To Karanth, everyone in every part of the world is born with a fundamental connection to nature. Growing up in Karnataka, she began accompanying her father into the wild at just two years old. But in her hometown, kids grew up with a negative perspective on wildlife. Elephants destroyed crops and sometimes people were badly injured or killed. Karanth discovered kids wouldn’t appreciate the fact that it’s the best place to witness extraordinary animals.

In 2017, a conversation with her friend Gabby shifted her mindset towards education. Within half a year, Karanth and Gabby had the first version of “Wild Shaale” on their hands. A program designed for students who come into frequent contact with wildlife, Wild Shaale aims to develop a genuine understanding of wildlife and wild spaces and move beyond wildlife tolerance to concepts of conservation and environmental issues. The conservation education program fills a gap in environmental learning.

While it is fortunate that a basic environmental education is supported by local government, Karanth believes the challenge lies in the quality of the curriculum and whether it’s delivered effectively and consistently. “You have to visualize what these schools look like. They may not have electricity — forget having computers, internet, iPads, or anything.”

Encouraging the students to find commonalities between themselves and the animals is the first step to changing perceptions and hopefully, behaviors. “It comes down to the same things: we need food; we need water; we need space. Then they start to understand why situations of conflict arise,” Karanth says. “But then how do you convince them not to get angry, not to act in a way that leads to harm? That’s something we’re trying to work on. It’s not easy.”

For the last three nights I hadn't slept too well. I would wake up over an hour earlier than normal and then be unable to get back to sleep. I was a bit tired then when I went into my bedroom to watch a little television this evening. The nightly news was its usual horror show of hatred (仇恨), prejudice (偏见)and division. I turned it off and put on some music instead. I picked up a book and tried to read but could feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier. Finally, I closed them and laid my book on my chest. A nap would be just what I needed.

After a while I felt something rousing me from my sleep. It was warm breath hitting me right in the face. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a long, sweet looking face covered in white and gold fur.

I smiled and said, “ Hello, Fluffy”. Suddenly my face was covered in dog kisses while his curled tail wagged (摇摆). I hugged his neck, petted his head, scratched his belly, and laughed as he continued to shower me with his love. I soaked it all in and thought to myself: If only we humans could love each other as purely and unconditionally as our dogs love us, what a wonderful world this would be. ”

Dogs are our best friends and greatest teachers of love. We should not ignore the lessons they teach. We should give our hearts freely, our love joyfully, and our kindness unconditionally. We should live our lives on the side of love. We should spend our days creating happiness and making this world a better place. We should see everyone no matter how they look or what they believe as our brothers and sisters. We should love ourselves and everyone else.

Has Iceland had its last whaling season?

Iceland’s last whaler has no plans to stop. But as global demand slows for whale meat, his business may be over anyway.

Iceland is a member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) but goes against the 88-nation body’s ban on commercial whaling, in force since 1986. In 2006, the country began setting quotas(配额) for whale hunts in its waters. This year, after a four-year suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hvalur’s hunt restarted, from June through September. Iceland’s current quota of 161 fin whales(长须鲸) applies to the western region covered by the company’s license, which will be out of date at the end of 2023.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which last assessed fin whales in 2018, lists them in danger, largely because of their decrease by commercial whaling during the 20th century. Fin whales are speedy swimmers, and with the appearance of steam-powered ships and explosive harpoons, they became easier to catch. Since the 1970s, however, hunting restrictions have allowed these whales to rebound. The most recent estimate, in 2007, of fin whale numbers in the Iceland region was about 30,000.

In February, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, told local news outlets that “there is little to justify allowing whaling” because of the controversial nature of the industry and the low demand these days for whale meat.

The percentage of Icelanders who oppose fin whaling has more than doubled since 2013, while the percentage of supporters ‘has fallen more than 20 percent, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Only 2 percent of Icelanders say they eat whale meat regularly, and 84 percent had never tried it, a 2018 Gallup poll found.

“Continued whaling is a fool’s game, really, on the cost of the planet, biodiversity, the climate,” says Astrid Fuchs, policy manager at Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a nonprofit dedicated to marine conservation and welfare.