Can a Newly Discovered Fungus really solve our Plastic Waste Problem?

 Image Collage by Genesis: Go Ahead... Make My Lunch.

A team of students from Yale University have discovered a fungus which apparently enjoys snacking on polyurethane, one of the most commonly used plastics. Led by Scott Strobel, a molecular biochemist at Yale, the students found the fungus in the Amazon in Ecuador on their annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory. 

Experiments by a team of researchers found that the fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspore, can thrive on eating plastic in an anaerobic environment—like that which you find at the bottom of landfills.

Image Collage by Genesis: P. microspora under microscope.

Source: http://scitechdaily.com/ecuador-rainforest-fungus-survives-on-polyurethane-without-oxygen/

This is a significant development, because the implications for a number of reasons, beginning with the global problem which plastic has become.

‘Houston, we have some plastic.’

We all know that plastic is a bit of an Achilles heel of modern civilization…and that may be a bit of an understatement. Sure, plastic is light, flexible, inexpensive, convenient, easy to work with and oh-so-disposable. Aye, there’s the rub.

We all like to believe that most plastic is recycled. Apart from the horrendous amounts of energy which is spent collecting, processing and then re-purposing that plastic, it’s a pretty good idea, too.  Except it’s nowhere near reality.

According to a study published in Science, plastic pollution is growing, particularly in underdeveloped coastal countries. 

Chart: Plastic Pollution is Growing, Credit: Jambeck et al, Science, 2015

Source: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/02/ocean-plastic-waste-china

This, of course, contributes to the notorious plastic flotilla in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (also known as the Great Pacific garbage patch), not to mention the plastic debris littering the shorelines of all major bodies of water around the world. 

Image: Great Pacific garbage patch 

Source: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/12/are-there-reall.html

Here’s some more interesting tid-bits about plastic which you may not be aware of…

Inforgaphic: The Truth about Plastic 

Source: http://greenlivingideas.com/2011/08/01/plastic-world-infographic/

Biology to the Rescue?

So clearly something has to be done about plastic, right? The Yale scientists certainly seem to think so. In fact, they’re not the first to suggest a biological approach to solving the plastic waste problem, particularly in the Pacific.

Be it mushrooms from the Amazon rainforest or genetically engineered E. coli bacteria, scientists are scouring the natural world (and their very unnatural laboratories) searching for ‘silver-bullet’ organisms to clean up our mess.

Does anyone else see any inherent danger in this approach? Have these scientists forgotten the lessons learned from cane toads in Australia, killer bees in North America, and every other attempt to introduce a foreign species into a new environment?

Of course not, because materialist scientists don’t seem to learn from experience.  Their arrogance and hubris makes them believe more in their theories than in proven reality, believing in the technocratic dogma of the incessant march of progress which promises them (and the world): ‘this time will be different.’

Materialist Science: Playing with forces it cannot comprehend…nor control.

In July of last year, PeapodLife took on the question of GMO Foods in its blog by pointing out the dangers of introducing new species into the environment. Read the article and watch a related video on the introduction of foreign species here.

Despite what the scientists will tell you, they are in no way, shape or form ‘in control’ of the ‘technology’ they are purporting to wield, here. Anyone who’s seen Jurassic Park can tell you that!

Image Collage by PeapodLife: Jurassic Park Genetic Power, Nature & Science montage

So, are we saying giant mushrooms are going to devour New York City or Tokyo?

Image collage by Genesis Eco Fund: Rampaging Gumba, NYC.

No, of course not. We just couldn’t resist the image.

What we are saying is that nature is governed by chaos, and there is positive chaos, the chaos observable in evolutionary fractals—defined to a large part by the Fibonacci sequence—for example, the pattern of petals in a blooming flower or branches of a growing tree. But then there’s also the negative chaos of a devolving fractal: water as it’s being flushed down the toilet.

Rainforest Keeps on Giving; Humans Keep on Taking

Having said all that, that’s not even the greatest problem with this story about the plastic-eating mushroom. As always, it’s a story of exploitation. Here’s thing in nature, let’s see how we, the human race, can exploit it to the maximum of our abilities.

You would think that when we find such organisms that there would be a sudden and universal outcry: “Hey! Maybe there are other as-yet-undiscovered organisms that can solve other major problems we face!” But sadly no, rainforest devastation and resource extraction continues globally at an unprecedented pace.

Image collage by Genesis Eco Fund: Rainforest devastation: cutting; burning.

And the discovery of new species with ‘practical applications’ like our friend Pestalotiopsis microspora, doesn’t help precisely because it, too, is just another example of humanity’s culture of exploitation. Not harmony, not mutual symbiosis, but the same old ‘we’re at the top of the food chain so the world is ours to command, control, use and abuse as we see fit’ mentality which is responsible for how we’ve completely mismanaged and ruined the biosphere.

Be a REAL human being. Get an ecosystem and develop a harmonious and mutually symbiotic relationship with it. Allow the knowledge which comes from that experience to inform all your actions, inquiries, decisions, and goals.

Take Responsibility. Reduce your plastic consumption.

10 Tips to Reducing your Plastic Use

1.    Use reusable bags, not plastic or paper.
2.    Drop the bottled water.
3.    Don’t use single-use plastic packaging (buy in bulk when you can).
4.    Leave the sandwich bags on the shelf and use reusable sandwich boxes instead.
5.    Go the classy route and use silverware, not plastic-ware.
6.    Let the ’90s go — go digital… no more CDs, plastic CD cases, and so on.
7.    Use a refillable dispenser for your soap and cleaning supplies.
8.    Use a nice “to-go” mug instead of cups made of plastic or styrofoam (don’t even want to go into that issue).
9.    Try to buy products that don’t contain hard-to-recycle plastics (when you need to buy something, that is).
10.    Better yet, find products not made of plastic at all (again, when you absolutely have to buy something).
Source: http://greenlivingideas.com/2011/08/01/plastic-world-infographic/

What is Mother Telling us about Population Growth?

