You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Animal Cruelty’ category.
Please watch this video and share. These cats are about to be euthanized and need people to help save them, even if it is only to temporarily foster. Who wants to save a cute baby off death row? I have two shelter rescues myself and they are the bomb!
Here is a link with more pictures of the cats that need your help and more information on how to help, https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273643025980870.80487.155925874419253&type=3
Please at least watch and share with others.
-Cara
“Back in July of 1975 we descended into a trough between some whales, and we just sat there in this boat really transfixed. As a whale rolled about on the surface I caught his eye and he looked straight at us and I saw understanding. I saw that the whale understood what we were trying to do, but the other thing I saw in that eye was pity, and not for himself or his kind, but for us. At that moment a harpoon went over our heads and slammed into the backside of one of the females in the pod, and she screamed and rolled on her side. It was like a woman screaming. I said “well, here we are destroying this incredibly intelligent, socially complex, beautiful creature.” and that’s when it occurred to me: we’re insane. As a species we’re insane, so quite frankly, I don’t really care what people think about what we do. They can criticize us all they want, but their opinions mean nothing to me.”
-Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The average are the most insane. Don’t get lost in normal.
-Cara
Marcia
12 dogs with only hours left to live. The shelter will open at 8AM. You must call at 8 if you can rescue or adopt. DO NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE! Keep hitting 0 until someone answers. If they do not, call/email the following people:Julie Bank – jbank@nycacc.org (p212-442-2059/f212-442-2066), Ellen Curtis- ecurtis@nycacc.org, or Richard Gentles rgentles@nycacc.org.
A new “To Be Destroyed” list comes out every night between 5:00-6:00 pm. If there is a dog you can adopt call the ACC number if it is BEFORE 8pm. You will HAVE to pick up that dog that day. They will not hold the dog they will kill it. The only way they will hold it for 24 hours is if an approved rescue calls the hold in. Go to the the shelter in which the dog is located. If you cannot make it to the city..you again can get an approved rescuer to pull and there is a possibility of transport. If you have any questions please ask on the page. We have many “seasoned” helpers who can direct you on the page.
*Post under the ALBUM and PIC if you are interested in a dog. Ultimately, the earlier you offer/contact a rescue, the better. You should not just rely on this page but contact as many rescues on the APO list as you can. http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/aboutus/apos/atoz.htm
*New? Get approved by an APO TODAY to foster/adopt later on. That way, no mad dash! You are already approved. The earlier you plan, the better.
* NO calls to shelter to hold a dog unless YOU are local AND YOU are the adopter. ONLY CALL TO ADOPT IF YOU CAN GO GET THE DOG ASAP YOURSELF. Otherwise get a rescue to help you.
NYC ACC
Manhattan: 212-722-4939 PRESS 0
Brooklyn:718-272-7201
PRESS 0
*To locate APPROVED ACC RESCUES so you can find one to pull the dog you want to ADOPT or FOSTER, use this link
http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/about/apos/atoz.htm
Here is the Facebook page where they list what dogs they are euthanizing next. Like it, share it spread the word as these dogs are being killed because the humans that adopted them could no longer take care of them, abused them, they ran away, etc. You would not kill human children after a week of no one adopting them, why do we kill cats and dogs? We know they feel and have a grasp of what is going on. We should do better as their guardians in this world.
Some other ways to help are to help raise funds for billboards. Here is their deal…
I was recently offered the use of 30 billboards (as they become available) for just the cost of artwork! That means for $840, we could help spread the word about our Death Row Dogs. Every day we are losing more lives to this disgrace of a shelter system… we can not rely on reporters, to do 2 minutes segments that only discuss part of the problem. The public needs to know all the facts and they need to know now!!
Please consider donating… The more people we reach with our ads, the better chance we have of saving the lives of our animals at the NYC AC&C.
or visit www.darlingdesignsnewyork.com , for every purchase made on this site they donate a portion of the proceeds to Urgent and free shipping with any order $50 or more. You can also go volunteer as a foster parent, at the shelter, etc.
Please help these New Yorkers who need you now more than ever.
-Cara
Let’s use this Democracy we are so blessed to have. It will work if you work! Sign this petition that Care2.com hosts, urging the U.S. Senate to pass strong legislation that will lift this $75 “chump change” million dollar cap, and make BP and other multi-billion dollar polluters responsible for the damages their disasters have on our communities, environment and shared resources. Stand up and be counted.
Target: U.S. Senate
Sponsored by: Food and Water Watch
Fishing boats are docked, seafood prices are skyrocketing and oil is still washing up on the shores throughout the Gulf of Mexico. We may not know the full impact of the BP oil rig explosion, yet one thing is clear: the oil spill is BP’s fault and they should pay for the harm they’re causing.
The current law puts a $75 million cap on how much an oil company has to pay in the event of a disaster. Unfortunately, the fishing communities, restaurant owners, tourism industry and other individuals affected by the oil spill have already lost more.
