Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Converting Tu B'Shvat to a Jewish Earth Day
2. Israeli Jewish Vegetarian Society Getting Active Again/Scheduling Activities
3. Israel's Severe Drought Worsens
4. JVNA Press Release About Israel's Severe Drought and Dietary Connections
5. Strategy Ideas Re Getting Vegetarianism Onto Israel's Agenda
6. Article by JVNA Advisor and Author Lewis Regenstein re Jewish Teachings on Animals
7. Reducing the Slaughter of Wild Life
8. Can We Persuade President Obama to Switch Toward Vegetarianism
9. My Letter to President Obama re Vegetarianism Published in the Staten Island Advance
10. Getting Our Messages to Science Educators
11. More on Global Warming Threats
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. Converting Tu B'Shvat to a Jewish Earth Day
Please use the press release below as a means to try to get environmental activities scheduled in your community related to Tu B'Shvat, which occurs on February 8 and 9 this year. In view of the many threats to Israel, the US and, indeed the entire world from global warming and other environmental problems, it is essential that we use Tu B'Shvat and other opportunities to get such issues onto the Jewish and other agendas. Many thanks.
JEWISH GROUP URGES THAT TU B'SHVAT BE CONSIDERED A JEWISH EARTH DAY
For Immediate Release:
January 11, 2009
Contact:
Richard H. Schwartz, President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
President@JewishVeg.com Phone: (718) 761-5876
Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) issued the following statement today:
In view of the major threats to Israel and, indeed, the entire world from global warming and other environmental problems, it is essential that the Jewish community join with others in responding, and an excellent time to start is Tu B'Shvat, which starts this year at sundown on Sunday evening, February 8. This increasingly popular “New Year for the trees” should be considered a “Jewish Earth Day.”
With Israel facing the worst drought in its history, and with the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense projecting that, if present trends continue, global warming will result in Israel soon facing major heat waves, a reduction of rainfall of up to 30 percent, severe storms causing major flooding, and a rising Mediterranean Sea which would inundate the coastal plain where most Israelis live, rabbis and other Jewish leaders should support and join major efforts to combat global warming.
“It is urgent that tikkun olam-the healing and repair of the world -- be a central issue in synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions,” stated Richard Schwartz, president of JVNA. “Judaism has splendid teachings on environmental conservation and sustainability, and it is essential that they be applied to respond to the many current environmental threats, in order to move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.”
Consistent with the fact that all the foods at the traditional Tu B'Shvat seder are from plants, JVNA also urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how plant-based diets are most consistent with basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources and help hungry people.
According to a UN Food and Agricultural Organization 2006 report, animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined. The report projects that the number of farmed animals worldwide, currently about 56 billion, will double in 50 years. If that happened, the increased greenhouse gas emissions would negate the effects of many positive changes that environmentalists support. Hence a major societal shift to vegetarianism is imperative.
Further information about these issues can be found at the JVNA web site JewishVeg.com. JVNA will provide complimentary copies of its new documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD and related materials to rabbis and other Jewish leaders who will contact them (mail@jewishVeg.com) and indicate that they will consider using them to involve their congregations on the issues.
We plan to contact rabbis and other Jewish leaders and urge them to make Tu B'Shvat a Jewish Earth Day.
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Supporting material includes the following:
The threats are really worldwide. There are daily reports of severe droughts, storms, flooding and wildfires and about meltings of polar icecaps and glaciers. All this due to an average temperature increase of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, and global climate scientists are projecting an increase of from 3 to 11 degrees Farhrenheit in the next 100 years, and this would result in an unprecedented catastrophe for humanity.
Some climate scientists 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
Al Gore pointed out that the United States must free itself from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources by 2018. He stressed the urgency of the change by stating: 'the survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,' and that 'The future of human civilization is at stake.'
When we read daily reports of the effects of global climate change, such as record heat waves, severe flooding, widespread droughts, unprecedented numbers of wild fires, and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps; when some climate scientists are warning that global climate change may spin out of control with disastrous consequences unless major changes are soon made; when a recent report indicated that our oceans may be virtually free of fish by 2050; when species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history; when it is projected that half of the world's people will live in areas chronically short of water by 2050; it is essential that the Jewish community fulfill our mandate to be a “light unto the nations” and lead efforts to address these critical issues.
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2. Israeli Jewish Vegetarian Society Getting Active Again/Scheduling Activities
Below is an message sent out about recent events scheduled at the Israeli Jewish Vegetarian Society (JVS):
January 22, 2008,
Shalom JVS members and supporters:
Here are some announcements about upcoming events at the Jewish Vegetarian Society (JVS) Center at 8 Balfour Street in the Rehavia section of Jerusalem:
1) On the last Tuesday of every month, at 7pm, we are going to have a vegan pot-luck in the center in 8 Balfour St. in Jerusalem. The first will be on the coming Tuesday, January 27th, at 7pm. People are invited to come and bring their friends for an evening of eating, talking and socializing. Bring and share a vegan dish (no meat, no fish, no eggs, no milk, no honey, please) - it can be well-known or innovative, cooked or raw, simple or complicated, small or large… or just come with no dish and participate.
To get updates and invitations to events from the Jewish Vegetarian Society in Jerusalem, people can subscribe to our google-group mailing list or join our facebook groups:
subscription to our mailing list: http://groups.google.com/group/ijvs/subscribe?hl=en
Our facebook group in English: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46402857803
Our facebook group in Hebrew: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45125543380
2) Please reserve Sunday evening, February 8 for a Tu B'Shvat seder at the JVS Center. More details to follow soon.
3) On Thursday evening, February 12, at 8 PM, Rabbi Noach Valley, a long time vegetarian activist and former president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA), will be speaking on "My 40 Years Out Of The Wilderness."
For further information, please contact JVS Board Chairperson Yossi Wolfson at reyo@Netvision.net.il.
If you have suggestions re future JVS activities, please bring them up at the various JVS events or email Yossi.
The news item below [about the severe drought in Israel] indicates why it is essential to have an active Jewish Vegetarian Society. Israel is now facing the most severe drought in its history. Meanwhile, animal-based diets and agriculture use water, energy, land and other resources very wastefully and also contribute very substantially to global warming, which is major factor behind droughts, and is projected to increase heat waves, severe storms and a rising Mediterranean, which could flood the coastal plain where most Israelis live.
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3. Israel's Severe Drought Worsens
Israel halts Sea of Galilee water pumping
January 22, 2009
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/22/1002430/israel-halts-sea-of-galilee-water-pumping
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel has halted pumping water from the Sea of Galilee.
Pumping from Israel's main water source stopped Monday when the water level reached about 16 inches from the "black line," beyond which pumping is strictly prohibited.
Water instead is being pumped from Israel's underground aquifers, which are also at dangerously low levels.
Rainfall in Israel this year has been at about half of its annual average. This month is on track to be the driest in the history of such records, according to Ha'aretz.
Water sources that flow into the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Kinneret , are also at their lowest level ever.
Israel is in the midst of its fifth consecutive year of drought.
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4. JVNA Press Release About Israel's Severe Drought and Dietary Connections
[Please use this press release and other information to send letters to editors, rabbis, other Jewish leaders and others. Thanks.]
CHANGING DIET CAN PROTECT ISRAEL FROM CLIMATE CATASTROPHE
For Immediate Release:
January 25, 2009
Contact:
Richard H. Schwartz, President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
President@JewishVeg.com
Phone: (718) 761-5876 [Cell 917-576-0344)
Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) issued the following statement today:
Last Monday, the most severe drought in Israel's history -- caused or exacerbated by global warming -- prompted an emergency halt to the pumping of water from the depleted Kinneret (also known as the Sea of Galilee), with water instead being pumped from Israel's underground aquifers, which are also at dangerously low levels. (JTA report follows is at he end of this release.) If present trends continue, the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense (IUED) projects that global warming will soon result in Israel facing major heat waves, a reduction of rainfall of up to 30 percent, severe storms causing major flooding, and a rising Mediterranean Sea which would inundate the coastal plain where most Israelis live.
"These deeply worrying events should be a wake-up call to the Jewish community that global warming poses an existential threat to the state of Israel that rivals any other," stated Richard Schwartz, president of JVNA.
“Tikkun olam -- the healing and repair of the world, which includes the prevention of global warming -must become a central issue of discussion and action in Jewish institutions, from schools and synagogues to newspapers and websites," added Schwartz. “Our Jewish tradition abounds with splendid teachings on environmental conservation and sustainability. These must be applied to the environmental crisis we face today.”
DIET IS KEY
Though not well publicized, there is a scientific consensus that one of the most powerful ways humanity can fight global warming is to shift to a more climate-friendly diet.
A landmark 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimated that globally livestock production 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 GHG emissions 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."
Since 1979, JVNA has raised awareness of the environmental, health, humanitarian and other benefits of a global shift to vegetarian, vegan or plant-based, diets, most recently in its feature-length documentary film: A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD. It can be viewed at www.ASacredDuty.com.
"JVNA is eager to make its expertise and resources available to all educators, rabbis, journalists, policymakers and other conscientious and influential Jews so they may heighten awareness within the Jewish community not only of the seriousness of global warming but of the power of ethical dietary choices to prevent it," said Schwartz.
The issues are so critical that JVNA is spearheading a campaign to turn Tu B'Shvat into a Jewish Earth Day and urging synagogues, Jewish schools and other institutions to arrange environmental activities on and around that day which occurs on February 8-9 this year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT JEWISHVEG.COM
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Supplementary Material on Global Warming Threats
The threats from global warming are really worldwide. There are daily reports of severe droughts, storms, flooding and wildfires and about meltings of polar icecaps and glaciers. All this due to an average temperature increase of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, and global climate scientists are projecting an increase of from 3 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years, and this would result in an unprecedented catastrophe for humanity.
Some climate scientists 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
Al Gore pointed out that the United States must free itself from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources by 2018. He stressed the urgency of the change by stating: 'the survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,' and that 'The future of human civilization is at stake.'
When we read daily reports of the effects of global climate change, such as record heat waves, severe flooding, widespread droughts, unprecedented numbers of wild fires, and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps; when some climate scientists are warning that global climate change may spin out of control with disastrous consequences unless major changes are soon made; when a recent report indicated that our oceans may be virtually free of fish by 2050; when species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history; when it is projected that half of the world's people will live in areas chronically short of water by 2050; it is essential that the Jewish community fulfill our mandate to be a “light unto the nations” and lead efforts to address these critical issues.
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JTA article:
Please see item #3 above.
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5. Strategy Ideas Re Getting Vegetarianism Onto Israel's Agenda
Shalom everyone,
I thought you might be interested in my press release below [actually in an item above, about Israel's severe drought].
Perhaps it might be the basis of a letter-writing campaign. Perhaps at Tuesday's pot luck get together, ten or 15 minutes might be devoted to writing letters to editors, MKs (Knesset members), rabbis, etc. Perhaps stationery and pens can be provided along with suggested key points to bring up.
As you know Israel is a relatively small country with national newspapers, and with relatively easy access to media, MKs, rabbis, Yeshiva heads, etc. So, it is a great place to be active and we have a very important message in this time of an epidemic of diseases and major threats from global warming and other environmental problems.
Perhaps JVS can consider how to reach out with our vegetarian message, especially at a time when there is an epidemic of diseases in Israel and elsewhere and when Israel and the entire world are threatened with global warming/scorching and other environmental threats.
Suggestions very welcome.
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6. Article by JVNA Advisor and Author Lewis Regenstein re Jewish Teachings on Animals
jtonline.us/main.asp?SectionID4&subsectionID&articleIDa18
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7. Reducing the Slaughter of Wild Life
Forwarded message:
Dear Friends and Activists,
This effort is huge and we can make a difference by learning about it and helping. The extermination of wild animals, (WHERE ALL SO CALLED FARMED ANIMALS WERE DERIVED FROM) is another result of the meat and dairy industry, a tragic consequence of the human diet. It's even more tragic that these natural canivores are being slaughtered with our tax dollars, when the industries doing it are also promoting preventable disease in children and adults.
www.plantbasednutrition.org
Please forward this to everyone who cares about nature and our sacred earth....and how OUR taxes are spent.
Laura Beth Slitt
Bartlett,NH
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Forwarded message from: Brian Vincent
Subject: Please sign letter to abolish Wildlife Services funding
PLEASE FORWARD TO OTHER WILDLIFE ADVOCATES
PLEASE SIGN ONTO LETTER TO ABOLISH WILDLIFE SERVICES FUNDING
Below is a letter prepared by Wild Earth Guardians (WEG) to the Obama Administration urging the White House to end funding of the Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services. As you may be aware, every year, Wildlife Services kills millions of animals, including thousands of native carnivores. The agency employs a host of cruel - and expensive and unnecessary - methods to kill coyotes, bears, cougars, wolves, and other wildlife. Animals are shot, poisoned, gassed in their dens, trapped, snared, clubbed, pursued by hounds, targeted from helicopters and planes, or lured to bait stations where they are shot. Other animals, even family dogs and cats, are unintentionally injured or killed by agency actions. In 2007, alone, Wildlife Services killed 2.4 million animals, including 121,565 carnivores. The agency reported it spent over $100 million in 2007 to kill wildlife, most of which was funded by taxpayers. Among those animals killed in 2007: 90,262 coyotes, 2,277 gray foxes, 2,412 red foxes, 2,090 bobcats, 1,133 cats, 552 dogs, 577 badgers, and 340 gray wolves.
Big Wildlife is also working to halt Wildlife Services' cruel and unnecessary wildlife extermination methods. With that in mind, we enthusiastically support WEG's efforts and encourage you to add your organization's name to their letter. We believe it is critical that we collectively make our concerns known to the Obama Administration. We are already seeing encouraging signs that this White House is willing to listen and to act on behalf of animals. (For example, one of President Obama's first official actions was putting the brakes on last minute regulations by the previous Administration, including a move by former President Bush to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. On his first day, President Obama issued a freeze on publications of federal regulations planned under the Bush Administration but not yet published in the Federal Register. That action will give the Obama Administration time to review the wolf delisting and, quite possibly, prevent the premature removal of gray wolves from the list in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes regions.)
So, please make your voices heard by signing onto the letter below. See instructions under "what you can do."
And, thanks for caring so much for the animals and the Earth!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
To sign on, simply send the following information to Brian Vincent. He will then forward that information to WEG.
YOUR NAME:
TITLE:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESS:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
WEBSITE URL:
DEADLINE TO SIGN ON: January 29, 2009
SIGN ON LETTER URGING END TO WILDLIFE SERVICES FUNDING
DATE
January 26, 2009
Nancy Killefer, Chief Performance Officer
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Re: Get the Federal Government Out of the Wildlife Extermination Business
Dear Ms. Killefer:
President Barack Obama has called for budget reform and line-by-line review to root out government programs that do not work. In his inaugural address of January 20th, Mr. Obama called upon government to “restore science,” make government “work” and when it does not to “end” programs.
One obvious candidate for the axe is Wildlife Services, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which spends over $100 million annually to kill more than one million animals-including black and grizzly bears, beavers, mountain lions, coyotes, and wolves. Most of this killing is done to protect private industry and public lands ranchers, yet all Americans foot the bill for this ineffective, wasteful, ecologically unsound, and ethically indefensible agency.
Between 2004 and 2007, Wildlife Services killed more than 8.3 million animals, largely at taxpayer expense. We contend this agency is:
o Biologically and Fiscally Unsound: Both biologists and economists criticize Wildlife Services for using a “sledgehammer approach” to wildlife management, which relies largely on non-selective killing methods such as poison, primitive neck snares and traps, and aerial gunning, but fails to look at look at long-term, ecologically sound, and humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts;
o Unnecessary. A handful of livestock producers actually experience predator problems while the vast majority of unintended cattle and sheep deaths come from birthing problems, disease, or weather, not predation. In essence, Wildlife Services' livestock protection program is an unneeded, costly subsidy to one private business that unfairly competes with private animal control businesses for contracts;
o Sloppy and Dangerous. Wildlife Services litters the American landscape with deadly poisons and traps that are inherently indiscriminate and often kill curious pets, threatened and endangered species, and other animals that are unintentionally killed. The USDA's Office of Inspector General has sanctioned Wildlife Services as a security threat on several occasions for its negligent handling of toxicants. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency charged the agency for improper placement of sodium cyanide booby trap on public lands that harmed a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and killed his dog. In addition, the Wildlife Services aerial gunning program caused at least ten human fatalities and 28 injuries to federal employees and contractors; and
o Anachronistic, Unethical, and Environmentally Abusive. Because of this agency's history of misuse and abuse of wildlife and public lands, it has been called to task by Congress several times over its 100-year history. A 1995 GAO report found that Wildlife Services fails to use non-lethal methods to protect livestock and a 2001 GAO report said the agency could not justify its costs relative to its benefits. Moreover, the American Society of Mammologists - one of the oldest and most respected professional associations of scientists in North America - have issued two resolutions, first in 1934, and then in 1999, that called on the agency to “cease indiscriminate, preemptive, lethal control programs on federal, state, and private lands….and to focus on the implementation of non-lethal control strategies, compensatory measures, and sound animal husbandry techniques.”
Astonishingly, even though practical and time-tested non-lethal alternatives are available, Wildlife Services continues to rely on lethal, indiscriminate methods that wastes millions of dollars in worthless, “research” projects that provide little to no practical applicability. In the meantime, new, more effective non-lethal techniques that have been developed are seldom actually employed in the field. The few useful functions of this agency could be easily transferred to state, local and private agencies without ill effect. The Portland International Airport, for example, handles its own bird-strike mitigation program.
As the Obama Administration takes its scalpel to root out costly and wasteful programs, we urge the administration to see this agency for what it is by getting rid of this costly, ineffective, and unjustifiable boondoggle.
Sincerely yours,
--
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT BIG WILDLIFE'S WEBSITE AT: www.bigwildlife.org
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8. Can We Persuade President Obama to Switch Toward Vegetarianism
Forwarded message from author and JVNA advisor Arthur Poletti:
Thank you Google Alerts for helping to spread the word about the benefits of vegetarianism.
Only a few things need to happen that together would definitely persuade President Barack Obama to become a vegetarian.
The first step would be for President Obama to communicate with the Commissioner of the Chicago Public Health Department Dr. Terry Mason and ask him to explain why he has become a vegetarian and has recommended that everyone else do the same.
'The next dramatic step would be to persuade President Obama to consider what it would be like for him to personally kill a factory farm animal himself.
To look the animal in the eyes and then cut its throat. Listen to it scream. Watch it writhe in agony. There is a hell of a lot of bad energy going on there, no? If he visited any slaughterhouse or factory farm President Obama would go veggie that night and so would his wife and children.
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9. My Letter to President Obama re Vegetarianism Published in the Staten Island Advance
[I was limited to 200 words for this letter.]
Congratulations on your historic election and best wishes for your continued success.
As you know, climate scientists are warning that global warming may soon spiral out of control with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur. So, I urge you to make responding to this threat a priority. A 2006 UN report indicated that animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation worldwide combined. Hence, you could dramatically respond and show that you are truly a transformative president by switching, perhaps with your wonderful family, toward a vegetarian diet, and also urging the American people to sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.
Such a step would be consistent with the appeal of the Health Commissioner of your home city Chicago for Chicagoans to be vegetarians, at least through January, and would help reduce diseases and curb present soaring medical expenditures.
Also, your charming daughters could enjoy their new dog more, knowing that your switching to nutritious, delicious plant-based foods would reduce the current mistreatment and slaughter of 10 billion farmed animals in the U.S. annually.
Very respectfully,
RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ, Ph.D.
(The writer is a professor emeritus at the College of Staten Island and the president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America.)
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10. Getting Our Messages to Science Educators
Forwarded message from JoAnn Farb:
Below is an email I am passing on with info about the upcoming National Science Teachers Conference in New Orleans. I once went to an NSTA event and was Absolutely SHOCKED to discover how cozy NSTA was with many special interest groups, and how biased much of the free information distributed to science teachers was. For example, I think Exxon provided free materials and curriculum to teach about climate change, and some Forestry Products Company presented materials on forest management, a power company provided lesson plans on how wonderful nuclear energy was and so forth.
If any of you know anyone in any organization that might be able to attend this event in New Orleans to provide balancing information on issues about environment or animals or health -- this would be wonderful -- this will be a gathering of the best science teachers from all over the country -- and they are teaching the next generation!
JoAnn Farb
From: mcclurg@atmos.colostate.edu
To: massmail-us@globe.gov; us-partners@globe.gov
CC: united-states@globe.gov
Subject: Funding opportunities and 2009 NSTA presentations
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:33:43 -0700
Dear U.S. GLOBE Educators,
Please mark you calendars and DON'T MISS THESE DATES:
1. The National Science Teachers Association annual conference is going to be held March 18th through 22nd in New Orleans, Louisiana http://www.nsta.org/ and in keeping with our tradition of hosting a GLOBE Community Reception, we will be hosting this event on the evening of Thursday March 19th. We will send you more details as soon as they become available. Please plan on attending this reception and invite other educators who may be interested in learning more about GLOBE and meeting GLOBE Partners from there area.
SNIP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nandini (Nan) McClurg
Regional Desk Officer, The United States & Canada
Help Desk Manager
The GLOBE Program
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1371 USA
Telephone (970) 491-8580, (800) 858-9947
Fax: (970) 491-8768
www.globe.gov
mcclurg@globe.gov
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11. More on Global Warming Threats
Many Glaciers Will Disappear by Middle of Century and Add to Rising Sea Levels, Expert Warns
Monday 19 January 2009
by: Juliette Jowit, The Guardian UK
Glacial melt will continue to accelerate along with global warming. (Photo: James Balog / National Geographic)
Melt rates for 2007 fall, but still third worst on record.
