“Ghost fishing” a threat to marine environment.
 A combined report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) warns of the growing threat presented by “ghost nets,” abandoned or discarded fishing gear left in the oceans that continues to ensnare and kill marine life for years. United Nations Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said that the lost and abandoned fishing equipment, which accounts for 640,000 tons of ocean litter every year, joined other causes of marine loss such as acidification and the rise in de-oxygenated ‘dead zones.’ He went on to say that these challenges must be urgently addressed if our seas are to be maintained for this and future generations.

Our thankfulness, Under Secretary-General Steiner, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Program for this valuable report on the dangers imposed on our oceans. May the international community move swiftly toward action to preserve the lives of our ocean dwelling co-inhabitants.

During the March 2009 “Juice Fast for Peace” videoconference in California, USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai once again spoke, as she had previously, of her concern for humanity’s future on the planet. This time, she explained some of the dire consequences related to overfishing.


Asian forests and peatlands face frequent fires as weather warms.
A recent US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) study showed that from the years 2000 to 2006, fires in forests and peatlands of Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, and Papua New Guinea, doubled the carbon emissions released into the atmosphere above the region. Analyzing data through a carbon-detecting NASA satellite, the researchers also found that reduced rainfall associated with climate change caused fires to last longer and produce ten times more carbon emissions. They warned that the warming effect of these carbon emissions will themselves cause more frequent droughts in climate-sensitive areas, such as Borneo, thus leading to more wild fires.

Our sincere appreciation, US National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists for revealing this connection between fires and global warming. We pray that all precious rainforests and peatlands are treasured and protected to sustain the balance of the planet.