"As a woman leader, I thought I brought a different kind of leadership. I was interested in women's issues, in bringing down the population growth rate... as a woman, I entered politics with an additional dimension - that of a mother."
~ Benazir Bhutto 
Source: brainyquote.com: BrainyQuote: Population Growth Quotes

Image Collage by GenesisEcoFund.org: What is Mother Telling us about Population Growth? 

Image Source: motherthefilm.com: Mother Caring for 7 Billion, An Award-Winning Film

As a tribute to Earth Day, the film “Mother: Caring for 7 Billion” is free to watch for the month of April! This means you have just a little over a week to watch the full-length version of this award-winning documentary about global population growth online. Here’s the trailer:

Video: Mother Caring for 7 Billion Trailer

Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPc9BdWVl5s

If that trailer is not explanation enough, here’s what the filmmakers have to say:

“Mother, the film, breaks a 40-year taboo by bringing to light an issue that silently fuels our most pressing environmental, humanitarian and social crises - population growth.”

~ Motherthefilm.com

And there it is in a nutshell: there are simply too many of us. No ecosystem can support an imbalance for too long. No ecological framework—even as immense, complex and diverse as this planet—is immune to the consequences of having too many of one particular species.

Even if that species were really conscientious about living in balance and harmony with the rest of the planet (which we are not), there is no getting around the sheer mathematics. What’s worse, the mathematics are not working in our favour—nor the favour of the planet.

The film does a splendid job of illustrating the various issues and challenges around population growth, including the perceived negative economic impacts of negative population growth. In other words, despite the fact that population growth has turned negative in some industrialized countries around the world, there are powerful forces aligned in favour of continued population expansion…be it religious dogma and cultural traditions to economic dogma and the belief in perpetual growth.

This is ludicrous. Utter madness. A complete lack of awareness, comprehension and appreciation for the nature of…well…NATURE!

But let’s not go there just yet. It is all too easy for economists, businesspeople, and scientists who busy themselves with high-tech, biotech, etc. to dismiss arguments about what is or is not ‘natural’ by chanting the universally accepted mantras of ‘efficiency’ and ‘innovation.’ So here’s Richard Heinberg, journalist, educator and expert on energy, economic and ecological issues to put the slow drone of consensus materialist intellectual dogma to rest…

Video: The Law of Diminishing Returns

Source: YouTube https://youtu.be/q3meq7br1rE

In the simplest terms, then, what this law tells those believing in unlimited growth is what natural law tells ALL creatures, communities, civilizations, ecosystems, planets, stars, solar systems, even galaxies:

“Nothing lives forever; nothing grows forever…diminishment, decay and DEATH is inevitable. Sure, renewal is possible and very real. But renewal, the great circle of life, cannot advance without periodic death and destruction.”

~ Mother Nature

Only the ego believes it can cheat death. And it is clear that ego is behind all those ‘grand religions, traditions and economic dogmas’ which encourage ongoing population growth.

Consider an Ecosystem for your Family…

A selfish child throws a tantrum when he can’t get the latest video game console, or a dog, or a little brother to play with. Hypnotized by desire, the child is completely oblivious to the fact his father is unemployed and his mother is working two jobs just trying to make ends meet, while the family slips deeper into debt.

Having a connectedness with our family gives us the awareness of what our household—our parents and/or siblings—can bear. We develop empathy and compassion and seek ways to alleviate the suffering of those around us. The result is we become net contributors in a positive way. We become creators; problem solvers; true innovators…inspired…as opposed to being simply consumers; inventors of new gadgets and/or schemes for consumption.

Having an ecosystem in our life—in our home, office, boardroom, school, church, etc—helps us to reconnect with our bigger family—our GREATER MOTHER and our brothers and sisters around the globe.

Connecting to the ecosystem connects us to the wisdom and inspiration which resides at the very heart of nature; we become in-tune with what works and what doesn’t; and in no uncertain terms, what’s right and what isn’t. This isn’t an intellectual knowledge, it’s an experiential knowledge. It’s an intuitive kind of knowing: something that you feel in your gut, heart and bones. And it’s the kind of knowledge which informs us, in an individual basis, what we can do to help our Mother care for the other 6.999… billion on this planet.

The full-length version of Mother: Caring for 7 Billion will be available to watch for free on YouTube for the remainder of April, 2015. Click HERE to watch Mother show you what you need to know about population growth:

Image: Screenshot of Mother: Caring for 7 Billion

Source: YouTube https://youtu.be/fetnSYasbjA

Mindfulness and Ecology: How do they Relate?

Image: Mind Full or Mindful? 

Source: naturallyeverafterblog.com: Naturally Ever After: Mind Full, or Mindful?

What is Mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”

~ James Baraz 

Source: goodreads.com: Quotes About Mindfulness

Without any doubt, most of us live very mind-full lives. That is—as startlingly yet simply illustrated in the below photo, our minds are a cluster-fest of thoughts, emotions, concerns, fears, anxieties, plans, hopes, fantasies, wants, don’t-wants, and the list goes on.

Image: Mind Full 

Source: blogg.halsopsykologi.se: Utmattningssyndrom - den nya folkhälsosjukdomen?

Without question or exception, we all suffer from this “crazy mind” syndrome. And while some suffer more than others (especially those with Autism-spectrum disorders like ADD, ADHD, Schizophrenia, epilepsy, etc.) very few people can claim to live in complete mental peace and equanimity at all times.

And yet, mental tranquility is very much a component of true relaxation. The mind-body/body-brain connection is well documented. And while there are many practices and techniques to achieve it—most relating to meditation—a quiet mind is not necessarily the same as being mindful; nor is it a prerequisite to be mindful.

