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We live at a fascinating point in history.
The convergence of challenges, most particularly global warming and peak oil, have brought us to a point where we are profoundly challenged to act.
If you want to continue living start taking action now (real action, that is)!
However, if you prefer the end of living and the beginning of survival continue with what you've been doing doing so far: doing nothing beyond talking the talk!
Dear fellow Earth citizens:
Your latest scoop of news and stories "mainstream everything" doesn't really want you to know about...
News & Notes
The Good...
a) Research finds native forests key to climate solution: Australian National University has shown that unlogged native forests store three times more carbon than previously thought - Research from leading scientists at the Australian National University has found that Australia has some of the most carbon-dense forests in the world – with the potential to sequester carbon equivalent to 25% of our current annual emissions over a 100 year time frame. The research identifies that Australia has some of the most carbon dense forests on Earth – more dense than those often found in tropical rainforests – and that logging and clearing them has significant climate implications. An urgent end to logging of the carbon dense native forests in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania is now needed to ensure they play their crucial role in Australia’s fight against climate change.
b) The Top Twelve Foods for Long Term Storage - With the recent surge in food prices it makes sense to buy foods that last and to obtain a bulk discount. However it is pointless to stock up on unhealthy food. During an emergency, having enough snacks won't increase the odds of survival. So what are some of the best foods to stock up on? The keys to consider are: shelf life, bulk price and nutritional content. This article will explore some of the best options.
c) Submitted by Forest - thank you: People that Care... Bioneers - The Collective Heritage Institute, aka Bioneers, was founded in 1990, when Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons assembled Bioneers for the first annual Bioneers conference, a gathering of scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities.
Note from Forest: Have you heard of this organization? Scroll down and check out their video at http://bioneers.org/about.
b) Creating solutions to a water crisis - There is growing concern about the scarcity of water, and the need to save it, but in many countries, it's still taken for granted as something that pours out of the tap: some 70 percent of the drinking quality water flowing into North American or European homes is flushed down the toilet or used for cleaning. Our water footprints - which include the water used to manufacture the things we consume, as well as the water we use ourselves - are increasing. The further a product, and everything used to make it, has to travel, the bigger its water footprint will be. A typical Belgian consumes 108 liters, or nearly 30 gallons, of water directly each day, and another 4,940 liters indirectly, including part of the 10 that are used to produce a sheet of A4 paper, 11,000 for a pair of jeans and 40,000 for a car.
The Bad, the Ugly and the Scary...
Food & Water Issues
a) World Water Week demands halt to food wastage - Scientists and experts from around the world have warned that global food wastage must be halved by 2025 to meet the challenges of feeding the rapidly-growing population and preserving global water supplies. Continued high rates of food overproduction and waste will not only cause food but also water shortages, according to a report by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
b) No End Seen to Destruction of Farm Output Capacity and Food Shortages - Farmers are blasting the role of the food cartels in destroying farm output capacity, creating food shortages and producing monopolistic conditions. In a recent interview for Executive Intelligence Review, Frank Endres, board member of the National Farmers Organization, focused on newly announced acquisitions by JBS Swift & Co. of the 4th and 5th largest beef packing companies in the U.S. He sees the acquisitions as symbolizing the refusal of our government to enforce anti-trust laws. This failure allows tremendous amounts of consolidation in the food industry, resulting in huge multi-national corporate control of commodities and food production.
c) 2 min. 11 sec. video: Our hidden water consumption - The concept of 'virtual water' reveals the shocking amounts contained in the products we consume. The concept can build awareness in consumers of their 'hidden' water usage, or that contained in the whole production chain of goods and services.
d) Why It Takes 2,000 Gallons of Fresh Water to Produce One Gallon of Milk - One of the most important reasons to consider avoiding the consumption of milk is the waste of water resources that go into its production. It can take up to 2,000 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk. The cow needs water to perform basic biological functions from day to day, and only a fraction of the water the cow consumes is actually converted into milk. The fact that it takes so much water to produce cow's milk means that anytime you or any consumer chooses to drink milk, the burden you place on the natural environment is a thousand times greater than if you were to consume water itself. Drinking one gallon of milk is like pouring 1,999 gallons of fresh water down the drain. With water tables falling all around the world and shortages appearing now in the United States and throughout Asia, it becomes increasingly important for us to practice water conservation as consumers.
