What the end of the world looks like:
The Hollow Men
This is the way the world endsThis is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
by T. S. Eliot Written 1925
LikeAGirlProductions @likeagirlinc
Monday, September 25, 2017
The Hollow Men: What the end of the world looks like...
What the end of the world looks like:
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
by T. S. Eliot Written 1925
LikeAGirlProductions @likeagirlinc
Saturday, July 8, 2017
JFK flights were delayed because of turtles taking over the runway
JFK flights were delayed because of turtles taking over the runway
Turtles Delay Flights At JFK Airport With Mating Ritual
Diamond terrapins love the JFK Airport runways. Tens of thousands of terrapins live in Jamaica Bay.
This is the time of year some of them wind up on the runway at Kennedy Airport.
They make their way out of Jamaica Bay in search of place to lay their eggs.
The sandy area of the outskirts of the runway right next to the water has proven a popular spot.
Published on Jun 29, 2011
More than 100 turtles crossing the tarmac interrupt New York's busiest airport.
For more, click here: http://abcn.ws/lwUI7G
JFK Airport Runway Shut Down By Pregnant Turtles, Reports Say
Looks like it's Diamondback Terrapin nesting season again at JFK Airport.
We've been on the tarmac for two hours...
Dozens of Turtles Delay Flights at JFK Airport
Some flights at Kennedy Airport were briefly delayed by turtles.
JFK Runway Becomes Turtle Crossing
More than 100 turtles crossing the tarmac interrupt New York's busiest airport.
For more, click here: http://abcn.ws/lwUI7G
For more, click here: http://abcn.ws/lwUI7G
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Try to be an inspiration
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
- William Butler Yeats
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Trump's EPA Just Revived Controversial Pebble Mine
Trump's EPA Just Revived Controversial Pebble Mine
http://ow.ly/xIxu30bGrQQ
@greenpeaceusa @Sierra_Magazine
http://ow.ly/xIxu30bGrQQ
Sunday, May 7, 2017
France REJECTED Fascism
Unlike USA in its presidential election, France REJECTED fascism in theirs. Congratulations Emmanuel Macron!
#FrenchElection
Viva la France pic.twitter.com/NLpoL7Hvtb
The Endangered Species Act threatnd by Feds
Watch a Sneaky Roadrunner Nab a Hummingbird While It's Feeding
A California photographer managed to capture the rarely documented behavior in his own backyard.
Don't Let Congress Dismantle the Endangered Species Act
Congress is moving quickly to gut the Endangered Species Act, America’s strongest and most important law for protecting wildlife.
The Endangered Species Act has a proven track record of success in providing a safety net that protects our most vulnerable wildlife. It has prevented 99 percent of the species under its care from going extinct, including America's symbol, the Bald Eagle. We should allow this critical law to continue to protect wildlife for future generations, not undermine it.
Please ask your members of Congress to oppose efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
Photo: Don Berman/Audubon Photography Awards
Source: http://www.audubon.org/
http://www.audubon.org/news/whoa-watch-sneaky-roadrunner-nab-hummingbird-while-its-feeding
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Mexican wolves in New Mxico
Latest: Mexican wolves are about to get wild
An appeal court ruling allows wolves more room to roam in New Mexico.
-
A breeding pair of Mexican wolves.
Courtesy Endangered Wolf Center/Michelle Steinmeyer BACKSTORY
In the 1970s, the Mexican gray wolf nearly vanished from the Southwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began reintroductions in New Mexico and Arizona in 1998, but conflicts with ranchers kept numbers low, and the already-endangered species became dangerously inbred. In 2015, an agency plan gave wolves more room to roam in New Mexico and allowed the release of captive bred animals to increase genetic variation, but the state sued and a federal court ruled in its favor, halting releases (“Line of descent,” HCN, 8/6/16).
FOLLOWUP
In late April, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision; Fish and Wildlife can again release wolves into the New Mexico wild. Meanwhile, the first-ever Mexican wolf pup has been born through artificial insemination, using frozen semen, at a wildlife center in St. Louis. The technique may improve the species’ genetic diversity over time, enhancing its chances for survival.