In meditation, for instance, we may seek to achieve a quiet, receptive state of consciousness…a quiet mind. However, one cannot force the mind to be quiet and remain truly relaxed and peaceful. Nor can one sit in frustration as the seemingly endless series of thoughts emerge one after the next, and expect to achieve a quiet mind. The frustration itself feeds the crazy mind. One can, however, simply be mindful of the mind that is full.

In other words, being mindful is simply observing, being fully present and aware of what is going on around us and within us—in our hearts, our mind and our body—at all times, including during meditation. Being mindful doesn’t mean we have an empty mind, it means we are not allowing ourselves to be caught up in the stories our mind is telling us. We observe the stories arise, and then we observe them pass. We do not dwell on them.

Try it now:

Video: Guided Meditation with Eckhart Tolle

Source: YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sQ0DTF2tAM

In meditation, this technique for simple mindfulness—coined psychological kung-fu by Samael Aun Weor, but also known as ‘no meditation’—eventually leads to a completely quiet, peaceful mind. Like watching the waves slowly die down after a storm has passed, the ripples in our psyche settle down and eventually—if we do not get caught up in the waves and/or produce new mental storms to whip them up once more—the mind becomes as calm and smooth as the surface of a mountain lake, perfectly reflecting the world as if it were a mirror.

Image: Mountain Lake calm water glassy mirror 

Source: http://pixabay.com/en/lake-calm-water-glassy-mirror-389980/

And, it is upon this perfect reflection that inspiration, imagination, insight and experiences of pure joy can be witnessed. In other words, when the mind settles down, the true nature and substance of the consciousness can be perceived directly.

Mindfulness and Nature

"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness."

~ Eckhart Tolle, Stillness Speaks 

Source: http://www.notable-quotes.com/t/tolle_eckhart.html

If it is true that observing ourselves—our own mind, heart, body, can lead to a stillness in consciousness, an emptiness into which true insights can emerge, then what about being mindful about the world around us? What happens if we apply the same principles used in mindfulness meditation while in nature? Actually, a very interesting phenomenon takes place. We begin to comprehend its true nature.

For example, Rudolph Steiner, founder of the Waldorf Schools in 1919, said “All of nature begins to whisper its secrets to us through its sounds. Sounds that were previously incomprehensible to our soul now become the meaningful language of nature.” Source: http://www.awaken.com/2013/02/quotes-by-rudolf-steiner/

This sentiment is most certainly echoed by countless esotericists, mystics and practitioners of mindfulness, from practitioners of Japan’s unique brand of Shinto Buddhism (which incorporates Japan’s traditional ancient Shinto tradition of nature worship and Buddhism) to the Dalai Lama.

Video: Mindfulness in Nature

Source: YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUM4Z2JIyQI ;

http://dalailamacenter.org/heart-mind-2013-helping-children-thrive/short-films-inspired-heart-mind-2013/mindfulness-nature

But this is not to say that the relationship between mindfulness and nature has gone unnoticed in more secular circles. Books like Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman are an example.

Image: Cover, Awake in the Wild 

Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136232.Awake_in_the_Wild

There are also numerous scholarly articles addressing the issue. Consider the abstract from Andrew J. Howell’s, Nature connectedness: Associations with well-being and mindfulness:

“Wilson’s (1984) biophilia hypothesis predicts that people’s psychological health is associated with their relationship to nature. Two studies examined associations among nature connectedness, well-being, and mindfulness in samples of undergraduate students while socially desirable responding was controlled. Significant associations emerged among measures of nature connectedness and indices of well-being (in Study 1 and Study 2) and mindfulness (in Study 2). Results are discussed in relation to possible mediators and moderators of the association between nature connectedness and mental health.”

Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886911001711

This is all well and good, but let’s be realistic. With the massive urban intensification programs being pursued worldwide in a bid for efficiency and curbing the impacts of population explosion, access to that which can be seen and experienced as “nature” are becoming rarer and more far afield than ever before—for most people.

The term Nature Deficit Disorder or NDD has emerged only in the past few decades as a direct result of people’s changing relationships with their world—particularly as young people switch to virtual representations of the natural world delivered on interactive devices—and the impact it is having on their minds.

Mindfulness and Ecosystems

Ecosystems are a way of bringing nature in its highest expression back into our daily lives, so that we can be mindful of it and our relationship to it. Rather than being surrounded by lifeless, artificial, and largely toxic environments at work, at school or at home, we can surround ourselves with vibrant colours, lush textures, and living sounds of conscious super organisms: trillions of creatures living together in harmony and mutual symbiosis.

Image by Genesis: Mindfulness & Ecosystems

To be mindful in the presence of an ecosystem, is to open the door to a whole new level of consciousness, a whole new world of peaceful discovery. It’s not a world that can be described; it is one that must be experienced. But that’s how it goes with matters of the mind: be it the busy, crazy mind that’s full, or the peaceful, tranquil, mind that’s aware, receptive and present…mindful.

Earthquakes VS Advanced Human Habitat: Humanity…Stirred, Not Shaken

Image Collage by Genesis Eco Fund: House

Source: ssurianahyana.blogspot.com: Home Galleries: Earthquake Resistant Homes

"The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles…hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages…the planet isn’t going anywhere. WE ARE!"

~ George Carlin

Source: https://plus.google.com/+JenniferBailey/posts/BUGMui7surA 

Video: San Andreas Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2015) – Dwayne Johnson Movie HD

Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yftHosO0eUo

Well, now that Hollywood and one of the 20th Century’s premiere stand-up comedians and social commentators have spoken, let’s give the scientists a turn…

Ross Stein is a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey in California, who studies how earthquakes interact by the transfer of stress. He wants everyone to be able to learn what their seismic risk is.

He very much believes that when it comes to earthquakes, at least, humans can stand a chance, if only we built our dwellings better.

TEDTalk (Video): Defeating Earthquakes: Ross Stein at TEDxBermuda

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg4kSIgn67I

Cindy Ebinger is currently a Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester. She studied oceanography at MIT, earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences at MIT, and geology at Duke University.

