Articles tagged as Environment

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21 African Countries Are Joining Together to Build a 4,750-mile Wall of Trees
Nearly two dozen African nations are now committed to build and maintain the “Great Green Wall,” a chain of forests and woodlands spreading across the entire continent.
TED Talks: "Let's Make The World Wild Again"
Earth, humanity and nature are inextricably interconnected. To restore us all back to health, we need to "rewild" the world, says environmental activist Kristine Tompkins.
Watch Where You Put Your Roots
According to the New York Times, “National lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up work and incomes and are likely to disrupt agricultural production and supply routes—leaving millions to worry how they will get enough to eat.”
Happy Earth Day! - Award-Winning Film About the Yamuna River Streams for Free for 10 Days
Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Celebrate the occasion by watching 'The Stolen River' film about the plight to preserve and restore the holy river Yamuna -- streaming for free for 10 days.
Moose in the Neighborhood
These days, by a reversal of fortune, we are the ones that are locked in like zoo animals, while they are the ones that can roam free. Good for them. They have deserved some break after all the millennia of mistreatment and abuse they had to suffer by our hands.
Can Religion Fight Climate Change?
Our scriptures give us a simple solution to fight the real cause of climate change—our greed and propensity to exploit others (including nature).
India Air Pollution at 'Unbearable Levels', Delhi Minister Says
An Indian health ministry official said the city's pollution monitors did not have enough digits to accurately record pollution levels, which he called a "disaster".
Farm Conference Celebrates 50 Years of Cow Protection in ISKCON
The conference ran from October 4^th to 6^th in New Vrindaban, West Virginia, where ISKCON’s first cow protection program started in Spring 1969 with a black Jersey, “Kaliya,” named by Srila Prabhupada himself.
Young Devotee Entrepreneurs Create Sustainable Products to Save the Environment
Four young sister entrepreneurs aged 8-13, from Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia, join forces to end the devastation caused by harmful plastic and chemical products by creating environmentally sustainable products in their business ‘The Eco Sisters’.
Harvard Is Going Vegan to Save the Planet
Harvard plans to focus promoting plant-based food as part of a commitment to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030.
Devotee Farmers Discuss Ahimsa Milk Logistics at Czech Farm Conference
For the past 13 years ISKCON’s Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture (IMCPA) has organized a European conference for ISKCON farmers and anyone interested in agriculture and cow protection. The idea is to create networks and unite everyone towards Srila Prabhupada’s goals for cow protection and simple living.
Young ISKCON Activists Take Part in Global Climate Strike
Over four million people around the globe walked out of their schools and workplaces on Friday September 20^thto demand an end to the age of fossil fuels. The protests were organized by young people led by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg. The campaign has seen students walk out of their schools on Fridays to demand their political leaders take urgent action to address climate change.
For First Time Ever, Scientists Identify How Many Trees to Plant and Where to Plant Them to Stop Climate Crisis
The researchers calculated that under the current climate conditions, Earth’s land could support 4.4 billion hectares of continuous tree cover. That is 1.6 billion more than the currently existing 2.8 billion hectares.
Govardhan Ecovillage Wins National Energy Globe Award
Every year, some 800 projects from all over the world that conserve and protect our resources, or employ renewable energy, participate. One award winner is chosen from each country.
Whale Populations in New York Harbor Are Booming—Here's Why
As water quality improved and pollution levels fell, tiny oceanic life-forms such as algae and zooplankton bounced back, providing a crucial food base for a resurgence in menhaden, a schooling fish favored by whales.
France Is the First Country to Ban Plastic Cups, Plates, and Cutlery
Every year, 4.73 billion plastic cups are thrown away in France. Only 1% of these are recycled. The bold ban aims to drastically cut levels of plastic waste, and drive innovation in biodegradable products.
Canada Bans Keeping Whales And Dolphins In Captivity
In the U.S., SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, which has SeaWorld parks in California, Florida and Texas, announced in 2016 that it would stop breeding captive killer whales and shift its focus to marine mammal rescue operations.
The Amazon Is Burning Because the World Eats So Much Meat
Brazil shipped 1.64 million tonns of beef in 2018, making it the world largest exporter.
Govardhan Eco Village Receives the Indian Circular Economy Award 2019
During the 3^rdEdition of the Circular Economy Symposium this year, ISKCON Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV) receivedthe Indian Circular Economy Award in the NGO category.
ISKCON India Plants Trees, Cleans Rivers for World Environment Day
On June 5^th– World Environment Day – ISKCON India partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the first time, for a nationwide effort. “The Indian office of the UNEP realized the potential of engaging spiritual organizations, and reached out to us,” says ISKCON India Communications Director Yudhistira Govinda Das.
ISKCON European Communications Conference - Day 2
Day Two of the European Communications Conference began with a very relevant and hard-hitting talk by Willy Fautre of Human Rights Without Frontiers. Next was an enlivening discussion where ISKCON leaders from across Europe and the US shared their experiences of using advocacy, engaging with politicians and examples of when this has been successful.
World Environment Day: The River Yamuna Still Needs Our Help
Despite the great efforts of and protests by hundreds of thousands of activists, and despite the countless promises by present and previous Indian governments, so far, there has not been any improvement in the Yamuna’s condition.
Amazon Tribe Wins Lawsuit Against Big Oil, Saving Millions Of Acres Of Rainforest
This is a major win for indigenous tribes all over the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. This has definitely set a new precedent regarding indigenous peoples’ rights over the land they live in and offers them a glimmer of hope in protecting their cultural heritage.
Vedic Education as the Solution to International Water Crisis: ISKCON Richmond Receives Special Guest
On Saturday March 23, 2019, ISKCON of Richmond received an inspiring visit from National Convenor for National Ganga Mission, Dr. Snehal Donde, who gave a talk entitled “The Agony of Rivers”.
Youth for Sustainability
Two years ago, six devotees from different yatras started to organize youth exchanges at several ISKCON temples in Europe. They saw a need for ISKCON’s youth to get together, develop deep friendships, integrate into the ISKCON community, and develop a philosophical understanding of our faith.
God and Smog Conference Promotes Environmental Action in Religious Communities
About 150 students, professors and others attended a one-day conference at Utah State University on October 18^th entitled “God and Smog – The Challenge of Preserving our Planet.”
The Jaguar’s Story Wins Two Children’s Book Awards
The Jaguar’s Story, a children’s book written by Kosa Ely (Kosarupa Dasi) and beautifully illustrated by Radhe Gendron, has received two prestigious awards this week.
Scotland’s Karuna Bhavan to Host European Farm Conference
The ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture (IMCPA) is busy bringing Krishna conscious farm projects around the world together to share best practices in a series of regional conferences. They hope to hold gatherings in six continents by 2020, culminating in a global summit.
Sacred Ecology Forum Hosts Conference on Sustainability in New York
“Sustainability from the Inside Out”, as the conference was named, was hosted conjointly by Govardhan Eco Village (GEV), Mumbai and the Sacred Ecology Forum at the Bhakti Center on June 10th, to explore the profound connection between the practice of yoga and the sustainability of the Earth and its resources ahead of the International Yoga Day.
India Will Abolish All Single-use Plastic by 2022, Vows Narendra Modi
Country will also introduce a campaign against marine litter and a pledge to make 100 national monuments litter-free
New Children’s Book “The Jaguar’s Story” Inspires Care for Mother Earth
The Jaguar’s Story, a brand new children’s book by Kosa Ely (Kosarupa Dasi) about the plight of Jaguars in the Amazon rainforest, was released on April 21^stat the Earth Day Festival in Orlando, Florida. The book, which inspires care for Mother Earth, had its own booth at the festival’s Kids’ Zone, with large posters of its stunning artwork attracting passersby
Zero Waste Mayapur
The managers of the spiritual city of Mayapur are doing their best to keep the ISKCON premises clean from garbage waste.
Water Appreciation & Management
With everything else we’re concerned about, perhaps it’s too easy to overlook just how precious for us water really is.
World Water Day: Award-winning Film About the Yamuna Released for Public Screening
On this occasion, the production team of ‘The Stolen River’, a 40-minute documentary about the sacred Yamuna, has made the film available for public screening for communities, temples, educational- and other organizations.
Clean Dham, Clean Your Heart: ISKCON Mayapur's Waste Management Drive
A team of community members and devotees has been formed to create awareness about the campaign and importance of the clean environment.
Yamuna Film “The Stolen River” Gets U.S. Premiere in Gainesville
“The Stolen River,” which deals with an issue that has been of deep concern to devotees as well as environmentalists for years now, about the pollution of the Yamuna river, received its world premiere in India in October 2015. Since then, it has won Best Green Film at the LIFFT India Filmotsav, and was in the official selection at many other film festivals.
With Ancient Flora, UP Plans to Revive Govardhan Parvat
The Govardhan Hill's green cover had shrunk over the years and it was necessary to preserve its sanctity.
Food for Life Vrindavan Starts Major Environmental Campaign

