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| Healthy and Ethically-Orientated Nutrition |
Molecular Morphology |
Animal Welfare also means Human Welfare!
"Those who can turn away when an animal is in need will have difficulty recognizing a human in need." (Michael Aufhauser).
"An animal can be a wonderful teacher, by his mere presence, in its full being, in the now. Such characteristics are often said to be signs of enlightenment. The Bible says: Become as children again. This is a good way of spiritual development. I herewith refer to innocence, as often irradiated by small children and exemplified by animals. An animal lives manifesting its kind of beingness. It is never brutal or vicious, even if it eats other animals. It lives its animal nature and enjoys it. It would never think about how to harm other beings – such thoughts can only be spawned by a twisted human brain.
Animals help us to learn love and compassion. It is an act of kindness, when animals come to earth to be together with humans. Very often they take extremely much upon themselves and ultimately remind us, what love, forgiveness, trust, modesty, and being in the now really mean. For those who have eyes to see, they can be the greatest teachers."
(Quoted from Ursula Demarmels, translated from her bestselling book "Who Was I in My Former Life? The Positive Effects of Spiritual Regression”, see Books and CD).
During approximately 35 years of my education and research life, I have gained unforgettably pleasant and joyful experiences. However, again and again, I also had extremely unpleasant insights into truly gruesome experiments on animals and animal suffering due to the endless greed and striving for power of some people - at pharmaceutical companies, in universities, and in animal factories. Ever since then, I have wholeheartedly opposed animal testing: In my opinion, man has not the slightest ethical right to make other beings suffer for the benefit of his alleged own welfare. Instead, I rely on alternative ways of testing (e.g., surgical samples; cell and tissue cultures), on prevention, and on ethically and spiritually-oriented procedures and ways of life. Prior to publication of the scientific books I edited, I had asked the authors to submit such manuscripts only, where no animal suffering was involved - and fortunately, most of my colleagues respected my wish. I also published my own articles dealing with ethically-orientated alternative methods (see publication list contained in my Curriculum Vitae).
A recent publication of the Austrian Ministry of Science (July 2009; quoted at www.salzburg24.at on 12.7.2009) stated that in 2008, the number of animals used in Austrian animal experiments has increased by 11.4 % compared to 2007. Unfortunately, this reflects a situation also present in Germany or Switzerland, and also in various other countries. Apparently, this is a general tendency, following an increasing “model adaptation” also caused by gene technologies. - In my eyes, this could be understood as an ethical confession of failure of all who were involved. Especially in the times of economic crisis it would be a good opportunity to concentrate on really humanitarian aid to all living beings and on spiritual interconnectedness.
In the area of food production, unimaginable and continuous suffering takes place. This is because people want to possess more and more, for less and less money. And because the supermarket chains use this "weakness" of human beings and make it part of their marketing campaigns. An increased "false need" for cheaper food is the result, resulting in increased cruelty - taking place in farm animals, rain forrests, affecting nature of the whole planet, and especially also human beings living in poorer countries. Politicians permit the kind of factory farming which I would describe as a legally allowed crime. I rate this situation as deeply degrading, painful, ruthless and in no way in concordance with Christian values or those of other religions. It does not at all go in line with any ethically and spiritually orientated attitude. In my website about nutrition, you will find numerous facts.
"The way a nation treats its animals shows its state of development." (Mahatma Gandhi).
I have been working on humanitarian projects for many years already. In the field of palliative care, I have organized numerous lectures and discussion groups visited by thousands of people. Those events were opinion-forming factors to implement hospices and palliative care centers in Salzburg and Austria. My closest companions were my wife Ursula Demarmels, Dr. Alois Grüner, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gernot Pauser, Mrs. DGKS Elisabeth Manzl-Reichenpfader. The positive interactions between humans and animals in the area of palliative care was dealt with publicly during joint humanitarian projects and events with Mr. Michael Aufhauser, the founder of Europe’s largest animal care and animal rights center Gut Aiderbichl (see link list) and attracted great media coverage. Joint projects and publications on the subjects of animal experiments, animal welfare and ethically orientated nutrition were, inter alia, carried out with the world's only officially designated state animal advocate Dr. Antoine Goetschel (Zurich, Switzerland) and the Foundation for the Animal in the Law (Zurich) (see link list and below), and with Dr. Lukas Rist (Head of Research Department of the Paracelsus Hospital Richterswil near Zurich). One of the highlights resulting from those humanitarian projects was an invitation to private audience with Pope John Paul II in the Holy Year 2000 (see photos). Even in the Vatican, it was made very clear again, that the biblical story of creation is very often completely misunderstood: It should never be the goal to use animals and nature for any unilateral "best interests" of human beings. Man, animals and nature should live with each other having the mutual well-being of all involved in view, with respect and esteem, and act correspondingly.
In 2007, a special edition of the "Regulation of the Archdiocese of Salzburg sheet" with the title "House of Life: Guidelines for creation responsibility" was published. Archbishop Alois Kothgasser wrote: "We would like to become newly and increasingly aware of our spiritual foundations. Creation is a gift, and we humans are assigned to preserve it."
Those guidelines should serve as a tool to maintain the ecosystem viably. Contents of the text are ecological construction, the sustainable use of resources, environmental care, animal welfare, and also the sensible handling of devices that generate electromagnetic fields.
