Petition: The Clock Is Winding Down to Save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper

The spoon-billed Sandpiper need your help. The flat – beaked wader bird is listed on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Critically Endangered and without Swift action, it’s situation could go from bad to worse.

The birds most important habitat is the coastal waters of Tiaozini, China. Each year, the mudflats provide crucial resting ground for the migrating birds on its more than 5,000 mile long journey, and it takes it from Russia to the areas in China and other Asian countries.

But each year more and more of the Jiangsu mudflats are turned into land by the government – 26 square miles so far.

Now, the government wants to develop the remaining habitat 231.5 square miles by 2020 leaving the last remaining 650 Birds on earth with no place to turn.

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/597/868/654/?z00m=30178520&redirectID=2612924007

Many people do not know how to give directions to a blind person. Watch and learn.

NadaMoo! Releases 3 New Vegan Ice Cream Flavors – One Green PlanetOne Green Planet

NadaMoo! Releases 3 New Vegan Ice Cream Flavors

Michelle Neff
February 28, 2018

NadaMoo!, a family-owned business that makes frozen organic coconut-milk desserts, just announced THREE new dairy-free flavors! In December of 2017, the Austin-based company raised a whopping $4 million to help build their national distribution, develop new products, and expand their team. Now we are reaping the benefits!
The three flavors include Strawberry Cheesecake, Caramel Cold-Brew and Cookies, and Cookie Dough Fudge. You can pick up a pint in select U.S. retailers, as well as online.

@nadamoo/Instagram

Known for their fun creations, NadaMoo’s new flavors seem to be a perfect addition to their line. All their products are certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, fair trade, and, of course, vegan!

We are still trying to contain our excitement over So Delicious Dairy Free recently releasing FIVE new vegan ice cream flavors. Now with NadaMoo’s new flavors, it looks like we are going to be really busy trying out all of these yummy new ice creams. Hey, we’re not complaining!

If you just can’t get enough dairy-free ice cream, Ben & Jerry’s, Häagen-Dazs, Breyer’s, and Halo Top Creamery also offer vegan ice cream flavors. With the plant-based milk market expected to reach $16.3 billion in 2018, it’s really no wonder that all of these companies would want in!

To learn more about the environmental impact of our food choices as well as trends and developments in the plant-based food space, check out our podcast #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias.

Lead Image Source: @nadamoo/Instagram

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/nadamoo-releases-new-vegan-ice-cream-flavors/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=b3d6348c8a-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-b3d6348c8a-106049477

Homeless Puppy Cried Out in Pain After Losing Half His Ear – Thankfully, These People Heard Him! (VIDEO) – One Green PlanetOne Green Planet

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/homeless-puppy-cried-pain-losing-half-ear/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=f4c4f9cf18-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-f4c4f9cf18-106049477

The USDA Is Still Hiding Animal Welfare Records from the Public – Why This Is an Issue and What’s Being Done – One Green PlanetOne Green Planet

The USDA Is Still Hiding Animal Welfare Records from the Public – Why This Is an Issue and What’s Being D
Arianna Pittman
March 5, 2018

For nearly a decade, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) housed an online search tool where the public could access inspection reports and legal documentation concerning entities licensed under the Animal Welfare Act. Then, suddenly, in February 2017, the search tool was disabled and the records were no longer accessible to the public, with the USDA claiming privacy concerns as the reason for the documents being removed.

It was a shock to organizations and advocates, who relied on the reports to show people the horrors of puppy mills and expose the mistreatment of animals in roadside zoos and other attractions. They also brought to light the number of animals used in research facilities and the conditions in which many were forced to live. The reports showed facility names and locations, the type(s) of animals kept and how many, and recorded any violations of federal law including failure to provide adequate veterinary care and proper food and shelter. They were not only an educational tool, but they also served as evidence in lawsuits and legislative efforts aimed at helping and protecting animals.

