Understanding Nature and Solutions

Peter Donovan of the US Soil Carbon Coalition recently emailed: 'In my experience people do not get it unless they have some sense of ecological process. If you explain the soil carbon opportunity to many urban people, for example, they want badly to fit it into stories they already know, such as the use of inputs or additives (adding compost or biochar for example) to build soil. Many people have a very difficult time with the idea that biosphere processes such as water cycling and succession can build soil, without technology or inputs. It doesn't correspond to their mental models of economics or technology or agriculture. The ideas that involve specific inputs (iron fertilization of the oceans, biochar, various soil amendment strategies) tend to get much more press for this reason.'

He then referred me to this wonderful short essay describing the three generations of ecological literacy - ie the different ways our culture has tried to understand nature, and how that has influenced our thinking. Just brilliant!

Weed Identification

This looks like a great internet resource. You can pick your region, type of weed (herb, shrub, grass, tree, vine, water plant) or even flower colour. When you get to your particular weed it has a great description along with lots of photos etc. Not bad.

Nitrogen Run-Off Warnings

The ability of streams and rivers to remove excess nitrogen appears to be linked to their overall health, and the most secure way of ridding excess nitrogen is through denitrification - ie via microbes. Where excess nitrogen levels are not removed 'dead zones' form. Potential solutions include restoring stream and river natural flows or reducing fertiliser and sewage draining into them - but unfortunately there is a lot of pressure to go in the other direction.

Droughts Linked to Dimming

A new research report claims to prove the cause of droughts in south eastern Australia is regional dimming over South East Asia caused by that region's widespread rainforest fires, rather than global warming. I can email through the report for anyone interested.

Potential Hazards of Cottonseed Oil

In Mali, the use of poorly refined cottonseed oil is leading to infertility. The refineries are unable to remove the toxin gossypol from cotton seed which can cause infertility. I've never been comfortable consuming cottonseed oil in the first place.

GM Crops Begin in NSW

Its hard to believe that all the legal and segregation requirements have been sorted out and bedded down, as was meant to have happened before this step was taken...but planting can now begin in NSW. And it will start without any planned GM testing either (see GM Contamination in a past newsletter), therefore contaminations wont be discovered, until of course they are ready to be discovered...

Roundup Resistant Johnson's Grass

Roundup Resistant Johnson's grass has been found. Interestingly the field where it was identified has been in continuous Roundup Ready soybeans...

Yields are Profitable, not GM

GM cotton was planted on almost 93% of U.S. cotton acres in 2007 and there has been considerable hype about increased yields, particularly from Bollgard cotton. But this multi-year study of GM and non-GM cotton cultivation shows, 'When considered as a whole, no transgenic technology system provided greater returns than a nontransgenic system in any year or location.'

Nano vs GM

Foods produced using emerging nanotechnology are less likely to come up against consumer hurdles than genetically modified foods since they do not involve tinkering with genes. Apparently it all has to do with perceptions of naturalness by the modern consumer. I wonder if that will last though...

Biodiesel Plants Pollute

Thee are a range of problems emerging about the biodiesel industry, and apparently its processing plants also produce some by-products that affect the environment and have killed life in waterways. While the by-products are considered safe - "You can eat the stuff, after all, but as with most organic materials, oil and glycerin deplete the oxygen content of water very quickly, and that will suffocate fish and other organisms. And for birds, a vegetable oil spill is just as deadly as a crude oil spill."

Solar Panel Updates

In the last newsletter I posted a story on a Queensland government solar panel deal - apparently they thought they would be a bit ambitious and aimed for 1000 applicants over the next couple months. Instead they got 5000 in 48 hours and registrations of interest closed at 6pm 7th March!

But that is not all, Queensland is now the second state to pay premiums for solar energy. Come on the rest of Australia!

Nanotechnology in our Food

Food manufacturers don't have to tell consumers or regulators whether their products contain nanoparticles and there are few rigorous studies of the effects of nanoparticles in humans. Yet there are signs that all is not well. One chemist exposed lab-grown human skin and liver cells to carbon-based nanoparticles and found that half the cells died. With practically no nano-specific regulations anywhere in the world even Britain's Royal Society has called for nano-sized particles of all chemicals to be treated as new substances and to undergo a full safety assessment, as well as mandatory labelling.

