All Life Has Consciousness | Carl Safina | Are Humans Capable of Letting Other Life Continue?

There is Love on Earth Besides Humans

Carl Safina, PhD in ecology, conservationist and writer

I am very grateful to have discovered Carl Safina’s work and this TED talk just a day previous to posting this. Tears ran down my cheeks as I watched and listened to this scientist’s portrayal of animals, and of humans. Tears continued to stream from my eyes after I listened to his last words. I am so disappointed and basically frustrated with what humans deem as important.

I was about to write a blog about Borders? Why are Human Beings ‘Not Allowed’ to Walk Around on the Earth? However, to me, putting this concept out there of recognizing the importance of all other life forms besides humans, is far more important than the absurd political scenarios that humans impose on one another. What we are doing to the natural world and to other life forms, with our over-population, degradation of the environment, human-induced global warming and inciting a mass extinction, to me, far outweighs any of the absurd things that humans are doing to each other. Carl Safina does not by any means bypass this subject in his talk. He says, what humans do to other empathetic creatures is also what they do to one another.

Animals Carl Safina Empathy Sympathy Compassion

I felt an urgent need to immediately post this to both blogs. I feel very sorry for those humans who do not feel compassion and awe with nature and all of life. I thank my parents that nature and an appreciation for all life forms was revered. I grew up with National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines in the home, and was curated to think way beyond my immediate vicinity.

I recently lauded friends who regularly inform and urge people to think about the protection of animals and wilderness. I mention this in association with a concept that is part of a new mode of thinking, systems thinking, seeing all life forms as interrelated. Human beings should prioritize protecting all other life forms, rather than destroying them and wiping out their habitats without any consideration whatsoever. The various bloody traditions of various cultures that consider it ‘sport’ to kill wolves, whales, bulls is disgraceful. The massive consumption of cows, pigs, chickens and use of land to feed these animals needs to be stopped. Wiping out wild horses and donkeys and other creatures because some believe that by eating particular speciality foods that they somehow will maintain their health or erections, also are dramatically mis-informed. Creatures penned in horrible conditions, blood baths and slaughters because of tradition, must all be reconsidered. People need to be educated. It begins with all of us communicating to one another.

The concept of actually recognizing that we share the same genetics and similar brains and spinal cords with other creatures perhaps will bring about a different sense of empathy.

It is the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh who introduces the concept of inter-being; all life is intricately related.

With a PhD in ecology, conservationist and writer Carl Safina has written several books and papers and has studied various species in their habitat. He was invited by Greenpeace to witness the changing climate in the Arctic and the impacts of industrial fishing on the marine environment.

Human brain exact replica of Chimpanzee brain, merely larger

Dolphin brain larger than human brain, with more convolutions

In his TED talk Safina asks:

“What’s going on inside the brains of animals? Can we know what, or if, they’re thinking and feeling? Carl Safina thinks we can. Using discoveries and anecdotes that span ecology, biology and behavioral science, he weaves together stories of whales, wolves, elephants and albatrosses to argue that just as we think, feel, use tools and express emotions, so too do the other creatures – and minds – that share the Earth with us.”

Animals Carl Safina Albatross nest on most remote islands Full of Plastic

6 month fledgling Albatross Death packed with cigarette lighters

Of the 22 species of albatross recognized by the IUCN, all are listed as at some level of concern; 3 species are Critically Endangered, 5 species are Endangered, 7 species are Near Threatened, and 7 species are Vulnerable.

Welcome Human Life with pics of Animals – Shared Lifes in the World

Since humans tend to adorn the rooms of their new born babies with images of the other creatures with which we share our planet, in which every animal of Noah’s Ark is now in mortal danger, instead of asking the question Do animals love us?, We need to ask, Are human beings capable of letting other life continue?

