6/23/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter

Shalom everyone,

This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:

1. Review/WE Are the Ones Who Can Help Save the World/YES We Can!

2. Tisha B'Av and Vegetarianism

2a. Jewish Leaders Call for “Global Healing Shabbat” on October 23-24

3. Humane Society of the US Has Many Summer Opportunities for Youngsters

4. NY Times Op-Ed Article Considers How Factory Farming Is Reducing the Quality of Our Food and Endangering Our Health and the Environment

5. World's Hungry Now Numbers One Billion People

5a. Press Release from EVANA Urges Veganism to Reduce Hunger Crisis

6. Michael Gregor, M.D. Releases New DVD on Nutrition

7. More Re the Possibility of a Fur-Free Israel

8. JVNA Advisor Roberta Kalechofsky Authors and Publishes New Book on Vivisection

9. Challenging Essay on the Need for Us to Change Our Lifestyles to Avoid a Climate Disaster

10. Flood of Appeals for Action Planned for Copenhagen December Conference on Global Warming

Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.

[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]

Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the JVNA, unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.

As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks,

Richard

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1. Review/WE Are the Ones Who Can Help Save the World/YES We Can!

[This message is SO important that I am repeating it here, even though it was just sent out as part of the special JVNA newsletter on global warming.]

Yes, yes we can! And it is beginning to look like if we don't, it is not going to happen.

Please consider the basics (more at the strategy section at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz).

* The major US report (discussed below on global warming threats to all sections of the US is just the latest indication that the world is rapidly heading toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global climate change and other environmental threats.

* There have been many reports and articles recently re the VERY significant effect that animal-based agriculture has on greenhouse gas emissions.

* What I have just learned recently (and plan to explore more and report on more) is that: Carbon dioxide effects is significantly reduced by aerosols that are also emitted from power plant and factories. Also, CO2 stays in the atmosphere for many years, so a reduction in CO2 emissions now would not have such a major effect. However, methane, largely emitted by cows and other animals, stays in the atmosphere for less than 15 years, during which time its impact is about 70 times as potent as CO2 in causing global warming. Hence, a major reduction in farmed animals, if we stopped breeding them, would have a very rapid and substantial impact on global warming.

Getting these messages out MUST become a major activity for each one of us, as well as much as possible of the vegetarian, animal rights, environmental and related movements. The future of humanity and all of creation depends on it.

So, what are you waiting for. :

Please start speaking to people, writing letters and articles, calling in to radio talk shows, promoting A SACRED DUTY and doing everything else you can to get these issues onto society's agenda.

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2. Tisha B'Av and Vegetarianism

I am planning to send my article on “Tisha B'Av and Vegetarianism” to the media soon. So, please take a look at the article at the holidays section of JewishVeg.com/Schwartz, and let me know if you have suggestions about it or other ways to promote vegetarianism through teachings related to Tisha B'Av. Thanks.

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2a. Jewish Leaders Call for “Global Healing Shabbat” on October 23-24

Forwarded message from rabbi Arthur Waskow, director of the Shalom Center:

[Please respond positively to this important initiative That JVNA had a role in getting off the ground by trying to arrange suitable activities in your community.]

Says an old Southern Black song: "God gave Noah the Rainbow Sign; No more water, the fire next time." In our generation, the Flood of Fire has come upon us in the climate crisis of global scorching and rising of the seas. We ourselves -- all of us -- must build the Ark to save humanity and all endangered life-forms. The Rainbow Sign calls us to this work of transformation.

A CALL TO OBSERVE SHABBAT NOACH, OCTOBER 23-24,
AS "GLOBAL CLIMATE HEALING SHABBAT"

This fall, Shabbat Noach -- when Jews around the world read the Torah portion about the Flood, Noah, the Ark, and the Rainbow -- comes on October 23-24, the day when a number of experts on the global climate crisis have called for world-wide actions to protect our planet from climate disaster.

This Torah passage lends itself to focusing on the danger of destruction of life on our planet, and also on the actions we need to take to prevent destruction and preserve the web of life in which the human race has emerged and created civilization.

So we --- both national and grass-roots leaders of the Jewish people -- urge all Jewish communities to observe Shabbat Noach as "Global Climate Healing Shabbat" with special prayers, sermons, Torah commentary/ midrash, songs, lectures, debates, panel discussions, resolutions, kiddushes, meals, nature-walks, stories for children, invitations to public officials and environmental activists, and other means of bringing Jewish commitment to bear on healing the earth from the dangers that over-use of fossil fuels is bringing upon us all.

We invite those of all religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions to join as well at that time of year.

Please register your intent to create a local event (even if you are just beginning to plan) in both these places: ---

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/602/t/4180/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=50242

http://www.350.org/oct24

[Please forward this message to your friends and co-workers, and please support the work by clicking on the logo at the end of this message. Please see the statement we are appending below about the worldwide scheduled events and the key planners.]

The international observance of "Global Climate Healing Shabbat Noach" is a prelude to the crucial United Nations conference on the climate crisis scheduled for Copenhagen in December, 2009.

Almost daily reports of widespread droughts, floods, storms, wildfires and melting polar ice caps, mountain snowcaps, glaciers, and the forced migration of invasive species and diseases into new territories all cry out to us for action. Passage after passage of Torah and secular Jewish writings cry out to us that as Jews we must act more vigorously, not only in private and communal households but in shaping public policy to celebrate and heal the web of life.

We urge our own members and all Jews to contact local rabbis, Jewish educators and other scholars and communal leaders to plan "Global Climate Healing Shabbat" events that will make this Shabbat (and if you wish the days just before and after it) the beginning of a truly transformative time.

We call on Jews not only to green our own households and communal buildings but also to work for major public policy changes away from fossil fuels and toward shifts in energy use, transportation, food production, housing, and other dimensions of our society.

Jewish tradition about caring for the poor also guides us to make sure that industries and regions especially affected must get help from the whole society, and that poor countries also get special help to develop on a non-fossil path and to ward off the destructive effects of climate change.

We hope the continuing momentum of Global Climate Healing Shabbat will help the December UN conference in Copenhagen make the decisions necessary to greatly reduce threats to our climate.

Please register your intentions today in both these places: ---

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/602/t/4180/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=50242

http://www.350.org/oct24

Signed (partial list):

Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a leader in the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.

Rabbi David Saperstein, director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Nancy Ratzan, President, National Council of Jewish Women.

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, and Arlene Goldbard, President, for The Shalom Center, which initiated this Call.

Nigel Savage, director, for Hazon.

Debra Kolodny, director, for ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.

Richard Schwartz, president, for Jewish Vegetarian Society of North America.

Dr. Michael Kagan and Rabbi Julian Sinclair for Jewish Climate Initiative, Israel.

Nili Simhai, for the Teva Learning Center.

Jakir Manela for Kayam Farm at Pearlstone Center.

Susan Kaplan, Chair, for Southern Arizona COEJL.

Ellen Bernstein, founder of Shomrei Adamah; author, Birthday of the Trees and The Splendor of Creation

Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, Director, Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network.

Rabbi Amy Eilberg, St. Paul Interfaith Network.

Evan Eisenberg, author, The Ecology of Eden.

Dr. Mirele B. Goldsmith, Environmental Activist

Jo Ellen Green Kaiser, Editor, Zeek

Rabbis Sharon Kleinbaum and Ayelet Cohen, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, NYC, a Green Menorah Covenant congregation.

Rabbi Peter Knobel, Beth Emet, Evanston IL; past president, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Barbara Lerman-Golomb, Founder, Barbara Wow Workshop; Director Educaton and Outreach, Hazon; former ED, COEJL

Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Board, The Shalom Center

Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives, Brooklyn; Board, The Shalom Center

Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim, Tucson

Rabbi Richard A. Marker, Co-chair, Board of World Religious Leaders

Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, President, Ohalah/ Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal

Rabbi Brant Rosen, Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston IL. a Green Menorah Covenant congregation.

Max Samson, Milwaukee; Board of The Shalom Center

Lindsey Paige Savoie, Director, Shomrei Adamah of Greater Washington

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Adat Shalom, Washington area; Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light, Board of The Shalom Center

Reb Zalman Hiyya Schachter-Shalomi, Boulder

Rabbi David Shneyer, Am Kolel, Washngton DC area; past president, Ohalah.

Daniel Sieradski, director, Jew It Yourself.

Rabbi Margot Stein, composer/lyricist, Guarding the Garden

Rabbi Warren Stone, Temple Emanuel, Kensington MD, a Green Menorah Covenant congregation; co-chair, environment committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

Daniel Ziskin, PhD, Climate Scientist and President, Jews Of The Earth

Information on Jewish teachings on environmental stewardship and sustainability can be found at the websites of -----

The Shalom Center 's Green Menorah Covenant

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism http://www.urj.org/green

Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) http://www.coejl.org

Canfei Nesharim http://www.canfeiNesharim.org,

Hazon http://www.hazon.org

Teva Learning Center http://tevalearningcenter.org

Adamah Fellowship http://www.isabellafreedman.org/adamah

Jewish Farm School http://www.jewishfarmschool.org

Jewish Vegetarians of North America

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Major Global Warming-Related Events Planned for October 24, 2009

http://www.350.org/invitation

Dear World,

This is an invitation to help build a movement--to take one day and use it to stop the climate crisis.

On [Saturday] October 24, we will stand together as one planet and call for a fair global climate treaty. United by a common call to action, we'll make it clear: the world needs an international plan that meets the latest science and gets us back to safety.

This movement has just begun, and it needs your help.

Here's the plan: we're asking you, and people in every country on earth, to organize an action in their community on October 24. There are no limits here--imagine bike rides, rallies, concerts, hikes, festivals, tree-plantings, protests, and more. Imagine your action linking up with thousands of others around the globe. Imagine the world waking up.

If we can pull it off, we'll send a powerful message on October 24: the world needs the climate solutions that science and justice demand.

It's often said that the only thing preventing us from tackling the climate crisis quickly and equitably is a lack of political will. Well, the only thing that can create that political will is a unified global movement--and no one is going to build that movement for us. It's up to regular people all over the world. That's you.

So register an event in your community for October 24, and then enlist the help of your friends. Get together with your co-workers or your local environmental group or human rights campaign, your church or synagogue or mosque or temple; enlist bike riders and local farmers and young people. All over the planet we'll start to organize ourselves.

With your help, there will be an event at every iconic place on the planet on October 24-from America's Great Lakes to Australia's Great Barrier Reef--and also in all the places that matter to you in your daily lives: a beach or park or village green or town hall.

If there was ever a time for you to get involved, it's right now. There are two reasons this year is so crucial.

The first reason is that the science of climate change is getting darker by the day. The Arctic is melting away with astonishing speed, decades ahead of schedule. Everything on the planet seems to be melting or burning, rising or parched.

And we now have a number to express our peril: 350.

NASA's James Hansen and a team of other scientists recently published a series of papers showing that we need to cut the amount of carbon in the atmosphere from its current 387 parts per million to 350 or less if we wish to "maintain a planet similar to that on which civilization developed."

No one knew that number a year ago-but now it's clear that 350 might well be the most important number for the future of the planet, a north star to guide our efforts as we remake the world. If we can swiftly get the planet on track to get to 350, we can still avert the worst effects of climate change.

The second reason 2009 is so important is that the political opportunity to influence our governments has never been greater. The world's leaders will meet in Copenhagen this December to craft a new global treaty on cutting carbon emissions.

If that meeting were held now, it would produce a treaty that would be woefully inadequate. In fact, it would lock us into a future where we'd never get back to 350 parts per million-where the rise of the sea would accelerate, where rainfall patterns would start to shift and deserts to grow. A future where first the poorest people, and then all of us, and then all the people that come after us, would find the only planet we have damaged and degraded.

October 24 comes six weeks before those crucial UN meetings in Copenhagen. If we all do our job, every nation will know the question they'll be asked when they put forth a plan: will this get the planet back on the path to 350?

This will only work with the help of a global movement-and it's starting to bubble up everywhere. Farmers in Cameroon, students in China, even World Cup skiers have already helped spread the word about 350. Churches have rung their bells 350 times; Buddhist monks have formed a huge 350 with their bodies against the backdrop of Himalayas. 350 translates across every boundary of language and culture. It's clear and direct, cutting through the static and it lays down a firm scientific line.

On October 24, we'll all stand behind 350--a universal symbol of climate safety and of the world we need to create. And at the end of the day, we'll all upload photos from our events to the www.350.org website and send these pictures around the world. This cascade of images will drive climate change into the public debate--and hold our leaders accountable to a unified global citizenry.

We need your help-the world is a big place and our team is small. Our crew at 350.org will do everything we can to support you, providing templates for banners and press releases, resources to spread the word, and tools to help you build a strong local climate action group. And our core team is always just a phone call or e-mail away if you need some support.

This is like a final exam for human beings. Can we muster the courage, the commitment, and the creativity to set this earth on a steady course before it's too late? October 24 will be the joyful, powerful day when we prove it's possible.

Please join us and register your local event today. Click to both --

http://www.350.org/oct24

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/602/t/4180/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=50242

[Please forward this message to your friends and co-workers.]

