carnivalnights

Dudes and dudettes,

I know this is last-minute but I have not had the chance to get online much this week.

Please, please, please... I hope everyone here is planning on participating in Earth Hour 2008, a World Wild Life Fund event! Earth Hour is tomorrow, Saturday, March 29, 2008. From 8p.m. to 9p.m., please turn off all of your lights and power sources to show you care about the environment, our climate and trying to make this earth a better, healthier place for living.

I am so excited because Toronto is the lead city in Canada participating, and they are going to measure the drop in electricity for the hour the event takes place. I hope to see some serious droppage, people! So all of you Torontonians, you better be turning your power off. And yes, that includes your computer/laptop. ;) As for everyone else, you too! I'm serious. This is extremely important. I want to hear about crazy hydro/electric droppage all over the world. Even if your city is not 'officially' listed as a participant, participate anyway. I am kind of disappointed only 270,000 people have signed up so far. :\ Regardless, I am impressed with how much Toronto is doing. In fact, I am shocked: http://www.thestar.com/earthhour. Even a free concert with Nelly Furtado. Star gazing. Glow-in-the-dark soccer. A lantern walk. Candlelight yoga. A candlelit restaurant serving food that does not require energy/power to prepare. Even a power-free parade. This city is so awesome. ♥ Even more awesome is the fact that tons and tons of places and things are being shut down, including huge advertising billboards, huge video screens, streetlights... the support is amazing. All that is missing is another light saber battle.

The 2003 blackout was one of the coolest (well, except for why it happened) things ever during my existence on this planet. I had so much fun. There were people partying in the streets. There was so much coming together. It forced us to communicate with one another because what else did we have to do without all of our electronics, right? If you are having trouble coming up with things to do during Earth Hour, try to remember what you did that day, if you were affected. Get some candles. Grab some snacks. Bust out a board game or a deck of cards. Maybe even a good book. Read by candlelight. Try to share it with someone, even if it's a pet.

An hour, however, is not enough. Please see some of the links below on how to start living a greener lifestyle. :)

SIGN UP FOR EARTH HOUR NOW!
http://www9.earthhourus.org/signup/

DON'T MAKE THIS A ONE-DAY EVENT. CHECK OUT THE GOOD LIFE:
http://thegoodlife.wwf.ca/ActionList.cfm

EARTH HOUR US:
http://www11.earthhourus.org/index.php

EARTH HOUR CANADA: http://wwf.ca/earthhour/

HAPPENINGS IN CANADA: http://wwf.ca/earthhour/canada.html (Look at all the stuff Toronto is doing! ♥)

Thanks, everyone! And have fun! :)

"Canada's annual seal hunt began at dawn on Saturday. Even as you read this, fishermen are clubbing baby seals in the North Atlantic, just to earn a few extra bucks by selling seal skins. Last year, 98.5% of the seals killed were two months of age or younger—and veterinary reports indicate that many seals have been skinned while still conscious and able to feel pain. Our ProtectSeals team is now in Canada, braving the frigid waters to document the hunt and show the world why this unconscionable cruelty must be stopped."

Please e-mail Canada's Prime Minister urging him to stop the seal hunt, and tell your friends to do the same.

I am not going to force anyone to watch the video on the site because it is probably one of the most gruesome things you will ever see, but it personally motivated me that much more. The seal hunt is completely and utterly unnecessary. The sales seal fur bring in is next to nothing compared to the Canadian sea food industry. We are already killing enough sea creatures. They say the seals are eating our fish resources--what else are seals supposed to eat? We all need to live, eat and breathe on this planet. No animal should have to suffer because a country is overly greedy. It has already been proven that it is human over-fishing that has caused cod/trout depletion. Read the truth. Read about what you can do to help.

Designers that use seal fur: Annika Heinadottir, Birger Christensen, The Odette Leblanc Collection, Petit Nord OU, Gucci, Prada, Versace. Stop buying from these companies. Write these companies and urge them to stop using seal fur. Sign the Fur Free Pledge.

"Hundreds of thousands of baby seals will be clubbed or shot without mercy this year alone—an annual harp seal slaughter subsidized by the Canadian government. 95% of the harp seals killed are less than 3 months old. Many will be left to die under the ice . . . some baby seals may even be skinned alive

-The majority of Canadians oppose the seal hunt, but are forced to pay for it.
-Hunting harp seals is not justified by economic or environmental reasons. It’s driven by votes.
-Scientists agree that the size of this hunt puts the harp seal population at risk."

http://www.stopthesealhunt.ca/

If you have some extra cash, please consider donating at stopthesealhunt.ca or hsus.org.