Editors' Note

AuthorLuke Trompeter - Ingrid Lesemann
PositionCo-Editor in Chief - Co-Editor in Chief
Pages2-3
how pesticides, mites, and global warming have contributed
to a 90% decline in bee populations in the last twenty years.
Israel Cook explores how the growth of the meat industry has
placed pressure on slaughterhouses to increase the pace of
their product lines in order to satisfy humanity’s demand for
meat. Due to the faster pace of production, workers are suf-
fering high rates of injury, and animals are being mistreated
while still alive. Amanda Arrington, Director of the Pets for
Life Program at The Humane Society of the United States
(HSUS), and Michael Markarian Chief Operating Ofcer for
The HSUS—discuss how limited affordable veterinary and
pet wellness services disadvantage millions of people and
their pets across the United States. The Pets for Life Program
promotes the understanding within the larger animal protection
movement that a lack of nancial means does not equate to
a lack of love for a pet. The program delivers direct care to
thousands of pets in underserved communities each year.
On behalf of the Sustainable Development Law and Policy
staff, we would like to thank all of the authors who contributed
their time, efforts, and scholarship to this issue. Their scholar-
ship is an inspiration to us all as we search to understand how to
2Sustainable Development Law & Policy
Since the early days of civilization, animals have played
an enormous role in human activities. While they have a very
denitive utilitarian purpose, they have also forged important
strong emotional bonds with people from every walk of life, and
it is no surprise that they have won the affection and interest
of countless humans. Yet, as in so many of our dealings with
animals, our relationships with them are full of contradictions.
We spend billions of dollars on some animals—showering them
with affection and using them for non-harmful pleasures—yet
we use other animals to generate billions of dollars in commerce
and often exploit them in the process.
This publication has never released an issue that focuses
solely on animal welfare. Rather, it has focused on topics rang-
ing from energy law and policy to land and water use as well as
other important topic areas that come to mind when you think
of “sustainable development.” However, development will not
be sustainable if animal welfare and human-animal relationships
are not included in development programs, policies, and laws. In
this issue, the Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief seeks
to highlight the commonality between animal welfare issues and
human justice issues. Our rst article, CAFOs: Plaguing North
Carolina Communities of Color by Christine Ball Blakely, dis-
cusses the deleterious effects that Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations (CAFOs) have on both humans and non-humans.
Author LaTravia Smith in her article, The “Fowl” Practice of
Humane Labeling: Proposed Amendments to Federal Standards
Governing Chicken Welfare and Poultry Labeling Practices,
discusses the unique opportunities to improve poultry welfare
in the United States’ agricultural industry and offers methods to
ensure the accurate labeling of poultry products. The nal article
in this issue, Cruelty to Human and Nonhuman Animals in the
Wild-Caught Fishing Industry by Kathy Hessler, Becky Jenkins,
and Kelly Levenda, delves into the grave impacts that the shing
industry has on humans, including health and safety issues, labor
law violations, and even human rights abuses, such as human
trafcking, child labor, and slavery.
This issue also includes six featured articles exploring
other important human and animal welfare topics. Carolyn
Larcom discusses how anthropogenic noise interferes with
echolocation, a process by which marine mammals use to com-
municate. Our second featured article by Stephanie Kurose
discusses the recent and increasing legislative efforts by some
members of Congress to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
Alexandra C. Nolan examines “cow-tapping,” a technology
developed in Argentina for cleaner methane extraction, which
entails inserting a tube into a cow’s stomach to extract meth-
ane to use an alternative fuel source. Savannah Pugh explores
eDitorS’ note
Features:
13 | anthropogenic noiSe anD the enDangereD
SpecieS act
by Carolyn D. Larcom
15 | legiSlative effortS to increaSe State
management for imperileD SpecieS ShoulD
be rejecteD
by Stephanie Kurose
27 | thiS iS not the beeS kneeS: a critical view
of the governmentS lack of policy to
conServe the pollinatorS
by Savannah Pugh
29 | the fartS hearD ‘rounD the worlD: where
cow-tapping fallS on the international
agenDa of SuStainable Development
by Alexandra C. Nolan
39 | how faSt iS too faSt? oSha’S regulation
of the meat inDuStryS line SpeeD anD the
price paiD by humanS anD animalS
by Israel Cook
Fall 2017 3
The Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief (ISSN
1552-3721) is a student-run initiative at American University
Washington College of Law that is published twice each
academic year. The Brief embraces an interdisciplinary
focus to provide a broad view of current legal, political, and
social developments. It was founded to provide a forum for
those interested in promoting sustainable economic develop-
ment, conservation, environmental justice, and biodiversity
throughout the world.
Because our publication focuses on reconciling the ten-
sions found within our ecosystem, it spans a broad range of
environmental issues such as sustainable development; trade;
renewable energy; human rights; air, water, and noise regula-
tion; climate change; land use, conservation, and property
rights; resource use and regulation; and animal protection.
Sustainable Development Law & Policy prints in accor-
dance with the standards established by the Forest Stewardship
Council® (“FSC®”) that are designed to eliminate habitat
destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous
peoples, and violence against people and wildlife that often
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can ensure responsible use of forest resources. Our printer,
HBP, Inc. is FSC Chain of Custody certied. (FSC® C010897).
To purchase back issues please contact William S. Hein
& Co. at hol@wshein.com. To view current and past issues
of the publication please visit our website at http://www.
wcl.american.edu/org/sdlp. Current and past issues are also
available online through HeinOnline, LexisNexis, Westlaw,
vLex, and the H.W. Wilson Company. Please note that
Volume I and Volume II are published as International and
Comparative Environmental Law.
Printed by HBP, Inc., Hagerstown, MD.
about SDlp
Co-Editor-in-Chiefs
Luke Trompeter
Ingrid Lesemann
Senior Editorial Board
Executive Editor Mark Yurich
Associate Executive Editor Cecilia Diedrich
Managing Editor Nikki Waxman
Features Editor Kyoung-Hong Brian Park
Digital Media Editor Carlos Lopez
Co-Symposium Editors Alexi Nathan, Elena Franco
Senior Editors Sarah Pugh, Alycia Kokos, Jessica Maloney,
Elizabeth Platt
Staff
Joseph Briscar, Jacob Peeples, Tabitha Parker, Deidre Dixel,
Larissa Mendrick, Teng-Teng Liu, Alison Shlom, Brian
Malat, Ethan King, Carolyn Larcom, Frank Waliczek, Israel
Cook, Sarah Wilson, Victor Beltran, Maria Moreno, Cody
Meixner, Elliot Adler, Kate Juon, Molly Prindle, Hannah
Gardenswartz, Alexandra Nolan, Adam Gould, Max Borger,
Savannah Pugh, Brianna DelDuca, Daniel Tillman, Amanda
Stoner, Juan Moreno, Nicole Carle
Advisors
Amanda Leiter, David Hunter, William Snape, III,
Durwood Zaelke, William L. Thomas, Kenneth Markowitz
Green Inks
incorporate animal welfare and human-animal relationships into
development programs, policies, and laws. Their pieces highlight
how animal welfare is inextricably intertwined with human wel-
fare—they are not mutually exclusive. Their pieces also demon-
strate how afnity groups and animal welfare groups share many
of the same challenges, goals, and enemies—creating potential
opportunities for movements to collaborate against exploitation,
poverty, and cruelty. We would also like to thank our staff for all of
their hard work and dedication to SDLP. Lastly, we would like
to thank our readers for your continuing interest and support
of SDLP.
Sincerely,
Luke Trompeter Ingrid Lesemann
Co-Editor in Chief Co-Editor in Chief

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