Sustainability in an Unsustainable Society?

"Can we create sustainable agriculture within the context of a society that is itself probably unsustainable?" This is the question posed by former Rodale Institute research director and author of Farming in the Dark.  She unearths many reasons why sustainability, as a parallel movement to a large, centralized, corporate (and, she argues, undemocratic) system, may never fully make it into the mainstream sensibility.

Factory Farming Better

Its nearly too obvious to believe - three scientists, one ex Monsanto, have concluded that "factory farms" fulfill the United States population's requirements for dairy products most sustainably through the application of modern agricultural techniques. I'll let you imagine the parameters they decided to ignore in this analysis!

Role of Ecosystems in Climate Mitigation

This UNEP-commissioned, Rapid Assessment report presents carbon capture and storage through a Green Economy lens, outlining the potential in terms of natural systems - systems from forests to grasslands that have been doing the job in a tried and tested way for millennia. They find that there is a potential to not only combat climate change and climate-proof vulnerable economies but to accelerate sustainable development and the achievement of the poverty-related Millennium Development Goals. Overall, if best management sustainable practices were widely adopted, it is believed that the agricultural sector could become broadly carbon-neutral by 2030.

Agricultural Strategies for Climate Mitigation

Land makes up a quarter of Earth's surface, and its soil and plants hold three times as much carbon as the atmosphere. More than 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions arise from the land use sector. Thus, no strategy for mitigating global climate change can be complete or successful without reducing emissions from agriculture, forestry, and other land uses. Five strategies are proposed: enriching soil carbon; farming with perennials; climate friendly livestock production; protecting natural habitat; restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands.

Biochemical Sequence

Hugh Lovel has pieced together the biochemical sequence behind soil/plant interactions. Using his knowledge in chemistry together with the periodic table he steps through the role of each mineral ultimately describing the sequence in which they occur (and why). Many biological and conventional agronomists focus much of their attention on the backend of the story, but to get the whole system working its obviously a good idea to start at the front - beginning with boron and silica, then calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, carbon, and then potassium.

Carbon Under Zero-Till

Recent research on the Liverpool Plains claims that soil carbon does not accumulate under continuous cropping, but does under perennial grasses. I am a little confused though, because the Abstract talks more specifically about zero-till (not continuous cropping that suddenly pops up in the conclusion), and in fact admits that intensive zero-till (ie plants growing more days of the year) does seem to accumulate carbon - the same conclusion they reached about perennials where likewise, plants are established more days of the year. I suspect the problem lies with their focus on biomass decomposition as the sole route to carbon sequestration. If viewed with the liquid carbon route in mind (ie carbon pumped from the atmosphere through a living plant into the soil) - it explains why the length of time a plant is growing counts. 

Australian Story Review

The link between farming and health is coming out more and more. Cyndi O'Meara was impressed with Maarten Stapper's recent Australian Story, which got her thinking through some of her own experiences. The links are there, and many do know, but need to choose to recognise it. The program on Maarten and transcript are now available online.

Cap and Trade Meltdown?

The same Wall Street players that upended the economy are clamouring to open up a massive market to swap, chop, and bundle carbon derivatives. Sound familiar? Cap and trade would create what Commodity Futures Trading commissioner Bart Chilton anticipates as a $2 trillion market, "the biggest of any [commodities] derivatives product in the next five years." Banks like JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs already have active carbon trading desks that deal in instruments connected to Europe's cap-and-trade system and voluntary markets in America.

The Climate Caper

Emeritus Professor Garth Paltridge is an atmospheric physicist and was a Chief Research Scientist with the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research before taking up positions in Tasmania as Director of the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies and CEO of the Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre. He is about to release his book 'The Climate Caper' - which shows that the case for action against climate change is not nearly so certain as is presented to politicians and the public.

Dioxins Through the Food Chain

Most people are exposed to dioxins through diet. The majority of dioxins are generated by the incineration of municipal and medical waste - especially certain plastics - and these enter the food chain when air emissions settle on food crops and pastures where livestock graze. Among various health issues, dioxin seems to prohibit the proliferation of breast cells in pregnant women.

Demand for Natural Meat

As consumers become more obsessed with what they eat, including an insatiable hunger for meat and chicken raised naturally, without drugs, more producers are promoting their products as antibiotic free. But is there truth in the advertising? Many are swapping to use other bacteria-killing compounds.