Threat to livelihoods of 2bn dependent on rivers.
Most of the planet's glaciers are melting so fast that many will disappear by the middle of the century, a leading expert has warned. Figures from the World Glacier Monitoring Service show that although melt rates for 2007 fell substantially from record levels the previous year, the loss of ice was still the third worst on record.
The total mass left in the glaciers is now thought to be at the lowest level for "thousands of years."
Even under moderate predictions of global warming, the small glaciers, which make up the majority by number, will not recover, said Prof Wilfried Haeberli, the organisation's director.
The warning will raise concern among those who say that glacier melting is one of the greatest threats of climate change because it raises the risk of sudden avalanches of rocks and soil released from the ice, threatening the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people who depend on melt-water to feed rivers in summer. Glacier melting will also add to rising global sea levels.
"If the climate is not really cooling dramatically, they'll retreat and disintegrate," said Haeberli. "This means many will simply be lost in the next decades - 10, 20, 30, 40 years.
"If you have a realistic, mid-warming scenario, then there's no hope for the small glaciers - in the Pyrenees, in Africa, in the Andes or Rocky mountains. The large glaciers in Alaska and the Himalayas will take longer, but even those very large glaciers will change completely; they will be much, much smaller, and many of them will disintegrate, forming lakes in many cases."
The WGMS, whose backers include UN agencies and scientific bodies, collects annual data for up to 100 glaciers around the world, including 30 "reference" glaciers in nine different mountain ranges on four continents, for which data goes back nearly three decades.
Figures for 2005-06 showed the biggest loss of ice in a single year since those records began, and based on historic reconstructions, it was thought to be the worst year for 5,000 years.
The latest data for 2006-07 shows that 22 of the 27 reference glaciers for which data has been supplied lost mass, as did 55 of a longer list of 74 glaciers. The total losses were half that of the previous year, but still the third largest on record. In Europe it is thought glaciers have lost one quarter of their mass in the last eight years alone, said Haeberli.
Although the mass balance of glaciers would fluctuate with natural changes in temperatures and snowfall, climate scientists believe the sustained losses of recent decades are partly due to man-made global warming, with the 10 hottest years on record coming in the last 11 years.
"The general trend to increased loss rates is continuing," Haeberli said. "The year was a little bit less terrible than [the previous] year ... but still a very heavy loss. It's still two times the average loss rate of the 20th century."
Although the data only covers some of the world's glaciers, its figures are mirrored by reports from experts from around the globe.
Two years ago the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecast that if current trends continue, 80% of Himalayan glaciers will be gone in 30 years, although more recent estimates have suggested the 2060s or later.
Last year the UN environment programme and the WGMS jointly published data for 1,800 glaciers on all seven continents, which warned losses had been accelerating globally since the mid-1980s, so that the annual average decline for 1996-2005 was double that of the previous decade, and four times that of the decade before. Last week China Dialogue, a London-based organisation dedicated to debate on China's environment issues, launched a campaign to highlight the same trends in melting in the Himalayas and on the Tibetan plateau.
Those glaciers feed all the main river systems in Asia, depended on by the estimated 40% of the world's population that lives in northern India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, said Isabel Hilton, China Dialogue's editor.
"In a region that is already fractured and unstable, the melting of the 'third pole' glaciers is one of the most important challenges facing humanity in the 21st century," she said.
In December the US Geological Survey also warned that sea-level rise could be even worse than feared, as much as 1.5 metres by the end of this century, partly due to increased melting of the volume of water stored in glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland.
Nick Nuttall, a spokesman for UNEP, said the latest findings should encourage more governments to follow moves by some politicians to invest billions of dollars in clean energy and efficiency as a way of curbing greenhouse gases.
He urged world leaders to agree a treaty to cut emissions. Water experts have also called for more investment in better water management.
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January 26, 2009
January 21, 2009
1/21/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter
Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Converting Tu B'Shvat Into a Jewish Earth Day
2. YOU Can Be The Change That We Have been Waiting For
3. Israel Has an Environmental Party Running for Knesset Seats
4. Can We Convince President Obama to Become a Vegetarian?
5. Chicago Health Chief's Food Fight Targets Meat
6. Update On Environmental Podcast Project
7. Two New Articles on Global Warming Added To My Environmental Collection
8. Great New Web Site on Global Warming Launched
9. Canfei Nesharim Announces Seventh Annual Tu B'Shvat Learning Campaign
10. Campaign To Eliminate Meat Eating
11. Vegan Tour Group Offers Discounts to JVNA Newsletter Readers
12. Excerpts From Canfei Nesharim Newsletter
13. Chance to Take Part in a Vegetarian-Related Survey for a Ph.D. Candidate
14. Campaign to Get Dietary Connections to Global Warming on Society's Agenda
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. Converting Tu B'Shvat Into a Jewish Earth Day
Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for the Trees, the most vegetarian and perhaps environmental of all Jewish holidays, begins this year on the evening of Sunday, February 8. I have proposed, in view of the many current threats from global warming and other environmental problems, that Tu B'Shvat be considered a Jewish Earth Day. I am scheduled to lead a Tu B'Shvat seder at the Staten Island JCC on February 8 and probably a 2nd one for senior citizens at that JCC on February 9.
Please consider working with others in your community to set up a Tu B'Shvat seder and/or other Tu B'Shvat-related events. Background information can be found in my articles re Tu B'Shvat in the holiday section at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz. Much additional Tu B'Shvat material is on the internet.
If you have suggestions or if I might help in any way, please let me know. Thanks.
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2. YOU Can Be The Change That We Have been Waiting For
I recently sent out a special message related to how you can be a speaker representing JVNA or help in other ways. I discussed my over 130 articles and additional audio and video talks and interviews at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz. There is far more than enough information there to enable you to become knowledgeable enough to be a very effective JVNA representative, or to just promote vegetarianism as an independent individual.
Please take a look at that web site and let me know what you think. Suggestions always welcome.
Remember: the world is threatened as possibly never before and our actions can make a major difference.
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3. Israel Has an Environmental Party Running for Knesset Seats
[Alon Tal and Eren Benyamini and other leaders of this party are in our documentary “A Sacred Duty,” and I have worked with them in trying to increase environmental awareness in Israel.
This is not an endorsement, as JVNA does not endorse political candidates. Please feel free to send material about environmental messages from other Israeli political parties for possible inclusions in future JVNA newsletters.]
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Forwarded message from Alon Tal, Israel's outstanding environmentalist:
Greetings,
I am writing to you despite these trying days during the military operation in Gaza [this was sent before the current cease fire] -- in a political context. As the elections approach, I believe we need to begin to start thinking about "the day after" and what kind of a country we want to have in the land of Israel. I am running for Knesset as part of the Green Movement- Meimad and would like you to consider supporting our party.
On a personal level, for 25 years I have been involved in environmental protection - initially as founder of Adam Teva V'din, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and in the subsequent years in a variety of other public interest and academic ventures. We have indeed made progress and the environmental community can justifiably point to several achievements. And yet, we continue to ddress "symptoms" and miss the heart of the problem. If we assess the situation according to results, then I believe it amounts to: "Too little; Too late".
I see how the present environmental crisis in Israel continues to grow more severe. Children continue to be chronically ill from air pollution, our water resources are contaminated, coral reefs are disappearing in Eilat, and glorious landscapes are paved over and erased forever. The frustration is considerable when one considers the improved ecological reality in other countries while we have seen an exacerbation of conditions. I believe that as a member of Knesset, I will be able to change these trends and help extricate Israel from this environmental crisis.
On an ideological level, The Green Movement- Meimad believes that we have a moral obligation as a party to act to return the harmony between the Land of Israel and its residents. We cannot stand paralyzed when irreversible ecological damage takes place, especially when we know that it is possible to leave our children with a healthier country. Also in the social realm, after years of government evading responsibility for the weaker sectors of Israeli society, we find ourselves in the midst of a severe social crisis that threatens the solidarity of the country itself. It is impossible to complacently accept life in the state of Israel, even if it was clean of environmental hazards, when hundreds of thousands of children are living with nutritional insecurity and the percentage of children living under the poverty line is the highest in the Western world. At the same time, it is impossible to live in a country with equal opportunities for its citizens if they ruin the natural resources of the future. As a member of Knesset I will work to change the reality in both spheres. I invite you to peruse our web-site with its many position papers, clips and English materials. (www.hayeruka-meimad.org.il).
On a practical level, the list of candidates that are running on behalf of The Green Movement-Meimad is impressive indeed. MK Rabbi Michael Malchior has immerged as the most effective parliamentarian in the social/environmental realm of the past decade - acting as head of the environmental lobby in the Knesset for eight years now. My good friend Eran Benyamini is the founder of the "Green Wave", the largest student organization in Israel and is probably Israel's leading environmental activist. I have been elected as the third candidate on our list. My years as a legal and policy expert as well as an environmental advocate and researcher have prepared me well to be a Member of Knesset. At the end of the day, we know what needs to be done, and are ready to start tomorrow morning.
The elections are on their way. The polls predict a swelling of support among the Israeli public. But it is extremely hard to run a campaign in the shadow of the security situation in the south. Most of our efforts for the present are grass roots: personal appeals and references by citizens to their friends.
I would be very grateful if you consider supporting us - of course you are welcome to join the party -- but most important, please pass on this note to friends with the recommendation to go onto our web-site:
www.hayeruka-meimad.org.il
Then form your own impressions from our message. I am truly hopeful that you will agree that we stand to emerge as the new, party of hope of Israel with our vision of a just and healthier Jewish state.
This coming Sunday [January 20, so that is past] at 18:30 in the evening, at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Center (next to the university train station) we are convening our kick off campaign rally. There will be speeches and music and a lot of positive energy. It will surely be the largest "green" political rally in Israel's history. Mostly I believe there will a great deal of hope. I would love to see you in attendance. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Professor Alon Tal
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Commentary on the Israeli Green Party
Forwarded message:
Climate of Change
A New, Green, Social Justice Movement in Israel: HaTnuah Hayerukah-Meimad
Posted: 15 Jan 2009 10:47 AM CST
By Yannai Kranzler
There are a few things one notices upon visiting the website of Israel's new Green Movement-Meimad political party:
1) Everyone's smiling.
2) Everyone looks different from one another
And it's hard not to think: “Hey- this party just might actually be different.”
Entering this year's elections to restore a “Politics of hope, a politics of social harmony,” to Israel, the Green Movement-Meimad is “a social-environmental movement that brings together activists, organizers, city council members, parliament members, academics, thinkers, and scientists who share awareness that the social-environmental agenda must be central to Israel's political discourse.”
The party represents a merger between the new Green Movement party, chaired by Eran Benyamini, founder of Israel's super-successful Green Course student organization, and Meimad, a religiously-rooted party founded on the aspiration that Israel should represent Jewish ideals of social justice. (”Meimad” is a Hebrew acronym for “Jewish State-Democratic State”). Meimad is headed by Rabbi Michael Melchior, whose heading the Green Movement-Meimad Knesset list.
Following Rabbi Melchior is Binyamini in the number two spot, with Professor Alon Tal as the number three. Professor Tal is probably the closest thing to an environmental legend in Israel, founder of both Adam Teva V'Din, and the Arava Institute.
The Green Movement-Meimad site offers a very solid summary of their platform- an ambitious 50% decrease in Israel's air pollution levels, increased funding for public transportation, tossing out the plans for the new coal-firing electric plant in Ashkelon, and a list of social justice-oriented policies, as well.
What I love most about the Green Movement-Meimad, is that they are not a niched eco-only party, but rather a movement that draws inspiration for all of its policies from “environmental awareness.” There's always going to be “an environment” to everything we do- whether it's another person, a tree, a power plant, a chicken in the slaughterhouse, a people or a nation.
For those of us who believe that the environment is a Jewish issue it's really exciting to see this fusion between the Green Movement and Meimad, which has strived for 15 years to bring Jewish values into the arena of Israeli social and economic policy.
I heartily recommend visiting the Green Movement-Meimad's website. If you've a vote in Israel, the movement's a worthwhile party, run by serious and accomplished people- maybe worth a chance? And if you don't have a vote in Israel, give a look anyway- it's always good to start the day with a little bit of hope.
The Green Movement-Meimad: http://hayeruka-meimad.org.il/
The “Unofficial Blog of the Green Movement in Israel”: http://greenerisrael.wordpress.com
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4. Can We Convince President Obama to Become a Vegetarian?
Well, we can at least try. As they say, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” So, please use my letter below as a model to compose your own messages to President Obama. His email address is President@Whitehouse.gov. Many thanks.
January 20, 2009
President Barack Obama
Office of the President
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. NW
Washington, DC 20006
Dear President Barack Obama:
On behalf of the Veg Climate Alliance (www.vegclimatealliance.com), a group that represents the views of many environmental, health-related, vegetarian, animal rights and other groups in promoting a societal shift to plant-based diets as an essential step in responding to global warming and other current threats, I want to join many other people of good will in congratulating you on your historic election and wishing you the best of luck in all of your future activities.
In this critical time, when the US and the entire world face so many serious problems, we, along with so many others have been very impressed by your initial efforts to address today's urgent issues, and we wish you continued success.
We would like to very respectfully suggest an action that is seldom considered by our leaders, but one that can help dramatically in responding to many of today's threats -- that you (and possibly your wonderful family) seriously consider switching toward a vegetarian diet and that you urge the American people to also sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products. This would be consistent with your desire to reduce diseases by stressing prevention and the recent statement of Chicago Health Commissioner Terry Mason, whom you know, encouraging Chicagoans to join him in going vegetarian for at least January, 2009.
In your response to Nikki Benoit, that young lady in the “Vegan Outreach” T-shirt (http://vegclimatealliance.org/video-obama-tacklesagribusiness/), you showed that you are well aware of the issues. As you pointed out in that response, “Americans would benefit [health wise] from a change of diet.” At a time when there is an epidemic of diseases related to animal-based diets and medical costs are soaring, a shift to plant-based diets would reduce medical costs, and thereby help reduce the massive budget deficits that are currently projected and help enable you to carry out your objectives of providing tax cuts, improving our nation's infrastructure, and creating good jobs.
In your response, you also indicated that current food system is under enormous pressure in that so much grain is being fed to animals at a time when hunger is spreading, food prices are soaring and there have already been food riots in Haiti and other poor countries. In addition, at a time when droughts are spreading and increasing numbers of people will soon live in areas chronically short of clean water, an animal-based diet requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet. Perhaps most important, as we increasingly see the effects of global climate change and when some climate scientists are projecting that global warming could spin out of control within a few years, with potentially disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur, a 2006 UN report “Livestock's Long Shadow” indicated that animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%). That UN report projects that the number of farmed animals will double in the next 50 years, with the result that the increased greenhouse gas emissions would negate many positive changes and make it almost impossible to reach the greenhouse gas emission reductions that you and others seek.
As you know, in 2007, eleven retired U/S. generals and admirals indicated that global warming, by increasing the number of hungry, thirsty refugees fleeing global warming-related droughts, storms, flooding, diseases and wildfires, makes instability, violence, terrorism and war more likely. Hence, a societal shift toward plant-based diets could help you accomplish your desire to reduce terrorism and reach a more peaceful, harmonious world.
So, in many ways, a dietary shift by you and an education campaign to increase awareness of the urgency of a major shift toward plant-based diets would be a great step toward reaching many of your goals.
In addition, your response to Nikki Benoit mentioned the importance of getting more fruits and vegetables into school lunch programs and subsidizing healthier plant-based foods rather than animal products and processed foods, so we also hope you will follow up on these important initiatives.
One other thought: as you get a dog for your charming daughters, they would probably be happy to know that switching to nutritious, delicious plant-based foods can reduce the current mistreatment and slaughter of ten billion farmed animals in the US annually.
Thank you for your kind consideration. We would be very happy to provide further information and/or help in any other way. We believe that the future of the US and, indeed all future generations depends on your putting our suggestions into practice.
Very respectfully,
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Director, Veg Climate Alliance
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5. Chicago Health Chief's Food Fight Targets Meat
He encourages vegetarian diet for January
[Please use the following article to contact your local health officials and other politicians, urging similar actions. Thanks.]
By Deborah L. Shelton |Tribune reporter January 9, 2009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-going-vegetarian-09-jan09,0,92202.story
Chicago health commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has a message for Chicagoans who enjoy devouring meat in all its fat-dripping, artery-clogging glory: Don't do it.
As part of his campaign to slim down waists and lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol citywide, Mason is encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for January.
"For the entire month, I'm not eating any meat," he has told listeners to his Sunday morning radio show, "Doctor in the House," on WVON-AM. "If it walks, runs, hops, flies, swims, crawls or slithers, I won't eat it. If it has eyes, I won't eat it. If it had a momma and a daddy, I won't eat it. . . . I'm going to focus on eating a healthy and delicious variety of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. . . . And I want you to do the same."
In a city famous for Italian beef, Polish sausage and deep dish pizza, his call for a meatless month may sound downright blasphemous. But Mason, a physician who has a medical practice in urology, appears undaunted, and for good reason.
In this food fight, Mason has been amassing troops to his side.
On a blustery, snowy night this week, his call to good health drew dozens to the Soul Vegetarian East restaurant on East 75th Street. During his talk on healthy eating, Mason asked how many planned to go meatless all month, and a packed room of hands flew up.
Score one for broccoli.
In some circles, vegetarianism wouldn't seem like such a radical idea. But a meal without meat is not something that has caught on with many urban blacks, the group Mason is making a special effort to target. African-Americans suffer disproportionately from diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and many other health problems linked to high-fat foods.
This is Mason's fourth year campaigning for a meatless January. Paul Ellison, 71, of the Far South Side enlisted in the healthy eating crusade three years ago and then decided to forgo meat for good.
"It hasn't been that hard either," said Ellison, who has lost 40 pounds on a vegetarian diet.
For Mason, animal fats are enemy No. 1. He has stared down this enemy and it looks a lot like pork chops smothered with dressing, rib tips dripping in greasy barbecue sauce and hamburgers heaped with cheese.
Mason said his vegetarianism lasted seven months last year and he plans to stay with it for good this time. Mason suffers from high cholesterol and had a coronary stent implanted in 2005. Both of his parents died young of cancer-his mother at 51 and his father at 39.
In the crowd this week at Soul Vegetarian East were Dorothy Carpenter of Roseland, an education consultant, and Carpenter's daughter Raegan Tall, a child welfare specialist who lives in West Pullman. The two hung on Mason's every word.
Carpenter said she fell into a diabetic coma for 11 days in 2007, and her doctor told her it was a miracle she survived. She admits to a lifetime of bad eating habits and figures she needs to lose at least 100 pounds.
Tall, recently married, wants to get pregnant one day but would like to lose weight first to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy offspring.
"We've done a lot of diets, but it really is a lifestyle change," Tall said. "We aren't scared to try."
Mason chose January to launch his campaign, which he calls Re-Start, because "we have just finished a season of gluttony," he explained. "We started in Thanksgiving and went right through Jan. 1. That's when we ate more, drank more, did all the mores that we shouldn't have."
Walking around the room Wednesday night, he asked people why they came to the meeting.
"I came to get a jump start on eating right," one woman said. "I don't do bad but I could do a whole lot better."
Another woman said simply: "I love my life and want to live longer."
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Published letter from long-time vegetarian activist Pauline Yearwood
Plant-based diet the way to go
January 12, 2009
Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has done all Chicagoans a great service in encouraging them to join him in going vegetarian in January ("City health chief's food fight targets meat," News, Jan. 9). I hope everyone takes his words to heart.
Switching to a plant-based diet is the best thing anyone can do for their health, for the environment and for animals.
--Pauline Yearwood
Chicago
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6. Update On Environmental Podcast Project
Message from podcast coordinator Joseph Puentes:
[Joseph has been very helpful in converting some of my talks and interviews into podcasts. Please see the podcast section ar JewishVeg.com/Schwartz.]
Hello All,
I hope your 2009 is going well. I am very happy to say that the latest offering by the "Vegan - Vegetarian Solutions for a Sustainable Environment" podcast: http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html project is available. Please listen as Mike Hudak shares with us a powerful and informative message: http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html#rm
"Mike Hudak, director of Public Lands Without Livestock (mikehudak.com/PLWL), an organization that informs the public about environmental harms and economic costs entailed by ranching on America's public lands, presents an overview of ranching impacts on wildlife and explains the banking connection behind ranchers' clout with federal management agencies. Hudak, author of Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching (westernturfwars.com) cites passages from his book that illuminate the topic. Contact Info: mike_hudak@yahoo.com"
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I am also very happy to announce that the International Languages Vegetarian Podcast (http://h2opodcast.com/intl_veg.html) is progressing with new entries for the Filipino (Tagalog) language and Italian language. I would like for you to think of the people you know that are Vegetarian or Vegan that speak another language. Please put me in contact with them so I can invite them to participate. My goal is not to re-invent the wheel so if there is an existing page with audio on Vegetarianism in another language I'll simply link to it. However if after a search is conducted and no podcast or other online audio can be found then I will try to find people to fluently read already prepared materials in that language.It is a goal to get at least some of the major languages well represented with some "general" messages on all the reasons why the world needs to go Vegan/Vegetarian.
PLEASE send along your recommendations of people that can contact that speak: Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese and other languages.
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I am still in need of people that can help with the VSSE podcast. Please lend me your voice. I have this file (http//h2opodcast.com/wtp.html) that explains how to participate but I could really use help reading already prepared material. So if you have a good clear reading voice I would like to work with you to get this material recorded for the podcast. Email me at: NoMeat@h2opodcast.com
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I would like to encourage you to listen to the podcasts and forward this newsletter to your Vegetarian/Vegan friends. Send me your suggestions for folks to add to the mailing list. I want the first quarter of 2009 (the second at the latest) to be the transition phase for the goal of the podcast. What is that goal you might be wondering????
