Life is magnificent and amazing, but sometimes it can also be utterly preposterous. Here are some of the daftest things on Earth

 I have just read this on the BBC Earth Website and wanted to share it!

 Proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) are only found on Borneo (Credit: dbimages/Alamy)

The monkey with the enormous hooter

Proboscis monkeys are aptly-named. Their big noses look ridiculous to human eyes, but other proboscis monkeys may think otherwise. It's been suggested that having a big nose might help a male to attract females, much as a peacock's colourful tail does.

Having a big nose may also allow a male to make louder honks, warning off rivals.

Beyond their whopping noses, proboscis monkeys have another distinction. They may be the only primate species that chews the cud, regurgitating food for a second chew just like a cow.

 

Hairy frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) specimen (Credit: The Natural History Museum/Alamy)

The improvised claws of the hairy frog

Hailing from Cameroon, the hairy frog has a secret weapon. Its back feet have extendable claws, a bit like those of a cat.

But these claws don't work like those of your domestic moggy. They are made of bone and are part of the frog's toes. When it feels threatened, it breaks the bones and pushes the claws out through its skin.

In fact the frog is more similar to Wolverine from the X-Men, if Wolverine could extend his adamantium claws from his feet.

 

An Illacme plenipes with 618 legs (Credit: Daniel Mietchen, CC by 3.0)

The leggiest animal of all

Despite their name, no millipede has 1000 legs. The species that comes closest is Illacme plenipes, which has more legs than any other known animal.

Females of the species can have up to 750 legs. Nobody knows why: it might be that I. plenipes has evolved a really long gut to get the most out of its food, and the legs are simply a by-product.

It is only found in a 4.5 sq km area of California, the precise location of which has been kept secret for the animals' protection.

 

China is home to the moustached hipster toad (credit: Chinafotopress/Getty)

Toads have moustaches

Each male Emei moustache toad has a sharpened moustache, which it uses to fight other moustachioed males for territory.

The moustaches aren't made of hair, which amphibians don't have, but from solid spines growing out of the toad's upper lip. Each toad attempts to ram its moustache into its opponent's belly, puncturing it.

The huntsman spider has a white moustache (credit: Louise/Murray/SPL)

And so do spiders

The brown huntsman spider also grows impressive facial fluff. 

It's not just for show: this spider uses its moustache to hunt. The white hairs stand out in the dark of night and help it attract prey.

 

Tasty? or not (credit: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty)

Penguins cannot taste fish

More bad news for penguins. Despite fish being their main source of food, research shows they cannot actually taste it.  

A study published in February 2015 discovered that they have lost the ability to taste fish. They only have the genes to make receptors for sour and salty food.  

Apparently, because penguins tend to swallow fish whole, it doesn't really matter whether they can taste it or not.

Some cows get high (credit: Christina Gandolfo/Alamy)

Crazy cows like weed

Cows are partial to drugs. In the US and Mexico, they eat locoweeds: poisonous plants in the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis that grow in their fields.

They become lonesome, start walking funny, and bump into things. Eventually, they get so high they will take huge leaps over the smallest obstacles, such as a stick.

Well, there you have it! Cows under the influence of weed, I have heard it all!

The blog song for today is: "Amsterdam" by Al Stewart

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Zero Waste : re-use your old plastic containers and refill from Camamil-la in Ciutadella

If you want to cut down on the new plastic that you buy containing cleaning products and the like try going to Camamil-la, this place is fantastic! This is the easiest way to start to "go zero waste".  You take along your empty bottles and they will refill them for you, however much you want!  Obviously the weight of the bottle is not charged for!

The bath cleaner is very nice and smells of coconut, it is a good price too!

The great thing too is that it´s a local shop, so when I buy something I know that it is helping the local economy.

Because I make my own clothes detergent and other stuff I do not go in there as often as I used to! The girls in there are very nice and informed so it is always a pleasure to go there!

Before I started making my own stuff I bought the clothes detergent, shampoo, fabric softener, washing up liquid and the bathroom cleaner, all were very good.  I would prefer to use washing powder but because of the damp here it is really impossible to store it well without it being ruined!

The blog song for today is: " Prince Charming" by Adam and the Ants

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Plastic Exhibition in El Roser Ciutadella

 Here are the photos I took the other day at this fabulous exhibition put on by Per La Mar Viva:

The Welcome to the Exhibition signs

The entrance!

Under the microscope!

There is a video to watch also

and around we go!

The information about the auction piece

The brilliant painting to be auctioned.

the flip flop section is something to see.

the small pieces that slip through all filters

You would not believe where the green bin came from!

And the exit!

I hope I have put these in the correct order!  If you haven´t been yet, do yourself a favour and go, the timetable is as follows: 

Mornings: 10.30 - 13:00

Afternoons: 17:00 - 20:00 

The Exhibition closes on 7 April.

The blog song for today is: "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks 

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Soy and the damage it is doing- horrendous

Overview:

Information from WWF website

Around the world, there is a surging demand for soy—the “king of beans.” Soy is a globally traded commodity produced in both temperate and tropical regions and serves as a key source of protein and vegetable oils. Since the 1950s, global soybean production has increased 15 times over. The United States, Brazil, and Argentina together produce about 80% of the world’s soy. China imports the most soy and is expected to significantly increase its import of the commodity.

Soy is pervasive in our lives. Not only are soybeans made into food products like tofu, soy sauce, and meat substitutes, but we also eat them in the form of soybean oil and soybean meal. Soybean meal is widely used as animal feed, so we humans consume much of it indirectly via our meat and dairy. Soybeans also reach our tables as oil—which represents around 27% of worldwide vegetable oil production. While its most common oil-based form is table oil, soy is increasingly used for biodiesel production.

Without proper safeguards, the soybean industry is causing widespread deforestation and displacement of small farmers and indigenous peoples around the globe. To ensure that soybean expansion does not further harm natural environments and indigenous communities, WWF is encouraging the development of better production practices. We call for transparent land-use planning processes and promote responsible purchasing and investment policies.

Information from Union of Concerned Scientists  

When we think of soybean products, the first things that come to mind may be health food staples like tofu, edamame or soy milk.

But in reality, a typical soybean is more likely to end up in a ham-and-cheese sandwich or a chicken nugget than a block of tofu. Only about 6% of soybeans grown worldwide are turned directly into food products for human consumption. The rest either enter the food chain indirectly as animal feed, or are used to make vegetable oil or non-food products such as biodiesel. 70-75% of the world’s soy ends up as feed for chickens, pigs, cows, and farmed fish.

On top of these commercial products, soybeans have had an unfortunate by-product: tropical deforestation.  

How soybeans became a deforestation driver

Soybeans are a highly valuable crop for several reasons. As legumes, they "fix" nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizers. An excellent source of protein, soybeans are also richer in oil than most legumes, making them a good source for vegetable oil and biofuels.

As global demand for meat, biofuels, and other soy products has grown, the soybean market has kept pace. World soybean production has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and while some of this increased demand has been met by improvements in yield, much of it has come from expanding soybean cultivation into new areas—such as tropical forests in the Amazon region.

Until a few decades ago, tropical forest soils were not considered viable for soybeans. But advances in farming methods and crop varieties made it possible to grow soybeans profitably in new environments, including tropical forests. Before long, Brazil became the second leading soybean-producing country in the world—and soybeans became one of the leading drivers of deforestation. 

The Soy Moratorium

The good news is that deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 70 percent between 2005 and 2014. This reduction has prevented about 3.2 Gt of carbon emissions (equivalent to about half of total annual U.S. global warming emissions)—and much of it has resulted from the Soy Moratorium.

This moratorium has since been repeatedly extended, and it has worked: during the 2013-14 crop year, soybeans were found to account for less than 1 percent of total Amazon deforestation during the moratorium period. The moratorium's effectiveness has been enhanced by a concerted effort on the part of the Brazilian government to enforce deforestation laws in the Amazon.  

Despite successes, challenges remain

However, while the direct impact of soy has been greatly reduced, it is still playing a role in tropical deforestation. For example, when ranchers sell pasture land to be converted to soybean production, they may use the profits to continue their operations in forested areas—making soy an indirect cause of deforestation. 

Many experts also believe that at least some of the deforestation avoided in the Amazon has simply moved to other regions, such as the Gran Chaco, a major carbon reservoir covering an area larger than Texas. Much of this expansion is taking place in Paraguay and Bolivia, where land costs are lower and environmental protections fewer than in Brazil. 

Within Brazil, soy production has also been moving into the Cerrado, a region of tropical savanna and woodlands where the soy moratorium does not hold. While the Cerrado has lower carbon stocks than the Amazon rainforest, it's a biodiversity hotspot: more than 3,000 plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibian species are unique to the region. Nearly 60,000 square kilometers have been cleared for agriculture in the Cerrado since 2003, and about a fifth of that land is being used for soy.

