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Petition Tag - endangered
1. All Reefs Worldwide need to be on an Endangered Species list 
All Reefs Worldwide need to be on an Endangered Species list. With 100% more renewable Reef forests.
2. Protect the endangered language Michif of the Metis peoples of Canada
Demand that the Canadian government protect Michif, the language of the historic Metis people of Canada, and other endangered native languages in Canada. The Metis were historically the children of French fur trappers and Cree native women, they developed their own unique culture and language that was a hybrid of French and Cree.
In modern day Canada Metis is also defined by being of mixed European and Aboriginal ancestory. There is a desperately strong need for more resources for people who wish to learn Michif, such as teachers, courses, classes, Resource Centres, books, magazines, websites & audio files such as CD's and MP3 files. Very tragically, this language is so endangered that only an estimated 500 people speak it.
The language Michif and other native languages are in serious threat of extinction due to horrible moves by the Canadian Government including Residential Schools.
The Metis were a valuable culture in Canadian history must be protected!
3. Save endangered White Tigers
White tigers are hunted by poachers so that they may be made into Chinese medicine and all the body parts are used for products or food that's why tigers or white tigers are endangered.
4. STOP using the term "adopt" in relation to animals
The generally accepted definition of the word "adopt" as it applies to children is:
"To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child."
Whereas the definition of the word "sponsor" as it might apply to an endangered species is:
"A person or group that provides funds for an activity, esp. a person or group who donates money to a charity when the chairty requesting the donation has performed a specified activity as part of an organized fund-raising effort."
So by this very simple example it would be quite possible to sponsor a child in say China through organisations such as Hope4China or the Goodrock Foundation.
It is also possible, after much soul-searching, bureaucratic process and financial support to actually adopt a child from countries such as China or Thailand (http://www.dcfs.gov.uk).
But, it would be wholly inappropriate, not to say insulting to adopted children around the world, to seek to raise funds for the welfare and protection of say snow leopards, rhinos or pandas by asking people to “adopt” these animals; quite clearly you would not be taking them into your families and raising them as your own children – you would simply be sponsoring them a few pounds/dollars a month. And in doing so helping a worthy cause and hard working charity.
In 2006 our family was blessed with the adoption of a baby girl from China and 4 years later she herself is sponsoring a panda in China.
So please find it in your heart to support this very worthy petition and help children who have already suffered separation, loss and abandonment to regain some self-esteem by not being compared to the feeding and protection of animals.
5. Say NO! to Offshore Oil Exploration/Extraction in Belize
In response to the signing and intention to start Offshore Oil Exploration and Harvesting in Belize, the Government has chosen to embark on large scale agreements with international Oil Companies to start Offshore Exploration off the Coast of Belize.
Instead of steering toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives, they are advocating tapping into our strategic natural resources and protective areas, a measure that not only endangers the life forms around said areas but steals the future from our children and provides only a very short term benefit for our country and the companies that will be harvesting the oil.
The Government demeans our system with claims of progress and practicing political maneuvers that work behind closed doors instead of cooperating with the Conservation groups in Belize and abroad.
Download the full pdf version at http://fiwebelize.com/downloads/Petition%20against%20Offshore%20Oil%20Drilling%20in%20Belize.pdf
Keep an eye on the spill here: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/01/us/20100501-oil-spill-tracker.html?ref=us
6. Stop Shark Sales at Carrefour Egypt
STOP SHARK SALES CAMPAIGN
Sharks are currently being exported overseas and sold on the Egyptian market, even at a multi-national hyper-market chain, namely, Carrefour Egypt! Overfishing and consumption of sharks and their fins are serious threats to human health, the environment and our economy. The goal of HEPCA’s Stop Shark Sales Campaign is to avert these impacts and encourage the community to come together to put pressure on those who fish, trade and sell sharks in order to protect our health, environment and prosperity.
Four years ago we helped to secure legislation that banned shark fining in Egyptian waters, which led to widespread condemnation of those who flouted the ban (both in fishing and selling shark meat). This led to Egypt being honoured as Shark Guardian of the Year in 2006.
