Safari Notes

#Muguka and #Miraa are known to be detrimental and destructive to families, health and wellbeing. In #Kenya most of those who consume the two are #Muslims; and look at what it has done to them - it has kept them low economically and educationally. Children from families who chew the two drugs, very rarely go far in education. It's Muslims who are mainly to be found in poor places like: Kalolenis, Majengos, Bondenis etc. If it wasn't for many Muslims working in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries (where many were being paid well) and if it wasn't for millions of #Somalis migrating and living in Western countries (sending remittances), Muslims would have been even much poorer.  Then look too, at countries that have many people chewing muguka/miraa - they are some of the poorest and most fragmented - #Somalia, #Yemen and #Djibouti. The millions of Muslims in #Ethiopia are poor and uneducated mainly due to their families being dominated by #qat.  How can the laws or constitu...

United For Wildlife Prince William, Duke of Cambridge has formed a new wildlife conservation foundation: United For Wildlife . The foundation will collaborate with seven of the world’s most influential conservation organizations: Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International, International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF UK and the Zoological Society of London - in a new partnership to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. “The threats to our natural heritage are extensive, but I believe that this collaboration of the best minds in conservation will provide the impetus for a renewed commitment and action to protect endangered species and habitats for future generations,” said the Prince, who is the president of United for Wildlife. Through his Foundation, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge has brought together an unprecedented collaboration between seven of the world's most influential conservati...

In the seven years since the release of An Inconvenient Truth , Box says that Earth’s melting polar ice has been speaking loudly and clearly to scientists—and the message is terrifying : “If we’ve learned anything, it’s that we’re under-predicting the sensitivity of the cryosphere,” he says. “The ice is telling us that abrupt climate change is well underway. You’ll hear people say we’re going into uncharted territory, but that’s not correct. We are already in uncharted territory.” Simply put, we’re melting the world’s ice-covered regions. And this extreme thaw is a problem for two big reasons. One, the excess water will cause sea levels to rise, thereby threatening countless coastal communities. And two, increasing amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere will effectively prime the pump for more and more extreme weather events. In 2012,  the Arctic ice cap shrank  to a record low, with only 24 percent of the Arctic Ocean covered by ice, a 50 percent drop from 1...

We believe our future can, and should, be powered by nature. The energy systems in place across the planet within the next four years will define the world’s climate change path for generations. All countries have a right to develop, yet we need to invest money now in clean and renewable energy – to limit dangerous climate change, to reduce the risk to human health from fossil fuels, to fast-track access to energy, and to safeguard our collective future. We call on financial institutions and governments worldwide to act immediately to invest more in sustainable energy powered by wind, water and the sun. They must phase out investments in coal, oil and gas and enable a just transition from the dirty and unsustainable energy of today. The world needs investment in nature, and there are good reasons to do so now more than ever. We stand for a future in which people live in harmony with nature. Investing in fossil fuels threatens the natural world and the stability of communitie...

Do you love penguins? Most of us do. And can there be a better way to express that love and support than helping in saving these very adorable creatures?  Right now there is an opportunity to protect these amazing animals by helping establish the world’s two largest sanctuaries at sea around Antarctica. Adding your voice will help protect countless penguins, whales, seals and nearly 10,000 other incredible species. *Despite the best efforts of the Happy Feet penguins, the Southern Ocean is not yet protected. That’s why Greenpeace is working with the  Antarctic Oceans Alliance , and lobbying governments to come together to protect areas like   the Ross Sea , which are vital for many penguins. You can help Greepeace, and the penguins, by  j oining their call for ocean sanctuaries around Antarctica , and by spreading the word about World Penguin Day.  Learn more  |  Sign the petition + Facts About Penguins: Defenders , World Wildlife Fund , W...

