An Unexpected, Uplifting Message
During this special season of peace & good will
SOS #188 -- J. Morris Hicks -- (12-13-22)
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As we enter the last few weeks of the holiday season here in New England, I want to write about perhaps the most uplifting message I have received in years. But first, a little background.
Since learning the truth about our food choices almost twenty years ago, I have literally become obsessed with doing all that I can to raise the chances that humankind will learn to leverage the simple power of food to promote human and environmental health.
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Click on the image at right to watch this free 2016 documentary about the importance of our Food Choices. ( about 90 minutes).
I was honored to have been chosen as one of the speakers who appears in this film.
As for my obsession, it is all about my well-informed conviction that the only chance we humans have to prevent our near-term demise is to figure out a way to significantly slow climate change within the next ten years.
In order to get that done, I am near certain that it will not happen without a rapid global shift away from eating animal-based foods. No matter what other powerful initiatives might be launched in the coming years, without a near total elimination of animal agriculture, my conclusion is that we're not likely to survive as a species.
Folks ask me, why does it have to be "a near total elimination" of animal agriculture? It's because striving for anything less will virtually ensure that we won't reduce the #1 driver of climate change enough to prevent our near term demise as a species.
That said, for the better part of twenty years, I have devoted an ever-increasing share of my time toward shining a bright light on this most crucial of all topics.
Although I have authored three books, made numerous public presentations and published almost 2,000 periodic updates on this topic -- oftentimes, it seems that no one is listening or that no one really cares.
Or maybe it's just that everyone is just too busy with their own lives -- and since no government officials or any of their friends are talking about it, maybe it's just not true.
Then, a few weeks ago, I received a very thoughtful note -- that included this remarkable closing from a friend of some fifteen years with whom I had lost touch. He finished his message with this conclusion that brought a smile to my face:
You seem to be able to generate an optimism that I envy. And, you have kept at it for much longer than reason and tangible results alone would justify.
I love the second sentence about reason and tangible results. In his note, he demonstrates a genuine understanding of my challenges of late and, in so doing, brought me more satisfaction and joy than I have felt in a long time.
Finally, someone who fully understands my work and my frustrations.
Thank you Randy!
I look forward to joining forces with you again on the most important journey of our lives -- and the lives of the world's billions of innocent children.
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Regarding that journey...
Shortly after learning the truth about nutrition almost twenty years ago, I moved to Stonington, CT, where I resided in this house on Main Street for almost ten years.
During that decade, I got real serious about what I consider to be my major definite purpose in life -- leveraging the unique background and global perspective of this engineer, writer, process-improvement consultant and "big picture guy" -- in a never-ending effort to help jolt the world's leaders into actions aimed at living in harmony with nature on the only planet in the universe capable of keeping us alive.
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It was in that house on Main Street where I wrote my first book (shown here).
It was also where I launched my routine online efforts to spread the all-important truths about food, human health and climate change -- truths that over 90% of the global populace still haven't learned.
It was in that house where, in the middle of the night sometime during the winter of 2011, I coined my personal tagline that would describe what I now consider to be my major definite purpose in life:
Promoting Health, Hope
and Harmony on Planet Earth
Ten years, two more books and several thousand blogposts later, I received that heartfelt note from Randy last week.
It just feels reassuring to know that others on this finite planet have connected the same dots and are feeling the same concern for our future.
Now that we both living near to one another in the New London area of Connecticut, we will have lots of opportunity to collaborate on the most crucial topic in the history of humanity.
As a former Coast Guard officer, it feels good to be living in a neighborhood that includes the USCG Academy and her flagship, the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle pictured here.
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Below, I have included the complete note from Randy, in which he sincerely expressed his frustrations regarding his own journey.
November 25, 2022
Dear Jim,
Carolyn and I got to thinking that we haven't told you much about us.
We've been married for nearly twenty years and vegan for twelve -- following Carolyn's diabetes diagnosis. We are retired, she from a career as an SLP (Speech & Language Pathologist).
As for me, following my PhD in Biology at the University of Miami, I was Director of Environmental Science at a branch campus of the Florida Institute of Technology. That was back in 1976 to 1983 before we thought much about climate and the influence of diet.
Jumping off of the normal academic path, I bought a book on programming, did a sharp turn and worked the tech and healthcare fields for forty years with hospitals, clinics and biotechs.
