For many of us that live in the United States, this has been a brutal winter. Waves of artic air, coupled with deluges of snow and ice, have put our stamina to the test. For those of us who love animals, this past year has inundated us with storms of what has seemed like a never-ending deluge of horrific news. The surge in social media has linked us to events that we may have never heard of. Mainstream media is hesitant to report on such topics. Only a few brave networks like CNN and shows like Katie Couric Show have taken the risk to talk about extreme animal abuse issues. After all, no one wants their following to turn the channel because, “I can’t watch that.”
Black rhino extinction, dolphin torture in Taiji, Japan, elephant poaching for ivory, shark culling in Australia are just a few of the issues that only a few media outlets are willing to bravely share with their viewers. The documentary, Blackfish, has hugely surpassed the number of viewers that even the director thought it would have reached. This in itself, is just one sign of hope-that there are a huge number of human beings, worldwide, who care enough about wildlife to view an emotionally difficult film and then take action to make things better.
Let’s take a look at more signs of better days to come for our wildlife, shall we?
Worldwide outrage about dolphin hunting and capturing for entertainment in Taiji, Japan:
*Protests in Africa, Berlin and soon a collective effort globally on February 14th.
*American celebrities use their collective influence and voices to petition the United States Government to include
*A heightened awareness in Japanese people of the atrocities occurring in their own country and the world view of this.
*Discussion on NPR's, Diane Rehm radio, show about dolphin hunting in Japan.
Corporate culture changes
*Major retailers banning the use of angora wool.
*Commercials suggesting interspecies relationships: Side note: Anheuser-Busch owned Seaworld for years, are they ready to make a statement condemning captivity now?
Youth taking charge of their future
*Prince William joins the Tusk Trust and Joint statement against wildlife crime via video with his father, Prince William
*12-year-old, Rose McCoy, activist making the news for captive dolphins & whales
*13-year-old,Max Guinn, challenges Seaworld to debate the directors of Blackfish
Countries taking brave initiatives
*India declares dolphins as non-human persons and banning them from captivity
*Palau bans commercial fishing to boost eco-tourism
Bold Activism
While I personally do not support illegal or violent activism, I do understand where the motive comes from when seeing helpless animals suffer. As the saying goes, if the leaders do not lead, the people will. Going forward we will need global leaders who show care and show compassion for animals, our environment, as well as people or get out of the way. We, the people, need to demand this from our leaders.
With gut wrenching videos, reports and pictures about animal abuse running rampant, it’s easy to understand the condemnation of others that is occurring. I myself have tweeted some curse tweets, in an effort to stop the madness. What seems to be coming more clear, however, is that this is not a ‘my country versus your country’ issue. This is a collective awakening of the human consciousness and our behavior as people. As I sit back and watch the movement, I have great hope that goodness will win.
Do you have an optimistic example of how people are changing behaviors and/or attitudes towards animals in a positive way? If so, please share in the comments section below. Every bit of encouragement boosts our morale and helps us move forward.
Note: Dolphin picture via @earthpix
Black rhino extinction, dolphin torture in Taiji, Japan, elephant poaching for ivory, shark culling in Australia are just a few of the issues that only a few media outlets are willing to bravely share with their viewers. The documentary, Blackfish, has hugely surpassed the number of viewers that even the director thought it would have reached. This in itself, is just one sign of hope-that there are a huge number of human beings, worldwide, who care enough about wildlife to view an emotionally difficult film and then take action to make things better.
Let’s take a look at more signs of better days to come for our wildlife, shall we?
Worldwide outrage about dolphin hunting and capturing for entertainment in Taiji, Japan:
*Protests in Africa, Berlin and soon a collective effort globally on February 14th.
*American celebrities use their collective influence and voices to petition the United States Government to include
*A heightened awareness in Japanese people of the atrocities occurring in their own country and the world view of this.
*Discussion on NPR's, Diane Rehm radio, show about dolphin hunting in Japan.
Corporate culture changes
*Major retailers banning the use of angora wool.
*Commercials suggesting interspecies relationships: Side note: Anheuser-Busch owned Seaworld for years, are they ready to make a statement condemning captivity now?
Youth taking charge of their future
*Prince William joins the Tusk Trust and Joint statement against wildlife crime via video with his father, Prince William
*12-year-old, Rose McCoy, activist making the news for captive dolphins & whales
*13-year-old,Max Guinn, challenges Seaworld to debate the directors of Blackfish
Countries taking brave initiatives
*India declares dolphins as non-human persons and banning them from captivity
*Palau bans commercial fishing to boost eco-tourism
Bold Activism
While I personally do not support illegal or violent activism, I do understand where the motive comes from when seeing helpless animals suffer. As the saying goes, if the leaders do not lead, the people will. Going forward we will need global leaders who show care and show compassion for animals, our environment, as well as people or get out of the way. We, the people, need to demand this from our leaders.
With gut wrenching videos, reports and pictures about animal abuse running rampant, it’s easy to understand the condemnation of others that is occurring. I myself have tweeted some curse tweets, in an effort to stop the madness. What seems to be coming more clear, however, is that this is not a ‘my country versus your country’ issue. This is a collective awakening of the human consciousness and our behavior as people. As I sit back and watch the movement, I have great hope that goodness will win.
Do you have an optimistic example of how people are changing behaviors and/or attitudes towards animals in a positive way? If so, please share in the comments section below. Every bit of encouragement boosts our morale and helps us move forward.
Note: Dolphin picture via @earthpix
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