Re:Stella McCartney, militant vegan, joins forces with Adidas, company that profits from bloody slaughter of kangaroos

[Guest guest]

THAT explains SO much...I finally found a couple of the frozen meals

by Linda McCartney and was absolutely disappointed to find real

cheese in them. Both of them. I couldn't figure that out...really

thought she was vegan. Makes sense now though!

Thanks for the info!!

 

, " jo " <jo.heartwork wrote:

>

> Linda McCartney wasn't vegan - she was veggie, like Paul

McCartney. Heather Mills is vegan though.

>

> Jo

> -

> Peter VV

>

> Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:30 PM

> Re: Re:Stella McCartney, militant vegan,

joins forces with Adidas, company that profits from bloody slaughter

of kangaroos

>

>

> Stella McCartney, militant vegan, joins forces with Adidas,

company that profits from bloody slaughter of kangaroos

> Last updated at 08:30am on 1st September 2007

> Comments

>

>

> Stella McCartney has joined forces with Adidas for Fashion week

> As bright lights illuminate Stella McCartney's models on the

catwalk at London Fashion Week this month, a gunman in far away

Australia will be dimming his own spotlight after a night of

butchery.

>

> And while the models parade Stella's new sports collection, this

gunman will be tying down the carcasses from his night's work and

heading off down the track in his pick-up truck to the kangaroo meat

processing plant, where he will collect £8 per kangaroo head.

>

>

> The audience's applause in London as Stella's latest styles are

paraded will be more than 12,000 miles from the silence of the

Outback where the bodies of slaughtered baby kangaroos - torn from

their mother's pouches and too small to be of any commercial use -

will lie for the eagles to peck at as the early morning sun casts its

shadows across the desert.

>

>

> What, it might reasonably be asked, has the massacre of hundreds

of kangaroos each night to do with Stella?

>

> After all, like her late mother, Linda, she is a revered vegan,

fiercely opposed to the use of animal products in her designs and

there will not be a hint of fur or leather in any of the styles she

will present in London on the evening of September 20.

>

>

> But what has upset animal rights groups is her association with

the sportswear giant Adidas, which, in its use of kangaroo skins for

football boots, has been accused of fuelling " the largest wildlife

slaughter in the world " .

>

>

> Stella cannot escape her links with the company - and therefore

with the slaughter - for the Fashion Week spectacular is being

heavily promoted as " Adidas by Stella McCartney " .

>

>

> Maryland Wilson, President of the Australian Wildlife Protection

Council, is outraged at Stella's association with the sportswear

company. " She is flying in the face of everything that Sir Paul and

her mother have long stood for and is going against everything she

has been taught about caring for animals, " she said.

>

>

> Stella's associates have endeavoured this week to distance her

from the raging controversy by pointing out that she is a " lifelong

vegetarian and committed advocate of animal rights " .

>

> Her Adidas collections are " 100 per cent cruelty free " and all

the accessories designed in collaboration with Adidas are made with

alternative-to-leather high performance fabrics, says her label.

>

>

> While animal rights groups in Britain and Australia applaud her

stance on using alternative fabrics, they now question her

association with a company that has for years been the target of

criticism over its use of skins from kangaroos that are gunned down

often in appalling circumstances.

>

> Scroll down for more ...

>

>

>

> Adidas uses kangaroo skins in many of its products

>

>

> It is hard to find a wildlife debate that raises more heated

passions - except for, perhaps, the officially-sanctioned clubbing of

baby seals in Canada. But the numbers of seals affected is far

smaller than the millions upon millions of kangaroos gunned down

annually for their leather - not to mention those that are badly

wounded and manage to escape with, perhaps, a forearm shot off, a jaw

blown away or entrails hanging out.

>

> Emotions are inevitably raised when animal rights groups tell of

the cruelty and blood that taints the beautiful Australian landscape.

Animal rights groups claim that no matter how skilful a shooter might

be, there will always be a time when he will fail to make a direct

hit and the wounded animal will crawl away into the night to die in

agony.

>

>

> Officials of the governmentsanctioned kangaroo industry - which

employs more than 4,000 people and generates at least £100 million a

year in wages - point out that it is strictly controlled and governed

by a code of practice.

>

>

> They also point out that no kangaroo can be processed for its

meat and skin unless it has been taken by " a licensed kangaroo

harvester " who has passed a training course.

>

>

> Who then, should we believe? Activists ask us to picture this

scene: A family, or mob as they are known, of kangaroos grazing

peacefully in the dark Outback. A powerful spotlight suddenly strikes

one of them, followed by a fatal bullet.

>

>

> The youngster in the pouch is pulled out and clubbed or stomped

to death. A second " joey " hops away, terrified and alarmed, into the

night, only to be caught and devoured by foxes.

>

> Scroll down for more ...

>

>

>

> Sometimes baby joeys are left to fend for themselves after their

mother has been slaughtered

>

>

> The kangaroo industry says shooting 'roos is " more humane than

the slaughter of cattle and sheep, which suffer severe trauma as they

are transported long distances in trucks and penned in abattoirs

before they are put to death " .

>

> While the two sides argue on, a man who knows exactly what

happens out there in the vast desert has stepped forward. John

Nicholls, 62, is a former kangaroo shooter - and he admits he is

haunted by what he has seen and done; so much so that he is now a

vegetarian and a powerful lobbyist against the industry, which he

left because of its cruelty.

>

>

> From his home in South Australia, he tells me that before anyone

can obtain a licence to kill, a shooter has to pass a proficiency

test that requires him to hit a target slightly larger than a tennis

ball from a distance of 100 yards.

>

>

> If he doesn't manage to hit it five times in a row he can keep on

returning to the test range until he succeeds, and then he is given

his licence. All well and good on a shooting range. But what about

when that shooter is in the wilds of the Outback?

>

>

> As the designer is a militant vegan, her choice of Adidas as a

partner seems hypocritical

>

> He may have earned his licence, but what is his accuracy like

when he's working in adverse weather conditions (certainly not

uncommon in the bush)? Or when he's shooting from a vehicle parked on

a slope? Or when the kangaroo, standing at a great distance away and

frozen with fear in a spotlight, is moving ever so slightly?

>

>

> " Shooting is not an exact science and does cause horrific, non-

fatal injuries. Kangaroos can lose arms, ears, eyes, noses, have

their hind legs shattered. To deny that this goes on is just an

exercise in attempting to fool the public, " says Mr Nicholls.

