Could our Earth be known around the Universe as the Planet of Suffering?

The very beauty of the earth, its oceans and wildlife, there to provide mankind with the very thing which he denies himself — peace. The immense feelings of grief and despair wreathe the planet like a thick fog, everyone and everything cannot escape this unseen by not unfelt, presence. Man has created it and now he poisons the planet with it. As an onlooker from space, other beings must truly be shaking their heads in wonderment too.

I would like to give a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who works so hard to make a hole in the ‘foggy blanket’. The millionaire who sponsored The Cove, the woman determined to find out what poisoned the seas off the North Shore in Auckland and killed untold wildlife, the Graf brothers who spend their lives dedicated to fighting against poisoning our Planet, to the Marc Bekoff’s of this world, the Jill Robinsons and the Moon Bears, the Bob Kerridge’s, those that adopt strays and Pound animals, to everyone prepared to put aside personal agendas for the greater good of our environment.

Even if you think no one else knows about your commitment, universal consciousness does, and THAT won’t go unnoticed!

Hugs, Smiles and a pat on the back.

Our Chooky article received a great response. It appears that few knew about the alteration of protein in the egg when chookies are run with a rooster. No commercial flock has that advantage.

I have noticed this year that my chookies have come through the moult quicker, with stronger feathering regrowth and a more positive maturing of the young pullets. I can only attribute this to adding the Miro mixture (1 tablespoon per bucket of water daily). Healthy chookies make healthy eggs.

A little tip — remember the old adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away' (and the naughty ones of us added ‘but what would a pear do at night'?) Did you know that a prune a day in your pet’s food can help with arthritis?

Another little tip — this time for the female owners of animals. Do you make a point of having a regular breast screening? Do you use the archaic Mammogram vice-grip technique or do you enjoy having your photo taken from a distance in full colour, which you can take home and wonder over (Thermogram)? Your life — your choice. Do you want to find out more about thermography and go for an early detection system… (after all, isn’t that what they tell us it’s all about?). Particularly good for dense breasts. (If I were a cow I would have been culled a long time ago, despite Fonterra!) I sincerely wish we had this facility for our animals. Can you imagine a sow being vice-gripped (all 14 titties!) — I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a photo though. Check it out at www.thermographynz.co.nz

September is the beginning of spring so let’s ‘spring’ into action on issues that have arisen lately.

1. Dairy Farmers — Your most precious assets are your animals and your land — look what Fonterra is doing to both! Tell them to sharpen up their act or you will go to the more user-friendly opposition.

2. NZ’s marine environment — the Government have denied legal protection to seabirds, dolphins and seals. The Marine Animal’s Law Reform Bill was defeated 63-58 — National would prefer to work with the industry rather than regulate. Yeah — what industry is going to shut itself down in order to ‘protect’ a few birds? I am not a political person but when a government is voted in to better the way of living, and denies that to our wildlife, there is something very sick in its agenda.

3. The Department of Conservation has come under fire again — with the poisoning of our North Shore seas. The intelligence of DOC can be judged by its comment that it was due to a toxic sea slug! Pellets floating in the water, bonfires of — animal bodies (?) — being burnt to destroy evidence, symptoms so close to *Brodifacoum poisoning that they had to thwart testing by the citizens who lost their pets.

Your time is running out very quickly DOC. especially after the world views the DVD Poisoning Paradise. I don’t hold out much hope for ex employees ever getting a job in the private sector even as an undercover agent for a sneaky business deal!

*Brodifacoum is the base for Selley’s Talon Rat & Mouse Bait specifically to control rodents that are resistant to warfarin. Like other killers (Roundup etc), it can be bought over the counter.

4. No government has the right to deprive our children of our most treasured places and native species. Keep our heritage in Schedule 4! Our national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, marine reserves, protected islands, and the Coromandel’s beautiful land and waters belong to us, to our children and to our grandchildren. Yet the John Key-led government has called for the most precious and significant land in New Zealand’s public conservation estate to be opened up for mining.

These most treasured places, sacred to tangata whenua and loved by all New Zealanders must not be destroyed. They are the heritage that thousands of New Zealanders have invested countless volunteer hours and dollars into protecting.

This heritage must be respected not destroyed for short term profit.

These national treasures generate billions of dollars to the New Zealand economy in tourism, freshwater and floodwater protection precisely because they are protected from development under Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act. (Green Party release).

PS: Are there any Grandmothers for sale because the National Party would probably like to sell them too! Ed.

5. New Zealand has increased its numbers of animals in experimental laboratories this year — licensed cruelty and suffering. Do you know of anyone employed in this barbaric practice? — threaten your relationship — tell them exactly what you think!

DID U KNOW?
Javan rhinoceros once roamed throughout Southeast Asia — it is estimated that there are now less than 100. Sumatran Tigers, the last of the island tigers, are also in danger, numbering just 400 in the wild.

Orangutans are unique to the forests of Southeast Asia. One of our closest animal relatives, they face multiple threats, including habitat loss through conversion of forests to palm plantations and hunting. At the end of 2002, it was estimated only 3,500 Sumatran Orangutans remained and these are in protected areas too small for their long-term survival.

DID U KNOW?
Fonterra are greasing their way into the pocket books of dairy farmers with the RD1 financial deal; dairy supplies, agri-chemicals, seed and animal health products for 3 months interest-free — Mr Lea, Boss of RD1 says "the bigger we become, the more profit we are able to return back to our farmers".

Emporing dairy farmers of NZ  to get rich at the expense of the rainforests of the world — what the hell is NZ farming coming to! Mr Lea — your agenda is highly suspect!

The Planet needs your help!

Cheers,
Sandy Urwin — Ed.