In the following TED Talk, Professor Ebinger expounds the importance of connections and connectivity when it comes to increasing our awareness of the planet as a whole entity.

TEDTalk (Video): Connections, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes: Cindy Ebinger at TEDxAllendaleColumbiaSchool

Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGqydxRAqEU

Now, the cynic might argue that all this still does not solve the fundamental issue at hand—humanity’s disconnectedness from the planet and from nature itself. To fulfill the role of cynic, we once again give the floor to the late, great George Carlin…

Image George Carlin on Nature (Quote)

Source: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/07/george-carlin-on-nature/

In other words, what good is detecting and “defeating” earthquakes if humanity remains on the same trajectory it’s been on? Preservation of life only makes sense if that life is living in harmony and symbiosis with the ecosystem.

That is why Advanced Human Habitat has to be more than just “earthquake proof.” It has to be “ego-proof” (as much as a dwelling or building can affect such things). It must nurture and encourage our reconnection with the environment, even as it shelters us from it. Advanced Human Habitat must strengthen our relationship with nature even as it protects us from the worst nature can throw at us.

That is why Advanced Human Habitat has (and must have) ecosystems.  And, as depicted by Hollywood and expressed by noted scientists, must also be conscious of the planet and its other connections, behaviours, history and tendencies. It must exude an awareness in its choice of materials and how they relate to the environment in which they are being used. 

Image: Earthquake-Safe Houses & Materials 

Credit: National Geographic Magazine

Source: http://ssurianahyana.blogspot.ca/2014/04/earthquake-resistant-homes.html

The bottom line is this: When it comes to Advanced Human Habitat:

• It’s about more than just surviving, it’s about thriving.
• It’s not just about economics, it’s about SEEconomics.
• It’s more than just a shaken humanity …it’s about a humanity stirred.

Race to the FINISHED Line? “Racing Extinction” does more than Ask Tough Questions

In #RacingExtinction Director of @CoveMovie_OPS Targets a Network of Earth’s Problems http://t.co/DRoS6GwK2E pic.twitter.com/rbMqJQfOlu
— Racing Extinction (@Extinction_OPS) January 27, 2015

Image: Racing Extinction: it’s not a spectator sport anymore

Source: https://twitter.com/saradecc

“My goal is to make a film that doesn't just create awareness, but inspires people to get motivated to change this insane path we're on. Films to me aren't just entertainment -- they are for me the most powerful weapon in the world, a weapon of mass construction.”

~ Louie Psihoyos

Source: thedodo.com: If "The Cove" Inspired You ... Wait Till You See "6"

Weapons of mass construction. A Contradiction in terms, or the coolest term ever? We at Genesis Eco Fund love it, together with Louie Psihoyos, the Academy Award-Winning Director of “The Cove” and Executive Director of the Oceanic Preservation Society.

His latest project, “Racing Extinction” (formerly entitled “6”) goes further than most activist documentaries about exploitation of the natural world. It not only takes action, it documents the actions being taken and shows the world—in an exercise of modern guerilla-media warfare—the err of its ways. 

Video: “Racing Extinction” Official Festival Trailer by Oceanic Preservation Society

Source: YouTube http://youtu.be/MwxyrLUdcss

Is it effective? Will it ultimately make a difference? Or is it too little, too late? When asked by The Dodo, How bad is it really?  Psihoyos replied, “One paleontologist told me that WWII will be a footnote in human history compared to the current loss of biodiversity that our generation is presiding over.” Source: https://www.thedodo.com/if-the-cove-inspired-you-wait--524234729.html

Translation: Bad. Really bad.

According to Psihoyos, we could lose half of the species on the planet by the end of the century. And although this will not be the first mass extinction to happen in the planet’s history, it will be the first that is caused by human behaviour.

Whether or not this is the case, only time will tell.  The more immediate impact of Psihoyos’ work—on The Cove, Racing Extinction and OPS—is its revelatory value; what the threat of such mass human-caused ecological and genetic devastation reveals about humanity’s appalling relationship with nature.

We all know about humanity’s dismal track record of environmental exploitation, going back thousands of years. But what Psihoyos and his colleagues manage to achieve is show us that things have not improved in many places in the world. If anything, population growth has all but guaranteed that things have gotten much, much worse than they ever were before.

The technology and large scale machinery for the wholesale destruction of species has never been as advanced as it is today; neither the potential profits for individuals and groups participating in the trade of threatened creatures—including but in no way limited to sharks.

And let’s not forget that much of the trade in threatened species is built on a cultural foundation of traditions stretching back thousands of years. Combined with booming population growth and middle class aspirations of material wealth, it is inevitable that demands will be met with supply, as long as that supply is available…no matter the cost.

Such short-sightedness is but one of the many tragedies of the intellectual animal which calls itself “human.”

How do we turn things around?

Psihoyos suggests:

“1. Get your home, school, places of work and worship, and government buildings off of fossil fuels ASAP
2. Explore a plant-based diet

3. Tell everyone you know to see this film
  
The solutions are all upgrades. I've been driving an electric car for five years, and it never goes into the shop because there's only one moving part in the engine -- the rotor -- which lasts forever. I power it with solar panels, I don't pay for gas; in fact, my whole house and studio is powered by the sun. My license plate says “VUS” which stands for Vehicle Using Sun -- it's the opposite of an SUV. My local electric company (which OPS has been working fervently to overthrow) pays us to produce electricity because we generate 140% more energy than we use.” Source: https://www.thedodo.com/if-the-cove-inspired-you-wait--524234729.html

Genesis Eco Fund proposes you look at getting an ecosystem for your home, office/workplace, and school.

Any dog owner with will agree it is all but impossible for them to eat dog. Likewise, someone who had a pet rabbit will likely turn their nose up at rabbit stew. This is because of the deep relationship they have with their pet—and by extension pets in general. 

