PHÁ RỪNG

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Meat consumption drives rainforest destruction and global warming - 14 Jan 2010

A report recently issued by the Earth Policy Institute provides an in-depth look at global trends relating to soybean yields as well as revealing the link to destruction of tropical rainforests. First grown by farmers in China some 3,000 years ago, soy is now one of the world’s dominant crops, going from 17 million tons to 250 million tons in just 50 years, representing a 14-fold increased in yields.

However, the report states that only about 30% of soybeans are consumed directly by humans with some 70% being processed for consumption by livestock and poultry.

And as new acreage is carved out of the Amazon and other countries like Honduras and Paraguay, vast amounts of carbon are released from both the areas cleared for soybeans and the livestock that consumes them.

Currently, Brazil is the world’s second largest producer of soybeans, with countries like China importing 75% of the 55 million tons consumed primarily by livestock in that country.

The Earth Policy Institute report concludes that saving the rainforests depends on reducing demand for soybeans and thus eating more plant-based foods.

Our heartfelt thanks Earth Policy Institute for calling our attention to the connection between meat consumption and the demise of our irreplaceable rainforests.

May we all act now to save both the trees and the planet by adopting the sustainable vegan diet. In an interview published in the September 2009 edition of The House Magazine, Supreme Master Ching Hai again addressed such tolls of the livestock industry along with the most direct way to protect the rainforest and our ecosphere.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: On land, meat consumption is responsible for vast regions being cleared for grazing crops that are fed to livestock. One example is seen in the deforested Amazon areas that have gone from lush forest to bare fields used for cattle grazing or primarily animal feed crops.

With these activities essentially robbing our biodiversity, there has been an alarming rise in the disappearance of plants and animals. And one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted in the field is now forecasting that over a million species will be lost in the coming 50 years.

The answer to all of this is quite clear. Stop the meat consumption. Stop it yesterday. This will eliminate the so-called need for livestock raising, which will immediately return immense amounts of land to natural sustainability or to natural growing methods that allow biodiversity to be replenished. This is the way we need to go, and fast.

http://www.earthpolicy.org/index.php.../2009/update86

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1326&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Amazon Rainforest is close to tipping point. - 13 Feb 2010

Speaking at the recent United Nations-sponsored Biodiversity Science Policy Conference in Paris, France, acclaimed tropical biologist Dr. Thomas Lovejoy warned that with 18% of the Amazon rainforest already gone, a cumulative loss of 20% will set forces in motion that reduce the forest just to one-third its original size within 65 years.

These research findings drew on the expertise of Japan's Meteorological Research Institute, the UK’s Exeter University, Brazil's Centre for Weather Forecasting and Climate Change, Germany's Potsdam Institute and Earth3000. Moreover, the study showed that the current combination of global warming, deforestation and forest fires are likely to undermine the Amazon's unique hydro-geological system whereby the forest self-generates at least half of its rainfall and also brings replenishing moisture to other regions.

Dr. Lovejoy's assessment affirms previous studies by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned that global warming would result in a 40% loss of this vital ecosystem.

Dr. Lovejoy and international scientist contributors, we thank you for your clear and cautionary message. In the narrow margin of time that remains, let us all work with renewed commitment to save our precious planet.

In her efforts to safeguard life on Earth, Supreme Master Ching Hai has frequently addressed the importance of conserving the rainforests, as in an October 2009 videoconference in Germany.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Saving the world’s tropical forests, the lungs of the Earth, is one of the very important priorities. Because when the tropical rainforests are destroyed, there are many frightening side effects.

It’s not just the permanent changes to the world’s temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns which the forests regulate. It’s not just about the millions of people who might lose their livelihoods that depend on the forests.

