Special World Environment Day Focus


Hi!

The following is a large excerpt from my forthcoming new compilation The Big Scoop Series #24: A Whole Lotta News to be archived soon at http://www.earthrainbownetwork.com/Archives2009/BigScoop24.htm

I especially recommend to your attention the Special Movie Feature below and the recommended joining of hearts and souls next Friday for the World Environment Day 2009.

Please help network this widely...

Jean Hudon
Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator and Global Meditation Focus Group Facilitator

P.S. The current Meditation Focus #199: Preparing the Ground for Ascension is still good for another 2 weeks

To find out more about World Environment Day 2009, please go at http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/ - http://www.greenfest.com.au/world_environment_day
The day's agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. Leaders often deliver statements and commit themselves to care for the Earth on this day with serious pledges of permanent resource commitment.

This Special World Environment Day Focus is archived at http://www.earthrainbownetwork.com/FocusArchives/WorldEnvironmentDay2009.htm


"We are born into this world with limitless potential, unbridled creativity and the capacity to love without measure. Long before our first breath we are a part of something grand and have an infinite array of options before us. Not only is our birth a miracle of amazing proportions, we continue to develop throughout life from that first cell with every option, path and possibility built right in. Who and what we become is up to the choices we make over the span of our lifetime. The beauty of life is that we can always change our perspective. We are free to choose what we wish to believe, and with courage, we can chart our own course in life. It is true that many different ideas, circumstances and conditions can influence what direction we go in, yet none of them are absolute determiners of our journey – we are. Many may attempt to dictate what we should think and feel in the present moment or suggest their limited notions for our future. We know in the quiet recess of our inner sanctuary what we wish to create for ourselves. Our incredible potential is in our ability to imagine a variety of different realities and our corresponding willpower to make them manifest for us. It is our personal thoughts and feelings that we need to pay attention to, not just our outer reality. Going within and connecting to our love and wisdom is how we learn to trust and believe in ourselves and our ability to create our dreams. It is our freedom to love that can never be taken away from us. In each breath we begin again. Every moment we are capable of a new thought, a fresh feeling of joy and a world filled with opportunities that know no limit or bounds. These are the same choices we wish for everyone else as we understand the universal nature of our eternal bond with one another. We know we are but a cell in the body of humanity with the potential to fulfill a collective dream too. What we dream for ourselves we dream for our world. Never underestimate your brilliance to make this a better world for yourself and all of us around you."

- Harold W. Becker (hwbecker@thelovefoundation.com) - www.thelovefoundation.com - Freedom to Love (the inspirational text above) is also available as a video at this LINK


"It's an idea that most of us would rather not face -- that within the next century, life as we know it could come to an end. Our civilization could crumble, leaving only traces of modern human existence behind. It seems outlandish, extreme -- even impossible. But according to cutting edge scientific research, it is a very real possibility. And unless we make drastic changes now, it could very well happen. Experts have a stark warning: that unless we change course, the "perfect storm" of population growth, dwindling resources and climate change has the potential to converge in the next century with catastrophic results. Watch "Earth 2100," a two-hour television event, Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET. In order to plan for the worst, we must anticipate it. In that spirit, guided by some of the world's experts, ABC News' "Earth 2100," hosted by Bob Woodruff, will journey through the next century and explore what might be our worst-case scenario."

- Taken from ABC News 'Earth 2100': the Final Century of Civilization? below


"According to the plans drawn up after the Earth Concert, the combined efforts of all humanity are in the process of restoring to health Gaia, the planetary organism, badly mistreated by more than a century of blind industrialization and uncontrolled development. At last, we are beginning to see everywhere the results of all the efforts exerted to repair the incalculable damage inflicted on the forests, the lakes and rivers, the oceans and, in general, on all that lives on this Earth. We have come a long way. Humanity could never have imagined at the end of the twentieth century the scope of the disaster that was happening before their very eyes without their fully realizing what was going on. Oh! Of course, many cries of alarm had been raised about the encroaching deserts, the toxic, nuclear and acid pollution of the entire environment, the destruction of the protective ozone layer, the accelerated extinction of plant and animal speciesÑin short, the erosion of all that enables Life to exist and thrive. But it was only relatively late that we realized that it was above all the combined effect of all these apparently isolated crises that was wreaking the most devastating consequences on the biosphere. It was the very survival of all Life on Earth that was in danger... Fortunately, it was not too late... But how near we came to losing everything!... No doubt, such a common threat affecting everybody without exception was the only way to awaken the consciousness of humanity and unite all human beings in a single common goal transcending all selfish and nationalistic interests. No doubt, in a way we needed to have our backs to the wall before we finally understood that we are all united in the same great and wonderful adventure of Life on "spaceship Earth", in the words of the late Buckminster Fuller... No doubt! However, what I am sure of now is that all the ceaseless efforts of thousands of volunteer organizations in all spheres of human activity have also played a crucial role in the success we have achieved today."

- Taken from the Chapter 5 of The Immortal Child



CONTENTS (of the complete compilation)

1. Roz Savage Rows Across Pacific Solo to Save the Planet
2. Paul Hawken's Commencement Address in Portland - Totally awesome!
3. Who Will Stand Up to America and Israel? Doublespeak on North Korea
4. The Day of the Dead
5. Abu Ghraib: Sworn Testimony by "The man behind the Hood"
6. "The Secrets of the Federal Reserve"
7. USSR - Illuminati Experiment Was "Social Catastrophe"
8. Afghanistan's Untold Story
9. Billionaire club in bid to curb overpopulation
10. ABC News 'Earth 2100': the Final Century of Civilization?
11. May 26, 2009 Message from Matthew
12. Wi-fi and Wimax: Why You Shouldn't Use Them
13. A Moratorium On Genetically Manipulated (GMO) Foods
14. Europe's Uprising Against GMOs and Patents on Life



SPECIAL MOVIE FEATURE

The worldwide showing of this movie next Friday June 5, on World Environment Day, will be a global event of potentially very significant and critical importance to help move humanity a bit closer to actually stopping the wholesale destruction of our living, breathing and most tortured planet and finally undertake what needs to be done to heal Gaia and weave ourselves back into the Web of Life as Gaia's own sentient collective Self, One with All That Is. Please make time next Friday to watch this historic movie, let everyone know about this upcoming event and if you feel like it, join hearts and souls in a common prayer for a quick global awakening and a true planetary healing. NOTE: ABC in the U.S. is also going to broadcast "Earth 2100," a two-hour television event, Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET - more on this below

HOME (Trailer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8IozVfph7I
In 200,000 years on Earth, humanity has upset the balance of the planet, established by nearly four billion years of evolution. The price to pay is high, but it's too late to be a pessimist: humanity has barely ten years to reverse the trend, become aware of the full extent of its spoliation of the Earth's riches and change its patterns of consumption.More than a movie, HOME will be a major event all over the globe : for the first time ever, a film will be released on the same day in over 50 countries and on every format : movie theatres, TV, DVD and Internet. By bringing us unique footage from over fifty countries, all seen from the air, by sharing with us his wonder and his concern, with this film Yann Arthus-Bertrand lays a foundation stone for the edifice that, together, we must rebuild. On the occasion of WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY on June 5th 2009, HOME will be the FIRST movie to be released simultaneously on ALL MEDIA (Theatre, TV, DVD, and Internet) and across 5 CONTINENTS. On June 5th, we all have a date with the planet!

