Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnomelets Have Taken Over

2011-11-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome apologizes for her long absence in her garden.

Young gnomelets have taken over the mother gnome's life.

They take up almost all of Mama gnome's waking and sleeping hour.

Mama gnome would like to share this wonderful video.

Please watch this magical show of starlings in flight.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

The year is coming to an end.

Mama gnome hopes to tend to her garden a lot more often next year.

In the meantime, please tend to our garden planet Earth and go green.

(c)Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome vs. Plastic Bag Monster 2011

2011-11-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

The ancient clock chimed and Mama gnome sat bolt upright in bed.

Her pointy hat fell off and landed in a bucket on the floor.

Mama gnome reached down to pick up her hat ignoring the pains in her joints.

She solemnly placed her pointy hat on her bedhead hair and thought,

"There will be a time for aches and pains later. Today, something else will get its come uppance."

For that fateful morning was not any other ordinary morning.

It was the dawn of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster, Battle 2011!

Every year in the month of September, the gnome family participates in the momentous Coastal Cleanup Day.

Mama gnome has battled against her nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster for years. And this time Mama gnome's army included not only young gnomelets (Mama gnome's secret weapons), Daddy gnome .... but also Auntie gnome!!!

At the behest of Mama gnome, Auntie gnome finally came out of her own burrow and joined in the battle against Plastic Bag Monster.

Mama gnome was delighted to find there were a few other humans participating on that brisk September morning.

In less than two hours, the gnome family had picked up over 200 cigarette butts in less than a mile of beach sand.

Over two hundred cigarettes picked up in less than two hours. It is mind boggling.

According to Ocean Conservancy, cigarettes/cigarette filters was the number one trash item picked up in 25 years of Coastal Cleanup Day.

Almost 53 million cigarettes/cigarette filters were picked up in 25 years.

Can you imagine?

53 million cigarettes dropped in the very sand where humans, gnomes, human babies, children played and walked.

And this is not even counting the countless cigarettes that have been washed into oceans, ingested by marine animals and birds.

Look at this photograph and see how toxic cigarettes can be mistaken for food by marine animals and seabirds.

Plastic minions (small pieces of plastic) are also killing the animals. See how plastic can look like dried up seaweed.

You can see the rest of the top ten items of trash picked up over 25 years of Ocean Conservancy's International Cleanup Day here.

Here are photos of some of the trash picked up by young gnomelets and the gnome family.

Mama gnome's spirit was lifted when she saw youngest gnomelet sitting and staring at the ocean.

Mama gnome will continue her fight against Plastic Bag Monster for the sake of young gnomelets and humans.

Please sit and stare at the ocean and imagine it free of plastic...and go green.

All photos copyright owned by Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

(c)Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Computer Plays Mind Games

2011-10-14T03:02:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome apologizes for her long absence in her garden.

She has battled against Plastic Bag Monster and prevailed.

She was in the midst of writing a most splendid account of this momentous event when an unforeseen force reared its ugly head.

Computer...

Mama gnome is computer savant. She has spoken of her woes from computer mind games.

Alas, computer plays mind games on Mama gnome's head once more and Mama gnome's secret weapon (Daddy gnome who is most computer savvy) is away visiting his mother.

What is Mama gnome to do?

Computer won't let Mama gnome post pictures of her battle against Plastic Bag Monster last month.

Computer defeats Mama gnome's every desperate technique...clear cache, clear cookies.

Mama gnome even cleared the pantry and ate the cookies.

But why doesn't it work? Why? Why? WHHHHHYYYYY?

Please, bear with Mama gnome while Mama gnome tries to unravel the mystery of Computer mind games.

Meanwhile, please play a game Mama gnome most love and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome's Date for Coastal Cleanup Day 2011

2011-09-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome tucked in the stray and somewhat grayish looking hair under her pointy hat.

She pinched her cheeks to give them color and batted her eyelashes.

Mama gnome would like to er...ask you...yes YOU...for a...date. Yes, a date!

She'd already picked out the place. She's already picked out the time. Yes!

A feisty old mother gnome knows her mind.

All you have to do is show up and BYOB.

No...no...no...not B of the alcoholic persuasion but B as in bucket.

Bring your own bucket because for this special date, you and Mama gnome will be picking up not seashells or driftwood but little minions of Mama gnome's nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster.

Please, do not leave the old mother gnome dateless on such a special day.

September 17, 2011 is the International Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year."

International Coastal Cleanup Day started 25 years ago.

A Marine Debris Report was just published studying 25 years of debris collected.

According to the report, the number one culprit collected in 25 years is smoking related debris with almost 53 million collected!

These include filters, cigarette tips and wrappers.

You are probably wondering why plastic is still Mama gnome's nemesis?

True there are tons of cigarettes on our beaches and oceans.

But the numbers are misleading because the report has divided plastic minions into different categories.

But if you total them all up,

Plastic Bag Monster still stands out with its total coming to over 96 million!

These include plastic bags, plastic caps, lids, six pack rings, food containers, cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, pulltabs, straws, stirrers!

video by: oceanconservancy

Please help stop Plastic Bag Monster from continuing to spawn.

Please be Mama gnome's date this Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Take a long walk on the beach with her, bring your own reusable gloves and buckets, and help clean up a patch of sandy beach, river, waterway, lake, pond, and even the sandy desert.

Please read up about this very romantic day which makes Mama gnome all hot and bothered at any of these sites:
Ocean Conservancy, Heal the Bay, lessismore.org, California Coastal Commission.

This is an international event and you can sign up anywhere in the world.

If there is no event conveniently close to you, you can start your own hot date with the bucket and register it online.

Please be Mama gnome's and the oceans' lifelong date. Make the commitment and go green.

(c) 2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2011

2011-08-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy

If you have visited Mama gnome's garden before, you might have read about the old mother gnome's nemesis.

Yes...even the name itself fills Mama gnome's heart with dread and a good case of the heebie jeebies.

Mama gnome's nemesis is none other than...Plastic Bag Monster.

Here is one frightful portrait picture of a small fraction of its countless minions:
photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy

Mama gnome has fought against the Plastic Bag Monster several times...on the beach(Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster) and in the desert during the famous battle of Operation Desert Cleanup.

But alas...time and time again, Plastic Bag Monster regenerates and grows and meets with its allies: plastic bags, plastic cups, styrofoam cups, styrofoam plates, plastic forks, plastic spoons, plastic straws...and don't forget those soda lids, and fill in the blank plastic_______.

Together they multiply and multiply...disintegrating into tiny pieces... and swimming in their own pools of giant garbage patches...their own evil lairs.

One of the more famous ones is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"In 2009, 60 percent of the debris collected and cataloged consisted of single-use, disposable items. Volunteers picked up 1.1 million plastic bags. And enough cups, plates, knives, forks, and spoons for a picnic for 100,000 people."

It's not a picnic for our oceans to be choked up by our throw away plastic bags, spoons, forks, knives.

People have become so reliant on disposable, one time use plastic utensils, plastic bags, styrofoam take out containers...Mama gnome wonders how did humans ever survive without them. But the important question is: How can we survive with them?

Please save the date, September 17, 2011, Saturday, for the annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Please visit these websites to read up about Plastic Bag Monster's heinous crimes and what gnomes and humans can do to fight back.

Ocean Conservancy

Heal the Bay

California Coastal Commission

Ocean Conservancy is an international organization that had 152 countries participating in last year's coastal cleanup day. So you can participate wherever you are.

You can even start your own cleanup project and register it on their website.

Please watch this video by Ocean Conservancy:

video by: oceanconservancy

Besides participating in the cleanup, let us defeat the Plastic Bag Monster by several easy strategies:

Bring reusable bags to stores. If you forget your reusable bag, if you can, just handcarry your merchandise and make sure you have your receipt ready.
Say no to disposable, one time use plastic frou frou: plastic utensils. Treat yourself and your family and use the real thing. How awesome is that?
Say no to takeout boxes for leftovers at restaurants and bring your own. Impress your server by your ingenuity and scare the heck out of styrofoam little monster containers.
Instead of using those tiny throwaway zipthingey bags, use reusable little containers.
Instead of purchasing a small minion, i.e. a case of plastic water bottles, use that money to purchase reusable Bph free water bottles.
Invest a few minutes to think about what you will need before you go out for a picnic or go to the store or to the restaurant, and see what reusable items you can bring (reusable bags, your own water bottles, your own reusable containers for leftovers, etc.), so you can avoid using throw away plastic frou frou. Just a few minutes of planning, will save our oceans and planet years of plastic minion trash.

Please become an ecowarrior. Help fight the Plastic Bag Monster.

Please be a supporter for planet earth and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnome Garden Summer 2011

2011-06-25T23:58:00.001-07:00

Mama gnome is cursed with a green-challenged thumb. She cannot grow plants.

But fate smiles thus on the mother gnome for daddy gnome's and gnomelets' thumbs are verdant green.

Mama gnome presents with pride, the gnome family's garden.

Mama gnome hopes your garden in life thrives and go green.

(c) all pictures and text by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome

Gnomes and Humans Plant Trees for Earth Day 2011

2011-05-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

The gnome car faithfully hugged the road on the side of the mountain.

Daddy gnome asked, "Are we going the right way?"

Mama gnome said, "Hmmmm..." She stared out at the window, mesmerized by the rolling dips and gorges.

Daddy gnome said, "Ehemm... Mama gnome? Are we going the right way?"

"What? Oh...let me see..."Mama gnome's stubby finger followed the wriggly lines. "Looks like it." Mama gnome sat up straight. She felt quite at ease with the map.

The wrinkly paper was an old friend.

The computer on the other hand...always played mind games on the old gnome. She didn't trust that whiny gps voice either.

Give me a map any day, Mama gnome always thought.

It was important the gnome family didn't get lost on this special day, Earth Day 2011.

They had a special date with humans, tree loving humans, as it were.

"Trees!" Gnomelets who were quietly sitting in the back of the gnome car burst into sudden movements of waving and pointing at these:

Elder gnomelet said, "They look strange, Mama. They're black and they don't have leaves."

Younger gnomelet said, "No leaves."

Mama gnome said, "I'm afraid so, little ones. There was a fire here last year. That's why we're here. Somebody's got to do something about it."

Soon, this came into view:

By the by, the gnome family, made it to the campsite.

Mama gnome kept her fingers crossed. Time and time again, she'd been disappointed by the smallish number of humans she'd seen at events like: Coastal Cleanup Day and 350.org's International Day of Climate Action.

The gnome family were greeted by this wondrous being.

Of course Mama gnome and young gnomelets proceeded to hug it tremendously.

Mama gnome's trepidation disappeared.

There were more humans here than Mama gnome had seen at previous ecoevents.

She beamed at the tall human lady with the sign up sheet.

The gnome family were given strict instructions to wear a hard hat at all times even during breaks.

Daddy gnome deftly adjusted the hard hats for the young ones and soon the gnome's pointy hats were squashed underneath the yellow roundish hats.

Mama gnome kept a firm grip on younger gnomelet's hand and Daddy gnome took older gnomelet's hand.

The trek was quite daunting...slippery slopes covered with ash, rocky dips, and over streams.

Mama gnome's small heart pounded, fearful for the quite short young gnomelets' legs.

But they did her proud. The young gnomelets marched on without a single complaint.

At times, the gnome family over took humans who had to stop and rest.

Along the way they saw:

Charred remains of a burnt tree...

A bleak mountaintop that looks like a desert...

Sad muses of trees...

More burnt trees on a rocky slope...

Mama gnome didn't know what they were before but now they looked like giant burnt pineapples.

After over an hour of hiking on rough terrain, a tree loving human gave instructions on how to plant the saplings to give the young trees the best chances of survival.

The kindly human instructor said, the trees had a survival rate of 75%.

The humans and the gnome family went to work.

Here was Mama gnome's secret weapon...

Older gnomelet aka super ecowarrior.

She scoffs at the face of ecoenemies...and deals them a terrible blow with her tiny hands.

After what seemed like hours of work,the gnomes were tired and thirsty.

Other humans had left already. But the gnomes stayed and carried out what they set out to do. They finished planting the young trees on the bleak mountain.

Afterward they faced an even more daunting task, the hike back.

The gnome family climbed up steep inclines, held on to rocky crevices, and found footing on ash covered ground.

With faces covered with soot and ash, and bones and muscles weary, the gnomes encountered a gentle creature who bade them go on.

Finally, they spotted the campsite.

When the gnome family reached the campsite, the Forest Ranger and the leader of tree humans applauded the young gnomelets. The youngest participants for the tree planting event made the biggest impression.

Elder gnomelet said, "Mama, my cheeks are red."

Mama gnome said, "You did good, my love. You did good."

It was close to three in the afternoon and the gnomes were famished having missed lunch.

The young gnomelets cheered when they discovered...a giant cookie in their lunch boxes.

Mama gnome was very impressed with the lunch box made from recycled paper.

NO PLASTIC OR STYROFOAM in sight. And she was grateful for the vegetarian sandwich.

After their meal, the young gnomelets made wishes at the stream, throwing pine cones into the water.

Mama gnome made her own wish...a not so secret wish for more trees.

Mama gnome wishes all humans would help make Earth Day everyday, make her wish come true and go green...

(c) all photos and text by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Trees for Earth Day 2011

2011-04-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

This Saturday, April 23, the gnome family will travel to a forest that was ravaged by fire last year.

The gnome family will meet up with humans to help plant trees in honor of Earth Day 2011.

Please celebrate Earth Day 2011 by doing one single act of green.

Together, humans and gnomes can contribute to a billion acts of green for planet earth.

video from: thechriscarsonshow

Please visit Earth Day Network's A Billion Acts of Green

Make each day earth day and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Elephant Killed by CEO

2011-04-08T01:30:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome has spoken about the elephants' plight numerous times.

They are threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting and trade.

Despite the ban on ivory trade, poachers continue to slaughter elephants at terrible rate.

According to this post, Robbie Marsland, director of IFAW UK (International Fund for Animal Welfare), has stated:

"This alarming level of illegal hunting could drive the African elephant to extinction across much of Africa in just 15 years."

So it is quite deplorable to read about GoDAddy CEO Rob Parsons going on an elephant hunt and he proudly showed it off on video.

Mama gnome didn't want to watch the video.

Mama gnome was even more rankled to read that this CEO goes on an elephant killing spree every year!

Mama gnome urges you to close your account with this CEO's company and transfer to another company.

Maybe consider its rival company, which has raised over $20,000 for Save the Elephants.

Please visit Save the Elephants and read statements by Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of Zimbabwe's Conservation Task Force to AOL News.

Here is a photo of an elephant in Namibia.

It is a fortunate animal because it was not the one shot by Bob Parsons.

photo by: Ikiwaner

Please boycott Bob Parsons and his company.

Please help save the elephants and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Bird's eye view of Decorah Eagles

2011-04-07T02:47:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome and young gnomelets waited with bated breath and finally the third egg hatched on April 6, 2011.

We've watched the proud parent bald eagles feed, nurture, and care for their precious babies.

But please see for yourselves. Here is the live video feed of the beautiful eagle family in Iowa:

Live TV by Ustream

Mystery Animal of the Day

2011-03-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, older gnomelet asked, "Mama, can you do a new Mystery animal?"

So on special request by older gnomelet, Mama gnome presents,

"Mystery Animal of the Day."

This animal is a true vegetarian, a creature after Mama gnome's own heart.

It noshes on seagrass all day.

It is shy and unassuming and part of its mystique has led to myths of mermaids and sirens of the deep.

Yes, it has the tail befitting a mermaid and a face befitting a gentle elephant with a short trunk for its closest land relative is the elephant.

If you've guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the manatee, please don't forget to

celebrate Earth Day this April 22, 2011 and participate in A Billion Acts of Green.

West Indian Manatee

photo by: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey

Manatees are sirenians or sea cows. Dugongs are also sirenians.

Manatees can grow up to 3 meters or 13 feet in length. They can weigh up to 600 kilograms or 1300 pounds. They use their large upper lip to eat and gather food. Their tail is paddle shaped.

There are three species of manatees: the Amazonian manatee, West African manatee, and West Indian manatee.

All three species are listed vulnerable by IUCN with threats "due primarily to ongoing levels of hunting, sometimes involving new and sophisticated techniques, coupled with increasing incidental calf mortality, climate change and habitat loss and degradation."

The main threat to the Amazonian manatee is illegal hunting. Poachers use nets and harpoons to kill these gentle seacows. The Amazonian manatees are also threatened by
deforestation and contamination of their habitat by mercury, oil, pesticides, and gold mining. Hydroelectric dams are also a significant threat and Brazil for one has planned 400 dams.

The subspecies of the West Indian manatees: the Florida manatees and Antillean manatees are listed as Endangered by IUCN.

Mama gnome doesn't understand why they wouldn't just list the West Indian manatees as endangered when the two subspecies are endangered with less than 2,500 mature individuals and the trend for the population is 20% decline over the next 40 years.

Let's just say it, these animals ARE ENDANGERED.

They are endangered because of watercraft collisions.

"Watercraft collisions are the single greatest cause of human-related mortality."

"In 2005, there were over one million registered vessels in Florida."

If the injured manatees are not killed they are severely mutilated and have a poor chance of survival.

The West Indian manatees are also threatened by loss of habitat,"entanglement (in fishing gear or debris), entrapment in water-control structures and pipes, exposure to contaminants, incidental ingestion of debris, and crushing (in flood-control structures, in canal locks, or between large ships and docks."

In addition to man-made threats, West Indian manatees also face natural threats including red tide, hurricanes, and prolonged periods of cold weather.

West African manatees are found along the warm coastal waters of Africa, and in major rivers and lakes of West and Central Africa.

Poaching is the primary threat to West African manatees. Even though they are "protected", "Manatee meat is openly sold in local markets."

