Nov 2020 Report
50 Shades of Green, cartoon by Josh. Webpage: http://cates1980.wixsite.com/cateswebsite Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/robert.piller.3979
Cooking with Jeffrey Smith and Chef Anna https://www.responsibletechnology.org/9069-2/? eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1cc58b1a-5a83-4d93-8111-77f13083c1bc Gene Editing is Dangerous with Dr. Jonathan Latham. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyYastg4Ct8
Hedgerows Cont'd.
At this time of year our hedgerows should be alive with the chuck-chuckling of Fieldfares and the whistling of Redwings but sadly these sounds are no longer common. The birds themselves have all but been eliminated by the wind farms while the berries along the hedgerows they once frequented are no longer there because of the needless cutting. So these days we're treated to an experience of utmost boredom whenever we take that walk into the countryside. Vacuous landscapes of horrendous whirring obstacles with all the trimming, manicuring and sanitisation. The fields themselves should be filled with Lapwings but they too are no longer with us along with everything else.
The Hapless Conservationist. Cont'd.
Some of the letters received. Between right-wing propaganda and left-wing propaganda, selfish nationalism, cultural interests and financial profiteering whether it's palm oil or wind farms, what's the answer to the energy crisis, the dwindling of the earth's resources, mass extinction and the climate crisis? Sue Dodd It was an interesting read covering a vast array of issues, some of which I was more familiar with than others. If your mission is to get your message out there, little and often might be a more effective tactic. I agree to a point that the green movement has failed to tap into the overriding concerns of the general public and has failed to bring them along. The movement also appears to have opened itself up to division and rancour. You have highlighted the misguided, even dishonest purpose of many conservation projects. As you say, always choose your charities with care. I wholeheartedly agree that it is important to stop and think (the way the Covid pandemic has been handled is a clear illustration of this). As your illustrations often demonstrate, the evidence of my own eyes as I walk in the countryside tells me that our environment is sadly depleted. Rachel Carson and a multitude of others since have been raising the alarm about the ravages caused by unscrupulous businesses, bad science, corrupt politicians and so on.
If we believe that we get the governments we deserve then we must be the change that we want to see. As you point out, dog fouling laws have had perverse consequences. The worship of money (for those without it of course it promises security), unbridled consumption (by those of us living in advanced economies, in particular), the pseudoscience of economics - these are just some of the reasons we find ourselves in our current predicament. Our direction of travel is leading us down a dead end. The planet will recover. We might choose to be a part of that, or we might choose to write ourselves out of the story. As with the pandemic, our best chance of survival is in acknowledging that we are all in this together and we must stop shouting at one another and passing the buck, or worse, burying our heads in the sand. We must work towards a consensus. The UN and other global bodies were established with the best of intentions. They are far from perfect but they are the best hope that we have. They are massively underfunded and yet some of their achievements since their inception have been extraordinary. It is so much easier to demolish an edifice than to build one yet the collateral damage from the collapse can be immense (think of the twin towers as a metaphor, for instance). What was most disappointing about your paper was that it was long on criticism but short on solutions. Please don't take this personally, because you have obviously done a considerable amount of groundwork and I imagine your intentions are good. Caroline Milne
The UN and other global bodies were established with the best of intentions. They were probably very well intended but government led organisations often don't have the faintest idea nor interest in doing things right in fact they're far more likely to do just about everything wrong. An example a bird being rendered infertile by pesticides. With their absence they'll put that down to global-warming and recommend wind-energy as a solution which will obviously only make things considerably worse. And it'll be the same with every other thing. To be fair though these people are not conservationists and are being grossly misled by those charities who have subsequently been infiltrated and bought out over the decades. Long on criticism but short on solutions. This paper set out to criticise what's happening within the conservation movement so regrettably it was always going to be a pretty negative account. But within it there are some links which are more positive and very much do offer real solutions. So these are now being red highlighted for easy findings in the next update.
Friends of the Earth.
“We need people standing shoulder to shoulder with us building the world we want.� Just one of their classic lines.
Except FoE's relentless campaigns for every increasing wind-energy has created the greatest single divide ever witnessed in conservation.
Nearly every day (yes, every day) I am discomposed by industrial turbines. We no longer are able to sit outside and enjoy the peace and quiet. Our coonhound no longer sleeps outside; our cats no longer want to be outside at night. We find ourselves sleeping in our basement on a regular basis. We live in a brick home. We have, going on three weeks, shadow flickering. It starts out in our bathroom and bedroom, then travels through our dining and living room, then into our kitchen and finally ending in our garage. This is about 30 minutes a day. Then, in the evening it travels in the reverse direction, for about the same 30 minutes. It messes with your head. Imagine being in a room and someone keeps turning the light switch on and off, on and off, on and off. The legal term for this is “trespass zoning”. Next, the noise – the horrific noise – we knew the turbines were going to be loud, but not as loud as they truly are. We had three of the Blattner Energy employees stand in our driveway and tell us they indeed were going to be very loud. These men were from Montana, Oklahoma, and a local from Greenfield. These monsters are 494 feet tall from base to the tip of the blade; the blades are close to 200 feet long. When you have a very large structure, moving and spinning at over 200 mph, vibrating the air, then compound it with multiple structures, all of the same size and speed, there will be noise – and lots of it. I am not opposed to anyone wanting industrial wind turbines. You just have to keep the noise, the shadowing, and all other adverse affects on your property, and not ours. The World Health Organization has deemed these industrial turbines a health risk. Common sense would tell, or should tell, any reasonable person this is not right to impose these things on any living being. Page County, a county not even slated to get turbines, have created an ordinance to prevent industrial wind from destroying their county. They did this because they do not want what happened to Adair County to happen to them. What does this say to any reasonable person? I am certain, without a shadow of a doubt, had our county been educated it would have been a much, much different outcome in Adair County. We are living it each and every day. And each and every day people are learning that this is truly not what we were led to believe. How can we possibly be wrong? We are not. Again, we are living it – many of the residents of Madison County are not. Stand up for your property rights. One last note: Judy Neal, if you don’t already know this, not one of your neighbors for miles wants industrial wind turbines. Therefore I am certain they do not want the adverse affects from your turbines. I hope you can keep them from infringing onto your neighbors’ property. They, too, will be very unhappy. Lastly, I had my hearing checked, as I now have ringing and ear pain, on Oct. 22 at the ENT Clinic of Iowa by Dr. Wright. He found that my hearing had actually improved since my last test in 2017. Therefore, I am certain I can hear pretty well. You don’t and won’t understand, until you live it. Tanya Lamb.
The National Trust Fells 40,000 Albeit Dead Trees.
National Trust suffers 'worst year' for ash dieback
Ash tree silohuette, Cumbria (Image courtesy of National Trust Images and Peter Tasker) The National Trust has said it has experienced the worst year on record for ash dieback on its estates. It says a combination of the coronavirus lockdown and the driest spring on record created a "perfect storm" for the disease to spread. The charity says it will have to spend ÂŁ2m on felling infected trees this year - four times more than the average cost of felling trees. Sites affected are places that inspired Beatrix Potter and John Constable. "Ash dieback is a catastrophe for nature," said the trust's national tree and woodland adviser, Luke Barley. "Our landscapes and woodlands are irrevocably changing before our eyes, and this year's combination of a dry spring and late frost may have dramatically sped up the severity of ash dieback." Lockdown impacts Mr Barley went on to explain that the charity's estates across the country were being hit hard by the pathogen. From author Beatrix Potter's Troutbeck Farm in the Lake District to the trees around John Constable's hometown of Flatford, Suffolk - which is said to have provided the inspiration for his masterpiece, the Hay Wain - all were feeling the impact of the disease spread going largely unchecked over the past six months.
"Lockdown has meant we were not able to undertake regular conservation work and many of our rangers who have returned are now forced to spend time felling to manage safety," Mr Barley added. "Vital conservation work, such as tree planting, managing flower-rich meadows and important maintenance work is having to go on hold as a result."
