And this is the spinach. There, you can see chili peppers. These have much more nutrients. And also, a small organic broccoli of half a kilo.

Loyal viewers, welcome to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Today we’re celebrating World Environment Day, established by the United Nations in 1972 to raise awareness of the importance of the preservation of our biosphere. Commemorated annually on June 5, World Environment Day is considered one of the largest events of its kind. This year’s theme is “Many Species, One Planet, One Future.”

Our program features the second part of a two-part series about a very heartening trend that directly concerns the future of our planetary home. Animal agriculture is the most environmentally destructive activity on Earth and very fortunately more and more farmers are switching away from livestock raising to peaceable and green livelihoods.

We will once again hear from some former livestock farmers from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Formosa (Taiwan), Âu Lạc (Vietnam) and Iran and learn more about why they made the benevolent decision to change careers.

Many have moved on to growing organic fruits and vegetables. Others have returned to university to learn new skills or found other jobs. Two of the former livestock farmers we interviewed have become animal advocates. One farmer from Iran now works in a vegan restaurant. All of them report feeling deeply satisfied with their decision to end their participation in animal agriculture.

According to the non-profit environmental protection organization Greenpeace, between 1996 and 2006 approximately 80% of the Amazon rainforest that was cleared became cattle pasture. The cycle of the production and consumption of animal products is responsible for more than 51% of human-caused global greenhouse gas emissions. In short, livestock raising is the number one driver of climate change – the frightening phenomenon that endangers Earth’s continued survival.

Manure from animal agriculture operations along with chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are applied to fields wash into streams, rivers and lakes, causing widespread pollution. Eventually this toxic matter reaches our oceans and creates massive dead zones where marine life is absent. Many of the former farmers we spoke with stated that the severe consequences of practicing animal agriculture were highly disturbing to them.

Also, recently from 2007, 2008, we know that the planet is sick more than ever from greenhouse gases, and that the main cause of these gases is livestock farming for human consumption.

The methane gas that all the animals produce, starting with livestock, cows, is what most pollutes our planet. So we can see phenomena such as hurricanes, intense storms or freezing (rising).

Now look at the new research that 51% of greenhouse gases are produced by (animal) agriculture; they’re our number one polluter on this planet and it’s growing.

Because of the heavy rain that we had, their excrement would get washed away and would penetrate into the soil, and certainly that would pollute the underground water sources.

The daily waste from raising animals pollutes the environment and our health and our community’s health.

Looking back, we have been polluting the Earth ever since we started to raise pigs. The streams have become filthy and stinky. We used to play in the streams when we were little. Now, no one dares get close to the creeks. The water is always dirty and smelly. All the fish have died off, and the water plants have become extinct. The pollution is very serious.

I think anyone can see there's just ecological disaster, the amount of waste and pollution they're putting into the air and just to be around them, the stink is unbelievable. But it really means that more nutrients have gone into the water than they can assimilate and heats up the oxygen; the stream becomes devoid of oxygen and the fish die. Well, there's probably no greater pollution than what's coming out of these factory farms.

We need to learn that God left us the lands for us to take care of them, to protect them, not to destroy them.

Because we cannot continue on in this way, we need to stop and say: We cannot continue our poisoning ways.

Consumption of animal products can cause strokes, obesity, heart attacks, diabetes and many other dangerous health problems. Every year 17 million people die worldwide from heart disease because of eating meat. Globally the annual cost of this serious chronic health condition is US$1 trillion dollars.

My father died when I was two years old. I'm number five out of six children and he died of a heart attack and we were pig farmers and every single one of his siblings also died of a heart attack. And it made me really wonder about that connection and the more I looked into it, the connection is obvious to anyone who's willing to look at the science.

One chicken, how is it possible that it takes only two months to grow? You can see nowadays young girls are very physically developed; when they are 12 years old they are already like a woman. This is because of the hormones, because cattle are raised with hormones. A chicken, a calf, they are given hormones so they can grow fast and then it is us eating those hormones. We are eating them, so you can see that we are growing also, and so if we have a sickness, we develop it very fast too. Little girls are teenagers very fast; they are women too soon, lacking a childhood.

