Animal Protection

Save Polar Bear Tote Bag

Warning: She’s stepping up on her soap box and she has painted it green.

Not surprisingly, the Bush administration recently added the polar bear to the “threatened” species list, agreeing with conservationalists that the bear’s Arctic habitat is melting because of global warming.

Global Warming, “living green,” Conservation, Animal Protection, Saving the Planet, and even the proverbial phrase tree hugging shouldn’t be thought of as just political issues. They’re far deeper than that - they’re human issues, they hit all of us where we live.

As with everything in life, when it comes to issues such as these, we are either part of the solution or we’re part of the problem. It doesn’t matter if it’s a personal issue such as weight, procrastination, temper, hypertension, etc. or a global issue such. We always have a choice: We can either stand up and do what we can to make the situation better or we can sit down and hope it takes care of itself.

When we stand up, we’ve chosen to become part of the solution. When we sit down, we’ve chosen to become part of the problem.

While it’s a sobering thought, one day, our children will have children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  I desperately want these children to grow up in the beautifully green and blue world that I’ve always loved so much. I want them to see, firsthand, how amazing all of God’s animals are. I don’t want them to have to just read about Polar Bears, Bison, Whales, Sea Turtles, Bats, Sea Otters, Dolphins, Elephants, Snowy Owls, Woodpeckers, etc. 

Sometimes we all tend to live in our own personal little space.  I think it’s time for us to throw open our doors and windows and see what we can do to make the world a better place for us as well as future generations. 

• We should make places on our blogs and/or websites for buttons and links to support the Red Cross, the WWF,  WorldVision - to name just a few. 
• We should donate money to these causes and encourage others to do the same.
• We should support agencies seeking cures and better lives for victims of cancer, autism, alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, etc. 
• We should let our political leaders know how we feel.
• We should educate ourselves and always know what’s going on in the world around us.  Being an ostrich with its head in the sand doesn’t accomplish anything.

We know what we should do, now it’s time to see what we will do. 

If not us - who? 

Also Read:
U.S. adds polar bear to threatened list
Senate poised to take up sweeping global warming bill

With all due respect to my boy Kermit, it is, in fact, very easy to be green.  “Living Green” is simply a matter of choice.  If we CHOOSE to do our part to save the planet, we will CHOOSE to make positive decisions.  Every decision we make, after all, affects the world we live in for the better or for the worse.

Living green is what responsible, caring, and giving people do.  Fortunately, it doesn’t hurt and can, actually be pretty fun.  Below are some ways to add more green to your life and, in turn, add more green to our beautiful earth.

1. Reduce the number of “Packages” you buy.  When possible, buy bulk (think Sam’s Club).  This also is a sound decision financially - it’ll save you some green while you live green. 
2. Be informed.  Frequently check out websites such as Conservation International.  CI will keep you informed on the effects your lifestyle has on our environment. 
3. When we were first married, my husband was in the Air Force and money was about as tight as it could get.  I bought a book (yard sale!) about saving money/spending less.  It had a quote that jumped off the page at me and has stayed with me since.  While I’ve always used it in regards to spending/not spending, it also carries a lot of weight when it comes to living green.  Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it do.  Or do without. I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the book (we’re talking YEARS ago!), let alone the name of the author, but the little verse is a great one.  One of the most important things we can do is to consume less. 
4. Choose products (printer paper, canvas totes for groceries, clothes) that are made of recycled material or can be reused or recycled.   Little changes add up.
5. Give your business to companies that have proven to be eco-conscious.  A few that I know of, off hand are Office Depot, McDonald’s, and Starbucks.  (I’ll add to this list as I find more.)
6. Another change I’ve personally implemented - Use glass plates, glasses and cloth napkins, even when the temptation for paper or plastic is at an all-time high.  We have a large family, so I know how tempting it is to grab plastic cups, paper towels and plates, but it’s another of those small changes that pile up, and I’d rather pile up small changes than trash our planet has to find something to do with.
7. Reduce toxicity by reusing your batteries and use batteries with reduced mercury.
8. Find fun, creative uses for old products before throwing them out.  Be sure to get every possible use from everything you have!  Old table? Dress it with a table cloth and a gorgeous plant and give it a new lease on life. 
9. Buy furniture, toys, clothes, etc that’ll hold up and stand the test of time.
10. When planting trees, flowers, herbs, and shrubs in your yard - keep in mind that all living things (from  bees and butterflies to frogs and birds) contribute to a healthy environment.  Each has a role they play and a purpose they serve.
11. Buy food that in no way harms threatened species or habitats.  Remember: Clearing forest for agriculture is one of the leading causes of global deforestation and habitat destruction. (Conservation International.org) 
12. Buy your produce as locally as possible.  Not only is it just a great idea to support your own community, when you buy locally, less fuel is used to deliver the produce.
13. Make living green a topic of conversation.  Discuss it with everyone you know.  After all, the more people who are doing their part, the more of an impact we’ll all have.
14. Find out if there are any threatened species in your community and see what you can do to help.
15. Whenever you travel - whether it’s walking at a local park or vacationing someplace a little more exotic, be sure you only TAKE photographs, only MAKE memories, and only LEAVE footprints.  Don’t even take one acorn - that’s something’s lunch!  Make sure children don’t make a mess by leaving wrappers, napkins or other culprits lying around. Things they think nothing of can be disasterous.

* The list above will grow as more information becomes available.

 Click HERE to see how Starbucks is doing their part on Earth Day!  As if I didn’t already love them enough.  Sigh.

Photo Credits:

The top picture is from Land Between the Lakes (Kentucky) and is courtesy of a guy I know, Mike.

The bottom picture is used, with permission, from a collection photographed by Petr Kratochvil.

