“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities” ~ Voltaire
Too often have I wretched over watching video depicting or learning about the brutal slaughter of many animal species and the devastation inflicted upon our planet. When I first began advocating years ago, it was not my initial intention to try and convince everyone to stop eating meat and dairy products, or to stop buying items from specific corporations, not only because I realized that so many had little intention on taking such steps, either as of yet, or ever, but also because I was less informed, in general. Even as I delved deeper into the vast pool of information regarding the many atrocities that the human race commits, I had always done my very best to try and remain realistic with my advocation goals, so that I could be more effectual. I want to make viable changes, even if those changes merely help make it easier on a future activist some day. We may not see the changes that we wish to see in our life, but perhaps those who take over when we can not fight anymore, will see them, partly because of our efforts.
Many of you who may be reading this, do consume meat and dairy, always have and possibly will, until the day that you die. I could not agree with the slaughter of animals for any reason, once coming to certain realizations in regard to the animals’ plight and the planetary affects reaped from their exploitation. In the beginning of all of this, I felt that I could not consistently chastise every person in my life because, they were in fact, meat and dairy consumers. This was my original view and I believed firmly that everyone was entitled to their choices and opinions. Unfortunately, our choices have placed us on the brink of self destruction and the problem with opinion is that it seldom resembles or coexists in harmony with fact. The fact is that there are just too many humans living as we do on this planet, most of whom are unwilling to make any form of sacrifice at the expense of personal comfort, in the name of ecologic sustainability. Our current “needs” now far exceed what our planet is capable of providing for us.
My views began to take a more urgent tone, the more I researched information that is made quite publicly available by groups like the United Nations, European Union, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as many environmental organizations about the globe in regard to the effects that we, as a collective species, were having upon the Earth. It became very clear to me that there really was not a great deal of time for us to turn things around. I do see that there are many people who actually care about life, at least on some level. I refuse to believe that the majority of humans on this planet are inherently bad, even if the majority are in a state of refusal to alter the way that they live or treat life around them. I hold no hate for those who refuse to change, however, at some point, sacrifice is something that every human being is going to have to accept. We will either sacrifice willingly now, or this world will force us to do so and the longer we wait, simply go on “business as usual”, nature’s furious reaction toward us will increase.
I wanted to touch upon several subjects, simply to explain what goes through the mind of a human being who seeks information and educates him/herself in regard to what is happening to our world, every day. Maybe it will change some of your views about what environmental, human and animal rights activists stand for. We aren’t terrorists. We are terrified for life on this planet and the future of your children. More humans are becoming conscious concerning the effect that they are having on the Earth. My brother-in-law now carries his New York Giants “eco-bag” to the grocery store, rather than accepting plastic and has become very interested in programs like “Whale Wars”, as well as environmental documentaries. I do see change happening. It is just happening too slowly for the time that our planet has allotted us.
This would be a good place to begin. Shopping is what drives the current capital-based “machine” and it is a difficult endeavor, as well as more expensive to shop only in certain places or buy specific products that you know are environmentally friendly. If you left your home with a list of twenty items that you needed to purchase and made it a point to buy from stores other then a mega-corporation like Wal-Mart, you might have to make several stops in order to procure them. In comparison, Wal-Mart would probably stock nineteen out of those twenty items and also at a competitive price. I can not deny this, but let us not forget about the negative environmental, human rights and animal brutality issues connected with the company.
Currently, Wal-Mart holds stock in an Asian version of itself that has dolphin and whale meat on its shelves, if your care is “species-specific” in regard to animal plight and you care not for the billions of cows, pigs, chickens, fish, etc…that also relate to methane and CO2 environmental impact. It is also responsible for an unreasonable amount of plastics being discarded into our ecosystem, contributes to the destruction of Indonesia’s rain forests by sourcing paper from Asia Pulp and Paper(APP), just as an introductory point of fact. A Wal-Mart store undermines the economic health of most any other business around it, offers poor wages, little to no benefit for overworked employees and some of their products have been linked to overseas slave labor. For United States citizens who seem obsessed with always touting that we should “buy American”, I find it somewhat odd that Wal-Mart has done so well, considering that most of the products in the store are indeed, made overseas.
What clothes do we buy and where do we take our loved ones out for meals? We want to conform to the new spring fashions and have family dinners, do we not? Who is to blame when companies like Dolce and Prada, or restaurant chains like Red Lobster and the Outback Steakhouse purchase from the same sources that bludgeon baby harp seals to a bloody pulp? Is it the consumer, who is at fault for not knowing that certain companies do indeed, employ overseas, human slave-labor? Is it the government’s fault for not forcing companies to place a bright red label on plastic wrappers covering the lovingly-encased beef, informing you that your purchase will contribute to the extinction of all life? The truth of the matter is that if I sat here dedicating all of my time to exposing every company with blood stained hands, I could be here for years without sleeping.
The same issue applies to vivisection, although, many groups provide lists of the corporations that perform product tests on animals. Statistics tell us that 94% of animal testing is done to determine the safety of cosmetics or household products. This means that we mainly inflict unspeakable and horrific torture upon animals to either satisfy our vanity or to simply find out how dangerous the chemical agents in household products are to humans. Only 6% of vivisection experiments are employed(I should use the word “inflicted”) for the purposes of medical research, most of which is absolutely useless because an animal does not exhibit the same response to the majority of the medical testing being performed upon them that a human being would. They are simply, poor candidates for compatibility. In other words, you will never find a cure for cancer in a human being by introducing cancer cells into a chimpanzee, but we still do it. You would also be “hard-pressed” to find an excuse as to why vivisectionists blowtorch the skin of live pigs to test skin graft treatments considering that we can now grow enough synthetic human skin to cover the entire human body in about 3 weeks from a skin sample the size of a postage stamp.
