Vampires care - do you, too?

Ian Somerhalder (star of The Vampire Diaries & founder of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation) is begging you to help. If you haven't heard about the Tar Sands Oil Keystone XL Pipeline yet, let us explain:



The Keystone XL Pipeline is a pipe system that will be built by TransCanada and will bring tar sands oil into the U.S. It will run from Alberta Canada all the way to Port Arthur, Texas. The pipeline will run through six states and under three major rivers. This sounds like good thing right? A way to make oil more accessible to the United States - wrong! If this pipeline is built it will have a devastating effect on our planet. More Information ...

To prevent this from happening we need to sign the petition and find alternative ways of producing energy. We cannot rely on oil forever. This is the turning point. Are you going to be part of the solution or part of the problem?


Please be part of the solution and Sign this Petition !
Ian Somerhalder already signed it!
Ask others to do the same!

Judge tosses tree suit, urges city be more open

Judge Tosses Tree Suit!
from the Baltimore Sun

This is utterly uncalled for. Why on Earth would anyone remove trees to plant new ones? Do you think that honestly justifies the killing of the original trees? Would you even constitute the killing of a child just to have an extra room in the house and say "Well, I can always have another one"? A little extreme metaphor, I know, but don't care.

If it grows, it is alive...plain and simple.

And for what cause you ask?....To put in a Grand Prix with lots of racing cars polluting our air, our water, our Earth.

Famous Quotes

Points to ponder and words to live by. Here are some quotes that I have sorted through and thought to share.
Enjoy!



A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy. --John Sawhill


The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.
-- Leonardo Da Vinci


I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.
-- Ellen DeGeneres


When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.
-- Ingrid Newkirk






Nature does nothing uselessly.
-- Aristotle (384-322 BC)


In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.
-- Aristotle


A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children.
--John James Audubon


The natural world is the larger sacred community to which we belong. To be alienated from this community is to become destitute in all that makes us human. To damage this community is to diminish our own existence.
 --Thomas Berry

The earth is what we all have in common.
--Wendell Berry

 We’re never going to have respectful and reverential relationships with the planet- and sensible policies about what we put in the air, the soil, the water if very young children don’t begin learning about these things literally in their houses, backyards, streets and schools. We need to have human beings who are oriented that way from their earliest memories.”
-- Elise Boulding

Our children may save us if they are taught to care properly for the planet; but if not, it may be back to the Ice Age or the caves from where we first emerged. Then we'll have to view the universe above from a cold, dark place. No more jet skis, nuclear weapons, plastic crap, broken pay phones, drugs, cars, waffle irons, or television. Come to think of it, that might not be a bad idea.
--Jimmy Buffet

I want to make it clear,if there is ever a conflict (between environmental quality and economic growth), I will go for beauty, clean air, water, and landscape.
--Jimmy Carter

All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual. --Albert Einstein

Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.--Oscar Wilde

I truly believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Since periods of change such as the present one come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world.-- Dalai Lama

Baltimore Md, Pet Friendly Places

Here is a list of places in Baltimore MD for all of you pet lovers! Rather you are a local or just visiting, check out some of these businesses and venues:)

