January 29, 2010

Welcome to Weekly Update, a publication of Western United Environmental Services (WUES). Our goal is to provide you with the latest information about the WDR’s from the Water Board and how our organization can help you with your environmental challenges. All previous publications of the Weekly Update can be found in the News section on our website at www.wuenvironmental.com.

 

‘Nightline’ dairy segment serves as reminder on animal well being

Undercover videos produced by animal rights groups that were highlighted on Tuesday’s ABC show “Nightline” point out to dairy producers once again the importance of being vigilant when it comes to animal well being practices. The graphic videos include one made inside a New York dairy operation where, according to the ABC news story, cows never go outside, have the ends of their tails cut off, and are seen being abused by one employee who hits a cow over the head with a wrench when it refuses to move.

“Dairy farmers depend on healthy cows for their livelihoods. They care for their herds by providing a nutritious diet, good medical care and healthy living conditions, pointed out Western United Dairymen President Ray Souza. “The illegal practices shown on these undercover videos are condemned by all dairy producers who act responsibly in caring for their animals. This incident demonstrates once again the importance of dairy producers following animal care guidelines such as those outlined in the new National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program.”

The FARM program was launched October 1, 2009 by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI). The FARM animal care manual details best management practices for a variety of issues. The manual covers animal health, environment and facilities; animal nutrition; and transportation and handling. The content of the manual is consistent with the principles and guidelines of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative, which was introduced in 2008. The companion Animal Care Quick Reference User Guide is a condensed version of the manual for on-farm use and implementation. These materials will be supplemented with an animal care video and other educational resources. An on-farm instructor may be available from a producer’s cooperative or other source.

To participate in the National Dairy FARM Program, producers, cooperatives, processors, and state and regional dairy producer organizations can contact NMPF. On-farm evaluations began this year and third-party verification will follow in 2011. For more information go to http://www.nationaldairyfarm.com/

Get your new Johne’s disease brochure

Dairy producers who have culled one or more animals for unresponsive chronic diarrhea combined with reduced milk production and thin condition might want to learn more about Johne’s disease—and find out if their herds are infected with Johne’s disease. A good source of information about Johne’s disease is a recently released 16-page brochure that is free to dairy and beef producers and veterinarians.

The new brochure describes how animals become infected with the organism that causes Johne’s disease, details measures producers can take to help prevent and control the disease, and explains herd testing strategies. The brochure, which is underwritten by USDA-APHIS-VS and produced by the National Johne’s Education Initiative overseen by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, is science based and written in producer language. For more information, call the National Institute for Animal Agriculture at (719) 538-8843 or go to http://www.johnesdisease.org/.

Methane Causes Vicious Cycle In Global Warming

Carbon dioxide is the gas we most associate with global warming, but methane gas also plays an important role. For reasons that are not well understood, methane gas stopped increasing in the atmosphere in the 1990s. But now it appears to be once again on the rise. Scientists are trying to understand why — and what to do about it. Methane gas comes from all sorts of sources including wetlands, rice paddies, cow tummies, coal mines, garbage dumps and even termites. Drew Shindell, at NASA's Goddard Institute in New York, says, "It's gone up by 150 percent since the pre-industrial period. So that's an enormous increase. CO2, by contrast, has gone up by something like 30 percent. "Molecule for molecule, methane is much more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. And that's just part of the trouble. "Methane is much more complicated once it gets into the atmosphere than something like carbon dioxide is," Shindell says, "and that's because it reacts with a lot of different important chemicals." <more> Jan. 26, 2010 NPR

EPA warned of lawsuit over pesticides and animals

A conservation group plans to sue the federal government, claiming hundreds of protected animal species have been impacted because it has not evaluated or regulated nearly 400 pesticides. The Center for Biological Diversity sent the Environmental Protection Agency a letter of intent to sue on Thursday. It says the agency violated the Endangered Species Act by not consulting with wildlife regulators about the pesticides' impacts on hundreds of endangered species. The organization says as many as 887 species may be harmed, including the Florida panther, coho salmon and California condor. If the EPA does not correct the alleged violations within 60 days, the group plans to file suit. An EPA spokeswoman says it will review the letter, as well as the potential effects on protected species.<more> Jan. 28, 2010 Fresno Bee

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