Just opening the subject of shopping has pulled me in a new direction, and this is the life of an activist. All things are connected and before we move on, we must discuss disposable plastic. Leaving every bit of plastic used in product packaging out of the equation, plastic bag production itself, is a 4 billion dollar annual industry. It is little wonder as to why Congressional offices have not been answering our current demand for a ban on plastic bags at retail checkout counters. The average family can easily bring home over 50 plastic bags in just a few short trips to the supermarket. Plastic bag “consumption” falls in between five hundred billion and one trillion bags every single year, with little to no effort made in recycling. The great majority of plastic that we discard, finds its way to rivers, and eventually, the ocean, where much of it collects into one of the major “gyres”. There are 5 major(and 2 minor) natural, whirlpool-like gyres, one of which, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has been studied extensively by marine biologists. This immense whirlpool has been collecting much of the plastic that we discard and it has developed into an environmentally toxic “soup” that is roughly twice the size of the state of Texas and 90 feet deep in some areas. Marine biologists still have little idea, as to the extent of the problem because they have limited funding to examine the remaining gyres.
The impact on marine wildlife is incalculable. Majestic and endangered animals, such as the Albatrosses have been found dead on beaches, dissected only to find hundreds of pieces of plastic rubbish in their stomachs. Many species of birds, fish, whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles swallow these materials and have been seen with plastic items wrapped around them, obviously for years, as they have outgrown or grown around the unwelcome, permanent plastic “garments”. Many species of fish also filter tiny particles of plastic through their gills and die off at an alarming rate. Even so, it would seem that we still forget to bring our planet-friendly cloth bags to the store with us. It might behoove each one of us to realize, just for a moment, the next time we are at the checkout counter, that there are 7 billion humans on this planet now.
Marine life, in general, is one of my greatest fascinations. I adore the tropics and the ocean. There is little more awe inspiring in nature than the power of the sea. The ocean contains vast intelligence, holds unrivaled beauty and is the foundation of our very existence. The mere fact that there are still human beings harpooning whales, clubbing seals and hacking up dolphins for meat or fur(or, in some nations, their penises) is more than just absurd, it is horrific. In my naivety as a teenager and a younger man in my early twenties, I was under the false impression that this had, for the most part, stopped. I thought that the slaughter was more isolated. It was only until I began advocating in favor of ocean conservation organizations that I realized this was still happening on a mass scale. When I was struck with the severity of the issue, I actually did look to the sky in an effort to ask any god that would listen to forgive me for thinking that we had surpassed the stone ages of our existence because by my standards, we had not even come close. At that point, all I saw was humanity’s brutal butchery.
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Many of you who may be reading this, do consume meat and dairy, always have and possibly will, until the day that you die. I could not agree with the slaughter of animals for any reason, once coming to certain realizations in regard to the animals’ plight and the planetary affects reaped from their exploitation. In the beginning of all of this, I felt that I could not consistently chastise every person in my life because, they were in fact, meat and dairy consumers. This was my original view and I believed firmly that everyone was entitled to their choices and opinions. Unfortunately, our choices have placed us on the brink of self destruction and the problem with opinion is that it seldom resembles or coexists in harmony with fact. The fact is that there are just too many humans living as we do on this planet, most of whom are unwilling to make any form of sacrifice at the expense of personal comfort, in the name of ecologic sustainability. Our current “needs” now far exceed what our planet is capable of providing for us.
My views began to take a more urgent tone, the more I researched information that is made quite publicly available by groups like the United Nations, European Union, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as many environmental organizations about the globe in regard to the effects that we, as a collective species, were having upon the Earth. It became very clear to me that there really was not a great deal of time for us to turn things around. I do see that there are many people who actually care about life, at least on some level. I refuse to believe that the majority of humans on this planet are inherently bad, even if the majority are in a state of refusal to alter the way that they live or treat life around them. I hold no hate for those who refuse to change, however, at some point, sacrifice is something that every human being is going to have to accept. We will either sacrifice willingly now, or this world will force us to do so and the longer we wait, simply go on “business as usual”, nature’s furious reaction toward us will increase.
I wanted to touch upon several subjects, simply to explain what goes through the mind of a human being who seeks information and educates him/herself in regard to what is happening to our world, every day. Maybe it will change some of your views about what environmental, human and animal rights activists stand for. We aren’t terrorists. We are terrified for life on this planet and the future of your children. More humans are becoming conscious concerning the effect that they are having on the Earth. My brother-in-law now carries his New York Giants “eco-bag” to the grocery store, rather than accepting plastic and has become very interested in programs like “Whale Wars”, as well as environmental documentaries. I do see change happening. It is just happening too slowly for the time that our planet has allotted us.
This would be a good place to begin. Shopping is what drives the current capital-based “machine” and it is a difficult endeavor, as well as more expensive to shop only in certain places or buy specific products that you know are environmentally friendly. If you left your home with a list of twenty items that you needed to purchase and made it a point to buy from stores other then a mega-corporation like Wal-Mart, you might have to make several stops in order to procure them. In comparison, Wal-Mart would probably stock nineteen out of those twenty items and also at a competitive price. I can not deny this, but let us not forget about the negative environmental, human rights and animal brutality issues connected with the company.
