Compassion paves the way to a Golden Era

The climate change conference last Sunday, November 8 in Washington, DC, USA, made important connections between meat production and its consumption to the health of humans and climate change.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75 percent of current infectious diseases in humans began in animals, such as the current pandemic of swine flu, bred in the sordid and inhumane confines of factory farming.

(Speech)Dr. Michael Greger, MD – Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture for the Humane Society of United States, Vegan (M): In this age ofemerging diseases, we now have billions of curly tailed and feathered test tubes for viruses to incubate and mutate within billions more spins at pandemic roulette.
But along with human culpability comes hope. If changes in human behavior can cause new plagues, well then changes in human behavior may prevent them in the future.

VOICE: Along with the production process, meat consumption leads to a range of further illnesses, the leading US killers, as pointed out by Supreme Master Ching Hai, the honored guest at the conference.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Every year, heart disease kills 632,000 Americans. Cancer kills 560,000 Americans. Stroke kills another 130,000 Americans. Diabetes kills 72,000 Americans, just from meat eating.

Who cries for these hundreds of thousands of Americans who die because of that piece of meat? Who cries for those young helpless, innocent little child who die, just because of meat related E. coli, just a few cells of it? So, ladies and gentlemen, meat is the worse killer than any war, don’t you agree?

VOICE: The secret to halting health tragedies while ensuring a sustainable planetary future is simple.

(Speech)Dr. Peter Carter, MD – Founding director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Vegetarian (M): We have to create a compassionate culture as the Dalai Lama and all the spiritual leaders, and indeed, Supreme Master Ching Hai says it’s essential.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : We have to turn back to our caring and compassionate nature inside our heart. Being vegan worldwide is the advancement of compassion that will uplift and unify all cultures, bringing tranquility to humans and animals alike.
The inner peace that comes from replacing killing with respect for all life will spread like a wave across the globe, elevate human hearts, and create a harmonious Eden on Earth. That will bring us all to a lasting Golden Era.

VOICE: Conference participants later shared their thoughts about the discussion with Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Alex Arndt – Singer-songwriter, Vegan (M): Just getting to really look into her eyes today and see her compassion and her emotion was really special for me.
Steve Ma – Founder and president, Live Green, Vegetarian (M): She’s clearly such a positive spirit. She obviously cares so deeply about humanity, about this planet.
Her message is so important and to be a part of that message and contribute in some small way is really an honor.

Former Senator Mike Gravel, USA (M): Supreme Master Ching Hai, thank you for what you are doing, for bringing about this conference, for what you’re doing to try and save the animals of the world, to save the planet, to save the human race. Thank you. You are blessed, and truly, truly we are in your debt.

VOICE: We thank everyone involved in this memorable event. Our deep gratefulness also goes to Supreme Master Ching Hai whose promise of a better future has won hearts and pledges to action.

We pray for all humans and animals to co-exist lovingly and thrive forever in health, dignity, and happiness. Please tune in to Supreme Master Television’s Words of Wisdom for the full rebroadcast of this live event at a later date, with multi-language subtitles.

Redefining the greatness of a nation

During the recent climate change conference in Washington DC, USA, experts on climate change and health shared their views on the importance of mitigating global warming and ways it could be accomplished as quickly as possible.

Dr. Stephen Schneider – Climatologist, Stanford University, USA, UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (M): A major component in the Copenhagen meeting will be trying to get strategies to help us adapt. But remember, we have to adapt to what we can’t prevent, we have to prevent what we can’t adapt to.

VOICE: Some speakers highlighted the wide-scale shift to a plant-based diet as a fast and efficient way to prevent further warming, given that methane emitted by livestock to produce meat traps much more heat than CO2 and also leaves the atmosphere fast – in less than one-tenth the time.

Honored guest Supreme Master Ching Hai contributed ideas on how the government could implement the vegetarian climate solution, pointing out the major health and economic benefits as well.

Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai “Humanity’s Leap into the Golden Era” November 8, 2009 – Washington DC, USA

Supreme Master Ching Hai: And all the while that we are suffering illness, complaining, losing lives, grieving over loss of loved ones, of family members, losing happiness, losing money due to the animal diet, we are the ones who are paying the industry to continue producing this problem, producing meat, fish and the like,
with our hard earned tax money that’s used to subsidize them.

Ironic? The US government could of course redirect billions of dollars now spent on livestock subsidies to help farmers switch to organic vegetable and fruit agriculture. That will be a great help to your country and the health of the Americans.

VOICE: In a three-year period, the US government spent US$20 billion to subsidize animal feed crops and US$1.3 billion in dairy subsidies alone.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: I have always looked to the American people and their great government leaders as one of the best living examples of democracy and freedom, integrity, of our world.
However, I must tell you truthfully that the meat industry is unbefitting to the greatness of your country and of the great American citizens. Great people deserve great things. Great people lead great lifestyles. So we have to do away with the un-great things and we have to begin the great things, for the great people, great country like America.

VOICE: Our thanks to the speakers and participants of the Washington conference. We are also grateful to Supreme Master Ching Hai for her steadfast faith that all nations will take the courageous steps to save the Earth.

Let us all join in the call for wise governance that will save our lives and the planet. Please tune in to Supreme Master Television’s Words of Wisdom for the full rebroadcast of this live event at a later date, with multi-language subtitles.
Reference
http://www.pcrm.org/news/release091008.html