Flying is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to travel, especially for long-distance trips. However, conventional airplane flights are energy-intensive and depend on fossil fuels for power. Because aircraft emissions are released high in the atmosphere, they have a potent impact on Earth’s climate, triggering chemical reactions and atmospheric effects that add greatly to planetary warming. Currently, approximately 170 electric aircraft projects are underway around the globe – up by 50% since April 2018. Many of these efforts involve futuristic designs for urban air taxis, private planes or package-delivery aircraft. But major firms have also announced plans to electrify their commercial aircraft. Inspired by Elon Musk and the Tesla electric car, Harbour Air, the largest seaplane airline in North America has built and tested the first electric seaplane. In an effort to reduce emissions from its aircraft, Harbour partnered with magniX, a research and development firm with operations in the US and Australia, to develop the first fully electric commercial aircraft. In December 2019, the modest Canadian airline got its “e-plane” off the ground, pulling ahead of other electric-flight projects, including those by big-name companies Airbus, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce. Located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, the Israeli company Eviation hopes to market the world’s first all-electric plane, called the Eviation Alice, by 2022. In 2023, Eviation may bring out an extended-range aircraft capable of traveling a distance of 745mi (1200 km). Mr. Engler added that electric planes will provide lower emissions, reduced fuel costs, and lower noise levels for passengers and communities living under flight paths. We thank all the scientists, engineers, and aviation companies currently searching for alternative ways to reduce CO2 emissions and protect our beautiful planet. May your goals soon be reached.

We spoke to Selene in early February, 2020, at the Plant Powered Expo in London, where we were so excited to learn about her new book Yes Ve-Gan! Let’s hear what she had to tell us about this exciting time in her life. “So my new book Yes Ve-Gan! was published a month ago and it’s a blueprint for vegan living, so it’s letting people know how they can make the change and also explaining why you would want to; so it does cover the three main points: health, the environment and animals. But the reason why I really wanted to write it was because I wanted to communicate the joy of veganism; how happy it makes you, just something I never anticipated.” “The biggest shock I had when I went vegan was how much I loved it and that’s something that I see reflected all the time in other vegans. Every vegan I know says their only regret is not doing it sooner and I think there is a reason for that.” In 2018, Selene found herself in the middle of a public media storm when William Sitwell, the editor of a highly respected publication, Waitrose Food magazine, ridiculed her pitch to publish a series of vegan recipes. The email mocking vegans made headlines prompting lots of conversations on mainstream news media. In the midst of the storm, Selene had the opportunity to meet with the editor and talk about veganism, which reached over 650 million views online. Looking back at this episode in her career, Selene said, “I definitely didn’t expect that reaction from the editor. But I also never could have anticipated how big the story became and how angry it made some people. And I did already know that veganism was a highly divisive subject, but what that issue really brought home was the fact that eating animals, or not eating animals, is an extremely contentious issue.” In fact, one year later, William and Selene ended up on the cover of ‘The Telegraph Magazine’ talking about veganism. The beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai applauds all the vegan media in the world, and had this to say at a climate change conference in Washington DC. “The media has a very important role in our society, everybody knows that. The printed words are very powerful. People are too busy with their daily activities, so they look to the media for informing and reporting relevant events, important matters, and all necessary information for their lives. So, the media is a useful tool to awaken one another at this crucial time: a time when our planet and the lives on it are in danger.” Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Joyfully presents the Shining World Courage & Compassion Award to Selene Nelson, with all love and high salute for your noble work. May you enjoy continued success and constant protection by Heaven.”

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.”

