Animal Ethics

JANUARY 7, 2015

To the Editor: As Mark Bittman rightly notes, California’s new farm animal welfare law presages what is coming for all farm animal industries nationally (“ Hens, Unbound ,” column, Jan. The tiny cages and crates that confine about 90 percent of laying hens and more than 80 percent of gestating sows are both physically and mentally tormenting for the animals involved. Physically, the muscles and the bones of the animals atrophy from lack of use.

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 20, 2014

To the Editor: Once again people associated with the animal rights group PETA ( letter , June 19) have tried to disparage the commitment circuses have for animal care and conservation. Despite the claims made in the letter, circuses like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are dedicated to providing the very best of care for all our animals, especially the Asian elephant. Rather than adopt stringent United States animal care standards, which Ringling Bros.

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 18, 2014

To the Editor: Re “ Worry Under the Big Top as Mexico City Moves to Ban Circus Animals ” (news article, June 15): Mexico City joins the growing list of cities that have banned the exploitation of animals in circuses. Several countries, including Austria, Bolivia, Colombia, Greece, Peru, Britain and Paraguay, have already imposed or approved bans. Why is the United States lagging so far behind?

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Animal Ethics

MARCH 6, 2014

ELAINE SLOAN New York, March 4, 2014

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 2, 2013

Can We See Our Hypocrisy to Animals? by Nicholas D. Kristof

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 2, 2013

In Response to Nicholas D. Kristof''s column "Can We See Our Hypocrisy to Animals?"NYTimes NYTimes readers urge consistency in our treatment of and concern for animals here

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Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 9, 2009

It is the other way around, with grass-fed animals producing up to three times more methane. Peter Singer Geoff Russell Barry Brook New York, Nov. To the Editor: Nicolette Hahn Niman (“ The Carnivore’s Dilemma ,” Op-Ed, Oct. 31) is simply wrong in suggesting that grass-fed beef produces less methane than feed-lot meat.

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Critter News

SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

Tags: chimpanzees primates National Institutes of Health medical research new mexico

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Animal Ethics

JULY 12, 2010

Since California does not produce all the eggs it eats, this new law will have a wider effect on the industry; every producer who hopes to sell eggs in the state must meet its regulations. A Humane Egg The life of animals raised in confinement on industrial farms is slowly improving, thanks to pressure from consumers, animal rights advocates, farmers and legislators.

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Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

To the Editor: In “ Where Cows Are Happy and Food Is Healthy ” (column, Sept. 9), Nicholas D. Kristof describes “happy” cows that are loved “like children” by an organic dairy farmer. I applaud his recognition that cows are individual feeling beings that share with us the ability to experience happiness and contentment, fear and pain.

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Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

This holds true whether it is in the Democratic Republic of Congo or right here in New York City, where Cyrus R. To the Editor: Your reporting on the illegal ivory trade (“ Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory Fuels Wars and Profits ,” “The Price of Ivory” series, front page, Sept. 4) is a chilling reminder of just how high the stakes have become today for elephants in the wild.

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 21, 2012

To the Editor: “ Some in California Skirt a Ban on Foie Gras ” (news article, Aug. 13) might give readers the impression that California chefs are free to serve foie gras as a complimentary side dish and so evade the state ban on sales. Not so. When a diner pays money to a restaurant with the expectation that he or she will receive foie gras and then is served the dish, that constitutes a sale.

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Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 31, 2011

BRANIGAN President, Make Peace With Animals New Hope, Pa., To the Editor: In “ Hunting Deer With My Flintlock ” (Op-Ed, Dec. 26), Seamus McGraw says he has a responsibility to kill deer because there are too many. He has volunteered to kill a deer cruelly, ineptly and with an outdated weapon that causes additional suffering to the deer. I assume that the use of the flintlock is to enhance his self-image as a master of the woodland.

