wakingtimes--2020-01-31--The US Government is Officially Funding the Study of Geoengineering

While humanity battles a growing number of ecological disasters , the push for lower greenhouse gas emissions has struggled to gain traction .
In the face of the unlikely reversal of long held traditions and habits , researchers have been pursuing alternative methods for cooling the global temperature .
One of these methods is known as geoengineering , or the deliberate mass manipulation of the climate .
The controversial science is being touted as a potential “ backup plan ” should humanity fail to lower carbon emissions by two degrees .
This backup plan will now receive $ 4 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , director of the Chemical Sciences Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’ s ( NOAA ) Earth System Research Laboratory .
E & E News first reported that Fahey told his staff that the U.S. government is ready to study two types of geoengineering .
One of these methods is solar radiation management , a type of geoengineering that involves spraying aerosols into the atmosphere in the hopes of reflecting sunlight and cooling the planet .
This type of geoengineering is extremely controversial and previous studies have linked the technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the planet .
The second tactic involves using aerosols to create artificial , low-lying clouds over the ocean .
“ This technique is borrowed from “ ship tracks ” —or long clouds left by the passage of ocean freighters that are seen by satellites as reflective pathways .
They could be widened by injections of vapor from seawater by specialized ships to create shading effects , ” E & E reports .
Fahey says an upcoming study by the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering , and Medicine titled “ Climate Intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ will recommend further studies in both areas .
He also suggests changing the term geoengineering to a “ more neutral word ” like “ climate intervention.
” Fahey called geoengineering a “ tangled ball of issues ” and said he hopes to give lawmakers a “ clear view of how a hurry-up bid to save the planet would work.
” Still , Fahey admits that putting aerosols into the atmosphere “ opens up this whole menu of things that you ’ d have to worry about.
” Science Magazine notes that several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the use of aircraft to inject aerosols into the atmosphere might alter the weather or damage the ozone layer .
Fahey says a scientific approach must involve identifying a list of unknowns , including unintended consequences .
The concerns surrounding geoengineering are widely known to anyone following the research .
Claims that geoengineering could be employed without significantly altering the planet or without making things worse were rebuffed by a number of experts .
Alan Robock , a climate and aerosols expert at Rutgers University who previously conducted research for the Intergovernmental Panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said that researchers claiming that there will be no significant effect do not take into account the reality that geoengineering may have additional side effects , like warming certain parts of the atmosphere , changing atmospheric circulation , or affecting the ozone layer .
Interestingly , Robock has previously stated that he believes the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) may already be using geoengineering techniques as a weapon of war .
In 2015 , while speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was phoned by two men claiming to be from the CIA , asking whether or not it was possible for hostile governments to use geoengineering , or mass manipulation of the weather , against the United States .
The public and scientific community should examine all of the available evidence which currently shows geoengineering might lead to potential loss of blue skies , lower crop yields , and increases in land and water temperature .
According to a recent study published in Nature , geoengineering could lead to lower crop yields .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention to the dangers of beginning geoengineering programs .
According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research : Atmospheres , if geoengineering programs were started and then suddenly halted , the planet could see an immediate rise in temperatures , particularly over land .
Another study published in February 2015 by an international committee of scientists stated that geoengineering techniques are not a viable alternative to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat the effects of climate change .
The committee report called for further research and understanding of various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes and solar-radiation management ( SRM ) , before implementation .
The scientists found that SRM techniques are likely to present “ serious known and possible unknown environmental , social , and political risks , including the possibility of being deployed unilaterally.
” In October 2018 , the United Nations IPCC issued a report that essentially called for climate engineering as the “ last ditch ” option to save humanity from environmental disaster .
The calls for geoengineering programs are one step closer to reality now that the NOAA is scheduled to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer geoengineering moves to reality the more calls for a global governance framework to guide the programs .
It ’ s becoming apparent that calls for geoengineering will serve as a gateway to global government .

The US Government is Officially Funding the Study of Geoengineering
Derrick Broze, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
While humanity battles a growing number of ecological disasters, the push for lower greenhouse gas emissions has struggled to gain traction.
In the face of the unlikely reversal of long held traditions and habits, researchers have been pursuing alternative methods for cooling the global temperature. One of these methods is known as geoengineering, or the deliberate mass manipulation of the climate. The controversial science is being touted as a potential “backup plan” should humanity fail to lower carbon emissions by two degrees.
This backup plan will now receive $4 million in funding, according to David Fahey, director of the Chemical Sciences Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory. E&E News first reported that Fahey told his staff that the U.S. government is ready to study two types of geoengineering.
One of these methods is solar radiation management, a type of geoengineering that involves spraying aerosols into the atmosphere in the hopes of reflecting sunlight and cooling the planet. This type of geoengineering is extremely controversial and previous studies have linked the technology to potentially dangerous outcomes for various parts of the planet.
The second tactic involves using aerosols to create artificial, low-lying clouds over the ocean. “This technique is borrowed from “ship tracks”—or long clouds left by the passage of ocean freighters that are seen by satellites as reflective pathways. They could be widened by injections of vapor from seawater by specialized ships to create shading effects,” E&E reports. Fahey says an upcoming study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled “Climate Intervention Strategies that Reflect Sunlight to Cool Earth“ will recommend further studies in both areas. He also suggests changing the term geoengineering to a “more neutral word” like “climate intervention.” Fahey called geoengineering a “tangled ball of issues” and said he hopes to give lawmakers a “clear view of how a hurry-up bid to save the planet would work.”
Still, Fahey admits that putting aerosols into the atmosphere “opens up this whole menu of things that you’d have to worry about.” Science Magazine notes that several smaller nations have already expressed concern that the use of aircraft to inject aerosols into the atmosphere might alter the weather or damage the ozone layer. Fahey says a scientific approach must involve identifying a list of unknowns, including unintended consequences.
The concerns surrounding geoengineering are widely known to anyone following the research. Claims that geoengineering could be employed without significantly altering the planet or without making things worse were rebuffed by a number of experts.
Alan Robock, a climate and aerosols expert at Rutgers University who previously conducted research for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has said that researchers claiming that there will be no significant effect do not take into account the reality that geoengineering may have additional side effects, like warming certain parts of the atmosphere, changing atmospheric circulation, or affecting the ozone layer.
“I do not agree that ’no area will be significantly worse off under a solar geo-engineering scenario’,” Robock has said. “Worse as compared to what? If we rapidly begin mitigation now, that is rapidly reduce our CO2 emissions to zero by switching our power to wind and solar, we will be much better off than a business-as-usual future, or one with geoengineering.”
Interestingly, Robock has previously stated that he believes the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) may already be using geoengineering techniques as a weapon of war. In 2015, while speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Jose, California, Robock stated he was phoned by two men claiming to be from the CIA, asking whether or not it was possible for hostile governments to use geoengineering, or mass manipulation of the weather, against the United States.
The public and scientific community should examine all of the available evidence which currently shows geoengineering might lead to potential loss of blue skies, lower crop yields, and increases in land and water temperature. According to a recent study published in Nature, geoengineering could lead to lower crop yields. This study is not the first to draw attention to the dangers of beginning geoengineering programs. According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, if geoengineering programs were started and then suddenly halted, the planet could see an immediate rise in temperatures, particularly over land.
Another study published in February 2015 by an international committee of scientists stated that geoengineering techniques are not a viable alternative to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat the effects of climate change. The committee report called for further research and understanding of various geoengineering techniques, including carbon dioxide removal schemes and solar-radiation management (SRM), before implementation. The scientists found that SRM techniques are likely to present “serious known and possible unknown environmental, social, and political risks, including the possibility of being deployed unilaterally.”
In October 2018, the United Nations IPCC issued a report that essentially called for climate engineering as the “last ditch” option to save humanity from environmental disaster. The calls for geoengineering programs are one step closer to reality now that the NOAA is scheduled to receive $4 million in funding. The closer geoengineering moves to reality the more calls for a global governance framework to guide the programs. It’s becoming apparent that calls for geoengineering will serve as a gateway to global government.
By Derrick Broze | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


wakingtimes--2020-01-31--Rare trees are disappearing as ‘wood pirates’ log Bolivian national parks

SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA , Bolivia — “ The day after tomorrow , a cargo of 8,000 board feet of timber must be shipped .
As there is little water , they are waiting for the rain .
It ’ s all piled up in the San Salvador area , ” says the former logger .
He ’ s referring to a shipment of mara wood ( Swietenia macrophylla ) , extracted by so-called wood pirates who cut down these trees in Amboro National Park in central Bolivia .
Hidden in the thickets of the Amazon rainforest , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mahogany , grow up to 50 meters ( 165 feet ) tall and live more than 100 years .
Yet for many , their days are numbered , the roar of chainsaws marking their time of death at the hands of the wood pirates .
The export of mara wood from Bolivia has been prohibited since 2011 .
That decision was made by the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Authority , part of the Bolivian Ministry of Environment .
Mara is currently listed in Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CITES ) , so cross-border trade in the wood is strictly regulated in other countries .
The species is also classified as vulnerable on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) .
The former logger , who was betrayed by his comrades and briefly imprisoned , agreed to talk to Mongabay about this criminal enterprise .
His only condition was that his identity be concealed .
The logger says the criminal groups enter the park armed and are willing to do anything to achieve their mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way .
Sergio Yepez , a criminal intelligence officer with Interpol ’ s illegal logging group , says these kinds of logging operations are run by organized crime syndicates .
According to Interpol ’ s 2010 Chainsaw Project report , illegal logging encompasses a wide range of illegal activities that require a significant amount of organization .
“ The harvesting , shipping , processing and trading of timber is more likely to be coordinated by a network of criminals , rather than one isolated individual , ” the report says .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logging groups operating in Amboro National Park are organized into distinct roles : • None • Cutters are in charge of sawing down the trees .
They are paid 1 boliviano , about 14 U.S. cents , per foot of cut wood .
They can extract between 2,000 and 5,000 board feet ( about 5 to 8 cubic meters ) for one shipment , earning a profit of up to 5,000 bolivianos ( $ 724 ) .
• Lomeadores carry the planks of sawed mara , each weighing about 60 kilograms ( 132 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the riverbanks .
They carry each load up to 3 kilometers ( around 2 miles ) along narrow and rugged paths over mountains and through canyons .
Lomeadores are paid 1 boliviano per foot of wood per kilometer .
They can transport between 200 and 500 board feet of wood per day .
• Callaperos , armed with rifles , lower the wood into precarious boats called callapos .
They operate along the Yapacani , Ichilo and Mataracu rivers inside Amboro National Park .
Each trip takes them a minimum of three days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transport up to 150 planks of mara , and each callapero can earn 4,000 bolivianos ( $ 580 ) .
If they are alerted to the presence of rangers , the callaperos submerge the wood in the river with stones and wait several days until they believe the risk of getting caught has passed .
Many callaperos have drowned .
• Suppliers deliver provisions to logging groups operating in the park .
Instead of carrying meat with them from outside , they hunt and fish inside the park .
They also carry other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motor oil , ropes to tie the callapos , and camping materials .
They are paid 200 bolivianos ( $ 29 ) per day and must hike through the forest for at least two days to reach the camps .
• Drivers meet the callaperos and transport the extracted wood further along the supply chain .
They operate at night , loading the wood onto their trucks and camouflaging it under cargoes of other goods like rice , bananas or citrus fruits to deceive authorities operating control checkpoints along the route .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 100 ) to move the wood from the rivers in Amboro to warehouses in the cities of Yapacani or Santa Fe , and between 1,200 and 1,500 bolivianos ( $ 174 to $ 217 ) to transport it on from Yapacani to the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra .
• Spies alert the loggers when they see rangers or other athorities entering nearby areas of the park .
Once alerted , the loggers hide in the forest and wait until the coast is clear .
They use drones in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities .
They operate in the town of Yapacani just outside the park ’ s border .
Some pay in advance .
“ Right now , there are around five [ buyers ] , ” the logger said .
“ One of the buyers is also planting coca inside Amboro National Park.
” Each group of wood pirates leaves a distinctive mark on the mara trees they intend to cut down .
It ’ s their way of alerting other groups to leave their trees alone .
And if they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado River [ in Amboro ] there is a cross , ” the former logger said .
“ That ’ s where they shot a pirate who cut down a tree from another group.
” Wood pirates operate during the rainy season , when the rivers swell and make it easier to transport the timber .
According to the former logger , it takes three weeks to a month to extract a shipment of illegal timber from Amboro National Park .
“ A cargo of 4,000 board feet can be extracted in three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 7,000 board feet can be removed.
” The best wood is carefully selected and transported by train across the border to Corumba , Brazil , from where it is shipped on to China and the U.S .
The remaining wood is sold for furniture production via the local black market in Santa Cruz de la Sierra .
Roman Vitron , an environmental engineer who has been involved in 10 timber seizure operations in Bolivia since 2014 , says people are attracted to this clandestine activity by the big profits .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than they [ otherwise ] would earn in a month , ” he said .
Vitron says the price of mara on the black market is 15 to 16 bolivianos ( $ 2.20 to 2.30 ) per board foot .
This means that for every illegal shipment of 2,000 to 5,000 board feet , traffickers are earning 30,000 to 80,000 bolivianos ( $ 4,340 to $ 11,580 ) .
More than 560 km ( 350 mi ) northwest of Amboro , in the region of La Paz , is Madidi National Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural areas in the world , Madidi is home to more than 10 % of the planet ’ s bird species and an estimated 10,000 different kinds of butterflies and moths , with frequent discoveries of species new to science .
Both parks are in the Amboro-Madidi Biological Corridor , which has high ecological value and is part of the larger Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot .
Like Amboro , Madidi National Park is plagued by illegal logging .
San Fermin sits on the banks of the Tambopata River and on the border with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rangers , the closest Bolivian community , Asariamas , in the municipality of Apolo , is a four-day walk away , so many inhabitants buy food across the border in Peru , in the district of San Pedro de Putina Punco .
Park authorities say wood traffickers in the San Fermin area also do their business across the border , logging mara trees in Madidi National Park and then transporting them by river to Peru , where the wood is sold for 8 soles ( $ 2.40 ) per board foot .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Peruvian legislation to bring the wood into the country only with transport permits , arguing to the authorities that the logging was done in Bolivia .
Marcos Uzquiano , director of Madidi National Park , said park rangers working in this community were constantly attacked and threatened by locals .
According to Aliaga , illegal loggers have extracted most of the accessible mara trees from the banks of the Colorado River , which flows into the Tambopata River .
Now they are exploiting trees in the basin of the Colorado River itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say is home to the Toromonas , one of Bolivia ’ s uncontacted tribes .
A resident of Apolo , who asked not to be named , says that the people involved in illegal logging of valuable tree species like mara in San Fermin also grow coca and produce cocaine .
‘ ’ They cultivated their coca plantations in the same areas where there is wood .
So first they extract the wood and then they plant coca , ” the resident said .
Most coca is used to produce cocaine .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas in Bolivia , where it is intended for traditional use .
But high coca prices and a legacy of poverty in the region have compelled a lawless culture to take hold in this part of the Bolivian Amazon .
In 2016 , the Bolivian government razed 50 hectares ( 124 acres ) of illegal coca plantations in San Fermin and two other Madidi communities : Cocos Lanza and Colorados .
But eradication efforts have since stalled .
The protection of Madidi National Park ’ s 1.8 million ha ( 4.4 million acres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two of these rangers were assigned to the San Fermin protection camp before Uzquiano removed them due to safety concerns .
Because of the hostility of the local population , Uzquiano says that at least four rangers are necessary to properly monitor the area and coordinate enforcement with the military .
He added that other improvements are also sorely needed .
Federico Barron , a ranger responsible for the protection of the northern portion of Amboro National Park , says that nine rangers are charged with defending the entire 637,600 ha ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have nine camps and each ranger is assigned to one , ” Barron said .
“ That ’ s not viable .
It ’ s risky to be alone.
” Barron said he believes a territory Amboro ’ s size should be patrolled by at least 30 rangers , and the rangers should have greater support from the military .
“ One time we apprehended one of the pirates , but then we were ambushed by 12 of his comrades , ” he said .
“ There were only six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do ?
We had to free the guy and flee the place .
Thank God we made it out alive.
” Maikol Melgar , the new director of Bolivia ’ s National Protected Areas Service , said the agency is in the process of being restructured after damage incurred under the government of former president Evo Morales .
“ We are now requesting the new national government incorporate the necessary budget and increase the number of rangers for Bolivia ’ s protected areas , ” he said .
Logging by wood pirates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that feed Bolivia ’ s black market for precious woods .
Those involved say pirates are aided by corrupt officials who do things like provide false documentation to mask illegally harvested timber as legal .
Other problems include logging without management plans and cutting trees smaller than the legally permitted diameter , according to Interpol , which found that these challenges are compounded by illegal settlements of people in protected areas .
One of the largest cases of corruption of forestry officials in the country came to light in June 2019 .
Noel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forests and Lands Authority ( ABT in Spanish ) , was accused of illegally handing out more than 2,000 permits to Mennonites to clear a total of 22,000 ha ( 54,400 acres ) of forest in the municipality of San Ignacio de Velasco , located in the south-central region of the department of Santa Cruz .
Sivila is now a fugitive in Argentina .
According to a United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol report from 2016 , “ The value of forestry crimes , including corporate crimes and illegal logging , is estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and 10-30 percent of the global wood trade could be illegal .
In Bolivia ’ s case , 258,462 ha ( 638,674 acres ) of land were deforested in 2017 , 52 percent illegally , according to data from ABT .
That included 146 ha ( 361 acres ) in Amboro National Park and 199 ha ( 492 acres ) in Madidi National Park .
Sergio Yepez said he believes that cross-border coordination among Amazonian countries is necessary to deal with this crime .
But for heavily targeted , rare trees like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come soon enough .

