2/22/2009 JVNA Online Newsletter

Shalom everyone,

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

1. JVNA Press Release and Letter Challenges Rabbis to Address Global Warming and Moral Issues Related to Diets/Followed by Summary of Threats and How to Respond

2. Global Warming Increasing Faster Than Predicted

3. Why Vegetarianism Is Growing Among Teenagers

4. If You Do Not Believe The World Is Heading Toward an Unprecedented Catastrophe, Please Read This Article

5. The GreenFaith Certification Program

6. EarthSave Miami Shows A Sacred Duty/How About You Arranging A Showing?

7. JVNA Advisor To Speak About His Best Selling Book

8. Preventing the Use of Dirty Tar Sands Oil

9. Can One Be a Conscientious Eater of Meat?

10. Update on Environmental Podcasts

11. Vegetarian Movie to Be Screened Widely in the U.S.

12. Unique Environmental Program in Israel Scheduled

13. Great Progress in Israel re Renewable Energy Projects

14. NY Times Editorial on Global Warming Threats

15. Farm Animal Rights Movement Schedules 2009 Meatout

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. JVNA Press Release and Letter Challenges Rabbis to Address Global Warming and Moral Issues Related to Diets/Followed by Summary of Threats and How to Respond

[Please help spread this message and please use the material in the press release, letter to rabbis and summary of threats for your own letters, articles and talking points. Thanks.]

PRESS RELEASE

JEWISH GROUP URGES JEWISH COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND MORAL ISSUES RELATED TO DIETS

For Immediate Release:
February 20, 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) today announced a major campaign to get the Jewish community to respond to global warming and other environmental threats to Israel and the entire world.

“When we read daily reports of the effects of global climate change, including severe heat waves, storms, droughts and wild fires, and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps, it is becoming increasingly clear that the world is approaching an unprecedented catastrophe,” stated Richard Schwartz, president of JVNA and author of 'Judaism and Global Survival.' “Also ominous is that some climate scientists, including James Hansen of NASA, are warning that global climate change may spin out of control within a few years with disastrous consequences unless major changes are soon made.”

“Israel is especially threatened,” Schwartz continued. “It is now experiencing the worst drought in its history, and the reduced rainfall the last few years has so diminished the level of the Sea of Galilee that the pumping of water from it had to be stopped. And in 2007 a report by the Israel Union for Environmental Defense projected that if current trends continue, Israel will experience major heat waves, storms and floods, a decrease in average rainfall up to 30 percent and an inundation of the coastal plain where most Israelis live by a rising Mediterranean Sea.”

In view of these great threats to Israel, all of humanity and all of creation, JVNA believes that 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.

JVNA is urging that tikkun olam-the healing and repair of the world -- become a central issue in synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions. “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,” stated Schwartz.

JVNA also believes that, in view of the many current threats to humanity, dietary choices should be made considering environmental impacts, including the following:

* According to a 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report, animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (18% in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, ships, planes and other means of transportation combined (13.5%), and this difference will sharply increase because the number of farmed animals is projected to double in 50 years;

* The standard American diet (SAD) requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet;

* 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States and over a third produced worldwide are fed to animals raised for slaughter;

* The world is not only trying to feed 6.8 billion people, but also about 56 billion farmed animals.

JVNA urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of these impacts and how animal-based diets and agriculture violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people and pursue peace.

A letter will be sent to rabbis and other Jewish leaders with the message in this press release, along with a summary of the threats and how Jews can address them. (Both are below.)

Further information about these issues can be found at 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 consider using them to involve their congregations on the issues.

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Letter to Rabbis:

Dear Rabbi,

We are writing you because we strongly believe it is essential that you help increase awareness of the importance of applying Jewish values to help move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.

Please see the press release and the summary of the threats and how Jews can address them below, and please consider how you and your congregation can get involved.

At this time of great peril for Israel and increasing anti-Semitism, we think it would be a Kiddush Hashem for Jews to take a leadership role in efforts to reduce threats from global warming and other environmental problems. And it could bring many idealistic but disaffiliated Jews back to Judaism, by showing the relevance of our eternal values to current critical issues.

In the past, people failed to listen to warnings from Noah and from the biblical prophets, with disastrous consequences. We have had many wake-up calls and climate experts are projecting major calamities unless we soon respond effectively and in a major way. Let us apply Judaism's splendid environmental teachings in an effort to preserve our precious planet.

