On today’s program, we’ll travel to Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada to visit Farmhouse Garden Animal Home, an animal sanctuary co-founded in 2016 by Michael Lanigan and Edith Barabash. For many years, Mr. Lanigan had been a fulltime farmer, earning his income by growing organic vegetables and raising beef cattle for slaughter. Although he did not like having his animals butchered, he did not know what e

Mr. Guttman describes how he was able to achieve his dreams by incorporating minimalism into his life, and how ecofriendly travel is attainable by the ordinary person. "You know, now I just have my bicycle, a few bags, and it's my whole life. I’m traveling on my own money. Some ask how I get the money to do it. Some say you have to have a lot of money. Or you won the lottery. Or you have to be rich to be able to do it. That's not true. I travel on US$12 a day and you can do your math how much it costs in a month or a year. What I spend in one year is the same as some people spend in two weeks on a holiday. So, you have to remember that." Are you looking to reduce your emissions in the area of lodging? Try camping. Homestays are another great option to help locals earn income while offering the traveler accommodations that are affordable. If that’s not available, stay at a smaller, independent, locally owned, and most importantly, environmentally conscious place; you don’t always have to stay at a big chain hotel. With a little research you can even find a relaxing hotel or resort that puts those core values into practice – like a vegan hotel. No matter where you stay, conserve energy and resources as you would at home, and bring your own reusable water bottle, straw, and utensils to reduce waste. "When you're thinking about ecotourism, I would highly, highly suggest for everyone travel slowly and less places, and coming together with locals on the same level, not to be arrogant thinking I'm rich and I want you to do this and that for me, no. Come and meet local people on the same level, on the same base. Traveling slowly, respect people and you get a good time. But it would be much better if we’re using less planes and less cars. Just travel on public transports or using your own power moving around as eco-tourists, because otherwise we are ruining our world. And I want to invite everyone to go vegan because I think it's really important to go vegan and eat less meat because we have to save our world and also to be grateful and thankful for your own body and it's your own strength and your own health. Remember that, it’s really important to what you eat, and I will say just be vegan, go green and save the planet!"

Our special guest on today’s program, Sebastian Guttman, is an environmentalist and vegan athlete from Germany who has chosen to use a zero-emissions form of travel with his selfmade bamboo bicycle. A champion of sustainable travel, Mr. Guttman has traveled to approximately 30 countries over the past two-and-a-half years, and plans to pause his bicycle tour during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I would h

In 2019, a record number of people traveled internationally, 1.5 billion, to be exact. However, conventional mass travel has been shown to be unsustainable and actually has many hidden, deeply intertwined costs for both tourist destinations and our planet. The good news is that over the past decade trends in travel have been changing considerably. As the world becomes more aware of the threats that human-induced climate change poses to people, our planet, and our future; ways to reduce the carbon footprint of activities such as mass tourism are being sought. What can we do about our recreational travel habits? The answer is ecotourism. Ecotourism is a way of travelling that minimizes the environmental impact of visiting tourist destinations, while respecting the local culture and people. The practice allows host countries to benefit and future generations to enjoy these beautiful areas as much as we do. Now let’s find out what researchers from Purdue University in Indiana, USA have to say about this new trend. "Heritage and culture and its protection are very important parts of sustainability. They are very vulnerable to the negative effects of tourism, which is why we need to ensure that we have the correct policies in place to ensure its protection for future generations." "I study community-based tourism and that is a form of tourism that is being operated by a community, usually in rural areas, specifically in rural areas in Indonesia for my research. I think identifying the resources that they have is really important and how they can use that to show their culture, and then, once they’ve identified those things, then the tourism operation can be initiated." "Sustainable tourism is about looking after people’s economic well-being, it’s about looking after their heritage and their culture, and it’s also about looking after the environment so that we can keep these three things working together for the benefit of the communities." Many thanks, Purdue University students, for sharing your knowledge about eco-tourism. May your research continue to touch the lives of all the planet’s inhabitants.

