Putin, Puck, the Press and a Powerful Pivot
Toward Truth, Leadership, Action and a Sustainable Future
SOS #150 -- J. Morris Hicks -- (3-22-22)
Just so you know, a very minor portion of this SOS Memo is about Vladimir Putin -- but as the #1 news story in the world for the past 26 days, he's a good place to start.
Putin and the Puck
A very small man in character, he is just currently the most extreme symptom of what is so wrong with our civilization.

His incredibly selfish actions of late have not only caused horrible pain, suffering and/or death for millions -- they have also lessened the chances that the world will start focusing on what's really important anytime soon.

For now, he is a horrible impediment to progress!

That said, the world's news organizations continue to focus on what the world wants to hear -- not necessarily what the world needs to hear. And, for the past few weeks, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been dominating the front page of every news organization in the world.

What about the word Puck? Why is it listed second in the title of this SOS Memo? First, it is a reminder of a relevant quote from the former hockey great, Wayne Gretzky:

“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” 
To me, that explains why the world's news organizations tend to focus on "where the puck is" now (current events) -- and not "where the puck is going to be" in the future (humanity's fight for survival).

Secondly, "Puck News" also refers to a fairly new (2021) media organization that describes themselves thusly on their website:

A new media company focused on the inside story at the nexus of Hollywood, Wall Street, Washington, and Silicon Valley.
I don't know a lot about Puck News, having just discovered it last week while watching Walter Isaacson conduct an interview with one of Puck's founders, Julia Ioffe. That YouTube video runs 18 minutes and is all about the lead story in the world for the past month.

The most impressive element of this video for me -- was the incredible presence of this 39-year old woman, a co-founder of Puck News.

Born in Russia, she is a Princeton graduate and a veteran of The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Politico. Julia Iaffe is now reporting from Washington, D.C. on politics and media after Trump. Click image to watch 18 min. video (3-16-22).
Just to clarify, I am not that interested in what Ms. Iaffe is reporting right now; I am just thinking about what could happen if a truth-searching news professional of her caliber was reporting on the most important topic in the history of humanity. Maybe we can make that happen sometime soon.

Speaking of news professionals, let's take a look at...
The Press & NGOs of the world
and their collective failures to properly inform us
So far, zero news organizations or environmental NGOs are reporting much of anything about what it is going to take to maximize our chances for survival as a species.

As for NGOs, a quick search revealed that there are some ten million such organizations in the world. Formed independent from government -- they are typically nonprofit entities and many of them are active in humanitarianism or the social sciences.

You can click on the image below to review the UN Guide for selecting the NGO that might best deliver the kinds of services you are seeking. But if you are looking for an NGO that will tell you what you need to do to maximize the chances that your grandchildren will have a long, pleasant and meaningful life -- then you're out of luck.

I am pretty sure that not a single one of them are focusing on what we must do now to make that happen. Nevertheless, this guide is a good place to check out the world's NGO landscape.
While looking through the above guide, I found the Sierra Club listed under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #13:

"Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts."

  • Sierra Club is the largest environmental organization in the United States, founded in 1892 long before the modern environmental movement. Sierra Club’s goals are to help lead the world to move past fossil fuels, and to preserve wildlife and biodiversity. With over 250 million acres of land protected and over 200 coal power plants retired due to their advocacy, Sierra Club is one of the world’s most influential climate organizations.
While at SDG #13, I also found this information about another NGO that is particularly focusing on combatting deforestation:

  • Founded in 1977 by Nobel Peace Price laureate Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement is one of the most successful global climate NGOs seeking to combat deforestation and climate change by planting trees in communities across Africa, starting in Kenya...The movement to this day has planted over 50 million trees, and trained over 30,000 women in agricultural jobs to help them earn income.

You would think that these two leading environmental NGOs would be telling the world the truth about what is, by far, the leading driving of climate change. But you would be wrong. For example:

NGO Green Belt Movement claims to be combatting deforestation, yet they fail to mention the simple
need to totally eliminate its leading driver:
Animal Agriculture

According to a peer-reviewed scientific paper published in Nature in 2015, since the beginning of human civilization, primarily due to animal agriculture, the forests of the world have been reduced by 46% -- a number that continues to grow rapidly. Why aren't the environmental NGO's insisting that the world move rapidly away from all animal-based foods?

You see, it takes more than fancy logos, billions of dollars of donations, high paid executives and planting trees. It takes urgently addressing the primary driver of global deforestation: Animal Agriculture.

