Animal Liberation Front: The Angels of Mercy | Anjos da Misericórdia

ENGLISH: Behind the Mask: The Story of the People who Risk Everything to Save Animals - A 2006 documentary about the Animal Liberation Front.
PORTUGUÊS: Por Trás da Máscara: A História das Pessoas que Arriscam Tudo para Salvar Animais - Um documentário de 2006 sobre a Animal Liberation Front.




The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is an international, underground and leaderless movement that in a non-violent way, engages in illegal direct action in pursuit of animal liberation, to save and free animals from being cruelly exploited, tortured and killed. 

The ALF is considered to be a modern-day Underground Railroad (as people who worked to end slavery), removing animals from laboratories and farms, damaging or destroying facilities used to practice cruelty, arranging safe houses and veterinary care, and operating sanctuaries where the animals live out the rest of their lives.

More info: http://www.animalliberationfront.com

The Meat is Weak - How to change the world | A Carne é Fraca - Como mudar o mundo

ENGLISH: A MUST SEE - The "Meat is Weak" is a documentary produced in Brazil by the Instituto Nina Rosa, that through scientific facts, refers the diverse and severe impacts that the act of eating meat and other animal products poses to human health, animals and the environment, presenting vegetarianism as a solution to all these problems ... This documentary was made in 2005 and to this day is still considered the best documentary on vegetarianism.

PORTUGUÊS: A NÃO PERDER - A "Carne é fraca" é um documentário produzido no Brasil pelo Instituto Nina Rosa, que através de factos científicos, refere os diversos e graves impactos que o acto de comer carne e outros produtos de origem animal representam para a saúde humana, para os animais e para o ambiente, apresentando o vegetarianismo como a solução para todos estes problemas... Este documentário foi realizado em 2005 e até este dia ainda é considerado o melhor documentário sobre vegetarianismo.

Earth Day (April 22) - Learn how we can protect the planet

Nature + Humankind + Animals

Make the Connection

Do Your Part and Protect the Earth - Think Globally, Act Locally

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

LEARN WHAT YOU CAN DO:

100 Simple ways to help change the world!


1. Open an ethical bank account with Smile/Co-OP www.smile.co.uk or
http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk
2. Invest your other savings ethically www.eiris.org
3. Change your electricity supplier to a renewable one
http://www.npower.com/yourhome/green/juiceandwindpower or
http://www.unit-e.co.uk
4. Buy local http://www.buylocalfood.co.uk
5. Buy less! Save yourself time and money as well as the planet
www.buynothingday.co.uk
6. Buy organic www.soilassociation.org
7. Eat seasonal food www.foodlinks.info/buying/VegSeasons.php
8. Volunteer www.csv.org.uk
9. Give to charity www.charitychoice.co.uk
10. Buy fair trade www.fairtrade.org.uk or www.maketradefair.com
11. Get on your bike – get fit, get around and see the world at an entirely
different pace www.sustrans.org.uk
12. Compost your garden and kitchen waste in a heap or a wormery.
Reduce the waste you send to landfill sites and get lovely compost for
your plants into the bargain! - www.compost.org.uk or
www.wigglywigglers.co.uk
13.Get a rain butt and use the water to give your garden a drink not the
hose
14. Grow stuff, indoors and out, to eat, clean the air in your house or to
give to friends instead of cut flowers www.permaculture.co.uk or
www.ecocities.net/Gardening.htm
15. Install a nesting box/bird table or feeder to attract feathered friends
www.rspb.org/gardens/whatyoucando/nestboxsmallbird/index.asp
16. Carbon neutralise your holiday. For further details visit
futureforests.com, chooseclimate.org, carbonneutral.com.
17.When on holiday: ask for your towels to be washed every other day, or
less, instead of every day (only 17% of people do this when on
holiday)
18.Switch off your air conditioning when you are out for the day (only
18% of holiday-makers do this). If just 50% of people did, it is
estimated that across the world 5m tonnes of CO2 emissions would be
prevented each year.
19.Use water sparingly when abroad. The average tourist uses as much
water in 24 hours as a villager in the developing world uses in 100
days.
20. Follow Tourism Concern's traveller tips; put money into local hands by
drinking local beer and fruit juice rather than imported brands; stay in
locally owned accommodation; stick to footpaths, don't stand on coral,
and don't buy products made from endangered animals or plants; wear
respectful clothing; and always ask people if you can take their
photograph www.tourismconcern.org.uk

