Comments on: Albatross chicks – photos

By: ryank

ryank — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:39:48 +0000

That’s stark, no question.

Like or Dislike: 0 0 (0)

By: weedeater

weedeater — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:59:22 +0000

“Depressingly not good” would be an understatement, but here is a little ray of hope and eco-consciousness raising: as weedeater seriously reckons he stopped tens of millions of those bits of plastic being cast adrift from NZ at least by stopping it at the source and nipping littering in bud, and heres how:

multi tasking on the daily dog walks, by picking up rubbish i find in the environment especially ‘nature’ where it looks so WRONG, that everyone else seems to just leave there (tidy kiwis an endangered species?). stop it going through the drains. anyway it is very effective an on a local or metropolitian level can reverse the culture of bad behaviour.

save the albatrosses, think global act local – walk the talk – and all good Karma.

Like or Dislike: 3 0 (+3)

By: Sam Buchanan

Sam Buchanan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:50:45 +0000

“Right at the feet of a lot of environmentalists. Ban fur, ban leather, ban all the natural replenishable products.”

Of course, leather isn’t banned, neither is fur (environmentalists have been at the forefront of the promotion of possum fur), I can’t think of any “natural replenishable products” that are banned and environmentalists campaigned to keep reusable bottles. So what on earth are you on about?

Like or Dislike: 3 0 (+3)

By: bjchip

bjchip — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:07:29 +0000

There is actually a book called

“Diet for a small planet”

which goes into detail about how to balance the amino acids in a vegetarian diet.

Dates back to the 70’s

respectfully
BJ

Like or Dislike: 2 0 (+2)

By: phil u

phil u — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:18:04 +0000

yeah you are..

as i said..i think that is the best resource..

have you tried using the search-engine..?

and hey..!..goodonya..!

but i’m not yr secretary..

eh..?

phil(whoar.co.nz)

Like or Dislike: 0 1 (-1)

By: jc2

jc2 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:45:41 +0000

Hi Phil,

No, if your search result contains the information that I imagine that I need (about which I might be mistaken), then I have not found it. It can best be summarised as:

– assume that I have a rabid prejudice against soy, and will not loose it soon

– the 22 amino acids mentioned at the bottom of here:
http://www.vegetarian.org.nz/content/being-vegetarian/nutrition-essent ials/

– where is the information about which ones I’m most likely to be short of, and what to eat, because it sure isn’t here:
http://www.vegetarian.org.nz/content/being-vegetarian/protein/

If you have a specific answer, please link a specific answer, and not a search result with a few dozen pages under it. Yes, I know I’m demanding

Like or Dislike: 0 1 (-1)

By: fastbike

fastbike — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:10:22 +0000

Stephen D said

Now we have plastic milk bottles when we used to have glass, all the glass needed was to be cleaned then it could be reused straight away. Much more fun to send the plastic back overseas to be processed yet again….
No not us, that would be to environmentally friendly that, best we use plastic so we can really do the damage.

You’re talking about something you have no idea about. Local Greens led a movement to stop the local milk bottling plant closing here in 2005. Graeme Hart, the owner of MF, paid no heed and went on with his plans to gut the local plant and replace it with plastic. And somehow we are responsible ?

Like or Dislike: 4 0 (+4)

By: phil u

phil u — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:45:33 +0000

jc2..this should answer all your questions..

http://whoar.co.nz/?s=vegan

the first three links/articles specifically answer your questions..

and then you can delve deeper..

there are 900+ links in this category..

and i know i compiled it..

but i can’t think of a more comprehensive grab-bag on this subject..

(if anyone knows of one..cd they plse link it here..

and i will do a story on it/promote it..)

and..more power to you..for giving it a go..

eh..?

the benifits will be multi-fold..

that i can promise you..

(the author of the first two links is a kiwi..

..and she is one of the best writers on this subject..

bar none..)

kee-wee..kee-wee..!

phil(whoar.co.nz)

Like or Dislike: 0 3 (-3)

By: jc2

jc2 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:36:35 +0000

Phil,

I looked through your the links you sent, last time I asked about recipes, and discovered paprika but, having tried it, I feel that it isn’t for me. To get from semi-veg to vegan, I would need self-care information, as well as enlightenment. Do you have a link to specific but not-too-technical information that applies in New Zealand to replace the ‘1st-class protein’ story that I’m currently carrying, which causes me to garnish my otherwise-vegan meals with pastrami and cheese?

Like or Dislike: 0 1 (-1)

By: greenfly

greenfly — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:20:00 +0000

StephenD – oddly enough, when I look at the photo of the contents of the albatross chick’s remains, I don’t see a lot of items that could be replaced by leather or fur; bottle-caps made from rabbit fur perhaps? Icecream pottles from ox-hide? Super-market bags constructed from seal-skins?
Have environmentalists banned ” all the natural replenishable products” as you say? Called for a ban on the use of unsustainable natural products perhaps, and rightly so, but sustainably managed natural products? Are you sure you know what you are talking about?

Like or Dislike: 9 1 (+8)

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:15:51 +0000

It may be worse than starvation as plastics are oil-based product that would destroy immune systems in these Birds (or any living thing).
Plastic is active poison when ingested.

Like or Dislike: 2 1 (+1)

By: Stephen D

Stephen D — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:09:59 +0000

And do you know where a large part of the blame for this sort of thing lyes? Right at the feet of a lot of environmentalists. Ban fur, ban leather, ban all the natural replenishable products.
Then the product manufactures chime in and get rid of glass bottles etc, the things that could be reused easily are gone. Now we have plastic milk bottles when we used to have glass, all the glass needed was to be cleaned then it could be reused straight away. Much more fun to send the plastic back overseas to be processed yet again….
No not us, that would be to environmentally friendly that, best we use plastic so we can really do the damage.

Like or Dislike: 4 10 (-6)

By: phil u

phil u — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:25:41 +0000

pass..!

phil(whoar.co.nz)

Like or Dislike: 0 1 (-1)

By: greenfly

greenfly — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:17:46 +0000

Further more … I wonder if there is any Frogblog poster who can guarantee that the tiny piece of plastic in the centre of the pile in what was once the albatross chick’s stomach, isn’t one that passed through their hands three years ago.

Like or Dislike: 6 0 (+6)

By: greenfly

greenfly — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:13:16 +0000

The irony here is that we ourselves have plastic from the environment in our bodies as well, in smaller amounts perhaps and in much smaller ‘chunks’ but it’s there never the less. These ‘floating islands’ gyring in the oceans break down, through the action of uv light into minute particles that are eaten by the smallest of ocean feeders themn make their way on up the food chain to us, keen fish eaters. Full circle and kinda just, in a poetic way.

Like or Dislike: 5 0 (+5)

By: phil u

phil u — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:58:48 +0000

gone vegan yet katie..?

you seem to respond to visual stimulus..

..d’ya need to see some vid of the killing floors to ‘enlighten’ you..?

phil(whoar.co.nz)

Like or Dislike: 5 9 (-4)

By: katie

katie — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:40:15 +0000

Ok, even my dark optimism has failed.

We as a species are so screwed, for doing that to the oceans.

I had heard about the ‘random plastic’ raft circulating in the Pacific, along with the Atlantic one, but those images, and the associated articles, are extremely disturbing and sobering.

The corollory to these images is, of course, that fish stocks are so diminished that the plastic is more plentiful for the parent albatrosses to find.
I have heard that more albatross carcasses are turning up on beaches in NZ through the winter; I had not considered the possibility of plastic-consumption induced starvation.

Like or Dislike: 10 0 (+10)