Sewa International USA provides helping hand to Bhutanese refugees

Sewa International USA provides helping hand to Bhutanese refugees
11/01/2009 08:53:03 http://www.sewausa.org/bhutanese-refugee-empowerment-project

Population in Bhutan mainly consists of two communities Drukpas
and Lhotshampas. In 1985 conflict between these two communities
resulted in a mass exodus of Lhotshampas to Nepal. Since then till 1994
more than hundred thousand Lhotshampas took refuge in UN camps in Nepal
living in very poor condition.

In 2008 Bhutanese refugees began arriving in the United States, what
UN describes as one of the world’s largest resettlement efforts. United
States will be resettling 60,000 Bhutanese refugees. These refugees are
in dire need of financial & material need. They also require
emotional help to make the transition in this new land.

These refugees are poor families who can’t afford to buy essential
material such as clothes and toys for children or furniture. Many have
no jobs or are students and have no income. Though VOLAGs, resettlement
agencies have been providing support including accommodation, food stamps,Medicaid and job search for a period of three to seven months, it is not adequate.

Though many of the refugees are educated and can speak English, they
are little exposed to western culture. Many of them have remained
unemployed. Since, the government agencies will not be able to help
them for long; there is a strong need to make them employed, so that
they can support their families and themselves.

Sewa International USA has taken up a nationwide project to help
these refugees. Currently Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Cleveland &
Sacramento chapters are working to fulfill the needs of these refugees.
Sewa International USA is providing:

• Financial help


• Essential material such as blankets, winter jackets, clothes, furniture etc.


• English and driving lessons


• Job training


• Help in transitioning to new environment

We welcome any Bhutanese refugee who need help to contact us by
email provided below. We also urge our donors to donate towards this
project.

For more information email to info@sewausa.org.

For the sake of Vishwa Mangala

For the sake of Vishwa Mangala

by admin ~ May 27th, 2009.

From time immemorial, Bharath, the land of the holy Himalayas and Ganges woke up to the call of the cow. ‘Amba’ is the sweet call of love which fell on the ears of the millions and filled the days with joy. But lo, today the call is fading, dying and is becoming a thing of past. For a minute let us re call those joyous days when the calf ran to mother cow which poured her sweet milk along with her heart, not only to her calf but to the whole world.

The picture of the happy cow grazing on the meadow, the calf frisking around, the bulls walking majestically on the village lanes and streets, the bonding between the farmer and the oxen , these scenes cooled one’s eyes and warmed one’s heart. Then there was meaning and poetry in life.

Cow was so inter wined into the fabric of life. It gave us food ; it took us from place to place; it healed the mind and body; it was a treasure house of wealth. It also assumed the role of a warrior when occasion demanded. All these functions of the cow are relevant even today. But we have forgotten its significance in this age of plastic, when milk means, white sachets at our door steps every morning.

We palm off our responsibility by transporting the cows which have stopped giving milk, the male calves and the old oxen to the slaughter houses. At the time of Independence we had 77 breeds of Indian indigenous cows. But today only 33 of these precious breeds remain and that too varieties like Amrith Mahal, Red Sindhi, Krishna, Vechure, Punganoor are in very small numbers.

The main reason for this state of affairs is the greed of man who wants quick money. He wants to become rich over night. As a result farms have become dumping ground for chemical fertilizers, food has turned toxic, the farmers reel under the burden of loans and seek solution in suicide.

Added to this is the environmental exploitation and ecological imbalance. We have to live in a world of polluted air, water, land and mind also. Global warming and technological waste are threatening us.

The only ray of hope at this juncture is to return to the ways of our ancestors - The cow centred way of life.

The advent of Vishwa Mangala Gou Grama Yathra strengthens this hope of an auspicious life to our country and the world. It brings the message of joy and prosperity to the villages and the farmer, through the cow.

The guiding spirit behind this great movement is Shree Shree Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji who has dedicated his whole life to the cause of the cow. All the spiritual leaders of the nation have lent support to this socio-economic revival of Bharath. All cow lovers have come under the banner of this movement.

The Yathra commences on September 30, 2009 on Vijayadashimi day at the battle field of Kurukshetra which marks the beginning of righteous war.

The Yathra will cover a distance of 20,000 kms all over India. It will traverse through Amrithsar, Jammu, Muradabad, Kashi, Siliguri, Kolkatta, Vishakhapattanam, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Tiruvanantapuram, Bengaluru, Panjim, Mumbai, Rajkot, Jaipur and conclude at Nagpur.

In addition, 15,000 Upa Yathras will cover a distance of 10 Lakh kms. When the Yathra reaches your place let us strengthen the resolve to begin a beautiful life once again.

Let us make this a true freedom movement. We once missed the opportunity to realize the dream of a free India, in spite of Gandhiji’s vision of Grama Rajya. The thirst for true freedom has increased today.

We are taking a new and different path to achieve this goal of a free Bharath.

It will bring us prosperity. To revive the cow centred villages, and to reap the benefit of panchagavya, we must not consider cow as just a milking machine.

When we go back to the cow, the land will become free of chemicals, the food will be free of poison, gobar gas will light the villages and puts the farmer and the village on the path of sustainable development. This is true freedom.

This 108 days spiritual journey to the cow and the village is a meaningful return to prosperity and progress. Let us take a pledge to be a part of this pilgrimage and discover the true meaning of freedom and happiness.

Vande Gou Matharam.

Ingram Pinn illustration

Ingram Pinn illustration

The phrase “climate change denier” has a nasty ring to it. It links those who dispute mainstream science on global warming with “Holocaust deniers”. They are not just wrong, it implies, they are evil.

But the climate change lobby is in the grip of its own form of dangerous fantasy. It is in denial not about science – but about international politics.

At the moment, efforts to deal with global warming are focused on a huge international summit in Copenhagen in December. But the chances of Copenhagen delivering a deal that meets the goals for carbon dioxide emissions set by the United Nations Panel on Climate Change is vanishingly small. In private, many climate change activists will admit this. But Copenhagen is the only game in town – so they keep playing.

The first UN agreement on climate change was struck in Rio back in 1992. But in the intervening years, the rate of CO2 emissions has risen steadily – seemingly undeterred by huge emissions of hot air at UN conferences.

It was convenient to blame the lack of international progress on George W. Bush. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that the arrival of Barack Obama in the White House will not be the game-changer that many climate change activists hoped for. The House of Representatives in Washington has passed a bill to limit carbon emissions. But its provisions are so mild that they seem unlikely to make much impact. The climate change lobby hoped that if the US took the lead with new laws, the rest of the world would respond. There is little sign of this.

When Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, visited India last week and appealed to her hosts to limit emissions she was rebuffed. The Chinese may be a little more polite in Washington this week. But the substance of what they say is likely to be just as unyielding. The Indians and Chinese point out that the vast bulk of the CO2 already in the atmosphere has been put there by the industrialised countries of the west. China is now probably the largest emitter of CO2 in the world. But, on a per capita basis, emissions in China are still well below western levels. Why, ask the Indians and Chinese, should Americans and Europeans assume the right to continue using energy at levels that they seek to deny to poorer countries? It is a fair question.

The Indians and the Chinese have so far refused to accept binding targets on CO2 emissions. Even if they change their position during the Copenhagen negotiations – and that is far from certain – that will come at a price. The proposed deal is that rich countries essentially bribe poorer countries to cut emissions and adopt cleaner technologies. China has proposed that developed nations should all agree to contribute 1 per cent of gross domestic product to help poorer nations fight global warming.

