Photo from my 2017 trip to Peru – Sacred Site Moray
Last Fall, we vacationed at Boothbay Harbor, Maine. While there, we visited the 300-acre Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The gardens were magnificent, and the weather was perfect for discovering all these hidden gems. One surprise were these giant Trolls, each with their own unique message and together they explained the secret of the Guardians of the Seeds and sustainability. Each troll represents a part of the tree and tells a story about why the sum is more than the parts of the whole.
Danish artist Thomas Dambo used recycled-materials to create these towering treasures, 5 mythical trolls nestled along hidden trails in the woods. The trolls are 15- to 20-feet tall and made from discarded lumber and pallets. We started with Roskva, the tree trunk troll, standing tall as she climbs toward the sky. Next, we found Birk, his legs outstretched in a split like the roots he represents. Soren has hair made from many branches and looked like he was ready to get up and dance, his hair waving in the wind. After hiking up a steep hill, we found Gro meditating upon a boulder as she ponders upon the leaves and our shared breath. Last we found the youngest troll, Lilja, by the children’s garden. She loves colors and represents the fragrance of flowers. The story is that each troll has hidden 2 golden seeds at the end of the 3-mile maze where they were safe. The trolls remind us to protect the earth and how important it is to save the seeds and plant more trees.
This reminded me of my trips to Peru and to the sacred site of Moray, northwest of Cuzco and just west of the pueblo of Maras, 11,500 feet above sea level. This is my happy place! These ruins with concave, concentric amphitheater-like terraces are thought to be agricultural in nature, possibly an experimental farming station or seed farm. Even though the terrain was challenging with its extreme slopes and high altitudes, the indigenous people always found a way to work in harmony with nature (ayni). The rings vary in size with the largest 98 feet deep and 722 feet wide. The bottom bowl is 492 feet below and there are 20 levels of terracing. The temperature between the lowest and highest terraces span 59°F with the warmest terraces near the bottom creating a series of micro-climates. Remarkably, the temperature variance corresponds to the natural difference between coastal sea level farmland and the Andean farming terraces nearly 3,300 feet above sea level. It is believed the terraces were used to raise a huge variety of plants including wheat, rice, avocado, coffee, cocoa, corn, and potatoes.
Everyone thinks that potatoes originated in Ireland but that is incorrect. 60% of the world’s food crops originated in the Andes, including all potatoes. Peru is the original home of the potato and has over 3,000 different varieties as well as 150 types of corn. The word Moray means “dried corn.” Moray has an amazing ecosystem.
Biodiversity
There are about 1,700 seed banks, or gene banks, around the world for species preservation and safeguarding indigenous cultures. From the Potato Park in Pisac, Peru to the Millennium Seed Bank facility in Sussex, UK to the Svalbard Global Seed vault, or “doomsday” vault located in the arctic circle, seed banks are critical to safeguard biodiversity and are the last line of defense against a global food crisis.
Biodiversity refers to the different individual organisms found in an area. Per Mainegardens.org: “Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, meaning they are more biologically diverse than any other land-based ecosystem. Forests stay healthy because their biodiversity provides stability to the ecosystem.”
“These forests filter our air and water, prevent flooding and erosion, provide sustainable building materials, support livelihoods related to its resources, and provide us with places for recreation.” We need to find a way to protect the web of life without totally destroying it.
“The root cause of biodiversity loss is population growth and overconsumption. We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction on Earth, with reports showing that we have lost 60% of global biodiversity in the last 40 years. This loss of life is caused by human action, through the expansion of agriculture and industry, overexploitation through hunting and fishing, the introduction of invasive species, and pollution. The trolls are here to remind us that we can change this course.” As they say, “a future with no trees is no future at all.”
Surely, you’ve seen all the climate hysteria lately, and probably seen lots of counter arguments. But there are some things they haven’t been telling us, so let’s start the conversation.
Climate Change
I introduced you to the Schumann Resonance, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), solar activity, and the earth’s magnetic field - the magnetosphere - in November’s musings. Since the energetic forces that generate Earth’s protective bubble/shield are constantly changing, the field itself is also in continual flux. This results in the north and south poles wobbling (from 10 to 34 miles per year) and even flipping. Paleomagnetic records indicate Earth’s poles have reversed 183 times in the last 83 million years.
