31/10/2011 by admin.

The human population is estimated to have reached 7 billion worldwide. In acknowledgement there were ’celebratory events’ in India and China to mark the birth of the 7th billion person living on Earth right now.

The number of people on the planet has more than doubled over the last 50 years with a further 1 billion people alive now compared to the start of this millenium. It’s a startlingly sharp increase and has provoked some renewed discussion on how many people the planet can sustain.  We all require shelter, food, water and clothing and have aspirations on health care, education and access to material goods and experiences. We are also living longer and advances in health care and technology suggest this trend will continue. Trouble is the more of us there are the more we make demands on the worlds resources and squeeze and exploit the natural world for farming, materials and land for property.

In the modern world more people equals more cars, more CO2, more energy requirements, more desire for goods, more waste and pollution, but more profits for the world’s multi-national companies. There’s also the laudable aim of improving the life of those in developing countries.  Politicians, relegious and other world leaders tinker with the population issue, but the reality is our numbers are out of control and the consequences are stark and worthy of any Halloween horror story.  Climate change will exascerbate the problem of too many people increasing, social unrest, famine, disease, poverty and war. All this whilst the natural world shrinks ever more with bio-diversity seriously threatened and mass extinctions.  

We can’t just leave this to ‘market forces’. World leaders need to grasp the nettle on this issue and fast before we fall fail to the lessons of Easter Island or before Mother Nature strikes back. We know it won’t be easy as its in our genes to want to reproduce and children bring so much joy and every child deserves happiness, health, safety and a successful life. Also, historically the more children we have the greater their chances of achieving maturity.  There are religious and human rights issues to consider too. But ‘business as usual’ on population growth risks an abyss for humanity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuIxDMj3DNA&feature=related

Posted in Q69 Do you put off to tomorrow what you could do today?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

26/10/2011 by admin.

Friday 28 October is the UK cinema release date of ‘The Ides of March’ movie.

It’s a political drama thriller directed by George Clooney.  It seems to be an interesting story based on the Kennedy’s about politics leading to a loss of integrity with everyone involved, no matter how noble to beging with, compromising their morals to stay ahead in life. In many ways this sums up how humanity as a whole approaches the sustainable living agenda.

Is that why in our novel Malachi (The Messenger) warns us to beware The Ides of March or has Mother Nature something sinister planned for this Friday? Is it Time? We’re not ones to make predictions here or stick our neck out for fear of ridicule but let’s see.

Here’s the movie trailer..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McCt-_yYLpo

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

10/10/2011 by admin.

Big Ben, the most iconic and famous clock tower in the world, is falling down. It has begun to tilt to one side - just like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Surveyers have found the tower is leaning almost half a metre to one side, as it is sinking into the River Thames.  The tilt might now just be visible to the naked eye.

However, our very own Keeper of the Great Clock - Ben Whittenbury - needn’t worry as the decline is thankfully a slow one. Nonetheless it’s a reminder to us all that time may be slipping away to preserve the natural world.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaXw5tweb48&feature=related

Posted in Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Q69 Do you put off to tomorrow what you could do today?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

28/08/2011 by admin.

Today hurricane Irene has been working its way up the North-East coast of America causing billions of dollars of destruction and claiming lives. It follows swiftly on from the Earthquake that hit the region a couple of weeks ago.  Thankfully the evacuation plans and a weakening of the hurricane as it hit land has limited the loss of life. The event has attracted massive media coverage.

Our interest in the storm is two-fold. As they say in the US “Listen up!” An intense hurricane also struck New England in 1821 making landfall in New York city on September 3 1821. In those days the area had a far smaller population, but there was still loss of life, severe flooding and damage to buildings. As recorded in our novel this was the same time that Charles Lamb wrote his, “Little Journal of My Foolish Passions” about his love for Mother Nature. Within the journal Charles tells of the importance of New England in helping to care for this planet, the trip Captain Richard Lewin made across the Atlantic and the transcendental influence on the Blakesware Set of the New England naturalists David Thoreau and Ralph Emerson.

Taking all this into account do we have another poignant reminder from Mother Nature that the Earth’s eco-systems are at risk?

Posted in Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

03/06/2011 by admin.

During a live semi-final of the British TV talent show the mogul Simon Cowell and another of the panel hosts were ‘attacked’ by a fly whilst passing judgement on one of the contestants, Jessica Hobson from Sheffield.

Simon Cowell is also behind the X-Factor talent show.  We’ve commented a number of times on this watch about the need for humanity to demonstrate that it has the X-factor in taking better care of this fragile world. The appearance of the fly before the X Factor king may be a further warning sign. It features in our story (under Q15) as a prelude to a scream of anguish from Mother Nature. Jessica, a talented and misrepresented singer, was unfairly slated and reduced to tears on stage - so we have injustice too.  We have a Hobson’s Choice - a free choice to take it or leave it. Only one option is up for grabs. Live better in harmony with Nature of face the consequences.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYlM0JlQO0A

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q11 Do you believe in justice? | No Comments »

04/05/2011 by admin.

making a sound as they fall on the ground, is a line from a delightful song from the much loved Disney animation Bambi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJZnIHwzvzM 

It’s what we normally expect from the Spring. Not this year. This year the UK has witnessed the warmest April on record, with temperatures between 3-5 degrees higher than average. It followed the driest March for over 50 years. In fact there’s been a distinct absence of rain across much of central Europe. The weather has confused many plants and animals into thinking summer has already arrived.

Whilst in America a record breaking tornado outbreak capped a month of extremes, including natural disasters and devastating wildfires. Six states recorded their wettest April’s on record and there were 875 tornadoes which was nearly four times the previous record of 267 for April.

As malachi reminds us, there’s no place like home…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6VT7ciR1o

Posted in Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q30 Did you ever watch the rain on your window?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

10/03/2011 by admin.

