Libby the Rottie

Anyone watch the State of the Union address last night? :: yawn :: I didn't. I try to not waste my time listening to Bush speak. Because in the end, all I see is a text balloon above his head that says blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda.

The people who give him a standing ovation are hypocrites. Of course, that's just my lowly opinion. From what little I read in the news online, no mention was made of his over 700 incidents of breaking the freaking law or ignoring the flippin' Constitution. But yeah, let's be optimistic about our economy because he's giving us a few million in tax relief. Let's be happy he wants to drill the hell out of the Arctic saying he cares about the environment. Let's give him a round of applause for saying we are an anti-whaling nation but screw the whales and dolphins off the nation's coast that are being subjected to Navy sonar training.

Excuse my language, but fuck him. (Not literally of course. Good God.)

Will our next President be any improvement at all? Gosh :: scratching my head and rubbing the crystal ball :: I doubt it.

Guess I'm just a cranky butt today :-P

My partner and I had fostered a lab mix for a few months and he was just adopted a few days ago. Malcolm was a sweetheart and while I miss him, once he moved on to his wonderful new home, the energy in our home seemed to suddenly return to normal. Our five dogs seemed much more relaxed and we agreed we'd not foster any new dogs for awhile and just focus on our own dogs for awhile.

That lasted two days.

My partner got a call that a 7 month old female Rottweiler was in a kill shelter and would be put down tomorrow unless someone took her in.

The people who owned her are elderly and got Libby as a puppy. Well she's still a puppy I know. But anyway, they didn't seem to realize how big Rotties can get, so Libby became too much for them and they took her to the shelter. It's doubtful they knew it was a kill shelter. Many people don't realize which shelters are no kills and which are kills.

I didn't want to bring in another foster. Given I am home most of the time, I end up taking care of the dogs for the most part. Not a problem really, but when we're also dog sitting for a friend of ours and bringing in a rambunctious 7 month old Rottie who's only maybe half the size she's going to be one day and she's already big, it can feel a bit much at times.

Libby is beautiful though. She's very sweet, and very playful. But she's also a handful. Most puppies are. They just want to bound around sharing their joy, eating toys, and diving onto your lap unaware that their huge size can knock the literal wind out of you and also splay your coffee all over the damn place.

The Planned Pethood organization has adoptions every Saturday at the local Petsmart. Libby will be heading there on Saturday and she already has an applicant interested in her. Given she's a purebred and how popular Rottweilers are, I'm sure she'll be snatched up soon.

I'm a softie. I rant and rave about how I need a break from fostering abandoned dogs for awhile and that works for a day or two then my partner gets a call and with sad puppy eyes of her own, she tells the story of a particular dog that will die unless we save it.

I know I can't save every dog on the planet as much as I want to, but I also don't want it on my shoulders if I say "no" and the dog ends up being put down. I can't stand that.

We are known to be a last resort choice but we're also known to take in special needs dogs. Like older dogs that take longer to be adopted out, dogs with disabilities or health problems, and dogs that have been neglected and/or abused.

I try to remember the end result. When a foster has been with us for awhile, they get a lot of love, attention, and care. They may arrive with matted hair, being malnourished from lack of food, and having trust issues with people. They usually leave with shiny coats, full bellies, and the joy and trust returned to their spirits.

I like that.

But sometimes I just want a break. We've got five dogs and we dog sit for a friend often, so we usually have five to six dogs in our place. And we don't live in an apartment or a house, but a converted section of an old gym my partner's father owns. It's big .. kinda like a loft looking place, but we have no yard. So imagine at least five dogs being taken outside, most having to be on leashes, and all going about their business peeing and pooping and jumping over one another and getting tangled within each other and around my legs.

Not a pretty sight, especially if it's been snowing and there's ice on the ground. My ass is likely to be black and blue half the time.

Ok .. I jest. I exaggerate. But it has happened. Not as often as I make it out to be, but enough to make my treks outside with a herd of various-sized dogs interesting.

I have some things to say about the latest news on the whaling front, but will do that later tonight or tomorrow. While Libby is in her kennel while I try to catch my breath, she doesn't like it much. Imagine that. I'd hate it too.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Love the Earth or Lose It

(Artist credit: Jim Warren Titled: Love, Lose)

What is is about any pristine or preserved wilderness or land space left on the planet that has not been screwed up, that puts the dollar signs in the eyes and greed in the hearts of certain people?

(1) The Kimberley Coast. Off the coast, it's famous for 8,000 - 12,000 humpback whales migrating there annually. Before Japan agreed they would not kill 50 of these humpbacks, they had planned to lie in wait near the Kimberley coast to kill these whales.

Inpex, a company partially owned by the Japanese government, hopes to "build a massive liquid natural gas processing plant on the Maret Islands, off the Kimberley coast. Inpex plans to pipe natural gas and light oil from the Browse Basin, where a huge natural gas field has been discovered, to a port and plant it would build on the Marets."

Excerpt:

The Marets sit in a major tidal area (the Kimberley is famous for its "horizontal waterfalls", which are massive and rapid tidal shifts), a cyclone area and an untainted, fertile marine habitat. There are other places in Western Australia, already developed but further away, where the gas could be processed. If a Japanese company were to propose this project for the Great Barrier Reef, they would be thrown out of court. But the Inpex plan, which dissects the migration and breeding terrain of the whales, is moving ahead. The Japanese can make valid arguments for their developments in Australia. The natural gas field represents a huge export industry. As for the Japanese whaling, the harvesting of 50 humpback whales would make only a dent on a population of 10,000 whales, and the Group IV population has been growing at about 10 per cent a year.

