SAVE OUR PLANET… 2010 the second worst year
for natural disasters. The world’s top reinsurers,
Switzerland-based Swiss Re and Germany’s
Munich Re, recently released a report on the
human and economic losses of 2010. At 950
recorded natural disasters last year, 2010
was the second most devastating year since
1980. In terms of human lives, 295,000 people
perished in natural calamities, a stark contrast
to the previous year, when 15,000 succumbed.
In terms of financial cost, Chile’s massive
earthquake in February was the most expensive
disaster of 2010, with losses totaling around
US$30 billion. Combined with Haiti’s calamitous
quake in January, these two disasters were
among the five worst in 2010, which also included
the quake in central China, the heat wave
across Russia and widespread floods in Pakistan.
The worldwide economic loss in 2010 of US$222
billion from natural disasters was more than
triple that of 2009. Munich Re’s report
read: “The high number of weather-related
natural catastrophes and record temperatures
both globally and in different regions of
the world provide further indications of advancing
climate change.”
Climate Expert Prof. Peter Höppe - Head of
Geo Risks Research at Munich RE: Seen on a
global level, 2010 most probably has been
the warmest year since we have started records
130 years ago. The cold weather which we have
seen November and December in Europe and at
the US east coast is no contradiction to these
developments and no contradiction to global
warming at all. To sum up, the year 2010 has
been a year with many and high losses caused
by natural catastrophes.
Moreover, these losses occurred in predominantly
developing countries, identified as being
the most vulnerable and dependent on financial
aid both to recover and prepare for future
climate change impacts. Their predicament
was described in a recent study by World Bank
lead environmental economist Mr. Sergio Margulis.
(Interview in English)
Sergio Margulis – Lead environmental economist,
World Bank (M): If countries need to adapt,
what would it cost if the world is going on
a two-degree trajectory? In this case, our
estimates are between US$70-100 billion per
year between now and 2050. It’s a lot of
money every year. We want to avoid if we can;
we shouldn’t play with this and make things
worse.
VOICE: We thank Munich Re, Swiss Re, Mr. Margulis
and the World Bank for your research quantifying
the harrowing tolls of climate change, especially
in terms of precious human lives. May this
help to awaken everyone to the need to protect
one another, our animal co-inhabitants, and
our shared planetary environment.
Addressing the high costs of climate change-induced
devastations during an April 2009 videoconference
in South Korea, Supreme Master Ching highlighted
the number one action needed to safeguard
all beings on Earth.
Videoconference with Supreme Master Ching
Hai
Seoul, South Korea – April 26, 2009
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Even though the
problems of the environment are many, they
all come from more or less one single source.
That is the meat industry.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Recently, for example,
a study conducted in the Netherlands found
that the estimated total cost to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions to a level where the Earth would
still be habitable, that total cost was estimated
as US$40 trillion. If all the people became
vegan on this planet, the cost would reduce
to 8 trillion dollars only to save the planet.
With savings like the one just mentioned,
we could invest in other life-improving measures,
such as ensuring adequate food and shelter,
education for more people in the world, and
more people would automatically have food
if everyone goes vegan�
