{"id":12680,"date":"2011-01-25T09:29:22","date_gmt":"2011-01-25T14:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/12680\/true-cost-ignoring-nonhumans\/"},"modified":"2011-01-25T09:29:22","modified_gmt":"2011-01-25T14:29:22","slug":"true-cost-ignoring-nonhumans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/12680\/true-cost-ignoring-nonhumans\/","title":{"rendered":"The True Cost of Ignoring Nonhumans"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nAfSD\u2122(ADVOCATE FOR SAVING DOGS\u2122and all living creatures)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wildlife<\/a><\/strong>
\nAquavibe (http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/496351391<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Aquaman ~ Ocean Defender (http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/108399880<\/a>)
\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/strong>The True Cost of Ignoring Nonhumans <\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Posted by Dr. Denise L Herzing and Dr. Lori Marino, Human-Nonhuman Relationship Board<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Over
\nthe millennia humans and the rest of nature have coexisted in various
\nrelationships. However the intimate and interdependent nature of our
\nrelationship with other beings on the planet has been recently brought
\nto light by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This ongoing
\nenvironmental disaster is a prime example of \u201cprofit over principle\u201d
\nregarding non-human life. This spill threatens not only the reproductive
\nviability of all flora and fauna in the affected ecosystems but also
\ncomplex and sensitive non-human cultures like those we now recognize in
\ndolphins and whales.<\/font><\/p>\n

Although science has, for decades,
\ndocumented the links and interdependence of ecosystems and species, the
\nethical dilemma now facing humans is at a critical level. For too long
\nhave we not recognized the true cost of our life styles and priorities
\nof profit over the health of the planet and the nonhuman beings we share
\nit with. If ever the time, this is a wake up call for humanity and a
\ncall to action. If humanity is to survive we need to make an urgent and
\nlong-term commitment to the health of the planet. The oceans, our food
\nsources and the very oxygen we breathe may be dependent on our choices
\nin the next 10 years.<\/p>\n

And humanity\u2019s survival is inextricably linked to that of the other beings we share this planet with. We need a new ethic.<\/p>\n

Many
\noceanographers and marine biologist have, for a decade, sent out the
\nmessage that the oceans are in trouble. Human impacts of over-fishing,
\npollution, and habitat destruction are threatening the very cycles of
\nour existence. In the recent catastrophe in the Gulf, one corporation\u2019s
\nneglectful oversight and push for profit has set the stage for a century
\nof clean up and impact, the implications of which we can only begin to
\nimagine.<\/p>\n

Current and reported estimates of stranded dolphins are
\nat fifty-five. However, these are dolphins visibly stranded on beaches.
\nRecent aerial footage, on YouTube, by John Wathen shows a much greater
\nand serious threat. Offshore, in the \u201cno fly zone\u201d hundreds of dolphins
\nand whales have been observed in the oil slick. Some floating belly up
\nand dead, others struggling to breathe in the toxic fumes. Others
\nexhibit \u201cdrunken dolphin syndrome\u201d characterized by floating in an
\nalmost stupefied state on the surface of the water. These highly visible
\neffects are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the spill\u2019s impact
\non the long term health and viability of the Gulf\u2019s dolphin and whale
\npopulations, not to mention the suffering incurred by each individual
\ndolphin as he or she tries to cope with this crisis.<\/p>\n

Known direct
\nand indirect effects of oil spills on dolphins and whales depend on the
\nspecies but include, toxicity that can cause organ dysfunction and
\nneurological impairment, damaged airways and lungs, gastrointestinal
\nulceration and hemorrhaging, eye and skin lesions, decreased body mass
\ndue to limited prey, and, the pervasive long term behavioral,
\nimmunological, and metabolic impacts of stress. Recent reports
\nsubstantiate that many dolphins and whales in the Gulf are undergoing
\ntremendous stress, shock and suffering from many of the above effects.
\nThe impact to newborns and young calves is clearly devastating.<\/p>\n

After
\nthe Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound in 1989 two pods of
\norcas (killer whales) were tracked. It was found that one third of the
\nwhales in one pod and 40 percent of the whales in the other pod had
\ndisappeared, with one pod never recovering its numbers. There is still
\nsome debate about the number of missing whales directly impacted by the
\noil though it is fair to say that losses of this magnitude are uncommon
\nand do serious damage to orca societies.<\/p>\n

Yes, orca societies.
\nYears of field research has led to the conclusion by a growing number of
\nscientists that many dolphin and whale species, including sperm whales,
\nhumpback whales, orcas, and bottlenose dolphins possess sophisticated
\ncultures, that is, learned behavioral traditions passed on from one
\ngeneration to the next. These cultures are not only unique to each group
\nbut are critically important for survival. Therefore, not only do
\nenvironmental catastrophes such as the Gulf oil spill result in
\nindividual suffering and loss of life but they contribute to the
\npermanent destruction of entire oceanic cultures. These complex learned
\ntraditions cannot be replicated after they are gone and this makes them
\ninvaluable.<\/p>\n

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the
\nUnited Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human
\nRights, which acknowledges basic rights to life, liberty, and freedom
\nof cultural expression. We recognize these foundational rights for
\nhumans as we are sentient, complex beings. It is abundantly clear that
\nour actions have violated these same rights for other sentient, complex
\nand cultural beings in the oceans \u2013 the dolphins and whales. We should
\nuse this tragedy as an opportunity to formally recognize societal and
\nlegal rights for them so that their lives and their unique cultures are
\nbetter protected in the future.<\/p>\n

Recently, there was a meeting of
\nscientists, philosophers, legal experts and dolphin and whale advocates
\nin Helsinki, Finland, who drafted a Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans a
\nglobal call for basic rights for dolphins and whales. You can read more
\nabout this effort and become a signatory here: http:\/\/cetaceanconservation.com.au\/cetaceanrights\/<\/a>.
\nGiven the destruction of dolphin and whale lives and cultures caused by
\nthe ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf, we think this is one of
\nthe ways we can commit ourselves to working towards a future that will
\nbe a lifeboat for humans, dolphins and whales, and the rest of nature.<\/p>\n

SOURCE<\/a><\/p>\n

..
\nShow all bulletins Aquaman has posted<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>In Unity
\n\"\"
\nAquaman ~ Ocean Defender<\/a><\/strong><\/font><\/strong>..
\n<\/strong>
\n <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

..<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AfSD\u2122(ADVOCATE FOR SAVING DOGS\u2122and all living creatures) Wildlife Aquavibe (http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/496351391) Aquaman ~ Ocean Defender (http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/108399880) The True Cost of Ignoring Nonhumans Posted by Dr. Denise L Herzing and Dr. Lori Marino, Human-Nonhuman Relationship Board Over the millennia humans and the rest of nature have coexisted in various relationships. However the intimate and interdependent nature of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}