US swimming star Amanda Beard and four time Olympian came out loud in support of PETA in Beijing. The ad was one of those typical PETA campaign ads that feature nude celebrities who say they’d rather be naked than wear fur. But officials fear fir the safety of the gold medallist and her entourage. In fact, one of her press cons were cancelled last minute. Apparently, the Public Security Bureau even paid a visit to the hotel she was staying in. But Beard was not shaken as she decided to step outside the south gates of the Olympic village with her campaign and talk to a group of some 25 reporters, fans and fellow athletes expressing her feelings about cruelty against animals.
Security guards kept an intent watch and police cars drove by but didn’t interfere. Check out her website, amandabeard.net, for her thoughts and a link to an animal rights petition.
Via wsj

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It was a surprise for almost everyone when actor Jennifer Aniston came on record recently to talk about her dog-love. Insiders believe that it is a little weird for Aniston to discuss her forthcoming dog-centred film ‘Marley and Me’ now when it is scheduled to be released around Christmas. I guess the last time she gave an interview was a year and a half ago for her film ‘Dirt’ with Courtney Cox. Wonder why the otherwise media cold ‘Friends’ star thought of breaking the ice.

Aniston talked about her bonding with her canine co-star in the film and that she loves having dogs because they help welcome her home every day. She says children are a little harder to work with than dogs when asked about it. Looks like Aniston’s manager thought of cleaning her otherwise marred image created by the media. Well, haven’t we heard of the zillion stories that discuss her love affair with John Mayer where she is believed to be “clingy”.
Via celebitchy

Indeed we were surprised to learn that Hollywood actor Martin Lawrence owns a farm in Virgina but what was more surprising to know was of his farm mates. Looks like several different types of animals and birds like geese are calling the farm their home driving the comedian bonkers. A neighbour reported that Lawrence is struggling to find a way to deal with the situation and perhaps a gun may answer all his troubles. However, Lawrence’s publicist clarifies that there was a more humane side to the entire episode.

Looks like a hunting licence has been applied for by the farm manager but Lawrence is looking for all possible humane ways to tackle the problem of overpopulation while preserving the animal habitat in which they reside. Sources reveal that there are many different enterprises in rural Virginia that make their living assisting property owners on how to handle and manage migratory geese. It is very sad that a neighbour who has never met Martin or discussed the matter with him, would issue irresponsible public statements. Yeah, celebs do pay the price for their fame.

Via EcoRazzi

Scientists and environmentalists from world over have expressed their concerns over the far-reaching devastating effects of rapid destruction and drying of wetlands.
Gathered at the 8th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference (Cuiaba, Brazil), some 700 experts from 28 nations believe that quickly drying up wetlands invariably lead to climate change via global warming.
Wetlands store a vast amount of carbon (in form of CO2). Their complete destruction will lead to massive release of this stored up CO2 into atmosphere, thereby heating it up. Besides, carbon dioxide other greenhouse gases like methane (more potent than the former) will also be released which will further strain our Earth’s atmosphere.

It is interesting to note that, wetlands (including peat bogs, swamps, river deltas, marshes, mangroves, tundra, lagoons and river floodplains cover only 6% of Earth’s land surface. But, they store upto 20% of its terrestrial carbon! According to an estimate these waterlogged areas contain nearly 771 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases (this is equivalent to present-day carbon levels found in atmosphere).

To understand the graveness of the concerns voiced by these scientists it is very important that we all should know how wetlands play an important part in maintaining ecological balance on our planet. The peat bogs of Siberia, North America and Scandinavia contain a third of all carbon in the world’s soils.
Besides soaking up carbon,

• Wetlands slow the decay of organic material trapped and locked away over the ages in low oxygen conditions.
• They support biodiversity in form of unique water ecosystems.
• Wetlands act as reservoirs of water supply.
• They can soak-up flood water.
• Wetlands filter nitrate and phosphate runoff from surrounding land.

Studies reveal that 60% of wetlands worldwide and up to 90% in Europe  have been destroyed in the past 100 years by human activities  like  drainage for agriculture, construction of dams& canals, groundwater pumping, urban development, peat extraction and other activities that are polluting by nature.

At this international gathering of scientist, this grave situation will be dealt with in terms of solution-generation that can be suitably adapted by the governing bodies of the world in order to stabilize the condition of wetland decay. Wetland preservation and their rehabilitation represent viable measures, which should be immediately applied to check the rampant destruction and drying up of world’s swamps.

Source: sciencedaily

Knut mania if here to stay! Celebrity polar bear cub Knut has become a pop-star in his own ways. The cuddly cub was born in captivity at the Zoologischer Garten Berlin aka Berlin Zoo. The media-savvy bear cub now gets its own music video! Being a popular tourist attraction and a craze among millions of school children makes him hot enough to get listed as an iconic animal who receives human adoration in form of an exclusive music video.

The cub also happens to be the latest symbol of climate change and global warming concerns. Single handedly, this furry creature has made Berlin Zoo a must see among international tourists thus bringing in the largest number of visitors to the zoo premises ever in its 100+ year old existence!

If you haven’t viewed Knut’s music video so far then you are surely lacking something in your life! And for those of us wanting enough but for whom a visit to Berlin Zoo is like a pie in the sky, this video is just the thing to be watched, enjoyed and grooved at! Halo Knut, Kleiner Eisbär.
Knut, Kleiner Eisbär: Knut\’s own German music Video!

Via