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Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 31, 2010

To the Editor: Re “ New Way to Help Chickens Cross to Other Side ” (front page, Oct. 22): PETA is proud to see that its hard work behind the scenes with Bell & Evans and other companies to encourage implementation of this new, less cruel form of slaughter is finally coming to fruition. Bell & Evans has heard them and set a new standard in the chicken-supply industry.

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Animal Ethics

JULY 19, 2011

CLAUDIA SILBERLICHT New York, July 13, 2011To the Editor: Re “ Egg Producers and Humane Society Urging Federal Standard on Hen Cages ” (Business Day, July 8): I’m a vegetarian who turned vegan after coming to terms with the fact that just because I was eating hormone-free, antibiotic-free, even free-range organic eggs didn’t mean that egg-producing hens were living a cruelty-free life. When I read your article, I was elated.

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Animal Ethics

JULY 5, 2011

To the Editor: Re “ When Fashion Meets Fishing, the Feathers Fly ” (front page, June 29), about a new trend of inserting fly fishing feathers in hair: If you wouldn’t walk around with a cat’s paw or a dog’s tail dangling from your hair, please don’t fall for the rooster feather fad either.

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 8, 2011

To the Editor: Re “ Hooked on Meat ,” by Mark Bittman (column, June 2): The other day, I asked the manager of our local chain grocery store why we were offered only Peruvian asparagus in the springtime. Remember when fresh, locally grown asparagus would come in? No longer. Why eat produce that has no flavor? Why not go next door and grab a salty, fatty burger in a bag? It’s so much easier. Why do we eat so much meat?

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 25, 2010

To the Editor: Re “ A Hen’s Space to Roost ” (Week in Review, Aug. 15): We are glad to see an article describing the intensive confinement of egg-laying chickens, but we disagree when it says that animal advocates and consumers are “driving big changes” in the treatment of chickens. Thus far, the state ballot initiatives and agreements that will expand space for chickens (as well as for gestating pigs and veal calves) are really very minor.

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 11, 2010

We believe our new legislation will pass constitutional muster. To the Editor: Re “ Disgusting but Not Illegal ” (editorial, Aug. 2): We disagree with your contention that the First Amendment protects animal “crush” videos. In United States v. Stevens , the Supreme Court last year overturned a 1999 law banning depictions of animal cruelty on the grounds of overbreadth. The justices were legitimately concerned that the law could impede valid speech.

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Animal Ethics

MARCH 31, 2011

To the Editor: Re “ Lost Cobra May Hide for Weeks, Zoo Says ” (news article, March 29): The sideshow atmosphere surrounding the lost cobra at the Bronx Zoo has yielded online hilarity and supplied material for late-night talk show hosts, but the zoo is never fun for the animals. By putting animals in zoos, you eliminate all that is natural to them; the zoo is where they live according to humans’ feeding and breeding regimens.

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Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 8, 2011

If they are, producers are subject to fines up to $37,500 per day under tough new federal regulations. To the Editor: Mark Bittman wants to outlaw confined livestock feeding operations because, he says, they harm the environment, torture animals and make meat less safe (“ A Food Manifesto for the Future ,” column, Feb. We take issue with him on all three points. Yes, there were a couple of highly publicized manure spills involving hog farms in the mid-1990s.

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Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

His new column offers hope for animals and help for people. To the Editor: Re “ A Food Manifesto for the Future ” (column, Feb. 2): Let us give thanks for Mark Bittman! He is speaking sensibly about one of the most important issues we face as a nation. Better food creates better health. And yet our government is perversely encouraging food habits that negatively affect our health and our environment.

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Animal Ethics

JANUARY 16, 2011

To the Editor: Re “ Snake Owners See Furry Bias in Invasive Species Proposal ” (news article, Jan. 9): The Fish and Wildlife Service is right to propose a ban on the sale of nine large constricting snakes for the pet trade. In addition to the effects of these invasive species on ecosystems, there are also compelling humane and public safety arguments for restricting trade.