Onwards,
Bill McKibben - Author and Activist- USA
Vandana Shiva - Physicist, Activist, Author - India
David Suzuki - Scientist, Author, Activist - Canada
Bianca Jagger - Chair of the World Future Council - UK
Tim Flannery - Scientist, Author, Explorer -Australia
Bittu Sahgal - Editor of Sanctuary magazine - India
Andrew Simmons - Environmental Advocate, St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Christine Loh - Environmental Advocate and Legislator - Hong Kong

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3. Humane Society of the US Has Many Summer Opportunities for Youngsters

Forwarded message from HSUS:

A Summer of "Paws"-itive Service

The start of summer can mean long idle days for young people. Or, it can mean time for summer camps, animal shelter collections, work on wildlife habitats, and teaching others to be kind. Use our summer project ideas and award-winning Mission: Humane service-learning projects to get kids to roll up their sleeves for animals. And be sure to stop by our new KIND News Online Summer Camp for rainy day activities, hot car warning fliers, and more!

To see how young people are making a difference for animals all around the country, meet our 2009 KIND Kid and Humane Teen of the Year.

For more ideas to help kids get started, check out the 100 Ways to Be Kind to Animals Teaching Poster.

For more information on these possibilities, please visit the Humane Society of the US web site.

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4. NY Times Op-Ed Article Considers How Factory Farming Is Reducing the Quality of Our Food and Endangering Our Health and the Environment

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/opinion/21kristof.html?th&emc=th

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5. World's Hungry Now Numbers One Billion People

FAO newsroom - www.fao.org/newsroom/

FAONEWSRELEASE 09/58

Contact:

Erwin Northoff
Media Relations (Rome)
(+39) 06 570 53105
(+39) 348 252 3616
erwin.northoff@fao.org

1.02 billion people hungry

One sixth of humanity undernourished - more than ever before

Rome, 19 June 2009 - World hunger is projected to reach a historic high in 2009 with 1 020 million people going hungry every day, according to new estimates published by FAO today.

The most recent increase in hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests but is caused by the world economic crisis that has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment. This has reduced access to food by the poor, the UN agency said.

"A dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices in many countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic hunger and poverty," said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. "The silent hunger crisis - affecting one sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions."

"The present situation of world food insecurity cannot leave us indifferent," he added.

Poor countries, Diouf stressed, "must be given the development, economic and policy tools required to boost their agricultural production and productivity. Investment in agriculture must be increased because for the majority of poor countries a healthy agricultural sector is essential to overcome poverty and hunger and is a pre-requisite for overall economic growth."

"Many of the world's poor and hungry are smallholder farmers in developing countries. Yet they have the potential not only to meet their own needs but to boost food security and catalyse broader economic growth. To unleash this potential and reduce the number of hungry people in the world, governments, supported by the international community, need to protect core investments in agriculture so that smallholder farmers have access not only to seeds and fertilisers but to tailored technologies, infrastructure, rural finance, and markets," said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

"For most developing countries there is little doubt that investing in smallholder agriculture is the most sustainable safety net, particularly during a time of global economic crisis," Nwanze added.

"The rapid march of urgent hunger continues to unleash an enormous humanitarian crisis. The world must pull together to ensure emergency needs are met as long term solutions are advanced," said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme.

Hunger on the rise

Whereas good progress was made in reducing chronic hunger in the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, hunger has been slowly but steadily on the rise for the past decade, FAO said. The number of hungry people increased between 1995-97 and 2004-06 in all regions except Latin America and the Caribbean. But even in this region, gains in hunger reduction have been reversed as a result of high food prices and the current global economic downturn (see background note).

This year, mainly due to the shocks of the economic crisis combined with often high national food prices, the number of hungry people is expected to grow overall by about 11 percent, FAO projects, drawing on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Almost all of the world's undernourished live in developing countries. In Asia and the Pacific, an estimated 642 million people are suffering from chronic hunger; in Sub-Saharan Africa 265 million; in Latin America and the Caribbean 53 million; in the Near East and North Africa 42 million; and in developed countries 15 million in total.

In the grip of the crisis

The urban poor will probably face the most severe problems in coping with the global recession, because lower export demand and reduced foreign direct investment are more likely to hit urban jobs harder. But rural areas will not be spared. Millions of urban migrants will have to return to the countryside, forcing the rural poor to share the burden in many cases.

Some developing countries are also struggling with the fact that money transfers (remittances) sent from migrants back home have declined substantially this year, causing the loss of foreign exchange and household income. Reduced remittances and a projected decline in official development assistance will further limit the ability of countries to access capital for sustaining production and creating safety nets and social protection schemes for the poor.

Unlike previous crises, developing countries have less room to adjust to the deteriorating economic conditions, because the turmoil is affecting practically all parts of the world more or less simultaneously. The scope for remedial mechanisms, including exchange-rate depreciation and borrowing from international capital markets for example, to adjust to macroeconomic shocks, is more limited in a global crisis.

The economic crisis also comes on the heel of the food and fuel crisis of 2006-08. While food prices in world markets declined over the past months, domestic prices in developing countries came down more slowly. They remained on average 24 percent higher in real terms by the end of 2008 compared to 2006. For poor consumers, who spend up to 60 percent of their incomes on staple foods, this means a strong reduction in their effective purchasing power. It should also be noted that while they declined, international food commodity prices are still 24 percent higher than in 2006 and 33 percent higher than in 2005.

The 2009 hunger report (The State of Food Insecurity in the World, SOFI) will be presented in October.

Online news from FAO: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/

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5a. Press Release from EVANA Urges Veganism to Reduce Hunger Crisis

Forwarded message from EVANA (European Vegetarian and Animals News Alliance:

FAO warning: '1.020 million people going hungry every day'

Common Press Release

23 June 2009

In spite of various important international treaties with the noble intent of affirming everyone's right to food, we are now being confronted with the stunning fact that one sixth of all of humanity is starving.
This catastrophe is an indication that in our global village something has obviously slipped out of the balance of ethics and reason:

- Hunger and malnutrition are killing nearly six million children each year, whilst for their peers in other parts of the world meat-laden diets lead to obesity and a wide variety of diseases, thus shortening their life expectancies and putting increasing burdens on public health systems;

- The inefficient meat trade expansion continues to spiral out of control, but still decision makers like the FAO continue their efforts to accommodate the gruesome trend even at great environmental cost to soil, air and water, instead of trying to halt it, or at least slow it down.

-Social justice is compromised by the fact that even when confronted with so much misery, huge shares of available food stuffs (even 95% of soy) are still siphoned off for farm animals.

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf: "The present situation of world food insecurity cannot leave us indifferent."

Indeed, it cannot. Sidelining this drama has been going on for far too long.

However, it is somewhat surprising that the FAO press release avoids addressing the impact which around 56 billion animals, fed to be slaughtered worldwide each year, are representing for the problem of food security.

Where is the social justice?

Especially in times of great suffering, decency calls for a thorough and objective investigation of all possible means suitable to lighten the burden, and that in interest of all, poor and wealthy alike. After all, when starving people refuse to carry their load quietly any longer and instead decide to shatter systems of injustice, the resulting social unrest may bring danger and hardship for everyone.

Vegetarianism offers a multitude of benefits and this compassionate lifestyle represents also the ideal way to ease the hunger drama. A meatless diet or even a reduction in meat consumption will quickly free an enormous amount of food resources: If Americans reduced their intake of meat by merely 10%, 100,000,000 people could be fed!

Each vegetarian is a living proof of solidarity and a silent hero who contributes greatly to the new fair and compassionate society we so urgently need.

Signed:
AgireOra Network
www.agireora.org
Italy

Association Végétarienne de France
www.vegetarisme.fr/
France

Centro Vegetariano
www.centrovegetariano.org
Portugal

Edinburgh the Fur-Free City
www.edinburghfurfreecity.co.uk
UK

European Vegetarian and Animal News Alliance (EVANA)
www.evana.org
International

European Vegetarian Union
www.euroveg.eu
International

Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
www.JewishVeg.com
USA

Romanian Vegetarian Society
www.svr.ro
Romania

SHARAN
www.sharan-india.org
India

Swiss Union for Vegetarianism
www.vegetarismus.ch/
Switzerland

Vegan Society Austria
www.vegan.at
Austria

Veg Climate Alliance
http://vegclimatealliance.org/
International

Vegetarierbund Deutschland e.V. (VEBU)
www.vebu.de
Germany

Contact: info@evana.org
URL: http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=45849&lang=en

References:

- FAO: One sixth of humanity undernourished - more than ever before: www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20568/icode/
- Every six seconds a child dies of hunger: www.earthsave.org/environment.htm
- If Americans reduced their intake of meat by merely 10%, 100,000,000 people could be fed: www.earthsave.org/environment.htm

Petition Food vs Feed: “In the name of humanity, a responsible global community can no longer afford to invest 7-16 kg of grain or soya beans, up to 15,500 liters of water, and 323 m2 of grazing land in the production of just one kilo of beef for those with the means to pay for it.” http://www.evana.org/UN/index.php?lang=en

Please sign the petition: http://www.evana.org/UN/sign.php?lang=en

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6. Michael Gregor, M.D. Releases New DVD on Nutrition

I'm so excited to announce that the newest volume of my annual Latest in Nutrition series is being released next week! As usual, I scoured the world's scholarly literature on clinical nutrition so you don't have to, bringing together the most interesting, practical, and groundbreaking science published
over the last 12 months on how best to feed ourselves and our families to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic disease.

I found so much great stuff this year that it wouldn't even fit on one DVD! So, Latest in Nutrition 2009 is being released as a special 2 DVD set, with more than 3 hours of material split into more than 100 chapters.

Here is just a small sampling of the questions I address this year:

Does soy really lower sperm counts?
Does tofu cause dementia?
Is cat companionship or dog companionship linked to human lymphoma risk?
Should pregnant women avoid peanuts?
Should one really not eat the bruised parts of apples?
Which artificial sweetener is best?
What's the latest on chocolate and coffee?
Did they really find benzene in soda?
Did they really find mercury in corn syrup?
Do cell phones really give you brain tumors?
Which supermarket fruit should be avoided?
Are there dangerous herbal teas other than yerba mate?
What are the benefits and risks of moderate alcohol consumption?
What's the #1 cancer fighting vegetable?
Which is worse: sugar or corn syrup?
How does one get nutrition without calories?
Is white bread harmful?
Avocados: Friend or Foe?
Which plastics should be avoided?
What did the first ever study of thousands of vegans find?
What disease did vegetarians recently get named after them?
Why should one avoid fat-free dressings?
Whose health is unaffected by egg consumption?
Which fast food chicken item was found to have the most carcinogens?
Can fecal residues be detected on retail chicken products?
How often were restaurant workers found to wash their hands?
What's this about a sexually transmitted fish toxin?
How common are brain parasites in the U.S. meat supply?
What effect does maternal fish consumption have on the fetus?
Which food has the highest aluminum contamination? Highest arsenic contamination?
Is gluten (seitan) really bad for you?
What are the best and worst studies of the year?
Can cancer be reversed through diet?
How can the #1 cause of death be essentially eliminated?
Are there more hormones in skim milk or whole milk?
How can one avoid the consumption of banned pesticides like DDT?
Should people take vitamin C supplements? Multivitamin supplements? Iron supplements? Antioxidant supplements?

For a complete listing of chapters and to place an order, go to:

http://www.DrGreger.org/DVDs

As always, all the proceeds I receive from the sale of my DVDs go to charity.

Enjoy!
-Michael

Michael Greger, M.D.
Director, Public Health and Animal Agriculture
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20037
direct line: (202) 676-2361

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7. More Re the Possibility of a Fur-Free Israel

Forwarded message:

ISRAEL TO GO FUR FREE? IT'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY!

A FUR FREE ISRAEL?

We hope so!

Israel has created a precedent by submitting the world's first nationwide bill to “Prohibit Fur Trade" anywhere inside Israel.

Knesset member Nitzan Horowitz proposed on March, 18th 2009 a bill to prohibit the fur industry in its entirety, including all importation, production and/or sales in Israel. This historic bill will be discussed for the first time on July 22nd at the government's office.

So far, the only Israeli group that shows concerns about this bill is the Ultra-Orthodox MKs as they fear that such ban would deeply affect their "shtreimel trade." However, there is no religious opposition to synthetic streimels which means that there's virtually no opposition for us to see a FUR FREE ISRAEL!

The coalition heading this campaign asks for worldwide support to help this bill become law. If you are an organization, please submit a letter of support on behalf of your group. If an individual, your letter is just as welcome.

Please submit your letter of support on this http://www.antifurcoalition.org/support-bill-int.html

Let's help Israel go fur free so we'll have some hope to see this trend spread throughout the world!

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8. JVNA Advisor Roberta Kalechofsky Authors and Publishes New Book on Vivisection

[Kudos, Roberta on this new achievement. Your continuous efforts to promote vegetarianism and related causes has been invaluable and MUCH appreciated.]

Forwarded message:

The Poet-Physician and The Healer-Killer
Vivisection and The Emergence of Å Medical Technocracy

Roberta Kalechofsky, Ph.D.

