Dr. James Hansen:'We have only four years left to act on climate change

Time is running out. World-renowned climatologist Dr. James Hansen of the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is now urging the United States to lead in the efforts to counter climate change. He stated, "We cannot now afford to put off change any longer. We have to get on a new path within this new administration. We have only four years left … to set an example to the rest of the world."

Dr. Hansen emphasized the importance of implementing measures like a carbon tax, which would raise the price of fuels to deter use, and to totally phase out the mining and use of coal. Dr. Hansen: Now if we want to phase out the fossil fuels, which we're going to have to do if we want to maintain a planet that looks like the one that we inherited from our parents, then we're going to have to apply a price to the carbon emissions. And the way that that would work, if you wanted the public to accept it, I think you have to give up 100% of that tax back to the public.

VOICE: In an interview with Supreme Master Television, Dr. Hansen had also highlighted the vegetarian solution in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr. Hansen: 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. But you also have to do things that influence the decisions of policy makers.

VOICE: We express our gratitude, Dr. James Hansen, for your courageous noble voice in alerting the public about the importance of acting now to save our planet. May we immediately adopt lifestyles that help sustain our precious Earth and her inhabitants.

Supreme Master Ching Hai explained via videoconference to our Association members in Seattle, Washington, USA how a switch to the animal-free diet is necessary for our planetary survival.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : The more vegetarian people, the less killing of the animals, the more time we have to rescue the planet and the lives on the planet. Stop the killing, stop the harm to other people and the animals and save energies every way possible and go green wherever possible. Then we still can save the planet.