A global cheer for the Earth

On a gloomy night in March last year, I found myself winding through the cobbled slate-grey streets of Paris. As I rounded a corner, I found what I’d been searching for, where at Trocadero Square hundreds of candle-illuminated paper mache pandas, representing each of the remaining 1600 pandas left in the wild. Magnifique! My French is limited to a spattering of poorly executed phrases but as dignitaries gave speeches and hit a grandiose red button that plunged Eiffel Tower into darkness, I could not help but be touched at the symbolism of how when a group of people come together, so much can be achieved. It’s overwhelming to think that one of the world’s most iconic monuments in the “City of Lights” can be shut down because climate change is recognised collectively as of global importance.

The largest Earth Hour event I have been to was Sydney 2009. Sitting having a drink at a harbor-side bar waiting for the hour of darkness to fall upon us, masses of people started to congregate. As Earth Hour arrived, and the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge plummeted into darkness, accompanied by other buildings in the skyline, you heard a roar of the crowd cheering. That’s the feeling that reminds you why you catch a train rather than drive, why you turn off lights as you walk out of a room, why you send an email to the government to deter logging. You do it because like you, there are millions of people around the world making the same changes and sending the message they care about the Earth. That cheer reminds you, you are not alone.

Earth Hour has grown from a Sydney initiative in 2007 to encompass millions of people in over 5,000 cities across 135 countries who are to turning out their lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change. International landmarks powering down include Times Square and the Empire State Building in New York, and Dubai’s Burg Khalifa - the tallest building in the world. Even an Inuit igloo is taking part.

This year in Australia many totemic structures have already signed up to be part of Earth Hour 2012. The Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Art Gallery of NSW, the Victorian State Library, Victorian Parliament House, Melbourne’s Federation Square and Southern Cross Station , Brisbane’s Story Bridge Hotel, Adelaide Zoo and Aquatic Centre as well as Luna Park have all put their hands up to turn their lights down for the hour. Many of them will have gathering and events where you can join with other patrons of the Earth and experience the cause that unites us.

However, as in years past, others have opted for smaller events. These may be at home or as part of a community event. Events include sustainable food, acoustic performances, star gazing and other imaginative, Earth-friendly entertainment. WWF has created a great way for these events to be shared. It’s called Earth Hour Unplugged and you can find an event in your area. If you can’t find one, start one and post it on the site! Simply visit www.earthhour2012.gofundraise.com.au. Here you can also add a fundraising element to your event to assist WWF, one of the world’s key players in ceasing Climate Change, with much needed funds.

Earth Hour is the perfect time for all individuals who love and care for our environment and are committed to tackling Climate Change to unite. Regardless of the measure you have taken, from in your own home to working with governments, this is your opportunity on one night to feel the power of what a gathering of people can accomplish.

2012 Year of the (Green) Farmer

Farmers are a key component of the Australian cultural fabric. Many of the country's great literature covers the outback Aussie men and women working with, on and against the land for survival. In today's economy the 136,000 farms around the country contribute more than $405 billion each year to the economy. That's 27% of the country's GDP. Without farmers industry would not have the materials needed to support the human population's basic needs such as food and clothing. These are just some of the reasons 2012 has been named "Year of the Farmer".

When it comes to being environmentally conscious, farming and being green may not be seen as going hand in hand. However WWF Australia has be working with farmers to protect our natural landscape. With the human population growing, demands for greater output from farmers is created. It could be assumed that this would require more clearing of land, having a negative effect on the country. WWF is working with farmers all over the country to help them adopt higher intensity ways of production,that require less land, less water and often are less expensive.

The south-west wheatbelt has long produced large quantities of Aussie grains but traditional clearing of land has threatened the temperate eucalypt woodlands of the area. Since 1998 WWF Australia has been working with local farmers to change their farming techniques and help them understand their important role as stewards of the land. Since this area is under represented under the National Reserve System, WWF Australia has played a direct role in brokering binding voluntary agreements with farmers that have resulted in more than 10,000 hectares of these precious woodlands being protected forever.

In Northern Queensland more than 70 sugar farmers are working in partnership with WWF Australia as well as  local natural resource management groups and Coca-Cola, one of the world's biggest buyers of sugar, to get more from their crops while using less. New intensive farming techniques have meant have meant farmers have not only saved money but they have been able to increase local water quality. New techniques require fewer pesticides, thus reducing run-off that eventually makes it's way through local streams and rivers to the Great Barrier Reef.

When humankind first discovered agriculture a long time ago, everyone had to work with the environment to ensure it's well being. These days as most of us have moved off the land, the responsibility of land stewardship has been left the just a select few. To find out more on how to support them please visit www.yearofthefarmer.com.au and www.wwf.org.au.

Week 4: Santa's Naughty & Nice List

With just a few days left till Santa sets off on his annual journey around the world. Here is the final list check to see who has been naughty, and who has been nice.

Naughty List

1) Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Peter Kent - the two have been claiming to be unfairly targeted by environmental groups who exaggerate its impacts on nature and people. However their claims are looking a bit shaky since contamination of a major western Canadian river basin from oilsands operations is a "high-profile concern" for downstream communities and wildlife, says a newly-released "secret" presentation prepared last spring by Environment Canada that highlighted numerous warnings about the industry's growing footprint on land, air, water and the climate.

2) Yoshihiko Noda, Japan's Prime Minister - Japan has announced that they will use tax payers funds, originally earmarked to rebuild the country to increase resources of the Japanese whaling fleet heading to the Antarctic with a target of catching 900 Antarctic minke whales and 50 Endangered fin whales under the alleged purpose of conducting "scientific research."

3) Fred Nile, Christian Democrat leader - has expressed his disgust at the Australian Labour Party for changing their policy and now supporting gay marriage.

