We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands! - Simple Environmental Solutions #2

We all know that Mother Earth is in peril. With each day that pases, she's tread on more and more...with some of us leaving debris and waste with each step.

It's time to tighten up and do something. There are so many easy-peasy ways to make this land beautified and healthy. Start small...one step at a time. :)

This weekly series will give you tid-bits each week of how you can do your part!

(Thanks to the Practical Environmentalist for supplying some of this info!)

Love and light,
Jess

2. Lower Your Thermostats!

That’s right, thermostats, plural! Most people have their heater, hot water heater, and refrigerator thermostats set at unnecessary temperatures.

Try this out for a few months: Set your heater at 68 degrees F or lower in the winter and 78 degrees F or higher in the summer. Programmable home thermostats are an even better way to heat and cool your home responsibly.

Next, adjust the temperature on your hot water heater to 140-degrees F or lower if possible. Most people keep the temperature on the hot water heater much higher than they really need. Try it out!

And finally, make sure to use the energy-saving settings on your refrigerator. Better yet, try switching to a more modern, energy saving frig. Look for new refrigerators with the Energy Star label.

What’s with all this Energy Star Business? Check out the U.S. government’s Energy Star program homepage to find out more about how you could be saving money on energy costs and help the environment at the same time. It’s win-win, baby!

Help stop the animal abuse at Ringling Bros. Circus

Animals at some circuses unfortunately live miserable lives of deprivation, confinement and abuse. Ringling’s animal-care history is riddled with USDA violations and penalties. (Click here to learn more) Twenty-six Ringling elephants, including four babies, have died since 1992!

After a change of heart, former Ringling trainer Sam Haddock provided never-before-seen heart-breaking photos of baby elephants bound by the legs, neck and body with ropes and chains while being shocked and hit with bull hooks in order to learn unnatural stunts.

Please join the ARFF at their demonstrations in Orlando thsi week:
When:
• Thursday, January 14 at 6:00pm (opening night candlelight vigil; please dress in black!)
• Friday, January 15 at 6:00pm
• Saturday, January 16 at 10:00am, 2:00pm and 6:00pm
• Sunday, January 17 at 11:30 noon and 3:30pm
Where: Amway Arena - 600 West Amelia St., Orlando (view map)
Everyone will meet on the Amelia Street side of the arena, facing West Colonial Drive

Post-Ringling brunch
When: Sunday, January 31 at 10:30am
Where: Ethos Vegan Kitchen, 1235 N Orange Avenue, downtown Orlando
Even if you can't make it out to the protests, ARFF invites you to join them for brunch and find out how you can help at upcoming events. There will be a special protest recap and speaker. Don't miss it! Please RSVP to: ArffCentralFl@arff.org.

Update on Nosey the elephant
Sadly, it appears that "Nosey," the circus' solitary elephant, remains in poor health. (USDA inspectors have repeatedly noted the elephant's "extremely poor skin.")
Please contact the President of the Osceola Flea & Farmers Market and urge him not to host circuses with animals in the future.
Frank Buonauro, Jr., President
Osceola Flea & Farmers Market
2801 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.
Kissimmee, FL 34744
Fax: (407) 846-3392
E-mail: usaflea@aol.com
Online comment form

Thank you for anything you can do to be a part of helping our animals!

Peace, Love and Light!
~Ami

Help animals for free

You can help every day by clicking on the purple button at The Animal Rescue Site. When you click on the purple button, the sponsoring advertisers make a donation to feed and care for animals in shelters.

Looking to buy a something for your pet or possible searching for a great gift for your animal-loving friends? Check out The Animal Rescue Site store for an array of options! Every purchase made at The Animal Rescue Site store helps fund food for animals in shelters at no extra cost to you.

Help our lovely animals today - It’s super easy and FREE!

With warm thoughts,
~Ami

Make a difference - Brushing your teeth

Try to get into the habit of turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime. You can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, which could save about 240 gallons monthly.

The Shift - A movie being made by a movement

Check it out!

Reusable is what they are....

"Next time you go to toss a reusable sandwich bag, think to yourself: Can I rinse out and resuse? They don't call them reusable for nothin', honey"
~Healthy Bitch Daily

Red Fridays - Support our troops

Wear your red on Fridays as a sign of support and love for our troops. Lets no longer be silent and voice our gratitude and warm wishes to all our brave soldiers away from home. They need to know that they are not forgotten …that we have them in our hearts and prayers.

By word of mouth, press, TV – we can all come together in making the United States a sea of red on Fridays …. much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves our troops will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know that we are all on their side more than ever.

So don’t forget to wear your reds this Friday to be a part of showing the solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect -- and continue each and every Friday until our troops all come home!

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is. "We need your support and your prayers." Please help to spread the word….

Order holiday cards + ornaments that help animals

Purchase your holiday cards and ornaments through the Humane Society of the United States to support this amazing organization and help our beautiful animals.

Choose from a beautiful array of holiday cards or fun ornaments!

Spread the word and send this link to your friends and family.

Much Love!
~Ami

Shelter animals make GREAT pets!

Between three and four million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in animal shelters across the nation. If more families looking for a pet chose to adopt their new furry friend from a shelter, we could put an end to this tragedy. The bottom line is shelter animals make great pets! Your local shelter is full of pets looking for love and a second chance for a loving and forever home.

That's why I encourage you to please take a moment to watch this video and pledge to adopt your next companion from a shelter -- you will be saving a life!

You can also search for adoptable pets near you

Person to person advocacy

Put that compassion into action for the animals! By spending just a few hours handing out literature and talking with people one-on-one, you can educate countless people about the exploitation of animals. The Animal Rights Foundation of FL (ARFF) needs your help to leaflet at the following events:

• Maitland Art Festival, October 2-3.
• Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, October 10-11.

If you can help please contact: ArffCentralFl@arff.org

Help needed at ARFF Information tables

Information tables are a great way to educate the public and provide them with literature and information they need to be informed about animal exploitation and abuse.

Animal Rights Foundation of Florida will have a booth at the Central Florida VegFest on Saturday, October 24 in Orlando's Loch Haven Park.

If you would like to sign up for a shift for one of the following events, please contact: ArffCentralFl@arff.org.

McCruelty: I'm Hatin It!

In the U.S., chickens killed by McDonald's suppliers are slaughtered using an outdated method that results in extreme suffering. As the biggest seller of chicken meat in the U.S., McDonald's has the responsibility and the ability to reduce this abuse. They can demand that their U.S. suppliers use a less cruel method of slaughter available to them called controlled-atmosphere killing, or CAK, and it would cost the corporation nothing to demand that its suppliers use it. CAK would eliminate the worst abuses currently suffered by chickens killed for McDonald's.

Please help Animal Rights Foundation of Florida speak for the chickens and educate the public at our McMurder protest.

Date and time: Saturday, October 3 (for World Farm Animals Day), starting at 6:00pm
Location: 2535 Howell Branch Road (SR 436 & Howell Branch Road), Casselberry 32707

If you can make it to the protest please RSVP to ArffCentralFl@arff.org

Ask IHOP To Let Hens Out of Their Cages

When IHOP serves its pancakes and eggs, you can be sure the eggs come from hens crammed into wire cages so small the animals can barely move for their entire lives. The restaurant chain most known for its breakfasts refuses to take make a change and buy their eggs from cage-free farms that don't cruelly confine hens in barren battery cages. Major restaurant chains such as Denny's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc. got on board earlier this year…. Why can’t a restaurant as large as IHOP make the same changes?

IHOP's refusal took on new urgency this week with the release of this undercover video that reveals shocking abuses at IHOP's primary egg supplier. As you can see, the footage reveals filthy conditions, sick and injured hens, and birds forced to live in cages with the decomposing corpses of dead birds.

You can help to move IHOP away from this cruelty. Please urge IHOP to follow its competitors' lead and start switching away from battery cage eggs. Here's how:

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to Argonne, a company that owns hundreds of IHOP restaurants, at 404-364-2984 (if voicemail picks up, press '1' for Argonne President Michael Klump). You can say something like this:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling to ask IHOP to start using eggs that don't come from hens crammed into cages. I just watched the undercover video of your egg supplier, and the images of animal cruelty are appalling. Please start switching to cage-free eggs. Thank you."

After you make your call, please follow up with an email to IHOP headquarters to let them know that customers care about animal welfare.

