The unrest is palpable. In First Nations across Canada, word is
spreading of a historic court ruling recognizing Indigenous land rights.
And the murmurs are turning to action: an eviction notice issued to a railway company in British Columbia; a park occupied in Vancouver; lawsuits launched against the Enbridge tar sands pipeline; a government deal reconsidered by Ontario Algonquins; and sovereignty declared by the Atikamekw in Quebec.
These
First Nations have been emboldened by this summer’s Supreme Court of
Canada William decision, which recognized the aboriginal title of the
Tsilhqot’in nation to 1,750 sq km of their land in central British
Columbia – not outright ownership, but the right to use and manage the
land and to reap its economic benefits.
Our nation’s toxic chemicals policy has been broken for 39 years. Now, there are two competing bills in the Senate to update it: one that protects you (introduced by Sens. Boxer and Markey), and one that protects the chemical industry (introduced by Sens. Udall and Vitter).
We need to make sure that real chemical reform is passed. It’s time to call on President Obama and the Senate to oppose the bill written by the chemical industry.
Use the form below to send your messages to President Obama and the Senate today!
Welcome to the emerging world of the circular economy. Faced with rising prices for energy and raw materials, along with pressures from environmentalists and regulators who have passed “extended producer responsibility laws” in Europe and some U.S. states, forward-thinking companies are finding ways to take back, reuse, refurbish or recycle all kinds of things that would otherwise be thrown away. In contrast to the traditional “take-make-dispose” linear economy, which depletes resources, a circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design. Inspired by nature, a circular economy aspires not merely to limit waste but to eliminate the very idea of waste: Everything, at the end of its life, should be made into something else, just as in the natural world, one species’ waste is another’s food.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the use of food additives like preservatives, colors, sweeteners, fat replacers, emulsifiers
and other ingredients added to food to maintain or improve safety,
freshness, nutritional value, taste, texture and appearance. Food
additives can be direct (those added for a specific purpose) or indirect
(those added in trace amounts due to packaging, storage or handling)
and are determined safe for market use only after stringent FDA review.
Many food additives approved for use in the U.S. are banned in other countries. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Due to the FDA’s regulation of food additives, most people assume
that if food is on grocery store shelves, it must be 100 percent safe
for human consumption. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. As the
FDA states: “Because of inherent limitations of science, FDA can never
be absolutely certain of the absence of any risk from the use
of any substance.” In fact, several food additives approved for use in
the U.S. by the FDA are banned in other parts of the world.
So if you think everything in your pantry is safe to eat, think
again. Here are 6 common food additives found in the U.S. that are
banned in other countries.
Use: whitening or bleaching agent for cereal flour and as a dough conditioner in baking; also used to make rubber products like yoga mats and shoe soles
Concerns: During baking ADA breaks down to form new
chemicals, one of which, semicarbizide (SEM), is known to increase the
incidence of tumors in lab rats.
Use: improves gluten content in baked goods to strengthen dough and promote rising
Concerns: Studies dating back to 1982 have found that potassium bromate used in bromated flour causes cancer in lab rats and is “possibly carcinogenic to humans”
Banned: European Union, Canada, Brazil, Peru, China
See how the happiness levels of students in our online course vary depending on where they live.
To what extent is happiness related to where you live? Which
countries have the most—and least—happy residents? Are residents of
wealthier countries happier?
These are some of the questions we considered when analyzing data from the survey we presented
to the 112,000 students who registered for our online course, “The
Science of Happiness.” So far, more than 40,000 students, hailing from
over 200 countries and areas of sovereignty around the world, have taken
the survey. Previously, we reported on how students’ happiness levels
relate to factors like age and gender, and how some of those same
factors relate to students’ levels of social connection.
This time around we’re examining how happiness relates to students’ geographic location.
To do so, we looked only at data from the 58 countries with at least 25
students who completed the survey. The countries with the largest
representation are the United States (home to roughly half of the
students who completed the survey), then Canada, Australia, the United
Kingdom, and India.
It is important to keep in mind that we can’t make generalizations
about a country as a whole based on a small sample of its residents,
especially since the people enrolled in our happiness course are not a
representative sample of the entire country’s population. Nonetheless,
we can at least gain some insights about the students taking this course.
So which countries are the happiest?
Topping the list is Costa Rica, a small country in Central
America known for its natural beauty and progressive environmental and
social policies. This finding is not surprising—Costa Rica often ranks high
in cross-national measures of happiness. It is not a particularly
wealthy country in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but as
instructors Dacher Keltner and Emiliana Simon-Thomas discuss toward the
beginning of “The Science of Happiness,” GDP may not be the best
indicator of national well-being. The per capita GDP of the United
States is about four times higher than that of Costa Rica, but the
United States ranks only 16th for subjective happiness, based on our
data.
After Costa Rica, next on the list are Croatia, Chile, Malaysia, and Colombia, countries that, like Costa Rica, are not particularly high in GDP. Although our data can’t tell us exactly why residents of these countries are the happiest, we can speculate that factors other than income may be at play.
One clue is that these five countries are also among the lowest 10 in
loneliness (meaning that their residents are less lonely than most other
students in the course), and among the top 10 in social connection,
suggesting that strong social ties may trump income when it comes to
happiness.
Surprisingly, Scandinavian countries, which tend to rank highest on subjective happiness in other studies, are not among the highest in subjective happiness in our sample. However, Finland does rank 15th in subjective happiness, and Denmark ranks 19th. Denmark also ranks second for lowest loneliness and 10th for lowest stress, and Sweden
ranks 8th in perceived stress and 9th in life satisfaction. The
discrepancy between our findings and prior research could be related to
the fact that students enrolled in “The Science of Happiness” are not a
representative sample, but rather a group of individuals who have a
particular interest in the study of happiness.
Geographical differences in happiness may be due in part to cultural
differences. Collectivist cultures—those that emphasize group cohesion
and shared goals—may rank higher in social connectedness and lower in
loneliness due to these cultural values. Individualistic cultures, by
contrast, may rank higher on happiness measures that tap into personal
accomplishments and self-esteem. The United States, for example, ranked
6th in flourishing, a measure that includes several items focused on
individual accomplishments (e.g., “I am competent and capable in the
activities that are important to me.”).
Below is a map indicating the happiness levels by country. The color
and shading of each country reflects the average score of its residents
on the “Subjective Happiness” scale administered to students in “The
Science of Happiness.” The scale runs from one (least happy) to seven
(most happy). If you click on a country, a box will pop up indicating
the number of students who completed the survey and their average
happiness score.
While only countries with more than 25 students who completed the
survey appear on the final rankings below, countries with any surveyed
students appear on the map. If no residents of a country (e.g., North
Korea) completed the survey, that country is not labeled on the map. You
can use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out on the map, and use the
search box to find a specific country.
You can also view this map in full screen mode and share it with others.
Here are the lists of the countries that scored toward the top of
several measures of well-being included on our survey at the start of
“The Science of Happiness.” These lists only include countries with at
least 25 students who completed the survey.
Subjective Happiness
The Subjective Happiness Scale
was used to assess global, subjective beliefs about whether one is a
happy or unhappy person, independent of specific bases of happiness or
unhappiness, such as positive and negative life events or circumstances.
Sample item: “In general I consider myself a very happy person.” Top 25
countries:
1. Costa Rica
2. Croatia
3. Chile
4. Malaysia
5. Colombia
6. Switzerland
7. Thailand
8. Czech Republic
9. Philippines
10. Bulgaria
11. Mexico
12. Peru
13. Canada
14. New Zealand
15. Finland
16. United States
17. Spain
18. Australia
19. Denmark
20. United Arab Emirates
21. Romania
22. South Africa
23. India
24. Ukraine
25. Venezuela
On the flip side, students from these 10 countries scored the lowest on the happiness scale: Iran, Serbia, Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, England, and Poland.
Life Satisfaction
The Satisfaction with Life Scale
was used to assess people’s appraisals of the overall conditions of
their lives. Sample item: “In most ways my life is close to my ideal.”
Top 10 countries:
1. Costa Rica
2. Chile
3. Thailand
4. Colombia
5. Switzerland
6. Ecuador
7. Czech Republic
8. Austria
9. Sweden
10. Malaysia
Students from these 10 countries scored the lowest on the life satisfaction scale: Serbia, Iran, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, Poland, Pakistan, England, Italy, and Ukraine.
Flourishing
The Flourishing Scale
was used to assess well-being across a range of domains, including
self-esteem, meaning and purpose, relationship functioning, and
optimism. Sample item: “I live a purposeful and meaningful life.” Top 10
countries:
1. Costa Rica
2. Chile
3. Thailand
4. Colombia
5. Switzerland
6. United States
7. Philippines
8. Mexico
9. Croatia
10. Canada
Students from these 10 countries scored the lowest on the flourishing scale: Russia, Iran, Poland, Egypt, Japan, Indonesia, Turkey, Italy, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
Social Connection
We assessed social connection by asking people to rate how closely
they see themselves in relation to the people they encounter in daily
life, as represented by a series of circles that overlap to various
degrees. Higher scores on this measure, the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale, are indicated by greater overlap between the “self” and “other” circles. Top 10 countries:
1. Bulgaria
2. Pakistan
3. Croatia
4. Thailand
5. Philippines
6. Costa Rica
7. Chile
8. India
9. Malaysia
10. Spain
Students from these 10 countries scored the lowest on social connection: Lithuania, Ecuador, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, and Hungary.
Loneliness
The UCLA Loneliness Scale
was used to assess people’s subjective feelings of loneliness and
social isolation. Sample item: “I feel in tune with the people around
me.” The 10 countries listed below scored lowest on this scale.
1. Croatia
2. Denmark
3. Hungary
4. Thailand
5. Colombia
6. Chile
7. Costa Rica
8. New Zealand
9. Germany
10. Slovenia
Students from these 10 countries scored the highest on the loneliness scale (meaning they’re themost
lonely): Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Eqypt, United Arab Emirates,
Vietnam, Russia, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Malaysia. (Interestingly,
Malaysia is the one exception to the point I made above, that social
connection is inversely related to loneliness—it is the one country that
scored in the top 10 in both social connection and loneliness.)
Perceived Stress
The Perceived Stress Scale
was used to assess the degree to which people find their lives to be
unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overwhelming. Example item: “In the
last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the
important things in your life?” The 10 countries listed below scored lowest on this scale.
1. Thailand
2. Costa Rica
3. Malaysia
4. Switzerland
5. Croatia
6. Chile
7. New Zealand
8. Sweden
9. Colombia
10. Denmark
Students from these 10 countries scored the highest on perceived stress: Egypt, Iran, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia, Turkey, Argentina, Russia, and Singapore.
Don’t see your country on these lists? This may be because fewer than 25
students from it took the pre-course survey, making it difficult for us
to generalize about students from that country. For example, South Korea actually scored higher than Costa Rica in subjective happiness but just missed the cut-off for our analysis, with 23 students represented. Many other countries (e.g., the nation ofDominica)
had only one or two students represented, but some of these individuals
reported the highest levels of happiness possible on the scale.
When we are talking about sustainable mobility, we have to take a look at the entire system. In regard to specific solutions, we have a lot of good examples around the world, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and car sharing. If we really want to make a change, we have to examine cities and their visions. I can cite two good examples for a holistic approach to sustainable urban planning.
What's freaky here is that all the organics are getting bought out, and Monsanto runs the FDA so Roundup is Organic according the the USDA Organics label...
Dairy Report and Scorecard - Cornucopia Institute: The Cornucopia Institute’s national survey of organic products in the dairy case showcases ethical family farm producers and exposes factory farm producers and brands that threaten to take over organic dairying. With this Web-based rating tool, you can see which brands and dairy products found in your region are produced using the best organic farming practices and ethics. Based on a year’s research into the organic dairy business, the scorecard rates 68 different organic dairy brands and private-label products.
Permaculture Resources | The Survival Podcast: The is a list of some of the top resources for Permaculture on the internet. If you have suggestions for more resources use our contact form and let me know.
Are There Illegal Drugs in Your Milk?: In 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a survey to determine whether illegal drugs were finding their way into the US milk supply. The study was only green-lighted after a more than year-long “negotiation” into its terms with the dairy industry and state governments.
Why the FDA, which is charged with protecting the public health, would need to negotiate study terms with an industry it is supposed to police is only one murky aspect to this story…
Even more unsettling is the fact that in 2014, more than two years after the study’s completion, the FDA has yet to release its findings. Surely in two years the FDA has had ample time to analyze its findings and prepare a report. What did they find that they are hiding?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) intends to find out… it has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the survey data. Said CSPI senior food safety attorney David Plunkett:1
"Consumers have a right to know what's in their milk, and if there are dangerous drugs in it, they need to know what FDA is doing about that … Why are those dairies that either can’t or won’t follow the rules allowed to continue to market milk?"
And the utilities know it all too well. What the rest of the world admiringly calls renewable energy and conservation, the utilities call "disruptive'' technologies.
"The financial risks created by disruptive challenges include declining utility revenues, increasing costs, and lower profitability, particularly over the long-term," according to a report written for the Edison Electric Institute, which represents all U.S. investor-owned utilities.
College for All: Sebastian Thrun, Udacity, by Andre Dua: Something big is up in higher education thanks to the advent of “massive open online courses” (MOOCs), which can reach millions around the world. What most people—including university leaders—don’t yet realize is that this new way of teaching and learning, together with employers’ growing frustration with the skills of graduates, is poised to usher in a new credentialing system that may compete with college degrees within a decade. This emerging delivery regime is more than just a distribution mechanism; done right, it promises students faster, more consistent engagement with high-quality content, as well as measurable results. This innovation therefore has the potential to create enormous opportunities for students, employers, and star teachers even as it upends the cost structure and practices of traditional campuses. Capturing the promise of this new world without losing the best of the old will require fresh ways to square radically expanded access to world-class instruction with incentives to create intellectual property and scholarly communities, plus university leaders savvy enough to shape these evolving business models while they still can.
Websites can only get you so far. You need a logo. You need brochures. You need trade show booths and handouts. You need something your customers can hold in their hands. Don't be a zombie, return to the real world where your customers live.
What if every one hit this link and the up button on top to find out what it's all about. about SOMETHING, you all made together?!?!? Everyone will fin a dream in this somewhere. little fragments of everyone listed there alive...
I am so grateful to FLASH into this other dimension with you seeing how
The Hidden Hands Behind East-West Tug of War in Ukraine | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community: So when we read the headlines and grand rhetoric about Russian aggression and human rights abuses, we should remember that what is being fought for in Ukraine is the ability for western leaders and institutions to impose the neoliberal trickle-down economic model. A model that has proved to devastate small businesses and farms, fuel inequality all over the world and concentrate wealth and power in ever fewer hands.
The people of the Ukraine are paying a terrible price for their country's rich and fertile land. They are being ripped apart in a tug of war between two camps; neither of who have their best interests at heart. Welcome to the politics of the 21st century.
My experience has been specifically with pumping up passions. . . groups will naturally morph to present themes.
A random improve technique is what I've seen most effective, even with the stale old boring folks. It can start as simple as a Name-Game. Everyone stands in a circle and states their first name spinning round the circle back to you. "Let's do it again with one word names!" With kids I would challenge them to see how fast they can do it, without interrupting each other. This evolves from one-word, to single syllable nick-names. Each time it came back to me I would do the circle again with another word, a passion, skill or immediate feeling. Here's where you can really get everyone focused again.
If you really make it dynamic encouraging people to express, if gets kinda cool, especially with like a dozen people. Like give me a passion that rhymes with your name, "Eric the Engineer," Donna the Dean, no rules of course, just spontaneous expressions. . .
The idea is to create Flow, strong and present. Then you can direct it better. So if your Hospital group is having trouble settling on new workgroups/plans . . .Give them something they can all chime in about . . . "this time give me one word, on Hospital Food" . . . now ask others to suggest a theme for one-word responses. . .
If you have a really large group you can still do it easily. "Everyone who had lunch from the vending machine last month stand up" . . . now create your circle again really quick by asking they state their names as you point . . . now do the same process as you point around the room. . . Too many people, not creating flow. "now let's have mom's born in December stand up. . . "
What's kinda interesting for me doing these kinda things, is often people think it's child-games and it is. So of course everyone gets into it playing like the child we all are. . . course it's also great to team-build, create community, inspire innovation . . . etc ;-)
here's another must see challenge on the same vibe:
From: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.com> To: OSLIST <oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2014 8:27 AM Subject: [OSList] org'n works too good to use OST…?
Had a "funny" experience yesterday when I facilitated an OST with an organization that I mentioned about earlier, they have dived into OST and use the approach more and more in everyday life. Every August they have 1-2 days with all employees. Last year we had 2 full days (twice with half the staff each time) in OST resulting in a total of 23 action plans implemented by self managed workgroups. We have had follow up meetings reporting the progress from teams that now have dissolved or are still working. Their business (a hospital) now runs really smoothly, producing well over targets with energy and high spirit.
Out of different reasons the message for the first of this years conferences (one full day, next Friday is the next - for the other half of the staff) was a bit blurry (in my opinion/how I experience it) so the energy was not so high (setting agenda was really slooooow, didn't experience anything like that in the hundreds of events I have facilitated!) and some thought the day was a bit boring/slow. At the end most who were still there were happy(some left early - long day on Friday is not a good choice either) - 9 action plans with concrete improvements! I used re-opening space, so it was all by invitation (-:
Anyhow, a challenge may be to find a really hot theme when business runs so good… I am now in communication with the leadership about how we can get the steam going better next Friday. Any experiences to share, ideas and/or suggestions? Warm regards Thomas Herrmann _______________________________________________
http://youtu.be/a2x6TEeknfo
