Carbon Offsets

Maybe a better title for 'carbon offsets' would be something like 'carbon set-aside and deal with it later.' It's nice that some countries are making an effort to appear more carbon neutral, but I don't believe that it effectively offsets there emissions. They are still emitting the same amount, and it seems like they are just procrastinating and trying to fluff things up. I'd like to see them take the money paid to achieve 'carbon offsets' and spend it in the effort to find more environmentally friendly ways to keep a country running.

The global crisis in diet

If I had all the resources, I don't know exactly how I would deal with the global crisis on diet... The huge separation between those who have plenty of food and those who don't is astounding. One start would be to burn all the junk food. Redirecting the resources away from food that's eaten strictly for the 'pleasure' of a sugar-rush, and toward foods that satisfy nutrient needs is crucial.

Vitamin C!!!

Who else read the article on intravenous vitamin C for 'terminal' cancer patients? This is something I've heard about for some time, and it seems that all evidence shows it being very effective. I guess it would be difficult for anybody to capitalize on vitamin c... so there's a lack of money, and even a strong interest from the 'cancer industry' to subdue such a simple and effective cure. If you haven't read it yet, check out the article towards the end of the week 9 packet. GO VITAMIN C!!!

New pill promises to reduce breast cancer risk

Although the mifepristone contraceptives may not have estrogen and may have a decreased risk of breast cancer, it is important to fully understand the other possible risks of this drug. As was shown in early studies, with a larger than normal dose their were extreme side-effects. This doesn't mean that it is surely harmful in more moderate doses, as their are many medicines( herbs and pharmaceutical/nutriceutical) that are toxic in high doses, yet safe in moderate dosage. It just means that we need to examine this drug thoroughly before recommending it to all the young women across the country(and world).

American Bison

There are many important issues facing this nation now, yet the issue of bringing back a sustainable population of American Bison IS a very important one. If we can help to bring the Native people's back to the great strength that they once had, we can begin to learn as a nation how they lived with such great wisdom and foresight. As people killed off the bison systematically, it seems they also killed off a connection of spirituality and understanding of the important connection with our environment. If we can bring back the bison, and the native people's connection to them can come together again, maybe we can all learn some lessons from their ancient wisdom and knowledge.

The deal that saved the whale

The deal that saved the whale, if it continues to work could also save the rest of the environment, including the local people. If the locals can hold on to their villas, they may find that they themselves can make a comfortable living by guiding ecologically friendly tours of the area, instead of selling their land to the outsiders who will then turn around and make a killing by destroying the land. It sounds like some of the local fishermen are already guiding 'eco-tourists' in the winter time, which is great. The same thing is happening in remote stretches of coastline of baja, such as the beautiful and isolated beaches of scorpion bay and Puntas Cobres. We see the same thing happening all over central america, where wealthy investors from the outside come in and take advantage of the poverty and lack of environmental regulations, paying the locals a tiny sum of money to then turn around and make a fortune destroying the indigenous character of these places. A friend of mine was just freed from a fourteen month stay in a deadly Nicaraguan prison after being framed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. He founded and had been operating a bilingual news magazine based on the smart and eco/ local concious growth of central america, in particular Nicaragua. It has been suggested that people in the Nicaraguan gov't didn't like what he was doing involving conscious development and empowering the local people to make a decent living without having to sell out to developers. So this is a very tough situation indeed, and when gov't officials in these central american counties stand to make some money on the development, it can be quite dangerous for us to get involved. You can check out Eric's situation; www.friendsofericvolz.com

Can TCM strengthen our immune systems?

There's no doubt that TCM increases immune function, although it wouldn't really be seen as just strengthening the immune system. By restoring balance or keeping balance in the system, the immune system operates in a more effective manner. Through acupuncture, herbs and qigong it's also possible to clear toxic heat that may be associated with the pattern of disease. By living in harmony with the seasons and environment, we can be more in-tune with shifts and changes that may aggravate our immune systems.

Western approaches to HIV/AIDS

There are some very valuable things that western allopathic medicine has contributed to the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Perhaps most importantly, is the overall understanding and knowledge of how HIV is transmitted. This helps to educate more people about preventative measures they can take to help avoid contracting HIV/AIDS. I also think it's quite amazing that a baby born to a mother who has HIV has only a one-percent chance of becoming infected with HIV when reverse transcriptase inhibitors along with a caesarian birth are used.

How sophisticated is our understanding of cancer?