According to IUCN other threats include habitat loss because of "damming of rivers, cutting of mangroves for firewood and destruction of wetlands for agricultural development."
Manatees have been caught up in the turbines with reports of as many as six manatee killed at one time below Kainjii dam, Nigeria.

video by: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would like to eat sea grass with a vengeance, flip her large paddle shaped tail and swim after terrible humans who drive their huge speedy boats without remorse killing and maiming gentle sirenians of the deep.

Please be part of the sea cow army and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Earth Hour 2011

2011-03-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome and the gnome family will be celebrating Earth Hour 2011 with the rest of the world.

It's this Saturday, March 26 at 8:30 pm.

Please turn off the lights and all non-essential appliances to conserve energy for at least one hour.

video from wwfus

Please visit WWF and Earth Hour to see how you can go beyond the hour.

Please celebrate Earth Hour everyday and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Help Japan

2011-03-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

photo of Japan's before and after the Tsunami March 12, 2011 by NASA

Mama gnome and the gnome family are thinking of the humans and animals in Japan.

Last week on Friday, March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and 33 feet tall tsunami waves struck the Tohuku region in Japan.

According to this post:
"The unfolding disaster has left more than 6,900 dead – exceeding the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan, that killed more than 6,400. Most officials, however, put estimates of the dead from last week's disasters at more than 10,000."

In addition to the natural disasters, the Japanese people are experiencing a nuclear disaster.

"According to the industry ministry, a total of 11 nuclear reactors automatically shut down at the Onagawa plant, the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants and the Tokai No. 2 plant after the strongest recorded earthquake in the country's history."

A week after the earthquake, Japan's nuclear safety agency raised the rating for the nuclear accident to Level 5.

"The International Nuclear Event Scale defines a Level 4 incident as having local consequences and a Level 5 as having wider consequences. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster was rated as 7."

We can send help to the Japanese humans and animals through:

Save the Children

UNICEF

Red Cross

Doctors Without Borders

Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK)

World Vets

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

photo by United States Navy from wikipedia.org

Please send help now. Please send help to planet earth and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Earth Hour 2011

2011-03-10T02:55:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome is feeling earthy and would like to ask over 6 billion humans for a date.

Can you be ready by 8:30 pm, on Saturday, March 26, 2011?

Be ready to turn off all the lights...and go on a date with the world for

Earth Hour 2011.

Mama gnome and young gnomelets visited earthhour.org and created virtual lanterns

Please visit Earth Hour and read about all the wonderful ways we can extend this earthy cause past the hour.

video from earthhour

Please join Mama gnome and celebrate Earth Hour every day and go green.

(c)Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Happy Polar Bear Day!

2011-02-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome got a surprise greeting today from one of her favorite humans, Carrie.

So Mama gnome wishes the same to you.

"Happy Polar Bear Day!"

Please visit Polar Bears International to see how we can commemorate this special day the polar bear way.

photo by: Alan Wilson from naturepicsonline.com

Polar bears are threatened by habitat loss, pollution, hunters, and global warming.

Please watch this video by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

video by NRDCflix

Please help save the polar bears and go green.
(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnomemart Versus Plastic Bag Monster

2011-02-22T22:21:00.001-08:00

Mama gnome will not forget the first time she brought reusable bags to gnomemart.

The gum-chewing cashier raised an eyebrow and gave Mama gnome a suspicious look.

She double checked Mama gnome's license.

That truly is Mama gnome's height...and weight.

But soon, Mama gnome will have the last laugh because gnomemart has joined the fight against the bane of her existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

photo from: plasticdebris.org

A couple of weeks ago, Mama gnome went to gnomemart and after she placed her reusable bags on the conveyor belt for the groceries, the cashier smiled at Mama gnome and said, "Ahhh...Smart gnome."

Mama gnome looked around and saw she was the only gnome standing amidst the humans and she asked, "Why do you say such mystical things human?"

Cashier said, "Because we're going to be charging for the plastic bags."

Mama gnome's vision turned hazy but she managed to mumble, "When?"

"Maybe next month."

Only because Mama gnome felt faintish, otherwise she would've been whooping and hollering.

Just in California alone, 19 billion plastic bags are used by humans every year and out of that 19 billion plastic bags a measly 5 percent gets recycled.

The other 95 percent of 19 billion become minions of Plastic Bag Monster where they lounge around in their not so secret lair, Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

photo from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/North_Pacific_Gyre_World_Map.png

So when Mama gnome heard the cashier's comment, she welcomes this new ally, this gnomemart.

Here is their battle plan against the fiendish beast.

They call it the Plastic Bag Initiative.

A worthy name for a worthy cause.

Their mission: "to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic shopping bag waste globally"
and gnomemart gets the extra benefits of...

"...reduce our plastic bag waste by the equivalent of 9 billion bags, avoid producing 290,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases and prevent consuming the equivalent of 678,000 barrels of oil every year."

Mama gnome proudly presents her license to any gnomemart cashier.

Really, that is her height...and weight...

She'd gotten heavier with her heart so full, a heart gone green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2011-02-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

Young gnomelets have kept Mama gnome very occupied.

And it is the older gnomelet who asked, "Mama, how come you don't have a new Mystery Animal?"

And so sheepishly, Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal has the "strongest bite per unit body mass of any living mammal."

It is a marsupial, a relative of the kangaroo.

But unlike the kangaroo who is a herbivore, this Mystery Animal is carnivorous.

It feeds on carrion and preys on small mammals to a small kangaroo, wombats, birds, fish, frogs, reptiles, fruit.

It's a very noisy eater...so noisy...thus contributing to how it was named...the little devil.

If you've guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the Tasmanian Devil, Mama gnome would like to congratulate you and she hopes you will participate in A Billion Acts of Green, Earth Day 2011 on April 22, 2011.

Tasmanian Devil at Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, Australia.

photo by: arndbergmann

The Tasmanian Devil is found in Tasmania, Australia's island and state.

It has a large head and neck. It has black fur and usually white patches on its chest and lower back. It's stocky and muscular.

It has a keen smell and is also described as having a "pungent smell."

The name Tasmanian Devil has a long history.

Mama gnome will not recount all the names but to give you an idea as to how this animal was named Tasmanian Devil...here it goes...

First named in 1807 Didelphis ursina, "meatloving bear."

Then later also renamed Sarcophilus harrisii,"Harris's meat lover."

Then "Beelzebub's pup was an early vernacular name given to it by the explorers of Tasmania, in reference to a religious deity who is a prince of hell and an assistant of Satan."

Other names used were Sarcophilus satanicus "Satanic meatlover" and Diabolus ursinus "diabolical bear."

Mama gnome would like to rename them as "Poor animalus creaturus name-mes just because it likes to eat loud-es and a eat a lot-es."

The Tasmanian Devil is an endangered animal.

According to the IUCN, its population has decreased by more than 60% in the last ten years.

One of the major threats to this animal is a terrible infectious cancer called the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).

The disease is spread between animals especially during the mating season and when they are feeding because of injurious biting.

DFTD is an "aggressive non-viral transmissible parasitic cancer" and the afflicted animal develops lesions and lumps around the mouth which spread to the rest of its body.

The animal is unable to feed and dies of starvation.

Another threat to the Tasmanian Devil is the red fox which was illegally introduced to Tasmania
for reasons including fox hunting which is another terrible crime. (And Mama gnome talks about fox hunting in detail here, another Mystery Animal.)

According to IUCN, other threats to the Tasmanian Devil is being killed on the roads by vehicles, being killed by dogs, and from persecution.

Persecution according to IUCN:

"Through the 1980s and 1990s, systematic poisoning in many sheep-growing areas (particularly fine-wool with its reliance on merinos) was widespread and probably killed in excess of 5000 devils per year (N. Mooney unpubl., from interviews with landowners). In the 1990s, control permits were occasionally issued to individuals who were able to argue that Tasmanian Devils were pests (e.g. killing valuable lambs)."

video from: NationalGeographic

Please read about the Tasmanian Devil's plight and visit WWF and also Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

Mama gnome would now screech loudly, change her name to Gnomeus Eat-A-Lot-es-chocolate-us, and nip terrible humans who poison the Tasmanian Devil.

Please be the loud devil-may-care human in the planet and go green.

(c) 2009-2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

How Do I Globally Warm You? Let Me Count the Ways....

2011-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

Early 20th century Valentine's DayCard, ca 1910

photo from Wikimedia Commons

Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love.

But Earth doesn't get any love from the Global Warming monster.

Mama gnome battles against the Global Warming Monster every day.

One of the more memorable fights was the Great Battle of October 2009, when Mama gnome

became a Lean Green Fighting....er Gnome.

This is how the wretched monster professes his global warming ways...

“How Do I Globally Warm You…Let Me Count the Ways…”

I globally warm you to the depths of your oceans and heights of your atmosphere

my carbon dioxide parts per million can reach, when feeling out of breath

For I sought to end the being of fresh air and ideal blue skies.

I globally warm you for every mile humans drive

Most earnestly in their oil glutton machines

I warm you copiously as men dig for more oil

I warm you hideously as men gouge mountain tops and poison their valleys

I warm you with oil slicks that cover ocean waters and kill majestic creatures you choose to ignore

I warm you even more with each melting ice sheet drifting to oblivion

In my old global warming ways and with your petroleum companies' faith

I globally warm your Earth with greenhouse emissions

I seem to gain every day---

I globally warm you with every tree, coal and fossil fuels you continue to burn-- and, if

you so choose...

I shall globally warm your Earth better after death…

Red hearts for humans, a black one for the Global Warming Monster.

This Valentine's Day...give the gift of love to Planet Earth, and may your hearts be green...

Paper That Kills Tigers, Elephants and Orangutans

2011-01-31T23:38:00.000-08:00

Paper cuts are no fun.

But here is paper more destructive and heinous for it kills endangered tigers, elephants and orangutans in one blow.

Here is photo featured in an eye-opening post by George Monbiot.

It shows the destruction of Sumatran rainforest in Sungai Sembilang National Park in Sumatra.

Sungai Sembilang National Park, Sumatra
Photograph: Romeo Gacad

According to the Rainforest Action Network (RAN):

"Sinar Mas Group’s Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Royal Golden Eagle Group’s Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL) are among Indonesia’s most destructive corporations. Between them, they produce 80 percent of Indonesia’s pulp and paper. This comes from clear cutting rainforests and replacing them with monoculture acacia pulp wood plantations grown on these cleared rainforests and peatlands. Many leading international companies and consumer brands are contributing to this tragic pattern of destruction by, often unknowingly, purchasing paper products from affiliates of APP and APRIL."

"Deforestation in Riau has been driving both Sumatran elephants and tigers to local extinction: as of 2007, Sumatran elephant and tiger populations in Riau had declined about 75 percent over the past 25 years to as few as 210 and 192 individuals, respectively. If forest clearing is not halted, both may become locally extinct in a few years’ time."

Please be informed of the many companies/minions of APP including:

APP has also reneged on millions of US taxpayer monies.

"In 2008, APP was ordered by a New York federal judge to pay back more than $100 million of that debt to the taxpayer-financed U.S. Export-Import Bank. The debt remains unpaid."

The Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance, and companies like Target, Walmart, Staples and Office Depot have severed ties with APP.

Sumatra is not the only APP stop.

According to this post, Cambodia is also suffering the same loss and destruction where APP has set up companies: Green Rich and Green Elite.

App has also been charged with illegal logging in China.

What can we do as humans and gnomes to help stop this deadly paper destroying our forests and killing our precious animals and resources?

Please educate yourself and read about APP here.

Boycott products from APP and its minions.

Please see the Natural Resources Defense Council's Consumer Guide for responsible paper products that help protect forests and not destroy them.

Shop for "paper products with paper products with recycled content -- especially post-consumer fibers."

Visit NRDC for more tips to help save our forests.

Please help by using your wallet responsibly and help send a clear message to paper companies.

Use super paper that helps save the world and go green!

(c) 2009-2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The Slaughter of the Rhino

2011-01-27T22:55:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome strives to stay positive and see the glass half-full.

But it's hard to keep a stiff upper gnome lip and be optimistic when you learn about the slaughter of the Rhino.

Rhinos are being slaughtered for their horns.

Rhino horns are illegally sold and bought in Asia for use for "traditional Chinese medicine" and in the Middle East as handles for ornamental daggers.

Last June 2010, poachers in South Africa killed..."the last female rhinoceros in a popular game reserve near Johannesburg...(it) bled to death after having its horn hacked off."

The rhino was a mother.

"Her distraught calf was moved to a nearby estate where it was introduced to two other orphaned white rhinos."

According to this report, rhino poaching has severely worsened with:

Wildlife officials in...South Africa say 2010 was an extraordinarily bad year, with 333 rhinos poached, nearly three times as many as were lost in 2009. Five more rhinos were killed in the first weeks of 2011.

There are five species of rhinoceros:

First, the White Rhinoceros with two subspecies, the northern and southern white rhinoceros.

White Rhino

photo by: Ikiwaner, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waterberg_Nashorn3.jpg

Since 2008: "The last four northern white rhinoceros remaining in the wild are feared to have been killed for their horns by poachers and are now believed to be extinct in the wild. "

The second species, the Black Rhino, is listed as critically endangered by IUCN.

Black Rhino

photo by: Ikiwaner

According to the IUCN..."one of the main threats to the population is poaching for the international rhino horn trade."

The third species is the Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros. IUCN lists the Indian rhino as vulnerable and habitat decline threatens this species.

Indian Rhino
photo by: Fritz Geller-Grimm

The fourth species is the Javan Rhinoceros.

Javan Rhino

1930 photo of Javan Rhino by: Hoogerwerf, Andries, Rhino Resource Center

Mama gnome has featured this rhino sadly as a Mystery Animal of the Day,for it is considered the most endangered of all the largest mammals in the world.

According to this report:
"Last year, a Javan rhino, which is one of the world's rarest mammals, was found dead in a Vietnamese national park with its horn chopped off. Experts believe only three to five animals still exist in Vietnam."

The fifth species is the Sumatran Rhinoceros.

Sumatran Rhinos at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens

photo by: Charles W. Hardin

IUCN lists the Sumatran Rhino as critically endangered with less than 250 mature individuals and their population continue to decline because of illegal poaching and habitat loss.

Here is a video reporting about rhino poaching. Warning. Some images show the slaughtered rhinos.

video by: AlJazeeraEnglish

Do you think there is any hope for the Rhino? What can we do to help save them?

Visit WWF.

Spread the terrible news about this animal.

Please help save the rhino.

Please help and go green.

(c) 2009-2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Green Gifts That Keep On Giving

2010-12-27T11:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Old Santa Claus art by Thomas Nast

Mama gnome bundled up and braced herself for her holiday shopping.

She pulled down her pointy hat and set her drink of morning elixir by the gnome computer.

Green gifts galore flashed on the screen.

Natural Resources Defense Council's website features all these wonderful green gifts:

Help fight against global warming.

image by Robert A. Rohde, Global Warming Art

You can adopt a wolf in Yellowstone Park.

photo by Barry O'Neill, PD-USGOV-INTERIOR-NPS

Help save a polar bear and her cub.

photo by Schliebe, Scott, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Please visit NRDC and consider these green gifts that keep on giving.

Give the best gift of all and go green.

A Grateful Gnome

2010-11-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

photo from: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Here is something Mama gnome is thankful for...

According to this report:

"The Obama administration is setting aside 187,000 square miles in Alaska as a "critical habitat" for polar bears, an action that could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas."

"Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks at the Interior Department, said the designation would help polar bears stave off extinction, recognizing that the greatest threat is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change."

Here is a movie by Sophie Keller and Oli Barry showing what might happen if there were only two polar bears left in the world...

video from: liveartheatre

Mama gnome and the gnomelets chant: "Save energy...save the polar bears!"

On this Thanksgiving Day please celebrate and give thanks.

Help save the polar bears and go green.

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, friendly Gnome's Blog

Take That Plastic Bag Monster!

2010-11-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome almost fell off her stoop when she read this

Los Angeles Times report:

"L.A. County Passes Sweeping Ban On Plastic Bags"

Please pardon Mama gnome while she whoops and hollers like a mad gnome.

"Wooohoooo! Woot! Woot! Woot! Woot! Take that Plastic Bag Monster!"

The bane of Mama gnome's existence is this wretched creature, Plastic Bag Monster.

It lives and grows in size in its evil lair, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, fed by its minions of trash monsters including plastic bottles, plastic caps, styrofoam monsters, disposable plastic cutleries, take out containers and by its most prolific minion...plastic bags...

"In Los Angeles County alone, 6 billion plastic bags are used each year, an average of 1,600 bags per household a year. Government figures show that only about 5% are recycled."

And for the whole state of California, 19 billion plastic bags a year. Nineteen Billion.

video from: Orbit26200

Last September, California was poised to pass a sweeping plastic bag ban.

Mama gnome was heartbroken when the bill failed.

It was killed by heavy advertising and lobbying by Plastic Bag Monster's creator: the plastic bag manufacturing industry.

So on that cold September day, Plastic Bag Monster laughed its evil laugh.

But today on this cold November day, Mama gnome laughs back at Plastic Bag Monster's face and she says, "Take that Plastic Bag Monster!"

Please bring your reusable bags everywhere: groceries, bookstores, department stores, farmer's markets...everywhere...so you'll always have one to use instead of taking a plastic bag.

Please bring your own reusable containers to restaurants for your left-overs instead of using take out styrofoam container monsters.

Please help Mama gnome defeat the Plastic Bag Monster and go green.

(c)2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The Year of the Dying Tiger

2010-11-10T23:50:00.000-08:00

photo from:Mayankkatiyar

According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the year 2010 is the year of the Tiger.

Mama gnome would like to categorize it as the Year of the Dying Tiger.

During the beginning of the 20th century there were an estimated 100,000 tigers.

And now a century later, 100 years later, the tiger population has decreased to less than 3,000 tigers in the wild.

Humans have killed off 97% of the tiger population.

Just in the last ten years tiger habitat has decreased by 40%

What is pushing this animal into extinction?

According to IUCN:

"...consider habitat loss and poaching for trade to be primary causes of a significant decline in Tiger range and numbers."

