04/30/07 Oregon Ban & Immigrant Numbers

In the last decade more legal immigrants have opted to become U.S. citizens in increasing numbers. A study released last week by the Pew Hispanic Center indicated that for the first time, European immigrants are no longer the largest group of those who choose to become citizens, according to the study. Over the past decade, they were outnumbered by new citizens who came originally from Latin America or Asia. There is no limit on the number of eligible immigrants who can become citizens, gaining the right to vote and ensuring they can never be deported. Illegal immigrants, estimated to number about 12 million people, are not eligible to apply for citizenship. Pregnant pigs cannot be confined according to a bill passed by the Oregon Senate. Oregon does not use gestation stalls but according to Dr. Gene Pirelli, Extension Animal Scientist with Oregon State University there is another aspect to be considered. PIRELLI: Well if it goes through the way it is right now without the changes then that means producers cannot use the more important farrowing crate, right before and right after farrowing. They could only be in the farrowing crate for 24 hours and they'd have to be released and then they could be put in for 24 hours again which would be a management nightmare in a farrowing house. One Senator asked - why are we creating a law when one does not need to exist? Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. Are you a true eco-centric? Do you drive a hybrid, use energy efficient light bulbs, buy only locally grown food? While these are all environmentally noble gestures, unless you have weaned yourself off the bottle you've got nothing to pat yourself on the back for. In order to leave a teeny- tiny eco-footprint you'll going to have to give up this century's biggest marketing con, bottled water. Without any evidence to back up claims, advertisers have convinced consumers that water in bottles is healthier than tap. It isn't. In fact in many cases, tap is what's in the bottle. A consumer advocacy group Corporate Accountability International is urging both Coke and Nestle to come clean about the source and safety of their bottled water. The Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Federation are urging consumers to return to tap as bottle water uses valuable energy both in transportation and packaging, plus creates literally tons of solid waste. If you buy only locally grown sustainable food yet insist on drinking bottled water, you're not environmentally correct, you're simply a hypocrite. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.