This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains.
Watch Video:
Actual Answer Machine Message From Queensland Maroochydore High School
Take Back Your Education
by John Taylor Gatto
Nobody gives you an education. If you want one, you have to take it.
Only you can educate you -- and you can't do it by memorizing. You have to find out who you are by experience and by risk-taking, then pursue your own nature intensely. School routines are set up to discourage you from self-discovery. People who know who they are make trouble for schools.
To know yourself, you have to keep track of your random choices, figure out your patterns, and use this knowledge to dominate your own mind. It's the only way that free will can grow. If you avoid this, other minds will manipulate and control you lifelong.
One method people use to find out who they are becoming, before others do, is to keep a journal, where they log what attracts their attention, along with some commentary. In this way, you get to listen to yourself instead of listening only to others.
Another path to self-discovery that seems to have atrophied through schooling lies in finding a mentor. People aren't the only mentors. Books can serve as mentors if you learn to read intensely, with every sense alert to nuances. Books can change your life, as mentors do.
I experienced precious little of such thinking in 30 years of teaching in the public junior high schools of Manhattan's ultra-progressive Upper West Side. I was by turns amused, disgusted, and disbelieving when confronted with the curriculum -- endless drills of fractions and decimals, reading assignments of science fiction, Jack London, and one or two Shakespeare plays for which the language had been simplified. The strategy was to kill time and stave off the worst kinds of boredom that can lead to trouble--the trouble that comes from being made aware that you are trapped in irrelevancy and powerless to escape. Institutionalized schooling, I gradually realized, is about obedience in exchange for favors and advantages: Sit where I tell you, speak when I allow it, memorize what I've told you to memorize. Do these things, and I'll take care to put you above your classmates.
Wouldn't you think everyone could figure out that school "achievement tests" measure no achievement that common sense would recognize? The surrender required of students meets the primary duty of bureaucratic establishment: to protect established order.
It wasn't always this way. Classical schooling -- the kind I was lucky enough to have growing up -- teaches independent thought, appreciation for great works, and an experience of the world not found within the confines of a classroom. It was an education that is missing in public schools today but still exists in many private schools -- and can for you and your children, too, if you take time to learn how to learn.
On the Wrong Side of the Tracks
In the fall of 2009, a documentary film will be released by a resident of my hometown of Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Laura Magone's film, "One Extraordinary Street," centers on a two-mile-long road that parallels polluted Pigeon Creek. Park Avenue, as it's called, is on the wrong side of the tracks in this little-known coal-mining burg of 4,500 souls.
So far Park Avenue has produced an Army chief of staff, the founder of the Disney Channel, the inventor of the Nerf football, the only professional baseball player to ever strike out all 27 enemy batsmen in a nine-inning game, a winner of the National Book Award, a respected cardiologist, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, and the writer whose words you're reading.
Did the education Monongahela offered make all these miracles possible? I don't know. It was an education filled with hands-on experience, including cooking the school meals, serving them individually (not cafeteria-style) on tablecloths, and cleaning up afterward. Students handled the daily maintenance, including basic repairs. If you weren't earning money and adding value to the town by the age of seven, you were considered a jerk. I swept out a printing office daily, sold newspapers, shoveled snow, cut grass, and sold lemonade.
Classical schooling isn't psychologically driven. The ancient Greeks discovered thousands of years ago that rules and ironclad procedures, when taken too seriously, burn out imagination, stifle courage, and wipe the leadership clean of resourcefulness. Greek education was much more like play, with studies undertaken for their own sake, to satisfy curiosity. It assumed that sane children want to grow up and recognized that childhood ends much earlier than modern society typically allows.
We read Caesar's Gallic Wars -- in translation between fifth and seventh grades and, for those who wanted, in Latin in ninth and tenth grades. Caesar was offered to us not as some historical relic but as a workshop in dividing and conquering superior enemies. We read The Odyssey as an aid to thinking about the role of family in a good life, as the beating heart of meaning.
Monongahela's education integrated students, from first grade on, into the intimate life and culture of the town. Its classrooms were free of the familiar tools of official pedagogy--dumbed-down textbooks, massively irrelevant standardized tests, insanely slowed-down sequences. It was an education rich in relationships, tradition, and respect for the best that's been written. It was a growing-up that demanded real achievement.
The admissions director at Harvard College told The New York Times a few years ago that Harvard admits only students with a record of distinctive accomplishment. I instantly thought of the Orwellian newspeak at my own Manhattan school where achievement tests were the order of the day. What achievement? Like the noisy royalty who intimidated Alice until her head cleared and she realized they were only a pack of cards, school achievement is just a pack of words.
A Deliberate Saboteur
As a schoolteacher, I was determined to act as a deliberate saboteur, and so for 30 years I woke up committed to making the system hurt in some small way and to changing the destiny of children in my orbit in a large way.
Without the eclectic grounding in classical training that I had partially absorbed, neither goal would have been possible. I set out to use the classical emphasis on qualities and specific powers. I collected from every kid a list of three powers they felt they already possessed and three weaknesses they might like to remedy in the course of the school year.
I pledged to them that I'd do my level best inside the limitations the institution imposed to make time, advice, and support available toward everyone's private goals. There would be group lessons as worthwhile as I could come up with, but my priorities were the opportunities outside the room, outside the school, even outside the city, to strengthen a power or work on a weakness.
I let a 13-year-old boy who dreamed of being a comic-book writer spend a week in the public library -- with the assistance of the librarian -- to learn the tricks of graphic storytelling. I sent a shy 13-year-old girl in the company of a loudmouth classmate to the state capitol -- she to speak to her local legislator, he to teach her how to be fearless. Today, that shy girl is a trial attorney.
If you understand where a kid wants to go -- the kid has to understand that first -- it isn't hard to devise exercises, complete with academics, that can take them there.
But school often acts as an obstacle to success. To go from the confinement of early childhood to the confinement of the classroom to the confinement of homework, working to amass a record entitling you to a "good" college, where the radical reduction of your spirit will continue, isn't likely to build character or prepare you for a good life.
I quit teaching in 1991 and set out to discover where this destructive institution had come from, why it had taken the shape it had, how it managed to beat back its many critics for a century while growing bigger and more intrusive, and what we might do about it.
School does exactly what it was created to do: It solves, or at least mitigates, the problem of a restless, ambitious labor pool, so deadly for capitalist economies; and it confronts democracy's other deadly problem -- that ordinary people might one day learn to un-divide themselves, band together in the common interest, and take control of the institutions that shape their lives.
The present system of institutionalized schooling is a product of two or three centuries of economic and political thinking that spread primarily from a militaristic state in the disunited Germanies known as Prussia. That philosophy destroyed classical training for the common people, reserving it for those who were expected to become leaders. Education, in the words of famous economists (such as William Playfair), captains of industry (Andrew Carnegie), and even a man who would be president (Woodrow Wilson), was a means of keeping the middle and lower classes in line and of keeping the engines of capitalism running.