Now imagine that you are Mr Obama trying to sell a deal like that back home. The US is running a budget deficit of 12 per cent of GDP. The Chinese are sitting on the world’s largest foreign reserves. The president would have to ask the American people to write a large cheque to China to combat global warming – while simultaneously praying that the Chinese graciously consent to keep buying American debt to fund the deficit. It does not sound like a political winner.

Even if a deal is somehow struck at Copenhagen, it will involve promised reductions of CO2 emissions that seem literally incredible. The rich countries that belong to the Group of Eight, including the US, say they want to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 – which will mean a massive transfer to cleaner sources of energy. As Oliver Morton, the science writer, points out – “Building two terawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050 – enough to supply 10 per cent of the total carbon-free energy that’s needed – means building a large nuclear power station every week; the current worldwide rate is about five a year. A single terawatt of wind – 5 per cent of the overall requirement – requires about 4m large turbines.”

Nicholas Stern, a professor of economics, has issued an influential report arguing that the transition to a low-carbon economy is affordable and compatible with continued economic growth. Leading western politicians say that they believe this and talk airily of the “green jobs” of the future. But there is little sign that they are prepared to back their arguments with deliberate efforts to raise the cost of fossil fuels or to make the necessary investments in alternative energy. All the politicians involved in the global climate change negotiations know that a country that moves unilaterally risks severely damaging its economy, at least in the short-term – without affecting the global problem.

The state of international negotiations presents a huge dilemma for climate change activists. Most genuinely believe that a failure to achieve an international agreement in Copenhagen would be catastrophic. But they also know that, even if a deal is reached, it is likely to be feeble and ineffective. If they admit this publicly, they risk creating a climate of despair and inaction. But if they press ahead, they are putting all their energy into an approach that they must know is highly unlikely to deliver.

It is a horrible dilemma. But, in difficult situations, it is best to start by facing facts. The trouble is that – in different ways – both sides of the climate change debate are in denial.

gideon.rachman@ft.com
More columns at www.ft.com/rachman
Read and post comments at Gideon Rachman’s blog

Sastrnow me Gou

Hindu Religion

Even the gods pray to the cow. She contains the divinity of all the Gods. A pious day starts with her worship. She has prominence in various religious festivals. Sankranti and Deepavali are specially cow related festivals. Cow products are essential in different religious rituals. Thus, cow is integral part of our life.

Cow in Vedas and Puranas

यः पौरुषेण क्रविषा समंक्ते यो अश्वेन पशुना यातुधानः ।

ये अघ्न्याये भरति क्षीरमग्ने तेषां शीर्षाणि हरसापि वृश्चः ॥

Oh fire god, with your flames burn the heads of those demons who eat the meat of humans, animals like horse and cow, and those who steal cows’ milk. (Rik Samhita 87 - 161)

प्रजापतिर्मह्यमेता रराणो विश्वैर्देवैः पितृभिः संविदानः ।

शिवाः सतीरुप नो गोष्ठमाकस्तासां वयं प्रजया संसदेम ॥

May the supreme Lord, complemented by all the Gods, create auspicious and spacious cowsheds for our happiness and populate them with cows and calves. Let us rejoice the cow-wealth and contend by serving those cows. (Rik Samhita 10 - 169 - 4)

सा विश्वाय़ूः सा विश्वकर्मा सा विश्वधायाः।

That cow would augment the life span of the sages involved in the sacrifices and the doer of the sacrifices. Cow coordinates all the rituals of the sacrifices. By providing offerings like milk, cow nourishes all the Gods of the sacrifices. (Shulka Yajurveda 1-4)

आ गावो अग्मन्नुत भद्रकम्रन् सीदंतु गोष्मेरणयंत्वस्मे ।

प्रजावतीः पुरुरूपा इहस्स्युरिंद्राय पूर्वीरुष्सोदुहानाः ॥

यूयं गावो मे दयथा कृशं चिदश्रीरं चित्कृणुथा सुप्रतीकम् ।

भद्र गृहं कृणुथ भद्रवाचो बृहद्वो वय उच्यते सभासु ॥

Oh Cows! With your milk and ghee you make the physically weak strong, and nurture the sick to health. With your sacred utterances, you chastise our homes. Your glory is discussed in gatherings. (Atharvana Veda 4-21-11 and 6)

वशां देवा उपजीवंति वशां मनुष्या उप ।

वशेदं सर्वं भवतु यावतु सूर्यो विपश्यति ॥

The Gods and men live on cow products. Till the Sun shines, the universe will have Cows. The whole universe depends on the support of cow. (Atharvana Veda 10-10-34)

सा नो मंद्रेषमूर्जम् दुहाना ।

धेनुर्वा गस्मानुष सुष्टुतैतु ॥

She is Kamadhenu - the divine cow that fulfils all our desires. Her body is of cow and face is of a woman. She was born before the amrutha when the ocean was churned. Her hair exudes fragrance. From her udder she showers Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. She is an abode to self-knowledge, shelters, Sun, Moon and Fire God. All the Gods and the living beings depend on her. She provides us with food and supreme knowledge even when we mildly pray. Let her be near us.

पीतोदका जग्धतृणा दुग्धदेहा निरिंद्रियाः ।

आनंदा नाम तेलोकस्तान् स गच्चति ता ददत् ॥

These cows have eaten grass and have taken water. They have been milked. They are past reproductive age. One who donates these old cows will go to place of darkness devoid of pleasures. Instead, donate me. (Kathopanishat - Nachiketa tells sage Vajashravas during Vishwajit Yaga)

गोकुलस्य तृषार्तस्य जलार्थे वसुधाधिपः ।

उत्पादयति यो विघ्नं तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातिनम् ॥

Obstructing provision of water to thirsty cows should be considered equal to the sin of killing Brahmins. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 24-7)

गवां मूत्रपुरीषस्य नोद्विजेत कथंचन ।

न चासां मांसमश्नीयाद्गवां पुष्टिं तथाप्नुयात् ॥

Do not hesitate to consume cow urine and cow dung - they are sacred. But one should never eat the cow meat. A person becomes stronger by consuming Panchagavya. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 78-17)

गावो ममाग्रतो नित्यं गावः पृष्ठत एव च ।

गावो मे सर्वतश्चैव गवां मध्ये वसाह्यहम् ॥

Let there be cows in front of me, behind me and all around me. I live with the cows. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 80-3)

दानानामपि सर्वेषां गवां दानं प्रशस्यते ।

गावः श्रेष्ठाः पवित्राश्च पावनं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥

Donation of cows is superior to all others. Cows are supreme and sacred. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 83-3)

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनंदनः ।

पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्तादुग्धं गीतामृतः महत् ॥

Bhagavad-Gita is the essence of Upanishads. It is like a cow whom Srikrishna milks. Arjuna is like a calf. The learned devotees are drinking the ambrosial milk of Bhagavad-Gita.

गौर्मे माता वृषभः पिता मे दिवं शर्म जगते मे प्रतिष्ठा ।

Cow is my mother and ox my father. Let the pair bless me with happiness in this world and bliss in heaven. I depend on cow for my life - thus stating one should surrender to cow.

