‘Food security’ is a phrase one hears more often these days. When mainstream news or government sources discuss the topic, it’s generally in terms of subsidies for big ag, testing GMOs in Africa, [...]]]> “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.” – Henry Kissinger

‘Food security’ is a phrase one hears more often these days. When mainstream news or government sources discuss the topic, it’s generally in terms of subsidies for big ag, testing GMOs in Africa, tighter ‘safety’ controls on food production – clearly it is within the Oligarchy’s intent to control the world’s food, and they do it in the name of ‘saving’ us but in reality…well, if you’re here reading this, you know what’s really going on.

How simple to provide everyone their daily bread, in the form of federally regulated, poisonous, addictive, mass-produced, cheap and accessible goodies. We have already forgotten our grandparent’s knowledge of the land. We are too busy with chips and sodas, iPods and Idols to care about such fuddy-duddy things. We figure we won out, no longer isolated on a dirty, back-breaking farm, but free to roam the brightly-colored plastic prisons of our future. The entire scheme was brilliant, really, and took only about 50 years. Amazing how quickly – and happily – we forget.

Slowly, though, the pendulum is beginning to swing back, whether due to a rediscovered consciousness and respect for the land, or a lingering vision of a post-apocalyptic nightmare complete with marauding bands of cannibal zombies. Food security is something families and communities are beginning to rethink, at the local level. Down here in the trenches, is is dawning on many more people how unbalanced our present high-industrial, corporate system has become. It is fragile, because if for whatever reason any link in that mega-chain fails, millions of people will find their only source of food – grocery stores – empty. It is also toxic on multiple levels, from the chemical-laden, land-scorching, seed-stealing, slaughterhouse-nightmare production practices, to the preservative-laden, neurotransmitter-deadening, nutrition-parched, Frankenstein-food products themselves. Not to mention the millions of individual packaging materials that end up in landfills and floating in the middle of the ocean, or the loss of an important spiritual connection to our planet.

If evil aliens from outer space had planned the whole thing to lure us into their waiting arms, I certainly would not be surprised. It’s patently insane.

How could we have allowed this to happen; participate in it, even? In truth, we are already zombies. A la Hansel and Gretel, we have allowed ourselves to wander without thought towards the promise of cakes, candy and the ‘easy life’. And we wonder why cancer and obesity rates have spiked. It would be easy to remain lulled in this hypnotic trance with Cheetos and snack-paks. But it is time to wake up. There’s nothing ‘easy’ about discovering you cannot make your own food or find your own water.

Some are making the radical transition ‘back to nature’ in its fullest sense, but even the Amish use the occasional tractor. Ultimately, if there really were a massive frequency shift into a higher level of consciousness, we probably wouldn’t need to think about alternative fuel sources or recycling plastic. But until then, it just feels right to make little shifts, however we can, to hitch a ride on that giant pendulum. No one really knows yet what will happen. What we do know is that we absolutely cannot sustain the way of life that has evolved since our grandparents’ generation.

The good news us, these past 50 years did not go to waste – not by a long shot. Many incredible technologies and solutions have come of age which will make our transition back to a sustainable lifestyle less back-breaking than our grandparents could have imagined. We have the benefit of a massive revolution of industry and science behind us now, and I believe it’s possible to return to our roots, without losing some wonderful resources. We just need to get our priorities straight, make some compromises, and – well, do a little initial work.

I originally began this post by describing many of the sustainable efforts we are putting into practice around here in detail. But if you are keeping up with the subject, it’s clear that the p-t-b are apparently still not gung-ho about such endeavors, Obama or no Obama, and irrespective of any organic White House garden (though I must snicker at the Daily Show’s recent skewering of the big ag response to that.) So I deleted it. But since our efforts have been taking all of my extra time, which has left this blog sorely neglected, I decided my readers deserved more. I’m also reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and I am decidedly jealous. My vision far exceeds our tiny space, at least for now.

So I will say, we are sprouting all sorts of interesting heirloom vegetables and exotic fruits, have met some really helpful and knowledgeable local folk who have shared information on organic gardening in Hawaii, and even received various seeds and plants we are incorporating. Mind you, we live in a suburban neighborhood on a ¼ acre plot with two houses. But you’d be surprised what you can fit in. We also got a late start; it is Hawaii so our growing season is all year long, however we do have mini-seasons, and one does have to pay attention to what varieties grow better in any particular microclimate. We are definitely in the experimental stages, and I find encouragement from all the wonderful gardening resources both locally and online.

There are also some new additions of the common poultry variety to our blossoming backyard endeavor. We’re hoping the neighbors won’t mind. We won’t keep any roosters, but at least in Hawaii we can rest assured that with a goat over one fence and a beekeeper across the street – not to mention the rooster crowing up the street – we’re not likely to be too off the charts.

I am beginning to think about local networks of trade, it would be cool to trade some eggs or tomatoes for some ahi or honey for example, like a modern ahupua’a. Likely the old-fashioned coconut wireless and local farmer’s markets will be our best bet out here, but I was surprised at the lack of online resources in that regard. The Internet would be a great way to establish some new relationships, now that so many more people are getting involved (at least until the power fails ). I did find some which trade vegetables, but it would be nice to include other items as well, which they do not allow. Here is an interesting site on bartering all kinds of things. I will definitely be investigating further.

Our location makes true off-the-grid living only a dream, though the previous owners installed solar water heaters, we’ve switched to low-energy light bulbs, unplug our appliances when not in use and try to recycle every scrap we can. Hawaii has a redemption policy so we usually even make a few bucks. There are no curbside pickups here on the Big Island; we must cart it all to the local dump/recycling center, but it’s not far away and I simply can’t stand the thought of contributing to a landfill on such a limited patch of land in the middle of the ocean, apocalypse or no apocalypse.

The nuisance has got me thinking quite a bit about packaging. Walking into a Walmart, all I can see are the inevitable piles of rubbish, with all those ridiculous individual, throw-away boxes and bottles. Consider the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, one of the many truly tragic results of this way of life. Here is a short list of facts about plastic pollution that might surprise you, even if you think you already know how bad it is. Some communities are stepping up programs to eliminate the plastic shopping bag. Recycle This has some good suggestions.

Certainly it would be sensible to either 1) use 100% biodegradable plastic or 2) provide a way to refill the container, rather than buying an entirely new bottle. Soaps, shampoos, cleaning supplies, you name it; there should be refill centers in our local stores where we can make use of our containers and pay by weight. Or something. In the long run it would make a huge difference. I wonder why the “geniuses” who started this whole thing didn’t implement something sensible to begin with. (Oh, right, they didn’t care about sustainability; only profit, as well as the world government they would foist upon us to ‘clean it up’ and have us believe it’s all our fault. Sorry, I forgot.)

There is an eye-opening short called The Story of Stuff that is worth watching.

Some ingenious inventors are thinking outside the box. Free energy technologies continue to lurk in the background. One will know the government is truly ‘transparent’ when such knowledge is finally released to the public, instead of being either continuously blackballed or tightly controlled in secret. (Likely why UFOs are also still an enigma.) The wisdom of the ancients, if understood and used correctly for peace and harmony in the world, could be our saving grace. Some people close to me are quick to point out, however, that perhaps humanity is not yet ready for such power if it includes the power of destruction. Some are; many are likely not, if our world’s wars and conflicts are any evidence.

In the meantime, there are many, many other alternative technologies to look for. Solar ovens are a great idea, as are rocket stoves, and would be good additions to the emergency kit. How about a generator that runs on used vegetable oil? A student developed a solar fridge that is already helping people in developing countries. Researchers are making car parts out of coconut husks. Shipping containers are getting makeovers into affordable housing. Wind generators are becoming more affordable. How about a green cell phone, or at the least, a solar cell phone charger? Frankly, that last one should be de rigueur. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

There are options out there, though they are typically not found at the local convenience store yet, and can be more expensive. One can find recyclable toothbrushes, for example. Put your used plastic bottles to work with the Solarbulb lamp attachment. Invest in a good reusable water bottle.

