Hurray, no more Cheers! At least for these two days - today and tomorrow. Today was a pleasureful and happy day indeed. Daniel, Dad and myself went all the way to Sembawang Park for fishing! After so long a time standing on the semi wooden jetty, all we got was literally nothing, except for some fun. Not at all a fish, and not even one of them by those men whose rods were far larger than ours. However, flower crabs were seen emerging from the sea in the square nets every few of half a minutes. Small or big, there's actually a preference among 'fishermen' though. The larger ones would suffer the fate not similar to their counterparts, where smaller ones were privileged to return back home. That must be due to their sizes.
Mid afternoon, I went back to Grandma's place and enjoyed my crabby feast with Daniel. I had one whole steamed and chilled crab as snack. Having able to eat them after so many years had paid off the pains which I felt when cracking the shells. Then when there was an excess, Daniel and me shared the third one, leaving me with rashes at the end of the day, which is now. =( but =).
At dusk, we went to Aunt cat's place and prepared for a family gathering, an annual event that would usually gather over 60 distant relatives for a get-together session. But unfortuately things weren't worked out to be what the old uncles and aunts wanted, which we the younger generations did not really interacted much I would say.
Just after the strolling around, I went to bathe and used the steam bath. It is like a giant steamer which people usually use it to seam Paus. And after everything I felt refreshed, and super-recharged once again.
There's a buffet dinner! Much to my liking, and with the fact that that's what I have ordered from Select Catering, I like it even more. But sadly I didn't eat much due to the limitation of the amount.
Having enjoyed all these moments, I nearly forget to introduce Daniel! He is my cousin, 24, who was born in Singapore. Now a German, he has been living in Germany for more than twenty years. He's now back here again after an interval of three years. Together with his Dad (my uncle), his wife (Aunt Gadarh), sister (Sandra, 21, cousin), they spend their holidays here living at my Grandma's place. But this time they brought along their cousin and boyfriend too. Cloudia is a Policewoman at their place. (Woohoo!) Sadly, my attachment has started so I couldn't really bring them out so sightsee and have fun. I'm feeling to sorry for that. They will leave on 29 Aug.
Today's entry will stop here, and I know I have lotsa expired things to post, especially photos. Stay tuned, and focused. =)
Sunday 26 August 2007
Thursday 23 August 2007
Sunday 19 August 2007
Less Meat, More Health?
Article adapted from http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_149261.html.
A letter by Edmund Lim Wee Kiat
Eating less meat brings benefits to our health and environment
AT A recent seminar organized by the Economic Development Board and The Straits Times, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew shared his concern about the 'enormous problem' of global warming and the associated problems of floods, droughts, typhoons and rising sea levels.
He raised the question: 'Will we have the wisdom and the ability to prevent this degradation of the environment?'
MM Lee then expressed his doubts. 'I have serious reservations, because I don't see any government telling its people to consume less... less travel, less food, eat more vegetables, don't eat more protein.'
What does eating more vegetables and less animal protein have to do with our environment?
Eating less meat and more vegetables is good for our health and our environment.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that the production of one calorie of animal protein for human consumption requires more than 10 times the fossil fuel input to produce one calorie of plant protein. This results in 10 times more carbon dioxide emission.
A 2006 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report stated that the livestock sector produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the transportation systems.
In addition, the livestock sector produces manure which contributes to more than 60 per cent of human-related nitrous oxide. Nitric oxide worsens the global warming situation as it has 296 times the Global Warming Potential of carbon dioxide.
In the United States, more than 30 per cent of all fossil fuels produced in that country are used for animal production.
The animals that are bred for human consumption are fed with various vegetable crops. Energy is required to produce these crops. These crops are then harvested, processed and transported to the feedlots for the animals' consumption. After the animals are fed and bred, they are transported to the slaughterhouse to be killed. The carcasses are subsequently transported in refrigerated trucks to the processing plants. Eventually, the meat is delivered to a grocery store.
The production and transportation of animals take up a substantial amount of fuel. As a result, more carbon dioxide and toxins are emitted to the detriment of our environment.
The meat that we consume in Singapore requires additional fuel for refrigeration and transportation as these carcasses are imported via airplanes from countries such as the US and Australia.
Furthermore, as the consumption of meat increases, more land is required for animal grazing or production of crops for animals. Some of these extra lands come from Latin America where rainforests and forests are destroyed so as to meet the increasing demands for animal production.
According to a Smithsonian Institution research, the demand for grazing land results in the destruction of a land area the size of seven football fields in the Amazon basin, every minute of every day.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report pointed out that 70 per cent of former forests in the Amazon have been deforested and changed to grazing lands.
