More vegetables and less meat, d eclares Formosan (Taiwanese) presidential office.

As part of a World Environment Day commemoration, Formosa’s (Taiwan) President Ma Ying-Jeou and Vice President Vincent Siew led the entire presidential office in the signing of a declaration of  measures to reduce CO2 and save energy, which includes eating locally and partaking of more vegetables and less meat. Along with other green measures, President Ma encouraged all citizens to start small and adopt frugal habits to help make carbon emission reduction a part of everyone’s life.

We are touched by your outstanding leadership, Your Excellency and fellow Formosan officials.  May your co-citizens and other world leaders follow this ennobling example to save our precious Mother Earth.

http://ivy3.epa.gov.tw/co/index.html, http://www.president.gov.tw/php-bin/prez/shownews.php4?Rid=14079, http://www.president.gov.tw/php-bin/docset/filepool/pool1/00/0k/3i.jpg, http://www.president.gov.tw/php-bin/docset/filepool/pool1/00/0k/3g.jpg, http://www.president.gov.tw/php-bin/docset/filepool/pool1/00/0k/3e.jpg 


Food crisis stems from grain diversion to animals.

The US newspaper Huffington Post, ranked as the number one weblog due to the number of sites linking to it, published a story on Friday by guest writer and PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich regarding global food shortages. Addressing a United Nations concern that biofuels could be considered a crime against humanity because of their displacement of food crops, Mr. Friedrich highlighted the fact that over seven times the grain used for biofuels is being fed to farmed animals rather than going directly to people, thus creating an even greater concern. He thus called for governments to end subsidies benefiting the meat and dairy industry and to focus instead on programs to help people shift away from animal products in their diets.

Our gratitude, Mr. Friedrich and Huffington Post, for partnering to bring these ideas to greater public awareness. May we quickly move toward effective solutions such as the animal-free diet to provide ample sustenance for our brethren and balance for the planet. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-friedrich/taking-the-food-crisis-pe_b_107992.html sunny


Sea captain on a mission to protect the ocean’s life.

Famed worldwide for its protective service at sea, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Captain Paul Watson was called “the ultimate direct action man” by the UK’s The Guardian in an article naming “50 people who could save the planet.” As co-founder of Greenpeace, he has patrolled the world’s oceans to stop illegal seal and fish hunters while protecting thousands upon thousands of other marine animals. He was recently on a world tour in Paris, France, raising awareness on critical issues of marine environment conservation.

Captain Paul Watson, Head of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: By 2030 there will be no fishing industry in the world. We will have taken everything. And we have to put an end to that. Not many people realize that half the fish taken from the ocean isn’t even eaten by people. It’s fed to livestock. We have turned the pig into the largest marine predator on the planet.

VOICE: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was adopted by the Iroquois nation for the nature-respecting values of the Native Americans. Captain Watson is also a vegan and so are the crew members during the entire animal-defending mission.

Captain Paul Watson, Head of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: I’ve run the ship as a vegetarian vessel for many years but only since 2000 as a vegan vessel. So we have no dairy products, no animal products at all.

You don’t have to be a vegan to join the ship but you are a vegan while you’re on the ship. And we try to set an example, people get to experience it. And if you can run a ship on a vegan diet then you can certainly do it at home.

Captain Paul Watson, Head of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: I’m Captain Paul Watson from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and my message is Go Veg, Go Green and Let’s Save the Earth.
 For more information about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, please visit www.seashepherd.org

VOICE: We salute Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for your bold and heroic efforts to save lives. The countless innocent animals who have been saved are grateful, as are we, for your guardianship of our vast living oceans and shared planetary home.

Climate change is behind natural disasters such as the Midwest Floods.

Recent devastation caused by storms and flooding in the midwestern states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa is being linked to global warming. Perry Beeman, award-winning journalist for Iowa’s The Des Moines Register, said that prior to the storms, he and his colleagues had already been developing a climate change series to be published in the newspaper, which predicted these effects.

Thank you Mr. Beeman for your candid and illuminating comments. May we all comprehend natural disasters such as these in light of climate change, to bring more urgent action to this timely issue.

http://www.alternet.org/environment/88739/


Formosan Seminar asks “What Can I Do?” In an effort to clarify the roles of the government and citizens in solving global warming,

a unique seminar will be held in Formosa (Taiwan) on Sunday, June 29. It is titled, “2008 Critical Moment to Save the Earth: What Can I Do?”
Some of Formosa’s influential government officials will be speaking on areas of focus for both the executive branch of government and legislators. Local governments have also recently displayed impressive leadership through their examples of how to be green and go vegetarian for the planet. The Taipei City mayor and a number of legislators have pledged to go veg in recent months.

Hsiao, Chia-Chi, Deputy Mayor, Taichung City, Formosa (Taiwan) (e): I have been vegetarian for 2 months now since April 22nd, the Earth Day. Doing so at least is to protect the Earth, as well as care for lives, especially the lives of the little animals which are also as important. After being vegetarian, I feel good and energetic.

Animal meat consumes more energy during the process and so does the process of raising animals for food. For example, cows, goats, and pigs, their waste and the food for their feed actually consumse quite a lot of energy and resources of the Earth. Therefore, cutting down meat consumption means protecting the Earth.

VOICE: Invited to discuss an  important aspect of “What People Can Do?” is Supreme Master Ching Hai, who has graciously agreed to join the seminar as a special guest speaker via videoconference. Following the seminar, a concert for Mother Earth will be held in the evening.
We look forward to this meaningful forum and wish the participants a fruitful discussion, with a clear vision emerging of solutions to restore our Earth.

Please tune in to Supreme Master Television for the special live broadcast of the Seminar’s discussion with Supreme Master Ching Hai, this Sunday, June 29 at  3:30 pm Formosan (Taiwan) time, or 9:30 am on Sunday, Central European Time.