Today's Articles :)

Hey! I just want to share two articles with you - one talks about protests against animal testing, while the other is an article about a survey conducted about what GPs think about the reliability of animal testing...

The article's are quite straightforward...and there's nothing much I need to explain. But if there is anything that you'd like to us, you're welcome to do so by commenting  :)


-Ayunie

ToxCast

Hey there! The winter holidays are now over, and it's back to school! Definitely not a good thing, but there is good news reporting all the way from North Carolina...

"About 40 scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park are working on ToxCast, a program to screen chemicals for their potential to harm people and the environment"

"Instead of live-animal tests developed more than 40 years ago, ToxCast uses screening technology gleaned from drug research. Computers then turn the results of about 600 ToxCast tests per chemical into quick-to-grasp, three-dimensional maps"

"A ToxCast fingerprint can be ready in a few weeks and costs about $25,000. Live-animal testing takes months and can cost $10 million to $12 million per chemical"

Generally, the above quotes are stating how a program called ToxCast is starting to be being used as an alternative that is even faster and cheaper than animal testing in assessing chemicals in some circumstances - yes, is admittedly not very popular as stated in the article:

"Still, it will probably take another five to 10 years before ToxCast fingerprints can be used regularly to predict a chemical's potential harm."

But it's a start, right?


Read the article at http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/01/02/1951280/a-new-way-to-assess-chemicals.html

The Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park

- Ayunie

BUAV Schools' Guide

Hello there! I just found a BUAV Schools' Guide on Vivisection (another word for 'Animal Testing'), and found it admittedly useful. You could print it out and seek your head teacher's permission to stick it up at school, or maybe you could just read it right here online for free just for reference!  :)

-Ayunie :D

4 years later than planned.

1st of January 2011...


UNFORTUNATELY on this glorious day I've got admittedly upsetting news...

"Cosmetics and testing experts predict the European commission will announce shortly that it is unable to introduce the third phase of the European cosmetics directive, as planned in 2013. This directive would have banned the sale in Europe of any cosmetics tested on animals anywhere in the world."

The quote above was the original plan, which is just wonderful! But...

"The final phase of European law designed to eradicate testing on animals of chemicals used in the cosmetics industry is set to be delayed for as long as four years because it is thought that alternative ways of testing the safety of ingredients' will not be ready in time.

"Neil Parish MP, chair of the associate parliamentary group for animal welfare, said "sufficient" replacement safety tests would not be available until 2017."

The above quotes state that the European Law was meant to ban any cosmetics tested on animals to be sold in Europe in 2013. But the ban has now been delayed until 2014, 4 years later than planned, apparently because there is not enough time to come up with good alternatives...


Well, I suppose there's nothing much we can do about this, other then taking there word for it and continuing our efforts :)


Oh, and if you want to read the article where I got the above quotes, just click here :)

And here's another link for a more summarised article.

-Ayunie :)

New Year. New Decade. 2011 :)

Hello everyone! Firstly I would like to wish every a Happy New Year! May 2011 be filled with happiness and joy...and make sure that animals get to share the happiness too! I'm really sorry we haven't been posting for a while..we've been very busy lately. But we'll make sure to keep you updated with the latest news and articles ;)


Firstly I would like to share a PETA article, stating the top victories made by PETA against animal cruelty...They definitely have done a great job! Very well done to them! 


Here's another article of the great achievements BUAV have gained in 2010 and another article for BUAV's general achievements in the recent years...again, they've contributed a lot!


I just found a website called Go Cruelty Free, well it's an organisation really, that was developed by BUAV with the ultimate aim of ending cosmetics and household products testing on animals worldwide. It's highly informative, and also informs you of companies that are considered cruelty free.


Now, I'm sure all of you have heard about Lipton and a few other tea companies that have been found testing their products on animals? I'd stated it frankly in a previous post, and gave you a link, right? Now here's an article explaining what the animals are 'fed', and it also includes a sample email you can send to the president of Unilever Americas (Lipton's parent company)...




Well, that's all for now. I will try my very best to keep updating as regularly as possible...And remember to share the joy of the new year with animals by not buying products that harm them! Change to Superdrug instead of Boots. Stop eating Mars products.  Send the email to the president of Unilever Americas. Stop buying Lipton, PG TIps and Lyons. LOVE ANIMALS.


-Ayunie :D

Advantages!

Hello! I just thought I'd tell you some advantages of Animal Testing I found on a website; I know we're against Animal Testing, but it's best to see both points of view, right?  :)

"Animal Testing

Advantages of Animal Testing in Medical Research

Medical research involving animals has dramatically improved the health of the human race. Without animal testing, the cure for polio would not exist and diabetics would suffer or die from their disease. Despite these benefits, some people believe that animals should be not be used for testing medical techniques and drugs. This essay will outline the advantages of animal testing.

Animal testing allows scientists to test and create new drugs. Animals such as monkeys or rabbits have similar physical processes to humans. This allows scientists to test the effects of certain drugs. If a drug produces adverse effects in animals it is probably unfit for human use.

Animal testing is cheap. There is a large supply of animals for medical research. Animals are easily bred, and maintained safely in controlled labs. The costs of testing in humans would be extremely high.

Many people argue that animal testing is cruel. In some cases this is true. However it would be much more cruel to test new drugs on people or children, or to let people die because there was not enough information about a drug. Furthermore, legislation in most countries sets standards for animal treatment, and laboratories have guidelines to prevent cruelty.

Opponents of animal research also say that information from animals does not apply to humans. They point to certain commercial drugs which have been withdrawn because of side-effects in humans While it is true that animal systems differ from human systems, there are enough similarities to apply information from animals to humans.

Animal rights campaigners claim that we don’t need new tests because we already have vast amounts of information. However, many new deadly infections appear every year and new treatments and drugs are needed to combat these deadly plagues.

Animal testing is needed in the world we live in. Our responsibility is to manage the animals in our care and balance their suffering against the good that comes from them."

Obtained from: http://www.writefix.com/argument/animaltestingyes3.htm

-Ayunie  :D