Globally Green Living

Saturday’s song is I like birds by the Eels. I do like birds but not so much that I would partake in a facial with their feces. Have you heard about the crazy $200 bird crap facial?

I do recall hearing about geishas using bird droppings to remove make-up.

Apparently, it has been resurrected, sterilized and repackaged into powder. Either way, that’s some expensive bird excrement.

I first heard about this from Jonathon Morgan on Green Daily ($200 for a bird poop facial). The Geisha facial contains nightingale droppings and natural enzymes to soften and brighten skin.

There’s a video of the geisha facial called News or not news? Bird poop facial edition at Chicago Tribune’s Head Candy.

Hari’s salon in West London touts not only the “organic” geisha facial but also uses bull semen to condition dry hair. Eww.

And according to Mail Online, Gwyneth Paltrow uses a face cream containing snake venom to help slow down wrinkles. There’s also a popular painful lip venom some stars use to plump up their lips. (Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest beauty tip-snake venom face cream).

If these wacky treatments become too popular, I don’t think that the animals will really benefit. People seem to gravitate towards some strange stuff. I would have a hard time paying big money for something that is normally scraped off the car and cursed.

Bird watching is enough fun for me so I’m doing it with my wrinkles intact. Here’s the video of birds from French Guiana with the I like birds song.

Here’s this weeks music video, Whispering Wind by Moby. I like the hypnotic feel to the music and the scenes of clouds, butterflies and oceans are awesome as well.

Would you believe the Monarch is being threatened? Their habitat is being destroyed because of new housing developments and agriculture. If insecticide doesn’t kill them, it kills plants the Monarch’s larvae feeds on like milkweed.

In Mexico they’re threatened because many people are dependent on the logging industry. The monarchs roost on oyamel trees but they’re cutting them down. To learn more see The Butterfly Website and their environmental newsfeed.

Wildlife preserves in South Africa are using birth control for elephants as an alternative to culling or mass killing to control elephant populations.

People fought to protect elephants from poachers until the ivory trade was banned. Now elephants have grown beyond sustainable numbers and the government has lifted the ban on culls.

In the wild elephants would be busy traveling and searching for water and food in the dry climate. On the reserve water is plentiful so the elephant population is not thinning naturally. Although elephants are still endangered in other areas in Africa, on many of the wildlife reserves in South Africa they are not.

Birth Control Vaccine

The vaccine that acts as birth control does not contain hormones but instead uses the elephant’s immune system to block the fertilization of their eggs. This means they’re safer because there are no side effects from hormones and the rest of the food chain is not at risk.

It seems a practical alternative to culling and is usually reversible so elephants can become pregnant later. Some elephants are still allowed to become pregnant so younger ones can be socialized properly and learn how to raise their own young.

• Vasectomies are also used as birth control and an alternative to culling elephants in places like Kruger National Park in South Africa. Culling has been reinstated but it is a controversial method since it means killing whole elephant herds and that also affects the tourist industry.

For more information see:

• Elephant Birth Control Vaccine, National Geographic Video

• South Africa Elephants Get Birth Control, Los Angeles Times

• South Africa Brings Back Elephant Killing, Environmental Graffiti

Since I skipped last Saturday’s songs, today I found a couple for you. I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I puttered around catching up on housework, made some candles, gardened and went for a hike in the sun.

First up is North American Wildlife with Vanessa Williams singing Colors of the Wind. It includes photos of bears, moose, deer, horses, birds, wolves and more.

Colors of the Wind Lyrics:

You think I’m an ignorant savage,
and you’ve been so many places,
I guess it must be so, but still I cannot see,
How the savage one is me,
How can there be so much that you don’t know,
You don’t know,

You think you own whatever land you land on,
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim,
But I know every rock, and tree and creature,
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name,

You think the only people who are people,
Are the people who look and think like you,
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger,
You learn things you never knew, you never knew,

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest,
Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth,
Come roll in all the riches all around you,
And for once, never wonder what they’re worth,

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers,
The heron and the otter are my friends,
And we are all connected to each other,
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends,

How high does the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you’ll never know,
And you’ll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon,
whether we are white or copper-skinned,
Can you can sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

You can own the Earth and still,
All you’ll own is earth until,
You can paint ,with all the colours of the wind…

(Thanks to Lyrics Mode)

This next one is a beautiful slide show of mountains and other scenery with music by Kenny G.