There is the extinction of plant and animal species that is 100 times faster than what is natural, and it ruins our ecosystems. The rainforests themselves normally are our protectors, but as the climate gets warmer, instead of absorbing CO2 to protect our planet’s climate, they will be emitting back CO2 as

Now, we need to look at the main reason why there is deforestation. There is a whole industry behind it in most of the cases, namely the livestock industry. For example, the number one reason for deforestation of the Amazon, which is the greatest lung of our planet, is to raise cattle.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Stop the livestock industry - that would be the most effective way to halt global warming and restore our planet. It will save our precious forests, which takes decades to grow, and create more natural forests that we need to reduce global warming.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50194
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010...py-science.php
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0203-hance_amazontip.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1420&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Rainforest nations commit to preservation - 2 Mar 2010

Dignitaries of eleven countries with tropical rainforests came together in Bali, Indonesia to discuss issues including biodiversity, climate change and sustainable forest management.

At the meeting’s conclusion, the ministers from Indonesia, Brazil, Gabon, Costa Rica, Congo, Cameroon, Colombia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Democratic Republic of Congo unanimously vowed to maintain their tropical woodlands in a sustainable manner. All the countries, including newest members Guyana and Suriname,also agreed that rainforest protection must be considered a key element to future international climate dialog.

A big bravo, Your Excellencies and participating governments for your noble initiative and pledge. Blessed be our world as nations unite to restore the precious natural ecosystems, home to all life on our planet.

http://www.southkoreanews.net/story/604966
http://www.isria.com/pages/23_February_2010_151.php

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1423&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Warming climate causing drastic forest decline - 4 Apr 2010

In various regions of the world, huge tracts of trees are perishing. Scientists have observed that a common factor of their often sudden demise has been increased heat and drought.

Across western North America, for instance, forest die-off has been especially disastrous, with ７０,０００ square miles being lost in the Canadian and US Rocky Mountains to beetle infestation as warming temperatures cause the insects to move to higher and higher altitudes.

In Australia, a recent report stated that nearly a third of the trees had died in a ２０,０００ square-mile savanna area, while a study in Russia of ９,４００ square miles of tree-covered land also observed significant losses, with hot, dry conditions in forested regions like Siberia bringing extreme wildfires in eight of the last １０ years.

In Africa, climate change is being identified as the cause of demise for local trees such as the quiver tree, camel-thorn, and the giant ３０-foot-tall succulent known as euphorbia.

Although when alive, these wondrous lungs of our Earth are continuously absorbing carbon dioxide, US Geological Survey ecologist Dr. Craig Allen, who has studied forests around the world, warns that as the trees perish, they actually become a source of greenhouse gases. We thank Dr. Allen and all international researchers for this reminder that our own well-being is truly linked to the health of the world’s forests.

May we all attend now to their silent calls of distress through our own swift adoption of more life-sustaining ways. Supreme Master Ching Hai has long highlighted the need to care for the ecosphere, including the world’s trees, and shield them from the tolls of global warming, as during a videoconference in Formosa (Taiwan) in July ２００８.

Everyone knows by now that protecting the environment, protecting the animals, are actually protecting ourselves. So we must protect the environment.

We should have more rules, more guidelines, to protect natural habitats. Because sometimes we overlook the long run effect. Then the consequence is very, very detrimental to ourselves and to the planet, just like what we are facing right now.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: People must be more aware of our dire situation and that everyone’s responsible action does help to minimize or stop global warming. We should act fast.
Be veg. Go green.

http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2252
http://blog.climateandenergy.org/201...limate-change/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...orests-insects
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2252
http://wildfiremag.com/tactics/russian_fire_season/

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1458&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Australian deforestation driven by livestock grazing - 15 Jul 2010

A recent report on a 20-year study commissioned by the Queensland government has revealed that 91% of all tree clearing has been done for livestock grazing. Leading the research team was Mr. Gerald Bisshop, retired principal scientist of the Queensland Department of Environment and Resources Management, and our Association member.

The study’s data collection through satellite imagery and field research has yielded a picture of forest devastation in which trees were torn from a vast 270-square-kilometer area in a state that once boasted the largest forested region in the country.

Gerald Bisshop – Retired principal scientist – Queensland Department of Environment and Resources Management, Australia, Vegan, Our Association member (M): None of these trees have been used for timber, it’s purely for grazing livestock. They might use the bulldozers to break them and burn them in a pile.

