Hemp can feed the world - NewsGrabs Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Hemp: Some Say It Can Feed The World, Others Fear It Could Topple Industries!
The story of hemp being banned for cultivation in the U.S. in 1937 under the Marijuana Tax Act is a story of criminal conspiracy to deprive Americans and most of the world of one of the best plants given to us by the Creator of the Universe to be used for food and thousands of other industrial purposes. What’s sad is that a large majority of people in this country believe that hemp is just another word for marijuana and that somehow you could get high on hemp. A little investigative research into the different species of the Cannabis plant will quickly dispel this myth.The same industries that decided to do away with the hemp plant in the US, through pressure on the United Nations and a "war on drugs", have exported that prohibition to practically the whole world. Seeing that even the drug use of hemp - marijuana - is comparable to and probably less damaging physically than other common drugs like sugar, coffee, alcohol and nicotine, it does not make sense that some drugs should be "legal" while others are wiped out, even in their industrial and food uses.
And who, anyway, is "the government" to tell its citizens what they may morally do and what they must not do ... or be imprisoned. Are they not supposed to work for *us*?
‘Superweed’ explosion threatens Monsanto heartlands
"Superweeds" are plaguing high-tech Monsanto crops in southern US states, driving farmers to use more herbicides, return to conventional crops or even abandon their farms. 19 Apr 2009 The gospel of high-tech genetically modified (GM) crops is not sounding quite so sweet in the land of the converted. A new pest, the evil pigweed, is hitting headlines and chomping its way across Sun Belt states, threatening to transform cotton and soybean plots into weed battlefields. In late 2004, "superweeds" that resisted Monsanto’s iconic "Roundup" herbicide, popped up in GM crops in the county of Macon, Georgia. Monsanto, the US multinational biotech corporation, is the world’s leading producer of Roundup, as well as genetically engineered seeds.The super weed is also called Palmer Amaranth or Careless Weed. For identification of pigweed species, check out this PDF. Is it nutritious? You decide. Look here for comparisons. Thanks to Hanna for forwarding the links.Looking at this with a dispassionate eye, what keeps us from making a virtue out of necessity and starting to grow the superweed for its nutritious properties? There are already food products containing amaranth. And ... could we not feed the stuff to animals? The chickens would be happy for sure, and pigs must have been munching on it for generations for the herb to be called 'pigweed'.
So my reply to the message with these links was:
"Probably those farmers would be better off growing the pigweed (amaranth) for food and feed, rather than whatever they are growing that needs a weed-free environment. But I suppose there aren't any subsidies for growing weeds, and without subsidies, what's agriculture?"
Herbal extract inhibits the development of pancreatic cancer
Thymoquinone, the major constituent of the oil extract from a Middle Eastern herbal seed called Nigella sativa, exhibited anti-inflammatory properties that reduced the release of inflammatory mediators in pancreatic cancer cells, according to Hwyda Arafat, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Surgery at the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and a member of the Jefferson Pancreatic, Biliary & Related Cancers Center.Nigella sativa seeds and oil are used in traditional medicine by many Middle Eastern and Asian countries. It helps treat a broad array of diseases, including some immune and inflammatory disorders, Dr. Arafat said.
New human study reinforces antioxidant benefits of tart cherries
"This study documents for the first time that the antioxidants in tart cherries do make it into the human bloodstream and is coupled with increased antioxidant activity that could have a positive impact," said Sara L. Warber, MD, Co-Director of University of Michigan Integrative Medicine and principal investigator of the study. "And, while more research is needed, what's really great is that a reasonable amount of cherries could potentially deliver benefits, like reducing risk factors for heart disease and inflammation."Wonder what the FDA is going to say to this one. They came after the cherry growers for saying just that - cherries have great antioxidant activity and might be preventive!
MSG Is Being Sprayed On Fruits, Veggies, Nuts, Grains And Seeds As They Are Growing... Even Those Used In Baby Food
In the 1970s, reluctant food processors "voluntarily" took processed free glutamic acid (MSG) out of baby food. Today it's back, in fertilizers called "Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Emulsion" and "Steam Hydrolyzed Feather Meal," both of which contain hydrolyzed proteins; and in a product called AuxiGro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro) produced by Emerald BioAgriculture (formerly Auxein Corporation), which contains both hydrolyzed protein(s) and "monosodium glutamate." AuxiGro is being sprayed on some of the vegetables we and our children will eat, into the air we and our children must breath, and onto the ground from which it can move into drinking water. Head lettuce, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts were among the first crops targeted.Remember, MSG is used to artificially induce obesity in lab animals...
