UN Urges a global shift towards a vegan diet

Lesser consumption of animal products is necessary to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change, UN report says

The UN says agriculture is on a par with fossil fuel consumption because both rise rapidly with increased economic growth. 

Meet the Super Cow

 

These gigantic cows resemble bovine body-builders. See how breeders have achieved such amazing results.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com...

• Category

  Pets & Animals

• License

  Standard YouTube License

  
  

"Belgian Blue cattle are a beef breed from Belgium. Their sculpted, muscular appearance is known as 'double muscling' which is a trait shared by the Piedmontese breed. The natural mutation of the gene that codes for myostatin, a protein that counteracts muscle growth is found within the Belgian Blue. The truncated myostatin cannot function in this capacity, resulting in enhanced lean muscle growth. This defective myostatin gene is maintained through line breeding."

source: http://www.centrefoldmagazine.com/Belgian-Blue

 Is this type of breeding any kind of solution to the problem? Doubtful...

A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change, a UN report said today.

As the global population surges towards a predicted 9.1 billion people by 2050, western tastes for diets rich in meat and dairy products are unsustainable, says the report from United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) international panel of sustainable resource management.

It says: "Impacts from agriculture are expected to increase substantially due to population growth increasing consumption of animal products. Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products."

Professor Edgar Hertwich, the lead author of the report, said: 

"Animal products cause more damage than [producing] construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals. 

Biomass and crops for animals are as damaging as [burning] fossil fuels."

The recommendation follows advice last year that a vegetarian diet was better for the planet from Lord Nicholas Stern, former adviser to the Labour government on the economics of climate change. 

Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has also urged people to observe one meat-free day a week to curb carbon emissions.

The panel of experts ranked products, resources, economic activities and transport according to their environmental impacts. Agriculture was on a par with fossil fuel consumption because both rise rapidly with increased economic growth, they said.

Ernst von Weizsaecker, an environmental scientist who co-chaired the panel, said:
"Rising affluence is triggering a shift in diets towards meat and dairy products - livestock now consumes much of the world's crops and by inference a great deal of freshwater, fertilisers and pesticides."

Both energy and agriculture need to be "decoupled" from economic growth because environmental impacts rise roughly 80% with a doubling of income, the report found.

Achim Steiner, the UN under-secretary general and executive director of the UNEP, said: 

"Decoupling growth from environmental degradation 
is the number one challenge facing governments in a world of rising numbers of people, rising incomes, rising consumption demands and the persistent challenge of poverty alleviation."

The panel, which drew on numerous studies including the Millennium ecosystem assessment, 

- climate change, 

- habitat change, 

- wasteful use of nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilisers,

- over-exploitation of fisheries, forests and other resources, 

- invasive species, 

- unsafe drinking water and sanitation, 

- lead exposure, 

- urban air pollution and 

- occupational exposure to particulate matter.

Agriculture, particularly meat and dairy products, accounts for 

- 70% of global freshwater consumption, 

- 38% of the total land use and 

- 19% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, 

says the report, which has been launched to coincide with UN World Environment day on Saturday.

Last year the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation said that food production would have to increase globally by 70% by 2050 to feed the world's surging population. 

The panel says that efficiency gains in agriculture will be overwhelmed by the expected population growth.

Prof Hertwich, who is also the director of the industrial ecology programme at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said that developing countries – where much of this population growth will take place – must not follow the western world's pattern of increasing consumption: 

"Developing countries should not follow our model. But it's up to us to develop the technologies in, say, renewable energy or irrigation methods."








Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet

Audio recordings of humpback whales

June 06, 2013



In the Summer 2013 article "Whale song" Larry Pynn reveals that there is a growing network of hydrophones operating in British Columbia, from south of Vancouver Island all the way up the north coast. The underwater listening devices are, in part, giving scientists a better understanding of how marine noises might impact whales and other mammals.

Janie Wray and Hermann Meuter of Cetacealab on Gil Island are among those who dedicate their time to recording whale songs. They generously shared the following audio clips, recorded on three separate occasions.




The Whale song 1 audio clip is also available on YouTube


The Whale song 2 audio clip is also available on YouTube











The Whale song 3 audio clip is also available on YouTube
June 06, 2013




Source: http://bcmag.ca/explore-more/audio-recordings-of-humpback-whales

Vancouver Island Blue Slug

Photo: Kristiina Ovaska

There are four slugs in the province that can drop their tails when faced with a predator. The blue-grey taildropper is the most rare. 

Have You Seen The Blue-Grey Taildropper?

Jenny Manzer May 30, 2013

Only discovered on Vancouver Island in 2002, the blue-grey taildropper slug is as mysterious as it is beautiful. Hikers fortunate enough to glimpse the endangered slug might mistake it for a lost gemstone. Its colour ranges from pale seawater grey to striking topaz blue. Prophysaon coeruleum is also notable for dropping its tail when grabbed by a predator. The slug is less than three centimetres long, has tentacles, a mantle covering almost half its body, and a slit-like breathing pore.

The rare taildropper feeds on mycorrhizal fungi, which grow on roots and help trees and plants capture nutrients. Biologists also believe the slug spreads beneficial spores through its droppings. Recorded sightings suggest it favours moist forests, particularly endangered Garry Oak meadows and older Douglas-fir forests with arbutus trees.

Kristiina Ovaska, a biologist with the Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT ), was astonished by how little is known about the province’s native slugs. “People tend to focus on the bigger things,” she says. “Here you have to dig in the forest to find many of these species.”

The slug’s Canadian range is limited to southern Vancouver Island, and its numbers are unknown. Anyone who thinks they’ve spotted a blue-grey taildropper is urged to send photos to HAT for identification (hatmail@hat.bc.ca). An identification guide is available online at hat.bc.ca.









Source:
http://bcmag.ca/explore-more/blue-grey-taildropper

FARM SANCTUARY WARNS OF UNSAFE AND INHUMANE FOOD PROCESSING

YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ this new Huffington Post blog by Farm Sanctuary’s Senior Advocacy Director Bruce Friedrich titled “USDA Inspector General: Food Safety and Humane Slaughter Laws Ignored With Impunity.” 

Basically, according to a new report released last week by the USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG),contaminated pork is pouring out of slaughterhouses. Surprisingly, perhaps because of the Farm Bill, there hasn’t been even one sentence written about the report in the media, beyond a few meat industry Blogs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-friedrich/usda-inspector-general-fo_b_3333853.html

I hope you will consider writing about this extremely concerning report, or sharing a link to Bruce’s blog. Bruce Friedrich is available for interview any time.

Cheers,

Meredith Turner

Media Relations Specialist

646-369-6212

Connect with Farm Sanctuary:

Facebook| Twitter | YouTube | FarmSanctuary.org

Give Thanks

“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in ink.”

- (C.K. Chesterton)

Albert Einstein prescribes compassion for all living creatures and the whole of nature

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the "Universe," a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

- Albert Einstein

Earth Day

Earth Day Puts a Face on Climate Change

Interactive Digital Mosaic Shown at Thousands of Events Worldwide as Over One Billion People Take Action to Protect the Environment

WASHINGTON – Today is Earth Day, and over one billion people in approximately 192 countries are taking action to protect the environment. From London to Sao Paolo, Seoul to Babylon City, New Delhi to New York, Rome to Cairo, people everywhere are mobilizing their communities and helping depict The Face of Climate Change, the theme of Earth Day 2013.

Earth Day Network, the organization that coordinates Earth Day around the world each year, is collecting images of people, animals and places affected by climate change, as well as images and stories from people doing their part in the fight against climate change. During the days surrounding Earth Day, an interactive digital display of all the images is being shown at thousands of events around the world as people continue to upload photos of their actions in real-time.

“This interactive mosaic is depicting the very real impact that climate change is having on people’s lives and uniting Earth Day events around the world into one call for climate action,” said Franklin Russell, director of Earth Day at Earth Day Network. “The stories we’ve collected so far have been inspiring.”

As of press time, the campaign had photo-testimonials from 128 countries and 46 U.S. states. And they will continue to pour in as events unfold today and throughout the week.

Examples of the thousands of user-submitted stories include a mountaineer in New Zealand who reported on receding glaciers and an organization in Thailand who installed solar panels at a refugee camp on the Myanmar border.

Organizers are encouraged by the level of participation and enthusiasm and plan to continue the campaign in an effort to build the climate movement.

Earth Day is the largest secular event in the world – and more people join in every year. On and around Earth Day, people of all ages and backgrounds come together to haul garbage, clean up coral reefs and mountain trails, show movies, sign petitions, march to solve the climate crises, hold town hall meetings to plan a better future, and rally to save endangered species. More than 100 million schoolchildren around the world learn about the importance of clean air and water. Thousands of federal, state, and local governments issue reports about their environmental achievements and make pledges to improve their environmental performance and invest in green technology. And tens of thousands of clergy members give sermons about the importance of protecting God's creation.

“In short, Earth Day participants not only get a lot done, they also demonstrate that human beings everywhere are driven by their faith, their conscience, their sense of duty, or by a moral imperative to save the planet,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “It is staggering to think about one billion people working together in a collective action.”

To view The Face of Climate Change photo display, go to www.earthday.org/faces. To learn more about Earth Day 2013 and The Face of Climate Change, go to www.earthday.org/2013. To see highlights from The Face of Climate Change and Earth Day events around the world, go to www.earthday.org/highlights-submissions.
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Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries through year-round advocacy, education, and public policy campaigns to protect the environment. www.earthday.org

Greenpeace app helps consumers find forest-friendly tissue products

This is one way to get to the practicalities of "voting with your dollars".  Never buy the RED products and the producers will be forced to make some changes... 

...................................................

 

Greenpeace’s app helps consumers find forest-friendly tissue products

22 April 2013 (Toronto) – Consumers have a new tool for making forest-friendly tissue product decisions, says Greenpeace Canada.

The organization launched its first Green Tissue Guide mobile application today, which features a catalogue of over 150 tissue products like paper towels, toilet paper, tissues and napkins found in Canadian stores across the country. The app is free to download from the App Store or Google Play store in both English and French.

Users can browse by rating, name, category or brand. Each item is displayed with a photo making it easy to identify the product in-store. It includes both generic and name brand items such as Bounty, Charmin and President’s Choice.

A product’s rating is determined by its percentage of recycled content and whether it is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. At a glance, users can see whether their favorite brand is forest-friendly with a simple green, amber and red icon assigned to each product.

The ratings are explained as follows:

Green: Made from 100 per cent recycled paper fibre. The best option for the environment.

 Amber: Less than 100 per cent recycled but FSC certified. FSC is designed to ensure responsible forest management. A smart choice when recycled products are not available.

Red: Contains no recycled fibre and likely comes from destructive logging operations. Avoid these products.

“Shopping aisles are piled high with tissue products making questionable sustainability claims, making it tough to know which ones are forest friendly,” said Shane Moffatt, forest campaigner for Greenpeace Canada. “The Green Tissue Guide allows you to confidently make the greenest choices at the counter, rewarding companies that take responsible sourcing seriously and holding accountable those that do not.”

With over 50 green rated products in the application, it’s easier than consumers may think to bring forest friendly products into their home.”
The app can be downloaded at greenpeace.ca/greentissueguide. Product suggestions, comments or questions can be emailed to guide@greenpeace.ca.

- 30 -

Notes:
Screenshots from application: http://www.greenpeace.ca/images
For more information:
Holly Postlethwaite, Media and Public Relations Officer, (416) 524-8496
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Meditate Twice a Day - It is Free!

Researchers are exploring the benefits of meditation on everything from heart disease to obesity. Sumathi Reddy and Dr. Aditi Nerurkar join Lunch Break.


Doctor's Orders: 20 Minutes Of Meditation Twice a Day


At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, doctor's orders can include an unlikely prescription: meditation.

"I recommend five minutes, twice a day, and then gradually increase," said Aditi Nerurkar, a primary-care doctor and assistant medical director of the Cheng & Tsui Center for Integrative Care, which offers alternative medical treatment at the Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital. "It's basically the same way I prescribe medicine. I don't start you on a high dose right away." She recommends that patients eventually work up to about 20 minutes of meditating, twice a day, for conditions including insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome.

Integrative medicine programs including meditation are increasingly showing up at hospitals and clinics across the country. Recent research has found that meditation can lower blood pressure and help patients with chronic illness cope with pain and depression.  

In a study published last year, meditation sharply reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke among a group of African-Americans with heart disease.

At Beth Israel Deaconess, meditation and other mind-body therapies are slowly being worked into the primary-care setting. The program began offering some services over the past six months and hopes eventually to have group meditation classes, said Dr. Nerurkar.

Health experts say meditation shouldn't be used to replace traditional medical therapies, but rather to complement them. While it is clear that "when you breathe in a very slow, conscious way it temporarily lowers your blood pressure," such techniques shouldn't be used to substitute for medications to manage high blood pressure and other serious conditions, said Josephine Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health. In general, she said, meditation can be useful for symptom management, not to cure or treat disease.
Dr. Briggs said the agency is funding a number of studies looking at meditation and breathing techniques and their effect on numerous conditions, including hot flashes that occur during menopause. If meditation is found to be beneficial, it could help women avoid using hormone treatments, which can have detrimental side effects, she said.
 

The most common type of meditation recommended by doctors and used in hospital programs is called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, which was devised at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  
Dr. Nerurkar said she doesn't send patients to a class for training. Instead, she and other physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess will demonstrate the technique in the office. "Really it's just sitting in a quiet posture that's comfortable, closing your eyes and watching your breath," she said.
Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., says it isn't clearly understood how meditation works on the body. 

Some forms of meditation have been found to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the body's relaxation response, improves blood supply, slows down heart rate and breathing and increases digestive activity, he said. It also slows down the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol.

Dr. Doraiswamy says he recommends meditation for people with depression, panic or anxiety disorders, ongoing stress, or for general health maintenance of brain alertness and cardiovascular health.
Thousands of studies have been published that look at meditation, Dr. Doraiswamy said. Of these, about 500 have been clinical trials testing meditation for various ailments, but only about 40 trials have been long-term studies. 

It isn't known whether there is an optimal amount of time for meditating that is most effective. And, it hasn't been conclusively shown that the practice causes people to live longer or prevents them from getting certain chronic diseases.

Some short-term studies have found meditation can improve cognitive abilities such as attention and memory, said Dr. Doraiswamy. 

Using imaging, scientists have shown that meditation can improve the functional performance of specific circuits in the brain and may reduce age-related shrinkage of several brain centers, particularly those that may be vulnerable in disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
 

Recent research found that meditation can result in molecular changes affecting the length of telomeres, a protective covering at the end of chromosomes that gets shorter as people age. 

The study involved 40 family caregivers of dementia patients. Half of the participants meditated briefly on a daily basis and the other half listened to relaxing music for 12 minutes a day. 

The eight-week study found that people who meditated showed a 43% improvement in telomerase activity, an enzyme that regulates telomere length, compared with a 3.7% gain in the group listening to music. 

The participants meditating also showed improved mental and cognitive functioning and lower levels of depression compared with the control group. The pilot study was published in January in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Government-funded research also is exploring meditation's effect on dieting and depression.





Write to Sumathi Reddy at sumathi.reddy@wsj.com

A version of this article appeared April 16, 2013, on page D1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Doctor's Orders: 20 Minutes Of Meditation Twice a Day.



More About the Mind and Body
Rewiring the Brain to Ease Pain 11/15/2011
Anxiety Can Bring Out the Best 6/18/2012





Source: /article/SB10001424127887324345804578424863782143682.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_lifestyle

How2Recycle Label

How2Recycle Label Completes Successful Soft Launch and Welcomes The Kellogg Company

Kellogg’s Joins Leading Brands in Implementing the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Recycling Label as Project Enters New Phase

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, March 20, 2013 – The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), a project of sustainability nonprofit GreenBlue, today announced the successful completion of the soft launch phase of its How2Recycle recycling labeling system. In addition, major brand name Kellogg’s will be joining the 11 other leading companies already taking advantage of the How2Recycle Label, including Ampac, Best Buy, Clorox, Costco Wholesale, Esteé Lauder Companies Aveda Brand, General Mills, Microsoft, Minute Maid, Sealed Air, Seventh Generation, and REI. A photo gallery of the packages currently carrying the label is available here.

The How2Recycle Label is the only labeling system for packaging that communicates recyclability across all material types and gives explicit directions to consumers to influence their recycling behavior, and specifies when a package component is not recyclable. Research completed prior to and during the soft launch phase of the project has confirmed that the Label is understood by consumers, leads consumers to action, elicits positive impressions of products and companies, and meets Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements. In addition, the Label has proven to be a valuable tool for companies wishing to understand the specific recyclability of their packaging. In short, the Label is fulfilling the project’s goal of improving both the quality and quantity of package recycling. The complete Soft Launch Report is available for download free of charge.

In addition, GreenBlue is delighted to welcome The Kellogg Company to the How2Recycle Label program, and the public can expect to see the Label on a variety of familiar Kellogg’s and Kashi brand products this upcoming April.

“At Kellogg, we have a long-standing commitment to sustainability, and the How2Recycle Label on our products honors that legacy,” said Melissa Craig of The Kellogg Company. “We continually look for ways to educate consumers on the recyclability of our packaging materials. Consumers need clear, concise communication when it comes to recycling, so materials that can be reclaimed don’t accidentally end up in landfills. This label helps ensure all packaging components are recycled, as intended, to further reduce the environmental impact of our products and promote conservation.”

Of note is Kellogg’s use of the How2Recycle “Store Drop-off” version of the Label for certain plastic bags, wraps, and other films acceptable at many retail locations for recycling with plastic carry-out bags. The familiar cereal “bag in box” format will carry this label as it applies to the inside bag liner. The SPC has partnered with the Flexible Film Recycling Group of the American Chemistry Council to increase use of this label and awareness regarding film plastic recycling. The paperboard box remains recyclable to the majority of the public either at curbside or municipal drop-off locations.

Kellogg’s paperboard formats also carry the Recycled Paperboard Alliance’s (RPA) “100% recycled paperboard” symbol, making the important connection between the act of recycling and the critically important issue of buying products made from recycled materials. Paul Schutes, Executive Director of the RPA, commented, “The How2Recycle Label will lead to greater consumer understanding about the recyclability of fiber based packaging, leading to more fiber being collected, which is important to the 100% recycled paperboard industry.”

Full implementation of the label is now underway, and companies interested in participating are encouraged to contact GreenBlue soon, as it often takes considerable lead-time to integrate the Label into a company’s packaging process. The SPC’s goal is for the Label to appear on the majority of consumer product packaging by 2016.

“This long-term project of the SPC is poised to make a significant impact,” says GreenBlue Senior Manager Anne Bedarf, who with GreenBlue Project Associate Danielle Peacock has led the development of the How2Recycle Label. “With the revision of the FTC’s Green Guides, attention again has turned to accurate and transparent recyclability messaging, and the SPC’s How2Recycle Label is quickly becoming the industry standard. We designed the business model with a tiered structure to encourage participation by businesses of all sizes, and we look forward to working with a diverse group of forward-thinking companies and stakeholders as we enter the next phase.”

Companies interested in using the Label on their products can go to http://www.how2recycle.info/how2join/ and contact Ms. Bedarf at 434.817.1424 ext. 314 or anne.bedarf@greenblue.org.

About GreenBlue and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition

GreenBlue® is a nonprofit that equips business with the science and resources to make products more sustainable. GreenBlue currently works in three program areas: chemicals, packaging, and forest products, as well as working one-on-one with companies through GreenBlue Advisory Services. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition®, a project of GreenBlue, is an industry working group of approximately 200 companies and other organizations from across the packaging supply chain. Through strong member support, a science-based approach, and supply chain collaborations, the SPC endeavors to build packaging systems that encourage economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials.

Contact

Ruthann Carr

Communications and Events Coordinator

434.817.1424 ext. 306

ruthann.carr@greenblue.org

Strategic Planning Made Simple

Strategic planning doesn't have to be hard. Here's how.

 

Published on January 30, 2010 by Jennell Evans in Smart@Work

 

 

 

In the workplace, the words "strategic plan" tend to either energize people or drain them, depending on their past experience with the discipline.
As an organizational development consultant, I often speak with workplace leaders about the value of having a simple strategic plan that aligns people and processes to achieve shared goals.
Sounds like common sense, right? Doesn't every organization have one? No, and it got me thinking about why some companies and nonprofits do not have one.
I think misperceptions about what is involved in creating a practical and effective strategic plan can create false barriers to undertaking the process. Some of those misperceptions may be rooted in business practices that were popular many years ago. In the 70's and 80's, during the peak of the TQM (total quality management) movement, people would spend hours upon hours developing lengthy, detailed 5+ year strategic plans that often ended up in someone's files, never to be seen again. Strategic planning was not sexy, and more likely viewed as a dull, laborious task that quickly became outdated. Once the "Strategic Planning Box" was officially checked, people continued to work in silos, focus on their area of responsibility, and individual to-do list.

In the 90's, the speed of organizational change revved up to a pace that dictated strategic plans be shorter and relevant for just 6-12 months. Later, during the dot-com era, strategic planning became almost non-existent or perhaps too "old-school" to be perceived as adding any value to an organization. Some of the brilliant high tech start-ups might have ended up very differently if they had developed a strategic plan to bring their concepts to reality in the marketplace.

Fast forward to 2010. The economic downturn has provided time for leaders to reflect, recalibrate, and strategize for the future. What made organizations successful in the past may not be what will keep them successful in the future. Today, more organizations appear to be taking time to develop simple strategic plans as an inclusive process, and one that may combine the best of all lessons learned from the past.
I've worked with organizations that have benefited greatly from even a plan with just six core elements defined:

1. Vision 
2. Mission
3. Core Values
4. Strategic Areas of Focus 
5. Strategic Goals
6. Action Plans

Simple strategic plans can be created collaboratively, updated frequently, and most importantly, implemented to ensure a R.O.I. In future blogs, I will expand on the core components of the simple strategic plan concept and share some real life examples of vision statements, core values, and more.



 http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smartwork/201001/strategic-planning-made-simple