A Typical Florida Solution

A Florida Feral Hog or Wild Pig
Picture credit: US Fish and Wildlife


As you know we have only been here in Florida for about ten years.
To say that coming here to live was Culture Shock,  is an understatement.
There is simply no way to excuse, explain or define some of the behavior here.
In my email this morning was yet another typical example of how some people here handle a bothersome situation.
In this state, thanks to a Spanish explorer, who along with throngs of others invaded Florida hundreds of years ago, with little concern for the havoc that they wreaked on the places and people, are descendants from  Hernando Desoto’s wild hogs, that  have now become a definite problem for many.
Granted these wild hogs do frequently plow through yards eating and destroying much that they survey, but they are simply doing what they must to survive.
They are omnivores and will eat vegetation or what ever is available to them.
Thanks to repeated ignorant and thoughtless  behavior,  there are now many invasive species here, like the thousands of Burmese Pythons in the Everglades, that now number so many they are in danger of completely taking over the entire area and starving out local animals, not to mention the terror they present when the tourists see them.
It is not that these animals are not a problem, this is understood, it is the recommendation by a local Rancher,  or his idea of how to solve it , that makes this state the one of a kind place that it now is.
His suggestion is that the perfect solution to the pig problem is, to eat them.
One of the loudest complaints about the horrible hogs, has been of course, the damage that they do to the countless pristine Golf courses statewide, which in Florida hold nearly Holy stature.
Too many animals get too little respect here and these wild pigs will be just the latest victim of a mind-set where the next to the most hunted animal after the Florida white-tailed deer, will soon be the wild pigs.
I have always had a very soft spot in my heart for pigs, I love them and this hurts.
I wish there was some humane, kind way to solve this, but that will not happen here.
Not in a state where nearly every one has at least one gun and too may find hunting animals a thrilling sport.
There are numerous Hunting Cubs and Ranches entirely devoted to the slaughter of them.
Doing a Google search for Hunting  animals in Florida delivered over 33 million links.
Any questions?
I wonder if this line of thinking may in the future perhaps also encompass invasive humans or other?
Just asking?
Did I mention that hunting season begins in days, but the gun shots and the howling hounds are already being heard here in the Forest every morning.
Yes, I am in the minority, I love pigs and refuse to eat them.
Childhood memories on my Uncle’s farm in Indiana, simply will not allow me to.
Seeing all of this today and knowing what is happening to them, makes me so sad for their bleak life and hopeless future.
The ugly truth is, that this latest approach to an animal irritation, is yet another typical Florida solution.

Places to learn more:
A solution to Florida’s Wild Pig Problems: Eat Them
Wild Hogs in Florida
Can Wild Pigs Ravaging the U.S. Be Stopped?
Hog Wild In Florida! Feral Pigs A Problem
Wild Hogs In Florida: An overview

Gone!

Why is this man smiling?
Picture credit: William A. Troyer – US Fish and Wildlife Service
I apologize for this brutal picture, but it explains my rage.


Yes, sorry, two in one morning, both of them were in my email and neither could be ignored.
This story is about a subject that pains me deeply to relay.
I can still hear the words of my first Anthropology Professor many years ago saying that:
“99% of all species of all animals, will, or have already, disappeared from the Earth.”
I NEVER got over that very off-handed, complacent, nearly matter of fact, comment.
It did not seem like he was all that terribly concerned.
But, then, why should he have been, few seem to be any more.
It almost seems like we Humans, have become hardened against, or desensitized to this alarming state of affairs, in the Animal Kingdom.
It is so much easier to pick up a gun and shoot something, than it is to put a seed in the ground and wait for it to grow!
Decimation is a horrifying word.
In the past I have used it many times when writing about the Native Americans.
They too were decimated in many places all over this country by two other ugly words: Manifest Destiny.
But unlike the Native people, animals cannot be assimilated!
Hello people, we are losing animals as fast as they can reproduce these days.
Think I’m kidding?
Look around your own neighborhoods.
Have you, like me, watched over the years,  as fewer and fewer of certain animals have disappeared right in your own yard?
It is isn’t for just one reason, or in one country, its’ everybody, everywhere, killing everything.
We either kill them directly, or by destroying their Habitats, so that they die anyway.
What ever will we all do, when they are all gone?
This Planet will be an ugly place with no animals.
As Gandhi always said, ” A Nation will be judged by the way it treats its animals.”
Well, in the end, which may be nearer than many may suspect, so will this Planet.
Don’t think we can all get on a shuttle and head for Mars or ???
This is it people.
When we have killed them all, for what ever reason, that’s it.
The answer is right in front of us, but few want to accept it.
The answer is not eating animals anymore.
And yes to the ” Happy  Man ”   in the picture above, hunting them either.
Sure, for some, for many, this is a tough pill to swallow.
But dear Readers, what else can we do?
Millions of people all over the world do without meat every day and are quite healthy.
In some of the poorer Countries, like for instance, Burma, or Myanmar, I was once told by a resident in an interview, that having a chicken for dinner, is a once a month luxury.
Of course this idea will never sell in states like Texas, where their favorite saying on signs all over the state:
” Beef, it’s what’s for Dinner.”
But for the other millions who know change must be made and very soon.
Couldn’t we all at least try not eating any animals, for what ever reason each of us as individuals may choose?
If we do not, and soon, they will be GONE!
 
