Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Animals Asia Founder Jill Robinson in Toronto

I rushed after work to get over to this unique visit from a lady who has dedicated her last 18 years to help Moon Bears in China and recently Vietnam as well. Jill Robinson the founder of Animals Asia joined us in the Lula Lounge of Toronto to speak about the lives of these gorgeous bears in what they call "Bear Farms".

Within these farms these bears are caged so tightly they cannot move around much and the floor is bars which makes their feet deform over the many and some decades of time being caged. The farmers milk them for their bile to use in ancient chinese medicine. This leaves the wound open and always infected that in time kills these animals but sadly not soon enough since they have to be tortured for years if not decades.

Jo-Anne McArthur was also there being the amazing photographer as well as she had some gorgeous Moon Bear photos up for sale with all proceeds going to Animals Asia.

Please watch the whole talk Jill Robinson gave us in four parts.

PART ONE




PART TWO





PART THREE




PART FOUR





Jill Robinson and Myself

Rob Laidlaw of Zoocheck Canada and Myself

Animals Asia North America with Nina Muller the Toronto Volunteer

Author Marc Bekoff and Myself
Jo-Anne McArthur and her gorgeous photographs.

--
Bob Timmons

Co-Host for Herbivores - Animal Frequency Show
http://www.facebook.com/HerbivoresAnimalFrequency%20

Artist For The Ocean
http://www.bobtimmons.org/

Toronto Regional Coordinator for Sea Shepherd
http://www.facebook.com/SSCSToronto 


Ric O'Barry Gets ECO HERO Award


I was honoured to meet Ric O'Barry for the fourth time this year being the third Country too! We have been talking since the beginning of 2010 and met for the first time this past January when I was in Japan, then again in Miami at the Seaquarium for a protest, and finally twice in Canada for two separate awards!

This award was for being an ECO HERO! Please watch the 9min award ceremony with Ric Speaking. At the end he plugs that he normally comes to Canada to protest Marineland and further states not to buy a ticket to any dolphin shows. Period.


Hanging out at the After Party!


--
Bob Timmons

Co-Host for Herbivores - Animal Frequency Show
http://www.facebook.com/HerbivoresAnimalFrequency%20

Artist For The Ocean
http://www.bobtimmons.org/

Toronto Regional Coordinator for Sea Shepherd
http://www.facebook.com/SSCSToronto 


Saturday, October 8, 2011

Shark Ban In Canada On The Rise

Today I was speaking to a lady named "Joanna Hui" who is very much involved with the banning of shark fin products in Toronto. She shared with me something that inspired me to write about my journey for the sharks.

Joanna Hui said:
"I saw the clip with you and Olivia Chow! (Watch Video Below).  That was awesome and that definitely had something to do with Fin Donelly moving on it."

I said:
Serious? My video actually helped?

Joanna Hui said:
Yah! Olivia said to talk to Fin.

Fin Donelly has just recently stated he wants to push a Federal Canadian Ban on Shark Products.



 It was about 4 and half years ago I had a life changing journey that all started with a movie called "Sharkwater". This movie brought me to understanding the decline of the shark species and the importance it had for the health of the ocean which was also changing and dying. Our globla ecosystem is so highly connected that what we do to the sharks and other crucial things I will not get into at the moment on this planet is criminal.


This started me on a journey as an artist to seek out what my body ached to expose through my paintbrush. I painted a story for the sharks called "One Shark Is Worth A Million Now" and that is when it all began.



One Shark Is Worth A Million Now Finished January 2008

 The journey started with the painting and led me to networking the story to bring more people aware of the issue with the plight of the shark and the ocean too. I learned about other animal issues and organizations doing such wonderful work for those areas.

I also decided to create another Shark Painting of a Great White I was inspired by and to help expose the beauty of this ocean animal.


