MISSION STATEMENT
MEDIA FOR CONSERVATION was founded on the conviction that audio-visual media are important tools in conservation. Our aim is to stimulate the use of media to promote love of nature, attitudes of respect toward other species, understanding of the value of biodiversity, and informed action to protect nature.
MEDIA FOR CONSERVATION works both independently and in partnership with other conservation organizations. We create complimentary media to facilitate community based campaigns as well as ongoing national and international conservation efforts. Additionally, we utilize new social media to provide platforms for community participation in wildlife conservation campaigns.
We all hold great power in the destiny of the planet. As we witness an unprecedented onslaught of species extinction, habitat destruction, and environmental decay, people everywhere are uniting to find solutions. Media creators have an enormous capacity, and therefore responsibility, to facilitate positive change for the good of the planet. Media For Conservation invites you to join us in this effort.
On July 12, 2012, two residence of Manhattan pleaded guilty to their involvement in offering for sale one ton of ivory artifacts worth $2,000,000 dollars. Yes, I spelled that out the long way. Two million dollars is a lot of zeros, because 2 million dollars is a lot of money, representing a lot of death. And when you visualize the way in which these artifacts came to exist...slaughter of hundreds of wild elephants, merciless killing of sentient beings, likely living in a caring family structure, which surely was destroyed in the process as well...then likely you will agree with the judge's sentiments about the event. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance stated "It is unacceptable that tusks from elephants wind up being sold as mass-produced jewelry and unremarkable decorative items in this city." The individuals who perpetrated this crime against nature were then fined $45,000.
ReplyDeleteGreat that these individuals were caught, and great they were prosecuted. Yeah U.S.! But I wonder about the fine. Clearly, these criminals don't care about world treasures, sentient beings, or cruel acts against nature. Nor do they care that their chosen livelihood is contributing not only to cruel deaths of individuals of a sentient species, but more importantly, to the death of that species. In view of these facts, the question arises, is this punishment equal to the crime?
Perhaps in matching the punishment to the crime, these facts might be considered. Extinction is a fatal, permanent, never to be righted event. Add to this consideration that anyone who has the means to purchase 2 million dollars of ivory is not likely to be significantly impacted by a $45,000 fine. One can easily surmise that these criminals will get over this fine in their lifetime, if not immediately, and they will likely commit crimes again.
So the question in cases of crimes that result in endangerment to the existence of a species, should they be more debilitating to the perpetrators. What do you think?
Jessie Williams, Media For Conservation
I agree $45,000 cannot even begin to atone for this crime. Extinction of a species will be the end result, in my opinion extinction of the criminals only seems fair. God help the poachers if I had the power to determine what happened to them.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, the massacre continues. Please urge your governmental officials to put pressure on CITES in the upcoming meeting in March to pass a complete ban on ivory trade-ALL IVORY SALES SHOULD BE ILLEGAL.
ReplyDelete