In our not-so-natural anymore world I ask myself this question a lot: how much technology do we really need and want in our life to live better?
It is a very interesting question. Nano-technology fascinates many by binding particles like silver, with its anti-bacterial properties, with common materials presumably for our benefit. But there are also serious opponents of that technology with valid concerns about possible health dangers. As the owner of Natural Clothing Company, I come across much of different and often very interesting information, which does not have a clear cut answers.
Take for example the Chinese Hebei Metals & Minerals Corp, a producer of fiberglass insulation, mineral wool and calcium silicate insulation. These products make an organic person like me shiver… But let’s look. The company is exploring other hi-tech applications as production and sale of the anti-electromagnetic radiation fabric, anti-static fabric and apparel. Their anti radiation material was used by for astronauts.
As many holistic people confirm, there is a growing concern about the effects of electromagnetic wave (microwave) and increased by it cell temperature on human organisms. Hence the concept of anti-electromagnetic radiation fabric was born, shielding 99.99 percent of harmful electromagnetic waves.
Hebei other path of research involves two naturally occurring materials like bamboo fiber & silver, then spinning and weaving together. The result is an anti-bacterial fiber, which retains its properties with washing, sun etc. On a surface, sounds like natural product. Is it?
OK, my actual question is: can we really protect ourselves from ill effects of technology by increasing our use of the technology itself? Are we playing catch-22 with ourselves?
Hemp, bamboo, even soy have inherent anti-bacterial properties serving us, as in case of hemp for thousands of years. Well, does it protect from electromagnetic waves? Who knows… I know the vibrations of natural fibers do increase our well-being, consciously or subconsciously. When you put on natural fiber clothing, your body registers something, a vibe of goodness, a breath of relief. Maybe a solution is a “middle path”: we limit the offensive forces in environment, while we work like crazy to grow and process natural fibers organically. If we fast enough we might repair some of the damage to our earthly home and ourselves. What do you think?

Here is what Anne says: “As a yoga instructor, and customer of the natural clothing company I support the Jambange Project. We are raising funds to build a medical center at the village, and we hope to see in the future the village becoming sustainable by itself. Donating a contribution to the Jambange Project will help all the people at the village to get medical care. You can contact OmGuru for donations. Check out the Jambange website!
Well, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine does not think that soaking, spraying, waxing and injecting food with chemicals is any concern for their food study. Completing extensive review of previous studies on organic vs. conventional food they found “no evidence that organically produced foods are nutritionally superior to conventionally produced foodstuffs.” Of course the review rejected many existing studies of comparisons between organic and non-organic nutritional differences because it did not meet their criteria.
It is wonderfully easy to read, elegant prose that taught me many things that I have never heard about. I learned about the ancient 18 stories deep underground dwellings in Turkey, provided shelter through thousands years of conflicts since 700 BC. I read with interests about place close to my heart – a 600 bison preserve in my native Poland. Alan Weisman writes about hundreds of small colorful details but paints them so lightly that you don’t feel overwhelmed but opposite – intrigued. Alan weaves gently like a painted landscape of watercolors. As a reader you see different parts and eventually very slowly a bigger view reveals itself. Somewhere within the book, casually, a deeper understanding grows. It is about our role as species in regards to this planet called home. What was here before and what might be after… The nagging question starts to arise – what value did we really bring? What about all art, music, architecture? What did we really contribute here? What is the legacy we would leave? And who will be left to even theoretically benefit from our time limited presence?
Saw a huge eagle circling above the house. Like a good Momma Hen, I ran outside to protect my (remaining) chicken. I shook a stick at the Eagle yelling courageous “Shoo…”. He could care less, of course. The true majesty of his flight, seemingly without any movement, made me jealous…
A tiny town of Kamikatsu, Japan decided few years ago to limit their waste. They started with separating all household waste into 34 different categories designated for recycling. They found it cheaper and more environmentally friendly than alternatives. Look at the picture of their bins!
I delivered yesterday some Tee shirts to a group of kids at the foothills of Cascade Mountains. Children were completing a survival week run by
sources of shelter, fire, water and food – is counter-survival. It leads to abuse of Nature close to the point of no return - putting toxic debris, sprays, sludge in waters, air, soil and consequently in our foods – escapes rationalization. We create modified plants, our food sources, so they would withstand these toxins and then feed it to our children and our animals. We put enough preservatives in “food” so it can stand on a shelf for weeks, how are they suppose to magically decompose in our stomachs? We spray cotton crops with toxins so insects can’t touch it and then we sleep on it. Any logic here?
Hemp has served mankind for thousands of years, discovered in ancient civilizations at least 8000 B.C. Was grown widely in U.S. by colonial farmers including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. With such a long history, why is it illegal to grow it here? Is it a relation to the marijuana family? Hemp fiber is harvested from the large annual plant Cannabis Sativa. This industrial hemp has negligible alkaloid content and cannot be used for any drug. Canada, China, most of the European countries like France, England and many more allow growing and processing hemp – they don’t have problem with distinguishing the difference. What is different about US?