The author of this article talks about the "deceit of Japan." It's a good read here.

(2) The battle between the Polar Bears and Oil Drilling in Alaska.

The government is going ahead to issue permits for oil drilling in the Chukchi Sea, before the determination is made as to whether or not the polar bear species deserves protection.

It's interesting to note that the concern for the polar bears was delivered to the Bush Administration five years ago, and then the request for the oil drill leasing was submitted approximately a year ago. Absolutely no attention was paid to the fate of the polar bears and the requests for reviewing this issue. But the go ahead for the drilling sure came about mighty fast.

Excellent point here (excerpt):

"Robert Frost wrote about two roads diverging in the wood, and here we have the Bush administration looking down two roads with regard to the polar bear," Mr. Markey said. "Down one road lies the survival of the polar bear and the orderly consideration of oil drilling and global warming and common sense. Down the other road, too often traveled by this administration, lies regulatory lunacy and a blatant disregard for moral responsibility."

Full article here: Politics Pits Polar Bears vs Oil Drilling

Tell your Representative to support the Markey Bill and to protect the Polar Bears and the Chukchi Sea region: Voice Your Opposition here

(3) Utah.

That's right, I said the state of Utah. President Bush wants to drill for oil and gas development in an area designated by former President, Bill Clinton, as "permanent wilderness preservation."

If this goes ahead, the impact will be permanent and irreversible.

Areas of concern:

Vernal, in Northeastern Utah, ancient cultural artifacts and dinosaur fossils mingle with a range of wildlife and recreational opportunities.

Nine Mile Canyon, in the San Rafael Swell, offers hiking, serenity, and rock carvings over 1,000 years old.

In the Moab region, there's the Canyonlands and the Arches National Parks.

2.5 million acres at risk of being forever damaged

If preserving the National Parks in Utah concerns you, sign the petition to let the Bureau of Land Management and the Bush Administration know that you oppose it.

Take Action Now


Amazing. These are just three of the very few remaining places left on this planet for people to enjoy and to be reminded of how very fragile our ecosystem is and how vital nature is to each and every one of us.

I don't know if signing petitions helps, but at least the more people that speak up on this issue, the harder it is for the politicians to ignore.


In whaling news, the Japan whalers are headed to New Zealand waters, breaking an agreement to stay in Australian waters. It appears they are trying to avoid both the Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace protest ships.

New Zealand's Prime Minister has expressed "grave concern" over the whalers heading in her direction. She has warned them to stay away and that if they do not, surveillance photographs will be taken and released to the public.

The waters off of New Zealand are notorious for being rough and very dangerous. Last year, the Nisshin Maru ship suffered a fire while out in the Ross Sea (NZ waters) and one of the crew members died. It is logistically difficult for New Zealand to perform search and rescue operations out there.

Japanese officials state the fleets are trying to outrun Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace in hopes these two organizations will run out of fuel, having to leave, and thereby giving the whalers the freedom they want to resume their whale culling without both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace pestering them.

Sneaky shits.

Outside the Japan Embassy in London, a 14 year old girl was arrested for protesting against the whaling. Both her and her father were arrested after tying themselves to a railing there. Their case will be heard February 6.

When asked why she was doing this, the girl stated that she had seen a video that included a whale being blown up by the Japan whalers. She expressed that it hit her rather hard and she felt that her protest was nothing in comparison to what the whales are going through.

It was the first time she had been removed from a protest or arrested. Previously, she had campaigned against Australia's nuclear policy.

I see a future leader in environmental politics in the making here. You go girl!

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whale Politics

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Yesterday, Greenpeace got between the Nisshin Maru and the refueling ship, Oriental Bluebird and for a time, prevented the refueling from happening. They were in their smaller boats running between these two big ships and the whalers were hosing them down with cold water, trying to prevent Greenpeace from interfering. The two ships eventually came side by side and it became too dangerous for the Greenpeace protesters to stay between them, so they had to give up and the Nisshin Maru was refueled.

Greenpeace alleges that the Oriental Bluebird ship did not have permits to be part of the whaling fleet. They radioed the Oriental Bluebird to inform them that they were violating an Antarctic treaty and also in violation of environmental law. That did nothing to dissuade them and they continued about their business in refueling the Japanese whaling ship.

Also as of yesterday, the Sea Shepherd crew stated they were about "a day's sail" from the whalers but given the fact that the refueling would take up to approximately eight hours, they were making good time.

There have been reports that the Japanese whalers might suspend whaling until both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace leave the area since they'd have to leave within the next two weeks to refuel. But both organizations say that despite that, as long as they are able to stop the whaling, however temporarily, it cuts into Japan's whaling season as well as greatly diminishes how many whales Japan will kill. They expect Japan will not reach their goal to kill approximately 950 whales altogether.

On Monday, Greenpeace Japan sent a letter to two Japanese economic organizations, pointing out that whaling was hurting the Japanese economy.

The letter basically pointed out that global opinion of Japan's whaling is hurting them and has the potential to hurt further economic ties they have in addition to possibly spurring boycotts of Japan products that are sold around the world.

However, it's not clear if all of what has been done to this date, will have an impact on changing Japan's stance on whaling. Especially in light of the fact that Japan plans to build a new ship that will pretty much enable them to continue whaling for another 40 years.

