28 February 2013

Solar Mamas

An inspiring film about one woman’s attempt to light up her world. Rafea is an uneducated Bedouin mother from the Jordanian desert. She gets the chance to go to the Barefoot College, where middle-aged women from poor communities train to become solar engineers, and bring power to their communities.
The college brings together women from all over the world. But learning about electrical components without being able to read, write or understand English is the easy part. Rafea is forced to risk everything, including losing her children, if she wants to complete the course.
Women make up half the world’s population and yet represent a staggering 70% of the world’s poor. Of the world’s 875 million illiterate adults, two-thirds are women. Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half of the world’s food, but earn only 10% of the world’s income and own 1% of the world’s property. On average, women earn half of what men earn.

27 February 2013

Web Of Life (Full Movie)

Biodiversity: the essence of life.
This is a documentary on biodiversity with the brilliant Dr Vandana Shiva, who talks about the devastating 'gifts' of the the corporate agri-business, mass production system of genetically engineered seeds:

“We have an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. We have an epidemic of hunger and malnutrition. And, we have an epidemic of farmer suicides…I have grown up in an India where we have driven out mass consumption. In Indian philosophy, Ayurveda is the science of life. Veda means knowledge and ayur means life. And, central to the science of life is food. Sustainability and diversity are very intimately linked.We will continue to save seeds, exchange seeds, and breed seeds. We will NOT obey your brute laws of enslaving life on Earth and enslaving our farmers.”

Dutch subtitles



Part 2

26 February 2013

Who Killed The Honey Bee (BBC)

Bees are dying in their millions. It is an ecological crisis that threatens to bring global agriculture to a standstill. Introduced by Martha Kearney, this documentary explores the reasons behind the decline of bee colonies across the globe, investigating what might be at the root of this devastation.
Honey bees are the number one insect pollinator on the planet, responsible for the production of over 90 crops. Apples, berries, cucumbers, nuts, cabbages and even cotton will struggle to be produced if bee colonies continue to decline at the current rate. Empty hives have been reported from as far afield as Taipei and Tennessee. In England, the matter has caused beekeepers to march on Parliament to call on the government to fund research into what they say is potentially a bigger threat to humanity than the current financial crisis.
Investigating the problem from a global perspective, the programme makers travel from the farm belt of California to the flatlands of East Anglia to the outback of Australia. They talk to the beekeepers whose livelihoods are threatened by colony collapse disorder, the scientists entrusted with solving the problem, and the Australian beekeepers who are making a fortune replacing the planet's dying bees. They also look at some of the possible reasons for the declining numbers - is it down to a bee plague, pesticides, malnutrition? Or is the answer something even more frightening?



Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, the term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of Western honey bee colonies in North America in late 2006.[1] Colony collapse is significant economically because many agricultural crops worldwide are pollinated by bees; and ecologically, because of the major role that bees play in the reproduction of plant communities in the wild.

12 things to prevent Colony Collapse Disorder:

#1 General approach: use organic practices
#2 General approach: strengthen bee immune system instead of "attack and kill" what nature uses to remove weak bees
#3 Don't use insecticide (for mite control or any other insect problem) inside of hives - bees are insects!
#4 Allow bees to create their own cell size (typically smaller) - no more pre-made foundation or cells
#5 Genetics based on "survival of the fittest" is superior to genetics resulting from mass production where the weak are medicated
#6 Swarming is the natural way to good genetics
#7 Local bees have adapted to challenges in your area
#8 Stop moving hives
#9 Feed bees honey, not sugar water
#10 Feed bees polyculture blossoms, not monoculture
#11 Stop using insecticides on crops - bees are insects!
#12 Raise hives off the ground

Visit the discussion at Permies

24 February 2013

Graham Hancock: War On Consciousness

Graham Hancock tells the story of his 24-year relationship with cannabis brought to an abrupt halt in 2011 after an encounter with ayahuasca, the sacred visionary brew of the Amazon. Along the way he explores the mystery of death, the problem of consciousness, and the implications for the human future of a society that wages total war on true cognitive liberty.
Graham Hancock is the author of 'The Sign and the Seal', 'Fingerprints of the Gods', 'Keeper of Genesis', 'Heaven's Mirror', 'Supernatural' and other bestselling investigations of historical mysteries.
His books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have sold over five million copies worldwide. His public lectures and broadcasts, including two major TV series, 'Quest for the Lost Civilisation', and 'Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age', have further established his reputation as an unconventional thinker who raises controversial questions about humanity's past.

23 February 2013

Katie's Crops Feed The Homeless

It started with a tiny cabbage seedling that Katie Stagliano, a third grader in South Carolina, took home and tended until it grew to an amazing 40 pounds! Katie donated that cabbage to a local soup kitchen. Now 11, Katie has several gardens and has donated 2 tons of fresh produce to organizations that serve people in need!

22 February 2013

The Dumbing Down Of America

'The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed a standard citizenry, to put down dissent and originality'.
Henry Louis Mencken

This video is just a brief introduction to a very serious subject.

21 February 2013

Grow Food, Not Lawns

'I would like to see our culture change so that keeping up with the Joneses means you're more sustainable.' says Heather Flores, the founder of Food Not Lawns. They are a non profit organization that promotes the idea of growing food instead of wasting resources on grassy lawns.
'Lawns are the single largest agricultural sector in the country. They are responsible for more fertilizers and pesticides and herbicides and toxins into the river, erosion, run off, water waste, you name it. Petrochemicals. There's really nothing good that lawns are doing for the environment. It seems like it would make a lot more sense to use your land for something that benefits you as an individual vs. surrounding yourself with something that's poisoning you and your family.' she adds.
She estimates that for every 100 square feet, you can generate 100 lbs of food. She says: 'Food Not Lawns is a challenge to the homogenous monoculture of lawn after lawn after lawn'.



Growing Edible Fruits and Vegetables in your Front Yard



The Edible Backyard Barrel Garden



Creating a Food Garden in a Front Yard



Part 2

20 February 2013

The Living Planet (BBC)

The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 19 January 1984. The sequel to his pioneering Life on Earth, it is a study of the ways in which living organisms, including humans, adapt to their surroundings. Each of the twelve 55-minute episodes featured a different environment. 

Episode 1: The Building of the Earth



Episode 2: The Frozen World



Episode 3: The Northern Forests



Episode 4: Jungle



Episode 5: Seas of Grass



Episode 6: The Baking Deserts



Episode 7: The Sky Above



Episode 8: Sweet Fresh Water



Episode 9: The Margins of the Land



Episode 10: Worlds Apart



Episode 11: The Open Ocean



Episode 12: New Worlds

19 February 2013

A Local Food Movement

'A Local Food Movement' is a short documentary about the growing appeal of farmers markets and the importance of buying local food. It captures the spirit of what is happening. Why do we love to go to the farmers market more than the supermarket? Along with the abundance of local produce, fresh and in season, they say it is 10 times more likely that you will strike up a conversation with someone. It's a social event!
See how this revolution is unfolding in Saratoga Springs, NY.

18 February 2013

Peter Diamandis: Abundance Is Our Future

Peter Diamandis makes a case for optimism - that we'll invent, innovate and create ways to solve the challenges that loom over us. 'I'm not saying we don't have our set of problems; we surely do. But ultimately, we knock them down.'


17 February 2013

I Had A Dream

I had a dream that Global Peace was possible. And it was so astounding to discover it is already always Here.

16 February 2013

All Wars Are Bankers' Wars

Private Central Banks do not exist to serve the people, the community, or the nation. Private Central Banks exist to serve their owners, to make them rich beyond the dreams of Midas and all for the cost of ink, paper, and the right bribe to the right official.

