Peta Victories for animals - latest update from PETA USA

 

Global Software Company Nutanix Drops Its Iditarod Sponsorship

After hearing from PETA that more than 150 dogs have died during the Iditarod, global software company Nutanix quickly cut ties with the race. It joins dozens of companies that no longer support the cruel Iditarod, including Alaska Airlines, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Jack Daniel’s, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, and Wells Fargo. Join us in urging the few remaining sponsors, including Liberty Media and GCI, to follow suit.

Taiwan’s FDA Ends Blood Pressure Tests on Animals After Hearing From PETA

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) has finalized a regulation that removes animal testing recommendations and requirements for companies wanting to make blood pressure health marketing claims about their food and beverage products. The testing included feeding foods of interest for at least eight weeks to rats bred to develop hypertension and measuring their blood pressure response using the stress-inducing tail-cuff method. The TFDA will now require only safe and effective human tests for this purpose. This follows pressure from PETA that included the submission of a detailed scientific critique at the agency’s request and e-mails to agency officials from more than 50,000 supporters opposing animal experiments.

Leading Health-Food Company in Taiwan Bans Animal Testing

 Following discussions with PETA, Grape King Bio—Taiwan’s largest biotech fermentation health-food company, known there for its popular energy drink—has banned animal tests not explicitly required by law. It previously conducted or funded at least 10 animal experiments from 2002 to 2020 that involved mutilating and killing no less than 1,333 animals, purportedly to support health claims for marketing probiotics, reishi mushrooms, goji berries, and other products and ingredients to consumers.

Major L.A. Airports Ban and Remove Vile Glue Traps

Los Angeles World Airports, which owns and operates LAX and Van Nuys airports, has banned and removed glue traps! This move comes after PETA told it that the traps cause small animals stuck in the adhesive to suffer, sometimes for days, before finally dying from dehydration, starvation, or asphyxiation. Anyone thinking of buying a glue trap should first watch this video, which shows how animals stuck to these devices struggle as they slowly die. Please take a minute to urge other airports to stop using them.

No Animals Will Be Killed in 2022 Cobra Gold Exercise

A top official has confirmed to PETA that no animals will be killed in barbaric survival training drills during Cobra Gold 2022, a massive joint multinational military exercise held in Thailand and attended by the U.S. military. During these cruel, dangerous, and likely illegal exercises, troops had been forced to kill chickens with their bare hands, skin and eat live geckos, consume live scorpions and tarantulas, and decapitate cobras and drink their blood. These atrocities were initially halted in 2021 after PETA’s release of shocking video footage and our exposé, so this is the second year in a row in which no animals are being used.

Kenya Airways Ends Transport of Monkeys to Laboratories

 In a huge blow to the cruel animal experimentation industry, Kenya Airways—which has transported hundreds of monkeys from a Mauritius breeding farm to the U.S. to be used in laboratory experiments—has committed to ending this practice after its current contract expires next month (February 2022). The airline’s decision comes just 24 hours after PETA contacted the airline’s CEO and chair of the board, urging them to consider what happens to monkeys who are subjected to the long flight and then torment and death in laboratories. The monkeys whose crates spilled out onto a Pennsylvania highway following a truck crash on January 21 had been flown on a Kenya Airways plane that had landed earlier that day.

Dolce & Gabbana Is Going Fur- and Angora-Free After Pressure From PETA

Following nearly two decades of pressure from PETA entities—including e-mails from over 300,000 supporters worldwide and protests both outside and inside its stores—fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has confirmed that it will ban fur and angora from all future collections!

Wonderful news isn't it! The whole fur thing has been going on and on for ages.  I cannot fathom why anybody would want to buy a real fur coat or anything with real fur on it.  It is just promoting this horrible industry.  As I keep saying in my blogs, if people didn't buy the items then there would be no industry.  It is completely the fault of the consumer. I sincerely think that a life is more important than fashion, don't you?