Polar bears have been declared a threatened species and the Bush administration has acknowledged global warming is affecting their survival. The ice is expected to continue to melt but it was also made clear that there was no plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

Conservation groups, environmentalists and activists are understandably upset because even though the decision acknowledges Polar bears are in danger, they’re not offered much protection.

Canada so far has not announced that the bears are threatened even though two thirds of all Polar bears are in Canada. See U.S. Lists Polar Bear as Threatened Species for more.

The video featured today is Live Let Live performed by Brian Wilson with gorgeous clips of Arctic animals from the movie Arctic Tale. Narrated by Queen Latifah, it includes the characters Nanu the polar bear, Seela the walrus and the struggle to survive in their melting world.

The walrus is an endangered mammal that can live up to 40 years old and weigh up to 1.5 tons (1.4 metric tons). They’re built to live in the cold and their blubber helps insulate them, while their tusks help them either latch onto or break the ice. (National Geographic’s Walrus Profile)

Polar bears are mammals that are insulated with a layer of fat that helps them withstand extremely cold weather.

Their webbed feet help make them strong swimmers. They can live up to 30 years old and weigh up to 1,600 lbs (720 kg). See National Geographic’s polar bear profile for more.

Ice disappearing is a definite problem for both of these animals. Polar bears can’t hunt seals or rest if there’s no ice. The walrus and seal have nowhere to rest or eat so their survival is at stake. Whether the polar bear would be able to adapt on land is not clear but they have already clashed with humans when in close proximity so coming to land more will only increase conflicts.

Live Let Live Lyrics

Are the we enemy living the memory
Grandly gambling
With our hand on the lifeline
Ghost of coastlines
You are hanging on time

Every last breath that you have left
Touched by the hand of the man
Brave riding the wave
Those we can save

Live let live
Not die

You think our tears are the only ones here
And its plain you see through
All my self expectation
Most like Moses when he parted the sea

There is a roar coming from shore
Cracking a glacier no more
When there was life
They would implore

Live let live
Not die

My heart beats so fast
(Heart beat, heart beat, heart beat)
My heart beats so fast
(Heart beat, heart beat, heart beat)
Makes one wonder all right
Breaking of ice at such a price
Time for some kindly advice

Polarization the talk of the nation
Explain to me why
Hearts are turning to warming
Painful games with thunder raining a warning

There is a roar coming from shore
Fussing and fighting and war
We have so much peace we should explore

Live let live let
Love is what living is for

Your heart beats with mine
(Heart beat, heart beat, heart beat)
Our hearts beat in time
(Heart beat, heart beat, heart beat)
Be true creatures of grace
Need over ice their paradise
Let them survive our embrace
(Brian Wilson Tracks)

Here are some beautiful pictures of wild animals I found to share with you. I hope you’re all enjoying your Sunday and getting some down time. Music is by Steppenwolf and the tune is “Born to be Wild“. The video was made by candlelitdreamz on YouTube.

Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Good I gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin’ with the wind
And the feelin’ that I’m under
Yeah God I gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature’s child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

I watched a few videos with wolves today but this “Dance With Wolves” was my favorite. The clips are beautiful and the wolves look happy and free.

• Wolves have become a symbol of wildlife, nature and the health of an eco-system. Although seen as a threat, wolves are often in fact threatened. To read more see my article Wolves Sign of Healthy Eco-System.

The video featured today was made by PicolloVegeta on YouTube and features the song Mummers Dance by Loreena McKennitt.

When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair

When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light

We’ve been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
we bring a garland gay

Who will go down to those shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year

The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That when the fiddler plays
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days

We’ve been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
we bring a garland gay

And so they linked their hands and danced
Round in circles and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone

A garland gay we bring you here
And at your door we stand
It is a sprout well budded out
The work of Our Lord’s hand

We’ve been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
we bring a garland gay

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after their decision not to recover the jaguar, an endangered species. (Bush Administration Refuses to Protect the Last of the American Jaguars, March 3, 2008)

Apparently there’s some loophole in the Endangered Species Act that allows them not to pursue a recovery plan if the animals past and present ranges are in other countries.

