Below is a guest blog from Heros star and avid supporter of The Whaleman Foundation, Hayden Panettierre.
June 24, 2010 Agadir, Morocco
Hey everyone,
First, I want to thank the over 230, 000 of you who signed our petition to stop all commercial and scientific whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland and end the brutal dolphin and porpoise hunts by Japan and the Faroe Islands.
Earlier today in Agadir Morocco, at the 62nd annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), my personal hero and Whaleman Foundation founder, Jeff Pantukhoff, was there to represent all of us and deliver our petition to the IWC.
On all of our behalf, Jeff presented our petition to Monica Medina, the United States Commissioner to the IWC, who gladly accepted it on our behalf.
Jeff then delivered the following statement to the all the delegates representing IWC’s 88 member nations:
“On behalf of The Whaleman Foundation and its membership, we are pleased to participate as a non-governmental observer to the 62nd meeting of the International Whaling Commission and thank the Government of Morocco and the city of Agadir for hosting this meeting.
On behalf of the over 230,000 people from all around the world who have signed our petition, we take this opportunity to present our petition to the member nations of the IWC and their respective government leaders."
To: All Member Nations of the International Whaling Commission and their respective Government Leaders
"We, the undersigned, call on all member nations of the IWC to vote to immediately stop all commercial whaling and lethal scientific research whaling by Japan, Norway, and Iceland and to enforce the current global whaling moratorium.
Furthermore, we call on the Governments of Japan, Denmark, and others to cease their hunting of dolphins, porpoises, pilot whales, and other small cetacean species.
Whaling poses an unnecessary and unacceptable risk both to the health and recovery of surviving cetacean populations and to the people who consume cetacean meat which has been shown to contain extremely high levels of contaminants including Mercury, Dioxin, DDT, PCBs and is unsafe for human consumption.
The Whaleman Foundation urges all delegates to vote against the 'Chair’s Proposal' and to vote against any proposal unless it truly upholds the whaling moratorium and ramps down and ends all commercial and scientific research whaling by Japan, Norway, and Iceland."
Our petition was the only petition that was formally presented to the IWC and the good news is your voices have been heard and the “IWC Chair’s Proposal” to overturn the moratorium and legitimize whaling by Japan, Norway, and Iceland was defeated!!!
The bad news is that Japan, Norway, and Iceland are going to continue to kill thousands of whales in their blatant defiance of the whaling moratorium so we are going to need your help now more than ever.
Very soon, we will be once again calling on each and everyone one of you to continue to help us in our efforts to stop this brutal and needless slaughter once and for all!!!
To “honor” South Africa as host of the 2010 World Cup, an Arizona restaurant has decided to offer their customers the option to order lion burgers.
Look tasty?
“We thought that since the World Cup was in Africa …that the lion burger might be interesting for some of our more adventurous customers.”
The restaurant owner also said that, although many people were outraged at the idea of serving up the majestic (and endangered) animals in burgers, some were less upset when he explained that meat comes form lions raised on a farm in Illinois.
Despite the fact that they’re not killing the lions in the wild, this brings up a whole new issue. Ecorazzi makes a good point:
“It’s difficult to determine what the real story is here—that a restaurant is serving King of the Jungle burgers or that there is a farm in Illinois that raises the big cats for human consumption. No matter, the decision to serve meat from a threatened species as a tribute to an international soccer—or football, depending on your locale—event is mind-boggling.”
More troubling is the fact that, according to the Chicago Tribune, no one can seem to find the farm.
A farmed tiger being smuggled from Thailand
CNN has reported that the meat actually came from a butcher shop whose owner has been fined and jailed for selling lion meat - which (sadly) is legal - that actually proved to be meat form critically endangered tigers, which is most definitely not legal under any circumstances.
What do you think about the restaurant's decision to serve the King of the Jungle to US soccer fans? Share your thoughts in the comments.
As many as 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) of oil continue to gush into the Gulf of Mexico each day. Business owners and fisherman are feeling the impact, as are the birds, turtles, fish and other animals that fall victim to the oil each day.
On Friday, President Obama compared the effects of the disaster on the future of our environmental practices to those of 9/11 on our foreign policy.
"In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come."
Though a few people were offended by the comparison, an online poll shows that around 85% of people feel that it seems valid.
The President will address the nation on the spill live, tomorrow night (Tuesday, June 15th) at 8pm Eastern.
Building wells in impoverished villages is good. Building wells to support your own backyard waterpark? No so much. Here's a peek at a few of our likes and dislikes this week.
A huge “like” goes to Airborne Toxic Event for their new song and video, Neda, a tribute to Neda Agha Soltan. The 27 year-old became an international symbol of the Iranian opposition’s struggle when she was shot and killed by a member of the Basij militia on her way to a peaceful protest in the aftermath of Iran’s disputed election.
The song is available on iTunes, with all proceeds benefiting Amnesty International and their campaign to spread awareness about human rights violations in Iran.
We love a good ballad but have to give a big fat “dislike” to songstress Celine Dion, who recently added a backyard waterpark (complete with lazy river) to her $20 million estate on Florida’s Jupiter Island. Neighbors complained after having their water restricted when she used up the island's entire fresh water supply so she had 6 wells built to supply the 6.5 million gallons of water a year it will require.
Way to waste, Celine. If she’s into building wells, we know a few places that could use her help.
“Like,” no… “love” for eco-crusader Leonardo DiCaprio who has teamed up with The World Wildlife Fund to support their Save Tigers Now campaign.
It’s the Chinese year of the tiger but with tigers in the wild declining by 97% in the last 100 years, they need all the help they can get.
Speaking of big cats, we’re giving a “like” to Bolivia (yes, the country) and another to "Price Is Right" host, Bob Barker for their roles in creating a happy ending for four lion cubs.