गावो बंधुर्मनुष्याणां मनुष्याबांधवा गवाम् ।

गौः यस्मिन् गृहेनास्ति तद्बंधुरहितं गृहम् ॥

Cows are the abode of the Goddess of wealth. Sins don’t touch them. There exists a fine relationship between man and cow. A home without a cow is like one without dear ones. (Padmapurana)

वागिंद्रियस्वरूपायै नमः ।

वाचावृत्तिप्रद्दयिन्यै नमः ॥

अकारादिक्षकारांतवैखरीवक्स्वरूपिण्य़ै नमः ॥

By the service of the cow and consuming cow products, awareness and spirit, both enhance. (Atri Samhita 310)

यन्न वेद्ध्वनिध्यांतं न च गोभिरलंकृतम् ।

यन्नबालैः परिवृतं श्मशानमिव तद्गृहम् ॥

The house where Vedas are not chanted, where cows are not seen where children are not around it is like a graveyard. (Vishnusmriti)

गोमूत्रगोमयं सर्पि क्षीरं दधि च रोचना ।

षदंगमेतत् परमं मांगल्यं सर्वदा गवाम् ॥

Cow’s urine, dung, milk, ghee, curd and gorochana - these six are the most auspicious products.

Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra A movement to restore smile of farmers - Swami Raghaveshwara Bharati

Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra A movement to restore smile of farmers - Swami Raghaveshwara Bharati

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Courtesy : Organiser Weekly, New Delhi-12 July, 2009

Swami Raghaveshwara Bharati made it clear that the movement would be kept away from politics and the common man of the country would be exhorted to preserve the priceless gift of the God to the mankind. “We know the cow cannot be protected merely by enacting a central law. Basically, the countrymen need to be mentally prepared for her protection,” he said.

“The Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra is an initiative to put Indian villages on the path of sustainable development by focussing on the cow-based way-of-life. It is a massive national movement to restore freedom to the cow to live and die with dignity. It aims to bring back the smile on the faces of Indian farmers and is a pilgrimage to regain the lost soul of the nation,” said the head of Sri Ramchandrapura Math, Karnataka, and the guiding force behind the Yatra Shree Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji in New Delhi on June 27. He was talking to mediapersons at Constitution Club. Noted yoga scientist and national working president of the Yatra Samiti Dr HR Nagendra was also present on the occasion.

A comprehensive website (www.gougram.org) was also launched on the occasion to provide detailed, fast and updated information about the Yatra in Hindi, English and Kannada languages. It is worth mentioning here that the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra will commence from Kurukshetra on September 30 and traversing through the length and breadth of the country in 108 days will conclude in Nagpur on January 17, 2010.

Swamiji informed that the Yatra is a joint endeavour of all the saints, environmentalists, scientists and scholars who wish to do something concrete for the protection and preservation of the cow and also to save the farmers from the clutches of untimely death. He announced to launch the world’s largest signature campaign for the protection of the cow demanding declaration of the cow a national animal, enactment of a central law for cow protection and stopping all kinds of cruelties on the cow and her progeny. He said millions of people belonging to even the far-off areas of the country would give their assent to the memorandum, which would be presented to the President of India Smt Pratibha Patil on January 29, 2010. A positive ambience will be developed across the country through more than 400 big public meetings to be organised at prominent places of the country, he pointed out.

He made it clear that the movement would be kept away from politics and the common man of the country would be exhorted to preserve the priceless gift of the God to the mankind. “We know the cow cannot be protected merely by enacting a central law. Basically, the countrymen need to be mentally prepared for her protection,” he said adding that the cow may be slaughtered at the slaughter-houses but the preparation for slaughter begins at the level of the farmers. Therefore, we have to create an atmosphere where the farmer is no longer compelled to sell the cow to butchers.

Dr HR Nagendra said the demand of the Indian cow is growing worldwide due to her wider usefulness. It has scientifically been proved that the milk of Indian indigenous cows decreases the cholesterol level in the blood, while the milk of cross-breed or foreign-breed cows increases it, he informed. He said the Yatra is a wake-up call given by the spiritual leaders of the nation to save the cow, the village, Bharat and the world through a positive action. Describing the village as the soul of Bharat, he said the farmer and the cow are its life. But today the farmers’ over-dependence on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and machines has led to the neglect of the indigenous cow and the bull, he lamented. The foodgrains the farmers produce have become toxic, the land has turned infertile and the ever-mounting loans drive them to death, he stated.

“It is a matter of great concern that the Indian indigenous cow is on the verge of extinction. Only 33 breeds, out of the hundreds of varieties, survive today. There is a dire need to save and protect them. We have to wake up to this urgent need and work out a comprehensive plan to rehabilitate them,” he said adding that the answer to all such problems lies in returning to the cow-centered way-of-life. The cow and the farmers are the two eyes of the nation. They have to move together if we have to live a happy life.

Talking about the action plan to save the cow and her progeny, Dr Nagendra emphasised that the farmers need to rear indigenous cows and bulls for ploughing, manure and transportation. Cows should be reared not just for milk but also for dung and urine so that cow keeping becomes economically viable. Artificial insemination and cross-breeding of the cow should be avoided. Gavya industries should be established in villages to manufacture health care and cosmetic products. It will generate additional income for the farmers and will make the cow-rearing a profitable proposition. The farmers should adopt eco-friendly methods of cultivation, organic farming and preservation of nature, he suggested.

By Pramod Kumar

Vishwa mangala Gou Gram yatra

Immediate

Immediate Purpose of the Journey

• Formation of representative committee for cow protection with members from all religious sections.
• Start of safe havens for cows at tehsil and district levels.
• Demand to declare cow as the national animal.
• Demand on the central government to formulate laws to preserve various breeds of Indian cows.
• Demand for a separate ministry to handle the issues related to cow.
• Demand the state governments to take responsibility of cow protection and development activities.
• Demand to protect the purity of Indian breeds of cows by stopping cross breeding.
• Signature campaign resulting in an appeal to the President of India with crores together signatures.

Long Term

Long Term Purpose of the Journey

• Immediate action for protection and growth of the remaining 33 breeds of Indian cows.
• Take appropriate action to stop encroachment of grazing land.
• Show the path of organic farming and check farmers’ suicide.
• Stop uncontrolled migration of villagers to towns and cities.
• Educate the farmer that cow is not giver of milk alone. It is important that it is the farmers’ responsibility to care and protect the cow.
• Educate the farmer about the gains of using oxen for farming and positive effects of organic farming.
• Develop products related with cow. Create market for products from cow urine and dung.
• Conduct serious research on the above.
• Encourage agriculture related handicraft.
• Understand the divine nature of cow.
• Prosperity of villages by devotion to cow, progress of the nation from that of villages, leading to the progress of the world.

Change in fertilizer subsidy policy can help India save crores, ensure food security - India Report

New Delhi, India — Moving away from current Government subsidies on synthetic fertiliser that lead to poor soils and less food, and investing in ecological farming will have triple benefits: save public money, ensure food security under less rain and a changing climate, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says ‘Subsidising Food Crisis’ – a scientific report released by Greenpeace today.

The fertiliser report, a joint effort by scientists from Institute of Agriculture Visva Bharathy University, West Bengal, offers a scientific analysis linking the increasing fertiliser subsidies to yield stagnation in agriculture. In 2008/09 the Government of India had set aside an amount of 119,772 crore Rupees for synthetic fertiliser subsidies.

Releasing the report, Greenpeace India’s Sustainable Agriculture campaigner Gopikrishna said, “The irrational subsidy doled out by the government provokes the excessive usage of synthetic fertilisers leading to soil degradation, a major cause for yield stagnation”. He further opined that “The potential for a shift from synthetic to organic nitrogen fertilisers is real: India can save a substantial amount of taxpayers’ money along the way”.