Places to learn more:
Earth lost 50% of its wildlife in the past 40 years, says WWF
World wildlife populations halved in 40 years – report A/a>
Shock report: World has lost 50% of its wildlife in just 40 years
Deforestation – Wikipedia
Bear Hunting – Wikipedia

Hope for a New Whale

 
A Bryde’s Whale
Picture credit: Sophie Webb NOAA


Just found this awesome story this morning in my email, that must be shared.
Russell McLendon of Mother Nature Network has gathered and presented an extremely compelling work and you simply must read it in its entirety.
Please see the link to it below.
If the DNA checks out, this newly discovered Whale in the Gulf of Mexico, may be the newest and absolutely most Endangered Whale on Earth, surpassing even the critically Endangered Right Whale.
This is both exciting and terrifying news.
For many years, the Whales in the Gulf near the Florida Panhandle, were thought to be a variation of the species of Bryde’s, but now the thinking is that this new Whale may an entirely new species altogether.
As Russell  says:   “They’ve long been classified as Bryde’s whales — pronounced Brooda’s, thanks to 19th-century Norwegian whaler Johan Bryde.  Bryde’s whales are found in warm seas around the world, growing up to 55 feet long and 90,000 pounds as they feast on plankton, crustaceans and small fish.”
Of course this newest Whale already has a myriad of potential dangers facing it.
The new evidence indicates that many more  of them used to exist and that something is eliminating them.
Hmmm……
Let’s see.
So, how much oil did BP flood into the Gulf of Mexico?
The clean up from this nightmare is still plaguing the entire Gulf Coast.
The area where this new Whale is calling home, are the Desoto Canyons, near the mouth of the Mississippi, on the borders of the states of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
This huge area has been a most inhospitable place for sea life for many years.
Dolphin’s and several other Whale Species are continuously being poisoned in their Ancestral homes, so to speak here.
This toxic soup that is now the Gulf of Mexico, has been polluted for so long, by so many, it is no wonder the depth of decimation to all the sea life there.
It is as far as I can see, an entirely 100% man-made destruction of a Habitat.
And, we are irresponsibly, completely responsible for it all.
Please do read this wonderful story that Russell has put so much thought and effort into.
We have a lot of thinking to do on this news, if we are to reverse a terrible,  long over due trend by ignorant Humans.
Could it be, could we for a change, have hope for a new Whale Species?
 
Places to learn more:
50 whales may be a new (and very endangered) species
Bryde’s Whale – Wikipedia
Baleen Whales – Wikipedia

Come Meet the Betelgeuse

The USS Betelgeuse AK-260


Yes, I have been away.
But I was not sitting around eating bon bons~
This is what I have been doing for the past week.
It is the Tribute Web site for Walkingfox to his Ship and Service in the US Navy.
It seems the ones that we have just renewed for 2 years at Network Solutions,  have had the Front Page Extensions completely disabled, meaning that I can no longer work on any of our highly over paid Web sites ($139-$150 per year)including this one.
No, we will not be renewing anything with them again.
One really nice thing about having this site on Word Press, is that now people can come and comment or write  to him.
If you are a Military Veteran or, maybe even just curious, you may like to come take a look.
Hope you enjoy it.
He was very proud of his years in the Navy and like both, yes I have two Fathers, the Navy was the choice for all three of them, for service to their Country.
This site was made under my name, but it ALL about him and the Navy.
I was just the builder who put it up.
I also sadly, cannot click like on any of the pages, for that reason.
Please come meet the Betelgeuse:    http://ussbetelgeuse.wordpress.com/