The goal of the podcast is to get the Vegan/Vegetarian message very strongly into the ears of people that call themselves "Environmentalists" but continue on in their Meat Eating. To do this I will need your help in the following ways:
1) Please please please help me to spread word about the VSSE podcast to other Vegetarians and Vegans by forwarding this newsletter to them or contacting them in your own way.
2) Encourage your friends to contact me to get involved with the podcast and to forward news about the VSSE podcast to their friends
3) Join as many "Environmental" online discussion groups, email groups, list serves, blogs, and newsletters as you can handle. Pick a topic or two or three that you can comment on and start establishing repoire with the members of the group.
4) Later when you feel comfortable we'll start sharing individual messages from the podcast with the various "Environmental" groups and try to provoke the discussion in the direction of the Environmental Benefits of Veganism/Vegetarianism.
5) Individuals can also burn select messages from the VSSE Podcast onto a CD and either hand or mail them to people they know or that are influential in the Environmental World.
6) Please add your ideas to how to get this message into the ears of "Environmentalists." Remember the ends will certainly justify the means. Just because the emphasis is on the Environmental Reasons that doesn't mean that all the other reasons (Animals Rights, Health, etc.) aren't valid. We're just trying to get them to do the right thing in terms that they might respond to. Let's try to give them their medicine within a spoonful of sugar so the medicine will go down. Maybe when their eyes open a bit they will also see all the suffering they have contributed too as well. We can hope so anyway.
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Things you can do directly for the podcast that are very simple. Download iTunes or another podcast aggregator and subscribe to the podcast using the RSS Feed: http://h2opodcast.com/rss/vsse.xml. You can also go to the iTunes Store and find the podcast under the search directory (keywords: Vegan, Vegetarian should get you there) and write an honest evaluation for the podcast. This is a community effort and I seek not glory for myself, but the more positive feedback the podcast gets via free subscriptions and evaluations the higher up in ranking it goes and the more visibility it gets which eventually I hope will mean more Meat Eaters having the opportunity to hear messages that will open their minds.
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Please send me your thoughts on what else can be done to open the minds of our Meat Eating Environmentalist friends. A lot of help is needed to make a strong impact on these people that are strongly gaining influence on the government.
Please Help as we attempt to Influence those that Influence.
joseph
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7. Two New Articles on Global Warming Added To My Environmental Collection
The bottom 2 articles have been added to my collection of articles at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz/. Article #10 below discusses global warming threats to Israel, while article #11 discusses global warming threats to the entire planet.
Please feel free to use these and my other articles as you wish in promoting vegetarianism. Thanks.
JUDAISM, VEGETARIANISM, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
1. Environmental Issues in Israel
2. Global Warming: It's Time for Action
3. Diet for an Imperiled Planet
4. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Ecology
5. Abolishing Intensive Livestock Agriculture: A Global Imperative
6. Tu B'Shvat: Judaism and the Environment
7. Saving Our Planet: Common Ground for a Divided Nation
8. Greening Our Homes and Institutions Through Vegetarianism
9. Turning Earth Day 2006 Into an Environmental Shabbat
10. Israel's Most Serious Threat?
11. Global Warming Isn't Kosher
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8. Great New Web Site on Global Warming Launched
LetsActNow.org
http://www.letsactnow.org/
You will find much valuable, well-organized material there.
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9. Canfei Nesharim Announces Seventh Annual Tu B'Shvat Learning Campaign
Forwarded message:
Eagle
Canfei Nesharim
Seventh Annual
Tu b'Shevat Learning Campaign
http://canfeinesharim.org/community/shevat.php
Dear friends,
Tu b'Shevat, the Jewish "New Year of the Trees," falls this year on February 8-9. It's a great time to learn and share with your community about Torah teachings on protecting the environment.
Canfei Nesharim has a wealth of NEW resources for this Tu b'Shevat, including:
* FREE: order colorful, 1-page haggadot for your Tu b'Shevat seder;
* New synagogue activities (with resource sheets) for children, teens, adults and communities;
* FREE "Appreciation for Creation" wallet cards to order and give out to your community;
* "The Trees Sang with Joy," a new Torah teaching for Tu b'Shevat (available for reprinting);
* and the opportunity to plant a tree in our virtual forest OR in the land of Israel.
We are also offering old favorites such as electronic greeting cards and our full library of Tu b'Shevat teachings and resources.
Is your community planning an event? Do you have a bulletin that is looking for a Tu b'Shevat teaching? Canfei Nesharim has resources that can help.
Check it all out on our NEW Tu b'Shevat Site.
Don't miss this great opportunity to learn and educate your community about our Torah-based responsibility to protect the environment!
Chag Sameach! from the team at Canfei Nesharim
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10. Campaign To Eliminate Meat Eating
Forwarded message from the NY Bird Club:
Discussion:
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/luciedove/vpost?id=3234098
Cass Sunstein, the Harvard University Law School professor and adviser to president-elect Obama is expected to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affaisr and take up a key cause in the Barack Obama administration. In a 2007 speech at Harvard University, Sunstein argued in favor of entirely "eliminating current practices such as … meat eating." He also proposed: "We ought to ban hunting, I suggest, if there isn't a purpose other than sport and fun. That should be against the law. It's time now."
The New York Bird Club supports this nomination as we hope it will end sport hunting, meat consumption and give animals the legal right to file lawsuits.
Sunstein wrote in his 2004 book "Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions" that "animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives … Any animals that are entitled to bring suit would be represented by (human) counsel, who would owe guardian-like obligations and make decisions, subject to those obligations, on their clients' behalf."
Cass Sunstein's appointment could end cruel practices such as hunting, biomedical research, zoos, aquariums and traveling circuses.
The time has come and it is now!
See our Idea on the Barack Obama website Change.gov.
and please Vote Up. Thank you for the support.
http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=0878000000055zd
Cass Sunstein, the Harvard University Law School The New York Bird Club supports the nomination of Cass Sunstein as head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affair as per his proposed changes to ban hunting and eliminate meat eating. We are fully supportive and in full agreement that animals are entitled to bring suit and be represented by human counsel to advocate on their behalf... according to his 2004 book "Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions" that "animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives … Any animals that are entitled to bring suit would be represented by (human) counsel, who would owe guardian-like obligations and make decisions, subject to those obligations, on their clients' behalf."
People have used animals for their own self-serving agenda for too long, and as a result we have exploited, mutilated and abused vulnerable animals in countless ways, oblivious of animal's sentience. We hope that progress in ethics will finally be made under new leadership. The time has come and is long overdue.
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11. Vegan Tour Group Offers Discounts to JVNA Newsletter Readers
FUN AT THE COAST! COOKIN' IT UP!
February 1-8, 2009
5 days on the northern Oregon Coast cooking it up
all organic and vegan with a professional chef;
and 2 days touring veg-friendly Portland, Oregon.
Please e-mail chefal@chefal.org for more information
or call 503.752.2588. Custom Programs also available.
Discounts apply for JVNA: BRING A FRIEND AND
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL $75.00
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12. Excerpts From Canfei Nesharim Newsletter
Jan 14, 2009 18 Tevet 5769 Canfei Nesharim
For Your Community / Tu b'Shevat Learning
Tu B'Shevat 5769 / 2009
Tu b'Shevat 5769 falls this year on February 8th-9th 2009. Join us as we celebrate with our Seventh Annual Tu b'Shevat Learning Campaign to share the Torah's lessons about our responsibility to protect the environment.
Torah Learning
NEW! The Trees Sang with Joy: A Teaching for Tu b'Shevat
by Jonathan Neril
Check out these from our Tu b'Shevat Learning Library:
Reconnecting to Nature
by Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz
The Jewish Earth Day
by Candace Nachman
Visit our full library of Tu b'Shevat Resources for your personal learning, and to share with your community
Program Ideas
For Children and Teens
The Hakaras Hatov Tree: Giving Thanks to Hashem for Nature: An Activity for 3-6 Year Olds
Making Tu b'Shevat Greeting Cards:
An Activity for 6-10 Year Olds
Learning Session/Preparing Tu b'Shevat for A Senior Community:
An Activity for Teens
Recipes for Tu B'Shevat
For Adults and Communities
- Plan a Tu B'Shevat Seder for your community
- Plan a Special Kiddush for Tu b'Shevat
- New! Order FREE One-Page Haggadot to use in your Community
- New! Order FREE "Appreciation for Creation" Wallet Cards to Share with Your Community
- Send an electronic greeting card to your family and friends wishing them a happy and "green" Tu b'Shevat!
Plant a Virtual Tree
Support Torah-environmental education for synagogues and schools!
This Tu b'Shevat, celebrate by planting a tree in our virtual forest.
You can also invite your community to join you. We are offering awards for communities that donate $250 or more!
Watch our 5769 Virtual Forest bloom!
As with all Canfei Nesharim efforts, this work would not have been possible without a dedicated team of volunteers and professionals, most of them unpaid or underpaid, to make it all possible. Thank you to: Stephanie Frumkin for designing our kids' programs; Shelly Streilein, our graphic designer; Jonathan Neril, for his new Torah teaching; John Schlackman, our webmaster; our extraordinary team of community lay leaders: Vivian Deutsch, Rena Dubensky, Jessica Haller, David Kahn, David Marks, Evonne Marzouk, and Candace Nachman. Thank you!!
Quick list of all of our Tu b'Shevat Resources:
Full Library of Tu b'Shevat Resources
Activities: 3-6 year olds
Activities: 6-10 year olds
Activities: Teens
A Jewish perspective on the “tragedy of the commons”
Are we lagging Behind on Green Issues?
Am I My Planet's Keeper?
Cosmic Consciousness, Man, and the Worm:
Ecological Problems- Living on Future Generations' Account
Fruit and Vegetables, Man and Animals
the Unity and Purposefulness of Creation
G-d, Man, and Tree
Global Ecology: On the Road to Redemption
Protection of the Environment, Protection of Ourselves
Learning Faith and Gratitude Through our Relationship to Hashem's Creation
Order Haggadahs and Wallet Cards
Plan a Tu B'Shevat Kiddush
Plan a Tu B'Shevat Seder
Planting The Tabernacle
Re-Connecting to Nature
Recipes for Tu B'Shevat
Shevat Community Campaign
Shepherd Consciousness
The "Green Belt" of the Torah: For Us and Our Animals
The Trees Sang with Joy
The Trees Sang with Joy: Action Suggestions
Trees are Us
The Trees and the Eruv
The "Ten Sayings" of Creation: Unity, Multiplicity, and Ecology
The Trees in Jewish Thought
The Environment in Contemporary Jewish Law
Tree = Man? Or Tree = Man!
The Land is Mine
The Jewish “Earth Day”
Use and Re-use
What is Our Responsibility to Other Creatures?
We Need to Change More Than a Light Bulb
What a Beautiful Tree
You Shall Not Covet
Canfei Nesharim | 111 Eighth Avenue, 11th Floor | New York, New York 10011-5201 info@canfeinesharim.org
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13. Chance to Take Part in a Vegetarian-Related Survey for a Ph.D. Candidate
Forwarded message:
Thought you might be interested in helping this college student/Ph.D. candidate with her research on vegetarians - she needs to survey 250 people by February 1st - please forward this on to others as well to help her - thanks - here is the info -
[I took the survey, and I found it very interesting. It is probing how vegetarians respond re their diets to other vegetarians and to non-vegetarians.]
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Message from the PhD candidate:
Hi there,
As a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Austin, I am studying how vegetarians talk about being a vegetarian. Little research exists on this topic, and, as you are a vegetarian, I am very much hoping to get your insight and the insight of any vegetarians you know (e.g., friends, members, customers, volunteers, family, etc.). When you get a chance,
will you please click on
http://texascommunication.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_bvyubavkEj7c73e&SVID=Prod
and participate in this short survey? If you would forward this email to your friends, post the link on your website or blog, or include it in the next issue of your enewsletter, that would be amazing!! I am trying to capture the experiences of as many vegetarians across the country as possible by February 1, 2009. At least 250 vegetarians are needed for this study. For the purposes of this study, a vegetarian refers to someone who doesn't eat meat, but eats dairy and/or eggs, someone who is vegan, and someone who is pescatarian.
Please contact me at lynseykromo@mail.utexas.edu or 512-299-6231 with any questions, for additional information, or to receive a copy of the
survey results.
Thank you so much in advance!
Lynsey Kluever Romo
Ph.D. Candidate, The University of Texas at Austin
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14. Campaign to Get Dietary Connections to Global Warming on Society's Agenda
Forwarded message:
Dear friends,
For anyone interested,
Apart from the change.org website with the idea for Vegan School Lunch Option, now the official website change.gov also has ideas to be voted on. Someone from San Fransisco has posted an idea about climate change and diet. The title is "Lead by Example and Forsake Animal Agriculture". The idea can be voted up or down, so we make sure to vote it up.
When clicking on the link provided below, I couldn't vote right away but needed to log in with my already established account and then searched the idea by entering its title in the "Search" box.
Hopefully everyone can be alerted about it and vote the idea up, and maybe this will attract some real attention... It seems this voting will go up till Inaguration Day.
Vessie
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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.
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Converting Tu B'Shvat Into a Jewish Earth Day
2. YOU Can Be The Change That We Have been Waiting For
3. Israel Has an Environmental Party Running for Knesset Seats
4. Can We Convince President Obama to Become a Vegetarian?
5. Chicago Health Chief's Food Fight Targets Meat
6. Update On Environmental Podcast Project
7. Two New Articles on Global Warming Added To My Environmental Collection
8. Great New Web Site on Global Warming Launched
9. Canfei Nesharim Announces Seventh Annual Tu B'Shvat Learning Campaign
10. Campaign To Eliminate Meat Eating
11. Vegan Tour Group Offers Discounts to JVNA Newsletter Readers
12. Excerpts From Canfei Nesharim Newsletter
13. Chance to Take Part in a Vegetarian-Related Survey for a Ph.D. Candidate
14. Campaign to Get Dietary Connections to Global Warming on Society's Agenda
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. Converting Tu B'Shvat Into a Jewish Earth Day
Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for the Trees, the most vegetarian and perhaps environmental of all Jewish holidays, begins this year on the evening of Sunday, February 8. I have proposed, in view of the many current threats from global warming and other environmental problems, that Tu B'Shvat be considered a Jewish Earth Day. I am scheduled to lead a Tu B'Shvat seder at the Staten Island JCC on February 8 and probably a 2nd one for senior citizens at that JCC on February 9.
Please consider working with others in your community to set up a Tu B'Shvat seder and/or other Tu B'Shvat-related events. Background information can be found in my articles re Tu B'Shvat in the holiday section at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz. Much additional Tu B'Shvat material is on the internet.
If you have suggestions or if I might help in any way, please let me know. Thanks.
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2. YOU Can Be The Change That We Have been Waiting For
I recently sent out a special message related to how you can be a speaker representing JVNA or help in other ways. I discussed my over 130 articles and additional audio and video talks and interviews at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz. There is far more than enough information there to enable you to become knowledgeable enough to be a very effective JVNA representative, or to just promote vegetarianism as an independent individual.
Please take a look at that web site and let me know what you think. Suggestions always welcome.
Remember: the world is threatened as possibly never before and our actions can make a major difference.
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3. Israel Has an Environmental Party Running for Knesset Seats
[Alon Tal and Eren Benyamini and other leaders of this party are in our documentary “A Sacred Duty,” and I have worked with them in trying to increase environmental awareness in Israel.
This is not an endorsement, as JVNA does not endorse political candidates. Please feel free to send material about environmental messages from other Israeli political parties for possible inclusions in future JVNA newsletters.]
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Forwarded message from Alon Tal, Israel's outstanding environmentalist:
Greetings,
I am writing to you despite these trying days during the military operation in Gaza [this was sent before the current cease fire] -- in a political context. As the elections approach, I believe we need to begin to start thinking about "the day after" and what kind of a country we want to have in the land of Israel. I am running for Knesset as part of the Green Movement- Meimad and would like you to consider supporting our party.
On a personal level, for 25 years I have been involved in environmental protection - initially as founder of Adam Teva V'din, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and in the subsequent years in a variety of other public interest and academic ventures. We have indeed made progress and the environmental community can justifiably point to several achievements. And yet, we continue to ddress "symptoms" and miss the heart of the problem. If we assess the situation according to results, then I believe it amounts to: "Too little; Too late".
I see how the present environmental crisis in Israel continues to grow more severe. Children continue to be chronically ill from air pollution, our water resources are contaminated, coral reefs are disappearing in Eilat, and glorious landscapes are paved over and erased forever. The frustration is considerable when one considers the improved ecological reality in other countries while we have seen an exacerbation of conditions. I believe that as a member of Knesset, I will be able to change these trends and help extricate Israel from this environmental crisis.
On an ideological level, The Green Movement- Meimad believes that we have a moral obligation as a party to act to return the harmony between the Land of Israel and its residents. We cannot stand paralyzed when irreversible ecological damage takes place, especially when we know that it is possible to leave our children with a healthier country. Also in the social realm, after years of government evading responsibility for the weaker sectors of Israeli society, we find ourselves in the midst of a severe social crisis that threatens the solidarity of the country itself. It is impossible to complacently accept life in the state of Israel, even if it was clean of environmental hazards, when hundreds of thousands of children are living with nutritional insecurity and the percentage of children living under the poverty line is the highest in the Western world. At the same time, it is impossible to live in a country with equal opportunities for its citizens if they ruin the natural resources of the future. As a member of Knesset I will work to change the reality in both spheres. I invite you to peruse our web-site with its many position papers, clips and English materials. (www.hayeruka-meimad.org.il).
On a practical level, the list of candidates that are running on behalf of The Green Movement-Meimad is impressive indeed. MK Rabbi Michael Malchior has immerged as the most effective parliamentarian in the social/environmental realm of the past decade - acting as head of the environmental lobby in the Knesset for eight years now. My good friend Eran Benyamini is the founder of the "Green Wave", the largest student organization in Israel and is probably Israel's leading environmental activist. I have been elected as the third candidate on our list. My years as a legal and policy expert as well as an environmental advocate and researcher have prepared me well to be a Member of Knesset. At the end of the day, we know what needs to be done, and are ready to start tomorrow morning.
The elections are on their way. The polls predict a swelling of support among the Israeli public. But it is extremely hard to run a campaign in the shadow of the security situation in the south. Most of our efforts for the present are grass roots: personal appeals and references by citizens to their friends.
I would be very grateful if you consider supporting us - of course you are welcome to join the party -- but most important, please pass on this note to friends with the recommendation to go onto our web-site:
www.hayeruka-meimad.org.il
Then form your own impressions from our message. I am truly hopeful that you will agree that we stand to emerge as the new, party of hope of Israel with our vision of a just and healthier Jewish state.
This coming Sunday [January 20, so that is past] at 18:30 in the evening, at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Center (next to the university train station) we are convening our kick off campaign rally. There will be speeches and music and a lot of positive energy. It will surely be the largest "green" political rally in Israel's history. Mostly I believe there will a great deal of hope. I would love to see you in attendance. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Professor Alon Tal
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Commentary on the Israeli Green Party
Forwarded message:
Climate of Change
A New, Green, Social Justice Movement in Israel: HaTnuah Hayerukah-Meimad
Posted: 15 Jan 2009 10:47 AM CST
By Yannai Kranzler
There are a few things one notices upon visiting the website of Israel's new Green Movement-Meimad political party:
1) Everyone's smiling.
2) Everyone looks different from one another
And it's hard not to think: “Hey- this party just might actually be different.”
Entering this year's elections to restore a “Politics of hope, a politics of social harmony,” to Israel, the Green Movement-Meimad is “a social-environmental movement that brings together activists, organizers, city council members, parliament members, academics, thinkers, and scientists who share awareness that the social-environmental agenda must be central to Israel's political discourse.”
The party represents a merger between the new Green Movement party, chaired by Eran Benyamini, founder of Israel's super-successful Green Course student organization, and Meimad, a religiously-rooted party founded on the aspiration that Israel should represent Jewish ideals of social justice. (”Meimad” is a Hebrew acronym for “Jewish State-Democratic State”). Meimad is headed by Rabbi Michael Melchior, whose heading the Green Movement-Meimad Knesset list.
Following Rabbi Melchior is Binyamini in the number two spot, with Professor Alon Tal as the number three. Professor Tal is probably the closest thing to an environmental legend in Israel, founder of both Adam Teva V'Din, and the Arava Institute.
The Green Movement-Meimad site offers a very solid summary of their platform- an ambitious 50% decrease in Israel's air pollution levels, increased funding for public transportation, tossing out the plans for the new coal-firing electric plant in Ashkelon, and a list of social justice-oriented policies, as well.
What I love most about the Green Movement-Meimad, is that they are not a niched eco-only party, but rather a movement that draws inspiration for all of its policies from “environmental awareness.” There's always going to be “an environment” to everything we do- whether it's another person, a tree, a power plant, a chicken in the slaughterhouse, a people or a nation.
For those of us who believe that the environment is a Jewish issue it's really exciting to see this fusion between the Green Movement and Meimad, which has strived for 15 years to bring Jewish values into the arena of Israeli social and economic policy.
I heartily recommend visiting the Green Movement-Meimad's website. If you've a vote in Israel, the movement's a worthwhile party, run by serious and accomplished people- maybe worth a chance? And if you don't have a vote in Israel, give a look anyway- it's always good to start the day with a little bit of hope.
The Green Movement-Meimad: http://hayeruka-meimad.org.il/
The “Unofficial Blog of the Green Movement in Israel”: http://greenerisrael.wordpress.com
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4. Can We Convince President Obama to Become a Vegetarian?