Urge the U.S. Senate to pass strong legislation that will lift this cap, and make BP and other multi-billion dollar polluters responsible for the damages their disasters have on our communities, environment and shared resources.
It’s time to bring electric cars to the forefront, solar panels, wind power, water power…
-Cara
I stumbled across this site VeganVanguard.com which brought to my attention that some beers are not vegetarian/vegan. Turns out certain beers are filtered using products derived from animals. For example, isinglass (one of the oldest sources of gelatin) is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly as a as a fining agent for wine and beer. Then there is also other types of gelatin used for the clarification of wine and beer derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones. Say what?
VeganVanguard.com compiled a list that you should go check out. They have the “yeas and neighs and awaiting replies” list for your perusal. If you don’t see your brew here and want to know more, contact the manufacture and ask.
Three non-vegan beers listed were:
- Barley Creek Brewing Company
- Website: http://www.barleycreek.com
Concerns: This breweries specialty beers are fined using isinglass. Some of their specialty beers also contain animal products in the ingredients. All other types of beer from this brewery are fined using gelatin. Farmer uses the spent grain as feed.
Correspondance: 11/06/03
1. Are there any animal products or byproducts (honey, etc) contained in any of your beers?
“Yes (a few of our specialty brews)”
2. Are there any animal products or byproducts (isinglass, gelatin, etc) used in the manufacture (such as in the filtering or fining process) of your products? While materials used in fining do not end up in the final product, strict vegans have an aversion to the use of animal products in situations as such.
“Yes (Isinglass for cask conditioned brews & Clear Fine, a gelatin for the others)”
3. What does your company do with the waste grain after it is used?
“Farmer gets the spent grain after a brew and uses it as feed. We feel it is better than filling up land fills with it.”
- Bayhawk Ales
- Website: http://www.bayhawkales.com
Concerns: This brewery’s products are filtered using animal products some of the time. However, their Stout and Hefe Weizen beer are unfiltered and therefore considered vegan. Aside from being filtered with animal products, Honey Blonde Ale contains honey which some vegans choose to avoid.
Correspondance: 5/26/03
“85% of the time our beers are not fined with animal products. We have two beers that are never filtered, Stout and Hefe Weizen. To the best of my knowledge, no animal products ever come in contact with these two beers. We do employ Honey in our Honey Blonde Ale. Regarding our spent grain, this has always been a source of great concern to me. Unfortunately at this point in time, we have to dispose of it with the regular garbage.”
- Lucky Labrador Brew Pub (Portland, Oregon)
- Website: http://www.luckylab.com
Concerns: Only the beer “Organic Golden” is vegan. Spent grain is used as livestock feed by a local farmer.
Correspondance: 6/13/03
“We have one vegan beer, Organic Golden, that is 100% organic (no finings). However, we recently heard that processed Carbon Dioxide has minute traces of non-organic substances. We have not confirmed this though. Do you know? Our grain is picked up by a cattle farmer and an organic farmer.”
You can see more of their list here.
In my search for cute, funny old school beer ads I found this other site Barnivore, a vegan wine, beer and liquor guide. I wanted to make sure Schlitz Beer was vegan before I used their ad in this entry. They are. :] This site is more extensive, check it out.
Cheers.
-Cara
Here is another Care2.org petition. This one is about saving bears in Russia! Please take a second to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. They are trying to reach 50000 signatures – please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/534/084/459
Target: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Sponsored by: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
During Russia’s annual bear hunt, hibernating mother bears are lured out of their dens by dogs to be shot and killed, leaving their infant cubs to freeze or starve to death. Each year, den hunting leaves up to 4,000 cubs motherless. Some of these homeless cubs end up as pets to local villagers, while others are taken as cruel props for entertainment or to be eaten in restaurants. Most are abandoned and left to die.
You can give these tiny bundles of fur a second chance at life. Please urge the Russian Prime Minister to ban the cruel practice of den-hunting.
It is one thing to hunt bears in the summer, but it is cruel to wake them and kill them during hibernation. It is just as disgusting as hunting wolves from the air.
Please ban the practice of den-hunting of bears in all of Russia.Den hunting — waking hibernating bears, driving them out of their dens and then shooting the frightened and confused animals — is not only cruel to the bears shot, but also to the orphaned cubs left behind.
Den hunting kills thousands of bears each year and orphans many thousands more. In some areas of Russia, and in Western and Eastern Europe, brown bears are already extinct. The bears being hunted in Russia are from the last healthy population in the world.
Here is the petition, http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/534/084/459
Thank you for your consideration of ending this cruel practice.
-Cara
Gay Pride that’s what…but what happens first??? The Veggie Pride Parade, but even before that is the Veggie Prom of 2010!!!! Say what??? :] Here is a little promo for both events, as I think being a vegetarian or vegan is super fresh.
Veggie Prom is 8 p.m. Friday, May 14, 2010. It will be at Littlefield in Park Slope: 622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217.
