Why we should all be VEGETARIANS.

As you know, I am vegetarian. 
Italy has the highest rate of vegetarians in the EU: 10% of the population, 6 million people. 
In Germany the rate is 9%, 10% in Sweden, 4.5% in the Netherlands. 

In my opinion, we shoud all be vegetarians because of many reasons: 
- I think it's cruel and inhuman killing other animals to eat them, basically just on a whim and, furthermore, the way of killing the animals in the slaughterhouses is horrible.
- There are environmental reasons: over 15.000 liters of water are needed to produce a kilogramme of red meat and we all know that water is becoming more precious day by day; one third of the world's crops are used to feed the farm animals and, obviously, meat has a lower yield in terms of quantity compared to the vegetables. And we complain about World Hunger...
- There are also health reasons: it is shown that meat contains substances which are harmful and eating them increases the risk of suffering from health problems, diseases and tumors. 

What do you think about vegetarianism? Please, let me know by sending me an email to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com! 

What do you think about...OVERPOPULATION?

Hi guys! 

Following the success of the other times, I ask you again your opinion, this time about...OVERPOPULATION! 

Tell me what you think about it by sending me an email to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com. 

SHARK-EATERS: the killers are us.

In spite of everything you can think about sharks and their reputation as ruthless killers, it's not man to be at risk of extinction because of them, it's not man to be a prey: sharks are. 

Sharks are threatened because of four main reasons:

- In Asia there is an increasing demand for shark fins, which are served in an expensive soup; the shark is caught and its fin is cut, then the animal is thrown back into the water: that's a death sentence.

- It often happens that sharks remain trapped in fishing nets set for other fish: this is called bycatch. 

- Some species of sharks are seriously endangered because of the popularity of their meat in many parts of the world. 

- The increasing development, pollution and over-fishing are causing a great loss of marine habitats which are very important to shark populations. 

Furthermore, sharks can't breed as fast as other fish, so it's even easier the reduction of their numbers because of overfishing. 

So, what can we do? 

First of all, buy only sustainable fish and seafood (look for MSC certification). 
Second, let people know! Spread the word, make sure that this doesn't remain in silence. 
Third, support the organizations and institutes which are at the forefront to defend the sharks, like WWF, Seashepherd, Oceana, Sharks.org and others. 

If you want to, send me your opinions about this to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com. 

"We're not giving up. Let's save the Arctic!" Thank you!

Many thanks to those of you who sent me emails with their opinions on the "Arctic problem"! 
Here are some sentences that I think are very meaningful: 

"It's unbelievable how the great powers of the world close their eyes in front of all this [...]. In spite of everything, we're not giving up! Let's save the Arctic!" 
(Francesca, Italy) 

"We're destroying everything. The Arctic is one of our last chances (maybe the biggest one) to try to turn the tide. I think that if we lost this battle...we could have lost the war."
(Michel, Canada) 

"If we were able to save the Antarctic, more than 20 years ago, we can do it again and save the Arctic."
(Ebba, Sweden) 

Keep sending me emails with your opinions and suggestions to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com!

Arctic: we are all involved.

Gazprom and Shell have recently started to drill in the Arctic waters. 

The greenhouse effect reduces more and more the ice layer. 

We're destroying the sunshade which stands right over the heads of everyone in the world. 

The "Arctic problem" concerns us all. It is about us all. 

The Arctic is an extremely fragile ecosystem which is today threatened: we have to stop its deterioration. 

It is home to beautiful animal species like the polar bear, the walrus, the Arctic fox, the seals, the whales and the narwhal. 

Polar bears are strongly affected by the ice melting: it often happens that they swim for miles and miles before they find some stable ice...and too often they die trying. 

Please, sign the petition of Greenpeace to help things change! http://www.savethearctic.org/. 

Greenpeace also launched an initiative to make our voices heard on the Arctic problem: it consists in reaching a high point (a hill, a mountain, a skyscraper, a panoramic point...it doesn't matter what, it only has to be high), taking a photo and then sending it to Greenpeace or publishing it on Facebook or other social networks with the hashtag #ontop to #savethearctic. https://act.greenpeace.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1844&ea.campaign.id=30943. 

So...what are you waiting for?? Go take a photo! And send it to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com, I'll publish it on the blog. 

If you want to, send me an email with your opinions on the Arctic situation or with your suggestions for the topics of the posts. 

Alone we can't do much...but together we are strong! 

To make this a better blog...

...I need your help! 

I have always thought that the best way to improve myself and get in touch with new realities is the contact and the exchange of information with other people. 
I see that many people from all around the world read my posts: Italians, Americans, Russians, Turkish, Germans, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Ukrainians, French. 
You would help me so much suggesting new ideas for the topics of the blog! Maybe talking me about situations of your own countries. 
You are free to write me in English, Italian, French and Spanish. 
So, if you want to, write me an email to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com and help me to improve in quality and quantity this blog! 

Best wishes!

Chiara