You are watching Words of Wisdom Rebroadcast of Live Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai 『Children's Health & Sustainable Planet』 Jeju International Conference Jeju Island，S. Korea - September ２１，２００9

Grace (f): Many people have visited South Korea to encourage global actions on climate change， including many children. We have collected voices from children who very recently came to Korea for climate change activities. Let's hear from them. Now it is the time to act. If not here，then where？ If not now，then when？ If not us，then who？ For many people， climate change， they think like it's the melting of glaciers. What we can do to stop that？ It will melt. But it's not that. We，individually，can really do a lot of things. I'll try to take each and every possible action from my side. Please，start now.

(m): Sea levels could rise. People on the coastal areas， especially in Africa， and South America could lose their homes.

(f): I became a vegetarian when many of my friends were vegetarian. And I asked them why. And they told me that it was because of the environment. If we don't save it now， our future generations will have no place to live. There are no political and geographical boundaries for environmental problems. Blaming any nation for any problem is of no use until we can have any possible action.

(m): We children expect you politicians to come up with sustainable solutions to the oＮＧＯing climate change and global warming. Be vegetarians and save the environment. Children all around the world，wherever you are， on every corner of the globe，should take care for their environment. Even if you're not talking you should do something， a little bit to help the planet. Because in a few years time， we're not going to enjoy our planet. The air will be polluted，there will be diseases all around the world; and it won't be safe.

Please save their life， and save the Earth. (m): Vegetarianism reduces animal consumption and energy consumption.

(f&m): Be veg， go green， save the planet！ (m): Be veg！ (f): Be veg and save the world. (f&m): Be veg， go green， save the planet！ (f): Save the planet！

Grace (f): Such lovely，lovely voices from the children！ Did you see their beautiful faces？ How can we not respect them and protect them.

Callie (f): I absolutely love them. Their voices really touch my heart.

Grace (f): To respond to the sincere wishes of the children， highly distinguished experts from around the world are presenting their valuable messages for us today， some in person， some via video. Grace (f): This is a very rare chance to hear the best of the best experts who are speaking for us， for our children， and the planet.

Callie (f): First is Mr. Joop Oude Lohuis， the Manager of the Climate and Global Sustainability Unit for the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency， who has done extensive research on the relationship between climate change and dietary change.

Joop Oude Lohuis (m): Ladies and gentlemen， my name is Joop Oude Lohuis. I'm a researcher at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. It's a pity I can't be here. It's a very beautiful island，so I'll have to make my contribution by screen. Probably the most difficult issues the world is facing today are climate change and the loss of nature and biodiversity.

For １０ to １５ years the world is concerned and seriously tries to deal with climate change. The focus is strongly directed towards energy use and fossil fuels， and climate change mitigation policies tend to focus on the energy sector. On the other hand， the livestock sector receives surprisingly little attention， and I think that's an issue we have to discuss today. The livestock sector accounts for about １８％ of greenhouse gas emissions.

That is substantial. The livestock sector accounts for about ８０％ of total anthropogenic land use， and that is more than substantial. And from a dietary perspective， new insights in the adverse effects and health effects of beef and pork have also led to a revision of consumption recommendations， and I think that's an important issue we have to discuss today.

Recently，we explored the potential impact of dietary changes on achieving ambitious climate stabilization levels. And for the first time， we made an integrated analysis of all the different elements that are related to eating meat， and that is: substitutes for meat， climate change， the possible effects on the land use，health and costs. And we know that if we go on『on a business- as-usual』 scenario， the livestock would double in the next ４０ years and greenhouse gas emissions would go up by about ８０％. Well，we found out that food transition on the global scale， eating less meat and／or even a complete switch to plant-based protein food can have dramatic effects on land use.

Up to ２，７００ million hectares of pasture and １００ million hectares of crop land can be abandoned， resulting in a large carbon uptake of land， instead of being a source of emissions. Additionally，methane， nitrous oxide that are potentially harmful greenhouse gases， could be reduced substantially. A global transition to a low meat diet as recommended for health reasons would reduce mitigation costs by about ５０％. In terms of climate change， we would like to keep the global temperature below ２° change， and that would result in a target maximum level of about ４５０ parts per million CO２.

