This is THE question of our time. Even though it’s not possible for us to know the answer, it is critical to ask the question. Here’s an insightful way to re-formulate this question from a mathematical perspective: “Is climate change (and worldwide pollution) a function of exponential mathematics?”

There is near certainty our climate situation can be described mathematically with an exponential growth curve. Exponential (or compound) math is a process that describes the effect of a constant rise in inputs over time suddenly turning a sharp corner and going in a dramatically new direction, in our case a disastrous one.

The scary part is that the processes described above are based on simple, non-theoretical mathematics. Abrupt Climate Change is the code phrase for this result, and you’ll see this in the media more over time. For more information see my blog on The Dire Mathematics of Climate Change.

2) What does it mean to live in a culture that disrespects nature?

Some people don’t understand this question, I think I know why: A fish that has lived its life in polluted water would not know to ask about, or even imagine, a life in clean water. Human beings have imagination and can ask important questions; however, our society is like the fish described above, a culture whose polluted environment seems normal.

As I write this I feel dissonance rise up in my body: how can it be “normal” for us to lay waste to the very biological systems that keep us alive It doesn’t make sense for us to disrupt food chains and climate on a global scale, but this is exactly what we are doing. The consequences to humans as a species are one thing, the immorality of destroying life on a global scale is the subject of another blog.

Those of us in the environmental field have been trying to create new social norms for a long time. We’ve been trying to turn our culture toward sustainability, but greed and ignorance are powerful foes. First, we created eco-education to give people a defined target, but this was not enough. The behavior change tools of social psychology help change what people do, not just what they think.

This too falls short of the mark.

The steps above are vital, they need to be in place. Our next steps as eco-leaders are within ourselves. We need to cultivate an ability to connect with nature deep inside our own body, mind and spirit. This will connect us with the type of life energy we need for an entirely new attitude toward our environment. This new step prompts our final question.

3) How important is it for us to connect with our inner nature?

Take a moment right now to look inside yourself. Do your thoughts and feelings emanate from societal instruction or your own deep nature How can you tell the difference For most of us it’s hard to draw these lines because we’ve been raised in a culture that undervalues nature and natural impulses. We’ve been taught to overvalue consumerism, which is at the heart of what some call “the good life.”

There is no way to sugar coat the fact that as a species human beings have become a cancer to the living systems on this planet. Many of our dominant motivational patterns are directed by parts of us that are not connected with our true nature.

Getting in touch with our unique nature and life energy will help us contend with the big environmental issues of our day: overpopulation, sunk costs into non-eco-friendly technologies, and climate change are but a few.

Here are just a few examples of how we’ve been trained away from our inner nature:

• Break the child’s spirit to gain obedience
This was the thinking in German schools when Adolph Hitler was growing up. Other parts of the world have their own take on this sort of abuse. It’s incredulous—even horse trainers know how to apply discipline without breaking an animal’s spirit.

• Let the baby cry itself out
This is an old wives tale that works on one level (babies will cry themselves out), but has the potential to cause serious long-term developmental problems. Neglect is one of the worst forms of abuse to which a child can be exposed.

• Man has dominion over creation
The so-called “dominion mandate” from Genesis presents a worldview we’ve taken to heart. This perspective is at odds with the words of Chief Seattle “The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth.” One of these viewpoints is cancerous.

Conclusion

Changing our world on the outside will affect us on the inside, and the opposite is also true: connecting with our inner nature and resources can help us change our attitudes and behaviors to become more sustainable. Understanding this parallel is crucial to adopting an entirely new set of societal norms.

In order to connect with our inner nature we need to honor it. Just like elite athletes must find their own rhythm, allowing time for important ideas to “sink-in” is a must.

Take a moment and look at how your heart and body respond to what you have just read. What emotions are present This must not be forced. Instead, foster a sense of “allowing” for the time it takes for you to feel a deeper and richer understanding.

The latest neuroscience can help. If you are an eco-leader check out Agency for Earth’s next seminar or webinar to help you become a better eco-leader.

The post Three Questions every Eco-Leader Must Ask appeared first on Agency For Earth.

The good news is that people are beginning to see that we need to affect change at a deeper level, and the tools to do the job are available. With these tools environmental program managers will be able to address energy conservation, alternatives to automobile transportation, and our holding on to our precious water reserves in this time of extreme drought. These tools come under the heading of Community-Based Social Marketing.

On April 22, a group of sustainability managers from the County of Sonoma and local towns took time from their schedules at 7:30 am, to attend the Agency for Earth seminar: “Change What People Do, Not Just How They Think – A Free Behavior Change Seminar for Sustainability Professionals,” which was hosted at Santa Rosa’s Finley Center.

Agency for Earth founder Jeffrey Schmidt outlined for our guests numerous case studies on how to leverage real behavioral change. He also outlined the principles and practices of Community-Based Social Marketing. Community-Based Social Marketing is emerging as the go-to solution for environmental program managers who want their program to affect real behavioral change.

