BastetAsshurISF

The Activist Diaries: "Green thoughts" by @Lorel_EE

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:09:45 +1000

The Activist Diaries: "Green thoughts" by @Lorel_EE:

I don’t think my parents have ever applied the terms ‘green’ or earth-friendly’ to themselves. They think of it in terms of being practical, sensible and frugal. They were born and raised during the depression, when wasting resources wasn’t an option. Everything was used, reused, repurposed or recycled in some way out of necessity. They learned to grow as much of their own food and be as self sustaining as possible.

And that’s the philosophy by which I was raised. I grew up in both the US and UK. I suppose you’d say it was the countryside, although Manhattan or London weren’t that far away. My world has always been ‘green’; we grew our own fruit & veg and the apple orchards were just around the corner. No chemical fertilizers; we always had a big compost pile and there were horse stables right there. We never used a chemical to clean anything. With vinegar, water, lemon juice, salt and baking soda we always managed to clean everything. Plastic was something for which we had no use, and single use items of any sort were a waste of resources as well as money.

We traveled all over Europe and North America. For a weekend or fortnight, we were on a train and off we went. And somehow my parents had the ability to find volunteer work for us wherever we were. We eco-traveled before there was a formal name for it. It was fun as a kid, planting flowers or trees or cleaning up a park. I learned you always had to give back to wherever you were, and help keep it as you’d found it if not leave it a bit better for the next people. And it was a good way to learn another language and culture. Somehow I think that’s what my parents planned to have happen; they gave me the world and nature as my classroom, and I was responsible for its upkeep.

My first obvious tie in with environmentalism? I was six, hiking in the Black Forest with my father. He told me about how beautiful it had been years earlier - how he remembered it being before acid rain had taken such a toll on it. That’s all it took, and I’ve spent almost four decades working with environmental and conservation groups trying to improve how we, the human species, treat the planet and its inhabitants.

Whilst at university, I spent two turns as a volunteer on Capitol Hill with the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and I earned certification from the European Commission to consult in two languages. For what it’s worth to know me, I’m a self confessed adrenaline junkie, pranayama practitioner (yes, I’ve read the Bhagavad Gītā), hiker and trekker. Outdoors is where I enjoy being – the closer I am with nature the better. My favorite artists are Peter Paul Rubens and Pieter Bruegel. As for writers, political and otherwise, I prefer Eugène Ionesco, Honoré de Balzac, G.W.F. Hegel, Lao Tzu, Umberto Eco and Dr. Stephen Hawking. My hero has always been Leonardo da Vinci, although my favorite quote is often attributed to his Renaissance rival Michelangelo: “Ancora Imparo” or “I am still learning”. I am a lifelong organic gardener, and proud of my xeriscape landscape I’ve just completed. My gardens are a certified wildlife habitat and a true sanctuary for me at home.

By profession I am an electrical engineer because I love to invent and create. And it gives me the time and ability to continue my eco-travel and volunteer work with other environmentalists and conservationists around the world. I’m an avid photographer, and I give my photos to groups and individuals to help others understand what different places, peoples and ecosystems are like and why they need to be preserved and protected.

I’ve been an activist my entire life, and my volunteer work has taken me to every continent except Antarctica. I suspect I’ll be there at some point as well. Suffice to say, I’m a long time member, supporter, volunteer and advocate for and with a variety of environmental and conservation groups, both in the US and around the world. Over the years there have been both victories and defeats. I find that it’s a combination of patience and determination which have allowed me to continue to work and hope for a better world.

One area of concern to me over the past few years had been the failure of the existing organizations to involve and engage the younger generations. I first heard of ISF through Conservation International, and it appeared to fill that gap; in fact it seemed focused on involving the world’s youth. That’s why I got involved and support them. This earth, to which I have dedicated my life, will be theirs sooner than they think. We need them to be ready to take over that stewardship.

I still haven’t used a chemical to clean anything; I never found a use for such products. From how I do my marketing and the food I eat to the clothes I wear I choose organic and earth-friendly. And if anyone wants to know how to ‘green’ some part of their life, I’m happy to help them learn.

Lorelei

When I first arrived on twitter, like everyone, I had no idea...

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:44:09 +1000

When I first arrived on twitter, like everyone, I had no idea how the place worked. I tentatively followed 1 person & tried to start a conversation. He followed me back & replied. How nice. I slowly got the hang of things and politely followed everyone back.

Twitter was a much different place back then. There was no scroll on following and followers but separate pages for every 20 people. There was no lists or autofill so you just had to try & remember people and the spelling of their usernames. Hashtags were fairly new and there were few of them. There were no trending topics, no ‘similar to you’ list or ‘follow recommendations’. The really big players had 20 000 odd followers and very few celebrity accounts existed. This is pre-blue tick days.