In a 1909 address to New York City teachers, Wilson, then president of Princeton University, said, "We want one class of persons to have a liberal education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class of necessity to forgo the privilege of a liberal education."
My job isn't to indict Woodrow or anyone else, only to show you how inevitable the schools you hate must be in the economy and social order we're stuck with. Liberal education served the ancient Greeks well until they got too rich to allow it, just as it served America the same way until we got too rich to allow it.
What Can You Do About All This? A lot.
You can make the system an offer it can't refuse by doing small things, individually.
You can publicly oppose -- in writing, in speech, in actions -- anything that will perpetuate the institution as it is. The accumulated weight of your resistance and disapproval, together with that of thousands more, will erode the energy of any bureaucracy.
You can calmly refuse to take standardized tests. Follow the lead of Melville's moral genius in Bartleby, the Scrivener, and ask everyone, politely, to write: "I prefer not to take this test" on the face of the test packet.
You can, of course, homeschool or unschool. You can inform your kids that bad grades won't hurt them at all in life, if they actually learn to master valuable skills and put them on offer to the world at large. And you can begin to free yourself from the conditioned fear that not being accepted at a "good" college will preclude you from a comfortable life. If the lack of a college degree didn't stop Steve Jobs (Apple), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Michael Dell (Dell Computer), Larry Ellison (Oracle), Ingvar Kamprad (IKEA), Warren Avis (Avis Rent-a-Car), Ted Turner (CNN), and so many others, then it shouldn't be too hard for you to see that you've been bam boozled, flummoxed, played for a sap by the propaganda mills of schooling. Get rid of your assumptions.
If you are interested in education, I've tried to show you a little about how that's done, and I have faith you can learn the rest on your own. Schooling operates out of an assumption that ordinary people are biologically or psychologically or politically inferior; education assumes that individuals are sovereign spirits. Societies that don't know that need to be changed or broken.
Once you take responsibility for your own education, you'll join a growing army of men and women all across America who are waking up to the mismatch schools inflict on the young -- a mismatch between what common sense tells you they'll need to know, and what is actually taught. You'll have the exquisite luxury of being able to adapt to conditions, to opportunities, to the particular spirits of your kids. With you as educational czar or czarina, feedback becomes your friend and guide.
I've traveled 3 million miles to every corner of this country and 12 others, and believe me, people everywhere are gradually waking up and striking out in new directions. Don't wait for the government to say it's OK, just come on in -- the water's fine.
* * * * *
John Taylor Gatto wrote this article for Learn as You Go, the Fall 2009 issue of YES! Magazine. Gatto was a New York State Teacher of the Year. An advocate for school reform, Gatto's books include Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling and Weapons of Mass Instruction.
http://mb-soft.com/
Image Copyrights: http://www.steele-dawson.k12.nd.us/; http://www.psychologytoday.com/; http://www.masternewmedia.org/; http://www.instablogsimages.com/
Global Village School is an accredited school based in southern California and founded in 1999. It is a distance learning program, which means that students study at home (or, in special cases, at learning centers). Students are in regular contact with their teachers. They send their work via regular mail or e-mail, and can also contact their teachers by phone or meet in person if they live nearby.
Staff, Faculty, and Advisors
|
Background, left to right: Michelle Muntz, Michelle Blumberg, Peggie Williamson, Meg Easling, Gretchen Buck, Tanya MacGumerait. Foreground, left to right: Sally Carless, Angel, Wendelin Wagner, Mary Blackmon.
|
We are a diverse group - educators, business professionals, spiritual leaders, writers, lawyers, and scientists - women and men of various cultures, religions, ages, and sexual orientations. Our teachers and administrators have worked in many educational settings including public and private schools, distance learning, Web-based instruction, American Indian education programs, Waldorf, Montessori, outdoor education, college teaching and counseling, special needs, at-risk youth, cultural and arts education, academic decathlons, and adult education programs.
How does the Global Village K-8 homeschooling program work?
Our standard school year runs from September to June. However, students can enroll at any time of the year and can continue working through the summer if they wish. When you enroll in Global Village School you become part of a legal private school. We will maintain all student records, along with providing written semester evaluations, a yearly transcript, and a diploma upon high school graduation.
Each K-8 student is assigned one Global Village teacher. Our teachers are knowledgeable, compassionate, supportive, and committed to the vision of the school. You can contact our teachers by phone, fax, and e-mail, or schedule in-person appointments if you live in the local area. Along with regularly scheduled appointments, teachers are happy to answer questions when they arise. Students are free to work at their own pace and to collaborate with their teachers in customizing the curriculum to match their unique interests and needs.
Each family will work with an enrollment advisor to design the most appropriate program for the year. The advisor will be available throughout the year to answer questions and provide support.
K-8 Program: Curriculum
Whole Child, Healthy Planet Curriculum Guides:
We are delighted to be able to offer curriculum guides that are fully aligned with our values and philosophy. With a learning styles-centered approach, and concentration in diversity and developmental stages, our elementary program focuses on engaging the whole child. The curriculum combines a student-centered approach (creative, flexible, holistic, and experiential, with a learning styles focus) with an emphasis on peace, justice, diversity, and sustainability.
The curriculum guides are centered on the four core principles of the Earth Charter:
(1) Respect and Care for the Community of Life
(2) Ecological Integrity
(3) Social and Economic Justice
(4) Democracy, Nonviolence, Peace and Diversity
Our K-8 curriculum guides cover all of the core academic subjects in a way that engages students through a sense of enchantment, awe, and wonder as well as through incorporation of art, music, nature, imagination, and story.
"Living Books"
While most standard curriculum is shaped by a textbook and a workbook, the Global Village Whole Child, Healthy Planet Curriculum guides are built around the inspiration found in many types of literature. Sometimes we do suggest a text or a workbook, but more often we look for books that will foster the same learning in a more creative, beautiful and fulfilling way. In many ways our choice of books resembles the idea of "living books" that early home educator Charlotte Mason proposes. Some of the qualities of living books are:
(1) Literature created by a person with an obvious special interest in his/her subject.
(2) A personal, human, emotional quality to what is presented.
(3) Books that are inspiring and attractive to the student's spirit as well as intellect.
(4) Books that promote a sense of wonder and appreciation.
A few of the authors whose work is featured or recommended in our K8 curriculum include Craig and Marc Kielburger, Alice Walker, Howard Zinn, Sherman Alexie, Julia Butterfly Hill, Deborah Ellis, Barbara Lewis, Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl, Rudyard Kipling, Scott O'Dell, Shel Silverstein, and Madeleine L'Engle.
A sampling of the books in our new K8 curriculum includes Three Cups of Tea (children's version), Kids' Guide to Service Projects, Everyday Life in the Ancient World, Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak, and A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky, as well as novels, nature journals, and more.
