SHIRLEY AND JENNY´S INCREDIBLE STORY: TWO ELEPHANTS REUNITED AFTER A LONG SEPARATION

Source: petguide.co.nz.

Source: EVOLVE Campaigns via YouTube

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Not a new story but worth watching again and again! So amazingly touching - the story of Shirley and Jenny, two crippled elephants reunited at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee after a 22-year separation. The bonding was immediate, intense and unforgettable between the two former circus elephants.

Jenny and Shirley were both at the same circus when Jenny was a calf and Shirley was in her twenty's. They lived one winter together then were separated twenty-two years ago. It is very rare for elephants to display this kind of emotion in captivity, and it's probably the first time such a thing has been documented on film.

More about Shirley: http://www.elephants.com/shirley/shir...
More about Jenny: http://www.elephants.com/jenny/jennyB...

Jenny passed away peacefully October 17, 2006 surrounded by those she loved most ~ Shirley, Bunny, Tarra and her caregivers.

Read more about the reunion here: http://www.carolbuckley.com/elevision...

Shirley and Jenny: Two elephants reunited after more than 20 years.

UNCHOPPING A TREE

"Protect species.

Together we can save two birds with one tree."

 Maya Lin - Unchopping a Tree from What is Missing? Foundation on Vimeo.

MAN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Uploaded by Roberto Benítez.

Mon, Capitaine... Are we, Homo sapiens?

Not yet, mon ami!

Quand, mon Capitaine?

"WE ARE ALL NOAH": QUESTIONING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANIMALS

Source: Pinterest.

"WE ARE ALL NOAH" explores the ethical teachings of Judaism and Christianity as they apply to various forms of human interaction with nonhuman animals. [Regan, 1986]

Read more here or go to References section.

Uploaded by Ajswara.

Uploaded by Ajswara.

Animals need your help!

Let us put an end to animal experimentation and testing. 

Make a difference! Please sign the following petition: Go here.

And for those of you out there who are accostumed to eating a non-vegan diet, why not make the change?
 

References

Finsen L. (1986). "His Heart Exposed to Prying Eyes, to Pity Has No Claim": Reflections on Hogarth and the Nature of Cruelty. Between the Species, J. Stu. Phil. Anim., 2 (1): 12-18.

Regan T. (1986). "We Are All Noah": A Film. Produced by Kay Reinbold. Between the Species, J. Stu. Phil. Anim., 2 (1): 18-49.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for -fair use- for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

EUROPEAN UNION WILL ALLOW CANADA´S SEAL PRODUCTS WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS

Source: Canadian Seal Hunt.

Quote:

"The Nunavut News/North, Monday, 20^th October 2014 (page 3) reports that the “European Union is allowing the unhindered import and sale of sealskins from Nunanvut´s Inuit hunters”.

"According to the Nunavut newspaper the “EU will now allow indigenous seal products without restrictions based on type or intended use, and that non-indiginous people can now participate in the production of seal products”.

Read the full story: Click HERE.

WAR ON WOLVES IN THE UNITED STATES

Killed Montana wolf (Canis lupus) and coyote (Canis latrans). Source: HT.

By Gundhramns Hammer
November 2, 2014
Select, paste & translate 

In a world where natural areas are being encroached and "developed" (= messed up) all the time by people, for wolves, happy times are when no humans are around. 

This is quite true and understandable since our species has had a long history of treating, persecuting and killing wolves like vermin.

In countries such as the United States, where the crime of totally exterminating the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was committed not long ago, you would expect that everybody should already have learned the lessons. 

More so now that national libraries are bursting with scientific literature and internet and TV stations carry so many documentaries on nature.

But this is not the case. 

Read more: Click HERE. 

This article first appeared in Gundhramns Hammer.

MONGOLIA´S LUNGS: DEVASTATING ILLEGAL LOGGING DENOUNCED BY VISIONARY

Deforestation in Mongolia. Source: millermongolia.weebly.com.

By Gundhramns Hammer

October 26, 2014

Select, paste & translate

The biggest enemy of trees around the world is man (Homo insapiens). Even though their lives depend upon trees, the vast majority of people do not give a damn about them. 

And turning this around is not an easy task, especially considering that most humans anywhere tend to be interested only on things sprinkled or loaded with the smell of money, sex and shit. 