ISBN: 978-00-916288-55-6 Paperback
Pages 230 5-1/2 X 8-1/2
Price: $22.00 Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2009

While there are many books on animal research, The Poet-Physician and the Healer-Killer makes three unique contributions to this subject.

The historic context of the book is from the time of the poet John Keats who, trained as a doctor, sought a definition of medical practice based on sympathy, at the time of the Nazi doctors and traces their use of human beings for experimental purposes to the rise of academic vivisection in the Victorian age. The book reveals how the practice of vivisection was conceived as the philosophical metaphor for the "Enlightenment," for science as "a male discipline," for progress, and for the conquest of nature, as articulated by one of its great practitioners, Claude Bernard.

Ms. Kalechofsky also illuminates how the merger of the Woman's Movement in the Edwardian era, with the Anti-vivisection movement gave the medical profession its propaganda platform of the Anti-vivisectionists as "little old women in sneakers."
Vivisection became a symbol for machismo and the denunciation of sentiment as a female weakness.

Finally, the dispute between the vivisectionists and the "Sanitarians, " as Environmentalists were called in the 19 century, and the victory of the vivisectionists has had enormous--and disastrous--implications for our present-day health care problems.

Told in a blend of autobiography and scholarship, the author has tackled subtle historical problems with wit, humor---and anguish, and has captured the colorful personalities of the men and women who led the battle against vivisection in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Roberta Kalechofsky, Ph.D., fiction writer, speaker, essayist, publisher.
Micah Publications (www.micahbooks.com) is the source for Jewish vegetarian and animal rights books. See website for these and other titles.

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9. Challenging Essay on the Need for Us to Change Our Lifestyles to Avoid a Climate Disaster

Forwarded essay by Margaret Swedish, who regularly send out such messages.

Live differently - we'd better, and in a hurry

Posted: 17 Jun 2009 02:31 PM PDT

Fostering Ecological Hope
Today from Margaret Swedish:

If you want, and in a hurry.

If you want a liveable world, if you want your kids to grow up not in catastrophe but rather in difficulty that contains hope for a future, live differently -

-if you want, as we said in our previous post, and in a hurry, if you are listening to our scientists.

Blue Marble - NASA Earth Observatory

I just returned from the EarthSpirit Rising gathering at Xavier University in Cincinnati and it was a jolt of adrenaline. It is comforting and invigorating to be with a couple hundred people who 'see' the world as it is - the magnificence of creation, and the very real threat we humans pose to the manifestation of creation that is our beautiful Earth.

I am certain that I am not the only participant who found it unsettling to return from this gathering just in time for the release of the new multi-agency report on climate change and its impacts on the U.S. from the United States Global Change Research Program, research paid for with our tax money. Thank you, government, for using my tax money in such a wise and responsible way. Is this the report that will finally snap us into action?

NBC did a terrific story on this on last evening's Nightly News and there have been a few articles in the newspapers. But this is what I fear will happen - one more time, this alarming news will get buried, simply disappear from headlines and our national consciousness. Recent polls in fact show that US Americans are less and less concerned about what greenhouse gases are doing to warm the atmosphere and the catastrophes that await us if we continue business as usual. As this report shows, sadly, these changes have already begun.

See, in this project - articulating a spirituality of ecological hope, and in the spirit of our parent organization, the Center for New Creation - we are pretty certain, as the evidence of my generation indicates, that we will not act in time to prevent disruptive climate change. After all, we were the generation that created Earth Day and wrote all those books and read all those studies about all the things that were going to unfold on this planet - overpopulation, energy crises, acid rain, toxic pollution, global warming - and then became just about the biggest consuming generation in the history of the human species.

We simply do not want to believe what is happening to this planet. It remains abstract and seemingly distant, or too big a notion to wrap our minds around. Or worse, we don't want it to interfere with our upscale lifestyles and expectations. In fact, we had all the information we needed more than three decades ago to keep us from coming to this moment.

Projected 100-degrees days this century - US Global Change Research Program

So here is yet another group of scientists, some of them among our most brilliant, like John P. Holdren, Obama's chief science advisor, and Jane Lubchenco, new administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), telling us the situation is dire, serious, the need for action immediate, urgent - and then? Are we being called to action yet from within our political culture? Already the coal industry is talking about how we dare not move too quickly for fear of grave economic consequences. Are you kidding me? We are facing ecological catastrophe!!! Read about their lobbying efforts here.

Once again, we are being told that things are bad, but there is still time to keep the worst from happening; and once again we are being told that this requires, however, big changes right now. When do these messages finally come together in a critical mass that wakes us from our malaise?

We are a species out of touch with the danger we are in within our own habitats.

In a presentation at EarthSpirit Rising, David Orr, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin, one of the keynote speakers, said that it is “too late to avoid trauma,” but “it may or may not be too late to prevent the worst” from happening.

On my way back I stopped to visit my niece who is about to give birth to a little girl who will be my godchild. The stakes for me are about to get a whole lot bigger. I figure one of my most important responsibilities to this child will be to offer her every opportunity to fall in love with the natural world, and then to work like crazy to preserve it for her.

So, friends, I am embedding yesterday's press conference below and urge you to take time to watch it (for subscribers, if the embed doesn't work, here's the YouTube link). And I encourage you to look at the report paid for by us - it is very accessible, well done visually, quite readable. It has sections devoted to how climate change will face specific regions of the country, so you will find stuff all about where you live. In my case here in Wisconsin, what they describe certainly matches our experience in recent years.

Then, here again comes our call to action:

Please, please, be part of the awakening, be part of the urgency, be part of the truth-telling, be part of the 'new creation,' the one where we learn once more how to live on this planet - in time to keep it a beautiful planet for my godchild and all the others of her generation-to-come.

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10. Flood of Appeals for Action Planned for Copenhagen December Conference on Global Warming

[Veg Climate Alliance and other groups are planning ways to get dietary changes on the Copenhagen conference agenda. If you are planning to attend and would like to represent JVNA, please let me know. Many thanks to vegetarian activist Carolin Gschwim for her wonderful initiatives re this event.]

The Flood is coming

Join Friends of the Earth International on December 12, 2009 and help 'flood' Copenhagen in a call for climate justice.

From December 7-18, 2009, the 15th UN climate conference (COP-15) will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here, governments from around the world will meet to discuss efforts to tackle global warming.

Friends of the Earth International will also be there. We're inviting people to come to Copenhagen to help build pressure on governments to find fair solutions to the climate crisis. We believe that rich industrialised countries, which have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases, must agree to urgent and dramatic cuts in their emissions starting NOW.

This is absolutely fundamental if we are to prevent the most devastating effects of global warming on the world - in particular on the world's most impoverished and vulnerable people. Our message to the negotiators is that the historical climate debt to the Global South must be repaid.

The talks will also be attended by lobbyists from the World Bank and industry. We need to make sure that any agreement that might be reached doesn't end up promoting the interests of big business, while robbing people of their land and their rights to survival.

An agreement that allows rich countries to continue polluting by funding unsustainable offset projects in the Global South, and which relies on false solutions such as mega dams, nuclear power, carbon capture and storage and monoculture tree plantations, must be rejected. The World Bank must not be allowed to control climate finance. Forests must not become commodities to be traded as part of global carbon markets.

People can influence our governments and hold them to account. That's why Friends of the Earth International is organising the 'Flood for Climate Justice' in Copenhagen on Saturday December 12, 2009. In the middle of the two weeks of negotiations, we will 'flood' through the streets of Copenhagen with our demands for climate justice.

We're encouraging as many people as possible to come to Copenhagen, using the most environmentally friendly transport they can, to be part of a movement for climate justice. The event will be the high point in a year of cyber-actions, street actions and campaigning from Friends of the Earth groups around the world.

We invite everyone who shares our vision to join the exciting spectacle on December 12, when we will use our bodies and our voices to create a message that decision-makers and lobbyists cannot ignore:

The Flood Is Coming!

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6/14/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter

Shalom everyone,

This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:

1. I Am Scheduled to Speak at SUMMERFEST 2009

2. Interested in Representing JVNA at an Upcoming Vegetarian or Animal Rights Conference?

2a. Message to Vegetarian Activists re Getting Global Warming Onto Society's Agenda

3. Virginia Working On Special License Plate for Vegetarians & Vegans

4. Environmental Programs Scheduled in Israel

5. Correction

6. Canfei Nesharim [Orthodox Jewish Environmental Group] Seeking Financial Support

7. Hakol Chai Demonstrators Block Tel Aviv City Hall to Protest Horse Abuse

8. Global Climate Actions Related to the Copenhagen Global Warming Conference

8a. Teleconference Featuring Noted Author/Speaker Will Tuttle Scheduled

9. More Destructive Storms Projected for a Warming World

10. MIT Study: Global Warming Will Likely Be Worse Than Thought

11. Expanded Coalitions Support U.S. Climate Bill

12. GreenFaith Fellowship Program Seeks Applicants

13. Israel Taking Actions Against Global Warming

14. Update Re Possible Fur ban in Israel

15. Israeli Company Produces Environmental T-Shirt

16. Film Aims to Expose Dangers in US Food Industry

17. More Global Warming Threats

18. Reducing Abuses of Sheep Exported From Australia

19. Update on Podcasts

Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.

[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]

Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the JVNA, unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.

As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks,

Richard

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1. I Am Scheduled to Speak at SUMMERFEST 2009

At this major vegetarian event organized by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS), I plan to discuss the Jewish case for vegetarianism, why a shift toward vegetarianism is essential to avoid the impending unprecedented catastrophe that the world is approaching, strategy ideas toward a vegetarian-conscious world by 2012, and our movie “A Sacred Duty.” I am scheduled to be at the conference from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12.

I hope many of you will come and help me spread our messages and get DVDs to key people. For more information, please visit
http://vegetariansummerfest.org/.

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2. Interested in Representing JVNA at an Upcoming Vegetarian or Animal Rights Conference?

There are many conferences scheduled for this summer. If you can represent JVNA at any conference, please let me know.

We can provide you with complimentary DVDs of “A Sacred Duty,” flyers and booklets, and possibly a stipend to cover some of the costs. Thanks.

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2a. Message to Vegetarian Activists re Getting Global Warming Onto Society's Agenda

I plan to send this to Veg-related groups soon. So, suggestions very welcome. Thanks.
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Dear fellow vegetarian, animal-rights, environmental and social justice activists,

We are the ones with the responsibility and opportunity to help the world avoid an unprecedented catastrophe and help shift it to a brighter, sustainable future.

The facts are starting to get into the mainstream, but let us consider some of the essentials:

* There are almost daily reports of severe droughts, heat waves, storms, flooding and wildfires and about meltings of polar icecaps and glaciers. While this has occurred due to an average temperature increase of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, global climate scientists are projecting an increase of from 3 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years, which would result in an unparalleled disaster for humanity.

* A recent report indicated that our oceans may be virtually free of fish by 2050; species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history; it is projected that half of the world's people will live in areas chronically short of water by 2050;

* We do not have much time. Some climate scientists. Including James Hansen of NASA, are warning that global warming could reach a tipping point and spin out of control in a few years, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur.

* Scientists at the February, 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science indicated that global warming will likely increase more rapidly than expected because greenhouse gas emissions have increased faster than recent predictions and increased temperatures are setting off self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms in global ecosystems. (http://www.truthout.org/021609M)

* A major societal shift toward vegetarian diets is an essential step in responding to global warming.

A landmark 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimated that livestock production globally is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs, in CO2 equivalents) than the world's entire transportation sector. The report, “Livestock's Long Shadow,” projects that the world's current population of about 56 billion farmed animals will double in 50 years if human population growth and dietary trends continue. The resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions would largely negate reduction goals for green house gas emission reductions from transportation, electricity and other, higher-profile sectors.

* Expert recognition of the importance of diet in preventing global warming is growing. This fall, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2008, called on people in the developed world to "give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there." More recently, NASA climatologist James Hansen -- the world's most prominent scientific advocate of aggressive action against global warming -- told an interviewer:

"... if you eat further down on the food chain rather than animals, which have produced many greenhouse gases, and used much energy in the process of growing that meat, you can actually make a bigger contribution in that way than just about anything. So, that, in terms of individual action, is perhaps the best thing you can do."

It is essential that the above messages be more widely spread. Fortunately, there is much starting to happen re reducing global warming, including many global-warming-related actions planned worldwide on October 4, 2009 and a major conference of the world's nations scheduled for December, 2009 in Copenhagen. However, the major contributions of animal-based agriculture to global warming is seldom considered.

Thus, it is urgent that we do everything we can to get this issue onto society's agenda. We should spread the word as widely as possible through articles, letters to editors, calls to radio talk shows, contacts with media people, religious leaders, educators, as well as friends, neighbors and family members.

We must make it absolutely clear that, while much more has to be done, there is no way the world will avoid an unparalleled catastrophe if there is not a major societal shift to plant-based diets. We must stress that the future of humanity and all of creation is threatened as perhaps never before and swift actions are urgent.

Suggestions very welcome.

I plan to next write a press release based on the material above on behalf of the “Veg Climate Alliance” that I hope will be endorsed by many groups.

