Protect Sea Turtles This Earth Day

[Omaha Steve]

Happy Earth Day! Today is a day to celebrate and appreciate all things nature, but also a time to take note of our own environmental impacts and commit to minimizing our ecological footprint. While millions will participate in special Earth Day events and activities, few will realize that 71 percent of this amazing planet is water. This Earth Day, remember our oceans and the creatures that call them home by taking action to protect loggerhead sea turtles!



Honor Earth Day. Take action now! » http://takeaction.oceana.org/t/6207/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24292

In the past decade, loggerheads nesting in Florida have declined 50 percent. The drop is the result of a barrage of threats including, commercial fishing gear, beachfront development, pollution, motor vehicles crushing nests, and collisions with boats. Despite the significant decline and all of these threats, loggerheads are still only considered "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

Oceana, along with the Center for biological Diversity, has petitioned the government to help loggerheads recover by formally listing them as an "endangered" species and creating more protections for turtle habitats in the Atlantic.

The two federal agencies charged with protecting loggerheads - in land and on water - are now accepting comments from the public on this important issue. Please speak out for turtles by calling for more habitat protections and uplisting the species to the "endangered" level. Take action now, comments will only be accepted until May 5, 2008.

In 1970, Earth Day marked the birth of the modern environmental movement. This year, it serves as a springboard for our conservation efforts to protect one of the most iconic ocean creatures. It's time to reverse the conditions causing declines in loggerhead nesting. Will you be one of the few that remembers our oceans - and its inhabitants - this Earth Day?

Photo of Elizabeth GriffinFor the oceans,
Elizabeth Griffin
Marine Wildlife Scientist

PROTECT SEA TURTLES >> http://takeaction.oceana.org/t/6207/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24292

Celebrate Earth Day by speaking out for loggerheads. Tell the government to list them as an endangered species.
Take Action!

DONATE » https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/209/t/5439/p/salsa/donation/public/?donate_page_KEY=3426

BLOG & MORE » http://community.oceana.org/

TELL-A-FRIEND » http://takeaction.oceana.org/t/6234/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=2731

[Bake]

1. Indeed! Here's a small part, perhaps, but still something we can do.

Guitarists, just say NO to tortoise shell picks, pickguards, etc.

I know a lot of guitarists, particularly acoustic guitarists, who are partial to the sound/tone of tortoise shell picks. While they are illegal to buy or sell, you can find them at festivals, etc., and they sell for anywhere from $50 to $100 EACH. They are made from the shells of sea turtles. I know of players who have boxes of them.

Here's an alternative that does not involve killing sea turtles!! Clayton Gold (also called "Ultem") guitar picks are synthetic, and there's not enough difference in the tone they produce, compared to tortoise shell, to be audible. And they're cheaper.

Just say no to tortoise shell!!

Bake

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Book rec! "Voyage of the Turtle"

(Mostly about leatherbacks, but lots of discussion of other sea turtles & the dangers they face -- longline fishing, hatchery destruction, ingesting floating garbage, fishing net entanglements, light pollution at night, etc. -- and what some people are doing about it.)

http://www.carlsafina.org/voyage.html

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.

[underpants]

4. Me too

:thumbsup: