Nature versus fat cats of Wall Street.. who will win?
Posted by msterilinn on Jul 16, 2008
Here is a controversy with an ending which is scary to contemplate. If the fat cats of Wall Street win this battle, everyone loses in the long run. Nature holds many treasures deep within as well as without, and if we are not very careful, we will not only destroy the environment which houses many forms of Life, yet we will also ensure a very bleak future indeed. This is a game being played to line the pockets of a few at the expense of many.
Wealthy speculators are driving up gas prices and fueling calls for harmful new drilling off our coasts and in pristine places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Speculation in the oil markets is a major factor in high gas prices. Here’s how it works: Weak oversight and accountability in the oil market allows wealthy investors from around the world to drive up the price we pay for gas by purchasing oil that they have no intention of using. According to Michael Masters of Masters Capital Management, who testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in June, “with greater regulation [of speculation], oil prices could drop to $65 or $70 a barrel within about 30 days.”
Officials within the Bush Administration’s own Energy Information Agency estimate that oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge wouldn’t hit the market for several years and would only reduce gas by a few pennies. Similarly, the agency has said that offshore drilling would not significantly impact domestic production or prices before 2030. More drilling may benefit wealthy investors, Big Oil companies and their allies in Congress, but it won’t lower prices at the pump or end America’s oil addiction.
But this drilling would come at a terrible cost to our wildlife and the environment. Arctic drilling activities would disturb the most important onshore denning habitat for America’s threatened polar bears — potentially causing polar bear mothers to abandon their cubs.
Offshore drilling has its own problems: Each platform produces toxic discharges that can poison and kill marine wildlife and dumps tons of air pollutants into our atmosphere.
Defenders of Wildlife is actively working to help preserve our wildlife and the environment, and we can do our part as well. If you are like me and have a passion to save our wildlife, then please take a few moments and let your voice be heard.
Connect with Nature at Shangri La Botanical Gardens
Posted by msterilinn on Apr 23, 2008
In honor of my love for nature and all things natural, I am always curious to find places which represent the natural world in ways meant to benefit all, while providing quality education to help nurture a love of the wonders of nature in children. It is so very important to allow these young minds a chance to explore their natural environments, while encouraging them to learn how they too can become responsible and good stewards.
I would like to take this moment to direct those who feel as I do to a wonderful place which opened to the public on March 11th, 2008. Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center really impressed me with their history, as well as their current mission. Originally developed more than 60 years ago, through the vision of H.J Lutcher Stark, a prominent philanthropist who resided in Orange, Texas. Inspired by the mystical retreat represented in the book Lost Horizon, Stark sought to create his own haven of indescribable beauty where time would stand still. His vision became a reality in 1937 when he began creating Shangri-La Botanical Gardens within significant acreage owned by him along Adams Bayou in his hometown of Orange, Texas. Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center represents a place of enlightenment, peace and beauty.
Nestled within 252 acres in the heart of Orange, Texas, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is the first project in Texas and the 50th project in the world to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum certification for LEED®-NC, which verifies the design and construction of Shangri La reached the highest green building and performance measures.
As one of the most earth-friendly projects in the world, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center offers a glimpse of how people can live in harmony with nature. The combination of gardens and nature at Shangri La presents a serene oasis for retreat and renewal, as well as the opportunity to explore, discover and learn. I strongly encourage you to visit the Shangri La website to learn more about the wondrous history, the tragic events which caused this beautiful place to close down for 50 years, and the current mission of this magical place of nature. You will discover an ancient Pond Cyprus tree which is at least 1,200 years old, situated within Shangri La. Don’t miss this! I will be taking my daughter on a visit real soon, you can be most certain.
Please help block dirty fuels in Western Wildlands
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 14, 2008
Please take a few moments to read this very important message…
The Bush administration wants to sacrifice some of the wildest regions of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to produce fuel from two of the most polluting sources: oil shale and tar sands.
