World-News

A message from Pam

This petition is new to me - if you have already signed, bear with me, and please forward to as many friends as possible. With the GREAT news of the cancellation of the Shanghai Animal Olympics, it is some encouragement to keep trying for these poor creatures.

Thank you.

Pam.


NEW Petition for Dogs in Korea. Friday, 2:54 AM

This important petition needs many more signatures!



http://www.dogaid.freeservers.com/how_help.htm


Thank you!

(posted by Karin.)

A message from Linda

Original Message

This year the Japanese fleet will kill already 1,000 whales off the coast of Antarctica, in what the whalers are calling a "feasibility study" for expanded "research" whaling. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed to a moratorium on commercial whaling that came into effect in 1986. In 1987, Japan began its lethal "research" programme, and continues to sell the result of this "research" in shops and restaurants.

An opinion poll in Japan carried out in June 2006 by the Gallup affiliate, the Nippon Research Centre, showed that 95% of Japanese never or rarely eat whale meat and more than 70 percent of Japanese do NOT support whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Lack of support within Japan is mirrored by widespread condemnation from the world community.

GREENPEACE NEED YOUR HELP The new “Whales Campaign” needs you great idea. You just have to log in the web page:

http://whales.greenpeace.org .

Then, we’ll choose the best idea to make it real at the next Greenpeace expedition to the Antarctica (coming soon). The videos and photographs of the whale’s campaign will turn all over the world, trying to get Japanese people more conscious about whaling. We just need your help to generate public discussion about whaling!!!! How to do??

1) Help us design a direct action to save the whales (without alienating the whalers, who are just trying to make a living).We need your help to create an amazing campaign that accomplishes the unexpected – and triggers a positive and productive public debate both in Japan and all over the world. It’s especially important to win the campaign in Japan, where most people are against whaling in Antarctica.Imagine you are designing the direct action:What would you do?Tell us here!Suggest your actions. Post some images or even a small video that tell your friends to look at all the suggestions and vote for the best one.

2) Register.Get on board and be part of the biggest crew Greenpeace has ever sailed with.Sign up now, chose a screen name and an avatar.

3) Post your idea.To create the best and most creative Greenpeace expedition ever we need your ideas and ideas from thousands of people around the world like you. Give your action a name, describe it, and add some images, photos, or a video. (And tell your friends to vote for your idea).

4) Surf, comment and vote on all the ideas.“Defend the whales” is a world-wide community of environmental activists. Join it. Rate the action ideas. Tell us how to make them better. IMPORTANT TIPSWe don't want to blame the Japanese people for whaling. Remember these facts:-77% of the Japanese population does not support whaling in Antarctica,-61% haven't eaten whale meat since childhood, and-ONLY 1% eat whale meat more than once a month ... and-Japan has more than 4.800 tones of FROZEN whale meat in storage.We need the whole world to stand up for the whales and against the Japanese government's policy of killing them.Our campaign goal is to win back a majority of votes at the International Whaling Commission meeting next May 2007 in Alaska, and clearly show the world that most countries are working for whale species recovery and conservation.

*manatee*2 THANKS A LOT !!!!!!!



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Whale

Please tell Caribbean governments not to commercially hunt whales
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M721738399936594338026065

Despite a worldwide outcry against the hunting of whales and a ban on whaling in place since 1986, some Eastern Caribbean nations are shockingly calling for commercial whaling to be launched in the region.

At a recent meeting of Caribbean Fisheries Ministers, St. Kitts and Nevis Fisheries Minister Cedric Liburd called on Caribbean nations to follow Japan’s lead and engage in commercial whaling. But he didn’t stop here. He went on to suggest that tourists to the region should be fed whale meat, and that this would benefit the region’s tourism industry.

Send a letter to Tourism Ministers throughout the Caribbean urging them to tell their nation’s leaders not take up commercial whaling. Tell them to support the region’s thriving and growing whale watching industry – an industry worth more than U.S. $22 million annually.
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M721738409936594338026065

A horrible idea for whales and people

The Caribbean draws millions and millions of tourists each year who visit the region to enjoy its unique natural environment – from rainforests to its stunning marine habitat where turtles, dolphins, whales and other marine creatures can be seen.

In recent years, IFAW has worked hard to support the Caribbean’s developing whale watching industry. Thousands of tourists now visit the region each year just to see whales in their natural habitat. In addition, Caribbean school children have the opportunity to take part in “floating classrooms,” an educational partnership with whale watching operators throughout the region. This irresponsible call for commercial whaling in the Caribbean puts all of this vital work at risk.