The issue of biosecurity is set to become increasingly important to prevent alien invasive pathogens entering UK habitats Ash dieback, triggered by a fungus called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, causes dieback of leaves and branches by shutting down tubes in the trunk that the trees use to transport water and nutrients through its woody frame. Although the disease, originally from eastern Asia, has been present in mainland Europe for a number of decades, it arrived in the UK back in 2012. In less than a decade, it has spread to all parts of Britain and affected hundreds of thousands of ash trees, if not millions. Ash trees are one of the UK's most abundant tree species, and studies suggest the dieback disease is going to cost the UK economy billions of pounds. The UK government has recently held a public consultation on its forthcoming tree strategy, which includes ways to increase the resilience and biosecurity of the nation's trees. Earlier this year, the National Trust announced that it was going to have to finding savings of ÂŁ100m each year as a result of the lost income from the coronavirus lockdown. Yet the cost of the felling of diseased ash is set to cost millions of pounds, the charity said.
In a normal year, rangers would expect to fell between 4,000 and 5,000 trees on the trust's land. However, it expects to have to cut down an estimated 40,000 trees this year. In order to help cover the additional costs, the National Trust is asking for donations from the public. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54373214
The National Trust Fells 40,000 Albeit Dead Trees. This is nothing short of land-clearance by those who have no concept of just how important dead wood actually is. If they think this will stop the spread of the disease it will not, the spores are already out there, so no amount of felling will change that. It would be far better to seize the opportunity by allowing some really good habitat to develop instead but this is obviously beyond those of such limited vision. Many trees are surviving extremely well and it is their seeds that will self-seed all by themselves without any further intervention and go on to produce the next disease resistant strains. There really is no point in depriving countless species of insects and birds of food and shelter spending what they describe as 'millions of pounds' in the process. Their statement, “in a normal year they would expect to fell between 4,000 and 5,000 trees on the trust's land,� shows just how heavy handed they routinely are anyway. They are setting an extremely dangerous precedence for others who will no doubt replicate. As a direct result of their action we'll be seeing dead trees felled everywhere around the country as landowners and councils queue up to follow suit. And the BBC's coverage at every opportunity makes doubly sure their clearly outdated message is drip-fed into the nation's psyche as the best practice for our woodlands. https://static.wixstatic.com/ugd/74da12_62646dcff6684e198888cff3344ae870.pdf
Please write to: fellfoot@nationaltrust.org.uk
Trump Claims Wind Power 'Kills All Birds,' But This Chart Shows That's Not True
Donald Trump and Joe Biden sparred over the issue of renewable energy at the final debate of the 2020 election on Thursday, with the president falsely claiming wind power "kills all the birds." Donald Trump wearing a suit and tie: President Donald Trump takes part in the final presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at Belmont University on October 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. President Donald Trump takes part in the final presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at Belmont University on October 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the last debate between the two candidates before the election on November 3. Trump told Biden at the debate held at the Curb Event Center in Nashville: "I know more about wind than you do. It's extremely expensive. Kills all the birds." This isn't the first time the president has cited bird deaths as an argument against wind power. Last year, he told the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held in Florida that turbines are "noisy" and "kill the birds." He told he audience: "You want to see a bird graveyard? Go under a windmill someday. You'll see more birds than you've ever seen in your life."
The president is right in claiming that wind turbines are a threat to birds, as it is estimated they kill hundreds of thousands of the animals each year. However, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published in 2017, bird deaths linked to these structures are eclipsed by a range of other causes, most notably cats, as well electrical lines, another source of energy. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment. As the graphic by Statista below shows, cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds each year. The next biggest killers are collisions with building glass or vehicles, at 599 million and 214.5 million, respectively. Each year an estimated 72 million birds are fatally poisoned, 25 million die after hitting electrical lines, and 5.6 million are electrocuted. Collisions with land-based wind turbines make up 234,012 deaths.
A graphic showing estimates of the biggest human-linked causes of bird deaths in the U.S. StatistaŠ Statista A graphic showing estimates of the biggest human-linked causes of bird deaths in the U.S. Statista There are a variety of reasons why birds may collide with turbines, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states, including the location and design of the towers. The animals are more likely to have a dangerous encounter with a wind turbine if it sits in their migratory route, or near rivers, coastlines, or ridgelines. The way a bird flies, including the height, can also put it at risk of being hurt by a turbine. The American Bird Conservancy states on its website that wind energy and birds can "co-exist" only if turbines are in the erected in the right location. In Hawaii, for instance, officials require energy companies to take measures including estimating the risk to birds and bats before projects are approved, and the technology is prohibited in some areas.
As for problems with their design, a study published earlier this year in the journal Ecology and Evolution found painting a single wind turbine blade black at the wind� power plant in Norway reduced bird deaths by 70 percent compared with those that were unpainted. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-claims-wind-power-kills-all-birds-but-thischart-shows-thats-not-true/ar-BB1ak4dq
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Bird Conservancy of course are all up to their necks in corruption as well as in the pockets of the wind industry so we can hardly believe a word they speak.
Blades that spin at over 180mph at the tips, with more than adequate spacing for things to fly between, they could hardly have been designed to be more lethal. Millions of birds and bats, and countless zillions of flying insects being visually drawn in by the rotating blades like moths to a flame each year, every turbine acting like a gigantic vortex sucking in our wildlife and spiting it out the other side. Bird-Deaths. Please take a view! https://youtu.be/s6B-pbJV6IA
"No Safe Passage" For Whales Or Birds If Government Plan Goes Ahead... 18/10/20200 Comments
A proposal to expand the UKs offshore wind capacity could result in "no safe passage for whales, dolphins, bats and birds". "The whole mindless idea emanates from cloud cuckoo land, where it seems many of our politicians reside...." Words of warning I sounded words of warning last year when I reported that seabird populations in the Irish Sea, around the Isle of Man, had plummeted by 40%. Could it perhaps, I asked, have anything to do with the nearby presence of the world's biggest offshore wind farm? The answer seemed glaringly obvious. Wind turbines kill birds and bats through direct collision, and probably whales and other marine mammals through the effects of infrasound. We don't know the numbers because, unlike land based wind farms where the carnage is visible, at sea the dead bodies are usually never recovered or recorded, although some cetaceans are stranded or washed ashore dead. Now the UK government has flaunted the idea of building many more offshore wind farms around the coast of the UK, equating to thousands of huge turbines, which means that our seas could potentially become a slaughterhouse for some of our most threatened species. Hundreds of these enormous turbines, many of them more than 600 feet (182m) high, already fill large expanses of the Irish Sea, with each blade measuring more than 200 feet in length, spinning at up to 180 mph. Thousands more throng the North Sea. Indeed it's been confirmed that a new generation of turbines is to be installed off England's eastern coast, with each blade measuring more than 350 feet (107m) in length. What hope is there for birds and bats to avoid such a deadly machine?
