Over 2,435 artists have redesigned recycling bins for the TRASHed Campaign of Global Inheritance over the past 8 years. Courtesy of Global Inheritance

Promoting the benefits of recycling has never been trendier thanks to green initiatives led by the non-profit organization Global Inheritance. Created in 2002, this green organization is working to reinvent environmental activism to educate people about green topics with a whole new approach. Among their innovative green initiatives is TRASHed, which invites over fifty artists each year to decorate recycling bins for the Coachella Music Festival. The expression of art through an unusual medium such as waste containers helps communicate the ideas of sustainability and environmental protection. By reinventing recycling bins, this unique program focuses on educating and reminding people about simple recycling facts they may not know or have forgotten. In their mission statement, Global Inheritance says, “By employing technology, the arts, and experiential learning, Global Inheritance reinvents activism by inspiring people from every walk of life to act responsibly and become forward-thinking leaders within their community.”

Here is a selection of the Coachella 2012 recycling bins:

Courtesy of Global Inheritance

Courtesy of Global Inheritance

Courtesy of Global Inheritance

Courtesy of Global Inheritance

The TRASHed: Art Of Recycling campaign is not only the appreciation of the artistic redesign of waste containers, but also a recycling education program that aims to redefine the way people see recycling and encourage them to take a step toward waste sorting.

At home, you can also reinvent your recycling bins and make them more attractive for your children to help them understand the benefits of recycling.

Protect your country’s future by recycling. Flickr user: Global Inheritance

Waste containers and recycling bins may not exactly be the most attractive items in your house, however, you can easily create a nice look for your recycling bins thanks to a green do it yourself project that your children can help your through.  Paint, draw, glue! By decorating your recycling bins you can turn the concept of recycling and waste sorting into artistic activity for your family.

Recycling at home has never been so entertaining!

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These new resources of energy provide an alternate ‘cleaner’ source of power, helping to negate the effects of certain forms of pollution.

It is no secret that we are running out of fossil fuels, which is why it is crucial to replace this form of energy with cleaner, alternative power sources. There are many sources of clean energy that are renewable and considered to be sustainable that can replace fossil fuels. The future of power lies with alternative power sources that harness natural processes without harming the environment or depleting environmental resources to create energy. Renewable energy involves natural phenomena such as wind, water, sunlight and geothermal heat. Since they are derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly, alternative energy resources are suited to replace fossil fuels while reducing global warming effects.
Here is a list of the top 5 alternative power sources today:

• Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Solar powered electrical generation relies on photovoltaics and heat engines.  It’s one of the fastest growing energy sources, as solar cells are becoming more efficient, transportable and even flexible, allowing for easy installation. In 2011, the International Energy Agency said, “The development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries’ energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These advantages are global.” Solar Energy is one of the most rising sustainable resources that can help solve worldwide energy insecurity. However, solar power plants can only generate power when it is sunny, and no power can be created at night or when it is cloudy. As a result, energy storage is critical, however most modern energy systems assume continuous availability of energy. In spite of new technologies, energy storage remains the main obstacle for the wide-scale development of solar energy.

For now, renewable energy provides 19% of electricity generation worldwide. Flickr User: Lance Cheung

• Wind Energy: Wind power is the harnessing of wind through turbines to create electricity. America currently is the leader in wind power.  Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be able to supply alone the current global energy demand.  Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and uses little land compared to solar power plants. The overall cost per unit of energy produced is similar to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations. Wind power is a popular form of energy generation, however, the construction of wind farms is not globally welcomed. The problem with this type of power is that turbines destroy natural scenic views and generate noise pollution.

• Hydroelectricity is power derived from the energy of failing water which can be harnessed and used. Since water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slow flowing stream of water, can yield considerable amounts of energy. Once a hydro power plant is constructed, the project produces no direct waste. However, the number of water sources limits the development of hydroelectric power stations, which is why underwater tide turbines within the oceans may be another great alternative power source to harness power from the natural flow of water.

Did you know that Paraguay and Norway get nearly 100% of their energy from renewable sources? Flickr User: Charles Cook

• Geothermal Energy is a very powerful and efficient way to extract renewable heat from the Earth to create electricity. Earth’s geothermal energy originates from the formation of the planet (20%) and from radioactive decay of minerals (80%). Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but for now, it can only be used in areas where there is tectonic activity. Unfortunately, drilling is involved with geothermal extraction, which releases greenhouse gases trapped deep within the Earth, but these emissions are much lower per energy unit than those of fossil fuels. As a result, geothermal power has the potential to help reduce global warming if widely deployed in place of fossil fuels.

• Biomass Energy is extracted from biomass, which is biological material from living, or recently living, organisms. Plant matter such as dead trees and branches, yard clippings and wood chips can be used to generate electricity. The production of biomass is a growing industry as interest in sustainable fuel sources is also growing. The existing commercial biomass power generating industry in the United States produces about 0.5 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Currently, the New Hope Power Partnership is the largest biomass power plant in North America. The facility reduces dependence on oil by more than one million barrels per year, and by recycling sugar cane and wood waste, preserves landfill space in urban communities in Florida.

These alternative power sources may not be ready for wide-scale adoption today, however, they are on their way, and continue to replace fossil fuels at growing rates.

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About two to three million adult Americans have chosen to go totally vegetarian and eliminate all animal products from their diet. Flickr User: Night-Thing

Vegan lifestyle is often not understood by everyone, and there are many pros and cons to vegan diets. Eating vegan has many health benefits and also helps protect the planet. To learn more about this diet choice, we decided to host an interview with a vegan. Lourdes Ahn, who has been eating vegan for over three years, kindly agreed to explain to us what she thinks is great about being vegan.

Why did you decide to become a vegan? What inspired you to go vegan?
It was husband’s suggestion to try it out for 3 months.  He was very inspired to move away from eating meat after reading up on the cruel methods used to slaughter animals for our consumption.  I was happy to join in. I’ve never been a big meat eater and definitely saw the value in eating a leaner and healthier diet.  It was strange, I didn’t really consider the cruelty to animals aspect.  Now, I can’t help but considering that.

Is it difficult?
Not at all.  The selection of food is endless, almost every cuisine offers many vegan recipes. And I try to avoid meat substitutes so I’m never reminded of the flavor of meat or chicken.

Does your social circle understand and support your choice?
Yes, many of my friends have eaten vegan at one point of their lives. Today, my parents in-law and a few cousins are eating vegan. I’m also lucky enough to live in LA so the restaurant choices are endless.

Does your choice to be a vegan include buying beauty products and clothes respecting vegan rules?
No, it hasn’t expanded into that realm yet.  I do wear leather…is that bad???

Adopting vegan diets can help prevent animal cruelty. Flickr User: Incurable_hippie

Have you ever cheated on your diet?
At least twice a year I eat whatever is on the menu for Christmas and Easter.  I usually host a big family party at our home and the menu is 100% what the kids like to eat so it usually includes crab and steak. Also, if I am at a friend’s home I will eat what they serve me and don’t make a fuss over the menu.  I don’t want my food choices to distract anyone.  So I usually end up eating a vegetarian meal.

Do you miss some foods or dishes?
I do miss sushi, there is no substitute for those flavors. Sometimes, when I get a whiff of a bbq I miss eating grilled steak, but I think back at the flavor and I miss it less.

What is your favorite vegan menu?
Lebanese food is my hands down favorite type of cuisine, and has been for a few years now.  Luckily for me, there are several vegan dishes.  I also grew up eating potato tacos, which also happen to be vegan, so I got lucky again!

Do you have a great vegan recipe you want to share?
One of my favorite winter recipes is white beans with spinach.  It includes lots of garlic and really good olive oil.

Do you have tips for others who may want to go vegan?
Try to eat food as naturally and unprocessed as possible.  If you wouldn’t eat a processed meat product, use the same standards when eating a vegan diet. And remember, there is no substitute for real meat, chicken, eggs, etc… so if you try to make tofu taste like chicken you will be disappointed.  But a good falafel is sooooo delicious and satisfying!

There are endless vegan recipes you can experiment with! Flickr User: Heylovedc

Why you love being vegan?
Eating vegan has changed my life. I feel healthy, never bloated or sleepy after a meal. It is also nice knowing that my eating habits don’t contribute to the suffering of any animal. Someone once told me that a cow wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for us eating it… yikes!  I am so glad that I don’t exist for that reason.

Eating less meat or going vegetarian can be steps toward a healthier diet. People against eating vegan often argue that choosing vegan diets can pose health risks. However, by appropriate food selections without eating animals products, a vegan can still have a nutritionally adequate diet.  Moreover, following vegan diets lowers the risk of age-related problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Since you now know the benefits of eating vegan, will you change your diet?

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Pavan Sukhdev, head of the UNEP's Green Economy plan said “If the various estimates we have received ... come true, then we are in the situation where 40 years down the line we, effectively, are out of fish." Flickr User: Caneles

Good sushi or a tasty piece of tuna may be off the menu for the next generation. According to researchers from the U.N. Environment Program, there will be no fish stocks left to catch by 2048 in the world’s oceans due to overfishing and trawling. All marine fish species will collapse; that means the amount of fish by species will fall to 10 percent of its highest known numbers, leaving the oceans fishless. Unless a dramatic restructuring of the fishing industry takes place, here is what may happen to the global marine ecosystem:

In its report entitled the Green Economy published in May 28th 2010, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that “mismanagement, lack of enforcement and subsidies totaling over $27 billion annually have left close to 30 percent of fish stocks collapsed.” Pavan Sukhdev, head of the initiative, said: ”Already 30 per cent of the ocean fisheries have collapsed and are producing less than 10 per cent of their original ability.” In fact, if the industry remains on its path of overfishing, fish stocks could become uneconomic to exploit, or extinct by 2050.

To arrive at this conclusion, the UNEP scientific team looked at a number of data sources, including global fishing reports from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, fishing data from 64 major global marine ecosystems between 1950 and 2003, and data from 48 marine areas protected by conservation measures. They compared population data going back a thousand years and finally discovered that “more than 90 percent of the original water-dwelling species of world’s oceans have lost at least half of their populations”(UNEP report source). Diversity play a key role within the balance of marine ecosystems, which is why this loss has partially contributed to the degradation of the ocean environment, but this is not the only reason.

The imbalance makes the marine ecosystem more susceptible to harm. For example: algae, at the base of the food chain, rely on fish to cycle back into the water such nutrients as nitrogen and phosphorus. Fish excrete dissolved nutrients back into the water, making them available to algae, which need them to grow. The decline of fish species leads to the depletion of this nutrient recycling, and so on. Flickr User: PMC 1stPIX

In addition to overfishing and trawling, a number of other human practices are also contributing to the depletion of fish stocks. Pollution from oil spills, landfills and climate change play their own role in the problem as well as the imbalance of marine diversity. Fishless oceans can affect our economy too: 1 billion people, mostly in poverty conditions, rely totally on fish as their only source of animal protein, 30 million fishermen on 20 million boats world wide, and a total of 540 million people live thanks to the fishing industry. Fishless oceans may be an environmental as well as an economic disaster.

Yet, the global collapse of the fish stocks can be prevented with new sustainable fishing methods. The UN report suggests that governments around the world should act to preserve fish stocks by phasing down subsidies for fisheries, cutting down the amount of active fishing vessels and fishermen, and enacting policies to protect and sustainably manage depleted fish stocks. Since 1970, the European Commission has allocated quotas on an annual basis to limit the amount of fish caught by each member state. In spite of the efforts and scientific research of governments around the world, fisheries policies and fishing control remain hard to set due to the fishing industry’s lobbyists and fishermen protests.

To prevent the end of marine life, experts promote enacting global protections and increasing current conservation efforts while ocean life is still diverse enough for the ecosystems to recover. Flickr User: Archer 10 (dennys) OFF

Similarly, as consumers, we can start eating sustainable seafood that does not jeopardize the marine ecosystems. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has published information on its website about overfishing and a seafood guide to find best fish by U.S. region. If we act quickly, we can reverse this phenomenon and preserve the marine ecosystems for future generations.

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Los Angeles pet adoption may experience a boom if pet shops are forced to only sell pet rescues, giving new hope to adorable pups like Bo. Flickr user: Btdross.

When you think “reduce reuse recycle,” you probably don’t think about rescuing animals, but recent efforts by the city of Los Angeles may change the way people think about buying pets. In its efforts to make Los Angeles a “no-kill” city and to stop puppy mills, the LA City Council recently voted 11-1 in favor of a measure that would force pet stores to only sell rescue animals for adoption.* Now the measure is slated to be drafted into an ordinance, which will then go before the council for another vote before making its way to the desk of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. If all goes according to plan, the ordinance could go into effect within the next few months, thereby reducing the demand for pets from puppy mills, reducing the number of animals that enter LA shelters each year, and “reusing” adoptable pets by encouraging people to adopt a rescue pet instead of buying a “new” one from their local pet shop.

Help rescue animals and adopt a rescue pet instead of buying one. Flickr user Mr.Anathema.

According to the American Humane Association, there are approximately 8 million stray animals taken in by US shelters each year, and nearly half of those animals are euthanized, making euthanasia the number one cause of death for cats and dogs in the US. Pet overpopulation is a real problem that can be attributed to irresponsible breeding by puppy mills and pet owners who fail to spay or neuter their pets, buying pets instead of adopting pets, and treating pets as if they are disposable. According to No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA), of the 56,000 pets that entered LA shelters last year, 17,000 were euthanized. The city council hopes that more pets will be adopted if they are made available at pet stores around the city instead of pets from puppy mills. By encouraging people to rescue pets, the demand for puppy mills will decrease, and the pet overpopulation problem in the city should improve.

Help rescue animals like this kitty and save them from euthanasia. Flickr user: cseeman.

Personally, I am a proponent of adopting pets instead of buying them from a breeder, and knowing the facts about puppy mills, I would never consider getting an animal from a pet store (unless, of course, the LA ordinance passes and pet shops offer rescue animals). Today I am the proud owner of three rescues – two chihuahuas, Copper and Carbon, and a giant cat named Chou Chou. Chihuahuas hadn’t really crossed my mind as a dog breed that I wanted, but when “Yo quiero Taco Bell” made the Taco Bell chihuahua famous, the demand for chihuahuas grew. Sadly, this popularity resulted in a lot of people buying chihuahuas who disposed of them soon after, thereby creating a large number of chihuahuas that needed rescuing. I opened my mind to the breed, and now I adore them. I love my rescue pets; it makes me feel happy to know that I was able to give them all a loving home – I only wish I could rescue more!

Help rescue animals like my chihuahuas Copper and Carbon, who spend most of their days playing and happily napping together. (Rescue two - they’re happier with a friend.)

You can do your part to help rescue animals and adopt a loving pet; you can also volunteer or make a donation to pet rescue organizations. Aside from money, shelters are often in need of items such as old blankets and towels. Some people also choose to foster pets until they find a permanent home.

What do you think about LA’s proposed law to force pet stores to only sell rescue animals?

*It should be noted that this law would not prohibit reputable breeders from selling purebred dogs in the city.

Adopt a rescue pet like my cat Chou Chou and they will give you love AND will sleep on everything you own. (Totally worth it, but stock up on lint rollers.)

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Give back to the Earth… Compost! Flickr User: Net_efekt

Few people really know the benefits of composting and how to use compost, which is why the US Composting Council, in partnership with the UK Composting Council and the Composting Council of Canada, organizes the annual International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). The first full week of May, community events are held to raise awareness about composting in the world as well as to encourage and teach people about home composting. So, why not celebrate Spring by participating in ICAW? Here is what you should know about this international green initiative.

The benefits of composting are remarkable: Returning organic resources to the soil by composting helps clean-up contaminated soil, decreases erosion and provides ways to prevent pollution; it enriches soil while saving you money by reducing water consumption and the dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. That’s why since 1999, the International Compost Awareness Week serves the important role of spreading the “Compost!” message and promotes compost programs to families, businesses and other groups. ICAW is an international green celebration that showcases composting and compost products.

The theme for 2012 is “Compost!.. Replenish the Earth For Generations.”  Different events will be held from May 6th to 12th, 2012; you can attend a teach-in event but you can also organize a local event of your own.

ICAW is the longest running community based awareness campaign about compost in the world. Flickr User: Flyhoof

Over the years, ICAW has had many successes. Here are some highlights:

• Compost sales – many communities offered compost for sale with the day’s proceeds going to select local charities
• Openings and tours of composting facilities and composting demonstrations
• Tree planting ceremonies using compost to prepare the soil for planting
• The setting up of a “Grow A Row” garden, using compost to prepare the soil, with the fall harvest being donated to the local food bank
• Backyard composting training sessions offered to residents
• School visits to promote the benefits of composting
• A “Compost Tea Party” where residents were invited to learn about composting including how to use compost and make Compost Tea
• Talks by well-known gardening experts on gardening and the use of compost
• TV, radio shows and newspaper articles on gardening, the use of compost and how to compost

Community events are good ways to promote and encourage composting. The majority of people have little knowledge about how compost can be used and how it can benefit them, their soil quality, their plants and their environment. ICAW is an opportunity to spread the word, So why not get involved? Learn more on the Composting Council’s website.

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US consumers eat about 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate every year. Flickr User:babi

Many of us indulge in a late-afternoon sweet snack to help us get through the day, and chocolate is often the snack of choice to help us stave-off our mid-day hunger. What many people don’t realize is that the cacao culture used to produce chocolate is the second industry, after conventional cotton, that requires the most pesticides and insecticides, which can harm human and animal health, and destroy forests. Fortunately, you can easily give your sweet snack a green-over by only buying organic chocolate that respects both the Earth and cocoa farmers.

The environmental impacts of chocolate production:

Sadly, all chocolate snacks are not sweet with the Earth. Nowadays, the chocolate industry represents more than $60 billion a year, and the demand for chocolate is expected to grow by 50% over the next decade. Our insatiable demand for chocolate has led to increased production and productivity of cocoa beans, from which chocolate is made, but the environmental impact of their cultivation is particularly significant. Cacao trees, which grow cocoa beans, need heat and humidity from equator regions, but these weather conditions necessarily increase the risks of insects and diseases. That’s why the production of chocolate requires large amounts of pesticides and insecticides, which can harm humans and animals. For example, Lindane, one of the most common pesticides used on cocoa in West Africa, may cause cancer and interfere with hormone function. Additionally, the rainforest of these areas is being destroyed to develop cacao fields and full-sun cocoa farms. And despite chocolates’ growing popularity, few cocoa farmers really benefit from its profits, and often, cocoa beans are harvested by trafficked children.

Only 3 per cent of the world's global chocolate supply is ethically certified to have been harvested without the use of forced child, or trafficked labour. (World Vision source) Flickr User: IITA Image Library

Choose Organic Chocolate for your sweet snack:

Fortunately, you can still have your sweet snack without harming the earth or the farmers by purchasing fair-trade and organic chocolate from ethical sources. Here are five green brands that might help you to make the most eco friendly choice for your daily snacks:

• Dagoba Organic Chocolate, which is a unit of Hershey, is committed to ethical and sustainable practices for chocolate production. Their products are all certified organic and must also meet high standards in quality, ecology, equity and community that the company has instituted and controlled with a strict and public guideline.

• Grenada Chocolate: Located in Grenada, West Indies, the company gets 25% of the electricity used to run its factory from solar power. All of their chocolates are certified organic and are made from farm-fresh ingredients. They won the Academy of Chocolate Awards in 2008 and in 2011 received the Silver Medal for the Best Dark Chocolate Bar category.

• Sweet Earth Chocolates produces 100% U.S-made organic and fair-trade chocolate as well as vegan chocolate. The company also supports several organizations that aim to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their families: “Consuming chocolate made from organically grown cocoa is one giant step toward reducing our dependence on petroleum-based agricultural inputs while supporting small growers who intercrop growing as many as 6 crops on one small plot.”

Play fair for your sweet snack, buy Organic Chocolate. Flickr User: Zoonie

• Lake Champlain Chocolates sells conventional but also organic chocolate bars that are all USDA Organic Certified.

• Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates aims to produce only high quality and organic chocolates that respect both the environment and the farmers. “It is also the goal of Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates to build a socially responsible, profitable business that can be carried on for generations to come”

More and more chocolatiers are working directly with cocoa farmers around the globe to promote and guarantee to their customers better social and environmental policies for their chocolate production. Purchasing Rainforest Alliance Certified, fair-trade or organic chocolate is the best way to support and encourage the chocolate industry to minimize impacts on the rainforest environment as well as to respect cocoa farmers.

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“Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties, to make biobased products from the fruited plain!” Flickr User: Let Ideas Compete

For the past decade, the Federal government has promoted biobased products (which includes many bioplastics), and President Obama recently issued a presidential memorandum that furthers this trend. The memo, titled Driving Innovation and Creating Jobs in Rural America through Biobased and Sustainable Product Procurement, is to help ensure that the USDA BioPreferred Procurement Program is effectively executed to meet the Federal requirements for biobased products, as per the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. The purpose of this legislation is to increase the Federal procurement of biobased products “to promote rural economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm commodities.” The presidential memo also states, “Biobased and sustainable products help to increase our energy security and independence.”

As a manufacturer of biobased bioplastic products, we are excited to see continued support for green manufacturing as well as recognition for the benefits of products made from renewable resources. “Biobased products are creating jobs across America. These new innovative products are creating new markets for agriculture and expanding opportunities in rural America,” the Presidential memo further declares. Cereplast provides green jobs to people all across the United States, primarily in Seymour, Indiana, where our factory and R&D labs are located, as well as the greater Los Angeles area, where our corporate headquarters is based. As the demand for biobased products grows, so does the green workforce.

Biobased products are made from agriculturally-derived renewable resources, and by selecting biobased alternatives to products made from foreign oil (which is a non-renewable fossil fuel resource) we support agriculture, the economy and the future of our planet.

Read more about the BioPreferred programs in our previous articles:

• Be Patriotic: Buy Biobased Products and Use Less Oil
• BioPreferred Procurement vs. Labeling Program: The United States Department of Agriculture’s Promotion of Biobased Products.

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“I am convinced that all we need to do to bring an overwhelming insistence of the new generation that we stem the tide of environmental disaster is to present the facts clearly and dramatically. To marshal such an effort, I am proposing a national teach-in on the crisis of the environment to be held next spring on every university campus across the Nation.” stated Gaylord Nelson Flickr User: Brainless Angel

Each year, since 1970 and the birth of the modern green movement, Earth Day is observed on April 22 to raise awareness about and concern for current environmental issues and their potential sustainable solutions. The countdown to Earth Day 2012 is approaching and the fight for a clean environment continues as climate change consequences and the effects of human activities become more devastating everyday. Take a green pledge to help save the planet and be a part of Earth Day this year.

The History of Earth Day Movement:
The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, after his trip to Santa Barbara right after the massive oil spill off the coast in 1969. He called for an environmental teach-in (or the first Earth Day) to be held on April 22, 1970.  As an environmental activist, Senator Nelson took a leading role in organizing this first green celebration. He modeled it on the highly effective student anti-war movement of the time. Nelson announced his idea for a national teach-in day on the environment to the national media, hoping this movement would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda.

Senator Nelson invited Republican Representative Paul N. “Pete” McCloskey to serve as his co-chair and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. They incorporated a new non-profit green organization, Environmental Teach-In, Inc, to promote the event across the country. As a result, on the 22nd of April, approximately 20 million Americans participated to the first Earth Day, which marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Thousands of colleges and universities organized during that day protesting against the deterioration of the environment, against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife.

“Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.” stated Senator Nelson. Flickr User: Jaxport

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from all horizons and this first green celebration led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.
It is now observed in 175 countries, followed by more than 500 million people and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network. This green initiative is now “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year.” Many cities or countries have extended the observance of Earth Day to an entire week, starting on April 16 and ending on Earth Day, April 22. Each day of Earth week holds thematic events to change human behaviours as well as raise awareness about current environmental issues.

Since the first Earth Day, each year the support for this green movement has grown and unites more and more people to take a step toward preserving the environment. Why not get involved? Make a green pledge to help save the planet. Create an Earth day event or attend one! Earth Day 2012 aims to reach “one billion acts of green,” and you can add yours. Join this green initiative to make environmental awareness, renewable energy solutions, and the green economy a reality!

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Today, across our planet, thousands of animal species are threatened with extinction, largely due to human activities and climate change, which threaten their natural habitats. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, there are approximately 5,000 threatened animals, and each year species vanish unbeknownst to most people. You can contribute to wildlife preservation, and a good first step toward saving animals is to learn as much as possible about them. So, here is a list of 5 critically endangered animals according to the 2012 IUCN Red List:

1 – The leatherback sea turtle (Demochelys coriacea) is the earth’s biggest sea turtle and has occupied this planet for more than 100 million years, but today it is critically endangered. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles because it has skin and oily flesh instead of a bony shell. According to the IUCN, in 1982 there were approximately 115,000 adult female leatherback turtles in the world; twenty years later, there were only 20,000 to 30,000—and the population has continued to plummet. The leatherback’s problems include theft of its eggs by humans, illegal hunting and nesting habitat loss due to beach development, and the erosion of beaches linked to global climate change. In addition, leatherback sea turtles sometimes die after ingesting plastic debris they find floating in the ocean, which they mistake for food such as jellyfish.

As it stands now, leatherback sea turtles are experiencing serious population declines in the Pacific, with as few as 2,300 adult females. Flickr User: paulmannix.

2. Western Lowland Gorilla: There are two lowland gorillas native to West Africa: the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), which is the most numerous of the four gorilla subspecies, with over 90,000 individuals in the wild, and the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla diehli), of which only a tiny population of a few hundred remains. Both are listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered because of the serious decline (over 60 percent) of their populations during the past 25 years. Sadly, the IUCN projects the number of lowland gorillas will continue to plummet over the coming decades. The largest killer of gorillas has been the incurable ebola virus, which has ended the lives of up to 90 percent of these great apes. But habitat loss linked to human activities combined with illegal commercial hunting by poachers are also causes in the lowland gorilla population decline.

There are only about 720 Cross River gorillas left in the world. Flickr User: Ludovic Hirlimann

3.  The Siberian or Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest big cat in the world, weighing up to 660 pounds. Unlike the other tiger subspecies, which are jungle-dwellers, the Amur tiger lives in the birch forests of Russia’s frigid and snowy Far East, and formerly inhabited the colder regions of China and Korea. Due to relentless hunting, Russia’s tiger population had dropped to around 40 individuals by the 1930′s. Since then, the animal has been protected, and its numbers have rebounded to around 500 and remain stable. However, it is still threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss in the form of logging and development.

Tigers occupy less than seven percent of their original habitat range, which has decreased by 40 percent over the past ten years. (WWF sources) Flickr User: Tambako

4. The Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a very rare leopard subspecies that lives only in the remote and snowy northern forests of eastern Russia’s Primorye region. Its former natural habitat included Korea and northern China, but the Snow leopard is now extinct in those countries. A 2007 census from the IUCN Red list counted only 2,500 wild adult Amur leopards. Threats facing the species include habitat loss due to logging, road building and population spread, poaching (illegal hunting) and global climate change.

Due to extensive habitat loss and conflict with humans, the situation concerning the Amur leopard is critical.

5. The Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is the most endangered of the world’s five rhinoceros species, with an estimated 40-60 animals remaining on the western tip of the Island of Java (Indonesia) in Ujung Kulon National Park. The last member of another tiny population in Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park was killed by poachers in 2011. The water- and swamp-loving Javan rhinoceros formerly ranged throughout Southeast Asia and Indonesia, but has been hunted to near-extinction for its horn, which is used in Traditional Chinese medicine.

With a total population of less than 60 individuals, spread over two locations, the Javan rhino is one of the world's most endangered animals. Flickr User: Chinatownchef

We decided to only highlight five of the most critically endangered animals, but the list of threatened species officially provided by the IUCN is much longer and needs as much attention and involvement from governments and environmental organizations. You can find more information and the full list of the threatened animals on the IUCN Red List website.

Climate Change and Human Responsibility in Species Extinction

Natural phenomena such as floods, earthquake and deadly diseases can sometimes explain species extinction. However, human activities remain the major threat to wildlife. Here are the general categories of man-made threats that we can easily prevent by changing our behavior:

• Habitat loss, destruction or fragmentation: Fewer natural wildlife habitat areas remain each year. Destruction and fragmentation of animals’ natural habitats are continuous to enable humans to use the lands for agriculture, urban development or other purposes.

• Climate change: Many types of plants and animals have specific natural habitat requirements and are particularly sensitive to change. The burning of fossil fuels has altered the Earth’s atmosphere and has resulted in global climate changes. Those changes are harming, disturbing or even causing disastrous loss of wildlife species.

• Pollution: pesticides or other pollutants (such as PCBs, mercury, petroleum by-products, solvents and antifreeze) are deliberately released into the environment to eradicate certain plants, insects, and rodents, but they are also ingested by a wide variety of organisms.

• Illegal Hunting, poaching and Trade causes a major threat to wildlife. Some endangered species are targeted for their value on illegal markets.

• Over-exploitation of resources: Exploitation of wild populations for food has resulted in population depletion (over-fishing, for example).

Man-made threats are wildlife threats that we can prevent. Raising awareness about the importance of wildlife within the Earth ecosystem is already a step toward conservation. Flickr User: crustmania

Man-made threats can be prevented, but we are unable to reverse past damages. So, If you want the next generation to live in a world with amur leopards, javan rhinoceros, leatherback  sea turtles and the other critically endangered animals, take action! Governments and environmental organizations like the IUCN and the World Wildlife Fund are already deeply committed to wildlife preservation.  Why not you? Small actions such as participating in or donating to the IUCN Red list foundation or other conservation organizations, which take effective actions for wildlife preservation, can help save and protect species and their natural habitats!

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