"Despite strong international action to eliminate it, illegal trade persists...Although all countries have banned use and manufacture of tiger bone, illegal production persists in several Asian countries, especially in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam."

"In China there are several operations engaged in intensive breeding ("farming" of tigers), with the captive population reportedly reaching 5,000. They are pressuring the government to allow them to produce tiger products, and several are already engaged in illegal production of Tiger bone wine."

"Tiger farming perpetuates and threatens to re-ignite consumer demand."

video from: BBCWorldwide

What can we do to help?

Visit WWF's Save Tigers Now

Educate family, friends, children about the plight of the tigers.

Don't buy fur, be it tiger fur, fox fur, or any other animal because it perpetuates the problem.

Don't buy tiger medicine. Don't use tiger medicine.

Report businesses or people who trade in tiger parts, products. It's illegal and Mama gnome would like to add..."downright #$#^#." That's why.

Don't buy tiger wine.

And Mama gnome would like to add, "Why in the world would you want to drink wine fermented from the bones of this animal? Or any other animal actually...Drink morning elixir instead, so vital for life."

Part of the problem that is killing tigers is habitat destruction, so be aware of products you buy, paper products which contribute to the destruction of their habitat.

Please visit Natural Resources Defense Council to see lists of green paper products from toilet paper to paper towels.

Use cloth napkins, recycle old shirts and cut them up to be used instead of paper towels for wiping down counters.

Save our trees and forests and save the tigers' home.

Please help the dying tiger...and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Look Up

2010-10-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome lives in an old gnome house shaded by ancient Sumac trees...surrounded by plants and trees that thrive because of Daddy gnome's green thumbs.

Once in a while the old mother gnome ventures out of her burrow...past the brambles...past the jagged dusty cliffs and...

she looks up...

(c)Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Once in a while, if you're feeling out of sorts...lost..or down...just look up...and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Lowly Toilet Paper Saves Majestic Trees...Saves the World

2010-10-28T01:33:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome went to Gnomeco to buy ecofriendly toilet paper.

But when she rounded the corner, Mama gnome almost dropped her pointy hat.

She saw the usual pallet where they stored super green toilet paper was now stacked with firewood!

Was it not enough to take away the good toilet paper, but they had to replace it with more cut down trees for future burning and releasing of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?

Did Gnomeco intend for Mama gnome to... as young gnomelet would put it... "freak out" in the middle of the household stuff aisle?

Mama gnome stood and stared at the pallet of firewood.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times but the firewood remained.

She trudged around the next few aisles as fast as her gnome legs could trudge...but saw no sign of the super ecofriendly toilet paper.

Mama gnome made a mental note to head to Trader Gnome's to buy green toilet paper since Gnomeco declared super green toilet paper... toilet paper ingrata.

If you wonder why Mama gnome was upset with Gnomeco it's because not all toilet paper are created equal.

The most bought toilet paper and readily available toilet paper are made from virgin fiber which means from chopped down trees.

The least bought toilet paper and hard to find toilet paper are made from recycled paper, and the best toilet paper would be made from recycled paper with high postconsumer paper waste content.

This quiet unassuming toilet paper saves trees because it's made from recycled paper instead of virgin tree fiber.

According to this post, American humans use "about 50 pounds of tissue products per person every year. This is 50% more than the consumption rate in Western Europe and Japan."

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states:

"The pulp and paper industry may contribute to more global and local environmental problems than any other industry in the world. Paper manufacturers reach deep into species-rich forests for virgin timber, razing trees, polluting waterways and destroying precious wildlife habitat. Pulp and paper mills that use virgin timber are major generators of hazardous air pollutants, including dioxins and other cancer-causing chemicals. And the industry is the third largest industrial emitter of global warming pollution."

"The virgin timber-based pulp and paper industry is the third greatest industrial emitter of global warming pollution. Its carbon dioxide emissions are projected to double by 2020."

According to NRDC,
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.

video from: rainforestproject

Please visit NRDC's site to see the list of paper products.

Pick the quiet unassuming toilet paper that saves the world.

Pick Clark Kent and Superman in one fell swoop and go Green!

(c)2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

10-10-10 Global Climate Work Party for 350.org

2010-10-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

10-10-10 not only stands out as a very interesting date,

it is 350.org's Global Work Party Day.

photo from 350.org

Make October 10,2010 a meaningful day by doing something to help reduce carbon emissions.

Please visit 350.org to find out what activity you can participate in or if you want to register your own climate action for 10-10-10, just log on to their website at 350.org.

video from: 350org

According to Bill McKibben's blogpost for 350.org:

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 392ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to below 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.

Please help reduce our carbon emissions.

On 10-10-10...walk, use reusable bags, plant trees, plant vegetables, turn off unnecessary lights and appliances, eat vegetables...make everyday meaningful and Go Green...

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2010-09-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

This animal is known for its stripes.

Of its three species, two are listed as endangered and vulnerable because of threats from hunters and habitat destruction, climate change, and farming.

One subspecies, "the quagga, has been hunted to extinction for meat, hides, and to preserve feed for domesticated stock."

Here is a picture of the extinct quagga:

Photo: F. York, London, Regent's Park ZOO, 1870

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the ZEBRA... Mama gnome wants to invite you to the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Please visit Ocean Conservancy to see where you can participate or you can start your own cleanup project and register it at their website.

Zebras are found in Africa. Their habitats vary from Africa's mountains, grasslands and savannas, woodlands, coastal hill, and thorny scrublands.

Zebras "are very adaptable grazers." Their diet include: short or long grasses, shrubs, bark and leaves.

Zebras are "pioneers and will be the first to enter tall or wet pastures. Wildebeests and gazelle follow once the zebras have trampled and clipped the vegetation shorter."

There are three species of zebra:

the plains zebra
Grevy's Zebra
mountain zebra

Here is a picture of a plains zebra in Tanzania.

photo by: Muhammad Mahdi Karim (www.micro2macro.net)

The plains zebras have the more stable population out of the three species. But they are also threatened by poachers, habitat destruction and farming.

Here is a picture of an endangered Grevy's zebra:

photo by Mara 1

The Grevy's zebra is the largest species of zebra. It has large ears and narrower stripes. It is listed endangered by IUCN. The Grevy's zebras are threatened by: hunters who profit from the zebras' skins, habitat destruction and by climate change causing severe drought and the disappearance of their watering holes.

Increased farming land and fencing threaten all zebras, limiting or restricting their access to watering holes.

Here is a picture of a mountain zebra resting in the sun in Louisville Zoo:

photo by: Ltshears - Trisha M Shears

Zebras are also threatened by wars.

"Recent civil wars in Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda have caused dramatic declines in all wildlife populations, including those of plains zebra. It is now extinct in Burundi. Civil war in Angola during much of the past 25 years has devastated its wildlife populations, including its once-abundant plains zebra, and destroyed the national parks administration and infrastructure."

Here is a video of a Grevy's zebra:

video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would like to don her striped camouflage, hide behind tall grasses and stun poachers and hunters who hunt down these beautiful animals with wild braying, neighing and whinnying.

Please help save our Mystery Animal of the Day, the endangered zebras, and go green.
(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog

Walk on the Beach with Mama Gnome

2010-09-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome brushed her curly gray hair before donning her pointy hat.

She turned and twirled in her long brown tunic and checked her reflection in the mirror.

Mama gnome has a hot date.

Shhhhh....No, not with Daddy gnome.

Mama gnome has a date with the OCEAN.

This coming Saturday, September 25, 2010, will be the International Coastal Cleanup Day!

video from oceanconservancy

According to Ocean Conservancy's Report:

Of the 43 items tracked during the Cleanup, the top three items of trash found in 2008 were cigarette butts, plastic bags, and food wrappers/containers.

During the 2008 cleanup, volunteers collected 11,077 diapers in the Philippines, 19,504 fishing nets in the United Kingdom, and 1,362,741 cigarette butts in the US.

Here is a seaturtle trapped in an abandoned fishing net.

photo from:http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2429.htm

Please visit Ocean Conservancy and sign up wherever you are in the world and participate in International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 25, Saturday. And it doesn't have to be at the beach. You can help cleanup a park, a river, a waterway. Anywhere you can make a difference.

If there is no cleanup action close to you, you can start your own and register it with Ocean Conservancy through this site.

Mama gnome and the gnome family will be heading out to help clean up and take tally of how many of Plastic Bag Monster minions are lurking in the sand.

Please help defeat Plastic Bag Monster everyday, walk with Mama gnome...and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The Deforestation of Africa

2010-09-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome wonders if you knew about the deforestation of Africa?

From WWF:

"A new study co-authored by a World Wildlife Fund scientist documents waves of forest degradation advancing like ripples in a pond 75 miles across East Africa in just 14 years."

WWF reports most logging is illegal. In addition, illegal charcoal burning is done by local people who don't have any other source of income.

"A trade survey by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimated that in 2005 some 96 percent of harvested timber was exported illegally, losing the Tanzanian government an estimated $58 million of revenue."

It's been reported that:

"In West Africa, nearly 90 percent of the original moist forest is gone, and what remains is heavily fragmented and degraded."

Mama gnome wants to emphasize:

Most logging is illegal
"96% of harvested timber was exported illegally"
Poverty forces people to cut down trees or burn trees because they have no other source of income. What happens when all the trees are gone?
Almost 90 % of West Africa's original forests are gone.....That's ninety percent obliterated.

Please watch this video by the Jane Goodall Institute:

video by: JaneGoodallInstitute

But what is really sad...the slashing and burning of forests is happening in other parts of the world, Mama gnome is quite stricken to say.

Please visit WWF and the Jane Goodall Institute to read about this and pass the information to other humans.

Please help save our forests and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's blog

Mama gnome takes a hike

2010-08-28T16:34:00.001-07:00

Mama gnome donned her pointy hat, tightened her grip on her walking stick and walked up this path.

She breathed in fresh air and looked up the side of the hill and saw this:

She marveled at the beauty of these wildflowers:

She saw a peculiar hole carved into the side of the mountain. She glanced around and hurried away from this site.

She nodded her head and made notes of the contrasting colors of dark brown branches and bright yellow green leaves.

She wondered what happened to this shrubbery with its burnt and withered branches and leaves.

She spoke with this gentle giant.

Mama gnome gazed at the beautiful landscape and whispered, "Thank you."

Mama gnome took a hike. She urges you to do the same and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog
(c) all pictures by Mama gnome

Mama Gnome Takes on Plastic Bag Monster 2010

2010-08-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome shook her head. Her pointy hat came loose, revealing her gray wiry hair.

The old gnome drew herself as tall as she could, all three feet and something inches of gnome stature.

She shouted, "No! No! No, Plastic Bag Monster! Away you vile beast!"

The putrefied, liquefied, partially melted, but never biodegraded unearthly creature approached Mama gnome.

Remnants of plastic cups, styrofoam takeaway containers, unrecognizable pieces of plastic were left in the beast's wake.

Mama gnome turned her face away in horror.

The monster reached over and gripped her arms with its filthy plastic ties and shook her.

"Mama gnome! Mama gnome!"

Huh? Mama gnome thought, Plastic Bag Monster's voice sounded a lot like Daddy gnome's voice.

"Mama gnome, wake up!"

Mama gnome opened her eyes and saw Daddy gnome's face. His eyes dark with worry.

"Daddy gnome! I was dreaming. I was dreaming of 'IT'."

Daddy gnome nodded. No other words needed to be said.

He knew IT could only mean one thing, the bane of Mama gnome's existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

It was almost one year ago, when Mama gnome fought against her nemesis in the epic battle of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster 2009.

But Plastic Bag Monster lived and survived because humans continue to use flimsy plastic bags, take out styrofoam containers, disposable plastic forks, spoons, cups. All minions and allies of Plastic Bag Monster.

Together they coalesce and hide out in their secret evil lair, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

On September 25, 2010 Mama gnome and the gnome family will battle against Plastic Bag Monster and his minions on the 25th International Coastal Cleanup Day.

According to Ocean Conservancy:

During the 2009 Cleanup, volunteers found 18,000 derelict fishing nets in the United Kingdom alone, and 70,000 plastic bottles in Nicaragua. In 2009, 60 percent of all debris items found on just one day were "disposable."

video from: oceanconservancy

video from: National Geographic

To find out how you can participate please visit Ocean Conservancy's site where you can look for locations all over the world participating in this cause.

If there isn't one close to you, you can sign up your own clean up cause and location for that day.

You can also visit Heal the Bay or California Coastal Commission.

Here's a chance to make a difference and help defeat Plastic Bag Monster and his minions.

Be heroic and fight Plastic Bag Monster and his minions everyday, not just once a year, and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2012

2010-08-11T01:33:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome waits with bated breath to see what will happen to Assembly Bill 1998 this Friday the 13th, August 13.

Friday the 13th could either be a lucky or unlucky day for the environment.

AB 1998, written by Julia Brownley, Democrat-Santa Monica, would make California the first state to ban single use plastic bags for grocers starting in 2012.

And this Friday, the bill must be approved or it will die and Plastic Bag Monster triumphs.

If the bill is approved and is signed by the governor, supermarkets and other large retailers are prohibited from using single use plastic bags starting in 2012.

In 2013, that ban would extend to smaller grocers and convenience stores using plastic bag minions as well.

Plastic Bag Monster is the bane of Mama gnome's existence. She has battled against this monster time and time again.

Perhaps one of the most memorable was the battle of 2009 when Mama gnome succored by her gnome family battled against the Plastic Bag Monster on a sandy beach.

The gnome family was overwhelmed by cigarette butt monster and other plastic bag minions including styrofoam cups and little pieces of unrecognizable plastic scrap minions.

Just how big is the Plastic Bag Monster?

A million bags?

No.

A hundred million bags?

No.

Okay, I'll try one billion.

Nope again.

Try NINETEEN BILLION.

Californians use 19 Billion plastic bags A YEAR!

And if we were thinking they were getting recycled, Plastic Bag Monster has pulled the plastic over our eyes, because only a small fraction of that 19 billion gets recycled.

Only 5 percent of those bags get recycled.

So 95 percent of 19 billion bags end up where?

In our waterways, in landfills, in our deserts, our rivers, our forests, inside marine animals, in our oceans, disintegrating...NOT BIODEGRADING. They've taken up to creating their own evil lairs. One of the more notorious one is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Plastic bag monster and his minions become tiny plastic pieces mistaken for food by birds and marine animals.

And guess who eats the marine animals? Humans.

Mama gnome's blog has a running counter of how many plastic bags are used every second in the world.

It's a scary counter. Think of how much plastic the fish eat. Think of how much plastic we eat.

Here's a video of a Plastic Bag Monster trying to weasel his way out of the ban.

video from: danegolden

2012 is Plastic Bag Monster's Reckoning.

But don't wait two more years for it. Start today and Go Greeen!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Earth Warming Machine 2010

2010-08-10T02:20:00.001-07:00

Earth Warming Machine 2009 is so...last year.

Thanks to continuing CO2 emissions, coal and power plants, unmitigated use of oil, continued slashing and burning of forests because of human demands and consumerism,

Earth Warming Machine 2010 is even more powerful.

Earth Warming Machine 2010 created these mind boggling climate change products:

"2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record"

"hottest decade on record.

"the past four months, including June, have each individually been the hottest on record as well."

Trees dropping leaves and the leaves baking to terrible brown color

And now for the latest climate change product created by the Earth Warming Machine 2010...this:

photo by: Andreas Muenchow
http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2011/aug/greenland080610.html

According to this post from treehugger.com:

"Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland has lost an iceberg of 87 square kilometers in size. For scale, the ice sheet is said to be 4 times the size of Manhattan.
A University of Delaware researcher has been tracking the Petermann Glacier, and in a news release he says that the ice chunk is the largest since 1962."

Mama gnome did not list all climate change products currently wreaking havoc, killing humans, animals, destroying homes and habitat.

Mama gnome doesn't have enough room to list all in this post.

What is fueling Earth Warming Machine to become stronger and bigger every year?

Humans of course.

We are at the cross roads of cross roads.

Mama gnome cannot believe humans continue to fail to come together.

Humans continue to disagree about the Earth Warming Machine.

What further proof do humans need?

Earth Warming Machine 2011?

Mama gnome is afraid. Aren't you?

Please be strong, be brave, help fight against the evil Earth Warming Machine and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

It's So Hot You Can Cook a Tree on the Sidewalk

2010-08-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome shakes her head every time she reads about climate change deniers.

These people live in their own sad encapsulated-refuse-to-accept-reality-world.

Well, how about these realities?

It's so hot out there "2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record"

It's so hot out there the last decade ending on 2009 was the hottest decade on record.

It's so hot out there "the past four months, including June, have each individually been the hottest on record as well."

It's so hot out there you can cook a tree on the sidewalk.

Trees are dropping leaves and the leaves are baking to terrible brown color.

Please do your part. Help stop earth warming and go green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

It's All Cigarette Smoke and Mirrors

2010-08-04T23:53:00.001-07:00

Mama gnome's face contorted to a painful misshapen look of disbelief when she read this post about recycling cigarettes as a possible "green way."

Cigarettes are not biodegradable. The cigarette butt may disintegrate over time and look smaller and smaller, but the plastic remains and becomes part of the water ways, the oceans, the soil, leaking toxic chemicals into the environment or tragically they are mistaken for food and consumed by birds or marine animals killing them in a slow painful way.

Just like it kills humans in slow or fast painful way.

Mama gnome has written about the evils cast by Cigarette Monster here.

And if you think cigarettes are biodegradable it's like saying uranium is biodegradable.

Sure it gets smaller and hey look, now you're now glowing green and growing two heads!

It's not acceptable.

Mama gnome has taken on the Plastic Bag Monster a few times.

One was during Coastal Cleanup Day. In one and a half hours, Mama and daddy gnome collected almost one hundred and thirty cigarette butts on a small patch of sandy beach.

And this beach wasn't a main beach visited by throngs of humans.

