Juggling Dynamite

My sister (the Green Belly Chef) showed me this documentary. I think it is important to watch and learn some of the things we can and must do to take back some responsibility and respect for health on earth. You can buy unlimited views of this multi-award winning documentary on the film’s web site here for $14.95.
Here is a direct video link to the trailer.

For those who do not want to spend the money or time viewing, Jordana wrote a helpful outline of some key takeaways and action points from the film on her web site here see: Toxic Defence.

I used to spend many volunteer hours with organizations raising funds for cancer treatment and research. Then one day while I was helping to sell fundraising pizza, hotdogs and beer to an overweight and unhealthy crowd at a cancer fundraiser, it occurred to me that it made little sense. We were devoting all our time and resources raising funds to treat illness and the suffering that flows from health destruction, while perpetrating the problem, and spending little to no time preventing or figuring out why so many people are getting sick in the first place. Seven years ago, I shifted that time and energy toward organizations and practices that seek to prevent disease and unnecessary suffering.

I have heard many people say how they have no time to sweat this little stuff. But the truth is that these issues of health, food, exercise and environment are not the little stuff, but the very foundations of life itself. If we are to waste less and benefit more, we must get our focus on the Doughnut and away from the hole.

This portrait of the S&P 500 since the secular bear began 14-l-o-n-g years ago, should strike fear into the hearts of permabulls–but most will choose to ignore the obvious. It should also offer a sense of incredible opportunity for those who are prepared and structured with the flexibility to protect now and buy later. Unfortunately, most have no risk management system or rules to do so however, which means the down cycle will be devastating for most participants once more.

Source: Cory Venable, CMT, Venable Park Investment Counsel Inc.

About a decade ago, the smart people who funded the Internet turned their attention to the energy sector, rallying tech engineers to invent ways to get us off fossil fuels, devise powerful solar panels, clean cars, and futuristic batteries. The idea got a catchy name: “Cleantech.”
Silicon Valley got Washington excited about it. President Bush was an early supporter, but the federal purse strings truly loosened under President Obama. Hoping to create innovation and jobs, he committed north of a $100 billion in loans, grants and tax breaks to Cleantech. But instead of breakthroughs, the sector suffered a string of expensive tax-funded flops. Suddenly Cleantech was a dirty word. Here is a direct video link.

The issues are complex here. Yes energy companies may well be the best informed and equipped to develop new technologies, unfortunately they also tend to be status quo focused rather than trying to innovate clean, sustainable, world changing technologies. Those from the tech side therefore step forward to try but also lack experience and some expertise in the area. It also leaves them easy targets for criticism from energy insiders and naysayers who do not really want them to succeed in the first place, and outsiders who are not entrepreneurs and do not understand the challenges, experimental process, and the need to repeatedly fail in order to truly revolutionize. Failure is unfortunately a necessary part of the process. But we do need people who are willing to keep trying nonetheless.