Click on the prom flyer above for more info. A raffle will benefit Mercy for Animals. They say creative prom attire is encouraged, couple themes welcomed and like as in life, no date required.
Then post prom is the big parade.
NEXT VEGGIE PRIDE PARADE:
SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010 info@vivavegie.org….•….212-242-0011
|
Go veggies (and fruits)! ;]
-Cara
Martha chats with Robert Kenner and Joel Salatin about the behavior and impact of the commercial food industry.
That is right I said it, as someone who will be enjoying a delightful, sure to be delicious, vegan Thanksgiving feast at our friend Joanna’s abode today and has had the guilty pleasure of being a stalker of all things Stewart for many a year, this is great news. I know her daughter Alexis is a vegetarian and has helped Martha to see the light that fur is not cool, but still, the classic Martha Turkey Day blow up…vegetarian? That my friend is revolutionary if you wrap your mind around the whole picture.
I have heard about Food Inc as well. It looks like an amazing movie and sounds like a great Christmas (or Yule, Chanukah, Kwanza, Three Kings Day, Day of Ashura, Holiday…) gift! :] I will definitely check it out.
I hope at some point to be the person that does not have to keep watching these types of movies, videos, etc to remember why everything we choose to do is so important. I am very tired of how people can not see what is right in front of them or choose to not be inconvenienced. This show with Martha Stewart promoting this film, Food Inc is inspiring to me as I do not expect someone in Martha’s position to promote something so risky. This coming from someone that was previously set up for a fall just to be taught a lesson…a lesson it seems she thankfully did not learn.
Martha Stewart is a rebel!
-Cara
I was on vacation in Surf City, North Carolina a week ago and it was awesome. It was me, my crazy family (parents, aunt, grandparents, cousins, no sisters, nieces, nephews, brother-in-laws or brother this year…they came earlier to spend time with my parents…smart…) and Marine. That part was well what you would expect…well, maybe more than you’d expect, but not more than I expected. :] Anyway, the house was right on the beach, as in the stairs from the back porch end up in sand. It was gorgeous weather, the ocean was perfect for riding the waves for hours and hours (thanks to the season and Hurricane Bill), drinks were flowing and there was nowhere to be. It is what life should always be like.
The part that was not so fresh is the walks on the beach. In just a few feet of walking I ended up picking up quite a few pieces of garbage including plastics bags, candy bar wrappers, water bottles, tons of water bottle caps, chip bags, sun glasses, broken toys and more smoked cigarettes than you could imagine. I could not tell what was from people on the beach or beached from the ocean, but I was amazed with how much ended up in my hands in such a little amount of time. There are a plethora of houses with stairs leading to the beach, but only one out of maybe every 30 to 35 had a garbage can on the end of them. I think that it is crazy to have beaches with no place for them to throw away their refuse. Listen, the majority of Americans or any humans for that matter, are not going to be responsible and keep their garbage till they see the next trash can or at the very least some of that garbage is going to end up wherever they beach themselves, even if they have their own bags. You all know what I am talking about. I think it is important that in all areas we have places for people to put their garbage, so it doesn’t end up hurting animals or the world (as much). It is not that hard a task and also a way to do good. I think I will send a letter to some authority in Surf City and see what they think about placing some public garbage cans on the beach or reaching out to an environmentalist, ocean lover about setting up some program.
Please don’t litter.
-Cara
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an amazing organization. We need to get people to stop destroying these defenseless marine mammals.
Do this awesome (and simple) thing to help people to become more aware of what is going on.
See Below!
|
||||||||||||
Dear World,
We only have a few days left to demand better protections for whales and dolphins that will soon be facing Navy sonar in the Pacific Northwest.
The Navy is about to launch five years of sonar training in some of the nation’s richest marine habitat, including the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary — home to 29 different species of marine mammals.
Click here and tell the National Marine Fisheries Service to put protections in place that could save these animals from harassment, injury or even death.
Your official comment must be submitted by next Monday, August 10.
The Fisheries Service has proposed a rule that would allow the Navy “to take” — harass or injure — marine mammals 130,000 times during each year of the sonar training.
That is a total of 650,000 acoustic assaults on whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and seals.
The Navy’s mid-frequency sonar systems are designed to detect enemy submarines. Its warships deploy underwater speakers that blast the ocean with noise in excess of 235 decibels — a sonic barrage thousands of times more powerful than a jet engine at takeoff.
That barrage of noise can disrupt biologically critical activities like feeding, navigating and breeding. And the Navy itself has admitted that sonar can even kill whales.
At risk in the Pacific Northwest: blue whales, gray whales, beaked whales, harbor porpoises and the very last endangered Southern Resident killer whales — only 83 of them left! — plus dozens of other marine mammal species.
These whales should not have to suffer needless injury or harassment for the sake of military practice.
