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 »

24/06/2011 by admin.

The suitably titled furniture and retail company Habitat has entered administration, falling fowl of the troubled economic times.

Formed in the 1960s the company’s vision was to challenge the way we think about our living space. They created what we now call ‘Lifestyle’ offering contemporary design at affordable prices.

We find the company’s demise as ironic given its title and branding - its logo is of a house with a heart inside. Habitat destruction in the natural world is currently the prime cause of species extinction worldwide. Clearing habitat for agriculture is the main cause, but others are mining, logging, trawling and urban sprawl. The rapid expansion of the world’s human population is increasing the food requirement substantially.  The outlook’s bleak but, in common with the retail outlet, there’s a rescue plan:

1. Considering the many irreplaceable ecosystem services provided by natural habitats,
2. Protecting remaining intact sections of natural habitat,
3. Educating the public about the importance of natural habitat and biodiversity,
4. Developing family planning programs in areas of rapid population growth,
5. Finding ways to increase agricultural output than simply increasing the total land in production,
6. Preserving habitat corridors to minimize prior damage from fragmented habitats

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something? | 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 »

31/10/2010 by admin.

It’s Halloween and we have a horror story to report. Our novel records the role of The Emperor in orchestrating the magical events in our story about Mother Nature. Well we’re sad to report that a magnificent stag known as the Emperor of Exmoor has been shot dead by poachers.  The animal who stood 8ft tall and weighed 300lbs was killed for his prized huge antlers.  The majestic red deer was shot at the height of the rutting season.  He was last caught on camera on 8 October.

As The Emperor is behind the magic in our novel - the creative force behind Nature - maybe we are nearing some form of conclusion. The evidence is mounting. A global conservation study reveals that one fifth of the world’s population of plants and animals are now under threat of extinction.  An eniment ecologist, Professor Edward O Wilson of Harvard University, said, “The backbone of bio-diversity is being eroded”.  However, the report does highlight some real successes on conservation. 

Many factors are driving the demise - pollution and contamination in the air at land and sea, global population growth (now at 6.87billion), deforestation, economic pressures, loss of habitat, climate change, poaching, misguided beliefs about medical benefits of prized animal parts, greed and a throw-away consumption based culture.  We’re being warned - put bluntly less on all of this means more!

Meantime let’s honour the Emperor..

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

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

02/07/2010 by admin.

Is Mother Nature sounding the alarm? Make your own mind up from these 3 recent examples… 

First - a sperm whale has been sighted off the coast of Devon. Its an unlikely visitor to the UK as it usually found in the Atlantic Ocean. Its the first time a sperm whale has been seen in the area since records began back in 1840.

Whilst a rare massive superpod of some 1,000 short-beak common dolphins has been sighted by thrilled wildelife watchers off the Isle of Skye near Scotland.  Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals on Earth and sometimes come together to protect humans from danger.

It follows the sighting in mid June of a vulture perched on the roof of a Bridgend house in South Wales. The giant bird of prey is a native of Africa or America and may well have escaped from a falconery. The bird was caught on camera by local photographer Mr Keenor who said “It was a bit of shock but the bird seemed quite at home even though it maybe thousands of miles away from its usual haunts.”

Let’s explore these examples further. The appearance of a sperm whale could be symbolic of the challenge of managing human population growth (page 117) and there’s mention in our novel about Moby Dick and the obsessive revenge mentality of Captain Aheb with a sperm whale who bit of his leg.  In Moby Dick the author uses symbolism and metaphor to explore a number of complex themes - just like our novel.  The book initially received mixed reviews - much like The Haymakers Survey but is now widely acclaimed as one of the greatest novels in English literature.

The sight of the dolphins off Skye is equally intriquing. In Charles Lamb’s journal he speculates that Captain Richard Lewin feared lost at sea may yet have survived through the help of dolphins! Skye as a location is interesting - given the Rose cloud seen in the sky by Charles as a sign to cherish and love nature. Skye is also an anagram of KEYS and the hidden message in our tale evolves around a key.

It’s not our business to scare monger but the presence of a vulture is ominous. Page 64 of our novel recalls how Julia witnessed the sight of a bird of prey - an implied vulture - hovering overhead when she meets ‘Mother Nature’ in a dream.  A dream in which she is warned that we hold the future of our planet in our hands.

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

07/09/2009 by admin.

