Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Climate Instability

This is a fantastic, "no frills" interview from Democracy Now about increasing climate instability. Dr. Paul Epstein discusses the data behind global warming, offering a better phrase, climate change or climate instability. He shows that there has been a clear increase in climate instability over the past 50 years, with the past year being particularly bad, from fires in Russia, to floods in Pakistan, heat in the Middle East and now the blizzard that hit the East Coast and intense winter weather that has hit much of the U.S. this year. My own family's home was 1 street away from being completely destroyed in a tornado that hit several places around St. Louis on New Year's Eve.

Over the past 50 years, the oceans have absorbed 22 times the amount of heat as the atmosphere, which Epstein points out, is, for some reason, not as often discussed as heat increase in the air, yet absolutely essential to understanding the weather phenomena. This ocean temperature increase leads to more evaporation and rainfall. Another interesting point about rainfall statistics is the way they are reported. When reported on an overall average increase, the increase appears small. But when you look at regions based on their varying rainfall, from 2, to 4, to 6, 8 and so on. The rainfall increase, increases almost exponentially, with areas averaging a higher rainfall, seeing a far more significant increase in rainfall over the past 5 decades.

Epstein has written a book looking at the way global warming is affecting human health. He highlights 5 areas: 1) Infectious diseases; 2) Respiratory diseases, especially asthma; 3) winter anomalies; 4) heat; and 5) affect of warming and extremes on crops. Growing insect populations carry many infectious diseases with them. To name a few of the pest increases he talks about, lime disease associated with the growing number of ticks, increasing numbers of spiders, mosquitoes as far north as Alaska and of particular significance, an invasive beetle species that has moved from Arizona to Alaska and is literally decimating forests. Epstein notes that especially with issues like the spreading of these beetles, there is very little that can be done in the way of human involvement/help. Crops and forests are being destroyed because of pests that can now migrate further and further north due to slight temperature increases.

As for asthma and respiratory diseases, it has been studied that pollen count increases in plants in response to increased carbon dioxide. Pollen count has increased 2-3 times in the past 2-3 decades, which extends the allergy season and leads to more respiratory problems. The resulting components in the air from things such as burned fossil fuels, allows for the pollen to enter more deeply into the lungs, again, escalating the problem.

So why is there still the questioning of global warming? As discussed in the interview, it is a manufactured doubt coming from a corporate agenda. Epstein does not try to give his opinion on what this corporate agenda is, but he does point out that the number of companies benefiting from the agenda is slipping. Insurance companies, for example, are seeing the risk to their business in this weather instability. The main proponents of maintaining the doubt is the fossil fuel corporations and that is pretty much it. They sight here reporters being specifically told to "always state climate change data has been called into question." And a Fox News official has been exposed in telling reporters to refrain from asserting that temperature has increased or decreased in any given period. Epstein calmly explains that while this may be the mainstream media push, it is blatantly accepted by the scientific community that climate change is occurring.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/28/from_snowstorms_to_heat_waves_how

Sunday, December 5, 2010

GMO science

Here is yet another telling interview about the severity of GM crops on the health of us, animals, the land, future, etc. It is terrifying how much research has been ignored, erased and discredited. The information here speaks for itself.


http://geraldcelentechannel.blogspot.com/2010/11/jeffrey-m-smith-gmo-threat.html

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Creation of the police state

In this interview from RT, Paul Craig Roberts questions the aims of the FBI that would cause them to create fake terrorists, by seeking them out, hiring them and giving them a fake (or real) bomb. He discusses this in relation to the newly imported body scanners into airports covering the country. If the government needs to create terrorists, does that mean there are not enough terrorists to justify actions such as widespread use of body scanners? The main purposes behind the spreading body scanners that he brings up are: 1) money and 2) creation of a police state, i.e. getting us to accept more and more infringements upon our privacy until we are as complicit and controlled as possible (an unreachable, never-ending goal, of course). He goes on to talk about how these scanners could likely spread from airports, to bus stations, to sports events, shopping malls, and so on. New methods of control such as this should not be taken lightly. And it can't be forgotten that everything in today's society is driven by money, not consumer or citizen interests.