Early reviews of the new curriculum guides:
Global Village is truly a school with heart. After looking over the curriculum I realized how gentle the learning style is, and how easy it would be to learn almost anything if the material is presented in a way that touches the core self. I don't think I remember anything from my schooling experience that didn't touch me in some way. But most of my learning was rote and was forgotten almost immediately after test taking time. I also think that the love of learning is learned. Certainly Global Village teaches that love of learning. It is not fear based, but based in a true curiosity about the world. How can a child truly learn when his or her focus is the fear around test taking and memorization? If the strongest emotion around schooling is fear, then that fear gets connected to the learning process. Global Village School promotes the love of learning, not the fear of failing to learn. Wow! What a concept! Isn't this what we want for our children? I can't wait until my own grandchildren are old enough to participate in this program. Nancy Hart, M.A., MFCC
We received our "Whole Child, Healthy Planet" curriculum guide last week. We are so excited that we found Global Village School. I feel as though the curriculum was written for our family. I truly never thought I'd find a curriculum... that "fit" us, but now we have! Thank you for helping us navigate an even more meaningful path of homeschooling with our kids. The resource list in "Whole Child, Healthy Planet" allows me to spend a little less time hunting for the right materials and more time enjoying learning with my kids! What a gift. - Beth Campbell-Rafdal.
Curriculum Guide Contents:
Each grade level contains core resources plus many extras - most likely much more than you will be able to get through in a year. Each curriculum guide includes:
1) A detailed list of books and resources for the year, along with information on where to get them;
2) A study guide with planning templates, and sample activities;
3) General information on the Global Village Whole Child Healthy Planet Method, including articles and coaching tips for parents about homeschooling in general, making the most of the program materials, assessment, etc.; and
4) Many useful and fun extras including a supplemental reading list.
Grades 5-8 are approximately 100 pages in length; Grades K-3 are 70-80 pages. Grades 5-8 have monthly recommendations on how to schedule the various materials and activities into 9 month-long units. Since there are so many different ways the resources for the younger grades can be utilized, Grades K-3 include more free-form general recommendations.
Our aim is to empower parents and children to make the learning process their own. While we provide a full list of resources for the year, suggestions on how to organize your year, and sample activities, we do not tell you exactly what to do all the time, nor do we provide numerous questions to go with each book or resource. We do not believe that such detail is necessary, nor is it appropriate to expect that all students should engage with the material in the same way. We have found that most families - even those brand new to homeschooling - do just fine with a less restrictive format and the kind of coaching we provide (and most kids do not miss the endless study questions!).
Homeschooling allows you the opportunity to keep the learning process alive; we encourage you to make the most of it!
http://www.ecohearth.com/
This Common Food Causes Devastating Offspring Defects in New Research Study
Watch Video:
What Can We Do About Genetically Modified Food?
In this interview, Jeffrey Smith, author of the bestseller Seeds of Deception, and Genetic Roulette, discusses the latest GMO research findings coming out of Russia, which adds fuel to previous concerns about long-term sterility and other highly bizarre physiological side effects.
I strongly believe that one of the most obvious clues about the danger of GMO foods are that just about EVERY species of animal that is offered a GMO food versus a non-GMO food will avoid the GMO one. Many times they will do this to the point of starvation, as they have an intuitive sense of the danger of this food.
Please listen to the interview as Jeffery expands on this point in great detail. It's one you can use to effectively share with your friends and family who are not yet convinced of the dangers of GMO foods.
If you have more time with them you can bring up the sterility argument that is expanded upon with these new research findings. You might have read this before that genetically modified foods may cause sterility in future generations but now the latest research from Russia provides shocking confirmation of this potential.
This study, which was conducted by the Russian equivalent of the US National Association for Gene Security, has not yet been published, but its findings were recently announced. It's anticipated that the details will be published later this summer.
Russian Scientists Find Third Generation of Hamsters Sterilized by GM Soy
The release of this new information provides yet another health risk, and confirmation on earlier problems related to fertility, birth weight of offspring, and infant mortality.
In this feeding study they used hamsters, an animal which has not been previously featured in GM safety studies.
One group of hamsters was fed a normal diet without any soy whatsoever, a second group was fed non-GMO soy, a third ate GM soy, and a fourth group ate an even higher amount of GM soy than the third.
Using the same genetically modified (GM) soy that is produced on over 90 percent of the soy acreage in the US, the hamsters and their offspring were fed their respective diets over a period of two years, during which time the researchers evaluated three generations of hamsters.
First they took five pairs of hamsters from each group, each of which produced about seven to eight litters each, totaling about 140 animals.
At first all went well, but serious problems became apparent when they selected new pairs from the offspring.
The first problem was that this second generation had a slower growth rate and reached their sexual maturity later than normal.
However, this second generation eventually generated another 39 litters:
- The no-soy control group had 52 pups
- The non-GM soy had 78
- The GM soy had only 40, of which 25 percent died
So these second-generation GM soy-fed hamsters had a five-fold higher infant mortality rate, compared tothe 5 percent normal death rate that was happening in the controls.
Nearly All of the Third-Generation GMO Babies Were Sterile!
But then an even bigger problem became apparent, because nearly all of the third generation hamsters lost the ability to have babies altogether.
Only a single third-generation female hamster gave birth to 16 pups, and of those, one fifth died.
In short, nearly the entire third generation of GM soy eaters were sterile!
But it doesn't end there.
In the GM soy-fed groups they also found an unusually high prevalence of an otherwise extremely rare phenomenon - hair growing inside the animals' mouths.
Says Smith:
"... it's a very rare phenomenon but he [study author, Dr. Surov] had never in his life seen more hair in mouths of hamsters than with these GM soy-fed, third generation hamsters."
As you may know, genetically modified crops weren't released until 1996, starting with GM soy, corn and cotton. Modified canola came about a year later.
Please remember humans have MUCH longer life spans than rats and that GMO foods were only introduced in 1996. This is LESS than one generation.
So we're still nowhere near seeing the full effects of these potential ramifications in humans, as we're only about 15 years into it. But if the effects are anything like the effects on numerous types of animals, we could be looking at sterility on a grand scale as our great-grandchildren grow up and begin to try to procreate...
The fact that the US is completely unwilling to implement the precautionary principle with regards to GM foods is incomprehensible in light of the findings we already have from animal studies.
Additionally, some 800 genetically engineered food applications have been submitted to the USDA, but not one single environmental impact statement has been prepared. So not only are human health ramifications ignored, but the entire eco system is being jeopardized.
Rampant Conflicts of Interest Put You and Your Family at Great Risk
Unfortunately, it's clear that the US government is not in a position to make reasonable and responsible decisions related to GMOs at this point, when you consider the fact that the Obama administration has placed former Monsanto attorney and Vice President, Michael Taylor, in charge of US food safety, and serious conflicts of interest even reign supreme within the US Supreme Court!
That's right. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is also a former Monsanto attorney, but refuses to acknowledge any conflict of interest as he's hearing Monsanto's third appeal for deregulation of genetically modified alfalfa seeds.
