DO YOU THINK I’M STARVING?

Many people believe that a vegan diet limits you to eating a nutritious and balanced meals.  That is simply NOT true.  You do not have to eat meat or dairy in order to receive proper nutrients – despite what “experts” say.  The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has recently indicated that meat causes cancer, something many vegans, holistic health-care practitioners and doctors already knew.

Today’s blog IS NOT about proving the above claims as I don’t require the proof as what I eat and the state of my health is proof enough.  So, what do I eat??  Here are some of the many vegan dishes I have made and eat regularly:

Tofu scramble, baked home-fries, meatless sausage, toast and beans in a tomato sauce make for a delicious and hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This is a vegan version of an egg salad sandwich.  It includes seasoned tofu, vegan mayo, celery and green onion.

Breakfast could not be more delicious with a serving of vegan pancakes topped with maple syrup and fresh and organic strawberries.

How can you make a vegan pizza??  Easy – this pizza was made with quinoa balls, green olives, tomato, dairy-free cheese and tomato sauce.  The crust is a whole-grain crust.

I love experimenting with salads.  This is a lightly fried tofu and garden salad.  I add a combination of mixed greens, carrots and cucumber.  For the dressing – it’s either a home-made oil and vinegar or I buy an organic vinaigrette dressing.  I also add hemp, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

This is a seasoned tofu stir fry – I make sure only to use NON-GMO and organic tofu.  I also use a salt-free stir fry sauce if I don’t make my own.

Another mixed green salad – this one includes avocados and beans.

Meatless ‘loaf’ with some baked potatoes and seasoned peas.

Oven roasted tofu with mash and seasoned roasted vegetables.  Great substitute for turkey during the holidays.  The key is knowing how to season it.

Seasoned tofu steaks, lemon-ginger brocoli and carrots.

A mixed bean salad with meatless ‘italian sausage’.

Mixed vegetable salad with rice and breaded and meatless ‘chicken’.

I sometimes drink a vegan wine and prefer Yellow Tale from Australia.  I occasionally have coffee and only drink it with either soy or almond milk.  I rarely have any white pasta or rice – the rice is usually whole grain and the pasta either kamut, rice or quinoa.

My decision to become first vegetarian then vegan was mainly due to my spouse’s decision to go vegetarian.  I later became vegan after watching a video of rabbits screaming in pain – it changed my life.  At that moment, I decided that I could no longer support an industry that caused animals so much pain and suffering.  I later concluded that by not eating these tortured souls that I wouldn’t be consuming the pain and suffering those animals endured.  I really am conscious of what I buy and what companies make an effort to support a cruelty-free life for animals.

Along with the ethical reasons I became vegan – I wanted to make a difference in curbing climate change.  Agriculture and raising beef for food is the biggest culprit in climate change.  Cattle ranching is a huge cause in deforestation across the planet – and this is the tip of the iceberg (pardon the pun).  You can find proof of the effects cattle ranching has on our environment by visiting any of the following sites:

http://www.350.org

http://www.peta.org

http://www.greenpeace.ca

We all have a responsibility to end cruelty against one another, including the animals we share the planet with.  We also have a responsibility to the planet that has given us so much.  We need to focus on healing it and ensuring the children of tomorrow have the right to clean water, clean air and clean food.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

HERE IS WHAT LOVE and PASSION LOOK LIKE

I believe that our LOVE for the environment and our planet should be a real indication for our governments to lead the way to more sustainable and renewable energy sources.  Climate change is happening and REAL action is needed by our governments. If there was any time in history for a shift to happen in order to create positive change in the world – it is NOW.

Corrupt governments are afraid of environmental activists.  They brand them ‘hippies’ and ‘terrorists’, as a matter-of-fact, many governments want to ensure that any individual or group that speaks out or protests for environmental issues, against pipelines, fracking or oil drilling, be put in jail because it is a form of environmental terrorism.  Canada is proposing a bill (C-51) that would do just that.  Legislation like this says much about a government.  It would rather support the big oil tycoons in potentially creating environmental disasters versus protecting our forests, rivers, lakes and oceans. 

It is time for a new generation – time for governments to listen to people who don’t care about creating more wealth for those that have enough.  People want to focus on social issues, environmental issues and issues that would be inclusive to all and not just a few.  This generation that I am talking about is our future and they won’t have much of a future if governments don’t listen to the issues they care for the most like, the environment, affordable education, proper health care, a new economy plan that revolves around sustainable and renewable energy and not getting involved or starting wars.  We clearly see that the “old ways” don’t work.  Bailing out banks and the auto sector didn’t work, there is still much corruption in Wall Street and other financial centres around the world.  It’s time for new ideas that will not support and allow corporate greed to continue.  We need a more holistic and grass-roots movement to politics and it has to begin with all of us.

Here are photo examples of how many of us in the world want to create positive change in government politics, social issues, the environment, income inequality and human rights:

        

March against MONSANTO – Vancouver, Canada May 25, 2013.

People’s CLIMATE MARCH – New York City, USA April 2014 ***The largest environmental march ever with an estimated 400,000 in attendance.

Women’s Rights March – Washington D.C., USA 2009 ***marching against George W. Bush policies regarding women’s reproductive rights, including abortion.

ANIMAL RIGHTS MARCH – Istanbul, Turkey 2014 ***marching for the protection of animals.

CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH – Washington D.C., USA 1963 ***marching for equality of black people during the civil rights movement in America. 

NO Keystone XL Pipeline MARCH – Washington D.C., USA ***marching for the eradication of the Keystone XL Pipeline bringing dirty oil from the Alberta Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada to the USA.

AUSTERITY MARCH – Montreal Quebec, CANADA 2015 ***Students protesting government cuts.

Governments DO NOT want peaceful protests to happen because they want to keep people distracted from the issues that matter – ENVIRONMENT, INCOME INEQUALITY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, ANIMAL PROTECTION, CIVIL RIGHTS and any other rights that would not oppress people. 

The corrupt didn’t realize that more and more of us DO NOT want to be distracted anymore.  We want to hold our governments and big corporations accountable for their corruption.  We want governments to do the jobs they were elected for – not for the corporations but, for the people who elected them.  It’s time for a revolution of love.  It’s time for REAL change.  It’s time to have your voices heard.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

LOVE can CONQUER GREED and CAPITALISM!

Many of us tend to overuse the word love even when we don’t really mean it.  Think about the many times throughout the day that you say, “I love (fill in the blank)”  We love clothing, cars, televisions, television programs, songs, artists, art, houses, boats and other material possessions.  These material possessions provide a temporary form of love and gratification that is somewhat meaningless.  These possessions are reason that there is a widening income inequality gap between the masses.  Is that really love?

Why are so many of us so preoccupied with wanting and needing instead of helping and giving?  We are all so conditioned to follow – get an education (if you can afford it), find a life partner, get married, have children, buy a big house (beyond your means and necessity), buy a car (or two, or three), buy a vacation property, save for your future/retirement, save for your children’s education and then die.  I understand the desire to want the best for yourself and your family – but so many people have become desensitized to the realities of our world, so many just don’t care about the wellness of others and will only act out of greed and their desire to want more material possessions, money and wealth.

Capitalism – an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Corporations are nothing without the consumer.  We are all contributors to all the issues the world faces today.  People are so concerned with status and having the latest gadgets, the biggest houses, and the best cars that our planet and our humanity is paying the price for.  All of these gadgets and our demand for product is taxing the earth’s natural resources.  Corporations don’t want you to see the negative impact YOUR demand is having on the planet and the people who create these materialistic things.  Is the destruction of our planet worth the price the planet has to pay for the next iPhone or iMac – aren’t these products already doing what they are supposed to do?  Why do we need the latest version(s)?  It’s simple – to make outstanding profits for shareholders and CEO’s.  Household appliances, cars, televisions and many other products are produced to have short ‘life’ expectancies because they want to ensure people continue to buy.  Shouldn’t a car be made to last 15 to 20 years instead of 5 to 7?  Why must a new model entice us every year?  To ensure wealth for the auto industry CEO’s and shareholders.

Personally, our society today makes my head spin.  I am astounded at how many of us are distracted by the greed or corporations and how they buy politicians in order to sustain their wealth and to dictate legislation.  It shouldn’t be the BIG oil companies, auto industry or pharmaceutical companies that dictate what we should do or what we should think.  We know that drilling for oil in the Arctic would wreak havoc in that area should their be an oil spill (and there will be).  We know that fracking (the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas) takes 1 to 8 millions gallons of water to complete each fracturing while there is a shortage of water globally.

http://www.dangersoffracking.com

We must review our priorities and we must curb our need to want and need.  Future generations will pay for the decisions we make today.  Do we not love the planet enough in order to make the hard decisions today in order to save our planet and future generations?

I love my mother – I love her tremendously.  She is my hero.  She provided love and nurturing that made me the man I am today.  Shouldn’t our greatest love be the mother of us all?  Our mother – EARTH,  she cares for us and she provides us the breath of life, the food we eat and the water we drink and how do we show our gratitude?  We pollute her waters, poison her soil and cut her forests down in an alarming rate in order to build bigger houses for people who are slaves to the corporate world.

Let your love for life be the catalyst for positive change in the world.  Make conscious choices in what you buy, who you buy it from and what type of impact it will have on our planet.  Ask your government for renewable and sustainable energy options for our homes and our cars.  Support companies that plant trees instead of removing them.  Support housing developers that don’t clearcut in order to build their sites and use sustainable materials.  Eat vegan/vegetarian meals as often as you can.  Sign petitions to stop BIG OIL companies from drilling in eco-sensitive areas in the world such as the Arctic.  Don’t contribute to landfills by buying things you don’t need.  Support auto companies that are making commitments to build cars that use clean energy sources.  Show the planet your love and make a difference for good.

Some resources to create positive change:

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

https://www.worldwildlife.org

http://www.peta.org

http://350.org

http://www.davidsuzuki.org

http://climaterealityproject.org

http://citizensclimatelobby.org

LOVE OUR MOTHER

Images from the internet.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

RENEWABLE ENERGY REVOLUTION NOW!

The oceans are getting warmer, there are many more droughts and ‘super’ storms happening around the world.  Water and food shortages are becoming realities in many parts of the world.  Brazil is considering cancelling their Carnival celebrations due to the worst drought conditions that country has ever seen.  What is happening?  Could 95% of environmental scientists be right?  Could the Pentagon be right, when they indicated that climate change is the current biggest threat to humanity?  

The Pentagon released a report in October of 2014 indicating that climate change poses an immediate threat to national security, with increased risks from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty and food shortages. It also predicted rising demand for military disaster responses as extreme weather creates more global humanitarian crises. 

Chuck Hagel, US Defense Secretary, addressed key issues from their report, here are some of his quotes:

“The loss of glaciers will strain water supplies in several areas of our hemisphere.” 

“Destruction and devastation from hurricanes can sow the seeds for instability. Droughts and crop failures can leave millions of people without any lifeline, and trigger waves of mass migration.”

“We should worry about climate change like we worry about ISIS.”

You can read more about the report here:  http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123393

The climate change deniers feel there is not enough proof in order for governments to act on this initiative.  Here are some of the things people are saying:

“This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop.  Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice” – Donald Trump (tweet) @realDonaldTrump January 2, 2014.

“Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you’ve got more carbon dioxide.” – Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-OH)

“The ice caps are melting, which we see over and over again.  Yeah, they’re melting on Mars, too!” – Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)

“The government can’t change the weather.” – Senator, Marco Rubio (R-FL) 

“All voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.” – Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

If this is how our politicians are treating climate change – what hope do we have?  Here are what some authorities on climate change are saying and doing:

GREENPEACE

Greenpeace has listed some very interesting and positive statistics and facts surrounding renewable energies, here is that list:

• Europe decommissioned more coal, fuel oil and nuclear capacity than it installed in 2009.
• Solar energy is now working at night on a commercial-scale.  A plant in Spain has seven hours of heat storage.
• In the space of just 5 years, Portugal’s electric grid leapt from 15% to 45% renewables.
• Price Waterhouse Cooper says Europe and North Africa could now run on 100% renewable energy by 2050.
• Subsidies to fossil fuels worldwide outweigh renewable energy support by a ratio of 12:1.
• West Virginia could replace all its electrical capacity with just 2% of its geothermal power potential.
• Solar photovoltaic could account for 5% of global power demand by 2020, and up to 9% by 2030.
• Iceland’s power supply went from 75% imported coal to more than 80% local geothermal and hydro in 30 years.
• China built (roughly) one windmill an hour in 2009.
• Our energy needs can be met by 95% renewable energy by 2050

*The above can be found on the following:  www.greenpeace.org

350.org

350.org is a group of individuals that have come together to demand environmental action.  What is the significance of the number 350?

