Safari Notes

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...

Kenya’s elephants could be wiped out by poaching in 10 years, unless urgent measures are taken to end the crisis, International wildlife conservationists warned here this week. A demand for ivory and rhino horns in the lucrative Asian black market has attracted cartels to Africa that are presently carrying-out cold blood killings of the animals, the conservationists say. In Kenya, the situation is at its worst now, according to Richard Leakey, an internationally famed paleontologist and founder of WildlifeDirect, a conservation charity. “There has never been such a level of killing as we are experiencing today. Unless we do something now elephants will be gone from the wild within the next decade,” says Dr. Leakey, speaking at a presentation in the Kenyan capital.

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...

The evidence is in: Renewable energy is viable, reliable, and ready to go – all that’s missing is the political will to kick start an energy revolution in South Africa and the rest of Africa. Here are some of the most common myths about renewable energy - just that – myths that don’t stand up to reality. Not only for South Africa, but for the rest of the African countries - the facts are overwhelmingly in favor of using renewable, sustainable, clean energy: Right now, renewable energy is actually already cheaper than coal and nuclear power at every step.  Renewables technology is ready to go, and is working reliably in countries around the world.  The key to getting a constant supply of electricity from renewable energy is to have a mix of sources: solar and wind power, natural gas, and anaerobic digestion plants. By having a mix of sources which are spread over a wide area, we ensure there will always be a supply of energy.  The reality is that South Africa’s a...

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...

Lake Malawi Malawi needs to find means to uplift its 15 million plus citizen's lives out of the abject poverty and misery that most live in. The small, landlocked country, which is very dependent on assistance and aid from foreign countries and international aid agencies, has taken steps and joined the list of East African countries searching for oil. If it can find oil, Malawi (one of the world's most densely populated and least developed countries) has a very good opportunity of very much improving the living standard of its people. But, the country faces a few daunting problems in its quest for oil.

As it is, very few Africans blog and make their voices heard. For Africans who take up blogging, very, very few, if any, write about wildlife and the environment. Africa, with the largest, most diverse, most wonderful and most spectacular population of wildlife, has a people who are least interested in it. Be it in: its oceans, its islands, its plains, its jungles - Africa is abundant with wildlife. Plants and animals. Of many species, of many shapes and of many sizes. One can not talk of wildlife, without thinking of the environment. The environment that all wildlife lives in and depends on. And so do we mankind. All living creatures, all life forms are very dependent on the environment they live in. So why don't African bloggers write about these most important of issues: wildlife and the environment?

Ecotact Ever heard of Ecotact ? Few companies or projects have captured my imagination as this Kenyan company. A company that is so ingenuous and creative that it has won world wide recognition and several international awards. Incredibly, very few Kenyans know or have ever heard of it. As they state on their site:

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...

It is not how long we live that matters. It is what we do while living that does. For me, she has been the greatest Kenyan who ever lived. A philanthropist. A humanitarian. A politician. An activist. And one of the bravest and greatest campaigners the world has ever known. But, it is as one of the greatest environmentalist that the world has ever known that Wangari Maathai will always be known for and remembered for. That made her, worldwide, be so revered and so highly regarded like no other Kenyan. She was the first woman from the East and central African countries to have a doctorate. And the first African woman to have won the Nobel Peace Price.  Against poverty. Against injustice. For human rights. For women's rights. For peace. And above all, for the environment. She lived. She practiced. She did. And dedicated her life to. Bravely and courageously dedicated her life to. We will always fondly remember her and miss her as not only the greatest activist Kenya has ever know...

Join the World Wildlife Fund to stop oil sands from Canada blowing into Europe: The European Union (EU) is about to make a decision that could define if we move towards a better, cleaner world or a short-sighted, dirty energy future. We need the politicians who are deciding on this legislation to hear our voice and make the right choice! Take action by signing the Petition !

With the seas being continuously and increasing polluted; with air and sea temperatures rising; with fishing becoming more intensive and extensive - can coral reefs be protected? Scientists predict that 70 per cent of the world’s coral reefs may well be destroyed over the next 20-40 years, unless we stop cyanide fishing, pollution, sewage, erosion and clumsy tourism . Plans are being made to give coral reefs more and better protection; if the plans succeed, our Planet will be better off: Coral reefs occupy less than one percent of the Earth’s marine environment, but are home to more than a quarter of all known marine fish species and tens of thousands of other species found nowhere else on earth. Reefs also serve as a buffer against incoming storm surges, protecting local populations. Unfortunately, many coastal ecosystems are threatened by human activities including overfishing, agriculture, and urban development. The degradation of coastal ecosystems not only results in a loss of b...

