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International environment ministers advance climate change talks.
In a three-day meeting jointly hosted with Mexico in Petersburgnear Bonn, Germany, environment ministers from 40 nations agreed by the forum’s conclusion on May 4 on several contributions toward the major United Nations climate conference in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010.

Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Yvo de Boer, along with European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard and attending ministers stated that a final agreement in areas such as climate-friendly technology transfer and forest protection is within reach.

Connie Hedegaard – European Commissioner for Climate Action (F): Now I’ve been doing some outreach, been out there seeing how serious people are already being impacted and affected.
And we cannot continue to talk. We must deliver specific action, and I really feel that that is also the spirit among colleagues here at Petersburg.

German Correspondent (M): We are here in Bonn at the conference: “European Union climate policy and the international climate negotiations.” The time that is left to curb climate change is dwindling. Europe has to regain a leading role in climate protection.  To accomplish this goal, the delegates talk about strategies on both international and regional levels.

Tove Maria Ryding - Climate advisor, Greenpeace Denmark (F): When you eat vegetables, you actually do have a smaller carbon footprint than when you eat meat.

German Correspondent (M): This is Supreme Master Television from Bonn. The countries also presented their individual projects intended to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. France, Norway, and Germany, for instance, plan to halt deforestation through international collaboration and increased funding. Just the previous week, another preparatory climate meeting was held in Bonn, Germany.


As in the ministerial meeting, Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer and other European Union policy makers, such as European Parliament Member Yannick Jadot of France, also considered the deforestation issue.

Yannick Jadot – European Parliament Member from France (M): Stopping deforestation in the tropical regions – Latin America, Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, will be the most efficient way to fight climate change, because we can stop deforestation within months.

VOICE: European Parliament Members Yannick Jadot from France and Rebecca Harms from Germany further acknowledged that an essential element of curbing deforestation is to reduce animal agriculture and meat consumption.

Yannick Jadot – European Parliament Member, France (M): We have now a system in Europe where most of the animal feed is coming from Latin America, from soya, which is also contributing to deforestation and so to climate change.

VOICE: In the Amazon rainforest alone, livestock raising is the driving force behind more than 80% of the deforestation, with the rest mostly going to soy crops that are exported for animal consumption on factory farms.

Rebecca Harms – European Parliament Member from Germany, Co-President of The Greens Party/European Free Alliance (EFA) (F): Agriculture, the field where our food is produced, is an important dreadful factor for the Earth’s warming. Factory farming, for instance, is a huge problem.
Meat consumption, particularly in the rich northern countries, is not good for the climate.

VOICE: Congratulations and our appreciation on the progress made, European Parliament members, world environment ministers and all involved for your productive discussions on curbing the threat of climate change.
We pray that leaders worldwide realize the importance of implementing a meat-free policy as part of their dedicated efforts to save the planet.

Throughout the years, Supreme Master Ching Hai has been tirelessly emphasizing the need to eliminate meat production as a way to also halt deforestation, as in an October 2009 videoconference in Germany.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Saving the world’s tropical forests, the lungs of the Earth, is one of the very important priorities. The rainforests themselves normally are our protectors, but as the climate gets warmer, instead of absorbing CO2 to protect our planet’s climate, they will be emitting back CO2 as well.

Now, we need to look at the main reason why there is deforestation.

There is a whole industry behind it in most of the cases, namely the livestock industry. For example, the number one reason for deforestation of the Amazon, which is the greatest lung of our planet, is to raise cattle.

Stop the livestock industry - that would be the most effective way to halt global warming and restore our planet. It will save our precious forests, which takes decades to grow, and create more natural forests that we need to reduce global warming. We must stop the livestock industry. I hope the leaders will do this.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-
http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/default/dok/333/333481.from_bonnto_cancun@de.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/services/showShotlist.do?filmRef=70104&out=HTML&lg=en&src=1

Hundreds of European join in a pledge to curb CO2 emissions.
On Tuesday, May 4, over 500 European mayors gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium to sign a declaration known as the Covenant of Mayors.

This document reflects the ambitious commitments of participating towns and cities to reduce their carbon emissions more than 20% by 2020, going beyond the stated climate change goals of the European Union as a whole.

Present for the signing was European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, joined by European Union Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain, EU chair Presidency: All the society must be involved and especially the local and central authorities.

EP President Jerzy Buzek: We are at the dome of a green revolution, but in this revolution you, the mayors of our cities are the front line.  You are best placed to propose solutions which coincide the public and private interests.

Sten NORDIN, Mayor of Stockholm (in English): The local level is very important when having sustainable cities. And you have to work together with the citizens; you have to involve the citizens in the work for sustainability. That’s my most important message.

Citing the key role of Europe’s city leaders in contributing to regional climate goals, President Buzek said, “They are closer to our citizens than any parliament, any government, [and] are the most important for solving our common problems.”

Since the movement’s launch in 2008, some 1680 municipalities across Europe have now signed the Covenant declaration, representing 120 million people in 36 nations.

Individual city participants are tasked with formulating their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans, while a new database launched at the Covenant meeting is designed to help the signatories share best practices toward the unified goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A big bravo, all signatory European cities and towns of the Covenant of Mayors for your laudable commitment to green living! Blessed be such eco-conscious initiatives as yours in helping restore our world to planetary health.

http://www.klimabuendnis.org/newsdetails0.html?&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=668&
tx_ttnews[backPid]=308
http://www.buildup.eu/news/7446
http://www.eumayors.eu./home_en.htm
http://www.eumayors.eu./about_the_covenant/index_en.htm  
http://www.eumayors.eu./about_the_covenant/sustainable_energy_for_action_plans_en.htm

Extra News
Aided by funding from Rwanda-based German Development Service, a group of youths from six African countries travel across the continent to raise awareness about the importance of eco-protection through their music and drama performances as well as the planting of trees.   
http://allafrica.com/stories/201004300048.html
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&viewas=0&gid=51739286338

The Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania record the hottest 12 months ever, with temperatures of over 20 degrees Celsius for 123 consecutive days in Victoria, and a hottest day of 48.4 degrees.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/03/2888907.htm?site=idx-tas
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/hottest-year-since-records-began-for-victoria-and-tasmania/story-e6frf7jo-
1225861570374
http://www.france24.com/en/20100504-india-restrict-mining-forests-report

The Indian state government of Himachal Pradesh announces a new requirement for morning prayers at school to include a pledge to preserve the environment by conserving and protecting wildlife, trees, energy and water.  
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/enviornment/to-save-environment-himachal-schools-
take-pledge_100358219.html

After witnessing the environmental destruction to marine life and ecosystems caused by an oil leak off the US coast in the Gulf of Mexico, California state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger withdraws his support for any similar offshore drilling in his state.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6425VK20100503?type=politicsNews
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0504/Citing-BP-oil-spill-Schwarzenegger-drops-offshore-
drilling-plan