Ocean Phytoplankton Drops 40 Percent Since 1950

The microscopic plants that form the foundation of the ocean’s food are declining. The tiny organisms, known asphytoplankton, work hard to gobble up carbon dioxide to produce half the world’s oxygen output—equaling that of trees and plants on land. But their numbers have dwindled since the dawn of the 20th century, with severe consequences for ocean ecosystems and the planet’s carbon cycle. Researchers at Canada’s Dalhousie University say the global population of phytoplankton has fallen about 40 percent since 1950. That translates to an annual drop of about 1 percent of the average plankton population between 1899 and 2008 and the greatest loss in in the last 5 years. Just as the heating of the poles is accelerating, so will the loss of some microbes. Warmer temps may mean more of other kinds of microbes, but the key concern is how that relates to C02 and Methane. C02 and Methane are the greatest concerns to planet Earth. The scientists believe that rising sea surface temperatures are to blame. “It’s very disturbing to think about the potential implications of a century-long decline of the base of the food chain,” said lead author Daniel Boyce, a marine ecologist. They include disruption to the marine food web and effects on the world’s carbon cycle. In addition to consuming CO2, phytoplankton can influence how much heat is absorbed by the world’s oceans, and some species emit sulfate molecules that promote cloud formation.

C02, methane and sea bugs

“In some respect, these findings are the beginning of the story, not the end,” Boyce said. “The first question is what will happen in the future. We looked at these trends over the past century but don’t know what will happen 10 years down the road.” The study “makes a sorely needed contribution to our knowledge of historical changes in the ocean biosphere,” said David Siegel of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Bryan Franz of NASA in an essay, also published in Nature. “Their identification of a connection between long-term global declines in phytoplankton biomass and increasing ocean temperatures does not portend well for [ocean] ecosystems in a world that is likely to be warmer,” they wrote. “Phytoplankton productivity is the base of the food web, and all life in the sea depends on it.” Boyce said he and his co-authors began their study in an attempt to get a clearer picture of how phytoplankton were faring, given that earlier studies that relied on satellite measurements produced conflicting results.

The scientists dug back into the historical record, well past 1997, the year continuous satellite measurements began. They examined a half-million data points collected using a tool called a Secchi disk, as well as measurements of chlorophyll—a pigment produced by the plankton. The Secchi disk was developed in the 19th century by a Jesuit astronomer, Father Pietro Angelo Secchi, when the Papal navy asked him to map the transparency of the Mediterranean Sea. What Secchi produced was a dinner plate-sized white disk that is lowered into ocean water until it cannot be seen anymore. The depth it reaches before disappearing gives a measure of water clarity. That can be used as a proxy for phytoplankton population in a given area, since the tiny organisms live close to the ocean’s surface, where they are exposed to sunlight they use to produce energy. Data gathered with a Secchi disk are roughly as accurate as observations collected by satellites, Boyce said, although satellites have greater global reach. The researchers found the most notable phytoplankton declines in waters near the poles and in the tropics, as well as the open ocean. They believe that rising sea temperatures are driving the decline. As surface water warms, it tends to form a distinct layer that does not mix well with cooler, nutrient-rich water below, depriving phytoplankton of some of the materials they need to turn CO2 and sunlight into energy.

Death of the Ocean

This may also have a lot to do with the China Algea Sea. The largest algal bloom ever recorded in China has turned the Yellow Sea green and may be related to pollution from agriculture and industry. Officials in the city of Qingdao had used bulldozers to remove 7,335 tonnes of the growth from beaches according to the Xinhua news agency. The phenomenon has become an annual occurrence in the region over the past six summers. This year’s incident has swathed 28,900 sq km (11,158 sq miles), twice as much as the previous biggest bloom in 2008. The algae, called Enteromorpha prolifera, is not toxic to humans or animals. However the carpet on the surface can dramatically change the ecology of the environment beneath it. It blocks sunlight from entering the ocean and sucks oxygen from the water suffocating marine life. The algae thrives on an abundance of nutrients in the sea. University of Cambridge and EnAlgae Project researcher Dr Brenda Parker said that the Chinese bloom may well be linked to industrial pollution. “Algal blooms often follow a massive discharge of phosphates or nitrates into the water. Whether it’s farming, untreated sewage or some kind of industrial plant that is discharging waste into the water,” she said. The recent explosion of the algae pointed to a dramatic change in the ecosystem which was probably not natural. “That would probably be an indicator that something is a little bit unbalanced,” said Parker. She said that the 2009 example algal bloom on the Brittany coast was a similar example of a human-induced algal bloom.

It is vital that we all shift our perspective towards a balanced approach to living in accord with nature as apposed to polluting our natural resources that are clearly warning us of significant changes ahead.

Can we be “over-connected”?

The connected world

The arrival of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) marks a major watershed in the global consumer economy. Internet connections will be built into a massive quantity of new products, from air conditioners to light bulbs and security alarms. These will all be controlled through apps and websites, and feed data into the cloud. Start ups specialized in home automation, established consumer electronics giants, and large Silicon Valley-based tech companies are all poised for a huge battle over this new consumer space, sometimes also referred to as the “Connected Life” market.

