The Big Island of Hawaii has a new law that bans biotech companies, as well as all open-air growing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The bill exempts papayas and other GMO crops currently being cultivated and includes fines of $1,000 a day for violators.
Photo credit: GMO Free Hawaii Island
Mayor Billy Kenoi hasn’t indicated his stance on the bill, but he has 10 days to veto it. The county council could override a veto with a vote from six members.
"WOOHOO! WE DID IT!" read the Facebook page of GMO Free Hawaii Island. "We ask for your continued support on the following two items: Write a letter to thank our council members for protecting the health of our community and Hawaii's agricultural lands, and encourage Mayor Billy Kenoi to sign Bill 113 into law."
Supporters of the measure filled the council chambers at the West Hawaii Civic Center with applause after the vote late Tuesday, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
“We’re stoked. We’re relieved,” resident Blake Watson told the newspaper. “This is a great first step.”
"We are at a juncture," Councilwoman Margaret Wille, who introduced the bill, told Honolulu Civil Beat. "Do we move forward in the direction of the agro-chemical monoculture model of agriculture, or do we move toward eco-friendly, diversified farming?
At least two farmers' groups supported the measure—the Hawaii Farmers Union United, whose focus is on family farms, and the Kona Coffee Farmers Association.
Farmers supporting the bill said they fear cross-pollination between modified and non-modified crops, which they say can hurt or even close their markets.
Papayas were exempted in the Big Island bill because most of the 200 papaya plantations in Hawaii are planted with genetically engineered trees. A team of scientists modified the DNA of the papaya in the 1990s to withstand a devastating ringspot virus.
Large biotech companies like Syngenta, Monsanto, Pioneer, Dow and BASF have long been experimenting with GMO crops and seeds in Hawaii. They have farms on the islands of Oahu, Kauai and Molokai, but they've never operated on Hawaii's Big Island.
The world’s biotech giants have set up shop in Hawaii in recent years, attracted by year-round growing conditions and an ecosystem favorable for testing and growing produce such as seed corn. The biotechnology industry has all but completely supplanted the sugar cane and pineapple industries that used to dominate the Hawaiian landscape.
The Big Island bill comes just days after Kauai County Council overrode a mayoral veto on a bill that mandates disclosure of GMO crops.
Anne Lopez, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, said earlier this fall that the office has no plans to weigh in on the Big Island's proposed ban or challenge it if it’s adopted.
“We have not analyzed it to come up with a legal opinion,” she said.
In 2008, the county adopted a ban on GMO coffee and taro that has not been legally challenged.
Watch this interview with Councilwoman Wile from Big Island Video News:
Visit EcoWatch’s GMO page for more related news on this topic.
A Brood X cicada in 2004. Pmjacoby / CC BY-SA 3.0
Fifteen states are in for an unusually noisy spring.
<p>Brood X, the largest and most widespread colony of cicadas in the U.S., is due to emerge from their 17-year hibernation, <a href="https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/ask-the-expert-how-to-prepare-for-the-2020-cicada-invasion/#:~:text=Brood%20X%20(10)%2C%20the,again%20next%20year%20in%202021." target="_blank">Michigan State University entomologist Gary Parsons explained</a>. The bugs typically emerge as early as mid-May, and the sound of their mating can reach 100 decibels, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trillions-brood-10-cicadas-emerge-us-17-years-underground-1562608" target="_blank">Newsweek reported</a>. And there will be lots of them.</p><p>"Densities can be as great as 1.5 million per acre. So, between Georgia and New York there will surely be trillions emerging," emeritus professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and Entomological Society of America fellow Michael J. Raupp told Newsweek.</p>
<p>The cicadas are due to emerge in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC for the first time since 2004. They will begin to emerge once the ground hits 64 degrees Fahrenheit, usually between mid-May and late June. They will be above ground mating and laying eggs for about five to six weeks, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-brood-x-us-cicada-infestation-coming-in-2021/" target="_blank">CBS News reported</a>. Then the nymphs will dig into the ground to suck tree roots for another 17 years, Parsons explained.</p><p>The brood's large numbers and long hibernation period is part of an evolutionary strategy millions of years old.</p>
