Humane Issues in the News...

Each week we post links to news about humane education & humane living, and items connected to humane issues, from human rights to environmental preservation, to animal protection, to media, consumerism and culture.

Studies show animals experience regret – New York Times (6/1/09)
“’It’s possible that this kind of social signal in animals could have evolved without the conscious experience of regret,’ said Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas, Austin. ‘But it seems more plausible that there is some kind of conscious experience even if it’s not the same kind of thing that you or I feel.’”

UCI offers minor in civic & community engagement – New University (6/1/09)
”Professor Kristen Day, the faculty director of the minor in civil and community engagement, noted that the minor will include seven possible themes including environmental sustainability and global citizenship that students can specialize in.”

School cafeterias going green, local - Christian Science Monitor (5/29/09)
”Across the United States, efforts to make school lunches more environmentally friendly have paired with the local food movement, as educators try to reconnect children with the growing season. School lunchrooms are also getting revamped to cut water and energy use and lessen food waste.”
Thanks, Ode Magazine, for the heads up.

Teacher works toward social justice for all – NJ.com (5/29/09)
”…each grade heard presentations on different themes. Fifth-graders heard from animal welfare groups, sixth-graders learned about the environment, seventh-graders explored human dignity and equality, and the eighth grade listened to a presentation from a Holocaust advocacy group.”

Canadian schools beginning to invest in outdoor education - Canada.com (5/29/09)
"There seems to be a new breed of teacher emerging wanting to give children more opportunities to feel a direct connection with the earth. They are willing to combine classroom learning with field trips and seek resources that inspire pupils to learn and to feed their curiosity. Children learn best when they feel safe and are having fun.''

Hugging the new “hello” for teens – New York Times (5/28/09)
”Hugging appears to be a grass-roots phenomenon and not an imitation of a character or custom on TV or in movies. The prevalence of boys’ nonromantic hugging (especially of other boys) is most striking to adults. Experts say that over the last generation, boys have become more comfortable expressing emotion….”

“Uncontacted” tribes in danger of extinction - Guardian (UK) (5/28/09)
”Five ‘uncontacted’ tribes are at imminent risk of extinction as oil companies, colonists and loggers invade their territories. The semi-nomadic groups, who live deep in the forests of Peru, Brazil and Paraguay, are vulnerable to common western diseases such as flu and measles but also risk being killed by armed gangs, according to a report by Survival International, which identifies the five groups as the most threatened on Earth.”
Thanks, Common Dreams, for the heads up.

In search of “Made in the USA” in U.S. stores - ABCNews (5/27/09)
”The first stop on our mission to buy American was a Sears department store in Salt Lake City. We were after a full suit of clothes, with as many items made in America as possible. We came out with eight items total: sports jacket (made in China), pants (China), necktie (China), belt (China), boxer shorts (Mexico), undershirt (Honduras), dress shirt (Bangladesh) and suitcase (China).”

Fast food in school cafeterias helps schools, hurts kids - Education.com (5/09)
”The only way to keep the lunchroom running, then, is to keep students buying. And when brand-name items appear on the menu, ‘the kids will line up a mile long,’ said Amy Hedrick, the food service supervisor in the Scotts Valley Unified School District in California.”

Fighting America’s “food deserts” - Time (5/26/09)
”For years, major supermarket chains have been criticized for abandoning densely populated, largely black and Latino communities in cities like Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis and Newark, N.J. — contributing to what many experts call food deserts. Many of these communities are, quite literally, starving for broader and healthier food options beyond the seemingly ubiquitous fast-food chains and corner stores selling barely a handful of fruits and vegetables — at relatively high prices.”
Thanks, Vegan.com, for the heads up.

Hard times for healthy school lunches - Reuters (5/26/09)
”Los Angeles Unified School District is an anti-junk-food pioneer, but the obstacles it faces show how difficult it is to change habits shaped by decades of unhealthy eating promoted by the mammoth fast-food industry. The district's food services department has thrown out deep-fat fryolators, added more fresh foods and reduced sodium in cafeteria meals. It also has outlawed sugary sodas and banished junk food vending machines on campus.But enforcement has been spotty and fast-food chains and convenience stores wait outside school gates, eager to provide students with a fix.”
Thanks, Sustainable Food blog, for the heads up.

Educators honored for teaching green - Green Right Now (5/26/09)
”Curley says he’s noticed a big change in his students since introducing them to nature. ‘They are better behaved while working together outdoors, more compassionate to plants, animals and each other, feel a sense that they have some expertise in something, and are curious about learning more about the world around them,’ says Curley.”

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