A growing U.S. population also demands a growing need for energy. It is lucky then, that the U.S. apparently has an abundant supply of natural gas. Most natural gas in the U.S. is not close to the surface, it is usually obscured by rocks, shale or coal. This is where hydraulic fracturing or "fracking"comes in. Fracking is a process of extracting natural gas through injecting water, proppants and chemicals down a well to fracture the rock and shale so that the gas escapes through the cracks and can be collected.
This sounds harmless, but is it?
First concern is the chemicals being injected into the well which include: hydrochloric acid, peroxydisulfates, gluteraldehyde, sodium or potassium carbonate, acetic acid, methanol, ammonium bisulfate, sodium acrylate-acrylamide copolymer, polyacrylamide (PAM), petroleum distillates, ammonium chloride, ethylene glycol, polyacrylate, isopropanol and ethoxylated alcohol. The oil and gas industry state that the chemical component of the tracking fluid is between 0.5-2% of the total volume of fluid. This doesn't sound like much but when they pump millions of gallons of this fluid into the ground the chemical build-up is somewhere between 80-330 tons. The fluid does not stay in the well, there are frequent flowbacks and blowouts where the fluid is pushed back up to the surface. This fluid, it is believed, contaminates ground water in the surrounding areas (there is currently not much proof since no in-depth studies have been done to determine the effects of fracking fluid leaching into ground water). However, a 2011 report by MIT stated that there was evidence of natural gas migration into fresh water supplies most likely caused by substandard fracking wells. A 2011 Duke University study also raised concerns about explosion hazards due to the common build up of methane gas in fracking wells.
The New York Times reported on the discovery of radiation in the fracking wastewater which is processed through water treatment plants. However, water treatment plants do not test for radioactivity and are not equipped to remove radioactive elements from the water, so much of the radioactive elements remain in the water and are pumped back into the water supply.
Elevated levels of Iodine-131 was found in Philadelphia's drinking water a chemical that has been linked to thyroid cancer. Iodine-131 is a radioactive tracer used in hydraulic fracturing and Philadelphia is down river from shale fracking operations.
Second concern is the geological stability of the disposal of fracking fluid. On Christmas Eve and New Years Eve 2011, Youngstown, Ohio experienced a 2.7 and a 4.0 earthquake - a very rare occurrence. However, in 2011 Youngstown, Ohio has seen an increase in earthquakes with nine seismic events from March-November 2011. Concerned about the increase in geologic instability, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in November 2011 asked Columbia University's Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) to place mobile seismographs in the vicinity to better determine what was going on.
The study found that the likely cause of the quakes was due to fracking wastewater being injected into the ground. Apparently, the fluid created lubrication between two abutting rock faces and caused slippage along the rock boundary. The geological instability from the waste water pumping will be felt for at least another year even if no more water is pumped into the ground. Ohio has suspended this practice pending a full investigation.
Most of this evidence is circumstantial, however, it is compelling considering that many of these occurrences have been increasing in intensity and frequency since the fracking boom began five or six years ago. The practice of fracking should be investigated and scientifically tested by independent observers to ascertain if it can be done safely without environmental degradation. Of course, the best thing to do is to put more investment into developing energy that is not dependent on fossil fuels, since this is the only truly sustainable path forward.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
GM crops and the butterfly effect
For years naturalists and scientists alike have observed the decline of the monarch butterfly, honey bees and bumble bees and wondered why their populations were declining so rapidly. Recent studies have found that the current global phenomenon of pollinator decline is largely due to genetically modified crops.
GM crops have been widely used in the United States since 1996 with corporations like Monsanto and Bayer leading the introduction of seeds to farmers that have been modified on the molecular level. This is not the traditional method of cross breading to form hybrid plant species. The new generation of genetic manipulation is done by taking genes from one plant that may not be even remotely similar to the crop plant and injecting it into the plant tissue of a seed or by infecting the seeds with a bacteria that carries the new DNA, stimulating the seed to accept the new genetic material.
The Monsanto seeds have also been treated with their special blend of herbicides and supplied to corn farmers in the United States mid-western region. These "round-up ready" seeds have been linked directly to the decline in monarch butterfly populations in the past fifteen years. Monarch butterflies are dependent on one type of plant to reproduce, the milkweed plant. They only lay their eggs on these plants, and their caterpillars only eat the leaves of these plants. The milkweed is vital to a healthy monarch butterfly population and until the late 1990's corn fields and the surrounding areas were abundant with milkweed. But, being a weed, this plant has nearly disappeared from the mid-western United States since these weed resistant crops were introduced, endangering the survival of the iconic monarch butterfly. Read more about these studies here.
