From: iipsgp@clara.co.uk (Thomas Daffern)

GLOBAL GREEN UNIVERSITY

POLICY DISCUSSION PAPER NO. 3

MARCH 14/22, 2001

THE 2001 FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE OUTBREAK:

URGENT QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS, ISSUES
by Dr. Thomas Clough Daffern
 

Since February in the UK, a growing number of cases of foot and mouth
outbreaks have been reported on a variety of UK farms; the total figure
of farms with known virally infected cattle stands as of today at 217.
 

The UK government, advised by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Jim
Scudamore, is pursuing one main strategy in response to the disease,
namely the mass slaughter of all animals infected with the virus.

The scale of the epidemic is already far worse than that in the UK in
1967. The first outbreak has also been found officially in North West
France on 13 March, with fears that it may spread further throughout
the European Union. This has prompted the ending of all meat and dairy
imports from the EU into the USA, for example.

The economic impact of this outbreak is already widespread, due to a
number of inter-related factors: large parts of the UK countryside have
been closed off to public access, devastating the tourist industry and
leisure activities, as national parks etc. are closed. Hoteliers and
others who rely on the tourist industry are reporting losses totaling
approximately £10 million per day.

There are currently discussions going on about the possibility of pre-
emptive culling of many more animals, including those who are not even
infected with the disease, but who are suspected of having passed
through some areas which had infection at some point.

Welshpool livestock market in Wales is one of the newly reported
infected markets, and although it was closed down early on, authorities
are trying to trace sheep and cattle which passed through there so as
to order their culling. The Global Green University library and offices
are themselves based only a few miles from Welshpool in the Welsh
countryside.

There has also been discussion about the possible need to slaughter the
wild animals of Britain, especially the deer and wild ponies of
Dartmoor, for instance, as they can carry and transmit the disease.

A number of vital questions arise from this tragedy - anyone with the
knowledge and expertise to answer any of them please do so by return
email. Alternatively, if you know of web sites where this information
is available, then please let us know.
 

URGENT QUESTIONS RE. FOOT AND MOUTH OUTBREAK

1. How many animals have actually been slaughtered under the policy ?
200,000 as of March 14 2001 ? More or less ?

2. How many are likely to need to be slaughtered if this policy goes on
unchecked ?

3. Why is the vaccine option not being pursued vigorously, immediately
and forcefully ? What effect does the vaccine have on animals, how long
does it take to work, how much is the vaccine per animal administered,
and who would actually administer it if I were to be used ? Do we have
enough vets in the UK to administer it ? The rumor on the streets is
that the vaccines are available (yes its complicated, there are
different strains, but it can be sorted) but government scientists don'
t want to use the vaccine because of the costs of implementing this
program. Surely however, the costs of mass slaughter are far far worse,
including also the moral and ethical costs of killing so many animals ?
It has been said that "there used to be a nationwide vaccination
program but it was canceled under the previous Conservative government
due to costs" Is this true ?

4. What levels of vaccine stock exist and where are they located  both
in the UK and the EU ? Who are the manufacturers of the vaccine and
where are they located ?

5. Is it true that Borax is an effective homeopathic remedy ? According
to information in the Daily Telegraph letters page (February 28, 2001)
it was used effectively in the 1967 outbreak, and animals treated with
this homeopathic remedy suffered a mild illness, then recovered totally
and were immune thereafter. Who manufactures this homeopathic remedy /
How many stocks are available ? How many working farmers and vets use
this remedy ? How large and effective a body is the Society of
Homeopathic Vets ? Why has their point of view not been heard at all in
the current spate of media articles and radio and television reports ?

6. Which directive, which policies, led to the closure of so many local
abattoirs ? Can they be re-opened, to prevent this happening again, and
if not why not ?

7. Who has the authority to set government medical and veterinary
policy and since which legislation ? What educational and research
background does Jim Scudamore have, which Veterinary school did he
graduate from ? In all his training, did he ever come across the
traditions of homeopathic veterinary science and natural healing
methods for animals ? Does the question of the spiritual well being of
animals figure on the veterinary training or are animals simply seen as
meat products on the hoof ?

