the gene, the spirit, the mind and you

I love this link. The ever expanding science that comes closer and closer to explaining the inexplicable. Why one child with a genetic trait expresses it in the same family and another does not? It is wonderful really that we get there... eventually but really it is not so hard to step beyond these boundaries and realise that if you can imagine it it is possible and it will merely take time to find the reason why it is so.

For surely by now we have some inkling that our bodies, our environment and our very existence is but a reflection of the inner world that is us. If you can imagine the world as a single sentient entity with us, the plants and animals and everything I have failed to mention, like the very same world that inhabits or rather co-habits in and on us as the microbe world does, it begins to look more likely that the climate is merely a sickness or an imbalance of one of these factors expressing itself.

This scientific animation that explains the genetic code and its expression in an elegant and simple manner, somehow triggers in me the memory of how elegantly everything ties into one another and that there really is no separation from thought and expression on and in the physical universe.

That I might think a thought and it manifests around me seems only dependant on the convening factors that stand its way of expression or behove it to be expressed. Almost as if it taps into the "twitter theme" of the day and goes yeah lets have it! We all want that today!

It harkens back time and again to the very real power we all possess within us to create change with our thoughts and provides me with a surety that it will be so simply because I believe so totally in the human spirit.

So think a thought to day and express a gene, as yet unrealised within you, tomorrow... it just may be there waiting for you to release it.

Food matters:sickness, in humans and the earth.

Food matters a video about how food in the US is manipulated and causing sickness, in humans and the earth.

Another shocking tale... I am almost loath to post this is hesitation one might get the idea I am a fear monger where, in fact, I believe in the exact opposite so I thought to also post some comments on why I am averse to too much on the atrocities that are in play.

For instance the reality in America is that the FDA ( the US Federal Drug Administration) has become involved in the certification process for organic agriculture. So, as there is some controversy over its independence and possible conflict of interest, it stands to reason that there may some skepticism develop in an already chagrined and bitter public that there is any point in paying more for an organic item when there is potentially no way of proving it is any better than its conventional counterpart.

Now I have done research in this field for over 12 years now and attended forums, expos, conventions etc all over the world and I gotta say the organic industry as a whole is the most passionate group of people you are about to meet. And nobody cares more about their image being abused by such an event they do. After all, many have devoted not only their lives but those of their children and extended families to a lifestyle of dedication to a cause that sees them with a great deal less money and doing without than their counterparts.

In order to get around these dilemmas I recommend a little time taken to develop a relationship with whom you buy from. If you are able to be a regular you will see many retailers go out of their way to inform you if you keep asking questions. Like, "do you know the farm where this is from?" , is there any literature from the farmer and his family - many organic farmers produce a small flier or have some info on what they believe in. But mainly it comes down to taste.

Even a passionate farmer can be lacking in expertise and awareness of what it takes to make their land yield nutritious food.

Healthy food should taste better.

The plant will produce more sugars if there are abundant appropriate microbes in the soil to provide the minerals that the plant turns into sugars.

To read all about this please down load my eBook from www.sickclimate.com

from Food inc:"You can change the world with every bite"

This movie, Food Inc. which has become a huge internet, a must watch is much like the anti Macdonald's documentary Super Size Me http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1432315846377280008#, and the vegetarian maker Earthlings http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6361872964130308142#

All three are powerful visual stories of the atrocities at play with our food, the animals we eat and plants that supply them. Now, before you watch them know this they are not for the faint hearted and they are intended to hit you where it hurts to galvanize you to action.

If, however, you are at all like me, although you may want to be aware of the information contained therein it is more important to know what small action you can do and are willing to do with in your time and means that will affect change because it is very easy with these things to become overwhelmed with the enormity of the task and just feel hopeless and totally pointless about doing anything. And that is simply counter productive!

I was passionate and moved to do something without ever seeing these movies and although I have seen them, I had already come across most of the content in some form. I watch these shows and yes, I do feel incensed, but I also feel a little hopeless and that is just not going to get any one anywhere. So if you are a bit more of a gentle character, just stick to the fact that there is some dark stuff going on and it is a good idea to try and take even one small step towards a greener future. It may mean just one stick of organic broccoli a week for you, your family or friends for dinner.

