Petition Tag - research

Please tell the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to stop funding millions of taxpayer's money into animal testing.

Over 10 million animals a year are used as models in medical research, most funded by taxpayer's money.
These animals are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act and are subjected to torturous experimentation which are often inconclusive and unscientific.

Putting aside the cruelty, animals and humans differ genetically, anatomically and metabolically therefore animals are inappropriate models for medical research. 9 out of 10 drugs that work successfully on animals failed on humans.

Please urge NHMRC to stop funding this cruel, expensive and inconclusive practice and invest in alternative methods such as computer modelling, Corrositex, improved statistical design, the Murine Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA), etc.

Thank you.

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No one could accept that the University of Luxembourg would apply such a decision to a high-level academic, researcher, teacher and advisor like Dr. Ziegler after she has succeeded in designing, developing and directing an outstanding upper-level Master program.

The achievements of the program as well as its originality have contributed to the distinction and credit of the University of Luxembourg. Furthermore the projects within Dr. Ziegler’s research group have produced results, which are recognized by a large number of international experts and which have strong impacts on Luxembourg as a multilingual community.

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Rare disorders affect about 1 in 12 persons, or 2.7 million Canadians. These people are Canada’s most vulnerable citizens and need your support. We are requesting that the political parties of Canada answer the following three questions on rare diseases in Canada.

Your name will be sent along with this petition to the political parties of Canada.

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Badgers are very cute, innocent animals. They have hardly ever attacked anyone. Despite what people may think, they are not all vegetarian, they sometimes eat mice or even baby rabbits.

Despite their innocence, the UK government and DEFRA are planning to cull them. Although the Welsh badger cull has been stopped, the English one may still take place. It is to do with stopping the spread of TB onto cattle, but this could quite easily be done be researching for a new vaccine against TB for the cattle.

One of the methods used to kill badgers would be gassing them in their setts, and this is very, very cruel. It doesn't even mean aninstant death, and even if it did the cull still wouldn't be justified. Rather, it means a very painful death for the badgers.

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Following the deaths Charlie & Kian Jones from a congenital heart defect (CHD) called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), the Charlie Jones Foundation was established.

They endeavour to raise awareness into HLHS and to also fundraise for our local PICU.

CHD's a the number one killer in babies and many often go undetected until the child dies and a post mortem is carried out. There is hardly any research into heart defects in this country yet the Government plough money into cancer research when statistics show that the highest number of infant and child deaths is due to a heart defect and not cancer.

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March 8, 2005, will go down in history. It is the date on which the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly ratified solemnly the anti-cloning Declaration recommended by its legal committee, with an even stronger vote of nearly 3-1 called on member states to ban all human cloning.

Today, July 21,2010, we have no legal limits to preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and this could easily allow someone to clone.

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Since its inception in 2005, the Centre for Ethics has established itself, both domestically and internationally, as a unique and vibrant hub of interdisciplinary and collaborative research in the field of ethics. Widely acclaimed as one of the University’s leading research units, the Centre has been described as one of the top three institutes of its kind in the world, standing firmly alongside its counterparts at Harvard and Princeton.

In the last week of June 2010, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences revealed its startling decision to dismantle the Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto. In its new academic plan, the Faculty has declared its intent to redeploy the $308,000 annual budget of the Centre to “ethics-based educational initiatives across the Faculty.” Provost Cheryl Misak would later attribute this decision to “financial pressures,” asserting that “the University of Toronto’s commitment to the finest research in and teaching of the subject of ethics is unwavering, despite this recent shift in how the Faculty of Arts and Sciences goes about it.” It is doubly unfortunate then to have this particular decision included in the broader financial pressures that face the University. Not only is this decision unrelated to the wider determination to rein in spending, it will potentially harm the very students it purports to serve.

