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In oceans across the globe, warming temperatures and pollution, especially from livestock manure and related agriculture, are often responsible for the growth of harmful forms of algae such as the red tide that is now spreading through waters off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

This algae impairs other organisms’ ability to absorb oxygen, leading to suffocation, and is thus devastating for coral, fish and other marine life. Both Iran and the United Arab Emirates report the death of many tens of tons of fish, marine mammals and coral thus far. Although cooler winter weather is expected to alleviate the situation, patches of the algae currently remain, meaning that it could continue to spread.

Meanwhile, possibly hundreds of thousands of seabirds are in peril in the Northwest USA as a toxic algae bloom has contaminated hundreds of miles of coastline. As this algal bloom decays, it emits a substance that removes the birds’ waterproofing from their feathers, leaving them vulnerable to starvation, dehydration and hypothermia. Rescue efforts are underway but the unprecedented number of birds affected has left local centers overwhelmed.

It saddens us deeply to know of such distress to our marine and avian co-inhabitants. Let us all act with urgency to tread more gently and protect our shared Earthly home.

As a matter of fact, wild species suffer similar fates because we also drain our chemical substances, insecticides, pesticides into the rivers, into the lakes, into the oceans. So we lost many of these precious species, we lost many of us, because they are us. And we also lose ourselves, many of us humans, because of these poisonous substances – even from the farm industry – and we still did not wake up yet.

We should have more rules, more guidelines, to protect natural habitats. Vegan diet with right motive will offer more compassion and insight, also will help preserve precious natural habitats for the wild and protect the resources for humans.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=110812&sectionid=3510212
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_102209_animal_long_beach_algae_birds.240db632c.html

Tagged with: Toxic algae creates plague for marine life.

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HKEJ article on 1 Jan 2010

Posted in News clipping from media by lovetoearth on 一月 2, 2010

References:

10. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/world-on-course-for-catastrophic-6deg-rise-reveal-scientists-1822396.html

11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8364926.stm

12. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092402602.html

13. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6294

14. http://www.weather.com.cn/static/html/change.shtml

15. http://www.physorg.com/news180288229.html

16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8205864.stm

17. http://freegeographytools.com/2007/high-resolution-sea-level-rise-effects-in-google-earth

Tagged with: 人類命如懸絲，地球危在旦夕

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Solution in agriculture discussed at COP15 climate conference

Posted in News clipping from media by lovetoearth on 十二月 20, 2009

In seeking their final agreement, delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference turned to the existing Kyoto Protocol and spoke of maintaining its terms to offer additional time for a broader accord.
COP15 correspondent tells us more, with a special report on the factor of agriculture.

COP15 Correspondent: As negotiators continued to spend long hours in intense discussion, one area considered essential is a commitment from industrialized countries to support developing nations in achieving emission reductions as well as adapting to the more immediate effects of global warming.

José Manuel Barroso – President of European Commission (M): This conference is very important from an environment and development point of view, but it is also a question of moral responsibility and the first test case for the global community.

COP15 Correspondent: One significant issue discussed at the summit is agriculture. Animal agriculture is a main driver of global warming.

Maude Barlow – Chair of Council of Canadians, Food & Water Watch Board chair, Former United Nations senior advisor on water (F): Industrial agriculture is the biggest culprit.

COP15 Correspondent: Livestock raising also strains water and food grain supplies in a world where global warming is worsening hunger.

Ancha Srinivasan – Senior Climate Change Specialist, Asia Development Bank (M): To grow animals and then to be eaten by human beings consumes a lot of resources. It is almost like 10 times or even sometimes more.

Jens Holm – Former European Parliament Member, Vegetarian (M): Governments of the world should take away all the subsidies that today goes to the meat industry.

COP15 Correspondent: But as delegates such as US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack pointed out:

Tom Vilsack – US Secretary of Agriculture (M): While agriculture has always been conceived as part of the emissions problem, it is a significant part of the solution to climate change.

COP15 Correspondent: During the Copenhagen summit, one vital way that has been proposed is to encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable practices, such as no-till agriculture that absorbs huge volumes of emissions.

Maude Barlow (F): One of the huge answers to our global crisis is more sustainable, local, safer food production, and obviously a deep reduction in the consumption of meat.

Ancha Srinivasan – Senior Climate Change Specialist, Asia Development Bank (M): People should go for organic farming as well as the vegetarian diet.

COP15 Correspondent: According to a major UK government-supported report published in The Lancet, trying to capture the methane emitted by ruminant cattle, or using feed crops that would produce less methane simply won’t do enough, nor fast enough to stop temperature rises that endanger human lives. But food policy to reduce meat consumption could. Professor Sir Andrew Haines who headed the research team explained.

Professor Sir Andrew Haines, M.D. – Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (M): Could it all be done just by improving technology of farming, better manure management, more efficient use of feed stocks and so on? We concluded that would be not sufficient.

Many of the projections do suggest that we may be nearing the point of not being able to keep the increase in temperature down to 2 degrees. So the kind of trajectory we’re on at the moment suggests that we may well breach that unless we take radical action.

Jens Holm – Former European Parliament Member, Vegetarian (M): Be vegetarian; yes, that’s by far the best you can do.

COP15 Correspondent: A vegan diet and organic vegan farming – It’s in deed the fastest, least expensive way to halt global warming.
VOICE: We thank the leaders and experts who have been working diligently for the benefit of the world’s co-citizens. May all wise governments act swiftly towards an organic plant-based food policy to ensure the survival and wellbeing of humankind and the planet.

The government could of course redirect billions of dollars now spent on livestock subsidies to help farmers switch to organic vegetable and fruit agriculture.

The government could use its powerful tools to spread campaigns about veg alternatives, bans on meat, and laws to help people switch to organic vegan farming and consumption.

A global switch to a veg diet would even save the world’s governments a lot of money, as much as 80% of all the climate mitigation costs of US$40 trillion by year 2050.

That is, we save US$32 trillion in climate mitigation costs, and having a healthy vegan population is a good business deal! Furthermore, there is very good reason for the government to abolish meat, fish, eggs and dairy, all the animal products all together.

We must stop animal production now and at all costs if we want to keep this planet. Repeat: We must stop animal product right now and at all costs if we want to keep this planet.
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=3041
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=3042
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=3039
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/15/content_12652906.htm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6283681.ece

Tagged with: Copenhagen news on climate change - agriculture solution

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Article published on 8 Jan 2010 – HK Economic Journal

Toxic algae creates plague for marine life.

HKEJ article on 1 Jan 2010

Solution in agriculture discussed at COP15 climate conference

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