Living in an ecosystem one becomes more conscious of—and sensitive to—the intrinsic value of nature and ecological systems. One has a much greater appreciation of fish, for instance, when one sees how their lives support the lives of plants in an ecosystem; and, conversely, how the plants support the fish. One appreciates snails as more than escargots when one sees them eagerly cleaning the ecosystem of algae.

An ecosystem is a living, breathing microcosm of the planet as a whole. Being a part of that microcosm gives one a visceral, experiential appreciation for the whole that no intellectual or conceptual argument can match.

Yes, a film can provoke strong emotions and trigger change, but an ecosystem in your life is there always: day in and day out, like a nagging Mother Nature reminding you to make your bed and wash behind your ears, it’s not easily ignored, let alone forgotten.

And so while we applaud the efforts of Louis Psihoyos and others who devote their lives to powerful cinematic reminders—these tools of mass construction—it takes more than a blueprint and a business plan to actually build the future we want. Those 90 minutes, no matter how powerful they are, need to be backed up by real substance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…in other words, ongoing immersion in a space of love.

That is the power of an ecosystem to enact sustainable long term positive change in peoples’ lives. The kind of sustained changes in attitudes and life choices Louis Psihoyos and his colleagues hope to be able to spark.

War of the Wolves B.C. Should look to Yellowstone Case before Wolf Cull

Video: Wolf cull in B.C. | A War on the Wolf   
Source: CBCNews http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2653349257/

“Nature needs no help, just no interference.”
~ BJ Palmer
Source: greatest-inspirational-quotes.com: The Greatest Inspirational Quotes Nature

Today we look at a contentious issue again, one which rattles people on both sides of the argument: human interference or non-interference with nature?

Should human beings overtly get in the way of natural processes, systems—ecosystems—extinctions, even? It is a contentious and emotional issue. After all, as people we tend to get pretty attached to one of two deciding factors in the argument:

1. Nature First:be it a moral position of superiority over human judgment; or, an ethical statement on the rights of animals and plants to exist free from suffering. 


2. Humans First:be it our position of moral superiority (being “conscious,” the most “evolved” of all animals, and/or divinely assigned the role of guardian and custodian of the planet and all life on it; or, a pragmatic secular statement on humanity’s rights to exploit nature however and whenever it deems necessary; that this, too, is survival of the fittest.

These two positions are not mutually exclusive.  In the case of the proposed B.C. wolf cull discussed in the video which opened today’s article, advocates of the cull are claiming good ecological stewardship, claiming they have the best interests of the “endangered” caribou at heart—a “beloved Canadian symbol.”

We can’t help but wonder if those considering this cull have looked into the Yellowstone case for what the large-scale impacts that top-level predators have on ecosystems.

Video: The importance of predators, the Yellowstone case 

Source: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAGEXDlUHDE

We wish to try and be somewhat balanced in sharing this information; so for the sake of balance, we should point out that even the Yellowstone “success story” has its detractors. One man’s success is another man’s disaster. This should come as no surprise.

Video: Crying Wolf: Exposing the Wolf Reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park – Preview 

Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHRWIrbrlHI

Good or bad, right or wrong, for better or for worse, one cannot debate that the re-introduction of wolves to Yellowstone was a human intervention…albeit reversing previous human interference which included culling wolves and/or driving them from Yellowstone in the first place.

The point is, human beings have an ongoing and unquestionable knack for intervening in nature which leads to highly disruptive if not all out disastrous results.  The planet even has a continent which more than any other has served as a massive experiment in species introduction, relocation, and interference…Australia.

Video: Human interference with nature - it doesn't work! - BBC wildlife 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMG9CzArGBE

So where do we end up? Species introduction bad? Species reintroduction good? In the final analysis, these questions of good or bad, right or wrong have no place in the discourse of nature. We should, by now, know all too well that nature does not share humanity’s ideas of morality, nor does it function on a purely binary code of conduct.

At times life appears sacred to nature, and we see it nurturing and fighting to protect life at all costs from all threats. At other times, nature appears callous and uncaring, partaking in wholesale destruction of entire species.

Nature is mysterious that way, and the thinking human doesn’t like mysteries…the thinking human likes to be in control. We like to think we have the answers, and want to believe we know what we’re doing. Humanity like to think ourselves masters of the universe, whether we are scientists manipulating genes in test tubes, or spiritual gurus professing ourselves to be one with the Source of the Universe.

The problem is precisely our point of view…not which point of view we have, but the fact that we have one at all. It’s the very notion of imposing what we think—from our subjective perspective—needs to be done on what operates on a fundamentally objective paradigm.

Say what you will about nature, it at times appears fair and other times unfair…but what it is not is biased. Nature is what it is. And truthfully, it’s only from this level of consciousness that anyone can hope to approach any problem in nature and hope to get it right.

Intervention? Non-intervention? Who knows? Here’s what we do know: you’re never going to think it through…like so many of our experiences of nature, you have to feel it, but not subjectively in the mind (“poor caribou, poor moose, poor wolves”), but objectively: what is most beautiful.

You can fill countless textbooks on the ecological effects of this or that; using statistics, satellite imagery, head-counts of fauna, and every conceivable metric to stimulate the mind in an attempt to convince it of what is right or wrong. But to know what’s most beautiful you only need your imagination...

Australia overrun with foreign invaders? Yellowstone returned to her former glory? Unknown consequences to B.C. ecosystem?

Just feel it. What feels right?

World Wetlands Day 2015: Wetlands for Our Future

Image: WLE Postcard (back/front) highlights ecosystem services provided by Southeast Asian wetlands
Source: http://wle.cgiar.org/blog/2015/02/02/wetland-ecosystem-services/  
February 2nd 1971, the Convention of Wetlands was adopted and began the annual tradition of celebrating World Wetlands Day.

This year, the International Water Management Institute, or IWMI, has marked the occasion with the theme, Wetlands for Our Future, a photo contest, and communication materials available for download.  

