How can a group of activists dedicated to saving the elephant from extinction compete for attention when Kim and Kanye’s wedding photos are captivating the nation? It's an uphill battle, but it does not stop them from trying. Margaret Mead’s famous assertion ~Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.~ comes to mind for two reasons: how right she was about the first part and sadly, how the second part is simply not true.

Small groups of thoughtful, committed citizens will continue to create positive change in the world, but how did climate change come about? That is the result of an overpopulated planet and many small groups of corporate executives, operating behind closed doors, who are committed to profits over planet. Trending topics on twitter? Often the result of massive amounts of shallow thinking. A recent example: “#YouWereCuteUntil you ate my food.” Posted by Alfie @PointlessBlog. 7K favorites and 4K retweets. You were cute until you ate my food? Never doubt that large groups of people can collectively share a lot of crap on social media. 

The good news is that we can demand that the Obama administration unequivocally ban all ivory commerce in the U.S. That is exactly what our friends at Elephants DC are trying to do. They and their supporters are a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens who are doing everything they can to ensure that kids grow up in a world where elephants roam free. In other words, a world that is still full of magic and beauty. A world that is worth the fight. 

The challenge? The petition stands at just under 11,000 signatures and in order to elicit an official response from the White House, 100,000 are needed by…this Friday, May 30. The petition takes a minute more than the usual petition because you must create an account in order to sign it. Why haven’t more people signed? Is it laziness or dozens of things competing for their attention that are much more immediate? More *important* than elephants disappearing in the next ten years because of human greed and ignorance? Or they just don’t know about it yet, despite valiant attempts by small groups and a few celebrities to spread the word? Yes to all and many more reasons, but maybe we can turn the tide a bit.

Without further ado, click below and sign for elephants and for all that is magical in the world! And never doubt that this small group of thoughtful, committed citizens will continue to fight for true beauty, no matter what happens in the hollow land of the Kardashians. 

Getting straight to the point: Humans are gobbling up the planet. This is nothing new, but with the possibility of human population doubling over the next 80 years, it is easy to visualize a time lapse video of mother earth’s already beleaguered wilderness areas shrinking down to nothing and the oceans becoming increasingly sick and lifeless. There seems to be somewhat of a global awakening to this dismal reality, but is there time and will to turn the tide? Can insatiable corporate greed be curbed?

Thanks to the responsible investing movement, many efforts are underway to move money away from companies that are doing damage, towards ones that provide sustainable and healthy solutions. There is also a growing urban farm movement that encourages local and chemical-free food production. And social media channels have opened up a whole new world of global connections and activism, as exemplified by the recent outcry over the dolphin slaughter in Japan. Without a doubt, there are signs of hope, but our world is divided by the great wealth of a very few people and crushing poverty of very many. The strains on the environment created by greed in the case of the former and necessity in the case of the latter are unprecedented. 

Look at this fascinating creature above. It is a pangolin. Found in tropical regions in Africa and Asia, his tough looking armor is no match for greed and misinformation. There is an ongoing massacre of these guys for scales, skins and meat. A massive demand for pangolin parts, primarily in China, where some mistakenly believe that pangolin parts can cure a wide variety of human ailments, has meant that pangolin numbers are dropping at an alarming rate. One adult pangolin eats more than 70 million insects annually. They are a crucial part of their local ecosystems and their disappearance throws the system out of balance. And beyond this utility, they simply have a right to exist, just like any other animal on this planet.

Humans are changing the climate and what species survive, the chemistry of the oceans, the availability of fresh water and countless other natural phenomenon. If we break the systems of biodiversity, we’re going to lose immeasurably and more importantly, our children and future generations will be left with an uncertain future.

A major shakeup will happen one way or another. Let’s hope we have a bit of time to participate and help create more fair and healthy systems. The species featured on this website are at immediate risk of disappearing entirely and forever from the wild. I am an optimistic pessimist who refuses to ignore what is happening and I know there are many others who feel the same way, but are there enough? We need a critical mass of people who care about the pangolin, for example. And there are so many examples. We need wild momentum. Thank you for reading and please join us!