globalbriefs
Dolphin Friends
Call for More Humane
Treatment
New research reveals that many modern dolphin brains are significantly larger than our own and second in mass to the human brain when corrected for body size. “Dolphins are sophisticated, self- aware, highly intelligent beings with in- dividual personalities, autonomy and an inner life,” said Lori Marino, an Emory University neuroscientist at a recent
American Association for the Advancement of Science conference. Marino and other experts are concerned by, among other things, the growing industry of capturing and confining dolphins, and then having them perform in ma- rine parks or to swim with tourists at resorts. The approach is misinformed and needs to be reconsidered, she says, as “Dolphins are vulnerable to tremendous suffering and psychological trauma.” An earlier study indicated that dolphins’ self-awareness is similar to that in higher primates and elephants.
The recent Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove, addresses the extremes human disregard for dolphin populations can reach if left unchecked. Take Action by petitioning leaders in the U.S. and Japan to protect the world’s dolphins at TheCoveMovie.com.
Wilderness Vigil
Americans Benefit from
Elders’ Conservation Efforts
Great Old Broads for Wilderness, a nonprofit, public lands organiza- tion based in Durango, Colorado, leverages the voices and activism of elders to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. The group’s forte is raising public aware- ness of the importance of wilderness and alerting the public to inappro- priate development and manage- ment decisions affecting it. When its members talk with the conviction of life experience, people tend to listen, says Veronica Egan, executive direc- tor since 1992.
Established in 1989 on the
Native Tongues
Newborn Cries Don’t All
Sound Alike
From their very first days, the cries of newborns already bear the mark of the primary language their par- ents speak, according to research from the University of Würzburg, Germany, published in Current Biol- ogy. For example, French newborns tend to cry with rising melody patterns, slowly increasing in pitch, whereas German newborns seem to prefer falling melody patterns. The findings, which studied 60 new- borns, are consistent with the differ- ences between the two languages.
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Broward County
http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
25th anniversary of the federal Wil- derness Act, these old broads are on a mission to preserve public lands, the places they love to hike, for their grandchildren. Broads in 22 local chapters, or Broadbands, in 18 states join with other environmental groups to preserve national forests, grass- lands, monuments and parks. Most of the land they monitor is in the Ameri- can West, with its vast roadless areas. The most common impacts are on ar- chaeological sites and riparian lands that contain irreplaceable biological diversity. The women are vigilant about monitoring, documenting and reporting unauthorized activities. Wally White, a county com- missioner of La Plata, Colorado, considers Egan’s work “unsurpassed.” She reminds him of the tradition of Native Americans, who have always relied on elders for guidance and leadership.
For more information visit GreatOldBroads.org.
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