Blogging from the Bog

   What started out as school project a few years ago has grown into an international effort of creativity, forward thinking, and co-operation among individuals and groups with a view to the future.  Not satisfied with the rhetoric of government, big business, or doomsday theorists these visionaries are proactively making a concerted effort to prepare their communities for the inevitable.  They are not passing judgement, they are not getting entangled in spurious debates or mudslinging, and they are not promising miracles.  They are creating Transition Towns.

   In 2005 Rob Hopkins was teaching a class in the world’s first two-year program of permaculture at a college in Kinsale, County Cork a seaside community on the southern coast of Ireland.  Permaculture, in theory and practice, is the idea of sustainable living and as part of his lecture series Hopkins showed the movie The End of Suburbia to his class.  At a time when the price of oil was still around the $35 per barrel stage the implications of peak oil were not lost on the students and a proposal was drafted designing the Transition Town concept.  The cleaner, greener, community based initiative was adopted by the Kinsale Town Council as proposed by student Louise Rooney and the project was underway.

   The Transition Town concept is becoming more and more relavent, as the price of oil is now $135 a barrel, and deals with how communities will adapt, adjust, and flourish despite being faced with declining natural resources, rising fuel and energy prices or shortages, and climate change.  There are currently 50 towns actively participating in this project and hundreds of others contemplating the idea of getting involved.  Is your town or city considering the prospect?  Check this list of communities around the globe.

   A quote from Rob Hopkins’ website reads, "We are communities, a society, a world in transition, and to do that we need a culture of transition, but also we need the tools for manifesting it."  Indeed we do Rob, indeed we do.

Rob

   In our globalised economy and lifestyle many things have changed here in Ireland.  The increase in discretionary income has allowed for more frequent travel, a larger variety of exotic food and beverages on our grocery shelves, and some changes in our consumption patterns.  One notable item features high on our new shopping list, wine, the Irish are now in love with the nectar of the vine. 

   Amid all the controversy with global warming, fuel prices, and a slumping world economy the French wine growers, Irish truckers, UK and Scottish fisherman, and others around Europe are reacting to rising costs, EU controls and dwindling profits by holding strikes, slow downs and riots.  Is this a sign of the times and a preview of what is to come?  Or, will we take a pro-active stance, adapt as humans are capable of, and rise to the challenges we face as we approach peak oil?

   In late July a ship will quietly leave a dock in France bound for Irish shores, it’s hold will contain 12,000 bottles of wine for the thirsty Irish market, and it will be using free fuel.  A three-masted schooner, the Kathleen & May, is scheduled to deliver her cargo to the Dublin port on the 25th of July.  Over one hundred years old, the sailing vessel is one of many operated by the Compagnie de Transport Maritime a la Voile, and according to company executives will save nearly 5 ounces of carbon emissions per bottle. 

   Will we again see horse drawn wagons and a return of the canal barges in Dublin?  We can only hope! 

   Spencer Tunick was at it again this week in Ireland.  A few days ago an installation, photo-shoot, was organised on the grounds of Blarney Castle in Cork and today one is being done at the Dublin docks.  Tunick, famous for his photographs of large groups of naked volunteers, made his Irish debut Wednesday at the castle with 1200 enthusiastic participants.

   Braving the chill early morning Irish mists the models were asked to strip off and follow instructions for four different scenes around the castle including clutching roses, standing in the cold water holding gold coins, and "mooning" the camera. 

   Usually public displays of nudity are against the law here in Ireland but the members of the Cork Midsummer Festival were granted special permission to hold the event to coincide with the celebrations.

   This video shows the crowd following Tunick’s direction, notice the big coats and wooly hats in the beginning! Brave souls indeed, all in the name of art!

   There was nothing but blue skies and fine weather this past month for our journey around Ireland.  The one or two afternoons of misty rain were almost like special effects put on for our benefit when visiting some of the ancient sites and monuments and only enhanced the experience.  We took the time to take in some of the local flavour and colour whenever we could and met some interesting characters as well as visiting the major tourist attractions. 

   It’s a busy time of the year around here in the bog and although I’ve settled back in after the experience my blogging will be somewhat sporatic in the next while but I will be posting soon about some of the places and the people we met along the way.  It was a delight to play host to my American visitors and to catch up with all that has happened over the years with them.  If they had half as good a time as I did they will be very happy indeed with their holiday here.

   To Mona, Jody, and Cheryl who were such good travelling companions, conversationalists, and drinking partners, "Slainte!"

   Is there an idea, concept or belief that is more valuable than a human life?  Are ideas, concepts, or beliefs, even considered reality?