Death knell for marine mammals and birds If the reckless industrialisation proceeds at the pace mooted by the prime minister, thousands more turbines will be added to the already lethal mix. This will sound the death knell for marine mammals and birds. The whole mindless idea emanates from cloud cuckoo land, where it seems many of our politicians reside, but it's a dangerous idea nevertheless because big wind companies will be eager to buy into a money making scheme, however absurd and whatever the cost to the environment and wildlife. With greed and stupidity combined in one ridiculous proposal, is there any hope at all for the survival of our endangered marine ecosystems? No safe passage for whales, dolphins, bats and birds If the absurd plan is given the green light, then there will be no safe passage for whales, dolphins, bats and birds. Creatures that have traversed these maritime routes for millennia will be facing a potential massacre and some species will doubtless face extinction as a direct result of an irrational and half-baked ambition from a government that has yet to prove it can accomplish anything but general chaos. It's a government that is already overseeing the appalling culling of badgers and the wholesale destruction of our ancient woodlands. Now they have formulated a madcap plan to destroy our precious marine ecosystems too. No amount of mitigation will be enough to restore the fragile balance of nature, already at risk of imminent environmental collapse. RSPB worried.... While some are already on board with the madness, others are starting to worry. The RSPB has finally woken up to the problem, warning of the significant threat to rare birds if the government's reckless plan goes ahead. They say such expansion of offshore wind farms would lead to an "irreversible decline towards extinction." Sinister Irony: Slaughter of wildlife under the banner of 'saving the planet' It would be insane to think that oceans full of turbines, at the expense of so many species, will prove to be a reliable or economic solution to the energy crisis. If the plan goes ahead, then the final mass slaughter of our most endangered wildlife will be underway. And with sinister irony it will all be under the banner of 'saving the planet' and 'green energy'. Stupidity and self destruction These are strange times we are living through folks. Stupidity is a trait unique to the human race, and we might well be on course for self destruction through selfishness and greed - but we shouldn't be taking so many other species down with us. http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/no-safe-passage-for-whales-or-birds-ifgovernment-plan-goes-ahead
First Boris Johnson was promoting GMO crops, then he wanted to relax what few planning restrictions we have in the UK, and now he wants to fill the coasts around Britain with wind farms. If he carries on 'saving' things the way he is we'll soon have nothing at all left to save. He has absolutely no idea. He is one of the most dangerous leaders this country has ever had and we've seen some pretty awful tyrants in the past.
Boris Johnson. I'm a little teapot short and stout. I open my mouth and scheit pours out.
Governments and Corporates. Everyone's getting in on the act with each one of 'em clambering to be that much greener than the next. They need to be seen to be green and it's a truly sickening spectacle to witness knowing each and every one of them does not have a real care in their body. It's all a veneer that we might feel a sense of calm about what's happening in the world and we can forget about the environment knowing it's all in safe hands. Or at least that's what they want us to feel and then we can all go back to the serious business of plundering whatever we like.
Amazon TV Commercial, 'The Climate Pledge' Amazon says it doesn't just think big; it does big. The online retailer pledges to be net zero carbon by 2040, power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and has created a $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/nrEi/amazon-the-climate-pledge
Bird song in combination with the gently rotating blades. Typical corporate prettying things up, in order to somehow improve their own personal image, whilst becoming an even bigger problem than they already were. So what's to be done about it? As I've always said, bitching amongst ourselves on facebook really does not do it, simply because they're never going to read what you've said. Far better every time they come up with their utterances is to bombard them with messages on their personal pages, or to post an article on public with their name on it, that way there is at least a chance they may see it. MPs and companies really do not like being called out with images of dead birds having just announced their liking for wind energy for example.
Idaho opens first-ever swan hunting season
Courtesy of Julie Lininger In August, 50 tags were issued first-come, first-serve for Idaho’s first ever swan hunting season; those who were early to the draw will get to participate when the season opens October 19. Swan hunting will only be available in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties, and runs until December 1. Hunters will be limited to one swan bagged per day and one swan possession per day; they are also encouraged to take the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s swan orientation course to get familiar with identifying the bird.
It doesn't get much more disgusting than this. Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Please write: Julie.lininger@idfg.idaho.gov; brad.corkill@idfg.idaho.gov; MagicValley.Commissioner@idfg.idaho.gov; clearwater.commissioner@idfg.idaho.gov; tim.murphy@idfg.idaho.gov; lane.clezie@idfg.idaho.gov; derick.attebury@idfg.idaho.gov; Salmon.Commissioner@idfg.idaho.gov; rules@idfg.idaho.gov;
As you may have seen in our e-news this week, we’re supporting one of our key partners, Orang Utan Republik Foundation (OURF) in a critical issue concerning orangutans and I’d be honoured if you’d join us.
Just three years after wealthy British company Jardine Matheson acquired a goldmine in the precious Batang Toru Ecosystem and made a commitment not to expand into critical habitat, satellite imagery has revealed they have done just that - they are actively destroying Tapanuli orangutan habitat! This is as bad as it gets. The Tapanuli orangutan were only classified in 2017 and there are fewer than 800 remaining in the world. This rarest of all ape species desperately needs this small habitat to survive - and yet here we are: a wealthy British company Jardine Matheson (who also own the well known Mandarin Oriental Hotel chain) are expanding the area alongside their goldmine. Did they think no one would notice? The most endangered great ape in the world only lives in this forest - which is being cut down by a British company. We urgently need to stop them. We are supporting our partners at OURF to call on Jardine Matheson to URGENTLY STOP destroying Tapanuli orangutan habitat and to immediately restore the forest they have already cleared. If you feel as strongly about this as we do, please add your name to this global petition and share it far and wide. We want the world to know what Jardine Matheson is doing and we urgently need them to stop! Please sign our partner’s petition and help us encourage Jardine Matheson into immediate action! Thanks for standing up for Critically Endangered orangutans Robert, we could not do this without your voice. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/urgent-stop-destroying-critical-orangutan-habitatjardine-matheson
Putin: Is he right about wind turbines and bird deaths?
Reality Check Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against over-reliance on renewable energy, something he says harms birds and other wildlife. Speaking at a global manufacturing conference, the president said: "Wind-powered generation is good but are birds being taken into account in this case? How many birds are dying?" "[Wind turbines] shake, causing worms to come out of the soil. This is not a joke," he said. Estimating deaths Research does suggest that wind power has led to birds and bats dying - in collisions with turbines or because of habitat loss. We couldn't find any reference to worms. It's hard to get at a definitive figure on how many birds are killed by wind turbines, though, and estimates vary. Research from the London School of Economics (LSE) estimated in 2014 that by 2020 there could be anywhere between 9,600 and 106,000 bird deaths a year from wind energy in the UK - in other words, we're not sure. It compared this with the estimated 55 million birds killed by domestic cats in the UK each year.
Studies looking at the US have put the figure at anywhere from fewer than 10,000 to more than 500,00. We were unable to find any studies looking particularly at Russia. But it's not only wind power that harms wildlife. Wind v fossil fuels A study published in 2009 looking at the US and Europe estimated that wind farms were responsible for about 0.3 bird deaths for every 1GWh of electricity generated, compared with 5.2 deaths per 1GWh caused by fossil-fuelled power stations. It said this would equate to the deaths, every year, in the US, of about 7,000 birds caused by wind turbines, 300,000 by nuclear plants and 14.5 million by power plants using fossil fuels. It's a fairly old study so this may have increased with the growth of wind power in the US or decreased with better understanding of how to mitigate the risks. Another study in 2012 came to a similar conclusion, finding that fossil-fuel powered plants killed birds during mining, through onsite collision, electrocution with plant equipment and poisoning. Whatever the exact number, and how it compares with fatalities at fossil fuel plants, it's generally considered that any harm to birds could be mitigated by locating wind farms away from major migration routes and feeding, breeding and roosting spots. The UK-based Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says that if this is done, wind farms will have "minimal impacts". It says that there is a far greater long-term threat to birds and other wildlife - climate change. And it recognises the role of renewable energy in tackling this. According to the LSE's Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, "the benefits for wildlife of mitigating climate change are considered by conservation charities... to outweigh the risks, provided that the right planning safeguards are put in place, including careful site selection". It also points out that the number of birds killed by wind turbines pales in comparison to those killed by cats or traffic - although wind turbines are more likely than cats or traffic to affect rarer, more endangered birds.
