The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

TZU CHI 126 35 themselves to the recycling mission is indeed a beautiful sight to behold. Mitigate climate change at the dining table In January 2020, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2019 was the second hottest year on record after 2016; and the Secretary- General Petteri Taalas pointed out that “the average global temperature has risen by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era (1850 to 1900)”. In fact, many countries around the world experienced the warmest year in history in 2019. Taiwan’s average temperature was 24.56°C, the highest since 1947; Hong Kong’s average temperature was 24.5°C, the warmest since 1884, while Australia’s annual mean temperature was 1.52°C above the 1961-90 average of 21.8°C – well above the previous hottest year (2013) at 1.33°C. According to Taalas, “Australia had its hottest, driest year on record in 2019, setting the scene for the massive bushfires which devastated the people, properties, wildlife, ecosystems and the environment.” Combating climate change is no longer a new topic, and a report from 107 leading scientist for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted that the West’s high consumption of meat and dairy produce was fuelling global warming. The experts suggested that the best way to mitigate climate change is to switch to a plant-based diet. In other words, we must eat more vegetables and less meats to protect the environment. Nonetheless, the experts are considerate of the long tradition of meat- eating habit and culture as they stopped short of explicitly calling on everyone to stop eating meat. Instead, they recommended for everyone to cut down on meat consumption or to consider switching from a heavily meat- based diet to a largely plant-based diet. However, do we still have sufficient time? The Indonesian government had perhaps, answered the question. According to a report from the Maplecroft Climate Change Vulnerability Index, it indicated that Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport could well be underwater as soon as 2030 if the global warming persists. This led to the announcement by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in 2019 that the country’s capital city be relocated to the East Kalimantan province on Borneo Island. Undoubtedly, Indonesia is not the only country facing the threat of rising sea levels. The worsening situation has made tackling global warming more pressing than ever. Yet, it only calls for each and every one of us to make the change at the dining table. Statistics by the UN Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) showed that in 2018, 2,443 land animals were slaughtered every second for food around the world. This comes out to 210 million animals every day, and more than 77 billion animals every year. Another study foresees the numbers to double by the year 2050. Looking at the dreadful statistics and the frightful impacts of livestock farming on the environment, should we not mull over our attitude for a better future? Tzu Chi’s Three Decades of Recycling