Nowadays, I swing wildly between the two extremes on our climate crisis. For a day or two, I believe that we can set an example, make a logical argument, appeal to most people's love of cute animals, show the tremendous health benefits; simply do ANYTHING to convince people...and THAT WE MUST do all that we can.
Then I sink back into black pessimism that it's all just hopeless, bailing against the tide. Even if we could turn the corner quickly...that it's already too late. I look at babies in their mother's arms and can only think of the hellish existence they will face.
Thinking of how civilized society will crumble...and how hunger, disease, violence and warfare over dwindling resources will play out -- I see the increasing popularity of apocalyptic movies, as indicative that others, particularly young people, are becoming hopeless as well.
It's a slow motion train wreck that I can't look away from. It will take a cataclysm, I'm afraid, many times larger than we've seen before -- to even get people to look away from their daily cares and pay attention.
You, however, seem to be able to generate an optimism that I envy. You have kept at it for much longer than reason and tangible results alone would justify.
I have no other friends to whom I can express such things and discuss my true feelings. So glad you reached out!
Sincerely, Randy
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The Bottom Line
A tiny percentage of the population fully understand the unprecedented dilemma in which we find ourselves. I am so pleased we've reconnected.
Thank you Randy & Carolyn!
It feels real good to be understood & appreciated!
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Now that I have reconnected with Randy and Carolyn, I look forward to many collaborative sessions where we can build on each others' energy/optimism and perhaps, together, attract the sincere interest of many others in our respective worlds. |
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One more thing. I didn't provide many sources for some of the information that I quoted. So, if you'd like to verify that much of what I write is not just my opinion, I encourage you to read the last few SOS Memos that I have written; particularly these four over the past month:
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As always, at the end of these SOS Memos, we provide tons of FREE data & "big picture" reference materials, beginning with free access to our two latest books. After the books below, scroll on down to the:
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"Big Picture" Data and Video Section
In closing, do you want to do your part to help people get healthy...while slowing, stopping or even reversing climate change at the same time? Then, share this SOS Memo and the free books below with everyone you know.
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FREE: Two "Big Picture" Books
Our health, our planet and climate change
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To our knowledge, OUTCRY is the only book ever published that features a summary of "outcries" from the natural world, along with consensus conclusions of nine big picture scientists regarding our dilemma — AND an envisioned sustainable civilization of the future, using today’s technology.
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In mid 2022, we began giving this book away free of charge.
"the most important info in all of humanity is going undiscussed."
We're talking about the crucial information regarding how we can possibly slow or stop climate change within a few years.
Want to help relieve the desperate situation in which we find ourselves, read OUTCRY as soon as you can and send it to everyone you know. Just click on the book cover above.
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Here is the 2nd book we are now offering FREE to the world public: a quick and easy read that I wrote with Dr. Kerry Graff in 2015.
Using the Power of Food
to Heal Ourselves and Our Planet
This compact book is still highly relevant, focusing on helping people take charge of their health and reverse chronic disease by urgently shifting to a whole-food, plant-based way of eating.
A fringe benefit of their efforts is the steady downsizing of the leading driver of climate change: animal agriculture. Merely suggesting that the masses cut back on their meat, dairy, egg and fish consumption will accomplish very little.
We want everyone to completely eliminate all animal-based foods from their diet. Yes, that includes cheese, eggs and all forms of seafood.
For your children and grandchildren, just do it!
Please share today's timely SOS with everyone.
Click the image below to hear my recent (May 2022)
45-minute talk regarding much of what has been covered in my recent SOS Memos.
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Finally, please contact me about arranging a FREE "live" Zoom talk for your group. They will get a lot more out of my talk if they have read our two FREE books in advance of my talk.
Sincerely, J. Morris (Jim) Hicks
PS: Scroll on down for more "big picture" information that is mainly in the form of powerful videos, most of which are free.
For a concise summary of "big picture" information about our situation, take a look at the landing page of my primary website that I recently updated. Just click hpjmh.com
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What about the "preservation" of civilization? |
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To clarify, we're not trying to preserve civilization as we know it. Because what we have now is extremely wasteful, harmful and grossly unsustainable. It's an incredibly reckless way of living that is now threatening our very existence as a species.
We're talking about replacing it with an entirely new, ultra-green civilization of the future -- and we do our best to paint a picture of that envisioned way of sustainable living in OUTCRY. For what one Ohio State professor emeritus of history had to say about that book on Amazon, click here.