In recent years, Japan has pushed Caribbean nations to support their call for lifting the global ban on whaling. As part of their campaign to solicit support from the region, Japan has acknowledged providing millions of dollars to the region in fisheries industry development.

Please tell Caribbean leaders not to consider commercial whaling. Urge them not to follow Japan’s misguided call for a lifting of the whaling ban.
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M721738419936594338026065

Your voice can have a significant impact on their action! Please send a message today to tell Caribbean leaders that whales are worth far more alive than dead.

Thanks for all you do,

Fred O’Regan
President and CEO

Coalition seeks one million signatures for online petition.

http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/feature_061122.html

Facts about Dolphin Drive Hunts in Japan

During drive hunts, migrating pods of dolphins and other small whales are first panicked and confused by loud banging, then herded, by the hundreds, into shallow coves and butchered, one by one, by fishermen. Every year, some 20,000 small cetaceans of several species, some of which are endangered, including bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, spotted dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, white-sided dolphins and false killer whales, are killed or taken in the drives, sometimes illegally.

This cruel and inhumane practice is sanctioned and controlled by the Government of Japan, which claims that these animals compete with the fishermen and slaughtering them is a means of pest control, but no evidence for this claim exists. The dolphins are processed and used as pet food or fertilizer, and the government is encouraging the consumption of dolphin meat. In fact, the hunts would be economically unviable without the sale of live dolphins captured during the drives to dolphinariums in Asia and elsewhere.

There is abundant scientific evidence that drive hunts inflict incredible pain and suffering on highly intelligent, self-aware, and socially complex animals. The hunts have been universally condemned on both welfare and conservation grounds, but repeated requests to end them, from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and numerous other scientific and conservation organizations, have been ignored.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the professional organization that represents over 1,200 zoos and aquariums around the world, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in the United States, have also condemned these hunts. WAZA explicitly prohibits member organizations from procuring animals from drive hunts. Now, marine scientists, WAZA, and AZA have joined with other non-governmental organizations to bring an immediate end to drive hunting.

Join us in our efforts by signing the petition.
http://www.actfordolphins.org/

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Stop the Japanese dolphin hunt!!!!

Please visit http://takeaction.oceana.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5322 to sign a petition to stop the slaughter of 20,000 dolphins annually. It's done for sport and it's disgusting!! This matter really demands attention.

Thank you for your help!

Courtney

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Dolphin Slaughter in Japan
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/427037941

To those who havent signed the petition yet to end this horrendous dolphin slaughter in japan,

I'M BEGGING YOU

To take a few mintues to help stop these japanese traditional slaughters of dolphins. You can WATCH THE VIDEO to see what it is about, (and then i know you wouldnt wait one more second to react, it is just UNCONCEIVABLE to allow this to go on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkgCTDqQYBE or you can view it on my profile page. http://www.care2.com/c2c/people/profile.html?/pid=878226503
(BEWARE: VERY GRAPHIC)


From Linda H.

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Dolphin Slaughter Petitions

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/427037941
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/end-dolphin-slaughter-in-japan.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/golfinho/


Informant: Millennium Twain

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New Online Video Documents Japanese Dolphin Slaughter

Save Japan Dolphins coalition spotlights both animal cruelty and health concerns.
http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/marine/feature_070620.html



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=dolphins

Hundreds of Idaho wolves are at risk in Idaho, where in 2001 legislators passed a measure calling for the elimination of wolves "by any means necessary."

Fill out the form below to urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to deny Idaho’s recent requests to kill wolves in the Clear Water Basin and in areas where they are still protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Remember, your comments will be most effective if they are personalized. Please tell federal officials why you think Idaho's gray wolves should be protected.

Take Action!
https://secure2.convio.net/dow/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr011=3lb2o5fsp1.app26a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=445

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Tragedy for wolves

A message from Linda

Original Message

ACTION ALERT

Through our holidays season, a tragic decision has been made regarding the future of our wolves in Idaho. It was posted in the news, however, with the busy season, some of you may have missed this. Please note the news, VOTE "NO", and sign the ongoing petition below. And forward to friends. Thank you, have a Great New Year!

Linda H.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/664280276


submitted by Karen

Wolves may be delisted and opened to hunting; a new plan to manage Idaho's roadless areas shocked environmentalists with its green leanings; massive snows led to one of the biggest winters on record (the wildlfire season was also impressive).
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?issue_date=12-29-2006&ID=2005113632

Murder is NOT the solution!