Currently, Wal-Mart holds stock in an Asian version of itself that has dolphin and whale meat on its shelves, if your care is “species-specific” in regard to animal plight and you care not for the billions of cows, pigs, chickens, fish, etc…that also relate to methane and CO2 environmental impact. It is also responsible for an unreasonable amount of plastics being discarded into our ecosystem, contributes to the destruction of Indonesia’s rain forests by sourcing paper from Asia Pulp and Paper(APP), just as an introductory point of fact. A Wal-Mart store undermines the economic health of most any other business around it, offers poor wages, little to no benefit for overworked employees and some of their products have been linked to overseas slave labor. For United States citizens who seem obsessed with always touting that we should “buy American”, I find it somewhat odd that Wal-Mart has done so well, considering that most of the products in the store are indeed, made overseas.
What clothes do we buy and where do we take our loved ones out for meals? We want to conform to the new spring fashions and have family dinners, do we not? Who is to blame when companies like Dolce and Prada, or restaurant chains like Red Lobster and the Outback Steakhouse purchase from the same sources that bludgeon baby harp seals to a bloody pulp? Is it the consumer, who is at fault for not knowing that certain companies do indeed, employ overseas, human slave-labor? Is it the government’s fault for not forcing companies to place a bright red label on plastic wrappers covering the lovingly-encased beef, informing you that your purchase will contribute to the extinction of all life? The truth of the matter is that if I sat here dedicating all of my time to exposing every company with blood stained hands, I could be here for years without sleeping.
The same issue applies to vivisection, although, many groups provide lists of the corporations that perform product tests on animals. Statistics tell us that 94% of animal testing is done to determine the safety of cosmetics or household products. This means that we mainly inflict unspeakable and horrific torture upon animals to either satisfy our vanity or to simply find out how dangerous the chemical agents in household products are to humans. Only 6% of vivisection experiments are employed(I should use the word “inflicted”) for the purposes of medical research, most of which is absolutely useless because an animal does not exhibit the same response to the majority of the medical testing being performed upon them that a human being would. They are simply, poor candidates for compatibility. In other words, you will never find a cure for cancer in a human being by introducing cancer cells into a chimpanzee, but we still do it. You would also be “hard-pressed” to find an excuse as to why vivisectionists blowtorch the skin of live pigs to test skin graft treatments considering that we can now grow enough synthetic human skin to cover the entire human body in about 3 weeks from a skin sample the size of a postage stamp.
Just opening the subject of shopping has pulled me in a new direction, and this is the life of an activist. All things are connected and before we move on, we must discuss disposable plastic. Leaving every bit of plastic used in product packaging out of the equation, plastic bag production itself, is a 4 billion dollar annual industry. It is little wonder as to why Congressional offices have not been answering our current demand for a ban on plastic bags at retail checkout counters. The average family can easily bring home over 50 plastic bags in just a few short trips to the supermarket. Plastic bag “consumption” falls in between five hundred billion and one trillion bags every single year, with little to no effort made in recycling. The great majority of plastic that we discard, finds its way to rivers, and eventually, the ocean, where much of it collects into one of the major “gyres”. There are 5 major(and 2 minor) natural, whirlpool-like gyres, one of which, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has been studied extensively by marine biologists. This immense whirlpool has been collecting much of the plastic that we discard and it has developed into an environmentally toxic “soup” that is roughly twice the size of the state of Texas and 90 feet deep in some areas. Marine biologists still have little idea, as to the extent of the problem because they have limited funding to examine the remaining gyres.
The impact on marine wildlife is incalculable. Majestic and endangered animals, such as the Albatrosses have been found dead on beaches, dissected only to find hundreds of pieces of plastic rubbish in their stomachs. Many species of birds, fish, whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles swallow these materials and have been seen with plastic items wrapped around them, obviously for years, as they have outgrown or grown around the unwelcome, permanent plastic “garments”. Many species of fish also filter tiny particles of plastic through their gills and die off at an alarming rate. Even so, it would seem that we still forget to bring our planet-friendly cloth bags to the store with us. It might behoove each one of us to realize, just for a moment, the next time we are at the checkout counter, that there are 7 billion humans on this planet now.
Marine life, in general, is one of my greatest fascinations. I adore the tropics and the ocean. There is little more awe inspiring in nature than the power of the sea. The ocean contains vast intelligence, holds unrivaled beauty and is the foundation of our very existence. The mere fact that there are still human beings harpooning whales, clubbing seals and hacking up dolphins for meat or fur(or, in some nations, their penises) is more than just absurd, it is horrific. In my naivety as a teenager and a younger man in my early twenties, I was under the false impression that this had, for the most part, stopped. I thought that the slaughter was more isolated. It was only until I began advocating in favor of ocean conservation organizations that I realized this was still happening on a mass scale. When I was struck with the severity of the issue, I actually did look to the sky in an effort to ask any god that would listen to forgive me for thinking that we had surpassed the stone ages of our existence because by my standards, we had not even come close. At that point, all I saw was humanity’s brutal butchery.
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
I wanted to touch upon several subjects, simply to explain what goes through the mind of a human being who seeks information and educates him/herself in regard to what is happening to our world, every day. Maybe it will change some of your views about what environmental, human and animal rights activists stand for. We aren’t terrorists. We are terrified for life on this planet and the future of your children. More humans are becoming conscious concerning the effect that they are having on the Earth. My brother-in-law now carries his New York Giants “eco-bag” to the grocery store, rather than accepting plastic and has become very interested in programs like “Whale Wars”, as well as environmental documentaries. I do see change happening. It is just happening too slowly for the time that our planet has allotted us.