Thanks for your kind consideration and kol tuv.

Richard

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The press release above will appear here when the letter above is sent to rabbis and other Jewish leaders.

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Summary of the threats and how Jews can address them:

The Planet Is Heading Toward An Unprecedented Catastrophe/How YOU Can Help Prevent It!

Below are factors to be considered that can help you shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.

First, an outline of key points, followed by supporting material for each point:

1) The world is rapidly heading toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats.

2) Israel is especially threatened by global warming.

3) It is essential that major steps be taken immediately to avoid climate-related catastrophes.

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

5) The production and consumption of animal products violate at least 6 basic Jewish mandates.

6) Judaism has splendid teachings that can be applied in responding to current environmental threats.

7) The Jewish community (like almost all, if not all, communities) is not doing enough to address the threats and the moral issues related to their diets.

8) There is much you can do to help shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. Yes you can!

9) JVNA will help as much as we possibly can.

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Supporting statements for the above points:

1) The world is rapidly heading toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats.

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

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

2) Israel is especially threatened by global warming.

Israel is facing the worst drought in its history, and it is so severe that the level in the Sea of Galilee has dropped so low that water can no longer be pumped from it.
[http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/22/1002430/israel-halts-sea-of-galilee-water-pumping]

The Israeli Union for Environmental Defense (IUED; Adam, Teva v'Din) projected in 2007 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.

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 the Israeli newspaper 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.

3) It is essential that major steps be taken immediately to avoid climate-related catastrophes.

Some climate scientists. Including James Hansen of NASA, are warning that global warming could reach a tipping point and spin out of control in a few years, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur.

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.'

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

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

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

JVNA believes that dietary concerns should be considered in terms of environmental impacts. In view of the many threats to humanity, it is scandalous that the world is not only trying to feed 6.8 billion people, but also about 56 billion farmed animals; that 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States and over a third produced worldwide are fed to animals raised for slaughter; that the standard American diet (SAD) requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet.

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."

5) The production and consumption of animal products violate at least 6 basic Jewish mandates.

There is a widely accepted aspect of modern life that contradicts many Jewish teachings and harms people, communities, and the planet -- the mass production and widespread consumption of meat. High meat consumption and the ways in which meat is produced today conflict with Judaism in at least six important areas:

a) While Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives, numerous scientific studies have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases.

b) While Judaism forbids tsa'ar ba'alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals, most farm animals -- including those raised for kosher consumers -- are raised on "factory farms" where they live in cramped, confined spaces, and are often drugged, mutilated, and denied fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any enjoyment of life, before they are slaughtered and eaten.

c) While Judaism teaches that "the earth is the Lord's" (Psalm 24:1) and that we are to be God's partners and co-workers in preserving the world, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, global warming, and other environmental damage.

d) While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, animal agriculture requires the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other resources.

e) While Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people, over 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, while an estimated 20 million people worldwide die because of hunger and its effects each year.

f) While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions, animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war.

In view of these important Jewish mandates to preserve human health, attend to the welfare of animals, protect the environment, conserve resources, help feed hungry people, and pursue peace, and since animal-centered diets violate and contradict each of these responsibilities, committed Jews (and others) should sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.

One could say "dayenu" (it would be enough) after any of the arguments above, because each one constitutes by itself a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practice that should impel Jews to seriously consider a plant-based diet. Combined, they make an urgently compelling case for the Jewish community to address these issues.

JVNA urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how animal-based diets and agriculture violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people and seek peace.

6) Judaism has splendid teachings that can be applied in responding to current environmental threats.

Among Judaism's many teachings about the environment are:

* People are to be partners and co-workers in protecting the environment;

* We are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value:

* We are to be shomrei ha'adamah, guardians of the Earth (based on Genesis 2:15);

* The Sabbath and Sabbatical and Jubilee Years have environmental benefits in reducing our constant exploitation of the Earth and its resources.

7) The Jewish community (like almost all, if not all, communities) is not doing enough to address the threats and the moral issues related to their diets.

It is essential that the Jewish community fulfill our mandate to be a 'light unto the nations' and lead efforts to address global warming and other current critical issues.

