Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Rosh Hashanah and Vegetarianism
2. Vegetarianism, Animal Issues, Environmentalism and the 2008 Presidential Election
3. Head of UN Climate Panel Connects Meat Consumption to Global Climate Change
4. International Vegetarian Union (IVU) Issues Statement Relating Meat Consumption to Global Warming
5. Threatened Small Islands Appeal to the UN re Global Warming
6. Reform Rabbis Embrace Ethical Kashrut/JVNA Press Release in Response
7. Seeking Statistics on the Meat/Global Warming Connection
8. “In Defense of Animals” Challenges Al Gore on the Dietary/Global Warming Connection
9. Ice Continuing to Melt Due to Global Warming
10. Update on the Humane Society of the US's “All Creatures Great and Small” Campaign
11. Major Article Sent Out by Religious News Service and Published in USA Today Mentions JVNA and A SACRED DUTY
12. Supreme Master TV Has Second Anniversary Show
13. National Teach-In on Global Warming Planned
14. Austin, Texas Contact Sought for a Local Vegetarian Article
15. Destroying the World with Our Forks
16. Re Agriprocessors
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. Rosh Hashanah and Vegetarianism
a. I have been informed that my article on Rosh Hashanah and Vegetarianism will be in the Rosh Hashanah supplement of the Jerusalem Post. The article can be found, along with similar articles about Yom Kippur and Sukkot, in the festivals section at JewishVeg.com. Please consider sending a letter to the editor once the article is published. I plan to let you know. Thanks.
b. My one-page dvar Torah submitted to Shma magazine, in response to their request for entries
RENEWING CREATION AT ROSH HASHANAH
Richard H. Schwartz
Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of the creation of the world, is a good time to assess how we are doing in fulfilling our mandated role of being co-workers with God in preserving the environment.
When God created the world, He was able to say, "It is very good." (Genesis 1:31) Everything was in harmony as God had planned, the waters were clean, and the air was pure. But what must God think about the world today?
What must God think when the rain He provided to nourish our crops is often acid rain, due to the many chemicals emitted into the air by industries and automobiles; when the ozone layer He provided to separate the heavens from the earth to protect all life on earth from the sun's radiation is being depleted; when the abundant fertile soil He provided is quickly being depleted and eroded; when the climatic conditions that He designed to meet our needs are threatened by global warming?
At this time, when almost daily reports of severe heat waves, storms, floods, droughts, wild fires and melting ice seem to indicate that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented catastrophe, it is essential that tikkun olam (the repair and healing of the world) become a central focus on Jewish life today. We must apply Jewish values to help shift our greatly imperiled world to a sustainable path.
Suggestions welcome.
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2. Vegetarianism, Animal Issues, Environmentalism and the 2008 Presidential Election
As you know, the 2008 presidential election is of great significance. As a non-profit, tax exempt group, JVNA cannot endorse any candidates.
However, we can provide information about the issues that we are concerned about to possibly help readers make voting decisions. With that in mind, I am planning a special JVNA newsletter that will provide background articles and other material re the positions of the major presidential and vice presidential candidates on vegetarian-related issues. Please send me material that you think is appropriate, along with the source and a URL, if possible. I also plan to have a second special issue, in which additional material and responses to material in the first newsletter will be included.
Many thanks.
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3. Head of UN Climate Panel Connects Meat Consumption to Global Climate Change
Gent, Belgium. On Saturday, Rachendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Nobel Peace prize winner, lectured at length about the effects of meat consumption on climate change.
Dr. Pachauri was invited by the Belgian vegetarian organisation EVA and addressed more than 600 people at the University of Ghent. The event was called "Less Meat, Less Heat" and was organized together with Greenpeace Belgium and WWF Belgium.
Dr Pachauri said that in order to counter climate change, lifestyle changes are very important. One of the potentially most beneficial lifestyle changes, according to the IPCC president, would be the switch to a diet with less meat and more vegetarian meals.