Jeffrey covered the basics of 5 steps that make Community-Based Marketing campaigns successful:
1. Choose the behavior you would like to encourage in your audience – such as shorter minute showers, carpools to work, etc.
2. Identify barriers and benefits to the behavior
3. Produce a strategic program to decrease barriers and increase benefits of the behavior, paying particular attention to the influence of social norms.
4. Pilot-test the program
5. Deliver and then evaluate the program
By the time Jeffrey had finished his presentation the program managers in the room had filled their toolboxes with the most powerful behavior change tools available.

The exciting prospect here is that our resource conservation agencies – the ones charged with assuring our water, electric utilities, and smart transportation – will have tools to rally the public around sustainable practices, get their buy-in for new and ongoing conservation habits.

This information needs to get out to all the program managers in California and the rest of the county. Agency for Earth is dedicated to making this happen in order to make a sizable contribution to making our society a sustainable one.

The post Go beyond eco-education programs appeared first on Agency For Earth.

1. Human health
2. The health of our soil and environment
3. The parallel between Big-Pharma and the GMO industry

Human health

Many people will be shocked to learn that up until the study led by molecular biologist Dr. Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen in 2012, no other study sought to examine the long-term (chronic) effects of eating GMOs. Here are some of the findings of that study as reported by Mike Adams of Natural News.

• Premature deaths – up to 50% in male rats, 70% in female rats
• 200% – 300% increase in large tumors after rats drank trace amounts of Roundup at levels legally allowed in the water supply (see photos below)
• Liver damage and kidney damage – rats fed GMO corn and traces of Roundup suffered severe organ damage

The Monsanto variety of GMO corn fed to the rats was NK603. This is the same corn that’s grown in America and fed to animals and humans. This is the corn that’s in corn-based breakfast cereals, corn tortillas and snack chips.

Why were no studies performed on the long-term effect of consuming GMO products Perhaps the following quote from Phil Angell, Monsanto’s director of corporate communications sheds light on this. From “Playing God in the Garden” New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.

“Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.’s job.”

Dr. Elaine Ingam, founder of the Soil Foodweb Inc., is one of the world’s foremost soil biologists. Her work emphasizes the complex interrelationships between biological systems, the health of our soil and ourselves.

Nutritious food

Nutritionally dense food cannot come from conventionally grown crops that make use of pesticides and herbicides! Why Because these products kill the very microorganisms that support nutrient uptake into plants, thus making them less nutritious.

The chemical spiral

Once soil has been treated with pesticides and herbicides it is damaged. This makes soil prone to weeds and it takes an ever-increasing cavalcade of chemicals to make sure weeds and bugs do not get out of hand—thus the spiral. This is horrible for the soil that has been treated and the surrounding environment, on the other hand it is a very good profit model for chemical companies.

Antibiotics

No MD would recommend a life-long prescription of antibiotics for a patient. These are meant to be temporary measures to clear an imbalance so internal microbiology can naturally right itself back into health. But this is not what happens with our soil. In our lifetime we have witnessed a life-long prescription of pesticides and herbicides for our soil. This inevitably produces less nutritious food and spawns the onset of super weeds.

GMOs

By far the most widely used GMOs are Monsanto’s Roundup Ready products. Roundup Ready crops are genetically modified to be resistant to Roundup which is both an herbicide and a registered pesticide. Current Roundup Ready crops include corn, soy, canola, alfalfa, cotton and sorghum. Because these GMO crops are resistant to Roundup, the herbicide can be used to eliminate weeds.

The use of Roundup Ready seed offers no protection from chemical spiraling. Just as antibiotics in hospitals breed “super bugs,” the consistent use of herbicides produces super weeds that require ever-stronger chemicals to deal with.

The only long-term solution is creating healthy soil where weeds do not flourish. This would severely limit the use of pesticides and herbicides and of course the profits of chemical companies.

The parallel between Big-Pharma and the GMO industry

The study I referenced earlier, by Dr. Gilles-Eric Seralini, was retracted by the publisher – Food and Chemical Toxicology, an Amsterdam based global journal. The retraction was over the specific objection of its authors and brings into question the veracity of the study.

Dr. Seralini and his team stand by their results They allege the retraction is connected with the journal’s editorial appointment of biologist Richard Goodman, who worked for Monsanto for seven years.

Prior to publishing “The magazine reviewed our paper more than any other,” says co-author and physician Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, who is president of the Paris-based Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN), which collaborated in the study with Dr. Seralini . He calls the retraction “a public-health scandal.”

The Big-Business parallel

How far will big companies go to make a profit?

Many go quite far apparently. GM has been in the news recently regarding not recalling cars after repeated complaints and many deaths.

The classic example is the Ford Pinto.