The blog song for today is: " Everythings just wonderful" by Lily Allen

TTFN

 

Positive news for the oceans from :https://oceana.org

 

Victories

Since 2001, Oceana has achieved hundreds of concrete policy victories for marine life and habitats. From stopping bottom trawling in sensitive habitat areas to protecting sea turtles from commercial fishing gear, our victories represent a new hope for the world's oceans.

December, 2021

Endangered Shortfin Mako Shark Gets a Fighting Chance at Survival with New Protections

The North Atlantic shortfin mako shark, which has been classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2019, is now protected from fishing for two years. Specifically, fishers are prohibited from keeping any short fin mako sharks they catch, as well as shipping them or landing them at any port. Many longline fishers targeting swordfish and tuna also catch mako sharks, often keeping them to sell commercially. The decision, which was made by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), will allow the species to begin to recover. This victory would not be possible without campaigning from Oceana and our allies, who rallied support for the ban from U.S Members of Congress and government officials.  

November, 2021

Brazil Publishes Vessel Tracking Data for its Commercial Fishing Fleet

Brazil’s industrial fishing vessel data were made publicly available through the Global Fishing Watch (GFW), a platform founded by Oceana, Google, and SkyTruth. This will allow anyone in the world to monitor more than 1,400 fishing vessels in real-time for free on the GFW platform. The data available on GFW follows campaigning by Oceana in Brazil to increase transparency and traceability at sea and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The victory also follows the launch of the OpenTuna initiative, developed with support from Oceana and GFW, which publicizes tracking data from Brazil’s tuna fleet on the OpenTuna website.

October, 2021

California Enhances Protections for Endangered Pacific Leatherbacks

California designated the Western Pacific population of leatherback sea turtles as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). Pacific leatherbacks are the most endangered sea turtle in the Pacific Ocean with their population having declined 95% over the last 30 years. The added California designation will enhance efforts by the state to study, protect, and recover these turtles and their habitat. The CESA listing follows campaigning by Oceana and allies and recent regulations in California to reduce the risk of entanglements to Pacific leatherbacks, blue whales, and humpback whales in commercial Dungeness crab gear. The regulations also allow for approved alternative fishing gear that lowers the risk of entanglement, such as “pop-up” gear, to be used in areas closed to conventional gear.

October, 2021

Protections Restored for Critical Marine Habitat in New England

President Biden signed an executive order that reinstated protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of New England. The marine monument, which is roughly the size of Connecticut, is the first of its kind in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean and was first established in 2016 to protect vulnerable deep-sea coral and sponge gardens from destructive fishing methods. This monument includes diverse corals and sponges on the seafloor, serves as a nursery for commercially important fish species, and is home to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Oceana has campaigned for years in New England to identify and protect deep-sea coral areas from destructive fishing methods, while maintaining robust fisheries, as part of its “freeze the footprint” strategy.

October, 2021

California Laws Reduce Single-Use Plastic Waste

California enacted two new laws to curb harmful single-use plastics, which pollute our oceans and harm marine life. One of the new laws opens the door to refillable glass beverage bottles by removing requirements that prevented bottles from being preserved and refilled by beverage producers. This change will create new jobs while also reducing waste. The second law will require single-use plastic food and beverage accessories — including utensils and condiment packages — to be provided upon request only for takeout and delivery. This will greatly reduce ocean-bound plastic waste in California as discarded plastic foodware is consistently among the top 10 waste items most found at beach cleanups across the state.

September, 2021

Delaware Protects Marine Life, Coast from Balloon Pollution

Following campaigning by Oceana and coalition partners, Delaware enacted a new law prohibiting intentional balloon releases statewide. Balloons released into the air can enter the oceans where they can harm and choke marine life. Delaware joins Maryland and Virginia in banning balloon releases, which will help protect marine life in the region and the roughly 225,000 jobs in the three states that depend on a clean coast.

