Let me introduce you to Dindim, a South American Magellanic penguin. He swims 5,000 miles every year to see his special friend.
In 2011 Joao Pereira de Souza found Dindim, covered in oil and close to death. For 11 months Souza nursed the penguin back to health. Dindim has now been visiting his friend every year for the past four years. Souza, a retired bricklayer and fisherman, lives in Brazil.
Last week I had the chance to watch the film “Racing Extinction”. It tells the amazing story of people who are making a difference, saving and protecting animals every day. These people include race car drivers, former chief executive officers, artists and scientists. Don’t miss it.
I wish you and your loved ones a very happy and healthy holiday season. Let us be grateful for our blessings and may there be peace on Earth.
From Nicolas Haeringer of 350.org:
“There are times when words are hard to come by, and when you find them they feel inadequate.
I’m writing you from France, with a heavy heart. Following Friday’s attacks in Paris, the mood here is tense. People are angry, and many are afraid. Many of our staff members are in Paris to get ready for the climate talks in a couple of weeks, and they are feeling the pain of this moment sharply.
I am heartbroken — for the lives lost in Paris, and for those lost in Beirut and Baghdad, which also suffered devastating attacks late last week. Clearly the world is hurting in many places right now.
As we’ve struggled to find the right words and the right response to Friday night’s attacks, one thing rises to the top for me:
The upcoming Paris Climate Summit is, in a sense, a peace summit — perhaps the most important peace summit that has ever been held.
We need global solidarity more than ever right now, and that is, really, what this movement is all about. Even as climate change fans the flames of conflict in many parts of the world — through drought, displacement, and other compounding factors — a global movement that transcends borders and cultural differences is rising up to confront this common existential threat.
Let’s hang on to that solidarity and love. Let’s learn from it. Especially at a time like this.
Friday night’s events were horrific, and we must clearly and unequivocally condemn such violence. Their aftermath has also been frightening though, and we should stand in equal condemnation of the instinct to meet violence with more violence. It is a cycle as old as it is ugly: after tragedy comes the rush to judgement, the scapegoating, the xenophobia and Islamophobia, the blame.
There is a real danger here that those already impacted by both the climate crisis and the wars that are so intimately bound up with it — migrants, refugees, poor communities, and communities of color — will be further marginalized.
If there is a thing we must resist, it is our own fear and short-sightedness. No government should use a moment like this to increase the burden of hatred and fear in the world — sowing suspicion, calling for war, and reducing people’s civil liberties in the name of security. This is a mistake we’ve seen too often before, compounding tragedy with more tragedy.
The Paris Climate Summit, scheduled to begin in just a couple of weeks, will proceed. The government is promising heightened security measures, which is understandable but also worrisome.
We don’t yet know what Friday night’s events mean for our work in Paris. The coalition on the ground is committed to working with the French authorities to see if there is a way for the big planned march and other demonstrations to safely go forward. We fully share their concerns about public safety — just as we fully oppose unnecessary crackdowns on civil liberties and minority populations.
We do know that this global movement cannot and will not be stopped:
The Global Climate March — a worldwide day of action scheduled for November 28th and 29th — will also proceed, no matter what. We can think of few better responses to violence and terror than this movement’s push for peace and hope.”
The other week I gave the college students in my sustainability class a homework project. They had to carry their garbage, in a plastic or paper, bag with them for 48 consecutive hours. If they bought a plastic water bottle or can of soda they had to take that empty or half-full container and put it in their bag when they were done with it. If they went to a fast-food restaurant they had to take all of the wrappers and containers and put them in the bag too. If they cooked dinner and had zucchini scrapes and chicken fat that had to go into the bag too. At first they were shocked when I gave them the assignment. After a few minutes it started to sink in and they, as individuals, were going to see how much trash they created. Since I could not monitor each student they were on an honor system and had to report, with color photos, how they had done.
Most of my students thanked me for giving them this assignment. They had not realized how much plastic they used or how much garbage they were responsible for. Some even stopped using throw away plates and utensils and started using washable ones to cut down on the amount of trash they created. And many realized how much money they were wasting on buying water in plastic bottles instead of drinking from a re-usable container. A couple of students remembered that too much trash goes into the oceans and kills dolphins, turtles, and seals. And for every pound of trash we put into a landfill we put 40 pounds of carbon pollution into the atmosphere. So now I challenge you. How little trash can your produce? Why not try the homework assignment for 48 hours?
