In efforts to preserve endangered blue whales in the Northeast Pacific from being struck by passing-by ships, US-based advocacy organization the Great Whale Conservancy raises public awareness on the undersea perils these marine mammals face and the need to increase life-protecting standards for vessels travelling through their habitat.

For their tireless and caring endeavors, Supreme Master Ching Hai is honoring Great Whale Conservancy with the Shining World Compassion Award, along with US$20,000 to humbly support their noble work, with all her love and gratitude.

http://greatwhaleconservancy.org/current-gwc-campaigns-0

Persistent drought in regions such as central China's Hunan province have caused reservoir levels to drop, with reduced water supplies causing the National Energy Administration to warn on October 21, 2011 that electricity generation from hydropower could be diminished by up to 40% this winter.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2011-10/16/content_13908209.htm

Ahead of a five-day environmental forum beginning on October 24, 2011, the Cameroon Tribune newspaper reports that sea level rise due to climate change by the end of the century could increase salt levels in the country’s Dibamba and Wouri Rivers, with more than half a million people who would be displaced, highlighting the importance of halting climate change to protect both humans' and animals' lives.

http://www.cameroon-tribune.cm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65604:climate-change-
threats-to-biodiversity-are-preoccupying&catid=2:economie&Itemid=3
http://allafrica.com/stories/201110210271.html

A study published in the October 2011 journal Environmental Health Perspective found that, following the 2010 oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, 100% of shrimp and other seafood samples contained cancer-causing petroleum byproducts, with more than half that were above levels of concern, especially for vulnerable populations such as expectant mothers.

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/236347-Surprise-FDA-allowed-oil-tainted-seafood-onto-market
http://www.dailypaul.com/153181/petroleum-found-in-gulf-of-mexico-seafood-samples