Dust and Sandstorms: Signs from Nature to End Animal-People Exploitation, Part 2 of 2

Recently, large, severe dust and sandstorms have been happening more frequently. In 2022, a series of dust storms and sandstorms have smothered many parts of the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other areas. This series of catastrophic events caused the air to become filled with unhealthy dust particles. Thousands have been sent to the hospital due to breathing problems.

Atmospheric scientists link such extreme weather events with climate change. La Niña, a cooling weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, is usually amplified by the effects of climate change, leading to extreme weather events. “Iraq was covered in a thick sheet of sand as the country suffered a dust storm on Sunday. The recent storm adds to the series of dust storms that have become increasingly common in the country.”

Sandstorms are not limited by borders and will wreak havoc anyplace as extreme weather events intensify. It was reported that a third severe dust or sandstorm hit Iran in mid-April 2022. Meteorologist Dr. Nasim Hossein Hamzeh says, “The increasing frequency of dust storms means more problems, more loss of life and property, and more destruction.”

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a large area was completely engulfed by a dust storm, plunging communities into darkness. The fierce storm caused widespread property damage in cities and rural towns. According to the US National Weather Service, one person was killed by a fallen tree in Sioux Falls.

The series of disasters now occurring across the globe may be warning signs from Mother Nature that more sustainable lifestyles need to be adopted worldwide. Let’s hear some words of advice on this subject from Supreme Master Ching Hai. “Heat waves, dust storms, and flash floods have been occurring with increased intensity and damage. The desert is spreading relentlessly in Northern Africa. Massive sandstorms in Iraq have become much more frequent and more severe. Yesterday, I was at the meeting and the President of Mexico – he was the advocate for lessening methane – and he said methane is caused by livestock raising. So, promoting organic, plant-based food is, of course, the most urgent. So halting livestock grazing, which goes hand-in-hand with the vegan lifestyle, would also hugely lessen the desert conditions.”