Nice List

1) Eugenio Lopez III - Chairman/CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation, Manila - The television network was named by WWF as their media partner of the year for their support since January in promoting local environmental issues.

Sidonie Asseme

2) Sidonie Asseme - This female anti-poaching ranger is breaking gender barriers working in Central Africa. She has been involved in many anti-poaching operations and like most other rangers has come into conflict with poachers. One time she and three other rangers were locked in a house and the poachers threatened to set the house on fire. “I was born in the forest and I feel it is a moral obligation to protect the forest and its wildlife,” she says. Asseme is not known as someone who complains, but she does have one request. “We need better arms and logistical support to enable us do our jobs. If I meet the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife this is the main message I will put to him.”

3) Jim Howe, executive director of the Central and Western Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Rochester, NY - The Nature Conservancy has secured a $1million grant from North American Wetland Conservation Act through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and will buy 500 acres of land known as Shaker Heights which is vital for migratory birds, waterfowl and contains spawning areas for many fish.

Special Mention

Santa wants to thank  the 80 year old woman who was run over and died while trying to save a duckling on the road in New South Wales, Australia. Her name is yet to be released.

Get your own piece of real estate for $US5

The Coral Triangle is located in waters off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. The area spans over 1.6 billion acres which is about half the size of the USA. The area is home to 3,000 fish species including tunas that are common human food sources. The region also contain six of the seven species of sea turtle and  nearly 500 reef-building coral species – an amazing 75 percent of all known coral species.

This area is important to about 126 million people. It is a source of food for not only the coastal communities but the seafood is sent around the world. In the region around 200 languages are spoken and for many of the communities the ocean has a strong cultural significance. Each year the area also generates about $12 billion in eco-tourism.

Now unsustainable fishing, poorly planned development, pollution, a growing population and the effects of climate change are all contributing to the degradation of the Coral Triangle. The WWF is working to save the area with their three main objectives stated as:


WWF’s goal in the Coral TriangleWe plan to reach the following targets by 2020:

1. Coral Reefs: 50 percent increase in area of priority coral reef habitats that is protected and sustainably managed with effective financing in place
2. Species: Zero decline in the populations of 3 endangered marine turtle species (leatherback, hawksbill, green) from 2008 levels
3. Transforming business: Halting and reversing the degradation of key marine resources - coral reef habitats, turtles, reef fish, and tuna

You can now help the WWF as little as $US5, where you have the opportunity to "purchase" a place within the Coral Triangle. On their site you can scan over the area and choose and exact location, then simply make your donation.

For more information, please visit http://mycoraltriangle.wwf.or.id/coralweb/ and watch the video below:

Who has been naughty and who has been nice on Santa's List?

With the population reaching seven billion earlier this year Santa has his work cut out for him determining who had been naughty and who had been nice. I am good friends with Santa (click here to listen to our chat a couple of year's ago on Christmas Eve in iTunes) so he has asked me to help. Each week he has asked me to compile a list of who has been naughty and who has been nice and it would be helpful if you could check it for us twice. Of course I am sure Santa will double check it to see if they really deserve a gift on Christmas.

The Naughty List

1) The Pemberton Poacher - Although Santa knows who it is, the Pemberton Wildlife Association is still looking for and have offered a $1,000 reward for the killer of a 317kg grizzly bear who was found shot to death, with body parts missing, in the Pemberton Meadows area near the turnoff to the Hurley Forest Service Road on 17th November. If you have any information you can contact the B.C. Conservation Officer Service on 1-877-952-7277.

2) Lakshmi N. Mittal of Steel industry giant Arcellor-Mittal, Dr. Hans Engel of chemicals industry leader BASF, Dr. Marius Kloppers of mining giant BHP Billiton, Charles G. Koch of the US energy industry’s Koch and Brian Dames of South Africa’s electric utility Eskom – these five individuals are leaders of giant multinational companies who, along with others, literally spend “the equivalent of the GDP of entire nations to block progress on climate legislation and ensure that fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies continue to give unfair advantage to dirty energy, above the safe, clean renewable energy future the public demands.” as according to Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo and a new report.

3) Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF - The French utility company has been fined €1.5 million for hacking into the computer networks of Greenpeace. Pascal Durieux, EDF's head of nuclear production security in 2006, was handed a three-year sentence with two years suspended and a €10,000 fine (about $13,000) for commissioning the spying.

The Nice List

1) Clement Kwok, The Chief Executive of the Peninsula Hotel Group - The luxurious hotel chain with nine hotels in Asia has taken shark fin soup off all their menus in a bid to help save the depleting numbers of sharks in our oceans. 73 million sharks are currently killed each year for shark fin soup.

Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent

2) Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent - who at a recent talk at the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom on the CSU campus shared his belief that sustainability is currently the world's greatest issue and that corporate partnerships to promote sustainability, such as Coca-Cola's new deal with Coca Cola need to become the norm.

3) Japanese tuna boat captain Kazuhiro Yamazaki - has designed new fishing gear, called the ‘Yamazaki Double-Weight Branchline,’ which causes hooks to sink deeper into the water, out of site of hungry birds. The new invention reduced seabird bycatch by up to 90% without reducing fishing catches. The invention won the World Wildlife Fund’s 2011 International Smart Gear Competition.

4) Zhang Junming, Guan Jianhong, Li Shiheibu and the other members of a group a "panda seeking" team - they spent five days surveying panda habitat in the mountains of southwest China's Sichuan province, looking for traces of the endangered animals. "This place is known as 'China's Bermuda Triangle,' as several people were reported missing here in the 1960s and 1970s," said Zhou Longlin, deputy chief of the reserve's administration. Although they saw no pandas, they found evidence via droppings and foot prints and concluded 33 pandas reside in the area.