Monsters of Marianna

The Florida Dozier School for Boys in Marianna
Dining hall construction with “White House” in background, 1936
Picture credit: Wikipedia


This story has been percolating in my head and heart since we moved down here nearly ten years ago,
it is not about Florida Wildlife it is about Florida Monsters.
But just like the Wildlife here that I am devoted to writing about, these children also had no voice.
If you blink as you drive West on Interstate 10 near Tallahassee in the Panhandle of Florida, you might miss Marianna.
This is a sleepy little town, that until we moved here and began seeing the News stories, had held only one memory,  it was the town where we always stopped to eat at a place called Po – Folks.
Po – Folks  has  great country-style southern comfort food and a really friendly staff.
Absolutely nothing there, or anything that you see as you drive through, could possibly tell you about the dark, ugly secret this town once had.
Now when I think of Marianna, it will forever be because of the horrible, hideous stories continuously being splashed across our TV News Stations.
You see in  Marianna,  there used to be what is called a Bad Boys, or Reform School and it was said to be the biggest one in the entire United States.
You know, the kind of place where troubled children get sent to because no one can control them, or worse, wants them.
Some of them were orphans, others were just confused and needed guidance and help.
This House of Horrors  is/was called the Dozier Boys School and it was also a place of torture, abuse and death for many who were sent there.
It is also said that the KKK were very much a part of the crimes here.
The school was opened in 1900 and closed in 2011 amid a flurry of accusations, threats and lawsuits.
Then Governor Crist had it all investigated, but as usual in this place called the racially oppressed and color divided State of Florida, this ugly mess was claimed to not have enough, or sufficient evidence to go further.
Those in control stepped out, hopeful it would all go away.
But not so fast, some survivors started making a lot of noise and some people were listening to their stories, better yet they were believing them.
It has been reported that almost 100 children died while this school was in operation.
Then several years ago a team of Anthropologists from USF in Tampa went to Marianna and began a dig.
The Dig team was led by Associate Professor and Forensic Anthropologist Erin Kimmerle, who had known about the school and wanted to see if something could be found.
Because my field of Education at College was in Anthropology and the majority of my Nursing experience was at a State Rehab Center in California, this story was of great personal interest.
One of the many sad  things about this story,  is the name that was given to the place where so much of the abuse happened, it was called the White House.
So, the survivors of this school nightmare, call themselves the White House Boys and they are determined to not only expose the crimes, but to shine a bring light on what happened there.
This time, they want to see justice for the victims and punishment for the perpetrators, if any are still alive.
These few survivors of unspeakable abuse want, need, to be assured that this can and will never happen again, anywhere.
The White House Boys also want an apology, as well as, who can blame them, compensation from those who kept the secrets of the Monsters of Marianna.

Places to learn more:
Read the Full USF PDF  Report here:  Dozier School Report
Florida School for Boys – Wikipedia
THE WHITE HOUSE BOYS SURVIVOR’S ORGANIZATION CORP
Florida to exhume bodies buried at former boys school
Remains of 2 more boys identified at closed Florida boys school
Boy missing since 1940 identified at closed Florida boys school
Florida’s Dozier School For Boys: A True Horror Story
Abuses at infamous Florida boys reform school even more widespread, report says

Finally, We Have A Baby!

 
 
We have decided to call her/him Ishi, after the last of the Yahi in California.
She/he also appears to be the only survivor.
All pictures credit: Walkingfox
Because  you asked, here is more about Ishi, last of the Yahi.