Neither of the above two organizations, or any others, are even hinting that the entire world should urgently migrate away from eating animals.

Why not? Because it wouldn't be popular -- at first -- with the public who provides their funding. But that's not a good reason for failing to share the complete truth about such a crucial topic.
Now for that Powerful Pivot!
By the press, the NGOs and the "Truth Tellers"
I am talking about the pivot mentioned above in the title -- the desperately needed:

Powerful Pivot toward Truth, Leadership, and Action Needed for a Sustainable Future

So what is it going to take? This practical engineer has concluded that we need an entirely new generation of well-funded "truth tellers" in order to awaken the world press and NGO communities -- regarding civilization-threatening situations that can no longer be ignored.

In a previous SOS Memo, posted on 2-22-22, the main focus was on a totally new kind of hybrid organization that functions as a global news organization AND a sustainability-focused NGO. How about launching that idea with this group of well-known leaders.
For some time now, I have recognized a distinct need for more women in top leadership positions. That's why the women in this envisioned group outnumber the men six to four. Vladimir Putin's recent actions have strongly reinforced my instincts on this topic.

As for the individuals in this group who fully understand the crucial importance of of our food choices, the women outnumber the men three to one.

So what does it take to build a global NGO/News organization like the one I have described above? Five elements:

Knowledge, Integrity, Courage, Leadership and Money

I believe that all but one of the ten leaders in the above group possess a great combination of the first four attributes. That other leader, Al Gore, will come around once it becomes a more popular position to take.

Now, although some of these ten leaders are billionaires, they will need many billions of funding from other sources -- in order to make sure that the powerful, world changing information from this new hybrid organization reaches the entire globe on a daily basis?

What will be the source of the billions of dollars needed?
Although there are not many billionaires in the group of "truth-tellers" pictured above -- some of them are huge influencers who possess world-class fund-raising abilities -- provided that the civilization-saving mission of this Super NGO is fully understood by the world's wealthiest people.

Therefore, I conclude that once 3 or 4 in this group of ten -- help the others understand what's at stake -- then fundraising should not be a problem. With the likes of Michelle, Oprah, Greta and Barack fully engaged in the process -- great things can almost certainly happen.

Nine out of ten on this 2021 Business Insiders list of the world's wealthiest are Americans who would almost certainly answer the call from any single member of the above "Truth-Tellers" group.
The Bottom Line
Crucial Importance of TRUTH
in the global problem-solving process
In order to have a chance at slowing climate change enough to permit the continuation of our civilization and our species going forward, this envisioned new Super NGO will be broadcasting the total TRUTH around the world 24/7.

And they should be calling out all of the world's news media groups who continue to hide the dirty little truths about the fragile nature of our worsening sustainability situation.
Just imagine watching 100% truth-telling news professionals of the future -- people like Julia Ioffe.

Up until now, the world has been listening to the scientists who are doing an excellent job of describing the dilemma in which we find ourselves. But what about finding solutions to the enormous problems we face?

The fact is that the world's scientists were trained to identify problems -- not to guide us in the process of solving them. So far, they're all just saying we must reduce emissions. Well, it's not quite that simple.

For that, we need engineers -- practical individuals who are trained to gather all relevant data (including the scientific data), brainstorm, test ideas and develop/test solutions for all kinds of problems -- including the supreme existential threat that all eight billion of us are now facing.

Fortunately for us Earthlings, my colleague, Dr. Sailesh Rao holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford and enjoyed a spectacular career in the tech sector before shifting his complete focus to solving the sustainability issues that threaten the future of humanity.

This is personal for him. With an 11-year old granddaughter, he is making this task his major definite purpose for the rest of his life.

In this six-minute video with Klaus Mitchell, Dr. Rao responds to recent IPCC reports that identify "land abuse" as a major contributor to the climate emergency. Click image to watch.
In the six-minute video above, this highly trained engineer and colleague of mine, provides a simple explanation for how it is possible for us to slow, stop or reverse climate change. Not a single news organization in the world is covering this topic. CNN, like all the rest, only reports the effects of the problems -- not the solutions.

Dr. Rao's entire message is based on a simple TRUTH that we've never heard from the world's governments, news media or environmental NGO organizations -- that, assuredly, animal agriculture is THE LEADING DRIVER of CLIMATE CHANGE! And it's the only driver that can be sharply reduced within one to five years.