Source: http://www.hcn.org/articles/latest-mexican-wolves-can-now-be-released-into-the-wild?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email
Friday, May 5, 2017
How hundreds of tons of plastic trash end up in Arctic Ocean
|
In a 2014 study, Cózar and his team estimated those oceans contain 10,000 to 35,000 tons of plastic pollution, which almost never fully decomposes on its own. Their latest findings suggest 3% of that global total is floating in the Arctic.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Six megatrends that could alter the course of sustainable development
Man-made
environmental degradation is one of the challenging megatrends that
humanity faces today.
Photograph: Blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photo
New report on Global Trends: Challenges and Opportunities in implementation of #SDGs" is now out http://goo.gl/BVXKx7 #globalgoals @UNDP
Global development professionals network Development 2030
Six mega trends that could alter the course of sustainable development
As the world works to achieve the sustainable development goals, a recent UN report identifies six issues that challenge ambitious targets
Esuna Dugarova and Nergis Gülasan
Policy specialists in the strategic policy unit at the UN Development Programme
Friday 14 April 2017
We are approaching two years into implementing the ambitious 2030 Agenda
a historic agreement to:
- end poverty,
- combat inequalities,
- promote peaceful and inclusive societies, and
- protect the environment.
The new global framework, with 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) at its core, commits to promoting development in an integrated way – economically, socially and environmentally – in all countries, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Our recently published report identifies six megatrends that will shape the trajectories of – and could potentially undermine – progress on the SDGs.
In the current context of a looming retreat from multilateralism, the choices governments and societies make to manage these long-term trends will be fundamental to whether the world can get onto a pathway of sustainable development.
1 | Poverty and inequalities
Substantial progress has been achieved in multiple dimensions of poverty in the past decades, including the reduction of absolute poverty, decline in child and maternal mortality rates, and improved access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Income inequality between countries has also been falling, mainly due to the rapid growth in large developing countries.
How can we reach an SDG target when we're moving in the wrong direction?
Despite these gains, the progress has been uneven and considerable challenges remain. These include rising income disparities within countries, persistent gender inequality and the recent resurgence of poverty across regions due to economic shocks and escalating conflicts.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index, which measures deprivation in health, education and living standards, counted 1.6 billion people living in multidimensional poverty in 2016 – nearly twice the number of people living in extreme poverty measured by income alone.
Progress towards eliminating poverty is more difficult during times of uncertain economic prospects, the report suggests. This is further complicated by weak labour market conditions, demographic changes, and conflicts and insecurity.
Evidence shows that while economic growth is essential for reducing poverty, a critical link between growth and the reduction of poverty and inequalities is related to the nature and quality of growth, and a balanced distribution of gains across all segments of society.
2 | Demography
The implementation of the 2030 Agenda will be affected by demographic dynamics, including population growth, ageing, migration and urbanisation. In 2015, 12.3% of the global population reached the age of 60 or over (pdf), with rapid ageing expected to occur in Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America.
In Africa, by contrast, populations are young, which provides an opportunity for a demographic dividend.
It has become easier for people to move, and factors such as poverty, unemployment, conflicts and natural hazards compel people to leave their homes in search of better lives. International migration has reached record levels (pdf), accounting for 244 million migrants worldwide in 2015. If managed well, migration will continue to bring profound benefits to sending countries through remittances, knowledge and networks, and to receiving countries by filling acute labour shortages and contributions in terms of taxes and care services.
Internal migration is also growing, driving fast increases in urbanisation. On one hand, urbanisation fosters growth and provides a higher quality of life, with cities accounting for more than 80% of global GDP (pdf).
On the other, it raises concerns about urban poverty, social tensions and disparities, changes in family patterns, and environmental risks.
3 | Environmental degradation and climate change
Major environmental challenges identified by the report include degradation of air and land, water scarcity, deforestation, marine pollution and a decline in biodiversity. Some of the underlying factors behind environmental degradation include population growth, polluting technologies, and overexploitation of ecosystems driven by unsustainable consumption and production patterns.
The first year of SDG implementation was marked by the slowest rate of economic growth since 2008 The world is already witnessing the impact of climate change on natural systems.
This is translated into the increasing frequency and severity of natural hazards (pdf), which lead to more disasters due to population growth (pdf) and patterns of economic development.
Climate change is also projected to undermine food security, exacerbate existing health threats, adversely affect water availability and lead to increased displacement.