http://geraldcelentechannel.blogspot.com/2010/11/paul-craig-roberts-fbi-creating-police.html

Since I'm on the topic of airport scanners, I will link an article I read recently about the capability of the body scanners to emit harmful radiation.

http://myhelicaltryst.blogspot.com/2010/11/tsa-x-ray-backscatter-body-scanner.html

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Monsanster

I recently watched a documentary titled, "The World According to Monsanto," recommended by a friend. The link is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3OedIuaZto

If you need any more reasons to be distrustful (or down right enraged, dismayed, downtroddened, etc.) of the government-corporate-media totalitarian regime, see for yourself. And if you are like me and despise the unbelievable comment that people all over the United States still genuinely believe, that "industrialized farming is feeding the people of the world," this will give you a complete picture of that 100% lie that started with the company of Monsanto itself.

For starters, it's important for every single citizen of this country to be aware that government officials often cycle in and out of working for the government and in high positions of giant corporations, such as Monsanto. It's cited in the documentary related to the agri-business aspect of society, but it is pervasive in areas beyond this, such as the economic sector. High ranking Monsanto businessmen will end up in powerful positions serving the FDA, regulating health, food, agriculture and more. Here is a list to view some of these people and they are discussed more in detail in the documentary as well: http://www.purefood.org/Monsanto/revolvedoor.cfm To think that these people have no agenda but to serve the best interests of people of our country, is to be a blind fool.

Many people in this country today have a faith in the government that is completely off base. The classification of GMO foods by the FDA as "substantially equivalent" is the perfect example. The people of the United States do not view governmental policies with a critical eye. This is largely due to the fact that contrary scientific evidence often results in the firing, discrediting and downplaying of the brave soul who exposes evidence in contradiction to the company's goals and thereby, profits. There are many accounts in the documentary.

There are also numerous studies done suggesting that GMO's are not at all similar to a naturally bred seed and the resulting plant. For example, when rats were given GM potatoes, there was a noted increased immune response as well as an increase in cell division, showing clearly that their bodies recognized these GM potatoes not as food, but as foreign, possibly harmful items. The second response, the scientist commented, does not indicate directly cancerous cells, but that is only because it takes 30+ years for the cancer to develop.

Monsanto manages to gloss over real research in search of just enough vague data to fool the masses, or at least not make them curious enough to investigate on the wide scale. One example from the film was a study published by Monsanto attempting to "prove" that GMO's were "substantially equivalent" to naturally bred plant varieties, but within the study, there are countless vague, poorly worded and moreover completely inconclusive statements, such as "except for the darker brown color, livers appeared normal at necropsy." The scientist commenting on this, made the obvious statement that this is not enough investigation to be considered a legitimate study. All it takes is a critical mind to look at this sentence and say, "why?" So why not answer the "why?" It should be obvious that answering all the "why's" and holes in the Monsanto research would prove every premise false. The Round Up product, Monsanto's claim to fame, was initially advertised as biodegradable, safe, and even "good for the environment." All these claims have been taken off the labeling now, but the same mentality exists and the same manipulation of the facts continues.

Then there is the issue of patent genes. Monsanto is developing a worldwide monopoly over seed sales. The account of farmers from India to Paraguay to Mexico are heart wrenching. In India, the seed sales are now almost completely controlled by Monsanto. The seeds are 4 times the cost and cannot be saved or replanted, as traditional farming methods have done since the dawn of agriculture. This means, if there is a bad year due to weather or uncontrollable and unpredictable factors, the farmers lose everything and declare bankruptcy. There has been a sharp rise in suicides of cotton farmers in India who have been forced into this and have experienced this unrecoverable fate.

