Melting tundra releases immense carbon stores

A study recently conducted by Dr. Sofia Hjalmarsson of the Department of Chemistry at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg found that the permafrost layer stretching across the vast reaches of the Arctic contains an additional global warming hazard.

Besides the melting of methane hydrate crystals, which have already been observed as gaseous bubbles rising from an increasing number of Siberian lakes and other water bodies, the thawing tundra also releases stored carbon.

Dr. Hjalmarsson’s studies of the Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas of north Siberia as well as the Baltic Sea revealed elevated carbon dioxide levels in all of them, meaning that organic carbon released from the permafrost is being carried by the rivers out into the coastal waters.

Dr. Hjalmarsson warned that the danger of the permafrost thawing is that it cannot be stopped once it advances beyond a certain stage, meaning that the melting of the vast carbon stores must be stopped now.

Our appreciation, Dr. Sofia Hjalmarsson for this important research showing the ever-increasing dangers of global warming. May findings as these spur us all toward sustainable practices such as the Earth-saving vegan diet. During an international gathering with our Association members in February 2008, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of toxic gases such as methane being released with atmospheric warming, as she urged for the solution that addresses the root cause.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: You see, the gases are fuming from the ocean and from the land that’s been defrosting. It’s fuming everywhere. It’s just that at the moment, it’s not so intense.

Everybody knows by now, from the UN report that meat eating, animal raising, it’s one of the worst factors, or even the worst factor of global warming. And nobody talks about it.

Everybody says, new energy, biofuel, hybrid car, dig a hole and store the carbon.” As if it will not bust one day. And before that you have to breathe in already, as if will not affect you.

What is so difficult, to put down one piece of meat, and replace it with one piece of tofu? Which is exactly the same, better nutrition. Better for your health. More economized.

http://www.physorg.com/news182430651.html
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=65756&CultureCode=en
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Tundra-Meltdown-Triggers-Carbon-Spills-131761.shtml

United Nations Climate Change Conference enters second half of negotiations

Over the past week at the historic summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, discussions have focused on emission reductions and pledges of financial support for the more vulnerable countries, including those in Africa as well as small island nations. Let’s go to Supreme Master Television’s correspondenton location.

Supreme Master Television Danish correspondent (M): European Union leaders have agreed to fund €7.2 billion over the next three years, including €2.4 billion each from Britain and France, and €1.6 billion from the United Kingdom.

The United States has also pledged assistance and participation.
Todd Stern – US Special Envoy on Climate Change (M): I think the United States will be prepared to be part of an overall solution that involves financial contribution, and that’s what I was referring to with respect to the US$10 billion which is also part of the statement that the White House put out announcing the President’s decision to come on December 18.

Supreme Master Television Danish correspondent (M): As the conference goes into its second scheduled week, ministers are arriving who will be joined by about 110 world leaders in the final days on Thursday and Friday. Those involved are optimistic about a constructive outcome.

Stavros DIMAS – European Commissioner in charge of Environment (M): I strongly believe that we are going to be successful, because this is what common sense tells us. We have to listen to science; science is warning us.

Supreme Master Television Danish correspondent (M): Meanwhile, over the weekend, tens of thousands of people gathered for a peaceful rally through the streets of Copenhagen, urging for bold actions to halt global warming.

About 4,000 other rallying events were held across the world, all calling for a strong, legally binding agreement from the summit. One group of citizens specifically highlighted the crucial need for the vegan solution in cooling the planet.

Supreme Master Television Danish correspondent (M): We are here in front of the Town Hall, Copenhagen. The main purpose of this demonstration is to urge global political leaders to take action and to curb global warming, mainly by reducing its main cause –livestock farming, and to encourage the global population to adopt a compassionate vegan diet.

Interview with peter Fruitarian activist (M): I think it’s important to change our lifestyles to support our planet, our health, and to be compassionate toward animals and all living beings.

Supreme Master Television Danish correspondent (M): Our Association members also held attractive banners and distributed thousands of flyers promoting the simple, low-cost, universal way to reverse climate change.

Vegetarians, vegans, fruitarians, and others present eagerly participated in holding “Be veg” placards as they joined in the procession through the city.

Interview with american vegan Veg activist from USA (F): I came here to support global change and my first step was vegetarianism, and I’m here today holding a sign because I believe in this change.
Be veg, go green, save the planet!

