Britain's economic woes are forcing people to abandon animals in unprecedented numbers as desperate families struggle to cut costs by dumping their pets. Animal sanctuaries say they have been overwhelmed by the number of animals delivered to them in recent months as the credit crunch continues to bite and the cost of living rises sharply. They fear that the situation could become unmanageable if the downturn continues. According to RSPCA records, the number of pets abandoned by their owners in 2007 was 23 per cent higher than the previous year. And as the possibility of recession looms, the figures for the first quarter of this year suggest that the number of abandoned animals is continuing to rise. Last year, Britain's leading animal charity was forced to rescue 7,346 animals abandoned by their owners. In the first four months of 2008, a further 2,621 animals have been picked up. Almost half of all the animals abandoned were cats, the charity said. New figures from the Cats Protection League's 29 adoption centres show a 77 per cent increase in the number of unwanted felines that were dumped or returned during the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) said cases of unwanted cats in the first three months of this year were 18 per cent higher than the same period last year, while cases of unwanted dogs jumped by more than 90 per cent.
Britain's economic woes are forcing people to abandon animals in unprecedented numbers as desperate families struggle to cut costs by dumping their pets. Animal sanctuaries say they have been overwhelmed by the number of animals delivered to them in recent months as the credit crunch continues to bite and the cost of living rises sharply. They fear that the situation could become unmanageable if the downturn continues.
According to RSPCA records, the number of pets abandoned by their owners in 2007 was 23 per cent higher than the previous year. And as the possibility of recession looms, the figures for the first quarter of this year suggest that the number of abandoned animals is continuing to rise. Last year, Britain's leading animal charity was forced to rescue 7,346 animals abandoned by their owners. In the first four months of 2008, a further 2,621 animals have been picked up. Almost half of all the animals abandoned were cats, the charity said.
New figures from the Cats Protection League's 29 adoption centres show a 77 per cent increase in the number of unwanted felines that were dumped or returned during the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) said cases of unwanted cats in the first three months of this year were 18 per cent higher than the same period last year, while cases of unwanted dogs jumped by more than 90 per cent.
Protecting biodiversity is one of the most important global challenges, Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Monday, May 19. He spoke at the start of a two-week United Nations conference on the topic. Protecting animal and plant life from climate change and pollution should be at the top of the global agenda, Gabriel said at the conference in Bonn on Monday. Extinctions are going forward at a rate anywhere from 100 times to 1,000 times that of natural extinction. This accelerated pace has not seen since the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago, according to UN experts. They blame human activities, including greenhouse-gas emissions and destruction of habitats for the loss. One in four mammals, one bird in eight, one third of all amphibians and 70 percent of plants are under threat.
Protecting animal and plant life from climate change and pollution should be at the top of the global agenda, Gabriel said at the conference in Bonn on Monday.
Extinctions are going forward at a rate anywhere from 100 times to 1,000 times that of natural extinction. This accelerated pace has not seen since the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago, according to UN experts. They blame human activities, including greenhouse-gas emissions and destruction of habitats for the loss.
One in four mammals, one bird in eight, one third of all amphibians and 70 percent of plants are under threat.
At this week's UN conference on biodiversity, Germany will present itself as a role model when it comes to the environment. DW-WORLD.DE's Thorsten Schäfer says that there's really not much to brag about. Lynx, salmon, wolf, sea eagle, beaver, bear and many more -- the list of animals that have returned to Germany during the last couple of years is impressive. It seems as if nature has recovered quickly. But appearances are deceiving: extinction continues. While every wolf appearance makes headlines, the decline of skylark and common swift doesn't. There are some success stories, but not enough. Waste of space, which is rarely talked about, is partially to blame. A populous state that continues to build on 105 hectares (260 acres) every day cannot preserve habitats in a way that it should -- and likes to claim it does. One should really talk about states in this context, since Germany's federal states are the main players in the country's environmental politics. They decide locally which areas to focus on and where the money will go.
Lynx, salmon, wolf, sea eagle, beaver, bear and many more -- the list of animals that have returned to Germany during the last couple of years is impressive. It seems as if nature has recovered quickly. But appearances are deceiving: extinction continues. While every wolf appearance makes headlines, the decline of skylark and common swift doesn't. There are some success stories, but not enough.
Waste of space, which is rarely talked about, is partially to blame. A populous state that continues to build on 105 hectares (260 acres) every day cannot preserve habitats in a way that it should -- and likes to claim it does. One should really talk about states in this context, since Germany's federal states are the main players in the country's environmental politics. They decide locally which areas to focus on and where the money will go.