President Putin's message followed news that Russia would ratify the international Paris agreement, and came fresh on the heels of meeting world leaders, including Theresa May, at the G20 summit to discuss climate change. He may have had other things in mind than the plight of birds when he made this comment, though. Russia is a major producer of non-renewable fuels such as oil and gas. These make up about 60-70% of Russian exports and the income from them funds about 40-50% of its budget. A decree issued by Mr Putin in May described the development of green technologies as a "threat to economic security". And, as you can see in the table above, it gets a tiny proportion of its energy from wind. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48936941
Of course the BBC likes nothing more than to have a go at President Putin. We can all of us recall their endless reference to the 'beast from the east' when we had our cold winter a few years back. It was like Putin himself was ordering the cold blasts of air to invade our country. Had it 've been a warm winter they'd 've no doubt blamed it on climate-change with all of their usual hype. I would suggest it's the BBC who needs a reality check. Possibly a brain check while they're at it. And the RSPB? See pages 29-33 for who's paying them their wages. http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/74da12_8183b59e65b646ba912315b53efb38d7.pdf
Petition: Half Million Sharks Could be Killed for the Coronavirus Vaccine
Conservationists warn that up to half a million sharks could be killed to produce the coronavirus vaccine. Sharks produce squalene, the natural oil in their livers, that’s used in vaccines around the world. Squalene is used to create a stronger immune response in the vaccine, therefore increasing its efficacy. GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company, uses squalene from sharks in its flu vaccine and the company said it would use squalene in coronavirus vaccines when they become available. 3,000 sharks are needed to produce a single tonne of squalene. Shark Allies, an activist group based in California, suggests that 250,000 sharks would need to be killed to produce enough squalene for coronavirus vaccine doses to cover the world. Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies, said, “Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it’s a top predator that doesn’t reproduce in huge numbers. There’s so many unknowns of how big and how long this pandemic might go on, and then how many versions of it we have to go through, that if we continue using sharks, the numbers of sharks taken for this product could be really high, year after year after year.” Please sign this petition! https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/petition-half-million-sharks-could-be-killed-for-thecoronavirus-vaccine/
GlaxoSmithKline. Please also write: community.partnerships@gsk.com
Last week, allegations emerged that the finning of protected Great White Sharks regularly takes place in New Zealand waters, following a report and video from an NZ fisher. The fisher revealed that not only are the protected species caught “all the time”, but that they are often finned to make extra money. The finning of protected Great White Sharks should not be happening in New Zealand waters and is yet more proof that New Zealand desperately needs cameras on boats. Right now, when commercial fishing boats are out at sea, what they catch or kill goes widely unchecked. The number of fish - or sharks, dolphins, and seabirds encountered is reported based just on what the fishing industry tells us, with little to no independent verification. But when videos like this occasionally make their way to public view, we realise what they’re not telling us, and why fishing industry CEOs are so resistant to getting cameras on commercial fishing boats. Commercial fishing heads constantly tell us they’ve got nothing to hide. But time and again we’ve seen they do. Having cameras onboard could stop horrific ocean crimes like shark finning from happening, and if they do occur, hold those responsible to account. It isn’t that every fisher is a bad egg. Most love the oceans and want to protect them. But these instances also aren’t unfortunate one-offs, and that shows that somewhere along the line the system has broken. Trials for cameras on boats have revealed widespread fish dumping in New Zealand, and the failure of commercial fishing to report the capture of dolphins. They’ve also shown that when cameras are present, reporting of the capture of seabirds, dolphins, and other fish species in the course of fishing increases significantly. We know these cameras give us a more accurate picture of commercial fishing and its toll, it’s time to stop delaying them. No more excuses. Put cameras on boats now. Successive governments have promised a cameras on boats programme, but all have failed to implement one. Even the most recent pledge from Labour last month only amounts to cameras on a third of the fleet, and delays implementation to two elections’ time. Enough is enough. We need cameras on boats to protect the oceans, and we need them now. Sign our petition calling on the incoming government to implement cameras on New Zealand’s entire commercial fishing fleet, before the end of their first term. Dolphins drowning in nets, coral forests bulldozed, tonnes of fish dumped overboard this simply can’t go on. The oceans are facing more threats than ever before and it’s New Zealanders have had enough of the broken promises. Whichever party is elected this October, they must set a clear plan to implement cameras on boats by the end of their term in 2023. With your help, we can make sure that the incoming government knows cameras on boats are non-negotiable. Together, we can build a future where our oceans are healthy and thriving, and commercial fishing companies are no longer able to get away with the wanton killing of ocean life. Please join the campaign to make this a reality. Jessica at Greenpeace
Live: Activists create protected area in Dogger Bank to stop destructive fishing
And that’s the first day over! We’ve placed countless boulders on the seabed to protect it from destructive bottom trawling. We won’t stop until we’ve covered a 47 mile area. Crew spirits are high - and thank you so much for all the support we’ve received. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/live-activists-north-sea-destructive-fishing/
Placing boulders to interfere with bottom trawlers is a really great ploy. This is what real conservation is about!
Wildcats threatened by their domestic cousins
European wildcats, thought to be extinct 50 or so years ago in the Jura mountains, have since recolonised part of their former territory. This resurgence in an area occupied by domestic cats has gone hand-in-hand with genetic crosses between the two species. The hybridisation between wild and domesticated organisms is known to endanger the gene pool of wild species. In a study to be published in the journal Evolutionary Applications, a team of biologists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Zurich and the University of Oxford, modeled the interactions between the two species to predict the future of the wildcat in the mountainous region of the Swiss Jura. The scenarios modeled by the scientists show that within 200 to 300 years—a very short time in evolutionary terms— hybridisation will entail the irreversible genetic replacement of wildcats, making it impossible to distinguish them from their domestic cousins, as is already the case in Scotland and Hungary. Although the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) or forest cat was once very common, it fell victim to intensive hunting in the 19th and 20th centuries and to the massive deforestation that cut back its natural habitat, resulting in its disappearance in some parts of Europe. In Switzerland, the wildcat was deemed practically extinct, with no trace found for 25 years from 1943 to 1968. Thanks to a federal law that has protected the animal since 1962, the wildcat has recolonised the forests and meadows in the Jura range, where it lives side-by-side with the domestic cat (Felis catus) in particular.
Although considered two species —or as different subspecies by some— wildcats and domestic cats can interbreed and have hybrid, fertile kittens. These have the genome of both species and may give birth to offspring carrying the recombinant genes of each species. These hybridisations pose a new threat to the wildcat, since they prompt gene transfers based on a mechanism known as genetic introgression. This mechanism can quickly result in the dissemination of the genes of the more abundant species in the genome of the rarer species. The risk exists in the short term that the genome of the domestic cat will gradually replace the gene of the wildcat, which is markedly less plentiful than its domestic cousin, leading to the extinction of the wildcat. Recolonising the territory Scientists from UNIGE and the University of Zurich demonstrated in earlier studies that there is a greater introgression of the wildcat genome by the domestic cat genes than vice versa. The demographic and territorial expansion of wildcats over the last 50 years was identified as the most likely cause of these introgressions, which tallies with observations in the field. This conclusion was reached using bioinformatic simulation models factoring in ecological and genetic characteristics. It was estimated that about 5–10% of contacts between wild and domestic cats produced hybrid kittens. Following these discoveries, the computer model was refined in order to make projections and define the urgency for intervening and preserving the species. The only solution: stop crossbreeding The variable factors in the model incorporated in the new article, whose last author is Mathias Currat, senior researcher at the UNIGE Department of Genetics and Evolution, are the hybridisation rate, competition for resources in the environment and the size of the populations. Irrespective of the scenario put forward while acting on these variables, a very strong introgression of the domestic cat’s genome into the genome of the wildcat is predicted. Mathias sounds a warning: “This is strongest with population sizes comparable to today’s, but is still very high even if we consider more favorable conditions for the wildcat, such as an increase in its population size or a competitive advantage over the domestic cat in the regions where they coexist.” Juan Montoya-Burgos, laboratory director in the Department of Genetics and Evolution at UNIGE, and co-author of the study, warns: “The model leads to an irreversible genetic replacement resulting in the ultimate disappearance of the wildcat. Only the end of crossbreeding between the two species predicts the conservation of the wild species.” Action needed now It follows that the wildcat remains an endangered species in spite of the positive signs of its recent expansion. The dynamic model put forward in the UNIGE study, which combines the demographic and spatial growth of the wildcat populations, can be used to predict the future of the species. Based on the various scenarios, wildcats will be assimilated to domestic cats in as little as 200 to 300 years, as is already the case in Scotland and Hungary.
