As the countdown continued with just over 1200 days left to save the
planet, the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association members
in Taichung, Formosa (Taiwan) collaborated with 29 other co-organizers
to host the climate change conference entitled “Protect Our Home with
L.O.V.E.” on October 11.
The letters L.O.V.E. signify “L” for
LOHAS, which stands for “lifestyles of health and sustainability”; “O”
for Organic; “V” for Vegan; and “E” for Eco dimensions to Save the
Planet. Thousands of participants attended the event to stay informed
about the latest facts on global warming, ways to live sustainably, and
the single most effective solution – the plant-based, animal-free diet.
The conference was co-hosted by Thelmo Luis “Buddy” Cunanan, the famous
Philippine TV host of NBN Television.
Discussions on the
themes of L.O.V.E. were conducted by distinguished panelists, including
environmental scientists Dr. Liu Shaw-Chen and Professor Liu
Chung-Ming; famous Formosan (Taiwanese) film and television personality
Ms. Tan Ai-Chen; president of the Formosa’s first veg-promoting
website, Mr. Lin Hong-Jui; chief editor of Persimmon Cultural
Enterprise Co., Ltd., Mr. Linshu Wen-Er; and former pig farmer turned
vegan, Mr. Luo Hon-Xian. Other dignitaries included guest speaker, the
Honorable Mayor Amelita Navarro of Santiago, the Philippines and Mr.
Chen Tien-Wen, Deputy Speaker of Taichung City Council.
Graciously
accepting an invitation to attend via videoconference as the event’s
guest of honor was Supreme Master Ching Hai. We now invite you to join
us for the 8-part series rebroadcast of the videoconference with
Supreme Master Ching Hai, entitled “Protect Our Home with L.O.V.E.,”
held on October 11, 2009
Taichung,Formosa (Taiwan).
『Protect Our Home with L.O.V.E.,』which stands for LOHAS,Organic,Vegan,and Eco-friendly.
Amazon deforestation increased 69% due to the demand for meat during
August 2007 and August 2008. The livestock sector is by far the single
largest anthropogenic user of land. Deforestation is playing a major
role in climate change. There are many things that people can do to
reduce their carbon emissions,but changing your light bulb and many of
the things are much less effective than changing your diet. Meat
production and consumption,it’s hugely intensive in terms of carbon
dioxide emissions. Maneka Gandhi(f) Unless we change our food
choices,nothing else matters,because it is meat that is destroying most
of our forests,it is meat that pollutes the waters,it is meat that is
creating disease which leads to all our money being diverted to
hospitals. So it is the first choice for any body who wants to save the
Earth. And if you eat less meat,you will be healtier,and so would the
planet. There’s where the climate problem is: our meat consumption!
The lifestyle to of loving the Earth are is called LOHAS. LOHAS:
Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability. But you don't have to have a
farm to do organic plants. You can plant tomatoes in pots on your
balcony. You can put potatoes in them. In one of the longest studies
ever conducted on organic farming practices,research by the US-based
Rodale Institute has found that organic soil management not only
minimizes fossil fuel use,it can also reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide
by removing it from the air and storing it as carbon in the soil.
Scientists at the institute estimate that if organic practices such as
planting cover crops,composting and crop rotation were implemented on
the planet’s 3.5 billion tillable acres,nearly 40 percent of current
CO2 emissions could be absorbed.
Mr. Gilberto Natalini Natalina,the City Councilman of Sao Paulo
City,Brazil:I believe that sustainability measures are needed and are
fundamental in the world today. And we work very hard so that they are
passed in our city,and country. I also believe that organic agriculture
is a very important way,very healthy for the protection of human health
as well as the protection of the ecosystem. And
finally,the issue of eating a diet high in vegetables,the vegetarian
lifestyle,-this can also be an extremely important measure. But then we
face the cultural issues of humanity,people from many countries of the
world who have been consuming animal flesh for millenium millennia.
There must be a process of education,a process of discussion needs to
take place so that people can change
their habits.
Just one hamburger beef costs 3,000 625 gallons of clean water,or,it
would cost you six months of showers. About 45 showers. A month and a
half Six or two months without taking a shower,for one pound of
hamburger beef alone. Imagine that! On a side note,one cow in his
lifetime before slaughter,uses enough fresh water to float a large
naval ship. A large naval ship. Imagine that again! Just one cow.
Currently the Director of the Research Center for Environmental
Changes,Academia Sinica, Dr. Liu : you can see a the strong heavy
precipitation,for each degree increase in global temperature,would
increase by a factor of 1.4,or 140%,and the light one would decrease by
70%. Now,this is the IPCC’s prediction for of temperature increase in
this century,the 21st century,and the often mentioned C1 case is the
case that the temperature would increase by a factor of 2 by the end of
the 21st century. with a lot of flooding,it’s going to have an
increase,but where there’s very little precipitation,actually,the
drought is going to get worse. What we are saying is that,globally,we
are seeing the same thing ? very alarming change in heavy precipitation
and light precipitation. And the only way to stop these kinds of
disastrous changes is to stop increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
There's only one religion, that is the religion of God, of love, of
understanding. There's only one church, one temple-that is the temple
of enlightenment. Come to that temple, and then we will know all the
religions of the world. The essence of life is love. The essence of
God, of Buddha, of Allah, is love. There is nothing else but love. When
we make the choice of love, which is that’s the highest
choice, the noblest choice.
When a person partakes in a direct or indirect killing of any sentient
beings, be it human or animals, he or she enters the cycle of revenge
and violence. And it will only end when one stops doing it. Hence, we
have to love our enemy, because only love and forgiveness will have the
power to break the negative effect of hatred and vengeance. On both
spiritual and physical levels, the greater the
number of people who change their diet and hearts, the more time we gain to curb the crisis.
According to a new study,the livestock industry is responsible for
more than 50%. This is a new research,new conclusion. Because before
that,the UN estimated that it’s only 18% - ,one,eight. And now,the
scientists have discovered that it is more than 50% of all greenhouse
gas emissions comes from livestock raising,comes from the animal
industry. But I am sure there is more than that; we will get more and
more updates all the time. The more updates we get,the sadder,the more
grim the picture that we get. This is according to a new calculation,an
update since the calculation of 18% which was announced in 2006.
Now,three years later,we discover that it is more than 50% by the
scientists. So,if the globe changes to a vegan diet and stops the
livestock industry from continuing,then 50% of greenhouse gases can
start to go down and quickly. Because the majority of the livestock
emissions is methane,not carbon dioxide. You are very aware of this,Dr.
Liu. ,Within a 20-year period,kilo per kilo – meaning for every kilo
of methane emitted,it has 72 times more of the heating capacity than
from one kilo of CO2,means carbon dioxide.
The good news is that methane is a very short-lived gas. Carbon
dioxide takes many decades to leave our atmosphere,but methane has a
lifetime of about 12 years only. So that’s why scientists,including
NASA researcher Dr. Gavin Schmidt,even said that,『It may be more
cost-efficient to reduce methane in the atmosphere than it is to reduce
carbon dioxide.』I quoted him exactly. Therefore,it’s more effective and
smart for us to focus on methane first,and to do that we have to stop
its number one source,the meat industry. And for that,we must change
your our diet.- I leave you to calculate how much - over just a few
decades if everyone be veg and plant organic. When we plant organic
farming,the organic farming will also absorb another 40%,at least,of
the carbon dioxide in the air already. So you see,50% less from no more
animal industry,40% less carbon dioxide from organic farming,
then we will be singing,our world will be saved. Right now,one-third of
the entire Earth’s land surface is used either for grazing animals or
growing feed for the animals,not for humans. We humans use very little
of this agriculture section. Is that an efficient way to use the land?
In the Amazon,the world’s largest rainforest,91% of the land that was
deforested since 1970,is used for livestock pasture. Imagine,the lung
of the Earth been being barren just for livestock pasture,91% of it.
This is a devastating way to make a cheap profit at the cost of our
planet’s and our people’s survival. We are eating our planet by
consuming meat. So,without the needless animal industry,not only will
we gain forests,we can also have organic vegan farmlands to grow
real,decent food for humans,and like the forests,these farmlands can
also absorb a lot of heat,a lot of heat from the atmosphere.
So there are three ways to raise our Noble Quality,and they are:
First,never harm any living being. The one simple rule of all time,of
all religions,of all the great Masters since time immemorial.
