Happy Earth Day

(Artist credit: Jim Warren)

In the past year, there's been a mix of good news and bad news when it comes to the environment and our wildlife, both on the land and in the sea.

The good news is, more and more people are waking up to the fact that our resources are not infinite and that the footprints we leave on our planet, can have lasting and damaging effects.

More people are becoming aware of the unnecessary slaughter of certain animals such as the harp seals in Canada and the hunting of Whales by the countries of Japan and Norway, etc. People are more aware of the plight of the polar bear up in Alaska and the ongoing fight with the federal government to preserve what little is left of the pristine wilderness up there and the long term, irreversible effects of oil drilling would have on the Beaufort Sea.

People in California continue to battle the U.S. Navy against the use of sonar as it is well documented that the use of sonar causes all sorts of physical and neurological damage on the marine life, such as the dolphins and whales.

More people are recycling and reusing. More are aware of that "green" is not just a color, but is a way of life that is becoming absolutely necessary if we are to preserve our Earth for generations to come.

If you do nothing else today, at least take a moment to go to the following link and send a note to your Representative in Congress to support legislation that protects wilderness areas in places like California, Utah, Oregon, Virginia, etal. Currently bills are going through a final stage in Congress on this issue. The more people that speak up on preserving what's left of our wilderness in this country, the better chance we have of actually succeeding.

Take action here.


Sea Shepherd has had a few updates on their site. They've been in the news (NY Times,) have seen success in a long fought battle with Brazil on the practice of drag-net fishing, have also had great success in the war with Japan over the annual whale cull in the Antarctic, and their activism and pressure on the issue of the harp seal slaughter in Canada has resulted in some very interesting things being exposed about this industry.

In news related to the harp seal cull, Newfoundland wants to put a kinder, gentler face on this slaughter, if that's possible. They figure if they take away the image of the "hak-a-pik" that is used to kill the seals, that it won't be so horrifying to the public.

Uh huh. Guess we're that stupid and gullible.

They say it's a "real image problem for us." Go figure.

Please keep updated at Sea Shepherd on their continuing global activism to preserve our marine wildlife. They are, in my opinion, the most visible and consistent organization out there that continues to fight these battles day in and day out, regardless of where and regardless of politics.

As controversial as they may be to some people, they get results. They get the word out. They put pressure on where it counts and they make a difference. They definitely have my support.

Happy Earth day, week, and weekend to everyone. Take a hike, play in a stream, put your paddles in the water, or go kick some sand and romp in the waves. Appreciate what you have and what your Earth so generously offers up to you every single day.

Mahalo,

Dolphin