Heaven or Hell at Iguazu Falls

I’ve heard so many times about sustainable investment and believed with all my heart in the common sense and human willingness to preserve nature only to further see the sustainable turning to unsustainable, that I am currently at the stage I believe pretty much nothing I read on sustainability projects. Not before I see results with my own eyes, that is.

Iguazu Falls is one of the largest waterfalls on earth; made up of many cascades it is located in the border of Brazil and Argentina. It was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984 and its surrounding rainforest boosts over 2,000 species of flora and fauna including tapirs, ocelots, jaguars and caimans.

The pristine natural surroundings are complemented by world class hotels offering five star activities from the most unique spa treatments to the most daring adventures. There are alternatives for all members of the family like touring the rainforest, bird watching or discovering the colors of the gemstones at a nearby mine. For those seeking an adrenaline rush rappelling, zip-lining and tyrolean crossing will create unforgettable
experiences. Major international hotel developers as well as respected local companies are investing in the region to add more than 3,000 rooms. Yriapu Tropical Forest will concentrate most of the investment that will be guided by sustainable practices including low density hotels, low rise constructions and usage of local materials.

Read full story here.

The current images (Brazil and Argentina views, -Wikipedia source-) are breathtaking. How much of the paradise now is to be kept when tourism project will have been developed? If any Brasilian or Argentinian reading my lines, I would like to know the opinion of a native.

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Top 10 Animal Hissy Fits

The ring-tailed lemur really knows how to make a stink. Found solely on the island of Madagascar, these creatures respond to threatening rivals by rubbing their trademark black-and-white tails on glands under their arms (how very Mary Katherine Gallagher!), and then flicking stink bombs of body odor toward their opponents. Oddly enough, the male employs the same tactic when trying to lure female lemurs as lovers. The ladies, in turn, use the stink bombs as clues to uncovering their potential mate’s strength. Nothing says “I love you” like a nauseous chemical!

The top 10 animal hissy fits on Animal Discovery.

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Farm to Fridge

Life on the farm isn’t what it used to be. The green pastures and idyllic barnyard scenes portrayed in children’s books have been replaced by windowless sheds, tiny crates, wire cages, and other confinement systems integral to what is now known as “factory farming.”

Today the majority of farmed animals are:

  • confined to the point that they can barely move,
  • denied veterinary care,
  • mutilated without painkillers,
  • and finally slaughtered — often while fully conscious.

The video here is a documentary based on animal farming. Images may be disturbing.

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Stop the Clock on the Species Extinction

Every 20 minutes, another species is pushed to extinction.

Giant Humphead Wrasse:  The live fish trade and spear fishing have contributed to the halving of the global population of this beautiful fish loved by divers.

Red Crowned Roof Turtle: (IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered) The illegal wildlife trade in Asia has in part placed at least 40% of all tortoise and freshwater tortoise species at an immediate risk of extinction.

Image sources- Conservation.org

Add your voice by signing the petition to help us stop species extinction. You can also learn how we set our clock.

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More Compassion for Animals

Our relationships with animals other than ourselves are complicated, frustrating, ambiguous, paradoxical, and range all over the place.

When people tell me that they love animals and then harm or kill them, I tell them I’m glad they don’t love me.

We observe animals, gawk at them in wonder, experiment on them, eat them, wear them, write about them, draw and paint them, move them from here to there as we “redecorate nature,” make decisions for them without their consent, yet we often dispassionately ignore who they are and what they want and need.

Compassion is the key for bettering animal and human lives. People all over the globe are talking about ways to lighten our carbon footprint and accrue carbon credits. But what about our compassion footprint and compassion credits?

A good way to make the world a more compassionate and peaceful place for all animals, to increase our compassion footprint, is to “mind” them. “Minding” animals means that we must recognize that they have active minds and feelings. We must also “mind” them as their caretakers in a human-dominated world in which their interests are continually trumped in deference to ours.

The rest of the story here.

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Animals Matter to Me

Help us achieve global recognition that animals matter,  that they can feel pain and can suffer and that we have a responsibility to put an end to cruelty around the world. We seek 10 million signatures to let the governments of the world know we are serious about achieving a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare at the United Nations.

The scale of suffering for animals in the world today is unprecedented.

* Around 60 billion farm animals are used each year globally to produce meat, milk and eggs. The majority are raised in industrial farming systems where their welfare needs are not met.
* Globally, there are some 600 million dogs, and a similar number of cats, of which an estimated 80% are stray or unwanted.
* The illegal and often inhumane trade in wildlife and wildlife parts is a soaring black market worth $10 billion a year, exceeded only by arms and drug smuggling. Millions of wild animals are killed, captured or traded inhumanely in this shady business.
* An estimated 80% of power input on farms in developing countries is supplied by draught animals, however the resources made available are often woefully inadequate, leading to significant welfare issues.
* Animals are also affected on a huge scale by natural disasters, though seldom considered.

Support the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare. Act now. Sign the petition!

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