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An interesting perspective ....  Straight from Times Online:
The conflict between trade and conservation is nothing new, but it is pretty well established that if you let trade in wildlife run rampant, soon there will be nothing left to sell. That is why the UN set up Cites in the first place. So why did fish get such a raw deal? Is it that we care less about life that is so very different from us? Do the emotionless eyes of fish leave our hearts cold? Is it an extension of the convenient myth that fish feel no pain? READ IN FULL
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 photo by Andy Bingham Orphaned orangutans are the refugees of the palm oil industry. Read full article More straight from the bbc website: If you knew that, by buying your favourite chocolate bar, you were contributing to the extinction of the orangutan and fuelling global warming, would you still treat yourself? In the UK we consume huge amounts of palm oil, an ingredient found in scores of products including biscuits, fish fingers, cosmetics and toiletries. In Panorama's Dying For a Biscuit, reporter Raphael Rowe journeys into the rainforest of Borneo, where he uncovers evidence of palm oil companies cutting down trees illegally and developing plantations on protected land. This deforestation releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the global environment. As the forest disappears, at a rate of two football pitches every minute, so too does the habitat of man's closest cousins, the critically endangered orangutan. READ FULL ARTICLE  click to go to more of Ellen's rescued cats A link on my website under ACTIVIST called Awww... is where people are encouraged to click on their computers to help out animals. It's a simple activist tool. It works like this. Advertisers pay organizations to have people click on a link and once you've clicked the advertisers collectively pay out. The idea is that the consumer will take notice of their product at some point. Meanwhile, the organizations receive money.
The most faithful clicker on my website is a woman named Ellen in Louisiana. She also feeds a regular group of stray cats in her neighborhood and they've developed a mutual bond. I want to thank Ellen for her tremendous activism!! Here's a link to one of her passions. Enjoy! For updates on slavery in the cotton industry stay tuned to this organization: www.cottoncampaign.org.  Directly from Amnesty International's website:
In May 2006, over 45 women were arrested without explanation in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico. Many were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual violence by the police officers who arrested them and then held in prison for days before being released on bail. More than three years have passed and they are still waiting for justice. None of the officials responsible for their abuse have been adequately held accountable. The Mexican Supreme Court has already affirmed that human rights violations occurred at San Salvador Atenco. Before concluding that it did not have jurisdiction in the case, the Special Prosecutor for Crimes Against Women and Human Trafficking (FEVIMTRA) identified 34 members of the state security forces as suspects in the crimes. The investigation is now in the hands of Mexico State authorities. Call on the governor of Mexico State, Enrique Peña Nieto, to see to it that those responsible for the crimes against the women of Atenco are brought to justice and that adequate reparations are provided to survivors and their families. SIGN THE PETITION AT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S WEBSITE OR JUST READ MORE ... This is also posted under the page in my main menu called POWER OF WORDS following the Amnesty International video. I ran across this website tonight and found it inspiring that people are taking such serious action to make change. Kudos to them! I want to share this site with readers. There's even a section about how to make underwear from your old t-shirts! It's pretty cute! I haven't taken The Ethical Clothing Pledge yet. I try to find ethical companies, but I still fail to purchase 100% ethically made products. I am a minimalist, which is good, but I admit that I have room for improvement. I admire those willing to go the distance and take this pledge. It shows such a strength of character.  - - - - - - - -T H E _ E T H I C A L _ C L O T H I N G _ P L E D G E- - - - - - - - - -
I pledge to only wear clothing that is one or more of the following: 1. Pre-loved 2. Handmade (preferably by me) 3. Reconstructed 4. Made with ethical / environmentally friendly materials 5. Made by a company with strong ethical policy & workers' rights * Companies with environmentally friendly practices (such as cutting down on waste/energy/water) get brownie points * If I get one little inkling of sweatshop labour, I'm outta there!* Above all though, I think the most important thing is reducing the amount of things we use in the first place. Not purchasing ANOTHER piece of clothing just for the sake of it is the biggest statement we can make. I ran across the website www.onmywaythrough.com where I read a very thoughtful and inspirational posting called Facets of Freedom. Please check it out.
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by Betsy Seeton
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