ASIA-PACIFIC COUNTRIES - disasters in near future

A friend forwarded this timely and urgent news article to share from earthcarenewsgroup. Please read and pass it on to as many concerned individuals as possible. Thank you...

From: earthcarenewsgroup
Subject: Asia-Pacific countries may face devastating disasters in future
To:
Date: Sunday, December 28, 2008, 9:37 PM

Asia-Pacific countries may face devastating disasters in futureSydney, Dec 26 (ANI): Scientific research has shown that countries in the Asia-Pacific region face an era of mega-disasters affecting hundreds of thousands of people as urbanization, climate change and food shortages amplify the impact of natural catastrophes such as earthquakes and cyclones in coming years.
According to a report in Sydney Morning Herald, scientists at Geoscience Australia conducted the research.
The research, which has prompted the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to establish a joint disaster training and research centre, identifies Indonesia, the Philippines and China as the countries most likely to experience large-scale disasters.
The research team analyzed the incidence of hazards such as earthquakes, cyclones,
tsunamis and volcanoes throughout the region and then estimated the numbers of people who would be killed or injured or lose their homes or essential services.
This risk assessment found that so-called mega-cities in the Himalayan belt, China, Indonesia and the Philippines were prime candidates for earthquakes that could cause more than a million deaths.
Hundreds of thousands could be seriously affected by volcanoes erupting on average once a decade in Indonesia and once every few decades in the Philippines.
Tsunamis, floods and cyclones affecting tens of millions of people were likely in low-lying mega-deltas like Bangladesh, which were experiencing population explosions and were vulnerable to climate change.
Also, many Pacific island nations had a high potential for catastrophes that could affect large proportions of their populations and overwhelm local government response and recovery efforts.
The Geoscience Australia risk assessment fed into a wider study by AusAID and other Australian and Indonesian government agencies which concluded that the severity of humanitarian crises in the region was increasing due to the interaction of climate change, urbanization, poor land use planning and tension about access to resources.
According to the study, there were likely to be several disasters killing more than 10,000 people each decade and there was the potential for catastrophes affecting more than 1 million people.
Alanna Simpson, a scientist at Geoscience Australia, said that the risk assessments used data for the Asia-Pacific from the past 400 years and modelling to predict the frequency of natural hazards.
Whilst the incidence of natural hazards themselves - earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the like hasnt really changed, the sheer number of people living in the Asia-Pacific region means any earthquake has the potential to affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, said Dr Simpson. (ANI)
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/asia-pacific-countries-may-face-devastating-disasters-in-future_100135158.html

Earth Care News Group
Time is running out
A global mobilisation is needed...
Let's start from us RIGHT NOW by
BE VEG! GO GREEN! SAVE THE PLANET!!
--------

Links recommended:
www.suprememastertv.com
www.goveg.com
http://veg4planet.blogspot.com
http://www.mongabay.com/
http://earthsave.org/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment
http://www.globalwarm.com/

Once I dreamt I had an Interview with GOD

Here's another one of those very profound and soul-searching writings to share with you and your friends:

ONCE I DREAMT I HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD

"So, your would like to interview me?" God asked.

"If you have the time, " I said.

God said with a smile, "My time is eternity. What questions would you like to ask me?"

"What surprises you most about mankind?" was my question.

God answered:

* That they get bored with childhood. They rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.

* That they lose their health to make money, and then lose their money to restore their health.

* That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present or the future.

* That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived."

God's hand took mine, and we were silent for awhile. Then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile :

*To learn they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.

* To learn that it is not good to compare themselves with others.

* To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

* To learn that it only takes a second to open profound wounds in persons we love, and it takes many years to heal them..

* To learn to forgive by practising forgiveness.

* To learn that there are persons who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

* To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.

* To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but they must forgive themselves.

* And to learn that I AM here always.

I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for His time and all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied: "Anytime, I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is to ask for me and I'll answer."

PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAID
PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU DID
BUT PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET
HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL

(Source : UNKNOWN)

Words of Wisdom from a Saint

Hi all,

I was going through my collection of 'Quotable Quotes' searching for some inspiration to share some worthwhile thoughts with you all, when I came across this good advice from Mother Teresa - a truly remarkable lady and a saint in every sense of the word. I don't think anyone in this present age can ever measured up to what she had done for the poor and needy. Our hats off to her selflessness and her unwavering faith in God and His kind mercies and grace.
I hope what she had to share with us today will help us to better understand ourselves and others who come along into our lives at one time or another. There is always a lesson to be learned from everyone and every circumstance that happens to be our lot. And I am sure this will offer some insight on why people and things are as they are. And despite all our expectations on how things should turn out, we will still keep on keeping on with what is true and pure and worth living for.
ALL THE BEST FOR A YEAR OF HAPPY BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS!

PEOPLE are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered,
Love them anyway.

IF you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives,
Do good anyway.

IF you are successful, you win false friends and enemies
Succeed anyway.

THE good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow,
Do good anyway.

HONESTY and frankness make you vulnerable,
Be honest and frank anyway.

PEOPLE favour the underdogs but follow only the top dogs,
Fight for some underdogs anyway.

WHAT you spent years building may be destroyed overnight
Build anyway.

PEOPLE really need help, but may attack you if you help them
Help people anyway.

GIVE the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

- MOTHER TERESA -

ALL CREATURES - Great and small

I did the sanest thing I could possibly do since I don't remember when, a couple of weeks ago. That is - feeding a lttle squirrel who drops by searching for food around the neighbourhood.

I had noticed it for quite awhile, scampering in the vicinity of my home and had wondered what it was feeding on as there are not that many fruit trees around. Oh well, maybe a couple of papaya and guava trees. He is a fine looking chap - always sharp and quick for any danger that may lurk nearby. Any untoward noise or movement would send him scuttling away as fast as his little legs could carry him.

One day, I decided to see if he would come and feed at my garden. Some groundnuts (in their shells) and a green apple I left out went unnoticed for 3 full days. I was a little disappointed and was about to resign myself to forgetting about him when, to my happy surprise, he came and took a big chunk off the apple! Elated with this, I told a friend and he laughed and told me to try something sweeter and forget about the nuts. Oh... wasn't squirrels supposed to love nuts? That's what they love in all the cartoon shows I have seen so far! Maybe these are different since they are Malaysian squirrels? But whatever, I put out more stuff to tempt its appetite.

Half a carrot was totally ignored. The green apple was well liked. Something sweeter meant putting out a red apple this time and YES!! The little rascal loved it! My friend even helped gave it a name - SQI. So, now it has an identity... not just an 'it' anymore. My very own squirrel !

I have not been able to go near him when he visits as he is still shy and wary of humans. My friend mentioned that squirrels have beautiful eyes.. hmmm... interesting and I wonder what I will see if I ever do get close enough for him to let me look deep into them.

A few days after Sqi's visit, I saw a bird pecking at his apple. A beautiful handsome fellow. Not a robin or a sparrow but my bird expert friend is quite sure
that it could be from the merbok family given the description I provided. It came by almost everyday mostly in the evenings close to sundown. Sqi comes in the mornings when it is still cool and not so sunny. I have to make sure there is a fresh red apple for them when they come. Then a couple of days later, a mynah bird came and have a go at the apple! Oh wow1 This is more than I have asked for! But then, the more the merrier and soon I will have a zoo in my house! That would be something to tell, won't it?

I am not so sure though if the monkey (used to hang around some time back) decides to drop by one of these days. He would be too much for me to handle. Anyhow, as long as he just come for the food and not get into mischief, I suppose it's no harm to have him join in the fun.

Just this morning, I saw Sqi with a companion. I am very sure it must be his lady love and I already have a name for her .. Sqmi, courtesy of my friend who named Sqi.

Another friend told me that squirrels love honey water.... I have yet to try that. I will soon. Meanwhile, I thank God for all creatures great and small who come into our lives and bring little moments of joy into this crazy world of ours.

If you want to keep sane and true to yourself... try feeding a squirrel or a bird.

P.S. Anyone out there who would do the honour of naming the birds?
Please do so... I would appreciate that!

GOOD WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR

MERRY CHRISTMAS one and all!! Though belated, good wishes are always welcomed and so I believe.

It's the time of year when we tend to get into a relective mood and mull over what's done and what still needs to be done. Some of us will be busy checking and tallying to see if they have been faithful to the resolutions made for the year. And congratulations to you if you managed to have seen all of them through. You can gloat and wallow in satifaction and pride while the rest of us heaved another sigh of : "Oh well, next year perhaps, we will do better".

Honestly, I have given up on making year-end resolutions a long time ago. I hardly can boast that I am the sort to see them through. When I was younger and had to fight off puppy fat... top on the list was to go on a diet and die for that dream figure! Second to that was to live within my budget and save up all my hard earned money. And you guessed right... I failed miserably and on both counts. So I had to be contented then to go round wearing baggy dresses (thank God.. the "tent" look was in then!) and also to go without my favourite hobby (ugh!) - shopping!!

But I have mellowed somewhat through the years.... a dream figure and money in the bank are far from my mind these days. Oh, of course it will be nice to have a comfortable nest egg hidden away from view and handy for that rainy day! But then again..what's important is not how we live our lives as to how well we live it given all the circumstances that come along. God never promised us sunny days all the time and we have to deal with the cloudy ones as well as the storms that visit us every now and then.

Sometimes, I sit back and look at all the people I know... my neighbors, family members, associates and friends.. and I wonder what goes on in their lives. Each have their own set of values in life. Interestingly enough, we may not be aware of this but we all have something we are living for. If you were to ask point blank this question : "What do you want out of life?" - you'd probably get lots of different responses. Too many to list down here so just stop and think for awhile... for yourself. What do you want out of life? Wealth, fame, love, happiness, peace, sense of well-being, health, knowledge, etc.

Not too long ago, I visited a friend's ailing father. He had lost his sight for a good many years and now spend his waking hours propped up in a lazy-chair as he is also not mobile due to a bad back. He is a fine specimen of a man... and I can see that he has been a virile, physically fit person with his own set of values for life. A man of principles and a good family provider. He has very strong hands and I could feel their warmth when I clasped them with mine. He reminded me of my dad - a man of few words but nevertheless, a true gentleman! In his sightless world... I wonder if he now lives through his days remembering the past... both the happy and not so happy memories that he was once a part of. I am sure he does because that's probably all he has to hold on to now. My heart goes out to him and I often think of him and send a silent prayer to bless him with peace of mind and heart as he lives out the days still ahead of him. It's not easy to see old people left to live out their lives just waiting for the sun to set on them. Especially when they are ailing and dependable on others for their needs.

To those of us who are lucky to have sound minds and bodies... take good care and appreciate the blessings that come our way. Thank God for this beautiful world and everything good it has in store for us. Take time to enjoy the natural wonders around us; to appreciate the people who love and care for us; to protect and love those creatures who are defenseless against man's greed and intentions; to live a life that is the least harmful to others and Mother Earth. Let's live and let live so that all may live... in love, peace and harmony. Life may not be what you expect it to be but if you look carefully, there's always a rainbow after the rain... look for it and find your pot of gold.

I wish you well and may the New Year bring you lots of happy laughter,opportunites,
achievements and successes. Live well, good health, eat green and sleep well at nights too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND JOYOUS NEW YEAR!!!!

Be Veg! Go green! Save planet earth!

滿懷愛心的女星 瑪麗安娜‧托斯卡

洛杉磯時報形容她：
「極富魅力…美麗絕倫又才華洋溢…是個精力旺盛的人…」

出生於1971年、身為阿爾巴尼亞與希臘後裔的好萊塢美豔女星瑪麗安娜‧托斯卡（Mariana Tosca），也是一位得獎的攝影記者、詩人，以及榮獲過讚賞獎（Ovation Award）的劇場女演員，曾在地方劇場和外百老匯主演過六十多部戲，她還是世上最著名的高智商俱樂部「門薩」（Mensa）的成員。除了這些榮耀和讚譽外，瑪麗安娜的高貴人格讓她成為眾星中最閃耀的明星。她以高度慈悲的胸懷對待所有眾生，而且總是抱持愛心與開放的胸襟去尋求更深入的了解。她所展現美麗與美德足為我們的楷模。在她的網站上引用了一段艾蜜莉‧狄金生（Emily Dickenson）的詩句︰「我們永遠不知道自己多高，直到我們被要求提昇…」

黃金5年（2008年）8月，在接受無上師電視台的專訪時，瑪麗安娜分享了那個讓她領悟到所有動物都是有情眾生的難忘時刻。當時6歲的她與父母一起乘車行駛在高速公路上時，有一輛運載牛隻的卡車開到他們旁邊。她回憶說︰「我和這些非常美麗又充滿靈性的眼睛四目相望。當兩輛車在路上並行的時候，我們就這樣緊緊注視著對方。」後來，當她發現他們會成為別人的晚餐這件可怕的事實後，她拒絕再吃任何肉類產品。她說︰「我不再吃任何有眼睛、有靈魂、有母親的生物。」大約二年前，瑪麗安娜遇到「動物之家農場庇護所」（Animal Acres Farm Sanctuary）的創辦人羅莉‧鮑斯頓（Lori Bauston），真正了解到動物每日在工廠化農場中所經歷的殘酷對待後，更成了一位純素食者。

2001年，瑪麗安娜在喜劇電影《耶誕在雲端》（Christmas in the Clouds）中擔綱扮演一位素食者，與她一同演出的，還有加拿大的原住民演員葛蘭姆‧葛林（Graham Greene），在劇中飾演一位烹調素食的廚師。這部電影曾獲得奧斯汀影展（Austin Film Festival）的最佳劇情片（Best Competition Feature Film）和聖塔菲影展（Santa Fe Film Festival）的最佳美國原住民劇情片（Best Native American Theme Film）。瑪麗安娜在談及這部影片時說︰「我很高興能透過主流媒體傳播茹素的訊息。」由於她選擇採取愛心的茹素飲食，許多片中演員也有機會在片場品嚐素食，並對茹素的經驗抱持正面的看法。對於自己成為別人效法的對象，她說︰「改變他人的想法，促使他們採取更和平與環保的生活方式，即使只有一點點影響，對我而言都是世上最棒的事。」

基於她對所有眾生的愛，瑪麗安娜積極投入幾個保護動物權益的組織。她擔任「捍衛動物協會」（In Defense of Animals）的國際發言人，並長期參與「給動物一線生機」（Last Chance for Animals）、「美國人道協會」（Humane Society of the United States）和「海洋守護協會」（Sea Shepherd Conservation Society）等組織的活動。由於她的慷慨善心，瑪麗安娜也從動物收容所收養狗，為他們提供愛心的家園。目前她收養了三隻美麗的狗，帶給她一輩子友誼、忠誠和奉獻的無價禮物。

為了幫助加州格蘭岱爾市（Glendale）的不撲殺動物收容所「格蘭岱爾人道協會」（Glendale Human Society）提高動物收養率，瑪麗安娜想出一個點子，免費為狗狗錄製生活短片，幫助狗狗與可能的收養家庭配對。她因此於2003年成立「愛犬影業」（Canine Cinema）公司，並製作了一百多部短片讓人觀賞。由於這個點子非常成功，「日安洛杉磯」（Good Day L.A.）、「福斯十一台新聞」（Fox 11 News）和「動物星球頻道」（Animal Planet）等電視節目都曾特別介紹過「愛犬影業」。事實上，加州以外的其他動物收容所也開始商請「愛犬影業」提供協助。最近瑪麗安娜更為愛貓人士成立「愛貓影業」（Feline Films），以讚頌我們的貓朋友與他們的人類伴侶之間的親密關係。

瑪麗安娜還拍攝了一支公益廣告支持「加州健康寵物法案」（California Healthy Pets Act），和擁護遏止全球暖化的世界性活動，並於最近參加了2008年7月26日在加州洛杉磯所舉行的「SOS氣候變遷國際會議」。

瑪麗安娜‧托斯卡是一位由內而外散發出耀眼光芒的人，一個值得在天堂的「星光大道」上留名的真正高貴靈魂。身為好萊塢的著名女星，她知道外表的美麗很短暫，而內在美卻是永恆的。她運用她的善心和天賦，盡己所能幫助世界。我們祝福瑪麗安娜‧托斯卡女士繼續圓滿實現她的夢想，並鼓勵更多世人採取慈悲、無動物成分的純素飲食，成為地球的美麗公民。

線上觀看「無上師電視台」對瑪麗安娜‧托斯卡的專訪：
http://video.Godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/VEG702_709.php

Special Cooking Program for Awal Muharram ~ Gulai Lemak Cili Api in BM / 14 subtitiles

SALAM MAAL HIJRAH

dan Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru 2009

with Malaysian Gulai Lemak Cili Api (Golden Spicy Coconut Curry)
~ Special cooking program on www.SupremeMasterTV.com
~ presented in Bahasa Malaysia with 14 subtitles in Arabic, Aulac(Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Thai.