It is important to note that the University has not chosen to eliminate the funds formerly allocated to the Centre for Ethics, but rather to divert them to ethics-related courses run out of existing departments. This seems to suggest that the decision is less about saving money than it is a reflection of shifting priorities and commitments. Without a doubt, expanding the Faculty’s existing course offerings in ethics is an important and laudable aim, but doing so at the expense of the Centre for Ethics is both wrongheaded and shortsighted. Teaching and research are dual pillars of the university; excellence in one reinforces excellence in the other. The teaching of ethics in diverse fields becomes wooden and forced when not connected to ethics research projects. Dismantling the Centre for Ethics would not further the University’s aims to provide cutting edge teaching in ethics, but would arguably reduce both its teaching capacities and its international profile.

One of the Centre’s greatest achievements has been in building bridges among scholars and students from a wide range of disciplines and departments across the Faculty of Arts and Science and beyond. Within the traditionally decentralized institutional framework of the University of Toronto, the Centre for Ethics has been an effective counteragent to departmental parochialism, creating a community of researchers with shared interests, despite their often very different backgrounds, methodologies, and approaches to problems in ethics. By offering an institutional home for these scholars, the Centre has helped build up inter-departmental relationships and has generated unique opportunities for collaboration and insight—learning that is then transported back into the researchers’ departments of origin and into the classroom.

Through its many seminars and conferences, the Centre has explored such pressing issues as climate change, cultural difference and “reasonable accommodation,” Aboriginal politics, business ethics, electoral reform, ethics and democracy, secularism, civil society, and the ethics of catastrophe, to name but a few. Moreover, the Centre acts as an important bridge between the university and the broader community by fostering a distinctive space for public engagement on questions of ethics. Through its Community Research Partnerships and Public Issues Forums, the Centre engages students, faculty, and the general public in discussion of topics of acute relevance to today’s world. This kind of socially relevant and engaged scholarship is an example to the world and as a world-class research institution that prides itself on its commitment to teaching and research, the University of Toronto should be proud to support it.

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The Harper government is moving to eliminate the Canada census long form questionnaire and replace it with a voluntary survey. The long form was sent to 20% of households and is a critical source of information about diversity, employment, income, education and other characteristics of Canadians. It is essential to business, research, planning and good public policies and programs. Stakeholders ranging from the business community, to university researchers to social justice advocates are raising their voices to oppose this move.

Le gouvernement Harper entend supprimer le questionnaire long du prochain recensement et le remplacer par une enquête à participation volontaire. Le questionnaire long est une source d’information inestimable pour les affaires, la recherche et l’évaluation des programmes et des politiques.

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We who have Bipolar Disorder suffer sleep deprivation almost nightly. And it often triggers or exacerbates the more obviously dangerous symptoms of the disorder.

For example, anger, impulsiveness, mixed manic episodes, depression, and manic risk-taking; all of which can result in destructive, painful, and even suicidal behavior. Yet, in our treatment, sleep deprivation is poorly addressed and frequently dismissed.

Getting a good night's sleep vastly improves our experience of bipolar and transforms our quality of life. But it rarely happens.

Therefore, we request that NIMH increase its research in this area.

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A majority of Americans rely on ratings, user reviews, recommendations and written comments to make smarter decisions.

Often it is a time consuming and frustrating process to read long-form comments to understand the views of others.

Our Company has a patent for a new system to gather online feedback that makes it easier for consumers to contribute feedback and for businesses and consumers to understand that feedback in just a few seconds.

View example feedback about "GLEE".

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On behalf of the more than 100,000 women and men in Arizona who are contending with infertility, please help us oppose SB 1306 and SB 1307 because they will make infertility treatment less available and less effective. We urge Arizona residents to turn up the volume to let your Representatives know that you oppose these anti-family bills.

SB 1306
Instead of banning egg donation directly, the bill takes a more indirect route. It imposes unprecedented and unnecessary informed consent requirements. The penalties are severe: if a physician does not follow the new rules to the letter, he could wind up losing his license to practice medicine, being convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor (the most serious class), and face 6 months in prison.

SB 1306 also casts other common medical practices into question: Will physicians be allowed to freeze and thaw eggs for preservation, a common practice? Can physicians screen for genetic defects? Can new specialists and embryologists be trained? The physicians in the infertility practices believe these practices will no longer be legal. Physicians will no longer treat patients who need egg donation as a means to build their families in Arizona, driving these couples out of state to seek treatment.

SB 1307
The second bill, SB 1307, also contains provisions that threaten infertility patients, mainly through vague terms that make it unclear what treatments doctors can safely perform and which ones could land them in jail. Most flagrantly, this bill could forbid embryo cryopreservation (freezing) – which would dramatically alter how reproductive medicine is practiced and would cause harm and hardship to patients.

The bill makes it criminal to harm an embryo in the course of "nontherapeutic research" -- but leaves it very unclear whether ordinary IVF embryology lab techniques could be classified as such illegal research. The penalty for harming an embryo is steep: a minimum of 6 months in prison, and up to 1.5 years. The point of the legislation – to make it undesirable to practice reproductive medicine in Arizona and to drive the doctors and clinics out.

“The medical community working in this field strongly believes that [SB 1307] would prohibit:

• Practices that allow embryologists to screen embryos for genetic disease. Some genetic conditions can actually be removed from an embryo prior to transfer.

• Practices such as Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis that select only healthy embryos from genetically challenged couples, avoiding miscarriage and health risks.

• Screening to select only the most viable embryos for transfer allowing doctors to transfer one or two embryos. This reduces the need for multiple embryos that lead to high-order multiples and premature birth."

With a class 6 felony and loss of license to practice, no physician in Arizona would dare take that chance. They would no longer be able to help Arizona couples have families. These unintended consequences will drive businesses out of Arizona, and force couples seeking this treatment to go elsewhere [if they can].

Please sign this petition to let the AZ legislators know you oppose these bills.

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The University of Florida touts itself as “a leading research institution,” and states the following on its web site with regards to student research: Graduate education and research go hand-in-hand. The great discoveries of the 21st century will undoubtedly come from the creative efforts of university faculty working closely with bright and motivated graduate students. Graduate students . . . broaden the knowledge base of their disciplines in countless ways.

Recently, the University announced its decision that Mr. Bougher and Mr. Safiullin would not be allowed to use footage gathered on a trip to Haiti after the island was struck by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, despite the fact that Mr. Bougher and Mr. Safiullin were on the island when the earthquake struck, were required to evacuate, and subsequently were unable to gather necessary footage for completion of their project.

The University of Florida, as aforementioned, prides itself on being a premier research institution that has made significant contributions to benefit countless people. Indeed, perhaps no other institution is as uniquely positioned as a university to take advantage of democratic freedoms to enhance the well being of society.

Yet, in the case of Mr. Bougher and Mr. Safiullin, it appears protocol and bureaucratic red tape trump truth and progress. It has been suggested by Provost Joe Glover that Mr. Bougher and Mr. Safiullin should have simply refocused their thesis on the Dominican Republic; not only is this suggestion culturally insensitive in that it suggests two distinct and separate nations, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, are interchangeable, but this statement also belies the University’s supposed belief in the importance and integrity of its graduate students’ research.

While the University’s ban on university-funded travel to Haiti is understandable, Mr. Bougher and Mr. Safiullin returned to Haiti through their own means, assuming all risk, knowing that the risk of traveling to Haiti was equivalent to the risk any United States citizen assumes when traveling out of the country. The students’ use of private funds only underscores their commitment to this project.

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During the month of March a survey was conducted at the University of Lethbridge.

What Does the University of Lethbridge Community Think of Sodexo Food?

The objective of this survey was to receive an empirical answer to the question of what the University of Lethbridge (UofL) community think of Sodexo food services on campus. This survey was commissioned by the Service Employee’s International Union (S.E.I.U) after consultation with the University of Lethbridge Students Union (ULSU) and the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG). If the answer was found to be a negative one then a second action-research projected would attempt to get better food service on campus.