The Fisheries Service must bar or limit the Navy from operating dangerous sonar in the most sensitive habitats, like the Olympic Marine Sanctuary.
Common-sense precautions like this will not compromise military training or readiness.
Click here now and tell the Fisheries Service to put safeguards in place that will reduce the harassment and injury of tens of thousands of marine mammals over the next five years.
Please make your voice heard by Monday. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council
Here is some more on this…and yes there will be more to come!
We can do anything!!!
-Cara
When I was hanging out with my friend Joanna today she told me about this article she read this weekend on how sonar is killing, damaging, and/or terrorizing whales, dolphins and other marine animals caught within its range, so I did a little research and found out she wasn’t lying!
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, “Whales and other marine mammals rely on their hearing for life’s most basic functions, such as orientation and communication. Sound is how they find food, find friends, find a mate, and find their way through the world every day.
…whether it’s the sound of airguns used in oil exploration or subs and ships emitting sonar. Man made sound waves can drown out the noises that marine mammals rely on for their very survival, causing serious injury and even death.”
I had no idea, sometimes I wonder how something so big goes unnoticed in America. Seriously, how without having a TV do I know everything there is to know about Jon and Kate, who is gay on American Idol, and what Britney is up to, but nothing about how for years these poor animals have been and are being tortured. I can’t handle even 20 seconds of hearing the piercing sound of an ambulance screaming from outside, while I sit a couple of floors up inside an office building. People can be so uncool and unthinking. I have seen many beached whale stories on the news previous to the killing of my tv, and frankly I do not remember any talk of it being related to sonar. I said it!
You can help out and do something by urging the Obama administration to reject a last minute Bush administration rule that would barrage whales along the Eastern Seaboard, the Gulf of Mexico, California and Hawaii with Navy sonar. Please do so by clicking here.
Still saving the whales.
-Cara
Marine is doing some research for our organic t-shirt business, be nice and sent me this web site, http://actionnetwork.org/. They are a part of Environmental Defense. One of their featured action alerts has to do with humans increasing resistance to antibiotics. Go here to send a message to your Congressperson and Senators.
I, myself have never been a big fan of Western medicine, especially that flu shot. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that flu shot is just the government doing some crazy testing on us or something to that affect. I am sure of it! It is the same way with goldenseal root and penicillin, if you take them for too long or just take too much you become immune to their positive/healing effects. I also think that Western medicine mostly covers up the aches and pains of sickness till you heal, unlike natural vitamins and herbs that act as a preventative measure and heals you rather than covering up the sickness.
Heal naturally when possible.
-Cara
Living in NYC, it is strange to wrap my mind around all that nature and chimpanzees swinging around everywhere. I think any of those jobs would be cool. The coffee sniffing, the chimpanzees studying and the farming, but maybe not on such a large scale. I’m more of a fire escape gardener than coffee farmer.
I love organic coffee, chimpanzees and fair trade!!!
-Cara
That’s right a year ago, on January 10th, 2008, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth” was formed. When I first started this blog it was to have a voice in the world that differs from mainstream television, radio, satellite, newspapers, etc. I was inspired by the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth“, drawn into the meaning of an “inconvenient truth”, the fact that you might not want to hear what the problem is and what can be done to solve said problem, but here is the truth and now that you know, what are you going to do about it?
In the beginning, what I primarily wrote about was eco, environmental “inconvenient truths”, following in the footsteps of the film, but as time went by I began to find “inconvenient truths” in other areas as well, be it the issue of gay rights, human rights, animal rights, freedom of speech, freedom of art, whatever is going on in the world that mass media does not cover or covers up, these were the pieces I exceptionally enjoy writing about. Then there are the “recycle stuff” ones, just there for some information of what extra steps you can take to make a better world, the D.I.Y. projects using recycled materials, or just how to make something green and cool for your everyday life. Throw in a few organic recipes, cool green events, green product reviews, games, petitions, stories of amazing people who inspire me, beautiful photos, and sometimes just a funny video to relax and you have, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth“. :]
What I am getting at with all this is to say, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth” has evolved from when I began to where it is at now. I went from doing blog entries everyday from January, 10th, 2008 to October 13th, 2008, right around when I got an official 9-5 job, to now where I may not blog everyday, but no more than a few days go by without me throwing one out there. I needed to find a balance in my life and for now this works for me. I’d rather have good ones than just have ones. :]
I really like writing this blog, even when I can’t think of what to write about, or when I’d rather be playing PlayStation with Ms. Marine or web 2.0 out on the million social networks. This blog makes me more accountable. It is something I started and am still doing a year later (see Tony). Listen, for someone with absolutely no attention span to anything (besides computers and all things tech), I am pretty amazed that “TDAAIT” is still going. What is crazier is when I started this blog I was surprised if I got 10 hits a day, to now where I get on average over 300 unique hits a day from all over the world. Though businesses like MSNBC and other corporations that I do not have any respect for, ask me to place their advertisements on my site, I refuse. I was not working a real job when I started this blog and could have used easy money like that. Instead, I was insulted that they would even ask me, so much so I responded that they obviously had not looked at my blog, because if so they would never have asked me! In retrospect, I am sure they would have asked me anyway. In their minds people are just a herd of non-thinking cows who when they see a blinking ad, inevitably they must click on it. That goes against what I am trying to achieve here. I really hate ads everywhere. I am blessed in many other ways through this blog, so it doesn’t need to monetarily support me as well.