The Dalai Lama said, “Whether you believe in God or not does not matter so much, whether you believe in Buddha or not does not matter so much…whether you believe in reincarnation or not does not matter so much. You must lead a good life. And a good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, and good shelter. These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed: compassion, without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their rights and human dignity. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities. We must share in other peoples’ suffering; even if you cannot help with money, to show concern, to give moral support and express sympathy are themselves valuable. This is what should be the basis of activities; whether one calls it religion or not does not matter.”
Sometimes we think our actions do not make a difference. They do. You have an impact on the world. To that end, please join me and see how many of the behaviors below you can incorporate into your life.
1. Have Meatless Mondays.
2. Plant a tree in someone’s honor or give a tree as a gift.
3. Turn off your laptop or iPad when you are not using it.
4. Set your thermostat one degree warmer in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter.
5. Ride your bike to work or school.
6. Recycle your garbage.
7. Use a re-usable water bottle.
8. Install a water filter instead of buying plastic water bottles.
9. Put solar panels on your roof.
10. Plant a vegetable garden.
11. Buy organic food.
12. Do not idle your car when it is parked.
13. Bring your own re-usable bags to the grocery store instead of taking plastic ones.
14. Use public transport.
15. Walk to work.
16. Take shorter showers.
17. Turn off un-used lights.
18. Keep your lawn pesticide free.
I just read a wonderful story about a 7-year-old girl in Istanbul, Turkey who recently saved a disfigured, very sick kitten. The story really touched me because this little girl dared to help when everyone else turned a blind eye to the suffering animal. Every day people would walk by the starving, crying, mite-infested kitten that had lost an ear and most of her teeth. They refused to look at the cat because, quite frankly, she was ugly and sick. Luckily, the little girl did not turn away. Instead, she took the kitten to her father. In turn they went to the animal hospital and ended up saving a life. The cat went through many surgeries but is now healthy and happy. She is named Gülümser, meaning “she who always smiles”.
This little girl reminds us all to open our hearts and act from a bigger place. How often do we turn blind eyes to suffering and pain? How often do we try to shelter ourselves from what is unpleasant or ugly? Have you ever noticed how great it feels to do something nice for someone or an animal? Have you ever noticed that feeling goes deeper and lasts even longer than buying a new suit or eating more ice cream?
I am always amazed by genuine kindness and care. Some say kindness, care, and love are truly the only answers. This little girl opened her heart and looked beyond the ugliness. She saw beauty when others could not. Can you see beauty where there seems to be none? Can you be the person who makes a difference? Join me.
February 14th will soon be here and with it, lots of chocolate. A few people will go to the movies, out to dinner, or for a walk in the park. Others may stay home and enjoy a quiet day.
As someone said to me, Valentine’s Day is a great time to cultivate our hearts and be grateful for the love we have in our lives. Pets are a great source of love. They effortlessly add smiles to our faces and warmth to our hearts. I started to wonder, what if we had a holiday called Animal Day? We could take some time to play with our cats and dogs, and celebrate the entire animal kingdom.
Climate change is affecting animals. Experts predict that one-fourth of the Earth’s species will be extinct by 2050 if we do not reduce global warming. We already lost the golden toad in 1999. And we could lose polar bears in the next 100 years because of melting ice in the Arctic. Polar bears use the ice to hunt. If there is no ice they are forced to go on land and find other food sources. But the question remains if polar bears can do so and find the right food alternatives.
For those of you who are penguin fans, the Adelie penguin is at risk because of declining krill stocks. Krill live under ice sheets in the Antarctic. Penguins eat krill. As the ice retreats and krill populations fall penguins have to spend a lot of energy to find food. This makes it harder for them to raise their young and breed.
There are so many amazing creatures on this planet. They are worth fighting for. I love giraffes, seals, zebras, dolphins, elephants, cougars and orangutans. What do you love? Slowing the rate of climate change is crucial for many animals. It can mean their survival or death. Without animals we are impoverished. We have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference by reducing our carbon footprints, using alternative energy, reducing pollution, and ditching fossil fuels. Our actions affect others –especially animals.