Chimpanzee Rights: The Philosophers' Brief

In December 2013, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) filed a petition for a common law writ of habeas corpus in the New York State Supreme Court on behalf of Tommy, a chimpanzee living alone in a cage in a shed in rural New York (Barlow, 2017). Under animal welfare laws, Tommy’s owners, the Laverys, were doing nothing illegal by keeping him in those conditions. Nonetheless, the NhRP argued that given the cognitive, social, and emotional capacities of chimpanzees, Tommy’s confinement constituted a profound wrong that demanded remedy by the courts. Soon thereafter, the NhRP filed habeas corpus petitions on behalf of Kiko, another chimpanzee housed alone in Niagara Falls, and Hercules and Leo, two chimpanzees held in research facilities at Stony Brook University. Thus began the legal struggle to move these chimpanzees from captivity to a sanctuary, an effort that has led the NhRP to argue in multiple courts before multiple judges. The central point of contention has been whether Tommy, Kiko, Hercules, and Leo have legal rights. To date, no judge has been willing to issue a writ of habeas corpus on their behalf. Such a ruling would mean that these chimpanzees have rights that confinement might violate. Instead, the judges have argued that chimpanzees cannot be bearers of legal rights because they are not, and cannot be persons. In this book we argue that chimpanzees are persons because they are autonomous

Hybridisation and introgression of exotic Cervus (nippon and canadensis) with red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the British Isles

Europe’s largest population of wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) resides in the British Isles and has been present since the end of the last ice age, c. 11,000BP. Since the mid-19th century, multiple introductions of Japanese sika (Cervus nippon) and wapiti (Cervus canadensis) have taken place across the British Isles. While wapiti introductions have generally gone extinct, sika have thrived and expanded and now often live in sympatry with red deer. Hybridisation between these species has been demonstrated in captivity and in the wild. This study sought to determine the extent of hybridisation and introgression between red and sika across large parts of the British Isles and elucidate some of its potential consequences. Chapter 2 addresses the extent of hybridisation and introgression across Scotland and NW England. A total of 2984 samples from the North Highlands, the central Highlands, the Hebrides, Kintyre and the English Lake District were genotyped at 22 microsatellite loci, which are highly diagnostic for red and sika and strongly diagnostic for red and wapiti and a mitochondrial marker that is diagnostic for red and sika, alongside 49 wapiti samples from Canada. Microsatellite data was analysed using the Bayesian clustering program Structure 2.3 to determine the extent of admixture between species. There was some evidence for very low-level introgression by wapiti into a small number of Scottish red deer (<0.2% of total). Only two areas (both in Kintyre, Argyll) showed extensive introgression with collapse of assortative mating between red and sika (50.4% and 61.8% of sampled individuals were hybrid in West Loch Awe and South Kintyre, respectively). However, rare and widely scattered individuals with low-level sika introgression or cytonuclear disequilibrium suggest hybridisation has occurred in several other places in mainland Scotland and Cumbria in the past without subsequent loss of assortative mating. Chapter 3 addresses the extent of hybridisation in Ireland. There are now an estimated 4,000 red deer in Ireland and their numbers are increasing. It has recently been determined that the red deer in Killarney, County Kerry are descended from an ancient (c. 5,000BP) introduction and therefore merit genetic conservation. Introduction of exotic species, including Japanese sika and North America wapiti, since the 19th century have primarily occurred via the now defunct Powerscourt Park, County Wicklow, which was the source of many translocations to the rest of Ireland as well as to the UK. 374 deer samples from across Ireland were analysed as in Chapter 2. Wapiti introgression was again very low, with trace amounts of introgression detected in a small proportion of samples (0.53%), whilst 41% of 197 deer sampled in Co. Wicklow and 47% of 15 deer sampled in Co. Cork were red-sika hybrids according to either their nuclear genome or mitochondrial haplotype. No pure red deer were detected in Co. Wicklow, suggesting that in this region the red deer has disappeared following hybridisation. Whilst no hybrids were detected among 37 red samples and 77 sika samples in Co. Kerry, the Co. Cork hybrids pose a threat to the Killarney populations due to their proximity. Chapter 4 investigates population genetic structure within red and sika populations across the British Isles and investigates whether low-level introgression by the other species influences the resolved population structure. Structure analysis was conducted separately using 2307 ‘pure’ red deer individuals and 752 ‘pure’ sika animals from the British Isles (defined as Q > 0.95 for red and Q < 0.05 for sika) and then on reduced sample sizes using more stringent purity criteria (Q ≥ 0.99 and Q ≤ 0.01). As might be predicted, the more stringent criteria removed individuals in areas known to contain advanced backcrosses. In red deer, there was some evidence for a loss of within-species population structure under the more stringent criteria, while for sika there was not. Datasets were also analysed using Discriminate Analysis of Principal Components; a multivariate method designed to infer and describe genetic population structure. In red deer, both analytical approaches confirmed the strong separation of the deer on Harris and Lewis from others, and there is support for clusters typified by the other Hebridean islands, Kintyre, central and North Scotland and the English sites. Among sika, both approaches supported the likelihood of three clusters which are presumably the result of bottleneck events as each introduction was made. Chapter 5 investigates the phenotypic consequences of hybridisation by three approaches. Firstly, carcass weight was regressed against genetically-determined hybrid scores (at two stringency levels, see Chapter 4) and heterozygosity (in terms of red and sika alleles). Among hybrids, carcass weight is linearly related to hybrid score (Q) and there is some evidence for a positive relationship with heterozygosity. This suggests that additive genetic variation explains variation in carcass weight to a greater extent than heterosis. Secondly, analysis of five case studies representing individual putative hybrids submitted by stalkers from areas without known hybridisation, two proved to be hybrids, while the other three were pure sika. Lastly, in regions known to contain hybrids, the accuracy of ranger-assigned phenotype averaged 78% and revealed that in Scotland accuracy tends to decline as an individual becomes more genetically intermediate; whilst in Co. Wicklow it is the identification of pure parental animals that is more challenging. In conclusion, the existence of rare and widely scattered advanced red-sika backcrosses with low-level nuclear introgression and/or mitochondrial introgression (e.g. in North of Scotland, Cumbria) highlight that some hybridisation events are followed by extensive backcrossing without the breakdown of assortative mating, while others are followed by the generation of a hybrid swarm (e.g. in South Kintyre, West Loch Awe, Co. Wicklow, Co. Cork). Phenotypic traits can become intermediate due to hybridisation and this may facilitate further gene flow and hybridisation. New molecular tools including next generation sequencing (NGS) will enable better understanding the hybridisation process and its phenotypic consequences in this and other systems

