Updated 6/23/09
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Our legislature is voting on this at 1:30 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24, 2009:
Dear Friends,
Big Agribusiness’ attempt to
amend Ohio’s constitution by creating an industry-dominated council to oversee farm animal treatment is poor policy and an attempt to thwart meaningful reform. This proposed council is a blatant attempt to stall efforts to halt inhumane confinement practices for veal calves, pigs and other animals on factory farms — systems that are so restrictive that the animals are often prevented from engaging in basic movements such as turning around and extending their limbs.
I just contacted my Ohio state representative to urge opposition to legislation that seeks to codify inhumane standards for farm animals. You can take action too. The link is below and it only takes a minute.
Thanks you!
Vickie Askins
PLEASE take action today to help protect Ohio's farm animals.
USE THIS LINK TO TAKE ACTION
Here is some additional information about this legislation below from the Humane Society.
The Humane Society of the United States Urges Ohio Lawmakers to Oppose Big Ag Constitutional Power Grab
(June 22, 2009) — Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization with 11 million supporters, including more than 400,000 in Ohio, issued the following statement:
Big Agribusiness’ attempt to amend Ohio’s constitution by creating an industry-dominated council to oversee farm animal treatment is poor policy and an attempt to thwart meaningful reform. This proposed council is a blatant attempt to stall efforts to halt inhumane confinement practices for veal calves, pigs and other animals on factory farms — systems that are so restrictive that the animals are often prevented from engaging in basic movements such as turning around and extending their limbs.
We have been asking the Ohio Farm Bureau to engage in serious dialogue on these issues for months, but not only have they refused to respond to our initial proposal, but they now want to enshrine their favored oversight system into the state constitution.
In addition, given the state’s enormous budgetary problems, paying for a constitutionally-authorized commission regarding the treatment of farm animals seems like a poor use of taxpayer funds.
It’s a special interest power grab that is designed to circumvent the input of all Ohioans into the process and divert attention from serious reform. Ohio legislators and Governor Strickland should see through this bait-and-switch maneuver, and we urge them not to stand in the way of a serious look at factory farming practices in Ohio. All animals deserve humane treatment, including animals raised for food.
Ohio leaders should instead insist that the Ohio Farm Bureau and other agribusiness groups come to the table with HSUS and other animal protection and environmental advocates, to work cooperatively on phasing out certain abusive and unsustainable practices. If Ohio agribusiness groups do not agree to some restrictions, The HSUS is prepared to launch a statewide ballot initiative campaign for November 2010 to ensure that animals on factory farms are given enough room to turn around and extend their limbs.
Anybody, especially farmers, who can make it to the Capital this Wednesday in their overalls with stickers or buttons to oppose factory farms would be extremely helpful.
One last request - - please share this message with your family and friends. THANKS!!
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TOWN HALL MEETING was Saturday, April 4th
The EJ Town Hall meeting held in April was a forum to learn more about the problems in our communities and ideas for solutions, including a proposed Environmental Justice Bill for Ohio. More info may be found at:
www.ohioej.org.
The Mission of Wood County Citizens Opposed
to Factory Farms is to educate and inform the citizens
of Wood County about the health and environmental dangers
of mega-farms and to actively pursue solutions that will
protect our health, our water, and our land.
Who Protects Us From Factory Farms?
Read more....
Sept. 24 - Government Report Links Factory Farms to Harmful Air Emissions, Water Pollution - A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study released today says that large factory farms, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), can emit dangerous levels of airborne and waterborne pollutants. Rep. John Dingell of Michigan said, "This GAO study confirms that the Bush Administration's plan to exempt industrial sized animal feeding operations from emissions reporting requirements is nothing more than a favor to Big Agribusiness at the expense of the public health and communities living near these facilities." See full report.
TWO NEW REPORTS DOCUMENT RISKS, COSTS OF CAFOS:
1)POLLUTION, DISEASE RISKS FROM CAFOS. 2-yr study by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health cite risks from the huge amount of animal waste industrial farms generate, use of antibiotics by such facilities leading to the development of drug-resistant bacteria and the high concentration of animals on industrial farms increasing the risk of disease spreading. The report recommends phasing out the most inhumane production practices within 10 years; implementing federal performance-based standards to improve animal welfare; and expanding and reforming animal agriculture research. See the full report.
2)
CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS COST TAXPAYERS BILLIONS. The Union of Concerned Scientists calls for POLICIES THAT REDUCE CAFO SUBSIDIES AND ENCOURAGE MODERN, SUSTAINABLE MEAT, MILK AND EGG PRODUCTION. See "CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations" for details of the policies that have allowed CAFOs to dominate U.S. meat and dairy production. "CAFOs aren't the natural result of agricultural progress, nor are they the result of rational planning or market forces," said Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in UCS's Food and Environment Program and author of the report. "Ill-advised policies created them, and it will take new policies to replace them with more sustainable, environmentally friendly production methods."
LANDOWNER LIABILITY LETTER
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American Public Health Association
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The Family Farm
The Factory Farm
