Just trying to do my Bit!

Danish Slaughter of Dolphins

I received today an email with photos of poor dolphins being slaughtered in some Danish seaside town all in the name of proving your manhood!!! I could understand if it was sharks or crocodiles but dolphins, I mean they are one of the poor creatures on this planet who actually not only trust humans but actively seek them out for company.

Last week I wrote about the Japs wanting to resume whale hunting and 2 African countries wanting to kill elephants for their Ivory and whilst hope neither is successful at least can see that however wrong the reason those countries wish to murder animals for commercial gain, but to kill defenseless dolphins to prove your manhood, I suggest any Dane wanting to truly prove their bravery and courage they join the British army and get out to Afghanistan.

Human beings are a disease

I find my feeling towards my fellow man is following a similar pattern as my life, a roller coaster, When I see how the world and especially the British rallied round to help the Haiti earthquake appeal I feel so proud, however last week brought me down to earth on news that certain countries are trying to overturn the Whaling ban and the Ivory ban and want to start hunting poor Whales and Elephants again. Will we ever learn? It bring me back to the quote from The Matrix - 'I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area, and you multiply, and multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet, you are a plague, and we are the cure.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM1-DQ2Wo_w

Let us hope common sense prevails and we never return to the barbaric torture of animals now banned and can carry on getting the rest of the acts that should be banned like bullfighting.

The future, Eddie Izzard and the begging bowl

Having lost a very dear friend to cancer only last year, as well as my own mother at the very young age of 48, I hope to one day be in the situation where I can set up fund raising for my 4 favourite causes, Cancer research hopefully linked to Terry Fox, a children sports and education charity, a charity to support military personnel (Remembering that a coalition force has been active in recent conflicts i.e. Iraq and Afghanistan) and the Environment, Indigenous people and animals. At this moment in time I am concentrating on the last one and will attempt to run through the Amazon rainforest.

I watched part 1 of Eddie Izzard marathon run for Sports Relief and thought it very entertaining and take my hat off to the guy, I am planning to do things totally different, I have completed 3 weeks of training and anticipate many more ahead before my trainee sets foot on Amazonian soil, I will also be up at the crack of dawn to complete my marathons before the sun gets too strong and intend to go at a comfortable pace but plan to get the daily run over and done with, the thought of being on my feet for between 8-10 hours a day give me no pleasure.


Today is the day I start with the begging bowl and the thought horrifies me, my one consolation is the money is not for me but a very worthwhile cause so here goes, will people support me or not?

Terry Fox

Going back to the 80’s and the days of videos, I remember walking out of the new video shop with a film called ‘The Terry Fox Story’ a HBO TV movie about a one legged Canadian guy running across Canada to raise money for Cancer research calling it ‘the marathon of hope’.
As somebody who back in those days ran 6 days a week come rain, hail or sunshine I was very much enthralled in his story and remember at the end when it did not have the usual happy ending having to step back and take in what he achieved, unfortunately Terry did not quite manage to get to the other end of Canada and there was no miracle cure he sadly died at the very young age of 22. Terry Fox hoped to raise C$1for each of Canada's 24 million people on his run, a goal he met despite being forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,300 kilometers when his cancer spread to his lungs.
Terry died of cancer nine months after abandoning his marathon. His name has been lent to the annual Terry Fox Run which was first held in 1981 and is the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research having raised over $500-million. In 2004, he was named the second greatest Canadian in history by Canadians.

Fairtrade

It is Fairtrade fortnight at the moment and many people wonder what it is all about, or in these tough economic times where every penny counts how can they afford it.

What is Fairtrade?


Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

What is the Fairtrade Foundation?


The Fairtrade Foundation is a development organisation committed to tackling poverty and injustice through trade, and the UK member of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). The Foundation works with businesses, civil society organisations and individuals to improve the position of producer organisations in the South and to help them achieve sustainable improvements for their members and their communities. Certification and product labelling (through the FAIRTRADE Mark) are the primary tools for our development goals. The backing of organisations of producers and consumers in a citizen’s movement for change is fundamental and integral to our work.



What is the FAIRTRADE Mark?


The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have been certified against internationally agreed Fairtrade standards. It shares internationally recognised Fairtrade standards with initiatives in 20 other countries, working together globally with producer networks as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). The Mark indicates that the product has been certified to give a better deal to the producers involved – it does not act as an endorsement of an entire company’s business practices.

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
I read last week an article about Açaí growers in Brasil being paid less than 50p for a 14 kilogram basket of the Superfruit, last year I bought some capsules of a new wonder slimming drug containing Açaí which after the months trial would have cost me £79 a month it was obvious somebody is making big money from the fruit but not the poor farmers in the Amazon region where the fruit grow, so organisations like Fairtrade are very important not only to make sure the farmers get a fair day’s pay for a fairs day’s work but will also help stop de-forestation as the fruits become so valuable.