Martin Luther King, Jr. has always served as my role model of unwavering dedication to love and to treat all beings on this planet with a sense of equality and compassion.  Mr. King’s message to me was that of a pervasive love that touches every being on earth. 

Since Mr. King’s time, we have made strides to move the needle to become a more compassionate society. But we need to move that needle further and extend compassion and love to where all beings are treated equally. 

Feeling and knowing that not only humans but other beings like elephants or cows have an automatic right and purpose to be here on earth without having to be subjected to our decision on how they should experience their own lives or that we decide if they have a right to live or die.  Every being comes to this world with a unique gift, and when that soul leaves this earth, no one else can replace its unique signature.  This is as true for a human as it is for a wolf or a whale.

It is within this spirit of freedom, love, and equality that I ask hunanity to recognize a cow, elephant, wolf, whale, dog or cat are no different in the fact that they all are sentient, conscious beings. Each with their own unique capabilities that only they can reflect onto this world.

“One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Taking a cruise comes with a hefty price on the environment

Cruise ship vacations are the fastest-growing sector in the travel industry having transported nearly 30 million passengers in 2019. 

Cruises come with a cost to the environment, marine life, and coastal communities.  According to a study in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, a cruise ship has a carbon footprint of 12,000 cars.  Not only do cruise ships have a major impact on air pollution, but they also have a direct impact on water and land pollution, as well as affecting fragile habitats of marine species.

According to this study, some cruise ships venture into the most fragile marine habitats undermining the risk of affecting marine life.  Some cruise lines have increased their carrying capacity to 1,250 passengers and upwards to 6,000 passengers with a 2,000-person crew.  These are like floating cities traversing an already fragile ecosystem that is begging for our attention to preserve and protect. 

Additionally, the U.S. government allows cruise ships to dump dirty water from sinks, showers, laundry processes and you guessed it, toilets three and a half miles from the shoreline.  According to Friends of the Earth, more than a billion tons of sewage gets dumped each year into the ocean.

Not only is the ocean being inundated with this waste but also fuel waste gets dumped into the oceans.  We know this is home to marine life who have no choice but to try to survive these filthy conditions we have created for them.  Not to mention the sound pollution created by vessels that deeply impacts the way marine life searches for food, and call to their young, and mate. 

And unfortunately, food waste is also dumped into the oceans.  It is estimated that cruise ships create 30% of food waste that is put into an industrial grinder and sent out to sea.  Some cruise ships tout this food waste is fish food when in reality it is not part of their diet.

The fragile marine life virtually has no protection against any of this pollution. 

Friends of the Earth has created a Cruise Ship Report Card that determines if clean cruising is possible and the results show a resounding no.  In 2022, none of the cruise ship lines received an overall grade higher than C+.

Most governments refuse to enact strong regulations against cruise ships which is unfortunate because of the damage being done to the oceans, climate, marine life, and our health. 

In this ever-changing world where our actions have a major impact on the environment, if you are fortunate enough to travel, please reconsider other travel options than taking a cruise.

Photo courtesy of Reuters

References:

1.    Palmer, C., 2022, July 27th. Cruise industry faces choppy seas as it tries to clean up its act on climate. www.reuters.com. https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/cruise-industry-faces-choppy-seas-it-tries-clean-up-its-act-climate-2022-07-27/

2.   Josep Lloret, Arnau Carreño, Hrvoje Carić, Joan San, Lora E. Fleming., (2021),

Environmental and human health impacts of cruise tourism: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin. Volume 173, Part A.

3.   Friends of the Earth. Cruise Ship Report Card. www.foe.org. https://foe.org/cruise-report-card/

Endangered species need US and WE need them.

Leaders, NGOs, business leaders, and members of civil society from nearly 200 countries are attending the United Nation’s 28th Conference of Parties to discuss and formulate concrete plans to phase out fossil fuels due to an acceleration of rising temperatures of the planet and related climate change and focus on renewable energy.

What does COP28 have to do with trophy hunting of endangered species you may ask?  