In 2010 we are once again faced with the same issue as we find one of the largest hypermarkets in Egypt and a brand of international standing – Carrefour – openly trading baby sharks in their store in Maadi, Cairo. Their sale of sharks is an irresponsible act that endangers the wellbeing of their clientele and the future of our planet.
HEPCA wants the Egyptian Government to intervene to stop shark trading and to ensure a ban on the exporting of shark meat. We encourage the community to challenge those endangering us like Carrefour who do not care for the health of the citizens of Egypt nor the natural and economic resources of this country.
Shark Facts: Proof that we should lobby for a complete ban on shark trading in Egypt
Health Risk
As top predators, sharks accumulate high concentrations of toxins present in the environment in their body, often as much as 10,000 times that of their surrounding environment. Persistent toxins such as Methyl Mercury are retained in sharks, and they are far less susceptible to the toxic effects of Methyl Mercury than humans; therefore even healthy sharks contain high concentrations of the toxicant.
The effects of this toxic compound on humans are numerous. It is estimated that more than 60,000 children are born with neurological damage due to exposure during pregnancy in the United States alone, due to the fact that this biotoxin is not held back by the natural barriers in the human body. Thousands of families each year are faced with the challenge of raising a child with severe neurological damage or disability, simply because the mother or father ingested shark meat.
The effects of Methyl Mercury are not limited to the unborn, it is also considered to be a carcinogen, its impact on the central neural system is irreversible, and it is known to cause coronary artery disease and cardiac arrest, as well as trigger autoimmune diseases and immune dysfunction.
Methyl Mercury ingestion has extensively been documented to cause male infertility and spermatozoa mutation, in addition to instigating type II diabetes.
The maximum mercury intake as indicated by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food (JEFCA) is 0.23µg/kg of body weight per day. Therefore, a person weighing 80kg can safely ingest up to 18.4µg of Methyl Mercury per day according to JEFCA. Shark meat has been found to contain as much as 4000µg/kg of Methyl Mercury! Using an average value of 1400µg/kg of shark meat, a simple calculation reveals that an average shark steak (that is 300g in the pan, served as 200g) contains 420µg of Methyl Mercury, nearly 23 times the maximum allowable limit by JEFCA; which is more than double the limit set by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 0.1µg/kg.
Environmental Destruction
Shark populations have witnessed a dramatic decline over recent decades; some regions have recorded reductions of 80% and in some areas 90% since the 1970’s! The diminution of populations can mainly be attributed to overfishing due to the demand for sharks which has skyrocketed with the proliferation of cuisines that utilise shark meat and fins, along with the development of modern commercial fishing technologies.
The implications associated with reductions of shark populations at this magnitude are horrific. Concern for the marine world’s apex predators has less to do with sentiment and is more about waking up to the devastating impacts on marine ecosystems that have been observed around the world. The removal of sharks has disrupted the entire marine food chain, with chaotic consequences, some of which are only now becoming apparent.
Eliminating the top predator in any system creates what is called a trophic cascade. The species whose numbers sharks used to police, such as ray and skates, are now exploding in population. They in turn are wiping out scallops and other shellfish, and water quality is suffering as a result.
Reefs, too, are under assault as parrot fish, which are key to controlling algae growth on reefs, are being exterminated by the fish whose numbers are no longer being regulated by sharks.
Socio-economic Impact
The potential socio-economic impact, of declining shark populations, in Egypt, and other countries that rely on dive tourism is extremely costly. The impact on the fishing industry coastal communities that rely on fishing shall be disastrous due to the disruption of the marine food web. The estimated annual income, from the tourism industry, of a single shark, at Brothers Islands, is EGP 1,250,000 per year. Carrefour sells juvenile sharks at L.E. 30 per kg!
We have to take a stand! Please sign our online petition, to pressure Carrefour to cease the sale of sharks and the destruction of our health, environment and prosperity!