Bolivia has passed the world's most comprehensive ban on animals in circuses and although the cubs’ mother had to be euthanized, the cubs will spend their lives at The Performing Animal Welfare Society, a sanctuary built with support from Bob.
Okay, so that’s 3 (or 4) “likes” and just one “dislike” but what can we say? Sometimes you need some good news.
Hollywood royalty, founder of Sundance, serious ally of Mother Earth, and Brad Pitt look-a-like, Robert Redford, is hoping that the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf last month will help people see clearly why green legislation is critically important.
Often credited with making green trendy in Hollywood, Redford has been on the board of the National Resources Defense Council for 30 years, went green before "green" became a verb, and is often hailed as one of the few celeb environmentalists who actually "walks the walk."
Check out his new 30-second message to all Americans:
Right now, in the marshlands of the Gulf States, oil-soaked animals sit dying as workers attempt to limit the already extensive damage caused by April’s devastating spill. Take one minute to send this message to the current administration, asking them to pass legislation that will "put America on a path to a clean energy future."
A young heron sits dying amidst oil (May 23rd)
Large oil companies have the $$$ and willingness to fund political campaigns and very frequently do, making it difficult for politicians to stand up to them. Campaign finance reform is a whole other can of worms but (for now) we the people have to let officials know it’s time to step up if they want to stay in office and continue to serve us.
Redford wants to remind politicians that public land belongs to the public, not any particular administration, and that drilling on these lands is never okay.
Marshlands of the Mississippi Delta, taken May 23rd
Visit www.nrdc.org/cleanenergynow and help make the voice of the public louder than the voice of profit hunters at large oil companies.
A super easy action that supports clean energy for years to come? We’re all over it!
Like the occasional Kit Kat bar? Us too. And as of today, you’ll be able to enjoy them (almost) guilt-free.
We're not talking calories here. In the latest example of Facebook users changing the world, a two-month-old social media campaign has convinced one of the world’s largest conglomerates that rainforest and wildlife destruction are no way to sell candy bars.
Confused? Here’s the deal. Nestlé (like most producers of processed foods, cosmetics, and household goods) purchases palm oil for products, including their famous Kit Kat bars. A key ingredient in many processed foods, palm oil also makes soap lather and was used during World War II to produce napalm (like we needed another reason to limit junk food).
To meet demands for palm oil, rainforests are being wiped out to make way for more plantations. Orangutans are endangered, primarily because of habitat loss. Their main habitat? Indonesian rainforests.
In March, Greenpeace decided that if the Nestlés of the world refused to put up with suppliers’ destructive practices, they’d have no choice but to stop. They launched this campaign and within days, Nestlé’s Facebook page was overwhelmed with comments from outraged consumers.
Nestlé heard them loud and clear. They’ve pledged not only to stop using palm oil linked with rainforest destruction in favor of sustainable alternatives, but are going above and beyond by working with organizations like Greenpeace to make sure their packaging practices are on the up and up!
This is a huge victory for orangutans and rainforests. Nestlé's influence is enormous; they own a slew of other large companies from Jenny Craig, Gerber, and L’Oreal, to Cheerios, Arrowhead, and PowerBar. Even your pets might use Nestlé products - they own Friskies and Purina too. Check out the full list here.
Next steps for Greenpeace? Convincing companies like Wal-mart to follow suit.
DiCaprio posted his pledge on Facebook, asking fans to join him in preserving our oceans.
"While the full impact of the gulf oil spill is still unknown, we know it is catastrophic to the wildlife in the region. There are many small things we can do that collectively will help the future health of our oceans. Please join me in this effort by taking the Save My Oceans Pledge."
We couldn't agree more!
The pledge is simple: ditch plastic bottles and bags, don't eat endangered seafood, or reduce your carbon footprint. Technically, ditching the bags and bottles also reduces your carbon footprint; manufacturing plastics isn't exactly a "green" process.
Make sure to follow Leo's lead and share the pledge on Facebook and Twitter after signing it, even if only a few friends will take heed. Saving the oceans is a pretty big task and every little bit helps!
Mothers Day is coming up and moms are all about giving so this year, why not give her a gift that does double duty and also helps out a cause that she cares about? Plus, it'll let her know that not only did she raise a perfect angel, she raised a socially responsible perfect angel. All moms love extras like that when it comes to bragging rights with their friends.
Moms love a good conversation piece and this one will give her a story she can tell for years to come. MEND purses are handmade by formerly abducted women in Uganda and your purchase helps them support their families. To order, visit store.invisiblechildren.com/mendbags. Fingers crossed that she'll talk about this bag next time she mentions you to someone instead of telling that story about the time you got gum stuck in your hair when you were 7.
If either you or your mom are friends to those with four legs, checkout www.petamall.com. From fine (and organic!) wine, to movies, music, bath products, and art, there’s something for everymom. We love the teacup above by Daisy Dog Studio. Five percent of all sales are donated to PETA.
If she’s a tad traditional and appreciates the annual flowers, organicbouquet.com, the Internet’s first socially and environmentally responsible florist, delivers overnight anywhere in the US and offers beautiful, eco-friendly flowers, gorgeous gourmet chocolate (like the ganache above), plants, handcrafted artisan vases and more.
Have a mother that’s all about jewelry? The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has a collection of beautiful bracelets (and other trinkets), the proceeds from which fund vital research to find treatments and cures. Choose one here.
For many of us, moms included, breast cancer is cause that’s near and dear. Sites like shopkomen.com have tons of mom-friendly gifts, all bearing that familiar pink ribbon that lets mom know you thought of her, and all of the women she cares about. We love the lavender candle above.
Also check out www.giftback.com. Ten percent of all purchases are donated to the charity of your choice!