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. As indicated above, 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.

8) There is much you can do to help shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. Yes you can!

In view of the seriousness of the issues, it is essential that you get involved. As a start, to increase your knowledge of the issues, you might want to visit the Jewish Vegetarians of North America web site (www.JewishVeg.com); see our acclaimed documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal the World” at ASacredDuty.com (a version with Hebrew subtitles is available there); visit my web site www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz, where I have over 130 articles on all aspects of vegetarianism (including a course you can take at your own pace on “Judaism and Vegetarianism,” fact sheets, questions and answers on Jewish teachings on vegetarianism, animal concerns and related issues, a fictional dialogue between a rabbi and a Jewish vegetarian activist, an article relating Judaism to all the Jewish holidays and much more) and about 20 podcasts of my talks and interviews.

Please consider using these materials and more for letters to editors, talks on the issues, conversations with rabbis and other Jewish leaders and in other ways that will increase awareness of the issues. We must respectfully challenge rabbis (including chief rabbis), educators, politicians, medical professionals, media representatives and many others, and urge them to consider the issues.

The fate of Israel, Judaism and perhaps all of humanity and all of God's creation may depend on your actions.

9) JVNA will help as much as we possibly can.

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 anyone who will contact them (mail@jewishVeg.com) and indicate that they will consider using them to involve their congregations on the issues.

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. 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.

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 in 2009.

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

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2. Global Warming Increasing Faster Than Predicted

Scientists: Pace of Climate Change Exceeds Estimates

Sunday 15 February 2009
by: Kari Lydersen, The Washington Post
http://www.truthout.org/021609M

Chicago - The pace of global warming is likely to be much faster than recent predictions, because industrial greenhouse gas emissions have increased more quickly than expected and higher temperatures are triggering self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms in global ecosystems, scientists said Saturday.

"We are basically looking now at a future climate that's beyond anything we've considered seriously in climate model simulations," Christopher Field, founding director of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University, said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Field, a member of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said emissions from burning fossil fuels since 2000 have largely outpaced the estimates used in the U.N. panel's 2007 reports. The higher emissions are largely the result of the increased burning of coal in developing countries, he said.

Unexpectedly large amounts of carbon dioxide are being released into the atmosphere as the result of "feedback loops" that are speeding up natural processes. Prominent among these, evidence indicates, is a cycle in which higher temperatures are beginning to melt the arctic permafrost, which could release hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, said several scientists on a panel at the meeting.

The permafrost holds 1 trillion tons of carbon, and as much as 10 percent of that could be released this century, Field said. Along with carbon dioxide melting permafrost releases methane, which is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

"It's a vicious cycle of feedback where warming causes the release of carbon from permafrost, which causes more warming, which causes more release from permafrost," Field said.

Evidence is also accumulating that terrestrial and marine ecosystems cannot remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as earlier estimates suggested, Field said.

SNIP

© 2009 truthout

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3. Why Vegetarianism Is Growing Among Teenagers

Why you should become a vegetarian
More teenagers than ever before are becoming vegetarian.


Gabrielle J. Loeb

http://www.pjvoice.com/v43/43222teen.aspx

The most common reason for becoming a vegetarian is ethics. Whether people become conscious of animal treatment through videos or articles, friends or advertisements, this consciousness is what most leads many people including myself to make this dramatic lifestyle change. I felt that I was lucky to live in a world where I can afford to live without causing animals to die to feed me. I felt that the right animals have to live far outweighs my right to enjoy eating them. With the abundance in vitamins, recipes, and meat substitutes, modern food technology has made a vegetarian lifestyle easier than ever.

While concern for animals motivates many, others embrace vegetarianism for health reasons. Vegetarianism has been found to promote overall better health and decrease the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, and many other diseases. Some argue that vegetarians may simply be more health-conscious, and that these health benefits may be correlation instead of causation. However, vegetarian diets contain less cholesterol, saturated fat, and contaminants - all of which are present in animal flesh, dairy products, and eggs. While vegetarians may be healthier partially due to increased attention to the foods they eat, the very make-up of a vegetarian diet contributes to the disparity in overall health between omnivores and vegetarians.