“If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from [current levels] to at most 350 ppm.” – Dr. James Hansen

Our current levels are at 400 ppm.

Here is a paragraph from 350.org:

Independent studies show that in the United States a sustained investment of public and private dollars in clean energy would generate 1.7 million new jobs in industries like construction for making homes and office buildings more efficient with new windows, lighting and cooling systems – and in manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles.

Some of 350.org’s projects and campaigns include; Global Divestment Day, Start a Climate Petition and Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline.

For more information, receive updates, donate, or get involved – please visit www.350.org – Get the facts!

The David Suzuki Foundation

David Suzuki has been a defender of the planet, our environment and world reknowned scientist.  Here are a few points from their Energy Overview blog post regarding renewable energy and the potential Canada has in becoming a world leader in renewable and sustainable energies:

Wind and solar are the fastest growing sources of energy in the world.  These low-polluting energy industries are creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs in countries as diverse as Germany and China.  In fact, the renewable-energy sector generates more jobs per megawatt of power installed, per unit of energy produced, and per dollar of investment than the fossil fuel-based sector.

Canada, the second largest country in the world by area, is richly endowed with renewable energy, including wind, solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal and marine (e.g. tidal, wave energy) sources.  With the right policies, Canada can use renewable energy to satisfy its energy needs and become a world leader in sustainable technologies.

Some of the current projects of the David Suzuki Foundation include; Race to the Top and Trottier Energy Futures Project.

For more information about the David Suzuki Foundation – please visit, www.davidsuzuki.org

Canada will have a federal election in October of 2015.  Canada must elect a government and Prime Minister who speaks to a new generation of individuals who are concerned about our land, lakes, rivers, parks, forests and the environment in general.  We need to elect a leader who wants to show that world that Canada can be a leader in renewable and sustainable energies, growing the economy with green jobs and building a better and cleaner Canada.  We must vote for new priorities and government policies that create a better Canada and a better world.

The fossil fuel sector/industry realizes that a revolution for a better and sustainable future is gaining momentum and will do anything to ensure their profits remain intact.  Governments shouldn’t answer to big conglomerates that only want to maximize their profits.  Government officials should not be bought in order to pass legislation that would only be in the best interests of the fossil fuel conglomerates.

It is time for a new world order – but not a world order that is driven by profits and instilling fear into their citizens.  It’s time for the grass roots movement to grow into a revolution – and it will, with organizations like Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation and 350.org.

Resources:

1. www.greenpeace.org
2. www.davidsuzuki.org
3. www.350.org
4. www.skepticalscience.com
5. www.defense.gov

Together, we can make the world a more positive one! 

SOLDIER OF LOVE

What is a soldier of love?  When we think of soldiers we think of men and women going off to fight for freedom, democracy and to stand up and liberate those who can’t stand up for themselves.  Mostly, we think of soldiers in an almost negative way – death, dying, fighting, conflict and blood.  That is not the soldier I want to talk about.

The soldier that I want to talk about is one that is passionate and committed to creating positive change into our world.  An advocate for love, for compassion – someone who acts with kindness and without judgment.  This type of soldier will do anything for their significant other, they love life, the environment and fight for a cause that does not create conflict but rather diffuse it.  A soldier who will resolve to protect the living  – whether that is man or animal, without raising a gun.

I believe that most countries engage in conflicts that are in the best interests of corporations who are bought and paid for by our governments.  I don’t want to see more soldiers dying for wars that have no positive resolution for the country they are trying to liberate or for our world.  Maybe it is time to let countries fight their own battles?  Needless to say – I do have the out most respect for those men and women who offer their lives to insure we have the freedoms we do today but I am in no way and advocate for violence and war.

I am a soldier of love – and I want to recruit more soldiers.  Soldiers who will not engage in violence and only promote wellness, peace, love and positivity throughout the world.  I want a REVOLUTION OF LOVE – a revolution that will not think in the mindset of yesterday and deal with issues that matter for today’s generation and the generations to come.  We need a new world community that will not wait for governments to act to create positive change but will evoke that change themselves.  We will peacefully demonstrate and advocate for policies and change that will make our world a better place – for the people and not for greedy corporations.  This revolution will fight for the protection of our planet – clean water, clean air, natural and nutritional foods that are not genetically modified or coated with pesticides.  We will fight to free animals in distress that only know a life of cruelty and violence.  We will protect environmentally fragile spaces – the Amazon, the Arctic, the Great Barrier Reef and so many other places around the world that are almost at the point of no return.

The REVOLUTION OF LOVE will not raise a gun but we shall raise our voices for the only thing that matters – THE PLANET because without it, there is nothing else.

How can you become a soldier of love and join this revolution?  Here are several suggestions:

• Join or donate to Greenpeace – defenders of our planet against corporate and government greed.  www.greenpeace.org
• Join or donate to the protectors of our environment such as the World Wildlife Fund or the David Suzuki Foundation.  www.wwf.ca (Canada) or www.wwf.org (international) www.davidsuzuki.org
• Ask companies, churches, financial institutions to divest from ‘dirty oil’ – Get more information at:  www.350.org
• Contact your member of parliament and ask them how they have advocated and instilled policies to protect our environment.  How are they promoting renewable and sustainable energy?  Are they on the side of companies that continue to deplete the earth’s natural resources or are they promoting solar, wind and other cleaner resources?  If not – DON’T GIVE THEM YOUR VOTE!
• Educate yourself on climate change – get the facts from reliable sources not corporate media (Greenpeace, WWF, 350.org, PETA and the David Suzuki foundation)
• Get real news and not the corporate sponsored (and censored) news from Fox, NBC, CBC, ABC and CNN – check out www.projectcensored.org or www.jessieventura.com or check out the YouTube channel – Breaking The Set.
• Understand how raising cattle and eating meat impacts global change by getting the facts via www.peta.org
• Educate, educate, education yourself about climate change:  http://know.climateofconcern.org/index.php

Are you ready to become a soldier of love? 

Together we can make the world a more positive one!

GET UP STAND UP – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

There are so many people who want to be conduits for positive change in the world – some are still with us and some have been long gone, people like:  Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, Ingrid Newkirk, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. John F. Kennedy, Bill McKibben….I could name thousands that have been extensively profiled in the media but the people who are most important in creating positive change in the world are those that act.

Change can’t happen if people do not get involved.  The worldwide Occupy movements have caused a new protest movement against BIG CORPORATION and Government that we haven’t seen since the 60’s.  These Occupy movements possibly sparked mass protests worldwide such as the uprising against President Mubarak in Egypt, the protests against Monsanto, the mass demonstrations against the KXL Pipeline and so on.

If we are to live in a society where we hold freedom, democracy and justice for all – we must RISE UP against those who wish to take those privileges away from us and that means holding BIG CORPORATIONS, Governments and dictators accountable for their actions.  We have seen peaceful protests around the world become violent not because of the protesters but because of the police that are acting on behalf of the government.  There have been media blackouts so that others around the world don’t see the mass protests against their countries governments.  Countries around the world are being held hostage by their own governments and corporations all because of greed.  Why are we allowing these governments and corporations to destroy our world?  Why are we allowing countries to go hungry?  Why are we allowing banks to ‘pay off’ government officials and putting the world in a massive financial crisis only to watch our governments reward them?

It’s time to get up and stand up and we must not give up the fight…..(thanks Peter Tosh and Bob Marley for making it so simple).  When are you going to “get up and stand up” – What is it going to take for you to create positive change in our world?