As the United Nations Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported we have a decade left to help turn back the clock on preventing even larger-scale climate disasters and rewilding of endangered species like the elephant and wolf can help maintain the equilibrium and biodiversity of ecosystems, which results in a healthier planet for you and me (1), (2).

The continued allowance of trophy hunting of endangered species undermines the many facets of maintaining biodiversity around the globe.

According to an article published in the Nature Climate Change journal; “Rewilding nine wildlife species (African forest elephants, American bison, fish, gray wolves, musk oxen, sea otters, sharks, whales, and wildebeest) would contribute more than 95% of the annual requirement to achieve the global target of extracting 500 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2100.  This in turn would help cap the global temperature rise at less than 1.5 degree Celsius.  If these endangered species are protected, their presence in their ecosystems can help mitigate climate change.

Endangered keystone species are a part of the blueprint to help keep our ecosystems balanced and intact.  Saving them is a simple solution to help save our planet because humans benefit from healthy ecosystems as ecosystems provide us with healthy water and oxygen, and sequester carbon. 

We need our world leaders and decision-makers to stand firm in making decisions that will provide long-term solutions to supporting the health of this planet for us and the 8.7 million other species that also call Earth home.  This includes endangered wildlife that do not have a voice.  At this critical time, we ARE their voice to ensure there is a viable future for them, which in the long run their presence provides us with a viable future.  Please take a moment to sign and share this petition to call on the United States government to take a stand for endangered wildlife.

References:

1.    Olivia Rosane. This Is the Make-or-Break Decade for Climate Action, IPC Warns.Ecowatch. March 20, 2023. https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-action-global-warming-ipcc-forecast.html

2.   Schmitz, O.J., Sylvén, M., Atwood, T.B. et al. Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions. Nat. Clim. Chang. 13, 324–333 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01631-6

Ocean trash surrounds World Heritage Site

Recently, I visited Portugal and was enamored by the culture, the warmth of the people, the history, and historical sites.  I made a trip to Belem Tower, which was built in the 16th century to defend Lisbon from enemy ships.  It is designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. 

As I was standing in line to enter the tower, I noticed all the trash that was brought in by the tide.  Here was this beautiful historical site built on this idyllic backdrop with ocean litter in its foreground.  It hit home that at one point in human history when this tower was built, plastic and garbage were not littering coastlines and infiltrating the ocean and waterways.  Now plastic pollution and garbage are an unfortunate common global threat to our waters and the health of marine life and humans. 

I had asked one of the ticket agents ‘Who cleans up the trash?’ and with a sigh, she said the people who work in the tower do and mentioned dead marine life had washed up on the shore.   She said she wished more agencies, officials, and companies who make plastic would take this problem more seriously and help find a solution to reduce our impact on our oceans.  And she is right. 

This is a global problem and threat and we need more hands on deck literally to give this issue the proper attention it needs and deserves. At times like these, when we feel there is no hope, we have to override that feeling and do what we can in our everyday lives to help. 

According to the IUCN, 14 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year.  Even if you do not live near a body of water, you can pick up trash because many times trash on the street finds its way to a waterway which leads into a large body of water. And if you still don’t think you’re making a difference by picking up trash, you can download Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app and record how much trash you picked up.  This information is then used by researchers and policymakers to help find ways to reduce our plastic pollution footprint and create solutions.

Here's the low down on down coats.

The down or feathers found in down coats, comforters, and pillows come from ducks or geese that are raised for meat production and whose down is then used to fill coats.  Some birds, unfortunately, endure live plucking while some of them are killed by cutting their throats and then placing their body in hot scalding water to pluck the feathers.  Both of these practices are extremely cruel, painful, and senseless.

The only down that is collected manually and does not involve unethical practices of harming birds or raising them for meat, comes from the wild Common Eider duck found in Canada and Iceland.  Some companies use Eiderdown for their coats but not many people would be able to afford the price tag. 

There are certification groups like Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and Global Traceable Down Standard (GTDS) that regulate the supply of down or feathers that do not come from live plucking or force-fed birds.  However, the down or feathers used by manufacturers who become certified by RDS or GTDS come from birds that were raised for meat production. 