Pet-friendly Downtown Accommodations

• Admiral Fell Inn – 888 S. Broadway, 410-522-7377
• Aloft BWI Airport – 1741 West Nursery Road, 410-691-6969
• Biltmore Suites – 205 W. Madison Street, 410-728-6550
• Brookshire Suites – 120 E. Lombard Street, 410-625-1300
• Candlewood Suites – 1247 Winterson Road, 410-850-9214
• Clarion Collection a Peabody Court Hotel – 612 Cathedral Street, 410-727-7101
• Comfort Inn - BWI Airport – 6921 Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard, 410-789-9100
• Comfort Suites - BWI Airport – 815 Elkridge Landing Road, 410-691-1000
• Hampton Inn BWI – 829 Elkridge Landing Road, 410-850-0600
• Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel– 401 W. Pratt Street, 443-573-8700
• Holiday Inn Express Baltimore - Downtown– 221 N. Gay Street, 410-400-8045
• Holiday Inn Inner Harbor Hotel– 301 W. Lombard Street, 410-685-3500
• Hotel Monaco – 2 N. Charles Street, 443-692-6170
• Inn at 2920 – 2920 Elliot Street, 410-342-4450
• Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel – 550 Light Street, 410-234-0550
• Mount Vernon Hotel – 24 W. Franklin Street, 410-727-2000
• Pier 5 Hotel – 711 Eastern Avenue, 410-539-2000
• Raddison Plaza Lord Baltimore – 20 W. Baltimore Street, 410-539-8400
• Residence Inn Downtown Baltimore / Inner Harbor – 17 Light Street, 410-962-1220
• Sheraton BWI Hotel– 1100 Old Elkridge Landing Road, 443-577-2100
• Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel – 101 W. Fayette Street, 410-752-1100
• Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel – 300 S. Charles Street, 410-962-8300
• Sheraton Baltimore North – 903 Dulaney Valley Road, 410-321-7400
• Tremont Plaza Hotel – 222 St. Paul Place, 410-727-2222
• Westin BWI – 1110 Old Elkridge Landing Road, 443-577-2300

Pet Stores, Boutiques & Specialty Shops

• Bark – 5805 Clarksville Square Drive, 443-535-0200
• Dogma—life, with your pet – 3600 Boston Street, 410-276-3410
• Doggie Style – 1130 Light Street, 410-347-7575
• Howl – 3531 Chestnut Avenue, 410-235-2469
• Lucky Lucy's Canine Café – 1126 S. Charles Street, 410-837-2121
• Pretentious Pooch – 1017 Cathedral Street, 443-524-7777

Groomers & Spas

• Fells Point Pet Center – 1916 Fleet Street, 410-276-2433
• For Pet’s Sake – 6314 Falls Road, 410-337-3595
• The Groomery – 1619 Sulgrave Avenue, 410-367-3647
• Laundry Mutt – 214 E. Fort Avenue, 410-962-8057
• Lucky Three Dog & Cat Grooming – 534 S. Conkling Street, 410-276-6666
• Luv My Pet – 1734 Jackson Street, 410-685-6939
• Pet Agree – 834 Guilford Avenue, 410-659-0313
• Puppy Love Mobile Grooming – 410-488-4444
• Scrub-a-Dub Dog – 5909 Falls Road, 443-919-7909

Pet Walkers & Sitters

• All About Your Pet, 410-599-1148
• Canine to Five, 410-375-9202
• Dog House Girls, 410-276-1284
• Luv My Pet, 410-685-6939
• Walk the Dog, 410-366-0400

Pet Day Care

• Charm City Dogs – 401 N. Gay Street, 410-637-3647
• City Pet Center – 504 S. Haven Street, 410-732-0226
• Good Doggie Day Care – 3500 Ash Street, 410-889-3031

Veterinary Care

• City Pets – 1212 S. Charles Street, 410-752-7122
• Eastern Animal Hospital – 6404 Eastern Avenue, 410-633-8808
• Falls Road Animal Hospital – 6314 Falls Road, 410-825-9100
• Light Street Animal Hospital – 1601 Light Street, 410-547-8385

Dog Parks & Recreation

Canton Dog Park
Clinton & Toone Streets
www.cantondogpark.org
Baltimore’s first official off-leash dog park

Locust Point Dog Park
Andre Street side of Latrobe Park
lpdp.dreamhosters.com
Off-leash fenced dog park

John H. Downs Memorial Park
Pasadena, MD
Official dog-friendly beach

Druid Hill Park
2500 Druid Park Drive

Quiet Waters Park
Annapolis, MD
Official dog-friendly beach with rinse station

Robert E. Lee Memorial Park
Falls Road at Lakeside Drive
Leashes required

Wyman Park
Keswick Road & Wyman Park Drive
Cruises on the Bay™ by Watermark®
555 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
www.baltimoreboatcruises.com
Seadog Cruises
561 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
www.seadogcruises.com/Baltimore

TESTIMONY OF IAN SOMERHALDER

I would have posted the video about this but thought it would be best if people actually paid attention to the words themselves and not the physical presence of the speaker. Don't skim, don't scroll for a pic (there isn't one), just read it. It is very important and only took me 5 minutes and that is with a house full of people and daycare kids.

