Cats, Kindness

Kindness –an amazing story

disfigured_cat_rescue_6I 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”.

disfigured_cat_rescue_10This 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.

Orangutans, Trees

Orangutans…will they soon be extinct?

Orangutan Cincinnati zoob“Animals…are like us in so many ways. They want to grow up free and raise their families in a world that is safe. And if we let them disappear from this Earth then a part of us will disappear too….where they’ll live happily ever after depends on us.” Morgan Freeman

Last week I wrote about trees.  We lose 48 football fields of forest every minute. What I did not say is that palm oil is one of the key drivers of rainforest and tropical deforestation worldwide. The next time you eat a cookie or a bag of chips take a look at the ingredients. If there is palm oil in it, do not buy it. Entire forests are being mowed down to plant palm trees. And when that happens animals such as the orangutans lose their homes. Sadly, orangutans are at risk of extinction in the next 25 years. There are precious few left. Estimates put the number at 40,000 living in Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are a risk because of habitat loss, illegal hunting, and an illegal pet trade.

Orangutans are beautiful, highly intelligent creatures with feelings. Tragically, they have lost more than 80% of their natural environment in the last 20 years and about one-third of the population died during the fires of 1997-98.

You can join me and help the orangutans. Do not buy food with palm oil in it. Avoid clothes made of rayon. And do not purchase tropical plywood, teak, sandalwood or ebony. Palm oil based products are identified by many names listed below.

Please, join me and make a difference for the orangutans. Their future is at stake.

PALM OIL BASED PRODUCTS:
Cetyl Palmitate and Octyl Palmitate
Elaeis Guineensis (Taxonomic name for palm oil)
Hexadecylic or Palmitic Acid
Hydrated Palm Glycerides
Palm Oil Kernel
Palmate
Palmitate
Anything with Palmitate at the end

LIKELY TO BE PALM OIL:
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsifier 422, 430-36, 470-8, 481-483, 493-5
Glyceryl Stearate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye
Sodium Laureth Sulphate
Sodium Lauryl Sulphates
Steareth – 2 & Steareth – 20
Stearic Acid Vegetable Oil

Trees

Trees and Earth Day

022bLately I have been noticing a lot of large areas where tall, old trees were recently chopped down. These places were once beautiful and now look like the land was violated. And soon the tree stumps will be completely removed and a new building will go up or a paved parking lot will be put in. Frankly, it deeply saddens me. We already have so many abandoned lots, warehouses, and homes. Shouldn’t those areas be revitalized instead of removing majestic pine trees and grand oaks from pristine land?

Ed Begley, Jr. said “I don’t understand why when we destroy something created by man we call it vandalism, but when we destroy something created by nature we call it progress.” I agree with him.

Every minute we lose 48 football fields of forest. That is frightening. Trees provide us with oxygen and take in the carbon dioxide we expel with every breath. They purify the air and provide shade and comfort when the sun is blazing hot. Trees also trap dust, pollen and smoke. Did you know that the average tree provides a day’s supply of oxygen for four people? Additionally, trees are natural air conditioners. One tree can produce the cooling effect of ten room sized air conditioners running for twenty hours a day.

Abandoned warehouses and lots can be turned into wonderful homes and gardens with trees. That type of revitalization thus helps re-build communities, create jobs, and natural spaces. Trees provide so many benefits. They give us a sense of calm and serenity. They help lower stress and blood pressure. And they provide habitats for birds, squirrels, and other animals. Trees are beneficial in so many ways. Join me, plant some trees in your garden or give a tree as a gift. And please speak out for revitalization and Earth day.

Penguins

Do penguins have emotions?

EmperorPenguinFeedingChickbOne of my nieces asked me why I did not have any penguin photos on my website. I told her I would put one up for her. When I found this photo I was awestruck by its beauty. It shows a parent feeding and caring for its chick. In so many ways, animals and penguins are like us. They nourish and protect their offspring, seek shelter from inclement weather, and experience a wide range of emotions.

Just like humans, animals experience fear, pain, desire, hunger, panic, embarrassment, and other emotions. If you have a cat or a dog, I am sure you have witnessed times when your pet felt happy or sad. And you have probably seen your pet curiously look around for the ball which was rolling around on the floor or for the piece of string hanging from your curtains. A penguin will not do those things but will surely let her mate know if their chick is not doing well.

Did you know there are about seventeen to twenty different kinds of penguins? Some, like the emperor penguins in the photo, are almost 4 feet tall and weigh 77 pounds or more. Others, such as the little blue penguin, are much smaller and stand 16 inches tall and weigh only 2.2 pounds.

Penguins eat fish, krill, crabs, squid and other seafood they catch while swimming. And to compensate for all of the salt water they swallow, they have a supraorbital gland just above their eye. This gland filters the salt from the bloodstream and out through the bill. Wouldn’t it be neat if we could do the same?

Sadly, climate change is affecting penguins. Krill stocks are declining because of warming waters. 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.

Parents, worldwide, strive to protect and provide for the well-being of their children. We provide shelter and food, and a nourishing environment. Penguins do the same for their offspring. Yet, they need our help. We must make sure to protect the ocean waters from debris, chemical spills, exploitation and degradation. Our choices affect them. Remember, penguins have feelings too.

Butterflies

Butterflies, did you know…?

MonarchButterflyDid you ever watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly? I think it is amazing how they metamorphose from having no wings to having brightly colored ones. One of the most beautiful butterflies is the monarch butterfly, pictured above with its orange and black wings. They are famous for making a very long annual journey, about 3,000 miles, from Canada to central Mexico each winter. Each delicate butterfly travels 50-100 miles per day, despite weighing much less than half an ounce or one gram. Their wingspan is about 3-4 inches long or 9-11 centimeters. Can you imagine being that small and traveling so far? In comparison, the average human weighs over 100 pounds and stands more than 5 feet tall. And we do not have to use our arms to fly; instead, we jump on planes and make long journeys.

