Please Do Not Tap On the Glass

Sorry for the absence of late, but let’s get on with it there’s much to share!

The brutal Canadian seal hunt continues. Read HSUS’ Rebecca Aldworth’s eyewitness account of the slaughter. There are graphic photos in her blog. You should look at them.

Defenders of Wildlife needs you help to stop the Alaska wolf massacre.

March 23, 2007 — Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s administration has announced an awful expansion of the state’s controversial wolf management programs: plans to pay a $150 bounty for any wolf killed in specified management zones provided that shooters turn in the dismembered legs of the wolves they kill.

Aerial gunning has resumed in Alaska. Already, more than 40 wolves have been killed, with the state seeking to eliminate up to 664 wolves by aerial gunning and other means. At least 152 wolves were killed during Alaska’s 2005/2006 aerial gunning season.

Please help!

The NRDC reports that

more than 500,000 Americans submitted comments
to the Bush Administration in support of protection for the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.

That figure is almost DOUBLE the number of public comments generated by any other endangered species listing case in U.S. history. Even more amazing is that NRDC Members and online activists like you contributed almost half of the total comments!

Thanks to you, our Polar Bear SOS campaign was able to broadcast the plight of the polar bear to millions of Americans — and they responded to its distress signals in an unprecedented outpouring of support.

What’s next? The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will review the collected comments and will render a decision on whether or not to protect the polar bear by next January.

That protection is far from assured. And so, between now and January, NRDC will continue ratcheting up public and scientific opinion on behalf of the polar bear — who despite its mighty survival skills is simply no match for global warming.

Method cleaning products are biodegradable, cruelty-free and use sustainable yield palm oil. How do I know this? I wrote to them and asked. It’s that simple, folks, you got questions then fire off an e-mail message and voila! answers.

Hi there, NotHoney, thanks for taking the time to write to us and for your interest in method.

In response to your questions, we are committed to responsible palm oil
production and working towards the establishment of best social and
environmental practices. We work to balance development with preserving
biodiversity and comply with local laws, including those related to preservation of endangered species and other aspects of sound environmental management.

In order to minimize the effect on virgin forest areas, we focus on
planting palm trees in areas that had already been cultivated or
previously logged. At three of our plantations, we work closely with
local and international NGOs such as WWF Indonesia, the Zoological
Society of London and Flora and Fauna International to monitor wildlife
habitats and contribute towards the long term sustainability of some of
the world’s most endangered species – the Sumatran tiger, the orangutan and the Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly.

To ensure we create an environment for sustainable agriculture, we
monitor water, fertilizer and land use, implement erosion control
measures and comply with all legal requirements on pollution control.

Hope this information is helpful! Let us know if you have any other
questions – we are happy to help!

Best,
Kerin LeClair

Environmental Defense issued their April 2007 Progress Report. Read about the Five Big Ideas – Idea #1: Fight Global Warmingm Idea #2: Help Landowners Protect Species, Idea #3: Reward Conservation Farming, Idea #4: Protect Oceans and Fisheries, and Idea #5: Restore Coastal Wetlands – then vote for your favorite development.

The Humane Society of the United States reports a legislative victory!

On April 9 at 8:06 p.m., I watched history happen. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act.

The House of Representatives passed the same bill, H.R. 137, late last month by a vote of 368 to 39. What this means is that after an almost six-year battle, the struggle to enact meaningful federal penalties for animal fighting has passed its final congressional hurdle. The legislation now is headed to the desk of President Bush, who is expected to sign the measure into law. The new law will take effect immediately, and I can assure you that this is a dark and long-dreaded day in the dogfighting and cockfighting worlds.

I cannot tell you know grateful I am for the efforts of each of you who sent emails, made phone calls, wrote letters and visited your federal legislators on Capitol Hill and in their home districts. You kept the pressure on and your tireless efforts and support made the difference. The cockfighting lobby was organized, and its leaders poured hundreds of thousands of dollars to derail the legislation — but we out-hustled them and we carried the day.

Nearly every week, there are reports of dog fighting and cockfighting crimes in the United States. It is a vast underground network of people who revel in seeing animals tear one another apart and gamble on the outcomes of the staged spectacles. Now federal law enforcement officials have the tools they need to uproot these underground animal fighting enterprises and put a halt to the the abhorrent cruelty inflicted on dogs, birds and other animals.

I hope this victory inspires you to keep working on behalf of public policies to protect animals. Animal fighting pits will be closing throughout the nation, and it is joyous day for animals. This victory reminds us to never to give up, and that there are rewards for compassionate action and perseverance. Please share this tremendous news with others and let them know that you had a part in making it happen.

Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

“Shame on us
Doomed from the start
May God have mercy
On our dirty little hearts
Shame on us
For all we have done
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones.”

OK, get to work. You’ve got a planet to save.

s.

Filed under: animal rights, conservation, endangered species, palm oil