<p>"It is thought that by having the longlife cycles, cicadas have prevented predators from specifically targeting them for food. Then by emerging in the millions all at once, they are too numerous for any predators that do eat them from ever wiping them out. There are so many of them that lots of them will always survive," Parsons said.</p><p>In addition, the long hibernation times helped the cicadas avoid unseasonably cold summers, CBS News explained. In the Pleistocene Epoch, 1.8 million years ago, summers could be much colder in the Eastern U.S. But cicadas can't survive above ground for long if the temperature stays below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. So they evolved to emerge infrequently to reduce their chances of hitting a cold snap.</p>
<p>Brood X isn't the only cicada brood in the country. There are other broods with 13 or 17 year cycles, as well as annual cicadas with three to four year cycles, Parsons said. Many of them have been impacted by recent environmental changes.</p><p>"In the long ago past, it is likely the different broods were more widespread geographically," he said. "It is likely that urbanization, widespread commercial farming and other factors have reduced and limited them over the years. You take away the trees and shrubs in forests and they don't have the roots to feed on. Fortunately, they have adapted well to using street trees, parks and yard trees as their hosts and can still survive in urbanized areas."</p>
<p>This can be a nuisance for some and a dramatic sight for others, but the cicadas are not dangerous. They do not bite, spread disease or eat crops, CBS News pointed out. They also are not poisonous to pets, though sometimes dogs will eat so many of them that they get sick, Parsons said.</p><p>The one thing that they do harm is newly-planted trees.</p><p>"Don't plant next spring, because these trees are going to simply get hammered next year when those cicadas show up," Raupp <a href="https://wtop.com/local/2020/05/dont-bug-out-2021-will-see-emergence-of-trillions-of-cicadas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told WTOP News</a> in 2020.</p><p>Raupp said any trees planted in 2020 could also be in danger. If you did plant last year, Raupp said to protect the young tree with netting and not to use pesticides.</p><p>Once the trees are taken care of, Raupp encouraged people to enjoy the spectacle.</p><p>"[T]his is a wonderful opportunity for millions of people to witness and enjoy a remarkable biological phenomenon in their own backyard that happens nowhere else on the planet, truly a teachable moment," he told Newsweek.</p>
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A creative depiction of bigfoot in a forest. Nisian Hughes / Stone / Getty Images
Deep in the woods, a hairy, ape-like man is said to be living a quiet and secluded life. While some deny the creature's existence, others spend their lives trying to prove it.
<p>A recent Oklahoma bill may require those hoping to prove it to buy a permit first.</p><p>On Wednesday, one Oklahoma State Representative filed a bill to create a Bigfoot hunting season, <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/bigfoot-hunting-season-legislative-stunt-or-tourism-promotion/35283756" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KOCO News reported</a>. If passed, State Rep. Justin Humphrey's <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20INT/hB/HB1648%20INT.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bill</a> will go into effect on Nov. 1., calling for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to set rules for the season, annual dates and hunting license and fees, according to <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/lawmaker-files-bill-that-would-establish-bigfoot-hunting-season-in-oklahoma/35277627" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KOCO News</a>.</p>
<p>The legend has been around for decades. Best seen after sunset, Bigfoot benefits from the solitude of rural living, according to the <a href="https://www.bfro.net/REF/aboutbfr.asp" target="_blank">Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization</a>. But don't let his large stature fool you – bigfoot's impact on the land is known to be so subtle only a trained eye can spot its tracks.</p><p>Bigfoot endures generations of folklore in Humphrey's part of Oklahoma, too, <a href="https://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/2015/12/10/bigfoot-is-scaring-up-stories-and-tourism-dollars-in-southeastern-oklahoma/" target="_blank">StateImpact Oklahoma</a> noted. While some, like D.W. Lee of the Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center dedicate decades to studying and hunting the creature, <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/bigfoot-hunting-season-legislative-stunt-or-tourism-promotion/35283756" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KOCO News</a> reported, others resist the rumors.</p><p>"We use science-driven research, and we don't recognize Bigfoot in the state of Oklahoma," Micah Holmes of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation told <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/bigfoot-hunting-season-legislative-stunt-or-tourism-promotion/35283756" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KOCO News</a>.</p>