A report from BI Intelligence, recently examined the forces and numbers driving growth in the consumer Internet of Things or IoT, including the mind-boggling numbers for total market size. It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of the Internet of Things because it will come to encompass all manner of products we don’t normally think of as high-tech, such as UV-filtering window shades and door locks.

Here are some of the top findings:

• Defining the Internet of Things: It’s helpful to think about IoT devices as a new device category or layer that exists as the connective tissue between the formerly static non-connected world, and the world of PCs, tablets, and smart phones. For example, a connected washer and dryer unit can report energy usage and cycle settings to a smart phone app.

• The size of the opportunity: Machina defines “Connected Life Market Revenue” as the sum of all of the revenue accruing from the sale of connected devices and all related services. They see revenue ballooning to $2.5 trillion by 2020.

• How can it be so large? Many consumer categories are crossing into the IoT: These include kitchen and home appliances, lighting and heating products, and insurance company-issued car monitoring devices that allow motorists to pay insurance only for the amount of driving they do.

• Large manufacturers are already making big plays: These include LG, the Korean manufacturer of home entertainment systems and appliances and Friedrich, maker of AC units.

• Start ups are making a grab for this market too: SmartThings has built its entire business model around easily deployable sensors, monitors, and apps that allow consumers to run everything in their home through their smartphone. It raised a $3 million seed round late last year. We also expect companies such as Apple, Google, and others to get more involved.

DO YOU REALLY NEED IT?

If you’re like me, you’ll ask the question “how does all this inter-connectivity benefit our lives? The simple answer is that for most of us, it doesn’t. But for the companies who continually vie for more data and more details on where we live and how, they stand to reap the rewards by learning details about our usage patterns that they previously had no access to. At a time when most rational people are trying to find ways to unplug and free themselves from our already insanely connected life, I personally fail to find any benefit with my refrigerator sending details about the frequency of the door opening or it’s contents to the mother ship. Sorry that’s just me. In fact, I question all the seemingly useless connections and apps that are marketed to all of us in the attempt to make us believe we cant live without it. Life was simpler 20 years ago. You could leave work and spend time with your family and build a family unit. Instead, today we are available, working and being summoned by a wide range of people and systems 24/7, which only serves to remove time from our family life.

I do use and enjoy technology. I just try to determine the features and benefits prior to using or downloading it. In fact, about once a month I will comment on some new technology that actually benefits my life, but always seem to find myself saying, I could still live without it.

Let me know your thoughts on this topic, I would enjoy hearing from you about your personal position on being connected.For those who wish to learn more visit reCALIBRATEYOURSELF.COM

Technology is great, but…

Ever wonder where the information you are reading comes from? Has it ever occurred to you that you really do not know? I spend a lot of time doing research and I try to cover a wide range of sources to gather facts. It is not easy since much of the data comes from the web and there is virtually no hard and fast way to confirm that the data you read on the web is 100% factual. This raises all sorts of questions. People are attached to their mobile device 24/7 and are sharing enormous amounts of information each second of each day without confirming authority. I’m not talking about kitten videos or talking oranges!

Is it possible that much of what we read on the web is false? If this is true, then what does it say for our future? Where does it lead the millions of people who are learning things that are false? Years ago, to be published, you had to have verifiable data to back up your claims. It was typically vetted by numerous people. Even the press had certain standards before they published news stories. Now we see fabrications being published on Fox, CNN and CNBC every day.

FACT: First developed by researchers at MIT, who wrote a script that would go out onto the Internet and grab data on a specific subject and then re assemble the data into official looking science papers complete with peer reviewed acknowledgements and a high ranking scientist authors. The script would then automatically re-write and re-publish these fake papers and post them all over the web.

If this was done back in 2005, what on earth is possible today? The embarrassing lapse was exposed by French computer scientist Cyril Labbe of the Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble. He also spotted more than 100 other “nonsense” papers unwittingly published by the New York-based Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the journal Nature reported.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-02-science-publisher-gibberish-papers.html#jCp

It’s no secret that scientists have ego’s and they all want to share what they have learned and be acknowledged for their work. Still, there are thousands of examples of fraudulent information being released for two things. Notoriety and money. Since Global warming began it has fueled a heated debate. First that it was a lie and within just 10 years became the subject of billions in study grants. Follow the money, it always leads to the human condition. Fast forward from 2005 to 2013 and we are now in the troughs of the topic of Global Climate Change and the many recent news reports from the IPCC and others of glacial loss, sea level rise, increase storm activity and agricultural catastrophe. Arguments still abound on the cause, but it is happening and will affect us all. We are going to see a lot more changes in the way the Earth treats us, but for many of us who have been paying attention, this is not new. There are many things we can do to mitigate our own personal risk.  I suggest starting with a few informative documentaries.

