This just in - the latest from the preachy blog (08/28/10):
"Animal abuse and neglect - large scale" - A recent petition in our county seeks "harsher punishments for people who hurt animals", as a news channel put it. ... [more]
The preachy site with the bulky name - V1.0 1)
Welcome to our old fashioned website. You do not need to sign up, do not need to leave your email address or credit card number, do not need to tie and confirm contacts, do not need to upload anything.
All activity we do request demand 2) is in the listing below.
Also, this site is not about the en vogue topic global warming - not only.
Climate change seems to be just one more indicator that we stretch our environment to the limits, i.e. actually live beyond our means 3).
Number of humans currently living on this planet:
Acres of rainforest lost since creation of ysmad (4/25/2008): - STOP IT!
Animal and plant species being wiped out, since site creation:
Trees converted into chopsticks (China), since site creation (see blog entry 5/8/08):
Birds killed "inadvertently" (US), since site creation (see blog entry 7/18/08):
Tons of seafood harvested (rather: "mined"), since site creation:
(More statistics on ysmad's statistics page)
This site is meant to raise awareness for the need of environmental conservation; plus to gather ideas on how change can be supported by everybody in daily life. See the bottom of the page for some additional comments. Here some initial ideas on how to make a difference in preserving nature and its diversity.
Buy less (new) stuff 
Keep your lawn cut a bit higher 
Be gentle on your heating and cooling system
Avoid one-time plastic articles like plastic bags and plastic dishes
Boycott restaurants which crank up the AC to the max
Put an energy-saving bulb in your frontyard's lamp
Don't participate in frequent traveler "mileage runs"
Remind your hotel to not change bed linens and towels
Meet virtually instead of physically
Install a thermostat
Buy local wine and beer
Repair instead of replace
Buy her more flowers for Valentines than ever!
Donate for rainforest protection
Send back unsolicited mail 
Sell stuff you no longer use (or about to throw away) on ebay
Plan your refrigerator turnover
Watch your seafood
Don't use hotel soap, shampoo and lotions
Minimize water softener runs
Let common sense rule!
Pay your bills online
... [show all, ysmad green tips page]
Some comments as mentioned on top of this page.
Here is how we see it: Either
- We radically change our way of living towards sustainable lifestyles, or
- We reduce the planet's human population significantly, or
- Human environmental changes will further decrease the planet's diversity and ability to sustain life - including our own species.
Regarding the first point: only few of the ideas above can be considered "radical" so far - but it's a start. We are convinced that every individual's share does make a difference and even is essential to avoid putting the ones who care at disadvantage. Although we consider it the task of politics to induce a (larger scale) change, there is no need to wait. That's what ysmad.com is about.
The second point can be considered a subset of the first - and going by the VHEMT initiative 
a pretty radical as well! For a more moderate approach see "Population Connection" (however, VHEMT is a more entertaining site to browse :)).
The last option finally - in case none of the previous will prevail - is the ongoing destruction of the very environment we live in from. This includes biodiversity as well as livable local and global climate. We compiled some information on this site, but assume(d) it's known already.
E.g. for wildlife, magazines around the world inform us about the current situation, and title it e.g. as "the animal species throes of death" 
. The Earth's plants face the same fate, seeing the destruction of rain forests and extinction of indigenous plants. Apart from our "statistics page", also see the article compilation "Mass extinction underway" on well.com a starting point:
"Human beings are currently causing the greatest mass extinction of species since the extinction of the dinosaurs (...), as a result of habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, and climate change."
Why we should care?
Here is a nice summary from the "Convention on Biological Diversity":
"It is reckless if not downright dangerous to keep chipping away at our life support system. It is unethical to drive other forms of life to extinction, and thereby deprive present and future generations of options for their survival and development."
So - it's all known, just somebody needs to care (meaning everybody).
To close this page real preachy:
Be part of a change which needs to happen now and where your share makes a difference! ;)
Warning!
The following quotes may contain "inconvenient truths" :) You may consider them overdramatization. Please stay some more klicks and read some articles, e.g. in our blog.
"The greatest challenge of the twenty-first century is to settle humanity down and accommodate 8 to 10 billion people with a decent standard of living before they wreck the planet. (...) Humanity's responsibility to the rest of life and to future generations is clear: bring with us as much of the environment and biodiversity through the bottleneck [of peak-population] as possible."
(Edward O. Wilson in a foreword to "The Diversity of Life")
"It's not just global warming, it's not just a loss of biodiversity, it's not just the pollution of our oceans and the clearing of our rainforests, [it's about] personal transformation and environmental consciousness that we need to have in this generation to implement a lot of these changes that need to occur."
(Leonardo diCaprio about his movie "The 11th Hour")
"We need a top-down approach and we need a grass-roots effort if we are going to reverse environmental damage and preserve our planet for future generations -- for all of you."
(Ban Ki-moon about climate change)
"And that is what is at stake, our ability to live on planet Earth, to have a future as a civilization."
(Al Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth")
Nooo, these quotes are not only to decorate our website with celebrity names!
1 Announcement ...
It's official - the preachy site with the bulky name is online in "version 1.0" since 9/1/2008. Green tips, nature pictures and a preachy blog - any comments?!
2 A tiny tribute ...
... to Derrick Jensen's compelling point that "lovingkindness" will not work. See "endgame, Volume 2", page 570.
3 Regarding "living beyond our means":
See e.g. WWF "Living Planet Report" 2008 - "Humanity's demands exceed our planet's capacity to sustain us"