Love For Animals

Beluga Whale (Photograph by Brian J. Skerry) _

On October 10, 2008, I posted a blog entry, “U.S. Navy Sonar and Marine Life” on the Supreme Court hearing of Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council — a case that involved the concern over whether or not the use of sonar in U.S. Navy training drills should be regulated due to its potential harm on marine life. Please read the first blog on this topic in order to better orient yourself to the case. It wasn’t until yesterday, November 12, that the Supreme Court made a decision to overturn the injunction placed on the U.S. Navy by the United States District Court for the Ninth Circuit.

The majority of the Justices (Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.), including Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., felt that “the District Court abused its discretion” and ruled in favor of the navy. Stephen G. Breyer and Justice John Paul Stevens wrote an opinion partially agreeing. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice David H. Souter dissented and argued that “in imposing manageable measures to mitigate harm until completion of the [environmental impact statement], the District Court conscientiously balanced the equities and did not abuse its discretion.” Ginsburg agreed that the navy’s usage of sonar in training exercises is critical in its purpose, but also stated that “those interests do not authorize the Navy to violate a statutory command, especially when recourse to the Legislature remains open.”

I am a little disappointed at this decision. I had hoped that both sides could meet somewhere in the middle, and I would have to agree with Justice Ginsberg and Justice Souter. The U.S. Navy clearly could have completed the required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before they engaged in the training exercises, but they didn’t and continued with the exercises not knowing the impact their actions made on the environment. There’s a reason for an EIS and a reason why it is legally required — especially in this case where many environmentalists contested against the use of sonar within a certain proximity of marine mammals. It’s an unfortunate ruling in my opinion because I do think there is a link between sonar and the mass occurrences of beached whales, whom appear to be suffering from a painful form of decompression sickness.

You can read more on the details of the case at On The Docket: Supreme Court News - Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council.

It appears that the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya is struggling with funds to upkeep the reserve and protect wildlife from poachers. You can hear the “Urgent Appeal” of the Mara Triangle (the North-Western part of the Masai Mara Game Reserve) online in their blog on WildlifeDirect. WildlifeDirect is a non-profit organization that seeks to raise funds for conservation efforts in Africa, Asia, and South America. Dr. Richard Leakey, Chairman of WildlifeDirect, hopes to reach people all around the world via the Web among other media outlets, in order to inform people about the issues concerning the continued protection of endangered wildlife and habitat conservation. Donations to WildlifeDirect help towards funding a range of field costs from ranger boots to gas for patrol vehicles to veterinary equipment.

You can also visit the Mara Triangle’s Web site here to learn more about Masai Mara and the Mara Triangle in partnership with the Mara Conservancy. In this site, you can donate to fund the Masai Mara’s patrol rangers. Watch videos posted by Joseph Kimojino, the head of tourism and anti-animal harassment for the Mara Conservancy (seen blogging in the YouTube video above), on Vimeo.

Open donations are also welcome at WildlifeDirect or you can find pages on their site where there are funds being raised for specific necessities for certain locations. In addition, WildlifeDirect provides other blogs (bloglist) from other countries around the world that are working towards preserving endangered wildlife, ending illegal wildlife trafficking, and protecting wildlife habitats.

You can choose how much you want to donate and to whom you want to help. Even five dollars would help to fuel the conservation efforts happening all around the world. Just imagine, you can be thousands of miles away from the actual place in need of funds and you can still help with a few clicks from your computer. If you’ve never made an online donation using PayPal, it’s easy and secure. Learn about PayPal here, or you can also donate to WildlifeDirect through Network for Good by clicking here. Find out more on Network for Good on their Wikipedia page. If you’re new to making online donations, keep in mind these general safety tips. Please get started so that places in need can get a helpful hand.

In early October, I posted a blog entry urging California voters to vote yes on prop 2. As someone who loves animals very much, this prop was really important to me. I am glad to report back and say that yesterday (Tuesday, November 4, 2008), California voters passed prop 2, a measure that will improve the standards of confining practices for CA farm animals. I tracked the polls last night on California’s propositions, and ‘yes’ on prop 2 led the way with a pretty wide margin even from the beginning. Take that agri-corporations!

Even farm animals, those raised for food, can experience a more decent quality of life. This measure isn’t going to solve all the problems associated with cruel treatment of animals in factory farms, but it’s a step towards the right direction. Animal rights supporters and organizations can now add this onto their list of achievements for bettering the lives of many animals in the food industry. 

“All animals, including those raised for food, deserve humane treatment.”

Thank you to all the California voters who voted yes on prop 2! We did it!

P.S. I am aware that three-fourths or 75% of props that pass get overturned by the courts, but I am confident that prop 2 (Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act) will not be short-lived.

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