We must also think about the unthinkable. How about reusable toilet wipes? Here in Hawaii one can grow a Melocia tree or ‘toilet paper tree’, with large, soft leaves. Many Moons Alternatives can even suggest some ideas regarding women’s personal care. Important considerations not only for the environment, but for survival situations as well. Toronto’s “Green Bin” program is recycling not only the usual plastic and glass, but also kitty litter, animal waste and even dirty diapers. Kitty litter is actually a really big problem, as the clay mined for it strips the land, it’s toxic when inhaled and disposed of, and not typically recyclable.

Precycling, or simply not purchasing or using items in the first place, is a great thought. Little shifts, dontcha know. I would love to have the time to also make our own soap, toothpaste, cloth and much more…but alas, I, like many others, am still a slave to the society I was born into, though I am working on it. Perhaps we can merge into a balance at the center, supporting smaller companies who use local, nontoxic ingredients, a much smaller carbon footprint and eventually, little or no fossil fuels.

Initially this shift will take some expense, forethought and compromise. The journey of a thousand miles began with the first step, and if we make it that far, our grandchildren will thank us. Do zombies even have grandchildren? I don’t think so. Find local sources of fresh unadulterated vegetables, even meat and fish if you go there, and buy what you can when it’s in season. Refuse to buy packaged junk food and unnecessary trinkets, recycle and buy recycled goods if you must, get off the couch and water a tomato plant. That alone could move mountains, save you a few pennies, and even knock off a few pounds.

This series of small shifts could lead to a greater shift. It would be the start of a larger transition towards balance between city and farm, between humanity and the planet. We would have more time, and resources, to explore space – both inner and outer.

It has always been my vision that it is possible to reconnect with our land and our community in a profound and sustainable way, without losing access to some great innovations. First, we must seriously consider a return to local food sources, however we can manage. But if we were smart about it, we wouldn’t have to hitch our covered wagons on the way back to isolation at the homestead; we could just press the ignition on a small, solar-powered flying car, and continue to trade gardening tips with our friends in the Far East.

Time: Barack Obama’s New World Order

Gordon Brown’s plan for an army of teen volunteers. Sounds eerily familiar: Don’t [...]]]>

• Time: Barack Obama’s New World Order

• CFR Unveils Global Governance Agenda

• Who Wants a World Government?

• Gordon Brown’s plan for an army of teen volunteers. Sounds eerily familiar: Don’t count out ‘mandatory’ service yet in the U.S. either. Part of the “Plan”, I suppose.

• Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe

• From Wired: Prison Awaiting Hostile Bloggers…how far could They take this?

• …and how far will They take this fear mongering: Can You Catch Swine Flu from Money?

• Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing

• Why we forgot how to grow food

• Homegrown Grains: The Key to Food Security

• A point of view to consider: The Monsanto Connection

• Monsanto’s Roundup Residues in GM Food Cause Cell Damage

• ‘Superweed’ explosion threatens Monsanto heartlands

• Monsanto sues Germany over GMO maize ban

• Monsanto Forced Fox TV to Censor Coverage of Dangerous Milk Drug

• Organic White House Garden Puts Some Conventional Panties in a Twist

• Islands at Risk – Genetic Engineering in Hawaii

• Antarctica: A Once and Future Atlantis Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

• Soon to be published: After the Car by Kingsley Dennis and John Urry

• Whoa, here’s a story: Marlow Being Corralled by Black Ops for his Magnet Motor

• Here’s a delicious local tip the whole world can enjoy: Aliiorganics.com has delectable raw chocolate treats and other wonderful products and information, check it out!

Still quite a bit of scurfuffle about HR 875′s Food Safety Modernization Act mentioned in my last entry. To be fair, [...]]]>

• Still quite a bit of scurfuffle about HR 875′s Food Safety Modernization Act mentioned in my last entry. To be fair, here is a debunking of the Monsanto/Big Brother fears from FactCheck.org. At Reality Sandwich’s article Organic Outlaws a commenter also attempts to allay the panic, citing a couple of interesting links to a blog about the recent Congressional hearings on topic. However, another commenter asks not to ‘sell out our children’s health’ and links to eye-opening instructions on how to register one’s farm with the FDA, and who is exempt: unless ALL your homegrown food is consumed ON PROPERTY you’re supposed to ‘register’. Huh. Does that include sharing your tomatoes with your neighbors??

• Monsanto GM-corn harvest fails massively in South Africa

• Do GM Crops Increase Yield? The Answer is No

• First GMOs, now nano-bots in our food? Standards under scrutiny as food giants explore nanotechnology

• Codex Alimentarius lecture by Ian R. Crane (YouTube, Part 1 of 9) – “never heard of it? That’s exactly what they want!”

• HR 1388 “GIVE” Act Could Force Mandatory Service Requirement on All Young Americans

• From Rolling Stone, a surprisingly blatant article: The Big Takeover: The global economic crisis isn’t about money – it’s about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution

• David Icke is on target here: Please Don’t Riot…it’s Just What ‘They’ Want

• Think or Be Eaten: The Coup Will Not Be Televised

• Hmm: John Whitehead: Speak Truth to Power

• UK: Spy database to monitor your every move on Facebook and MySpace

• Electronic Mind Control

• Obama Opens Secret Laboratories to Germany

• New wisdom from Neil Kramer at The Cleaver: Becoming the Primal

• Fascinating discovery coming to light in Turkey: Do these mysterious stones mark the site of the Garden of Eden? And here’s a great video on that…could these discoveries change what archaeologists think they know about the history of human civilization on our planet?

• Interesting ancient technology? The Wands of Horus

• All kinds of interesting stuff from Reality Sandwich:

Chaos, Collapse and Synchronicity

Christ & the Maya Calendar: 2012 & the Coming of the Antichrist

What Now, America?

A Brief Confession

• Double hmm: UFO-alien abduction sleuth spots Christian ‘smoking gun’, and Part II

• Another intriguing chapter from Soundlessdawn over at Labyrinth of the Psychonaut, who incidentally is starting up his own podcast called Balmy Weather, perhaps a nod to recently-retired Stormy Weather: Steganography, Musical Biofeedback, and The Psychology of Occult Holophonic Cues

• Whoa! Yellowstone, the 44, the 111 & the Gen-X Vanguard

Imagine my surprise to see Michelle Obama actually breaking ground the other day, to the [...]]]> As I was gathering information for my recent post Our Contaminated World: Making Nature Illegal, I ran across and bookmarked this website, The Who Farm, which hoped to encourage the White House to plan an organic garden.

Imagine my surprise to see Michelle Obama actually breaking ground the other day, to the delight of the media, a class of 5^th graders and a lot of well-meaning folks out there.

Frankly the timing is suspicious considering the very hot current topic of bill HR 875. This bill, otherwise known as The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, was introduced by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., in February. Her husband is Stanley Greenburg, who works for Monsanto, wouldntcha know. This bill threatens the very legality of organic farming, and the outcry is far and loud across the less mainstream Internet. Here is one typical discussion, but one can find raised hackles all over the place.

So is this Obama family garden plot a little publicity aimed to steer the public away from the truth about the administration’s apparent position on big ag? It raised an eyebrow over at Cryptogon, and forums are quickly picking up on the hypocrisy. It seems outrageous to clamor over the wonderfulness of a White House organic garden without at least mentioning the pending bill and its surrounding controversy.

This bill is sought by the current administration in response to recent food safety issues. The tragic problem of tainted food – spinach, peanut butter, etc – is creating quite a convenient ‘solution’. Could it be just another thing to add to the list of the dialectical chess game currently being played by the Oligarchy and the powers-that-be, in order to further consolidate and empower a centralized control mechanism? Namely, and likely, the The Codex Alimentarius and its current offshoots. An interesting podcast about the Codex can be found over at Red Ice Creations with Scott Tips of the National Health Federation, which seeks to protect individual rights to use dietary supplements and alternative health therapies without government restriction. Dad 2059 has been talking about it for awhile now, and has some interesting links and discussion.