“A hybridisation event has a proportionally much greater impact on the wildcat population, which consists of a few hundred individuals, than in the domestic population, which numbers over one million individuals in Switzerland,” points out Mathias Currat. One initiative suggested by the authors is to drastically reduce the opportunities for hybridisation on the fringes of the wildcat territories. Campaigns to sterilize domestic cats living near farms or close to forests are just one of the proposals. Females should be the primary target since domestic females mate more readily with male wildcats than male domestic cats with wild females. “Early interventions are likely to be less costly both financially and in environmental terms. If we stay passive, the threat to weigh on wildcats in the Jura risks being irreversible,” concludes Juan Montoya-Burgos. https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wildcats-threatened-by-their-domestic-cousins/
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This week on “Jeffrey’s Take”: We are super-excited to premier the new format of our bi-weekly newsletter! We are calling it Jeffrey’s Take. In these unique audio “mini-podcasts,” Jeffrey provides his keen insight on all things GMO and Roundup related. It’s our latest effort to turn the tide against the Monsantos of the world by making the news more accessible to more people than ever before. We also provide the written article for your reading pleasure. So please, check it out and let us know what you think by replying to this email. We always love your feedback. https://responsibletechnology.org/jeffreys-take-the-declining-health-of-millennials/ https://responsibletechnology.org/jeffreys-take-australia-may-endanger-the-worldsecosystem/
The Real Reason They Want You To Hate Donald Trump. https://www.eastonspectator.com/2020/08/14/the-real-reason-they-want-you-to-hatedonald-trump/
I live in Wales UK so I'll not be taking part in this election, but if I was to I would normally these days go for the lesser of evils, having carefully studied the biggest possible picture. And the reason I do that is because there is no party out there for me. Trump the lesser of evils? Well he may be. Trump is very outspoken against China, one of the most evil forces on the planet right now, as opposed to Biden who would no doubt lick their ass. I never trust a party which promises endless amounts of renewable energy either for reasons already discussed in previous newsletters. Just read the recent history books too. Obama along with our own Cameron and Sarkozy created ISIS. In the Libyan conflict where did they honestly think all of that military grade weaponry they handed over to them would end up? One things for sure the peace loving good guys weren't going to get it. And let's not forget the Clintons. Him and his Monsanto lawyer wife Hilary established GMO's in America. It's little things too like abandoning the WTO and WHO. Dig a little deeper and you'll find they're some of most corrupt outfits ever to have walked the Earth. So I would say the lesser of evils by far.
Global Wildlife Conservation
Urge Congress to pass legislation to end the commercial wildlife trade for human consumption Last Tuesday, September 29, Senators John Cornyn and Cory Booker and Representatives Mike Quigley and Fred Upton introduced the Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020 to the U.S. Congress. This bill would take several important steps towards preventing future zoonotic pandemics, including the key action of closing U.S. borders and markets to the import, export and sale of live wildlife for human consumption, as well as providing support for other countries to develop sustainable food sources that do not involve the consumption of wild animals carrying disease risks for humans. The Preventing Future Pandemics Act would take the critical step of prohibiting the import to, export from, or sale within the United States of live wildlife for human consumption. It would call upon the State Department to work internationally to secure similar market closures by other countries and encourage international bodies in which the U.S. participates to work to close wildlife markets for human consumption, except for Indigenous Peoples in communities who are dependent on wildlife consumption for food security or cultural expression. The legislation also calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help those communities that rely on consumption of wildlife for food security to develop safer and sustainable alternative foods and directs USAID to increase its activities in zoonotic disease surveillance, protecting biodiversity strongholds, and combating wildlife trafficking, and provides funding for education campaigns that reduce consumer demand for consumption of wild animals. The bill also would substantially increase resources for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement to expand its attachĂŠ program. The full bill 4749/H.R. 8433 can be read at this link. https://endthetrade.com/
Stop the Unrestricted Release of GM Trees Across North America
The USDA is accepting public comments on a petition requesting the unprecedented approval of a genetically engineered (GE or genetically modified) tree designed to be planted in our forests and spread freely in the wild. The comments may be submitted until October 19th. Submit a public comment here. Researchers at the SUNY School of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) are seeking USDA and EPA approval for “Darling 58,” a GE transgenic American Chestnut tree which they claim is tolerant to the blight that helped drive American chestnut trees to near extinction. But corporations including Monsanto, ArborGen, Weyerhaeuser and others view the chestnut as a “test case” to overcome widespread public opposition to GE trees and open the door to approval of other economically valuable GE trees, like poplar and pine designed for industrial plantations. Not only would this tree be the first ever GE forest tree approved for unrestricted planting in North America, it would also be the first genetically modified organism (GMO) designed to spread into ecosystems. There are no long-term risk assessments of the impact of these GE trees on forests or other ecosystems, and scientists note it is not possible to conduct such assessments. Meanwhile, release of fertile GE American chestnut trees into forests would be irreversible. The Precautionary Principle mandates that before such an irreversible action is taken, it must be proven safe. There is no evidence that the GE American chestnut tree is safe in forest ecosystems over time. Indigenous peoples have not consented to the release of this GE tree which could spread across their territories and ancestral lands. Elders and wisdom keepers warn this is another attempt to control and commodify the living world. Each step taken in this direction has the potential to further threaten biodiversity already weakened by unchecked natural resource exploitation. Spread of the GE American chestnut tree onto Indigenous lands without permission violates the UN’s Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) mandate.
In summary, we must stop the GE American chestnut due to: •National Academies of Science-identified USDA and EPA regulatory inadequacies, •a lack of science proving long-term safety in a forest ecosystem. •concerns of Indigenous Peoples whose lands fall in the trees’ proposed range, •the precedent it would set to open the door to other commercial GE trees. More information can be found in an in-depth white paper detailing the science and risks associated with the GE American chestnut tree. See also an editorial featured in The Hill outlining these concerns, written presentations by Campaign to STOP GE Trees representatives to the National Academies of Science. [Insert background or qualification] I oppose the proposed approval of genetically engineered forest trees in the United States, and urge the USDA to deny the petition from XXX to approve genetically engineered Blight-Tolerant Darling 58 (D58) American Chestnut. The genetically engineered American chestnut submitted for review uses an oxalate oxidase enzyme (OxO) from wheat that appears to limit, but not destroy, the spread of chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) on juvenile American chestnut trees. While the OxO enzymes appear to be non-toxic, all relied-upon testing regarding the D58 trees is insufficient, at best. All D58 testing was executed within a very short timeframe and was done on young trees – less that 5 years old! – so do not reflect the pre-blight lifespan of the wild American chestnut. For example, young trees are known to be more resistant to blight. And American chestnut trees can live for well over 200 years and face fluctuating environmental conditions over their lifespans: drought, flood, heat, pests and the basic changes associated with aging. All these factors could influence how genes are expressed over time and whether or not the trees will retain blight resistance and withstand other challenges. We cannot rely on extrapolation from test results from young trees to assume that blight resistance will be functional over a longer period and under the variable conditions of natural forests. It would be irresponsible to release this genetically engineered tree into the wild without even knowing if they will have the same long lifespan of their wild American chestnut counterparts. There is simply no way to know if the OxO enzyme will remain safe and effective over time, posing a serious environmental threat to forest ecosystems and wildlife that cannot be prevented. The cumulative impacts from introducing this organism have not been thoroughly considered and I strongly urge the USDA to reject this application. [Insert background or qualification] I strongly oppose the proposed approval of genetically engineered forest trees in the United States, and urge the USDA to deny the petition from XXX to approve genetically engineered Blight-Tolerant Darling 58 (D58) American Chestnut.