There is a lot of discussion surrounding “global warming”. There has been a hypothesis that it’s not global warming, it’s the magnetic poles shifting. Now, a recent multidisciplinary study published in Science suggests that magnetic changes CAN impact life on the planet including the climate.
Natural events can also cause warming. For example, in the November musings, I mentioned the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater Volcano. Its 2022 eruption sent 146 million tons of water vapor into the stratosphere which could potentially increase the average global temperature and warm the surface of the Earth (global warming) over 5-10 years. It is being compared to the blast force of 100 Hiroshima bombs.
More recently is the volcano in Iceland which has been dormant for 800 years. Now there is a 2-mile-long fissure in the ground. The general idea is that the magma generation beneath the ground is already increasing due to a warming climate, but what if it’s the reverse and the eruptions are causing the warmer atmosphere? Granted, Earth’s warming trend predates these eruptions, but it’s natural events like this that can contribute to warming or cooling cycles.
So maybe we should leave the sun alone and find a way to harness the power of volcanos. And as I said, is it really climate change or that the climate is always changing?
A coalition of 1,609 scientists from around the world, including two Nobel laureates, have signed a declaration stating climate “emergency” is a myth and they oppose the unrealistic Net-Zero CO2 policy.
Among those who signed the Clintel World Climate Declaration is Nobel prize winner Dr. John F. Clauser. Clauser & a global network of 1,609 scientists and professionals has prepared this urgent message:
Natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming
The geological archive reveals that Earth’s climate has varied as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm phases. The Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. Therefore, it is no surprise that we now are experiencing a period of warming.
Warming is far slower than predicted
The world has warmed significantly less than predicted by IPCC on the basis of modeled anthropogenic forcing. The gap between the real world and the modeled world tells us that we are far from understanding climate change.
Climate policy relies on inadequate models
Climate models have many shortcomings and are not remotely plausible as global policy tools. They blow up the effect of greenhouse gasses such as CO2. In addition, they ignore the fact that enriching the atmosphere with CO2 is beneficial.
CO2 is plant food, the basis of all life on Earth
CO2 is not a pollutant. It is essential to all life on Earth. Photosynthesis is a blessing. More CO2 is beneficial for nature, greening the Earth: additional CO2 in the air has promoted growth in global plant biomass. It is also good for agriculture, increasing the yields of crops worldwide.
Global warming has not increased natural disasters
There is no statistical evidence that global warming is intensifying hurricanes, floods, droughts, and suchlike natural disasters, or making them more frequent. However, there is ample evidence that CO2-mitigation measures are as damaging as they are costly.
Climate policy must respect scientific and economic realities
There is no climate emergency. Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm. We strongly oppose the harmful and unrealistic net-zero CO2 policy proposed for 2050. If better approaches emerge, and they certainly will, we have ample time to reflect and re-adapt. The aim of global policy should be ‘prosperity for all’ by providing reliable and affordable energy at all times. In a prosperous society men and women are well educated, birthrates are low and people care about their environment.
These scientists are stating that claims of a “climate emergency” threatening the Earth are a hoax. Rather than a “hoax”, it’s fraud. If you call a fraud a "hoax", then they will call a hoax an "error", then they will call an error a "glitch", then when it all goes to shit and the lawsuits start, they will claim nobody did anything criminally wrong, because "glitches happen". Did we learn nothing for the last 4 years?
Bottomline: We know that everything in the universe moves in cycles. To me, that means… Climate.is.always.changing.
Consumption & Carbon Footprint
Plenty of research has shown that rich countries and wealthy people produce far more than their share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Transportation and real estate make up the majority of most people’s carbon footprint. Some populations consume & emit more than others. The richest 10% are responsible for 50% of total lifestyle consumption emissions. In contrast, the poorest 50% are responsible for only 10% of lifestyle consumption. Billionaires have carbon footprints that can be thousands of times higher than average Americans. So maybe we should be looking at reducing high-end consumption and reducing global income inequality.