In late May 2020, a 23-square-kilometer horde of locusts entered Argentina after passing through Paraguay. The insects landed first in the provinces of Santa Fé and Formosa, both of which are essential for agriculture. Millions invaded cities and farms, devouring all the crops in the area in a matter of hours. The locusts were enormous; technicians from the Argentine government measured specimens up to 15 centimeters in length, about the size of a human hand. Climate change experts warn the warming oceans that feed cyclones and heavy rains have led to record-breaking groups of desert locusts, which could grow larger and more widespread if climate change continues. Is there a spiritual meaning to all of this? Locust attacks are mentioned in almost all the world’s ancient texts, from wall paintings on Egyptians pyramids to the Holy Bible and Holy Qur’an. In the Christian tradition swarms of locusts have typically been associated with the end of the world, stemming from a prophecy about an apocalypse. Numerous scientific reports conclude that the animal livestock industry is responsible for massive levels of greenhouse gas emissions leading to climatic change and thus recommend that people shift to a plant-based diet. Supreme Master Ching Hai also explains that worldwide adoption of the vegan lifestyle is the fastest way to halt climate change. “According to the latest report, animals are responsible for 51%, at least, of all the greenhouse gas emissions that heat up the planet. So, if we stop the animal industry, we cut out 51% of the heat. And then, if we use all the tillable land, all the cultivable land, to plant organic vegetables and fruits, then we cut off another 40%, at least, of carbon dioxide that exists. The planet cools off in a few years.” “But we can only stop the disaster once and for all by tackling the root problem; that is, by stopping the killing of humans, and mass murdering of innocent animal lives. Only when we walk in peace and love on this Earth will the Earth and nature respond peacefully to us. If we protect others, we will be protected. And as more of us become vegan, the spiritual consciousness of humankind can be elevated higher. Let’s continue striving to touch people’s hearts and minds, to change to a vegan lifestyle, and to love the precious animals and our respected planet. Then, the changes in our world could happen in more surprising speed than you think!”

On today’s program, we’ll travel to Pakistan and India to learn how the insects have affected these countries. But first, let’s find out more about locusts, and why they’ve been so plentiful during the past year. Many scientists believe that climate change is largely responsible for the current locust plague. The unusually warm, wet weather in the normally arid areas around the Arabian Peninsula have created ideal conditions for the insects to hatch and multiply. (The) reason behind increased breeding of locusts this year [is] the Indian Ocean temperature changes, (and) increased numbers of abnormal rains and cyclones. So, increasingly, the number of insects over the Arabian Desert [is] roughly 8,000-fold. This year’s attack has been the worst in three decades. Scientists predict that the disaster will enhance as we enter monsoon season. This year’s outbreak has been the worst in Pakistan in nearly three decades, causing billions of dollars in damage and raising concern about food shortages. Pakistan’s prime minister, His Excellency Imran Khan, Shining World Leadership Award for Good Governance laureate, declared the invasion a national emergency, and the government has pledged to assist farmers. Since April 2020, swarms of locusts of biblical proportions have been attacking India. The skies over some parts of the country have been blackened by the insects soaring overhead. The vast swarms have devastated crops in India's heartland, and are now threatening food supplies in the world’s second-most populous country. And the locusts continued to move through the nation. On June 29, 2020, a cloud of insects several kilometers long swarmed into New Delhi, India’s capital region, flying through metro stations and playgrounds, invading sugar cane fields and threatening major losses to the agricultural sector. The infestation came at an already difficult time for New Delhi. Dr. Anshu Sharma of the Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), a non-profit disaster management organization, says that India faces a number of challenges in the months ahead: "We need to be alert and anticipate where this is going next. The situation is all the more alarming as it comes at a time when the affected states are already reeling under COVID-19 and the ongoing heatwave."

