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If you're not familiar with the Micato One for One Commitment, the concept is simple. For every safari sold, Micato pays the fees required to send an African child to school—a child who would otherwise stay home due to extreme poverty.
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Posted by: Micato
If you're not familiar with the Micato One for One Commitment, the concept is simple. For every safari sold, Micato pays the fees required to send an African child to school—a child who would otherwise stay home due to extreme poverty.
Posted by: Micato
The results are in!
For a record ninth time, the readers of Travel + Leisure have named Micato Safaris the #1 World's Best Safari Outfitter. For the past eight years, our winning title has been Worlds Best Tour Operator and Safari Outfitter but, interestingly, this year Travel + Leisure separated the categories of Tour Operator and Safari Outfitter—perhaps because we monopolized the double title for the past eight years!
Micato offers a singular African experience that's authentic, luxurious, adventurous, personal, and life-changing. These words have always been synonymous with "safari" in our book, so our new title suits us just fine.
The Micato founders, the Pinto family, were born and raised in Kenya, and from the beginning crafted an experience like no other. Micato Safaris was the first safari outfitter of note to hire local African safari guides—breaking the myth of the "great white hunter" guide and setting the precedent for sustainable safari guiding, and ensuring a future for the bright graduates of African wildlife guide colleges.
Micato was also the first safari outfitter to integrate itself into desperately impoverished "informal settlements"—which Americans refer to as slums—and make a difference by building a community and training centre, sending orphaned and vulnerable children to school, initiating community outreach and educational programmes, and providing much-needed services such as a fresh-water bore hole and a library. Our non- profit arm Micato-AmericaShare has been serving the community in this way for 25 years.
We were also the first company to travel between camps and game parks via bush flights, saving valuable game-viewing time and offering guests a chance to view the breathtaking sweep of savannah, mountains, rivers and plains (occupied by herds of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest and giraffe) from the sky.
From Micato's very inception, we were the first and only outfitter to invite all of our travellers home to dine with the founders of Micato Africa, Felix and Jane Pinto, or at the home of their close friends in Cape Town for South African travellers. This was also a first, and is still something unique to Micato.
Our most important and exciting innovation? We are the first and only operator to set up a sustainable program that funds one child's education for every safari we sell: we call it our One for One Commitment, and it changes lives.
Ground-breaking giving and innovative travel: these features have come to define us over the years. And this year, we've revolutionized the safari experience yet again…
Now Micato offers the virtually unprecedented luxury of including all tips during your trip—even to Safari Directors and Driver Guides—a feature rarely offered anywhere in the world. Micato guests can simply relax and leave the tipping to us. It's that simple.
Through the years, we've kept pushing boundaries, and our growing list of "firsts" is no doubt part of the reason why our travellers consistently name us #1 World's Best. Tour Operator, Safari Outfitter… either way, we're simply proud to be exceeding our guests' expectations every day.
Posted by: Micato
Elusive. That's me. Solitary, secretive, nocturnal… notorious for my stealth: the life of a leopard is much like that of a reluctant member of the royal family. So why am I writing a blog post for Micato Safaris? Well, it's primarily because I just want to be left alone, and the rest of the Big Five—Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo and Rhino—would not stop bugging me until I wrote about myself and completed the collection. So to get a little peace and quiet, I agreed to spill my secrets.
They Also Call Me:
In East Africa, where they speak Swahili, I'm known as Chui. The Setswana speakers in Botswana call me Nkwe. In parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe the Zulu people call me Ingwe; in other parts of South Africa and Namibia, people who speak Afrikaans call me Jagluiperd. (Which is sort of a funny mix between jaguar and leopard, isn't it? We're actually closely related.) My family members make all sorts of noises when they want my attention, from roars to grunts, but we're famous for our purrs, which sound like someone sawing.
Best Places to Find Me:
This may impress you: my family has the largest distribution of any wild cat—East, Southern and Central Africa are the places where I thrive most, even in weird habitats where other large cats have long since disappeared. You can find me in such disparate places as Mount Kenya and Kruger National Park, and everywhere in between: I love the savannah and the rainforest equally. However, we haven't heard from any of the North African family members in a long time, and I'm sad to say that they're probably extinct.
I even have family members in Asia, though that portion of my family is small and scattered. You can find us in India, Southeast Asia, and China. I even have cousins in Russia who live in temperate forests, which get as cold as -13◦F. They don't mind a bit—they have the most privacy of all of us. My theory as to why leopards are everywhere? Because we need so much space. Male leopards generally have a home range between 12 and 30 square miles, and there is rarely ever any overlap. I'm a lady, thus I don't have qualms about making my home territory on a piece of land that overlaps a male's home—as long as he doesn't crowd me.
How to Find Me
Despite my family's favourable numbers we are, as I said, reclusive. And if you want to follow suit, here's a tip: learn to climb. This ability is something I'm known for. I rest in trees, lick myself clean in trees, drag my food up into trees to eat, jump up to 10 feet to get up onto a tall branch of a tree, and can even climb down trees headfirst. The black rosettes on my fur look a lot like the shadows of leaves, and my gift is to blend right in.
If you really want to see me (and I know for some of you it's an obsession), stay at a lodge or camp that has a leopard blind. These fine people have learned that I like to do my eating in trees, where I can get away from those pesky other animals, so they hang meat right where I can smell it. You see, there is a limit to my solitude—I suppose I'll let you see me in exchange for a side of beef.
Most Embarrassing Facts:
Quite honestly, nothing. I'm an all-star athlete—great at hunting, climbing, swimming, and running—and there's no denying that I'm gorgeous. My lovely silhouette has been used as an emblem for sports teams and coats of arms in Africa, and I've been depicted in the art of places where I used to live but haven't visited in ages, such as Greece, Rome and even England. Some call me proud—the Cape Buffalo even calls me a snob—but really I'm not. I'm just realistic about my talents and looks. And modest.
Favourite Food:
I love the hunt. LOVE it. Thus I'll eat anything from tiny dung beetles to 2,000 pound eland—whatever allows me to exercise one of my favourite skills: stalking my prey with complete silence, then pouncing at the very last minute. Day-to-day I eat mostly antelopes and monkeys, but I've been known to catch rodents, reptiles, birds, fish and even smaller predators, like jackals. I even had an uncle who caught and ate a crocodile. Seriously. Don't mess with leopards.
Everything Else:
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivorous (these brilliant teeth aren't just flair, you know)
Average life span in the wild: Twenty years
Size: Between four and six feet long, plus the tail, which can be up to four feet long!
Weight: For myself and the rest of the ladies, we're small: between 50 and 130 pounds. Males are bigger—they can get up to 200 pounds. All told, though, we're the smallest of the big cats in our genus (Panthera), the other three being tigers, lions and jaguars.
Protection status: We're classified as "near threatened" which makes me nervous…
Group name: A leap! Because we're so darn good at jumping up trees, at our prey, and away from poachers.
Posted by: Micato
On a starry February evening in 1952, Princess Elizabeth ascended into the leafy heights of a 300-year-old ficus tree in Aberdare State Park to attend a state dinner at the Treetops Hotel. The 25-year-old was on safari in Kenya with her husband of five years, Prince Philip.
They had no reason to hurry their meal that evening, overlooking the great expanse of the Aberdares and Mount Kenya beyond. Yet unbeknownst to them, many hundred miles away King George VI, Elizabeth's father, was breathing his last. He died while they were at dinner, though Elizabeth did not hear the news until after she had descended from the rustling tree.
"For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and after having what she described as her most thrilling experience she climbed down from the tree next day a Queen—God bless her," wrote Jim Corbett, resident hunter at Treetops.
We can only imagine that fateful evening when Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. The thin spicy air of the Aberdare Mountain Range, scented of wild mint and bush sage. The far-off roar of a lion hunting in the night. The soft, mournful sounds of night birds, and the comforting stillness of the million and one stars glowing undiluted from the equatorial sky. The knowledge that her beloved father had died, and that she would return to Britain as Her Majesty.
Sixty years later, Queen Elizabeth II still reigns and the Royal Family continues their jaunts to Kenya—indeed, Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton on safari—and we can only imagine that both the place and the experience remain close to her heart. It's been a long and fascinating sixty years, and to think, it all started in a tree house in Africa…
Posted by: Micato
Sure, I heard that my fellow "five" were blogging for Micato. The lion, the elephant, and the Cape buffalo all had plenty to say—but like many rhinos, I seldom speak unless spoken to. However, the Cape buffalo pressured me (he is SUCH a bully), but by then I had already made up my mind to deliver Micato's first ever blog post from a Rhino.
What They Also Call Me
In East Africa, where they speak Swahili, I'm known as Kifaru. In parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe the Zulu people call me Nkombe; in other parts of South Africa and Namibia, people who speak Afrikaans call me Renoster. The Setswana speakers in Botswana call me Tshukudu. I don't usually answer to any of these names though—like I said, I usually keep to myself.
Best Places to Find Me
It depends on who you're looking for. Personally, I'm a Black Rhino, and my family and I can be found in Tanzania, parts of Kenya, Namibia, Botswana and parts of South Africa. Although this sounds like an awful big range, there are still very few of us—about four thousand in the wild. You certainly have to look hard to find us, although if you visit a rhino conservancy you have a much higher chance, as those rangers monitor my whereabouts. I don't like having so much to-do about things—it's a little embarrassing—but I guess it's what we have to do to stay alive these days.
