Welcome to the ParadiseNow.net Links Page!

Here is a small selection of many excellent sites one could link to, ordered by subject.

Plants & Trees
Animals
Humans

Peace
(poem)

Plants

www.tree4life.com
A free-click-to-help site for planting trees.

www.menofthetrees.org.au
A non-profit society dedicated to the planting and protection of trees, founded by
Dr. Richard St. Barbe Baker (1889 - 1982), a remarkable conservationist
and author of some thirty books.

www.saverainforest.net
Click-to-help daily for free to help curb deforestation; “Current deforestation has been described as “frenzied”.These few  seconds of your day help put the brakes on this dangerous threat to global balance”

www.ecologyfund.com
Preserve wilderness land for free by clicking-to-help daily

www.pro-regenwald.de/index2.php?p=new_catl.php
Cattle Farming Biggest Threat to Rainforest: "Hamburger connection Fuels Amazon Destruction" shows the connection beetween beef production and progressive Amazon rainforest destruction.
A study released April 2004  by one of the world's leading forestry research organizations (the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)) demonstrates a strong link between the dramatic deforestation rates leading to the recent spike in the destruction of the rainforest... and the growth in exports that have caused a massive surge in the Brazilian Amazon's cattle population-from 26 million head in 1990 to 57 million in 2002. "This research provides the first substantial data to support recent speculation about the role international demand for Brazilian beef is playing in Brazil's skyrocketing deforestation rate," says David Kaimowitz, Director General of CIFOR and one of the report's authors. "In a nutshell, cattle ranchers are making mincemeat out of Brazil's Amazon rainforests." The Brazilian government's Space Research Institute (INPE) is expected to shortly issue satellite images that show the Amazon rainforest disappearing at an alarming rate. This will continue the trend reported in 2003, when INPE released figures showing a 40 percent increase over the 2002 figure. Preliminary indications suggest the soon-to-be-released figures will be equal to or greater than the extremely high figure of 2.5 million hectares reported last year. In just ten years, the region lost an area of forest twice the size of Portugal. ...logging contributes indirectly to deforestation, but is "much less important than the growth of cattle ranching." "The international and domestic market forces currently promoting the cattle-driven deforestation described in CIFOR's report are much stronger than ever. Even with the most determined policy response, it might be hard to decisively curb deforestation. To limit the negative impact on Brazilian rainforests will require a massive effort."
More at pro-regenwald.de/index2.php?p=new_catl.php

Hamburger Consumption Spurs Amazon Deforestation
One of the world's largest environmental organizations is calling for urgent action to halt the rapid rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, following a government report...that nearly 10,000 square miles of rainforest was chopped down in the 12-month period that ended last August. The amount of rainforest lost during 2002-2003--roughly equivalent to the territory of the Massachusetts--was close to the record year of 1995-96, when 11,600 square miles of forest were cut down, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which based its conclusions on satellite studies. But the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) called the most recent loss "shocking," and called on the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva...to slow the destruction of the Amazon rainforests. "It is extremely alarming that the rate of deforestation shows no sign of slowing for the second year running," said Denise Hamu, who heads WWF in Brazil. "The government of Brazil needs to urgently respond to this crisis by fulfilling its commitment to triple the area of rainforest under legal protection." The new figures also prompted expressions of concern by the government in Brasilia. ... Environmentalists are concerned about deforestation rates in the Amazon not only because they threaten one of the world's great treasures of biodiversity, but also because of the rainforests' function as the Earth's "lungs" and as a ‘carbon sink’ that helps slow global warming. Two new studies on global warming ... found that the Greenland ice sheet was likely to disappear, causing a 23-foot rise in sea level, within several hundred years unless carbon emissions were sharply reduced. Climate change caused by those emissions will reduce annual rainfall along the West Coast of the United States by as much as 30 percent by the year 2050, causing severe water shortages throughout the region... Research shows that protected areas, buffered by other zones of sustainable land use are the most effective means of controlling deforestation." More at http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/83428/1/

www.vegforlife.org/earth.htm
"Did you know factory farms produce 350 tons of manure each year? Load up with facts and figures about why our meat-based diet is killing our planet, and how a veg diet can make our mother happy, healthy and green."

www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe
One ecological example of probably many: Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program, where worn-out athletic shoes of any brand are collected, processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for youth around the world. Please help turn your old sneakers into places to play. Drop-Off Locations are available in the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia.
 