Selene Nelson is an author, freelance journalist and vegan activist. Her latest book, Yes Ve-Gan! is a well written guide on how and why to go vegan. Selene Nelson was a vegetarian up to 2017, when she made the transition to veganism. Let’s find out what motivated Selene to make such a change. “What motivated me to become vegan was my love for animals, first and foremost. I was already vegetarian, when I went vegan, because I’d seen slaughterhouse footage and I thought I just don’t want any part of that but it’s very easy to look away from the dairy industry and the egg industry. I did that very successfully for quite a few years and it got to a point where I couldn’t look away anymore and I confronted the reality of these industries and once you see the footage and you are aware of how awful it is, I realized I would be just a real hypocrite if I decided dairy cows didn’t matter in the same way I thought beef cows did. So, it was just a decision I felt compelled to make.” “I wanted to travel and just experience life and it was that travel experience that made me become vegan. As soon as I did, I felt like I wanted to spread the message of veganism and let people know the reality of animal agriculture and allow people to make up their own minds, because I didn’t know any of that stuff before I was vegan and I think if I had that information I would’ve made the switch sooner, so I kind of felt it was my duty or my calling as cheesy as it might sound to actually use my journalism to spread that message.” Selene writes about the three main reasons for veganism: health, the environment, and animal ethics. Having travelled so extensively around the world, she shared with us how the vegan movement was reflected in all the various countries and cultures plus the reasons to motivate the success of veganism around the world. “I think definitely in the UK and the US there has been a strong interest in the health side of it, particularly recently. You have documentaries like the Game Changers on Netflix that are really popular and getting people to understand that vegan diet is not only healthy but it can actually be the best diet for you.”

Having gained valuable experience working at Beyond Meat, Jonah saw the opportunity to begin a new vegan fast food restaurant concept, and together with the family, they conceptualized PLNT Burger. "We want to be a business for 'good.' We want to create a culture of designing businesses that benefit people, that benefit animals and the environment." "And what our mission is at PLNT Burger is to help people transition towards a more plant-based diet, to create a more just and equitable plentiful food system for all, and a healthier planet for future generations." The first PLNT Burger outlet opened in 2019. PLNT Burger is positioned as a “casual-fast food restaurant,” featuring vegan burgers with Beyond Meat vegan burger patties, as well as their own unique creations. Four stores were opened in the first nine-months of operations, riding on the power of Whole Foods Market as a strategic partner location. PLNT Burger keeps all the dishes very affordable to the masses, and has been receiving tons of positive public responses and appraisals. As a young entrepreneur, Jonah shares his strong beliefs and urges the next generation and society as a whole to act now and be the change we wish to see at this urgent time for our planet. Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Gratefully present the Goldman family, founders of Eat the Change and PLNT Burger, the Shining World Compassion Award, with all love, respect, and best wishes for your continued success. May your noble path be paved with God's immense blessings and grace.”

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?

Today, we are honored to share with you the story of a very special family, husband and wife team, Mr. Seth Goldman and Ms. Julie Farkas, together with their eldest son Jonah Goldman, who are changing the world with their golden hearts and determined actions to promote a sustainable, vegan and equitable world for all. 'Eat the change you wish to see in the world' – a witty play on words by Jonah on the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi's “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” At the height of success of Honest Tea, in 2012, one day, his wife Julie commented to him on the concept and plans of the plant-based food company – Beyond Meat. Seth quickly realized that such a company will have a far-reaching and globally significant impact on reducing the exaggerated reliance on animal agriculture and also protect the environment. “And what I found, is people don't have an innate need to kill animals; that's not an imperative, but survival and nutrition are. So, if we can create plant-based alternatives that taste as good, then we see a very good response. What’s so exciting to see consumers are choosing this approach. So I’m excited to see it’s happening. And when you have the consumers on your side, good things happen.” As of 2020, in less than eight years, since its products launched in the consumer market, Beyond Meat has become a worldwide phenomenon, now reaching around the globe and available in over 50 international markets, with over 27,000 distribution points, including now being offered in Starbucks chains in certain cities of China. The power of this social action has been powerfully evident during the lockdown situation in the USA, in response to the COVID-19, where a Bloomberg article reported that sales of plant-based meat substitutes increased 264% compared to before the lockdowns, an indicator that more Americans are concerned about the effects of their food choices towards the planet and their own health. Riding on the success of both Honest Tea and Beyond Meat, Seth and his family began discussing how they could create even more positive impact, on an even larger scale by including education as well as products. Together with Jonah, the planetary activist in the family, they decided to start a new venture, Eat the Change. Eat the Change's mission is to create a platform to deal with climate change and environmental destruction through the most powerful and immediately implementable change an individual can make – dietary change.

