Finnish research team studies migration routes and most important stopover sites and over-wintering grounds of the Finnish population of the Eurasian crane (Grus grus).
On 18th November the first satellite crane of the project, a young male colt named as Petteri, was discovered in Tunisia, Africa. On 19th November also a female satellite crane Aino arrived Africa.
Learn more from Satellite cranes site.
The CEO of Alma Media Corporation Mr. Kai Telanne fired the newly-appointed editor-in-chief of the Lapin Kansa newspaper Ms. Johanna Korhonen on October 1st 2008. Lapin Kansa is the largest newspaper in Lapland, Northern Finland. The reason of the sacking seems to be that Alma Media found out that Johanna Korhonen is living in a registered partnership with another woman. Korhonen says Alma Media offered her about 100 000 euros of hush money, if she would resign silently from the post.
The event has raised a lot of protests and boycotting campaigns against Alma Media in Finland. The journalists working for Lapin Kansa have demanded the resignation of the Alma Media CEO Telanne.
To add some pepper to the soap, the retiring editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa Mr. Heikki-Tuomi Nikula said to YLE Finland that an openly gay person would have a difficult time in working in the job. “I find it quite peculiar that there would be an open lesbian here. Someone could be in the closet, and I’m sure there are people like that around.” The journalists working for Lapin Kansa have demanded the resignation of editor Tuomi-Nikula too.
Alma Media has denied accusations and claims that Korhonen has been lying during the process. The case is going to be continued in court.
I drew the cartoon above about gay mallards in 2002 for the Suomen Luonto magazine after the Finnish parliament had passed the law allowing gay people to register as couples. It was a comment for those who say homosexuality is unnantural. For example mallards and geese are known to have male gay couples. The BBC Wildlife magazine reports in the August 2008 issue that homosexual behaviour has been recorded in more than 450 animal species.
Image from Hayao Miyasaki animated film My Neighbour Totoro © Studio Ghibli
Drawn blog informs that a group of Pixar artists has started a campaign to raise money for the Sayama forest in Japan. This 8750-acres forest in Tokyo inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s excellent animated film My Neighbor Totoro. Miyazaki helped set up the national trust, Totoro no Furusato Fund to preserve the forest.
Over 200 top international artists from animation, illustration, and comics are donating artwork especially created for this cause. On september 6th 2008 Pixar Animation Studios will be hosting an auction event featuring all these pieces of art. All the proceeds of this fundraiser will benefit the protection of the Sayama Forest.
Visit Totoro Forest Project website if you want to buy at auction, help the project some other way or just admire fine pieces of art and hang around with fabulous Totoro style.
Thanks to Google Maps Japan you can take a virtual walk inside the Sayama Forest.
Amphibians, the first four-legged creatures that ever walked on earth, are now in big danger. Over one third of the amphibian species are threatened with extinction.
Frogs are dying because of habitat loss, climate change and a fast spreading Chytrid fungus disease. International campaign called Amphibian Ark tries to save disappearing frog species by keeping them alive in Zoos and release the species later back in wild.
Learn more from Amphibian Ark site and Frog Matters Blog.
Orangutans live in the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. Rainforests are disappearing because of paper industry and palm oil production.
Read more about Orangutans and sign a petition at Man of the Forest site.
Oceans seem to be like an endless resource for human activity, but there is a limit too. According to WWF the global fishing fleet is currently 2.5 x larger than what the oceans can sustainably support. 52% of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, and 24% are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. 90% of the large predatory fishes, like tuna, cod, marlin and sharks, has disappeared.
And in the same time industrialized countries subsidize overfishing with billions of dollars. These big fishing fleets are also harvesting coasts of the poor third world countries, and that will harm local fisheries.
Avaaz.org petition for fair fishing.
The Lesser White-fronted Goose is one of the most endangered bird species in the Finland and Scandinavia. It is in danger to die out. And noboby knew how to prevent the disaster…
Until some of the most sharply dressed gentlemen in the Northern hemisphere decided to act.
Ladies and Gentlemen, seppo.net proudly presents:
Cartoons: Read More
