Revulsion buy Leo

That's what I feel when I sometimes read something about my human mates. I don't know in another countries but this is one in which sometimes is normal to get agreements by shooting, crooking or trampling in the most literal meaning of the word. I many times think that most of us have the head just for wearing a hat. This is Franska's story...

Thanks Leo for the information you provided me some years ago.

Who killed bear Franska?

Franska had many enemies. Sheperds said she had killed more than one hundred sheeps around the villages of the area. At the Pyrenees, where brown bear became extinct many years ago, there's no much food for a plantigrade in need of fat in order to survive the winter. She was never welcomed. Her mate, Palouma, was killed by an "accidental shoot" some months after having been released. Both Palouma and Franska were taken from Slovenia to the French Pyrinees thanks to a European programme for reintroducing bears in such place, a program wich in 2007 was declared as failure.

Franskwa was found hit dead by a car. At the beginning it was declared as an accident as Palouma's shoot but the autosy revealed that someone was in charge of making it look like an accident. It was finally accepted that the she bear was intentionally hit by a car... twice. But the most "curious" is that... before being hit by the car... she was shot several times... perhaps accidentally also...

The autopsy also revealed another secret: Franska was 17 years old. She was not 7 as the Slovenian Government said when she was given with the aim to repopulate. A difficult task to such an old bear.

This Is War

Some weeks ago I remember being working as a volunteer in a project for the conservation of cetaceans somewhere in the North Sea. I also remember having conversation with the people of the team about the consequences of depleting the oceans. The leader of the project made some comments about the increasing number of jellyfish (basically the consequence of tuna overfishing). But this point was not something new to me, in fact, I belong to one of the main countries that the more overfish the oceans: Spain. It's not something new in this country to have in summer news about jellyfish invading our beaches. The point is the way people understand the reality because no many are really aware of what's happening with the tuna population around the world. Things continue happening as some weeks and years ago... the war continues... and the worse is that the problem is getting worse.

Has something changed since 2007 when I wrote the following lines?...

July 3rd, 2007. I could recently read in the newspapers that authorities had declared war to jellyfish... Oh mine!... I continued reading and it seemed that the only real politicians and civil servants worried about the subject were those from the environment agency, in fact they were the only ones who put the finger in the wound: the lack of natural predators has boosted the presence of the jellyfish in our seas (and thanks God we have recently had a reasonable rainy season).

I'm really sure that more than one will have wondered about who is naturally supposed to be pillaging the jellyfish population.The answer is Mr. Tuna and Ms. Turtle. And now the cornerstone is... Where the hell are the tunas and the turtles? Why are their populations so low? Basically there are two answers:

1. We're fishing tuna four times over the sustainable level. 
2. Turtles are being jeopardised troughout really questionable methods of fishing.   

Although you can see the shelves of the supermarket plenty of tuna tins, it would be really suitable for you to reduce the consumption of this fish (in fact I left it some years ago). I would like to think that consumers and politicians are going to do their bit but let me doubt about it... Above all because the problem is developing faster than reactions being carried out to fix it.

If only the history didn't repeat as it happened to cod, but I'm afraid that there won't be a happy end, man is the only animal to stumble over the same stone twice. 

Good night.

There's Something Wrong

Before consuming some wood or paper... Think twice please...

• A surface equivalent to a football stadium disappears every two seconds.
• Non Stop. Every day a surface equivalent to 43,200 football stadiums disappears. Every year a surface equivalent to 15,500,000 football stadiums a year disappears. It would be something similar to the surface of Spain and Portugal together.
• In the last 80 years we have lost so much forests as in the last 10.000 years and what is worst... the pace is accelarating: in the last 30 years we have lost so much forests as in the last 5,000 years. And last but not least, the loss of biodiversity goes in parallel with the loss of forests.
• Many forests finishes their lives transformed into toilette paper, packing, wrapping and office paper.

It's up to you.

