Diversity is key - we know this to be true in so many realms. GMO's have got to go. Let's start telling and living the new story.

EDIT: a conversation tonight at dinner revealed further how much some believe monsanto is the only way to go. And then  appropriately, I found this "Small Scale Organic Farming - Only Way to Feed The World is the report they are referring to: Wake Up Before It's Too Late. And this epic article by good ol Joel Salatin.

What we do to others, and everything else - we do to ourselves. 

We are all interconnected. This, is a fundamental truth of our day, and this truth, when fully embraced, will facilitate positive and lasting change. We.all.are. 

I was recently having a chat with my Aunt about genetically modified organisms (GMO). She knows someone who works at Monsanto, and I am always curious to know what goes on inside the head of someone who works there. In light of the recent March against Monsanto, and the energy building - I thought I'd ask her if any of it was getting through to them, and what it all meant from their perspective.

Global March Against Monsanto
Vancouver Art Gallery Steps - Oct 12, 2013

She told me they see their job as an extremely important one. Ultimately, to save humanity - which is a pretty intense responsibility, no question. But is it true? And, is it really up to one group of people to save all of humanity? Can that even be possible? Does it even need "saving"? It's, of course, all in how it's framed, and our underlying context of how we see the world, and how we fit into it that would attempt to answer these questions.

She mentioned, and not surprisingly, that the underlying belief of those at Monsanto was, more often than not, "if we do not learn to modify seeds to create higher yield crops - we will never be able to feed the billions of hungry people on our planet." Ah yes - that old point.

That lead me to this massive email response, largely because it is a very important issue, but also because I type fast....but I decided it would be good to blog about it, too, so as to spread the message as far as it can go - that GMO's have got to go. 

We need to stop perpetrating the myths that these large companies want to feed us. Like the genetically modified high fructose corn syrup that they are putting in our every product, it’s sickening.

Each and every one of us needs to become educated so we can start taking a stand, and start saying YES to products we know we want, those which are GMO-free. Sadly, gone are the days (for now!) where we could walk into the grocery story and trust that the food on the shelves was good, wholesome, nutritious food. The system has evolved, for better or for worse, and so must our interactions with it.

It seems the main reason/argument for GMO's that I've got in talking to people is, "not being able to feed the billions of hungry people", and not coincidentally this is probably the biggest myth that Monsanto, and the other GE companies are perpetrating, and it's a dangerous one at that. 

Let's dig a bit deeper, on why that might be so.

I think what is tremendously hurtful and disrespectful is that these large companies play on a very natural human tendency - to feel compassion for others, to want to help and do the right thing. 

Of course if you say to someone "what, you don't want to feed the world? you want billions to go hungry?" they will say no, they will feel awful, guilty, and likely stop debating the subject, because now it’s called their own morality into question, and who wants to be a direct cause of people dying of hunger. It’s manipulative to pull on someone’s heart strings like that, especially when it’s not even true. It reminds me of the chat between Kevin O'Leary and the Rachel Parent - he certainly took that angle, among a few other nasty ones.

The bottom line - what we face is absolutely not a food shortage. What we face is a massive distribution problem. This is a fundamental understanding, and with this understanding, the whole problem shifts. 

[There's actually a movie in the works Food Waste Movie, really looking forward to it, it's by same people as Clean Bin Project, so we know it will be fantastic.]

At the end of the day, GM foods do not increase yields, and in fact they become perpetually more energy intensive to maintain. 

 Nature adapts, what she is best at, to the conventional methods, creating new, super-pests to rise to the occasion, which then puts Monsanto and other companies back to the labs to cook up the next generation of toxic seeds and sludge that they can flush into existence. And, of course, getting all "scientific" like that costs money, someone's got to pay that cost. Farmers having to pay for  increased quantities of toxins, and increased intensities of that toxic chemical soup, but not only from a monetary perspective, there are, of course, tremendous health costs associated with this too. And it's not just those directly involved having to pay - you and I pay, indirectly, because we breath the same air, and drink the same water - we are all connected. There's that fundamental truth again.

A business model that runs on the need to perpetually create and frantically sell the "next generation" has those working in these companies laughing. But, perhaps the laughter is to cover up the fear. I mean, unlimited sales, and ever-increasing growth? It sounds awkwardly similar to apple (well, actually, a lot of business models, that are starting to become extinct) and their desire to continually pump out new versions of products to keep sales high. This makes sense only in a world that values money over life, and thankfully that is changing.

From an economic perspective alone, as oil prices rise,  we can see that a system heavily dependent on fossil fuels is a system asking for trouble. Sure - it makes good business sense, for a few at the top - have farmers forever indebted to us, patent food, and own the worlds food supply.  But really, when you think about it - what is good business sense. Should it really just be about profit? Is that really even good for "those at the top"? I would argue it isn't good for them either. It must be lonely up there, trying to control a system that cannot be controlled, and trying to find refuge in your bottom line. Let the money numb the pain, fill the void. It doesn't sound good for anyone involved. And, again I go back to - what we do to others, we do to ourselves. We can only be as strong as our weakest link. It's time we see that interconnection, before it's too late.

This old method becomes a never ending cycle of increased energy requirements - a frantic rat race. Which feels oddly similar to how most of us feel right now in our lives. 

There has got to be another way. Thankfully there is - polycultures, composting, naturally replenishing the soil, working with nature, instead of against. Indeed the publication, found for free, at Earth Open Source, debunks all these myths  - and thank goodness for that. Please read it, and please share, especially with those touting GMO's as the "only way of the future". That is simply bad science!

"[GMO's] Cannot solve the problem of world hunger but distract from its real causes – poverty, lack of access to food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on. 

Bottom line - GM foods do not increase yields, they may deceive us in the beginning, making us think they do, but after a short while, we need more and more energy (specifically, $ and oil used in the fertilizers and chemicals that need to be used on these products). 

The food grown in these conventional systems is so void of those key micro-nutrients that we don't get when the soil is essentially dirt, no longer rich in nutrients, it lies depleted of its micro-organisms and as a result, these industrial farmers are left spoon-feeding a chemical juice mix in the dire hopes that it will give them what they need to repay their debts to these large companies. It sounds extreme but this is happening.

Nature does not require any of this when we work with her. What a concept!

Nature will always find a way to adapt, because she’s pretty spectacular like that, and so we will continually be required to exert more and more energy, to combat her, to grow monocultures where she wants polycultures, to pump toxins where, if we just let her, she would provide her own pest-resistant pheromones, among other wonders. 

Why do we want to fight, when we can love and be even more successful. We got into this mess from a fighting mind-set, but we can get out of it with love. We need to change the story of how we exist in this world. It is not one of power and combat, it's one of interconnection, and interbeing. As Charles Eisenstein says, more for you, is more for me too.

Genetic diversity, crop diversity - these are key things to the survival of all humans and when we homogenize a system, we give that all up. Are we really ready to do that? Do we really think we’re smarter than nature and can control everything?

It makes me sad that the dominant story is the one told by these large companies, who have profit as their bottom line, who have not yet stepped into the new way of living, in harmony, and in love. 

If it was really about caring for the people of the world (as they say, not lettings billions go hungry) it would not be met with such strife. 

At the end of the day, I feel we need to respect that this is all very very new science, and we are all still learning in an incredible system that is ever-changing, and remarkably complex - that, we ought not to forget, we are a part of, too. If we want to try, we darn well better test it out first, before wrecking our whole life source. And, let's actually test it, independently, not let those who stand to gain from the profits, do the testing. And in the meantime, let me know what's in my food, so I can decide for myself if I want to be part of a science experiment or not. What happened to the precautionary principle? Where have all our values gone, Canada, humans of this earth?

At the end of the day I believe we have to let our old understandings go. Nature is not there for us to control. She is there for us to learn from, interact with, and become better people because of her. She is there with open arms and we don't need to keep fighting her. What you love, you do not control.  

Sigh...it's sheer insanity but the truth always survives...and the truth is coming out strong and loud, with a unified voice, for all to hear. I just hope that it isn't too late when we finally kick this GMO habit to the curb - i.e., that enough crop diversity is maintained and that the GM seeds have not contaminated the rest of our healthy plants.

What we do to others, and everything else - we do to ourselves. We are all interconnected. We all are.

What can YOU do?

1) Read the ingredient list

• Anything that has a corn derivative (maltodextrin, dextrin, corn starch, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose etc) or soy,  is likely GMO unless specifically says non, because majority of corn and soy crops have been infected with the GMO strain. 

2) Look for products with “Non GMO Project" logo

• This is a great initiative that helps consumers know what products are verified GMO free (until producers are actually required to label it).  They have their verified non-gmo products all listed on their site too - so you can plan in advance, and figure out which stores have these products.
• You can even submit a request for a product that you wish to see verified if it's not yet - see here
• Their website, in general, is  a great start. It provides a plethora of tools on how to navigate the GMO and non GMO realm.

3) Contact everyone and engage in dialogue!

• Producers: email or call them to ask if their products are GMO free, the more they see consumers caring about this, the more willing they will be to change. After all – we have the last say as we vote with our dollar. I recently did this with a few companies – an example is below – no more Miss Vicky’s for me (which I realize they are not a good choice in the first place but sometimes we have cravings that are leftover as our bodies transition into this new era) and luckily we have this brand that is verified GMO free 
  
• Regulating Bodies: contact your local city councillors, federal, or provincial regulatory members. A bit of searching online, or calling the city (311 in Vancouver) and asking some questions, will point you in the right direction. You can take direct action here and they also have their own 8 things you can do! which is super helpful. Here is some info for Canada. A quick internet search will give you a lot to work with!
• Friends and family: talk about it, bring it into conversation and get it into your dialogue - the more people hear and know about it, the better we will be. This is an important issue that affects us all

Here is an email I sent. I gathered they did use GMO but I wanted to find out for certain, and also let them know this was something their "consumers" were worried about. The answer is clear - I won't be eating these chips again.

So, as you see it's quite the subject and I've really only hit on a few aspects here. There is lots of great information out there, but by the same token there is also a lot of media from those who stand to gain from GMO production - so know what you're reading, and if the source is credible. At the end of the day - ask your self what you feel comfortable with. Gambling with our life or playing it safe? I'm going to go with playing it safe. 

If someone gives me a tremendously thoughtful gift, say, I accept it with gratitude and love it. The value is derived in who it came from, and the thought put into it - I do not modify it because that would discount its meaning and purpose. Nature has provided us amazing gifts, we ought not to modify those gifts.

When issues of the day overwhelm me, I like to remember that together we can, and together we already are.

I am sending out tremendous gratitude for all. 

Some additional resources:

GMOomg Film

The World According to Monsanto

"Don't Eat It" - Michael Jackson styles

The Monsantrocity

Articles and such

Union-of-BC-Municipalities-Asks-Province-to-Ban-GE-Crops-and-Animals

BC-municipalities-vote-to-ban-genetically-engineered-plants-and-food/

How-food-companies-exploit-americans-with-ingredients-banned-in-other-countries/

What-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/food/understanding-gmo/

The Omnivores Dilemma

Food Prices and GMO Labelling

Earth Open Source

NonGMOProject

JustLabelIt

Oh MY-celium. The fascinating world of fungi ..and other such wonderful conciousness provokers.

I've been reading A LOT lately - a plethora of different topics, and yet the funny thing is - they all end up circling back to one and other - granted it's likely because I've selected theses books specifically from the library as they peak my interest and my interest is peaked by similar things... but either way - I love the connections I'm finding...and not just in the books themselves, in the people I meet ....who, for example, will happen to mention something that I then go to read about that very night in my book - I believe that is the universes way of telling me I'm on the right track. To that I say, Thank-You, Universe! ...or Thank You-Niverse?