Tweetdeck was the app of choice because it did have trending topics and list-making ability. Furthermore the tweets kept appearing as they were being tweeted. Twitter didn’t do that back then. If you wanted to see new tweets the only way was to reload the page.

Twitters popularity grew quickly and with it came new improved twitter along with legitimate businesses. The next phase, however, almost made me leave twitter. Auto-messaging, accounts that could only tweet about following, followers, non-followers, shoutouts - you get the picture; spammers, hackers, and product pushing. At that stage I’d followed everyone back believing I was being polite. I went from visiting twitter everyday, to every second day, to once a week, to once a fortnight, to ummm…?

Well, obviously, I returned. When I did I abandoned my old ways and started again; targeting my interests. This time I only followed accounts that I was genuinely interested in. No more mlm marketing, ipads, iphone apps, sign up to my ‘free’ newsletter, buy one get one free, this is what I had for breakfast… Yawn.

Twitter, again became, an enjoyable space to be in. I use the odd application like SocialOomph for tweets I wish to repeat at different times of day but for the most part I use it manually - no auto welcome message, auto follow, auto unfollow, auto lists, twitter stats, twitter clout and so forth for the reason that these trends come & go and seem to become near fanatacism at their height without really adding to the experience or making my time more effective.

Following my interests unapologetically and welcoming all those with similar interests while ignoring all else has been better than any application existing today or previously and has made the experience better than following out of a sense of obligation. It’s because of this, I’d love to see the numbers game end. When this happens, more honest communication can occur. For me, not following back isn’t about snubbing the person or thinking I’m better, it’s simply because we don’t share the same interests. If we did, I’d follow them. Simple!

So, if you’re interested in knowing who I follow it’s animal rights, human rights, gender equality, race equality, politics, ecology, environmentalism, physics, metaphysics, inspirational and spiritual philosophy, ideas that may improve our world, organics in the way of gmo labelling and surrounding issues - not product sales, zeitgeist, the odd new age or occult profile and sometimes just because I had a good conversation with someone.

Kia Kaha (Be well)

BastetAsshurISF

Understanding Twitter Links. Staying Safe.

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:06:00 +1000

I was having a conversation on twitter where it was mentioned, ‘no one cares’ in relation to an important petition many people were posting a link to. It occurred to me that it may be useful to write a blog on staying safe on twitter in regard to opening links.

On twitter millions of links are posted daily and many people are wary of opening them - often for good reason. There are spam bots by the hundreds of thousands, scammers out for a quick buck, hackers who’ll take you for everything and computer viruses, just to name a few pitfalls of opening a simple link.

So, how do you know which ones are safe? There’s no 100% guaranteed way to remain safe unless never opening a link which, if you’re like me, is antithetical to the point of using twitter. I like being directed to good information.

This is where we really need to work together and help each other out.

Firstly, when posting a link, ensure the subject matter is transparent. It looks like spam if the subject matter is masked. Secondly, ask one or two friends who know and trust you to comment on the link you’ve provided.

When opening someone else’s link go to their page first. Click on posts with links and look for comments. If people are commenting on link content it’s likely this users links are what they appear to be. Next, when you do open links, wherever possible leave a comment to let other users know it’s safe to open.

If an account looks dodgy - block it. Don’t worry about how this will alter your follower number. Just block it. At the end of the day protecting your bank accounts from being hacked, your computer from viruses and your sanity from spam is more important than the numbers on your twitter account.

Lastly, a warning. Hackers, spammers and the like are smart. It would be fantastic if they were all really stupid and a single glance at a profile let you know who they were. Sadly, they are great at disguise. I’ve even come across one that had ISF in front of a fake name. They were actually trying to sell a follower tool. At the time I blocked and forgot, but now, writing this I’m thinking I made a mistake. I should have let everyone know. I’ll chalk that one up as ‘live and learn’. I know what to do next time.

So, lets help each other out by promoting good users and outing the nasty and potentially nasty ones.

While trying to get word out about important world issues, petitions and awesome info just remember to be patient. Give people time to know and trust you and the links you provide. A good reputation and patience go a long way.

Love, Light and Peace,

BastetAsshurISF

1 Year 1 Month since the Quake hit Christchurch

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:55:01 +1000

Hi.

So, it’s been 1 yr & 1 month since the first earthquake hit Christchurch. Since then there has been aftershocks, rebuilding, re-crumbling, discussions, committee’s, polls, arguments, budget changes, uncertainty, differences of opinion and more aftershocks. It still hasn’t ended.

I’m not going to speak too much on what is happening there but rather what it’s like to be overseas when your home is destroyed and the decision that is made on a near weekly basis about whether or not to return. I’m not doing it for, ‘poor you’ comments but rather to briefly share this experience first-hand written in first-person. Usually reports are 3rd person, clinical accounts of outer events. I’m hoping that speaking about the emotional side will help people have a greater connection and understanding with the experience of this kind of loss, that can be interpreted to help understand many, many other situations.