The USDA has reinstated some of the documentation since the “blackout” that took place just over a year ago, but much of the information organizations rely on has been removed, making the reports virtually useless in their animal protection efforts.
A Continued Lack Of Transparency Is Harming Animals

The USDA Is Still Hiding Animal Welfare Records from the Public — Why This Is an Issuesdnelson11/Wikimedia

In August 2017 a new public search tool was launched and many of the inspection reports were reinstated, but with one major change – the vast majority of information was redacted, meaning you could no longer see animal counts, facility names and locations, and in some cases, the details of what violations were found during an inspection. Many of the search and reporting features have also been disabled in the new search tool, making it more difficult to find information on specific breeders and zoos.

Documents can be requested from the agency through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but organizations have reported that those documents were redacted as well, as were any photographs depicting animal welfare violations. Not only that, but long waiting periods to receive the documents can hinder an organization’s ability to protect animals covered under the Animal Welfare Act.

Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) stated that “obtaining animal welfare records through traditional FOIA requests significantly burdens countless animal protection organizations and other agencies. Records which were previously immediately accessible at no cost now require each individual organization to manage voluminous FOIA requests that take several months or even years to process, not to mention the possibility of large fees.”

For people and organizations working to protect animals by tracking problematic facilities and holding them accountable under the law, this can have a direct impact on their life-saving work and advocacy. The USDA said they plan to make animal inventories and other information available again in the future, but in the meantime, advocates continue to wait, forced to work with the little information that is available to help protect animals from harm.
Why the Records Are Important

The USDA Is Still Hiding Animal Welfare Records from the Public — Why This Is an IssuePetra Martin/Wikimedia

Countless animal welfare organizations used the inspection reports and other records posted by the USDA to monitor animal welfare violations and track the sizes and conditions of puppy mills, zoos, roadside attractions, aquariums, and research labs.

The ASPCA used information from the reports, as well as photographs acquired through the FOIA, to create an online database of problematic breeders and their connections to various pet stores. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) used inspection report data to publish their annual “Horrible Hundred” list, which calls out puppy mills who have repeatedly violated the Animal Welfare Act, yet are allowed to remain licensed by the USDA.

The USDA reports helped advocates expose the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus’ multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act throughout its history, revealing the sad truth behind circuses and animals being used for entertainment. An abusive animal handler who rented animals out for film and television was also exposed because of information made available through USDA inspection reports.

Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) conducts undercover investigations that have exposed the cruel practices of puppy mills and how pet stores often deceive customers by hiding the truth about where the puppies really come from.

Organizations focused on animal law used the reports to fight for legislative change to better protect animals and file cruelty complaints with both state and local agencies when laws had been violated. Without the vital information contained in these reports, each organization’s work to protect animals becomes even harder than it was before.
Organizations Taking Legal Action

In addition to public outcry over the USDA’s sudden loss of transparency, several organizations decided to take action by filing lawsuits and demanding that the database be brought back online and all of the animal welfare documents restored.

ALDF, an organization focused on using the law to protect animals, understands the importance of these records and how their removal impacts animal welfare organizations throughout the U.S. In 2017, they filed a lawsuit against the USDA along with Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, Companion Animal Protection Society and Animal Folks, claiming that removal of the documents “violates both the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).” The lawsuit was eventually dismissed by a district judge, but ALDF is now appealing that dismissal, according to a press release recently posted on the organization’s website.

That same year, PETA, Beagle Freedom Project, Born Free USA and Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were also part of a lawsuit requesting that animal welfare documents be reinstated and made available to the public. To date, the lawsuit is still pending.

These lawsuits will likely continue for some time, so it’s important for advocates to continue demanding that these records be fully reinstated, without redaction, so they can continue their work to protect those who have no voice.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/usda-still-hiding-animal-welfare-records/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=f4c4f9cf18-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-f4c4f9cf18-106049477

Live Animals Are Still Being Sold in Keychains and Mobile Phone Trinkets – Let’s Stop This NOW! – One Green PlanetOne Green Planet

Live Animals Are Still Being Sold in Keychains and Mobile Phone Trinkets – Let’s Stop This NOW!

Aleksandra Pajda
March 5, 2018

In 2011, CNN brought public attention to a deeply disturbing trend that was observed in Beijing, China. Among your usual choice of trinkets and key chains displayed on vendors’ stalls, people were stunned to find live animals, like small fish, young Chinese soft-shell turtles, and other tiny amphibians, enclosed in little plastic pouches filled with colored water – for only around $1.50 a piece.