Well, we can at least try. As they say, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” So, please use my letter below as a model to compose your own messages to President Obama. His email address is President@Whitehouse.gov. Many thanks.
January 20, 2009
President Barack Obama
Office of the President
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. NW
Washington, DC 20006
Dear President Barack Obama:
On behalf of the Veg Climate Alliance (www.vegclimatealliance.com), a group that represents the views of many environmental, health-related, vegetarian, animal rights and other groups in promoting a societal shift to plant-based diets as an essential step in responding to global warming and other current threats, I want to join many other people of good will in congratulating you on your historic election and wishing you the best of luck in all of your future activities.
In this critical time, when the US and the entire world face so many serious problems, we, along with so many others have been very impressed by your initial efforts to address today's urgent issues, and we wish you continued success.
We would like to very respectfully suggest an action that is seldom considered by our leaders, but one that can help dramatically in responding to many of today's threats -- that you (and possibly your wonderful family) seriously consider switching toward a vegetarian diet and that you urge the American people to also sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products. This would be consistent with your desire to reduce diseases by stressing prevention and the recent statement of Chicago Health Commissioner Terry Mason, whom you know, encouraging Chicagoans to join him in going vegetarian for at least January, 2009.
In your response to Nikki Benoit, that young lady in the “Vegan Outreach” T-shirt (http://vegclimatealliance.org/video-obama-tacklesagribusiness/), you showed that you are well aware of the issues. As you pointed out in that response, “Americans would benefit [health wise] from a change of diet.” At a time when there is an epidemic of diseases related to animal-based diets and medical costs are soaring, a shift to plant-based diets would reduce medical costs, and thereby help reduce the massive budget deficits that are currently projected and help enable you to carry out your objectives of providing tax cuts, improving our nation's infrastructure, and creating good jobs.
In your response, you also indicated that current food system is under enormous pressure in that so much grain is being fed to animals at a time when hunger is spreading, food prices are soaring and there have already been food riots in Haiti and other poor countries. In addition, at a time when droughts are spreading and increasing numbers of people will soon live in areas chronically short of clean water, an animal-based diet requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet. Perhaps most important, as we increasingly see the effects of global climate change and when some climate scientists are projecting that global warming could spin out of control within a few years, with potentially disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur, a 2006 UN report “Livestock's Long Shadow” indicated that animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%). That UN report projects that the number of farmed animals will double in the next 50 years, with the result that the increased greenhouse gas emissions would negate many positive changes and make it almost impossible to reach the greenhouse gas emission reductions that you and others seek.
As you know, in 2007, eleven retired U/S. generals and admirals indicated that global warming, by increasing the number of hungry, thirsty refugees fleeing global warming-related droughts, storms, flooding, diseases and wildfires, makes instability, violence, terrorism and war more likely. Hence, a societal shift toward plant-based diets could help you accomplish your desire to reduce terrorism and reach a more peaceful, harmonious world.
So, in many ways, a dietary shift by you and an education campaign to increase awareness of the urgency of a major shift toward plant-based diets would be a great step toward reaching many of your goals.
In addition, your response to Nikki Benoit mentioned the importance of getting more fruits and vegetables into school lunch programs and subsidizing healthier plant-based foods rather than animal products and processed foods, so we also hope you will follow up on these important initiatives.
One other thought: as you get a dog for your charming daughters, they would probably be happy to know that switching to nutritious, delicious plant-based foods can reduce the current mistreatment and slaughter of ten billion farmed animals in the US annually.
Thank you for your kind consideration. We would be very happy to provide further information and/or help in any other way. We believe that the future of the US and, indeed all future generations depends on your putting our suggestions into practice.
Very respectfully,
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Director, Veg Climate Alliance
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5. Chicago Health Chief's Food Fight Targets Meat
He encourages vegetarian diet for January
[Please use the following article to contact your local health officials and other politicians, urging similar actions. Thanks.]
By Deborah L. Shelton |Tribune reporter January 9, 2009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-going-vegetarian-09-jan09,0,92202.story
Chicago health commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has a message for Chicagoans who enjoy devouring meat in all its fat-dripping, artery-clogging glory: Don't do it.
As part of his campaign to slim down waists and lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol citywide, Mason is encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for January.
"For the entire month, I'm not eating any meat," he has told listeners to his Sunday morning radio show, "Doctor in the House," on WVON-AM. "If it walks, runs, hops, flies, swims, crawls or slithers, I won't eat it. If it has eyes, I won't eat it. If it had a momma and a daddy, I won't eat it. . . . I'm going to focus on eating a healthy and delicious variety of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. . . . And I want you to do the same."
In a city famous for Italian beef, Polish sausage and deep dish pizza, his call for a meatless month may sound downright blasphemous. But Mason, a physician who has a medical practice in urology, appears undaunted, and for good reason.
In this food fight, Mason has been amassing troops to his side.
On a blustery, snowy night this week, his call to good health drew dozens to the Soul Vegetarian East restaurant on East 75th Street. During his talk on healthy eating, Mason asked how many planned to go meatless all month, and a packed room of hands flew up.
Score one for broccoli.
In some circles, vegetarianism wouldn't seem like such a radical idea. But a meal without meat is not something that has caught on with many urban blacks, the group Mason is making a special effort to target. African-Americans suffer disproportionately from diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and many other health problems linked to high-fat foods.
This is Mason's fourth year campaigning for a meatless January. Paul Ellison, 71, of the Far South Side enlisted in the healthy eating crusade three years ago and then decided to forgo meat for good.
"It hasn't been that hard either," said Ellison, who has lost 40 pounds on a vegetarian diet.
For Mason, animal fats are enemy No. 1. He has stared down this enemy and it looks a lot like pork chops smothered with dressing, rib tips dripping in greasy barbecue sauce and hamburgers heaped with cheese.
Mason said his vegetarianism lasted seven months last year and he plans to stay with it for good this time. Mason suffers from high cholesterol and had a coronary stent implanted in 2005. Both of his parents died young of cancer-his mother at 51 and his father at 39.
In the crowd this week at Soul Vegetarian East were Dorothy Carpenter of Roseland, an education consultant, and Carpenter's daughter Raegan Tall, a child welfare specialist who lives in West Pullman. The two hung on Mason's every word.
Carpenter said she fell into a diabetic coma for 11 days in 2007, and her doctor told her it was a miracle she survived. She admits to a lifetime of bad eating habits and figures she needs to lose at least 100 pounds.
Tall, recently married, wants to get pregnant one day but would like to lose weight first to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy offspring.
"We've done a lot of diets, but it really is a lifestyle change," Tall said. "We aren't scared to try."
Mason chose January to launch his campaign, which he calls Re-Start, because "we have just finished a season of gluttony," he explained. "We started in Thanksgiving and went right through Jan. 1. That's when we ate more, drank more, did all the mores that we shouldn't have."
Walking around the room Wednesday night, he asked people why they came to the meeting.
"I came to get a jump start on eating right," one woman said. "I don't do bad but I could do a whole lot better."
Another woman said simply: "I love my life and want to live longer."
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Published letter from long-time vegetarian activist Pauline Yearwood
Plant-based diet the way to go
January 12, 2009
Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has done all Chicagoans a great service in encouraging them to join him in going vegetarian in January ("City health chief's food fight targets meat," News, Jan. 9). I hope everyone takes his words to heart.
Switching to a plant-based diet is the best thing anyone can do for their health, for the environment and for animals.
--Pauline Yearwood
Chicago
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6. Update On Environmental Podcast Project
Message from podcast coordinator Joseph Puentes:
[Joseph has been very helpful in converting some of my talks and interviews into podcasts. Please see the podcast section ar JewishVeg.com/Schwartz.]
Hello All,
I hope your 2009 is going well. I am very happy to say that the latest offering by the "Vegan - Vegetarian Solutions for a Sustainable Environment" podcast: http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html project is available. Please listen as Mike Hudak shares with us a powerful and informative message: http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html#rm
"Mike Hudak, director of Public Lands Without Livestock (mikehudak.com/PLWL), an organization that informs the public about environmental harms and economic costs entailed by ranching on America's public lands, presents an overview of ranching impacts on wildlife and explains the banking connection behind ranchers' clout with federal management agencies. Hudak, author of Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching (westernturfwars.com) cites passages from his book that illuminate the topic. Contact Info: mike_hudak@yahoo.com"
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I am also very happy to announce that the International Languages Vegetarian Podcast (http://h2opodcast.com/intl_veg.html) is progressing with new entries for the Filipino (Tagalog) language and Italian language. I would like for you to think of the people you know that are Vegetarian or Vegan that speak another language. Please put me in contact with them so I can invite them to participate. My goal is not to re-invent the wheel so if there is an existing page with audio on Vegetarianism in another language I'll simply link to it. However if after a search is conducted and no podcast or other online audio can be found then I will try to find people to fluently read already prepared materials in that language.It is a goal to get at least some of the major languages well represented with some "general" messages on all the reasons why the world needs to go Vegan/Vegetarian.
PLEASE send along your recommendations of people that can contact that speak: Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese and other languages.
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I am still in need of people that can help with the VSSE podcast. Please lend me your voice. I have this file (http//h2opodcast.com/wtp.html) that explains how to participate but I could really use help reading already prepared material. So if you have a good clear reading voice I would like to work with you to get this material recorded for the podcast. Email me at: NoMeat@h2opodcast.com
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I would like to encourage you to listen to the podcasts and forward this newsletter to your Vegetarian/Vegan friends. Send me your suggestions for folks to add to the mailing list. I want the first quarter of 2009 (the second at the latest) to be the transition phase for the goal of the podcast. What is that goal you might be wondering????
The goal of the podcast is to get the Vegan/Vegetarian message very strongly into the ears of people that call themselves "Environmentalists" but continue on in their Meat Eating. To do this I will need your help in the following ways:
1) Please please please help me to spread word about the VSSE podcast to other Vegetarians and Vegans by forwarding this newsletter to them or contacting them in your own way.
2) Encourage your friends to contact me to get involved with the podcast and to forward news about the VSSE podcast to their friends
3) Join as many "Environmental" online discussion groups, email groups, list serves, blogs, and newsletters as you can handle. Pick a topic or two or three that you can comment on and start establishing repoire with the members of the group.
4) Later when you feel comfortable we'll start sharing individual messages from the podcast with the various "Environmental" groups and try to provoke the discussion in the direction of the Environmental Benefits of Veganism/Vegetarianism.
5) Individuals can also burn select messages from the VSSE Podcast onto a CD and either hand or mail them to people they know or that are influential in the Environmental World.
6) Please add your ideas to how to get this message into the ears of "Environmentalists." Remember the ends will certainly justify the means. Just because the emphasis is on the Environmental Reasons that doesn't mean that all the other reasons (Animals Rights, Health, etc.) aren't valid. We're just trying to get them to do the right thing in terms that they might respond to. Let's try to give them their medicine within a spoonful of sugar so the medicine will go down. Maybe when their eyes open a bit they will also see all the suffering they have contributed too as well. We can hope so anyway.
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Things you can do directly for the podcast that are very simple. Download iTunes or another podcast aggregator and subscribe to the podcast using the RSS Feed: http://h2opodcast.com/rss/vsse.xml. You can also go to the iTunes Store and find the podcast under the search directory (keywords: Vegan, Vegetarian should get you there) and write an honest evaluation for the podcast. This is a community effort and I seek not glory for myself, but the more positive feedback the podcast gets via free subscriptions and evaluations the higher up in ranking it goes and the more visibility it gets which eventually I hope will mean more Meat Eaters having the opportunity to hear messages that will open their minds.
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Please send me your thoughts on what else can be done to open the minds of our Meat Eating Environmentalist friends. A lot of help is needed to make a strong impact on these people that are strongly gaining influence on the government.
Please Help as we attempt to Influence those that Influence.
joseph
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7. Two New Articles on Global Warming Added To My Environmental Collection
The bottom 2 articles have been added to my collection of articles at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz/. Article #10 below discusses global warming threats to Israel, while article #11 discusses global warming threats to the entire planet.
Please feel free to use these and my other articles as you wish in promoting vegetarianism. Thanks.
JUDAISM, VEGETARIANISM, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
1. Environmental Issues in Israel
2. Global Warming: It's Time for Action
3. Diet for an Imperiled Planet
4. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Ecology
5. Abolishing Intensive Livestock Agriculture: A Global Imperative
6. Tu B'Shvat: Judaism and the Environment
7. Saving Our Planet: Common Ground for a Divided Nation
8. Greening Our Homes and Institutions Through Vegetarianism
9. Turning Earth Day 2006 Into an Environmental Shabbat
10. Israel's Most Serious Threat?
11. Global Warming Isn't Kosher
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8. Great New Web Site on Global Warming Launched
LetsActNow.org
http://www.letsactnow.org/
You will find much valuable, well-organized material there.
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9. Canfei Nesharim Announces Seventh Annual Tu B'Shvat Learning Campaign
Forwarded message:
Eagle
Canfei Nesharim
Seventh Annual
Tu b'Shevat Learning Campaign
http://canfeinesharim.org/community/shevat.php
Dear friends,
Tu b'Shevat, the Jewish "New Year of the Trees," falls this year on February 8-9. It's a great time to learn and share with your community about Torah teachings on protecting the environment.
Canfei Nesharim has a wealth of NEW resources for this Tu b'Shevat, including:
* FREE: order colorful, 1-page haggadot for your Tu b'Shevat seder;
* New synagogue activities (with resource sheets) for children, teens, adults and communities;
* FREE "Appreciation for Creation" wallet cards to order and give out to your community;
* "The Trees Sang with Joy," a new Torah teaching for Tu b'Shevat (available for reprinting);
* and the opportunity to plant a tree in our virtual forest OR in the land of Israel.
We are also offering old favorites such as electronic greeting cards and our full library of Tu b'Shevat teachings and resources.
Is your community planning an event? Do you have a bulletin that is looking for a Tu b'Shevat teaching? Canfei Nesharim has resources that can help.
Check it all out on our NEW Tu b'Shevat Site.
Don't miss this great opportunity to learn and educate your community about our Torah-based responsibility to protect the environment!
Chag Sameach! from the team at Canfei Nesharim
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10. Campaign To Eliminate Meat Eating
Forwarded message from the NY Bird Club:
Discussion:
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/luciedove/vpost?id=3234098
Cass Sunstein, the Harvard University Law School professor and adviser to president-elect Obama is expected to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affaisr and take up a key cause in the Barack Obama administration. In a 2007 speech at Harvard University, Sunstein argued in favor of entirely "eliminating current practices such as … meat eating." He also proposed: "We ought to ban hunting, I suggest, if there isn't a purpose other than sport and fun. That should be against the law. It's time now."
The New York Bird Club supports this nomination as we hope it will end sport hunting, meat consumption and give animals the legal right to file lawsuits.
Sunstein wrote in his 2004 book "Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions" that "animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives … Any animals that are entitled to bring suit would be represented by (human) counsel, who would owe guardian-like obligations and make decisions, subject to those obligations, on their clients' behalf."
Cass Sunstein's appointment could end cruel practices such as hunting, biomedical research, zoos, aquariums and traveling circuses.
The time has come and it is now!
See our Idea on the Barack Obama website Change.gov.
and please Vote Up. Thank you for the support.
http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=0878000000055zd
Cass Sunstein, the Harvard University Law School The New York Bird Club supports the nomination of Cass Sunstein as head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affair as per his proposed changes to ban hunting and eliminate meat eating. We are fully supportive and in full agreement that animals are entitled to bring suit and be represented by human counsel to advocate on their behalf... according to his 2004 book "Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions" that "animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives … Any animals that are entitled to bring suit would be represented by (human) counsel, who would owe guardian-like obligations and make decisions, subject to those obligations, on their clients' behalf."
People have used animals for their own self-serving agenda for too long, and as a result we have exploited, mutilated and abused vulnerable animals in countless ways, oblivious of animal's sentience. We hope that progress in ethics will finally be made under new leadership. The time has come and is long overdue.
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11. Vegan Tour Group Offers Discounts to JVNA Newsletter Readers
FUN AT THE COAST! COOKIN' IT UP!
February 1-8, 2009
5 days on the northern Oregon Coast cooking it up
all organic and vegan with a professional chef;
and 2 days touring veg-friendly Portland, Oregon.
Please e-mail chefal@chefal.org for more information
or call 503.752.2588. Custom Programs also available.
Discounts apply for JVNA: BRING A FRIEND AND
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL $75.00
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12. Excerpts From Canfei Nesharim Newsletter
Jan 14, 2009 18 Tevet 5769 Canfei Nesharim
For Your Community / Tu b'Shevat Learning
Tu B'Shevat 5769 / 2009
Tu b'Shevat 5769 falls this year on February 8th-9th 2009. Join us as we celebrate with our Seventh Annual Tu b'Shevat Learning Campaign to share the Torah's lessons about our responsibility to protect the environment.
Torah Learning
NEW! The Trees Sang with Joy: A Teaching for Tu b'Shevat
by Jonathan Neril
Check out these from our Tu b'Shevat Learning Library:
Reconnecting to Nature
by Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz
The Jewish Earth Day
by Candace Nachman
Visit our full library of Tu b'Shevat Resources for your personal learning, and to share with your community
Program Ideas
For Children and Teens
The Hakaras Hatov Tree: Giving Thanks to Hashem for Nature: An Activity for 3-6 Year Olds
Making Tu b'Shevat Greeting Cards:
An Activity for 6-10 Year Olds
Learning Session/Preparing Tu b'Shevat for A Senior Community:
An Activity for Teens
Recipes for Tu B'Shevat
For Adults and Communities
- Plan a Tu B'Shevat Seder for your community
- Plan a Special Kiddush for Tu b'Shevat
- New! Order FREE One-Page Haggadot to use in your Community
- New! Order FREE "Appreciation for Creation" Wallet Cards to Share with Your Community
- Send an electronic greeting card to your family and friends wishing them a happy and "green" Tu b'Shevat!
Plant a Virtual Tree
Support Torah-environmental education for synagogues and schools!
This Tu b'Shevat, celebrate by planting a tree in our virtual forest.
You can also invite your community to join you. We are offering awards for communities that donate $250 or more!
Watch our 5769 Virtual Forest bloom!
As with all Canfei Nesharim efforts, this work would not have been possible without a dedicated team of volunteers and professionals, most of them unpaid or underpaid, to make it all possible. Thank you to: Stephanie Frumkin for designing our kids' programs; Shelly Streilein, our graphic designer; Jonathan Neril, for his new Torah teaching; John Schlackman, our webmaster; our extraordinary team of community lay leaders: Vivian Deutsch, Rena Dubensky, Jessica Haller, David Kahn, David Marks, Evonne Marzouk, and Candace Nachman. Thank you!!
Quick list of all of our Tu b'Shevat Resources:
Full Library of Tu b'Shevat Resources
Activities: 3-6 year olds
Activities: 6-10 year olds
Activities: Teens
A Jewish perspective on the “tragedy of the commons”
Are we lagging Behind on Green Issues?
Am I My Planet's Keeper?
Cosmic Consciousness, Man, and the Worm:
Ecological Problems- Living on Future Generations' Account
Fruit and Vegetables, Man and Animals
the Unity and Purposefulness of Creation
G-d, Man, and Tree
Global Ecology: On the Road to Redemption
Protection of the Environment, Protection of Ourselves
Learning Faith and Gratitude Through our Relationship to Hashem's Creation
Order Haggadahs and Wallet Cards
Plan a Tu B'Shevat Kiddush
Plan a Tu B'Shevat Seder
Planting The Tabernacle
Re-Connecting to Nature
Recipes for Tu B'Shevat
Shevat Community Campaign
Shepherd Consciousness
The "Green Belt" of the Torah: For Us and Our Animals
The Trees Sang with Joy
The Trees Sang with Joy: Action Suggestions
Trees are Us
The Trees and the Eruv
The "Ten Sayings" of Creation: Unity, Multiplicity, and Ecology
The Trees in Jewish Thought
The Environment in Contemporary Jewish Law
Tree = Man? Or Tree = Man!
The Land is Mine
The Jewish “Earth Day”
Use and Re-use
What is Our Responsibility to Other Creatures?
We Need to Change More Than a Light Bulb
What a Beautiful Tree
You Shall Not Covet
Canfei Nesharim | 111 Eighth Avenue, 11th Floor | New York, New York 10011-5201 info@canfeinesharim.org
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13. Chance to Take Part in a Vegetarian-Related Survey for a Ph.D. Candidate
Forwarded message:
Thought you might be interested in helping this college student/Ph.D. candidate with her research on vegetarians - she needs to survey 250 people by February 1st - please forward this on to others as well to help her - thanks - here is the info -
[I took the survey, and I found it very interesting. It is probing how vegetarians respond re their diets to other vegetarians and to non-vegetarians.]
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Message from the PhD candidate:
Hi there,
As a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Austin, I am studying how vegetarians talk about being a vegetarian. Little research exists on this topic, and, as you are a vegetarian, I am very much hoping to get your insight and the insight of any vegetarians you know (e.g., friends, members, customers, volunteers, family, etc.). When you get a chance,
will you please click on
http://texascommunication.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_bvyubavkEj7c73e&SVID=Prod
and participate in this short survey? If you would forward this email to your friends, post the link on your website or blog, or include it in the next issue of your enewsletter, that would be amazing!! I am trying to capture the experiences of as many vegetarians across the country as possible by February 1, 2009. At least 250 vegetarians are needed for this study. For the purposes of this study, a vegetarian refers to someone who doesn't eat meat, but eats dairy and/or eggs, someone who is vegan, and someone who is pescatarian.