<p>But what's State Rep. Humphrey's take?</p><p>"I have been in the woods all my life and I have not ever seen any sign of Bigfoot," he told <a href="https://oklahoman.com/article/5680759/oklahoma-lawmaker-files-bill-to-establish-bigfoot-hunting-season-heres-why" target="_blank">The Oklahoman</a>. Humphrey's intent is to encourage tourism in the state, according to The Oklahoman. Establishing an actual hunting season, where enthusiasts can purchase a physical license, could draw more people into "our already beautiful part of the state," he noted in a release, according to <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/bigfoot-hunting-season-legislative-stunt-or-tourism-promotion/35283756" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KOCO News</a>.</p><p>While a hunting license for an Oklahoman resident is $101 for a bear and $20 for an antlered deer, <a href="https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/licensing/license-options1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to ODWC</a>, Humphrey's bill does not state how much a bigfoot license would cost.</p><p>"This actually could possibly be a clever move, a way to provide more funding for the Wildlife department," one commenter wrote, according to <a href="https://abc13.com/bigfoot-hunting-sasquatch-season-outdoors/9875983/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ABC 13</a>.</p>
<p>The majority of Oklahoma's Wildlife Conservation Department's income comes from licenses and fees, according to the <a href="https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/about-the-odwc/about#:~:text=The%20Department%20has%20an%20annual,annual%20hunting%20and%20fishing%20licenses" target="_blank">ODWC</a>. Yet, over the past 50 years, the popularity of hunting and fishing in the United States has rapidly declined, decreasing by 50 percent, a survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/593001800/decline-in-hunters-threatens-how-u-s-pays-for-conservation" target="_blank">NPR</a>. Today, only about 5 percent of Americans, 16 years old and older, actually hunt. This number is expected to keep dropping, potentially causing a serious decline in funding for state wildlife agencies, NPR reported.</p><p>In the southeastern town of Hochatown, Bigfoot merchandise is easily found and a Bigfoot festival is held every year nearby in Honobia each October, according to The Oklahoman.</p><p>Humphrey says the bill is meant as a complement to southeastern Oklahoma's tourism.</p>
<p>"They want to buy a license because they want to frame it on the wall," Humphrey told The Oklahoman. "Anything that could be a revenue creator is something we ought to look at and definitely entertain."</p><p>But Humphrey's bill faces criticism.</p><p>"I've had 26 encounters that I can say was actually a Bigfoot," D.W. Lee told <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/bigfoot-hunting-season-legislative-stunt-or-tourism-promotion/35283756" target="_blank">KOCO News</a> when he heard of Humphrey's bill. "The efforts of the people out there actually being serious about this – it really hampers us."</p><p>Objection to the bill may also stem from the <a href="https://www.bfro.net/REF/aboutbfr.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization's</a> intention to never harm the creature physically, but only study it.</p><p>Others reject the basis for the bill entirely.</p><p>"I had one lady just scream at me that she is going to make sure I will get beat because of this and told me I've lost my mind," Humphrey told The Oklahoman. "I don't think they (critics) understand what we are trying to do to promote our area."</p>
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President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer holds a press conference in Brussels, Belgium on Jan. 30, 2020. Dursun Aydemir / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
By Jon Queally
Noted author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben was among the first to celebrate word that the president of the European Investment Bank on Wednesday openly declared, "To put it mildly, gas is over" — an admission that squares with what climate experts and economists have been saying for years if not decades.
<p>Dr. Werner Hoyer, president of the EIB — the investment bank publicly owned by the European Union's member states — made the comments while presenting a review of the institution's 2020 operations at a press conference in Luxembourg.</p><p>Calling a future break with fracked gas "a serious departure from the past," Hoer added that "without the end to the use of unabated fossil fuels, we will not be able to reach the climate targets" to which the EU states — and therefore the bank — have committed.</p><p>McKibben and others responded to the comments as the most recent promising signal that the financial world is catching up with the climate science that demands a rapid and profound shift away from fossil fuels.</p>
<div id="3e832" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4fe43fadc02a3bc19b3bb0387627f5a0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352242766621904896" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Head of the European Investment Bank: "Gas is over."
