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Let's Try To Save Our Planet

A report and reflection on the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

"Every paper, newspaper, or magazine you buy makes you part of this forest destruction."

"True high society means simple living and higher thinking."

The speaker, representing an NGO, shares observations from the conference, covering major themes of water scarcity, food security, and the need for ethical education. He criticizes deforestation for paper and calls for a simpler lifestyle, urging the audience to plant trees and reduce consumption. The talk concludes with practical plans for tree-planting initiatives in Slovakia and abroad.

Filming location: Slovakia

Good evening, everyone. You saw a glimpse of the ten-day United Nations conference. Ten years prior, it was in Johannesburg, and ten years before that, in Rio. This was the second time in Rio after 20 years. An official governmental delegation from Slovakia was also present. There was a discussion about water conditions in Slovakia, covering different classifications: blue water, grey water, surface water, and groundwater. Problems persist with surface water, which is also interconnected with water from Hungary, and there were issues raised from Romania and Hungary as well. Globally, water is becoming a major problem, with drinking quality deteriorating due to pollution. In many countries, vast amounts of water are consumed for golf courses. Some countries utilize grey water—which is wastewater—for these fields. Blue water is rainwater. Green water is surface water (Zelená voda je voda povrchová), which also poses a problem when it lies stagnant for a long time (A to je tiež problém, ak tá voda vlastne sa nehýbe nejakú dobu). The second major topic was food. There were quite a few angles presented. Some highlighted the millions of people and children who go to sleep hungry. In some countries—which I will not name—companies and NGOs expressed deep concern about human food containing excessive chemicals, leading to many diseases: heart disease, diabetes, liver and kidney issues, skin diseases due to weakening immunity, and cancer. Many disabled children are being born. Consequently, there was strong pressure to focus on organic food. Education was also discussed. It was suggested that education should incorporate spirituality and ethical principles. This spirituality should not be one-sided; all religions should be acknowledged as part of spirituality and religion. Of course, other delegates addressed the economy, petrol, coal, and electricity. Some people held a large poster that read: "Leave the oil in the soil, and leave the coal in the hole." There were about 50,000 government delegates from 180 countries, 30,000 NGO representatives, and 24,000 security personnel. You can imagine the scale. Simultaneously, there was a People's Conference. Those participants were not allowed onto the UN territory, yet they outnumbered the official UN visitors. With many demonstrations, over 200,000 people gathered—it was like a Kumbh Melā. An alarm is being raised worldwide about the global situation, which we humans have caused. Consider beautiful Brazil, the fourth-largest country with its vast rainforest. Only 5–7% has been cleared, but that rainforest is what remains. I was invited to speak as a protector of the rainforest, and we planted peace trees. I witnessed bulldozers, chainsaws, and caterpillars destroying the rainforest to plant eucalyptus, which consumes large amounts of groundwater. Nothing grows beneath it—no environment, no positive feelings, no good energy. These trees are used only for paper and as construction supports (Na stavbách podopierajú vlastne stavby). It is a great pity that such a rainforest is disappearing (Je velká škoda, že tento daždový prales vlastně miznie). Every paper, newspaper, or magazine you buy makes you part of this forest destruction. A newspaper can have nearly 100 pages; you may read only a few and then discard it. Before buying a newspaper, think it over three times. You can hear the same news on the radio or see it in electronic media. By avoiding paper media, you protect the forest. We must also avoid a "use and throw" mentality. At the last UN conference in Johannesburg ten years ago, someone said, "Use and throw, but where to throw?" We throw it on our earth and create pollution. Therefore, reuse everything multiple times. Do not buy plastic cups or plates. We can avoid many things; it is time to lead a simple life. Wear natural, cotton clothing (Noste oblečenie, ktoré je vyrobené z prirodzených materiálov, z bavlny). Do not think that using natural items means you are not high society (A nemyslíte si, že keď ľudia budú vidieť, že používate prírodné veci, alebo z prírodných materiálov, že nepatríte do vyššej spoločnosti?). True high society means simple living and higher thinking (Protože ta skutočná vyššia spoločnosť znamená jednoduchý život a vysoké vznešené myšlienky). The United Nations slogan is that every voice will be heard and considered. If we all begin something good, it carries inherent value. This year, I have asked all yoga practitioners and friends to plant a minimum of twelve trees before the beginning of April next year—sorry, July—any kind of tree, anywhere, except in a neighbor's garden unless they permit it. Let us try to save our planet. The conference was very interesting. You know, everyone looked when I arrived. Everyone wore black suits, black ties, and carried black computers. I simply walked in as I am. The media were tired of the black suits, so when our group arrived, they immediately turned to us. They asked about my aim in being there, which was very interesting. For the next UN conference, if any of you wish to join, you are welcome. We will inform you a year and a half or two years in advance. Yoga in Life has NGO status at the UN for economy, environment, and health. Sri Swami Madhavan and the World Peace Council also have special NGO status. Thus, we have two organizations that can obtain passes for more people to enter, to see and be seen, which is significant. I am not only working to teach yoga exercises, as we did this morning. Did you like it? Did you ask your thighs how they are? Be ready again tomorrow. I also work for inter-religious activities, intercultural dialogue, education, environment, and wildlife protection. At Rio+20, I raised my voice: hunting and killing animals in the name of sport should not be acknowledged as a sport. Many birds are disappearing because they are hunted for fun, as a joke. We must work to ensure that killing animals is not recognized in sport (V športe nebolo uznávané lovenie alebo zabíjanie zvierat). There are many fields in which I try to contribute, but I cannot succeed without your support. A tree is beautiful when it has many leaves and blossoms. I may be the trunk, but its beauty is all of you. Worldwide, yogīs, practitioners, and many others support these projects, and I hope you will too. We shall plant trees in Slovakia. We need to ask the government for one, two, or ten hectares of land. These trees should not be commercial but should remain as a forest. We can all sponsor trees—five, ten, or twenty. We will have a seminar here in Turčanské Teplice and a week in Spain, organizing buses to go and plant trees. You are most welcome to sponsor trees for Slovakia. We are also planting in Hungary and Croatia. In Croatia, one tree costs half a euro, so with 5 euros you can donate 10 trees. The government provides trees in many places, and we do the work. Let us succeed in this project. In India, I will plant on about 70 hectares of land where our abandoned cows and animals are. You can also sponsor trees there. I do not know the exact cost; perhaps the tree itself is inexpensive, but the labor is costly. As usual, we will go to India as volunteers to plant. Let me know by the end of June or early July how many trees you have planted this year. Thank you very much.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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