Activist (M): Be veg, go green, save the planet!

Supreme Master Television Danish correspondent (M): This is Supreme Master Television, Copenhagen, Denmark.

VOICE: We send our gratitude and support to all the determined leaders whose cooperation and dedication the world depends on for a stable, livable future. May the urgently needed component of a vegan diet policy find a place in your successful agreement for a truly effective solution to climate change.As in the following gathering with our Association members in 2008, Supreme Master Ching Hai has frequently affirmed the importance of large-scale government action in stopping meat consumption, the most flagrant climate change source.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: There is a solution, only three steps, no? Vegan, sustainable energy, plant trees. And the government has to say something, just like they ban the smoking. So it is banned, it is done. The same with the climate change policy. If they just do what they know is good, then it’s very quick. In no time we will recover, or we stop the effect.

No more greenhouse gas or methane gas from the animals. No more multiplying all the time. They just have to stop meat eating because it’s bad karma also. And every day we air all kind of, warning signs and warning evidence.

This is the only important thing right now. First you have to survive and then you can do anything else you want, but if you don’t survive, you don’t have the planet, what’s the use?

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091212-701129.html
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2329482

Journalists remark on videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai

Held on November 8 in Washington DC, USA, “Humanity’s Leap into the Golden Era” united concerned participants to discuss the urgent matter of climate change in an exciting new light that included the constructive vision of overcoming the planet’s crisis through a vegan solution that would lead to an even brighter future.

The event had invited Supreme Master Ching Hai as the honored guest to share her thoughts on questions raised by a group of distinguished questioners, one of whom was US vegetarian journalist Marysol Varela of the Orlando Vegetarian Restaurants’ Examiner.

She later wrote an article sharing her impressions of the conference discussions. “The audience was given staggering facts about the harm that is being done to the world’s environment with our current destructive practices. …The most anticipated speaker of the evening was the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Her words of wisdom reached across the audience spreading hope and solutions to this impending global disaster.
Supreme Master suggested that by simply adopting a vegan diet, we can dramatically reduce our carbon footprint. Because meat eating is a major contributor of global warming, vegetarianism will reduce the demand for livestock.

She also speaks up for those animals which suffer and die every day in the hands of farmers by promoting a peaceful coexistence between all beings in the animal kingdom…. Once humanity has learned to work together to save our planet, then we will have advanced a step closer to the Golden Era.”

VOICE: In fact, as Supreme Master Ching Hai explained during the conference, it is humanity’s innate tendency to lead a noble, harmonious lifestyle.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: A compassionate vegan diet is the basic way of a higher being, a mark of a true human being. A true human being would never kill. A true being would never harm another, even if his own life is threatened. A real gentleman steps wisely, understanding that all beings are connected, and that by taking a life, he is compromising his own human spirit and bringing the bad retribution of killing upon him.
We must all work together to bring Heaven closer to Earth.

VOICE: Our appreciation, journalist Marysol Varela, “Examiner” and all other media reporting on our planetary crisis. We are grateful to Supreme Master Ching Hai for her efforts to encourage humanity toward a quick transition to the planet-saving organic vegan lifestyle. Let us all join this caring trend to secure our world’s welfare and to herald an Eden on Earth.
http://www.examiner.com/x-14525-Orlando-Vegetarian-Restaurants-Examiner

Swedish Parliament discusses meat tax to mitigate climate change

“How to Reduce Meat Consumption’s Climate Impacts” was the title of a recent seminar and panel discussion at the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm. The Head of the Nordic Office for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Christina Engfeldt, spoke of the organization’s concern about the impact of the livestock industry on climate change, world hunger and human health. Distinguished scientists specializing in environment and agriculture also presented their findings, including a possible meat tax. Also present were members of the Swedish Parliament, including European Parliament member Jens Holm. This meeting came just days after the multi-language release of Mr. Holm’s co-authored report, “The Livestock Industry and the Climate,” along with the launch of the new information resource website, www.meatclimate.org.

Supreme Master Television had a chance to interview some of the speakers.

Dr. Stefan Wirsenius, Physics and resource theory scientist, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden (M): You can design a consumption tax scheme on food that is based on the amount of greenhouse gases each category of food emits, in a way that you actually increase the tax on those commodities like meat, that emits more, especially beef and lamb meat, and decrease the value-added tax that we have in many European countries for, like beans. That could be a very good option.