Or they might inject the trees with poison, they call that stem injection, to kill the trees, or they might use aerial poison to poison the trees from an aircraft. All of these kill the trees so that grass can grow to feed the livestock.

VOICE: A new paper by Mr. Bisshop includes a comprehensive evaluation of environmental risks across all of Australia, finding that livestock raising was the major factor in every area of impact.

Gerald Bisshop (M): We looked at what was driving deforestation; what was driving loss of biodiversity; what was driving soil degradation; what was driving soil loss in Australia; what was driving water quality loss in Australia and we found that there is a common cause. The common cause is land clearing for raising livestock.

VOICE: According to Mr. Bisshop, in Queensland, despite local tree planting efforts, 100 trees continue to be cleared for every tree planted. Thus, the solution to many of the environmental problems, as well as global warming, would be to stop clearing the land for livestock.

Gerald Bisshop (M): The re-growth in Queensland would quickly reverse the tree clearing. In other words, if the trees aren’t re-cleared then nature bounces back very quickly. So, we would see not only the emissions from the tree clearing stop, but we would see a reversal of that because the growing trees take up more carbon dioxide themselves.

VOICE: Our appreciation Mr. Bisshop and Queensland state for informing of this alarming link from deforestation to livestock raising. May governments and co-citizens quickly opt for the alternative of vegan food production and consumption to protect our Earth.

In an August 2009 videoconference in Thailand, Supreme Master Ching Hai emphasized as in previous times the need to safeguard the planet’s trees from clearing for livestock-related activities, especially to help stop global warming.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Forests also play a tremendous role in absorbing CO2. For example, the forests in the Pacific Northwest region of the US are able to absorb half of all the emissions of the state of Oregon, USA.

So we should protect our forests as well, especially from clearing for cattle grazing and for animal feed growing, because these activities even add back many times more greenhouse gases.
Most of the deforestation in our world is due to animal raising, taking up a staggering one-third of the entire land area on the globe!

So to be veg is a way to not only eliminate significant emissions, but to absorb even more carbon from the atmosphere.It is a true solution, yes, and it is the most effective way to save the planet.

http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/slats/report.html
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/forests/s..._industry.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1677&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Prince Charles calls for an expanse of trees the size of the nation - 10 Sep 2010

Arriving at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, United Kingdom via an eco-train, His Royal Highness Prince Charles launched a tree-planting program known as “Size of Wales.”

This project seeks to engage people throughout the country in saving an area of African rainforest that is collectively two million hectares in size, or approximately the size of Wales.

From local teams to schools, individuals and businesses, the project encourages fellow citizens nationwide to help address climate change by supporting projects in Africa that are addressing deforestation as well as planting trees to keep the planet cool. Welsh volunteers would also be sent to help carry out the programs and to support local efforts.

Speaking at the program’s launch, His Royal Highness Prince Charles said, “Put simply we are, right now, causing serious damage to our own and, more importantly, our children and grandchildren’s support system. …
If we get it right, we will leave a legacy for future generations of a sustainable environment. But we will never achieve what we need to, unless we make a start.”

Our respectful salute, Your Royal Highness Prince Charles, for your ever-striving and noble efforts to save our planet for future generations. Blessed be such actions as yours in helping protect and expand the delicate but vital lungs of our Earth.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/798...-of-Wales.html
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wa...1466-27222842/

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1763&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Agriculture is a major driver of tropical deforestation - 13 Sep 2010

Using satellite data from the United Nations researchers at Stanford University in California, USA have found that more than 80% of agricultural land expansion in the tropics between 1980 and 2000 did not come from use of existing land but instead resulted from deforestation of primarily rainforests.

What has also been documented is that the forests are being cleared to create pastureland for livestock as well as to grow crops such as soya and palm oil products used for animal feed.

Stanford researcher and study author Dr. Holly Gibbs stated, “This has huge implications for global warming, if we continue to expand our farmland into tropical forests at that rate.” An earlier study, “Climate Benefits of Changing Diet,” from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, found that a global shift to a vegan diet would result in significant reforestation, along with an 80% reduction in climate change mitigation costs.

Thank you, Dr. Gibbs, Stanford colleagues and Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency for highlighting the link between tropical deforestation and livestock raising.

May we all realize the importance of a dietary shift away from animal products to save the tropical rainforests and reverse global warming. As on many other occasions, Supreme Master Ching Hai reminded of the detrimental tolls of livestock raising and the need to halt it for the sake of our planet during an October 2009 videoconference in Germany.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Saving the world’s tropical forests, the lungs of the Earth, is one of the very important priorities. The rainforests themselves normally are our protectors, but as the climate gets warmer, instead of absorbing CO2 to protect our planet’s climate, they will be emitting back CO2 as well.

Now, we need to look at the main reason why there is deforestation. There is a whole industry behind it in most of the cases, namely the livestock industry. For example, the number one reason for deforestation of the Amazon, which is the greatest lung of our planet, is to raise cattle.

Stop the livestock industry - that would be the most effective way to halt global warming and restore our planet. It will save our precious forests, which takes decades to grow, and create more natural forests that we need to reduce global warming.

We must stop the livestock industry. I hope the leaders will do this.

http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0902-t...riculture.html
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/s...ts-090210.html
http://environment.nationalgeographi...-overview.html
http://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/20...ging-diet.html
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/cl.../art13747.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=1765&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Africa losing forests at alarming rate - 1 Dec 2010

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, indigenous forests in Africa are being felled at a rate of about 3.4 million hectares per year, the second highest in the world for this past decade.

These forests are key in helping absorb carbon emissions and thus reducing climate change and unstable weather conditions, while also serving as importing watersheds, wildlife habitats, and protection against soil erosion.

As an example of the losses being incurred, the country of Nigeria, which in 1976 was covered by 23 million hectares of forest, has been losing about 400,000 hectares annually and today has only 9.6 million left.

Reasons for deforestation include lands being cleared for livestock grazing and other agriculture as well as logging for timber and firewood. In an effort to offset these losses, initiatives have been launched by groups such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, which has been working to plant trees and raise awareness about the benefits of forest conservation.

One team has raised over 15,000 seedlings from 33 different species since February 2010 in Nigeria alone, scheduled for planting in 2011.

Our grateful thanks, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and all others striving to halt these alarming losses and revitalize the African forests. Let us rapidly join such efforts to help restore the balance of life across the continent of Africa and the world.

During a May 2009 videoconference in Togo, Supreme Master Ching Hai highlighted the significant environmental impacts of our actions, as she offered the most sustainable solution to protecting the precious trees and, in turn, our planet.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : We must protect the trees as much as we can. According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, 8% of the Earth's forest-related carbon is stored in the vast rainforests of the Congo River Basin in Central Africa.

Scientists predict that continued deforestation of the Congo will release the same amount of CO2 as the United Kingdom emitted over the last 60 years!

So, it is important to preserve the forest while we still can because it helps in addressing global warming. Deforestation is mostly caused by animal’s feed as forests are cleared to plant crops are for raising livestock, while hundreds of millions of people are starving in the world.

Vegan organic farming can go a long way toward restoring the balance from problems that may have arisen in the past. I highly encourage you to pursue vegan organic farming methods.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Nex...011150782.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2305&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Amazon forests approach tipping point - 23 Dec 2010

According to the Global Drought Monitor, a classification system developed by the UK's University College London, by October 2010, large swathes of the Amazon rainforest were experiencing a category known as exceptional drought, which goes beyond even extreme drought.

The 2010 drought was widespread, with most of the Amazon region receiving less than 75% of normal rainfall between 1 July and 30 September, and, in many cases, as little as 25%. Such arid conditions, which normally occur once every 100 years, in this case were observed only five years after a previously severe dry spell in 2005, as well as one just seven years before that in 1998.

Besides the dryness was a record number of fires. Along the edge of the forest in Peru and Bolivia were more fires this year than any year on record, with the Xingu indigenous region seeing a total of 19,000 blazes compared to 5,000 the previous year as well as reports of substantial damage to plants in the normally wet areas.