Comparative Effectiveness in Medicine: What to Research
Grace E. Jackson, M.D. has made a statement recommending where to put those dollars, with respect to the allocation of money (1.1 billion dollars) from the 2009 Recovery Act fund for the purpose of achieving Comparative Effectiveness Research. Some good ideas here:- Prioritize Ending Corporate Fraud
- Focus Upon Basic Science and Biology
- Prevent and Mitigate Iatrogenic Harm
- Recruit the Best Treatments from Around the World
- Protect the Privacy of Patients and Physicians"Ultimately, effective health care must also be ethical health care. This will require a return of integrity in the conduct of American medical research. It will also require a health care system which prioritizes the delivery of services that are consistent with fundamental human rights, and with the human species' duty to protect (rather than to plunder) the planet's biosphere."
Is the FDA Bipolar?
In February the Justice Department charged Forest Laboratories with illegally marketing antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro to younger patients and burying a study that showed suicidal side effects in children. But the next month the FDA approved Lexapro for depression in adolescents 12 to 17.In March the Justice Department charged AstraZeneca with knowing and hiding the diabetes side effects of Seroquel. But this month the FDA considers expanding the antipsychotic's approvals to depression and anxiety...
AHRP asks Dr. Biederman's Research be independently reviewed
AHRP proposes a multi-disciplinary team of independent scientists to review ALL of Dr. Joseph Biederman's publications and supporting documents, including: research protocols, consent forms, and the original (of course, anonymized) data sets with associated code books for all pediatric studies.Vince Boehm's comment:The damage done by unleashing the most damaging pharmaceutical products on the planet to our children is incalculable. The Biederman scandal at Harvard cannot be resolved by firing this man, a bunch of hand wringing, and a tearful promise this will never happen again. Too much harm has been done.
The damage must be repaired.
The large group of now-tainted studies generated by this effort must now face the scrutiny of a vigorous peer review, or be repudiated as valid scientific literature. If these studies do not pass muster these must be retracted.
This action is the only way to restore public confidence in the entire system.
Tons of released drugs taint US water
U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water - contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked, according to an Associated Press investigation.Federal and industry officials say they don't know the extent to which pharmaceuticals are released by U.S. manufacturers because no one tracks them - as drugs. But a close analysis of 20 years of federal records found that, in fact, the government unintentionally keeps data on a few, allowing a glimpse of the pharmaceuticals coming from factories.
Are Iraq Soldier Suicides Due to Psychiatric Drugs?
(link no longer active)
Why are suicides among Iraq war soldiers twice that of other wars?One reason could be that 80 percent of troops with post traumatic stress disorder are given drugs that didn't exist during other wars.
Antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Celexa (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs) and Cymbalta and Effexor (Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors or SRNIs) that are so closely associated with suicide they carry suicide warnings.
Shock Corridor!!
Did you know that in America, the land of human rights, you can legally be given repeated electric shock treatments, for no reason, for years and years, and no one can help prevent that from happening?Ray Sandford, 54, lives in a group home in Minneapolis. He has not been charged with any crime, and his mental problems subsided long ago. However, against his will, Ray has received over 40 court ordered shock treatments.
Bipolar disorder and its biomythology: An interview with David Healy
In the case of bipolar disorder the biomyths center on ideas of mood stabilization. But there is no evidence that the drugs stabilize moods. In fact, it is not even clear that it makes sense to talk about a mood center in the brain. A further piece of mythology aimed at keeping people on the drugs is that these are supposedly neuroprotective—but there's no evidence that this is the case and in fact these drugs can lead to brain damage.
Drugging Kids With No Verifiable Disease
Health Canada responded with a letter, which stated in part:“For mental/psychiatric disorders in general, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and ADHD, there are no confirmatory gross, microscopic or chemical abnormalities that have been validated for objective physical diagnosis. Rather, diagnoses of possible mental conditions are described strictly in terms of patterns of symptoms that tend to cluster together.”
“Once children are diagnosed with a mental disorder, that label stays with them throughout their school and medical history,” Dr Baughman warns.
“If they are made to take addictive stimulants or other dangerous psychiatric drugs, they are victims of the biggest health care fraud in history” ...
Video: Depression Test Puts Kids' Health at Risk
Our kids' health is at risk. Depression screening may lead to drug treatment for millions of kids across the United States, with drugs that are known to cause suicide and violence.
Video - The Onion: FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful
Made by Pfizer, Despondex is the first drug designed to treat the symptoms of excessive perkiness.Carolyn Dean has a comment about this one on her site.
Decolonizing Our Minds, Freeing Our Spirits
It was one of those inexplicable moments in which you transcend yourself and see things in a completely new way. I clearly saw two paths ahead of me: one path worn and familiar, the path of the “mental patient.” That path was sterile and without life, without color—a concrete path. The other path was bumpy, muddy in places, obscured with brilliant wildflowers and overgrown trees. It was lush and challenging and it beckoned me.Suddenly, for the first time in my life, it occurred to me that I had a choice—at that point in time I could decide that I was no longer going to consume what they were offering. In that moment, my entire life changed. With my rejection of the system that had long killed my spirit and numbed my mind with drugs and psychobabble, I stepped on to a new path—a path uncertain but filled with possibility.