The report points out that in Punjab, the state with highest use of synthetic fertilisers in India, data on the relationship between food grain production and fertiliser consumption from 1960 to 2003 show that in spite of consistent increment in N-P-K fertiliser consumption, grain yield has not only stagnated but also showed a declining trend with fertiliser application during the later period, 1992 to 2003. The average crop response to fertiliser use was around 25 kg of grain per kg of fertiliser during 1960s, the said value has reduced drastically to 8 kg/kg only during late 1990s. High use of chemical fertilisers is mostly also associated with high level of water consumption and micro-nutrient deficiency in soil leading to decline in water table and further deterioration of the soil.

’Subsidising Food Crisis’ for the first time calculates the greenhouse gas emissions from the synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, both by its manufacture and use. Synthetic nitrogen fertilisers contribute 6 percent of the India’s total greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the road transport sector. A shift from synthetic nitrogen fertilisers to efficient and ecological fertilisers will reduce this contribution from 6 to 2 percent. “At a time when it is extremely urgent that the whole world fights climate change, the Government of India could save significant emissions by shifting subsidies to ecological farming. The good news is that this is also a proven way to make agriculture more resilient to upcoming climate change conditions, like less water and more unpredictable rains’, said Reyes Tirado, one of the authors and senior research scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories in the University of Exeter in the UK.

Based on the report released 5 days prior to the first full budget by the new UPA government on July 6th Greenpeace India demands that the Government needs to:

1. Look into an alternate subsidy system that promotes ecological farming and use of organic soil amendments.

2. Shift the irrational subsidy policy for synthetic fertilisers to sustainable ecological practices in agriculture.

3. Re-focus scientific research on ecological alternatives, to identify agro-ecological practices that ensure future food security under a changing climate.

Notes to Editor

The report is authored by Dr B.C Roy and Dr G N Chattopadhyay of Visva Bharathy University and Dr Reyes Tirado, from Greenpeace Research laboratories at the University of Exeter. While Dr Roy, an agricultural economist, has years of experience in agricultural growth and poverty and water-food security, Dr Chattopadhyay is a Soil Science specialist with extensive experience in vermicomposting. Dr. Tirado, an agricultural ecologist, currently leads projects on how ecological farming and biodiversity can help mitigate and adapt food systems to upcoming climate change conditions.