But, as the saying goes in this issue:

"If you eat you are involved."

Greening the planet and still being human?

There is a lot of talk about greening the rooftops to cool the earth and in countries like Germany there has been quite a lot of progress in this but it is still a long way from being common due to the nature of various countries' weather conditions and housing regulations, not to mention tremendous prohibitive costs. So for most of us it is still in the dream basket but well worth taking a look at. In Australia, for instance it does not snow in any of the major capitals so the need for a roof to be any stronger than that needed to support the weight of a grown man for repairs and maintenance is just not required. Green roofs are about as heavy as a good snowfall so they need to be at least 3-4 times as strong as this to support the weight of wet earth and plants to have any of the real benefits that greening a roof can provide. Still, it is slowly becoming the pleasure and aesthetic of the wealthy to think about this when creating an environmental house. So a roof garden, that they may never even visit, may now be thought of and included in the budget that can reduce heating and cooling costs while absorbing water run off that might otherwise run uselessly back to sea together with all the muck of the streets.

In some ways this is a little like the aesthetic creation of the Asian pleasure garden that may only be visited by a select few in its lifetime. I believe these gardens added a realm of beauty to the dreams and consciousness of many as they became part of the historical fabric of a culture that reminds us of the beauty and possibility we have within us. This link, from a canadian group, provides a series of simple points to think of if you are considering this for your home. Or for more detailed links and broader knowledge why not download the eBook Elegant Solutions for Addressing Climate Change from our website: wwwsickclimate.com

Watch this video

Although this video is about pain, healing and compassion - and you may ask what that has to do with the climate issue - healing is exactly what I feel the planet and the tumultuous climate is saying to us. It must surely be time to heal our disconnect, our rift with nature in our flat out thrust to experience the wondrous potential that is our creative ability? Perhaps now that technology is here, this is where our greatest creative thinkers have gone? No longer in the visual arts? Where are our greatest leaders and thinkers? Are they in the marble yards or painting studios? Where is the next audience for the artist? Is it not here on the internet? I watch the children and see their discovery, their wonder at what is created and it is a far cry from the wonder of nature which moves too slowly and organically for them. But surely there are parallels to be found and beauty to be embraced and incorporated that even these speed addicted minds might embrace and find fascinating? For it is from nature that our scientists have their greatest discoveries in medicine, exploration, and so many inventions. So take the time to review this beautiful video and pause to reflect on the possibilities before an around us.

In Brazil, Paying Farmers to Let the Trees Stand

This article raises many issues for farmers the world over as the issue of carbon sequestration and gathering climate problems affects us all. The farmer is of the most connected and caring of individuals whose constant contact with nature makes it impossible for them not to be sensitive tot he future needs of the environment if they are to provide a world worth toiling for for their children. That the most pressing need is food today for their families is priority but also that they need to grow food for us to survive also is a balancing act the isolated farmer would find difficult, at best, to resolve.

A Tuna Escape Raises Hackles -

In this article about tuna one should be aware of the complex issues of culture and health it raises. As seafood is still one of the purest forms of brain food. The deep sea fat of these grand creatures is a prized source of such food so it is a dilemma for us as a species to be farming it out of existence with our voracious appetite. For the alternative is the farmed fish. On my travels to global organic conferences it was eye opening to learn of the amount of study being done on the habits and behaviours of the sea creatures we eat and the effects of growing them in enclosures that alter their health just as penning a hen does. Currently it is becoming the norm to find farmed salmon and trout in the shops but do you know the amount of disturbing colours added to the fish food to give them their appealing redness year round? The red in a fish is a seasonal colour and alters in accord with the breeding. The colour is a textile dye and, to all intense purposes, apparently carcinogenic - though given that just about everything these days is considered that I would not be taking too much store by this factor... that said what should we do about it? I eat a deep sea fish wild once a week. I try to eat only organic meat and poultry that I know to be handled from paddock to plate in the most respectful and considerate way of the animals habits and needs. But the argument put forward is that we cannot survive meat eating as a global population. Given that I have tried vegetarianism for many years and found it altogether difficult I can imagine that is going to be untenable for most first world inhabitants used to copious quantities of meat. And given that I recently lost 14 kilos by eating exclusively meat and no starch, the predominant dietary ingredient of the vegetarian diet, it is even harder to consider going back to it when it sits so well with my health and my hormones. It is the luxury of the wealthy to afford organic meat, so I see that I am indeed wealthy by third world standards and not an example to follow in this manner. So I see all the issues and wonder at the outcome. Maybe I, like many, will have to become vegetarian by famine rather than choice? But the tuna and the deep sea creatures that we feed on must be cared for if we are to be able to have any left for our brains to gain their precious nutrition. It seems it is the quantity we eat that is the greatest issue of the day to consider first before the entire issue is addressed? What do you think?