What I wanted to quickly share is how fascinating fungi are and how much I love Paul Stamets - the magnificient mycologist. This video (included below) never stops giving me shivers - every time I watch it...so, I wanted to share that. But then my brain juices started to flow and so more wonders of the world were shared - I hope you enjoy. :)

Mycelium is earth's natural internet; the nodes of crossing organized by the mycelium conforms to the same mathematical optimization curves that the internet theorists and scientists have developed to optimize the computer internet. Or rather, I guess I should say that the internet conforms to the same optimization curves as the mycelium, since the mycelium came first. Nature has already optimized its networks as we struggle to optimize our computer network. 

- Paul Stamets -

I picked up Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets from the library, just recently, and the first few pages had me hooked (in error I wrote "booked" ...punnily, I maybe should have left it). I also read the interview Derrick Jensen did with him in the book The Truths Among Us; in fact that is why I got the book from the library in the first place - as I saw there was an interview with the wonderful Paul Stamets! I highly recommend both of these "food-for-thought" books.

In addition, in my search at the library I stumbled upon the film 2012: Time for Change; not to be confused by the sensationalized John Cusack movie, 2012, this movie explores the depths of our awareness and the evolution in conciousness. It also touches on Permaculture and surprisingly, a famous actor makes an appearance  and she comments on Permaculture... I won't spoil the surprise as to who is it - you'll just have to watch! A friend showed me that this film is actually available for viewing online here - check it out!! I highly recommend it - and then let me know what you think! Try not to let the trailer run you astray - the movie is very positive focused and solutions oriented and that's why I loved it. There's enough negativity floating around in this world - it's time we move through that pain, and tell a different story, as Joanna Macy would say in her book (co-authored by Chris Johnstone) Active Hope: How to face the mess we're in without going crazy (which I also, highly, reccomend - especially if you're feeling a bit down about our current state of the world).

EDIT: A quote I just read in the book Natures Operating Instructions, emulates this need to change quite nicely "The challenge we face is not ultimately a technical one. The real pivot will be the story we tell ourselves, the narrative by which we make sense of the world, and that guides our lives. We need a new creation story"

Our stories change even when we look at biological evolution and what we've come to understand as "survival of the fittest". I was given this example in my Permaculture Design Certificate course (which I'm still in the process of taking and LOVING it).... we looked at the situation of predator and prey...

The "old world" (this will be the "negative world, for sake of understanding) would have us believe that the world is harsh and competitive, that we must kill or be killed, and that when a lion eats a gazelle, it is a loss for the gazelle community; and a sad one at that.

However, that SAME story can be flipped right upside down (right-side up? ;)), to the "New World" (positive world - and in fact, this is heavily science based as well, and part of biology and ecological systems) this new story tells us that in fact, that lion is doing the gazelle community a service (now, how do I say this without offending anyone)....the gazelle that was eaten was, likely weaker - be it from sickness, or age - would have had it's family wanting to help it along the way and not wanting to simply abandon it, but it makes the community weaker and takes resources away from the young who really need all the resources they can get (you can only be as strong as your weakest link - so to speak)- so the lion, in fact, is doing a respectful service to the gazelle community. It's all about how you frame it. Life can be scares, or abundant - I choose to focus on the latter - and it's not merely heresy.

I mean - it's the circle of life and a lot of us likely learned this as kids watching The Lion King,  but somewhere along the way, we got our stories mixed up....life isn't "nasty, brutish, and short" as Thomas Hobbes once speculated - life is magnificent, absolutely, positively mag-ni-fi-cient!

EDIT: The same night I wrote this blog, I sat down to read a bit before bed in  Natures Operating Instruction by Kenny Ausubel, and I find the exact comment about how we interpreted Darwin wrong - the universe interactions are uncanny! "Over a century ago, industrial robber barons hijacked Darwin's story of the evolutionary tree of life. They distorted Darwin's theory of natural selection into a parable of "survival of the fittest". They lionized "nature red in tooth and claw" and a violent, amoral struggle for existence where might makes right, and the ruthless pursuit of self-interest automatically results in the greatest good for the whole. Though they were true believers, their social Darwinism was expedient political cover with which to justify economic monopoly and endemic social injustice. It was also bad science" Ausubel goes on to say, and puts it more eloquently, at that, when he says "What Darwin was actually saying was that the fittest are those best adapted to existing conditions at a particular historical moment in a specific environmental context (he was primarily addressing the relationship between food supply and population size" - BAM! ..."In other words, mutual aid is also the law of the jungle" Interdepdence and symbiosis - these are the lessons we must learn from nature.