In Mexico, due to the NAFTA trade agreement, cheap, American GM corn has been imported and now comprises about 40% of the corn sales, and comes at half the cost to consumers. Although Mexico had not yet allowed Monsanto to enter directly, the corn being imported has spread the patented genes randomly into fields, from a dropped kernel here and there. Some Mexican farmers are trying desperately to keep these new genes out of their higher quality fields that have been bred through generations of honest farming. These modified genes have a high capacity to spread and overtake a plant variety and it is already happening in a big way. One threat is that Monsanto can come in and claim these crops as their own, since the seed has been patented, and destroy farmers lives in this way. On the wider scale, the threat is to plant diversity, which is already being reduced by cross pollination and spreading of these GM plants. And to imagine the implications of the spreading of these GM plants is nothing short of mind blowing.

In Paraguay, 70% of farmland is now owned by 2% of the population, 75% of which are foreigners trying to capitalize on the economic opportunity. The various farmers' accounts in the film demonstrate clearly that these methods of industrialized farming are doing the opposite of feeding the world, but instead causing more death, destruction, dependence, poverty and starvation than before. Communities and families are destroyed. Lives ruined. Suffering abounds. And the lies, lies, lies that Monsanto and the government alike are feeding us, continue to blind us of these truths.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Headed to... ?

Just watched this video from RT that I found on Gerald Celente's blog. The interview is with Paul Craig Roberts and he discusses the process of America becoming a third world country. We are headed this direction fast, and as he sees it, we are already pretty much there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIisOdwAIho&feature=player_embedded

I watched another video (3 parts) today from Max Keiser's show, On the Edge, consisting of an interview with David DeGraw. A similar message to the video above, he discusses the overall degradation of economies and societies on a global scale. He points out the unsustainable nature of every aspect of growth in the human species and societal structures.

http://maxkeiser.com/2010/10/10/ote76-on-the-edge-with-david-degraw/

Finally, I watched the October 8th episode of Democracy Now, The War and Peace Report. Overall, some interesting stories, but particularly interesting was the segment on the foreclosures and frauds committed by banks, forcing many people out of their homes. Luckily, Obama vetoed the bill that would have allowed for continued fraud with the mortgages and foreclosures. The Ohio Secretary of State speaks passionately and convincingly on the issue.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/8/ohio_secretary_of_state_jennifer_brunner

A further story in the episode shows previous Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu giving a speech discussing the importance of global warming awareness and action. He seems like a truly wonderful and genuine man!

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/8/nobel_peace_prize_winner_archbishop_desmond

Meditative creation

I have the urge to write about all the aspects of what I might term, my extensive doodling hobby, that I greatly enjoy. I occasionally doodled throughout my life, but the hobby took up new importance after graduating from college. Being constantly bogged down with never-ending work can really limit your activities. It did so for me, because every activity that was not part of the “work load” only made me feel guilty of wasting time, so those extracurricular interests were hard for me to develop in myself. This is just one aspect of being finished with school (for now) that I am greatly appreciating at this time. It's freeing to be able to develop new and different aspects of myself, abilities and interests.

I began my extensive doodling career with just a pen or pencil on paper. My artistic ambitions grow through phases of different mediums, techniques, and/or styles. From my pen/pencil art, I began to experiment more with colored pencils on paper. Then, I moved to markers, sharpies to be specific. I began experimenting with paints, acrylic and tempera. Initially, I started painting cardboard boxes, figuring that these kinds of things could only be improved. I have since taken to the tendency of painting... well, everything. I paint boxes, clocks, tables, sticks, shelves, chairs, jugs, cups, really anything I can get my hands on. If I ever own a house, I can guarantee that with enough time, the entire house will be covered, inside and out.

I have also gone through phases of painting with fabric paint on clothing. And I enjoy creating other things like earrings, outdoor structures and delicious, creative foods. The process of creation is an essential part of my life. It is an outlet that provides something to me.

I am currently working on one of my largest, and so far my favorite painting yet (among other projects). It's just a large board I found in the trash. Each stroke brings a new element to consider. The intent behind each stroke varies. Sometimes, I visualize clearly my next move, other times I go onwards with only a vague idea of what my hand is about to do. I spend a lot of time looking at my work. It's a fascinating process that has no backwards and forwards. It is only in the present. There is no error. Every “error” becomes part of the new picture. It may take me away from my first image of what was to be, but this never distresses me. It only enhances. It is part of the essential process.