Our earth's green lungs are being devastated to feed mankind's appetite for flesh. If we consume less meat, there would be less deforestation, destruction, pollution and global warming.
The production of animal leads to pollution. The manure from the billions of animals that are bred and killed for food causes a tremendous amount of water pollution in rivers and damage to our environment. This serious pollution was one of the reasons that led to relocation and phasing out of pig farms in Singapore in the 1970s.
The UN researchers highlighted that the livestock industry badly damages our environment and scarce water resources. It is a leading cause of water pollution, degeneration of sea life and increased water consumption.
Senior UN Food and Agriculture Organisation official Henning Steinfeld reported that the meat industry is 'one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems'.
If we eat less animal protein, there will be less need for animal production and there will be less damage to our environment. This can also reduce the factors that accelerate global warming.
According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary (AVA) authority statistics, the import of meat increased significantly over the past 10 years. In 1997, 14,019 tonnes of beef were imported to Singapore. Last year, the import of beef increased by more than 10,000 tonnes to 24, 358 tonnes. In comparison to 1997, the import of chicken last year increased by 10,000 tonnes whereas the import of pork and mutton decreased by less than 1,000 tonnes each.
The per capita consumption of beef in Singapore increased from 3.5kg in 1997 to 3.7kg last year. On a positive note, the per capita consumption of meat decreased and the consumption of vegetables. Nonetheless, we can do better by importing and eating less meat while consuming more vegetables.
Meat is high in unhealthy saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. The consumption of animal products can contribute to obesity, heart disease, certain kinds of cancer and a range of other dreadful illnesses. This also leads to increases in rising medical expenses, especially for a graying society like Singapore.
Authorities and individuals can certainly do more to encourage people to eat less meat and more vegetables so as to promote healthier living and lower medical expenditure.
Oxford University researchers from the Department of Public Health stated that imposing a tax of 17.5 per cent on food products regarded as unhealthy could reduce consumer demand and lower the number of heart attacks and strokes.
According to this study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, such a policy decision and implementation could save more than 3,000 lives in Britain annually as a 'well designed and carefully-targeted fat tax could be a useful tool for reducing the burden of food-related disease'.
Such a tax on meat could reduce meat intake and eventually benefit our environment too. High taxes have been levied on detrimental tobacco and alcohol to discourage unhealthy living.
Likewise, a tax could be imposed on the consumption of meat, as well as high-fat and high-sugar products. The funds from such a tax could then be used to subsidise the cost of fresh vegetables and fruits so as to make them more affordable and attractive. Such a tax may not be a popular government policy initially but it can lead to long-term benefits for our society and families.
Together with education, such efforts will encourage healthier eating habits where people will eat less meat and more vegetables and fruits. There will then be a reduction in meat consumption and production. This will certainly be better for one's personal health, as well as for the well-being of our environment and future.
Nonetheless, we need not wait till such a tax is imposed. Today, we can start improving our health and reducing global warming by eating less meat.
My colleague bought a Toyota Prius hybrid car in her effort to emit less carbon dioxide and benefit the environment. According to a University of Chicago study, being a vegan benefits the environment more than driving a Prius because a vegan, compared to a meat-eater, prevents 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the environment, whereas a Prius emits one tonne less of carbon dioxide every year.
So, by eating less animal protein, we are helping to reduce global warming. As an individual, you and I can play our part to prevent the degradation of our environment. The future is not so bleak and there is still hope.
A letter by Edmund Lim Wee Kiat
Eating less meat brings benefits to our health and environment
AT A recent seminar organized by the Economic Development Board and The Straits Times, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew shared his concern about the 'enormous problem' of global warming and the associated problems of floods, droughts, typhoons and rising sea levels.
He raised the question: 'Will we have the wisdom and the ability to prevent this degradation of the environment?'
MM Lee then expressed his doubts. 'I have serious reservations, because I don't see any government telling its people to consume less... less travel, less food, eat more vegetables, don't eat more protein.'
What does eating more vegetables and less animal protein have to do with our environment?
Eating less meat and more vegetables is good for our health and our environment.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that the production of one calorie of animal protein for human consumption requires more than 10 times the fossil fuel input to produce one calorie of plant protein. This results in 10 times more carbon dioxide emission.
A 2006 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report stated that the livestock sector produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the transportation systems.
In addition, the livestock sector produces manure which contributes to more than 60 per cent of human-related nitrous oxide. Nitric oxide worsens the global warming situation as it has 296 times the Global Warming Potential of carbon dioxide.