20 Great Uses for Newspapers (Besides Reading Them)

20 Great Uses for Newspapers (Besides Reading Them)

Going Green in College Dorms: How to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle on a College Campus

Going Green in College Dorms: How to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle on a College Campus

Easy Ways to Live Green and Help the Environment

Easy Ways to Live Green and Help the Environment

carbon trading for farmers

It has been a long road for these carbon pioneers in Australia. They set out to make a difference and continued despite drought and hardship to put what meagre money they had where their mouths were and keep spreading the message all over country Australia to inform farmers of the possibilities soil carbon trading offers through changing their farming practices and improving their soils and human health in the bargain. Michael and Loiusa Keily are champions of message spreading. Whilst passionate scientists and quiet farmers have been trying to get people to hear what these guys have been saying these two really pushed out into the world with thier message and have made a difference. Take a look at eth link to read more about them. I met these two when I sponsored them down to Melbourne to talk to the quietest of the passion driven farming community, the biodynamic farmers of Victoria. Ironically the information they had at the time was mainly the basics of soil health which is what the biodynamic farmers have been practicing for over 40 years. These pioneers of soil health, the farmers that is, have soils that are rich in carbon some extending great distances down in the soil. Given the state of our climate and the possibilities for handling the carbon issue it is uplifting to see these results. The Keilys however have come a long way since these talks in moving government and industry towards creating a voluntary market that will encourage private investors to put money into in the farmers that could well be our saviours for not only the climate but our very health.

light thought and your own power

If you light a match in a black room, you will see just how much light it sheds. So never forget how much light you can give off when everything is dark around you. That is my feeling anyway... I hear a lot of negative in the world; the news, politics etc. And whenever possible, I observe people like to find fault with even tiny points in what I have to say. Whether it is totally accurate or scientifically proven is for me at times, somewhat irrelevant as I believe in the power of the human spirit. I believe in me. I believe in us. I believe in us both as an extraordinary species with not only the biological ability to adapt but the most wonderful ability to create and survive and create again in the most dire, most black and bleak of experiences. Sometimes I feel as though we put forth the darkest paths simply to see what else we can out create of the problems presented. I agree it is perhaps not the most uplifting or enlightened of paths we seem to continue to walk. And I see more and more degradation of the human spirit; the expression and desires of the peoples of the planet appear darker and darker, more and more hopeless. Yet still I come back to my first analogy. Where we create no hope we are always potential 'matches' to self strike and remember what we are and the power of our ability to think, to create futures and to realise them step by step. I see the climate as the single most unifying human experience in my lifetime and an opportunity too good to miss to ignite 'spirit matches' all over the world that have remained dormant without hope for too long to remember themselves. No matter the economc situation, we all have the power of thought.

chemicals to be reduced

It is always good news when one reads tat a certain pesticide or chemical fertilizer is to be discontinued. The worrying part is what they will replace it with rather than improving the plant health so it can resist the creatures that aim to clean it out of the environment for us mammals so we only eat the healthy stuff.

From all my research in Biodynamic agriculture and organic ag it still appears that health in general its determined by the listening ability of the farmer to the needs of their land and the health of the plants and animals they nurture. If they are good at it the things they grow are healthy ad they do not need to cut burn or poison as is the way of conventional a medicine both on the land and in humans.