Yours, for a humane, healthy, just, environmentally sustainable world,

Richard Schwartz
Director, Veg Climate Alliance
President, Jewish Vegetarians of North America

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3. Virginia Working On Special License Plate for Vegetarians & Vegans

Vegetarians & Vegans!

Interested in the NEW Special Virginia License Plate for Vegetarians & Vegans?

For information & applications, please e-mail VeggiePlates@live.com

NEW! Special Virginia “Vegetarian” License Plates

* The new Special Virginia “Vegetarian” License Plates are being jointly sponsored by the Richmond Vegetarian Festival (www.veggiefest.org), Vegan Action (www.vegan.org), and the Vegetarian Society of Richmond (www.vegetarianrichmond.org).

* The first step in creating a new special plate in the Commonwealth of Virginia is to “demonstrate to the satisfaction of the General Assembly that they meet the statutory issuance requirements, which includes having collected 350 or more prepaid applications (i.e. completed application forms and plate fee)” (Code of Virginia § 46.2-725).

How do we make this happen?

* First, we must gather 350 completed applications, DMV Form VSA-10 (found at www.dmvNOW.com or at your local DMV). This is the same form you would use to request any regular, special, or personalized license plate from the DMV. This must be accompanied by the special license plate fee of $10.00. The $10.00 application fee that you submit is held in a separate account and is refundable if we don't gather enough signatures to proceed with the rest of the new special license plate process.

* Want a personalized plate or to retain your current license plate number? There is an additional $10.00 for personalization. This is the same fee you would pay at DMV for any personalized license plate.

* Special license plates for motorcycles are not currently available. Special license plates with the International Symbol of Access (ISA), i.e. “handicapped” plates, are available.

* After the 350 prepaid applications are collected, the special license plate authorization must be approved by the General Assembly and the Governor. The next General Assembly convenes in January 2010. Authorization should be obtained in July 2010.

SNIP

* BECOME A PART OF VEGETARIAN HISTORY BY ORDERING YOUR SPECIAL NEW VIRGINIA VEGETARIAN LICENSE PLATE TODAY! WE MUST HAVE 350 APPLICATIONS TO SUCCEED! SHOW THE WORLD THAT YOU ARE PROUD TO BE A VEGETARIAN OR A VEGAN!!

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4. Environmental Programs Scheduled in Israel

Forwarded message:

Eco-Israel
Duration: 5.5 months
Experience the healthy, economical and spiritual values of authentic permaculture-ecological living. Live with Israeli volunteers on an ecological farm near Modi'in, take part in field work, ecological learning experiences, and land of Israel studies. Contact: naomi.katz@havaveadam.org

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
Duration: Semester/Academic Year
A program in environmental studies which gives students the opportunity for hands-on experience in the Middle East, together with students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Students take academic courses, and learn peace-building and leadership skills. Contact: info@arava.org

Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv-Jaffa
A volunteer and study program for Jewish English-speaking college graduates which offers two tracks: Community Service and Coexistence. In the first, participants volunteer in South Tel Aviv with immigrants, foreign workers or refugees. In the second, participants volunteer in Jaffa's Arab and Jewish integrated neighborhoods and learn Arabic. Contact: tikunolam@takam.co.il

------------------------------------------------------

The Green Village - Hakfar Hayarok
An innovative volunteer-based program that gives participants the opportunity to make a positive contribution to Israeli society through English-tutoring, gardening, horse-breeding, animal care, and more, while living in a kibbutz-like eco-setting 15 minutes from Tel Aviv. Contact: lori@kfaryarok.org.il

Saving the Stones

Delve into conservation and archaeology through theoretical classes and practical field work. A project of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Old Acre Development Company, ICOMOS - Israel, and the Israel National Commission for UNESCO, Saving the Stones allows young adults to physically immerse themselves in history.

Program includes:
Courses in archaeology and conservation
Hands-on work in the documentation of historical sites and traditional building techniques, such as masonry, stone-cutting, carpentry, and plaster
Heritage courses
Study tours throughout Israel with conservation specialists and archaeologists
Hebrew Ulpan

Program location:
Old Acre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Program duration:
5 months, with start dates:
September 6, 2009 and February 22, 2010

Open to:
Young adults, ages 20-30

For more information, contact:
Director of International Conservation Center
Shelley-Anne Peleg
shelleypel@bezeqint.net
972-4-9956726
www.antiquities.org.il/akko

Ground yourself in the real Israel and use your motivation to make a difference. Volunteer, learn Hebrew, pursue a professional internship, use your skills, and take initiative.

Program includes:
Sept-Nov: Hebrew studies and volunteering
December: Judaic studies seminar or Sar-El army volunteering
January-March: Community volunteering
April-June: Internship in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem
Trips throughout Israel

Program location:
Locations throughout Israel

Program duration:
10 months

Open to:
Jewish young adults, ages 20-26

For more information, contact:
Nicole Bodenstein
North American Director of Recruitment

1-866-GO-OTZMA
www.otzma.org/
1-866-GO-OTZMA

Rachel Trager
Marketing Associate
MASA Israel Journey: The Gateway to Long-Term Programs in Israel
www.masaisrael.org
1-866-GO-OTZMA

Email:
1-866-GO-OTZMA

Tel: 212-339-6976
Saving the Stones - A Conservation Internship

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5. Correction

In the last [e-mail] newsletter, I discussed that I was Interviewed by the director of EarthSave on Jewish teachings on vegetarianism and related issues. The correct spelling of her name is Caryn Hartglass. I regret the error.

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6. Canfei Nesharim [Orthodox Jewish Environmental Group] Seeking Financial Support

Forwarded message from Canfei Nesharim:

Dear friends,
This is a difficult year to be a young Jewish organization. With the economic crisis, many Jewish foundations have decided not to accept new grant proposals until 2010. That leaves innovative organizations like Canfei Nesharim with limited grant prospects at this essential time for our community and our environment.

Canfei Nesharim does not have a lot of major donors or foundations sustaining our work. Instead, we rely on a smaller pool of committed supporters to make the case for the essential importance of environmental learning, based on the traditions of the Torah.

We count on you.

In the coming year, with your help, we will reach tens of thousands of Jews with our message: protecting the environment is a key Jewish responsibility. These Torah lessons empower Jews to protect the environment, infuse Torah-based wisdom into today's environmental dialogues, and bring the Jewish message of hope, responsibility, and sustainability to our world.

As we conclude our fiscal year (June 30), we need to raise only $4000 to balance our budget and complete our commitments for the year. In difficult times, we rely on our consistent supporters to hold the vision and help us continue this education.

Please make a contribution to help us end our year sustainably.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Evonne Marzouk
Executive Director

Our address has changed! Please note our new contact information:
Correspondence: Canfei Nesharim 〓 908 Brentwood Lane 〓 Silver Spring, MD 20902
Contributions: Canfei Nesharim 〓 PO Box 7 〓 Roseland, NJ 07068

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7. Hakol Chai Demonstrators Block Tel Aviv City Hall to Protest Horse Abuse

Forward message from Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI):

Message to Mayor: Horse-Drawn Carts Have No Place in a Modern World

Monday, June 8, 2009

Dozens of Hakol Chai protestors carrying signs saying "Horses and donkeys are not vehicles," "Animals are not cars," "Carriages and carts are a dead trend," "They're hurting; don't you care?" and "Stop Animal Abuse." blocked the entrance to Tel Aviv's City Hall to protest the Mayor's refusal to ban the use of horse-drawn carts in the city. These animals are overworked, made to carry heavy loads beyond their capacity through busy city traffic, not provided with veterinary care, and forced to stand in the hot sun without water or shade. Often beaten and starved, eventually they collapse in the street, and animal groups are asked to move them out of the way.

Hakol Chai is the Israeli sister charity of Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI),
www.chai-online.org

Tel Aviv's municipal veterinarian agreed with Hakol Chai that abuse cannot be prevented through regulations, especially since the city has neither the funds to regularly inspect the horses nor a facility to house them if they remove them from their abusers. Still, the Mayor continues to take no action.

The protesters passed out hundreds of pamphlets explaining the plight of the horses to pedestrians on the street that runs in front of City Hall, one of the city's busiest, and also to city employees as they entered and exited the building. Some of the protesters lay on the ground as if they were dead to depict what becomes of the abused animals.

Hakol Chai's protest, part of the Second International Action Against the Horse-Drawn Carriage and Cart Trade, was one in a series of actions to raise awareness of the issue. Hakol Chai has repeatedly exposed the problem of horse abuse in Jaffa, the old part of Tel Aviv, rescued and rehabilitated abused horses, and pressed the City Council to deal with the issue until it convened a special session on the subject. The organization also wrote to Mayors around the country, urging them to take action to protect these animals who are often abused.

In response to Hakol Chai's campaign, cart horse owners began heavily lobbying the Mayor's office to prevent the enactment of a ban and so far, the Mayor has been reluctant to take action against this special interest group. In December, 350 city residents turned out for a protest concert [http://www.chai-online.org/en/campaigns/horses/campaigns_horse_event7dec08.htm] organized by Hakol Chai, at which musicians and singers who supported the cause of the horses volunteered to perform. Hakol Chai will continue to take action to keep the issue in the public eye until a ban is enacted.

For names and contact information of officials to write to, asking them to ban horse-drawn carts in the city of Tel Aviv, see Help Stop Horse Abuse in Israel
[http://www.chai-online.org/en/campaigns/horses/campaigns_horse_letter.htm]

To see this e-alert as a web page, go to:
http://www.chai-online.org/e-news/june09/chaialert_june09.htm

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8. Global Climate Actions Related to the Copenhagen Global Warming Conference

Forwarded message from Carolin at Veg Climate Alliance:

in Bonn I learned about the following action of Friends of the Earth for Copenhagen, see:
http://www.foei.org/en/what-we-do/un-climate-talks/global/the-flood-is-coming

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The Flood is coming

Join Friends of the Earth International on December 12, 2009 and help 'flood' Copenhagen in a call for climate justice.

From December 7-18, 2009, the 15th UN climate conference (COP-15) will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here, governments from around the world will meet to discuss efforts to tackle global warming.

Friends of the Earth International will also be there. We're inviting people to come to Copenhagen to help build pressure on governments to find fair solutions to the climate crisis. We believe that rich industrialized countries, which have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases, must agree to urgent and dramatic cuts in their emissions starting NOW.

This is absolutely fundamental if we are to prevent the most devastating effects of global warming on the world - in particular on the world's most impoverished and vulnerable people. Our message to the negotiators is that the historical climate debt to the Global South must be repaid.

The talks will also be attended by lobbyists from the World Bank and industry. We need to make sure that any agreement that might be reached doesn't end up promoting the interests of big business, while robbing people of their land and their rights to survival.

An agreement that allows rich countries to continue polluting by funding unsustainable offset projects in the Global South, and which relies on false solutions such as mega dams, nuclear power, carbon capture and storage and monoculture tree plantations, must be rejected. The World Bank must not be allowed to control climate finance. Forests must not become commodities to be traded as part of global carbon markets.

People can influence our governments and hold them to account. That's why Friends of the Earth International is organising the 'Flood for Climate Justice' in Copenhagen on Saturday December 12, 2009. In the middle of the two weeks of negotiations, we will 'flood' through the streets of Copenhagen with our demands for climate justice.

We're encouraging as many people as possible to come to Copenhagen, using the most environmentally friendly transport they can, to be part of a movement for climate justice. The event will be the high point in a year of cyber-actions, street actions and campaigning from Friends of the Earth groups around the world.

We invite everyone who shares our vision to join the exciting spectacle on December 12, when we will use our bodies and our voices to create a message that decision-makers and lobbyists cannot ignore:

The Flood Is Coming!
Contact:
friends of the earth international
secretariat po box 19199, 1000 gd amsterdam, the netherlands
tel: 31 20 622 1369. fax: 31 20 639 2181.
Contact form: http://www.foei.org/en/who-we-are/about/contact-form

-------------------------------------------------------
Forwarded message continued:

I think we could contact them and ask them to allow the Veg Climate Alliance to mobilize pro-veg groups and orgs from all over the world to demand cutting down on meat production and consumption as a way of climate justice and join the human flood in Copenhagen. What do you think? If you agree, I will get in touch. (I think this will work better than through the Global Climate Campaign.) They are the world's biggest environmental grassroots org, and as far as I know, the are even pro- veg themselves.

Many blessings,

Carolin

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8a. Teleconference Featuring Noted Author/Speaker Will Tuttle Scheduled

Thanks to JVNA advisor Kris Haley for forwarding this message. I have read Will's great book “the World Peace Diet” and am a big fan of his - so I highly recommend attendance at the teleconference if you can make it.

Join PEACEANIMAL for a *FREE* Teleconference featuring Dr. Will Tuttle --- Author of The World Peace Diet

Dr. Will Tuttle is an award-winning speaker, educator, author, and musician. His music, writings, and presentations focus on creativity, intuition, and compassion. Dr. Tuttle's paradigm shifting book, The World Peace Diet, has been called the most important book of the 21st century: the foundation of a new society based on the truth of the interconnectedness of all life. Incorporating systems theory, teachings from mythology and religions, and the human sciences, The World Peace Diet presents the outlines of a more empowering understanding of our world, based on a comprehension of the far-reaching implications of our food choices and the worldview those choices reflect and mandate. The World Peace Diet suggests how we as a species might move our consciousness forward so that we can be more free, more intelligent, more loving, and happier in the choices we make.

