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You Can Do It "Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." -- Elie Wiesel  Summer of 2010 Here's to having strength and wisdom for the coming year. May I have enough of both to find my way through the enormous challenges that defined my life in 2010 and which have no sign of letting up in 2011. For a few more details...
Blood Diamonds Still Exist PLEASE CARE WHERE YOUR DIAMONDS COME FROM  YOU MAY BE DYING TO WEAR A DIAMOND, BUT MAKE SURE NO ONE DIED SUPPLYING YOU WITH THAT DIAMOND. "BLOOD DIAMONDS" ARE VERY REAL. BE RESPONSIBLE AND DON'T BUY OR WEAR DIAMONDS FROM THE MARANGE FIELDS IN ZIMBABWE. FROM HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH:
In July 2010, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, an international body that oversees the diamond trade, decided to lift its one-year ban on exports of diamonds from the Marange fields, despite finding serious human rights abuses and rampant smuggling during its own investigation there. Its weak excuse was a technicality in its mandate that defines blood diamonds as those mined by abusive rebel groups, not by abusive governments. Human Rights Watch continues to call for the withdrawal of the army from the diamond fields, an end to ongoing abuses, and investigations into human rights abuses that have taken place since 2007. Responsible consumers should not buy diamonds from Zimbabwe’s Marange fields. What do all the coffee certifications really mean? Here's a site to sort it all out for you and they are not biased by being funded by one group over another. As far as I can tell, it's a website written to inform and that's all. Learn about 'Bird Friendly' coffee and why you should be looking for the labels that matter. Click the image below to read more ....  Every time you handle a store receipt made with thermal paper containing BPA you rub a little bit of estrogen-mimicking powder onto your fingers that allows an opportunity for the endocrine-disrupting chemical to be absorbed into your body.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) writes, "Thermal paper is widely used for point-of-sale receipts, prescription labels, airline tickets and lottery tickets. Thermal printers use paper that is coated with a dye and developer (BPA or an alternative chemical). Heat from the thermal printing head triggers a reaction between the dye and developer, allowing the black print to appear." STRAIGHT FROM EWG.ORG WEBSITE:
In animal tests, scientists have produced evidence that BPA can induce abnormal reproductive system development, diminished intellectual capacity and behavioral abnormalities and can set the stage for other serious conditions, such as reproductive system cancer, obesity, diabetes, early puberty, resistance to chemotherapy, asthma and cardiovascular system disorders. It has caused epigenetic changes, meaning alterations in the way genes switch off and on and genetic changes that can be passed on to the next generations. Frequent exposures to relatively large amounts of BPA in receipts are an obvious concern to every shopper, but even more so to the legions of people who staff cash registers and bag groceries at tens of thousands of retailers across the country. These workers handle BPA-loaded receipts hundreds of times a day, with as yet unknown consequences for their health (Biedermann et al 2010). According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2009, the two largest U.S. occupations were “retail salespersons” and “cashiers,” with more than 7 million Americans in those jobs. Retail workers carry an average of 30 percent more BPA in their bodies than other adults, It is unclear how much BPA-coated receipts contribute to people's total exposure to the ubiquitous plastics chemical. What is certain, however, is that since many retail outlets already use BPA-free paper for their receipts, this is one source of contamination that could easily be eliminated completely. Breaking news: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal has just cleared its last congressional hurdle.12/18/2010 It was a long, hard battle, but it's finally over; we now have justice for all!  If you use Wikipedia and enjoy what it offers, please consider donating as little as $1. It's the pursuit of knowledge in a pure form and not a commercial enterprise. Pass it along .... it's a beautiful thing :)
Shop with a conscience ... check out this website. It's a great source of information about slave free products and how you can support slave free working conditions.  I'm just learning how to make a "video" with my photos ... no music with it yet, but check it out the silent mode. I hope it makes you smile... For crystal clear viewing, click to start and then click on the word FACEBOOK to watch it there in high definition. It looks sharp on a larger screen in HD .. otherwise it's fuzzy in a larger format.