Food for Life Vrindavan organised a Cleaning Drive under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Vrindavan.
The Stolen River - Official Trailer

Six young people in India discover a major ecological disaster that we all unknowingly contribute. A documentary by Kristina Danka, Ph.D. For more information please visit www.stolenriverfilm.com
Vrindavan and Barsana Have Just Been Declared Official Pilgrimage Sites: What Does It Really Mean?
The government of Uttar Pradesh on Friday announced that Vrindavan and Barsana are now tirtha sthal – official pilgrimage sites. In a special meeting at the Vairagi Baba Ashram on Parikrama Marg, sants of Braj lauded the government’s move.
ISKCON Farm Conference Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The event showed how far ISKCON farms have come in networking and working together particularly over the last decade, with conferences now regularly organized in four continents by the GBC Ministry of Agriculture and Cow Protection. Because the ISKCON Farm Conference began in Europe in 2008, however, the 10th anniversary event focused on European farms.
New Vrajadhama to Host 10th Anniversary of ISKCON Farm Conference
New Vraja Dhama is perfect for the main event – devotees on the 660-acre farm have had decades of experience and grow their own vegetables, fruits, and grains. They also care for cows and have their own waste water treatment system and solar panels that cover a large portion of their electricity needs.
Activism Is Our Rent for Living on the Earth
What if we could have an alternative vision of reality, a vision that made greater sense of things and brought deeper meaning into our life?
“Vrindavan Is One of the Most Putrid, Filthy Places I have Ever Been”
An eight-point action plan to clean up the holy place.
Parliament of World Religions on Climate Change
Recently, the Parliament of World Relegions issued a statement.
Paris or No Paris, Can't Snatch from Our Kids Their Right to Have a Clean Earth
Says Narendra Modi.
Sivarama Swami - Change Earth's Future
Trump on Paris Accord: 'We're Getting Out'
President Donald Trump proclaimed Thursday he was withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord, a sweeping step that fulfills a campaign promise while acutely dampening global efforts to curb global warming.
Isopanisad’s Message of Care For Earth Shared at D.C. Climate March
Members of the D.C. Supersonic Kirtan group and devotees from the ISKCON temple in Washington D.C. joined together to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra at the Peoples Climate March on April 29^th. They also shared a spiritual environmental message from the Sri Isopanisad.
ISKCON To Participate in Historic Washington D.C. Climate March
ISKCON of Washington D.C. and ISKCON Communications are supporting the massive People’s Climate March in the U.S. capital this Saturday April 29^th, and will be sending devotees to attend. The march will be held on the 100^th day of the new Trump administration in protest of the parts of his agenda which organizers say are disastrous to the environment. Devotees attending, of course, are not supporting one political party or another but are there to support Mother Earth.
Govardana Academy Students Win Prize in Sustainability Contest
Govardhana Academy, located at the Saranagati Farm Community in British Columbia (BC), Canada, recently participated in their third year of the BC Green Games - a province wide competition to promote sustainability in schools. One of the biggest challenges of farming at Saranagati is their short growing season. With a self-heated greenhouse, they intend to grow food year-round. Using money from a previous grant award, the materials were purchased and the students and their community teamed up to bring the design to reality.
Giving Human Rights to the Yamuna Is Not Enough, New Documentary Reveals
Recently, a high court in India declared the Yamuna river a living entity, bestowing on her the same legal rights as a person. Many shared the news on social media, excited about this seemingly major move towards cleaning up the heavily polluted river, once called “dead” by the United Nations. But a closer look shows that the development, while a nice gesture, won’t actually achieve much.
Indian Court Gives Ganges, Yamuna Same Rights as a Human
A court in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand has granted the same legal rights as a human to the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, considered sacred by nearly a billion Indians.
ISKCON Gita Nagari Farm

Gita Nagari is a 350 acre farm situated in scenic Port Royal, Pennsylvania. The community lovingly engages in farming and caring for their cows, focusing on the Supreme Lord as central to their existence. A video by Ananta Vrindavan. Music "Madhava's Lullaby" by Jahnavi Harrison.
Discord in Angela Merkel's Government After Environment Ministry Bans Meat at Official Functions
A row has broken out in Angela Merkel’s government after the environment minister banned meat at official functions. Barbara Hendricks claims eating meat is damaging to the environment.
Pope Appears to Back Native Tribes in Dakota Pipeline Conflict
Thousands of tribe members, environmentalists and others set up camps last year on Army Corps land in the North Dakota plains as protests intensified.
Meet the Vegan Saudi Prince Who's Turning the Lights on in Jordan
“Climate change and the unjustified consumption of energy are two of the most serious issues we face today at the macro-level.”
India Just Banned All Forms of Disposable Plastic In Its Capital
India’s capital city Delhi has introduced a ban on disposable plastic. Cutlery, bags, cups and other forms of single-use plastic were prohibited by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Vandana Shiva on Govardhan Ecovillage

This is a video message from Vandana Shiva aired during the Nexus Conference 2015(www.nexusconference.in) held in Govardhan Ecovillage on OCT 31 and NOV 1 2015.
Puerto Rican Eco Farm to Hold Bhakti Yoga Permaculture Retreat
The eco farm is run by Bhakti yogis. Director Vaishnava Das studied natural building at the California Institute of Earth architecture, while his wife, coordinator Draupadi Dasi, worked as an ecological anthropologist. “I’m very interested in Srila Prabhupada’s vision of long-term sustainability – working with the land, and growing food,” says retreat co-organizer Hita Karina, a second-generation devotee and yoga teacher from Alachua, Florida. “And Vaishnava and Draupadi are not only living that life, but teaching it too.”
Members of Krishna Farm Boom in Canada Meet to Collaborate
With a sudden boom of new Krishna conscious farm projects in Central Canada, their leaders gathered to discuss how they could collaborate with each other at the first ever Central Canada Farm Conference on December 17^th. Canadian GBC Bhaktimarga Swami and farmer Sukhayanti Dasi brought together twenty-six devotees from seven agrarian projects across Southern Ontario and Quebec for the conference, which took place at the King Edward Park Community Centre in Brighton, Ontario.
Standing Rock: The American Kumbha Mela
I want to acknowledge the boldness, heroism and humility exhibited by the US veterans, both men and women, and including Tulsi Gabbard -- a warrior and congresswoman. In solidarity, they joined the Native Americans and many others at Standing Rock. They are truly warriors and leaders.
Eco-Village Sustainable Communities

