Bycatch becomes Environment Issue

With hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins dying every year after being accidentally entangled in fishing gear, the world must take concrete steps during the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting starting today in Slovenia to lessen the serious threat posed by bycatch.
Governments gathered in Slovenia will also have the chance to create a vast new protected area that would be off-limits to whaling – the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary. This is the first IWC sanctuary proposal to include a management plan.

Over fifty species of cetaceans inhabit the area’s waters, including seven – blue, fin, sei, common minke, Antarctic minke, humpback and southern right whales – that are highly migratory. The proposed sanctuary would offer protection to these whale populations, which benefit coastal communities across the southern hemisphere through whale watching activities and non-lethal research. In addition to these issues, the IWC meeting will also discuss the need to address whale strandings and the importance of whales for the marine ecosystem, as well as urgent measures to protect endangered small cetaceans, such as the removal of all active and ghost gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California to halt the vaquita’s slide towards extinction and the closure of net and trawl fisheries within the habitat of the equally endangered Maui’s dolphin.

I think this action which is participated from over 80 countries will resolve this critical issues to discuss. I wish this meeting will start global efforts to reduce fisheries bycatch, which kills at least 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises every year. Even so, many countries seeking a permit to kill whales in the name of science. According to this news, Bycatch was a critical factor in the recent extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin in China, and is the greatest threat to endangered North Atlantic right whales and Arabian Sea humpback whales, as well as the critically endangered vaquita in Mexico, Maui and Hector’s dolphins in New Zealand, Baltic harbour porpoises, and many river dolphin species. I think we can treat this evidence by take the lead and helps countries adopt effective measures to mitigate bycatch in both national and international waters.

Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?281850/Bycatch-is-the-biggest-killer-of-whales

Indonesia's gifts

The Indonesian government has added 1.3 million hectares of protected areas through establishing nine new national parks and expanding an existing one. The new parks will protect a huge range of biodiversity, especially the endangered Sumatran tiger, as well as rhinos, elephants, and orang-utans. The government is also promoting collaborative management of protected areas following the issue of a ministerial decree last month. Some of the newly protected areas include Tesso Nilo, one of Sumatra's remaining lowland forests and home to 60–80 elephants, and Sebangau, the largest remaining peat swamp forest in Kalimantan on the island of Borneo and home to 2,500–4,500 orang-utans. WWF has recognized these efforts as a Gift to the Earth, the conservation organization's highest accolade for a globally significant contribution to the protection of the planet.


To celebrate Indonesia’s joint efforts and achievements in conservation, the Indonesian government, together with a number of national and international NGOs, held an event during the IUCN-World Conservation Congress, which took place from 17–25 in Bangkok, Thailand. At the event, WWF awarded its Gift to the Earth certificate to Koes Saparjadi, Director General of Indonesia's Forest Protection and Nature Conservation. Leaders for a Living Planet certificates for outstanding conservation efforts were also given to several local government officials.


In my reflection, this gift is symbolic and it is WWF's highest accolade for applauding good conservation work. I wish, between government and those Indonesian people keep working hand-in-hand to ensure the protection of biodiversity wealth and the well-being of local communities because these things are vital for conservation success. These achievements have reflected the Indonesia’s strong commitment to conserve the country's natural heritage for the well-being of current and future generations, and set a positive track record for future commitments and actions

Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?16730/Indonesias-gifts-to-the-Earth

Elephants released in Tesso Nilo National Park, Indonesia

WWF has pushed for the protection of Tesso Nilo Forest as a national park since 2004 so that Riau’s elephants would have a safe haven. But the park is still being illegally cleared for commercial activity and may be at its carrying capacity for elephants. The current 38,000ha park is too small to provide sufficient habitat for any additional elephants. The park was originally proposed to be 100,000ha.

Eight endangered Sumatran elephants were released into Indonesia's Tesso Nilo forest, months after they were found chained to trees without food or water. WWF, which provided daily care and medical treatment for the elephants after their discovery, worked with local government officials to ensure their safe release. The elephant herd initially numbered ten when they were captured by Riau Forestry Officials after raiding crops in Balai Raja of northern Riau on the Indonesia island of Sumatra — one died of tetanus and one escaped.

This article is so deep. These elephants need room to live, which means ending problematic pulp and oil palm development. Unsustainable logging throughout the province has eliminated much of the elephants, include their original habitat and as a result have been moving into more populated areas in search of food. Even these elephants are the latest casualties in the escalating human-elephant conflict in central Sumatra, the direct result of uncontrolled destruction of their forest habitat, i wish government can stop all forest conversion, illegal logging and encroachment


Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?70060/Elephants-released-in-Indonesias-Tesso-Nilo-National-Park

Reef health in Australia

Official Australian government reports say that the overall health of the Great Barrier Reef is poor and deteriorating. The World Heritage Site has lost more than half of its coral cover in the past 30 years, and populations of animals such as dolphins, dugongs and sharks are in decline. In addition to being one of the planet’s richest marine habitats, the reef generates nearly US$5.8 billion each year and provides about 69,000 jobs.

