Faith in the courage of leaders.

As ones entrusted to care for the greater public, government heads of state have the power to make large-scale impact by establishing public policy in areas such as informing and encouraging citizens to go vegetarian. At the recent videoconference with our Association members in Auckland, New Zealand, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained why leaders ought to overcome their reservations to instead ensure a future for their co-citizens.

Our Association member (F): Dear Master, due to political and economic pressure, many leaders do not address the problem of meat-eating directly. What encouragement can we give them to stand-up and spread the message to the people to go vegetarian? Thank you, Master.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: I think they will have to, in time, and I hope they do it soon, so that we still have a chance to save millions, billions of people or the whole planet. What is the use of having economy or political power when everybody’s dead? Even if the leader is still alive, whom would he or she rule if there’s no citizen left? I am worried about your country, it’s a small island surrounded by water. If the water levels rise, then I don’t want to talk about it. But I’m sure your leader will realize it sooner or later, that survival is number one.

Everyone has to wake up themselves. Of course, we can use the spiritual merit and grace from Heaven to uplift the consciousness of humankind to some certain extent. But we cannot overdo it. The power has to come from the people. The people have to wake up themselves and decide for the compassionate direction. In that way, it helps them tremendously to elevate their spiritual consciousness. And they will be higher up in Heaven after this lifetime, or even during this lifetime already.

VOICE: We thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for this clear reasoning as well as her optimism and encouragement for our leaders. We pray that esteemed officials around the globe will rise to do what is right and amply encourage the vegetarian diet for the survival of all beings.

Please tune in to Supreme Master Television’s Between Master and Disciples at a later date for the broadcast of this videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai, with multi-language subtitles.

Avian botulism suspected in demise of Laysan ducks.

The US-based National Wildlife Health Center has announced that over 130 Laysan ducks were found to have perished this month in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge on one of the northern Hawaiian Islands. The cause is thought to be Avian botulism, a disease that has increased with rising temperatures associated with global warming. The Laysan duck is the rarest native waterfowl in the United States, and it is estimated that fewer than 1,000 are alive today.

Our prayers are for the survival of the Laysan ducks and that our planet may continue to be graced with a rich diversity of life through humans’ more benevolent lifestyle.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Earth/
Flora__Fauna/More_than_100_rare_Laysan_ducks_found_dead/articleshow/3375232.cms, http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9802/27/prairie/, http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080824/NEWS14/808240361/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT

Drought emergency issued in Argentina.

 On Friday, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner declared a state of emergency for five provinces in response to months-long dry conditions that are the worst in 50 years. Sowing of wheat and sunflower has been delayed, and over 700,000 cattle and sheep have perished due to lack of water. The government has contributed over US$8 million in aid to those provinces to help compensate for their losses.

Thank you, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and the government of Argentina for providing this much needed assistance. We pray that the resilient Argentines will overcome these trying times through planet-sustaining lifestyles.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/23/content_9638438.htm

Environment agency warns of Britain’s shrinking coastline.

The agency is creating projections for the eastern and southern coasts of the UK as to their susceptibility to erosion and rising sea levels. Former Cabinet minister and current head of the agency, Lord Smith said, “We are almost certainly not going to be able to defend absolutely every bit of coast – it would simply be an impossible task both in financial terms and engineering terms.” The agency is thus drafting contingency plans for moving potentially affected citizens to safer locations.

Lord Smith and the Environment Agency of the United Kingdom, we thank you for your efforts to prepare Britain for the consequences of climate change.  May all nations awaken and immediately work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that rising sea levels are minimized and coastlines protected.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/stark-warning-on-britains-shrinking-coast-900638.html

Turkey’s Lake Tuz could disappear by 2015.

Turkey’s once second largest lake has been observed to have shrunk 85% in the last 90 years due to global warming-related drought and over-use of water for irrigation. After examining a wide array of satellite data, Dr. Semih Ekercin at Aksaray University determined that Lake Tuz had decreased from a 1915 area of 216,400 hectares to a mere 32,600 hectares in 2005. Dr. Ekercin has called for urgent action to protect Lake Tuz, saying, “If the necessary measures are not taken, by 2015 Lake Tuz will no longer exist.”

Our sincere thanks, Dr. Ekercin, for this alarming finding that further demonstrates the need for our immediate action to halt global warming and secure our own future as well as the vital existence of natural resources on our Earth.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=150761&bolum=101,
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=113288