LORD MAY ‘GOD HELP US’ 

Lord May, president of the British Association of Science, has suggested that the world [humanity] may have to turn to God to save itself from climate change. On the eve of the association’s national conference, the government’s former chief scientist warned that no country was prepared to take the lead on the issues and a supernatural ’punisher’ was needed to ensure the rules of co-operation were not broken. 

He said that in the past a belief in a god, or gods, that punish the unrighteous may have been part of the mechanism of evolution that maintains co-operation in a dog-eat-dog world. He also believes religious leaders should be doing more to persuade people to combat climate change.

Well our project is designed to help show a deeper magic to creation - be it through God, the Earth Spirit or some other force - through the many examples on this Watch, including…

EASTER ISLAND: HATS OFF

Archaeologists believe they have solved one ancient mystery surrounding the famous Easter Island statues - the source of their giant red hats!

Researchers, Dr Colin Richards and Dr Sue Hamilton from the University of Manchester and University College London, think the hats were rolled down from an ancient volcano.  They came to the conclusion based on a series of clues on the island. Each hat, weighing several tonnes, was carved from volcanic rock. They were placed on the heads of the famous statues all around the coast of the island.  The researchers are joint directors of the “Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Landscapes of Construction Project”. They will be working on the island over the next five years.

We find the timing of the research and its early findings fascinating, especially as a ceremonial adze (axe head) was found in pristine condition next to the hats.  

Precisely how and why the hats were attached is unknown but the comparisions with the mystical top-hat figure at the heart of our story are striking. Its also intriguing that the axe head was discovered beside the monuments given that Charles Lamb’s journal records how Capt Lewin bought one back to Britain following his transatlantic tour and how he inadvertantly caught Charles’ hand with it at ‘The Haymakers Survey’.

The significance of the links is that Easter Island is infamous for the destruction of the eco-system through one of the worst cases of deforestation ever, potentially to help provide sustenance for an ever increasing population. There’s a clear lesson here, especially given the mysterious man in the top hat who seems to be orchestrating every in our tale.

Posted in Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

27/08/2009 by admin.

An ’Elephant in the Room’ is an idiom for a problem that everyone knows about but doesn’t discuss due to taboo or awkwardness. 

Well the challenge of human population growth has manifested itself in the UK, where population growth is at a record 47 year high - growing by 408,000 the biggest increase in almost 50 years.  It now stands at over 61 million. 

The size and growth of the UK population is part of a world-wide phenomenon and the great taboo of environmentalism, largely due to human rights concerns. But many argue the issue is a most serious one, which unchecked is likely to heighten the risk of global ecological catastrophe.

Here’s a little something to brighten the mood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTo4QLuHE88

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q55 Do you believe in truth? | No Comments »

31/03/2009 by admin.

Dr Nina Fedoroff, an influential science advisor in the US Government believes the human population has already exceeded planet Earth’s limits of sustainability, saying “there are probably already too many people on the Earth.” 

Its an issue we explore in our novel. Let’s review some of the latest facts about our crowded Earth:

• Current world population = 6.8bn
• Net growth by day = 218,030 people per day.
• Forecast for 2040 = 9bn.

There are many challenges around food production, access to fresh drinking water, aspirations for a ‘good life’, competition for limited resources and land, and the ceaseless encroachment into the natural world.  All this at a time when the world we know is under threat from rapid changes to the climate. What to do? Its a major global dilemna - with no obvious solution.  It makes us question, “The Meaning of Life?”  Time for some perspective…

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

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q74 Do you like puzzles?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

06/03/2008 by admin.

Britain has had the sunniest winter since records began, basking in 196 hours of sunshine in December, January and February.  That’s a scorching 37% more than average and more than any since records began in 1929.  Those clouds must be feeling terribly lonely; no wonder the Daffodils are out early!

A study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that the South-East of England will be as dry as the Sahara desert by 2030. The region will be at risk of serious water shortages that could lead to higher bills and rationing within 22 years.  It has been classed as one of the areas at highest risk due to changes in rainfall and population.  An anagram of SAHARA is - A SARAH, which made her smile.

Scientists are warning of a potential food crisis in years to come due to a range of factors, including growing population, changes in dietary habits in some parts of the world, and the impact of globalwarming.  It’s explained here…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7280000/newsid_7282500/7282572.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q69 Do you put off to tomorrow what you could do today?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q27 Do you like gardening? | No Comments »