"Share" Is The Key

Some days ago I read an article about the otters resurgence in some parts of England. However, such resurgence has shown once more the concept of property that we have respect to the planet. And maybe here we have the key to resolve the problem of cohabitation that we have with the rest of forms of life with which we share the planet. I repeat the keyword: share. We are not only unaware of the point that we human species alone are consuming more than 50% of the resources of the planet. We are so cheeky that have even claimed for the recovery of some species like the one of the otters.

I could understand that someone claims because a certain species is destroying their way of making a living but having someone claiming because on holidays are not going to fish as much as expected is outrageous. This is the case of the otters in England. Maybe the selfishness and blindness of those claimers prevent them from understanding that planet Earth is shared. The otters have the same rights than humans to enjoy the rivers and make of them their way of living. It seems that everybody is wrong except us. I think it's high time to understand that our overpopulation and comsumption of resources should be the first thing on this planet to be under a strict control.

Thanks Rafa for your videos, they show the shameful way of how we deal with Life all over this planet.

Xmas Time Is Coming: Keep This In Mind

Oceans Empty Of Life And Plenty Of Noise And Rubbish

Have Things Changed Something In 6 Years?

I posted in April 2007 some comments about de main headlines related to the environment. In that moment after 3 years, things hadn't changed a lot. Now, 3 years later, the question is reaised once again. Maybe people are more concerned, there are some steps being taken but there's a new question: can these measures catch up with the level of destruction? I'm in doubt. Three examples to think about: Europe's seas face 'bleak future', €1.1 trillion and 2010 living planet report. And now some headlines from 2004 to 2007:

• Climate change threatens beaches in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Patagonia's glaciars could disappear in twenty years time.
• Global warming could come great famines and the melting of the Himalaya.
• Climate change will leave 200 million refugees in 2050.
• Ten important natural reservas under threat.
• Global warming threatens 30% of flora and fauna.
• Equator declares the Galapago Islands at risk.
• Scientists declare the collapse of marine ecosystems.

Amen.

I Want To Be Optimistic...

...but every day it is more difficult.

Not Another Nature Film from WWF on Vimeo.

WWF's Living Planet Report 2010

The Profecy - Part II

The years before 2007 were years where politicians in our Valencian Community took profit for selling around the idea of creating natural parks. They not only spread the idea but also passed the corresponding laws to carry it out. At the same time there were voices saying that everything answered to a perfectly or almost perfectly arranged plan: natural parks were to be used as a call for potential buyers of houses. In other words, these plans of setting natural parks around were spearheading the settlement of builders and unscrupulous people around such mentioned places. And words like "benefit for a few and disgrace for many" would become a profecy some years later. Where is now the money? Who is now to pay for our destroyed environmental heritage? Nobody thought about that our economy couldn't be based only on bricks for ever?

We tried and continue trying to domesticate nature. We try to transform forests into gardens which is equal to dead forests because there will be left only trees. Maybe there will be left some birds, but what about mammals and reptiles if they are only seen as bugs? Where will be the necessary space for medium and big size species? I don't know if you reader will understand spanish but the point is that every time I read an advertisement like the one below, I can't help to think about the idea of "once upon a time Europe was a forest spotted of small clearings, today, Europe is a bit clearing spotted of small forests".

We people who buy a house have the last word as before buying it we should be aware of the "things" that previously were in such a place. Such an action is for free, you don't have to pay any tax or fee, just inform you. The change is inside you. What are you waiting for?

Additional Information

• Spain Destroys 7.7 Hectares of Coastline Daily.
• Friends of Escalona Mountain Range.

Respect

There are some people who frequently use the word, which titles this post, in a way pretending to be cool and gentle. The question is how far can we tune up the meaning of the word. And why do I say all this? Because there are many people who make a great song and dance about how respectful they are and, when the moment of being in control of the steering wheel arrives, they go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hide. It is in that moment when they speed, when they don't adapt their driving to the circumstances of the road, and it is here where the expression "I control" puts and end to the word which titles the post and begins to increment the possibilities of death for any species who cuts in front of such a cool and pleasant driver.