The mitigation cost in reaching climate targets could go up to a １-２％ of global GDP， and that's about $２ trillion a year. A scenario with no meat consumption at all would halve these costs. If we go to a scenario with no meat at all and also no dairy products， the amount of costs would not even go down with ５０％ but at a rate of ７０ to ８０％， and that's substantial.

Dietary changes could， therefore，not only create substantial benefits for human health and land use but also play a role in reducing future climate change policies at a lower cost. There are many opportunities in changing a diet from meat to vegetable based products. In our analysis， we assumed soya beans and pulses to be the main substitutes for meat and dairy products， and we included all the effects of changing land use to these type of products.

So we think that it's an inclusive study which proves that the effects are scientifically sound. This change in diet could happen between ２０１０ and ２０３０ and then the situation will stabilize. The change in land use has a main effect，that land use is no longer a source of emissions but could even become a sink of emissions. The change would result in a net contribution of one gigaton of carbon to the atmosphere and change the whole situation into a one to two gigaton absorption of carbon by way of changing the land use.

There is room for re-growth of forests in areas that are now being used by cows and sheep for grazing， for eating grass. The biggest effects are for sure attained by reducing the amount of ruminants，that is， cows or sheep. They have a less efficient digestion resulting in large amounts of methane emissions. I think，in summary，that science says that there is convincing evidence that changing diet could really benefit the climate and will benefit our preservation of natural habitats.

A change is noticeable in the behavior of consumers and in supermarkets. There is a growing diversity in terms of vegetarian products， substitutes for meats that can be chosen by consumers. So I think one of the elements of change will be that consumers make their own choices and choose vegetarian products and eat less meat. In summary， from what we know now， changing a diet to less or no meat is one of the lowest cost measures to help the climate change targets. It's good for health in summary and it leaves more room for nature and biodiversity. Thank you for your attention.

Grace (f): Wow. Isn't that incredible？ World governments will save ８０％ of the cost to stop global warming if the world becomes vegan. It's clear that the food on our table has a tremendous impact on global warming. So，our first step to halt climate change should begin with the meals at home and at school.

Callie (f): Yes， speaking of school meals， did you know that Jeju was actually the very first in South Korea to provide environmentally-friendly school meals？ And by doing this they really set an example for the rest of the country.

Grace (f): That is amazing！ What a noble province this is！

Callie (f): And it was all made possible thanks to the strong grassroots movement and united efforts of ＮＧＯs in Jeju. And， leading the movement is Mr. Lee Yong-Jung， the Policy Chairperson of the Jeju Coalition for Children's Health. This much respected teacher has devoted much of his life to improving children's health. Please join us in welcoming Mr. Lee Yong-Jung.

Lee Yong-Jung(m): My name is Lee Young Jung. I am a teacher and I think children's health is precious. It's truly my honor to meet with all of you around the world through Supreme Master Television. I think that the three main problems our planet has are global warming， depletion of resources， and deterioration of our children's health. And I think these problems are interconnected， fundamentally one agenda. To solve these problems， I think we need to live frugally with respect for nature， we need consistent green technology development， and we need to have a complete change in the way we nuture and educate our children，as well as in all of humanity's collective efforts in both our daily lives and the political arena.

I've made a diagram with eight elements related to health. These are interconnected and influence each other. However，the changes in our way of living are deteriorating our children's health. It is a universal truth that what we eat makes our body，and our body influences our mind. Nevertheless， we are too careless about what we eat. In order for our children to grow properly and to have a healthy life， we have to make sure that they exercise enough. For the future generation， we need to act immediately.

We are seeing many people experience lowered body temperature due to a combination of weakened lower limb muscles and body infections. It means our children are growing with potentially chronic habitual diseases. These are fundamentally habitual diseases caused by lifestyle. For example， there's scoliosis. Scoliosis is mainly caused by decreased bone density and chronic unstable body posture. Decreased bone density is caused by lack of exposure to sunlight and micronutrients including minerals. Among these diseases， atopic dermatitis is the easiest to cure. A disease that has the potential to make children's lives very miserable is ADHD.