7. Support Protection of Wolves
The following information is reproduced from: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/04/gray-wolf-delisted.html
May 4, 2009 -- The grey wolf was Monday taken off the U.S. list of endangered species, making a comeback 35 years after it virtually disappeared and can now be hunted in most states, officials said. The grey wolf was placed on the endangered list in 1974 after the animals were almost eliminated in many U.S. states.
The following information is reproduced from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. § 136, 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq. , ESA) is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. As stated in section 2 of the act, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation."
The Endangered Species Act of 1973: 1-authorizes the determination and listing of species as endangered and threatened; 2-prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale, and transport of endangered species; 3-provides authority to acquire land for the conservation of listed species, using land and water conservation funds; 4-authorizes establishment of cooperative agreements and grants-in-aid to States that establish and maintain active and adequate programs for endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; 5-authorizes the assessment of civil and criminal penalties for violating the Act or regulations; and 6-authorizes the payment of rewards to anyone furnishing information leading to arrest and conviction for any violation of the Act or any regulation issued there under.
8. Australia’s Rarest Cockatoo Threatened by Lack of Funding
Federal funding for the Recovery Program for the Kangaroo Island Glossy Black Cockatoo has been cut.
The South Australian Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorynchus lathami halmaturinus) disappeared from the South Australian mainland a number of years ago and is now only found on Kangaroo Island. The island population was also severely reduced in numbers due to loss of suitable nest trees and feeding habitat (Large sugar gums for nesting and Drooping Sheoak woodland for feeding. Its primary food source are the seeds of the Drooping Sheoak).
A Recovery Program has been running on Kangaroo Island for fourteen years and has increased the population from 150 to 350 birds. This number of birds is unlikely to be self sustaining and scientists believe that the program should run for several more years before this species can survive without intervention.
At a cost of $100,000 per annum (a mere drop in the budget) we have the moral obligation and privilege to be the catalysts for the cockatoo’s survival.
If you feel as I do about this species please sign this petition and add any personal comments you may like. This petition may remain anonymous if you so indicate.
Manatees are magnificent marine mammals. However, they are very fragile. We need to do more to protect the manatees. It is estimated that 25% of all Florida manatee deaths are due to boating accidents. That is unfathomable.
There needs to be more signs to steer boaters away from manatees. If there is an area that is frequently inhabited by manatees, then that area should prohibit any boaters from entering. No more “Caution” signs. There are way too many reckless boaters out there that, if cautioned, would still be too inattentive. All caution zones should be changed into no entry zones.
Way too many manatees are dying due recklessness and it needs to stop!
10. Help save our critically endangered habitat
The petition refers to the illegal clearing of remnant grasslands in the Wyndham shire in May/June 2008. The clearing occured just outside the urban growth boundary to the west of Werribee. This area contains the largest mapped patch of federally listed critically endangered western plains grassland on the Keilor_Werribee plains. The removal involved The ~375 ha with approximately 50% moderate to good quality rocky remnant native grassland. Plants and tussock in remnant grasslands could be in excess of 100 years of age.
A large rolling machine went over it in May, pushing rocks, surface vegetation including grassland, about 5cm into the soil. Bare earth paddock resulted which has been sown to crop which about 1 – 2 cm high on the 14th of September. This activity is illegal pursuant to clearing controls (52.17) part 1 in Section 5 (Particular provisions) of the Planning and Environment Act. The landholder is most likely claiming that an exemption under the clearing control table exemptions (52.17-6) applies and any vegetation under 10 years old previously used for agriculture is exempt of clearing. However this exemption only applies to land previously used for agricultural hence this landholder should face prosecution as 50% of the area bulldozed was remnant grassland that has never been worked and the majority of flora on site would be well in excess of 10 years old.
This type of activity is not new to the area with 3000 hectares lost per year with most removal having no applications to remove applied for under state or federal jurisdiction. This rate of removal was calculated in the mid 90's and has most likely accelerated.
With respect to the clearing control act only the respective Council, the minister of planning and environment (Justin Madden) or his office are authorised officers able to prosecute the land owner pursuant to section 126 of the Planning and Environment act. It applies to owners and occupiers and states that it is an:
Offence to contravene scheme, permit or agreement;
(1) Any person who uses or develops land in contravention of or fails to comply with a planning scheme, or a permit, or an agreement under section 173 is guilty of an offence.
This act allows for criminal charges be laid and a rediculously low offence of up to $126,000 paid.
Interstingly, concerned individuals or state bodies such as DSE are able apply for an enforcement order pursuant to section 114 of the Planning and Environment Act. This section states:
“any person may apply to the Tribunal for an enforcement order against any person specified in subsection (3) if a use or development of land contravenes or has contravened, or, unless prevented by the enforcement order, will contravene this Act, a planning scheme, a condition of a permit or an agreement under section 173.
Although no criminal charges can be laid an order of restitution can be made perhaps using Paul Gibson-Roy’s method for restoring grasslands and effectively block any future development on this site as per section 119-b(iv) which states:
“to do specified things within a specified period (A)to restore the land as nearly as practicable to its condition immediately before the use or development started”.
This impost will be far greater felt to the land owner than the maximum offence carried under section 126 of the Planning and Environment Act as no doubt the land owner is speculating over positioning of the UGB in the next few decades and on current market value that would cost him $1,000,000 per hectare in land he can no longer develop.
Hence not only should section 126 be enacted with Council and/or The Minister enforce planning controls but a body such as DSE, charged with protecting such habitat under the Fauna and Flora Guarantee act should also prosecute by enacting Section 114 of The Planning and Environment Act. Unfortunately no resources have been given to DSE to prosecute such cases and as a result DSE will likley not prosecute. This short coming has been highlighted and although aknowledgement has been made no funds have been made available to DSE. The Minister for Planning and Environment needs to rectify this immediately.
Obviously if DSE prosecuted utilising section 114 of the planning and Environment Act then would be speculation would be stopped and irresponsible landowners put on notice.
The tiger, largest of all cats, is one of the most charismatic and evocative species on Earth; it is also one of the most threatened.
Less than 4,000 remain in the wild, most in isolated pockets spread across increasingly fragmented forests stretching from India to south-eastern China and from the Russian Far East to Sumatra, Indonesia.
12. Protect the Persian Leopard
The Persian or Iranian Leopard is a secretive animal, like all leopards, and is seldom seen in the wild. Residing in hilly and forested areas. It is a solitary feline that faces a variety of threats in it's natural habitat and is struggling to survive in nature.
There are fewer than thirteen hundred Persian Leopards in the wild today and the highest number are in Iran with around six to eight hundred reportedly existing. There are some conservation projects underway, at the moment though, this magnificent animal is classified as Endangered. This is due to poaching for fur, trophy hunting, poisoning, fires, and habitat and prey loss, also continued warfare within it's geographical range.
The Leopard is a flag species, and it's presence shows the health of the entire ecosystem.
Millions of hectares of natural rainforest in Indonesia are being destroyed, right as you read this, for palm oil plantations.
Not only is this detrimental for the environment, but for the animals that require this forest for homes and habitats.
Two endangered species, the orangutan and the Sumatran Tiger, are being driven from their homes, forced into villages looking for food and shelter, where they are captured and killed.
14. Stop Illegal Chinese Trade in Black Rhino Horn
Black rhino are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List 2002 and listed on Appendix I of CITES.
Latest findings indicate that there are only around 3600 black rhino remaining worldwide.
However, trade in black rhino horn and its by-products continues in the far east, namely China; even though such trade is prohibited under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
This is because some Chinese people believe the horn has medicinal value.
There is absolutely no scientific evidence to indicate that the horn, which is made up of a substance similar to hair, has any medical value.
This means that this proud and majestic species has been poached to near extinction for no legitimate reason. Since 1960, the population has fallen from around 70,000; around 96% over less than 50 years.