>

>

> But, he adds, it is not only the wounding of big kangaroos that

sickens him and animal rights groups, but the terrible fate of their

young.

>

>

> Mr Nicholls knows all about joeys being dragged from the pouch of

the shot mother and being clubbed to death with a piece of piping or

smashed against the side of the shooter's vehicle. " Even hardened

kangaroo shooters are often sickened by this never-ending process, "

he says.

>

>

> But that is not the end of the terrible scenes, points out the

wildlife activist Maryland Wilson. There is a third victim -

the " baby at foot " , as she calls the young kangaroo that has grown

out of the pouch but is still reliant on its mother.

>

>

> " When its mother is gunned down the young are left to fend for

themselves and their chances of survival are remote, " she says. " They

are left in fear and panic. They do not know how to feed themselves

and are preyed upon by the hundreds of foxes that follow the kangaroo

shooter around. "

>

>

> Ironically, Sir Paul McCartney, Stella's father, has added his

voice to the chorus of personalities opposed to kangaroo killing, and

supports Britain's animal rights group Viva which is opposing the

trade.

>

> He said: " There is an urgent need for action to protect kangaroos

from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and leather. "

He has called for an end to " this shameful massacre " .

>

> But this isn't the first time Adidas has been struck by

controversy over their use of kangaroo products.

>

>

> David Beckham, who is paid millions of pounds to promote Adidas

products, switched to synthetic fabrics last year after the Daily

Mail and Viva pointed out that his Predator football boots were made

from kangaroo skin.

>

> Australia has an estimated kangaroo population of 60 million,

about double the number of cattle and a little more than half of

sheep numbers.

>

>

> Each year wildlife officials decide on a management plan - which

has to be approved by the government's conservation department - that

will control the number of kangaroos that can be culled.

>

>

> Although this year's quota is only 3.6 million, the number is

usually around 10 per cent of the estimated population, meaning that

often it is around six million kangaroos that can be killed - or as

the industry likes to put it, " harvested " - each year.

>

>

> The carcasses of animals are sold by the shooters to processing

factories. These sell meat and some three million skins to the food

and fashion industries every year. The skins alone are worth more

than £12 million.

>

>

> Anyone can apply for a kangaroo harvesting licence, but they must

undergo the gun training described above by John Nicholls.

>

>

> In chilling words, the federal government's " Code of Practice for

the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos " specifies the firearms which can be

used, requires that " all animals be head shot " and sets out

procedures for the " humane dispatch of any pouch young " .

>

> The code of practice says joeys can be disposed of by being hit

on the head with a water pipe or iron bar until dead. But activists

claim that often they are ripped out of the pouch and simply left to

die.

>

>

> The kangaroo industry insists that claims of cruelty are grossly

exaggerated by ill-informed and impassioned animal rights groups.

Under the code of practice, it says, each hunter is given a set

number of " tags " that must be attached to each animal killed.

>

>

> The National Parks Authority does monitor the release and use of

tags to ensure the harvest in any one area does not exceed the quota.

But animal groups say wounded animals that manage to escape and later

die out of sight greatly increase the number of animals killed.

>

> John Nicholls points out that the code of practice states that a

harvester must chase after a wounded animal and end its

suffering. " But if he has several targets, he is not going to abandon

those he hasn't shot to chase a wounded animal. Once he starts going

after it, the others will flee and he will have lost an opportunity.

No, he is going to shoot the others first, but by then the wounded

roo will have been lost in the night. "

>

>

> Those who support the killings say the annual cull has not put

the kangaroo under any threat of extinction and the reduction in

numbers is necessary for the survival of the pastoral industry. Many

sheep and cattle grazing regions are said to be fragile areas which

can support only a limited number of animals.

>

>

> Without a cull of kangaroos, which compete for feeding areas with

livestock, grazing regions would come under enormous pressure, says

John Kelly, spokesman for the Kangaroo Industries Association of

Australia.

>

>

> " The kangaroo industry is often subject to claims from radical

animal liberation groups that it is inhumane, " he says. " These claims

are rarely backed up with scientific evidence. In the few cases where

scientifically-obtained data is cited it is invariably

misrepresented. "

>

>

> But for John Nicholls, the man who has experienced the hands-on

approach, scientific data is irrelevant to the horrors he has

witnessed. " Yes, I could get very emotional about it but I try to

look at the bigger picture, " he says.

>

>

> " It is not necessary to kill these animals. They have been on

this land for a very long time, much longer than humans. It is an

easy thing for us to do things to animals and turn a blind eye to the

cruelty involved. It should be just as easy to stop. "

>

>

> Adidas emphasises that it is opposed to animal suffering. " This

is why, " says a spokesperson for the company, " we insist that our

suppliers fully comply with the Australian government's strict rules

on kangaroo culling. "

>

> But while hunters are still roaming the Outback with guns and

searchlights, while joeys are still being torn from their lifeless

mother's pouches, and as long as she is happy to take Adidas's money,

Stella McCartney will be unable to escape the accusations of

hypocrisy.

>

>

>

> --

----------

> For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit For Good

this month.

>

[Guest guest]

I could never understand why she wasn't vegan. She did a lot to

produce vegetarian food, when it was very difficult to come by, and

to campaign for animals.

 

Jo

 

, " tofuchick24 " <tofuchick

wrote:

>

> THAT explains SO much...I finally found a couple of the frozen

meals

> by Linda McCartney and was absolutely disappointed to find real

> cheese in them. Both of them. I couldn't figure that out...really

> thought she was vegan. Makes sense now though!

> Thanks for the info!!

>

> , " jo " <jo.heartwork@> wrote:

> >

> > Linda McCartney wasn't vegan - she was veggie, like Paul

> McCartney. Heather Mills is vegan though.

> >

> > Jo

> > -

> > Peter VV

> >

> > Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:30 PM

> > Re: Re:Stella McCartney, militant vegan,

> joins forces with Adidas, company that profits from bloody

slaughter

> of kangaroos

> >

> >

> > Stella McCartney, militant vegan, joins forces with Adidas,

> company that profits from bloody slaughter of kangaroos

> > Last updated at 08:30am on 1st September 2007

> > Comments

> >

> >

> > Stella McCartney has joined forces with Adidas for Fashion week

> > As bright lights illuminate Stella McCartney's models on the

> catwalk at London Fashion Week this month, a gunman in far away

> Australia will be dimming his own spotlight after a night of

> butchery.

> >

> > And while the models parade Stella's new sports collection,

this

> gunman will be tying down the carcasses from his night's work and

> heading off down the track in his pick-up truck to the kangaroo

meat

> processing plant, where he will collect £8 per kangaroo head.