Missing Children Banner Link Join thousands of individuals who are helping the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children disseminate photographs of missing children over the Internet by participating in the Missing Children Banner Link. The banner runs continuously and rotates photographs of missing children. The images are updated automatically by our web server to assure that only current information is displayed. The banner links to www.missingkids.com, providing more information on each child. Check out my new blog: GREENWASHING. When you see products with the certification SFI being sold as Sustainable Forest Initiative rememer this: SFI = SELLING FALSE INFORMATION. It should come as no surprise that businesses are lying to get your money by claiming their products are "good for you and good for the environment". The lesson here: become an informed consumer. Don't buy a product with a "do gooder" label without knowing what's behind the label.  Have you wondered where to buy "green" paper? I have. Well, here you go. You may want to bookmark this page and refer back to it. I've been looking for something like this for quite some time and am thrilled to have discovered it on Forestethics.org. About this Petition: (straight from the petition website) Junk mail is more than just an annoyance; it's an environmental crisis. Every year, junk mail production destroys 100 million trees, creating global warming emissions equivalent to the emissions from nine million cars. Just as the Do Not Call Registry freed Americans from telemarketers, a Do Not Mail Registry would give us the choice to stop junk mailers from violating our privacy, wasting our time and damaging the environment. The Desired Outcome of this Petition: Continue adding to the 80,000 signatures calling for a Do Not Mail Registry on http://www.donotmail.org  What an inspiring story I heard on my local news station tonight about an organization helping out women in Rwanda. For those living in the Denver, Colorado area, these handmade baskets can be purchased at a couple of locations. What's extraordinary is that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the baskets goes back to the women in Rwanda. In my opinion, this is the kind of gift that captures the very best of the holiday spirit.  Mission and Vision Their mission is to empower the women of Rwanda with useful skills that will enable them to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Their vision is to open up markets for the handicraft products produced by Rwandan women, while also training them in skills that are useful within their own local economy. Their Values They adhere to the Fair Trade Standards of the Fair Trade Federation, and are in the process of becoming a member of this organization. They believe in listening to the women to determine their goals and objectives. Once they understand those goals and objectives, they develop programs that are tailored to meet them. They return 100% of the profits earned from Rwandan handicrafts to projects benefiting the people of Rwanda. GO TO THEIR WEBSITE You'll find hundreds of beautiful photos of these adorable little creatures at Betsy's online art gallery. Their personalities shine through in every picture. All framed prints are on sale through contacting Betsy. Custom orders are welcome! All sales help fund the research and writing for this website. (Betsy's email address: betsy at livehonestly dot com.)  Email me personally to purchase 8 x 10 framed prints for $65 and 5 x 7 framed prints for $40. Satisfaction is guaranteed! If you order something that doesn't completely meet with your expectations, I'll refund your money. I want you to love what you buy. There are hundreds of photos to choose from.  Chippy and the crew are in hibernation right now. This is a city squirrel taken December 3, 2010. Watching this has moved me to write ... I hope you will too :) SPREAD THE WORD! Tell everyone that you plan to Write for Rights on Facebook and/or Twitter. Encourage others to sign up for Write for Rights! by texting or emailing this registration link: www.aiusa.org/writeathon Straight from Amnesty International's website: Your Words Have Power They can bring FREEDOM to prisoners of conscience. They can demand JUSTICE for survivors of torture. They can offer HOPE to human rights defenders at risk. Your words can SAVE LIVES. Each year hundreds of thousands of people across the world mark International Human Rights Day on December 10 by taking part in Amnesty International's Write for Rights Global Write-a-thon - the world's largest letter writing event. We write letters to demand that the rights of individuals are respected, protected and fulfilled. In doing so, we show solidarity with those suffering human rights abuses and work to bring about real change in people's lives. "Amnesty International's support is one of the reasons that I was released." - Musaad Abu Fagr, Egyptian novelist and blogger freed from detention in July 2010 after being a subject of AI's Global Write-a-thon. SIGN UP to Write for Rights!
Participate as an individual, or host an event and invite friends, family, and members of your community to join the call for human rights. Check out our Write for Rights! map to find an event near you. SPREAD THE WORD! Tell everyone that you plan to Write for Rights on Facebook and/or Twitter. Encourage others to sign up for Write for Rights! by texting or emailing this registration link: www.aiusa.org/writeathon Get your RESOURCES. Everything you need to participate in Write for Rights! will be available on this website, including case summaries, sample letters, promotional materials, and helpful tips for holding a successful Write for Rights! event. Participants will receive an email when these additional Resources become available. If you'd like hard copies of these items or have questions, email us: writeathon@aiusa.org. WRITE and MAIL your letters. (December 4-12 are the key dates, but feel free to start earlier or later.) TELL US HOW IT WENT! We want to hear from you: did you meet your letter pledge goal? Do you have great ideas on how we can make next year's Write for Rights even better? Be sure to complete the very brief online evaluation form (available soon) or send us an email: writeathon@aiusa.org. |
 Betsy Seeton
I'm an artist, writer, photographer, private investigator and an activist in small ways.
"Turning indifference into making a difference."
MY PHOTO BOOK
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH NATURE is my new website devoted to my photography, books, and art.
  My LADYBUG book is filled with beautiful images & inspiring quotes. Click here for more info.
 All photos are for sale at Betsy's Art Gallery  Email Betsy   Amely-James KOH BELA is fighting child trafficking in Africa and throughout several continents. Read my interview with her.  CLICK FOR BEE PHOTOGRAPHY  Mahoot Elephant training in Thailand with Kaew,  Adorable French girl growing up in Africa with wildlife photography parents - more pictures of Tippi Degre  I visited the Tiger Temple in Thailand & later found out it is under investigation for tiger trafficking and animal abuse. Read full story. In 2015 it was raided. More than 100 tigers and protected bird species in Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, popularly known as the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province were impounded by authorities following complaints that the temple was alleged to engage in illegal wildlife trading.    photos for sale as greeting cards and framed prints or posters. Click to go to my online Art Gallery  "The moment one gives close attention to anything,
even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." ~ Henry Miller  FREETHEBEARS.ORG - Learn about bear farming and bear paw soup. This torture must end! DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS helps people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.
 Connect with Jasper, The World Ambassador of Animal Rights & Welfare on Facebook! Read about life in the woods with Chippy & the crew...
What greater atrocity is there on this planet than to sell a human life and brutally force him or her into a life in the sex trade or endless labor? And how dare we abuse, kill and traffic animals in the name of profit... in the name of anything for any reason!
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