Health & Wellness : Activists

Here Amy Goodman speaks with Michael Hansen, senior scientist for Consumers Union. He speaks to her from Seoul, where he is testifying before the South Korean National Assembly at a special committee hearing on mad cow disease.

The international human rights community is condemning the recent US court ruling striking down a Vietnamese class-action lawsuit against major American chemical corporations for their manufacture of the chemical weapon known as Agent Orange/Dioxin. The ruling dismisses further compensation for the tens of thousands of US Vietnam War veterans who continue to suffer from exposure to the war-time herbicide.

Human rights group Global Exchange: “As Americans, we hold our government and corporations responsible for the enormous damage done to more than 3 million Vietnamese, including several hundred thousand children. These young second and third generation victims live tragic lives today with horrible birth defects, cancers and a host of other health problems due to AO's gene-destroying toxin. Those responsible should pay for their care, and for clean-up of contaminated ‘hot spots,’ as demanded in the recently dismissed lawsuit.”

Fueled by Burger King’s recent announcement that it's starting to switch to cage-free eggs, the Humane Society USHardee's and Carl's Jr. are starting to move away from eggs from caged hens, according to HSUS—leaving Wendy’s open to criticism.

has urged Wendy's to also make the same switch. In August, after months of dialogue with the company, the HSUS launched a campaign publicly asking Wendy's to stop defending its exclusive use of eggs from caged hens. Tens of thousands of people have contacted Wendy's and many are leafleting outside its restaurants. Major media outlets have run print and radio ads from the HSUS. In a creative twist, people named Wendy—including actress Wendie Malick—are asking Wendy's to stop tarnishing their names by its current practice