The Trouble with TED

From Celia Farber, at “The Truth Barrier”:

“Now TED has made a very bad mistake, gone too far, as the arrogant always do.

This has caused a revolutionary fervor to seize the comments section at the marginalized Bad Children’s corner they have assigned the Sheldrake and Hancock video clips to on their site, as TED founder Chris Anderson tries to excuse himself to a distant destination  where he can’t respond to Hancock’s clear questions, while holding up a Wikipedia page as an attempted shield.

What is being fought here? Who are the opponents? What do they stand for?

I’ve been immersed in this war for a long time–it spans so many fields of science, from AIDS to Vaccines to Global Warming to Nutrition, Health, to Paranormal studies, parapsychology, Quantum Physics and beyond.  The bullies, calling themselves “skeptics,” have had one singular weapon which has been impossible to counter, as it is designed not to be answerable, namely pure relentless mockery. Reputation destruction. Wikipedia bullying. Charges of “pseudo-science,” and “woo,” to anything at all that doesn’t conform exactly to a fiercely reductionist, materialist, market driven and frankly misogynist approach to “Science.” Anything that slows booming global bio-tech and pharmacological progressivism is “denialism” and “woo,” and any scientist who steps out of line, no matter how esteemed, how decorated or respected, is thrown into the garbage compactor.

New European Scientific Study on Raw Milk’s Impact on Children’s Health

From The Raw Food World:

“(TRFW News) A large European study led by Professor Erika von Mutius reports that fresh, non-pasteurized cow’s milk actually protects children from respiratory infections, fever and inflammation of the middle ear. The study does acknowledge that untreated cow’s milk could contain pathogenic microorganisms that could pose a health risk, but researchers argue for different processing methods to be used to preserve the protective agents in raw milk.  (1,2,3)

This long-term study explored the role of dietary and environmental factors in developing allergic illness.  The study began with 1,000 pregnant women who were asked to document their children’s diet and health weekly for the first year of life. (1,2,3)

New European study correlates raw milk with fewer colds and infections

Via Realmilk.com

“Raw milk opponents and doctors strongly warn against the consumption of unpasteurized milk for infants, children and pregnant women, arguing that these individuals are more susceptible to illnesses that raw milk could cause. However, a new study that took place across Austria, Finland, France, Germany and Switzerland shows a connection between the consumption of raw milk and lowered rates of colds and infections among children. This study clearly relates Raw milk and lower infections in children.

The study, detailed in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, aimed to assess the effects of consumption of raw vs. boiled vs. industrially processed milks on common infections (including coughing, runny nose, fever, ear infection or diarrhea) in babies’ first year of life.

Raw Milk — from Science to Policy

The Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph will be hosting a one-day symposium on science and policy questions around raw milk on Tuesday April 22, 2014. Academics, industry and government representatives are expected to attend.

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According to the event web page: “The goal of the conference will be to engage in discussions on the need for a structured and transparent process, to ensure that scientific research and knowledge are used to enable effective policy decisions. We are engaging a wide spectrum of global experts, who will use current policies relating to raw and pasteurized milk as the exploratory case study.”

Among the nine presenters will be Durham area farmer and raw milk advocate Michael Schmidt. Here’s Michael’s bio from the presenter page:

From cellphones to Fukushima — subnature and spiritual science

Click image to go to Fermi 3 for the source of this and other nuclear cartoons.

“We’ve got 3 reactors, the cores have left the vessel. They’ve burned through the bottom of the vessel. We don’t really know where they are, because the radioactive environment even fries robots that TEPCO’s been trying to send in there. They have been sending very innovative robotic machinery and sensors in there to get a picture, to get a reading, and these things don’t return. We have opened a door to hell that cannot be easily closed – if ever….” — William Boardman, on Reader Supported News.

Although it’s not covered much in the mainstream news, public interest in the problem of continued and possibly increasing radioactive leakage from TEPCO’s Fukushima nuclear disaster has brought a lot of searchers to the Bovine to read past stories we’ve posted on the subject. And of course it’s depressing to just post news of terrible disasters like Fukushima. One has to wonder whether there isn’t something that could be done to improve the situation, rather than just waiting for the released radiation to kill all life in the Pacific ocean, and rain down over North America.