My cousin, the White Rhino, has a bigger immediate family—about 17,000—which makes them the most numerous of all the rhinos in the world! They're mostly in South Africa, though they can also be found in Namibia and Botswana. There is a subspecies of White Rhino called the Northern White Rhino, which is nearly extinct. Some humans have just reintroduced this rhino to the wild, in Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy. It seems like they're doing ok so far—as long as they can keep poachers out.
What You'll See Me Doing
Eating leaves or wallowing in mud, alone. As a male, I particularly like to keep to myself. The women and babies will sometimes gather together in groups, but only for short periods of time, until the babies are big enough to not get chomped by a croc. Adult rhinos have no natural predators and we don't do any hunting, so there isn't much need to gather in big groups. In fact, it's probably best if we don't. I'm…well…ok, I'm aggressive. I mean Incredible Hulk-style aggressive, to the degree that sometimes I attack trees or termite mounds for no reason at all. It's no surprise then that Rhinos have the highest rate of mortal combat for any animal—50% of males and 30% of females die from fighting with each other. "Dysfunctional family" is an understatement for us.
Most Embarrassing Facts
Oh man. Can I tell you a secret? The reason I'm such a loner—and probably why I'm so aggressive too—is that EVERYTHING feels like an embarrassing fact.
First off, I'm an odd-toed ungulate. That means I have a hoof with an odd number of toes on it, like a horse. Secondly, I have a weight problem: I'm the second-largest mammal on the planet. The first-largest animal is the elephant, but she doesn't need to be embarrassed because she's nice and smart, which makes up for it. Me, on the other hand, I've got a really small brain. Seriously small. And bad eyesight. Also, no front teeth.
Gosh, I don't even know if I can finish this blog post, I'm so embarrassed now. Oh, I'm almost done? Well, ok then, I guess I can go on.
Favourite Food
Leaves, branches, fruit—all that good stuff. This is why I have a pointy, prehensile lip, the better for stripping branches. The White Rhino, on the other hand, eats grass, and that's why she has a long, flat lip—the better for clipping. That's also why she's called the White Rhino—it's because English-speaking humans misunderstood her original Dutch name, which was Widj (Widj means wide, as in wide-lipped), and started calling her White Rhino. Which is silly, as anyone can see that her skin is grey just like mine.
Everything Else
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivorous
Average life span in the wild: 35-50 years—that's assuming that I don't get poached or killed in a fight with one of my brothers.
Size: I'm about five feet tall, and between 11 and 15 feet long. The White Rhino is the same length, but generally taller (around six feet). Like I said, we're big.
Weight: 1,900 to 4,000 lbs, on average. The White Rhino, if you can believe it, gets even bigger—up to 10,000 pounds! That's a lot to carry around
Protection status: It's critical. The categorization differs for the different subspecies, but basically all rhinos need help. The problem is our horns. Certain people insist that they make good medicine—in many parts of Asia they grind rhino horns up and use the powder to reduce fevers and stop convulsions. But honestly, my horn is made of the same stuff as your fingernails and hair (keratin), and you don't see anybody grinding up fingernail clipping for medicine, do you? NOT a good reason to hunt us, in my opinion.
Group name: A crash, which adequately describes what happens when we hang out—fighting, fighting and more fighting. And you wonder why I'm a loner?
Posted by: Micato
People get all excited about the lion, Mr. King of the Jungle, and are SO impressed by the elephant, the world's largest land mammal. But what about me? The Cape Buffalo? Hello? I'm one of the Big Five, too! So I asked Micato Safaris if I could do a guest blog post, and they generously obliged.
What They Also Call Me
In East Africa, where they speak Swahili, I'm known as Nyati. In parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe the Zulu people call me Inyathi; in other parts of South Africa and Namibia, people who speak Afrikaans call me Buffels. The Setswana speakers in Botswana call me Nare—they also have a separate name for my little son, the buffalo calf, who they call Natshana.
Now, when it comes to my family members, well…the herd is so close that we rarely need to speak, we usually just KNOW what the other buffalo is thinking. But when something specific needs to be expressed, I'll usually hear about it via a bellow, grunt, honk or croak. People say it's similar to how human males communicate at the gym.
Best Places to Find Me
We are everywhere in East and Southern Africa: Chyulu Hills, Serengeti, Samburu, Etosha, Okavango Delta… wherever there is grass to eat and wide-open plains to exercise in, seriously I'm not picky. My only caveat is that I need to stay close to water—have to hydrate every day!
What You'll See Me Doing
Hanging out on the savannah with a bunch of big guys, because (ahem) in my family I'm in the sub-herd of high-ranking males, which means (a) I'm important (but you probably already knew that), and (b) I get first pick of the ladies in the herd. The ladies are, of course, the core of the herd, with their kids—I'm an old-fashioned, chivalrous kind of guy.
You can tell I'm important by the thickness of my horns, and I use those bad boys to fight off any other males who try to challenge me. You can catch me sparring with my horns a lot—either for play or in an actual battle for dominance (which I obviously always win.)
When not fighting or eating, I'm on the alert for any distress in my family. We're tough, as you can tell, and not easy to hunt—taking down one adult buffalo requires the hunting prowess of multiple lions working together. However, our calves are more vulnerable, so we cluster around them whenever possible, and come to their defense as soon as we hear the call (as illustrated in the famous Battle of Kruger.) This is part of why we're known for our altruism—it's rare that any male in the wild would protect a calf that wasn't his own.
Most Famous Admirer
Ernest Hemingway. As one of the Big Five—the five most dangerous and difficult animals to hunt—I posed a rare challenge to that great writer, who travelled to Africa in the bad old days when big game hunting wasn't controlled, and my family constantly had to fight off hunters. Thank goodness things are more controlled now, although I still work out regularly, flexing my muscles and jogging the plains, just in case I have to charge someone to protect my family.
Like all big game hunters, Ernest loved and feared me in equal measure, and even wrote a whole story starring me, called "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." I'm not sure how many copies it sold, but I hope not a lot—I mean, guys, I DIE at the end. Worst. Ending. Ever.
Most Embarrassing Facts
Ok, ok, I'll give you just one. My temper. When I feel threatened I am quick to go on the offensive: lions, leopards, crocodiles—I've attacked them all. Amongst African humans, I'm known as "Black Death" or "Widowmaker," and they're not joking. It's an embarrassing personal trait, but also a useful one—it's why I'm the only member of the exclusive Big Five club that isn't classified as endangered or vulnerable.
Favourite Food
Mmmm, grass! That's all I eat, and all I ever will. Tall, coarse grass is my favourite treat, which makes me a popular guy on the savannah, since my family and I act as lawnmowers, clipping down great swathes of dense grass and exposing the gentler green ground-cover below for the grazers with more delicate palates (ahem, antelopes—wimps!)
Everything Else
Type: Mammal
Diet: I'm a vegetarian, but that doesn't make me nice, ok? I can wrassle with the best of them.
Average life span in the wild: About 18 to 20 years old
Size: My family members are all within the range of 5 to 11 feet long, and 3 to 5 feet tall—but don't let my short legs fool you, I'm still fast… and pretty darn huge.
Weight: 1,100–2,000 pounds (gentlemen, like me, are larger than the ladies). For someone who's about four feet tall, this is inarguably a lot. And that's all muscle!
Protection status: According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, I am in the "Least Concern" category, which means that they were worried enough to check on me, but when they saw that my family and I were doing pretty well they decided they didn't have to fret about us anymore. At least, for now—as long as there's plenty of grass to eat, and those darn hunters stay off my back.
Group name: "Herd" is most common, although people also refer to us as "a gang" or "an obstinacy." The last also means "a state of stubbornness," which seems most appropriate. I dare you to argue with me about it!
Posted by: Micato
Good morning everyone! Yes, I am a mama elephant. I asked the Micato Safaris writers to transcribe a blog post for me, as my flat feet are terrible for typing. After all, why should those vain lions get all the press?
They Also Call Me:
In East Africa, where they speak Swahili, I'm known as Tembo, or Ndovu (they like me so much, they named me twice!) In parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe the Zulu people call me Indlovu; in other parts of South Africa and Namibia, people who speak Afrikaans call me Oliphant. The Setswana speakers in Botswana call me Tlou. But when anyone in the family needs me, they usually just amble over and cuddle—I am a mom, after all.
Best Places to Find Me:
I ought to be clear about who I am, exactly. You see, there are smaller Asian elephants in India and Sri Lanka—I'm not one of them. There are also African forest elephants, who crash around the forests and jungles of West Africa—I'm also not one of them. I'm an African bush elephant, so my kids and I spend our days in the glorious parks of Southern and East Africa: Amboseli, Kruger, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Samburu, Okavango Delta… if it's savannah or bushveldt, I'm there.
What You'll See Me Doing:
Usually you can find me eating, but I also love to bathe and swim, and if you want to hang out with me your best bet is to spend some time near the rivers and lakes of Southern and East Africa. Just be aware if you're sitting in "the splash zone": each of my kids can suck up to fourteen litres of water into their trunks at once, and they love to play…
How My Family Is Like Yours:
I'm always with my family, too, so if you visit me you're sure to meet everyone. As a mama elephant, I spend my days with all the other ladies and their babies. They boys get a little feisty and controlling around age fourteen, so that's when we kick them out on their own. Male elephants are loners—your typical cranky bachelors, always fighting with each other—though sometimes they'll get together with other males and cruise for ladies up and down the savannah. But the women are very close; in fact some female elephants have died from loneliness in captivity. This is why human organizations like David Sheldrick's Wildlife Trust are so important—orphaned baby elephants need special help, because they're so used to having a big family around them.
