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Drought jeopardizes crops and creates water scarcity in Âu Lạc (Vietnam).
Months of dry conditions through the month of July, coupled with temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius, have left at least 25,000 hectares of rice destroyed, with an additional 70,000 hectares damaged in the north central regions.

Record low water levels in rivers and reservoirs have also hampered irrigation efforts, and even residents living near rivers have had to walk several kilometers to fetch water or pay for it locally.

In southern Âu Lạc, saltwater intrusion into the Mekong Delta has become a serious threat to the Vị Thanh City area.

Tens of thousands of hectares of crops are in jeopardy, and the city’s 200,000 residents awoke one day to find that the tap water had become salty and unusable, with fresh water that had to be purchased at high prices for cooking and washing.

In an effort to provide relief for the shortages, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng recently announced that 7,100 tons of rice would be allocated from national reserves to four provinces hardest hit by the drought.

We deeply appreciate the efforts of Your Excellency to alleviate the suffering of fellow citizens. Our prayers for restored bountiful harvests throughout Âu Lạc and the world as we step quickly to adopt sustainable lifestyles in harmony with nature.

During a November 2009 videoconference in Thailand, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressed with deep concern the situations being faced by the people of Âu Lạc, explaining the most effective solution.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Moreover, as the glaciers continue to melt, the great Mekong River will begin to dry, because there’s no more support of flowing water – meaning further hardship for farmers as water becomes more scarce.

And the drought, combined with sea level rise would cause further salt water contamination. What kind of world will we have left if these global warming changes continue?

What kind of drinking water, what kind of air we will have, even if the rice plants can grow in salt water? This is a complex ecosystem with a long, long history of supporting human life, so, there is no easy answer. But the most effective one I know, which is so simple, easy and also scientifically proven, is to adopt the meat-free, animal-free lifestyle. If everyone stops the killing and consumption of meat, these destructive changes
will also stop.

It is the best thing to help us, to help the farmers and the entire country of Âu Lạc (Vietnam), not just the Mekong Delta.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/Environment/201007/Heat-drought-kill-damage-100000ha-of-rice-922605/
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/politics/201008/POLITICS-IN-BRIEF-12/8-928571/
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47205

UK works to preserve red squirrel.
With an alarming rise in extinctions of the red squirrel in areas of southern England, Northern Ireland and Wales, Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall has been working to reintroduce the beloved animal to its native woodlands.

In support of this endeavor, His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales, a patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, has announced the launch of the Cornwall Red Squirrel Project, a three-year, £120,000 initiative to restore the species to the area.

Paradise Park will be contributing to the project by raising red squirrels and releasing them into the wild, an activity it has conducted successfully for 60 of the young animals thus far.

Curator David Woolcock stated, “There are people in Cornwall who remember seeing red squirrels in their local woodlands, and we must take this opportunity to get the natural balance back so that future generations can appreciate them there, too.”

Our grateful salute, Your Royal Highness, Mr. David Woolcock, Paradise Park personnel and all involved in the Cornwall Red Squirrel Project for your noble commitment to rehabilitating precious red squirrel populations in the UK.

May we each be inspired toward doing our utmost to safeguard the welfare of all animal co-inhabitants that grace our Earth.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7900963/First-catch-your-squirrel....html  
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8864000/8864942.stm
http://www.rsst.org.uk/  
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Paradise-squirrels-wild/article-2472989-detail/article.html

Extra News
To meet an energy reduction commitment promised for the end of 2010, China is looking to close many outdated factories in heavy industry areas such as steel and cement, which account for more than half the country’s energy demands.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/08/09/china.energy.factories.ft
/index.html?iref=24hours#fbid=yEdbQYgywkT&wom=false

Speaking of a province-wide drought, British Columbia’s Environment Minister Barry Penner of Canada reminds the public to conserve water, saying that continued dry conditions could lead to serious consequences for fish and aquatic ecosystems.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Droughts+northern+could+threaten+fish+stocks/3382181/story.html

The US Michigan State Department of Corrections teaches inmates horticulture skills in which they raise rare and difficult-to-grow plants native to the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, thus allowing the refuge to return to its natural state.  
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7595683
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/01/prison_in_freeland_shiawassee.html