Animal Euthanasia in Zoos

Animal Euthanasia in Zoos While zoos in the United States favor contraception as a means of keeping their resident populations under control, other zoos around the world take a different approach: euthanasia. Dave Morgan, chairman of the Population Management Committee at the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums explained to the New York Times that international guidelines on the ethics of breeding zoo animals are sketchy. Apparently, since ethics and philosophies are so diverse among countries of the world, its tough to make blanket regulations. For instance, both the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria generally consider routine euthanasia a viable management and breeding strategy, while the Central Zoo Authority of India has recommended that euthanasia of zoo animals may be carried out only in the specific circumstances when any animal is in such an agony or pain that it is cruel to keep him alive. How Euthanasia Is Used for Population Control Zoos that favor euthanasia over contraception generally allow animals to mate naturally and permit mothers to raise their young until an age at which the family groups would instinctively separate in the wild. At that point, zoo officials employ lethal injection to kill young animals that exceed the zoos carrying capacity, dont fit into breeding plans, and are unwanted by other zoos. In the spring of 2012, the Copenhagen Zoo euthanized a pair of leopard cubs who were approaching two years of age as part of their breeding management plan. Each year, the zoo puts approximately 25 healthy animals to death, including chimpanzees, whose similarities to humans make opponents of euthanasia particularly squeamish. Arguments in Favor of Euthanasia Contraception (pills, implants, injections) can pose health risks to animals.Euthanasia allows animals the natural experience of bearing young and parenting.Terry Maple, the former director of Zoo Atlanta and co-editor of Ethics on the Ark, knows of no definitive research that assesses the importance of raising young to animals health, but he has said that observation indicates that most zoo animals are motivated and protective parents that play frequently with offspring.Euthanasia imitates animals survival in the wild, where high percentages of young die early in life as a result of predation, starvation or injury.According to longtime zookeeper and curator Peter Dickinson, There is nothing wrong in killing an animal if it is done quickly and with forethought and kindness. When animals are euthanized for the correct reasons, then it is morally right and justified. The uninformed will often level accusations of being heartless and not caring when precisely the opposite is true. Good zoos with managed populations can see the bigger picture †¦ it is the species which is being managed and not individuals. Arguments Against Euthanasia Opponents of euthanasia suspect that the killing of adolescent animals is a convenient way for zoos to maintain a continual supply of their cutest inhabitants (babies), which draw crowds and generate more money.Contraception is a more humane way to limit populations while allowing animal family groups to coexist naturally.Cheryl Asa, director of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Wildlife Contraception Center at the St. Louis Zoo, does not believe that euthanasia is a feasible option for zoos in the United States. On an emotional level, I cant imagine doing it, and I cant imagine our culture accepting it, she said.Worldwide breeding networks and genetic planning can be used to avoid a surplus of offspring while still ensuring that many animals breed and raise offspring, claims Terry Maple, former director of Zoo Atlanta and co-editor of Ethics on the Ark. I am not saying management euthanasia is wrong. It is just not the best solution.Killing animals in zoos because they dont figu re into breeding plans is not euthanasia, its zoothanasia, and is a most disturbing and inhumane practice. Using the word euthanasia seems to sanitize the killing at least for some people and makes it more acceptable. While one might argue that many, if not all, animals in zoos suffer, killing animals who arent needed isnt mercy killing; its really a form of premeditated killing, argues Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin

Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin Picasso at the Lapin Agile is written by the iconic comedian/actor/screenwriter/banjo aficionado Steve Martin. Set in a Parisian bar at the beginning of the 20th century (1904 to be more precise), the play imagines a comical encounter between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein, both of whom are in their early twenties and fully aware of their amazing potential. In addition to the two historical figures, the play is also populated with an amusingly incontinent barfly (Gaston), a gullible yet lovable bartender (Freddy), a wise waitress (Germaine), along with a few surprises that trounce in and out of the Lapin Agile. The play takes place in one non-stop scene, lasting approximately 80 to 90 minutes. There isnt much plot or conflict; however, there is a satisfying combination of whimsical nonsense and philosophic conversation. The Meeting of the Minds: How to spark the interest of the audience: Bring two (or more) historical figures together for the first time. Plays such as Picasso at the Lapin Agile belong to a genre all their own. In some cases, the fictionalized dialogue is rooted in an actual event, such as (four music legends for the price of one Broadway show). More imaginative revisions of history include plays such as The Meeting, a fabricated yet fascinating discussion between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. One could also compare Martins play to more serious fare, such as Michael Frayns Copenhagen (which focuses on science and morality) and John Logans Red (which focuses on art and identity). However, Martins play rarely takes itself as seriously as the aforementioned dramas. Audience members who dont want to be bogged down with overly-academic monologs and excruciating historical accuracy will be charmed when they discover that Steve Martins work just skims the surface of much deeper intellectual waters. (If you want more depth in your theater, visit Tom Stoppard.) Low Comedy Vs. High Comedy Steve Martins comic stylings cover a broad range. He isnt above a fart joke, as indicated by his performance in the adolescent-pandering remake of The Pink Panther. However, as a writer, he is also capable of lofty, high-brow material. For example, his 1980s film Roxanne, screenplay by Martin, wonderfully adapted Cyrano de Bergerac setting the love story in a small Colorado town, circa 1980s. The protagonist, a long-nosed firefighter, delivers a remarkable monolog, an extensive list of self-insults about his own nose. The speech is hysterical to contemporary audiences, yet it also harkens back to the source material in clever ways. Martins versatility is exemplified when one compares his classic comedy The Jerk to his novel, a very subtle blend of humor and angst. The opening moments of Picasso at the Lapin Agile inform the audience that this play will be making several detours into the land of silliness. Albert Einstein walks into the bar, and when he identifies himself, the fourth wall is broken: Einstein: My name is Albert Einstein.Freddy: You cant be. You just cant be.Einstein: Sorry, Im not myself today. (He fluffs his hair, making himself look like Einstein.) Better?Freddy: No, no, thats not what I mean. In order of appearance.Einstein: Come again?Freddy: In order of appearance. youre not third. (Taking playbill from audience member.) Youre fourth. It says so right here: Cast in order of appearance. So, from the beginning, the audience is asked not to take this play too seriously. Presumably, this is when snobby historians walk out of the theater in a huff, leaving the rest of us to enjoy the story. Meet Einstein: Einstein stops in for a drink while waiting to meet his date (who will be meeting him at a different bar). To pass the time, happily listens to the locals converse, occasionally weighing in his perspective. When a young woman enters the bar and asks if Picasso has arrived yet, Einstein becomes curious about the artist. When he looks at a small piece of paper with a doodle by Picasso he says, I never thought the twentieth century would be handed to me so casually. However, it is up to the reader (or the actor) to decide how sincere or sarcastic Einstein is about the importance of Picassos work. For the most part, Einstein exhibits amusement. While the supporting characters bicker about the beauty of painting, Einstein knows that his scientific equations have a beauty of their own, one that will change humanitys perception of its place in the universe. Yet, he is not too boastful or arrogant, merely playful and enthusiastic about the 20th century. Meet Picasso: Did someone say arrogant? Martins portrayal of the egotistical Spanish artist isnt too far removed from other depictions, Anthony Hopkins, in the film Surviving Picasso, fills his characterization with machismo, passion, and blatant selfishness. So too is Martins, Picasso. However, this younger portrayal is feisty and funny, and more than a bit insecure when his rival Matisse enters the conversation. Picasso is a ladys, man. He is blatant about his obsession with the opposite sex, and he is also unrepentant about casting women aside once he has used them physically and emotionally. One of the most insightful monologs is delivered by the waitress, Germaine. She chastises him thoroughly for his misogynist ways, but it seems that Picasso is happy to listen to the criticism. As long as the conversation is about m, he is happy! Dueling with Pencils: Each characters high level of self-confidence draws him to one another, and the most engaging scene of the play takes place when Picasso and Einstein challenge each other to an artistic duel. They both dramatically raise a pencil. Picasso begins to draw. Einstein writes a formula. Both creative products, they claim, are beautiful. Overall, the play is light-hearted with a few dashes of intellectual moments for the audience to contemplate afterward. As one would hope from a play by Steve Martin there are more than a few quirky surprises, one of the zaniest being an oddball character named Schmendiman who purports to be as great as Einstein and Picasso, but who instead is simply a wild and crazy guy.

Intellectual Property Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Intellectual Property Law - Essay Example An understanding of the philosophical premises behind Property rights are necessary in the understanding of the tug of war between the owners and the users of intangible information.1 Legal Commentators have often expressed their doubts as to whether these rights are actually rights or privileges as Machlup and Penrose have noted:2 " ... those who started to use the word property in connection with inventions had a very definite purpose in mind they wanted to substitute a word with a respectable connotation, 'property', for a word that had an unpleasant ring, 'privilege'." Intellectual property as a "property" thus is an intangible category of property with boundaries that are not always clear cut and which must be actively defended by the holder against infringements. 3 Tangible property is however visible and documented, and the boundaries are more easily given than for intellectual property.4 The law has developed to protect a person who holds certain intellectual property will be able to defend this property only if he/she is granted a particular right over this property. For example in relation to patents the rights are defined by the patent authorities based on what is defined in the patent claims.Like other property (tangible) one has to pay certain fees in order to have their "intellectual" property claim examined and determined and also of continuance fees paid.5 The concept of property rights thus stems from the ideas of John Locke.6Furthermore the notions of property rights developed in the 18th century as one of the core civil rights parallel to-and mutually reinforcing-the right to liberty.7However, most philosophers have put forward the notion that property is not a natural right but rather a deliberate construction by society in order to secure protection against pressure from the collective.8 Subscribing to the view that property is justified as a foundation for liberty and personal security which provides incentives for long-term investments.Also that if these rights are not balanced or protected they will affect economic growth and poverty reduction.as unpredictable property relationships always impeded impede economic growth.9Revisiting the tangible and intangible discussion between property it can be seen that it has been argues that while tangible property rights easily cause conflict this is not the case with as the popular notion with in the case law is that "no patent can stop a person from continuing something he has done before"10.However the problem arises before the courts when the patent claims do not just include what is actually new and invented and this causes problems in identifying what is known and whether existing processes and products would infact infringe the patent.There is a marked certainity thus despite the legal framework with regard to which a ctivities are acceptable and which activities might infringe the patent. A granted patent right is considered to fall within the scope of "possessions" inArticle 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights andFundamental Freedoms. However, the European Court of Human Rights has declined to give an opinion on whether a patent application