21. When cleaning the house: Avoid all the expensive and dubious
chemicals such as the ‘Mr Muscles’ of this world as they often contain
anti-bacterial agents more dangerous than the bacteria they are
designed to eliminate! Instead why not make effective cleaning
products yourself from cheap, easily available household products.-Make a window cleaner by mixing vinegar with water; or neat,
with a few drops of tea tree oil, it can be used as a disinfectant.
 Try baking soda as an all-purpose cleaner or scourer, salt as an
abrasive for cleaning pots and pans, and lemon juice as an
alternative to bleach. Just re-label your old spray bottles to
dispense them
 Use bicarbonate of soda to deodorise carpets or with white
vinegar to scrub stainless steel, clear drains, remove tea stains
from mugs and remove permanent marker pen from skin.
 Vinegar is a good replacement for limescale remover. Unscrew
your showerhead and leave it in vinegar overnight; the next
morning it will be free of limescale.
22. If you must buy cleaning products then use biodegradable or
environmentally friendlier products such as Ecover Squirteco, an allpurpose
cleaner that relies on plant- and mineral-based surfactants to
provide its cleaning oomph, and Ecover washing-up liquid
www.ecover.com
23. Get your family and workplace to perform a waste audit to determine
how much they throw away. Hopefully, this will shock them into action.
www.globalactionplan.org
24. For recycling to work, recycled goods have to be a profitable industry.
Do your bit by buying recycled goods whenever possible.
www.recycledproducts.org.uk
25.If practical, build or set aside an area dedicated to sorting recyclable
waste.
26. About 80% of what we throw away is recyclable. Find your nearest
recycling point at www.wastepoint.co.uk
27.Crush the rubbish you send to the landfill as small as possible. This
way, it will take up less space.
28.Try to avoid drink cartons that are made of a paper/polyethylene mix,
which are notoriously hard to recycle.
29. Rid yourself of junk mail, sign-up with the Mailing Preference Service
(www.mpsonline.org.uk tel: 0845 703 4599).
30. Get inspiration from others. See how New Zealand is putting the rest of
the western world to shame with its Zero Waste policy
(www.zerowaste.co.nz).
31.Be careful to note the subtle difference between various "mobius
loops" - the circle of arrows seen on packaging. Only arrows with a
dark background mean that the item is made with recycled materials.
Arrows on a light background mean the item can be recycled - a big
difference.
32.When buying plastics look out for the following recyclable types: PET
(polyethylene terephalate), HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and
LDPE (low-density polyethylene).
33.Follow the lead of Friends of the Earth and the Women's Environmental
Network which urge you to post excessive packaging to the guilty
firm's HQ.
34.Avoid buying anything that boasts on its packaging that it is disposable
- gloves, paper towels, cleaning cloths, bin liners, nappies, plastic cups.
35.Buy products with less packaging
36.Buy in bulk
37.If you use the dry cleaner, ask them to put several items in one plastic
covering.
38. If you can't think of a use for something you don't want, take it to a
charity shop.
39. Re-use good packaging such as paper, boxes, bags and bubble wrap or
wrap gifts in fabric and tie with ribbon; both are reusable and prettier
than paper and sticky-tape.
40.The best way to re-use is to repair rather than throw away.
41. Get children interested in our waste problem. Start by getting them to
visit www.recyclezone.org.uk
42. Buy your own bee hive: without bees the planet would last for only 60
years (and honey is good for your health) www.bbka.org.uk
43. Use a nappy washing service: they use 32% less energy and 41% less
water than home washing. UK Nappy Helpline: 01983 401959
44.Slow down. Driving at 50mph uses 25% less fuel than 70mph.
45.Wash your clothes with your flatmates' instead of wasting water on
half-empty loads.
46.Turn down your central heating and put on a jumper.
47.Install a new condensing boiler, they are up to 30% more energy
efficient than traditional systems
48.Take a brisk shower, not a leisurely bath, to save water.
49. Hold a Tupperware party. Airtight food containers can be reused;
sandwich bags and plastic wrap cannot. www.tupperware.com
50.Choose energy-efficient appliances when you replace old ones.
51. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last eight times as long and
use a fraction of the energy. www.saveenergy.co.uk
52.Join a library instead of buying books.
53.Get to know your neighbours; they are more likely to keep your home
safe than energy-guzzling security lamps. You might even like them!
54.Recycle your car oil at a recycling depot or petrol station rather than in
your driveway; it contains lead, nickel and cadmium and oil in the
drainage system covers water in a thin layer suffocating life
underneath.
55. Let them carry you off in a biodegradable cardboard coffin, saving
trees, instead of burning your body at the crematorium.
www.naturaldeath.org.uk
56. Raise your glass to organic beer; conventionally grown hops are
sprayed up to a dozen times a year. www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk
57.Take the plunge and move in with your partner so you light and heat
one home rather than two.
58. Give a colleague a lift to work; if no one is going your way, join a
carshare scheme to find a passenger. Www.liftshare.com
www.carclubs.org.uk
59.Cook for friends. Large quantities of food use less packaging than the
same quantity in individual portions (and take less energy to cook).
60. Copy Government Ministers by holidaying in Britain (but unlike them,
skip the follow-up trip to Tuscany) there are thousands of amazing
places to visit right here on our own little rock (no promises on the
weather!). www.visitbritain.com
61.Refuse plastic carrier bags, or at least reuse them. Cloth bags are
better.
62. Donate your leftover paint to a community project; Britons fail to use
6.2m litres of the paint they buy each year.
www.reuze.co.uk/paint.shtml
63.Drink tap or filtered water, not bottled. It is no accident that ‘Evian’ is
naïve spelt backwards!
64.Invest in a washing line; tumble dryers devour electricity.
65. Put a ‘hippo’ or plastic coke bottle full of water in your toilet cistern to
reduce the flush volume and save water www.hippo-thewatersaver.
co.uk
66.Turn off TVs and stereos instead of switching them to standby.
67.Lighten up: paint your walls a pale colour, so you need less artificial
light.
68.Only flush toilets if really needed; follow the Australian maxim: "If it's
yellow that's mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
69.Improve the ambience and dine by candlelight, saving electricity.
70.Insulate your home. Cavity wall insulation can cut heat loss through
the wall by up to 60%.
71. Buy from companies with eco-friendly policies; boycott those without
www.ethicalconsumer.org
72. Soak up the sun; even in Britain, solar panels can produce a surprising
amount of energy. www.solarcentury.co.uk
73.Clean the back of your fridge. Dusty coils can increase energy
consumption by 30%.
74.Avoid air travel; it produces three times more carbon dioxide per
passenger than rail.
75.Choose a car with a 3-way catalytic converter, to reduce nitrogen
oxides and hydrocarbons emissions by 90%.
76.Ban blinds. Heavy curtains keep in more heat in winter.
77.Change materials as well as rooms; MDF and chipboard release
formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Buy sustainably produced wood instead.
78.Cut up the plastic rings from packs of beer; they are invisible in water
so wildlife can choke on them or trap themselves.
79.Bring a mug to the office instead of using polystyrene cups.
80.Snap up a 36-exposure film instead of 24, reducing waste from
packaging and processing. Better still get a digital camera!
81.Cancel that expensive gym membership and walk to work instead.
82.Drink more water, most of us are dehydrated most of the time
83. Reflect! Take time out from your day and spend 15 minutes thinking
about yourself, your friends, family and the rest of the world, a great
way to reduce stress (hopefully) and be more positive
www.stressbusting.co.uk and www.calmcentre.com
84. Improve yourself! Do a course of study or activity at your local
education centre…learn a language, how to dance the fandango or knit
sweaters from the fur of obscure south american mammals
www.learndirect.co.uk
85. Get out of debt if you can, we all get into difficult financial situations
but there’s always a way out. www.nationaldebtline.co.uk or
www.cccs.co.uk
86. Be independent. Set up your own business, be your own boss and do
something you really believe in www.businesslink.gov.uk
87. Work flexibly, get a work:life balance www.w-lb.org.uk
88. Buy wood only from sustainable sources www.fscoax.org
89. Vote! Get out there and make your voice and opinions count! –
www.electoralcommission.gov.u k
90.Smile
91.Buy chocolates from proper chocolate stores, so they are not
individually wrapped
92.Pretend Christmas has come early; turkey is more likely than chicken
to be produced in the UK, while British-grown brussel sprouts require
less transport than Kenyan mangetout.
93.Tell your friends and family about this list of simple things to do
94. Switch off your television and go out and do something less boring
instead in a ‘Why don’t you’ style www.whitedot.org
95.Laughter is the best medicine – see the funny side of life
96. Do something amazing, donate blood www.blood.co.uk
97. Carry a donor card and enable someone to www.uktransplant.org.uk
98. Buy only Marine Stewardship Council accredited fish products
www.msc.org
99.Don’t fill the kettle to the brim every time you make a cuppa – save
energy by only boiling as much as you need
100.Instead of buying yourself an expensive new outfit swap your clothes
with your friends to reinvigorate your wardrobe

