I have been struggling to find something to write about. I have written a few articles here on Def-Con News, and it has been fun. Most of what I have written about was about politics, and while I find that a worthy subject I don’t want to only be a political commentator. Brian Anderson and Nathanael Greene do a far better job of bringing you news, and I would like to try to follow in their footsteps, to branch out.
If I can even call myself a writer, I will leave that judgment up to you all.
So I went looking for something different, something we don’t normally read here.
I found some stores from this year that I had not heard about and I cherry-picked the ones I’m about to write about. The ones I found the most interesting.
If you would like to read more you will find them all here. Goodgoodgood
Be warned. They have a lot of Climate Change, and diversity stories also.
Betty White. We lost Ms. White in December 2021, Eighteen days before what would have been her 100th birthday, on January 17th and while the world lost an iconic figure, we the animal lovers of the world have turned the day into a day of celebration of sorts. Ms. White was a lifelong animal advocate. In her name, people have been accepting the #BettyWhiteChallenge, donating $5.00 dollars, or any amount to a shelter or animal rescue. I think it is a wonderful idea, and I hope it can and will be repeated every year.
Humpback Whales. The Humpback whale was almost completely wiped out by commercial whaling. According to the Endangered Species Coalition, the Humpback was one of the first species to be protected by federal law under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1970. Since that time the Humpback population is estimated to have gone from 10,000 animals to 80,000 now. The Humpback is still listed as threatened in some parts of the world but stands as a success story of what can be accomplished when we try.
Irwin Family (Steve). The Irwin family announced they just saved their 90,000th animal at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. “Ollie,” an orphaned platypus. Ollie is receiving round-clock care until he can be released back into the wild. Robert Irwin posted to Instagram, that with pressure from drought and bushfires wildlife needs our help more than ever. It is estimated that 12.35 million acres of Australia (that is twice the size of the state of Vermont) have burned from wildfires and that 480 million animals have been lost.
Good News for Pet Lovers. While there is no shortage of adoptable animals, many states have a shortage of adoptable dogs, and cats while some states have too many. A new re-location program has begun moving adoptable pets from states with too many to states with too few. Over the last 5 years, ASPCA has put many of its resources into the re-location program and in March celebrated its 200,000th animal moved. It isn’t just helping animals find new homes it is also reducing the euthanasia rates.
Fin Whales. In what is being described as an incredible success story a 1982 decision by the International Whaling Commission to ban the practice of commercial whaling that had driven several species to the brink of extinction is working. In a new study published in Scientific Reports detailed the first scientifically documented observation of a large group of fin whales feeding off Elephant Island in Antarctica. As many as 150 Fin Whales are estimated to have been seen feeding after nearly going extinct. Fin whales are the second largest whale on earth and they were hunted to the brink, and their populations were devastated. There were only several thousand left in the southern hemisphere.
“[If] you enforce management and conservation, there are chances for species to recover,” study lead author and University of Hamburg marine mammal ecologist Dr. Helena Herr has told the New York Times.
As I said I cherry-picked the stories here, some of the feel-good news stories I chose to ignore were lefty-leaning in nature so you have been warned, again. If you want all the news feel free to enter at your own risk.
As always I look forward to reading your comments, constructive criticism, and insights.