It is even harder in poverty-sticken places, for in this case people usually are infected with the "before someone else comes along and takes it, I will take it for me first" social virus. Then, being selfish is a matter of survival.

This way, pro-social behaviours become a rare species since everybody is for himself.

But even then, when things seem getting worse all the time in places where people have lost their ecological bearings, if they ever had any, there are individuals who may be able to see their surroundings from a sound ecological perspective and think of the future. 

These visionary individuals will try to prevent the already precarious situation from getting worse. They sound the alarm and it is now up to the rest of folks to get the message.

In Mongolia, people are cutting trees down without ever thinking of planting replacements. They are doing it like fucking morons. The same moronic pattern can be seen worldwide.

And this destruction, fucking forests up, everywhere is called "development"!!!

Mongolia´s lungs - the trees- are being cut down at an alarming rate.

According to  millermongolia.weebly.com, "the rates for deforestation are up to 150 million trees annually. This is used for firewood, construction timber, encroachment in mining, grazing of livestock, and extensive forest fires. In 1998 the Food and Agriculture Organization stated that Mongolia's forests decreased by 1.2 million hectares between late 1970s - late 1990s. That means that 12 billion square meters of deforestation occurred in just 20 years. The timber industry only uses about 60% of the collected timber for profit."

Concerned about this anthropogenic environmental problem, Davaanyam Delgerjargal has denounced this savage deforestation in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).

He hopes his photographic work will make the Mongolian government do something to stop the illegal logging going on in Ulaanbaatar.

The following clip (Video 1) shows what Davaanyam Delgerjargal is doing to save the forests around him before it is too late:

Davaanyam Delgerjargal photographs communities in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, whose livelihoods are dependent upon illegal logging--a practice that has devastating and long-term environmental consequences. Through his work, Delgerjargal aims to end illegal logging by drawing government attention to the underlying issues of poverty, unemployment, and the lack of state policies or enforcement of environmental protection.[Open Society Foundations]

Mongolian/English

Video 1. The price of illegal logging. Uploader: Open Society Foundations

To Davaanyam Delgerjargal, we gladly say:

Bravo, for your visionary work!!! Keep up your good work!

NIGERIA´S OILY MESS: THE NIGER DELTA HELL

Source: globalpost.

By Gundhramns Hammer
October 21, 2014 
Select, paste & translate

With the immense oil and gas reserves deep underground, everybody is born rich in Nigeria. Theoretically, of course. 

But in reality this is not the case. What we find in the Niger Delta is a terrible hell for most people (Video 1).

Video 1. Oil spills in Nigeria: The true price of crude oil. Uploader: The Guardian.

In Nigeria, a few people have made millions from the country´s oil industry. They have fat bank accounts in a tax have sucha as Hong Kong, Panama, Luxemburg, Switzerland, just to name a few.

Others, the vast majority of people, barely manage to scratch a living, leading a struggling life with only 2 or 3 euros in the pocket daily.

In the meanwhile, the environment which everybody depends upon has been extremely polluted during nearly five decades of exploiting the black gold. 

The potential richness that everybody should have achieved during his or her lifetime, one derived from a good public fund, more or less like in Norway, has been swept away beneath their feet and left counting stars from hunger, for a bunch of mega-chupopterans (Sp., chupar = to suck) have gobbled up the whole petroleum cake.

Read the following report to get some of these facts:

Nigeria: Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta, by Amnesty International (2009). 143 p.

Get a copy: Click HERE.

Or go to this post references section below.

Therapsids and the big cake

Humans are therapsids and as such they show sophisticated ingroup dominance (Narvaez, 2006). Humans fight amongst themselves to see who steps on the most to get the most from a big cake. 

As a result, the members of the Homo "sapiens" tribe have been waging wars against one another since remote times.

But by the same token, cynodont therapsids are also believed to have had a soft side : Nurturing and taking care of their young. 

Some cynodonts may even have lactated their young, though they would lay eggs rather than give birth to live offspring (Medeiros Parente et al., 2011). 

This behaviour and way of reproduction was perhaps much more advanced than that of female alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), for example, which show maternal protection towards the young for almost a year after hatching today. 

Since life is a continuum, this is why at least most human beings, assuming they are humans, have a soft side as well nowadays. Nature builds upon the old.

So, where is the soft side of the petrogenic rich people in Nigeria?

Should those that have gotten the biggest chunks of the petro-cake in Nigeria at the expense of others not pitch in to take care of the needs of those that have nothing in Nigeria?