> >

> >

> > The audience's applause in London as Stella's latest styles are

> paraded will be more than 12,000 miles from the silence of the

> Outback where the bodies of slaughtered baby kangaroos - torn from

> their mother's pouches and too small to be of any commercial use -

> will lie for the eagles to peck at as the early morning sun casts

its

> shadows across the desert.

> >

> >

> > What, it might reasonably be asked, has the massacre of

hundreds

> of kangaroos each night to do with Stella?

> >

> > After all, like her late mother, Linda, she is a revered vegan,

> fiercely opposed to the use of animal products in her designs and

> there will not be a hint of fur or leather in any of the styles she

> will present in London on the evening of September 20.

> >

> >

> > But what has upset animal rights groups is her association with

> the sportswear giant Adidas, which, in its use of kangaroo skins

for

> football boots, has been accused of fuelling " the largest wildlife

> slaughter in the world " .

> >

> >

> > Stella cannot escape her links with the company - and therefore

> with the slaughter - for the Fashion Week spectacular is being

> heavily promoted as " Adidas by Stella McCartney " .

> >

> >

> > Maryland Wilson, President of the Australian Wildlife

Protection

> Council, is outraged at Stella's association with the sportswear

> company. " She is flying in the face of everything that Sir Paul and

> her mother have long stood for and is going against everything she

> has been taught about caring for animals, " she said.

> >

> >

> > Stella's associates have endeavoured this week to distance her

> from the raging controversy by pointing out that she is a " lifelong

> vegetarian and committed advocate of animal rights " .

> >

> > Her Adidas collections are " 100 per cent cruelty free " and all

> the accessories designed in collaboration with Adidas are made with

> alternative-to-leather high performance fabrics, says her label.

> >

> >

> > While animal rights groups in Britain and Australia applaud her

> stance on using alternative fabrics, they now question her

> association with a company that has for years been the target of

> criticism over its use of skins from kangaroos that are gunned down

> often in appalling circumstances.

> >

> > Scroll down for more ...

> >

> >

> >

> > Adidas uses kangaroo skins in many of its products

> >

> >

> > It is hard to find a wildlife debate that raises more heated

> passions - except for, perhaps, the officially-sanctioned clubbing

of

> baby seals in Canada. But the numbers of seals affected is far

> smaller than the millions upon millions of kangaroos gunned down

> annually for their leather - not to mention those that are badly

> wounded and manage to escape with, perhaps, a forearm shot off, a

jaw

> blown away or entrails hanging out.

> >

> > Emotions are inevitably raised when animal rights groups tell

of

> the cruelty and blood that taints the beautiful Australian

landscape.

> Animal rights groups claim that no matter how skilful a shooter

might

> be, there will always be a time when he will fail to make a direct

> hit and the wounded animal will crawl away into the night to die in

> agony.

> >

> >

> > Officials of the governmentsanctioned kangaroo industry - which

> employs more than 4,000 people and generates at least £100 million

a

> year in wages - point out that it is strictly controlled and

governed

> by a code of practice.

> >

> >

> > They also point out that no kangaroo can be processed for its

> meat and skin unless it has been taken by " a licensed kangaroo

> harvester " who has passed a training course.

> >

> >

> > Who then, should we believe? Activists ask us to picture this

> scene: A family, or mob as they are known, of kangaroos grazing

> peacefully in the dark Outback. A powerful spotlight suddenly

strikes

> one of them, followed by a fatal bullet.

> >

> >

> > The youngster in the pouch is pulled out and clubbed or stomped

> to death. A second " joey " hops away, terrified and alarmed, into

the

> night, only to be caught and devoured by foxes.

> >

> > Scroll down for more ...

> >

> >

> >

> > Sometimes baby joeys are left to fend for themselves after

their

> mother has been slaughtered

> >

> >

> > The kangaroo industry says shooting 'roos is " more humane than

> the slaughter of cattle and sheep, which suffer severe trauma as

they

> are transported long distances in trucks and penned in abattoirs

> before they are put to death " .

> >

> > While the two sides argue on, a man who knows exactly what

> happens out there in the vast desert has stepped forward. John

> Nicholls, 62, is a former kangaroo shooter - and he admits he is

> haunted by what he has seen and done; so much so that he is now a

> vegetarian and a powerful lobbyist against the industry, which he

> left because of its cruelty.

> >

> >

> > From his home in South Australia, he tells me that before

anyone

> can obtain a licence to kill, a shooter has to pass a proficiency

> test that requires him to hit a target slightly larger than a

tennis

> ball from a distance of 100 yards.

> >

> >

> > If he doesn't manage to hit it five times in a row he can keep

on

> returning to the test range until he succeeds, and then he is given

> his licence. All well and good on a shooting range. But what about

> when that shooter is in the wilds of the Outback?

> >

> >

> > As the designer is a militant vegan, her choice of Adidas as a

> partner seems hypocritical

> >

> > He may have earned his licence, but what is his accuracy like

> when he's working in adverse weather conditions (certainly not

> uncommon in the bush)? Or when he's shooting from a vehicle parked

on

> a slope? Or when the kangaroo, standing at a great distance away

and

> frozen with fear in a spotlight, is moving ever so slightly?

> >

> >

> > " Shooting is not an exact science and does cause horrific, non-

> fatal injuries. Kangaroos can lose arms, ears, eyes, noses, have

> their hind legs shattered. To deny that this goes on is just an

> exercise in attempting to fool the public, " says Mr Nicholls.

> >

> >

> > But, he adds, it is not only the wounding of big kangaroos that

> sickens him and animal rights groups, but the terrible fate of

their

> young.

> >

> >

> > Mr Nicholls knows all about joeys being dragged from the pouch

of

> the shot mother and being clubbed to death with a piece of piping

or

> smashed against the side of the shooter's vehicle. " Even hardened

> kangaroo shooters are often sickened by this never-ending process, "

> he says.

> >

> >

> > But that is not the end of the terrible scenes, points out the

> wildlife activist Maryland Wilson. There is a third victim -

> the " baby at foot " , as she calls the young kangaroo that has grown

> out of the pouch but is still reliant on its mother.

