Guest guest Posted April 28, 2002 Report Share Posted April 28, 2002 >Protesters call on UCB to end animal research > >By Jamie Luck, Special to the Daily Planet (04-26-02) > >Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocay (BOAA) held a vigil last night >before UC Berkeley¹s Northwest Animal Facility to protest the use of >animals >for experimentation. Clutching signs and candles, the black-clad protesters >stood in silence along Oxford St. between Hearst and Berkeley streets while >campus police video-taped the scene. > >The two-hour silent vigil was intended to mourn animals used in scientific >research and draw attention to live animal experimentation at UC Berkeley. > >³We¹re trying to do something a little different then your normal protest,² >said BOAA faciltator Christine Morrissey. ³We¹ve set the tone to be very >solemn and mourn the dead animals that have come out of this school. At the >same time, we want to promote alternatives to animal research,² she said. > >Demonstrators handed out flyers describing alternative methods to animal >research as well as peaceful measures people could take to promote change. >Research alternatives cited include in vitro research, >bacterial/viral/fungus sampling, autopsy, physical models, mathematical >modeling, genetic and clinical research as viable alternatives. The UC has >already adopted the in vitro method for antibody production. > >The consensus in all sectors seems to be in favor of substituting new >technologies in place of using lab animals, but the feasability and >timeline >for doing so remain unclear. ³People don¹t want to [frivolously] use >animals >for research. Researchers have pets at home and develop strong feelings >toward the animals they study,² says Dr. Helen Diggs, a director at UC >Berkeley¹s Animal Care Facility. ³People only use animals for research >because they are essential to research. As the scientific community >discovers legitimate alternatives to using animals, we embrace them.² > >Diggs cites the UC¹s adoption of the in-vitro model of antibody production >over the past five years as having spared many live mice, and says she >looks >forward to similar alternatives. ³I think in time we¹ll have more success >finding alternatives,² says Diggs. ³That¹s where the BOAA group comes >in--they have to encourage young people to get into these fields, get into >the labs, and contribute. Don¹t just scream at us, come help us find >alternatives,² she says. > >In Defense of Animals, a non-profit group based in Mill Valley, Ca., has >been participating in an ongoing dialogue with BOAA reps and Diggs, who is >representing the UC on animal rights issues. ³Essentially, we want to work >with the UC rather than be adversarial, so we can really advance what¹s >going on in the research community,² said Erin Williams, communications >director at IDA. Williams says there are many existing technologies that >can >be substituted for live animals, but that the UC has yet to commit funds >for >their adoption. ³Traditionally, new research technologies are underfunded >and underutilized. We are trying to work with the university to get them to >commit to a gradual, quantifiable reallocation of funds from animal >research >to non-animal technologies,² she said. > >Though not necessarily driven by compassion, even the business sector has >moved toward more humane testing. Companies that sell animals and >technologies for testing have shown a significant trend toward cutting down >on the percentage of live animals shipped out in favor of cheaper and more >efficient non-animal testing technologies. Massachussetts-based Charles >Rivers Laboratories, the biggest lab-animal provider in the nation, has >seen >the lab-animal portion of their business shrink from 80 percent to 40 >percent over the last five years, according to a recent article in the >Boston Globe. > >BOAA is also calling for the immediate ceasure of using primates for >research, but Diggs says that¹s not possible. ³We can¹t just stop the >research in progress,² Diggs says. ³With primate research, we just can¹t >suddenly stop working on studies that are having a definite impact on human >medicine and having a definite biomedical impact. There¹s work going on >that >needs to continue.² Diggs says they need to find and validate alternatives >to using any species for study, and that singling out primates is not >constructive. ³That¹s a form of speciesism,² she says. > >Both the Berkeley City Council and the ASUC (student union) have endorsed >BOAA¹s requests to the UC. > >In addition, two initiatives have been placed on the upcoming ASUC ballot. >One asks for a 5% reduction in animal research by the university, and the >second requests that the UC provide alternatives for science students who >don¹t want to participate in animal dissection. The university currently >allows students to opt out of dissections, but has yet to provide an >alternative. > >Asked what¹s next for BOAA, Morrissey says that though they have had >positive discussion with the University through Diggs, their goal now is to >try and get a meeting with Chancellor himself, as only he can affect policy >change. > > >E-mail reporter Jamie Luck at jamie _______________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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