First finding out. The news initially was just news. I had an immediate assumption (hope) that accounts were greatly exaggerated & everything was just fine. It actually took days to really accept it as real and emotionally it didn’t hit until weeks later. I was in Brisbane at the time and you may remember we got hit by a flood. I was right in the middle of that and the reports were terrible but the experience wasn’t really frightening. There was more of a curiosity to the whole thing, followed by a practicality of just getting everything done. Clean up & back to normal. I think this experience coloured the response to the ChCh earthquake. Living in one disaster zone overseas, reading about another at home. So it slowly dawned that the parallels stopped at the words ‘disaster zone’. There is a gulf of difference between a single event and an ongoing reality.

The decision to return or wait. There’s an emotional pull to return despite all evidence that says this is beyond stupid. It’s about community, home and protecting it. Now, in reality, I know that being there isn’t going to stop the aftershocks. I can’t protect my home. But emotions don’t run on logic. Emotion just feels for its own sake. A part of me wants to be there to see, feel and be a part of the process of transformation. It’s to maintain connection because as the city is rebuilt, its being done so differently. My home will never again look familiar to me. Streets I’ve walked a thousand times, knowing every tiny detail of will be different and unfamiliar. I’ve left Christchurch and lived in many places. Every single time I’ve had the safety net of my old stomping ground to return to. I’ve always known that it’ll be the same as when I left it because change in Christchurch has always been slow. People love tradition, old architecture, old houses that aren’t typically historic, big old trees, the river… Seriously, these things would be changed on ‘pain of death’ pre-quake.

The lifestyle of ChCh was very unique also. It had (has) community despite being a city. When I lived there I never bothered with the internet because I didn’t need it. I had a mobile but it wasn’t necessary - kind of more ‘optional’. I walked approximately 2-3 minutes to buy organic groceries direct from the grower. The botanic gardens, next to the museum were a 3-4 minute walk away. The Art Centre was next door, the main ChCh City Art Gallery was across the road. The city Square, 2 blocks away. Art events happened all around me every week from pavement chalk art, to busking, to theater and dance, to visual arts, to festivals, to the weird and wonderful world of fringe art, renegade shows and performance poetry. I didn’t need to arrange meeting people I knew. I just turned up & there was always people I knew there. Friends places were walking distance anyway, so visits one way or another pre & post event were a normal occurance. Again, no need to arrange it. Just turn up. As a performer, there was no need for en masse advertising. Tell a few people, put some A5 flyers up in some well known places and hey presto, packed house. This is what I mean by community. This probably sounds like a small town, right? It’s not. It’s a small city of roughly 450 000. (Or at least it was pre-quake) That’s why I think its quite unique. It’s also why I miss it. It’s why I’m hopeful for rebuilding along positive lines in tune with peoples values while simultaneously afraid of rebuilding along lines of every other city I’ve ever lived in. Bottom line- to me, most cities are cold places in the sense that they have an isolating feel due to lack of community. Christchurch wasn’t a Utopia but it’s positives were highly notable.

Not being there has the benefit of not living in fear of the next after-shock, the next quake. The benefit of not having private melt downs on a semi-regular basis caused by living on nervous energy and lack of sleep.

Not being there means not participating in reconstruction discussions and votes. It means not having any transition from the old into the new. It also means not sharing that experience with everyone you know and love.

It may be a harsh experience but it’s also a bonding experience and a community experience. So for now, I’m still in Australia. I’m in Queensland, down on the coast. I ring mum once a week or so. Sometimes she rings me. She’s in Melbourne. She’s originally from Melbourne but it doesn’t feel like home to her anymore. We discuss it, ‘to return or stay’. Very rarely we have a conversation where we don’t have that talk. The talk where we update each other on news from NZ. But that’s the exception not the rule. Ignoring the ChCh in the phone line is like ignoring the elephant in the room.

Most days, it’s ok. Some days its not.

Keystone Pipeline Proposal In a Nutshell.

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:57:14 +1000

What is it?

It is a huge pipeline system, (3,456 kilometers which is 2,147 miles) used to transport crude oil from the Athabasca Oil Sands in northeastern Alberta, Canada to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma and to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The keystone XL would carry bitumen which is more corrosive than crude oil; thinned with other petroleum condensates and then pumped at high pressure and at a temperature of more than 150 degrees.

What are the potential dangers?