Should they not show some emotional engagement with others, in what Dr. Darcia Narvaez (2006) calls the "Ethic of Engagement", via caring relationships and social bonds with their fellow human beings in Nigeria?

What is the use of accumulating so much money? To further screw up those below or perhaps to feel like a god?

To those who are wallowing in petro money in Nigeria, what the fuck is the excuse not to help your poor fellow human beings in your own backyard?

Why not take care of the environment?

Be honest and kind to the others at least once in your lifetime! 


References

Amnesty International (2009). Nigeria: Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta. Amnesty International Publications, London, UK. 143 p. 

Medeiros Parente R.C., Paglarelli Bergqvist L., Bento Soares M. & Moraes Filho O.B. (2011). The History of Vaginal Birth. Arch. Gynecol. Obstet., 248: 1-11.

Narvaez D. (2006). The Neurobiological Roots of Our Multiple Moral Personalities. Notre Dame Symposium on personality and Moral Character, University of Notre Dame, IN, USA. 7 p.

A SILENT FOREST: THE THREAT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TREES

Source: World Rainforest Movement.

"A Silent Forest: The Growing Threat, Genetically Engineered Trees" is an award-winning documentary film exploring the growing global threat of genetically engineered trees to our environment and to human health. The film features PBS' David Suzuki, who explores the unknown and possibly disastrous consequences of improperly tested genetic engineering methods. [Teresa Campbell via rosaryfilms]

THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY: FOUR WINGS AND A PRAYER

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

MURMURATION: THE AMAZING DANCE OF STARLINGS (STURNUS VULGARIS)

Earth never ceases to talk to us. 

It is just that we do not want to listen.

Here is one of her miracles:

A flock of Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and its amazing acrobatic flight before perching for the night.

Murmuration from Islands & Rivers on Vimeo.

For more information on "Murmuration", click HERE.

Traducción:

Murmuración: La Danza Increíble de los Estorninos (Sturnus vulgaris)

La Tierra nunca cesa de hablarnos.
Es sólo que nosotros no queremos escucharla.

Aquí está uno de sus milagros:

Una bandada de Estorninos (Sturnus vulgaris) 

y su increíble vuelo acrobático antes de posarse para pasar la noche.

NUCLEAR PLANTS ARE NOT BUILT TO LAST FOREVER: REACTOR HAZARDS AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Source: Greepeace.

By Gundhramns Hammer
September 15, 2014
Select, paste & translate
 

No nuclear plant can be made to last forever. They are really short-lived structures. The average age of the world's reactors is 21 years (Hirsch et al. (2005).

Thus, sooner or later a nuclear plant becomes not only a potential but a real danger to any human population (Video 1). 

Video 1. The Fukushima nuclear accident.

  

No matter what they tell us that is safe in order to sell it, for it is a business like any other done for profit, this technology is within the bounds of human error and as such it will always contain, according to Hirsch et al. (2005), inherent safety flaws which cannot be eliminated by performing safety upgrading when needed. 

On top of that, any nuclear power plant is really a cracking machine producing dangerous radioactive waste (Video 2). What the fuck do we do with it?

 Video 2. Underground storage of nuclear waste: A problem for future generations of earthlings.

Despite the fact that no nuclear plant can ever be 100% secured from any attack, nevertheless we must also take into consideration the security of this facility. 

And in today´s unstable political world, nuclear plants may become a target for a terrorist wanting to blow it up. 

Here are the big problems.

Read more:

Hirsch H., Becker O., Schneider M. & Froggatt A. (2005). Nuclear Reactor Hazards: Ongoing Dangers of Operating Nuclear Technology in the 21st Century. Greenpeace International. 128 p.

WE ARE SPECKS IN THE VAST UNIVERSE

Nauplius larva. Source: Micrographia.com

“Folks, we are a tiny nauplius larva in Earth´s oceans now: Either we metamorphose or we die.” [Gundhramns Hammer] 

Read the full article: 

MAN´S FANCY CYCLES: FROM FOSSIL FUEL AND BUTT BURNING TO GLOBAL WARMING

http://e-rastrillo.blogspot.com.es/2014/09/mans-fancy-cycles-from-fossil-fuel-and.html

EL MILAGRO DE LA MIGRACION DE LAS AVES: LOS MENSAJEROS DE LA TIERRA

Fuente: theguardian.

