Earth Policy Institute (1350 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20036), 2012. 141 pages, paperback. $15.00. Reviewed by Merritt Clifton Publicity materials for Full Planet, Empty Plates credit Lester R. Brown with producing more than 50 books, including the annual Worldwatch reports he edited for 30 years as founder of the Worldwatch Institute. Leaving the Worldwatch Institute in […]
Awards & honors, 2nd quarter 2014
The C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar Foundation, Animal Welfare Board of India, and Winsome Constance Kindness Trust on March 23, 2014 saluted the students of the Shri B.S. Mootha School in Chennai for presenting the best Kindness Kids program in a contest involving 17,000 children in four cities of Tamil Nadu and […]
Alleged Sariska tiger poacher Sansar Chand, 56, dies of cancer
Imprisoned since 2005 JAIPUR, India––Sansar Chand, 56, on March 18, 2014 died of cancer at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. Chand, who spent his life mostly in New Delhi, was scheduled to attend a hearing that day on charges pertaining to his role in poaching tigers out of Sariska National Park in 2004. The […]
Awards & Honors, 1st quarter 2014
The 25th annual edition of the Limca Book of Records honored 25 women for their contributions to Indian society, including Geeta Seshamani, founder of the Friendicoes Society for Eradicating Cruelty to Animals and cofounder of Wildlife SOS. Friendicoes has operated a dog-and-cat shelter in Delhi since 1979, and has […]
“Elephant whisperer” Marianus Topno, 48
Marianus Topno, 48, a factory welder in rural Odisha state, India, was fatally trampled by elephants on November 13, 2013 in the Saranda forest. Topno had become known for politely asking elephants to leave villages and farms where they were doing damage, with frequent success. His daughter Nirmala, 17, of Pograposh village, had become renowned […]
Elephants no longer part of Indian Republic Day parades
Elephants will no longer be part of India’s Republic Day parades. This welcome decision will be a shot in the arm for those who would like to see abuse of our heritage animals stopped. The first step was when the Ministry of Environment & Forests during the tenure of Jairam Ramesh declared heritage status for the elephant. While […]
Forest watcher B. Suresh, 26, was among tiger victims
B. Suresh, 26, a forest watcher at the Balle-Moorkal camp west of Nagarahole National Park, India, was on the morning of November 30, 2013 the third of five people killed by tigers in or near the intersection of Nagarahole and the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Suresh was killed […]
Anti-sacrifice & cockfighting activist Sumitra Behera, 42
Sumitra Behera, 42, of Sarsara Balanga village in Sundargarh district, Odisha, India, was found dead with her skull crushed on January 3, 2014, about 200 meters from her home. “My wife was an active campaigner against animal sacrifice and had always opposed cockfights. She had earlier received threats from several people. I suspect they might […]
Mission Rabies vaccinates 60,000 dogs in 10 Indian cities in 30 days
Exceeded target by 10,000 NILGIRIS, Tamil Nadu, India––Vaccinating 60,000 dogs in 30 days at 10 rabies hot spots around India, Mission Rabies exceeded its preliminary target by 10,000 and kept right on rolling, vaccinating another 30,000 and sterilizing more than 9,000 during the next five months. Mission Rabies “will continue for three years, with a goal […]
Food Security & Farm Animal Welfare by Sofia Parente [WSPA] and Heleen van de Weerd [CIWF]
Free 20-page download from ciwf.org/foodsecurity Based on: The Impact of Industrial Grain Fed Livestock Production on Food Security: an extended literature review, by Karl-Heinz Erb, Andreas Mayer, Thomas Kastner, Kristine-Elena Sallet, and Helmut Haberl, Institute of Social Ecology, Vienna; free 90-page download from: http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/socec/inhalt/1818.htm Reviewed by Merritt Clifton Having commissioned a 90-page analysis of The Impact […]