Bayer has been supplying seeds to farmers infused with neonicotinoid pesticides so that the plant itself has a pesticide built into its vascular system. This pesticide stays with the plant even during pollination, which is lethal to pollinators such as bees and butterflies. During planting and pollination, neonicotinoid pesticide is released, bees carry the neonic-infused pollen back to their hives which damages their immune systems and homing abilities. This makes them more susceptible to mites which have long been suspected as being the culprit for the bee population decline. Read more about these new studies here.
What is particularly disturbing is that the FDA blindly accepted scientific research that was funded by Bayer into the effects of the Bayer seeds and approved its usage without an independent study or doing its own research. Similarly, the USDA is speeding up the approval process of newly genetically modified plants for the competitive advantage of companies like Monsanto and DuPont, possibly at the risk of the health of people and the ecosystem. Read more here.
What many supporters of genetically modified crops say, is that due to the modifications, we are able to grow more crops and have less losses due to pests. This is somewhat true, crop yields have risen but we may only be postponing the problem. The EPA has recently found that Monsanto's "roundup ready" corn has become inadequate in dealing with rootworm. The worms have evolved to be immune to the pesticide laden plants. Read more here.
Given that our food supply is dependent on these pollinators, and that the genetically modified crops are the likely cause of their decline, the higher crop yields may only be a temporary boon to our food supply issues. If the decline of insect pollinators continues, genetically modified crops will no longer be the answer to our food security. What should be happening is more laboratory testing of real world conditions to see the full ramifications of these genetic manipulations. But, what has happened is the influence of big business and the agriculture lobby in Washington has bypassed good science and rushed headlong into using an unproven technology, one that could have a devastating effect on the future of our food supply.
The reason for needing higher crop yields are obvious. We are an exploding population of 7 billion, with a projected 9 billion by 2060. We urgently need to curb our population growth. Nine billion people on this planet is not sustainable and continuing on this path will put unprecedented pressures on the environment and all of the living things that share this world with us. Industrialized and genetically modified farming is a byproduct of our overpopulation crisis. If we address the overpopulation issue, genetically engineering crops and producing stronger insecticides may not be necessary.
The ecosystem is a dependent web of interactions between organisms. One cannot expect to meddle with one thing (like genetically modifying crops or allowing human overpopulation) and expect that this will not have larger unforeseen consequences later on. We are not omniscient, we cannot possibly work out all of the variables in such a complex system such as the ecosystems on this planet. The best we can do is try to find a balance with our environment, our existence is dependent on it.
GM crops have been widely used in the United States since 1996 with corporations like Monsanto and Bayer leading the introduction of seeds to farmers that have been modified on the molecular level. This is not the traditional method of cross breading to form hybrid plant species. The new generation of genetic manipulation is done by taking genes from one plant that may not be even remotely similar to the crop plant and injecting it into the plant tissue of a seed or by infecting the seeds with a bacteria that carries the new DNA, stimulating the seed to accept the new genetic material.
The Monsanto seeds have also been treated with their special blend of herbicides and supplied to corn farmers in the United States mid-western region. These "round-up ready" seeds have been linked directly to the decline in monarch butterfly populations in the past fifteen years. Monarch butterflies are dependent on one type of plant to reproduce, the milkweed plant. They only lay their eggs on these plants, and their caterpillars only eat the leaves of these plants. The milkweed is vital to a healthy monarch butterfly population and until the late 1990's corn fields and the surrounding areas were abundant with milkweed. But, being a weed, this plant has nearly disappeared from the mid-western United States since these weed resistant crops were introduced, endangering the survival of the iconic monarch butterfly. Read more about these studies here.
Bayer has been supplying seeds to farmers infused with neonicotinoid pesticides so that the plant itself has a pesticide built into its vascular system. This pesticide stays with the plant even during pollination, which is lethal to pollinators such as bees and butterflies. During planting and pollination, neonicotinoid pesticide is released, bees carry the neonic-infused pollen back to their hives which damages their immune systems and homing abilities. This makes them more susceptible to mites which have long been suspected as being the culprit for the bee population decline. Read more about these new studies here.
What is particularly disturbing is that the FDA blindly accepted scientific research that was funded by Bayer into the effects of the Bayer seeds and approved its usage without an independent study or doing its own research. Similarly, the USDA is speeding up the approval process of newly genetically modified plants for the competitive advantage of companies like Monsanto and DuPont, possibly at the risk of the health of people and the ecosystem. Read more here.