Honey or Not?

For those wanting honey flavoured products but without extra sugar or calories - and without having to deal with bulk quantities of stick real honey - there are honey distillates that capture the flavour and fragrance of real honey!

Irrational Fish Farming Practices

Jean-Michel Cousteau explains why the common practice of farming carnivorous fish like salmon is devastating marine life, and why fish farming in general is a bad idea.

Dirty Desalination

The UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran have 120 desalination plants between them. These plants flush nearly 24 tons of chlorine, 65 tons of algae-harming antiscalants used to descale pipes, and around 300kg of copper into the Arabian Gulf every day. And sea temperatures in the Arabian Gulf rise by 10 degrees Celsius at every dumping.

Supermarket Profits

Australians collectively spend $7.8 billion on goods and services each week - that's $357 for every man, woman and child. And, when it comes to the retail sector, 25 cents out of every dollar spent will fall into the pocket of just two retailing supermarkets - Coles and Woolworths. And now both retailers refuse to allow their market share figures to be released publicly, arguing the information is commercially sensitive.

GM-Free Farm Register

Gene Ethics has launched a new national register of GM-free goods, services and locations. The interactive register is designed to be a public service, "particularly to help shoppers find and support GM-free products and services. The enterprises on the google map are committed to excluding anything made using Genetic Manipulation techniques from their products, services and facilities."

Cross Industry GM Report

In a world first and with a surprising lack of fanfare, a detailed cross industry information paper on GM canola has been released. The committee analysed trial data that has been used to support GM crops and found that, despite non-GM yields being affected by inadequate weed control, if technology access fees were included, there would be "no financial advantage in using the Roundup Ready treatment." Unresolved legal issues have been identified in the report and by the WA Upper House who voted against the GM trial approval.

Children the Canaries in the Coal Mine?

The Unhealthy Truth is a book about food - quality food, and is the result of personal experience and research into the rising incidence of food allergies in our children. Robyn O'Brien calls allergies "The New Childhood Epidemic," likening children's bodies to "canaries in coalmines." She discovered the reported increases in health concerns in the years following the introduction of genetically-modified (GM) crops used in food and food ingredients into the U.S. food supply.

Population Decline Naturally

This is a wonderful essay on population, and its implications for the future of the world. It runs through many of the past and present ideas of dealing with it, but beautifully concludes (with reasoning and data) - that handing control of their lives and their bodies to women - the right thing to do for countless other reasons - can reverse population increases. And that there is no reason to fear the discussion.

Mining Priorities

The battle between mines and farmers is another personal interest of mine, so I found this article interesting given the losing battle between Liverpool farmers and the Caroona Mine Project (despite the farmer's evidence and mining non-compliances, the NSW government seems determined to get quick money somehow). This new plan to mine under one of Sydney's water sources will really test the bias/priorities of the NSW government.

Biomimicry

We humans like to think we're pretty good at design and technology - but we often forget that Mother Nature had a head start of 3.6 million years. Now, the way that geckoes climb walls, or hummingbirds hover, is at the centre of a burgeoning industry: biomimicry, the science of "reverse-engineering" clever ideas from the natural world. The few examples here are new and brilliant.

Orgone Energy

The story of Dr. Wilhelm Reich and his discovery of orgone or lifeforce energy is part of the censored science of the 20th century that has been expunged from textbooks, and about which conventional media refuses to accurately report. Since the 1960s, an entirely new generation of scientists and doctors have investigated his work. Many have reproduced his experiments and applied them clinically, confirming that Dr. Reich's findings are indeed sound.

Australian Industrial Hemp Association

The overall goal of this Association is to form a platform for all participants in the Industrial Hemp Industry in Australia to work collectively to build a long term self regulated sustainable Industry. The Minutes of the Associations inaugural meeting are attached for those interested. You are invited to make comments and suggestions.  AIHA Feb 09 Minutes 10/06/2009,18:36 194.00 Kb

Soil Foodweb Institute Newsletter

The latest SFI newsletter is attached that reports on Elaine Ingham's current tour of Australia; compost teas in New Zealand; taking Australian soil biology instructions to Norway; negative effects of fertilisers on biodiversity; biodiversity tastes better; and adaptation of soil biology to climate change.  SFI June 09 16/06/2009,07:46 631.91 Kb

Comprehensive Soil Test Workshop

This is a roll call for anyone interested in attending a workshop on Hugh Lovel's exciting new approach to soil and fertility analysis in mid-September (northern NSW/south east Qld). Ideal for consultants and growers alike - it involves the comparison of total and soluble soil mineral tests, combined with leaf analysis (if/when available) - then a methodical logical investigation using the biochemical sequence of mineral uptake by plants. It's the soil scientist's version of Sherlock Holmes like never before. Contact me if interested.