Second,always do good to others in any situation. Follow our heart and
intuition,and if anyone needs help at any time,we must help them. Think
of the dog who doesn’t hesitate one second to jump into harm’s way to
defend his human companion,or into a collapsed building to rescue a
trapped stranger. The dogs have 30% Noble Quality,because they don’t
hesitate to sacrifice for others. Noble Quality means we put others
before ourselves; we’re ready to sacrifice anytime for a good cause.
We’re ready to help any time other people need us,depends on our
capacity. Many other things we can do,we would do if we possess a high
Noble Quality. So,anything good,anything that is noble,that means it
comes
from Noble Quality or NQ. Yes. Or,we think of the water buffalo in
China who pushed himself into a well and got stuck,just in time before
the family’s little daughter almost fell in. He had 40% Noble Quality.
That’s no wonder. Keep the loving veg diet. That’s number three.
So now,in addition to NQ - which means Noble Quality - we have
another to be endowed within us,that is LQ. LQ means Loving Quality or
Godly Quality –we call it LQ for Loving Quality. Loving Quality,this is
an unconditional loving quality. It’s even beyond the love between
husband and wife,beyond the love of the mother and child. Because this
unconditional Loving Quality - meaning we have love for all beings.
Up to now,we have the three greats greatest – the whales,the
seals,and the cows,which have 300% LQ. Now,the dolphins that we love to
play with,110% LQ; the rabbit,110% LQ – to the tigers,20% LQ; lions,21%
LQ; leopards,22% LQ. Now,the human average is 20% LQ. The highest LQ of
the humans on this planet is 90% LQ,and the lowest of all of us
have,only 5% LQ. Of course,the saints,the sages,they have thousands of
percent LQ.
Now,the farmers in Âu Lạc – meaning Vietnam – discovered a way to
reap bountiful harvests during their dry season,which lasts from
November to May. They plant drought-resistant crops like green
peas,peanuts,black sesame,sweet potato leaves,and creamy beans,etc.
They don’t need any water for this. They just plant them on dry land,or
even watermelons and some other melons,etc. – no watering,no
irrigating,nothing needed. The farmers explained that the leaves from
the bean plants and other plants spread over the soil to keep the
moisture in. The leaves also later become part of the soil and helps
the soil stay rich. So,there is no need even for fertilizer as they
would need for rice or corn,for example. It’s nature’s miracle at
work,and there is a bare minimum to almost no labor required even,until
it’s time to harvest,and which is also very easy. They don’t even need
much work. They just pull the plant up. That’s it.
During those times,they also eat brown rice,sesame,and they’re very
healthy. No problem with any of us at all. It is a problem when we eat
a lot more rich food. Sometimes I feel sorry for them and I give them a
little vegan butter and vegan cheese and all that,and then they get fat
and the doctor says,『Oh,please,put your dogs on a diet.』 Something like
that. Otherwise,even just brown rice and sesame,for me,it was enough. I
had never experienced any health problems when I was on brown
rice,sesame,and a water diet. It’s just that,of course I’m going out a
lot also,and whenever I’m out,people cook vegetarian and I just eat
them. But during the brown rice,sesame period,I never experienced any
discomfort of any kind.
Mr. Lin-Hsu Wen-Er,the Chief Editor of Persimmon Books and the CEO of website www.vegeplanet.com:Now,smoke
addicts have to go outside the buildings to smoke. I think this is a
very good outcome of the Tobacco Control Act. So,is it possible that we
also pass a legislation on meat products like the Tobacco Control
Act,so that meat shoppers at least see some warning labels on the meat
products?Something like,『Animal protein is harmful to your health.
』『Meat eating increases the carbon emission that
contributes to global warming.』Through legislation,we can make a
meat eater see the label that reminds him that the steak or shrimp in
front of him is costing a big price that we all have to pay.
Anything to do with animal products we should,as you said ,put a
warning label on them. This is because these products bring many of the
same health problems and involves the same animal cruelty,and they are
destroying our home. The egg industry,for example,routinely disposes of
male chicks at a very young age by throwing them into a grinder
gosh,where they are crushed into so-called meat while they are still
alive. Oh God. How can we ever do this ? How can we ever do this?
Imagine if it were our own
defenseless children who were treated thus? Imagine if it ’s
ourselves who were thrown into a grinder and made to suffer while still
alive?