3D-printing is an emerging revolutionary technology that could completely change the current approach to design and manufacturing, with profound geopolitical, economic, social, demographic, environmental, and security implications. 3D-printing technology is not only altering human life but is also significantly impacting the lives of animals. On today’s program, we happily share some of these great technological advances with our noble viewers. We’ll start off with a group of English scientists who have figured out a way to 3D-print cells grown in a laboratory to create living structures. This approach could revolutionize regenerative medicine, enabling the production of complex tissues and cartilage that could potentially support, repair or augment diseased and damaged areas of the body. “We were aiming to fabricate three-dimensional living tissues that could display the basic behaviors and physiology found in natural organisms.” In the United States, Harvard University researchers have also developed 3D-printed organs as an alternative to animal experimentation, having successfully made the first 3D- printed organs-on-chips. This new technology should help to reduce the rate of drug testing on animals by pharmaceutical companies and academic labs, as the organs-on-chips provide a groundbreaking substitute for traditional ways of testing. Supporting the use of technology to replace animal testing, Dr. Warren Casey, director of the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, which studies alternatives to animal use in chemical-safety testing, says, “In theory, non-animal tests could be much cheaper and much faster.” Testing on these simplified, miniaturized versions of our physiology could deliver more human-relevant results than animal experiments.

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 are delighted to have esteemed raw vegan chef Ms. Lesa Carlson, on our show to teach us how to make the gorgeous, nutritious, and tasty stuffed nasturtium blossoms. Ms. Lesa Carlson is a famous raw vegan chef, an eco-entrepreneur as well as a prolific artist and an award-winning vocalist. Ms. Carlson regards the process of assembling a dish like creating a piece of art, whereby she endeavors to bring together beauty, perfection, and deliciousness. "I work with energy and food, and how that amplifies the energy in the body so it can self-heal." "If you’re eating 100% raw, you’ll start to eat much more simply." "We’re going to make stuffed blossom with almond-dill cheese, and it’s also vegan and raw. Nothing has been heated. It’s all been soaked and germinated. Once it has germinated, the full intelligence of that plant is activated. And there is light and life and energy that surrounds this entire seed." "The ingredient that I’m going to use first is for the (vegan) cheese. And then I will do the sauce. This is probably about a cup worth of almonds with skin taken off. Half a cup of olive oil. Half a teaspoon of the coarse sea salt. I’m going to use lemon, so it gives it that little bit of tartness." “These are the dried mangoes. They give it that nice little sweet bite of the glaze.” “I’m using probably about a cup’s worth of dates." “Next ginger.” “Now this is a glaze.” “I’m going to stuff the inside of the flower with the (vegan) cheese.” “I’m going to gently just zigzag this sauce across the blossoms and across the plate.” “So, that is our stuffed blossoms with dill and hot ginger date chili sauce.”

As we progress through the Golden Age, we’re seeing more and more advances in the area of green building technology. For example, the traditional machinery used for construction is now being replaced by 3D-printing or additive manufacturing, the process of making three-dimensional objects from a computer-assisted design (CAD) or digital 3D model. Carbon Asset Storage Technology(CAST) is among the range of innovative techniques developed by MIRRECO. The Perth-based company’s houses are made mainly from hemp, an eco-friendly building material. MIRRECO is involved in a collaborative venture with architectural firm Arcforms to showcase the 3D-printing of hemp biomass in the environmentally friendly construction. This amazing all-natural building material is made only of hemp pulp, lime binder, and water. Mr. Yves Béhar, founder of the award-winning design firm Fuseproject, claims, “Increased density in cities, rising housing costs, and homelessness present challenges that architects and urban planners must respond to.” Mr. Béhar proceeds with a brilliant plan to tackle the issues of those in need of homes. Fuseproject has combined forces with the homebuilding-technology company ICON and the non-profit group, New Story in a joint venture to build 3D-printed houses for an impoverished Latin American farming community. ICON’s large-scale portable 3D-printer, the Vulcan II, is designed to produce nearly zero waste and to function under difficult circumstances, such as limited water and power. The three companies revealed their plans to use the latest technology to form "the world's first 3D-printed community." The work is being done in close interaction with local residents to learn about their culture and surrounding environment. The first TERA accepts limited pre-bookings on the US crowdfunding website Indiegogo, and starting March 2020 will be available for habitation for one year before it’s recycled and reprinted elsewhere. Every stay in TERA contributes to the habitat's scientific mission: emphasizing the need for renewable technologies to save our planet, while researching what’s needed to enable life to exist on a new one. Many thanks to the inventors and architects who are advancing the sustainable lifestyle and presenting eco-friendly housing technologies. May your loving kindness benefit other beings, including our precious animal friends.

