Dislodged Antarctic iceberg causes scientists concern.
An iceberg the size of the country Luxembourg was recently knocked loose from the Antarctic continent by an older iceberg known as B9B, which had split off in 1987.  The new iceberg contains approximately one-fifth the total water used worldwide.

Climate experts are now concerned for the ice-free area that used to be protected by the now-displaced ice. As this area provides 25% of the Antarctic’s bottom water, changes in its environment could impact ocean currents that distribute heat and oxygen to waters around the globe.

Such disruption could be devastating, as noted by German oceanographer Dr. Mario Hoppema, who said, “There may be regions of the world’s oceans that lose oxygen, and then of course most of the life there will die.”

We are grateful Dr. Hoppema and all scientists for your comprehensive assessment of these unsettling and large-scale changes in the Antarctic.

May we all foster lifestyles that restore harmony to our shared ecosphere. In a July 2008 videoconference with Supreme Master Television staff in California, USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai emphasized once more our need to act in ways that enhance the survival of all life on Earth.


http://www.france24.com/en/20100225-mammoth-iceberg-could-alter-ocean-circulation-study
http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/27/stories/2010022757422000.htm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124105970

Excessive livestock manure: Source of pollution and potent greenhouse gases.
A recent article by staff writer David A. Fahrenthold published in the leading US newspaper The Washington Post highlights the growing environmental threat of manure from industrial-scale animal farming, which he states presents a bigger problem than any other known pollutant.

Originally touted as fertilizer for crops, the vast quantities of livestock manure have increased to such proportions that they now exceed practical use.

Meanwhile, manure is already known to be a major cause of both groundwater pollution and atmospheric warming, and is the fastest growing source of the greenhouse gas methane in the United States.

Moreover, runoff from manure and other crop fertilizers accounts for some 230 oxygen-depleted dead zones along the US coast alone. We thank Mr. Fahrenthold and The Washington Post for bringing this valued information to the attention of the public.

Let us quickly replace all environmentally harmful animal raising with clean, humane plant-based fare to best serve people, animals and our planet.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/28/AR2010022803978.html
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/green/2010/03/pick_your_water_poison_animal.html

Extra News
As part of its plans for carbon neutrality, UK retailer Marks & Spencer announces a goal by the year 2020 of stocking only items containing at least one sustainable or ethical attribute such as Fair Trade certification.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/01/ms-product-portfolio-to-be-100-eco-ethical-by-2020/

US researchers find that global warming-related drought and high temperatures, not beetle infestations, are the main cause of increased forest fire risk in the nation’s western mountain states.
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/report_climate_not_beetles_mai/
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/139500

Record rainfall in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia totals over 484 millimeters in just three months, with more forecast in the months to come.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26786037-3102,00.html

Researchers in China find that years of excessive nitrogen fertilizer application have caused the soil to become overly acidic, with resulting vulnerability to crop diseases as well as toxic metal leaching into groundwater.
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/02/fertilizer-is-acidifying-chinese-land-2.html?rss=1