Initially the goal was to collect 400 responses but with the survey approaching 250 a very clear trend had emerged and we decided we had enough data. With 244 surveys returned there was a very high (95.1%) completion rate.

The University of Lethbridge has a population of over 10000 including 8200 undergraduates and the survey has a 95% confidence rating that the results are accurate within 6points.

The clearest message from both the quantitative and qualitative data is that the price of food is too high for the quality received. 70% picked the worst category on the price of food in the quantitative section and in the qualitative section over 150 wrote that the food was too expensive.

Another significant statistical response was overall satisfaction with 48.5% rating it as “poor”. The comments section revealed a significant number are unhappy with the exclusivity contract, the mandatory residence meal plan, greasy food, the lack of healthy food and vegetarian options and choices for those on restricted diets.

Perhaps most significant though was that eight students reported getting food poisoning after eating at Sodexo establishments at the UofL. The results of this survey provide a very clear mandate for changes to food services at the University of Lethbridge.

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PETITION FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE HYPERMOBILITY SYNDROMES (HMS) AND EHLERS-DANLOS SYNDROME (EDS) SERVICES AT CHAPEL ALLERTON (Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)

As you are all aware Professor Bird retires after serving the above community of patients at the end of September 2010. Our information indicates that the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust do not intend to continue with the service that our community accesses. So with the loss of Prof. Bird and the highly skilled multi-disciplinary team, the existing and 300+ new patients a year, will no longer have access to what is widely recognised as a designated HMS/EDS Clinic.

This will have a devastating effect on the needs of those of us who access the current service in Leeds. Additionally this will lead to an increase in referrals to the other three existing designated HMS/ EDS Clinics in the UK, namely Glasgow, UCH in London and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. There is no doubt that many of us despite the difficulties in travelling and the extra cost will wish to attend a specialised service in a designated clinic, (especially considering the difficult journey that the majority of us undergo to gain a diagnosis in the first place). It is also apparent that this patient group in fact needs more designated clinics, run by knowledgeable and skilled staff who are up to date with research and who participate in research in attempts to best indentify how to manage and treat what can be a condition which significantly impacts on a patients physical, emotional, financial, family and social lives. It is not in the interests of this patient group to attend ordinary rheumatology appts, so with that in mind we are asking that you all sign this petition for the following reasons;

1.The continuation of a fit for service fit for purpose designated service/clinic for people with HMS/EDS at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
2.The need for more designated clinics for people with HMS or EDS.

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Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a group of genetic disorders involving mutations in connective tissue characterized by looseness, instability, and dislocations of the joints, fragile and often hyperelastic skin that bruises, scars, and tears easily, unpredictable arterial and organ rupture causing acute pain, excessive internal bleeding, shock, stroke, and premature death.

There are six major types of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that are characterized by distinctive features with life being shortened for individuals with the vascular type due to the possibility of arterial or organ rupture. It is estimated the prevalence of all types of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is 1 in 5,000 births worldwide. A network of worldwide support groups have proved of great benefit to individuals with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Not only do these organizations put people in touch with other individuals managing life with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, they are also vital in providing up to date information to the medical profession and public at large. At this stage there is little research being undertaken into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, however, there continues to be hope that genetic testing and research will be increased. By encouraging further studies of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, new understanding, interventions, and improved treatments can be acquired; current work at the National Institutes of Health and other research institutions can be expanded and increased, generating a growth in the knowledge base and bring hope for a cure.

There is neither routine screening nor a cure for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, individuals must seek a diagnosis from a knowledgeable health care provider. Individual symptoms must be evaluated and cared for appropriately; physical and occupational therapy evaluation and intervention may be required to address basic life tasks. Early and accurate diagnosis can provide the opportunity to create life-saving emergency medical plans, ensure proper monitoring, and improve quality of life and support for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome families before a tragedy occurs.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmrF8Uh-Hyk

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I am confident that this could be a revolution for the research and diagnosis of multiple sclerosis ”— Dr. Paolo Zamboni.