Official Website of Home
http://www.home-2009.com/us/index.html

See all the related videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/homeproject

HOME - Press conference March 9th 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axUZZDiW4h4

---

INFO en français

HOME (Trailer HD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92kt3JUwtgk
En 200 000 ans d'existence, l'homme a rompu un équilibre fait de près de 4 milliards d'année d'évolution de la Terre. Le prix à payer est lourd, mais il est trop tard pour être pessimiste: il reste à peine dix ans à l'humanité pour inverser la tendance, prendre conscience de son exploitation démesurée des richesses de la Terre, et changer son mode de consommation. En nous offrant les images inédites de plus de 50 pays vus du ciel, en nous faisant partager son émerveillement autant que son inquiètude, Yann Arthus-Bertrand pose, avec ce film, une pierre à l'édifice que nous devons, tous ensemble, reconstruire.

Site Web officiel
http://www.home-2009.com/fr/index.html

Voir les 19 videos connexes
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=homeprojectFR&view=videos

HOME - Conférence de presse du 5 juin 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egqF0NtEAo0
Le 5 juin 2008 lors d'une conférence de presse Yann-Arthus-Bertrand et Luc Besson annonce la sortie événement de HOME, 1 an plus tard le 5 juin 2009, Journée Mondiale de L'environnement. HOME sortira le 5 juin sur tous les supports : cinéma, TV, DVD et Internet.Nous avons tous rendez-vous avec la planète le 5 juin!



Some related environment news...

'Earth 2100': Could This Be the Final Century of Our Civilization? (May 29, 2009)
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Earth2100/story?id=7678011&page=1
Imagine a world in which cities are abandoned and our population has dropped by 90 percent. A world in which we have wreaked havoc on our delicate ecosystems and nature has begun to reclaim Earth. Once-bustling cities have fallen silent except for the rustle of the wind through the grass and trees that have cracked through the collapsing pavement. Humans have not walked these urban streets for years. Does it seem like the stuff of science fiction? According to the world's top scientists, it could very well be the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. They say we are at a turning point, that the choices we make today will determine if the human race, as we know it, will survive. Watch "Earth 2100," a two-hour television event, Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET. Imagine our future as two doors. Door No. 1 is our current path, or as the scientists put it, business as usual. If we continue on this trajectory, experts say, over the next 100 years the "perfect storm" of population growth, resource depletion and climate change will converge with catastrophic results. In this scenario the combination of war, famine and disease has the potential to decimate the world in less than a hundred years. "Earth 2100" takes viewers through door No.1, with the help of a fictional character, Lucy. Born in the year 2009, Lucy guides us through the next century as it may well unfold, if we don't take drastic measures. With the assistance of some of the world's foremost scientific experts, she gives us a detailed decade-by-decade countdown to the collapse of society. But it does not have to be. "Earth 2100" will conclude by traveling through door No. 2. The clock resets to 2009, and using the same chronology and the same scientists, we leave the viewer with the inspiring story of an alternate future. The experts tell us what actions we must take to survive and describe the world we can create. In this version, Earth in 2100 will be one we would be proud to imagine.

The billion tree campaign enters a second wave
http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/index.asp
Together, let’s plant 7 billion trees by the end of 2009! The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a major worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments are encouraged to enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide each year. In a call to further individual and collective action, UNEP has set a new goal of planting 7 billion trees by the end of 2009. The campaign strongly encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment.

From Climate Vulnerability to Climate Neutrality (May 4, 2009) http://www.unep.org/climateneutral/Default.aspx?tabid=752
Maldives Join the Climate Neutral Network with a Pledge to Become the World’s First Carbon Neutral Nation -- The Republic of Maldives, one of the countries most affected by climate change, has joined the Climate Neutral Network led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This follows the announcement by Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed earlier this year to make the Indian Ocean island nation the world’s first carbon neutral country in just ten years’ time, by 2019. This ambitious objective will be achieved by fully switching to renewable sources of energy such as solar panels and wind turbines, investments in other new technologies, and sharing of best practices. President Nasheed declared that “the Maldives will no longer be a net contributor to greenhouse gas emissions”.“Climate change isn’t a vague and abstract danger but a real threat to our survival. But climate change not only threatens the Maldives, it threatens us all,” he added. No part of the Maldives’ 1,200 tropical coral islets rises more than six feet (1.8 meters) above sea level, leaving the 400,000 inhabitants at great risk of rising sea levels and storm surges. CLIP

World Business Leaders Hear Catastrophic Climate Warnings
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2009/2009-05-25-01.asp
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 25, 2009 (ENS) - "We meet at a critical moment in human history. Our planet is warming to dangerous levels," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the opening session of the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen on Sunday. Former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Peace Laureate Al Gore told the business leaders that the test of what is right where the climate is concerned lies with the next generation.

Climate change odds much worse than thought (19 May 2009)
http://globalchange.mit.edu/news/news-item.php?id=76
Warming will be about twice as bad as the previous IPCC predictions - 5.2 degrees median, with a range 90% probability range of 3.5 to 7.4 degrees by 2100.
REPORT at http://globalchange.mit.edu/files/document/MITJPSPGC_Rpt169.pdf