Ethos, and I Am are both very well done and each tells a different story of what we all face and what we should be prepared for without over reacting to doomsday.

ETHOS tells of the fragile foundation the worlds financial system is built on and the dangers of over consumption and debt. Two topics I have been speaking about for seven years. Far too many people are being influenced by mass media trickery and can’t seem to pull away from the negative energy that will certainly be their demise. I sold 90% of my possession in 2009 and have been light ever since. There is much freedom in that. Learning about Aquaponics, clean water and various energy sources will serve me and enable me to care for my children in the future.

I Am, explains how each living thing on Earth (as well as in the universe) is connected through a powerful hidden field of energy. How the disruption of community came to be and the toxic nature of competition and how it is unraveling socio-economic balance. Both of these films can be found on Netflix and You Tube. Tom Shadyac a producer of many leading box office comedies found himself faced with a debilitating condition that lead him to ask a few philosophical questions which changed his life.  Tom takes us on a journey that teaches and inspires us to what really matters in the world and how everything we do as individuals does “affect” the entire world. Again, something near to my heart.

So although science is awesome and progress is good, we all need to embrace more of the  Ethnosphere and how we are all connected to it. Just like the sun is the key to our planets heartbeat, (and may be connected of all our weather and earthquakes) so to is the human heartbeat the connection to the Earth and everything on it.

Could Global Warming trend be over?

The sun is a major factor in our solar system and literally affects everything here on Earth. I’ve been watching a growing number of bright minds talk about  the sun and how it affects how we live, but they don’t get much airtime due to the vast number of stories about C02, Global Warming and ice melt. The video below is a guy who has been watching the sun for a long time and I think worth sharing for those of us who enjoy research.

Warming or cooling, our food supply is no less in jeopardy. A full thirty % of land in the U.S. is used to grow corn. The reason? Well, multinational corporations are finding new ways to use corn that never used to exist before. For one example: The majority of cows raised for the beef industry are now raised on corn. Unfortunately, before they raced ahead in an attempt to grow them bigger and faster, no one stopped to find out if it made sense. Truth is, it doesn’t make sense because the cows digestive system is not designed to digest corn. Increase in eColi anyone?

More corn, more sugar shit for the masses. Few realize that high fructose corn syrup is in 90% of all food on store shelves and is made from chemicals and corn.

TRUE: The FDA conducted over 50,000 food inspections annually in 1970. In 2007 they did less than 9,000.

TRUE: There used to be over one thousand slaughterhouses in the U.S. and now there are only 13

Faster, Fatter, Bigger Cheaper – that is the corporate moto for growing food to feed a growing population. This equates to no accountability and no integrity of our food supply. Bad food means more sickness. More illness means more need for healthcare. More healthcare means politics takes over. Sound familiar?

TRUE: In 1996, Two % of all soybeans had the genetically modified patented gene inside

TRUE: In 2008, Eighty % of all soybeans have it

Monsanto has 75 full time attorneys protecting their seed patents and countless teams of investigators harassing farmers who choose not to use their GMO seeds.

The US Government has passed bills to prevent anyone from posting a disparaging picture or text comment about the food production, cattle ranchers or slaughterhouses controlling our food supply.

If you havnt rented Food Inc. you should. Some things we all should be aware of.

Now for the “sun part” Some scientists agree the climate change patterns may be shifting due to the significant changes in the sun’s solar activity. We may be starting to cool off and Global Warming may be near its cyclic end. That’s said, Climate extremes may be here to stay and may actually get worse. More reason to learn how to grow healthy organic food Aquaponically. 

SEE VIDEO

The Distraction Era

For five years my business partner and I worked hard to help a lot of people through the financial crisis. I remember having a conversation with Mel (my partner) around Christmas 2009 when we talked about the current cycle and how long it would last. Around that time I began to do research into what would be the next stage of my career and how I would earn a living once the real estate market recovered and our client base shrunk. It wasn’t until late 2011 when I realized that we as a society had a lot of pressing issues that really needed to be addressed. I found enormous amounts of data on various subjects that would eventually lead us all to a path of no return. At that time I gave though to the fact that there was nothing I could do about these “macro” issues. But I still felt a responsibility to learn. Brushing aside all the conspiracy theories and people “selling” fear in books and seminars, and weeding through volumes of data and reports from credible sources, I found myself a little depressed. It seemed so obvious to me. Why were only a few people paying any attention to the signs of what was just around the corner? I brushed it aside temporarily and watched for another two years to see if it would really worsen or perhaps change for the better. After all, I have always believed that the Earth would just do what it was going to do. It ebb’s and flows and would always do just that. The question was always how that ebbing would affect 7 billion people. One of the biggest issues seemed to be the food supply and agriculture.