Rare trees are disappearing as ‘wood pirates’ log Bolivian national parks
Eduardo Franco Berton, Guest
Waking Times
SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA, Bolivia — “The day after tomorrow, a cargo of 8,000 board feet of timber must be shipped. As there is little water, they are waiting for the rain. It’s all piled up in the San Salvador area,” says the former logger. He’s referring to a shipment of mara wood (Swietenia macrophylla), extracted by so-called wood pirates who cut down these trees in Amboro National Park in central Bolivia.
Hidden in the thickets of the Amazon rainforest, these gigantic trees, also known as big-leaf mahogany, grow up to 50 meters (165 feet) tall and live more than 100 years. Yet for many, their days are numbered, the roar of chainsaws marking their time of death at the hands of the wood pirates.
The export of mara wood from Bolivia has been prohibited since 2011. That decision was made by the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Authority, part of the Bolivian Ministry of Environment. Mara is currently listed in Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), so cross-border trade in the wood is strictly regulated in other countries. The species is also classified as vulnerable on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The former logger, who was betrayed by his comrades and briefly imprisoned, agreed to talk to Mongabay about this criminal enterprise. His only condition was that his identity be concealed.
“About seven groups are operating in the park. Each one consists of six to eight people,” he told Mongabay during the November 2019 interview. “These days, they are cutting a lot. They are planning to extract a large amount for Christmas. My role was to be a lomeador and a callapero; I would bring the wood from the forest and then transport it along the river.”
The logger says the criminal groups enter the park armed and are willing to do anything to achieve their mission — including killing anyone who stands in their way.
An organized mafia
Sergio Yepez, a criminal intelligence officer with Interpol’s illegal logging group, says these kinds of logging operations are run by organized crime syndicates.
“This is not a person who has been spontaneously arrested for cutting down a tree,” Yepez said. “There is a whole structure [and] organization and funding sources behind these groups.”
According to Interpol’s 2010 Chainsaw Project report, illegal logging encompasses a wide range of illegal activities that require a significant amount of organization. “The harvesting, shipping, processing and trading of timber is more likely to be coordinated by a network of criminals, rather than one isolated individual,” the report says.
For this reason, since January 2019, Interpol has categorized illegal logging as organized crime. “Sentences and penalties must be applied in that manner, as well as in-depth investigative work,” Yepez said.
According to the former logger, the criminal logging groups operating in Amboro National Park are organized into distinct roles:
Cutters are in charge of sawing down the trees. They are paid 1 boliviano, about 14 U.S. cents, per foot of cut wood. They can extract between 2,000 and 5,000 board feet (about 5 to 8 cubic meters) for one shipment, earning a profit of up to 5,000 bolivianos ($724). Lomeadores carry the planks of sawed mara, each weighing about 60 kilograms (132 pounds), on their backs to the riverbanks. They carry each load up to 3 kilometers (around 2 miles) along narrow and rugged paths over mountains and through canyons. Lomeadores are paid 1 boliviano per foot of wood per kilometer. They can transport between 200 and 500 board feet of wood per day. Callaperos , armed with rifles, lower the wood into precarious boats called callapos. They operate along the Yapacani, Ichilo and Mataracu rivers inside Amboro National Park. Each trip takes them a minimum of three days. With each load, they can transport up to 150 planks of mara, and each callapero can earn 4,000 bolivianos ($580). If they are alerted to the presence of rangers, the callaperos submerge the wood in the river with stones and wait several days until they believe the risk of getting caught has passed. Many callaperos have drowned. Suppliers deliver provisions to logging groups operating in the park. Instead of carrying meat with them from outside, they hunt and fish inside the park. They also carry other supplies, such as gasoline tanks, motor oil, ropes to tie the callapos, and camping materials. They are paid 200 bolivianos ($29) per day and must hike through the forest for at least two days to reach the camps. Drivers meet the callaperos and transport the extracted wood further along the supply chain. They operate at night, loading the wood onto their trucks and camouflaging it under cargoes of other goods like rice, bananas or citrus fruits to deceive authorities operating control checkpoints along the route. They are paid up to 700 bolivianos ($100) to move the wood from the rivers in Amboro to warehouses in the cities of Yapacani or Santa Fe, and between 1,200 and 1,500 bolivianos ($174 to $217) to transport it on from Yapacani to the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Spies alert the loggers when they see rangers or other athorities entering nearby areas of the park. Once alerted, the loggers hide in the forest and wait until the coast is clear. They use drones in their surveillance. Buyers finance the logging activities. They operate in the town of Yapacani just outside the park’s border. Some pay in advance. “Right now, there are around five [buyers],” the logger said. “One of the buyers is also planting coca inside Amboro National Park.”
Each group of wood pirates leaves a distinctive mark on the mara trees they intend to cut down. It’s their way of alerting other groups to leave their trees alone. And if they don’t? “Over the bank of the Colorado River [in Amboro] there is a cross,” the former logger said. “That’s where they shot a pirate who cut down a tree from another group.”
Wood pirates operate during the rainy season, when the rivers swell and make it easier to transport the timber. According to the former logger, it takes three weeks to a month to extract a shipment of illegal timber from Amboro National Park. “A cargo of 4,000 board feet can be extracted in three weeks; in one month, up to 7,000 board feet can be removed.”
The best wood is carefully selected and transported by train across the border to Corumba, Brazil, from where it is shipped on to China and the U.S. The remaining wood is sold for furniture production via the local black market in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
An unequal war
According to the former logger, wood pirates are aided by corruption. “There are some corrupt authorities who warn the pirates of the dates of operations and controls,” he said, adding that leaders of several communities near Amboro are also under mafia control: “Some know about the departure of cargoes, but they don’t report it to the authorities.”
Roman Vitron, an environmental engineer who has been involved in 10 timber seizure operations in Bolivia since 2014, says people are attracted to this clandestine activity by the big profits. “The amounts of money these people make represent more than they [otherwise] would earn in a month,” he said.
Vitron says the price of mara on the black market is 15 to 16 bolivianos ($2.20 to 2.30) per board foot. This means that for every illegal shipment of 2,000 to 5,000 board feet, traffickers are earning 30,000 to 80,000 bolivianos ($4,340 to $11,580).
Vitron, who considers himself a fierce environmentalist, has followed the tracks of illegal loggers while working for the municipality of nearby San Carlos and for the Amboro National Park Authority. “They are [logging] up to 15 kilometers [past] the red line that designates the national park boundary where it is a strict conservation zone,” Vitron said. “They walk up to three days along the riverbanks carrying food and fuel; they also have to cross swamps. These people make quite the journey.”
More than 560 km (350 mi) northwest of Amboro, in the region of La Paz, is Madidi National Park. Considered one of the most biodiverse natural areas in the world, Madidi is home to more than 10% of the planet’s bird species and an estimated 10,000 different kinds of butterflies and moths, with frequent discoveries of species new to science. Both parks are in the Amboro-Madidi Biological Corridor, which has high ecological value and is part of the larger Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot.
Like Amboro, Madidi National Park is plagued by illegal logging.
“If we meet again, you’re going to disappear.” Those were the words Madidi ranger Diego Aliaga said a logger threatened him with while Aliaga was patrolling the forests near San Fermin, a community of 65 families located at the western edge of Madidi National Park.
San Fermin sits on the banks of the Tambopata River and on the border with Peru. According to Madidi’s rangers, the closest Bolivian community, Asariamas, in the municipality of Apolo, is a four-day walk away, so many inhabitants buy food across the border in Peru, in the district of San Pedro de Putina Punco. Park authorities say wood traffickers in the San Fermin area also do their business across the border, logging mara trees in Madidi National Park and then transporting them by river to Peru, where the wood is sold for 8 soles ($2.40) per board foot. In the past, buyers used a loophole in Peruvian legislation to bring the wood into the country only with transport permits, arguing to the authorities that the logging was done in Bolivia.
Marcos Uzquiano, director of Madidi National Park, said park rangers working in this community were constantly attacked and threatened by locals.
“They have always had an aggressive attitude,” Uzquiano said. “One time, all the park signs were thrown away. Also, they did not allow controls [raids] to be carried out and demanded that the confiscated chainsaws and wood be returned to them. It has been really complicated.”
According to Aliaga, illegal loggers have extracted most of the accessible mara trees from the banks of the Colorado River, which flows into the Tambopata River. Now they are exploiting trees in the basin of the Colorado River itself, one of the areas that anthropologists say is home to the Toromonas, one of Bolivia’s uncontacted tribes.
“Illegal loggers and drug trafficking groups are clearing bush inside the rainforest where it is thought the uncontacted tribes live,” Aliaga said. “There is a risk that they could find them and kill them since they are armed. Other rangers have found arrows and footprints that could belong to the Toromonas who live there.”
From illegal logging to coca plantations
A resident of Apolo, who asked not to be named, says that the people involved in illegal logging of valuable tree species like mara in San Fermin also grow coca and produce cocaine. ‘’They cultivated their coca plantations in the same areas where there is wood. So first they extract the wood and then they plant coca,” the resident said.
Most coca is used to produce cocaine. The plant is illegal to grow outside authorized areas in Bolivia, where it is intended for traditional use. But high coca prices and a legacy of poverty in the region have compelled a lawless culture to take hold in this part of the Bolivian Amazon.
“Last year on the riverbank they killed the brother of one of the rangers,” Uzquiano said. “There have been shootings among villagers, some people have been burned alive by drug trafficking groups. There is no justice in this place.” The dangerous situation in San Fermin forced Uzquiano to remove his rangers from Madidi’s protection camp in the community. “My staff were constantly threatened by mafia groups,” he said. “This forced me to withdraw them and leave the place under the protection of the military.”
In 2016, the Bolivian government razed 50 hectares (124 acres) of illegal coca plantations in San Fermin and two other Madidi communities: Cocos Lanza and Colorados. But eradication efforts have since stalled.
Coca plantations have also been cultivated on the Peruvian side of the border. An October 2019 report published by InSight Crime, a foundation that investigates organized crime, noted problems that have accompanied coca cultivation in the region: “The vast increase in coca production has caused the population of the nearby San Pedro de Putina Punco district to rise from around 15,000 inhabitants to 40,000. The population boom has been accompanied by rising insecurity, including an increase of robberies and assaults.”
Support needed
The protection of Madidi National Park’s 1.8 million ha (4.4 million acres) is tasked to just 26 rangers. Two of these rangers were assigned to the San Fermin protection camp before Uzquiano removed them due to safety concerns. Because of the hostility of the local population, Uzquiano says that at least four rangers are necessary to properly monitor the area and coordinate enforcement with the military. He added that other improvements are also sorely needed.
“The camps that we have are falling apart,” he said. “It is necessary to improve the infrastructure, the communication, and to improve our coordination so that the park rangers feel supported.” San Fermin loggers transport mara planks using boats with outboard motors, which can easily outrun the authorities. “The park rangers and the military do not have the logistical means. The traffickers are ahead of us,” Uzquiano said.
Federico Barron, a ranger responsible for the protection of the northern portion of Amboro National Park, says that nine rangers are charged with defending the entire 637,600 ha (1.6 million acres) of the park.
“We have nine camps and each ranger is assigned to one,” Barron said. “That’s not viable. It’s risky to be alone.” Barron said he believes a territory Amboro’s size should be patrolled by at least 30 rangers, and the rangers should have greater support from the military. “One time we apprehended one of the pirates, but then we were ambushed by 12 of his comrades,” he said. “There were only six of us; what were we going to do? We had to free the guy and flee the place. Thank God we made it out alive.” Maikol Melgar, the new director of Bolivia’s National Protected Areas Service, said the agency is in the process of being restructured after damage incurred under the government of former president Evo Morales. “We are now requesting the new national government incorporate the necessary budget and increase the number of rangers for Bolivia’s protected areas,” he said.
Logging by wood pirates is just one of many forest crimes that feed Bolivia’s black market for precious woods. Those involved say pirates are aided by corrupt officials who do things like provide false documentation to mask illegally harvested timber as legal. Other problems include logging without management plans and cutting trees smaller than the legally permitted diameter, according to Interpol, which found that these challenges are compounded by illegal settlements of people in protected areas.
One of the largest cases of corruption of forestry officials in the country came to light in June 2019. Noel Sivila, a former official with the Forests and Lands Authority (ABT in Spanish), was accused of illegally handing out more than 2,000 permits to Mennonites to clear a total of 22,000 ha (54,400 acres) of forest in the municipality of San Ignacio de Velasco, located in the south-central region of the department of Santa Cruz. Sivila is now a fugitive in Argentina.
When asked about the weakness of forest controls in Bolivia, Miguel Angel Ruiz, an ABT official, said that adjustments are being made to improve the logging permit granting process and increase inspections of forest areas. “We have deficiencies in the control posts since they are not at the level they should be. They lack infrastructure. These posts are the controls from the forest to the timber markets,” Ruiz said.
According to a United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol report from 2016, “The value of forestry crimes, including corporate crimes and illegal logging, is estimated at $50-152 billion per year,” and 10-30 percent of the global wood trade could be illegal. In Bolivia’s case, 258,462 ha (638,674 acres) of land were deforested in 2017, 52 percent illegally, according to data from ABT. That included 146 ha (361 acres) in Amboro National Park and 199 ha (492 acres) in Madidi National Park.
Sergio Yepez said he believes that cross-border coordination among Amazonian countries is necessary to deal with this crime.
“Interpol is pushing in the direction of achieving police, judicial and operational coordination among the countries of the Amazon basin, so that investigations can be carried out where information is difficult to obtain,” Yepez said.
But for heavily targeted, rare trees like mara, many wonder if change will come soon enough.
“The park’s mara is already running out,” says the former logger from Amboro. “It has been exploited for a long time and there are not many trees left.”
By Eduardo Franco Berton | Creative Commons | Mongabay