> >

> >

> > " When its mother is gunned down the young are left to fend for

> themselves and their chances of survival are remote, " she

says. " They

> are left in fear and panic. They do not know how to feed themselves

> and are preyed upon by the hundreds of foxes that follow the

kangaroo

> shooter around. "

> >

> >

> > Ironically, Sir Paul McCartney, Stella's father, has added his

> voice to the chorus of personalities opposed to kangaroo killing,

and

> supports Britain's animal rights group Viva which is opposing the

> trade.

> >

> > He said: " There is an urgent need for action to protect

kangaroos

> from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and

leather. "

> He has called for an end to " this shameful massacre " .

> >

> > But this isn't the first time Adidas has been struck by

> controversy over their use of kangaroo products.

> >

> >

> > David Beckham, who is paid millions of pounds to promote Adidas

> products, switched to synthetic fabrics last year after the Daily

> Mail and Viva pointed out that his Predator football boots were

made

> from kangaroo skin.

> >

> > Australia has an estimated kangaroo population of 60 million,

> about double the number of cattle and a little more than half of

> sheep numbers.

> >

> >

> > Each year wildlife officials decide on a management plan -

which

> has to be approved by the government's conservation department -

that

> will control the number of kangaroos that can be culled.

> >

> >

> > Although this year's quota is only 3.6 million, the number is

> usually around 10 per cent of the estimated population, meaning

that

> often it is around six million kangaroos that can be killed - or as

> the industry likes to put it, " harvested " - each year.

> >

> >

> > The carcasses of animals are sold by the shooters to processing

> factories. These sell meat and some three million skins to the food

> and fashion industries every year. The skins alone are worth more

> than £12 million.

> >

> >

> > Anyone can apply for a kangaroo harvesting licence, but they

must

> undergo the gun training described above by John Nicholls.

> >

> >

> > In chilling words, the federal government's " Code of Practice

for

> the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos " specifies the firearms which can

be

> used, requires that " all animals be head shot " and sets out

> procedures for the " humane dispatch of any pouch young " .

> >

> > The code of practice says joeys can be disposed of by being hit

> on the head with a water pipe or iron bar until dead. But activists

> claim that often they are ripped out of the pouch and simply left

to

> die.

> >

> >

> > The kangaroo industry insists that claims of cruelty are

grossly

> exaggerated by ill-informed and impassioned animal rights groups.

> Under the code of practice, it says, each hunter is given a set

> number of " tags " that must be attached to each animal killed.

> >

> >

> > The National Parks Authority does monitor the release and use

of

> tags to ensure the harvest in any one area does not exceed the

quota.

> But animal groups say wounded animals that manage to escape and

later

> die out of sight greatly increase the number of animals killed.

> >

> > John Nicholls points out that the code of practice states that

a

> harvester must chase after a wounded animal and end its

> suffering. " But if he has several targets, he is not going to

abandon

> those he hasn't shot to chase a wounded animal. Once he starts

going

> after it, the others will flee and he will have lost an

opportunity.

> No, he is going to shoot the others first, but by then the wounded

> roo will have been lost in the night. "

> >

> >

> > Those who support the killings say the annual cull has not put

> the kangaroo under any threat of extinction and the reduction in

> numbers is necessary for the survival of the pastoral industry.

Many

> sheep and cattle grazing regions are said to be fragile areas which

> can support only a limited number of animals.

> >

> >

> > Without a cull of kangaroos, which compete for feeding areas

with

> livestock, grazing regions would come under enormous pressure, says

> John Kelly, spokesman for the Kangaroo Industries Association of

> Australia.

> >

> >

> > " The kangaroo industry is often subject to claims from radical

> animal liberation groups that it is inhumane, " he says. " These

claims

> are rarely backed up with scientific evidence. In the few cases

where

> scientifically-obtained data is cited it is invariably

> misrepresented. "

> >

> >

> > But for John Nicholls, the man who has experienced the hands-on

> approach, scientific data is irrelevant to the horrors he has

> witnessed. " Yes, I could get very emotional about it but I try to

> look at the bigger picture, " he says.

> >

> >

> > " It is not necessary to kill these animals. They have been on

> this land for a very long time, much longer than humans. It is an

> easy thing for us to do things to animals and turn a blind eye to

the

> cruelty involved. It should be just as easy to stop. "

> >

> >

> > Adidas emphasises that it is opposed to animal suffering. " This

> is why, " says a spokesperson for the company, " we insist that our

> suppliers fully comply with the Australian government's strict

rules

> on kangaroo culling. "

> >

> > But while hunters are still roaming the Outback with guns and

> searchlights, while joeys are still being torn from their lifeless

> mother's pouches, and as long as she is happy to take Adidas's

money,

> Stella McCartney will be unable to escape the accusations of

> hypocrisy.

> >

> >

> >

> >

--

> ----------

> > For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit For

Good

> this month.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I guess I just thought she was vegan due to her connection with

Peta. Maybe if Linda had lived longer she would've eventually made

that change?

 

 

, " heartwerk " <jo.heartwork

wrote:

>

> I could never understand why she wasn't vegan. She did a lot to

> produce vegetarian food, when it was very difficult to come by, and

> to campaign for animals.

>

> Jo

>

> , " tofuchick24 " <tofuchick@>

> wrote:

> >

> > THAT explains SO much...I finally found a couple of the frozen

> meals

> > by Linda McCartney and was absolutely disappointed to find real

> > cheese in them. Both of them. I couldn't figure that

out...really

> > thought she was vegan. Makes sense now though!

> > Thanks for the info!!

> >

> > , " jo " <jo.heartwork@> wrote:

> > >

> > > Linda McCartney wasn't vegan - she was veggie, like Paul

> > McCartney. Heather Mills is vegan though.

> > >

> > > Jo

> > > -

> > > Peter VV

> > >

> > > Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:30 PM

> > > Re: Re:Stella McCartney, militant

vegan,

> > joins forces with Adidas, company that profits from bloody

> slaughter

> > of kangaroos

> > >

> > >

> > > Stella McCartney, militant vegan, joins forces with Adidas,

> > company that profits from bloody slaughter of kangaroos

> > > Last updated at 08:30am on 1st September 2007

> > > Comments

> > >

> > >

> > > Stella McCartney has joined forces with Adidas for Fashion

week

> > > As bright lights illuminate Stella McCartney's models on the

> > catwalk at London Fashion Week this month, a gunman in far away

> > Australia will be dimming his own spotlight after a night of

> > butchery.

> > >

> > > And while the models parade Stella's new sports collection,

> this

> > gunman will be tying down the carcasses from his night's work and

> > heading off down the track in his pick-up truck to the kangaroo

> meat

> > processing plant, where he will collect £8 per kangaroo head.