What many supporters of genetically modified crops say, is that due to the modifications, we are able to grow more crops and have less losses due to pests. This is somewhat true, crop yields have risen but we may only be postponing the problem. The EPA has recently found that Monsanto's "roundup ready" corn has become inadequate in dealing with rootworm. The worms have evolved to be immune to the pesticide laden plants. Read more here.
Given that our food supply is dependent on these pollinators, and that the genetically modified crops are the likely cause of their decline, the higher crop yields may only be a temporary boon to our food supply issues. If the decline of insect pollinators continues, genetically modified crops will no longer be the answer to our food security. What should be happening is more laboratory testing of real world conditions to see the full ramifications of these genetic manipulations. But, what has happened is the influence of big business and the agriculture lobby in Washington has bypassed good science and rushed headlong into using an unproven technology, one that could have a devastating effect on the future of our food supply.
The reason for needing higher crop yields are obvious. We are an exploding population of 7 billion, with a projected 9 billion by 2060. We urgently need to curb our population growth. Nine billion people on this planet is not sustainable and continuing on this path will put unprecedented pressures on the environment and all of the living things that share this world with us. Industrialized and genetically modified farming is a byproduct of our overpopulation crisis. If we address the overpopulation issue, genetically engineering crops and producing stronger insecticides may not be necessary.
The ecosystem is a dependent web of interactions between organisms. One cannot expect to meddle with one thing (like genetically modifying crops or allowing human overpopulation) and expect that this will not have larger unforeseen consequences later on. We are not omniscient, we cannot possibly work out all of the variables in such a complex system such as the ecosystems on this planet. The best we can do is try to find a balance with our environment, our existence is dependent on it.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Animal slavery
I have previously discussed the issues of animal abuse and the enslavement of animals but only from the intrinsic point of view - namely that their incarceration impedes their natural development, behavior and in some cases even facilitates their extinction.
This is a moral argument based purely on what is right. We should consider our actions before, during and after we commit them. To weigh all the information and not merely act on our appetites or justify these appetites with sophistry. Plato and Socrates both argued against the belief that "might makes right" - that just because we can do something does not mean we should. The belief in "might makes right" usually ends with an abuse of power whether it is directed toward other fellow humans or animals.
What has recently surfaced, is another equally powerful argument against animal imprisonment, based on the law. In October 2011, PETA accompanied by marine biologists and former orca trainers, filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. and SeaWorld LLC. The lawsuit asks a federal court to find the capture of five wild orcas (killer whales) and their subsequent use as performance animals to be unconstitutional under the 13th amendment of the constitution. This is a landmark case as it is the first lawsuit to challenge animal captivity as being in violation of anti-slavery laws.
The 13th amendment was ratified after the civil war making slavery and involuntary servitude unconstitutional and illegal. Article XIII states:
It is an interesting argument, as there are many parallels between the slavery of the past and the current non-human slavery that is prevalent today. First, this case is arguing that wild animals should not be forcefully removed from their natural environment and forced into involuntary servitude, in this case as entertainment for people. This is originally how human slavery began in the United States. People were forcefully removed from their native lands in Africa and bought in the U.S. to perform involuntary servitude through threats of violence and their lives. These people were separated from families, abused and made to perform hard labor against their will. They were prevented from actualizing their potential.
Second, These orcas are not viewed as living, breathing beings. To their captors, they are "property" this is reminiscent of the 19th century arguments for the continuation of slavery. Slaves were not considered people, but property which the owner could treat how they saw fit. This is exactly how non-human animals are treated today, as tools or property.
These orcas who were wild, then caught and made to perform for entertainment, forced to live in small tanks, live in unnatural environments that curtail their physical and mental well being and are subjected to artificial insemination for the benefit of their captors - the concern is that these conditions are against their will, which is the basic definition of slavery. These highly intelligent creatures are not given the choice between freedom or servitude, they are forced into an unnatural existence.
Please contact the company that owns Sea World and let them know you do not support slavery in any form and their actions toward animals must cease. For more information on the court case filed on behalf of the orcas of Sea World go here.
As always, our collective voices can make change happen. We can also elect not to support practices we do not agree with by not patronizing companies that act immorally.
