to pass a regulation that would
prohibit the importation of these species for live animal
markets.

However, the Department of Fish & Game has taken no action to
submit the regulation proposed by the Commission, and has told
them that the issue is the responsibility of the Health
Department, Food & Agriculture Department and local animal
control agencies. Perhaps this is because live markets promote
severe animal cruelty and pose serious threats to public health.
However, we need to convince the Commission to follow through on
their legal action to protect our native wildlife.

Non-native turtles are imported into California by the hundreds
of thousands, and frogs literally by the ton. None of the turtle
or frog species sold in live markets are native to the state,
causing environmental havoc when they are released into local
waters, a frequent though illegal practice. These exotics
compete with indigenous animals for food and territory and
spread devastating diseases and parasites against which native
populations have no defense. They are already depleting
populations of California wildlife such as the endangered
Western Pond Turtle and the Red Legged Frog.

There are also serious animal welfare concerns over live
markets. Animals in these live markets -- which are operated
mostly in Asian communities in large cities like San Francisco,
Oakland, Sacramento and Los Angeles -- are kept in crowded,
unsanitary conditions, routinely stacked four or five deep
without food or water. They are usually butchered while still
fully conscious. Turtles' shells may be sliced from their bodies
while they are still alive, and frogs are often thrown together
into plastic bags and smashed to death with heavy mallets.

In addition, selling these animals in open street markets
endangers the public health. Necropsies performed on frogs and
turtles sold in markets found many to be contaminated with
salmonella, pasturella and E. coli, all of which are potentially
fatal to humans.

What You Can Do:

Write a letter to the California Fish & Game Commission politely
urging them to follow through on their legal action to protect
our native wildlife from the importation of non-native turtles
and frogs for live markets.

California Fish & Game Commission
1416 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814


Make Plans Now to Attend IDA's Star Studded Benefit Concert -
February 17, 2007 ( http://www.idausa.org/benefit-concert/index.html ).