Hi Everyone:

11/21/07
As the Japanese whaling fleet continues to head for Antarctica, things have been happening outside that southern sea area. For example (and this is to my great delight!), the USA's (my country's) government formally asked Japan to stop the whale hunt. I had worried that Bush would have wanted not to antagonize the Japanese and would have stayed silent on the issue. But he came through on what I will call the side of the angels.

The USA is not the only country to ask that Japan stop the whale hunt; in addition, these countries have also formally asked that the hunt be halted: European Union, Australia and New Zealand, and Chile. The pressure builds.

Further, an international expert judicial panel has met in London and has issued a report, entitled "The London Report on Illegal Whaling", in which they conclude that the whaling hunt by Japan is illegal and urges that actions to be taken against the Government of Japan for its violations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

I applaud this use of diplomacy and international law (rather than direct ship-to-ship ramming-type action) to stop this hunt. And wish that some group would step up to the plate, take that report (to the World Court. say.) and run with it.

And you may wish to read what Time magazine said about this whale hunt.

The 2007's protests against whale hunting have only begun. Let's hope that they are more successful than they have been in past years!

Keep GE surfin; and posting!!

hale