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As for making our stand on the only planet in the universe capable of keeping us alive, this "Big Picture" section below will provide you with handy reference materials on this most crucial of all topics. |
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"Big Picture" Data and Video Section
Beginning with the timeline of research
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Five World-Changing Films
That People Everywhere Must See
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Film #1 in 2014
In 2014, Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn produced their first documentary film Cowspiracy. Executive producer is Leonardo DiCaprio, it runs 90 minutes and has been on Netflix since 2015. In 2020, I met Kip and Keegan in Sedona where I was honored to be able to speak at the same conference with them and other great leaders in this movement like Dr. Sailesh Rao and Dr. Michael Greger.
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Film #3 in 2021
In 2021, Kip Anderson teamed up with British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, to produce Seaspiracy, an 89-minute film that vividly and alarmingly reveals what is at stake when it comes to the crucial importance of our oceans to our future as a species. Most people have no idea regarding the environmental horrors of commercial fishing -- a disgusting industry that kills dolphins by the thousands and tosses them back into the ocean. It runs 90 minutes on Netflix. Click here to view the trailer.
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Film #4 in 2021
As our situation becomes more desperate, the documentary films become more terrifying. As alluded to earlier, we are literally Eating Our Way to Extinction, a process that is vividly covered in this 2021 film (81 minutes). Narrated and produced by Kate Winslet, you can watch this great film on Amazon Prime or on YouTube for $3.99. The great ocean scientist and former head of NOAA, Dr. Sylvia Earle lends powerful credibility to such a crucial topic.
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Film #5 in 2022
This new film (89 minutes) features a young activist who travels around his country, New Zealand in an effort to find out the truth about the horrors of the dairy industry in his native land.
The film uncovers alarming information about the environmental and health impacts of the industry -- leading up to the discovery that we are on the edge of the biggest global disruption of food and agriculture in history. This new film is now available for $2.99 on Vimeo.
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Grasping the "Big Picture"
These 2 films will help in understanding
our unprecedented dilemma.
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This 83-minute documentary is all about the findings that were documented in Dr. Stephen Emmott's 2013 book. TEN BILLION.
He brilliantly describes the grossly unsustainable way of living that has brought us to the emergency situation in which we find ourselves. Since I met him in London in 2013, he has become much more serious about the need to abolish the practice of eating meat, dairy, eggs and/or fish at almost every meal.
Just click on the hourglass image. Dr. Emmott delivers a very compelling message from the stage of a theater in London. This 2013 film is still relevant and will certainly help more people grasp that all-important "big picture."
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Finally, this half-hour video was published in November of 2021. It was produced by Michael Dowd, a non-scientific researcher like me who does a very fine job of explaining the many facets of the obstacles standing between us and our survival as a species.
As do practically all researchers, Dowd focuses entirely on the problem; not the solution. I prefer to focus on both.
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What else can you do?
Probably a lot more than you think
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Start with the new documentary (Film #4) mentioned earlier -- Eating our way to Extinction for $6 on Netflix. Watch it often with your friends and family.
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Share this SOS Memo widely: Certainties, Uncertainties & Priorities by J. Morris Hicks.
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Get an e-copy of OUTCRY. Visit Outcry page on Amazon and get a much bigger understanding of the situation in which all humans find ourselves.
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Inform all the young people in your world that you are deadly serious about this topic. Urge them to read these SOS Memos and our latest book, OUTCRY.
- Completely stop eating meat, dairy, eggs and fish today and tell everyone why you are taking such a "radical" step. You're doing it for the innocent children of the world.
- As noted above, do yourself a favor and make sure that your plant-based meals of the future consist of whole plants -- the kinds of foods that prevent or reverse most chronic diseases AND enable your body to effortlessly seek its optimal weight.
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I am confident that if a few million people carefully read and digested this book that there would be a more robust conversation around the world regarding our grossly unsustainable way of living in the developed world.
To my knowledge, OUTCRY remains the only book ever published that features an envisioned, totally-green, ultra-sustainable, super-desirable, future way of living for humans -- along with ideas for how we might get there as quickly as possible.
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The links below to earlier SOS Memos will help you understand how these ideas unfolded since 2018. |
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Promoting health, hope and harmony on planet Earth |
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