Video: Urgent Warning about Gardasil
New information links the Gardasil vaccine to thousand of health complaints and more than 30 deaths.
April 23 - Rethinking AIDS Day
This coming Thursday 23 April will be the second "Re-thinking Aids Day" to bring attention to the inconsistencies and outright lies about Aids and HIV which we are served by health authorities and an uncritical press continuously, during the year.Henry Bauer, author of an excellent blog that points out those inconsistencies and lies will be holding a talk in Los Angeles on 23 April.
Last year, 23 April saw a call by a group of scientists for new thinking on HIV and Aids.
Video: Rethinking AIDS Day
A video representing the unheard voices of HIV positives struggling to break free of the death sentence of the HIV industry, in honor of Rethinking AIDs DayVitamin C in the Treatment of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
A 1984 paper by Dr. Robert F. Cathcart III, MD which evidently has been disregarded by the Aids medical mainstream but is still as relevant as it could ever be
"In House of Numbers, an AIDS film like no other, the HIV/AIDS story is being rewritten. This is the first film to present the uncensored POVs of virtually all the major players; in their own settings, in their own words. It rocks the foundation upon which all conventional wisdom regarding HIV/AIDS is based. House of Numbers could well be the opening volley in a battle to bring sanity and clarity to an epidemic gone awry."
Health risks of shipping pollution have been 'underestimated'
Confidential data from maritime industry insiders based on engine size and the quality of fuel typically used by ships and cars shows that just 15 of the world's biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world's 760m cars. Low-grade ship bunker fuel (or fuel oil) has up to 2,000 times the sulphur content of diesel fuel used in US and European automobiles."Ship pollution affects the health of communities in coastal and inland regions around the world, yet pollution from ships remains one of the least regulated parts of our global transportation system," said James Corbett, professor of marine policy at the University of Delaware, one of the authors of the report which helped persuade the US government to act.
Going after the meltdown profiteers - will we finally see some heads on a pike?
Financial advisor Mike Morgan started an anti-Goldman Sachs website to examine “what part Goldman Sachs and their executives played in the current Global Economic Crisis.” The investment bank and its lawyers told him to cease and desist. So Morgan sued Goldman. The response has been overwhelming. Morgan is now organizing volunteers to go after the other banksters.”
Sweden: hundreds protest Pirate Bay conviction
Wearing bandanas and waving Jolly Roger flags, hundreds of supporters of file-sharing hub The Pirate Bay demonstrated on Saturday against a Swedish court's conviction of the Internet site's organizers.Last week I posted an article that makes the point that public libraries are not really that different from peer-to-peer file sharing. You can go get your book, CD or DVD or other media, enjoy it and return it for others to view.
Now, there has been a conviction in the Swedish Pirate Bay case, no doubt with pressure brought on behalf of the recording industry, which has smugly welcomed the punishment of those who would dare share their music or videos.
No doubt, this will not be the end of file sharing, but rather the beginning of a new chapter...
Building a Scaffold for Social Change
For the most part, the mainstream media and federal government still treat the economic collapse as something that can be fixed, so that economic growth can resume in a few years. But some commentators are beginning to realize that our meltdown represents a deeper and more permanent paradigm shift. The physical environment can no longer withstand the assaults of our industrial culture. We are experiencing a termination of capitalism as we have known it, a shutdown recently dubbed "The Great Disruption" by Thomas Friedman, in The New York Times.- - -
More information out there...
There is much I cannot cover but other sources for this kind of information exist and are active.
...
Dr Mercola's health blog, Mike Adams' Natural News and the One Click Group in the UK have good health information. The Dr Rath Foundation is also putting out a weekly collection of health related news. Here is the link to their Newsletter Archive.
The Alternative Medicine Yahoo Group and the healthfreedom ning group are places to discuss and exchange information on what is happening in the world of natural health.
For the influence of electromagnetic waves from radio, mobile phones and other radio emitting devices, check out the emr-updates group on Yahoo. Genetic modification and issues around agriculture and foods are reported on the Organic Consumers Association site.
A few sites to keep up to date with the other side of world affairs, the stuff you won't necessarily find on your tv or in the papers:
http://therealnews.com/
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com
http://www.commondreams.org
http://www.globalresearch.ca/
http://www.truthout.org/The individual is supreme and finds its way through intuition
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Tuesday April 21 2009
updated on Wednesday August 15 2012URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2009/04/21/hemp_can_feed_the_world_newsgrabs_tuesday_21_april_2009.htm