> > >

> > >

> > > The audience's applause in London as Stella's latest styles

are

> > paraded will be more than 12,000 miles from the silence of the

> > Outback where the bodies of slaughtered baby kangaroos - torn

from

> > their mother's pouches and too small to be of any commercial use -

 

> > will lie for the eagles to peck at as the early morning sun casts

> its

> > shadows across the desert.

> > >

> > >

> > > What, it might reasonably be asked, has the massacre of

> hundreds

> > of kangaroos each night to do with Stella?

> > >

> > > After all, like her late mother, Linda, she is a revered

vegan,

> > fiercely opposed to the use of animal products in her designs and

> > there will not be a hint of fur or leather in any of the styles

she

> > will present in London on the evening of September 20.

> > >

> > >

> > > But what has upset animal rights groups is her association

with

> > the sportswear giant Adidas, which, in its use of kangaroo skins

> for

> > football boots, has been accused of fuelling " the largest

wildlife

> > slaughter in the world " .

> > >

> > >

> > > Stella cannot escape her links with the company - and

therefore

> > with the slaughter - for the Fashion Week spectacular is being

> > heavily promoted as " Adidas by Stella McCartney " .

> > >

> > >

> > > Maryland Wilson, President of the Australian Wildlife

> Protection

> > Council, is outraged at Stella's association with the sportswear

> > company. " She is flying in the face of everything that Sir Paul

and

> > her mother have long stood for and is going against everything

she

> > has been taught about caring for animals, " she said.

> > >

> > >

> > > Stella's associates have endeavoured this week to distance

her

> > from the raging controversy by pointing out that she is

a " lifelong

> > vegetarian and committed advocate of animal rights " .

> > >

> > > Her Adidas collections are " 100 per cent cruelty free " and

all

> > the accessories designed in collaboration with Adidas are made

with

> > alternative-to-leather high performance fabrics, says her label.

> > >

> > >

> > > While animal rights groups in Britain and Australia applaud

her

> > stance on using alternative fabrics, they now question her

> > association with a company that has for years been the target of

> > criticism over its use of skins from kangaroos that are gunned

down

> > often in appalling circumstances.

> > >

> > > Scroll down for more ...

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Adidas uses kangaroo skins in many of its products

> > >

> > >

> > > It is hard to find a wildlife debate that raises more heated

> > passions - except for, perhaps, the officially-sanctioned

clubbing

> of

> > baby seals in Canada. But the numbers of seals affected is far

> > smaller than the millions upon millions of kangaroos gunned down

> > annually for their leather - not to mention those that are badly

> > wounded and manage to escape with, perhaps, a forearm shot off, a

> jaw

> > blown away or entrails hanging out.

> > >

> > > Emotions are inevitably raised when animal rights groups tell

> of

> > the cruelty and blood that taints the beautiful Australian

> landscape.

> > Animal rights groups claim that no matter how skilful a shooter

> might

> > be, there will always be a time when he will fail to make a

direct

> > hit and the wounded animal will crawl away into the night to die

in

> > agony.

> > >

> > >

> > > Officials of the governmentsanctioned kangaroo industry -

which

> > employs more than 4,000 people and generates at least £100

million

> a

> > year in wages - point out that it is strictly controlled and

> governed

> > by a code of practice.

> > >

> > >

> > > They also point out that no kangaroo can be processed for its

> > meat and skin unless it has been taken by " a licensed kangaroo

> > harvester " who has passed a training course.

> > >

> > >

> > > Who then, should we believe? Activists ask us to picture this

> > scene: A family, or mob as they are known, of kangaroos grazing

> > peacefully in the dark Outback. A powerful spotlight suddenly

> strikes

> > one of them, followed by a fatal bullet.

> > >

> > >

> > > The youngster in the pouch is pulled out and clubbed or

stomped

> > to death. A second " joey " hops away, terrified and alarmed, into

> the

> > night, only to be caught and devoured by foxes.

> > >

> > > Scroll down for more ...

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Sometimes baby joeys are left to fend for themselves after

> their

> > mother has been slaughtered

> > >

> > >

> > > The kangaroo industry says shooting 'roos is " more humane

than

> > the slaughter of cattle and sheep, which suffer severe trauma as

> they

> > are transported long distances in trucks and penned in abattoirs

> > before they are put to death " .

> > >

> > > While the two sides argue on, a man who knows exactly what

> > happens out there in the vast desert has stepped forward. John

> > Nicholls, 62, is a former kangaroo shooter - and he admits he is

> > haunted by what he has seen and done; so much so that he is now a

> > vegetarian and a powerful lobbyist against the industry, which he

> > left because of its cruelty.

> > >

> > >

> > > From his home in South Australia, he tells me that before

> anyone

> > can obtain a licence to kill, a shooter has to pass a proficiency

> > test that requires him to hit a target slightly larger than a

> tennis

> > ball from a distance of 100 yards.

> > >

> > >

> > > If he doesn't manage to hit it five times in a row he can

keep

> on

> > returning to the test range until he succeeds, and then he is

given

> > his licence. All well and good on a shooting range. But what

about

> > when that shooter is in the wilds of the Outback?

> > >

> > >

> > > As the designer is a militant vegan, her choice of Adidas as

a

> > partner seems hypocritical

> > >

> > > He may have earned his licence, but what is his accuracy like

> > when he's working in adverse weather conditions (certainly not

> > uncommon in the bush)? Or when he's shooting from a vehicle

parked

> on

> > a slope? Or when the kangaroo, standing at a great distance away

> and

> > frozen with fear in a spotlight, is moving ever so slightly?

> > >

> > >

> > > " Shooting is not an exact science and does cause horrific,

non-

> > fatal injuries. Kangaroos can lose arms, ears, eyes, noses, have

> > their hind legs shattered. To deny that this goes on is just an

> > exercise in attempting to fool the public, " says Mr Nicholls.

> > >

> > >

> > > But, he adds, it is not only the wounding of big kangaroos

that

> > sickens him and animal rights groups, but the terrible fate of

> their

> > young.

> > >

> > >

> > > Mr Nicholls knows all about joeys being dragged from the

pouch

> of

> > the shot mother and being clubbed to death with a piece of piping

> or

> > smashed against the side of the shooter's vehicle. " Even hardened

> > kangaroo shooters are often sickened by this never-ending

process, "

> > he says.

> > >

> > >

> > > But that is not the end of the terrible scenes, points out

the

> > wildlife activist Maryland Wilson. There is a third victim -

> > the " baby at foot " , as she calls the young kangaroo that has

grown

> > out of the pouch but is still reliant on its mother.

