[Posted September 8, 2008]

Produce food grains, not beef

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

How you can combat global warming at the dining table

Guardian Sep 7, 2008 - JULIETTE JOWIT

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming

People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change, the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century.

'In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,' said Pachauri. 'Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,' said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian. go to story

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Put milk in your tank

Milk: Secret to Long Life A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Milk is compared to nectar, which one can drink to become immortal. Of course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can increase the duration of one's life. In modern civilization, men do not think milk to be important, and therefore they do not live very long. Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of Bhagavad-gita, advises go-rakshya, which means cow protection. The cow should be protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one can prolong one's life, develop his brain, execute devotional service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean milk from their milk bags. more

Grow food, don't kill it

excerpt from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4, London, Nov 25,1973

So the land, the land is there. Just like in America or in Australia there are so much land. In Africa, so much land lying vacant. But they do not know that this land can produce all the needs of life. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Sarva-kama, whatever you want. Just like this Western civilization has created so many slaughterhouse for eating purposes. But wherefrom they are getting? From the land. If there is no pasturing ground, grazing ground, wherefrom they will get the cows and the bulls? Because there is grass on the land and the cows and bulls eat them, therefore they grow. Then you cut their throat, civilized man, and eat, you rascal civilized man. But you are getting from the land. Without land, you cannot. Similarly, instead of cutting the throat of the cows, you can grow your food. Why you are cutting the throat of the cows? After all, you have to get from the land. So as they are—the animals which you are eating—they are getting their eatables from the land, why don't you get your eatables from the land? Therefore it is said, sarva-kama-dugha mahi. You can get all the necessities of your life from land. Dugha means produce. You can produce your food. Some land should be producing the foodstuff for the animals, and some land should be used for the production of your foodstuffs, grains, fruits, flowers, and take milk. Why should you kill these innocent animals? You take. You keep them happy, and you get so much milk that it will moist, it will make wet the ground. This is civilization. This is civilization.

That was being maintained during the time of Maharaja Yudhishthira. That is being described. Maharaja Yudhishthira maintained this standard of civilization. Just see how the economic problems will be solved simply by one movement, this Krishna consciousness movement. Try to understand. Mahi [land]. Because mahi will produce everything. Just like here in this Letchmore Heath there are so many, so much lands lying vacant. You produce you own food. Why you are going to London, to the factories? There is no need. This is wrong civilization. Here is land. You produce your food. If you produce your food, there is no need of going hundred miles, fifty miles on your motorcycle or motor to earn your livelihood. Why? There is no need. Then you require petrol. And petrol there is scarcity. Then you require so many parts, so many. That means you are making the whole thing complicated unnecessarily. Unnecessarily. There is no need. Simply you keep to the land and produce your food, and the cows are there. They will supply you milk. Then where is your economic problem? If you have sufficient grains, sufficient vegetables, sufficient milk from the land where you are living, where your economic problem? Why you should go to other place? That is Vedic civilization. Everyone should remain in the spot and produce everything as he requires, and God will help you. Because you can produce from the land anywhere. The rainfall is there. If you have got land and the rainfall is regular, then you can produce anything. Kamam vavarsha parjanyah [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4]. And how the rainfall will be possible? How regular rainfall? That is described in the Bhagavata: Yajñad bhavati parjanyah parjanyad anna-sambhavah [Bhagavad-gita 3.14: "All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice]"].

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