This would be a good place to begin. Shopping is what drives the current capital-based “machine” and it is a difficult endeavor, as well as more expensive to shop only in certain places or buy specific products that you know are environmentally friendly. If you left your home with a list of twenty items that you needed to purchase and made it a point to buy from stores other then a mega-corporation like Wal-Mart, you might have to make several stops in order to procure them. In comparison, Wal-Mart would probably stock nineteen out of those twenty items and also at a competitive price. I can not deny this, but let us not forget about the negative environmental, human rights and animal brutality issues connected with the company.
Currently, Wal-Mart holds stock in an Asian version of itself that has dolphin and whale meat on its shelves, if your care is “species-specific” in regard to animal plight and you care not for the billions of cows, pigs, chickens, fish, etc…that also relate to methane and CO2 environmental impact. It is also responsible for an unreasonable amount of plastics being discarded into our ecosystem, contributes to the destruction of Indonesia’s rain forests by sourcing paper from Asia Pulp and Paper(APP), just as an introductory point of fact. A Wal-Mart store undermines the economic health of most any other business around it, offers poor wages, little to no benefit for overworked employees and some of their products have been linked to overseas slave labor. For United States citizens who seem obsessed with always touting that we should “buy American”, I find it somewhat odd that Wal-Mart has done so well, considering that most of the products in the store are indeed, made overseas.
What clothes do we buy and where do we take our loved ones out for meals? We want to conform to the new spring fashions and have family dinners, do we not? Who is to blame when companies like Dolce and Prada, or restaurant chains like Red Lobster and the Outback Steakhouse purchase from the same sources that bludgeon baby harp seals to a bloody pulp? Is it the consumer, who is at fault for not knowing that certain companies do indeed, employ overseas, human slave-labor? Is it the government’s fault for not forcing companies to place a bright red label on plastic wrappers covering the lovingly-encased beef, informing you that your purchase will contribute to the extinction of all life? The truth of the matter is that if I sat here dedicating all of my time to exposing every company with blood stained hands, I could be here for years without sleeping.
The same issue applies to vivisection, although, many groups provide lists of the corporations that perform product tests on animals. Statistics tell us that 94% of animal testing is done to determine the safety of cosmetics or household products. This means that we mainly inflict unspeakable and horrific torture upon animals to either satisfy our vanity or to simply find out how dangerous the chemical agents in household products are to humans. Only 6% of vivisection experiments are employed(I should use the word “inflicted”) for the purposes of medical research, most of which is absolutely useless because an animal does not exhibit the same response to the majority of the medical testing being performed upon them that a human being would. They are simply, poor candidates for compatibility. In other words, you will never find a cure for cancer in a human being by introducing cancer cells into a chimpanzee, but we still do it. You would also be “hard-pressed” to find an excuse as to why vivisectionists blowtorch the skin of live pigs to test skin graft treatments considering that we can now grow enough synthetic human skin to cover the entire human body in about 3 weeks from a skin sample the size of a postage stamp.
Just opening the subject of shopping has pulled me in a new direction, and this is the life of an activist. All things are connected and before we move on, we must discuss disposable plastic. Leaving every bit of plastic used in product packaging out of the equation, plastic bag production itself, is a 4 billion dollar annual industry. It is little wonder as to why Congressional offices have not been answering our current demand for a ban on plastic bags at retail checkout counters. The average family can easily bring home over 50 plastic bags in just a few short trips to the supermarket. Plastic bag “consumption” falls in between five hundred billion and one trillion bags every single year, with little to no effort made in recycling. The great majority of plastic that we discard, finds its way to rivers, and eventually, the ocean, where much of it collects into one of the major “gyres”. There are 5 major(and 2 minor) natural, whirlpool-like gyres, one of which, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has been studied extensively by marine biologists. This immense whirlpool has been collecting much of the plastic that we discard and it has developed into an environmentally toxic “soup” that is roughly twice the size of the state of Texas and 90 feet deep in some areas. Marine biologists still have little idea, as to the extent of the problem because they have limited funding to examine the remaining gyres.
The impact on marine wildlife is incalculable. Majestic and endangered animals, such as the Albatrosses have been found dead on beaches, dissected only to find hundreds of pieces of plastic rubbish in their stomachs. Many species of birds, fish, whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles swallow these materials and have been seen with plastic items wrapped around them, obviously for years, as they have outgrown or grown around the unwelcome, permanent plastic “garments”. Many species of fish also filter tiny particles of plastic through their gills and die off at an alarming rate. Even so, it would seem that we still forget to bring our planet-friendly cloth bags to the store with us. It might behoove each one of us to realize, just for a moment, the next time we are at the checkout counter, that there are 7 billion humans on this planet now.
Marine life, in general, is one of my greatest fascinations. I adore the tropics and the ocean. There is little more awe inspiring in nature than the power of the sea. The ocean contains vast intelligence, holds unrivaled beauty and is the foundation of our very existence. The mere fact that there are still human beings harpooning whales, clubbing seals and hacking up dolphins for meat or fur(or, in some nations, their penises) is more than just absurd, it is horrific. In my naivety as a teenager and a younger man in my early twenties, I was under the false impression that this had, for the most part, stopped. I thought that the slaughter was more isolated. It was only until I began advocating in favor of ocean conservation organizations that I realized this was still happening on a mass scale. When I was struck with the severity of the issue, I actually did look to the sky in an effort to ask any god that would listen to forgive me for thinking that we had surpassed the stone ages of our existence because by my standards, we had not even come close. At that point, all I saw was humanity’s brutal butchery.