Scientists working for the United Nations report that the mysterious collapse of the world’s honey bee population has spread to Asia and Africa.

The authors include some of the world’s leading honey bee experts and the findings amount to a stark warning for humanity as honey bees are crucial crop pollinators around the globe. A number of factors are thought to be contributing to the problem including:

• transformation of the coutryside and rural areas over the last 50 years or so 
• loss of flowering plants, and other habitat
• use of damaging insecticides
• air pollution - scents that once travelled 800 metres in the 1800s now travel just 200 metres.
• parasites and pests

Society is investing heavily in ‘industrial hives’ but we need to better manage the landscape in order to help wild bee populations recover.  Achim Stiener, UN Environmental Programme director said, The way humanity manages or mismanages its nature-based assets will define our collective futures. We have fabricated the illusion that we have the technological prowess to be independent of nature. Bees underline the reality that we are more, not less, dependent on nature’s services in a world approaching seven billion people.”

His capture the essence of The Haymakers Survey. As Malachi warns our actions now will determine if humanity will ‘be or not be’ that is the question?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpyY9_9y9Qw&feature=related 

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

03/02/2011 by admin.

Mother Nature is benevolent and kind at heart - she loves the human race. We are the controlling species on planet Earth tasked with the responsibility to live sustainably and respect wildlife and the environment. The cyclone we reported yesterday provides a perfect example. Amid the fury of the storm an English midwife from Hertfordshire on holiday in Australia celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary delivered a baby at an evacuation centre in Cairns. The infant’s mother has chosen to name the child Lucie - the name of Mother Nature personified in The Haymakers Survey.  The new arrival coincided with the storm’s path avoiding the most populated areas of the continent.

But this kindness comes at a time when the evidence is mounting up that humanity is on the verge of a global crisis. Take these examples:

• Globally 2010 was the warmest year on record, arguably due in the main to human related activity.
• 2010 saw the Amazon experience a severe drought (worse than that in 2005, which was described then as a once in a century event). Scientists suggest this is further evidence of the Amazon’s vulnerability to rising global temperatures.
• Experts say we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every day due to rainforest deforestation
• If current trends continue 40% of the Amazon rainforest will be lost to soy production and palm oil by 2050 
• Extreme weather conditions in Russia, Australia, USA, and Malaysia are having a major impact on key food production and availability driving up prices worldwide and triggering civil discontent in the middle East.  
• Whilst an astonishing One in Ten adults on Earth are officially obese as more countries adopt Western lifestyles - levels double what they were 30 years ago.  As people in the UK eat 3.5 times more meat than that recommended by the World Health Organisation, contributing to cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
• All this as globally meat production is set to double from 2001 to 2050.
• Yet in the UK, for example, 8.3 millions tons of food is thrown away by households every year.
• And about 1.5 tons of rubbish is thrown away by an average UK family - that’s like throwing half an elephant into a landfill.
• Little wonder then that a UN report out today warns that the world’s population growth must slow significantly to avoid reaching unsustainable levels, which means fertility must fall below replacement level.  Numbers are expected to reach 7 billion later this year and 14 billion by 2,100.
• More people to do more consuming - in its State of the World 2010 report the Worldwatch Institute found the world consumed $350 trillion goods and services in a year - up by nearly 30% on the previous decade.  The world now digs up the equivalent of 112 Empire State buildings in materials every day.  The average American consumes about 144 pounds of goods every day, more than the average weight of a US male. The Institute warns that without a shift from consumerism to sustainablity humanity will face hazardous environmental and climate risks.

This isn’t us being pessimistic or doom mongers - these are facts, not signs. We can’t go on like this - like a plague of locusts devouring all before us.  Someone needs to stand up and say, “Enough”. Time for International Rescue…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K9rVRuehGU

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

02/02/2011 by admin.

“Let me pass, I am your Queen”, are words allegedly spoken in 1821 by Caroline of Brunswick as she attempted to enter Westminster Hall at the coronation of her estranged husband King George IV.  They’re captured in our novel during Ben Whittenbury’s errie ghostly encounter with Charles Lamb.  We’ve often speculated on the relevance of the ill-fated Queen in our story and previous posts on the site have commented on the ’delicate investigation’ and Blackheath.  We view her exclusion as an allegory of how humanity behaves towards Mother Nature.

Well, at a time when Queen Caroline’s portrait features in an exhibition at the National Gallery, London we find that Queensland, Australia is experiencing the worst cyclone in recorded history. Cyclone Yasi is a category five with winds of 186mph. The storm follows quickly on the heels of the recent record floods.  The storm hit the shore at Cardland. Queensland’s president is warning of devestation on an unprecedented scale. It presents an extremely serious threat to life and property.  A tidal surge of some 30ft is expected in some areas.

Were we warned in advance about this through The Haymakers Survey? There have been seven tropical cyclones in the vicinity of Australia, Figi and New Zealand in the past 3 weeks. Is this confirmation that there’s worse to come as Gaia takes her revenge on humanity for our neglect and abuse of this planet?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q38 Have you built a house of cards?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

14/01/2011 by admin.

A grizzly tale this one so sorry if you’re a but squirmish. Caleb Hitch will have his way! Well today’s media are reporting how CCTV caught a human thumb mysteriously falling from the sky into a car park. The speculation is that it was dropped by a bird flying overhead - perhaps a pigeon. Police have since revealed that the thumb belonged to a Hertfordshire man kidnapped at the weekend.

Our condolences go to the bereaved man’s family and friends, but Caleb wanted to remind us that our novel recalls his two thumbs on one hand and how he uses one of them to give a thumbs down (on how human’s are treating the planet). See page [ ]. Most bizarre.

Posted in Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »