Posted on February 3, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Target: Cayman Islands Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie
Goal: Ensure man whose megayacht chain allegedly damaged most of a coral reef is properly punished for his negligence.
Billionaire Paul Allen is reportedly responsible for the destruction of a coral reef due to the fact that he anchored his ridiculously massive yacht in the middle of it.
The huge chain wrecked havoc upon the Cayman Islands reef, damaging around 80 percent of it. Almost 14,000 square feet of it was entirely destroyed, leaving untold numbers of marine organisms without food and shelter.
Paul Allen is the co-founder of Microsoft, and as such he is incredibly wealthy. His yacht is the 49th largest in the world according to Boat International. Something this massive was bound to disrupt the ocean, but this destruction of such an important aspect of the marine ecosystem is completely unacceptable.
Allen is blaming the local port authority for the destruction of this reef, but his completely unnecessary yacht never should have been near the coral reef in the first place. Due to the fact that he has so much money, it’s possible that the authorities may be reluctant to try and prosecute him for this destruction. We cannot allow that to happen as it will send the message that billionaires can get away with anything.
Coral reefs cannot be repaired once destroyed. However, justice can be done and things like this can be prevented. Sign our petition to demand that Paul Allen be punished for damaging this coral reef.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Ebanks-Petrie,
Recently, 80 percent of the West Bay coral reef was reportedly damaged by the anchor chain of Paul Allen’s massive megayacht. This is an incredible amount of destruction, as I’m sure you know, and will have a devastating effect on the marine ecosystem in the area. All of this is because of the greed of a rich man who apparently thinks that he can get away with anything.
This coral reef lies in a protected area and its destruction warrants much more than a simple fine that wouldn’t put a dent in his huge fortune. This is also not the first time that billionaire yachts have come along to damage these fragile habitats.
We can’t let this man get away with effectively destroying this coral reef and leaving untold numbers of marine animals without their home. Please do not let him off easy, as nothing can bring back a coral reef like this which took hundreds of years to develop. Ensure that your government presses charges against Paul Allen and makes him pay for his greedy negligence.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere ! | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 3, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
A Probable Carcinogen Is Now the Most Heavily Used Weed Killer in History
But don’t expect a new analysis of glyphosate use to derail Monsanto’s plans for its next-generation herbicides.
Jason Best is a regular contributor to TakePart who has worked for Gourmet and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Bio
One of the promises made at the beginning of Monsanto’s biotech revolution some 20 years ago was that planting crops genetically engineered to withstand weed killer applications would dramatically reduce the amount of chemicals farmers used. So why are we virtually drowning in herbicide today?
An analysis published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe finds that, rather than herald a bright future where farmers had to rely less on chemical herbicides, broad adoption of Monsanto GMO crops designed to withstand the herbicide glyphosate appears to have instead led to a chemical deluge. Today, glyphosate, which Monsanto markets under the brand name Roundup, stands as “the most widely and heavily applied weed-killer in the history of chemical agriculture in both the U.S. and globally,” according to a statement released by the Environmental Working Group in response to the findings.
Indeed, the analysis finds that use of glyphosate has skyrocketed 15-fold since Monsanto introduced its line of Roundup Ready crops in 1996. Although the chemical herbicide has been around since the mid-1970s, some 75 percent of all glyphosate applied to crops during the history of its use has been sprayed in the last 10 years. That equates to 2.4 billion pounds sprayed in just the U.S. from 2004 to 2014, the equivalent of 436 million gallons of Monsanto’s Roundup PowerMax formula.
Put in another, more Web-savvy way, the Environmental Working Group translates that mind-boggling amount as enough to fill some 3 million kiddie pools a foot deep—which, put end to end, would span the country.
It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way—at least not according to the vision Monsanto sold farmers a generation ago. The problem with glyphosate was that it had a nasty tendency to kill crops along with weeds, but Monsanto said it had neatly solved that problem with its line of patented GMO crops. Because those Roundup Ready crops were engineered to thrive even when doused with glyphosate, farmers could use the potent herbicide to kill pesky weeds, in less amounts than they might with other types of herbicides.