Animals

www.hfa.org
US Humane Farming Association which campaigns against factory farming and slaughterhouse abuse (the cruelty inflicted upon these animals is just beyond belief, with insufficient protection legislation ”assisting”, but concerted action does help prevent some of it), "the nation's largest and most effective organization dedicated to the protection of farm animals... HFA's programs and activities represent the greatest hopes of those seeking to create a better world for all of earth's creatures".

www.farmsanctuary.org
also offers many actions to help farm animals one can participate in. Farm Sanctuary has some particularly good news: ”Farm Sanctuary has received a generous donation enabling us to offer FREE copies of Life Behind Bars to libraries across the country. Please help us make the most of this incredible opportunity to educate thousands of people through this powerful video on factory farming. We’ll provide you the materials you need and how-to tips to help you contact your library, and once your library agrees to add the video to their permanent collection, we'll send the video directly to them. It's a simple, easy way to reach and teach thousands of people in your community. Please, get the Life Behind Bars video in your library and be a voice for farm animals! Click [at farmsanctuary.org/campaign/LBB_info.htm].” As they write in their current "veal campaign", many or most people, once informed about the cruelty involved in veal production, don't want to have part in it, but most do not even know about it. So the above action sounds like an excellent step forward.

www.stopanimaltests.com
Animal experiments are as useless and dangerous to humans as they are cruel to animals (e.g. thalidomide was tested safe on rats while penicillin would have never been allowed for human consumption had it initially been tested on guinea pigs or hamsters, since it kills those species). For extensive coverage and good summaries regarding the question “Does animal testing help human medicine?”, see for instance here .

www.peta.com
People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals
Activist network, recipes, non-leather shopping guide and many other things to protect our younger “brothers and sisters”

www.savewhales.net
Click-to-help daily for free to help preserve the whales.

www.theanimalrescuesite.com
One mouse click provides food for an animal in a shelter or sanctuary

www.idausa.org
Learn about IDA's work and what you can do to help animals at the “In Defense of Animals” website, ”an international animal protection organization dedicated to ending the exploitation and abuse of animals by raising the status of animals beyond that of mere property, and by defending their rights, welfare and habitat. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and
hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.”

www.ifaw.org
“Recognized as one of the world's most effective animal protection groups”, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) works to improve the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in distress. IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals and people.

www.vegforlife.org/earth.htm
"Did you know factory farms produce 350 tons of manure each year? Load up with facts and figures about why our meat-based diet is killing our planet, and how a veg diet can make our mother happy, healthy and green."

“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission - to be of service to them wherever they require it.”
St. Francis of Assisi
 

Humans

www.basicincome.org
Basic Income Earth Network
This will completely change the face of the earth in a positive way: a basic income unconditionally granted to everyone. The concept and its viability has already been endorsed by two Nobel laureates in Economics.

www.givewater.org
Help provide safe drinking water to those in need: “WaterAid is an international NGO dedicated exclusively to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people.”

www.sightsavers.org
“A child goes blind every minute.”
You can help prevent and heal blindness for as little as £3 a month (or the equivalent in US$).
“It is estimated that 500,000 children go blind every year. Of these, 60-80% die within two years. This is either as a consequence of the diseases which have contributed to their blindness or because of the neglect that they subsequently experience. Nearly half of child blindness is unnecessary – it could be prevented or treated. ...In developing countries, the main cause of childhood blindness is corneal scarring. This is primarily the result of Vitamin A deficiency, from which it is estimated that 350,000 children go blind every year (many of whom will die as a consequence).“

www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/index.do    web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-index-eng
For some reason the issue of capital punishment is very important to me. I can't think of a more irrevocable and sacrilegious thing to do (can you??) than depriving someone of their unique body, an even more horrible crime to commit when they are innocent (as has often turned out to be the case when it was too late!). This is Amnesty International’s site against the death penalty, “the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the right to life. It is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent and has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments.” A living witness is Juan Melendez, who spent 18 years on death row in Florida for a crime he did not commit...