The fires went hand in hand with extremely low water flows, such as the Amazon tributary River Negro, which hit an all-time low just one year after a never- before-seen high level occurred in the wake of devastating floods.

Scientists are concerned that these patterns are pointing to alarming die-offs of the Amazon as the forest dries out. Dr. Greg Asner, an ecologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science, states that along with the melting polar ice, which for many symbolizes the effects of climate change, should also be considered the drying up and burning of the world's largest rain forest, whose survival is equally threatened.

As observed by forest expert Dr. Oliver Phillips of the University of Leeds in the UK, the Amazon may be reaching a tipping point. He stated, “Every ecosystem has some point beyond which it can't go. The concern now is that parts of the Amazon may be approaching that threshold.”

Scientists at University College London, Dr. Phillips, Dr. Leeds and other researchers, we appreciate all your contributions to this informative report, despite its disturbing implications.

May we all act now to protect the Amazon rainforest and all natural habitate, so that future generations may also enjoy the beauty of our rich creation. Supreme Master Ching Hai has often discussed the crucial issue of climate change impacts on rainforests, including the Amazon, as in an October 2009 videoconference in Germany.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : Saving the world's tropical forests, the lungs of the Earth, is one of the very important priorities. Because when the tropical rainforests are destroyed, there are many frightening side effects. It's not just the permanent changes to the world's temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns which the forests regulate. It's not just about the millions of people who might lose their livelihoods that depend on the forests.

The rainforests themselves normally are our protectors, but as the climate gets warmer, instead of absorbing CO2 to protect our planet's climate, they will be emitting back CO2 as well. They will be not helping us, the rainforest, if the climate gets warmer. But instead, They will be worsening the global warming problem.

Stop the livestock industry - that would be the most effective way to halt global warming and restore our planet. It will save our precious forests.

http://climateprogress.org/2010/11/2...ange-concerns/
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/a...520249104.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2322&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Billions of trees in the Amazon dying because of drought - 5 Feb 2011

A team of British and Brazilian scientists have warned that a widespread drought in the Amazon rainforest during 2010 was even worse than the “once-in-a-century” dry spell of 2005.

In a new study published in the journal “Science,” they evaluated rainfall data collected via satellite during the prolonged 2010 dry season, as well as information from trees in throughout the Amazon. The scientists found an alarming 60% increase over 2005 in the regions covered by dead trees along with more intense drought.

As the renowned “lungs of the Earth,” the Amazon rainforest normally absorbs over 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, or some 1.5 billion tons of CO2. But the billions of trees that perished in the drought this past year, scientists say the Amazon is now forecast to release 5 billion tons in the coming years, potentially leading to runaway climate change.

Moreover, global climate models forecast more frequent Amazon droughts, further aggravating potential risks. Research leader Dr. Simon Lewis of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom cautioned, “We can't just wait and see because there is no going back. We won't know we have passed the point where the Amazon turns from a sink to a source until afterwards, when it will be too late.”

We thank Dr. Lewis and colleagues for sharing these critical findings that foretell the predicament of not only the Amazon region but also the globe.

Let us heed such disturbing changes by swiftly adopting the most eco-friendly lifestyles to protect the treasured Amazon and indeed the planet. During an April 2009 videoconference,

Supreme Master Ching Hai emphasized the need to tread more lightly in the ecosphere to ensure the survival of the Earth and all her inhabitants.

Saving the world's tropical forests, the lungs of the Earth, is one of the very important priorities. Because when the tropical rainforests are destroyed, there are many frightening side effects.

It's not just the permanent changes to the world's temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns which the forests regulate. It's not just about the millions of people who might lose their livelihoods that depend on the forests.

The rainforests themselves normally are our protectors, but as the climate gets warmer, instead of absorbing CO2 to protect our planet's climate, they will be emitting back CO2 as well. They will not be helping us, the rainforests, if the climate gets warmer. But instead, they will be worsening the global warming problem.