wakingtimes--2020-01-31--Breathtaking New Images of the Sun’s Surface Are the Most Detailed Ever Taken

On Wednesday , the National Science Foundation ( NSF ) released the highest resolution image of the Sun ’ s surface ever taken .
The image was taken on December 10 , 2019 by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope ( DKIST ) —the largest solar telescope in the world .
The new telescope on Haleakalā in Maui was built to study the Sun and the images it has captured show breathtaking detail far beyond anything that had been previously captured until now .
Rimmele said the telescope will help “ unravel the Sun ’ s biggest mysteries.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually convection granules and they ’ re huge—the U.S. state of Texas huge .
Of the photos , University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa ’ s Institute for Astronomy astronomer Jeff Kuhn said : The image release marks the beginning of what scientists hope will be an almost 50-year study of the Sun that covers two of the Sun ’ s 22-year solar cycles .
And as it turns out , while construction on DKIST began in 2012 , it isn ’ t even fully operational despite having captured such stunning first of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , only the Visible Broadband Imager ( VBI ) was operational .
On Thursday of last week ( January 23 ) , DKIST ’ s second instrument , the Visible Spectro-polarimeter ( VISP ) , came online .
According to space.com , “ VISP splits light into its component colors to provide precise measurements of its characteristics along multiple wavelengths.
” All instruments should be operational by July 2020 .
Thanks to DKIST ’ s resolution and sensitivity , the telescope will be able to probe the Sun ’ s magnetic field when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explore what drives space weather and those pesky charged particles the Sun releases that interfere with things here on Earth—like satellites , power grids , and even communication infrastructure .
Matt Mountain of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy explained : If all goes according to plan , DKIST should also shed some light onto why it is that the Sun ’ s fiery ’ s halo is actually hotter than its surface