This is a moral argument based purely on what is right. We should consider our actions before, during and after we commit them. To weigh all the information and not merely act on our appetites or justify these appetites with sophistry. Plato and Socrates both argued against the belief that "might makes right" - that just because we can do something does not mean we should. The belief in "might makes right" usually ends with an abuse of power whether it is directed toward other fellow humans or animals.
What has recently surfaced, is another equally powerful argument against animal imprisonment, based on the law. In October 2011, PETA accompanied by marine biologists and former orca trainers, filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. and SeaWorld LLC. The lawsuit asks a federal court to find the capture of five wild orcas (killer whales) and their subsequent use as performance animals to be unconstitutional under the 13th amendment of the constitution. This is a landmark case as it is the first lawsuit to challenge animal captivity as being in violation of anti-slavery laws.
The 13th amendment was ratified after the civil war making slavery and involuntary servitude unconstitutional and illegal. Article XIII states:
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.As you can see, the amendment, like most of the constitution, is broad and for good reason. The authors of the constitution, the bill of rights and many of the amendments wanted this document to be flexible enough to change with the inevitable change that comes with progress. This amendment makes no specific mention of humans or people, and it is because of this the lawsuit can be filed.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
It is an interesting argument, as there are many parallels between the slavery of the past and the current non-human slavery that is prevalent today. First, this case is arguing that wild animals should not be forcefully removed from their natural environment and forced into involuntary servitude, in this case as entertainment for people. This is originally how human slavery began in the United States. People were forcefully removed from their native lands in Africa and bought in the U.S. to perform involuntary servitude through threats of violence and their lives. These people were separated from families, abused and made to perform hard labor against their will. They were prevented from actualizing their potential.
Second, These orcas are not viewed as living, breathing beings. To their captors, they are "property" this is reminiscent of the 19th century arguments for the continuation of slavery. Slaves were not considered people, but property which the owner could treat how they saw fit. This is exactly how non-human animals are treated today, as tools or property.
These orcas who were wild, then caught and made to perform for entertainment, forced to live in small tanks, live in unnatural environments that curtail their physical and mental well being and are subjected to artificial insemination for the benefit of their captors - the concern is that these conditions are against their will, which is the basic definition of slavery. These highly intelligent creatures are not given the choice between freedom or servitude, they are forced into an unnatural existence.
Please contact the company that owns Sea World and let them know you do not support slavery in any form and their actions toward animals must cease. For more information on the court case filed on behalf of the orcas of Sea World go here.
As always, our collective voices can make change happen. We can also elect not to support practices we do not agree with by not patronizing companies that act immorally.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Exotic Animal Farms
On October 18, Terry Thompson released 56 wild exotic animals from his farm in Zanesville Ohio, then committed suicide. The unfortunate incident that followed left 48 animals killed by local law enforcement including 18 endangered Bengal tigers, 17 lions and eight bears. The local law enforcement were untrained and unprepared to properly engage and trap these wild animals and so killing them became the easiest way to deal with the situation.
Mr. Thompson had numerous complaints against him for animal cruelty. In 2004, he was charged with animal cruelty by the local authorities. He had been reported to the USDA in 2008 and 2009 for animal mistreatment and neglect. The USDA decided they did not have jurisdiction and could not act in this matter.
Beyond the animal cruelty and neglect issues is the fact that these animals were wild and in some cases endangered. No one should own these animals as pets. Owning them not only impedes their natural growth and behavior, it also removes their ability to procreate. Removing these animals from their natural habitats is unjust not only because they are wild and are incarcerated, but is also facilitating their extinction. There are only approximately 2,500 Bengal Tigers left in the wild, so the loss of even one is heartbreaking.
Currently, nine states do not have any regulations or rules on exotic pet ownership. There is virtually no oversight on treatment of these animals and no guidelines in place for limits on their trade and ownership. People can own as many tigers and lions as they want with no regard to the animal's welfare or the public safety.
Please join with me in telling the governors of these states that owning a wild animal is unacceptable, not only because it is unjust to the animal but because it endangers people living near these animal zoos.
You can contact the governors of the individual states yourself:
http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx
http://walker.wi.gov/
http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.governor.sc.gov/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/
http://gov.nv.gov/
http://governor.mo.gov/
http://gov.idaho.gov/
http://www.alabama.gov/sliverheader/Welcome.do?url=http://governor.alabama.gov/contact.aspx
Mr. Thompson had numerous complaints against him for animal cruelty. In 2004, he was charged with animal cruelty by the local authorities. He had been reported to the USDA in 2008 and 2009 for animal mistreatment and neglect. The USDA decided they did not have jurisdiction and could not act in this matter.