How to get on the Nice List

Join WWF's Living Planet Community at http://community.wwf.ca. It's a great way to get a whole bunch of green living tips and get a true measurement on your reduction green house gas emissions. Feel free to join my group Adam Barralet's Bloody Good Things To Do once you've open your account. I'll put in a good word for you with Santa.

Polar Bear update

The plight of Polar Bears and their link to climate change has become common knowledge in recent years. It's an exciting time as people and organisations create various ways to support these beautiful animals. Here are some of the latest updates:

Tracking Polar Bears
You can now follow five female polar bears who have been radio collared in northern Canada. By tracking the movements of polar bears, we can all learn more about how they use their natural habitat and how they are adapting to the changes in sea ice due to the effects of climate change. The five are all females and are accompanied by at least one cub each. The tracker site gives each bear's stats, exactly where they were last located, a map of where they have travelled and the distances they have covered. The page also includes regular updates about the bears on the left. To follow Aurora, Nanukic, Neige, Nita and the wanderer Callista (she gets around) simply go to http://polarbears.wwf.ca/.

7-Eleven Stores join Coca Cola in protecting Polar Bear's Arctic home
In an earlier post (click here) I discussed Coca Cola changing their cans from red to white for the holiday season as well as making donations to the WWF. 7-Eleven is now running a campaign through out there 6,400 stores around the USA. The campaign involves downloading a iPhone app (see www.ArcticHome.com/7-Eleven) where you can challenge friends to snowball fights. You earn point this way, as well as visiting 7-Eleven stores, and go in the running to win an iPad and a trip for two to the Arctic.

The app helps raise funds for WWF's efforts by directing users to www.ArcticHome.com, where they can enter package codes from specially-marked Coca-Cola products to trigger an individual $1 donation. Coca-Cola will match all donations made with a package code by March 15, 2012, up to a total of $1 million.

New IUCN study still predicts decline in polar bear numbers
Although a lot is being done to increase awareness and raise funds a new report from the IUCN predicts a dramatic reduction in polar bear habitats in the next 10-50 years. The IUCN Red List has polar bears listed as vulnerable, as are many other animals around the world, but the polar bear is the first species protected under the Endangered Species Act because it is threatened due to global warming. "Climate change will be one of the major drivers of species extinctions in the 21st century," says Simon Stuart, Chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. In order to save the polar bears we must reduce out reliance on fossil fuels as well as campaign for leaders to make strong decisions on reducing emissions (just like Australia has just done - click here to see WWF Australia update). Other factors include toxic contaminants, shipping, recreational viewing and oil and gas exploration. For further information visit the Polar Bears International site at http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/news/iucn-study-predicts-dramatic-decline-polar-bear-populations

Resources for educating children
If you work with children, Polar Bear International has some great resources to help you educate them about polar bears. You can find posters, videos, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations and more. To see the great selection visit http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/education/educational-tools-and-materials

Should you eat like a gorilla or a tiger?

While reading the book The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder I was introduced to a new idea. Simply put, it proposed the human digestive system is more like that of an herbivorous gorilla than that of a carnivorous tiger, thus we should be a vegetarian. This makes sense since we are so closely related to gorillas. We share about 95-98% of the same genes, depending on which scientist you talk to. However I wanted to explore this option more.

One of Kimberly Snyder’s points is both humans and gorillas cannot break down uric acid like tigers can. Uric acid is a by-product of digested animal protein and is easily broken down by the body via an enzyme it secretes called uricase. Many other animals from bacteria to mammals produces uricase but humans and other primates do not. Interestingly, humans do have a gene that encourages the production of uricase, but it is non functional which seems to be an early mutation in primate evolution.

Too much uric acid in the body, caused by a high meat diet can cause kidney problems and gout. Researchers have also found statistical links between high uric acid levels and high blood pressure, diabetes and senile dementia. It should be noted that uric acid can be advantageous as an antioxidant in our our bodies but the according to www.ehow.com we produce a lot of uric acid simply from the breakdown of our own cells as part of day to day cell regeneration. Thus, we do not require to eat meat to get uric acid and eating too much meat can increase the amount of uric acid in our systems, leading to health issues

Gorillas and humans have a much longer intestines compared to a tiger in relation to body size. This is a second point Kimberly Snyder uses to support why we should imitate other primate diets. However there is a primary difference of the digestive system between other primates and humans found in the gastrointestinal tract. Other primates are able to break down cellulose. They have large colons and the large intestine is filled with microbes (bacterial) and enzymes for fermenting, detoxifying food, and breaking down cellulose. Humans can break down cellulose a little but not as effectively as our wild friends.

Susan Schenck on www.helium.com says, “when man split off from chimpanzees, he traded an energy-intense digestive tract with the ability to digest cellulose for an energy-intensive brain. The energy used for the brain had to be subtracted from elsewhere, and it came at the expense of the digestive tract”. She also states that DHA found in fatty rich meats was vital to brain evolution in humans.

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid which although found in meat it is also available in ground flax seeds and flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, wheatgerm, pumpkin seeds, tuna, salmon and eggs. Research has found that we require omega-3 fatty acids along with a balanced intake of omega-6 fatty acids which are found in vegetable oil (sunflower, soybean, corn, sesame, cottonseed, grapeseed, walnut), walnuts, brazilnuts, almonds cashews, seeds (flax, hemp, sunflower, sesame, pine nuts, and pumpkin), shellfish and egg yolks. On the site www.livestrong.com it states, “A diet must be balanced with a ratio in the range of 2:1 to 4:1, Omega-6 to Omega-3. Western diets often contain a ratio of 10:1 to 30:1 and higher. People need to concentrate on eating more Omega-3 foods”.

