Save our Planet

If you haven’t read it, please check out today’s article in The Independent’s newspaper (see http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-the-methane-time-bomb-938932.html). This article reminds of the events leading up the extinction of the dinosaurs. There were many contributing factors, and many theories, out there that lead to the destruction of life on planet Earth millions of years ago – volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, meteorite storms, and toxic gas. Scientists have long believed that there are toxic gases underneath the ocean. The icy cold ocean water helps keep them down there. But if the Earth warms up, the water ceases to be cold, and what comes bubbling up? You got it, toxic gas.It’s no longer science fiction, just in case you thought it was. Today’s article – Exclusive: The methane time bomb – reports that Arctic scientists have just discovered millions tons of methane bubbling up from the ocean floor:

The first evidence that millions of tons of a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic seabed has been discovered by scientists….Underground stores of methane are important because scientists believe their sudden release has in the past been responsible for rapid increases in global temperatures, dramatic changes to the climate, and even the mass extinction of species.

Folks, global warming is real and this is just more evidence of it. The ice is melting, the sea is warming up, and methane is being released. It’s really alarming! With the permafrost gone, melted due to the warming of Earth, several thousand square smiles of the Siberian continental shelf have a high concentration of methane. According to the scientists, the concentration of methane release will accelerate the rate of global warming, and it’s going to be a vicious cycle. As more methane is release, the Earth warms even more, more of the permafrost will be melted, and even more methane will be released.

And we’re only talking about methane! We don’t know yet what other gases from the seabed will be released!

What can we do to stop this? The solution is simple – be veg and go green. It’s an individual choice that we all can make, now, this very minute. Let’s not wait until it’s too late to do something. Let’s make a conscious choice to save our planet now.

After reading my blog about “Why is Mainstream Media not Talking About This?” some friends sent me a Youtube link just to prove me wrong. (http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=rYX18NGTwls) Well, if you don’t have cable television, you won’t get CNN. But in this day and age, everyone and the world SHOULD have cable television.

I’m glad CNN is talking about it, or it did, on June 11, 2008 when they aired a piece about the vegan revolution in the US. “An estimated ten million Americans have gone vegan.” Wow, that’s good news. And a lot of them went vegan because they want to save the planet. That’s even better news. A new figure I learned was that the production of one steak creates 24 times the amount of greenhouse gases, meaning CO₂ and methane, than a vegan meal. Put your teeth around that one.

The CNN report also says that just by changing the car you drive to a more environmentally one is not good enough. According to Dr. Gidon Eshel, eliminating meat is the best way to go to reduce your carbon footprint. Well, the UN report has made this pretty clear in its “Livestock’s Long Shadow” report – the CO₂ produces by all the modes of transportation combine in the world is less than that the CO₂ resulting from raising farm animals for human consumption.

Even Russell Simmons, hip-hop mogul, has jumped on board. He’s a vegan and he’s happy that he is contributing to the good of the planet. Check out “Vegan Revolution” on Youtube. And if you want to read the transcript, here it is, I’ve included it for your reading pleasure. If you find any mistakes, let me know. Happy reading! Be veg. Go green. Save the planet.

Cashew cheese ravioli - all vegan. Yum!

TRANSCRIPTION: Vegan Revolution

Story on CNN – June 11, 2008

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=rYX18NGTwls

An estimated ten million Americans have gone vegan, cutting out meat, dairy, meat by-products completely out of their products. Even Oprah’s trying it, but can changing what you eat actually change your carbon footprint? Alina Cho is here with more.

Kyra Phillips: What do you think, are you going to do it?

Alina Cho: Well, maybe. We’ll have to see, the food is quite good, actually. You know, simply changing your diet has more of an impact than changing your car on the environment. You know, we’ve all heard about flying less, driving less to reduce your carbon footprint. But, going vegan? Some say eating a plants only diet is earth friendly. But does vegan food taste any good? We went for a taste test.

When Oprah announced her 21-day body cleanse, no caffeine, alcohol, or animal products, she wondered, “What is left?”