In the coming decades, it is likely that this trend will continue, with more losses expected in livelihoods and assets. This underlines the link between poverty and vulnerability to natural hazards.
It also exposes inequity, as countries and populations likely to be most harmed by climate change impacts are often the least responsible for causing them, and have limited capacity and resources to cope with the consequences.
4 | Shocks and crises
The report discusses various shocks and crises including economic and financial shocks, disasters, conflicts and disease outbreaks that have undermined the precarious livelihoods of millions of people and can affect progress towards sustainable development.
Over the past decades, global forced displacement, for example, increased by 75% due to conflicts, violence and human rights violations.
Despite many obstacles, the world is getting better
Johan Norberg
The first year of SDG implementation was marked by the slowest rate of economic growth since the 2008 global financial crisis (pdf), weak investment growth and stagnant global trade. While progress has been made in reducing the global unemployment rate, nearly 201 million people worldwide (pdf) were estimated to be unemployed in 2016, including 71 million young people.
Global economic prospects remain subject to various risks, including increasing policy uncertainty in major advanced and emerging economies, financial market disruptions and heightened geopolitical tensions.
At the same time, remarkable achievements have been made in combating major infectious diseases and reducing hunger over the past decades, which can be attributed to political commitment, strong global partnerships and sound social protection policies.
Despite this, the world continues to face significant challenges in addressing health issues and under-nutrition, with nearly 800 million people suffering from hunger worldwide, and high risks of famine.
5 | Financing for development
To achieve the SDGs, development finance strategies need to go beyond filling financing gaps. While official development assistance will remain a vital source of external public finance for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, it will not be sufficient.
All sources of finance – public and private, domestic and international – need to be mobilised. In particular, effective domestic resource mobilisation will be at the core (pdf) of financing sustainable development.
There is no shortage of capital in the global economy While resources allocated for development objectives are not adequate, there is no shortage of capital in the global economy. The challenge is to enhance the impact of available resources, while catalysing additional sources of finance into investments in long-term sustainable development.
It is critical to better align private sector incentives with sustainable development objectives through strengthened policies and sound institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks. As a positive trend, the private sector’s involvement in philanthropic giving, corporate social responsibility initiatives, impact investing, and inclusive business approaches has been expanding.
A number of innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships such as the Global Fund and new financing mechanisms for development including green bonds have emerged since 2000. It will be essential to scale up the proven mechanisms in size, scope and geographical reach.
6 | Technological innovations
Technology is an important means for implementing the SDGs. The biggest technological advancements over the past decades have occurred in health, education and the environment. For example, the development of new vaccines against infectious diseases is estimated to save nearly 3 million lives every year.
Online courses and interactive applications expand access to education around the globe, providing new ways of learning, teaching and collaborative work. Renewable energy technologies are critical in addressing climate change and its negative impacts.
While technologies have provided innovative solutions to many development problems, they have also added new challenges and risks, including security and privacy concerns, polarising opportunities and job replacement.
Forecasts suggest that computers could do the work of 140 million knowledge workers by 2025, while 30% of middle-income jobs could be eliminated (pdf) due to innovation in artificial intelligence.
How to move forward?
The multiple crises and disasters in recent decades have highlighted unpredictability and volatility in the global economy, continued uncertainties and disruptions in people’s lives, and the vulnerability of development progress to external shocks.
Against this backdrop, there is a challenge – and an opportunity – for a sophisticated policy response of preparedness, investment and cooperation.
Old economics is based on false ‘laws of physics’ – new economics can save us
Kate Raworth
The report points to four main factors that are crucial in addressing these trends: the importance of evidence in decision-making; policy coherence across the global goals and at different levels of policymaking and implementation; collective action to maximise the positive dynamics in these areas and minimise risk; and broad-based inclusive participation.
Esuna Dugarova and Nergis Gülasan are policy specialists in the strategic policy unit at the UN Development Programme. Follow @Esuna_Dugarova on Twitter.
Esuna Dugarova @Esuna_Dugarova
Summary of our report on global trends: http://goo.gl/atzhjz Thank you @PJLaddUN @UNRISD & Pedro Conceição @UNDP for comments! #SDGs
Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians.
Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter. Join the conversation with the hashtag #Dev2030.
