Freedom of Species

This week we chat have a chat with Andy Meddick of the AJP about the recent Australian federal election, and then hear a recorded talk by Jasmijn de Boo, founder of The Animal Welfare Party (UK).https://www.facebook.com/AndyMeddickAJP/

We chat with Steven Wise, the central figure in the outstanding new documentary Unlocking the Cagethat will screen at the 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival.Unlocking the Cage follows animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. After thirty years of struggling with ineffective animal welfare laws, Steve and his legal team, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), are making history by filing the first lawsuits that seek to transform an animal from a thing with no rights to a person with legal protections.Supported by affidavits from primatologists around the world, Steve maintains that, based on scientific evidence, cognitively complex animals such as chimpanzees, whales, dolphins, and elephants have the capacity for limited personhood rights (such as bodily liberty) that would protect them from physical abuse. Using writs of habeas corpus (historically used to free humans from unlawful imprisonment), Wise argues on behalf of four captive chimpanzees in New York State.Nonhuman Rights Project www.nonhumanrightsproject.orgOfficial Unlocking the Cage documentary website www.unlockingthecagethefilm.comSave the Chimps sanctuary www.savethechimps.orgPhoto courtesy of "Unlocking the Cage" filmmakers.

We feature a talk by Dr Andrew Knight, recorded at a recent Animal Justice Party seminar in Melbourne. Andrew describes how he got to where he is today - setting up a new centre for animal welfare at the University of Winchester in the UK. He discusses how people may become professional animal advocates, and also about the upcoming distance learning Masters course in Animal Welfare.Andrew's website www.andrewknight.infoUniversity of Winchester's Centre for Animal Welfare www.winchester.ac.uk/research/attheuniversity/FacultiesofHumanitiesandSo...

MORE THAN GAME: THE 30-YEAR CAMPAIGN TO BAN DUCK SHOOTING IN VICTORIA.Despite three out of four Victorians wanting duck shooting banned, it continues. This program looks at why and how the thirty-year campaign to protect Australian native waterbirds that are deemed game species is stronger than ever.A formidable campaigner stepped up its involvement, changing the rules of engagement, thereby making the 2016 season like no other.TAKE ACTIONSHARE this podcast.WRITE Premier  Daniel Andrewsdaniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.auMinister for Agriculture  Jaala Pulford jaala.pulford@parliament.vic.gov.auYour local MPJOIN the duck rescue team http://www.duck.org.au/join-rescue-teamASK your regional council to commit to protecting waterbird populations on their local wetlands. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONCoalition Against Duck Shooting - understand the thirty-year campaign to ban duck shooting in Victoria -  http://www.duck.org.au/BirdLife Australia http://birdlife.org.au/Animals Australia Save Our Ducks website http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/duck-shooting-is-not-a-sport/Animals Australia Duck Shooting fact sheet http://www.animalsaustralia.org/factsheets/duck_shooting.phpRSPCA Victoria Duck Shooting http://www.rspcavic.org/issues-take-action/duck-shooting/RSPCA Victoria Out for a Duck report http://rspcavic.org/documents/Campaigns/duck/RSPCA-Out-for-a-duck-Dec-2012.pdf The Australian Greens Duck Shooting http://greens.org.au/initiatives/vic/end-duck-shootingThe Australia Institute http://www.tai.org.au/Game Management Authority Annual report  http://www.gma.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/317347/9316-DEDJTR-GMA-Annual-Report-2015-15_WEB.pdfACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThank you to all the interviewees who contributed to this program; most were extremely busy and some were fighting horrid winter lurgies.Music creditsLay down your Guns  - Daniel Trakell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVQP9jM_-w&feature=youtu.be & https://www.facebook.com/daniel.trakell/Who Stole the Soul & Old Devils -  William Elliott Whitmore http://williamelliottwhitmore.com/Photo creditKate Luke Photography

Have you thought about a vegan or vegetarian diet for your cats and dogs?  We ask Professor Andrew Knight from the University of Winchester , who is also a veterinarian,  why would we?  and how?For more info: http://www.vegepets.info/For more info on the new course in Animal Welfare: http://www.winchester.ac.uk/research/attheuniversity/FacultiesofHumanitiesandSocialSciences/centre-for-animal-welfare/Pages/centre-for-animal-welfare.aspx

We hear about social and environmental impacts of livestock farming in rural Africa from Geoff Russell who's the author of "CSIRO Perfidy" and a candidate for the Animal Justice Party in South Australia, and Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop of the World Preservation Foundation and Beyond Zero Emissions. We also hear from Dr Marco Springmann of Oxford University about his team's widely-publicised study of the astonishing projected benefits of vegan and vegetarian diets if widely adopted worldwide, and also from Dr Michael Greger from NutritionFacts.org who summarises research on the dietary links between health and climate woes.Photo acknowledgement:  Luca Esposti

We talk with Damien Mander, the Australian founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, about his work in southern Africa, the future prospects of the rhino, and being unwussy.  www.iapf.org

Lauren Ornelas is the founder/director ofFood Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a vegan food justice nonprofit seeking to create a more just world by helping consumers recognize the power of their food choices. F.E.P. works in solidarity with farm workers, advocates for chocolate not sourced from the worst forms of child labor, and focuses on access to healthy foods in communities of color and low-income communities. While lauren was the director of Viva!USA, she investigated factory farms and ran consumer campaigns. In cooperation with activists across the country, she persuaded Trader Joe’s to stop selling all duck meat and was the spark that got the founder of Whole Foods Market to become a vegan. She also helped halt the construction of an industrial dairy operation in California.  She served as campaign director with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition for six years. Watch her TEDx talk on The Power of Our Food Choices. Learn more about F.E.P.’s work at www.foodispower.org and www.veganmexicanfood.com.

We chat with Shakira Free Miles from SaveABulls, a veterinary led campaign to create awareness about breed specific legislation, promoting responsible dog ownership & an end to breed discrimination. We also discuss the reecnt recommendations regarding BSL in Victoria after an extensive inquiry into the legislation in Victoria, Australia with Bruce Poon from the Animal Justice Party.