The good news is in recent years, many cruelty-free brands have come to the forefront offering coats that are warm, stylish, and not outrageously expensive.  One of my favorite brands is NOIZE.  I couldn’t be happier with my coat from NOIZE.  My coat is warm and I feel good knowing no animal was harmed for the sake of keeping me warm.  Other cruelty-free brands are Save the Duck, Matt and Nat, Will’s Vegan Store, and For All Kind. 

If you are shopping for a new winter coat, please keep in mind, that no animal needs to endure pain or be killed for our consumer choices.  There are plenty of cruelty-free options available on the market. 

Photo courtesy of Four Paws

References:

1.    Cosier, Susan. 2020, December 18th.  Everything you need to know about buying ethically sourced down products.  Audubon.org.  https://www.audubon.org/news/everything-you-need-know-about-buying-ethically-sourced-down-products#:~:text=Farmers%20usually%20harvest%20goose%20down,welfare%20and%20advocacy%20groups%20say

2.   Winter jackets without the cruelty of down.  Peta.org. https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/winter-jackets-without-the-cruelty-of-down/

Want to know your water footprint?

Water is essential for us to survive.  Yet, 97% of earth’s water is ocean water which is too salty for us to consume or grow crops.  Freshwater, the water we use to drink, grow crops, produce our clothes, etc., makes up a mere 3% of the water on earth. 

As climate change disrupts freshwater availability, water scarcity has become more prevalent around the globe. 

According to Drought in Numbers, a 2022 UN report, found that one billion people face water stress annually for periods of time.  But that estimate can go up to 3.5 billion people in the next ten years.  

Wild For Change’s recent podcast guest, Lis Bernhardt, a United Nations Programme Officer for Water provided a link to a water footprint calculator that shows how much water we consume in categories like food, indoor water usage etc., per week.  It is a handy tool to see where we can cut back on our water usage and as consumers how we can become more water savvy. 

The water footprint calculator offers a quick overview of your water usage and an in-depth version. 

You can learn more about your water footprint here.

Students in São Paulo plant mini forests to combat rising temperatures

In the face of climate change, 4,000 students along with educators and indigenous communities of Sao Paulo, Brazil planted 10,000 of the native embauba trees to create mini forests on school grounds in 2022.  Prior to development, these trees once covered the region and are now being planted to combat rising temperatures.  Students plan to create eight more mini forests this year.

The impetus behind this is to help create more green areas that will provide ‘cooling spaces’ from the increased heat that comes along with living in highly developed areas.  In cities, materials that make up the buildings and roads such as asphalt, brick, and steel absorb light and convert it to heat.  As temperatures become warmer around the globe, cities tend to experience more heat called the ‘urban heat island effect’.

Being that Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, the region is experiencing a direct hit of rapidly rising temperatures.  As the youth will be most affected by these rising temperatures in the coming years, they are taking the necessary action to mitigate the effect of climate change.  

Photo courtesy of Mongaby News

To read more go to:

1.    Zanon, Sibelia, 2023 -07-18, Sao Paulo students plan mini forests on school grounds as urban oases, Mongabay News, https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/sao-paulo-students-plant-mini-forests-on-school-grounds-as-urban-oases/

2.   Brown, Fisher, 2023-09-19, Mini forests in Sao Paulo combat rising temperatures, Happy Eco News, https://happyeconews.com/mini-forests-in-sao-paulo/

3.    EU Science Hub, 2022 -07-25, Cities are often 10-15 degrees hotter than their rural surroundings, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/cities-are-often-10-15-degc-hotter-their-rural-surroundings-2022-07-25_en#:~:text=Working%20with%20satellite%20data%2C%20scientists,°C%20in%20since%202003.

Ocean Souls Documentary

I began watching the documentary Ocean Souls, which was created to raise awareness of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), how they live, their lineage of familial bonds (akin to how wild elephants live together in herds), how they mate, raise their young, communicate with each other, search for food and play.   

Ocean Souls took me into the depths of the ocean to see how very similar their lives, familial and social structures and cultures are similar to our lives above water.  These are highly intelligent and sentient creatures who can express emotions and form deep bonds with each other.  

