Robber fly - Nature photographer Thomas Shahan specializes in amazing portraits of tiny insects. It isn't easy. Shahan says that this Robber Fly (Holcocephala fusca), for instance, is "skittish" and doesn't like its picture taken.

Eye-popping bug photos

Nature by Numbers (Video)

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -
"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)


“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

(Live Kryon Channelings was given 7 times within the United Nations building.)

"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)

"Recalibration of Free Choice"– Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth, 4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical) 8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“… 4 - Energy (again)


The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”



"Fast-Tracking" - Feb 8, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Reference to Fukushima / H-bomb nuclear pollution and a warning about nuclear > 20 Min)

Obama unveils landmark regulations to combat climate change

Obama unveils landmark regulations to combat climate change
In a bid to combat climate change, US President Barack Obama announced the Clean Power Plan on Monday, marking the first time power plants have been targeted by mandatory regulations on carbon dioxide emissions in the US.
Google: Earthday 2013

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Biofuels policy change strands EU farmers

Deutsche Welle, 10 October 2012



After the European Union's recent change of policy on biofuels, many farmers see their livelihood's threatened. In Austria, some farmers are now looking at alternative ways to produce biofuels without using food crops.

A field of maize folds under the blades of a harvester on a farm in Lower Austria. Some of this crop is destined for our fuel tanks as ethanol. Johannes Danner drives the machine but if the new European Commission plan is adopted there'll be no subsidies and, perhaps, no demand for his golden corn.

The reason: the European Commission is changing its policy on crop-based biofuels. It's dropping its ten percent target for ethanol content in automotive fuels and it will end subsidies for crop based biofuels in 2020. 

It seems that the change of policy has come about due to rising public criticism of the biofuels programme in Europe. Critics argue that the industry is responsible for rising food prices as agricultural land is turned over to fuel production. And they doubt the emission reducing benefits of crop-based fuels. The decision is a blow to a rapidly growing European biofuels industry.

"We are in an area here where there is always excess production and not everything is needed for the food industry," explains Johannes Danner, who has worked on his family's farm for years.

Food vs Fuel

Fuel from Johannes' farm winds up at fuel stations from Agrana. The company has built a new 150 million euro plant largely on the expectation that demand for biofuel made from maize, wheat and other food crops will continue to grow. Agrana boss Johann Marihart is disappointed by the EU's change of heart.

"The targets to achieve 10% by 2020 were not so ambitious. They're achievable via European excess production," Marihart told DW. He adds that it is a mistake for longterm targets to be ignored as a result of political pressure.

Germany moved ethanol levels in petrol up to 10% just last year

But as land that was once used for cultivation of edible crops is turned over to crops for biofuel, concerns about food supplies have grown. Jean Ziegler, a former UN Special Rapporteur on food, argues that while biofuels, in terms of energy efficiency and climate change, are legitimate, the effects on the world's hungry are catastrophic.

Innovative technology

The EU is pinning its hopes on what are known as second generation biofuel technologies - fuels that are made from biological waste. BDI- BioEnergy International is a company based near Graz that has worked hard on the technology for turning wood and plant waste into diesel.

"We are putting the wood together with the side product of the mineral oil industry and converting them into diesel," explains Edgar Ahn who is responsible for research and development at the company. "The end product is diesel with 20% coming from biomass." 

Biofuels from waste products is
a growing industry across Europe
The new European policy will need approval by member states. But the draft legislation shows it will promote greater production of what it calls 'advanced biofuels' by shifting subsidies away from food crop fuels to residue and waste fuels. Instead of taking edible crops from the field, forest thinnings and crop stubble will be used. It's what environmentalists and aid agencies have been calling for for years. But Jirrien Westerhof, energy expert at Greenpeace Austria, says it would be wrong to put too much faith in this new generation of biofuels.

"It simplifies it if you say that first generation is bad because it is competing with food and second generation is good because it is not competing with food," Westerhof says. "That is ignoring the fact that you take something out of the ecosystem which has an important role."
While these trimmings may not be useful for humans, Westerhof points out that they still play a role in the ecosystem.

Farmers forgotten

As Europe heads towards a different plan on biofuels, some farmers understandably feel forgotten in the whole process. Support for the farmers suprisingly comes from Greenpeace's Jirrien Westerhof. He says blaming biofuel crops for taking food from people's mouths is too simplistic and that the problem of food shortages is a global one, and complex.

Farmers may have to be satisfied with just selling post-harvest offcuts
to fuel manufacturers

"You can also argue that food prices that are too low cause hunger because low food prices can lead to a situation where farmers stop farming because they do not earn any money with it and they move to the cities," says Westerhof.

For now in Johannes Danner's field, the mechanical harvester continues to stir up dust and cut down the golden grain for use in Europe's petrol pumps. It's farming built on the promise of subsidies and EU targets. When those are removed, Danner can only hope that the residue from his crop, rather than the golden grain, is really in demand as a second generation biofuel.

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