In addition, they have produced the following infographic which highlights how broad-reaching the impacts of wetlands are on all of us.

Image: IWMI Infographic “Wetlands at Work” Source: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/infographics/infographic-wetlands-at-work.pdf

What is particularly telling is the foundational impact of wetlands on ecosystems.

The Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) and International Water Management Institute are a part of CGIAR—A Global Agricultural Research Partnership.

CGIAR research partnerships focus on reduction of rural poverty, improvement in food security, nutrition and health, and sustainability in managing natural resources.

What International Wetlands Day signifies is the recognition that ecosystems are the backbone of sustainable agriculture, and that ecosystems themselves have a foundation—wetlands…water.

More than anything else, wetlands produce living water. This ionized energy-rich flow is capable of supporting massive plant and animal populations, in addition to providing naturally filtered water for human consumption, so long as it is an agricultural ecosystem.

What wetlands cannot support (what no living system can support) is industrial agriculture model built on a paradigm of exploitation.

Any attempt to use wetlands as a “silver bullet” to support inherently unsustainable western-style industrialized agriculture is doomed to fail. Trying to bring increased productivity and efficiency to the rural poor using an anti-ecosystem model, supported by what can only support ecosystems, is folly.

That said, opportunities do exist to uncover and embrace nature’s modus operandi, thereby producing everything required by local populations in environmentally responsible and sustainable ways. In other words, to comprehend how wetlands and other ecosystems interact, and use that comprehension to enable those systems to flourish naturally. 

Any exploitative model, however ingenious it may seem, will be in a constant state of conflict with the underlying natural world which seeks harmony and symbiosis. An ecosystem approach, built on harmony and symbiosis, will be met by nature as an ally, and will be supported by nature to succeed.

It’s an infinitely complex process summed up by a very simple fact. All research in this area should be focused on restoring humanity’s harmony and symbiotic relationship with the ecosystem—wetlands included. How can we contribute and support ecosystem (as oppose to “exploit and manage” resources).

Could Advanced Human Habitat Prevent/Cure Addiction? New Discovery suggests a Space of Love could be Pivotal

Image by Genesis EcoFund: Addiction Free in a Space of Love 

Credit: “Addiction” 

Source: https://loopylettuce.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/marijuana-myth-addiction/

“Addiction is an adaptation. It's not you. It's your cage.”

~ Bruce Alexander, Professor of Psychology

Source: Huffington Post: The Blog: "The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think" by Johann Hari *

It’s not you. It’s your cage.

You can imagine our response to reading these words in The Huffington Post’s Blog Entry “The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think,” by Johan Hari, author of Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs…

We could have told you that.

For years Genesis has advocated for reintroducing a healthy space of love into peoples’ lives by means of the incorporation of high-order rainforest ecosystems. The clinical name we gave this is Advanced Human Habitat, and after today perhaps psychologists and addiction specialists may finally take note and hear us out.

But let’s backtrack a bit.

As part of his three and a half year, 30,000 mile journey around the world in search of the real drivers of the war on drugs, Johann Hari stumbled across the likes of psychologist Bruce Alexander and physician Gabor Mate—both Canadian specialists in the field of addiction and mental health.

It was Dr. Mate who, according to Hari, first explained that despite having used the same drug for the same length of time which turns street-users into addicts, those who use elicit drugs for medical purposes simply stop once treatment is no longer required.

Hmmm…so what’s all this about the “opiate effect on the brain” and all the other stuff we’ve heard over the years about the nature of addictive substances? Surely if it’s a neurochemical phenomenon, then ANYONE exposed to “addictive substances” should get addicted. It turns out this is just not the case.

Bruce Alexander’s work suggests why. His experiments with rats showed that when kept in isolation and given a choice between drug-laced water and regular water, rats invariably become “addicted.”
 
However, when Professor Alexander created a “rat park” which consisted of “a lush cage where the rats would have colored balls and the best rat-food and tunnels to scamper down and plenty of friends: everything a rat about town could want,”* rats given the choice of drug-laced water and regular water simply shunned the drugs. They remained sober.

Image: “Rat Park” by Stuart McMillen 

Source: http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/comics_en/rat-park/

 
Next, after letting his test rats in the isolation cage use for 50 days (become seriously addicted), he transferred them to Rat Park and—remarkably—apart from a few withdrawal symptoms, they stopped their heavy usage and went back to living normal lives.
Although Hari seemed surprised by these results, we at Genesis are not. In his defense, Hari does make the admission and startlingly profound statement which we all need to take to heart:

“So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection.”*

Now, we are not ones to rat out the esteemed author and blogger whose work inspired today’s article and which we are so generously quoting from, but it’s not necessarily human connection which is lacking. Reconnecting with manic individuals and a toxic lifestyle won’t necessarily help prevent/alleviate addiction. We must understand the difference between Professor Alexander’s rat park and the rate race.

Image: “Rat Race” by www.polyp.org.uk

Source: polyp.org.uk: Cartoons about Consumerism

There are many people who feel isolated though they are surrounded by others. Many people are shy, or have all-out social anxiety disorder. They may feel more comfortable and at home with a good book, a pet, gardening, in nature, etc.

As a matter of fact, many individuals (ascetics, for instance) who thrive in isolation do so precisely because they “go back to nature.” Be it the lone hunter, trapper, woodsman, explorer, adventurer, castaway, etc., we are all familiar with the reality that nature provides more than enough “meaningful connection.”

Isolation is not absence of people. Isolation is an absence of love.

What human beings need is a space of love.

If we achieve that space of love through loved ones, family, friends, other positive relationships, good. But what happens when nobody’s around? Do we start having “separation anxiety?” Or, what if we don’t have the luxury or good fortune of a loving family, many friends, and positive relationships? What if our human support network is not all it’s cracked up to be? What then?

Advanced Human Habitat, with high-order ecosystems generating fields of collective harmony and symbiosis—spaces of love—can be for us what “Rat Park” was for Professor Alexander’s rats.