In addition，the most incurable disease we are seeing is childhood obesity. If we do not take care of children's health， we will encounter these problems in ２０３０. Impulsive crimes usually take place due to unhealthy physical conditions. It is a time bomb waiting to explode on a catastrophic scale. We have to make an immediate decision in order to protect our children's health. Childhood is an important phase in life in order to lead a healthy life later; therefore，we should make great efforts at this stage. In order to reduce chronic habitual disease caused by a harmful lifestyle， it is cost effective to take proper measures while they are children.

Healthy pregnancy， prenatal care，childbirth， breast feeding and nursing of babies should be considered important areas; hence， it should be reflected in policy making. The government should pay basic expenses that are needed in helping to shape and adjust these habits in childhood. The best ways to treat chronic habitual diseases are through healthy food， exercise and mental discipline.

More importantly，if we have a healthy lifestyle， we won't be afflicted by these kinds of diseases. Farmers and parents are responsible for what children eat. Parents and teachers are responsible for establishing children's lifestyle habits. Children's health depends on parents， teachers，and farmers. If they fulfill their roles successfully， most children's health problems will be resolved. Children's health problems come from the change in our social model and it reflects our daily culture on the whole. Therefore，we need to have a new paradigm which is sustainable and in accordance with the『new knowledge- based society.』

A new food paradigm means to adjust agriculture，food industry， and our diet towards better health. I think we have to change our education goal to『food，virtue，health』because we have to have public education designed for body，mind， and spirituality. I think I do not need to explain about prevention any further. Jeju's development strategies are in ５ categories: education，agriculture， tourism，a mecca for natural healing， and lifestyle innovation. I'm confident that Jeju's various problems will be resolved if Jeju creates an environment where children can grow up healthy.

I think our children in Jeju can grow up very healthy if we implement special measures which can support them. If we envision it and take action，I think we can accomplish this goal. Development strategy for a healthy，eco-Jeju does not cost much in terms of budget or scientific knowledge. If we have the support of the people， it's not a difficult task. If those in the educational， agricultural， and religious sectors take the lead and civil societies reach a consensus，and if political parties and congress make alternative policies and local governments implement those from a comprehensive perspective， it is not difficult at all. The thing that prevents us from doing this is our habitual lifestyle， red tape，and our political culture.

In nature，no mother would hurt her own child. However，we humans， the crown of creation， cause our children to grow ill. This is a real shame and I believe it is a collective crime. Ensuring our children's health is not a matter of choice but rather it is our minimum duty and obligation. I urge you to work together in order to ensure the health of our children in Jeju. Thank you.

Grace (f): Thank you. Thank you， Mr. Lee Yong-Jung. I am very touched by your lifelong dedication to children's health. Now，Callie， let's talk about a very timely issue.

Callie (f): Something like swine flu？

Grace (f): Yes，swine flu，or the novel H１N１ virus， which is one of the biggest threats facing humankind today. But what is the root cause of this disease？ Let's find out from Dr. Michael Greger，the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States. He is a medical doctor and a renowned expert on the many types of diseases originating from factory farmed animals， including swine flu， bird flu， and mad cow disease.

Callie (f): And Dr. Greger has prepared this special lecture for this conference via video. Let's take a look.

Dr. Greger(m): According to the World Health Organization， ２ billion people may become infected with swine flu and our children may be at the highest risk. Normally，９０％ of flu deaths are in the elderly， ６５ years and older， but with swine flu， children and young adults ages ５ through １４ are more than １０ times more likely to become infected. That means １５，０００ Korean children may die. Where did this virus come from？ Well，the genetic Fingerprint of this virus was published this summer and the US Centers for Disease Control and laboratories from around the world have confirmed that the main ancestor of the current pandemic virus was the triple hybrid mutant pig，bird， human virus that emerged and spread throughout industrialized farms in the United States １０ years ago.