Please contact me at lynseykromo@mail.utexas.edu or 512-299-6231 with any questions, for additional information, or to receive a copy of the
survey results.
Thank you so much in advance!
Lynsey Kluever Romo
Ph.D. Candidate, The University of Texas at Austin
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14. Campaign to Get Dietary Connections to Global Warming on Society's Agenda
Forwarded message:
Dear friends,
For anyone interested,
Apart from the change.org website with the idea for Vegan School Lunch Option, now the official website change.gov also has ideas to be voted on. Someone from San Fransisco has posted an idea about climate change and diet. The title is "Lead by Example and Forsake Animal Agriculture". The idea can be voted up or down, so we make sure to vote it up.
When clicking on the link provided below, I couldn't vote right away but needed to log in with my already established account and then searched the idea by entering its title in the "Search" box.
Hopefully everyone can be alerted about it and vote the idea up, and maybe this will attract some real attention... It seems this voting will go up till Inaguration Day.
Vessie
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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.
January 13, 2009
1/13/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter
1/13/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter
Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. My Videotaped Talk at the Flatbush Center on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians?” Is Now On the Internet
2. YOU Can Represent JVNA as a Speaker/Here Is How
3. My Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama/Please Help Get Our Message Out
4. Chicago Health Chief Urges Switch to Vegetarian Diets/How Arthur Poletti is Building On This In Contacting President-Elect Obama
5. Building Vegetarian Outreach Around Tu B'Shvat/Also A Correction
6. Getting A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD to be Seen by More People
7. Organizing a Vegetarian Activity as Part of the National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
8. Responding to Some Myths About Global Warming
9. Article by Paul Watson (Director Sea Shepherd, an Anti-Whaling Group) on Global Warming Threats
10. John Robbins a Victim of Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme/Help Needed
11. Major Vegetarian Events Planned for 2009/Volunteers Needed
12. Billions Face Food Shortages, Study Warns
13. Major Jewish Food Blog (“The Jew and the Carrot”) Seeks Editorial/Writing Help
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. My Videotaped Talk at the Flatbush Center on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians?” Is Now On the Internet
Please visit:
to hear my complete talk on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians?” preceded by an introduction by the synagogues Rabbi Shlomo Segal and followed by my responses to several questions.
If the above link does not work, please try:
http://ia310807.us.archive.org/3/items/talk_Synagogue/Video.mp4
Suggestions welcome.
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2. YOU Can Represent JVNA as a Speaker/Here Is How
As I have often indicated, we have truth, justice, morality and other positive values, but we are limited in financial resources. Hence, we have not been able to get our message out effectively.
Here is where you come in. How about arranging to speak at your local synagogues, JCCs, yeshivas and other Jewish schools, Hadassahs and other Jewish groups, etc. Many of these groups are looking for speakers.
You can easily come up with enough facts, as there is very little knowledge in the general Jewish (and general) public re Jewish teachings on vegetarianism and on the realities of factory farming and other aspects of our food system. You can view my video talk at the URLs mentioned in the item above. Also, you can gain much information from my over 130 articles at JewishVeg.com, including “What Diet Does G-d Prefer for Humans?” and “Eighteen Reasons Jews Think They Should not Be Vegetarians (and Why They Are Wrong).” Especially valuable is the extensive background material for a talk on “Judaism and Vegetarianism” at: http://jewishveg.com/schwartz/talk.html
Please let me know if you are interested in being a speaker and if we might help in any way. Many thanks.
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3. My Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama/Please Help Get Our Message Out
In my new position as director of the “Veg Climate Alliance,” I have composed the draft below of an open letter to Barack Obama.
Please suggest improvements and use the material in this letter and in the next item for letters to editors, articles, calls to radio programs and/or talking points. Many thanks.
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January 13, 2009
President-Elect Barack Obama
Office of the President-Elect
451 6th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear President-Elect Barack Obama:
On behalf of the Veg Climate Alliance (www.vegclimatealliance.com), a group that represents the views of many environmental, health-related, vegetarian, animal rights and other groups in promoting a societal shift to plant-based diets as an essential step in responding to global warming and other current threats, I want to join many other people of good will in congratulating you on your historic election and wishing you the best of luck in all of your future activities.
In this critical time, when the US and the entire world face so many serious problems, we, along with so many others have been very impressed by your initial efforts to address today's urgent issues, and we wish you continued success.
We would like to very respectfully suggest an action that is seldom considered by our leaders, but one that can help dramatically help in responding to many of today's threats -- that you (and possibly your wonderful family) seriously consider switching toward a vegetarian diet and that you urge the American people to also sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products. This would be consistent with your desire to stress prevention and the recent statement of Chicago Health Commissioner Terry Mason, whom you know, encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for at least January, 2009.
In your response to Nikki Benoit, that young lady in the “Vegan Outreach” T-shirt (http://vegclimatealliance.org/video-obama-tackles-agribusiness/), you showed that you are well aware of the issues. As you pointed out in that response, “Americans would benefit [health wise] from a change of diet.” At a time when there is an epidemic of diseases related to animal-based diets and medical costs are soaring, a shift to plant-based diets would reduce medical costs, help reduce the massive budget deficits that are currently projected and help enable you to carry out your objectives of providing tax cuts and improving our nation's infrastructure.
In your response, you also indicated that current food system is under enormous pressure in that so much grain is being fed to animals at a time when hunger is spreading, food prices are soaring and there have already been food riots in Haiti and other poor countries. In addition, at a time when droughts are spreading and increasing numbers of people will soon live in areas chronically short of clean water, an animal-based diet requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet. Perhaps most important, as we increasingly see the effects of global climate change and when some climate scientists are projecting that global warming could spin out of control within a few years, with potentially disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur, a 2006 UN report “livestock's Long Shadow” indicated that animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%). That UN report projects that the number of farmed animals will double in the next 50 years, with the result that the increased greenhouse gas emissions would negate many positive changes and make it almost impossible to reach the greenhouse gas emission reductions that you and others seek.
As you know, in 2007, eleven retired U/S. generals and admirals indicated that global warming, by increasing the number of hungry, thirsty refugees fleeing global warming-related droughts, storms, flooding, diseases and wildfires, makes instability, violence, terrorism and war more likely. Hence, a societal shift toward plant-based diets could help you accomplish your desire to reduce terrorism and reach a more peaceful, harmonious world.
So, in many ways, a dietary shift by you and an education campaign to increase awareness of the urgency of a major shift toward plant-based diets would be a great step toward reaching many of your goals.
In addition, your response mentioned the importance of getting more fruits and vegetables into school lunch programs and subsidizing healthier plant-based foods rather that animal products and processed foods, so we also hope you will follow up on these important initiatives.
One other thought: as you get a dog for your wonderful daughters, they would probably be happy to know that switching to nutritious, delicious plant-based foods can reduce the current mistreatment and slaughter of ten billion farmed animals in the US annually.
Thank you for your kind consideration. We would be very happy to provide further information and/or help in any other way. We believe that the future of the US and, indeed of all future generations depends on your putting our suggestions into practice.
Very respectfully,
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Director, Veg Climate Alliance
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4. Chicago Health Chief Urges Switch to Vegetarian Diets/How Arthur Poletti is Building On This In Contacting President-Elect Obama
Thanks to JVNA advisor Arthur Poletti for forwarding this article to us AND for his strong letter and message that has been placed after the article. Please help spread these messages. Many thanks.
City health chief's food fight targets meat. He encourages vegetarian diet for January
By Deborah L. Shelton
Chicago Tribune reporter
January 9, 2009
Chicago health commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has a message for Chicagoans who enjoy devouring meat in all its fat-dripping, artery-clogging glory: Don't do it._
As part of his campaign to slim down waists and lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol citywide, Mason is encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for January."
For the entire month, I'm not eating any meat," he has told listeners to his Sunday morning radio show, "Doctor in the House," on WVON-AM. "If it walks, runs, hops, flies, swims, crawls or slithers, I won't eat it. If it has eyes, I won't eat it. If it had a momma and a daddy, I won't eat it. . . . I'm going to focus on eating a healthy and delicious variety of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. . . . And I want you to do the same.
"In a city famous for Italian beef, Polish sausage and deep dish pizza, his call for a meatless month may sound downright blasphemous. But Mason, a physician who has a medical practice in urology, appears undaunted, and for good reason.
In this food fight, Mason has been amassing troops to his side.
On a blustery, snowy night this week, his call to good health drew dozens to the Soul Vegetarian East restaurant on East 75th Street. During his talk on healthy eating, Mason asked how many planned to go meatless all month, and a packed room of hands flew up.
Score one for broccoli.
In some circles, vegetarianism wouldn't seem like such a radical idea. But a meal without meat is not something that has caught on with many urban blacks, the group Mason is making a special effort to target. African-Americans suffer disproportionately from diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and many other health problems linked to high-fat foods.
This is Mason's fourth year campaigning for a meatless January. Paul Ellison, 71, of the Far South Side enlisted in the healthy eating crusade three years ago and then decided to forgo meat for good. "
It hasn't been that hard either," said Ellison, who has lost 40 pounds on a vegetarian diet.
For Mason, animal fats are enemy No. 1. He has stared down this enemy and it looks a lot like pork chops smothered with dressing, rib tips dripping in greasy barbecue sauce and hamburgers heaped with cheese.
Mason said his vegetarianism lasted seven months last year and he plans to stay with it for good this time. Mason suffers from high cholesterol and had a coronary stent implanted in 2005. Both of his parents died young of cancer-his mother at 51 and his father at 39. In the crowd this week at Soul Vegetarian East were Dorothy Carpenter of Roseland, an education consultant, and Carpenter's daughter Raegan Tall, a child welfare specialist who lives in West Pullman. The two hung on Mason's every word.
Carpenter said she fell into a diabetic coma for 11 days in 2007, and her doctor told her it was a miracle she survived. She admits to a lifetime of bad eating habits and figures she needs to lose at least 100 pounds.
Tall, recently married, wants to get pregnant one day but would like to lose weight first to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy offspring."
We've done a lot of diets, but it really is a lifestyle change," Tall said. "We aren't scared to try." Mason chose January to launch his campaign, which he calls Re-Start, because "we have just finished a season of gluttony," he explained. "We started in Thanksgiving and went right through Jan. 1. That's when we ate more, drank more, did all the mores that we shouldn't have.
"Walking around the room Wednesday night, he asked people why they came to the meeting. "I came to get a jump start on eating right," one woman said. "I don't do bad but I could do a whole lot better. " Another woman said simply: "I love my life and want to live longer. " Next week, the group heads to Farmers Best Market on West 47th Street, where they will learn how to select the freshest fruits and vegetables and tell the difference between slick mustard greens and curly mustard greens, among other things. The following week, an exercise physiologist will teach safe and effective exercises for getting in shape.
Andrea Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, praised Mason's efforts.
"Typically a vegetarian diet is a healthier diet," said Giancoli, a registered dietitian. "People who follow more plant-based diets have better health outcomes-lower rates of chronic disease and lower rates of obesity. We all need to be moving more toward a plant-based diet." Giancoli said cutting back on animal foods doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. For example, she noted the benefits of getting omega-3 fatty acids from fish. "I tend to err on the side of caution and include this in the diet," she said. Mason has advised the soon-to-be-meatless to drink at least a half-gallon of water daily and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, beans and peas. He said some people might need vitamin B-12 supplements. "I'd love to see people stick with it and make it a lifestyle," Mason said of vegetarianism. "But the goal is to help people see the benefits of a plant-based diet.
"While Mason's approach is more smiling cheerleader than stern lecturer, he had his moments, such as when he admonished men who insist on filling their car's tank with the highest grade gasoline but fill their bellies with greasy rib tips and fries. "You put the good fuel in your car and put the bad fuel in your bodies," Mason chided. "What sense does that make?"
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Letter by JVNA advisorArthur Poletti in response
[Please help Arthur spread this important message. Thanks.]
Dear Dr. Terry Mason:
May I extend my sincere congratulations!!
I am very impressed and gratified with the fact that you have had the courage to let everyone know that you are a vegetarian and recommend that everyone gives it a serious try.
You are the CHANGE you want to see in the world!!
I hope that since you know President Elect Barack Obama that you will be able to communicate with him and be able to persuade him to seriously
consider the countless reasons he would be very wise to seriously consider vegetarianism, no matter what anyone thinks or says.
There is no change that President Elect Barack Obama could support and promote that could ultimately be as big or more beneficial to all humans, all animals, the earth, and the earth's atmosphere.
Dr. Mason, like you, do you think President-Elect Obama is also capable of being wiser and braver than Al Gore and Oprah Winfrey have been?
Will the future leader of America make a decision that could potentially provide the urgently neededi nspiration that could CHANGE and improve
the world as never before?
For the biggest and most beneficial *CHANGE* imaginable "to actually happen" let us all work together on your behalf to persuade President
Elect Barack Obama to become a VEGETARIAN.
"YES WE CAN"
In my opinion, I truly believe that if President Elect Barack Obama knew and considered the real truth about the catastrophic disasters that are related to the livestock industry, ranging from major health problems, the number one cause of global warming, and the unnecessary brutal treatment and deaths of millions of animals everyday, he would immediately become a vegetarian.
Dr. Mason, let me repeat myself by saying that you could definitely play a large role in helping to persuade the future leader of the United States to make the most important decision of his Presidency that could result in the biggest and most beneficial changes in history.
Dr. Mason, please devote one hour of your life to view the free one hour major masterpiece documentary titled: *A Sacred Duty* that can be viewed online for free at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9RxmTGHZgE
I have a supply of the free DVD version of this incredible film and would be pleased to send you ... several copies.
I think you will agree, after viewing *A Sacred Duty*, that President Elect Obama and his family should make sure they also view the finest free documentary film of its kind ever produced, which clearly reveals the urgent challenges and monumental disasters that have been caused by or promoted by the livestock industry which until recently have been the best kept secrets in the world.
Global warming heads the list!!
I have forwarded the message from Tim Hadac about your effort to several hundred people and many organizations. I hope you get a positive response from some or possibly many of them.
Thank you for all you have done and will do to improve the health and welfare of as many people and animals as possible.
You are the CHANGE you want to see in the world!!
Arthur Poletti
Author
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Further message from Arthur Poletti:
Richard
I am going to use this opportunity to promote A Sacred Duty. I will send an email to several hundred addresses throughout the world announcing the breaking news about Dr. Mason and will I use *A Sacred Duty* as a major point of interest.
Maybe we will get lucky and create more widespread interest in the finest one hour documentary film of its kind ever produced.
I actually believe that our efforts will result in Barack Obama viewing *A Sacred Duty* Only God knows what may happen then.
I will unload the heavy artillery soon.
Thank you.
Arthur Poletti.
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Another message from Arthur Poletti:
Dear Care2 News:
MAJOR NEWS FLASH !!
IT DOES NOT GET ANY BIGGER OR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA'S HOME TOWN AND THE HEALTH CHIEF HAS MET HIM AND HAS MET MRS OBAMA!
USE YOUR IMAGINATION!!
Every one of the 10 million plus members of Care2 should read the following news flash and imagine what will happen when Health Chiefs in every major city are made aware of the brave and bold announcement made by the Chicago Health Chief?
I hope you will spread the following news far and wide, especially to Care2 member Deepak Chopra.
Thank you.
Arthur Poletti
Western Springs, Illinois
aapolet@aol.com
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5. Building Vegetarian Outreach Around Tu B'Shvat/Also A Correction
Recently a special JVNA newsletter was sent to you with a press release draft, many articles, lists of Tu B'Shvat-related resources, a sample letter and sample invitations to a Tu B'Shvat seder.
Please use this material to help promote our campaign to turn Tu B'Shvat into a Jewish Earth Day. In view of the great threats from global warming and other environmental problems, it is urgent that tikkun olam (efforts to heal and repair the world) become a major focus in Jewish life today.
Special thanks to JVNA founder and founding president for suggesting this idea many years ago and promoting it in many ways.
Correction:
In the recent special newsletter, the press release had a paragraph that should have read:
Consistent with the fact that all the foods at the traditional Tu B'Shvat seder are from plants, JVNA also urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how plant-based diets are most consistent with basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources and help hungry people.
The original version had “animal-based diets.”
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6. Getting A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD to be Seen by More People
Thankfully, our documentary has received much praise. We would like the movie to be seen by as many people as possible, so we are continuing to give away free DVDs. Please use the message and sample article below to help make people aware that they can get complimentary copies of A SACRED DUTY and also see the complete movie at ASacredDuty.com. Many thanks.
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Greetings,
I would like to offer you a complimentary DVD with our recently released documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD, if you have not received one yet. It has a strong, unique, universal message re global warming and other environmental threats, health issues, the treatment of animals and much more, and has the potential of moving our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. I think it would make an excellent program, in showing the relevance of eternal religious values to current environmental threats.
Please see the article below for more information about the movie.
The movie is receiving a very favorable response (please see the blurbs under the article below, or at ASacredDuty.com)).
If you are interested in receiving a DVD, please email your mailing address to me. If you would like more than one free DVD, to share with others, please let me know.
The movie may also be seen on the internet at:
www.ASacredDuty.com.
There is also much background material, including questions and answers about the movie at that web site.
Many thanks, and best wishes,
Richard (Schwartz)
President, Jewish Vegetarians of North America
NEW DOCUMENTARY APPLIES JEWISH VALUES TO ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, HUMANE ISSUES
Richard H. Schwartz
Because the world is heading rapidly toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats, Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) has produced a documentary, A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD, to address these threats from a positive Jewish perspective. JVNA will send a free copy to anyone who will help arrange a screening or help promote the movie in some other way.
Almost daily there are reports of severe droughts, floods, storms or wildfires, of the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps and other indicators of global warming. It is frightening that, while these effects are due to an increase in temperature of less than 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group composed of hundreds of the world's climate scientists, is projecting an increase of 3 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years. Even more ominous is that some climate scientists, including James Hansen of NASA, are warning that global warming may reach a tipping point and spiral out of control within a decade, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes are soon made. Israel is especially vulnerable to global climate change, in terms of reduced rainfall, severe storms and flooding from a rising Mediterranean Sea.
A SACRED DUTY is a Jewish response to these realities. It reminds us that it is our sacred duty to become aware of current threats and our responsibility to apply Jewish teachings to how we obtain our food, use natural resources, and live among other creatures whom God created. It offers simple, practical measures for reducing our impact on the planet, including “an inconvenient truth” that even Al Gore has not yet acknowledged.
Produced by the highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning film maker, Lionel Friedberg, A SACRED DUTY reinforces the messages in Al Gore's AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and Leonardo di Caprio's, THE ELEVENTH HOUR about the dangers of global warming. However, it goes beyond these films, by showing how religious responses can make a major difference and why a shift toward plant-based diets is an essential part of efforts to reduce global climate change and other environmental threats. It also challenges people to consider the many moral issues related to our diets, including Torah teachings on how animals are treated on factory farms and the effects on human health and the environment.
Although it is primarily intended for a Jewish audience, A SACRED DUTY speaks to people everywhere about the ethics of our relationship to the natural world in which we live. The movie's universal message will appeal to anyone interested in such topics as biblical teachings, Israel, the environment, health, nutrition, vegetarianism, hunger and resource usage. The movie may be said to be like Levy's Jewish Rye bread - you do not have to be Jewish to appreciate it.
The documentary features interviews with leading Israeli and American environmental, health, vegetarian and animal rights activists as well as Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and secular leaders.
Interviewees include: Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Haifa; Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee; Dr. Yeshayahu Bar-Or, Chief Scientist: Israel Environmental Ministry and many other rabbis and Jewish leaders and activists.
Biblical passages are read by the acclaimed Jewish star of Broadway and screen Theodore Bikel
A SACRED DUTY and the many activities being planned around it have the potential to help move our imperiled world toward a sustainable path. But only if the movie is widely viewed and discussed. So, please order your FREE copy and please consider taking one or more of the following actions after viewing the movie: have viewings for family, neighbors and friends; try to schedule showings at a local school, a synagogue and/or other houses of worship, a community center or other communal site, etc.; share the DVD with local rabbis and other religious leaders, teachers, politicians and other local influential people.
You can request a free DVD to share by sending your name and mailing address to JVNA's secretary/treasurer John Diamond (jdiamond4@cox.net). If you feel that you can profitably use more than one DVD, just let John know, with a brief description of how you plan to use them. Additional information about the movie may be found at www.asacredduty.com.
JVNA plans to build a major campaign around the movie to get tikkun olam (the repair and healing of the world) to become a central focus in Jewish life today, with a shift toward plant-based diets as an essential part of the changes that can help move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. If you would like to be involved in the campaign or have suggestions, please contact Richard Schwartz at President@JewishVeg.com.
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Blurbs Supporting A SACRED DUTY
They can all be seen at ASacredDuty.com.
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7. Organizing a Vegetarian Activity as Part of the National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Forwarded message from the Sierra Club:
Dear Richard,
[Recently], President-elect Obama called for a National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th, which is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the day before the presidential inauguration. The Sierra Club is answering President-elect Obama's call to service.
Will You Organize a Service Event?
More than 115 years ago, the Sierra Club was founded on the idea and value of volunteerism and service -- and it's a legacy that's still very much alive today. We're made up of more than a million volunteers, members, and supporters who are proud to participate in Barack Obama's National Day of Service.
Will you organize a service event on January 19th as part of Obama's National Day of Service? The Sierra Club community is organizing all sorts of events, from hosting toxic mercury hair-testing clinics to stream clean-ups over inauguration weekend.
You can sign up your event, or search for one near you by clicking here: http://usaservice.org/content/home/
Organizing a service event is a powerful and fun way to join in this historic inauguration weekend. If you're already involved in an ongoing service project -- you can simply sign up the event so others in your town can join in. If you're not sure what service event you'd like to organize, check out the tool kits and resources we've put together for you.