If there is a possiblity that MS can be cured this procedure should be looked into. This experimental surgery Dr. Zamboni performed on his wife offers hope that MS, which afflicts 2.5 million people worldwide, can be cured and even largely prevented.

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As of today, the government is allowing approximately 90 billion dollars towards research funding for Autism.

There needs to be more money that goes towards this because when everything is accounted for (i.e. research, educational spending, medications, more health insurance coverage, etc.) 90 billion dollars is not near enough.

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There are a plethora of mental and physical disorders that effect millions of americans today that could possibly be solved, if we only push research in the direction of one drug; Psilocybin. Forgetting the connotation of drug culture and hippies, Psilocybin has many redeeming qualities, if taken in moderate doses.

Some of the problems that this drug shows promise of curing are: Depression, Multiple Sclerosis, High Blood Pressure, Chronic Migraines, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, not to mention the things we may discover on the way. In the '60's, there was research done with Psilocybin, but it was done almost exclusively in high-doses. Low-level therapy with the drug may yield better results than previous research.

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Help make cancer research and treatment a National priority.

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The Petition of the following individuals points out their concern about the provision of animals from municipal pounds to research institutions.

The use of pound dogs creates a dependence on pet overpopulation and is therefore taking advantage of the human irresponsibility and cruelty necessitating pounds rather than addressing the problem.

Abandoned animals in pounds and shelters have already suffered the fear and distress of losing their carers and familiar territory. Their use in research and teaching is the ultimate betrayal and one that cannot be condoned in a caring society.

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Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there.

Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

Dihydrogen monoxide is the major component of acid rain. It contributes to both the “greenhouse effect” and the erosion of our natural landscape, and may cause severe burns. DHMO accelerates the corrosion and rusting of many metals, may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes, and has been found in excised tumours of terminal cancer patients.

Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions! Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in Australia today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage all over the country.

In spite of the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used in the production of nuclear power, the manufacture of Styrofoam, and the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce still remains contaminated by this chemical. Dihydrogen monoxide is also used as a fire retardant, and as an industrial solvent and coolant. It is used in many cruel forms of animal research, and has often been taken by athletes to improve their performance. DHMO can also be used as a food additive, and is frequently found in junk food. It even has a tendency to accumulate in dairy products.

Dihydrogen monoxide is found in all municipal water supplies, and there is no filter on the market that is able to remove this hazardous substance from our drinking water. Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer! This horror MUST be stopped!

Despite strong evidence linking DHMO ingestion with cancer, the Australian Government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its supposed “importance to the economic health of the nation.” In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.

It’s not too late to put an end to the use of DHMO in Australia. By signing this petition, you can help to secure the health and safety of all Australians in the future.

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-Moratorium against the use of tasers by the police and the transit security;

-the use of tasers by transit police is far outside guidelines that say they should be used only if someone is suicidal, violent or about to injure himself or someone else;

-Translink police are Canada's only armed transit police force;

-60 more people have died since Robert Dziekanski after being Tasered by police, including five Canadians;

-At least 286 people in North America have died since 2001 after being stunned by the TASER's 50,000 volt discharge

-There is no way of knowing whether individual Taser weapons meet the manufacturer's specifications;

-There are no Canadian safety testing standards of any kind for the devices;

-It is entirely possible that some weapons discharge much more electrical energy than they are supposed to, and that police officers are unwittingly killing people as a result;

-TASER and the law enforcement community often point to other factors that they say actually cause death;

-such as drug or alcohol use or a phenomenon they have coined "excited delirium", which is not a recognized medical condition;

-TASER International says so-called "excited delirium" is a potentially fatal condition.

-Here are some questions: How many people have died of "excited delirium" in the last five years in situations that did not involve law enforcement? Do people only reach potentially lethal levels of excitement or delirium when they are accosted by peace officers?