The written version is here: What Really Happened

13 February 2013

Starsuckers

Starsuckers is the most controversial documentary of the year, and was released in British cinemas in November 2009 to critical acclaim. It’s a darkly humourous and shocking exposé of the celebrity obsessed media, that uncovers the real reasons behind our addiction to fame and blows the lid on the corporations and individuals who profit from it. Directed by Chris Atkins, BAFTA nominated for Taking Liberties, Starsuckers exploded into the news in October when it emerged that the team had been selling fake celebrity stories to all the British Tabloids. This became a news sensation in it’s own right, and was followed by the darker revelation that Atkins had secretly filmed four journalists for three Sunday tabloids trying to buy medical records. The filmmakers also stung Max Clifford, who the film shows boasting about his clients on undercover camera. When Clifford found out, he hired the infamous law firm Carter Ruck and threatened to injunct the film which would have prevented it’s release. The film ends with a damning critique of Bob Geldof’s Live Aid and the star-studded Live 8 concerts in 2005.

Starsuckers on Vimeo
Starsuckers on Disclose TV

12 February 2013

11 February 2013

The Corporation

A fascinating award-winning documentary looking at the increasing power of large global businesses and the impact this is having on society. The documentary includes interviews with 40 corporate insiders and critics - including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore - plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change.
'The Corporation' looks at the rise of the corporate body as having the legal status of a 'person' - albeit with no conscience - and its collective psychopathic raping of the planets' people and resources due to a greed-based bottom-line motivation. The film also touches on more recent trends within the corporate world to awaken morally and infuse ethics into the equation, to halt and then reverse the past damages that have been inflicted.

10 February 2013

Be Happy

A few suggestions to remind us of the important things... the illustrations and the captions are from the book "be happy - A little book to help you live a happy life." by Monica Sheehan, dedicated to Andrew Kroon, a booklet that everyone should read at least once in their life.

9 February 2013

Keyhole Garden African Style

Keyhole Gardens are a great garden to make - here is one being built in Uganda. This organic technique is part of Send a Cow's training in sustainable agriculture and is a great home garden idea too. Keyhole gardens survive floods and arid conditions well as the raised bed holds moisture and is 'fed' via a central compost basket.

8 February 2013

A Silent Forest

The Growing Threat: Genetically Engineered Trees

This award winning documentary film explores the growing global threat of genetically engineered trees to our environment and to human health. The film features renowned geneticist and host of PBS' The Nature of Things David Suzuki, who explores the unknown and possibly disastrous consequences of improperly tested GE methods. Many scientists and activists are interviewed in the film, which serves as an effective and succinct tool for understanding the complex issue of GE trees.

"It doesn't matter how it gets there, destroying your crop. All of your crop, becomes Monsanto's ownership and they can lay a lawsuit on top of it against you. Even if the contamination rate is 1%, all your other 99% of your crop goes to Monsanto. And that's what startled the world, how farmers can lose their rights overnight, an organic farmer can lose his seeds and his rights overnight, and get subject to a lawsuit."

7 February 2013

Life Under Palm Trees

The ecovillage Sieben Linden is a community of 50+ adults plus children who plan to build a new village in a rural, conservative part of Germany with high unemployment and little cultural infrastructure. Som 300 people are supposed to live an ecologically and socially oriented life there one day.

Website: Sieben Linden

6 February 2013

Les Miserables

To love another person is to see the face of God.

The immense popularity of this story has not diminished over time. Since the original 1935 film version, there have been several other international films entitled Les Misérables including a Spring 1998 release starring Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman. The "most popular musical in the world" has toured the globe several times and has been running on Broadway since March 1987. Why does this story continue to charm and inspire audiences and readers? In our time, as there was in Victor Hugo's, there is cause for despair: greed and violence undermine true progress; human life is rendered meaningless through materialism and nihilism; children the world over suffer neglect, poverty, and ignorance. Who does not identify with Jean Valjean's arduous journey through the sewers, and who does not long for an escape like his emergence into the pristine Parisian dusk? Hugo illustrates how the most profound revolution takes place in our individual consciences, how every moment we are faced with decisions to do right or wrong, and how to make in our hearts pitched battles against our own worst impulses. Les Misérables incites us to make the best fight of our lives the fight to become authentically good people and gives us hope that our efforts will not be in vain. Time cannot change the necessity or urgency of that message - only people can.

