Driving the trade is the end-consumer who has a need or desire for these wildlife products. This is where we come in. By buying such products, the individual consumer is feeding the wildlife trade cycle by increasing the demand for these products. On the other hand, by simply not purchasing exotic animals or their parts, we can help slow this cruel trade and, maybe, bring it to an end.

I was inspired to write this article by something I saw on sale which really disturbed me. Last week I was on holiday with my family in Italy, Milan to be exact, and we visited a very nice and vast shopping arcade called ’La Rinascente’  close to the city centre. On one particular floor which sells various items from home decor to books and electronics, I came across five iPhone 6 covers which cost approximately 160 to 200 euros each and were all made of different reptile skins, namely crocodile and lizard. Shocking as it may sound, we are killing these wild animals, not to mention the horrible ways they are killed, and taking their skins to make iPhone covers and purses.

I am writing this article to allow the readers to see the bigger picture behind what may seem like a small harmless trinket. By buying such items, the consumer is fuelling the wildlife trade and, in turn, allowing and supporting the following to happen.

1. As a cause of human activity, nearly all species of sea turtles are classified as endangered. These species are slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin and shells. They are poached and over-exploited as well as face habitat destruction and accidental capture in fishing gear. Despite their decline in numbers, approximately 28,300 freshwater turtles are traded each day and used for medicine, food and pets.
2. The demand for products made from elephant tasks keeps rising. Between 35,000 and 50,000 African elephants are poached a year. Ivory in China has risen from €4 to around €2,000.The African elephant population is quickly declining, making the price of ivory rise. Poaching elephants for ivory is now carried out by organised teams that can devestate entire populations. Raids in 2006 and 2012 killed thousands of elephans with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s.
3. An average of 3 rhinos are poached everyday. A 2014 study found that around 1,200 rhinos were taken from South Africa by poachers in 2014. WWF launched a campaign against this type of illegal wildlife trade: “Kill the trade that kills the rhino”, which emphasises the importance of reducing demand of such products.
4. The WWF estimates there are 5,000 tigers  being kept in U.S. backyards whilst there are only around 3,000 left  in the wild. The illegal wildlife trade also fuels the exotic pet trade. The Bengal tiger, specifically, is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List. Despite the small figure of the remaining tigers in the wild, this species is continuously poached and sold for traditional medicines as well as for making tiger bone wine, which is believed to increase strength.
5. All 23 species of large crocodile and alligator have been overexploited and are now in varying degrees of threat. Their skin is fashioned into shoes, handbags, suitcases and other accessories. In the 1950s and 1960s, 6 to 8 million skins were traded per year, causing 85% of the world’s crocodilians to become endangered and causing the near extinction of the American Alligator. Because of this, trading was restricted and allowed some species to recover. However, trading still occurred by hiding skins in shipping crates or transhipping from other countries. Poaching these large numbers of crocodiles comes from the high demand of crocodile skin used for the luxury trade. Crocodile handbags sell for as much as €2,500 and briefcases can cost €9,000 or more.
6. More than 1,000,000 pangolins have been traded in the past 10 years, making it the “most trafficked mammal you’ve ever head of”. This species is largely poached for their scales and blood which are used in medicine, as well as their meat which is considered a delicacy.
7. In an effort to protect wildlife species, over 1,000 rangers have been killed in the past 10 years. Given the high monetary sums for the sale of wildlife parts, poachers will go to great lengths to kill wildlife, even if it means killing humans.
8. The illegal wildlife trade generates between 3 and 15 billion euros per year. The species who are part of this illegal trading quickly decline in numbers and become endangered. As the supply of these animals drops, the price tags for their trading rises.  
9. According to United for Wildlife, the illegal wildlife trade ranks as the 4th most money-making trade in the world, right after drugs, human trafficking and the arms trade.

The idea behind this article is to create awareness as to what we can do to help end the wildlife trade. First and foremost, the best way to help is to stop purchasing wild animal products. It might sound implausible, but by buying a decorative ivory statue or a fashionable crocodile skin handbag you are contributing to the illegal wildlife trade and the pouching of these threatened species. By informing others and raising awareness, we can help save some of these species… while we still can!

The following 14 species of animals were hunted to extinction: Dodo bird, Tasmanian tiger, passenger pigeon, great auk, quagga, falkland island wolf, Zanzibar leopard, Caribbean monk seal, Carolina parakeet, Atlas bear, toolache wallaby, sea mink, Bubal hartebeest and stellar’s sea cow.

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Despite people calling it “boarderline bullying”, Nicole Arbour bears no remorse and stands her ground by saying that the video was meant to be amusing and silly but the points she wanted to send across are that the way to a positive body image are through exercise and healthy eating.

But what if that was the point? What if Nicole Arbour wanted to make a video with such striking language so as to influence the viewer and make her point more effective? She does in fact say that she is “not talking about people who have a little bit of cushion for the pushing” and she also excludes people with a specific health condition (which I assume includes eating disorders), as well as acknowledges that genetics plays a part to a certain degree.

But, rather, she is addressing people who can help themselves by eating less and eating healthier yet, they choose not to.  I do believe that the language she used and the way she placed her words were too blunt for the sake of the video, considering that many people have watched her video, including very easily influenced young girls and boys, and might have hurt some people who have been trying so hard to lose weight. For example, she overexaggerates sitting next to an obese passenger on a plane and having to push his fat onto his side of the seat throughout the flight so as not to cram her in her seat.

However, the idea she is trying to deliver about overweight people compromising their health makes sense. In her video, she reports that “35% of North Americans are obese, that means you are so fat, you are effecting your own health”.

