Nature getting it's own back...

Morning all,


I was woken up at 3am this morning by my mother phoning with news of the quake and tsunami off the coast of Japan. I currently have four friends in hard hit areas so I have been sat infront of the news channel and obsessing over facebook and CNN websites all morning.



I am on Vancouver Island so we're feeling some affects here, but it's calmed down. No longer a tsunami warning for this area. Still high winds and about six foot waves down at the beach but nothing worse than that.

Two of these friends are members here, Tarah and Marley. All of them are Cove Gaurdian activists with Sea Sheperd. News is sparse, painfully so. I received an e-mail from Marley late last night letting me know they (her, Mike, and Carisa) had arrived in the small coastal town of Otsuchi and they were heading out to film the Dalls porpoise slaughter later that day.

The quake hit while they were filming down on the beach. A video was sent out and put online by Suzanne West that put me at ease somewhat. The voices of Carisa and Marley could be heard on the video. I have been playing the first 15 seconds over and over just to hear their voices. They were in seperate cars so Marley's voice was just from over the walkie talkie, asking if she should go up the steep hills because of falling rocks...They were all heading into the hills to stay way from tsunami waves.

This video was from about 14 hours ago now and we are waiting for more news. We are all hoping that the lack of contact is only because of cell phone signals and internet connections being down.

No news yet of Tarah or Scott West. I also did not hear or see Mike in the video but can only hope that if I heard Marley that he would not be far from her.


Please donate what you can to assist them in this situation and spread the message.

Mike, Marley, and Carisa's Blog:

http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com/

Tarah's Blog:

http://coveguardian.blogspot.com/

Sea Shepard Blog (updated yesterday, has images/video of Dall's porpoises being brought in that day)

http://www.seashepherd.org/dolphins/dalls-porpoise-slaughter-in-nor...


Keep positive everyone and I will update when I get more news!

The one good part of this natural event is that the cetaceans of the Japanese waters are temporarily safe from the molesters.

In friendship,

Adrienne

Where will you be?

The first time I watched The Cove was on a cheerful summer afternoon from my tiny laptop screen. As with any animal rights and welfare documentary I felt the tug of compassion alongside the revulsion at the capabilities of my own species; the depths that we have allowed the societies of our world sink to.

Every year thousands of dolphins are captured in Taiji, Japan between September and March. They are sold or slaughtered. Almost every dolphin in parks and aquariums around the world are flown in from this cove. These dolphins produce massive profits that allow the continuation of this aberration.

Those not chosen for exploitative entertainment are hacked and stabbed while thrashing to save their family members. These beings are sold to the Japanese people under the guise of whale meat labels, allowing an even higher profit margin for this blood rich industry.

As evidence is found of the frighteningly high levels of heavy metals (ie. Mercury at such high levels as to cause brain damage in youths) within these meats my thoughts stray to the consciousness of the government officials who allow public consumption. Having this consumption compulsory within public schools only sickens their actions.  

And then again with any information one is given it tends to slowly fade away as life moves on. Every now and then my mind would flick back to those images; the dolphins squealing in pain across the calm waters, the impassive expressions of the fishermen, the absolute indifference of the government officials. And I would feel that little tug.

But as a westerner, a privileged westerner at that, who am I to judge?

Who am I to think I could possibly change the way a society on the other side of the world behaves?

Why even try when I can comfortably be here and not worry my little head about what other people do with their lives?

And then, the most important question – Who am I if I can just stand idly by and not take a stand?

What am I if I don’t do all that I can to change what is happening, something so sinister and so overtly wrong that the deniability is non-existent?

When silence is the only response to an accusation of guilt, there is no question.

After all, this is MY world too.

I can change what I see as wrong.

I can do my part and take the stand.

I can bear witness and inform.  

I will go. I will stand. I will watch. I will film.

And I will not allow the continuation of slaughter.

In 2011 I will stand on the shores of The Killing Cove. I will look into the eyes of the fishermen, the politicians, the people, and I will challenge them to take the stand for what is right. To show them they too can have the courage to stand against the powers that be, that change begins with one person with that passion strong enough to surpass simple fear.

September 2011. I will be there. Where will you be?

- Adrian, Cove Guardian 2011