The road to Copenhagen (29 May 2009) by Roxane Philson, ONE.org (one-help@list.one.org)
Next week, negotiators from almost every country in the world will be in Bonn, Germany to begin work on a new global deal on climate change. We’re trying to make sure that those negotiators consider the needs of people already being affected by climate change, including the tens of millions Africans who are projected to suffer from increasing droughts resulting in smaller crop yields.To that end, we’ve collected over 18,000 signatures on our petition to Yvo de Boer, who is hosting these talks for the UN. We’ll deliver that petition next week, and then closely track any progress made at the negotiations. You can read more about climate change and keep track on the outcomes of the negotiations on the ONE Blog at http://www.one.org/r?r=191&id=976-3936074-MgoCV1x&t=2 This delivery is just a step along the road to a new climate agreement which will be ratified in Copenhagen later this year. Between now and then, we have lots of work to do, and we’ll also have more actions targeting other leaders who can help advocate for developing countries to receive the adaptation funding they’ll need. MUCH more on these negotiations through http://www.roadtocopenhagen.org/ and FACTBOX: Milestones on the road to Copenhagen climate talks (May 5) Environment Ministers from about 190 nations gather in the Danish capital at the end of the year to try to agree a broader global pact to fight climate change. The aim is to build on the existing Kyoto Protocol by ensuring rich nations sign up to deeper emissions cuts while offering greater assistance to developing countries to help them curb greenhouse gas pollution as well.Following are key points about the U.N.-led negotiations. CLIP

Country clean-up project "Lets Do It 2008" ASTOUNDING EXAMPLE - THE WHOLE PLANET SHOULD DO IT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5GryIDl0qY
Campaign "Let's Do It!" - a grassroot initiative to clean up the country from illegal waste in just one day. There was over 10 000 tons of illegal waste lying around all over Estonia and it was an outrageous plan -- to clean it all up on one day! More than 600 volunteers were working to make it all happen with only 3 full-time employees. On May 3, 2008 with help of 50 000 volunteers more than 10 000 tons of garbage gathered and Estonia was cleaned up from illegal waste.

Resource Boom in Peru's Amazon Threatens Indigenous Peoples' Livelihoods and Their Rainforest Homes
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=peru_amazon
Support tens of thousands of indigenous people bravely protesting Peru government's give-away of their rainforest homes to oil, mining and logging industry without their approval; insist peaceful protests are not met with violence by President Alan Garcia's government, and that the focus for Amazonian development be upon benefiting from standing trees and intact rainforest ecosystems. Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon are protesting investment laws passed under a free-trade pact with the United States and against concessions granted to foreign energy companies. Some 30,000 indigenous people have blockaded roads, rivers and railways to demand repeal of new laws that allow oil, mining and logging companies to enter indigenous territories without seeking consent or even any consultation. Indigenous communities complain that some 70% of Peruvian Amazon territory is now leased for oil and gas exploration, putting at risk their own lives and the biodiversity of the Amazon. Please add your voice in solidarity with the tens of thousands of indigenous people and their international supporters mobilizing to protect the Peruvian Amazon. Send a letter today to the Garcia Administration demanding respect for the constitutionally guaranteed rights of indigenous peoples, and Amazon development based upon standing forests.

A tar sands reality check - A viciously dirty source of energy!
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/632.html
As oil apparently becomes harder to find and harder to extract, one western country - Canada - seems to be holding a winning hand. Of course, simply holding a winning hand doesn't make you a winner. Canada won't be the first country to have its sovereignty threatened by the dubious advantage of have oil under (or in this case, in) its land. The reality behind Canada's fabled tar sands.

US Wants to Paint the World White to Save Energy (May 27, 2009)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/05/27-3
LONDON - US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday the Obama administration wanted to paint roofs an energy-reflecting white, as he took part in a climate change symposium in London. US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, seen here in April 2009, said Tuesday the Obama administration wanted to paint roofs an energy-reflecting white, as he took part in a climate change symposium in London. (AFP/Chip Somodevilla)
The Nobel laureate in physics called for a "new revolution" in energy generation to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But he warned there was no silver bullet for tackling climate change, and said a range of measures should be introduced, including painting flat roofs white.
Making roads and roofs a paler colour could have the equivalent effect of taking every car in the world off the road for 11 years, Chu said. It was a geo-engineering scheme that was "completely benign" and would keep buildings cooler and reduce energy use from air conditioning, as well as reflecting sunlight back away from the Earth. CLIP

Meat-free revolution to help save the planet (May 22, 2009)
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/global-warming/meatfree-revolution-to-help-save-the-planet-20090522-bi4q.html
THE Belgian city of Ghent yesterday embarked on a radical experiment that seeks to make every Thursday a day free of meat and of the fish and shellfish for which the city is renowned. (...) The organisers cite UN data arguing that meat production and consumption are to blame for 18 per cent of greenhouse gases - more than cars. "If everyone in Flanders does not eat meat one day a week, we will save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road," the association says. "I never touch meat, unless I'm at my grandmother's and I need to be polite," Karien De Temmermann, a young member, said."This is not a plan for everyone to be forced into vegetarianism," said Wim Coenen, a vegan who works as an importer of vegetarian pet food from Italy. "But it will reduce our carbon footprint. The basic premise is to introduce a way of lessening our meat consumption."The revolution began last Thursday with a foodie festival at the vegetable market. Ninety thousand town maps listing the best eateries for the meat-shy were handed out. Recipe booklets and food samples were distributed, with fair trade wine to wash down the nibbles.

House Sparrow– Declining Population (May 18th, 2009)
http://nvonews.com/2009/05/18/house-sparrow–-declining-population/
Universally familiar in appearance, the widespread and once abundant house sparrow has become a mystery bird and is becoming increasingly rare all over the world. Perky and bustling, house sparrows have always been seen, mingling with finches in the fields in autumn and winter, but now weeks pass without a single one putting in an appearance. They are vanishing from many big cities, but are still not uncommon in small towns and villages. India has seen a massive decline of sparrows in recent years. On the world map too. Once a commonplace bird in large parts of Europe, its numbers are decreasing. In the Netherlands, the House Sparrow is even considered an endangered species. Their recent decline has earned them a place on the Red List in the Netherlands. Similar precipitous drops in population have been recorded in the United Kingdom. French ornithologists have charted a steep decline in Paris and other cities. There has been an even sharper fall in the urban areas in Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy and Finland. (...) There are various causes for dramatic decrease in their population, one of the more surprising being the introduction of unleaded petrol, the combustion of which produces compounds such as methyl nitrite, a compound which is highly toxic for small insects, which forms a major part of a young sparrow’s diet. Other being areas of free growing weeds, or reduction in number of badly maintained buildings, which are important nesting opportunities for sparrows. Ornithologists and wildlife experts speculate that the population crash could also be linked to a variety of factors like the lack of nesting sites in modern concrete buildings, disappearing kitchen gardens, increased use of pesticides in farmlands and the non- availability of food sources. CLIP