This list compiled by FUTERRA with the help of Friends of the Earth
and Leo Hickman’s Guardian column on ethical living

www.futerra.org

101 Ways To Live More Ecologically

1. Avoid disposable in favor of reusable
items.
2. Avoid drying rags in a clothes dryer.
3. Avoid power appliances when handpower works.
4. Avoid highly processed foods.
5. Avoid using styrofoam—it can't be recycled.
6. Avoid watering driveways and sidewalks.
7. Be responsible and creative with leftover foods.
8. Buy in bulk goods to reduce wasted packaging.
9. Buy energy efficient electric appliances.
10. Buy foods without additives.
11. Buy foods without preservatives.
12. Buy food and goods from sources you trust
13. Buy large quantities to reduce shopping trips.
14. Buy living Christmas trees.
15. Buy locally grown food and produce.
16. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods.
17. Compost your food scraps.
18. Discover and protect watersheds in your area,
19. Don't burn trash or other smoky materials.
20. Drain cooking grease onto paper bags, not paper towels.
21. Drive a fuel-efficient car.
22. Drive less: walk, bicycle, carpooland use public transportation.
23. Eat foods low on the food chain; avoid meat.
24. Eat more natural, nutritious foods.
25. Educate elected representatives on ecology.
26. Exercise regularly.
27. Explore and learn about your bioregion.
28. Grow your own food, even a small amount.
29. Hang dry some or all of your clothes.
30. Heat your home less and wear warmer clothes.
31. Heat your home more with renewable energies.
32. Hold a potluck dinner to discuss local ecology.
33. If you use a dishwasher, turn off the drying cycle.
34. Install a water-conserving device in your toilets.
35. Install a water-conserving showerhead.
36. Insulate your home to maximum efficiency.
37. Invest for social responsibility as well as profit.
38. Invest in solar power, where practical.
39. Invest in well-made, long-lived clothing.
40. Keep hazardous chemicals in safe containers.
41. Keep appliance motors well adjusted for efficiency.
42. Mend and repair rather than discard and replace.
43. Oppose meddling in ecological balance.
44. Oppose private development of special areas.
45. Oppose roadside use of defoliants.
46. Organize or join a neighborhood toy exchange.
47. Pick up litter along streets and highways.
48. Plant native trees and shrubs around your home.
49. Plant trees throughout your community.
50. Plant your living Christmas tree.
51. Practice preventive health care.
52. Practice responsible family planning.
53. Prepare only as much food as will be eaten.
54. Protect your favorite distinctive natural areas.
55. Purchase goods in reusable/recyclable containers.
56. Put a catalytic converter on your wood stove.
57. Put toxic substances out of reach of children.
58. Recycle aluminum.
59. Recycle glass.
60. Recycle newspaper.
61. Recycle old clothes.
62. Recycle plastic.
63. Recycle used motor oil.
64. Recycle your unneeded items.
65. Re-use paper bags.
66. Re-use plastic bags for storage and waste.
67. Save up for full loads in clothes washers.
68. Save up for full loads in dishwasher.
69. Shop by phone, then go pick up your purchases.
70. Speak out about your values in community groups.
71. Support efficient energy sources in your bioregion.
72. Support elected representatives on ecological issues.
73. Support energy conservation in your bioregion.
74. Support global ecological improvement efforts.
75. Support local credit unions.
76. Support local merchants before large chains.
77. Support neighborhood food cooperatives.
78. Support proper waste water and sewage treatment.
79. Support the cultural diversity in your bioregion.
80. Support the plants and animals in your community.
81. Take shorter showers.
82. Teach your children ecological wisdom.
83. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater.
84. Turn off the lights when not needed.
85. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
86. Use biodegradable soaps and detergents.
87. Use cloth diapers.
88. Use cloth table napkins.
89. Use less tapwater whenever possible.
90. Use non-toxic pest control.
91. Use only medications you trust/understand.
92. Use rags or towels instead of paper.
93. Use rechargeable batteries.
94. Use the second side of paper for scratch paper.
95. Use water from cooking vegetables to make soup.
96. Volunteer for work in a community garden.
97. Volunteer to maintain local parks and wilderness.
98. Wash clothes in cold water.
99. Wash dishes in still, not running water.
100. Weather-seal your home.
101. Work to unlearn poor ecological habits.