Jaguars Range

Presently the jaguars’ ranges in the U.S. are mainly in Arizona and New Mexico. Part of the problem is walling off the U.S. Mexico border would interfere with the freedom to access more of their range. There’s a small group of jaguars that exist along the U.S. Mexico border.

• Since jaguars are top-level predators, they contribute to balancing our ecosystems. They’re beautiful graceful animals that prefer to stalk and ambush rather than chase their prey. People kill them over conflict with land while more of their habitat is being destroyed and disappearing.

Jaguars are mostly solitary, meeting to mate briefly and the female jaguar raises her young alone. They look a little like leopards but are larger and more muscular. To learn more see Wikipedia’s page on the jaguar.

• To learn more about biodiversity and/or to take action on saving jaguars or other endangered species see the Center for Biological Diversity.

“They are beautiful animals that help keep the balance of nature, and preventing their extinction involves helping them reclaim the homelands from which our government exterminated them.” (Michael Robinson from the Center for Biological Diversity)

Although there was a CITES ivory ban in 1989, the demand for ivory continues in Asia and Africa. An obvious reason for this is for the money.

In 2005, the price of ivory was about $200 a kilo but more recently its shot up to $700 a kilo. It is unfortunate but when something is rarer and is banned, the price tends to shoot up.

“You don’t have to be a Ph.D. to understand that there’s a huge amount of money to be made in smuggling,” Clark says. “It’s a hot market and lots of people are getting into it.” (Poachers Target African Elephant, John Neilson, Jan. 2/08)

Older elephants are usually the chosen victims when it comes to ivory but sadly, there are many orphaned elephants left because of this. Most are not old enough to fend for themselves so they end up dying also.

• It is not just the poachers who are killing off elephants. Farmers tend to be ticked off when elephants crush, eat and ruin their crops. With forests disappearing, elephants and people compete more for land and resources.

More Resources on Elephants

If you’re interested in reading more about elephants or wondering how to help, PBS has a listing of elephant resources. Michael Fay has written some fascinating articles about elephants on National Geographic and has had many hands on experiences including near death incidents.

“We must consider the breadth of this issue. The problem is not merely in Africa — past incidences have indicated China is the most likely final destination for illegal ivory. This side of the issue must be recognized and tackled. We must do everything in our power to halt their obtainment of pending ivory stockpiles,” says Wamithi of the huge stockpile sales looming. The CITES Standing Committee will meet in July 2008 to determine the acceptance of China as a trading partner. Japan has already been approved.

“Rampant trade in Asia is much to blame for the continued violence,” Wamithi states unwaveringly. “It is clearly an unfair equation, with the wealth of China and Japan in contrast to poor African nations. Elephant range states undoubtedly lack the resources to protect themselves against consumer demand, and it our duty to step in and mitigate such inequities. The first step is rejecting China as a trading partner.”

To learn more about the critical elephant ivory issue, and to take action to save elephants, visit: http://www.ifaw.org today. (NAIROBI, Jan.30 /PRNewswire)

I watched a few videos on elephants today but this one touched me the most because it shows how elephants mourn and are deeply aware when one of their own dies.

Experts have predicted polar bears could go extinct. They can only swim so far before they tire out and drown and unfortunately, that is what’s happening.

They like to make pit stops on the ice when hunting seal but that is hard to do when it does not exist.

• According to The World Conservation Union, there are an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 Polar Bears in the world.

Climate Change and Polar Bears

To what extent climate change has been caused by people is disputed and there is disagreement on whether anything can be done in time to help prevent further warming. If there is a chance we can reverse the destruction done it makes sense to me to give that a shot.

People spot polar bears more frequently on land, which was not as common of an occurrence before. The more the ice melts, the more seem to appear on land. This makes sense since they are trying to survive and need to find somewhere to rest and eat and mate. Because they sometimes resort to other forms of food like garbage, they can also become victims of poaching by people.