Help our wounded soldiers

Give back to those who've given to America by making a donation to the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation. This is a Military Heroes Fund that helps provide emergency financial support for our wounded soldiers and their families. This fund also helps pay for daycare expenses at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for children of the wounded.

Read more about the Foundation's accomplishments.

The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Pentagon Federal Credit Union pays all administrative expenses. Every penny you give goes to programs.

Much Love,
Ami

Help animals through your wedding registry :)

To all couples who are animal lovers...

Guess what? By creating a wedding registry at WeddingChannel.com, your guests can purchase gifts for you and a portion of the sales price will be donated to benefiting The Humane Society of the United States. Isn't that wonderful?!

Be a part of this awesome opportunity to help animals and visit WeddingChannel.com to create your wedding registry today.

Many blessings,
Ami

Recycle your Electronics

We wanted to share with you a great opportunity to help the planet as well as animals!

Have you ever wondered what to do with all your old electronics? Now you can recycle your old cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, and many other electronics through a company called My Bone Yard. It's simple, safe, and My Bone Yard will even pay for shipping.

How does this help our animals? ..... By recycling through this company, the value of your items will be donated to The Humane Society. Get started now and visit My Bone Yard for more information.

Peace and blessings!
Lovebug

End Dogfighting Program

The End Dogfighting program through The Humane Society of the United States focuses on young men on the streets who have been involved in fighting dogs. This program gives these dogs the opportunity for a new and better life that is free from animal cruelty. They offer free pitbull training classes to these young men who can not control their lunging, snarling animals. They have the opportunity to gain pride their dog's performance and experience positive competition, which makes dogfighting much less tempting. The men begin to see their dogs as friends, not fighters -- and with these new feelings and beliefs, they realize it is no longer the way they want to treat their pets. Some men even become community representatives and help pull others out of the quicksand that is urban dogfighting.

Over the last year alone, the End Dogfighting programs have reached hundreds of at-risk youth and dogs with constructive alternatives and a message of compassion. So many cities across America are desperate for The HSUS's innovative community-based outreach programs.

This program is about change -- the kind of change that inspires. Both people and pups can make astonishing progress through The HSUS' End Dogfighting program. But they can’t continue to make a difference without our help.

If you would like to contribute to this wonderful program, Click Here to make a special gift today . This is an opportunity to reduce dogfighting on the streets and protect dogs from this horrible lifestyle and brutality.

Big Hearts for Small Bottoms - Diaper Drive

Times are tough and money is short.
Please help Orlando families cover tiny bottoms!!!!

Diapers of all sizes (sizes 2 and up are needed the most!) are
urgently needed to help struggling Orlando families who are
unable to meet this expense. Your generous donations can
be dropped off Monday through Friday, between the hours
of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm at the offices of:

A Chosen Child, Inc.,
Suite 200, 1516 East Colonial Drive,
Orlando, Florida, 32803
(407) 894-1599

Feed Hope Now - Portraits of Hunger Showcase

Portraits of Hunger Showcase: Enzian's Eden Bar
Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

Join us in viewing photo submissions from this year's Portraits of Hunger Photography Contest. Winner will be announced at this event. Bring a food donation (non-perishable) and receive one ticket for a Free bottle of Peroni.

Photographs will be voted online by the public. Voting will start on Tuesday, September 1, 2009. Chosen photos will be displayed at the event and some will be picked to be made into larger than life size banners to be hung at the food bank’s warehouses. Winning photo will be put in our Gatherer Newsletter - 10,000 distributed.

If you would like to participate in the contest go to www.FeedHopeNow.org. Deadline to submit photos: Monday, August 24, 2009

Healthy school lunch options for our children

Congress will shortly be considering revising what children are fed in schools, as part of the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization. As this occurs, the meat, dairy, and junk-food lobbies push hard to keep their products front and center in schools. As it stands, children are eating more of these unhealthy products than ever before, and childhood obesity is at its worst levels ever.

ARFF (Animal Rights Foundation of FL) are now pushing Congress to mandate vegetarian (vegan) options in schools. Currently, most schools do not offer anything along these lines.

Add your name on a petition to Congress

Remember to also spread the word to others so that they also have the opportunity to be a part of this important change for our children. The more names on the petition, the batter chance we have to win this battle.