‘Doomsday’ Seed Vault Opens in Arctic

Associated Press has reported that “A “doomsday” seed vault built to protect millions of food crops from climate change, wars and natural disasters opened Tuesday deep within an Arctic mountain in the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.” At last the big boys are preparing for serious disaster, when will it be time for the average person to shift their perspective and take some responsibility for their own survival? 

Currently, the average person acquires food from local stores, without much thought, for a few days ahead. Should anything minor and temporary happen (forget nuclear fallout, this could just mean border closures or a strike) food supply in a place like Canada would be considerably disrupted – particularly in the winter as we have become increasingly dependent on imports from California, Mexico and elsewhere. The convenience and monotony of grocery store procurement has blinded many of us to the fact that systems are not impermeable to disruption or collapse. Furthermore, the more complex and centralized the system the more vulnerable it is to threats and widespread destruction, much like a domino effect – such is the nature of a system that is reliant on say a central point of food distribution that ships products out across long distances to stores agreeing to carry said produce exclusively. Attack the centre and it all falls down.

Unfortunately, most people don’t want to think about such things. Thus, it’s easier to just continue as they always have, dependent on a wider system ignorant of the dangers that such dependency creates. If only more people would entertain the possibility of these threats and make plans, (obviously not on the scale of the Norwegians,) to truly guard their own interests the world might be that much more stable.

The Refugees of the Blue Planet

The Refugees of the Blue Planet is a must watch documentary that illustrates how little value is placed on the individual and, indeed, entire communities at the expense of our current consumption-driven system. Although many in the West find it easy to brush off the threats of food and water scarcity and rising sea levels as a distant scare to poorer nations, much of what has led to such crises stems from our own choices.

What is particularly enlightening about this documentary is the inclusion of Canadians who are pushed off farms due to oil and other production. What’s particularly shocking is how the neighbours and fellow-townspeople will turn on such victims of so-called progress in this so-called advanced nation.

 This should be mandatory viewing for everyone. 

Water Shortage Ignites Civil Strife in Uganda

The Kampala Monitor has reported that:

“Police say they are registering rising numbers of domestic fights and inter-family scuffles at Gbukutu and Maji Muzuri water points as natives exchange blows in the scramble to secure water for desperate families. It is envisaged that the water scarcity and resultant animosity would only worsen in the coming drier months of February and March.”

Water, like food, is an absolute necessity for existence. As a result, rising tensions among populations that experience shortages of either water or food should be expected.  Unfortunately, most world leaders have been very short-sighted about the looming risks associated with such shortages, often failing to carry-out adequate preparations in advance. Although most westerners are quick to brush off incidents in Africa as isolated cases, the question begs, what will be the probable fallout of water or food shortages in Europe or North America?

Water Woes: California Finally Begins to See the Connection Between Water and Growth Limitations

The Los Angeles Times has reported that some “water laws may throttle growth.” It would be an understatement to say this claim is a little backwards. The laws aren’t what will stifle economic growth in drought-prone areas, the lack of water will. It should be alarming that it took this long for this indirect connection to even have been made.

The Origin of AIDS: A Dark Secret of Science?

The following is a chilling documentary from CBC that investigates the origin of HIV. The resistance of the scientific community to even consider the possibility that the virus may have been caused by science is reminiscent of the insecure religious zealots during the Inquisition fearful of anything that questioned Christian doctrine. Such blindness in assessing issues that threaten our society will only aggravate such risks – if it hasn’t already, as this production suggests.

Click here for more.