I'm the matriarch of my family, which means I'm the oldest and biggest, and everyone follows me. If mama isn't happy, nobody's happy, and that's the truth!
Most Embarrassing Facts:
Oh my goodness gracious, really? Well, ok, I suppose I can spill a few beans. Let's see…
I'm the largest land animal in the world, which already is kind of embarrassing (though also impressive, you have to admit.) I somehow have to keep this giant body working and moving on an all-vegetarian diet, plus feed all my wee babies (ok, my 200-pound babies—they're still wee to me). So for about sixteen hours a day, you can find me eating. In fact, I only sleep for about two hours a day… all the rest of my time is taken up by eating, bathing, and taking care of the kids.
Also, well, there's another draw-back to being so gosh-darn big: I can't run or jump. I pretty much just have two gaits: either I walk, or I walk fast. To be fair, when I get mad (and when you mess with my kids, I get furious!) this fast walk is certainly speedier than your run. In fact, humans have clocked me at 25 mph when I'm charging, which is not too shabby for a 6-ton mama, wouldn't you agree?
And one more thing: thick skin. This actually doesn't embarrass me—I'm proud of my one-inch thick flesh. Nothing really bothers me—not bugs or acacia thorns or sitting on a pokey log—because I'm so difficult to hurt. Hence, I'm a pretty mellow gal, unlike my excitable neighbors, the antelope. This is why some people call elephants pachyderms, which means "thick-skinned."
Favourite Food:
Elephant grass. You have to love a food that's named after you, don't you think? And anyway, if I don't like it, who will? Elephant grass is tough to eat and to digest, and with my crazy digestion system I'm one of the only animals on the savannah that can handle it. I know, I know, it's very predictable—mom eats all the left-overs. I'm fine with that!
Just to keep this big ol' body going, I have to eat 300-600 pounds of food a day, which means I can't be all that picky anyway. I'll eat acacia leaves, herbs, tall grass, fruit, shrubs… whatever I can get!
Everything Else:
Type: Mammal
Diet: Vegetarian (if I was a biologist, I'd say "herbivore"… but I'm an elephant, so I say whatever I want)
Average life span in the wild: 50-70 years (we're the oldest animals on the savannah!)
Size: About 12 feet tall. It's too bad we don't have thumbs; we would have been great at basketball.
Weight: Don't ask. I've broken every scale I've ever stood on! But people say that we range from 12,000-14,000 lbs (which is 6-7 tons). To put that into perspective, I weigh about the same as a hundred grown men, all piled up.
Protection status: Vulnerable. Our beauty is our curse, as my family members have been hunted for our gorgeous tusks for decades. Ivory, schmivory—doesn't it look better on me?
Group name: "Herd" is most common, but I prefer the lesser-used "Parade"—because every day is a celebration when you're in an elephant family.
Posted by: Micato
Africa is home to the largest land animal in the world (the elephant), the longest river in the word (the Nile), the oldest human fossils (Ardi, a 4.4 million year old skeleton found in Ethiopia), and several wonders of the world (including the Rift Valley and Victoria Falls). It's an amazing continent, and one we're very fortunate to know like the backs of our hands.
Nevertheless, Namibia still manages to surprise and enchant us with its breath-taking natural wonders. From the shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast to the pink and orange towering dunes of Sossusvlei, this land is more like a dream than anything else. Care for a taste of a Namibian safari? Here are just a few of our favourite facts about Namibia… careful, they're sure to whet your appetite for the real thing!
Posted by: Micato
Jambo from Kenya! Today we have a special treat for you. One of our Safari Directors left his laptop unattended out in the bush, and returned to find that the blog post that he'd been preparing to write—a well-researched piece on lions—had already been written… by a lion! Read on to get a rare perspective on the king of the jungle, written with his own paws (we assume—unless he got a monkey to do the typing.)
Well hello everyone! Yes, it's me—the King of the Jungle! Which is a bit of a misnomer, as I actually spend most of time in the savannah… but we'll get to that.
They Also Call Me:
In East Africa, where they speak Swahili, I'm known as Simba (but of course, any Disney fan knows that). In parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe the Zulu people call me Imbube; in other parts of South Africa and in Namibia, people who speak Afrikaans call me Leeu. The Setswana speakers in Botswana call me Tau. At home, the kids call me "Raaawwwr!"
Best Places to Find Me:
Well, that's easy—the best place to find me is near a Micato jeep! No kidding, it's almost spooky how good those Micato guides are at figuring out where I am.
But if you want me to be a little more specific… well, at one point in history my cousins and I were found all over Africa and Asia; we even hung out in Greece for a while (there was some pretty yummy goat to be found there.) I'm sad to say that most of my northern cousins—lions subspecies quite similar to me—are now extinct, and there's only a small group of them left in India's Gir Forest. You can still come visit me, though, in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly east and southern Africa. I especially enjoy spending time in savannahs and bushveldt, so the Serengeti, Maasai Mara, and Kruger are some of my favourite places to set up shop.
My immediate family is pretty diverse. If you want to visit some of my favourite siblings, I'd recommend stopping by to see my sisters in Linyanti Plains, Botswana, who are known as "surfing lions" because they hunt hippos. Crazy girls, I tell you. There are also my shy brothers who hang out with me in Kruger National Park, the white lions—I don't envy them the amount of grooming they have to do to keep their coats so white. And I have some tough brothers in Kalahari Game Reserve, who you'd know as the black-maned lions. You should definitely spend some time with them, if you have a chance.
We're all night-owls, so you can find us on the move in the early morning on the way home or at dusk on the way out for a hunt. And I'll admit it… in the daytime you might catch me sleeping under an acacia tree—it's the best shade in the savannah.
Most Embarrassing Facts:
What? Well, ok, hmmm…
I'm pretty lazy, for starters. Usually I sleep for 18-20 hours a day, which doesn't leave me much time for hobbies—kind of explains why you don't know any lions who knit or play guitar.
Also, I have one of those voices that really carries. I can't help it! When I get going and really let out a good roar, you can hear it up to five miles away. I'm the loudest of all the big cats, and I usually only roar at night, so if it wakes you up from your peaceful sleep, I'm sorry.
Sometimes I get teased because the lady lions do all the hunting, but that doesn't actually embarrass me. Those women bring home delicious food, and I have to admit, I get pretty overheated if I do too much work, since I have this huge mane (which is useful for impressing girls and intimidating rivals.) I'm pretty satisfied with my gal bringing home the bacon—and speaking of bacon…
Favourite Food:
Ha, just kidding! No way would I eat broccoli. I'm all meat, all day, baby. Some of my favourite meals are wildebeest, impalas, zebras, and buffalo. If I'm feeling peckish and just need a little snack, I'll settle for springbok or Thompson's gazelle. And man, I do love warthog—it's savannah bacon!
Everything Else:
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore (well, obviously)
Average life span in the wild: About 16 years
Size: We range from 5-7 feet long and 3-4 feet tall. The longest of my ancestors—we called him Grandpa Kubwa—was 12 feet long! He was, I'm sad to report, shot and killed in Angola in 1972.
Weight: Well that's a rude question—oh, alright… we range from 300-550 pounds. My heaviest ancestor—Grandpa Nono—was almost 700 pounds! He passed on in 1936 in South Africa.
Protection status: Vulnerable (even though we look tough, we're sensitive—lions need love too!)
Group name: Pride (which says it all, don't you think?)
Posted by: Micato
Jane Pinto tells all…about hosting a U.S. First Family in Tanzania, judging the Table Tennis World Cup, shepherding the multi-generational Pinto brood through Namibia and Botswana, and so much more…and that was only last year!
In News From Jane Pinto, the annual round-up from "Mama" about all that's new and noteworthy at Micato Safaris, Jane also opens the Pinto family archives to the outside world like never before.
Relish seldom shared gems like the photo of Jane and Mother Teresa (right) or the recipe for potato bhajias that Jane previously held so close to the vest that procuring it took us many, many attempts.
Jane also reveals the answer to what is perhaps the most commonly asked question on our safaris: What does "Micato" mean? Contrary to popular belief, it is not a Swahili word meaning "my wildcat" or "world-class luxury safari." It is not Swahili for anything. To hear Jane tell it:
In 1966 [Felix and I] moved to Nairobi for better schooling options for our children, and in the same year, purchased a farm in the suburb of Karen and a small tour company: Micato stood for Mini Cabs and Tours. We sold off the cabs and focused on the tours.
And, for the record, "Micato" is no longer an acronym for the cabs or the tours…or anything else. The name, much like the company that Jane and Felix created around it, is yet one more unique piece of family lore that will leave you wanting even more news from Jane Pinto…


text:
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Comparative Politics : A Global Introductionby Sodaro, Michael
McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Questions About This Book?
Why should I rent this book?
Renting is easy, fast, and cheap! Renting from eCampus.com can save you hundreds of dollars compared to the cost of new or used books each semester. At the end of the semester, simply ship the book back to us with a free UPS shipping label! No need to worry about selling it back.
How do rental returns work?
Returning books is as easy as possible. As your rental due date approaches, we will email you several courtesy reminders. When you are ready to return, you can print a free UPS shipping label from our website at any time. Then, just return the book to your UPS driver or any staffed UPS location. You can even use the same box we shipped it in!
What version or edition is this?
This is the 3rd edition with a publication date of 5/3/2007.
What is included with this book?
- The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any CDs, lab manuals, study guides, etc.
- The Used copy of this book is not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included.
- The Rental copy of this book is not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. You may receive a brand new copy, but typically, only the book itself.
Comparative Politics: A Global Introduction presents a uniquely comprehensive approach to the study of politics in a variety of countries. Part I surveys the core topics of comparative politics and equips students with the concepts and analytical methods they need to understand the complexities of today's political world. Part I enhances critical thinking skills by explaining in a step-by-step fashion how the basic techniques of the scientific method, such as qualitative hypothesis testing, can be used to understand political realities. Part II provides in-depth studies of many major countries, using the concepts and analytical techniques introduced in Part I. By combining rich conceptualization, analytical methods, and extensive coverage of a diversity of countries, this engaging text teaches introductory-level students how to think about politics for themselves, logically and systematically.
Table of Contents
|Concepts and Critical Thinking
|Comparative Politics: What Is It? Why Study It?
|Major Topics of Comparative Politics
|Critical Thinking about Politics: Analytical Techniques of Political Science - The Logic of Hypothesis Testing
|The State and Its Institutions
|States and Nations: Nationalism - Nation Building - Supranationalism
|Democracy: What Is It?
|Democracy: How Does It Work? State Institutions and Electoral Systems
|Democracy: What Does It Take? Ten Conditions
|Conditions for Democracy in the Islamic World: Indonesia - Afghanistan - Iraq
|People and Politics: Voters – Parties – Interest Groups – Dissidence – Revolution
|Political Culture
|Political Economy: Laissez-Faire – Central Planning – Mixed Economies – Welfare States
|The Politics of Development
|Countries and Leaders
|The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
|Mexico and Brazil
|Nigeria and South Africa
|Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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"The impossible has happened..."
View Single Post
September 27 2012, 08:04 AM
Location: Portland, OR
Re: "The impossible has happened..."
Timo wrote:
The episode does have its own wholly internal chronology/continuity problems. If Kirk has known Mitchell for fifteen years, but Mitchell first met a "Lieutenant" Kirk at the Academy, then both men are about the age of the actors portraying them - yet the onscreen graphics try to suggest Mitchell is but 23 years old.
I don't see the upside of pretending that Mitchell is 23 or Dehner 21, but apparently youth was directly related to sex appeal back then in a rather embarrassing way. At least Michael J. Fox
of looked the part...
Timo Saloniemi
My assumption is that those were records made when they joined up after graduating the academy, not reports of measurements made earlier that day. I assume cadets ESPer rating is measured and noted during their training and these are the documents we're seeing on screen.
As for set differences, my understanding is that both pilot episodes were filmed in one studio and then the sets were half struck and carted over to a different, larger studio somewhere else in town. Off the top of my head, I want to say the pilots were made at Desilu in Culver City and then moved to Paramount? It's been a while since I looked any of that stuff up so I probably have that mixed up and rearranged somehow, but the pilot episodes were definitely made in a different place than the series production was. That's why there are so many differences in the set details, and more sets for the series.
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NYS is delighted to announce the appointment of Russell Ger as the Conductor of Concert Orchestra.
Russell is a talented and inspirational conductor and musician who combines deep musical knowledge and strong orchestral leadership. Out Concert Orchestra Musicians had the pleasure of working with Russell in a rehearsal last season and seeing first-hand the passion, engagement and skillful technique that he brigns to his conducting. He will be a fine addition to our team of NYS conductors and support the standard of musical excellence to which we aspire as an organization.
As the search for the permanent Concert Orchestra Conductor continues we are pleased to announce that Gregory Robbins has been appointed Guest Conductor for the May Concert period.
Combining a unique background of formal conservatory training and digital media entrepreneurship, American conductor Gregory Robbins is the quintessential 21st Century artist. He is the founder and music director of the Delphi Chamber Orchestra, and was recently appointed Associate Conductor of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony.
A strong advocate for music education, Robbins has made conducting debuts at Yale School of Music, NYU, and lectured at Mannes College: The New School for Music. This summer he begins his appointment to the conducting staff of the New York State Summer School for the Arts, in a program presented in conjunction with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
He is currently in his second season as associate conductor of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. He was educated at Manhattan School of Music and Yale School of Music, and currently lives in New York City.
This season's Winter Concert will feature Emily Azzarito, cello, in a performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto, Op. 85.
Emily began playing the cello at the age of 8. She is now an 18-year-old senior at New Canaan High School, CT. Emily has been a member of the Norwalk Youth Symphony for eight years and has served as the Principal Cellist of the Principal Orchestra for two years.
In 2012, Emily was selected as a winner of the American Chamber Orchestra's Concerto Competition. She performed the first movement of the Lalo Cello Concerto with Maestro Christopher Hisey and the orchestra later that spring. Additionally, she was invited to perform at the 2013 Leon Tec Showcase highlighting local outstanding young musicians. In 2013, she was 1st chair of the CT All-State Orchestra. This year, Emily was selected from thousands of young musicians from 12 Eastern states plus Europe to perform in the 2015 NAfME All-Eastern Honors Symphony Orchestra.
Emily won the 2013 Eastern Connecticut Symphony's Victor Norman Concerto Competition and was awarded 1st prize at the Musical Club of Hartford's Concerto Competition of 2013.
Emily studies cello privately with Lois Errante and Allison Eldredge and is coached in chamber music by Asya Meshberg. She has also studied piano with Christine Mangone and music theory with Maestro Arthur Sjogren.
Emily is a member of the National Honor Society and is the recipient of the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. She plans to continue her study of cello performance in college while majoring in Economics and Romance Languages. She plans to earn an MBA and potentially work in the music industry as a producer.
The Norwalk Youth Symphony Winter Concert will take place on Sunday March 1, 2015 at 3PM at the Norwalk Concert Hall at City Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT.
The Norwalk Youth Symphony is currently looking for a conductor for its Concert Orchestra.
The Norwalk Youth Symphony is happy to announce that our Music Director, Jonathan Yates, has been appointed Musical Director Designate of the prestigious chamber music festival, Music Mountain.
Music Mountain is the oldest continuing summer chamber music festival in this country, and Jonathan will be only the fourth Music Director in its 85-year history. Each year they offer a Chamber Music Series of 16 concerts, mainly on Sunday afternoons, a popular Saturday evening series of Jazz concerts, and a number of special events.
The setting of Music Mountain is very beautiful, in Falls Village, CT, amidst the splendor of the Berkshires. The centerpiece of the estate is Gordon Hall - one of the finest chamber music facilities in the country. With seating for 335 and legendary acoustics, Gordon Hall provides resonant and lovely sound, views of the gardens, grounds and hills from every seat or from the lawn, permitting listeners to savor music and nature as one.
Visit the Music Mountain website for more information.


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Hey all,
I'm a plugin author and I have a question regarding GPL compatibility.
My plugin that was originally released with the standard copy-paste GPL license, but it wasn't long before someone else "stole" the code, releasing a 99.9% identical plugin with the exception that they removed all credit to me as the original author and replaced all donate links with their own. They even named it identically to mine, so users searching for my original would "accidentally" download the clone and donate to the other "author". I reported it to WordPress and they removed it, but to prevent a repeat of the issue I added the following license conditions:
* If you choose to create and distribute a derived plugin, you must satisfy all of the following:
* 1) You may not represent it as a fully original plugin, nor attempt to confuse it with the original plugin by means of its name or otherwise.
* 2) The derived plugin must clearly give credit to the original, including a link to the original plugin's page on the WordPress Plugins repository.
* This credit and link must be provided in each of the following locations, and must be plainly visible:
* -The plugin's entry on the "Plugins" page of the user's wordpress install
* -The plugin's admin panel
* -The plugin's readme file
* -The plugin's support page (if relevant)
* 3) You may add your own PayPal Donate link, provided it always appears with my own.
* You may not remove my Donate link.
* It must be clear which link donates to the original author and which donates to the author of the derived work.
* 4) You should make it clear precisely what functionality you've added to the plugin and what was original.
I figured it was pretty reasonable to state that anyone is free to derive from the plugin or use it however they like, but they should at least give credit to me as the author and not try to disguise my work as their own. Surprisingly, WordPress pulled it from the repo and said I can't place *any* of these conditions in the license. So my question is: does anyone have any suggestions of how I might deal with this? Does the above really violate GPL?
Thanks very much in advance,


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Katie VanderLey
Senior Team ManagerColumbia, MO
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We've got all kinds of new foods and all-time favorites you and your family will love. Whether your taste is sweet, spicy or a little sassy, just think of me as your own personal shopper and party planner.
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Hi, and Welcome to My Tastefully Simple Website!
I have been selling Tastefully Simple since 2007. I became a Tastefully Simple consultant to help off-set the cost of the adoption of our first child. I had two very successful fundraisers and decided after being a host that being a consultant had to be double the fun and excitement ... and it has been! I can honestly say that I love the life Tastefully Simple has allowed our family to have. It is a wonderful journey; I enjoy staying home with our children, and contributing to our family's financial needs. I have met wonderful people through Tastefully Simple, many of whom are my closest friends.
I am very excited to share Tastefully Simple's fantastic products, benefits of being a host and the business opportunity with you. From Fundraisers, to Business Accounts to the Taste-Testing Parties ... Tastefully Simple does it all!
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Refs need to be impartialFebruary 21,2013
Refs need to be impartial
I would just like to comment on the lack of basic skills by the referees who oversaw the Twinfield-Williamstown seventh-/eighth-grade girls game Feb. 15. Im not sure what game the officials were watching, but it seemed like they missed every single illegal maneuver by the Williamstown team. They definitely missed some of the travels and such by Twinfield, as well, but it was painfully obvious who they wanted to win the game.
In fact, the male referee made a joke to one of the parents when he finally called a Williamstown girl on traveling, There, I saw that one. When the parent made a comment back, About time, he was removed from the game.
The ref was making comments to the Williamstown parents, as well; he obviously knew them. I understand that referees are only human, but they are also supposed to be impartial. What kind of lesson does it teach the players when the referees are so blatantly biased in favor of the home team?
Cynthia Snelling
PlainfieldMORE IN Letters
I read with interest the comments of State Treasurer Beth Pearce ("Treasurer: Strapped... Full Story
In reading the article in the newspapers about the Vermont State Employees' Association... Full Story
I am writing to express my support for paid sick days for all workers in Vermont. Full Story
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Learn more about Windows XP video
You are probably wondering why I'm posting about XP it's pretty old hat…well that's the reason. I was clearing out stuff in my garage this weekend and came across an ancient artefact that I had to share. Ladies and gentlemen I introduce to you…
Learn more about Windows XP
On VHS tape.
Yep, Windows XP is so old we actually distributed promotional VHS tapes for it! That means it was released before DVDs went mainstream. That's some old stuff right there. I don't even own the technology to play this thing!
I know we all know it's time to move on, but it's just one more thing to mention to the hold outs. This will be added our techno-relics table soon…
4 comments
Hey, I've still got the technology to play that…..sad
I might pop to an antique shop and gear up!
Wow. Luckily I still have the Technology to play the device. VCR player
Pingback: Why you need to get off Windows XP and move to Windows 7 | Simon May


text:
LONDON (AP) -- A London law firm says Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are suing a British tabloid which reported that they were to split.
RELATED: See more pics of Brad Pitt
Keith Schillings, of Schillings lawyers, said in a statement Monday that the celebrity couple had begun legal proceedings against the News of The World newspaper.
RELATED: See more pics of Angelina Jolie
The newspaper reported Jan. 24 that Pitt and Jolie had agreed to divide their assets and made arrangements over the custody of their children.
Schillings, whose firm is representing the unmarried couple, said the report involved "false and intrusive allegations." He said the tabloid failed to meet a demand for a retraction and apology.
RELATED: Read more about the Brad/Angelina split rumors
He also said Sorrell Trope, a divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, denied claims she had been in contact with the couple.
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Chicken Fiesta Soup Recipe Cooking Show
4-6 Chicken Tenders, boiled 1 green pepper, diced 1 tomato chunked 1 (15oz)can Food Club black beans 1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain & wild Rice 1-2 packs Old El Paso Mild Taco Seasoning 16oz jar of Food Club Thick and Chunky Salsa L.B. Jamison's Beef Flavored Soup Base 1c. Boiling hot water Begin by boiling 1 cup of water and broth together. (medium-high heat) Immediately begin bringing your chicken to a thorough boil all the way through (high). While waiting on the chicken, the broth should beat a boil. Begin adding all ingredients, except the chicken and rice. Stir frequently. In a microwave safe bowl, begin boiling rice on high for about 8 mins. Drain chicken and chunk into even portions. Add chicken & rice to mixture, blending thoroughly. Reduce heat. Serve & Enjoy!
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Honey Ginger Pot Roast Recipe Cooking Show
If you like beef you will want to try this dish. Tender beef in a rich grvy. By braising the beef this way, it will be fork tender. I plan on having a complete series of beef videos, keep on watching!!
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Prawns Ularthiyatu Recipe Cooking Show
In this video you will learn how to make a delicious recipe with Prawns.
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Spicy Chicken Kebab Recipe Cooking Show
These spicy kebabs will certainly tickle your tastebuds, especially with the accompanying spicy noodles.
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Voters line up to cast their ballots at the Bellevue Village Hall, Tuesday, November 6, 2012. H. Marc Larson/Press-Gazette
Max Keyser casts his ballot in the 4th Aldermanic District, Ward 16 polling place, at Union Congregational Church in Green Bay, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. / H. Marc Larson/Press-Gazette
Brown County municipalities have requested almost 26,000 extra ballots for today�s election.
Brown County Clerk Darlene Marcelle said poll workers are asked to inspect how many ballots they have every two hours.
�The fact that we�re getting orders before noon tells me they are keeping a very close eye on their ballot stock,� she said, adding clerks usually order a conservative amount of ballots to avoid waste.
As of 11:30 a.m., Allouez requested 3,000 extra ballots, Ashwaubenon needed 2,000 more, 1,500 for Ledgeview, 800 for Hobart and 650 for Pulaski. Voter turnout is still estimated at 80 percent for county registered voters, Marcelle added.
No updated numbers by community were immediately available in the early evening.
No major issues were reported at any polling places, although cooking smoke caused dozens of voters to be evacuated briefly at a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay polling site.
Dining staff on the first level of the University Union were grilling meat about 7:55 a.m. when smoke from the food set off alarms, said Christopher Sampson, UWGB communications director.
The system was fixed within 10 minutes and people waiting to vote were allowed back inside, he said.
Connie Brownell, chief election inspector for Wards 1 and 2 on the city of Green Bay�s northeast side, was at the site and said poll workers stayed inside during the incident to monitor voting machines and ballots, which were located on the union�s second floor in a commons area. A few people voting when the evacuation began were allowed to finish voting and turned in their ballots before leaving the building, she said.
Earlier today, Brown County residents said they were inspired to vote by topics such as the economy, women�s rights and the possibility of another war.
�I think this election seems to be the most important one in my lifetime,� Ethel Gross, 73, of Bellevue said before voting at the village hall, 3100 Eaton Road, Bellevue. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and officials said people began standing in line by 6:30 a.m. Voters were allowed to stand inside the hall, but as more people gathered, the line backed up out the door under near freezing temperatures. Forecasts are calling for a mix of rain and snow through noon today, with possible rain into the night. Polls close at 8 p.m.
Gross was with her husband Richard, and both said they planned to vote for Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the race against President Barack Obama.
�I want to save our country,� Richard Gross said.
Wisconsin has 10 electoral votes, and figures to play a big role in deciding which candidate will win the race by securing a total of 270 electoral votes.
Paula Ganyard, 44, of Bellevue declined to say specifically who she had voted for in the presidential race, but said she voted for the candidate who is concerned about women�s rights.
�We can�t keep stripping women of them,� she added.
Other races on the ballot for local residents include incumbent state Sen. Dave Hansen, a Democrat, who faces a challenge in the 30th Senate District race from Republican businessman John Macco; former Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican, who is battling Democrat Rep. Tammy Baldwin in the U.S. Senate race; and Reid Ribble, a Republican, who is looking to hold on for a second term in the 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, is in a race against Jamie Wall, a Democrat.
Brown County has more than 145,000 registered voters, and officials are expecting an 80 percent voter turnout. In 2008, more than 125,000 people turned out for the presidential election, with 54 percent voting for Obama and 45 percent for John McCain, a Republican. Almost 3 million people voted statewide during the 2008 presidential election, with 56 percent of voters choosing Obama, compared with 42 percent for McCain.
David DeGrave, 56, of Bellevue owns a dentist office and said he voted for Romney because he was worried about the economy and the national debt. The economic uncertainty has prevented him from hiring more staff or increasing staff wages, he said. DeGrave also said he does not support abortion rights.
Bellevue has about 9,000 registered voters, and poll officials said about a third had voted before today.
No voters had to wait outdoors at Union Congregational Church in Christ on Green Bay�s near east side, and poll officials reported no major issues.
�I�m voting for Obama because he�s going to make it better for the community,� said Chris Wells, 43, of Green Bay, as he headed to the church to vote. Wells said he believes Romney will only benefit the wealthy and he�s worried Romney, if elected, will start another overseas war conflict.
Melissa Prentice, 33, of Green Bay went to that polling location with her husband, Anthony Sigismondi, and both said they voted for Democratic candidates.
Prentice said she believes abortion rights are an economic issue because it allows women to decide when to plan a family, which can impact finances.
Her husband said he was paying close attention to the U.S. Senate race between Baldwin and Thompson.
�What�s sticking out to me is just how far to the right the Republican party has moved and how Thompson embodies that,� he said.
Prentice said she was proud to support Baldwin, who she labeled as progressive.
�I think it�s very exciting to have her in Wisconsin,� she said.
All voters encouraged others to vote today to fulfill their civic duty.
�The stakes are high, get out and vote; especially in a state like Wisconsin,� Sigismondi said.
� firstname.lastname@example.com and follow him on Twitter @pgcharlesdavis.


text: The cast for the final Twilight film, Breaking Dawn, is beginning to take shape, with multiple sources reporting today on a couple of pretty big roles that may have found a home. First up, Entertainment Weekly tells us that 9-year-old newcomer Mackenzie Foy is likely to play at least one version of Renesmee, who's the child of Edward and Bella. We say one version, because at this time we're not sure how many different Renesmees will be featured in the film considering the character's rapid growth throughout the book. EW does say, however, that digital effects will be used to age up or down, similar to the way it was done for Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Chances are you're not familiar with Foy, who's chalked up a few lesser-known TV credits and is said to be a kids' fashion model … so break out that Gap circular!


text:
'Wreck-It Ralph' claims high score at Annie Awards
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Walt Disney's video-game romp "Wreck-It Ralph" has won top animation honors at the Annie Awards.
The comedy hit about a video-game villain who wants to turn hero was named best animated feature at Saturday night's Annies, which are presented by the International Animated Film Society. "Wreck-It Ralph" won out over a field that included "Brave," ''Frankenweenie," ''ParaNorman" and "Hotel Transylvania."
With a voice cast led by John C. Reilly, "Wreck-It Ralph" dominated the film categories, also winning Annies for director Rich Moore, voice co-star Alan Tudyk and for its music and screenplay.
Among live-action films, "The Avengers" won the Annie for animated effects and "Life of Pi" won for character animation.
On the TV side, an episode of "Robot Chicken" won for best general audience animated show.
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text:
The Latest Small Grants Supporting Frontline Communities
The below dozen grants distributed over the last few months through RAN's Protect-an-Acre program and through our role as an advisor to Global Greengrant Fund supported frontline community efforts to defend their land and rights in forest regions in Africa, South & Central America, Southeast Asia and Appalachia. Protect-an-Acre KONTAK Rakyat Borneo $4,000 to carry out a two week field investigation in and around PT Indo Sawit Kekal, a Cargill subsidiary, to gather concrete evidence and documentation of its operations in violation of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil principles and criteria and Indonesian law, as well as establish a link between Sinar Mas plantations and Cargill mills. Red de Permacultura America Latina en el Peru (REDPAL-PERU) on behalf of Achual Sustainable Harvest Project $1,500 to support the Achual community's permaculture project in the in Peruvian Amazon, which will produce tropical fruits with maximum biodiversity, provide income security, result in the reforestation of depleted areas, and help secure native status recognition of 4,000 acres of rainforest territory. [caption id="attachment_7037" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Maintenance of flooded camu camu plants"][/caption] Keeper of the Mountains Foundation $1,500 to support Larry Gibson's tireless work bringing thousands of people to witness the destruction caused by mountaintop removal coal mining to help build a movement to ensure his ancestral land on Kayford Mountain in West Virginia will not become a part of the 7,000 acre MTR site that surrounds it today. Ya'axché Conservation Trust $1,000 to support a comprehensive advocacy campaign to secure the Government of Belize's commitment to protected area legislation, specifically focusing on the most recent illegal, environmentally and socially detrimental activity, a proposed hydroelectric facility within the most restricted and perhaps most pristine protected area in the country, Bladen Nature Reserve. [caption id="attachment_7038" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bladen Nature Reserve"][/caption] Global Greengrants Fund Secwepemc Nation Youth Network $5,000 to support a four day Indigenous Peoples Assembly on Secwepemc Nation land located within British Columbia's inland temperate rainforest just prior to the Winter Olympics to network and draft an action plan related to Canadian mining companies, independent power projects impacting water and salmon, all-season resorts, and other local issues. Grassy Narrows Women's Drum Group $3,000 to support two public events in Toronto, including a public march that will form a human wild river, to raise awareness about the health impacts of mercury poisoning on the Grassy Narrows community on the 40th anniversary of when residents were poisoned by mercury from an upstream pulp mill. [caption id="attachment_7039" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Wild river march for clean water in Toronto"][/caption] Indigenous Environmental Network $5,000 to send an Indigenous Environmental Network delegation to the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, in Bolivia, to provide a platform for a moratorium against new fossil fuel developments in and near Indigenous lands and territories. ClimAmbiente $3,5000 to support two workshops in the Ecuadorian Amazon for Indigenous leaders to strengthen participation in international climate change policy debates on adaption, mitigation, and the United Nation's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) program, which could have a significant impact on Indigenous communities and rainforests. Consejo Shipibo-Konibo Xetebo $4,000 to provide the Council of the Shipibo-Konibo with initial seed money for a new organization to unite Shipibo-Konibo communities in the Peruvian Amazon in their efforts to protect their collective territory from the encroaching world. Wahana Bumi Hijau Foundation $5,000 to produce an updated field study, hold an open discussion forum and carry out a road show related to the Rimba Hutani Mas logging company's activities in the Merang Kepayang peat swamp forest, an ecologically important area that acts as a buffer zone to Sembilang National Park in Indonesia. Community Alliance for Pulp Paper Advocacy $1,500 to organize a workshop for 17 representatives of Indonesian organizations to hold a facilitated discussion to share experiences, identify common objectives, and plan specific activities in support of community rights and sustainable land use in an area of Central Kalimantan that is targeted for large-scale pulp industry expansion, which would devastate natural forest and peat lands. Youth Community Biodiversity Initiative $3,000 to plant trees in collaboration with 10 schools throughout Uganda and reduce deforestation through the implementation of energy saving stoves that burn rice husks and coffee so less wood needs to be gathered.
Royal Bank of Scotland Dodges Questions on Indigenous Rights
[caption id="attachment_6887" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo by Matt Dunham"][/caption] On April 28th in Edinburgh, Scotland the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) held their Annual General Meeting where shareholders met to discuss the future of RBS. RBS was one of the UK banks bailed-out by the UK government in 2008, and now RBS is 83% owned by the UK public. Between 2007 and 2009, RBS led the underwriting of loans for tar sands mining in Canada at an amount of more than $7.5 billion. This translates into UK taxpayers and public money being used to finance operators in the Alberta tar sands. The money that RBS has contributed to this project clearly identifies them as complicit to the environmental and cultural annihilation of the lands, territories and rights of my people. Over the past year and a half I have been working with the RAN targeting Tar Sands development and the banks that fund it here in Canada. Our Canadian campaign target has been the Royal Bank of Canada, the world's largest financier of tar sands with over $18 billion in the tar sands. RAN has been demanding new policies be adopted and implemented by the Royal of Canada to ensure the environment, water and rights of my people are protected and that banks become transparent with their financing. Over the course of the last six months there has been a growing movement in Europe and UK to take up the issue of Tar Sands by groups such as the newly formed UK Tar Sands Coalition, People & Planet, Platform, World Development Movement, Friends of the Earth France and Scotland, and Greenpeace UK. More recently some of these groups have begun targeting major tar sands financiers such as the Royal Bank of Scotland. [caption id="attachment_6850" align="alignleft" width="249" caption="Eriel Tchekwie Deranger at RBS AGM: Photo By Ric Lander"][/caption] So, last week I traveled from Edmonton, Alberta Canada to attend the RBS AGM to bring Canada's Indigenous peoples and environmental demands to the UK and voice my concerns surrounding RBS financing of Canada's tar sands. I was privileged to have the opportunity to go inside the AGM along with Simon Chambers, documentary film maker working with Amnesty International and Indigenous communities impacted by Bauxite mining in India. We both had and opportunity to present our cases, mine of the tar sands mining in Canada and his of bauxite mining in India. I posed the following questions: "How does RBS justify their billions of dollars in corporate loans and financing to operators in the tar sands, the world's largest and most destructive industrial project, given the projects vast environmental and human rights abuses?" -and- "Would RBS consider moving towards policies that fully respect Indigenous communities rights to free, prior and informed consent with respect to the banks financing to ensure that communities lives and livelihoods don't continue to be eroded and impacted by their financing?" The response from Chairman Sir Philip Hampton was pretty standard. He denied the banks involvement in the tar sands stating "…our investments in the Tar Sands are so minimal that I don't even know what they are." and then he completely dodged the question of implementing new financing policies that respect Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Indigenous communities referring that I should be addressing the Canadian government not the bank. This was similar to responses from RBC at the beginning of our campaign here in Canada. That evening I was invited to a Peoples AGM where we allowed the public to hear not only the cases of tar sands and bauxite mining, but to look at what viable alternatives existed in the renewable sector. The people also developed their own demands to present to RBS executives the following morning. The next morning we met with the Chairman of the Board, Sir Philip Hampton, and three CSR representatives, in a building that I can only describe as a church to the money gods, to discuss the campaign, demands and concerns. The executives and Chairman reiterated time and time again that they have been given the task to ensure the bank continues to make profits in order to pay back the UK government. The words "profits before people" rang through my ears for a majority of the meeting. However, it's undeniable the bank does not want to be associated with a campaign that will further tarnish their reputation. I stressed that all banks are in a state of reform and they should take our concerns and recommendations seriously as they have an opportunity to be a leader in the industry to adopt strong policies of Free, Prior and Informed Consent and leading the way forward in clean, renewable energy. RBS could not deny they have been under public scrutiny since being bailed out and tar sands financing is now the cherry on top. It's clear the bank is worried. I just hope this will be the first of many conversations outlining how RBS can meet the demands of the people here in Canada. [caption id="attachment_6856" align="alignright" width="300" caption=" Photo By Ric Lander"][/caption] In closing, now that the bank is 83% owned by the UK government you'd think we'd be seeing strong corporate and government leadership driving the bank and transforming them into a leader in the emerging green energy economy in the UK and a move towards a future that honours the land and the legacy of my ancestors. RBS should be adopting strong policies that respect free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous communities and ensures the protection of the environment and water not contributing to projects that tramples over them. It's time that ALL banks step up to the plate and adopt comprehensive policies that not only address but respect Indigenous communities right to free, prior and informed consent as outlined and identified within the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I hope the UK will put its money where its mouth is by pulling RBS's business out of the tar sands.
The truth about Cargill's palm oil plantations in Borneo
The truth is out! After months of investigations, RAN just released a report entitled CARGILL'S PROBLEMS WITH PALM OIL: A BURNING THREAT TO BORNEO. Slideshow of report images Our report reveals that Cargill is clearing and burning rainforests, displacing Indigenous and traditional communities and exacerbating climate change. While Cargill claims that it is committed to sustainable palm oil, it is violating its palm oil commitments, RSPO Principles and Criteria and Indonesian law. Check out our post on GRIST. One of the things we uncovered in our investigation is that Cargill is also failing to disclose the ownership of at least two plantations where they are actively clearing rainforests. The two plantations, located on Indonesian Borneo, are operating without legally required permits, resulting in clearing and burning of rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands and significant conflict with traditional and Indigenous communities. On one plantation, Cargill has cleared 10,500 hectares of rainforest since its operations began in 2005 – an area as large as all four Walt Disney World theme parks! In thinking about the majestic forests of Borneo -that were once havens for orangutans, Sumatran tigers and elephants- and the people who depend on it for their survival, it's unconscionable to think that in this day and age companies are still getting away with such egregious and rampant destruction. It's not enough for companies like Cargill to say that they are committing to "sustainable palm oil", they need to take bold action now! RAN is recommending that Cargill adopt and implement a comprehensive palm oil policy, which includes cleaning up its entire palm oil supply chain and supporting an immediate moratorium on any further deforestation or draining of peatlands for palm oil plantations. We are also recommending that Cargill customers, like General Mills, cancel their contracts with the company until or unless it agrees to our recommendations. Our report and full recommendations can be found at www.ran.org/cargillreport The media is just starting to cover our report. The Minneapolis Star Tribune says, "Rain forest advocacy group slams Cargill: Rainforest Action Network says Cargill operating outside of sustainability guidelines." We'll keep you posted on other updates, especially the update where Cargill agrees to clean up its act and stop clearing rainforests for palm oil plantations.
Ghana's Forest Reserves under Threat
Written by John F. Akwetey (RAN Ghana) In line with the government's election campaign promise of a better Ghana Agenda, licences are given to multinational companies to mine in our forest reserves without proper consideration of its consequences after submitting a signed "Statement of Policies on Natural Resource and Environment,'' to the European Commission. These multinational mining companies use their money and power to deceive our leaders to allow them mine in our forest reserve after they have destroyed the off reserves areas in the country by polluting water bodies, violating human rights, and intimidating communities. Many of our forest reserves across the country are home to endangered species of plants and animals, in addition to containing precious minerals like gold, diamond and bauxites which the mining companies have targeted for their activities. Examples include Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District where a mining company from Australia has started their operation, Agyenuapepo Forest Reserve in the Birim North area of the Eastern Region, and Newmont Limited who want to mine royal cemeteries in the Akyem Kotoku Traditional area. The mining companies intimidate communities by using violence that results in death of Indigenous youth. In this year, at least seven or more death of community people have being recorded. Newmont Limited polluted several communities' water bodies and kept it secret from the communities and the government until a local NGO raised the issue. These mining corporations are ready to pay their way out to have whatever they want, however we cannot rule out the payment of bribery by these mining companies to our leaders, since they protect their interest. These mining companies falsified documents claiming that the Indigenous communities have agreed with the mining activities in their area. RAN Ghana would challenge any mining corporations that destroy the environment and violate human rights of Indigenous mining communities especially the youth who end being killed. We would also subject for advocacy in this direction to ensure that human rights of mining communities are not trampled on. Finally, I would like to call on the government to stop granting mining concessions to these mining companies particularly in forest reserve.
Chris Noth Hosts RAN's Fabulous 25th Birthday Bash in NYC
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Chris Noth hosting the RAN event! "][/caption] On Thursday, April 29th, Sex and the City star (and RAN's newest Honorary Board member) Chris Noth threw RAN a fabulous birthday bash at Manhattan's (Le) Poisson Rogue. Chris Noth has been a supporter of Rainforest Action Network for over 20 years now and started throwing a yearly NYC benefit party a few years back. These big apple parties always bring together New York's finest celebrities, eco-gliteratti, musicians, and long-time RAN volunteers and supporters. This year's party really kicked off RAN's 25th anniversary year in style! The unforgettable moment of the night was a completely hilarious and raucous live auction that raised a ton of money to support the critical work RAN does to defend forests, fight climate change, and support Indigenous rights. Party co-hosts Chris Noth and the fabulous Trudie Styler kicked off the auction with a lively bidding war for two backstage passes (and a lil' something extra) to Sting's July shows at the Met with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Other lucky party-goers grabbed work-out sessions with Chris's personal trainer (and a year's membership to Nimble gym) and a private dinner with 'Mr Big' himself. And for all of you waiting, Cosmos in hand, for the Sex and the City sequel, Chris helped nab 2 tickets to the World Premiere of Sex and the City 2 and sweetened the deal with a gorgeous stay at Le Hotel Plaza Atheene. Besides being a fantastic fundraising event, the party was also a fantastic way to connect and engage on the issues we are fighting everyday. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Trudie Styler"][/caption] Rainforest Action Network's Acting Executive Director Rebecca Tarbotton gave a rousing speech about the breadth of our campaign work and our 25 history of pressuring (and inspiring) some of the world's largest corporations to transform their social and environmental practices. As she spoke about our recent recent successes to get Indonesia fiber out of high-fashion bags I saw Barney's Fashion Director Julie Gilhart nodding and eco models (and activists) Summer Rayne Oakes and Kate Dillon cheering along. When Trudie Styler - who has traveled and worked extensively in the Amazon rainforest where Chevron is responsible for massive oil contamination - spoke about the environmental and health disaster in the region, the crowd was gasping and asking for ways to get involved in our campaign to Change Chevron. With such a star-studded and perfect event, what was my favorite celebrity sighting of the night? It wasn't anyone you'll read about in People magazine. Pablo Fajardo and Luis Yanza, the two courageous men, who have been defending the 30,000 impacted people in Ecuador to force Chevron to do the right thing and clean up the oil pollution, made a surprise appearance. Speaking with Pablo and Luis reminded me why we do this work, and why the support of so many people have kept RAN going strong for 25 years. Want to join the community of support? Become a monthly sustainer today. We can't offer you backstage passes to Sting, but we can guarantee that your donation will help protect forests, fight climate change, and support human rights. Click here for more photos of the event!
General Mills Under National Fire: New York to Minnesota
Last week was a busy one for General Mills, finding themselves increasingly under public scrutiny. Not only are hundreds of children across the country now pressuring the company to get the palm oil out of their Cheerios, but during the 2010 Edison Awards in New York while receiving a gold award for their "Gluten Free Betty Crocker Cake Mix," local New York activists disrupted the gala ceremony to bring attention to the irony that the company was receiving an award for innovation meanwhile destroying rainforests. Is rainforest destruction and willingly supporting practices that are making orangutans extinct really innovative? On Wednesday April 28 several children descended upon General Mills Headquarters in Golden Valley, MN, to deliver the over 400 Earth Day posters that young school children produced nation-wide, asking General Mills to get the dead orangutans out of their breakfast cereal. They just don't understand why General Mills insists on putting rainforest destruction-tainted palm oil in over 100 of their products including brands such as Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and Hamburger Helper. [caption id="attachment_6619" align="alignleft" width="195" caption="Elementary school student Amina in Dexter, MI expresses her concerns about General Mills"][/caption] This came just days after General Mills released its 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, which clearly showed that the company is not making the issue of palm oil a priority as it appeared in a brief paragraph on page 97 out of 102. The children delivering the posters asked General Mills to show a true commitment to sustainability, not just one that looks good on paper. The following day, on Thursday April 29, the New York Action Network used creative tactics to disrupt two different sessions of the annual Edison Awards, a prestigious award that honors companies for their innovation. As a finalist for their Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mix, activists made sure to be there at both the leadership panel at the NY Academy of Sciences and at the evening ceremony in the event that the company earned an award so as to shed some light on the company's negligent practices: continuing to purchase palm oil from Cargill even though we've proven that Cargill is clearing and burning threatened rainforests in South East Asia, making irreplaceable species like Sumatran tigers and elephants extinct, and displacing millions of Indigenous communities. I encourage you to hear the story from the brave New York activists themselves and check out their photos. The pressure isn't only mounting nationally - locally we're making a big splash too. Last night over 150 people attended the RAN-sponsored art and activist event at Tarnish & Gold Gallery in NE Minneapolis. Artists were asked to use local food corporations with shoddy human-rights and sustainability track records for inspiration, and the gallery walls were covered in images like the Pillsbury Doughboy walking among flaming forests, and General Mills logos on destroyed land. Winning artists received amazing awards from local businesses! [caption id="attachment_6631" align="alignleft" width="194" caption=""Rainforest Doughstruction" from palm oil in General Mills' Pillsbury products!"][/caption] But we're not stopping there! Today is the infamous May Day parade here in Minneapolis, where we will march amongst thousands with a 6 ft. orangutan, Cargill chainsaws and oil palm trees to educate the public about the impact that local food and agriculture giants General Mills and Cargill are having on peoples, forests and species around the globe. Join our movement to demand responsible palm oil today!
