‘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.

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

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

Yellowstone tremors: some say there’s nothing to worry about. Others are accused of creating unnecessary panic, as this article explains. There hasn’t been a swarm of earthquakes such as these for over 20 years, [...]]]>

• Yellowstone tremors: some say there’s nothing to worry about. Others are accused of creating unnecessary panic, as this article explains. There hasn’t been a swarm of earthquakes such as these for over 20 years, but supervolcanoes do tend to do this now and then. It’s overdue for its eruption by 40,000 years, but hey, don’t worry, probably nothing will happen. Probably. The Cave noticed some earthquakes discrepancies from the USGS, here and here, and wonders if there is some censoring going on. Going down the rabbit hole a little I found Dark Secrets of Yellowstone Park Revealed – scary stuff. Hope it’s not true.

• Meanwhile Kilauea may indeed be slowing down as I wondered last time.

• Apocalypse 2012? “It’s been a long running feud, but science and ancient prophecy now appear to be in agreement about something. Yipes…”

• Can’t miss the timing on this one: Obama-Bush teams to stage ‘disaster’ exercise

• Chorus call for the New World Order. Foundation of New World Order is Uncertainty. Kissinger calls on Obama to create a New World Order. Global central bank could prevent future crisis. Swiss bank closes U.S. secret offshore accounts. Schafly: Global Agenda?

• First ever Masonic ball to be held in honor of Obama’s inauguration.

• Check out all these unexpected deaths of people involved with elections. Real Estate Executive Found Dead in Apparent Suicide.  Adolf Merckle and other superwealthy suicides the past month.

• Unconventional Weapons against The People of Gaza

• Digital TV mind control? The Sound of Silence: The Antithesis of Freedom

• Vietnam Vets Sue CIA for Secret Drug Experiments on GIs

• Finger scanning to be lunch card of the future. India considers mandatory RFID in cars. Chipless RFID updates.

• Now for some fun: video of shoveling show off a Mauna Kea observatory

Here on the Big Island a week or two ago some routine geothermal drilling led to an accidental magma find that wowed scientists. Then, last week someone here told me there had been some changes at Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater, and that the vog might get better. It has been [...]]]>

• Here on the Big Island a week or two ago some routine geothermal drilling led to an accidental magma find that wowed scientists. Then, last week someone here told me there had been some changes at Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater, and that the vog might get better. It has been clearer here the past few days, though it’s hard to tell from the reports. Pele always has been unpredictable.

• No More White Christmas say “climate experts”, but the day before, Canada reported Coast-to-coast White Christmas. In other climate news, scientists say the seas will rise faster than expected. You don’t have to tell the people in the Marshall Islands, whose urban centers are largely under water and in a state of emergency. Earlier this month huge tidal waves devastated PNG.

• Ironically but also, see new documentary on the world’s water: FLOW.

   

• Earthquakes at Yellowstone. Keep an eye on that supervolcano.

   

• Way of the Infinite Explorer at The Cleaver.

• This one’s been passed around quite a bit already, but anyway, from the Financial Times: And now for a world government

• Time Magazine published an article called: Alternative Currencies Grow in Popularity

  Jeromi Corsi reports some analysts believe possible dollar collapse would result in Amero.

• Article on Beethoven and the Illuminati: how the secret order influenced the great composer. Also, Edward VIII’s links to a mystic.

• “Mr. X” from Project Camelot died suddenly this month at age 48. Also, The Intriguing Death of Top GOP Consultant Mike Connell.

• Miles O’Brien leaves CNN after 16 years, in the middle of UFO week?

• More and more seed vaults.

• Swiss watch found in 400-year old tomb in China, scientists baffled. Also, is mainstream science beginning to change their tune? More scientists echo Schoch, others, in dating and original sculpture of the Sphinx.

• Georgia Guidestones vandalized!

• The World’s Largest Rock Sculptures? New discoveries in Peru could raise some historical questions.

• New movie explores transcendent warfare: The Men Who Stare at Goats for 2010

• Harry Shearer’s satire film on the Bohemian Grove, from 2002: Teddy Bears’ Picnic

• 2008 will be just a second longer, as scientists add a leap moment to our slowly slowing planet. Happy New Year everyone.

]]> http://surfingthetao.com/2008/12/27/notes-from-the-surf-xxx/feed/ 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ http://surfingthetao.com/2008/09/20/the-political-charade-act-ii-still-spinning/ http://surfingthetao.com/2008/09/20/the-political-charade-act-ii-still-spinning/#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:48:26 +0000 Angela http://surfingthetao.com/2008/09/20/the-political-charade-act-ii-still-spinning/

The master allows things to happen. She shapes events as they come. She steps out of the way and lets the Tao speak for itself. -Tao Te Ching # 45

“Non-Lethal” [...]]]>

• Cloud Seeding in L.A. evokes controversy

• Take a clue for our future with these articles: The weapons of World War III : It will ‘be fought in the electromagnetic spectrum’

  “Non-Lethal” Weapons: Where Science and Technology Service Repression

  ‘Invisible Wars’ of the Future: E-Bombs, Laser Guns and Acoustic Weapons

  US Electromagnetic Weapons and Human Rights

• Russian Navy boosts combat presence in Arctic: Cold war flashbacks? Oil reserves? Hollow earth gateway?

• Stephensville object reported headed for GW’s ranch

• UFO researcher on BBC: “There are alien bases on earth”

• From The Canadian: Extraterrestrials and the Hollow Earth Theory

• Neil Kramer has been busy and in tune as always at The Cleaver: Go Your Own Way: Gnosis And The Fractal Spiral and Transcend the Control System: You Are Not A Number

• In the news, the Dutch are preparing for an Apocalypse in 2012. Maybe they should learn Kung Fu.

• Earth’s Core, Magnetic Field Changing Fast, Study Says

• More Planet X rumors from mainstream science…or, a little more far-out, as the reason for chemtrails

• Hawaiian legends of Ghosts and Ghost-Gods at Sacred-Texts.com