Although most do not become vegetarian for environmental reasons, vegetarianism also benefits the environment. The cost of meat far exceeds that of vegetables in terms of the earth's limited resources. Animals must eat, and valuble finite resources are used to transport food to every animal up until the day the animal is slaughtered. As gas and oil are used up to transport food (which could have gone to hungry humans), the vehicles used to transport this food also pollutes the air.

SNIP

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4. If You Do Not Believe The World Is Heading Toward an Unprecedented Catastrophe, Please Read This Article

http://www.truthout.org/021709U#comment-39928

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5. The GreenFaith Certification Program

'Green' Certification Program for Religious Institutions

Do you want your house of worship to be a 'green' leader?

Is God calling you to protect Creation?

GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental coalition, is pleased to announce the launch of the GreenFaith Certification Program for houses of worship, the nation's first interfaith environmental certification program. The program is designed to help churches, synagogues, mosques and temples earn recognition as environmental leaders by carrying out a number of environmental activities over a two year period. GreenFaith provides the guidance, resources and support to help participating institutions succeed. Information and application materials can be found at www.greenfaith.org. The first application deadline for the program is May 1.

“More and more religious institutions want to become environmental leaders but they don't know how to get there,” said the Rev. Fletcher Harper, GreenFaith's Executive Director. “The GreenFaith Certification Program makes it possible for them to achieve their goals.”

Leveraging the Power of Religious Institutions

More and more religious institutions want to 'go green' and demonstrate their commitment to Creation. The challenge? They don't know how to do this. The GreenFaith Certification Program provides the resources, mentoring and support to make the 'greening' process effective and enjoyable.

Over two years, participating institutions carry out worship services and religious education focused on the environment. They 'green' the way they operate their facility. They advocate for a healthy environment for all people. And in the process, they experience the transformation that comes from sharing a religious commitment to Creation.

GreenFaith provides extensive support to participating institutions. Through webinars, a list-serve, web-based resources, and support from GreenFaith staff by phone and e-mail, houses of worship from across the country become environmental leaders in their communities.

Join a Leader

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

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

GreenFaith is grateful to the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and to GreenFaith members for the support that makes the Certification Programs possible.

For further information about the GreenFaith Certification Program, contact Program Director Stacey Kennealy at skennealy@greenfaith.org or 732-565-7740, ext. 303.

Rabbi Lawrence Troster,
Director, Fellowship Program,
GreenFaith
201 833-5166 (home office)
732 565-7740 ex. 302 (office)

www.greenfaith.org
46 Bayard St.,
Suite 401,
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

"How great are Your works, O Lord,
How very profound Your designs!"

(Psalm 92:6)

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6. EarthSave Miami Shows A Sacred Duty/How About You Arranging A Showing?

Vegan* POTLUCK Dinner North

Saturday, February 14, 6:15 pm
Healthy Living Center - 12399 W. Dixie Hwy., No Miami

Topic : "OurSacred Duty"

Interfaith, universalistic dialogue is based on the award winning documentary www.asacredduty.com by Lionel Friedberg. Our planet is imperiled by global warming and other environmental threats while civilized man suffers from numerous social, cultural and economic challenges that affect our quality of life.

Speaker: Rabbi Loring Frank -

'Deco Drive's Rabbi' and spiritual leader of All People's Synagogue, is an ethical vegetarian. His passion is for social justice, an eco-lifestyle and an intelligent approach to healing ourselves and our planet.

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7. JVNA Advisor To Speak About His Best Selling Book

The link to information about the Charles Patterson discussion of his book, "Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust" at the Mid-Manhattan Library in New York City March 11 at 6 p.m. is:

http://m1e.net/c?57891302-.o.Qv9ysfb.vQ%403952886-8t1qq5DYGtUWg

[For a review of the book and an interview of the author, please go to the book review section near the end at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz.]
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8. Preventing the Use of Dirty Tar Sands Oil

Forwarded message from JVNA advisor Arthur Poletti:

Dear friend,

I just sent a letter to President Obama and Prime Minister Harper urging them to take a stand against dirty Tar Sands oil, and I hope you'll join me. Oil from Canada's Tar Sands releases three times the global warming emissions of conventional oil, and it's the most environmentally destructive project on the planet. Please, send a letter to Obama and Harper today. Together, we can make a clean energy economy a reality.

I hope you'll sign on, too--it just takes a minute:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/281/t/8382/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=558

Arthur Poletti

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9. Can One Be a Conscientious Eater of Meat?