Their main form of communication is through sound via whistles, clicks, songs, and calls. Their sense of hearing, which is needed for communication, is highly imperative to how they find food, to mate, and raise their offspring is being greatly challenged by human intrusion into their habitats.  With 50,000 vessels traversing the ocean, the noise produced from these vessels is throwing off their way of living and communicating.  It is akin to us navigating life being blind.  

We share a common ancestor with whales.  And cetaceans evolved long before humans began navigating the earth.  Therefore, they had developed their highly evolved intricate social structure and culture before us.  The wisdom in how they live together is something we can learn from.  In this light, we can’t think in terms of just saving our own species but thriving with all species and learning from their ancient wisdom.  

To learn more about the film, click here. You can watch the documentary on Vimeo, AppleTV, Amazon.

In Memory of Bob Barker - A Champion for Animals

Bob Barker, long-time game show host of “The Price Is Right” has passed away at the age of 99 but his contributions and inextricable role in animal welfare within the U.S. and around the world will never be forgotten. 

Bob Barker was most famous for raising critical awareness of spaying and neutering dogs and cats.  In the U.S. a cat or dog is euthanized every 6.5 seconds because there isn’t enough homes for them.  Mr. Barker understood this was an issue that needed massive support and funded $25 million into the DJ&T Foundation that financed clinics that specialized in the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats. 

Mr. Barker was also widely known for exposing the cruelty to animals used in the entertainment industry.  It was my visit to the Performing Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) when I learned of Mr. Barker’s amazing support for animals rescued from the cruelty of the entertainment industry.  In 2008, he made a generous donation to PAWS to build a barn for a 13-year-old bull elephant name Nicholas and his 40-year-old female companion named Gypsy who were at the time recently rescued.  Because Nicholas was growing into becoming a big bull elephant, he needed proper housing which would not have been possible without the support of Mr. Barker. 

I also touched to learn that Bob Barker donated $5 million dollars to Sea Shepherd, one of the world’s most direct active marine conservation to purchase a ship for the conservation’s anti-whaling campaigns. 

Mr. Barker’s vital role in animal welfare was a gift to countless animals throughout his lifetime. May his integral role in activism pave the way for us to do the same.

*Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Resource:

Cameron, Chris. 2023, August, 26th. “Through Philanthropy and Activism, Bob Barker Fought Animal Cruelty.” www.nytimes.com. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/us/bob-barker-animal-rights.html

 

Conserv Congo is the only non-profit, boots on the ground protecting wildlife in the DRC.

Since 2013, Adams Cassinga, founder of Conserv Congo has dedicated his life to defend the wildlife in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Conserv Congo fights against wildlife poaching and the black markets selling and profiting from wildlife contraband. 

Conserv Congo has worked on 6,000 criminal cases of wildlife poaching and trafficking and has rescued hundreds of animals. 

Many of the rescued animals are baby chimpanzees because their families were killed and the babies were planned to be sold as either pets or to foreign zoos.

Conserv Congo was technical support in the seize and arrest of four wildlife traffickers who had 60 kgs of ivory. The traffickers are connected to a much larger network who have been involved in tons of ivory sold on the black market. The traffickers are awaiting their court date where they face charges of wildlife trafficking and poaching of elephant who is a protected species yet remains one of the most threatened species and in dire need of protection.

Conserv Congo was also technical support of the arrest of three traffickers who had in their possession more than half a ton of pangolin scales, representing over 1,000 slaughtered animals. This arrest was the result of more than a year-long investigation, bringing state agencies and local civil society working together to fight the source of wildlife trafficking in the DRC. The pangolin remains the most trafficked mammal around the world for their meat and scales and is threatened with extinction.

Conserv Congo is the only non-profit, boots on the ground, never resting, and always in pursuit of justice for the wildlife in the DRC and the region.

To learn more of Conserv Congo’s work donate for their cause, please visit:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conservcongo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConservC

*Photo courtesy of Conserv Congo

Water Scarcity is a global issue.

Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water.  Water is essential in order for us to survive and the earth is no different.  