Megaport expansions proposed along the coast have brought new threats to the reef from dredging, dumping, and increased shipping. Plans to ban the dumping of dredge spoil in the reef’s World Heritage waters have been progressing at the federal and state level, but have not yet come into force. Last year the World Heritage Committee expressed concerns over industrialization in the area and said that unless significant improvements are made, the reef could be in inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Over 350,000 people from around the world have joined WWF’s campaign calling for world leaders to defend the reef from industrial destruction. They have debated the status of the Great Barrier Reef and other extraordinary natural places.

I think this decision will keep the pressure on the Australian government to turn its promises into real action and results. They have made the right decision. The future World Heritage status of the reef should rightly be determined based on the actual condition of its precious corals and marine life. I wish Australia can strengthen protection of the Great Barrier Reef to protect our marine life.

Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?247491/UNESCO-puts-Australia-on-probation-over-reef-health

Use your own #EndangeredEmoji helps social campaign

WWF has launched its first ever emoji-based fundraising campaign to help support the organisation’s work to protect precious species and their habitats.  The launch of the campaign, which has been run on Twitter, come just ahead of Endangered Species Day on Friday 15 May.
Adrian Cockle, Digital Innovation Manager at WWF International said: “When it comes to fundraising, giving people a simple way to donate is key. By using one of the world’s biggest social platforms to highlight endangered species, we’re hoping to raise vital funds for their conservation as well as raising awareness globally.”

The idea for the #EndangeredEmoji campaign was sparked by the discovery that 17 characters in the emoji alphabet represent endangered species. WWF is seeking to translate the popularity of these characters into donations. Emoji have been used over 202 million times on Twitter since they were integrated into the platform in April 2014. The number is increasing daily.

Spider monkey Giant panda Asian elephant Galapagos penguin Antiguan Racer snake Bactrian camel Tiger Sumatran tiger Green turtle

Amur leopard Siamese crocodile Bluefin tuna Blue whale Western gray whale African wild dog Lemur leaf frog Maui’s dolphin

In my opinion, this emoji alphabet is the best idea ever. The standardized set of digital pictograph characters will be used in communication globally, contain the following characters which represent endangered species. Young people will not be in difficulty if they want to send emoji to show when they are travelling to somewhere where endangered animal live. Emoji is the first global language and with this people all over the world can get involved in protecting our earth and the animals we share it with.


Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?246650/WWF-turns-tweets-to-donations--with-EndangeredEmoji-social-campaign

Being entrepreneur can help forests and economies grow

Analyzing the policy and entrepreneurial context in three landscapes across Asia, the report highlights how supporting innovative small-scale green businesses could help reverse the current trend where business incentives for promoting deforestation remain greater than those for preventing it. The study shows that this trend persists despite recent deforestation-free commitments made by several countries and the UN push to halt deforestation by 2020. Small and medium-sized Asian businesses specializing in forest and ecosystem services can play a key role in reducing deforestation in the region, according to a new study.

This is a collaboration between five organizations. Those are WWF, Ennovent, Impact Hub, Clarmondial and GreenWorks Asia. The report shows that there is strong potential for innovative green business approaches. The report draws on case studies from three key biodiverse countries that represent the range of conditions across Asia including: the Central Truong Son area in Vietnam; Kalimantan and Sumatra in Indonesia; and the Terai Arc region in the lowlands of Nepal. Sectoral analyses in the study show the kinds of enterprises that might contribute positively to addressing deforestation, such as rubber, cocoa, rattan, essential oils and medicinal plants. A good example is The Mountain Institute’s work in Nepal to turn medicinal and aromatic plant production into a profitable business for small producers. Since 2001, The Mountain Institute has increased the income of over 15,000 farmers through training and supporting the sustainable cultivation of plants such as Chiraito (Swertiya chirayita), Lothsalla (Taxus wallichiana), Satuwa (Paris Polyphylla) and Seto Bikhuma (Aconitum ferox, A. spicatum). The institute, in partnership with WWF and business innovation company Ennovent, plans to secure certifications for organic production, quality processing and good forest management – including in the buffer zones of national parks - strengthening linkages to the profitable global cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.

I think this will be inspiration for those who wanna be involved in the scale-up and consolidation phase for forest-friendly initiatives and outlines recommendations to create and replicate successful models of deforestation-free social enterprises in other affected areas. However, we can show the world about the importance of bringing together entrepreneur incubators, impact investment and innovation support in a more coordinated fashion and increase investment in zero deforestation products.

Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?267930/Small-businesses-in-Asia-can-help-forests-and-economies-grow-new-report-shows#

Giant panda NO LONGER 'endangered' anymore

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the positive change to the giant panda’s official status in the Red List of Threatened Species, pointing to the 17 per cent rise in the population in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census found 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China.

Ever since, WWF has been working with the government on initiatives to save giant pandas and their habitat, including helping to establish an integrated network of giant panda reserves and wildlife corridors to connect isolated panda populations as well as working with local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and minimize their impact on the forests.

These efforts have seen the number of panda reserves jump to 67, which now protect nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas. They have also helped to safeguard large swathes of mountainous bamboo forests, which shelter countless other species and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat. After decades of work, it is clear that only a broad approach will be able to secure the long term survival of China’s giant pandas and their unique habitat, made even harder by climate change impacts. It will require even greater government investment, stronger partnerships with local communities and a wider understanding of the importance for people of conserving wildlife and the landscapes in which they live 

In my opinion this successful conservation efforts must be led by the Chinese government and demonstrates that investment in the conservation of iconic species like giant pandas does pay off now. Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world’s wildlife and their habitats. I think we have to take care our nature for our future.

Based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?277170/Giant-panda-no-longer-endangered-but-iconic-species-still-at-risk

Elephants could disappear from Tanzania World Heritage site within six years

Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania’s largest protected area, was home to one of the greatest concentrations of African elephants on the continent, but rampant ivory poaching has seen the population reduced by 90 per cent in fewer than 40 years. Nearly 110,000 elephants once roamed the savannahs, wetlands and forests of Selous, but now only about 15,000 remain in the ecosystem.

The analysis, produced for WWF by Dalberg Global Development Advisors, shows how the loss of Selous’ elephants would have a negative effect on Tanzania’s nature based economy, putting the livelihoods of 1.2 million people at risk. Travel and tourism in Selous generate US$6 million annually, and the industry represents a combined yearly contribution of US$5 billion to the GDP of Tanzania, which holds world renowned assets such as Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park.

 

One of Africa’s oldest reserves could see its elephant population decimated by 2022 if urgent measures are not taken to stem industrial-scale poaching, according to a new analysis by WWF.

In 2014, UNESCO placed Selous on its List of World Heritage in Danger due to the severity of elephant poaching. At the recent peak of the crisis, an average of six Selous elephants were being gunned down by criminal syndicates each day.

In order for Selous to be removed from UNESCO’s in danger list, WWF is calling for greater effort in combatting wildlife crime, an assessment of the impacts of proposed industrial activities, investment in sustainable tourism infrastructure, and an equitable distribution of benefits to nearby communities.

I think, achieving zero elephant poaching is a path toward fulfilling its sustainable development potential. As a human, we shouldn't poaching animals and must ensure that this natural treasure is protected from harm. Because the large wilderness areas are dependent on its large wildlife populations and pristine ecosystems, especially Selous, which is the only natural World Heritage site in southern Tanzania and one of the largest wilderness areas left in Africa.

Based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?269211/Elephants-could-disappear-from-Tanzania-World-Heritage-site-within-six-years#

Set the future with partner

TLC, thoughtful loving communication, can help you find out if you and your significant other are on the same page about moving your relationship forward. It doesn't happen via text, email or any other tetchy way but with a good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation.Whether you’re married, live together or spend the majority of your time together, we all fall into routines. Maybe we make or order in dinner and break the routine. Invite him to a night at home filled with TLC. When you do, tell him with a smile that you miss him, miss us and want to connect and talk without the usual distractions. Pour a glass of wine and toast the two of you, but don’t overindulge or start drinking too early. You don’t want the wine to cause you to have loose lips or trigger tears! Then just hug him and say something sweet and reach for his hand and hold it as you speak. It’s such a simple act, but it connects two people instantly, giving each a feeling of love, comfort, connectivity and closeness.


It’s important he knows that this isn’t simply a romantic dinner. It’s a time for you both to catch up and talk. Being honest is hard, and it’s OK if you stumble and cry. Now’s the time to ask the hard questions and share what you really want. Let him know you want to spend your life with him and plan for it together, don't forget with real actionable steps. Ask him if he wants the same thing. If the answers are yes, you go, girl! Jump into his arms, hug and kiss him all over — do whatever feels right to show him how happy you are. If he has another idea how to do the same, that’s fine, too. Keep the tone of the invite open and loving — light versus heavy, to limit your pre-stress and his anxiety over what’s up.