Now more than ever before people all over the planet are seeking new sustainable models for living. EcoVillages and ecological communities have been emerging as a viable alternative where people can live together in cooperation and harmony with the natural world. 'A New We' explores 10 such communities in Europe (including Krishna-valley in Hungary) and opens doors to further exploration and discovery on the new 'Global EcoVillage & Sustainable Community Network'.
Before the Flood Trailer - A Film by Leonardi DiCaprio about Global Warming

Before the Flood Trailer 1 (2016) Leonardo DiCaprio Documentary Movie HD
Devotees Attend Environmental Leadership Training
Three ISKCON devotees participated in a week of faith-based climate change leadership training in New Orleans last month. Gopal-Lila Das from England, Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies’ Bhumi Project, was a facilitator at the training. Joining him as attendees were Sarita Telhan, who works on green initiatives at ISKCON of Washington D.C.; and Archana Prasad, who serves at ISKCON of Towaco, New Jersey and is taking her Masters in environmental/sustainability science.
China's Plan to Cut Meat Consumption by 50% Cheered by Climate Campaigners
The Chinese government has outlined a plan to reduce its citizens’ meat consumption by 50%, in a move that climate campaigners hope will provide major heft in the effort to avoid runaway global warming.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron Filming: "Less Meat, Less Heat"

Chinese health officials are urging the nation’s 1.3 billion citizens to cut their meat consumption in half to prevent heart disease, diabetes and other diet-related illnesses. Director James Cameron and movie star/former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger think that's a great idea, and are starring in a series of PSAs to spread the word in the U.S.
ISKCON Durban Goes Green
ISKCON Durban temple is undergoing major restoration for the 30th anniversary next October. Not only are they restoring the temple to its original beauty, but they are making marked improvements. One in particular—that is both admirable and intimidating—is thir Go Green campaign. This campaign is the brainchild of Vibhu Caitanya Das, Durban Temple President.
ISKCON Can Play A Part in Reducing Climate Change
On December 12^th world leaders and representatives of 195 countries agreed to to work together to limit average global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial temperatures. According to CNN, “Failure to set a cap could result in superdroughts, deadlier heat waves, mass extinctions of plants and animals, megafloods and rising seas that could wipe some island countries off the map.”
ISKCON Supports Hindu Declaration on Climate Change
ISKCON has signed the Hindu Declaration on Climate Change issued on November 23^rd, showing its support along with 60 other Hindu leaders and organizations. The Declaration was put together by the Bhumi Project at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, both of which count ISKCON devotees amongst their staff.
Giving Up Beef Will Reduce Carbon Footprint More than Cars, Says Expert
Study shows red meat dwarfs others for environmental impact, using 28 times more land and 11 times water for pork or chicken.
Rescuing the Stolen River Premiers at Asia’s Largest Green Film Festival
The festival, which ran from October 9^th to 13^th at Delhi’s NDMC Convention Centre, is ranked in the top two environmental film festivals in the world. It deals with a vast range of issues including climate change, natural heritage conservation, biodiversity, and renewable energy. This year, the festival received a total of 178 entries from India and around the world.
ISKCON Organizes First International Summit on Environment and Ethics
ISKCON recently organized the International Summit on Environment and Economy (SEE-2015) in the port city of Kochi, India, in an attempt to bring together various stakeholders to discuss and deliberate to unearth the deeper aspects of the environmental and business ethics problems so as to arrive at well-rounded and holistic solutions.
Rescuing the Stolen River - A Documentary, Official Trailer

"Rescuing the Stolen River", a feature documentary produced by ISKCON devotees will be premiered at Asia's largest green film festival in New Delhi on Saturday October 10th at 11.30AM at the Delhi Convention Centre. The admission is free, but registration is required: http://vat2015.cmsvatavaran.org
New Zealand Grants a River the Rights of Personhood
In a landmark case for the Rights of Nature, officials in New Zealand recently granted the Whanganui, the nation's third-longest river, with legal personhood.
PM Modi for Shift in Climate Change Discourse to ‘Climate Justice’
Climate change is a “pressing” global challenge and the poor people are ‘most adversely’ affected by it.
North American GBC Supports ISKCON Environmental Initiative
ISKCON Communications Director Anuttama Das and Bhumi Project Director Gopal-Lila Das presented a proposal for a new ISKCON Environmental Initiative at the North American GBC meetings in Chicago this August. The proposal was unanimously accepted, and if successful will see ISKCON temples reducing waste, and increasing renewable energy use.
A Hindu Reflection on Pope's Climate Change Encyclical
As Pope Francis stated in his recent Encyclical on climate change, the reality of climate change "represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day."
I Seek Pleasure, Don't You?
Having found ourselves in the abyss of an ecological tragedy, the current inheritors of the earth are entitled to a moment of solemn reflection in which we wonder, “Am I really responsible?”
Vrindavan Devotees Ask Modi to Control Town’s Urbanizing
Recently, devotees of Vrindavan started a petition asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to control the town’s “modernization”, as they think it is neither suitable to the holy place, nor sustainable. According to many in Vrindavan, modernization has reduced this place to a weekend spot for tourists instead of a sacred place of pilgrimage.
ISKCON Devotees Attend Rome Environmental Convergence
Young religious environmental leaders from around the world, including four ISKCON devotees, attended an environmental “convergence” and march in Rome at the end of June. The event was put on by Our Voices, a New Jersey based international organization created to encourage religious communities to put pressure on political leaders for the upcoming 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Young Indigenous Climate Activist's UN Speech on Climate Change

United Nations - Remarks by Xiuhtezcatl, indigenous climate activist and Youth Director of Earth Guardians at the opening segment of the High-level event of the United Nations General Assembly on Climate Change (29 June 2015).
Polystyrene Foam Ban to Take Effect in New York City on July 1st
The ban stems from a decision by the city’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) that determined polystyrene foam cannot be recycled.
Religions for Peace New Faiths for Earth Campaign

Religions for Peace is the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition dedicated to advancing common action among the world religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.
The Ecology of Our Minds
Like many people my age I live in front of books and computer screens. However, my religion has instilled in me important values regarding the earth.
Leonardo DiCaprio (UN Messenger of Peace) at the Opening of Climate Summit, 2014

“As an actor I pretend for a living,” starts his speech DeCaprio. “I pretend fictitious characters usually solving fictitious problems. I believe that mankind has looked at climate change in the same way. As if it were a fiction. As if pretending that climate change wasn’t real would somehow make it go away.”
Man - Animation by Steve Cutts

Animation created in Flash and After Effects looking at mans relationship with the natural world.
India’s Biggest Clean Up Effort
Chennai is raising an army to fight the war against plastic.
Are We In The Age of Stupid?
The Age of Stupid is a documentary-film set in 2055, a time distinguished by derelict buildings, burning plains, and poverty-stricken, war-ravaged people.Why had people ignored the signs when they “could have saved themselves”?
The Age of Stupid

The Age of Stupid is a 90-minute film about climate change, set in the future. Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father, Brassed Off) stars as a man living alone in the devasted world of 2055, looking back at archival footage from 2007 and asking: why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?
What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away

We’ve all been told that we should recycle plastic bottles and containers. But what actually happens to the plastic if we just throw it away? Emma Bryce traces the life cycles of three different plastic bottles, shedding light on the dangers these disposables present to our world. (A TedEx video.)
Dear Future Generations: Sorry

Prince Ea: An Apology Letter to Future Generations.
COWSPIRACY - Official Teaser

Join filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. http://www.cowspiracy.com
Warmer Hearts Can Cool Warming Planet
"We have borrowed the future from our children instead of inheriting it from our ancestors." This African proverb vividly describes the contemporary use of natural resources.
Yamuna Protest Will Not Budge or Negotiate This Time
100,000 people are expected to participate in a third march protesting the condition of the sacred river Yamuna this spring – and this time, organizers say, they will not budge or negotiate with the government. Two previous marches in 2011 and 2013 yielded some results -- for instance, the government agreed to construct a sewage canal to stop Delhi drains discharging pollutants and sewer waste into the river.
Nature Is Speaking – Robert Redford is The Redwood

A video by Conservation International.
Nature Is Speaking – Lupita Nyong'o is Flower

A Conservation International film.
Nature Is Speaking – Edward Norton is The Soil

Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz, Robert Redford and Ian Somerhalder all join forces to give nature a voice. A short film series by Conservation International.
Nature Is Speaking – Penélope Cruz is Water

Conservation International video with the voice of Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz.
Nature Is Speaking – Harrison Ford is The Ocean

Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz, Robert Redford and Ian Somerhalder all join forces to give nature a voice. A video by Conservation International.
Coal Rush in India Could Tip Balance on Climate Change
India’s coal rush could push the world past the brink of irreversible climate change, scientists say.
"CHASING ICE" Captures Largest Glacier Calving Ever Filmed

On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed a historic breakup at the Ilulissat Glacier in Western Greenland. The calving event lasted for 75 minutes and the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The height of the ice is about 3,000 feet, 300-400 feet above water and the rest below water.
You Can Drink Yamuna Water and Also Swim in the River by 2017: JICA Representative
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), expressed hope that the Yamuna would be clean by year 2017.
ISKCON GBC Member Joins in Call for Attention to Climate Change

There is a new multi-faith campaign to raise awareness about climate change. This Diwali, believers from all faiths and geographies across India, will unite their voices in a single unified prayer for the fight against climate change, led by Radhanath Swami, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sister Jayanti Kirpalani. For more information visit: http://www.ourvoices.net/india
Cowspiracy - Official Trailer

"COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret" is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following an intrepid filmmaker as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today, and investigates why the world's leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. This documentary will be as eye-opening as "Blackfish" and as inspiring as "An Inconvenient Truth." See more at: cowspiracy.com
New Govardhana Begins Final Stage of Self-Sufficiency Plan
In the picturesque Tweed Valley in New South Wales, Australia, ISKCON’s New Govardhana farm began work on the final stage of its five-part self-sufficiency plan in late May of this year. Once the plan is complete, it won’t immediately render the community fully self-sufficient; however it will set the farm on the path towards gradually reaching that goal.
Yes, Religion Can Still Be A Force For Good In The World
Here are 100 examples of how faith-based groups are doing good in the world today. The list includes the Bhumi Project by the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies.
Green Living City - Rotterdam

With Green Living City the innovator Broekbakema (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) states that intensifying the existing city can only be accomplished by building it vertically instead of the common breadth expansion of cities. The Green Living City is literally developed in the vertical direction by stacking a mix of functions, including the public space.
We Must Accept High Cost of Cow Protection, Says New Minister
We can have successful cow protection projects in ISKCON. But only if we’re willing to accept the high cost of violence-free milk, and of caring for cows and their handlers.That’s the message that Shyamasundara Das, the recently appointed Global Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture, is bringing to communities around the world.
Russell Brand - Awakened Man

Russell Brand has recently burst onto the activist and consciousness scene with his interview on BBC a few months ago. Since then, he has been speaking out against many of the injustices that have been plaguing the world from wealth inequality to political corruption.
The Environmental Sustainability of Indian Spirituality
I had arrived at New York's JFK Airport and was immediately struck by the hundreds of cars all around the airport.I asked my friend who had come to pick me up, "How exactly are all these cars be sustained once the fuel supply is over?"
Govardhan Eco-village

ISKCON-project Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) near Mumbai illustrates 'Simple Living & High Thinking' -- a principle which is so succinct, yet profound, and formed the basis of life in the bygone age of wisdom.
Devotees Bring Positivity to Atlanta on Earth Day
Many communities around the world celebrated Earth Day this April 22^nd. But on Saturday April 19^th, several days early, They Call Us Friends -- a non-profit organization run by ISKCON devotees -- staged its own Earth Day event at Atlanta’s Historic Fourth Ward Park for the first time.
Incredible Sustainable Living Architecture in India
In a place where any man-made bridge can easily be washed away, humans here have consciously decided to work in collaboration with nature.
Annual Week of Hindu Environmental Action Launches in Varanasi
Hindu Environment Week, a new global initiative to encourage Hindus to celebrate and care for the environment, was launched on Tuesday in Varanasi, India.
Breakthrough Urban Food Forest Tower Under Construction in Milan
The city of Milan, Italy, is the future home of the world's first two food forest skyscrapers.
How Religious Leaders Are Taking Charge of the Environmental Movement
Congregations should be leading the environmental movement, says the Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham, president of the Regeneration Project in the USA.
Bhumi Project Encourages Hindus Worldwide to Go Green
The Bhumi Project, a new effort led by Radhanath Swami disciple Gopal-lila Das, is attempting to bring together Hindu communities — including Vaishnavas and ISKCON devotees — for environmental action.
Midway: Message from the Gyre

These photographs of albatross chicks were made in September 2009 on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent.

~Chris Jordan, cinematographer (October 2009)

http://www.chrisjordan.com/
http://www.midwayjourney.com/
Historical Save Yamuna Foot March Begins on March 1st
The environmental battle for the dead river Yamuna continues on with the singing and chanting of the Holy Names of God by hundreds of thousands believers from all over India and abroad, who will join forces in a peaceful protest march starting on March 1st in Vrindavan and concludes in New Delhi 10 days later.
Man: A Shocking Video about Environmental Pollution

