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DIY Rainwater Harvesting

With a touch of satire, but providing a practical demonstration using a muffin tin and sponges Brad Lancaster tells the landscape rehydration story incredibly well. We all need to turn our landscapes into living sponges. It's all so logical and obvious, isn't it?

Unsupported Farmers

Australian farmers receive among the lowest levels of taxpayer support in the industrialised world - $US2.2 billion in government support in 2008 amounting to 6% of all farm receipt, including programs such as drought funding, research and development and rural infrastructure.

A People's Bank Needed

The growing power of the Big Four banks has been targeted by a coalition of six influential economists, who have petitioned the Prime Minister and the Treasurer to set up an inquiry into Australia's financial system. They have suggested the Government set up a "basic bank" so Australians can deposit money with Australia Post and have it managed by the Future Fund.

A1 vs A2 Dairy Cattle

Raw and cultured dairy products from healthy grass-fed cows are one of the healthiest foods people have ever eaten. But there are some who in spite of eating only raw dairy products, still seemed not to tolerate milk. There is a growing suspicion it may have to do with old breed and new breed dairy cattle who have a difference in their milk protein make-up, which science is beginning to unravel.

Australia's Own Manuka Honey

An Australian Certified Organic (ACO) honey company has launched a medicinal grade honey derived from a native Australian plant which contains more potent levels of non-peroxide active antibacterial activity than recorded in any other product on the market worldwide. Berringa now joins Manuka Honey, harvested from a similar plant in New Zealand, in catering to the world's increasing demand for medicinal honey products.

Extracting Profits from Real Food

The same thing is happening to all our 'real' whole foods. Amongst the splicing and dicing of food into separate components, scientists recently discovered the antioxidant resveratrol in red wine (which of course derives from the grape), touted to suppress the formation of blood clots and boost the efficiency of immune system cells, and increase the life span of yeast, flies, fish and roundworms. A miracle that was rapidly packaged into a pill. The marketing frenzy surrounding resveratrol is a prime example of how science can be distorted when it is mingled with hope, amplified for buzz and spun for profit.

Appalling Food Safety

Forty per cent of all restaurants and other food businesses in NSW routinely breach food safety laws, with some councils recording rates more than twice that figure, according to the first detailed food-safety data ever released. [Love the first comment made below this article].

Questioning Global Warming

Senator Fielding is standing his ground on global warming. He hasn't managed to find an answer to his simple, yet obvious question: Why are global temperatures remaining steady despite increases in CO2 levels over the last 15 years (based on IPCC figures)? Seems like a reasonable request when the proposed CPRS is underpinned by the assumption that CO2 is the leading cause of warming...

Idea to Save the World

From the wacky to the ready-to-market ideas - people converged on Manchester to air their climate solution ideas. Many have been heard in various forums before, but I was thrilled to see that Tony Lovell make it across to present the role of managed grazing lands in mopping up carbon. The photos seemed to significantly impress the judges - well done! Now, you can vote this idea in too.

Expose on GM Science

This is a comprehensive dossier containing more than 160 fully referenced articles from the Science in Society archives presented to the European Parliament 12 June 2007. Wow, if you need information on GM, this will cover most bases and focuses on hazards ignored, fraud, regulatory sham and violation of farmer's rights.

Farmers Against GM Wheat

A new study on Canadian farmer perceptions toward genetically modified (GM) wheat - specifically Roundup Ready wheat shows that Canadian farmers are categorically opposed to it.  83% disagreed that Roundup Ready wheat should have unconfined release into the environment, although many respondents themselves used GM canola. The study is one of few that is located in farmer experiences and that is independent and publicly funded.

Definitive Rejection of GM Wheat

Australian, Canadian and US Farmer, Environmental and Consumer Organizations have put together a response to the May 14, 2009 "Wheat Biotechnology Statement" in which some industry groups from Australia, Canada and the U.S. pledged their commitment to synchronized commercialization of biotechnology in wheat based on 6 claims that genetic engineering has a proven safety record and GE wheat will: feed the world, provide agronomic benefits, increase yield, increase global wheat production, and improve opportunities for private research. The response is called "Definitive Global Rejection of Genetically Engineered Wheat".

GM Enhances Disease

The controversial promoter in all GM crops does enhance multiplication of disease-causing viruses, especially Hepatitis and HIV.

Insects Beating GM

Laboratory studies suggest that it may be possible for insects to overcome two disparate toxins produced by genetically modified cotton. GM crops have started to 'pyramid' multiple toxins, and it was thought that mutations that confer resistance to both toxins would be unlikely. [Oh dear!]

Marketing Honeybee Venom

A New Zealand company has applied to the UK Food Standards Agency for novel foods approval to market its honeybee venom to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis. The company milks the venom from the Apis mellifera species of honeybee using an electronic system that causes the bees to sting through a latex film onto a glass plate for collection. It is then dried and administered through its Nectar Ease brand of venom-spiked Manuka honey.

Barcoding Trees

Deep in the world's tropical rainforests, workers are hammering thousands of barcodes into hardwood trees to help in the fight against illegal logging, corruption and global warming.

No Definition for Nano

Current understanding and acceptance has it that nanotechnology refers to particles of around 100 nanometres. But that's vague. "We do not have a definition about what nano size is. We tend to talk more in terms of impact." So how do manufacturers ensure the safety of their products, if there is no clear definition of what nanotechnology is? 

The Nanotechnology Freight Train

They say nanotechnology could cure cancer, solve the energy crises and boost our economy, but will it take a catastrophe for the Government to regulate what scientists are calling the next industrial revolution? [Notice that working out why cancer occurs in the first place is not on this agenda, and surely the economy would benefit enormously from less healthcare expenses (but I guess that is not creating 'new' money into the system)]...

Since 2006 in Australia, new coloursteel roofs were found to be corroding very quickly and no one could tell why. The damage often took the form of fingerprints or shoe impressions, and the affected patches aged an equivalent of 15 years in only 18 months. The cause was found to be the sunscreen worn by workers installing the roofs. It contained nanoparticles of titanium dioxide - found in most sunscreens - which was splashed or transferred on to the roofs!

Cleaning Water with Plants

An environmental and civil engineer has developed an inexpensive arsenic filtration system using aquatic plants to improve poisonous arsenic-contaminated drinking water. He calculates cattails can absorb the arsenic for as long as 50 years. "But I suggest they just decommission the device every decade," he said. For 21 cents per 1000 litres of treated water - its not bad!

Fooling Air Monitors

Workers at a grain processing corporation in the US acknowledged last fall that they switch from burning high-sulfur coal to a low-sulfur variety when the wind blows toward a nearby sulfur-dioxide monitor. This is upsetting State and federal agencies who use the monitoring data to inform policy and enforcement decisions.

Shrinking Aral Sea

Once the world's fourth-largest inland body of water, the Aral Sea has been retreating over the last half-century after rivers that fed it were diverted for Soviet cotton irrigation projects. It has lost 80% of its water in 3 years!

Shifting Media Landscape

The generation we're now in, has the largest expressive capability in human history. The Internet is the first media in history that has native support for groups and conversation at the same time. The second major change is that as all media gets digitized, the Internet also becomes the mode of carriage for ALL other media. The third major change is that former members of the audience can now also be producers, and not just consumers. It certainly short circuits the role governments think they have in censoring information.

Soil Foodweb Institute Newsletter

This month's newsletter comments on the remainder of Elaine's Australian visit; an overview of Maarten Stapper; analysing flood damage to soils; how fertilisers reduce pasture diversity; antibiotic potential in red soils; native truffles and other fungi information; fungi and soil carbon; and the link between mycorrhizae and the nitrogen cycle.  SFI July 09 09/07/2009,21:27 703.49 Kb

Nutrition Matters

This edition of Nutri-Tech Solutions' newsletter is jam-packed with topics covering: Age Proves No Barrier to Paradigm Shift - The Yates Legacy; Fighting the Fat Begins with the Foetus; The Role of Boron; Salt as a Wellness Solution; The Spoils of Battle - Plant Protection; Home Garden Happiness; Prostate Implosion - The Anatomy of a Plague; Self Empowerment in Paradise; Nutri-Tech News. The file size of this newsletter is large - so contact me for a copy.

Natural Sequence Farming Newsletter

This newsletter provides an update on Peter Andrew's activities, and of course an alert to the recent Australian Story series. It provides links to various forms of information and avenues for you to add your voice and support for the movement. Best of all, there are some wonderful gems on how nature works - like why rainfall avoids unvegetated landscapes.

Bruce Lipton in Australia

I have ranted about Bruce Lipton's work for a couple of years now and my books and videos of him have been passed from person to person, and are still circulating. He was the first to introduce me to the concept of epigenetics, but so much more too - and since then the topic of epigenetics has become one of the hottest research topics in the world of genetics. He powerfully pulls hard science and emotional and environmental well-being together. Catch him if you can while he is in Australia, it will turn many of your concepts of health and disease upside down - for the good. Sydney 30th August, Brisbane 2nd September, Melbourne 6th September. He is also touring with Dr Joe Dispenza who many may have seen in The Secret video.

Introduction to Permaculture

This course includes Permaculture Food Gardening. The course will be held at Mulloon Creek Natural Farm, Bungendore NSW 1st - 2nd August (featured in last Monday's Australian Story - Right as Rain Part 2) and presented by Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute.