> > >

> > >

> > > " When its mother is gunned down the young are left to fend

for

> > themselves and their chances of survival are remote, " she

> says. " They

> > are left in fear and panic. They do not know how to feed

themselves

> > and are preyed upon by the hundreds of foxes that follow the

> kangaroo

> > shooter around. "

> > >

> > >

> > > Ironically, Sir Paul McCartney, Stella's father, has added

his

> > voice to the chorus of personalities opposed to kangaroo killing,

> and

> > supports Britain's animal rights group Viva which is opposing the

> > trade.

> > >

> > > He said: " There is an urgent need for action to protect

> kangaroos

> > from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and

> leather. "

> > He has called for an end to " this shameful massacre " .

> > >

> > > But this isn't the first time Adidas has been struck by

> > controversy over their use of kangaroo products.

> > >

> > >

> > > David Beckham, who is paid millions of pounds to promote

Adidas

> > products, switched to synthetic fabrics last year after the Daily

> > Mail and Viva pointed out that his Predator football boots were

> made

> > from kangaroo skin.

> > >

> > > Australia has an estimated kangaroo population of 60 million,

> > about double the number of cattle and a little more than half of

> > sheep numbers.

> > >

> > >

> > > Each year wildlife officials decide on a management plan -

> which

> > has to be approved by the government's conservation department -

> that

> > will control the number of kangaroos that can be culled.

> > >

> > >

> > > Although this year's quota is only 3.6 million, the number is

> > usually around 10 per cent of the estimated population, meaning

> that

> > often it is around six million kangaroos that can be killed - or

as

> > the industry likes to put it, " harvested " - each year.

> > >

> > >

> > > The carcasses of animals are sold by the shooters to

processing

> > factories. These sell meat and some three million skins to the

food

> > and fashion industries every year. The skins alone are worth more

> > than £12 million.

> > >

> > >

> > > Anyone can apply for a kangaroo harvesting licence, but they

> must

> > undergo the gun training described above by John Nicholls.

> > >

> > >

> > > In chilling words, the federal government's " Code of Practice

> for

> > the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos " specifies the firearms which

can

> be

> > used, requires that " all animals be head shot " and sets out

> > procedures for the " humane dispatch of any pouch young " .

> > >

> > > The code of practice says joeys can be disposed of by being

hit

> > on the head with a water pipe or iron bar until dead. But

activists

> > claim that often they are ripped out of the pouch and simply left

> to

> > die.

> > >

> > >

> > > The kangaroo industry insists that claims of cruelty are

> grossly

> > exaggerated by ill-informed and impassioned animal rights groups.

> > Under the code of practice, it says, each hunter is given a set

> > number of " tags " that must be attached to each animal killed.

> > >

> > >

> > > The National Parks Authority does monitor the release and use

> of

> > tags to ensure the harvest in any one area does not exceed the

> quota.

> > But animal groups say wounded animals that manage to escape and

> later

> > die out of sight greatly increase the number of animals killed.

> > >

> > > John Nicholls points out that the code of practice states

that

> a

> > harvester must chase after a wounded animal and end its

> > suffering. " But if he has several targets, he is not going to

> abandon

> > those he hasn't shot to chase a wounded animal. Once he starts

> going

> > after it, the others will flee and he will have lost an

> opportunity.

> > No, he is going to shoot the others first, but by then the

wounded

> > roo will have been lost in the night. "

> > >

> > >

> > > Those who support the killings say the annual cull has not

put

> > the kangaroo under any threat of extinction and the reduction in

> > numbers is necessary for the survival of the pastoral industry.

> Many

> > sheep and cattle grazing regions are said to be fragile areas

which

> > can support only a limited number of animals.

> > >

> > >

> > > Without a cull of kangaroos, which compete for feeding areas

> with

> > livestock, grazing regions would come under enormous pressure,

says

> > John Kelly, spokesman for the Kangaroo Industries Association of

> > Australia.

> > >

> > >

> > > " The kangaroo industry is often subject to claims from

radical

> > animal liberation groups that it is inhumane, " he says. " These

> claims

> > are rarely backed up with scientific evidence. In the few cases

> where

> > scientifically-obtained data is cited it is invariably

> > misrepresented. "

> > >

> > >

> > > But for John Nicholls, the man who has experienced the hands-

on

> > approach, scientific data is irrelevant to the horrors he has

> > witnessed. " Yes, I could get very emotional about it but I try to

> > look at the bigger picture, " he says.

> > >

> > >

> > > " It is not necessary to kill these animals. They have been on

> > this land for a very long time, much longer than humans. It is an

> > easy thing for us to do things to animals and turn a blind eye to

> the

> > cruelty involved. It should be just as easy to stop. "

> > >

> > >

> > > Adidas emphasises that it is opposed to animal

suffering. " This

> > is why, " says a spokesperson for the company, " we insist that our

> > suppliers fully comply with the Australian government's strict

> rules

> > on kangaroo culling. "

> > >

> > > But while hunters are still roaming the Outback with guns and

> > searchlights, while joeys are still being torn from their

lifeless

> > mother's pouches, and as long as she is happy to take Adidas's

> money,

> > Stella McCartney will be unable to escape the accusations of

> > hypocrisy.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > -------------------------------

--

> --

> > ----------

> > > For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit For

> Good

> > this month.

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I'm never sure about PETA - I've hear they are not as squeaky clean

as they should be. I personally don't like their advertising or

stunts.

 

Jo

 

, " tofuchick24 " <tofuchick

wrote:

>

> I guess I just thought she was vegan due to her connection with

> Peta. Maybe if Linda had lived longer she would've eventually made

> that change?

>

>

> , " heartwerk " <jo.heartwork@>

> wrote:

> >

> > I could never understand why she wasn't vegan. She did a lot to

> > produce vegetarian food, when it was very difficult to come by,

and

> > to campaign for animals.

> >

> > Jo

> >

> > , " tofuchick24 " <tofuchick@>

> > wrote:

> > >

> > > THAT explains SO much...I finally found a couple of the frozen

> > meals

> > > by Linda McCartney and was absolutely disappointed to find real

> > > cheese in them. Both of them. I couldn't figure that

> out...really

> > > thought she was vegan. Makes sense now though!

> > > Thanks for the info!!

> > >

> > > , " jo " <jo.heartwork@> wrote:

> > > >

> > > > Linda McCartney wasn't vegan - she was veggie, like Paul

> > > McCartney. Heather Mills is vegan though.

