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Essential Sustainability Facts
Tragically Going UnReported
What can be done ?
SOS #268 -- J. Morris Hicks -- (3-13-24)
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In October of 2021, a powerful; documentary, Eating Our Way to Extinction made its debut. It was a terrific film that featured Kate Winslet as the voice behind the images of horror and has garnered over ten million views. | |
It was a terrific 80-minute treasure that at times was a little difficult to endure. But now, their team has just launched a 35-minute, "Essential Facts" summary edition that is a must-watch for every human being who cares about the children of the world and the future of humanity.
It is now available for FREE on YouTube. -- where it was over 10,000 times in the first 10 days.
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A little background. I have shared many videos in these SOS Memos over the years and have generally been disappointed to see how few of my readers choose to watch them.
This powerful video is different. It gets right to the heart of the problem and tells you what you can do about it -- giving you all the facts you need to know in just 35 minutes.
One minute into this powerful film, Dr. Marco Springmann of the University of Oxford -- utters these chilling words:
"Without addressing what we eat, we simply won't make it."
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The most powerful film that I have ever seen, It cuts right to the heart of the most terrifying situation in the history of humanity -- the rapid destruction of the biosphere that keeps us alive.
Sadly, it may already be too late. But, the way I see it -- our single best chance of slowing climate change enough to prevent the end of our civilization and our species -- is by declaring all-out war on animal agriculture. That includes seafood as you will see in the film.
On that note, I agree with Dr. Springmann's conclusion -- in that we're simply not going to make it -- if we don't start making better food choices soon. I am near certain of that.
Simply stated, I would add that I am also near certain that a rapid, worldwide shift to a whole food, plant-based diet -- gives us humans the best possible chance for surviving much longer as a species. Sadly, no matter what we do now, we may have already waited too long to get started.
But on a positive note, I do believe that this powerful film provides us with a handy tool that can help us move ASAP away from all animal agriculture, including fish farming.
Here is what I recommend:
- First, watch this 35-minute film by yourself.
- Watch it again with someone you love: your spouse, your partner, your grown son or daughter or with your best friend.
- After watching the film with that loved one, spend some time talking about it -- and deciding on a plan of action.
- Consider scheduling private viewing parties at your home for one or two other people.
- During the viewings with friends, there will be times when you will want to hit the pause button and talk about the horrifying information that you are viewing.
For example, at about the 10:45 mark in the film, narrator Kate Winslett makes this statement about seafood:
"It is believed by some that switching from eating meat to fish will have a beneficial effect on our planet. This simply could not be further from the truth. As reported in the leading science journal, Nature, we have lost nearly 90% of all large fish in the oceans since 1950."
As such, the majority of fish that we consume today are raised in fish farms around the world. From the film, here is a small bit of the commentary regarding fish farms:
"It's pretty grim when you dive down to the bottom of the cages -- because that's where we see all the dead fish. It's basically because many of those fish are so diseased, parasite ridden and laden with chemicals that they become sick and live out their sad, short lives -- basically looking like zombies."
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Since 2015, the world has been producing well over half of all seafood in these kinds of farms. Back to Kate's narration in the film:
"It is often assumed that much of the soy being planted in Brazil is for human consumption. In fact, less than 6% of the soy grown across the globe is fed to humans. The vast majority is grown to create animal feed for livestock."
"That soy is exported around the world and fed to the billions of chickens, farmed fish, pigs and cows. Some scientists have predicted that unless significant measures are taken on a world basis, by 2030, only ten percent of the forests will remain."
Also appearing prominently in the film is my friend, Dr. Peter Wadhams who wrote Farewell to Ice about ten years ago. He was featured in Chapter 4 of our 2020 book, OUTCRY.
I attended one of his lectures in 2019 in New York. After meeting him that day, he subscribed to my SOS Memos and has opened every single one of them (all 148) since then. FYI, less than one percent of my readers open ALL of my SOS Memos.