Dogs and cats in China need your help. Stricter rules need to be put in place to protect them, and this is particularly true in the case of major companies, such as eBay, that are in a position to make a significant difference in the lives of these animals. Although eBay knows that cats and dogs have no laws protecting them in China, the company still allows people in China to sell animals through its Web site, though this is not allowed in any other country! Not only is eBay allowing the unregulated transport of animals, the company is also allowing anyone to buy cats and dogs, regardless of what they intend to do with the animals. In addition to the obvious risks of allowing cats and dogs to be sold over the Internet as if they were mere objects, the fear and suffering that animals go through in transport can be horrific.

Even in China, animal welfare groups have spoken out against eBay's practice. As you are someone who cares about the plight of dogs and cats in China, we knew that you would want to be alerted to eBay's callous attitude toward animals. Please take a moment to join PETA in demanding that eBay stop allowing the sale of live dogs and cats in China.
http://getactive.peta.org/ct/DpSOQpp18zEO/

Click here to write to eBay and ask that the company enact a policy against allowing animals to be bought and sold over the Internet in China, where there are no laws in place to protect these animals from abuse.
http://getactive.peta.org/ct/DpSOQpp18zEO/

Thank you again for your efforts to help animals around the world!

Sincerely,

PETA
http://getactive.peta.org/ct/KdSOQpp18zEI/

"Das ist ein Teil unserer Kultur"
http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/24/24028/1.html

http://www.earthwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=dsJSK6PFJnH&b=692025&ct=3215083

Press Releases

Grey Whales Missing from North Pacific Feeding Grounds

Earthwatch volunteers to investigate feeding behavior off Baja, Mexico this winter. Earthwatch Institute, Maynard, MA, 20 October 2006 - Finding one thirty-ton animal in the vast North Pacific may be as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. But when the entire estimated population of 17,000 grey whales is hard to find, it is cause for concern. Researchers reported very few sightings in the grey whales' traditional summer feeding grounds last season. Earthwatch teams are invited to join Dr. William Megill (University of Bath) as he explores the impact on these whales at the southern end of their migration, in Baja California, Mexico.

Grey Whales © Jen Reber

"We've just come off a second summer in Canada in which we've had next to no whales show up," said Megill, principal investigator of Earthwatch-supported research on grey whales in both British Columbia and Baja California. "Not only in our little area, but apparently throughout the traditional feeding areas from Washington on up north. We have no idea where the whales all went this year." Grey whales usually spend their summers feeding in the plankton-rich waters of the North Pacific, from northern California to the Bering and Chuckchi Seas. The whales migrate every winter to the warm lagoons off Baja California, where they breed and give birth to their calves. The extraordinary 6,000-mile exodus, one of nature's great spectacles, is one of the longest mammal migrations known on Earth. Although they were the first great whales to be removed from the endangered species list, the future for grey whales is by no means certain. The fact that they have abandoned their traditional summer feeding grounds indicates to scientists that the whales may need to range further to find sufficient food. "Presumably they found other feeding areas, but they will have had to look hard. This suggests they may be quite lean this winter, particularly as this is now the second summer they've had to deal with this problem," said Megill. "We know that the Bering Sea has taken a beating over the last ten years, and that productivity has plummeted there, forcing the whales into new habitat. A new blow to the productivity in these marginal habitats could hurt badly." Since 2000, Earthwatch volunteers have helped support Megill's grey whale research, both in British Columbia and Baja California. This winter, in January, February, and March, they will be paying special attention to feeding behaviors exhibited by the whales. Although grey whales historically have rarely been seen feeding on their winter breeding grounds, teams last year observed whales trying to feed from the lagoon bottom. "How much they were getting out of the mud they were sifting, I don't know," said Megill. "But there was a lot of it going on, more than I'm used to seeing. We're expecting to see the animals feeding even more in Mexican waters this year. We'll be heading out into the Pacific to see what the whales are doing offshore." The research site for Earthwatch teams is Laguna San Ignacio, in one of Mexico's most remote regions. This turquoise lagoon, surrounded by salt flats, mangrove forests, mesas, and desert, has been a sanctuary for breeding grey whales for centuries and is one of the most pristine breeding sites left. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Laguna San Ignacio was the focus of a recent agreement between local landowners and a consortium of environmental groups to promote sustainable development in the area. Earthwatch Institute is a global volunteer organization that supports scientific field research by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. The year 2006 marks Earthwatch's 35th anniversary. Be sure to watch A Year on Earth, a two-part special to debut on Discovery Kids Channel on December 3 and 10. A Year on Earth chronicles the adventures of three American teens who join Megill in Baja California and several other Earthwatch research projects around the world. Together, they discover how ordinary people can make a difference in the most pressing environmental issues of our time.


Informant: Scott Munson



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=whale