Christian Aid, our featured charity for May, is looking for entries to compete in the BUPA Great North Run in October. 150 places are currently available for the world’s biggest half marathon, with runners only asked to raise £300 to take part.

One of last year’s runners, Kevin Clelland, ran with his wife Amy and his mate, Daniel.

“It was Amy’s first half marathon so we took it easy and came home over an hour down on my time last year and 29000 places further back but it was probably my most enjoyable Great North Run yet!   Daniel and I ran as Mexicans – I attached my Christian Aid vest to my poncho and thankfully the sombrero kept the sun off my head!”

Proof that the fun really is in the taking part!

Thanks to people like Kevin, Amy and Daniel, Christian Aid will be raising money to help poor communities worldwide. If you want to be part of this truly mind-blowing event and join in the fun call us now to reserve your place and avoid disappointment on 0207 523 2248 or email events@christianaid.org

You too can help Christian Aid by purchasing one of the 40 gifts available from Present Aid. Your gift could be a herd of goats all the way up to a health workers salary, helping to transform the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest countries.

> > click here to view the gifts available at Present Aid

The RSPCA have slammed the Australian government’s annual kangaroo culling as a ‘killing frenzy’.

The government have increased the numbers allowed to be shot by commercial hunters from 5million every year to 7million.  The Farmers’ Association of New South Wales claim a leap from 8million to over 13million in the past 12 months justify the extra Kangaroo culling. The Association also blame the overpopulation causing damage to fences, crops, and depletion of the Outback’s water supply. But with the meat Kangaroo goods now becoming a multimillion dollar industry, animal rights groups see this as an excuse for commercial gain.

It’s not just animal rights groups who disagree with the cull either. 8 Aboriginal elders scaled the fences of the former naval communications post in Canberra where a cull was taking place. Once inside the elders held a smoking ceremony, to ‘claim back their land’. Local Aborigines have been closely involved in the protest against the cull for several weeks.

Ngunnawal tribe spokeswoman Isobel Coe told police -

“If you are going to treat us like trespassers you will have to arrest us and take us to jail. We are claiming our land and that’s what our sacred fire means.”

It is now possible to help fund the work of the RSPCA by using their charity credit card. MBNA will pledge £20 to the RSPCA for each card issued, with a further 25p being donated for every £100 spent.

> > click here to find out more about the work of the WSPA

Animal charities have now officially listed the Tasmanian Devil on the Endangered Species List. Experts predict that the carnivorous marsupial could be extinct within the next 20 years.

Nearly 64% of all the Tasmanian Devil population have been infected by a deadly facial tumour. The disease itself is spread to each creature through biting, leaving the animal unable to eat, and inevitably leading to organ failure.

Recent research suggests that some devils may have a genetic resistance to the disease. Experts are currently observing a Devil who is showing the first signs of being immune, whilst 47 of the species have been shipped to mainland Australia to help preserve the genetic diversity from total extinction.

> > click here to make a donation to the WSPA

> > click here to save the Tasmanian Devil

Greenpeace and the WWF are calling for the British Government’s energy policy to be in line with the EU’s target for renewable energy by 2020. This however is looking unlikely due to the building of new unabated coal-fired power stations in the UK.

The high emissions from new coal plants would severely undermine progress towards targets under the Climate Change Bill. Allowing new unabated coal stations would also damage the UK’s credibility as a main player in international climate negotiations.

Carbon Capture and Storage (C.S.S.) will help reductions that are needed to avoid climate chaos. However, the technology has not yet been proven on an integrated power plant and it may not be technically possible. Building capture ready stations now would therefore impose unacceptable risks to the taxpayer, who may well end up footing the bill for any future refit.

Greenpeace and the WWF are calling the British Government to focus on renewable energy efficiency, whilst introducing greenhouse gas emission standards for all new power plants. New legal standards should be set to limit the CO2 emissions for all new plants that have yet to secure planning permission.

Any pre planned CCS demonstration plants should be established solely for technical reasons and to also form part of a clear European strategy to assess the various technical options. It is vital for the planets future that regulations are established through independent monitoring to ensure that the storage of all CO2 is safe, and environmentally sound.

> > click here to find out more about the work of Greenpeace

To coincide with the start of BBC2 nature programme Springwatch, all new adult RSPB memberships are offered a copy of Bill Oddie’s ‘How to Watch Wildlife’ book as a free gift when joining online between 23rd May and 30th June.

With the current warm weather, more people are taking advantage of the sun and visiting one of the many RSPB nature reserves around the country. From as little as £2.84 a month, you too can visit one of the 100 beautiful RSPB sites around the UK, whilst also quarterly receiving the member’s only publication ‘Birds’.

You subscription fee covers not only the costs for the upkeep of the nature reserves, but also campaigning against developments that damage bird environments whilst restoring natural habitats.

> > click here to join the RSPB

London grime sensation Dizzee Rascal is set to release a track for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably.
The track is called ‘Dean’ and was written by Dizzee after a close friend of his committed suicide. The track was initially recorded to appear on the album ‘Maths and English’, but didn’t make the final cut. After representatives for C.A.L.M. heard the track they decided it would be a powerful tool in helping young people talk about their problems before things get too serious. Spokesperson Jane Powell said –

‘The key for us is putting out the message that strong isn’t silent and having someone like Dizzee get this message out is just fantastic. Young men listen, for the most part, to other young men rather than charities or government spokespeople.’