Ayurvedic Concepts Introduction to Ayurveda & OUR PRODUCTS

Ayurvedic Concepts Introduction to Ayurveda

Ayurveda (Science of life) is the traditional medicine and natural healing system of India and its cultural sphere. Its foundation comes from the Vedic Era, the primitive age around 5000 years ago. It is appropriate to say that it is the Mother of all Healing Systems. Ayurveda is one of the most comprehensive healing systems in the world, dealing integrally with body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda has classified the body system according to the theory of Tridosha to overcome all ailments by eliminating the basic cause. The basic objective of Ayurveda is to educate people on how to take care of their health by themselves and increase their span of healthy life. One can achieve this goal by monitoring and balancing one’s nutritional diet and life style. Keeping good habits to heal and prevent illness and inadequacy of body functioning. This system is related to the soul, body & mind simultaneously. Psychosomatic theory recognizes that the mind can create illness in the body. To Understand the Ayurvedic System, the following fundamental section must be understood in detail: 1. Five elements (Base of constitution of the universe). 2. Three doshas- their normal and abnormal stage. 3. Three types of doshas and their significance. 4. Diseases caused by individual doshas. 5. Application of treatment as per symptoms of doshas. 6. Pathya- Apathya (Precaution and care of diet) (Foods to be taken - Foods to be avoided) 7. Three types of vitalities and their relation with the human being and the basis of their healing treatment. These are known as qualities of mind (Satva-Rajas-Tamas) and should be considered. 8. Six tastes- Sweet, salty, bitter, sour, pungent and astringent. These become the cause of different diseases when aggravated. Creation of Five Elements The whole universe is made up of five essential elements- Building blocks that all life forms contain: Ether, air, fire, water and earth. We can easily see how life was created from the subtlest to the grossest matter. From eternity, the subtlest form of matter is ether. Ether mixing with eternity creates air, more observable or experiential element. As air moves, it eventually creates friction, which creates heat or fire. Heat produces moisture, thus creating water, the densest element; if one tries to walk through water, one is slowed by its density. Finally, water produces the densest form of matter, earth. Ayurveda says that all of the creations, including humans, are made up of the combination of all five elements. These elements are the subtlest aspects of human life, finer than the molecular, atomic, or subatomic levels. This is the level that Ayurveda healing works on. Focusing on the cause of the grosser levels of life, the denser aspects will be taken care of since they are made of these five elements. Just as a strong foundation supports a strong building, the five elements (the foundation of all matter) when strong and balanced in a person, they will automatically balance the more material levels. Thus, Ayurveda does not need to look at isolated parts of the human anatomy, or at the vitamin, chemical, or nutritional level of health. It simply balances the elements, and this balances the more physical levels. A person diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer is an example of this balancing. Rather than creating a name for a symptom, Ayurveda identifies the illness as an excess of the fire elements. Acid is a by-product of heat. Ayurveda will look to see in what part of the patient’s life overheating occurs. It may be due to eating excessive fiery foods and spices like tomatoes and peppers. One’s career may be causing undue anger (i.e. hot temper). Perhaps the person drinks alcohol (fire water). Once the cause is learned, suggestions for reducing a person’s excessive intake of fire are discussed. Simultaneously, the patient is advised to use more of the air and water elements to balance the heat with coolness (air cools heat, water puts out the fire). Thus, the holistic approach of Ayurveda seeks the cause of an illness and restores balance, using the insight of the elemental creation of the universe. Description of the Five Elements 1. Space- Sky- Akash (Ether): It is an omni present and all prevailing element, which serves as an abode (dominating or controlling) to all the other four elements and objects in the universe. It is due to space that one can separate or differentiate various objects and different parts of the objects. The same space exists in the body, which creates differentiation and division in the tissues of the body. 2. Air-Vayu: Air contains oxygen, which is a vital element for the existence of all living creatures. Wind is responsible for all the movement in nature. It is in the presence of oxygen in the air that fire can exhibit its action. Wind, in the form of a storm, can cause the destruction of trees, crops, houses etc. The same term as “Vata” applies to the body, which acts in the body as commanding all activities and functions for its betterment and its abnormalities. The knowledge of these facts, helps in the treatment of disease. 3. Energy-Agni (Heat) (Pitta): The sun and fire are the main sources of energy in nature. The sun maintains equitable environmental temperature and light. These properties of the sun are essential and vital for survival of life. The sun’s heat is the source for ripening of plants, vegetables, fruits as well human body cells. It also causes evaporation of water, forming clouds which supply the water to the earth, mountains, hills and streams etc. These elements of nature constitute the life of human beings. The same heat is known as Agni or “Pitta” in Ayurveda. It has the role of chemical changes in the body helping digestion, forming various secretions and enzymes. 4. Water-Apa (Kapha): Water is found in the atmosphere, the sea, lakes, rivers etc. Water is the basic element for sustaining life. It has the cooling effect in the environment. It also feeds the plants, crops etc. The same element in Ayurveda is Kapha. It constitutes the various cells of the body and provides strength as well as life to human beings 5. Solid or Earth: This element itself is predominantly solid. It gives shelter and protection to human beings to work and move on the surface of earth. It is also a source of life and existence. The solid (Earth) maintains life and stability in the nature. The same element represents the development and stability of the body. All the solid elements in the body, such as the bones, teeth, etc. are of the Earth constitution. The Earth property is the base of the constitution of the body. Tri-Doshas Parallel to the three qualities of mind in creation are the three doshas or constitutions in human body. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the three biological elements, which constitute the structural and fundamental units of all the living cells, tissues, organs and the body as a whole. The three doshas originate from five elements, i.e. the doshas are the basis of five elements. Relation of the five elements with the three doshas: 1. Vata has relation with air. 2. Pitta has relation with Heat - Energy- Fire (Agni). 3. Kapha has the relation with liquid substances of nature i.e. Water (Earth) 4. Akash (Space) forms the space in the body and division in the various cells. 5. Earth forms the solid parts of the body. Therefore, the doshas act in the body in accordance with the five elements that are the base of nature as well as Ayurvedic Theory of treatment. The functioning and existence of the body entirely depends on Vata, Pitta, Kapha. To the three elements of constitution i.e. air, water and heat, the Sanskrit names have been given according to their significance (properties) i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The name themselves show their properties and foundation: Details of Doshas Vata: - Vata or air means movement in the universe. Vata is responsible for all the movements. Vata molecules are light, minute, clear, rough and dry. They are always mobile and move in all directions. They quickly spread throughout the body. Vata is cold in nature and causes the diseases related to cold. Because of its minute nature, it cannot be visualized in any form in the body but its presence can be proved by its actions. It is the electricity, setting the organism into motion, marinating the equilibrium between Pitta and Kapha (inerts). It is the sole power to control all the movements of nerves, tissues, cells and systems. Vata may be understood as nerve force, electro motor, physical activity or that which is responsible for motion. It controls the actions of the prefrontal lobe, motor cortex and spinal cord. It carries all the sensory impulses to their centers and also maintains the efficiency of the sense organs. Vata has five divisions or responsibilities in the body, which exist in the different parts of the body. Pran is located in the head and governs the chest, throat, mind, heart, sense organs, intelligence, expectorating, sneezing, belching, inspiration, and swallowing of food—outward movement. Udan resides in the chest and controls the nose, navel, throat, and is responsible for initiating speech, effort, enthusiasm, the capacity to work, complexion, and memory—upward movement. Vyan is found in the heart and rapidly moves throughout the body. It regulates all body movements, including walking, raising and lowering of the body parts, and opening and closing the eyes. Saman is located near the digestive fire. It works in the alimentary tract, and other abdominal organs. It holds food in the alimentary tract (absorbing nutrients and excreting wastes), helps digest foods, separates nutrients from waste, and eliminates the waste—equalized movement. Apan is seated in the colon, and controls the waist, bladder, genitals, and thighs. Its main function is downward movement of wastes (feces, urine), reproductive fluid, menstrual fluid, and it also controls the downward movement of the fetus. Pitta (Heat) Pitta represents energy or heat (Calorie) in the body. Further, Pitta is the combination of energy (heat) and liquid. Heat is the active principle whereas liquid acts as a vehicle. Life on earth depends on energy derived from the Sun. Digestion entirely depends on Pitta (Agni). The process of digestion continues in the gastro-intestinal tract and in the tissues by means of various digestive and tissue enzymes (known as Pitta). Character of Pitta Pitta is hot, light, clear and viscous and has a penetrating power, mobile, pungent, sour and has strong foul smell. It tends to move upward and downward (on the principle of gravity). It increases heat and body temperature as well as appetite and thirst. It maintains the complexion, color and luster of skin. It renders the skin soft and thin. It also maintains the vision. Its main sites are digestive tract, body fluids, blood, sweat, skin, eyes and brain. There are five types of Pitta in the body which exist in the different parts of the body 1. Pachak Pitta (digestive fire): - The gastro-intestinal tract is the seat of Pachak Pitta. The fire digests and transforms food, emulsifying food fats and separating absorbable nutrients from wastes, so they may be passed to lacteals by absorption (Food becoming partially digested in the stomach is called chyme. This chyme passes into the small intestine where it becomes digested by the pancreatic juice and bile. The usable byproduct is lymph and fatty matter, or chyle. The chyle moves through lacteals, or lymphatic vessels which carry chyle from small intestine to the thoracic duct. From the thoracic duct, the chyle is sent into the blood). Pachaka (digestive enzymes), through digestion, automatically nourishes the other four Pittas. 