Everything starts with the roots.

I believe that change starts in the roots - a movement to save our environment starts with changing the way we see the world. So I created this blog to spread awareness and give practical advice on how to help the environment near you aaaand I might even dig deeper into philosophy, ecology and human rights sometimes as everything is connected. So. Here's to you - an individual who is capable of changing the world (in better and in worse) starting with yourself.

[newtonpermetersquare]

why have i been disgraced

[probablyasocialecologist]

Around 50-85% of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere comes from phytoplankton

[xwxda-m1n3n-g035-nyahxwx]

phytoplankton appreciation post 💚

[unculture]

theyre not used to being noticed…..

[onenicebugperday]

A great campaign from the Xerces Society to remind us not to clean up our yards too much in the fall!

Our little invertebrate friends need winter homes :)

Make your yard a haven for local wildlife!

More information about how leaf litter benefits wildlife here here.

Make a donation to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation here. They do great work, and I’ve been a monthly donor for a long while now.

Donate $57 and get this Leave the Leaves yard sign here!

Don’t feel obligated to donate, but spreading the word on tumblr or other social media using these graphics is super helpful!

[rjzimmerman]

Idaho Senate Approves Bill to Kill 90 Percent of State’s Wolves

The bill would allow the state to hire contractors to kill the wolves, which supporters say are threatening the livelihoods of Idaho’s ranchers.

If environmental activists, both soft and hard line, had any courage, they would promote an effort to discourage any tourism to Idaho. This action is insane.

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

The Idaho Senate approved a bill this week that would permit the state to hire contractors to kill up to 90 percent of Idaho’s wolves with the goal, supporters said, of protecting cattle and other agricultural interests.

“These wolves, there’s too many in the state of Idaho,” State Senator Mark Harris, a Republican, said on the Senate floor before the vote on Wednesday, after telling a story about a “gentleman rancher” whose livelihood was jeopardized when a pack of wolves scared off his cattle.

Idaho’s Wolf Conservation and Management plan calls for the state to maintain a wolf population of at least 150 wolves. At last count, Mr. Harris said, 1,556 wolves were roaming the state.

“They’re destroying ranchers; they’re destroying wildlife,” he said.

The bill would give the state’s Wolf Control Fund an additional $190,000 to hire contractors to kill wolves — on top of $400,000 previously allocated toward killing wolves in Idaho. The bill also would remove a limit on the number of wolves a hunter is permitted to kill.

The Senate approved the bill in a 26-7 vote on Wednesday. The measure now goes to the State House of Representatives. The office of Governor Brad Little, a Republican, declined to say whether he planned to sign the bill. Last year Mr. Little signed another bill boosting funds for the killing of wolves.

Backers of the bill said that wolves also reduce the numbers of deer and elk available to hunters, taking an additional economic toll on the state. Some lawmakers disputed that hiring contractors would drive the wolf population down to just 150, while others referenced the 150 figure as if were the goal.

[moonbow-bunny]

Sign the Petition

Stop the Idaho Wolf Cull - SB1211

While sometimes their population does need to be controlled, 90% is over the top, unnecessary, and cruel. Wolves are a keystone species and important to the environment. They control the population of deer and keep the herds healthy by hunting the sick, weak, and elderly. Moreover, they keep herds moving, which helps ensure the new growth of local flora that provides resources and environments to other animals. If the wolves are really a problem, there are definitely better ways to handle it.

Contact Us - Office of the Governor

Sign Up for News Submit a comment or question below | Call us at 208-334-2100 Please provide the following information Required items are ma

And sign the petition at:

http://chng.it/hKgDG2JmH7

[depressedspacetrees]

Please please reblog this I live in rural Idaho and the wolves are massively important in maintaining the healthy ecosystem out here! The legislation is not listening to biologists nor farmers who understand the importance of keystone species like wolves!

[cridhe]

okay djab wurrung info for those who care:

directions tree is gone. they cut it down. its dead

birthing tree is STILL THERE. the birthing tree is a gum tree with a large cavity at the bottom in which generations of djab wurrung have been born.

as of today (wed 28 oct) the victorian supreme court has banned further works on the site until after a court hearing. this injunction is valid until after the hearing at 2pm aedt thursday 29 october.

it is not over. we do not know what the hearing will determine but the fact that there will be a hearing at all is testament to the power of the people. now is the time to fight for country harder than ever before. solidarity with djab wurrung first nation. sovereignty was never ceded.

email via: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/stop_work_now

call (if in aus): [phone] state name and postcode, tell them you oppose the works on djab wurrung sacred land

STOP WORK ON DJAB WURRUNG COUNTRY

The Djab Wurrung Embassy is under threat. Email Now

[cridhe]

djab wurrung court hearing update:

an interim injunction has been declared until the 19 november ie no further works on the site shall continue until the matter is resolved.