Forwarded article:

Is It Possible to Be a Conscientious Meat Eater?
By Sunaura Taylor and Alexander Taylor, AlterNet
Posted on February 18, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/127280/

You may have noticed an onslaught of articles recently on what is being coined as the "new meat movement." The most recent is an article in Newsweek, "Head To Hoof: A butcher helps lead a new carnivore movement."

These articles almost all support the idea that cruelty to animals is wrong and that factory-produced meat is unjustifiably bad for the environment. However, they are not opposed to meat in and of itself, they are simply opposed to industrial meat.

These "conscientious omnivores," believe it is possible, and preferable, to eat meat the old-fashioned way -- on small, sustainable and local farms, with farmers who love their animals and perhaps even have pet names for them.

The backlash against industrial meat has been brewing for many reasons. Ever-increasing knowledge of the industry's effect on the environment, human starvation and animal welfare, is making it harder for even the most ardent omnivore to consume meat without guilt.

The much-quoted report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, "Livestock's Long Shadow -- Environmental Issues and Options" (Nov. 29, 2006), did a lot to raise awareness about the animal industry's devastating effects on the planet and global warming.

More and more, people are also realizing the troubling connections between human starvation and eating animal products. It takes approximately 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat (thus feeding one or two people on meat versus approximately 16 people on grain). Much of this grain is grown in developing countries, where a large percentage of their land is used for cattle-raising for export to the United States, instead of being used to grow staple crops, which could feed local people directly. In a world where a child starves to death every 2 seconds, it seems impossible to justify such waste.

SNIP

Sunaura Taylor is an artist, writer and activist in Oakland, Calif. Alexander Taylor studies philosophy and ethics in Athens, Ga.

© 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/127280/

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10. Update on Environmental Podcasts

Forwarded message:

Dr. David Pimentel graciously gave a presentation and was interviewed by Louisa Dell'Amico on topics related to his paper: "Reducing Energy Inputs in the US Food System": http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html#re

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With regards to the Vegetarian Podcasts: International Languages area of the site there hasn't been anything new added but work is being done to possibly add links to Swedish Vegetarian Podcasts. Please if there areothers of you that speak various languages please help me: 1) find existing audio in that language and 2) if we can't find audio read existing material on vegetarianism in that language. Please pass the
word so we can get more languages represented.

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MORE HELP NEEDED: The VSSE podcast is truly a community effort. This is not about any one person or even a group of people but it is about The Animals and the Planet. If you have a clear reading voice please lend it to the project. I would like to add your voice to those voices already speaking out. Do not fear the need to come up with original material as I am over flowing with material already in print that needs to be put into audio format. Please join the choir. Here is a write up about ways you can participate: http://H2Opodcast.com/wtp.html

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MORE HELP NEEDED: If you know someone that calls them self or otherwise thinks of them self as an "ENVIRONMENTALIST" but they still eat meat the please consider doing this:

1) Listen to the podcasts
2) Pick one of the podcasts that might "ring true" to your "Environmentalist"
3) Burn a CD of that message and any others
4) Hand the CD to your friend or mail it with a note of the urgency of their need to hear this message with a request to hear their comments after listening
5) Repeat with someone else.

NoMeat@h2opodcast.com

Joseph Puentes
http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html (Vegan Environmental Solutions Podcast)
http://h2opodcast.com (Environmental Podcast)
http://h2opodcast.blogspot.com/ (Blog for above)
http://PleaseListenToYourMom.com (Women's Peace Podcast)
http://NuestraFamiliaUnida.com (Latin American History Podcast)
http://NuestrosRanchos.com (Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Aguascalientes Genealogy)

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11. Vegetarian Movie to Be Screened Widely in the U.S.

Forwarded message from producer Aaron Schreiber:

'A Delicate Balance -The Truth' is a succinct production featuring candid, heartfelt interviews with some of the world's leading experts (including mainstream researchers, doctors, nutritionists, cattle ranchers, environmentalists and politicians) from Harvard to Cornell to Tufts. A Delicate Balance was made in order to help reduce the unnecessary loss of human life, to reduce the suffering of animals across the planet and to help empower people to make environmental change.

There are many ways of reducing impact upon climate change. The film identifies the effects of animal agriculture upon the environment.