No need to RSVP! We've reserved room for the first 150 attendees, so don't be late!

Conference Details

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009

Start Time: 4:00 PM Pacific/Arizona Time, 5:00PM Mountain Time, 6:00 PM Central Time, 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Length: 60 - 90 minutes with time for questions

Dial-in Number: 1-605-475-6333

Participant Access Code: 623895

Just dial in at the corresponding time for your area, follow the directions and enter the Participant Access Code --- and we'll see you there! We'll save time for questions at the end!

About the Author
Will Tuttle has a master's degree in humanities from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. in the philosophy of education from the University of California. A professional pianist and teacher, he has for the last thirteen years toured progressive churches, vegetarian and macrobiotic conferences, and intentional communities throughout the country. He trained in Korea as a Zen Buddhist monk and has worked extensively in Tai Chi, yoga, massage, and dance and movement. Read more about Dr. Tuttle and Madeleine Tuttle at http://www.worldpeacediet.com/ and http://www.willtuttle.com

PEACEANIMAL is dedicated to expanding the concept of PEACE to include all species
http://www.peaceanimal.com

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9. More Destructive Storms Projected for a Warming World

From: "Earth Policy News" arthpolicynews@earthpolicy.org
Date: June 9, 2009

Subject: Earth Policy News - A Warming World Means More Destructive Storms

Earth Policy Institute
Plan B 3.0 Book Byte
June 9, 2009

http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/Seg/PB3ch03_ss6.htm

Lester R. Brown

Elevated global temperatures bring a number of threats, including rising seas and more crop-withering heat waves. Higher surface water temperatures in the tropical oceans also provide more energy to drive tropical storm systems, leading to more-destructive hurricanes and typhoons. The combination of rising seas, more powerful storms, and stronger storm surges can be devastating.

Just how devastating this combination can be became evident in late August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina came onshore on the U.S. Gulf Coast near New Orleans. In some Gulf Coast towns, Katrina's powerful 28-foot-high storm surge did not leave a single structure standing. New Orleans survived the initial hit but was flooded when the inland levees were breached and water covered everything in large parts of the city except for the rooftops, where thousands of people were stranded. Even in August 2006, a year after the storm had passed, the most damaged areas of the city remained without water, power, sewage disposal, garbage collection, or telecommunications.

SNIP

# # #

Adapted from Chapter 3, “Rising Temperatures and Rising Seas,” in Lester R. Brown, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008), available for free downloading and purchase at www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm.

For information contact:

Media Contact:
Reah Janise Kauffman
Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 12
E-mail: rjk@earthpolicy.org

Research Contact:
Janet Larsen
Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 14
E-mail: jlarsen@earthpolicy.org

Earth Policy Institute
1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 403
Washington, DC 20036
Web: www.earthpolicy.org

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10. MIT Study: Global Warming Will Likely Be Worse Than Thought

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/roulette-0519.html

Thanks to JVNA's dedicated, efficient Secretary/Treasurer for forwarding this article to us:

limate change odds much worse than thought

New analysis shows warming could be double previous estimates

David Chandler, MIT News Office
May 19, 2009

The most comprehensive modeling yet carried out on the likelihood of how much hotter the Earth's climate will get in this century shows that without rapid and massive action, the problem will be about twice as severe as previously estimated six years ago - and could be even worse than that.

The study uses the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model, a detailed computer simulation of global economic activity and climate processes that has been developed and refined by the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change since the early 1990s. The new research involved 400 runs of the model with each run using slight variations in input parameters, selected so that each run has about an equal probability of being correct based on present observations and knowledge. Other research groups have estimated the probabilities of various outcomes, based on variations in the physical response of the climate system itself. But the MIT model is the only one that interactively includes detailed treatment of possible changes in human activities as well - such as the degree of economic growth, with its associated energy use, in different countries.

Study co-author Ronald Prinn, the co-director of the Joint Program and director of MIT's Center for Global Change Science, says that, regarding global warming, it is important "to base our opinions and policies on the peer-reviewed science," he says. And in the peer-reviewed literature, the MIT model, unlike any other, looks in great detail at the effects of economic activity coupled with the effects of atmospheric, oceanic and biological systems. "In that sense, our work is unique," he says.

The new projections, published this month in the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate, indicate a median probability of surface warming of 5.2 degrees Celsius by 2100, with a 90% probability range of 3.5 to 7.4 degrees. This can be compared to a median projected increase in the 2003 study of just 2.4 degrees. The difference is caused by several factors rather than any single big change. Among these are improved economic modeling and newer economic data showing less chance of low emissions than had been projected in the earlier scenarios. Other changes include accounting for the past masking of underlying warming by the cooling induced by 20th century volcanoes, and for emissions of soot, which can add to the warming effect. In addition, measurements of deep ocean temperature rises, which enable estimates of how fast heat and carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere and transferred to the ocean depths, imply lower transfer rates than previously estimated.

SNIP

This work was supported in part by grants from the Office of Science of the U.S. Dept. of Energy, and by the industrial and foundation sponsors of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

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11. Expanded Coalitions Support U.S. Climate Bill

Worldwide Institute

By Ben Block June 8. 2009

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6146

Thanks to JVNA advisor Ron Landskroner for forwarding this article to us.

In an effort to broaden support for sweeping climate legislation, environmentalists are forming atypical alliances with other progressive social organizations.

Groups such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), MoveOn, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are part of a growing coalition of social welfare, labor, religious, and healthcare organizations joining forces with the traditional environmental lobby.

Major environmental groups say a nationwide grassroots effort is necessary to raise support for binding federal legislation to address climate change, especially during an economic recession when leaders are concerned that such reforms may adversely affect manufacturing industries and energy costs.

Climate legislation took a major step forward late last month when leaders of a House of Representatives energy committee convinced several moderate legislators to support the "American Clean Energy and Security Act." The bill promises to reduce U.S. carbon emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels, through a national cap-and-trade system.

Climate campaigners are now devising strategies to "pass and strengthen" the bill, despite intense industry opposition. The legislation is expected to undergo a House vote sometime this summer. A more challenging fight will take place in the U.S. Senate, where complementary legislation must gain support from moderate legislators concerned about how their states' economies could be affected.

SNIP

Ben Block is a staff writer with the Worldwatch Institute. He can be reached at bblock@worldwatch.org.

This article is a product of Eye on Earth, Worldwatch Institute's online news service. For permission to reprint Eye on Earth content, please contact Juli Diamond at jdiamond@worldwatch.org

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12. GreenFaith Fellowship Program Seeks Applicants

Forwarded message from GreenFaith's Larry Troster:

Interfaith Environmental Leadership Education and Training

Is God calling you to become a religious-environmental leader?

GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental coalition, announces the opening of the application process for the third class of the GreenFaith Fellowship Program for clergy and laity from diverse religious traditions. The Program is the only comprehensive US training program to turn lay and ordained leaders from diverse traditions into environmental leaders. Application materials for this national program are at www.greenfaith.org, and the deadline for applications has been extended to June 16th.

“This is a fantastic program,” said LeeAnne Beres, GreenFaith Fellow and Executive Director of Earth Ministry, a Seattle-based ecumenical Christian group. “It's well suited to clergy or lay leaders looking to strengthen their environmental ministry, and provides a well-rounded curriculum of eco-theology, environmental justice, and practical application.”

Creating a Cadre of New Leaders

Each year, the GreenFaith Fellowship Program gives a new class of clergy and laity the unique tools they need to become effective environmental leaders.

Each Fellow attends three residential retreats focused on eco-spirituality, environmental justice, and sustainability. Fellows also write their own eco-theological statement, and carry out an environmental leadership project. “There is a shortage of religious leaders in the United States who are speaking out on environmental issues,” said Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University. “The GreenFaith Fellowship Program is indispensable.”

Fellows are selected through a competitive application process. GreenFaith strongly encourages applicants from the African American, Asian, Latino, Jewish, Islamic and Catholic communities.

Join a Leader

Founded in 1992, GreenFaith is an interfaith environmental coalition which educates and mobilizes people of diverse religious backgrounds as environmental leaders.

GreenFaith is widely recognized as a leader in the international religious-environmental movement. Through a range of innovative programs, GreenFaith helps diverse religious institutions put their beliefs into action for the earth. From eco-themed worship services and religious education to 'green' facility management and environmental justice advocacy, GreenFaith provides a unique variety of resources and opportunities for religious-environmental action. To find our more about GreenFaith, see www.greenfaith.org.

GreenFaith is grateful to the Richard Oram Charitable Trust, the Kendeda Fund, the Edgebrook Foundation, and to GreenFaith members for the support that makes the Fellowship Program possible.

For further information about the Fellowship Program or to request an application form, contact Rabbi Lawrence Troster, Fellowship Program Director, at rabbiltroster@greenfaith.org or 732-565-7740, ext. 302.

Rabbi Lawrence Troster,
Director, Fellowship Program,
GreenFaith
201 833-5166 (home office)
732 565-7740 ex. 302 (office)
www.greenfaith.org
46 Bayard St.,
Suite 401,
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

"How great are Your works, O Lord,

How very profound Your designs!"

(Psalm 92:6)

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13. Israel Taking Actions Against Global Warming

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131794

Israel Joining the Fight Against Global Warming

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) The Knesset held an Environment Awareness Day on Tuesday, while outside, several dozen people demanded more public transportation as a way of fighting Israel's contribution to global warming.

Several different panels and discussions were held on various environmental topics in the Knesset, dealing mainly with the topic of global warming and Israel's preparations - or lack thereof - for the new U.N. international climate agreement that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Israel is currently not listed among those countries that are required to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, but this is expected to change in 2012.

The United Nations will hold its preparatory Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December of this year.

Proponents of more government support for public transportation say that 14% of Israel's carbon emissions come from transportation, and that much of this is caused by private vehicle use.

MKs Zev Bielski, Nitzan Horowitz, Ophir Paz, Eitan Cabel and Dov Hanin took part in the outdoor demonstration on Tuesday, which featured a two-meter tall mock weight-scale, with a large globe on one side and a pile of private cars on the other.

The organizers called on Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz of the Likud to “lead a dramatic change regarding transportation emissions. Instead of traffic jams, air pollution, an end to open spaces [which are turned into highways], and traffic accidents, the correct approach is to invest much more in the encouragement of public transportation and improvement of its infrastructures.”

The Global Humanitarian Forum in Geneva issued a report last month estimating that climate change now accounts for over 300,000 deaths throughout the world each year. The report also found that climate change "seriously impacts on the lives of 325 million people.”

Forum President Kofi Annan said that climate change “is the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time. Already today, it causes suffering to hundreds of millions of people, most of whom are not even aware that they are victims of climate change… We can no longer afford to ignore the human impact of climate change. Put simply, the report is a clarion call for negotiators at Copenhagen to come to the most ambitious international agreement ever negotiated - or continue to accept mass starvation, mass sickness and mass migration on an ever growing scale.”

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14. Update Re Possible Fur ban in Israel

Forwarded message from Herma Caelen of EVANA:

Subject: Fondation Brigitte Bardot: Fur soon to be prohibited in Israel

5 June 2009

A bill aiming at prohibiting the importation, production and sale of any fur in Israel was recently filed in the Knesset and will be put to the vote by the House Deputies.

Supporting this text, Brigitte Bardot wrote to Nitzan Horowitz, author of the proposal, to congratulate and thank him: “This bill represents a major step forward, an example to the world which needs to respect and recognize animals as sensitive beings. As we all know, the fur industry condemns million of animals to be locked and piled up in cages, then tortured before being gassed or electrocuted, it is a shameful and indignant industry! I have a deep respect and a sincere admiration for your personal fight against any form of discrimination, any violence perpetrated on those suffering despite their race or species. The political powers governing our world seem deprived of all humanity and empathy, we would need a Nitzan Horowitz in each country to try to restore the balance, but alas that is a far way off....

http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=45456&lang=en

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15. Israeli Company Produces Environmental T-Shirt

Thanks to Rabbi Dovid Sears, JVNA Advisor and author of “The Vision of Eden: Animal Welfare and Vegetarianism in Jewish Law and Mysicism” for forwarding this article:
http://www.judaicawebstore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=JWS-TG-78

Israel T-Shirt - Environmental. Olive Green
JWS-TG-78

High quality, machine washable - 100% cotton

Show your love for Israel - and the environment - with this wonderful t-shirt! Its great artwork and quality production will make it perfect for anybody.

According to Jewish tradition, on the 6th day of creation, G-d showed Adam the Garden of Eden and told him to protect it. The Hebrew text (from Kohelet Rabba) under the olive branch gives G-d's message to Adam, which translates as:

Be attentive not to ruin or destroy my world, for if you ruin it, nobody will come after you to fix it.

The English text at the bottom reads Protect the Environment.

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16. Film Aims to Expose Dangers in US Food Industry

Tuesday 09 June 2009

by: Christine Kearney |

http://www.truthout.org/061009HA

New York - Bigger-breasted chickens fattened artificially. New strains of deadly E. coli bacteria. A food supply controlled by a handful of corporations.