http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/1996/ip960321.html

SSCS Brigitte Bardot to sail again after extensive damage

Monday, April 16th - Sea Shepherd's vessel, 'The Brigitte Bardot' is set to be placed back in the water after damages it suffered during Operation Divine Wind.
The 8th expedition to oppose the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, Operation Divine Wind was reported to have protected close to 800 whales.

However, during this year's expedition, one of their newest vessels, 'The Brigitte Bardot' was struck by a rogue wave that cracked the hull.

"The Brigitte Bardot lay hanging from twin 500-ton cranes when I arrived in Fremantle to commence repairs on her broken wing. Crewmember Simon Ager described the gut-wrenching sound he heard in the middle of the night, a few weeks earlier, when the hull cracked under the weight of a 40-foot falling wave," said Captain Locky MacLean.

Captain Paul Watson, onboard the Steve Irwin, escorted the Bardot to the safety of Fremantle Harbor after the incident, which occurred in the "furious 50" latitudes in the Southern Ocean.

As soon as the damage had occurred and with the ship en route for Fremantle, Architect Nigel Irens assisted Sea Shepherd in finding the best team to do the repair work.

More of the story behind the repairs is available at 'The Bardot Will Fly Again, Thanks to World-Class Team.'

'The Brigitte Bardot' is set to be a part of Sea Shepherds new anti shark finning campaign in the South Pacific this Australian winter.


Continue reading on Examiner.com - Sea Shepherds Brigitte Bardot to sail again after extensive damage:
http://www.examiner.com/sea-shepherd-conservation-in-national/sea-shepherd-brigitte-bardot-to-sail-again-after-extensive-damage#ixzz1rw8vQs5s

URGENT - Help save the lives of Sea Lions

An Advocate's Guide to the Saga of the Scapegoated Sea Lions at Bonneville Dam

Why all of the ruckus about Sea Lions at the Bonneville Dam?

On March 15, 2012 - NOAA Fisheries issued a letter authorizing the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho to use lethal means to remove up to 92 salmon-eating sea lions from the Bonneville Dam.

Following the release of the letter, the Humane Society of the United States filed a lawsuit and sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the killings.  The lawsuit is pending, however a federal judge denied the restraining order.  Judge James Boasberg did rule that 30 sea lions (not 92) can be killed per year and that the method of killing shall be by lethal injection.

Background

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that since 2008, the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife have removed at least 40 California sea lions from below Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. Ten were placed in zoos and aquaria across the country, 25 were euthanized and five died after they were captured.

The states claim they are removing the sea lions in an effort to protect threatened and endangered populations of salmon and steelhead. The California sea lion is a protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. However, the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho have been granted permission to remove the sea lions by NOAA –Fisheries, the federal agency responsible for managing marine animals. The authority was granted under Section 120 of the act and allows the states to use lethal and non-lethal (hazing) means to remove individual California sea lions that have been documented eating salmon or steelhead in the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam.

How much fish do the sea lions eat?

According to the NOAA, The proportion of the run consumed by sea lions varies depending on run size. It has generally ranged between 2 and 4% since 2004, but was just 1.6% in 2011.  The Humane Society of the United States reports that fisheries harvest 17% of these same fish.

Which sea lions can be killed?

Only certain sea lions can be killed.  These animals must meet the following criteria:

• Must be individually identifiable through natural or applied features (usually a brand)
• Have been observed eating salmonids in the Bonneville Dam area between Jan. 1 and May 31 of any year
• Have been observed on a total of any five days (consecutive days, days within a single season, or days over multiple years) between Jan. 1 and May 31
• Have been subjected to but not responded to non-lethal hazing (rubber buckshot, firecrackers, noisemakers and other deterrents)

Why the urgency?