Remember: education is key:)

TESTIMONY OF IAN SOMERHALDER BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE, OCEANS AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, REGARDING H.R. 50, THE MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS REAUTHORIZATION ACT

July 28, 2011

Good morning Chairman Fleming, Ranking Member Sablan, and Members of the Subcommittee. I am Ian Somerhalder, an actor and founder of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering, educating, and collaborating with people to help them positively impact the planet and its creatures. I am also a global Ambassador for the Alliance for Global Conservation.

I appreciate this opportunity to testify before you today on H.R. 50, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Subcommittee, especially Chairman Fleming—who represents my home state of Louisiana—for the invitation to join you today.

Wildlife and environmental conservation has always been not just a passion, but a priority of mine. When I began to find that through my work as an actor, I was gaining an increasingly prominent platform in front of the American public, I knew right away what I wanted to do with it. The IS Foundation is my attempt to use this opportunity, this share of the public's attention, for the greater good.

The IS Foundation, which now has dozens of affiliate groups around the world from as far off as India and Algeria, focuses its work around 3 themes: habitat conservation, species protection, and clean energy initiatives. Our goal is to support a range of projects, from more established, mature global initiatives like the Alliance for Global Conservation, to smaller, grassroots efforts initiated by individuals in the Gulf and other local communities. The hope is that we can demonstrate ways for everyone to contribute, on any scale. We want to start conversations on these issues and allow them to grow and evolve naturally. When a particular issue gathers enough interest and momentum, we’ll lend the resources needed to transform it from a conversation into a project, and hopefully, eventually, from a project to real progress.

In talking to people, and especially young people, all over the country, I have found time and time again that the issue of species conservation is a particularly resonant one. People are passionately attached to the creatures that have captured their attention and their imaginations since childhood, and they are invested in doing whatever is necessary to protect them. Species conservation is beyond a doubt an issue that truly matters to the American public. We're lucky this is the case, because many of our most beloved wildlife species are clinging to survival by a thread.

This legislation initially enacted in 1990, is viewed globally a success story. With the US leading the effort, governments around the world are able to begin investing in their ecosystems. From the Congo to Southern Sudan we are finding that species conservation is paying off in terms of both the environment and local government action.

As Congress considers H.R. 50, I thought it would be useful to share my thoughts on the species that benefit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service leadership on conservation.

Tigers: Wild tigers are one such example—an amazing species under terrible threat by poachers and the gradual degradation of their habitat and prey base. According to big cat experts, only around 3,000 tigers exist in the wild today, and experts estimate that more than 500 tigers are killed each year. To make matters worse, the actual breeding population may be closer to a mere 1,000. Tigers are magnificent creatures: big, powerful, and charismatic. Unfortunately, these same qualities make them popular targets—the tiger’s beautiful orange pelt commands a high price on the global black market, as do tiger body parts. Their organs and bones are used in Asian medicines, which are sold to consumers who believe these animal products convey strength, health and virility.

Rhinoceroses: Rhinos, too, hover on the brink of extinction. Between 1970 and 1992, rhino populations declined by 96%, and fewer than 2,400 black and white rhinos survived in the wild. Conservation biologists tell me that today only 300 Sumatran rhinos remain. The low number of survivors is exacerbated by the fact that many rhinos live in small, fragmented populations, which may not be viable due to lack of breeding opportunities and risk of random events or disease. Rhino horns are carved for dagger handles as a coveted status symbol in the Middle East, and body parts and bones are sold on the black market as medicinal ingredients. The illegal trade in animal parts is a profitable business, and the demand for these products creates an ongoing temptation for poachers. Rhinos, and tigers too, also fall inadvertent victim to poachers’ snares, set to trap other animals for bushmeat or trophies.