The global soy market

The importance of soy on the global market is not likely to decrease anytime soon. With growing demand for meat around the world in places such as China, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that soy production will continue to increase dramatically, from around 276 million metric tons in 2013 to 390 million metric tons by 2050. Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, or Argentina may be likely to fill that demand.

However, not all soy is grown in South America. The United States is still the leading global soybean producer. Most U.S. soy is grown in the Midwest—often in rotation with corn—and is sold domestically to animal feed millers, food processors, and the growing biodiesel industry. China and Russia are also major soy producers that consume most of their crop domestically. 

Solutions

Because soy is grown in so many places around the world and can be used in so many different ways, there is close interaction between regions where soy production is not linked to deforestation, and those regions where deforestation is prevalent. The challenge in coming years will be to meet increased market demand for soy while continuing to reduce its deforestation impact.

In South America, soy is likely to continuing moving into former pasture, potentially displacing cattle into new areas. But a focus on increasing yields, rather than expansion, could increase soy production without causing ecosystem destruction.

There is some movement towards requiring higher standards for soy, as led by the Roundtable for Responsible Soy, a trade group setting higher-than-market standards for the production of soy. However, as of 2013, this effort only covered about 1% of Brazil’s total production.

Economic and environmental conditions have aided the success of the Soy Moratorium in reducing deforestation in the Amazon forest. But until cross-border, cross-ecosystem tools and regulations are put into pace, the growing demands of the world market are likely to favor growing soy at the expense of vital natural resources.

 

I have stopped buying my soya milk and have changed to almond milk. This is a much bigger problem than I thought it was before I started to investigate. It seems that eating meat is contributing mostly to the problem too.  I have at least one meat free day a week and am encouraging my family to do the same.

It is a combination of lots of different things it seem,s but by making small lifestyle changes and thinking about what I buy I may make a very small difference somewhere!

The blog song for today is: "Where did all the love go?" by Kasabian

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Learn more about nature loss & biodiversity

Learn more:

Nature underpins everything around us - from the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe, to our very livelihoods and quality of life. Nature is vital for all our futures and and is one of our strongest allies against the climate crisis - and yet, the rate of global loss of nature in the last 50 years is unprecedented in human history.    

Why are we losing nature?

For a long time, it was still possible to say ’more science is needed‘ to understand how exactly human activities were harming the natural world. Not anymore.

In the last 50 years our world has been transformed by an explosion in global trade, consumption and human population growth, as well as an enormous move towards urbanisation. This puts a huge amount of pressure on the natural world around us, leading to impacts like habitat loss, overfishing and climate change.
The true cost of our food system

Changing land use for food production is the biggest driver of nature loss. About 50% of the world’s habitable land area is already used for agriculture – for livestock such as cattle and pigs and for crops that feed both people and livestock.

Destroying diversity for food

The Cerrado region in South America has the richest diversity of life of any savannah in the world, is an important water source, and stores carbon that would otherwise accelerate climate change. Sadly, half of the region has already been lost to livestock rearing and soy production for consumption around the world.

This is absolutely heartbreaking to see.

What can you do?

Humanity’s increasing destruction of nature is having catastrophic impacts not only on wildlife populations but also on human health and all aspects of our lives.
Do something about it.
 
There are many ways in which we can all make changes to our lifestyle which will make an impact. We must act NOW.

The blog song for today is: "Stray cat strut" by the Stray Cats

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Less than 2 weeks away from Earth Hour! Saturday 27th March 2021 at 20.30 (switch off lights for one hour)

 

 

 

 

What is Earth Hour? (For more infor visit: www.earthhour.org) Here is information from their website.

 

 

History of the Hour

Started by WWF and partners as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now one of the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment. Held every year on the last Saturday of March, Earth Hour engages millions of people in more than 180 countries and territories, switching off their lights to show support for our planet. 

But Earth Hour goes far beyond the symbolic action of switching off - it has become a catalyst for positive environmental impact, driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the people and collective action.
 
Earth Hour is open-source and we welcome everyone, anyone, to take part and help amplify our mission to unite people to protect our planet.

Our mission: Then and Now

In 2007, we encouraged people around the world to switch off their lights to call attention to climate change. More than a decade later, the climate crisis remains, made worse by another urgent threat: the rapid loss of biodiversity and nature.

Natural systems are vital for all our futures – and yet, the rate of global loss of nature during the past 50 years is unprecedented in human history. Nature not only provides us food, water, clean air, and other services worth over US$125 trillion a year – it is also one of our strongest allies against climate change. Protecting nature is one of the most immediate, powerful, and cost-effective solutions to the climate crisis.

