July 16, 2021
Mindful Living
1. Mindful News
The Goldman Environmental Prize, referred to as the Green Nobel, is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world’s six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The award is given by the Goldman Environmental Foundation headquartered in San Francisco, California. The winners are selected by an international jury who receive confidential nominations from a worldwide network of environmental organizations and individuals – with the idea to recognize individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. The Prize views “grassroots” leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation – for instance, through protecting endangered ecosystems and species, combating destructive development projects, promoting sustainability, influencing environmental policies, and striving for environmental justice. Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.
2. Mindful thoughts
It was the shift in market forces that was the death knell for coal. And it’s the same thing with beef – it’s going to be the shift in consumer tastes and preferences, not some regulation, believes Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale University’s Program on Climate Change Communications. While tastemakers like Jamie Oliver and Bill Gates are driving the shift away from beef and promoting plant-centric meals, the opposition they are facing is strong – more than a third of U.S. farms and ranches are beef cattle operations, making it the single largest segment of U.S. agriculture. But there is no escaping the fact that beef is a climate villain. First off, it’s a drain on natural resources, producing one litre of cow’s milk requires 628 litres of fresh drinking water. Then there’s the problem of poop from around 270 million dairy cows. The poor handling of manure and fertilizers can pollute water supplies, putting humans and other animals in danger. Globally, 14.5% of human-driven greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock production, with cattle responsible for two-thirds, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Per gram of protein, beef production has more than 6 times the climate impact of pork, more than 8 times that of poultry and 113 times that of peas, according to a 2018 analysis of global production in the journal Science. How is the world reacting to all this? Investors are rushing into plant-based and cultivated faux meat start-ups. A Boston Consulting Group report in March heralded the beginning of a “protein transformation” and forecast meat alternatives would make up 11-22% of the global protein market by 2035. And if you’re not into business lingo, consider this: today it’s believed that if the world stopped consuming meat and dairy, the space needed for global farmland would reduce by 75%. To put that in perspective, that’s an area the size of the US, China, the European Union and Australia combined.
3. Mindful recipe – MOJITO UNDONE
- Gather ingredients
- 5 cl of UNDONE No. 1 This Is Not Rum
- 25 cl VEEN Nordic Soda Water
- 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
- Garnish
- Raw mint leaves 1/2 lime
- Tools
- Peeler
- Glass
- Highball glass
- Steps
- Place mint leaves and a wedge of lime in a strong, durable glass.
- Crush the ingredients.
- Add two more lime wedges and some sugar, then mix.
- Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour UNDONE No.1 This Is Not Rum over the ice.
- Fill the rest of the glass with VEEN Nordic Soda Water.
- Stir and garnish the glass with a wedge of lime.
4. Mindful place – Mountain Yoga Festival St. Anton am Arlberg
The Mountain Yoga Festival St. Anton in Arlberg, Austria is a well-established yoga event since 2016, and this year will be held between the 9th and 12th of September. The festival focuses on yoga, nature and health; and it is led by passionate international teachers and experts. If you are a yoga & nature lover, you’re in for an exciting 4-day event featuring a great mix of different yoga styles (for beginners and advanced yogis alike) hiking and mountain experiences, waldluftbaden, music, talks and networking. And while your main job will be to have fun, relax and practice many variations of downward facing dog on the mountains and in the valley – do remember, it is essential, that for all hikes organised by the mountain yoga festival, all participants need hiking shoes with non-slipping sole, rain coat, warm clothing, hat and water.