Advanced Human Habitat is humanity’s “nicer cage.”

A video can’t do it justice. But use your imagination.

Video: PeapodLife Living Wall EcoSystem Fitch Street – Advanced Human Habitat creates a Space of Love to help fight Addiction

Can’t you see this as a BIG STEP in the right direction toward preventing and alleviating addictions and many of the other “coping mechanism” we have for our inherently “isolated” lives?



=======================
* All Quotes in today’s blog sourced from Huffington Post “The Blog”: The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think by Johann Hari, Posted: 01/20/2015 3:20 pm EST

One Million Children in Meditation Show us the Power of Ecosystems

Image by GenesisEcoFund: Flower of Life Blooms in Thailand: 1 Million Children Strong  
Credit: BBC Video  Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21016612

“The first goal is to get 10,000 students practising Transcendental Meditation in the U.S. to create a wave of peace in America that will be a catalyst for peace in the world…”

~ David Lynch 

 

Quote and Image Source: http://www.quotehd.com/quotes/words/Transcendental%20meditation

A few weeks ago we wrote a blog asking What can the Ferguson Riots teach us About Ourselves and the Flower of Life? And while this was all well and good, today we offer an expansion on the subject of the flower of life, morphogenetic fields, the impact of collective energy and consciousness on our well being. This time, from what we hope will be a more positive example.

According to organisers of the V-Star Change the World project, their most recent event—which brings together schoolchildren for a day of meditation—was attended by one million children. The event was held at Phra Dhammakaya Buddhist temple near Bangkok, Thailand.

As the following BBC report states, the event has not been met without some controversy in the past, with critics claiming it to be everything from a publicity stunt to a cult. Nonetheless, the Temple believes bringing children together to meditate on masse can indeed change the world.

Video Screenshot & Link: 'One million children' join Buddhist meditation event

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21016612

So what does a million children have to do with ecosystems?

As we previously explored in the aforementioned post about Ferguson MO, we each have an electromagnetic field which, when it is compounded with that of others, creates a more intense energy field.

We asked the question, “How is it that one person’s negative energy can interfere with the electromagnetic field of hundreds of people?”  The answer was “the flower of life,” an ancient symbol describing the interaction of electromagnetic fields in 3-dimensional space and the resulting phenomena of the morphogenetic field and the bizarre and/or violent behaviour of individuals caught up in “crowd mentality.”

The following video excerpt from Thrive shows how this happens:

Video: How electromagnetic fields (torus) compound each other to create powerful morphogenetic fields, shown in “the flower of life.”

Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgGtMiqGKeg

Just as negatively-charged morphogenetic fields have a negative effect on individuals, positively charged ones will have a positive, beneficial effect.  

And it’s not just people who generate these fields. All living things have an electromagnetic field, even the planet itself (which is the source of the aurora borealis). In fact, the planet’s field is partly made up of the field of every living thing living on it. This is where the claim a million meditating children can change the world comes from…it’s literally true that a million beings resonating in harmony will have a positive harmonic effect on the whole.

Now imagine being a part of that resonance field…a field of harmony, peace, joy, happiness, and love? Innocence, intensely expressed, compounded.

We cannot orchestrate such events on a regular basis in our life. But what we can do is create a similar space of love where we live, work and heal using a high order rainforest ecosystem.

Image: An ecosystem 

Sources: http://mysticmedusa.com/2012/05/heart-electricity-is-stronger-than-brain-voltage/ 

Torus: http://www.horntorus.com/illustration/standard_dynamic_horn-torus_still.html

Like one million meditating children, an ecosystem has the benefit of numbers. Though not in the millions, ecosystems work in the range of billions of organism—yes, billions…we cannot discount the existence of bacteria and other microbes whose function is paramount to collective harmony and symbiosis of the superorganism.

Ecosystems resonate with one shared frequency of balance and harmony. And, even moreso than children, ecosystems are innocent. They have no ego to speak of. This naturally cleansing environment is why people are so drawn to escape big cities and the collective consciousness of chaos of modern living to seek refuge out in nature. We need to surround and immerse ourselves in the energy which only nature can provide: pure, balancing, refreshing…truly alive.

Truly, we all stand to benefit from getting the flower of life to bloom in our lives.

If at first you don’t Suck-Seed, MODIFY THE CHILDREN The GMO Industry’s “Next Generation” Propaganda

Video: Bill Nye Sells a Whole New Generation on GMO’s

Source: YouTube: Eyes of Nye - GM foods - HTS2100 edition

“If you set aside for a moment from the usual debate about whether GMOs are bad or good, a curious fact emerges. For a rich and powerful [industry] that seems to excel at nearly everything it does, [GMO companies] suck in one important aspect: spin control.”

~ Lessley Anderson

Source: Modern Farmer: Why Does Everyone Hate Monsanto?

Clearly, the GMO industry has a PR problem. A growing number of people are expressing real concerns about the safety of “frankenfoods,” not just in terms of health, but also the environment.

Genetically engineered organisms are NEW SPECIES, unlike anything the world has seen before. And let’s face it: we human beings are caught between two insanely irrational psychological bents…

• FEAR ANYTHING’S THAT’S NEW on the one hand, and
• EMBRACE EVERY NEW TECHNOLOGY PRECIPITOUSLY on the other.

With GMO’s there are real concerns. These concerns have been well documented and voiced by many groups and individuals—including prominent scientists, biologists, bio-ethicists, and geneticists—David Suzuki among them.

So while the GMO industry keeps advancing, pushed by soaring profits (and they would say “the global demands on industrial agricultural food production”), they are feeling the pinch in terms of public opinion. Not only are GMO’s banned in many countries, the demand for GMO labelling of food products is gaining ground in many jurisdictions. 

“What to do!? Never fear! Bill Nye is on the case! (Suck our GE eggs, Suzuki!)” – GMO lobby.

When you’re losing battle on one front—consumer population and regulators—why not launch a flanking maneuver on a whole new WEAKER FRONT? “If we can’t convince THIS generation of the safety and reliability of GE organisms, why not get at the NEXT generation, while they’re still vulnerable?”

Psychologically Modified Offspring (PMO’s)

Children are naïve and impressionable, right? Kids will believe practically anything they’re told by authority figures, teachers, and the people who they watch all the time…personalities TV they admire, find smart and amusing, look up to and like to watch. TV personalities like BILL NYE.

But hold on! There’s a catch. Children have been growing up WAY TOO FAST in recent years. The double-edged sword of this is while they make for ravenous consumers and impressive “influencers” for adult purchases (expert naggers), they also are much better informed on issues than ever before! 

Video: Rachel Parent proves children are not so gullible

Source: YouTube - 14 year old girl picks fight with bully TV host - and WINS!

So, it’s not enough for Bill Nye to come out with gloves swinging outright against the fear-mongering camp. He can’t just come right out all “rah-rah” for the GMO lobby. It has to be MORE SUBTLE. After all, their kids…the industry has YEARS to propagate subtle, suggestive hints buried in superficially “balanced” reporting on the science and safety of GMO. 

Consider the opening video to today’s article. Nye begins by expounding on how we’ve been tinkering with agriculture for centuries, and why agricultural organisms are not really “natural” anyway.

At 3:35, thrusting a pair of papayas toward the camera like a prize fighter, he asks, “Is it GOOD versus EVIL? Or is it another step in the march of industrial agricultural progress?”

Again, this rhetorical question implies that the whole GE issue is NOT really an issue at all! There’s no “right or wrong” here, there’s just the inevitable step forward in human progress.

This is followed by the classic argument for GMO’s (that the farmers of GMO crops don’t have to use as much pesticide, and their crops are practically chemical free). This turns out to be flat-out WRONG. (Sorry, papaya-man). 

A study by Food & Water Watch found that the promise of less herbicide use has not come to fruition. Based on USDA and EPA data, the study echoed the findings of a similar study by Washington State University conducted by Professor Charles Benbrook.

Image: Increase in herbicide use since introduction of GMO crops.

Source: Forbes.com – GMO Crops Means More Herbicide, Not Less

According to these studies, the problem appears to be the emergence of “superweeds,” which appear with repeated application of a pesticide which selects for chemical-resistant weeds. To what end?

“This has meant huge profits for agribusinesses developing and selling genetically engineered seeds, herbicides and pesticides.  Seed revenues have septupled (increased seven fold) since 1998.”

Quote & Image: Revenues from GE Seed Grows like Weeds.

Source: Forbes.com – GMO Crops Means More Herbicide, Not Less

Ah-ha. Now we see the sparkle in “Nye’s Eye.”

Keep in mind that Bill Nye is AN EXPERT at communicating to children. He does it for a living. He is wildly popular in his ability to explain complex scientific concepts to young kids. He’s wacky, zany, loveable, charming…the makings of a very powerful influencer.

This is propaganda on a very large yet very subtle and seemingly “harmless” scale. There may be some of you saying, “C’mon! This is the least of our worries! What with ISIL, EBOLA, the economy, THE RUSSIANS!”

Well, just remember how the illusionist is able to perform his tricks right before our eyes without us knowing it.

If you care about your children and their future, and want to expose them to science programming on the TV, you’ll turn off Bill Nye and let your children watch David Suzuki instead. Too bad our American Neighbours to the south don’t have that alternative.

“Smarty Plants” & the Roots of Plant Intelligence

Video Link: The Nature of Things with David Suzuki: Smarty Plants: Uncovering the Secret World of Plant Behaviour

Credit: cbc.ca: The Nature of Things: Episodes: Smarty Plants

“We think the Sagebrush are basically eavesdropping on one another.”
~Rick Karban, U.C. Davis Ecologist
Source: The New Yorker – The Intelligent Plant

A few weeks ago, PeapodLife posted a blog entitled Do Plants Hold the Secrets to Consciousness? . Today, we offer a good deal more dramatic evidence that plants not only behave, it is quite possible they have complex behaviour and even intelligence.

Genesis Eco Fund also wrote on the topic of plant communication as it relates to ecosystems back in July: Do Trees Communicate? Ecosystems & the Communication of Plants.

Mainstream materialist science has no choice but to accept plants are not the passive organisms it assumed them to be. And while many still dismiss the notion of plant intelligence, others are embracing a different view.

Probably the most well-known of these is Stefano Mancuso, Plant Neurobiologist. Here is his TED Talk from 2010:

Video: TED Talk - Stefano Mancuso: The roots of plant intelligence 

Credit: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIfwFLDXFyQ

Listening to the passion of his presentation, one can easily comprehend why Mancuso is the Co-Founder of LINV - International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology.

Plant Neurobiology? Plant Neurobiologist? But plants don’t have a brain. “If you are a plant, having a brain is not an advantage,” Mancuso says. And yet, he has dedicated his life to the pursuit of plant intelligence. Source: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/the-intelligent-plant

There is certainly much more which could be said on this topic.

For starters, the conversation must invariably and inevitably move from the question of individual plant intelligence, or indeed, plant and animal intelligence, to one of ecosystem intelligence. That is, the ability for the superorganism to exhibit behaviours which show intelligence.

And certainly, in the view of Genesis, the conversation must (and will) eventually migrate from the question of intelligence, to the issue of consciousness and the discussion of what these two terms describe and how they differ from one another.

But today, we think we’ll just share some more videos demonstrating that something is indeed going on with plants, and it’s a secret world that we’re only just beginning to explore in any meaningful way.

Video Link: Mind of Plants: Documentary on The Intelligence of Plants, produced by Gédéon Programmes, K Production, ARTE

Video Link: Nature: What Plants Talk About – Documentary