On today’s program we’ll travel to Africa to learn about the recent massive invasion of locusts that the continent has experienced. The plague began in June 2019 and has continued through 2020. Billions of desert locusts, resembling dark storm clouds, have descended on the Horn of Africa, destroying vast areas of cropland and vegetation. Dr. Rick Overson of Arizona State University's Global Locust Initiative further explains, "They are powerful, long-distance flyers, so they can easily go a hundred-plus kilometers in a 24-hour period. They can easily move across countries in a matter of days, which is one of the other major challenges in coordinated efforts that are required between nations and institutions to manage them." The locust plague came as many countries in East Africa were already struggling to manage food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 20 million people are experiencing acute food scarcity in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. As billions of locusts have invaded farmers’ crops, the swarms have multiplied by as much as 400 times, spreading far beyond Kenya’s borders. An article in the scientific journal Nature reported that in Kenya one unusually large swarm occupied an area of 2,400 square kilometers, more than three times the size of New York City. Swarms typically occupy 100 square kilometers. Even at this size, they can contain from four- to eight-billion locusts, which can consume the amount of food 3.5 million people would eat in a day. “The swarms came from Yemen, then down from the Red Sea to the Horn of Africa. The unusual warm temperatures off the coast are partly to blame. The recent heavy rainfall has created the perfect breeding conditions.” The amount of unpredictable weather to come will be crucial in determining how long the crisis lasts and which areas will be affected next. Climate change experts have warned that warming oceans that feed cyclones could continue to create conditions for record-breaking swarms of desert locusts. Such plagues could grow larger and more widespread if climate change continues.

On today’s program, we’ll look at some of the solutions emerging all around the globe. According to a 2019 study published in the journal Science Progress, as many as 90% of all plastic items are used only once and then discarded. Plastic bags are among the biggest sources of pollution, with as many as five trillion being consumed globally each year. When disposed of improperly, the bags clog waterways, pollute oceans, and choke marine life. Many nations have decided that this must stop. As of 2020, more than 90 countries have banned the use of single-use plastic bags, and an additional 36 nations minimize the problem by applying fees for their use. Sadhguru, an internationally renowned spiritual teacher and founder of the Isha Foundation, calls for global action both by individual citizens and governments. “I am talking about one simple solution. This is not a total solution. This is a simple correction step. That is, single use plastic must be banned in all the countries.” Currently, plastic is made primarily from petroleum. But scientists around the world are searching diligently for alternative, more eco-friendly materials from which to make it. For example, polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA, is a biodegradable material derived from plant-based sources. Mr. Dane Anderson and his twin brother Mr. Jeff Anderson have co-founded Full Cycle Bioplastics, a company that produces plastic from this more sustainable alternative. “Full Cycle Bioplastics is the company that we founded that has the technology that can turn any organic waste into a compostable and marine degradable bioplastic.” In Chile, an award-winning company called Solubag whose founders are Shining World Invention Award recipients, produces another type of eco-friendly non-plastic bag. The biodegradable Solubag material was created in 2014 from a new raw material made through a synthesis of calcium carbide and natural gas. The company’s environmentally friendly bags completely dissolve in water within five minutes and are being used in major shopping centers in Chile. Supreme Master Ching Hai frequently reminds us about the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on our environment, saying that each of us has a personal responsibility to reduce our use, especially of plastic water and drink bottles. “Plastic bottles have been the cause of suffering for much marine lives because they will float everywhere, in the river, in the lake. And then they flow also to the ocean, everywhere. And they’re not digested with time, even. And sometimes fish, or other marine life, they swallow them and it causes them a lot of pain and sickness. And sometime birds also get caught in them, or eat them and they get sick also. Please take care of the environment so that we can live in a beautiful place. Not just for the animals; it’s also for us.”