The project to genetically engineer American chestnut trees has oversimplified the science and certainty involved in engineering pathogen resistance. The research on the D58 American chestnut has occurred against a backdrop of efforts by many other researchers to genetically engineer agricultural crop plants to be resistant to viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens. However, successful engineering of pathogen resistance has been remarkably elusive. A single gene construct, the oxalate oxidase enzyme (OxO) from wheat, is unlikely to be effective on its own in conferring durable blight resistance. One frequent problem is that engineering resistant to one pathogen, often leaves plants more susceptible to other pathogens or stresses, or reduces plant growth significantly. Another problem is the loss of pathogen resistance over time. A modification that may initially be effective can be rendered ineffective as the pathogen adapts. Given such limited success with commonly cultivated and short-lived domestic crop plants, the prospects for successful and durable engineering of fungal pathogen resistance into a long-lived wild forest tree species appear remote. We do not know how genetically engineered trees might behave in the diverse and changing context of natural forests over long periods of time, nor will we know even after they are released. This poses many significant impacts and risks to our native forest ecosystems. I strongly urge the USDA to reject this application. The genetically engineered American chestnut raises particular concerns in relation to Indigenous peoples’ territorial sovereignty, and the application of the UN’s Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) requirement when dealing with issues impacting Indigenous peoples or their territories. Granting nonregulated status to D58 trees will not give proper consideration to Indigenous peoples whose traditional lands fall within the historical range of American chestnut trees and the potential propagation of their genetically engineered counterparts. Indigenous peoples have not yet consented to the release of this genetically engineered tree and the spread of D58 trees onto their territories is a violation of the FPIC mandate. Indigenous peoples in the regions of proposed D58 releases have expressed concern that unregulated distribution of a genetically engineered tree would violate their sovereign right to keep their territories free from genetically modified organisms. If released, genetically engineered American chestnuts will spread uncontrolled and will not respect territorial borders. Each step taken in this direction has the potential to further threaten biodiversity already weakened by unchecked natural resource exploitation. I demand the USDA prohibit release of genetically engineered trees and reject this application. https://www.responsibletechnology.org/stop-the-unrestricted-release-of-gm-trees-acrossnorth-america/
Exciting news: Trials of non-lethal alternatives to shark nets and drumlines have started in Queensland! Thanks to pressure from kind animal advocates like you, the government has approved a drone trial to spot sharks and alert swimmers on the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and North Stradbroke Island. AFD has been meeting with MPs, council members, and decision makers to advocate for these trials – so it’s extremely positive to see they are finally underway. AFD has launched radio ads, put up billboards, and met with decision makers to advocate for the removal of lethal shark control in favour of trialling humane alternatives such as drones. This is a huge step in the right direction – non-lethal alternatives to shark nets and drumlines have never been trialled before in Queensland. But the fight isn’t over. Lethal nets and drumlines remain in the water, threatening to capture and kill anything that swims into them. Robert, now is the time to step up the pressure to remove shark nets. Can you help continue the advertising blitz and lobbying efforts against these harmful and outdated measures? Drones are a non-invasive technology that can help protect swimmers from unwanted shark encounters without harming marine life. They are already being used in NSW. Your support can help make them a mainstay in Queensland as well - saving the lives of countless marine animals. The trial will run from September to November. I'll be sure to keep you posted with the results. With you for marine life, Sarah.
We actually put this idea forward in last year's December Report. https://static.wixstatic.com/ugd/74da12_80a4f5bcf7354624918ec22abcc76855.pdf
If this is to be successful there must be no slip ups. Just one death or injury down to a tardy operator could set this move back decades.
Free speech is under attack. Social media tech giants -- like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube -- are waging an all-out war on anyone who dares challenge climate alarmist dogma. In fact, yesterday, the CEOs of these social media companies testified before Congress regarding their alleged violations of anti-trust laws and censorship of those with conservative views. CFACT has not been immune to such censorship. Over the past few months, our accounts at CFACT have had multiple posts labeled as “false” or “partly false” information simply because they differed from those of the liberal Left. One such post we put up simply suggested the sun “could have an impact” on global temperatures. That was too much for the Facebook “fact-checkers.” They flagged our post because they wanted the public to believe only “humans” are causing the climate to change. CFACT isn’t going to take this assault on free speech sitting down. That’s why we’re assembling a team of social media activists to document the abuses of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google while also researching posts from the radical climate Left – and start reporting those as false news! It’s time the Left got a taste of its own medicine! CFACT isn’t alone in this fight. Michael Shellenberger, an environmentalist who recently made waves for apologizing for the climate scare, has also been subjected to extensive social media censorship. Shellenberger writes: “I have been censored by Facebook for telling the truth about climate change and extinctions…Facebook has apparently deferred its science fact-checking to an organization called ‘Climate Feedback,’ which is misrepresenting the science…” Even allies of CFACT like the CO2 Coalition have been subject to attacks. A group called “Climate Power 2020” recently wrote a letter to Facebook in cooperation with leftist billionaire Tom Steyer an d failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams calling for Facebook to shut down the CO2 Coalition’s Facebook page. It didn’t stop there – it also called for the censorship of many other respected scientists and economists. It’s time these Leftist bullies realize that we aren’t going to take their garbage anymore! But to really make an impact, we need your help. Please send your most generous gift possible and help CFACT fight for not just ours, but also your right to express your views without fear of censorship. These social media companies have all-out monopolies and they think they can get away with anything. They’ve become full-fledged Leftist propaganda tools – that’s why it’s time to fight back! Craig Rucker.
Plastic Toxins World Epidemic
Governments do not actually plan and implement policy. They are in fact totally reactive. I will grant that politicians are quite clever in manipulating events to their personal advantage and in making us think that whatever good happens is to their credit. This notwithstanding, it is clear that the tide of local and, indeed, world events is not in the hands of Governments but in the hands of people. It all works from the bottom up. It is employees and entrepreneurs who create the output and wealth of nations from which we all thrive. It is people who pay taxes. It is the activity of people that pushes Governments to implement infrastructural projects. It is politicians who start wars but it is people who die in wars. It is people who create society with its social trends and behaviours. No country has a foreign policy, only opportunistic business lobbies and political elites. Finally, it is people who elect Governments. Plastic is everywhere, including in the sea and its fish, in the soil and its plants, in our food and in us. It’s a global epidemic that needs to be dealt with urgently. It is no different when it comes to Nature. It is people, you and me, who are destroying the natural world. Governments by far and large are playing catch-up trying to please voters. Be this as it may, it is all of our making and up to us to fix, for better or for worse. Plastic pollution is as critical an issue as climate change. We are forced to deal with plastic pollution with urgency as it is already a worldwide epidemic. It is estimated that there was the equivalent of 200 million garbage-truck-loads of plastic in the oceans and landfills at end 2015 and that this will become the equivalent of 500 million garbagetruck-loads by 2050. This plastic is breaking up into millions of trillions of fibres and micro pieces contaminating literally everything – water, soil, plants, animals, fish and us. Plastic waste is killing wildlife by the millions annually and has entered our food chain. Results of new studies show that micro plastic is present in sea salt tested in Europe, China and the US. Every product that comes from the seas and oceans would appear to be contaminated with toxic plastic ingredients.
Plastic is a durable and useful material and in an ideal world it would only be used for long life products and 100% recycled. That is not the case. 40% to 50% of the plastic produced is for single use. The Mediterranean Sea has an estimated 500 billion pieces of plastic in it and plastic has been washing up on Malta’s shores and beaches in greater quantities in the last decade. Malta has also to deal with garbage in our sea that is coming from the other 20 countries bordering the Mediterranean. Over 90% of the garbage in the sea is plastic. Next time you go to a sandy beach you will notice that the plastic in the sand is now visible all over the beach. Some of it is littering by bathers and some is what is washed ashore by the sea currents. On land, plastic trash is everywhere. Look and you will see for yourself. The most conspicuous of single use packaging is the plastic bottle. By my own rough and ready estimate in Malta we consume and dispose of 250,000 to 300,000 plastic water bottles daily. That is around 100 million bottles annually. Much of this must be ending up in the natural environment and landfills. Remember, plastic in landfills leaches into ground water and the sea and this is where we get our drinking water. We pay government to provide potable water. I would like the Minister for Energy and Water Management and the Chairman of the Water Services Corporation to weigh in on this discussion and explain to us why tap water is not good enough to drink. If it is in fact good enough, then we must all be daft. Water in bottles costs about 100 times more than water out of the tap. The chart shows where the plastic waste in the sea is coming from. Ultimately it comes from us, humans. The result of the referendum on spring hunting in Malta has shown us that around 214,000 of the Maltese adults passively or actively believe that we can and should destroy nature. If we add to this another 100,000 tourists and expatriates, who are here today and gone tomorrow, give a few exceptions, we get over 300,000 adult people in Malta who are mostly happy to live in a barren landscape devoid of any other life form, apart from human. There is an attempt to legitimise hunting as a sport, now even as a academic endeavour. Please, it is about killing wildlife, you know it, we know it. Let’s not waste time pretending otherwise. What an amazing spectacle and tourist attraction it would be to witness bird migrations over Malta. Hunters and trappers are an easy target when it comes to pointing the finger at the villain of the story. Let us not get too self-righteous though as we collectively kill more wildlife, cause more suffering to animals and destroy more habitat and biodiversity with our lifestyle than the hunters and trappers do with their guns and nets. Then there is us, 124,000 people who voted to stop spring hunting in Malta and who have some measure of understanding that we all form part of the web of life that we call nature. We see that there is a limited amount of air, water and natural life on this planet of ours and therefore appreciate that if we continue to degrade nature and kill other life forms, nature’s life support system will one day collapse. This is likely to happen in our children’s and grand children’s lifetime. As we cause the extinction of other species, most species will become extinct before us and a few will survive us. We live in nature. Humanity is on the extinction list as well.
There is no time left for discussion, only action. Each one of us needs to decide on which side we stand. Politicians should, like normal human beings, think about what future they want for their families. If they do not care about their own children, they will certainly care about votes and that at least 124,000 people in Malta will be voting to see a dramatic move away from plastics and expect actions to protect and restore nature. The battle to save the natural world has been fought by too few for too long. It is time for you and me to join the ranks of the few as what is being destroyed is our Earth, our home. What we are killing to extinction are species with who we have shared hundreds of millions of years of evolution and without whom, we would not exist today and cannot survive. We owe the natural world and all other life forms a debt of allegiance. https://www.davidmarinelli.net/blog/plastic-toxins-world-epidemic/ David Marinelli.
I would add all issues connected to the major destruction of the natural world need addressing including plastics. Nothing should be brushed asides as insignificant. ‌........................................................................................................................ Turtle dove flies towards extinction as numbers halve in UK
The turtle dove, Britain’s most endangered bird, continues to plummet towards extinction, its numbers having halved over five years, according to the latest data. The turtle dove’s 51% decline from 2013 to 2017 is the most drastic of a continuing slump for a quarter of farmland bird species. Barely 1,000 breeding pairs of turtle doves remain in the UK, a 98% decline since 1970.
However, there are signs of recovery for some birds, which experts attribute to the success of wildlife-friendly agriculture funded by the government. The reed bunting, corn bunting, goldfinch and stock dove all showed significant short-term increases, with populations boosted by agri-environment practices such as leaving some stubble fields unploughed over winter to provide food for birds. The report, by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), reveals the catastrophic long-term loss of farmland birds. It reports that 62% of 19 monitored species have declined between 1970 and 2018. Much of these declines occurred in the 1970s and 80s. The recent picture was brighter: 32% of farmland species showed an increase in population from 2013 to 2017, 42% were stable, and 26% had declined. David Noble, the principal ecologist at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), said: “We know some agri-environment schemes have had positive effects on some bird populations. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been turned around but it’s significantly less negative than it might have been. It’s working to some extent.” Farmland birds declined overall by 6% over five years but the figures are skewed by drastic disappearances such as that of the turtle dove, of which there are barely 1,000 breeding pairs left in the UK, a 98% decline since 1970. Noble said: “This is a species in freefall for a lot of different reasons because of what’s happening here [with habitat loss], because they are migrants, because they are hunted [in the Mediterranean], because things are happening on their wintering grounds in Africa – a combination of everything. It’s a big issue.” According to Noble this data and other studies showed the success of targeted conservation and agri-environment schemes – provided by EU funds, with the scale and shape of post – Brexit farm support still uncertain. But this work needed to be expanded. “It is small gains, small improvements,” he said. “It has to be scaled up. It has to be enough to mitigate against the other problems that are happening, such as to migrant birds further south.” While the turtle dove and grey partridge continue to decline despite targeted conservation work, other schemes to revitalise farmland species are bearing fruit, with populations of skylarks (up 6%), corn buntings (up 12%), reed buntings (up 16%) and linnets (up 9%) all enjoying short-term increases. Previously rapidly declining birds such as tree sparrows, starlings and lapwings, were now thought stable. The continued decline of the greenfinch (down 46%) was because it had been hit by disease. While farmland covers three-quarters of the UK, birds living in woodland (13% of land area) are dipping again, according to the data, which covers 130 species of breeding birds. Populations of 37 predominantly woodland species stabilised after the mid-1990s, but woodland birds declined by 8% over about five years to 2017. Particularly marked recent declines include the lesser spotted woodpecker (down 37%), nightingale (down 38%) and common crossbill (down 49%). There was better news for the goldcrest, pied flycatcher and chiffchaff, which increased by 14%, 10% and 9% respectively. The song thrush has bounced back by 22% in the five-year period after a precipitous long-term decline.
Some declines are more marked in certain regions, with the willow warbler’s reduction in southern Britain attributed to drier conditions caused by global heating, as well as deer browsing on woodland scrub – a problem also afflicting the nightingale, which requires dense thickets to nest successfully. The willow warbler is faring much better in Scotland. Seabirds have experienced mixed fortunes, with 46% increasing over the short term. While herring gulls and arctic skuas continue to experience short-term and long-term declines, razorbills and great black-backed gulls have bounced back. https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/turtle-dove-flies-towards-extinction-as-numbershalve-in-uk/
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Ohio State Learning.
Conservation verses destruction. If we think we're confused here you should see how they run 'nature reserves, over there. Shotgun training at a wildlife refuge in Big Walnut. Big plonkers I think they mean! https://www.cfactcampus.org/ohio-state-learns-firearm-safety-and-hunting-practice/
Now for something completely different.
“The best way to control the opposition is to lead them.” — Vladimir Lenin. View this email in your browser During the course of microblogging ventures via Twitter, I’ve issued a smattering of individual tweet glyphs on a variety of subjects in quotidian frequency and in machinegun sputter and randomness. They’re connected in theme at times but represent tiles of the mosaic. Put together there may appear to be a message. Individually they enjoy singularity but the joy is in the critical mass compression that this provides. (I trust.) So, if you’ve the stomach and gumption, gaze upon these stitched threads. #RulingClassReality Americans know more about sports than they do the United States Constitution. Even their sports radio is superior to their political talk radio, which today is nonexistent. #BreadAndCircuses is the directional focus. “Superficial appeasement.“ #RulingClassReality No matter the subject and no matter the controversy the American public will forget about it completely in three business days. #RulingClassReality Fact, social media are the greatest distraction ever devised by the evil mind of humankind. They give the American people in particular the perception they are in control. That their opinion means something and, more importantly, that someone is listening. #RulingClassReality Americans will tolerate a lot so long as you don’t do anything to interrupt their playtime. #RulingClassReality Americans have no idea of their history. As Tolstoy reminds us, history would be a wonderful thing if only it were true. History is written by the winners and is a myth decided upon, as Churchill and Napoleon spake.