Want to hear more about that TRUTH? Check out this video that was published in the summer of 2021 by our friends at facingfuture.earth. I was delighted to have had the chance to appear alongside Dale Walkonen, Dr. Rao and Glen Merzer, the author of the 2021 "tell-it-all" book about climate change: Food IS Climate! Click image to watch this 33-min video.
As always, I welcome the opportunity to deliver my latest talk to your group of any size via Zoom: “Food, protein, pandemics and the future of humanity.” (Click the link to view the 60 slides)

One more thing. Please share today's timely SOS widely. It is #150 on this list of all of my SOS Memos.

J. Morris (Jim) Hicks


PS: To clarify, we're not trying to preserve "civilization as we know it." Because it is an extremely wasteful and harmful civilization 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.

The section below will provide you with an abundance of handy reference materials on this most crucial of all topics.
"Big Picture"
Data and Info Section
This section has been appearing at the end of my weekly SOS Memos for months. It contains links to relevant information that form the foundation of what our options appear to be for responding quickly and appropriately to our global crises.

In order to respond appropriately, we must first grasp the all-important "big picture" regarding how we got to where we are in the first place. The various links below will help you do that.

This powerful summary by Dr. Sailesh Rao was added on February 4, 2022. The FACTS about animal agriculture being the leading cause of climate change.

Next is a half-hour video that 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.

Dowd has a pretty good handle on most things, but he seems to be unaware of the simple weapon that we can all use to fight the leading driver of climate change. Our forks.

That said, he does a terrific job of describing our ever-worsening dilemma. Click the link below to view this very informative 33-minute video, published November 15, 2021.

This next item is a free 83-minute documentary film that is all about the findings that were documented in Dr. Stephen Emmott's 2013 book. TEN BILLION.
This powerful film will certainly help more people grasp that all-important "big picture." Just click on the hourglass image.

I will continue sharing this TEN BILLION link in future weekly SOS Memos
More Data re Leading Driver of Climate Change.

Beginning in September of 2021, I have been including links to world-changing scientific information that thought leaders everywhere should read and and share with others.

What can you do? For starters, you can buy the new documentary -- Eating our way to Extinction for $6 on Netflix -- and watch it often with your friends and family.

Also, you can:

  • Share this SOS Memo with everyone you know.
  • 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.
  • 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.
A final word. Hopefully, the kind of crucially serious situations expressed in these SOS Memos will soon replace meaningless and trivial topics that dominate a ridiculously large percentage of all of the conversations in the world.

We must all start talking much more about what's really important. That is , we must start doing everything possible to maximize the chances of a meaningful and pleasant life ahead for the young people of the world.

I volunteer to help you do that. For Free. Invite me to collaborate with you and your group via Zoom. To help you jump-start that all-important conversation, I will be happy to present and discuss this topic at length. Here's an advance link to my standard presentation: 65 slides.

Click on the image below to view the slides that I am currently using for those kinds of sessions:
The image above is a clue regarding the essence of my "family game plan" that is revealed only in my talks. I do not put that in writing.

Want to share some of my SOS Memos with others? Visit my SOS Memos page where the most recent ones are listed first.

Finally, I am confident that if a few million people carefully read and digested OUTCRY, that there might at least be a more robust conversation taking place about our grossly unsustainable way of living in the developed world -- and what it will take to get us focused on maximizing our chances of survival as a species.

To be sure, we must do a lot more than change what we eat -- and OUTCRY helps explain the "why" and the "how" of that proposition. 

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.


Regarding the free Zoom conferences with your group,
Send me an email and let's get started.
Our book, for a host of environmental reasons, is only available as an e-book on Amazon. As such, it contains hyperlinks to hundreds of references and videos, is less expensive, does not kill any trees and does not have to be manufactured and delivered. 

The links below to earlier SOS Memos will help you understand how these ideas unfolded since 2018.
You can join my mailing list and/or find all of my previous postings by visiting the SOS Memos page on my website. 
One more thing. I first started learning about the supreme importance of our food choices in 2002. After studying the topic for eight years and getting to know many of the medical and ecological experts in the field, I co-authored the book below with my son Jason.

You can find it on Amazon in all formats by clicking on the image below:
Promoting health, hope and harmony on planet Earth
Want to see earlier SOS Memos? Click here
If you got this blog from a friend or found it on our website and want to receive more of these Bite-Size Blogs? Join Our Mailing List

Want to get started nurturing your own health and the health of our planet? Take our survey at 4leafsurvey.com
Click here to learn more about this free online dietary assessment tool.