Humane Education Issues in the News...

Each week we post links to news about relevant humane issues, ways that people all over the world are manifesting humane education & humane living, and items that provide excellent material for discussing humane issues, from human rights to environmental preservation, to animal protection, to media and culture.



Can green schools be created effectively and cost efficiently? – The Guardian (UK) (12/08)
”Ultimately, says Keith Papa, architect director at BDP, it is how people use their new buildings that will make the difference. ‘The only way you'll get a zero-carbon school is by changing the habits of teachers and students, it's not just about reducing the carbon footprint of the buildings.’”

One community working toward sustainability & self-sufficiency - Orion (November/December 2008)
”The co-op’s explicit economic goal is to provide alternatives to the Central American Free Trade Agreement and demonstrate how communities can be less vulnerable to the negative effects of globalization.”

Toy industry ethics questioned in the news - Ethics Newsline (12/8/08)
”CNN reports that one in three toys tested by an independent lab shows traces of toxic substances such as lead, flame retardants, and arsenic. The researchers at the Michigan-based Ecology Center tested more than 1,500 popular toys and claim that a third show ‘medium’ or ‘high’ levels of adulterants.”

The high cost of eating animals – Guardian (UK) (12/7/08)
”The story of Ramírez's home village of Minga Porá is familiar in South America. It is a story that starts on the dinner tables of the UK and other rich nations, where a hunger for meat and dairy products fuels an ever-rising demand for the industrial farming of animals using high-protein feed.”
Thanks, Global Sociology Blog, for the heads up.

Teacher uses social justice to inspire, empower students – Examiner.com (12/5/08)
”Several traits have been central to King-Davis’ teaching all along. Inquiry-based learning where students build their own understandings by getting deep into a subject, activist approaches that encourage students to engage their community or help improve it and, above all, student centered curriculum, which lets young people determine the direction a class goes in.”

Woman inspires others to engage in acts of kindness – Mercury News (12/5/08)
”Her hope: As many people as possible will ‘extend their hand to someone who needs it’ by Dec. 14 — a day she picked specifically before Christmas so as not to confuse her idea with the holiday and include people of all faiths to help. So far, she said she knows of 200 people in six states that have gotten wind of the project and are participating.”

Environmentalists continue skipping the meat-global warming connection - American Prospect (12/3/08)
"’I think it's amazing that even the greenest of green liberal environment activists, the vast majority of them tend to consume meat at the same rate as people who think global warming is a hoax,’ says Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. ‘Meat consumption seems to be the last thing that progressive people address in their lifestyle. If I had a nickel for every global warming conference that had roast beef on the menu, I'd be rich.’

Toward local, sustainable food - Worldchanging (12/2/08)
”Local Food Plus has expanded on this model by adding energy and proximity to the list of sustainability requirements. LFP-branded products have a responsible backstory involving production, processing and transportation practices that respect biodiversity; fair and safe labour practices, humane animal husbandry, and conservation of water and soil. The producers are also working to eliminate or reduce synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic engineering.”

Human-created noise in oceans harming wildlife – Reuters (12/3/08)
”Man-made noise in the world's seas and oceans is becoming an increasing threat to whales, dolphins and turtles who use sound to communicate, forage for food and find mates, wildlife experts said on Wednesday. Rumbling ship engines, seismic surveys by oil and gas companies, and intrusive military sonars are triggering an ‘acoustic fog and cacophony of sounds’ underwater, scaring marine animals and affecting their behavior.

More media = greater negative effects on youth - Washington Post (12/2/08)
”In a detailed look at nearly 30 years of research on how television, music, movies and other media affect the lives of children and adolescents, a new study released today found an array of negative health effects linked to greater use. The report found strong connections between media exposure and problems of childhood obesity and tobacco use. Nearly as strong was the link to early sexual behavior.”

Don’t drill, baby – Daily Green (12/2/08)
”In a move that has conservationists cheering, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has reduced the size of Utah wilderness available for upcoming oil and gas leases for the second time in a week.”

Are corporate declarations to become “water neutral” just the newest hype? - AlterNet (12/1/08)
”According to The Economist magazine, ‘Five big food and beverage giants-Nestlé, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and Danone-consume almost 575 billion litres of water a year, enough to satisfy the daily water needs of every person on the planet.’”