Stop the livestock industry - that would be the most effective way to halt global warming and restore our planet. It will save our precious forests.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...n-2203892.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12356835
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...amazon-climate
http://news.discovery.com/earth/amaz...t-fatigue.html http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/amaz...e-110203-1059/

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2429&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Destruction of the legendary Amazon rainforest continues. - 12 Feb 2011

Not only are millions of animal and plant species, but now also humans are endangered by deforestation of the Amazon. The Brazil government recently released rare photos of indigenous Amazonians to raise awareness of the threat of their extinction.

The images of these previously un-contacted people were taken by Brazil's National Indian Foundation during a flight over a region near the Brazil-Peru border, accompanied by human rights group Survival International.

Illegal logging in Peru has sent the natives fleeing across the border to less affected rainforests in Brazil. Meanwhile, a new report launched by the environmental organization Friends of the Earth has revealed that the excessive demand for meat, animal feed and biofuels is perpetuating destruction of the rainforest in Brazil, with severe impact to the lives of thousands of people, as well as causing biodiversity loss and accelerating climate change.

According to the research, the production of soy for animal feed and biodiesel is expected to increase by 5 million hectares, while production of sugarcane for ethanol and cattle ranching are expected to grow 25% by 2020, further threatening ecosystems and livelihoods throughout the country.

We thank the Brazilian government, as well as the National Indian Foundation and organizations such as Survival International and Friends of the Earth for raising awareness of the urgent issues threatening the survival of indigenous brethren and other fellow inhabitants. May we all join in concerted sustainable actions to save the vital lungs of our Earth.

Speaking with concern as on many previous occasions about the loss of precious rainforest trees, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressed some of the causes in a video message presented during a November 2010 conference in the United Kingdom, along with how we can rebalance the precious ecosphere for all beings.

Well, 91% of the cleared Amazonian rainforest since 1970, the lungs of our Earth, can be directly or indirectly attributed to cattle raising. And, in fact, the UN FAO stated that the livestock sector is the major driver of global deforestation.

Research tells us that plant-based alternatives to animal products are not only healthy, they use less fossil fuel energy, create more sustainable jobs, and are growing in popularity because of their quality, which also includes good taste. We all love good taste, don't we?

In sum, only with the organic vegan solution can we still save our planet.

http://www.publico.es/ciencias/35793...za-la-amazonia
http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2011/...n_Amazon.htmla.
http://www.france24.com/en/20110131-...ed-amazoniansb
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...mazonians.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2436&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Ancient peat land forests destroyed for palm oil - 16 Feb 2011

A new study by the Netherlands-based Wetlands International found that at the rate that peat swamp forests in places like Malaysian Borneo are being obliterated to make way for palm oil plantations, the nation may lose all of these biodiverse forests by the decade's end.

As companies that formerly depleted timber resources now clear the rest of the trees to develop profitable palm oil plantations, Malaysia and Indonesia are the world's two largest exporters of the oil, which is largely used for processed foods and so-called eco-friendly biofuel.

However, researchers warn that current growing practices are far from sustainable. As trees are removed from the ancient peat swamps, not only is wildlife severely affected, massive carbon stores are also released. This effect can be worsened if wildfires strike, causing peat to smolder underground, becoming nearly impossible to extinguish, with even more increased emissions of carbon dioxide and methane gas that had been stored for millions of years.

The loss of the forest habitats has further deprived many already- endangered species including tropical birds, as well as the clouded leopard, Sumatran rhino, and the world's smallest elephant, the Borneo Pygmy. Also threatened are indigenous rainforest tribes. Wetlands International is thus calling for a complete ban of peat land conversion for crops, urging companies instead toward more truly eco-friendly methods and products.

We thank Wetlands International for your work in bringing us this important information about the adverse consequences of peat land clearing to the environment.

May humanity work quickly to save the valued forests and all precious lives that they sustain. Speaking during an October 2009 videoconference in Indonesia, Supreme Master Ching Hai warned of nature's destruction for the production of palm oil, while offering the most sustainable actions needed to restore the ecosystem.