South African Formula One Grand Prix: a dream or nightmare.

In 2004 a group of South African based companies submitted a bid to the Formula One Management to host a South African Formula One Grand Prix, from 2009 in Cape Town. The group approached the government to establish a public-private partnership, due to the: • escalating hosting and infrastruture development cost, resulting in very few Formula One Grand Prix host countries undertaking hosting without government involvement; and • believe that the economic benefits of hosting the event would stretch further than the business realm of its members, in particulary in the toursim industry. A literature review of the hallmark sporting events revealed that sport has become a major business industry and a perceived tool for improving the economies of host countries, regions or cities. This has empowered the owners of mega sporting events to generate bidding wars amongst prospective host countries. Paying the price has commonly led local event organisers to motivate the allocation of public funding, emphasising the indirect economic benefits that the event will generate. This motivation is though seldom accompanied by a detailed and independent economic impact assessment, to substantiate the claimed benefits. The findings of this study based on a literature survey indicate that: (i) There is a relationship between hallmark events, such as the FIA Formula One Grand Prix Championship, and tourism. However, the increased tourism post the event may be exaggerated, either with regard to the percentage growth or effective period or a combination thereof. If increased tourism is the basis for the subsidy it should be noted that the Western Cape, in particular Cape Town, is already SA’s premier tourist destination. Whereas cities like Johannesburg and Welkom, that have existing motor racing facilities requiring upgrading, do not have Cape Town’s tourism icons. It could further be argued that the tourists visiting SA for the F1 GP event would more likely tour to the Western Cape than vice versa. (ii) Although the SA F1 Bid Company has provided indicative numbers with regard to job creation and expected tourists as a result of the event, they rely on industry norms and experiences with other current F1 GP event host countries rather than critically assessing the economic and social impact of the event in a South African context. The overall lack of a detailed economic impact assessment and the reluctant feedback from the Government has made it impossible to assess conclusively whether the event will have positively or negatively impact on South Africa. However, literature sources reveal that in the majority of cases and mainly for the government partner, the hosting mega sporting events do not yield a profitable return.Mr. S.M. Nchabalen

Community Survey of Labour Costs: Methods and Definitions 1992. 1996.