Christina Engfeldt – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Head of the Nordic Office (F): All these decisions will have to be taken at a political and institutional level. We will have to put a price on land areas for growing food, for fodder, for water, for waste management.

VOICE: We asked Ms. Engfeldt what would be the picture if no action was taken on the unsustainable livestock industry.

Christina Engfeldt – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Head of the Nordic Office (F): Then we will double the negative effects on the environment and we are already at an untenable, unsustainable level when it comes to waste management, when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, to destruction of natural resources, land, water, ecosystems, biological diversity. And then again, we will not find a way to live healthy lives a few years from now, and our children and grandchildren will inherit a very polluted world.

If more people would choose to live a healthier life, and have a more balanced diet, eat less meat, or preferably no meat, we could ensure that we would decrease environmental degradation, and we could decrease world hunger, and more people would be able to look forward to a better life in the future.

To see the report co-issued by European Parliament Member Jens Holm, please visit ec.europa.eu, www.jensholm.se/english, or www.meatclimate.org.

VOICE: We wholeheartedly agree with the call of Ms. Engfeldt, Dr. Wirsenius, Swedish Parliament members, and others for urgent measures toward sustainability, including reducing the impact of meat consumption on the environment. We pray that the world’s governments will step forward in wise actions to pass on a planet that supports the lives of our children and all beings on Earth.

World's largest wetland threatened in brazil

Largest wetland in the world in decline. The Pantanal region, shared by Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, is the world’s largest wetland and home to an extraordinary array of rare animals, along with 650 species of birds. However, the area has become increasingly threatened by unsustainable economic development, large-scale deforestation and pollution. The biggest problem is cattle raising, which has caused a 63 percent loss of the Pantanal forests in elevated regions. Farm pollution now also jeopardizes the balance of the fragile ecosystem. Sandro Menezes, manager of Conservation International's Pantanal project said, "It's very probable that local flora and fauna will become extinct."

Conservation International, we appreciate this clear picture of the potential losses facing the unique Pantanal wetlands. Our prayers that a caring humanity adopts sustainable lifestyles to ensure the flourishing our world’s irreplaceably diverse inhabitants.


Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai with Supreme Master Television staff
November 26, 2008

During a videoconference with Supreme Master Television staff in California, USA in November 2008, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained the interconnectedness of human-caused events, including the spiritual redemption that results from turning to a meat-free lifestyle:

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Fertilize for more animal feeding, clearing more forest for animal feeding, planting animal feed and fertilizing animal feed and run-off pollutions, acidity caused by run-off pollution and weather change and cause more destruction and then erosion, then reconstruction, etc., etc.

It’s the whole chain of effects. And another thing, people forget all the time the “cause and effect,” the karma. Even people now, they eat meat all these years and they just turn to vegetarian diet then their cancer is diminished or lessened, their sickness is gone, even cardiovascular disease and many other diseases just disappear. So even if the methane gas is still there in the air from the animal but we turn away from killing; we drop the butcher knife, then we are protected by our own virtues.
We are protected once we turn to be a compassionate person.

Low-meat diet could slash cost of climate change action

Reducing meat consumption would halve the cost of addressing global warming. Researchers at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency have published a study that evaluates the cost of halting climate change by stabilizing atmospheric CO2 at the estimated safe level of 450 parts per million. The report concludes that US$20 trillion, or 50 percent of a total US$40 trillion cost, could be saved from a global shift to a low-meat diet, along with the benefits of dramatically reduced methane emissions from minimized livestock rearing. Moreover, the millions of square kilometers of land no longer used for raising cattle could function instead as croplands for vegetation that would feed humans directly and would also absorb enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency researchers, we appreciate your calculations that illuminate the logic of the plant-based diet, both economically and environmentally. Blessed be the gift of the animal-free lifestyle in securing the future of all co-inhabitants on our Earth.

Audubon Magazine spotlights the meat and climate change connection.

In his article “Low-Carbon Diet,” author Mike Tidwell furnishes many connections between food choices, in particular meat, and climate change effects. Mr. Tidwell is the director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in the US, as well as a writer and filmmaker on global warming related issues. In his article, he states that not only are animal products very carbon and energy intensive, but their waste byproducts such as methane and nitrous oxide, are far more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. He thus advises eating little or no meat in order to truly mitigate climate change.

