Thanks to you, millions of others, and many non-profit organizations, 2019 has been a milestone year for animal welfare and the environment.
Wins Reported by Environmental and Animal Welfare Organizations
Following are just a few of the wins reported by activist organizations:
Greenpeace
- A federal judge disallowed plans to open the Alaskan Arctic Ocean to oil drilling. All plans to expand offshore gas and oil drilling were put on hold indefinitely.
- Thanks to the work of Greenpeace and a coalition of grassroots, environmental, and public health groups, California Governor Newsom halted new fracking permits and high-pressure steam extraction of oil.
- In Washington, DC and various states, the Green New Deal is in planning phases. The Deal addresses climate injustice and economic inequality with large investments in jobs that facilitate renewable power.
Mercy for Animals
Mercy for Animals worked for better treatment of animals by McDonald’s, WalMart and other major corporations, released drone footage from investigations in Mexico and Brazil, and inspired animal advocates worldwide to organize and march in the streets.
Thanks to the efforts of Mercy for Animals and other animal advocates, a new Michigan law requires egg-producing hens to be kept cage-free. This will reduce suffering for 10 million chickens.
The ASPCA welcomed 18 widely available food brands to their Shop With Your Heart Brand List, bringing the total number of farm animal welfare-certified products to more than 90 over the last three years.
The Humane Society of the United States
HSUS reports crucial bipartisan wins for animal welfare in 2019 thanks to the support and engagement of countless Americans.
- A landmark win was enacting The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, P.L. 116-72 following unanimous approval in the Senate and House. This bill, signed into law by President Trump, strengthens the 2010 federal animal “crush video” law. It bans extreme animal cruelty in or affecting interstate commerce regardless of whether a video was produced.
- The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 693 won the bipartisan vote by 333-96 in the House in July, and S. 1007, the identical companion bill, is cosponsored by half the Senate. The PAST Act cracks down on the cruel practice of using chemicals, devices, and/or pressure to inflict pain on a horse’s legs or hooves so they will lift their legs while walking.
- In an effort to protect at-risk wildlife, Congress moved forward to address wildlife trafficking, shark finning, threats to North Atlantic right whales, captive big cats, and trophy hunting imports of threatened or endangered animals.
- Appropriations bills include funding for alternatives to animal testing, relocation and sterilization of wild horses and burros, and shelter options for domestic violence survivors and their companion animals.
Read the details about these legislative actions and more wins on the HSUS blog.
Ocean Cleanup
Plastics and microplastics are choking waterways and the oceans. Sealife eats the plastic and get sick and/or die as this waste builds up in their bodies. To clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch ( a floating island of plastic twice the size of the state of Texas!) and other plastic islands, giant floating devices have been set up by Ocean Cleanup to capture plastic and hold it until it is collected and recycled. In addition, different units are being deployed to rivers that send the most plastic into the ocean.
The Ocean Cleanup aims to remove 50% of plastic waste from the ocean every five years. Learn more here.
The National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation reports that the most significant wildlife win of 2019 was the passage of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act. This 100 bills in this legislation protect 2.3 million acres of public lands and waters. The act added 1.2 million acres to the Wilderness Preservation System.
Another major win was the recognition of wildlife corridors that allow animals to safely migrate from region to region. Thanks to private funding, California will soon be building a 200 foot-long land bridge that will cross 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway near Los Angeles. Many lives will be saved once this crossing is completed in 2023.
The World Wildlife Federation
WWF reports significant conservation wins for 2019. tThe year brought protections for more than 40 million acres in the Peruvian Amazon and a historic release of bison into lands they haven’t roamed since 1877. In Badlands National Park, South Dakota, bison now have an additional 22,553 acres to roam thanks to a supporters who donated early $750,000 to build 43 miles of fencing to extend bison habitat in the park to 80,193 acres.
Together with Apple, WWF helped improve management of more than 1 million acres of working forest in China. The initiative reduces the environmental footprint of paper production. In a major boost for communities and wildlife in the Luangwa river valley, To safeguard the diverse benefits enjoyed by people and nature, the Zambian government halted plans to construct a mega hydropower dam across the Luangwa river. Close to 200,000 WWF supporters signed a petition calling for the legal protection of the Luangwa river from deforestation, dams, and unsustainable agriculture.
PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
PETA celebrated several animal welfare victories in 2019. The organization persuaded the Coca-Cola syrup maker to ban crude animal tests, convinced a few stores and designers to quit selling furs and animal skins, promoted the sale of meat-replacement food (such as Beyond Burgers) in restaurants and worked to ban the sale of foie gras (made from force-feeding ducks and geese) in New York City.
In India, their Animal Rahat branch rescued overloaded bullocks and pack animals and animals trapped in open wells. The organization helped provide farmers and transporters with tractors and vehicles to replace animals.
How You Can Help
This article highlights just a few of the evironmental and animal welfare wins of 2019. You can support the many non-profits working on these goals with donations, signing petitions, and contacting your state representatives at all levels. Learn how to be an effective advocate here.
In addition, you can help by reporting animal abuse, spaying and neutering your pets, saying no to puppy and kitten mill pets, reducing consumption of animal products, shopping with your heart, choosing sustainable products, and limiting your use of disposable plastic and wood products, such as chopsticks (which alone account for 25 million killed trees a year!).
Watch for more animal welfare wins in 2020. Hopefully, we will continue to build momentum to reduce the pending human-caused extinction of a million species, deforestation, and climate change. Perhaps 2020 will be the year that more states get serious about limiting puppy mills and enforcing laws that improve the miserable lives of the animals living in them.
Which wins and future wins mean the most to you?