What else have I gotten from writing, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth”? I have learned about a lot of bad stuff that goes on, and I have learned about good people, things and ideas, living and growing here on this Earth (I liked it when Alice Walker called humans “Earthlings” in this interview.). I maintain hope and an awesome faith that things will only get better if you do good.
Something I keep in the forefront of my mind is, what each of us does affects the other. It is not just the huge things necessarily, even our smallest thoughts affect the world. Also, we can as one person change things; who you touch in turns will touch others. You may not get the gratification of seeing the change you bring to the world directly, but if you do it, you may see the world itself change. I search for happiness and peace, by going inconveniently through its sorrows, untruths, truths, and ugliness. I also keep the faith. Faith is the most important thing, without it you are lost. I guess that is what, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth” is to me, a way to not lose hope and to maintain my faith during the era that is the beginning of the end.
This year I have learned that humanity is not as bad and hopeless as it seems, so that’s cool.
-Cara
On Oct 4th after months of rehabilitation, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), along with members from Centro de Recuperação de Animais Marinhos (CRAM), Institute for Aquatic Mammals (IMA) and the environmental authority in Brazil, Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), 372 juvenile Magellanic Penguins, stranded because of inadequate food stocks, were loaded onto a military plane and airlifted to Southern Brazil for their release back to the wild.
According to Dr. Dee Boersma, a penguin researcher, the mass stranding of the penguins left them in extremely poor body condition. She states, there is a flow of warmer water (1° C higher than normal) which has caused the juvenile penguins to keep going north, past their usual range, where they are unable to find adequate food. There is always a high mortality rate for first year birds but this increased northerly range and lack of available food had increased the normal mortality rate for this group of penguins.
There is also the Penguin Network, which is works with The International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC), that put a lot of work into this and other bird rescue projects.
I don’t know what to say, but it seems like we might have broken something…
-Cara
With that said…
The Day After An Inconvenient Truth via e-mail, a gift from me to you.
You’re Welcome. :]
-Cara
That’s really good.
-Cara
I don’t know how these organizations get my name and address, but they do, and every few days I find what seems to be a good organization. This time it is Alley Cat Allies. Don’t get crazy, this is not turning into a pet blog, but I covered a lot of dog stuff yesterday, so I thought this would be fair… Plus, you all may not know that October 16th is National Feral Cat Day, nor did I till today. You’re welcome.
Their mission and vision are clear and concise.
Mission
To end the killing of cats and lead the movement for their humane care.
Vision
Society living non-violently with cats and all animals.
According to their site,
“Alley Cat Allies is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Alley Cat Allies has charted a course set on animal control and shelter industry reform and humane treatment through activities including:
- Advocating for pounds and shelters to keep public records of animal intake and kill rates, for public and mandatory government oversight, and for increased pound and shelter accountability;
- Mobilizing and educating the public and leading the national movement to end the killing of cats and to protect and improve their lives;
- Supporting the efforts of, and acting as the national voice for, thousands of individuals and groups across the U.S. who provide humane care for stray and feral cats.
Alley Cat Allies was founded in 1990 by two women who recognized that stray and feral cats’ needs were not being met by the animal control pound and shelter system. They realized that when well-meaning citizens called pounds and shelters about feral cats, their only response was to kill them. “
They are doing a really good thing I think. I am not sure about the catching, neutering, clipping their ear and releasing, but I am also ignorant to what happens if there are thousands of cats reproducing all over the world with no monitoring. I would think the same thing that has occurred with the humans on this earth. It would be crazy if someone just decided to euthanize or terminate people due to an overpopulation problem. Very THX 1138. It really does seem to always come back to THX 1138
One thing I might suggest to Alley Cat Allies, is with their mailings, instead of using shinny paper to print their brochures on, they use recycled, colored if they wanted, flat paper. That way it is easier to recycle, better for the planet, and for super nerds like me, I can use it to make my own paper (a little fact: you can’t use shiny, glossy paper in the paper making process). What used to make a company seem more legit, like nice glossy brochures, now shows an organization’s oversight on how they impact the planet as a whole, including cats. I think e-mails are also a good idea, but I understand first you need to get people’s e-mails through marketing practices like mailings. I might not have heard of them and written this entry without receiving said mailing. It is a catch-22 perhaps.
Nevertheless, they are doing something to end the destruction and inhumane treatment of cats, so they are heroes in my book. Here is where to go to become more involved with the organization’s plight.