We are grateful, Mr. Tidwell and Audubon Magazine for informing readers about this essential way to curb global warming. Let us all make conscious choices such as these to preserve our Earthly home for our children and future generations.

European Parliament supports reducing meat to lower greenhouse gases.

During discussions on greenhouse gas reduction goals, the Climate Committee of the European Parliament officially recognized livestock’s contribution to global warming and recommended a review of subsidies to the livestock industry to bring about a reduction in methane. Bravo and thank you European Parliament, and all others for your efforts to save our planet by allowing the true cost of meat to be reflected in the market, while encouraging the consumption of health-giving plant-based foods.


In an interview with James Bean of the radio program, “Spiritual Awakening”, Supreme Master Ching Hai had detailed the benefits of an animal-free diet in halting the effects of climate change.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: In order to save ourselves, we must be vegetarian. A vegetarian diet is the nonviolence in the highest sense. And vegetarian diet is a love in action. Don’t you think?

James Bean – Radio host, HealthyLife.Net Spiritual Awakening (M): Yes, if you love animals, why eat them? SM: Yes. And a vegetarian diet will stop 80% of global warming, stop all the cruelty, beginning on our plate. Generating loving, kind energy around the world, stop water shortage and water pollution, stop food shortages, stop world hunger and war, prevent deadly diseases, save enormous tax and medical bills to build a better world, and support new useful inventions and good people’s organizations.

Tragic Results of Meat Eating

Some of the Tragic Results of Meat Eating:

Research has shown that eating meat can cause some of the following diseases:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Parkinson’s disease
• Bladder cancer
• Colon cancer
• Prostate and ovarian cancer
• Lung, skin and kidney cancer
• Breast cancer.
• Blue tongue disease
• E coli
• Salmonella (over 2300 types possible)
• Bird flu
• Mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy)
• Pig's disease (PMWS)
• Shellfish poisoning
• Listeriosis
• Pre-eclampsia
• Campylobacter

PLUS MORE…

SOME OF THE COSTS OF MEAT EATING:

HEART DISEASE

• Over 17 million lives lost globally each year
• Cost of cardiovascular disease is at least US$1 trillion a year

CANCER

• Over 1 million new colon cancer patients diagnosed each year
• More than 600,000 colon cancer-related mortalities annually
• In the United States alone, colon cancer treatment costs about US$6.5 billion.
• Millions of people are newly diagnosed with other meat-related cancers every year.

DIABETES

• 246 million people are affected worldwide
• An estimated US$174 billion spent each year on treatment

OBESITY

• Worldwide 1.6 billion adults are overweight with 400 million more who are obese
• Costs US$93 billion each year for medical expenses in the United States alone
• At least 2.6 million people die annually from problems related to being overweight or obese

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Use up to 70% of clean water
• Pollute most of the water bodies
• Deforest the lungs of the Earth
• Use up 90% of the world's cereal
• Cause world hunger & wars
• 80% cause of global warming

PLUS MORE…

Supreme Master Ching Hai
February 28, 2008 - Austria

MASTER: Suppose you know something is poisonous to your children; will you deliberately give it to them, to harm them? No! So now all the evidence points out that meat is also poisonous and alcohol is bad. Just ban them outright. There’s no more discussion.

Make it your mission in life, to inform people about the danger of eating meat, and show them the solution.

Some Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet:

• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Reduce Type 2 diabetes
• Prevent stroke conditions
• Reverse atherosclerosis
• Reduce heart disease risk 50%
• Reduce heart surgery risk 80%
• Prevent many forms of cancer
• Stronger immune system
• Increase life expectancy up to 15 years
• Higher IQ

Conserve up to 70% clean water
Save over 70% of the Amazonian rainforest from clearance for animal grazing
A solution for world hunger:

• Free up 3,433 million hectares of land annually
• Free up 760 million tons of grain every year (half the world’s grain supply)

Consume 2/3 less fossil fuels than those used for meat production
Reduce pollution from untreated animal waste
Maintain cleaner air
Save 4.5 tons of emissions per US household per year

Stop 80% of global warming

PLUS MORE…

SAVE YOUR LIFE:
GO VEG. BE GREEN.

SOURCES:

• Supreme Master Ching Hai
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization
• American Dietetic Association
• Stockholm International Water Institute
• Smithsonian Institution
• Carnegie Mellon University