The track now has a video and is available to download from iTunes, with all the profits going towards the running of the C.A.L.M help centre. The charity runs a hotline and website aimed at talking young men with worries, something Dizzee wishes his old school friend Dean had done before he took his own life.

“He was one of the first people I’d ever known to have died and the fact he committed suicide was a shock. I didn’t quite know how to feel. Everyone’s talking about gun crime and knife crime and a lot of people are suffering because of it. With things like Calm, you can talk to them beacuase that is the main thing – talking.”

The American government has a last put the Polar Bear on the Endangered Species List, after 3 years of warnings from the charity WWF.

After a 4 month delay, the Bush/Cheney administration’s Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne finally succumbed to intense pressure to add the Arctic animals to the list. He also made it clear that this should not be used to address global warming or habitat loss, the two main factors contributing to the decline of polar bears in the U.S.

The government’s decision making process was concluded over three findings. Firstly, sea ice is vital to the survival of the polar bear, but their sea-ice habitat has dramatically melted in recent years, with computer research suggesting sea ice is likely to further recede. Polar bears are now in serious danger of losing their habitat, making them likely to become extinct in the next 45 years.

Last year alone saw the arctic sea ice fall to the lowest level ever recorded, 39% less than the long-term average from 1979 to 2000.  Although the Arctic bear population has risen from about 12,000 in 1960 to almost 25,000 today, scientific projections suggest a major decline by the year 2050.

After many years of pressure, the U.S. government has finally acted on the World Wildlife Funds pressure, and you too can help save these animals from extinction. From as little as £2.50 a month you can adopt a polar bear, and help the WWF stop pollution in the Arctic Circle.

> > click here to adopt a Polar bear

> > click here to find out more about the World Wildlife Fund

Question: What’s the smartest way to help people in the world’s poorest communities help themselves?

Answer: Quizaid a new quiz night game from Christian Aid

Quizaid is the best quiz night in town – and it’s organised by you.

Challenge your friends, colleagues and neighbours to dust off their brain cells – and make a real difference this Christian Aid Week.

QuizAid events are currently being held across the nation for Christian Aid Week. Take a look at this fantastic event that was held on Monday night in North London :

If you are interested in holding a Quiz Aid evening all the available resources can be found here: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/christianaidweek/quizaid/index.aspx

Leonardo DiCaprio is narrating and also producing ‘The 11th Hour’, a documentary about environmental issues to be broadcast on Channel 4 later this month.

The documentary, to be transmitted on May 25, will feature leading scientific and political arguments about the environmental disaster the Earth is currently facing. Guest speakers will include professor Stephen Hawking, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The film itself will be narrated DiCaprio, and was written and directed by sisters Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners, co founders of the Tree Media Group.

Tree Media have been in operation for 9 years, and thier mission is to use the media to support and sustain civil society. The film calls for action to change global human activity through technology, whilst claiming that not since a meteor hit earth 55million years ago have so many forms of life become extinct on this planet.

The film itself received critical acclaim when it premiered at the Canne Film Festival last year. Channel 4 has recently purchased the broadcast rights to the documentary from Warner Bros, who will also be releasing a DVD of the film in June.

It’s great to see big screen stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio using their voice to help save the environment, as future generations really need to sit up and take notice off the climate change issue. Hopefully with such a high profile star fronting this campaign, more people will sit up and take notice.

You too can help the planet’s enviromental problems by making a donation to Greenpeace, or even help save half an acre of rain forest with the World Trust. 

> > click here to help Greenpeace protect the environment

> > click here to save a save half an acre of rainforest

Cyclone Nargis has claimed up to 22,000 lives in Burma, with the number of dead possibly rising to 50,000 according to reports from Oxfam.

The cyclone swept the country with winds as high as 160mph, pulling down trees and phone cables, whilst destroying most buildings in its path.

Burma has declared five regions, including the main city Rangoon, home to most of its expatriate aid workers, to be disaster areas. Towns close to Rangoon have almost no houses remaining, with people living in the open without clean water, power or food. Along with extensive damage to the mainland, over 20,000 homes have been destroyed on the island of Haing-gyi, with up to 90,000 people made homeless.

The worst hit areas are in the Irrawaddy Delta region, which also happens to be one of Burma’s poorest. Alongside the massive death toll comes the huge amount of damage to food supplies and crops. Rice prices across the globe have been increasing over the last 12 months, causing severe strain on poorer nations. With millions of gallons of salt water flooding the rice paddies, Burma’s food economy and population may have to become importers of rice, something they cannot afford.

Immediate need for shelter, food and water is vital. In the cyclone-hit areas, communications are down and roads have been washed away, making it difficult to reach those who most need help. Oxfam is part of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), who are co-coordinating an emergency appeal to fund work across Burma in providing cash support and technical expertise. All donations will support the major effort that is urgently needed to meet the needs of this devastated country.

> > click here to buy an Oxfam charity gift