2. Ranjak Pitta: - The main sites of this Pitta are the liver, spleen, stomach and small intestines. It is represented by the bile, enzymes and bone marrow. Its function is synthesis of hemoglobin and imparting red color to the blood. 3. Sodhaka Pitta: - The brain is the main site of Shodak Pitta. It is represented by the cellular enzymes of nerve cells. It helps in performing mental function such as knowledge, intelligence and consciousness by maintaining rhythmic and cardiac contractions. 4. Alochak Pitta: - It exists in the eyes. It is represented by the enzymes in the rode and cones in the retina. It functions in perception of light. 5. Bhrajak Pitta: - The skin is the main site of this Pitta. It keeps the skin warm and is responsible for its normal complexion and luster by keeping secretions from the sweat and sebaceous glands of the skin active. Kapha The Biological element of Kapha is derived from the two basic physical elements namely earth and water. Kapha molecules are heavy, stable, smooth, soft, viscous, shiny and moist, white in color and predominantly have a sweet and slightly salty taste. Kapha constitutes the main body mass and is responsible for the shape and form of the body. Kapha fills the intercellular spaces of the body as connective tissues including mucus, synovial fluids and tendons. All the cells, tissues and organs of the body are predominantly composed of Kapha elements. The biological combination of solid and liquids in varying proportions is responsible for the varying structure and composition of various tissues like body fluids (Rasa), semen, blood, muscle, fat, bone marrow and brain. The fluid component of Kapha is responsible for the maintenance and formation of body fluids. Because of its heavy and stable qualities, it is responsible for strength stability and firmness of body and mind. Because of its oily nature, it prevents friction between the two parts of the body. In muscles, it gives strength to the body. In fact, it gives shape (form) to it. In the semen, it is responsible for fertility. The brain and nerves tissues predominantly contain Kapha molecules. Kapha of inferior quality in the brain produces a stab of ignorance, delusion, laziness and jealousy. Five sites of Kapha in body: 1. Kledak :- It is present in the stomach and intestines up to the colon. It is the mucus secretion in the gastro intestinal tract. It dilutes the food taken, and also helps the digestion and supports the Kapha elements to work properly throughout the body. 2. Avalambak :- It is present in the chest. It constitutes the myocardial and Alveoli (Lungs tissue), plensal and pericardial fluids. It supports and gives strength to the heart, lungs and bone cage of the body. 3. Bodhak :- Present in the oral cavity and throat, represented by saliva. It helps to appreciate taste by the tongue. It also helps to moisten the food for easy ingestion and digestion. 4. Tarpak Kapha :- Situated in the cranial cavity and is represented by Kapha molecule of brain, cerebrospinal fluids. It supports the nutrition of brain and nourishes the sense organs. 5. Shleshak Kapha: - Known as sinovial fluid in the joints. It provides nutrition to the ends of the bones and its presence prevents friction during joint movements and, particularly supports to constitute and strength to the body. Vayu/Pitta, Vayu/Kapha, Pitta/Kapha, and a combination of all three (tridosha). Although finding the cause of an illness is still a mystery to modern science, it was and continues to be the main goal of Ayurveda. Six stages of the development of disease were known, including aggravation, accumulation, overflow, relocation, a buildup in a new site, and manifestation into the recognizable disease. Modern equipment and diagnosis can only detect a disease during the fifth and sixth stages of illness. Ayurvedic physicians can recognize an illness in the making before it creates more serious imbalances in the body. Health is seen as a balance of the biological humors, whereas disease is an imbalance of the humors. Ayurveda creates balance by supplying deficient humors and reducing the excess ones. Surgery is seen as a last resort. Modern medicine is just beginning to realize the need to supply rather than to remove, but still does not know how or what to supply. Additionally, there are over 2,000 medicinal plants classified in India’s materia medica. A unique therapy, known as pancha karma (five actions), completely removes toxins from the body. This method reverses the disease path from its manifestation stage, back into the blood stream, and eventually into the gastrointestinal tract (the original site of the disease). It is achieved through special diets, oil massage, and steam therapy. At the completion of these therapies, special forms of emesis (vomiting), purgation, and enemas remove excesses from their sites of origin. Finally, Ayurveda rejuvenates—rebuilding the body’s cells and tissues after toxins are removed. Significance of Doshas Disease is caused by imbalancing of the doshas. For example, if a Pitta dosha eats much ginger, it will create excess fire in the digestive system (body). This results in Pitta disorders like acid indigestion. Disease may be caused by deficient, improper or excess contact with seasons ( e.g., excess cold in winter), sensory objects (e.g., excessive light/sound), and activities (e.g., over exercise). VATA SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANCE The following symptoms show the causes of Vata and significance (existence) in the body: 1. Joints and Muscles: Pain all over the body or in individual parts i.e. joints-muscles-nerves etc. (Arthritis). 2. Muscles :- Myalgia, muscular pain, tenderness in the muscles. 3. Nerves- Neuralgia- Other stages of Vata disease- hemiplagia, facial paralysis, trigerminal, neuralgia, neurotic pain in any part of the body—other diseases of the nervous system 4. Convulsions, hysteria –epilepsy –spasm, tremors—stiffness 5. Abdominal pain:-Accumulation of wind in the digestive tract. 6. Renal colic., colic pain 7. Pain in the joints – Pain in the chest, pain in the back Use of Herbal Medicine: Reslim, Gluco health (Glubeta), Chanderprabha, Respiton, Sitopladi churna, Talisadi churna, Trikatu, Antma syrup Kapha Oil for local application or steaming Tastes: Tastes have crucial significance in Ayurveda. According to Ayurvedic theory, there are six tastes existing in every food, plants, herbs, etc. and these play a vital role in human body: 1. Sweet (Madhus) 2. Sour (Amal) 3. Salty (Lawan) 4. Pungent ( Kattu) 5. Bitter (Tikt) 6. Astringent ( Kashaya) These tastes have the direct relation with doshas. These tastes may either aggravate or pacify the doshas: Vata (air), Pitta (fire), Kapha (water). For example: 1. Sweet (Madhu) :- Increases the Kapha and subsides the Vayu (Vata) and Pitta. 2. Sour (Amal) :- Increases the Pitta and subsides the Vayu (Vata) and Kapha. 3. Salty (Lawan) :- Increases the Pitta and Kapha and subsides the Vayu (Vata). 4. Pungent (Kattu) :- Increases the Pitta and subsides Kapha and Vayu (Vata). 5. Bitter (Tikta) :- Increases the Vayu (Vata) and subsides the Pitta and Kapha. 6. Astringent (Kashaya) :- Increases the Vayu (Vata) and subsides the Pitta and Kapha. 7. Sweet, sour, salty: Subsides the Vayu and increases the Kapha and Pitta. 8. Pungent, bitter, astringent: Subsides the Kapha and increases the Pitta and Vayu. 9. Astringent, bitter, sweet: Subsides the Pitta and increases the Kapha and Vayu. 1. Sweet, Sour, Salty :- Increase Kapha and Pitta, subsides the Vayu 2. Pungent, bitter, sweet :- Increase the Kapha and subsides the Pitta 3. Astringent, bitter, sweet :- Increase the Kapha and subsides the Pitta. The six tastes have the relation with five elements also : 1. Sweet, Pungent, astringent :- (Relation with ) :- Water 2. Salty :- (Relation with ) :- Earth 3. Sour, salty :- (Relation with ) :- Fire (Heat) 4. Astringent, bitter :- (Relation with ) :- Vayu (Air) Omni Present:Akash (ether). Sweet taste is the most nourishing and as each taste becomes less nourishing, it becomes more bitter, until it is astringent – the least nourishing. That is why meals should be tasteful. In aggravated doshas, to maintain health, a little of each taste is prescribed in Ayurveda. Qualities of the Brain- Satva- Rajas- Tamas 1. Satva means good quality of mind. 2. Rajas means undesirable/medium quality of mind. 3. Tamas means bad quality of mind. Parallel to the three qualities of mind in creation are the three doshas or constitutions in human body. These are the three qualities of mind, which are formed at the time of imbedding of the fetus in the human being and just compared with the formation of genes, which sustain throughout life. They have a deep relation with the Ayurvedic system and treatment. Treatment of Satva persons is maintained and applied according to nature of the Satva person; similarly Rajas and Tamas persons are treated according to their nature. Description: 1. Satva persons are holy, steady, clear minded, religious and follow the path of truth. They are persons of good manners and characters. They posses a great degree of self control and never become upset or angry. They remain calm, quiet, mentally strong, less sleepy and respectful. They are always dedicated to improving their knowledge, efficiency and skill. They are persons of strong and correct decisions and many times they are found like saints. 2. Rajas Persons have involvement in worldly affairs. These persons are egoistic, proud, ambitious and have a tendency to rule on others as they are persons of uncertain decisions. Though inattentive they are hard working. They lack proper planning and direction. Their mental makeup is not strong. A wavering mind, emotions like anger, joy, attachment, jealousy and selfishness rules them and are good friends with others for their own interest. 3. Tamas persons are less intelligent, depressed and lazy. The slightest mental exertion tires them. They a have tendency to feel sleepy even during the day. They indulge in eating, drinking, sleeping and sex affairs. They are extremely greedy, irritable and have no interest in the affairs of others. They go to the extent of harming others to safeguard their own interests. These qualities are transferred by parents to their children during fertilization. Environment and diet plays a decisive role in the formation of all the above noted three qualities (Satva-Rajas-Tamas) Some considerable factors: Ayurvedic system of healing takes a long time to fix any problem as the problem is fixed from the roots and the basic cause of the problem is eliminated. So that's why Ayurvedic herbal products are supposed to be taken with confidence, regularity, and should be used for a long time. Ayurvedic treatment has no side effects. Instead of filling the body with vitamins, minerals and other components Which are synthetic or extracted,and canot have all of them at a time. Why not take vitamins, minerals and other nutritious components requird by body from herbs?. Which are in colloidal form, eassily and naturally get absorbed in the body whole having nutritional, assimilating and abosorption values, Without any side effects. For example, one Emblica Officinalis (Amla fruit) provides 20 times more vitamin C than a whole orange. Besides, it has herbal curative properties also. How can a problem be fixed so quickly when it took a long time to develop? It is advisable to use natural products for a long time for better results, as herbal products take time to show any significant results and these results last forever. There is more stress put on the carrier, i.e. the type of liquid that is used to take herbal formulas, and precautions (food habits). The properties of many herbs change simply whether they are taken with cold water or hot water. This shows how the carrier plays a key role in the effectiveness of herbal formulations. The herbal formulation acts faster in a physically weak person, as compared to a healthy person. **These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any Disease.