When we return, we’ll hear more from these wise and caring individuals who have now embraced constructive professions. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

We are doing nothing if we fill our pockets with money selling lots of products that poison people, the environment, water, animals … everything.

Welcome back to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants, as we continue our program about why farmers are leaving the animal agriculture industry. Some of those we interviewed now share their perspectives on how we can save our planet.

If the consumer says: “I don´t want meat, I don´t want milk,” then there will not be milk farmers nor meat factories.

In fact, they themselves are the ones who have the answer in their hands. If one buys milk or meat, one is contributing to the destruction of the planet.

The more people eat meat, the more ranchers become motivated to produce it. So if we reduce our meat consumption, the ranchers will reduce their products. Because demand and supply are interrelated.

Veganism isn’t a lifestyle choice; it’s a moral and ethical way of being in the world. It is surely about what you wear, what you eat, what you buy, but that’s just an aspect of it. The core of it is the moral concern for the dignity and respect of the other, whether that’s a farm animal or a farm worker.

Children should learn to stop eating all that meat, all those sausages, because they are terrible, (and) all those fats, (and) fast foods. It is better to choose a lot of vegetables, plenty of salads, and fresh juices.

Before buying anything in any supermarket, pay attention to the certification. It is very important. It guarantees that the product is suitable for you to eat, without chemicals.

They (pigs) are our good friends, so we should not eat them.

If the consumer asks for more organic products, that is the best incentive for farmers to also try to change to organic farming. In fact, we don´t have the power; it is the consumer who does.

For the health of the community and the world, to preserve the environment, to keep the water fresh and clean, I ask that people change jobs to keep our environment pure and to avoid harming our community.

Other livestock farmers, as they learn more and become more aware about our environment, and the devastating effects of their businesses on the environment and also on people’s lives, they will then gradually change their minds and, with God’s will, will decide to change their careers.

I urge all animal farmers to end the killing. They should promote vegetarianism so that our planet will survive for years to come. I urge all people to be vegetarian, to go green, so that we can save our planet,

In the beginning, I was also very reluctant to close the pig farm. We could make several million New Taiwan dollars a year. But considering the environment and our future generations, even though we are not as wealthy, our life is very relaxed and happy.

Oh God! Now I feel so light and can fully love the animals.

Growing dragon fruit like this makes me feel so carefree and much happier than before.

My sincere advice from my heart is that people should change jobs, do not raise animals for food anymore.

I advise people to switch from raising animals for food to growing vegetables to assure good health for everyone in the society.

Then the transition into clean and healthy farming, is within reach of any producer at this moment. The only thing needed is the will to do it.

Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet.

So what better than to save the planet, save the animals and have better health remembering that this beautiful blue planet is the only one that we have. Therefore, I invite you to go green and be vegetarians to save the planet

Be veg, go green, save the planet.

Be Veg, go green, save the Planet.

Supreme Master Ching Hai has often said that by adopting an organic vegan diet we can save the planet. She encourages those now in the livestock industry to move to careers which benefit our world.

Nowadays, there are more and more good opportunities for the farmers, retailers, transporters. They just do the same, instead of transporting pigs, they transport organic vegetables, etc. Or the farmer retailers, they could switch from the meat business to organic vegetable farming.

It took a great amount of courage in the beginning to change their whole life career around, but all of them would guarantee that it was worth it, more than worth it. It’s worth the great freedom of their heart, their spirit and happiness of their family as well, and health.

We laud all former livestock farmers and others who have left the animal agriculture industry for taking the benevolent path in life and thus benefitting humanity, our animal friends, and our biosphere. We pray that many more livestock farmers around the globe will soon join this life-saving, planet-sustaining trend. We appreciate your kind presence today on Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Up next is Enlightening Entertainment, after Noteworthy News. May God’s love always shine upon our world.