:]
-Cara
When I was a kid growing up the “Save the Whales” protesters were the stereotype for hippies and do gooders of the 70’s. In fact, before there was the term “green”, “save the whales” had that same feeling. The same type of people, just a different time This entry is a tribute to all those who have struggled and fought to save the whales!!!
Whale Call Incorporated are still fighting the good fight. Here are some petitions they list on their site.
Petitions
To support the efforts of Councilor Greg Best of Wyong Shire to protest Whaling
Target: The Japanese Embassy
To educate the Japanese public through the use of global Sister City relationships
Target: Mr. Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, Japanese Government and Royal Family
Tell Australian PM to say NO to Japanese whaling in Australian Antarctic Territorial waters
Target: John Howard, Prime Minister, Australian Federal Government
The Mad Mermaids have their own thing going on…
Then there is Whales.org. Their mission is to be the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins and their environment.
Save the whales.
-Cara
I am not what you would call a wolf person or even a dog person for that matter, but my Aunt Cheri always loved wolves and what they stood for. She was also a respectable and talented Shiloh dog breeder, with the greatest heart.
My Aunt Cheri painted awesome pictures of wolves (and other things). I have one in my office, it is so fresh, they are in the woods, their eyes are intense. My Grandmother, Aunt Cheri and her daughter, my cousin Renee (who was my age) died in the last few years all around the same time. The eyes of these wolves each remind me of one of these people. It is unfinished, but my parents had it framed for me as a gift. It is a way I hold onto my grandmother, aunt and cousin.
To honor my Aunt I want to give a shout out to the wolves and include some links for you all to click on and take a positive action.
Tell Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to end aerial hunting of wolves!
Send a message to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin urging her to end the state’s unfounded aerial hunting program immediately. There is a video on this petition I don’t really recommend watching as it is people aerial hunting these beautiful wolves and them suffering. It is horrible. I made it through two seconds and can’t get the image out of my head…SIgn it…really…. I wonder if Governor Sarah Palin watched it.
Outrageous: Gov. Palin’s $400,000 Propaganda Plan
Alaska Residents Only – Tell Governor Palin that you oppose the Alaska state-funded campaign to support aerial gunning.
Tell your Representative to sign on as a cosponsor to the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act!
Tell your Representative to sign on as a cosponsor to the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act to put an end to Alaska’s brutal aerial hunting program — and prevent programs like it from spreading.
Support a National Wolf Recovery Plan
Help ensure a lasting future for wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies and provide a needed boost for wolf recovery and management efforts in the Southwest, Northeast and Pacific Northwest.
Sign the petition to support sensible, science-based management of struggling Southwest wolves!
Southwest wolves are struggling to survive: the latest population count confirms only 4 breeding pairs, and 52 wolves total, in the wild! Sign the petition to support sensible, science-based management of struggling Southwest wolves.
Bark at the moon.
-Cara
I love to read, but rarely read an actual book, so when I do I like to publicize it. You’re welcome! :P
Here is my review of, “Water For Elephants”.
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought it was a great book. Every time I picked it up I was not disappointed, that was a bonus.
I found the circus and individual characters to be quite interesting. I could have cared more for Jacob and Marlena’s relationship than I did. It was never a great romance. I also thought she wrapped up the ending pretty fast and perfectly, but I don’t mind that part. :)
In this game you play the role of the eco-friendly, political science major. The game revolves around your crazy, carnivore roommate who is attempting to fry your beloved pet goldfishes. Your objective is to save your pets before they are fried to a crisp. You have three lives (an additional life is added every 5,000 points) to save them all. It gets harder as the slothful, immature, and unintelligent roommate throws more and more fish into the frying pan at once.
-Cara
[image source:Jim Wark]
Target: Florida Governor Charlie Crist
Sponsored by: Care2
Recognizing the environmental importance of the Everglades, the state of Florida is planning to purchase 187,000 acres of land to restore its waterways and estuaries. While this is a huge achievement in the fight for Everglades restoration, the state must go one step further.
Developers continue to submit proposals that would encroach on the Everglades, destroying many of the benefits that restoration promises. The Everglades are the home of hundreds of unique species of plants and animals, including 67 threatened or endangered species. A mere 10 percent of the former wading birds that once inhabited the Everglades still exist today.
Urge Florida Governor Charlie Crist to institute a moratorium on approving new development, mining or other changes in use that could impact the upcoming restoration project!
I grew up playing hide and seek in the Everglades. I believe the place is awesome and should be left alone.
Check it.
-Cara
According to the the Petition Site, “the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans to kill America’s wild horses rather than effectively manage our wild natural heritage.
BLM claims it can no longer afford to round up wild horses and confine them until it finds people to adopt them, and the agency wants to euthanize these majestic wild beauties or sell them to the highest bidder “without limitation” – meaning sell them to anyone, even if the bidder also plans to kill these horses.