Date / Time : 26/12 - 1st session : 3.30pm
2nd (repeat) : 9.30pm
27/12 - 3rd (repeat): 3.30am
4th (repeat) : 9.30am

Minimum Broadband requirement : = > 1 M
Best Result : Install & watch via "TVants P2P TV" or "sopcast" FOC software available at www.SupremeMasterTV.com

Celebrate Xmas & New Year with plant-based gourmet

By Claire

Celebrate Christmas & New Year in 'plant-based style.'

We believe that Christmas & New year is the most important time of the year.

Christmas & New Year doesn't have to be all about meat. Everyone can enjoy a lavish vegetarians and vegans meal too. So lets celebrate this true spirit & special occasion in a plant-based diet style.

Here are some ideas. Why not enjoy a delicious meal & wonderful comfort food with your friends, family, relatives & loves one at ......Loving Hut at Puchong, Malaysia or other Vegan & Veggie outlet.

More about Loving Hut Malaysia:
The Star Online - Kuali, Malaysia Recipes

LOVING HUT is located at:
15, Jalan Puteri 2/7, Bandar Puteri Puchong,
47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Tel: 03 80761811
Fax: :03 8064 2138
website: www.LovingHut.com

Merry Christmas! :)

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Green Christmas!

Less Coal and Less Meat - Dr. James Hansen

Top climatologist Dr. James Hansen calls for less coal and less meat to stop global warming. - 17 Dec 2008


At a recent interfaith climate summit in Uppsala, Sweden, Dr. James Hansen called for the phasing out of fossil fuels through strong government actions. He explained what the goals would be for world leaders during an interview with Supreme Master Television.

Dr. James Hansen – Top world climatologist, Director, US Goddard Spaceflight Center, NASA (M): We have to actually reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere; it's already increased to about 385 parts per million. If we want to stop the warming and stop the melting of more ice, we are going to have to reduce the CO2 at least back to 350 ppm, and perhaps even somewhat lower. That's a tall order; it requires phasing out the coal emissions but it also means that we are going to need to improve our agricultural and forestry practices.

VOICE: Like many scientists have affirmed, eliminating carbon-based fuels will have far-reaching benefits on the economy, as well as the health of the planet and its inhabitants. While continuing to call for bold government policies to make this happen,

Dr. Hansen also shared what ordinary citizens could do to help.

Dr. Hansen (M): There are many things that people can do to reduce their carbon emissions, but changing your light bulb and many of the things are much less effective than changing your diet, because if you eat further down on the food chain rather than animals, which have produced many greenhouse gases, and used much energy in the process of growing that meat, you can actually make a bigger contribution in that way than just about anything. So, that, in terms of individual action, is perhaps the best thing you can do.

VOICE: We join you, Dr. Hansen, in your call to leaders and citizens to preserve our Earthly home, and thank you for continuing to be a voice for courageous and constructive actions, including the shift toward the plant-based diet. May the environment be restored for all the future generations to come.

Dr. Hansen (M): Greetings to Supreme Master TV. My message to you is: Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet. "

Kesucian Kanak-kanak

Kak janitor kata: "Anak jiran dulu, masa kecil tak suka tengok ayam disembelih. Dia akan menangis."

Sarina kebetulan lalu dan terdengar. Dia setuju dgn penyataan bhw kanak-kanak, bila masih kecil, hati mrk suci. Mrk tahu apa yg betul dan salah. Tapi bila semakin besar, mrk juga terpengaruh dgn org-org di sekeliling dan persekitaran mrk.

Sesuatu utk direnungkan....

Arctic ice volume lowest ever as globe warms - UN

Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:36am IST
By Robert Evans

GENEVA (Reuters) - Ice volume around the Arctic region hit the lowest level ever recorded this year as climate extremes brought death and devastation to many parts of the world, the U.N. weather agency WMO said on Tuesday.

Although the world's average temperature in 2008 was, at 14.3 degrees Celsius (57.7 degrees Fahrenheit), by a fraction of a degree the coolest so far this century, the direction towards a warmer climate remained steady, it reported.

"What is happening in the Arctic is one of the key indicators of global warming," Michel Jarraud, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said. "The overall trend is still upwards."

A report presented by Jarraud at a news conference showed Arctic ice cover dropping to its second lowest extent during this year's melt season since satellite measuring began in 1979.

However, the Geneva-based agency said, "because ice was thinner in 2008, overall ice volume was less than in any other year." It added: "The season strongly reinforced the 30-year downward trend in the extent of Arctic Sea ice."

The dramatic collapse of a quarter of ancient ice shelves on Canada's Ellesmere Island in the north of the Arctic Ocean added to earlier meltdowns, reducing cover in the region from 9,000 square km (3,500 sq miles) a century ago to just 1,000 sq kms.

The WMO said the slight slowdown in warming this year, an increase of 0.31C over the 14C of the base period 1961-90, against an average 0.43C for 2001-2007, was due to a moderate-to-strong La Nina in the Pacific in late 2007.
"This decade is almost 0.2 degrees (Celsius) warmer compared to the previous decade. We have to look at it in that way, comparing decades not years," Peter Stott, a climate scientist at Britain's Hadley Centre, which provided data for the WMO report, told Reuters in London.

LA NINA, EL NINO

La Nina is a periodic weather pattern that develops when Pacific sea water cools. It alternates irregularly with the related El Nino -- when the Pacific warms up -- and both affect the climate all round the world.

The WMO report was based on statistics and analyses compiled by weather services among its 188 member countries and specialist research institutions, including government-backed bodies in the United States and Britain.

"Climate extremes, including devastating floods, severe and persistent droughts, snow storms, heat waves and cold waves were recorded in many parts of the world," the agency said. In many of these, hundreds or even thousands of people died.

Among the disasters was Cyclone Nargis, which killed some 78,000 in Myanmar's southern delta region in early May. In the western Atlantic and Caribbean there were 16 major tropical storms, eight of which developed into hurricanes.

In an average year, there are 11 storms of which six become hurricanes and two become major hurricanes. In 2008, five major hurricanes developed, and for the first time on record six tropical storms in a row made landfall in the United States.

The WMO says the 10 hottest years since global records were first kept in 1850 have all been since 1997, with the warmest at 14.79 C in 2005. Countries have been struggling for years to reach agreement on how to halt the trend.

This month a two-week meeting of leaders in Poznan, Poland, called to prepare a treaty for late 2009 seemed to falter amid rows between rich and poor nations and what some climate campaigners say was lack of will to get things done.

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/

LOVING HUT in Malaysia

Loving Hut is currently the fastest growing international vegan fast food chain in the world. Internationally, branches are currently open in Formosa (Taiwan), United States, Au Lac (Vietnam), Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, and Tokyo. More branches will be opening in various locations all around the world in the coming months.

In Malaysia, Bandar Puchong Puteri Loving Hut outlet is the very first Loving Hut International vegan chain restaurant outlet in Malaysia.

At Loving Hut, all dishes are prepared free of animal ingredients (vegan) and served lovingly, in a graciously decorated, pure and peaceful environment, giving one a heavenly feeling.

In the effort to reduce our environmental impact, all waste is recycled or composted whenever possible and our Eco-pack packaging is made out of recycled or environmentally friendly materials.

Location:
15, Jalan Puteri 2/7, Bandar Puteri Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Tel: 03 80761811 Fax: :03 8064 2138
website: www.LovingHut.com

More Going Green By Eating Greens

Published in: The Straits Times, Singapore
Dec 5th 2008

MS PAULINE MENEZES went vegan last year after learning about the
impact livestock farming had on the environment. Now, she avoids
milk and dairy foods, substituting them with soya-based products.