Topics
Global development professionals network
Development 2030
Inequality and development
Maternal health
Access to water
Sanitation
Conflict and development
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/apr/14/six-megatrendsthat-could-alter-the-course-of-sustainable-development
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Friday, March 24, 2017
Mongolian reindeer herders
One of the last remaining nomadic groups of reindeer herders has been tracked down and captured on camera in northern Mongolia.
Japanese photographer Madoka Ikegami visited the Khövsgöl province last year in order to gain her amazing images of the Tsaatan community
Japanese photographer Madoka Ikegami visited the Khövsgöl province last year in order to gain her amazing images of the Tsaatan community
Battur, a guide of the Tsaatan tribe, stands next to an ox he borrowed from his friend to carry tourists’ baggage
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/jul/06/mongolian-reindeer-herders-in-pictures
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Monday, March 13, 2017
Decoding Green Labels 101
MEDIA RELEASE: Decoding Green Labels 101; A guide for consumers to navigate through all those 'sustainable' products
Hello,
Hope you had a great weekend. I wanted to follow up to make sure you received the media release below.
Everyday, more and more Canadians are making choices that make a positive impact on the environment. But with so many labels and certifications, it is becoming more difficult to differentiate from what is actually good for ourselves and the environment, and what is simply good marketing.
Green Living Enterprises has provided information on the top 5 certifications to keep an eye out when making your next ‘green’ decision or purchase.
Please let me know if you are interested in chatting with Laurie Simmonds, President and CEO of Green Living Enterprises.
Thanks,
Erika
MEDIA RELEASE
March 13, 2017
Decoding Green Labels 101
A guide for consumers to navigate through all those ‘sustainable’ products
TORONTO, Ont. — From “natural” tea, to “green” cleaning supplies to “eco-friendly” clothing, there are endless products being marketed with claims that attempt to convince consumers that they are making the right decision when shopping.
“Canadians are concerned about the state of our environment and worker conditions, and are opting for more sustainable, conscientious products and services,” says Laurie Simmonds, President and CEO of Green Living Enterprises. “With companies using various ‘green’ claims and labels now more than ever, it can be difficult to distinguish between what looks and sounds ethical and sustainable, and what actually is.”
Product certifications alleviate this challenge for consumers, as any certified product has undergone a rigorous third party evaluation; examining everything from environmental impact, ingredient procurement, worker conditions and compensation to name few. Choosing products with the following labels will help you shop smarter and feel more confident about your buying power:
·
While many may think it’s the most obvious, Fairtrade is often a confusing term. The Fairtrade mark means the ingredients in a product have been produced by small-scale farmer organizations or plantations that meet social, economic and environmental standards. Equifruit for example, is the Canadian market leader of Fairtrade-certified bananas, with a large number of retail partners in Quebec and Ontario.
·
B Certified is to a business what Fairtrade is to fruit or coffee. Launched in 2006, B Certified companies meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. Dedicated to offering bee-derived superfoods, Beekeeper’s Naturals is a great example of a B Certified company that has undergone strict analysis and understands their overarching duty to the environment. It is one of 2,048 B Corporations in 50 countries around the world, all demonstrating a desire to make change and be part of something bigger.
·
Eating organic is one of the most popular ways to lead a healthier, more sustainable life. This can be made easy by purchasing products with the Canada Organic label and certification (define what it means – pesticides, antibiotics, etc..). Canada’s organic standards are among the most recognized in the world and Harmony Organic is a Canadian company that wears this label with pride. With 14 family farm producers, Harmony Organic is passionate about the quality of their dairy, their cows and the earth.
·
Sustainable food choices continue to be important to Canadians, changing the way they think about what’s on their plates. With overfishing being the biggest threat our oceans face today, consumers who choose to eat seafood can make a difference by choosing fish that is responsibly sourced or by visiting restaurants, like Hawthorne Food & Drink that use the Oceanwise symbol — an assurance against overfishing, harm to other aquatic creatures and protection of the marine ecosystem.
·
The Leaping Bunny logo is one to look out for when purchasing personal-care products and cosmetics. Companies like Skin Essence Organics that are certified through the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, make a voluntary pledge to eliminate animal testing from all stages of product development.
