[Arktwo] Please understand the situation
Bruce Beach
language@webpal.org
Wed, 7 May 2008 13:28:47 -0400
Re-reading my previous newsletter -
"trying to think of a word
to describe the week.
Traumatic" --
I said it didn't apply to myself -
but for the world -
that is what it was.
http://tinyurl.com/6nzd3h
Terrible -
with predictions currently saying it may go
over 80,000 dead.
A million homeless.
Trying to put that in perspective -
with 4,000 US troops
killed in Iraq -
something which I often talk about.
It is difficult to hold a world-view.
BUT -
the Myanmar/Burma disaster
is much greater than those numbers
that I have cited.
What may be the REAL problem
is that the Cyclone dumped
saltwater
onto the S.E. Asia rice bowl.
If you have been following the news
that I have been talking about
for the last several newsletters
you will be aware that the world
was already facing major food problems.
I avoided saying food shortages -
but that may well be becoming the problem.
Rice, before this disaster,
had already - in March -
DOUBLED in the previous three months.
http://tinyurl.com/4kqq6u
Wheat and other edible grains such as corn -
are feeling the same stresses.
Already -
there have been food riots
in Egypt, African Countries,
and even Mexico.
The causes are several.
A. JIT (Just In Time) supply -
that saw the whole world
as one single global market.
Food bought on the world-market.
To lower the cost of inventory
failure in one place -
was compensated by production in another.
The world inventory kept getting smaller and smaller.
Far from the Biblical supply
for seven lean years -
the world supply got down to a matter of days.
This means that there would/will be nothing
for a world disaster -
such as a comet -
major world-wide earthquake -
volcanic eruption that blots out the sun for months -
disturbance of world weather patterns
such as a world drought -
or total disruption by nuclear war.
To many people catastrophes such as these
seem unimaginable -
but that is what a catastrophe is -
an unimaginable disaster.
B. Among the current unexpected disasters
has been a virus that has attacked
the wheat crops in Africa.
At the moment they are hoping to get
one quarter of the usual harvest -
and some experts are saying
that there may be a total failure.
It was a similar disaster
that caused the Irish Potato Famine in 1845.
I live in a potato growing area -
and we had a similar problem two years ago -
but there were plenty of potatoes -
elsewhere in the world.
So we never noticed it at the grocery store.
This year - because of dryness -
Australia's wheat production
is way down.
C. Simultaneous with reduced production -
there is increased demand.
Increasing population.
Increasing incomes in China -
allowing more money to spend on food.
D. There is not only increased demand
for grain for food -
but the use of grain is being shifted
to energy production.
Corn and soybean for ethanol.
Soybean is easier to grow than wheat -
so farmers are shifting to soybean
and reducing wheat production.
The price of oil -
some say heading towards $200 dollars a barrel -
will greatly impact the food market.
It means that:
a. Grain is more competitive as fuel than as food.
b. Since fuel products are easier to grow -
and tractor fuel costs (they use diesel)
are shooting out of site -
c. Table grain takes a lot more EXPENSIVE fertilizer -
made from oil
d. Table grain uses
EXPENSIVE chemicals (fungicides, herbicides, etc.)
made from oil -
e. Table grain has the added cost of spreading
the fertilizer and chemicals
using more fuel, time and equipment.
so the switch from food grain -
to fuel grain.
E. Market disruptions are another major cause.
Many countries have now
forbidden the export of Rice staples.
Just as happened with oil -
some suppliers are hoarding their stocks
because they can see prices are rising
and will be worth a lot more in a few weeks -
therefore greatly increasing their profits.
Individuals too are beginning to hoard stocks.
In some places -
major suppliers like Wal-Mart
are limiting what customers may buy.
In some places -
especially in some other countries -
the shelves are bare.
The price has meant that
many people can't afford to buy it anyway.
The cost of pastry flour and butter
is driving many small bakers around the world
out of business.
So far -
all of this means nothing to you.
Yes, food prices are higher -
just like gasoline prices are higher -
but for the most part
you still drive where you want -
and eat what you want.
It is certainly not affecting
the doctors and lawyers in America.
If you have a good job -
well then -
you are hanging in.
But -
more and more people are simply
being hung out to dry.
It is difficult to have a world-wide view.
How was my week -
"NOT disastrous - I said",
but yes -
it was disastrous -
because it was disastrous for the world.
Ask Not -
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
The Four Horsemen are coming.
And they are coming for you -
and they are coming for me.
I am trying to help you -
to prepare -
to meet our fate.
Food security is going to be -
very important.
You may have never thought about it before -
but you need to think now -
about how you can grow
your own food.
First and foremost -
I am trying to get you
to have some seeds on hand.
The THREE SISTERS.
If you didn't understand
my last newsletter -
read it again.
It is my current drum.
Before I have told people
to get out of the cities.
Before I have told people
to get KI (Potassium Iodide).
Before I have told people
to get radiation detection equipment.
Before I have told people
to build shelters.
Now I am telling you
to stock seed.
Heritage seed.
Not hybrid.
The THREE SISTERS -
at least.
At my urging -
hundreds of people -
have done all of these things.
Perhaps thousands -
have done some of them.
Certainly thousands have been sent
our free CD.
Now I am urging you to
store seed.
NOW - right this week!
There is a very narrow window -
when it is available.
Do it NOW!
----------
Jean has gotten so many replies
to her SOL web page.
www.webpal.org/SOL/
that she has said that
she is going to have to work up
a standard reply.
She can still send it out -
to everyone personally -
but wants to take a couple of days -
to create the reply.
Several people have asked me
where they can buy Heritage Seeds.
I made a special trip
to meet with the representative of
Seeds of Diversity -
who gave me their latest updated list.
>From that list I identified 12 small seed producers in Canada
who might be able to provide us
with vegetable seeds.
The rest of the small producers
were specialty producers
regarding orientals, bulbs, hedges, and on and on.
Forget the large producers.
I tried them last year -
and was told by one of them
that they had all formed a bond
to sell NO surplus seed in Canada -
so as to protect their market prices.
All of their surplus seed
was donated to Africa -
and they were forbidden
to even give it away in Canada.
Only three of the small producers responded to me -
and yes -
I will give you their addresses.
For the US there are 24 on my list.
Most of these are large established suppliers -
some of whom will charge you for their catalog.
It is a bit of work for me to type it in -
but I will pick out a half dozen.
Just got off the phone -
after an hour interview
with the Toronto Sun -
so that sort of wipes out my day.
I will work on a seed supplier list -
and try to send it to you later.
A load of stone is about to arrive -
so I will have to close this off for now,
because I will have to go help unload.
Peace and love,
Bruce
DawnSayer@webpal.org