Author: Fee Writes

Fee Writes

The Big Boys Are In Town – G7

What’s in the news at the moment …. that is, world news, is the G7 meeting that’s just ended in Germany.

A quick definition of G7 = The Group of Seven is an informal bloc of industrialised democracies – the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom – that meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.

In my opinion I don’t think that these topics are as important as the topic of the health of our planet. Well, maybe you could put in there “energy policy”, but that’s just a red herring in my book. They want us to believe that they are all for sustainability but then they go home and nothing gets done.
Although, I have to hand it to France with the latest news that new commercial buildings have to have 50% green on their rooftops …. solar or plantings. More Info

So back to G7. What are they discussing under “global economic governance”. The one mission that Obama had going into this meeting was to get the European community to continue with the sanctions again Putin. Duh … they’re not working anyway!!!! There’s still fighting going on in Ukraine and the Russian economy is picking up – not going down. So what’s the point?

Next, “International security” – well, that’s a given – ISIS and what they can do about that. Not a lot really. Fundamentally ISIS has risen up because of corrupt politics and people in poverty and despair. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in favor of ISIS in any way, shape or form and they’re sure not helping their people at all.

Now we come to “Energy policy” – climate issues, which, in my opinion, should be the most important. Why? Well, without a planet nothing else matters. I’ve had a look at the agenda of this two day event and there was 45 minutes designated to this important topic.

I don’t like these power hungry countries and their “meetings”. They’re like the big kids in the playground huddling together to work out who to bully next instead of looking at how to deal with the kids who don’t have food in their lunchbox or how best to fix the environment our children have to play in.

I should have titled this post “One Big Boy and One Big Girl” – that’s who is really wielding the power.

I know I look at things in a simplistic way, but then I believe life really is quite simple. We all need food, shelter, compassion and love and the great majority of us are not getting these basic requirements.

Fee Writes

Environment

New Zealand Clean and Green?

For those readers who don’t live in New Zealand, let me clear up something about this country. We are not clean and green as the advertisements say, we are dirty and trashy. This was brought home not that long ago by our own Environment Minister Nick Smith saying that a ban of plastic bags … you know, the ones the supermarkets put the groceries in – was not justified, nor was he going to give any consideration to a ban. Read more here.

I find this appalling. Not that I’m surprised.

The New Zealand landscape is littered with rubbish of all sorts from plastic bags to plastic water bottles and everything in between. Just ask a tourist to this country what they think of our clean green image and they will shake their heads and say “Really? I’ve not seen any evidence of clean green.”

Even out in the countryside where the image of sheep grazing in paddocks and hobbits running over beautiful green hills fills the foreigners head ….. until they actually get here. Oh, don’t get me wrong – Hobbiton is very clean as are other defined tourist spots. But those visitors who wander off the tourist trail are in for a bit of a shock.

It’s estimated that we New Zealanders use about a billion plastic bags each year. Granted, they do make useful bin liners and doggy poop collectors. I’ve also seen them made into a stunning dress for our Wearable Arts festival. But these are no reasons to keep them.

Why do we continue to lag behind the eight ball when it comes to our environment? Why do we not take heed of what other countries are doing with banning plastic bags, putting more into recycling and generally trying to increase the sustainability of their country?

How narrow minded Nick Smith is not to be able to see that a ban on plastic shopping bags is just a small start in the education process that most New Zealanders need to have.

Five Reasons To Say No To Plastic Bags

I did write about this back in 2013 about using reusable bags. And do I use reusable bags? Yes I do, and I take my own plastic bags from bread etc to put my vegetables in, I then wash them, dry them and put them into my shopping bag for the next time. So, if I can do it, why can’t others?

And, just as an aside: As for being a “tidy Kiwi” – it would help considerably if one could find a rubbish bin (or trash can) to actually put the rubbish in!

Fee Writes

Animals

Bees Get Support From the Top Man.

Today I read an article about how, none other than the President of the United States … Obama, has come out in defense of the honey bee. Read the article here

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think this is amazing, however, just how much “saving” it will actually do is debatable.

Last June (2014) the White House created a task force to find ways to save the bees. See, even though big corporates run the western world, I will say that Obama at least has enough savvy to realise that if the bees go … so does life as we know it. And the extinction of the bees (and other pollinators) is getting all too close.

So the task force has come out with a 10 year plan. In a nutshell this is it:

Bump monarch butterfly numbers to 225 million.
Reduce winter honey bee colony losses by about half.
Make 7 million acres of land more pollinator-friendly.
Research how to minimize bees’ exposure to pesticides.
Re-evaluate the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides.

Perhaps they can achieve the increase in monarch butterfly and maybe they can reduce the winter honey bee losses. They definitely can make 7 million acres of land more pollinator-friendly.

But the last two????

They already know that neonicotinoid insecticides and pesticides are the number one killer of bees – see my bog post here.

And how many bees will die while they do their research?

Of course we know that the White House is organic and has it’s own bees.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons the President took this stance. However, he’s not gone far enough and groups are now by-passing the President and asking the First Lady to help as reported by the Washington Examiner.

A letter provided by Friends of The Earth asks that Michelle Obama use her influence with the administration and support a ban on these chemicals.