A short film by Steve Cutts.
The Yoga Wisdom of Corporate Personhood
If we cannot restore to our ecology the very rights of personhood we have placed on corporations, then none of our profits will be sustainable. Indeed, the very infrastructures of our society will not survive.
The Bhakti Way of Investing in the Ecology of the Heart
A crippled economy and a polluted environment plague our social body. Both largely stem from the same core disease -- pollution of hearts. Blinded by distractions one can forget how to invest in what awards a meaningful, fulfilling life.
A Gold Rush of Subsidies in Clean Energy Search
Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on a former cattle ranch and gypsum mine, NRG Energy is building an engineering marvel: a compound of nearly a million solar panels that will produce enough electricity to power about 100,000 homes.
The Yamuna River: India’s Dying Goddess
"Early this year, at the point in northern India where the Yamuna River empties into the Ganges, several hundred people set out on a six-week protest march. The surprising thing, at least to untutored Western eyes, was that the leaders of the Yamuna march were not primarily political activists", says a Yale University study.
ISKCON Family Finds Real Wealth in Cows and the Land
“I think that the agrarian lifestyle goes so much better with Krishna consciousness,” says Ruchira. “It slows you down to a more meditative pace, where you start observing nature more, and really seeing the cows as spirit souls. Our philosophy comes more alive in that environment.”
Bhumi Green Temple Initiative Receives White House launch
The program, which is an international initiative to encourage Hindu temples around the world to be greener, stems from the Hindu Nine Year Plan on the Environment.
ISKCON Devotees Take Part in White House Event, Launch Initiative
The Hindu-American community marked a milestone on Friday, July 29, when the White House hosted a historic conference designed to explore the role that Dharmic faith groups could play in civic engagement in the United States.
Battle for the Yamuna Makes Waves in Delhi
After a month-and-a-half-long march in protest of the pollution of the sacred river Yamuna, thousands of sadhus, Krishna devotees, and environmentalists have made huge waves in the political scene and brought the attention of the Indian public to the plight of what has been called a “dead river.”
ISKCON Farmers Leave European Conference with New Ideas, Inspiration
Thirty devotees from ISKCON farms all over Europe attended the fourth annual ISKCON European Farm Conference from May 10th through 12th this year, hoping to gain inspiration as well as practical advice for their various rural projects.
Our Phone Calls May Be Killing the Bees
Soon we may face the serious conundrum of having to hang up moblie phones to save the honey. A new study has concluded that cellular phone calls disrupt a vital honeybee communication signal, causing the bees to become terminally confused and die.
Environmental Pollution is a Spiritual Problem
The claim is that all our environmental problems can be solved by listening to the compelling call of our timeless culture. Pollution, as stated in the scriptures, is a direct result of “over-consumption”, which in turn is a product of greed, and greed is generated by materialism combined with secularism.
Is It The Arctic Circle? No, It Is The Yamuna River!
Simultaneously to the big procession from Allahabad to New Delhi, ISKCON devotees are doing an awareness campaign to save the Yamuna river.
Call For International Protest to Save the Yamuna River
On March 3rd, a march started from Allahabad to New Delhi to draw the the public`s attention to the the issue of the pollution of the holy Yamuna River. Muslim and Sikh leaders, as well as the Indian Farmers Union have all joined the cause. The organizers are asking groups outside India to send supporting letters that could be presented to the Government of India.
New Vraja Dhama Plants Forests for Carbon-Neutral Heating
Devotees at New Vraja Dhama, a sustainable ISKCON farm community in Hungary also known as Krishna Valley, are set to plant 6.5 hectares of trees—an incredible 50,000 Acacias, Oaks, and Willows—on their property at the end of this March.
Padayatra To Save Yamuna From Pollution
"Yamuna, considered as a pious in mythology, is now counted among the most polluted rivers in India," said Bhanu Pratap Singh, president Bhartiya Kisan Union, Mathura. Delhi alone contributes around 3,296 mld (million litres per day) of sewage in the form of drains which fall into the river.
ISKCON Organizes “ENVIRO 2011” Conference
The Bhaktivedanta Academy, the educational wing of ISKCON Coimbatore organized “ENVIRO 2011”, a Conference on Youth and Environment as a pioneering effort to draw the attention of young people to one of the most critical issue we face today - the rapid climate changes and its consequences.
Hindu Groups Agree To Address Climate Change
National Hindu groups in India have pledged to make addressing environmental damage a top priority. “Weʼre not asking people to do anything new. Weʼre simply encouraging them to re-learn the teachings of the past; to re-examine the principles and practices their forefathers lived by – whatever their religious background.”
Bali School Makes Sustainability a Way of Life
Half a world away from Cancún, Mexico, and the international climate change talks that took place there last month, a school here in Indonesia is staging its own attempt to save the planet.
Krishna Valley Representatives Attend Mexico Climate Summit
Two devotees from ISKCON Hungary’s non-profit Eco-Valley Foundation (EVF) attended the COP16 Climate Summit in Cancun, Mexico from November 29th to December 10th this winter.
Restoring Holy Dwarka`s Mangrove Forests
Dwarka has been submerged in the sea six times in its history. Environment specialists agree that restoring mangroves will help protect the coastline, support the shore life and beautify the area.
New Delhi: International Film Festival On Climate
'Quotes from the Earth’, an international film festival, will see its fourth series unveil in New Delhi on December 4. Its theme this year is ecological citizenship and will focus on issues like climate change, mining, floods, agriculture and wildlife conservation.
World Watches While Brazil Balances Booming Economy and Protecting Biodiversity
Already one of the world's largest suppliers of breathable air, Brazil is an agricultural superpower, poised to become a leading exporter of fossil fuels. The evolution of Brazil's environmental policies is vital to the health of the planet as the country balances (or fails to balance) its booming economy with its responsibility as caretaker of 20 percent of the world's biodiversity.
Here Comes the Sun: White House to Go Solar
Solar power is coming to President Barack Obama's house. The most famous residence in America plans to install solar panels atop the White House's living quarters.
In Arabian Desert, a Sustainable City Rises
Back in 2007, when the United Arab Emirates announced its plan for “the world’s first zero-carbon city” on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, many Westerners dismissed it as a gimmick. But now, Masdar is here.
Food For Life Helps Hungarian Villages Flooded by Toxic Red Mud
There has never been a red mud disaster as serious as the one that hit seven villages in Western Hungary on Monday, October 4th.
A Hindu Sect Devoted to the Environment
The settlement — like scores of others that dot this harsh landscape — is populated by members of the Bishnoi, a community that traditionally reveres and protects nature.
Getting Back to Nature is Child's Play
Schemes are growing up around the UK that seek to reconnect inner city children with nature by encouraging them to appreciate the bugs and birds on their doorstep. "We want to let people know that they can just go outside their front door to see wildlife," says Isabel MacLennan of Nottinghamshire Wildlife trust.
Banks Grow Wary of Environmental Risks
Blasting off mountaintops to reach coal in Appalachia or churning out millions of tons of carbon dioxide to extract oil from sand in Alberta are among environmentalists’ biggest industrial irritants.
Krishna Valley Teaches Sustainable Living to Thousands
Established in 1993 by ISKCON guru and GBC Sivarama Swami, Krishna Valley is a sustainable farm community of the kind that ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada encouraged devotees to establish all over the world.
Solar-Powered Plane Flies For 26 Hours
Solar Impulse, piloted by André Borschberg, flew for 26 hours and reached a height of 28,543 feet, setting a record for the longest and highest flight ever made by a solar plane.
HarvestFest & Balarama Full Moon Feast in Canada
Between August 21 – 24, 2010 the Saranagati Eco-Village community in Venables Valley, British Columbia, Canada will hold its annual HarvestFest and Balarama Full Moon Feast.
Seeking God’s Help for a Wounded Gulf
BON SECOUR, Alabama — In a small white building along the baptizing Bon Secour River, a building that once housed a shrimp-net business, the congregation of the Fishermen Baptist Church gathered for another Sunday service, with the preacher presiding from a pulpit designed to look like a ship captain’s wheel.
Responsibility and the Gulf Oil Spill
The Bhagavatam describes that there was a time in the universal creation when, as a result of a similar attempt to extract riches from the ocean, a great poison leaked from the ocean and rapidly spread, threatening the life of men, plants, and animals. A willingness to taking responsibility is the first thing to be learned from this first historical “poison spill” incident.
Trees, Images, and ISKCON
We seem to be losing our sense of love for nature. Man and nature, particularly trees, have a natural mutually fulfilling relationship. Man receives the Mother Earth’s bounty, and offers back respect and care. Yet, modern civilization at its worst abuses this relationship, and even at its best tends to make the relationship an economic one.
Natural Resources: The End is Nigh
Following the failure of the latest efforts to plug the gushing leak from BP’s oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, and amid warnings that oil could continue to flow for another two months or more, perhaps it’s a good time to step back a moment mentally and look at the bigger picture—the context of our human history of resource extraction.
Humans Vs. The Environment - A Thought Experiment
Protecting the environment isn't a "liberal" idea; it's everybody's business. Liberal or conservative, the environment provides life support for us all, and if we fail to recognize that, we are truly doomed as a civilization.
UN Urges Global Move To Meat And Dairy-Free Diet
Lesser consumption of animal products is necessary to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change, UN report says.
Inconvenient Beef: Go Vegetarian, Gore
"If Al Gore really cared about the environment, he would give up meat." This was the major beef of animal rights advocate People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) about the former US vice president and environmental advocate, during their protest near the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, where Gore delivered a talk Tuesday.
Mobile Phones Responsible for Disappearance of Honey Bee
The growing use of mobile telephones is behind the disappearance of honey bees and the collapse of their hives, scientists have claimed.
California To Ban Plastic Bags
California is to become the first US state to ban plastic bags in supermarkets in a move Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a "great victory for the environment."
BP Spill Doesn't Make the Top Ten
The BP oil spill has now overtaken the Exxon Valdez incident as the worst in US history, but it is still far from the worst worldwide.
Eco-Certification Proposed for ISKCON Temples in India
Spiritual teacher Bhakti Rasamrita Swami is heading up a new effort to introduce an internal system of eco-friendly certification for ISKCON temples in India.
Third of Plants and Animals 'At Risk of Extinction'
One third of plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, a UN report is expected to conclude this week.
India Tells West to Stop Eating Beef
The environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, said if the world abandoned beef consumption, emissions would be dramatically reduced and global warming would slow down.
Arab States in 'Neo-Colonial' Food Grab
A Kuwaiti company partly owned by the emirate's sovereign wealth fund is preparing to join other Gulf states in buying up agricultural land in Asia, part of a global land grab to ensure food security. Unlike the governments and corporations in the Gulf that have been acquiring vast tracts of arable land, mainly in poor countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, to produce food for their own people, the Kuwait China Investment Co. wants to invest on a purely commercial basis, selling its produce to anyone who can pay for it.
European Union to Ban Energy-Inefficient Fridges, TVs
Brussels, July 22 (DPA) The European Union is to ban the sale of inefficient TVs, fridges and electric motors as early as next July in a bid to save energy and fight global warming, the EU’s executive said Wednesday. The EU is the world’s largest single market, making the new rules crucial for technology producers around the world.
House Passes Bill to Address Threat of Climate Change
WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation on Friday intended to address global warming and transform the way the nation produces and uses energy. The vote was the first time either house of Congress had approved a bill meant to curb the heat-trapping gases scientists have linked to climate change. The legislation, which passed despite deep divisions among Democrats, could lead to profound changes in many sectors of the economy, including electric power generation, agriculture, manufacturing and construction.
ISKCON's Astottara-sata Dasa Wins TED Fellowship
Astottara-sata Dasa (Alexander Petroff) is an American second generation devotee of Krishna who spent his childhood at the rural ISKCON farm community, Gita-nagari nestled in the beautiful countryside of Port Royal, Pennsylvania, USA.

These days Astottara-sata, son of Hare Krsna Dasi, spends a lot of his time in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he is the founder and President of Working Villages International (WVI). Working Villages International is a non-profit organization dedicated to building self-sufficient, environmentally sustainable villages.
Krishna’s Vraja No Longer to be Parched Earth
Mathura: It could be a page from history, but it turns out to be a lesson in civics. As an NGO embarks upon restoring water bodies in the area of land known as Brajbhoomi, folklore and legend form the route to some serious green activity. Centred in Mathura-Agra, Brajbhoomi, or Lord Krishna’s land, stretches to the north till Gurgaon in Haryana and Bharatpur in Rajasthan to the west.
Belgian City Plans Weekly 'Veggie' Day
The Belgian city of Ghent is about to become the first in the world to go vegetarian at least once a week. Starting this week there will be a regular weekly meatless day, in which civil servants and elected councilors will opt for vegetarian meals. Ghent means to recognize the impact of livestock on the environment.
Reflections on the Environmental Impact of Meat Eating
My first post on the effect of eating meat on the environment provoked quite a bit of discussion, so in honor of Earth Day, I thought I should follow up with more information about how our natural resources (e.g., air, water, and soil) are depleted and devastated by animal agriculture. Of course, Earth Day is also a good time to remember that animal agriculture only exists at these levels because people are purchasing vast quantities of chicken, beef, pork, and fish.
Antarctic Ice is Growing, Not Melting Away
Ice is expanding in much of Antarctica, contrary to the widespread public belief that global warming is melting the continental ice cap. The results of ice-core drilling and sea ice monitoring indicate there is no large-scale melting of ice over most of Antarctica, although experts are concerned at ice losses on the continent's western coast.
How Green Is My Bottle?
Earth Day is this Wednesday, and all things “green” will be celebrated. But it’s worth asking: how environmentally friendly are “green” products, really? Consider, for example, this paragon of eco-virtue: the stainless steel water bottle that lets us hydrate without discarding endless plastic bottles. Using a method called life cycle assessment, we have evaluated the environmental and health impact of a stainless steel thermos — from the extraction and processing of its ingredients, to its manufacture, distribution, use and final disposal. There were some surprises. What we think of as “green” turns out to be less so (and, yes, sometimes more so) than we assume.
Herbicide Used in Argentina Could Cause Birth Defects
BUENOS AIRES – The herbicide used on genetically modified soy – Argentina’s main crop – could cause brain, intestinal and heart defects in fetuses, according to the results of a scientific investigation released Monday. Although the study “used amphibian embryos,” the results “are completely comparable to what would happen in the development of a human embryo,” embryology professor Andres Carrasco, one of the study’s authors, told Efe.
Religious Groups' Views on Global Warming
Earth Day takes place on April 22 each year. One issue at the center of public discussions about the environment is global warming: whether it is occurring and what its causes might be. An analysis by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life of a 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press examines views on global warming among major religious traditions in the U.S.
From Tons of Manure, a Growth Industry
IN almost-spring, as itchy gardeners drag out grow lights and seed-starting flats, it seems a fitting moment to trace the germ of a new and very green gardening idea. It first took root beside a reeking, unspeakable lagoon in the northwest corner of Connecticut and is blossoming sweetly nationwide. Kindly summon a gardener’s tolerance for earthy subject matter as this gritty tale unfolds
First Solar Reaches US $1 Per Watt Milestone
First Solar Inc. announced it reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules in the fourth quarter to US $0.98/watt, breaking the $1 per watt price barrier that the industry has been striving towards in recent years.
Call to Save India's Ganges River
A group of prominent Indian scientists and engineers has issued an urgent appeal to stop the building of a hydro-electricity project on the Ganges.

