Let's Talk Story - Down to Earth Blog

When I first read a description of the symptoms of Morgellons Disease, it sounded too bizarre to be true. People describe itching, burning and the sensation of bugs crawling underneath their skin. Lesions develop that never heal, and parasites crawl out from open sores. Fibers of unknown origin and various colors appear beneath the skin and sometimes protrude, causing sharp pains. Could this be real? People suffering from Morgellons report that they are frequently diagnosed as delusional and prescribed antidepressant or antipsychotic medication.

Over the last month, while the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign was in full swing, some have questioned the effectiveness of what they call “pink washing,” or slapping everything from lipstick to a Ford Mustang with a pink ribbon and selling it in the name of breast cancer advocacy.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so I thought I'd share some great tips for breast cancer prevention from an article by Dr. Alan Gaby.

Jeffrey Smith, whose work we’ve been featuring for the past week, has posted a petition at the website of the Institute for Responsible Technology that I urge you to read and sign here. Instead of being addressed to a government agency, as many petitions are, this one is addressed to members of the food service industry.

Every human being has an innate desire to know the truth, and we use different methods to seek out truth at different times. Sometimes we seek it through prayer or intuition, other times through hearing from authorities and other times through our own observation. Truth is not just a philosophical concept. Sometimes it comes down to one of the most basic questions of human life: “Will this food kill me or not?

Down to Earth had a booth at the World Peace Festival, which took place last Saturday, October 2nd, on Moku Ola on the Big Island. Moku Ola, which means “Island of Life,” is better known as Coconut Island. However, Desiree Cruz, cousin of presenter Ernie Cruz Sr. and the MC of the event, noted that people were making an effort to refer to it by it’s traditional name, which keeps alive the knowledge that the island is a place of refuge and of healing.

October is Non-GMO Month at Down to Earth, and in addition to our sale on Sunday 10.10.10, we’ll be featuring a series of posts on the work and writing of Jeffrey Smith, director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and one of the world’s leading experts on the risks of GM technology.

Comedian Stephen Colbert made news when he testified last Friday before a Congressional subcommittee in support of migrant farm workers rights. Some representatives took issue with his choice to appear in character as the blustering conservative commentator he plays on his Comedy Central show The Colbert Report, but it was also noted that his appearance gave the hearing much more exposure than it would have had otherwise.

Mark your calendars; Saturday, September 25^th through October 2^nd is Eat Local Week! Kanu Hawaii is organizing a grassroots effort to educate the community about the benefits of eating locally grown food. Kanu Hawaii was started by a group of forty young people who wanted to make change in their communities. It now has over 12,000 members on the islands who commit "to protect and promote island living - a connection to the 'aina, a culture of aloha, and local economic self reliance."

Since attending the Hawaii Island School Garden conference in July, I’ve had education on the brain. I wrote about the value of school gardens, and the need to help children see the connection between their education and their daily life. Since I’ve been reading more about school gardens and real world learning, I’ve encountered mostly positive reports.