US student newspaper says meat-eating depletes health and energy resources.

The Northern Star, an independent news source produced by students at the Northern Illinois University in the United States, recently featured an article that examines the detrimental effects of meat consumption on American society. The article makes clear the relation between a meat diet and two important concerns of the day: the energy crisis and health care. The plant-based diet has been found to clearly have the more optimal ‘energy return ratio,’ meaning that the same amount of fuel yields far more vegetarian food than meat. In terms of health, the article points out the connection between meat consumption and the nation’s two top illnesses: heart disease and cancer.

Northern Illinois University students, we appreciate this insightful article that speaks honestly about the importance of our dietary choices. May all world citizens adopt a vegetarian diet for their own well-being and that of our Earth.

http://www.northernstar.info/article/3977/, http://www.northernstar.info/information/about/

Curbing climate change in the Himalayas.

First-hand effects of global warming such as droughts, floods, and particularly the shrinking of glaciers are raising concerns in the Himalayas. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) coordinator in China, Zhang Shigang, said, "The rapid melting of snow and glaciers in the past 10 years has threatened economic development and ecological balance in the Himalayas faster than any period of time in the past half century.”  UNEP and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology have thus launched a US$1.2 million program that will fund research meant to aid local governments on making better decisions and adapting to climate change.

Our gratitude, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the United Nations Environment Program, for your efforts to address this urgent matter of our time. We pray that our swift actions can save such treasures on Earth as the irreplaceable Himalayas.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/10/content_10173292.htm

Island in Bangladesh a sign of changes to come.

The nearly two million people on Bhola, a small island in southern Bangladesh, are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change. Each hour, according to the Coastal Watch based in the capital city of Dhaka, 11 Bangladeshis lose their homes to the rising waters. The United Nation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculates that by 2050, 17% of Bangladesh will be gone, causing 20 million people to have to relocate.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Coastal Watch and all other scientists, our gratitude for this eye-opening information. May we all quickly heed its message and act now to preserve people's homes and lives.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/climate-change-ground-zero/2008/10/10/1223145635868.html http://www.theage.com.au/world/bangladeshs-global-warning-20081010-4yb8.html http://geology.com/world/bangladesh-satellite-image.shtml http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/bd_cities_dhaka.html http://www.thedailystar.net/pf_story.php?nid=2996