Future of Food

And while nanomaterials may or may not end up in our foods, another trend is towards genotype foods - based on nutrigenomics, ie how food and ingested nutrients influence the genome (personalised nutrition), and nutrigenetics, ie how a person's genetic make-up affects a response to diet (individual nutrition). And as you may have guessed, its not our health that is driving the research per se, a spokesperson for Nestlé Research Center gives it away... "We see it as the future. Adding value through functionality is where the margin is."

And talking of profits - the confectionery market will on average experience compound annual growth of 3.95%, thanks to products such as sugarless sweets and functional chocolate - so-called healthy treats. Mmmm...there's more in the health section below too.

Petition Against EI Levy

I have little to do with the horse industry and so have not tended to get involved - but for those that are in the industry, this petition against the new Equine Influenza Levy might strike a chord with you, though this news article suggests the levy legislation is being postponed.

Vegetation Management Workshop

The AgForward Vegetation Management 1-day Workshop provides landowners with information on the Vegetation Management legislation (tree clearing), and what can and can't be cleared without needing a permit. They will be run in Goondiwindi on 1st April, Texas on 2nd April and Stanthorpe on 3rd April. Each participating enterprise will receive the latest Regional Ecosystem map and a satellite map of their property(ies).

Can Grazing Add Profit to Cropping?

Five Grain & Graze field days will be held on properties across the Queensland Murray-Darling Catchment, Moree 31st March, Warialda 1st April, Toobeah 2nd April, Nindigully 3rd April and Roma 4th April. They will address the question: can farmers become more profitable and sustainable by introducing a grazing phase into their cropping systems?

More Carp Buster Days

Six fishing clubs have joined forces with QMDC to coordinate one of the biggest community awareness programs for European Carp in the Murray-Darling Basin. There will be local event prizes, and a grand prize of $2000 in cash for those who catch and destroy the most carp over all six competitions. Goondiwindi 26th-27th April, Mungindi 17th - 18th May, St George 20th-21st September, Dirranbandi 18th-19th October.

Sofenica - Part 35

There were a number of septic systems that interested us, but we had a list of 'must haves' that helped us to make a final decision. The system needed to be as natural as possible, be able cope with food items entering from the sink, use very little energy, provide grey water irrigation and lastly, was water flushing. I just don't feel comfortable sitting on dry composting toilets, particularly with a huge gaping hole underneath - childhood nightmares of falling in, and the wild imaginings of what all the creepy crawlies underneath are doing start to unnerve me and make the whole performance less than enjoyable!

Fortunately we do not have a water conservation problem because we have access to 1ML per year, and over time we would like to think that all the water we do consume will enter into the landscape to slowly move and filter down back to the lake - the way nature intended it to.

It was while watching The New Inventors on ABC I spotted the Biolytix system and I was immediately enthralled. It completely relies on a huge biodiversity of bugs, from bacteria up to worms to break down waste materials, and most importantly to me, the inventor was absolutely passionate about his topic - he can't resist checking out septic systems, even on overseas holidays. The system has no high-tech gadgetry or chemicals and uses next to no power, and you can irrigate all the treated water. The biology can also cope with reasonable doses of chemical inputs, like detergents and cleaning products - not that we use toxic versions of them anyway.

You've just got to check out the poo-cam on the right-hand side....now that is nature doing all the work for you - all for free!

Health

Sucralose Pollution

Sucralose, an artificial sweetner, is being found in effluent - unchanged. Humans excrete 98% of it - and it is extremely persistent, with a half-life in water of up to several years, depending on pH and temperature. Yet absolutely nothing is known about its affects on ecology, though one study has shown that it does interfere with the transport of sucrose in sugarcane. Heaven only knows what else it is doing.

And if you are yet to be convinced that artificial sugars are not good for you - this experiment using aspartame might provide some food for thought.

Toxic 'Green' Personal Care Products

New tests of 100 "natural" and "organic" soaps, shampoos and other consumer products show that nearly half of them contained a cancer-causing chemical that is a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing. Surely the use of petrochemicals in 'green' products should be a questionable practice anyway!

And just a reminder that exposure to sun is healthy as it boosts your Vitamin D levels, while over exposure is not great because it creates free radicals, but these free radicals can be quelched by building up antioxidant levels in your body. Lastly, most sunscreen lotions contain toxins.

