In
oceans across the globe, warming temperatures and pollution, especially
from livestock manure and related agriculture, are often responsible
for the growth of harmful forms of algae such as the red tide that is
now spreading through waters off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
This
algae impairs other organisms’ ability to absorb oxygen, leading to
suffocation, and is thus devastating for coral, fish and other marine
life. Both Iran and the United Arab Emirates report the death of many
tens of tons of fish, marine mammals and coral thus far. Although cooler
winter weather is expected to alleviate the situation, patches of the
algae currently remain, meaning that it could continue to spread.
Meanwhile,
possibly hundreds of thousands of seabirds are in peril in the
Northwest USA as a toxic algae bloom has contaminated hundreds of miles
of coastline. As this algal bloom decays, it emits a substance that
removes the birds’ waterproofing from their feathers, leaving them
vulnerable to starvation, dehydration
and hypothermia. Rescue efforts are underway but the unprecedented number of birds affected has left local centers overwhelmed.
It saddens us deeply to know of such distress to our marine and avian co-inhabitants.
Let
us all act with urgency to tread more gently and protect our shared
Earthly home. Expressing concern once more about humans’ pollution of
waterway ecosystems, Supreme Master Ching Hai reminded of the importance
of preserving nature during a July 2008 videoconference in Formosa
(Taiwan).
Supreme Master Ching Hai:
Wild species suffer similar fates because we also drain our chemical
substances, insecticides, pesticides into the rivers, into the lakes,
into the oceans. So we lost many of these precious species, we lost many
of us, because they are us. And we also lose ourselves, many of us
humans, because of these poisonous substances – even from the farm
industry - and we still did not wake up yet.
We should have more
rules, more guidelines, to protect natural habitats. Above all,
enlightenment is really what’s needed to govern. That’s number one. And
vegan diet with right motive, number two, will offer more compassion
and insight, also will help preserve precious natural habitats for the
wild and protect the resources for humans.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=110812§ionid=3510212http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_102209_animal_long_beach_algae_birds.240db632c.html