Climate change and development seminar held in Mexico

In preparation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Mexico City, Mexico this coming November, the Inter-American Development Bank hosted a seminar on climate change and development. Supreme Master Television’s correspondent is in Cancun on location.

Mexican Correspondent (F): We are reporting from the Convention Center of the City of Cancun, Mexico where the Annual Reunion Assemblies of Governors is being held under the organization of the Inter-American Development Bank.

Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada – Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico (M): We need to give all the support to the Mexican negotiations, to bring something useful to humanity at the end of the year.

VOICE: Invited speakers to the forum included Chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri; renowned Nobel Prize winning Mexican scientist Dr. José Mario Molina-Pasquel Henríquez; Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Yvo de Boer; former Irish President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson; and Mexican Environment Secretary, Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada.

Panelists’ discussions included consideration for such topics as climate justice, in that the populations most affected by global warming are often the least equipped and protected.

Dr. Rajendra Pachauri (M): There are some countries in the world, some communities, that are going to suffer the impacts of climate change much more than other countries.

Mary Robinson (F): We need to make progress, because the poorest are suffering very much from climate change.

VOICE: During an interactive session with the audience, Supreme Master Television’s correspondent asked about the dietary solution to climate change.

Mexican Correspondent (F): The vegan diet is an effective solution to mitigate global warming, and it doesn’t require thousands of dollars of investments. What do you think about this?

Mary Robinson – 7th President of Ireland, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (F): I’m glad you asked that question. I feel very strongly that we need to have an awareness that this is both an intellectual and an educational tool for every family – for every mother, every father, every grandmother like me, and in our schools, we need to have a wholly different approach now.

Dr. Rajendra Pachauri – Chair, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (M): When people ask me what lifestyle changes, one of the things that I say is to reduce meat consumption.

And I want to give an example. About two years ago, I addressed a group in the city of Ghent in Belgium, and that started a movement, as a result of which they have now declared one day a week as a meatless day.

It’s healthy for individuals; it’s also healthy for the planet.

Mexican Correspondent (F): Broadcasting for Supreme Master Television from Cancun, Quintana Roo in Mexico.

VOICE: Our appreciation all esteemed seminar participants for your concerted efforts to pave the way toward solutions on climate change. Let us act on measures in all world citizens’ best interest, including global adoption of the planet-saving meat-free diet.

In an August 2009 videoconference in Thailand, Supreme Master Ching Hai once again urged government leaders toward bold actions at this crucial time to halt global warming.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: To sum up, to all the leaders, I call on them once more to put their love first for their countrymen and women, and for all the children to accept with courage the deed that must be done, to use the mighty power in their hands entrusted by people to save the world.

The global livestock industry is now contributing almost about as much to global warming as the energy sector, or even more. And I know it contributes at least 80% of it. Just be vegan. And please, be quick. Our days are numbered.

British eco-organization Natural England calls for protection of peat lands from damaging practices such as plowing and burning, which is causing the release of CO2 emissions equivalent to 350,000 households per year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7465370/Damage-to-peat...
http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline...

Reducing meat consumption a sure way to alleviate climate change

Speaking of the United Kingdom’s already established emission goals during a February 3 conference, Soil Association Policy Director Lord Peter Melchett said that these will be met only if consumers reduce their intake of pork and poultry alone by at least 75%.

Lord Melchett stated, “It's ludicrous … not to talk about consumption when we're talking about environmental sustainability.” Meanwhile, he also highlighted the benefits of organic farming, saying that a recently conducted study found that if all the farmland in the nation went organic, the soil could absorb 3.2 million tons of carbon, or the equivalent of removing nearly 1 million cars from the road.

Our appreciation, Lord Melchett and Soil Association, for your encouragement of the transition to meat-free, organic living. May we soon herald a vegan world for the vibrant stability of our precious Earth.

Supreme Master Ching Hai has frequently advocated organic vegan farming and adoption of the same planet-cooling diet, as highlighted in an October 2009 climate change conference in Formosa (Taiwan).

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Without the needless animal industry, not only will we gain forests, we can also have organic vegan farmlands to grow real, decent food for humans, and like the forests, these farmlands can also absorb a lot of heat from the atmosphere.

And a global shift to organic vegan practices could mean 40% of all greenhouse gases absorbed as well, apart from the 50 plus percent that we eliminate through the terminating of the animals raising practice.

World governments could save tens of trillions of US dollars, tens of trillions of US dollars if everyone be veg and plant organic. So you see, 50% less from no more animal industry, 40% less carbon dioxide from organic farming, then we will be singing, our world will be saved.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2010/02/03/119820/Consumers-need-to-eat-less-meat-says-Soil-Association.htm
http://www.meatinfo.co.uk/...../Soil_Association_calls_for_UK_consumers_to_eat_less_meat.html
http://www.soilassociation.org/Whyorganic/Climatefriendlyfoodandfarming/tabid/215/Default.aspx

Bremen introduces “Veggie Thursday”

The picturesque city in northwest Germany has become the first municipality to introduce a weekly Veggie Day. The campaign has taken its cues from the success of a similar program in Gent, Belgium where schools, restaurants and citizens are all participating.

The German “Veggie Thursday” initiative has received the endorsement of Bremen’s mayor, Mr. Jens Böhrnsen; its environmental chief, Dr. Reinhard Loske and a broad-base of consumer and environmental groups.

Along with its health benefits, campaign organizers state that if 550,000 Bremen citizens stop eating meat for just 52 days in the year, they can prevent the CO2 emissions of 40,000 cars.

Bravo, “Veggie Thursday” organizers and Bremen citizens on your adoption of this wholesome trend! Surely such noble examples as yours will continue to spread, with more and more communities joining in the life-saving veg lifestyle.
http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=52632〈=en
http://www.taz.de/1/nord/artikel/1/bremen-propagiert-veggiday/
http://www.extremnews.com/nachrichten/natur-und-umwelt/656912d8c2bd91f

British climate chief speaks up for the veg climate solution in India

During an interview with Indian newspaper Financial Express, British climate economist Lord Nicholas Stern voiced his encouragement for the meat-free lifestyle as a viable climate solution, stating, “A vegetarian diet is climate friendly. It’s less carbon intensive. Though eating food is a matter of personal choice, it is desirable to help people make informed decisions.”

While in India, Lord Stern was delivering a lecture on “Building an Equitable Agreement on Climate Change.” Lord Stern is joining several other notable leaders in voicing support for the climate benefits of a vegetarian diet. These include United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chairman Dr. Rajendra Pachauri; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change chief Yvo de Boer, and British former Beatles member, Sir Paul McCartney.

Lord Stern and all other noble voices, our accolades and admiration for encouraging the public to consider food choices as an integral part of an eco-friendly lifestyle. May we all be inspired toward adoption of the plant-based diet, for our planet and our future.

Supreme Master Ching Hai has long been a tireless advocate for the world-saving organic vegan diet, as in an interview with The House Magazine for the September 2009 edition.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: I wish I could find another solution, but all the evidence doesn’t favor any other solution except the vegan diet, and then we can have other solutions when we have more time We have only a few years now, and we don’t know what comes yet even. Now it’s the swine flu, but what else? I don’t want to know. I don’t have any other solution Be green is just by the way. Be veg is the only, the main, the 90% solution.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Vegetarianism--the-mantra-to-overcome-climate-change-
challenges/539753/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2008/06/is_it_time_to_turn_vegetarian.html