Many people delight in the annual migration of the monarch butterfly. They say it is amazing to see the blanket of orange and black when they arrive in Mexico. Millions of monarchs used to make the long trip between countries. Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled dramatically due to climate change, herbicides such as Roundup, forest logging, and the lack of food. Monarch butterflies rely on a plant named milkweed. I know, the name “milkweed” does not sound nice to some of you. However, it is actually very pretty with small pink-purple flowers. Milkweed used to be abundant in the United States, however, has become scarce because of a government mandate for biofuel. That mandate pushed farmers to set aside less land for wildlife.

You can help monarch butterflies by planting milkweed, butterfly bushes, zinnias, cosmos, and making sure your garden is butterfly friendly. Or you can encourage your state and local governments, and the Federal Highway Administration to plant milkweed and flowering plants, instead of grass, along the roadside.

Uncategorized

Hemp, the perfect plant?

I was aHempt the grocery store a couple of weeks ago and ate a sample of hemp seeds. Then I said to myself, what am I eating that costs $20.00 per pound? Well, I ate the seeds of a highly nutritious plant. Sadly, the U.S. federal government has not legalized hemp’s growth, production or planting. Why? That is a good question. Hemp could significantly help to heal the planet and be good for U.S. economy. So, why is hemp good? Hemp’s impact strength is ten times stronger than steel; in fact, Henry Ford used it to make a Model T car. Plus, European car plants are now making car part panels from hemp based composites. The panels are half the weight, bio-degradable, and safer than fiberglass ones.

Hemp is also great for your health. It is easily digested and provides 10 essential amino acids, 4 fatty acids and over 30% protein. And hemp oil keeps your skin from getting dry.

Here are other reasons to like hemp. It is stronger and softer than cotton, and can be used to make clothes and textiles. In fact, samples of hemp fabrics from China date back to 8,000 B.C. Additionally, it can fuel your car, and is mold and fire resistant when used for home building. And before I forget, hemp bio-degradable plastic bags would significantly reduce landfill waste.

Hemp was grown in the U.S. from 1776-1937. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew it. In fact, the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. Yet U.S. farmers are not legally permitted to grow it. Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., Canada, Australia, and other countries allow hemp plantings and commercial production. It is time for the U.S. to do so as well.

Oceans

Health Matters

b2bThese past weeks have been challenging in many ways. I learned that a student of mine has lupus and another woman has lung cancer. Fortunately, neither condition appears to be life-threatening. And each person has access to quality medical care. I wonder though, how often do we take our good health for granted? It is easy to do, given our pace of life. We run around from dawn until dusk and do not always appreciate our ability to push open a heavy door, see a pink or red tulip in the yard, or smell the scent of pine trees. Perhaps you take excellent care of your health. You eat a wide variety of organic foods, exercise and get enough sleep. Sadly, this does not appear to be enough. And that is what worries me. I am concerned about the amount of pollution which is everywhere and affecting all of us.

Pollution comes in many forms. Soot, for example, belches out of our cars, airplanes, boats, and trucks. Then there is noise pollution from heavy machinery and industrial processes. Next comes soil treated with poisonous fertilizers and heavy chemicals. The list goes on and on. What I am trying to say is that pollution, in all its states, affects us. It affects our physical body and our mental well-being. Just think about how great you feel when you are outside at the beach on a sunny day. Contrast that to how you feel when you walk across the street and are caught in a cloud of exhaust fumes from an old diesel truck that just drove by.

So many people are sick with all sorts of diseases. Pollution weakens our immune systems and damages our health. It also weakens immune systems and damages the health of animals. Do we normally hear about animals with lupus or lung cancer? No. But the truth is animals all over the world are getting sick too. Imagine a dolphin breathing the exhaust fumes from a motor boat. Imagine a bird which eats a piece of plastic thinking it is a piece of food. We can do better. We can do better for them and for us. Ride a bike instead of using the car, use a row-boat instead of a motor boat. And remember, reduce, re-use, and recycle.

Sea lions

Sea Lions

Sea_Lion_PupA couple of years ago I had the chance to sit at the Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and watch the sea lions. They made me laugh with their antics. They bark very loud if one invades the other’s space yet don’t seem to mind sitting all squished in alongside one another. And they appear to delight in the attention of the humans watching them. Did you know? Approximately 300,000 sea lions live between the Mexican border and the state of Washington.

To my great dismay, I just learned that 940 young starving and dying sea lions turned up on the shores of California in the first two months of this year. This is a record. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) said that is four times the number California would typically see.

Normally, sea lions eat squid and sardines. Yet the warmer ocean is pushing those prey deeper beneath the ocean’s surface. In fact, the ocean is up to five degrees hotter. This means sea lion mothers must go further for food. And it means their pups are left alone for longer periods of time than usual. Weakened and devoid of sustenance, the pups wash ashore.

Animal rescue shelter employees and volunteers are rushing to save the sea lions. Unfortunately, they cannot save all of them. Often, they must leave some sea lions on the beach because they do not have space to take them. It is like leaving injured patients at an accident scene because there is not enough room at the hospital.

This is the third year in a row for a high number of sea lion pups to die or be stranded. The death number was so high in 2013 that experts declared it an “unusual mortality event” for the species. Perhaps you would like to donate money to a marine mammal rescue center or volunteer to help the sea lions. You can also help by reducing your carbon footprint. Make a difference, time is running out.

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