Lung Grown On A Chip

"Researchers at Harvard University have successfully created a functioning, respirating* human 'lung' on a chip in a lab. Made using human and blood vessel cells and a microchip, the translucent lung is far simpler in terms of observation than traditional, actual human lungs (for obvious reasons), in a small convenient package about the size of a pencil eraser. The researchers have demonstrated its effectiveness and are now moving toward showing its ability to replicate gas exchange between lung cells and the bloodstream. Down the road a bit more, the team hopes to produce other organs on chips, and hook them all up to the already operational heart on a chip."

Remember the claims that we NEED to experiment on animals?  Once again, science moves forwards.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/researchers-create-functioning-human-lung-on-a-microchip/

I'll mention more about Animal Experimentation on my next episode

*"respirating"?  The dictionary included with Firefox does not compute!

Episode 31 Emmy, Evolution, Eight Wire

Episode 31 Emmy, Evolution, Eight Wire

Hello and welcome to a quick episode of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals.

I've been busy recently, so I've been neglecting my podcast, sorry to the five people who listen! 

I was a little afraid of being banned from the internet, having played three Jackson Five/The Jacksons songs on Episode 30.

My intro bumper was from my friend Emmy, who has a new Animal Rights podcast.



You can find Emmy at www.vegan-for-life.blogspot.com

Invercargill Anti Mining March Photos

Our government wants to mine protected conservation land, I took part along with a few hundred other people in a city centre march against the mining plans

More photos on my Flickr account:
http://bit.ly/ccQfm9

*UPDATE* The Southland Times Coverage (two days after the march...) http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/3860189/Marchers-urge-halt-to-mining-plans *UPDATE*

New Episode Soon!

I've been busy recently, I hope to have a new episode soon!

"The Black Chick" : A Life In Pictures

"The Black Chick" : A Life In Pictures is a collection of growth photos of the only dark chick in the Ms Hen (black), Mr Rooster (orange/yellow) family.

Being visibly different, it was easiest to identify the single dark chick, when the other chicks were near identical in orange/yellow.

I love all my little friends equally, though The Black Chick (now *HALF* orange/yellow!) will always be special.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywontdart/sets/72157624293399008/show/

All chickens are lovely, we shouldnt hurt any chicken, we shouldnt hurt any animal.  Please promote Veganism.

Graphic "Artificial Insemination" video

Roger Yates had a TERRIFIC Tenth Episode of his podcast,

http://human-nonhuman.blogspot.com/2010/06/podcast-number-10.html

Which focuses on this blog entry
http://human-nonhuman.blogspot.com/2010/06/easygoing-speciesism-irish-example.html

Roger mentions a video from the Irish Animal Education Trust
http://irishanimaleducationtrust.com/ , about Artificial Insemination (AI).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_insemination

The video is just horribly graphic, I felt like I was going to be physically sick as a reporter put her gloved arm inside...a Cows.... how could ANYONE defend this process?  If you caged a female cat and interfered with her like this, surely you'd be a criminal?

And for what do we get from doing this to a poor female Cow,  we force her into a pregnancy, while she is confined in a fenced pen, unable to move....?  With an injection taken from a male Bull, who never sees a female Cow in his life?  Who furiously "mounts" another male, while an artificial tube device is placed upon him, to collect his semen?  And all for a glass of cows milk?

I think this is just horrible, I think anyone who drinks milk should know what is involved.  This is *NOT* one of those "Animal Abuse" videos, meaning there is no "breech of welfare", this is standard, worldwide.  AI happens everywhere.  I would certainly see this as abuse we inflict upon animals.

I hated seeing the poor animals, chained through their noses...how can this possibly be considered "humane", even from an "Animal Welfare" point of view?  Its just barbaric.

Here is the video


There is NO excuse for killing 56 Billion land animals a year, ( bit.ly/56billion ), and perhaps there truly is more suffering in a glass of cows milk than in a (kilogram) of Steak

http://nzdairy.webs.com/quotes.htm

We should promote Veganism as a moral baseline.

Bit.ly link to UN 2007 Animals Killed PDF

I find myself often linking to statistics mentioned RE Animal Rights.  I often like to http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/ , and specifically the UN statistics PDF.  I warn people before DIRECTLY linking to a file that will download, as readers may not understand what just happened!

I've decided to make a custom bit.ly link to the actual PDF file, while also mentioning http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/

This links to the actual file ITSELF, it will either automatically download or ask you if you would like to download it:
bit.ly/56billion 

I think thats very easy to remember, bit . ly / 56 billion , for the 56 billion land animals killed in 2007, according to the UN.  Do you want a citation for that?  Sure, bit.ly/56billion

Episode 30 Gary, Indiana and Pukeko

Episode 30 Gary, Indiana and Pukeko

Hello and welcome to another episode of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals, not just your every day special episode, but the THIRTIETH special episode. 

I was going to do a big special "lets see where Welfare reform has gotten us, from The Animals Film to Earthlings", but I had trouble finding special co stars, so maybe its a topic for the future.

Before I begin, just one extra special shoutout, I added a fancy widget to the right side of my blog, that shows where visitors are located.  I think its fun to notice where everyone is visiting from, and its public, anyone can see. 

I noticed a particularly special location.  I'd like to say hello to the visitor from a particular US city, Gary, Indiana.

Increased Mechanisation Of "Meat" Production

I found a crazy video from "Silver Fern Farms"

Silver Fern Farms believes in the environment!

"New Zealand livestock are raised in an environment of wide, open spaces and minimal interference. At every stage of the animal’s life, growers work towards delivering a product that is as pure and natural as possible, without compromising the well-being of individual animals. Our farm assurance and quality assurance programmes ensure fencing; yarding, livestock handling and record keeping are all of the highest standards."

Blah blah blah.

But what was REALLY crazy was the "processing" robots.  Watching these, I can just imagine The Terminator ripping humans to pieces, with perfect efficiency. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYg25FlD5q4&feature=player_embedded

Sadly, this is what counts as "innovation" in New Zealand, better Killing Bots.  Well, I guess we learnt robots dig Techno beats?