On today’s program, we continue our exploration, as we travel to Africa to visit the magnificent River Nile. This 6,650-kilometer-long waterway runs through 11 countries on the African continent, and an estimated 250 million people rely on it for drinking water, household use, and irrigation. In June 2020, the British free-to-air television news channel Sky News aired a remarkable documentary called “The Plastic Nile.” Hosted by Emmy and BAFTA-Award winning journalist and special correspondent Ms. Alex Crawford, the film revealed the extent of plastic pollution all along the river. “This is the majestic Nile, the world’s longest river, crucial to the survival of millions of people. The Nile is basically a life source for them. But now the river’s existence is threatened, like never before. Everywhere you walk, it’s all plastic. We followed the polluted waters from the river’s source. For the first time, we revealed the full extent of plastic pollution across five countries.” The pollution in the Nile has become an international issue. Every year, the River Nile dumps an estimated 18,000 tons of plastic waste into the Mediterranean Sea. It is truly a wake-up call for the world. “And we urge the international community to take immediate action, before it’s too late.” “If we don’t do anything to save the Nile, the Nile is going to die.” African governments have been taking action to halt further plastic pollution. For example, South Sudan has already taken an important step. “And also with the lack of recycling plants, all these plastics are being littered, in the end they find themselves in streams, our main streams in Juba, and during the rainy season, all these plastic bottles are washed into the river, causing a lot of pollution of the River Nile. And we know that the River Nile is very important. And we have the largest wetlands in Africa, which is the Sudd. So, the government, in 2015, came up with a ministerial order banning the use and importation of plastic bags in the country. And now it is forbidden for anyone to be using plastic bags in the country.” Kenya also banned the use of plastic bags in 2017, imposing a fine of up to US $40,000 for anyone producing, selling – or even just carrying – a plastic bag. Ethiopia and Uganda have followed suit with similar bans. Supreme Master Ching Hai has often warned about the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on humans, animals, and the environment. She also reminds us that plastic water bottles are not good for our health. “Drinking water from plastic bottles is not that healthy. The plastic leaches out tiny particles into the water. Those are the components from the plastic bottles which leach out and mix with the water. We can’t see them but the water has some of those components in it. If we continue to drink the water or soda in plastic bottles, in the long term, our blood will be full of those.”

On today’s program, we’ll examine the global issue of plastic pollution and learn how the problem began. The production of plastic is relatively new; the first manufacture only began during the 1940’s. Over the ensuing decades, we have become increasingly reliant on plastic in many aspects of our lives. If we look around us, we’ll see that we’re surrounded by plastic. Since the development of plastic products began, we have produced approximately 8.3 billion tons of the material globally. While plastic is wonderfully strong and durable, it is also an environmental hazard for the same reason. This is so because non-biodegradable forms of plastic take hundreds of years to break down. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a plastic water bottle requires 450 years to decompose. Moreover, the vast extent of environmental damage caused by plastic is raising concern, particularly with regard to marine animals. The United Nations estimates that plastic causes the deaths of up to one million water birds every year. In 2017, a dead Cuvier’s beaked whale was discovered on the beaches of Norway, after having ingested 30 single-use plastic bags. In 2019, a dead pregnant sperm whale washed up on a beach in Sardinia, Italy. When her stomach was opened, researchers discovered 22 kg of plastic waste, including plastic fishing lines, plastic bags, plastic pipes, and even plastic dinner plates. “Due to irresponsible usage, plastic has become one of the most serious challenges in the ecological sphere.” 8 million tons of plastic end up in oceans every year Plastic makes up 10% of all of the waste we generate A million plastic bottles bought each minute 500 billion plastic bags used each year 67% of fish species in California are contaminated with plastic 94% of U.S. tap water 93% of bottled water contaminated by microplastics “They are saying, by 2050 there could be more plastic in the oceans than the fish.” What items are most frequently found in the ocean? Markus Eriksen, Co-Founder and Research Director of 5Gyres Institute explains, “What’s leaving land, heading out to sea is all this single-use packaging. It’s the straws, the bags, the bottles, the cup lids, the stir sticks; all this junk that we use once and throw away.” What can we do about this ever-growing problem? What are some of the most promising solutions?

It is becoming increasingly clear that hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones around the world are becoming stronger and potentially more deadly as the planet warms due to the climate crisis. On May 20, 2020, it was reported that Amphan, the strongest cyclonic storm since the 2007 season, had made landfall along India’s east coast and in Bangladesh. With wind speeds gusting to more than 240 km/h (150 mph) the cyclone wreaked havoc as it raced inland, disrupting power supplies to about 5.5 million homes, and causing high tidal surges and a chaotic mess along the coast. The storm prompted Bangladesh to evacuate about 2.4 million people to shelters, while in India’s West Bengal, 500,000 people had to rush to safer locations. On numerous occasions, our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai has stated that the most effective way to stop global warming is through widespread adoption of the vegan lifestyle. “We must, first of all and the most important thing, we have to stop global warming by choosing a sustainable diet that is vegan. This will almost immediately stabilize the planet, the weather, and then we can think about adapting to the changes. I hope we don’t have to adapt, but otherwise, it might be too late if we don’t take care of the problem at the root right now.” “You know, being a leader, you are supposed to lead people into the right direction, if you already know what’s good for them. It’s your duty. But it doesn’t seem like they’re doing much, or not fast enough, because they know for that piece of meat, if people continue to consume it, then the children and the other people, children, women, men, animals on this planet are going to be harmed, hurt or killed or maimed. And the other further generations, their children, their grand, grand great grandchildren, will be burned in such an inferno because of climate change due to meat consumption, meaning the meat industry. So, I don’t know why they hesitated so long, not to talk about Heavens and hells and punishments, rewarding, nothing else. As a human, we have to take care of each other, take care of other humans and animals, the weaker, lesser beings, by doing what is appropriate to protect us and protect them. For God’s sake!”