The 30 sea lions can be captured and killed at any time now!

What happens when they catch sea lions on their hit list?

According to the Sea Lion Defense Brigade, the traps are visible from the Washington side, but when they catch animals they cover them with tarps, bring around the death barge, and drag them off around the Island - they are still visible then from the Oregon side by the intrepid.

Which are some of the key organizations working to help the Bonneville sea lions?

Humane Society of the United States - For the past several years, the Humane Society has been championing the cause of the Bonneville Sea Lions in court, in congress and with federal and state agencies.  For a complete history of their important work, copy and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/fisheries/timelines/bonneville_dam_sea_lions_under_siege.html

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Volunteers with Sea Shepherd have visited the Bonneville Dam multiple times since the release of the March 15 letter of authorization.  For more on Sea Shepherd’s position on the Bonneville sea lions & to learn about their "Dam Guardian" campaign, copy and paste this link into your browser:  http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2012/03/28/impressions-on-the-bonneville-dam-524

Sea Lion Defense Brigade - a grassroots campaign on the ground at the Dam monitoring, recording and reporting on activities impacting the Bonneville Sea Lions.  Please follow them on facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Lion-Defense-Brigade/129414073741048

Save Misty the Dolphins - started the petition to Save the Bonneville Sea Lions, reports on activities impacting them & uses social media to support their cause.  Please follow us on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Savemistythedolphin


How can YOU help the Bonneville Sea Lions?

1. Sign and share the petition:  http://www.change.org/petitions/director-office-of-protected-resources-noaa-don-t-kill-the-bonneville-sea-lions

2. Contact the Governors of Oregon and Washington state to urge them to stop the senseless killing of the Bonneville Sea Lions:

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber:
phone: (503) 378-4582
email: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/contact.shtml
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnkitzhaber
twitter: @govkitz

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire:
phone: (360) 902-4111
email: http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/
facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/govgregoire
twitter: @govgregoire

* we have heard from many folks that the Governors' offices are responding to callers with commentary suggesting this is a federal issue.  Please be very clear in your understanding, THE STATES REQUESTED AUTHORIZATION TO USE LETHAL MEANS TO REMOVE THE SEA LIONS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT - NOT VISA-VERSA!

3. Please join the on-the-ground efforts of the Sea Lion Defense Brigade or Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

4. Make a tax-deductible donation to: The Humane Society of the United States and/or Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

5. Tell everyone you know about the scapegoated sea lions of Bonneville Dam.

6. Never be silent - never give up!


Additional background reading:

http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2012/04/02/scapegoating-bad-math-devastation-for-federally-protected-sea-lions-at-the-bonneville-dam-526

http://digitaljournal.com/article/322517

http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/state-officials-perplexed-sea-lion-killings-15704

Watch this brief video - it will really open your eyes to the problems at the Bonneville Dam:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3lBsxsR3Ha0

 
 
Bonneville Sea Lion - photo courtesy of the Sea Lion Defense Brigade

The Emotional Lives of Animals (Book): Animals amazing capacities

Watch more videos: http://youtu.be/guKH-r8klVg

The Emotional Lives of Animals

Grief, friendship, gratitude, wonder, and other things we animals experience. 

by Marc Bekoff 

Scientific research shows that many animals are very intelligent and have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. Dogs are able to detect diseases such as cancer and diabetes and warn humans of impending heart attacks and strokes. Elephants, whales, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and alligators use low-frequency sounds to communicate over long distances, often miles; and bats, dolphins, whales, frogs, and various rodents use high-frequency sounds to find food, communicate with others, and navigate.

Many animals also display wide-ranging emotions, including joy, happiness, empathy, compassion, grief, and even resentment and embarrassment. It’s not surprising that animals—especially, but not only, mammals—share many emotions with us because we also share brain structures—located in the limbic system—that are the seat of our emotions. In many ways, human emotions are the gifts of our animal ancestors.

Grief in magpies and red foxes: Saying goodbye to a friend

Many animals display profound grief at the loss or absence of a relative or companion. Sea lion mothers wail when watching their babies being eaten by killer whales. People have reported dolphins struggling to save a dead calf by pushing its body to the surface of the water. Chimpanzees and elephants grieve the loss of family and friends, and gorillas hold wakes for the dead. Donna Fernandes, president of the Buffalo Zoo, witnessed a wake for a female gorilla, Babs, who had died of cancer at Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo. She says the gorilla’s longtime mate howled and banged his chest; picked up a piece of celery, Babs’ favorite food; put it in her hand; and tried to get her to wake up.

I once happened upon what seemed to be a magpie funeral service. A magpie had been hit by a car. Four of his flock mates stood around him silently and pecked gently at his body. One, then another, flew off and brought back pine needles and twigs and laid them by his body. They all stood vigil for a time, nodded their heads, and flew off.

I also watched a red fox bury her mate after a cougar had killed him. She gently laid dirt and twigs over his body, stopped, looked to make sure he was all covered, patted down the dirt and twigs with her forepaws, stood silently for a moment, then trotted off, tail down and ears laid back against her head. After publishing my stories I got emails from people all over the world who had seen similar behavior in various birds and mammals.