Our roads have become so big in size and number that have invaded and fragmentated almost all known ecosystems and last but not least, the designers didn't take into account that in those ecosystems there were other forms of life which also need mobility like humans. So the point is that thanks to that design and those cool guys in the driver seat, the possibilities of death notably increase because there is no alternative to cross the roads and move along them.

Only the fact that "the others" were before we arrived is enough reason to decive a respect besides we are "the lowest of the low". The others also have the same right to share this planet. An accident is something unpredictable and outside to driving in a careless way, which would be an imprudence and so something you would have to pay for it.

Millions of animals are dying in roads around the world every day and many of them would save their lives with better designed infrastructures and of course, with a more level-headed way of driving. So keep in mind these words whenever you are at the driver seat, keep in mind that you are driving along different ecosystems with other forms of live moving around as you would do. And of course, keep in mind that only 1% of the money necessary to construct the infrastructure is enough to save millions of lifes. Other question would be how that money is managed...

Here you are two interesting and related links: Carnage on the carriageway & Driving animals to their graves.

Terrible Beginning... Happy End

Please, By Friday

Polar bears are threatened with extinction and adding them to Appendix I would ensure that commercial trade does not compound the dangers already posed by loss of habitat. Please write to your Environment Minister today and ask them to support the United States’ proposal to uplist the polar bear to Appendix I.

P.S. The place where I got the picture.

Knowledge For Defending

Some days ago I found the video below from the story of Esmeralda. This way you can also find people who are taking care of big cats and giving them a new oportunity: Big Cat Rescue.

A Gift That Is Worth

Like father, like son. And it's a truth that children behave like parrots and do what they see. In other words: They follow suit. Last Xmas we gifted our niece and nephew a very special gift: a gift to adopt an animal in danger. So far I knew that the most threataned cat in the world was the iberian lynx, but thanks to the gift I've mentioned, what I didn't know was that there are also other cats facing extinction, at least, in a very situation alike. This is the case of the Amur Leopard. I think I won't be the only one who didn't know about this marvellous animal so I take advantage of this situation to spread the word out.

Here you have a link to the gift, another link to the people who are in the background and another to the WWF who have a report about the situation of this animal.

End of 2009: Year of the Gorilla

I know I arrive a bit late but what matters is the thought. Some days after having begun 2010 I would like to wish it to you.

Year after year, one that comes another that goes, that's life: someone comes, someone goes. I have taken advantage of the last post of the year to dedicate some words to the animal of the year 2009: The Gorilla.

This is not the first time I make a reference to this animal but sadly, this species like many other big mammals are on the brink of extinction and I think it is a moral obligation to me to remind my readers the nowadays situation of one of our nearer relatives in the Line of Evolution.

I always insist in the same words: The Change has to come out from everyone of us and this is usuful for different aspects of life. We don't have to wait for the Messiah, just live in the way we would like things to be. And of course I'm not the author of this quote, it is the philosopher Kant and it is something that I try to put into practice every day:

Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.

If continue reading, below you'll see I have left several links to information about the gorilla although we could reduce its problems to deforestation and it has three main causes:

1. Search of wood for furniture for rich people (WE).


2. Search of wood for cooking and meat for the ones who are very poor (THE OTHERS).


3. Coltan minery for the posh people who want to change their mobile at a good clip (and I say mobiles for not saying more electronic devices).

So if you consider yourself a responsible person:

• Buy wood when really necessary and take into account its origin. Look for FSC certificates or at least ask the shop assistant about any other warranties: Get the word out.

• Reuse, try to buy second hand furniture. You can find some good oportunities with a bit of patience.

• Calm down with your mobile and don't be so flashy, take profit of it for at least two years if possible and ask your mobile provider any kind of certification which shows that the coltan in your mobile has been taken out under environmental and social responsibility policies because not only elephants and gorillas are killed but also children and farmers are made slaves.

I also want to pay tribute to Dian Fossey who gave her life for defending these incredible animals and without her sacrifice gorillas would've been wiped out. Here you are some links: Wikipedia, the charity which takes her name and another where I've got the picture below.