There does continue to be consumer, media, and political pressure on Japan to do something about this issue. Unfortunately, Japan is pretty much standing their ground and has not made any concessions that they'll be changing their minds on this issue any time soon. Doesn't matter that their whaling has a very small and insignificant impact on their economy as a whole. And personally, that amazes me. Why push an issue that is widely unpopular around the globe, that is a very small portion of Japan's overall economy, but one that could very well have a negative influence on the rest of their country?

Meanwhile, Humane Society International hand delivered the rule of the law to the Japan whaling company yesterday. Not surprisingly, the company refused to accept it and said they were aware of the orders and are not abiding by them.

Humane Society Int'l had to leave the package at their feet instead and were told as they were leaving, that the package would be thrown out. If the whaling continues, Japan could be found in contempt of court. But somehow, I doubt anything will really happen. Call me a cynic.

The reason I am not optimistic at this point, that anything will be done within the rule of this law, is due to the economic relationship between Australia and Japan.

Both have stated that despite their differences on the whaling issue, they are in good shape and plan to continue their mutually beneficial partnership. You know what they say, money talks and bullshit walks.

Japan is pressuring Australia to press charges against the two Sea Shepherd crew members who boarded their ship last week and were detained. Australia claims that they'll be looking into the matter but otherwise, are not saying much else on the issue.

Despite all this bickering, the tensions, the protests, etc., it's now been over twelve days since any whales have been killed by Japan.

Elsewhere around the globe, there are at least other places that DO care about the marine mammals that live off their shores. Costa Rica is one.

Excerpt:

Over the weekend the Costa Rican President Oscar Arias along with Environmental Minister Robert Dobles signed a decree that would protect whales and dolphins from being hunted in the large Costa Rican waters.

The decree details that any pursuit, capture, injury, netting or commercialization of any whale and dolphin groups in the Costa Rican sea boundaries is forbidden, and now against the law.

More here: Costa Rica Bans Whale and Dolphin Hunting

Is a Whale safe ship in the works to be designed? One whale researcher is strongly encouraging it.

Back to the issue of the Navy sonar court case in California, the state has filed another challenge to their sonar training off the California coast.

California officials argue that "Bush's waiver violates the separation-of-powers doctrine of the U.S. Constitution." It's possible this will go to a higher court of appeals.

I am unclear if, while this is being argued in court, if the Navy is required to suspend their sonar training. They are scheduled to begin sonar training this week and have nine more scheduled exercises throughout the remainder of the year. Let's hope the appeals court overrules President Bush on this matter.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Excellent Blog Award

Bill, over at Bill's Random Thoughts, gave me a "Blog of Excellence" award .. pretty cool :-) It doesn't mean anything much in the grander world of the blogosphere, but it made me feel special to be thought of.

Part of the rules are to name blogs you feel are worthy of this award and if you want to reciprocate to the one who gave you this award, that's cool too.

In no particular order, I'm naming the following blogs I've come across that I enjoy. I'm unsure I'll have time to contact each one to inform them of this, but hopefully they'll see it for themselves.

Bill's Random Thoughts - I enjoy Bill's posts. He's got a quirky sense of humor and we seem to share a lot of similar politics. I like this guy.

Space of Reality - Good blog with intriguing questions and thoughts posted.

Pet Rescuer Central - All about pets and saving 'em, loving 'em, etc.

Little Country Lost - Well written political blog.

Olga, The Traveling Bra - One word: hysterical!

Mental Poo - This guy is so freakin' hilarious.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Bears, Drilling, and Whaling Stink Bombs

(Artist credit: Jim Warren Titled "Don't Mess With Mother Nature")

In the latest development regarding the polar bear habitat in a section of Alaska that may be opened to oil drilling, a congressional environmental panel stated that "The U.S. government must decide first if polar bears are threatened by climate change before it opens part of their icy habitat to oil drilling"

Excerpts:

"Rushing to allow drilling in polar bear habitat before protecting the bear would be the epitome of this administration's backward energy policy, a policy of drill first and ask questions later," Rep. Ed Markey said at a hearing of the House (of Representatives) Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which he chairs.

The Bush administration is alone among major industrialized countries in rejecting the carbon-curbing Kyoto protocol. Washington also opposes mandatory limits on climate-warming greenhouse emissions.

The article further states that 15 million barrels are needed due to the increasing demand for petroleum.

When asked about the potential for oil spills and the impact on the local wildlife, more specifically the polar bears and marine mammals, Randall Luthi, director of the Minerals Management Service (which announced the oil lease) stated:

...the risk to the bears from oil drilling would be negligible and that if the oil sales went through before a decision was reached on the polar bears, there would be "an additional layer of consultation" with conservation officials as oil and gas companies worked in the area.

He further stated:

there was a 33 to 50 percent chance of a 1,000-barrel spill in this area, but also said no wildlife had been endangered by this kind of exploratory drilling.

Where's the contingency plan to avoid a spill? What are they doing to prevent such a thing from happening? Up to 50 percent chance of a spill is way more than enough cause for justifiable and deep concern.

What happens if a spill occurs? Excerpt from the article:

Steven Amstrup, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told the panel that if polar bears came in contact with spilled oil, they would probably die.

Polar bears do not do well when they get into oil," Amstrup said. "They tend to groom themselves, they ingest the oil and the spills, basically, are most likely fatal."

Full article here: Decide on Polar Bears First

Retrieving 15 million barrels of oil, which is a very temporary solution, that would have an irreparable and adverse effect on the local environment and the majority of the wildlife in the area, both on the land and in the sea, is, in my opinion, just plain stupid and crazy. And putting profits ahead of the planet is just insanity.

On the whaling front, Japan released the hostages yesterday, as agreed, to Australia's Oceanic Viking customs ship.

Shortly after the two Sea Shepherd crew members were returned to the Sea Shepherd ship, they then resume their protest against the Japanese whalers by going after the Yushin Maru ship and throwing "stink bombs" aboard. Apparently their throws were right on target and it appears that given the power of these "stink bombs" (which are basically rancid butter) it primarily prevents the whalers from staying on their ship's deck for any length of time, usually up to two days.

So far, it's now been over nine days since a whale has been killed by the Japanese hunters.

Captain Paul Watson promises to continue to "harass" and basically do everything possible, short of hurting anyone, to ensure no further whales are culled.

Is Japan feeling the pressure of their widely unpopular decision to continue whaling and all the myriad of reasons they use to explain it away? Greenpeace thinks so.

One excerpt that stands out:

Today, one of the leading newspapers in Japan, Asahi Shimbun, also called into question the validity of the whaling program, by asking "Why is the Japanese government so insistent on engaging in whaling?". The article cites concerns about the use of taxpayer's money, dubious science, the lack of interest from the fishing industry in supporting the whaling program, and the fact that former employees of the Japanese government Fisheries Agency were "parachuted" into key roles in the supposedly independent Institute of Cetacean Research – the agency which commissions the whaling fleet.

For the full article on this, please click here: Japan's "Fake" Whaling Program Begins to Crumble

Greenpeace also posted about this on their site: Fake Whale Science from Ship to Shore

Greenpeace continues to hound the main ship, the Nisshin Maru. So far, their efforts have remained successful in keeping the ship away from the whale sanctuary area.

Still, Japan has made it very clear they have every intention of resuming their whale culling within the next few days.

Between Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace, despite their differences, I imagine the disruptions will continue and hopefully we'll have minimal to preferably zero whales killed.

Meanwhile, Japan is complaining that Australia is giving preferential treatment to the Sea Shepherd activists who had been detained, then released. They accused Australia of giving "limousine service" to these activists.

When Sea Shepherd went to pick up their two crew members from the Oceanic Viking, they then lost the whalers because they had to travel approximately 80km (50 miles) to meet the ship. So they are once again back to trying to locate the whaling fleets.

Article here: Kicking Up a Stink

Excerpt from another article, Whale Activists Admit to Stink Bombs:

Mr Watson said the Steve Irwin was again trying to find the Japanese whaling fleet in order to launch more attacks.

“Greenpeace knows where they are but Greenpeace won't tell us where they are, which I am a little annoyed with because if they start killing whales tomorrow I am going to hold Greenpeace responsible for that because Greenpeace knows that we could stop them.

My kudos to both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd for their continued vigilance against these whalers. It should be inspiration to all of us that one single drop in the ocean by each of us, can cause a swell and make a difference around the world.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Bush Gives Whales the Bird

(Artist credit: David Penfound)

Captain Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepherd organization, certainly has a flair for the dramatic when writing commentaries.

Nevertheless, it's an interesting read so I'm going to lead you directly to his updated post:

The Cold War at the Bottom of the Planet to Save the Whales

Meanwhile, in London yesterday, a group of people demonstrated outside the Japanese Embassy for the release of the two Sea Shepherd crew members.

If you are interested in expressing your concern regarding this situation, Sea Shepherd has set up a page listing full addresses, phone numbers, and email address for the people you can contact directly:

-->> Take Action Now <<--


In other news, President Bush has trumped the Central California District Court's decision a few weeks ago ordering the Navy to cease with the usage of sonar off the California coast. Bush has decided to exempt the Navy and basically flipped the middle finger to the court's ruling.

Excerpts:

As California gray whales swam past San Diego County's shores, President Bush announced that he would allow the Navy to continue using sonar in anti-submarine warfare training off Southern California.

Environmental groups vowed to block the waivers that Bush signed Tuesday to overrule a judge's restriction on sonar testing off California's coast, saying the powerful underwater sound waves threaten marine mammals such as whales.

==

The White House announced Bush signed the exemption Tuesday while traveling in the Middle East. In his memorandum, Bush said the Navy training exercises "are in the paramount interest of the United States" and national security.

Peter Douglas, executive director of the California Coastal Commission, which had joined the lawsuit to provide the mammals greater protections from sonar, called the exemption unprecedented in California.

"I'm not surprised at all," he said. "It's typical for this Republican administration to ignore environmental protections under the banner of fear."

==

The Navy likes to train in Southern California's shallow waters and underwater canyons, as they teach sailors how to detect submarines in an environment where enemies love to hide. Because of the canyons and shallow ground, and because of the thick concentration of animals, there are many sounds and they tend to ricochet in all directions, Navy officials say. It is much easier for a submarine to blend in there than in the open sea.

Read the full article here: Bush Grants Navy Waiver

While Bush and the so-called Military are spouting off their bullshit about national security and all that crap, things like this ensure that not too far into the future, we're going to be a planet devoid of beautiful creatures, such as whales, dolphins, polar bears, etc. All in the name of national security or economic feasibility (IE: oil drilling in Alaska.)