In Indonesia, behind the scenes, major international brands are conducting business with suppliers such as PT Gistex, helping to sponsor toxic water pollution and murky business practices. One of these brands is Gap - which has been linked to toxic water scandals before, and whose clothing items tested positive for hazardous chemicals in a previous investigation . How many more scandals need to break before Gap work with their suppliers in Indonesia and around the world to Detox their production processes and products, and help Detox our water? Around the world, over half a million fashionistas, activists, designers and bloggers have joined together, united by a belief that beautiful fashion needn't cost the earth. Join the movement and send a clear message to major brands and suppliers linked to this environmental destruction that we want clothes with a story we can be proud of. Take action: SIGN THE DETOX FASHION MANIFESTO + Polluting Paradise

Almost 3,000 live great apes are stolen annually from the forests of Africa and South-east Asia in an illicit trade increasingly linked to organized crime and trans-boundary networks that move the animals in the same ways as drugs, arms and laundered money, according to a new United Nations report released today.  “Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Bonobos and Orangutans,” produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), estimates that at least 22,218 great apes have been lost from the wild since 2005 – either sold, killed during the hunt, or dying in captivity – with chimpanzees comprising 64 per cent of that number. “The current scale outlined in this report underlines how important it is that the international community and the organizations responsible for conserving endangered species remain vigilant, keeping a step ahead of those seeking to profit from such illegal activities,” UNEP Executive Di...

Save Elephants and Tigers! I have just read a heart wrenching, painful report on how more cruel and merciless poaching for wildlife and 'trade' in them and their parts has become. The report by the award winning photojournalist and filmmaker, James Morgan, is one of many that's coming out of Africa and Asia. Every day in the savannas and forests of Africa, elephants are being gunned down for their ivory tusks. Across Africa, tens of thousands of these majestic animals are being slaughtered each year. In many places the species has already been poached to extinction . As for tigers, it is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth. Numerous tiger species are on the brink of extinction; the numbers of all existing species are declining rapidly. If nothing is done, now, both these two very majestic animals will soon be wiped out from the wild. The main market for both elephant and tiger parts, is Asia. And the main, central hub for this very cruel and merciless 't...

In the last 30 years, we’ve lost as much as three-quarters of the floating sea ice cover at the top of the world. The volume of that sea ice measured by satellites in the summer, when it reaches its smallest, has shrunk so fast that scientists say it’s now in a ‘death spiral’. For over 800,000 years, ice has been a permanent feature of the Arctic ocean. It’s melting because of our use of dirty fossil fuel energy, and in the near future it could be ice free for the first time since humans walked the Earth. This would be not only devastating for the people, polar bears, narwhals, walruses and other species that live there - but for the rest of us too. The ice at the top of the world reflects much of the sun’s heat back into space and keeps our whole planet cool, stabilising the weather systems that we depend on to grow our food. Protecting the ice means protecting us all. Help save the Arctic! Act and Sign Now! >>>>>>

We join Greenpeace and all those who campaigned to celebrate! We did it!: Levi Strauss & Co. today committed to go toxic-free. Why? Because you and hundreds of thousands of other people demanded that Levi’s “Go Forth and Detox”. The world's biggest denim brand joins ten other clothing companies that have made  credible commitments to Detox , including the world's largest fashion retailer, Zara. Levi's commitment comes just eight days after we launched our “Toxic Threads: Under Wraps” report  in Mexico, and screened a documentary about a family  struggling to hold factories in the region to account for the pollution they are causing, including suppliers of brands like Levi's.The brand is living up to its claims of being a leader. Competitors that have so far failed to take responsibility for the pollution created along their entire supply chain are looking increasingly exposed. These include familiar big brands names such as Calvin Klein, GAP and Victoria...

Philips LED Light Bulb  With ice caps on mountains and in both poles melting fast; with fish stocks depleting at such an alarming rate that the jack mackerel fish will soon completely be wiped out; with forests disappearing at a rate that nothing less than a miracle will save many of these precious resource; we have to act. Every one of us. As for the jack mackerel fish, if nothing is done very urgently now and concrete steps taken to protect the little of what remains of this fish, which is a staple in Africa - they will soon be decimated. If/when the mackerel disappears from our oceans, what will stop the collapse of other fish stocks in all oceans? From Technica : To commemorate Earth Day 2012, Earthday.org is asking people all over the world to commit to a single, simple “Act of Green.” A small, environmentally conscious choice everyone can make that will have a positive impact on the planet. If everyone commits to even the smallest things, like riding a bike to...