Empathy Among Elephants

A few years ago while I was watching elephants in the Samburu National Reserve in Northern Kenya with elephant researcher Iain Douglas-Hamilton, I noticed a teenaged female, Babyl, who walked very slowly and had difficulty taking each step. I learned she’d been crippled for years, but the other members of her herd never left her behind. They’d walk a while, then stop and look around to see where she was. If Babyl lagged, some would wait for her. If she’d been left alone, she would have fallen prey to a lion or other predator. Sometimes the matriarch would even feed Babyl. Babyl’s friends had nothing to gain by helping her, as she could do nothing for them. Nonetheless, they adjusted their behavior to allow Babyl to remain with the group.

Waterfall Dances: Do animals have spiritual experiences?

Do animals marvel at their surroundings, have a sense of awe when they see a rainbow, or wonder where lightning comes from? Sometimes a chimpanzee, usually an adult male, will dance at a waterfall with total abandon. Jane Goodall describes a chimpanzee approaching a waterfall with slightly bristled hair, a sign of heightened arousal. “As he gets closer, and the roar of the falling water gets louder, his pace quickens, his hair becomes fully erect, and upon reaching the stream he may perform a magnificent display close to the foot of the falls. Standing upright, he sways rhythmically from foot to foot, stamping in the shallow, rushing water, picking up and hurling great rocks.

Sometimes he climbs up the slender vines that hang down from the trees high above and swings out into the spray of the falling water. This ‘waterfall dance’ may last 10 or 15 minutes.” After a waterfall display the performer may sit on a rock, his eyes following the falling water. Chimpanzees also dance at the onset of heavy rains and during violent gusts of wind.
In June 2006, Jane and I visited a chimpanzee sanctuary near Girona, Spain. We were told that Marco, one of the rescued chimpanzees, does a dance during thunderstorms during which he looks like he’s in a trance.

Shirley and Jenny: Remembering Friends

Elephants have strong feelings. They also have great memory. They live in matriarchal societies in which strong social bonds among individuals endure for decades. Shirley and Jenny, two female elephants, were reunited after living apart for 22 years. They were brought separately to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn., to live out their lives in peace, absent the abuse they had suffered in the entertainment industry. When Shirley was introduced to Jenny, there was an urgency in Jenny’s behavior.

She wanted to get into the same stall with Shirley. They roared at each other, the traditional elephant greeting among friends when they reunite. Rather than being cautious and uncertain about one another, they touched through the bars separating them and remained in close contact. Their keepers were intrigued by how outgoing the elephants were. A search of records showed that Shirley and Jenny had lived together in a circus 22 years before, when Jenny was a calf and Shirley was in her 20s. They still remembered one another when they were inadvertently reunited.

A Grateful Whale

In December 2005 a 50-foot, 50-ton, female humpback whale got tangled in crab lines and was in danger of drowning. After a team of divers freed her, she nuzzled each of her rescuers in turn and flapped around in what one whale expert said was “a rare and remarkable encounter.” James Moskito, one of the rescuers, recalled that, “It felt to me like it was thanking us, knowing it was free and that we had helped it.” He said the whale “stopped about a foot away from me, pushed me around a little bit and had some fun.” Mike Menigoz, another of the divers, was also deeply touched by the encounter: “The whale was doing little dives, and the guys were rubbing shoulders with it … . I don’t know for sure what it was thinking, but it’s something I will always remember.”

Busy Bees As Mathematicians

We now know that bees are able to solve complex mathematical problems more rapidly than computers—specifically, what’s called “the traveling salesman problem”—despite having a brain about the size of a grass seed. They save time and energy by finding the most efficient route between flowers. They do this daily, while it can take a computer days to solve the same problem.

Dogs Sniffing Out Disease

As we know, dogs have a keen sense of smell. They sniff here and there trying to figure who’s been around and also are notorious for sticking their noses in places they shouldn’t. Compared to humans, dogs have about 25 times the area of nasal olfactory epithelium (which carries receptor cells) and many thousands more cells in the olfactory region of their brain. Dogs can differentiate dilutions of 1 part per billion, follow faint odor trails, and are 10,000 times more sensitive than humans to certain odors.

Dogs appear to be able to detect different cancers—ovarian, lung, bladder, prostate, and breast—and diabetes, perhaps by assessing a person’s breath. Consider a collie named Tinker and his human companion, Paul Jackson, who has Type 2 diabetes. Paul’s family noticed that whenever he was about to have an attack, Tinker would get agitated. Paul says, “He would lick my face, or cry gently, or bark even. And then we noticed that this behavior was happening while I was having a hypoglycemic attack so we just put two and two together.” More research is needed, but initial studies by the Pine Street Foundation and others on using dogs for diagnosis are promising.

It's Okay To Be A Birdbrain

Crows from the remote Pacific island of New Caledonia show incredibly high-level skills when they make and use tools. They get much of their food using tools, and they do this better than chimpanzees. With no prior training they can make hooks from straight pieces of wire to obtain out-of-reach food. They can add features to improve a tool, a skill supposedly unique to humans. For example, they make three different types of tools from the long, barbed leaves of the screw pine tree. They also modify tools for the situation at hand, a type of invention not seen in other animals. These birds can learn to pull a string to retrieve a short stick, use the stick to pull out a longer one, then use the long stick to draw out a piece of meat. One crow, named Sam, spent less than two minutes inspecting the task and solved it without error.

Caledonian crows live in small family groups and youngsters learn to fashion and use tools by watching adults. Researchers from the University of Auckland discovered that parents actually take their young to specific sites called “tool schools” where they can practice these skills.