8. If animals are endowed with consciousness and some kind of soul
energy, as are human animals, what gives mankind the right to institute
mass slaughter programs, apparently endless, just because of a disease
among some of them. If the human population gets heavy flu do we cull
everyone ?

9. Are there any alternative healers, animal naturopaths, homeopathic
vets,  herbalists etc. who can suggest natural alternatives which can
either actually heal the condition or boost immunity in the case of
Foot and Mouth ? From the Global Green University perspective, we would
like to encourage such creative healers and researchers to share any
remedies or approaches that they have known to be effective. One of the
pioneering authors of naturopathic approaches to animal healing was
Juliet De Bairacli Levy,  author of "Herbal Handbook For Farm And
Stable", Faber and Faber, 1952, who lived eventually in the Galilee
where she retired to - anyone know if she is still alive  or have her
email ? Another pioneer in natural animal medicine would be John Hoxsey,
who in 1840 "observed one of his horses with cancer cure itself by
foraging for certain herbs (Alfalfa, Red Clover etc.) he gathered them
and fed them to other animals with the disease with conspicuous success"
(p. 235. Bartram, Thomas Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Bournemouth,
Grace Publishers, 1995) What are the major reference works on the
subject of natural approaches to animal medicine ? Is foot and mouth
discussed in any of them specifically and was is said there ? the
Faculty of Medicine of the Global Green University is anxious to
contact scholars and practitioners who can advise on these subjects.

10. Given that Foot and Mouth disease has been around since at least
Ancient Times (references exist in     Greek and Roman authors) and was
common in Mediaeval farming, with recurring outbreaks throughout Europe
all through the 17th and 18th centuries, and given that it is also
common in many countries throughout the world, is it actually possible
or ideal that the idea of "foot and mouth free or else we slaughter all
the livestock herds and wild animals" is the only way, or is the best
way to present the range of policy options available to the authorities
? what other remedies and solutions can be thought of ? Vaccination ?
Natural medicine ? Permitting tolerance to the disease and allowing
nature to take its course ? Changing farming practices to move away
from such total reliance on livestock cultivation for carnivorous diet ?
 

11. What percentage of farming land is today in the UK given over to
sheep / cattle / crops / vegetables ?

12. Does the tradition so forest gardening as advocated by Robert Hart
and others not make more sense as a possibility following this outbreak
and the exposure of the problems of conventional agribusiness ?

13. What is the ethical and spiritual significance of animals, the cow
being held sacred in India for example,  where it would be unthinkable
to institute this kind of mass slaughter program - and given this - can
some other way of dealing with the crisis apart from mass slaughter not
be found ?

14. How important are the international economic pressures of
agribusiness in causing this policy of mass slaughter ?

15. How does the virus actually work ? What does it look like ? What is
its scientific structure and composition ? What relatives does it have
in the virus world ? Has anyone seen a photograph of the virus close up
?

16. What were the remedies of traditional societies against foot and
mouth - e.g. Ancient Egypt and Ancient India (ayurvedic medicine) and
Greece and Rome, all of which used cattle and sheep and goats etc. What
about Chinese medicine and the history of Foot and Mouth in China ?
What about ancient Celtic medicine and Druidic herbal medical lore,
given the fact that Celtic society was based on cattle ? Did Witchcraft
as the practice of native hedge-lore, have any herbal cures for foot
and mouth ? Does anyone have ideas and information on these topics ?

17. What has been the response of vegetarians to the policy of mass
slaughter - are the Vegetarian societies of the world and of the UK and
Europe not interested in speaking out for the welfare of the animals
involved or to question the policy of mass slaughter in the name of
economic agricultural business interests ?

18. Can totally new remedies and approaches be developed on the basis
of advanced scientific knowledge working in tandem with advanced
naturopathic approaches ? Who anywhere in the world is working on this ?
Would people be interested if the Global Green University organizes an
emergency research forum on the theme of "Are there wholistic
approaches to ending foot and mouth which permits the animals to live ?"
Are there scholars and practitioners out there who could and would
speak to this theme ?

