The Cradle to Cradle Concept - Waste=Food

I have attacked conspicuous consumerism several times in the recent past. Recently, I found a potential solution to a problem which threatens our future. Cradle to Cradle or C2C, is a concept based on life cycles found in nature (where there are no landfills). It focuses on using non-toxic and truely reusable materials (or truely biodegradable) to produce useful products while minimising pollution and maximising efficiency and renewable energy use. We would no longer work against nature. This film provides a very good explanation of the concept:



C2C will require some large changes, but it will address or problems of pollution, waste of natural resources, and waste storage. It is truely sustainable. One advantage will appeal to corporations and shareholders - it is possible to reduce overall costs.

For details of Cradle to Cradle certification, click here.

Many of my designs feature themes of consumerism and environmental concerns, but I'll leave you with this one today. I think it summarizes the thinking behind C2C - food for thought.

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Nation Building?

We hear a lot about the term "nation building" when Iraq and Afghanistan are discussed. Many countries have fallen under the influence of the US at some point, and Latin America contains many examples. Latin American countries are currently working to achieve independence from the US by organizing and working together. Do those countries dislike the US simply because of ideological differences? We need only look at the interactions of the last few decades...



Cuba, Guatemala, Chile, El Salvador, Grenada, Nicaragua... the list goes on. Were we just fighting communism?

Are You On The Freedom Train?

What is the Freedom Train? I'll let Abe Osheroff describe it for you:



Abe was a lifelong social activist. Here is his last public appearance at the age of 92:



This isn't the post I'd planned to make today, but I think that sometimes inspiration is as important as the truth. I'll save my facts for another post. See you on the Freedom train.

The Bitter Truth

There is a poison in most of our food. We don't think of it as a poison, but it is. That poison is fructose (and of course HFCS). It helps to make us obese, and damages our organs. It is in most US food because it is very sweet and very cheap. It actually metabolises as fat! This presentation explains the bitter truth:



In it, Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology provides details of the problem facing us. If you don't have 90 minutes (and I recommend you find the time), at least watch the summary during the last 5 minutes.

The toxic effects of artificial sweeteners are another subject, and I have covered that topic in the past. I think it is much more beneficial to learn to avoid heavily processed foods - especially those with fructose. Stay away from soft drinks (see the coca cola conspiracy mentioned in the video). I know our portion sizes are too big, and we don't practice enough restraint or self control when it comes to food. I think there are many factors which lead to obesity.

A balanced, high fiber diet which is low in processed foods (and added salt, fat and fructose), and plenty of exercise, is your best option for a healthy life. Don't take my word for it - watch the presentation and decide for yourself!

Just Because You're Paranoid

  You have almost certainly heard about the reaction to the latest Supreme Court decision relating to the infuence of corporations. In a recent poll, around 80% of Americans (from both sides of the two-part divide) opposed the decision. When you listen to what Bill Moyers has to say about the current state of affairs, remember that this is not some alarmist ratings-grabber.



The Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, once said that "fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power".

  Unlimited lobbying power for those with unlimited funds means that the interests of the private citizen will no longer be considered (if we assume that has not been the case until now). I suppose some would argue that this is an extension of the so-called free market, or laissez-faire capitalism. In reality, the new rulers are emerging from the shadows.
  Credit card companies are busy changing their rules to sidestep new legislation. The big investment banks are laughing in our faces as they pay out huge bonus payments to their staff while the rest of the economy self-destructs.
  We have been willing participants in the creation of these monsters. Consumerism makes the task of separating us from our money so much easier. This over consumption burns through the planet's natural resources and leaves us in debt, not content like TV  and billboards tell us. Was it good for you?



I've just just completed a few new designs on similar topics, so take a minute or two to have a look at the latest arrivals here

The Living Dead

The topic of consumerism has been on my mind again recently, and I discovered an interesting (and short) film which i thought I'd share:



This topic of consumerism and indoctrination has been discussed on the big screen for decades. When we watch the classic, Network, it feels so relevant today because little has changed! Freedom of choice, when it is between 100 brands of fabric softener, is no choice at all. If our lives are centered on consumption, we enter into an endless cycle of work, shopping, and debt. We are complicit in the destruction and pollution of our natural resources. We are ignorant of what happens 'behind the scenes' while we are busy buying things we don't need.

I have been challenged to add something positive, and to give some resources for those who want to make a change.  I'll start with a couple of great websites. The first is Adbusters , and the second is Mother Earth News .
A positive step which anyone can take is, after reading a blog or watching a film or just drawing your own conclusions, to pass the message on. After all, consumerism is about illusions. Free (and truthful) information is a sign of true freedom, not the disease of mindless consumerism.

I've posted this before, but it fits this topic perfectly - The Story Of Stuff:

Haiti, 1915

  Haiti has a troubled past. The US has a long history of imperialism. Unsurprisingly, the US has been involved with Haiti's history for decades. In 1915, Haiti was invaded by US marines to "protect American and foreign" interests. For PR purposes, the occupation was labeled as a mission to “re-establish peace and order... and has nothing to do with any diplomatic negotiations of the past or the future”.
From wikipedia:
  "Through American manipulation, 40% of the national income was used to alleviate the debt repayment to both American and French banks. Despite the large sums due to overseas banks, this economic decision ignored the interests of the majority of the Haitian population and froze the economic growth the country needed. For the next nineteen years, advisers of the United States governed the country, enforced by the United States Marine Corps."

  One famous participant in the occupation was General Smedley Butler. He was the author of War Is a Racket, a publication with condemned the use of US military might to defend the interests of a small number of very wealthy people. Here is one of many memorable quotes: 

  "I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for theNational City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

  Interestingly, a condensed version was printed in Reader's Digest in 1935, in which he was praised for his "moral as well as physical courage". How times change.

Take a look at some great War Is a Racket and US Intervention shirts if you're in the mood.