I'd say the message is starting to sink in.
https://t.co/BYKCJO0EVS</div> — Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben)<a href="https://twitter.com/billmckibben/statuses/1352242766621904896">1611234773.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"President of the EIB, Werner Hoyer, clearly knows what's up," <a href="https://twitter.com/PriceofOil/status/1352226504432885760" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> Oil Change International. "We agree. Time to #StopFundingFossils."</p><p>Greenpeace EU also heralded the news and stated: "There's nothing clean about gas — it's not a 'transition fuel' or a 'bridge fuel,' it's a dirty fossil fuel just like coal and oil. It's time to stop bankrolling the #ClimateEmergency and stop public money back gas projects."</p>
<div id="9a0df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="794b3b0f2b24a61966878250dd90138a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1351871509334253574" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">European Investment Bank says GAS IS OVER! 🥂👋
Now we need to make sure it doesn't fund gas before its 2022 deadlin… https://t.co/I5G8zvPOUE</div> — Gastivists Network (@Gastivists Network)<a href="https://twitter.com/gastivists/statuses/1351871509334253574">1611146259.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/gas-is-over-eu-bank-chief-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According</a> to EurActiv:</p><blockquote>The EU aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and is expected to adopt a new carbon reduction target of -55% for 2030. However, gas has remained a grey area, with the European Commission <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/natural-gas-is-a-caveat-in-energy-transition-eu-admits/" target="_blank">saying it will still be needed to help coal-reliant EU member states transition away from fossil fuels</a>.<br>Under their <a href="https://www.eib.org/attachments/thematic/eib_group_climate_bank_roadmap_en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate bank roadmap published in 2020</a>, the EIB plans to use 50% of its activity to support climate and environmental sustainability, unlocking €1 trillion for green funding by 2030. It will also ensure that all activity is aligned with the Paris Agreement.</blockquote><p>Others emphasized what a historic shift the comment represents from even just a few years ago:</p>
<div id="c61d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1023ac797ce2060c2237eb53aebdf9e2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352166077980143618" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">June 2011, IEA: "Are We Entering A Golden Age of gas"
Jan 2021, EIB: "Gas is over"
https://t.co/DXdDBOhiLG</div> — Michael Liebreich (@Michael Liebreich)<a href="https://twitter.com/MLiebreich/statuses/1352166077980143618">1611216489.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>While many European climate groups and financial watchdogs have criticized the EU member states and the EIB itself for not moving forward fast enough with proposed reforms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Hoyer said Wednesday that the shift away from fossil fuels is paramount and that even the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the continent must not act as a roadblock.</p><p>"We have achieved unprecedented impact on climate, preparing the ground for much more," Hoyer said in his remarks. "But the risk of a recovery that neglects climate and the environment remains."</p><p>"The fight against climate change cannot wait until the pandemic is over," he added. "The [Covid-19] crisis is not a reason to stop tackling the climate and environmental challenges facing humanity."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/21/reality-starting-sink-says-mckibben-after-european-investment-bank-chief-admits-gas" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A dwarf giraffe is seen in Uganda, Africa. Dr. Michael Brown, GCF
Nine feet tall is gigantic by human standards, but when researcher and conservationist Michael Brown spotted a giraffe in Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park that measured nine feet, four inches, he was shocked.
<p>Giraffes have an average height of around 16 feet. Their necks alone can measure six feet. So why was this giraffe so much shorter?</p><p>"The initial reaction was disbelief," Brown, who is a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> science fellow with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/science/dwarf-giraffes.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>Scientists first spotted the Nubian giraffe, named Gimli, in 2015. Three years later, researchers found another short giraffe living on a private farm in central Namibia. That one, named Nigel, is an Angolan giraffe measuring eight-and-a-half-feet tall.</p><p>The researchers compared the two giraffes to each other, along with those of average height, <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/534873-new-discovery-of-dwarf-giraffes-is-baffling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hill explained</a>. The comparisons revealed that the two giraffes had shorter legs than their similarly aged peers, caused by skeletal dysplasia, or dwarfism.