Witness Proposals for the Defense!

Please submit your homework (G BLOCK) below. (Post under the Comments link)

1. Post an entry with your idea for an expert witness for our Mock Trial. What is this witness an expert on?
2. Include why this witness would help the jury reach a just verdict!

Witness Proposals for the Plaintiffs!

Please submit your homework (A BLOCK) below. (Post under the Comments link)

1. Post an entry with your idea for an expert witness for our Mock Trial. What is this witness an expert on?
2. Include why this witness would help the jury reach a just verdict!

Farmers Reliance on Water from the Central Valley Project

This article highlights the needs of many Californian farmers who need the water that is diverted to from the delta. It talks about what happened during a drought; the relevance of this is that if the water ceased to be sent their way it would be like a drought for them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/us/22mendota.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=Central%20Valley%20Project&st=cse&scp=1

A genetically modified salmon. Would you eat it?

The FDA might soon approve the first genetically modified food for human consumption: a salmon. This is no ordinary salmon. No. This salmon is able to grow twice as fast as a wild salmon with its new gene taken from an oceanic eel-like fish. Some say that if this genetically modified fish makes its way into the wild, it could doom the endangered wild salmon by mixing its fowl genes into the gene stew.



http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/12/MNOR1F9KI7.DTL

"An Upstream Battle over Chinook Salmon"

This article shows the extent to which the government of Oregon is willing to go to save the Chinook salmon population there, and it raises the question: How many other species are people willing to kill to save the Chinook salmon?

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/12/opinion/la-ed-salmon12-2010mar12

1. In becoming well rounded experts on the state of Salmon in our current environment today, a well rounded perspective is required. The article I have chosen concerning the removal of the Klamath Dams, is published on a Native American website, a source different from our state government officials and environmentalists.

2. The article encompasses the process of influencing the government to change the current Klamath Dam system for the betterment of the Salmon's migration pattern and breeding habitat. This article offers not only strategic ways to edit one's argument in order to come to a compromise with the government, but it also gives an example of how far the government is willing to be challenged and change.

3. The removal process of the Klamath Dams will be the largest removal that the world has ever seen. "We will be able to watch on a grand scale as a river comes back to life." -Steve Rothert, CA director of the conservation group, American Rivers.

http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7609&Itemid=118

The dangers of Salmon farming

As genetically altered, and farmed, Salmon become the answer to the dwindling wild Salmon population, there are many factors that need to be considered. Sure, it sounds like the perfect solution, but there are many downsides as well. This article covers the environmental and health hazards that come with the Salmon farming industry:

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/seafood/how-can-farmed-salmon-impact-your-health-and-the-environment/

Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project

http://www.calwater.ca.gov/content/Documents/library/case_studies/er/B_CASE%20STUDIES_Ecosystems.pdf

This is a restoration project done by the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, which is being worked on right now. They hope to bring salmon back up Battle Creek, located in Northern CA.

For a more detailed & recent overview:

http://www.battle-creek.net/docs/restoration/BattleCreekRestorationProjectSeptember2010Presentation.pdf

State Funding for Local Salmon Project

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14773856

Benefits of the Water Projects in CA

This article gives general ideas to why the water projects are necessary/good for the state

http://www.water.ca.gov/swp/benefits.cfm

FDA set to approve genetically engineered salmon

This article explains that the FDA is classifying the genetically modified salmon as a veterinary drug, rather than as a food. Because of that, part of the approval process has to be kept secret by the government.

http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/fda-set-approve-genetically-engineered-salmon-4618

The consequences of sea lice

This article talks about the global consequences of the sea louse, a parasitic organism, that is having catastrophic effects on the farmed salmon population.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2007/12/13/fish_farms_drive_wild_salmon_populations_toward_extinction.html

The FrankenSalmon

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2010/09/22/130040472/a-tale-of-frankenfish-will-genetically-modified-salmon-hit-the-stores

This article actually helps the defense because it talks about reasons that genetically altered salmon might not have a harmful impact on the environment.

Closer To the Table

This article describes of genetically altered salmon

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/business/26salmon.html

Possible Effects of Farmed Salmon on Humans and the Environment

This article from consumerreports.org points out many flaws in raising farmed salmon and how the feed for the farmed salmon is bad for the environment because of the chemicals, and how the salmon itself could be harmful for humans.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/food-safety/animal-feed-and-food/animal-feed-and-the-food-supply-105/seafood-farmed-vs-wild/

Salmon Habitat Loss in California

This article tells of the subsidies that California's salmon farming operations receive from the government. It relates to California's dramatic clash of salmon population because habitat loss, such as that caused by salmon farming, is cited as one of the reasons for this decline.

BRING THE SALMON HOME!

The Karuk tribe's effor to remove Klamath Dams. This will be applicable for many plaintiff research topics because the Klamath river is a smaller-scale example of what's happening to all of California's salmon.

http://www.nijc.org/pdfs/Subject%20Matter%20Articles/Environment/Bring%20the%20Salmon%20Home.pdf

This is an article about many misconceptions over wild vs farm raised salmon and, how much longer the salmon population can sustain itself.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124152803.htm

This is a second article about the leading causes of detrimental affects to salmon
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3318467/Wild-salmon-hit-by-parasite-from-fish-farms.html

Is the debate over genetically manufactured salmon pointless?

Here is an article from TIME Magazine about the debate over GM salmon. The author argues that we are farming the wrong fish, and should instead be farming vegetarian fish such as tilapia or arctic char. He declares that "Instead of trying to change the fish to our tastes, maybe we should try changing our tastes to fit the fish."

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/09/21/food-why-the-debate-over-gm-salmon-misses-the-point/

California Tribe Hopes to Woo Salmon Home

This is a NY Times article about what a California Tribe is doing to try and help the salmon population climb back up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21tribes.html?ref=salmon

Salmon restoration policty

Hey Defense,
This is a PDF about the salmon policy done in 1999.
It has a lot of good resources within the the article and speaks to both sides

http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/staff/lackey/pubs/SALMON-POLICY-SCIENCE-SOCIETY-RESTORATION-REALITY-ARTICLE-1999.pdf

Salmon Fishermen

This video from the Salmon Summit speaks to the effect of banning salmon fishing on those who fish for a living.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40AKR8U28d4

Salmon & California Tribes

Here is an interesting article about the relationship between salmon and California native tribes. And it hits home because San Francisco is a part of it!

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-11-29/sports/17180337_1_trinity-river-salmon-klamath

GMO Salmon?! What?!

actually, most of you have heard about this in class. but here is a page about it and it's part of a larger site that has great resources.

http://www.salmonnation.com/fish/gefish.html

here's another one with some other great data

http://www.stateofthesalmon.org/

This is a video about the every day pros and cons about farmed salmon
http://www.5min.com/Video/Farmed-Salmon-vs-Wild-Salmon-165233656
dylan

Salmon from Scotland??

Check this NY Times article out.

-TC