There was a time when I was younger that I really loved nature and all of the little creatures. I am older now but still love the other life that inhabits our planet. Often times we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget that part of this world makes it possible for us to have certain comforts. Something as simple as a piece of paper often gets taken for granted. This isn't to say we need to have some type of feelings for an object but to say that we should think about where it came from and what prices are being paid for it.   I am all for recycling and hope that one day here in Lebanon they will devise a way to do this. I see so much littering in the streets and it kills me because a lot of times there is a waste receptacle right above where the trash is thrown carelessly on the street.    Our Oceans and Seas are important to because unfortunately a lot of trash finds it way into these beautiful bodies of water. In these bodies of water there is like another world too and that world also has life in it. Most don't think of it because rarely can you see the beauty of the underwater world. I recently have become involved with Greenpeace and I must say that I have really never come across a group of people so dedicated to helping the environment, preserving it and giving a voice to life in the oceans that can not speak for themselves. Currently there is a Japanese Whaling Fleet in the South Ocean. Of course the Japanese fleet says it is hunting these whales for research but everyone pretty much knows that it is a disguise and a loophole for them to kill innocent whales and make a profit on the meat.    The big problem is that Japan is facing a surplus in whale meat because pretty much the population that does eat this meat is so small it's really not worth the thousands of whales they are slaughtering. I believe by getting our children involved at a young age and being involved ourselves, we can keep the protection cycle going and eventually have a large enough voice around the world to make a huge impact upon the whaling community, just to name one. We have forests that are senseless being taken over and garbage in our waters and streets.    Here in Lebanon we have a massive fuel oil spill problem as a direct result of our fuel tanks being blown up by Israel and now that heavy fuel oil has sunk to the bottom of our coast and is slowly but surely being cleaned up. But it was because of man that this happened in the first place. We have to really think of the long term effect our actions have. Using more environmentally friendly products is a start. And teaching our children not to waste things is always an added benefit. I encourage you to use time online with your children to show them sites like National Geographic, Sea World, Greenpeace and the like.   A lot of these sites have web cams and the children will be able to see that life that otherwise would be practically unknown to them except for an occasional movie that shows them. I rented the Free Willy movie thinking it was time for a change from the cartoon movies and I found that my sons truly loved it. I did some searches online and found the Shamu Cam and they could see Willy very close and moving around. There is a cam in Africa that shows a watering hole and often times you can catch a glimpse of the wildlife of Africa. Here are some links to get you started and I hope that it will make for a time you can spend with your children and even your significant other. I have made a plan to do something each month with my children to teach them to respect the other things in this world. Other things that have life. I know this little thing I have written is a mixture of things but it's that mixture that makes the world whole and to write more, well, that would just be too long. I hope you understand where I am coming from and look forward to posting more about life other than just us.   Please start by helping to put an end to the senseless whaling. Endangered whales are being hunted in the very place that is supposed to be a sanctuary for them. To get you started here are a few links to explore.  
 http://whales.greenpeace.org    (here you can sign up to become a part of a group that helps to defend the whales simply by participating online) 

 http://www.greenpeace.org/mediterranean/mediterranean-marine-reserves/   (here you can see what is happening in the Mediterranean and see a photo of the heavy fuel spilled here in Lebanon)  

http://shamu.com/   (here you can view the Shamu Cam from Sea World)

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/portal/site/Kids/menuitem.f977d82a49287d81b92c3010ca248a0c/?vgnextoid=9e18edfab621d010VgnVCM1000006640a8c0RCRD   (National Geographic for Kids)
   
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/kakaducam/   (one of many cams that National Geographic has. I noticed a lot are from Australia so here is the cam for that country :o) )   Again, thanks for reading my post and thanks for making a difference. 

Warm Regards,   Aaliyah (Beirut, Lebanon)

Photo Credit:  Taken by members of Greenpeace Esperanza that are in the South Ocean now trying to deter the Japanese Whaling Fleet.  You can see all of the photos of this most recent trip by clicking the following link. http://flickr.com/photos/greenpeace_esperanza/