GOOGLE ACCUSED OF ALLOWING ADVERTISING FOR IVORY SALE ON ITS SITE

photo; NPR

The Environmental Investigation Agency has reported that Asian ivory traders have reached record profit due to a noticeable increase in the killing of African Elephants.  

Googly has been implicated by reflection after it allegedly promoted the trade by allowing more than 10,000 ads on the sale of ivory in its Japan site.

About 80% of the ads are for small wooden stamps that are traditionally used in Japan to sign or seal documents and other things, including paintings.   

The lettering in these stamps, called 'hanko' are usually inlaid in ivory.  

Apparently Hanko stamps are one of the major source of demand for the illegal ivory trade. Increased demand in Japan, China and other Asian country has increased dramatically in the past few years, and the killing of African elephants has spiked just as dramatically.  

The EIA has pled with Google's management and owner to ban such ads on its site, because of the fact that the trade of ivory is illegal and because it apparently also violates the company's policies.  

Google however has remained steadfast in its refusal to ban the commercials. 

Elephants less than a hundred years ago, numbered in the millions, as many as 50 millions according to some estimates.  Now only several hundred thousand are left in the world. African elephants are targeted because the size of the their ivory teeth is much bigger than some other elephants, who might have small or none. 

Elephants however have an enormous impact on the habitat they occupy. Their presence shaped the landscape of most African countries.  In some cases elephants also drive climate change.  Their heavy step marks the terrain and leaves impressions that can create rivers and ponds, which then become rain after the water evaporates, creating a cycle from which are born small microclimates.