Because we’re running out of time to re-establish “harmony” with nature.

Robert Goodland, World Bank environmental specialist, concluded that a shift to plant-based eating was essential for our own survival.

Robert Goodland (World Bank environmental specialist) concluded shortly before his death in 2013, that the all-important climate change tipping point would be passed between 2017 and 2020 unless drastic action was taken. Sadly, in the three years since his death, almost no effective action has been taken–and we’re getting very close to 2017. 

Most disturbing of all is that our world leaders, our most prominent environmentalists and the scientific community are not even aware of the leading cause of our most urgent ecological issues. Indeed the oceans, the rainforest, biodiversity and climate change are all seriously out of control, yet we hear no one talking about the urgent need to replace most (if not all) of our animal-based calories with greener, healthier, plant-based alternatives.

Oceans. The heart and arteries of the Earth.

Long before his death, Goodland concluded that a deliberate shift to plant-based eating was the ONLY pragmatic solution to climate change. Yet, the world did not listen then–and is not listening now. This situation reminds me of a quote that appears as the beginning of the new Food Choices documentary:

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. — Stephen Hawking

Our experts all think they’re right. I truly believe that our world leaders, environmentalists and scientists are highly confident that they are taking the right steps to save our environment. The problem is that 95% of them could never take a plant-based solution seriously–because of the almost universal belief (throughout the world) in the “protein myth,” that we all NEED to eat animal protein to be healthy.

Rainforest. The lungs of the Earth.

The Bottom Line. The “protein myth” must be dispelled, and it must be dispelled soon if we’re going to have a fighting chance of saving the oceans, rainforest and ourselves from the worst effects of climate change.

I have been writing and speaking about this topic for five years, but am sad to report that things continue to worsen–and they will keep worsening unless we address our top three problems. In the words of the great W. Edwards Deming, we need three things to solve any major problem:

Leadership. Leadership. Leadership.

Our top leaders must soon understand the power of plant foods to promote human health, solve world hunger and save our ecosystem. The greatest win-win-win in history.

Identifying and “enlightening” the kind of leadership the world needs is central to these next few links that outline what must happen if our oceans, rainforest, civilization and ultimately our human species is to survive:

• Dispelling the Protein Myth. 2011
• The Harmony Project (2011)
• Food. Health. Planet. A message of HOPE. (posted this week by J. Morris Hicks.

Fifteen months ago, in January of 2015, I posted a blog about an alarming conclusion  published in the journal Science: “At the rate things are going, the Earth in the coming decades could cease to be a safe operating space for human beings.” The first sentence in the paper reads:

There is an urgent need for a new paradigm that integrates the continued development of human societies and the maintenance of the Earth system (ES) in a resilient and accommodating state.

J. Morris Hicks, promoting health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

In closing. If there was an “urgent need” in January of 2015, there is an EXTREMELY urgent need now. My “Harmony Project” mentioned above outlined the simple, but difficult, process of moving the ever-growing human population back to living in harmony with nature.

It’s now time to ratchet up the urgency with regards to the identification and enlightenment of the competent, internationally respected leadership we need to make harmony with nature a reality for the first time since we hit the one billion population mark in 1800.

In order for us to recreate that original state of perpetual harmony, we must make every day EARTH DAY indefinitely. There has never been anything more important in the history of humanity.

As for the significance of Earth Day as it now stands, my observation is that the media gives it lip service at best. This morning on CBS, I don’t remember any mention of Earth Day in the entire program. It seemed like well over half the telecast (as with every other network today) was focused on the passing of Prince, the well-loved entertainer.

This bear represents the “elephant in the room,” CLIMATE CHANGE–the runaway problem that exacerbates all others.

The movie that I wrote about yesterday features the above Stephen Hawking quote on the very first screen. “Food Choices” documentary. For your convenience, my top ten articles on SUSTAINABILITY:

• NOTHING is more Important than Sustainability! By comparison, all else shrinks to insignificance. 1-25-14.
• Tearing down the single biggest roadblock to sustainability My “locked brains” article. 10-23-14.
• The ONLY viable pathway to SUSTAINABILITY It will be impossible for us to EVER live in harmony with nature—without radically changing our food choices. 8-4-14.
• Food Choices. The primary cause of global warming? Dedicated to the memory of the great climate specialist Dr. Robert Goodland. 2-4-14.
• My relentless drum-beat continues. We only have one planet and we simply must learn to start taking care of our Mother Earth soon. 5-14-15.
• Were humans the “infestation” of Easter Island? I believe that they were and think that you will agree. Contains two great videos, 1-minute and 7-minutes. 8-9-13
• “Living in Harmony with Nature” by Ted Turner. Perhaps the world’s last chance to save us all from the horrors of global warming. 2-26-14.
• “Not-so-funny” cartoon series. Saving our ecosystem. There is no FUN way to describe what we’re doing to our planet. This is VERY serious stuff. 3-3-14.
• Now that I am officially an activist…This post features my Bill & Melinda letter and was inspired by someone telling me to “persevere.” 4-9-14.
• They say that Nero fiddled while Rome burned…Most humans think that life has never been better on this planet. Reminds me of Easter Island. 4-19-14.

The following six books can be purchased on Amazon for a grand total of less than $60—and will enable you to understand the overwhelming challenges we face—along with the single most-powerful solution of all.

Six-Pack from Hicks—for health, hope & harmony on planet Earth

1. 4Leaf Guide to Vibrant Health, powerful new book by Kerry Graff, MD and yours truly
2. Healthy Eating, Healthy World, The “big picture” about food (my first book)
3. An essential scientific resource: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell; the primary book that influenced Bill Clinton to adopt a whole food, plant-based diet.
4. Primary cause of cancer is not bad luck. Stop Feeding Your Cancer, by John Kelly, MD
5. A horrifying wake-up call for leaders. TEN BILLION by Dr. Stephen Emmott
6. Food choices are the primary cause of our environmental problems, yet our world leaders, scientists & experts are Comfortably Unaware, by Richard Oppenlander.

Why should we be eating mostly plants? The “big picture” in 4 minutes.

Want to find out how healthy you are eating? Take our free 4Leaf Survey. It takes about two minutes. eCornell is now using our survey in their plant-based nutrition course.

International. We’re now reaching people in over 100 countries. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or get daily blog notices by “following” us in the top of the right-hand column. For occasional updates, join our periodic mailing list.

J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

To order more of my favorite books—visit our online BookStore now For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, visit our 4Leaf Program website, which is now being used by an ever-growing army of enlightened medical doctors who are fed up with “disease care” and want to promote true health for their patients.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmh@4leafglobal.com

—J. Morris Hicks, board member since 2012; click banner for more info: