Littering Kills November 10, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at November 10, 2009 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 11 ) | TrackBack

Littering is disgusting, and it's not just dirty and ugly—it kills.

Artist Chris Jordan took a series of photographs of albatross chicks, and the photos are so sad that I thought they had to be fake (having this job, you'd think I'd know better). If you think it's just a couple pieces of lint, or paper from your pocket, or just one cup or a couple of straws that you throw out of your car window, you should take a look at these unaltered images of real birds.

Photo @ Chris Jordan


Photo @ Chris Jordan


Taken at Midway Atoll, a remote stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific, the photographs depict corpses of albatross chicks whose parents mistakenly picked up plastic in the ocean thinking it was food. With bellies full of plastic, the chicks died from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

Every year, this lethal diet of trash kills tens of thousands of albatross chicks on Midway, which is 2000 miles from the nearest continent—proof that the litter people carelessly discard on roadsides and beachfronts suffocates and poisons animals who inadvertently consume it.


Photo @ Chris Jordan

It takes only seconds for us to throw away our trash instead of littering and putting the lives of countless animals in danger. If you spot litter, pick it up, and if you catch someone littering, say something—you may literally be saving a life. It really is that easy!

Saving Birds with a Science Fair Project February 18, 2009

Posted by Marta at February 18, 2009 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

There are some people out there that make you sit up and take notice of what they're doing. Charlie Sobcov from Ottawa, Ontario, is one of those people. At just 13-years-old, Charlie is already making a big difference in the lives of others—specifically in the lives of birds. We're giving him a "Compassionate Creation" award—check out my Q & A with him below to find out why.

Why did you decide that you wanted your Science Fair project to help birds?
I decided that I would like to do a science fair project on something that interests me, and I am fascinated with birds. However, there are many bird species with their general population in a decline, and so for my project, I wanted to do something about it. When I found out that window strikes account for such an enormous number of bird deaths, I thought that if I could create something to help the birds see the windows, that every person who would use my decal would be helping to contribute in a positive way to reducing bird deaths.

How does your decal work? Does it differ from other products out there?
How it works is, I painted a sort of electrostatic vinyl (called transflexcast) with an invisible UV paint. The paint looks invisible to humans, but it is visible to birds, because they have quadchromatic vision. This means that they can see four spectrums of light, while we see only three (called trichromatic). I have been field testing my product with many volunteers over the past month with very positive results. I have been making improvements to the decals as a result of information gathered by my research participants.

Are there any other animal-related issues that are important to you (like not testing personal care items on animals, not wearing fur, etc.)?
Last year, I had to do an interest talk on something that mattered to me, and I chose to do my talk on shark finning, and how it is really wrong. I was inspired by the movie Sharkwater, which is a documentary that exposes the horrendous reality of this issue. Poachers are using longlines to bait sharks, then they cut off their fins and toss them back into the ocean to perish. This is an extremely lucrative business due to the popularity of shark fin soup. I was selected to present my speech to the entire senior school. Most people were unfamiliar with this issue and many people were as horrified as I was. I would never wear fur, or wear products that are tested on animals. I love nature, and being outdoors, and I am an avid kayaker/canoeist. From my father, who is a chef, I have learned a lot about eating locally and responsibly. My previous science fair projects have included: oil spills effect on birds, improving algae growth rates (for biodiesel), and the stupidity behind the vast number of water bottles filling up landfills, when most people can't tell the difference between bottled and tap water.

Is there any advice you have for other students your age who don't necessarily believe yet that one person can make a difference?
If you don't try to make a difference, nothing will ever happen. Try to do something on a topic that you love, and start small. Most people have been so helpful and positive towards my project. It is amazing how many great people there are out there.

Isn't Charlie great?

Hayden Panettiere Speaks Up for Birds February 4, 2009

Posted by Patricia at February 4, 2009 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack
bartcop / CC
Hayden Panettiere is at it again...defending animals that is. The spunky starlet, who you may remember tried to disrupt the annual Japanese dolphin slaughter a few years back, recently halted production on the Heroes set when some birds were blasted out of a tree by a gigantic leaf blower.

Hayden was reportedly furious and shouted at the crew member saying, "What are you doing? How would you like someone to blow that thing inside your house?" Indeed! Imagine you're just sitting around at home and all of a sudden you're hit with a huge hurricanesque gust of wind from some scary gigantic cannon-like thing that flings you out of your house. Awful.

Sources report that after Hayden spoke up filming of that scene was relocated. Well done, Hayden! Thank goodness she's not afraid to speak her mind, and you shouldn't be either. Any time you witness someone mistreating an animal in any way—speak up! If you're too nervous to actually speak to the person, you can always hand them a leaflet, but remember, do something, otherwise things will never change.

10% Wool September 11, 2008

Posted by Marta at September 11, 2008 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

Check it out!

Click for a larger version

To check out past installments of the strips, click here.

♥ Marta

10% Wool May 8, 2008

Posted by Marta at May 8, 2008 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Jeff Corriveau, the genius behind DeFlocked, has created a brand-new strip for all you lovely blog readers, called 10% Wool. So instead of DeFlocked on the blog, get ready for lots of 10% Wool! Excited? Yep, so am I!

DeFlocked is now running in the comic pages of newspapers across North America, so be sure to e-mail the editor of your local paper to ask him/her to start printing it.

And now, I leave you with the very first 10% Wool:

Click for a larger version
♥ Marta

Tortured Birds At Vassar College? September 19, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi at September 19, 2007 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

I graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY several years back. It's a great school with some nice vegan options, pretty campus, smart students, and lots of other great stuff going for it. But I certainly do remember researching many completely ridiculous and cruel animal experiments which have been taking place on my alma mater's campus under the banner of 'science.' When will people realize that animal testing is a sick scam?

Recently, a whistleblower issued a sworn declaration that birds are being denied veterinary care and dying—even before they are experimented on. Vassar animal experimenter Jeffrey Cynx studies the impact of various mutilations on the songs produced by finches. He has cut into birds' backs to surgically implant testosterone-filled tubes, castrated male birds by suctioning testicular tissue, burned lesions into their brains, and ripped out the birds' tracheal nerves. What the fuck is wrong with him? His last name shouldn't be Cynx, it should be Sux.

Now, thanks to PETA's work with the whistleblower, the National Institutes of Health's Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) has launched an investigation into a laboratory at Vassar College, where finches and other birds are reportedly packed into cages in a basement before being surgically mutilated in experiments. PETA has fired off a letter to Vassar College President Catharine Bond Hill urging her to conduct an internal investigation. Vassar may also be in violation of the state's anti-cruelty statute, and PETA is calling on Dutchess County District Attorney William V. Grady to investigate.

While we pursue this case, the best thing you can do is pledge to stand against animal testing and spread the word about the reality of what goes on behind closed doors of institutions like Vassar.

-Pulin