Apart from heatwaves and wildfires, climate change has also triggered many other extreme-weather events, including intense storms, floods, and blizzards. For example, a series of recent winter storms in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe led to severe downpours, floods, high tides, and other extreme weather events. The first storm, Atiyah, swept across the Republic of Ireland on December 8, 2019, with wind speeds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h). Rough seas along the west coast of Ireland were also produced by the storm. After Atiyah, Storm Brendan battered the UK on January 14, 2020, bringing rain and wind gusts of more than 80 mph (129 km/h). The highest wind gusts recorded in the Republic of Ireland reached a speed of 83 mph (134 km/h) at Roches Point on the County Cork coast and 63 mph (101 km/h) at Magilligan. In February 2020, about a month after the impact of storm Brendan, Storm Ciara, called “Britain's “storm of the century,” brought more chaos as raging winds of up to a 100 mph (161 km/h) swept across the UK and northern Europe, causing widespread flooding and travel disruptions. Another storm named Gloria arrived in Spain and France. On January 20, 2020, this Mediterranean Storm unleashed its fury across Spain with high winds, heavy rainfall, and snow. The hardest-hit areas were Murcia, Valencia, Barcelona, and the Balearic Islands. It was reported that on January 18, 2020, Canada’s province of Newfoundland and Labrador was barraged by a massive winter blizzard. As a result of the storm, 21,000 homes were left without power and a state of emergency was declared in the province, banning all road travel except for disaster-related or other urgent needs. On social media, the storm was dubbed “snowmageddon,” as snowdrifts partially buried homes. The Canadian Armed Forces were dispatched to Newfoundland and Labrador to help with recovery from the historic blizzard. All of these incidents occurred due to the severe effects of climate change on our planet’s weather system. Urgent action to end climate change is desperately needed. A scientific study by Drs. Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek, published in the journal Science, reports that a vegan diet is the “single biggest measure that can be taken to reduce environmental pollution.”

Today we’ll further explore the causes, interconnections, and solutions for our planet’s public health and economic crises. In June 2020, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released a report entitled, “COVID-19: Urgent Call to Protect People and Nature,” urging governments, corporations, organizations, and the public to take action to restore our broken relationship with nature and thus avoid future pandemics involving zoonotic infections, defined by the report as “any diseases originating from animals and transmitted to humans.” Among the many suggested initiatives to be implemented, some to be applied by governments are: a) halt the high-risk wildlife trade and increase enforcement to combat the illicit wildlife trade; and b) introduce and enforce legislation and policy actions to eliminate deforestation and conversion from supply chains. “To talk about nature is to talk about our essence, is to talk about us. The forest, the leaves, nature, the wind, the rain – it is sacred. Everything is sacred. In my language, it's called, ‘u-tã’ -- everything is sacred. Nature and the indigenous people are the whole of harmony. The indigenous people cannot live without nature, without the river. The earth has life; it cries when it is destroyed.” Defined by The International Ecotourism Society as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education,” ecotourism could be part of the solution to our profits vs. planet issues. Countries such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya, Nepal, Madagascar, and regions like Antarctica already use ecotourism as an important economic activity. The WWF for Nature report also recommends “scaling up efforts to combat the trade of illegal and high-risk species at national and international levels.” Some organizations including The International Anti-Poaching Foundation and The Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit, both in Africa, are putting forth efforts to stop the illegal hunting and capturing of wild animals. And last but not least, some enterprises have virtually taken land use out of the equation. Watergen, Ô Amazon Air Water, Solar Foods, and Fairbrics are some of the innovative businesses using air as a primary source for the development of food, water, and even clothing – avoiding the devastation of forests and the conversion of natural ecosystems, as well as preventing contact with wild fauna carrying viruses not yet known to human beings.