Beyond the animal cruelty and neglect issues is the fact that these animals were wild and in some cases endangered. No one should own these animals as pets. Owning them not only impedes their natural growth and behavior, it also removes their ability to procreate. Removing these animals from their natural habitats is unjust not only because they are wild and are incarcerated, but is also facilitating their extinction. There are only approximately 2,500 Bengal Tigers left in the wild, so the loss of even one is heartbreaking.
Currently, nine states do not have any regulations or rules on exotic pet ownership. There is virtually no oversight on treatment of these animals and no guidelines in place for limits on their trade and ownership. People can own as many tigers and lions as they want with no regard to the animal's welfare or the public safety.
Please join with me in telling the governors of these states that owning a wild animal is unacceptable, not only because it is unjust to the animal but because it endangers people living near these animal zoos.
You can contact the governors of the individual states yourself:
http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx
http://walker.wi.gov/
http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.governor.sc.gov/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/
http://gov.nv.gov/
http://governor.mo.gov/
http://gov.idaho.gov/
http://www.alabama.gov/sliverheader/Welcome.do?url=http://governor.alabama.gov/contact.aspx
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Concerning the death penalty
The recent headlines of the Troy Davis case has brought the issue of the death penalty to the forefront of American debate over crime and punishment.
Brief details of the Troy Davis case
August 18, 1989: off duty police officer Mark MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia. He responded to a nearby disturbance where a homeless man was being beaten by another man. MacPhail was shot and killed while responding to the incident. No physical evidence from the crime was retrieved, apart from the bullets and shell casings, which were determined to have come from a .38-caliber pistol. Witnesses to the shooting agreed that a man in a white shirt had struck the homeless man and then shot MacPhail.
The following day, Redd Coles went to the police. He told them that he had seen Davis with a .38-caliber gun, and that Davis had pistol whipped the homeless man and shot MacPhail. Davis held a permit for a .38 caliber gun.
In the 1991 trial, nine eye witnesses testified they saw Troy Davis beat the homeless man and shoot MacPhail. In this same trial, it was revealed that Redd Coles also owned a .38 caliber gun, a lead that was never pursued by law enforcement. Davis was convicted for the murder of Mark MacPhail and sentenced to death on August 30, 1991.
During the appeal process, seven of the nine eye witnesses recanted their testimony and complained of police coercion and intimidation during the suspect identification process. Four of the witnesses implicated Redd Coles as the shooter in their revised statements, including Larry Young, the homeless man who had been assaulted the night of the murder.
After 22 years of appeals and pleas Troy Davis was put to death on September 21, 2011.
The problems with eye witness testimony
In the 1970's an experiment was conducted to assess the effect 3rd party suggestions have on people forming "false facts" in their memories. Here is an except from the experiment:
"Subjects were shown a slide of a car at an intersection with either a yield sign or a stop sign. Experimenters asked participants questions, falsely introducing the term "stop sign" into the question instead of referring to the yield sign participants had actually seen. Similarly, experimenters falsely substituted the term "yield sign" in questions directed to participants who had actually seen the stop sign slide. The results indicated that subjects remembered seeing the false image. In the initial part of the experiment, subjects also viewed a slide showing a car accident. Some subjects were later asked how fast the cars were traveling when they "hit" each other, others were asked how fast the cars were traveling when they "smashed" into each other. Those subjects questioned using the word "smashed" were more likely to report having seen broken glass in the original slide. The introduction of false cues altered participants’ memories."
The way an eye witness is questioned can introduce bias to their recollections and also aide in "false facts" In addition, a person under stress and fear at the scene of the crime may not have seen all the details or remembered the event exactly as it happened.
Other evidence that eye witness testimony is unreliable is the fact that 75% of DNA exonerations were cases where the conviction was heavily based on eye witness testimony. " At least 40% of these eyewitness identifications involved a cross racial identification (race data is currently only available on the victim, not for non-victim eyewitnesses). Studies have shown that people are less able to recognize faces of a different race than their own." You can read more here.
CBS recently aired a story on eyewitness testimony and wrongful convictions.
Considering these studies, the fact that Troy Davis' case was largely based on eyewitness testimony, and the majority of eyewitnesses recanted their testimony - Troy Davis' sentence should have been at least commuted to life in prison.
