Turn veggie to save planet, says Sir Paul and Dr. Rajendra Pachauri

Sir Paul McCartney and Dr. Rajendra Pachauri say “Be Veg” to save the planet. The acclaimed musician and the Nobel Prize-winning head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, both vegetarians themselves, have written a joint letter to the Independent newspaper in the United Kingdom stating that being vegetarian is the single most important step individuals can take to reduce global warming.

Saying that people are often asking what they can do to help mitigate climate change, the letter states that vegetarianism represents a practical and effective response for reducing emissions and stabilizing the Earth’s atmosphere as well as providing more food for those in need. Our sincere gratitude, Sir Paul and Dr. Pachauri, for your noble-hearted leadership in bringing this information to the attention of the public. May your message provide a beacon of illumination for more and more people to see the wisdom of adopting the planet-friendly animal-free lifestyle.

Second Warmest October For Global Temperatures, NOAA Says

October sees high global temperatures. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that the land and ocean temperatures combined in October 2008 were the second warmest for the month since recordings began in 1880, while land temperatures alone were the warmest ever. In the Arctic, sea ice was at its third lowest level since satellite measurements began in 1979, and southern Australia endured the driest October on record. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we appreciate these insightful observations. Let us all join in actions that show consideration and respect for our life-giving Earth.

Amazon deforestation up almost 4.0 percent

Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has increased. On Friday, the Brazilian government announced that the rate of tree felling in the Amazon went up for the first time in four years. From August 2007 to July 2008, 12,000 square kilometers (4,633 square miles), representing 4 percent more land was destroyed than in same period the previous year. The areas most affected were cleared primarily for the planting of soya, which is grown to supply animal feed for meat production.
Brazil, we thank you for this alarming update. Our prayers that preservation efforts are made both nationally and internationally to restore these precious lungs of our world.

 
book 'Mat & Klimat'

New book released on food and climate. “Mat & Klimat” is the Swedish title for the book “Food and Climate,” which explores solutions for decreasing human impact from food production. Written by Sweden’s top meteorologist and climate scientist Pär Holmgren from Swedish Television, with co-authors Drs. Johanna Björklund and Susanne Johansson from the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the book’s recent release was attended by food industry representatives.

Dr. Johanna Björklund (F): We’re trying to in this book present how this food is produced so that we can find solutions to decrease this impact from our food consumption.
 
Dr. Susanne Johansson (F): I think we all need to learn more about the food that we eat, to be more aware of what we choose.

VOICE: This volume presents the authors’ research on the most eco-friendly ways to eat, buy and grow food. It was found that 30 percent of greenhouse gases generated from households come from food choices. The book offers practical and often simple ways to reduce our carbon “food-print,” one of which is to eat less meat.

Dr. Par Holmgren (M): The main issue is basically that we should eat less meat.

Dr. Johanna Björklund (F): I believe that those who want to be vegetarians, that’s very good, because that decreases our overall consumption of meat. It’s resource consuming and energy consuming to keep animals, because they need feed, and it costs energy to produce feed and so on.
 
VOICE: We thank concerned researchers Drs. Björklund, Homgren, and Johansson for the valuable information in your book “Food & Climate.” May its newly aware readership step in unison toward a healthier world that produces and consumes food wisely for the benefit of all.