After corn, soy and wheat, alfalfa is the most widely grown crop in the US, so allowing GM alfalfa to be deregulated could spell disaster in several ways. It's easily cross-pollinated by bees and wind, and it's a perennial, meaning GM alfalfa could live on for years, spreading their genetically modified traits far and wide for a long period of time.
It remains to be seen how Justice Thomas rules in this case...
But in addition to conflicts of interest, we're also dealing with government agencies that refuse to acknowledge the science produced by their own scientists.
Closely tied to the production of GM crops is the use of the herbicide Roundup, which contains glyphosate. Monsanto's Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in the world, and contrary to the popular belief propagated by industry, pesticide use has significantly increased - DOUBLED since 2005 -- rather than decreased with the use of GM crops.
As it turns out, this is a serious problem for more reasons than one. Not only are GM food crops saturated with more pesticides than ever before, which naturally ends up in your body when you eat them, but glyphosate may also be killing the soil itself.
This startling conclusion comes straight from one of the USDA's own scientists, Dr. Kremer. However, his employer has opted to more or less ignore his findings, which, according to this article in Grist, include evidence that glyphosate causes:
- damage to beneficial microbes in the soil increasing the likelihood of infection of a crop by soil pathogens
- interference with nutrient uptake by the plant
- reduced efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation
- overall lower-than-expected plant productivity
More Evidence of Reproductive Problems from Eating GM Foods
But let's get back to the infertility caused in animals.
The evidence of third-generation sterility in hamsters is just one link in a chain of studies that show evidence of this tragic side effect.
For example, back in 2005, Dr. Irina Ermakova, one of the senior scientists with the Russian National Academy of Sciences, reported that more than 50 percent of the babies from mother rats that were fed GM soy died within three weeks, compared to a 10 percent death rate among the controls.
Again, that's a death rate five times higher than normal - identical to the findings in the hamster study above.
Similarly, the rats were also growing more slowly, just like the hamsters, and their offspring also had lower birth weights. And again, when the rats' offspring tried to reproduce, they too were found to be mostly sterile, but it happened sooner, with infertility striking the second generation of rats, as opposed to the third generation of hamsters.
Ermakova wanted to perform further studies to analyze the organs she'd collected from the study, but she never got the chance. Says Smith:
"She told me as we were sitting at the EU Parliament after giving a presentation there, that her boss had been pressured by his boss.
So, she was told to do no more GM food study on animals, her documents were burned on her desk, samples were stolen from her laboratory, and one of her colleagues tried to comfort her by saying,
"Well maybe the GM soy will solve the overpopulation problem on earth." She wasn't impressed."
Neither am I.
|
"(a) The external appearance of the oral cavity. Gingival pouches (GP) with thick bundles of hair growing from their mucous lining are clearly seen. (b) Perforated bone tissue of the teeth of an adult Ph. campbelli. Numerous hollows are seen. A, hair."
|
However, she inadvertently stumbled upon further proof that GM soy wreaks havoc with reproductive health. She discovered that the rat chow being fed to all rats in the facility had been switched, so that all of it contained GM soy... Two months later she asked her colleagues whether or not they'd discovered any surprising changes in the infant mortality of their various studies, and yes indeed, they had!
Inexplicably, infant mortality in the animal studies performed at the National Academy of Scientific Laboratory in Moscow had skyrocketed to over 55 percent, sometimes higher.
There's more evidence of reproductive health being harmed in various ways. Smith explains:
"[Ermakova] gave me a slide of a completely new study in which she fed male rats genetically modified soy, and it's absolutely stunning.
On the left side of the slide is a pink testicle. On the right side of the slide, is a blue testicle.
She said that when the GM soy was fed to the male rats, it changed the color of their testicles from pink to blue, and you could see the cells on another slide, left to right, the structure of the cells in the testicle was different; a completely different blood flow.
And this reminded me of what they had studied in Italy, where they fed mice genetically modified soy and they also had changes in their testicles, including damage to the young sperm cells.
Now, if you're damaging the young sperm cells, it could result in one of two things. They can result in infertility, or problems with the offspring.
Well, it appears that they may have had both.
In fact, with the mice, they looked at the offspring and they took the embryos out of the pregnant mothers and looked at how the DNA was functioning. And they compared the DNA of those who were born to GM soy-fed parents versus those who were fed non-GM soy and the DNA functioned differently.
So we're seeing a fundamental change in the offspring of mice that were fed genetically modified soy, whose parents were also fed genetically modified soy."
Other feeding studies using GM corn have also produced similar results. For example, mice fed GM corn had increasingly fewer and smaller babies the longer they stayed on the GM diet.
There are also plenty of reports about pigs, cows and other livestock having reproductive problems when fed genetically modified feed.
It's Time to Save Yourself and Your Famiy Because White Knights Don't Exist in Government
It's important to realize that the key to ending the ongoing atrocity of GM foods lies not with government, but with you and me.
Consumers are going to have to drive GM foods out, and we CAN do it.
Through educating yourself, your family, friends and community about GMOs, and most importantly of all, through the food purchases you make, you can stop this unregulated science experiment.
Once we reach the tipping point, which is probably as little as five percent of the US population, the market WILL respond. They can't afford not to!
Once enough people refuse to buy GM food products, it won't be long before food manufacturers start switching their ingredients.
How to Sniff Out GMOs and Vote with Your Pocketbook
You CAN avoid GMOs, if you know what to look for.
First of all, remember there are eight genetically modified food crops:
- Soy
- Corn
- Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
- Canola (canola oil)
- Sugar from sugar beets
- Hawaiian papaya
- Some varieties of zucchini
- Crookneck squash
Based on this list, anything containing soy or soy derivatives should be avoided, as well as anything containing corn, the most obvious ingredient being high fructose corn syrup.
The easiest way to avoid ending up with GM foods in your shopping cart is to do some pre-planning using the free non-GMO shopping guide, available at www.NonGMOshoppingGuide.com.
TheInstitute for Responsible Technology has also created a free iPhone application that is available in the iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications.
The shopping guide lists the various derivatives of each crop to be avoided, and even better, it lists hundreds of brand products in 22 food categories that are non-GMO, so if you're still buying processed foods, at least you can easily select a brand that does not use genetically modified ingredients.
Tipping Point... If Europe Did it, the US Can Too!
Getting into a shopping habit of continually avoiding GM food products will create pressure on the marketplace, without which there is little hope. So take this one step! Download the shopping guide, and make note of which brands to buy and which ones to avoid like the plague that they are.
Europe managed to reach their tipping point in April of 1999, ELEVEN YEARS AGO(!), within a single week of negative media which swayed the shopping habits of consumers enough for food companies to commit to stop using GM ingredients.
The idea that consumers have tremendous power is not wishful thinking. It's an absolute fact.
Monsanto could probably be effectively bankrupted by the end of this year, if enough consumers were to take individual, proactive steps to avoid purchasing anything even remotely related to their business.
