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” A Documentary About China’s Smog Is Going Viral, And It’s Not Being Censored“

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CREDIT: YouTube.com/screenshot

Over the weekend in China, 175 million people – more than the entire population of Bangladesh – watched a newly released in-depth and well-produced documentary about the country’s debilitation smog problem. Produced by former Chinese news anchor and environmental reporter, Chai Jing, the 104-minute “Under the Dome” has caught the Chinese public at a moment of intense focus on the wide-ranging impacts of air pollution from coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions.

In a country known for spiking any media that paints the government in a bad light, the documentary has not been firewalled. China’s new environment minister, Chen Jining, even praised it on Sunday, saying it reflected “growing public concern over environmental protection and threats to human health.” He also compared it to the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which is often credited with inciting the environmental movement in the U.S., especially when it comes to the use of pesticides.

While some are also comparing the lecture-style film, which is replete with charts and visual aids, to Al Gore’s 2006 “An Inconvenient Truth,” Chai’s original motivation for making the self-sponsored film was deeply personal. She used to pay little attention to the smog engulfing her home city of Beijing, but that was before she found out she was pregnant in 2013. Shortly thereafter, she discovered in a sonogram that her child had a benign tumor.

“I’d never felt afraid of pollution before, and never wore a mask no matter where,” Chai, 39, says in the video. “But when you carry a life in you, what she breathes, eats and drinks are all your responsibility, and then you feel the fear.”

Chai told the People’s Daily that she reconciled herself to the fact that her daughter, who survived after surgery, would be a major part of the video. “If I had not had this kind of emotional impetus, I would have found it very difficult to spend such a long time completing this,” she said.

Chai herself is obviously the standout subject of the film, and there have been some criticisms. Chai and her husband have enough money to give birth in the U.S, causing some to posit hypocrisy. There has also been pushback against the suggestion that pollution was the cause of her child’s tumor.

Tumor-causing or not in this specific instance, the degree of environmental pollution in China requires few additional stark reminders. China has 1.35 billion residents, and some 600 million of them are being affected by the pollution according to “Under the Dome.” A recent analysis by the Health Effects Institute estimated that the country’s smog was responsible for some 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010 alone.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2012 around seven million people died from exposure to air pollution, with outdoor air pollution (ambient air pollution) responsible for just over half of these deaths. A majority of these outdoor air pollution-related deaths occurred in South Asia and East Asia. Especially hazardous is PM 2.5, a form of particulate matter air pollution that is 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less, about 1/30th the diameter of a human hair. When inhaled these tiny particles can pass through the respiratory tract all the way into the lungs. On top of asthma, studies have linked extended exposure to PM 2.5 to heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, lupus, and other ailments.

Last year, the northeastern Chinese capital city of Harbin saw its PM 2.5 index reach 1,000 – far above the 300 which is considered hazardous and the WHO-recommended daily level of no more than 20. One study found that this severe pollution has slashed an average of five-and-a-half years from the life expectancy in northern China as toxic air has led to higher rates of stroke, heart disease, and cancer.

Chai’s film cuts from TED Talk-inspired scenes before a studio audience to interviews and visits to sites in China and also abroad. In a particularly harrowing scene, a doctor removes a filthy and blackened lymph node from a female cancer patient in her 50s – the woman had never been a smoker.

The film doesn’t let government officials off the hook, either, and there are sections criticizing the lax approach to regulation enforcement. For example, when it comes to vehicle emissions standards enforcement, Chai finds that trucks sporting the claim they meet the “China IV” emissions standards actually fall far short. She then determines that no cars have been recalled since emissions standards were passed in 2004 enforcing the regulations.

One of China’s most prominent environmentalists, Ma Jun, told the Guardian that this $160,000 documentary has become “one of the most important pieces of public awareness of all time by the Chinese media.”

“It is powerful because it is motivated by a personal story and has got the feelings that people can relate to. It also hold [sic] to the standards of investigative journalism, it is properly vetted on the scientific and technology side, it is a powerful combination,” said Ma.

As China pivots away from dirty energy sources, the country stands to gain both locally as well to contribute to the global effort to mitigate greenhouse gases. With the Paris climate summit approaching at the end of the year, where leaders hope to reach a new GHG-cutting accord, China and the U.S. made a powerful joint pledge last October during Obama’s visit to the Chinese capital. In the pledge, the U.S. committed to cut its emissions 26 to 28 percent below their 2005 levels by 2025 and China agreed to get 20 percent of its energy from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030 and to peak greenhouse gas emissions that same year.

“Under the Dome” is currently being translated to English on YouTube via crowd-sourcing. It can be viewed here.

Buddhists believe in karma, the cycle of rebirth… and building some truly epic temples.

The magnitude of these temples exemplifies the enhanced spirituality Buddhists feel for the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (or Buddha, as he’s more commonly known).

Buddha, meaning “the awakened one,” lived from 566 to 480 B.C. He was the son of a warrior king in India, and at first, he lived a pampered life. Yet, with age, he began to crave a deeper understanding of life’s true meaning.

His quest for an answer led him to meditate under a tree for an extreme amount of time-seven weeks-until he understood how to achieve salvation. Buddha then became a monk and his disciples began building temples that acted as physical metaphors for Buddhism.

For instance, temples built on the edge of Himalayan cliffs represent a heightened sense of faith. Cave temples have holes carved into the ceiling, which emit heavenly lights and a sense of spiritual serenity. One Buddhist temple even allows wild tigers to roam free, emphasizing their compassion for all living things.

To see these beautiful Buddhist symbols of spirituality, check out our below gallery and make sure to SHARE these soul-stirring images with anyone you feel is truly heavenly.

What do you think?

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” Texas Bill Bans Sustainability Program Based On A Fringe Conspiracy Theory“

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Two Texas lawmakers have proposed a pair of bills that would prevent the state from funding programs which attempt to implement the ideas of Agenda 21, a non-binding and voluntary United Nations plan for sustainable development signed by the United States and 178 other governments in 1992.

According to the Texas Tribune, the bills proposed by Republican state lawmakers Rep. Molly White and Sen. Bob Hall would prohibit funds from states, counties, and public universities from going to organizations “accredited by the United Nations to implement a policy that originated in the Agenda 21 plan.” The Agenda 21 plan – signed by President George H. W. Bush – includes recommendations to conserve public lands, rein in air pollution, build more sustainable cities, combat poverty, and strengthen the voices of women, indigenous groups, and farmers.

Because all those recommendations come in the form of a voluntary and non-binding resolution, they might seem pretty harmless. But according to a growing group of mostly conservative and Tea Party-affiliated people across the country, Agenda 21 is just the opposite. To this growing group, Agenda 21 represents a ” dangerous threat to American sovereignty” dictated by the United Nations – an attempt to get Americans to lock away usable land that could be developed and compact people into cramped cities. This idea was popularized by Glenn Beck, who wrote a book about the plan in 2012.

Beck’s idea that Agenda 21 is a far-reaching conspiracy for a “one-world order” under the United Nations seems to be catching on. The second result when you search the term on Google is “Agenda 21 conspiracy.” Littered in the results are articles claiming the U.N. is attempting to ” seize” the United States by rounding up rural populations and sticking them in “beehive-like” apartments in big cities. One website calls it a plan to “control all land, all water, all minerals, all plants, all animals, all construction, all means of production, all energy, all education, all information, and all human beings in the world.” The Daily Beast has a very comprehensive look at the conspiracy-ridden opposition to Agenda 21 here.

In Texas, one of the groups that is consulting with the U.N. is the nonprofit Save the Children, which the Tribune says “consults regularly with the U.N. and promotes the health of children.” Promoting the health of children is part of the Agenda 21 program, so the Tribune noted that it’s unclear if the state or its universities will be able to give any funding to the organization. When asked by the Tribune whether the state could fund Save the Children, White said “[t]hey can use federal funds to operate.”

The Tribune also noted that the bill is unclear as to whether the state, cities, or public universities would be allowed to give grants to nonprofits for programs that “strengthen the role of business and industry” or protect freshwater resources, since both of those things are recommended Agenda 21. The lawmakers did not return the Tribune’s requests for comment on those matters.

Either way, if the bill goes through, it wouldn’t be the first time a state has advanced legislation to stop Agenda 21. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), at least three states have considered laws to halt the voluntary and non-binding U.N. program. Nationally, the idea even more mainstream among Republicans. In 2012, the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution deeming Agenda 21 to be a plan of “extreme environmentalism, social engineering, and global political control” which would be “accomplished by socialist/communist redistribution of wealth.”

This is the rising sentiment among farmers of the US as a confluence of factors urges them to become pro-organic. From falling GMO grain prices to a rising tide of public distrust of genetically modified ingredients, failing GMO traits, higher GMO seed prices, and the premium prices that people willingly pay for quality food over toxic junk, the conventional farmer is changing his tune when it comes to Big Ag practices.

Even if profit is the cornerstone on which this change is based, it is still telling. After all, experts project over $35 billion in sales for organic, non-GMO foods in 2015, and as GMO corn, soy and other GM grain prices rise, along with the costs to grow them (associated with more pesticide and herbicide use to control super weeds, for example) farmers are looking past the GMO propaganda which promised higher yields and more cash for farmers who grew their poison crops.

This phenomenon is explained clearly in ” The Genetic Engineering of Food and the Failure of Science” (full text available for download here) published in The International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food.

Gilbert Hostetler, president of Illinois-based Prairie Hybrids commented:

“Our non-GMO seed sales are significantly higher than last year.”