Cleaning up The Other Royal Bank
[caption id="attachment_6589" align="alignright" width="500" caption="Rally at the RBS Shareholder Meeting. Credit Ric James"][/caption] We've been going after the Royal Bank of Canada for bankrolling the tar sands for some time now. Today, we went after the other Royal Bank--the Royal Bank of Scotland--with our friends across the pond. RBS ranks 7th globally among banks backing tar sands operators, but first in the UK where taxpayers now own more than 80% of the bank. Hundreds converged on the Bank's Annual Meeting of Shareholders and more than 15 bank branches across the UK. Tomorrow RAN's own Eriel Deranger meets with RBS Chairman Sir Phillip Hampton (more on that here). Will he pull the plug on companies destroying water and habitat and recognize the basic rights for Indigenous communities like other leading banks have done? We're hoping he can out-do the "maybe" we heardfrom COO Barbara Stymiest in February. World Development Movement has a great set of pictures from the demo today in Edinburgh. So does Ric James. Also, check out press coverage from the Caledonia Mercury, The Independent, Politics.co.uk, The Scotsman and a mention over at the BBC and the Financial Times.
Grassy Narrows Seeks Justice After 4 Decades of Mercury Poisoning
RAN supported the community of Grassy Narrows in Ontario, Canada with a $3,000 grant facilitated through our role as an advisor to Global Greengrants Fund for 2 public events in Toronto on the 40th anniversary of when the community was poisoned by mercury from an upstream pulp mill (which continues to make people sick today). The events were successful in bringing attention to Grassy Narrows' grievances, with the Premier publicly acknowledging that the Province has a "heavy responsibility" to get to the bottom of the issue. There was a lot of media coverage, including several print articles and this very strong 10 minute piece on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLAVH89lpsM
How Bolivia celebrates Earth Day
This morning my email inbox was full of advocacy groups commemorating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. As the ecological systems that support life are reaching their brink, there is certainly a good reason to use this opportunity to shine a spotlight on a range of issues and challenges. But activist organizations aren't alone in commemorating today. Today I was struck even more by corporations trying to capitalize on Earth Day to green their images. As Becky Tarbotton observed in the Huffington Post, the New York Times summarized the situation well: "So strong was the antibusiness sentiment for the first Earth Day in 1970 that organizers took no money from corporations and held teach-ins 'to challenge corporate and government leaders'... Forty years later, the day has turned into a premier marketing platform for selling a variety of goods and services, like office products, Greek yogurt and eco-dentistry." [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Photo by Diana Pei Wu"][/caption] Against this backdrop, World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba today is a breath of fresh air. The Indigenous Environmental Network celebrated today by explaining that "this morning Bolivian President Evo Morales was joined by representatives of 90 governments and several Heads of State to receive the findings of the conference on topics such as a Climate Tribunal, Climate Debt, just finance for mitigation and adaptation, agriculture, and forests. The working group on forests held one of the more hotly contested negotiations of the summit, but with the leadership of Indigenous Peoples, a consensus was reached to reject REDD and call for wide-scale grassroots reforestation programs." Jason Negrón-Gonzales of Movement Generation elaborated on how they do Earth Day in Cochabamba: "...from now I'll be talking to my children and 2010 will be remembered as the year that Earth Day took on new meaning. It will be the year that humanity turned a corner in our relationship to Mother Earth and began struggling along a new course...more than politics, the conference in Cochabamba brought to the table humanity's relationship with Pachamama. This question, raised most pointedly by the Indigenous communities present, was reflected in the project of creating a declaration of Mother Earth Rights, but also went way beyond it. Can we really reach a sustainable relationship with the Earth unless we stop looking at it as something to be conquered or fixed that is outside of us? How would it change our lives and our struggles if we thought, as Leonardo Boff of Brazil said, 'Todo lo que existe merece existir, y todo lo que vive merece vivir (Everything that exists deserves to exist, and everything that lives deserves to live)'? Or if we understood the Earth as a living thing that we are a part of and that, 'La vida es un momento de la tierra, y la vida humana un momento de la vida (Life is a moment of the earth, and the human life is a moment of life)'?" [caption id="" align="alignright" width="190" caption="Photo by Diana Pei Wu"][/caption] And the politics do matter. The cross-pollination of grassroots social movements in Bolivia are charting a course and global program that articulates both an analysis of the state of play of the United Nations negotiations as well as a set of solutions moving forward. Jason helped outline the core points of the ABC's of the Climate Negotiations distilled from analysis coming out of the Cochabamba conference:
1. The key question (aside from decreasing emissions) in negotiations is how to divide up the atmospheric space left for emissions given that the US and other developed countries already used up most of the space that there was for greenhouse gas emissions. This then leads to the obvious follow-up question of whether or not the same countries that overused already should get the overwhelming share of what's left. The obvious answer that most children would tell you is that no – that isn't fair, or for that matter, just or equitable. Yet when a country like the US says it can't or won't cut emissions to the level it demands of others, that's what happens. 2. Many countries in the Global South, and certainly the Bolivian government, believe that when developed countries like the US need to decrease their emissions that we should do it domestically, in US industries and the US economy, instead of creating carbon markets that let the US pollute away while paying someone else to decrease for them. This makes sense because history has shown that the projects that are supposed to "offset" emissions in the US or EU are often dubious, or might have happened anyway, or cause other problems for the people who live where they are happening (like with dams). 3. Regardless of the above points, the rich nations pushing the current arena of international negotiations are not seeking to get industrialized countries to decrease their own emissions by their fare share. Right now there are two competing options for a global framework to address climate change– a backroom deal the US is trying to move called the Copenhagen Accord, and the continuation of the international negotiations that have been happening according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997. You read that right. The US-backed "Copenhagen Accord" has no relationship to the ongoing global negotiations process. As Angelica Navarro, one of the UN climate negotiators from Bolivia told the story, "It (the Copenhagen Accord) was given to us and we were told we had an hour to decide if we would support it enough. How are we supposed to make a decision about the future of the earth in an hour?" 4. The Kyoto Protocol, adopted through the UNFCCC as the global plan to set targets and mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 1997 has lots of well documented problems: a carbon market has allowed developed countries to avoid making real reductions to their emissions, a "clean development mechanism" which has spurred all kinds of destructive projects in the Global South, and the use of offsets which lead to continued pollution in communities of color in industrialized countries while paying projects elsewhere to cut their real or planned emissions. However, on the positive side Kyoto has: shared legal limits on emissions that are (at least prospectively) based on science; the concept of "common but differentiated responsibilities" meaning that those who have polluted the most should have a different burden than those who haven't; exceptions for Global South countries with the intent of not restricting their development; and an enforcement mechanism if targets aren't met. 5. The Copenhagen Accord, on the other hand, has: voluntary limits set by each country, no process to reconcile or pressure countries that offer less regardless of responsibility, no enforcement, continued carbon markets with offsets, etc., and an overall target set not by what science says in necessary, but only representing the total of what all the countries offer up. A study done by the EU estimated that if the Copenhagen Accord was approved with the existing commitments by countries it would optimistically only decrease emissions by 2%, probably locking us into a 3.9 degree Celsius temperature increase globally (this comes from a recent MIT study) – which would be a serious disaster.Just as companies are using Earth Day to green their images, the Copenhagen Accord was an attempt to pretend a lot more is being done than it really is. It gets worse. This Earth Day comes on the heels of the leaked U.S. Government document trying to "Reinforce the perception that the US is constructively engaged in UN negotiations in an effort to produce a global regime to combat climate change," "managing expectations" of the UN Climate talks in order to undercut critics. Though the story has predictably gotten little attention in the U.S., the 40th anniversary of Earth Day is framed by extremes filling my email inbox: the predatory opportunism of corporations and some governments on one side, and real solutions proposed by Indigenous groups and other front-line communities on the other. Today, I'm grateful for the 15,000 people making history down south. To keep up with the summit: For photos and video, check out Diana Pei Wu's site. Global Justice Ecology Project's Climate Connections Blog Evelyn Rangel-Medina of Ella Baker Center Check the Weather Grassroots Global Justice Alliance Indigenous Environmental Network World People's Conference on Climate Change Carwil James' Blog, Carwil Without Borders Bolivia Rising Blog Twitter hashtags to follow: #cochabamba, #wpccc, #cmpcc, #climatejustice, #climate
Blowing General Mills' FUSE in Chicago
Last night eleven activists stormed the downtown Chicago Marriott Hotel, site of the 2010 FUSE industry conference, to warn General Mills that they must stop delaying and protect endangered orangutans now! But what do endangered orangutans or Sumatran tigers have to do with General Mills, anyway? This year's FUSE Conference brought over 400 industry leaders together for 3 days of "Reclaiming the Future." Conveniently, many of Cargill's palm oil customers such as General Mills, Kraft and Hershey's, were in attendance. Over 400 industry leaders awoke this morning to find colorful educational postcards under their door, reading "General Mills: Rainforest Destruction Guaranteed," "Lucky Charms is Magically Destructive" and "Cheerios: Rainforest Destruction in every spoonful." If the industry leaders didn't understand after reading our materials over breafast how General Mills is displacing Indigenous peoples, exacerbating climate change and threatening rainforest species like the orangutan by using palm oil products in their cereal, they definitely did once they got to the conference's first session of the day. At 10am as General Mills finished up it's panel on design and marketing, several activists, dressed in suits, joined General Mills, Kraft and other Cargill palm oil customer staff for a networking break. Introducing themselves as Cargill interns wishing to share new corporate materials, the activists were greeted with warm handshakes and friendly smiles. "Cargill interns" handed out the new corporate materials, which were pamphlets hi-lighting Cargill's role in rainforest destruction, gross human rights abuses, and species extinction. After enough jaws had dropped and after making sure every speaker podium in the Conference had a Cargill postcard, the palm oil activists called it a day.


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