Demographic and Social Statistics - Statistical Telegra

Food System and Food Security Study for the City of Cape Town

Food insecurity is a critical, but poorly understood, challenge for the health and development of Capetonians. Food insecurity is often imagined as hunger, but it is far broader than that. Households are considered food secure when they have “physical and economic access to sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (WHO/FAO 1996). Health is not merely the absence of disease, but also encompasses good nutrition and healthy lifestyles. Individuals in a food insecure household and/or community are at greater risk due to diets of poor nutritional value, which lowers immunity against diseases. In children, food insecurity is known to stunt growth and development and this places the child in a disadvantaged position from early on in life. Any improvement in the nutritional profile of an individual is beneficial and as the family and community become more food secure, the greater the benefit. It further reduces the demand on health services. In the Cape Town context, food insecurity manifests not just as hunger, but as long term consumption of a limited variety of foods, reduction in meal sizes and choices to eat calorie dense, nutritionally poor foods in an effort to get enough food to get by. Associated with this food insecurity are chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency, particularly among young children, and an increase in obesity, diabetes and other diet related illnesses. Food insecurity is therefore not about food not being available, it is about households not having the economic or physical resources to access enough of the right kind of food. The latest study of food insecurity in Cape Town found that 75 percent of households in sampled low-income areas were food insecure, with 58 percent falling into the severely food insecurity category. Food insecurity is caused by household scale characteristics, such as income poverty, but also by wider structural issues, such as the local food retail environment and the price and availability of healthy relative to less healthy foods. The City of Cape Town therefore commissioned a study based on the following understanding of the food security challenge facing the City. “Food security or the lack thereof is the outcome of complex and multi-dimensional factors comprising a food system. Therefore, food insecurity is the result of failures or inefficiencies in one or more dimensions of the food system. This necessitates a holistic analysis of the food system that than can provide insights into the various components of the system, especially in our context as a developing world city.” The call for a food system study sees the City of Cape Town taking the lead nationally, being the first metropolitan area to seek to engage in the food system in a holistic manner and attempting to understand what role the city needs to play in the food system. The City must work towards a food system that is reliable, sustainable and transparent. Such a system will generate household food security that is less dependent on welfarist responses to the challenge. In this context, reliability is taken to mean stable and consistent prices, the nutritional quality of available and accessible food, and food safety. Sustainability means that the food system does not degrade the environmental, economic and social environment. Finally, transparency refers to the legibility of the system and its control by the state and citizens

The effectiveness of state intervention in the South African electronics industry

The objective of this dissertation is to assess the effectiveness of state intervention in the South African electronics industry. In order to assess the impact of the various policies implemented by the government, a nation wide survey, which encompassed 270 firms in the industry, was undertaken. The data collected suggests that the state has been unsuccessful in its attempt to develop the industry. It was confirmed that, in comparison with many other developing countries, its growth has been slow and that it continues to rely heavily on imports and foreign technology. One of the reasons for this lack of success is argued to be the lack of any meaningful interaction between government and the industry. Based on the findings of the survey, the major recommendation to emerge is that the government should, in consultation, modify specific policies to promote the establishment of a dynamic, resilient and internationally competitive industry. Chapter One outlines the important role played by the electronics industry in the process of economic development. The industry is depicted as being central to the process of industrialisation in South Africa and its positive effect on productivity in other sectors is stressed. Chapter Two outlines two forms of interventionist policy with which the state can influence the industry's development. Both trade and technology policy, by providing the structures with which to protect and subsidise the industry, play a decisive role in the development of a technology intensive industry. Chapter Three deals with the methodology of the nationwide survey of the electronics industry in South Africa. In Chapter four the industry's development is assessed and various data pertaining to production and value added are evaluated. It is found that it relies heavily on imports and that production constitutes less than 30 percent of the sector's market value. Chapter Five provides an overview of current state policy with regard to the electronics industry. It is noted that the state has used various measures to· stimulate its growth, including providing tariff protection from imports, tax deductible allowances, long-term loans, and grants. Furthermore, a number of groups and committees whose task it is to monitor and make recommendations affecting the industry, have been established. The various reasons for the industry's limited development are examined in Chapter Six. This analysis draws largely on empirical data obtained in the survey and focuses on the effectiveness of various state policies. The survey highlighted that skilled labour shortages, high cost structures, technological dependence, and the lack of exports, all account for the slow growth of the industry. chapter. seven examines policy alternatives for the further development of the local industry. These include proposals from the state sector, those made by respondents in the survey and those gleaned from international experience. Final recommendations and conclusions, reached in the course of the dissertation, are made in Chapter Eight

Community Survey of Labour Costs: Methods and Definitions 1992. 1996.

Demographic and Social Statistics - Statistical Telegra