Melting permafrost could have devastating effect on climate. 

With temperatures near the poles increasing, permafrost in Canada, Russia, Alaska, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Greenland is expected to melt, releasing large amounts of CO2 and methane.  An international team of researchers measuring the potential effects of this melting have raised their estimates for the amount of CO2 to 1500 billion tons, which is much higher than the previous estimates of 400 to 800 billion tons. Dr. Pep Canadell, from the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, stated, “This is equivalent to twice the current amount of carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere.”

We appreciate your forthright appraisal of this dire potential effect, Dr. Canadell and associates. We pray that governments and individuals across the globe act swiftly to protect and preserve the many lives on our planet. 

Following the natural way of love.

The World Wildlife Fund has reported that the world’s formerly abundant diversity of plant and animal species declined by more than 25% in the past 35 years. This loss of wildlife foretells water and food supply shortages along with other climate change-related threats such as insects and disease. Parallel to this alarming rate of species loss is an equally staggering rise in farmed animal populations. During a videoconference with our Association members in Vancouver, Canada, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained the natural balance that exists for all life on our planet.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : The reason we have so many cows and pigs is because we breed them. If we don’t breed them anymore in the future, then we don’t have to worry about that. Talking about animals don’t have enough room, there are many endangered species. They’re dying a lot every day now. 270 of them, disappearing every day. And we’re not even eating them. So before we came, the animals were there already.
 
Everything will be done according to natural law. We should not worry about that. And those animals that we have already now, like cows and pigs, we have to treat them kindly until they leave their physical body naturally, the way we do. Otherwise Heaven will not forgive us anymore because we are not very kind, we are not fit to truly be called human if we continue doing that. Also we’re killing the planet anyway, and we’ll all go, animals and humans all go, together.

VOICE: We thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for her concern, and for encouraging our return to the path of kindness and compassion. May we quickly heed the law of the universe by which humans do no harm to other beings, to save not only our animal co-inhabitants but also ourselves.
Please tune in to Supreme Master Television’s Between Master and Disciples at a later date for the broadcast of this seminar with Supreme Master Ching Hai, with multi-language subtitles.


Climate warming predictions confirmed by ice core study.

 A new report by US scientists has analyzed CO2 and other trace gases trapped as bubbles in ancient ice cores from Antarctica for a 70,000 year period during the most recent Ice Age. The study has confirmed a high correlation between rising CO2 levels and abrupt changes in the climate. This finding validates current computer models that predict climate warming based on greenhouse gas levels. It also confirms the theory that ocean currents are a key driver of the temperature fluctuations. Dr. Edward Brook, associate professor of geosciences at Oregon State University stated, “This is a global, interconnected system of ocean and atmosphere, and data like these help us better understand how it works.”

Dr. Brook and colleagues, we are grateful for this confirmation of the urgent situation our planet now faces. Surely our concerted efforts through such means as the vegetarian diet will soon restore the life-sustaining balance of our biosphere.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080911150048.htm http://www.geo.oregonstate.edu/people/faculty/brooke.htm, http://www.leopoldleadership.org/content/fellows/search-detail.jsp?id=175)