Addressing his Belgian audience, Dr. Pachauri made the following comparison: if during one year, all Belgians would just have one meatless day a week, this would have the same beneficial effect on greenhouse gas emission as taking almost one million cars off the Belgian roads for an entire year.
Dr. Pachauri said meat production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to emission of methane from ruminants (= cows, sheep and goats), emissions from manure, and the effects of deforestation for cattle grazing and animal feed. He also pointed out that producing a kilogram of beef requires about 15.000 liters of water.
Dr. Pachauri ended his talk by a quote from Gandhi: 'be the change you want to see in the world'. He said we each need to take our responsibility and can create a big effect by individual actions, decreasing our meat intake being one of them.
After the talk, Tobias Leenaert of vegetarian organisation EVA presented five policy recommendations for meat reduction, signed by about 20 environmental and other organizations. Leenaert: "A lower meat intake would be beneficial on so many levels, not just on climate change and other environmental problems, but also on public health, animal welfare, and the world hunger problem. Still, government and politicians are not taking this issue seriously."
The policy recommendations include setting a good example by offering sustainable vegetarian food in government funded restaurants, focusing more on sustainable food in school lunch programmes and education in general, a government campaign about the benefits of eating less meat, and making the production and sale of sustainable food products more profitable.
Source: www.vegetarisme.be/pachauri
Contact:
EVA
Tobias Leenaert
tobias@vegetarisme.be
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Eat less meat to fight climate change: UN expert
Sep 6, 2006
Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told The Observer that people should start by having one meat-free day per week then cut back further.
The 68-year-old Indian economist, who is a vegetarian, said diet change was important in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental problems associated with rearing cattle and other animals.....
http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=37095&lang=en
Petition 'FOOD vs FEED' to the UN
http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=36475
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4. International Vegetarian Union (IVU) Issues Statement Relating Meat Consumption to Global Warming
The following statement is from the IVU council. Please distribute widely through your own networks, email groups, journals etc. Careful translations into your own language where appropriate would be very much appreciated.
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The International Council of the International Vegetarian Union wishes to bring to the attention of member societies and other interested parties the growing awareness deserved by the connection between, on one hand, the production of meat and other animal-based products and, on the other hand, environmental destruction. While this connection has long been known, recent reports, such as the FAO's [2006 report] "Livestock's Long Shadow", have strengthened the case and increased public consciousness of the fact that vegetarianism is an eco-friendly choice, due to the link between livestock farming and climate change and to links between livestock farming and deforestation and habitat destruction, water and energy resource depletion, and food conversion inefficiency and waste.
The IVU website offers one place to learn more about why vegetarianism is an= eco-friendly choice and about how to inform the public about this. For instance, at http://www.ivu.org/members/globalwarming.html resources can be found on animal-based food's contribution to global warming. The environment, like all issues, is a complex one. It is suggested that member societies and other interested parties endeavour to stay up-to-date, to rely on reputable information sources, to avoid exaggeration and to share resources with other green groups, including fellow vegetarian organisations. The IVU website and various IVU internet lists offer avenues for this sharing of resources.
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END
John Davis
manager@ivu.org
http://www.ivu.org
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5. Threatened Small Islands Appeal to the UN re Global Warming
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6. Reform Rabbis Embrace Ethical Kashrut/JVNA Press Release in Response
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7. Seeking Statistics on the Meat/Global Warming Connection
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8. “In Defense of Animals” Challenges Al Gore on the Dietary/Global Warming Connection
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9. Ice Continuing to Melt Due to Global Warming
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10. Update on the Humane Society of the US's “All Creatures Great and Small” Campaign
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11. Major Article Sent Out by Religious News Service and Published in USA Today Mentions JVNA and A SACRED DUTY
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12. Supreme Master TV Has Second Anniversary Show
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13. National Teach-In on Global Warming Planned
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14. Austin, Texas Contact Sought for a Local Vegetarian Article
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15. Destroying the World with Our Forks
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16. Re Agriprocessors
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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.
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DISCLAIMER
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.
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.
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.
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.