August, 2021

Brazil’s Leading Food Delivery Service, iFood, Commits to Deliver Plastic-Free Meals by 2025

Brazil’s largest home food delivery service, iFood, publicly committed to deliver 80% of orders free from plastic cutlery, plates, cups, napkins, and straws by 2025, following a campaign co-led by Oceana and the United Nations Environment Program’s Clean Seas Campaign. They will also set public reduction targets by 2023 for additional categories of plastics in food deliveries: plastic containers, sachets, and bags. Additionally, iFood has committed to transparency by publicly disclosing data on its plastic footprint, and also to subjecting these disclosures to an independent audit, which will be made public. With the target reductions in place, iFood will stop 1.5 billion single-use plastic items per year from entering the environment. Oceana continues to campaign for other food delivery services to follow suit.

July, 2021

Orca Habitat Expanded in the United States

The Biden-Harris administration has expanded critical habitat protections for endangered Southern Resident orcas along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The new protections span across nearly 16,000 square miles in the Pacific. With only 74 orcas remaining, the Southern Resident orca population is threatened with extinction. Their survival depends on the abundance of Chinook salmon, whose numbers have also declined. This critical habitat designation will help ensure these orcas have clean ocean waters free of disturbance. Oceana continues to campaign to protect orcas, salmon populations, and marine habitats.

June, 2021

Fisheries Management Councils Restored in Brazil, Increasing Transparency

Following campaigning by Oceana and allies, Fisheries Management Councils (FMCs) were restored in Brazil after the government created a new framework for fisheries decision-making, “Rede Pesca Brasil.” FMCs, which the government previously terminated in 2019, support transparent and participatory decision-making process for Brazil’s fisheries. The 10 FMCs will allow the government, scientists, fishers, and NGOs to discuss important topics including fishing quotas and destructive forms of fishing like bottom trawling. Oceana continues to campaign to further modernize and stabilize Brazil’s fisheries law and make FMCs legally mandatory.

June, 2021

California Funding Protects Whales, Dolphins, and Sea Turtles from Deadly Drift Gillnets

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new budget that included $1.3 million to get deadly drift gillnets out of the water. This destructive form of fishing is notorious for its indiscriminate catch of marine life including whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. In September 2020, Oceana delivered $1 million to begin to phase out the last large-mesh drift gillnet fishing for swordfish in the U.S. by January 2024 as outlined in a 2018 California state law. The law establishes a voluntary transition program for fishermen to surrender nets and state permits and incentivizes the use of cleaner gear. To date 50% of active fishermen have been compensated for turning in nets and permits, representing 20 miles of nets out of the water. Oceana continues to campaign for a federal law to end the use of large mesh drift gillnets nationwide.

Keep on with the good work everybody, it does make a difference! At this time of uncertainty and worry with wars and pandemics,we cannot forget that the planet is in serious trouble too and if we lose focus then it is another thing to add to the list.

You, me and people like us are still doing what they can to keep us on track, sometimes it feels like everything is against us but if we give up then it will be.

Give yourselves a big pat on the back for all that you do,whether it is helping the environment, each other, animal and all the rest,without you the world would be much worse.

Thank you.

The blog song for today is: "Chain reaction" by Diana Ross

TTFN

How To Extend the Life of Your mobile Phone - a report from earth911

How To Extend the Life of Your Mobile Phone

BySarah Lozanova

Mar 3, 2022

There is a growing global e-waste issue as more and more people own an increasingly large array of devices. To help put the scale of the problem in perspective, consider that there are an estimated 6.4 billion smartphones in the world. Then, think about how frequently people in more affluent countries upgrade their phones.

From a waste management standpoint, the good news is that Americans are waiting longer to replace their phones than they were just a few years ago. Although yearly upgrades are becoming less popular, the average iPhone is active for just 18 months and the average Samsung phone for 16.4 months. The huge price tag and fewer groundbreaking new features make upgrading less appealing.

Hanging onto the same phone is beneficial for numerous reasons, and it is certainly more sustainable. Let’s explore how to extend the life of your cell phone and keep it running in tip-top shape.

Remove unneeded apps and files

Is your phone acting sluggish? If so, deleting unneeded apps and files can help boost its performance. Freeing up storage space can give your phone an instant facelift with relatively minimal effort. Start by identifying storage hogs, like unused videos, photos, and apps. Many people have apps that they’ve used only once, often outnumbering apps used on a regular basis. Video files can be quite large and can either be moved or deleted if no longer needed.