The concept of the death penalty
The death penalty as a crime deterrent is an erroneous argument at best. Approximately 54% of murders occur due to alcohol intoxication, most other murders are committed out of extreme emotional incompetency or stress (fear, anger, passion, mental handicap). In these diminished cognitive states, the perpetrator cannot clearly think about the consequences of their actions. They commit the murder within a matter of seconds with no time for reflection and many times without the cognitive ability to do so. At these pivotal moments they are unable to see that the consequence might mean the death penalty.
In the United States, there are 14 states that do not have a death penalty statute and these states have some of the lowest murder rates in the country. In fact, the states that employ the death penalty the most have the highest murder rates in the country. Find statistics here. The largest percentage of executions occur in the southern states. One can draw a correlation between murder rate and poverty level since most of the states with high murder rate also have a high poverty rate. The natural conclusion would be, to deter murders, the states should spend their time and resources on education and social reforms to alleviate poverty ergo causing the murder rate to decrease.
The death penalty as justice. Justice is defined as: the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness and guided by truth, reason, and fairness. Justice does not mean an eye for an eye, or do unto others as they have done to you. The usage of this word in the context of the law and especially as it pertains to the death penalty is largely interchangeable with the word revenge. What many families seek is revenge, they lost someone and the person they think caused their pain should be punished vindictively and put to death.
One cannot cure a disease by treating the symptoms, the root cause must be addressed. There are strong indications that violent crime, including murder, are related to poverty levels and social inequality. If governments and society at large want to solve violent crime problems they must address the conditions that cause it. Building more prisons, and electrocuting and injecting people with lethal drugs does not solve the problem, it only perpetuates it.
Brief details of the Troy Davis case
August 18, 1989: off duty police officer Mark MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia. He responded to a nearby disturbance where a homeless man was being beaten by another man. MacPhail was shot and killed while responding to the incident. No physical evidence from the crime was retrieved, apart from the bullets and shell casings, which were determined to have come from a .38-caliber pistol. Witnesses to the shooting agreed that a man in a white shirt had struck the homeless man and then shot MacPhail.
The following day, Redd Coles went to the police. He told them that he had seen Davis with a .38-caliber gun, and that Davis had pistol whipped the homeless man and shot MacPhail. Davis held a permit for a .38 caliber gun.
In the 1991 trial, nine eye witnesses testified they saw Troy Davis beat the homeless man and shoot MacPhail. In this same trial, it was revealed that Redd Coles also owned a .38 caliber gun, a lead that was never pursued by law enforcement. Davis was convicted for the murder of Mark MacPhail and sentenced to death on August 30, 1991.
During the appeal process, seven of the nine eye witnesses recanted their testimony and complained of police coercion and intimidation during the suspect identification process. Four of the witnesses implicated Redd Coles as the shooter in their revised statements, including Larry Young, the homeless man who had been assaulted the night of the murder.
After 22 years of appeals and pleas Troy Davis was put to death on September 21, 2011.
The problems with eye witness testimony
In the 1970's an experiment was conducted to assess the effect 3rd party suggestions have on people forming "false facts" in their memories. Here is an except from the experiment:
"Subjects were shown a slide of a car at an intersection with either a yield sign or a stop sign. Experimenters asked participants questions, falsely introducing the term "stop sign" into the question instead of referring to the yield sign participants had actually seen. Similarly, experimenters falsely substituted the term "yield sign" in questions directed to participants who had actually seen the stop sign slide. The results indicated that subjects remembered seeing the false image. In the initial part of the experiment, subjects also viewed a slide showing a car accident. Some subjects were later asked how fast the cars were traveling when they "hit" each other, others were asked how fast the cars were traveling when they "smashed" into each other. Those subjects questioned using the word "smashed" were more likely to report having seen broken glass in the original slide. The introduction of false cues altered participants’ memories."
The way an eye witness is questioned can introduce bias to their recollections and also aide in "false facts" In addition, a person under stress and fear at the scene of the crime may not have seen all the details or remembered the event exactly as it happened.
Other evidence that eye witness testimony is unreliable is the fact that 75% of DNA exonerations were cases where the conviction was heavily based on eye witness testimony. " At least 40% of these eyewitness identifications involved a cross racial identification (race data is currently only available on the victim, not for non-victim eyewitnesses). Studies have shown that people are less able to recognize faces of a different race than their own." You can read more here.
CBS recently aired a story on eyewitness testimony and wrongful convictions.
Considering these studies, the fact that Troy Davis' case was largely based on eyewitness testimony, and the majority of eyewitnesses recanted their testimony - Troy Davis' sentence should have been at least commuted to life in prison.