This first hybrid mutant was found on an industrial farm in North Carolina in August of １９９８ that confined thousands of pregnant pigs in metal crates so small they couldn't turn around. Thanks to long distance live animal transport， the virus then spread throughout North America， and thanks to the export of pigs to Asia， it reached Korea by ２００５. This is not the first disease to emerge from factory farms.

Unless we start giving these animals more breathing room， it may not be the last. For example China， ２００５，the world's largest producer of pork，suffered an unprecedented outbreak of an emerging pink pathogen called Strep suis which caused meningitis and deafness in people handling infected pork products. Hundreds of people infected with the deadliest strain on record. Why？ The World Health Organization blames in part these intensive confinement conditions.

The US Department of Agriculture elaborates that all Strep suis seems to start out harmless， asymptomatic as normal flora， but then stress- due to inadequate housing， ventilation，overcrowding- allows the bug to go invasive，causing infections of the brain， blood，lungs，heart and death. Starts out harmless turns deadly，that's what these kinds of conditions may be able to do. This is not arguably how animals were meant to live.

July ２００９， just a few months ago， a strain of Ebola was reported on a factory farm in the Philippines confining ６，０００ pigs. It was Ebola Reston， the same strain featured in the book 『The Hot Zone.』 Air borne Ebola bug doesn't seem to be able to infect people， but with enough time to mutate in pigs， who knows？ So they drove them into these pits and then burned them alive. We feed antibiotics by the truck load to farmed animals.

This is the total amount of antibiotics used for all of human medicine every year here in the States. Now，contrast that with the amount that's just fed to farm animals， just to promote growth and prevent disease in such a stressful unhygienic crowded environment - millions of pounds a year. Now，we as physicians are faced with these multi-drug resistant， antibiotic resistant bacteria， and are running out of good treatment options， particularly in pediatric populations.

As Britain's chief medical officer put it in his ２００９ annual report: 『Every inappropriate use of antibiotics in agriculture is a potential death warrant for a future patient.』 Industrial animal farms have been shown to be breeding grounds for disease for at least １０ reasons. For example，because of the sheer numbers of animals，because of the overcrowding - it's like having ５，０００ people in an elevator and someone sneezes - because of the stress crippling their immune systems. The operation in Newton Grove， North Carolina， where the ancestor of the current pandemic virus was first detected， was a breeding facility in which thousands of pregnant sows were confined in gestation crates， also known as sow stalls.

These are veal crate-like barren metal cages about ２ feet wide. These highly intelligent， social animals， essentially kept in a box week after week， month after month，for nearly their entire lives. They can develop crippling joint deformities， lameness. Not only can these pregnant pigs not turn around， they can barely move for most of their lives. Because of the lack of fresh air，the dankness helps keep the virus alive in these kinds of facilities. Because there may be no sunlight- the UV rays in sunlight are actually quite effective in destroying the influenza virus.

Thirty minutes of direct sunlight utterly deactivates the influenza virus， but it can last for days in the shade，and weeks in moist manure. And indeed，because of the decomposing fecal waste releasing ammonia， burning the respiratory tracts of these animals， predisposing them to infection in the first place. Put these and all these other factors together， and what you have is really this kind of perfect storm environment for the emergence and spread of n so-called super strains of influenza.

The public health community has been warning about the dangers of industrialized animal agriculture for years. In ２００３，the American Public Health Association， the largest organization of public health professionals in the world， called for a moratorium on industrialized animal farming. In ２００５， the United Nations called on all governments， local authorities， international agencies， told them they needed to take a greatly increased role in combating the role of factory farming， which combined with these live bird markets provide what they call ideal conditions for the virus to spread and mutate into a more dangerous form.

In ２００８， the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production， which included a former US Secretary of Agriculture，concluded that these so-called Dr. Greger (m): factory farms present unacceptable public health risks. The former director of the commission calls these industrial farms "super-incubators for viruses." They're a public health menace that must be stopped. Only a few thousand people have died so far of swine flu though， although one could never really call anything that's killed hundreds of children "mild，" exactly， but this H１N１ virus hasn't been much worse than the regular seasonal flu，so far. But this may just be the first wave.