It is NOT OVER. this is short term, please keep fighting!!

the guardian has published this article about the issue:

Removal of Djab Wurrung people and destruction of trees on sacred site illegal, lawyers argue

Work on highway in Victoria’s Ararat has stopped while an injunction is sought relating to trees of significance to Indigenous people

DONT STOP CALLING AND EMAILING:

email template: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/stop_work_now (foreigners can use postcode 3000 for melbourne cbd)

phone dan andrews (vic premier): [phone] state name and postcode, tell them you oppose the works on djab wurrung sacred land

[the-aila-test]

Fighting against Industry - The Forest Rescuers | ARTE in English

The Sami people are attached to their traditions and their lands in the far north of Finland where they herd reindeer in the primeval forest. But the global demand for paper, a Finnish export industry, threatens the forest and their way of life.

[minjiminjiminji]

XKCD’s excellent presentation on historical global temperature and anthropogenic global warming. 

[After setting your car on fire] “Listen, your car’s temperature has changed before.”

[asteraceaeblue-deactivated20181]

For the “Earth’s climate has changed before” crowd.

[andtosaturn]

since people are asking, here’s a list of places you can donate to help the australian bushfires. donating literally $1 means you have done more than our prime minister. (* = can donate internationally; for the other ones you might have to google it) 

cfa (VIC firefighters) 

rfs (NSW firefighters)*

rfbaq (QLD firefighters) 

cfs (SA firefighters) 

red cross*

WWF NSW bushfire crisis*

WWF koala crisis* (both WWF links are in aud so use a currency converter if you’re outside aus)

St Vincents NSW (partnership with channel 9)

St Vincents SA 

RSPCA NSW 

here is a list from the abc (but maybe don’t donate to the salvos bc they suck) (x)

i’ll keep it updated as i find more

[drferox]

If you want to avoid the big organisations and help the battlers more locally on the ground, here’s an incomplete list. The firefighters are vital and working hard, and some local stations are set up to take donations directly. But if you want a more animal-focused bent (because that’s what I do)…

Mallacoota Wildlife Shelter (koalas and wildlife in the thick of the East Gippsland fires in Victoria right now, bank details on the Jan 2nd post)

Wires.org.au Wildlife rescue

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, in NSW.

Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital, in South Australia (coping it hard since Xmas day)

Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, in SE Queensland.

Ipswich Koala Protection Society, in Queensland.

Koalas in Care (NSW, takes paypal)

Vets Beyond Borders is a large organization which will accept donations, and also coordinated AVERT - the Australian Veterinary Emergency Response Team. Vets, vet nurses and vet techs can register as volunteers there.

And there are other organizations that can be helped in other ways.

Medical Pantry, a collective which gathers unused or surplus medical supplies for redistribution. They will be helping supply what they can.

If you have space in your home, Airbnb Open Homes lets you register your home for displaced people or relief workers to offer them accommodation.

There are fodder drops being organized for livestock in affected areas but…well, some of these areas are not accessible yet and nobody’s quire sure what’s alive down there. But there will be a need for fodder and agistment paddocks for horses and livestock.

Some shelters or vet hospitals will also need things like feed/waterbowls and dog crates to house wildlife. A local organisation might have a pickup point near you, or some clinics will have staff registered to go as volunteers when asked.

In addition, some local knitters/sewers/crafters guild will be turning old cotton and flannelette material into pouches and wraps for injured wildlife. If you’ve got a local group, see what they’re doing and what you can donate out of the cupboards. I know Wonderground in South East Melbourne has a sewing day this Sunday (5thof Jan) and they are local to me, but see which groups are local to you.

This is the most up-to-date list of crafted products required that I have at the moment.

(From Animal Rescue freecycle)

[whispelanix]

Welcome to Australia...

Where an already endangered species is on the brink of functional extinction...

Oh, and 500 million animals unique to this country have already lost their lives, upon homes that have been destoryed and lives lost of people as well...

I mean... we're only living in a literal inferno...

415 fires. Fuck are we dying...

Oh yeah and people are just fleeing to the damn ocean, you know?

Do you want to know what Hell on Earth looks like..?

Because there it is in all it's unfiltered, firey rage...

There it is... my home from space...

This is only the beginning. Our country has not only entered a new decade, it seems a new dawning era as well, because this flaming apocalypse doesn't show any sign of stopping any time soon.

And you know what saddens me? I've never seen Australian tragedies trending here on this website. I mean it's been going on for months and only now does it seem to really be getting recognized, even if it is only at #9.

And I'm going to be honest with you here - the internet, and media in general is so American centric, this website being no exception. You'd think that an entire continent being on fire for several months with devastating consequences would have more recognition, but no, it really doesn't. The most notes I've ever seen on a post about the Australian fires is at least a few thousand, and that's about it.