Breathtaking New Images of the Sun’s Surface Are the Most Detailed Ever Taken
Emma Fiala, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
On Wednesday, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released the highest resolution image of the Sun’s surface ever taken.
The image was taken on December 10, 2019 by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST)—the largest solar telescope in the world.
During a January 24 news conference, DKIST director Thomas Rimmele said:
“These are the highest-resolution images and movies of the solar surface ever taken. Up to now, we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg.”
The new telescope on Haleakalā in Maui was built to study the Sun and the images it has captured show breathtaking detail far beyond anything that had been previously captured until now. Rimmele said the telescope will help “unravel the Sun’s biggest mysteries.”
The small sections seen in the photos are actually convection granules and they’re huge—the U.S. state of Texas huge.
Of the photos, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Institute for Astronomy astronomer Jeff Kuhn said:
“It is literally the greatest leap in humanity’s ability to study the Sun from the ground since Galileo’s time.”
The image release marks the beginning of what scientists hope will be an almost 50-year study of the Sun that covers two of the Sun’s 22-year solar cycles. And as it turns out, while construction on DKIST began in 2012, it isn’t even fully operational despite having captured such stunning first of their kind images.
Back on December 10, only the Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) was operational. On Thursday of last week (January 23), DKIST’s second instrument, the Visible Spectro-polarimeter (VISP), came online. According to space.com, “VISP splits light into its component colors to provide precise measurements of its characteristics along multiple wavelengths.”
All instruments should be operational by July 2020.
Thanks to DKIST’s resolution and sensitivity, the telescope will be able to probe the Sun’s magnetic field when it is fully operational. DKIST will explore what drives space weather and those pesky charged particles the Sun releases that interfere with things here on Earth—like satellites, power grids, and even communication infrastructure.
Matt Mountain of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy explained:
“On Earth, we can predict if it is going to rain pretty much anywhere in the world very accurately, and space weather just isn’t there yet.”
If all goes according to plan, DKIST should also shed some light onto why it is that the Sun’s fiery’s halo is actually hotter than its surface
“The real power in the Inouye Solar Telescope is its flexibility, its upgradability,” Dave Boboltz, the program director for the National Science Foundation Astronomy Division, said. “It’s like having a Swiss Army Knife to study the sun.”
By Emma Fiala | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


wakingtimes--2020-02-03--Unlocking the Secrets of Fascial Tissue May Be the Next Frontier in Natural Health

There are some parts of human anatomy which have inexplicably powerful impacts health and wellness , including our spiritual and emotional well-being .
For example , researchers continue to try to understand the role that the muscle of the soul ( psoas ) , or the seat of the soul ( pineal gland ) have , but did you know there is a mysterious tissue in your body which encases every organ , limb , and every other tissue ?
It is known as fascia , and scientists are unlocking its secrets to discover that healthy fascia has an extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can actually prevent or help us to recover from virtually any disease .
Fascia is a thin three-layered tissue that modifies its form under various conditions to aid the body in maintaining healthy movement and a healthy flow of bodily fluids , however , in addition to muscle ailments , fascia has a profound impact on gastrointestinal health , the lymphatic system , and even on the body ’ s resilience against cancer .
Some researchers are even looking at fascia as the key to unlocking Parkinson ’ s disease .
Scientists are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be influential to so many physical ailments , we currently don ’ t know much about it , and due to its omnipresence throughout the body , researchers are having a hard time identifying its specific functions or even accurately labeling where it is or isn ’ t in the body .
Despite such uncertainty , fascia is becoming one of the most important scientific areas of study in the medical community .
A 2016 research paper , authored by Antonio Stecco , also found that temperature regulation , cramps , proprioception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may all be linked to different layers of fascia within the body .
The following video offers a close look at the elasticity of this web of connective tissue : Neil Roach , a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University , believes that fascia evolved to aid bipedal movement as humans began to walk upright .
Iliotibial ( IT ) fascia occurs around the side of the leg exclusively in humans as evidence of the concept .
Fascia exists all throughout the body , however , and “ holds muscles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t jostle around , ” claims Roach .
Fascia in most areas of the body can be trained to become more elastic , helping organs and tissue function better , although , in some areas stiff fascia might be more beneficial .
Superficial fascia is closest to the outer skin and has been described as “ thin and almost translucent , ” like “ white paper.
” Deep fascia is found deeper in muscular tissue , and an even deeper layer of fascia forms a casing around internal organs .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , and the layers often intersect and meet each other in a kind of “ 3D matrix ” of tissue .
Due to its depth and complexity within the body , specific disciplines of body work have proven to be exceptionally beneficial , including myofascial massage , and practices like structural integration , which is well-known to help patients improve balance , range of motion , and reduce instances of eye spasms in individuals with muscular dystonia .
There is a growing theory that healthy fascial tissue can also have positive impacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas Findley , who is a professor of physical medicine at Rutgers Cancer Institute , conducted a 2018 study which shows that stretching serves to reduce tumor growth in mice with breast cancer .
As noted by professor Grinnell , this area of study is one of the leading frontiers in modern medicine , as it holds great promise for people looking to heal themselves without relying on the medical establishment and resorting to expensive drugs or risky medical procedures like surgery .
The following video offers an interesting look at this incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times .
If you would like to see more of his work , you can visit his website , or follow him on the free speech social network Minds .
This article ( Unlocking the Secrets of Fascial Tissue May Be the Next Frontier in Natural Health ) as originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Phillip Schneider and WakingTimes.com .
It may be re-posted freely with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this copyright statement .
Like Waking Times on Facebook .
Follow Waking Times on Twitter .