Environmentalists oppose the project, citing greenhouse-gas emissions and risks of a spill tainting the Ogallala aquifer in Nebraska’s Sand Hills region that supplies drinking water for 2 million people:

The pipeline could pollute air and water supplies and harm migratory birds and other wildlife.
The Ogallala Aquifer spans eight states, provides drinking water for two million people, and supports $20 billion in agriculture.
Portions of the pipeline will also cross an active seismic zone that had a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in 2002. (Relatively recently.)
Analysts believe after completion of the Keystone XL line, oil pipelines to the U.S. will run at only half full.
The pipeline will potentially undermine America’s clean energy future due to an over-reliance on dirty oil.
Concerns of bad sections of pipe using defective steel are causing areas of Keystone to be excavated and checked already!
The project poses a major threat to water supplies on both sides of the border. Turning two tons of tar sand into a barrel of oil requires four times as much water as producing a barrel of conventional oil. This is a bad result even if there is no spill, no eathquake, no burst pipe, no faulty pipeline steal… (You get the picture.)
Operations in Alberta have already created 65 square miles of toxic holding ponds, which kill migrating birds and pollute downstream watersheds, a serious matter for native communities. What kind of footprint will this project leave after completion? One can only shudder a guess.

Hope this article clarifies the issues for anyone searching for information.

MESSAGE TO INTERNATIONAL #ISFfamily and all those interested in...

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:33:04 +1000

MESSAGE TO INTERNATIONAL #ISFfamily and all those interested in Animal Rights.

What are we working for? To effect positive change for our planet and all the creatures upon/within it? Yes?

The very first International Animal Rights Conference is being held this year. The Very First!

This is a major turning point in what will become a landmark moment in history. We are literally part of a much larger movement that is making history right now.

This is about many countries, many organizations and many varying philosophies coming together to set a platform for animal rights. It is a fantastic opportunity for activists world over to share many & varied views on a topic that is increasingly coming into the consciousness of mainstream society.

You don’t need to be a guest speaker, an organization coordinator, a specialist with a PHD or even able to attend the conference to get in behind this and show your support. All you need is to bookmark the website so you can stay up-to-date on the discussion, let interested parties know this is happening & share your thoughts and ideas on the subject whether by tweet, blog, conversation, essay, book, panel discussion, debate etc

The more we talk about this, the more people hear about it and the more people hearing about it, the more people think about it and that is the real goal; actively engaging in critical thought. When this happens, a subject becomes a ‘hot topic’, a ‘hot topic’ becomes an imperative and an imperative becomes change.

http://www.ar-conference.com/promotion.php

Not everyone can adopt a pet but there are other ways to help....

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:18:57 +1000

Not everyone can adopt a pet but there are other ways to help. You can sponsor a pet or you can foster a pet. In Australia most pet foster programs attempt to re-home the animal within four weeks. Many of these animals have been abused or abandoned. So, where do you go to offer your home and your love to a rescued animal in need?

(BFR) Best Friend Rescue is a non-profit group dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. http://bit.ly/hKnnaB

Pet Foster works in all 7 states of Aus and fosters dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and birds. http://bit.ly/eHhD0L

Canine Foster Care is a site that lists reputable foster programs for dogs & puppies in all 7 states of Aus http://bit.ly/gW73Om

So, dogs and cats are the easiest animals to find people to be fosters for. More difficult are rodents and reptiles. If you can volunteer, foster or adopt these creatures and feel comfortable around them and enjoy their company please consider it.

F.A.U.N.A Fostercare of Australia’s Unique Native Animals Association Inc. Has an awesome program going. Of all the sites I’m recommending on this page this is my personal NUMBER ONE! They don’t just hand animals out to anyone to look after. There is a process but this process ensures animal safety and is very responsible in its approach. First, apply for membership. This includes law/ code of practice which is about the care of orphaned, sick or injured protected animals, F.A.U.N.A. notes which explains legal permits, your basic conditions of membership, the rules, and where to find further information. They work on an ‘education first’ basis before volunteering can begin. There’s also a lot of support between the members. http://fauna.worldsecuresystems.com/web_pages/info/about_us.html

One of the most neglected pets in Australia are reptiles. I have personally adopted, fostered and baby-sat a very large number of Aussie reptiles and my experience of it has been wonderful. Have I ever been bitten? Honestly, Yes, I have, but it’s been worth it to get close to such amazing creatures. I’ve learned so much about the true nature instead of the misinformed fear that surrounds them. To adopt or foster a reptile you will need a reptile licence for your state. If you’ve never cared for a reptile before then don’t go in blind. Volunteer first and see if you and reptiles are right for each other. http://reptile.rescueme.org/volunteer Reptile: Rescue Me has a great website that provides information on reptiles and a form to fill out for volunteering. They will then respond with local places that take volunteers. This is a great way to find out if you can care for a reptile comfortably at home.

Love, Light and Peace,

Sabrinna.

The first international animal rights conference will take place...

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:13:21 +1000

The first international animal rights conference will take place on May 19th until 22nd at the Novotel Hotel in Luxembourg City.

Interested? Here’s the website: http://ar-conference.com/

I would really love to see a Universal Charter of Animal Rights be declared by the UN, just as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was.