Iceland's commercial whale hunt is set to begin, after the government granted a small minke quota on Monday. Whalers had been seeking a quota of about 100, but ministers settled on 40, which they say is commercially viable. The decision came after weeks of delay, reportedly because of disagreements within government. Environmental groups said the decision would further damage the Icelandic economy which is already badly affected by the international debt crisis. The decision was expected a month ago, and whalers had been asking for a swift decision so they could begin hunting.
Iceland's commercial whale hunt is set to begin, after the government granted a small minke quota on Monday.
Whalers had been seeking a quota of about 100, but ministers settled on 40, which they say is commercially viable.
The decision came after weeks of delay, reportedly because of disagreements within government.
Environmental groups said the decision would further damage the Icelandic economy which is already badly affected by the international debt crisis.
The decision was expected a month ago, and whalers had been asking for a swift decision so they could begin hunting.
prosecutors in California have just charged 47-year-old Lori Drew under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for creating a fictitious MySpace account
The alleged facts of the case are appalling. Ms Drew is claimed to have driven a 13 year old friend of her daughter to suicide by befriending, then rejecting her while pretending to be a 16 year old boy.
she has been charged with "accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress", because she broke MySpace's terms of use, which forbid "impersonating or attempting to impersonate another Member, person or entity" and "using any information obtained from the MySpace Services in order to harass, abuse, or harm another person or entity, or attempting to do the same".
The prosecution may yet be thrown out of court, and, even if not, is unlikely to have a wide-ranging scope. But it may set a worrying precedent.
But the prosecution raises wider issues that should concern any computer user...since it opens up the possibility that acts which we thought were insignificant could be used against us in unexpected ways.
Intentional infliction of emotional distress is a rarely successful tort, and, even if successful, would result only in damages being payable.
Given the alleged facts of the case, it's easy to see why the prosecution is desperate to put her on trial, and, if found guilty, into jail, by any statute possible.
The concern is that the precedent could be used in a wider context.
Amid the tightly packed row houses of North Philadelphia, a pioneering urban farm is providing fresh local food for a community that often lacks it, and making money in the process. Greensgrow, a one-acre plot of raised beds and greenhouses on the site of a former steel-galvanizing factory, is turning a profit by selling its own vegetables and herbs as well as a range of produce from local growers, and by running a nursery selling plants and seedlings. <...> Among urban farms, Greensgrow distinguishes itself by being a bridge between rural producers and urban consumers, and by having revitalized a derelict industrial site, said Ian Marvy, executive director of Added Value, an urban farm in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.It has also become a model for others by showing that it is possible to become self-supporting in a universe where many rely on outside financial support, Mr. Marvy said.
Amid the tightly packed row houses of North Philadelphia, a pioneering urban farm is providing fresh local food for a community that often lacks it, and making money in the process.
Greensgrow, a one-acre plot of raised beds and greenhouses on the site of a former steel-galvanizing factory, is turning a profit by selling its own vegetables and herbs as well as a range of produce from local growers, and by running a nursery selling plants and seedlings. <...>
Among urban farms, Greensgrow distinguishes itself by being a bridge between rural producers and urban consumers, and by having revitalized a derelict industrial site, said Ian Marvy, executive director of Added Value, an urban farm in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.
It has also become a model for others by showing that it is possible to become self-supporting in a universe where many rely on outside financial support, Mr. Marvy said.
British members of Parliament (MPs) defeated on Monday an MP's attempt to outlaw the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos by 336 votes to 176 in the Commons. The attempt was made by ex-minister Edward Leigh of the Conservative Party (Tory) who argued the technique was "a step too far and should be banned" and said there was "no evidence yet to substantiate" claims this could lead to treatment for degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. <...> This research is giving the scientists the ability, within clear boundaries within which to advance technologies that can help in the development of treatments for devastating, degenerative diseases, for infertility and learning, Primarolo said, adding no human "admix" embryo would be implanted into a woman or animal.
British members of Parliament (MPs) defeated on Monday an MP's attempt to outlaw the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos by 336 votes to 176 in the Commons.
The attempt was made by ex-minister Edward Leigh of the Conservative Party (Tory) who argued the technique was "a step too far and should be banned" and said there was "no evidence yet to substantiate" claims this could lead to treatment for degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. <...>
This research is giving the scientists the ability, within clear boundaries within which to advance technologies that can help in the development of treatments for devastating, degenerative diseases, for infertility and learning, Primarolo said, adding no human "admix" embryo would be implanted into a woman or animal.