NOTE:

we are a professionally managed organization engaged in the production and marketing of quality and authentic Ayurvedic medicines and other herbal preparations.We have qualified Ayurvedic Doctors in our panel to examine, evaluate and study the efficacy of each of the Ayurvedic preparations that are sold by us. Every product is evaluated as per its ingredients and the ratio of each of the constituents and their effects on the human body. Hundreds of these medicines preparations are available in our ready stock. We have qualified Ayurvedic Doctors to examine patients, diagnose the type of physical or mental ailments and to prescribe appropriate Ayurvedic medicines.

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Herbal Remedies for Menopause

Dear Health-Conscious Friend,

In this report you'll learn about the real truths of hormone replacement therapy(HRT), and find out how to get relief for menopause in just days.

You'll also find:

* Herbal Remedies for Menopause
* How to test your hormones at your home
* How to Get Real Hormonal Replacement Therapy
* The dangers of pharmaceutical "HRT" drugs
* The reasons and cures for your symptoms relating to depression, weight gain, lack of energy, and loss of libido

Get Remedies For Your Symptoms

The hottest topic in medicine today is the issue of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for women. It is important because your hormone levels decline and cause the changes of aging and menopause. These changes are responsible for osteoporosis and the increased risk of heart disease in post-menopausal women.

HRT is more popular than ever with Oprah talking about it. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been both praised and bashed in the media.

And while argument still rages, no one seems to be focusing on the most important point in interpreting the recent studies. All of the studies about "HRT" that you have heard about recently did not test the effects of hormones. They are all trials of hormone mimicking drugs like synthetic estradiol derivatives and chemical medroxyprogesterone acetate. They are pharmaceutical concoctions made to mimic the effects of estrogen and progesterone respectively.

These things are drugs, not hormones. Since they have never been in your body, you are not replacing anything by taking them. The bad press about these drugs has given hormones themselves a bad name. Find out the truth about HRT in this free report.

The good news is, there is a natural solution to nature's problem and you can find it in this free report.

Climate Change = Water Crisis

Greenpeace activists queue up outside RBI to deposit water.
Delhi, India — 25 Greenpeace activists queued up outside the Reserve Bank of India to deposit 100’s of pots of water for safe keeping to highlight the issue of the growing water crisis fuelled by climate change. The activists unfurled a banner with a message “Climate Change = water crisis” right out side the RBI main gate.

"Our government’s response to the preparation required to address climate change stinks. At the rate the Gangotri is melting, it will soon vanish and dilli wallhs will soon have to take turns to bathe", said Nitin, Greenpeace campaigner tongue firmly in cheek. Delhi has received almost 60% less than the predicted rainfall this season. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh are not to far behind.

The Indian monsoon which is the lifeline of the subcontinent will be significantly affected by climate change, according to a Greenpeace paper titled ‘Monsoon Wager: Climate change and the Indian Monsoon’ (1). Stability and predictability of the monsoons are critical to India’s economy society and ecology including our agriculture and food supply chain. Changes in the monsoon will have far reaching social and economic impacts.

The lives of millions of Indians, farmers, city dwellers, depend on the monsoon. Delhi has been at the receiving end of changing weather patterns with summers becoming hotter every year and monsoons very erratic and unpredictable. "The time has come for ordinary citizens to step forward and lead the war against the climate crisis. If our governments don’t take immediate steps to tackle climate change, we will live to see the day when water will have to be deposited in the banks for safety" Said Nishant, a volunteer with Greenpeace.

Greenpeace has launched a campaign called "Greenidol" across the country to engage with people and get them to sign a petition demanding a Renewable Energy Law. Since the 4th of June more than 35000 people have signed on. Greenpeace along with citizens will be presenting these petitions to the Prime Minister of India demanding for an ambitious central Renewable Energy Law in the country.

It’s about survival. Hillary, Barack, Stop Global Warming!

New Delhi, India — School children, joined Greenpeace activists to tell Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, before she left India, that mere talk isn’t enough to avert a climate catastrophe. With photographs and messages from children, women and men from Aila hit Sunderbans, the children demanded that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama be leaders and ensure that the irreparable damage that climate change would wreck on the environment and people was avoided.
“The US is one of the biggest culprits contributing to global warming, which has led to an increase in the intensity of disasters including the cyclone in Sunderbans leading to a humanitarian crisis there. Why should the vulnerable pay the price for this crisis to which they have contributed little? Its time the culprits started taking responsibility for their actions and it has to start from the US.” said Siddharth Pathak, climate campaigner, Greenpeace.

The election of Barack Obama had raised lots of hope to get real leadership on climate. 5 months ahead of the UN-climate conference in Copenhagen, meant to be the most crucial to get a good decision on addressing the danger of climate change, there has hardly been any leadership from Obama. “We need strong actions globally to avert this crisis and these actions need to start from the industrialized countries. Contrary to the imperative, the US has repeatedly failed to come up with strong domestic mitigation actions and is silent on the financial support for developing countries to help the most vulnerable peoples adapt to the impacts of global warming.” said Pathak.

In the meantime, the impacts of climate change on various countries have been devastating. Cyclone Aila has left lakhs homeless and dependent on relief materials. With agricultural fields ruined by salt water ingress there is likely to be a shortage of locally grown food in the affected areas, and a loss of livelihood. Delayed and insufficient monsoons have worsened the situation in the monocrop agriculture region. Thousands of people from this region have already sought refuge in Kolkata in search of food and employment, with many thousand more climate migrants likely.

“Sunderbans is just one example. Barack and Hillary should look at the Sunderbans and start taking immediate steps to curb the effects of climate change.” He added.

The Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, demonstrated leadership at the G8 summit in Italy earlier this month by showing solidarity to limit global temperature rise below 2 degress Celsius. For fulfilling the commitment of limiting global warming, industrialized countries need to start reducing emissions domestically and ensure they provide financial and technological support to countries like India where vulnerable people are suffering from the impacts of climate change.

Climate Change

Climate Change
Climate change has caused dramatic glacial retreat. This is Rongbuk glacier in Tibet in 2007.The photo held by our Greenpeace staff is of the same glacier taken in 1968.

Climate change is happening.

Because of man-made greenhouse gas emissions the earth is dangerously warming up. Most greenhouse gas pollution comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal to make electricity.

If we do nothing to stop it, climate change will cause severe water shortages, rising sea levels will swallow cities, and pest outbreaks will sicken people and kill crops.

One of the early signs we are already experiencing is an increase in extreme weather events such as destructive storms, drought and floods.

Climate change is already killing more than 150,000 people every year from disease and extreme weather.
(World Health Organisation
estimation for deaths in 2000).

China’s rapid economic development has lifted millions out of poverty but has come at a huge environmental cost.


An explosive number of factories, coal-fired power stations and massive construction projects have made China, along with the US, the world’s top greenhouse gas emitter.

And with a population of more than 1.3 billion, China faces very real threats from climate change.