#RulingClassReality American education is nonexistent. Specifically, the instruction and didactics of critical thinking. Americans are not able to differentiate between that which is critical and that which is a relevant. Issue analysis is likewise nonexistent. We live in a time where social media delivery units are distributed giving the American public the impression and the perception that they are in control of public discourse and conversation. Much like the car seat with a big steering wheel that lets a child think he’s driving. Your country actually risks coming to an end as we and you know it. I want you to think about that. Think about it very carefully. One of the most annoying things about news interviews is when the host thanks the guest for appearing and, because of the delay, 20 seconds later the guest replies to the initial thank you. I’ve got an idea, don’t thank guests. There will be a day when you have to ask Facebook and Twitter for permission to think. If you knew how royally and profoundly screwed up your country is right now as we speak you would never leave your house. Or worse. Social media provide platforms and fora for women in particular to convince themselves that they are not only still attractive but incredibly sexy and beyond irresistible. Even to the point of using photo apps that show distorted images that are for all purposes unidentifiable. History will show that social media and in particular photo-based platforms that allow you to publish your own images are the most significant event that has happened to human beings in the history of our existence. Everything changed when you were able to take a selfie. Bruce Springsteen cannot leave nose prints on glass. Years ago before Twitter many prominent historians and citizens of note openly questioned whether Hitler had actually committed suicide. They even asked whether he could still be alive. Today that very question would be prohibited from discussion as a conspiracy theory. Now we wear a mask that makes us for all practical purposes unidentifiable. This is not done accidentally. This is done deliberately to destroy and to alter permanently your sense of self and identity. You the person disappear and are replaced with and by an avatar. To this day many historians question whether FDR was in fact poisoned. And the facts connected to such are available if you spend 30 seconds researching them. Today Twitter would prohibit you from discussing that and Facebook would see that you were arrested. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was suspected as being a pretext to the #VietnamWar. Later we learned how the NSA covered up its role in falsely reporting that two U.S ships had been attacked. Today Facebook and Twitter would prohibit the discussion, it being a conspiracy theory. Why do so many people find it interesting that so many other people are very incredulous as to the efficacy of vaccines? Not the methodology of immunization but the substances that are contained in individual vaccines. Tell me why.
Would you allow your little girl to take Gardasil? Money changes everything and corrupts everything and we all know this. But what power does is something that money can’t. What is it? Please don’t be offended if I tell you that much of what you believe to be true is false. Take the Vietnam War for example. As of today we are still combing through the lies trying to make sense out of that horror. Since we’re talking about UBL it still remains one of the most fundamentally unbelievable stories ever concocted and distributed and disseminated among the American public. If you spend five minutes going through the official story you will be on the floor howling. One of my favorite stories today is the one that suggests that a majority of Americans have never heard about some conspiracy theory. Pick your favorite, it doesn’t matter. But the sentence that should follow is that Americans have never heard of American history either. Remember, if conspiracy theories were false no one would keep you from repeating them. Just a couple of points. When a rap artist hits a particular age will he lose the urban street regalia? Are we going to see one day an 80-year-old ex-rapper walking around wearing an ill-fitting Yankees baseball cap sideways? A couple of notes. Please teach your children the difference between literally and figuratively. Also, know the difference between complement and compliment. Note as well that supposably is not a word. Stay away from amazing. Chances are what you’re talking about is not amazing. T-minus-18 days to buy your new wardrobe of reversible kimonos and Pimsler's audio language series in Mandarin. Take advantage now while sales last. Do not think for a moment that #FakeNewsMedia want a Joe Biden presidency. No way. Donald Trump has been the greatest thing that’s happened to them since the lie. The real story about these two (MSDNC’s “Mourning” Joe) and why they are so pissed off at Trump is because they begged him to acknowledge their duo during the incipient days of the campaign. Why? Because they suspected a #TrumpTV deal that was allegedly circulating. Joe and Meager truly believed they would be the hottest couple in the history of news platforms. They thought their matrimonial duo would sweep the country and win the hearts and minds of Americans. It was the biggest non-story in recent history and it kills absolutely Zika. If you ever find yourself discussing Kanye West in a purportedly legitimate news story you have officially lost your mind. And sense of purpose. In the world of social media each particular faction speaks to their own. There’s no crossover. Conservative Republicans never encounter liberal Democrats except in a meme or GIF that only they see. Social media actually isolate and compartmentalize more than anything. When I was growing up in this great country Americans knew more about history and current events. The reason for it was because they weren’t distracted with so much surplusage.
If you have no sense of American history then the horrors you are witnessing now mean nothing. The new Rush Limbaughs and conservative platforms can only survive if they are allowed unfettered freedom to speak freely on social media platforms. Radio as we knew it is dead. Disco is dead. Bellbottoms are dead. The spittoon is dead. Speech never dies. Its platform does. I will tell you again. Roe v. Wade will never be overturned because it guarantees the wholesale slaughter and genocide of generations of human beings worldwide. Eugenicist globalists will never allow it. First, you can’t believe everything you read regarding alleged buzz that’s growing. Buzz, more often than not, is a synonym for utter bullshit. But this reinforces the trope. They tell you exactly what they are going to do and what they want to do. Now here’s the story. Had this confrontation (where a Trump supporter was jumped and beaten) been about transgender non-binary whatever, the hue and cry would have been deafening. The protests and the screams for justice would be heard around the world. In our country, justice is selective. In the world of social media each particular faction speaks to their own. There’s no crossover. Conservative Republicans never encounter liberal Democrats except in a meme or GIF that only they see. Social media actually isolate and compartmentalize more than anything. Again, these anarchists are not left-wing. They are nihilistic seditionist traitors, agents provocateurs. But you knew that. And they tell you exactly what they’re going to do and what they are doing, all under the nose of the authorities. Until the morrow. The rudiments and abecedarian fundamentals of hero worship and becoming a truth acolyte. Simple. This is the LionelNation YouTube Channel. Watch our quotidian LiveStream. At 8AM ET we meet. So join up, join in, sign in and click the alert bell so you’ll be notified of future live streams, new videos and pertinent miscellany. Lionel.
Voltarol: Active ingredient diclofenac. Highly toxic and not only to Vultures. https://worldcowgirl.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/in-india-cattle-and-the-vulture-crisis/
Thanks to lobbying from them, diclofenac is now in widespread use as a veterinary drug throughout the EU., knowingly endangering its Southern European vulture populations. This company still continues with its TV. ads. so please write to them even thought you may've done so several times before.
The tell-tale signs of diclofenac poisoning, the head hanging from its drooping neck. A magnificent bird reduced to this pitiful state
http://www.bing.com/images/search? q=vultures+dying+from+diclofenac+poisoning&FORM=HDRSC2
Please click onto this link, download this image and send it to. Now owned by GlaxoSmithKline. Please write to: community.partnerships@gsk.com; medinfo.uk@novartis.com
Each and every time you see this worthless piece of hype on the television send it over to them and let's shame them off the box. http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2015/03/12/another-mass-poisoning-of-vultures-in-asia-atleast-20-himalayan-griffon-vultures-dead-in-india/ The VCF and its partners have been working on anti-poisoning activities, campaigns and programmes in Europe. Please check the link below for more details. http://www.4vultures.org/our-work/anti-poisoning/international-workshop-african-vulturespoisoning/
Concluding: We print any letters here from all sides of both arguments. So long as it's relevant to the subject matters and provided it's not obscene we will print it. If you disagree with anything that's been said, please write in. This is a public arena so please feel free to have your say. Contact details will always be withheld. For details of other campaigns please visit http://cates1980.wixsite.com/cateswebsite and go through the Projects pages.
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