It seems safe to say that although genetically we are very close to other primates including gorillas and chimpanzees we do require more fatty acids in our diet. However from the lists in the previous paragraph it is evident that there are many available vegetarian or vegan options. We may have evolved by eating meat as a primary source of fatty acids, but we now have the knowledge to substitute meat with other foods offering similar nutrients.

Another interesting argument supporting vegetarianism that I came across was that plant-eating creatures have the longest lifespan. Elephants, horses, and chimpanzees are at the top of the list while lions, tigers, and wolves are about half that. Since humans' lifespans are even are we meant to be herbivorous to live longer? Most scientific studies comparing vegetarians to non-vegetarians found vegetarians only live for about a year or two more on average. Some of this benefit could be attributable to non-dietary lifestyle factors such as the avoidance of smoking and a high socio-economic status.

If you are looking at living longer a great book to read is Blue Zones by Dan Buettner. He has identified areas within the world which has a higher rate of centenarians (people living to 100+y.o.), then finds factors each of these groups, scattered around the world all have in common. Nine common attributes were found. As well as being moderately active, having a good attitude and a healthy social life eating a diet with a “plant slant” is recommended. The book's website www.bluezones.com recommends, “Try to limit it (meat) to a portion the size of a deck of cards and only twice per week. Beans, including fava, black and soy and lentils are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Snacking on nuts–about a handful a day has been associated with and extra 2-3 years of life expectancy.” This evidence supports restricting our meat intake.

As well as examining whether we should be vegetarian from a biological point of view, there are other issues, becoming ever more important to consider. Environmentally there are advantages to becoming vegetarian. WWF Canada states that raising animals for food creates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fuel, creating 10 times the greenhouse gas emissions, than one calorie of plant protein. By not eating meat, you can prevent 1360 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year. A vegan who does not eat meat, fish or dairy foods, creates 1.3 fewer tonnes of CO2 than a meat eater every year. Furthermore meat production requires far more water usage than producing vegetable, fruits, etc.

In her book Eat Your Heart Out by Felicity Lawrence not only covers eating meat from an global environmental impact but also discusses local communities who have been destroyed by meat production due to contamination from animal excrement from nearby farms and large companies bullying and out competing local farmers. The world’s largest animal rights organisation PETA also encourages us to choose vegetarian to stop the cruel conditions in which animals are raised and slaughtered on many large scale meat farms.

There are very few animals (remembering we are animals) that can live fully with a limited diet. The exceptions are special animals which have very restricted feeding habits. Some examples are the Three-toed Sloth which feeds on only 2 species of tree, Koalas which feed on only a few species of eucalyptus , the Giant Panda which feeds almost exclusively on bamboo; American Anteaters, Aardvarks and Australian Banded Anteaters all of which exist only on ants and termites. Many animals which are classified as herbivores would still ingest some animal protein such as insects on the plants they eat. Our primate relatives do eat some animal protein. Orang utans, gorillas and chimps have all been observed eating insects, eggs and rodents. Some chimpanzees will hunt and eat other monkeys, much to the disappointment of vegetarian Jane Goodall.

It appears that we are not tigers, nor gorillas, but highly evolved and intelligent humans. We have unique dietary requirements which involve a variety of nutrients. Although some of these can be sourced from meats, and have done in the past, these nutrients are available from other, non-meat sources as well. Excessive meat eating has negative impacts on our health and well being, as seen in many Western nations. eating meat also has a negative impact on the environment and people involved in the production and supply of meat. So, should you be a vegetarian for health reasons? It seems to improve your well- being. Also as Nobel-prize winning author Isaac Bashevisy Singer states, "Yes, for the health of the chicken!" and we can probably add for the health of the planet too.

Canadians invited to be part of the Living Planet Community

"Every great journey begins with a single step."

A campaign by WWF Canada is encouraging individuals and households to each start taking a great journey in contributing to a better planet by taking small steps in changing their lifestyle. This is a great campaign that compiles all the small adjustments you can make to your life in the areas of household, cars/transportation, food/shopping, recreation & culture, workplace as well as extra areas of our lives. It's not revolutionary for an organisation to give you suggestions on what you can do to improve the well-being of the planet but what is refreshing is so many aspects are covered in one spot. This saves you having to research household savings in one place, water consumption elsewhere, etc. The WWF website lists clearly and simply 61 different steps you can take.

Renters may feel that they are unable to make as much of an impact since they can not going and start insulating their place. However there exists their greater challenge. Try negotiating with your landlord. Ask them to make the changes or offer to make the changes yourself, maybe for a reduced rental payment.

To participate you simply go to http://community.wwf.ca/index.cfm and open an account. You can even use your Facebook account to speed up the process more. Once signed up, you can browse the actions you can take, make pledges on the ones you are committed to do and you get a quantitative measure of how many kilograms of Green House gases you save. Furthermore you can create a group to work together, send people invites and set challenges. You don't even have to live in Canada! If you'd like to join my group, search for "Adam Barralet's Bloody Good Things To Do". I challenge you to save more than me ;)

On top of all the features the factor that impresses me most is how simple the whole process is. I was able to open an account, make 12 pledges, create a group and read some of the information provided all in about 20 minutes. Easy!

Coca Cola to change cans from red to white

In the coming weeks Coca Cola will be changing it's iconic red cans to white. Coke is producing 1.4 billion white cans to raise awareness for the plight of polar bears. The soft drink company will also be donating $2million over the next five years to help the WWF in their work. They will also match all donation made at www.icoke.ca and advertise a SMS system where consumers can donate.