Por Gundhramns Hammer
30 de agosto de 2014
Select, paste & translate

Cada primavera, cada otoño o en cierta época del año en alguna parte del mundo hay un espectáculo natural que si eres una de esas personas que tiene la ventana del corazón abierta para que entre libremente la voz de la Madre de todas las madres, la Naturaleza, lo verás con diferentes ojos, lo experimentarás en toda su grandeza. 

¡Te quedarás maravillado! 

Es algo milagroso. Y aún más milagroso porque en la actualidad está ocurriendo a pesar de que nosotros los humanos estamos interfiriendo demasiado en los ciclos de sus vidas, de la Tierra. Estamos acabando con sus habitats para rellenarlos con hormigón o asfalto.

Estamos hablando del milagro de la migración de las aves (Fig. 1). Son los mensajeros de la Tierra. Asimismo son indicadores de la salud del planeta.
 

Figura 1. Aves en plena migración. Fuente: IdeaPark.

Eran los años 1980s, en la época de los grandes linajes académicos bajo cuyo manto hicimos nuestros estudios de postgrado (MS, PhD), en pleno otoño en las extensas praderas de Kansas en los Estados Unidos, invitados por unos amigos ornitólogos tuvimos la oportunidad de pasar un fin de semana a orillas de un enorme humedal (Cheyenne Bottoms, Fig. 2) donde llegaban y aún llegan miles de gansos canadienses (Branta canadiensis) a comer y descansar en su viaje migratorio.

Figura 2. Humedal de Cheyenne Bottoms en Kansas (Estados Unidos). Fuente: Wikipedia.

Nos quedamos muy impactados de poder disfrutar de semejante espectáculo. ¡Había miles y miles de gansos y otras aves acuáticas migratorias!!

Aun conservamos esas maravillosas imágenes en nuestra memoria, dulces recuerdos de la vida silvestre norteamericana, que nos han dado calor y aumentado una visión respetuosa hacia todos los seres - animales, hongos o vegetales, todos - que nos acampañan en este corto viaje que llamamos vida. 

Nuestro corto viaje en su planeta, pues somos sus huéspedes. 

El haber estado en Cheyenne Bottoms nos hizo sentir inmensamente ricos y afortunados. Aunque nos entristeció profundamente por un breve instante un recuerdo, ese de ya no poder ser testigos en directo de la gran migración de las palomas pasajeras (Ectopistes migratorius), pues ya no existen. Todas cayeron abatidas bajo la implacable mano de la ignorancia del hombre.

Pero aún somos ricos. No sólo nosotros sino también vosotros. Aún tenemos muchas aves que emprenden ese gran viaje cada año. 

Es un viaje largo y repleto de grandes peligros. Enfrentánsose incluso a la escopeta y las trampas de cazadores furtivos y no furtivos. 

En Europa, miles de aves nunca jamás volverán. Miles son envenenadas. Miles caen en trampas, capturadas en redes o cazadas a base de balas (Videos 1-2) para alimentar las fauces insaciables de las mafias que a su vez alimentan el tráfico y contrabando de aves para abastecer restaurantes de lujo (Video 3) o tiendas de mascotas.  

Video 1. Caza ilegal en Malta (Primavera 2014). Parte 1.

Video 2. Caza ilegal en Malta (Primavera 2014). Parte 2.

Video 3. El consumo ilegal del Escríbano Hortolano (Emberiza hortulana).

Pero de la manera que estamos llevando y explotando ("gestionando") el planeta no será por mucho tiempo. 

Muchas especies de aves están disminuyendo alrededor del mundo, según un reporte de la organización conservadora BirdLife International (2013). Se debe al impacto directo o indirecto de nuestras actividades anti-biosféricas en la Tierra. 

Somos demasiado contaminantes, demasiado cagones, demasiado caprichosos, demasiado egoístas, demasiado acaparadores y destructores de ecosistemas, estúpidos y ciegos. Y demasiadas veces crueles. 

Estamos matando lentamente nuestra nave espacial que nos da vida y nos protege con su invisible campo magnético del peligro del viento solar y del inhóspito espacio exterior (Video 4). Estamos matando al planeta Tierra, una maravilla del Universo o Multiverso.

 Video 4. Detectan cambios en el nucleo terrestre afectando el campo magnético.