So it's mind boggling how many cigarette butts are left out there by smokers.

But is recycling cigarette butts the solution to getting rid of this environmental monster?

How about we recycle nuclear waste and we can make them to tiny little nuclear arms.

How's that?

Mama gnome is fuming. And it's cigarette smoke being puffed into everyone's eyes.

It's smoke and mirrors dear humans.

Mama gnome is reposting this from a previous blog entry, an article that lists all the terrible after affects of people lighting up a cigarette.
They report:

"According to the American Burn Association, about 900 people in the United States die each year in fires started by cigarettes, and about 2,500 are injured. About 100 of the fire deaths each year are children and nonsmokers. Nationally, annual human and property costs of fires caused by careless smoking total about $6 billion. In 1997, there were more than 130,000 cigarette related fires."

This video is short and sweet

video from: Ambassador321

Open your eyes, stop smoking and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Contained?

2010-07-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome's pointy hat is all rumpled and wrinkled from the nervous wringing it has gone through because Mama gnome has been anxiously waiting for this moment.

But can this really be true?

Has the Gulf Coast Oil Monster been conquered or "contained"?

The answer is a qualified yes...for now.

According to this post on Huffington Post:

"The stoppage came 85 days, 16 hours and 25 minutes after the first report April 20 of an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers and triggered the spill."
Between 93.5 million and 184.3 million have already spilled into the Gulf, according to federal estimates."

Here is a picture of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster taken by NASA on Wednesday,July 14,2010.

photo by NASA

The containment cap (Top Hat Number 10), currently keeping the Gulf Coast Monster from spewing oil, was placed on July 10, 2010 and the flow of oil was finally "stopped" on Thursday, July 15,2010.

Could NASA's picture be the picture of the last day of the Monster's unabated power?

The answer sadly is no.

Since April 20, 2010, the Gulf Coast Oil Monster has spewed out a volume of 100,000 barrels or 4,200,000 gallons of oil per day. And oil has spread over 2,500 to 9,100 square miles or 6,500 to 24,000 km. And it has done this for over 85 days.

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster will be around for a while.

Mama gnome urges you to help fight Oil Monsters and Go Green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's Blog

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Catastrophe Continues

2010-07-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

No, Mama gnome didn't really want to even think about the Gulf Coast Oil Monster...

But it's like trying to ignore a monster chomping down on your neck. It's not possible.

Here is a horrific photo of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster by NASA on July 4, 2010.

According to this: The Gulf Coast Oil Monster spews out 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

"For comparison, this is an amount equal to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill every one to two weeks."

Mama gnome asks, "Pardon me. Did you just say an Exxon Valdez oil spill every ONE to two weeks?"

Mama gnome cannot even wrap her brain around that information.

That much oil is spewing out of that monster every week?

Is there any hope of stopping the Gulf Coast Oil Monster?

So far Mama gnome has written about this terrible tale:

on May 2, "Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster"

on May 10, "Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Mayhem"

on May 19, " Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Mayhem Continues"

on May 24, "Mystery Animal of the Day" is an animal tragically affected by the Monster

on May 29, "Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Catastrophe"

and now today Mama gnome reports about the ongoing horrific tale of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster.

So far all attempts to fight the Oil Monster were... Mama gnome will just come out and say it...puny attempts and clearly the Oil Monster lives.

When can Mama gnome write a happy ending about this story?

She is dismayed to tell you she doesn't know.

Today, Mama gnome read this report and it states almost unbelievably and Mama gnome says, "I'll believe it when I see it," forecast: that it's possible by Monday July 12, 2010, "a new containment cap and an additional ship collecting oil could effectively contain the spill..."

National Incident Commander Thad Allen wanted to point out he used the word "contained" and not stop because, "'Stop' is when we put the plug in down below."

Contain or Stop...Mama gnome hopes something works...and the Oil Monster will be vanquished.

How about vanquishing environmental monsters everyday? Be an ecowarrior and Go Green!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

California Chickens Get a Break and Mama gnome Flies the Coop!

2010-07-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome jumped up and down and practically flew inside her kitchen when she read this post by Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, on Huffington Post.

He reports:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed A.B. 1437, a bill backed by The Humane Society of the United States that requires that starting in 2015 all shell (whole) eggs sold in California must come from hens who were able to stand up, lie down, turn around, and fully extend their limbs without touching one another or the sides of an enclosure. In other words: California will become a cage-free state."

photo by: Andrei Niemimäki

Mama gnome gives credit where credit is due and thanks to all the humans who've voted and worked on getting this through.

Now how about a cage free life and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's Blog

Gnome Club's Mighty Wind Power

2010-07-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

Mama gnome continues to fret and gnash her teeth thinking about the Gulf Coast Oil Monster as it spews oil and wrecks havoc on the lives of humans, animals and habitats.

Instead of oil plumes and oil slicks along the Gulf Coast's wetlands and beaches, consider this alternative green power....

No oil slicks, no oil plumes, no oil covered sea turtles, pelicans and other marine animals.

The Gnome Club's Mighty Wind Turbines:

video from:SamsClubVideos

Mama gnome gives credit where credit is due and she gives Sam's Club lots of credit for being "the first retailer in the United States to have a significant number of wind turbines mounted on its parking lot lights."

The seventeen wind turbines... "are estimated to provide 76,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually – enough to power more than six average American homes for a year. The completion of this project adds to the company’s other renewable energy projects in the state, including solar installations at 28 Walmart and Sam’s Club sites and fuel cell installations at two Walmart stores in the state."

Did you feel the mighty wind blowing in the desert?

The mighty power of Green...Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

The Gnome Garden

2010-06-16T02:55:00.000-07:00

A dark cloud hangs over Mama gnome's pointy hat because of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster.

Every day she frets and worries about the humans, animals and fragile habitats affected by this terrible Oil Monster.

So to help smooth out the hundred wrinkles and frown lines, Mama gnome gazes out of her kitchen window and into the garden.

Trees and plants help soothe the old gnome's soul.

Mama gnome is also very lucky to have Daddy gnome.

Not only is Daddy gnome, Mama gnome's secret weapon against Computer who plays mind games on Mama gnome. Constantly.

Daddy gnome is also Mama gnome's secret weapon against gardening handicap.

You see, Mama gnome confesses she doesn't have green thumbs.

Actually she has ummm...brown thumbs, very good for composting and ensuring the decay of plant life.

But she's very lucky to have Daddy gnome and young gnomelets who inherited Daddy gnome's green thumb genes.

And so the gnome family have started a humble vegetable garden.

Lovely Cauliflower
(c) photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Enchanting eggplant
(c)photo by Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Sweet...sweet corn
(c)photo by Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog

Adorable cherry tomatoes
(c) photo by Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Daddy gnome's built from scratch above ground vegetable box with drip system in place and vegetables planted in rows
(c) photo by Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog

Mama gnome will keep you posted on how the veggies are doing.

Meanwhile, green thumb or not, start your own garden for the soul and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Catastrophe

2010-05-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

The horrific Gulf Coast Oil Monster lives.

It's been over a month since this Oil Monster came to life on April 20, 2010 by way of the Frankenstein company, oil company BP plc.

Just like in the novel and films, BP plc tries to hide and cover its monster, Gulf Coast Oil Monster either by lying, hiding, or worse...incompetently calculating the volume of oil spewing out of this Monster. I think young gnomelet could've done better math than that...

Way beyond what BP estimates at 5,000 barrels of crude oil spewing out..."scientists studying video of the gushing oil well have tentatively calculated that it could be flowing at a rate of 25,000 to 80,000 barrels of oil a day."

Here is NASA's photo of the ugly Gulf Coast Oil Monster taken May 24, 2010

photo by NASA

So far, attempts to stop the Gulf Coast Oil Monster have failed.

Operation 125-tonne (280,000 lb) container dome
result: Fail

Operation: ROV's, BP sent out six remotely operated vehicles to activate the blowout preventer valves
results: Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail, Fail

Operation: "Top Hat" which is a smaller cointainment dome
result: lowered into water but postponed because of the failure of the larger containment dome

Operation riser insertion tube
result: collected some oil, but ultimately not enough. It was removed for operation Top Kill

Operation Top Kill
result: Fail

What's Next?
Operation LMRP or the lower-marine-riser-package (LMRP) cap containment system. "It involves an underwater robot using a saw to hack off the leaking pipe and place a cap over it."

They expect this operation will "last four days," and it'll be the first attempt at 5,000 feet.

Now Mama gnome would like to point out the key words in the quote above, "hack off the leaking pipe."

Um, if someone is bleeding, do you hack off the arm so you can cover it up?

Mama gnome is not an engineer but this operation doesn't sound good to this old gnome. Does it to you?

In addition to what Mama gnome listed, they're also using up til now:
Operation controlled burns and Operation chemical dispersants.

Mama gnome is a strict environmentalist and she would like to give all these a big F for "For crying out loud, fire and more toxic chemicals into the ocean? Give me a break."

And the booms...uh, did anyone notice the massive oil plumes under the surface.

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster is spewing oil underwater.

What in the world are we going to do?

Uh...how about an oil rig in the Arctic Ocean...

Can you just see it? The black and white panoramic view of massive oil spill off Alaska's coast? Unbelievable...
"Shell Oil was poised to begin exploratory drilling this summer on Arctic leases as far as 140 miles offshore."

It makes Mama gnome's blood boil.

Please see this post by the NY Times. Mama gnome's blood pressure shot up some more.

"The federal Minerals Management Service gave permission to BP and dozens of other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without first getting required permits from another agency that assesses threats to endangered species — and despite strong warnings from that agency about the impact the drilling was likely to have on the gulf."

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is partly responsible for protecting endangered species and marine mammals. It has said on repeated occasions that drilling in the gulf affects these animals, but the minerals agency since January 2009 has approved at least three huge lease sales, 103 seismic blasting projects and 346 drilling plans. Agency records also show that permission for those projects and plans was granted without getting the permits required under federal law."

The Minerals Management Service Director Elizabeth Birnbaum stepped down because of pressure. No kidding.

Mama gnome is anxiously waiting for the announcement of a moratorium on offshore drilling.

And Mama gnome paces in front of the aga stove, cookies burning, waiting for the Gulf Coast Oil Monster to be defeated somehow...

Please help fight Oil Monsters and Go Green..

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2010-05-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

The Mystery Animal is threatened by the Gulf Coast Oil Monster

This animal is "especially vulnerable to oil. Not only could they eat tainted fish and feed it to their young, but they could die of hypothermia or drowning if they're soaked in oil."

If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Brown Pelican, Mama gnome hopes if you go fishing, please be responsible for your fishing lines. Birds become entangled, maimed and killed because of fishing lines.

photo from: Ianare Sevi

The Brown Pelican "is the only dark pelican, and also the only one that plunges from the air into the water to catch its food."

They can dive from as high as 60 feet.

Pelicans have a pouch on their throat. It's the gular pouch which can hold three gallons of water and fish.

It's a myth that the Brown Pelican can go blind from diving for food.

What is true?

This animal can go blind from avian botulism
"Avian botulism, caused by eating diseased fish found in "dead" water (overly warm water devoid of oxygen), wrecks havoc on water bird populations, killing up to 50,000 per year. Not only does the botulism cause blindness, it can also bring about paralysis so severe that the pelicans cannot hold their heads up and thus drown."

Pelicans can also go blind from chemical spills which can burn their eyes and sewage which can cause infection.

Mama gnome was also upset to read this:

"Pelican rehabilitation facility statistics in Florida show that 90% of pelicans under care suffer from injuries sustained by entanglement in fishing lines, nets, and hooks. Experts believe that at some point in a pelican's life, 80% will become entangled either in an active line or in discarded line thrown thoughtlessly into the sea."

The Beatles have this beautiful song "Free as a Bird" and Mama gnome is quite sad to realize that birds are not free, they do not have a free life thanks to humans and their pollution, oil and fishing lines.

Here is a video of a Brown Pelican being washed and cleaned to get oil and pollutants off its feathers.

video from: SavingSeabirds

Please see and hear the beautiful birds of the Gulf Coast in peril because of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster

video from LabofOrnithology

Mama gnome hopes you can do one or more things from this list to help the Brown Pelican and other birds

Please bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Avoid plastic bags or paper bags like the plague. Tons of plastic bags end up in our waterways into the oceans and become part of Plastic Bag Monster minions entangling, killing millions of marine birds every year.
Please use your own reusable stainless water bottle. Avoid plastic bottles for they are also Plastic Bag Monster's favorite minions which kill marine animals and birds.
Please do not discard used oil down the driveway. It ends up in the storm drains and all drains lead to....yup, the ocean. Presto, they create their own Oil Monsters in our oceans. So please discard oil responsibly.
Please visit the site American Bird Conservancy and allaboutbirds.org
Please participate in the Annual Coastal Cleanup Day as Mama gnome and young gnomelets do. It's an international event and it's on the third Saturday of September every year. You will help save countless marine animals and birds from plastic and trash.

Mama gnome would like to preen and clean her feathers, then she will soar into the sky and dive bomb to snap up Oily Petroleum humans who create Oil Monsters.

Please join Mama gnome and help protect our birds...and go Green!

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome's Reached Her Limit and so has Earth

2010-05-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome's just about reached her limit..And so has Earth...

Here's a scary scenario.

Doomsday.

Mama gnome tries to stay positive. Think positive and it'll work out.

But according to this UN Report...all these positive brain waves aren't going to cut it anymore.

Planet Earth has just about reached her limit.

We are at the precipice about to tip over.

But please don't take my word for it.

Here is what Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity said:
"This report is saying that we are reaching the tipping point where the irreversible damage to the planet is going to be done unless we act urgently."

He "argued that extinction rates for some animal or plant species were at a historic high, up to 1,000 times those seen before, even affecting crops and livestock."

The UN Report identified 3 major tipping points:

Please watch the official video of Global Biodiversity Outlook 3

video by: chmcbd

Mama gnome restates these 3 Earth tipping points:

deforestation of the Amazon rainforest
dying out of freshwater lakes and other inland water bodies because of pollution
collapse of coral reef ecosystems because of overfishing, ocean pollution and acidification

Mama gnome likes to think positive.

Nice thoughts are good for birthdays but it won't stop ocean acidification, slashing and burning of rainforests, overfishing and humans' obsessive consumerism to the point of just blatant disregard for everything else.

Mama gnome just wants to say stop. Please stop. Before it's too late.

What can humans do to pull us back from the edge of the cliff?

1. Reduce consumption of meat. Billions of people eating meat is the main cause of the Amazon's destruction. They burn the forests to clear it to raise cattle, to plant soy and grain to feed the cattle. Stop this vicious cycle.

2. Watch your money. Save. What a deal right? How? Stop driving so much, stop using so much electricity, stop using so much gas, stop buying so much take out food and disposable plates, styrofoam, paper. By being frugal and saving money, you're helping save the planet.

3. Reduce consumption of fish. Man. Better yet, stop eating sushi. Fish gets no break. They're not even counted as animals I don't think. Have we forgotten where life comes from? From water. If we kill all the fish and our oceans die out, it's bye-bye land animals as well. Please help stop the vicious overfishing of our oceans.

4. Start a vegetable/fruit garden. This is a win-win situation. If you have limited space, use pots/containers. For families with children, it's great incentive to get the kids involved in the process from the beginning, they can see the "fruits" of their labor and might even eat their fruits and veggies.

Mama gnome urges You...yes you sitting there, reading this... to do something.

Even just one thing, one little thing I mentioned in the list to save the planet.

Can you imagine the power of that times 6 billion plus humans?

Please go green.

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Mayhem Continues

2010-05-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

And like a relentless horror movie series, the story of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster seems to have no end in sight.

On April 20, 2010, a deadly fiery explosion on the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon, courtesy of the petroleum company, BP plc, gave a fiery start to the Gulf Coast Oil Monster.

On that day, the Gulf Coast Oil Monster killed 11 and injured 17 people.

Five days later, the Monster grew in size, Here is a picture taken April 25, 2010 by NASA.

photo from NASA April 25, 2010

And now to this...

Just today, May 19,2010, a photo taken by NASA reveals the Oil Monster has grown even more.

photo from: NASA

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster spreads its tentacles above the water and underneath. According to this report by NY Times, May 15, 2010:

"Scientists are finding enormous oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick in spots."

"Scientists studying video of the gushing oil well have tentatively calculated that it could be flowing at a rate of 25,000 to 80,000 barrels of oil a day. The latter figure would be 3.4 million gallons a day."

Underwater oil plumes that are 10 miles long, 3 miles wide, 300 feet thick. Can you imagine if you're diving and you swim and are engulfed by this plume?

Up to 80,000 barrels of oil...PER DAY! 3.4 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY!

BP plc has not been forthcoming with sharing footage of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster spewing out oil.

Why the censorship? Why the delay?

Mama gnome likens this to when Dr. Frankenstein tries to hide the monster he created.

But much much worse.

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster is real and has truly killed humans, animals, habitat, lives and livelihood.

It's sickening.

According to this post:
Louisiana's state bird, the Brown Pelican is in danger.

It was just recently taken off the endangered list and now to have to face the Gulf Coast Oil Monster when they're quite vulnerable.

What chance do they have?

They've also mentioned 12 other endangered or threatened Gulf species in peril including sea turtles, sperm whales and birds.

video from: DiscoveryNetworks

What can we do to prevent spawning new Oil Monsters?
Please log on to 350.org's action page to ban OffShore Drilling

Please be aware of your dependency on oil. Limit driving and dependency on oil as much as you possibly hurting can.

And Mama gnome's previously listed BP plc's products which she will list again if you're NOT interested in them:

Please help fight Gulf Coast Oil Monsters and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster Mayhem

2010-05-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome continues the terrible tale of the Gulf Coast Oil Monster...