The documentary "Food, Inc." opens in the United States on Friday and portrays these purported dangers and changes in the US food industry, asserting harmful effects on public health, the environment, and worker and animal rights.

Big corporations such as biotech food producer Monsanto Co., US meat companies Tyson Food Inc. and Smithfield Foods, and poultry producer Perdue Farms all declined to be interviewed for the film.

But the industry has not stood silent. Trade associations across the $142-billion-a-year U.S. meat industry have banded together to counter the claims. Led by the American Meat Institute, they have created a number of websites, including one called SafeFoodInc.com.

"Each sector of the industry that's named is doing its part to counter a lot of the misinformation in the movie," said Lisa Katic, a dietitian and consultant with an unnamed coalition of trade associations representing the food industry.

Their campaign promotes the U.S. food supply as safe, abundant and affordable, whereas the film asserts that images of animals grazing on grassy farms emblazoned on U.S. food product labels are misleading.

"Food, Inc." explores the argument that food comes not from friendly farms but from industrial factories that put profit ahead of human health.

"The film pulls back the curtain on the way food is produced," said Michael Pollan, who appears in the film and is the best-selling author of several books including "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

"Products with farm labels attached - this stuff comes from factories now," he said.

But an industry spokesman said 98 percent of U.S. farms were family owned and operated and they accounted for 82 percent of farm production.

Mace Thornton of the American Farm Bureau, the nation's largest farm group, said the industry was interested in the well-being of farm animals.

"If a farmer or rancher is not the kind of person to take care of their animals, they're not going to be in business long," he said.

A Peek Inside

The film shows footage inside cattle, pork and chicken production plants, some secretly recorded by immigrant workers under cramped conditions for both workers and the animals.

Maryland farmer Carole Morison let cameras in to show chickens collapsing and dying before they are put on the market because, she said, of fast weight gain caused in part by antibiotics in the feed. Morison said she lost her contract with Perdue.

The film says U.S. food corporations now widely use industrial techniques linked to growing problems like obesity, diabetes, salmonella, toxic strains of common E. coli bacteria and environmental pollution.

"Confined animal agriculture is so unsustainable in so many ways. It depends on using antibiotics in the feed that lead to antibiotic-resistant diseases. It produces more pollution than any other industry," Pollan said.

"It costs treasury, costs the public health system," he said. "The film vividly shows it costs the people who do the work and of course it is brutal to the animal."

Barbara Kowalcyk, whose 2-year-old son Kevin died from an infection of E. coli, appears in the film trying to persuade Congress to pass "Kevin's law," which would give the U.S. Department of Agriculture the power to shut down plants that produce contaminated meats. It has not passed.

Consumers can effect change, the film says, pointing to Stonyfield Farm's Gary Hirshberg, who now offers his line of organic products at giant chain Wal-Mart due to demand.

"You vote for what you eat by what you buy at the supermarket," Pollan said.

--------

(Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta; editing by Michelle Nichols and Philip Barbara)

-------------------------------------------------------
Comments on the documentary by vegetarian activist Susan Kalev:

Last week I attended premier of the docu film FOOD, INC directed by Robert Kenner, who worked over 6 years on the film, at the elegant TIMES CENTER. It is a dynamite investigation of the food industr y, exposing the mechanized food production - incl. animal and human and environmental suffering - exploitation of immigrant workers, the corruption of gov't regulatory agencies, the agricultural monopoly giants that terrorize farmers. Makes the link between unsafe food production and health, such as obesity, e-coli, diabetes and even world hunger. It includes long interviews with Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan and founders of the organic movement.

Makes clear the disastrous results of feeding cows corn and soy instead of grass. ( Take note of last Friday's NYT article on how we must change cow's diet to reduce methane gas).

Expounds the point over and over as to how consumers are kept in the dark, the conspiracy to hide info from consumers. We are in effect hostages of the food giants.
We in the animal & environmental movements know a lot about this, but you will discover new terrors in the film. Believe this! The mother of a baby who died from e-coli in a hamburger is not "allowed" to say on camera that hamburgers are bad for threat of being sued by the company. Is this not terrorism?

THE FILM IS OPENING JUNE 12 AT THE FILM FORUM ( west Houston st). TAKE YOURSELF AND FRIENDS TO SEE IT, WE MUST SUPPORT THESE FILMMAKERS!
The film is reviewed in the NYT Arts section of last Sunday june

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17. More Global Warming Threats

Thursday 11 June 2009

by: Alister Doyle |

Climate change seen worsening disasters. Small islands, other developing nations most at risk.

http://www.truthout.org/061109EA

Bonn, Germany - Climate change will aggravate natural disasters and people in developing nations such as Dominica, Vanuatu, Myanmar and Guatemala are most at risk, a U.N.-backed study showed on Thursday.

It urged governments to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to curb mounting impacts of hazards such as cyclones, floods, droughts, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis.

"Risk is ... felt most acutely by people living in poor rural areas and slums," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in the report, issued on the sidelines of June 1-12 U.N. climate talks in Bonn working on a new treaty to combat global warming.

"Climate change will magnify the uneven distribution of risk, skewing disaster impacts even further towards poor communities in developing countries," the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction said.

Andrew Maskrey, lead author of the report, said that developing countries with big populations - led by China, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia - suffered the most fatalities from natural disasters.

"But you also have to look at it in relative terms - the proportion of the population at risk," he told a news conference. By that yardstick, those at risk were "mainly small countries - many small islands ... and small countries."

The list was topped by Dominica in the Caribbean, Vanuatu in the Pacific along with Myanmar and Guatemala.

SNIP

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18. Reducing Abuses of Sheep Exported From Australia

Forwarded message from JVNA advisor Ivan Kessel:

It's not often that I forward emails on - it's only in cases like this that I feel very strongly about.

I would encourage all of you I have forwarded this to to stop for 1 minute to think about this, and if you wish to forward it on to others.

Kind regards

Ivan

This not a joke and has real consequences. You literally have the fate of thousands of lives in your hands. You can help to end the cruelty of live sheep export from Australia to the Middle East and stop the needless deaths of tens of thousands of animals a year en route. During their transport by sea, sheep are generally confined in poorly lit, cramped conditions. They are at risk of injury, heat stress and disease. Many starve due to stress or because they fail to recognise unfamiliar pellets as food. The sheep that do reach the Middle East are often exposed to appalling handling and slaughter techniques that would neither be legal nor tolerated in Australia. But worst of all, this suffering is completely unnecessary, as alternatives do exist. Visit www.humanechain.org to bring an end to this intolerable cruelty by joining the Humane Chain that's spreading across Australia. Jason Buckwalter in NSW received this letter, did not respond in any way and as a result, nothing happened to him. Thousands of sheep a year however, are not so fortunate. Please send this letter immediately on to five friends. Act quickly, as this isn't a question of superstition. No animal deserves to suffer the ordeal of live export. The longer you delay, the longer this cruelty will continue.

Don't be afraid to send on this letter.
Be afraid not to.

Visit [humaneChain.org]

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19. Update on Podcasts

Forwarded message from Joseph Puentes

This time we have three new Audio Presentations for the VSSE podcast:

1) Pythagoras, Plato, and Socrates:

2) Pamela Rice "Fossil Fuel Alchemy" - Read by Dawn D'Arcangelo:

3) Kathy Freston: "A Few More 'Inconvenient Truths' " - Read by Tricia Orr:
-------------------------------------------------------
The VSSE podcast has a Facebook presence. You can send me your friend suggestions (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=757836449&ref=name) and join the group here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40863727638 Please spread the word that the podcast exists share with your "Environmentalist" friends. Also we have a FB Event for the Howard Lyman and Jerry Cook Discussion, The Pythagoras, Plato, and Socrates; Pamela Rice and Kathy Freston Podcasts: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110806093618

I NEED 5-10 people to help me Veg-Evangelize to Environmental Groups on Facebook (and off facebook too). Here is what I need. We'll each send out a short message (I can supply the message) to 4 FB Environmental Groups per week/per month/or just as often as you'd like. The problem is that I've already had my FB account suspended a few weeks ago for being too "aggressive" in trying to spread the word about transitioning to a plant based diet and the next time it might be permanent. I've already gained two more warnings and feel like I'm walking on thin ice. So the plan is to gather a "Few" good folks to send out these messages with the goal being to FORCE the conversation in the direction of "The single most important thing an individual can do for the environment is to go Vegan."- email me: NoMeat@h2opodcast.com and I'll give more details - Please Help!

SNIP

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** Fair Use Notice **

The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of vegetarian, environmental, nutritional, health, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for educational or research purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal, technical or medical advice.

6/7/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter

Shalom everyone,

This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:

1. Promoting A SACRED DUTY/How YOU Can Help

2. My Interview By Caryn Hartglass of EarthSave TV Now on the Internet

3. New Documentary Challenges Factory Farming

4. Support Anti-Fur Bill in Israel

5. Physician Writes Of Why He Stopped Eating Meat

6. Climate Change Could Influence Mid East Peace Prospects

7. Review of New Book on Religion and the Environment

8. Article Looks Back at Today's World From a Vegan 2109

9. Jewish Conference Scheduled/”A Sacred Duty” and Video of My Talk at the Flatbush JCC To Be Shown

10. ABC News Special Dramatically Shows Potential Effects of Global Warming

11. Thoughts on a [Possible] Coming Vegetarian Revolution

12. New Book Promotes Animal Protection

Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.

[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]

Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the JVNA, unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.

As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks,

Richard

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1. Promoting A SACRED DUTY/How YOU Can Help

We are VERY fortunate to have an anonymous volunteer who is making DVDs of “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World” for 30 - 40 cents each. This enables us to relatively inexpensively continue to distribute complimentary copies of the acclaimed documentary. And with the world increasingly approaching an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats, it is more important than ever that as many people as possible see the movie.

So, please consider doing one or more of the following:

* Request one or more complimentary DVDs to view and to share with others, by contacting me at president@JewishVeg.com.

* Let people know that they can see the entire movie and order a complimentary DVD by visiting ASAcredDuty.com. There are also reviews, blurbs and questions and answers about the movie at that web site.

* Try to arrange a showing at a local synagogue, Jewish Community Center, Jewish school or other venue.

* Try to arrange a showing at a local community TV station.

* Speak to rabbis, educators, friends, relatives and anyone else who might be interested about them seeing the movie.

* Please let me know of any suggestions you may have re getting the movie more widely seen.

* Please make a tax-deductible donation to JVNA by going to JewishVeg.com/action. This will enable us to continue to distribute complimentary DVDs to as many people as possible.

MANY THANKS.

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2. My Interview By Caryn Hartglass of EarthSave TV Now on the Internet

You can see the entire interview by visiting:
http://media.podcastingmanager.com/3/5/4/2/7/148422-172453/Media/ItsAllAboutFood052009.mp3

EarthSave's description of the interview is below:

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. Dr. Schwartz, Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island, the author of "Judaism and Vegetarianism," "Judaism and Global Survival," and "Mathematics and Global Survival," and over 130 articles at www.JewishVeg.com. He is President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) and Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV), the Associate Producer of “A SACRED DUTY” and the Director Veg Climate Alliance. We talk about why people should be vegetarian today, why Jews and others who take their religions seriously should be vegetarians and what can be done to better promote vegetarianism as well as discussing the movie A SACRED DUTY that he helped produce.

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3. New Documentary Challenges Factory Farming

Forwarded message:

Indigestible
A new documentary will do for the perils of mass-produced food what An Inconvenient Truth did for global warming

By Miranda Purves | May 20, 2009 4:00 p.m.
documentary release - Food, Inc.

http://www.elle.com/Entertainment/Movies-TV/Indigestible

At least until its effect wears off, the riveting new documentary Food, Inc.-call it the real Scary Movie-will have you running from the supermarket for the hills, preferably ones dotted with grass-fed cows. From conversations with gentle activist-journalist Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) to scenes of meat processing plants grinding bone and gristle through ammonia before packing it in plastic-lined boxes and sending it off to the National School Lunch Program, director Robert Kenner paints a picture of a highly industrialized food system that in the past 15 years has come to control much of what we eat under a veil of secrecy, leaving obesity, diabetes, poverty, and pollution in its wake. In the midst of a media feeding frenzy before the film hits theaters this month-even Martha Stewart rushed to the press screening-we spoke to Kenner.

ELLE: In the movie, the National Chicken Council's communications director says, “These systems…produce a lot of food, on a small amount of land, at an affordable price-now somebody explain to me what is wrong with that?”

ROBERT KENNER: Low-cost food comes at a very high cost to all of us. It is mistreating the people who grow it and making us sick.

ELLE: You visit a family who can afford value meals but not fresh broccoli.

RK: Yes, they also live in what's known as a “food desert”-parts of the country where people have far greater access to fast food than fresh produce. The father spends $200 every other week on diabetes medication. I think one out of every five dollars in medicine now goes toward diabetes. It's going to bankrupt the health care system.

ELLE: I was surprised to learn that the USDA does not have the right to shut down plants producing contaminated food.

RK: Companies feel they are better at policing themselves than the government is. But I don't feel any better about that than I do about AIG policing itself, and perhaps I feel worse, because we have to eat it. These cows live in their own excrement.