“We are all trying to make better choices for our health and wellbeing that will help build a better world, with a healthy environment and strong communities,” adds Laurie. “Learning about these various labels and certifications is a great step in that direction”.
This April, visit all of these people- and planet-friendly certified companies, plus 400 sustainable companies at the Green Living Show taking place April 7th to 9th, 2017, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Please RSVP if you would like to attend as media.
For more info on leading a healthier, greener lifestyle, please visit www.greenlivingshow.ca. ‘Like’ them on Facebook, or follow @GreenLivingPage.
About Green Living Enterprises
Green Living Enterprises is Canada’s leading cause-marketing agency focused on social and environmental program development. Our team is led by award-winning industry experts in the fields of brand and program development; custom content; advertising, marketing and communications; and event management. Green Living Enterprises also includes Greenlivingonline.com and The Green Living Show, Canada’s largest consumer show, dedicated to simple solutions for leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Green Living Show
The Green Living Show is Canada’s largest consumer show dedicated to simple solutions for leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. This three-day event offers inspiration for all ages and features influential speakers; innovative products; eco home and garden design; local and organic food and wine tastings; health, wellness and yoga pavilions; eco fashion and green beauty makeovers; electric car test drives; nature exhibits and fun activities for the entire family.
For more information, please contact:
Erika Navarro
Communications Coordinator
T- 905 346 1231
M- 905 650 4027
Twitter: @ErikaNavarro PR
enterprisecanada.com
55 King Street, Suite 500
St. Catharines, ON L2R 3H5
Erika Navarro
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Project Seahorse, marine conservation group
Project Seahorse is a marine conservation group dedicated to securing a world where marine ecosystems are healthy and well-managed.
We begin with cutting-edge research and turn our findings into highly effective conservation action, in collaboration with governments, local communities, and other stakeholders. As the IUCN global authority on seahorses and their relatives, we work to protect seahorses, and through seahorses, we support marine conservation more broadly.
Founded in 1996 by Dr. Amanda Vincent and Dr. Heather Koldewey, we have received many international awards and honours, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise, Whitley Award in Animal Conservation, and the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation.
Our home institutions are the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the Zoological Society of London. Guylian Belgian Chocolate and John G. Shedd Aquarium are our major partners.
An interdisciplinary approach
Project Seahorse finds marine conservation solutions by understanding interdependencies between marine life and human communities. Concentric pressures bear down on individual animals, making an "onion world" in which each layer affects the others. Biological seahorse research is at the centre and we progress outward from there through marine populations, ecosystems, fishing communities, national and global trade issues, policy and public outreach.
Through our work, we aim to:
Project Seahorse depends on the support of our partners and dedicated individuals to carry out its vital work. With your help, we will embark on another wave of strategic and effective conservation ventures, protecting marine life and ecosystems from overfishing, habitat loss, and bycatch.
Canada Office
Blog: http://www.projectseahorse.org/blog
Source: http://www.projectseahorse.org/about-our-approach/
Through our work, we aim to:
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, Marine Conservation Area and Haida Heritage Site
A small organization that achieves big results
Our innovative and nimble approach has made us very successful, especially in light of our small size and limited resources. Project Seahorse employs a small interdisciplinary team and collaborates with researchers and institutions around the world. Among our many achievements in marine conservation, we have:- Developed research and management options to drive the recovery of seahorse populations and habitats around the world;
- Generated 35 locally-managed marine protected areas and protocols for effective conservation of many marine fish species;
- Empowered a regional coalition of 1,000 low-income fishing families in Asia.
- Reconciled disparate interest groups to move traditional Chinese medicine consumption towards sustainability;
- Prompted a new regulatory option for marine fish exports globally;
- Trained over 175 professional conservationists and many more citizen scientists.
Project Seahorse depends on the support of our partners and dedicated individuals to carry out its vital work. With your help, we will embark on another wave of strategic and effective conservation ventures, protecting marine life and ecosystems from overfishing, habitat loss, and bycatch.
Canada Office
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia
2202 Main Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
+1 604-827-5141 | info@projectseahorse.org
UK Office
Zoological Society of London
Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY United Kingdom
+44 (0) 1326 259 041 | seahorse@zsl.org
Blog: http://www.projectseahorse.org/blog
Source: http://www.projectseahorse.org/about-our-approach/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)