Creation brings me to the present. I cannot conceive of the end to anything I am making. I look only at what is and usually think only as far as my next immediate move. Sometimes I do sit for a while, looking and imagining further possibilities in the drawing or painting, where I want to go with it. But as I work and create each new stroke, the picture itself changes and is therefore never predictable. Something about this unplanned, unpredictable, organic-feeling process is extremely calming and centering. I believe it is a meditative process. Creating almost always has the power to erase negative thoughts or cyclical thinking patterns I may be experiencing. As I said, it is in the present and brings me to the present. I honestly believe that my experiences with “extensive doodling” have given a new depth to my life and changed me in a very positive way.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Campaign for real milk

Over the weekend I went to Indy to visit an event hosted by the Indiana State Museum called the "Hoosier Harvest," where different farms and various food and health related groups from Indiana set up stands with their products and projects. I went specifically because Fields of Agape, where I've started volunteering (well, sort of, but I am paid with plenty of food!), was setting up a stand there. It ended up being really fantastic actually! But, what I really intended to write about here was this group starting a campaign for real milk. Here's there link to the real milk campaign:

http://www.realmilk.com
Link
Another campaign they were advocating can be viewed here:

http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/

Real milk comes from cows who are fed their actual diet of "green grass in spring, summer and fall; stored dry hay, silage and root vegetables in winter." It is raw milk, which means not processed in any way- not pasteurized, homogenized or de-fatted. I will just highlight a few particularly important, interesting and/or possibly very surprising quotes here that you can read more about on the website:

"Vital nutrients like vitamins A, D and K2 are greatest in milk from cows eating green grass, especially rapidly growing green grass in the spring and fall. Vitamins A and D are greatly diminished, and vitamin K2 disappears when milk cows are few commercial feed. Soy meal has the wrong protein profile for the dairy cow, resulting in a short burst of high milk production followed by premature death. Most milk (even most milk labeled "organic") comes from dairy cows that are kept in confinement their entire lives and never see green grass!"

"Worse, consumers have been duped into believing that low-fat and skim milk products are good for them. Only by marketing low-fat and skim milk as health foods can the modern dairy industry get rid of its excess poor-quality, low-fat milk from modern high-production herds. Butterfat contains vitamins A and D needed for assimilation of calcium and protein in the water fraction of the milk. Without them protein and calcium are more difficult to utilize and possibly toxic. Butterfat is rich in short- and medium-chain fatty acids which protect against disease and stimulate the immune system."

"Galen, Hippocrates, Pliny, Varro, Marcellus, Empiricus, Bacchis and Anthimus, leading physicians of their day, all used raw milk in the treatment of disease. During the 1920s, Dr. J. E. Crewe of the Mayo Foundation used a diet of raw milk to cure TB, edema, heart failure, high blood pressure, prostate disease, urinary tract infections, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic fatigue and obesity. Today, in Germany, successful raw milk therapy is provided in many hospitals.

"Studies show that children fed raw milk have more resistance to TB than children fed pasteurized milk (Lancet, p 1142, 5/8/37); that raw milk is very effective in preventing scurvy and protecting against flu, diphtheria and pneumonia (Am J Dis Child, Nov 1917); that raw milk prevents tooth decay, even in children who eat a lot of sugar (Lancet, p 1142, 5/8/37); that raw milk is better than pasteurized milk in promoting growth and calcium absorption (Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 518, p 8, 1/33); that a substance present in raw cream (but not in pasteurized cream) prevents joint stiffness and the pain of arthritis (Annual Review of Biochemistry, 18:435, 1944); and that children who drink raw milk have fewer allergic skin problems and far less asthma than children who drink pasteurized milk (Lancet 2001 358 (9288):1129-33)."

These are merely three of many pertinent and informative quotes to be found on this website. There are TONS of links on the site to outside articles, scientific studies, safety analysis, health effects, political and legal issues, historical context, media involvement and coverage, books, blogs, videos, journals, newsletters and on and on. I've been somewhat familiar with the raw milk benefits and surrounding legal issues, but this presents some amazing information that isn't easily accessible to us, the consumers. Read on and spread the word!!