Silver Bullet February 4th, 2009


To stay with the shark part of my journey I found an organization called "Animal Rights Kollective" who were very much willing to help me spread the awareness on the streets for the sharks. It was July of 2008 when my daughter and I joined some other activists at a park called Woodbine Park in Toronto. This is where a store called "Shoppers Drugmart" was sponsoring a "Cure for Cancer" pajama run and Shopper's was a store we focused on due to a product they sold called "Holista - Shark Cartilage". 

I then spoke on Vancouver's Animal Voices October of 2008 regarding Holista and Shark Cartlilage to get the message out further - This was my first of many interviews for animals during my journey.




The NOW Magazine placed a small article regarding our protest against Shark Cartilage.

Now this product was our first fight for the Sharks out of Toronto and we joined an awareness organization called "Year of the Shark" to aid in the shark's positive fight. From the streets to the internet we fought Shopper's Drugmart and Holista as well. Within the first few months of 2009 I met Alex S. Earle from Sea Shepherd at a Lush event and we became friends on Facebook. At this moment I shared to him the campaign against Holista and he became very determined to help us with this fight. He opened up dialogue with Holista and that is when I shared this information with "Year of the Shark" and we all educated the company on the product. It was April 27th - 2009 when we received a letter from Holista stating they will no longer support this product and it will cease to exist. Sea Shepherd then posted the letter for our win here "Holista Letter".

"It is for this reason that Holista has ceased purchasing Shark Cartilage raw materials and will no longer be producing Shark Cartilage products. It is our hope that this decision will contribute to the necessary global moratorium required on the harvesting of sharks." ~Holista

It was the new year of 2009 and we did a "Sharkwater" screening just days before our planned Shark Awareness march through chinatown in Toronto. The screening had about 70 people in attendance and the march was just as successful! We event received media attention and a police escort who were very much in favour of our issue.


Shark March through China Town Toronto - January 24th - 2009

August 7th - 2009 I was interviewed by my home town newspaper called "Artist draws attention to plight of sharks"  Article Here

August 29th - 2009 I was interviewed by Green Guide Network  
"Bob Timmons is an Endangered Marine Animal Artist and Activist.  In a few short years his art has not only added to public awareness of animal exploitation but has also allowed him to pursue his cause internationally as the Director of Campaigns for an animal rights organization, ARK II.  I spoke to Bob about the message and inspiration behind his passion." Article Here

I was down in Florida and visited a man who has a business called `Key west Extreme`and it was to show people sharks without harming them. He educated people by the thousands per week why we need to protect sharks in the ocean. I was able to interview Captain Ken Harris regarding the Lemon Shark ban vote coming up in Florida which outstandingly passed and was in place for March 23rd - 2010.

Captain Ken Harris - Key west, Florida December 12th, 2009


I was interviewed on Toronto's Animal Voices regarding my art and activism where I spoke about the Shark painting and other paintings I have created and their messages as well.


Part One of Interview December 15th - 2009



I was doing anything I could as an artist and activist for sharks to get the message out that I even had a couple of tattoo's in the sharks honour to promote their need of support!


Making of my Shark Tattoo February 10th - 2010

I even did some Great Whites across my Stomach as a belt of support!


I then did a painting that involved a comparison of a land animal, The Lion, and an ocean animal - The Shark. This I called "Apex Predators Head Toward Extinction". I was asked by an organization called LionAid if I could paint something for them and I decided this was my opportunity to bring awareness to land issues with ocean issues.


Apex Predators Head Toward Extinction - February 21st - 2010


I did a fundraiser to help raise awareness and money to a couple of organizations that were helping sharks in different parts of the world back in May 2010. Then at a filming of "End of the Line" regarding overfishing practices that is killing the ocean's marine ecosystem. The hosts were Olivia and Jack Layton of the NDP party - Provincial and Federal. I found this to be my opportunity to speak about the shark issues to the lady who politically runs the China Town Area of Toronto - Olivia Chow.