Their appeal came as noted scientist GD Aggarwala continued his 36-day fast against the project. He has been on a water and honey diet since 14 January.
Ecuador Extends Rights To Ecosystems
A few months after Lloyd reported on the Swiss government's conclusion that plants have rights the Ecuadorian population went one step further and voted to change their constitution to proclaim that nature has “the right to the maintenance and regeneration of its vital cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes.”
My Friend is a Yogi!
When I first joined the Hare Krishnas, the phrase “plain living high thinking” would inevitably make me think of yogis in the Himalaya Mountains who meditate on the Absolute Truth while staying in caves, surviving freezing temperatures without central heating and living on nothing but water and air.
Food Needs 'Fundamental Rethink'
A sustainable global food system in the 21st Century needs to be built on a series of "new fundamentals", according to a leading food expert. Tim Lang warned that the current system, designed in the 1940s, was showing "structural failures", such as "astronomic" environmental costs.
Quarrying Threatens Sacred Tirupati Temple Existence
TIRUPATI: When money talks, `bhakti' takes a backseat. In what could be seen as posing threat to the very existence of a 17th century temple, unauthorised quarrying works in about 50 acres of the land surrounding the temple are going on at a frenetic pace. The resultant business worth is: a cool Rs 2 crore every year.
U.N. Chief Tells World: We Need a Green New Deal
The world must avoid backsliding in fighting global warming and work out a "Green New Deal" to fix its twin climate and economic crises, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday. "We must re-commit ourselves to the urgency of our cause," Ban told a December 1-12 meeting of 100 environment ministers in Poznan, Poland, reviewing progress toward a new U.N. climate treaty meant to be agreed at the end of 2009.
Solar Thermal Power May Make Sun-Powered Grid a Reality
Planted in the New Mexico desert near Albuquerque, the six solar dish engines of the Solar Thermal Test Facility at Sandia National Laboratories look a bit like giant, highly reflective satellite dishes. Each one is a mosaic of 82 mirrors that fit together to form a 38-ft-wide parabola. The mirrors’ precise curvature focuses light onto a 7-in. area. At its most intense spot, the heat is equivalent to a blistering 13,000 suns, producing a flux 13 times greater than the space shuttle experiences during re-entry. “That’ll melt almost anything known to man,” says Sandia engineer Chuck Andraka. “It’s incredibly hot.”
Vatican Solar Panels Installed
As Pope Benedict again called on young people to defend nature from a "correct ecological perspective", the first solar panels have been installed on the Paul VI auditorium at the Vatican. BBC News reports Pope Benedict has become the first pontiff to harness solar power to provide energy for the Vatican.
Swami Delivers Eco Message to New Orleans University
Bhakti Raghava Swami, a proponent of spiritual eco-living, spoke at a meeting of Tulane University's Bhakti Yoga Club in New Orleans, this month. The club aims to raise an awareness of human life’s essential nature through Vedic spirituality, vegetarianism and eco-friendly living. Since its inception, the forum has won support from the university’s faculty and students.
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. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further.
Growing Numbers Say Diet Must Reflect the Divine
When Marilyn Lorenz of Alma, Mich., talks about living out her Catholic faith in daily life, she starts by describing what's inside her refrigerator. The produce is grown on nearby farms, and the milk is organic and hormone-free. Meat comes from a local farmer who lets his animals graze freely and doesn't use antibiotics.
Healthy Breakfast Can Lead to a Sicker Planet
What you have for breakfast could have twice the impact on the environment as driving to work, according to a study published in New Scientist magazine. Ecotrust ecological economist Astrid Scholz, who calculates food production carbon emissions using "equivalence CO2 emissions", says a bowl of cereal with milk has emitted as much greenhouse gas to get to your table as a 6km drive in an SUV would produce.
The Island in the Wind
Jorgen Tranberg is a farmer who lives on the Danish island of Samso. He is a big man with a mop of brown hair and an unpredictable sense of humor. When I arrived at his house, one gray morning this spring, he was sitting in his kitchen watching grainy images on a black-and-white TV. The images turned out to be closed-circuit shots from his barn. One of his cows, he told me, was about to give birth, and he was keeping an eye on her. We talked for a few minutes, and then, laughing, he asked me if I wanted to climb his wind turbine. I was pretty sure I didn’t, but I said yes anyway.
ISKCON Devotee Wins UK Recycling Award
UK charity ‘Food For All’ was presented with the first prize trophy at this year’s Novelis Community Recycling Project awards. The ceremony took place in central London and was attended by groups from all over the country who are pro-active in recycling. Novelis, the largest recycler of aluminium drink cans in Europe, praised the charity's collection and distribution of fresh food from supermarkets which would otherwise be thrown away.
Wake Up, America. We're Driving Toward Disaster.
Everywhere I go these days, talking about the global energy predicament on the college lecture circuit or at environmental conferences, I hear an increasingly shrill cry for "solutions." This is just another symptom of the delusional thinking that now grips the nation, especially among the educated and well-intentioned.
Mining Banned in Sacred Mathura
MATHURA: Conservation efforts in this Hindu holy town - said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna - have received a big boost, with a court banning mining operations in the area. When pilgrims visit some of the shrines associated with Krishna-Radha lore, they will not fail to notice structural changes to restore, rejuvenate and conserve the ecology of the area.
Clean Vrindavan Project to Promote Spiritual Tourism
VRINDAVAN: Noted for its numerous temples, the holy land of Vrindavan in Mathura district, where Lord Krishna spent his childhood, has seen a huge increase in pilgrims and tourists in recent years. However, over-flowing drains, strewn garbage and crowded, littered streets is what greets the thousands of pilgrims who visit this historic place every year.
Four-leg Drive the Way to Go
Nicole Swift, of Yarramundi, on the Hawkesbury, has no difficulty with the idea that one day Australia's horses - so brusquely brushed aside by the motor car a century ago - may come back into their own as a source of transport and power. Unthinkable it might seem. But with fuel prices pushing up to perhaps $8 a litre in the next 10 years, stocks drying up and alternative sources of energy problematic, an eye might well be turned to the animal that has served mankind since the dawn of civilisation.
Eating Green from the Vedic Perspective
If you ever watch TV, read a newspaper, or listen to the radio, chances are you'll have heard of the term 'carbon footprint' by now. In our increasingly green conscious society, it's the buzzword of the minute, and refers to the impact human activities have on the environment.
Grains Gone Wild
These days you hear a lot about the world financial crisis. But there’s another world crisis under way — and it’s hurting a lot more people. I’m talking about the food crisis. Over the past few years the prices of wheat, corn, rice and other basic foodstuffs have doubled or tripled, with much of the increase taking place just in the last few months.
India's Temples Go Green
The Tirumala temple, in the south Indian city of Tirupathi, is one of Hinduism's holiest shrines. Over 5,000 pilgrims a day visit this city of seven hills, filling Tirumala's coffers with donations and making it India's richest temple. But since 2002, Tirumala has also been generating revenue from a less likely source: carbon credits. For decades, the temple's community kitchen has fed nearly 15,000 people, cooking 30,000 meals a day.
India Unveils Climate Change Plan
The Indian government has unveiled a national action plan to confront the threat posed by climate change.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the plan envisaged a gradual shift to greater reliance on sustainable sources of energy.
IIT Army Marches to Rescue Krishna's Lakes
IIT engineers and water experts have pooled resources and skills to salvage the ancient kunds (ponds) of Vrindavan, Krishna’s childhood home. The water bodies, a big draw for tourists who throng Mathura, of which Vrindavan is a part, disappeared over the past 25 years, swallowed by encroachments and illegal constructions that changed the landscape.
Go Green -- Buy a Used Car. It's Better Than a Hybrid.
Ditching your gas guzzler is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but if you really want to do something about global warming, get a used car. You'll be putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As Matt Power notes in this month's issue of Wired, hybrids get great gas mileage but it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius.
Natural Born Survivors
For three years, my husband has talked about taking to the hills. About buying a smallholding on Exmoor where, with our four-year-old daughter, we can safely survive the coming storm - famine, pestilence and a total breakdown of society. I would wait for his lectures to finish, then return to my own interests. I had no time for the end of civilisation.
Wildlife Populations 'Plummeting'
Between a quarter and a third of the world's wildlife has been lost since 1970, according to data compiled by the Zoological Society of London.