Just look around you! You are on a living, breathing, life-giving, planet, that is suspended in a vast, largely unknown, universe, you are on "Spaceship Earth" and it's pretty spectacular. Don't you agree?

You have been given a gift. You are able to exist in life and engage in meaningful relationships with friends and lovers; you are able to laugh, and cry; you are able to smell the sweet scents of spring in the air, and the cool crispness in the air after a fresh rain. You are able to understand emotions, and you are able to choose how you feel about anything that comes your way.

These are all things that life has granted us - let's get out there and explore! Touch some soil! Remember that we're so intricately connected to nature, to each other, to the natural world. Indeed, that is all we are, all we could ever hope to be, all we ever need to be- let's embrace that, and use it to our advantage. Let us look to nature for answers - indeed, she is the only one who has them all!

As Paul Stamets said in the above mentioned Truths Among Us book "[n]ature knows more than we think, in fact it knows more than we can think" and he goes on to say "[i]f we are born of nature, and if we are intelligent, how can you possible think other than that nature is intelligent?" 

Look at this company - they've got the right idea, mimicking nature - The Lilly Impeller. Nature has all the tools to success we will ever need, and we are only just beginning to discover these tools - what an exciting time to be in existence.

We may have swayed a little off course but hey, we can get right back on - nature is there to help us thrive,and she will guide us if we let her. Will we let her show us the way?

Nature does not have unemployment or waste - we don't have to either. Just because our current system does not exhibit these characteristics, does not mean we won't get there...we're just learning, we're a young species -  these things take time - nature has had billions of years of trial and error - we've had but a blip - "[m]ulticellular organisms like us are one very late-blooming tip on a single branch of the tree of life. It's a tree we know little about- (Ausubel)" but we're learning, and we have the resources to learn - let's get on it! :)

Ultimately, it's time we not only tell and share, but live, the new story - that, indeed, isn't very new at all - it's been with us the whole time, we've just been swayed a touch - and that's ok, as long as we recognize it, we're doing good. It's time we bring into our hearts into the equation, and connect that story within our hearts, and within, both, our distant, and not-so-distant  neighbours' hearts - we are all connected ,we are all in this together.

I feel the quote from Louis Rodriguez (again in Truths Among Us) resonates well with what I'm trying to get across:

//The word respect  comes from the Latin word respectus, which means "to see again". It's a beautiful concept. We have to see each other again. ...no one is different from us, a thread connects us all - the more we look, the thicker that thread becomes; sometimes it may be invisible but it's there. We've got to make it more visible. There is no such thing as a separate reality. What we do here affects people over there// - Louis Rodriguez-

We have the power to choose ... let's choose the positive way. As, I believe, Bill Mollison says "We can be just as much positive as we are negative" ... and well, we've done the negative thing for quite some time now - don't you think we're about due for a change? Oui!? I think so..in fact, I know so!

Namaste world - you are a lovely place and I'm filled with gratitude to be in existence.

I leave you with a few more of my favourite quotes from the Truths Among Us book (thank you, Derrick,  please let me know if you would like me to remove these as I do not want to be infringing on your copyrite, I merely want to share the knowledge and insight that you have managed to capture in your wonderfully written book - which I encourage everyone to have a read through!) :)

It's as if we think that all of nature is unintelligent except for us. Well, the earth has intelligence and purpose and fates all of her own. And those are really the primary fates. It is up to us to be in alignment with those purposes, not to go against them, nor to sit back and pretend . You have to give back. You have to participate in those Fates. Because they are your Fates as well.  The fates are good. And they attract us because that attraction is attracting us to our purpose, and toward the good.  If we could just remember the ancient philosophical principal, that good attracts, we could realize that these creation myths are attracting us for the future, calling upon us to take up our responsibilities, to bring that creation into being. Because creation is ongoing and collective, and we participate in it - Jane Caputi -

