I did not any plans for the earth hour, except to just relax n meditate in my lights off room. But things always have their own way of manifesting. After a call from a friend, I found myself in Life Cafe in SOHO where earth hour was welcomed and celebrated with candles and a band of talented yogis on guitars, playing self-written songs on spirituality, margaritas, save the human... and hip hop jamming. Amazingly positive energy created with crowds at dinner table, organic beers served at the bar, and die-hard supporter taking the lower seats on the floor! But I turned my head to look outside and saw lights (sigh....I guess they were the other camp voting for global warming...).
Post earth hour, I picked up a copy of the Positive News from Life and decided to take the bus home (my action of the night to reduce carbon footprint). As I turned the pages of Positive News- my inconvenient hour began. Some seriously inconvenient facts were reported about livestock production being the biggest man-made contributor to green house gases in the world (18% of all global output from livestock production vs 14% from transport). Translation = what we are eating and our eating habits are one of the main causes for global climate change. I was not aware of the intensity of the issue until now- I am truly disturbed and this is a topic requiring further research on my part.
Bobsy, the co-founded of Positive News HK, Bookworm and Life cafe seems to have done the research and found the severity of the impact of livestock on the planet so pressing and serious that he recently founded the "SAVE THE HUMAN" Campaign launched on 1 March 2009. The Campaign aims at promoting public awareness through media communications and community services. You can go here to learn more http://www.100waystosavetheplanet.org/.
I had been a vegetarian for fives years until my health gave in with weak body and yellow/green face. I was "told" by my doctor to start eating meat again. Being responsible with myself and so taking care of my health I started eating meat again, a few times a week, albeit very very very reluctantly. My reason for being vegetarian was not ecological then, rather it was based on equality- that all beings are equal and human beings have no birth right to be having other animals for dinner. Just as we want to live, all other animals want to live too. My last straw was the Chicken incident. You need to be open minded to listen to my chicken incident. I was walking through the wet market in Causeway Bay where there were chicken stalls. Yes, I don't mean to sound freaky but a chicken spoke to me-I was receiving signals from a chicken asking me "if we are all equal and why are you (humans) slaughtering us?" I could not defend that one and became vegetarian since.
Tonight, it was no coincidence that my earth hour turned into inconvenient hour, it's the universe telling me what can I do as an individual about global warming. Turning off lights for 1 hour is an alarm bell ringing on global warming, but the crux must be to understand the issue and what we can do as an individual, a country and a nation to change the situation. Remember, small actions by many many people give us the change we are looking for. I am truly concerned and am re-evaluating the issue of meat vs vegetarian- especially now it's not only a matter of equality and compassion but one of saving the planet and its inhabitants. Three things for sure, I will be eating less meat, researching more on livestock production and global warming and looking for ways to be a healty vegetarian. If you have any suggestions/comments, please shout them my way.
Good night.
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