> > > >

> > > > Jo

> > > > -

> > > > Peter VV

> > > >

> > > > Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:30 PM

> > > > Re: Re:Stella McCartney, militant

> vegan,

> > > joins forces with Adidas, company that profits from bloody

> > slaughter

> > > of kangaroos

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Stella McCartney, militant vegan, joins forces with Adidas,

> > > company that profits from bloody slaughter of kangaroos

> > > > Last updated at 08:30am on 1st September 2007

> > > > Comments

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Stella McCartney has joined forces with Adidas for Fashion

> week

> > > > As bright lights illuminate Stella McCartney's models on

the

> > > catwalk at London Fashion Week this month, a gunman in far away

> > > Australia will be dimming his own spotlight after a night of

> > > butchery.

> > > >

> > > > And while the models parade Stella's new sports collection,

> > this

> > > gunman will be tying down the carcasses from his night's work

and

> > > heading off down the track in his pick-up truck to the kangaroo

> > meat

> > > processing plant, where he will collect £8 per kangaroo head.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > The audience's applause in London as Stella's latest styles

> are

> > > paraded will be more than 12,000 miles from the silence of the

> > > Outback where the bodies of slaughtered baby kangaroos - torn

> from

> > > their mother's pouches and too small to be of any commercial

use -

>

> > > will lie for the eagles to peck at as the early morning sun

casts

> > its

> > > shadows across the desert.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > What, it might reasonably be asked, has the massacre of

> > hundreds

> > > of kangaroos each night to do with Stella?

> > > >

> > > > After all, like her late mother, Linda, she is a revered

> vegan,

> > > fiercely opposed to the use of animal products in her designs

and

> > > there will not be a hint of fur or leather in any of the styles

> she

> > > will present in London on the evening of September 20.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > But what has upset animal rights groups is her association

> with

> > > the sportswear giant Adidas, which, in its use of kangaroo

skins

> > for

> > > football boots, has been accused of fuelling " the largest

> wildlife

> > > slaughter in the world " .

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Stella cannot escape her links with the company - and

> therefore

> > > with the slaughter - for the Fashion Week spectacular is being

> > > heavily promoted as " Adidas by Stella McCartney " .

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Maryland Wilson, President of the Australian Wildlife

> > Protection

> > > Council, is outraged at Stella's association with the

sportswear

> > > company. " She is flying in the face of everything that Sir Paul

> and

> > > her mother have long stood for and is going against everything

> she

> > > has been taught about caring for animals, " she said.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Stella's associates have endeavoured this week to distance

> her

> > > from the raging controversy by pointing out that she is

> a " lifelong

> > > vegetarian and committed advocate of animal rights " .

> > > >

> > > > Her Adidas collections are " 100 per cent cruelty free " and

> all

> > > the accessories designed in collaboration with Adidas are made

> with

> > > alternative-to-leather high performance fabrics, says her

label.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > While animal rights groups in Britain and Australia applaud

> her

> > > stance on using alternative fabrics, they now question her

> > > association with a company that has for years been the target

of

> > > criticism over its use of skins from kangaroos that are gunned

> down

> > > often in appalling circumstances.

> > > >

> > > > Scroll down for more ...

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Adidas uses kangaroo skins in many of its products

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > It is hard to find a wildlife debate that raises more

heated

> > > passions - except for, perhaps, the officially-sanctioned

> clubbing

> > of

> > > baby seals in Canada. But the numbers of seals affected is far

> > > smaller than the millions upon millions of kangaroos gunned

down

> > > annually for their leather - not to mention those that are

badly

> > > wounded and manage to escape with, perhaps, a forearm shot off,

a

> > jaw

> > > blown away or entrails hanging out.

> > > >

> > > > Emotions are inevitably raised when animal rights groups

tell

> > of

> > > the cruelty and blood that taints the beautiful Australian

> > landscape.

> > > Animal rights groups claim that no matter how skilful a shooter

> > might

> > > be, there will always be a time when he will fail to make a

> direct

> > > hit and the wounded animal will crawl away into the night to

die

> in

> > > agony.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Officials of the governmentsanctioned kangaroo industry -

> which

> > > employs more than 4,000 people and generates at least £100

> million

> > a

> > > year in wages - point out that it is strictly controlled and

> > governed

> > > by a code of practice.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > They also point out that no kangaroo can be processed for

its

> > > meat and skin unless it has been taken by " a licensed kangaroo

> > > harvester " who has passed a training course.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Who then, should we believe? Activists ask us to picture

this

> > > scene: A family, or mob as they are known, of kangaroos grazing

> > > peacefully in the dark Outback. A powerful spotlight suddenly

> > strikes

> > > one of them, followed by a fatal bullet.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > The youngster in the pouch is pulled out and clubbed or

> stomped

> > > to death. A second " joey " hops away, terrified and alarmed,

into

> > the

> > > night, only to be caught and devoured by foxes.

> > > >

> > > > Scroll down for more ...

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Sometimes baby joeys are left to fend for themselves after

> > their

> > > mother has been slaughtered

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > The kangaroo industry says shooting 'roos is " more humane

> than

> > > the slaughter of cattle and sheep, which suffer severe trauma

as

> > they

> > > are transported long distances in trucks and penned in

abattoirs

> > > before they are put to death " .

> > > >

> > > > While the two sides argue on, a man who knows exactly what

> > > happens out there in the vast desert has stepped forward. John

> > > Nicholls, 62, is a former kangaroo shooter - and he admits he

is

> > > haunted by what he has seen and done; so much so that he is now

a

> > > vegetarian and a powerful lobbyist against the industry, which

he

> > > left because of its cruelty.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > From his home in South Australia, he tells me that before

> > anyone

> > > can obtain a licence to kill, a shooter has to pass a

proficiency

> > > test that requires him to hit a target slightly larger than a

> > tennis

> > > ball from a distance of 100 yards.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > If he doesn't manage to hit it five times in a row he can

> keep

> > on

> > > returning to the test range until he succeeds, and then he is

> given

> > > his licence. All well and good on a shooting range. But what

> about

> > > when that shooter is in the wilds of the Outback?

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > As the designer is a militant vegan, her choice of Adidas

as

> a

> > > partner seems hypocritical

> > > >

> > > > He may have earned his licence, but what is his accuracy

like

> > > when he's working in adverse weather conditions (certainly not

> > > uncommon in the bush)? Or when he's shooting from a vehicle

> parked

> > on

> > > a slope? Or when the kangaroo, standing at a great distance

away

> > and

> > > frozen with fear in a spotlight, is moving ever so slightly?