Bee colonies drop another 29 percent: 'Something is going wrong,' Florida beekeeper says (May 19, 2009)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/business/epaper/2009/05/19/0519beelosses.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=6
Honeybee losses nationwide continue at a level that is economically unsustainable for commercial beekeeping, according to a 2008-09 survey released Tuesday. The survey, which encompassed 20 percent of the nation's roughly 2.3 million honeybee colonies, found a 29 percent loss of managed bee colonies. This compares with losses of 36 percent and 32 percent in the winters of 2007-08 and 2006-07, respectively. (...) Experts blamed Colony Collapse Disorder, the malady characterized by the complete absence of bees in dead colonies that has been decimating the U.S. beekeeping industry in recent years, for some of the losses. The cause of the disorder is still unknown, but about 26 percent of apiaries surveyed reported that some of their colonies died of the collapse disorder - down from 36 percent of apiaries in 2007-08.Other causes include premature queen death, starvation, cold, pests such as the varroa mite and pesticides, Hayes said. Dave Hackenberg, a beekeeper who winters his bees in Florida, criticized the survey for not asking the right question. He said his hive numbers dropped from 3,500 in October 2008 to 2,800 this January, within the time period of the survey. But by February, he had lost 300 more hives."It's spring, but the hives aren't growing. I'm finding them blown out, dead or gone," Hackenberg said from Maine Tuesday. Hayes added: "There have been beekeepers out there who have taken another phenomenal loss this year. Honeybees simply are not healthy."

Warriors of the Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BHRV-RMNvs



See also Matthew's latest May 26, 2009 message at http://www.matthewbooks.com/mm/anmviewer.asp?a=102&z=2



1.

Date: 23 May 2009
From: Kosta Gus Makreas (gmakreas@sanbrunocable.com)
Subject: Roz Savage Rows Across Pacific Solo to Save the Planet - Follow daily journey via video, blogs and twitters

Hi Friends,

For an ocean of inspiration, check out: http://www.rozsavage.com/

Roz did it before and now the adventure continues - rowing SOLO across the Pacific Ocean to raise environmental awareness. She recently got two standing ovations from Al Gore and his climate conference attendees.

Please distribute her URL to your networks. Her epic journey to save the planet deserves worldwide attention. And what's cool is you can track her daily progress using Google Earth as she blogs, twitters, and podcasts her way across the Pacific.

Roz left her managerial consultant job and office cube in England in her mid-30's and decided to see what was possible to do with her life. She already rowed across the Atlantic and then from San Francisco to Hawaii in the Pacific. Now she departs from Hawaii...

She has been an inspiration to me, and I hope will be to you.

Cheers,

Kosta Gus Makreas

Note from Jean: I just watched Roz introductory video at http://www.youtube.com/user/rozsavage and I say you've got to watch it too till the end where she offers an outstanding, really powerful message that all together, each with our own contributions, however tiny they may appear to be to us, we absolutely can make a greener, saner worlds happen. The MOST compelling can-do message and bravest example I've ever heard and seen!!!



2.

SOME of the comments in response to this address by Paul Hawken: "Absolutely beautiful, poetic, inspiring, Paul Hawken preaches and reaches into my soul." - "In the darkest times, there are people who have come together to kindle light and hope. As Paul points out, change isn't an underground movement any more. This is our time to shine." - "An eloquent reminder of the capabilities within ourselves and collectively. We can and will transform our world into a thriving planet again. Everyone must take serious action NOW!"

Recommended by Kiara (kiara@eternaldoorway.com) and Barry Snyder (barrymartin@cot.net)

From: http://www.charityfocus.org/blog/view.php?id=2077

Paul Hawken's Commencement Address in Portland - Totally awesome!

May 17, 2009

Paul Hawken is a friend of CharityFocus, renowned entrepreneur, visionary environmental activist, founder of Wiser Earth and author of many books -- most recently Blessed Unrest.

Last week, he was presented with an honorary doctorate of humane letters by University of Portland, when he delivered this superb commencement address.

Commencement Address to the Class of 2009

University of Portland, May 3rd, 2009

When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” Boy, no pressure there.

But let’s begin with the startling part. Hey, Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation – but not onepeer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement. 

Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.

This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, and don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food – but all that is changing.

There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.

When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. The poet Adrienne Rich wrote, "So much has been destroyed I have cast my lot with those who, age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world." There could be no better description. Humanity is coalescing. It is reconstituting the world, and the action is taking place in schoolrooms, farms, jungles, villages, campuses, companies, refuge camps, deserts, fisheries, and slums.

You join a multitude of caring people. No one knows how many groups and organizations are working on the most salient issues of our day: climate change, poverty, deforestation, peace, water, hunger, conservation, human rights, and more. This is the largest movement the world has ever seen.

Rather than control, it seeks connection. Rather than dominance, it strives to disperse concentrations of power. Like Mercy Corps, it works behind the scenes and gets the job done. Large as it is, no one knows the true size of this movement. It provides hope, support, and meaning to billions of people in the world. Its clout resides in idea, not in force. It is made up of teachers, children, peasants, businesspeople, rappers, organic farmers, nuns, artists, government workers, fisherfolk, engineers, students, incorrigible writers, weeping Muslims, concerned mothers, poets, doctors without borders, grieving Christians, street musicians, the President of the United States of America, and as the writer David James Duncan would say, the Creator, the One who loves us all in such a huge way.

There is a rabbinical teaching that says if the world is ending and the Messiah arrives, first plant a tree, and then see if the story is true. Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity’s willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider. "One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice," is Mary Oliver’s description of moving away from the profane toward a deep sense of connectedness to the living world.

Millions of people are working on behalf of strangers, even if the evening news is usually about the death of strangers. This kindness of strangers has religious, even mythic origins, and very specific eighteenth-century roots. Abolitionists were the first people to create a national and global movement to defend the rights of those they did not know. Until that time, no group had filed a grievance except on behalf of itself. The founders of this movement were largely unknown – Granville Clark, Thomas Clarkson, Josiah Wedgwood – and their goal was ridiculous on the face of it: at that time three out of four people in the world were enslaved. Enslaving each other was what human beings had done for ages. And the abolitionist movement was greeted with incredulity. Conservative spokesmen ridiculed the abolitionists as liberals, progressives, do-gooders, meddlers, and activists. They were told they would ruin the economy and drive England into poverty. But for the first time in history a group of people organized themselves to help people they would never know, from whom they would never receive direct or indirect benefit. And today tens of millions of people do this every day. It is called the world of non-profits, civil society, schools, social entrepreneurship, and non-governmental organizations, of companies who place social and environmental justice at the top of their strategic goals. The scope and scale of this effort is unparalleled inhistory.