By the way, go to the guest book on the Australian Story website and read comments left from the past episodes of Right as Rain Part 1 and Back To Earth - very very interesting).

What's New...

Ausmin is making incredible inroads into bridging conventional agriculture with sustainable practices. With 3 full time agronomist, they provide customers with ‘in the paddock' technical support. Ausmin manufacture a wide range of natural products (many organically certified), including potent compost teas, solid fertilisers and animal supplements. And wherever they do use conventional fertilisers, they are always buffered with natural materials like humates and zeolite, and include extra minerals. If you're looking for some practical cost effective advice, give them a call.

Their latest product range incorporates their BioCoat Technology where soluble fertilisers like DAP and Urea are coated with zeolite, organic acids, sugars and amino acids which ultimately magnify the fertiliser effect allowing lower spreading rates without excessive harm to soil biology. Not bad!

Health

Conventional Medicine is Dying

Conventional medicine is dying ultimately because it is based on an obsolete dominant mechanistic model that does not recognise the coherence of the organism. A new ‘organic medicine' could combine the best in non-invasive, non-destructive approaches from both traditional medical systems and contemporary science that would also revitalize indigenous medicines in all cultures and provide affordable healthcare for all.

Coconut Oil Reduces Obesity

A recent study reveals new evidence that could turn the tide in the ongoing debate about which fats are the healthier choice: saturated fats like coconut oil or polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil. In the words of the study authors: "It appears that dietetic supplementation with coconut oil does not cause dyslipidemia and seems to promote a reduction in abdominal obesity", which completely contradicts what the FDA and other major associations have been spoon-feeding the public for decades.

Pharmaceutical Profiteering

A couple of Federal Budget Analysts from Washington, DC wondered about the profits in pharmaceutical drugs. One example found - a 100 tablets of 20 mg Prozac costs the consumer about $247.47, while the active ingredients only cost $0.11! So what is all this profit used for? A 2008 study found that pharmaceutical companies spend about 24% of their sales dollars on advertising and promotion, in contrast to just 13.4% on research and development. Then there is the lobbying...

Tylenol and Liver Failure

Acetaminophen is an ingredient of over-the-counter Tylenol, and other drugs, yet the FDA admits this chemical is the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S.  

Faking Research

It turns out that researchers apparently alter or just plain make up data far more frequently than previously estimated. And the practice seems to be particularly high in medical and drug research. 

Stress and Disease Link

The release of a hormone at times of stress could be key to understanding why some food poisoning bacterium become more invasive in animals after transportation. Researchers found the animals released higher levels of hormone noradrenalin when under stress which actually helps Campylobacter and Salmonella grow and spread more quickly. [I wonder when they will link this information back to humans and their propensity to disease under stress...]

Health is not in DNA

The current paradigm, which views "health" as freedom from disease symptoms, is a fundamental flaw of conventional medicine. As long as you believe your health, or lack thereof, is related to your genetic predetermination, there is no logic or hope for wellness or prevention. "What I'm saying is, the goal shouldn't be to treat or have therapy for a particular illness at all. The whole goal should be to restore health. And that's a very different paradigm."

Sun is Not Main Cause of Skin Cancer

Sunshine is not the main cause of the most dangerous form of skin cancer, according to researchers, who say some warnings about the perils of sunbathing are scaring people unnecessarily. "The number of moles you have is one of the strongest risk factors for melanoma - stronger than sunshine." [These researchers acknowledge the link between sun and Vitamin D - which is encouraging.]

Cartoon

Miscellaneous

From tech stocks to high gas prices, Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression - and they're about to do it again. Try the cap-and-trade carbon trading market - and guess who is spending up big promoting climate change! This article has just been published in Rolling Stones magazine and its simply brilliant. Please do take the time to read, it even explains the manipulations that occurred in wheat (and other commodity) prices.

Early this year, the National Archives released documents from the files of the 9/11 Commission, which were previously classified. Three of those documents provide the "smoking gun," proving the central role of Saudi intelligence, and the critical support role of British intelligence in the preparation, execution, and coverup of 9/11.

Events

The calendar is playing up, so most of the links below are directed back to other websites where possible or to a contact email address. If there are no links, look to the related article above.   

* Introduction to Permaculture - Bungendore NSW 1st - 2nd August 2009.

* Bruce Lipton Tour - Sydney NSW 30th August 2009.

* Bruce Lipton Tour - Brisbane Qld 2nd September 2009.

* Bruce Lipton Tour - Melbourne Vic 6th September 2009.

Postscript

Who Said English was Hard?

1) The bandage was wound around the wound. 

2) The farm was used to produce produce . 

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish  furniture. 

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.