'I don't think I can reverse climate change,' said the 40-year-old, who
first stopped eating meat in 1994 for ethical reasons. 'But by not eating meat I like to think I'm doing my small part to help.'

She is one of a growing number of Singaporeans who are choosing
leafy greens over meat in a bid to save the planet.

The president of the Singapore Vegetarian Society, Mr George Jacobs,
said there are 'definitely more' people turning towards a green diet.

He estimated that the vegetarian population has at least doubled in
the past five years, although he could not say how many non-meat
eaters there are here.

An increased awareness of ethical and environmental issues, coupled
with an 'increasingly colourful range of vegetarian food', has made
cutting meat out of everyday diets easier, he noted.

The real cost of livestock farming is alarming, he said.
An environmental report published in 2006 by the United Nations
estimates that 50 billion land animals are eaten annually across the
globe.

The same report also spells out the heavy toll livestock farming takes
on the environment: About 7kg of grain goes into producing 1kg of
meat.

Inefficient farming techniques also result in pollution. For instance, over 50 years of agriculture and livestock farming have rendered the water of the Indian Ganges undrinkable. Facts like these have convinced some Singaporeans to take the plunge into a meatless diet.

Vegetarian food supplier Wu Qing of Zhen Hui Trading has seen a threefold increase in demand over the past five years.

He has been in the business for over a decade and supplies restaurants and vegetarian food stalls. He reckons that on top of the usual religious and health reasons, people are making diet switches to 'be good to the planet' and to 'save money'.

'A lot of Hollywood superstars are also vegetarian, so I think it's becoming more trendy,' Mr Wu added.

In the United States, a movement called Vegetarian Wednesday is slowly gathering steam as more people warm to the idea of abstaining from meat at least once a week.

However, a meatless diet, Singapore's vegetarian society concedes, is not for everyone. Mr Jacobs said his group does not condemn meat eating. Rather, he hopes that through education, Singaporeans will first consider 'reducing their meat intake'.

'The idea of not eating meat might scare some, but if you just keep an open mind, it's not as difficult as one might think,' he said.

Eco Fair and Camp at Penang!

Do not miss out! Mark your calendar for the health and eco fair at Penang, on 27th & 28th Dec.
The founder of eco enzyme, Dr. Rosukon will be there to hold a forum.

More info here:
http://veg4planet.blogspot.com/2008/11/health-and-eco-friendly-fair-and-camp.html
http://enzymesos.blogspot.com/

Kasih Sayang Seekor Ibu Ikan

Dua hari yg lalu, kak janitor tanya, “adik tak makan daging,…ikan, telur.. semua tak makan? Habis makan apa?.........."

Kak pun tanya mengapa. Saya beritahu tujuan utamanya adalah krn saya kesian dgn mrk. Mrk pun tak nak mati begitu, kalau cuba tangkap mrk, mrk larikan diri krn mrk pun ada perasaan. Mereka rasa takut. Mereka tahu rasa sakit. Mrk pun ada kasih sayang spt kita manusia. Jaga anak-anak. Besarkan anak mereka.

Mendengarkan itu, kak berkongsi ceritanya dgn saya, “Dulu akak, masih di kampung, Indonesia, nampak ikan tu, serkap anak-anak dia dlm mulut nak selamatkan anak dia."

Hmmm… menarik.

“Kak nampak ye!?”

"Hah, ya aku nampak. Pasal dulu, kita ada kolam ikan, ikan tilapia yg besar tu. Kita ambil jaring masuk dlm air, ibu ikan tu datang dan serkap anak-anak dia yg kecil, semua masuk ke dlm mulut dia. Disimpan dalam mulutnya."

“Lepas tu, kak mana tahu dia memang simpan dlm mulut dia?”

“Aku nampak!..... Kita sorok dekat belakang dan tengok. Nampak! Dia ingat kita dah pergi. Lepas tu, dia keluarkan semula anak-anak dia, semua masih hidup. Iyaa…" Kak tersenyum.

Ikan pun tahu sayangkan anak-anak mereka. Semoga kita, umat manusia tidak ambil masa terlalu lama utk sedari nilai kehidupan dan nyawa semua hidupan di Bumi.

Banyak lagi yg blh kita makan. Sayur²an dan buah²an. Bijirin dan kacang. Semuanya cukup dgn nutrisi yg diperlukan badan. Sihat utk diri dan alam sekitar serta tanpa perlu membunuh makhluk hidup yg lain.

Meat-cancer links curbing processed meat intakes

Source: Meat-cancer links curbing processed meat intakes: Charity survey
By Stephen Daniells, 28-Nov-2008

UK consumers are reducing their consumption of processed meat and meat products following media coverage of a study linking the meats to increased risks of bowel cancer.

According to a World Cancer Research Fund-commissioned YouGov survey, over 10 per cent of people have tried to cut down on processed meat intake. The survey was commissioned one year after the fund published a report that claimed that eating 150g of processed meat a day increased the risk of bowel cancer by 63 per cent.

“It is really encouraging that so many people remember our report and have tried to make lifestyle changes as a result of it,” said Richard Evans, head of communications for WCRF.

“A big part of our work is interpreting the latest scientific research and then giving people the information so they are then be in a position to make informed decisions. This survey shows that if people are told how they can reduce their risk of cancer then many of them will make changes.”

However, others have interpreted the science differently. A recent editorial in the Annals of Oncology by French researchers challenged the WCRF’s report. The French researchers criticized the report’s focus on individual foods as opposed to dietary patterns, and for not highlighting the dangers of smoking.

The American Meat Institute, a trade body, welcomed the editorial.
Media message hitting home

The new survey appears to show that the “wall-to-wall media coverage,” of the WCRF report is leading to changes in consumer habits, says Evans.

YouGov surveyed 2,124 people, and 11 per cent of respondents said that they had tried to cut down on processed meat such as bacon as a result of media coverage.

Amongst these, older people were more likely to have tried to make changes, with 37 per cent of respondents over 55 claiming to have tried to cut down on processed meat, compared to just six per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds.

Moreover, 10 per cent of respondents said they had tried to eat less red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb.

Out with meat, in with fruit and veg

Interestingly, the survey also found increases in fruit and vegetable consumption, with 26 per cent of the survey’s respondents saying they had tried to eat more fruits and vegetables.

More news articles on this topic:

Red meat may help toxins stick in the body: Study
Nitrate additives may protect stomachs from ulcers
Red and processed meats increase cancer risk, says study

Sehari Tanpa Daging

Baru-baru ini Malaysian Vegetarian Society telah mengadakan Meatless Day suatu majlis / persidangan utk tandatangan ikrar bagi menjadi vegetarian utk sehari. Majlis ini diadakan di Taman Tasik Titiwangsa dan dihadiri oleh Yang Berhormat, Datuk Dr. Liow Tiong Lay, Menteri Kesihatan Malaysia.

Ramai org yg tanya "mengapa hanya sehari?" Menurut penganjur kempen, tujuannya adalah utk tingkatkan kesedaran di kalangan org ramai ttg manfaat tanpa daging, dan kemudian merenung pd sebabnya - "Jika saya blh amalkan cara hidup tanpa daging utk sehari, blh saya lakukannya utk jangka masa yg lebih panjang malahpun sepanjang hayat?"

Kempen ini adalah sejajar dgn The International Meatless - Animal Rights Day, suatu pergerakan yg bermula di Pulau Pinang pd thn 1996, utk membangkitkan kesedaran minda dan hati orang ramai.

Setiap ikrar melibatkan tandatangan secara sukarela. Org-org yg turunkan tandatangan tlh dengar rayuan ini dan ambil keputusan utk hidup tanpa pemakanan/penggunaan daging ut sehari. Ia mungkin suatu langkah yg kecil namun penting.

Amalan diet tanpa daging memberi kesan yg besar terhdp manusia dan Bumi. Ia bukan sahaja mengurangkan industri penternakan haiwan yg merupakan penyumbang terbesar pemanasan global, tapi ia juga adalah bagi melindungi hak-hak haiwan, hidupan, rakan sepenghuni Bumi dan menegakkan semula nilai-nilai kemanusiaan.