Apparently, quite a lot. Oprah is a convert, saying on her blog, “I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying.”

Chef Matteo (vegan chef): I think vegan food gets a bad rep, definitely.

Alina Cho: Why?

Matteo: Just because over the years it’s been known as bland and you know granola, tofu – kinda hippy.

Alina Cho: Brooklyn Chef Matteo is a vegan, meaning no dairy, meat, or any animal products. But this food is any but earthy crunchy, like cashew cheese ravioli. The pasta is made from thinly sliced turnips. It has a cheese flavor but it’s actually made from ground nuts.

“It’s so good.”

But is it really good for the planet?

Matteo: You can feed more people with a vegetarian based diet than you can with a standard based diet.

Alina Cho: Recent studies say eating a plants only diet produces far fewer greenhouse gases than an animal-based diet, shrinking one’s so-called carbon footprint. Dr. Gidon Eshel co-authored one study for the University of Chicago.

Dr. Gidon Eshel: If you only eat plants, your footprint drops by a ton and a half of CO₂ per person per year.

Alina Cho: The USDA says the average American eats more than 117 pounds of red meat every year. Eshel says eliminating meat is better for the environment than switching from a Toyota Camry to a hybrid Prius. That’s because producing food from cows creates more carbon monoxide and methane gas. Eshel compares two dishes with a similar calorie count: a six-ounce steak and a plate of veggie stir-fry. He found that the production of one steak creates 24 times the amount of greenhouse gases as the vegan meal. But if you’re still skeptical, how about this - Chef Matteo’s chocolate peanut torte with strawberry and vanilla coconut cream.

Hmm-hmm is right. It was very good. Now, a lot of people asked, “What’s the difference between being a vegetarian and being vegan?” Well, “vegetarian” means no animal flesh, meaning no meat, fish, or poultry. Now, vegan is a bit more strict - no animal products or animal by-products. So, add to the list things like dairy and eggs. It’s really tough to do, you know, you have to be diligent about it. Researchers say, though, you don’t have to go entirely vegan to be green, Kyra. They say even cutting back from two hamburgers say to one a week can make a difference on the environment.

Kyra Phillips: It shouldn’t be so difficult. All right, well there’s a lot of people actually doing this. Join us now hip-hop mogul vegan Russell Simmons. He’s also the author of “Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success.” And he tells me Oprah helped him with the title and that’s why the book has been doing so well, that with the content.

Good to see you!

Russell Simmons: Good to see you.

Kyra Phillips: So, So, why do you do it?

Russel Simmons: Well, just to cause less harm and one of the things that we do know the UN reports that a vegan diet is …or the consumption of animals causes more harm to the environment than all the forms of transportation put together. That’s we’re talking about the environment, that’s one thing it causes. I don’t think when they said “dominion over the animals” they meant to abuse ten million farm animals every year, which is what we do here in America. So, it’s just a nice statement. I feel better. My friends report to me over the last fifteen years, I look better. You know, so it’s a big change for me. It gives you more clarity, and I think all of us want to be more clear, look younger, want to feel better, and one of the greater contributor to good on the planet.

Kyra Phillips: Well, you’re doing that in so many ways and just being a vegan is one part of your book. And I want to talk about that for a minute because it’s a side of you that I think is extremely endearing and unique, and you had signed this rapper Jinx da Juvy to Def Jam, and I know what an inspiration he was to you. He was shot a number of times, he saw his friends died, and he was an inspiration for this book, wasn’t he?

Russell: Yes, he was.

Kyra: So, you really saw him becoming a man.

Russell: Yes, I’ve seen so many artists grow and I’ve been involved in mentoring many artists over the years. He’s one example, he’s one that I took under my wing almost like a son. So, he is a good example.

Kyra: Which moves in to how you’ve seen him changed and others changed through what you’ve taken on. You actually said you wanted to go to yoga class to check out the girls.

Russell: In the beginning, yeah.

Kyra: But you felt the dharma.

Russell: Yeah.

Kyra: Tell me how that has changed your life? You’re meditating, you saw this higher truth that really has gone deep into your soul.