For more information check out the following blog: http://blog.wwf.ca/blog/2011/10/25/polar-bears-inspire-coca-cola-to-turn-red-cans-white-for-wwf/

Javan Rhinoceros now extinct in Vietnam

Today is a sad and shameful day in history. The WWF and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) have today confirmed the extinction of the Javan rhinoceros in Vietnam. The last rhinoceros was found shot with it's horn removed. The focus now turns to the last remaining 40 wild Javan rhinos that live in a national park in Indonesia. To read the Press Release from WWF, click here.

WWF is helping save the Sea Turtles of the Great Barrier Reef

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world and the world's largest reef system. If you live in Australia or ever travel there one thing you must do there is visit the Great Barrier Reef and go scuba diving. Even if you have never been scuba diving before there are companies that will train you on the way out and then take you down accompanied by an instructor.

One of the most remarkable experiences of my life was when scuba diving in this marine wonderland when suddenly a huge turtle, about the same size as me can swimming underneath me. Obviously I was moving to slow and he had to get past! This was a magical experience I wish everyone could experience, however these turtles are at risk. They are sick and starving to death.

Queensland's floods in January this year caused a large run off of chemicals such as pesticides, sediment and large amounts of fresh water into the ocean. This alters the marine environment and the sea grasses that the turtles feed off are dying off. Furthermore a deforming virus that causes large tumorous lesions is affecting the turtles. Add the usual pollution, injuries from boats and poor fishing practices in the area and turtles have one big battle ahead of them. Nearly 1,000 turtles have been stranded, with many dead, between January and mid-September this year. This is a dramatic increase considering 538 were found for the complete 12 months of 2010. Considering six of the seven species of sea turtles in the world are found on the Reef, being the Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead,Flatback and Olive Ridley, this is a vital area to protect.

WWF Australia is currently working hard to help these battlers. Local turtle hospitals are struggling to keep up with the increased numbers of turtles needing help. In some cases sick or injured turtles are simply put back in the water as no one has the resources to help them. WWF is working to supply the hospitals with more medicine and equipment.

WWF is also assisting locals to help find a cure for fibropapilloma virus (FP) after the first few turtles have died from it in recent weeks. The current focus is fitting more turtles with radio transmitters to determine exactly what causes the virus and how it spreads.

In the long term WWF will work towards reducing the 14 million tonnes of mud, pesticides and chemical fertilisers that wash into the Great Barrier Reef every year, eliminate the damaging fishing techniques such as trawl, line and net fisheries, in which thousands of turtles are caught as bycatch as well as work with local traditional owners to protect and monitor the turtles.

In the last few days WWF has formed a partnership with James Cook University who has a reputation for a strong marine veterinary program. James Cook University will assist in caring for the increased number of sick turtles and play a role in the current sea turtle research. This is just one example of how WWF forms mutually beneficial relationships to fulfil their objectives. You can also assist the WWF with their work by donating. For more information on donating visit http://support.wwf.org.au/deadly-turtle-virus-appeal.html

Sea Turtle Fact: Sea turtles lay their eggs in sand. The temperature of the sand determines the sex of the young turtles. Cooler sand produces male turtles, while warmer sand produces females.

Are my donations helping?

Often individuals wonder whether it is worth donation to an environmental organisation. Dr John DeMartini in his book titled "How to Make One Hell of a Profit and Still Get to Heaven" states donating can help to make you financially abundant. Check out from pages 29 onwards of his book by clicking here.

Organisations such as WWF rely on donations from people around the world to continue their work. If you work in the USA, some employers will match or triple your donations (more information here). To see just what work your donations are supporting, watch the video below. Should you feel inspired to donate, click here.

Help WWF get thier ad on the air

In an earlier blog I discussed the upcoming Clean Energy Future Bills (click here to view this blog entry). In the next two months politicians will be asked to vote on one of the most important environmental laws in Australia's history regarding the carbon price and complementary measures.

In the lead up to the vote there has been $10 million spent on an advertising blitz against the changes, much of it funded by Australia's biggest polluters who will be forced to pay this tax. Unfortunately WWF doesn't have the money of the big polluters, and we don't have the media coverage of the shock jocks, but we do have passionate and dedicated people like you, who can help make a difference by donating even as little as $10.

Below is the commercial they are currently running in cinemas but they are working to put the advert on television to battle to current advertisements being aired. This advert explains some of the facts about the new legislation while dispelling some of the myths.

How can you help? Firstly watch the commercial for yourself below if you are yet to see it, then share it via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

You can also find out more about WWF's campaign to get this commercial on television by clicking here. Donating will also aid get the message out. As little as $10 can help.

Discussing a Clean Energy Future

On 13th September 18 bills were tabled in Australian parliament covering the Clean Energy Future Package including financially penalising the major carbon polluters in the country. As experienced in the past it is not unusual for large companies to throw large sums at money to confuse an issue with propaganda. It makes sense for them to challenge the introduction of a carbon tax as for them it would have a financial impact, be another expense if they were to continue polluting the atmosphere as they currently do. However one of the aims of the carbon tax is to encourage these large polluting companies to be pro-active in finding ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Unfortunately not all companies are seeing this as a door of opportunity.

The time has got to come when companies, governments and decision makers realise that taking short sighted actions now to obtain economic security is not going be of long term long term if it is at the detriment of the environment and the climate. If the environment continues to deteriorate more finances will be needed in the future to deal with environmental issues, health care, resource acquirement and disaster relief further unbalancing the economy. As the famous American Indian proverbs states;

“Only when the last tree has been cut down; Only when the last river has been poisoned; Only when the last fish has been caught; Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.”

Australia is not the first country to implement a price on carbon. In Europe 31 countries have had a penalty applied to polluters since 2005. In the USA, 23 states have a price on pollution. China will run a pilot in five ‘low carbon’ provinces as part of its current five year plan, and India already has a coal tax that works similarly to a carbon price. Even Australia’s neighbor, New Zealand has already priced pollution.