So, I decided to draft one up.

Many animal rights activists would possibly denigrate me for not including the right to life and for point number 7 which pertains to animals in farms, zoos, sanctuaries, reserves, park-lands, homes and the like. I consciously chose not to include the right to life and to include point 7 because I feel humanity is a long way away from becoming a vegetarian world and that progress requires a step-by-step in the right direction approach. So, I tried to draft something up that has a chance, albeit small, to be accepted.

What are your thoughts?

P.S - I plan to email this to the conference. I don’t know if they’ll read it but I hope so. Feel free to use this on websites, letters, emails, blogs. All I ask is that you credit it to Sabrinna Valisce.

Love, Light and Peace,

Sabrinna.

I BELIEVE CORPORATE CULTURE KILLS. To me corporate culture is...

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 01:40:47 +1000

I BELIEVE CORPORATE CULTURE KILLS.

To me corporate culture is the homogenizing of society. It’s reducing people to shades of grey absent of personality, style or individuality. There is one very narrow dress code of straight lines, plain pattern , no irregularities and no interest either, no matter the industry. Hair is short or tied, straightened, clean lines, no strays, not a hint of a wave. Shoes are dark, solid, small heel or flat, indistinguishable to the next person over.

Irrespective of industry, title or job description the code is clear: Be A Faceless Number. Do Not Think. You Are Here To Serve The Company. You Are Here To Be Tied To Busy-Work.

The job, no matter what it is, must have your focus. You are not a person, leave your personality at the door. Focus on the minutiae, the proof is in the details and every detail is of grave importance.

If you have tattoos, cover them. If you have piercings, remove them. If your hair is not a bland colour, dye it.

Ok, enough of that, you get the picture.

Michael Moore said in one of his speeches, “This is the United States of America, not the Corporate States of America.” Though I’m not American, it spoke to me anyway. Here’s why.

Corporate culture works on a bottom line philosophy and that bottom line is profit. Cash in = good. Cash out = bad. Morality, ethics, and integrity have no representation outside of the public relations division which is understood as branding. Branding is about image not actuality. What does it look like to the public? This branding must be instantly recognizable as the company it represents, clean, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and associated positively whether or not the image represents truth. So, a high polluting company can use a rainforest logo and this is NOT false advertising. They can pay people poorly, give bad hours, split shifts, no medical or dental and so forth while using a family or people-first looking logo.

What this does is keep people stuck on an ever-decreasing treadmill. What I mean by ‘ever-decreasing’ is less time, less money, less resources, less energy and less personal and creative expression. The obvious way it does this by extending working hours, paying the absolute minimum it can get away with, providing as few benefits as possible, refusing to align work hours with the ease or difficulty a worker faces on the commute there and back, ignoring a workers personal commitments such as children, aging parents, community/volunteer work, classes… But there are more insidious and hidden ways corporate culture minimizes an individual.

The image costs, and it costs a lot. The clothing, the hair, the shoes, the make-up, the nails, the products… and these are at the workers expense. It doesn’t actually matter if you can do the job without all these things, the company is branding you. As these job costs increase your income doesn’t but instead the donkey and carrot philosophy is applied. Turn up an hour early, stay an extra hour late, get a new suit, try harder, harder, harder and work your way up. So, in this we find the workers time & energy is taken also. As more and more time is taken the workers income does NOT increase.

This brings me to the real point I want to make. Work clothes take over the wardrobe. Work takes over spare time. Exhaustion begins and apathy sets in. It’s not because the individual doesn’t care. It’s because they do care. They want to build a solid future for themselves and their loved ones, so they put every effort into doing this to find themselves in a rat-trap. Meanwhile, corporations are become multi-billion dollar industries that pollute the world, kill any poor creature in its way, ignore every scientific study that shows the damage they’re creating and in some cases even pay off researches to find in their favor.

This needs to change. There are some simple choices we can all make. These aren’t huge earth shattering changes but teeny tiny little ones.

Go to the small, independent, local coffee house that allows it’s employees to dress with some individuality. This shows the owner actually likes people and hires as much for personality as ability. Yo may be surprised by how much more relaxing and laid-back these places are. At the same time you’re supporting your community, rather than a giant corporate entity.

If you hear of a place treating its workers badly, boycott and if you have time, write them a letter to tell them why. It’s said in the hospitality industry that 1 complaint received is equal to roughly fifteen. The other fourteen people simply didn’t say anything but wont come back. So, when you have time, it’s worth letting your voice be heard.

The biggest thing you can do is be aware of the rat-trap and do your best not to be in it. It’s true we can’t all just up & leave our jobs for greener pastures on a whim but we can take back a little of our time, ask that our pay better reflect our hours and challenge the cold, sterile branding in our dress-codes. Of course, not so much that unemployment follows but wherever leeway and opportunity exist.

Love, Light and Peace,

Sabrinna.

Slavery still exists, although in theory it has now been...

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:12:31 +1000

Slavery still exists, although in theory it has now been outlawed in all countries.

The number of slaves today remains as high as 27 million! Most are debt slaves or trafficked. Debt slavery is referred to as ‘debt bondage’. Lenders have been known to enslave under debt-bondage inter-generationally. Human trafficking is primarily for prostituting women and children into the illegal sex industry sector. It is the fastest growing criminal industry. Other forms of trafficking include child slave labour and drug trafficking which will sometimes use slave children to cross borders.

A LESSER KNOWN SLAVERY -Domestic workers often work excessively long hours, without breaks, days off or holidays. They are often considered ‘on call’ to undertake work for their employer 24 hours per day. Pay is often very low or workers may not be paid at all or only receive ‘payment in kind’ such as food or accommodation. Domestic work is a sector which is particularly vulnerable to forms of slavery such as forced labour, trafficking, and bonded labour due to a lack of legal protection. The majority of the people falling victim to this are girls under the age of 16 years. You can help by signing petitions.

A current petition running is: Petition to end forced child labour in Uzbekistan : http://bit.ly/h7bPh0

The biggest way you can make a difference to this situation is to ensure that the products you buy are free of slave labour. Beware cheap trinkets, bargains that look to good to be true. Choose Fair Trade products whenever possible and of course just being aware can help by making informed choices.

Lets work together to end this using our minds and purchasing power.

Love, Light and Peace,

Sabrinna.

WARNING - This video footage is horrific! This poor, poor...

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:08:19 +1000

WARNING - This video footage is horrific! This poor, poor creature lives even after being SKINNED ALIVE. Just F*#king Disgusting. I don’t know how anyone can do this, (or wear this) and live with themselves.

NEVER EVER EVER SUPPORT THE FUR TRADE!

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a Universal...

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 02:22:36 +1000

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a Universal Charter of Animal Rights.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), founded in 1963, is the world’s main authority on the conservation status of species. A series of Regional Red Lists are produced by countries or organizations, which assess the risk of extinction to species. These lists are enormous and overwhelming to read.

I’ve put some of these at the bottom of this blog for those interested. What is not included in these lists are arachnids, spiders, sea-life, much of the bird kingdom, moluscs, crustaceans, living fossils, all plant and fungi and any Protista (unicellular organisms).

Also, At-RISK creatures these lists don’t cover are creatures, not in danger of extinction but abuse via farms, testing, research, medicine, entertainment, fashion, cultural events, and work (beasts of burden).

Animal Rights Legislation differs from country to country, just as human laws differ. Though, humans have something animals don’t: December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

What I would really love to see is for all the separate animal rights and conservation groups to come together and draft up The Universal Charter of Animal Rights using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (see above) as a guide. To then, put this forward to the United Nations and demand a formal declaration be made.

Critically Endangered Animal (Most popular list)

Sumatran Orangutan (Indonesia), Sumatran Tiger (Indonesia), Lear’s Macaw (Brazil), Brown Spider Monkey (Colombia, Venezuela), Rancho Grande Harlequin Frog (Venezuela), Panamanian Golden Frog (Panama), Pygmy Three-toed Sloth (Panama), Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Indonesia), Golden-bellied Capuchin (Brazil), Elegant Frog (Australia), Orinoco Crocodile (Colombia, Venezuela), Mountain Gorilla (Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo), Golden Mantella (Madagascar), Eastern Red Colobus (Kenya), Javan Rhinoceros (Indonesia, Vietnam)

Endangered Animals (Most popular list)

Bonobo (Democratic Republic of Congo), Bornean Orangutan (Indonesia, Malaysia), Common Chimpanzee (Eastern and Central Africa), Golden Poison Frog, (Colombia), Hyacinth Macaw (South America), Great Green Macaw (Central America), Maned Three-toed Sloth (Brazil), Diana Monkey (West Africa), Indian Wild Dog (Dhole) (South Asia), Aye-Aye (Madagascar), Indian Elephant (India and South East Asia), Golden Lion Tamarin (Brazil), Red Slender Loris (Sri Lanka), Proboscis Monkey (Indonesia), Javan Langur (Indonesia), Diademed Sifaka (Madagascar), Mahogany Glider (Australia), Giant Otter (South America), Bengal Tiger (South East Asia), Mountain Tapir and Baird’s Tapir (South America)

Vulnerable Animals

Blue Poison Frog (Suriname), Giant Armadillo (South America)

Near Threatened Animals

Jaguar (Central and South America), Harpy Eagle (Central and South America)

LIVE ANIMALS TRAPPED IN BAGS TO DIE, SOLD AS TRINKET...

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:17:55 +1000

LIVE ANIMALS TRAPPED IN BAGS TO DIE, SOLD AS TRINKET KEYRINGS.