TURKEY – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

DEMONSTRATORS FOR THE EARTH – against the Keystone Pipeline, Drilling in the Arctic, Deforestation in world forests, etc…. – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

THOSE FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

AGAINST CORRUPT RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS/GOVERNMENTS/BIG CORPORATION – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Preacher man, don’t tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don’t know
What life is really worth.
It’s not all that glitters is gold;
‘Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great god will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah! )
Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Don’t give up the fight! (life is your right! )
Get up, stand up! (so we can’t give up the fight! )
Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord! )
Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on! )
Don’t give up the fight! (yeah! )

We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game –
Dyin’ ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty god is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can’t fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! )

So you better:
Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up! )
Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights! )
Get up, stand up!
Don’t give up the fight! (don’t give it up, don’t give it up! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (… )
Don’t give up the fight! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (… )
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don’t give up the fight! /fadeout/

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A MORE POSITIVE ONE!

MY CHOICE NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN

I have been asked by friends and family why Jason and I don’t adopt children.  We’ve been told that we would be great parents and that we have so much love to offer a child.  The issue for Jason and I having a child is not about how much love we have to give because between the both of us, there would be plenty.  Our concern is more about whether or not we are financially stable to ensure that (if we had a child) they would have everything they need.  Jason and I have discussed the possibility of a child – the discussion was short and both of us agreed that having a child didn’t make sense for us.

Recently – I made the following statement on my Facebook page:

What would happen if we taxed families for how many children they had?  I don’t have any so why are my taxes the same as those who do?  Thoughts? To elaborate – think about the environmental impact a family that consists of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 children – diapers, meat consumption (let’s get real, most people eat meat and that has a huge environmental impact), carbon footprint etc….much more than me, my partner and small dog.  Food for thought.

Let me just say that I am not anti-family or for people having children….I just want people to be more present in the choices that they make and what implications they may have on the planet as a whole.  Let’s be real – most people DO NOT think beyond what they can see.  How many of us really think about the amount of garbage that we are contributing to landfills everyday or what the environmental implications of meat consumption are?  Most of us don’t care about these things because we don’t see the outcome.  We don’t live in the slums of India or Brazil and are not faced with the poverty and starvation that so many millions face on a daily basis. 

What are people’s motives for having children today?  Is it because they can?  Do they feel morally obligated to do so or is it to continue their family name?  Whatever the reason – I don’t believe people are putting much thought into their decision to have a child.  How many times have you heard this:  “We didn’t mean to have a baby, it just happened”  or “He/she was an accident”………obviously not much thought was given about what could possible happen after having unprotected sex.

I am not complaining about paying taxes – I agree that our government should use our taxes to offer welfare or social services to those who are in need of them.  Now consider this – a family of six may require more space, produce more garbage, drive more, etc….while someone who chooses to be single doesn’t require as much – shouldn’t that single person deserve more of a tax-break due to the reduced carbon footprint?  We are living in a time when scientists are saying that we will require 7 more earth’s to accommodate humanity’s current dependency on fossil fuels and lifestyle, so why isn’t that message getting across?  Why wouldn’t people make more of a conscious effort in their decision to have children.  If our planet will not be able to accommodate us – where will all these people go?  I hear they are building colonies on the moon or even Mars – is that even a reality for families that can’t even pay to put food on the table?

My original Facebook statement wasn’t meant to upset anyone – it was meant to provoke thought and debate.  It was meant to make each of us look at ourselves and really think about the implications of the choices we make.  We have to stop being distracted by the promises of BIG CORPORATIONS.  We have to wake-up from the dreams the pharmaceutical companies promise and we have to take off the blinders to ensure we are present and are making the choices we want to make and not what the food, government and automobile industries tell us we should be making.  When we remove those distractions, maybe bringing a child into this harsh reality isn’t as easy to make as it was prior to all the distractions.

For more information about over population, please visit:  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/overpopulation/effect.html or http://www.naturalnews.com/039490_overpopulation_myth_ecological_footprint_population_collapse.html

To review the environmental implications of meat consumption, please visit:  http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/beef/environmental_impacts/ or http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/agriculture/2013/Ecological-Livestock.pdf

For more information on the current state of our environment, please visit:  http://350.org/ or http://www.davidsuzuki.org/

Knowledge is power!

Together, we can make the world a more positive one! 

