'We were made to feel'
Tree Sisters.
Let me tell you a true story. Steller's Sea Cows were a common species in the North Pacific, a massive 9-10 meters (30 feet) and a weight of perhaps 10 metric tons (22,000 pounds), they survived only around the Komandor Islands in the Bering sea where nobody lived.
The first European to see these creatures was a German naturalist named Greg Steller.
In 1741 he described the way they were hunted:
Their capture was effected by a large iron hook, with the other end of being fastened by means of an iron ring to a very long and stout rope, held by 30 men on shore...After an animal was harpooned in the back, the men on shore, grasping the other end of the rope, pulled the desperately resisting animal laboriously towards them. Those in the boat made the animal fast by means of another rope and wore it out with continual blows, until tired and completely motionless, it was attacked with bayonets, knives and other weapons and pulled up on land. Immense slices were cut from the still living animal, but all it did was shake its tail furiously and make such resistance with its forearms that big strips of its skin as torn off. In addition it breathed heavily, as if sighing. From the wounds in the back the blood spurted like a fountain...
They have an extraordinary love for one another, which extends so far that when one of them was cut into, all the others were intent on rescuing it and keeping it from being pulled ashore by closing a circle around it. Others tried to remove the hook from the wound in the back by blows of their tail, in which they actually succeed several times...
It is most remarkable proof of their conjugal affection that a male, after having tried with all his might, although in vain, to free a female caught by a hook, and in spite of the beating we gave him, nevertheless followed her to the shore, and than several times, even after she was dead, he shot unexpectedly up to her like a speeding arrow. Early next morning when we can to cut up the meat and bring it to the dugout, we found the male again standing by the female, the same I observed on the third day...
By 1768 they were hunted to extinction.
The Extinction Club by Jefferey Moor
The book I am currently reading has affected me so much so with its contents, that I find myself often staring off wistfully feeling something akin to hopelessness. It discusses through the medium of fiction mass extinctions and animal cruelty. It vividly describes acts which hunters perform and touches on the psychology of such individuals.
I was born to emote, from a very early age I realized that I felt things a lot deeper than the people around me. I'd be lost out in my garden looking at everything alive out there and would be deeply guilty for days if I saw someone squash a bug and I didn't protest enough to stop it. I would wonder endlessly whether we could come back to life as insects and how I'd feel if it was me under that shoe.
This empathy of course extends to humans and I am unable to be vicious even when sometimes there is a moment which flashes and I think this person deserves my anger. I can't, its a running joke that I can't stay mad.
Atrocities happen the world over, we do this to people but people have the capacity of law, morals and justice to protect them. Although laws exist for animals how often are these ignored or broken? People who are cruel to animals leave the herd of humanity in my eyes, if you can remove yourself enough to be emotionless to cull something then you lose what makes you individually human - the ability to empathize.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about oceans and how these bio-diverse areas are so woefully neglected. As the vast majority of humans don't have a presence in the water we largely ignore its collective importance.
Over the coming weeks I'd like to start being something of a 'Saltwater Steward' I want to invest my time and energy into protecting our oceans. I am but one small surfer but where there is will there is opportunity...
Can anyone recommend any ocean themed charities I could assist? I'll be hopefully working with Greenpeace Birmingham very soon but any extra advice would be greatly appreciated.
Until next time,
Peace, good karma and all that shalom
Love Sophia
Tree Sisters.
Let me tell you a true story. Steller's Sea Cows were a common species in the North Pacific, a massive 9-10 meters (30 feet) and a weight of perhaps 10 metric tons (22,000 pounds), they survived only around the Komandor Islands in the Bering sea where nobody lived.
The first European to see these creatures was a German naturalist named Greg Steller.
In 1741 he described the way they were hunted:
They have an extraordinary love for one another, which extends so far that when one of them was cut into, all the others were intent on rescuing it and keeping it from being pulled ashore by closing a circle around it. Others tried to remove the hook from the wound in the back by blows of their tail, in which they actually succeed several times...
It is most remarkable proof of their conjugal affection that a male, after having tried with all his might, although in vain, to free a female caught by a hook, and in spite of the beating we gave him, nevertheless followed her to the shore, and than several times, even after she was dead, he shot unexpectedly up to her like a speeding arrow. Early next morning when we can to cut up the meat and bring it to the dugout, we found the male again standing by the female, the same I observed on the third day...
By 1768 they were hunted to extinction.
The Extinction Club by Jefferey Moor
The book I am currently reading has affected me so much so with its contents, that I find myself often staring off wistfully feeling something akin to hopelessness. It discusses through the medium of fiction mass extinctions and animal cruelty. It vividly describes acts which hunters perform and touches on the psychology of such individuals.
I was born to emote, from a very early age I realized that I felt things a lot deeper than the people around me. I'd be lost out in my garden looking at everything alive out there and would be deeply guilty for days if I saw someone squash a bug and I didn't protest enough to stop it. I would wonder endlessly whether we could come back to life as insects and how I'd feel if it was me under that shoe.
This empathy of course extends to humans and I am unable to be vicious even when sometimes there is a moment which flashes and I think this person deserves my anger. I can't, its a running joke that I can't stay mad.
Atrocities happen the world over, we do this to people but people have the capacity of law, morals and justice to protect them. Although laws exist for animals how often are these ignored or broken? People who are cruel to animals leave the herd of humanity in my eyes, if you can remove yourself enough to be emotionless to cull something then you lose what makes you individually human - the ability to empathize.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about oceans and how these bio-diverse areas are so woefully neglected. As the vast majority of humans don't have a presence in the water we largely ignore its collective importance.
Over the coming weeks I'd like to start being something of a 'Saltwater Steward' I want to invest my time and energy into protecting our oceans. I am but one small surfer but where there is will there is opportunity...
Can anyone recommend any ocean themed charities I could assist? I'll be hopefully working with Greenpeace Birmingham very soon but any extra advice would be greatly appreciated.
Until next time,
Peace, good karma and all that shalom
Love Sophia