 
We would like to introduce our first Gopher Tortoise birth here.
She/he was found yesterday when I took Breanna out, just after lunch.
We are not sure of her/his sex, but this is what we have waited for since moving in here in 2004.
We found no others, only this one.
Gopher Tortoises normally have between 3-15 babies, so we sadly fear the demise of her siblings.
It is said that anything and everything,  eats them as soon as they hatch, most do not make it until their first birthday.
From what we have learned from other pictures and information, this one appears to be about two years old,  as they are said to grow about an inch per year.
If any others are found, they will be announced here.
But for now, we are so thrilled to have at least one child from Harriet, whom we have fiercely guarded, loved and protected since we came here nearly ten years ago.
Finally, we have a baby!

Puget Pride

Killer Whales or Orcas
Picture credit: Robert Pittman NOAA


This story is for Adam,  whose heart is as big as the Ocean, the Orcas and all the sea creatures that he loves so much.
Killer Whales or Orcas are the largest Dolphins.
This beautiful mammal is an intelligent, fun-loving, playful, family oriented and devoted Sea Creature or Cetacean.
And for the first time in years,  this week a new baby has been born to a group whose terrifyingly low numbers, leave many to believe that they are not long for this Earth.
The new baby, who is  a member of  the L Pod, was born  in the waters of San Juan off the Washington State Coast., known as Puget Sound.
This new calf is a member of Southern Resident Killer Whale  population whose  numbers are currently at about 79, with  two having  been listed as missing.
The Killer Whales in this area are members of the J,  K,   or L pods.
The new baby or calf, is number L 120 and its birth is cause for sheer delight, extreme joy, laced with a more than just a bit of trepidation.
The newborns in this area and of this particular species, do not have a good track record for longevity.
Many of them die in their first year of life.
There are multiple reasons for the tremendous decline in Killer Whales here:  the Exxon oil spill, and the lingering deadly aftermath of it, as well as the now near extinction of their favorite food, salmon, have sent them as far away as California to eat.
This critically Endangered Whale is the victim of yet one more example of Human cause and effect:
oil spills, over fishing, military and tourist conflicts, greedy marine facilities who take them prisoners to perform.
We love to adore them in captivity, watch them on film, and take boat trips out to see them in the wild.
Yet we completely fail to comprehend that what we are doing,  is killing the Killer Whales.
We are simply,  ignorantly,  loving and crowding them to death.
But on this day, far away,  in Washington State,  there is reason for Puget Pride.

Places to learn more:
Killer whale – Wikipedia
Updated photos: Eyewitness describes birth of orca in Puget Sound waters
Down to Earth: Patti Goldman on Protecting Orca Whales
Puget Sound’s endangered killer whales continue decline
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Puget Sound orcas feeding in California — again
Orca calf born to Puget Sound resident L pod
Puget Sound orcas retain protection under Endangered Species Act
Newborn Orca Seen Off Washington Coast In Puget Sound Pod
Census: Orcas declining in Puget Sound

Megalopyge opercularis

Megalopyge opercularis
Picture credit: Wikipedia
 
Thank you so very much to Walkingfox for alerting me about this story just now.
This is a very short post because it is so important and just learned about.
I also wanted to alert as many of you, as soon as possible about this.
On our local WFTV News earlier today, was a report about, don’t laugh, a fuzzy caterpillar that is very scary.
Its scientific name is  Megalopyge opercularis  and it has been found in Florida.
DO NOT TOUCH  it under any conditions.
This thing is nasty and its bite will do you great harm.
Even though it is fairly small, at about one inch long, it is the most poisonous Caterpillar in the United States.
This is not a joke, take a look at the pictures of the victims in the links below.
You, your pets and your children need to be on high alert for this creature, every single time that you are outside in your yards,  or where ever.
Please watch out for it and if any of you should come in contact with it, follow the directions on any of these links included below, immediately.
All I can say is YIKES!
And, Welcome to the Tropics.
 
Places to learn more:
Southern flannel moth
Puss Caterpillar or Asp — General Information
Florida’s Puss Caterpillars Pack a Venomous Punch
Doctors: Don’t pet fuzzy caterpillar
Megalopyge opercularis  –  Wikipedia

You’re On Your Own!

