In the current ambiguous and dangerous financial climate the term Transition Towns is seen as a sensible, intelligent alternative to the status quo, which in many ways is observed as keeping ones head down, doing nothing, and hoping that things will somehow get better.
The main cooperative pillars of the Transition Town movement include Permaculture organic gardens and Living Economies which are new community currencies such as green dollars and time banking.
Intrinsic to this is sustainability, the key theme, bringing out local resilience and initiatives to create community gardens, and cooperative ways to educate and do business.
With its introduction to NZ in 2007 it has rapidly grown to over 43 groups, being either small towns, boroughs, suburbs or neighbourhoods. Whilst around the globe, they are now established in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States to Italy and Chile.
From Waiheke Island I have James Samuel of www.yesterdaysfuture.net, who has been at the forefront of bringing Transition Towns to NZ and in Auckland, Finn Mackesy who is an educator, change agent atwww.TransitionAotearoa.org.nz
For those who want to involve yourself in transition towns, please see www.transitiontowns.org.nz; orwww.TransitionAotearoa.org.nz & www.le.org.nz
This is where you can obtain a template to work with.
I encourage you to send these links to all your friends wherever they may be, as well as listen to this particular broadcast on www.planetaudio.org.nz or www.holisticliving.co.nz
Udo Erasmus, Ph.D. Nutrition, MA Psychology, is one of North America's foremost authorities on the roles that fats and oils play in human health. He is often referred to as The Father of Organic, Unrefined Flax Oil.
His work with essential fatty acids spans three decades and provided the groundwork for all the current public and industry awareness focused on the importance of Essential Fatty Acids or Omega- fats. Lack of essential fatty acids (EFAs) constitutes the most neglected aspect of a nutritional program for healthy, radiant skin.
As always, avoid "white foods" and foods rendered toxic by processing or overheating!
* "Low fat is healthier"
* "Fatty foods clog your arteries"
* "Use margarine instead of butter"
* "Cut out oil to lose weight"
This is incorrect says North America's leading expert on fats and oils.
According to Udo Erasmus, author of "Fats that Heal Fats that Kill", these so-called "sensible dietary maxims" come not from the science of nutrition, but from the high-paid advertising executives in New York’s Madison Avenue in Madison Avenue's "war on fat" that is being waged to improve corporate profits, not health.
"The giant food makers know that low-fat foods have much longer shelf-lives than fatty foods", says Erasmus. "So they've hired high-powered advertisers to create "fat-phobia" in the minds of consumers - and they've succeeded."
According to Udo Erasmus, studies have proven that low-fat diets do not improve health. One recent study proved that people who switched from butter to margarine had twice as many heart attacks. "Fresh fats and oils are essential parts of a healthy diet," he says. "They should never be damaged or removed."
What has happened is that the "War on Fat" has stripped America's food supply of vital nutrients called "essential fatty acids -- triggering a variety of degenerative diseases including heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes .... Children's health is another casualty in the "war on fat". Children raised on diets without essential fatty acids are more likely to be sick - and they frequently manifest behavioural problems and learning disabilities."
www.rightfatdiet.com
How does the human species deal with all the psychological stresses of life and the emotional challenges that seem to be so predominant in our increasingly frenzied, financially dominated world?
The need to be healthy, whole and well resourced, with cohesive family and community ties, having inner balance at the core of our being, is an imperative.
Delaine’s training in re-evaluation counselling has prepared her for identifying patterns of behaviour which people often mistake for personality, and which are the culprits behind most depressions, addictions and even ways of coping with anger, grief and other emotional reactions that people can't control.
With increasing depression, anxiety disorders and suicide the need for compassion, conflict resolution, anger management and intelligent communication skills are essential to pull the strands of our family, society and ultimately our civilization into a more coherent whole.
Delaine Jones
Phone: Auckland 09 372 9082
Email: delaine (at) prophet.co.nz
Web: www.prophet.co.nz