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Currently, Wal-Mart holds stock in an Asian version of itself that has dolphin and whale meat on its shelves, if your care is “species-specific” in regard to animal plight and you care not for the billions of cows, pigs, chickens, fish, etc…that also relate to methane and CO2 environmental impact. It is also responsible for an unreasonable amount of plastics being discarded into our ecosystem, contributes to the destruction of Indonesia’s rain forests by sourcing paper from Asia Pulp and Paper(APP), just as an introductory point of fact. A Wal-Mart store undermines the economic health of most any other business around it, offers poor wages, little to no benefit for overworked employees and some of their products have been linked to overseas slave labor. For United States citizens who seem obsessed with always touting that we should “buy American”, I find it somewhat odd that Wal-Mart has done so well, considering that most of the products in the store are indeed, made overseas.
What clothes do we buy and where do we take our loved ones out for meals? We want to conform to the new spring fashions and have family dinners, do we not? Who is to blame when companies like Dolce and Prada, or restaurant chains like Red Lobster and the Outback Steakhouse purchase from the same sources that bludgeon baby harp seals to a bloody pulp? Is it the consumer, who is at fault for not knowing that certain companies do indeed, employ overseas, human slave-labor? Is it the government’s fault for not forcing companies to place a bright red label on plastic wrappers covering the lovingly-encased beef, informing you that your purchase will contribute to the extinction of all life? The truth of the matter is that if I sat here dedicating all of my time to exposing every company with blood stained hands, I could be here for years without sleeping.
The same issue applies to vivisection, although, many groups provide lists of the corporations that perform product tests on animals. Statistics tell us that 94% of animal testing is done to determine the safety of cosmetics or household products. This means that we mainly inflict unspeakable and horrific torture upon animals to either satisfy our vanity or to simply find out how dangerous the chemical agents in household products are to humans. Only 6% of vivisection experiments are employed(I should use the word “inflicted”) for the purposes of medical research, most of which is absolutely useless because an animal does not exhibit the same response to the majority of the medical testing being performed upon them that a human being would. They are simply, poor candidates for compatibility. In other words, you will never find a cure for cancer in a human being by introducing cancer cells into a chimpanzee, but we still do it. You would also be “hard-pressed” to find an excuse as to why vivisectionists blowtorch the skin of live pigs to test skin graft treatments considering that we can now grow enough synthetic human skin to cover the entire human body in about 3 weeks from a skin sample the size of a postage stamp.
Just opening the subject of shopping has pulled me in a new direction, and this is the life of an activist. All things are connected and before we move on, we must discuss disposable plastic. Leaving every bit of plastic used in product packaging out of the equation, plastic bag production itself, is a 4 billion dollar annual industry. It is little wonder as to why Congressional offices have not been answering our current demand for a ban on plastic bags at retail checkout counters. The average family can easily bring home over 50 plastic bags in just a few short trips to the supermarket. Plastic bag “consumption” falls in between five hundred billion and one trillion bags every single year, with little to no effort made in recycling. The great majority of plastic that we discard, finds its way to rivers, and eventually, the ocean, where much of it collects into one of the major “gyres”. There are 5 major(and 2 minor) natural, whirlpool-like gyres, one of which, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has been studied extensively by marine biologists. This immense whirlpool has been collecting much of the plastic that we discard and it has developed into an environmentally toxic “soup” that is roughly twice the size of the state of Texas and 90 feet deep in some areas. Marine biologists still have little idea, as to the extent of the problem because they have limited funding to examine the remaining gyres.
The impact on marine wildlife is incalculable. Majestic and endangered animals, such as the Albatrosses have been found dead on beaches, dissected only to find hundreds of pieces of plastic rubbish in their stomachs. Many species of birds, fish, whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles swallow these materials and have been seen with plastic items wrapped around them, obviously for years, as they have outgrown or grown around the unwelcome, permanent plastic “garments”. Many species of fish also filter tiny particles of plastic through their gills and die off at an alarming rate. Even so, it would seem that we still forget to bring our planet-friendly cloth bags to the store with us. It might behoove each one of us to realize, just for a moment, the next time we are at the checkout counter, that there are 7 billion humans on this planet now.
Marine life, in general, is one of my greatest fascinations. I adore the tropics and the ocean. There is little more awe inspiring in nature than the power of the sea. The ocean contains vast intelligence, holds unrivaled beauty and is the foundation of our very existence. The mere fact that there are still human beings harpooning whales, clubbing seals and hacking up dolphins for meat or fur(or, in some nations, their penises) is more than just absurd, it is horrific. In my naivety as a teenager and a younger man in my early twenties, I was under the false impression that this had, for the most part, stopped. I thought that the slaughter was more isolated. It was only until I began advocating in favor of ocean conservation organizations that I realized this was still happening on a mass scale. When I was struck with the severity of the issue, I actually did look to the sky in an effort to ask any god that would listen to forgive me for thinking that we had surpassed the stone ages of our existence because by my standards, we had not even come close. At that point, all I saw was humanity’s brutal butchery.
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
The same issue applies to vivisection, although, many groups provide lists of the corporations that perform product tests on animals. Statistics tell us that 94% of animal testing is done to determine the safety of cosmetics or household products. This means that we mainly inflict unspeakable and horrific torture upon animals to either satisfy our vanity or to simply find out how dangerous the chemical agents in household products are to humans. Only 6% of vivisection experiments are employed(I should use the word “inflicted”) for the purposes of medical research, most of which is absolutely useless because an animal does not exhibit the same response to the majority of the medical testing being performed upon them that a human being would. They are simply, poor candidates for compatibility. In other words, you will never find a cure for cancer in a human being by introducing cancer cells into a chimpanzee, but we still do it. You would also be “hard-pressed” to find an excuse as to why vivisectionists blowtorch the skin of live pigs to test skin graft treatments considering that we can now grow enough synthetic human skin to cover the entire human body in about 3 weeks from a skin sample the size of a postage stamp.
Just opening the subject of shopping has pulled me in a new direction, and this is the life of an activist. All things are connected and before we move on, we must discuss disposable plastic. Leaving every bit of plastic used in product packaging out of the equation, plastic bag production itself, is a 4 billion dollar annual industry. It is little wonder as to why Congressional offices have not been answering our current demand for a ban on plastic bags at retail checkout counters. The average family can easily bring home over 50 plastic bags in just a few short trips to the supermarket. Plastic bag “consumption” falls in between five hundred billion and one trillion bags every single year, with little to no effort made in recycling. The great majority of plastic that we discard, finds its way to rivers, and eventually, the ocean, where much of it collects into one of the major “gyres”. There are 5 major(and 2 minor) natural, whirlpool-like gyres, one of which, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has been studied extensively by marine biologists. This immense whirlpool has been collecting much of the plastic that we discard and it has developed into an environmentally toxic “soup” that is roughly twice the size of the state of Texas and 90 feet deep in some areas. Marine biologists still have little idea, as to the extent of the problem because they have limited funding to examine the remaining gyres.
The impact on marine wildlife is incalculable. Majestic and endangered animals, such as the Albatrosses have been found dead on beaches, dissected only to find hundreds of pieces of plastic rubbish in their stomachs. Many species of birds, fish, whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles swallow these materials and have been seen with plastic items wrapped around them, obviously for years, as they have outgrown or grown around the unwelcome, permanent plastic “garments”. Many species of fish also filter tiny particles of plastic through their gills and die off at an alarming rate. Even so, it would seem that we still forget to bring our planet-friendly cloth bags to the store with us. It might behoove each one of us to realize, just for a moment, the next time we are at the checkout counter, that there are 7 billion humans on this planet now.
Marine life, in general, is one of my greatest fascinations. I adore the tropics and the ocean. There is little more awe inspiring in nature than the power of the sea. The ocean contains vast intelligence, holds unrivaled beauty and is the foundation of our very existence. The mere fact that there are still human beings harpooning whales, clubbing seals and hacking up dolphins for meat or fur(or, in some nations, their penises) is more than just absurd, it is horrific. In my naivety as a teenager and a younger man in my early twenties, I was under the false impression that this had, for the most part, stopped. I thought that the slaughter was more isolated. It was only until I began advocating in favor of ocean conservation organizations that I realized this was still happening on a mass scale. When I was struck with the severity of the issue, I actually did look to the sky in an effort to ask any god that would listen to forgive me for thinking that we had surpassed the stone ages of our existence because by my standards, we had not even come close. At that point, all I saw was humanity’s brutal butchery.
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
The impact on marine wildlife is incalculable. Majestic and endangered animals, such as the Albatrosses have been found dead on beaches, dissected only to find hundreds of pieces of plastic rubbish in their stomachs. Many species of birds, fish, whales, dolphins, sea lions and turtles swallow these materials and have been seen with plastic items wrapped around them, obviously for years, as they have outgrown or grown around the unwelcome, permanent plastic “garments”. Many species of fish also filter tiny particles of plastic through their gills and die off at an alarming rate. Even so, it would seem that we still forget to bring our planet-friendly cloth bags to the store with us. It might behoove each one of us to realize, just for a moment, the next time we are at the checkout counter, that there are 7 billion humans on this planet now.
Marine life, in general, is one of my greatest fascinations. I adore the tropics and the ocean. There is little more awe inspiring in nature than the power of the sea. The ocean contains vast intelligence, holds unrivaled beauty and is the foundation of our very existence. The mere fact that there are still human beings harpooning whales, clubbing seals and hacking up dolphins for meat or fur(or, in some nations, their penises) is more than just absurd, it is horrific. In my naivety as a teenager and a younger man in my early twenties, I was under the false impression that this had, for the most part, stopped. I thought that the slaughter was more isolated. It was only until I began advocating in favor of ocean conservation organizations that I realized this was still happening on a mass scale. When I was struck with the severity of the issue, I actually did look to the sky in an effort to ask any god that would listen to forgive me for thinking that we had surpassed the stone ages of our existence because by my standards, we had not even come close. At that point, all I saw was humanity’s brutal butchery.
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Human overpopulation and industries have over-fished and severely polluted our oceans drastically. We are decimating shark numbers, due to a severe misunderstanding of the species and their role, which effects every facet of oceanic balance. Coral reefs, which are more than just an integral part of the marine ecosystem, they are the foundation, the cradle of all life, the most complex and bio-diverse systems on the planet, giving shelter/sustainability to countless species and we are defiling them with toxicity, climate related bleaching and disease. Even a small alteration in ocean acidity is enough to kill off coral reefs. We are the cause and on our current path, coral reefs could be wiped out within the next 20 to 40 years. When that happens, it will disrupt and devastate all life in the sea, which will translate onto anything living on land.