Industry 'Spin'

It is amazing how you can spin bad news into good news - Coca Cola has taken out the artificial sweetner, sodium cyclamate, from their Mexican Coke Zero product - a sweetner that is banned in the US because of likely cancer links and a sweetner that has started to upset consumers. But Coca Cola is not making any admissions. Instead a spokesperson claims "The formula changed because we have developed something that more approaches the original taste of Coca-Cola Classic...There was a campaign (against sodium cyclamate), this is true, but cyclamate isn't a problem ... It's a perfectly safe ingredient." How do they live with themselves???

In the meantime Pepsi is trying to enter into the 'health' market with their new Pepsi Raw ....but don't be fooled!

What Does the FDA Actually Do?

It is touted as the protector of consumer safety, but its record to date is alarming with the most recent problem centred around a blood-thinning drug disaster which exposed the fact that the FDA does not have to inspect foreign drugmakers. The concern with all of this of course is the fact that the rest of the world tends to accept most FDA rulings for their own domestic regulations.

Tamiflu Effects

Abnormal behavior and other brain effects have been reported in 1,800 children who had taken the flu medicine Tamiflu and when used as directed Tamiflu can ONLY reduce the duration of your influenza symptoms by 1 to 1 ½ days, according to the official data. It doesnt prevent the flu. Why take the risk????

Raw Milk

It is bizarre that something as natural as raw milk could have you landed in gaol in Australia! A product that has been consumed by humans for 1000s, if not millions, of years....there is a resurgence for raw milk in America where it is permitted to be sold and the benefits are not coming from consumers alone. There are scientific reports starting to document the benefits, particularly in connection with allergies and asthma.

Health Censorship?

The BBC has removed the complementary and alternative medicine section from their website - an interesting move given that the BBC, like our ABC is meant to represent all sides of news and events.

Miscellaneous

Although it is certainly not being reported in mainstream news - Congressman Ron Paul is still in the running for the 2008 presidential campaign. Amazingly, censorship is happening right now on words from some of the greatest leaders in U.S. history on liberty and freedom of speech...

Events

For all March events

For all April events

* Can Grazing Add Profit to Cropping? - Moree NSW 31st March 2008.

* Can Grazing Add Profit to Cropping? - Warialda NSW 1st April 2008.

* AgForward Vegetation Management Workshop - Goondiwindi Qld 1st April 2008.

* Can Grazing Add Profit to Cropping? - Toobeah Qld 2nd April 2008.

* AgForward Vegetation Management Workshop - Texas Qld 2nd April 2008.

* AgForward Vegetation Management Workshop - Stanthorpe Qld 3rd April 2008.

* Can Grazing Add Profit to Cropping? - Nindigully Qld 3rd April 2008.

* Can Grazing Add Profit to Cropping? - Roma Qld 4th April 2008.

* Carp Busters - Goondiwindi Qld 26th - 27th April 2008.

* Carp Busters - Mungindi NSW 17th - 18th May 2008.

* Carp Busters - St George Qld 20th - 21st September 2008.

* Carp Busters - Dirranbandi Qld 18th - 19th October 2008.

Postscript

Gosh, the world of optical illusions is interesting. Try this one!

Then there is literary illusions...see below

Below are four (4) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly. You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately. OK?

Let's find out just how clever you really are....

Ready? GO!!!

First Question:

You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

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Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

 

Try not to screw up next time.
Now answer the second question, but don't take as much time as you took for the first question, OK ?

Second Question:
If you overtake the last person, then you are...?

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Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?

You're not very good at this, are you?

Third Question:
Very tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only . Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000 . Now add 30 . Add another 1000 . Now add 20 . Now add another 1000 .Now add 10. What is the total?

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Did you get 5000?

The correct answer is actually 4100.

If you don't believe it, check it with a calculator!
Today is definitely not your day, is it?
Maybe you'll get the last question right....
.....Maybe.

Fourth Question:

Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

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Did you Answer Nunu?
NO! Of course it isn't. Her name is Mary. Read the question again!

Okay, now the bonus round:

A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing his teeth he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and! the purchase is done. Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of sunglasses; how does HE indicate what he wants?

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He just has to open his mouth and ask...
It's really very simple.... Like you!