Power down periodically

Many of us use our phones numerous times throughout the day but don’t really give them much time to truly rest. Shutting off your phone basically clears the RAM, shuts down open apps, and plugs memory leaks. It’s recommended to do this once a week and allow it to stay off for a minute before firing it back up.

Get a tempered glass screen protector and a protective case

Having a scratch on your cell phone screen can be highly aggravating. Oddly, purchasing a screen protector has become an especially complicated task because there are nearly endless options and sizes. You need to find a compatible one that fits your phone and that you can live with, yet is effective. Although not a favorite of all, tempered glass does a pretty good job of protecting screens and providing some drop protection.

Likewise, a protective case also guards your phone against a myriad of calamities. Look for a case that covers the corners, sides, and back of the phone for the best protection.

Pick a mobile phone model with a high repairability score

Some smartphones are nearly impossible to fix or even replace the battery. Certain phones have the covers stubbornly glued on or require a proprietary tool, making it difficult to make even the simplest repairs. Yet, some devices are much less troublesome. These models do not require proprietary tools, have batteries that are easy to replace, and contain modular components.

Consider repairability before you shop for your next phone and use the iFixit Smartphone Repairability scores for guidance. iFixit ranks phones on a scale from 1 to 10. Of the phones with a 2021 release, the highest-ranking are the iPhone 13 Pro and Google Pixel 5a, which both received a 6 ranking. The overall top scorers for repairability are the 2019 Fairphone and the 2015 Fairphone 2, which both received a 10 ranking.

Here is the website address: https://www.ifixit.com/smartphone-repairability (see if your phone is on there!) and maybe if you need to get a new one,use this handy guide.

Replace the battery if needed

According to Apple, the average iPhone battery lasts about 500 full recharging cycles before battery performance declines. Depending on how much we use our phones, this is usually about 8 to 16 months. It is natural to consider replacing the phone when the battery bites the dust, but resist this temptation if your phone is otherwise in good condition and you can replace the battery.

This is when a low repairability score can come back to haunt us. Some batteries are extremely difficult to change while others are relatively simple. Do a bit of research to determine if it is within your skillset. The iFixit website has a repair guide for phones, with specific information depending on the model.

Resist pressure to upgrade your phone

Many cell phone companies encourage you to get a new phone by offering promotions, easy payment plans, or even saying it is required. Even if you do need to update your phone, find out how soon. For example, AT&T notified customers that they needed to update their devices a year and a half in advance. Other companies have been known to tell customers they needed a new device, yet a supervisor said otherwise when queried.

Originally published on March 30, 2021, this article was updated in March 2022.

It is true that nothing seems to last long these days, but at the end of the day,is all the hi tech stuff in the phones that they make now really needed. As long as we can communicate with each other then isn't that enough?  All these fancy cameras and blah de blah, so much more to go wrong!!

The blog song for today is: "Photograph" by Ringo Starr

TTFN

It’s Time To Rethink How Much Toilet Paper We Use- a report from earth911

 

By Mary McDonald

Mar 10, 2022

 

Remember the children’s book Everyone Poops? Written by Taro Gomi, it shows all kinds of animals, including humans, in action. The reader sees animals pooping in water, on the move, and covering up their business with dirt. In the end, people are shown using the toilet, toilet paper, and flushing away.

We’re all for keeping things clean “down there,” but our use of TP is leaving behind some pretty dirty business.

What’s So Bad About Toilet Paper?

Toilet paper has such a large environmental impact that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published not one, not two, but three reports in three years about the crisis.

Americans are the heaviest per capita users of toilet paper in the world. Most major U.S. brands rely on wood from the Canadian boreal forest. This forest is particularly important from a climate standpoint. According to NRDC reports:

“This great northern forest is the most carbon-dense, intact forest left on the planet, locking up in its soils and trees twice as much carbon as the world’s oil reserves.”