I looked at a variety of businesses from high end tattoo studio’s, smoothie bars with real fruit instead of ice and syrup, coffee cafes and even E-Cigarette Vapor lounges. Mel my partner, has since opened a Vapor lounge and she is doing very well. I could not see myself selling E-cigs to people day in and day out. For me the money was secondary to the work, and my work had to have meaning. I also never liked being beholden to others. I prefer to be in control of my own destiny. That was hard to find in a business model. Fast forward two years and the information that I came across then was much more prevalent now, and far more “dire”. I watched daily as the mainstream media peddles insignificant news to millions of people. The level of nonsense was overwhelming. Pushing news primarily dealing with three topics: Politics, sports and entertainment. Benghazi, the draft, or who won or lost last nights game and why; and who was voted off Dancing with the stars, The Voice, or American Idol. Add to that the newest and greatest mobile device that everyone “has to have”, as if it will make their life any better. I walk through the super market and listen to people. I go to Starbucks, or to dinner and listen to people. I’d hear nothing with any real value. Turn on the radio, if you don’t hear an advertisement trying to sell you something, or convince you to move your 401k, then you hear the DJ saying you need to buy your car from X dealer because they did. Are people in denial or are they totally immune to the issues that surround them and will greatly affect them and their children in a short period of time?

I realize that the majority of people have trouble with change, but I never realized how many people live in “complete ignorance” to what is going on around them. Geologist worldwide have been, and continue to, sound the alarms all over the globe. We are at a tipping point and there is nothing we can do about what comes next. In 1972 scientists warned us of the hole in the ozone layer of the Earth and we took steps to remove the CFC’s fairly quickly and the hole healed itself (for the most part). That was easy compared with what is happening today. While many argue over what is causing the climate change and the dramatic warming of the polar regions, no one disputes it. It is happening and it is accelerating.

I recently posted a video that summarizes very accurately what is happening today. I posted it and emailed it to hundreds of people. Other than a few responses no one said anything. This post is a chronicle to the seriousness of the issues that will soon threaten our daily routines. We have 2-5 years before everyone will be very surprised! Don’t take my word for it, there are many people much smarter than I all saying the same thing. Here is One Example.

At this point the best option for each of us is to begin planning for your own independent sources of food water and energy. Planning where you want your 12 year old to go to college is foolish. Sorry, to appear negative, but this is true. There has already been a 1.5 inch rise in sea levels since 2002 so Fl and the LA will have serious issues and millions will be forced to move within the next 5 years. This is just one issue that by itself will cause a ripple effect. In New Orleans the government has spent 14 billion building a sea wall 6 miles out, hoping to protect the city from future Katrina-like storms. It helped a lot of people with work and a paycheck, but it will do nothing to the escalating storms that will come as a result of increase in precipitation. Educate yourself a little with this VIDEO

As more heat comes from the sea which covers 70% of the Earth, so then the precipitation increases which then increases the amount of moisture that is collected and dumped from the atmosphere when it rains. Record rain fall has been increasing for the last 10 years and it causes major floods and displaces tens of thousands if not millions. We’ve watched storms increase their intensity for 10 years and this cycle is only going to get worse.

Climate change is one of dozens of issues facing our future. As of March 2014, Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan is still melting down and the 4th reactor has melted through the concrete floor barriers and is leaking high level radioactivity deep into the water table below the plant. This ground water ends up leaching into the Pacific Ocean. Elevated radiation levels have been measured in marine life in Seattle and San Diego.  Marine life is a perfect transmitter. The smallest creatures absorb the most toxins and they are then eaten by larger marine life and so on up the food chain. By the time the large 4 foot Tuna eats the 1 foot Mackerel the toxins increase 50-100 fold. News of massive die off of plankton and the cascading affect of algae growth is a big topic. Just Google China’s Algae bloom.

At this point, a main source of food has been removed by the Fukushima disaster and will affect millions of people worldwide. We still don’t know the full extent of the disaster. Some claim that this will cause a mass extinction within 10 years from the  Caesium-134/137 which causes cancer in very small amounts and has since been detected in air and water around the world. Obviously exposure to low levels of these toxins will react differently in all people depending on their age and immune system. Nevertheless, the toxins are not good for anyone at any levels.

A report from the Huffington Post on March 7th 2014 warned of cascading system failures due to climate change driven events. “From roads and bridges to power plants and gas pipelines, American infrastructure is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to a pair of government reports released Thursday”.

Full article here. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/climate-change-effects_n_4914116.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

I’m not trying to freak anyone out. I’m simply trying to get people to wake up a little and take notice and begin their own research into these issues so they can begin planning for their future. We owe our children the truth of what they face and knowledge to work through it. Knowledge is power and will give them the ability to be resourceful when they need to be. I am currently working with my children on three things. 1. Aquaponic farming so they can grow their own organic food. 2. Rain water capture and filtration. 3. Various types of radiant heating and Solar power.

No one knows when their time is up, and I for one do not worry about dying. I have lived a wonderful life. For some reason, I have a desire to help people, help themselves and until I grow tired of that, I will keep trying even when laughed at or ignored. Blessings to all who keep trying.

