In this episode, information is provided on the dangers of climate change, with a major contributor being animal-people meat production and how the simplest and easiest solution is abstaining from animal-people flesh.
Jeffrey: (I am optimistic about the goals of today’s conference, and conferences like this taking place all over this nation. So on behalf of my colleagues and the city council and the entire city of West Hollywood, I want to welcome you here to our community and thank you for the leadership that you’re providing. West Hollywood, as always, is eager and prepared to stand with you in this fight. Thank you so much. (Woah!)
MC: Jane Velez-Mitchell: And I would like to say that there are a lot of vegan restaurants and vegan options offered in West Hollywood. And we love that, don’t we? (Yeah!) Woah!
As we’ve been saying, climate change is a worldwide movement. And we’ve got an international, a truly international set here today, and I’m not just referring to myself. Now, I would like to introduce my co-host for this amazing live broadcast, from Canada, writer Donald Gilmore. Take it away, Donald.
MC: Donald Gilmore: Thank you, Jane. The climate change crisis is no longer a subject of debate. Scientists, politicians, corporate leaders, and religious leaders of all faiths are urging the public to change their lifestyle to curb global warming by recycling more and using less energy and water. However, the most effective and immediate solution which literally can slash three-quarters of global warming gases plaguing us is the one thing nobody seems to be talking about. It’s very simple: Change your diet.
MC: Jane Velez-Mitchell: That is for sure. This is Mother Nature’s fast food. You pick it up, you take a bite, and you eat it. What could be faster? We’re happy to say that now for the first time, environmental groups, animal rights advocates, interfaith groups, and yes, even the media, are coming together to help the world wake up to the madness of the average American diet, a self-destructive diet which is unfortunately being spread around the world, as you referred to, Donald.
MC: Donald Gilmore Very much so. But don’t take it just from us. Let’s hear it from the experts who have studied the global warming crisis scientifically and meticulously.
VO: Climate change as a self-inflicted wound, if you like…
…can wipe out the very meager assets.
We have reached a point where we have a real emergency.
Climate change is responsible for conflicts that can only deepen in the future if we don’t act as soon as possible.
We will have a catastrophe added to another catastrophe.
To the spread of disease.
If the future of the world depended on me, what would I do?
The North polar ice cap is melting so fast. But what seems to me to be important is that some of the effects we are witnessing now are happening twice as fast as scientists were predicting just five years ago.
A report issued earlier this year by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded both that global temperatures are rising, and that this is caused largely by human activities.
And if you look at the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC, we’ve assessed several stabilization scenarios.
In 2010, there could already be as many as 50 million environmentally displaced persons due to climate change, desertification and deforestation.
Experts tell us that the situation underlying the crisis is not a temporary one.
And it’s getting more and more difficult every day.
The doomsday clock of climate change is ticking ever faster towards midnight. We’re simply not reacting quickly enough.
So climate change is obviously going to have a major negative impact.
The scale and the pace of environmental change at the beginning of the 21st century are a serious wake-up call to us as human beings on this planet.
The challenge you face is to prove to people that you are serious about adaptation to the unavoidable.
Meat production and consumption is hugely intensive in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. …more than all cars, trucks and ships added together.
The food we eat and how it’s grown and the kind of food we eat matters a lot.
Everything comes with an environmental price, beef production in particular.
We consume far too much meat in this world.
There’s where the climate problem is, our meat consumption.
…something that’s harmful even for human health.
Today, if we want to reduce CO2 emissions, the vegan lifestyle is absolutely a very effective way.
I do eat a lot of vegetarian meals. I think that’s something we can all do.
There are some wonderful environmental benefits in terms of taking a couple of steps lower down the food chain.
Just for one day or more than that, become a [vegan].
Let us approach climate change not simply as a looming future threat, but as a present opportunity to work together.
The time for action is now.
Individuals can take action.
If we once understand this and take the necessary actions, then we actually have a much better situation.
And if you eat less meat, you will be healthier and so will the planet.
Then there’s some kind of realization of individual responsibility to take care of this planet.
We cannot be anything less than courageous and revolutionary in our approach to tackling climate change.
It’s a win-win situation if you eat less meat.
Be Veg, Go Green, and Save our Planet.
MC: Jane Velez-Mitchell: That is amazing! I didn’t know Prince Charles was a vegan! Well, I guess he is now, right? Or he’d better be soon. Put your money where your mouth is, right?
Alright, we are so excited today to have with us one of the groundbreaking leaders in this movement. He is the author of the bestselling book, “The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony.” What a great title, what a great book, and let me introduce now, Dr. Will Tuttle!
Dr. Will: It’s great to be here. As we just heard, I’m Dr. Will Tuttle, and I am the author of the “World Peace Diet.” And I’ve been a vegan for about 28 years. Thank you.
About maybe 10 or 15 years ago, I started thinking that someone should write a book that gives not just the environmental implications and the health implications and the implications for animal cruelty to our meals, but actually the bigger picture of what it does to us spiritually and psychologically, the history and anthropology of this whole culture, and the main role that seeing animals merely as commodities plays in our own difficulty in solving our problems. So, I was thinking that someone would write a book that would give this big picture, and I was waiting for it to be written. And my wife said – Madeleine, my spouse – said, “If you want to read that book, I think you’d better write it.” So, (Yeah.) I spent five years and wrote the book. And I’m really honored to be here today and be part of this movement, which I believe in my heart is the most powerful movement on this planet for a positive evolution, for peace and harmony.
And I’d like to take some time now to introduce Supreme Master Ching Hai. When I first saw the videos of Supreme Master Ching Hai back in the 1980’s, I was immediately struck by Her benevolent presence and Her relaxed and profound wisdom. As the years have gone by, my respect for Her as a spiritual teacher has grown so much, that I see Her as one of the most brilliant and inspiring lights shining on this Earth today.
Whenever I become despairing of humanity’s blindness and cruelty, I need only think of Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her loving and enthusiastic students, and all the work they are selflessly doing to promote Compassion and Peace. And I know She is inspiring a great movement to raise consciousness here on this planet.
When people ask me whose spiritual teachings and example I recommend most highly, it is Supreme Master Ching Hai. To me, She is a living miracle. On the outer physical side, She is a petite Asian woman from an ordinary village. Growing up in Vietnam, She partook of both the Christian and Buddhist traditions, and also knew firsthand of the horrors of war.
I think that from Her childhood, there was a love for all life shining in Her like a bright star, always leading Her, and She eventually moved to Germany and married a German doctor, and worked in social programs there.
Her spiritual calling beckoned so strongly, though, that She felt She had to travel to India, and with Her husband’s loving blessing, She went to the Himalayas seeking an authentic spiritual teacher. She endured many hardships there, but eventually found a great Teacher in the remote mountains. And through Her intense meditation practice, She attained deep insight into the nature of reality.
She returned to eastern Asia with no thought of teaching, but the Light of Her Love and Wisdom was irresistible, and She quickly became a magnet for students seeking spiritual inspiration and guidance. As awareness of Her teaching and healing presence spread, thousands of people were inspired by Her example, and spontaneously, meditation centers were formed all over the world, with both regular meditation sessions as well as community outreach projects to help those in need.