The world’s wealthiest people make a huge contribution to climate change through carbon-hungry activities. According to TheConversation website:
Jet-setting – private aircraft, mega yachts & fleets of cars. For example, a superyacht with a permanent crew, helicopter pad, submarines and pools emits about 7,020 tons of CO2 a year.
Bigger cars like SUVs that ferry around presidents, business leaders, and celebrities significantly contribute to the increase in global CO2 emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, SUV emissions are second behind the power sector (nuclear, fossil fuels, solar, wind, hydro & combustibles.)
Bigger homes – and often multiple homes.
The global average carbon footprint is about 5 tons per person. Americans emit about 15 tons of CO2 per person.
To give you a sense of perspective, if you take a sample of 20 of the richest Americans, they averaged about 8,190 tons of CO2 in 2018.
Flying is one of the most carbon-intensive forms of consumption and the “polluter elite” have a disproportionate impact.
"As soon as you fly, you belong to a global elite," says tourism professor Stefan Gössling. More than 90% of people have never flown and just 1% of the world's population is responsible for 50% of emissions from flying.
Billionaire Bill Gates has an estimated annual footprint of 7,493 metric tons of carbon, mostly from flying. He took 59 flights in 2017, according to Gössling's calculations, covering a distance of around 213,000 miles – more than eight times around the world – generating more than 1,600 tons of greenhouse gasses (that's equivalent to the average yearly emissions of 105 Americans). By billionaire standards, he’s a “modest” polluter!
A more recent example would be Taylor Swift & boyfriend Travis Kelce crisscrossing the globe between her tour dates and Kansas City Chiefs games leading up to the Super Bowl. All air travel creates emissions but according to a 2023 study by the Institute for Policy Studies private jets produce more per person. That one trip from Tokyo to the Super Bowl, traveling more than 19,400 miles on her Dassault Falcon 900LX, could release more than 200,000 pounds of planet warming CO2 emissions. That ONE trip is about 14x more than the average American household emits in a year. Both Gates & Swift claim they purchase more than double the carbon credits (planting trees, supporting clean technology, etc.) needed to “offset” their travel.
The Carbon Footprint doesn’t even take into account how much CO2 is produced/burned throughout the production process and supply chain. That’s called Embodied Carbon emissions.
A more radical idea is a Personal Carbon Allowance (PCA), where individuals are allocated an equal, tradable carbon allowance. If people want to emit more, they must buy the unwanted allowances of others. Versions of a PCA have been explored in Ireland, France, and California. In 2018, the UK government analyzed its feasibility but concluded that a PCA would be too expensive, difficult to administer and unlikely to be accepted socially. There are a lot of questions about the effectiveness of “offsets” with programs loosely regulated and fraught with fraud. Maybe a better approach would be reducing private jet travel and developing cleaner fuels. Anyway, hopefully this gets you thinking about the environmental burden of wealth.
They speak about climate change, while changing the climate.
Just this past February, JPMorgan, Blackrock, State Street, and Pimco all pulled out of the Climate Action 100+ group. And Goldman Sachs ‘declined to comment’.
Why the sudden corporate “flip-flop” over adopting climate/green policies? Lawyers say adopting expensive, useless, and money-wasting green policies violates antitrust laws and they are also not in the shareholder’s best interests. Directors, after all, are responsible to shareholders rather than to the Earth, which does not pay their oversized salaries or vote or attend shareholder meetings.
Farming: Sowing Seeds of Freedom
If you want to know what is happening in the world regarding farming & agriculture, Vandana Shiva is your person! An Indian scholar, environmental activist, and food sovereignty advocate, she is called the “Gandhi of grain”. Her website states that her organization, Navdanya – which means 9 seeds - is “an Earth centric, women centric and farmer led movement for the protection of biological and cultural diversity.”
Shiva's book Making Peace with the Earth discusses biodiversity and the relationship between communities and nature. "Accordingly, she aligns the destruction of natural biodiversity with the dismantling of traditional communities—those who 'understand the language of nature'."
