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ANIMALS |
For our shirts we have selected animals that represent fragile ecosystems
across the planet. From the Arctic to the rain
forest and from the oceans to the jungle, these animals highlight the
catastrophes – and in some cases, the successes – that await us as we continue to shape the destiny of the only world we have.
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| African Penguin |
 The African penguin population has declined by 40% in the last few years.
Food sources such as sardines and anchovies are abruptly vanishing from
the southern African shores, where the penguins live, and scientists suspect
global warming is at least part of the reason. Oil spills, overfishing,
and development are additional culprits that have combined to decimate the
African penguin population by 90% in the last century. |
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| Arctic Polar Bear |
 The Arctic polar bear, a keystone species, is threatened by melting ice
and vanishing food supplies. Global warming could cause polar bears to go
extinct by the end of the century. In the Canadian Arctic, for example,
the average temperature has risen four degrees centigrade in the last 50
years. The bears’ winter hunting season ends about three weeks earlier
now which means less food, thinner bears, and lower population. |
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| Sumatran Orangutan |
 The Sumatran Orangutan is the most threatened of the six great ape species. Humans have destroyed so much of the orangutan's habitat that there are only a few places left where this animal, the world's largest tree-dwelling animal, can live. With only a few thousand of these wonderful creatures left, the Sumatran Orangutan is among the 25 most endangered primates in the world. |
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| Red-Eyed Tree Frog |
 The Red-Eyed Tree Frog is one of the many amphibians in massive, worldwide
decline. Amphibians have adapted to shifting climate conditions for hundreds
of millions of years, but scientists believe that they simply may not be
able to keep pace with the current rate of change. Since amphibians depend
on a delicate balance between water and land, unpredictable weather caused
by climate change threatens virtually all phases of their life cycle. |
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| American Bison |
 The American Bison, often called the Buffalo, is truly an American icon. It was at one time the single most numerous of all large wild mammals and the vast herds that once roamed the American West were seen as a sign of the inexhaustible bounty of the land. In the late 1880s the animals were hunted to within extinction, but recently concerted conservation efforts have increased their numbers and given this symbol of American wilderness new life. |
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| Green Sea Turtle |
 The Green Sea Turtle is a keystone species in mid-latitude oceans throughout
the world. While green turtles face the same dangers that threaten all marine
life – pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing – global warming
poses an additional risk. Rising water temperatures upset the natural ratio
of male to female hatchlings, as higher temperatures during incubation produce
more females. Rising ocean levels also erode beaches and wash away turtle
nesting sites. |
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| Bottlenose Dolphin |
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 The bottlenose dolphin, which ranks among the most intelligent of all marine mammals, has long been hunted for oil and meat. These days, its most common death is from getting caught in nets cast for other species. Fortunately, improved methods of catching tuna have resulted in fewer accidental dolphin deaths. Since the 'Dolphin Safe' label was introduced for tuna in 1990, dolphin deaths due to tuna fishing have been reduced by 97%. |
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| Bush Elephant |
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 The bush elephant is the world's largest land animal and can grow up to 24 feet long and 13 feet high. Also known as the African savanna elephant, the African bush elephant has been hurt by habitat destruction and targeted poaching. They require up to 350 pounds of vegetation daily. Populations increase only slowly, as females give birth after 22 months of gestation (the longest among mammals) and the animals can live up to 60 years. Banning the international ivory trade in 1988 has helped save the bush elephant, but this wonderful creature remains threatened in many habitats. |
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| Grey Wolf |
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 Grey wolves, the largest wild member of the dog family, have long had an almost mythic role as a scary predator. Once spread across all 48 lower American states, millions of dollars of taxpayer money was used to eradicate the wolf. Nearing extinction, the wolf was placed on the endangered species list in the 1970s and selected populations have been carefully nursed back to health. Today, this proud and important predator can once again be seen in sanctuaries like Yellowstone National Park and beyond. |
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| Grizzly Bear |
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 An estimated 50,000 Grizzly bears once roamed the American continent. Oil and gas exploration, housing development, illegal hunting and recreation, and poorly designed timber harvests all helped decimate the grizzly population. By the 1970s, there were as few as 136 grizzlies in Yellowstone National Park. Since then, a dedicaed and successful program has helped the populations recover. Nowadays, there are over 1,000 of these bears in the lower 48 states. |
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