For or Against Animal Testing? (Post 4)

Many people believe that animal testing is beneficial to humanity because it finds cures for diseases and such. Yes, this is true, the research can help find cures for diseases and save millions of people. But the process itself is not beneficial. Animals are tested in experiments constantly to advance in the scientific and medical field. But how is this benefiting society if we are hurting these poor creatures in the process? We have come a long way in the medical and science field, and yet a majority of laboratories still test on animals. We have new technology to incorporate in this research, and we can use it instead of testing on animals. Also many others believe that they would rather test on animals rather than humans because this way, we as humans don't have to suffer and to just leave the animals to endure the suffering. Is this really the world we live in? That we have to test on the creatures who live on this earth with us in order to make our lives better? We as people will never move forward or improve our humanity if we continue to do this. Many people treat animals like scum, and it is horrible to see. They think that animal's lives matter less than their own, and having that kind of mindset is very inhumane. Why should we treat animals as though they are less worthy than us? That is not what we were put on this earth to do. We were meant to live together harmoniously, to treat others equally, no matter who they are, animal or human. Fortunately though, there are many people all over the world who believe that animal testing is wrong and that action must be taken to get rid of the process altogether. Many countries are seeing that this practice is inhumane and are putting a stop to it one step at a time. In the article India bans cruel animal testing for cosmetics, activists elated,  it talks about how India banned animal testing in cosmetic industries.  It states that “More than 1,200 companies around the world have banned all animal tests in favour of effective, modern non-animal tests”.  This is an amazing breakthrough and hopefully it can continue in the long run. In Avoiding Animal Testing, it states that the "data from Great Britain indicate that the actual use of mice (by far the most-used laboratory species) for research projects has plateaued in the last decade despite a large increase in the size of breeding colonies" (Rowan 1). More and more countries around the world are realizing that the practice of testing on animals is not humane and they are taking action to try and stop it at all costs. The fact that many countries are stopping animal testing in some of their companies is amazing. This action can help influence many other countries to ban animal testing and keep the cycle going until it is completely banned all over the world. 

"India bans cruel animal testing for cosmetics, activists elated." Times of India 30 June 2013. Global Issues In Context. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

Rowan, Andrew. "Avoiding Animal Testing." The Scientist. N.p., 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. 

Why Use Animal Testing When There Are Other Alternatives? (Post 3)

Animal testing might seem like the only option when it comes to testing products and finding cures for diseases and such, but we have advanced in technology since animal experimentation started in the late 30's. We have obviously come a long way in the scientific and medical field since then, so why are we still using this method when it is obviously inhumane? As you may know, lab animals such as mice and bunnies, do not have the same biology as we humans do. But yet scientists still continue to test products on them anyways, because they are unaware of any other options. Animal testing is considered easier in a way for them, but what these animals suffer through is not okay. Throughout the years, there has been many other ways to test different products because scientists have innovated. Not all scientists are for animal testing, and that is why most have come up with new ways to test. In the article Breakthroughs Might Mean the End of Animal Testing, it talks about a different way to test different products, and it is called silico modelling, which is just another word for computer modelling. In the article it states that “Amy Clippinger, a cellular and molecular biologist who currently works with PETA, tells Newsweek "Computer models...have saved millions of animals from suffering in toxicity testing experiments"” (Ericson 1). This is an amazing breakthrough, and it has already saved millions of animal's lives in the process. But some people say that it is not as accurate as animal testing is, but it is a better way to test and it can hopefully improve over the years so it can replace the use animals in laboratories. Silico modelling is an innovative way to see what the effects of a products can do to a human body, instead of testing it on an animal. As I said before, animals such as mice and rabbits do not have the biological structure as we humans do, therefore it is inaccurate most of the time. Other methods, such as engineering tissue samples, has become another alternative to animal testing. In Saving the Animals: New Ways to Test Products, it states that "the methods for engineering tissue samples are among the most complex of an expanding portfolio of technologies intended to eliminate or reduce animal testing" (Feder 1). If more and more scientists continue using this method rather than using animals, this means that animal testing can disappear. It is much more reliable to use this method as well because the scientists are actually using human tissue for products aimed for humans. Obviously using animal tissue is not reliable because they do not have the same tissue as we do. 