They have adapted to surviving on ice however so may not fare well trying to adjust on land for any long length of time. Polar bears diets mainly consist of seals that give them the high fat content their bodies have become accustomed to. They have survived previous warming but the warming that’s presently happening in the Arctic appears to be more sudden.

Adopt a Polar Bear

At Defenders of Wildlife you can find out more information on polar bears and even adopt one or two at their Wildlife Adoption Center. By doing this you not only contribute to saving bears from global warming but also destructive drilling.

Germany’s Newest Celebrity Polar Bear

• At Nuremberg Zoo in Germany the little polar bear cub nicknamed Flocke (Flake in English) has opened her eyes. Apparently the mother was being too rough on her so now the staff is raising her. Check out the video.

A wolf was spotted in Oregon so it is a good sign that they are making a comeback there. They existed in the thirties but since then have been exterminated.

Wolves have been demonized, hated and eradicated all over the world. They do however deserve to exist and I have always found them fascinating. Their existence is often the sign of a healthy eco-system.

Thankfully, they are making a comeback in other areas as well. When too many appear, people begin “wolf management practices”. This is done because of concern for such things as dwindling caribou populations and farmers livestock losses.

Although I am not a rancher, I do see how lost livestock could tick you off. It’s hard enough to make money off ranching. It is tricky coming up with a plan to enable both to coexist. Some ranchers have been offered financial compensation for lost livestock. Prevention methods used with varying rates of success include fencing, guard dogs and people patrolling the land.

In 1992, the Yukon Wolf and Management Plan decided to reduce the wolf population because of diminishing moose and caribou populations. There were not that many to begin with but by 1993, they were supposed to kill another 50. There were only 34 wolves actually remaining at that time.

Here’s more on the confirmed report of a radio collared wolf in Oregon:

The following is a statement from Suzanne Stone, northern Rockies wolf conservation specialist for Defenders of Wildlife:

“This wolf comes from the Timberline pack, which we here in Boise know very well — it was named after our own Timberline High School. She made quite a journey and she has chosen excellent habitat in which to make her home. Northeast Oregon is one of the places where we always expected wolves would someday return.

“Unfortunately, this great news comes on the same day that the FWS has announced new rules that make it easier for wolves to be killed by private citizens. Those rules threaten the very population of Idaho wolves that provided Oregon’s new wolf, and could undermine the gray wolf’s ability to recolonize more of its historic habitat.

“We always hoped this day would come, and we’re thrilled that it is finally here. We look forward to working with biologists, tribal leaders and ranchers to ensure the future of wolves in Oregon and across the region.For more information, visit www.defenders.org. (BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 24/PRNewswire-USNewswire)

• If you’re interested in a hunter’s take on things, check out Hunting Sense’s Subsistence Hunting License Post. It involves a license that would be allowed to be used year round. It’s meant for people who rely on moose, deer and elk meat to feed their families.

Although Wal-Mart’s stated intention is to sell products that sustain natural resources and the environment, a new report entitled “Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers: How Wal-Mart’s Sourcing Practices Encourage Illegal Logging and Threaten Endangered Species“suggest otherwise.

The EIA (Environmental Investigation Agency) worked undercover and met with eight Chinese manufacturers who supply Wal-Mart with wood products. China provides 84% of Wal-Mart’s wood products according to the report. The problem is that China relies on imported timber from illegal logging areas. 35 to 50% of the wood that crosses the Russian Chinese border is estimated to be illegal according to Russian law.

Wal-mart has allegedly failed to question where the wood originated from that they use for much of their furniture. As a consequence to their “no questions asked” policy, protected forests in countries such as Russia are suffering. The tiger is among one of the endangered animals that is affected by illegal logging.

Not all wood was found to be illegally logged but one of the largest wood manufacturers in China producing over 200,000 baby cribs for Wal-Mart were allegedly obtained from illegal sources. Their main wood supplier is in the Russian Far East, which is in the middle of the Siberian tiger breeding area.

Tigers get a bad rap because the more their forests disappear, the more likely they are to intrude and feed on farmers livestock and/or attack people. Tigers also continue to be poached for their body parts and sold on the black market for various Chinese medicines.

Sources: New Evidence From EIA Undercover Investigation Highlights Wal-Mart’s Blind Eye to Illegal Logging WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/,Environmental Investigation Agency

For more on the damage to the environment and the violence that results from illegal logging check out this video of the EIA testifying at Legislative Hearing on
The Legal Timber Protection Act.

The gorillas known as the Taiping Four are finally home. Kenya Airways sponsored the flight on Friday. They were smuggled to Malaysia from Cameroon in 2002, and were staying at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria since 2004. They have been in the limelight for a while but are not the only animals being illegally traded.

“Overwhelming all though, is the sense that something incredibly important has been achieved today. We’re sending an equivocal message to those who trade in endangered wildlife that their dreadful activities will no longer be tolerated,” said Christina Pretorius of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org).

They are guessing the gorillas are about six years old and they are being sent to a wild life centre, which is a sanctuary where they can finally spend the rest of their lives.

The zoo is going to miss them but is glad to have been involved with both the gorillas and the fight to stop illegal animal smuggling.

It’s cute how one gorilla is so outgoing and one is a recluse. My one daughter and son are opposites that way as well. I hope that they can remain settled and live the rest of their lives in peace at the sanctuary.

In this older clip, Neil Greenwood from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) talks about the gorillas, how they each have their own unique personalities and how they are planning to move them with as little stress as possible. Because so much attention was created with the Taiping Four I think they have helped more people become aware of how widespread the illegal smuggling of endangered animals has become.

• To read about some other endangered animals, check out the Top Ten Birds in Decline.

Some birds are fussier than others are but I can’t really blame them for preferring uncontaminated water and land without chemicals. With lakes and streams becoming more polluted many more common birds are declining.

What can we do?

• We can support conservation programs that pay farmers to keep marginal farmlands idle, which give birds more inhabitable land.

• Support wetland conservation efforts. We can all encourage our governments to enforce wetland protection and water quality regulations.

• Support legislation that caps greenhouse gas emissions and encourages alternative energy sources. We can also work to conserve energy individually to combat global warming which indirectly helps birds maintain their homes.

• Push to protect and preserve forests. The Canadian Boreal forest has particularly taken a beating because of logging, mining and drilling.

• Patrol beaches: Join beach watches and help look for oiled birds. Lobby for friendly beaches and clean water.

Here’s a listing of the top ten birds in decline obtained from the National Audubon Society:

1. Northern Bobwhite: A chubby little bird found in grasslands in most of the Eastern U.S. Declined 82%
2. Evening Grosbeak: A round black white and yellow bird found in the mountains of the U.S. and Canada. Declined 78%
3. Northern Pintail: A slim duck found in grasslands and fields near shallow water. Declined 77%
4. Greater Scaup: A small black, white and grey duck found in rivers in Alaska and Eastern Canada. My dad carved one of these out of wood and it’s such a beautiful bird. Declined 75%
5. Boreal Chickadee: Grey, brown and black chubby bird found in spruce and fir forests of the Northern U.S., Alaska and Canada. Declined 73%
6. Eastern Meadowlark: Brown backed and yellow-breasted bird found in fields from Southern Canada to Eastern U.S. Declined 72%
7. Common Tern: A small slender grey and white bird found in northern oceans, lakes and rivers. It spends the winter in the south. Declined 71%
8. Loggerhead Shrike: A small grey white and black bird. Found in short grass with scattered trees and shrubs in Mexico and Southern U.S. Declined 71%
9. Field Sparrow: A small brown bird with a bright pink bill. Found east of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. and southern Canada. Declined 68%
10. Grasshopper Sparrow: A small brown bird that hides in grasslands. They can be found in Eastern U.S. and Southern Canada. Declined 65%

While the birds haven’t been classified as becoming extinct, they’re declining at an alarming rate. If we don’t do something to help preserve them, they will become extinct. For more information see The National Audubon Society. Their mission is to focus on restoring natural ecosystems with a focus on birds and their habitats.