The １９１８ flu pandemic was relatively mild first as well. Though we're not exactly sure what happened in １９１８，compared to what was to come later， this first initial wave in the summer of １９１８ hardly registered a blip， but it came back in the fall to kill tens of millions of people. In Korea，in １９１８， according to the Japanese colonial government at the time， as many as ８ million Koreans died the last time an animal flu virus jumped species into human beings. Now，the worst case scenario estimate would be if the swine flu were to combine with the H５N１ bird flu， both of which have been found in pigs.

So，if a single pig in parts of Asia or Africa，where the H５N１ bird flu virus has become endemic， that pig becomes co-infected with both swine flu and the new bird flu， the concern is that it could theoretically produce a virus with the human transmissibility of the swine flu， but the human lethality of the bird flu. In １９１８，the mortality rate of the pandemic was less than ５％. This estimate，here on the right，potentially tens of millions of people dead in the next pandemic， is based on this same two to three percent mortality rate， what the US Centers for Disease Control calls a『category ５ pandemic，』 around two percent mortality- around ２ million Americans dead.

So that's two percent. But H５N１ has so far killed over half of its known human victims; don't even seem to get a coin toss as to whether or not one lives through this disease. Up to １０ million Koreans come down with the flu every year， what if it suddenly turned deadly？ That's what keeps everyone up at night， the possibility， however slight， that a virus like H５N１ could trigger a pandemic. That would be like combining one of the most contagious known diseases，influenza， with one of the deadliest， like crossing a disease like Ebola with the common cold. All animals deserve humane treatment. How we treat animals can have global public health implications， and these newly emerging chicken and pig flu viruses are but one example.

We deny them a modicum of mercy to both their detriment and potentially to ours as well. We need to end the long distance live animal transport of farm animals which can spread diseases around the world. We need to follow the Pew Commission's recommendations to abolish these extreme confinement practices， like crates for pregnant pigs， as they're already doing in Europe，and starting to here in the States. And ultimately，we need to follow the advice of the public health professionals and declare: 『No more factory farms！』 Let me end with a quote from the World Health Organization， "The Bottom Line": 『The bottom line is humans have to think about how they raise their animals， how they farm them， how they market them.』

Basically，the whole relationship between the animal kingdom and the human kingdom is coming under stress. In this age of emerging diseases， we now have billions of feathered and curly tailed test-tubes for viruses to incubate and mutate within billions more spins at pandemic roulette. Along with human culpability， though，comes hope. If changes in human behavior can cause new plagues，well then changes in human behavior may prevent them in the future.

Callie (f): Thank you so much for your enlightening lecture， Dr. Greger. It showed us the clear link between factory farming and diseases such as swine flu.

Grace (f): So，it's beginning to look like the vegan way of life is better not only for climate change but for preventing new diseases.

Callie (f): Yes，indeed， an organic vegan diet is the true solution for a sustainable planet.

Business owner Conference participant Jung Chan Wook (m): I think that my wife and I will have to put our heads together and have an in-depth discussion about our family health. Now，after I got educated and listened to many teachers here， I really have to be the first to put this into practice. I would like to recommend people around me to plan to have more vegetarian food than meat.

Student Conference participant Shin Hee-Yeon(f): Through this conference， I come to know that vegetarianism makes us healthier and live longer. I feel I should eat more vegetarian meals.

Conference participant Lee Yeon Gil(m): Global warming， and climate change， children's health - these are the problems humanity should think about. Governors，schools， offices of education， and citizens - they should have the same awareness as a whole. Politicians need to consider deeply in terms of policy to embrace these problems. The media needs to promote this problem more thoroughly and systematically. I'm on a plant-based diet right now，so my body is very light，and by putting that into action， I've found lots of good points. I'm suggesting to the people around me， to my family as much as possible to go in this direction.