The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

T he effects of climate change have become increasingly prevalent in Malaysia as well as elsewhere, with erratic weather patterns and natural disasters occurring at a greater frequency. Closer to home, Kuala Lumpur-based think tank Centre for Governance and Political Studies (Cent-GPS) drew upon research on rising sea levels published in the journal Nature Communications and predicted that parts of major cities in the states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Pahang, Kelantan and Sarawak are likely to be submerged in water by 2050 as a result of coastal flooding. If this worrying phenomenon were to become a reality, millions of Malaysians living in the aforementioned high-risk areas will lose their homes as Alor Setar becomes an island separated from the mainland, Bagan Datoh, Teluk Intan, Kuala Selangor, Muar and Pekan sink underwater, and the surrounding sea engulfs segments of land in Shah Alam and Kuala Terengganu. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)warned that the signsof climatechange, including sea level rise, melting glaciers and extreme weather, have intensified over a five- year period from 2015 to 2019 with the highest temperatures ever recorded. Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have also increased to record levels. The 2019 Climate Change and Land report, jointly authored by 107 researchers from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), suggested moving away from meat-based protein to plant-based protein and encouraged plant- based diets, after discussing at length the adverse impacts of meat consumption on the climate and the environment. Let us do our part for the environment by being more mindful of our food choices. As John Robbins, the author of Diet for a New America proclaimed, “A reduction in meat consumption is the most powerful single act that you can take to halt the destruction of our environment and preserve our natural resources. Few of us are aware that the act of eating can be a powerful statement of commitment to our own well-being, and at the same time the creation of a healthier habitat. Your health, happiness, and the future of life on Earth are rarely so much in your own hands as when you sit down to eat.” Food for thought, indeed. A clean, green diet for a better world TZU CHI 117 25 Green Meals for a Greener Earth