As various regions across the globe become hotter and drier, destructive wildfires have been growing in size, ferocity, and speed. Wildfires that caused severe destruction of ecosystems, homes, and other types of property in Australia, California, Siberia, and parts of Europe were featured on Supreme Master Television in March of this year. Unfortunately, the dismaying weather phenomena caused by climate change continue to occur unabated. Now let’s travel to the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, which is home to approximately three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people. Brazil has had more than 72,000 forest fires so far this year [2019]. More than half of them were in the Amazon. Wildfires often occur in the region during the dry season. But there has been an 84% increase from 2018, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. Like many countries, China has also seen a number of deadly forest fires due to dramatic weather effects. On March 31, 2020, a devastating wildfire broke out in Xichang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province. State television footage showed flames shooting into the sky above the city of Xichang, turning the sky orange. The fire was reported to have spread across more than 1,000 hectares of forest. In April 2020, several wildfires took place across Scotland due to dry, windy weather. More than 30 firefighters rushed to extinguish the blaze in the Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire. Six trucks and a helicopter also arrived at the scene to help put an end to the raging flames. During the same week, similar fires were seen in the Highlands, and in the city of Dumfries and Galloway and in Stirling, a city in central Scotland. In May 2020, it was reported that more than a dozen wildfires were raging across the state of Florida, USA, burning property and prompting evacuations, as excessive heat and dry weather took place. The Florida Panhandle in the northern part of the state was among the hardest hit areas. Wildfires in at least three different parts of the Panhandle damaged or destroyed buildings, forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes. “Everything is good for people if they don’t eat meat anymore. So, they should also quit it for their better life, better health, better environment, and saving this Earth home for all to enjoy, especially for their future generations. If we don’t do it now, the Earth will be gone! It’s not a matter of personal choice anymore. It’s a planetary life-and-death matter.”

“Through COVID-19 the planet has delivered its strongest warning yet that we must change our ways. Human activity has altered virtually every part of the land. As we displace the natural world, we’re destroying vital ecosystems and the biodiversity that thrives on them. We are causing climate change, harming our ability to feed ourselves, opening the door to new illnesses such as COVID-19. It’s time to listen to the planet’s warnings.” “To care for humanity, we MUST care for nature. We need our entire global community to change course. Let’s rethink what we buy and use. Adopt sustainable habits, farming, and business models. Safeguard remaining wild spaces and wildlife. And commit to a green and resilient future. As we work to build back better, let’s put nature where it belongs -- at the heart of our decision making.” “Because these infectious diseases or infectious agents are stored deep inside our wilderness. It is nature’s defense weaponry. She would release it as new pathogens that we call when we cross our limits. So, when we raise the threshold of the biodiversity loss, these pathogens – these new pathogens are emergent pathogens – are going to be released. So, it all depends on our actions. A large number of studies have shown that pathogens are in a state of undiluted equilibrium in the complex stable and undisturbed ecosystem. So, if the ecosystem remains in that state, which is undisturbed, stable, and complex, then nothing is going to happen. We are perfectly safe.” “So, in one sense COVID-19 or any other emerging zoonotic diseases is nothing but nature’s retribution. Mind that, just like the case of hornets and snakes, it’s not a deliberate murdering, you see? These zoonotic diseases are nothing but nature’s own self-defense strategy; not (an) offense, but it’s (a) defense.”