We're not just one organism. We are composites, Every species out there has a label that we've put on it to create a language so that we can communicate the identities of what we see as the phenotypes in nature. So that we can look at a tree and say, it's a Douglas fir. I am a composite of microbes that are unified with one voice. And so I guess you could say that I am the elected voice of a microbial community. This is the way of life on our plant. It is based on these complex symbiotic relationships - Paul Stamets -

These forces of light and life or inexorable and ever present, but we struggle so hard to ignore them and maintain status quo. Much of the civilization in which we live is the result of a refusal to see, or to listen: to the imagination, to our fellow beings, to the woundedness we all feel, which could change the world if we just acknowledged it. It's as if we've created this whole deafening way of living just to make sure that we can't hear this thing that can be so quiet, as quiet as a butterfly. Our defense industries, goodies factories, light speed lifestyle, and media oversaturation are all arrayed to cover up this gentle, quite sound. But all in the din and clatter of the world, can never down it out. It is always there, as close as our own breath - Marc Ian Barasch -

Permaculture and Nature Deficit Disorder

My head is in a flurry of environmental love right now...or something of that nature (pun-intended?) ...

Since being here, in Saskatoon, I've tried to involve myself, environmentally speaking, around town...main reason being is that I'm extremely interested to see what different cities are doing and well, can't really imagine not participating in anything enviro for a full four months while I'm here, that would just be absurd! The bonus is, it helps me feel more connected to both people, and nature.

Today I participated in my first "Permablitz", which I found out about through the organization Rooted . It was phenomenal.

I learned a lot about food forests and swales, (as that is what 12 of us were creating in the backyard of a local Saskatoon home), and the importance of Permaculture.  It was great to see everyone come together, from all different backgrounds, of all different ages; connecting and developing bonds through shared beliefs and fundamental values.

Before

Digging the trenches

I would love to take the Permaculture Design Certificate that's offered at UofS. I've been wanting to for a while, but now even more so! Unfortunately, it's right during the time of final exams and such with MPAcc. Luckily I obtained some great names of Permaculture experts in both Calgary, and Vancouver so I'm hoping I will be able to get a certificate there! I'm unbelievably interested in this stuff.

I had great chats with many today and I was fortunate enough to have a discussion related to eco-therapy and about how we can help individuals reconnect with nature, and why, or how, they get disconnected in the first place. This man shared with me a story of a time when he really saw the commencement of the disconnection. The story was about two little kids who were playing outside in the sun, and it starts raining, the mom of one child calls her kid inside saying "come inside, it's raining, you'll get all wet." As a result of that moment, that child began to learn that we need to rely on human made shelters/structures to be safe. Subtle, but there, and developing over time. The parent of the other child had the option, of course, of calling their kid in, too, however, they chose to go out, join the kid, and play in the rain. And, rightfully so!

It's a story that really made me think - and it's so true - why do we run away when we feel a rain drop? I would say  it's almost analogous to the little moments/situations within our growing up years that work to stunt our creativity and erase our innocence and curiosity with life.

We lead such busy lives and, as a result, we forget to take the time to connect with nature. We take nature for granted, it's there, always has been, always will be, right? We can all agree, to some extent, nature is important (some more so than others), and I would imagine, we can all attest to being much happier when the sun is out - but that's where it seems to stop. The majority of us don't delve further into our feelings with nature, into the true reasons why we are happier when the sun is out, why inhaling a deep breath of fresh mountain air can melt away our worries, and why we smile and feel good when we see a butterfly, flutter by.

Just as we take the time to exercise, eat healthy, and sleep, we need to take the time to be in nature, and going beyond the superficial layer. We need to go a step deeper and take the time to become aware of the way nature makes us feel - really tapping into that positive energy that exists within nature.  Sure enough, I come across this (today of all days) "Nature Deficit Disorder", I love how the universe works like that.

I must say, I am thoroughly  pleased with Permaculture and I imagine today will be one of those moment that, whilst Permaculturing up a storm in a few years from now, I will refer to when asked the question of how I got to be doing what I'm doing.