Environment & Global Warming
a) Methane gas oozing up from Siberian seabed: Swedish researcher - Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is leaking from the permafrost under the Siberian seabed, a researcher on an international expedition in the region told Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter on Saturday. "The permafrost now has small holes. We have found elevated levels of methane above the water surface and even more in the water just below. It is obvious that the source is the seabed," Oerjan Gustafsson, the Swedish leader of the International Siberian Shelf Study, told the newspaper. The tests were carried out in the Laptev and east Siberian seas and used much more precise measuring equipment than previous studies, he said. Methane is more than 20 times more efficient than carbon dioxide in trapping solar heat. Scientists fear that global warming may cause Siberia's permafrost to thaw and thereby release vast amounts of methane into the atmosphere. The effects of global warming are already most visible in the Arctic region.
b) Analyst warns of looming global climate wars - The prospect of global wars driven by climate change is not something often discussed publicly by our political leaders. But according to one of America's top military analysts, governments in the US and UK are already being briefed by their own military strategists about how to prepare for a world of mass famine, floods of refugees and even nuclear conflicts over resources. Gwynne Dyer is a military analyst and author who served in three navies and has held academic posts at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and at Oxford. Speaking about his latest book, Climate Wars, he says there is a sense of suppressed panic from the scientists and military leaders. More...
Various
a) Cancer Spreads Through Body Long Before Tumor Develops - The cancer industry is a fraud. It teaches people that the tumor is the disease, and if you remove the tumor, you remove the cancer. New research reveals that cancer cells spread throughout the body LONG before a tumor even develops. Thus the entire conventional theory of cancer is medical nonsense. Cancer is systemic, not local... More, more...
b) Many Report Symptoms Of EMF Sickness - Symptoms of electromagnetic radiation sickness are for example sleep disturbances, dizziness, heart palpitations, headache, blurry sight, swelling, nausea, a burning skin, vibrations, electrical currents in the body, pressure on the breast, cramps, high blood pressure and general unwell-being. According to many testimonies of victims the symptoms appear in the vicinity of sources of electromagnetic radiation, like GSM- and 3G (UMTS)-antennas, cellphones, DECT wireless telephones and WIFI wireless networks. Many times the experiences are blind. Radiation measurements taken afterwards and investigations show, that the radiation density indeed is increased. Many sufferers find out the relationship with the radiation, when they stay for a while elsewhere, where the symptoms diminish or disappear. When they return home the symptoms immediately appear again. Many of the patients decide to move to another place. Others try to shield themselves against the radiation, for example building a Faraday cage of fine wire mesh.
Taking Action
a) Carbon Footprint: Saving at Home - You know your shoe size. But you probably don’t know your carbon footprint, particularly the footprint of your home. One of the main sources of greenhouse gases is the home. For individuals, about 40 percent of our carbon emissions come from our homes. According to the E.P.A., the average carbon footprint for a two-person household in the United States is 41,500 pounds a year. That’s far from the ideal.
c) Must-read (even for 'spiritual' folks): Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know - Both paper and plastic bags require lots and lots of resources and energy, and proper recycling requires due diligence from both consumer and municipal waste collector or private recycling company, so there are a lot of variables that can lead to low recycling rates. Ultimately, neither paper nor plastic bags are the best choice; we think choosing reusable canvas bags instead is the way to go. From an energy standpoint, according to this Australian study, canvas bags are 14 times better than plastic bags and 39 times better than paper bags, assuming that canvas bags get a good workout and are used 500 times during their life cycle. Happy shopping!
d) Back to the Tap: Filtered Water Bottle - Back to the Tap have a serious movement going on to get people, as their name indicates, "back to the tap." Citing the benefits of kicking the bottle, like reducing plastic waste, and shrinking your carbon footprint, this organization encourages people to stay away from bottled water and use the EPA-regulated clear liquid that flows from your faucets. In light of this important step in greening your drinking water, the Back to the Tap people created a water bottle with a carbon composite filtering mechanism that will last approximately 3 months before it needs to be changed (or the equivalent of approximately 80 gallons). They estimate that it will effectively eliminate an average of 300 water bottles from going to landfills and as many as 1000 bottles per person per year. The end goal – reducing global plastic waste. Additionally, every time you buy one of their water bottles, a $1 is donated to the Earth Share which supports environmental and conservation organizations that work in protecting the environment. Their vision is to engage individuals and organizations in creating a healthy and sustainable environment. This looks like an interesting alternative to the big, bad bottle. It seems to work like a Brita water filter jug, but in a smaller version that you can take with you all the time. Good for the office and the car. And for places where tap water just doesn't taste as good (as many people have told us ) this should help make it a tastier option.
e) What’s Lurking in Your Soap? The Trouble with Triclosan - Who knew that washing your hands could harm your health and the environment? Thanks to the chemical industry, a hazardous antibacterial compound called triclosan is now an ingredient in many household and personal care products such as soaps, cleaners, cosmetics, clothing, and even children’s toys. While consumers might think triclosan can protect them from harmful bacteria, it turns out that the use of this dangerous chemical in household products is no more effective than soap and water — and may be doing more harm than good. To make matters worse, triclosan persists in the environment, mixes with other chemicals to form more toxic substances, contributes to the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics and causes a range of human and ecological health problems.
Onwards for people and planet!
John
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