Carrots To:
MyFarm founder Trevor Paque, for introducing forward-thinking San Franciscans to the idea of the "decentralized urban farm." Paque is part of a new breed of eco-entrepreneurs who have responded to the desire of many city dwellers to eat locally and grow their own food, though they may lack time, space, or gardening skills. For a fee, Paque comes to the aid of these "lazy locavores." He designs, plants, tends, and harvests his clients' plots, which can be as small as 4 square feet. MyFarm is more than just having a weekly gardener, however: Paque's customers can reap the fruits of their own garden, as well as those of neighboring clients. Gardens in foggy areas of the city might grow broccoli for customers to share, while sunnier areas might grow tomatoes. Produce is delivered by bicycle.
Home Shopping Network and Overstock.com, the cable television and Internet-based retailers, both of which have announced plans to stop selling products made with animal fur. HSN, which reaches 90 million homes, will halt fur sales by year's end, donating any remaining inventory to PETA for use in antifur campaigns. Overstock.com made its announcement jointly with The Humane Society of the United States and became the 100th name on HSUS's list of fur-free retailers and designers. Fireman's Fund Insurance and Lexington Insurance companies, for being the first companies to offer green homeowners' insurance policy upgrades. The upgrades will allow homeowners to repair damage with environmentally sensitive materials, including Energy Star appliances, sustainably harvested wood, and low-volatile organic compound paints and adhesives. Under the Fireman's Fund upgrade, homes that have been completely destroyed can be rebuilt to Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design standards, including hiring LEED-certified professionals for design and construction. The Fireman's Fund upgrade costs about $70 per $1 million in insured value.
Sticks To:
AT&T, for sponsoring the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as its wireless provider. While rodeos are promoted as wholesome family entertainment, they are notorious for mistreating animals, severely injuring and sometimes killing them, according to Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, a watchdog group that documents rodeo abuses. Rodeo organizers defend the use of cattle prods and deny the cruelty of participants kicking, roping, and dragging animals by the neck, though some observers are now comparing rodeos to cock fighting and dog fighting. The band Matchbox Twenty cancelled its appearance at Cheyenne Frontier Days—the "Daddy of 'em All"—after viewing videos of rodeo-animal abuse.
The World Bank, for systematically failing to consider environmental impacts when lending money to poor countries, according to a report released by the bank's own Independent Evaluation Group. "Climate change is yet another devastating example of the World Bank getting it incredibly wrong," writes Karen Orenstein of Friends of the Earth US in the comments section of The New York Times' Dot Earth blog. "The World Bank is the largest multilateral financier of fossil fuel projects. Between 2007 and 2008, the International Finance Corporation's fossil fuel lending increased by a whopping 165 percent." The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest source of financing for private-sector projects in developing countries.
The City of Houston, for being the least recycling-savvy city in the United States. According to a report in the trade magazine Waste News, the largest city in Texas (and the fourth largest city in the nation) recycles just 2.6 percent of its waste. By comparison, the three largest cities, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, recycle 34 percent, 62 percent, and 55 percent of their waste, respectively. Why is Houston so lax? Land is cheap and plentiful—hence, so too are landfills. Combine that with the city's sprawling layout, which makes collection expensive, and the result is residents waiting as long as 10 years to get recycling bins from the city.
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Frankly I am sick and tired of hearing complaints about rodeo from people who know absolutely nothing about the sport and would rather spread lies to further their cause than state facts.
First of all, the stock used at rodeos work less than two minutes a year and are well taken care of when they are not working. The score the cowboy gets is made up half of how the cowboy rides and half of how the stock bucks. The stock must be kept in top shape in order to be good at what it does. These animals are very important to the stock contractors and most of them live longer lives than the average sporting horses. Once the animal retires, it will often live out its life at the stock contractor’s ranch.
There is a gross misbelief that the flank strap causes "pain and discomfort" when in actuality it is no different than the belt we use to hold up our pants. That's right, the one we strap "near our intestines, groin and other vital organs!"
The flank itself is incredibly soft, as it is made from sheepskin, and its function is to tickle the animal, a far cry from what animal rights activists would have you believe. The flank strap is not the sole reason the animal bucks, it is meant to encourage the animal to buck harder. You will notice a lot of the animals will stop bucking after the cowboy dismounts, regardless of whether or not the flank is still on.
For all the people who believe these animals don’t enjoy what they are doing, you have obviously closed your eyes to the horse and bull’s behavior after the cowboy gets off. If you bothered to watch you would see these animals strut around the arena, proud of their performance.
As for the cowboys (or as some would call “cowardly men in big hats”), any cowboy who intentionally injures an animal is disqualified, so it is in the cowboy’s best interest to treat these animals with respect. Like every sport out there, accidents do happen, but for the most part the one who goes home with the injuries is the cowboy, not the stock.
If these animal rights activists spent a little more time getting their facts straight maybe there would be fewer cases of animal abuse, as the animals who are actually suffering would be getting more attention than the ones who are being properly cared for.
In closing, I am a vegetarian living in the middle of Alberta beef country. I love to go and check out my local rodeo every year, it is so much fun. Nobody treats an animal better than a cowboy; they really do have the utmost respect for animals in general, as they are an important part of our western heritage. So please don’t judge a book by its cover, or a man by his hat, for that matter. Thank you.
I completely agree with the previous post. I am a vegetarian who grew up in a Texas ranching family. Rodeos were a big part of my life for a number of years. Reputable stock contractors and PRCA cowboys have the upmost respect for the animals that they work with. Some of the Bulls used in bull riding are celebrities on the PRCA circuit. The stock contractors and the cowboys want to ensure that these animals lead a long, healthy, prosperous life. The animals are athletes and are treated as such.
Hannah, that was eloquently put and extremely convincing. Thank you for providing a voice of reason and knowledge in what is so often misinformed, knee-jerk sensationalism. Just because it involves animals and people, it is not forcibly abuse,as so many PETA individuals would have us believe!
AMEN, y'all!!
I eat vegetarian for health reasons, but get so tired of wading through the politically correct drivel that saturates my local health food store, and unfortunately this great magazine. I appreciate your honest, thoughtful answers. Can't we just eat in peace?
P.S.: I've only ben to one rodeo, the Jackson Hole Fourth of July Rodeo, and it was a blast!
I would like to express a different opinion. In everything I do in life I try to look at a situation from all sides. Since the above information is from the perspective of the human participants and audience I would like to suggest we look at it from the side of the animals.
In order to "perform", the animals are routinely subjected to electric prods, spurs, bucking straps, and severe tail twisting. (There is evidence of spurs, at least occasionally, being placed under the bucking strap to intensify the feeling.)
Imagine being the receiver of any of these methods. How would it feel? My guess is: not good. Look at the evidence. Animals have been known to break their necks by running into gates, walls, etc. just trying to get away from the discomfort (or "torment" in my eyes). Calves and bulls (yes, even the really big bulls) can also suffer broken necks from being pulled to the ground during roping and wrestling events. Horses sustain broken legs and back problems from bucking. The above may not be the "norm" (although if you do a search on rodeo riding fact sheets these results aren't "abnormal" either), fractured bones, bruising and hemorrhaging, ripped and torn tendons, ligaments and muscles are all commonplace.
I know someone who took her children to the rodeo thinking it would be fun and left with crying, screaming children after watching a calf break its neck and painfully die during a calf roping event.
Is it okay if one calf dies, how about two? At what point do we decide this isn't okay? We need to remember that most everything in life comes down to "money." This is a business. If the horses or bulls aren't bucking enough do they just say "Okay, no problem" when they know that bucking is what the audiences want to see. I would dare to say "probably not." I would guess they will do what needs to be done to keep the business running. If the horses and bulls don't buck, the human participants are out of work and the business dies.
I would suggest to everyone to research this for yourself. Do an internet search. Although PETA has been mentioned in the negative, their fact sheets are useful and often give sources for their information so you can verify the information yourself. It may be a good place to start. The HSUS, as well as other sources, also have information available. Check it out yourself. The animals are counting on us to be their guardians and we owe them the respect to at least research this issue.