Unlocking the Secrets of Fascial Tissue May Be the Next Frontier in Natural Health
Phillip Schneider, Staff Writer
Waking Times
There are some parts of human anatomy which have inexplicably powerful impacts health and wellness, including our spiritual and emotional well-being. For example, researchers continue to try to understand the role that the muscle of the soul (psoas), or the seat of the soul (pineal gland) have, but did you know there is a mysterious tissue in your body which encases every organ, limb, and every other tissue?
It is known as fascia, and scientists are unlocking its secrets to discover that healthy fascia has an extraordinary and disproportionate effect on wellness, and can actually prevent or help us to recover from virtually any disease.
“Fascia is what holds us together. There are very few diseases that don’t have a fascia component” – Frederick Grinnell, Professor of Cell Biology at UT Southwestern Medical School
Fascia is a thin three-layered tissue that modifies its form under various conditions to aid the body in maintaining healthy movement and a healthy flow of bodily fluids, however, in addition to muscle ailments, fascia has a profound impact on gastrointestinal health, the lymphatic system, and even on the body’s resilience against cancer. Some researchers are even looking at fascia as the key to unlocking Parkinson’s disease.
Scientists are mystified by fascia because although it appears to be influential to so many physical ailments, we currently don’t know much about it, and due to its omnipresence throughout the body, researchers are having a hard time identifying its specific functions or even accurately labeling where it is or isn’t in the body.
“Each organ, each muscle, each artery, each vein, each nerve — there is not one single structure in the whole body that is not connected with fascia or not enveloped by fascia.” – Andreas Haas, Founder of the Manus Training Center, Austria
Despite such uncertainty, fascia is becoming one of the most important scientific areas of study in the medical community. A 2016 research paper, authored by Antonio Stecco, also found that temperature regulation, cramps, proprioception or spatial awareness, and lymphatic swelling may all be linked to different layers of fascia within the body.
The following video offers a close look at the elasticity of this web of connective tissue:
Neil Roach, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, believes that fascia evolved to aid bipedal movement as humans began to walk upright. Iliotibial (IT) fascia occurs around the side of the leg exclusively in humans as evidence of the concept.
Fascia exists all throughout the body, however, and “holds muscles and organs in place to make sure they don’t jostle around,” claims Roach. Fascia in most areas of the body can be trained to become more elastic, helping organs and tissue function better, although, in some areas stiff fascia might be more beneficial.
Superficial fascia is closest to the outer skin and has been described as “thin and almost translucent,” like “white paper.” Deep fascia is found deeper in muscular tissue, and an even deeper layer of fascia forms a casing around internal organs. Every layer of fascia is not distinct, however, and the layers often intersect and meet each other in a kind of “3D matrix” of tissue.
Due to its depth and complexity within the body, specific disciplines of body work have proven to be exceptionally beneficial, including myofascial massage, and practices like structural integration, which is well-known to help patients improve balance, range of motion, and reduce instances of eye spasms in individuals with muscular dystonia.
There is a growing theory that healthy fascial tissue can also have positive impacts on cancer treatments. Prostate cancer patient Thomas Findley, who is a professor of physical medicine at Rutgers Cancer Institute, conducted a 2018 study which shows that stretching serves to reduce tumor growth in mice with breast cancer.
As noted by professor Grinnell, this area of study is one of the leading frontiers in modern medicine, as it holds great promise for people looking to heal themselves without relying on the medical establishment and resorting to expensive drugs or risky medical procedures like surgery.
“I think that understanding about the science of fascia is really important for people who are investigating different ways of being healthy other than surgery or drugs.” – Frederick Grinnell
The following video offers an interesting look at this incredible part of the body:
Read more articles by Phillip Schneider.
About the Author
Phillip Schneider is a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times. If you would like to see more of his work, you can visit his website, or follow him on the free speech social network Minds.
This article (Unlocking the Secrets of Fascial Tissue May Be the Next Frontier in Natural Health) as originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Phillip Schneider and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.


A Metaphysical Malaise?

There is little doubt that we are living in an age of extreme contradictions where opposing trends appear to exist side by side .
It is a time when individuals take greater care of their bodies and are obsessed by diet and health fads , while obesity is an epidemic .
We live amidst a paradoxical combination of playfulness and fear , of fun and anxiety , of euphoria and unease .
It has been said that ‘ When a materialistic civilization becomes outwardly impressive but remains inwardly impoverished , when political relations become an elaborate façade for hiding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems are sure to appear on every side.
’ 1 This quote adequately describes our current situation and yet the author , Paul Brunton , published this in 1952 .
However , it remains as starkly correct in its analysis for today as it was for his own time .
The current situation is that ‘ menacing problems ’ are indeed appearing on every side : political corruption and ineptitude ; economic manipulations ; national aggression and politically-motivated warfare ; refugee crises ; human torture and suffering ; capitalist greed ; corporate corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moral intolerance ; increased displays of psychopathic behaviour ( private individuals and authority figures ) ; blatant propaganda ; environmental degradation ; ecological ignorance ; spiritual destitution , and the rest .
The result is that many people have become ‘ spiritually numbed ’ by what they see occurring in the world , and feel that only a similar harsh , physical response can be effective .
The words ‘ mystical ’ and ‘ spiritual ’ remain vague and ethereal .
People have always depended on language to bring guidance and nourishment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are but skeletal traces of the real flesh .
The crisis of our times has clarified little and succeeds in confusing almost everything for the rest of us .
There is nowhere to turn in public for finding the truth – seemingly little to believe in for the present and too much uncertainty for the future .
The result of this is that many people have doubts that they don ’ t know how to deal with , and these are building up within their minds like a pathological infection .
In these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a feeling , of something lacking or missing within many people ’ s lives .
Unfortunately , this need has been met by the consumerist marketplace .
There is a great deal of compensation for this lack through ‘ quick fix ’ guruism ; that is , costly paid retreats , so-called spiritual counselling , and ‘ life coaching ’ mentorship .
Yet these are like fast-food remedies for a deeper hunger .
The real struggle today is rather between the material perspective on life and that of the inner , developmental state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world are manifestations of issues existing within ourselves .
The anger and negativity we see so much of in the world is a projection from the collective interior state of humanity .
We can manifest both the dream or the nightmare , and we share in its waking state .
Being physically mature is not enough ; we also need to be emotionally , intellectually , and inwardly mature .
Our cultures and societies are in disequilibrium because they seek to be governed by artificial laws that ignore the timeless wisdom that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dominant mentality that promotes a short-sighted , myopic worldview that is largely concerned only with physical gains and material power .
It is a mentality that promotes fear , defence and attack – rather than a welcoming , embracing vision .
Our societies do not consider human purpose and the deeper meaning of human existence .
They drive us to live by working ; to enjoy through distractions ; and to eventually die with debt and taxes .
The world is governed not by fairness or equity , but by a lopsided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace are based on compromise and not compassion .
Trade is based on strength rather than collaboration .
Power and politics are at war with the world and do so beyond the reach of accountability .
There is a resurgence of the illegitimate , surging through black markets , offshores , and dark networks .
Dark pathways will always emerge and grow in the places where the light is flickering without focus or intent .
Today ’ s so-called modern cultures are increasingly fragmented , or like liquid streams , that can no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old signs , symbols , and meanings .
Modern life has , to some degree , started to dissolve in order to re-assemble .
This may indeed be a part of the needed cathartic process that humanity has to pass through before circumstances will improve .
A feature of the current times is that new ways of thinking and behaviour have not yet fully materialized into the present order of things .
That which now constitutes ‘ daily life ’ is void of the questions of metaphysical meaning .
Any notion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is deemed outside of daily life , and people are continually programmed against such deeper truths .
In other words , we should not let anything that is ‘ other ’ – otherworldly or transcendental – replace the responsibility of our social daily grind .
Human societies often make political declarations to promote what they decide to be ‘ social happiness.
’ Yet political institutions have no genuine models for this , for the dominant political mindset is overruled by a form of psychosis .
Social ‘ happiness ’ is whatever fits into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age .
And as can be seen , this dominant belief , or narrative , has been hijacked by a collective psychosis that I have termed the wounded mind .
It appears that as a collective society we have no lasting image of happiness .
As a consequence , personal lives are in danger of becoming now less about actual experience and more about the data trails left behind .
We have entered another struggle – another social fray – where the battle is between the transparency of our private , inner lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are being encouraged to expose their inner demons onto the public stage , especially online .
The human shadow is wanting to come out and be revealed .
According to Jung , the psychological ‘ shadow ’ is the underdeveloped and undesirable aspects of ourselves that we try to keep hidden away .
And yet there are times when we are unable to hold it at bay , or unconsciously wish for it to manifest .
Humanity possesses a tremendous imagination for doing good as well as evil , and this can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the aphorism states , the road to hell is paved with good intentions .
Each person needs to exercise the capacity to detect and acknowledge those unconscious desires , feelings , and thoughts that exist within .
American psychologist Rollo May once wrote – ‘ Our age is one of transition , in which the normal channels for utilizing the daemonic are denied ; and such ages tend to be times when the daemonic is expressed in its most destructive form ’ 2 In short , we need to be extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s inside of us .
Our minds – our thinking and consciousness – is a target and has been for a long time .
In the last century this has become more evident , more public .
We have become increasingly stuck in modern times within our stories around psychological need and a ‘ loss of self.
’ Perhaps what is needed is to acknowledge that some people are suffering from what is termed as ‘ soul loss.
’ People who experience ‘ soul loss ’ frequently have the feeling of being fragmented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ themselves .
They feel as if an essential part of them is missing .
They may clinically be diagnosed as ‘ dissociated.
’ Depression is another symptom of soul loss .
Soul loss can be associated with the traumas of modern life – fear , terror ( warfare ) , incest or rape , domestic abuse .
These are all the external stresses that modern life creates .
Counselor and educator John Bradshaw uses the term toxic shame which he sees as a form of alienation from the self , causing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people may turn to external sources to fill this internal void .
Carl Jung also made a reference to soul loss in his psychological work .
According to psychotherapist Robert Francis Johnson , It is interesting that Johnson refers to ‘ wounded leaders ’ here who seek our compliance through the language of greed ( ‘ economic answers ’ ) .
Similarly , prominent Jungian analyst Marie von Franz writes that Is this not a description of what faces many people today ?
Apathy , listlessness , a feeling of a pointless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a toxic social problem , and we are clearly in need of a metaphysical response .
Where is the Metaphysical ?
Any society or civilization that does not recognize the human as a developmental being will fall short in its accomplishments .
We simply can not allow ourselves to fall short – not in the long run , at least .
Yet recognition of the human as a developmental being will not come from the world first ; and definitely not from social-cultural-political institutions .
It will first only come from the individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genuine change must be nurtured .
Now is a crucial time for managing our psychological , emotional , and physical states .
We may be uncertain about the future , yet we have the technologies to radically transform our age into something unprecedented .
We have both external technologies as well as what may be called ‘ technologies of the soul.
’ What we are , we transmit to others .
We are compelled not only to be mindful , but crucially to be both sensible and soul-ful .
On a practical level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world who have been awoken by the current crises to seek greater inner development is not in the majority .
It can be said that at present there exists a metaphysical malaise .
Those people who aspire for inner self-development are still all too few .
However , a majority was never needed .
There is enough .
Humanity is now engaged in a profound moment along its species path .
Whether it is recognized or not , we are each living and participating in a reality that exists upon profound metaphysical principles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We can choose to participate in this metaphysical reality , consciously and willingly , or to drift through our lives unbeknown to the forces that impel us .
Right now , it is about recognizing this choice , and whether to act upon it .
It will not be easy , for all the obstacles that the psychosis-ridden governing systems will throw at us .
And yet it must be a force of unwavering inner commitment and genuine self-trust .
Each person must choose their freedom from within .
The real site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inner self – and it is to this we must place our trust .
Kingsley L. Dennis is the author of Bardo Times : hyperreality , high-velocity , simulation , automation , mutation – a hoax ?
, The Phoenix Generation : A New Era of Connection , Compassion , and Consciousness , and The Sacred Revival : Magic , Mind & Meaning in a Technological Age , available at Amazon .
Visit him on the web at http : //www.kingsleydennis.com/ .
Like Waking Times on Facebook .
Follow Waking Times on Twitter @

