|
The Greens
Principles
The Greens have by far the strongest animal protection
policy of any party. They are the only party to officially recognise
the concept of animal rights.
This means that, instead of animal welfare being under threat whenever
human beings wish to use and abuse them, there should be basic rights,
written into law, which safeguards their wellbeing. As the Green
Party explains:
"The prevailing assumption that animals can be used for
any purpose that benefits humankind is not acceptable in a Green
society. Our log term aim is to eliminate the wholesale exploitation
of other species, foster understanding of our inter-relationship
in the web of life and protect and promote natural habitat...
A compassionate and respectful relationship to other sentient
creatures is essential for human dignity and ultimately our own
quality of life... Animal rights are a central element of the
Green outlook and our wholehearted commitment to justice means
that we must accord to animals the equitable consideration due
to them."
The specific policies advanced by the Greens reflect these values.
The practical problem that the Greens face, however, is the first-past-the-post
system for General Elections. This means that in many cases, a vote
for the Greens is unlikely to translate into political change (though
it might help them save their deposit and send a signal out to other
parties of the strength of public opinion in favour of Green policies).
Furthermore, the Greens cannot afford to put up candidates in every
seat at the forthcoming poll. |
|
| |
Institutional reform
Like the Lib Dems, the Greens propose to establish
a new policy-making institution to deal 'with the welfare of all
animals'.
Existing bodies such as DEFRA and the Home Office Inspectorate
have become the creatures of cruel industries, so institutional
reform is essential for more democratic and compassionate policies.
The Greens are also in favour of proportional representation, thereby
allowing votes for better animal protection to have due weight in
the election. |
|
| |
Animal experiments
The Green's view animal research as cruel and unnecessary:
Every year, nearly three million animals are killed British laboratories.
The pain and distress they suffer may be prolonged, repeated and
the majority receive no anaesthesia.
"Every species of animal is unique and each suffers different
diseases and reacts differently to drugs. Scores of drugs "proven
safe" in animals go on to harm and kill humans; in fact,
70,000 people suffer dangerous, often lethal, reactions to their
animal-tested medicines every year in England alone. The fact
is that testing on animals is a traditional and largely unquestioned
technique, which benefits many powerful companies and provides
liability protection for the pharmaceutical industry."
The Greens propose:
"... to phase out all animal experiments within five years
of taking office. An immediate prohibition will apply to all cosmetic,
household, weapons, xenotransplantation, genetic manipulation
and behavioural experiments with animals, all animal-based pharmaceutical
experiments for the development of me-too drugs, together with
the LD50 [Lethal Dose], Draize and all other animal-based toxicity
tests. An immediate prohibition will apply to all experiments
on cats, dogs and primates. In addition, government research funds
will be transferred from animal tests to alternative research,
including epidemiology, in order to shift the emphasis from curative
to preventative medicine."
|
|
| |
Factory farming
The Green's express similar sentiments concerning
farmed animals:
"850 million animals are killed to be used as food in the
UK every year. Factory-farmed animals suffer immensely, pushed
well beyond their biological limits, as profits are consistently
prioritised over animal welfare. The cellophane-wrapped packages
in supermarkets, concealing the grim realities of the life and
death of farmed animals, serve to allow consumers to close their
eyes to suffering."
In response, the Greens promise to:
"... to phase out all forms of intensive farming, prohibit
the export of live animals and ban the import of commodities not
produced to UK standards. We would also work to get World Trade
Organisation rules changed, permitting bans on the basis of cruelty.
Animals are not industrial products, but sentient creatures, having
their own interests. The global reach of giant food and chemical
companies threatens to cause animal exploitation on a scale never
before seen and we recognise that it is essential to restrict
free trade if we are to live alongside, rather than at the expense
of, other species."
The Greens also say that:
"The expanding livestock industry contributes to animal
suffering and destruction and pollution of the environment. It
is also energy intensive rather than labour intensive, and contributes
to world starvation. We would therefore encourage a reduction
in consumption of animal produce and promote the development and
use of foods which are more healthy and humane."
|
|
| |
Hunting
The Greens states that they would legislate to:
"prohibit hunting with hounds, shooting, snaring, coursing
and various other abuses of our animal population. The Green Party
is fundamentally opposed to all bloodsports."
|
|
| |
|
