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There are even more dead pigs in a Chinese river

There are even more dead pigs in a Chinese river

Reuters

In the week and a half since we first brought you the all-important details on those dead pigs filling the Huangpu River in China, officials have raised the body count to more than 16,000.

On Sunday, the government said the pulling-dead-pigs-out-of-the-water operation was “basically finished.” Chinese official media reports that some of the dead animals were traced by their ear tags to pig farms in Shaoxing, and their owners have been prosecuted. Farmers in Shaoxing have recently been charged with selling meat from diseased animals.

The New York Times points out the silver lining of the porcine flotilla: At least the diseased pigs aren’t ending up on dinner plates. As the government cracks down on contaminated meat, the only place to put them is in the river. Three cheers for food safety!

“Dead pigs have always ended up in Shanghai. This time they just went there by river, instead of by truck,” a Shaoxing pig farmer told The Guardian.

A Zhejiang environmental protection report in 2011 found that 7.7 million pigs were being farmed in Shaoxing. On average 2% to 4% will die, which means between 150,000 and 300,000 corpses need to be disposed of.

“If dumped, they cause bacterial and viral pollution, as well as 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of chemical oxygen demand,” the report said.

But, still, there are no provisions for proper disposal in place.

One big story here seems to be: Oh my god China is farming a lot of pigs. But heck, so are we. Tom Philpott at Mother Jones makes the case that U.S. factory farming of pigs and other animals is supergross too. Epic loads of pig shit contaminate our lands and waterways, even though the imagery is not quite as immediately horrifying.

And now, in the Sichuan province in central China, there’s a new, slightly different problem: The Nanhe River is clogged with about 1,000 dead ducks of unknown origin.

Susie Cagle writes and draws news for Grist. She also writes and draws tweets for

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There are even more dead pigs in a Chinese river

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Idiot shoots horse on camera to promote horsemeat

Idiot shoots horse on camera to promote horsemeat

YouTube

Tim Sappington sent some kind of a message by killing this horse on camera.

Tim Sappington wants to promote the eating of horsemeat, but he really isn’t helping his cause.

In a video now stirring up outrage on YouTube, Sappington is shown with a colt on his property. “All you animal activists, fuck you,” he says. Then he pulls a handgun from its holster and aims it between the animal’s eyes. He pulls the trigger. As the horse lies convulsing on the ground with its legs kicking in the air, Sappington walks away and mutters, “Good.”

The killing appears to have been perfectly legal. The U.S. banned the slaughter of horses in 2006, but the ban quietly expired in 2011.

Sappington had been a contract worker for the Valley Meat Company in Roswell, N.M., which is trying to obtain the federal permits needed to begin slaughtering horses (and it’s suing the USDA for taking so damned long about it). After his video went up on YouTube last week, Sappington was apparently let go.

Animal activists have been up in arms over the meat company’s permit application. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group in Congress has been pushing legislation that would once again outlaw the slaughter of horses for food.

But the issue has been mostly below the radar — until now.

As it turns out, the image of a dying horse is not good for working up a society’s collective appetite for horse burger.

Television stations and newspapers across the world are reporting on the video — and outlining the hitherto little-known legislative efforts underway to outlaw such acts.

“He shot a horse. That’s what he eats. It’s not against the law to slaughter your own horse,” one of the owners of the Roswell slaughterhouse, Rick De Los Santos, told a local TV news reporter. “Now, putting it on YouTube, I would not have done that.”

Thanks to Sappington’s video, De Los Santos and the Valley Meat Company have experienced a spike in angry phone calls and threats.

“People are going ballistic over this and I am too,” the local sheriff told the Los Angeles Times. “It was poor judgment putting this thing online. I guess he wanted to make a statement. He says he wishes he’d never done it, but he did it.”

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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Idiot shoots horse on camera to promote horsemeat

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Etsy Office Supplies to Make Your Workspace More Eco-Friendly

Even if you don’t spend your days at a desk, you may have a home office for keeping your projects organized. In both of these spaces, it’s worth putting in a little extra effort to make them fun and eco-friendly. To help you start thinking about how you might green your work space and add a little excitement at the same time, check out these Etsy products made from upcycled, recycled and eco-friendly materials.

Photo: Etsy user randall180

Prefer your office decor to be modern and reflect your interest in technology? Randall Littleton, owner of Etsy shop randall180, claims that with this repurposed iMac Lamp you will be the envy of your workplace. So if your office could use a little extra light, this might just be the accessory for you.

Littleton’s shop is dedicated solely to repurposed Mac products and in addition to this iMac Lamp includes clocks made from old computers.

To see more upcycled Mac products, visit randall180.

Price: $115

BUY IT HERE

Don’t Miss: Hacks and Mods to Repurpose Your Own E-Waste

Photo: Etsy user CraftGather

If you have control over what kind of desk resides in your office, consider choosing an eco-friendly option like this one made by Rocky Garza of the Etsy shop Craft & Gather.

Garza constructs a variety of desks, tables and benches, all from reclaimed wood. He uses old trees, lumber and even a wooden spool that was previously used to transport electrical wire in his work. This desk is made from reclaimed lumber and steel plumbing pipe and would make a great focal piece for any office or workspace.

Garza also makes custom desks, so if you’d like something similar but tailored to your taste, check out the Craft & Gather Etsy shop and contact the artist.

Price: $650

BUY IT HERE

Photo: Etsy user JemmDeeCreations

Sure, you could go to any office supply store and purchase some inexpensive push pins, but they wouldn’t be as original or eco-friendly as these push pins made from broken china.

Mirna Chang, the owner of Etsy shop JemmDeeCreations, is an expert upcycler, especially when it comes to reusing old kitchenware. As she puts it, her shop consists of “pretty things made from broken plates” and includes everything from push pins and magnets to jewelry. Her materials come from chipped, broken or unwanted dishes, and Chang cuts and shapes them into new, eye-catching products.

To see these push pins and the rest of Chang’s work, visit JemmDeeCreations.

Price: $12.50

BUY IT HERE

Check Out: Reuse Design Challenge: Repurpose Old Kitchenware

Photo: Etsy user LizzieJoeDesigns

A cork board made from upcycled wine corks will go great with upcycled push pins. Jennifer of the Etsy shop Lizzie Joe Designs uses old corks to their full potential by turning them into things like cork boards, coasters, trays and wall decorations. All the corks are recycled, as are many of the other materials Jennifer uses. She likes to shop at thrift stores and upcycles as much as possible, according to her Etsy page.

This framed cork board incorporates many kinds of corks and would be well-suited to an office (or your kitchen, for that matter).

Visit Lizzie Joe Designs for more information.

Price: $30

BUY IT HERE

Read: Eco-Friendly DIY: Wine Cork Lampshade

Photo: Etsy user OctoberInspiration

Could your office space use some plants? If so, you might want to check out this upcycled wine bottle hydroponic planter from Jamie Malone of October Inspiration.

Indoor gardening is made easy with this simple hydroponic system, which works especially well for herbs or small plants. Malone makes all the planters from old wine bottles, so each one is a little bit different. The planters will work great on any windowsill, and they come with instructions to help you get started growing plants.

Visit October Inspiration to learn more.

Price: $20

BUY IT HERE

Related: 5 Reasons to Have a Plant at Your Desk

Photo: Etsy user TheBlackCatCellar

Have trouble keeping all your paperwork organized? These simple upcycled button paper clips from Kelsey of The Black Cat Cellar can help you keep things in order while also adding a little fun to the process.

Almost all the products in Kelsey’s shop incorporate upcycled buttons in some way, and 20% of the proceeds are donated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The button paper clips come in a variety of colors, so check out The Black Cat Cellar for more details and photos.

Price: $5

BUY IT HERE

Read: New Tech Allows Clothing to be Disassembled for Recycling

Photo: Etsy user ComfyCreations

For those who spend a lot of time in front of the computer, a wrist rest can help keep you comfortable at your desk. This computer keyboard wrist rest made by Kathleen Lee of ComfyCreations will do just that.

The wrist rests come in a variety of colors and patterns and are filled with organic buckwheat, flaxseed and rice. They can be used for moist heat therapy by putting them in the microwave, and they’re also scented with lavender. The wrist rests will conform to your wrists to help reduce strain and relieve pressure.

Lee is a licensed massage therapist and sells many other therapeutic spa products in her shop. Visit ComfyCreations to see more.

Price: $14.95

BUY IT HERE

Read: Make Your Own Luxe Spa Treatments

Photo: Etsy user etchythings

Need more assistance keeping your office organized? These office organizing clothespins from Mei and Frank of the Etsy shop etchythings can help. Labels to help you categorize and fun patterns make these clothespins a useful addition to any office. Mei and Frank will customize and engrave the clothespins upon request.

Etchythings also sells a variety of rubber stamps whose wood mounts are all sourced from reclaimed wood. To see all of Mei and Frank’s offerings, visit etchythings.

Price: $10

BUY IT HERE

Check Out: Reuse Design Challenge: Organize Your Desk Mess

Photo: Etsy user BeauMiracle

If your desk needs a colorful accent, consider this pen and pencil holder made by Dessy Stoeva, owner of the Etsy shop BeauMiracle. You may not be able to tell by glancing at it, but it’s made of upcycled wood and would easily fit many common office supplies like pens, pencils, markers and scissors.

On her Etsy page, Stoeva writes that she enjoys working with vintage materials, so you’ll find plenty of other upcycled products in her shop. To learn more, visit BeauMiracle.

Price: $31

BUY IT HERE

More Ideas: Make This Upcycled Desktop Drawer Organizer

Photo: Etsy user AshleyAfterDark

Magnets are an easy way to personalize your office, especially when they come in fun colors and are made from upcycled materials. These magnets by Ashley Rodgers of Ashley After Dark are made from old dominos decorated with alcohol ink.

Rodgers’ shop is filled with unique items that incoporate alcohol ink. She sells jewelry, home accents and a new line of office supplies. If your office space could use additional decorations, head over to Ashley After Dark to see if there’s anything that will suit your space.

Price: $5

BUY IT HERE

Looking for more unique recycled and handmade items? Don’t Miss: Recycled and Handmade Etsy Finds

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Etsy Office Supplies to Make Your Workspace More Eco-Friendly

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ViagrowTM Super Plugs, 50 Organic Seed Starter Plugs

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Suddenly, the Cider Didn’t Taste So Good: Adventures of a Game Warden in Maine

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Holistic Management Handbook: Healthy Land, Healthy Profits

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Lineman’s and Cableman’s Handbook 12th Edition (Lineman’s & Cableman’s Handbook)

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Sew & Stow: 31 Fun Sewing Projects to Carry, Hold, and Organize Your Stuff, Your Home, and Yourself!

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The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention

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The Little Black Gas Book (Saving Money Saving Time Saving the Environment)

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