-Tasers are arguably being overused by police;

-They have reportedly been used to shock children as young as six (in Florida) and an 82 year old woman was recently shocked in Chicago;

-Amnesty International studied 271 fatalities and found that the victim was unarmed in all but 22 of the cases. Most of these victims were no risk to anyone.

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WowWee Robotics makes a wide range of cutting-edge robotic toys. Unfortunately, some of them are now discontinued, such as the RoboSapien V2 and RoboSapien RS Media.

The RoboSapien RS Media is fully programmable with Linux operating system built in. There are a few good white-hat robot hackers out there that have developed the RS Media beyond what comes out of the box, due to the ability to utilize it's on-board Linux operating system and USB port. Schools have also used this robot as a teaching tool. The robot also has expandable memory via SD card and a secret built-in serial port console to get direct access to the robot's OS.

The RoboSapien V2 is a big upgrade from the original RoboSapien (which is not yet discontinued). He has the same full autonomous abilities and can move much the same as the RS Media model. While he can not be programmed via PC computer, the one feature many liked was his walking gait was a bit better and his hands featured 4 fingers (3 on top, 2 on bottom) instead of the two-on-top, one-on-bottom claw hands the RS Media features.

While many may buy robots as toys for their kids, we feel that these robots are also much loved by those of us in the robot community that love to program, alter, and improve these robots! We are not happy that WowWee has decided to discontinue the RS Media and V2 RoboSapien models without at least implementing the much loved features in a new version.

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Stem cell research is a very promising thing. Especially embryonic stem cells :) Stem cells have endless possibilities and have amazing potential in this world. They have the ability to divide infinitely. They are "blank" cells that can transform themselves into any type of body cell. They have the potential to treat and cure every disease and condition. The only thing stopping this is the stupid controversy which is totally pointless.

People who are against stem cell research are usually against abortion. They think that embryonic stem cell research is morally wrong because it's "killing a baby" (said in a mocking voice) It's far from it. The embryos they use are already in storage for in-vitro fertilization. If not used for stem cell research, they await deep freeze or death anyway. And it's NOT a BABY!!! It's a few dozen cells, maybe less. It isn't conscious, and it doesn't even have the ability to think or feel pain or love.

People are making it seem like the equivalent of slaughtering a small child or baby. The embryo isn't a BABY! It's not even a fetus yet for crying out loud. The thing is MICROSCOPIC and is farther away from being human-like than an insect. Jeez. So people who think it's "killing a baby" need to step aside and let people who realize the full potential and harmless nature of stem cell research go on and experiment with it.

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This petition is against President Barrack H. Obama's promise to lift the ban on Embryonic Stem Cell Research (hESCR.) Note: hESCR is NOT illegal. But it does, however, have restrictions that prevent clinics to use and destroy large amounts of embryos for the benefit of medical science.

But now, Obama wants to lift these restrictions so that we can find new cures for diseases. However, while it may seem as a great success, it's killing thousands of embryos within the first couple of days of conception.

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New research is bringing the possibility of screening for autistic embryos closer. This would mean that a woman could choose to abort an otherwise healthy embryo on the grounds of autism. This is just plain wrong.

Many people do not understand the basic facts about autism. Allow me to explain them. Autistics do not function well in social situations, preferring to be alone or only with close friends once in a while. They often interpret things literally and do not "get" jokes. They can be of average or above average intelligence, as opposed to the false view that they are in any way retarded. They can talk at length about the things that interest them.

Neurotypicals (so-called "normal people") see autistic people as "weird" because they don't understand autism.

As an autistic person myself, I think it is shocking that we are seen as somehow unhuman. Who says we have less right to life than anyone else? This "research" is in violation of our human rights.

What if they wanted to abort homosexuals or something? There'd be outrage, of course. Both are merely different ways of thinking.

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Montcalm County Michigan has had an alliance with a Class B Animal Dealer for 30 years.