Why does BLM need to round up wild horses and send them to slaughter? The BLM claims that the agency can’t “allow horses to multiply unchecked on the range without causing an environmental disaster.” But there are less than 30,000 wild horses on the range versus at least 3 million grazing cows. So rather than address the environmental damage caused by cattle overgrazing and expanding oil and gas exploration on our public lands, the BLM would rather placate corporate cattle ranchers who view mustangs as competition for forage, and drive wild horses – our country’s symbol of freedom and independent spirit – to extinction.
This plan is simply outrageous. Stand up for our wild horses and send a comment to BLM today. Urge our government to abide by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act of 1971 and effectively manage the land to preserve wild horses rather than kill them!”
Stop the killing.
-Cara
Many of you have already joined in Rainforest Action Network’s new effort to target companies that use palm oil which destroys rainforest destruction in food, cosmetics and detergents.
Now we’re kicking this into high gear and I need you join in.
http://www.theproblemwithpalmoil.org/
On July 1, Brihannala Morgan, a Rainforest Agribusiness Campaigner, will start sending letters warning companies that using palm oil in their products just will not be tolerated.
Get your friends to join your “Palm Oil Inspection Team” and visit your supermarket. Check the candy, snack food and soap/detergents aisles and mark down the 12 or 13-digit UPC number of products that contain any of the following:
* palm oil
* palm kernel oil
* palm fruit oil
* palmitate
Download the form outlining what information you need to collect
Enter your UPC codes and score points for every palm oil product or alternative that you’re the first to register.
Fill out the online sleuthing form!
Keep adding more products as you find them. Those who collect the most products will be listed on the site.
The Rainforest Action Network’s next step will be to send letters to all the companies, both those that use palm oil and those that don’t, asking them to join them in putting pressure on ADM, Bunge, and Cargill to
supply a truly sustainable source of the oil.
July 1 is their deadline to identify companies that use palm oil and start the next phase of the campaign. Go to http://www.theproblemwithpalmoil.org/ and enter your products now.
Once RAN put these companies on notice, they’ll be following up with a targeted, hard-hitting campaign in the fall. Your help is the first step in making sure that they warn as many companies as possible that they are not going to stand for the destruction of rainforests and communities in our food and cosmetics, and to put pressure on ADM, Bunge, and Cargill to make real changes and create real, sustainable alternatives.
Visit http://www.theproblemwithpalmoil.org/ by July 1!
Get everyone into the act. The more sleuths they have, the sooner they’ll find all the palm oil products hiding in our supermarkets.
Tell your friends about the problem with palm oil
Or you could film your sleuthing like RAN did and upload your video to YouTube as a video response to their channel.
Keep it real!
-Cara
Reason 101 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
When you fork over that $1.89 for those 7 ounces of Brown ’N Serve Sausage Links, it’s really quite a bargain, or so you might think. But such purchases–collectively trillions of them across the globe–accumulate a steep ecological deficit. In time, the debt will come due. Future generations will be the ones remitting its payments, in installments, with global warming, aquifer depletion, topsoil erosion, desertification, collapsed fisheries, wildlife extinction, deforestation and lost ecosystem services. Isn’t it time to start eating lower on the food chain? Get Hip. Go Veg!
It has been 101 days since I started the 101 Reasons Why I Am A Vegetarian journey. I commend Pamela Rice for her commitment to wanting to protect the wild animals, human animals (sometimes wild as well) and the planet we live on. I might not have agreed with every thing she said or maybe more of how she said it, but always with her mission. There are not many people out there who believe in a humane cause and then follow it up by actually doing something, something big. It is a sign of great character and I respect that.
Thank you.
-Cara
I am on the “buy bamboo bandwagon”. I have been for awhile. I was thinking about it today, I have an idea why bamboo is considered a sustainable, environmentally-friendly substance, but just an idea. I decided on this lovely day to become informed and discover the truth behind bamboo.
Let’s start out with some interesting bamboo facts, one, bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on Earth. It has been clocked surging skyward as fast as 121 cm (47.6 inches) in a 24-hour period. It can also reach maximal growth rate which exceed one meter (40 inches) per hour for short periods of time. After harvesting, bamboo does not require replanting, it has an extensive root system that continually sends up new shoots, naturally replenishing itself, making it one of the most renewable resources known. It has also been around since the prehistoric era, which I just think is cool.
Next, there are 91 genera and about 1,000 species of bamboo, found in a number of diverse climates and you don’t need to spray them down with gallons of pesticides or fertilize them for them to thrive as they do so naturally. These variables make this plant more like a super weed, than a member of the true grass family, Poaceae and this is also what makes bamboo a renewable resource.
Fabrics made from bamboo have an extraordinary water absorbency quality. This characteristic makes bamboo fabric three times more absorbent than cotton. Bamboo fibers also keep moisture away from the skin, speeding up the evaporation process, keeping the wearer naturally drier and more comfortable. The fabrics made from bamboo are known to be extremely soft, breathable, hard to wrinkle and possess antibacterial properties! I also heard something about bamboo blocking out a large percentage of the Sun’s UV activity, but I could not find any solid facts on that, so wear your sun block, not your bamboo shirt, because skin cancer is a horrible thing to have!