I learned a long time ago we can never go wrong when we speak with love instead of anger and hurt. If things have gone well and you both feel that you’ve aired, shared and, most importantly, are on the same page about moving forward, agree to be present. That can mean engaging in more frequent TLC to limit uncertainties and keep your plans moving forward. Schedule your next sit-down in the next few days and start planning everything. On the other hand, if he hesitated or gave you an excuse like, "Someday, when…" it’s time for you to realize he may love you but isn’t ready to commit or doesn’t want to. The choice will then be yours to stay or start "spring cleaning" him out of your life.

Reflected based on http://www.sheknows.com/love-and-sex/articles/1114815/how-to-talk-to-your-partner-about-the-future?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1188651

Amoeba is everywhere !

Kerry Stoutenburgh, a Brooklyn College student of Kingston, NY, is believed to have contracted the deadly infection after jumping off a bridge into a warm body of water in Cecil County in Maryland last month. Kelly, who is just in her twenties, has died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a creek during a family vacation. The disease she became infected with, primary amebic meningoencephalitis, is caused by the brain parasite known as Naegleria fowleri, which is commonly found in warm freshwater rivers and hot springs or burrowed in soil.

The young girl, who would have celebrated her 20th birthday on October 20th, once was treated and released, but her condition worsened and ultimately killed her.
Ulster County Health Commissioner, Dr. Carol Smith said that was a catastrophic type of infection and it progressed to fatality quite quickly. According to the CDC, between 1962 and 2015, only three of 138 known infected people in the United States have survived the generally fatal infection.

The amoeba usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain. This statement is according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A "brain-eating amoeba" is just as horrific as it sounds. It's a parasite that can enter the brain and lead to deadly inflammation of the brain. There have been several reports of brain-eating amoeba infections. In my reflection to avoid amoeba based on this story, we better :

1. Hold your nose shut or use nose clips when taking part in water-related activities
2. Avoid stirring sediment surrounding warm, fresh water.
3. Avoid water-related activities in warm, untreated, or poorly treated water

Reflected based on http://nypost.com/2016/09/12/student-dies-after-contracting-brain-eating-amoeba-on-vacation/

Running or Walking?

Fitness is paramount to overall health, and walking and running are two simple forms of exercise you can pretty much do anywhere. Weight loss and cardiovascular, those both activities are great ways to stay in shape, however if you want to drop weight faster, running wins. Running is more strenuous, so there’s no surprises the potential calorie burn is far greater.

Researchers found that post-exercise appetite suppression is greater after vigorous exercise, with participants eating fewer calories post workout — provided you don’t fall into the trap of a post-workout splurge and ‘reward’ yourself with a few extra slices of pizza.

However, running isn’t for everyone. Going full speed increases the risk of injury. In fact, running produces ground reaction forces of approximately 2.5 times body weight compared to 1.2 times that for walking.

Whenever you start a new form of exercise your heart, muscles, and bones all need time to adapt, and too much too soon (without adequate recovery) makes you susceptible to strains, sprains, stress fractures, and even overtraining and illness. For this reason, it’s important to build up gradually and listen to how your body responds.

If i could choose, i would choose running, although walking is the perfect place to start if you’re new to exercise. In other words, the harder you work, the more calories you’ll burn, which is the key to losing weight. Brisk walking and running both improve heart health provided you build up gradually and do it regularly.Walking and running are both safe when included as part of a balanced exercise program. To prevent overtraining, alternate days of walking or running with strength training. Listening to the body and completing a proper warm-up and cool down is key in preventing injuries. Whether you choose to run or walk will depend on your goals and preferences. It’s important to check with your GP before starting an intense training program.

Based on http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/exercise/is-it-better-to-run-or-walk/news-story/ee1628e99fc0be72f9287a0b70b57ccf

Save Arctic's Life

Since introducing the program, collaborative polar bear patrol, in 2010, WWF and the Hamlet of Arviat, Nunavut, have dramatically reduced the number of polar bears killed under Defence of Life and Property (DLP) regulations. WWF provides funding to help communities reduce instances of conflict between polar bears and communities, including hiring guards to patrol communities and scare away bears.

On February 27th 2016, before International Polar Bear Day, WWF released a video that documents the increasing challenges that communities face from polar bears, and the successful methods that keep both bears and people safer to celebrate this day. This program, daily patrols in peak bear season (September – December), particularly at night, significantly reduce conflicts. Patrol teams have a range of tools including cracker shells, rubber bullets, beanbags, flares and live rounds.

I think this program successes reducing the number of conflicts between people and polar bears successfully. Even though throughout their range, there are increasing encounters between polar bears and people and this brings major risks to human life and property, but thing things have dramatically reduced the number of polar bears killed. This action brings benefit yet risks the patrol teams' life.

Reflection based on http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?262250/Polar-bear-patrols-keep-bears-and-Arctic-communities-safe#