A word of hope for the children.

Many children are aware of the environment they are set to inherit, and some cannot help but feel despair. In the recent videoconference with our Association members in San Jose, California, USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai conveyed her response to this dilemma with a message applicable to young and old alike.

Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai
with San Jose Center, California, USA – July 10, 2008

Our Association member (F): I have recently heard of elementary school students who were speaking about what they wanted to be when they grew up. And one of the answers was, “We won’t be alive then because of global warming, so what’s the point of answering?” And I was just wondering what kind of inspiration you can give the children who are feeling hopeless about global warming?

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Well, you tell them to be positive. Tell them to keep up hope and go veg. And please be green and do good. Then Heaven will protect them. And we will have a future still. Tell them everything can always change. So it depends on their attitude, depends on everybody else’s attitude and contribution. If they all go veg and encourage everyone else, then things will look bright.

VOICE: Our sincere gratitude to Supreme Master Ching Hai and the hope she brings to our hearts at this time. May we strive towards ennobling actions to best comfort future generations and secure a greener Earth for them to inherit.

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


French botanist Jean-Marie Pelt calls for return to spirituality to solve climate change.

A pharmacist, botanist, radio host and author, throughout his career Jean-Marie Pelt is perhaps best known through his various books on the vegetable world and pharmacology. He is recognized for his work to communicate science to the public through radio and television. Mr. Pelt spoke out on climate change, at the Global Earth Festival, an international fair in Paris, France promoting sustainable consumption organized by Terralliance.

Jean-Marie Pelt, Famous French scientist, botanist, founder of European Institute of Ecology

Jean-Marie Pelt, Famous French botanist and author: The sea was supposed to rise by a maximum of 50 cm by the end of the century. Now, the same experts are saying that it would be rather 1 meter than 50 cm. With 1 meter, that is all the atolls under water, that is Bangladesh under water, that is a part of Holland under water, that is Camargue under water, it is people that do not have homes anymore.

VOICE: Mr. Pelt’s books are widely read for their broad span of knowledge and keen way of bringing things close to home. They include “Nature and Spirituality,” “The Social Life of Plants,” and “From the Universe to Being.” On climate change, he outlines three ideas and a main goal for humanity at this time.

Jean-Marie Pelt: If we mess up the climate, obviously we’ll have to bear completely the consequences. The second idea is that we must make a sober use of the property of the nature, which means that we should not waste. The third idea, is that we should try not to be Promethean and acting as if we were God. The great religious traditions are not supporting this idea at all.

And to conclude, the question is as follows: Is the future of humanity economy, consumption, growth, technology? Or is it rather a different man that we would like to see emerged which would take into account everything that has been said now and which would be carried by a spirituality in action, and full of love and affection for the other people as well as animals and plants.

VOICE: We appreciate Jean-Marie Pelt for his lifelong service to opening our minds and hearts to the wonderful natural world around us. May we work diligently to conserve, preserve and enjoy it for many years to come.

Expert finds disappearing glaciers in Turkey.
 
Professor Ali Fuat Doğu, the head of Turkey’s Yüzüncü Yıl University's department of geography warns that the glaciers feeding water to Lake Van in Eastern Turkey are in jeopardy due to melting.  He stated, "Our observations differ from previous reports on these areas from 30-40 years ago. These glaciers cannot survive another three years. We can clearly say that these glaciers are disappearing quickly." The professor added that without the glaciers, Lake Van would only have seasonal precipitation as a water source. Water levels in the lake thus would likely drop and its biodiversity would be significantly affected by the water shortage.

We appreciate your cautionary words, Professor Ali Fuat Doğu, on the state of the glaciers in Eastern Turkey. With Heaven’s grace, may we all take responsibility in addressing climate change-related events such as this and other glacier melts occurring worldwide.

http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=26489,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Van

Norway’s most northern islands reflect a warming globe.

Longyearbyen, a town of 1,500 people in the Svalbard Islands, located between Norway and the North Pole, is experiencing great changes in the surrounding fjords and glaciers due to the climate change. Resident Kristin Grotting, who has been living in Longyearbyen for 12 years, said that the Icefjord is not freezing now even in the middle of the winter and the glaciers surrounding it  keep receding more and more.

We share your concerns, residents of Longyearbyen, about the effects of global warming on our lives. We pray that we will be able to take the necessary steps to preserve our precious environment.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7501691.stm

Russian scientists forced to evacuate polar station due to global warming.

On Sunday, 21 Russian polar researchers and their two dogs had to be rescued from their camp on a rapidly melting ice floe. Camp North Pole 35 was set up in September 2007 with the original intention of staying until late August 2008. However, the early arrival of the 2008 melting season along with the camp’s ice floe currently drifting toward a warmer water current had placed the scientist’s lives in danger.

We thank God for the safety of the Russian researchers and their animal companions. May we all heed the warnings of Nature through events such as these and act quickly to preserve our cherished planetary home.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7503060.stm http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/224333.html http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1416908.php/Russian_researchers_evacuated_from_fast_melting_ice_floe http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ghCixOYzpbZHoUH670X2ppbmt2Hg