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="54af350ee3a2950e0e5e69d926a55d83"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yf4NRKzzTFk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>This is the first time that dwarfism has been documented in wild giraffe populations, Brown and his GCF colleague Emma Wells wrote in a paper published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1186/s13104-020-05403-9?sharing_token=ntjvG3fP1wY_nrBV0eDdO2_BpE1tBhCbnbw3BuzI2RO_hp-8Guw6xV7ywaIirtjhYCijpdOVcpcsRSq7HBvvCbScuMwHpvQOGkFiUA-k4_ttaOODkzWhYBOHXQo5ujaizGjqTke6RMmuFIZAkUUXjslcFxiMDL3g07YUIA8JPsA%3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BMC Research Notes</a> last month. They noted how dwarfism has been observed in domestic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a>, but rarely in the wild. Other incidents include a red deer in Scotland and an Asian elephant in Sri Lanka.</p><p>"Instances of wild animals with these types of skeletal dysplasias are extraordinarily rare," Brown said in a <a href="https://giraffeconservation.org/2021/01/09/dwarf-giraffe-spotted-in-namibia-and-uganda/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement to GCF</a>. "It's another interesting wrinkle in the unique story of giraffe in these diverse ecosystems."</p><p>The researchers are unsure what caused dwarfism in the two giraffes. In domestic animals, it is usually associated with inbreeding or a lack of genetic diversity, The New York Times explained. Researchers don't know if this is the case for the giraffes, but GCF noted that the giraffes in Uganda suffered significant population decline in the 1980s due to unrest and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/poaching" target="_self">poaching</a>.</p><p>While the giraffe population in Uganda is recovering, the overall population is in trouble across Africa. Their numbers have fallen 40 percent in the last 30 years, according to The Hill. GCF estimates that there are about 111,000 left in the wild in Africa.</p>
<p>"Giraffe are undergoing a silent extinction in Africa. The fact that this is the first description of dwarf giraffe is just another example of how little we know about these charismatic animals," GCF Director and Co-Founder Dr. Julian Fennessy said in a statement.</p><p>As for Nigel and Gimli's individual chances, Brown told The New York Times it was a good sign that both had survived to adulthood, since more than half of giraffes die beforehand. However, Brown thought they might have problems later in life because of their size.</p><p>"It's easy to imagine how this might make them more susceptible to predation since they lack the ability to effectively run and kick, which are two of the giraffe's most effective anti-predator tactics," Brown told The New York Times. "Additionally, given the mechanics of giraffe mating, I'd speculate that for both of these giraffes, mating would be physically challenging."</p><p>Nigel was last seen during a July 2020 survey but Gimli has not been seen since 2017. Researchers hope he will appear again soon.</p>
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Kelsey Mueller, 16, pets Ruby while waiting with her family to be escorted from the evacuation zone at the Shaver Lake Marina parking lot off of CA-168 during the Creek Fire on Sept. 7, 2020 in Shaver Lake, California. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
By Daisy Simmons
In a wildfire, hurricane, or other disaster, people with pets should heed the Humane Society's advice: If it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for your animals either.
<p>Whether your charge is a lap dog, bird, outdoor cat, or farm animal, planning ahead for a potential evacuation can help you protect your animals and also first responders, who may risk their safety to save your pets.</p><p>Take the following measures now to help keep family pets safe should an evacuation become necessary:</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/01/how-to-evacuate-with-pets-during-a-wildfire-hurricane-or-other-disaster/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2650067972#/" target="_self"></a></p>
1. Stay Informed
<p>A first order of business in pet evacuation planning is to understand and be ready for the possible threats in your area. Visit <a href="https://www.ready.gov/be-informed" target="_blank">Ready.gov</a> to learn more about preparing for potential disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. Then pay attention to related updates by tuning <a href="http://www.weather.gov/nwr/" target="_blank">NOAA Weather Radio</a> to your local emergency station or using the <a href="https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app" target="_blank">FEMA app</a> to get National Weather Service alerts.</p>2. Ensure Your Pet is Easily Identifiable
<p><span>Household pets, including indoor cats, should wear collars with ID tags that have your mobile phone number. </span><a href="https://www.avma.org/microchipping-animals-faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microchipping</a><span> your pets will also improve your chances of reunion should you become separated. Be sure to add an emergency contact for friends or relatives outside your immediate area.</span></p><p>Additionally, use <a href="https://secure.aspca.org/take-action/order-your-pet-safety-pack" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">'animals inside' door/window stickers</a> to show rescue workers how many pets live there. (If you evacuate with your pets, quickly write "Evacuated" on the sticker so first responders don't waste time searching for them.)</p>3. Make a Pet Evacuation Plan
