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Now this is good news if I've ever heard some guys. Yahoo! Japan, the largest online platform for the sale and trade of ivory in Japan is enabling a complete ban on the sale through their platform. This news comes amidst the most recent CITES meeting in Switzerland where the trade of ivory was a big discussion. Elephants are endangered in the wild and all of the perils they face are entirely human driven. Habitat loss and human interference go hand in hand when it comes to their dwindling population. As the human population continues to grow, more land is required for their housing development as well as land required to produce food for the increasing population. This land requires takes necessary land away from the elephants leading to habitat loss. This removal of their habitat also leads to increased human-elephant conflict as the elephants are wandering into communities in search of food and water posing increased problems to these developing communities.
With Yahoo! Japan taking this monumental step to ban the sale of ivory through their platforms, it will seriously work towards crippling the industry but it is still not enough to stop the ivory trade in its tracks. Global participation in banning ivory sales is necessary to fight the decline of the elephants and without it, the illegal trade will continue to flourish on top of the legal sales. We need to see a global ban on the legal sale of ivory which would then allow a stronger focus on the illegal side of things and make it easier to crackdown on suppliers.
This is another step in the right direction that I hope ignites further action from countries like Japan that have yet to ban the sale of ivory entirely. We need this ban to secure a future for elephants. HAPPY VEG
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Protections for southern white rhinos were upheld at the recent CITES gathering after two African nations attempted to lift protections. In lifting those protections, they would allow the trade of rhino parts including their much sought after horns as well as trophy hunting of the rhinos. Of the two nations in Africa that tried to lift the protections, Namibia and Eswatini, rhino populations are so drastically low that allowing trophy hunting and parts trading would most assuredly lead to their extinction. Eswatini specifically has approximately 65 white rhinos left in the wild, can you imagine what lifting their protections would do? I imagine it would take less than 5 years to wipe them out entirely which is completely unacceptable.
I've said it before and I will continue to say it over and over again, trophy hunting needs to be banned globally. There is no justification for slaughtering an endangered animal and I' quite sick and tired hearing about trophy hunting in general. These animals are already dealing with perils like climate change and habitat loss without the addition of being hunted for sport. It's completely sick to think that there are still people out there who would be willing to pay all of this money to stalk and shoot dead an animal like a lion, elephant, or giraffe considering they are all extremely vulnerable to extinction.
If we do not globally ban trophy hunting, we will see the extinction of these animals helped along much faster. In times of crisis, we should be coming together and looking for ways to protect them, not trying to lift their protections so that we can hunt them to extinction. Enough is enough! HAPPY VEG Giraffes are finally being given an opportunity to be better protected after being listed under Appendix 2 through CITES. This listing will make it mandatory to track all sales and trade of giraffe parts as well as requiring permits to make these transactions. This is imperative in determining exactly how many giraffes are being slaughtered and exactly how many parts are being imported / exported to participating countries. Giraffes have been silently heading towards extinction as they wait for the US Fish and Wildlife Services to grant them Endangered Species Protections so this is the perfect place to start with this Appendix 2 listing. Through the voting process, 21 countries opposed the listing, 106 were in favour, and seven abstained from voting. CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and countries will use this convention to determine whether a species requires monitoring and permits in trading of their parts. It also monitors the sales and determines if they are done legally and also whether the sales are further endangering the species' chances of survival.
Second of all, it's frightening just how many of Africa's native wildlife is in danger and almost entirely due to human interference. Elephants, Jaguars, Leopards, Giraffes, Tigers, Rhinos, all of these beautiful animals are in serious danger of heading towards extinction and it's 100% our fault. Habitat loss is a human problem; as our populations continue to grow we require more space to live and grow our food which encroaches on their natural habitat. This leads to increased conflict which leads to justifiable slaughter of endangered animals. It's a vicious cycle.
Poaching, trophy hunting, and the trade of endangered animal parts is especially concerning in these cases because it's not even about sustaining our growing population, it's entirely about making money off of animals that are in serious danger of going extinct. I have absolutely no respect for anyone who engages in trophy hunting because they have absolutely no regard for the survival of an entire fucking species, rather their own sick and perverse desire to stalk and shoot dead an animal after paying tens of thousands of dollars to do so. There's something seriously wrong with anyone who engages in these activities ESPECIALLY in the case of endangered animals. It's time to put an end to trophy hunting once and for all. Enough hiding behind conservation to justify your sick urges. Put that money towards actual conservation efforts and stop the killing. I also believe that we need to seriously start considering a maximum child allowance. However extreme this may be, I think it's entirely justifiable when we consider the scope of the human population versus the animal kingdom. Why do we need 4 or 5 children when that means more space we take from animals to produce more animals for food and such when the space they have is already scarce. We are growing to a point where there will be no more land or animals aside from those we breed for food. There should be a maximum of 2 children per household in my opinion otherwise we will continue to grow and steal the land from vulnerable animals. We need drastic change if things are going to get any better. What do you guys think? HAPPY VEG I can't say that I'm surprised by this because this is now the fourth or fifth time his administration has been sued when it comes to animals and their rights. The Trump administration is being sued by major environmental and animal rights groups for weakening the endangered species act making it significantly more difficult to better protect nature and animals. Earthjustice filed intent to sue on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, WildEarth Guardians, and the United States Humane Society, all of which are major animal rights and environmental groups. Their intentions are to sue the administration into reconsidering and potentially withdrawing their changes to the endangered species act which are severely damaging to the planet and will ultimately help along the extinction of hundreds of plants, insects, and animals.
Other changes to the ESA included a stricter process for inducting a species into necessary protection and the removal of climate change as a defining factor in protecting a species. The climate change rule is especially worrying because most species in danger from climate change are also facing other critical problems like habitat loss that would immediately allow them to be protected under the ESA. Despite overwhelming evidence that hundreds of thousands of species are facing unprecedented dangers in the wild, the Trump administration is once again turning their backs on science in favour of making money and working against necessary changes and protections crucial to protecting our environment.
The Endangered Species Act is the single most effective species conservation program ever introduced and boasts a 99% success rate in protecting and rehabilitating a species facing extinction. Why his administration would work against something that is proven to protect a habitat and species from going extinct is completely mind boggling while also being unsurprising coming from his administration given their track record. His administration has been sued for their failure to adequately protect giraffes, attempts at removing protections for gray wolves and grizzly bears, and their lack of effort in protecting two varieties of seals facing extinction due to climate change related sea ice loss. This is the second part of a larger legal battle after yesterday's filing of intention to sue directly related to the regulations targeting the economic impact of protecting a species and the removal of protections for recently listed threatened species. His administration is now facing a significant legal battle with some of the largest animal rights groups and environmental conservation groups in the United States. What will come of this? I will continue to update you guys as more information becomes available! HAPPY VEG The Trump administration reversed its decision to lift a ban on cyanide bombs after receiving massive backlash from animal rights and environmental groups. This reversal comes only 7 days after the story was first reported that they intended to lift the ban which indicates that the backlash faced was immense and swift. They stated, “I am announcing a withdrawal of EPA’s interim registration review decision on sodium cyanide, the compound used in M-44 devices to control wild predators. This issue warrants further analysis and additional discussions by EPA with the registrants of this predacide,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler
The bombs are used to curb the coyote population specifically as they are most intrusive to the livestock industry. Coyotes are crafty and intelligent and can often find their way into enclosures where chickens, lamb, or even baby cows are held and find food for themselves. Instead of looking at ways to better protect the animal's enclosures, it's always an easier solution according to our governments to slaughter all of the outside animals to protect their profits. That's what's particularly sick about the livestock industry is that these people could care less about the animals. they care about losing money so more animals essentially have to die to protect animals they are going to eventually kill anyways. Kind of twisted.
For now we should celebrate that the outcries and anger expressed over lifting the ban on the bombs was enough to cause the Trump Admin. to keep the ban in place. Unfortunately, we now wait to find out what other options his administration comes up with but I can assure you, they don't have a good track record on animal welfare whatsoever. I'll update you guys if anything else becomes available! HAPPY VEG Canada made history this year in banning the captivity of cetaceans demonstrating a serious commitment to animal welfare but that doesn't mean there isn't still a long way to go. Polar bears are in great danger and without Canada's help to save them, they are heading towards extinction. Polar bears face many perils in the wild including oil drilling and human encroachment which is directly linked to sea ice melting and habitat loss. This habitat loss is causing them to struggle to find prey and forces them in land where they become a problem for communities that only know one way to deal with their encroachment. But this is not their only threat, as their numbers sit around 25, 000 remaining in the wild, sport hunting continues to take lives despite being listed as a vulnerable species.