Populations of land-based species fell by 25%, marine by 28% and freshwater by 29%, it says.
Vegetarian is the New Prius
President Herbert Hoover promised "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." With warnings about global warming reaching feverish levels, many are having second thoughts about all those cars. It seems they should instead be worrying about the chickens.
Devotees Add Color to San Diego’s Earth Day Celebrations
ISKCON devotees joined San Diego’s Earth Day parade, one of the biggest in America, this Sunday April 20 for their 12th year in a row. Two hundred devotees participated, pulling a modest but beautifully decorated Ratha-yatra cart from one end of Balboa Park to the other, and showering onlookers with flower petals.
Is Your Temple Green?
Environmentalism has certainly been on people’s minds lately. Governments around the globe are teaching their constituents about the need to conserve resources. School children are taught the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle. And of course advertisers are keen to tout the environmental benefits of whatever product they are trying to peddle.
Food For Life Keeps Vrindavana Clean and Green
Food for Life Vrindavana, not content with simply making an effort this Earth Day (April 22) is running several full-time environmental projects to beautify Krishna’s birthplace. First up is Project Varahadeva, launched in April 2003.
Simple Living - High Thinking
A couple from Chennai decided to live simply - by a stream in a one-room hut. The man, Magari, would forego his occupation of hunting while his wife Madhavi would cultivate Tulasi instead of selling baskets. Magari would also give up non-vegetarian food.
Vatican Lists Pollution as a 'New Sin'
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them modern sins. So the Vatican has told the faithful that they should be aware of "new" sins such as causing environmental blight.
ISKCON Sydney Holds 'Earth Hour' Candlelit Kirtana
Devotees and Deities at Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha temple in Sydney, Australia, joined an estimated 50 million people worldwide in making a statement on climate change and energy consumption. On Saturday, March 29th people across the world acted together to switch off their electric lights for an hour.
The Myth of the Rising Cost of Food
The BBC has a feature on “the cost of food“. It shows how almost all types of food are getting more and more expensive. Drastically so!

What is happening here? Shouldn’t high-tech farming with its nitrogen fertilizers, pesticides and specially bred (often genetically modified) high-yield crop varieties allow humanity to easy feed everyone on the planet?
ISKCONite to Represent Greens at UK General Election
A keen environmentalist, novelist, web designer, and member of Hindu temple Bhaktivedanta Manor, has been selected as the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Hertsmere. Arjuna Krishna-Das, an active member of the Green Party since the early 1980s, is now set to represent the party in the region at the next General Election.
Green is the New God
God and the green movement are battling for the hearts and minds of middle Australia. As record numbers desert religion, environmentalism is increasingly being used to fill the void, KPMG demographer Bernard Salt said. The green movement advocates ideas such as salvation, damnation and atonement that are similar to those of traditional faiths.
The LED Illumination Revolution
Apparently, it's time to ban Edison's venerable, now vilified, light bulb. European leaders, green pundits and the widely reported light bulb provisions of the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 all urgently push the abandonment of incandescent bulbs.
Sugarcane Plates: ISKCON Chooses the Sweet Alternative
In today’s environmentally aware world, it may shock guests to find out that some ISKCON centers – while claiming to represent a society of spiritual welfare workers and self-sufficiency exponents – serve their vegetarian meals on Styrofoam dinnerware.
Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler
A sea change in the consumption of a resource that Americans take for granted may be in store — something cheap, plentiful, widely enjoyed and a part of daily life. And it isn’t oil. It’s meat.
US Approves Animal Clones as Food
The US government has given the green light to the production and marketing of foods derived from cloned animals. After six years of study, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that meat and milk from cloned pigs, cattle and goats and their offspring is safe.
Torres Strait Islands at Risk from Global Warming
GLOBAL warming is not just a theory in Torres Strait – it is lapping at people's doorsteps. The phenomenon is a visible reality as rising sea levels threaten to erase centuries-old island communities. Roads have been swallowed whole, buildings washed out, graveyards swamped and houses flooded in six of the most vulnerable low-lying island communities.
Organic, and Tastier: The Rat’s Nose Knows
In any controversy it can be helpful to consider the views of disinterested parties. So, on the subject of agricultural policy and practice, it’s worth noting that an unimpeachably neutral group has joined the ranks of those who prefer organic foods over foods produced with the help of synthetic chemicals. That group is 40 Swiss rats.
What Kind of Diet is Best for the Environment?
As a longtime vegetarian, I've always been confident that my diet is better for the planet than that of your typical carnivore. But a vegan pal of mine says I could be doing a lot more, by rejecting all animal products—no eggs, no milk, not even the occasional bowl of mac 'n cheese. Is veganism really that much better for the environment?
Scientists Play 'The Weather God'
So-called hurricane modifiers aim to steer dangerous weather patterns off course and to weaken hurricanes in the hope of preventing disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Scientists have devised a plan to reduce hurricane wind speeds by having a plane drop soot into near-freezing clouds at the top of a hurricane, causing it to warm.
Cow Manure Turned To Electricity At Organic Farm
PETALUMA, Sep. 25, 2007 (BCN) - Manure from 240 cows at an organic Petaluma, California dairy farm is being converted into renewable electricity.
ISKCON Environmentalists on a Journey to Protect Ganga
A group of ISKCON members are on a journey down the Ganges river from Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh to Mayapur in West Bengal to create awareness about the excessive pollution drained into Her sacred waters.
US Family Tries Life Without Toilet Paper
It is mid-afternoon in an airy, lower-Manhattan flat, on the ninth floor of a posh-looking building with a doorman. It is a bit dark and there are no lights on. There is a strange quiet feel to the flat, perhaps due to the lack of any appliances - no fridge humming, no TV interference, even no air conditioning, though it is hot and humid outside.
Ten 'Most Polluted Places' Named
A list of the world's most polluted places has been published by a US-based independent environmental group.
Largest Janmastami Festival Outside India Goes Green
The forthcoming Janmastami Festival [birth celebration of Lord Krishna] at the Bhaktivedanta Manor near Watford [UK] is the largest of its kind outside India and is set to not only be one of the most colourful but the primary colour this year is green.

This year the organisers want to highlight to festival goers the need to be aware of their responsibility to mother earth.
Beef Worse Than Cars' Emissions, Study Shows
Producing 2.2lb of beef generates as much greenhouse gas as driving a car non-stop for three hours.

Japanese scientists used a range of data to calculate the environmental impact of a single purchase of beef.
Can You Be An Environmentalist and Still Eat Meat?
There has never been a better time for environmentalists to become vegetarians. Evidence of the environmental impacts of a meat-based diet is piling up at the same time its health effects are becoming better known. Meanwhile, full-scale industrialized factory farming-which allows diseases to spread quickly as animals are raised in close confinement-has given rise to recent, highly publicized epidemics of meat-borne illnesses. At presstime, the first discovery of mad cow disease in a Tokyo suburb caused beef prices to plummet in Japan and many people to stop eating meat.

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