The Tiger Shark is a regular visitor to Florida Beaches.
Picture credit: Albert Kok


This story has been on our local news for several days and it has Floridians divided, once again.
I truly did not want to write about this, but the story will not go away.
Those who fish of course, are completely opposed to the idea that anyone, or anything, should interfere with the enjoyment of their beloved sport of “shark fishing.”
Let me begin by saying that I find this ” sport “ both appalling and cruel.
Yes, the East Coast, or Atlantic Coast of Florida, is and has been for many years, the "shark bite capital of the world" but the behavior of these people in the pursuit of their passion, has only added to the numbers, because sharks will always go where there is blood in the water and that is exactly how these people do their ”sport! “
This provocative, enticing and dangerous action, is called chumming.
Sharks are one of the most ancient of all animals that live today on our planet.
They have survived and thrived, when many others, perished and became extinct.
They are a nearly perfect predator and truly need fear few, if any other animals, only Humans.
We have always been the greatest threat to their continued longevity on Earth.
And, this disgusting sport of “shark fishing “ is being done state-wide in nearly every coastal town here now.
There are a plethora of Clubs, Charters and Organizations here, all devoted to the “exciting sport,” their words, not mine, of ”Shark Fishing.”
The problems arise because of where this sport is being done, which is on the hundreds of beaches in Florida, where swimmers, surfers and tourists are usually gathered for a fun day at the Beach.
What these “shark fishing” groups fail to accept, is that they are responsible for creating a theater of danger at the beach, by their very dangerous actions.
Since the beginning of August, two young children have been bitten by sharks just in Brevard County.
Melbourne Beach Mayor Jim Simmons, is understandably quite concerned for the safety of those who not only come to his town, but of what waits for them when and if, they also visit the beach there.
He has personally experienced this dangerous drama on the Beach and wants to stop it before someone is killed.
The reason for all of the division in the state over this Issue, is quite simple.
Local residents and officials want to stop shark fishing, but really have no legal authority to do so, only Florida Fish and Wildlife can do this.
And the chances of that happening, are slim to none.
There will be an FWCmeeting September 11, in Kissimmee, to discuss this and Mayor Simmons not only plans on showing up for it, but to lobby for his concerns there as well.
I can’t help but wonder, where Florida’sBetter Business BureauorDepartment of Tourism stand on this Issue.
Like the line from the movie says, "this is not good for the Tourist Trade.”
So for the time being, it is beach users “beware.”
If you are a visitor here, or a surfer new to the area, please be forewarned, the beaches can be a very dangerous place in Florida right now.
Shark Fishermen using Florida Beaches for their blood sport, are protected by our State Officials.
You, on the other hand, are on your own!
 
Places to learn more:
Sharks – Wikipedia
Shark kills number 100 million annually
Florida Shark Fishing
Shark-fishing debate hooks town leaders
Florida Shark Attack Risk Has Officials Wanting To Ban Shark Fishing In 2014
International Land-Based Shark Fishing Association
A Shark Fishing Guide
YouTube Shark Fishing  (It is sick and cruel, be prepared!)

Winona LaDuke

Winona LaDuke

 

 

For those of you not familiar with her, Winona LaDuke is the Executive Director  of a group called  Honor the Earth.

Last week they began a new campaign  called  “Love Water, not Oil,”  that is vital, no critical,  to all Americans, not  just Native Americans.

What Fracking and Oil pipelines have done and will continue to do to the environment of this country, should be high on everybody’s agenda.

Once our water supplies and land are contaminated, it will take thousands of years to make them safe again.

Hopefully, you will keep this in mind, when you go to the polls to Vote this week and next:

” which candidates are supporting Fracking and Oil Pipelines and which ones are opposed to them? “

The condition of the water and land that you will  have this time next year depends on it.

Here is a brief Bio that I wrote about Winona several years ago.

She was and is,  an amazing woman, that I have the utmost respect for.

A side note that I find interesting about Winona, she and Robert Redford share the same birthday, August 18th!

Winona LaDuke at Dream Reborn Conference  April 6, 2008
Picture credit: Eclectek

 

Winona LaDuke, who was born in 1959 and grew up in Los Angeles,  is Anishinabe/Anishinaabekwe – Ojibwe and an enrolled member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg of the Makwa Dodaem – Bear Clan of the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.

Her father, an Ojibwe was a supporting actor in westerns as well as an Indian activist and her mother, a Russian Jew from New York, was an art professor.

As a teenager LaDuke addressed the United Nations on mining issues.

After graduating from Harvard in 1982, she took a position as the principal of the High School on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota.

LaDuke is a Program Director of the Honor the Earth Fund and works nationally to promote and assist Native Environmental groups.

She is a Founding Director for White Earth Land Recovery Project: a reservation-based non-profit organization focusing on land, cultural and environmental issues.

LaDuke co-chairs the Indigenous Women’s Network and is Program Director of the Environmental Program at the Seventh Generation Fund.

LaDuke ran with Ralph Nader in 1996 and 2000 as his Vice-Presidential candidate for the Green Party and worked to increase Native American voter registration and activism.

She has written on environmental racism and is the author of several books including: Last Standing Woman and  All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life

LaDuke spoke at the International Women’s Conference in Beijing, China on August 31, 1995.

Read excerpts from her speech

LaDuke teaches courses on Native Environmentalism at the University of Minnesota and other colleges and has campaigned for the reduction of nuclear waste.

In 1994, she was named by Time Magazine as one of America’s 50 most promising leaders under 40 years of age.

She currently lives with her two children on the White Earth Reservation.

 

Places to learn more:

Native Americans Launch ‘Love Water Not Oil’ Ride To Protest Fracking Pipeline

Winona LaDuke – Wikipedia

Honor the Earth Website

Winona’s Facebook Page

Love Water Not Oil

First Nation Ride For Mother Earth Forms Norwegian/Indian Alliance

An Interview with Winona LaDuke

Honor the Earth – Wikipedia

Naughty Nudists

 
Royal Terns on Passage Key Wildlife Refuge in Florida
Picture credit: USFWS


When this came on our Noon News yesterday, at first I thought that it must be a joke, but as it turned out, it was quite the opposite.
A Florida Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast near Tampa, called Passage Keys, with a resident population of rare Native birds like Royal Terns, is being disturbed by Nudists.
The Nudists are allowed to wade in the water offshore, but are forbidden to go onto the Beach, where the Birds are Nesting.
There are signs and the area is patrolled.
This Federally protected habitat is off-limits to the public, but a seemingly ignorant and determined group of Nudists have been going ashore and the birds who are not used to having humans on their Nesting Beach area, are flying off.
This is not good.
Anyone who knows anything about wildlife, knows that when they are disturbed and their habitats are invaded,  or their daily eating routines are interfered with, they may suffer serious consequences from it.
A hungry animal that is frightened away from its food source or nest, may or may not return, before it is too late.
A few months ago, in a similar kind of Island Environment on the Atlantic Coast, also with a group of nesting rare Terns, several  dogs were allowed to run loose on the Island and they did irreparable harm to all that they encountered.
By the time it was over, the Nests, the Chicks and the Terns were all gone!
Complete, absolute and total destruction, for what?
It would be extremely sad to see a repeat of this tragedy on the West Coast.
 
Places to learn more:
Popular Fla. nude beach causing problem for wildlife
Birds, nudists edge for space at Passage Key
Rare birds disrupted by nudists on wildlife refuge
Newly reformed island is for the birds, not nudists, according to feds
Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge
Passage Key Wildlife Refuge