ELLE: What was the scariest thing you encountered while filming?

RK: The time I asked Barbara Kowalcyk what she eats and doesn't. Her two-year-old son died in 2001 after eating E. coli-infected meat, and she's been fighting for a law that will allow the USDA to force recalls. She couldn't answer my question because she was afraid of getting sued. That's when I knew this movie was about more than food. It's about freedom of information. These companies don't want us to know how their products are made.

ELLE: Now even organic peanut butter gets recalled. What can we eat? Squash?

RK: [Laughing] Well, no. [Our water system] can be contaminated. I think it's best to support growers who care about something more than the bottom line. Now going to the farmers market is like a religious experience for me. I can't miss it

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4. Support Anti-Fur Bill in Israel

Forwarded message:

Subject: Please send message of support to Nitzan Horowitz, Israel

http://www.antifurcoalition.org/support-bill-int.html

Ban the fur trade: Support the Nitzan Horowitz Bill

On March 18th, Israeli Knesset Member, Nitzan Horowitz introduced a bill to enforce a total ban on the fur industry in Israel. If passed, the law would be a world precedent, prohibiting all fur importations, productions and all sales!

Please write to MK Nitzan Horowitz to show your support of his bill, by using the form [at the web site indicated above.]

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5. Physician Writes Of Why He Stopped Eating Meat

Thanks to author and JVNA advisor Arthur Poletti for sending us this information.

Dear Richard:

Please read these shocking, powerful and extremely persuasive publications which should be a mandatory obligation for every doctor in the world to read and
comment on.

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/news/2009/05/40628.php

http://www.22vegetarian.com/why-i-am-a-vegetarian-by-owens-s-parrett-md

These are classic publications written by the accomplished and established physician DR. Owen S. Parrot who has been trying to make as many people as possible aware
of the many reasons it is unwise to eat animal flesh including religious reasons.

I thought you may want to circulate the profound publications to your many contacts to help support and promote your relentless campaign to persuade as many people as possible to stop eating animal flesh.

This publications should be sent to every doctor in the world and leaders like President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Al Gore, as well as everyone in the United States Congress.

You may want to make contact with Dr. Owen S. Parrett because he may be very interested in teaming up with you and your staff in a joint effort.

I feel certain that Dr. Parrett would be very interested in viewing the one hour major masterpiece DVD you helped to produce titled *A SACRED DUTY* -- which
is currently being circulated throughout the world.

I enjoyed viewing the free online version which is posted on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9RxmTGHZgE

Richard, I really believe Dr. Parrett and you could form an alliance that could be mutually beneficial and very affective in revealing the real truth about the major catastrophic disasters that have been related to the livestock industry for years.

[So far, we have not been able to find any contact information for Dr. Parrott.

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6. Climate Change Could Influence Mid East Peace Prospects

Climate change could prompt Israel to resist Golan pullout

By Reuters

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1090025.html

[Another reason to work to end global warming]

DAMASCUS - Climate change could spark "environmental wars" in the Middle East over already scarce water supplies and dissuade Israel from pulling out of the Golan Heights, according to a Danish-funded study released this week.

The report said Israeli concerns about "food security and reduced agricultural productivity could shift the strategic calculation on whether to withdraw" from the Golan Heights.

"The expectation of coming environmental wars might imply that the way to deal with shrinking resources is to increase military control over them," said the study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, an independent organization headquartered in Canada.

The Golan supplies 30 percent of the water for Lake Kinneret.

The report also said the rise in sea level a result of climate change threatened to contaminate Gaza's sole aquifer.

The coastal aquifer, which is shared by Israel, is the only source of fresh drinking water for Gaza. The report said its water quality was abysmal.

Israel also draws water from most aquifers shared with the West Bank and restricts Palestinian water use.

Climate change will diminish water resources across the Middle East, found the report, which was released this week at the Danish Institute in Old Damascus.

The study comes ahead of a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen in December that will discuss a new treaty to deal with climate.

"In a region already considered the world's most water scarce, climate models are predicting a hotter, drier and less predictable climate," it said. "Higher temperature and less rainfall will reduce the flow of rivers and streams, slow the rate at which aquifers recharge, progressively raise sea levels and make the entire region more arid."

The study, which focused on the Levant - Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories - raised the specter of water shortages and climate-induced crises hitting the economies of those areas by 2050.

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7. Review of New Book on Religion and the Environment

Sally Bingham's “Love God, Heal the Earth”: A Review, by Rabbi Julian Sinclair

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 02:19 PM PDT

By Rabbi Julian Sinclair, as published on www.GreenProphet.com

Twenty years, ago, Sally Bingham went to her local bishop and announced that she wanted to be ordained so that she could become the world's first priest for the environment.

She was received with some skepticism. Undeterred, she embarked on almost a decade of study and became an Episcopalian minister in 1998. She went on to found Interfaith Power and Light (what a great name for an organization). Today IPL has some 2000 affiliated congregations in 26 states of the US.

In her recent book “Love God, Heal the Earth”, Bingham has brought together 21 leading voices speaking out about the about the religious duty to protect the environment. All are doers in the field, not just thinkers. Some are inspirational leaders. There a couple each of Muslims, Buddhists and Jews, and 15 Christians of all stripes and persuasions.

The tone of the essays is personal, often confessional. Each tells of a personal journey towards placing creation at the center of his or her faith and activism.

Some tell of mystical experiences in nature, others of a progression from a passion for feminism or civil rights to environmentalism.

Among the most interesting are the accounts of Richard Cizik and Joel Hunter, leaders of the Evangelical Climate Initiative for whom accepting the reality of anthropogenic climate change and the urgency of doing something about it was a struggle, and ultimately, a conversion.

Their stories vividly document the suspicion of science, of government and the mainstream media in the evangelical movement.

They show just how counter-cultural acceptance of climate change was within their churches. (This is what makes the Evangelical response to global warming politically very significant. It removes climate change from the leftish pigeon hole in which it was in danger of becoming stuck and elevates it to the status of an ethical issue that transcends party lines.)

One of the common themes of all the essays is that, as Bingham puts it,

The contributors all in different ways trace the transformation that begins with spiritual stirrings of love and reverence for God's world and eventuates in action.

As Pastor Clare Butterfield writes:

What we are trying to do is not to change light bulbs. We are trying to change people - with the assumption that they will then be the kind of people who will change their own light bulbs.

This heart-light bulb nexus touches on the unique and necessary contribution that religions can make in the struggle to avert climate change. Environmentalists are realizing that knowing what we must do may not be enough. We also need to find the moral passion to do it and the strength to overcome inner obstacles.

In the words of Gus Speth, Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and the Environment, quoted in the book by Richard Cizik:

“Thirty years ago, I thought that with enough good science, we would be able to solve the environmental crisis. I was wrong. I used to think the greatest problems threatening the planet were species extinction, pollution and climate change. I was wrong there too. I now believe that the greatest problems are pride, apathy and greed.”

“Love God, Heal the World” is an impressive and sometimes moving collection of testimonies from leaders of the environmental religious movement. It sheds light on the actions and the souls of people who are not only bringing new life and hope to environmentalism, but are also rethinking their religious faith and traditions in the light of the challenges environmentalism levels.

To be sure, the authors present their views in engagingly broad strokes that raise a lot of questions. As many of the writers acknowledge, the world's religions have arrived late to this issue.

As the book shows, they are catching up fast.

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8. Article Looks Back at Today's World From a Vegan 2109

Thanks to author and JVNA advisor Dan Brook for sending us this interesting article:

Kathy Freston

Author, Health and Wellness Expert
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/future-shock_b_210545.html

Dateline: June of the year 2109, in a high school social sciences class in Boise, Idaho.

Teacher: Good morning class. Today we are remembering what life was like in the days of Barack Hussein Obama, the first African American President of the United States. As you all know, President Obama did many [positive] things …

SNIP

Some argue that he saved the world from impending ecological collapse by appointing key agricultural and scientific people that made critical recommendations.

A hundred years ago, you may find this hard to believe, but the entire world was behaving in a way that made scientists of the time wonder aloud whether humans are actually a rational species. Some of the most brilliant scientists of the day argued that without changes in policy, the world was doomed to Biblical-style plagues, floods, famines, food and water wars, and other catastrophes -- all of human origin. Even so, entire industries lined up to condemn these scientists -- there was actually a debate about whether global warming was a problem.

Gasps and murmuring of incredulity from the students.

I know, we see it all clearly now. But back then, people were used to just taking whatever they wanted of natural resources, not believing that there could ever be consequences. They thought there was no end to the oil in the ground, fresh air or water, trees, or even animals. They believed they could do whatever they wanted, and so they did.

It's impressive to think about how the transformation occurred, though. Take for instance how people used to eat. Back in the day, people used to eat animals as part of nearly every meal. No kidding. But then in late 2006, United Nations scientists argued that eating meat was "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global," singling out meat consumption as a top cause of everything from desertification to loss of biodiversity to global warming. In fact, it was the business of raising animals for food that caused more global warming gases -- carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide -- than all the various forms of transportation put together. So even though driving those millions of big cars and flying old fashioned planes powered by oil were polluting the environment and warming the planet at breakneck speed, animal agriculture was an even bigger problem.

It seemed that no one listened, though, as 10 billion land animals and tens of billions of fish continued to be killed and eaten by humans every year in the United States alone.

Student: 10 billion animals and all those fish were slaughtered a year? For people to eat?

Teacher: Oh yes, people in the United States ate on average about 100 kilograms of animal flesh per person per year; of course back then the U.S. measured weight in something called pounds -- so it was an average of about 220 pounds. They ate huge chunks of cows -- their rumps, shoulders, and from around their ribs -- and drank their milk. They even ate the cow's baby's -- called veal -- because they liked the taste tender flesh. They dined on chickens more than anything, eating their breasts, legs, and wings. And people ate their eggs too!

Groans of disgust from the room. One student exclaims, "Humans consumed the milk and eggs of cows and chickens? Seriously?"

Teacher: Yes, seriously. But back to the environment please: It was inconceivable to people that the food they ate was what was warming the planet. Even former President Al Gore, who at that time had not yet been elected President or started his crusade against eating animals, didn't embrace the idea. He did finally see the connection of course, and he became one of President Obama's main advisors, urging him to see the full picture of what animal agriculture was doing to our planet.

At the same time, a number of scientists got together and challenged the world to recognize the insanity of funneling crops through animals to eat them. In addition to causing almost one-fifth of all global warming -- and for something both cruel and unhealthy -- funneling crops through animals also wasted hundreds of millions of tons of grain, corn, and soy. These crops were funneled through animals, wasting all of their fiber and carbohydrates, and the vast majority of their calories.

And remember, this was 100 years ago, when almost a billion people were starving and more than a billion lived in dire poverty. It's shocking to think that in such a rich world, people starved, but they did -- from those almost one billion who were not eating enough to be healthy, about 40 million people every year actually died from starvation-related causes. So that makes the waste of crops even harder to understand.

There is a spirited debate in college and university political science departments about whether it was the scientific argument about animals or the environmental and human starvation arguments that finally caused eating animals to be seen as so totally unethical, but everyone agrees that Richard Dawkins, other scientists, and animal protection groups focused attention on the scientific argument -- now obvious to us -- that other animals are more like us than they're unlike us (they feel pain, they are familial, they seek enjoyment, etc.) and that eating them is... well it's beneath our humanity and certainly bad for our health and the health of the planet.

Professor Dawkins, who was the foremost evolutionary scientist of his day, denounced what he called "speciesist arrogance" -- this idea that human beings are the pinnacle of creation -- and he called other species our "cousins," though these ideas were hardly the scientific consensus, despite the efforts of Dawkins, Jane Goodall, and other such pioneers. Of course it's obvious to us that other species have the same basic capacities and senses as human beings, but again, this was a big, big deal when Dawkins and Goodall were saying it 100 years ago.

[Judaism teaches that only human beings are created in God's image, but has many very strong teachings that prohibit mistreating animals.]

At that same time, animal protection groups started to focus more and more on the way these animals were treated. Groups documented the unbelievable cruelty of systems for egg production where so-called farmers crammed seven animals into tiny cages, as many as 100,000 in a shed, unable to do anything natural to being a chicken. They documented slaughterhouses -- it remains amazing to me that society didn't come up with another name for these places -- chopping animals' limbs off while they were still conscious.

They kept animals by the thousands in windowless buildings hidden away from view, and inside, they had people lined up to kill them, dismember them, and chop them up to be shipped out for food. There was a lot of blood, and there were horrible sounds coming from those places. But it was the biggest industry in the whole world, and people didn't seem to question the rightness of it. You can sometimes see these videos late at night on the American History channel, but they justifiably contain a parental warning, since they are not for the faint of heart.

At this point, most of the students are staring blankly, in total shock.

I'm sorry -- I know this is hard to hear. But it's important that we understand our history, and it's important that...

A student interrupts: But ma'am, how could this be? Wouldn't people get sick if they were eating animals' corpses? I mean, they were eating dead bodies!