The lack of accountability, human “mismanagement” of all living things that share the world with us, is the direct cause for every Earthly woe. Rain forests, which once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface now cover only 6%. Scientists and environmental experts estimate that the last of the remaining rain forests could be gone in less than 40 years. It is also estimated that roughly half of the planet’s plant and animal species will die off with them. A staggering statistic regarding the Amazon shows us that between the years 2000 and 2006, Brazil alone, lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest. That is an area larger than the nation of Greece. Since 1970, well over 600,000 square kilometers, nearly 250,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The loss of animal and plant species thus far to extinction, is nearly incalculable. Plant life that may have cured diseases in our future, are already gone forever and this says very little in regard to the human rights aspect of the situation. In a paradise where ten million indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, it is quite sobering to realize that there are now less that a quarter million.
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Whenever we discuss rain forest depletion, we must speak about meat and dairy consumption. Too many human beings on this planet do not understand what drives deforestation. Most of the people that I speak to on a regular basis were under the impression that the main reason why deforestation happens is because we need wood for our homes and to generate paper. It actually gives me hope to hear that they realize where these items come from, however, these industries are only a small part of the problem relative to deforestation. The meat and dairy industry is the main and most devastating cause of deforestation.
In order for nearly 7 billion meat and dairy consumers to continue consuming animals and animal products, the human species must keep a certain number of animals on the Earth, at any given time. Of course, these animals must be fed. Human beings feed “livestock” animals 80% of all the grains on the planet that we grow. There are 53 billion animals slaughtered annually, not counting egg laying chickens and dairy cows which will eventually be killed when they no longer properly lay eggs or their milk yield runs low. Cows, which number at 1/3 that of the estimated human population, consume grain at a 50 to 1 ratio, as opposed to a full grown human being. It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef and where do you think they are growing all of this grain for “livestock” feed? Where do you believe that these cows are grazing? The agriculture industry certainly isn’t using infertile desert. They are razing whole forests and siphoning every bit of life from the soil after bullying out the indigenous people, which is part of the same human rights issue happening around the world.
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Agriculture rules the planet, because lets face it, everyone needs food. You can not eat money, or jewelry, or mansions, or fancy sports cars, however, you can have all of those things if you are in control of an industry driving food production. The capital-based society that we are currently “under the wheels” of sees the planet and animals as “resources”, whilst people are reduced to mere expendable statistics. The industry gets away with some of the worst horrors inflicted upon animals, devastation to our world and human rights exploitation whilst 40,000 people die of starvation and 1/6 of the human population goes without clean or safe drinking water each day. Drought is a severe issue. Animal based agriculture severely pollutes and depletes natural drinking water sources. A dairy cow can consume anywhere from 25 to 50 gallons per day and farm “seepage” from “livestock” refuse is a very serious human health risk. “Newsweek” once stated, “the water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer.” One tenth of the major rivers across the planet no longer flow into the sea for months out of each year. Some rivers no longer reach the sea at all. At our current rate, water shortages will affect over 2 billion humans within 10 to 15 years.
Our wetlands have also been decimated by the animal agriculture industry. Only 6% of the planet’s surface is now covered by the wetlands. Underneath their surface, plants and microbes filter water, digesting pollution, retaining moisture in the wet season, whilst releasing it in the dry season. They are indispensable “sponges” necessary for the regeneration & purification of water. In the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been drained in favor of livestock. To the Earth, killing off the wetlands is akin to carving out your body’s liver and kidneys. Wetlands act in much the same capacity.
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Then, of course, as is always prevalent in the human species, we ignore what we simply do not see every day. Most people seem to care about the CO2 emissions problem(even if they do very little to help stop it), especially those near cities where CO2 pollutants ruin their clean air, because they are actually affected by it. They realize that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that it is detrimental to the planet, causing an increase in global temperature. For those of you reading this who are still in the dark ages, please reference the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who have EXXON Mobile scientists on their board of directors. Even they agree that we are in serious trouble and that global warming is quite real. You can also visit the web sites of the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. What people do not seem to care about or believe in is the methane factor and glacial thaw.
Most humans do not comprehend that carbon dioxide is only a small part of the problem in regard to global warming. Methane is a much more lethal greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent, to be precise. Our addiction to meat and dairy has sewn the seeds for our own self-annihilation. The total number of cows and calves in the United States alone on January first, 2010 was roughly 93.7 million and that number has risen because our population has risen. Again, bovine numbers used in agriculture is close to one third of the estimated human population. Each one of these cows expels more greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere than an SUV driving 30 miles or 48.2 kilometers. The average weight of a cow varies. Some cows can weight up to over 2000 lbs. I have seen several “average weight” statistics, so I will use the lowest of over 1400 lbs. or 635 kg. and remind everyone who will use the excuse, “vegans defecate too” that a cow is a defecating machine with a 4 chambered stomach which expels greenhouse gasses out of both ends at an alarming rate. This fact partnered with the decomposing refuse produced by the whole of the farming industry makes for a lethal dose of over 100 million tons of further greenhouse emission. Our global average temperature has already risen by nearly an entire degree since 1980. This may not sound like a frightening statistic to you, however, consider that this slight rise in temperature has already caused extensive glacial melting and the exposure of permafrost in arctic climates.