Carl Safina states, “From all I’ve seen, my main conclusion is that at this point in history, nature and human dignity require each other. Where wild places are destroyed, wild animals lost, and the world degraded and polluted, not only is that itself a great loss for the world, but for people in degraded places it becomes almost impossible to maintain a dignified existence.”

This article in the USA Today describes that global warming continues, with each year breaking record temperatures of the previous.”NOAA’s analysis does not include data from the Arctic, while NASA’s does, NOAA climate scientist Deke Arndt said. The Arctic has been warming faster than any part of the world.”

“This announcement should shock no one,” said Lou Leonard of the World Wildlife Fund. “The key question is what we do about it. With the costs of inaction piling up, Washington, D.C., is largely looking the other way. So it is up to a new class of leaders from American businesses, universities, cities and states to pick up the slack.”

Elephants as in every other species, become who they are

Carol Keiter aka nomadbeatz welcomes donations for her writing, photography, illustrations, eBook & music composition

Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma the Elephant Doctor | Wildlife Researcher and Veterinarian

On March 2nd, a world-renowned wildlife researcher and veterinarian, Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, gave a speech about his work at the Santa Fe public library, hosted by the local chapter of the Outreach of the Defenders of Wildlife. He is working presently in the department of Surgery and Radiology at the Veterinary College in Guwahati, in Assam India.

Assam is a state in northeastern India known for its wildlife, archeological sites and tea plantations.

He was flown to the United States to give this presentation, sponsored by local patrons. Dr. Sarma conducted a warm and informative speech. He has worked for over 30 years as a veterinarian in the wild.

Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma The Elephant Doctor of Assam

At that time, the audience, which was full capacity, were urged by the hosts, the Santa Fe chapter of the Defenders of Wildlife, to contact our New Mexico State senators within the following days regarding (SB 81) the Game Commission Reform Bill, about to arrive for a vote to protect wildlife.

Michael Dax, a New Mexico Outreach Representative of the Defenders of Wildlife organized the event. Another organizer of Dr. Sarma’s visit was Janie Chodosh, who earned her master’s degree in environmental science a the University of Montana, and has worked as a naturalist at Yosemite National Park as a wilderness guide for the Colorado Outward Bound School. As a conservationist and writer, Ms. Chodosh conducted an in depth interview of over 47 hours in Assam, India of Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, regarding his tremendous work as a veterinarian and wildlife researcher who has worked with elephants in the wild for decades.

The state of Assam, India has the largest population of Elephants. Dr. K. K. Sarma began his talk saying that he’s a servant of animals. He talked of how charismatic elephants are. Regarding the fact that rogue male elephant ‘Bulls’ have a tendency to become quite boisterous and roudy, and can endanger people’s lives or property when they are in this high testosterone animated state. Basically these rogue bulls play an evolutionary role in that the healthiest and hardiest young bull will overtake the older male, and produce a herum of its own due to its success in competing with the older males.

Stories in the Field Janie Chodosh interviews the Elephant Doctor Dr. K K Sarma

Dr. Sarma has devised a method of subduing rogue bulls by physically entering the elephant’s space to give them a sedative, risking injury or death to himself, in order to circumvent the potential death of the elephant by people who fear having their property or themselves injured during this short period of the elephant’s roudyness. Dr. Sarma has subdued 138 rogue bulls in 37 range countries over the last decades. He created an Elephant Emergency Response team.

Dr. Sarma states that Asian elephants are seriously endangered. I assumed that this was due to poaching and the black market for ivory. In fact, Asian elephants do not have tusks. Dr. Sarma stated that the greatest threat to Asian elephants is human over-population. Humans have allowed themselves to breed ferociously. The population is growing exponentially. He mentioned that Bangladesh is a breeding ground of humanity.

Bangladeshi population (currently 161 million) doubles every 30-40 years

population explosion in Bangladesh

Basically, overpopulation encroaches on wildlife habitat, and leads to habitat loss. Subsequently, the territory of elephants is shrinking and the connectivity of their migratory corridors are not just being severed, they are gone.