Organic Grain - Is It For You?

These one day interactive workshops at Clare 18th June, Wagga Wagga 24th June and Naranderra 25th June, step through the requirements to convert to an organic farming system; an introduction to the economics of organic grain growing; marketplace dynamics for organic grain. It's presented by organic industry expert Tim Marshall of TM Organics and colleagues including a certified organic grain grower.  Organic Grain June 09 10/06/2009,19:04 80.13 Kb

Improving Soil & Profitability Using Livestock

The Lachlan Grazing Management Project is demonstrating how soil health, profitability and biodiversity can be improved through the application of high density short duration planned grazing with full pasture recovery before the next grazing event. Farmers will share their experience at Lake Cowal 18th June.  Lake Cowal Field Day 09 14/06/2009,21:54 309.92 Kb

Health

Gourmet?

I just love Cyndi O'Meara's Australian view on health and nutrition. This is a sample of her experience on Jetstar purchasing a 'gourmet' chicken wrap!

Nano Fortification

Research has commenced on food fortification with nano iron and zinc - which is worrying. We are learning more and more that nano molecules work differently than regular molecules, but it could well lead to mass 'medication' without choice. When such small amounts are required labeling of the ingredients are not likely to be required. Also notice that the cause of iron and zinc deficiencies in the population is not even questioned or investigated.

Fake Scientific Journals

Scientific publishing giant Elsevier put out a total of six publications in Australia between 2000 and 2005 that were sponsored by unnamed pharmaceutical companies and looked like peer reviewed medical journals, but did not disclose sponsorship, the company has admitted.

New Cancer Model

Researchers studying the preventive effects of vitamin D on cancer have proposed a new model of cancer development that hinges on a loss of cancer cells' ability to stick together. "The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels. This loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over."

Credit Card Snacks

A new process to create credit card-shaped snacks has gathered significant interest from the food industry as it provides a novel format for healthy snacks. The snacks are 2-3mm thick and combine a crunchy cereal outer layer with a soft fruit inner layer. Because the fruit filling is spread over a large area, the product has an intense fruit flavour.

Nano-Medicine Hazards

Research has shown that most nanoparticles migrate to the lungs. The latest research focused on a class of nanoparticles being widely developed in medicine - polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAMs) - which cause lung damage by triggering a type of programmed cell death known as autophagic cell death. However, the researchers also found autophagy could be blocked by using a drug inhibitor. Is a medicine really something that needs an antidote first?

Animals Protected Better than Humans

In 2002, the FDA pulled from the market a mercury-containing ointment for horses, and proclaimed zero tolerance for mercury in any product used to treat an animal. The FDA ruled that mercury is so toxic to mammals, it had no duty to prove its presence actually harms horses. In contrast, the FDA requires mercury critics to prove actual and widespread harm to humans - while mercury amalgams continue to be used in over 50% of dentists in America.

Miscellaneous

Gosh, I would have thought that this would have been an unthinkable situation in the first place - The U.S. Supreme Court put elected judges on notice Monday that they must step aside from deciding cases involving big-money donors who helped them win their jobs! 

And talking of the US - it seems that the American Empire will be forced to acknowledge that it is bankrupt. Chinese and Russian government officials are holding a meeting without America, to discuss replacing the US dollar - which if it occurs might end the US dollars reign as the world's reserve currency. Or will it?

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.

* Improving Soil & Profitability Using Livestock - Lake Cowal NSW 18th June 2009.

* Organic Grain - Is It For You? - Clare SA 18th June 2009.

* Organic Grain - Is It For You? - Wagga Wagga NSW 25th June 2009.

* Organic Grain - Is It For You? - Naranderra NSW 25th June 2009.

Postscript

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, mum?"

Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Mum, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

And while on the topic of hair...

It has been said that as a man grows older his hair starts to grow inwards. If his hair makes contact with grey matter, the hair turns grey, but if it makes contact with nothing... no hair grows.