Friday, April 4, 2008, 07:35 AM
Solomon Islands says it is already being hurt by climate change.
In his address to the Parliament, Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Conservation, and Meteorology, Gordon Darcy Lilo, outlined several ways climate change is affecting the island nation. Among the examples he gave were the decline of agricultural production, coastal erosion, and islands sinking or being overrun by seawater. Minister Lilo stated that decisions made by the government must take into account climate change so as to lessen its impact.
http://solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=1549, http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/200803/s2203723.htm?tab=pacific
Global warming could lead to mass migration.
Recent research by Greenpeace has concluded that rising sea levels, diminishing water supplies, and altering monsoon seasons due to climate change could lead to 125 million Southeast Asians becoming homeless by the turn of the century. In addition, the United Nations Development Program has noted that changes in climate would most adversely affect developing nations, increasing disease risk and causing large population migrations.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C31%5Cstory_31-3-2008_pg6_20
Swiss glacier melt accelerating from global warming.
Many of the 1,800 glaciers of Switzerland are melting at a rate of more than 3% per year. The largest ones are retreating by dozens of meters per year, while the annual thaw rates of others are doubling and tripling. The World Glacier Monitoring Service, supported by the United Nations, says the cause of the relentless melting is climate change.
(In English)
Swiss citizen: It’s really a minute till midnight, so we have to do something. I live in Switzerland, and there all the glaciers come down and the climate change and it gets very, very dry in the summer. And it’s really terrible.
VOICE: As evaporating water is a serious problem throughout Europe, Swiss citizens may soon face a water shortage and even droughts. Similar phenomena of glacier loss are being measured in other Europe and other countries. Billions of people worldwide depend on glaciers for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation.
[ add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | related link |
( 3 / 469 )Sunday, July 8, 2007, 01:05 PM
In daily routine we see one or more rituals done by Balinese in society life and Ngaben is often the most colorful ritual of Balinese religion that is necessary to liberate the soul of the deceased for the passage into heaven and reincarnation.
Why it is so important for Balinese?
Ngaben is the biggest debt to our ancestors and it is necessary to be done by the next generation to show our respect to them. Our body is the biggest gift from our parent and as well as love and care from them since we were baby till we found our way in life, is all because of their care and love given to children without any demand and expectation to get back what they have given to them because for them this is their duty as a parent to accompany and to lead them to the best way possible in life their children can achieve.
What about the children, what is their duty?
Their duty is to make sure that they are good children. Because we believe by being a good child we can make our parent happy physically and spiritually. Our positive energy and merry will also help them to liberate their soul into higher consciousness from wherever they are, and because also we believe only the family or their direct generation can help their ancestors to achieve the higher consciousness or to be liberated from the low level of realization.
That is the reason why ngaben is very important for Balinese in order for us to pay the biggest debt and help them to be liberated if they are in any low consciousness.
Why it is so important for tourists to visit Bali?
Ngaben is most colorful ritual of Balinese and this is a ritual used to be done long after death and now we can see this ritual done at any time. Because this is unscheduled event makes it difficult for the tourist to plan their visit to Bali to see the cremation. Also during this event we can see society yelling and screaming the time when they are carrying the death body to the cemetery during the procession of ngaben.
Due to the immense cost and the complicated preparations necessary, group cremation is held in order to share the expense and the labor revolved. Each family builds a large tower of bamboo and paper, extravagantly painted according to the caste and wealth of the deceased, on a large bamboo platform. A magnificent, brightly colored, life size bull "Lembu" is also constructed of bamboo and plaster.
This is a great event not to be miss while a visit to Bali, the day for the mass/ group cremation will be on august 8th, 2007
in Bedulu Village Gianyar Regency. During sightseeing tour in Bali you may ask your tour guide to stop on the way to kintamani or the way to ubud for some time to see the procession of Balinese cremation (ngaben). Or you can easily hire a Bali driver to take you to see this event and he will be very happy to accompany you till the end of the program.
Whatever you choose to do and see in Bali enjoy your vacation in Bali and get the best out of it
[ 1 comment ] ( 6 views ) | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink |
( 3.1 / 954 )Next
