When I began Eco Child’s Play over a year and a half ago, I pledged to make Kiva loans on behalf of our blog. After making several Kiva loans, I’ve decided it is time to donate to and highlight different organizations helping families and/or the environment around the world. This month, I have made a donation to Women for Women International on behalf of Eco Child’s Play.
Choi Seung-kuk, the Secretary General of Green Korea, one of South Korea’s largest environmental organizations, has officially bowed out as an Olympic torch bearer. In a press interview this morning, Mr. Choi cited China’s aggression in Tibet as his main reason for refusing to carry the Olympic torch when it arrives in Seoul, the capital city, on April 27.
For China, having one of the leaders of Asia’s environmental movement refuse to carry the Beijing Olympic torch must sting. After all, China is jumping through hoops to carry out the Beijing Olympics as the Green Olympics. They are decreasing pollution by planting trees, recycling wastewater, paying car owners not to drive, and more. In addition, the games themselves will be carbon neutral.
Following are the top international environmental news for during the week of April 13 - 20. See an archive of top international environmental news here.
Asia
Two “Extinct” Species Discovered
First there was Swinshoe’s softshell turtle, and then the Javan Elephant. Is this more commonplace than we might believe?
Frankly, no. Despite the occasional hubbub over an animal science has lost track of– say, the Coelacanth– we’ve witnessed something extraordinary. Swinshoe’s turtle was previously believed to be extinct in the wild, with only three remaining in captivity, and therefore every one of these 300-pound turtles is a critical find.
Continue reading: Environmental Graffiti. Hot in media: Stumble Upon.
It’s springtime in South Korea. Just a month ago the ground was covered in snow; today the hills are pink with cherry blossoms. Eager solar panels soak up the warm sunshine. On the mountain, wind turbines spin in the sweetly scented spring breeze. In the seaboard city of Gangneung, children’s delighted shrieks fill neighborhood parks.
Over the city, military jets cleave the sky.
The jets that weave all day long over Gangneung are a reminder that for the past 60 years Korea has been a country divided and at war with itself. Gangneung, with its windfarm, solar panels, and cherry blossoms, lies less than 100 miles (160 km) from the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, the world’s last remaining Cold War border.
This week, as springtime blooms, a series of events unfolded which threaten to destabilize the delicate balance between the North and the South.
The Arava Institute plans to show the world that lasting peace can be achieved by working together to solve shared environmental issues. They are training Israeli and Palestinian youth leaders to find collaborative solutions to environmental issues that afflict both peoples. The result, they hope, will be a sustained peace through cooperation.
But in one of the most conflict-ridden regions of the world, what chance does the institute had in promoting peace through environmental studies? Just read the experiences of one Jordanian alumnus named Zein and judge for yourself.
What’s the truth about Santa Claus? Who is this large, jovial fellow with flying reindeer and hordes of merry elves? If the truth about Saint Nicholas can lay the commercial icon to rest, maybe it can also restore the true meaning of Christmas as a time of peace on Earth, love and goodwill toward all.
The German intellectual, Georg Lichtenberg, once said that “to do just the opposite is also a form of imitation,” but reversing Saint Nicholas’ image is certainly not the most sincere way to flatter it. Santa as a commercial icon undercuts the ideology of benevolence and humble giving. See this video on the chain of consumption for an idea of who gets left out when Santa goes corporate. A truer idea of the real Saint Nicholas and his current image around the world might reconnect us with the greater feelings of compassion and caring that should symbolize this (and every) season.
Originally commissioned painting for a friend’s masters’ thesis on Cosmopolitanism, 100 limited edition prints are available for sale. All profits will go to starting a website to promote fair trade stores, green traveling and green events. Prints measure 16×20 and are 12 color print on canvas. This highly detailed painting shows many symbols to represent peace.
Gandhi’s birthday was on October 2.
“A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.”
“A principle is the expression of perfection, and as imperfect beings like us cannot practise perfection, we devise every moment limits of its compromise in practice.”
“A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion.”
“All the religions of [...]
For many, this Sunday will bring the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Dr. Jane Goodall. Participants in the Los Angeles event will join Dr. Goodall and hundreds of others in celebrating peace, while around the world dozens of other groups will host similar events. If you’d like to attend the L.A. event (free admission), visit the event’s website, or simply arrive at the location pinpointed on the maps below.
If you’re not in the Los
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The real toy soldiers are children, and it is estimated that 250,000 children are exploited every day by paramilitary, guerrilla, and state-run military groups. Nine countries have been identified as using child soldiers, and eight of those countries receive US military assistance. How could this be?
It is obvious that being a child soldier is detrimental to children’s social and emotional development. It is bad enough to live in a [...]
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