Mac Ehrhardt, president of Minnesota-based Albert Lea Seed reports that he is selling more conventional (he describes conventional corn as non-GMO) corn seed by the end of November than he did all of last year. He says that farmers are turning to non-GMO to cut costs and to earn more money for their non-GMO yields.

Ehrhardt says:

“There is a continued increased demand for non-GMO.”

His observations are corroborated by Wayne Hoener, vice president of sales for eMerge, an Iowa-based seed company, as well as Tim Daley, an agronomist at Stonebridge, Ltd., an Iowa-based buyer of non-GMO soybeans who are also seeing a marked demand for non-GMO seed by farmers.

Daley says:

“Some companies have seen a 50 percent increase in sales of non GMO seed, and some have said they’ve sold more non-GMO seed this year than in the last five.”

Oddly, Morrie Bryant, senior marketing manager at Pioneer Hi-Bred, which sells non-GMO corn and soybean seeds but sells more GMO seeds says he doesn’t see a big difference.

“On (non-GMO) corn, we’ve got a slight increase on sales over last year,” he says. “Non-GMO has emerged as the new niche. It’s about 4-5 percent of total corn production.”

If consumer demand for organic is any indication, farmers would be smart to step up their organic seed purchasing, and ditch Monsanto, Dow and Syngenta seeds completely. Related: Monsanto Earnings Fall 34% as Farmers Reject GMO Crops

Non-GMO Economics

Farmers find non-GMO seed appealing this year for several reasons, but mostly economics. Grain prices are low with corn selling at about $4 per bushel and soybeans aren’t goin g for much higher at around $10. Conversely, a premium is being shelled out for non-GMO corn and soybeans.

“(Non-GMO) seed costs less, and there are premiums for non-GMO corn and soybeans in some areas,” Daley says.“Some farmers don’t want to pay technology fees (for GMO seeds) and non-GMO gives them a marketing opportunity,” Bryant says.

Failing GMO Crops

Other farmers are considering the switch because they are tired of super-weeds. One corn breeder who preferred to remain anonymous for a recent interview stated:

“The insect and herbicide traits are losing effectiveness with increased resistant rootworm and weed species. Growers are tired of paying for input costs that are reduced in efficacy and funding additional forms of crop protection.”

Iowa State University weed specialist Bob Hartzler seconds that sentiment in an interview with Iowa Farmer Today.

“You have people questioning the value of the Roundup gene. How many are doing it (making the switch) because of that concern, I don’t know.”

Non-GMO Outperform GMO Seeds

Non-GMO seeds are also producing more competitive yields.

“The yield performance of non-GMO hybrids is similar to or greater than traited (GMO) hybrids,” says the corn breeder.

Is this why mega company, General Mills, purchased organic food company Annie’s Homegrown for nearly $1 billion. And other large food corporations are looking to swallow up smaller organic food companies?

“There is continual and accelerating growth in organic,” he says. “There has been more conversion to organic by farmers recently than I’ve ever seen.”

In today’s society, we all need money to survive. That’s just the way it is! But many people never question how the financial system works, considering money is what currently “makes the world go ’round.” You may be shocked to find that you, your family, and everyone you know, have been duped into a slave system.

Brought to you by . Video by . Share this easy-to-watch video to raise awareness.

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The famous Paris landmark has been fitted with two new wind turbines that generate enough electricity to power the commercial areas of its first floor.

France’s most recognisable landmark, the iron Eiffel Tower erected in 1889, has seen its iconic frame festooned with many different decorations and objects over the years for various celebrations. Its latest addition is a little more subtle — and maybe a little more in keeping with the tower’s original purpose as a monument to human ingenuity and artistry.

As part of a major renovation and upgrade to the tower’s first floor, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel will be adding a variety of sustainability features — the first of which is a pair of VisionAIR5 wind turbines designed by renewable energy specialist Urban Green Energy.

The two vertical-axis turbines have been installed on the tower’s second level, about 122 metres (400ft) from the ground — a position that maximises wind capture. The turbines have been specially painted so as to blend in with the tower, and produce virtually no sound. They can also capture wind from any direction, producing, between them, a total of 10,000kWh per year — enough to power the tower’s first floor.

“The Eiffel Tower is arguably the most renowned architectural icon in the world, and we are proud that our advanced technology was chosen as the Tower commits to a more sustainable future,” said UGE CEO Nick Blitterswyk. “When visitors from around the world see the wind turbines, we get one step closer to a world powered by clean and reliable renewable energy.”

There was no environmental benchmark the tower was required to meet; however, the SETE wishes to reduce the tower’s environmental impact by 25 percent as part of the City of Paris Climate Plan. It is funding the entire €30 million cost of the renovation — which includes cosmetic and safety upgrades — itself.

Other sustainable measures to be introduced to the Eiffel Tower include LED lighting, solar panels, a rainwater collection system and high-power heat pumps.

You can read more about the upgrade project on the official Eiffel Tower website.