Someday into the future, and may it not ever happen, the whole world is going to wake up, look around their lands ... dive into their oceans ... hike their mountain trails ... and find nothing. Landscapes and seascapes devoid of life. Everything raped and pillaged in the name of power and greed. People are going to ask "What the hell happened? Why didn't anyone do something about this?"

Dramatic perhaps, but let's not kid ourselves. This could very well become a reality in the future if we don't start respecting our planet and every living thing on it.

People like Bush need to be subjected to the sonar testing the Military uses and see how he likes blood coming out of his ears, internal bleeding, and his brain turning to mush from disorientation (never mind that his brain has been mush forever.)

Blech. What a world we live in with the priorities governments like ours have.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Whaling Standoff

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

The good news is, the whaling has come to a standstill since January 11th, thanks to both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd who have kept the Japan whaling fleet on the run.

The bad news is, the whalers have been defying the orders from their country to release the two Sea Shepherd crew members from their custody and allowing them to return to their ship.

The whalers are demanding that Sea Shepherd agree to not harass them or to interfere with their whaling in exchange for the release of those two men. How's that for arrogance?

The whalers can't cry and whine about protesters breaking the law when they are doing the same. They can't moan about others being hypocrites and liars, when they are hypocrites and liars themselves.

So what happens now? Things appear to be at a standstill here.

At least no whales are currently being killed.

Excerpt from the Sea Shepherd site:

The Japanese whalers continue to hold Australian citizen Benjamin Potts 28 and Giles Lane 35 of Great Britain. The Japanese government has ordered their release but the whalers are defying that order and refusing to release their hostages until Sea Shepherd agrees to their demands. One of the demands is for Sea Shepherd to discontinue opposing whaling activities. Captain Watson responded by refusing to acknowledge their demands and demanding instead that the hostages be released without conditions.

Full article can be read here: Sea Shepherd Shuts Down Antarctic Whale Hunt

Captain Paul Watson claims his crew members are being held hostage against their will. The whalers claim that the two men who boarded their fleet engaged in an illegal act of "piracy" and that the Sea Shepherd is prolonging this incident for publicity purposes.

Frankly, the fact that this is generating a lot of publicity is good news for the whales. It brings more attention to their plight and shines a rather dark light on Japan's own attitude and behavior on not only this very issue, but this "hostage" incident as well.

The New York Times has a good article on this incident here: Japan Pauses Whale Hunt During Standoff

Excerpts from the above NY Times article:

''These people aren't hostages, they're unwanted guests,'' Japan Foreign Ministry spokesman Tomohiko Taniguchi said. ''We want them off our ship immediately, but they're not giving us the chance.''

''It has become apparent that it will be impossible to hand the two trespassers back directly to Sea Shepherd, so our only option at this point is to make contact with another ship such as the customs vessel Australia dispatched,'' Moronuki said.

Despite all of this, Japan has no plans to call off the whale hunt. They plan to resume their whale culling when the activists are released. At it looks right now, it appears these two men will be released to the Australian customs ship, the Oceanic Viking. Arrangements are currently underway.

Sea Shepherd is refusing to comply with Japan's demands in exchange for its crew members. Captain Watson basically calls the whalers "terrorists" if they are making such demands. Personally, I'm in agreement.

Let's hope for a peaceful exchange here with no one getting hurt.

I have not been talking much about politics lately because I have been focused more on the whaling issues. I do want to point out one thing that should scare each and every single American in this election year. (Thanks to Bill at Bill's Random Thoughts for sharing this.)

Huckabee says this:

"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards," Huckabee said, referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

"God's standards?" Run .. run far far away from this man. We do NOT need a religious zealot running our country, coming into our homes to judge how we live and who we love, nor do we need a President who believes in discriminating against certain people who are not within his definition of "God's standards."

God help us all if he gets elected. This is NOT the direction our country needs to go in.


Mahalo,

Dolphin

Anti-Whalers Kidnapped?

(Artist credit: Jeff Wilkie)

Sea Shepherd alleges that two of their volunteer crew members are being held hostage by the Japanese whalers.

An Australian and a Briton boarded the Yushin Maru ship with the intent to deliver a letter from Sea Shepherd's Captain, Paul Watson. They state they wanted to deliver the letter in person because the whalers were not responding to radio calls from the Sea Shepherd. They were then not allowed to leave the ship to return to the Sea Shepherd.

Allegedly, these two men were tied up and left out in the freezing cold on the Yushin Maru ship for up to three hours. They were then taken below and locked up in a room. Mr. Watson claims these men are being held against their will.

The whalers claim their ship was boarded illegally and that they have the right to detain these men until "their future is decided."

Paul Watson has called on both Australia and Britain to assist in getting his crew members released.

You can also read more about this at the Sea Shepherd site.

I'd write more about this right now, but unfortunately I'm out of time for now .... Until later, I bid you adieu :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Legal Ruling on Whaling

(Artist credit: Jeff Wilkie)

The Humane Society International sought, and won, a landmark injunction in Australia's Federal Court against the Japanese whalers. More specifically, the injunction names the company that owns the whaling ships such as the Nisshin Maru and the Yushin Maru (among others in its fleet) Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd.. The ruling defines the whaling as being illegal within Australia's economic zone, "which extends 200 nautical miles from Australian-declared territory in Antarctica and in the southern Pacific Ocean." (source: Herald Tribune)

Of course, in their continued arrogant fashion, Japan has stated they will ignore any injunction granted against them.

