Reasons for hope (and peace) from Jane Goodall

Hi,

View this passionate lady speak about her 50 years' experience as a primatologist scientist, her reasons for hope. Most of us feel that the we are not powerful enough to make a difference in the world against the onslaught of environmental degradation, deforestation, extinction of animals and plants, pollution of the air, the water and the food we eat, the poverty and population increase.

One eskimo said " The ice is melting in Greenland (due to global warming). What will melt the human heart ( ie take the necessary steps to reduce our ecological footprints)?"

Read about her projects such as rootsandshoots and TACARE



Remember that there is no reason for us to feel hopeless. All of us can make a difference by the decisions we make in our everyday dealings such as what we buy, what we eat, what we do to reduce our ecological footprints. We have to learn about the inhumanity in our treatment of fellow animals and creatures in the forests. We have to mentor the youth on the wisdom giving dignity to fellow creatures of the planet.

Can you state the 5 reasons that Dr Goodall has for her hope?

Have a good Easter Monday.

Cheers

The world needs all kinds of minds

Hi,

View this mind blowing TED video. It will forever change what you think about autistic children in our classes and in our midst.



Dr Temple Grandin is very famous for her quote: "Autism is part of who I am." She has done much for animal welfare, PETA and general understanding about autism in children and how they can be helped to contribute to society as they have been since the beginning of time. Autism was not a problem until people became abstract thinkers of recent times. Famous autistic/ Asperger's syndrome/ dyslexic people who had to grapple with learning difficulties include Richard Branson, Mozart, Tesla and Einstein, to name just a few movers and shakers in human civilisation.

Dr Grandin is passionate about having good mentors good teachers lighting the spark of learning and motivating children in schools.

Cheers and happy Good Friday.

Earth Hour 2010

Hi,

I would like to share these videos with you to get you get in the mood to celebrate Earth Hour 2010.




This video of a Sand Artist at work offers an effective and appealing way to convey the important message. We must vote to save the earth. The choice is yours. What you do today will affect the future.



Cheers

International Friendship Day 2010

Hi,

I would like to share these video with you to celebrate IFD.

This first one is on Healing the World by Michael Jackson. The lyrics would help you to follow the picture that MJ would like you to see in your mind's eye.




Michael Jackson is soulful in this Earth Song. We have to make a conscious effort not to get carried away with day to day issues and forget to feel for all creatures, plants and animals that share this precious Earth with us. And it is under imminent threat from man's short sightedness and greed.




A stimulating dance depiction of the impact of global warming and climate change on human health and the environment, using the traditional Bharatanatyam dance and music. As a dominant form of communication, dance has captivated the imagination of generations. World Health Organization South- East Asia Regional Office holds copyright of this video.



We are all friends and we will make sure that we will take care of the Earth. Friendship means we care for each other regardless of expectation of reciprocation.

Some solutions to reducing global warming

Solutions to reducing global warming

Did you know?

eating 1 hamburger = cutting down 6 sq m of forest
eating 4 hamburgers = cutting down the size of a classroom of forest
eating 6 hamburgers = cutting down forest the size of a school stage
eating 37 hamburgers = cutting down forest the size of a school hall?

Global contributors of Green house gas emissions	In Percentage
Deforestation	25%
Livestock farming	18% [51%]
Transport [760 million vehicles]	14%
Industry	43% [35%]

Solution 1: Stop deforestation and start reforestation

To date up to 50% of the world's rainforest is lost
If 30% more is deforested, the remaining forest cannot survive
Deforestation rate is 50 million acres per year
Worldwide deforestation rate is 16 football fields per minute
In the Amazon, deforestation rate is 7 football fields per minute.


"70% of previously forested land in the Amazon rainforest was changed into areas for cattle grazing and growing feed crops" UN report

Deforestation in Australia
Of the 100 million hectares of land area that is being deforested:
Animal farming 70 million hectares
growing crops 25 million hectares
occupied by people 2 million hectares

Solution 2: Reduce livestock farming to reduce green house gas emission

UN 2006 Livestock's Long Shadow Report: Livestock industry produces:
18% of Global Greenhouse gas emissions
37% of Global methane (which is 23 times CO₂ global warming power)
65% of Global N2O (which is 296 times CO₂ global warming power)

"Raising animals generate more greenhouse gases (18%) than all the 760 million cars and trucks in the world combined (14%)" UN FAO Report.

Producing 1 kg of beef generates 36.4 kg of CO₂
Producing 1kg of beans generates 0.6 kg of CO2
Meat industry requires lots of refrigeration and transport (energy inefficient process)
Switching to vegetarian diet reduces 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions per year










Tons of manure from livestock farms flow into underground water and into seas causing large areas of Dead Zones.

Conserve the world's food and water resources
Food fed to animals:
75 % of world's soy bean
50% of world's corn
36% of world's grains

In 2007, food fed to animals was 760 million tons
in 2007, world hunger figure was 900 million people
The grains fed to livestock would be able to feed 2 billion people!

Water requirements of livestock- UN FAO Report
Stockholm International Water Institute states that the agricultural sector (growing of crops and livestock) accounts for 70% of the world's water usage

To produce 1 kg of	Amount of Water Needed [litres]
Maize	900 lt
Rice	3000 lt
Chicken	3900 lt
Pork	4900 lt
Beef	15,500 lt

15,5000 litres of water is sufficient for a man to shower for 6 months!

Solution 3: Support Organic farming

"Practical organic agriculture if practised on the planet's 3.5 billion tillable acres, could seqester nearly 40% of current CO2 emissions.." US Rodal Institute


Solution 4: Green Energy

Solution 5: Practise the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)

More about solutions 4 and 5 on a later blog post.

Cheers

Let's kick the carbon habit and save the island nations

Hi,

Many island nations are doomed to become submerged due to global sea level rise in the last decade. The people of these islands are called climate refugees. Their homes and agricultural land are under sea.

To name a few. Bhola, Kiribati, Tuvalu and almost half of Bangladesh which consists of many low lying islands formed by the mighty Brahmaputra River.

The video below shows the suffering of some of these climate refugees.

Are you as worried about global warming as the leaders of these countries?

Global warming is on our minds every time we feel hot and sweaty.

These global leaders feel responsible for the well being of their citizens, their economy, their safety, and fears of anarchy due to lack of water and food.