(The next question is from Madame Anne Marie Araba.)
Mme Araba Anne-Marie: Good evening, Master. Please accept all my gratitude. In the global warming flyer, it is stated: ‘‘Due to the overfishing and the loss of tens of millions of sardines, a vital chain, the waters of the southwest African coast are loaded with a toxic gas that bubbles from the bottom of the ocean, killing marine life on the surface. The size of the area is equivalent to that of the State of New Jersey (USA), and worsening the greenhouse effect.” What is the original nature of this gas? Thank You, Master.
Master: Bonjour, Madamoiselle Araba. You came all the way from Cotonou, Benin to be with us? (Yes, Master.) You are from Radio Topka, in Cotonou, Benin, right? (Yes, Master.) Thanks for coming to share with us your concern. It is very disturbing to know about the state of the waters off the western coast of your continent. You see, this poisonous gas that you are asking about is formed from the elements that create oceanic dead zones.
Dead zones are exactly as they sound. They are areas of the ocean that are dead – areas of the ocean that are unable to support any more life – which arise mostly from livestock feed agricultural pollution, as well as livestock manure running into the ocean, or some other kind of imbalances. The number of dead zones observed since 2003 have more than tripled, with now in excess of 400 that exist and are growing worldwide. The African dead zone, according to scientists, has been caused by a combination of a strong upwelling current that brings abundant plankton, along with the loss of sardine(-people) because of human fishing.
In the past several decades, tens of millions of these tiny fish(-people) have been removed from the ocean for human consumption. So now, instead of sardine(-people) helping to consume the plankton, the plankton just dies in the water instead, and sinks to the bottom of the ocean where it decays and contributes to the formation of the poisonous gases: methane and hydrogen sulfide. While methane gas can be volatile and explosive, hydrogen sulfide is poisonous to both humans and marine life. So, this area has periodic explosions of methane and hydrogen sulfide.
And when these gases erupt off the coast of Africa, many other fish(-people) die and animal(-people) such as lobster- and crab(-people) run onto the shore, trying to flee the poisonous gas. But sometimes they cannot avoid it either. Scientists are now concerned that, without a restoration of the ecological balance, dead zones like this will just continue to be more and more, get bigger and bigger, which of course is lethal for all life. So, this is a small but very good example of why we need to be vegan – to renew the rightful balance of life.
And, of course, we also need to be organic vegan, because so many of these dead zones are caused and made worse by chemical fertilizers that are primarily used for livestock feed. So, yes, be organic vegan. Thank you, mademoiselle. And good luck, a lot of fun with your journalistic job, and send my love to all your colleagues at Radio Tokpa in Cotonou. God bless your country, Benin. (Thank You, Master.) Thank you.
(Thank You. Thank You, Master, for the answer. Next question is from Mr. Bertrand Badja Baissi, who is in charge of the program at Télévision Deuxième.) Welcome, sir.
Mr. Bertrand Badja Baissi: Thank You, Master. Thank You for everything that You are doing. Your mission is noble, and I think – just by looking at the crowd around us – that the message went through. A few years ago, it was still difficult to get this message through. I also want to let You know that I’m a spiritual broadcasting host on TV2 in Lomé, Togo. A year and a half ago, we had a show on the benefits of being a vegetarian and vegan. It wasn’t easy. Yet today, many have come back to us saying that their vegetarian or vegan experience finally bore fruit. We congratulate ourselves. However, there is a paradox. In daily media, we have information about the risks that our Earth is facing. Today, as Africans, what can we do to stop the disasters to our planet caused by global warming? Thank You, Master. (Thank you.)
Master: Hallo, Monsieur Badja Baissi. Thank you for your noble concern and thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. You see, the biggest thing, as I have mentioned already, is to forgo all animal(-people) products whatsoever and spread the message to as many people as possible that this is the solution, the number one and the main solution, the major solution. If I knew any better solution, I would have informed everyone, because I’m also concerned about the planet in which I still live. So, the reason on the physical level is to stop methane and nitrous oxide – the two gases that are produced by livestock-raising.
As we know now from the United Nations report in in 2006, Livestock’s Long Shadow, that the animal(-people) that are raised for meat are producing more greenhouse gases than all the worldwide transportation combined. So livestock-raising is the #1 cause of methane. Some years ago, it was already known that methane trap up to 23 times more heat than carbon dioxide, which is the most well-known and main greenhouse gas. However, recently, scientists discovered that methane heats the environment up to 72 times more than carbon dioxide, averaged over a 20-year period.
So actually, if we calculate this factor of 72 times instead of 23 times as estimated before, the CO2, or carbon dioxide, warming equivalent is actually significantly higher for methane. This means that the livestock industry contributes even more than what was originally estimated.
In Africa, even though the livestock production is not on as large a scale as it is in some other countries, researchers have said that 70% of people in rural parts of the continent raise livestock, and they predict a large future growth based on anticipated demand.
This is the trend we need to halt now. If we eliminate (animal-people) meat from our diet, global warming is reduced very quickly by a tremendous amount, if not most of it. If everyone becomes vegan, stops raising more animal(-people) for food, and instead, grows organic vegetables, our Earth and the environment can be saved – and as quick as we could not even imagine – in a few weeks. Another important part of the remedy is to do good deeds, to spread the positive good energy. Also, we can pray to Heaven for mercy and protection. We need Heaven’s intervention and we need everyone now to cooperate to save the planet by being vegan, going green, and doing good. Thank you, sir. I too pray for Africa’s well-being and I’m praying also for the planet’s well-being. Thank you. (Thank You.) (Thank You, Master, for Your answer.) You’re welcome, love.
Interviews1
(Good morning, sir.) Good morning. (May I have your name, please?) Yes, I’m Mr. Pidali Ulrich. (What do you think of this conference?) It’s a good thing. In the past, we weren’t aware of it, and there are many people who don’t know that there’s a danger – that the world is in danger. But with this conference, I think everyone will truly know what’s going on in the world, and they will really become aware of it. And they will also, I believe, change their behavior – especially regarding meat consumption.
(After this conference, can you personally decide to become a vegan and influence those around you to become vegan?) You’re in luck – I’m already one. I’m already a vegetarian because I’m a practitioner. I became a vegetarian for health reasons. (Thank you, sir.) You’re welcome. Bye-bye.
Interviews2
(Good evening, madam.) Good evening, sir. (May I have your name, please?) Mrs. Akbablah Nigoumidoui. (What do you think of this conference we’ve just attended?) Oh, I see that it’s very wonderful. We’ve been told what we can do to save our planet, how to behave, and I think it’s been a real success.
(After this conference, are you personally motivated to become a vegan and to influence those around you to become vegan to save our planet?) Honestly, sincerely, hand on heart, really, I had the desire today to become a vegan because seeing all the things we were told and the benefits of veganism, I was truly motivated. I was moved. If only I could have the will to continue, it would give me immense joy.
(You’ve just tasted the vegan dish after the conference. How did you like it?) Oh! It was really good. I even thought there was meat in what was prepared. But then I really realized that… Sometimes I ask, “Is that meat?” I’m told, “No.” “What is that?” I was told it was excellent! You don’t even know what to say! (Thank you very much, madam.) Thank you too. Thank you.
Photo Caption: Eden Is Where All Hearts Are Happy With Spreading Kindness and Love From God