This Documentary will leave each person fully informed as to some of the causes these illnesses and offers ways of improving human health. This documentary predominantly explores the effects of animal protein on the human body and the environment.

Every person today has been touched or will be touched by the loss of a loved one to illness and premature death. In a time when modern medicine and science have made such enormous advancements, why is this so?

Screening Schedule so far:

* March 25: St Edward's University, Austin, TX
* April 2: University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
* April 14/15 (TBA): Princeton University, New Haven, NJ
* April 21, 22-23 (TBA): Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
* April 27: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
* April 30 (TBA): Harvard University MA
* May 8: Centre for Cancer Education, PA
* May 14: Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
* May 15-17: Wellness Conference, Columbus, OH


A Delicate Balance - The Truth Official http://www.adelicatebalance.com.au/

Aaron

Phoenix Philms
Watch Online Today! Also available on DVD
http://adelicatebalance.tv/
http://aaronscheibner.com/
sign up for our newsletter today! :)
http://adelicatebalance.com.au/lists/?p=subscribe

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12. Unique Environmental Program in Israel Scheduled

Forwarded message from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI)

Shalom!

As you may have heard, registration for the 2009 summer season of Taglit-Birthright Israel trips is about to begin.

This season, SPNI, Israel's leading environmental and nature preservation organization
has joined with with IsraelExperts, Israel's leading educational tour operator, to provide an amazing Taglit-Birthright Israel trip - Discover Israel Naturally. This trip will combine the best of both parent organizations:

SPNI - See the land of Israel in all its beauty. You will visit some of Israel's most amazing nature reserves, enjoy Bedouin hospitality in the Negev desert, swim in the cool waters of the Sea of Galilee and see the exotic and interesting Golan heights from a lookout on the peak of Mount Bental and learn how Israel deals with pollution and water shortage problems.

IsraelExperts - See the land of Israel with all its complex and varying conflicts and challenges. Learn about the tough questions without receiving simplistic answers. We will show you Israel through pluralistic eyes and provide a well rounded experience of this special country and its diverse people.

We have attached a sample itinerary of the trip to this email, so that you can check it out yourself and get a sense of what we're talking about. {For space reasons, only part of the itinerary is included in this JVNA newsletter. For further information, please use the contact information below.]

It's an amazing once in a lifetime experience and it's all for free!

Please pass this email along to anyone who you feel may be eligible for this wonderful gift (Jewish youth aged between 18 and 27 years of age and have never been to Israel on an organized peer trip). It is important to remind them that registration opens on the 19th of February at 9:00 AM EST, and seats are limited.

Click the links below for more information. [Please see the URLs below.]

Please contact IsraelExperts with any further questions or comments you may have.

Best regards,

IE Registration Team
SPNI&IsraelExperts
Taglit-Birthright Israel program
SPNI@IsraelExperts.com
http://taglit.israelexperts.com
http://teva.org.il/?CategoryID=849

Day 1

o Arrival. Arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport. You will be met and assisted through customs by IsraelExperts staff and will meet your Israeli tour guide and driver who will be with you throughout your tour.

o Orientation: Take some time to get to know your fellow participants, staff, and guide while preparing for the 10-day journey ahead of you.

o Take a walk along the beach at the ancient Roman city of Caesarea and tour the remnants of Herod's structures and amphitheatre

o Bike along Agmon HaHula (the Hula Lake) and observe the millions of birds who make a temporary home here en route from Europe to Africa during migration season. In the evening, participate in a barbeque replete with s'mores.

Day 2

o Travel to the former military outpost at Har Bental and take in a stunning 360 degree view of Israel and Syria.

o Learn about the history of Jewish peoplehood in the Golan Heights at Gamla, where the first Jewish city in the Golan area existed during the first century CE.

o Mifgash ("Encounter") Begins. Today you will be joined by 8 young Israelis who will be traveling with you for the next 5 days. You will have the privilege to explore Israel through their eyes (and they through yours) and to forge new and lasting friendships.

o Participate in a program at the Kinneret Cemetery on the shores of Kinneret Lake (the Sea of Galilee). Learn about the handful of young Jewish idealists who settled in the area in the early 20th century. Visit the sites of these early pioneers and poets and learn about the challenges they faced

o SPNI Kinneret Trail - 'green activity', hike around the Kinneret and learn about the struggle to keep the access to the Kinneret open to the public and the 'Surrounding Kinneret' campaign.