This proposed development — spanning an area of more than two million acres of wildlife habitat and outstanding recreation areas across three states — could pollute air and water, jeopardize human health and dramatically worsen global warming.
Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction and tell the Bush administration to protect these sensitive wildlands for future generations and promote cleaner sources of energy instead.
Oil shale is rock that produces oil when heated to extreme temperatures. Tar sands contain extremely heavy oil mixed with sand and clay. Tar sands development in Canada has displaced wildlife, created toxic waste sites that go on for miles and generated three times the amount of global warming pollution per barrel produced as conventional fuel.
We must act now to shield our own western wildlands from thisnightmare scenario. Oil shale and tar sands development could release dangerous toxic elements such as arsenic, selenium, and boron into the Colorado River watershed — a vital source of drinking water for local communities.
This area is also home to mule deer, elk, mountain lions, black bears, bald eagles and great horned owls and offers exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities.
Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction and tell the Bush administration to put the brakes on dirty oil shale and tar sands development in America’s West.
Thank you for helping to save our last western wildlife habitats from destructive development.
The amazing Endangered Gorilla.. Please Help!
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 11, 2008
The largest of the great apes, the gorilla is among our most endangered species. Gorillas are shy and peaceful. The only natural enemy of gorillas has always been human beings. Gorillas are still hunted for meat (bushmeat) and trophies in some parts of Africa, and they are caught in traps set for other animals. In the past, whenever an infant gorilla was captured for a zoo, the mother and often the other members of the family were killed as they defended the baby. Now the most serious threat to free-living gorillas is the human population explosion. As more and more people take over the land for agriculture, logging and other development, the gorillas have nowhere left to go.
Please come and join us at Vote4Cause and vote for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International..
Description: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is dedicated to the conservation and protection of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. We are committed to promoting continued research on their threatened ecosystems and education about their relevance to the world in which we live. In collaboration with government agencies and other international partners, we also provide assistance to local communities through education, health, training and economic development initiatives.
Please join us to vote and chat…the gorillas need you!
Go here and Vote… Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Thank you!
Take a few moments to visit World Wild Life to learn more about these wonderful creatures.
You may also wish to visit Koko Kids Club to get some amazing facts about Gorillas.
All Life is Sacred…
Deadly Poisons threaten Wildlife, Pets and People!
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 3, 2008
I have and very Urgent message to pass along…
Each year, more than 10,000 wild animals are poisoned to death with sodium cyanide and sodium fluoroacetate, experiencing horrific deaths that can take hours. These deadly poisons are designed to kill coyotes but they also have killed swift foxes, wolves and other imperiled wildlife… as well as family dogs and people.
Sodium cyanide and sodium fluoroacetate (commonly called Compound 1080) are considered by the EPA to be some of the deadliest toxins known to humanity. Yet, for decades, Wildlife Services, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has routinely relied on these two poisons to kill coyotes and other carnivores.
But these poisons don’t just threaten their intended targets. They can also poison any threatened or endangered species, people and pets.
How bad are they?
Sodium cyanide is used in M-44s, spring-loaded devices topped with bait lures that can attract swift foxes, wolves and other endangered carnivores. When an animal tugs on the bait, a spring shoots a capsule of sodium cyanide powder into the animal’s mouth. A victim of an M-44 device may die after less than two minutes of exposure to the poison, but deaths have been documented to take eight hours.
Based on data from Wildlife Services, more than 10,000 animals are killed by M-44s each year, including domesticated dogs, and a whole host of other non-target species including rare kit foxes, ringtails, javelinas, and swift foxes. M-44s have also killed California condors and wolves.
Compound 1080 is classified as a chemical weapon in several countries. It can be deployed in poison collars placed on sheep and goats and is highly toxic to birds and mammals. It has been used to illegally to kill wolves, and carcasses with Compound 1080 must be handled as hazardous waste. If consumed, these carcasses can kill wolves and other animals.