Russell: Well, it’s just to recognize what’s in, I mean, in fact all of us are looking for more stillness, for a chance to see the world in its beauty, right? And we’re struggling with that when we have all these things that separate us. So, the meditation slows the world down just a bit. The physical practice of yoga is part of that same process. All of us are searching, so when you find a path that suits you, whether it’s making church, or whether your temple, your synagogue, your mosque, whatever it is, it’s a path down the same road, you know, and all of us is trying to get there. And yoga for me has been a very helpful practice.

There’s a group of great people out there who cares about our planet. Kudos and thank you all for being proactive about preserving the planet. Please check out their website: http://www.loveearthgathering.com. They have a lot of cool and interesting information there.

It’s happening this October 4th. Even if you can’t make it to Australia (we gotta be mindful about our carbon footprint), you can still take part in this event. The organizers are asking everyone around the world to have a “one minute silence at midday for all the beings that have been affected by human induced climate change.”

I love what they have on their site:

Why Love Earth?

Love Earth - because love is a verb.

Love is something we must do.

Love requires selflessness.

And only a selfless society

can adopt the changes needed to abate climate change.

It requires selflessness to change your diet…

And if we all act in this way we will end climate change.

What a great thought!

If you’re in the USA, you’re in luck. There’s also a similar Love Earth Gathering in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. You love to party? Come on down and take part. You don’t have to wait till Halloween to wear a costume. They’re asking for all concerned citizens, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, to come and spread the message, enjoy the yummy vegan food, and … what do you do at a party? Eat, laugh, have fun, and connect with our fellow beings - animals and humans.

In a recent article last week, Brazilian bioethicist Roque Junges expresses his concerns about the excessive consumption of goods and overindulgence of meat, all at the cost of our planet. (see http://www.eltiempo.com/vidadehoy/ciencia/2008-09-08/bioeticista-brasileno-dice-que-hay-que-regular-el-consumo-para-contrarrestar-el-calentamiento-global_4526132-1Cerrar) Father Roque Junges, a Jesuit priest, is considered to be one of the leading bioethicists on the continent. At the Congress of Bioethics in Bogota, Columbia, Father Junges points out that we, as human beings, eat too much meat. Similar to the scientists from the UN Intergovermental on Climate Change (IPCC), he also emphasizes that the raising of meat for human consumption is detrimental to the environment and is exacerbating global warming.

The human species is destroying the planet at an accelerated pace through our excessive consumption and extravagant lifestyle without respect for Mother Nature or consideration for future generations. There is a need for governmental intervention to lead the people in the right direction. But while we wait for the gears of politics to slowly turn in the right direction, we as individuals can take action now. We can control our desires for unnecessary material goods. We can reduce or stop eating meat to protect our environment. We can liberate millions of animals from a horrible and brutal fate.

As individuals, we have the power to create change that can steer our government and the planet in the right direction. As a collective force of like-minded individuals, we are a power to be reckoned with. Religious leaders like Father Roque Junges are speaking out. It’s time to be responsible stewards of our planet. Stand up and be counted.

If you haven’t seen “The Story of Stuff” yet, you should - www.thestoryofstuff.com. It blew my mind. We live in a disposable society where we throw everything away – our elderly parents and products that are practically “brand new,” just to name a few. We live our life obsessed with consumption and, sadly, many of us don’t have the time to consider all the costs involved in producing the things that we take for granted. They don’t grow on shelves and they don’t materialize out of thin air.

Who has ever heard of “planned obsolescence” and “perceived obsolescence”? Good God, our own government caters to the whims of big corporations since the ’50s instead of looking after the needs of its citizens! It all makes sense. After you’ve watched the movie clip on how stuff is made, you won’t be able to deny this insidious fact. And she is only talking about everyday products that we use, man-made. The movie clip hasn’t even addressed the disastrous environmental and global impact of raising farm animals for human consumption.