That’s what happened—at first. But within a decade, something “unexpected” occurred—or rather, it was unexpected only if you believe it never dawned on the experts in life sciences at Monsanto that it might happen. Farmers began reporting that certain weeds appeared to have developed a resistance to glyphosate. Instead of using less herbicide, now some farmers were being forced to use much more to combat a growing epidemic of “monster weeds.”
Why does all this matter today, even beyond the staggering amount of glyphosate that’s being applied to American cropland and the broken promises of the agrochemical industry that the deluge represents?
For starters, last year the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, made big news when it classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, raising significant concerns about the safety for the farmworkers around the world who are charged with applying massive amounts of the herbicide to fields, as well as the health of agricultural communities where use is heaviest.
Second, rather than take a long, hard look at what’s happened in the 20 years since Monsanto sold farmers on the company’s trademarked crop “system,” the big agrochemical giants are instead rolling out a new generation of GMO crops coupled with newly formulated chemical combos.
Despite the withdrawal of the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency late last year, Dow remains committed to getting its Enlist Duo system to market, while Monsanto is developing Xtend, or what might be dubbed “Roundup Ready 2.0.” In an effort to combat the scourge of super weeds, both companies have developed powerful herbicides that pair more chemicals with—you guessed it—more glyphosate.
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 3, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Petition Link:
Target: Yahoo Inc. CEO Marissa Mayer
Goal: Stop allowing ivory sales on Yahoo Japan that threaten the endangered elephant and rhino populations.
Internet company Yahoo is still a participant in the ivory trade that’s devastating populations of endangered animals, including elephants. While Google and Amazon have committed themselves against allowing any sale of ivory through their websites, Yahoo Japan is making millions from it. These sales increased from two million to seven million in the span of just four years.
The ivory market continues to thrive as the material becomes more rare and precious due to the shrinking populations of the animals that grow in on themselves. The western black rhino has been driven to extinction, and the white rhino only has three remaining individuals left, all in captivity. Due to poaching for ivory and habitat shrinkage, elephants could be extinct in just one or two decades.
The more Yahoo Japan fuels the ivory trade, the more they put the last remaining rhinos and elephants in danger. Multiple companies and governments have already been pressured to end their roles in this brutal and devastating market, and we can do the same with Yahoo. Sign our petition to the CEO of Yahoo to demand that she prohibits all sale of ivory through her website.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Ms. Mayer,
Your company, Yahoo, is currently participating in a brutal market that’s responsible for the endangerment and extinction of multiple animal species, including the western black rhino and the African elephant. Yahoo Japan recently saw $7 million in ivory sales, up from $2 million just four years prior. This cannot be allowed to continue.
Poaching for ivory has caused the loss of so many magnificent animals, and participation in the trade of this material is what drives poachers to continue slaughtering them in incredible numbers. Experts estimate that African elephants could be extinct in as little as 10 years, largely due to this practice. The only way to stop poaching entirely is to eliminate the market for ivory. There is no other reason to poach elephants.
Companies like Google and Amazon have already committed themselves against the ivory trade. Consumers across the world are becoming more aware of the realities and consequences of this market and will not stand for your participation in the slaughter of rhinos and elephants. If you want to protect your already faltering profits, you must immediately prohibit all sale of ivory through Yahoo Japan and any affiliated sites.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere ! | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 1, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The Dog Who Grew A New Face!
Video link –
Another very moving video which shows the superb work of all the team at Animal Aid Unlimited in India, rescuing a dog on the brink of a terrible death. See his recovery in the video above !
Have a look at our recent post showing what the team do and view some of their other (before and after) amazing videos.
Hats off to all the team saving lives.
Past SAV post link –
If you wish to give a donation, then you can give here by clicking on this link – Thank You.
Animal Aid Unlimited, India.
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SHELTER - Information, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 