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2014-03-01
Oceana;
According to some estimates, global bycatch may amount to 40 percent of the world's catch, totaling 63 billion pounds per year. In the United States, despite strong management measures and conservation initiatives in some regions, bycatch remains a persistent problem for far too many fisheries. Some fisheries discard more fish at sea than what they bring to port, in addition to injuring and killing thousands of whales, dolphins, seals, sea turtles and sharks each year.
In this report, we have identified nine of the worst bycatch fisheries in the U.S.—fisheries that discard large amounts of fish or harm marine wildlife at a high rate. Several of these fisheries discard more fish than they keep, or discard large amounts of the very species they are aiming to catch. Solutions to the bycatch problem already exist and must be applied nationwide. In order to stop harmful bycatch and wasteful discarding, fisheries managers and fishermen must employ adequate monitoring, count everything that is caught, establish science-based bycatch limits, and use innovative measures to control the problem.
2015-10-09
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA);
When dogs and cats are not retained in a home, they are re-homed to somewhere, and while there is a collection of research around relinquishment to shelters, little is known about the general re-homing picture. A cross sectional random digit dial survey was conducted with an aim to learn more about who is re-homing, where they are re-homing and why they are re-homing owned dogs and cats in the US. We found the prevalence of re-homing in five years at 6% making for an estimated 6.12 million household re-homing pets every five years. Pets were most likely to be re-homed by being given to a friend or family member (37%) closely followed by being taken to a shelter. Those who re-homed due to a reason related to the pet as opposed to reasons such as family issues were more likely to re-home to a shelter. For respondents who rented, housing reasons were the number one reason for re-homing, and for respondents of lower income, they were significantly more likely to re-home due to cost and housing issues as opposed to pet related issues. We conclude that some reasons for re-homing are not easily modified and humane re-homing is the best option, but that there are many areas in which intervention and prevention programs may increase retention.
2008-09-15
Humane Research Council;
Over 10 billion land-based animals are killed for food each year in the U.S. However, there is significant and growing public awareness and support for improved farmed animal welfare conditions. Public opinion research studies find substantial concern for farmed animals, as well as a willingness of consumers to act upon these concerns. Additionally, depending on the study, from 10% to over 50% of consumers are willing to pay higher prices for more "humanely" raised and slaughtered animal products.
2010-04-30
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission;
Food system planning is the integration of food system issues into policies, plans, and programming at all levels of government. It has recently become a recognized expertise within the planning profession. This MIT brochure provides local government with the tools and resources to conduct local food system planning. Five common activities to food system planning include: a) inform decision-making by compiling data; b) encourage sustainable food production through plans, policies, and programming; c) improve healthy food access through zoning, education, and incentives for retail operators; d) support a local or regional food economy; and e) reduce or reuse food waste. Innovative examples of municipalities from Greater Philadelphia and throughout the country are identified.
2010-02-28
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission;
This publication is an objective study of Greater Philadelphia's food system and focuses on the agricultural resources, distribution infrastructure, regional economy, and stakeholders acting within the regional food system. The study addresses a number of challenges and opportunities facing the food system, including: land constraints and development pressures, contradicting health effects of malnutrition and obesity, food access in urban and rural areas, food distribution, and economic development.
2008-11-14
Humane Research Council;
The number of animals used in medical, pharmaceutical, and product research each year is at least 115 million worldwide, using official figures. The actual number is believed to be much higher. Generally speaking, most people surveyed in the U.S. and elsewhere say that they accept the use of animals for research purposes, at least to a certain degree. However, more people believe it is acceptable only for medical purposes, particularly involving the treatment or prevention of serious human diseases or illnesses.
2008-10-20
Humane Research Council;
In the United States, an estimated 154 million dogs and cats (the most common companion animals) live in 60% of U.S. households. The profile of owners' demographics varies by country, but in the U.S. pet owners are more likely to be women, Generation Xers, and Baby Boomers. In some countries, companion animals are considered a "luxury," and majorities of people in almost all surveys say they relate to their pets as members of the family.
2008-10-24
Humane Research Council;
Overpopulation of companion animals is a serious problem in the United States, resulting in overcrowded animal shelters and widespread euthanasia. The severity of the situation stems from breeding operations and lack of awareness and action by animal owners/guardians to sterilize their pets and keep them separated from potential mates. The problem is exacerbated by ongoing relinquishment of companion animals, and the large populations of feral cats that continue to reproduce at alarming rates. This HRC primer summarizes the
available research regarding these and related issues.
2010-03-25
Earth Policy Institute;
Spring awakening has long provided fodder for poets, artists, and almanac writers. Even for a notoriously fickle time of sunshine, rain, and temperature swings, some old-fashioned seasonal wisdom was consistent enough to be passed down through generations. The first blooming of a specific flower, for example, could traditionally signal when to find certain fish running the rivers, when to hunt for mushrooms, or when to plant crops. The timing of such seasonal events is coordinated in an intricate dance -- a dance underappreciated, perhaps, until something jolts it out of step.
2002-02-01
Environmental and Energy Study Institute;
The Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, Population Action International, the Jane Goodall Institute, and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute co-hosted a Congressional briefing, entitled "Bushmeat and the Origin of HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Biodiversity, Population Pressures and Human Health." The AIDS epidemic is a global problem with challenging social implications and no easy solutions. In the United States and around the world, citizen groups and governments are rallying to help scientists find a cure for HIV/AIDS and encouraging widespread education about the disease. To date, over 60 million people have been infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), approximately five million more become infected each year, and over 20 million have died from the disease. In their quest to understand more about this deadly disease, researchers have sought to understand where it came from, and how humans contracted it. What they have discovered is that many answers about HIV and even the potential cure will most likely come from the same place as the original source of the disease -- from chimpanzees and a monkey called the sooty mangabey in the West Central African forests. Unfortunately, it is also becoming frighteningly clear that human actions and population pressures are destroying these forests and the species that inhabit them at alarming rates, which may have significant implications for human health.
2001-05-01
Environmental and Energy Study Institute;
The Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School; Wildlife Trust; the Consortium for Conservation Medicine; and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute hosted a Congressional briefing entitled "Wildlife and Human Diseases: Symptoms of Endangered Marine Ecosystems and Climate Change." The marine coastal environment is being subjected to increased pressure from residential, recreational, and commercial development. The combined effects of spills, leaks and accidents associated with oil extraction and transport further weakens coastal ecosystems leaving them vulnerable to injury. These disturbances, in conjunction with new stresses posed by climate change, is adversely affecting the health of marine life. An increase in disease among marine species raises significant concern on the part of scientists, environmental researchers, and policymakers who believe such events herald heightened risk to wildlife and humans.
2015-02-01
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission;
This publication documents the natural resources of the City of Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. There are descriptions, tables, and maps of: land use; soils; surface waters, including watersheds, streams, wetlands, and floodplains; land use/land cover and natural vegetation; threatened and endangered species; known contaminated sites; air quality; and climate.