Let’s hope she can be a mother for the bees and defend them. This is a critical situation and a lot more urgency is needed ….. the bees can’t wait much longer.

You can help by choosing organic or spray free whenever you can.

Fee Writes

Environment

Pope Francis Rocking the Boat …. Again!

Well blow me over with a feather and tell me it’s a sledge hammer. Now the Pope is being criticized for being concerned about climate change.

It appears that the Pope, bless his plain white robes, met with the UN Secretary-General and in that meeting they discussed the upcoming United Nations Climate change conference which is going to be held in Paris at the end of this year. (30 November – 11 December 2015)

But wait, there’s more. Not only did the Pope put his tuppence worth into the climate pot, but the Pontifical Academy of Sciences also met with the UN Secretariat and some other really important non government organizations.


Vatican & UN team up on climate issues

Now, the fact that all this climate change discussion was going on by the Vatican powers that be, created a bit of a stir in certain quarters. Like the Heartland Institute, a right-wing American organization known for its global warming skepticism, got their knickers in a right twist.

And they weren’t the only ones telling the Vatican that they have no business talking about climate change. Another group, funded by a US climate drive in Chicago went off to Rome to rally against the Vatican’s climate commitment. Interestingly enough, one of these people was Christopher Monckton.

Who the hell is Christopher Monckton I hear you ask.

His fame is that he’s the 3rd Viscount Monkton of Brenchley (to give him his correct title) a journalist right against climate change. Now young Christopher (well he’s not young as the photo above shows) caused an unprecedented step by the House of Lords who published a “cease and desist” letter demanding that Lord Christopher Monckton should stop claiming to be a member of the upper house. reference

If he purports to be someone he’s not, then I’m not sure how much credence this man should be given and, I’m please to say, the Vatican thinks the same.

Getting back to the Pope. He’s been outspoken about climate change saying: “I don’t know if it is the only cause but in great part it is man who has slapped nature in the face. We have in a sense taken over nature.”

So, as the Guardian reports “The Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based conservative thinktank that seeks to discredit established science on climate change, said it was sending a team of climate scientists to Rome ‘…to inform Pope Francis of the truth about climate science….’ ”
Just as an aside …. The Heartland Institute, guess who they are funded by???? Energy companies. Say no more!!!

The Vatican is getting ready to have a Papal encyclical where it will declare it’s position on the environment and humanity’s relationship with nature. When that comes out watch out for the flak – will be very interesting to see what sort of confrontation there will be between the Pope and the religious right in the USA.

All I can say is ….. stick to your greenness, Francis, the world needs people like you!

If you want to read more – BBC

Fee Writes

Food | Laugh! | Random | WTF

New Label for Foodies – Pegan

Funniest thing I’ve heard in awhile.

So any ideas what a Pegan might be? To give you a clue, other labels can include Pescetarian – those who only eat fish and no other animal – or Fruitarians who eat only raw fruit and seeds.

So a new label has come into being originating from Dr. Mark Hyman and it’s the joining of Paleo and Vegan diets.

Whoa! Didn’t think you’d be able to join those two together as I thought that Paleo needed meat, but apparently not. Go figure!

Vegan and Paleo are very similar as both focus on real, whole, fresh food that is sustainably raised.

Both shun dairy.
Paleos do not eat legumes or grains – Vegans do.
Paleos do eat meat – Vegans don’t.

However, Dr Hyman suggests that for the grains, stick to small portions of low glycemic grains like black rice or quinoa.
Beans are great, but again, stick to small amounts – about 1 cup a day is ample – (more than I’d eat.)

Although he’s not against eating sustainably raised, clean meat, whereas vegans won’t touch it, he does concede that meat does put pressure on the planet, which it does.

He goes on to to say eggs no longer have the impact on cholesterol as once thought, so they’re fine. Again a no no for the Vegans and I will debate that about the cholesterol!!!

Then he adds that fish, even though you should worry about the mercury that is now abounding through all fish, eat fat rich fish such as sardines or wild salmon to get omega 3. He fails to tell you that for omega 3 you can get eat flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seed, mustard oil, seaweed, beans (mungo beans the best) and the list goes on.

Just as an aside: Wild rice should be a staple for all vegetarians and vegans. One cup cooked delivers lots of iron, protein, fiber, magnesium, zinc, and manganese. You’ll also get 156mg Omega 3 while only taking in 195mg of Omega 6.

Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Back to Dr Hyman.

He says

“…Looking at the research it is easy to get confused. Vegan diet studies show they help with weight loss, reverse diabetes and lower cholesterol. Paleo diets seem to do the same thing….”

From what I can glean from his ideas, he’s saying that a vegan diet is fabulous, but if you don’t want to go vegan then a little bit of Paleo added to it works too = Pegan.

All the above has been written from a dietary point of view only …. being vegan encompasses more than just diet and, even if you go vegan for health reasons, you’ll soon discover just how much the animals and planet are benefiting from your choice.

Personally I will stick with being vegan.

Author: Fee Writes

The Big Boys Are In Town – G7

What’s in the news at the moment …. that is, world news, is the G7 meeting that’s just ended in Germany.

New Zealand Clean and Green?

Bees Get Support From the Top Man.

Pope Francis Rocking the Boat …. Again!

New Label for Foodies – Pegan

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