   Throughout history we have heard of people risking and losing their lives for ideals and principles; but, these were people who were able to rationalise for themselves what the consequences and outcomes might be.  What is the proper consideration for us to take with regards to people who are not competent, who may be children, or even infants?

   There was a discussion on this very topic at Ash’s place over at Into the Rabbit Hole as to what the community responsibility should be when an eleven year old girl was allowed to die because her parents refused to get her the medical care she needed to live.  At what point does a person have a unique presence on this earth and the right to life?  In the womb? at birth? at eighteen or twenty-one?  If pre-natal abortions can be legalised how about post-natal ones?  The threat of post-natal abortions would go a long way in controlling the Anti-Social Behaviour problem with modern teenagers wouldn’t it?  *that was sarcasm ok?*

   There is a case here in Ireland that will be heard in the court system within the next few days.  Parents of unborn twins are trying to prevent medical intervention and blood transfusions, that doctors feel necessary to save the childrens lives, because of their beliefs.  In this country, I believe, that the State can intervene and declare the newborns to be Wards of the State because of the sanctity of life provisions within the Constitution and in doing so can approve of any necessary medical treatment regardless of the parents wishes.  Would it be morally feasible to have the courts allow the medical staff to treat the infants while they are still in the womb?

   Should we as a community take the responsibility to care for each and every life even if it goes against the wishes of the parents?

   What is all the fuss about?  What is there to know about the Lisbon Treaty referendum?  The answer to this Euro-riddle is as plain as Irish stew!  And for all the eejits out there having a great auld chinwagging session on the pros and cons of our future economy, neutrality, or our small voice in the greater European scheme of things answer me this one question will ya?

   Why, if voting yes for this treaty will make the EU 27 a more democratic union, are they not allowing all citizens to vote in a democratic electoral process throughout the member States?  If this passes in June do you think they will ever allow us to vote on anything again?  Why should they?  For Heaven’s Sake people wake the feck up will ya?

   Only a flock of bloody sheep would vote yes for this shite.  Off ya go!

   View this video, posted by Jazz Biscuit, before you vote!

   All the things we talked about in this series of articles are historic and history can be a great teacher.  Two events happened over the weekend.  One was a reflection on Ireland’s independence and we celebrated the 92nd anniversary of the Easter Uprising, the other event is current and history in the making.  This second matter concerns the Bear, Stearns & Company bailout and the fact that the Federal Reserve, or the Central Bank for America, will interject $30 billion into the company, additionally candidate Clinton is asking the Fed to "make available" a further $30 billion to the public sector to help with the mortgage crisis.  Before we continue, have a quick look at this post by Purple Frog to see what a billion really is!  You’ll be amazed!

   There were patriotic speeches made from Dublin this weekend and one quoted the words of the men of the 1916 Uprising, that they wanted  "…a Sovereign and Independent Free State…" for Ireland.  Little did those courageous men know that within one life-time Ireland would choose to give up this sovereignty and independence voluntarily for a new master.  No control of currency, no control of borders, laws and leadership transferred off the island, and Ireland’s ability to take it’s place in the world usurped by strangers in Brussels who rule the European Union.  The petty squabbles about the right-to-life and neutrality issues pale in comparison to the economic ramifications of the Lisbon Treaty for once the absolute control of wealth is handed over to Brussels we will follow the Pied Piper of Profit like good little mice.  Within the Lisbon Treaty there is no provision that guarantees that the European Central Bank will remain independent of political control!  President Sarkozy of France has criticized this independence and wishes to change it’s mandate.

   Ireland has forfeited it’s right to control her own economic future.  Previously in this series we mentioned Central Banks, these are institutions that control the ebb and flow of available currencies either by sovereign governments or agencies contracted by these governments.  Ireland’s founding fathers freed us from being subjects of the Crown; but, now we have become subjects of the Coin.  The European Coin.  The European Central Bank.

   Technically the European Central Bank is not a member of the International Monetary Fund, it doesn’t have to be, all it’s member states are.  We saw, that in order to be a member of this elite banking club, all members must base their currency valuations on fiat currency, the taxabilty of it’s population, a.k.a. slavery to debt.  Ireland’s population, and the States’ ability to extract taxes from them, gave Ireland’s currency a value when we surrended our Punts for Euros.  In order to maintain these levels the ECB will insure that the rate of tax collected remains at these transition levels.  Although England is a member of the European Union it was smart enough not to give up it’s sovereignty as regards to it’s economic freedom.  The Bank of England is also a central bank; but, it is one that is owned and under control of the government.  The Federal Reserve System is a consortium of twelve banks, owned privately, and under contract to the US government to provide an economy by which the politicians can conduct foreign and domestic policy.