www.deathrow-usa.com
The United States is the only Western democracy that still uses the death penalty. It is one of only two nations in the world (Iran is the other) to execute juveniles. This is a German-English site supporting death-row inmates (often even innocent of the crime they are accused of!) by establishing personal contacts and collecting money (even the smallest contribution helps) for them to be able to get lawyers who properly defend inmates. One of them is Donald L. Aldrich, please help him save his life by spreading the word. Also please sign the appeal against the death penalty "I Dream a World... End the Death Penalty".

web.amnesty.org/pages/stoptorture-index-eng    amnestyusa.org/stoptorture/index.do
endtorturenow.org
The world has changed immeasurably since Amnesty International first began denouncing torture at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, but torture continues and is not confined to military dictatorships or authoritarian regimes; torture is inflicted in democratic states too. It is also clear that victims of torture are criminal suspects
as well as political prisoners, the disadvantaged as well as the dissident,
people targeted because of their identity as well as their beliefs.
They are women as well as men, children as well as adults.

www.humanrightsfirst.org
Among other things, you can subscribe to their email action alerts which are very quick & easy to participate in.

ucsusa.org
The Union of Concerned Scientists promotes practical, science-based environmental and security solutions. By joining their email Action Network http://ucsaction.org/ucsaction/join.html?r=e1AOrbSqUz2cE& you can easily support their advocacy. Participating in their campaigns (like with similar networks) takes just a minute.

www.oxfam.org  www.oxfamamerica.org
Committed to creating lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice, including a call to all nations to eradicate the illicit worldwide trade in small arms. Features an interactive online game that illustrates the root causes of poverty and hunger in the world.

www.controlarms.org
The Control Arms campaign aims to reduce arms proliferation and misuse, and to convince governments to introduce a binding arms trade treaty. Learn more and take action at the campaign website.

www.unitedforpeace.org
lists current US peace movement events & statements, offers activist toolkits, songs etc.

www.thechildhealthsite.com/
A free-click-to-help site which helps save young lives and children to stay healthy, such as by providing Vit. A to prevent blindness and other preventable disease.

www.maketradefair.com
Oxfam site about Fair Trade, the system that offers farmers and others decent pay for their hard work.

www.abolition2000.org
Network of over 2000 organizations in more than 90 countries world-wide working for a global treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons

www.motherearth.org/nuke/inspection.php
“The Citizens Inspections Working Group (CIWG) is a working group of Abolition 2000 - a global network calling for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons as required by Article VI of the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty]. The CIWG seeks to expose the hypocrisy and the use of double standards by some NPT member states who condemn countries for possessing or trying to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD) while they develop new lethal WMD and do nothing to honor their treaty obligations for disarmament. The CIWG aims to hold Governments accountable, to educate and alert citizens of the presence of nuclear weapons, and to support the goal of abolishing all weapons of mass destruction. The CIWG aims to support citizen groups who inspect sites and report their findings to the public, United Nations, national governments and other interested parties. Add your name to the Authorisation for Citizens Inspections: SIGN UP HERE.”

www.openheart.com/peace/peace.html
“We are seeking 80,000 people who are willing to be part of an experiment to see if we can shift the world's perception of "good and evil" to a perception of love. We believe we are all one mind and that if enough people (critical mass) could shift their own personal perception-change their minds-about the existence of evil, then the whole planet could shift into a perception of love.”

