Action Alert: Stop the Hunting of Polar Bears

The NRDC is running a campaign to tell the Obama Administration to help save polar bears.  Despite the growing threats of climate change, toxic pollution, and oil development which jeopardize the survival of polar bears, hunters kill hundreds of them every year and are allowed to sell their body parts in the international market.

The Obama Administration is deciding whether to propose an urgently-needed ban on the commercial trade in polar bear parts at the next meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).  Please show your support for the ban.  Thank you.

‘Equivalent’ Organic Food

Next month, an ‘equivalency’ agreement between the US and the EU comes into effect. This means that organic farm animal welfare products from the US can be sold as ‘equivalent’ to EU farm animal welfare products and vice versa.

The problem with this agreement is that US organic standards for animal welfare are well below those in the EU and some of the US permitted practices are illegal in the EU.

For further details, please visit:
http://www.acompassionateworld.org/2012/05/organic-when-equivalent-isnt-the-same/

CIWF’s Raw Campaign

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) has launched a new campaign, and web site, called RAW.

CIWF has improved the lives of millions of animals and their campaigns have seen the beginning of the end for some of the worst aspects of factory farming (the barren battery cage for hens is one such example).

CIWF has a vision: a world where factory farming has ended and all farm animals are treated with compassion and respect.

As a way to feed the world, factory farming has failed.

RAW is CIWF’s solution to the food and farming crisis: an ambitious initiative dedicated to kick-starting a food and farming revolution. The RAW campaign will expose and explore the true costs, in all its forms, of factory farming and build a movement for positive, practical food and farming solutions.

Ecological Internet

Ecological Internet is an incredible resource so I make no apology for posting below a recent e-mail from Dr Glen Barry.

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Small Is Still Beautiful: Ecological Internet Reopens

* We have all now considered the future of biocentric activism without Ecological Internet. After personal reflection and many hundreds of expressions of support, it is clear most of us don’t like what we see. Moving forward together, let’s ensure our commitment to sustain global ecology is renewed and strengthened – as we recommit to together paying EI’s modest bills along the way. Please donate to keeping Ecological online and a sustained Earth at http://climateark.org/shared/donate/

Dear Fellow Earth Lovers and Ecological Internet Network Members,

I don’t think Ecological Internet’s time is up yet, and from the several hundred responses to our having closed, many of you don’t either. My recent anguished and sudden decision to shut down Ecological Internet several hours after launching our mid-year fund-raiser was genuine despair at how difficult it has become to support our vital biocentric activism.

Given some time to reflect, I remain inspired by our work together to avoid global ecosystem collapse, and have committed to remaining open. I ask you to join with me to sustain Earth by donating right now at http://climateark.org/shared/donate/

This was not a fund-raising ploy. I was feeling profound despair at the significant cut back by a major donor, the $65,000 of personal debt I have taken on to subsidize the 20 year project, that our modest goal did not meet our real needs, exhausted from recently taking on another full-time job to keep this unique global effort going, and wondering how I was going to find a couple hundred hours required to raise the funds (while having any semblance of a life).

I felt at that moment like I couldn’t go one, but after time for reflection – and many beautiful expressions of love, gratitude for years of service, and appeals to continue from our massive global network – I now realize Ecological Internet and I can in fact continue.

When Earth is dying we all have to suck it up and each give according to our ability and resources. This requires that together we commit to raise the funds for Ecological Internet’s brand of ecological truth-telling for another 6 months. After seeing that indeed Ecological Internet will in fact go away without your small donation, please give now at http://climateark.org/shared/donate/

The fund-raising for Ecological Internet’s rabble-rousing has become such a burden. Foundations won’t touch us because of our standing up to their greenwash of primary forest logging, and academically discussing a possible revolutionary response to global ecosystem collapse. And we have always suffered from “free-riders” whereby our users assume someone else is paying the bill and their support is not necessary.