Why yes, they got sick. Millions of people got sick from eating contaminated animal flesh every year, and thousands died. And even more shocking, more than half of Americans died for heart disease and cancer (those were big diseases back then), and two-thirds of Americans were overweight from eating this unhealthy diet. Although some doctors and nutritionists tried to tell everyone else that the human body is not designed to consume animals, much as people smoked cigarettes and denied the harm for so long, people also ate animals and denied the harm. I know this all sounds quite fantastical to you, but it's true.

Another student chimes in: But why, why did they eat animals? It seems so... gross.

Teacher: Well, perhaps they liked the taste of animal flesh [students groan collectively]. I'm really not sure. In 2008, a movie came out about a rugby team that experienced a plane crash, and the members ended up eating their team members as they froze to death. I suspect that the realization that humans are also made of flesh might have shocked some people.

At that time, it's important to remember that the very idea of green businesses was brand new and some businesses thrived as people clung to tradition. There were massive corporations dedicated to profiting from war, coal mining, oil, and killing billions of animals. You may not believe this, but people would actually call Thanksgiving "turkey day" because about 50 million turkeys were killed for that day alone.

First student blurts out in frustration: How could this be? My great grandmother was alive 100 years ago -- surely she didn't eat animals!?

Teacher: Well remember, humans held other humans as slaves not very long before that, and the Holocaust was a mere 60 years before Obama came to office. Think of things like the witch burnings, the crusades, the fact that women couldn't even vote 100 years earlier than the first black presidency. Thankfully, human beings evolve ethically, not just physically!

Anyway, about 100 years ago, a campaign began, spearheaded by a coalition of health, environmental, poverty, and animal protection groups, and supported by President Obama and his animal-loving family. Suddenly shirts and bumper stickers were everywhere, "Vegetarian is our HOPE!" And of course it had many layers to it -- the environment, global poverty, our health. It started becoming popular to eat a more plant based diet, and sure enough, a momentum was started, and within a few years, humans phased out eating animals.

It was, perhaps, the inevitable tide of history. In this case, scientific understanding met ecological crisis met the strong urge for self-preservation. We're learning from our mistakes and learning from science. We can, at least, be thankful for that, class. Don't you agree that learning from our mistakes is worth celebrating?

A young girl, silent until then, says quietly: I'm glad I wasn't alive then. I don't think I could have stomached eating an animal.

Dan Brook's Eco-Eating can be found at www.brook.com/veg

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9. Jewish Conference Scheduled/”A Sacred Duty” and Video of My Talk at the Flatbush JCC To Be Shown

Message from Kallah_2009@mail.vresp.com follows:

[If you plan to attend this interesting event [Kallah2009] that has classes, discussions and films on many Jewish topics, and would like to represent JVNA, please let me know. Thanks.]

There is still time to participate in the experience of a lifetime....

At the 2009 ALEPH Kallah, you will have the opportunity to come together with hundreds from all over the world to inspire and invigorate your Jewish experience.
REGISTER NOW!

Space is still available in most classes (check website for latest updates)

A week like no other:

* Classes with internationally renowned teachers
* Prayer services that will move your heart & soul
* Myriad oportunities to build joyous community
* Fabulous childrens programs -- toddlers to teens
* Kesher Leadership Program for Young Adults
* Healing Center to enhance the retreat experience
* Art, music, dance, theatre opportunites abound...

June 29 -- July 5, 2009
Ohio Wesleyan University 〓 (near) Columbus, OH
Just outside of Columbus OH, Ohio Wesleyan University is driving distance from Cleveland (2 hrs), Chicago (5 1/2 hrs), and Philadelphia (7 1/2 hrs).

For more information or to download the brochure, check out our website:
https://www.aleph.org/kallah.htm

or, to request a paper brochure, contact kallahadmin@rcn.com

Don't let finances stop you! Take advantage of the "First Timer", Educator, Minyan, and other discount possibilities to lower the cost. Find out more about our extensive Work Study program where participants may serve the community while significantly reducing Kallah fees (click here). In addition, young adults can take advantage of our Kesher Leadership Program which also provides scholarship opportunities.

Forward this message to a friend

ALEPH Kallah
543 Walnut St.
Newton, Massachusetts
US

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10. ABC News Special Dramatically Shows Potential Effects of Global Warming

[I saw this two hour special and it very dramatically illustrated the unprecedented catastrophe the world is heading toward. The final 15- - 20 minutes discussed actions that should be taken to avoid disaster, but did not mention dietary changes. However, near the beginning it did poin t out that much grain is being used to feed farmed animals.]

The following material is from the ABC web site:

There are a number of critical environmental issues that we could face in the future. Our goal was to approach these possible scenarios in a compelling way that would give viewers a broader understanding of what could happen to foster and encourage dialogue now.

The predictions in Earth 2100 were based on interviews with over 50 scientific and environmental experts. Much of the information on climate and weather was based on the findings of the 2007 IPCC Fourth Assessment report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). The report is available online at http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/assessments-reports.htm

We have provided an annotated script of the program available online that lists specific sources for each of the scenarios in Earth 2100 at this link: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Earth2100/story?id=7736882&page=1

[I recommend that you take a look at this web site, since much valuable information is given, along with many sources.]

'Earth 2100': Note from the Producer

Explore the Sciene Behind the Making of 'Earth 2100'; Annotated Transcripts
June 2, 2009

SHARE
The scenarios in Earth 2100 are not a prediction of what will happen but rather a warning about what might happen. They are based on the work of some of the world's top scientists and experts, as well as peer-reviewed articles from publications around the world. These notes are just a glimpse of the wide and diverse sources used to develop this program.

ABC News' "Earth 2100," hosted by Bob Woodruff, takes viewers on a journey through what the next century could have in store.

It is important to add that not all of the scientists we interviewed would agree with each specific scenario we present, or with our exact time frame. For example, some experts think that the more catastrophic events we depict would be unlikely to happen before the middle of the 22nd century, while others, like Jared Diamond, think that they could happen much sooner.

Though there is some disagreement about the specifics, there is widespread agreement among the 50-plus experts we spoke to in the course of our 18 months working on this show that if we do not change course in the near future, the collapse of our civilization is a real possibility.

When an insurance company, or an institution like the Pentagon, prepares for future threats, they always develop a worst case scenario -- a sober assessment, based on expert research, of the most serious possible risks. To avoid the worst, they believe, you must plan for it.

This program was developed to show the worst-case scenario for human civilization. Again, we are not saying that these events will happen -- rather, that if we fail to seriously address the complex problems of climate change, resource depletion and overpopulation, they are much more likely to happen

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11. Thoughts on a [Possible] Coming Vegetarian Revolution

Thanks to both Dan Brook and Lewis Regenstein, authors and JVNA advisors, for sending me the article below:

http://experts.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/06/03/meat_the_slavery_of_our_time

Foreign Policy - Wed, 06/03/2009
Meat: the slavery of our time
How the coming vegetarian revolution will arrive by force.
By Jim Motavalli

I have a prediction: Sooner than you might think, this will be a vegetarian world. Future generations will find the idea of eating meat both morally absurd and logistically impossible. Of course, one need only look at the booming meat industry, the climbing rates of meat consumption in the developing world, and the menu of just about any restaurant to call me crazy. But already, most people know that eating red meat is bad for their health and harmful for the planet. It's getting them to actually change their diet that's the hard part -- and that's exactly why it won't happen by choice.

Going by the numbers, eating meat is pretty hard to justify for the even moderately health-conscious. A National Cancer Institute report released last March found that people who ate the most red meat were, as the New York Times put it, "most likely to die from cancer, heart disease and other causes." The biggest abstainers "were least likely to die." Those who eat five ounces of meat daily, (the equivalent of one and a half Quarter Pounders or Big Macs) increase their risk from cancer or heart disease by 30 percent compared to those who eat two-thirds of an ounce daily -- a stark difference.

The environmental impact is also crystal clear -- and similarly appalling. "Livestock's Long Shadow," a 2006 report by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organzation (FAO), found that livestock is a major player in climate change, accounting for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions (measured in carbon dioxide equivalents), or more than the entire global transportation system.

The obvious solution to both health and environmental disasters is to stop eating meat altogether. But this is easier said than done. Even the studies addressing the impact of meat on the planet downplay vegetarianism, as if the authors are nervous to press it on people. Going veggie is not even proposed as one of the FAO's "mitigation options" (which instead include conservation tillage, organic farming, and better nutrition for livestock to reduce methane gas production). Nor is it emphasized in "Happier Meals: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry," a report by Danielle Nierenberg at the Worldwatch Institute. The study's author is herself a vegan, but she told me, "Food choices are a very personal decision for most people. We are only now convincing them that this is a tool at their disposal if they care about the environment."

She has a point: Giving up meat is tough, and arguing people into it is probably a losing proposition. Even with all the statistics out there about the dangers of meat, there are fewer vegetarians in the world than you'd think. A Harris poll conducted in 2006 for the Vegetarian Resource Group found that only 2.3 percent of American adults 18 or older claim never to eat meat, fish, or fowl. A larger group, 6.7 percent, say they "never eat meat," but often that means they only avoid the red kind. Worldwide, local vegetarian societies report high participation in just a few places - for example, 40 percent in India, 10 percent in Italy, 9 percent in Germany, 8.5. percent in Israel, and 6 percent in Britain.

So how will we become a vegetarian planet? The numbers suggest that we won't stop eating meat simply because it's "the right thing to do." People love it too much. Instead, we'll be forced to stop. By 2025, we simply won't have the resources to keep up the habit. According to the FAO report, 33 percent of the world's arable land is devoted to growing crops for animal feed, and grazing is a major factor in deforestation around the world. It's also incredibly water-intensive. The average U.S. diet requires twice the daily amount of water as does an equally nutritious vegetarian diet, reports the Worldwatch Institute. Meanwhile, there will be more than 8 billion people on this earth, and two-thirds of the world's population will live in water-stressed regions.

Sounds like a mess -- and one that doesn't bode well for our cattle cravings. Meat will disappear -- except as a luxury available to few -- and the ethical issues will evolve, too. In the way that slavery, once a broad social norm, later became an unthinkable crime, we can expect to see a similar shift once meat-eating disappears from our planet. Perhaps, some day, the very idea of eating animal flesh will seem as remote as the idea of owning humans does now. So if you're a carnivore, enjoy now -- before the inevitable vegetarian revolution begins.

Jim Motavalli is a senior writer at E/The Environmental Magazine

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12. New Book Promotes Animal Protection

Re. Bad Hare Days

Forwarded message:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to tell you about a book I have written and had published on the controversial subject of live hare coursing in Ireland and the campaign to protect the Irish Hare. It's called Bad Hare Days (published by Olympia Publishers of London) and in it I recount the ups and downs of campaigning on the issue over three decades.

In addition to exploring the nature of hare coursing from my own perspective as an animal protection campaigner, I also describe the social and psychological impact on campaigners of engaging in a difficult and tension-wrought campaign aimed at changing public opinion on this and other animal protection issues.

As I lack the resources to mount a huge promotional drive of the kind one associates with celebrity authors, I am doing what I can to “spread the word” about the book.

I'm not sure if it would be possible for you to mention the book on your website or in a newsletter. If not, I'd appreciate if perhaps you might tell someone about it. The “Bush Telegraph” can be most effective too!

If interested, you might like to read a review of the book and some further details at the following link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Hare-Days-John-Fitzgerald/dp/1905513674

Reproduced below is what the publisher's promotional piece has to say about the book:

Bad Hare Days by John Fitzgerald

In Ireland the 'humble hare' has been the subject of great controversy. After years of an abusive sport, which resulted in its child-like death screams being heard regularly throughout Ireland, a result was achieved.

For those few dedicated people trying desperately to save the gentl creature from the horrors of the cruel sport of hare coursing, the struggle was painful and fought against great odds. The author writes about one of the 'world's most barbaric blood sports' continuing during a deadly period for the hares, the 1980s.

His own peaceful and non-violent action and that of, initially, a few others' did arouse the public and achieve what at first appeared to be a hard-won benefit to the hare. But the hare's troubles were - and are -
> far from over. Though it can no longer be torn apart by greyhounds, now muzzled, it can still be mauled, injured, and tossed about like a rag doll on the coursing field.

In addition to highlighting the hare's sad plight, this is also a
campaigner's story. The author recounts vividly the ups and downs of his own fight against cruelty. He paid a major price in suffering as a result of being persecuted for his beliefs. The gentle hare, apart from its use and abuse in coursing, has now become an endangered species in Ireland, and this book reinforces its right to be protected.

About the Author:

John Fitzgerald is a free-lance journalist and writer living in Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Before taking up these twin
pursuits, he had worked for almost a decade in a farmers' co-operative, during which time he wrote hundreds of letters to newspapers exposing cruelty to animals in general, but hare coursing in particular, as part of a national campaign against blood sports in Ireland. He has been involved for almost three decades in Ireland's anti-hare coursing movement and the present book focuses on a tumultuous phase in the campaign that had a devastating immediate and long-term impact on his
life. John Fitzgerald has contributed articles to a number of national and provincial Irish newspapers and to the popular Ireland's Own magazine. He is also the author of four previous books, all dealing with aspects of his native county's heritage, history, and folklore.

Thanking you for your kind attention,

Sincerely,

John Fitzgerald

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