www.pacifica.org   www.wbai.org  www.democracynow.org
Trustworthy, independent news and information providing access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media, including
independent and international journalists and ordinary people from around
the world who are directly affected by U.S. foreign policy, grassroots
leaders and peace activists, artists, academics and independent analysts.
Live listening to video/audio broadcasts, peace and justice activities etc. “For true democracy to work, people need easy access to independent media providing diverse sources of news and information. But the last two decades have seen unprecedented corporate media consolidation... In the year 2000, just six corporations dominated the U.S. media. In addition, corporate media outlets in the U.S. are legally responsible to their shareholders to maximize profits. And U.S. “public” media outlets accept funding from major corporations... Democracy Now! is funded entirely through contributions from listeners, viewers, and foundations. We do not accept advertisers, donations from corporations, or donations from governments.”

www.vitw.org
Voices in the Wilderness have supported the people of Iraq for seven years. ”...the sanctions against Iraq... have been instrumental in causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children.” (Dennis Kucinich) Please sign the online petition "US v Voices in the Wilderness" to help Vitw continue their humanitarian work threatened by the US government.

www.hiddenfromhistory.org
”Oral [native eyewitnesses’] testimonies of genocide in Canada are now on the internet... featuring witnesses to murder and torture, and survivors of involuntary sterilizations and electric shock treatments at United Church hospitals. It's imperative that the media, politicans, and the academic world, in particular, be exposed to this evidence, since they have been the most resistant to examining the evidence we've been gathering since 1995.... Read Kevin [Annett]'s personal story of uncovering Genocide in Canada, and the price he has paid for doing so” in his book ‘Love and Death in the Valley’”. Canadian residents can sign a petititon too...

www.wagingpeace.org
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation: ”Our Vision is a world at peace, free of the threat of war and free of weapons of mass destruction.”

https://www.kucinich.us/
U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich was “the most progressive candidate ... running for President. His positions: National Health for all, anti-Nafta and Gatt, ending the war, de-militarizing space. There is virtually no difference between his positions and the Green Party platform, but as a Democratic Congressman, he is not a symbolic candidate. He is a tried and tested politician who has stayed true to his principles:.”
”Kucinich for President” - maybe next time!

Prof. Noam Chomsky: outstanding political analyst & voice of social conscience of  the US
Hushed up and ignored by the mainstream media of his home country, this brilliant linguist’s and humanitarian’s work is a must-read if you want to understand the background to what is really happening in US politics. www.zmag.org/chomsky/index.cfm features some of his books, articles, audio interviews and other links.

michaelmoore.com
A very lucid observer of US-American history past and present, particularly recommended: his film “Bowling for Colombine” and his activist suggestions on how to create an America that is truly just, humane and peace-loving... “If you are a soldier currently serving in Iraq and would like a free copy of either Dude, Where's My Country or a Bowling for Columbine DVD, please send us an email including your full name, your address in Iraq and all other information we need in order to get it to you. Please check out why Mike Moore has decided to vote for Wesley Clark...

www.creatingheaven.net
“dedicated to bringing heaven to earth through healthy eating, cooking, food products and natural, holistic tools”

www.davidicke.com
A very alternative but very interesting worldview highlighting unknown influences determining the state of our world and focussing on love as the remedy...

www.nesara.us & www.nesara.us/pages/dovereports.html
A sweeping world improvement project to check out...

The Great Peace

Then the great Peace descended on Mother Earth from the immeasurable heavens.
And light and love tore down the veil of darkness and hatred.

From the north justice and solidarity radiated,
from the south compassion and tenderness,
from the east wisdom and truth,
from the west power and glory.

The Vine and the living Law were replanted in the garden of men
to bring happiness and peace to all creatures.

And the tired shores of the tormented earth were flooded by waves of joy.
In the fields of suffering and sadness furrows of love were ploughed
to receive the seed of truth and bring it to prosperity thousandfold.

And the divine fire was lighted in the hearts of all people,
and it grew into a sea of flames of love and happiness.

The children of the earth took leave of their weapons,
restored the forests, cleaned air and water, cured the earth from her pain.

The great Peace spreaded her hands full of mercy above the whole earth,
swept away the entire past with one finger and wrote with tender words of love:

Peace peace peace.

Marcel Messing

© 2004 - 2008 ParadiseNow.net
Revision January 2008