The living world is not "out there" somewhere, but in your heart. What do we know about life? In the words of biologist Janine Benyus, life creates the conditions that are conducive to life. I can think of no better motto for a future economy. We have tens of thousands of abandoned homes without people and tens of thousands of abandoned people without homes. We have failed bankers advising failed regulators on how to save failed assets. Think about this: we are the only species on this planet without full employment. Brilliant. We have an economy that tells us that it is cheaper to destroy earth in real time than to renew, restore, and sustain it. You can print money to bail out a bank but you can’t print life to bail out a planet. At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product. We can just as easily have an economy that is based on healing the future instead of stealing it. We can either create assets for the future or take the assets of the future. One is called restoration and the other exploitation. And whenever we exploit the earth we exploit people and cause untold suffering. Working for the earth is not a way to get rich, it is a way to be rich.

The first living cell came into being nearly 40 million centuries ago, and its direct descendants are in all of our bloodstreams. Literally you are breathing molecules this very second that were inhaled by Moses, Mother Teresa, and Bono. We are vastly interconnected. Our fates are inseparable. We are here because the dream of every cell is to become two cells. In each of you are one quadrillion cells, 90 percent of which are not human cells. Your body is a community, and without those other microorganisms you would perish in hours. Each human cell has 400 billion molecules conducting millions of processes between trillions of atoms. The total cellular activity in one human body is staggering: one septillion actions at any one moment, a one with twenty-four zeros after it. In a millisecond, our body has undergone ten times more processes than there are stars in the universe – exactly what Charles Darwin foretold when he said science would discover that each living creature was a "little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars of heaven."

So I have two questions for you all: First, can you feel your body? Stop for a moment. Feel your body. One septillion activities going on simultaneously, and your body does this so well you are free to ignore it, and wonder instead when this speech will end. Second question: who is in charge of your body? Who is managing those molecules? Hopefully not a political party. Life is creating the conditions that are conducive to life inside you, just as in all of nature. What I want you to imagine is that collectively humanity is evincing a deep innate wisdom in coming together to heal the wounds and insults of the past.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would become religious overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television.

This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation. You are graduating to the most amazing, challenging, stupefying challenge ever bequested to any generation. The generations before you failed. They didn’t stay up all night. They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hopefulness only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.

---

Watch also...

11th Hour - Interesting Facts of Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPVvDuyYQl4

and MANY more videos by Paul Hawken at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Paul+Hawken&aq=f

and through http://www.paulhawken.com/multimedia.html

and visit his website at http://www.paulhawken.com

CLIP



From: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Earth2100/story?id=7697237&page=1

ABC News 'Earth 2100': the Final Century of Civilization?

Planet at Risk: Experts Warn Population Growth, Resource Depletion, Climate Change Could Bring Catastrophe in Next Century

By ALEXA DANNER

May 29, 2009

It's an idea that most of us would rather not face -- that within the next century, life as we know it could come to an end. Our civilization could crumble, leaving only traces of modern human existence behind.

It seems outlandish, extreme -- even impossible. But according to cutting edge scientific research, it is a very real possibility. And unless we make drastic changes now, it could very well happen.

Experts have a stark warning: that unless we change course, the "perfect storm" of population growth, dwindling resources and climate change has the potential to converge in the next century with catastrophic results.

Watch "Earth 2100," a two-hour television event, Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET.

In order to plan for the worst, we must anticipate it. In that spirit, guided by some of the world's experts, ABC News' "Earth 2100," hosted by Bob Woodruff, will journey through the next century and explore what might be our worst-case scenario.

But no one can predict the future, so how do we address the possibilities that lie ahead? Our solution is Lucy, a fictional character devised by the producers at ABC to guide us through the twists and turns of what the next 100 years could look like. It is through her eyes and experiences that we can truly imagine the experts' worst-case scenario -- and be inspired to make changes for the better.

The Future: It's Nearer Than We Think

By 2015, there are expected to be hopeful signs. Experts predict alternative energy solutions that are currently in their infancy will gain momentum. Windmills may sprout up everywhere. Off the coast of Scotland, a sprawling wave farm will harvest renewable energy from the ocean. Vatican City will meet all of its energy needs with solar power. And the U.S. will produce cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles in accordance with newly unveiled emissions guidelines.

But will it be enough? In 2015, global demand for fossil fuels could be massive and growing, but experts say oil will be harder to find and far more expensive to consume.

"We have no new source of energy on the horizon that's currently capable of being developed on a large enough scale to replace the supply of oil in any near- term framework," says Michael Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College.

If the cost of gasoline skyrockets, few may be able to afford to maintain the lifestyles to which we've grown accustomed. There may be a mass exodus from the suburbs, as driving gas-fueled cars becomes nearly impossible economically. But will that convince us to change our ways?

"Until we have a crisis of some kind, I don't think we're going to be motivated to make the really deep changes in the way we use energy, the technologies we use, the density of our cities, our travel patterns," says Thomas Homer-Dixon, a political science professor and author of "The Upside of Down."

The imagined crises in Lucy's futuristic world come in the forms of earthshaking hurricanes spawned by over-reliance on climate-damaging coal and other nonrenewable resources. What if climate change in our world is actually much closer than we think? Many experts say we have to start seriously reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2015, or we may pass a point of no return.

"If we continue on the business as usual trajectory, there will be a tipping point that we cannot avert," says John P. Holdren, science advisor to President Obama. "We will indeed drive the car over the cliff."

Scientists predict that by 2020, global catastrophes may well begin to accelerate. The human population is expected to explode and animal species may be dying off at a rapid rate. As the world becomes more chaotic, the costs of mending it would grow more and more daunting. By 2030, gradually rising temperatures may have shifted rainfall patterns around the globe, and many experts warn much of the world may face serious shortages of our most basic need -- water.

"By 2030, two-thirds of the world's population will be under water stress," says Janine Benyus, science writer and founder of the Biomimicry Institute.

Some cities will have the forethought to plan ahead. Starting in 2009, San Diego began building huge desalination plants to turn ocean water into an abundance of fresh water. But in the middle of the country, people may be running out -- and there may well not be funds to transport it from the coast. If and when a place like Tucson, Ariz., runs dry, people will panic.

"Something that will catch people's attention is the first rich city that just runs out of water," says Homer-Dixon.

Americans may well meet these challenges with resourcefulness and work hard to keep the threats at bay. But even as things stabilize on the home front, experts predict hundreds of thousands of environmental refugees may begin streaming through Europe, fleeing droughts and famines. Millions of Latin Americans could align on the U.S. border seeking entry, and some could encounter violent resistance.

"I can't imagine the horrors that will take place on the border as millions of refugees try to get into the United States," says Klare.

History Repeats Itself

In the history of Earth, there have been five mass extinctions in which at least half the species on the planet disappeared. Scientists believe the extinctions were brought on by natural disasters -- massive volcanic eruptions, rapid climate changes and meteors hitting Earth.

