The fin whale is the world's second largest animal, growing to 27 meters in length (88 feet). It's an endangered species, and the International Whaling Commission has banned its commercial hunting. Iceland and Japan don't seem to care. Fin whales migrate throughout the oceans and live in groups of 6- 10. Like parrots, they sing beautifully. The world population of fin whales is estimated at around 50,000-60,000.
Iceland just announced plans to kill 150 fin whales. You can help persuade Iceland not to do so by boycotting its export products, mostly sweaters, vodka and fish. Find out how you can help here.
If that's too sad, here's some good news from the LA Times on how to treat your depression:
Two researchers from Japan's Azuba University report that dog owners feel the same surge of emotion when looking at their pets as mothers do when they see their human infants. Miho Nagasawa and Takefumi Kikusui studied two groups of dog owners during play sessions with their dogs -- one group was told to make eye contact with their pets; the other was told to avoid eye contact. Those who made eye contact were found to experience a 20% rise in oxytocin levels, while those who avoided it experienced a slight drop in oxytocin. "Oxytocin is known as the 'cuddle chemical' or 'love drug', it has been found to dampen stress, combat depression, and breed trust in humans.
No comments:
Post a Comment