So just... please. If you can, with this post or any other post in regards to the fires going on down here, reblog. Because the only thing that should be spreading like wildfire, is a post about a burning country...

[terefah]

Click here to support Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities organized by Neil Morris

Neil Morris Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities As Fires have struck the East Coast of this sacred land recently it has lead to s

this is a fire relief fund for First Nations communities on the east coast of so called australia, please donate and share widely

[hope-for-the-planet]

How One Man Singlehandedly Repopulated a Rare Butterfly Species in His Backyard

Long gone from their home in San Francisco, the California pipevine swallowtail is back thanks to one man transforming his yard into a habitat for them The iridescent blue wings of the California pipevine swallowtail are considered by collectors to be among the most magnificent in North America. For centuries …

As the California pipevine plant was displaced from San Francisco by urban sprawl, the California pipevine swallowtail, which relies on the pipevine plant to feed its caterpillars, also disappeared. That is, until a biologist named Tim Wong made it his mission to repopuplate the species in his own backyard.

Armed only with a cutting of California pipevine from the San Francisco Botanical Garden, Tim created a screened in butterfly enclosure in his backyard and began to reproduce California pipevines.

As new butterflies were born, Tim would donate them to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens where their pipevine host plant could still be found.

“At first he brought them in by the hundreds. Now he brings them in by the thousands every few months.”

While most of us don’t have the power to create habitat for endangered rhinos or tigers, anyone with a little bit of outdoor space can help create habitat for endangered insects!

You can:

-plant a pollinator garden with native nectar-producing plants

-plant host plants of local butterfly species

-leave piles of fallen leaves or sticks in your yard as habitat for native bees

-avoid using pesticides (or use them as sparingly as possible) around your home and yard

“Improving habitat for native fauna is something anyone can do. Conservation and stewardship can start in your very own backyard.” -Tim Wong

[iantojonesthebetta]

Fish recorded singing dawn chorus on reefs just like birds

Underwater recordings of vocal fish off the Australian coast reveal an ocean choir composed of at least seven distinct choruses

I love it!!

[feanor-the-dragon]

WAS ANYONE GOING TO TELL ME THAT FISH ARE VOCAL!?

@bunjywunjy WHAT THE FUCK, PLEASE EXPLAIN

[bunjywunjy]

LOTS of fish make noise of some sort, usually by using their swim bladders as a kind of drum! they use noise for the same reasons birds do: to stay in touch with each other, warn of predators in the area, attract a mate, or just to yell HEY GUYS ITS DAY NOW

fish noises aren’t nearly as pretty as birdsong though, it’s mostly grunts, clicks, pops, and squeaks. but it’s still REALLY FUCKIN COOL, plus can birds sing underwater? no. no they can’t. git gud, birds.

[myfrogcroaked]

These Pics Are Composed Of As Many Pixels As There Are Animals Still Alive In These Species

A brilliant 2008 campaign by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been resurfacing thanks to a recent reddit post going viral. The campaign, called WWF Japan – Population by pixel, was created by the agency Hakuhodo C&D / Tokyo.

[mousathe14]

Oh no…

[aviandakota]

Y'all this is BAD

[lyinginbedmon]

Wow this is a really elegant way of describing why falling populations result in a narrow and incomplete picture of the actual species

[fishyandclintbarton]

I've just now found out about the amazing Autumn Peltier. She deserves so much more coverage than i've seen.

[maaarine]

BBC: Millions attend global climate strike

“A global climate strike is under way, with millions of people protesting for “an end to the age of fossil fuels and climate justice for everyone”.”

[ckidarchive]

please search up if there will be a climate strike march where you are on september 20th!! even if there isnt one please strike even on your own. earth needs our help 🌍🌱❤️

[como-chin-gas]

Source: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2019/08/02/ethiopia-tree-planting/

[unsympatheticchemprof]

Plants some trees, please

[weirdmageddon]

the wrong amazon is burning and the wrong ice is melting

[kalevala17-deactivated20201116]

[asundergrowth]

IT DIDNT CATCH FIRE IT IS BEING DELIBERATELY CLEARCUT AND BURNED BECAUSE LARGE AGROBUSINESS CONGLOMERATES PAID THEIR FASCIST GOVERNMENT TO IGNORE THIS COURT RULING

[starshals]

It’d explain why it isn’t getting coverage for sure.

[unculture]

You can give *directly* to Indigenous forest protectors in Brazil by supporting @ApibOficial (Brazilian Articulation of Indigenous Peoples). Indigenous groups are the only reason there is any rainforest left in Brazil at all at this point.

Here’s the link. 

[unculture]

Link