Millions will go thirsty:

About 80 percent of the Himalayan glaciers which feed China’s rivers will disappear in 30 years.

Millions will go hungry:

By 2030 some scientists believe the country won’t be able to grow enough food to feed its own people.

Millions will suffer from disasters:

Extreme weather events such as storms, droughts and floods will become common and threaten lives across the country.

Greenpeace is the leading non-governmental organisation in China pushing for stronger policies to fight climate change.

•We are lobbying for China to play a strong leadership role in critical United Nations negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009.

•We are urging the country to move away from coal.
•And we are working with scientists to map out a feasible plan that China can follow to massively boost its renewable energy sector.

Paradise Forests

Paradise Forests

Only 20 percent of the world's ancient forests remain in large, intact tracts. Some of the ancient forests under greatest threat are the ‘Paradise Forests’.
This wonderfully diverse region supports hundreds of indigenous cultures and creatures found nowhere else in the world. The island of New Guinea, the world’s second biggest island, has the largest continuous tracts of ancient forest in the Asia Pacific region. The island is divided into two regions: the Indonesian territory of Papua in the west and the nation of Papua New Guinea in the east.

The Paradise Forests consist of tropical rainforests, mangrove, coastal and swamp forests. Monsoon and deciduous forests flourish in the drier and more mountainous regions. They shelter an amazingly rich number of plant and animal species, many of which occur nowhere else on earth. The Orang Utan, Sumatran Tiger and the world's largest flower, the one metre wide rafflesia all call the Paradise Forests home.

People also live in the Paradise Forests. Their deep connection to the forest for their cultural, spiritual and physical wellbeing has been unbroken for thousands of years. The diversity of these cultures is extraordinary. More than 1000 languages are spoken on the island of New Guinea alone. That is around one sixth of all the living languages on Earth today.

CowParade Hits La Jolla Streets

CowParade Hits La Jolla Streets
Due to the economy, San Diego's CowParade shrunk to 40 cows and are all in La Jolla March 15th to June 15th.

Since we are in San Diego, we took some photos to show you some of the cows that are on parade.

My Ancestors' Village
Mad Cow Wild Style
Psychedellic Green Cow

Senorita Flora Fauna de Vaca
The Triumph of Will
Digesting the News

Designer Jeans
San Diego Nightlife
Tribal Bovine

Digesting the News #2
Cow with a View
Cow with a View #2

emoo, A Reason to Survive
Action Cow
Cowsablanca















CowParade Hits La Jolla Streets
Due to the economy, San Diego's CowParade shrunk to 40 cows and are all in La Jolla March 15th to June 15th.

Since we are in San Diego, we took some photos to show you some of the cows that are on parade.

My Ancestors' Village
Mad Cow Wild Style
Psychedellic Green Cow

Senorita Flora Fauna de Vaca
The Triumph of Will
Digesting the News

Designer Jeans
San Diego Nightlife
Tribal Bovine

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Organic farms

Organic farms

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(1) Beijing Qing Pu Yuan Vegetable Co.,Ltd.（Liu Min Ying Ecological Farm）
Add：Liu Min Ying Ecological Farm, Changziying Town, Daxing District, Beijing

Certifier：OFDC，COFCC

Product categories：vegetable and fruit, grain

Tel：010-80266739

Website：www.liuminying.com.cn

Liu Min Ying Ecological Farm products are sold in major supermarkets including Carrefour, Wal-Mart, Hua Lian, CR Vanguard, and more. The farm is also open to visitors and offers catering services. Advanced booking is required.

(2) Crab Island

Add：1 Xiedao Lu, Chaoyang District (1 kilometre south to Airport thruway Exit Weigou)

Certifier：OFDC

Product categories：vegetable and fruit, grain

Tel：010-84335566/5588

Website：www.xiedao.com

Crab Island farms are open to visitors who wish to experience farm life. Fruit picking and crop harvesting tours can be arranged. Tour bookings and ordering of organic food can be made online and by phone.

(3) Beijing Kuai Le Nong Fu

Add：3 kilometres from the Tuqiao subway station, Zaolin Village, Zhangwan Town, Tongzhou District, Beijing

Product categories：vegetable and fruit

Certifier：Self-certified（Certification that awarded by agency is on the application）

Tel：010-51515231/13701105044(Mr. Wang)/13501268189(Mr. Fu)

Website：www.kuailenongfu.com

Kuai Le Nong Fu has released a project of small family farms which consumers can rent to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Kuai Le Nong Fu will be happy to provide technical guidance and daily management services.

(4) Lohas Organic Farm (Beijing Lohas Health Food Communication Co., Ltd.)

Add：Nan Nian Feng, Yangsong Town, Huairou District,Beijing

Product categories：fruits and vegetable, grain, livestock

Certifier：In the process of application

Tel：010-88496728

Website：www.lehas.cn

Lohas Organic Farm covers 500 acres and is open to the public. They provide health education courses, accommodation, catering, and activities such as livestock feeding. Advanced booking can be made by phone.


(5) Zhiwan Organic Ranch （Beijing Lohaocity Supermarket Co.,Ltd.）

Add：Tianzhuang Village, Gaoling Town, Miyun District,Beijing

Organic Union：Member of IFOAM

Product categories: vegetable and fruit, grain, feeding animals, honey, plant

Certifier：OFDC，DFJH

Opening date: Mid May – Mid Oct

Tel：010-84594332

Website：www.lohaocity.com

Zhiwan Organic Farm covers an area of 1,486 hectares. They provide health education courses, accommodation, catering, and activities such as livestock feeding. Advanced booking for tours and organic food ordering can all be made by phone. Zhiwan Farm products are also available in Lohao City Supermarkets and at the Long Island Organic Hotpot Restaurant.

(6) Green Cow Farm

Add：Dong Ge Zhuang Village, Hou Sha Yu, Shunyi District, Beijing

Product categories: vegetables and fruits

Certifier：Self-certified, Vegetables and fruits are all planted in the soil which has no chemical pollution, and without fertilizer.

Tel：010-80464301

Website：www.greencowfarm.com
E-mail：thelovelygreencow@gmail.com

Consumers may apply for membership of Green Cattle Farm Vegetable Club to enjoy their ordering and delivery services. You can also save your biodegradable kitchen waste and send it to the farm for use as compost fertilizer. Green Cattle Farm has its own restaurant, for details please refer to Organic Restaurants (page number?).

(7) Derunwu Organic Farm

Add：3-6# strawberry garden, Xin Village, Xingshou Town, Changping District, Beijing

Product categories: dozens of kinds of organic vegetables

Certifier：USDA，QAI，OCIA，JAS，BFA，IFOAM

Tel：010-8459-0809

E-mail：jiyunliang@vip.163.com

Derunwu Organic Farm mainly offers organic vegetables.

(8) Yuandingyuan Organic Eco-Agricultural Park

Add：Lixian Town,Daxing District,Beijing

Product categories: certified organic poultry,vegetable and corn
The Branch of Chinese Academy of Agricultural is the special store for organic Produce.

Customer Service Hotline：010-62130815 15911112185

Yuandingyuan Produce Distribution Center

Tel：010-89222818 13121020116

E-mail：ydy365@ydy365.com.cn

The products of Ecological Agricultural Park are available by email or phone. Consumers may also apply for the membership of Yuandingyuan Organic Eco-Agricultural Park, and plant and herd in the farm. They can also enjoy a half-discount price to pick vegetables in the farm once every month.