In Indonesia, your precious forests are being cut down to grow palm oil to be used as biofuel energy, and we thought that will help to minimize the CO2. We are wrong. It's a failure, causing more destruction and more greenhouse gas emissions than it saves. In fact, it's releasing the world's third-largest amount of carbon emissions, because of biofuel.

You see, the green technology is not always reliable.

Actually, not all of this palm oil product is used as biofuel even. Part of the palm oil products goes to make livestock feed. Fortunately, we have the solution ready at hand, sir, which is the organic vegan solution.

If we look into all the scientific and the physical evidence so far, we have to accept this organic vegan solution as the one and only to save our planet right now.

http://www.france24.com/en/20110201-...palm-oil-study
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...roversial.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/829...good-news.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...f-Sarawak.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2440&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Historical reforestation created planetary cooling - 17 Feb 2011

Although most of the focus on climate change has centered on the warming effects of fossil fuels beginning with the fairly recent industrial era, new research highlights the start of global warming thousands of years ago when forests were cleared to create room for livestock and other agriculture.
These changes are evident in the ice cores of Greenland and Antarctica, which show increases in carbon dioxide levels related to the burning and decay of cleared forests and meadowlands.

For the study, researchers from Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology in California, USA and from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany used a model of global land coverage beginning around 800 AD. To determine how reforestation might affect atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, they focused on four times in history when human populations decreased due to either conflict or disease, with agricultural fields thus being abandoned.

These periods of minimized human activity were found to create a cooling effect as the forests were naturally restored and resumed absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. Lead author Dr. Julia Pongratz explained the modern implication of such reforestation on planetary cooling as she stated, “Today about a quarter of the net primary production on the Earth's land surface is used by humans in some way, mostly through agriculture… Based on the knowledge we have gained from the past, we are now in a position to make land-use decisions that will diminish our impact on climate and the carbon cycle.”

Many thanks, Dr. Pongratz and colleagues, for your work in revealing the profoundly beneficial effects of reforestation in mitigating climate change. Let us do our utmost to minimize destructive tree losses by halting livestock-raising and other unsustainable agricultural practices for the protection of our planet.

In a video message presented at a June 2009 conference with dignitaries in Mexico, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressed the importance of conserving the world's vital forests as well as a way that this could be done.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : We have to ban deforestation. And we have to plant more trees, of course. Wherever there's erosion or empty land we have to plant trees.

Deforestation is also largely driven by meat production. With the United Nations estimating that deforestation accounts for approximately 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions, nearly all deforestation itself is related to meat production.

Eighty percent of cleared Amazon forest is designated as a cattle grazing area to prepare the animals for slaughter, and the remainder is planted as soy crops used also largely for animal feed. So to stop animal products is to protect our precious forests, the lungs of our Earth, and the crucial factor for our survival.

http://x-journals.com/2011/war-plagu...g-co2-buildup/
http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0120-hance_mongols.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-wpn012011.php

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2441&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

UK government forsakes plans to sell public forest - 20 Feb 2011

As confirmed by British Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, previous plans to sell 258,000 hectares of England's public forests have been set aside upon hearing the calls of the public. Following a statement on Wednesday, February 16 by Prime Minister David Cameron, who said that he was not satisfied with the idea of privatizing the forests, Secretary Spelman offered a public apology, saying, “I am sorry, we got this one wrong, but we have listened to people's concerns.”

She also said, “If there is one clear message, it is that people cherish their forests and woodlands and the benefits that they bring.”

A big bravo and our thanks, Secretary Spelman and the government of the United Kingdom, for your decision to continue as stewards of your nation's public forests. May British citizens everywhere enjoy their refreshing beauty and balance, and come to cherish these gifts of nature even more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12488847
http://www.tinygreenbubble.com/eco/e...off-in-britain
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/...00/9400420.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...roline-spelman http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...71G43A20110217

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2445&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Schoolchildren in Amman, Jordan plant one million saplings - 22 Feb 2011

The government-sponsored initiative encouraged the youngsters to plant the trees at their schools, homes, and other locations. Agriculture Ministry Media Office Director and Spokesperson Mr. Nimer Haddadin stated, “As students plant the trees and become responsible for watering and caring for them, a new generation that is aware of the need to protect trees will be created.”