Today, scientists say we are in the middle of a "sixth extinction" -- and for the first time, it's being caused by one species -- us. It seems inconceivable that we could do so much damage to our planet that we actually cause society as we know it to collapse. But historical precedent shows that it is, in fact, a very real possibility.

"Every society that collapsed thought it couldn't happen to them," says Joseph Tainter, an expert in anthropology and societal collapse. "The Roman Empire thought it couldn't happen. The Maya civilization thought it couldn't happen. Everyone thought it couldn't happen to them. But it did."

These populations grew too much and exhausted their resources -- and their climate suddenly changed. People were forced to fight each other for what little was left or face starvation. Entire societies broke down.

"Civilizations in the past have lost the fight," says climatologist Heidi Cullen. "They have collapsed as a result of the inability to deal with several different events going on at once. I think the takeaway is that honestly, we are not that special."

Our Current Course: Where We're Headed

If we remain on the current course, it's estimated that by 2050, the world's population may have increased by at least half and many parts of the world may be facing grave shortages of resources. The Southwest U.S. could face an extended drought, while pests threaten crops. As global sea levels rise, much of the world map could be redrawn. People will begin to migrate back to urban areas in search of better lives.

There would likely still be beacons of green living -- massive solar farms may produce enough power to light up entire regions of the country. Towns like Greenburg, Kan., decimated in 2007 by a tornado and rebuilt to be completely self-sustaining, may inspire communities around the globe do the same. But unless the rest of the world gets on board -- and fast -- some experts warn it may just not be enough.

"A few hundred years down the line, they'll look back and say the dark ages began with the twenty-first century," says E. O. Wilson, an award-winning evolutionary biologist and professor at Harvard University.

But just how bad could things get? In one scenario, scientists imagine that by the year 2100, immense storms irreparably damage major metropolises. Streets, subway tunnels, and buildings would flood and begin to rot. The stagnant water would breed filth and displace residents, forcing them into homelessness. Poverty levels and death rates could skyrocket. A new and virulent strain of disease might develop -- then mutate and spread around the globe, potentially claiming tens of thousands of lives.

In this scenario, as the crisis explodes, looting grows rampant, major world powers go to war over water, and millions of people die from famine. Civilization literally collapses under its own weight.

10.

From: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/5715569/

Wi-fi and Wimax: Why You Shouldn't Use Them

Wimax in the U.S

(excerpt)

Did you hear about the big new deal? I'm talking about the deal that will make the whole USA one big hot spot?

In case you didn't see the story here's what's happening.

Sprint and Clearwire have joined forces to build a new 'WiMax' network.Wi-Max is a new wireless technology made to reach way beyond anything in place today. Simply put, Wi-Max is Wi-Fi on steroids.

Here's what I mean: Bluetooth technology will work up to a distance of about 30 feet. A Wi-Fi signal will work up to a distance of about 300 feet. Now get ready for this. WiMax will work up to a distance of 3 miles from a mobile base and up to 30 miles from a stationary base! Did you get that? 30 MILES !!!

(If you want to know more about Wi-Fi and Wi-Max I recently posted an article about this technology at http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1083187 .)

The idea is to cover whole metropolitan cities with a Wi-Max signal.

The goal is to make the USA one great big hot spot. This means we're all going to get blanketed with wireless radiation whether we like it or not 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This giant network will have "open access" meaning anyone with a compatible device will be able to access it. Web applications like email and videos will also be supported. So it'll be very popular and no doubt will open up wireless access to a much larger segment of the population.

The founding companies hope to have Wi-Max services available to half the U.S. population by 2010 and the whole USA shortly thereafter.

Who's involved in this giant scheme besides Sprint and Clearwire? Well, Comcast is contributing $1.05 billion, Intel is contributing $1 billion, Time Warner Cable is throwing in $550 million and Google another $500 million. Google has already invested $600 million in Clearwire previously.

So those are your major players in this massive electropollution- producing machine. You can figure out why they're kicking in so much money by what they do. They know this is going to be a massive market and they want to capitalize.

We've got a lot of work to do to educate others. You know, it's 30 miles of Wi-Max today but it'll be 300 miles of something else in a year to two. That's just what technology does. Especially when there's no one around to look out for the safety of all those who will be blanketed by this giant Wi-Max cloud. Where are you, FDA?

Lynn Quiring, RPh, CCN, NMD
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Quiring (Many other relevant articles there)

---

Related article:

Wi-fi and Wi-max - Why You Shouldn't Use Them
http://ezinearticles.com/?Wi-fi-and-Wi-max---Why-You-Shouldnt-Use-Them&id=1083187
(...) Wi-Fi In European Schools The European Environment Agency is calling for immediate steps to be taken to reduce exposure to Wi-Fi, cell phones and cell phone towers and masts. Recent international scientific reviews have concluded that electromagnetic radiation safety limits are "thousands of times too lenient" and one official British report came to the conclusion that the development of cancer from cell phone use could not be ruled out.Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency in the UK, is calling for a formal investigation into the hazards of using wireless networks in schools. He's asking that students be monitored for health problems from the networks. Joining him in health concerns over Wi-Fi installations in schools, the Professional Association of Teachers are calling for the Secretary of State for Education in the UK to begin an official inquiry into the issue.Recently, parents of children at an English school have won a major battle in getting a mast tower removed from their school. Parents indicated that both students and staff complained of symptoms such as insomnia, headaches and numbness. It seems 56 percent of children had trouble sleeping, 54 percent developed headaches and migraines, and 46 percent reported dizziness and numbness. 86 percent of staff members had problems sleeping, 59 percent reported headaches, and 95 percent of staff reported fatigue and numbness. Nosebleeds, nausea, and dizziness were also reported. 8Dr. Gerd Oberfield, head of environmental health and medicine in the province of Salzburg, Austria, calls the installation of Wi-Fi "dangerous." In fact, the government in Salzburg has been advising schools not to install Wi-Fi for well over a year now and is considering a complete ban on Wi-Fi networks.Stowe School in Great Britian recently removed its Wi-Fi equipment from its building. One of its schoolmasters who had taught there for 28 years developed headaches and nausea immediately after Wi-Fi was installed. CLIP

NOW CONSIDER THE DEBILITATING EFFECTS ALL THIS ELECTROMAGNETIC POLLUTION IS ALREADY HAVING ON ALL LIFE FORMS AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF FURTHER INCREASING THIS LETHAL AND INVISIBLE SMOG...



11.