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In the film Eating Our Way to Extinction, Dr. Wadhams made several comments about how our individual food choices can be a game changer when it comes to climate. These are two of his comments that appear in the first ten minutes of this 80-minute film:
- "If we don't make a dramatic course reversal, we'll see really serious catastrophic effects in the next few years, certainly in the next decade or two -- the world will be completely different from the way it is now."
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"If you look at the impact that food choice has on global warming, it's very significant. Eating meat is HUGE for global climate -- and that's something where personal choice is the determining factor. So that's the only place that I can think of where individual human choice would have a big effect -- would be food."
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It's essentially the same bottom line that I have been writing, speaking and obsessing about for twenty-one years. You know what we must do.
While doing some wonderful things for our own health, we can simultaneously do some wonderful things for the health of the biosphere that keeps us alive.
While saving money on food and medical bills, we will also be helping to maximize the chances that all of the children in the world who are alive today, will be able to enjoy full, meaningful and enjoyable lives.
For our own health, we simply need to shift to eating almost nothing but whole, plant-based foods. For the health of the environment, we must simply STOP eating ALL meat, dairy, eggs and seafood.
This handy book that I wrote with a family physician in 2015 is still as relevant as ever. It will answer many questions that you may have about moving rapidly to the whole food, plant-based method of feeding yourself.
This special e-book version is absolutely FREE: Just click below: 4Leaf Guide to Vibrant Health.
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Do We Still Have a Chance?
No one can be sure that we do. But, I believe that if we humans still have a realistic chance of preventing the collapse of our civilization and the resulting loss of three to seven billion lives (or more) -- that our absolute best course of ACTION is simply this:
Shift exclusively to plant-based eating
all over the world -- before 2030!
Unlike all other efforts to mitigate climate change, changing what we eat is an individual choice. And such decisive action by enough people can greatly raise the odds that we will create a livable, enjoyable world of the future for all of the world's children and young adults who are alive today.
We older adults created the dire mess in which we find ourselves. It is our responsibility to do our very best to fix it.
Not everyone is on board with this kind of thinking. Some well-informed experts are convinced that we've already passed the point of no return -- and that there is NOTHING we can do to save ourselves.
But, thankfully, there are many others who disagree with that conclusion. One of them is a retired Princeton meteorologist, Dr. Abraham Oort. In March of 2023, he penned a climate change article in the Valley News of N.H. His compelling piece ended with these words:
Transforming just one factor in our daily lives, eating plant-based foods, may save the planet for our children and their children. Is that too much to ask?
My colleagues and I have concluded that by simply returning quickly to the natural diet for our species -- we can likely buy ourselves the time needed (about 200 years) to address and resolve the plethora of unsustainable aspects of our wasteful, harmful and grossly unsustainable civilization.
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We have a game plan for making that happen!
It was fully explored in SOS Memo #245 that was posted on 11-28-23.
Click the link below to read all about that plan, then share it widely -- as if the lives of your children and grandchildren depended on it. Because they do!
Below this link, as in all of my SOS Memos of late, I highlight a few key elements of that game plan -- one that consists of harnessing the power and reach of the handful of big-picture journalists in the world who have the courage and integrity to just do the right thing for the future of humanity.
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Game Plan for Reversing Climate Change.
The opening question is this...
What would happen if the global media were to become aware of the simple fact that animal agriculture is, by far, the leading driver of climate change and the ONLY driver that is theoretically possible to completely eliminate by 2030?
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At zero cost! How's that for a benefit? As people begin consuming mostly whole, plant-based foods, most chronic diseases will be reversed -- and the world's cost of healthcare (disease management) could be slashed by over 50%.
Most Importantly. The beauty of this approach is that we don't have to deal with the world's food growers and processors, the world's self-serving healthcare Industry, the many rogue governments and international alliances (UN, UNFAO) or all of the academic entities who are supported financially by the animal food producers and drug marketers. We don't need ANY of their support to get this done!