All there is – is us. No one but those reading, and using these tools and information, is going to pay for it. Virtually everyone here should be able to toss in $10, and most $35, and many $100 or more. Please, please donate now at http://climateark.org/shared/donate/

Ecological Internet is not – nor will it ever be – a PR, profit driven “non-profit” marketing venture. After budget cuts, at the moment it is just me, and I wear my heart on my sleeve. Earth is dying, I am anguished yet passionate about ecology-based solutions, and I have built a major resource and global network to help sustain global ecology. Yet sadly, the hundreds of thousands that use it aren’t willing to help pay for it. Will you now? http://climateark.org/shared/donate/

As to this being sudden – I have been repeatedly warning over recent years that funding was inadequate and I would be considering closing if fund-raisers fail to meet their goal. By deciding at the last minute to not start the fund-raising, I was hoping to avoid taking in a fresh set of money and then running out shortly thereafter and having to close. I now realize that without taking risks, Earth will never be sustained, and I regret my decision.

I commit to Ecological Internet remaining open until the end of the year – assuming we substantially meet or exceed the goal to cover operational expenses. I would not close until all funds raised were expended, and will not go further into debt. Will you commit to sustaining these efforts at http://climateark.org/shared/donate/ – which many of you obviously value deeply?

I have turned our web sites and their unprecedented news tracking, search engines, deep green analysis and more back on already. I will be continuing to prioritize the work – focusing upon protecting all primary forests, programming new capabilities for our Earth action network, and writing deeply thoughtful and provocative green essays and micro-blogs.

I think my greatest sadness at our perennial fund-raising shortfalls regards the fact that our funding goals – currently so modest at $25K for six months to cover bandwidth, computers, and a small salary for me – just isn’t enough. To do our work legitimately, we need programming, database input and accounting help too that are not budgeted for. And I need a decent full-time wage that pays down EI’s debt I have taken on personally. To do this minimally we really need $250,000 a year, not the current $60,000.

So keep in mind this is a bare-bones budget, and we seek out fund-raising assistance to fully actualize Ecological Internet into what it could be with truly adequate funding. Please donate now what you can. If you intend to do so, please do so now rather than later, so we can get back to campaigning where Ecological Internet excels and has had unprecedented success.

For Earth,
Dr. Glen Barry

P.S. As a registered charity, your donation to EI may be tax-deductible. We understand not everyone can donate, and it is not a requirement to be part of the network, yet clearly more can than are now. We particularly seek out regular monthly tithes which can also be setup at http://climateark.org/shared/donate/ and help tremendously to sustain a monthly cash flow.
To subscribe visit:
http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/

Action Alert: Please Help End Foie Gras Production

The Humane Society International has launched a petition to the Chinese Premier asking him to stop plans for a foie gras production facility.

Plans have been revealed for an industrial-sized foie gras production facility, to house millions of geese, in China.

The production of foie gras involves force-feeding ducks and geese by thrusting a long pipe down their throats and pumping an unnatural quantity of food directly into their stomachs.  The practice of force feeding is prohibited in much of Europe (including the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Italy, and Poland) as well as Argentina, Israel, and in the U.S. state of California.

Rare Footage of Cross River Gorillas

The footage was recently published by the World Conservation Society.  Cross River gorillas are the rarest of the great apes (they are a sub-species with fewer than 250 individuals remaining) and the video is the first camera trap video footage of these critically endangered gorillas.

Europe’s Dirty Little Secret

On 20th May, world leaders will meet at the NATO Summit in Chicago and discuss the future of hundreds of US nuclear weapons deployed in Europe. We should have been rid of such weapons a long time ago so please sign Global Zero’s petition to the leaders of NATO countries urging them to remove nuclear weapons from Europe.  Thank you.

EU Zoo Inquiry

For further details, please visit www.bornfree.org.uk/campaigns/zoo-check/zoos/eu-zoo-inquiry/.

Action Alert: Ross Sea Region Marine Reserve

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has launched a petition to try to help ensure the UK supports the creation of the Ross Sea Region Marine Reserve.

The great Ross Sea region is home to tens of thousands of minke whales, three different types of orca, sperm whales, southern bottlenose whales, rare Arnoux’s beaked whales, and hourglass dolphins.

Please show your support for the creation of a sanctuary and sign the petition.  Thank you.

New ‘Bumblebee’ Gecko Discovered

The Bumblebee Gecko (Nactus kunan) from Manus Island off Papua New Guinea was discovered in 2010, and described as a new species in 2012. Photo by Robert Fisher of the U.S. Geological Survey

Please visit the mongabay web site for further details.