Most service events are scheduled for Monday, January 19th, but you can also organize events over the inauguration weekend. Please do list your event as a Sierra Club activity when you sign up your service event.
President-elect Obama's call for service is a reminder that he needs our help to make real change happen.
Thanks for all you do to protect the planet,
Natalie Foster
Online Organizing Director, Sierra Club
p.s. Check out the Sierra Club's National Day of Service resource page, including service project tool kits here: http://www.sierraclub.org/ndos/
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8. Responding to Some Myths About Global Warming
Think Again: Climate Change
by Bill McKibben
06 January 2009
http://culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=277&Itemid=1
Act now, we're told, if we want to save the planet from a climate catastrophe. Trouble is, it might be too late. The science is settled, and the damage has already begun. The only question now is whether we will stop playing political games and embrace the few imperfect options we have left.
"Scientists Are Divided" [Myth 1]
No, they're not. In the early years of the global warming debate, there was great controversy over whether the planet was warming, whether humans were the cause, and whether it would be a significant problem. That debate is long since over. Although the details of future forecasts remain unclear, there's no serious question about the general shape of what's to come.
Every national academy of science, long lists of Nobel laureates, and in recent years even the science advisors of President George W. Bush have agreed that we are heating the planet. Indeed, there is a more thorough scientific process here than on almost any other issue: Two decades ago, the United Nations formed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and charged its scientists with synthesizing the peer-reviewed science and developing broad-based conclusions. The reports have found since 1995 that warming is dangerous and caused by humans. The panel's most recent report, in November 2007, found it is "very likely" (defined as more than 90 percent certain, or about as certain as science gets) that heat-trapping emissions from human activities have caused "most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century."
If anything, many scientists now think that the IPCC has been too conservative-both because member countries must sign off on the conclusions and because there's a time lag. Its last report synthesized data from the early part of the decade, not the latest scary results, such as what we're now seeing in the Arctic.
In the summer of 2007, ice in the Arctic Ocean melted. It melts a little every summer, of course, but this time was different-by late September, there was 25 percent less ice than ever measured before. And it wasn't a one-time accident. By the end of the summer season in 2008, so much ice had melted that both the Northwest and Northeast passages were open. In other words, you could circumnavigate the Arctic on open water. The computer models, which are just a few years old, said this shouldn't have happened until sometime late in the 21st century. Even skeptics can't dispute such alarming events.
"We Have Time" [Myth 2]
Wrong. Time might be the toughest part of the equation. That melting Arctic ice is unsettling not only because it proves the planet is warming rapidly, but also because it will help speed up the warming. That old white ice reflected 80 percent of incoming solar radiation back to space; the new blue water left behind absorbs 80 percent of that sunshine. The process amps up. And there are many other such feedback loops. Another occurs as northern permafrost thaws. Huge amounts of methane long trapped below the ice begin to escape into the atmosphere; methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Such examples are the biggest reason why many experts are now fast-forwarding their estimates of how quickly we must shift away from fossil fuel. Indian economist Rajendra Pachauri, who accepted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Al Gore on behalf of the IPCC, said recently that we must begin to make fundamental reforms by 2012 or watch the climate system spin out of control; NASA scientist James Hansen, who was the first to blow the whistle on climate change in the late 1980s, has said that we must stop burning coal by 2030. Period.
All of which makes the Copenhagen climate change talks that are set to take place in December 2009 more urgent than they appeared a few years ago. At issue is a seemingly small number: the level of carbon dioxide in the air. Hansen argues that 350 parts per million is the highest level we can maintain "if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted." But because we're already past that mark-the air outside is currently about 387 parts per million and growing by about 2 parts annually-global warming suddenly feels less like a huge problem, and more like an Oh-My-God Emergency.
"Climate Change Will Help as Many Places as It Hurts"
Wishful thinking. For a long time, the winners-and-losers calculus was pretty standard: Though climate change will cause some parts of the planet to flood or shrivel up, other frigid, rainy regions would at least get some warmer days every year. Or so the thinking went. But more recently, models have begun to show that after a certain point almost everyone on the planet will suffer. Crops might be easier to grow in some places for a few decades as the danger of frost recedes, but over time the threat of heat stress and drought will almost certainly be stronger.
A 2003 report commissioned by the Pentagon forecasts the possibility of violent storms across Europe, megadroughts across the Southwest United States and Mexico, and unpredictable monsoons causing food shortages in China. "Envision Pakistan, India, and China-all armed with nuclear weapons-skirmishing at their borders over refugees, access to shared rivers, and arable land," the report warned. Or Spain and Portugal "fighting over fishing rights-leading to conflicts at sea."
Of course, there are a few places we used to think of as possible winners-mostly the far north, where Canada and Russia could theoretically produce more grain with longer growing seasons, or perhaps explore for oil beneath the newly melted Arctic ice cap. But even those places will have to deal with expensive consequences-a real military race across the high Arctic, for instance.
Want more bad news? Here's how that Pentagon report's scenario played out: As the planet's carrying capacity shrinks, an ancient pattern of desperate, all-out wars over food, water, and energy supplies would reemerge. The report refers to the work of Harvard archaeologist Steven LeBlanc, who notes that wars over resources were the norm until about three centuries ago. When such conflicts broke out, 25 percent of a population's adult males usually died. As abrupt climate change hits home, warfare may again come to define human life. Set against that bleak backdrop, the potential upside of a few longer growing seasons in Vladivostok doesn't seem like an even trade.
"It's China's Fault" [Myth 3]
Not so much. China is an easy target to blame for the climate crisis. In the midst of its industrial revolution, China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest carbon dioxide producer. And everyone has read about the one-a-week pace of power plant construction there. But those numbers are misleading, and not just because a lot of that carbon dioxide was emitted to build products for the West to consume. Rather, it's because China has four times the population of the United States, and per capita is really the only way to think about these emissions. And by that standard, each Chinese person now emits just over a quarter of the carbon dioxide that each American does. Not only that, but carbon dioxide lives in the atmosphere for more than a century. China has been at it in a big way less than 20 years, so it will be many, many years before the Chinese are as responsible for global warming as Americans.
What's more, unlike many of their counterparts in the United States, Chinese officials have begun a concerted effort to reduce emissions in the midst of their country's staggering growth. China now leads the world in the deployment of renewable energy, and there's barely a car made in the United States that can meet China's much tougher fuel-economy standards.
For its part, the United States must develop a plan to cut emissions-something that has eluded Americans for the entire two-decade history of the problem. Although the U.S. Senate voted down the last such attempt, Barack Obama has promised that it will be a priority in his administration. He favors some variation of a "cap and trade" plan that would limit the total amount of carbon dioxide the United States could release, thus putting a price on what has until now been free.
Despite the rapid industrialization of countries such as China and India, and the careless neglect of rich ones such as the United States, climate change is neither any one country's fault, nor any one country's responsibility. It will require sacrifice from everyone. Just as the Chinese might have to use somewhat more expensive power to protect the global environment, Americans will have to pay some of the difference in price, even if just in technology. Call it a Marshall Plan for the environment. Such a plan makes eminent moral and practical sense and could probably be structured so as to bolster emerging green energy industries in the West. But asking Americans to pay to put up windmills in China will be a hard political sell in a country that already thinks China is prospering at its expense. It could be the biggest test of the country's political maturity in many years.
"Climate Change Is an Environmental Problem" [Myth 4]
Not really. Environmentalists were the first to sound the alarm. But carbon dioxide is not like traditional pollution. There's no Clean Air Act that can solve it. We must make a fundamental transformation in the most important part of our economies, shifting away from fossil fuels and on to something else. That means, for the United States, it's at least as much a problem for the Commerce and Treasury departments as it is for the Environmental Protection Agency.
And because every country on Earth will have to coordinate, it's far and away the biggest foreign-policy issue we face. (You were thinking terrorism? It's hard to figure out a scenario in which Osama bin Laden destroys Western civilization. It's easy to figure out how it happens with a rising sea level and a wrecked hydrological cycle.)
Expecting the environmental movement to lead this fight is like asking the USDA to wage the war in Iraq. It's not equipped for this kind of battle. It may be ready to save Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is a noble undertaking but on a far smaller scale. Unless climate change is quickly de-ghettoized, the chances of making a real difference are small.
"Solving It Will Be Painful" [Myth 5?]
It depends. What's your definition of painful? On the one hand, you're talking about transforming the backbone of the world's industrial and consumer system. That's certainly expensive. On the other hand, say you manage to convert a lot of it to solar or wind power-think of the money you'd save on fuel.
And then there's the growing realization that we don't have many other possible sources for the economic growth we'll need to pull ourselves out of our current economic crisis. Luckily, green energy should be bigger than IT and biotech combined.
Almost from the moment scientists began studying the problem of climate change, people have been trying to estimate the costs of solving it. The real answer, though, is that it's such a huge transformation that no one really knows for sure. The bottom line is, the growth rate in energy use worldwide could be cut in half during the next 15 years and the steps would, net, save more money than they cost. The IPCC included a cost estimate in its latest five-year update on climate change and looked a little further into the future. It found that an attempt to keep carbon levels below about 500 parts per million would shave a little bit off the world's economic growth-but only a little. As in, the world would have to wait until Thanksgiving 2030 to be as rich as it would have been on January 1 of that year. And in return, it would have a much-transformed energy system.
Unfortunately though, those estimates are probably too optimistic. For one thing, in the years since they were published, the science has grown darker. Deeper and quicker cuts now seem mandatory.
But so far we've just been counting the costs of fixing the system. What about the cost of doing nothing? Nicholas Stern, a renowned economist commissioned by the British government to study the question, concluded that the costs of climate change could eventually reach the combined costs of both world wars and the Great Depression. In 2003, Swiss Re, the world's biggest reinsurance company, and Harvard Medical School explained why global warming would be so expensive. It's not just the infrastructure, such as sea walls against rising oceans, for example. It's also that the increased costs of natural disasters begin to compound. The diminishing time between monster storms in places such as the U.S. Gulf Coast could eventually mean that parts of "developed countries would experience developing nation conditions for prolonged periods." Quite simply, we've already done too much damage and waited too long to have any easy options left.
"We Can Reverse Climate Change" [Myth 6?]
If only. Solving this crisis is no longer an option. Human beings have already raised the temperature of the planet about a degree Fahrenheit. When people first began to focus on global warming (which is, remember, only 20 years ago), the general consensus was that at this point we'd just be standing on the threshold of realizing its consequences-that the big changes would be a degree or two and hence several decades down the road. But scientists seem to have systematically underestimated just how delicate the balance of the planet's physical systems really is.
The warming is happening faster than we expected, and the results are more widespread and more disturbing. Even that rise of 1 degree has seriously perturbed hydrological cycles: Because warm air holds more water vapor than cold air does, both droughts and floods are increasing dramatically. Just look at the record levels of insurance payouts, for instance. Mosquitoes, able to survive in new places, are spreading more malaria and dengue. Coral reefs are dying, and so are vast stretches of forest.
None of that is going to stop, even if we do everything right from here on out. Given the time lag between when we emit carbon and when the air heats up, we're already guaranteed at least another degree of warming.
The only question now is whether we're going to hold off catastrophe. It won't be easy, because the scientific consensus calls for roughly 5 degrees more warming this century unless we do just about everything right. And if our behavior up until now is any indication, we won't.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4585
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/05-12
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9. Article by Paul Watson (Director Sea Shepherd, an Anti-Whaling Group) on Global Warming Threats
http://permaworld.org/members/venus55/weblog/a_very_inconvenient_truth_-.html
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10. John Robbins a Victim of Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme/Help Needed
Message from long-time vegetarian activist Patti Breitman:
Dear friends,
If you have ever been moved by the integrity of John Robbins' life, or if you have opened your heart to animals because of his compassion, now is the time to pay him back.
Stan and I just sent John Robbins the most generous cash gift we could afford. I am writing to ask you to consider doing the same.
Along with hundreds of celebrities, charitable organizations, universities, international banking institutions and even some small towns, John and his family are victims of the criminal, fraudulent Ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff. The family learned last month that they have lost their entire life savings. John and his wife Deo have always lived frugally. They saved just about every dollar they could. And they thought their money was invested safely. But it turns out that their investments were stolen from them, and there is very little chance they can recover any of these funds upon which they were living. Now the Robbins family is facing a sudden and severe financial crisis.
To economize, the family has rented out every extra room in their house and every spare space on their property. Still, it is not clear if they will be able to pay their mortgage or keep the property they share with their son, his wife and their two grandsons. Both Michelle and Deo have taken on part time jobs, and Deo has also taken over the formerly paid for day care for their special needs grandchildren. John is writing a new book, but it could be many months before any income may come from that effort.
I cannot imagine a man who has had a greater positive influence on the vegetarian movement than John Robbins. Because of his books, countless people around the world have changed their way of eating, dressing, and relating to animals. Because of the integrity he has shown in his life, countless people have found the courage to turn down job opportunities and great financial gain if the work caused harm to others.
John's compassion for all beings, and his ability to share his vision through his speaking and writing, are among the greatest gifts I have witnessed in my life. I offered to send out this appeal for help when I learned of this terrible injustice to a man who has dedicated his life to ending injustice toward others.
If you can help John and his family now, please send a check for any amount made out to him. Send it to John Robbins, c/o me, Patti Breitman, 12 Rally Court, Fairfax, CA 94930, and I will send it along to him immediately without opening the envelope. (I do not want his address to be circulating on the internet, and I hope you will forward this email to everyone you know who knows of John's work and might want to help him.)
I first discovered the truth of all life being connected through John's books. And while I am saddened that this criminal financial loss has happened to him, I am thrilled to be able to pay him back in small measure for all he has given to me through his work and his life choices.. Thank you for sending the most generous contribution you can for this extraordinary man of peace whose many contributions have saved countless lives and moved countless more toward peace.
With appreciation and love,
Patti Breitman
Fairfax, CA
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11. Major Vegetarian Events Planned for 2009/Volunteers Needed
Outline Plan for 2009
as of 7 Jan 2009
Thanks to Herma Caelen of EVANA (the European Vegetarian Animal News Alliance) for compiling and sending this list. I have removed some items that are not directly connected to vegetarianism.
If you would like to volunteer to get our JVNA vegetarian messages out in conjunction with these events, please let me know. Many thanks.
My comments begin with *** .
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Outline Plan for 2009_as of 7 Jan 2009
Date 31, January - World Day for the Abolition of Meat
January 31st, see http://www.nomoremeat.org
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Date: 20 March 2009 - Meatout
*** This event is sponsored by FARM. We could urge FARM and other groups to stress the dietary/global warming connection,
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Date: 22 March 2009 - U.N. World Water Day
Country: Belgium_Organiser/POC: Tobias Leenaert, EVA
e-mail: tobias@vegetarisme.be
Website: http://www.vegetarisme.be
*** We could stress how wasteful of water animal-based diets are.
Date: 7 April 2009 - World Health Day
*** Of course, we could stress the negative health effects of animal-based dies and point out how global warming also has health consequences._
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_Date: 22 April 2009 - Earth Day
Country: USA/International
Organiser/POC:
*** We could submit an open letter to environmental groups.
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Date: 5 June 2009, United Nations World Environment Day
Country: USA/International
Organiser/POC: Richard Schwartz, International Veg Climate Alliance
e-mail: info@VegClimateAlliance.org
Website: http://www.vegclimatealliance.org
***We could submit an open letter to the UN, pointing out the urgency of a major dietary shift.
Date: 17-22 August 2009, World Water Week_Country:
***We could stress the huge amounts of water needed for a meat-based diet.
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Date: 1 October 2009 - World Vegetarian Day
Country: USA
*** I have not added comments for the following events, but certainly we can see that there are many opportunities.
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Date: 2 October 2009 - Gandhi's birthday - UN International Day of Non-Violence
Date: 4 October 2009/World Animal Day
Country: France
Organiser/POC: L214, Estiva Reus
Website: http://www.l214.com
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Date: 01 to 07 October 2009, Intern. Vegetarian Week
Country: Portugal/International_Organiser/POC: Mateus Mendes, Centrovegetariano_e-mail: mmendes@centrovegetariano.org
Website: http://www.vegetarianweek.org/
Date: 15-21 October 2009 - Feed the World Week
Date: 16 October 2009 - World Food Day
Date: 1 November 2009 - World Vegan Day
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12. Billions Face Food Shortages, Study Warns
http://www.truthout.org/011109A
Ian Sample, The Guardian UK: "Half of the world's population could face severe food shortages by the end of the century as rising temperatures take their toll on farmers' crops, scientists have warned... The worst of the food shortages are expected to hit the poor, densely inhabited regions of the equatorial belt, where demand for food is already soaring because of a rapid growth in population."
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In view of the dire projections re widespread hunger, isn't it insane to continue animal-based diets that involve 70% of the grain produced in the US and 49% of the grain produced worldwide being fed to animals? Making it worse is that animal-based agriculture, according to a 2006 UN report "Livestock's Long Shadow," emits more greenhouse gases (In CO2 equivalents) than all the cars and other means of trabsportation worldwide combined. And still worse is that the same UN report projects that the number of farmed animals worldwide will double in 50 years, with the added greenhouse gas emissions negating the effects of many positive changes.
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13. Major Jewish Food Blog (“The Jew and the Carrot”) Seeks Editorial/Writing Help
Forwarded message from Hazon:
Dear friends,
After almost five years, The Jew & The Carrot's Editor-in-Chief, Leah Koenig, is leaving Hazon. Leah started as an intern at Hazon in the summer of 2003, then joined the staff the following year after graduating from Middlebury College. She spent the first three years running Hazon's new (at the time!) Jewish CSA program, Tuv Ha'Aretz, and ran Hazon's first Food Conference in 2006. A year and a half ago, she transitioned to part time to pursue a freelance journalism career, while being the editor of The Jew & The Carrot at Hazon. Now, with simultaneous excitement and sorrow, she is joining the illustrious “Hazon staff alumni association.”
As Leah transitions away from her position at Hazon, The Jew & The Carrot blog is also changing. From the blog's inception in December, 2006, Hazon has depended on the creative and inspiring contributions from an impressive group of volunteer contributors. Now, the blog is shifting towards an all volunteer model, and we are seeking several outstanding volunteers to help move forward the new Jewish food movement on the blogosphere. Specifically, we are looking to fill the following key volunteer roles:
Editor-in-Chief
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
Associate Editor
Lead Contributor
We're expecting all the roles, but particularly the three lead roles: Editor-in-Chief, Business Manager, and Circulation Manager, to be 1-year positions. We're looking for serious and committed inquiries and the capacity of volunteering at least 15-20 hours/week. This is a unique opportunity to make a difference in the world and gain experience that should stand you in great stead if you're looking to have a career in one of these fields. Applicants do not have to be from NYC, so please forward this email widely and be in touch if you're interested.
More information below, but first - a little back blog story:
The Jew & The Carrot began as an attempt to answer many questions at once. How could Hazon expand the conversations we were beginning around food, Jewish life, and sustainability to the broadest possible audience? How could we spread the impact of our food work beyond the participants who attend our Food Conference, or belong to one of our Tuv Ha'Aretz CSA communities? And how might we create a forum for people all around the world to discuss and push forward these important issues, all year round? Of course! A blog.
We officially launched The Jew & The Carrot in December 2006 at Hazon's first food conference. Our team of volunteer contributors began a conversation that continues today - one that combines healthy, sustainable food news with an inclusive, joyful Jewish community.
Since then, the blog has become an important voice in the new Jewish food movement. What started as Hazon bringing some of its thoughts about food to the larger audience grew into a true community-wide conversation, with contributors and readers chiming in from across the United States, Israel, Europe, and beyond. Some highlights from the past two years have included:
o Interviews with Jewish food thinkers like Michael Pollan, Joan Nathan, and Michael Ableman
o Extensive coverage about the raid of the Agriprocessors' kosher meat plant and its aftermath - including an exclusive interview with a former mashgiach (kosher supervisor) from the plant. Several readers commented that they turned to The Jew & The Carrot as their primary source of Agriprocessors related news.
o Innovative recipes that take healthy, seasonal twists on traditional foods like: apple cider challah, savory hamantaschen with musrooms and onions, pesto blintzes, and homemade date honey for Rosh Hashanah
o Interviews with the leaders of the new Jewish food movement: from Rabbi Morris Allen of Hekhsher Tzedek, to kosher vitner Jeff Morgan of Covenant Wines and kosher artisanal cheese maker, Alan Glustoff of 5 Spoke Creamery.
o Controversial and inspiring personal essays that push forward the conversations around kashrut and identity.
o Extensive resources and tips for “greening” Jewish holidays, making a Shabbat or Kiddush table more sustainable, or finding a farm to visit with the family.
o An ethical food advice column from the hilarious yenta, The Shmethicist.
o “Unboxed” segments that demystify seasonal produce and offer practical advice and techniques for the kitchen.
In two years, our base of readers - which ranges from Orthodox to secular, and not Jewish at all - has grown steadily, forming a community that feels tied to the blog, the conversations, and each other. Two recent comments from readers help to illustrate the diversity and closeness of the community:
I have to confess, I am obsessed with The Jew & The Carrot. My favorite procrastination method is to hop on my Google Reader, hoping, praying, that they have another witty post about contemporary Jewish issues explored through food.
--
I love The Jew & The Carrot - in my pretty right wing orthodox world, it's hard to find people who care about the grand and expansive impact of food in our world, both physical and spiritual, for good and bad. Thanks for bringing Michael Pollan and Torah together.
The press has also picked up on the blog's impact - in the last year, The Jew & The Carrot has received press mentions in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Jerusalem Report, and many other publications. It was also named Best New Blog and Best Kosher Food/Recipe Blog in the 2007 Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards.