As one of the vendors selling the “live animals trinkets” told CNN, the bags contained crystallized oxygen and nutrients – thanks to which the animals were able to survive for days in these mind-boggling circumstances – but they needed to be freed from the bags as soon as the air ran out.

“There might be enough oxygen and food in the plastic casing but the animal waste from digestion and respiration is toxic and will kill them,” Dr. Sam Walton, a former research lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, told The Star Online. “They essentially poison themselves with ammonia. Aquatic animals are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations so being in a bag is like being in a greenhouse. The temperature shock and physical shock of being shaken around will probably kill the animals before anything else.”

This ridiculous trend has been criticized many times since its initial appearance around the Beijing Olympics in 2008. But, unfortunately, it seems like animals are still being sold as key chains, sealed in tiny plastic bags, with just enough oxygen not to survive for a few days.

Attempts at banning this absurd and cruel practice have not yet been successful, but selling live animals like objects in a way that causes them immense distress and, finally, death simply has to be ended. Click here to sign a petition for China to outlaw selling animals as key chains and mobile phone trinkets!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/live-animals-still-sold-keychains-mobile-phone-trinkets/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=f4c4f9cf18-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-f4c4f9cf18-106049477

Why Is This Northern Cardinal Yellow? | Audubon

Why Is This Northern Cardinal Yellow?

Yes, that is a cardinal. We asked experts how this redbird might have gotten its golden feathers.

By Purbita Saha
February 22, 2018

The bombshell yellow Northern Cardinal from Alabama (left) compared to a regular old Northern Cardinal (right). Photos: Jeremy Black Photography; Diane Wurzer/Audubon Photography Awards

“If you see one cardinal, you’ve seen them all,” said no one ever. As common as they are, Northern Cardinals rank among the most-loved birds in the eastern United States (unless you’re a Chicago Cubs fan). The National Audubon Society should know: Our Facebook followers can’t seem to get enough of them.

So, it’s no surprise when a cardinal turns heads—except in Charlie Stephenson’s case, where that double take may have resulted in some whiplash. Back in January, she found an impossibly bright male in her backyard in Alabaster, Alabama. But instead of the typical ruby-red color scheme, this Northern Cardinal looked like it had been dipped in a bucket of turmeric.

After hosting the oddball for weeks, Stephenson invited fellow Alabaman Jeremy Black over to photograph it. The resulting images hit the internet last weekend, and boy, were people psyched . . . and confused.

Thankfully, Stephenson had already consulted Geoffrey Hill, an ornithologist and coloration expert at Auburn University. He told her that the bird probably had a genetic mutation that renders the pigments it draws from foods yellow rather than red. The condition he cited, xanthochroism, has been seen in other cardinals, along with eastern House Finches and maybe Evening Grosbeaks.

But that’s just one theory behind the bird’s wardrobe malfunction. As Geoff LeBaron, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count director, points out, the cardinal’s crest and wing feathers look frayed in photos. While wear and tear is a natural part of a bird’s life, it can be exacerbated by a poor diet or environmental stressors. These health issues could also lead to changes in how carotenoids—plant-based pigments that turn feathers red, orange, and yellow—are expressed.

Although this alternative theory is plausible, ultimately, LeBaron agrees that genetics could be the sole factor. But the only way to solve the case is to wait for the cardinal to swap its feathers. “Time will tell with this bird,” LeBaron says. If it sticks around Alabaster and is still yellow next winter, a mutation is the likeliest culprit. But if it comes out red after another molt, it means the bird somehow recalibrated its pigments.

As birds have shown over and over, there are always new plumage puzzles to investigate. Remember the half-female, half-male cardinal that made the news a few years ago? That turned out to be a an obscure type of hermaphroditism—a phenomenon that affects many types of animals.

For Stephenson’s yellow cardinal (not to be confused with a Yellow Cardinal), we’ll have to see if its look is permanent. Regardless, at least it wore its golden feathers boldly. “If I fly or if I fall, at least I can say I gave it all.” That one’s from RuPaul.

http://www.audubon.org/news/why-northern-cardinal-yellow?=&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180305_engagement&utm_content=medium