 
Toronto Chinatown MP Olivia Chow & Sharks September 15th - 2010

Then finally after watching the incredible United States of America's news regarding shark fin bans with Hawaii, Oregon and most recently California it was very exciting to have my home town of BRANTFORD, ONTARIO stand up to be the first to ban Shark Fin Products in Canada! To me that was a  full circle of action with passion/compassion for the sharks alone.


Shark Ban in Brantford Makes History for Canada May 24th - 2011


Then immediately in June of 2011 a broad coalition of politicians and activists has launched a campaign to ban the sale and consumption of shark fins within Toronto, a feat they hope will trigger a legislative domino effect across North America. Councillors Glenn De Baeremaeker and John Parker joined Ms. Wong-Tam for the campaign launch. They are working with Rob Stewart, director of the award-winning documentary Sharkwater, and representatives from the conservation group WildAid to get 10,000 signatures on a petition and prod City Hall into imposing a ban by October. Article Here

I also decided to launch a necklace charm to aid in the awareness of the sharks and help to tell their story. I call my jewelery line `Blood in the Ocean` and you can see the shark charm here - Shark.




And then Friday September 9th - 2011 in Toronto the meeting of the Licensing and Standards Committee voted to refer the item to the Executive Director of the Municipal Licensing and Standards Committee to report back on a bylaw to ban the possession, sale and consumption of shark fin products. All the shark advocates of "Fin Free" and others joined together to speak on behalf of the sharks today! Giving the sharks a voice to save the species from this horrific slaughter worldwide for only their fins. Blogged it Here.



Now we wait for October 13th - 2011! This week is the most important vote for the sharks in Canada where the large Asian Population resides - Toronto. Please if you are anywhere near Toronto come here for 9am at the Toronto City Hall. If you feel you can speak just to say "I Support The Ban On Shark Fins" then please do or just come and be a member of the audience in support of the Shark Ban in Toronto! Please Send Joanna Hui an email at jhui@toronto.ca to let her know you are planning to attend to give her an idea of how many people will be there and may speak.

Thank you all for supporting and being a Voice for the SHARKS!

Join my Email list on my website and learn about when I will be launching my book of my Ocean Animal Awareness Paintings.


Bob Timmons

Co-Host for Herbivores - Animal Frequency Show
http://www.facebook.com/HerbivoresAnimalFrequency%20

Artist For The Ocean
http://www.bobtimmons.org/

Toronto Regional Coordinator for Sea Shepherd
http://www.facebook.com/SSCSToronto 

Thursday, October 6, 2011

"Corporation" The "Anti-Christ"

As we continue to count the days of the prophecy's and wonder when is the person, the anit-christ, going to come and create havoc on the world and its inhabitants. We have been waiting and searching for anything to reveal itself - him/her - and so we could be ready and prepared.

Yesterday I was speaking with a very well informed individual who said something that triggered my mind to ask him to repeat. He said the Anti-Christ is not a person that we have been perceived to believe and look for but now that a Corporation is considered a person look at the evil destructive manner it reaps on our world - the people - the animals - the environment! This opened my mind up and it became untwisted.

The thoughts I am having now come together to really let me see this new idea - Corporation = Anti-Christ - that has been written about over thousands of years. I see the evil that Corporations are doing from the factory farms to the animal testing to the pollution  and starving people! The slavery of sweatshops in asia to the animal slavery in food production and pharmaceuticals. The evil doing is unimaginable yet it is happening.

I want to share you a great video from Keith Olberman that speaks of the demands of the Occupy Wall Street and listen for this:

“They [corporations] have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.”





There will be and are a lot of Uprising happening around the world and especially across the United States of America! Go here and see what city is closest to you or how you can start your own city become awakened!  Occupy Together Meetups in 747 Cities so far! OCCUPY TOGETHER

--
Bob Timmons

Co-Host for Herbivores - Animal Frequency Show
http://www.facebook.com/HerbivoresAnimalFrequency%20

Artist For The Ocean
http://www.bobtimmons.org/

Toronto Regional Coordinator for Sea Shepherd
http://www.facebook.com/SSCSToronto