Today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss; but considering that he is dead, he won’t be celebrating his birthday anytime soon. However, it would seem that people across the globe still celebrate his birthday anyway, such as schools and so forth. Yes, I am a fan of his work–or at least, I collected a lot of his books when I was a kid. So, for a mini environmental tribute to him and something for you to enjoy, here is my favorite Dr. Seuss story: The Lorax.
The Lorax.
March 3rd, 2010A Change of Direction.
February 22nd, 2010
Sometimes, things happen that you don’t anticipate. Those things can throw all your plans out of whack, so to speak.
Earlier this month, my dog was hit by a car. She’s still alive, though she has needed much care and several veterinary visits thus far. Anyone who has ever paid for x-rays, medicine, overnight stays, anaesthesia and so forth is aware that these costs are not cheap.
No, I am not asking for a handout.
However, because of this unexpected series of events, money has become an issue. Also, seeing how I have not sold a single print or gift in the time this photography site has been active; plus the fact that I have been unable to take or add any new photos for a while now, I have decided to move this site into a slightly different direction.
The Great Sea Shepherd/Japanese Whaling Debate
January 21st, 2010If you are a fan of the TV show Whale Wars, or if you’ve been keeping track of the news lately, you may have heard quite a bit on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The most recent news involves one of the Japanese ships (Shonan Maru No. 2)ramming the Ady Gil (part of the Sea Shepherd fleet). The Ady Gil’s bow was tore off, one of the crew members was injured, and they are trying to take legal action however they can.
It seems like a pretty cut and dry situation, but many people are arguing the point. Some say it is Japan’s fault for the ramming. Others say the Ady Gil is to blame. You can check out the video footage posted here to see for yourselves. It was filmed from the Ady Gil right before the incident happened. As you can see, the Ady Gil is more or less keeping on a steady path as Japan’s ship approaches from behind. The Japanese ship clearly had enough time and distance between them to navigate around the Ady Gil, but in the last moments you can see they actually move towards them instead of away. Read More »
I am ashamed.
December 21st, 2009
Yes, I am absolutely ashamed and disappointed. Why? Well, last Friday was the final day of the big COP15 Climate Change Conference in Denmark. World leaders were in Copenhagen from Dec. 7 – 18 in an attempt to create a global, legally binding treaty that would hold them to their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and do something about the environmental crisis the world faces.
For months prior to COP15 there were news reports, there were protests, petitions and massive environmental events and public displays where people showed and screamed about how much they opposed Climate Change and demand something be done with it. Governments held meetings below the ocean surface and up in the Himalayan mountains to show the world how serious things have become. Even celebrities have gotten involved in the protests, the volunteer work, in music, artwork, auctions and simple video narrations. Millions of people the world over called for a changed. We asked for it, screamed for it, begged for it. Read More »
Those Noisy Flocks of Black Birds
November 24th, 2009
Have you ever been outside and saw a huge flock of black birds? They take over the trees, rooftops, and can easily change the scenery into a homage to a Hitchcock movie. Most of all, they tend to make a rather unpleasant chattering, squabbling sound.
Meet the Starling.
This bird is one who can call the entire world home, as many of its species or subspecies can be found in just about every continent. However, it is not a native to some of them. For those that live in North America, you can thank Eugene Schieffelin for introducing them to the states. Read More »
How Many Have To Die?
November 22nd, 2009
This post is about a most serious topic: Global Warming.
In case you haven’t heard yet, hackers broke into the East Anglia Climatic Research Unit (CRU) e-mail system. The CRU has been a leader in Climate Change research for quite some time. The hackers took a collection of the e-mails and posted them online, claiming that those specific e-mails are proof that the CRU scientists and researchers have been publishing (or making up) fake data all along.
A lot of people have been getting up in arms over this issue lately. Many of the skeptics or those who don’t believe in Global Warming are taking this as the situation turning in their favor. Some have been as childish to display an “I’m right, you’re wrong” gloating mentality over the situation.
However, it is apparent that they have not taken certain things into consideration. Read More »
The Barking Dog
November 14th, 2009
I have a dog (who became a teenager this year) and she absolutely loves to bark, particularly in the early morning hours (1 or 2 am). I do not mind this at all. Why? Because it is her way of communicating, even if I can’t understand the language she speaks. I’ve noticed a number of dog owners do not like to hear their (or other peoples’) dog barking. Some act embarrassed by it and try to shush the dog, while others will be downright abusive or cruel and physically harm the dog. Needless to say, I find such behavior very intolerable. While we may not be able to understand every bark, woof or growl, it does not make their words any less important. Some of the reasons a dog may bark include: Read More »
Cheetah Reintroduction…
October 17th, 2009
Apparently, there’s been talk lately of reintroducing the Cheetah to India.
From the snippets I’ve read, they intend to import some and work on breeding and re-population projects. Whether they will be the classic African Cheetahs or the lesser known Asian Cheetahs (or both), I’ve no idea.
One big problem, however, is that just a century ago, cheetahs were hunted to extinction in India. What’s more, even though the African Cheetah is at a “vulnerable” state, the Asian Cheetah (mostly found in Iran) is “critically endangered”.
Would importing Cheetahs to India–a place that completely wiped them out once before–be such a great idea?
Or have the people changed enough to be able to co-exist with the big cats?
Recycling.
September 20th, 2009
How hard is it to recycle, or at least to throw your trash away into a proper trash can?
Apparently way too hard for too many people in the world.
This past weekend, there were several international environmental events held, including International Coastal Cleanup and Clean Up The World. Do you think anyone in this area did their part? Nope. Well, no one other than myself and my family. And let me tell you, the polluted condition of this rural town is absolutely ridiculous. We went out to clean up the local playground area and near the river; there were so many cans, bottles, junk food wrappers, plastic bags, cigarette butts and even shoes.. well, let’s just say we ran out of bags and will need to buy more before we go out again. The playground in particular is the most unbelievable. Not only are the provided trash and recycling bins overflowing with recyclables, trash and insects, the entire playground and picnic areas are strewn with trash, not to mention the stream and wild plants that run alongside it. Read More »
Animal Testing
August 28th, 2009
This is a topic that is extremely controversial, and also extremely irks me.
For centuries (since B.C. times), lab experiments have been conducted on millions of animals annually including: fish, monkeys, dogs, cats, rabbits, mice/rats, and even insects. The research conducted can range from testing cleaning products to cosmetics to medicinal or narcotic drugs on the animals. One of the worst and most well known types of testing is the Draize test: a toxicity test developed in 1944. A substance is put into an animal’s (usually albino rabbits) eye or on their skin, and side effects may include: redness, swelling, ulceration, blindness, hemorrhaging, erythema or edema. Many critics view this (and other) type of testing as cruel and unnecessary, due to the fact that animal and human biology and anatomy are not one in the same. The same type of reaction does not apply to people as it does to animals. Read More »
New looks and Witch’s Moneybags
August 17th, 2009
Well, as you can see, I’ve been attempting to change/update the look of this blog/journal. I think it’s still a work in progress, but it will do for now. If you are wondering what the pink flower is, that would be “Witch’s Moneybags”. It is also known by names such as: Orpine, Livelong, Frog’s Stomach, Harping Johnny, Life-everlasting, Live-forever, Orphan John, and Midsummer Men.
But, this isn’t just about a theme update. It is also about that particular little flower (which really is quite little, though part of a cluster). I’ve seen the particular plant before; didn’t know what it was called or much about it. And I am sure not everyone has heard of Frog’s Stomach (in plant terms, anyway). So, here is some information I found on the plant. I do not know if any of it is fact or accurate, since they didn’t list any sources, but it’s information nonetheless. Read More »
Eco-Hosting
August 11th, 2009
If anyone bothers to read the extremely small text at the bottom of my website (arkisaeo.com), they will notice that it is hosted by 2 companies: TreeCentric and Helikas. I am going to take a moment to discuss them further, since I did not do so on the website.
TreeCentric
This would be where I registered my domain names through (kudos to you if you can figure out what the other one is). I was initially just trying to find a cheap solution for domain names (which is not an easy task), and I stumbled upon the idea of “eco-hosting”. I knew there were a lot of other green or nature friendly products, but it never crossed my mind to have eco-hosting. Needless to say, I thought it was rather awesome. So, I start looking through all the options I can find. Read More »
Another new beginning…
August 9th, 2009Well, it seems I have finally decided to tread upon the terrain that is WordPress. Granted, I “blog” elsewhere, but those words are saved for my friends and any who wish to try to make sense of my poetry, ramblings and so forth. So, unfortunately, no crazed ravings for you. At least, not here…
Being that my website is devoted strictly to Nature, or rather, photography of Nature, I figured I might add another section to it. Rather than the boring old news and updates (which are rarely read anyway, I am sure), I have decided to start a blog on all matters of Eco or “Green” things. Read More »