One of the concerns is that the cost of living will increase for an average household. Australian Treasury believes the average household will see an increase of $9.90 a week. For low income earners and pensioners this may be significant but there are two measures that have been introduced as part of the Clean Energy Future Package to soften the impact of these price rises. Firstly, the tax-free threshold will be more than tripled from $6,000 to $18,200. Suddenly about one million people won’t need to pay income tax or file a tax return. People earning less than $80,000 per year will also receive a tax cutoff about $300 per year. Secondly, pensioners and self-funded retirees, as well as family payment recipients and other allowance recipients will see their payments increase. Some people may be better off.

Besides as per this chart, a majority of the price increase is from electricity and gas usage. This is a great opportunity for households to also be proactive about cutting their carbon foot print. This is an opportunity for greatness, not a punishment!

Trying to find legitimate arguments against the carbon tax is a challenge. The arguments seem to be focused on insulting PM Julia Gillard personally or pointing out corruption in other countries related to the running of pollution monitoring. Corruption is evident in many industries and is hardly an argument to support not working towards a better environment.

Now is the time for Australia to take action and head towards a greener future. WWF has a great video regarding the issue. Click here to view it (If you are a fan of a good looking firefighter, there is a pleasant addition for you). WWF invites you to discuss the issue with your colleagues, neighbors or friends by hosting a morning tea. Click here to get a poster to promote your morning tea, the video for you to play, a pamphlet to hand out and a Q&A for you (in case you get asked any questions that the video doesn’t answer). Best of all there are some yummy some cake and gingerbread recipes! Just remember when discussing both sides of the argument don’t just look at what each side is saying but ask the question, “Why would they want to say that?”

Another great video to check out:

You can save penguins wherever you live with an iPhone App

It's funny the little memories that remain with you from childhood. I remember different toys I had, games I played and songs I listened to. One song I remember from my childhood was Don Spencer's "Fairy Penguin Strut". Putting my arms down straight, my hands out flat and shuffling around the lounge room in front of the television.



Penguins are fascinating animals. In my experience not everyone realizes that they are classified as birds. They have feathers, a beak and lay eggs as all birds do. Some species of penguin spend up to 75% of their time in water. Fiordland crested penguins sometimes grow barnacles on their tails, one clear indication that they are at sea for long periods. They are obviously faster in the water than on land they can swim about 24km/h (15mph). They have adapted over time to life in the water as their wings have become flipper like, their feathers are densely packed for insulation. They are one of the few birds to have solid, dense bones. This allows them to overcome buoyancy so they can dive to catch krill, squid and fish.

All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere in Antarctica, around the coast of South America, South Africa, Galapagos, Southern Australia and New Zealand. Therefore Coke got in wrong in their advert as penguins and polar bears won't meet since polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere.

Volunteering as a guide at the Toronto Zoo for the last year also assured me that children, as well as adults, today are still fascinated by these cute aquatic birds as I was as a child. In 2011 Toronto Zoo open a 60,000 square feet enclosure with underwater viewing area to house their new 12 African Penguins (also known as Jackass Penguins). African Penguins, like others of the 17 species of penguin,  are endangered. The African Penguin's present population is probably less than 10% of that in 1900, when there was estimated to be about 1.5 million birds on Dassen Island alone. By 1956 the population had fallen to roughly half that in 1900, and had halved again by the late 1970s, when there was an estimated 220,000 adult birds. By the late 1980s the number had dropped to about 194,000 and in the early 1990s there was an estimated 179,000 adult birds. Breeding no longer occurs at 10 localities where it formerly occurred or has been suspected to occur. The good news is that populations are now 19% larger then they would have been if conservation efforts had not started.

Habitat destruction is one of the threats to these African Penguins and if you don't live in South Africa it's easy to feel that there is little you can do. However another major threat to penguin survival is over fishing within the habitat. Over fishing not only affects the African Penguin but also many of the species living in Antarctica. The Circumpolar Sea, what some call the Southern Ocean, has a long history of human over-exploitation. Fur seals, elephant seals, and the great whales were all hunted to the brink of extinction. Now commercial fishing is threatening the penguins and other wildlife in the area. A great documentary was sent to me to preview before it's release a couple of years ago and if you haven't seen it, hunt it down. The 2009 documentary called "End of the Line" follows a group of people around the world exploring exactly the state of fish populations are around the globe as well as the happenings of the fishing industry.



Supporting sustainable fishing is something we can do in every country.

There are different organisations that have released guides to help you recognise fish from populations that are well managed and sustainable and avoid supporting companies that are still over-fishing. You can download the guides or even better, there are applications available for iPhones that are easy to use when out doing your grocery shopping or at a restaurant

While living in Canada and the U.S.A I use the Monterey Bay Aquarium App called Seafood Watch. To find out more visit http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx


For Australia, Greenpeace has a great canned tuna guide at http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/oceans/Take-action/canned-tuna-guide/
The app I use when home in Australia is the Seafood Guide from Australian Marine Conservation Society. Check out their site for other versions of the guide at http://www.amcs.org.au/




For all other countries click here to have the comprehensive list of available guides for many countries at the WWF Global site.

If you adore penguins as much as I do, then making sustainable seafood choices is one simple action you can take, in every country in the world to ensure their food supplies aren't diminished. That way your children and grandchildren will also get to witness the funny penguin strut.

Perth could lose it's own wildlife within weeks

I’ve been very fortunate so far in my life to live and visit many different places around the world. However Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz was spot on when she said, “There’s no place like home”. For myself home is Perth, one of the most remote cities in the world and famous for some world class wines and stunning beaches.

I often devote my energy and attention to the plights of animals around the world, the rhinos in Africa, the Orang utans in Borneo and Northern Sumatra, the polar bears in the Arctic Circle. However what about the wildlife back at home? Do you know what’s happening in your home city?

When I left Perth about six years ago, Joondalup was as far as you went north and to get to the quaint town of Mandurah, there wasn’t a train line to get there, just a wearisome drive. In Perth, just a few years later this is no longer the case as the city has witnessed immense urban sprawl. If you aren’t familiar with Perth, the rate at which bushland was cleared for development between 2001 and 2009 was the size of ten cricket ovals a week.

Perth is abundant with beautiful animal and plants, some which are found nowhere else in the world. Astonishingly, there are more plant species in the Greater Perth Floristic District than the entire British Isles, an area over 20 times larger. The Perth and Peel regions and the rest of the Southwest Australia are considered as important to the world’s biodiversity as the Galapagos or the Amazon rainforest.

The now endangered Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo (picture above) is endemic to southwest Western Australia. Their population has halved in the last 45 years due to habitat fragmentation and the removal of nest hollows for use as firewood or just to make properties look “tidy”. Much bushland now lacks hollows as it takes over 100 years for seedlings to mature and form hollows suitable for nesting for the Cockatoo. Furthermore, other bird species such as the Galah and the Western Long-billed Corella are extending their range across the wheatbelt and out competing the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo. Australia’s love an underdog, so we have to back this poor bird.

Another local is the poor Turtle Frog (pictured below). He’s not really a looker, but he’s a battler. With a tiny head and strong, stumpy limbs but a big round body he reminds me of mini-me version of a few fellas I’ve seen at the pub. Most frogs dig backwards but this species digs forwards, like a turtle. It feeds on termites so the adaptation of the muscular limbs is useful when trying to break into a termite mound. Once again get rid of the bushland and you get rid of the Turtle Frog’s habitat and source of termites.

The Peel-Yalgorup wetland system in Perth's south is the most important area for waterbirds in Southwest Australia. It is also home to a unique community of thrombolites clotted accretionary structures formed in shallow water. They just so happen to be one of the oldest life forms on Earth.

All these are under threat and their future will be determined in very short time. The Federal and WA State Government have announced their intention to conduct a Strategic Assessment of the Perth and Peel region, to determine where future development can occur and which areas need to be protected.

Join the WWF in ensuring Perth’s unique and exquisite wildlife is protected. Click here to send an email voicing your concern about the rate at which bushland is being cleared and that you support that sufficient space to house Perth’s growing population should be found on already cleared and degraded land. To make your submission even more effective, please consider sending your own comments direct to: submission-strategicassessment@dpc.wa.gov.au

To find out more about exactly what is a Strategic Assessment and what does it mean for threatened species, go to here.

Comments must be received by Friday 7 October 2011, so please - act now!

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED THIS WEEKEND: The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup 2011

Between North America and Asia in the located roughly between 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N exists a large gyre referred to as Great Pacific Garbage Patch or Pacific Trash Vortex. This is an area of ocean littered with debris mainly in the forms of small plastic particles that have broken down under the sunlight suspended at or just below the ocean surface. Estimates of size range from 700,000 square kilometres (270,000 sq mi) to more than 15,000,000 square kilometres (5,800,000 sq mi) (0.41% to 8.1% of the size of the Pacific Ocean), or, in some media reports, up to "twice the size of the continental United States". There are up to 11 gyres like this in oceans around the world.

To find out more check out this video of Dianna Cohen on TED.com:


Apart from being unattractive, this rubbish that has been carelessly discarded has a devastating effect on already fragile ecosystems battling oil and contamination spills, increasing human traffic, commerical over fishing and rising sea temperatures. The rubbish can be ingested by marine animals causing sickness and death. Furthermore as the plastic degrades it releases toxins including PCBs, DDT, and PAHs. Not only does this effect the marine life interrupting their endocrine system and hormone levels but this toxic matter then makes it's way back to us when we eat seafood.

Where does this rubbish come from? About 80% of this garbage comes from land based sources. But this weekend you can do something about it.

Since 1994 the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup has been Canada’s largest contributor to the International Coastal Cleanup, a global effort to remove harmful litter and aquatic debris from shorelines before it makes it's way into the oceans. In just a few hours this weekend you can help clean our oceans plus make sure your local coastline is looking immaculate.

To give you an idea of how much rubbish there is to be collected, in the 2010 clean-up volunteers covered 2,235kms and collected 98,071kgs of litter with the top 5 being:
- 227,830 cigarette butts
- 83,660 food wrappers
- 55,880 plastic bags
- 55,443 caps and lids
- 28,755 pieces of disposable cutlery and plates

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is happening over 17-25th September so this weekend is your chance to make a difference. Click here to find the clean-up closest to you and for more information please visit http://www.shorelinecleaup.ca/ and http://www.wwf.ca/.

Mobile phones vs. Great Apes

Can’t wait to get a new iPhone 5? Or maybe just need to upgrade from your current old phone? Well you might as well just kill a gorilla or a chimpanzee? Have I gone mad? Some might say so, but there is a very close link between gorillas and chimpanzees and the production of mobile phones. Each time another mobile phone is produced it may be contributing to the destruction of the habitat of gorillas, bonobos (a type of chimp), forest elephants, otters and many more species of animals.

Over a billion phones have been sold each year since 2006. Wireless Intelligence claims that there is currently over five billion mobile phones in use around the world and that number should reach six billion in 2012. With the average person upgrading their phone every 14 months it is predicted that there are about 500 million old phones laying around in people’s junk drawers.