Today, Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature not only to combat the climate crisis, but to ensure our own health, happiness, prosperity and even survival.

2021: The year that counts

2021 presents an unmissable opportunity for change. In 2021, world leaders will come together during key global conferences and forums to set the environmental agenda for the next decade and beyond. Crucial political decisions will be made on climate action, nature, and sustainable development –- decisions that will directly affect the fate of humanity and our planet for years to come.

With your support, Earth Hour 2021 could be a spotlight moment that puts nature at the center of international conversations. Together, we can speak up and show world leaders and other decision-makers around the globe that nature matters and urgent action must be taken to reverse nature loss.

What is new this year?

Our first-ever Earth Hour "Virtual Spotlight"

 

Over the years, the lights-off moment saw entire streets, buildings, landmarks, and city skylines go dark - an unmissable sight that drew public attention to nature loss and the climate crisis. 

This year - amidst the current global circumstances - in addition to switching off your lights, we also invite you to raise awareness and create the same unmissable sight online, so that the world sees our planet, the issues we face, and our place within it, in a new light.

👉 How? It's simple. On the night of Earth Hour (March 27), we'll be posting a must-watch video on all our social media pages - and all you have to do is share it.

Share it to your Stories or to your wall, re-Tweet it, send it via DM, tag friends in the comments - the choice is yours! 

 

🌍👀 Our goal is simple: put the spotlight on our planet and make it the most watched video in the world on March 27 (or beyond!) so that as many people as possible hear our message.

 

✅ Be sure to follow us on Instagram / Facebook / Twitter to stay updated!

 

Can I share the video outside of social media?

 

The video will also be on Youtube so it can be shared on Whatsapp or email or whatever other platforms you wish.

 

The next decade (and beyond) is at stake

 

2021 presents an incredible opportunity to push world leaders into action.

 

In a few months time, representatives from all over the globe will be attending the 15th meeting of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming, China.

 

The state of nature and biodiversity will be the focus for this conference, and global plans will be made for the next 10 years - decisions that will affect not only the next decade, but our future and well-being for many years to come. With enough public support, this conference could be the conference where we secure an international commitment - signed by world leaders - to end nature loss and put our planet on the path to recovery by 2030

 

By speaking up for nature this Earth Hour, we can put the spotlight on our planet and spark global conversations on the need for change, building momentum and a "domino effect" that directly influences the direction of this crucial United Nations Biodiversity Conference in a few months time. 

So over the next few weeks I will be reminding people and hopefully drum up a bit more support, it really is an easy thing to do!

The blog song for today is:"Smoke gets in your eyes" by Bryan Ferry

 

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The Balearic law that prohibits single-use plastics enters into force on March 20th 2021!

 

The Minister of Medi Ambient, Miquel Mir, and the CEO of Residus, Sebastià Sansó, visited the new Begudes Puig bottling plant, financed with ‘eco-tax’ funds and which will allow 2 million single-use containers per year.

Below is a translation from the Diario Menorca, published yesterday and I think that it is a great step forward. 

The bulk of the provisions contained in the 2019 Waste Law, which puts a limit to single-use plastics, will enter into force on March 20, Saturday of next week. This will mean the progressive disappearance of a large part of widely used products, such as plastic plates and straws or razors.

The law provides that these prohibitions should have entered into force on January 1, 2021, but the declaration of the first state of alarm and the temporary suspension of the administrative deadlines led the Government to delay the application. "It involves a change of an important draft that begins on Saturday 20", said the general director of Residus, Sebastià Sansó.

In the hotel and restaurant industry, the use of single-use utensils, regardless of the material, for the consumption of food and beverages (plates, cutlery, glasses, straws, etc.) is prohibited, except for napkins and cellulose tablecloths. 

Food products in single-dose format such as sugar or infusion sachets (whether made of plastic or paper) may not be used inside the establishments. However, this part of the law is temporarily suspended while the state of alarm lasts for health reasons. If the food is to go, single-use products may be used, but they must be made of compostable materials. Also, ear cleaning buds and lolly sticks should be made from compostable materials.

Regarding trade and distribution, it is allowed to sell single-use products (plates, straws ...) if they are made of compostable material. The capsules for coffee or infusions should also be compostable or "easily recyclable". 

Wet wipes may not be discharged into the sewer and the package must specify how they are to be handled. Only reusable or refillable printer toners and cartridges may be sold. The lighters, only those that guarantee more than 3,000 ignitions. Single use razors are prohibited.