Logging in the boreal forest releases an estimated 26.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That’s roughly a quarter of all the carbon emitted from all the trucks in cars in the U.S. in 2019. Among the ways that toilet paper adds carbon into the atmosphere:

1. Logging disrupts carbon within the soil.
2. The forest’s ability to absorb carbon is reduced.
3. When the TP breaks down, it releases more carbon.

It’s Made With Mostly Virgin Fibers

We’re finally having a national and global conversation about reducing our consumption of resources. Yet there is little progress in replacing virgin fibers with recycled paper content for toilet paper.

TP manufacturers rely heavily on virgin wood fibers to create their products. They are reluctant to seek alternatives due in part to consumer demand and expectations. Yet using post-consumer recycled content has significant benefits. Toilet paper made with post-consumer recycled content:

• Has a smaller carbon footprint
• Requires less energy to clean and separate fibers
• Uses fewer harsh chemicals, including bleach, in its processes
• Uses less water

How Much TP Do We Use?

Each person in the U.S. uses an estimated 141 rolls of toilet paper per year. Despite accounting for about 4% of the global population, Americans use 20% of the world’s toilet paper. Disturbingly, if you measured the toilet paper an average American uses in their lifetime, it would equal about 634 miles.

Looking at that another way, it takes one tree to make roughly 1,500 rolls of toilet paper. That comes out to over 31 million trees to make just one year’s supply of TP for everyone in the U.S.

The average per-person use of TP in Portugal, Germany, and the U.K. is 137, 134, and 127 rolls, respectively.

Not everyone uses this much TP, though. A recent study looked at the average use of this paper product throughout the world and found that Italy, France, and Finland use less than one-half of the amount we use in the U.S. Many countries use even less. Check out the study’s per-country usage findings in the following interactive chart.

And in some places, people don’t use any toilet paper.

Everyone Poops — But Not Everyone Uses Toilet Paper

While pooping is universal, using toilet paper isn’t. Less than 30% of the world’s population uses toilet paper. That leaves a whopping 4 billion people who don’t. In some places, it’s because of access. People either don’t have money to spend on TP, or there’s none to be had. In other places it’s cultural.

What do people use instead? Mostly water.

Give Bidets a Try

In countries across Asia, Europe, and South America, people use bidets instead of toilet paper. Bidets come in many forms. All of them involve spraying water on your bottom to keep it clean.

Bidets are catching on slowly in the U.S., due to their lower environmental impact. Even Forbes magazine advocates switching to a bidet. They state that bidets are “more hygienic and better for the environment.”

(There are health conditions that bidets are not recommended for, so check with your physician before using one.)

Not a Fan of Bidets? Try Better Toilet Paper

We’re creatures of habit. We don’t like change, so a large-scale switch to bidets isn’t likely anytime soon. But switching toilet paper brands isn’t such a big change.

If you can’t imagine not wiping your backside, there are better-for-the-planet TP brands. Earth911 has a whole buying guide to help you find more sustainable brands. The guide ranks brands according to several factors:

• Sourcing
• Manufacturing process
• Price
• Shipping
• Life cycle of paper and packaging
• Distribution
• CO2 emissions

The guide also looks at certifications and charitable giving for each company. Reel, Bim Bam Boo, and Who Gives a Crap earned the highest marks.

Consider Using Less Toilet Paper

If nothing else, be conscious of how much TP you use. Do you really need a huge cushion of squares for a single wipe? By paying attention, you may discover you automatically rip off more squares than you really need for a given wipe. And reducing your use of TP isn’t just better for the planet; you’ll save money, too!

What an incredible amount of loo roll! There are not a lot of manufacturers who make toilet roll out of recycled paper available here on Menorca. In our local hypermarket there is only one range of recycled paper products available in the form of toilet roll, kitchen roll and serviettes.  They are not much more than the normal ones which is great. 

I have found bamboo toilet roll on Amazon, but have not got around to trying it, mainly because I prefer to get here on Menorca.

The blog song for today is:"Drive in Saturday" by David Bowie

TTFN