Vandana supports the idea of seed freedom and opposes genetically engineered plants. The creation of seed monopolies, the destruction of alternatives, the collection of super-profits in the form of royalties, and the increasing vulnerability of monocultures has created a context for debt, and potential explanation for a spike in farmer suicides in her home country of India.
The European Union Times headline states: 13 Nations are facing a revolt as they agree to Abolish Farming in order to “Save the Planet”. The ambassadors from the United States, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Panama, Peru, and Spain actually signed a commitment or pledge (not abolish) to transform their farm policies and place farmers under new restrictions intended to reduce emissions of methane gas.
Methane
Global methane emissions come from 2 places: natural sources (40%) and those originating from human activity or anthropogenic emissions (60%).
They’ll say it is for methane reduction, meaning less cows, yet cows/agriculture produce just 10% gross total emissions. Award-winning journalist, Alex Newman, sheds light on a 2013 UN report asserting that meat, chicken, and traditional agriculture are "not sustainable", and that a "major propaganda campaign" is needed to persuade people to eat insects instead. (So, now you can eat bugs or lab-grown 3D printed meat. I have soooo many questions!)
Livestock and fossil fuel production are well-studied for their role in releasing tons of methane per year into the atmosphere. However, wetlands produce 78% of Earth’s natural methane gas...not cows. You can read the paper published in Nature Climate Change for more data analysis.
Around 60% of the world's methane or Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are produced by human activities – with the bulk coming from transportation, electricity & heat production (fossil fuels like oil, gas & coal), industry, agriculture & other land-use (crops, livestock & deforestation), and waste disposal.
Emissions increased in 2022 by 1% driven mainly by an increase in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The easiest gains can be made by fixing leaky pipelines, stopping deliberate releases such as venting unwanted gas from drilling rigs, and other actions in the oil and gas industry, and capturing fumes from rotting materials in landfills. While personally, we can’t fix most of the above, we can decrease the amount of rotting materials in landfills by recycling and composting. Composting provides numerous benefits, including enriching soil fertility, reducing waste sent to landfills, and mitigating GHG emissions. People have even started to consider the impact of their diets, leading to a boom in plant-based meat and dairy companies.
They cut down all the trees, then blame the cows for farting.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has some good charts including this awesome 2021 visual of GHG emission by sector (please click link). Our World in Data is also a good website for data & charts.
Net Zero CO2 Policy
In August 2023, a couple of Princeton MIT scientists said EPA climate regulations to cut CO2 emissions “will be disastrous for the country, for no scientifically justifiable reason."
A practical definition of a carbon footprint is “a measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions of a defined population, system or activity, considering all relevant sources, sinks, and storage within the spatial and temporal boundary of the population, system or activity of interest.” (Wright et all., 2011)
So how much carbon dioxide does the Earth naturally absorb? The Earth’s natural carbon cycle moves a staggering amount of CO2 around our planet, says Daniel Rothman, MIT professor of geophysics. According to calculations, our planet consumes about 30% of all the CO2 emitted by humans.
Some parts of the planet, such as the oceans and forests, absorb carbon dioxide and store it for hundreds or thousands of years. These are called natural carbon sinks. Meanwhile, natural sources of CO2 such as undersea volcanoes, wildfires, and hydrothermal vents release carbon. Altogether the planet absorbs and emits around 100 billion metric tons of carbon through this natural cycle every year, Rothman says. That's equivalent to over 350 billion tons of CO2. However, this natural movement of carbon is tiny compared to humanity’s contribution primarily through activities such as burning fossil fuels.
This graphic on page 6 from the UK’s government FIRES project is an eye-opening reminder of what “net zero” really means. Key points: all airports except Heathrow, Belfast & Glasgow to close by 2030. NO FLYING at all by 2050. No new petrol/diesel cars by 2030; by 2050 road use is restricted to 60% of today’s level.
According to this same Absolute Zero report, they are committed to restricting food, heating, and energy to 60% of today’s level by 2050. That means either a colder, hungrier population or massive depopulation.