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
For those who do not understand the concept of what permafrost is, I will explain in very short terms. It is simply ground that is frozen solid for over 10,000 years and it is rich with ancient vegetation. When the permafrost thaws, which it now is because of this slight rise in temperature, the vegetation becomes exposed to the elements, including bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the vegetation(mind you, that we are speaking of millions of square miles of permafrost about the globe in arctic regions like Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe) and the bacteria expels more methane in it’s waste product. This is already beginning to happen globally and evidence can be seen in many arctic regions.
Again, it is partially due to the fact that the most major effects of our global degradation are not in the eyes of the public, yet also because people are afraid of the facts, that we ignore them. Arctic thaw and glacial melt is a frightening issue in extreme climates where few humans have even dared to venture, however, at some point, humanity is going to have to face the issue. Areas that would have been impassable just years ago due to ice are now, navigable. The icecaps have lost 40% of their thickness in just 40 years. Their surface area shrinks every year at an alarming rate and they could disappear in summer months by 2030. Some say, much sooner. Going back to the issue of drought, what will happen to the people of Asia when the Himalayas have completely run dry of the ice which supplies the freshwater that so many rely on for survival?
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
In reference to planetary existence, we have been on the “teetering point” in recent years. Some people are afraid that we may be passing the “point of no return” in regard to saving life as we know it on the Earth. According to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri in November of 2007, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we are just about out of time. “If there is no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.”
Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has been labeled as one of the “alarmists” in some denial circles. Instead of labeling Dr. Pachauri, would it not behoove us to study the data more closely, as he has been doing for years? Why is Dr. Pachauri so afraid for the future of humanity? The answer is simple; runaway global heating. We are moving past the simple fears of global warming. Once the Earth’s temperature reaches a certain level, there will be no turning back. Many scientists already realize that once enough glacial cover is lost during the summer months, the bright white ice sheets which reflect the sun’s warming rays will be replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb, rather than reflect. Ocean temperatures have already risen. Climate related bleaching was a subject that I touched upon earlier in regard to coral reefs, however, that would be the least of our concerns once ocean temperatures rise enough to warm the vast pockets at the bottom of the sea which slowly release methane to the surface. This is literally a bomb, waiting to blow up in our faces and we are in dire need of a wake up call.
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
We, as a race, have already passed the crossroads and there were only two paths. Sadly, we have always walked the wrong path and we didn’t stray far from it. In fact, we invented new and more terrifying “wrongs” along the way. The current state of the world reflects the truth of the matter and recorded history is a testament to our apathetic, brutal nature. However, the path we did not choose is still there waiting for us. It is a daunting road, I would not try to deceive you. We have walked our current path for so long and gotten quite lost in the process. Finding the correct path will be hard enough. Walking it will be all the more difficult because of what has been ingrained into us by corporations, our mutual governments, tradition and society. Even if all of our wrongs were righted tomorrow, every species on Earth, including ourselves, will still be headed for frightening times in the near future and it will only get worse the longer we do nothing to change our ways.
In letters that many environmental advocates wrote in 2008 to Secretary General Ban Kai-Moon of the United Nations in an effort to shift 10% of all global military funding towards environmental issues, we spoke directly of our dire situation. I pointed toward how humans have become a disease, a virus upon our living planet. If that statement strikes you offensively then you are not looking at the big picture and please do not give up on me yet, as I have not given up on you. In the defense of all humans, my letter also spoke of the great beauty that we are capable of creating. The truth is that we could in fact, become the cure to the illness that we have generated. We have the ability to one day evolve into a species that might find a way to stave off an eventual climate shift, which would not have happened for thousands of years in the future, without our interference. I have great faith in human ability, in all of you. Whether you believe me after reading my words or not, it is the absolute truth. We just do not collectively have the inclination to become that catalyst, as of yet. A catalyst for an eventual catalyst, is what is necessary. That is what activists do. We all go through a loss of hope in and patience with humanity, but in the end, hope is what drives us to keep doing what we do.
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
So, where do we stand, now that we realize that we have pushed the Earth past her limits? Our planet will not stop heating, simply by moving toward bio-fuels, elevating our “miles per gallon” or by becoming better conservationists. I have made the choice to be a part of the circles of change. My views against brutality are shared by those who know compassion for animals, humanity and the planet. Anyone faced with the truth regarding global warming can see that we need to buy ourselves time in order to begin a healing process.
Aside from going vegan and advocating for a compassionate way of living, what else can we do? First, and foremost, stand with those who are working hard to wake the apathetic lot called the human species from their “zombie-like” slumber. Second, consider becoming more informed in regard to environmental issues around the globe. Animal and human rights activists are more effective when they have a well rounded understanding concerning planetary issues and connecting with those overseas. Finally, become more politically aware. Governments are stripping our rights in favor of corporations. I can be labeled a “terrorist”, simply for writing an article like this one. Do not allow them or fear to keep you blinded. Stand with courage beside the brave people who are trying to save this world.
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
I know what beauty lies in the human heart. I have seen it in my life among my family and friends. It has been shown to me by all of the selfless souls that I have come to know in my dealings within these circles of change. It exists in heroes, the great men and women of the past and present, who stood and stand for the preservation of life. The message here is simple. Now is the time for us to look within our hearts and find something more then what we have been told that we are. Evolution will proceed with or without human beings and we must collectively decide if we will make sacrifices that allow our posterity to continue. For those of you who are just now being introduced to these issues, please join us. Together, as a global family, we must stave off indifference, greed and ignorance.
I humbly thank you for taking the time to read this.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