Informative guides

These are just a part of the limitations that will begin to apply on March 20. The Ministry of the Environment has published three guides –they can be consulted on the website residus.caib.es– that explains in bullet points how the main affected sectors should be acting from that date (restaurants, cafes and hotels; merchants, importers and distributors; and municipalities and public facilities). A fourth specific guide for citizens in general will be published shortly.

On March 20 the changes will begin to be introduced. Initially, the inspectors - who are receiving training for this purpose - "will not fine indiscriminately" but will focus on informing about the new regulations.

Sansó: "There is still some reluctance"

The general director of Residus, Sebastià Sansó, explains that a good part of the affected sectors have collaborated so that the deployment of the anti-waste regulations is successful, as evidenced by the numerous clarifying queries in this regard that the Ministry has received lately. 

However, there is still "a minority bloc that still questions the law and that is more reticent every day." However, the general director recalls that the law was "widely participated" at the time and that a good part of the suggestions and allegations made by those affected were collected. "The laws are to be fulfilled," Sansó observes.

THE KEY POINTS:

Free water in bars and hotels

The law recognizes the right of bar and restaurant customers to ask for a free glass of water (in those municipalities where the water is drinkable) as a complement to the service, in the same way that they can use the lavatory. The catering establishments will be obliged to offer this service.

Less plastic bags

Only reusable plastic bags (which must be made with 50 percent reusable plastic) and "very light" ones, which can only be distributed if they are made of compostable materials, will be allowed in shops. The "light plastic bags", which were the most common, will be completely prohibited.

Recyclable coffee capsules

Single-use coffee capsules or infusions will have to be made of compostable or easily recyclable materials. In addition, its importers and distributors must organize an individual or collective system that certifies to the Government their correct recycling and compliance with the objectives established in the regulations."

TO RECAP:

Single use items such as plates, cups, straws and cutlery in any form are not allowed to be used in the hotel, bar and restaurant sector, however if the food is for take away then these items can be used but only if they are compostable.

Single use items mentioned above may be used in trade and distribution but can only be made from compostable material.

Ear cleaning buds must be made from compostable material.

Lolly sticks must be made from compostable material.

Coffee capsules must be made from compostable or easily recyclable material. (with a collection system in place to collect used ones provided by both the manufacturer and distributor).

Free water in bars and hotels (in those municipalities where the water is drinkable).

Only reusable (which must be made with 50 percent reusable plastic) plastic bags may be used or those made from compostable material.

Wet wipes may not be discharged into the sewer system and the packaging must specify how they are to be disposed of correctly. 

Only reusable or refillable printer toners and cartridges may be sold. (let´s see what Amazon does!)

The lighters, only those that guarantee more than 3,000 ignitions. 

Single use razors are prohibited (say goodbye to Bic Razors!)

Great move forward the Balearic Islands!

The blog song for today is:" Lazing on a Sunday afternoon" by Queen

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Great News! China Announces New Cosmetics Regulations

  I have just received an email from PETA with some great news about animal testing.  Here is the update from them.

This news comes after our determined campaign that ramped up in 2012, when PETA revealed that some formerly cruelty-free companies had quietly started paying the Chinese government to test their products on animals in order to sell them in China. Hundreds of thousands of animals each year have been subjected to tests in which products were forced down their throats, rubbed onto their raw skin, or applied to their sensitive eyes.

After uncovering this, PETA funded training for Chinese scientists in the use of non-animal methods. This work is paying off!

March 8, 2021 update: 

The Chinese government just announced that it has created a new pathway for cruelty-free cosmetics in China. Specifically, as of May 1, it allows companies to market most imported general cosmetics (formerly classified as “non–special use cosmetics”)—like shampoo, body wash, lipstick, lotion, and makeup—without the usually required animal testing.

This is great progress, but it doesn’t mean the end of all tests on animals yet. Companies must take a number of steps and apply for the exemption to the animal testing requirements for imported general cosmetics. Companies that don’t take these steps or don’t qualify for the exemption will still be required to pay for tests on animals for their products. Additionally, companies manufacturing “special cosmetics” (formerly called “special use cosmetics”) are still required to pay for tests on animals. Special cosmetics are those making functional claims, such as “hair dyes, hair perming products, freckle-removing and whitening products, sunscreens, anti-hair loss products and cosmetics claiming new efficacy.” So while the finalization of the animal testing regulations under the Cosmetic Supervision and Regulation is an exciting milestone, animals used in experiments still need our help.