19. How is the emotional well being of farmers and others involved in
this mass slaughtering being taken care of ? What counseling services
are in place ? What statistics are there on suicide increases ? A
report stated that "police in the West Country are removing shotguns
from farmers for fear of suicide". Is this true ? Surely the long term
emotional well being of all who work and live in the countryside is at
stake here, alongside the well being of our animal brethren - wild and
domesticated

20. How is it possible for our society to find a balanced way of life,
based on sustainable, organic and healthy agricultural practices,
largely oriented towards a sustainable vegetarian food output, and
recognizing  that nature is more than a resource to be exploited for
selfish human ends, and more a nexus of miraculous energies in process,
brought together in the great school of being, which is life itself.

21. Which eco-philosophers have tackled the details of animal welfare
and human - animal interaction which could give guidance to the
enormous ethical problems raised by this mass slaughtering of animals ?
 

22. Where are the leading veterinary libraries in the country ? Do they
also contain literature on naturopathic approaches to animal healing ?
Which libraries do ? What are the standard bibliographical references
to Foot and Mouth and which articles and monographs exist, if any, from
a "green perspective" ?

24. In the period from March 14-21 a number of other voices have been
raised against the current mass cull policy - the most important access
to which is via the website www.sheepdrove.com - where a number of
scientific and academic studies are referenced which amount to an
exposure of the efficacy and ethical mponstrosity of the current
approachg involving mass slaughter of Britain's animals.

23. What other vital questions can you think which absolutely need to
be asked and answered in relation to this crisis and which are not
asked above ?
 

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICAL  RESEARCH
1 Keep a regular clipping of all relevant articles in the daily papers,
both national and local, on the spread of the Foot and Mouth virus.

2 Try and find time to write down answers to any of the above questions
- and send them via email or in the post - to the Global Green
University.

3 If you have access to the web try surfing to fund out information on
the above questions

4 If you have access to good bookshops and libraries please assist us
by finding out any bibliographic information you can on the subject
from all angles and approaches.

5 Keep an open mind - don't boycott or condemn conventional scientific
medicine and science, nor condemn alternative medical approaches -
strive at all times for balance, wholeness and a comprehensive approach.
 
 

PRACTICE GROUP LEARNING: COME TO A STUDY COURSE IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND
 

The Global Green University is putting on an innovative study course on
TOWARDS THE GREENING OF MEDICINE  - as follows - come along and discuss
the wider issues of health and ecology and philosophy in convivial
circumstances, and let's try and get to the root of these difficult and
tragic circumstances.
 

TOWARDS THE GREENING OF MEDICINE:

STUDIES IN THE WIDER PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF HEALING

This Summer Term 2001 series of day-schools will address some of the
vital problems affecting our health in today's complex urban societies.
 

Are the conventional healing systems of the orthodox medical sufficient
to cope with the health problems we see around us ? Which forms of
complementary medicine can we trust ? What can the history of medicine
tell us about the evolution of ideas regarding the causes of disease ?
What do the traditional religious and spiritual traditions of the
planet have to say about health and wellness ? With the rise of
scientific medicine giving unprecedented power to medical doctors, what
kind of ethical issues does this raise for all of us ? How does the
power of the pharmaceutical companies affect our lives ?  This series
of day schools is designed to empower ordinary  people to have
sufficient knowledge to begin to take charge of  their own healing.
With a continuing variety of serious diseases originating in some
practices of the agricultural industry (BSE, Foot and Mouth disease),
what can we learn about the intereconnectedness of health, environment
and the wider question of man's attitude to nature ?  Is the current
NHS breaking down, and if so, why ? (there are many NHS practices in
inner city areas lacking doctors, with over 30 in Birmingham, for
example; as alternative and complimentary medicine becomes more
accepted in the mainstream provision of health, can pro-active
approaches to health creation take a more prominent role than expensive
post crisis intervention ?