Raw milk, TED, and the resurgence of neo-primitive consciousness

Scientist Rupert Sheldrake was exiled from TED after spouting this heresy:

TED has been told, it would seem. They’ve been told to hew to the materialist dogma, and to eschew what they are calling bad science, or pseudoscience. Because back in the earlier days, it sure looked like they were a little more open minded. This latest edict has put the kibosh on all that. Health Ranger Mike Adams at Natural News is even reporting that the new TED is to be pro-GMO and anti-diet-affects-health. Now that’s going to stretch many people’s credulity. But now that TED’s gone mainstream and attracting a mainstream audience, evidently there are some who feel the message needs to be massaged accordingly.

Science-based public policy being eroded in the Canada of 2013

From Carrie Saxifrage, in the Vancouver Observer:

Dr. Katie Gibbs, on Parliament Hill, speaking up for science. Photo via the Vancouver Observer

“Dr. Katie Gibbs has seen her colleagues at the University of Ottawa biology department realize that if anybody in Canada can stand up to the attacks on science, it’s the scientists themselves.

Last spring, as Dr. Gibbs finished up her PhD in conservation biology, the federal government passed Bill C-38, the omnibus legislation that weakened environmental laws such as the Fisheries Act. It also announced that it would cut funding to the Experimental Lakes Area, Canada’s huge contribution to world research on freshwater ecosystems.

These developments awoke the biology department to the need to speak up. They approached Dr. Gibbs, who they knew had attended some protests, and asked if she could help them organize something to bring attention to the devaluation of science by the federal government.

New study shows stomach problems and more, in pigs fed on GMO feed

From Fritz Kreiss, on Occupy Monsanto:

Photos of pigs’ stomachs from the study.

“A new study by scientist Judy Carman, PhD. that was just published in the peer reviewed journal Organic Systems on the effects of a (now normal) diet of mixed GMO feeds for pigs causes some disturbing health problems, particularly regarding the digestive and reproductive systems and a likely strong involvement of the endocrine system.

Controversy in social media over “raw milk is a low-risk food” assessment

by Nadine Ijaz

Researcher Nadine Ijaz

It is healthy that we are seeing some vigorous conversation about raw milk safety this week.  In an earlier post, I responded to some inaccurate depictions of my work on this front.  The discussion continues across social media, with the twitterverse circulating a position paper to reproduce some of the raw milk science myths which I debunked in my recent presentation to the BC Centre for Disease Control here in Canada.  That position paper gives some historical context for pasteurization, cites some accurate evidence, and describes one family’s story of raw milk induced illness; it also makes some important errors. While one is entitled to express an opinion online, it is important to differentiate what is scientific evidence.

Of course it is terribly unfortunate that a beautiful young child would and did become severely ill from consuming unpasteurized milk contaminated with E. coli 0157 as the paper’s author reports; and I feel certain that raw milk producers and consumers would agree that it is regrettable.  One would certainly wish Ms. McGonigle-Martin, her son Chris, and their entire family well; and wish to do the utmost to prevent any such future occurrence. These stories are absolutely worth telling, to honour the family’s experience.

The Gene Revolution with Dr. Thierry Vrain; GMO Free Langley Shines

by Raoul Bedi, BASc

Dr.Vrain spoke about “The Future of Agriculture” at TED talks on May 23, 2013

A: Introduction

Building on the theme of collaboration and synergy, in the work of food security,  anti-GMO awareness and public education, through the examples of interviews (Vandana Shiva May 1, 2013), writings (Dr. Thierry Vrain’s May 23 GMO Dangers essay), podcasts, activism and rallies, I continue this process with a summary about the recent June 5 “Community Forum on GM Food” and lecture by retired GM Scientist Dr.Thierry Vrain  in Surrey BC that was sponsored by Phil Harrison, the Council of Canadians ( www.canadians.org ) and others.

Emcee Phil Harrison and Dr.Thierry Vrain fielding questions from the audience (Photo by Raoul Bedi http://www.biofield.ca). Click image for more photos from Surrey GMO forum.

Apart from disseminating the information shared with the audience by Dr. Vrain, it is also useful to provide some background on the organizational and activist elements involved, so that towns and regions across Canada may more easily and quickly replicate and build upon this work.