Plastic Free For The Animals!
Donation protected
Those who know me well know how passionate I am about animal rights and environmental justice.
The more I learned about the catastrophic effects of plastic pollution, the more I felt the need to act by changing my behaviors in order to live in line with my values.
For this reason, as part of my zero waste journey, I pledge to go plastic free for the month of July (and beyond) http://www.plasticfreejuly.org and to raise money during this challenge for the “plastic cows” at the Karuna Society for Animals and Nature based in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, South India: http://www.karunasociety.org
Plastic is a growing disaster and is now ubiquitous in our terrestrial, aquatic and airborne environments. Our addiction to plastic is staggering: an estimated one million plastic bottles and nine million plastic bags are used globally every single minute, and half of the plastic we use, from straws to food packaging, is thrown out immediately after use. Plastic never fully degrades and this unsustainable and dangerous reality must be urgently faced.
The impact of plastic on animals is devastating, as these tragic pictures demonstrate:
For a bird or fish or turtle, it’s easy to mistake a small piece of plastic for food—especially when there are millions of pieces of plastic floating in our rivers and ultimately our oceans.
According to a study from Plymouth University, plastic pollution affects at least 700 marine species, while some estimates suggest that at least 100 million marine mammals are killed each year from plastic pollution; also urban wildlife is extremely vulnerable to the toxic effects of pollution and often pay with their lives the consequences of humans' excessive usage and production of harmful plastics.
Recently, I've watched the documentary “The Plastic Cow”, that you can watch above (please, do!), which has inspired this fundraiser. Karuna Society, the recipient of the donations, is not only one of the producers of the documentary but also the organization and centre where the “plastic cows” are rescued and receive care for life.
This 34 minute documentary, looks at the enormous environmental cost of discarded plastic bags and their deadly impact on the cows of India. Cows are in fact consuming plastic bags and are unable to digest or eliminate them, so they become trapped forever in their stomachs—painfully killing them. The film makes each one of us who produce plastic waste carelessly, guilty of killing the Cow.
As stated in the documentary: “This is not an environmental issue alone, this is not a political issue alone, this is actually an animal rights issue. Banning plastics is a way of keeping cows away from suffering and saying that this is a violation of their basic right to live, breathe, eat, drink, graze, as cows should do. We want to address this miserable journey that the cow has from scavenger to plastic to milk to meat and then leather. This is the journey of the Indian cow and the indian cow is not holy anymore.”
Karuna Society looks after approximately 500 animals that live there permanently, and also offers free medical care and shelter for the sick, injured and abused animals. With support from the Kindness Trust, Australia, they also run a wildlife centre, while sustaining all food production with organic cruelty free farming and alternative fuels.
To learn more about the amazing work they do locally read their brochure: http://www.karunasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Karuna-CompassionItIs.pdf and follow them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarunaSocietyforAnimalsandNature/
“Karuna”, in sanskrit, means compassion, which is the motivating force behind all their activities. Their vision and mission are really close to my heart since they reflect my ethics, my life choices, and my ideal of a compassionate world for all living beings.
The funds raised through this campaign will go to the Cattle Hospital of the Karuna Society, where surgeons perform rumenotomies, surgical procedures to remove plastic from cows' stomachs, and will also help support other ongoing projects, such as their programs of animal birth control and the in- and out-patient clinic for local dogs and cats and any animal rescued by the public, including birds, monkeys and donkeys.
Here are some pictures of the animals they have rescued and one of their extraordinary humane education program:
I am directly in contact with Divya Jyothi and Crystal, two volunteers at Karuna Society, who are already extremely grateful to anyone who will donate to this important cause and appreciate everyone's help and interest in their lifesaving work.
If this story and fundraising campaign inspire you, not only you can be a part of it by donating and sharing, but you should also consider joining me in going plastic free. If you do, please let me know by leaving a comment below! With just some simple and small changes you can avoid landfill waste, reduce your eco-footprint, protect the oceans, and save lives.
Also, if you are really touched by the film and the suffering of the cow, reconsider your food habits. On Karuna Society's website they affirm “nowadays the milk and meat industry are closely connected and without slaughter it is no longer possible to obtain milk. Inform yourself about the health benefits of living as a vegan. It is easy.”
Feel free to contact me for advice and further resources on any of the subjects I've touched upon, and make sure to watch the documentary, which I hope will inspire you as much as it did to me.
The campaign will remain active until July 31st. Afterwards, all donations will be transferred via PayPal to Karuna Society. This fundraising campaign is my small contribution to building a more sustainable world and compassionate society, and I hope you'll choose to be a part of it and support Karuna Society's tireless efforts in rescuing, rehabilitating, providing shelter and lifetime care, to cows and other distressed animals in the area they serve.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity!
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It's not.” The Lorax
#bethechange #respectallanimals #plasticfree
Please, spread the word and share widely!
