Heroes for Our Planet

Dear Friends,

Ancient history displays much understanding about the cyclical balance of nature. Lets listen on to Isaiah, an 8th century BC writer:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater (Isaiah 55:10)

Nature’s services—fresh water, oxygen to breath, the recycling of waste, clothing, shelter, medicine and food. All free gifts—benefits produced through cycles, with each component part within the cycles important to their successful production of services. The proper balancing of the component parts within each of life’s cycles is critical to our survival as a species and for that matter the survival of all higher forms of life.

Enters the humans race—born with a talent for technology, given the freedom of choice and the gift of planet earth with rich biodiversity. Unfortunately, like spoiled children, we have misused our gifts, squandered our inheritance, and now must face the consequences—the emergence of new disease patterns, super viruses, the warming of our earth, the collapse of ecosystems with the loss of the services they provide and ultimately, as we discussed in last weeks newletter, the extinction of species at a rate that is hundreds to even thousands of times greater than natural backgoround
levels.

Evolution has occured and is supported through the symbiotic relationship of the component parts within lifes cycles. With each part balancing the other with checks and balances in order to provide its benefits. Whenever power is concentrated and unaccountable, whether its’ corporate power, governmental power, or religious power—it inevitably leads to abuses. Human beings are imperfect and you need a system of checks and balances to keep them in line, to encourage good behavior.

Nowhere is the corruptive influence of unchecked power and the resultant abuse more apparent than in our food production and supply system. Focusing on making the corrective changes in this system provides the most advantageous and powerful of leverage points to bring about the big changes we are all now seeking—that of creating a world of social equity, sustainable economies and environmental quality. The forces for making this happen are mounting and I will be sharing with you below three of these power forces for good and more in the weeks to come. But wouldn’t it be great, isn’t it important and totally appropriate for us, as the holistic medical community, to bring our full focus, support and expertise into this area of food—to be a powerful catalyst to turning our planet around? Now let’s look at three powerful forces for change.

Have you seen Food Inc.? If not buy it or at least rent it. Take the time to view it. It is so important for us to wake up to what is going on within our food system. To get the ramifications of it in our gut. It is amazing that the film’s creators had the guts to make this film and were able to make it, for many powerful force’s toes were stepped on. Thank God in America we can still step on toes.

Food Inc. exposes the slavery like conditions of the food industry workers. You
really see the role and consequences of the fast food industries marketing on the American diet. One example is the causative links to the obesity epidemic among American children. Not to mention the host of other chronic degenerative diseases practitioners deal with daily. This movie should be a video that every patient should watch. Why not have it playing in your waiting rooms?

One of the major themes of Food Inc is the power of corporations to influence government policy—the collusion between our government officials, federal agencies and the handful of transnational corporations controlling our food system. A system that has allowed for ugly,foul smelling factory farms that pollute the air and water while producing foods of dubious safety and nutritional value. A system that allows these large corporations to put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of American farmers, the safety of workers and the world envirnoment. There is so much in this film to see and to reflect on. The importance of it is that if watched enough it will move people to action. Here is an important link for you: Take Part in Food Inc.

The Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, has been a leader for nearly two decades in school reform and education for sustainable living. They have now taken Food Inc. as a center piece around which to develop their curriculum. A book to help you gain a vision for what can be done within your own children’s school system is Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability. It describes strategies for greening the campus and the curriculum, conducting environmental audits, rethinking school food, and transforming schools into models of sustainable community. It will inspire you. Obviously, our children are our future.

And finally, Michelle Obama—take a look at Michelle’s interview with PBS’s Jim Lehre on her initiative against childhood obesity. Talking about childhood obesity, Michelle said:

It’s time we all had a wake-up call. Our kids didn’t do this to themselves…Our kids don’t choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in super-sized portions, and then have those products marketed to them everywhere they turn.

Michelle’s Let’s Move campaign seeks to end childhood obesity in our generation. As you all know too well over the past 30 years, obesity rates have tripled, costing American’s more than $150 billion every year to treat conditions like Type II diabetes.

What an opportunity for us all with a voice at the top in the person of Michelle Obama, with the power of a movie like Food Inc. to awakened people to the crimes against humanity and the changes that must be made, and the vision of organizations like Ecoliteracy to focus on the education of our children. Let’s bring the full power and intelligence of our community into a coordinated effort to support them in the correction of our food system. A change that will have a ripple effect for social equity, environmental quality and sustainble economies throughout our world.

Sincerely yours,

Seann Bardell

BioImmersion.com

Clinical Note:

Tomorrow, on February 18th at 5:00pm PST I will be conducting a webinar entitled, DeEvolution and the Ecology of the Microbiome. It will be 45 minutes of lecture and fifteen minutes for discussion—starting at 5:00pm and ending at 6:00 sharp. Let me know if you would like to join us, and I will send you a link. I will be offering this lecture every Tuesday and Thursday through the month of March.

The Last Quiz Answer: The habitat of the Walia Ibex is the High Semyan, Ethiopia’s dramatic high mountain terrain. On these mountain ridges lives the Walia Ibex, here and nowhere else in the world. Forced by Man to retreat and retreat again, driven to inhabit the most inaccessible cliffs. The tiny remnent population is now confined to a range of about twenty miles, already extinct in all other parts of their former wide range.

The males weigh 80-125 kg (180-280 lb) and have very large horns which curve backwards, reaching lengths up to 110 cm. These horns are used for dominance disputes between males. The males also have distinguished black beards. The length of the walia ibex beard varies with age. There are approximately 500 of these magnificent creatures left.

Food Democracy Now is providing a means for us to coordinate our energy around supporting Michelle Obama’s obesity initiative—to make food healthy for all of American’s children. Click on this. Let’s participate.