A cell phone is made up of many materials being about 40% metals, 40% plastics, and 20% ceramics and trace materials. The circuit board is made out of a variety of metals including copper, gold, lead, nickel, zinc, beryllium, tantalum and one in particular that is of interest and has a rather sinister story. Columbite-tantalite, or coltan for short, is a metallic ore that, when refined, becomes metallic tantalum, a heat-resistant powder that can hold a high electrical charge. In mobile phones it is used to regulate the current flow within a mobile’s circuit board. One of the main places where coltan is mined from is the Dominican Republic of Congo and the Congo River Basin (containing the second largest rainforest in the world).

Since the DR Congo’s independence in the 60’s the country has been in a continual state of civil war as varying parties battle over the country's rich resources (I found BBC News provides a great overview. Click here to see the article). The fighting has led directly and non-directly to over three million people being killed. Amongst the unrest, illegal mining groups have been able to sneak into protected areas and mine by hand using groups of men digging basins in streams, scraping away dirt to get to the muddy coltan underneath.

These illegal mining groups are capitalising on the mobile phone boom but the coltan mining industry in this region has led to ongoing destruction of the as well as the slaughter of great apes for the illegal bushmeat trade. The United Nation’s Environment Program has reported that the number of eastern lowland gorillas in eight national parks in the Congo has declined by 90% over the past five years. Now there are only two to four thousand left in the wild and less than 50 in zoos.

It’s easy for us in the Western world to look at the situation and feel that there is nothing we can do. However that is definitely not the case! Mobile phones can be recycled. This reduces the demand for coltan as well as reduces the amount of mobile phones in landfill leaking toxic elements such as arsenic and lead.

There are many companies and organisations coordinating the recycling of mobile phones. Some offer free postage while others have drop off points. I have found most Zoos have drop off boxes. Below is a list of some. Please feel free to message me more that you know of.

This weekend I challenge you to take five minutes to dig up any old mobile phones and get them to an organisation that will have them recycled. By doing so you are helping save the gorillas and other animals of central Africa no matter where you are in the world.

Global - WWF
Click here for information about various recycling drop off points.

Australia - The Jane Goodall Institute
Click here for a Reply Paid Label for individuals.
Click here for schools and businesses who are interested in organising a collection.

USA - The E.P.A.
Click here for a list of organisations participating in the recycling of mobiles and other electronic devices.

Canada - Recycle My Cell
Click here to be redirected to a directory of drop off points around Canada.

United Kingdom - Recycling Appeal
Click here to be redirected to their site.

Ireland - Recycling Appeal
Click here to be redirected to their site.

Other Related Information
- Gorillas are so closely related to humans that the human birth control pill is used by zoos to control breeding in gorillas.
- On 31st May 2011, the World Health Organization confirmed that mobile phone use may represent a long-term health risk, classifying mobile phone radiation as a "carcinogenic hazard" and "possibly carcinogenic to humans”.
- Like your honey? There have findings that cell phone radiation may be negatively affecting honeybees, but the results have been disputed.

Here is an old interview I did with Rachel Lawry at Melbourne Zoo a few years ago. Click here to listen.

Happy 50th Birthday WWF

The golden birthday, the Big Five-O, the 50th birthday is a special life-marker worthy of a big celebration. For many it's a time to reflect but also a time to start slowing down to an easier pace, dreaming of retirement, holidays and reaping the rewards of many years of hard work.

But there is one 50 year old showing no signs of slowing down, in fact each year brings new strength and energy. On April 29, 2011 WWF celebrated 50 years of environmental conservation. Since the organisation's inception, WWF has made significant contributions around the globe including;

- Fighting to save the Borneo rainforests, homes to orang utans, pygmy elephants, rhinos and clouded leopards since 2007
- Helped gorilla numbers increase by working with local communities in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to genrate more money via ecotourism.
- Helped to ensure four-fifths of the amazon is still in good condition.
- Working with countries where the five remaining species of tigers live to build pulic, political and financial support to double tiger numbers by 2022.
- Working with countries to reduce net carbon emmissions to zero from deforestation and forest degradation by 2020 with 67 countries so far signed to this commitment including Indonesia and Brazil
- 50 years of building environmental awarness through many campaigns
- Saved the Arabian Oryx from extinction by taking a herd into captivity in 1962 and reintroducing them into the wild a decade later when the last wild oryx had been killed (now there are 150 in the wild with 68 more ready to be reintroduced).

To find out more about their successes visit ttp://wwf.ca/about_us/successes/50th_anniversary.cfm



In the next 50 years there is no doubt that the WWF will continue to work tirelessly to conserve our environment. This 50 year old has many good year in it yet!

Remember to always give a gift on a birthday. Donate today at http://www.wwf.org/

Let Your Fashion Make An Environmental Statement

"Style is knowing who you are and what you want to say and not giving a damn". - Gore Vidal.

For many centuries fashion has been used to make statements. Colours are associated with alliances, badges promotes someone's rank or achievements and uniforms identify roles. And who can forget different fashion statements made by the stars? Just think Bjork's swan dress, Madonna's cone bra or Lady Gaga's meat gown.

Now it's time for the fashionable people of Canada to make a statement, about our love for the environment. 17th February is National Sweater Day. It's the day when the WWF ask us to find a quirky and fun sweater to wear for the day. Adorned in your fine sweater you won't need the thermostat up so high, so WWF invites you to turn it down just 3 degrees and show your support for the environment.

National Sweater Day is another great idea by the WWF to open dialogues between people about lightening our impact on the environment and reducing our energy consumption...and if your sweater isn't getting people talking then you are just playing too safe.

To support National Sweater Day make sure you have your sweater and tell people why you are wearing it. Don't forget to change your Facebook profile picture to a photo of you in your sweater so all to tell all your friends know what you care about and why not encourage others to join you in the fashion revolution by having a Sweater Party at home or a Sweater Day at work?

For all the information, please visit: http://wwf.ca/takeaction/sweater_day/