(Those parts edited in Italic are free quotes from Hacker / Demarmels: "The New Dimension of Health. Holistic Protection from Adverse Environmental Influences. A Guide Book Based on Scientific and Spiritual Viewpoints", see Books and CD).
In the following, I would like to inform on a very positive development in the field of animal experiments and cosmetics. After years of arduous efforts of many animal welfare organizations the following improvements were achieved: The following text is the trial of a translation of an e-mail in German language sent to me by and presented with kind permission of the Swiss Foundation for the Animal in the Law (Stiftung für das Tier im Recht):
"We want to draw your attention on the fact that the following information is not legally binding for the Swiss Foundation for the Animal in the Law or Dr. Gerhard W. Hacker and ten Institute of Frontier Questions of Life, nor has it any binding influence on the outcome of any legal procedures!"
Since 2004, animal testing of cosmetic end products has been banned in the EU, whilst their ingredients were still allowed to be tested on animals. Prohibiting that had been repeatedly postponed because alternative methods have not been validated so far. However, this is over now for the vast majority of cosmetic testing, since 11 March 2009. The Cosmetics Directive regulates that from March 2009 on cosmetic products, cosmetic ingredients, and combinations of such ingredients in the EU are no longer allowed to be tested on animals. This prohibition applies regardless of whether alternative methods are available or not, apart from the exceptions below. From this date on, it is also forbidden in the EU to market cosmetics which had been tested on animals or contain animal-tested ingredients or combinations of such ingredients. This is to prevent the producers to outsource into third countries and then sell the so-tested products inside the EU.
For individual animal experiments, in which the development of alternative test methods is particularly difficult, this prohibition applies only from the 11th March 2013. Theoretically, this prohibition too applies regardless of whether alternative methods are available or not, but the time limit can still be postponed, depending on the actual state of affairs.
In Article 1 of the Cosmetics Directive, cosmetics are defined as follows: Cosmetics are substances or preparations that are designed to come into contact with the various external parts of the human body (skin, hair, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the mouth, at the exclusively or mainly purpose to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance and / or correcting body odors and / or to protect them or keep them in good condition.
Annex 2 of the Directive contains an indicative list of cosmetic products:
- Creams, emulsions, lotions, jellies and oils for skin care (hands, face, feet, etc.)
- Beauty masks (with the exception of peeling products)
- Mae-up bases (liquids, pastes, powders)
- Facial powder, body powder, foot powder etc.
- Toilet soaps, deodorant soaps, etc.
- Perfumes, toilet waters and colognes
- Bath and shower preparations (salts, foams, oils, jelly, etc.)
- Depilatories (hair removers)
- Deodorants and perspiration inhibiting products
- Hair care products:
- Dyeing and de-coloring products
- Hair waving and hair straightening products, firming agents
- Water-based hair waving products
- Cleaning products (lotions, powders, shampoos)
- Care products (lotions, creams, oils)
Hairdressing products (lotions, lacquers, brilliantines) - Shave products, pre- and post-treatment agents
- Make-up and make-up-removing agents for face and eye
- Lip care products and cosmetics
- Dental care and mouth care products
- Nail care products and cosmetics
- Products for external hygiene of genital area
- Sunscreens / sun blockers
- Without sun tanning products
- Skin bleaching products
- Anti-wrinkle products
The term 'cosmetics' therefore also applies to make-up, aftershave products, and hair dyes. Due to the definition in the Directive it might be stated that shampoos, anti-aging creams, Botox and similar materials would also fall into the term 'cosmetics'. Even toothpastes, soaps and hand creams fall under the definition of 'cosmetics' and therefore under the Cosmetics Directive. But it must be considered, that e.g. Botox is also used for medicinal purposes and some ingredients used in cosmetics fall under the Chemicals Directive REACH.
However, this does not apply to everyday household products (such as clothes washing, dishwashing and toilet disinfectant products), as yet regrettably no explicit prohibition of animal experiments for such products exists!
It can only be mentioned that the so-called Animal Experiments Directive 86/609/EEC Council Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes), which had been adopted in 1986 by the Council of Ministers based of the experimental animal agreement of the Council of Europe, is of central importance for animal rights. The directive is consistent and largely even identical with the Council of Europe Convention; however, the latter one puts the protection of animals for their own sake into the foreground. In contrast, the Directive deals with economic concerns. The Directive merely concentrates on main aims (a fact that leaves considerable leeway for the individual EU member states for their national implementation) and therefore has a limited area of application only. On one hand, only intervention on vertebrates is being covered, on the other hand, the act only applies to the field of applied research and only protects those animals used for to material and product development and testing as well as animals used in the context of environmental protection. Several major research areas are therefore not covered by Community rules and therefore assigned to national rules. At present the Directive is in revision.
For a more restrictive animal law at Community level, the Directive requires enlarging of its scope, as well as various substantive adjustments to new scientific findings and developments. In general, an inclusion of animal welfare in the catalogue of Community objectives would be highly desirable, making it a separate part of European Union policy and also creating a basis for the direct adoption of comprehensive and effective rules.
With the kind permission of the Foundation for the Animal in the Law (TIR)
Dr. jur. Gieri Bolliger, business manager and attorney
Wildbachstrasse 46, PO Box 1033, CH-8034 Zurich, Switzerland.