A
report presented in a recent conference on water in Qatar’s capital
city of Doha stated that supplies of the precious resource in most Arab
countries are in continuous decline, a situation aggravated by global
warming.
Experts estimate that by 2025, the annual per capita
water supply in the Near East and North Africa will be just 15% of 1960
levels. Earlier this year, the South African Journal of Science
published a study indicating that the country has become 2 percent
hotter and 6 percent drier since the 1970s.
Europe, too, is
facing hydrological changes, with the glacial regions of the Alps,
which supply much of the continent’s water, warming twice as fast as
the global average, endangering natural cycles.
We pray for
the safety of the vulnerable and most affected. May we all quickly step
toward safeguarding our planet so that water supplies and the survival
of lives are ensured.
During a videoconference at the March
2009 Juice Fast for Peace in California, USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai
once again offered her valued thoughts on what each person can do to
alleviate the planetary crisis.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: At
a time when we have water shortage and all the reservoirs are dwindling
at such an alarming rate, we are truly afraid that even if we go like
the Himalaya yogis, the one who doesn’t wear clothes and we don’t wash
ourselves, we put ash on our body forever – it won’t help the planet.
Meat industry
should be cut. That will help the planet. That will help to reserve our water, to refill our lakes and our rivers again.
If we forgo1 pound of beef, we can save more water than we stop showering for half a year.
So
if we really want to save the water for the world to be able to use for
our daily necessity, not to talk about future generations, then we have
to change to a vegan diet, animal-free diet. Animal industry must be
out.
Referencehttp://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=vn20090928075517116C662939 http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=317190&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16 http://www.elrst.com/2009/09/28/the-alps-are-endangered-by-climate-change/