I need to be clear and then I'll be quiet.
I am not interested in thinking of ways to kill elephants.
I stand in awe and wonder in front of all animals endangered and
otherwise,
I love all the living creatures of this planet.
Right now today the Elephant is being wiped out with a brutality and
efficacy
not seen since we Americans destroyed the buffalo.
A tiny group of human beings think that by making films
about what is happening they may be able to educate
those who would kill the elephants and those who buy ivory to the
horror and stop the killing.
The people who make the films are here:
http://africanenvironmentalfilms.squarespace.com/donate
African Environmental Film Foundation.
( As a point of information, in the African Elephants I am
specifically speaking about,
both male and female have tusks.)
-DB
PS: where is Chris Marker when I need him?
On Mar 19, 2013, at 12:06 AM, Sandra Maliga wrote:
Not "advocating". I don't want to see any elephants killed. I have
no interest in ivory. I can't understand how there could be people
who do not understand that elephants should never be killed. BUt
there are. There are people who lie for money and people who listen
to them. Moreover people who like ivory have no respect for the
law. And the laws are not enforced.
So what can be done?
As I understand the Chinese, they are pretty pragmatic, if I can
generalize. Maybe taking action to propose a way to get legitimate
ivory could deflect some of the interest in illegal ivory.
Prohibition leads to crime, legalizing and controlling is better.
When elephants could live and flourish in the wild there were
natural deaths that left tusks. If a herd was provided with space
to thrive tusks could occasionally be found. If the space was
limited humans might be able to reverently "cull " the herd by
painlessly killing "extra" males and gathering their tusks. A mother
with young would never be killed by rational "keepers."
Poachers are not concerned with keeping elephants alive; they care
only for short term profit. Poaching must be illegal. Murdering
mother elephants must be illegal.
Perhaps another possibility is to pressure the Chinese government to
enforce the laws. I went to the Chinese news in English - CCTV
site http://passport.cntv.cn/app_pass/verify/english/new/login.jsp?errtype=-5#
and they have articles about the threats to elephants. So some
Chinese are aware. How do THEY propose to get the word out to those
who buy ivory?
- Sandy
On Mar 18, 2013, at 2:36 PM, Sandra Maliga <neor...@e.com> wrote:
This is tragic and infuriating.
Why can't anyone tell the Chinese people that elephants are
threatened? If elephants are extinct there will be NO MORE IVORY.
Don't they have media in China? Get the word out.
Why don't the Chinese import some elephants and start their own
herd? They could manage them carefully and eventually harvest ivory
when the herd needs thinning. No matter the cost; demand for ivory
will drive the price ever higher. They could promote "homegrown"
ivory as superior.
Documentaries shown in the US and Europe make us feel bad but
don't save animals. How about showing some documentaries in
China? How about a message on every cell phone in China? I'd give
money for that.
- Sandy Maliga
On Mar 18, 2013, at 11:02 AM, David Baker <dbak...@hvc.rr.com> wrote:
Esteemed cohorts everyone,
What I really love besides Experimental Film are Elephants.
I LOVE all Elephants but especially those that live free in the
wild.
I love the complexity of elephant societies.
Something amazing to read is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_cognition
Something important to see is:
National Geographic - Battle For The Elephants (2013)
I hope everybody on this forum is aware of the horror that is
happening to these animals right now, today.
More Elephants are being killed
than are being born. They are being wiped out, expunged from the
earth.
The numbers of those massacred are crazy.
Last year 30,000 elephants were murdered.
The killing rate is accelerating. The New York Times describes it
as a frenzy.
Horribly helicopters and machine guns do the job annihilating
whole herds.
China is the problem.
The CHINESE demand the elephant's ivory tusks to make ludicrous
carved luxury goods.
If there is hope it might be through FILM.
Apparently, ridiculously the burgeoning Chinese middle class
thinks elephant tusks fall out naturally.
They call them elephant teeth.
Using film to educate in Africa and China may be the elephants
last best hope.
The Experimental Film community can contribute importantly and
make a difference.
Kickstarter it isn't, but If you want to help or know of a
cognizant compassionate human being who does
please go here:
http://africanenvironmentalfilms.squarespace.com/donate
or here
http://www.savetheelephants.org/home.html
If you are a teacher please share this with your students.
Time is of the essence.
The force of human compassion is the solution.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/opinion/death-of-the-
elephants.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=organized-crime-elephant-slaughter
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/world/asia/an-illicit-trail-of-african-ivory-to-china.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/opinion/sunday/slaughter-of-the-african-elephants.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/science/surveys-quantify-loss-of-african-elephants-for-ivory-trade.html?ref=elephants
http://ntdtv.org/en/news/china/2013-03-15/china-s-demand-for-ivory-fueling-elephant-poaching.html
-David Baker
_______________________________________________
FrameWorks mailing list
FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com
https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Sandy Maliga
4763 Toland Way
Los Angeles, CA 90042-2255
323.898.6331
_______________________________________________
FrameWorks mailing list
FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com
https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Sandy Maliga
4763 Toland Way
Los Angeles, CA 90042-2255
323.898.6331
_______________________________________________
FrameWorks mailing list
FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com
https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
_______________________________________________
FrameWorks mailing list
FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com
https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