It depends who we mean when we say 'our.' As far as the information and knowledge of cancer that is in existence in the world; there's quite a huge amount of understanding. As far as one person, or a group of people understanding cancer...that's much more difficult. Though I will say that the only people who I know that have regained good health after cancer went through the route of self-regulation therapy, meditation and herbal/dietary therapy, the best results being from people who used NO chemo, radiation or surgery. I don't think I know of a single story of someone who used exclusively chemotherapy, radiation and surgery and came out the other end to recover good health.
So in short, I think that once again the ancient understanding of cancer far surpasses the 'modern' understanding.

TCM approach to cancer

The TCM approach to cancer treatment differs from western medicine in that it strives to bring harmony back into the patient (and there environment), while western medicine strives to kill the pathogen as if it's something completely independent and unrelated to the human patient.
It's also very important in TCM for the patient to take hold of their life and become involved in their treatment through lifestyle, diet and self-regulating Qigong practice. Often times Medical Qigong has a very profound effect in helping a cancer patient back to health, by changing the energetic aspects of the person so that their physical body grows and changes toward better health.

Are our genes still being shaped by natural selection.?

Are genes are absolutely being shaped by natural selection. As people become more reliant on drugs and technology to fix them, we lose our skills to adapt to the environment, and eventually the traits that enable these skills become lost or diluted. There are also super-bugs developing because of our over-population and reliance on antibiotics. The changes of natural selection happen to gradually for us to see immediate results, but it's safe to assume that modern technology has not saved us from natural selection...it's just procrastinating the inevitable.

Distinguishing between living/ non-living

This is a tough one. To me fire even seems like it could be alive, or the wind and water. Every part of this planet and the cosmos could be seen as living, as it's all part of the cycle that is life. On a more biological level...I would think that anything that eats, breathes and has a balance of the earth and the heavens is alive.

Language and tools used by chimps...

It's very significant that chimps use language to communicate with each other, and tools to help them function. It shows to me that they care about their quality of life, and even their free time or social standing. I know that my cat uses very specific words and tones to communicate with us as well...I think it may be some ancient Gaelic dialect...or possibly Sanskrit... she also uses the electric blanket to stay warm, so she uses tools too!

Chinese Medicine gaining respectability in the west...

For any of us hoping to be acupuncturists/ herbalists this is very important. With that said, part of Chinese Medicine becoming more accepted and respected in the west is going to have to come from a shift toward a more open viewpoint for people of the west. Aren't scientists and M.D's required to take basic cultural anthropology classes.?.. It seems like many people in the United States are very unclear on the concepts of ethnocentrism and and cultural relativism. As people open up and realize that there is more than one way to see reality, there will be more awareness of how stuck we have been on one eurocentric viewpoint.
It is nice to see some western clinical 'proof' that Chinese Medicine works, or that Qi ( or an element of Qi) is actually measurable. I think that these studies do help many people to respect Chinese Medicine more.

I always eat my broccoli!

I ate two meals with broccoli today! I'm pretty psyched! There were all kinds of different colored veggies too(wait...that was chemistry class...). I've been getting pretty into brussel sprouts lately. They taste great, and have many of the healthful benefits of broccoli such as cancer fighting phytochemicals, which have been proven to reverse and prevent DNA damage. Brussel sprouts are also best in the late fall through early spring, which means NOW! It can be difficult to eat veggies this time of year, at least if you want local and/ or organic, so brussel sprouts are a nice option. Spring is coming around the corner though...plenty of fresh veggies and farmers markets!

I vote for BOTH! (the chicken and the egg)

As much as I like the cleverness of determining that it was the egg that came before the chicken, and it does make sense in the context of biologically classifying critters, It's merely a matter of names and categories. The creature that layed the egg which would become the 'first chicken' was a creature very much like a chicken. It would be very difficult to determine exactly when the evolving creature finally fit the specifications of a chicken. It's not like a dog layed an egg which hatched a chicken... It seems quite likely to me that the egg evolved as a way for creatures to safely give birth to there young, so there were probably creatures before there were eggs!

Can diversification save species?

Diversification is the natural order of things, so I would tend to think that LACK of diversity will kill species. I suppose that in terms of starting to bring back diversification, it could save us from the complete extinction of a species. I think that through evolution, diversity is part of how a species adapts over time to the constantly changing environment.

Human Genetic Evo. Prokaryotes ...

