Alarming climate science presented in Copenhagen forum.
In a side conference held during the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Denmark, former US Vice President Al Gore joined Arctic Council leader and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and scientists to address delegates and media on the updated status of the world’s ice caps. Supreme Master Television’s correspondent in the Danish capital has more from Copenhagen.

Supreme Master Television COP15 Correspondent: This week, world government ministers and heads of state are arriving to help seal the agreement seen as the last chance to prevent runaway global warming.

Karel de Gucht – EC Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid (In English): We are now arriving at the point where negotiations really start.

Supreme Master Television COP15 Correspondent: Just as the world’s environment ministers held their first meeting, two new reports were presented about the immensely rapid changes occurring in the Arctic, Greenland and Antarctica.

Jonas Gahr Støre – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Denmark (M): The update paints a very gloomy picture of how the ice sheet is out of balance and of the consequences stemming from a melting Greenland.

It carries a clear message from the scientific community relating to climate change that we need to act and we have to act now.

Supreme Master Television COP15 Correspondent: Danish ice scientist Dr. Dorthe Dahl-Jensen and the respected former US Vice President and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore, explained how quickened ice loss in the Antarctic, and even doubled melt rates in the Greenland ice sheet, are raising sea levels.

Al Gore – Former US Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (M): Roughly speaking, each one meter of sea level rise generates 100 million climate refugees.

Supreme Master Television COP15 Correspondent:  Based on this report, Minister Støre emphasized the need – and timely advantage – of addressing non-CO2 warming substances such as methane and black carbon. This is due in part to their extremely high heating effect in contrast to CO2, which has been found to accelerate ice melt in the Himalayas, the Arctic, and Antarctica. Yet fortunately, they also disappear from the atmosphere many times faster than CO2.

Jonas Gahr Støre - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Denmark (M):  If there is one positive message from this report, it’s that doing something about that, if not easy, is manageable.  So while we wait for the results of curbing CO2 emissions, we need to address the issue of methane, ozone, black carbon, swiftly.  

Supreme Master Television COP15 Correspondent:  Now, it happens that the number one source of human-caused methane is the livestock industry, while vast quantities black carbon are released from forests being burned to clear land for livestock grazing as well as grow animal feed crops.

Parallel to the leaders’ summit, various workshops have been held at Copenhagen on the climate impacts of meat production. Encouraged by Supreme Master Ching Hai’s dedicated example, our Association members have been actively participating as speakers and panelists to raise awareness of this most urgent factor
in global warming.

Our Association member (F): Methane – it’s very very potent but it also goes away very very fast.

Supreme Master Television COP15 Correspondent:  In addition, members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association created public service announcements on the vegan solution for climate change, which are being aired on the leading Danish television station TV2 Denmark, broadcast to over one million viewers during this crucial week. This is Supreme Master Television in Copenhagen, Denmark.

VOICE: We are grateful to Minister Støre, former Vice President Gore and all participating scientists for this important updated report. Our faith and prayers that the courageous governments of this landmark summit may seize this opportunity of the vegan diet solution and thus truly make history by saving the planet.

On many occasions leading up to the Copenhagen conference, Supreme Master Ching Hai has shared her heartfelt thoughts in response to public requests, as in this October 2009 videoconference in Frankfurt, Germany.

Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai “Be Vegan, Go Green, Protect God’s Creations in Nature” Frankfurt, Germany – October 18, 2009


Ancient peatlands ignite from underground.
Following years of drainage for human use along with prolonged dry conditions, the underground peatland of Spain’s 2,000-hectare Tablas de Daimiel National Park recently caught fire, sparking alarm amongst environmentalists.

Iran is seeing similar losses due to Gondaman Marsh in the Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari Province having ignited in September. Peatland regions are home to biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth, and their burning also releases vast amounts of carbon. Currently, the Spanish government is attempting to extinguish the fires
by drenching the affected lands.

We are thankful for the efforts of the Spanish government to raise awareness and alleviate this predicament,as disturbing as it is to know of such loss of life and habitat. May humanity’s more caring stewardship help restore the vibrancy of our fragile ecosphere.

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=107194&sectionid=3510212
http://www.france24.com/en/node/4931342
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hqHPBt8td-vlaZkZ9qU62LNjQM3Q

Extra News
A new Greenpeace report finds that permafrost melt in northern Russia due to climate change is costing companies billions of dollars in infrastructure repairs, while also reducing Russian territory as coastlines disappear.  
http://www.france24.com/en/node/4930130

The Climate Risk Index 2010, produced by Germany-based non-profit organization Germanwatch, reports that the occurrence of 11,000 extreme weather events over the past 18 years has claimed 600,000 lives and cost US$1.7 trillion globally.  
http://www.zhouxinxin.com/2009/12/global-climate-change-costs-lot.html

The Dvůr Králové Zoo in central Czech Republic is transferring four endangered Northern White rhinos to a Kenyan reserve for a better chance to preserve their species, which is thought to number only eight in the world.
http://www.france24.com/en/node/4946216 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_White_Rhinoceros