Love Dogs

As we all know, dogs are “man’s best friend.” They can also be best friends to one another. Tika and her longtime mate, Kobuk, had raised eight litters of puppies together and were enjoying their retirement years in the home of my friend, Anne. Even as longtime mates, Kobuk often bossed Tika around, taking her favorite sleeping spot or toy.

Late in life, Tika developed a malignant tumor and had to have her leg amputated. She had trouble getting around and, as she was recovering from the surgery, Kobuk wouldn’t leave Tika’s side. Kobuk stopped shoving her aside or minding if she was allowed to get on the bed without him. About two weeks after Tika’s surgery, Kobuk woke Anne in the middle of the night. He ran over to Tika. Anne got Tika up and took both dogs outside, but they just lay down on the grass. Tika was whining softly, and Anne saw that Tika’s belly was badly swollen. Anne rushed her to the emergency animal clinic in Boulder, where she had life-saving surgery.

If Kobuk hadn’t fetched Anne, Tika almost certainly would have died. Tika recovered, and as her health improved after the amputation and operation, Kobuk became the bossy dog he’d always been, even as Tika walked around on three legs. But Anne had witnessed their true relationship. Kobuk and Tika, like a true old married couple, would always be there for each other, even if their personalities would never change.

Jethro and the Bunny

Jethro the dog.

After I picked Jethro from the Boulder Humane Society and brought him to my mountain home, I knew he was a very special dog. He never chased the rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, or deer who regularly visited. He often tried to approach them as if they were friends.
One day Jethro came to my front door, stared into my eyes, belched, and dropped a small, furry, saliva-covered ball out of his mouth. I wondered what in the world he'd brought back and discovered the wet ball of fur was a very young bunny.

Jethro continued to make direct eye contact with me as if he were saying, "Do something." I picked up the bunny, placed her in a box, gave her water and celery, and figured she wouldn't survive the night, despite our efforts to keep her alive.
I was wrong. Jethro remained by her side and refused walks and meals until I pulled him away so he could heed nature's call. When I eventually released the bunny, Jethro followed her trail and continued to do so for months.

Over the years Jethro approached rabbits as if they should be his friends, but they usually fled. He also rescued birds who flew into our windows and, on one occasion, a bird who'd been caught and dropped in front of my office by a local red fox.

Dog and Fish: Improbable Friends

Fish are often difficult to identify with or feel for. They don't have expressive faces and don't seem to tell us much behaviorally. Nonetheless, Chino, a golden retriever who lived with Mary and Dan Heath in Medford, Oregon, and Falstaff, a 15-inch koi, had regular meetings for six years at the edge of the pond where Falstaff lived. Each day when Chino arrived, Falstaff swam to the surface, greeted him, and nibbled on Chino's paws. Falstaff did this repeatedly as Chino stared down with a curious and puzzled look on her face. Their close friendship was extraordinary and charming. When the Heaths moved, they went as far as to build a new fishpond so that Falstaff could join them.

An Embarrassed Chimpanzee: I didn't do that!

Embarrassment is difficult to observe. By definition, it’s a feeling that one tries to hide. But world famous primatologist Jane Goodall believes she has observed what could be called embarrassment in chimpanzees.
Fifi was a female chimpanzee whom Jane knew for more than 40 years. When Fifi’s oldest child, Freud, was five and a half years old, his uncle, Fifi’s brother Figan, was the alpha male of their chimpanzee community. Freud always followed Figan as if he worshiped the big male.

Once, as Fifi groomed Figan, Freud climbed up the thin stem of a wild plantain. When he reached the leafy crown, he began swaying wildly back and forth. Had he been a human child, we would have said he was showing off. Suddenly the stem broke and Freud tumbled into the long grass. He was not hurt. He landed close to Jane, and as his head emerged from the grass she saw him look over at Figan. Had he noticed? If he had, he paid no attention but went on being groomed. Freud very quietly climbed another tree and began to feed.

Harvard University psychologist Marc Hauser observed what could be called embarrassment in a male rhesus monkey. After mating with a female, the male strutted away and accidentally fell into a ditch. He stood up and quickly looked around. After sensing that no other monkeys saw him tumble, he marched off, back high, head and tail up, as if nothing had happened.

Animal Rescues: Feeling Compassion for Those in Need

Stories about animals rescuing members of their own and other species, including humans, abound. They show how individuals of different species display compassion and empathy for those in need.
In Torquay, Australia, after a mother kangaroo was struck by a car, a dog discovered a baby joey in her pouch and took it to his owner who cared for the youngster. The 10-year-old dog and 4-month-old joey eventually became best friends.

On a beach in New Zealand, a dolphin came to the rescue of two pygmy sperm whales stranded behind a sand bar. After people tried in vain to get the whales into deeper water, the dolphin appeared and the two whales followed it back into the ocean.
Dogs are also known for helping those in need. A lost pit bull mutt broke up an attempted mugging of a woman leaving a playground with her son in Port Charlotte, Florida. An animal control officer said it was clear the dog was trying to defend the woman, whom he didn't know. And outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina, a dog rescued an abandoned baby by placing him safely among her own newborn puppies. Amazingly, the dog carried the baby about 150 feet to where her puppies lay after discovering the baby covered by a rag in a field.

Raven Justice?