African Elephants: African elephants are another species in terrible trouble. In the last century, rampant ivory poaching and habitat loss caused their numbers to drop from over ten million animals in 1900 to fewer than 500,000 by the late 1980s. Uncontrolled hunting and continued loss of habitat still threaten the African elephant today. In addition to the ivory and bushmeat trades, the loss of natural elephant habitat poses a major problem due to the resulting conflict between elephants and humans throughout Africa. As human populations grow and expand into remote areas, natural habitat is cleared and destroyed to make way for agriculture. Elephant populations are compressed into smaller ranges with limited food and water supplies. Hungry elephants wander into villages and damage crops. People often kill elephants in an attempt to stop the crop raids, and people themselves are also sometimes killed trying to fend off desperate elephants.

Asian elephants: Like their relatives, Asian elephants are also struggling to survive. In the United States, Asian elephants are best known as familiar circus attractions. Yet throughout their homeland, captive elephants are primarily beasts of burden. An estimated 16,000 Asian elephants are presently tamed and used for timber harvest, clearing forests, and agricultural development. Ironically, it is the destruction of forests, the advancement of agriculture, and the encroachment of human civilization that pose the greatest threats to the survival of Asia’s wild elephants. Asian elephant populations have continued to decline due to loss of grazing areas and poaching driven by the ivory trade, and are listed as endangered on the Endangered Species Act.

Marine Turtles: Six of the seven marine turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered by the World Conservation Union and under the US Endangered Species Act. Because marine turtles require 10-40 years to reach sexual maturity and are vulnerable to predation, oil spills, and as by-catch, restoring their numbers is a lengthy and delicate task. Marine turtles are truly the ancient mariners of the world’s oceans, with ancestors dating back over 100 million years. While all species require tropical, subtropical, or temperate oceanic beaches for nesting, each has specific marine habitat and feeding requirements. I was fortunate earlier this summer to travel to Trinidad and Tobago and watch leatherback turtles emerge from the sea under cover of darkness to lay their eggs and bury them in the sand. It was even more gratifying to see the hatchlings dig their way out of their sandy nest and instinctively find their way to the ocean… still unfortunately facing an uncertain future.

Great Apes such as gorillas and chimpanzees: Apes, by their nature, are extremely vulnerable. They have low population densities, grow relatively slowly, are long-lived, and have low reproductive rates and complex social relationships. Today, all the world’s great ape species are threatened with extinction. Apes are susceptible to many of the same diseases as humans. As growing human populations penetrate further into ape habitat, the potential for disease transmission between apes and people, and vice versa, is increasing. As a result, the bushmeat trade poses a serious health risk for humans. Threats facing gorillas and chimpanzees include the loss, fragmentation and degradation of their habitat, as well as hunting for food, medicine and sport. Even with strong recovery programs, the chimpanzee population is 80% lower than 50 years ago, and it continues to drop.

Looking around the world at these wildlife, it's abundantly clear that humans have benefited from nature in so many ways but have also brought many species to the brink of extinction. Scientists warn us that we are on the cusp of the largest mass extinction spasm since the dinosaurs. The American people that I interact with through my IS Foundation work do not want to allow this to happen; they do not want to let these species go without a fight; and they see the way in which nature provides for people around the world. This is an issue that Americans care deeply about, and it is critical that the United States, as a world leader and global power, continue to lead the planet's efforts in global species conservation. Due to instability or indifference in the areas that many of these species call home, for most of them we are the first, last, and only hope



On behalf of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation and the Alliance for Global Conservation, I urge the Subcommittee to mark-up H.R. 50 and move to reauthorize this important piece of legislation.

Shark Fin Soup

Ok, this is an extremely important topic people. Of all the news and topics I have been reading about lately, this is the most disturbing to me. Over 70 million sharks are killed each year for the purpose of Shark Fin Soup. Not disturbing enough for you? Then read this: the sharks are alive and conscious when they are finned. Imagine being scalped...same concept. "Grave injustice" wouldn't even begin to describe this heinous act. For those of you interested in reading more about this, here are a few links that could help you and the sharks out.

ISF....Stop Shark Finning!
stopsharkfinning.net
wikipedia.org
What Shark Finning Looks Like:Youtube.com (warning: graphic material)

sign my petition