The ecocapsule is a smart, self-sustainable micro-house that uses solar and wind energy for power. The energy-efficient egg-shaped dome designed by Slovakian firm Nice & Wise which allows its inhabitants to live off-grid and enjoy the scenic beauty of nature. In a second example, a group of students constructed the “Waste House” at the University of Brighton, UK, from a variety of waste materials obtained from domestic and construction sites. The frame and floors of Waste House are made of recycled wood, and ten tons of chalk waste from another construction site were collected, pounded rammed-earth style to form a wall. In September 2015, Waste House was nominated for the Royal Institute of British Architects' Stephen Lawrence Prize. KODA is a sustainable and portable two-story mini house with built-in IT that enables the structure to learn from and adjust to its surroundings. According to Mr. Ülar Mark, a co-founder and system architect of Kodasema, 31 KODA modules have been built and installed in several European locations for different uses. He further explains, “There is a great advantage in using KODA modules for public buildings; the modules can be easily relocated and repurposed once they are no longer needed at the original location.” Essentially, Earthship homes are built with recycled materials, such as rubber tires, glass bottles, aluminum cans, and other re-purposed waste. The old tires were made into a powerful thermal mass by filling them with soil, hence making the room created from these materials cool in summer and warm in winter. The Sukup Safe T Home is a highly modified grain bin that is resistant to earthquakes, termites and moisture. Apart from security and comfort from the effects of weather provided to disaster-stricken inhabitants, T Homes can be purchased at a highly affordable price. In Oct 2016, the Sukup T Homes built in Haiti which protected the country’s residents from Hurricane Matthew, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history.

Actually, a global reaction has already seen the irreversibly surging world vegan trend. Global statistics show animal livestock production- this oldest, largest, and most inefficient of food producing systems, is facing its final disruption. Meat, milk, leather and collagen products are being replaced by superior plant-based food and fiber technologies with continuous engineering improvement. The cutting edge of modern food production is plant-based, healthy, free of micro-contaminants, nutritious, eco-friendly and has 10-20 folds more feed efficiency than the animal livestock raising system. The growing vegan trend is already driving massive economics shifts within this revenue stream. Big companies, like Cargill and Tyson Foods already see the writing on the wall and have made huge investments in plant-based food production. Impossible Foods is another company with a rapidly growing share of the traditionally animal based food market, and when Beyond Meat became the first publicly listed plant-based food company, its stock value soared by an unprecedented 550% in the first month of trading. We couldn’t agree more. There are also other benefits to our world if the full-scale of disruption of animal livestock raising does take place. Other than the positive environmental impact mentioned earlier, such as halting climate change, saving water, reducing waste, stopping deforestation and biodiversity loss, the rates of foodborne and human-animal crossover zoonotic illnesses will decrease significantly, as will antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria. Health costs that come from eating meat, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, can also be saved, which is a whopping 75% of the current expense about $3.5 trillion a year. And the best of all is that the suffering of animals will be over.

As new housing concepts emerge, housing designs focus resources and technologies with less carbon footprints and environmentally friendly. One of the world’s most ingenious eco-friendly dwellings has been designed by the Dutch company Wikkelhouse, was created by a team from the Fiction Factory in Amsterdam. The Wikkelhouse is a completely reusable modular home made almost entirely of recycled card

The Swiss Alps are recognized as one of the most spectacular mountainous regions in the world. The Jungfrau-Aletsch region is the most glaciated part of the European Alps. Spanning over 82,000 hectares (316.6 square miles), it is located in the southwest of Switzerland. Jungfrau-Aletsch boasts many impressive peaks, nine of which stand at over 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) in altitude. The Jungfrau-Aletsch region became the first Alpine UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural, Organization) World Natural Heritage Site in 2001. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region has not only played a significant role in European art, literature, mountaineering, and sightseeing, but it also offers immense wealth of geological information regarding glacier and alp formation, as well as the natural ecosystems unique to the area. With global warming resulting in an alarming amount of unnatural glacial retreat, ongoing scientific research in the area is also considered to be of paramount importance. The Aletsch Glacier is the largest and longest glacial area of the European Alps. This frozen river begins its long winding 23-kilometer (14-mile) descent from an altitude of 4,000 meters (2.49 miles). Measured at almost 1-kilometer (3,280-feet) thick at various points, the glacial ice melts to feed crystal clear water into the Rhone River. Although snow, ice, and outcrops of jagged granite rock make up around 80 percent of the Jungfrau-Aletsch landscape, 529 species of durable vascular plants and mosses can be found here, and Norway Spruce and Swiss Pine trees are plentiful in the valleys below. The Jungfrau-Aletsch region is also full of animal life. There are plenty of mountain goats like the Alpine ibex, or the steinbock, as well as the chamois. The lynx is very much at home chilling on the glacial hillsides along with a number of red deer and smaller mammals such as foxes, hares, stoats, and squirrels. Almost 1,000 separate insect species have been recorded in the region. The 99 species of bird that have been identified here include the rock thrush, rock partridge, great spotted woodpecker, golden eagle, as well as boreal and pygmy owls. Indeed, this vibrant environment is full of life.