Today we’ll explore more about drought-induced conditions, this time in Asia and Australia. More than 66 million Southeast Asians have had their lives disrupted by drought in the past three decades. Severe drought and the construction of dams have driven the Mekong River to its lowest level in 100 years, endangering food supplies for tens of millions of people. In East Asia, a severe drought is plaguing east China's Anhui Province, leaving crops damaged and drinking water supplies disrupted in some of the hardest-hit regions, according to local authorities. A total of 45 cities and counties have been ravaged, with regions in three cities along the Yangtze River suffering from the worst drought in up to 50 years. In the past three decades, Mongolia has also been experiencing extreme droughts and water shortages due to the increased numbers of livestock animals being raised, and approximately 72% of the land has become severely degraded and overgrazed. In South Asia, a report by India’s government found that 600 million Indians -- nearly half the country’s population - are facing acute water shortages. Worst hit is the semi-arid region of Marathwada, infamous for the exceedingly high number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra. Large parts of Australia are currently experiencing the most severe drought on record. Farmers in Australia are already struggling with the drought, which has left entire towns without water, and the effects are now spreading to major population centers such as Sydney, where its five million residents were recently subjected to level-two water restrictions, which regulate garden watering, hosing of hard surfaces, and car washing. Supreme Master Ching Hai kindly shared the best way to stop global warming, the cause of extreme drought conditions around the globe, and thus save our planet, our Loving Home. “We still can rescue our home, planet home. Number one solution is vegan, organic vegan. Veganism will save our world. One of the most effective and fastest ways to reduce the heat in the atmosphere is to eliminate methane production. Methane not only traps up to 72 times more heat than carbon, it also goes away from the atmosphere much faster than CO2. So, if we stop producing methane, the atmosphere will cool more quickly than if we stop producing carbon dioxide. See what I mean? Organic vegan will produce beneficial cooling effect as it will cut down methane and other greenhouse gases which are fatal to our survival.”

On today’s show, we’ll explore the severe drought conditions that are affecting Africa and Europe. Home to the Sahara, the world’s largest hot desert, North Africa is one of the driest regions on Earth, where it's common to have no rainfall for more than a year in some places. However, for many years climate change has increased the lack of rain and abnormally hot weather across East Africa, Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa as well, damaging crops, increasing food prices, and driving up the aid requirements of tens of millions of already vulnerable people across the region. A record 45 million Southern Africans are food insecure as the region enters the peak of its lean season. Climate change is creating a drought crisis that’s affecting energy, food supplies and tens of millions of people every year around the world. From 1950 to 2014, droughts affected 2.2 billion people. In Europe, the damage caused by droughts between 1950 and 2014 is estimated to be 621 million euros per event. To date, 11% of the European population and 17% of the area comprising the EU have been affected by water scarcity. Europe is seeing soaring temperatures. The current drought, especially in the northern and central parts of the continent, has had a devastating impact on crops. Water is essential for us, for plants and for our crops, for just about everything on Earth. Without water, everything changes. Supreme Master Ching Hai is deeply concerned about the drought conditions around the world, especially in Africa. “In Africa, people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan, to name just a few, have been crippled by drought. According to the United Nations, desertification, which often results from felling too many trees and damage that occurs from such activities as cattle grazing, is affecting the well-being of more than 1.2 billion people in more than 100 countries at risk.” “As drought and water crises are spreading silently across the globe, affecting 44% of the world’s population, even triggering conflicts in some areas, the livestock industry is guzzling much of our precious fresh water.” “This is not to mention the 21 times of human waste that each cow produces, and the huge amount from poultry that over 70 million birds produce. As the land cannot absorb it all, much of the excess runs into our rivers and soil. But all the while, livestock production is hazardously wasting and polluting any remaining water supply. If we really want to conserve our clean, safe water for ourselves and our children, we must stop livestock production and adopt the plant-based diet.” May Heaven bless Africa and Europe. We pray to Heaven that the people of Africa and Europe quickly adopt the right answer for stopping drought and water shortages – the compassionate vegan lifestyle.

As the world warms, Earth’s climate has been undergoing intense heat waves caused by the increased chance of extremely hot days and nights. Warming air also boosts the evaporation of surface water, thus worsening the effects of droughts. More droughts create dry fields and forests that are prone to catching fire, so increased global temperatures mean longer wildfire seasons around the world. Droughts affect more people globally than any other natural disaster, because droughts don’t come and go like hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires and their start might even be mistaken for a bit of a dry spell; however, the impact of droughts builds over time. Significantly, climate change has made droughts more frequent and intense. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year an estimated 55 million people globally are affected by droughts, which are the most serious hazards to crops in nearly every part of the world. Water is one of the greatest global risks we are facing this century. One third of the world’s 7.4 billion people live in water-stress areas. One billion people live without access to safe drinking water. The western United States is experiencing a historic “megadrought” — an ongoing period of arid conditions not seen in centuries. Further south in Central America, Chile is also in the midst of what scientists have labeled a megadrought, an uninterrupted period of dry years since 2010. What are the solutions to the current global droughts? Many ways to improve the situation and prevent similar events from happening in the future have been suggested. However, Supreme Master Ching Hai describes the best approach as follows: “Stockholm International Water Institute states that 70% of water is used by agriculture. Of that amount, a lot of it is going into planting corn and soy and that is to feed animals, not humans! That’s why we’re short of water, short of food. Meat industry should be cut. That will help the planet. That will help to reserve our water, to refill our lakes and our rivers again. That is physically and scientifically speaking, I’m not talking about the merit, the bad karmic contribution that we are doing to ourselves by harming others and torturing animals and killing them just to save our stomach. So, if we really want to save the water for the world to be able to use for our daily necessity, not to talk about future generations, then we have to change to a vegetarian diet, animal-free diet. Animal industry must be out.” We pray to Heaven that the United States, Chile and other affected countries quickly find the solutions to the drought conditions and water shortages.

The threat of future zoonoses or animal-transmitted diseases is even more concerning. Currently, over 72 billion land animals are slaughtered for human consumption every year. And what’s even more troubling is that many of these animals were raised on factory farms. For years, world health experts have warned about the dangers of factory farms as uncontrolled sources of new viruses. World organizations recognize the need for international regulation of the livestock animals’ industry. Pandemics are immensely costly, both in terms of lives lost and economic costs, and most of them come from animals. Raising livestock animals and meat consumption are also the major causes of climate change, deforestation, pollution, and loss of wildlife. Ed Winters, aka “Earthling Ed,” is a vegan educator from London, England. he explains that meat consumption has been the root cause of many of the world’s deadliest diseases. As such, eating meat can no longer be considered a “personal choice.” Dr. Michael Klaper, a highly acclaimed physician, consultant, and speaker, believes the current pandemic is a warning. Dr. Klaper: “I have to say something about the origin of this scourge that we’re facing. This was not a random event. It has to do with the confinement and slaughter and eating of animals.” For more than three decades, Supreme Master Ching Hai has been reminding us about the bad karma we incur from eating meat and the need to adopt the compassionate, plant-based lifestyle. The current situation is so critical that in March 2020 Master sent an “URGENT Message to All World Leaders and Governments.” “The WORLD IS BURNING, threatens to get worse any moment, HUMANS AND ANIMALS PERISHING at an alarming rate. Heavens and Earth are plaguing us with ever new, more strange diseases. Destructive signs are evident everywhere. WARNING SIGNS ARE AMBER and obvious around our world! Our climate is accelerating. So, stopping these brutal, murderous businesses is the fastest way to cool our Earth. And this VEGAN LAW IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO SAVE OUR WORLD.” Many thanks, Supreme Master Ching Hai, for your clear guidance and direction. We pray that all beings soon adopt the noble, compassionate vegan lifestyle.

Over the past century, almost every pandemic has been a zoonoses. World authorities and organizations have become increasingly alarmed about the ever-increasing number of zoonotic diseases. The World Health Organization has also expressed concern, estimating that approximately one billion illnesses and millions of deaths occur each year from zoonoses, and that 60% of all existing infectious diseases in the world came from animals. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, China temporarily closed some of its live animal markets, but did not ban them. Many believe far bolder action is required, even on a global level. Supreme Master Ching Hai tell us it is not, and frequently reminds us that the true cause of all pandemics is meat consumption, as in a 2009 conference in Thailand. “According to the scientific study of these fatal diseases, all of them originated from human hunting or slaughter of animals for meat. This is the activity that must cease for the betterment of humanity, animals and our world - the meat eating must stop.”