I’ve never met animal I didn’t love to death and want to take home with me.  I guess that’s why I’m infamous for gleefully feeding anything and everything - from our own 4 cats (of course) to possums, raccoons, rabbits, birds, and skunks.  I even saw a coyote not long ago that I normally would have offered a little somethin’ somethin’ to, but I didn’t think the aforementioned group would appreciate this dinner companion.

So, there, my secret’s out.  When I’m not hanging with my family, cooking, working online, shopping, or Starbucks-ing, I can be found somewhere near an animal - feeding, watching, and simply enjoying their company.  Granted, I don’t get too near the skunks that come by for visits - we visit through the back door window, kind of like they’re little prisoners that I’ve come to visit.  Oh…wait…I’m the one inside, aren’t I?  Forget that analogy.

As much as I love all animals, from polar bears to possums, my precious cats, of course, mean the most to me. 

If I see a book that has animals on its mind, I grab it and devour each and every word. My most recent literary lunch was a great book, Ask Your Animal, by Marta Williams (Author of Learning Their Language.) 

This female Dr. Doolittle and amazing author fascinates me.  She’s kind of a Dr. Phil for animals!  How’s that working for you?

I’ll be honest, I haven’t read her other books, yet.  However, after loving every single sentence of Ask Your Animal, I plan on reading everything she’s ever written or ever will write.

While reading, I lost count of the number of times I thought to myself, “She really understands animals!” The writing is superb - extremely informative, yet written in a personable and friendly manner.  You feel as though you’re spending time with an expert who happens to be your best friend.

From CHAPTER 2 “To Hear and Be Heard”

People often call to ask me to tell their animal something using my intuitive communication skills.  They are surprised when I say that they don’t have to hire me to talk to their animal.  It is something they can do themselves quite easily, because animals are masters at intuitive communication, and they will receive every message sent to them.  If you talk out loud to your animal, your message is received.  If you think thoughts to or about your animal, your animal perceives those thoughts.  Unfortunately, this also means that it’s impossible to keep anything secret from your animal.  Think about how many times your cat has disappeared just as you decided to get the cat carrier!  Even a pictured formed in your mind can be perceived by your animal, such as when your dog reacts with glee just as you think about going for a walk.

I think the truth in the words above explain why I get along so well with animals.  They know I wouldn’t harm them for anything in the world, and I’m certain they pick up on that.  They know I just want to give them food, fresh water, and a place to sleep and stay dry. 

This type of instinct keeps animals safe and has kept them around for us to enjoy for countless years…yes even possums.

The book not only gives insight into why animals do some of the things they do, it also gives great advice on how to handle a lot of the things we wish they didn’t do.  Things such as inappropriate cat urinating, animals that don’t like to be touched, agression, animals that balk at getting in the car, dogs who jump up on people, etc., etc.

Just as new parents have always turned to Dr. Spock, animal parents really need this book, and it doesn’t matter how old your pet is or how long you’ve had him.  You can still learn to communicate better with him! 

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. - Jane Howard 
 

A happy family is but an earlier Heaven.  - John Bowring

At the end of the day, a loving family should find everything forgivable.  - Mark V. Olsen and Will Sheffer, Big Love, “Easter”

The family is a haven in a heartless world. - Christopher Lasch

The family fireside is the best of schools. - Arnold H. Glasow

My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it. - Clarence Budington Kelland

* More Quotes about Family

* Click HERE for a “Wallpaper Friendly” version of the Polar Bear Family above - for larger monitors.  Click HERE for the 800 x 600 version.

* Finally…How’d you like to adopt a polar bear?  Better take two, so they can keep each other company.

My handsome friend, the Emperor Tamarin, and I want to tell you how you can become one of the coolest of the cool, hippest of the hip, and baddest of the bad. 

Everyone loves a compassionate, generous, loving person.  Agreed?  And when that person points those traits in the direction of animals (who positively, absolutely cannot help themselves), the value shoots to the moon.  Personally, I’ve always put people into two categories: There are those who love animals and care about their well being, and then there are “the others.”  One of the first things I noticed about Michael when he first came to pick me up for a date was how he acted around my pets.

He passed with flying colors.  My toy poodle thought he was the best thing since Dairy Queen hamburgers and my Siamese cat, Solo (who hated most humans) would crawl right into his lap.  When Michael didn’t panic over “cat hair” on his pants, but actually talked to him and rubbed him, I knew we’d found Mr. Right!

If you love animals as much as we do, the Tamarin and I have something wickedly fun and exciting to tell you about.  It’s not all fun and games, of course - it’s actually very important, serious business.  Some of the most beautiful, magnificent animals in the world are in danger - such as my much beloved polar bear’s fight against global warming - but we have it within our power to help them. 

So, yes, the situation is serious - but try telling that to the Tamarin. He’s all about the fun.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has set up an adoption program featuring these amazing animals, including (of course) the Tamarin and polar bears.  Every donation you make helps save these beautiful animals from extinction and helps support the efforts to improve their lives. 

There are different levels of contributions, and each level comes with its own gifts.  For example, for a $25 adoption, you get an adoption certificate and photo of the animal you’ve chosen.  That, alone, is pretty amazing!  I think making the donation in someone’s name and presenting them with the certificate and photo would be very special.  However, for a $50 adoption, you not only get the certificate and photo, you also get an adorable plush animal which is about 12 inches from head to tail.  You should see these cuties!  They make perfect desk companions for work (a polar bear guides me through my day), car buddies, shelf sitters, and pillow perchers.

Go to the link below and click on each animal that tugs at your heart.  You’ll see a gorgeous picture of him/her, some information, and a chance to see the stuffed animal. (Hover over the thumbnail for a larger view.)  Animal Adoption at the WWF

Tell them the Tamarin sent you.

The stuffed Tamarin!