Ericson, John. "Breakthroughs Might Mean the End of Animal Testing." Newsweek 28 Mar. 2014: 1. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
Feder, Barnaby J. "Saving the Animals: New Ways to Test Products." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Sept. 2007. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. 

Why Aren't More People Aware of Animal Testing? (Post 2)

Most people think animal testing is a very huge issue in the world right now, and they are absolutely correct. But unfortunately, not many people know that it still occurs today, under their noses. Most scientists in different countries try to keep animal testing hidden from citizens so it won't cause a big breakout. That is why animal testing is not really considered a problematic issue in the world today, and why a lot of people are not trying to solve it. It is horrible that the scientific community is hiding this issue from citizens, they should have the right to know what goes on in their country. They should have the right to know what goes on behind lab doors, and hopefully put a stop to the horrific abuse to these lab animals. When some citizens in England found out about that these scientists were hiding this from them, they decided to fight back. They had no idea what tortures these animals were going through, and they wanted to do something about it. They demanded that the scientists reveal what they were doing to these poor animals, and hopefully put an end to it. In Secrecy over animal testing ended with public right to know, it states that “Michelle Thew, the chief executive of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said: "It is high time the veil of secrecy is lifted on animal experiments. The public has a right to know what is being done to animals in experiments and why"” (The Independent, London, England). This shows that the citizens are taking immediate action in order to save these animals from any more pain they might endure. Hopefully many more countries can follow in the footsteps of England, and find out if animal testing still occurs there. You would be surprised how much information certain countries hide from their own citizens, and this is the reason why people need to fight back. If we want to get rid of animal testing, we need to act now. These animals are counting on us to save them, we are their only hope now. 

"Secrecy over animal testing ended with public right to know." Independent [London, England] 1 May 2014: 12. Global Issues In Context. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. 

Animal Testing Is Completely Unnecessary (Post 1)

You hear about new cures for diseases, or new cosmetics coming out soon that will make your skin look radiant. These may sound appealing to you, but the real question is how are they testing these things to make them safe enough for humans? They test them on animals. These animals are used for the sake of science and medicine, and even though cures for diseases would be extraordinary, the process behind it is not so exceptional. Animal testing is inhumane and cruel, and these animals are being tortured, burned, starved, and even worse, killed in the process. The reason I am arguing this topic that unfortunately not many people are aware of is because these animals should be treated the same way you and I are. If we were tested on and being tortured in this way, we wouldn't do it would we? Animals feel the same emotions we do, they feel pain and joy just like us. They are kept in places that are not natural to them such as laboratories and factories, and they are not comfortable either. They don't have a warm bed or sufficient food like they should. They are not able to roam free in nature, and most of them are taken away from their families, and unable to raise their own because the experiments affect their bodies in such harmful ways. These animals should have rights, just like we do and they should be free from the terrors of animal experimentation. In Animals used in research have rights, too, it states that “the benefit is that one drug out of 10 actually succeeds in clinical trials and benefits humanity. But by thinking of lab animals simply as a means to an end of human progress, we dehumanize ourselves.” This shows that, yes, we are innovating in the medical and science field, but we are dehumanizing ourselves in the process by putting these poor creatures through hell. In the words of Gandhi, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated." If animal experimentation continues, moral progress is basically thrown out the window at this point. In order to become a more harmonious world, with both animals and humans, we must improve our treatment towards one another.
 

"Animals used in research have rights, too." UWIRE Text 6 Oct. 2014: 1. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.

Blog Intro Post

This picture represents me because as you may know already (and from my blog URL) I am obsessed with Disney. 

(from Tumblr)

I took this picture on my recent trip to Europe, I have always been obsessed with London and I finally got to go.

(from Facebook)

In August, I saw my 5 favorite people (One Direction) in concert again and had the best night of my life.  

(from Facebook)

I chose this picture because I love photography and taking pictures of anything I find interesting or unique.

(from Tumblr)

I took this picture while flying over France, and it always reminds me of how much I love traveling to different places. 

(from Facebook)