Penguins, courtesy of Wikipedia

Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.

Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): adults average about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates (see also Bergmann's Rule). Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Penguins, People: "You're not alone."

King penguins walking; available on a refrigerator magnet from SGHT! Holiday cards, too, are in the giftshop online.
I've changed my morning and evening reflections lately, to try to include the welfare of people in the war zones of Iraq and to appreciate warmth and safety. Although I treasure solitude, especially here in the hills of Vermont, in the most important ways I know that I am not alone. I ride "Spaceship Earth" with so many other humans and species that the "I" begins to seem very small after all!

Looking at the newest newsletter from the South Georgia Heritage Trust (pick it up at http://www.sght.org/sites/default/files/SGHT%20NewsletterOct%202011_0.pdf, as a PDF) reminds me that penguins are not the only species here that are fascinating, inspiring, and that can benefit from our care and attention. Discovering the article on the beaked whale lit up my afternoon.

But I have to say that what made me grin (and shiver!) was the photo of the swimming penguins in here -- why is it we so often see pictures of penguins walking on land (where their movements can seem awkward and "cute") and rarely the ones of penguins deftly at home in an ocean? Thanks, SGHT!

Interested in assisting human survival, as well as penguins? "Tis the season." Here's a letter from Partners In Health that reminded me of the "long tail" of disasters that strike the poorest regions. I've left a pair of live links embedded in it, in case you're in the mood to jump over to the PIH donation site.
It's been a year since cholera arrived on Haiti's soil. Today it is the largest cholera epidemic in the world.

In one year, it has infected 455,000 people -- a staggering 5% of Haiti's population. More than 6,500 people have died.

Today a heavy rainfall has more control over cholera in Haiti than those of us desperately seeking to stem its tide. But the truth is we know precisely how to control the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

We need your help to save lives in Haiti -- make a donation now.

Here's what needs to happen to bring cholera under control.

Short-term -- Help people NOW who are sick or threatened by:


  1. Finding cholera victims where they live and treating them at well-equipped, well-staffed facilities;
  2. Giving people the information they need to protect themselves, to know when they've been infected, and when, where, and how to get treatment;
  3. Providing emergency access to clean water and sanitation (latrines) to communities in most dire need;
  4. Launching a vaccination program that will save lives immediately and complement essential but longer-term efforts. (One estimate shows that 30% vaccination coverage in Haiti would decrease cholera cases by 55%.)
Long-term -- Demand that the international community and the Government of Haiti create lasting change by:
  • Guaranteeing clean water by digging wells, capping springs, and building safe water systems on a national scale;
  • Treating waste through widespread access to latrines and waste treatment facilities.
So what's stopping us? For one thing, there are fewer of us helping the sick.

In January 2010, the United Nations counted 128 national and international organizations responding to cholera in Haiti. In July 2011 that number dwindled to just 48. Worse, this reduction coincided with a quadrupling of cholera cases. In July, Zanmi Lasante treated 12,629 cholera patients. That's in addition to 1.8 million annual patient visits for births, malnutrition, pneumonia, cancer care, mental health, and other services that ZL provided even before cholera arrived on Haitian soil.

This is why I'm asking for your help.

The cholera epidemic demands response. So too does the misery of Haitians living in poverty and dying of preventable causes. Conscience demands that we respond to both. And we CAN.

If each of us steps forward to help, we can treat cholera, AND launch a vaccine program, AND continue providing the comprehensive health services on which millions of Haitians rely. We CAN do all these things and give Haiti the time it needs to make lasting change, but to do them we need your help.
Posted by Beth Kanell at 2:16 PM

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