With climate change, we are seeing water scarcity is becoming more prevalent around the globe with so many people being affected.  

According to “Drought In Numbers”, a 2022 UN report found that 1 billion people face chronic water scarcity and 2.3 billion people face water stress annually for periods of time.  According to Lis Mullin Bernhardt, a freshwater expert with the United Nations Environment Programme, that estimate can go up to 3.5 billion in the next 10 years.  

A nineteen-year “drought” in the American west, which historically has been the longest drought in 1,200 years, is resulting in very low levels of the Colorado river, which serves as a water source for seven states; California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.  This drought worsened by climate change, conflated with growing populations and intensive water use for agriculture, is the reason the river water levels are severely low.  

A drought is generally defined by a six-month period where moisture levels are low.  This is over and beyond what is considered a drought, which is now being considered the new very dry normal or aridfication. 

Lake Mead, the largest artificial water reservoir in the U.S., and Lake Powell, the second largest which serve as reservoirs for the Colorado river are reaching “dead pool” status which means water cannot flow downstream.   

What is alarming is California, which is affected by this water shortage, is considered the fruitbasket of the United States. 

Over the last twenty years, 90% of major disasters were related to water; drought, floods, and other water-related events.  It has become paramount to manage and regulate the supply and demand of water globally but according to Maria Morgado, UNEP’s Ecosystems Officer in North America, the long-term strategy is to address the root cause of climate change.  

Climate change is disrupting the natural interconnections causing drought and desertification across the globe.  According to the UN’s Global Land Outlook 2, drought is a major player in degradation of lands, where globally, 20-40% of our lands are considered degraded.  

But water is an important factor in mitigating climate change. Wetlands like swamps, peatlands, or bogs can hold two-three times more carbon than forests do all around the world. If these wetlands are re-wetted or a river is reconnected to its floodplain, life comes back to these areas.

Water is essential to all life on earth.  Solutions to help source water and combat climate change are needed to ensure a thriving future for all life on earth.  Restoring wetlands is one part of this solution.  To learn more about the importance of wetlands and restoring them, visit wetland ecologist Tom Biebighauser’s website; https://wetlandrestorationandtraining.com.  You can also listen to @wildforchange’s latest podcast with Tom found in the @wildforchange bio’s link.

To learn how you can help combat climate change, go to the “How we can help” section at www.wildforchange.com.

Photo by Earth.com

Resources:

United Nations Environment Programme. “As the climate dries the American west faces power and water shortages, experts warn.” UNEP.org 

Jillian Kestler-D'Amours. “Q&A: Colorado River crisis brings ‘very dry’ reality to US West.” Aljazeera.com, 8 Feb 2023

 

World Sea Turtle Day

Today is World Sea Turtle Day! 

Today is an especially important day, given that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act and all six species of sea turtles that inhabit U.S. waters are endangered.  

There are many threats to sea turtle’s population decline;

Climate Change:

1.    As sea turtles make their nests in beach sands, the temperature of sand determines the sex of the offspring.  Warmer sand temperatures increase the number of female offspring.  A shortage of male offspring may lead to decreased genetic diversity and threaten their survival. 

2.   With sea levels rising, this can lead to flooding of nests or washing away of nest sites.  

Fishing gear and marine debri:

1.    Fishing hooks, lines, nets can injure or kill sea turtles due to entanglement. 

2.   Turtles can get accustomed to the tastes of fish used for bait, increasing the risk of them getting stuck on a fishing hook.

3.    Plastic debri that is left on the beach, ends up in the ocean where sea turtles and other marine life mistake it for food and digest it, which can lead to lacerations, infections and can die of starvation when their stomachs are filled with plastic.

There are many ways we can help sea turtles have a future and it starts right at home.  To learn how, go to;

https://www.seeturtles.org/save-the-turtles

Photo by Jeremiah Del Mar

Global temperatures are rising, let's become active citizens and keep our home cool.

Global temperatures are rising and we may hit the global warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius faster than expected.  There is no better time than now to be active citizens and help as much as we can.  

