This year our environmental crisis has taken center stage. The WWF says that we've lost half of earth's wildlife in the past 40 years. Half! Most of these losses were not inevitable but mere consequences of the way we choose to live. The decline in animals big and small are on a rapid decline and the fall is only getting steeper. Many of the causes of wildlife declining is exploitation, habitat degradation/change, habitat loss and climate change amongst others. It can be a hard pill to swallow coming to terms with us humans as the cause for so much suffering for other species. But we can also be the solution.
This is the exact reason behind why we've partnered with certain charities. There are some wonderful organizations doing their best to improve quality of life for animals, providing education to communities and establishing systems to help the betterment and future of species worldwide. Two organizations that help with protecting Rhinos and Elephants are International Rhino Foundation and International Elephant Foundation. These two charities do so much in the protection of elephants and education to those who live close to them in the wild. preserving their future and making one of thriving and not just surviving is of top importance to them.
We can't have a conversation about the state of our planet without talking about the stressing on our environment. Our charity partner Eden Reforestation Projects works to combat de-forestation. There are so many reasons that trees are important. First of all, we would be here without oxygen. And we wouldn't have oxygen without trees! They not only produce something vital for us to function but they also clean and add to the quality of the air we breath in. A benefit of trees that you might not have thought about is that they can actually help protect shorelines from erosion. A mangrove is a small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. It can also mean other tropical vegetation. Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storms, hurricanes, waves and floods. They do this by stabilizing sediments with their tangles root systems. They also preserve water quality and filter out pollutants. These are just two ways in which trees help our earth and in turn help us.
The beautiful thing about humanity is our ability to come together. In addition to our charities partners we work with fair trade artisans. What's the benefit in that? Well, not only do we have environmental issues at hand but we also have humanitarian issues. The poverty level is very high through out the world. Families are often forced to separate to find better work. When our artisans get to use their skills and cultural traditions to provide income for their family, they get to stay with their family. Not only does this make for stronger family units but it aids in developing stronger communities. Children are able to go to school and be raised in a safe environment. Which should be a basic human right everywhere.
It can feel very over whelming at times to see all the issues in the world and feel helpless to change things. Because of this, we've made it easier for you to have a farther reaching impact through a simple purchase. Together we can better our world one item at a time.