A Metaphysical Malaise?
Kingsley L. Dennis, Contributor
Waking Times
‘The real tragedy of our time lies not so much in the unprecedented external events themselves as in the unprecedented ethical destitution and spiritual infirmity which they glaringly reveal.’ Paul Brunton
There is little doubt that we are living in an age of extreme contradictions where opposing trends appear to exist side by side. It is a time when individuals take greater care of their bodies and are obsessed by diet and health fads, while obesity is an epidemic. We live amidst a paradoxical combination of playfulness and fear, of fun and anxiety, of euphoria and unease. It has been said that ‘When a materialistic civilization becomes outwardly impressive but remains inwardly impoverished, when political relations become an elaborate façade for hiding the spiritually empty rooms behind them, menacing problems are sure to appear on every side.’1 This quote adequately describes our current situation and yet the author, Paul Brunton, published this in 1952. However, it remains as starkly correct in its analysis for today as it was for his own time.
The current situation is that ‘menacing problems’ are indeed appearing on every side: political corruption and ineptitude; economic manipulations; national aggression and politically-motivated warfare; refugee crises; human torture and suffering; capitalist greed; corporate corruption; aggravated social unrest; religious and moral intolerance; increased displays of psychopathic behaviour (private individuals and authority figures); blatant propaganda; environmental degradation; ecological ignorance; spiritual destitution, and the rest.
The result is that many people have become ‘spiritually numbed’ by what they see occurring in the world, and feel that only a similar harsh, physical response can be effective. The words ‘mystical’ and ‘spiritual’ remain vague and ethereal. People have always depended on language to bring guidance and nourishment. Yet in this mental environment, words are but skeletal traces of the real flesh. The crisis of our times has clarified little and succeeds in confusing almost everything for the rest of us. There is nowhere to turn in public for finding the truth – seemingly little to believe in for the present and too much uncertainty for the future. The result of this is that many people have doubts that they don’t know how to deal with, and these are building up within their minds like a pathological infection.
An Absence of Meaning
In these current times there is a sense, a feeling, of something lacking or missing within many people’s lives. Unfortunately, this need has been met by the consumerist marketplace. There is a great deal of compensation for this lack through ‘quick fix’ guruism; that is, costly paid retreats, so-called spiritual counselling, and ‘life coaching’ mentorship. Yet these are like fast-food remedies for a deeper hunger. The real struggle today is rather between the material perspective on life and that of the inner, developmental state. Many of the events occurring in the world are manifestations of issues existing within ourselves. The anger and negativity we see so much of in the world is a projection from the collective interior state of humanity. We can manifest both the dream or the nightmare, and we share in its waking state. Being physically mature is not enough; we also need to be emotionally, intellectually, and inwardly mature.
Our cultures and societies are in disequilibrium because they seek to be governed by artificial laws that ignore the timeless wisdom that corresponds to human development. It is a dominant mentality that promotes a short-sighted, myopic worldview that is largely concerned only with physical gains and material power. It is a mentality that promotes fear, defence and attack – rather than a welcoming, embracing vision.
Our societies do not consider human purpose and the deeper meaning of human existence. They drive us to live by working; to enjoy through distractions; and to eventually die with debt and taxes. The world is governed not by fairness or equity, but by a lopsided arrangement of elite power. Conferences of peace are based on compromise and not compassion. Trade is based on strength rather than collaboration. Power and politics are at war with the world and do so beyond the reach of accountability. There is a resurgence of the illegitimate, surging through black markets, offshores, and dark networks. Dark pathways will always emerge and grow in the places where the light is flickering without focus or intent.
Today’s so-called modern cultures are increasingly fragmented, or like liquid streams, that can no longer be accurately identified or navigated by the old signs, symbols, and meanings. Modern life has, to some degree, started to dissolve in order to re-assemble. This may indeed be a part of the needed cathartic process that humanity has to pass through before circumstances will improve. A feature of the current times is that new ways of thinking and behaviour have not yet fully materialized into the present order of things. That which now constitutes ‘daily life’ is void of the questions of metaphysical meaning. Any notion of the developmental, or the metaphysical, is deemed outside of daily life, and people are continually programmed against such deeper truths. In other words, we should not let anything that is ‘other’ – otherworldly or transcendental – replace the responsibility of our social daily grind.
Human societies often make political declarations to promote what they decide to be ‘social happiness.’ Yet political institutions have no genuine models for this, for the dominant political mindset is overruled by a form of psychosis. Social ‘happiness’ is whatever fits into the particular dominant belief system of the age. And as can be seen, this dominant belief, or narrative, has been hijacked by a collective psychosis that I have termed the wounded mind. It appears that as a collective society we have no lasting image of happiness. As a consequence, personal lives are in danger of becoming now less about actual experience and more about the data trails left behind. We have entered another struggle – another social fray – where the battle is between the transparency of our private, inner lives and our public identity.
Identity & Self
These days people are being encouraged to expose their inner demons onto the public stage, especially online. The human shadow is wanting to come out and be revealed. According to Jung, the psychological ‘shadow’ is the underdeveloped and undesirable aspects of ourselves that we try to keep hidden away. And yet there are times when we are unable to hold it at bay, or unconsciously wish for it to manifest. Humanity possesses a tremendous imagination for doing good as well as evil, and this can be a finer line than is realized. As the aphorism states, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Each person needs to exercise the capacity to detect and acknowledge those unconscious desires, feelings, and thoughts that exist within. American psychologist Rollo May once wrote – ‘Our age is one of transition, in which the normal channels for utilizing the daemonic are denied; and such ages tend to be times when the daemonic is expressed in its most destructive form’2
In short, we need to be extremely mindful in these times about what’s inside of us. Our minds – our thinking and consciousness – is a target and has been for a long time. In the last century this has become more evident, more public. We have become increasingly stuck in modern times within our stories around psychological need and a ‘loss of self.’ Perhaps what is needed is to acknowledge that some people are suffering from what is termed as ‘soul loss.’
People who experience ‘soul loss’ frequently have the feeling of being fragmented, not whole or completely ‘in’ themselves. They feel as if an essential part of them is missing. They may clinically be diagnosed as ‘dissociated.’ Depression is another symptom of soul loss. Soul loss can be associated with the traumas of modern life – fear, terror (warfare), incest or rape, domestic abuse. These are all the external stresses that modern life creates. Counselor and educator John Bradshaw uses the term toxic shame which he sees as a form of alienation from the self, causing it to be ‘otherated.’ In response, people may turn to external sources to fill this internal void.
Carl Jung also made a reference to soul loss in his psychological work. According to psychotherapist Robert Francis Johnson,
‘This loss of soul Jung speaks of is manifested in our culture by the crises we are all facing (increased drug use, violence, moral and emotional numbness) and our attempt to solve moral and spiritual questions by electing wounded leaders who promise economic answers.’3
It is interesting that Johnson refers to ‘wounded leaders’ here who seek our compliance through the language of greed (‘economic answers’). Similarly, prominent Jungian analyst Marie von Franz writes that
‘Soul loss can be observed today as a psychological phenomenon in the everyday lives of the human beings around us. Loss of soul appears in the form of a sudden onset of apathy and listlessness; the joy has gone out of life, initiative is crippled, one feels empty, everything seems pointless.’4
Is this not a description of what faces many people today? Apathy, listlessness, a feeling of a pointless, joyless life? There is clearly a toxic social problem, and we are clearly in need of a metaphysical response.
Where is the Metaphysical?
Any society or civilization that does not recognize the human as a developmental being will fall short in its accomplishments. We simply cannot allow ourselves to fall short – not in the long run, at least. Yet recognition of the human as a developmental being will not come from the world first; and definitely not from social-cultural-political institutions. It will first only come from the individual. And it is from here that genuine change must be nurtured. Now is a crucial time for managing our psychological, emotional, and physical states. We may be uncertain about the future, yet we have the technologies to radically transform our age into something unprecedented. We have both external technologies as well as what may be called ‘technologies of the soul.’ What we are, we transmit to others. We are compelled not only to be mindful, but crucially to be both sensible and soul-ful.
On a practical level, the number of people around the world who have been awoken by the current crises to seek greater inner development is not in the majority. It can be said that at present there exists a metaphysical malaise. Those people who aspire for inner self-development are still all too few. However, a majority was never needed. There is enough.
Humanity is now engaged in a profound moment along its species path. Whether it is recognized or not, we are each living and participating in a reality that exists upon profound metaphysical principles. That’s the bottom line. We can choose to participate in this metaphysical reality, consciously and willingly, or to drift through our lives unbeknown to the forces that impel us. Right now, it is about recognizing this choice, and whether to act upon it. It will not be easy, for all the obstacles that the psychosis-ridden governing systems will throw at us. And yet it must be a force of unwavering inner commitment and genuine self-trust. Each person must choose their freedom from within. The real site of freedom can only be within the inner self – and it is to this we must place our trust.
About the Author
Kingsley L. Dennis is the author of Bardo Times: hyperreality, high-velocity, simulation, automation, mutation – a hoax?, The Phoenix Generation: A New Era of Connection, Compassion, and Consciousness, and The Sacred Revival: Magic, Mind & Meaning in a Technological Age, available at Amazon. Visit him on the web at http://www.kingsleydennis.com/.