There are effective alternatives to these poisons, including a wide range of proactive, nonlethal methods such as fencing, guard animals, fladry, non-lethal ammunition and improved animal husbandry. And yet, Wildlife Services continues to rely heavily on the use of sodium cyanide and Compound 1080 to address predation on livestock.
Help end the use of these deadly poisons. Send your personalized message to the EPA now.
We only have a short time to make a big difference for swift foxes, wolves and other wildlife. The official comment period on the ban of these toxins officially ends this Wednesday (March 5th), so please take action before noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, so we have time to compile and deliver your messages to the EPA.
I hope you’ll help.
Hawaii’s vital Wetlands going dry..
Posted by msterilinn on Feb 28, 2008
Here is another example of why we must pay very close attention to our surrounding environment as we walk through this Life. Hawaii’s wetlands are a vital part of the ecosystem, and the danger is very real. Please read the following, and let your voice be heard on this important matter…
Wetlands Going Dry
By Brandon Roberts, Molokai Dispatch, 27 February 2008
Disappearing Mana..e wetlands cause concern.
The lack of zoning enforcement on Molokai’s wetlands may bring serious environmental problems and cultural violations. Community leaders met with Mana..e (East End) residents to discuss development which is potentially damaging the wetlands in the area.
The lo..i (irrigated terrace) and the loko i..a (fishpond) are intrinsic with the culture and represent a living balance between the po..e (people) and the ..aina (land). Some of the development may be irresponsible and indiscriminate.
The non-profit organization Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina hosted the meeting last Saturday at the Kilohana Community Center, to gather input from the residents. Guest speakers included Rep. Mele Carroll, DLNR Branch Chief Randy Awo, and cultural specialist Vanda Hanakahi. Community members also gave valuable testimony.
“Indigenous knowledge cannot be ignored,” kumu ..Opu..ulani Albino said. “Best practices are found in the people who live with the land.”
Carroll revived the ‘Aha Kiole advisory council on Molokai and across the Hawaiian Islands The ..Aha Kiole exists as a bridge between the farmer, the hunter, the homesteader, the community, and state legislators.
Hanakahi, chairwoman of the ..Aha Kiole council, made a cultural presentation, explaining why the Mana..e coastal lands are a vital part of the Hawaiian culture.
“We want to create a Hawaii that Hawaiians would like to see,” Hanakahi said.
Prior to the meeting, Carroll, along with Awo and other officials took an ocean excursion to survey the development on the wetlands in Mana..e.
The meeting was a chance for Carroll to listen to residents’ concerns and receive public comments on hb2788. The bill seeks to prohibit wetlands development that did not include a “public informative meeting”before a permit is issued.
“What do you want to see in your community?” Carroll asked. “My role is to convey the message of the people.”
Awo gathered notes on community concerns, from jet skis on the reef to zoning infractions on the wetlands . He reassured the attendees that he would speak with the proper agencies and follow up on these concerns.
Possible zoning infractions were photographed by Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina and presented at the meeting in a slide show. The photographs show homes that speckle the Mana..e shoreline, some with Ho..olehua red dirt piles intended to fill the wetlands.
This imported earth may contain heptachlor, an insecticide used on the old pineapple plantation fields. Many residents fear water contamination. Exposure to heptachlor has been linked to liver damage and is associated with an increased risk of cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency banned heptaclor in 1978, yet it still lingers in the environment.
Other wetland residents may have illegal sea walls, boat ramps, and roads through the loko i..a. In some instances, shoreline trees were cut and bulldozed right into the ocean.
Attendees were frustrated with the lack of consistency and communication between various governmental agencies, as well as inadequate enforcement. Currently there is no zoning enforcement agency on Molokai, and meeting attendees feel this is one reason why there is wetlands abuse.
Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina President Linda Place wants to “work together to protect the wetlands.” She said this is possible through a “management swap,” which would transfer sensitive coastal lands into the protective custody of an appropriate governmental or non-profit entity.
Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina strives to “assure development that is lawful and respectful of the environmental health and historical culture of Mana..e, Molokai,” according to its mission statement.
Malama Pono O Ka ..Aina will host its next meeting March 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kilohana Community Center. All interested persons are encouraged to attend and share their mana..o.
Surfs up.. let’s go to Summer Surf Camp!
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 16, 2008
Wow, now here is a camp that is totally appealing to a water girl such as myself. I grew up around some of the most beautiful beaches in the World, and I would have given much to go to a Surf Camp!
I wish to take a few moments to talk about a place called… you got it… Surf Camp! Founded by Rick Civelli in 1995, Surf Camp has been facilitating, safe and exciting learn to surf summer camps. For a week, you will be immersed in the “Sport of Kings” while learning about incredible coastal ecosystems. All summer camps and surf camps have a safe student to instructor ratio of 3:1, and are staffed with certified professional instructors educated in the marine sciences. Why not learn to surf while taking advantage of warm emerald green waters and white sandy beaches, and enjoy a week of fun in the sun at one of these summer camps?
They offer both vacationers and residents alike an ecological surfing experience they will never forget. Whether you are looking at one of the teen summer camps or the adult learn to surf vacations, they offer the summer camp or overnight camp for you. Experience an unforgettable adventure that may just change your life forever.
The founder of Surf Camp, Rick Civelli, has been teaching people how to surf since 1995. He has developed an amazing methodology that will get you up and riding in no time. He also understands that there is so much more to surfing than standing on a board and riding a wave. One must begin to understand several different and important coastal processes. Being a surfer holds responsibilities to other surfers in the water and a dedication to taking care of our coast. That is why in all of our programs we emphasize safety, surfing etiquette, and teach dynamic curriculum about our coastal environment.
So, not only do we get to learn how to surf at these summer camps, one of my favourite aspects of Surf Camp is the fact that they teach you about Mother Ocean as well. Learning about the marine life and the environment is so very important to instill a love of nature and all things natural from early on. What a great way to have fun and learn such important life lessons at the same time!
As mentioned, safety is of the utmost importance. As quoted from the staff at Surf Camp…
“We have a deep knowledge and experience base of both watermen and women. On our staff, we have an Ocean Safety Director, an EMT, and a Wilderness First Responder. All Surf Camp instructors are American Red Cross lifeguard, CPR and First Aid Certified. All surfing lesson instructors are certified in CPR, First Aid, and trained in water safety. Most importantly we also have a burning desire to better ourselves in every aspect of our programs. We utilize consultation and training from Ocean Safety experts outside our organization for continuing education. We value and incorporate feedback from students, staff, and parents as we continually evaluate and better our policies and instruction methodologies.”
I bet, like my daughter, you simply cannot wait for Summr to get here so you can go to camp. Have fun and stay safe!
The Sea is rising.. Nature claims her own
Posted by msterilinn on Nov 14, 2007
I believe that global warming is a natural state of affair. The earth is always changing, and evolving, and throughout history we can see how many ancient species did not evolve and adapt as well as others. While it is certain man is causing this evolution of change in global proportions by depleting the planets defenses against such a rapid occurance, this change is ultimately innevitable, and a part of the natural balance. I found an article which relates directly to the results of natures evolution.
Nature and the Atlantic coast: ‘We are losing land to water’
The effects of global warming are devouring the coastline of New Brunswick and threatening its delicate ecosystems, natural beauty and native heritage.
Rising sea levels are already swamping plants natives use to make medicine and in religious ceremonies on the Elsipogtog First Nation. And at the Irving Eco-Centre in nearby Bouctouche, there is fear that the 12-kilometre stretch of sand dunes that date to the Ice Age and attract thousands of visitors each summer will eventually be washed away. Already, the tourism attraction’s boardwalk has been moved inland.
“You can delay things a little bit, but you can’t completely stop them from happening,” Kelly Honeyman, a naturalist at the Irving Eco-centre and the Irving Nature Park in Saint John, said. “I hate to be a pessimist, but even if you put in large rocks and pilings to preserve the dunes, like they are doing in the Carolinas, you are usually only safe for five to seven years.
“Water is almost lapping up against our dunes right now.”
Environment Canada predicts that the sea level along the Northumberland Strait will rise by nearly four feet by the year 2050. If that happens, the extraordinarily beautiful dunes would be destroyed and rare plants that are native to the area, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence aster and seaside pinweed, would be wiped out.
Scientists and researchers from J.D. Irving, Limited, have been working with other groups and agencies to help preserve the aster, a threatened species, since 2004. In addition, the company has helped preserve a population of endangered piping plovers, shorebirds which use the dunes for nesting.
Dr. Liette Vasseur, a professor at Laurentian University, told researchers and academics at a conference in Ottawa last week that many of the things New Brunswickers hold dear and rely on will be lost unless people change their behaviour to curtail and adapt to climate change.
A former instructor at the Université de Moncton, Vasseur conducted studies on the effects of global warming and climate change on coastal communities in Atlantic Canada, including Bouctouche and Elsipogtog. She said her recent assessment of the First Nation shows that traditional sites for harvesting sweetgrass and other natural medicinal plants are already being threatened by erosion and flooding.
Josephine Augustine, an herbal healer who practices traditional medicine at Elsipogtog, said Tuesday that she is having more and more difficulty finding the plants she picks and uses to make remedies for allergies, arthritis, headaches, psoriasis and ulcers, among other ailments.
“It is getting and harder,” Augustine said from her office in the health centre at the First Nation, which is near Rexton. “We are losing land to water, and we are losing medicines here.
“People need to be educated about the environment, and they have to let Mother Nature take its course. We have to let people know the ramifications of what they are doing, make them understand that these plants have a purpose.”
A teacher in Moncton from 2001 to 2004, Vasseur said areas like Bouctouche will be hurt economically unless people adapt to environmental conditions such as the rising sea level. She said they need to build farther inland, and they need to leave natural barriers to coastal erosion, including trees and shrubs, in place.
“People like to have a nice, manicured lawn running all the way down to the water, but when they remove all the trees they increase the vulnerability to the impact of a storm. All in all, we need to reduce our footprint on the environment, and everybody can play a role in that.
“I’m optimistic that people could be very good at adapting to these changes if they got together, but they have to first understand what is causing the changes.”
Honeyman, the naturalist, has spent countless hours walking the boardwalk at the Irving Eco-centre. Tuesday he lamented the threat to one of his favourite places.
“Once you get 200 meters past our interpretive centre, you have a wonderful feeling of solitude and are buffeted by beautiful breezes off the Northumberland Strait. It is really a special spot.”
Note - Credit for this article goes to…
Marty Klinkenberg
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday October 31st, 2007
Appeared on page A1
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Let’s help stop the Alaska Wolf Massacre…
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 19, 2007
Young ones are orphaned and left to starve to death without the protection and teachings given to them by their fallen pack members.
For more information… ” Please Visit this Site Today”
Together we can help stop this Massacre of Alaskan Wolves
before it is too late!! Every moment we hesitate can mean
another precious Life lost.. “Visit Defenders of Wildlife
to take action Today!”
Let Congress know we will NOT tolerate this cruel and
unjust killing of our Wolf brothers and sisters. Not only
is this wrong, it is another example of messing up our
ecosystems and the balance of Nature.
I would like to share Native American Legends and Stories.
If you have stories or legends passed down from your Ancestors,
I would be most happy to have you share them here or post your
comments. We can learn much from the creatures who share this
Earth with us. There is a reason the Creator placed all that
lives upon this planet, and we must remember to respect this.