While rhino populations have increased recently, much of the remaining species must be kept in some level of captivity, or dehorned to deter poaching.
It is sad that an animal of such grandeur is killed for something so small. It is sadder still that this only occurs through the greed and ignorance of a small global minority.
As an increasingly developed and modern society, I believe that the People Republic of China should take action to stop this illegal, but more so, immoral trade.
Further information can be found at:
www.iucn.org
www.cites.org
www.wwf.org
www.sosrhino.org
www.rhinoresourcecenter.com
_____
March 27th Update
In correspondence with numerous organisations, I have frequently been asked why I have chosen only to petition for the black rhino. There are many reasons for this choice, although I do understand why people ask! All five of the rhino species are affected by the same Chinese and wider eastern Asian trade. The Javan Rhinoceros for example, is currently in a far more dire position with only 100 individuals remaining; the Sumatran with only 400, the Indian with 2000 and the White with around 11000. However, I felt that the Black rhino better highlighted the issue. It is the best known of the five species, and as a mammal originating from Africa, emphasises the relationship between China’s actions and the global community, without the argument of sovereign ownership that applies to the Asian species. Ultimately, all the rhinoceros species are effected by the same trade, and to end one is to end them all!
_____
April 16th Update
For those interested in the subject of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ‘A world apart’ (WWF, IUCN, TRAFFIC) will be of interest; an in-depth survey of TCM in both Hong Kong and the USA.
When asked “Would you try to understand the content of TCM before using them?” only 33% answered “Yes”.
Of those asked “What would you do if the TCM you use contained ingredients from animals protected by law?” only 30.8% answered “Stop using immediately”.
When asked “If the sale of rhino horns are banned by law, would you continue to use TCM?” 23.1% answered “Yes”, 11.9% answered “Hard to say”.
The full document can be found at http://www.traffic.org/tcm/ChineseMedicine.pdf
15. Protect our Polar Bears Under the Endangered Species Act
Arctic sea-ice is melting at an alarming rate due to global warming. One of the primary animals affected is the polar bear whom is entirely dependent on the Arctic sea-ice. Drownings, once rare, have begun to occur at an alarming rate because of the far distances the bears must swim between substantially thick enough sections of sea-ice. Some scientists have even predicted ice-free summers by the year 2040.
Because of the drastic melt, scientists are seeing thinner bears, lower female reproductive rates and reduced juvenile survival. Of particular importance to this problem, is the recent increase by 28 percent on polar bear quotas in Nunavut. Instead of looking at scientific numbers of bears present within the province, the government of Nunavut chose to make this decision based on Inuit Qaujimatjatuqangit, or traditional knowledge.
Additionally, a significant number of polar bear hunt tags are being sold to American hunters that simply want the experience of bringing home a trophy kill: Canada being the only country where this practice is still legal.
Therefore, we as citizens of the world need to protect the polar bear from extinction, by fighting to have the polar bear added to the Endangered Species Act.
An Enviroment camp at Gilwell Park, Australia.
I'm just asking for help to get people to understand that there are endangered animals and some you don't even think of.
17. Save Montreal's Green Spaces
New Cheval Blanc land-swap vote October 30.
June 8, 2006
Why take an endangered species off the endangered species list? I don't know.
What I do know is that if manatees are taken off the list, they WILL become EXTINCT.
19. Re-institution of the Sierra Nevada Framework
The current plan to help the environment, the Forest Plan Amendment, is actually destroying the habitats endangered species depend upon, but is also contributing to the overall greenhouse gas effect through deforestation of parts of the Sierra Nevada Range.
This petition is designed to re-instate the old plan, the Sierra Nevada framework, which not only protected the endangered species that live the Sierra Nevada range, but also served as a bridge between environmentalists and timber companies.
20. Save Crystal Gardens Conservation Centre
On January 22nd, 2004, The BC Provincial Capital Commission announced that they had made the decision to close the Crystal Gardens Conservation Centre.