There is one major man made issue which makes bamboo clothing either an eco product or not. It is the process it goes through before becoming the final product. There are two ways to process bamboo to make the plant into a fabric: mechanically or chemically.
To quote Organic Clothing’s blog, “The mechanical way is by crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant and then use natural enzymes to break the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. This is essentially the same eco-friendly manufacturing process used to produce linen fabric from flax or hemp. Bamboo fabric made from this process is sometimes called bamboo linen. Very little bamboo linen is manufactured for clothing because it is more labor intensive and costly.
Chemically manufactured bamboo fiber is a regenerated cellulose fiber similar to rayon or modal. Chemically manufactured bamboo is sometimes called bamboo rayon because of the many similarities in the way it is chemically manufactured and similarities in its feel and hand.
Most bamboo fabric that is the current eco-fashion rage is chemically manufactured by “cooking” the bamboo leaves and woody shoots in strong chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH – also known as caustic soda or lye) and carbon disulfide in a process also known as hydrolysis alkalization combined with multi-phase bleaching. Both sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide have been linked to serious health problems. Breathing low levels of carbon disulfide can cause tiredness, headache and nerve damage. Carbon disulfide has been shown to cause neural disorders in workers at rayon manufacturers. Low levels of exposure to sodium hydroxide can cause irritation of the skin and eyes. Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkaline base also known as caustic soda or lye. In its dry crystalline form, caustic soda is one of the major ingredients of Drano. This is basically the same process used to make rayon from wood or cotton waste byproducts. Because of the potential health risks and damage to the environment surrounding the manufacturing facilities, textile manufacturing processes for bamboo or other regenerated fibers using hydrolysis alkalization with multi-phase bleaching are not considered sustainable or environmentally supportable.”
What I learned today is bamboo alone is a renewable, sustainable, and abundant resource that grows organically in its natural habitat, but before you go and brag or even buy your bamboo clothes you need to ask the company what is their manufacturing process to make said bamboo fabric. Look for the Oeko-Tek certification. Oeko-Tek certification identifies textiles that are free of processing chemicals, although it does not ensure the environmental soundness of the entire manufacturing process. The same thing goes for your bamboo floors, bamboo cutting boards, your bamboo everything.
You’ve been schooled.
-Cara
Reason 97 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
To produce foie gras, male ducks are force-fed a stomach-gorging cup of corn pellets three times a day with a 15-inch feeder tube. This torturous process goes on for 28 days until the ducks’ livers, from which the pâté is made, miasmatically bloat to 10 times normal size. Mortalities are high due to the disease, intense stress, and burst stomachs. For days prior to slaughter, each bird will pant for air. So cruel are these practices that foie gras production is now outlawed in at least a dozen countries.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve had people I looked up too, had crushes on, believed in, and thought were super cool, but I evolved and grew out of them. There has only been one person throughout my life I have always looked up too; one woman that my belief in the beauty of her soul, strength of her spirit, and greatness of her mind has never faltered. This woman is Alice Walker
I believe peace is possible.
-Cara
Reason 95 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
Except for a single decade from time to time, the climate above America’s Ogalalla aquifer is bone-dry. Thanks to titanic amounts of water tapped from this ancient underground lake, however, for the last fifty years the land has been blanketed with thirsty feed grains. Farmers in some years have irrigated their land with more water than the annual flow of the Colorado River. Since this aquifer was originally the gift of a glacier in another age, today’s rainfall has essentially no recharging effect. Consequently, the experts give only fifty years before this phenomenal creation of the natural world is gone forever.
Hey, you know what I was thinking? We need another theme day and why not Tuesday. We will leave Monday alone for hot topics after our Friday-Sunday themes and Tuesday will be a day to write about one person doing someone that makes a great difference in the world.
Our first honoree is Morgan Hoesterey. Who is she? She is a woman, a zoologist, a surfer, a free diver, an underwater photographer, who lives in Hawaii and is in a documentary film called, “Message in the Waves“. What does she do? She cares about the world and the animals we harm, when we as a society don’t understand that for every action there is a reaction.
Here is a clip from the documentary film she was in called, “Message in the Waves“. It is crazy!
Morgan is the reaction to our action. We need to be aware of what we do and how it effects our world.
Disposable is deadly.
-Cara
life. During her college years she further developed her free diving and surfing skills.
Reason 81 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
Every minute of every day, across the globe, 100,000 animals are slaughtered to feed the human lust for meat. This adds up to 50 billion sentient beings a year, not counting fish. Anywhere you go, creatures destined for the dinner plate endure cruel living conditions. “We’re eating them anyway,” goes the strange logic.
The Day After An Inconvenient Truth 
What Did You Say?