wakingtimes--2020-02-03--Watch: News Anchor Shows Americans Real Size of Wealth Gap—Using American Pie

A four minute video that aired on CBS Friday morning was praised for using slices of real pie to show @ @ @ @ @ the U.S.—surprising passers-by who joined anchor Tony Dokoupil at a table set up at a @ @ @ @ @ New York .
In the video , Dokoupil asks passers-by to divvy a pie sliced @ @ @ @ @ for quintiles of the U.S. based on income , top 20 % , next 20 @ @ @ @ @ the most cynical participant didn ’ t come close to the real amount—nine pieces for @ @ @ @ @ Americans and the bill for the lowest 20 % .
Later in the segment , @ @ @ @ @ yacht fair what they think of policies from 2020 Democratic presidential nomination hopefuls Sens .
@ @ @ @ @ and Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
that would narrow the wealth gap .
Unsurprisingly @ @ @ @ @ about the idea of a wealth tax or other redistributive policies .
The video , @ @ @ @ @ makes clear the stakes in the 2020 presidential election and beyond .

Watch: News Anchor Shows Americans Real Size of Wealth Gap—Using American Pie
Eoin Higgins, Common Dreams
Waking Times
A four minute video that aired on CBS Friday morning was praised for using slices of real pie to show the huge wealth gap in the U.S.—surprising passers-by who joined anchor Tony Dokoupil at a table set up at a mall in West Nyack, New York.
“Give this video four minutes and let’s start the revolution,” tweeted actor Matthew Lillard.
Give this video 4mins and let’s start the revolution. https://t.co/qXVFZrGDy2 — matthew lillard —Will block. 0-F’s-given (@MatthewLillard) February 1, 2020
In the video, Dokoupil asks passers-by to divvy a pie sliced into ten pieces onto plates for quintiles of the U.S. based on income, top 20%, next 20%, etc.
Even the most cynical participant didn’t come close to the real amount—nine pieces for the top 20% of Americans and the bill for the lowest 20%.
“This is a really clever way to make data accessible!” said Washington Post video journalist Sarah Parnass.
Later in the segment, Dokoupil asks people at a yacht fair what they think of policies from 2020 Democratic presidential nomination hopefuls Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that would narrow the wealth gap.
Unsurprisingly, yacht owners were unenthusiastic about the idea of a wealth tax or other redistributive policies.
“It would be a total disaster,” private equity manager John Sheffield told Dokoupil.
The video, said journalist Justin Kanew, makes clear the stakes in the 2020 presidential election and beyond.
“You’re either with the yacht guys, or the people,” said Kanew.
Watch the full report:
By Eoin Higgins | CommonDreams.org | Common Dreams


wakingtimes--2020-02-03--Ozzy Osbourne Appears in New Ad to Discourage Cat Declawing

Classic rock icon Ozzy Osbourne is featured in a new PETA advertisement urging people to not declaw their cats and suggesting that the procedure is like a partial amputation .
Ozzy actually nearly lost parts of his fingers during a 2018 battle with a staph infection .
In a statement announcing the campaign , Ozzy said : “ Amputating a cat ’ s toes is twisted and wrong .
If your couch is more important to you than your cat ’ s health and happiness , you don ’ t deserve to have an animal !
Get cats a scratching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Recently , the rock star revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson ’ s disease after the fall he suffered last year .
However , Ozzy still hopes to be able to embark on a tour next year and is planning to release his first solo LP in 10 years , titled Ordinary Man , on February 21 .
The American Association of Feline Practitioners ( AAFP ) has issued statements in recent years discouraging cat owners from declawing their pets , but many activists feel that the organization ’ s recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , groups like PETA have suggested that the practice should be banned completely and considered an act of animal cruelty .

Ozzy Osbourne Appears in New Ad to Discourage Cat Declawing
John Vibes, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
Classic rock icon Ozzy Osbourne is featured in a new PETA advertisement urging people to not declaw their cats and suggesting that the procedure is like a partial amputation.
In the advertisement, Ozzy is depicted with his fingers cut off along with a tagline that reads, “Never Declaw a Cat. It’s an Amputation, Not a Manicure.”
A statement from PETA explained:
“When cats are declawed, their claws and part of their toes are amputated. Veterinarians equate declawing with cutting off the last bone in a human’s finger, often causing nerve damage, infection, and immense pain.”
Ozzy actually nearly lost parts of his fingers during a 2018 battle with a staph infection.
In a statement announcing the campaign, Ozzy said:
“Amputating a cat’s toes is twisted and wrong. If your couch is more important to you than your cat’s health and happiness, you don’t deserve to have an animal! Get cats a scratching post—don’t mutilate them for life.”
Recently, the rock star revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after the fall he suffered last year. However, Ozzy still hopes to be able to embark on a tour next year and is planning to release his first solo LP in 10 years, titled Ordinary Man, on February 21.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has issued statements in recent years discouraging cat owners from declawing their pets, but many activists feel that the organization’s recommendations don’t go far enough.
Meanwhile, groups like PETA have suggested that the practice should be banned completely and considered an act of animal cruelty.
By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com