Another point that validates the effectiveness of this consumer-driven strategy is the progress we're now seeing with high fructose corn syrup. Within the last few weeks, several major corporations have declared they're taking HFCS out of their products due to consumer demand.
More Educational Material
You can find loads of additional information about GMOs on the site www.ResponsibleTechnology.org.
There you can also order additional guides to hand out to friends, health care practitioners, and decision makers within your community, along with free online videos, pod casts, and articles that you can repost and republish.
Last but not least, I want to put out a call for a very special donation.
The iPhone application was created by someone who generously donated their time to make it, and if you or someone you know is a competent Android developer who is willing to assist in this cause, please contact info@ResponsibleTechnology.org.
You can also make financial donations on their website to help accelerate the tipping point against GMOs
http://articles.mercola.com/
Image Copyrights: http://www.herbalextractok.com/
Watch Video:
Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods
Monsanto Study On GMO: Don't Testify Again
Part 2: Genetically Engineered Corn
Monsanto's study of of three genetically modified corn varieties (GMO)s revealed the toxicity of their product. "For the first time in the world, we've proven that GMO are neither sufficiently healthy nor proper to be commercialized...
Each time, for all three GMOs, the kidneys and liver, which are the main organs that react to a chemical food poisoning, had problems," said Gilles-Eric Seralini, an expert member of the Commission for Biotechnology Reevaluation.
Most foods we eat may contain ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs)-everything from baby formula and food to our dairy to even our meat. If you live in Europe, avoiding GM foods is easier since laws require labeling.
However in the US and Canada food manufacturers are not required to label if their food is genetically modified or not. At the same time, more than 40 countries have either banned GE food outright or have laws requiring the labeling of it--giving citizens in those countries the freedom to choose not to eat it.
An estimated 70-75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves in US -from soda to soup, corn chips to veggie burgers, pizza, and even baby food and infant formula-contain GE ingredients.
Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (91%), cotton (88%), canola (88%), corn (85%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (small amount), and tobacco (Quest brand).
About half of the sugar beets grown for sugar in 2009 were GM. Today almost 90 percent of soy crops and 80 percent of corn crops in the United States sprout from genetically engineered seeds. And,
Foods that may contain GM soy or corn derivatives or GM vegetable oil include: infant formula, salad dressing, bread, cereal, hamburgers and hotdogs, margarine, mayonnaise, crackers, cookies, chocolate, candy.
Fried food, chips, veggie burgers, meat substitutes, ice cream, frozen yogurt, tofu, tamari, soy sauce, soy cheese, tomato sauce, protein powder, baking powder, alcohol, vanilla, powdered sugar, peanut butter, enriched flour and pasta - all of these are GMOs
Non-food items include cosmetics, soaps, detergents, shampoo, and bubble bath.
GE food has never been proven safe for human consumption; scientists have no idea what it will do to people who eat it. There are a number of dangers that broadly fall into the categories of potential toxins, allergens, carcinogens, new diseases, antibiotic resistant diseases, and nutritional problems.
Nearly every independent animal feeding study on GE food shows adverse or unexplained effects, such as problems with their growth and organ development, damaged immune systems and damaged organs, bleeding stomachs, and increased death rates.
If you have the land, time, and resources, grow your own food. As long as you make sure you're not buying GM seeds, you'll know that the food which comes from your garden is not genetically modified.
Another alternative is to buy food labeled organic and recognize fruit and vegetable label numbers. If it is a 4-digit number, the food is conventionally produced. If it is a 5-digit number beginning with an 8, it is GM. If it is a 5-digit number beginning with a 9, it is organic
Favor foods that you can cook and prepare yourself, rather than foods that are processed or prepared . What you lose in convenience, you may recover in money saved and satisfaction gained, as well as increased peace of mind.
Image Copyrights: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/
Why Do You Need Resistance Training To Increase Fat Loss?
Resistance training is important because of its role in building and maintaining muscle. Obviously muscle is important for the same reasons it is for women as it is for men.
We need strong, thick muscles to do everything from getting out of chair, to climbing a flight of stairs, to preventing falls, as well as to jog around the block.
Most importantly for anyone looking to lose weight, more muscle means more calories burned when you're at rest. Every pound of muscle put on, the body burns an additional 25 to 50 calories per day.
With muscle, you truly will lose it if you don't use it. Once your muscle is lost, do you weigh less? No. The five pounds of muscle we lose is typically replaced with five pounds of fat.
This fat makes us bigger all around because a pound of fat takes up 18 percent more room on our frame than a pound of muscle.
If aging progresses unchecked, we lose 10 percent of our muscle mass between the ages of 25 and 50, and 45 percent more between ages 50 and 80. And, to stave off muscle decline, you must do strength training exercise. There are also many other benefits to resistance training as part of your exercise regimen.
Not only does it make you look great but it keeps your bones strong, lowers your blood pressure, and may reduce the risk of stroke.
In addition, it burns more calories during activities of daily living than fat.
Maintaining and building muscle is good for your metabolism, makes you strong, prevents falling, prevents injury, and lifts your mood.
Resistance training has other benefits as well. It is an important part of weight management as we age.
It is associated with increased energy requirements for rest, which means that you simply use more energy just to live if you have more muscle.
How many more calories? Research in the Netherlands documented a nine percent greater calorie burn with resistance training.
Even without diet changes, this will translate into lost pounds. A big bonus of strength training is also more effective insulin sensitivity for people with diabetes.
The more muscle you have, the better your body responds to the insulin you take or make by lowering your blood sugar.
A true weekly weight program can decrease insulin levels by 25 percent after a high- carbohydrate meal.
So where do you start?
My personal trainer recommends a 5- to 15-minute warm-up of any kind of cardiovascular activity, to get the muscles prepared and increase the body's core temperature.
After that, he recommends two to three sets of series of exercises, doing 10 to 20 reps on each exercise. And he said, generally, women should do resistance training two times a week, depending on their specific goals.
He said to focus on the larger muscle groups like the chest, the back and the legs, which have the most potential for muscle growth. The more muscle you can build, the more calories you will burn when you're at rest.
Want to know more about resistance training? Then, post your question below.
Yours truly for great health, mind and body,
Michelle, natural health advocate.
Slimmer Babies If Moms Exercise Pregnant
Watch: Pregnancy Exercise - Warm Up
Babies born to mothers who have done light exercise pregnant are at a lower risk of gaining weight in the long run, a new study finds.
Previous studies had pointed out the influence of the womb environment on the future metabolism of an unborn, stressing that infants that are relatively heavier for their length are more vulnerable to becoming obese later on in life.
But a recent study found that there's a relatively easy way for expectant mothers to keep their baby's weight in check: daily, moderate exercise.
Experts aren't exactly sure why it works, but there appears to be a link. Eighty-four women pregnant for the first time were assigned to one of two groups.
One group exercised on an exercise bike for 40 minutes up to five times a week, the other group served as the control. The women exercised up until their 36th week of pregnancy.
When the women delivered, researchers discovered that the babies of the women who exercised were lighter (an average of 143 grams) and had a lower BMI (body mass index) than babies of the moms who didn't workout regularly. And,
While there were no differences in the women's body mass index (a measure of weight in relation to height used to gauge whether someone is overweight or obese) or weight, the women who exercised were fitter than those who didn't.
"Our findings show that regular aerobic exercises alter the maternal environment in some way that has an impact on nutrient stimulation of fetal growth, resulting in a reduction in offspring birth weight," study co-author Dr. Paul Hofman said in a news release, reports HealthDay.
"Given that large birth size is associated with an increased risk of obesity, a modest reduction in birth weight may have long-term health benefits for offspring by lowering this risk in later life."
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. It also states that the babies were not shorter in length and there was no evidence that they lacked nutrition.
The release said that there had been fears that exercise pregnant could change insulin resistance in women and restrict the baby's nutrition.
But the study showed that pregnant women do not go through the same changes as those who are not.
"This may be an important finding for athletes who want to continue regular training during their pregnancy, as it suggests that training will not have a major adverse impact on insulin resistance," Hofman said.
Cardiovascular activities that are low-impact or non-weight bearing (swimming, walking, cycling) have the best potential to be carried on throughout your entire pregnancy.
Water aerobics or swimming not only minimize joint stress but can reduce fluid retention.
Other forms of regular aerobic exercise might include aerobics classes (particularly low impact), stair stepping, jogging, hiking, elliptical trainers and cross-country skiing.
Researchers, therefore, urged physicians to encourage women not to overeat during pregnancy and to exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes on a regular basis.
Maintaining a regular workout during pregnancy -- if approved by your doctor -- is a great way to stay in good physical shape for labor.
Want to know more about exercise pregnant? Then, post your question below.
Yours truly for great health, mind and body,
Michelle, natural health advocate.
Lunar & Solar Rhythms in Biodynamic Agriculture
The Planting Calendar Rhythms
Introduction:
The Planting Calendar is about RHYTHMS - Cosmic solar & lunar/moon rhythms and Earth rhythms. It is an aid to our conscious and purposeful participation in these rhythms.
These are rhythms that sustain all life on Earth. Biodynamic farmers strive to bring life back into the soil, so that the food produced from this living soil has increased life force/vitality/nutrition, enhancing the quality of human life.
This can be accomplished when the rhythms of our farming activities are aligned with the natural Cosmic and Earth rhythms.
Human life, as well as animal and plant life, is strongly dependent on the rhythms of the Earth. As the Earth turns on its axis in the course of 24 hours, we have day and then night. As it travels in the course of 1 year around the sun we have the seasons - hot and cool.
Perhaps the most familiar is the rhythmic movement from New Moon to Full Moon that we witness each month. This is only 1 of numerous lunar or moon rhythms that astronomy scientists have mapped and can accurately calculate. The biodynamic farmer works primarily with 6 different moon rhythms that recur every 27-29 days. The Planting Calendar indicates the important days for farming activities during these 6 different rhythmic cycles each month.
The 6 Moon Rhythms are:
- Full-New Moon 29.5 days
- Moon opposite Saturn 27.3 days
- Ascending-Descending Moon 27.3 days
- Moon Nodes 27.2 days
- Perigee-Apogee 27.5 days
- Moon in Zodiac Constellations 27.3 days
New Moon - Full Moon
29.5 day rhythm
This rhythm is easy to see. It begins at new moon, when the moon is close to the sun and almost invisible. As the moon moves away from the sun we see it more clearly, first as a slender very beautiful crescent in the sky - the new moon. Just over 7 days later it reaches first quarter, when the moon's disk is half bright, half dark. First quarter is followed by full moon which is about 12 times as bright as first quarter, then comes last quarter, when the other half is illuminated. After approx. 29.5 days the rhythm begins again.
Farmer observations and scientific experiments over many centuries have identified noticable effects of the Full Moon on plant growth. Based on the Agriculture Lectures of Rudolf Steiner and subsequent scientific research, biodynamic agriculture recognizes the following New Moon and Full Moon influences:
- The element most affected by the moon energies is water (for example, the sap in plants).
- In the 48 hours leading up to Full Moon there appears a distinct increase in the moisture content of the earth. The growth forces of plants seem to be enhanced.
- During the Full Moon period there is quick gemination of seeds, fast plant growth, and a rapid re-growth of any cut, mown or pruned vegetation.
- There appears to be a quicker cell division and a tendency to elongation of growth.
- Seed germination is fast but may be soft and prone to fungus attack, particularly in warm conditions and high humidity.
- The influence of the Full Moon appears to provide favourable conditions for the growth of fungus on all plants. This is related to the increase of moisture and humidity.
- There is an increase in insect activity. Particularly slugs and snails, and internal worm parasites in humans and animals.
- The Full Moon influence allows good absorption of liquid manures.
- Often there is a tendency for rain at Full Moon.
- Towards New Moon there is more activity underground in the soil and the flow of sap in plants is less strong. Therefore, a good time for turning under green manure and cutting hay.
Moon Opposite Saturn
This is when the Moon and Saturn are on opposite sides of the Earth and their respective forces are raying into the Earth from opposite directions. This occurs every 27.5 days. The Moon forces bring in the calcium processes which are connected to propagation and growth forms, while the Saturn forces bring in the silica processes, which are connected to the building up substance or bulk of the plant in root, leaf and fruit. The balancing effect of these two influences streaming into the Earth produces very strong plants from seed sown at this time. A strengthening effect is also observed when transplanting seedlings during Moon opposite Saturn. The spraying of BD 501 (Horn silica) at this time, has been found to strengthen plants to the extent that they can resist plant diseases and certain insect attacks.
Ascending & Descending Moon
27.3 day rhythm
The Moon's daily path across the sky as seen from the Earth is not always the same. Sometimes it is higher in the sky, sometimes lower. The Sun follows a similar ascending then descending rhythm as it moves through the Zodiac during each year. The Moon takes only 27.3 days to complete it's journey through the Zodiac constellations in an ascending and descending rhythm each month.
We see the Moon moving in an arc from East to West and when we see these arcs getting higher in the sky every day, the Moon is Ascending. When we see them getting lower every day the Moon is Descending. As the Moon takes 27.3 days to complete this cycle, each ascending and descending period lasts about two weeks.
Rudolf Steiner speaks of the Earth as a living organism with an inhaling-exhaling breathing rhythm, similar to ours. He relates the ascending and descending moon periods to the inhaling and exhaling cycle of the Earth.
