Please watch this short video about the palm oil which is in your snacks. Thank you.
Category Archives: Leadership
Orangutans – Shocking!
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.
Important Short Video
Please watch this video and share it. Thank you.
Courage
See What is Happening
From May 3rd-15th thousands of people, on six continents, took action to break free from oil, natural gas and coal. Please watch this short video to see what they did.
Life and its Lessons
Sometimes life does not go as planned and we have something terrible happen to us, or we see animals who are harmed or dead on the roadside. Pema Chodron gives some wonderful advice below.
“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know…nothing ever really attacks us except our own confusion. Perhaps there is no solid obstacle except our own need to protect ourselves from being touched. Maybe the only enemy is that we don’t like the way reality is now and therefore wish it would go away fast. But what we find as practitioners is that nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know. If we run a hundred miles an hour to the other end of the continent in order to get away from the obstacle, we find the very same problem waiting for us when we arrive. It just keeps returning with new names, forms, manifestations until we learn whatever it has to teach us about where we are separating ourselves from reality, how we are pulling back instead of opening up, closing down instead of allowing ourselves to experience fully whatever we encounter, without hesitating or retreating into ourselves.”
Exciting work – Animal Bridges!
I just learned about some exciting work which is happening in the western United States and Canada and in African countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and Namibia. Wildlife corridors, or animal bridges, are being created which allow animals such as elephants, lions, bears, and antelopes to safely travel from one land area to another. This is very important because these animals need to be able to roam freely and travel on their ancient migration routes. It is also necessary for genetic diversity and more importantly, for survival. When animals are enclosed in small areas genetic diversity is compromised and often results in the dying out of a species.
With these new corridors, which often connect national parks, we can spare animals from being killed by cars on highway routes or shot by fearful humans. The corridors look like tunnels or bridges and can be below or above highways. How many times have you seen a dead animal lying on the ground because it was hit while it was trying to cross a heavily traveled road?
Animals need room to roam. Author David Quammen stated it well, “we need to find ways in which people can live with wildlife and wildlife can live with people”. And biologist Craig Packer said if we want to take these species in the future with us we need to take responsibility and assure their survival. Please be an advocate for these wildlife corridors. Animals need us as much as we need them.
For more information you can watch “Wild Ways” which was featured on the television series “Nova”. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/wild-ways.html
In Honor of Earth Day
Tomorrow is Earth Day and I wish to share the wonderful piece of advice below.
“Treat the Earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” –American Indian Proverb
Thrombosis – What is it and can it affect you or your pets?
I became aware of thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms about five years ago and wanted to share what I know about them with you. In a nutshell, thrombosis means your blood is clotting. Blot clots occur for a number of reasons including immobility, damage to a vein, or because of health and environmental reasons. When a clot blocks a blood vessel it can cause serious health problems and even death. An embolism occurs when the clot breaks up and pieces of it enter the lungs.
I urge you to learn more and protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets. And perhaps you would like to support the fundraiser noted in the photo to help promote awareness and prevent needless tragedy. Sadly, the young lady pictured above died because people in her life (including doctors) were not aware of the signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
Some signs and symptoms include: redness, swelling, and difficulty breathing.
For more information and tickets please go to the following website. http://www.katiesvoice.org
Thank you.
Racing Extinction
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.