From: http://www.rense.com/general85/mortaa.htm

A Moratorium On Genetically Manipulated (GMO) Foods

By F. William Engdahl

5-21-9

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM - http://www.aaemonline.org/) has just issued a call for an immediate moratorium on Genetically Manipulated (GMO) Foods.

In a just-released position paper on GMO foods, the AAEM states that 'GM foods pose a serious health risk' and calls for a moratorium on GMO foods. Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes 'there is more than a casual association between GMO foods and adverse health effects' and that 'GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health.' The report is a devastating blow to the multibillion dollar international agribusiness industry, most especially to Monsanto Corporation, the world's leading purveyor of GMO seeds and related herbicides.

In a press release dated May 19, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, which describes itself as 'an international association of physicians and other professionals dedicated to addressing the clinical aspects of environmental health,' called immediately for the following emergency measures to be taken regarding human consumption of GMO foods:

* A moratorium on GMO food; implementation of immediate long term safety testing and labelling of GMO food.

* Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GMO foods.

* Physicians to consider the role of GMO foods in their patients' disease processes.

* More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GMO foods on human health.

The AAEM chairperson, Dr Amy Dean notes that 'Multiple animal studies have shown that GM foods cause damage to various organ systems in the body. With this mounting evidence, it is imperative to have a moratorium on GM foods for the safety of our patients' and the public's health.' The President of the AAEM, Dr Jennifer Armstrong stressed that 'Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions. The most common foods in North America which are consumed that are GMO are corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oil.' The AAEM's position paper on Genetically Modified foods can be found at http:aaemonline.org.

The paper further states that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) technology 'abrogates natural reproductive processes, selection occurs at the single cell level, the procedure is highly mutagenic and routinely breeches genera barriers, and the technique has only been used commercially for 10 years.'

The AAEM paper further states, 'several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signalling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system.'

They add, 'There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation as defined by Hill's Criteria in the areas of strength of association, consistency, specificity, biological gradient, and biological plausibility. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.'

GMO is toxic

The AAEM paper should give grounds for official rethinking of the current quasi laissez faire regulatory stance to GMO in which the solemn word of the GMO seed companies such as Monsanto is regarded as scientifically valid proof of safety. The AAEM study is worth citing in detail in this regard:

'Specificity of the association of GM foods and specific disease processes is also supported. Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation, including upregulation of cytokines associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation. Animal studies also show altered structure and function of the liver, including altered lipid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as cellular changes that could lead to accelerated aging and possibly lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).Changes in the kidney, pancreas and spleen have also been documented. A recent 2008 study links GM corn with infertility, showing a significant decrease in offspring over time and significantly lower litter weight in mice fed GM corn. This study also found that over 400 genes were found to be expressed differently in the mice fed GM corn. These are genes known to control protein synthesis and modification, cell signalling, cholesterol synthesis, and insulin regulation. Studies also show intestinal damage in animals fed GM foods, including proliferative cell growth and disruption of the intestinal immune system. '

The AAEM study also reviewed the biotechnology industry claims that GMO foods can feed the world through production of higher crop yields. It cited contrary evidence that the opposite appeared to be true, namely that over time GMO harvest yields were lower than conventional yields and required over time, more not less, highly toxic herbicidal chemicals such as glyphosate. The report noted, 'The several thousand field trials over the last 20 years for genes aimed at increasing operational or intrinsic yield (of crops) indicate a significant undertaking. Yet none of these field trials have resulted in increased yield in commercialized major food/feed crops, with the exception of Bt corn.' However, the slight yield gain for Bt corn they report was 'largely due to traditional breeding improvements,' and not to GMO.

They conclude that because GMO foods 'pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health and are without benefit, the AAEM believes that it is imperative to adopt the precautionary principle, which is one of the main regulatory tools of the European Union environmental and health policy and serves as a foundation for several international agreements. The most commonly used definition is from the 1992 Rio Declaration that states: 'In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.'

Under intense public pressure, the German Minister of Agriculture recently issued a prohibition of planting for Monsanto MON810 GMO corn. Unfortunately, two weeks later she permitted planting of GMO potato seeds. Amflora, a genetically modified potato manufactured by chemicals giant BASF (a joint venture GMO partner of Monsanto), was declared by the German Ministry as posing 'no danger for human health or the environment,' The Ministry cited 'in-depth examination' and talks with scientific and economic experts as basis for the reckless decision.

The publication of the sensational critique of GMO by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has been greeted with stone silence by most major US media and international press.

GMO politics

As I describe in great detail in my book, Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation, , GMO was released on the general public in the early 1990's in the USA under an executive decision by then President George Herbert Walker Bush, reportedly following closed door meetings with leading Monsanto executives. President Bush mandated that there should be no special health and safety tests done by any US Government agency before releasing GMO for food consumption. It came to be known as the Doctrine of Substantial Equivalence.

The US Government, on urging of Monsanto and the GMO lobby, further decided that labelling of a food product as 'GMO free' should be prohibited, using the vaguely formulated and entirely unscientific 'doctrine' proclaimed by President Bush in 1992, namely that GMO plants and non-GMO or ordinary plants were 'substantially equivalent' and hence needed no special testing before being released to the public.

That Substantial Equivalence Doctrine, despite the fact that it directly contradicts the demand of the GMO companies for exclusive patent rights to their GMO seeds as being 'unique' and different from ordinary seeds, enabled Monsanto, Dow Chemicals, DuPont and other GMO patent holders to proliferate their products with no control. Most Americans naively believe that the Government Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Agriculture are there to make certain industrial food products are confirmed fully safe for human and for animal consumption before licensing.

That de facto prohibition on labelling GMO foods has meant that most Americans have no idea how much of their daily diet from store-bought Corn Flakes to soybeans to corn and additives in every food on the supermarket shelf contained GMO contamination.

Coincident with the mass introduction of GMO into the human and animal diet in the United States beginning the end of the 1990's, there have been reported epidemic levels of allergic outbreaks in humans, strange diseases and numerous other health issues. The fact it is forbidden by Federal law to label GMO products means most health professionals are not even aware there might be any connection to a GMO diet for millions of Americans. The US population, since the 1992 ruling of President Bush-a ruling reaffirmed by presidents Clinton, George W. Bush and now by Barack Obama and his pro-GMO Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack-has been in effect treated as human guinea pigs in mass experimentation for substances never independently proven in long-term (ten years or longer) studies to be safe.

It remains to be seen if the scientific critique of the AAEM is given the attention it warrants.

F. William Engdahl is author of Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation (http://www.globalresearch.ca/). He also authored A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order (Pluto Press). His newest book, Full Spectrum Dominance: Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order (Third Millennium Press) is now in print and will be available by mid-June. He may be contacted over his website, http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine
http://www.aaemonline.org/AboutUS.html
Who We Are - The American Academy of Environmental Medicine was founded in 1965, and is an international association of physicians and other professionals interested in the clinical aspects of man and his environment. The Academy is interested in expanding the knowledge of interactions between human individuals and their environment, as these may be demonstrated to be reflected in their total health.



12.

AH!... IF PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENTS IN AMERICA WERE AS AWAKENED AND AS FREE FROM THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF MONSANTO AS THOSE IN EUROPE, WE WOULD NOT HAVEN FALLEN INTO THE DELUSIONARY QUASI RELIGION THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FRANKENFOODS HAS BECOME, ESPECIALLY IN CANADA AND IN THE U.S. WHERE THE LOBBYING SHENANIGANS OF MONSANTO AND OTHER CORPO-CARTELS HOLD SWAY OVER THE REGULATORY BODIES THAT GRANTED THEM THE LICENSE TO POLLUTE AT WILL OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR BODIES. THE SAME COULD BE SAID ABOUT ASPARTAME-LACED FOOD, CHEMICALLY TOXIC AGRIBUSINESS, ELECTROMAGNETICALLY POLLUTING CELL PHONE INDUSTRY AND MANY OTHERS REAPING MASSIVE PROFITS FROM THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THEY GENERATE.

From: David Creighton dcr8on@sympatico.ca">
Subject: ISIS: Europe's Uprising Against GMOs and Patents on Life
Date: 25 May 2009

ISIS Report 25/05/09

Europe's Uprising Against GMOs and Patents on Life

The unstoppable groundswell of opposition to GMOs in Europe Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT EXPLICIT PERMISSION. FOR PERMISSION, AND REPRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT ISIS. WHERE PERMISSION IS GRANTED ALL LINKS MUST REMAIN UNCHANGED

The recent call for a moratorium on GMOs in Europe [1] (see Europe Holds the Key to a GM-Free World, 5th Conference of GM-Free Regions, Food & Democracy, SiS 43) reflects an unstoppable groundswell of opposition to GMOs from both European citizens and governments.

An online poll [2] on the question: “Should GMOs be banned in Europe?” conducted in April 2009 returned a 79 percent yes, 18 percent no and 3 percent don’t know. Days earlier, Germany outlawed the cultivation of Monsanto’s GM maize MON810, a surprising move that delighted campaigners. Germany became the sixth EU country to introduce a provisional ban on the GM maize, after France, Austria, Hungary, Luxembourg and Greece [3]. A source close to the EC said the German ban might bring a revision of the European legislation on GM crops. Germany also voted with the majority in March when the European Commission (EC) attempted to force Austria and Hungary to reverse their bans, and its ruling was overturned by a big majority [1].

Ban by Germany the tipping point

Germany’s move was broadly welcomed by its news media [4]. German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said she had legitimate reasons to believe that MON 810, posed “a danger to the environment,” a position which she said the Environment Ministry also supported. Aigner is taking advantage of a clause in EU law which allows individual countries to impose such bans. The left-wing Frankfurter Rundschau wrote: “Genetically modified corn is a risk to our environment, is totally superfluous in farming, represents industrial agriculture, causes pointless costs to food production in Germany and can even ruin beekeepers.” The left-wing Berliner Zeitung wroes: “The new studies don't show any new risks - they simply prove that the old warning about the risks was justified. It's a scandal that the subsequent ban was even necessary because the farming of genetically modified plants had been permitted without a thorough examination of all the possible dangers.”

Germany, the most populous country in the European Union (EU) ranking fourth in land area, is also its most influential and economically powerful member nation. Monsanto applied for an emergency ruling to overturn the ban to allow for its 2009 planting [5], saying its ban is arbitrary and goes against EU regulations.

But the court in Braunschweig in north Germany rejected Monsanto’s application [6]. Significantly, a statement from the court said Germany’s law on GMOs does not require that a ban on a new plant variety is justified by proven scientific research which showed without doubt the crop to be dangerous; it was sufficient when research showed there were indications that the crop could be dangerous.

Opposition strengthened by the eastern bloc

As countries from the former eastern bloc joined the European Union (EU), the US had expected them to help counter the opposition to GMOs, but far from it. The newer members have added strength to the GM opposition, often in direct defiance of Brussels.

In April the European Commission sent a letter to Bulgaria warning over its failure to implement the European Directive for GMO in its legislation, as reported in the Klasa Daily [7]. This was the sixth official warning to Bulgaria for not following regulations. Experts commented that the current Bulgarian legislation is much more restrictive compared to European regulation. Bulgaria supported Hungary’s decision to keep the ban.

No patents on animals and plants

Meanwhile, more than a thousand farmers demonstrated against patents on animals and plants at the European Patent Office in Munich 15 April 2009 [8]. Over 5 000 people and some 50 organisations have filed a joint opposition to a patent on breeding pigs originally registered by the US corporation Monsanto. Protestors want all patents on life to be prohibited by law.

Rudolf Buehler from the Schwaebisch Hall farmers’ Association led a herd of its traditional breeding pigs to the patent office. He said: “Corporations like Monsanto want control over agriculture and food, from piglets to cutlets.”

The demonstration was also supported by the German dairy farmers alliance, the BDM, and the AbL farmers' cooperative. “There are new patent applications that range from cows to milk and yoghurt,” said Romuald Schaber at the BDM. “The German government must set limits to big companies' greed for living creatures.”

The demonstrators in Munich have already scored an initial success. The Hesse state government and the Greens in the German Bundestag last month called for a change in European patent laws prohibiting such patents being granted in future.

References

Ho MW. Europe holds the key to a GM-free world; 5th Conference of GM-free regions, food and democracy. Science in Society 43 (to appear).
Euro News online poll on GM food and farming 17 April 2009, http://www.euronews.net/news/you/
“EU to ‘reflect’ on Germany's GM maize ban”, EU Business, 15 April 2009,
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1239807722.48
“The world from Berlin: ‘There was no reason to accept the risks of GM corn’” Spiegel Online 15 April 2009, http://www.congoo.com/news/2009April15/World-Berlin-Reason-Accept-Risks
“Monsanto sues Germany over GM corn ban”, DW-World.DE, 22 April 2009, http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4196705,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
“German court rejects Monsanto plea to end GMO maize ban”
Reuters, May 5 2009
http://uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUKL558166220090505?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
“Brussels makes a sixth warning over environment”
FOCUS News Agency, 11 May 2009
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n180607
“Farmers demonstrate in Munich against patents on animals and plants”,
No Patents on Seeds, 15 April 2009 http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=3&Itemid=28&lang=en

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