COSMIC PLANETARY BREATHING RHYTHMS
Breathing In = earth forces active
Breathing Out = light energy active
Yearly Planetary Breath Monthly Planetary Breath
Cool Season -- Earth breathes in Desc Moon -- Earth breathes in
Hot Season -- Earth breathes out Asc Moon -- Earth breathes out
Daily Planetary Breath
Late afternoon/evening (sunset) dew falling -- Earth breathes in
Early morning (sunrise) dew rising -- Earth breathes out
The ascending period is much like the warm or hot season of the year, the Earth breaths out. We see this as an outpouring of growth activity above the soil surface. Growth forces and saps flow upwards more strongly and fill the plant with vitality. Although germination takes place below the ground, it also takes part in this upward striving. This is the time to spray BD preparation 501 (Horn silica).
The descending period on the other hand is related to the activity below the soil surface and can be compared with the cool or cold season of the year. The Earth breathes in and draws growth forces back down below the soil surface. The lower parts of the plant, especially the roots, are activated. This is the time for cultivation, composting, planting and making cuttings. It is also the time to apply BD preparation 500 (Horn manure).
The Moon Nodes
27.2 days rhythm
As it ascends and descends, the Moon crosses the path of the Sun (the ecliptic). The crossing points are called nodes, and are the only places and times where eclipses can occur.
The Moon makes one complete nodal cycle every 27.2 days, so there is a node approximately every 14 days, which is two nodes every month. Astronomers can calculate the exact time the nodes will occur. These times are given in the Planting Calendar. The influence of the nodes lasts for approximately 6 hours before and after the exact time of crossing.
The Moon while crossing in front of the Sun will negate the Sun's beneficient influence for this brief period. This negative influence works into soil being freshly cultivated at the time of the node. Therefore biodynamic farmers do not cultivate the soil, sow any seeds, transplant, prune trees or shrubs, or do any other agricultural or horticultural work on the Node Day. The effect is similar to that of an eclipse of the Sun by the Moon.
Apogee & Perigee
27.5 days rhythm
The Moon moves around the Earth in an ellipse, as seen in the picture above taken in 2005, completing one full orbit every 27.5 days. The Moon's nearest point to the Earth on this ellipse is the Perigee and the furthermost point is the Apogee.
At Perigee, the time when the Moon is closest to the Earth, it will bring greater moisture to the Earth and a tendency towards fungus growth and insect attack. This is especially so when Perigee occurs near Full Moon, which is also the bringer of moisture.
Researchers and farmers have found that Apogee appears to be a good time to plant potatoes, as there seems to be a multiplicity of form (meaning more potatoes), where as at Perigee there are fewer potatoes but bigger.
There is one Perigee and one Apogee every month. Astronomy scientists can calculate the exact time of both. These dates and timings are given in the Planting Calendar. Apogee and Perigee times bring a stress period and seed sowing should be avoided 12 hours on either side of these times (except potatoes!).
Moon in Zodiac Constellations
27.3 days rhythm
The Zodiac is a belt of fixed stars which are in groupings we call constellations. This belt of stars lies behind the ecliptic path of the Sun. All the planets, and the Moon, move in front of the zodiac constellations. In the star maps below the blue dotted line represents the ecliptic path of the Sun over a period of 1 year. The constellations in green are the 12 zodiac constellations.
The corresponding constellation names are as follows:
Aquarius (Waterman) = Kumbha
Leo (Lion) = Simha
Capricorn (Mountain Goat) = Makara
Cancer (Crab) = Karkata
Sagittarius (Archer) = Dhanush
Gemini (Twins) = Mithuna
Scorpio (Scorpion) = Vrischika
Taurus (Bull) = Vrishaba
Libra (Scales) = Tula
Aries (Ram) = Mesha
Virgo (Virgin) = Kanya
Pisces (Fishes) = Mina
Here we are concerned with the Moon, which passes quickly in front of all 12 zodiac constellations in just 27.3 days. Because the zodiac constellations are of different sizes, the Moon stands in front of each for a shorter or longer time, approx. between 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 days. Rudolf Steiner taught that every zodiac constellation radiates certain favourable conditions to the plants, which the Moon will focus as it passes in front of each constellation. The influences of the constellations are passed on, reflected by the Moon, through the 4 classical elements of nature - warmth/fire, light/air, water and earth in the following groupings.
The influences of the particular constellation are brought into the soil through cultivation of the soil at the appropriate time, and also by spraying BD 501 (Horn silica) at the appropriate time. The germinating seed also receives these influences, so if it is desired to promote a certain influence, such as more leaves in a cabbage head or more kernels on a corn cob, then the biodynamic farmer cultivates and sows the seed during the favourable constellation period. Astronomy scientists can calculate the exact time the Moon passes through each constellation. These times are given in the Planting Calendar.
http://www.gardenguides.com/
Image Copyright: http://www.truehealth.org/
Watch Video:
Bio-Dynamics - A Lunar Harvest
Growing Beans
Beans are about as easy to grow as just sticking a seed into some soil in a plastic cup, setting it by the window and watering it a bit, and watch it emerge and grow - as most of us have discovered in kindergarten. The soil does not have to be particularly fertile either, since all beans belong to the legume family and live in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which 'fix' nitrogen from the air and make it available to their hosts.
And although there are dozens of different kinds of beans, they all adhere to only one of two lifestyles. Those that climb, and those which don't.
The climbers mature about two weeks later than the bush type beans, and they produce beans until the cold and wet of fall does them in. Bush beans have been developed for commercial growing, maturing two weeks sooner, with a single, short and concentrated harvest period. When sown at two week intervals beginning mid-May until the beginning of July, bush beans will also provide a continuous harvest until late fall.
Our own most favourite bean is "Blue Lake Bush" which has a very nice bushy habit and retains the long production period of the climbing types. It also has an excellent taste and texture. Both the climbing and bush types have this in common though; they require frequent picking to keep on producing beans. And picking on the young side is far better than when the beans begin to fill out. At that time the plant starts to produce hormones which prevent blooming to quicken the ripening process.
What is behind this is the prime imperative of all life - to perpetuate the species. As long as a plant is prevented from producing ripe seeds, it will keep on producing new fruit in order to fulfill its prime imperative. So, the more you pick, the more beans will follow. This holds true for all flowers and vegetables, by the way.
Beans need warm soil to germinate and grow. In cool soils - less than 60 degrees F. - they just sit there doing nothing and fall prey to insects and mould. The first sowing is best done at the beginning of a week-long spell of warm sunny weather. Sow beans one inch deep and two to three inches apart, in rows 12 inches apart. A three foot wide raised bed bearing three rows works out nicely for growing, cultivating and picking. Thin out to 8 inches apart when nicely established, and keep moist. And that's about it - except for picking, picking, picking. Make sure that the plants are dry when picking, since most beans are subject to several diseases which are spread by touching the plants when harvesting. I've also found that using a small pair of gardening scissors to cut the stem of the bean pod cleanly when picking keeps the plants nice and healthy.