Day 3

o Explore Tzfat - the ancient and modern home of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Tour ancient synagogues and artists' square. Here you will meet with Avraham Lowenthal, a student of Kabbalah and artist who will share his art and his life story.

o Hike the Yehudia stream leading towards the sea of Galilee.

o Volunteer at a one of a kind Ecological green house in Ein Shemer.

o Drive to the center of Israel and arrive in Tel Aviv. Visit Independence Hall where David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel's Independence in 1948.

Day 4

o Visit Rabin Square ("Kikar Rabin" in Hebrew); a large public city square in central Tel Aviv. It is named after Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated at the conclusion of a massive peace rally held at the square on November 4, 1995.

o Engage in the “Changing Map of the Middle East” activity and discussion program, which focuses on the political and historical background that led to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and the current geo-political situation in the Middle East.

o Get to know your Mifgash soldiers by partaking in a special activity they have prepared for you.

o Night out at Tel Aviv + dinner.

Day 5

o Walk through Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood in south-west Tel Aviv. It was the first Jewish neighborhood to be built in Tel Aviv outside the walls of the ancient port of Jaffa. For years, the neighborhood prospered as Tel Aviv, the first modern Hebrew city, grew up around it. Today Neve Tzedek has become one of Tel Aviv's most fashionable and artsy districts

o Explore Jaffa, one of the world's ancient port. Modern Jaffa has a heterogeneous population Muslims, Christians and Jews.. Jaffa is a major tourist site with an exciting combination of old and new You may have time to explore the local flea market called Shuk Hapishpeshim for all kinds of hidden treasures (and delicious things to eat).

o A 'green activity': tour Hiria, a former waste collection site now in the process of becoming a national park. Learn about recycling trash into good green energy.

o Get a break taking view of Jerusalem from the lookout at Haas Promenade.

SNIP

Day 11

o Spend Shabbat relaxing with your group, exploring the Kibbutz and discussing the parshat hashavua (the weekly torah portion)

o Bring the experience to an end with a concluding banquet at Kibbutz Nachshon.

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13. Great Progress in Israel re Renewable Energy Projects

Solar Power, Wind Power and Spiritual Power Come Together at Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference in Southern Israel

Posted: 19 Feb 2009 01:31 PM PST

By Rabbi Julian Sinclair

Two things were clear from attending the International Renewable Energy Conference that took place in Eilat this week.

The first is that Israel is now a world leader in clean energy.

The second is that there is a small but growing group of players in the field who see this not just as a huge business opportunity, (though it certainly is that), but also as an ethical, or spiritual mission.

Israeli leadership in the field was manifested by a list of “firsts”, “biggest evers,” and breakthrough technologies that were heralded immediately before and during the conference. Brightsource-Luz2 announced that it had signed a contract with Southern California Edison to build the largest ever solar thermal generating field, which will produce 1.3 gigawatts in California.

The Arava Power Company went public on an agreement with the Israel Electricity Company that will enable it to build the world's largest Photovoltaic solar field on kibbutz-owned land in the Arava desert. The site will produce 80 MW of power, double the output of the current largest PV field in Germany.

Aora, a wind company announced revolutionary wind-hybrid technology. Dozens of other Israeli researchers and companies were showcasing cutting edge approaches to everything from green architecture to integrated waste recycling systems for Bedouin in the Negev.

Israeli green tech received ringing endorsements from some of the many overseas industry leaders in attendance. Dr. Ken Zweibel, author of the seminal Scientific American article, “The Grand Solar Plan,” set out a detailed blueprint for putting the US transportation system on a solar-powered electricity-run basis, acknowledging the role of Israel could play in moving towards such a system.

Nikolai Dobrott of the Apricum renewable energy consultancy in Germany's “solar valley” pointed out that foreign investor could tick pretty much all of the boxes that made Israel a great place for green energy development.

The thousand strong gathering was overwhelming business-based. I counted one pony tail and zero pairs of sandals among the attendees (and the temperature was well into the seventies.) Yet several said that the significance of Israeli green tech went well-beyond the undoubted opportunities for profit.