It is now being reported that Halliburton might be to blame for the Gulf oil spill that’s currently threatening the coasts, livelihoods, health, and seafood restaurants of many states along the Gulf of Mexico . As for Halliburton, this is what they claim on their site : Halliburton originated oilfield cementing and leads the world in effective, efficient delivery of zonal isolation and engineering for the life of the well. Operators consistently rank Halliburton Cementing No. 1 in total value provided to customers . 'Effective', 'efficient' and 'No. 1' Halliburton has been indeed! They have been so effective and efficient and made billions in profit from their own - Americans, and from many other countries; including from Iraq. Profits made, at any cost. Even if it meant 'selling' un-purified water to their own as they did in Iraq; even if it meant ineffectively and inefficiently cementing the deepwater drilling hole in the Gulf of Mexico. Even if ...

BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward , has said the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster should not mean the end of deep-water exploration. He told the BBC : " I don't believe it should [result in a ban], in the same way as Apollo 13 did not stop the space programme nor have serious airline accidents from time to time stopped people flying. " His thinking is just like that of the many oil executives and dealers: they only think in terms of figures and profits.  Above photo from: Rocky Mountains Review For Mr. Hayward to compare the Apollo 13 and past air disasters to the current massive and very damaging  oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico, is an insult and a complete lack of responsibility. The Apollo 13 disaster and past air plane crushes were in no way as destructive, perilous, costly and with such damaging long term effect, as the present oil spill is. BP's oil spill is destroying lives and livelihood; does Mr. Hayward know how many dolphins, turtles and other forms of ...

From National Geographic : Cities around the world will briefly go dim Saturday evening as the lights of buildings and landmarks are shut off for one hour to raise awareness about climate change. Called Earth Hour, the event is organized by the conservation nonprofit WWF to encourage people to conserve electricity and reduce the greenhouse emissions that cause global warming . From WWF - very encouraging news about Africa's support this year: Great support from African countries this year, including candle-lit events in Senegal, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Botswana and Zambia. The more people participate in this, the more effective its is. Wherever you are, try and get Involved .

Some, like the British scientist James Lovelock - who formulated the Gaia theory , believe that the World is over populated and over crowded: "It is not simply too much carbon dioxide in the air . . . ," he writes in The Vanishing Face of Gaia ,"......the root cause is too many people, their pets, and their livestock -- more than the Earth can carry. No voluntary human act can reduce our numbers fast enough even to slow climate change." He goes on in an interview with the New Scientist : I'm an optimistic pessimist. I think it's wrong to assume we'll survive 2 °C of warming: there are already too many people on Earth. At 4 °C we could not survive with even one-tenth of our current population. The reason is we would not find enough food, unless we synthesised it. Because of this, the cull during this century is going to be huge, up to 90 per cent. The number of people remaining at the end of the century will probably be a billion or less. It has happene...

In a report released this past week end by a research group based in Britain - the Happy Planet Index , which seeks countries with the happiest and most content people - the Central Latin American nation of Costa Rica comes on top. According to the research group, Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world, have the second-highest average life expectancy of the Americas .......... and have an ecological footprint that means that the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of ‘one-planet living’: consuming its fair share of the Earth’s natural resources . It should be noted too, that: Costa Rica ranks high in many other International Rankings . For decades Costa Rica has stood out for its stability and has benefited from the most developed welfare system in the region. It has no standing army, and its citizens enjoy one of the highest life expectancy levels in the Western hemisphere and better living standards than their war-torn neighbours . More than any o...

Just discovered. It's the new wonder. It's in Mozambique . It's Mount Mabu . Saved from development by Mozambique's long civil war. Surrounded by developed land. And still pristine, largely untouched, Mount Mabu is, now, the largest rain forest in Southern Africa. And it boasts an abundant wildlife of phenomenal biodiversity, some of which are new species. Very few, even in Mozambique - except for the local villagers, have heard of Mount Mabu, one of the few places on Earth that has never been explored or mapped before. It is being described by the National Geographic as a place with a mind-boggling diversity of wildlife and plants . See more pictures of the new wonder here .