This centre is an educational, cultural, and conservation resource, and is a public asset. The PCC made this decision with NO PUBLIC CONSULTATION.
21. Save Crystal Gardens Conservation Centre
On January 22nd, 2004, The BC Provincial Capital Commission announced that they had made the decision to close the Crystal Gardens Conservation Centre. This centre is an educational, cultural, and conservation resource, and is a public asset. The PCC made this decision with NO PUBLIC CONSULTATION.
I Melvin Caldweell was walking down a Middle in Parkdale, Arkansas when an alligator rushed toward me and I ran and got my gun and shot. I felt my life and others' lives were endangered. When I shot the alligator I did not know it was an endangered species. At the time I was thinking of my life and the lives of others.
23. Save the Wolves
In different places of the world wolves are endangered, because of loss of habitat. Wolves are misunderstood, they are not vicious killers.
The ivory trade has pushed elephants steadily toward extinction. In the 1980s, 2,000 elephants were being killed every week across Africa. Only a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ban on the international trade in ivory could stop the bloodshed. And yet there is constant pressure on CITES to reopen the international ivory trade.
CITES agreed to a partial lifting of the ban, but this did nothing to curb poaching, to provide adequate funding for enforcement of wildlife protection laws, or to uplift local communities. Still elephants across Africa and Asia continue to be slaughtered and ivory traded in huge quantities. Today there are only an estimated 519,461 wild elephants in Africa and approximately 30,000 wild elephants in Asia.
At the height of the international ivory trade in the 1970s and 1980s, Zambia's elephant population dwindled from 200,000 to fewer than 20,000, according to Zambia's Deputy Tourism Minister. This trend was reversed only when the international ivory ban was agreed. Any relaxation in protection for Zambia?s elephants could wipe out the remaining elephants in a very short space of time.
Zambia's elephants can earn far more for their country alive than dead. In 1989 Kenya's elephants were estimated to be worth US$25 million in tourism each year. Zambia should not allow itself to be lured by the prospect of the quick money to be gained by allowing elephants to be killed for their ivory when there is a long-term profit in keeping elephants alive.
25. Tell the Liberals to Protect the Endangered Species
The Canadian government's continued failure to protect endangered species violates Canada's international obligations and ignores the will of Canadian citizens, says a new Greenpeace report released today.
The report, entitled Wipe Out: The Liberal Government's Plan for Endangered Species in Canada shows how Canada is failing to live up to its international word by failing to protect endangered species. Canada first committed to protect species and their habitats at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, but has failed to keep its promise, even though 97 % of Canadians support strong endangered species legislation (Pollara, May 1999.)
Its latest Species at Risk Act, Bill C-5, is currently before Parliament and has been harshly criticized by environmentalists and scientists as insufficient.
'After three tries, the Liberals still don't get it. You can't protect species without protecting their habitat and Bill C-5 doesn't do the job', said Tamara Stark of Greenpeace. Bill C-5 violates Canada's international obligations and in the process, does the impossible: makes Brian Mulroney look better than David Anderson.
Stark noted while Canada, under Brian Mulroney, championed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Liberals have failed to fulfill any of their commitments to the CBD. Canada is hosting an important CBD meeting one month from now in Montreal and, based on the work done to date, will have little progress to report at this meeting.
More than 1,300 scientists from across North America recently urged Prime Minister Jean Chretien to take immediate action to strengthen the endangered species legislation, a requirement of the CBD. Three critical changes needed are to:
1) Require mandatory protection of all critical habitat of species considered at risk;
2) Ensure that scientists, rather than politicians, maintain responsibility for selecting what species are listed at being at risk; and
3) Ensure that the legislation applies to both federal and provincial lands, since the current legislation will apply to only 5 per cent of Canada's landbase.
'By refusing to make the changes needed, David Anderson is betraying Canadian species and violating the trust of Canadian citizens,' Stark said. 'It's time for Prime Minister Chrétien to step in and ensure that Canada keeps its promise to protect this nation's species.'
