Helping the Whales

The following is intended to provide direction in what we all can do to reduce stresses to whales as they are serving as ambassadors of the state of marine ecosystems.

We are all connected to these astounding animals and impact their welfare no matter how far we may live from an ocean. Every little bit of positive action helps.

Compiled by Jackie Hildering, Last updated: July 2nd, 2007

Summary table of actions to reduce chemicals in the environment.

Seven more in depth ACTION points follow below. .

Action	Ways to reduce persistent organic pollutants	Additional ways to reduce other chemicals in the environment	Explanation
Be chemical aware!	• Know if the chemicals you use are harmful to the environment and if you have to use them dispose of them properly • Use environmentally safe alternatives • Avoid using pesticides
Care!	• Live knowing that you are connected to the Earth’s other creatures • Insist on finding out if things are dangerous before we start using them
Make your voice count	• Share what you know with others. Use your vote and stand up for your right to be toxin free!
Buy smart	• Buy less things you don’t really need • Buy from companies with good environmental practices	• When you have a choice, buy things you need from close to home	E.g. IKEA and Toshiba, Apple, Dell and Hewlett Packard do not use PBDE’s in their products. Buying from close to home means less pollution from fossil fuels
Eat smart	• Eat less animal fat	• Eat less food with additives	By eating less animal fat, there is less chance that you are taking in persistent organic pollutants.
Make less garbage	• Through buying less • Don’t use disposable items e.g. non-rechargeable batteries; Styrofoam cups; plastic bags! Reuse things. • Share things you no longer need instead of throwing them out e.g. donate to second hand store • Fix things rather than throwing them out • Recycle more	• Buy things with less packaging • Compost more • Create less food waste	The more we reduce, reuse, repair and recycle, the fewer chemicals go into environment. In electronics and foam products, these chemicals can include PBDEs
Save energy	• Use less electronic devices	• Walk, bike, skate-board, etc more as a form of transportation • Carpool and use public transportation more • Use alternatives to fossil fuels • Use energy efficient vehicles, appliances, light bulbs, etc. • Unplug more and enjoy nature! Unplug appliances you are not using, use less TV, game boys, computer, etc.)	Less electronics means less chance of having a product with PBDEs Using less gas and oil means less fossil fuel pollution Most electrical generators operate on fossil fuels
Save water		• Use less water so that it does not need to be treated as often	Also saves energy that goes into treating sewage and purifying water

1. Become informed about the stresses that whales endure and share this knowledge

a. Overview:

The draft national recovery plans for resident and transient killer whales provide excellent detail regarding the threats to killer whales
Threats to whales - summative article "Whale Saving Starts at Home" May 2007.
For Whale's Sake - follow-up links for past articles re. impacts to whales

b. Toxins:

Great News! (April 3rd, 2007) Washington is the first American state to ban all forms of brominated fire retardants!
Suzuki Foundation's response to Environment Canada's PBDE management proposal; includes a report by Dr. Peter Ross and updates on what other countries are doing with regard to PBDEs Fireproof Whales and Contaminated Mother’s Milk: The Inadequacy of Canada’s Proposed PBDE Regulations
Environment Canada's proposed risk management strategy for PBDEs; includes an overview of what other nations' initiatives against PBDEs.
Dr. Peter Ross’ initial research on bioaccumulation in killer whales (scientific paper)
Dec 2006 - Update on new EU chemical legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals)
Background on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants aimed at banning the "Dirty Dozen" (12 historical bioaccumulative chemicals - May 17th 2004 bulletin).
Information on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) from the Japan Offspring Fund. Includes a presentation from Jackie Hildering
Oceana’s report on POPs in marine life
Background information on brominated fire retardants (PBDEs), the new Persistent Organic Pollutant.
- From the European Health Alliance
- Oceana’s PBDE fact sheet
- Essay by Stubbs Island Whale Watching naturalist Sarah Richardson
- From the Environmental Working Group (USA ) – extensive report on toxins in the environment
- From Our Stolen Future
- Answers to frequently asked questions about PBDEs

c. Whaling, Culling and Captivity:

Reports from the OrcaLab on the last International Whaling Commision meeting (2007)
Petitions against the barbarity of whaling Whales Revenge ; International Fund for Animal Welfare and Echoes in the Blue (anti-whaling petition by the author who has put his marine biologist perspective on whaling into print in the book "Echoes in the Blue." )
Dolphin drive hunts background information
Petition against Dolphin Drive Hunts still conducted in Japan.
Petition against Canada's harp seal cull from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (March 2007). Fisheries and Ocean's Canada countering of "myths" re. the seal hunt.
Anti-whaling campaign by the Environmental Investigation Agency
Greenpeace’s anti-whaling campaign
An explanation of the arguments used by pro-whaling nations about why whaling should be "okay." Apparently, whales are "agents of mass digestion." A perspective by Dr. Jonathon Stern. (May 2007)
Whaling "Completely unnecessary and irredeemably cruel" (Georgina Davis WDCS, Nov 2006) see article
History and current issues in whaling from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Captivity issues from the WDCS
International Whaling Commission’s webpage
Inventory of orca in captivity with life spans of the animals; goes up to recent incidents such as the Ultrish aquarium catch (2003).
The Lien report (1999) - review of live-capture and captivity in Canada

d. Sonar and general noise issues

Seaflow
USA Humane Society's Sonar Page
Potential impact of sound on cetacean hearing - see lesson 4 in lesson plan by Anna Hall and Jackie Hildering
Center for Whale Research's information on strandings linked to sonar

e. Latest reports on issues facing whales / oceans:

From the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
From the American Cetacean Society
From Oceana
From the David Suzuki Foundation

2. Reduce consumption of the world’s resources. Become aware of your ecological footprint and work to reduce it. Don’t buy into the consumerism paradigm.

On-line calculation of environmental footprint by the “Redefining Progress” organization. Available in many languages and provides a comparison of your result for other members of your country. Another environmental footprint calculator is available from the Canadian organization "Ecovoyageurs."
Make sustainable consumer choices regarding seafood.
FLICK OFF Global Warming. Environmental Defence, with Virgin Mobile Canada, Roots Canada, MuchMusic and the Government of Ontario, is asking Canadians to FLICK OFF global warming. Find out how to reduce your impact.
"What you can do” from Environment Canada – lists actions specifically for community, home and school
Recycle more! It does make a difference! See the information put together by Stubbs Island Whale Watching naturalist, Leah Thorpe the Waste On-Line Resource , the On-line recycling guide , British Columbia's Recycling Hotline and Materials Exchange and the Eco-BC webpage with lists of the recycling centres nearest you. See also the brochures addressing specific recycling issues e.g. gardening; recycling in schools, etc. from the North Shore Recycling Programme.
What do to with old electronics? Don't put them in the landfill!!!! See the recycling links above and the Electronics Product Stewardship webpage for recycling options
Ocean Alliance’s 10 things you can do to save the ocean
As a company or community, follow the approach of “The Natural Step” - A non-profit environmental education organization working to build an ecologically and economically sustainable society
Take David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge
Buy from companies with sound social and environmental practices. Note that the following list is of course not inclusive: Eco-business directory; Mountain Equipment Co-op; Patagonia. Companies dedicated to ensuring PBDEs are not in their products: ; Patagonia; Hewlett-Packard, Apple, IBM, Toshiba, Fujitsu Siemens, Motorola, Intel, Panasonic/Matsushita, Sony, Dell, Phillips, Ericsson, Canon; Ikea, Berkeley Mills, Volvo.

3. Use non-toxic; biodegradable; “earth-friendly” products. The following links provide insights and alternatives

Non-toxic home care from Earth Easy
Simple, effective, and safe recipes for non-toxic household cleaning products
Georgia Strait Alliance’s Toxic Smart guide with assessment and alternatives for cleaning products, pesticides and so much more
Article on the “Body Burd en”; chemical loads in our bodies. See “What Can I Do?”
List of alternatives to PBDEs and some companies who use these alternatives
Take a tour of the “toxic-free h ome” and become aware of problems and alternatives
Be aware of what household products contain toxins
World Wildlife Federation’s advices for reducing toxic chemicals; includes recipes for cleaners
Join the American Cetacean’s Whale Friendly Lawn Campaign
North American Pesticide Action Network; gives advice on non-toxic pesticides
North America ’s databank of environmentally sound products and services
British Columbia’s Recycling Hotline and Materials Exchange - provides assessment of chemicals and alternatives. Scroll to the bottom of this webpage.
A full household range of environmentally safe products; great page on “making a difference” too.

4. Live by the precautionary principle/approach using your power as a consumer and voter to ensure that we find out first if practices are dangerous to the environment before we proceed with them.

The Precautionary Principle as determined by the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (see Principle 15)
Commonwealth - description of the precautionary principle
Science and Environmental Health Network's resource page on the precautionary principle

5. Undertake direct action to ensure that the bioaccumulative Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are no longer used nor created.

Ensure that governments take on a “cradle to grave” approach to chemicals; that new chemicals must be tested and that manufactures have responsibility for the full life cycle of the chemicals. Note that this is currently not a policy of the US “Environmental Protection Agency”.

Canadians, sign the Labour Environmental Alliance Society's petition.
Write a letter to your member of parliament and/or Ministers of Environment, Health, or Industry or (CANADA) local representative ( USA ).

6. Support research, conservation and undertake action to stop the barbarity of whaling

Examples:

Support research by donating to the Wild Killer Whale Adoption Programme
Support the National Resource Defense Council

7. Educate

(lesson plans by J. Hildering)

Lesson plan on bioaccumulation in killer whales
Lesson plan on ecological foot-printing
Lesson plan on the potential impact of sound on harbour porpoise
Links to all the marine mammal species of our area