Using
satellite data from the United Nations researchers at Stanford
University in California, USA have found that more than 80% of
agricultural land expansion in the tropics between 1980 and 2000 did not
come from use of existing land but instead resulted from deforestation
of primarily rainforests.
What has also been documented is that
the forests are being cleared to create pastureland for livestock as
well as to grow crops such as soya and palm oil products used for animal
feed.
Stanford researcher and study author Dr. Holly Gibbs
stated, “This has huge implications for global warming, if we continue
to expand our farmland into tropical forests at that rate.” An earlier
study, “Climate Benefits of Changing Diet,” from the Netherlands
Environmental Assessment Agency, found that a global shift to a vegan
diet would result in significant reforestation, along with an 80%
reduction in climate change mitigation costs.
Thank you, Dr.
Gibbs, Stanford colleagues and Netherlands Environmental Assessment
Agency for highlighting the link between tropical deforestation and
livestock raising.
May we all realize the importance of a
dietary shift away from animal products to save the tropical rainforests
and reverse global warming. As on many other occasions, Supreme Master
Ching Hai reminded of the detrimental tolls of livestock raising and
the need to halt it for the sake of our planet during 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.mongabay.com/2010/0902-tropical_agriculture.htmlhttp://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/september/farmland-cutting-forests-090210.htmlhttp://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview.htmlhttp://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/2009/Climate-benefits-of-changing-diet.htmlhttp://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/strategies/art13747.html
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