Many of us have so much food to eat, everyday, that some of that food is wasted or thrown away. Ever thought of how difficult it can be to be hungry? For Muslims who fast during the month of Ramadhan, they know how hard that can be. There are millions of our fellow Mankind around the world, who, daily - have nothing to eat or too little food. There are millions who do not know where there next meal is going to come from. Hunger and malnutrition are still the number one risks to health worldwide :

Every day, all over the world, people like you are dedicating their choices to make a sustainable world a reality. We choose sustainability in our home lives, in our communities, in our political preferences, and in our careers. Together, these actions are adding up to huge momentum for change. We are slowly building power, but not yet enough to overcome the power of the fossil-fuel lobby. This month, you are invited to two world-wide events for our global movement for sustainable solutions to build our power: 24 Hours of Reality AND Moving Planet - Two ways to take part . + The Climate Reality Project

This from WWF : The Malaysian peninsula is home to some of world's most amazing wildlife including Sumatran rhinos, Malayan tigers and Asian elephants. But these, and many other species in the region, are under increasing threat due to poaching and the demand for their body parts in the illegal wildlife trade. Elephants and many other species in the region, are under increasing threat due to poaching and the demand for their body parts in the illegal wildlife trade. | © WWF-Malaysia / Shariff Mohamad Elephants and many other species in the region, are under increasing threat due to poaching and the demand for their body parts in the illegal wildlife trade. © WWF-Malaysia / Shariff Mohamad Wildlife in Malaysia is currently protected by the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972, a 37-year old law, which is severely outdated and riddled with loopholes. As a result many species continue to be poached and illegally traded at alarming rates, whilst wildlife offenders often escape arrest an...

This just in from the wonderful people of WWF : New hope was extended to some of the world's most diverse and endangered forests today as WWF, four Indonesian ministers and ten provincial governors announced a bold commitment to protect the remaining forests and critical ecosystems of Sumatra. WWF Go here to: thank Indonesian officials for signing the first-ever island-wide commitment to protect Sumatra's stunning biodiversity. Urge them to continue to work together to implement a plan that will protect Sumatra's forests and endangered species. The Indonesian island of Sumatra holds some of the world's most diverse – and endangered – forests, which provide livelihoods for millions of people and shelter some of the world's rarest species. It is the only place on earth where endangered rhinos, elephants, tigers and orangutans can be found together . Take Action and join WWF in its campaign for a Living Planet! This is the least that one can do to prot...

Some fine and useful sites, offering Eco and environmental tips and sustainable solutions for a healthy planet: 1. Global Eastwards 2. The Environment Site 3. Ecology Fund 4. Tree Hugger 5. Greenpeace Image: PureStyle Living

National Geographic's mission is: Inspiring People to Care About the Planet. " Since 1888, we've traveled the Earth, sharing its amazing stories with each new generation. The Society's Mission Programs support critical expeditions and scientific fieldwork; encourage geography education for students; promote natural and cultural conservation; and inspire audiences through new media, vibrant exhibitions, and live events. Witness the mission in action, and get involved today! " ~ The National Geographic Image From: Google Images

A history of a global conservation organization. In just over 4 decades, WWF (formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund) has become one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations.With almost 5 million supporters distributed throughout 5 continents, WWF has offices in over 90 countries and can safely claim to have played a major role in the evolution of the international conservation movement.Since 1985, WWF has invested over US$1 billion in more than 12,000 projects . All these projects and activities play a part in the campaign to stop the accelerating degradation of Earth's natural environment, and to help its human inhabitants live in greater harmony with nature. This section explains how the organization grew from being a small group of committed wildlife enthusiasts into a global network, supported by people from all walks of life, who, like WWF, care about the welfare of our planet. WWF

 Islam commands us to be kind and caring to all Wildlife and all living Creatures: There is not an animal (That lives) on the earth, Nor a being that flies On its wings, but (forms Part of communities like you. Nothing have We omitted From the Book, and they (all) Shall be gathered to their Lord In the end. The Noble Qura'an ~ 6:38 Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself. ~ Wisdom of Prophet Muhammad All creatures are like a family (Ayal) of God: and he loves the most those who are the most beneficent to His family. ~ Wisdom of Prophet Muhammad The Prophet(s) was asked if acts of charity even to the animals were rewarded by God. He replied: 'yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive.' (Narrated by Abu Huraira, Bukhari, 3:322. Also Muslim, Vol. 4; Hadith No. 2244. Also Awn (Ref. No. 32), 7:222, Hadith No. 2533. Also Mishkat al-masabih, Book 6; Chapter 6. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "While a man was walking a...