Animals Have Rights, Too

Even with progressive legislation, our wildlife still faces a variety of threats. If it weren’t for organizations like Defenders of Wildlife, I doubt almost any animals would be safe. Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, the manatee, lynx, wolves, otters, and now the Endangered Species Act all are in harm’s way.

On defenders.org, you can sign up for free wildlife updates, called Den Lines. Keep informed of any shenanigans going on and of how you can help, simply by using your mouse to make yourself heard. You can adopt an animal or two (adoption also makes a great gift!) or you can become a member and receive their excellent magazine. Defenders continue to need our support to carry on their fantastic work on our behalf… and on behalf of our wildlife and our wild places.

Wild in the Streets

I live in a nice town adjacent to Berkeley, California, that is very urban, but I have a big ol’ backyard, which I love-it is the reason I live here. I have racoons, a family of squirrels, and a pair of deer who seem to love the yard as much as I do. One of the older trees bears a huge amount of apples every fall, much more than my boyfriend and I can cook or eat, not to mention our friends, coworkers, and deer and squirrels. So we bag up the extra apples and take them to a place where deer congregate at the edge of the woods a few blocks away. Every time I deliver a new bag, I see lots of deer tracks, showing that my four-legged friends enjoy their apple a day. So before you just compost the extra bounty of your garden or fruit trees, take a look around and see who else might appreciate a neighborly gesture.

Animals Have Rights, Too

 

Even with progressive legislation, our wildlife still faces a variety of threats. If it weren’t for organizations like Defenders of Wildlife, I doubt almost any animals would be safe. Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, the manatee, lynx, wolves, otters, and now the Endangered Species Act all are in harm’s way.

On defenders.org, you can sign up for free wildlife updates, called Den Lines. Keep informed of any shenanigans going on and of how you can help, simply by using your mouse to make yourself heard. You can adopt an animal or two (adoption also makes a great gift!) or you can become a member and receive their excellent magazine. Defenders continue to need our support to carry on their fantastic work on our behalf… and on behalf of our wildlife and our wild places.

Save the Rainforest

    Tropical rainforests take in vast amounts of carbon dioxide (a poisonous gas which mammals exhale) and through the process of photosynthesis, convert it into clean, breathable air. In fact, the tropical rainforests are the single greatest terrestrial source of air that we breathe. What’s truly amazing, however, is that while the tropical rainforests cover just over two percent of the Earth’s land surface, they are home to two-thirds of all the living species on the planet. Additionally, nearly half the medicinal compounds we use every day come from plants endemic to the tropical rainforest. If a cure for cancer or the common cold is to be found, it’ll almost certainly come from the tropical rainforests. Tragically, the tropical rainforests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. According to Rainforest Action Network, more than an acre-and-a-half is lost every second of every day. That’s an area more than twice the size of Florida that goes up in smoke every year! According to savetherainforest.org, “If present rates of destruction continue, half our remaining rainforests will be gone by the year 2025, and by 2060 there will be no remaining rainforests remaining.”

Let’s Not Contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

I don’t know about you, but photos of the big patch of plastic and garbage floating in the ocean scares me more than almost anything else. Nearly 90% of plastic bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. If you are used to toting around your green tea, juice, or iced coffee in plastic, get a cool-looking thermos instead. This is a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health. You can guzzle as much as you want and still be green.

Be a Good Citizen

    Rich Chin’s family lived in New York City, pretty far away from any large expanse of wilderness, but that didn’t get in his way. Rich shares his experiences that first made him see how he could be a good in the world: 

    The Outward Bound Youth at Risk Program really helped many troubled teens get back on the “good citizen” road. I was one of those Outward Bound instructors that volunteered to teach in this life-changing experiment for inner city kids in the late seventies and eighties. It changed my life as much as it did those kids. I saw firsthand that if so-called “bad kids” were given a chance to learn how to respect others as well as themselves, they could contribute very positively and be part of our bright future. 

    Kurt Hahn founded Outward Bound (Outward Bound.org) on this assumption: “In genuine service to the benefit of others, one best expresses on a day-to-day basis his reverence for life itself.”

Warm and Fuzzies

    Maybe you want to cozy up to your newly-adopted loved one; the World Wildlife Fund has a stuffed representation of every imaginable animal, bird, fish, or beyond. For a mere $55 donation on wildlife.org, you get an adoption certificate, a gift bag, and the long-distance love of a beastie! You can also get a photo of your new baby to show off to the relatives at holidays (what grandparent could resist a three-toed sloth, smiley orca, or scaly anteater in the family, really?).

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

    You know you want to adopt a  wild animal, don’t you? Oceana’s Adopt an Animal program allows you to befriend (from a distance) a whale, manatee, puffin, sea turtle, or any number of beautiful sea creatures. Swim on over to oceana.org and bask in the richness dwelling within Earth’s oceans.

Recycling Saves the Rainforest

Here are some other things you can do to save the rainforest:

    *Don’t keep tropical birds or reptiles as pets. Let them live in nature.

    *Buy items made of sustainable wood. Hardwood teak and rosewood encourage logging and deforestation.

    *Recycle all your cans. Bauxite is mined from the ground in tropical countries and is the source for aluminum.

    *Buy local, organic food whenever possible. Conventional agriculture is exhausting our forest’s resources.

    *Support any organization that is legitimately working to protect the environment in developing countries and in precious rainforests.

More Beef = Fewer Trees

    The next time you consider grabbing a burger at a fast food place, remember this: over the past few decades, the rainforests have been disappearing to satisfy our hunger for cheap beef. Rainforests are home to over a thousand indigenous tribal groups, thousands of species of birds and butterflies and exotic animals-all of which are now endangered. Rainforests also affect rainfall and wind all around the world by absorbing solar energy for the circulation of our atmosphere. The trees provide buffers against wind damage and soil erosion, which then help prevent flooding along our coastlines. They are a precious part of our ecosystem. Let’s all do something to protect them. 

    Over five million acres of South and Central American rainforests are cleared each year for cattle to graze on. The local people don’t eat this much meat-it is exported to make the one dollar hamburger and a cheap barbecue meal.

Take Care of the Planet

    Each year, the National Environmental Education Foundation coordinates hundreds of events around the country on Public Lands Day. Volunteers are recruited to improve public parks and wildlife refuges by removing trash, planting trees, and doing other earth-friendly activities. Visit their website to find a service day near you: publiclandsday.org.

Animals Have Rights, Too

    Even with progressive legislation, our wildlife still faces a variety of threats. If it weren’t for organizations like Defenders of Wildlife, I doubt almost any animals would be safe. Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, the manatee, lynx, wolves, otters, and now the Endangered Species Act all are in harm’s way.

    On defenders.org, you can sign up for free wildlife updates, called Den Lines. Keep informed of any shenanigans going on and of how you can help, simply by using your mouse to make yourself heard. You can adopt an animal or two (adoption also makes a great gift!) or you can become a member and receive their excellent magazine. Defenders continue to need our support to carry on their fantastic work on our behalf… and on behalf of our wildlife and our wild places.