10th Anniversary Dream Cast (1995)



I Dreamed A Dream (2012)


Do You Hear The People Sing (2012)



Full Movie on YouTube:
Les Miserables (2000) with John Malkovich and Gerard Depardieu: Part 1 & Part 2




5 February 2013

Off The Grid In Lasqueti

Imagine an island so secluded there's no electricity, there are no paved roads and in many cases, no plumbing. That island - called Lasqueti - is home to 400 people and less than an hour away from Vancouver (B.C. - Canada). Come see what it's like to live off the grid.



4 February 2013

Vanishing Of The Bees

This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The story highlights the positive changes that have resulted due to the tragic phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." To empower the audience, the documentary provides viewers with tangible solutions they can apply to their everyday lives. Vanishing of the Bees (2009) unfolds as a dramatic tale of science and mystery, illuminating this extraordinary crisis and its greater meaning about the relationship between humankind and Mother Earth. The bees have a message - but will we listen?



Colony Collapse Disorder

Jacqueline Freeman is the author of an upcoming book "Bees, the OTHER Way". She points out the different strategies that conventional bee keepers might try to save their hives from colony collapse disorder.
Throughout the video I count off the first twelve. There are several more points that ended up on the editing room floor. For that stuff, make sure to visit the discussion.

12 things to prevent colony collapse disorder:

#1 general approach: use organic practices
#2 general approach: strengthen bee immune system instead of "attack and kill" what nature uses to remove weak bees
#3 don't use insecticide (for mite control or any other insect problem) inside of hives - bees are insects!
#4 allow bees to create their own cell size (typically smaller) - no more pre-made foundation or cells
#5 genetics based on "survival of the fittest" is superior to genetics resulting from mass production where the weak are medicated
#6 swarming is the natural way to good genetics
#7 local bees have adapted to challenges in your area
#8 stop moving hives
#9 feed bees honey, not sugar water
#10 feed bees polyculture blossoms, not monoculture
#11 stop using insecticides on crops - bees are insects!
#12 raise hives off the ground

3 February 2013

Frank Huguenard: Beyond Imagination

Beyond Me

This documentary delivers a universal message of peace. In 53 minutes, this film spans the cosmos, instincts, reincarnation, cellular biology, personality disorders, computer science and much more and offers a compelling case as to why meditation is vital for our evolution, both personal and otherwise.



Beyond Belief takes a look at how certain beliefs have been embedded into western civilization and questions the pedigree of some of these ideas.

Beyond Belief on Vimeo



Beyond Reason

Our intellects are bound by our perceptions and what we perceive is limited by our five senses. From what we've learned though modern physics, what we perceive through our five senses is more unreal than it is real which means our intellects can only get us so far. To get to the Truth, we need to go Beyond Reason.

Beyond Reason on Vimeo



2 February 2013

GMO a Go Go

This new animated cartoon covers all the basics on why GMOs are dangerous.

1 February 2013

Bruce Lipton & Tom Campbell: Understanding Consciousness Evolution

In one of the most fascinating discussions, Bruce Lipton and Tom Campbell, reflect on the true nature of reality, biology, physics and ultimately our progressive evolution into the new Earth. Both these fascinating individuals describe the process of fractalization during which all things slowly progress towards higher states of harmony. Love, the supreme unifier, allows for cells to become organs which become humans. Humans come together as the cells of Earths body to create and in our present times destroy; but this will be changing very soon. The attainment of finality of the human organism as "caretaker" to the earth comes when humanity can work together free of strife and war, rejuvenate the planet and allow her to maximize her potential.

Bruce Lipton is an epigenetic biologist and Tom Campbell is a NASA physicist and each has stepped outside the box of their respective disciplines to bring to us what we believe will be the future where biology and physics share the same concepts and understandings and will bring us much closer to a unified scientific interaction with our whole cosmos.