The increase of GMO’s in our food

A recent series titled Food for Thought on the Huffington Post blog explored some common secrets of GMO’s that are worth sharing.

I have posted them below and also added to them in my own words.

1. Don’t mention the food waste: “We need this technology to feed to world,” is the marketing cry of the big chemical companies. In truth, they do need this technology to feed the expectations of shareholders, but it turns out that more than one-third of the food produced in the world goes to waste. That amounts to 1.3 billion tons every year, costing us economically. In this country alone, we throw away 96 billion pounds of food every year, or 27 percent of the total amount of available food. That’s 3,000 pounds of food a second. With the United Nations on record saying that we need more than just genetically engineered food tools in the toolbox, it appears what we also need is a smarter distribution model to address this waste.

2. It’s Big Razor’s playbook: Gillette will practically give away the razor to get people hooked on buying the razor blade. It’s a smart strategy for chemical companies, too. They offer the genetically engineered seed at a discount, then get farmers on the hook for buying the chemicals and suite of chemical products required to make their seeds grow. Pesticide application is up 527 million pounds since the introduction of these genetically engineered crops.

FYI…did you know that by using your regular inexpensive hair conditioner to shave your legs (woman) or face (men) that your razor will stay sharp 50% longer than buying shaving cream? TRUTH. Shaving cream actually dulls the blades faster so instead of buying another product to shave with…often a more expensive product, simply use what you already have. Your conditioner. Additionally, the more ingredients in your shampoo and conditioner the worse it is for your body and scalp. Remember, what you rub on your skin or scalp does enter the bloodstream. SAVE SOME MONEY.

3. EPA now regulates this genetically engineered corn as a pesticide. Seriously, if you had the choice on your kitchen table or at a BBQ between a corn regulated by the EPA as a pesticide and one that wasn’t, which would you choose? No brainer. We should know which one is the pesticide and which foods it is going into.

4. Pre-treated seeds doused in chemicals: It’s called an accelerating agent, and seeds are pretreated before they are ever even put in the ground. Is it any wonder that farmers using these seeds are increasingly worried about what it is doing to the quality of their soil? Monsanto owns almost all the Patents with regard to plant stress. They own 90% of all the genetically modified seeds on the planet and will eventually control the nations food supply. They own drought tolerant seeds that grow with less water and they are are now monitoring the farmers grow data. See Blog Titled  https://empoweringconsumers.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/monsantos-recent-move-to-control-farm-data/

5. Pouring on the Pesticides: The latest analysis shows that genetically engineered crops have driven up overall pesticide use across the country, contributing to a 527 million pound increase in herbicide use between 1996 and 2011. And last year alone, genetically engineered crops used 20 percent more pesticides on average than non-GE crops. Who pays for that? Farmers and the people that eat them. Who benefits? The chemical companies selling the seeds engineered to withstand these increasing doses. It goes straight to the bottom line and into the bank. Not only are the chemicals a danger, but the antibiotics in our food have increased dramatically as well. 

Antibiotics in food

6. Patent the Chemicals as a Drug: The increasingly controversial weed killer, glyphosate, has been patented an antibiotic: Who knew that the patent had been filed? Apparently the US Patent and Trademark Office. As a growing number of farmers express concern over what this chemical is doing to their soil as headlines around the world express concern over what it is doing to humans, you have to ask yourself: given the 21st century technology we have today, is it time to make this 20thcentury, chemically intensive operating system, obsolete?

FYI – you can buy distilled white Vinegar for about $2.29 per gallon and add 20% water and use it to spray on your weeds with no harm to the soil. The weed killer Monsanto sells at your local hardware store costs $25.00 and is toxic. SAVE SOME MONEY.

7. Patents protect intellectual property: “The development of genetic engineering of plants in the 1980s was accompanied by a sequence of increasingly specific confirmations of the patentability of various types of life forms, provided that they met the standard patent criteria of novelty, utility and nonobviousness.” Nonobviousness is pretty discreet. So let’s say a pediatric cancer or autism group wanted to study if these crops and chemicals are contributing to the rates of cancer or autism. They’d have to go to Monsanto or the other big chemical companies for permission. It’s worth considering that just as Big Tobacco did before it, these chemical companies just might possibly be relying upon concealment of its documents from the public under intellectual property law to avoid liabilities and to evade regulation.

8. Technology Stewardship Agreements lock farmers into contracts for genetically engineered seeds. Want to break the contract? They’ll sue you. A farmer in Iowa is living testament to this happening. Once he realized that the details of that contract locked him into purchasing Monsanto’s suite of products for the life of the farm, it felt like a noose. When he wanted out, they made a point of showing the farming world that it wasn’t an option and sued. TRUTH…Monsanto is also involved with weather modification and as floods and storms wipe out small farmers, they buy the land and add it to their holdings. WATCH THE MOVIE HERE

9. Labels mean liability: Right now the companies using these genetically engineered foods want a ban on state labeling and are trying to stop a growing call for mandatory national labeling. Why? Because without labels, this “GMO Buyers Club” can claim that there is no evidence that these crops have ever caused any harm. And guess what? Without labels, they are right, there is no evidence. Labels would bring accountability, traceability and liability. It’s no wonder that the food industry is so allergic to labeling these genetically engineered ingredients in the United States. An allergic reaction to food sends someone to the ER once every three minutes.

Without labels on genetically engineered ingredients, the industry can claim “no evidence of harm.” Without labels, there is no traceability, accountability and liability. No way for these companies to be held accountable for the costs that they are externalizing onto society, our farmers, their farms and our economy. The food awakening is on, and the companies that are opting out of genetically engineered ingredients and willing to be transparent with the consumers are capturing market share.

I never like to tell people what to do, but I think it’s time to turn off “Dancing With The Stars” and begin learning how to farm our own food. This is the only way to ensure the quality of what we put in our bodies. As the poles continue to melt and the weather continues to accelerate, we will all be affected within the next 3-5 years. There are a lot of solutions out there if you know where to look.

Arctic Methane release likely to be trouble

A combined team of U.S. and Russian researchers has found that large amounts of methane are bubbling up from the subsea permafrost along the East Siberian Shelf. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes research they’ve conducted over several years. North of Russia lies the Arctic Ocean, over time, parts of it have been given different names—one of those the Laptev Sea, lies north of Siberia, and is bounded by peninsulas on both sides. The sea normally freezes in the winter and thaws in the summer, but the water remains so cold that the seafloor has, at least until recent years, remained frozen. The researchers in this latest effort have been monitoring the amount of methane released into the sea as the subsea permafrost melts in the summer.

Methane stored in sea floor

The melting of the subsea permafrost in the Arctic Ocean can’t be blamed on modern humans—it’s been slowly warming down there for thousands of years—it’s just recently however, reached the point where it melts in the summer just enough to allow the methane gases to seep out and bubble up into the sea column above. The researchers have been seeing record levels of methane in the both seawater and permafrost core samples they’ve been collecting over the past several years (they also use sonar to measure the density of bubbles emanating into the seawater). Worse, they have found that methane levels drop dramatically during storms. This means, the researchers report, that all that methane in the seawater is whipped into the atmosphere, adding to the other greenhouse gasses that are contributing more to global warming.

The researchers note that their measurements contradict predictions by other “more dire” reports that a massive “pulse” of methane will very soon add as much as 50 billion tonnes of methane to the atmosphere, causing a dramatic spike in global air temperatures. Instead, they suggest, it appears more likely that the methane will continue to bubble up slowly, but increasingly contributing to greenhouse gases much as is happening currently. They do caution that it is possible the current warming could cause more or bigger storms in the Arctic Ocean, releasing methane on a bigger scale.

Methane increase

One of the many conservative voices of climate change is the IPCC who gathers information from leading scientist and reviews their research. The IPCC reports are prepared and then shared with politicians and then adjusted prior to publication. One such report published in 2009 about the Arctic ice decline stated ( and charts showed ) the summertime ice in the arctic would be gone by 2100. Updated reports not published by the IPCC, but shared by concerned scientists state very clearly that the summertime ice shelves will be gone by 2016. See the MOVIE about Climate Change here

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is highly flammable and toxic to breath. There are trillions of tons of methane stored within the Earths core and much of it lies beneath the permafrost under the Arctic sea ice and Greenland. Methane has and will continue to seep from the sea floor, but researchers have been finding increased rates of this gas since 2007. With the reduction of ice shelves and the warming of the poles (average warming at the poles is 6 degrees versus 1 degree for the rest of the planet) some are getting concerned for what appears to be more methane and co2 which will only contribute to further warming of the Globe.

John Callahan is committed to educating people on issues that affect their health and well-being.Learn more at reCALIBRATEYOURSELF.COM

Do multi-vitamins really work?

Medical Journal says multi-vitamins are not what you think.

More than half of all adults in the United States take some sort of multivitamin; many do so in hopes of preventing sickness like the flu, heart disease, cancer or even to help with memory. But a recent editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine says that using supplements and multivitamins to prevent chronic conditions is a complete waste of money. “The (vitamin and supplement) industry is based on anecdote, people saying ‘I take this, and it makes me feel better,’ said Dr. Edgar Miller, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of the editorial. True, we can never underestimate the power of the human mind. But why not just meditate? Seems like it would be a whole lot cheaper and healthier than wasting money and then telling yourself that it works?

“When you put it to the test, there’s no evidence of benefit in the long term. It can’t prevent mortality, stroke or heart attack.” The editorial, “Enough is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements,” is based on three studies looking at the effects of multivitamins on preventing heart attacks and cancer, as well as improving cognitive function in men older than 65. All three studies were also published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The first study was a meta-analysis of 27 studies that covered more than 450,000 participants and found that multivitamins had no beneficial effect on preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer. In addition, taking vitamins didn’t prevent mortality in any way. (obviously anyone thinking otherwise is wasting their money) One interesting finding that few would ever have though is that the analysis did confirm that smokers who took only beta carotene supplements actually “increased” their risk of lung cancer.