A continuación presentamos los impactantes documentales La Tierra desde el cielo (Video 5-9) sobre la migración de aves en el mundo (La Tierra desde el cielo; BBCEarthflight):

Video 5. La Tierra desde el cielo (Europa).

Video 6. La Tierra desde el cielo (Sudamérica).

 Video 7. La Tierra desde el cielo (Norteamérica).

 Video 8. La Tierra desde el cielo (Africa).

 Video 9. La Tierra desde el cielo (Asia y Australia).

¿Cómo ayudar a las aves migratorias?

Hay varias maneras de ayudar a las aves migratorias. Veamos algunas.

Primeramente, a gran escala, una de las mejores maneras de ayudarlas es conservando sus hábitats.

En segundo lugar, en los Estados Unidos, las grandes metrópolis ya están haciendo su parte para ayudar en la migración de las aves y de una manera curiosa y efectiva.

New York, por ejemplo, ya lleva cinco años aplicando un programa especial (Project Lights Out New York/Proyecto Luces Fuera Nueva York) liderado por la organización NYC Audubon que consiste en apagar las luces de los rascacielos durante la noche para ayudar a las aves migratorias. 

"Se estima que cada año 90.000 aves mueren en la ciudad como resultado del choque contra las fachadas de cristal de los edificios", señala un reporte de la BBCMundo del 22 de mayo de 2014.

Al apagar las luces en los rascacielos de New York, el número de aves muertas por choques disminuyó un 83% por la noche, según un estudio del Field Museum de Chicago, añade BBCMundo.

El Proyecto Luces Fuera Nueva York ha comenzado el pasado mes de mayo y será extendido hasta el 1 de noviembre de 2014, fecha en la que se espera que ya no haya desplazamientos migratorios, de acuerdo a BBCMundo.

En tercer lugar, considerando que los cristales de los edificios y casas son una trampa mortal para las aves migratorias se están tomando medidas para evitar los choques. Suiza y Francia son un ejemplo (Schmid et al., 2008). 

Se trata de la reducción de la transparencia de los cristales, el uso de vidrios de color, utilizar cristales con superficies inclinadas y curvas, la reducción del efecto espejo, entre otras medidas (Schmid et al., 2008).

En menor escala, a nivel individual, colocar imágenes o siluetas adhesivas en los cristales de las ventanas ayuda mucho a las aves migratorias. 

Por ejemplo, un niño canadiense recientemente ha inventado unas calcomanías de plástico que se pegan en los cristales de las ventanas utilizando un pegamento que sólo las aves pueden ver.

Otra manera efectiva de ayudar es dejando los setos de los jardines en casa au naturel, dejarlos en paz, especialmente si tienen plantas fructíferas (e.g., zarzamoras, Rubus fruticosus) de las que dependen las aves migratorias (e.g., los ruiseñores, Luscinia megarhynchos) para alimentarse y acumular la energía necesaria antes de emprender el largo viaje (obs.pers.) 

En otras palabras, tener un jardín salvaje ayuda mucho a las aves migratorias y sirve de refugio de biodiversidad (10).

 Video 10. Los habitantes de un jardín salvaje: una historia real.

En Norte América, hay mucha gente que le echan una mano a los colibríes migratorios o no migratorios colocando comederos o bebederos especiales (Video 11). Y además las personas tienen la satisfacción de estar cerca de la fauna lo que conlleva a una mejor salud para los humanos.

 Video 11. Un amante de aves disfruta sus bebederos para colibríes.

Y por último, no dejaremos de mencionar que poner casitas en áreas donde anidan las aves migratorias como los vencejos o golondrinas (Fig. 3) es de gran ayuda para ellas, especialmente para los pájaros que gustan estar cerca de las residencias de los humanos.

Figura 3. Una feliz golondrina en su casita en la Abadía Sravasti en Newport (WA, Estados Unidos). Fuente: Sravasti Abbey,

Para mayor información, recomendamos navegar en la internet para aprender un poco más de cómo ayudar a las aves migratorias de manera individual o a lo grande.

Referencias

BirdLife International (2013). State of the World´s Birds: Indicators for Our Changing World. Cambridge, UK. 28 p.

Schmid H., Waldburger P. & Heyner D. (2008). Edificaciones, Cristales y Aves. Estación Ornitológica Suiza, Sempach, Suiza. 50 p. 

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for -fair use- for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."