Sport hunting is a sickness and should be banned on a global scale. Is it not enough that we have taken so much from the animal kingdom and abused our power as the apparent "dominant species" for hundreds of years? We have demonstrated a complete lack of understanding that the planet belongs to every single plant, insect, and animal that inhabits earth and instead have made it our mission to utilize animals in any way that we see fit including sport hunting. What makes sport hunting especially disgusting to me is that it's often animals that are already facing serious danger in the wild from habitat loss specifically that are targeted for trophy hunting. Elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, polar bears etc., these animals are in serious danger of going extinct and we see it fit to spend 10's of thousands of dollars for the opportunity to put a bullet into one? These people continue to argue that their money is funded into conservation efforts but I've already called that out is blatant hypocrisy that aims to deflect the actual horrors of what's being done. The fact is, it's a bunch of wealthy pricks who get their thrills out of ending the life of an endangered animal, simple as that. If it were truly about conservation as they claimed, they'd funnel that money into ACTUAL conservation efforts rather then using it for trophy hunting.
Canada is responsible for the survival of the polar bears and must act now to secure their future. Please take a minute to head to the original story through the link at the top of the page and sign the petition demanding Canada act now. It already has over 100, 000 signatures since being created, lend your voice to the cause!
HAPPY VEG I wanted to take the time to dive into this topic a little further because I think it's important to really look at this from every angle and give you guys my opinions but also evoke a thought process in all of you. A couple days ago I posted a story about Smithfield Foods releasing a line of plant based products that included burgers, meatballs, and ground "meat" and whether or not I thought we should be supporting them. Let's dive into this one.
There is a very fine line when it comes to supporting companies that are entering into the vegan, vegetarian, and plant based markets in that our support will determine whether the company sees this as a lucrative investment. We've seen a variety of fast food chains recently introducing more plant based options and we've jumped on board in supporting them with the intentions of showing them that this is the direction they should be headed. By supporting these chains in their plant based endeavors, we are supporting the movement but at the same time, are we not contributing to their continued slaughter of animals as well? This is where I think that fine line comes into play. When it comes to supporting a fast food chain who introduces a plant based item, our support is crucial to their continued investment in plant based options. I also believe it is a way of securing options for ourselves when compared to our omni friends. Fast food is something we've all grown up loving but when we all decided to go vegan/vegetarian, we gave up on enjoying something we all loved and now that these companies are introducing plant based options, we feel that by supporting them we are also securing our own options when it comes to grabbing a quick bite when we go out. Is it selfish of us to support these companies who will continue to source meat from factory farms that have poor standards when it comes to animal welfare? When it comes to Smithfield Foods, this is the world's largest pork producer. They are a business that is wholly enveloped in factory farmed animals that are mass produced and cruelly treated. I reported on their being exposed for abhorrent cruelty including gestation crates, mass pharmaceutical use, and piglets suffering from untreated infections so they are about as unethical as they come. With their impending release of a plant based line, it makes me wonder whether supporting them is really the right idea. If we choose to buy their products and show strong support for their plant based line, what will this ultimately do? Will they realize plant based is the way to go and start releasing more products? Will they just jump ship on producing pork in favour of plant based operations? I struggle with the thought that we are handing them money to continue their horrid operations while also capitalizing on an opportunity to make more money off of us. Is it really ethical of us to purchase their products knowing that they will never stop breeding and slaughtering mass amounts of pigs? It's honestly a very slippery slope. What are your honest opinions? I think it's important to show companies that offering plant based options is both ethical and lucrative but where do we stop and say I refuse to support your products because it is unethical of us to do so. Me personally, I will not be supporting Smithfield Foods but I will continue to support the rise of plant based options in fast food and other quick service restaurants. Perhaps this is hypocritical, I'm really not sure. HAPPY VEG It's truly getting easier every day to despise this excuse for a man. President Trump has now finalized his plan to weaken three core aspects of the endangered species act in favour of fossil fuel lobbyists and environmental polluters. His finalization of these chops at the ESA are already in the process of being legally challenged, so only time will tell if he successfully hammers the nail in the coffin of endangered species who desperately need protection to secure their future. His plan attacks three core aspects of the endangered species act aimed at protecting and rehabilitating endangered species. Included in his regulations, designation of critical habitat for species will be ignored federally unless it impacts the species ENTIRE habitat which means clusters of endangered animals like wolves for example, will be left susceptible to going extinct without appropriate protection. This is unsurprising to me as his administration has already toyed with the idea of removing protections for the highly endangered gray wolves. His regulations also target the idea of climate change protected species despite the fact that these species' often also fall under other areas of needing protection such as habitat loss.
Although these regulations will be charged in court, if they are successful in passing, hundreds of species will immediately be in danger including monarch butterflies, gray wolves, and wolverines. His administration has repeatedly made it clear that animals do not matter and he has done everything in his power to work against any initiative to protect them despite publicly stating otherwise. He spoke out against the hunting of elephants as a "horror show" but then proceeded to allow the import of lion, elephant, and giraffe trophies into the United States, all of this on top of the fact that his own sons participate in trophy hunts. He is a pathological liar and one who will help along the extinction of hundreds of species.
President Trump is an abomination in every aspect but when it comes to his views and policies on animals, it's incredibly evident that he couldn't care less about them or their survival. He denies climate change which puts species at risk, he supports trophy hunting behind closed doors, he is slow in designating animals like giraffes as endangered despite overwhelming evidence that they are in trouble, and has worked against the most successful animal protection and conservation initiate ever to come into existence. This man is vile to the core. I will update this story as soon as news comes out regarding the challenges in court. HAPPY VEG Smithfield Foods is introducing a line of plant based meats including grounds, burgers, meatballs, and vegan cheese stuffed patties. They claim they've been working on this line for a while to perfect it prior to introducing it. In their statement, they claim that their commitment to sustainability and an understanding of the flexitarian consumer brought upon this line of products.
This begs the question here from an ethical standpoint I think, can we support a company who is claiming they are thoughtful of sustainability and quality while also realizing that they simultaneously abuse millions of pigs and piglets? It's an interesting situation when you consider all sides of this. While it's wonderful that more and more companies are releasing plant based meats and foods, it's simply a shady attempt at diverting attention away from the real horrors of their business while capitalizing on a growing market. Do they honestly care about sustainability?
With companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat products that are grown from a vegan beginning, why would we throw our support behind a company that tortures animals every single day? One would argue that if we don't, these companies won't realize how important it is to continue to move away from meat production in favour of vegan products but do you honestly believe the world's largest producer of pork will suddenly cease animal production and start solely relying on plant based meats? I'm extremely skeptical. What do you guys think? Where do we draw the line on supporting companies in their attempts at joining the plant based movement? HAPPY VEG In commemoration of World Elephant Day yesterday, Singapore announced it will be ending the domestic ivory trade within its country by September 2021. This means that the sale of elephant and ivory products as well as displaying these products for sale will be completely banned in an effort to help protect the endangered elephants.
This ban will see anyone displaying or selling ivory products in Singapore slapped with a 10, 000 dollar fine per infraction no larger than 100, 000 dollars or up to 12 months in prison if convicted. Although this is fantastic news and a step in the right direction, allowing another two years of this before putting a ban on it simply allows elephants to continue to suffer for products. In fact, it almost pushes those who are profiting off of these products to produce more in this time crunch to make as much money as possible before the ban comes in to place. It is a great idea but one that also puts elephants in immediate danger.
The fact is, there is no place in our society for novelty items like this. With a world of synthetics at our disposal, the fact that we continue to poach endangered animals for profit is both sickening and indicative of our own selfishness. The human race continues to show absolutely no regard or remorse for what we take from this planet and who suffers for our own gain. It seems that time and time again we have demonstrated that despite having rational thought and the ability to know what we are doing is wrong, we continue to do so without regard. It's horrifying that an entire species could be wiped off the planet for a bunch of novelty items. Congratulations Singapore for your dedication to tackling the ivory trade and here's to hoping we continue to hear more countries are banning the domestic ivory trade until it is banned on a global level. That is the only way to secure a future for elephants. HAPPY VEG |
Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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