Water

 
A drop  of Water
Picture credit: José Manuel Suarez


The absence from this obviously addictive pleasure, has left me with a great deal of time to ponder what the subject of the first posting here would be, after being cleared by my Doctor to resume a somewhat normal life.
Before beginning,  I must take the time to say,  from the very depths of my heart, how much all of your comments and kind wishes and thoughts have meant to me, while I suffered here in the darkness of my self, or medically, imposed prison.
You simply overwhelmed me with your responses.
But, now back to work!
So, what was brewing, or festering in my mind all of this time?
It seemed like nearly everyday for the past week, there has been a story on our News about Water.
The problems with Water are not just local, they are Global, and they are,  or should be, our number one concern.
No water, no people, no life!
It really is that simple.
After the air that we breathe, Water is, in my opinion, the second most vital element, in sustaining all life on Earth.
The World’s problems with Water are, unlike our absolute dependence on it, quite complex and come from multiple sources.
In Ohio right now, exactly like so many places in Florida, the Water has become toxic from farm, and/or pesticide runoff.
Here in Florida, the Indian River Lagoon,  Everglades, Lakes Okeechobee and Toho, all have toxin/pollution problems that are Human caused.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife have either already died, or are continuing to die, at all four places, even though proposals have been made to repair the damage, or improve the situation, still the deadly pollution remains.
In the meantime, no one at the top, in either state, seems to have  the temerity or the  power, to tell the farmers to stop poisoning our water supplies with their careless disposal of poisons and complete disregard for Water safety or purity.
But,  if we don’t force them to change their deadly, destructive, dangerous habits, we are all, every single living species on this planet, doomed.
Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are not compatible with life, they are now and will continue forever, to kill us all, until we are finally gone.
Not all of our Water problems come from chemical abuse, there are others.
Right now in many states, people cannot drink their Water because of fracking, places like Colorado and Pennsylvania have Water that can and does,  catch on fire.
Who wants to drink that?
Another disastrous Water problem,  is not what is being done to it, but the complete absence of it.
In California,  my home for over 30 years, the entire state is now in the worst drought of their history.
Entire Industries there are either dying, or are already dead, from the total lack of Water.
So, what is the answer, you ask?
Well, since the crisis with Water is Global, perhaps we should all be working together to solve this dilemma.
That really is not the appropriate word though,  is it?
This is not a dilemma, this a is a Global ” life or death “ situation, that will soon have an ending, one way or another.
We, Humans, will either do what must be done, or we will not.
Two of our planet’s most important Global Organizations, the United Nations and  the World Health Organization  are imploring us to do just this.
Nothing really big is hanging on this decision, just all life on Earth.
It is our choice,  what will we choose?
Will it be Water?
 
Here are a few of the many places where Water is in great jeopardy in the US:
Ohio, Florida, California, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Texas
 
Some places to learn more:
Water Facts
Global Water Issues
WHO – Water
United Nations – Water Issues
Water – NRDC
World Water Day: 10 Places Most in Need of Clean Water
The Ten Biggest American Cities That Are Running Out Of Water
Driest year ever in Calif. sparks fire, water fears
Ohio Regulators Aim to Help Water Problem With Fertilizer Licenses
In Florida, Toxic Algae is a Year-Round Fight
Pollutants threaten the Everglades’ future

New Blog~

If you think that Organic and GMO foods are not a high stakes industry,
please do take a look at this picture.

Credit: Compiled by Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper

If you might have wondered where I have been, this is where:
http://organicopinion.wordpress.com/
It was the result of a bad shopping excursion that was the very last straw.
Hope you enjoy it!

Murdered, why?

Our beloved Gopher Tortoise Harriet, on her way back to her tunnel after eating.

Yesterday our local news, as usual, found a heinous, outrageous story about an animal that had been tortured and killed.
It had been murdered.
The animal at the center of this media firestorm, was an Endangered Gopher Tortoise.
As it was airing  yesterday,  I looked out the kitchen window at our beloved Harriet who was sitting under the tree, munching quietly on a tiny plant.
She looked so peaceful, so happy.
She does not know that she  is one of the lucky ones.
Many in this state are not, they do not have a safe place to live where they are not disturbed.
Gopher Tortoises here are continuously being uprooted at the whim and pleasure of greedy developers who want to build new Condos, new Shopping Centers, new anything, new everything.
Just build baby!
And get  ” those damn turtles out of their way,  they have things to build! “
Because they are protected, they are supposed to be moved as new things are built.
Do we really believe that they truly care if a Tortoise accidentally gets buried alive in the process?
Oops!
My heart broke for the one that was tortured, who suffered and died.
I said a small prayer for it and then immediately became angry for what has now become so common here and elsewhere in the world, constant, unnecessary, violence directly aimed at innocent animals who cannot fight back, or defend themselves.
Why has this abuse against animals become so commonplace, have we all become immune to it?
Are we all now completely desensitized?
This should come as no shock, considering the fact that nearly 100%  of every news story, every single day, is about violence.
Two things are now quite apparent to me and they should be to you as well.
Our News media here in Florida seems to be obsessed with stories that involve an animal being hurt.
We also have some very sick people living in this state, who seem to take great pleasure in harming  animals.
Were those who committed this terrible crime hardened criminals?
No.
Were these gang members meeting an initiation requirement?
No.
The dastardly perpetrators in this case of vile and extreme  evil,  were two teenage girls.
Their reason.
Only they know the answer to this.
Threats have been  made against the girls and their families.
FWC are naturally deeply involved and the father of one of the girls has made an understandable comment that there will be ” no more Facebook or Smart phones “ in their house.
He will allow the local Law Enforcement and the Legal System to take its course.
The entire series of event surrounding this despicable crime should be making an even bigger case for a return to some sort of morality, humanity and just plain compassion in people today.
Where,  as a species, have we gone wrong, that now our children are doing these kinds of things to not only innocent, but Endangered Creatures, that have no way to protect themselves.
So, what started out yesterday as a local horror story, has now become a Global Horror story, as it has been picked up by News agencies everywhere.
How we must look to the world?
What must they think of us?
As Parents, as Humans, we had better take a long, hard cold, look in the mirror.
Our lack of Humanity and Compassion has come home to roost.
Are our children now capable of murdering wild things, just for the pleasure of watching them die?
Dear Parents, dear Readers, will you please talk with your children and ask them what they think about this story?
If we are to survive as a species, we had better start finding out who and what we really are.
And what we are capable of doing to innocents?
We had better have an answer to this question:  Murdered, why?
 