We are heedlessly destroying our health, our planet, and the home of our future generations. It’s time we stand up and take responsibility for our life, our country, and our earth. We can’t rely on the governments to do it because they certainly have made a mess of the planet we call home, rendering it to the point of being unsustainable these past decades. We are at the tipping point where, if we don’t take action now, life as we know it will cease to exist.

Mother Nature has provided plenty of warnings - take Hurricane Ike, for example. Time to heed her call for help.

The “climate change denial syndrome” is closer to home than I thought. I tried to have a conversation with my family about it and it went nowhere. My own sisters and brothers don’t believe that global warming exists. How can this be? I can blame mainstream media for not reporting on it enough. I can blame the government at all levels for not talking about it. Well, at least the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is taking action. On August 12, 2008 he announced the creation of the New York City Panel on Climate Change. (see http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/105710) Wow, that’s what I call real leadership. Hats off to Mr. Bloomberg for caring about the planet! At least someone in power is taking a proactive approach to address the issue.

Who do I blame for my family’s denial of the existence of climate change and global warming? In the end, I would say it’s still an individual’s responsibility to keep current about what is going on around the world. Of course, the media and the government have a huge responsibility to inform the public about the impending planetary doom of our home called earth, but we as individuals also need to take an active role to make the news and shape policy changes.

There is plenty of evidence out there all over the internet that talks about global warming. And if you’d rather watch the news, check out Supreme Master Television via satellite on galaxy 25 if you’re in the U.S. For other countries, you can check out their website: http://www.suprememastertv.com. They’re not a mainstream television channel, and I haven’t seen anything like theirs. Their news segment talks a lot about climate change and global warming. If you happen to know about other news media that focuses on saving the planet, leave me a comment below.

Really, there’s no excuse for having “climate change denial syndrome.” Just exert a little effort, keep yourself informed, and you won’t ever regret it. Let’s take action and save our planet together.

I happened to read an article about global warming that knocked me out of my socks – “Rate of ice melt shocks warming experts.” “The Arctic is screaming” it says. Let me quote the first few lines of the article:

WASHINGTON - An already relentless melting of the Arctic greatly accelerated this summer, a warning sign that some scientists worry could mean global warming has passed an ominous tipping point. One even speculated that summer sea ice would be gone in five years. (Go to see full source:www.msnbc.msn.com)

That is scary. As I started to do a little more research, I realized that losing the Arctic ice is going to cause huge problems for planet Earth. I mean, it could lead to catastrophes on a global scale that may cause the extinction of our human race and life on Earth as we know it!

I found an article that lists what exactly would happen if global warming continues. Believe me, it’s awful. According to The Sunday Times in early 2007 – “What will climate change do to our planet? A degree-by-degree guide” – it could cause the extinction of the human race. As the heat warms up, fresh water would be lost from a third of the world’s surface, human beings would die of heatstroke, stressed plants would emit carbon instead of absorbing it, super-hurricanes, flooded coastlines, shortage of food on a global scale, just to name a few.

This is truly terrifying. There must be ways to stop global warming. Why isn’t our mainstream media is not talking about it? I watch the news and I hear nothing! The only time I hear about it is on the radio. Listen to Tom Hartman on Air America or Randi Rhodes on Nova M Radio. Since this is election year in the U.S., the Democrats are talking about it, but the Republicans are being tight lipped about it! I’m not a political person. I vote for a candidate who I think will do the best job for the nation and the people. I don’t care about party lines, but why aren’t the Republicans saying anything about climate change and global warming?

The UN came out with a report in 2006 – Livestock’s Long Shadow – and it talked about the critical state of our planet due to carbon emissions from raising livestock for consumption, transportation, etc. Why isn’t our media talking about this?

I realized that some people do not believe that it’s even happening! And we’re talking about the state of our planet! This is one of those instances where I rather be safe than sorry, because being sorry afterward means we’re dead meat, like what David Letterman said in his show recently (http://www.ecorazzi.com/). Let’s get the word out there, people. Go online, do the research, google it. We have to do something now, this minute, this second, to save our beautiful planet Earth for ourselves and for our kids. I certainly do not want our planet to become something like Mars - dead, lifeless, uninhabitable.