This Oil Monster, born out of explosion and fire on April 20, 2010, continues on its path of mayhem and destruction.

photo from: NASA April 25,2010

Five days later, this is what the Gulf Coast Oil Monster looked like May 1, 2010

photo from: NASA

The Gulf Coast Oil Monster's creator is the company BP plc (formerly known British Petroleum plc)

Mama gnome has written about this company's involvement in creating other environmental disasters.

But their latest spawn, the Gulf Coast Oil Monster is predicted to take down the Exxon Valdez monster.

Actually, this monster is predicted to be "the worst US oil disaster in history."

How's that for monstrosity?

This is not a fantastical story. It is horrifically True.

Mama gnome would like to say BP plc wins an award for doing a tremendous-I-can't-believe-they-even-started-this-rig-and-bloody-can't-deal-with-this--tear-my-hair-out-mess-awful job in trying to control their monster.

Please pardon Mama gnome. She's terribly upset. Well, aren't you?

Okay, Mama gnome would like to narrate BP plc's pathetic attempts in a somewhat cohesive manner.

First, they sent an ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) to try to close the rig's blow-out preventer. As of May 2,2010, they've sent out six, not two, not three, not even five, but six ROVs to close the valve. And as you can tell. They've all failed.
Here is a video of an ROV trying to close that valve. You can see the Gulf Coast Oil Monster belching and spewing oil.

video from ecoversity

Second, they've tried placing a humongous dome over the gushing oil pipe. Here's a picture of the plan.

photo from: Wikid77

And the result was a resounding failure.

Next they're drilling a relief well.

Mama gnome asked they can do that? Well, guess what? It's only going to take them oh I don't know...two to three months!

So Mama gnome would like to give them a big failing F grade and off blog Mama gnome would like to say the F stands for something else.

BP plc, as they rightfully should, continues to come up with ideas to try and control the Gulf Coast Oil monster according to this report by Robert L. Cavnar on Huffington Post

Mama gnome would like to list them here for you:

"top hat"
"junk shot"
"top kill" also known as "bullheading"

What?

You think Mama gnome's been putting something into her morning elixir drink (so vital for life)?

No, please read Mr. Cavnar's post. And here is a small bit of what Robert Cavnar said:

"One very strong impression I have is just how unprepared BP was for an incident of this magnitude. They have had to manufacture all of these devices on the fly, including the manifold they are currently setting next to the wellhead. They are taking suggestions from anyone and everyone who wants to call, and seem willing to try almost anything."

For anyone interested here is a list of BP plc's products.

Anyone NOT interested is what Mama gnome means.

I mean, you don't have to go that am/pm store now do you? You can get your gas NOT from Arco?

Mama gnome would like to call on an eco-super hero to defeat this monster.

And that mild-mannered, even-keeled super hero is YOU!

Please go green and help save planet Earth.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster

2010-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome doesn't like horror movies. She doesn't like scary stories. But here is a horrible story that is real.

The story of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster...

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig caught on fire from an explosion and sank two days later. 11 workers are still missing and presumed dead.

The Deepwater Oil Rig was hired by BP plc, formerly British Petroleum Company plc.

Cue the scary music because Mama gnome found out this is not the first time BP plc has been involved in environmental disasters.

BP plc was also responsible for:

October 2007, a toxic spill nearly 2,000 gallons of mostly methanol onto Prudhoe Bay
"In August, 2006, BP shut down oil operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, due to corrosion in pipelines leading up to the Alaska Pipeline. BP had spilled over one million litres of oil in Alaska's North Slope."
"On March 2005, the Texas City Refinery, one of BP's largest refineries in the USA exploded in 2005 causing 15 deaths." BP plc was fined $87 million by the US OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration).BP plc's "cost-saving measures" cut out maintenance and safety measures thus neglecting to correct safety hazards all in the name of saving money.

And now BP plc is involved with this ongoing environmental disaster off the coast of Louisiana that Mama gnome calls the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster.

photo from: NASA

It truly is a terrible monster for they estimate over 5,000 barrels of oil is spewing into the ocean every day. But that number may be much higher if the structure continues to deteriorate.

This Oil Spill Monster may be responsible for the 20 sea turtles found dead along the Mississippi beaches this weekend.

This Oil Spill Monster is so terrible it...
"will have eclipsed the Exxon Valdez in terms of total gallons of oil before the weekend is over -- making it the largest oil spill in U.S. history -- according to calculations made by oceanographer Ian MacDonald after studying aerial Coast Guard photos taken earlier in the week."

Mama gnome's hair is standing on end at the thought that
"...the spill could surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster that poured 260,000 barrels of crude into waters off Alaska in 1989."

This Oil Spill Monster is poised to destroy precious habitat: marshes, wetlands, beaches.

This Oil Spill Monster is poised to destroy the livelihoods of Gulf Coast fishermen.

video from timesofearth

Mama gnome wishes she had super gnome powers to defeat the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Monster.

Mama gnome dreads the thought that offshore drilling will continue and expand into "once protected areas "and more Oil Spill Monsters will spawn.

How can we have a happy ending to this horror story?

Mama gnome is afraid there is no happy ending.

But we can help prevent the spawning of new Oil Spill Monsters.

Log on to 350.org's action page to ban offshore drilling.

Please do not throw away discarded car oil down the driveway, dripping onto streets and finally into storm drains. They all end up in the ocean.

Discard them responsibly, because if you don't you will be creating your own oil spill monster.

Please help save our oceans and Go Green...

(c)2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2010-04-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome presents, with great sadness, the Mystery Animal of the Day.

This animal known as the "cheetah of the sea" may be extinct in less than two years because it is literally being consumed into extinction.

It is the cheetah of the water because
"when chasing prey they travel at speeds that can exceed 70 kph"

Mama gnome marvels at how a fish that can grow as big as "4 metres in length and average around 250kg in weight" can still move that fast.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Mama gnome urges you to stop eating sushi or sashimi with this critically endangered animal as the ingredient.

photo from: OpenCage

According to a New York Times report:
On March 18, 2010 the United Nations Delegates at a United Nations conference on endangered species in Doha, Qatar, soundly defeated American-supported proposals on Thursday to ban international trade in bluefin tuna and to protect polar bears.

And just how dire is the situation for this fish? (Mama gnome has reported about the plight of the polar bears a few times before. But she will address the issue of worsening situation for polar bears on another post soon.)

According to this post:
With stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna down 75 percent due to the rapacious appetites of Japanese sushi lovers, the defeat of the proposal was a stunning setback for the Americans, Europeans and their conservationist allies who had hoped the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, would protect the fish.

Mama gnome doesn't even think we should call it "stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna" because "stocks" give you a false sense of security.

Forget stocks.

It's down to 25 percent of the previous population.

75 percent of the population has been eaten, consumed, wrapped in seaweed and served on a plate. They're gone.

Please watch this video from WWF

video from: wwfus

And here is a clip from the movie, "End of the Line"

video from: endofthelinemovie

If humans prize this fish so much, wouldn't it make more sense, a lot of sense, to conserve it?

It's like the whole world is on fish crack. Yes, fish crack.

Humans are so addicted to sushi or sashimi, this tuna is literally being eaten into extinction.

Why don't we allow this magnificent animal to recuperate its numbers instead of just unbridled consumerism?

Mama gnome urges you to participate in an intervention.

Stop this addiction and talk with your friends and family about the plight of the bluefin tuna.

Seriously reconsider what you order when you eat at sushi or seafood restaurants.

Please, help save the critically endangered bluefin tuna and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome told young gnomelets, "This coming Thursday will be Earth Day."

Older gnomelet said, "Mama, we need to make signs."

Yes, older gnomelet is Mama gnome's ecowarrior. She was Mama gnome's secret weapon against Plastic Bag Monster when Mama gnome took on Plastic Bag Monster on the 14th day of September in the year two thousand and nine.

This Thursday, September 22, 2010, will be the 40th year Anniversary of Earth Day.

Mama gnome and the gnome family will be wearing green, eating green and acting "green" on that day.

Green as in Eco-super-duper-nifty-sing-on-rolling-hills-green.

How can we be green on Earth Day?

Make it a meatless day.

Becoming vegetarian is one of the most significant acts to helping the environment.

According to this post:

"The United Nations have concluded that meat production is responsible for around 18% of global CO2 emissions. 5,214 gallons of water are required to produce a single pound of beef, and the EPA estimates that more than 27,000 miles of US rivers have been polluted by livestock waste. Individually, you could make a great deal of change by putting down the meat and going vegetarian."

Avoid driving if you can or limit the amount of driving you do.

Turn off all unnecessary lights and electric gadgets. The gnomelets are excited. Brushing their teeth and bedtime story are so much more interesting when it's by candlelight.

Please do not use plastic bottles, plastic bags or disposable plates, spoons, forks, napkins and other throw away products.
Plastic Bag Monster cannot wait to amass more minions to gather in landfills and in our oceans.

Plant something. Herbs in the kitchen, window box, a tree, flowers. Daddy gnome is going over plans for the gnome family's vegetable garden. Mama gnome will keep you posted on how this project is going.

Visit Earth Day Network.

Please watch this.

video from: JckSwan

Mama gnome wishes everyday is Earth Day.

Please make it so and Go Green!

(c)2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2010-04-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome presents with a shudder...the Mystery Animal of the Day

Older gnomelet asked..."Mama, what is the biggest spider in the whole world?"

And so for my curious gnomelet, Mama gnome presents the:

Goliath Bird-Eater Spider

photo by: universoarachnido.com

Goliath is an apt name for this tarantula for it can have a leg span of almost a foot long and inch long fangs.

They live in the rainforests of South America.

Though they are called bird-eaters, the Goliath Bird-eater's diet normally includes other insects, rodents, bats, lizards and "even deadly venomous snakes."

Tarantulas do have fangs but the venom is "relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to a wasp's sting."

But if you are like Mama gnome, would you really want to test this fact?

So here are warning signs for you to heed if you ever want to go exploring in a rainforest in South America.

If you hear a "hissing sound," do not be like a human from B horror movies and say, "What is that sound?" and go and investigate.

It is much more prudent for you to walk the other way for the hissing sound may be from a Goliath Bird-eater Spider that has been disturbed and is now rubbing the bristles on its legs together to warn off other animals.

Another thing to watch out for is if the spider aims its abdomen towards you. It might start to flick off its urticating hairs from its abdomen towards you.

Mama gnome urges you to duck and cover your face because the bristle hairs can irritate your eyes, skin and lungs. "They've been reported to feel like shards of fiberglass."

Now that Mama gnome has given you all sorts of warnings, here is something else to remember "tarantulas generally bite humans only in self-defense." So leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

And as it turns out just like Mama gnome, these spiders have "poor eyesight and mainly relies on vibrations in the ground that it can sense from its burrow."

One difference is Mama gnome mainly relies on her sense of smell and can usually find her way to the gnome house by the smell of baking cookies.

Here is the Goliath Bird-eater Spider

video from: NationalGeographic

But here's something you might not be aware of...just like the endangered jaguar of the Amazon rainforest, there are also species of spiders that are endangered or threatened.

According to the IUCN red list some of them are:

Parambikulam Large Burrowing Spider: Endangered
Finely Formed Parachute Spider: Endangered
Rameshwaram Parachute Spider: Critically Endangered
Peacock Parachute Spider: Critically Endangered
Wonderful Parachute Spider: Endangered
Reddish Parachute Spider: Endangered

And these are just from the Tarantula family, Mama gnome did not even list the other species of spiders that are also endangered.

The culprits for the spiders' critically decreasing population are:

"Loss of habitat, severe fragmentation and indiscriminate collection by pet traders"

Mama gnome urges humans to help protect these creatures as well.

They deserve a good home just like gnomes and humans do and they belong in the rainforest not in a glass or plastic container.

Now don't make Mama gnome start hissing and directing her hairy legs at you for some "urtication."

That would not be a pretty sight. It will indeed irritate your eyes.

So leave Mama gnome and Goliath Bird-eater spiders in their burrows alone and Go Green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Where's An Eco-Super Hero When You Need One?

2010-04-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome donned her pointy hat and green cape. She raised her arms up towards the sky and flew like a majestic Philippine Eagle ...thud
Mama gnome fell on the wooden floor of the gnome house, her housecoat tucked around her like a wilted cape.

"You alright, Mama gnome?" asked Daddy gnome.

"Uh...think so. I dreamt I was saving Planet Earth, that's all."

Mama gnome shook her head because no matter how hard she tries, she doesn't have super powers to save planet Earth.

And Earth needs an Eco-Super Hero now more than ever.

Last Saturday, April 3rd a Chinese ship ran aground into Douglas Shoals, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park of Australia, one of the most delicate marine environments and is supposed to be protected.

According to this report, "The ship hit the reef at full speed, nine miles (15 kilometers) outside the shipping lane."

The Chinese ship, Shen Neng 1, was transporting 72,000 tons of coal from Gladstone, Australia back to China. The coal freighter was also carrying 1,075 tons of engine fuel.

It's reported that Shen Neng 1 "has at least one punctured fuel tank."

Operations are underway to stabilize the vessel and unload the fuel.

But from this picture, you can see the long oil slick trailing from the vessel.

photo from whitealley

The oil slick was reported to be 3 km long.

video from current

The Australian reports this disaster has the "potential to become one of Australia's worst environmental disasters."

And Mama gnome would like to add, indeed one of planet Earth's worst environmental disasters.

Mama gnome looks down at her short gnome legs and arms. She can't fly and she doesn't have super strength. She's at a loss.

Where's an Eco-Super Hero when you need one?

Right now, the eco-heroes are the humans working to clean up the oil slicks and prevent further leaks into the waters.

But human action is needed to prevent future accidents like this from happening.

Please help save planet Earth in your own way, do something which has the potential to be help save this planet, and Go Green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Who turned off the lights? Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome double checked the calendar.

Yes, right there, a blue circle around March 27th, Saturday. A special night. A date night for Mama gnome.

It's Earth Hour 2010.

Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007.

Please visit EarthHour.org

Mama gnome made plans for Earth Hour 2010.

On March 27th 8:30 pm, the gnome family will switch off all non-essential lights and electrical appliances in the gnome house for one hour to show support for planet Earth.

You may not be aware of this...but Mama gnome has a very uneasy relationship with Computer.

Computer likes to play mind games. Mama gnome recounts a painful experience about printing pictures and Computer chose to be difficult and there was a gnome-Computer stand off moment.

There has been an uneasy truce between Mama gnome and Computer since then.

So for Earth Hour, Computer will be turned off.

Daddy gnome will not have access to his precious computer for an hour.

Pardon Mama gnome while she laughs like a crazy lady. Bwahahahaha! Bwahahahaha!

Ehemm...ehemmm... Mama gnome fixes her slightly askew hat.

So what are Mama gnome's plans for Earth Hour 2010 at 8:30 pm when she will have Daddy gnome to herself with Computer safely turned off?

Lots of candles strategically placed around the gnome house and

home cooked dinner on Mama gnome's aga stove.

On the menu: vegetarian meatloaf and peach cobbler.

Daddy gnome might just forget about that Computer even longer than an hour.

Maybe Daddy gnome might end up like this human in the video. Toggle the light switch on and off and watch the dramatic changes.

from: EarthHour.org

video by: wwfaustralia

Please have a romantic candle light dinner on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 pm.

Be part of Earth Hour 2010 and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

The tuna bone's connected to the turtle bone..turtle bone's connected to the dolphin bone...

2010-03-18T01:08:00.000-07:00

The tuna bone's connected to the turtle bone...the turtle bone's connected to the dolphin bone...the dolphin bone's connected to the whale bone...

I know what you're thinking.

Did Mama gnome add a little something-something to her cup of morning elixir (so vital for existence) drink?

The answer is yes, as in about a cup of good old-fashioned eye opener potion.

How did that tuna get into your sushi? Most likely the tuna was caught with a giant purselike net or purse seine that's sickeningly huge.

How big?

How about a mile deep.

Let me say that again.... One mile...

With Mama gnome's short legs, it can take her a while to walk one mile..

That's how deep that net can be.

Who the heck throws these nets?

Yes, Mama gnome also had the old fashioned notion that tall humans with well-defined arms cast off these nets from romantic boats while the sun rises on the horizon.

Mama gnome would just like to wake you up with a dose of another truth medication.

Just as scary to have factory farming on land, we have "factory fishing" in the oceans.

Here's a video of factory fishing in action using a giant purse seine net, quite capable of catching 3,000 tons of tuna in a single fishing trip.

video by: GreenpeaceVideo

If you think the mile long net is terrible, here's another eye-opener.

Nets can be torn up and damaged, so they use metal to clear the path.

Metal as in deep sea trawlers.

Deep sea trawlers are equipped with heavy metal doors weighing as much as 6 tons.

These doors are attached to a behemoth nets which "can be as large as 55 meters across and 12 meters high." (180 feet across and almost 40 feet high)

Mama gnome would like to present this visual reference.

The blue whale is the "largest mammal in the world" and it can grow up to 33. 6 meters or 110 feet.

The blue whale can fit in that net and still have tons of room for other creatures to be caught with it.

Deep sea trawlers are dragged across seafloors causing maximum damage.

Ahhh...we're not really going to miss all that coral are we?

What do you mean that one reef was 1,800 years old? Older than the Pyramids?

Well...um...those critically endangered sea turtles were just in the way.

And so were those dolphins and sharks.

Please watch this video which shows a deep sea trawler being dragged on the seafloor.

video from: GreenpeaceVideo

Our oceans are being overfished by industrial fishing fleets because of insatiable consumer demands.

Mama gnome wants to give a wake up call to all her human friends.

"Wake up my human friends. Have you heard that human saying, there's lots of fish in the ocean?...Well, it's not true. Seriously. It's not true.

Lots of fishes are being caught, marketed, shipped and eaten into extinction.

How are the tuna, dolphin, sea turtle, whales, even coral connected to the same bone?

When these industrial fishing fleets set out to catch whatever they want to catch with their massive football size nets that dredge up the ocean floors, do you think they would stop to save the accidental bycatches of dolphins, sea turtles, sharks or corals? No...no...they don't.