That leaves only the weeding. Tired of having to hoe and hoe the weeds all the time among the growing plants, and wanting to increase the poor organic content of the soil as much and as quickly as I could, it occurred to me that there might be a better way. Why not, I thought, use the weeds to full advantage and just shear them down to about 2 inches, so they would keep on growing, and use the shearings as an instant mulch? Since beans obtain their own nitrogen via their symbiotic bacteria, I thought that the beans would be an excellent test case and, albeit with much trepidation, I 'sacrificed' one bean bed to this never before tried experiment.
After the first shearing and a thin layer of weed mulch, it did not look like much, but, and thank God, it did not appear to have impeded the beans in any way whatsoever either. So I kept it up, and a few weeks later I had the most fabulous bean bed that I had ever seen in all my life. Here were my beans, standing thick and proud in a lovely bed of sheared "weed hay", exuding picture perfect health in all directions, and outshining the other normally weeded bean bed by a factor of at least 10 to 1. It also proved to be far more productive, and kept on producing beans a full month longer - long after the other bed had succumbed to the cold nights and rains of fall. And it was only near the very end of its much extended season, in the cold and wet of late fall, that I saw the first signs of the bean mosaic disease.
This was my first experiment of growing with weeds. Needless to say, and since it worked so fabulously well, all my bean beds got the weed mulch the next year - as well as the cucumber and the tomato beds, since I figured that these could easily hold their own against the weeds. And they did, and it worked super fabulously as well. It was a pure joy and delight to behold rows and rows of strappingly healthy plants standing proud in their neat beds of thick weed straw. And even the weed straw looked very good in its own right. The whole thing was a picture of sheer and profoundly satisfying beauty.
And I had far less weeding to do, far less watering due to far better moisture retention, far better soil temperature stability, and consequently far better growth, far better production, and far greater hardiness at the end of the season. And to top it all off, the weed mulch increased the quality and fertility of the soil very, very nicely.
The accepted wisdom is that weeds rob the crops of nutrients. This is not true. The nutrients used by the weeds don't go anywhere; not only are they returned immediately to the soil with the decay of the shearings, but the weeds also add the nutrients, and the highly complex organic material they have generated in their growth, to the soil. What we get, actually, is a substantial increase in the quality, friability and fertility of the soil, plus all the many benefits of an organic mulch - a mulch which is totally free and grows itself right where it is wanted.
The following year our whole one-acre garden got the weed mulch. Alas though, it did not work with the carrots and onions; the shearing among these slender plants took too much of a toll on them. We switched to a newspaper mulch for them instead, which also works great.
http://www.salescene.com/
Better than Green - Reintroduction of a Traditional Building Concept
In our projects, we do not choose the "coolest" materials that all the "green" architects are using. We choose materials based on several criteria that we feel give our clients the very best, most truly sustainable buildings.
These criteria are:
Performance within the Specified Climate
Just as one example, there are some trees which when used in their native, humid environments will naturally deter against pests and decomposition. These woods are far more sustainable than a single creosote treated pine log which has the potential to make toxic everything around it, including the soil and water.
Tendency to Decompose / Means of Decomposition
Non-stabilized adobe, brick, stone, and timberframe are the least susceptible to damage and easiest to repair if something goes wrong. They are also the longest lasting building materials and are often accepted without interference from building officials.
Embodied Energy
Embodied energy is the amount of energy it takes to take the raw aspects of a material, get those to the manufacturing site, manufacture the finished product, and then get it to you. Embodied energy can be high - aluminum, a common and predominant component of solar panel installations, contains an enormous amount of embodied energy - it has to
be mined, shipped great distances, designed, then takes an great deal of heat to produce a usable product, then must be shipped to you. Straw, on the other hand, is a waste product of wheat and grain production, and over 200 billion tons of it are burned or otherwise disposed of in the United States alone. Thus, strawbale has a very low embodied energy and is one of the most highly recommended materials.
Toxicity
A great deal of today's newest technologies, even some apparently benign ones, have not been tested in real living environments when they are enthusiastically adopted into design and manufacturing practice. We saw the hugely detrimental effects of mass installations of asbestos in the 1970's, and are in no hurry to repeat such rushed mistakes. One of the industries we look to for research on new materials is cosmetics. Cosmetics manufacturers do research studies on the materials used in their products, (admittedly often after the chemicals are already in use) and produce a publicly available list of which of those chemicals cause harm. You can always check out www.cosmeticdatabase.com to discover which ingredients you should be concerned about. What about bio-based plastics? Many bio-based plastics are also toxic. They are just apparently less toxic because they support sustainable renewable industry. This should be of concern. See Maintenance, below, for a discussion on why one very cool "green" building material doesn't make the cut because of this criteria.
Maintenance / Repair-ability
All buildings require maintenance. Green buildings require more than the average amount of upkeep. This is the beauty of green buildings - if they are "alive", you must feed them and care for them so they can stay healthy - which brings you into relationship with your space. You become a participant in, as opposed to a user of, the space. Repair, on the other hand, is never a fun prospect. Repair of many new technologies is sometimes just infeasible. We love the idea of earthbag construction. Earth + bag = ease and affordability, right? Right, but when you add in the criteria of ability to repair and toxicity, well, then not so much. If an earthbag home gets damaged it is nearly impossible to fully repair, large sections of the wall must be removed and replaced to complete a repair that could be considered more than a band-aid. Add that polypropylene, which the bags are most often constructed of, is a toxic agent known to cause cancer, allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity, and neurotoxicity, and you start to see that earthbag construction may not be the best answer for everyone. Burlap, the "greener" bagging equivalent, is natural. That means when exposed to air and water and time, it will
deteriorate. Which leaves stucco-covered walls whose binding agents have disintegrated, leaving you with only hope for the holding together of your beautiful home. That's too great a risk for many. Thus, we advocate for the use of adobe in such instances.
Lack of Dependence on Technology
Technology is not always the right answer for every family. Or for every society. While commerce and manufacturing profit greatly from it, many times, especially for people who might want to live off the grid, it is not. The bells and whistles (i.e. automated & geared solar panels adjusters, programmable thermostats, water filtration systems) often require the input of power. Imagine - a massive storm shuts down the grid, your solar
battery is broken, or your place gets struck by lightning. You want to be able to warm water, stay warm or cool, feed yourself and your kids, and be safe. When technology fails, you want to be able to keep going. That's why we don't always recommend the most technologically-astute systems. For us, that just doesn't make sense.
Location
Where you get your materials impacts the area's industry, the health of the land itself in many cases, and minimizes the impact of energy consumption. As in the tree example in Performance within the Specified Climate, above, location can also offer you a great opportunity to minimize the use of chemical treatments.
http://kindomains.archinia.com/
Image Copyrights: http://www.pauliddon.net/
Watch Video:
Home Green Home: Affordable Green Living - NYTimes
These articles come directly from researchers and are passed on to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these articles.
For Educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
For more great articles go to http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/infoE.php#article
Mailing Address USA 
Mailing Address CANADA 
Customer service in ENGLAND 
Mailing Address