<p> "No family disaster plan is complete without including your pets and all of your animals," says veterinarian Heather Case in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9NRJkFKAm4" target="_blank">a video</a> produced by the American Veterinary Medical Association.</p><p>It's important to determine where to take your pet in the event of an emergency.</p><p>Red Cross shelters and many other emergency shelters allow only service animals. Ask your vet, local animal shelters, and emergency management officials for information on local and regional animal sheltering options.</p><p>For those with access to the rare shelter that allows pets, CDC offers <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/emergencies/pets-in-evacuation-centers.html" target="_blank">tips on what to expect</a> there, including potential health risks and hygiene best practices.</p><p>Beyond that, talk with family or friends outside the evacuation area about potentially hosting you and/or your pet if you're comfortable doing so. Search for pet-friendly hotel or boarding options along key evacuation routes.</p><p>If you have exotic pets or a mix of large and small animals, you may need to identify multiple locations to shelter them.</p><p>For other household pets like hamsters, snakes, and fish, the SPCA recommends that if they normally live in a cage, they should be transported in that cage. If the enclosure is too big to transport, however, transfer them to a smaller container temporarily. (More on that <a href="https://www.spcai.org/take-action/emergency-preparedness/evacuation-how-to-be-pet-prepared" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.)</p><p>For any pet, a key step is to establish who in your household will be the point person for gathering up pets and bringing their supplies. Keep in mind that you may not be home when disaster strikes, so come up with a Plan B. For example, you might form a buddy system with neighbors with pets, or coordinate with a trusted pet sitter.</p>4. Prepare a Pet Evacuation Kit
<p>Like the emergency preparedness kit you'd prepare for humans, assemble basic survival items for your pets in a sturdy, easy-to-grab container. Items should include:</p><ul><li>Water, food, and medicine to last a week or two;</li><li>Water, food bowls, and a can opener if packing wet food;</li><li>Litter supplies for cats (a shoebox lined with a plastic bag and litter may work);</li><li>Leashes, harnesses, or vehicle restraints if applicable;</li><li>A <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/pet-first-aid-supplies-checklist" target="_blank">pet first aid kit</a>;</li><li>A sturdy carrier or crate for each cat or dog. In addition to easing transport, these may serve as your pet's most familiar or safe space in an unfamiliar environment;</li><li>A favorite toy and/or blanket;</li><li>If your pet is prone to anxiety or stress, the American Kennel Club suggests adding <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/create-emergency-evacuation-plan-dog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stress-relieving items</a> like an anxiety vest or calming sprays.</li></ul><p>In the not-unlikely event that you and your pet have to shelter in different places, your kit should also include:</p><ul><li>Detailed information including contact information for you, your vet, and other emergency contacts;</li><li>A list with phone numbers and addresses of potential destinations, including pet-friendly hotels and emergency boarding facilities near your planned evacuation routes, plus friends or relatives in other areas who might be willing to host you or your pet;</li><li>Medical information including vaccine records and a current rabies vaccination tag;</li><li>Feeding notes including portions and sizes in case you need to leave your pet in someone else's care;</li><li>A photo of you and your pet for identification purposes.</li></ul>5. Be Ready to Evacuate at Any Time
<p>It's always wise to be prepared, but stay especially vigilant in high-risk periods during fire or hurricane season. Practice evacuating at different times of day. Make sure your grab-and-go kit is up to date and in a convenient location, and keep leashes and carriers by the exit door. You might even stow a thick pillowcase under your bed for middle-of-the-night, dash-out emergencies when you don't have time to coax an anxious pet into a carrier. If forecasters warn of potential wildfire, a hurricane, or other dangerous conditions, bring outdoor pets inside so you can keep a close eye on them.</p><p>As with any emergency, the key is to be prepared. As the American Kennel Club points out, "If you panic, it will agitate your dog. Therefore, <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/create-emergency-evacuation-plan-dog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pet disaster preparedness</a> will not only reduce your anxiety but will help reduce your pet's anxiety too."</p>Evacuating Horses and Other Farm Animals
<p>The same basic principles apply for evacuating horses and most other livestock. Provide each with some form of identification. Ensure that adequate food, water, and medicine are available. And develop a clear plan on where to go and how to get there.</p><p>Sheltering and transporting farm animals requires careful coordination, from identifying potential shelter space at fairgrounds, racetracks, or pastures, to ensuring enough space is available in vehicles and trailers – not to mention handlers and drivers on hand to support the effort.</p><p>For most farm animals, the Red Cross advises that you consider precautionary evacuation when a threat seems imminent but evacuation orders haven't yet been announced. The American Veterinary Medical Association has <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/large-animals-and-livestock-disasters" target="_blank">more information</a>.</p>Bottom Line: If You Need to Evacuate, So Do Your Pets
<p>As the Humane Society warns, pets left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost, or killed. Plan ahead to make sure you can safely evacuate your entire household – furry members included.</p>From Your Site Articles
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