I later discerned that Muslims do not support the education or implementation of birth control, because it is contrary to their religion. A traveler reminded me that the meaning of the word Muslim according to the Koran, is ‘to serve’. And to serve one’s god/Allah, is to multiply.

Elephants need a large area to roam through. They are highly social, and matriarchal. Dr. Sarma mentions that Assam, India is a biodiversity hotspot. It is a state located in the eastern most part of India near the borders/bordering of Myamar/Burma and Thailand. Kaziranga National Park has the highest Rhino population. As he works with many species, he pointed out that Gorillas live only in the trees, so that when forests are cut down, they have no where to go. He mentioned that in 200 sq.km. of forest, there is not a single tree. And that the lumber industry creates soil erosion, so that there have been devastating floods. Therefore one finds elephants of all places, in British Tea gardens, one of the only green places to find refuge. Dr. Sarma mentioned in addition, that Tiger and Rhino poaching is prevalent in China and Vietnam.

Assam’s tea gardens become second home to wild animals

He mentioned that various religions of India recognize elephants as special creatures. In general, Buddhists respect life and wish no harm to wildlife. Hindus have a popular god, Ganesha – with an elephant’s head and trunk. Naturally, they wish to honor and protect elephants. The dissemination of elephant territory began when India was annexed by Great Britain. The British colonialists, began the path of destruction of land with their industrial demands of the resources India provided of timber, coal and petroleum. They began to also use elephants physical to transport timber and other resources they were extracting from their new playground India. In 1947 India became independent.

Reasons to support elephant conservation

In efforts to educate us, the public, about the practical reasons for humans to support elephant conservation, is mentions that elephants are a ‘Flagship species’.

“Wherever elephants are present, forests survive.”

In the network of interdependent species in an ecosystem, elephants demonstrate that the forest is healthy. They create a canopy for other animals to coexist.

Elephants are good teachers. One can learn from them by observing the many resources elephants utilize with their extensive knowledge of plants, on how to heal themselves, prevent illness and use various remedies and techniques with plants and nature as tools. For example, practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine in India follow and observe elephants to adapt their own medicinal practices. They observe what species of plants elephants gravitate to, to use for their own purposes of preventive medicine. For example, elephants eat bark from a certain tree to deworm themselves. Elephants never get cancer. They eat a plant that Azim B53.

Tea estates in Assam create natural corridors for elephants to pass through

painted elephants Lunar Elephants Laden

> Elephants are very intelligent. Elephants dispense seeds. They can hear from long distances, but are poor sportsmen. He mentioned.

How to protect elephants

• Mahatma Ghandhi during his rule, designated October 2nd as “Elephant Day”
• elephant awareness
• Lunar Elephants Laden
• elephant healthcare
• preservation of habitat
• reconnect elephant corridors > relocate people and buildings from elephant corridors
• fencing:
§ bio-fencing
§ solar electric fences
§ citrus fences have thorns which thwart the animals from crossing them
• mixing and burning chili powder from Assam with cow dung repels elephants
• night guard lights : for $2.50, these lights emulate the eyes of a tiger, to discourage elephants from moving towards them (sort of like the scarecrow tactic)
• fencing villages instead of fencing elephants
• develop water areas with vegetation to attract elephants
• one tea garden created a “Community Elephant Refuge”
• using people and specialists to define elephant corridors and to place people to MOUNT/DIRECT/PROTECT/DIVERT elephant herds
• eco-development committee
• ecotourism
• governors 80 mitigation

He concluded his speech reminding the audience that we must leave pure air, soil and water for the next generation. It is our duty not to exploit and ruin the earth. I was very inspired and appreciative that I had the opportunity to listen to and meet this man.

The royalty of India—Hindu and Muslim—understood long ago that power was best wielded from the back of an elephant. National Geographic Magazine

Carol Keiter the blogger