In his book, Mind of the Raven, biologist and raven expert Bernd Heinrich observed that ravens remember an individual who consistently raids their caches if they catch him in the act. Sometimes a raven will join in an attack on an intruder even if he didn't see the cache being raided.
Is this moral? Heinrich seems to think it is. He says of this behavior, "It was a moral raven seeking the human equivalent of justice, because it defended the group's interest at a potential cost to itself."
In subsequent experiments, Heinrich confirmed that group interests could drive what an individual raven decides to do. Ravens and many other animals live by social norms that favor fairness and justice.

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Marc Bekoff wrote this article for Can Animals Save Us?, the Spring 2011 issue of YES! Magazine. Marc has written many books and essays about the emotional and moral lives of animals, including The Smile of a Dolphin, The Emotional Lives of Animals, Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals (with Jessica Pierce), and The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding Our Compassion Footprint. Marc’s homepage is marcbekoff.com and, with Jane Goodall, ethologicalethics.org.
Some of these stories have appeared in other forms in Marc Bekoff’s writing.


Source: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/can-animals-save-us/we-second-that-emotion

Ashes and Snow - Humans and animals

Ashes and Snow, a film by Gregory Colbert, uses both still and movie cameras to explore extraordinary interactions between humans and animals.
The 60-minute feature is a poetic narrative rather than a documentary. It aims to lift the natural and artificial barriers between humans and other species, dissolving the distance that exists between them.

Tough life in whale wars

 
KITCHEN QUEEN: Chief cook Josephine Watmore, 23, of England, 
tries to keep the all-vegan menu diverse. Picture: Sam Rosewarne

 
LIVING in close quarters on a boat with 30 people you have just met sounds pretty intense. Add to that the pursuit of Japanese whaling vessels and terms such as "cabin fever" may start coming to mind.

But it is nothing that a good meal, a few movies or curling up with a good book cannot remedy for the crew of the anti-whaling campaign ship Bob Barker. The vessel is in Hobart for maintenance, allowing crew to recharge after a three-month stint in the Antarctic.

Sea Shepherd crews endure constant pressure and immense cold, not to mention being away from friends and family, but it's not all hard work. Bob Barker ship manager and quartermaster Andrea Gordon said the crew found ways to keep each other entertained - and sane.

"I'm always amazed by the people who step on board this ship. These are people who have taken their time away from their loved ones and jobs to volunteer," Ms Gordon said. "There are people from the US, UK, Germany, Holland, Brazil, Ivory Coast, and we all get along so well - it makes it a lot easier when you have a whole crew of people fully dedicated to the same cause."

The Bob Barker has a few perks and luxuries to make the voyage a little easier. Ms Gordon said the all-vegan menu was a key part of keeping the crew happy. That keeps chief cook Josephine Watmore hard at work in the galley. "They are all easily satisfied, actually, but the pizzas and sushi are probably their favourites," Ms Watmore said. "We try and keep it as diverse as possible, which can be tough once we start running out of fresh food and vegetables."

The crew keeps a song in its heart, with a few bringing along guitars. Laptops and iPods are common too, and living area, which comes with more than 300 DVDs, an extensive library and Playstation 3, all which have been donated.

"Former crew have left a bunch of stuff on board and all the entertainment gear was donated, so the crew have something to enjoy during downtime," Ms Gordon said. "When we're out at sea it's pretty much all work time, but it's nice to have those things there for when we are forced to be cooped up inside."

But crew member Emmerich Reize said the best thing to do when there was a spare moment was simply to go out on deck and enjoy the view. Tours of the Bob Barker will be available until the end of the Easter weekend. Refuelling and maintenance is scheduled before the vessel leaves Hobart at the end of May.

Source: http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/04/04/315471_most-popular-stories.html

Beautiful videos of Earth and Nature | Vídeos bonitos da Terra e da Natureza

Put the video to maximum resolution and maximize the window.
Coloque o vídeo na resolução máxima e maximize a janela.


Nature | Natureza:






Earth | Terra:

Earth First - Politics of Radical Environmentalism

The best overall examination documentary about Earth First, regarding their mission and some philosophical concepts of deep ecology (biocentrism, that all life is equal and deserves to be respected and to live).

Filmed at and around the time of the 1987 Grand Canyon Round River Rendezvous.

"You haven´t lived until you've found something worth dying for" - Martin Luther King





Deep Ecology philosophy:

Deep ecology is a contemporary ecological philosophy that recognizes an inherent worth of all living beings, regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs. The philosophy emphasizes the interdependence of organisms within ecosystems and that of ecosystems with each other within the biosphere. It provides a foundation for the environmental, ecology and green movements and has fostered a new system of environmental ethics.

Deep ecology's core principle is the belief that, like humanity, the living environment as a whole has the same right to live and flourish. Deep ecology describes itself as "deep" because it persists in asking deeper questions concerning "why" and "how" and thus is concerned with the fundamental philosophical questions about the impacts of human life as one part of the ecosphere, rather than with a narrow view of ecology as a branch of biological science, and aims to avoid merely anthropocentric environmentalism, which is concerned with conservation of the environment only for exploitation by and for humans purposes, which excludes the fundamental philosophy of deep ecology. Deep ecology seeks a more holistic view of the world humans live in and seeks to apply to life the understanding that separate parts of the ecosystem (including humans) function as a whole.

More informations:

EARTH FIRST: http://www.earthfirst.org
DEEP ECOLOGY:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_ecology