For seven years the Ford Motor Company sold cars in which it knew hundreds of people would needlessly burn to death. Estimates range between 500 and 900 burn deaths. Uncounted others were seriously injured.

Burning Pintos became such an embarrassment to Ford that J. Walter Thompson dropped a line from the end of a radio spot that said: “Pinto leaves you with that warm feeling.”

Ford knew the Pinto was a firetrap but waited eight years to make changes because its internal “cost-benefit analysis,” placed a dollar value on human life. It simply was more profitable to wait.

The company paid out millions to settle damage suits out of court, and spent millions more lobbying against safety standards. The sum of these figures were less than retooling its production line—so people had to die.

The Big-Pharma parallel

In 2012 total food sales in the US was 1.3 trillion dollars. What would corporate executives do to capture a significant share of that market The closest parallel comes from the Pharmaceutical Industry.

In 2012 GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $3 billion in fines and plead guilty to criminal charges. What were the charges?

• Bribery of Doctors
• Lying to the FDA
• Fabricating test results on its drugs
• Defrauding Medicade and Medicare out of billions

Is this case an aberration?

Unfortunately it’s just the opposite, it is business as usual. Just like Ford, doing business at this level begets cold calculations. Glaxo’s revenues in this case were $27.9 billion. The fine of $3 billion ended up being an expensive speeding ticket because nobody went to jail or was even on trial.

The strongest voice for this point of view comes from Marcia Angell, M.D. She was the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

When she retired from the Journal she wrote an article for the New York Review of Books, here is an excerpt:

“It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authorities.

Doctor Angell’s book The Truth About the Drug Companies describes in detail the practices she witnessed over her 20 year tenure as editor of the Journal. Here are a few excerpts:

“She saw them gain nearly limitless influence over medical research, education, and how doctors do their jobs.”

“As Dr. Angell powerfully demonstrates, claims that high drug prices are necessary to fund research and development are unfounded.”

“Drug companies routinely rely on publicly funded institutions for their basic research; they rig clinical trials to make their products look better than they are; and they use their legions of lawyers to stretch out government-granted exclusive marketing rights for years.”

Here is a quote from a talk that was captured and is available via YouTube.

“Nearly every large drug company has recently paid huge fines to settle charges of illegal activities.”

Conclusion

It’s about trust.

I trust a researcher in France, who has little to gain, and the wrath of giant corporations to lose, more than I trust the GMO companies who have billions of dollars to gain peddling their wares.

I trust the small organic farmer who, by experience, shows that healthy soil can produce a sustainable, nutritious crop year in and year out.

I trust the world’s foremost soil biologist, who again has little to gain by saying that a long-term, unhealthy chemical spiral will occur once you start down the Chem/GMO road.

The simple logic is that GMO and pharmaceutical companies are kissing cousins. When companies admit that they lie, cheat, steal and bribe to make a profit. I do not trust them with the food that goes into my mouth.

The reason I avoid GMOs is that they are in the business of selling as much of their product as possible and I do not trust that they do that with my health in mind.

One last thing.

Anyone who goes up against Big-Pharma or the Big-GMO companies will, if they get enough press, most likely be treated to the attentions of their propaganda machines. They will be disparaged; their findings will be ridiculed. This is to be expected.

To this I say, look at the evidence, listen to Dr. Angell’s YouTube  and think about the ideas you put in your head, as well as the food in your mouth and drugs in your arm.

• Food and Chemical Toxicology
• The Truth About the Drug Companies

About the Author

jeffrey

The post Why I Avoid GMOs appeared first on Agency For Earth.

Spot a dragonfly and we are filled with wonder and awe at its grace, beauty, and agile flight. Agency for Earth has chosen the dragonfly as our emissary to inspire eco-awareness and motivate people to care for our home, the Earth.

Why we choose the dragonfly

• Dragonflies date back 300 millions years (some species existed before dinosaurs). Fossils show dragonflies from this period with wingspans of 2 feet or more.
• Dragonflies inhabit water, land and air.
• They are strong bio-indicators of the health of an environment — take a deep breathe and smile if you have them in your neighborhood.
• Dragonflies have amazing eyes seeing visual fields of almost 360 degrees.
• About 5,900 different species of dragonflies are known in the world today.
• Dragonflies are found all over the world and instill a sense of wonder.

The dragonfly as a symbol

Dragonflies are symbols of change and transformation, deep seeing, lightness of being, and of have great beauty with their colorful wings and bodies. Our logo’s message is “Never underestimate small acts.”

As ecosystems change more rapidly over time our mission is clear. As a creative communication company our goal is to expand awareness of the interdependency of all living things and to help humans understand how their daily actions impact our planet and our lives.

About the Author

Laurie Binder

Laurie Binder is a graphic designer at Agency for Earth, inspiring environmental awareness through eco-education. You can contact Laurie at laurie@agencyforearth.com.

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