YOU WOULDN'T THINK THAT SOMETHING AS INNOCENT LOOKING AS VEGETABLE OIL, BAKED GOODS, CONFECTIONERY ITEMS, SHAMPOO, COSMETICS, CLEANING AGENTS, WASHING DETERGENTS, TOOTHPASTE, ETC. COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF 300 FOOTBALL FIELDS OF RAINFOREST BEING CLEARED EACH HOUR (STOP HERE AND READ THAT AGAIN - EACH HOUR) TO MAKE WAY FOR PALM OIL PRODUCTION

IF THAT'S NOT BAD ENOUGH - PALM OIL EXPANSION IS KILLING BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS. OVER 90% OF THE ORANGUTAN HABITAT HAS BEEN DESTROYED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS AND EACH YEAR 1000-5000 ORANGUTANS ARE KILLED FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT. THOUSANDS OF OTHER SPECIES ARE FACING THE SAME FATE IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA. 

BAD FOR PEOPLE AS WELL - AS WORKERS BURN FORESTS TO REJUVENATE THEM PEOPLE WALK TO WORK AND SCHOOL WITH MASKS BECAUSE OF THE DENSE SMOKE. CHILD LABOR IS OFTEN USED FOR THIS WORK AS WELL.


How can you help? 
Look for the RSPO label to ensure you purchase products made with certified sustainable palm oil. This label gives you the confidence that the palm oil was produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

Can't find the RSPO label? Look for the Green Palmlabel to purchase products that support the transition to certified palm oil. Proceeds from Green Palm certificates help growers fund the transition to sustainable palm oil.

For further reading - click on these links : ​www.worldwildlife.org/pages/palm-oil-the-hidden-truth-lurking-in-your-home

and find out what products use palm oil here

IT CAN'T BE EVERYONE ELSE'S PROBLEM - IT HAS TO BE OURS TOO - BE EDUCATED ON PALM OIL AND USE YOUR DOLLARS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE GROWING! 

Everyone I meet tells me how much they love elephants. Everyone I talk to loves the magnificent image of a lion on the African plaines. Everyone I meet is repulsed by the thought of torturing animals. But not everyone does something about it. Jan Creamer, President of ADI (Animal Defenders International) has dedicated her life to speaking out for elephants in circuses, mistreated lions, tortured monkeys and the list goes on. Now, flying 33 lions from their awful life in circuses to spend the rest of their lives in a protected sanctuary, she once again uses her voice for those animals that have none. 

The undertaking of flying 33 lions is enormous--the cost incredible. If you love these animals, if you want your children and grandchildren to see them in the wild, if you don't want to see them on the extinction list in our lifetime - please consider giving something, anything, to help Jan continue her incredible work.

SeaWorld has had to learn the hard way that the generations following us will no longer accept seeing wild animals in shows and circuses.

We've seen it with the outrage of Ringling's Elephants and now Seaworld is feeling it with the shakeup of its executive team trying to battle the outrage over their treatment of killer whales, the mistreatment of dolphins, and the multiple deaths at their San Antonio park, one which was a 12-year-old dolphin. 

What Seaworld doesn't get is that their parks could be a flourishing entertainment centers with rides, educational play stations, and exciting shows - all without animals. Universal, Disney, Six Flags all have great shows, fun rides and do it without animals.Here is an opportunity for them to move from the culprits who prison animals for pure entertainment to stepping up and being the champion of whales, dolphins, seals, etc. 

There are many people and organizations fighting for the good of these beautiful creates: SeaShepherd, The Cove, Jock Cousteau's organization - let Sea World join with them to be on the right side of fighting for these animals.

​And you know what--I bet people will love it, attendance will rise, media will tout their efforts and stock prices will rise.

Come on Sea World - Do The Right Thing - Discontinue Animals in Shows

Elephants have tusks, porcupines have spikes, and cows have horns--And they were meant to be that way. Yet here we are modifying Salmon, Pigs and Cows. The first two dairy calves, modified so they will not grow horns has now begun the road to modifying animals in ways we will never understand the long term outcome.

Rudolf Steiner, understood the value of cows having their horns. He taught the benefit of ratio between land and animal. He gave birth to what is now known as biodynamics and perhaps the world should be studying his teachings rather than altering the food chain. 

Beagles bread to build more muscle, Pigs bred to resist swine fever--but the question is what else are we breeding that we do not understand? What might happen if we modify an animal that leads to horrific results - chickens that are prone to a modified bird flu, cows who's poor digestion affects milk, or pigs that resist African swine fever but become susceptible to another disease? Do we really know?

As more and more movements march towards wanting organic, we ironically see companies moving in the opposite direction. It is shameful how humans treat each other but it is heartbreaking that people feel they are entitled to alter the intrinsic beings of animals.

There are times I just can't watch the news one more minute, or read one more headline, or look at one more Instragram. The injustice of the world often shatters my spirit and breaks my heart. Yet not Jane, in spite of being faced with some horrific injustices for the plight of what she has fought for and being the known face for the fight for apes and chimpanzees, The Jane Goodall Institute inspires individual action by young people of all ages to help animals, other people, and to protect the world we all share. 

Chimpanzees have finally, and long overdue, have been listed as endangered, both captive and wild. So sad is this world that these wonderful animals have been used in scientific studies, designer breeding and scientific studies that could harm or even kill the animals. Listen to what Jane has to say about this: 

I'm inspired each day by this great lady. I hope I can grow a shield around my heart so I can continue to fight for animal's rights and be an inspiration to others - because each day Jane Goodall does and she teaches each one of us that we must fight for what's right in this world 

When Baby got herself stuck thirty feet high in a tree I quickly discovered the days of the gallant firemen coming to rescue her were gone. At least in my town there were - all they said was, "We don't do that."

OK - on to my vet, who sent me to a wildlife rescuer who told me they don't  do that either and not to worry because she's seen a cat in a tree for ten days during a snow storm. Comforting.

I went to our SPCA who said cats don't die in trees and when she's hungry she'll come down. And while I do agree this is probably best advice, I couldn't much stand to see this little thing up there crying for what now was 3 days. 

Our attempt to dislodge her wound up taking a limb down (she only scurried higher) and sent me to the hospital after the branch hit me square in face.
So my advice - don't try to get them yourself 

Finally I found this website :Cat in a tree Emergency 

Cory - the contact in my area couldn't be nicer. He is a professional tree climber and the way they get cats is to climb higher than the cat then come down from above. The cat will either run down the tree, or they catch it and put it in a carrier, or have people below with a blanket ready to catch the cat. 

Hours before Cory came to the house, Baby did come down herself. For me, the three days of seeing her crying in the tree was worse than the bruises I got trying to get her down. Baby, by the way, was adopted from the Westchester SPCA, she is very shy and has found comfort hanging with and sleeping with my chickens. 

As for the woman who told me about the cat in a tree for ten days during a snow storm, I say maybe being in the animal rescue business is not the right profession for you. And to Cory-- thank you for all that you do for cats stuck in a tree - you're a hero

This is beautiful Cecil - photographed by Paula French.

Cecil lived in a well-known protected range in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

On Tuesday, Cecil was lured out of her park, shot with a bow, tracked for 40 hours then gunned down, skinned and beheaded. Was this done by men who desperately needed food for their families? No - it was done by a dentist who paid $50,000 for the mere sport of it all.

So meet tough guy Walter James Palmer -

Some days I'm ashamed to be an American....other days I'm just ashamed to be human