She talks about bad habits, meaning overeating and unhealthy eating, and that some people take their bodies for granted even though we will only ever have one body. She gives an amusing example with Smarties, where you can squash one and make it ugly and throw it away, but it is alright because you will still have many other Smarties, unlike with your body where you only have one which has to last you till the end. She further emphasises her point by saying that “if you want to be positive to your body, work out and eat well”.

I strongly believe that all that she said in her video all too bluntly was her attempt at a wake up call for people who are becoming overwieght yet keep eating without any control. In fact, she says in her video: “I am not saying all this to be an ***hole, but I am saying this because your friends should be saying this to you”. She ends her video by saying that “the truth is, I will actually love you not matter what but I really, really hope this bomb of truth exploding into your face will act as shrapnel that seeps into your soul, makes you want to be healthier so that we can enjoy you as human beings longer on this planet”.

Therefore, despite her blunt language and sharp humour, Nicole Arbour makes a good point. By eating healthy and in balanced proportions, one can live a longer and healthier life. I believe that her exaggerated comments were simply there to make a stronger impact on the reader and allow her video to be publicized.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXFgNhyP4-A

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Wake up call…

Early mornings are never easy, and I don’t mean waking up at 06.30 a.m. for University or for a typical day of work at the office, I mean waking up at 03.00 or 04.00 a.m. to shower, do your make-up and set your hair. Sometimes, on a night standby, you may be woken up by a phone call from crew despatch, only to be told to be at the airport, dressed and ready to operate a flight in a short amount of time. This means that you can forget staying up late or going out for drinks the night before. Having said this, an advantage to flying is that every flight is unique and interesting, another experience altogether, where we get the opportunity of meeting new people from different corners of the world and learn something new. This in mind, I proudly put on my uniform, pull my hair back, wear my makeup and make my way to the airport.

Duty time…

On arriving at the airport, we discuss the flight ahead with the In-flight Manager. This involves discussing flying time, number of passengers, what duties and responsibilities each crew member will be in charge of, any special category passengers, special requests, safety and security procedures as well as emergency procedures including medical, planned and unplanned emergencies. After briefing is complete, we make our way through airport security and board the aircraft. At this point, we complete all the necessary pre-flight checks and wait for the passengers to board. We welcome passengers at the doors and some of the flight attendants assist passengers in the cabin with their seating. Safety always comes first and we are trained to work in an enclosed space, in a team environment and sometimes, even under pressure. We put customer service at the heart of our offer too.

In-flight…

When I used to go abroad with my family as a little girl, turbulence and ear pain were amongst my greatest concerns. Today, my only concern is not managing to finish the in-flight service on time if the plane encounters too much turbulence. Otherwise, flights are usually pleasant and involve seeing to the cockpit, delivering the in-flight service and socializing with the passengers. All this is obviously targeted to enhance the passenger experience. An advantage to this is that some passengers have very interesting things to relate to us, especially when meeting so many people from various countries with different cultures. In the fourteen months of flying experience, I have had the opportunity of meeting with Ministers, doctors, businessmen, politicians, members of parliament as well as a famous actress.

Turnaround…

After landing at our destination, we spend approximately an hour on ground. During this time, passengers disembark, cleaners board the aircraft to clean the cabin, galleys and lavatories and relevant security searches are completed by the operaitng crew. Then we embark passengers and prepare the cabin for take-off and for our flight back to Malta, or to another destination if the flight involves multiple sectors.

Back home…

On our arrival in Malta, we bid farewell to the passengers and wish them a safe journey home, or a pleasant stay. We check the aircraft cabin, to ensure that nothing was left behind, we head our way back to the terminal and thank the crew for a pleasant flight. At this point we all go our separate ways home to rest.

Despite the tiring days and nights working at 35,000 feet above ground, I enjoy flying and I do it with pride, knowing that whilst I am wearing the Air Malta uniform, I am representing my national airline. As an ambassador of Malta, I offer the diverse Maltese product and service and the unique hospitality of the people of Malta. The long flights and odd hours are part of the challenges and experience of working as a flight attendant for one of the world’s leading airline brands.

“The worst day of flying still beats the best day of real work”

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In 2003, Bertrand presented the project of constructing a solar airplane capable of flying around the world. André Borschberg was entrusted with managing and leading this project. Following the assembling of the team and the unveiling of the aircraft, the professional test pilot, Markus Scherdel, began testing the aircraft and certified it for night flights. Breaking three world records, on July 7th 2010, André Borschberg flew the first solar night flight. The next major milestone for this aircraft was on the 21st to the 22nd September, when it flew across Switzerland, landing in Geneva and Zurich.

After flying across the Mediterranean and coast-to-coast from West to East America, it is time for the final adventure: the first round-the-world solar flight. Taking off from Abu Dhabi yesterday morning, 9th March, with Bertrand Piccard at the commands for up to six days straight, he will fly as far as he can and then he’ll land and let his fellow pilot, André Borschberg, take over. The journey plans to take a total of six months.

Borschberg and Piccard have been working on the project for around 11 years. They claim that their passion is what will psychologically drive them to be in such a small space for days at a time. Piccard also explains that his biggest fear is finding themselves above the ocean during bad weather with the unfortunate possibility of having to bail and wait for several days on a life raft before being found. He also explained that they have to be ready for that eventuality and that it is part of the adventure.

The Solar Impulse 2 is equipped with solar panels on the wings, fusilage and tail as well as four electric motors. The plane will fly, charge the batteries and run the engine in daylight. At night, it runs on the batteries. According to Piccard, “theoretically, your plane can fly forever”. Piccard has a lot more to say about the solar-powered airplane and cleaner technologies. He believes that “the commercial airplane is at the end of a cycle that started 100 years ago. Solar Impulse is at the beginning of another cycle – the cycle of navigation with no fuel”.

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