Volunteer with The Jew & The Carrot
We're incredibly proud of what The Jew & The Carrot has accomplished in the last two years. But we are also incredibly excited to enable a small group of people in the coming year to strengthen and grow the blog in new directions.
For more information about applying and joining The Jew & The Carrot team, please click here. All cover letters and resumes should be sent to apply.jcarrot@gmail.com.
With thanks and best wishes,
Nigel
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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.
Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. My Videotaped Talk at the Flatbush Center on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians?” Is Now On the Internet
2. YOU Can Represent JVNA as a Speaker/Here Is How
3. My Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama/Please Help Get Our Message Out
4. Chicago Health Chief Urges Switch to Vegetarian Diets/How Arthur Poletti is Building On This In Contacting President-Elect Obama
5. Building Vegetarian Outreach Around Tu B'Shvat/Also A Correction
6. Getting A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD to be Seen by More People
7. Organizing a Vegetarian Activity as Part of the National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
8. Responding to Some Myths About Global Warming
9. Article by Paul Watson (Director Sea Shepherd, an Anti-Whaling Group) on Global Warming Threats
10. John Robbins a Victim of Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme/Help Needed
11. Major Vegetarian Events Planned for 2009/Volunteers Needed
12. Billions Face Food Shortages, Study Warns
13. Major Jewish Food Blog (“The Jew and the Carrot”) Seeks Editorial/Writing Help
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. My Videotaped Talk at the Flatbush Center on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians?” Is Now On the Internet
Please visit:
to hear my complete talk on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians?” preceded by an introduction by the synagogues Rabbi Shlomo Segal and followed by my responses to several questions.
If the above link does not work, please try:
http://ia310807.us.archive.org/3/items/talk_Synagogue/Video.mp4
Suggestions welcome.
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2. YOU Can Represent JVNA as a Speaker/Here Is How
As I have often indicated, we have truth, justice, morality and other positive values, but we are limited in financial resources. Hence, we have not been able to get our message out effectively.
Here is where you come in. How about arranging to speak at your local synagogues, JCCs, yeshivas and other Jewish schools, Hadassahs and other Jewish groups, etc. Many of these groups are looking for speakers.
You can easily come up with enough facts, as there is very little knowledge in the general Jewish (and general) public re Jewish teachings on vegetarianism and on the realities of factory farming and other aspects of our food system. You can view my video talk at the URLs mentioned in the item above. Also, you can gain much information from my over 130 articles at JewishVeg.com, including “What Diet Does G-d Prefer for Humans?” and “Eighteen Reasons Jews Think They Should not Be Vegetarians (and Why They Are Wrong).” Especially valuable is the extensive background material for a talk on “Judaism and Vegetarianism” at: http://jewishveg.com/schwartz/talk.html
Please let me know if you are interested in being a speaker and if we might help in any way. Many thanks.
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3. My Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama/Please Help Get Our Message Out
In my new position as director of the “Veg Climate Alliance,” I have composed the draft below of an open letter to Barack Obama.
Please suggest improvements and use the material in this letter and in the next item for letters to editors, articles, calls to radio programs and/or talking points. Many thanks.
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January 13, 2009
President-Elect Barack Obama
Office of the President-Elect
451 6th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear President-Elect Barack Obama:
On behalf of the Veg Climate Alliance (www.vegclimatealliance.com), a group that represents the views of many environmental, health-related, vegetarian, animal rights and other groups in promoting a societal shift to plant-based diets as an essential step in responding to global warming and other current threats, I want to join many other people of good will in congratulating you on your historic election and wishing you the best of luck in all of your future activities.
In this critical time, when the US and the entire world face so many serious problems, we, along with so many others have been very impressed by your initial efforts to address today's urgent issues, and we wish you continued success.
We would like to very respectfully suggest an action that is seldom considered by our leaders, but one that can help dramatically help in responding to many of today's threats -- that you (and possibly your wonderful family) seriously consider switching toward a vegetarian diet and that you urge the American people to also sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products. This would be consistent with your desire to stress prevention and the recent statement of Chicago Health Commissioner Terry Mason, whom you know, encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for at least January, 2009.
In your response to Nikki Benoit, that young lady in the “Vegan Outreach” T-shirt (http://vegclimatealliance.org/video-obama-tackles-agribusiness/), you showed that you are well aware of the issues. As you pointed out in that response, “Americans would benefit [health wise] from a change of diet.” At a time when there is an epidemic of diseases related to animal-based diets and medical costs are soaring, a shift to plant-based diets would reduce medical costs, help reduce the massive budget deficits that are currently projected and help enable you to carry out your objectives of providing tax cuts and improving our nation's infrastructure.
In your response, you also indicated that current food system is under enormous pressure in that so much grain is being fed to animals at a time when hunger is spreading, food prices are soaring and there have already been food riots in Haiti and other poor countries. In addition, at a time when droughts are spreading and increasing numbers of people will soon live in areas chronically short of clean water, an animal-based diet requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet. Perhaps most important, as we increasingly see the effects of global climate change and when some climate scientists are projecting that global warming could spin out of control within a few years, with potentially disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur, a 2006 UN report “livestock's Long Shadow” indicated that animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%). That UN report projects that the number of farmed animals will double in the next 50 years, with the result that the increased greenhouse gas emissions would negate many positive changes and make it almost impossible to reach the greenhouse gas emission reductions that you and others seek.
As you know, in 2007, eleven retired U/S. generals and admirals indicated that global warming, by increasing the number of hungry, thirsty refugees fleeing global warming-related droughts, storms, flooding, diseases and wildfires, makes instability, violence, terrorism and war more likely. Hence, a societal shift toward plant-based diets could help you accomplish your desire to reduce terrorism and reach a more peaceful, harmonious world.
So, in many ways, a dietary shift by you and an education campaign to increase awareness of the urgency of a major shift toward plant-based diets would be a great step toward reaching many of your goals.
In addition, your response mentioned the importance of getting more fruits and vegetables into school lunch programs and subsidizing healthier plant-based foods rather that animal products and processed foods, so we also hope you will follow up on these important initiatives.
One other thought: as you get a dog for your wonderful daughters, they would probably be happy to know that switching to nutritious, delicious plant-based foods can reduce the current mistreatment and slaughter of ten billion farmed animals in the US annually.
Thank you for your kind consideration. We would be very happy to provide further information and/or help in any other way. We believe that the future of the US and, indeed of all future generations depends on your putting our suggestions into practice.
Very respectfully,
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Director, Veg Climate Alliance
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4. Chicago Health Chief Urges Switch to Vegetarian Diets/How Arthur Poletti is Building On This In Contacting President-Elect Obama
Thanks to JVNA advisor Arthur Poletti for forwarding this article to us AND for his strong letter and message that has been placed after the article. Please help spread these messages. Many thanks.
City health chief's food fight targets meat. He encourages vegetarian diet for January
By Deborah L. Shelton
Chicago Tribune reporter
January 9, 2009
Chicago health commissioner Dr. Terry Mason has a message for Chicagoans who enjoy devouring meat in all its fat-dripping, artery-clogging glory: Don't do it._
As part of his campaign to slim down waists and lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol citywide, Mason is encouraging everyone to join him in going vegetarian for January."
For the entire month, I'm not eating any meat," he has told listeners to his Sunday morning radio show, "Doctor in the House," on WVON-AM. "If it walks, runs, hops, flies, swims, crawls or slithers, I won't eat it. If it has eyes, I won't eat it. If it had a momma and a daddy, I won't eat it. . . . I'm going to focus on eating a healthy and delicious variety of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. . . . And I want you to do the same.
"In a city famous for Italian beef, Polish sausage and deep dish pizza, his call for a meatless month may sound downright blasphemous. But Mason, a physician who has a medical practice in urology, appears undaunted, and for good reason.
In this food fight, Mason has been amassing troops to his side.
On a blustery, snowy night this week, his call to good health drew dozens to the Soul Vegetarian East restaurant on East 75th Street. During his talk on healthy eating, Mason asked how many planned to go meatless all month, and a packed room of hands flew up.
Score one for broccoli.
In some circles, vegetarianism wouldn't seem like such a radical idea. But a meal without meat is not something that has caught on with many urban blacks, the group Mason is making a special effort to target. African-Americans suffer disproportionately from diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and many other health problems linked to high-fat foods.
This is Mason's fourth year campaigning for a meatless January. Paul Ellison, 71, of the Far South Side enlisted in the healthy eating crusade three years ago and then decided to forgo meat for good. "
It hasn't been that hard either," said Ellison, who has lost 40 pounds on a vegetarian diet.
For Mason, animal fats are enemy No. 1. He has stared down this enemy and it looks a lot like pork chops smothered with dressing, rib tips dripping in greasy barbecue sauce and hamburgers heaped with cheese.
Mason said his vegetarianism lasted seven months last year and he plans to stay with it for good this time. Mason suffers from high cholesterol and had a coronary stent implanted in 2005. Both of his parents died young of cancer-his mother at 51 and his father at 39. In the crowd this week at Soul Vegetarian East were Dorothy Carpenter of Roseland, an education consultant, and Carpenter's daughter Raegan Tall, a child welfare specialist who lives in West Pullman. The two hung on Mason's every word.
Carpenter said she fell into a diabetic coma for 11 days in 2007, and her doctor told her it was a miracle she survived. She admits to a lifetime of bad eating habits and figures she needs to lose at least 100 pounds.
Tall, recently married, wants to get pregnant one day but would like to lose weight first to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy offspring."
We've done a lot of diets, but it really is a lifestyle change," Tall said. "We aren't scared to try." Mason chose January to launch his campaign, which he calls Re-Start, because "we have just finished a season of gluttony," he explained. "We started in Thanksgiving and went right through Jan. 1. That's when we ate more, drank more, did all the mores that we shouldn't have.
"Walking around the room Wednesday night, he asked people why they came to the meeting. "I came to get a jump start on eating right," one woman said. "I don't do bad but I could do a whole lot better. " Another woman said simply: "I love my life and want to live longer. " Next week, the group heads to Farmers Best Market on West 47th Street, where they will learn how to select the freshest fruits and vegetables and tell the difference between slick mustard greens and curly mustard greens, among other things. The following week, an exercise physiologist will teach safe and effective exercises for getting in shape.
Andrea Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, praised Mason's efforts.
"Typically a vegetarian diet is a healthier diet," said Giancoli, a registered dietitian. "People who follow more plant-based diets have better health outcomes-lower rates of chronic disease and lower rates of obesity. We all need to be moving more toward a plant-based diet." Giancoli said cutting back on animal foods doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. For example, she noted the benefits of getting omega-3 fatty acids from fish. "I tend to err on the side of caution and include this in the diet," she said. Mason has advised the soon-to-be-meatless to drink at least a half-gallon of water daily and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, beans and peas. He said some people might need vitamin B-12 supplements. "I'd love to see people stick with it and make it a lifestyle," Mason said of vegetarianism. "But the goal is to help people see the benefits of a plant-based diet.
"While Mason's approach is more smiling cheerleader than stern lecturer, he had his moments, such as when he admonished men who insist on filling their car's tank with the highest grade gasoline but fill their bellies with greasy rib tips and fries. "You put the good fuel in your car and put the bad fuel in your bodies," Mason chided. "What sense does that make?"
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Letter by JVNA advisorArthur Poletti in response
[Please help Arthur spread this important message. Thanks.]
Dear Dr. Terry Mason:
May I extend my sincere congratulations!!
I am very impressed and gratified with the fact that you have had the courage to let everyone know that you are a vegetarian and recommend that everyone gives it a serious try.
You are the CHANGE you want to see in the world!!
I hope that since you know President Elect Barack Obama that you will be able to communicate with him and be able to persuade him to seriously
consider the countless reasons he would be very wise to seriously consider vegetarianism, no matter what anyone thinks or says.
There is no change that President Elect Barack Obama could support and promote that could ultimately be as big or more beneficial to all humans, all animals, the earth, and the earth's atmosphere.
Dr. Mason, like you, do you think President-Elect Obama is also capable of being wiser and braver than Al Gore and Oprah Winfrey have been?
Will the future leader of America make a decision that could potentially provide the urgently neededi nspiration that could CHANGE and improve
the world as never before?
For the biggest and most beneficial *CHANGE* imaginable "to actually happen" let us all work together on your behalf to persuade President
Elect Barack Obama to become a VEGETARIAN.
"YES WE CAN"
In my opinion, I truly believe that if President Elect Barack Obama knew and considered the real truth about the catastrophic disasters that are related to the livestock industry, ranging from major health problems, the number one cause of global warming, and the unnecessary brutal treatment and deaths of millions of animals everyday, he would immediately become a vegetarian.
Dr. Mason, let me repeat myself by saying that you could definitely play a large role in helping to persuade the future leader of the United States to make the most important decision of his Presidency that could result in the biggest and most beneficial changes in history.
Dr. Mason, please devote one hour of your life to view the free one hour major masterpiece documentary titled: *A Sacred Duty* that can be viewed online for free at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9RxmTGHZgE
I have a supply of the free DVD version of this incredible film and would be pleased to send you ... several copies.
I think you will agree, after viewing *A Sacred Duty*, that President Elect Obama and his family should make sure they also view the finest free documentary film of its kind ever produced, which clearly reveals the urgent challenges and monumental disasters that have been caused by or promoted by the livestock industry which until recently have been the best kept secrets in the world.
Global warming heads the list!!
I have forwarded the message from Tim Hadac about your effort to several hundred people and many organizations. I hope you get a positive response from some or possibly many of them.
Thank you for all you have done and will do to improve the health and welfare of as many people and animals as possible.
You are the CHANGE you want to see in the world!!
Arthur Poletti
Author
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Further message from Arthur Poletti:
Richard
I am going to use this opportunity to promote A Sacred Duty. I will send an email to several hundred addresses throughout the world announcing the breaking news about Dr. Mason and will I use *A Sacred Duty* as a major point of interest.
Maybe we will get lucky and create more widespread interest in the finest one hour documentary film of its kind ever produced.
I actually believe that our efforts will result in Barack Obama viewing *A Sacred Duty* Only God knows what may happen then.
I will unload the heavy artillery soon.
Thank you.
Arthur Poletti.
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Another message from Arthur Poletti:
Dear Care2 News:
MAJOR NEWS FLASH !!
IT DOES NOT GET ANY BIGGER OR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA'S HOME TOWN AND THE HEALTH CHIEF HAS MET HIM AND HAS MET MRS OBAMA!
USE YOUR IMAGINATION!!
Every one of the 10 million plus members of Care2 should read the following news flash and imagine what will happen when Health Chiefs in every major city are made aware of the brave and bold announcement made by the Chicago Health Chief?
I hope you will spread the following news far and wide, especially to Care2 member Deepak Chopra.
Thank you.
Arthur Poletti
Western Springs, Illinois
aapolet@aol.com
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5. Building Vegetarian Outreach Around Tu B'Shvat/Also A Correction
Recently a special JVNA newsletter was sent to you with a press release draft, many articles, lists of Tu B'Shvat-related resources, a sample letter and sample invitations to a Tu B'Shvat seder.
Please use this material to help promote our campaign to turn Tu B'Shvat into a Jewish Earth Day. In view of the great threats from global warming and other environmental problems, it is urgent that tikkun olam (efforts to heal and repair the world) become a major focus in Jewish life today.
Special thanks to JVNA founder and founding president for suggesting this idea many years ago and promoting it in many ways.
Correction:
In the recent special newsletter, the press release had a paragraph that should have read:
Consistent with the fact that all the foods at the traditional Tu B'Shvat seder are from plants, JVNA also urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how plant-based diets are most consistent with basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources and help hungry people.
The original version had “animal-based diets.”
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6. Getting A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD to be Seen by More People
Thankfully, our documentary has received much praise. We would like the movie to be seen by as many people as possible, so we are continuing to give away free DVDs. Please use the message and sample article below to help make people aware that they can get complimentary copies of A SACRED DUTY and also see the complete movie at ASacredDuty.com. Many thanks.
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Greetings,
I would like to offer you a complimentary DVD with our recently released documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD, if you have not received one yet. It has a strong, unique, universal message re global warming and other environmental threats, health issues, the treatment of animals and much more, and has the potential of moving our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. I think it would make an excellent program, in showing the relevance of eternal religious values to current environmental threats.
Please see the article below for more information about the movie.
The movie is receiving a very favorable response (please see the blurbs under the article below, or at ASacredDuty.com)).
If you are interested in receiving a DVD, please email your mailing address to me. If you would like more than one free DVD, to share with others, please let me know.
The movie may also be seen on the internet at:
www.ASacredDuty.com.
There is also much background material, including questions and answers about the movie at that web site.
Many thanks, and best wishes,
Richard (Schwartz)
President, Jewish Vegetarians of North America
NEW DOCUMENTARY APPLIES JEWISH VALUES TO ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, HUMANE ISSUES
Richard H. Schwartz
Because the world is heading rapidly toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats, Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) has produced a documentary, A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD, to address these threats from a positive Jewish perspective. JVNA will send a free copy to anyone who will help arrange a screening or help promote the movie in some other way.
Almost daily there are reports of severe droughts, floods, storms or wildfires, of the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps and other indicators of global warming. It is frightening that, while these effects are due to an increase in temperature of less than 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group composed of hundreds of the world's climate scientists, is projecting an increase of 3 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years. Even more ominous is that some climate scientists, including James Hansen of NASA, are warning that global warming may reach a tipping point and spiral out of control within a decade, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes are soon made. Israel is especially vulnerable to global climate change, in terms of reduced rainfall, severe storms and flooding from a rising Mediterranean Sea.
A SACRED DUTY is a Jewish response to these realities. It reminds us that it is our sacred duty to become aware of current threats and our responsibility to apply Jewish teachings to how we obtain our food, use natural resources, and live among other creatures whom God created. It offers simple, practical measures for reducing our impact on the planet, including “an inconvenient truth” that even Al Gore has not yet acknowledged.
Produced by the highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning film maker, Lionel Friedberg, A SACRED DUTY reinforces the messages in Al Gore's AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and Leonardo di Caprio's, THE ELEVENTH HOUR about the dangers of global warming. However, it goes beyond these films, by showing how religious responses can make a major difference and why a shift toward plant-based diets is an essential part of efforts to reduce global climate change and other environmental threats. It also challenges people to consider the many moral issues related to our diets, including Torah teachings on how animals are treated on factory farms and the effects on human health and the environment.
Although it is primarily intended for a Jewish audience, A SACRED DUTY speaks to people everywhere about the ethics of our relationship to the natural world in which we live. The movie's universal message will appeal to anyone interested in such topics as biblical teachings, Israel, the environment, health, nutrition, vegetarianism, hunger and resource usage. The movie may be said to be like Levy's Jewish Rye bread - you do not have to be Jewish to appreciate it.
The documentary features interviews with leading Israeli and American environmental, health, vegetarian and animal rights activists as well as Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and secular leaders.
Interviewees include: Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Haifa; Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee; Dr. Yeshayahu Bar-Or, Chief Scientist: Israel Environmental Ministry and many other rabbis and Jewish leaders and activists.
Biblical passages are read by the acclaimed Jewish star of Broadway and screen Theodore Bikel
A SACRED DUTY and the many activities being planned around it have the potential to help move our imperiled world toward a sustainable path. But only if the movie is widely viewed and discussed. So, please order your FREE copy and please consider taking one or more of the following actions after viewing the movie: have viewings for family, neighbors and friends; try to schedule showings at a local school, a synagogue and/or other houses of worship, a community center or other communal site, etc.; share the DVD with local rabbis and other religious leaders, teachers, politicians and other local influential people.
You can request a free DVD to share by sending your name and mailing address to JVNA's secretary/treasurer John Diamond (jdiamond4@cox.net). If you feel that you can profitably use more than one DVD, just let John know, with a brief description of how you plan to use them. Additional information about the movie may be found at www.asacredduty.com.
JVNA plans to build a major campaign around the movie to get tikkun olam (the repair and healing of the world) to become a central focus in Jewish life today, with a shift toward plant-based diets as an essential part of the changes that can help move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. If you would like to be involved in the campaign or have suggestions, please contact Richard Schwartz at President@JewishVeg.com.
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Blurbs Supporting A SACRED DUTY
They can all be seen at ASacredDuty.com.
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7. Organizing a Vegetarian Activity as Part of the National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Forwarded message from the Sierra Club:
Dear Richard,
[Recently], President-elect Obama called for a National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th, which is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the day before the presidential inauguration. The Sierra Club is answering President-elect Obama's call to service.
Will You Organize a Service Event?
More than 115 years ago, the Sierra Club was founded on the idea and value of volunteerism and service -- and it's a legacy that's still very much alive today. We're made up of more than a million volunteers, members, and supporters who are proud to participate in Barack Obama's National Day of Service.
Will you organize a service event on January 19th as part of Obama's National Day of Service? The Sierra Club community is organizing all sorts of events, from hosting toxic mercury hair-testing clinics to stream clean-ups over inauguration weekend.
You can sign up your event, or search for one near you by clicking here: http://usaservice.org/content/home/
Organizing a service event is a powerful and fun way to join in this historic inauguration weekend. If you're already involved in an ongoing service project -- you can simply sign up the event so others in your town can join in. If you're not sure what service event you'd like to organize, check out the tool kits and resources we've put together for you.
Most service events are scheduled for Monday, January 19th, but you can also organize events over the inauguration weekend. Please do list your event as a Sierra Club activity when you sign up your service event.
President-elect Obama's call for service is a reminder that he needs our help to make real change happen.
