SYDNEY (AFP) – Red meat, eggs and Australia's favourite biscuit have been banned from Sydney council events under a new "cruelty free" food policy, a spokesman said Wednesday.
"The first sign of this crazy policy came to my attention when the Tim Tams disappeared from the council meeting," said conservative councillor Shayne Mallard.
"When I made inquiries the staff said 'oh no, we've taken Tim Tams out of council because the chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast where there's child labour issues'," he told AFP.
Under the new "sustainable, healthy and cruelty free" catering policy, Mallard said eggs and red meat were forbidden, threatening the great Australian tradition of the barbeque.
Fish was still on the menu, he said, but only species considered "appropriate for catching and consumption" by marine conservationists, while produce had to be grown in the Sydney area. read more
Even modest amounts of global warming could trigger a carbon "time bomb" and release massive amounts of greenhouse gases from frozen Arctic soils, a new study has warned.
Philippe Ciais, a researcher with the Laboratory for Climate Sciences and the Environment in Gif-sur-Yvette, France, told the Copenhagen Climate Congress that billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and methane could be freed by just a 2C average rise.
He said such a release of greenhouse gases could trigger an "explosive" reaction in the soil, with bacteria able to start decomposing giant stocks of frozen carbon. "You can call it a bacterial heat production effect if you are a pretentious scientist, or you can call it composting," he said.
Using computer models and measurements from Siberia, Ciais and his colleagues predicted a fifth of the carbon could be released by 2200, once soil temperatures reached about 8C higher than today's levels. A global average increase in air temperatures of 2C would mean significantly higher temperatures in the Arctic, and Ciais warned that a few unusually hot years could see soil temperatures reach the 8C threshhold.
He called for a global observation network to monitor permafrost, and said it was a "scandal" that there are only about 20 people measuring it worldwide.
This year, the world's first global election is taking place, an election between earth and global warming. It's not about what country you are from, but what planet you are from. Your light switch is your vote. We need one billion votes for earth, because our planet is worth saving. Vote Earth by simply switching off your lights for one hour and join the world for Earth Hour. Saturday march 28th, 8:30-9:30pm.
Mushrooms and green tea could be the simplest way for women to reduce their risk of breast cancer.
An Australian study has sought to determine the protective qualities of the traditional diet in China, where the incidence of the cancer is up to five times lower than in western countries.
Dr Min Zhang, of the University of Western Australia, looked at differences across the diets of more than 2000 Chinese women, half of whom had the cancer.
He found mushrooms were the key and eating as little as 10 grams, or less than one button mushroom, daily could protect against breast cancer.
Women who consumed the most fresh mushrooms were around two-thirds less likely to develop breast cancer, in comparison to those who did not consume mushrooms.
There was also reduced incidence of the cancer among women who drank green tea, according to the research published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Commenting on the research, WA-based dietician and healthy eating specialist Glenn Cardwell said it supported earlier studies which showed how natural compounds in mushrooms could inhibit breast cancer growth.
"While the researchers have stressed that this study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, the study has shown that it is biologically plausible for mushrooms and green tea to play a significant dietary role in reducing the risk of breast cancer," Mr Cardwell said.
Food writer Eddie Gehman Kohan has the scoop (or shall we say shovel) on the April issue of Oprah's Magazine interview featuring a cover-story interview with Michelle Obama revealing the exciting plans for a White House vegetable garden. But will this newest shovel-ready project from the Obama administration be an organic undertaking? The First Lady, now The First Locavore, chats with Oprah:
Michelle Obama: We're also working on a wonderful new garden project.
Oprah: Will kids get to visit the garden?
Michelle Obama: We want to use it as a point of education, to talk about health and how delicious it is to eat fresh food, and how you can take that food and make it part of a healthy diet. You know, the tomato that's from your garden tastes very different from one that isn't. And peas - what is it like to eat peas in season? So we want the White House to be a place of education and awareness. And hopefully kids will be interested because there are kids living here. (read more)
25 Million People Uprooted In 2007 Due To The Rising Seas . . .
As the climate continues to warm, entire islands are sinking below rising waters caused from melting glaciers. Mr. Achim Steiner - United Nations Under Secretary General & U.N. Environment Programme Executive Director. Indeed there are many island nations who are doomed already now, condemned if you want to disappear. Therefore there is no question that we have to act. And that is just the beginning of the visible impact of climate change. The invisible part, the bits that we have not necessarily understood that are happening around us are also on their way.
At Least 18 Islands Submerged Around The World:
• Lohachara, India 10,000 residents • Bedford, Kabasgadi and Suparibhanga islands near India 6,000 families • Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, USA 13 islands • Kiribati 3 atolls • Half of Bangladeshs Bhola Island permanently flooded 500,000
Islands Sinking Or At Risk From Rising Sea Levels - Over 40 Nations
There may be more islands, either uninhabited and/or not reported, that have submerged or are sinking due to climate change:
* Tuvalu 12,000 residents with no more fresh drinking water and vegetable plots have washed away * Ghoramara near India 2/3 submerged as of 2006 with 7,000 residents already relocated * Neighboring island of Sagar 250,000 residents also threatened * Some 50 other islands jeopardized in the India-Bangladesh Sundarbans, with a population of 2 million * Kutubdia in southeastern Bangladesh lost over 200,000 residents, with remaining 150,000 likely soon to depart * Maldives 369,000 residents in the Indian Ocean, whose president wants to relocate the entire country * Marshall Islands 60,000 residents * Kiribati 107,800 residents, approximately 30 islands submerging * Tonga 116,900 residents * Vanuatu 212,000 residents, some of whom have already been evacuated and coastal villages relocated * Solomon Islands 566,800 residents * Carteret Islands in Papua New Guinea 2,500 residents whose land no longer supports agriculture * Shishmaref in Alaska, USA 600 residents * Kivalini in Alaska, USA 400 residents * Over 2,000 other islands in Indonesia * Dubai 1.2 million residents in the United Arab Emirates considered at risk
The Age of Stupid is a 90-minute film about climate change, set in the future, which will have its world premiere in London on March 15th 2009 and then be released in UK cinemas on March 20th 2009, followed by other countries.Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father, Brassed Off) stars as a man living alone in the devasted world of 2055, looking back at "archive" footage from 2007 and asking: why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?
With global warming accelerating, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) researcher Dewi Fortuna Anwar has stated that the outermost islands of the nation are in great danger of being submerged due to rising sea levels. With a total of 17,504 islands, some of which are thought to have already been lost to the sea, it is anticipated that a one-meter rise in sea level would cause 2,000 islands to completely sink along with the disappearance of 405,000 hectares of coastal land.
Our sincere sympathies for those whose lives are impacted by the encroaching coastal waters of climate change. We pray that measures for sustainable living are adopted in nations worldwide for the renewed stability of all lives.
In December 2008, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke with our Association members about the international threat of sinking islands and other calamities linked to global warming. Supreme Master Ching Hai: We have already at least 18 islands already sink under the sea. Six meters under the sea already. And another 2000 are sinking or at risk of sinking. It's more or less like that. It will be many places. Earthquakes are everywhere now. Storm, flood everywhere, more than ever before. Every day you see on Supreme Master TV always something.People begin vegetarian a lot because they want to save the planet. And saving the planet means saving lives.
By: Jessica Vandelay According to a recent study by the American Dietetic Association, already a quarter of Americans fit the description of a flexitarian, eating meatless meals at least four days a week. A flexitarian diet is exactly what doctors, nutritionists, dieticians and public health advocates have been recommending for many years because the emphasis of the eating trend is on produce rather than protein consumption. Most flexitarians meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, whereas meat-eaters do not.
There are many reasons why people choose to be flexitarians rather than vegetarians. Some of the most popular reasons are social, pragmatic, cultural ore nutritional. Like most diets, there is a wide range in the circumstances of flexitarian dietary practices.
Futhermore, studies show that people who follow the flexitarian approach to eating generally weigh less and have lower rates of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and prostate and colon cancer.
Flexitarian diets, just like vegetarian diets can meet all the recommendations for nutrients. The key, as in any diet, is to consume a variety of foods and the right amount of those foods to meet your calorie needs. Nutrients that flexatarians may need to focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12. You should consult the food pyramid for the correct amount of calories for your age group, height and weight.
Flexetarians can get enough protein as long as the variety and amounts of foods selected are adequate. Protein sources from the Meat and Beans group for vegetarians include beans, nuts, nut butters, peas, and soy products like tofu, tempeh and veggie burgers.
There are many resources for people considering vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyles, especially in cooking and food magazines. Among the top food magazines is Vegetarian Times magazine. Vegetarian Times magazine is published nine times a year and provides readers with information, news and trends on the forefront of the vegetarian-eating movement. The magazine also provides delicious recipes, wellness tips, environmentally-friendly lifestyle solutions and health and nutrition advice from nutritionists and doctors.
