Monday, May 21, 2012

IMBT Internet Roundup Part 1: Environment & Animal Protection

During my lengthy absence from posting, I came across a number of compelling articles and links concerning our natural world and our animal cohabitants.  The theme is constant:  We must take responsibility for the changes we've incurred on our planet and we must do better going forward.  I agree.

I've shared a few that have really resonated with me below.

For starters, NASA released a photo gallery of images depicting climate change and other human impact on the Earth.  The photos compare the same site over a period of many years and show the effects of ice melt, flooding, deforestation, urban growth, fires, etc.  It's pretty fascinating... and a little bit terrifying.  Here is one example (Muir Glacier in 1941 vs. 2004):



(Both of these images were taken in August, BTW, so this is not a seasonal melt)
Check out the rest of the incredible photos here.

Secondly, I've noticed that certain organizations have been calling in the big guns lately.  And by big guns I mean A-list actors who will narrate videos for them.

This video, which is narrated by Jeff Goldblum, is a fundraising video for Oceana.  Their message is clear:  the gross (and illegal) overfishing needs to end, and they intend to stop it.  They just need support.  The underwater photography is so beautiful, that I recommend taking a look just for that:


If you now feel compelled to contribute, you may do so here.  You can also keep up with Oceana is up to by following them on Facebook here.  I personally believe that the work they're doing is of utmost importance to the survival of our planet's ecosystem.  On a related note, (and I think I may have linked to this before) for more information on which fish to eat, click here.

Alec Baldwin has lent his handsome face and that breathy (?) voice for this video for PETA:


Here's the thing, I'm not a huge PETA fan.  I don't agree with a lot of their tactics - I feel that they often target the wrong person/group and rely too much on sensationalism.  But the fact that this is still going on is revolting, and I'm glad PETA is bringing attention to it.  When I was a kid, visiting the zoos, the circus, and Sea World were all great delights to me.  As I've gotten older, I've come to find such places somewhat depressing, and, sometimes, disturbing.  It saddens me to see animals that are used to roaming continents and oceans being confined to enclosures and tanks.  But even worse is when animals in captivity aren't treated properly.

If you now feel compelled to support PETA you may do so here.  You can also take action on their campaigns here.

And finally, I just wanted to quickly mention that the LA Super Adoption I volunteered at a few weeks ago was a huge success!  The grand total of adopted/rescued animals was 361 - hooray!  And while this might seem counter-intuitive, I DIDN'T come home with another animal (I was really close to adopting a 3 month old red pittie-basenji mix puppy) so that's good news for my cat and my roommates and my stress level.

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