There are three links below, I want nothing more to do with this story:
Two girls face threats after torturing and killing turtle in Florida
Florida teens face charges for torturing, killing threatened tortoise, posting video online
Florida Girls Light Tortoise on Fire, Set Off Hunt for Vigilante Justice

Guilty!

 
Beautiful, Bashful, Black Bear Cubs~
Picture credit:  FWC

I am sure that you all remember the horrific stories written  here about the Seven Black Bears,  that were killed in the Orlando area recently.
It was a sad, sad, sickening thing to have to write about and watch unfold.
Many hearts were broken,  as this story was on the News here nearly daily.
Many were also convinced that a Human was at the root of this, but could not prove it until now.
Finally the answer came and it has been all over our news for the past 24 hours.
First, a local Seminole County couple, Corey Zeak and Lori Clem, admitted to feeding the bears in this neighborhood and pleaded  “no contest”  to the charges against them.
They were fined $200 each and put on six months probation!
Then, a video surfaced of a man shown actually in the act of feeding a Black Bear.
He appeared in  court yesterday,  his name is Eugene Cifers.
And, he has pleaded ” not guilty.”
This man is not some ignorant, uneducated,  thoughtless, reckless culprit.
This man knows better.
Or at least you would think that he would,  considering that he is a former member of the Audubon Board and Save the Manatee Club.
This man has apparently been doing this for quite some time and has shared his both, illegal and stupid actions,  with a variety of people, including his neighbors and even his trash man.
Too many Bears in this state are being killed, either by car strikes, or by being “euthanized”.
The recent  “ donut caper, “  as I like to call it,  to try to  “count”  the numbers of Florida’s Black Bears,  is something I fear may soon lead to a disaster for them.
There are now grumblings or rumblings, of something that I was assured by an unnamed person at the top, would never happen here,  Black Bear Hunting.
In Florida, our hands are now stained with the blood of Black Bears, as it has become a tragic, too common occurrence.
Last week another Black Bear who refused to stay away from people and trouble was put down.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, or FFWC, said that they had no other choice.
The Bear was taken away, or relocated,  repeatedly, but it kept coming back.
Remember what they say,  “follow the food?”
This is what Black Bears and all the wild things will always do, they will follow the food, even though it might kill them.
Only stupid people feed wildlife, because it causes them to behave abnormally, which in turn costs them their lives.
It is not cute, or kind,  to feed them you idiots and you cannot plead ” innocent or no contest.”
These are not teddy bears, toys, or dolls for you to play with.
They are not cute, cuddly, stuffed animals for you to snuggle and then put back on the shelf.
These are wild animals who need to stay apart, or away from us,  if they are to stay alive.
Every encounter that a Black Bear has with a Human, is one more step that it has to unlearn.
If you feed a Black Bear or ANY wild animal and it is euthanized:
You are GUILTY!
 
Places to learn more:
Eugene Cifers: Florida man accused of feeding bears, wildlife officials say they have photo
Officials say photo shows Seminole man is feeding bears
Florida Man Has Been Feeding Neighborhood Bears For a Year, According to Officials
Neighbor of mauled woman in Seminole among three charged with feeding bears
Bear that returned to Panama City is euthanized