In a recent article posted in Nature.com, “When will global warming actually hit the landmark 1.5 ºC limit?” a report by the World Meteorological Organization, states there is a 66% chance that the annual global average temperature will hit 1.5 ºC above pre-industrial temperatures at some time in the next five years.  

The famous figure of 1.5 degree Celsius originated in the 2015 United Nations Paris Agreement on Climate Change in order to keep global temperatures down to prevent further escalation of issues such as rising ocean levels, rising ocean temperatures, drastic weather changes, water scarcity, food availability, and viable habitat for vertebrates and plants.

Already in 2022, global temperatures were measured at 1.15 degree Celsius above pre-industrial times.  

In April of 2023, Carbon Brief, a website that reports on climate matters, estimated that 2023 was shaping up to be one of the six hottest years on record, most likely the fourth hottest, as well as, the global ocean spiked at the hottest temperature since records began.

This information is overwhelming for sure.  Being informed allows all of us a chance to make a difference in our part of the world.  We all call earth our home and we can participate in small ways to make our home more comfortable and healthy.  

There are so many ways we can make an impact in our daily lives to do our part.  

Need ideas? Go to https://www.wildforchange.com/get-involved to learn how to help.

To read more of the article cited above, click here.

Image courtesy of The New York Times

“This Is the Make-or-Break Decade for Climate Action, IPCC Warns”

“Decisions made this decade will largely determine whether world leaders can limit global warming to 1.5 or two degrees Celsius of warming below pre-industrial levels and avoid the increasingly more drastic impacts of the climate crisis.”

The Summary for Policymakers, released Monday, found that all economic sectors would need to launch “rapid and deep and, in most cases, immediate” cuts in greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 in order to have a more than 50 percent chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or a more than 67 percent chance of limiting it to two degrees Celsius of warming. However, the IPCC emphasized that it is entirely possible to improve the global outlook if world leaders act urgently.

“Mainstreaming effective and equitable climate action will not only reduce losses and damages for nature and people, it will also provide wider benefits,” IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee said in a press release. “This Synthesis Report underscores the urgency of taking more ambitious action and shows that, if we act now, we can still secure a liveable sustainable future for all.”

The report states “unequivocally” that human activity, in particular the releasing of greenhouse gas emissions, has already warmed the planet by 1.1 degrees Celsius above the average for 1850 to 1900, and this has already led to “widespread and rapid changes” in the air, ocean and on land. What’s more, the World Resources Institute pointed out, these changes are more severe than expected, with flooding and other extreme storms displacing more than 20 million people from their homes annually since 2008 while, at the same time, around half of the world’s population deals with severe water scarcity at least one month out of every year.

However, it is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5 or two degrees Celsius by the end of the century if emissions are nearly halved this decade and reach net zero by either the early 2050s for 1.5 degrees or the early 2070s for two degrees. Achieving this will require major reduction to the development and extraction of fossil fuels: current fossil fuel infrastructure would emit enough on its own to overshoot the 1.5 degree temperature target, the report authors found, while both current and planned developments devour the remaining carbon budget for two degrees of warming. 

The news comes the week after President Joe Biden approved ConocoPhillips’s controversial Willow oil drilling project in Alaska, despite promises to halve U.S. emissions by 2030.

To read more click below:

https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-action-global-warming-ipcc-forecast.html

Endangered Species Day

Today is Endangered Species Day and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.  Wildlife have been in need of our protection for more than 50 years and we need to step up our game! 

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, currently there are 42,100 species threatened with extinction!!

As we keep growing and moving into critical wildlife habitat to live, hunting and poaching wildlife for our selfish gain, clearing valuable wild spaces that were once home for wildlife to raise cattle and other farm animals, polluting our oceans with trash, destroying rainforests that are habitat for wildlife like the orangutan to grow and use palm oil, and speeding up climate change with greenhouse gas emissions, we are making it more and more difficult for wildlife to find food, shelter and reproduce, let alone thrive.   

It is our responsibility to be custodians of nature.  Yes, our governments and large industries have a massive debt to pay for not making processes work faster to protect our planet and other beings.  But it is time for each and every one of us to be responsible citizens of this planet for all beings who live here.  John Muir stated; “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”

Drawing from our awareness that we do indeed share this planet with other beings, we see that our actions affect their lives.  If we began living from this premise, the world would be a better place for all beings, not just the human kind. 

To learn ways you can help, go to www.wildforchange.com/getinvolved.

The key to tackling ocean pollution is our awareness.

There once was a well-known humpback whale named Hal. He was sighted from Hawaii to the Philippines.

One day Hal washed up on shore dead. Upon autopsy, researchers found 88 pounds of trash in him including plastic bags, cups, and other single use items. He died of starvation because the plastic gave him a sense of fullness but obviously no nutrition. Some of the plastic had been there so long, it calcified and turned into a brick.

Visiting Florida this weekend and seeing the ocean, I thought of Hal.

I couldn’t help but to see Hal in every piece of garbage I picked up along my walks on the beach; a random sock, a bikini bottom, a kite, several straws and bottle caps, plastic wrappers, a full can of ice tea, an ice pack, bungee cord, a kids plastic shovel. Unfortunately I didn’t have my phone with me to take pictures to show you all the items I picked up. 😔

All of these items were right on the shore. Garbage cans were near by but these items didn’t make it there.

With each piece of trash, I envisioned how each piece could so easily float off to sea where marine animals mistake it for food.

And it’s not just the garbage on the beach that makes it out to sea. Approximately 80% of our global waste makes it way into our oceans. I know, it’s astounding to read, but it’s true.

There is so much we can do to stop polluting our oceans and killing off marine life, like banning single-use plastic, finding better ways to recycle, using less plastic. But it starts with our awareness of the problem and being an active global citizen. Even more so having the awareness that what affects marine life affects us.

Marine life like Hal have a tremendous impact on us. Whales provide nutrients to phytoplankton (the microscopic plants that live on the ocean’s surface) which in turn provide us with oxygen.

By living in a way where it’s “me” versus “them” we have lost sight of this. That interconnection is key. Knowing and understanding this is how we move into a sustainable future for all of us.

If you want to actively help keep trash out of our oceans and support scientists and advocates tackle ocean pollution, you can record the trash you pick up anywhere with the Clean Swell App by Ocean Conservancy..

Image courtesy of loveEXPLORING

Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions

In a new report in Nature Climate Change by Schmitz et al. 2023, nature-based climate solutions aimed at carbon capture in ecosystems that have been viewed as playing an ancillary role in protecting ecosystems and wildlife habitats have undermined the actual critical role wildlife have as a solution towards climate change.  

According to the report; “Rewilding nine wildlife species (African forest elephants, American bison, fish, gray wolves, musk oxen, sea otters, sharks, whales, and wildebeest) would contribute more than 95% of the annual requirement to achieve the global target of extracting 500 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2100.  This in turn would help cap the global temperature rise to less than 1.5 degree Celius.”

As an example, elephants by design are a keystone species, meaning they have a large effect on the natural environment.  In their ecosystems, they help keep soil fertile and healthy for plants to thrive, they deposit seeds as they migrate which helps plants to grow in other areas and therefore provide us with more oxygen and cleaner air.

Keystone species are the blueprint to help keep our ecosystems balanced and intact.  Saving them is a simple solution to help save our planet because healthy ecosystems provide us with healthy water, oxygen, and sequester carbon.  

As many scientists agree, we have crossed the threshold and are in Earth’s sixth mass extinction crisis where by 2050, 30-50% of Earth’s species will be extinct. 

According to the report by Schmitz et al. 2023, “There is an urgency because we are losing populations of many animal species at the very time that we are discovering the degree to which their role in ecosystems can enable carbon capture and storage.”

We are at a crossroads where our actions have an impact on each other, other fellow beings and the health of our planet.  There is evidence that protecting nature and wildlife is literally a natural solution to combating climate change.

Resources:

Schmitz, O.J., Sylvén, M., Atwood, T.B. et al. Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions. Nat. Clim. Chang. 13, 324–333 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01631-6

Photo by Emmy Shingiro on Unsplash

Happy World Wildlife Day!!!! 

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” — John Muir

Today is a celebration of wildlife.  These beings have a special place on this earth and if we look closer, they are not entirely different or separate from human beings.   

Many of the wildlife live in communities and families in which they demonstrate an exchange of love, care, compassion, support for each other as in wolf packs or elephant herds.  Much like our family support systems.  

They also experience fear as studies have shown wolves living in high hunting areas have higher levels of stress hormones and elephants sensing danger such as poachers, will use different migration routes and migrate at night to avoid dangerous situations.   

Even a pigeon can display grief and sorrow as I once witnessed a pigeon who was struck by a car, its mate stood on top of it pecking at it as if trying to get it to come back to life.   It was so sad to watch as myself and others felt terrible for this pigeon who lost its partner. 

Not only are the wildlife able to demonstrate similar traits as us, many wildlife are keystone species that actually support ecosystems.  Their sheer existence helps to maintain biodiversity that supports the health of our planet. 

For example, elephants are known as the Gardeners of the Forest.  Elephants spread the seeds from the plants they have eaten which helps to disperse the plant life to other areas.  Elephants also dig waterholes in dry river beds that other animals use and create trails that serve as fire breakers which help prevent catastrophic fire outbreaks.

Whales are another keystone species who are known as the Gardeners of the Ocean.  Whales come near the surface of the ocean to defecate and when they do, they help to fertilize the phytoplankton, the plants that live on the ocean’s surface which absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and provide part of the oxygen we breathe.  In short, whales help provide us with 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe.  

Wildlife is not separate from us and without their presence, there are negative repercussions on ecosystems, other species, and us.  Wildlife is the blueprint to help keep our ecosystems balanced and intact.  

Mankind is not the only kind.  We need all kinds to keep this earth flourishing.

If you can, please donate to your favorite wildlife conservation today!

"What Humans Owe Animals"

“What Humans Owe Animals”

This is a poignant article by author Martha C. Nussbaum who writes about the world’s unabated assault whether realized or not on all animals on land, in the air and in the sea.  

Some of our affects on animals may not be as discernible.  For example, human development into wildlife habitats.  What was once home for birds and wildlife is now a new subdivision of homes.  

Likewise, our actions are affecting climate change, resulting in an altering of the pace of seasons when some flowers are blooming earlier than normal in the spring.  This has resulted in hummingbirds starving for food because the flowers they feed from on their migration route had already bloomed.  

Yet another example is our over-consumption of plastic, that now so much of it is ending up in our oceans killing marine life.  

The obvious assaults on animals are direct killing of animals whether for meat, profit, or as a past-time.  

We are long overdue not just owing animals to live their lives as nature intended but also honoring their existence and sharing this planet with them.

Martha C. Nussbaum is the author of Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility.

Photo courtesy of Reuters

Fifty Year Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act

Fifty years ago, the Endangered Species Act was created to protect imperiled species.  The Endangered Species Act ("ESA") prohibits importing, exporting, taking, possessing, selling, and transporting endangered and threatened species (with certain exceptions). ESA also provides for the designation of critical habitat and prohibits the destruction of that habitat.

This Act established the necessary guidelines to provide protections for endangered species in order for them to continue to thrive in the wild in freedom and safety from harm.  

As we stand today, according to the research article Defaunation in the Anthropocene, from Dirzo, et al., we are likely losing 11,000-58,000 species annually. 

In addition, the article also states;

“From an abundance perspective, vertebrate data indicate a mean decline of 28% in number of individuals across species in the past four decades with populations of many iconic species such as the elephant rapidly declining toward extinction.”

We are in a race to save endangered critical species from extinction but what we do not realize is we are the reason species globally are disappearing.  Wildlife are threatened by habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and hunting.  Everywhere they turn, they are faced with threats due to our actions. 

To help support the Endangered Species Act, we can ban trophy hunting of endangered species with the United States and abroad.   

Please sign the petition to the United States government to ban trophy hunting of endangered species;

https://chng.it/hCYdcQnH4Q

Photo courtesy of the Center for Biodiversity