We simply take this life-saving message Directly to the People!
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Individual food choices alone -- all over the world -- can make this happen. Then, when enough people shift to plant-based eating, the food producers, for financial reasons, will respond quickly -- as they urgently start producing only what we consumers are now choosing to eat.
At that time, we will have triggered a rapid global dismantling of what is BY FAR -- the single largest driver of climate change: animal agriculture
The stakes of this game are just too daunting to ignore. And we likely have just a few more years to get this right!
The climate change solution is simple! Getting billions of people to quickly join in that solution is a very difficult task!
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To get the ball rolling, how can we get this group of seven news anchors (and many others) prepared to urgently begin reporting the complete truth about the relationship between our food choices, climate change and the future of humanity? Read on...
The man pictured below has the knowledge on this topic and he has the world's ear. Will he do all of humanity a huge favor and agree to facilitate the jumpstarting of the game plan described herein? Several members of his staff know that we are standing by -- ready, willing and able to assist him as needed.
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For the record, I am confident that Mayor Adams of New York City, should he choose to ignite the flame (in this Game Plan) -- will someday enjoy an exceptionally rarified place in the annals of history.
He knows better than most what we should be eating -- for our own health -- and for the health of the biosphere that keeps us alive.
He's also mayor of the global media capital AND the world's most influential city.
In his book above -- he writes about reversing his own type 2 diabetes and partial blindness -- by making food choices (whole plants) that deliver the bonus benefit of preserving Mother Nature's ability to keep us alive.
How convenient is that? In closing, it's all about what we choose to eat. Let's just do it, already! We're about to run out of time.
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For billions of innocent children...let's all work urgently together to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.
Sincerely, Jim
PS: Someone asked me why I repeat myself from week to week in these memos. It's because I'm making sure that each message can be fully understood by all of the first-time SOS readers.
J. Morris Hicks — hpjmh.com
500 Bank Street, Suite 215
New London, CT 06320
jmorrishicks@me.com
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PS: How can YOU make a difference?
1st: Become a healthy vegan -- making sure that over 80% of your calories are derived from whole, plant-based foods. As such, you will be doing your part in dismantling the leading driver of climate change: global animal agriculture. As a personal bonus, you will get healthier, eliminate most prescription drugs, lose weight and save money at the same time.
2nd: Start "walking the talk" of sustainable living. Let your actions do the talking for your friends and family. My thoughts on that process are in this updated SOS Memo #200 from early 2023, when I moved into my delightful 443 square feet.
3rd: Check out the FREE stuff in the appendix below and start sharing all of this info with your friends & family.
4th: Schedule a FREE Zoom call with me and your group. Contact me at jmorrishicks@me.com to arrange.
In the APPENDIX below, you can read about what we must do to understand much more about the climate dilemma in which we find ourselves -- along with what it will likely take to prevent a collapse of civilization.
This appendix can help you get that done:
Appendix to SOS Memos
(lots of data, FREE books, scientific reports, videos & more)
You can join my mailing list and find all previous
postings by visiting this SOS Memos page.
Again, my primary website is hpjmh.com -- featuring a powerful summary that appears on the landing page. Click the link below for my one-page bio summary:
J. Morris Hicks, engineer. writer. big picture guy.
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Want to get started nurturing your own health
and the health of our planet?
Take our dietary survey at 4leafsurvey.com (2 min). With your answers to 12 multiple choice questions, the survey provides an estimate as to what percent of your daily calories are being derived from whole, plant-based foods.
Over 80% from whole plants = "4Leaf Level" of eating
(The average American or European gets less than 7%)
Click to learn all about this dietary assessment tool:
About the 4Leaf Survey
For much more about 4Leaf, visit 4leafprogram.com
Also: Link to the FREE e-copy of the The 4Leaf Guide
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