Thanks for all you do to protect the planet,
Natalie Foster
Online Organizing Director, Sierra Club
p.s. Check out the Sierra Club's National Day of Service resource page, including service project tool kits here: http://www.sierraclub.org/ndos/
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8. Responding to Some Myths About Global Warming
Think Again: Climate Change
by Bill McKibben
06 January 2009
http://culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=277&Itemid=1
Act now, we're told, if we want to save the planet from a climate catastrophe. Trouble is, it might be too late. The science is settled, and the damage has already begun. The only question now is whether we will stop playing political games and embrace the few imperfect options we have left.
"Scientists Are Divided" [Myth 1]
No, they're not. In the early years of the global warming debate, there was great controversy over whether the planet was warming, whether humans were the cause, and whether it would be a significant problem. That debate is long since over. Although the details of future forecasts remain unclear, there's no serious question about the general shape of what's to come.
Every national academy of science, long lists of Nobel laureates, and in recent years even the science advisors of President George W. Bush have agreed that we are heating the planet. Indeed, there is a more thorough scientific process here than on almost any other issue: Two decades ago, the United Nations formed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and charged its scientists with synthesizing the peer-reviewed science and developing broad-based conclusions. The reports have found since 1995 that warming is dangerous and caused by humans. The panel's most recent report, in November 2007, found it is "very likely" (defined as more than 90 percent certain, or about as certain as science gets) that heat-trapping emissions from human activities have caused "most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century."
If anything, many scientists now think that the IPCC has been too conservative-both because member countries must sign off on the conclusions and because there's a time lag. Its last report synthesized data from the early part of the decade, not the latest scary results, such as what we're now seeing in the Arctic.
In the summer of 2007, ice in the Arctic Ocean melted. It melts a little every summer, of course, but this time was different-by late September, there was 25 percent less ice than ever measured before. And it wasn't a one-time accident. By the end of the summer season in 2008, so much ice had melted that both the Northwest and Northeast passages were open. In other words, you could circumnavigate the Arctic on open water. The computer models, which are just a few years old, said this shouldn't have happened until sometime late in the 21st century. Even skeptics can't dispute such alarming events.
"We Have Time" [Myth 2]
Wrong. Time might be the toughest part of the equation. That melting Arctic ice is unsettling not only because it proves the planet is warming rapidly, but also because it will help speed up the warming. That old white ice reflected 80 percent of incoming solar radiation back to space; the new blue water left behind absorbs 80 percent of that sunshine. The process amps up. And there are many other such feedback loops. Another occurs as northern permafrost thaws. Huge amounts of methane long trapped below the ice begin to escape into the atmosphere; methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Such examples are the biggest reason why many experts are now fast-forwarding their estimates of how quickly we must shift away from fossil fuel. Indian economist Rajendra Pachauri, who accepted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Al Gore on behalf of the IPCC, said recently that we must begin to make fundamental reforms by 2012 or watch the climate system spin out of control; NASA scientist James Hansen, who was the first to blow the whistle on climate change in the late 1980s, has said that we must stop burning coal by 2030. Period.
All of which makes the Copenhagen climate change talks that are set to take place in December 2009 more urgent than they appeared a few years ago. At issue is a seemingly small number: the level of carbon dioxide in the air. Hansen argues that 350 parts per million is the highest level we can maintain "if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted." But because we're already past that mark-the air outside is currently about 387 parts per million and growing by about 2 parts annually-global warming suddenly feels less like a huge problem, and more like an Oh-My-God Emergency.
"Climate Change Will Help as Many Places as It Hurts"
Wishful thinking. For a long time, the winners-and-losers calculus was pretty standard: Though climate change will cause some parts of the planet to flood or shrivel up, other frigid, rainy regions would at least get some warmer days every year. Or so the thinking went. But more recently, models have begun to show that after a certain point almost everyone on the planet will suffer. Crops might be easier to grow in some places for a few decades as the danger of frost recedes, but over time the threat of heat stress and drought will almost certainly be stronger.
A 2003 report commissioned by the Pentagon forecasts the possibility of violent storms across Europe, megadroughts across the Southwest United States and Mexico, and unpredictable monsoons causing food shortages in China. "Envision Pakistan, India, and China-all armed with nuclear weapons-skirmishing at their borders over refugees, access to shared rivers, and arable land," the report warned. Or Spain and Portugal "fighting over fishing rights-leading to conflicts at sea."
Of course, there are a few places we used to think of as possible winners-mostly the far north, where Canada and Russia could theoretically produce more grain with longer growing seasons, or perhaps explore for oil beneath the newly melted Arctic ice cap. But even those places will have to deal with expensive consequences-a real military race across the high Arctic, for instance.
Want more bad news? Here's how that Pentagon report's scenario played out: As the planet's carrying capacity shrinks, an ancient pattern of desperate, all-out wars over food, water, and energy supplies would reemerge. The report refers to the work of Harvard archaeologist Steven LeBlanc, who notes that wars over resources were the norm until about three centuries ago. When such conflicts broke out, 25 percent of a population's adult males usually died. As abrupt climate change hits home, warfare may again come to define human life. Set against that bleak backdrop, the potential upside of a few longer growing seasons in Vladivostok doesn't seem like an even trade.
"It's China's Fault" [Myth 3]
Not so much. China is an easy target to blame for the climate crisis. In the midst of its industrial revolution, China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest carbon dioxide producer. And everyone has read about the one-a-week pace of power plant construction there. But those numbers are misleading, and not just because a lot of that carbon dioxide was emitted to build products for the West to consume. Rather, it's because China has four times the population of the United States, and per capita is really the only way to think about these emissions. And by that standard, each Chinese person now emits just over a quarter of the carbon dioxide that each American does. Not only that, but carbon dioxide lives in the atmosphere for more than a century. China has been at it in a big way less than 20 years, so it will be many, many years before the Chinese are as responsible for global warming as Americans.
What's more, unlike many of their counterparts in the United States, Chinese officials have begun a concerted effort to reduce emissions in the midst of their country's staggering growth. China now leads the world in the deployment of renewable energy, and there's barely a car made in the United States that can meet China's much tougher fuel-economy standards.
For its part, the United States must develop a plan to cut emissions-something that has eluded Americans for the entire two-decade history of the problem. Although the U.S. Senate voted down the last such attempt, Barack Obama has promised that it will be a priority in his administration. He favors some variation of a "cap and trade" plan that would limit the total amount of carbon dioxide the United States could release, thus putting a price on what has until now been free.
Despite the rapid industrialization of countries such as China and India, and the careless neglect of rich ones such as the United States, climate change is neither any one country's fault, nor any one country's responsibility. It will require sacrifice from everyone. Just as the Chinese might have to use somewhat more expensive power to protect the global environment, Americans will have to pay some of the difference in price, even if just in technology. Call it a Marshall Plan for the environment. Such a plan makes eminent moral and practical sense and could probably be structured so as to bolster emerging green energy industries in the West. But asking Americans to pay to put up windmills in China will be a hard political sell in a country that already thinks China is prospering at its expense. It could be the biggest test of the country's political maturity in many years.
"Climate Change Is an Environmental Problem" [Myth 4]
Not really. Environmentalists were the first to sound the alarm. But carbon dioxide is not like traditional pollution. There's no Clean Air Act that can solve it. We must make a fundamental transformation in the most important part of our economies, shifting away from fossil fuels and on to something else. That means, for the United States, it's at least as much a problem for the Commerce and Treasury departments as it is for the Environmental Protection Agency.
And because every country on Earth will have to coordinate, it's far and away the biggest foreign-policy issue we face. (You were thinking terrorism? It's hard to figure out a scenario in which Osama bin Laden destroys Western civilization. It's easy to figure out how it happens with a rising sea level and a wrecked hydrological cycle.)
Expecting the environmental movement to lead this fight is like asking the USDA to wage the war in Iraq. It's not equipped for this kind of battle. It may be ready to save Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is a noble undertaking but on a far smaller scale. Unless climate change is quickly de-ghettoized, the chances of making a real difference are small.
"Solving It Will Be Painful" [Myth 5?]
It depends. What's your definition of painful? On the one hand, you're talking about transforming the backbone of the world's industrial and consumer system. That's certainly expensive. On the other hand, say you manage to convert a lot of it to solar or wind power-think of the money you'd save on fuel.
And then there's the growing realization that we don't have many other possible sources for the economic growth we'll need to pull ourselves out of our current economic crisis. Luckily, green energy should be bigger than IT and biotech combined.
Almost from the moment scientists began studying the problem of climate change, people have been trying to estimate the costs of solving it. The real answer, though, is that it's such a huge transformation that no one really knows for sure. The bottom line is, the growth rate in energy use worldwide could be cut in half during the next 15 years and the steps would, net, save more money than they cost. The IPCC included a cost estimate in its latest five-year update on climate change and looked a little further into the future. It found that an attempt to keep carbon levels below about 500 parts per million would shave a little bit off the world's economic growth-but only a little. As in, the world would have to wait until Thanksgiving 2030 to be as rich as it would have been on January 1 of that year. And in return, it would have a much-transformed energy system.
Unfortunately though, those estimates are probably too optimistic. For one thing, in the years since they were published, the science has grown darker. Deeper and quicker cuts now seem mandatory.
But so far we've just been counting the costs of fixing the system. What about the cost of doing nothing? Nicholas Stern, a renowned economist commissioned by the British government to study the question, concluded that the costs of climate change could eventually reach the combined costs of both world wars and the Great Depression. In 2003, Swiss Re, the world's biggest reinsurance company, and Harvard Medical School explained why global warming would be so expensive. It's not just the infrastructure, such as sea walls against rising oceans, for example. It's also that the increased costs of natural disasters begin to compound. The diminishing time between monster storms in places such as the U.S. Gulf Coast could eventually mean that parts of "developed countries would experience developing nation conditions for prolonged periods." Quite simply, we've already done too much damage and waited too long to have any easy options left.
"We Can Reverse Climate Change" [Myth 6?]
If only. Solving this crisis is no longer an option. Human beings have already raised the temperature of the planet about a degree Fahrenheit. When people first began to focus on global warming (which is, remember, only 20 years ago), the general consensus was that at this point we'd just be standing on the threshold of realizing its consequences-that the big changes would be a degree or two and hence several decades down the road. But scientists seem to have systematically underestimated just how delicate the balance of the planet's physical systems really is.
The warming is happening faster than we expected, and the results are more widespread and more disturbing. Even that rise of 1 degree has seriously perturbed hydrological cycles: Because warm air holds more water vapor than cold air does, both droughts and floods are increasing dramatically. Just look at the record levels of insurance payouts, for instance. Mosquitoes, able to survive in new places, are spreading more malaria and dengue. Coral reefs are dying, and so are vast stretches of forest.
None of that is going to stop, even if we do everything right from here on out. Given the time lag between when we emit carbon and when the air heats up, we're already guaranteed at least another degree of warming.
The only question now is whether we're going to hold off catastrophe. It won't be easy, because the scientific consensus calls for roughly 5 degrees more warming this century unless we do just about everything right. And if our behavior up until now is any indication, we won't.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4585
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/05-12
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9. Article by Paul Watson (Director Sea Shepherd, an Anti-Whaling Group) on Global Warming Threats
http://permaworld.org/members/venus55/weblog/a_very_inconvenient_truth_-.html
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10. John Robbins a Victim of Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme/Help Needed
Message from long-time vegetarian activist Patti Breitman:
Dear friends,
If you have ever been moved by the integrity of John Robbins' life, or if you have opened your heart to animals because of his compassion, now is the time to pay him back.
Stan and I just sent John Robbins the most generous cash gift we could afford. I am writing to ask you to consider doing the same.
Along with hundreds of celebrities, charitable organizations, universities, international banking institutions and even some small towns, John and his family are victims of the criminal, fraudulent Ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff. The family learned last month that they have lost their entire life savings. John and his wife Deo have always lived frugally. They saved just about every dollar they could. And they thought their money was invested safely. But it turns out that their investments were stolen from them, and there is very little chance they can recover any of these funds upon which they were living. Now the Robbins family is facing a sudden and severe financial crisis.
To economize, the family has rented out every extra room in their house and every spare space on their property. Still, it is not clear if they will be able to pay their mortgage or keep the property they share with their son, his wife and their two grandsons. Both Michelle and Deo have taken on part time jobs, and Deo has also taken over the formerly paid for day care for their special needs grandchildren. John is writing a new book, but it could be many months before any income may come from that effort.
I cannot imagine a man who has had a greater positive influence on the vegetarian movement than John Robbins. Because of his books, countless people around the world have changed their way of eating, dressing, and relating to animals. Because of the integrity he has shown in his life, countless people have found the courage to turn down job opportunities and great financial gain if the work caused harm to others.
John's compassion for all beings, and his ability to share his vision through his speaking and writing, are among the greatest gifts I have witnessed in my life. I offered to send out this appeal for help when I learned of this terrible injustice to a man who has dedicated his life to ending injustice toward others.
If you can help John and his family now, please send a check for any amount made out to him. Send it to John Robbins, c/o me, Patti Breitman, 12 Rally Court, Fairfax, CA 94930, and I will send it along to him immediately without opening the envelope. (I do not want his address to be circulating on the internet, and I hope you will forward this email to everyone you know who knows of John's work and might want to help him.)
I first discovered the truth of all life being connected through John's books. And while I am saddened that this criminal financial loss has happened to him, I am thrilled to be able to pay him back in small measure for all he has given to me through his work and his life choices.. Thank you for sending the most generous contribution you can for this extraordinary man of peace whose many contributions have saved countless lives and moved countless more toward peace.
With appreciation and love,
Patti Breitman
Fairfax, CA
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11. Major Vegetarian Events Planned for 2009/Volunteers Needed
Outline Plan for 2009
as of 7 Jan 2009
Thanks to Herma Caelen of EVANA (the European Vegetarian Animal News Alliance) for compiling and sending this list. I have removed some items that are not directly connected to vegetarianism.
If you would like to volunteer to get our JVNA vegetarian messages out in conjunction with these events, please let me know. Many thanks.
My comments begin with *** .
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Outline Plan for 2009_as of 7 Jan 2009
Date 31, January - World Day for the Abolition of Meat
January 31st, see http://www.nomoremeat.org
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Date: 20 March 2009 - Meatout
*** This event is sponsored by FARM. We could urge FARM and other groups to stress the dietary/global warming connection,
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Date: 22 March 2009 - U.N. World Water Day
Country: Belgium_Organiser/POC: Tobias Leenaert, EVA
e-mail: tobias@vegetarisme.be
Website: http://www.vegetarisme.be
*** We could stress how wasteful of water animal-based diets are.
Date: 7 April 2009 - World Health Day
*** Of course, we could stress the negative health effects of animal-based dies and point out how global warming also has health consequences._
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_Date: 22 April 2009 - Earth Day
Country: USA/International
Organiser/POC:
*** We could submit an open letter to environmental groups.
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Date: 5 June 2009, United Nations World Environment Day
Country: USA/International
Organiser/POC: Richard Schwartz, International Veg Climate Alliance
e-mail: info@VegClimateAlliance.org
Website: http://www.vegclimatealliance.org
***We could submit an open letter to the UN, pointing out the urgency of a major dietary shift.
Date: 17-22 August 2009, World Water Week_Country:
***We could stress the huge amounts of water needed for a meat-based diet.
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Date: 1 October 2009 - World Vegetarian Day
Country: USA
*** I have not added comments for the following events, but certainly we can see that there are many opportunities.
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Date: 2 October 2009 - Gandhi's birthday - UN International Day of Non-Violence
Date: 4 October 2009/World Animal Day
Country: France
Organiser/POC: L214, Estiva Reus
Website: http://www.l214.com
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Date: 01 to 07 October 2009, Intern. Vegetarian Week
Country: Portugal/International_Organiser/POC: Mateus Mendes, Centrovegetariano_e-mail: mmendes@centrovegetariano.org
Website: http://www.vegetarianweek.org/
Date: 15-21 October 2009 - Feed the World Week
Date: 16 October 2009 - World Food Day
Date: 1 November 2009 - World Vegan Day
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12. Billions Face Food Shortages, Study Warns
http://www.truthout.org/011109A
Ian Sample, The Guardian UK: "Half of the world's population could face severe food shortages by the end of the century as rising temperatures take their toll on farmers' crops, scientists have warned... The worst of the food shortages are expected to hit the poor, densely inhabited regions of the equatorial belt, where demand for food is already soaring because of a rapid growth in population."
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In view of the dire projections re widespread hunger, isn't it insane to continue animal-based diets that involve 70% of the grain produced in the US and 49% of the grain produced worldwide being fed to animals? Making it worse is that animal-based agriculture, according to a 2006 UN report "Livestock's Long Shadow," emits more greenhouse gases (In CO2 equivalents) than all the cars and other means of trabsportation worldwide combined. And still worse is that the same UN report projects that the number of farmed animals worldwide will double in 50 years, with the added greenhouse gas emissions negating the effects of many positive changes.
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13. Major Jewish Food Blog (“The Jew and the Carrot”) Seeks Editorial/Writing Help
Forwarded message from Hazon:
Dear friends,
After almost five years, The Jew & The Carrot's Editor-in-Chief, Leah Koenig, is leaving Hazon. Leah started as an intern at Hazon in the summer of 2003, then joined the staff the following year after graduating from Middlebury College. She spent the first three years running Hazon's new (at the time!) Jewish CSA program, Tuv Ha'Aretz, and ran Hazon's first Food Conference in 2006. A year and a half ago, she transitioned to part time to pursue a freelance journalism career, while being the editor of The Jew & The Carrot at Hazon. Now, with simultaneous excitement and sorrow, she is joining the illustrious “Hazon staff alumni association.”
As Leah transitions away from her position at Hazon, The Jew & The Carrot blog is also changing. From the blog's inception in December, 2006, Hazon has depended on the creative and inspiring contributions from an impressive group of volunteer contributors. Now, the blog is shifting towards an all volunteer model, and we are seeking several outstanding volunteers to help move forward the new Jewish food movement on the blogosphere. Specifically, we are looking to fill the following key volunteer roles:
Editor-in-Chief
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
Associate Editor
Lead Contributor
We're expecting all the roles, but particularly the three lead roles: Editor-in-Chief, Business Manager, and Circulation Manager, to be 1-year positions. We're looking for serious and committed inquiries and the capacity of volunteering at least 15-20 hours/week. This is a unique opportunity to make a difference in the world and gain experience that should stand you in great stead if you're looking to have a career in one of these fields. Applicants do not have to be from NYC, so please forward this email widely and be in touch if you're interested.
More information below, but first - a little back blog story:
The Jew & The Carrot began as an attempt to answer many questions at once. How could Hazon expand the conversations we were beginning around food, Jewish life, and sustainability to the broadest possible audience? How could we spread the impact of our food work beyond the participants who attend our Food Conference, or belong to one of our Tuv Ha'Aretz CSA communities? And how might we create a forum for people all around the world to discuss and push forward these important issues, all year round? Of course! A blog.
We officially launched The Jew & The Carrot in December 2006 at Hazon's first food conference. Our team of volunteer contributors began a conversation that continues today - one that combines healthy, sustainable food news with an inclusive, joyful Jewish community.
Since then, the blog has become an important voice in the new Jewish food movement. What started as Hazon bringing some of its thoughts about food to the larger audience grew into a true community-wide conversation, with contributors and readers chiming in from across the United States, Israel, Europe, and beyond. Some highlights from the past two years have included:
o Interviews with Jewish food thinkers like Michael Pollan, Joan Nathan, and Michael Ableman
o Extensive coverage about the raid of the Agriprocessors' kosher meat plant and its aftermath - including an exclusive interview with a former mashgiach (kosher supervisor) from the plant. Several readers commented that they turned to The Jew & The Carrot as their primary source of Agriprocessors related news.
o Innovative recipes that take healthy, seasonal twists on traditional foods like: apple cider challah, savory hamantaschen with musrooms and onions, pesto blintzes, and homemade date honey for Rosh Hashanah
o Interviews with the leaders of the new Jewish food movement: from Rabbi Morris Allen of Hekhsher Tzedek, to kosher vitner Jeff Morgan of Covenant Wines and kosher artisanal cheese maker, Alan Glustoff of 5 Spoke Creamery.
o Controversial and inspiring personal essays that push forward the conversations around kashrut and identity.
o Extensive resources and tips for “greening” Jewish holidays, making a Shabbat or Kiddush table more sustainable, or finding a farm to visit with the family.
o An ethical food advice column from the hilarious yenta, The Shmethicist.
o “Unboxed” segments that demystify seasonal produce and offer practical advice and techniques for the kitchen.
In two years, our base of readers - which ranges from Orthodox to secular, and not Jewish at all - has grown steadily, forming a community that feels tied to the blog, the conversations, and each other. Two recent comments from readers help to illustrate the diversity and closeness of the community:
I have to confess, I am obsessed with The Jew & The Carrot. My favorite procrastination method is to hop on my Google Reader, hoping, praying, that they have another witty post about contemporary Jewish issues explored through food.
--
I love The Jew & The Carrot - in my pretty right wing orthodox world, it's hard to find people who care about the grand and expansive impact of food in our world, both physical and spiritual, for good and bad. Thanks for bringing Michael Pollan and Torah together.
The press has also picked up on the blog's impact - in the last year, The Jew & The Carrot has received press mentions in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Jerusalem Report, and many other publications. It was also named Best New Blog and Best Kosher Food/Recipe Blog in the 2007 Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards.
Volunteer with The Jew & The Carrot
We're incredibly proud of what The Jew & The Carrot has accomplished in the last two years. But we are also incredibly excited to enable a small group of people in the coming year to strengthen and grow the blog in new directions.
For more information about applying and joining The Jew & The Carrot team, please click here. All cover letters and resumes should be sent to apply.jcarrot@gmail.com.
With thanks and best wishes,
Nigel
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