What can you do to help stop overfishing?

Boycott restaurants that serve endangered marine creatures such as the bluefin tuna, whales, dolphins, sea turles, sharks, shark fin soup.

Eating these animals is like eating lions, cheetahs, tigers into extinction.

Look for the Marine Stewardship Council label. Here is the link for their website which lets you "find restaurants or shops around the world that sell MSC certified seafood."

Visit this site for a "guide to good fish guides."

Here's another thing to consider. Become vegetarian. Mama gnome knows this might be a huge challenge. Mama gnome knows for it was her greatest challenge ever.

But if you get past three months, it becomes easier.

Mama gnome just couldn't live with that stomach churning feeling every time she ate meat.

As a serious environmentalist, she just couldn't eat meat anymore knowing it's one of the biggest contributors to global warming, yes, the meat industry aka factory farming. Would you like your steak with a side of treefrog or tapir?

Just recently Mama gnome learned that the proposed ban on fishing of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna was not approved.

Mama gnome wonders, why would people who love to eat this fish, not want to see it continue to live and prosper so they can continue to enjoy it for years and years.

When will humans learn the tuna bone's connected to the turtle bone...the turtle bone's connected to the dolphin bone...the dolphin bone's connected to the whale bone...the whale bone's connected to the human bone...the human bone's connected to the gnome bone.

We are all connected.

All the animals and plants on this planet know it, except for the humans.

Please watch this amazing video of humans catching tuna the old fashioned way.

No nets. No trawlers. Just lines and rods.

video from: BBC

Please dive into the ocean with Mama gnome and open your eyes to its beauty and life.

Swim against the current, swim for your life and Go Green.

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome meets Gnomemart meets Eco Hero?????

2010-03-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome almost fell off the tree stump when she read this post by Matthew McDermott on treehugger.com:

"Walmart announces they will cut 20 million tons of greenhouse gases from supply chain by 2015."

Not only that.

Mama gnome almost choked on the oatmeal raisin cookie she was eating when she read this post by Tolly Moseley on Planet Green:

"Three Eco- and Socially-Conscious Companies to Watch: One of Them's Wal-Mart
One wants to reduce your paper usage, one wants to help non-profits, and yes, one is a big box chain store."

Mama gnome paced in front of the aga stove, back and forth with her arms crossed, her forehead furrowed.

Daddy gnome asked, "What's wrong?"

Mama gnome said, "What's wrong? This...this...Gnomemart...I cannot figure it out. Either all the humans who work there were abucted by aliens and replaced by humanoid eco-friendly aliens...or...or... Gnomemart is no longer an Eco-enemy but is now an...gulp...Eco-hero???"

Daddy gnome said, "Get a hold of yourself Mama gnome, the young gnomelets might hear you. What would they think? Why the whole world must be turning backwards or something. It can't be...It goes against everything we know."

"I know, I know, Daddy gnome but it's right here...Not just one, but two...two posts...Gnomemart is going....Green?"

Yes, Mama gnome straightened out her pointy hat and sat down to mull over these new developments.

Why would Gnomemart or as humans call it Walmart go green?

Apparently going green is the key to seeing Green, green with dollar signs.

Matt Kistler, Walmart SVP of Sustainability, said,

"Carbon is a cost. If we can remove carbon from a supply chain, ultimately they become more competitive. If they can use less energy in the manufacturing of the product, or if the consumer uses less energy, they are certainly reducing their costs or putting dollars in the pockets of their customer."

Just as Mama gnome had known all along, going green really pays.

From the cookie-choking report by Tolly Moseley, Mama gnome read:

"Walmart...Apparently wants to go local...A Chicago Walmart just started offering rental space to local mom-and-pop outfits."

I know, I know...

It's mind-boggling.

But Mama gnome gives credit where credit is due and Walmart gets high-fives from this old gnome for getting on the right path.

Now when this giant chain removes the plastic bags, also known as minions of Plastic Bag Monster, and instead offers reusable green bags, Mama gnome might need to be taken out on a stretcher.

Let's see how it's supposed to be done in this video:

video from: AnimalPlanetTV

Please make Mama gnome dizzy and light-headed and go Green!

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2010-02-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

It is the largest predatory fish and found in all the coastal waters of our oceans.

It can grow up to twenty feet or over six meters and weigh over 4,000 pounds or 2,200 kilograms.

Mama gnome is saddened by this recent post stating this animal is

"now more endangered than tigers with fewer than 3,500 left in the oceans..."

If you've guessed the Mystery Animal is the Great White Shark, Mama gnome urges you to bring your own reusable bags to stores instead of using the flimsy plastic bags because a lot of them end up in our waterways and oceans killing marine birds and animals.

Photo by Terry Goss, copyright 2006

The great white shark is grey with a white underbelly thus they are named great white.

All sharks including the great white possess special sensing organs that

"enable them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. Every time a living creature moves it generates an electrical field and great whites are so sensitive they can detect half a billionth of a volt."

Mama gnome is in awe of this magnificent creature and agrees this animal deserves our respect.

And as someone much shorter than humans she is surprised to read:

Despite their grisly public image from the movie Jaws, great whites rarely eat people, finding them too bony for their digestive systems.
Each year they are responsible for five to 10 attacks on people.Some shark experts say attacks on people are usually accidental - with the creatures mistaking people for seals.

Great whites find humans "too bony for their digestive systems." How about that?

And who really is the predator? Man or shark?

With millions of sharks killed every year for soup, shark fin soup, I think sharks have more to fear than humans.

video from: BBCEarth

Great white sharks are now more endangered than tigers.

Great whites are endangered by hunting and overfishing.

Can you imagine our planet without tigers or lions?

It would also be hard to imagine our oceans without these magnificent sharks.

They play a vital role in our ocean's ecosystem.

Please help by supporting the Shark Conservation Act

Boycott restaurants who serve shark fin soup.

Do you really need to buy that trinket with the shark's tooth?

Please help detect electromagnetic fields emitted by heartless humans who trade in shark products and give them a mouthful of spirited words to educate them about their actions and the plight of the great white sharks.

Swim against the tide and Go Green!

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The World Is Flat And The Air is Refreshingly Clean

2010-01-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome woke up with a start and sat bolt upright.

She dreamt she'd fallen off the edge of planet Earth.

In her dream whilst she was freefalling through open space, Mama gnome was surprised to find the air off the edge of the planet was actually super darn nifty clean.

"Now how about that?" Mama gnome muttered while she rubbed her eyes and placed her pointy hat on her head.

She got up, slipped on her dragon slippers and trudged to the kitchen to drink a cup of her morning elixir so vital for existence.

Mama gnome drank from her mug and perused the news for green issues, a daily ritual for Mama gnome.

She spluttered and coughed when she read this post by Brad Johnson.

Mama gnome's dream wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare.

And her nightmare had come true.

Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, is cosponsoring legislation introduced by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to block the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

And these Senators are not alone.

"Three Democrats (Landrieu, Lincoln, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska) joined every Republican except for Collins & Snowe of Maine, DeMint (SC), and Ensign (NV) in co-sponsoring the resolution, which would overturn the Supreme Court-mandated and science-based endangerment finding for greenhouse gases."

video from: progressivemediavid

Planet earth must be deflated flat for there is no other logical explanation why these people would oppose the United States Clean Air Act and propose Senate Joint Resolution 26, also called the "Dirty Air Act" by environmentalists.

And as Mama gnome likes to call it the Dirty Trick Act and off blog she would like to call it... something else.

Mama gnome urges you to oppose the Dirty Air Act.

What are the repercussions if the Clean Air Act was effectively opposed by legislation?

Well the world might as well be flat for it seems our logic and reasoning has gone backwards.

For all US greenhouse emitting monstrous corporations that burn oil, burn coal, burn fossil fuels and burn whatever else that emits greenhouse, global warming, air polluting-rooting-tooting-burn-your-lungs stuff...these companies would just have a giant party at our expense for they can just kiss emission capping, greenhouse regulation stuff goodbye.

Goodbye Clean Air.

Hello Dirty Air.

Please contact your senators and tell them you oppose Senate Joint Resolution 26, aka Dirty Air Act.

We don't have barriers limiting air to the United States, air to France, air to China.

Air permeates all over planet Earth.

Help stop the Dirty Air Act.

Help planet Earth keep whatever clean air she has left, whatever decency she has left.

Tell your Senators, "Wake up! Planet Earth is not flat!" and Go Green!

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2010-01-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

With heavy heart, Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day, for it is considered the most endangered of all the largest mammals in the world.

The IUCN lists this animal as critically endangered with "less than 50 mature individuals" in the wild.

None exists in a zoo. This animal does not fare well in captivity.

Poachers are the main culprit because this animal's horn and other body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine even though it is illegal.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal is the Javan Rhinoceros, Mama gnome wants to shake your hand and she urges you to educate your friends and family about the terrible fate this animal faces because of poachers and people who illegally buy and sell them for "medicinal purposes."

Here is a rare picture of a Javan Rhinoceros in the wild taken by Alain Compost in 1980.

photo by Alain Compost from rhinoresourcecenter.com

The Javan Rhinos live in "protected" areas in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia and in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam.

Mama gnome placed the word protected in quotes because Javan rhinos continue to be threatened by poachers in these areas. They are also vulnerable to diseases and problems with inbreeding because of their low numbers.

The Javan rhino has a single horn. This animal is smaller than the Indian Rhinoceros. The Javan rhino's hide is gray, thick and has folds, giving it the appearance of armor. Rhinos have poor eyesight but they have very keen hearing and sense of smell.

The Javan Rhino is a herbivore and feeds on fallen fruit, shoots and twigs. It is usually a solitary animal except for mothers with their calves and during breeding.

They estimate only five to ten Javan Rhinos are in Vietnam and these individuals have stopped reproducing many years ago.

Mama gnome was quite fascinated to learn, there once were Wooly Rhinos, just like there were Wooly Mammoths.

Here is an illustration of the extinct Wooly Rhinoceros.

photo from: Charles R. Knight, H. Osborn, 'Men of the Old Stone Age'

Wooly rhinos are gone and Javan rhinos may soon disappear.

And this time man is directly responsible for this.

Please help save the Javan Rhinos and prevent them from becoming extinct.

What can we possibly do to help?

Educate other people about this animal and the terrible effects poaching has inflicted on their entire population.

Visit WWF and the International Rhino Foundation.

Report businesses and people who trade on Javan Rhino horns and body parts. It is illegal. It has been illegal since 1975.

Here is a rare video of Javan Rhinos in Ujong Kulon National Park taken by remote-sensing camera:

video by: DiscoveryNetworks

These animals are on the brink of extinction. Please help the Javan Rhinos and all the other rhinos who suffer the same fate.

Just like a rhino, Mama gnome has poor eyesight. But she has a keen nose and multiple folds in her skin. She will use her armor like folds and pointy hat to ward off poachers.

Become part of Mama gnome's rhino protecting team and Go Green.

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Paper...Rock....Scissors....Trees!

2010-01-15T04:06:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome asked Daddy gnome, "Are those young gnomelets or monkeys?" for the two gnomelets were climbing over him like young arboreal animals and not two gnomelets who lived in a burrow.

"I think they're wild animals," said Daddy gnome while he wrestled with the gnomelets.

"Alright, let's settle down now. Come here and let's play another game," said Mama gnome. "How about a game of paper, rock, scissors?"

"Alright, Mama. How do we play?" asked baby gnomelet.

"Rock beats scissors because scissors can't cut rock. Paper beats rock because it can cover the rock. Scissors beat paper because it can cut paper."

So the young gnomelets learned to play this game while Daddy gnome got up to drink some of Mama gnome's elixir of life (so vital for existence). The young gnomelets zapped all his energy.

But now Mama gnome wants to talk to you about a different sort of game.

Mama gnome calls this game, "Paper...Rock...Scissors...Trees."

For in this game, paper beats both the rock and scissors and trees win.

This paper is special for it is made from recycled paper. And if it's super special the paper is made with a high percentage of post consumer content.

This means only a small percentage of the paper comes from virgin fiber from trees.

If humans all over the world used recycled paper and paper products and less from virgin fiber paper, more trees will be saved.

According to the National Resources Defense Council:

If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.

Mama gnome almost fainted when she read that.

That's five hundred forty-four thousand...trees.

Not weeds, not bushes, not dandelions, but real living, breathing trees.

Please watch this video "Unchopping a Tree" by Maya Lin

video from: unchopatree

Here's a list of special paper products from the Natural Resources Defense Council website.

Please visit their site to see an entire Shoppers Guide for paper products with recycled paper and quite a few made with high content from postconsumer waste.

Please know that Mama gnome's blog is a non-profit blog.

She does not receive or take advertisements and does not receive any sort of money or profit through this blog.

This blog is entirely because Mama gnome's fervent love for trees, nature and planet Earth and she does not want to make any profit from planet Earth's problems.

So the link for NRDC's list above is truly to arm you with that special paper you will need to win Mama gnome's special game of paper-rock-scissors.

And if you pick the best paper with recycled paper made from high content of postconsumer waste then game on...

Paper...rock...scissors...Trees!

Please be a winner for planet Earth...

For this new year, be the best darn paper rock scissors player on this planet.

Let go of your virgin fiber paper products...go for Super Paper instead and Go Green.

(c) 2009-2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

"Winter Wonder...huh?"

2010-01-03T01:34:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome rubbed her hands together and pulled her pointy hat down to cover her ears.

'Tis another blustery evening here at the Arctic thought Mama gnome.

She worried she might have to trek over five miles to find the last remaining edible shrubs.

Mama gnome donned on her boots, thick coat and a ten foot long scarf.

She gripped the doorknob and yanked the door open prepared for the worst Arctic wind blast.

"Here we go...here we go out to a wonderful winter wonder....huh?"

Wonder...land?

It was land, barren earth, more like it.

For the snow was gone, the ice melted.

The Arctic sea ice was gone.

Mama gnome described a scenario which may not be far fetched.

According to this post, on December 14,2009 former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Danish ice scientist Dorthe Dahl Jensen presented a startling prediction about the future of the Arctic Sea Ice.

"New computer modeling suggests the Arctic Ocean may be nearly ice-free in the summertime as early as 2014."

2014...that's five earth years from now, thought Mama gnome.

Young gnomelets will still be young gnomelets, yet the Arctic Sea Ice in the summer of 2014 will be virtually gone.

What would happen to all the arctic animals who rely on the presence of ice to hunt for food and for their survival?

Mama gnome wished it would be just as easy for them to dine at a fancy restaurant like these polar bears in the video.

video from: MiracleEntertainment

Mama gnome thought humor would be appropriate otherwise she would be pulling her hair out.

But it is not a laughing matter...global warming.

Did you find Mama gnome's poem for global warming funny? Exactly.

What will we have have without polar ice caps and Arctic sea ice?

When ice melts you get water.

That would be tons of water.

Oceans of rising sea levels.

Mama gnome doesn't want to go there...

Please keep up our winter spirits, help fight global warming and Go Green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2009-12-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome is proud to present the Mystery Animal of the Day

This mystery animal is a mammal with mostly reddish brown fur, with color variations ranging from silver to black to "patterning" in their fur.

This animal is native to North America, Africa and Eurasia. It is also found in the United Kingdom and Ireland and was introduced in Australia for the "sport of hunting."

This mystery animal is featured extensively in children's literature portraying characters who are resourceful, sly or "foxy."

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the Red Fox

Mama gnome congratulates you and asks,

"Maybe you can read a book to a child and it might just even have a fox in it?"

photo by Malene Thyssen

Red foxes are remarkable animals, able to adapt to different environments from mountains, forests, deserts, farms and suburban areas.

Their diet range from vegetables, fruits like apples and plums, rabbits, fish, worms, mice and they may also scavenge food from trash and pet food.

They generally hunt alone and extra food are buried and hidden in separate areas. The red fox hides food in small portions thus avoiding the risk of losing all of the stored food if found by another animal.

The red fox is burdened with the fate of "fox hunting."

The red fox was introduced into Australia specifically for "recreational hunting" around 1850.

"Fox hunting with hounds" continues to be practised in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Russia, India and France.

The passage of the Hunting Act of 2004 made the sport of fox hunting with dogs illegal in
England and Wales. Scotland banned foxhunting in 2002.

But Mama gnome wants to clarify, even though the "sport" of fox hunting with dogs was made illegal in these countries, fox hunts continue.

And what's worse is "widespread" illegal fox hunting reportedly continues.

Mama gnome wants to know who really is the wily and cunning creature?

The red fox or the people who continue to hunt this animal for "sport"?

As though that is not enough, the red fox is also burdened by the fur industry.

"Red foxes are among the most commonly bred animals in fur farms, along with the American Minks."

"Today silver fox is traditionally used for collars and cuffs, wraps and stoles, while common Red fox fur is used for trimming and for full fur garments."

Remind Mama gnome again...who is the cunning, conniving, wily villain in the picture book?

The red fox being chased by dozens of dogs into her den with her babies?

Or the red fox stuck in a cage to be skinned so a woman can have trimmings on her coat?

Please watch this beautiful red fox in the Yellowstone National Park.

video by: PBS

Mama gnome urges you to boycott business who sell fur and fur products.

And even faux fur is sometimes mislabeled.

You think you're wearing something "ecofriendly" but it might just be real fur so don't even take a chance.

Educate your family and friends about the plight of the red fox.

Support bans on fur farming.

During this holiday season, wear a coat that will warm you to the core of your heart,

give a truly remarkable gift...and Go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome's Green Wish List

2009-12-20T00:17:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome braved walking amidst tall humans milling around with eyes busy shopping and hands close to their money bags.

Yes, Mama gnome went Christmas shopping.

She even ventured into the gargantuan Gnome Club.

Mama gnome saw a human dressed as Santa Claus standing by the tomatoes and radishes and speaking on his phone of cellular proportions.

Mama gnome went home and shared the news.

"I saw Santa Claus at the Gnome Club, " said Mama gnome whilst the gnomelets struggled into their bunny suits at bedtime.