Excerpt from the legal ruling:

"The court orders that the respondent be restrained from killing, injuring, taking or interfering with any Antarctic minke whale, fin whale or humpback whale in the Australian whale sanctuary, or treating or possessing any such whale killed or taken in the Australian whale sanctuary," Federal Court judge James Allsop said in his ruling.

Link to article: Judge Grants Anti-Whaling Ban Against Japan

The Australian Whale Sanctuary is not recognized by Japan. Enforcement will be a challenge, but one that Australia will now be legally bound by.

The Humane Society has become another organization at the forefront in speaking up against the whale culling and calling upon the Rudd Administration in Australia to "live up to their campaign promises." The pressure is continuing to mount.

This ruling is good news, and comes after a three year battle in the courts on this between Humane Society Int'l and Japan. It's now incumbent upon Australian government to ensure this law is immediately enforced. Under this law, Australia can now legally intercept these whaling ships and order them to stop the killing. Will the Rudd Admin. finally prove it's commitment to end the whaling? Now's their chance.

Another good article on this issue: Humane Society Tells Rudd Government: Fullfill Election Promise on Whaling

Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd is almost caught up with both Greenpeace and the whalers. Greenpeace claims they have chased the whalers from the sanctuary and have gotten them to stop the whale culling, at least for now. It is believed that the Japan fleets were steaming north to rendezvous with their tanker, the Oriental Bluebird to refuel, restock, and to offload the whale meat they have processed so far.

On the Sea Shepherd website:

“As long as the Japanese whalers are running, they will not be killing whales. If they stop to kill whales, we will catch up with them,” said Steve Irwin’s 2nd Officer Peter Hammarstedt of Sweden. “And when we do catch them, we won’t be sitting down to tea with them - we intend to make this a season for them to remember.”

Glen Inwood, the official New Zealand spokesperson on the issue of Japanese whaling states:

Greenpeace claims of a victory in the Southern Ocean are false. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research says the fleet has simply moved to prevent injuries.

According to a New Zealand radio spokesperson, Glenn Inwood says the real trouble will begin when a ship from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society catches up with the whalers.

Read more here: Whalers Admit They Are Running From Sea Shepherd

Elsewhere, in South Korea, more than 50 tons of whale meat was seized on the black market.

While it is illegal to kill whales in Korea, whales that are "accidentally killed" have their meat processed and sold. Unfortunately, there's a huge incentive for people to "accidentally kill" whales because, for example, piked whales are worth up to $37.000 each. It is estimated about 200 whales are killed every year via nets

Excerpt:

Illegal whaling is very primitive in Korea utilizing small boat and harpoons. The whales drag the boats around for hours before bleeding to death. The whales are butchered at sea and the meat smuggled ashore.

Read more here: Black Market Whale Meat Seized in South Korea

So .. some good news today! A legal ruling and Japan whalers chased away from the whaling grounds. Hopefully the Australian government will start becoming more vigilante now that there is a legal ruling on this matter. The next few days will tell the tale.

Meanwhile ... :: shameless plug on :: Happy Birthday to me! :: shameless plug off ::

Mahalo,

Dolphin

The Chase is On

(Artist credit: Jeff Wilkie)

The decision recently by the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California to restrict Navy sonar usage off the California coast, might be implemented along the Eastern seaboard as well.

A beaked whale washed ashore on New Year's eve in Beach Haven, which has raised more concern about the Navy's use of sonar. It is suspected, but unproven, that this beaked whale died because of sonar due to no visible injuries or other signs pointing to its death.

As is well known on this issue, the usage of sonar has a potentially fatal effect on marine mammals. Sonar can cause a rupture of the inner ear and organs. It's also known to cause internal bleeding and disorientation. Once the damage occurs, death by beaching is common due to the disorientation the mammal experiences.

Naturally, the military denies that sonar does this and claims there is no evidence pointing to this as fact.

The attorney for the Natural Resources Defenses Council, Michal Jasny, disputes this and states: "The Navy will find itself alone in the scientific community with that conclusion."

Excerpt:

"It's beyond dispute that sonar kills and injures whales. I think statements like that from the Navy do not help advance this issue," Jasny said. "It would be great if they spent more energy trying to develop a solution to this problem than to deny the clear scientific record."

Whales around the world have been found dead or dying following encounters with mid-frequency military sonar, according to Jasny.

In 2004, the world's leading whale biologists examined the link between Navy sonar and whale strandings and concluded that the evidence of sonar causation is "very convincing" and "overwhelming", a spokesman for the NRDC said.

While there is hope that the decision that was made in California will reach the East Coast, the Navy has filed an appeal of that Californian decision. Still, the process is in the works to make this a National Policy and Jasny is at the forefront in fighting the litigation on this matter.

Excerpt:

"We have a companion case also before the same district court that challenges the Navy's violation of law on both coasts," Jasny said.

But for the litigation to have any impact on the Atlantic seaboard, Schoelkopf said, it would need modification. A 12 nautical mile coastal exclusion zone would not help whales such as the True's Beaked because they live further out in the ocean, he said.

"But I think it should be a national policy simply because we have the same problems with marine mammals coming up with the same unknown causes of death," Schoelkopf said.

Read the full article here: Whale Sets Off Debate Over Sonar

On the Japanese whaling front, Greenpeace's ship Esperanza, is still in close pursuit of the Nisshin Maru, Japan's main whaling ship.

As long as Greenpeace is running close by, the whalers are unable to do their killing because they are on the run. Greenpeace was able to find the whalers by following krill, the main diet of the whales.

One news article is calling this a "Deadly game of marine chess."

Greenpeace is behind the Nisshin Maru in pursuit while one of Japan's other ships, the Yushin Maru, is trailing behind.

Sea Shepherd claims to have spies within Greenpeace and they are in the same location the Nisshin Maru was "just hours ago." (This was as of yesterday.) Officially, Greenpeace has refused to provide the coordinates to the Sea Shepherd because they do not believe in Sea Shepherd's methods of protest.

Excerpt from the Sea Shepherd site:

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is with the Japanese fleet. Peter Hammarstedt, the 2nd officer of the Steve Irwin called the Esperanza to speak with the Captain but was informed that the Captain was sleeping and was not to be disturbed. Mr. Hammarstedt spoke with Karli Thomas the Greenpeace expedition leader and congratulated her on finding the Japanese fleet and said that since Sea Shepherd gave Greenpeace the coordinates last year would they repay the favor and provide Sea Shepherd with the coordinates this year? Ms. Thomas replied that as expedition leader she did not have the authority to release that information nor did the Captain of the Esperanza. She added that Greenpeace was withholding the information for security reasons.

Although The Captain of the Esperanza and the expedition leader are under strict orders by Greenpeace International to not release the coordinates to Sea Shepherd, Captain Watson is a co-founder of Greenpeace (1972) and co-founder of Greenpeace International (1979).

While I personally do not want to see anyone killed out there, I do support Captain Paul Watson's contention that both organizations could do far more good by working together than by fighting each other. This is a highly volitile issue and simply standing by is not going to save the whales. Intervention is necessary by any and all means possible, short of killing anyone of course.

This may be a terrible analogy to use, but it's one that comes to mind. In the Godfather II movie, in one of the flashback portions when Don Corleone was a young boy, his mother took him to the head Don of the local Mafia, pleading with him to spare her son's life. Of course, after listening to her, he said "No," and the mother was then killed while young Corleone ran away.

So simply asking the whalers to stop killing, is not going to do any good. It's been proven time and time again that Japan is not listening and they are standing behind their own hypocritical stance of scientific research.

The whaling expedition leader, Hajime Ishikawa, warned his crews on departure from Shimonoseki in Japan to expect violent environmental terrorists. "We must fight against their hypocrisy and lies," Mr Ishikawa said.

Japan defends its whaling under the International Whaling Commission's scientific research clause. Institute of Cetacean Research spokesman Glenn Inwood said Greenpeace's actions had caused a collision in the past and the IWC had asked them to cease and desist against Japan's legal research. "Greenpeace actions are illegal under international law," Mr Inwood said.

It's funny that Japan calls both the Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd organizations "eco terrorists" and also labels them "hypocrites" and "liars." Apparently Japan has a difficult time looking into their own mirrors and seeing their own hypocrisy and lies.

Meanwhile, Australia's Oceanic Viking ship, is yet to reach the Japan whalers. Critics are calling it a "ghost ship" and various environmental groups and supporters are in agreement that the Australian government is not living up to its promise to do more on this issue.

Excerpt:

"We need to know how long it will be before the Australian government catches up with the Japanese whaling fleet."

Mr Hunt said the delay was not only ``a breach of faith'' to the Australian people but also the world.

"If you make a bold promise to the world and don't keep it, it sends a message to the Japanese that we are only kidding, we weren't serious and we were just playing a domestic game.

"It's vital if you make the promise to carry it through.''

Mr Hunt also called on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to talk to the Japanese government directly about whaling.

"The single most important action has yet to be taken and that is for Mr Rudd to pick up the phone and speak to the Japanese prime minister (Yasuo Fukuda) person to person.

"Because at the end of the day any decisions will be made by the Japanese prime minister.''

The Antarctic is not the only place where Japan has it's hooks into whaling. Bermuda is a whale loving nation and a couple days ago, they put on an impressive demonstration in front of a Fisheries of Japan patrol boat docked at the Hamilton harbour front.

Read more here: Bermudians Deliver a Strong Message to Japan

Kudos to Bermuda!

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Go Greenpeace Go!

(Artist credit: Christian Lassen)

Greenpeace has caught up with the Japanese whalers and acting like a bunch of children caught doing something wrong, the cowardly Japanese whalers immediately scattered in different directions.

Greenpeace is keeping the chase and focus on the main ship, the Nisshin Maru. And while these cowards are on the run and trying to hide from Greenpeace, they are unable to live up to the whaler murderer image they have arrogantly created.

The radio message from Greenpeace to the Japanese fleet was in both Japanese and English language. It condemned Japan for the hunt and strongly encouraged them to return to port.

Their message:

"Your so-called scientific whaling is a hoax and has been dismissed as useless by the International Whaling Commission. Modern scientific research on whales does not require killing them."

Read the full article here: Greenpeace Ship Chasing Japanese Whalers

Former federal environment minister in Australia, Ian Campbell, has joined the board of the Sea Shepherd organization.

In other Sea Shepherd news, Captain Paul Watson has been named one of 50 people who can save the planet.