The spontaneous generation idea (on the Human Genetic Evolution Site) was pretty interesting. They brought up an old myth that combining sweaty underwear with corn-husks and leaving them for 21 days would produce mice! At least we know now that mice probably won't appear out of dirty underwear and pure magic. It still is quite fascinating that living things generate and grow, even if we know some of the smaller workings of how this physically happens.

The page on Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes and viruses was pretty interesting as well. It would be pretty cool if us humans could be purely autotrophic; live on pure sunlight and chemical reaction.

The definition on wikipedia of autopoiesis made me think of the undivided whole.
DEFINITION: "An autopoietic machine is a machine organized (defined as a unity) as a network of processes of production (transformation and destruction) of components which: (i) through their interactions and transformations continuously regenerate and realize the network of processes (relations) that produced them; and (ii) constitute it (the machine) as a concrete unity in space in which they (the components) exist by specifying the topological domain of its realization as such a network." (Maturana, Varela, 1980, p. 78)"An autopoietic machine is a machine organized (defined as a unity) as a network of processes of production (transformation and destruction) of components which: (i) through their interactions and transformations continuously regenerate and realize the network of processes (relations) that produced them; and (ii) constitute it (the machine) as a concrete unity in space in which they (the components) exist by specifying the topological domain of its realization as such a network." (Maturana, Varela, 1980, p. 78)

In a sense wouldn't the system we live in be along these lines?

Chimps and humans...

Chimps and humans are very similar genetically, and this should really come as no surprise. The most fundamental needs and actions of chimpanzees are really no different from ours, they just haven't developed the advanced technology we have, and as far as that goes it's debatable as to who has more wisdom and foresight...just a thought...
It's interesting how many people want to distance themselves from other creatures of this planet, and even distance themselves from the planet itself. When you think about the different possibilities of how life-energy could express itself elsewhere in the universe, all beings on earth are really quite similar. Considering this, we are VERY similar to chimps, and I don't really feel that it would change much if they where classified as closer to us...hopefully they would be less abused in lab testing and zoos.

Darwinism and evo devo

Darwinism matters to me in a few ways. When we look at the various concepts of evolution, it seems to be clear that artificial genetic modification will continue to throw irreversible problems into the genetic make up of our food. By skipping past the natural selection of genetic combinations in order to manipulate plants to have characteristics not needed for the PLANTS survival, we will surely lose many valuable edible and medicinal plants as they are no longer in balance with their environment.
In the article "Why Darwinism Matters," there is much talk about morality. The scientists in the article are discussing the implications of Darwinism being the ultimate truth, and many are saying that ideas of God or morality are merely adaptations of the brain to help us survive better. It's again apparent that many scientists believe their theories and beliefs are free from their own worldview. There is little difference between the ethnocentrism of a religious group, and the ethnocentrism of science. This is a very difficult concept for us to understand, but science is JUST ONE of many concepts to help us understand the universe. It's commonly accepted that science holds the answer to all questions, when it really just breaks tangible concepts into smaller and smaller pieces. It can be a great tool to help figure out the function of things, but it still leaves out the motive and intention behind things, or the intangible reality.

Again the limited wordview is apparent when Arthur Leff talks about the place of God being the one above all others, and the basis for moral, therefore being an adaptation of the human brain. He then goes on to say that without a 'God' there are no morals. I challenge Arthur to the fact that many of us do not believe in one God...or Him. Through observing the natural order of things, it's understood that certain actions would be unbalanced and unsustainable, hence we can and do have 'moral' without 'Him' or a 'one god.' This also does not eliminate the possibility of spirit or spirits.
Darwinism matters in that it can show us some valuable things about us and the environment we live in. It just doesn't need to be taken as the one and only exclusive truth. It's simply a very valuable and fascinating COMPONENT of physical understanding.

How might technology help shape our future path?

There are many ways that technology can help shape our path, both for the better and worse. While technology has enabled people to 'manufacture' all types of genetically modified or chemically altered food, it has also enabled us to accurately determine the negative side-effects of these foods. The need for sustainable high-yield crops is vital with the over-crowding of resources, so it's understandable for people to want to genetically modify food in order to maximize the limited resources, but we find every time that it doesn't work to shortcut the natural cycle of things. In a way, the modern technology is catching up with the ancient wisdom of the Daoists and other people who lived in harmony with their environment. It's not always clear what can be done at this stage to live in relative balance with our environment(that is, without starving, or damaging our resources) but there are some promising farming techniques that are being developed with the modern technology(permaculture comes to mind...). With the scientific understanding of plants, and the ability to chart results and predict future results it's possible to explain to the general public the need to be conscious about our eating habits...among other things.