 

IS THE PLANET TAKING ITS LAST BREATH?

Let me tell you what I am not……I’m not a scientist, physicist, a climatologist, or an expert on environmental issues.  I like to weigh the pros and the cons of any situation and do enjoy a good debate.  In terms of the planet and our environment – there is no need for debate.  Scientists have been warning us that if humanity continues to rely on fossil fuels and dirty oil instead of thinking about sustainable energy, we would cause a shift in climate change that would have a devastating effect on our planet and humanity forever. 

I am 44 years old and I have always had a love for nature and our environment.  As a teenager, the extent of my environmental activism was wearing t-shirts about saving the planet and protecting our forests.  At that time (nearly 30 years ago) I didn’t understand the severity humanity’s actions would have on the planet – whose fault is that?  I don’t know.  Should I have taken more of an interest, should our government and politicians taken this issue more seriously, should we have relied on the educational system to put emphasis on environmental issues?  Scientists warned us over 25 years ago that our dependency on fossil fuels would have a devastating effect on our climate but the urgency of their message was ignored and now we are in a ‘do or die’ situation and we must get involved.

So many of us fear the knowledge of climate change and don’t want to disrupt their lives with this knowledge.  Many people think “what’s the point, there’s nothing I can do about it now”.  Thoughts like this are so dangerous because when we close ourselves off from the reality of what is happening – we close ourselves off to potentially finding the solutions to those same issues.  If and when we understand the severity of the problem and what the problem may cause in the very near future – shouldn’t that knowledge engage people to seek the solutions to those problems?  I understand life is very difficult enough and that we have our own personal problems….we think – “let’s rely on the experts to fix this”.  Well, experts need the support of the masses to challenge those who don’t believe there is an issue and only care about profit margins.

Here are some interesting statistics:

• NASA completed a study to find out how much carbon in the atmosphere is too much – they indicated 350 ppm (parts per million).  In 2012, readings of carbon in the atmosphere were 395 ppm
• Arctic ice shield has been reduced by more than 50%
• Oceans are 30% more acidic than they were over 30 years ago
• Fossil fuel industry is allowed to pollute our environment without financial repercussions  
• Top 5 oil companies (Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips) had record profits in 2011 – over $130 billion dollars or $375 million dollars/day
• Top 5 oil companies received $6.6 million/day in federal tax breaks
• Top 5 oil companies spend $444,000 thousand dollars/day lobbying congress
• Rex Tillerson CEO, Exxon made $100,000/day

Here are some key issues from the WMO’s (World Meteorological Organization) 2012 Climate Statement summary:

• 2012 in the top 10 warmest years ever on record
• Above average temperatures were observed in most of the globe’s surface area
• Greenland ice sheet had the largest melt since satellite records began 34 years ago

What can we do?  Call your legislator’s and ask them to support sustainable energy.  Demand high performance/affordable electric cars.  Join a global movement and help them take the fight to parliament.  It is our obligation to do whatever we can to save our planet but we must act now.

Here are some great links to connect you to a global community of environmental activism:

DO THE MATH – YouTube video

http://350.org/

http://wwf.org/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/

A detailed version of The Statement on the Status of the Global Climate 2012 report summary and additional information about The World Meteorological Organization can be found at:  http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_972_en.html

If we all work collectively – we can ensure that this planet will never take its last breath.  We may not be able to stop climate change but we can make changes today that will be positive for our environment, animals and for humanity tomorrow.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

ACT NOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET.

Please take off the blinders and ACT NOW to save our environment, planet and humanity!  We must stop saying that we can’t take on the big oil corporations like Exxon, BP and Shell – but WE CAN!  Scientists have indicated that we must drastically cut our dependency on fossil fuels and we must do so in the next 5 years. 

Please watch and share this video with everyone you know….we all have an obligation to the planet to ask our government and oil companies to invest in sustainable energy that will SAVE OUR PLANET…..

This video shows us exactly what we can do to create positive and effective change in the world.  It is time to show the BIG OIL companies that we can hurt them were it counts – their bottom line.

For more information and to advocate for the planet on a grass-roots movement….please join http://350.org/

Together, we can make the world a more positive one.