   President John F. Kennedy, who was a great student of history and an admirer of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, tried to give back to the American people the right to control their own destiny.  In June 1963 he signed Executive Order Number 11110 which would take back the power of the Federal Reserve System and restore true "freedom and democracy" to the government "of the people" after it was taken away 50 years prior.  He was killed within five months, draw your own conclusions.  That Executive Order is still awaiting Presidential implementation for the brave soul who, while occupying the Oval Office, will dare to confront the Money Machine. 

   The ECB is currently fighting the temptation to lower interest rates and thus expanding the M1 money supply.  It is under pressure from the US Central Bankers who are continually lowering theirs while they are printing all this new money for Bear Stearns and the mortgage bailout if Hillary has her way.  This is a battle within the Money Machine that the ECB will lose.  All these billions that the Fed is interjecting into the economy costs the tax slaves dearly, the combination of lower interest rates and more money in the system is hyperinflation which is expanding the money supply thus lowering values.  The world economy has only one way to go, down.

   In conclusion of this series we know what we have always known, that people are the true wealth of the world, and that there are those out there who are trying to steal this wealth.  In simple terms we can fight this Money Machine by staying out of debt, vote NO to the Lisbon Treaty, be informed…be aware…be alert…help one another…and question everything!

   The ongoing discussions concerning global warming, peak oil, and sustainability come to us in a variety of mediums and by a plethora of experts, many of whom cannot agree and some hold completely opposing views to one another.  They talk about carbon footprints, carbon credits, conservation, and the adverse effects of globalisation.  Food miles is a calculation of how much petroleum it takes to get Brazilian bananas or Spanish strawberries to your breakfast table.  We are inundated with information, opinions, and predictions, is there any way to make any sense of all this?  Who do we believe, who can we trust? 

   It is a good policy to try to get to the core, the essence, of a situation in order to find the truth.  With so much data available where can we begin?  Why not begin with yourself?  You are a bright and intelligent person.  If you were to avail yourself of a logical, systematic, and irrefutable method of divining the truth out of a myriad of conjecture and hyberbole you would have the power of discerning the data into useable material by which you could draw your own informed conclusions.  You do not need to be told by others if you think for yourself, believe in your decision making, and trust your instincts.

   Our energy usage, and our natural resources, and the concepts to conserve or sustain their availability is a hot political topic.  It is discussed daily in every country.  It was also important enough for the UN Secretary General to highlight the problems, that shortages can cause, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last month.  He asserted that "conflicts over scarce supplies" were triggered in areas of the Middle East and Africa, and that it was his hope that water shortages in these regions could be eliminated by 2015.  Surprisingly enough he also touched on a subject of much controversy which is the fact that population growth is becoming a recognised detriment to sustainability.  Most criticism is directed at developing nations; but, in fact the un-checked population explosions in the developed countries are where the greatest problems lie.

   Professor Chris Ripley raised the debate in this article by Charles Glover in the Telegraph last summer.  He says that the most disturbing aspect of the debate on overpopulation, as a inhibiting factor on environmental issues, is the fact that no one is willing to talk about it.

   James, over at The Good Life, has 40 posts concerning overpopulation and the effects it has and will have on society.  Politicians are duplicitous in their discussions and uninformed in their opinions of the real nature of population growth.  The "zero population growth" concepts of the 70’s fell on deaf ears, and China’s "one-child" per family proclamation was condemned from every political pulpit in the world.  You will not see a politician tackling this issue with any conviction.  If you would like a pragmatic explanation of the fundamental issue at the heart of our resource requirements go to this site.  It is a series of videos in which Dr. Albert A. Bartlett explains the dilemma of population and energy.  Arm yourself with the innate, core facts of the situation and draw your own conclusions.

   Broadband has just arrived in the bog!  And I want to thank my good friend Maireid for sending me the link to Dr. Bartlett’s video, and although she sent it some time ago, I was only able to view it today. 

   They say that necessity is the mother of invention and David Duncan needed some relief after 14 years of suffering with psoriasis.  David, who hails from Sligo, has made a concoction based on an oil extracted from the nuts of a Moroccan tree, according to Anita Guida’s article in yesterday’s Independent.

   Mr. Duncan was able to get immediate results with his discovery and has since overcome this affliction and restored his life back to normal.  Others have used it with similar results.  There is an email address listed in the article as scalppsoriasis@gmail.com by which you can contact him.  Even if you don’t suffer from this itching condition you might pop him off a note and say "Nice job David!"

  Scientist David Duncan