Excerpt:

"I get called quite a few things with pirate and eco-terrorist being the more polite labels. But you don't make change by being nice and polite. Change requires cages to be rattled, the boat to be rocked and even sunk sometimes and it requires a deep passionate commitment to righting wrongs and upholding justice especially when justice must take precedence over laws designed for vested interests."

Keep rattling those cages Mr. Watson. You've got my support.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Bears and Whaling

(Credit: Art.com)

Conservation groups have taken the first steps toward filing a lawsuit to protect the polar bears up in the Arctic. Read more here at the San Diego Tribune.

Meanwhile, until further information is available, I would encourage you to sign the following petition with the Defenders of Wildlife in the interest in increasing awareness about the polar bears.

Please sign the petition here: Oil Companies can wait, polar bears can't!

On the whaling front, Australia has finally made good on its' word and it's ship, the Oceanic Viking, has left port as of yesterday in search of the Japanese whalers. It takes about a week to get to their destination and they will remain at sea for 20 days, videotaping and photographing evidence of whale culling to potentially use against Japan in an International Court of Justice.

A cocky Japanese official states the case will never succeed.

"Antarctica is not a territory of any country. Lawful activities in open seas can never be blocked," he said.

The Australian government continues to decline the requests from both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd to share their coordinates on the location of the whalers.

Greenpeace welcomed the icebreaker's departure, but called on the government to give the coordinates of the fleet to its anti-whaling ship in Antarctic waters, the Esperanza.

Neither Greenpeace nor a more militant environmental group, Sea Shepherd, has yet been able to find the whalers amid the icebergs and rough seas of the Southern Ocean.

"We would like those coordinates as we are much closer than the Oceanic Viking," said Rob Nicoll, Greenpeace whales campaigner.

Japan says the cull is for scientific research but makes no secret of the fact that the whale meat ends up in Japanese schools, supermarkets and restaurants.

There's a very interesting debate going on at Mammalian Misunderstanding?

Read the comments after this brief article.

Which brings me to ask it here too. If whale culling was going on in Japanese territorial waters, would we have the right to complain? If the whale culling is going on in international waters, do we have the right to complain?

I say yes to both. Whales are among many species on this planet that are either threatened or endangered.

I do believe the argument that the whaling going on in international waters is absolutely an international issue and everyone has the right to take a stand on that. For Japan to argue they kill whales for national pride or hide behind the BS excuse of scientific research, is weak - very weak. They have to go through Australian waters to reach the Southern Ocean which doesn't even belong to them, it belongs to the world.

How about the Amazon Rain Forest? That belongs to South America but due to its vast size it has an effect on worldwide climate. Therefore, the deforestation of the rain forest is an international issue and justifiably, there are people who protest it and work in the interest of protecting it.

Regardless of where one stands on any issue, take a stand. Be passionate and be heard. Otherwise, in a few short decades, all we'll have left for our children and grandchildren is a barren wasteland of nothingness and dark, empty seas.

Mahalo,

Dolphin

Polar Bears Unprotected - Again

(Photo Credit: Minden Pictures)

The polar bears were supposed to be put on the Endangered Species act tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan 9) but the government has decided to delay that for "further study."

Evidence has clearly pointed to these bears being seriously vulnerable due to the melting ice caps and the increased challenges they face in being able to hunt for food. The have to swim farther which often results in them drowning. They have to walk further and go for longer periods without food, which is resulting in increased starvation.

I've seen various documentary films on this very subject and it's patently clear how very vulnerable these bears are.

Does the government care? No. They wait until the 11Th hour to announce they are delaying a move that would protect the polar bears and justifying it with bureaucratic bullshit.

My opinion is they don't want anything to potentially interfere with their desire to drill the hell out of Northwest Alaskan coast.

Environmental groups are promising to file suit tomorrow in hopes of forcing quicker action.

Excerpts:

A key piece of data under consideration is a September report from the U.S. Geological Survey that predicted polar bears could disappear from places where Arctic sea ice is melting fastest, including the northern coast of Alaska.

Two-thirds of the world's polar bears could be gone by 2050 if predictions about melting sea ice hold true, the report said. The ice is melting at least in part because of human-caused climate change, scientists have said.

"The Bush administration has squandered seven years denying the devastating scientific evidence of global warming," Kert Davies of Greenpeace USA said in a statement. "Stalling has cost us dearly, putting the polar bear at risk of extinction and jeopardizing the future welfare of billions of people around the world."

Read more here: U.S. Delays Global Warming Decision on Polar Bears

What's more important right now and for the future? Oil or Polar Bears? You know what I'd choose, and what many people would choose, but our beloved government would choose the former obviously.

Alternative sources of energy are available. The technology to make these alternative sources of energy usable are very available. So why continue to destroy more environment for what will be only a temporary solution?

Polar Bears Vie With Oil for U.S. Government Focus

Remember the oil spill in Norway last month? That's just one more prime example of what could very well happen up in Alaska if oil drilling commences after the lease is sold.

Screw the BS statements that the government claims they can strike a balance between oil drilling and protecting the environment. It bears repeating that oil spills can and DO happen. Contingency plans for this sort of thing have even yet to be drawn up. It's like kill first, ask questions later.

This news article is almost a month old, but it bears a repeat: Norway Oil Spill Contained but Stirs Fears for Arctic

Greenpeace has a statement about the decision to delay protecting the polar bears here: Polar Bear Decision Delayed

Hopefully there will be better news tomorrow, in regards to the lawsuit being filed.

Mahalo,

Dolphin