The Facts:

-Sold by street vendors there is no large company to boycott making it hard to be heard unless by petition, protest or letters to officials.

-China’s only animal protection laws are for wildlife and endangered species.

-Veterinarians in China refute claims made by vendors that the nutrients in the water will sustain the creatures life for months.

-The animal will die of suffocation before starvation and will do this within the space of a couple of weeks.

-The vendors have told the Chinese public these ‘trinkets’ will bring luck.

-In Chinese mythology and cultural history their is no precedent to support this claim.

-In Feng Shui, a Chinese system of Fortune, only live plants and animals bring luck.

-They are sold for roughly Au$5 / US$5.

-This issue falls to China’s Minister of Agriculture, Han Changfu who has held this position since December 2009. Contactable by -

Add: No.11 Nongzhanguan Nanli,Chaoyang District,Beijing China (100125)
Tel: (8610)59191830/1883
Fax: (8610)59191831
Email: webmaster_En@agri.gov.cn

-Petition can be signed here-

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/ban-live-animals-as-key-rings/

MY OPINION:

This is very obviously animal abuse. It doesn’t even require any explanation as to how or why this is the case. But there is far more going on here.

These keyring’s are teaching children a culture of animal abuse which to my mind is a form of child abuse too. It fosters the mind to develop an air of neglect, disregard for another’s safety, comfort, security and even another’s life and encourages a mind-set of calousness. Furthermore, by making an obvious wrongness appear right by normalizing it, a child learns to disregard their own natural inclination to question the world around them.

So, when I look at these key-rings, what I see is an animal; frightened, in pain and dying a hideous death. I also see, a child being mentally abused by an insidious normalization of an obvious lack of ethics.

There is one further statement I wish to make regarding this. Though, this specific thing is happening in China, not all Chinese agree and many other atrocious acts of animal abuse are happening in EVERY country around the world. So, I do not condone using this example as a way to justify any form of racism.

I urge you all to act by signing the petition and if you have time to use the above contact information for Minister Han Changfu to write a personalized letter. I would also ask that you do so with compassion in a politely but urgently worded letter.

Love, Light & Peace,

Sabrinna.

A BRIEF MOMENT OF COMPLAINING. TWITTER AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE....

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:00:06 +1000

A BRIEF MOMENT OF COMPLAINING. TWITTER AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE. ONLINE VS THE REAL WORLD.

Ok, we all know that on twitter there is a follower/following debate. Some believe you should follow all that follow you and others believe you should only follow those of interest who follow you and others still, of which I am one, believe you should follow accounts of interest to you irrespective of whether they are following you. Personally, I don’t care which group you belong to, so long as I can do what’s right for me.

What does really bug me though, is being solicited for help in sharing information by someone who doesn’t follow my tweets and thus knows sweet precious all about me and realistically, doesn’t care to either. I’m either of interest to you or I’m not but I am not here to be used by you. It’s that simple. This applies even if I’m following your tweets, reading your posts. That makes me ‘a-sometimes-listener’, not your servant. There’s a difference.

Now, having said that, I am very happy to have a conversation with anyone, Following/follower or not on a subject matter of mutual interest. This is how I’ve met many people I follower on twitter. Just don’t ask me to go out of my way to support you while showing zero interest in me or my opinions, let alone showing any support in return.

If you imagine twitter as a mansion full of people, mostly strangers at first but each room has a sign on the door relating to a subject matter, ‘enter this room to talk about this’. I’m NOT interested in the person talking AT me, telling me how I can serve them. I AM interested in the person talking WITH me, telling me how we can support one another or a third entity altogether and listening to me in equal measure.

When I tweet someone I’m not following it is always because I saw something in their profile or posts that I can support. It is never to ask for something. Like meeting someone at a bus stop when it’s raining & you know it is highly unlikely you’ll meet again. It’s the difference between asking them to buy you a coffee to get out of the rain & offering to buy them one. The former is impolite & the latter is a kindness offered in the spur of the moment.

I think internet culture needs to look at building some basic social etiquette. It is far too easy to sit behind the anonymity of a profile treating others in a manner that you would never partake of in the real world.

What’s your thoughts?

Simple ways to save the environment everyday: 1) CFL light...

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:30:17 +1000

Simple ways to save the environment everyday:

1) CFL light globes ( Compact Fluorescent Lighting) uses up to 80% less energy than a standard light bulb and lasts up to 10’000 hours. In Aus these are the only one’s available now. The old bulbs were phased out by government decision. If you live in a country where the old bulbs are still available then let people know how much longer CFL’s last. They are quite a bit more expensive per/globe but are cheaper in the long-term. Also, remember the 15 minute rule. If you leave a room for 15 mins or longer turn off the light.