So, what do you think? Is this “green agenda” beneficial to the world or are you the carbon they want to reduce like the Epoch Times is claiming: “It's not about global warming. It's not about sustainable development. It's about enslaving humanity. They want to wipe out small and medium sized producers, centralize food control in the hands of mega corporations in bed with the mega governments.” This is why it’s so important to support your local farms and farmers. If you can’t start your own garden or don’t have enough space, consider shopping at your local farmers’ market. Many people use indoor & outdoor containers for their bounty.
“I’ve always believed that the most important people on the planet are the ones who plant the seeds and care for the soil where they grow.”
~ Willie Nelson
TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It)
There are many reasons to be prepared. It’s a good idea to be prepared for unexpected sickness, job loss or reduction in wages, inflation, rising food costs, natural disasters, crop failures, supply chain issues, etc. Prepare…find your farm!
Last year, I tried something different with my seeds. Instead of starting them inside the house to get a jump on planting season, I created mini greenhouses out of gallon water/milk containers. But any semi-transparent container will work. The containers offer a warm moist growing environment, and your tender seedlings are protected despite outside air temperatures in the winter. The jugs are portable so I can easily move them around outside to take advantage of the weather – move to sunnier/shadier spots or more protected if harsher weather. The rain and snow were natural precipitation through the open lid, so they germinated faster. This allowed me to start my seeds before the last frost and they were much sturdier when I planted them in the garden. And…it’s a fun activity for the kids too!
Preparation Questions:
What are the plants for your region.
How much growing space for your needs.
How many plants are needed for that space.
Food storage is also an important factor in which varieties you decide to grow.
Start with seeds that are easy to grow and the produce is easy to preserve/can.
Make sure you purchase open-pollinated, non-GMO, non-hybrid, heirloom seeds. These can be saved and re-planted year after year.
Learn to save seeds! Keep in mind that seeds have a shelf life and don’t last forever. Start saving seeds from your own harvest.
Many store-bought produce, even organic seeds, can be sterile and will not produce.
Don’t forget those herbs & flowers. Many of these “companion plants” act as natural pest control as well as herbal/medicinal remedies. And flowers attract bees for pollination ensuring a good crop yield, adequate disbursement/propagation, and genetic diversity.
To get started, I like 4Patriots survival seeds & survival food kits, but you can also check out True Leaf Market, Mary’s Heirloom Seeds or St. Clare Seeds. Here’s a guide for the best survival food supply sources.
As I’ve said before Earth is the SOURCE of life, not a resource. There is enough abundance on this beautiful planet to support everyone's needs. But there must be a distinction made between need and greed.
- Provide people with food.
- Encourage economic development.
- Protect against famine.
- Ensure that the surrounding community has access to basic necessities.
- Help protect bees and honey production.
- Strengthen the economy.
Permaculture is an approach to land management and conscious design using few energy resources and human intervention. It is a harmonious place that is both productive and attractive and designed with all seasons in mind providing food, energy, shelter, and sustainable materials.
According to the Permaculture Research Institute, “Permaculture integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies – imitating the no waste, closed loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture studies and applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics and community development.” Permaculture would be ideal, but that transition will take time.
Seed farms, agriculture, farming, gardening, and permaculture collectively contribute significantly to the preservation of Earth's ecosystems and sustainability. Seed farms play a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity by conserving diverse plant genetic resources essential for food security and weather resilience. Agriculture, through sustainable practices such as organic farming and agroforestry, not only provides nourishment but also promotes soil health, water conservation, and carbon confiscation. Small-scale farming and community gardening initiatives foster local food production, reduce food miles (carbon footprints), and strengthen community resilience. Permaculture principles emphasize regenerative design and ecological stewardship, promoting self-sufficiency, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration. Together, these practices offer holistic solutions for addressing environmental challenges and cultivating a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the planet.
Earth is a living entity with a soul, and we are slowly killing her with negativity and environmental pollution. It’s time to reverse our ways & restore our home. We need to be more like the Guardians Seeds.
In Part 2, we’ll continue to look at controversial climate change topics like chemtrails, fluorinated water, solar energy, and electric vehicles.