The day schools are led by two experienced experts: Carla Halford (N.D.
Dip. ION) a qualified medical practitioner, nutritionist and naturopath
and Thomas C. Daffern (B.A. Hons, D.Sc. Hon)  a historian, philosopher
and political ecologist, who has lectured for the University of Oxford
on the Comparative History and Philosophy of Medicine, teaches
extensively in the history of ideas, institutions and processes,  in
Britain and abroad, and is the Facilitator of the Global Green
University, and Director of the International Institute of Peace
Studies and Global Philospohy.

21 April - What is Naturopathy - taking an overview of medical healing
systems on offer ?
The history of medical education: Universities, teaching hospitals,
medical degrees, psychiatric, nursing and midwifery qualifications -
how open to new ideas are our institutions / Alternative medical
education - is there a need for a recognized complementary medical
qualification protocol ? Which institutions are researching the
question of the environmental aspects of disease, and the current
crisis in agriculture and the aetiology of food related illnesses, both
in man and animals.

19 May - Environmental diseases and their prevention and treatment -
are we doing enough ?
The wider political ecology of disease - the stresses and challenges of
advanced urban societies and the institutionalization of medicine - the
history of professional organizations in the development of medical
practice: the British Medical Association, the World Health
Organization, The Royal Society of Physicians, The General Medical
Council, the Society of Apothecaries etc. The connections between
agricultural and environmental diseases.

16 June - Nutritional medicine - the healing power of right diet and
nutritional awareness
The political economy of the medical pharmacopoeia in historical
perspective, herbs and natural healing compounds and current
legislation restricting their medical use - who benefits and what can
be done ?

21 July - Treating specific diseases with natural medicine: a survey of
options and possibilities
The history of spiritual and philosophical approaches to healing and
medicine in the great religious traditions of humanity: an interfaith
approach part one (Ancient Egyptian, Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hindu, Sikh and Taoist thought etc.)
 

Cost: £15 per day school  (£9 reductions) - Place: Unitarian New
Meeting, 31 Ryland Street, Five Ways, Edgbaston,  Birmingham, Time:
2pm - 6pm. Registrations must be completed in advance of the day school.
To guarantee a place please write, enclosing a cheque for the
appropriate fee (Payable to "The Green University"), Ms Carla Halford,
The Well Natural Health Centre, 89 Institute Road, Kings Heath,
Birmingham, B14 7E.  A 10% reduction is available for anyone booking
attendance at the entire term's day schools.
 

N.B. An additional lecture by Thomas Daffern is taking place at
Shrewsbury Museum, Rowley House, Barker Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire,
from 10.30 - 1pm, on March 17, 2001 on the theme of :
"From Herbalists to Hospitals: The cultural and intellectual history of
medicine - an approach from the Welsh Marches"
 

*****************

Finally, a word of invitation  also to researchers and academics to get
involved with the work of the Global Green University. The GGU is at
this stage an informal association linked to the IIPSGP, of academics
and researchers from all disciplines and educational backgrounds, and
all countries and cultural backgrounds,  devoted to using their
expertise  and  knowledge to help resolve the many interconnected
problems affecting the global environment, defined in its broadest
sense, as including the social dimension of environmental problems.
Issues such as pollution, resource use, human geography, natural
sciences, new technology research, renewable energy research,
alternatives to war and violence, the reconciliation of different
paradigms in the international community - all these issues are
envisaged as coming under the remit of the Global Green University,
which at this stage in its development still remains an "invisible
college" like the Royal Society before its formal founding in 1662. All
serious inquiries and offers of  collaboration to move the project
forward, both in general, and in particular in helping us to work out
the solutions to the questions  raised above, will be warmly
appreciated and acknowledged

To contact us for comment on the above paper, please write (enclosing
an SAE please) or email to the following  address. An extended hard
copy published edition of this paper is also available (price £5 -
payable to IIPSGP).

Dr. Thomas Clough Daffern
Rector, The Global Green University.,
Camlad House, Forden, Near Welshpool,
Powys, Wales, SY21 8NZ,
United Kingdom
Tel. +44 (0)1938 580319
email iipsgp@clara.net

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