A big green salute, Director Mr. Nimer Haddadin and Jordanian Government, for your Earth-loving project. May eco-friendly measures such as these, combined with the low-emissions organic vegan diet,lead us to a flourishing era of our planet.
http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=33515

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2508&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Climate change portends grim future for forests - 13 Mar 2011

At a recent conference on trees, US Forest Service workers and other experts gave unsettling reports on the health of US forests and how quickly they are declining due to climate change. Citing major tree die offs that have already occurred in the western USA for species such as the aspen, Dr. Jim Worrall, plant pathologist and leading top expert on Sudden Aspen Decline estimated that some １１ million acres of the current １６ million that currently populate hills and mountainsides could be gone, destroyed by rising temperatures and drought.

Meanwhile, climate change could prove even more devastating to a species like the white pine, whose vulnerability to mountain pine beetles is causing it to disappear. As temperatures have warmed, the beetles are moving further north, with large stands of trees in Montana and parts of Wyoming that have disappeared in just the past three years.

According to a study of ７６ old-growth forests by the US Geological Survey, increasing mortality rates are being seen in ８７% of all tree stands, with tree deaths that have doubled over the past １８ years. Speaking at the conference, former US Vice President Al Gore stated, “If you love the forests and you care about what's happening to them, the number-one connection … is warmer temperatures.”

Your Excellency and all other scientists, our sincere thanks for this information about global warming's effect on our vital forests. May the trees of the US and worldwide thrive once more as humans adopt ecological lifestyles that support a wealth of biodiversity on our planet.

During a ２００８ videoconference in Canada, Supreme Master Ching Hai discussed the core solution to the plight of the life-giving forests in the face of climate change.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : Even if we plant more trees, there will be something else happening, maybe wildfire, or the beetle will be more in abundance, and then they will also begin to eat away all the forest.

So this is a really terrible situation. The only thing is we have to be morally fit. And have to be virtuous. Otherwise, there's no getting away from the bad karma, meaning the retribution, for whatever we do.

We have to be compassionate again. We have to look into our heart to live the noble way that Heaven intended us to live. So, planting trees alone is not the absolute solution. We have to be vegan.

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20...ntProfile=1058, http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/145343

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2514&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

The cultivation of the amazing Moringa tree is encouraged in Sierra Leone - 3 Apr 2011

An initiative has been launched by the United Methodist Committee on Relief, in conjunction with the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, to promote the many benefits of this wonderful tree. Native to the Himalayan Mountain foothills, it is now widely grown in Africa, Latin America
and parts of Asia.

The pods, which taste like asparagus, are very nutritious. Furthermore, the leaves are full of amino acids and are one of the richest sources of vitamins and minerals available in the plant kingdom. They are also capable of cleaning water. The Moringa tree can be seeded in arid, tropical and
sub-tropical conditions, in sandy or poor soil, and it will flower and fruit within a year.

Our heartfelt gratitude, United Methodist Committee on Relief and Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, for your dedicated efforts. May we look to the Moringa Tree and other miracles of Nature to provide abundant sustenance on a gentle and sustainable Earth.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/...G?OpenDocument,
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?re...11763&page=247

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2515&page=1#v

[Nhím Hoàng Kim]

Mangroves store significantly more carbon than other forests - 16 May 2011

A study was conducted by the Pacific Southwest and Northern research stations of United States Forest Service, University of Helsinki in Finland, and the Indonesian based Center for International Forestry Research.

It assessed the carbon content of 25 mangrove sites on the shores of the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. The mangrove systems were found to keep four to five times more carbon than terrestrial forests, due in part to their thick layer of organic-rich sedimentary soil.

Our thankfulness, all scientists involved, for these important results. May we do everything possible to protect this invaluable treasure of our ecosphere.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0404173247.htm
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/1104....2011.205.html

http://www.suprememastertv.com/au/de...=2564&page=1#v