Now, the Chinese government is taking new steps to loosen its requirements for cosmetics tests on animals—specifically, it’s predicted that China will no longer require that imported non–special use cosmetics (like shampoo, body wash, lotion, and makeup) be tested on animals in order to be marketed in the country.

China had already removed the animal-testing requirement for many products manufactured there, enabling brands like Dove and Herbal Essences to be listed with PETA as animal test–free. Now it’s proposed another huge cruelty-free step forward.

Here’s the Nitty Gritty on China’s Potential Cosmetics Regulations

In January 2020, China’s State Council passed a long-awaited final draft of the Cosmetic Supervision and Regulation (CSAR), which replaces the outdated cosmetics regulations. The final publication of the law and text implementing it were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but on June 29, 2020, the State Council released the final version of the CSAR.

However, the text didn’t call for a ban on animal tests—instead, it instructed another government agency, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), to formulate specific details for the testing requirements under the law. On July 28, 2020, the NMPA released the draft of those detailed sub-regulations, and they are currently up for analysis and public comment.

It’s expected that, if passed, the forthcoming rules will allow for the sale of many imported cosmetics that won’t have to be tested on animals. If this is the case, we’ll celebrate the progress, as we have with every new measure that has spared animals being poisoned in tests inside Chinese laboratories.

Here’s some background: After PETA learned eight years ago that companies like Estée Lauder and Mary Kay paid the bill for deadly poisoning tests on animals in China, we took action. Realizing that Chinese scientists were unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the many non-animal tests available, we awarded two grants to the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) so that its expert scientists could travel to China to offer their expertise and guidance in replacing cruel, unreliable animal tests with non-animal methods. PETA’s grant also allowed the IIVS to create a coalition of cosmetics companies to support its efforts. Since then, the IIVS and its coalition have made great progress.

Does this mean that China will be entirely animal test–free?

While this could mean exciting progress, it doesn’t mean the end of all tests on animals in China yet. Companies manufacturing “special use products” will still be required to pay for such tests. Special use cosmetics are those with functional claims, including but not limited to hair dyes, hair perms, whitening products, sunscreen products, and anti–hair loss products. So while the passing of the CSAR is an exciting milestone, animals used in experiments still need our help.

What does China’s new testing regulation mean for you as a consumer?

We know it can be tricky to figure out which products are manufactured by companies that don’t test on animals, but you can rely on PETA’s Global Beauty Without Bunnies list. Our online searchable database includes more than 5,200 compassionate companies and brands that don’t test on animals anywhere in the world.

Do More to Help Animals Used in Experiments

The best way to persuade companies to stop using animals is to refuse to purchase their products and to write and tell them why you won’t be using their eye shadow, detergent, shampoo, etc.

So I think that this is fantastic news for animals, as I wrote in my previous blogs I have been attempting (with a lot of fun and mishaps) to make my own cleaning products in order to use less plastic and know that when I am doing my clothes washing or cleaning the floor that the waste I am putting into the water system is not doing any harm to the environment. I am very happy with my progress!!

The blog song for today is: " Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves

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From policy, to plastic, this year holds a lot in store for Restoring our Earth. Here are five topics to keep a lookout for this year.

Below is an article which I received a link to in my Email from Earthday.org.

1. COP 26

The 26th COP, or the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, will be held in Glasgow, UK this November. It will see a gathering of world leaders to convene on the most pressing climate change issues. Most importantly, COP may hold the door open to large-scale cooperation and action on climate change.

COP26 comes at a critical juncture, as it marks six years since the Paris Agreement was adopted by 196 parties. The agreement calls on countries to reduce overall carbon emissions and meet targets that would keep warming to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This year’s gathering will ideally see countries ramp up their climate action plans, also known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

2. CLIMATE LITERACY

Creating a climate literate citizenry holds the key to creating jobs, building a green consumer market and allowing citizens to engage with their governments in a meaningful way to restore our earth. According to a recent paper in PNAS, scientists designated climate education as one of six societal transformations needed to stabilize the earth’s climate by 2050.

As we stand, few countries require climate change to be taught in schools, and even fewer require its inclusion and application across disciplines. That’s why activists worldwide are pushing for compulsory, assessed climate education with a strong civic engagement component.

3. REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

Do you know where your food comes from? And perhaps more importantly, do you know how your food is grown?

Industrial farms commonly employ pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to grow and harvest food. Such chemicals and related processes strip the soil of its nutrients, which not only decrease soil organic matter, but also lower resilience to climate change.

On the contrary, regenerative agriculture seeks to boost soil health through practices such as livestock integration, cover crops and no-till agriculture. Regenerative agriculture also captures more carbon from the atmosphere than industrial agriculture, which can help mitigate against climate change. Large food companies are warming up to regenerative agriculture, committing to investments and sustainable efforts across their supply chains.

4. RESTORE OUR SPECIES

Species are undergoing the greatest extinction rate in more than 60 million years. Corals are but one of the many species at risk from climate change. According to a 2021 University of California, Los Angeles-led study, increased ocean acidification and rising ocean temperatures can interact to harm reef-building corals. The continuation of these trends may result in increased coral bleaching, the movement of species to different locations and deaths.

Corals provide a wide-range of ecosystem services for humans and need our protection. Fortunately, top-down restoration efforts alongside grassroots stewardship has the potential to preserve these and many more species.

5. END PLASTIC POLLUTION

Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary to curb the spread of Covid. Plastic masks and gloves have become commonplace in our everyday lives. But all this plastic is adding up: of the roughly 52 billion face masks made in 2020, 1.56 billion masks have ended up in our oceans.

Each year, ocean plastic pollution kills about 100,000 marine mammals and turtles, over a million seabirds and even greater numbers of fish and other species. What’s more, it greatly impacts coastal communities and economies, who rely on oceans for their livelihoods. While opting for PPE made from more sustainable materials is not an option for many, there are many other ways to reduce our collective impact.

An Event happening here on Menorca now!

Per La Mar Viva have a terrific exhibition running at the moment in Ciutadella, showing some of the large quantity of plastic waste they have recovered from the sea and beaches around Menorca over the last few years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is being held at the gallery "El Roser" in the road opposite the Cathedral in Ciutadella.  The timetable is 10:30-13:00 in the morning and 17:00 -20:00 in the evening, Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday.

 

It is a very interesting exhibition with some useful information..

The blog song for today is: "Ripples" by Genesis

TTFN

We cannot push population growth under the carpet- it is a huge problem.

 A report made in 2019 from:

By Jane Goodall - 29 Apr 2019 14:30:0 GMT

 

 

Panthera tigris altaica; Credit: Shutterstock

We use the tiger (this is a prime Siberian example) to show up our failure to conserve wild species, but while we monopolise all the food that animals require, we could remember that it is not only their conservation we urgently need to cover. It is also our own indulgences.

Dame Jane Goodall is responsible for many primate initiatives, but here she switches to the main primate involved in our current problems – ourselves. The food crises that beleaguer many nations is also obviously close to her argument here, as we consider reducing meat intake. Reducing the people who are doing the eating obviously has an almost equal effect to reducing the intake!

Jane Goodall issued a stark warning on the effects of human population growth on the planet.

Dame Jane criticised the ‘absurdity of unlimited economic development on a planet of finite natural resources’.

In the last 50 years the global population has doubled to 7.8 billion and is expected to increase to 11.2 billion by 2100 according to the UN.

The message was delivered amidst global calls for people to have smaller families to halt the destruction of nature.

Delivering a video message to the Population Matters 2019 conference, in London, Dame Jane said: “The fact that human populations are still growing on this precious planet of ours is something everybody should be aware of.

I would encourage every single conservation organisation, every single government organisation to consider the absurdity of unlimited economic development on a planet of finite natural resources.

“We can’t go on like this. We can’t push human population growth under the carpet.

Dame Jane said that empowering women and girls was key to addressing unsustainable population growth.

She said: “It’s been shown all around the world that as women’s education improves family size tends to drop.”

Population Matters campaigners are calling for action to reduce human population growth by voluntary means to be included in the post-2020 Convention on Biodiversity.

Following an initial set of targets to be met by 2020, governments are now negotiating the next stage of the Convention’s work.

Dame Jane’s message was delivered at Population Matters 2019 where the speakers included: environmentalist Jonathon Porritt; WWF director of science Dr Mark Wright; and Dr Winnie Kiiru of Stop Ivory.

Porritt believes the post-2020 Convention on Biodiversity should incorporate measures to end the crisis of unsustainable human population growth.

Speaking ahead of Population Matters 2019 Jonathon Porritt OBE said: Over the last fifty years, human population has doubled and wild animal populations have halved - undoubtedly, if we'd taken steps to prevent that population explosion then, biodiversity would be in a less perilous state today. 

We can no longer sit passively back, treating one of the fundamental drivers of species loss as something over which we have no control: we can't expect to add billions more humans to the planet and arrest the sixth mass extinction.