We also have to pay tribute to Jane Goodall: link 1, link 2 and link 3. You are her foto below and one of her books made me think twice about the way I was conntected to the world and also made me give the first steps to become vegetarian.

Finally, as I paid tribute to the bucardo (link in English), I'd like to do the same with Digit because I think is not fair they fall into obscurity because of a world plenty of "noise", vanity, shallowness and greed. To those who don't know it, gorillas almost don't fight for food, their territory or mating, but leaders put into risk their lifes for trying to stand the group together. Digit was a leader whose loyalty to her family brought her to death when in 1977 she kept a tight rein on six pouchers and their dogs. Her death highlighted the inexorable human interference into the mountain gorillas habit in Central Africa. I hope Gaia has Digit in its glory and from this moment in our hearts.

In the name of gorillas (maybe they can't understand this lines but sign languaje) and mine, we would like to appreciate this time of reading and I sincerelly wish you a very happy 2010.

P.S. Here you are the link to the picture of Digit's tomb: click here.

7

Our planet is large, more or less large if compared with the rest of the planets of the Solar System. It is large but we only have seven species of sea turtles and all of them are threatend. Since Finding Nemo turtles have become more famous, what's more, we have given to them charisma and that's good for conservation.

Many are the dangers that turtles have to face: drift fishing, plastic bags, trawling, nets, etc. Some people could think that turtles are silly animals that are usuless for the ecosystems but nothing more wrong:

• They are little ecosystems in movement.
• They are pollution bioindicators.
• They control another species as jellyfish or sponges which can threaten other species even whole ecosystems like corals.

So we already have some reasons to increase our care for sea turtles. In case you find some of them in the seashore because you could think they are ill, the easiest way to help them is to dial the emergency number. Maybe in some places you have another ways but this is the general one. Here you have some clues to give the accuratest information about the animal:

1. If she or he is completely quiet, taking a lot of care, touch their eye. Until the last breath of life they respond to your finger in their eyes.
2. Problem number one with flotation: they float more in one side (left or right). They have breathing problems, maybe an infection in their lungs or something so.
3. Problem number two with flotation: they float more in the rear part or viceversa. Maybe they are having problems with their digestive system.

I have given you several reasons to preserve sea turtles and a few clues about how to react in case of emergency. Ups! Another thing, if possible, up to the moment in which the emergency service arrive to the place, you can soak your towel and keep wet the legs of the turtle. Remember they normally live in the oceans and their skin needs humidity.

To come to an end, here you are a video to make awareness of the problem that we and they are facing.

Have a nice weekend.

Have you ever wondered....

.......... why the trees attract rain? Saying the truth, I have been a long time wondering if that issue was true or only and idiom from the people without any scientific basis. Reading a magazin one sunday evening I came across the answer. In the magazine you could find an interview to a physicist who answered my question.

The process works as follows. Sun heats the seas and as consequence of it water steam holds over the sea surface, waiting for a current of air which drags it to land. As the land is normally colder than sea, the steam condenses when reaches the coast, up to the point that very early some mornings we can see little drops of water everywhere. In this point forests come into play, but forests no gardens (some people try to convice another that a forest is a little green spot, but that's not true). And why forests come into play? Because they "breath", and as a consequence they release more water steam that joins the one which comes from the sea. In that moment, the density is so high that atmosphere can't hold the water and that becomes rain. This is what happens more or less.

We have deforested the Mediterramean Sea in Spain. My opinion is that individual interests have prevaled over public ones. The consequence is that we have less rain. We have no enough forests to stop the rain and it scapes to nothern parts, increasing the volume and becoming into floods. The water is not realised litte by little but suddenly.

Now we have another problem, climate change is generating a hotter Mediterraneran Sea. Last year we got a record on temperatures and that supposes that the temperature diffrences between land and sea is minor, so is harder for steam to condense and become rain. Now the problem is not only scaping to the north, the problem is to generate the lovely rain.


Have a nice week.