Today, we invite you to journey with us to Israel, a fascinating country being famous as the home of holy religious sites for Christians, Jews and Muslims. Among our stops is Tel Aviv, the second most populous city in Israel and the economic and technological heart of the nation. This coastal city is also known as the “Vegan Capital of the World!” Our first stop is the vegan restaurant Zakaim, located in the heart of Tel Aviv city. The name itself means guilt-free in Hebrew. Let's go taste the culinary creations and meet Keren Or and Oren Hazan, the two passionate new owners who value the importance of choosing a plant-based diet. “I think everyone that goes vegan saves so many lives of poor animals who suffer, and saves the planet from all the pollution that comes with the [livestock] industry. It's really blessed. Just Go Vegan, Save Innocent Animals.” Now, let's explore a vegan restaurant in the same neighborhood called Nature Boys and listen to its owner tell the story of its founding. “I love everything vegan, of course, because I'm a vegan.” Nature Boys is clearly doing their part for our Earth and health by using eco-friendly containers as much as possible, not frying foods in cooking oil, and, of course, serving delicious plant-based cuisine. Our next stop is Herzog. The bistro offers a special dish called “Har” or “Mountain.” It’s a huge pile of wholesome deliciousness with alternating ingredients. Herzog will bring you creative and interesting food that nourishes your body and mind. We then headed to Mitzpe Ramon in southern Israel, to visit a vegan café named Mauna, which in Sanskrit means “silence within.” The salads, sandwiches, burgers, soups, smoothies etc. at Mauna are exceptional. The vegan ingredients used are colorful, fresh, flavorful and nutritious, just like homemade food. Our last destination is Tofu An, a hidden vegan gem with special in-store tofu varieties, situated in Binyamina, a coastal town north of Tel Aviv. It was fantastic to tour around the outstanding plant-based eateries of the Vegan Capital of The World as well as those in other Israeli cities.

Today, we travel to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, well known for its shining skyscrapers, natural attractions and culinary delights, to meet an adorable 4-year-old humanitarian named Cheikh Faizal. In a spontaneous clip his father recorded of Cheikh, the young child’s innocent kindness melted hearts on social media. His small acts of gentle kindness moved people in a profound way, reminding everyone of the humanity we are born with. Cheikh’s father, Sahouli Bouamama, was understandably very proud of his son’s compassion. “My son saw the young boy without shoes and made the decision himself that he wanted to help him. He showed his love for everyone there, even though they are homeless. He then went home without his shoes. Hopefully, everybody in the world will see this positive message and we can make life better for every human being. There are many homeless people, but if everybody makes a small gesture of kindness we can improve their lives.” Cheikh has also done many other thoughtful things to help his community. He collected garbage at a beach and left a very cute message asking people to take care of the beach. Recently, he distributed toys and other gifts to children living in less-advantaged rural areas. Upon hearing the news of his pure hearted compassion, our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai offered the Shining World Kindness Award to the youngster “plus US$3,000 in case more socks and shoes are needed for others, in Allah’s Grace. May Heavens reward you and your good family richly. Love you.” And then, after knowing about his other altruistic deeds, Supreme Master Ching Hai arranged “to send a further US$10,000 to Sahouli Cheikh Faizal to support his noble work. With all love, big cheers and benevolent best wishes in Allah's merciful grace.” They showed deep gratitude to our Beloved Supreme Master, expressed their love towards all animals and also shared their thoughts about the noble vegan lifestyle. “A vegan lifestyle is very, very good. It will help human beings and also it will help animals a lot. And for COVID-19, it will help either to reduce or stop COVID-19. If everyone does the vegan lifestyle, maybe this COVID-19 will not even exist at all. Be vegan; save all animal life. Thank You, Master.”