Population Matters Director Robin Maynard said: “Grave news about the biodiversity crisis is coming thick and fast, and studies, scientists and conservationists are now increasingly willing to identify human population growth as one of its key drivers.

It’s time for population to assume its proper place in the extinction debate and, most importantly, among its solutions.

 Report from the Conference in 2019:

Population Matters’ public conference in London on 27 April 2019 left attendees feeling enlightened and inspired. Following a successful first conference last year on human population and climate change, this year’s theme was the crucial link between population growth and biodiversity loss. With an incredibly knowledgeable international panel of speakers from diverse backgrounds, it was a fantastic event that highlighted the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues and the urgent need for the conservation community to address this.    

Farming, elephants and educating girls

Philip Lymbery, CEO of Compassion in World Farming, kicked off the presentations by talking about the devastating impact of factory farming on wildlife. Philip pointed out that humanity’s environmental footprint is hugely exacerbated by our unsustainable numbers and food systems: for every one billion additional people, 10 billion more farm animals are reared and slaughtered every year.

Dr Edu Effiom, Director of Biodiversity at Nigeria’s Cross River State Forestry Commission, presented her fascinating research on how Nigeria’s rapid population expansion is increasing demand for bushmeat and endangering key mammal species, in particular primates, which provide criticial ecosystem services such as seed dispersal. Edu emphasised the need to address both consumption and population in conservation efforts and the importance in educating girls to bring down high fertility rates in the Global South.

Next up we had Dr Mark Wright, Director of Science at WWF UK, whose presentation ‘Population Does Matter’ gave a refreshingly holistic overview of the extinction crisis. With WWF International’s Living Planet Report repeatedly shying away from the issue of human population pressure, it was great to see Mark speak about the need to address our numbers as well as our consumption habits. His authoritative and impassioned presentation highlighted the huge global inequality in our consumption of resources and climate change emissions, with people in wealthy countries having disproportionately large environmental footprints and a corresponding responsibility to take action.

“The ‘population’ community and the ’consumption’ community have got to work together.” – Dr Mark Wright, WWF UK

Dr Winnie Kiiru, Senior Technical Adviser at the Elephant Protection Initiative in Kenya, provided some grim statistics on the impact of the ivory trade on African elephant numbers. While the situation for elephants remains grave, she noted significant positive changes in the banning of ivory in many markets, and how other pressures on elephants, including high human population density in a number of their range countries, must now be addressed.

Our Director Robin Maynard rounded off the presentations session by providing a clear overview of the problem, opportunities, and key solutions: education, family planning, women’s empowerment, poverty alleviation and promoting smaller families. He highlighted the current review of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the need to include that kind of positive action to address population in its provisions.

Bella Lack’s moving speech

Our youngest conference speaker, 16-year-old environmental activist Bella Lack, was sadly unable to attend the event in person but we were thrilled to be able to share a recorded speech she sent us. An ambassador for the Born Free Foundation and Jane Goodall Institute, Bella gave an impassioned plea for our planet:

“For my generation, every moment of natural beauty is overshadowed by the grim truth. The grim truth of apathy, of empty commitments, of overconsumption and of decimation.” […] “Our leaders are striving for economic growth, for reputation growth, and for population growth, but they’re missing the point.” – Bella Lack  

Bella’s speech was followed by a panel discussion, expertly chaired by Population Matters Patron Sara Parkin. It was great to see so much willingness to confront the facts about overpopulation and overconsumption and all of our speakers emphasised the need for holistic approaches and urgent action.

Robin concluded the conference by highlighting the progress being made in recognition of the importance of population to biodiversity and the need for future action. He thanked an enthusiastic audience for their engagement.

"Earth is our home. Our mission - indeed our survival - depends on altering our trajectory to live in harmony with the still extraordinary diversity of life it supports, as well as our own."– Robin Maynard

Yet again the fate of our wonderful and only home is in our hands, let´s hope we don´t mess it up like it seems our ancient forefathers did. Yes it is everyone´s right to have children but there are stories of people having families with 21 kids in, come on, what is that all about? and giving tv interviews and appearing in the papers, can they not see what it will do in the future? 

 

I know it is a very touchy subject to talk about but a necessary one nevertheless, if we don´t get it under control then we our world for our grandchildren and their grandchildren will be ruined.  We are the first generation to know what a slippery slope we are on and therefore it is OUR responsibility to do something about it.

The blog song for today is " Never too late" by Elton John from the Lion King

TTFN