Amalan diet berasaskan tumbuhan mampu membawakan pemikiran sihat dan memupuk belas kasih seseorg manusia yg seterusnya mampu mempengaruhi pembawaan seseorg itu, justeru itu membawakan keamanan kpd manusia sejagat di atas Bumi. Cubalah namun utk sehari.

A Green Thanksgiving for Everyone by Care2.com

By Jana Ballinger
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/a-green-thanksgiving.html

We are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year, and like many of you out there I have the monumental task of making a wide variety of people happy. I’ve got a newly vegan mom, a picky sister and a brother-in-law with meat-and-potatoes sensibilities, plus a dad who may or may not have wanted to host Thanksgiving himself and now wants to come over early to help cook the meal. In fact, now that I think of it, my 5-year-old nephew will probably be the easiest one to please.

But I also have to make myself happy and stay true to my beliefs–and what’s important to me is that the holiday be as eco-friendly as possible. So here’s my plan of attack:

The turkey: No factory farms! Our turkey will be organic, hormone-free and free range all the way. I am guessing my brother-in-law won’t even know the difference, but I will. And the extra money I shell out for this I’ll save by not spending any money on festive napkins or cheesy decorations (more about this later).

Vegan, too: Lucky for me, Care2 has lots of meatless main dishes for me to choose from (well, maybe I should let my husband pick since he’s the one who actually does the cooking around here). Something from this collection of favorite Thanksgiving main dishes plus plenty of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, lima beans–organic, of course) and my mom will have plenty to choose from. If you’re going for an entirely vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving, read Melissa Breyer’s suggestions for a bird-free feast.

Mmmm, potatoes: In an effort to be healthier we’ve been eating an awful lot of brown rice lately and while I love brown rice, I am looking forward to the mashed potatoes. I supposed we could try this vegan recipe but I have a feeling that won’t go over very well. Better to throw a plain baked potato in the oven for my mom and make the regular, butter-and-milk variety for everyone else.

Dessert: This one’s a toughie, because if I get a vegan pumpkin pie so my mom can have some will the others not like the taste? I myself have eaten many vegan cakes, cookies and pies and have found almost all of them to be delicious. But then I am not as picky as my sister. So two pies, one vegan–and no whipped cream for you Mom. (Sorry!)

The table: I tend to keep my holiday decor pretty simple, but I got some great ideas from this article on incorporating nature into the Thanksgiving table setting. In fact, if the weather’s nice (this is California, so it very well could be) we might set up the table in our backyard, which is full of fall leaves and therefore already decorated for Thanksgiving! As far as napkins, it’s cloth always (even for daily use–I haven’t bought paper napkins since the ’90s).

So that’s my strategy. Wish me luck, and let me know how you are planning to green up your holiday celebrations in the comments field below. And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Also check out http://vegweb.com/ and http://www.vegcooking.com/ for veg recipes.

Dapatkan Fakta-fakta Mengenai Susu (Bhgn I)

Berikut ialah petikan drpd kata-kata pengarah filem, penerbit dan penulis filem "Got the Facts on Milk?" Shira Lane dan penata bunyi, Jennifer Ricciardi. Berserta dua org lain rakan, mrk membuat tinjauan tentang kebenaran di sebalik apa yg diketahui org ramai mengenai susu dan mrk menyampaikan fakta-fakta yg ditemui dlm filem tersebut.

Dianggarkan 75 peratus org dewasa sedunia tidak tahan laktosa. Di setengah negara Asia dan Afrika,hampir 90 peratus populasi kurang mampu mencerna laktosa, mengakibatkan tanda² pada abdomen spt sakit perut, perut kembang dan angin.

Adalah biasa utk manusia, tidak tahan laktosa. Bila kita mencerai susu ia adalah semula jadi utk badan kita berhenti hasilkan laktosa yg menguraikan laktosa. Laktosa ialah gula dlm susu.

Kebanyakan orang yg tdk tahan laktosa tdk dpt menguraikannya kemudian ia cuma duduk dlm usus besar, dan itulah yg hasilkan angin dan perut kembang dan cirit birit.

Orang tidak mendapat tahu maklumat ini. Sebab mengapa ramai yg tidak mengetahuinya kerana mrk (peniaga) tidak peroleh keuntungan drpd makanan spt brokoli. Mrk peroleh keuntungan drpd keju dan makaroni. Mrk peroleh duit daripada makanan sebegitu, orang menjadi kurang sihat, kemudian org yg tak sihat membayar utk semua perkhidmatan kesihatan, yg mendorong ekonomi, ekonomi merupakan penyebab utama mengapa kita tidak mendapat maklumat ini.

Dlm kajian oleh Universiti Harvard di AS, hormon dlm susu merupakan penyebab kanser, terutamanya kanser payu dara, prostat dan testikular.

Hormon dibuat utk menumbuhkan sesuatu. Itu ialah peranan hormon. RBGH, ialah suatu suntikan yg mrk beri, bagaikan perangsang. Jadi lembu akan hasilkan sepuluh peratus pertambahan susu. Ini memberi bbrp kesan.

Pertama, ia meningkatkan IGFI dlm susu, iaitu hormon yg sebabkan kanser payu dara. Ini adalah terkenal. Dan ini ialah sebab mengapa tiada tempat lain di dunia, mrk dibenarkan utk menyuntik RBGH ke dlm lembu.

Kedua ialah kamu beri byk tekanan krn kini lebih sepuluh peratus pada ambing lembu. Jadi kamu lebih lagi memaksa lembu. Apa yg berlaku kemudian ialah lembu mendpt mastitis, sebuah jangkitan di ambing, krn ia dipaksa dan ia diperah susu tiga kali sehari. Jangkitan ini memasuki susu. Ia dipanggil kiraan sel somatik. Ini ialah bgmn para peladang mengiranya. Dan, kiraan sel somatik ini, adalah pus kerana ia juga merupakan jangkitan. Ia ada dlm susu.

Sumber: Got the Facts on Milk? An Interview with Filmmakers of the Milk Documentary

Kesan Pemanasan Global Terhadap Tumbuhan

Para pengkaji memberi amaran bhw banyak spesies tumbuhan yg kini hampir pupus disebabkan pemanasan global yg mengurangkan nutrien utama dlm pertumbuhan tanaman.

Tumbuh²an menyerap nitrogen dari tanih, dan peningkatan tahap karbon dioksida mengakibatkan pembakaran bahanapi fosil, semakin mengurangkan kewujudan nitrogen.

Para pengkaji dari Sekolah Sains Tumbuhan di Universiti Tasmania (UTAS) telah menjalankan suatu eksperimen selama tujuh tahun di tanah berumput di Pontville, utara Hobart.

Pengkaji UTAS, Dr. Mark Hovenden berkata bhw ini membawakan kes yg penting bagi pengurangan pengeluaran gas rumah hijau.

Sumber: Global Warming Impact on Plants

Health and Eco Friendly Fair and Camp (Penang)

致：

我们将在这年底举办2项活动（27日- 28， 12月 2008）。这2项活动主要是向社会人士宣导自然和健康给予教育和健康咨询。附函2张关于为您的参考。

我们也邀请环保酵素创办人Rosukon博士的莅临，当天我们也将举办一个关于环境污染的论坛，并且也将讲解环保酵素如何能帮助减少全球温室效应。我们也邀请其他讲师来讲解有关健康与环保资讯。

您的出席将会让此项活动生色不少。

为使以上活动能顺利成功的进行，我们正积极征求赞助人。无论给予的任何形式的赞助，本会先致予万二分谢意。

谢谢！
==========================================
Dearest,

These are the two events that we organised on end of this year (27th to 28th December 2008). Our objective is to educate and give awareness to the public about our nature and health. Attached herewith the two fylers for your reference.

We invited the founder of eco enzyme Dr. Rosukon to hold a forum regarding to environmental and how eco enzyme could help to reduce global warming. We are also invited other profession to share their knowledge on health and environmental.

Hence, we invite you and your family join us on this event.

We are looking for sponsors and supportors to make this event a success, we will be very appreciated if you could contribute in any form or aspect.

Thank you.

"enzyme4u"

For more details of the event, pls click on the above posters OR
For more info, pls email enzyme4u@gmail.com

Salah Satunya di Eco Film Fest

Pada hari pertama Eco Film Fest, datang seorang wanita dlm usia 30an ke sudut Supreme Master TV kami. Terlupa nama saudari yg ceria ini, utk kini, kita panggil Azlina. Azlina menyatakan bhw sejauh ini, kami sajalah yg menggunakan recycled paper utk mencetak risalah kami. :)

Beliau mendengar kami dgn penuh perhatian. Beliau juga tertanya-tanya kenapa pihak berkuasa kurang menitikberatkan masalah alam sekitar dan pemanasan global ini kerana ia adalah masalah semua orang, bukan masalah sesuatu bangsa atau negara tertentu sahaja.

Banyak yg diperbualkan. Azlina mendapat tahu kenapa industri pemakanan daging mampu mempengaruhi kesihatan Bumi menerusi penghasilan daging yg banyak mengeluarkan karbon serta metana drpd penternakan. Beliau kini juga faham bagaimana penternakan ikan juga boleh merosakkan keseimbangan ekosistem alam.

Saya rasa amat gembira dpt bertemu dan berbincang dgn Azlina yg amat berfikiran terbuka. Beliau bersetuju bhw pemakanan berasaskan tumbuhan sememangnya adalah sungguh baik bukan sahaja bagi Bumi tapi bagi kesihatan manusia.

Rupa-rupanya terdapat seorg kawan Azlina yg pernah mengidap penyakit kanser di bhgn hidung/muka tapi kini sudah sembuh sepenuhnya. Bila ditanya bagaimana, Azlina kata kawannya berhenti memakan daging dan hanya amalkan pemakanan berasaskan tumbuhan serta memakan bahan organik sahaja. Doktor amat terkejut dgn penyembuhan drpd kanser itu. Jadi memang ada bukti, pemakanan daging memudaratkan kesihatan manusia.

Sungguhpun Azlina kini bukan lagi seorang vegetarian, namun beliau dgn penuh positif berkata bhw dia sudahpun kurangkan pemakanan daging,...malah sebenarnya beliau seringkali dlm dilemma samada harus bertukar sepenuhnya kpd diet vegetarian, sehingga kini, setelah berjumpa kami, banyak soalan batin beliau telah terjawab.

Kami berharap semoga Azlina sentiasa sihat dan diberkati dlm perjalanan beliau menuju ke arah kehidupan seorg vegetarian yg mesra alam, sihat dan berbelas kasih.

Vegan food helps save Planet Earth

"You're sure this is not real mutton?" enquired Aisha, wide-eyed with disbelief!

Like many others who stopped by our food stall for a free sampling of our vegan fare over last weekend's ECO-Film Fest held at ASWARA in Kuala Lumpur, Aisah just could not believe that she was eating a meal that was totally free of animal products.

In line with Eco-Knights'(the official organiser of the ECO-Film Fest)aim to help highlight and educate Malaysians in environmental awareness and preservation, a group of my friends put our heads together and came out with something worthwhile to share with the public.

My co-blogger PENCINTA ALAM posted useful info with regard to the Fest and also announced that we were putting up a booth as part of our participation in the event.
We gave out SOS flyers and also the SOS Planet Earth DVDs plus a few other relevant items to let people know that one of the main concerns facing climatic scientists and researchers is : The meat diet is killing Mother Earth and depleting the Planet's precious resources!

You will be surprised to find that not many people are aware of this fact! All they know in helping to curb global warming is to "Go Green" and that would mean only the THREE R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Full Stop!!

So, when we showed them evidence that a meat-free diet is and can be the fastest and surest way to mitigate the current onslaughts of climatic changes, they go : "Huh? How so?"

Changing our eating habits is another way of "Going Green" in more ways than one! In our previous postings, we have put down enough proofs, reasons and pointers on this subject and so, I would not dwell on it any further.

Back to Aisha and her sampling of our vegan mutton rendang with capati. In the course of our conversation, she said that she is allergic to meat. Hah! That is a big problem... especially when meat is toted as a 'must-have' on your dining table!
She had a tough time accepting the fact that she would never taste finger-lickin' good KFC, McBurgers, beef and mutton and fish dishes if she is to avoid getting 'killed' by all these meat meals. So, imagined her delight when she sampled our vegan food ... which we subsituted real meat with soy-made products which ( when cooked according to how you would normally prepare your food using meat)turned out just like the real thing. Aisah came back the very next day and tried out more of our food and she pestered us for more info on how and where she can buy such substitute meats for her kitchen. Her kids love the vegan food too and she will now have an alternative to cooking dishes she so loved but was unable to partake before!
On top of that, she will also be one step closer to saving Mother Earth from global warming! How about that? And all because of a soy-made mutton rendang and good old capatis!

Aisha was not the only friend we made during the Fest. We had many others dropping by our indoor booths and the food stall. In our small effort to help bring awareness to them, we hope that they will not just go back home and not do something positive about what they have learned from us as well as the from our co-exhibitors who were there for the same motive.

If you love yourself, your family and good old Mother Earth... take one more step to help save her.... Be Veg ! Go Green!

And just in case you think vegan food is not balanced in nutrition, a timely VEGAN FOOD PYRAMID is posted here for your reference.

God bless!

Leona Lewis turns down 7-figure Harrods job

http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/

Friday, 10 October 2008
Vegetarian singer won't open sale because the store sells fur

Leona Lewis is said to have rejected a £1 million offer to open the summer sale at Harrods.

The X Factor winner, 23, was approached by owner Mohammed Al Fayed about appearing at the event in June.
But the strict vegetarian refused the offer because the department store sells fur.

'I'm totally against animal cruelty,' she tells the Daily Mail. 'I don't have clothes, shoes or bags made from any animal products.'

Harrods is the only department store in the UK that continues to sell fur and is regularly targeted by animal cruelty campaigners.

Ten Dangers of Global Warming

By Sam Carana
http://www.gather.com/

Let's have a look at the many concerns and dangers associated with global warming and the resulting changes in climate around the world. I've tentatively grouped them into ten points.


1. Flooding.
We've all seen the pictures of disappearing glaciers and the predictions of rising sea levels. Most people live close to the sea, but many are in denial about the impact of global warming. They falsely believe that the only change that will affect them will be a few centimeter rise of sea level over many decades. Without government action to move them away into newly-built cities, they will continue to live on land most prone to flooding and most exposed to hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms, until a disaster hits them like we've seen happen in New Orleans. The task ahead is many scales larger than the evacuation of New Orleans, which after all occurred in the richest nation on earth while all other infrastructure in the US was in good working order. Ironically, global warming comes with increased risks not only of flooding, but also of shortage of water.


2. Shortage of water.

Many areas could be hit by droughts, especially once glaciers that previously fed rivers have disappeared. As the weather becomes more turbulent, we can expect more extreme droughts, while the occasional heavy storm wouldn't give much relief, but instead cause landslides and run-off of top-soil. Shortage of potable water causes dehydration in people and livestock, making them more vulnerable to diseases. Lack of irrigation results in loss of stock and crop in many areas. As people and animals move to more fertile grounds, overgrazing of land and clearing land of trees could cause desertification there as well. All this, combined with the increased risk of flooding should increase concerns for famine and disease.


3. Famine and disease.

Higher temperatures will increase the risk of tropical diseases, such as malaria, in previously temperate zones. Starvation is one of the biggest unconscious human fears that may well become a reality that is daily displayed on TV. The most fertile land is typically located just above sea level, where rivers enter the sea. Due to climate change, many areas will need to switch to other crops. This will take time, further contributing to transitionary if not permanent shortages of food everywhere. Food storage and distribution will be hit by rising cost of cooling, while stored food will become exposed to pests and diseases in the face of increased humidity and in the absence of adequate refridgeration. Cost of transport will rise, while many roads may become inaccessable due to flooding and storm damage.


4. Migration and refugees.

Migration will stress the infrastructure of many cities, even if they weren't affected much directly by climate change in terms of famine, droughts, epidemics, flooding or storm damage. Apart from this, people will also be driven away from many areas by pollution, heat, pests, diseases, shortages of water and supplies, and collapse of infrastructure, medical care and security. Many people will seek new habitats, while at the same time many countries will seek to stop refugees from crossing borders. Refugee camps are notorious for the outbreak of epidemics, such as cholera. Without proper planning and action, this could result in human tragedy at unprecedented scale, while refugee camps could become breeding grounds for new diseases like avian influenza.


5. Collapse of the financial system.

The value of money used to be linked to gold, but now is based on economic growth, value of real estate and the value of stock (company shares) and the like. As such factors become increasingly exposed to the the above points, the entire global financial system risks collapse. Instead, a carbon-based system of currency may take over to some extent. Uncertainty about this increases the risk that governments will simply become more dictatorial. In the absence of market forces to guide developments, there will be increased risks that such dictatorial governments take actions that make things worse, resulting in total economic collapse.


6. Economic collapse.

Many countries face uncertain futures, as they are dependent on income from oil, coal, tourism or a single crop that cannot survive climate change. As an example, air travel could become too expense for tourists, taking away the single biggest revenue stream for many small countries. Entire industries, such as manufacturing of cars and airplanes, may collapse. Globalisation has made many industries dependent on access to resources and products that come from halfway around the world, while the cost of transport is likely to go up. Again, such economic collapse may set the scene for dictatorship in many areas, increasing the risk of war and of wrong decisions being taken in general.


7. War and civil unrest.

The above points should increase our concerns about the risk of wars and civil unrest. Production of weapons is one of the biggest industries worldwide, with the clout to influence governments. The oil industry is often regarded as the most powerful influence of global politics. Some countries will want quick and dramatic changes, while other countries may resist all calls for change or may want entirely different changes, setting up confrontation at a global scale and setting the scene for World War III. Within most countries, there will also be opposing groups. The smartest people, who we now need more than ever, may be killed, may end up in prison or may otherwise be silenced, while dictators seek to grab power without any intention of solving the problems.


8. Pollution, in particular as a result of nuclear war, fallout and waste.

As concerns about emissions of carbon and methane increase, industry may seek to abandon pollution standards in order to avoid emission of greenhouse gasses. The nuclear industry may present itself as a "green" alternative, but nuclear fallout and waste should count as one of the biggest dangers in this regard. As concerns about carbon emissions sink in, more countries are considering using nuclear power for electricity, which comes with increased risk of fallout and concerns about the care of and disposal of nuclear waste. Furthermore, many countries are seeking to develop nuclear weapons in response to increased risk of war in the light of the above points. The secrecy under which such development takes place gives cause to concern about global safety and security.


9. Tipping points.

One of the biggest dangers is that, without dramatic action, the atmosphere will reach certain tipping points beyond which sudden dramatic and catastrophic changes take place that are irreversable in the short term. Droughts and more turbulent wheather may cause earthquakes and associated tsunamis, which not only come with loss of lives, infrastructure and fertile land, but which will also make the greenhouse effect worse. So, instead of facing gradual changes that can be mitigated by planned action, we may suddenly face a future in which many if not most people will have little or no access to food, water, medicines, electricity and shelter, while diseases go rampant and gangs and warlords loot and devastate the few liveable areas left. Human beings as a species will face the risk of total extinction, particularly if many species of animals and plants that humans depend on will disappear.


10. Panic.

While each of the above points gives reason to be concerned, many people are still in denial about the severity of the problem of global warmimg. Once they do get the message, though, there's a risk of over-reaction edging into panic. This may result in people buying up all the food they can get hold of, trying to get their hands on weapons, etc. Unscrupulous companies may exploit the situation by deliberately creating scarcity of medicines, etc. This is another reason to be open about these concerns and to come up with planning that makes sense.

Apa Itu Pemanasan Global (Bhgn I)

APA ITU PEMANASAN GLOBAL

Pemanasan global berlaku apabila gas-gas rumah hijau seperti gas metana, karbon dioksida dan nitrus oksida terperangkap di atmosfera Bumi, meningkatkan suhu purata di permukaan laut dan Bumi.
Bila suhu di permukaan laut meningkat, ais di kutub / Artik akan mencair dgn lebih cepat. Permukaan lapisan ais mempunyai fungsi penting sbg pemantul haba cahaya matahari yg mengekalkan suhu kepanasan Bumi tapi ais yg mencair menyebabkan pancaran cahaya matahari sampai terus ke laut dan oleh itu meningkatkan lagi suhu di permukaan laut dan Bumi. Kitaran pemanasan ini menyebabkan kadar pencairan ais yg lebih cepat dan suhu purata di laut dan Bumi meningkat secara mendadak. Bayangkan apa yg terjadi apabila ais mencair sepenuhnya?

Ais yg mencair meningkatkan aras laut
Aras laut yg semakin meningkat, akan semakin menelan darat Bumi. Kawasan tanah rendah akan semakin dilanda banjir.

Banjir menyebabkan:
-Kehilangan nyawa dan harta benda
-Perebakan penyakit
-Pencemaran air dan makanan
-Kebuluran
-Kemiskinan
-Keseimbangan ekologi terjejas
-Ekonomi terjejas
-Keamanan negara terjejas

Sebanyak 75% drpd populasi dunia kini, tinggal kurang drpd 500 km jauh drpd pesisir pantai. Ini menyebabkan kawasan penempatan berkurangan. Penghijrahan penduduk secara besar²an akan menyebabkan;

Penghijrahan penduduk menyebabkan:
-Perebakan penyakit² vektor spt demam malaria
-Pengurangan peluang pekerjaan
-Masalah sosial dan budaya
-Ekonomi terjejas
-Masalah politik
-Keamanan negara terjejas

What the Public Doesn't Get About Climate Change

A good read:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/ by Bryan Walsh
====================================

As I report on climate change, I come across a lot of scary facts, like the possibility that thawing permafrost in Siberia could release gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, or the risk that Greenland could pass a tipping point and begin to melt rapidly. But one of the most frightening studies I've read recently had nothing to do with icebergs or megadroughts. In a paper that came out Oct. 23 in Science, John Sterman — a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Sloan School of Management — wrote about asking 212 MIT grad students to give a rough idea how much governments need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to eventually stop the increase in the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere. These students had training in science, technology, mathematics and economics at one of the best schools in the world — they are probably a lot smarter than you or me. Yet 84% of Sterman's subjects got his problem wrong, greatly underestimating the degree to which greenhouse gas emissions need to fall. When the MIT kids can't figure out climate change, what are the odds that the broader public will?

The shocking study reflects the tremendous gap that exists on global warming. On the one hand are the scientists, who with few exceptions think that climate change is very serious and needs to be dealt with immediately and ambitiously. On the other side is the public, which increasingly believes that climate change is real and worries about it, but which rarely ranks it as a high priority. A 2007 survey by the U.N. Development Programme found that 54% of Americans advocate taking a "wait-and-see" approach to climate change action — holding off on the deep and rapid cuts in global warming that would immediately impact their lives. (And it's not just SUV-driving Americans — similar majorities were found in Russia, China and India.) As a result we have our current dilemma — a steady drumbeat of scientific evidence of global warming's severity, and comparatively little in the way of meaningful political action. "This gap exists," says Sterman. "The real question is why."

That's where Sterman's research comes in. "There is a profound and fundamental misconception about climate," he says. The problem is that most of us don't really understand how carbon accumulates in the atmosphere. Increasing global temperatures are driven by the increase in the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere. Before the industrial age, the concentration was about 280 parts per million (ppm) of carbon in the atmosphere. After a few centuries of burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels, we've raised that concentration to 387 ppm, and it's rising by about 2 ppm every year. Many scientists believe that we need to at least stabilize carbon concentrations at 450 ppm, to ensure that global temperatures don't increase more than about 2 C above the pre-industrial level. To do that, we need to reduce global carbon emissions (which hit about 10 billion tons last year) until they are equal to or less than the amount of carbon sequestered by the oceans and plant life (which removed about 4.8 billion tons of carbon last year). It's just like water in a bathtub — unless more water is draining out than flowing in from the tap, eventually the bathtub will overflow.

That means that carbon emissions would need to be cut drastically from current levels. Yet almost all of the subjects in Sterman's study failed to realize that, assuming instead that you could stabilize carbon concentration simply by capping carbon emissions at their current level. That's not the case — and in fact, pursuing such a plan for the future would virtually guarantee that global warming could spin out of control. It may seem to many like good common sense to wait until we see proof of the serious damage global warming is doing before we take action. But it's not — we can't "wait and see" on global warming because the climate has a momentum all its own, and if we wait for decades to finally act to reduce carbon emissions, it could well be too late. Yet this simply isn't understood. Someone as smart as Bill Gates doesn't seem to get it. "Fortunately climate change, although it's a huge challenge, it's a challenge that happens over a long period of time," he said at a forum in Beijing last year. "You know, we have time to work on it." But the truth is we don't.

If elite scientists could simply solve climate change on their own, public misunderstanding wouldn't be such a problem. But it can't. Reducing carbon emissions sharply will require all 6.5 billion (and growing) of us to hugely change the way we use energy and travel. We'll also need to change the way we vote, to reward politicians willing to make the tough choices on climate. Instead of a new Manhattan Project — the metaphor often used on global warming — Sterman believes that what is needed is closer to a new civil rights movement, a large-scale campaign that dramatically changes the public's beliefs and behaviors. New groups like Al Gore's We Campaign are aiming for just such a social transformation, but "the reality is that this is even more difficult than civil rights," says Sterman. "Even that took a long time, and we don't have that kind of time with the climate."

The good news is that you don't need a Ph.D. in climatology to understand what needs to be done. If you can grasp the bathtub analogy, you can understand how to stop global warming. The burden is on scientists to better explain in clear English the dynamics of the climate system, and how to affect it. (Sterman says that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's landmark report last year was "completely inadequate" on this score.) As for the rest of us, we should try to remember that sometimes common sense isn't a match for science.

The fastest, most effective way to curb global warming that every individual resides on this planet can help is to a adop plant-based diet. For more information, continue reading on the UN's reports on livestock farming :

http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm

Methane rise reminds us of climate change feedback loop

By Chris W http://www.gather.com/

The amount of methane in the sky of planet Earth increased by around 28 million tons from June 2006 to October 2007*. The total methane in the air is now around 5.6 billion tons. Scientists are concerned that we may be seeing the beginning of a feedback loop in the arctic in terms of methane release. Billions of tons of methane are believed trapped in the arctic land surface by permafrost, the layer of soil that remains permanently frozen, forming a barrier to lower layers. As the arctic permafrost warms, the concern is that the trapped methane will be released into the sky, where it will exercise a strong greenhouse effect (actually, methane is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, pound for pound). The total impact of methane on global warming is around one third that of carbon dioxide: while more powerful as a warming agent, there is also much less of it than there is of carbon dioxide. We know methane as a fuel, as in natural gas, and as a component in cow farts. Funny stuff, a great way to mock the threat posed by human caused climate change- until you realize that the enormous number of cattle on the face of Planet Earth are yet another example of human activities driving atmospheric processes. The cattle would not be there without us.

Scientists are also noting a steep increase in yet another greenhouse gas, Nitrogen Trifluoride. This chemical substance has increased 30 fold since 1978, entirely because of human activites. Nitrogen Trifluoride is used industrially as a cleaning agent during the manufacture of liquid crystal display TV sets and computer monitors, and ironically, in the production of thin-film solar panels. Depressing, isn't it, that thin film solar which has such potential to reduce our carbon emissions, bears with it the price of releasing a greenhouse gas of its own. Nitrogen Trifluoride, according to the scientists, is thousands of times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon dioxide is.

For perspective on this, ask yourself, smugly and complacently, "what's the worst thing that could happen?" Then search your memory from the year 2005, when you asked yourself that same question about the subprime mortgage problem.

Here is a bit more about NitroTri:
http://www.fabtech.org/news

Another Inconvenient Truth

A film review in The Star:

OIL is the excrement of the devil,” announces the narrator at the start of the documentary, A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash.

The documentary certainly doesn’t start on a bright note. Instead, it pounds several depressing facts into the viewer: oil is running out. The world will change irrevocably. Your comfortable modern life will be history.

Yet one is still drawn to the film’s sights and sounds. Archival footage €“ which include humorous TV advertisements from the 1960s €“ gives us a glimpse of the early, optimistic days of petroleum. But then came the fall, and the happy images are replaced by the bleak and apocalyptic sights of abandoned oil fields, with its rusting towers and muddy fields, in places like Baku, Azerbaijan.

The film, made by award-winning journalists and filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack, has an impressive array of interviewees, many of them geologists, former oil industry insiders and academics. Gelpke and McCormack rely on their voices €“ there are no celebrity narrators here €“ to explain how the oil industry evolved, how people deluded themselves into believing that oil supply will never run out and how, through market and political forces, people have became addicted to oil, using it for nearly every aspect of their lives.

Oil is an amazing source of energy, says interviewee Republican Congressman Roscoe Bartlett. One barrel of oil will produce as much work as you would get from 12 people working all year.

Unfortunately, human beings are using it far too quickly and carelessly.

A dangerous thing to do since oil is not a renewable source of energy, and its supply will dwindle one day.

One can’t help but feel alarmed when one discovers that the great bulk of the world’s oil supplies was formed in two unique environmental periods of the Earth’s history, and over a period of millions of years.

Yet, human beings are guzzling it up in just over two centuries.

And as the reality of dwindling oil supplies sink in (even if the governments of the world refuse to acknowledge it), the “devilish” side of oil use comes forth: wars, price surges and turmoil in the market and society.

The film goes on to discuss energy sources that could replace oil. But can alternative energy like hydrogen fuels, solar and wind power, and fuel cell technology save mankind from the hole it has dug itself?

ECO FILM FEST by EcoKnights

Not to be missed!!! Admission is FREE!

Eco Film Fest 2008
@ Akademi Seni Budaya & Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA)

Sat & Sun
Nov 1st & 2nd 2008
10am - 7pm

Catch Malaysian's budding and aspiring talents in film making, comprising university and college students in Malaysia's first of its kind, environmental film competition.

Films on the current state of environment in Malaysia, from disastrous effect of global warming to human health to policies to sustainable development, will be featured in tandem with this year's theme, "Climate Change - A Call for Action"

Drop by at
-Artist' Escape where well known and entertaining local artists will be serenading /or pumping you up with their latest;
-Ecolicious, treat yourself with mouth-watering organic food & drinks
-Greenscape where you can shop till you drop with a wide range of household green gadgets
-Ecobiz: Explore green technology and services

Also catch ASWARA's best performances at "Tapestry - Rakyat Malaysia",
and make sure you stop by at Supreme Master Television's corner in the main exhibition hall, and for the screening of our SOS-Save our Planet DVD.

See you there! :)

ECO FILM FEST is organized by EcoKnights

Explorers to measure Arctic's vanishing summer ice

Source: The Star

British explorer Pen Hadow is to return to the North Pole five years after his record solo trek, in an attempt to establish when Arctic summer sea ice will disappear for good.

The receding ice has proved a battleground for countries surrounding the region as they race to stake claims on some of the richest untapped mineral and marine resources on the planet.

Hadow, the first person to walk solo from Canada to the Pole without aircraft resupplies, will be part of a three-man team collecting accurate readings of the ice's thickness.

Current estimates suggest the year-round ice is receding at a rate of 300,000 square km (116,000 square miles) per decade -- about the size of the British Isles.

But despite some submarine and satellite measurements there is no accurate measure of how rapidly it is thinning.

"Our physical efforts hauling equipment over the surface will amass data in unprecedented detail," Hadow said.

"The Arctic Ocean is not only an astonishingly beautiful place but a globally unique environment of immense significance to the balance of the Earth's whole eco-system."

Hadow and his fellow explorers are expected to travel 12 hours a day for up to 120 days, walking, skiing and swimming over some of the toughest terrain in the world in temperatures as low as minus 50 Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit).

The U.N.-backed team will take 10 million readings between February and May, providing data to help anticipate the impact of sea ice loss on wildlife and the planet.

Estimates of when the summer sea ice will disappear totally range anywhere from five to 100 years.

Russia has already claimed half of the Arctic sea bed, which is thought to hold large untapped reserves of gas and oil, and the summer opening of the Northwest Passage off Canada could cut weeks off east-west sea voyages.

Hadow said he expected the Arctic landscape to have changed dramatically since 2003, with more ice floes and thinner ice.

John Hopkins statements about cancer

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY' IS THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .



Cancer Update from John Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard
tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.


CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL , U S

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.


Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.

Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.

This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the bo! dy. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.