The more I learned about the catastrophic effects of plastic pollution, the more I felt the need to act by changing my behaviors in order to live in line with my values.
For this reason, as part of my zero waste journey, I pledge to go plastic free for the month of July (and beyond) http://www.plasticfreejuly.org and to raise money during this challenge for the “plastic cows” at the Karuna Society for Animals and Nature based in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, South India: http://www.karunasociety.org
Plastic is a growing disaster and is now ubiquitous in our terrestrial, aquatic and airborne environments. Our addiction to plastic is staggering: an estimated one million plastic bottles and nine million plastic bags are used globally every single minute, and half of the plastic we use, from straws to food packaging, is thrown out immediately after use. Plastic never fully degrades and this unsustainable and dangerous reality must be urgently faced.
The impact of plastic on animals is devastating, as these tragic pictures demonstrate:
For a bird or fish or turtle, it’s easy to mistake a small piece of plastic for food—especially when there are millions of pieces of plastic floating in our rivers and ultimately our oceans.
According to a study from Plymouth University, plastic pollution affects at least 700 marine species, while some estimates suggest that at least 100 million marine mammals are killed each year from plastic pollution; also urban wildlife is extremely vulnerable to the toxic effects of pollution and often pay with their lives the consequences of humans' excessive usage and production of harmful plastics.
Recently, I've watched the documentary “The Plastic Cow”, that you can watch above (please, do!), which has inspired this fundraiser. Karuna Society, the recipient of the donations, is not only one of the producers of the documentary but also the organization and centre where the “plastic cows” are rescued and receive care for life.
This 34 minute documentary, looks at the enormous environmental cost of discarded plastic bags and their deadly impact on the cows of India. Cows are in fact consuming plastic bags and are unable to digest or eliminate them, so they become trapped forever in their stomachs—painfully killing them. The film makes each one of us who produce plastic waste carelessly, guilty of killing the Cow.
As stated in the documentary: “This is not an environmental issue alone, this is not a political issue alone, this is actually an animal rights issue. Banning plastics is a way of keeping cows away from suffering and saying that this is a violation of their basic right to live, breathe, eat, drink, graze, as cows should do. We want to address this miserable journey that the cow has from scavenger to plastic to milk to meat and then leather. This is the journey of the Indian cow and the indian cow is not holy anymore.”
Karuna Society looks after approximately 500 animals that live there permanently, and also offers free medical care and shelter for the sick, injured and abused animals. With support from the Kindness Trust, Australia, they also run a wildlife centre, while sustaining all food production with organic cruelty free farming and alternative fuels.
To learn more about the amazing work they do locally read their brochure: http://www.karunasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Karuna-CompassionItIs.pdf and follow them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarunaSocietyforAnimalsandNature/
“Karuna”, in sanskrit, means compassion, which is the motivating force behind all their activities. Their vision and mission are really close to my heart since they reflect my ethics, my life choices, and my ideal of a compassionate world for all living beings.
The funds raised through this campaign will go to the Cattle Hospital of the Karuna Society, where surgeons perform rumenotomies, surgical procedures to remove plastic from cows' stomachs, and will also help support other ongoing projects, such as their programs of animal birth control and the in- and out-patient clinic for local dogs and cats and any animal rescued by the public, including birds, monkeys and donkeys.
Here are some pictures of the animals they have rescued and one of their extraordinary humane education program:
I am directly in contact with Divya Jyothi and Crystal, two volunteers at Karuna Society, who are already extremely grateful to anyone who will donate to this important cause and appreciate everyone's help and interest in their lifesaving work.
If this story and fundraising campaign inspire you, not only you can be a part of it by donating and sharing, but you should also consider joining me in going plastic free. If you do, please let me know by leaving a comment below! With just some simple and small changes you can avoid landfill waste, reduce your eco-footprint, protect the oceans, and save lives.
Also, if you are really touched by the film and the suffering of the cow, reconsider your food habits. On Karuna Society's website they affirm “nowadays the milk and meat industry are closely connected and without slaughter it is no longer possible to obtain milk. Inform yourself about the health benefits of living as a vegan. It is easy.”
Feel free to contact me for advice and further resources on any of the subjects I've touched upon, and make sure to watch the documentary, which I hope will inspire you as much as it did to me.
The campaign will remain active until July 31st. Afterwards, all donations will be transferred via PayPal to Karuna Society. This fundraising campaign is my small contribution to building a more sustainable world and compassionate society, and I hope you'll choose to be a part of it and support Karuna Society's tireless efforts in rescuing, rehabilitating, providing shelter and lifetime care, to cows and other distressed animals in the area they serve.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity!
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It's not.” The Lorax
#bethechange #respectallanimals #plasticfree
Please, spread the word and share widely!
Organizer
Elizabeth Tavella
Organizer
Chicago, IL