Just as the naturopath and homeopath seek to find out why the patient is ailing and address that, the farmer does the same with their crop and creatures.

http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/horticulture/general/broadlyused-chemicals-face-the-axe/1854299.aspx?src=enews

China revitalises ancient land

Take a look at this great article on land restoration in China. Ancient farming land that, like the lands around the dead sea in Jordan, were was once extremely fertile. Soil that supported life for many people until stripped of the nutrients that supported them through poor, ignorant farming methods. This we have done with our modern agricultural methods of the past 200 years on such a grand scale, to feed our expanding population, that the earth is positively burping out the carbon!

The really big issues in the world will soon be the supply of fertilisers needed to grow food the way we have been doing it. The known supply f mined fertiliser being estimated to run out by 2050. So current farming ways are simply not sustainable. Food security will become the biggest global issue unless we embrace listening to the soil and using our amazing capacity to innovate and adapt with nature instead of in spite of her.

The great news is that now governments and the peoples of the earth are starting to listen to those individuals who are great at the ways of the soil because they know how to listen and observe.

The big difference is that we are gradually comng up with the science to 'prove' what they intuit and there is some signs that governments are starting to listen to the information.

Maybe there is hope for us after all?

Available through Stock and Land at

http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/restoring-chinas-lost-loess-plateau/1854215.aspx?storypage=0

Shanghai

After an amazing time in Saigon exploring the city on the back of a moped with my partner in crime, Richard Vargas, we moved on to China early as communication over the internet was proving difficult and I was becoming nervous that the set ups and printing for the trade show would not occur.

We went a week early and spent the time meeting people, orienting around the national expo and yes doing set ups that were not going as they should.

By the time of the actual trade show set up day we discovered through the interpreter that nothing I had paid for was there, there was no internet as had been indicated, to show them my receipts and, to top it off, my iphone got stolen in those first few minutes of chaos!

Well, it was a learning curve, just as I had been warned and they kept saying Shanghai was the New York of China... meaning the rest was far more difficult.

The biggest thing that struck us was how perfectly content the chinese were to never travel? Even in a 5 star hotel where you might think you would talk to staff with the wanderlust they all unanimously said they had no desire to travel aboard and loved China. That was interesting and a first for an Australian who love to travel!

The trade show was a huge hit.

Richard was tricked up in a Tarzan outfit I had made in Shanghai in the days leading up to the show. We had explored the national expo and could see no way they would let us promote to the 300,000+ people standing in lines for hours without being arrested. We had come early on the hope we could use the time to do this as there already was a big misunderstanding that the event was not in the expo but many miles away. Actually even getting in through security would have been impossible as everything was scanned and detected like at an airport.

Still we made the best of it. We had bought a boom box and Richard had lots of dance music to attract attention as our booth was out of the way. I had drawn leaves and vines all over him and had the interpreter wrote in Chinese all over his back and tummy to indicate what we were doing.

Take a look at the shots on our facebook page to see what it looked like.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/sick-climatecom-elegant-solultions-for-addressing-climate-change/126224910732678?ref=ts

launching sick climate wesbsite whilst in China

Hi this is my first blog so I will probably ramble.

We launched the website www.sickclimate.com while we were in Shanghai doing a completely wild idea as only artists and passionate people tend to do.

Richard and I went to Shanghai having spent a great week in Vietnam, a first for both of us exploring the culture and getting a feel for whether there would be any interest in the issues we were bringing to them on food and how it related to the climate and global warming.

The people in Vietnam were warm and happy, riding mopeds with every part of life seemingly upon the bike with them. We were struck by how clean the air was despite the huge volume of people. We were told that for the 9 million people in Saigon their were 2 million mopeds and that to get work one must own a moped! The cost of one was about a full years salary for the average vietnamese so they are a central part of their lives.

Check out the facebook page to see videos of them it is quite an eye opener:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/sick-climatecom-elegant-solultions-for-addressing-climate-change/126224910732678?ref=ts