In the United States, more than 30 per cent of all fossil fuels produced in that country are used for animal production.
The animals that are bred for human consumption are fed with various vegetable crops. Energy is required to produce these crops. These crops are then harvested, processed and transported to the feedlots for the animals' consumption. After the animals are fed and bred, they are transported to the slaughterhouse to be killed. The carcasses are subsequently transported in refrigerated trucks to the processing plants. Eventually, the meat is delivered to a grocery store.
The production and transportation of animals take up a substantial amount of fuel. As a result, more carbon dioxide and toxins are emitted to the detriment of our environment.
The meat that we consume in Singapore requires additional fuel for refrigeration and transportation as these carcasses are imported via airplanes from countries such as the US and Australia.
Furthermore, as the consumption of meat increases, more land is required for animal grazing or production of crops for animals. Some of these extra lands come from Latin America where rainforests and forests are destroyed so as to meet the increasing demands for animal production.
According to a Smithsonian Institution research, the demand for grazing land results in the destruction of a land area the size of seven football fields in the Amazon basin, every minute of every day.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report pointed out that 70 per cent of former forests in the Amazon have been deforested and changed to grazing lands.
Our earth's green lungs are being devastated to feed mankind's appetite for flesh. If we consume less meat, there would be less deforestation, destruction, pollution and global warming.
The production of animal leads to pollution. The manure from the billions of animals that are bred and killed for food causes a tremendous amount of water pollution in rivers and damage to our environment. This serious pollution was one of the reasons that led to relocation and phasing out of pig farms in Singapore in the 1970s.
The UN researchers highlighted that the livestock industry badly damages our environment and scarce water resources. It is a leading cause of water pollution, degeneration of sea life and increased water consumption.
Senior UN Food and Agriculture Organisation official Henning Steinfeld reported that the meat industry is 'one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems'.
If we eat less animal protein, there will be less need for animal production and there will be less damage to our environment. This can also reduce the factors that accelerate global warming.
According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary (AVA) authority statistics, the import of meat increased significantly over the past 10 years. In 1997, 14,019 tonnes of beef were imported to Singapore. Last year, the import of beef increased by more than 10,000 tonnes to 24, 358 tonnes. In comparison to 1997, the import of chicken last year increased by 10,000 tonnes whereas the import of pork and mutton decreased by less than 1,000 tonnes each.
The per capita consumption of beef in Singapore increased from 3.5kg in 1997 to 3.7kg last year. On a positive note, the per capita consumption of meat decreased and the consumption of vegetables. Nonetheless, we can do better by importing and eating less meat while consuming more vegetables.
Meat is high in unhealthy saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. The consumption of animal products can contribute to obesity, heart disease, certain kinds of cancer and a range of other dreadful illnesses. This also leads to increases in rising medical expenses, especially for a graying society like Singapore.
Authorities and individuals can certainly do more to encourage people to eat less meat and more vegetables so as to promote healthier living and lower medical expenditure.
Oxford University researchers from the Department of Public Health stated that imposing a tax of 17.5 per cent on food products regarded as unhealthy could reduce consumer demand and lower the number of heart attacks and strokes.
According to this study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, such a policy decision and implementation could save more than 3,000 lives in Britain annually as a 'well designed and carefully-targeted fat tax could be a useful tool for reducing the burden of food-related disease'.
Such a tax on meat could reduce meat intake and eventually benefit our environment too. High taxes have been levied on detrimental tobacco and alcohol to discourage unhealthy living.
Likewise, a tax could be imposed on the consumption of meat, as well as high-fat and high-sugar products. The funds from such a tax could then be used to subsidise the cost of fresh vegetables and fruits so as to make them more affordable and attractive. Such a tax may not be a popular government policy initially but it can lead to long-term benefits for our society and families.
Together with education, such efforts will encourage healthier eating habits where people will eat less meat and more vegetables and fruits. There will then be a reduction in meat consumption and production. This will certainly be better for one's personal health, as well as for the well-being of our environment and future.
Nonetheless, we need not wait till such a tax is imposed. Today, we can start improving our health and reducing global warming by eating less meat.
My colleague bought a Toyota Prius hybrid car in her effort to emit less carbon dioxide and benefit the environment. According to a University of Chicago study, being a vegan benefits the environment more than driving a Prius because a vegan, compared to a meat-eater, prevents 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the environment, whereas a Prius emits one tonne less of carbon dioxide every year.
So, by eating less animal protein, we are helping to reduce global warming. As an individual, you and I can play our part to prevent the degradation of our environment. The future is not so bleak and there is still hope.
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