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > " Shooting is not an exact science and does cause horrific,

> non-

> > > fatal injuries. Kangaroos can lose arms, ears, eyes, noses,

have

> > > their hind legs shattered. To deny that this goes on is just an

> > > exercise in attempting to fool the public, " says Mr Nicholls.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > But, he adds, it is not only the wounding of big kangaroos

> that

> > > sickens him and animal rights groups, but the terrible fate of

> > their

> > > young.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Mr Nicholls knows all about joeys being dragged from the

> pouch

> > of

> > > the shot mother and being clubbed to death with a piece of

piping

> > or

> > > smashed against the side of the shooter's vehicle. " Even

hardened

> > > kangaroo shooters are often sickened by this never-ending

> process, "

> > > he says.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > But that is not the end of the terrible scenes, points out

> the

> > > wildlife activist Maryland Wilson. There is a third victim -

> > > the " baby at foot " , as she calls the young kangaroo that has

> grown

> > > out of the pouch but is still reliant on its mother.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > " When its mother is gunned down the young are left to fend

> for

> > > themselves and their chances of survival are remote, " she

> > says. " They

> > > are left in fear and panic. They do not know how to feed

> themselves

> > > and are preyed upon by the hundreds of foxes that follow the

> > kangaroo

> > > shooter around. "

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Ironically, Sir Paul McCartney, Stella's father, has added

> his

> > > voice to the chorus of personalities opposed to kangaroo

killing,

> > and

> > > supports Britain's animal rights group Viva which is opposing

the

> > > trade.

> > > >

> > > > He said: " There is an urgent need for action to protect

> > kangaroos

> > > from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and

> > leather. "

> > > He has called for an end to " this shameful massacre " .

> > > >

> > > > But this isn't the first time Adidas has been struck by

> > > controversy over their use of kangaroo products.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > David Beckham, who is paid millions of pounds to promote

> Adidas

> > > products, switched to synthetic fabrics last year after the

Daily

> > > Mail and Viva pointed out that his Predator football boots were

> > made

> > > from kangaroo skin.

> > > >

> > > > Australia has an estimated kangaroo population of 60

million,

> > > about double the number of cattle and a little more than half

of

> > > sheep numbers.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Each year wildlife officials decide on a management plan -

> > which

> > > has to be approved by the government's conservation department -

 

> > that

> > > will control the number of kangaroos that can be culled.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Although this year's quota is only 3.6 million, the number

is

> > > usually around 10 per cent of the estimated population, meaning

> > that

> > > often it is around six million kangaroos that can be killed -

or

> as

> > > the industry likes to put it, " harvested " - each year.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > The carcasses of animals are sold by the shooters to

> processing

> > > factories. These sell meat and some three million skins to the

> food

> > > and fashion industries every year. The skins alone are worth

more

> > > than £12 million.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Anyone can apply for a kangaroo harvesting licence, but

they

> > must

> > > undergo the gun training described above by John Nicholls.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > In chilling words, the federal government's " Code of

Practice

> > for

> > > the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos " specifies the firearms which

> can

> > be

> > > used, requires that " all animals be head shot " and sets out

> > > procedures for the " humane dispatch of any pouch young " .

> > > >

> > > > The code of practice says joeys can be disposed of by being

> hit

> > > on the head with a water pipe or iron bar until dead. But

> activists

> > > claim that often they are ripped out of the pouch and simply

left

> > to

> > > die.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > The kangaroo industry insists that claims of cruelty are

> > grossly

> > > exaggerated by ill-informed and impassioned animal rights

groups.

> > > Under the code of practice, it says, each hunter is given a set

> > > number of " tags " that must be attached to each animal killed.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > The National Parks Authority does monitor the release and

use

> > of

> > > tags to ensure the harvest in any one area does not exceed the

> > quota.

> > > But animal groups say wounded animals that manage to escape and

> > later

> > > die out of sight greatly increase the number of animals killed.

> > > >

> > > > John Nicholls points out that the code of practice states

> that

> > a

> > > harvester must chase after a wounded animal and end its

> > > suffering. " But if he has several targets, he is not going to

> > abandon

> > > those he hasn't shot to chase a wounded animal. Once he starts

> > going

> > > after it, the others will flee and he will have lost an

> > opportunity.

> > > No, he is going to shoot the others first, but by then the

> wounded

> > > roo will have been lost in the night. "

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Those who support the killings say the annual cull has not

> put

> > > the kangaroo under any threat of extinction and the reduction

in

> > > numbers is necessary for the survival of the pastoral industry.

> > Many

> > > sheep and cattle grazing regions are said to be fragile areas

> which

> > > can support only a limited number of animals.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Without a cull of kangaroos, which compete for feeding

areas

> > with

> > > livestock, grazing regions would come under enormous pressure,

> says

> > > John Kelly, spokesman for the Kangaroo Industries Association

of

> > > Australia.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > " The kangaroo industry is often subject to claims from

> radical

> > > animal liberation groups that it is inhumane, " he says. " These

> > claims

> > > are rarely backed up with scientific evidence. In the few cases

> > where

> > > scientifically-obtained data is cited it is invariably

> > > misrepresented. "

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > But for John Nicholls, the man who has experienced the

hands-

> on

> > > approach, scientific data is irrelevant to the horrors he has

> > > witnessed. " Yes, I could get very emotional about it but I try

to

> > > look at the bigger picture, " he says.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > " It is not necessary to kill these animals. They have been

on

> > > this land for a very long time, much longer than humans. It is

an

> > > easy thing for us to do things to animals and turn a blind eye

to

> > the

> > > cruelty involved. It should be just as easy to stop. "

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Adidas emphasises that it is opposed to animal

> suffering. " This

> > > is why, " says a spokesperson for the company, " we insist that

our

> > > suppliers fully comply with the Australian government's strict

> > rules

> > > on kangaroo culling. "

> > > >

> > > > But while hunters are still roaming the Outback with guns

and

> > > searchlights, while joeys are still being torn from their

> lifeless

> > > mother's pouches, and as long as she is happy to take Adidas's

> > money,

> > > Stella McCartney will be unable to escape the accusations of

> > > hypocrisy.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > -----------------------------

--

> --

> > --

> > > ----------

> > > > For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit

For

> > Good

> > > this month.

> > > >

> > >

> >

>