Class B Animal Dealers are given pets from our animal shelter and are allowed to sell them to research facilities.

Animals sold to research facilities suffer through needless experiments and then die. This practice is barbaric and unnecessary.

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To: Portland Public School Board Members and Portland Public Schools Superintendent

The Oregon Library Association (OLA), the Portland Area Information Literacy Group (P.A.I.L.), and the undersigned Oregon librarians and library media specialists want to express support for libraries, teacher-librarians and library media specialists in all of Portland Public School libraries. The OLA is a statewide association of over 1,000 members composed of academic, public, and special librarians from across Oregon. P.A.I.L. is a group of Portland area librarians from public, school, college and university libraries in the Portland area. We advocate for Information Literacy for all of our library users and students.

P.A.I.L. has met over the last three years and found from the very first conversation that we had a common concern: “Students seeking a post-secondary education lacked the requisite knowledge to do high quality research using the multitude of resources available in today’s modern library.” From our discussions we discovered that support for professional teacher-librarians and library media specialist (LMS) in Portland Public Schools had been waning over the years. It was a stunning epiphany for all, especially the college librarians.

We write to you in support of staffing your school libraries with professional librarians and support staff, providing equal and equitable access to both a qualified librarian and a professionally developed library collection. The role of administering a library program and library media center also involves someone who is an expert in curriculum and provides high quality resources teachers and students need. Research has consistently shown that school librarians and strong libraries correlate strongly with student success and retention. They also prepare students to succeed in post-secondary schooling and to become critical thinkers and well-informed citizens.

We understand that you recently created a new position in the district, one that can help to renew the role of librarians and school libraries across your district, and we applaud your acknowledgement to address this need. We wish to encourage your continuous efforts to bring Portland Public School libraries into the 21st century, and to become the leader for school libraries in Oregon.

Robert Schroeder
Coordinator of the Portland Area Information Literacy Group
Assistant Professor and Reference Librarian, Portland State University

Sarah Beasley
Oregon Library Association. President
Associate Professor, Education and Social Science Librarian, Portland State University

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Each year hundreds of whales are killed under the name of scientific research.

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In 2006, the then incumbent government cut CSIRO's already strained funding, causing jobs to be lost and research and development to slow. The CSIRO has been noted for such achievements as AAS (atomic absorption spectroscopy), gene splicing technology and the polymer banknote.

Although such achievements may be significant, Australia is behind the rest of the developed world in some areas. For example, Australia successfully built and opened their first synchrotron very recently. Prior to the construction of this facility, Australian scientists were required to travel all the way to America to run experiments that necessitated the use of a synchrotron. Other countries have had similar facilities since the 1950s.

Another example, Australia generates over 75% of its electricity from coal, and is the largest greenhouse gas emitter per capita in the world. Approximately 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are produced by Australia each year through electricity generation. We have only one nuclear power plant, which is used for research, yet have 30% of the worlds nuclear fuel reserves. Renewable sources of energy only contribute 7% of the electricity to the grid.

The European Union are targeting to invest 3% of their GDP (which totals US$15 trillion), some US$450 billion into scientific research and development per year by 2010.

Australia invests AU$940 million per year in total on scientific research, just 0.09% of our US$1 trillion GDP. This is a pitiful amount compared to most nations.

Not only does CSIRO struggle with their low funding, they also have had to defend against high cost lawsuits brought upon them by such companies as Microsoft, Dell, and Apple who do not want to pay royalties for the use of wireless network technologies in their products, a patent for which was filed by CSIRO in the early 1990s.

Furthermore, if one were to look up countries who have space agencies, they would find that Australia has not achieved human spaceflight, nor do they have space launch capabilities. Australia were once at the forefront in this area, with Woomera being a premier rocket launch facility in the 1950s and 60s.

We spend $26 billion a year on defence, most of which is unnecessary, yet almost nothing on science.

Australia is falling behind, and desperately needs to catch up. A positive future for Australia requires a strong emphasis on science.

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