Monthly Archives: July 2016

Children, Climate Change

Politics and Climate Change – Does it Matter?

Kids in the Park

Yes, politics do matter and so does mitigating climate change.  Both are intertwined.  As our planet heats up it affects our economy, our health, our children, our political representatives and our future.  The November elections in the United States will soon be here.  I urge you to make sure you are registered to vote.  I urge you to vote on November 8th.  Your vote is important.  Please don’t tell me your vote does not matter.  It does.  Now is not the time to sit on your hands and do nothing.  Wildfires are raging across Oregon and California, and animals and people are tragically dying.  Ashes in the sky, burned homes and black carcasses come to mind.  It is time to vote for the candidates who are speaking about climate change and doing something about it.  It is time to support them.  It is easy to be angry.  But I ask you to think about the future.  Think of your child or grandchild.  Who do you want them to have as a role model?  Do you want fear and hatred to be the model or do you want intelligence and sanity to be the model?  Do you want your children and grandchildren to live a good life and be happy?  I know you want them to play in the park.  So, do your part, go out and vote.  You matter, we matter, and so do children of the world.  Thank you.

Animals, Forests, Kindness, Leadership

Orangutans – Shocking!

Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic Creative
Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic Creative

I just read something I did not wish to see.  “The Guardian” headline said Bornean orangutans are now critically endangered because of shrinking forests.  Trust me, as an animal lover and environmentalist, I did not want to see that headline.  I would have preferred to read something like forests are growing and orangutan populations are increasing.

Because of habitat loss, illegal hunting and forest degradation we are going to see an 86% decline in the orangutan population between 1973 and 2025.  You are all intelligent readers, but let me put it starkly, that means if you have 100 orangutans only 14 would be left!  The other reality worth noting is that orangutans only reproduce every six to eight years.  So that means it is inherently much harder for orangutan populations to rebound.

So what can I say to make any of this sound more uplifting and less depressing?  Point one, Bornean orangutans are very adaptable and can survive in a degraded forest.  Point two, we can take actions to ensure that the current number of Bornean orangutans, which stands at 41,000, increases.  Please check the label and read ingredients for the foods you eat.  If palm oil is listed Don’t Buy It.  I repeat, don’t buy it.  Palm oil is one of the top reasons forests are being destroyed and depleted.  Point three, your actions make a difference.  Thank you.