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Animal Ethics

MARCH 30, 2010

To the Editor: Re “ Animal Abuse as Clue to Additional Cruelties ” (news article, March 18): As someone who deals with dozens of cruelty-to-animals cases every week, I applaud states that are imposing stricter penalties on people who hurt animals and that are working to establish online registries of animal abusers. Animal abusers are cowards who take their issues out on “easy victims”—and their targets often include their fellow humans.

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Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 21, 2010

To the Editor: Re “ Hero Dog From Afghan Base Is Killed by Mistake in Arizona ” (front page, Nov. 19): The story of Target, the Afghan hero dog, is truly heartbreaking. The important lesson, however, one that would add to Target’s legacy, is that all of us who love our dogs need to make sure that they have a tag and, even better, a microchip. This misadventure could have been avoided! Sandy Brenner Elkins, N.H., 19, 2010

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Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 4, 2010

To the Editor: Re “ Working to Keep a Heritage Relevant ” (news article, Sept. 26): The “heritage” of hunting will continue its decline into irrelevance and will eventually disappear. It is useful to dispel two myths. First, there is no “heritage” of hunting as it is practiced today. In the early days trappers and others hunted for survival. They would be appalled to see how their survival “heritage” has been transformed.

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 20, 2010

To the Editor: Re " A Hen's Space to Roost ” (Week in Review, Aug. 15): I have one very simple piece of advice for consumers interested in higher-quality eggs from humanely treated chickens: stop buying eggs at the grocery store. I distribute locally produced, free-range eggs from my home to a small group of friends, but these kinds of eggs are widely available through farmers' markets at prices that range from $2 to $3.50 a dozen.

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Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Alexander Mauskop New York, Nov. David Peters New York, Nov. Suffering and injustice are inherent in life, and time is short. To the Editor: Re “ Animal, Vegetable, Miserable ,” by Gary Steiner (Op-Ed, Nov. 22): Mr. Steiner might feel less lonely as an ethical vegan—he says he has just five vegan friends—if he recognized that he has allies in mere vegetarians (like me), ethical omnivores and even carnivores.

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Animal Ethics

JULY 21, 2010

The new law will cost American family farmers, and ultimately California consumers, hundreds of millions of dollars. So while The Times is to be commended for continuing to highlight the many terrible aspects of factory farms, including inhumane confinement practices, let’s not forget that because of the extraordinary consolidation and vertical integration of American agriculture over the last 60-plus years, American farmers are enduring extraordinary suffering as well.

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Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

Barry Rehfeld New York, Nov. To the Editor: Re “ The Carnivore’s Dilemma ,” by Nicolette Hahn Niman (Op-Ed, Oct. 31): Living “green” is not easy. Yes, every decision we make results in more or less of an impact on our environment. As a parent of young children, I have much to worry about regarding what my children eat—a balanced, wholesome diet, free from antibiotics, hormones or bacteria. Need we feel guilty about being carnivorous? The best advice Ms.

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Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 9, 2009

If the Nazi marchers and racist hate mongers “augmented” their activities with videos of graphic violence against Jews and blacks, would The New York Times rush to their defense on constitutional grounds? Mandelker New York, Oct. To the Editor: Re “ Animal Cruelty and Free Speech ” (editorial, Oct.

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Animal Ethics

JANUARY 17, 2010

To the Editor: Re “ More Perils of Ground Meat ” (editorial, Jan. 10): Instead of encouraging efforts to improve food safety, you demonize a company that had the courage to invest in innovative technology proved to be effective in reducing dangerous pathogens. The American food safety system is the highest standard in the world, and our ground beef is the safest.

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Animal Ethics

JANUARY 10, 2010

The United States Department of Agriculture has been broken for a long time, and it is clear that it cannot protect the American public from illness and death from contaminated meat products. 1, 2010 To the Editor: Your article gave a whole new meaning to “Where’s the Beef?” To the Editor: “ Company’s Record on Treatment of Beef Is Called Into Question ” (front page, Dec.

