Global warming forces Taiwan sea level to rise quickly: scholar
Formosa (Taiwan) endangered by rising sea levels. In the wake of global warming, sea levels are also increasing, placing islands such as of Formosa (Taiwan) in a precarious state. Dr. Fan Kuang-Lung of National Taiwan University’s Institute of Oceanography of has been examining the tidal levels of Formosa’s four harbors since in 1991, and has been noting their steady increase.

Dr. Fan Kuang-Lung, National Taiwan University, Institute of Oceanography, Formosa (M): In the recent 10 years, the average sea level has risen 3.2 centimeters. It may seem not so serious that the sea level is 3 centimeters higher over 10 years, but in fact, it’s very serious.

VOICE: A rise in sea level has direct impacts such as increased occurrence of damaging coastal erosion, with harm to wetland ecosystems and loss of land upon which countless people’s livelihoods depend.

Our sincere appreciation, Dr. Fan Kuang-Lung for your efforts to raise public awareness of the need to address these consequences of global warming. Let us all heed these alarming signs and turn to nobler Earth-conscious lifestyles.

In August 2008, during a videoconference with our Association members in Formosa, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke about the grave state of islands such as Formosa, and urged that we avoid natural disasters through kinder care for the lives on the planet.

Leatherback Turtle Threatened By Plastic Garbage In Ocean
Ocean plastics threaten turtles’ survival. Classified as critically endangered, leatherback turtles, which have existed on Earth for more than 100 million years, are now declining in alarming numbers. The key reason, as revealed in a new study by Dr. Mike James, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Canada, is ingested plastic. Consumption of plastic by turtles was found to lead to intestinal obstruction, digestion problems, and even starvation, with effects on reproduction also noted. Dr. James has proposed a solution to this issue, saying, “It's as simple as reducing packaging and moving towards alternative, biodegradable materials and recycling.”

Our sincere thanks, Dr. James and colleagues for highlighting the connection between human-caused pollution and these gentle turtles’ endangerment. Let us work to clean our oceans and eliminate plastic so that the leatherback turtle and other marine co-inhabitants can flourish for 100 million years more.

Cisterns save rainwater, quench environmental thirst
Reviving an ancient method of water storage. In Los Angeles, California, USA, environmental group TreePeople has proposed the use of cisterns, or large water storage containers, to extend water supplies in the large city. TreePeople has thus partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to build five demonstration sites in Los Angeles that will gather and store 1.25 million gallons of fresh water. TreePeople founder, Andy Lipkis explained that a one-inch of rain in Los Angeles produces 7.6 billion gallons of water and that water collected in cisterns could cover half of the city’s needs.

Bravo for your sensible green innovation, Mr. Lipkis and TreePeople! We can’t wait to hear more about such a beneficial water solution to help preserve this precious resource.

Solar Power Clinics in War-Torn Burma Win World’s Most Prestigious Environmental Award
Energy Globe Awards presented in Czech Republic. The 10th environmental award ceremony, held in Prague, awarded top prizes from among 800 projects submitted from 111 countries in the Element categories of Fire, Earth, Air and Water, as well a Youth. The First Prize in the Fire category went to the Burma Solar Hospital Project, which also received the audience top-voted World Award. Created by a collaborative Thai-international group to provide solar power to medical centers in Myanmar for their treatment of Burmese refugees, the project also trains medical staff to install the solar panels themselves in remote area clinics and hospitals.

For Earth, the winner was the Chile STEP project, which has been successful in collecting and recycling electrical appliances. The top prize in the Water element was awarded to a sustainable water project in Tanzania, and the Air element prize went to a group in Burgos, Spain who are helping reduce air pollution by providing free bicycle rentals. The winner in the Youth category was the “Rock in Rio” school project for promoting solar energy in Portuguese schools.

Energy Globe Awards winners and participants, we join in applauding your dedication and noble eco-endeavors. May the benefit of these resource-saving projects reach all corners of the globe to uplift communities worldwide.