Baby gnomelet said, "Mama...was it a pretend Santa or a real Santa?"

Mama gnome paused for a moment and finally said, "I don't know."

Mama gnome was struck by baby gnomelet's question.

How can she tell if it was a real Santa or not?

As a gnome she didn't know any elves who might be privy to this information.

Mama gnome realized a real Santa would have no difficulty giving her items on her Green Wish List, as long as she was on Santa's good gnome list.

So with fingers crossed, Mama gnome wrote a letter not to the pretend Santa but to the "real Santa."

Dear Santa,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you in good spirits and if not, please help yourself with the plate of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies left by the aga stove and don't forget to drink a draught of Mama gnome's elixir, so vital for life.

I'm sorry to bother you but as a gnome to a Santa...please grant a wish or two to this old mother gnome.

I don't know where to start. But this is not the time to be stymied.

Mama gnome's first green wish is a give-a-tree card from arbor day.org. A tree would be planted in a forest in honor of the recipient.

This tree would grow tall and majestic for every year my gnomelets grow. This would be a lovely gift for Christmas.

My second green wish would be a stainless steel water bottle...to help Mama gnome continue her personal battle against the bane of her existence, Plastic Bag Monster, and his minions.

Mama gnome might take up knitting once more and knit a water bottle cozy.

A water bottle dressed up to the nines will make plastic bottles shrink into a recyclable stage.

Mama gnome's third green wish would be 100% postconsumer waste printer paper and eco-friendly ink cartridges.

They would come in handy when Mama gnome finally prints a story she'd been writing for little gnomelets.

Within the bracket of 100% recycled paper, Mama gnome would go bonkers over 100% recycled toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper. Think how many trees would be saved.

Here's a list from the Natural Resources Defense Council of how many trees would be saved if households purchased paper and paper products from recycled or postconsumer waste instead of virgin fiber.

They report "if every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper(500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees."

Yes...423,900 trees saved just by replacing the toilet paper.

Yes, Santa...that many trees.

Now, don't get too comfortable checking off my list because Mama gnome's green wish list also includes....(drum roll)....a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine!

No, it won't poke my eye out.

This turbine is environmentally friendly as in it would not be a spinning death machine for birds. It is even eligible for federal tax incentives and rebates.

It's green power. Does Mama gnome need to say more?

Now Santa, go ahead and finish that cookie because Mama gnome's green wish list has culminated to wish number one: solar panels.

Mama gnome knows it would make your landing on the roof trickier but think of all the green power it would produce and actually help reduce greenhouse gases up in the sky where you have to fly anyway.

Mama gnome knows they could be expensive but there are programs available now where the consumer can lease solar panels, avoiding the costs of buying them upfront.

Mama gnome would pass out if she sees the lovely reflection of sunlight from solar panels on the gnome roof.

Mama gnome said, "That would be off...the fishing hook."

Thank you so much for all the hard work you do every year, Santa.

I think I was mostly on the nice list this year and avoided heated arguments with humans who drove giant SUV's while smoking cigars and wearing fur coats.

So please, please consider my green wish list.

Sincerely,
Mama gnome

Mama gnome hopes your wish list might have a "green item or two" in there and if you think of another green item, please don't hesitate to write a note to Mama gnome as well.

But "green" gifts are gifts that show you really care for the recipient, gifts that show you care for the environment, gifts that show you know the true value of gift-giving.

Mama gnome and her family would like to wish you and your family a joyous, peaceful and Green Holiday season!

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Candles and a song for Copenhagen

2009-12-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

Though it was cold outside...inside the building Mama gnome felt the warmth of meeting kindred spirits of people who came there for the same purpose:

To light candles for Climate Change Action in Copenhagen (COP15) so that nations will work together for a "fair and binding" climate deal that will reduce carbon dioxide parts per million in the atmosphere to 350.

Mama gnome spotted Leah Levitt who organized this event.

Mama gnome met her previously at an event for 350.org's International Day of Climate Action.

Leah said she hoped more people would show up and Mama gnome nodded her head, mindful of the importance of this event.

And more people joined Mama gnome and Leah...

They were:

Vianna Friss
Judy Garrett
Geoffrey Levitt
David Perkins
Ulrica Bell-Perkins
Eugenia Regan
Mike Vernetti

(c) photo by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

The vigil started with Ulrica reading a speech by President Nasheed of Maldives calling for nations and people to sign up for a "survival pact." Below are excerpts...

Scientists say that global carbon dioxide levels must be brought back down below 350 parts per million.

And we can see why.

We have already overshot the safe landing space.

In consequence the ice caps are melting.

The rainforests are threatened.

And the world’s coral reefs are in imminent danger.

Members of the G8 rich countries have pledged to halt temperature rises to two degrees Celsius.

Yet they have refused to commit to the carbon targets, which would deliver even this modest goal.

At two degrees we would lose the coral reefs.

At two degrees we would melt Greenland.

At two degrees my country would not survive.

As a president I cannot accept this.

As a person I cannot accept this.

I refuse to believe that it is too late, and that we cannot do any about it.

Copenhagen is our date with destiny.

....After all, it is not carbon we want, but development.

It is not coal we want, but electricity.

It is not oil we want, but transport.

Low-carbon technologies now exist, to deliver all the goods and services we need.

Let us make the goal of using them.

Mike Vernetti wrote a song about global warming and the need for climate action after he watched the movie, "An Inconvenient Truth."

He performed his song, "Not Welcome Here," at our candle vigil.

His song warns...

"We can no longer wait for just the right time...Life won't be the same when we're not welcome here."

We heard Mike's beautiful voice and words. We want our voices heard as well.

Global warming is a stark reality for all of us... and for many... it is a reality of great peril and loss of their homes and lives.

We want our nations' leaders to sign a "fair and binding" climate agreement that will help bring our planet back from the brink of global warming disaster and on to the safe path for 350.

Mama gnome urges each and every one of you to make your voice heard as well.

Please speak out loud and Go Green.

(c) Mike Vernetti "Not Welcome Here"

(c)2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

I Warm You Globally...Let Me Count The Ways....

2009-12-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome loves to read poetry sometimes.

And one of her favorite poems is, "How Do I love thee? Let Me Count the Ways" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Mama gnome thought in honor of the ongoing COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference,

she presents a poem showing the severity and gravity of not love...but of Global Warming.

"How Do I Globally Warm You? Let Me Count The Ways..."

I globally warm you to the depths of your oceans and the heights of your atmosphere

My carbon dioxide parts per million can reach, when feeling out of breath

For I sought to end the being of fresh air and ideal blue skies.

I globally warm you for every mile the humans drive

Most earnestly in their clunkers and SUV's.

I warm you copiously, as men dig for more oil

I warm you hideously as men mountain cut and burn more coal.

I warm you with the oil slicks that cover ocean waters

I warm you even more with each melting ice sheet

In my old global warming ways and with your petroleum companies' faith

I globally warm your Earth with greenhouse emissions

I seem to gain every day---

I globally warm you with every tree, coal and fossil fuels you continue to burn- and, if You choose...

I shall globally warm your Earth better after death.

No it's not supposed to be a lovely poem. It's horrific. Just like Global Warming.

Here is a picture taken by NASA dated 2007 showing the amount of Arctic Sea Ice that has been lost because of Global Warming.

NASA, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17800

Please show how many ways you love Earth and let us count the ways...

Go Green.

(c)2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Meet my Copenhagen Frenemy...

2009-12-03T23:50:00.001-08:00

Mama gnome can be quite old-fashioned sometimes and speaks in the manners of the old.

But 'tis is not the time to be quiet. Mama gnome will speak out against frenemies...

Eco-frenemies.

An eco-frenemy, a term coined by Mama gnome, is someone or something disguised as eco-friendly but in reality is an enemy...and therefore an Eco-frenemy.

And she has revealed such an eco-frenemy here.

At this time, Mama gnome would like to unveil a two-faced, sneaky, malarkey, heebie-geebies inducing eco-frenemy....CAP AND TRADE...

Cap and trade...

Aka...Emissions trading.

Aka...The-plan-to-make-money-from-carbon-emissions-but-not-necessarily-have-to-lower-their-emissions-let's-hold-off-on-doing-something-to-actually-solve-global-warming-but-how-about-we-make-some-money-in-the-meantime-plan-thingey, etcetera,etcetera,etcetera.

But don't take Mama gnome's oldie but goldie way of describing things.

This is how wikipedia explains Cap and Trade:

"Emissions trading (also known as emission trading and cap and trade) is an administrative pproach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.

A central authority (usually a governmental body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. Companies or other groups are issued emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Companies that need to increase their emission allowance must buy credits from those who pollute less. The transfer of allowances is referred to as a trade. In effect, the buyer is paying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having reduced emissions by more than was needed."

No wonder there's global warming.

Come on...Mama gnome understands it's not as simple as shutting down all the coal factories.

But hey...you know what, that's exactly what Dr. James Hansen, NASA's climate scientist, said needs to be done. Not as short and straight like how I said it. But here's the video.

video from: IowaIndependent

Who supports cap and trade? Apparently Exxon Mobil supports cap and trade. I wonder why?

Hmmm. Could it be for profit?

Who are against cap and trade?

All these people laying down on the ground and protesting are against cap and trade.

photo of "Chicago Climate Justice activists protesting cap and trade legislation at the intersection of LaSalle & Adams in Chicago Loop" byWesha

Who else is against cap and trade?

Mama gnome, gnomelets and let me see...just to prove it's not just Mama gnome and her close relatives...here's a list from Steve Kirsch at Huffington Post .

The list includes Dr. James Hansen, Al Gore, Congressional Budget Office, the inventors of cap and trade, George C. Marshall Institute, Thomas Friedman, Sierra Club, even China, yes China.

Dr. James Hansen said of cap-and-trade, “They are selling indulgences there. The developed nations want to continue basically business as usual so they are expected to purchase indulgences to give some small amount of money to developing countries. They do that in the form of offsets and adaptation funds.”

What does Dr. Hansen and the other people and groups on the list support? Fee-and-dividend

Please read the comparisons made between cap-and-trade and fee-and-dividend here.

Here is a video that talks about Eco-frenemy Cap-and-trade.

video from:vegsister

Mama gnome wants to throw her pointy hat down and just say, "Wake up, people."

Cap-and-trade, should be called Cop-out-and-trade. It's a cop-out, a shriveled up, emission coated and oily cop-out.

Global warming will not be solved by half-measures and flimsy band-aid solutions.

We don't get to do Plan B in case Plan A fails. We're already running out of precious sustainable earth time.

Can we afford to do cap-and-trade until 2050 and say,
"Ummm...whoops..guess we should've done the other one instead. Can you pass me the oxygen mask and the dingy?"

No...no...no...

Mama gnome is afraid. She's really afraid.

Cap-and-trade is knocking at the door and a lot of people at Copenhagen is letting him in.

Wake up, wake up!

Mama gnome wants to announce Cap-and-trade when he walks in.

"Distinguished guests of the United Nations Climate Change Conference...please meet our Copenhagen frenemy...Cap-and-trade. Now say goodbye real quick, because Mama gnome is going to kick him out the door."

Go green...

(c)2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2009-11-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome hungs her head low and wrings her hands together for the

Mystery Animal of the Day is predicted to be extinct in fifteen years. Not fifty, but 15 years.

This magnificent animal roams in Africa. It is the largest land animal. Its tusks are actually teeth, tusks developed from its second set of incisors.

And it is because of these tusks, that this animal will disappear from Africa in fifteen years.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the African Elephant,
Mama gnome urges you to visit the websites for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and WWF to read up about the plight of African elephants and other animals and see how you can help.
photo from wikipedia.org

The African Elephant is being wiped out by man because of the ivory trade.

According to IFAW:

"Despite ivory trade being banned 20 years ago, a shocking 104 elephants are still being killed every day for their tusks. This alarming level of illegal hunting could drive the African elephant to extinction across much of the continent in just 15 years."

According to this report:
In 2005 there were 3,885 elephants in Chad's Zakouma National Park. But in 2009 there were only 617. "At least 11 rangers were killed by poachers there over the same period."

So elephants and people are being killed by poachers.

But what exactly will happen if Africa loses all of her elephants?

As it stands, Africa will lose a lot more because African elephants play a vital role in Africa's biodiversity.

According to WWF, elephants help "...maintain suitable habitats for many other species in savanna and forest ecosystems."

Mama gnome nods her head and understands your question for she herself didn't understand just how important elephants are.

WWF states:

"Elephants directly influence forest composition and density, and can alter the broader landscape.
In tropical forests, elephants create clearings and gaps in the canopy that encourage tree regeneration.
In the savannas, they can reduce bush cover to create an environment favorable to a mix of browsing and grazing animals.
Many plant species also have evolved seeds that are dependent on passing through an elephant's digestive tract before they can germinate;
it is calculated that at least a third of tree species in west African forests rely on elephants in this way for distribution of their future generations."

video by: BBCWorldwide

This video shows an orphaned elephant mourning the death of her mother while keepers at an elephant reserve try to take care of her.

video from BBCWorldwide

More than 100 elephants are killed by poachers every day. More than 100.

How many baby elephants are left orphaned or left to die without their mothers?

All these for ivory.

Where are ivories used? Anywhere from pipes, dagger handles, decorations, sculptures, religious figurines or images. For knick-knacks.

Mama gnome is horrified to discover ivory products were being sold even on eBay up until 2008. That's right. You read that correctly. And only because of pressure from IFAW, eBay finally resolved to ban sales of ivory products in 2009.

Mama gnome urges everyone who reads this blog to educate their friends, family, coworkers, even strangers about the plight of African elephants and how ivory trade is literally decimating hundreds of elephants every...single...day.

Mama gnome says, "Please be one with the herd, join Mama elephant and Go Green."

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

A grateful gnome

2009-11-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome bustled around the aga stove all day. Today the gnome family celebrated a day of giving thanks.

At the table, Mama gnome said, "Family, I wish to say thank you to all of you, to Daddy gnome, to elder gnomelet, baby gnomelet, Auntie gnome. Mama gnome is very thankful for all your love and support, especially when we have to battle Plastic Bag Monster."

At this point, the gnome family stopped eating and went grrrrr... at the thought of Plastic Bag Monster.

Mama gnome continued, "I'm also grateful for our planet Earth, our trees, oceans, polar bears and all creatures big and small. But please tell me, what are you most thankful for?"

Elder gnomelet said, "For water, Mama. And the plants and trees. Because I love trees!"

Auntie gnome said, "Marine life! Marine life! Our oceans especially without pollution are so beautiful."

Daddy gnome said,"I'm thankful for our garden, Mama gnome. Even though we live here where it's quite city like, we have our yard where the trees and plants make me feel quite at home."

Mama gnome said, "Quite right, Daddy gnome. You are quite right."

Baby gnomelet said, "I'm thankful for Mama for giving me all this food!"

Mama gnome smiled.

video by Earthshots.org
music by Sigur Ros, "Hoppipola"

Mama gnome wishes everyone would see the bounty and beauty of our planet and show our gratitude by helping her stay safe. Please Go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Operation Desert Cleanup

2009-11-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

The gnome family bundled themselves up. They wore their warmest tunics, long pants, sturdy shoes and pointy hats.

"Where are we going, Mama?" asked baby gnomelet.

"We're going to help clean up the desert," said Mama gnome.

"Yehey!!!" The gnomelets shouted in unison while Daddy gnome tried to wrestle them into their special gnomelet seats.

By the by, Daddy gnome drove the gnome car to Prime Desert Woodland Preserve.

Mama gnome slumped in the passenger seat and sighed. The cold turned her breath into a miniature puffy cloud.

She'd seen low turnouts at the beach for Coastal Cleanup Day and at the park for the 350 International Day of Climate Action.

What would make this event any different?

She promised herself if more than a dozen humans showed up for Operation Desert Cleanup, a carrot cake baked from scratch would be the centerpiece for that night's supper.

After Mama gnome cleared her head of carrot cake imagery, an ugly picture replaced it, the bane of her existence.

Yes, Plastic Bag Monster.

Plastic Bag monster exists not just in our rivers and oceans but also in our parks, streets and even deserts. Plastic Bag Monster's-not-so-secret-headquarters is at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, joined by his minions of plastic bottle monsters, styrofoam monsters, bits and pieces of unrecognizable trash monsters.

The gnome car drove into the resting lot for cars at the Desert Woodland Preserve.

Mama gnome pulled down her pointy hat and sat up straight in her seat.

"You ready, Mama gnome?" Daddy gnome asked.

"Yes, let's do it."

Two human ladies waited for the gnome family.

Judy, one of Daddy gnome's colleague and friend, said, "I knew you'd come."

"Of course," said Daddy gnome.

"We have some gloves here for you. You'd probably want some for your young ones, " the other lady human said smiling at the gnomelets. The friendly human lady was a volunteer at the Woodland Reserve.

"Thank you. They have their own gloves," Mama gnome said.

"Very well. I'll show you where you can start."

The gnome family and Judy followed the lady.

Mama gnome admired the Joshua trees and beautiful desert landscape whilst keeping an eye on young gnomelets.

The lady stopped and said, "You can start cleaning over there, by the fence. You probably won't get a lot of trash. Be careful. Don't step into rabbit holes and there are coyotes here so keep your young ones close by."

"Coyotes?" Older gnomelet's voice went up.

Mama gnome watched her, afraid older gnomelet would be frightened at the thought of coyotes.

Older gnomelet threw back her head and said, "Coyotes howl like this, AWOOOOOOOOH!"

Soon baby gnomelet copied her big sister and the two gnomelets howled in unison.

"That's very clever. But now listen, remember the rules. Stay close to Mama gnome and watch where you step," said Mama gnome.

"Yes, Mama." The gnomelets said together.

It hadn't even been two minutes, when the first trash was picked up by guess who?

Yes, Mama gnome's secret weapon, ecowarrior, Older gnomelet.

"Look, Mama," she held up in her gloved hand a discarded cigarette end.

"Good job. Let's put it in the trash bag," Mama gnome said. Older gnomelet dropped the cigarette butt in the bag.

Mama gnome though to herself, "Cigarette and dry desert brush, so-dry-they'll-spark-if you-stare at-them-too-long-dry. Perfect deadly combination for wildfire. Some people are so thoughtful."

The gnome family "combed the desert" and within an hour found: countless pieces of broken glass from beer bottles, plastic bags stuck in thorny brush. Mama gnome yanked them out from their snares with long twigs she found on the ground. They also picked up a rusted spring, an old tab for a soda can Daddy gnome said was from the time when he was a gnomelet.

"Boy, that's really ol...um, let's keep going," Mama gnome said walking away from Daddy gnome.

Older gnomelet lived up to her name as ecowarrior and found styrofoam cups, old soda cans, bits of plastic remnants.

Baby gnomelet found a few pieces of trash and found a treasure in a long stick she'd picked up from the ground. She waved that thing for almost the whole time, creating good practice for Daddy and Mama gnome to duck out of harm's way.

After an hour, the gnome family, combed and rid the desert of these:

Just when Mama gnome thought Daddy's bag was quite full and stretched thin,
older gnomelet pointed to something colorful and quite unnatural under a bramble.

Daddy gnome walked around the thorny bush and yanked out not just one, two or three but four blankets and sheets.

Daddy gnome hauled them out to a clearing. They were heavy, encrusted with dirt and mud.

"Great job, little one. You saw those blankets. Good eye!" Mama gnome said to older gnomelet.

Older gnomelet said, "Yes, Mama. But look there's lots of broken glass here." She was quite unfazed.

After two hours, the gnome family walked back to the car resting lot to meet up with the other volunteers.

Some of the odd trash found included:

an old microwave
two slides from a playground set
a car muffler including the tailpipe
one of those plastic cones used to cordon off for safety
"at least thirty year" old rusted tin cans
lots of metal scrap
a spoon
a disembodied hand from a doll

Mama gnome looked at all the trash collected by the volunteers. Operation Desert Cleanup's tally:

Though the total number of humans who volunteered on that day was less than carrot cake baked from scratch threshold, Mama gnome hugged Daddy gnome and gnomelets and said, "Great job everyone. I'm so proud of you."

Mama gnome said thank you to the kind human volunteers.

She walked back to the gnome car with an exhausted baby gnomelet in her arms, Ecowarrior older gnomelet by her side, and images of freshly baked, chocolatey fudge brownies danced in Mama gnome's head.

Please, keep thoughts of a beautiful clean planet Earth in your head and Go Green.

(c) 2009 all photos and post by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2009-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mama gnome presents:

Mystery Animal of the Day

It is the largest "arboreal" animal, an animal that lives primarily in trees.

Its hands are similar to human hands with four fingers and an opposable thumb.

This animal is mostly covered with reddish brown hair.

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is: ORANGUTAN,

Mama gnome shakes your hand with her gnomish hand which also possesses an opposable thumb and she says,

"100% postconsumer paper is one of the best things in the world because it helps to save our forests."

photo from: Oliver Spalt

Orangutans are found in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the Sumatran orangutan as critically endangered and the Bornean orangutan as endangered.

Orangutans are in dire...yes, dire straits. According to IUCN:

This species is seriously threatened by logging (both legal and illegal), wholesale conversion of forest to agricultural land and oil palm plantations, and fragmentation by roads.

Animals are also illegally hunted and captured for the international pet trade but this appears to be more a symptom of habitat conversion, as orangutans are killed as pests when they raid fruit crops at the forest edge..."

This video is a snippet showing orphan orangutans rescued.

video from: BBCWorldwide

Yes, Mama gnome also has trouble wrapping her mind around this disturbing truth:
Orangutan mothers are killed (either shot down or hacked with machetes) by poachers to take
the baby orangutans to be sold in the black market as pets.

Do the people who paid to have an orangutan pet realize they paid to kill mother orangutans?

The Malay word 'orang utan' translates to "man of the forest."

"In 1994, Carel van Schaik of Duke University became the first anthropologist to document the use of tools among wild orangutans." He observed orangutans in the wild used tools and that this skill was social or "cultural" meaning it was learned by orangutans from watching other orangutans within their group.

An example van Schaik cited was how orangutans extracted seeds from a favorite local fruit "puwin." Puwin is covered with fine hairs as sharp as "plexiglass needles" according to van Schaik. To avoid being hurt or jabbed by the needle like hairs on the fruit, orangutans insert a fine stick inside the fruit to obtain the seeds without handling the puwin directly.

But if you watch this video you will be even more amazed at just how intelligent orangutans are.

video from: BBCEarth

What exactly is the impact of losing the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra? Is it equivalent to just losing the orangutans, the "people of the forest"?

No. The scope of the devastation goes beyond that. According to the WWF:

"The rate of deforestation in Indonesia is among the worst globally, with a staggering 80 percent of the nation's wood supplies thought to come from illegal sources, including nature reserves and other protected areas."

Mama gnome wants to reiterate: 80% of timber comes from illegal logging. Trees supposedly in protected areas and nature reserves are under no protection at all.

WWF also states:

"Conversion of forests into palm oil plantations has been shown to result in the loss of 80-100 percent of the mammal, reptile and bird species in the area."

"...Indonesia accounts for more than 14 percent of global deforestation. This represents almost half of the total global carbon emissions from deforestation and land degradation — almost twice as much as Brazil (the second-largest producer of greenhouse gases from land conversion), and more than three times Malaysia (the third largest)."

"Indonesia ranks fourth in the world in terms of total carbon emissions — behind the U.S., the European Union and China, and ahead of Brazil. Deforestation and forest degradation account for more than 83 percent of Indonesia's carbon emissions."

They are literally destroying rainforests and consequently contributing to global warming in pursuit of financial profit.

What can we do to help the orangutans and other species lost by rainforest destruction?

Use papers that are made from postconsumer waste. If it's 100% postconsumer waste, that's one hundred percent even better.
Recycle paper such as junk mail, shredded paper, telephone books, magazines you cannot donate to the library, your old school notes.
Instead of using paper towels or paper napkins use cloth napkins, cloth rags, old shirts reused as rags. You'll save money as well as save trees.
Support reforestation efforts.
Give eco-friendly cards such as these from Arborday.org.
Look for Fair Trade Certified labeling on products such as coffee, chocolate, tea, fruit, sugar and rice when shopping. They endorse products obtained through sustainable practices.

Mama gnome now feels like living in a tree for a while and if she spots illegal loggers trespassing in her forest she will hurl spiky puwin fruits at them to protect her baby and her trees.

If they persist to cut down trees despite being jabbed by the puwin fruit, Mama gnome will use her handy-dandy opposable thumbs and show them the way out of the rainforest, the fastest way out of the rainforest.

Mama gnome hopes you've enjoyed learning about the Mystery Animal of the Day.

In the meantime, please make your opposable thumbs equally handy in the tricky human world full of gadgets and tools and

Go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Copenhagen in December :Be there or be square...

2009-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen...A magical place, a wondrous place...

It is Denmark's capital and ranks as one of the most ecofriendly cities in the world with "36% of its citizens bicycling to work every day for a total of 1.1 million km. Copenhagen's water in the inner harbor is so clean it can be used for swimming."

Mama gnome agrees 'tis quite a magical place and even more so for this December, Copenhagen's Bella Center will be the hub for the United Nations Climate Change Conference December 7-18, 2009(COP15 2009).

photo from Froztbyte

Mama gnome dreams about going.

She will swim through the clean waters of the inner harbor, bike down the paths lined with trees, trudge down to Bella Center as fast as her short legs can take her, go up the stage and call attendance!

United Kingdom?

Lovely to see you.

Japan?

Oh, wonderful.

India?

Thank you so much for coming.

Indonesia?

Mama gnome is very happy to count you in.

China?

Wow, you made it too? Mama gnome is impressed.

United States?

Umm...United States? U.SA.? Sent-first-man-to-the-moon-United- States-but-can't-commit-to-Copenhagen-United States?

Silence.

Cue the crickets....

Mama gnome's daydreaming ends abruptly. She finds herself pacing in front of her aga stove, with arms crossed and tsk...tsk...tsks...

Will the knot in her stomach ever go away? The waiting and not knowing will maim her if the knot doesn't.

Will December 7 be known as tremendous day of heaping disappointment for Mama gnome if the United States does not do its part in Copenhagen?

Mama gnome and the rest of the world will wait with bated breath for December 7, 2009,

She hopes United States, China and all countries participate and pledge significant changes to current policies addressing the need for sustainable green energy and significant reductions in greenhouse emissions.

Here's an insightful video explaining the significance of Copenhagen in December.

video from RealClimateNews

Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister for Climate and Energy and incoming COP15 president stated in an interview for cop15.dk,

“If the whole world comes to Copenhagen and leaves without making the needed political agreement, then I think it’s a failure that is not just about climate. Then it’s the whole global democratic system not being able to deliver results in one of the defining challenges of our century. And that is and should not be a possibility. It’s not an option.”

Here is a short video featuring former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, addressing the Global Editors' Forum at a conference in Denmark and Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

video from EUXTV

Mama gnome is quite aware of the financial difficulties all countries are going through now...but a bigger problem looms over every single person and living thing on this planet,

GLOBAL WARMING

It doesn't matter how much money you have in your bank account if the bank is underwater, literally underwater.

Mama gnome calls on developed countries and developing countries who produce significant emissions that worsen global warming to fess up, buckle up and commit to repairing the damage, halt further injury and save the planet.

"There is no plan B as we don't have a Planet B."

Copenhagen in December...Be there or be square...

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

And the bells rang 350 times...So did the maracas, baby rattles and gong

2009-10-28T00:10:00.000-07:00

The sun burned bright on the fateful day of October 24, 2009.

Mama gnome, Auntie gnome and elder gnomelet worked on posters worthy of being ecofriendly for they were made by their gnome hands on recycled paper and held up by twine and clothespins.

They worked feverishly to finish on time.

Their plan: to participate in the International Day of Climate Action. A day initiated by 350.org.

Mama gnome had previously consulted 350's map of action for October 24 and found a human and pet rally will be held at the local park to call attention to 350's cause: to call attention to human world leaders to work on bringing carbon levels in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. Current levels are at a dangerous 390 ppm.

By the by, the gnome family and their pet, a baby dragon, made it to the park.

Mama gnome said right before she pulled into the car resting lot, "If no one else is here, we'll do our own rally."

Mama gnome said this with confidence, though inside she was secretly afraid.

It would not be the first time she'd seen low numbers for environmental causes.

And what did she see when she pulled the gnome car in? No one. Not one human or dog...

Mama gnome said, "It's okay, maybe we're early. Not time to panic yet. Besides our posters are quite eye-catching thanks to Auntie gnome."

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Auntie gnome said, "Maybe they're on the other side."

Elder gnomelet said, "Mama, where are the dogs?"

Baby dragon said, "Zzzzzz."

Mama gnome said, "Other side? Okay, we'll try the other side. But usually they walk the dogs over here..." But hope flickered anew.

After a few stealth maneuvers and gnomish driving, the gnome car pulled into the other car resting lot.

It was packed. And lots of humans walked around.

The children wore colorful shorts,knee high socks and shirts embellished with numbers on the back.

Mama gnome said, "Strange, their numbers are not 350."

Finally, with eyes sharp as an eagle's, Mama gnome spotted three humans with one dog and they were holding up 350 signs!

Mama gnome shook hands with them. She met Leah, the human lady coordinating this local event. Leah brought her very eco-friendly dog.

Mama gnome decided not to introduce baby dragon to the dog at this time.

Slowly, our numbers increased.

We gathered round and the bells rang...and so did the baby rattles, the gong and maracas 350 times!

With every beat, Mama gnome's heart swelled, amidst the group of tall humans, gnomes, dogs and baby dragon.

In that moment, hope grew inside.

Our numbers may have been scant compared to the gatherings in New York and Sydney, but our spirits were strong and united with every one else on the planet who came together for this cause, for 350, for planet Earth.

photo by: Jim Adamik

Though that day has passed, make everyday a day of climate action and Go Green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

2009-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mama gnome presents the

Mystery Animal of the Day

It is "the rarest member of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals."

This animal has distinct black patches over its eyes, ears and body.

It possesses dangerous levels of cuteness, making anyone susceptible to its charm.

Anyone who looks at it is prone to saying, "Awwww...So cute."

If you guess the Mystery Animal is Giant Panda, Mama gnome wants to give you a giant panda bear hug.

Here is a 7 month old Panda cub from the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China

photo from: Sheila Lau

Do you not see the overwhelming power of its cuteness?

The Giant Panda has been the World Wild Fund for Nature's symbol since WWF was established in 1961.

Because of habitat loss from logging and farming,the panda's territory has shrunk to a few mountain ranges in south China. A long time ago when it was a greener Earth, this bear once roamed as far as Myanmar and Vietnam.

IUCN categorizes it as endangered. IUCN reports: "Results from the most recent survey, coordinated by the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), indicated a total population of ~1600 individuals."

The Giant Panda's diet is 99% bamboo. According to this report, the panda consumes as much as twenty to thirty pounds of bamboo a day. Apparently, the panda's round face and rotund body is adaptation to its mainly vegetarian diet and resulting low metabolism.

Mama gnome recognizes increased kinship with the panda for she herself has similar adaptations of a round face and rotund body from mostly peanut butter diet. Granted, she is not as cute as this animal, but the rotund part she has down pat.

Unlike other temperate bears, the Giant Panda does not hibernate. During winter, it moves down to lower elevations to find bamboo and take cover in crevices, trees and caves.

Pandas are protected by the Chinese government and efforts continue to increase their numbers. The State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) work together to improve the panda's population and habitat.

Forest reserves for this animal were started in 1963. In 1990 there were 13 panda reserves. There are now over 50 panda reserves according to the WWF.

Yet the Giant Panda continues to be endangered because of deforestation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching.

And here is the Giant Panda in action. Prepare yourself.

video from BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome now feels like rolling around, munching on leaves, staking her territory against poachers and illegal loggers.

If she meets any such unseemly humans she will radiate panda cuteness on them to ultra power intensity and the hapless humans will run away, run away in shame...

Mama gnome hopes you've enjoyed learning about the Giant Panda.

Please visit her garden soon for the next Mystery Animal of the Day.

In the meantime, munch on edible leaves, stake your claim on Mother Earth and go Green!

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Lean Green Fighting...er...Gnome

2009-10-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

A gnome trudged down the aisle, climbed up with much difficulty over the platform and crawled into the ring.

Finally the two fighters faced each other in the ring.

The crowds hushed.

The announcer grabbed the microphone and said:

"In this corner, wearing a green pointy hat and tunic, weighing one hundred th...mmmmmph...Mama gnome please take your glove off my mouth...huh? Fine I won't say your weight...Okay, in this corner, wearing green and weighing ummm slightly less than a polar bear, Mama gnome!"

Mama gnome raised her gloved hands and jogged around the ring, repositioning her hat.

Daddy gnome, gnomelets and a couple of dwarves cheered and clapped.

"And in this corner wearing a rather filthy, soot covered shorts, weighing atmospheric concentrations of 390 parts per million carbon dioxide, the monstrous Global Warming Machine..."

The crowd coughed in unison from the stench of noxious fumes that emanated from Global Warming Machine, planet Earth's mortal enemy.

Mama gnome checked with her coach, Daddy gnome.

Through her mouthpiece, Mama gnome mumbled, "Right hook wind turbine then or should I give him the solar power jab?"

Daddy gnome said, "He looks worse than the graphs, Mama gnome. I'm afraid, neither one will be sufficient."

Mama gnome said, "What about the reforestation dancing jig? Float like a monarch butterfly, sting like an anaconda?"

Daddy gnome shook his head with tears in his eyes.

Mama gnome said, "The reusable bag club? Recycled bottle bash? What? What? Daddy gnome answer me!"

Global Warming Machine growled and hissed. CO2 and methane gases spewed out and blew out a couple of compact fluorescent light bulbs. The troll sitting in the front passed out.

Daddy gnome whimpered, "I love you, Mama gnome. At least the gnomelets will see you fight with honor."

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! The bell tolled.

Mama gnome turned around, pulled back her shoulders and looked at the Global Warming Machine. Armed with the green smolders in her heart, Mama gnome charged...

On October 24, 2009 Mama gnome will face off against this behemoth Global Warming monster. But she will not be alone.

October 24, 2009 is the International Day of Climate Action

On this day, Mama gnome will follow the lead of 350.org, an organization founded by environmentalist and author,Bill McKibben. Lean Green Fighting Ecowarriors will launch environmental acts to fight global warming and bring attention to this cause.

350.org based their name from the number 350.

photo from flickr.com 350.org

350 is the magic number according to James Hansen, head scientist of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

From Bill McKibben's blogpost, he said:

"350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere."

"Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt."

On October 24, 2009, be one of our planet's Ecowarriors and battle against Global Warming to take back our planet.

video from: 350org

Log on to 350.org's map of action. Just type in your city, state, country and find out what action you can take part in. This is a global endeavor.

And in case there isn't one close to you, you can decide on your own battle plan, engage in some kind of eco-friendly, "green" action that will help fight global warming as well as emphasize the number 350.

Plant a tree, plant a fruit tree, turn off your TV on that day, be off the grid that day, walk to work, bike to work, ring the bell 350 times, walk 350 steps, something that will help contribute to this cause, bring attention to the number 350.

Mama gnome is jogging and lifting weights, holding off on eating her favorite peanut butter cups (a huge sacrifice for the motherly gnome) for a week, just so she'll be in better shape to battle against the monstrous, stinky Global Warming Machine.

She's consulted the 350 map of action and will ally herself with fellow Ecowarriors on that day.

Mama gnome shouts her battle cry, "Save energy! Save the polar bears! Go Green!"

Ding ding ding ding ding....

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog