The Horror: Grinded Alive

By: Daniela Silva

Poultry industry kills millions of hatchings alive

The horror begins as young males are tossed, tumbled and thrown into a chute where they are ground and crushed alive, in one of the worlds largest egg-laying industries. In one sole industry, the one of the largest known in the world 150,000 hatchings a day face this unimaginably brutal and painful fate; equalling to over 22 million deaths a year.

The lives of the females begin with being whirled and tossed by their heads, followed by the snap of their sensitive beaks. The chicks are then shipped in packed tight boxes and shipped internationally.

This practice is not only limited one sole industry but it is practised worldwide as a standard in all egg industry businesses. Educated consumers can make a difference by protest and promotion to better provide the little yet significant lives humane treatment; becoming vegan should not be the only way one can make a difference.

The following video shows the whole process ** WARNING** this is graphic and may be very discomforting to many.

New Found Effects of Chernobyl Radiation Damage

By: Jessica Robertson

Most of the world is still profoundly aware of the saddening effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. When the Ukrainian nuclear power plant exploded, clouds of radioactive particles traveled across Europe and the western Soviet Union. At least 31 people were killed in the accident itself, and the cases of cancer and deformities that resulted from the contamination are innumerable. Like the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, the Chernobyl accident was classified as having the maximum contamination level on the International Nuclear Event Scale; these are the only two events to ever classify so high on the scale.

            Recent studies into the ecosystem surrounding the Chernobyl accident site show that radiation continues to affect the bio system. Trees that had been killed by the initial blast when the accident occurred are still lying intact; the fact that there is hardly any evident decomposition of the trees is extremely unusual. Conducting tests for nine months with plant material and different levels of exposure to radiation, researchers found that the more radiation that plant material was exposed to, the less it decomposed over time.

            The researchers came to the logical conclusion that the radiation hinders – and at higher doses, kills – the bacteria and fungi that are typically responsible for the decomposition of plant material. The radiation also showed a smaller effect on other organisms, like termites, that also contribute to the decomposition process. Indirectly, the radiation slows new plant growth; as the decomposition process slows, fewer nutrients are restored to the soil to feed young plants.

            Researchers are interested to continue tracking life in the ecosystem, including microbes, plant life, and animals that rely on plants for nutrition. The accumulation of dry plant material is concerning due to the fire hazard it creates. After nearly two decades, the Chernobyl catastrophe still must remain in our thoughts to help reduce its devastating impacts and to guide us to how best to address the more recent nuclear disaster in Japan.

Indifference is a Problem

By: Daniela Silva

A new commercial from Save the Children has been making its rounds around the web in providing insight on the very real situation going down in Syria. The video depicts a young girl, taking video snapshots in her day to day life. It gradually turns into havoc, despair, and tragedy as her normal childhood is turned into a terrible rendition of hide and seek. The war has unfortunately killed over 11,000 children, and many more may face this unimaginable demise.

So, before you press play, keep in mind that this sort of tragedy exists. Children also succumb to the war and terror that we as adults are responsible for. If your childhood didn't end like this, you really have a lot to be thankful for.


                                

                                    I do not take any ownership of the video and its contents.

Parasite Found Responsible for Mass Deaths

By: Daniela Silva

A unknown disease that affected the lives and killed hundreds of seals in cape Breton and 406 in 2012 has been identified as a new strain of sarcocystis. It is not known to affect the lives of humans but has contributed to the deaths of many animals including walruses, bears and sea lions. It is not known if the strain has died off.

Sarcocystis can affect reptiles,birds and mammals and is a genus of parasitic protozoa. With over 130 species, new discoveries are continuously ongoing and receive their name from the animals they take as a host; vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness and and paralysis are the effects caused by a toxin the sarcocystin produces.

The strain is  spreading through global changes in temperature to many animals, and it is not the only pathogen affecting animals, Toxoplasma Gondii is also increasing its boundaries due to the change in temperature. This is and can be fatal to humans, and causes miscarriages in women, commonly found in domestic house cats.

Climate Change Invites Deadly Pathogens

Another example of man-made havoc has arisen with global warming; diseases are making their roundabouts now that ice is now beginning to melt where it shouldn't. It is now come to our attention that as the earth warms, species are prone to more disease their bodies are not accustomed to fighting off. The Arctic beluga whale population is now seen infected with the parasite common to domestic cats, known as toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii is known to cause severe damage to the brain eyes and organs and can remain dormant in the human system; once it becomes reactive it can cause severe symptoms up into death aboriginals are warned to stay away from beluga meat.

Animals which rely on a particular range of temperatures are more prone to becoming diseased or infected with viruses due to the new thawed-out land they now roam. Pathogens are quickly moving in and animals may be seeing their way out. We should be concerned for ourselves as well, the animals aboriginals eat and clothe themselves in can carry disease and can spread to more concentrated human populations very easily, taking care of our earth really determines the health of our people.

Massacres Missing in Media

Bodies are littered in the streets of the Izghe village in Borno State, Nigeria. It is suspected that a terrorist group by the name of Boko Haram took the men into the streets and executed them before they began going door to door in a search for more victims. Boko Haram launched a campaign of mass violence in 2009 and claims to be fighting for an Islamist state. The terrorist group is well  known in Borno State to be extremely violent carrying out aimless attacks on civilians.

Victims of the Izghe village were shot or had their throats slit, many barely escaped the attack leaving 106 people dead; the most recorded since their campaign has launched. Earlier this week a little over 30 people were murdered on the streets of Konduga. Unfortunately military strengths were taken away when a group of soldiers were ambushed by Boko Haram and there may be no end to the suffering of many. Spread the word, people need to know to take action

Peace in pieces.

Syrian peace talks no longer justify the amount of deaths that occur in Syria, at least 100 people a day lose their lives in the attempt to make the most out of the rubble they used to call home.
With the last peace talk on Friday, the number of deaths a day have not declined, and many are still suffering in the hands of the government. On February 1st, oil drums full of explosives and tightly packed shrapnel were used against the Syrian people by the government; a cruel war crime indeed. These Shrapnel packed oil drums have now taken the lives of 700 people, and since 2011, the war itself has costed the lives of more than 130,000 people and is responsible for the homelessness of over 6 million people.

Do GMO's affect you?

By: Daniela Silva

     When providing a balanced diet for your children, to what extent do you control the nutritional value and safety of their food? One of the most important things you can do to help your child’s overall health is to maintain a healthy diet; full of organic, natural, raw material. Labels also help us make decisions as to what would be a healthier choice for our families. Nonetheless, more than 70% of produce in grocery stores have genetically modified (GM) ingredients that we cannot identify, owing to an absence of labeling. Almost all produce is distributed by Monsanto a company specialized in biotechnology; in other words, specialized in manipulating biological development for their own industrial use. In what way can this be healthy? How may we identify what is safe to eat?  

       Monsanto is a company that seeks to be a hero in a world of famine, using biotechnology to reduce water usage and waste, which by me; that doesn't sound bad at all. However despite their efforts there is more waste being generated and it is impacting the health of consumers, and obviously negatively impacting the ecosystem as well. Mass suicides in India’s agricultural work fields are said to be a result of Monsanto’s Bt cotton, and with further study on Monsanto’s other product; Bt corn, is now considered a pesticide by many.  Both The institute for responsible technology and the organic consumers association are concerned of the long term effects of the toxin as a result of the corn’s capability of producing the pesticide in every kernel of corn. It has been banned in 64 countries to have GM foods without labels.  However it is still kept in our grocery stores

    What is significantly alarming is that we don’t know to what extent genetically modified foods are safe for consumption; how much GM foods occupy our grocery stores. Some tests on store bought produce show that genetically modified foods can link to leukemia, anemia, allergens, and horizontal gene transfer. Whereas Monsanto has stated the food to be”… “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) in the United States, and are considered safe by food safety experts globally.”  Beneficial or not, we are not given the opportunity to make a decision democratically whether or not if it should be on our grocer’s shelves. In addition it is difficult to identify genetically modified products so we are not able to avoid these foods as a whole. As a consumer, I support banning non-labeled GMO foods; do research your local grocery stores and genetically modified products. You’ll be glad you did.