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Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

In the United States, we learned this lesson just in time to rescue our migratory waterfowl and other prized game species from oblivion at the beginning of the 20th century. To the Editor: “ Last Act for the Bluefin ” (editorial, Nov. 9) has it right. The bluefin tuna needs an immediate respite from all fishing. No wildlife species, especially a migratory one shared in common by many nations, can withstand commercial hunting without end.

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Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 11, 2008

To the Editor: Re “ From Hoof to Dinner Table, a New Bid to Cut Emissions ” (front page, Dec. 5, 2008 To the Editor: Kudos to The New York Times for covering the much-neglected connections between meat and climate change. With a new administration and agriculture secretary we can also hope that our leaders will also grasp that food and farming policy is climate change policy as well, and will make bold choices to ensure a healthier planet for all of us.

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Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 6, 2009

Is it any wonder that cynicism with regard to the efficacy of government is at an all-time high? To the Editor: Re “ The Burger That Shattered Her Life: Trail of E. Coli Shows Flaws in Ground Beef Inspection System ” (front page, Oct. 4): Your article about E.

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Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 26, 2009

To the Editor: Re “ A Free Speech Battle Arises From Videos of Fighting Dogs ” (front page, Sept. 19): The Supreme Court should reinstate a crucial 1999 federal law banning the commercial sale of videos depicting animal cruelty. In the 10 years that the law has been in place, it has been used only to stop people from selling videos of dogs tearing one another apart in organized dogfighting, the underlying crime now treated as a felony offense in every state.

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Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

To the Editor: It’s mind-boggling that in spite of overwhelming evidence that the consumption of animal products is directly responsible for a host of human diseases , greenhouse gas production and indescribable animal suffering, the general public continues to satiate its taste buds and support factory farming. Instead of complaining about it, we need to examine and revise our own diets. A plant-based diet is better for human health, the environment and, obviously, the animals.

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Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

New York’s protection of laborers should be a first step toward recognition of the other systemic abuses that occur on farms that, like the long-ignored rights of farm workers, have been constantly disregarded by legislators. To the Editor: The sentence in your Sept.

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Animal Ethics

JULY 15, 2009

Paying sharpshooters and using helicopters cannot possibly be less expensive than allowing North Dakota hunters to volunteer their time, at no cost, and to take the animal carcasses out of the park themselves—exactly the kind of solution Teddy Roosevelt would have wanted. To the Editor: Your editorial against my proposal to thin the elk herd in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (“ Elk Hunting in the Badlands ,” July 8) missed the mark in several key respects.

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Animal Ethics

JULY 7, 2009

To the Editor: In “Betraying the Planet” (column, June 29), Paul Krugman asserts that those of us who oppose government regulation to deal with climate change are committing “treason against the planet.” I think Mr. Krugman is committing treason against reasoned debate. One of the most compelling arguments against climate-change regulation is not that global warming isn’t occurring but, rather, that the dangers of further regulation far outweigh its likely benefits.

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 28, 2009

To the Editor: Thank you for Nicholas D. Kristof’s plea for food-policy reform (“ Lettuce From the Garden, With Worms ,” column, June 21). Though factory-style production worsens it, the root problem is animal use. Since using animals is cultural, not part of our biological nature or in any way necessary, animal use is by definition inhumane—unkind where we could as a society choose kind. It is inhumane to humans as well, E.

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 10, 2009

To the Editor: Re “ Greening the Herds: A New Diet to Cap Gas ” (news article, June 5): Your article about reducing methane emissions from dairy cows is welcome because of the attention it draws toward the substantial contribution that both beef and dairy cattle make to global warming. In stating that the heat-trapping ability of methane is 20 times that of carbon dioxide, however, your report significantly understates the size of the problem.

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