When taking multivitamins to prevent a second heart attack, authors again found no beneficial evidence. The second study looked at 1,700 patients who previously had heart attacks. They were assigned to take three multivitamins or placebos twice a day for five years. However, with more than 50% of patients stopping their medications, it was difficult for authors to come to any real conclusions about the vitamins’ effectiveness. With such a high drop-out rate, “interpretation is very difficult,” said Dr. Miller. The final study followed nearly 6,000 men older than 65, who took either a multivitamin or a placebo for 12 years. The men were administered cognitive functioning tests, and test results found no differences between the two groups. However, Gladys Block, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at University of California Berkeley, pointed out that the group of men followed in the cognitive study were all physicians with no health problems. “These are very well-nourished, very health-conscious people,” she said. In fact, she says none of the studies accurately represents the American population. So basically, she is saying very few Americans eat right and are healthy so they really do need vitamins? Not sure I agree.

Block has spent her life studying the role of Vitamin C, in particular, on disease risk factors and says that most Americans are undernourished. This I will agree with! She says that most Americans don’t have a healthy diet, and therefore don’t get the vitamins and minerals they need. “You’re not getting any of these micronutrients from Coke and Twinkies,” said Block. “Two-thirds of us are overweight, a quarter over 50 have two or more chronic conditions, so there’s a substantial population that one would hesitate to call healthy.” Agreed, so why are we not working harder to educate the population on eating for health? Why is the healthcare industry not helping people learn more about the benefits of a natural raw food diet?

Fruits and vegetables = health and well being

Block went on to say, “There’s always a nontrivial minority that’s actually getting a questionable level of some micronutrients. So multivitamins are a backstop against our poor diet.” Cara Welch, senior vice president of the Natural Products Association, agreed with Block. “It is pretty common that in this day and age with the lifestyle many of us lead that we don’t always take the time to have a balanced diet, and even if you do have a balanced diet, you can still have nutritional deficiencies.” The National Products Association is the largest trade organization representing the manufacturers and retailers of the natural products industry, including vitamins. The vitamin and supplement industry rakes in nearly $12 billion annually, according to the researchers, with multivitamins its most popular product. So obviously they have a vested interest in their existence. “Multivitamins address the nutritional deficiencies in people,” Welch said. “We don’t believe they are the answer to all life’s ailments, as the editorial suggests.”

Hmmm, seems very similar to the doctors who for years swore that smoking was not addictive or harmful, but where on the payroll of big tobacco.

Miller, also disagreed that the studies didn’t represent the general public. “They didn’t select people who eat good diets or bad diets,” he said. “You assume that these people selected are the typical American diet. Taking a supplement in place of a poor diet doesn’t work.” Some groups, however, do need supplements, he said. “For people with deficiencies, malabsorption issues, and to prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy — there are a small number of conditions where we prescribe them.” Miller also said the jury is still out on Vitamin D, which can help strengthen bones, and omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA. Miller said the studies were unlikely to change any clinical standards, and that focusing on diet and exercise remain key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s something with which Block can agree. “Eat fruits and vegetables,” she said.

So now that we have some data to use to educate people, we need to address the key question, “what is a poor diet”? Well for the most part, more than half of Americans do not eat a healthy diet. Several recent reports state that americans are eating better, but these reports are based on one thing. Caloric intake and the main factor was the recession, so people had to cut back. That has nothing to do with eating “quality” food. If you learn the basics about the human body, you will find that without the adequate minerals in the blood stream contained primarily in raw foods and especially raw nuts and legumes, almost all of the described benefits of vitamins can never even get absorbed. Additionally, the more you learn, the more it is understood that vitamins in hard pill form often leave the body in waste before they completely dissolve, so the best form of supplement is food grade capsules that have not been dried or significantly modified. Good luck finding that on the shelves. Modification of the molecular structure of any natural raw food makes it less effective. It doesn’t matter what retired doctor is trying to convince you otherwise. Nor does it matter what rare tree the herb came from in south america. More often than not, these MLM companies are just trying to take your money.

There is a very basic answer to this problem, eat healthy food. To do so, you really need to buy or grow your own fresh fruits and veggies. That is the only sure-fire way to be sure you’re getting the most “optimal” nutrients for health. The rest is up to your genetics (which is another huge factor, too long for this blog) and other consciousness-based factors. Learn more at reCALIBRATEYOURSELF.COM

The Cult of Personality and Glamour

It has become hard to tell if the media is simply giving us what we want, or if we are blindly consuming the information it gives us. Search engine rankings consistently show celebrities and sports figures near the top of online searches. The majority of Americans are obsessed with famous people. There’s a real escapism to it. Instead of the world of inflation, job losses and rising debt, we can turn our attention to someone else, often to feel better about ourselves in the process.

Schadenfreude is defined as pleasure taken from observing the misery of another. We follow the trials and tribulations of the rich and famous as they rise or fall from grace, sometimes hoping they overcome, and other times casting judgment upon them, measuring our own lives against theirs. Many watch with morbid fascination as famous people go bankrupt, have their relationships fall apart, and succumb to drug abuse. When we tune in to the latest celebrity plight, it’s often easy to grab a secret joy from seeing their misery.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of Celebrity Rehab and Loveline, says, “We deify people, and then tend to scapegoat them. Nobody is immune from our desire to scapegoat. Underneath that, ultimately, is a deep acting out of a common feeling of which we seem to have an excessive burden these days: envy.”

James Houran, Ph.D., is a relationship expert and co-author of Celebrity Worshippers: Inside the Minds of Stargazers. He opined: “When we see people looking perfect and glamorous on TV, we may think they have a perfect life. Money, influence, and nice things often equate to joy for people, and we forget that there is a price associated with all of that.” We become intoxicated by the clout they appear to have. Who wouldn’t want to walk into any fancy restaurant and get seated immediately, or have the velvet rope at an exclusive club opened when they walk up? The world of famous people is surreal to the rest of us. Fancy beach houses, lots of cars, red carpet walks, private jets, high fashion, it all seems like a life we would love to have.

Beyond our motives or opinions, some people follow the lives of their imaginary friends closer than the ones in their real lives, sometimes to the point of obsession. We track their social circles, and their personal victories and failures become a central topic of conversation. Of the social element, Dr. Charlotte De Backer of the University of Leicester, Department of Media and Communication, concluded in a study, “Living in scattered societies, we often don’t know who to talk about with the many people we know, and celebrities can act as our mutual friends and acquaintances.” Celebrities are a common bond between us. Like sports and world news, they are a social reference point we can use to relate to others, giving us a sense that we are all living in the same world.
The quest for fame is nothing new. Achilles, the Greek hero, performed his amazing deeds for glory, as did Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. How deeply does the quest for fame influence people’s drive? Are people seeking fame simply to be known in a world that is rapidly getting smaller, while the population explosion continues?

Could this be a manifestation of the human need to be noticed? Perhaps fame has become an end to itself. Some people are famous simply because people know who they are, the same phenomenon that drives popularity contests in high schools. One need look no farther than reality television or game show winners to see this play out. These days you see people doing all sorts of crazy things on You Tube just to get noticed. Is it the human condition just playing itself out through the technology that is now available? Or perhaps is it something more sinister?

I will discuss the fact that 60% of all reality shows are “fake” in my next blog. For now back to glamour.

Jake Halpern, author of the book, Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America’s Favorite Addiction suggests, “Kids see fame as a cure-all for problems.” And why wouldn’t they? In culture-filled viral videos, young people today see fame as something that’s achievable for everyone, even if, like Joe the Plumber, it’s a brief flash. All it takes is one headline, and anyone can have a book deal, or be a movie of the week. When Andy Warhol said, “In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes,” he may not have known how accurate his prediction would be for our society. We grab onto the newest craze, idea, or person, then promptly discard it when we become bored, or the next flavor-of-the-week arrives. A recent article in Newsweek suggested that the “Internet is actually driving us mad” and the human brain is actually being re wired for the constant borage of information it takes in. Much of it has little to no value, but that’s not stopping hundreds of millions for consuming it.

So, what is the price of fame? In reality, their lives are as messy as everyone else’s, and people like to have the flaws of others paraded. We take a grim satisfaction in taking them off their pedestals, and experiencing their humanity. Celebrities live in a bubble, their day to day reality is a macabre reality TV show where nothing is private, and no personal problem is sacred enough to be considered off limits. They live with constant stalking by reporters and photographers, and often find that the most mundane elements of their lives can end up as a news piece. And beyond all that, celebrities are scrutinized for every word and action. While we may snap at a waiter, or get upset when something happens, celebrities can find themselves crucified publicly for displaying the same emotions as the rest of us.

In marriage, normalcy is a true blessing. While most of us may have to deal with opinions of our friends and families in our personal relationships, we have no worries of tabloid scandal, no fear of public discussion or scrutiny of our relationship. We have the opportunity to work our relationships out privately, as compared to having every argument and dispute aired publicly for everyone to see and discuss. It’s hard to comprehend what it must be like to deal with a rocky relationship, and be reminded of it everywhere you go, or to have your marriage be a topic of conversation among people you have never met, but who seem to know far more about you than you might like. Truth is that the media almost always only gets a small piece of the puzzle.

So what is the solution to this seemingly endless mindset? That’s a big question with a huge answer. My humble opinion is that it all begins with values. What are the values you have chosen to live by? Are you constantly searching for something to distract you from your own life? Are you focused on being the best person you can be and constantly learning how to stay immune from the distractions of others? Are you stuck believing that “if you only had…X, you would be happy”? Fact is that it takes effort to overcome these issues, and it all begins and ends with your personal will. What are you focused on and what are you working on as a child of God while you are here on Earth?