The concept of the death penalty
The death penalty as a crime deterrent is an erroneous argument at best. Approximately 54% of murders occur due to alcohol intoxication, most other murders are committed out of extreme emotional incompetency or stress (fear, anger, passion, mental handicap). In these diminished cognitive states, the perpetrator cannot clearly think about the consequences of their actions. They commit the murder within a matter of seconds with no time for reflection and many times without the cognitive ability to do so. At these pivotal moments they are unable to see that the consequence might mean the death penalty.
In the United States, there are 14 states that do not have a death penalty statute and these states have some of the lowest murder rates in the country. In fact, the states that employ the death penalty the most have the highest murder rates in the country. Find statistics here. The largest percentage of executions occur in the southern states. One can draw a correlation between murder rate and poverty level since most of the states with high murder rate also have a high poverty rate. The natural conclusion would be, to deter murders, the states should spend their time and resources on education and social reforms to alleviate poverty ergo causing the murder rate to decrease.
The death penalty as justice. Justice is defined as: the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness and guided by truth, reason, and fairness. Justice does not mean an eye for an eye, or do unto others as they have done to you. The usage of this word in the context of the law and especially as it pertains to the death penalty is largely interchangeable with the word revenge. What many families seek is revenge, they lost someone and the person they think caused their pain should be punished vindictively and put to death.
One cannot cure a disease by treating the symptoms, the root cause must be addressed. There are strong indications that violent crime, including murder, are related to poverty levels and social inequality. If governments and society at large want to solve violent crime problems they must address the conditions that cause it. Building more prisons, and electrocuting and injecting people with lethal drugs does not solve the problem, it only perpetuates it.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Dirty tactics for dirtier air, water and land
Right now the House is preparing spending bills for 2012 for the operations of the federal government. House Republicans are attempting to attach anti-environmental provisions to these bills that are not related to spending. The provisions are meant to relax environmental standards that have been in place for decades in order to increase profits for the coal industry, power companies, chemical companies and oil companies. These provisions are called "riders" because they are attached to major legislation or in this case spending bills so that policies can be changed without having to stand on their own in a floor vote. Here is a short list of the "riders" currently being proposed in the Interior and Environment appropration:
Land
(Sec. 437) offered by Rep. Simpson would permanently limit the ability of citizens to challenge Forest Service land use decisions in the courts.
(Sec. 118) offered by Rep. Simpson would make it more difficult to challenge DOI land use decisions in the courts. (Sec. 447) offered by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) would prohibit EPA from modifying, suspending, or cancelling pesticide registrations because of endangered species impacts.
(Sec. 119) offered by Rep. Simpson would permanently prohibit the courts from reviewing any delisting of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act in Wyoming and in the upper Midwest.(Sec. 445) offered by Rep. Simpson would permanently prevent the DOI and the Forest Service from declaring lands near the Grand Canyon off limits for uranium mining.
Wildlife
(Sec. 503) would prevent the EPA from implementing any measures recommended by federal wildlife experts to protect endangered species from toxic pesticides. This would spell disaster for species, including Pacific Salmon, that are already on the brink of extinction due to pesticides and other harms.Air
(Sec. 462) offered by Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) would delay the EPA from limiting toxic pollution from power plants and delay the EPA from limiting cross-state air pollution.(Sec. 453) offered by Rep. Steve Austria (R-OH) would block the EPA from setting new mileage standards for cars and from allowing California to do so.
(Sec. 443) offered by Rep. Simpson would permanently weaken regulation of air pollution from offshore oil and gas drilling activities, particularly in Alaska. Among other things, the provision exempts certain sources of air pollution from the Clean Air Act.(Sec. 431) offered by Rep. Simpson would prevent the EPA from limiting carbon pollution from power plants and other stationary sources.
Water
(Title V) offered by Rep. Simpson wouldpermanently exempt pesticide application from the Clean Water Act.(Sec. 434) offered by Rep. Simpson would block the EPA from strengthening oversight of coal ash disposal. The EPA was acting in response to the massive release of toxic coal wastes in Tennessee in 2010.
(Sec. 432) offered by Rep. Simpson would block the Department of Interior (DOI) from enforcing safeguards designed to protect streams from pollution from surface coal mining.These hitchhikers should ethically not be affixed to appropriations or budget bills. These proposals are added stealthily to bills in hopes that most Americans will not see their rights being taken away from them. These "riders" do not have to be debated on the floor and usually do not leave the closed door committee discussions. So protections and rights of Americans are quietly taken away without any public discourse on the issues. Organizations like the EPA and Forestry Department are meant to ensure we have safeguards that protect our health and our national parks for future generations to enjoy.
If these House Representatives truly believe these proposals are good policy decisions why not propose one bill with all these policy changes and bring it to the floor for debate and a vote. Bring it all out in the open so all the Representatives can examine the content of these provisions and the American public can see the actions of their elected representatives. They probably do not want their constituents to see that these proposals are meant to increase profits for their campaign contributors and large corporations at the risk of people's health.
Rep Mike Simpson (R-ID) campaign contributions from: FMC Corp (pesticide manufacturer), IDACORP Inc (holdings in power companies), CH2M HILL, (partnering with chemical and power companies) See more here
Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) campaign contributions from: FMC Corp (pesticide manufacturer), Arch Coal (the nation's second largest coal producer), Marathon Oil, Anadarko Petroleum, Alpha Natural Resources (another coal producer) See more here
Also visit these sites to sign petitions:
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Exporting the suffering and slaughter of horses
This year 100,000 horses will be shipped from the USA to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered for human consumption in parts of Asia and Europe.
Warning! The video below has graphic content, viewer discretion is advised.
Horses are viewed in the U.S. as being more like pets and companions, consuming them is largely taboo. Banning American horse slaughter houses (abattoirs) in 2007 was largely fueled by pressure on local municipalities from their constituents. This action, which had the best of intentions, caused horse meat exporters to move their operations just across the border to Mexico and Canada. The horses are packed into metal shipping containers and transported thousands of miles in over-crowded conditions, abused and then slaughtered the same way cows are: stunned with a captive bolt gun then their neck is slit and they bleed to death. Of course, this is if things go according to plan and run smoothly. But, there are many cases where the horse is not stunned when its throat is cut and a recent report from PETA shows a horse so frightened it rears up and tries to escape before being tied up and killed.
Supply and demand
Most of the horses sent to slaughter are used up race horses. They are usually still full of vitality and are not injured or lame. However, they are not in their racing prime - so owners sell them at auctions, most of them end up in slaughter houses. It is reported that even Kentucky Derby winners such as Ferdinand were sold to slaughterhouses. A racehorse typically races for two years during its racing prime then is either used as a stud for a few years and then sent to a slaughterhouse after it has outlived its usefulness or is sent directly to slaughter at the tender age of five. With the horse racing industry being worth $115 billion and 125 horse tracks operating in the United States alone, there is a large supply of unwanted horses.
In parts of Europe and Asia, horse meat is considered a delicacy and fetches roughly $20 a pound in the market. The demand is high enough to warrant the slaughter of almost 5 million horses per year for human consumption in countries such as China, Italy, France and Japan. These animals are treated no differently to other animals raised for slaughter; they are housed in dirty crowded conditions with little space to move, abused by handlers and slaughterhouse workers, then eventually killed.
The right thing to do
It seems incredible that humans have developed the ability to communicate across the globe, cure innumerable diseases, and travel beyond the Earth, but have held on to archaic, barbaric practices. How can we continue to justify to ourselves that using animals for our entertainment and causing them intense anguish is okay or that we do it because we have the "power" over these creatures? Even if you want to make a Judeo-Christian religious argument for treatment of animals, on the grounds that God gave humans dominion over animals, it does not give permission to torture animals or slaughter them in massive numbers. It would seem to me the Christian God is a creator and any creation from such an entity should be respected.
We have within us the knowledge and virtue of justice, a uniquely human attribute. Our sense of justice and our consciousness endows us with the ability to see the consequences of our actions - for example, the unjust nature of slavery and torture of any creature - and rectify our behavior. To live our lives in perpetual ignorance and seek only what brings us pleasure, disregarding the pain and suffering of others, is base and ignores what it means to be human.
In the U.S., Contact your Representative or Senator and tell them to support legislation: S. 1176: American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011, now circulating in the Senate to ban the export of live horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
Withholding your monetary support for horse racing and signing petitions will also help to curb the supply of horses to the international horse meat industry.
Here is another petition
Petition in Australia
Petition in Ireland
Petition in EU
In the U.S., there are also multiple organizations that facilitate the rehabilitation and adoption of race horses here are a few:
http://www.horseadoption.com/
http://www.racehorsereclaim.com/
http://www.canterusa.org/
http://www.rerun.org/
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