World Update

By Karey Burek

Around the world, some amazing things are happening!! Animals are being protected in places that once had no environmental laws, but, there are also countries that refuse to follow the Green way of thinking.

Peru: The spectacled bears that I discussed in an earlier article are getting a little help from a sanctuary.Three of these bears are the first to be admitted to this facility by the British foundation Bear Rescue. They hope that by keeping the bears in a sanctuary that mimics their natural habitat, that one day they will be released back into the wild. They were originally kept at tourist spots in Peru and made to do tricks for the public.

Iceland: A day after Iceland was readmitted to the International Whaling Commission, it announced that it would resume commercial whaling. Despite public outcry against this practice, Iceland plans to renew its whaling practices after 2006. Tour operators in Iceland are furious because they make their living on teaching tourists about their environment and ecosystems, and how to conserve it.

Canada: The government has adopted its first federal laws to protect endangered species. The Species at Risk Act provides a variety of protections for animal habitats that are at risk. This law will be approved in the coming months.

Alaska: A federal appeals court ruled that the Makah Eskimo tribe of Alaska cannot resume their gray whale hunts, since they are in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and could harm the environment.