Other food magazine with plenty of vegetarian and flexitarian recipes and meal-planning ideas are Cooking Light, Gourmet, Cook's Illustrated, Bon Appetit and Food and Wine. These magazines also offer advice and lists on which chain and local restaurants best accommodate vegetarian diners and modifications to menu items by providing meatless alternatives. The magazines also provide readers with which cuisines, like Indian and Chinese, are most vegetarian-friendly. (read more)
Australia's Great Barrier Reef, listed as a World Heritage Area in 1981 for its exceptional natural beauty and qualities, extends for over 2,000 km along the northeast coast of the continent and covers 35 million hectares; about the size of Italy. It is also the largest protected marine ecosystem in the world.
Internationally renowned for its size, beauty and biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef is comprised of a network of almost 3,000 reefs formed from over 360 species of hard coral. Home to thousands of species, they provide complex habitats that support a great variety of reef-associated flora and fauna.
The impact of climate change on coral reefs is a major concern from both the Australian and international perspectives. Two of the reef's main research, protection and management bodies: the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority are implementing strategies to deal with the global warming effects. However, they realize if key issues are not immediately addressed, the consequences for Australia's coral reefs could be devastating despite their safeguarding efforts.
Scientifically documented data from all around the world directly link the rise of sea water temperatures to the bleaching of coral reefs, known as "coral bleaching events." Although the well-managed and protected networks of reefs can endure much of the localized human pressures, they are not protected against global warming or changes in the ocean's chemistry. As global temperatures continue to escalate, the frequency of these bleaching events also increases.
Dr. Janice Lough, Principal Research Scientist and leader of the Responding to Climate Change Team at AIMS, has been studying the impacts of climate change on coral reef systems for several years. In a recent interview, Dr. Lough explained how the corals form special symbiosis relationships with little algae, from which massive calcium carbonate skeletons are created, forming the backbone of the reef. "And it's actually these algae, the photosynthetic pigments in those little plants, that give corals their colors." However, the corals are very sensitive and when they become stressed, for instance, through rising water temperatures, they throw out the algae and the tissue layers become transparent so the corals lose their beautiful coloring. It's referred to as bleaching because instead of the colorful corals, all that's left are the white skeletons. Dr. Lough further explained that, "As a consequence of coral bleaching, there are various outcomes. The coral might recover once the stress has disappeared, it might partially die, or it can die completely."
In recent years, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced major bleaching events. In 1998 and in 2002, about 50% of the reef was affected, and again in the southern part of the reef in 2006. Fortunately, the reef is a well-protected system; so the chances of corals recovering from bleaching events are very high. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority Park monitors, controls and insures good usage of the reef. However, in order to protect it from further bleaching events, we need to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the sea water temperatures from increasing any further.
The Great Barrier Reef is also at the mercy of changes in ocean chemistry, where the oceans are becoming more acidic due to their absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide. These changes are also detrimental to our coral reefs because ocean acidification weakens their structures, creating more problems for the reef ecosystem. Many marine organisms use calcium and carbonate ions from seawater to produce calcium carbonate, which is how the corals form their skeletons. Increased carbon dioxide in the oceans decreases the availability of carbonate ions, thus reducing the ability of marine organisms to form skeletons and shells – the very backbone of a coral reef. This is a very serious threat because weaker reef structures means slower growth and reduced resilience to the natural forces of erosion, leading to a slower recovery of coral, if at all, after a bleaching event.
Allowing the Great Barrier Reef to disintegrate due to human-induced climate change would be a terrible loss because the world would be losing something incredibly beautiful. Actually, the coral reef is not just a bunch of corals; it's comprised of a whole stream of other organisms that depend on the coral, including fish and turtles and other marine life. Furthermore, coastal areas such as mangroves, wetlands, estuaries and sea grass beds are intimately linked to the reef, so we would be losing an entire ecosystem!
Under the current global climatic changes, coral reefs may not entirely disappear. However, their appearance, structure and community make-up have been changing drastically; so if we continue to allow our greenhouse gas emissions to rise without conscience, we humans will be the source of destruction of such an astounding ecological unit. This is why urgent greenhouse gas mitigation strategies are necessary to prevent any further damage and alterations to the coral reef environment. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is encouraging the general public to: plant more trees, use sustainable energy, choose energy efficient products, drive less, car pool, use public transport, walk or cycle, spread the word to others, and offset or neutralize our greenhouse gas emissions any way we can. Further to these, by adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet we will considerably reduce our emissions, helping to save one of the most beautiful and unique marine ecosystems in the world – the Great Barrier Reef.