It reminds me of another recent issue of contaminated toys from China, which led to, of course, The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which now requires rigorous, and expensive, testing of all materials in children’s products. While some large American toy manufacturers are seeing their sales improve due to the new regulations, smaller crafters and second hand stores are going out of business by the dozen.

The Oligarchy is slowly but surely wiping out the little guys, all in the name of safety. Wonder how it got to be that way in the first place?

One wonders about Mrs. Obama’s position on HR 875, and whether she has discussed it with the hubby. Perhaps, as Cryptogon tentatively hopes, it’s her way of speaking out against HR 875. Maybe there are some interesting discussions going on in the White House living quarters at night.

Or, perhaps it’s just a ruse. One certainly wonders what she thinks about the monster likely behind the bill, Monsanto, their terminator seed technology and the suicides of thousands of farmers around the world.

“Organic” doesn’t necessarily mean not genetically modified. Therefore one naturally also wonders if the White House will be using heirloom non-GMO seeds, and if so, whether they plan on also saving the seeds they harvest themselves, which is the irreplaceable link in the chain to true sustainable living and survival. Teaching organic farming to 5^th graders without mentioning this is like leaving fractions out of math class.

And if the White House IS growing heirloom tomatoes and saving seeds, for example, I reiterate: how now, brown cow??

While the White House garden is a good thing to see, as it may encourage others to go out there and grow a few veggies themselves, it sure would be extra-refreshing to see someone there speak out on the issue of non-GMO seeds and the seemingly hypocritical bill which is well on its way to further controlling and restricting the choices and freedoms of our natural heritage.

When taxes are too high, people go hungry.

When the government is too intrusive, people lose their spirit.

Act for the people’s benefit.

Trust them; leave them alone.

Tao Te Ching # 75

Due to the current economic crisis, people are going back to gardening in droves these days. Elizabeth Hart at Reality Sandwich recently posted Grow Your Own, quoting Thomas Jefferson as saying, “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens…They are the [...]]]> This is the second of three articles.

Due to the current economic crisis, people are going back to gardening in droves these days. Elizabeth Hart at Reality Sandwich recently posted Grow Your Own, quoting Thomas Jefferson as saying, “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens…They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands.” She brings to our attention The Greenhorns, a new documentary about our next generation of young people who are returning to the land and a simpler life.

Our recent financial collapse has often been compared to the Great Depression, with one very important difference: many of our grandparents survived because they knew how to grow food; in today’s world, not only are there many more millions of people, but most wouldn’t know the first thing about farming. Here is a link to a list of some non-GMO seed stores. You don’t need much to get started – a few pots or a rooftop can create a viable garden even for urban dwellers.

Ironically, it’s becoming more and more difficult for smaller, local and organic farmers to survive, even as demand has skyrocketed. Originally published as an editorial in the New York Times last year, My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) by local farmer Jack Hedin tells quite a story. Here’s another article recently from OpEd News: Organic farming booby trapped. The author encapsulates the issue and provides several links below, which lead to various articles on the dismantling of sustainable farming and USDA attacks on non-corporate farmers. In a nutshell, many claim that the government has been working to get rid of organic farming altogether by various means, including forcing farmers to use Monsanto seeds and even raiding small farms and co-ops.

Another similar issue is the increasing vigilance of the USDA, the FDA and other organizations around the world to legislate away our access to natural remedies. I wrote a long while back about Laetrile and the controversy surrounding “Vitamin B17” and its anti-cancerous properties. Some theorize that cancer is a actually a deficiency disease much like scurvy or pellagra, which could be easily cured with “B17”. The substance is found occurring naturally in various foods, including apple seeds and the kernels found inside apricot pits. According to some doctors, it’s of beneficial use, but it’s not legal to prescribe Laetrile for cancer treatment in the U.S. You have to go to Mexico or some other country to find a doctor who will prescribe it.

Also at Reality Sandwich, Laura Jane posted Endocrine Disruptors, Big Pharma, and BHRT, which explains that bioidentical hormones, naturally occurring substances that can make all the difference in the world for some people with deficiencies, could soon be banned. You can’t patent a naturally occurring substance, don’t you know.

It seems as if the FDA is working hard to protect the pharmaceutical companies, rather than ensuring that the populace as access to healthy options. It is currently illegal in the U.S. to claim that any natural substance can cure cancer. Cancer is big business these days for drug manufacturers. Many herbal remedies and even vitamins may soon be more difficult to access, and even become illegal, as may happen also in Canada. Just recently, Natural News reported on the news that the FDA Declares Form of Vitamin B6 a Drug, Effectively Banning Pyridoxamine from Dietary Supplements, and explained, “Now, any nutritional supplements containing pyridoxamine will be considered adulterated and illegal by the FDA, which may raid vitamin companies and seize such products. See the history of FDA raids on vitamin companies here.” This is regardless of the fact that pyridoxamine occurs naturally in various foods.

This will all likely soon become a matter of international law, along with our financial structures and trade agreements. From the Atlantic Free Press: “The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), based in Rome, Italy, is an international organization jointly created in 1962 by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations “allegedly” to protect the health of consumers with guidelines for food standards…Codex treats food as toxins.” They are controversially involved in the re-categorizing of herbs and dietary supplements as drugs, making them controlled substances.

Interesting that is so, when man-made chemicals with many known dangerous health effects are allowed to remain in our foods, including aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, MSG/autolyzed yeast, and other food additives and preservatives. I found an abstract for an intriguing scientific paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health entitled Persistent toxic chemicals in the US Food Supply. Toxic chemicals can be found in your laundry detergent, skin care products, and meat. The list is long, and it’s becoming difficult to afford organic/non-GMO food for many people. Tricky. How to Afford Eating Organic suggests it could be done, if we cut corners elsewhere and make it a priority.

It’s almost too much to comprehend. Before you know it, you’ll have to buy a license to grow that basil out on your porch. It is such a vital step for our civilization to return to local sustainability in terms of food and energy production. I am not suggesting to give up our global communications or other technologies. Personally I think if we did it right, we could have both. But so far, the government is still protecting large corporate interests over the common man. The revolution should come in the form of local sustainability, not rioting in the streets, which is already in the news around the world, along with a growing number of tent cities in the U.S.

Working together as neighbors, we might be able to avoid a total system collapse and the inevitable martial law that would follow, though some believe this is what They’re aiming for anyway. I’ll believe in the “change” if I see the new administration do something about this travesty. During these times in particular, sustainability, community-based, non-corporate farming, and healthy alternatives should be supported.  

Part III: Our Contaminated World: The Pharmaceutical Darkside coming soon

This is the first of three articles.

Among the variety of issues one should be aware of in today’s crazy, mixed up world is the increased manipulation and contamination of our air, food and water supply, as well as the continued pushing of often unnecessary and potentially dangerous [...]]]>

This is the first of three articles.

Among the variety of issues one should be aware of in today’s crazy, mixed up world is the increased manipulation and contamination of our air, food and water supply, as well as the continued pushing of often unnecessary and potentially dangerous prescription drugs on an unwitting population. This subject matter is intense, and though it has grown into a series of articles, they remain only a brief overview.

Why this is being done is a question that could take an entire book to answer, and even then, perhaps not to everyone’s satisfaction. I touched on why in my own book, to a certain extent. Why, is a question for the powers-that-be; the Oligarchy, which continues to allow such things to happen, regardless of any ‘change’ in administration. (At least so far as we can tell, to date.) Whether it’s being done on purpose, can be left up for discussion. Corporate greed run amok? Maybe. Satanic plot? Who knows. Subjects like “mind control” and “eugenics” make many people uncomfortable, though there has been plenty of evidence for both through the years.

GMOs, genetically modified organisms, are very controversial when it comes to food. Many claim they are for the benefit and betterment of humankind, because crops can be engineered to be resistant to weed killers or with more nutrients, and help improve and increase the food supply. On the whole, these are valid points. However one must reconsider when it becomes known that one company, Monsanto, controls nearly all of this technology to the point of engineering seeds to produce sterile crops which force farmers to purchase more seeds each season. The repercussions run deep; one tragic consequence is the thousands of farmers around the world who are committing suicide after having been forced to use Monsanto’s ‘Terminator’ seeds and seeing their farms fail. Suicide seeds indeed.

Additionally, there hasn’t been enough research to know for sure whether GM food poses any long-term health risks to humans. Rushing to allow them in our food supply – good luck finding a bag of corn chips at the grocery store without them nowadays – is questionable. The FDA does not require manufacturers to label their packaging with GMO warnings – only if a product does NOT contain any, one might see a non-GMO label, but they’re hard to find and you usually pay quite a bit more for them.

Estimates are that up to 70% of our manufactured food products contain GMOs, while in many other places around the world, including Europe, Japan, China and Australia, labeling is mandatory, and their foods therefore contain far less, though the controversy remains. In the news lately, British scientists condemn using children in GM food trials as unacceptable. As well, the European Union recently ruled that the public has a right to know where GM crops are located.

The state of Hawaii sees more than its fair share of modified crops. Last year, Scientific American published an article entitled, Genetically Modified Hawaii. Here on the Big Island, there has been quite a debate about whether to allow genetically modified coffee and taro, two treasured heirloom crops.

So far the ban has held, and a major reason for that leads to another problem with GM crops, which is the inevitable cross-fertilization. Eventually this presents legal challenges to neighboring farmers. It sounds nuts, but these non-participating farmers are being prosecuted for unknowingly yet illegally ‘cultivating’ patented seeds. Further, the controversial issue of GMOs invading wild crops has now been verified in Mexico: ‘Alien’ genes escape into wild corn‘. If it turned out GMOs in our food were killing us slowly, it would already be too late to turn back in many places around the world.

I’m not even going into the dangers of the chemicals which farmers have to use on Monsanto crops. There is enough information out there about GMOs and their potential dangers and injustices to write a series of books. But meanwhile check out the documentary film The World According to Monsanto (trailer). For a good overview and review go here.

GM proponents like to claim that crops can be engineered to survive during global warming. However, the following article, “Organic Farming Beats Genetically Engineered Corn as Response to Rising Global Temperatures,” discusses a new study published by Science. So it could be we’re not hearing the whole truth in terms of whose agenda GM foods are really serving. It would be easy to imagine the kind of power that will be wielded if the world’s food supply were controlled by one company (Monsanto, by the way, is also rumored to be funding the massive effort to store the world’s seeds in deep underground warehouses, “safe from global calamities”. See African Seed Bank Deposits Arrive in Norway, particularly the comments below.)

Part II – Our Contaminated World: Making Nature Illegal coming soon

Ministers [...]]]> “When rich speculators prosper while farmer lose their land; when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible, while the poor have nowhere to turn – all this is robbery and chaos. It is not in keeping with the Tao.” -Tao Te Ching, #53

Ministers are trying to scrap an international agreement banning the world’s most controversial genetic modification of crops, grimly nicknamed “terminator technology”, a move which threatens to increase hunger in the Third World. The Government is to push for terminator crops to be considered for approval on a “case-by-case basis” at two meetings this month; its position closely mirrors the stance of the United States and other GM [genetically modified organisms]-promoting countries. Terminator technology…would stop hundreds of millions of poor farmers from saving seeds from their crops for resowing for the following harvest, forcing them to buy new ones from biotech companies every year. The technique is officially known as genetic use restriction technology (Gurt), making crops produce sterile seeds. It could be applied to any crop, including maize and rice, widely grown in developing countries. The UK working group on teminator technology…says: “It could destroy traditional farming methods, damage farmers’ livelihoods and threaten food security, particularly in developing countries.” [Former UK Minister of Environment Michael] Meacher said: “For the first time in the history of the world, farmers would be stopped from using their own seeds.”

Note: For more on this alarming development: http://www.WantToKnow.info/deception10pg