2) Reusable shopping bags. In Aus many stores now charge up to 25c per/plastic bag to encourage the use of reusable fabric bags. We can even easily find these made of natural un-dyed hemp. So, reusable bags are becoming far more common place. So, Aussies - there’s no excuse. If you’re in a country where this is not the case, then I challenge you to lead the way.

3) Solar Battery Charges. There is a huge range of these on ebay. So, no matter what country you live in and how easy or difficult it is to find in-store, you can easily charge your ipod, cell phone or portable device by solar charge. At this stage, house solar power is financially out of range for most people but for small devices it is available at a reasonable cost.

4) Say NO to bottled water. Instead buy a re-usable bottle/thermos and refill it with filtered tap water. There is more than one benefit from this practice. Studies have shown there are less chemicals & bacteria in filtered tap water than in bottled. Furthermore, it takes more energy to produce bottled water & this energy comes from fossil fuels, plastic bottles are made of oil and landfills are overflowing with plastic. Have I convinced you yet? I hope so.

5) Turn off electrical appliances rather than leaving in ‘sleep’ mode. This has the added bonus of lowering your electricity bill while also lowering your carbon footprint.

6) Laundry. Set the machine to suit the load. Small load, low water. Medium load, medium water. Large load, full wash. Sounds obvious really, doesn’t it? I know in Aus it is becoming easier to find organic, bio-degradable, hypo-allergenic, cruelty-free washing detergent that is relatively inexpensive. Check it out in your country/hometown by doing a quick internet search to familiarize yourself with the brand names.

7) Set refrigerators to 3.3°C / 38°F, freezers to -15°C / 5°F, no colder.

8) Use Grey-Water for gardening and car-cleaning.

9) Recycle paper. One-sided printed paper that is ready to bin can be thrown in a tray to be used for notes and then added to paper recycle collection after both sides have been used. This works well for work and school.

10) When doing the grocery shop, choose the brand with the least amount of packaging. Often the product itself differs marginally.

Well, this is by no means a comprehensive list but it’s an easy 10 things we can all do every day, every year :-)

ABOUT THE TWITTER PAPER The paper is about the supporters of...

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:42:15 +1000

ABOUT THE TWITTER PAPER

The paper is about the supporters of ISF, not the Foundation itself. What are they doing? What information are they sharing? What are they blogging? What are the most popular issues? Who are these people? And, what do they care about? I’d like to see the people who quietly volunteer their time without recognition being given a little bit of recognition by a like-minded community.

Paper.li uses an automated system based on what people are tweeting and looks for links. So every article has a link to a newspaper, foundation page, website or blog. The very first paper has just been done and I am hoping very much to improve upon it week by week. If you blog about ISF, animal rights, ecological issues, the politics of improving our world for ourselves and the future then I invite you to contact me via twitter (check button to the right). I’m not ageist and am happy to include everyone from children to the most mature of us :-)

Love, Light & Peace,

Sabrinna

Being asked to give...

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:27:24 +1000

It seems these days that everywhere we look someone wants a piece of our hard-earned income. Where I live I can be asked for sponsorship, donations, a spare dollar or an ongoing financial commitment up to 10 times during a half hour walk to work. Sadly, my answer has to be, no. I can’t pay rent, power, phone, internet, food, transport, dentists, doctors, taxes and sponsor 3 kids, give to eco charities, animal charities, the latest disaster relief, the homeless, the homeless shelters, the latest relief drive and the list goes on… unless I’m happy ending up homeless & penniless myself. Needless to say, this does not constitute happiness and wellbeing.

So, how to help? How do my bit for the causes I believe in with all of my heart? I’m happy to say there are many ways to help without metaphorically killing oneself in the process.

Nelson Mandela said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and I believe him. So, here I want to share with you ways you can change the world through education.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/ This site is truly awesome. People who have strong interest in many, varied problems all around the world share critical information freely with the added bonus of empowering us all to act upon these issues with letters and petitions to key figures who have the authority to effect change. Furthermore, it’s really easy!

http://www.thenonprofits.com/ On here is a huge list of charities that have arranged sponsors who will donate every time you click. It’s split into four categories: hunger & poverty, health & education, environment, and animals. Choosing just one to three sites from this list and clicking daily makes a difference.

Sharing facts via twitter, facebook or any other social network can significantly increase awareness. Such as; a tap dripping once every 10 seconds wastes roughly 315 litres of water per/year. If it is constantly dribbling it can waste up to 24,000 litres of water per/year! Think how much water could be saved if everyone knew this and ensured their taps were maintained.

Volunteering for a local organisation. Offering just 4 hours of your time once per/wk or month can be really rewarding. I’ve never met a person who doesn’t want to feel like they matter. We all want to feel needed. Giving time to something you believe in gives back to you three-fold!

This is by far not a comprehensive list but I believe it is a great start. So, sure. When asked to give what I don’t have my answer is NO but I can always offer what I have in abundance.

BastetAsshurISF

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