Hezi Kugler, Director General of Israel's Infrastructure Ministry was one such. He is a competent government bureaucrat who was recognized the importance of green energy for Israel and helped smooth the path to developing it. Kugler devoted a large part of his speech in Eilat to a sweeping biblical-historical vision of Israeli clean tech: “three thousand years ago near this place, Joshua entered Israel and the sun stood still so that the people could win a battle for the land. Today once again, with God's help, we are harnessing the sun so as to live in harmony with His Creation.”

Arnold Goldman, Founder of BrightSource-Luz2 is a scientist and entrepreneur who has recognized the ethical and spiritual dimensions of renewable energy since founding the first Luz solar thermal company in 1980. In his speech at the Eilat conference Goldman encapsulated his vision thus:

“We now need what I call “energy for life”… We must recognize the profound connections between the content of the fuel we use and the quality of the lives we lead. This is true in five areas, building energy independence, reducing climate change-causing CO2 emissions, creating local jobs, strengthening local economies, and reducing crippling balance of payments deficits. We urgently need to convince policy makers of this connection…. We must be the prophets of these new industries… May they help bring prosperity and peace for all peoples. L'Chaim! “To life!”

Yossi Abramowitz of the Arava Power Company has spoken of his dream that Israel will become a “renewable light to the nations.”

Each of these pioneers is starting to articulate their sense that the task of developing clean energy that can save the planet from ecological catastrophe is a mission worthy both of this critically challenging moment in history and of our highest vision and drive to do good in the world.

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14. NY Times Editorial on Global Warming Threats

Changing Climate Numbers

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/opinion/21sat3.html?ref=opinion

Published: February 20, 2009

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its fourth assessment report, summarizing evidence collected and weighed by scientists around the world. At the time, it was the best estimate of where the planet was, climatically speaking, and where it was likely to be going, and the news the report offered was daunting.

There was unequivocal evidence of a warming climate, with human activity the dominant cause. The panel warned that further warming could have devastating consequences for societies around the world, including rising seas and widespread drought.

The 2007 assessment established a base line of expectation, but it is already looking outdated. From all over the globe, in bits and pieces, data are accumulating that suggest we may have already left behind the world of possibilities portrayed in the panel's report. Sea ice has melted more quickly than expected. And, according to a recent report from the United States Geological Survey, sea levels in 2100 could increase by more than double the 1.5 feet rise projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (it chose not to add in water from eroding ice sheets because they remain poorly understood). Add to that the hard reality that carbon dioxide is a long-lived gas, and the picture of global warming is both volatile and forbidding.

The authors of the climate-change panel's report knew that events could overtake their findings. A fifth assessment is currently under way. And while the worldwide recession might provide a slight breather, population pressures and energy demands are likely to drive emissions inexorably higher without a major shift to new energy sources.

It is imperative, of course, that the Obama administration - and every other government around the world - keep abreast of the changing data. What is equally imperative is that the governments tailor any prescriptions to the possibility of more ominous news in the future.

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15. Farm Animal Rights Movement Schedules 2009 Meatout

If you're not already participating in Meatout 2009, get on board! We still need volunteers to help publicize the benefits of a compassionate, plant-based diet. This year's theme is "Change Your Diet - Change the World!"

Small or large, all outreach activities count. Events include leafleting, information tables, exhibits, food samplings, video screenings, walks, and more.

****** Visit www.Meatout.org for details. ******

Here are some important new updates:

FREE MATERIALS: Meatout Event Packs are ready to go! Register your plans with us at www.meatout.org/register to request a full Meatout Event Pack containing display materials and handouts.

NEW T-SHIRT: In honor of this year's theme, we've designed a brand new shirt. Sweatshop-free and organic, the shirt reads "Change Your Diet - Change the World - Live Vegan." Get yours today for $15 at the FARM store
(http://store.fastcommerce.com/home_FARMstore.html).

Supplies are limited!

FREE FOOD: Vegan food samples are now available for your outreach activities. Manufacturers include Turtle Island Foods (Tofurky), Sunergia Soyfoods, Soyatoo!, Veggie Brothers, Gardein, Primal Spirit Foods, Eat in the Raw, and Lumen Soy Foods. Supplies are limited Visit www.meatout.org/manufacturers.php

Thanks for your active compassion. I hope you can join us!

Jen Riley
Program Director
jen@meatout.org
800-MEATOUT

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