P l a n e t N e w s
By Chris Grosso & Amy Fulton-StoutWhat's New | Horoscopes | Contents | Another One From the Vault Good day again, brothers and sisters, from the PlanetNewsroom. We have some new news for you, and some follow-ups on last week's report. If you missed that one, see this link.
Lifesaving awakenings from the Fourth Estate and planetary awakenings in the Fourth House: PlanetNews for Feb. 11, 2000. Death Be Not Proud
Last week we reported that Albania had declared the death penalty to be incompatible with her constitution, and we outlined some of the flaws in the application of the death penalty here in the United States. Now for some good news on this topic.Illinois has become the first state in this country to declare a moratorium on executions. Governor George Ryan halted executions until a panel reports back to him on the state justice system's handling of capital cases. Since 1977, Illinois has overturned more convictions that put people on death row (13) than have actually been executed (12). Ironically spooky statistics these are. Releases were based on DNA analysis, recanting witnesses, and independent investigations by journalism and law school students. Thirteen people sentenced to be executed, and every single one for a crime they didn't commit! (For uncoverage of the case against Mumia Abu-Jamal, see Eric's articles on this site.)
Stating that he still supports the death penalty in principle, Governor Ryan said he cannot support a system that has proven to "come so close to the ultimate nightmare: the state's taking of innocent life."
The American Bar Association's Ronald Tabak says "All the states should be declaring a moratorium . . . [especially] a state like Texas," because "the only thing unique about Illinois is there has been better reporting and uncovering. . . "The Power of the Press Belongs to. . . ?
Reporting and uncovering. The mass media and journalists have historically been called the "fourth estate". Thomas Carlyle coined the term in 1905, pointing out that besides the power of the traditional first three estates (legislative/executive/judiciary), once you "Invent Writing, Democracy is inevitable... Whoever can speak, speaking now to the whole nation, becomes a power." The dogged persistence and information-gathering by the j- and law-school students in Illinois, combined with the ability to get the message to reporters and those who could get the Governor's attention was powerful enough to save the lives of 13 innocent people. (Eric Francis follows in this noble tradition. For his coverage of the case against Mumia Abu-Jamal, see The Case Against Mumia Abu-Jamal, Free Mumia, etc. For more theory on media and the power of the press, see this site.Governors on the Stump:
The Natural Law of Campaigning
Speaking of Governors, doubtless you have heard exhaustive analysis of the ups and downs of Texas's campaigning governor, George W. Bush, quickly becoming known as "Junior". For information on the Republican frontrunner's platform and strategies (mysteriously empty of information on the death penalty), see his official documents located here:Doubtless you've also heard about John McCain's "upset" victory in the New Hampshire primary last week. (For information from McCain, see this link.
Fear not, erstwhile voters, there are actual political messages out there.
As far back as November of last year a newsworthy event involving one third-party candidate went virtually unnoticed. Dr. John Hagelin, the candidate for the Natural Law Party (NLP), challenged Reform Party convert Pat Buchanan for the Reform Party nomination. This maneuver is known as "fusion," and was an attempt to unite two independent third parties into a larger, more powerful coalition. Hagelin, a native of Iowa, ran for president in 1992 and 1996 as the NLP candidate. The NLP platform is based on issues like the need to convert to clean, renewable energy and energy conservation; implementing sustainable agriculture; and furthering education and the development of full human potential.
In an Iowa and Minnesota 'straw poll' held last week Hagelin upset Pat Buchanan, as well as another Reform Party Presidential candidate, Donald Trump. Poll results show Hagelin receiving 63% of the straw vote, to Buchanan's 11% and Trump's 0% (which seems to indicate an excellent score for the minds of the citizens of Iowa and Minnesota, but that's unofficial and another story entirely).
Plastic Food, Organic Plastic, Organic Food
In another follow up from last week, the Biosafety Protocol talks in Montreal resulted in an agreement on labeling genetically modified (GM) foods. Votes were unanimous among all 140 participating nations in favor of the very first comprehensive "rulebook" covering trade of genetically modified food.In tough negotiations, the United States was able to secure a two-year grace period from mandatory labeling of international shipments of GM foods. This action drew mixed reactions from environmental groups. On the one hand, the two-year reprieve allows no immediate segregation--and therefore no traceability--of genetically modified organisms. On the other hand, the agreement lays the groundwork for such a system to emerge, and could speed up the introduction of a system of labeling GM products. Labels would provide consumers at least some choice concerning whether to support or reject the technology. The cost of the non-modified food is expected to be slightly higher, but there seem to be enough consumers willing to buy the non-affected foods to support such an arrangement.
The US compromise essentially says "if, in two years, the market for non-genetically modified foods still supports a demand for the 2-tiered approach, we will not be likely to challenge its implementation." Gearing up for heavy public education blitzes, the environmentalists are expecting there to be a great demand, indeed. The European Union calls the agreement "a victory for all of us," and Greenpeace describes it as " a good foundation". For more on this story, see this link. )
Now picture this: 56 billion plastic cups, 20 billion plastic spoons, forks and knives, and 15 billion plastic dinner plates, all stacked up in one big non-biodegradable mountain. That's what goes in our landfills in one year in the United States alone. What could we do to lessen the stress such unnatural waste places on our environment?
Biocorp Inc. thinks it has one solution: disposable plastic that is organically biodegradable. It breaks down into carbon dioxide or water, and nothing else. Since 1996, the company has produced "reSourceBags"-plastic bags that decompose in a normal compost. The company also makes knives, forks and spoons out of the same material, called "reSourceWare," which is being tested at a Chicago area zoo. Since 1997, McDonalds has used biodegradable cutlery at some of its European franchises.
These exciting new products not only present the possibility of eliminating mountains of trash, they far exceed older standards of biodegradability. So-called biodegradable products were required to do nothing more than eventually break into large pieces.(Read all about the products here.
While some companies modify the basic molecular structures of food, and others make plastic that's not really plastic, many of us want what we see to be what we get. Organically grown produce is rapidly emerging in the mainstream. Even in some of the more remote regions of the United States, supermarkets offer "organic produce of some type.
Organically grown produce relies on natural processes and nutrients rather than the chemical insecticides and petroleum-based fertilizers of conventional agriculture. It's a more expensive process for farmers, and so the products are more expensive. But the greater cost doesn't seem to be inhibiting consumers from turning to organics.
In fact, the health and environmental benefits of growing and consuming organically grown foods are generating some interesting statistics. The demand for such produce and livestock in England, for example, has increased by about 40% annually. In the US the industry is said to be "booming," with organic product sales reaching $6 billion last year alone, and with projected growth as high as 20-25% a year in the future.Speaking of the future, one retailer reported that 50% of all baby food sales is organic. And we know how careful most parents are about what they feed their children. So that's a very good sign, for the organics market, and for the kids. For more on organics and orgasms, come and see here or here.
Prometheus Unbound: God Bless America
Astrologically it's a most promising time, and if you sit quietly and attentively, you can actually feel the planetary transits as they occur. All you need is an ephemeris, the time, yourself and a degree of nurtured self-sensitivity. Then, just sit back and feel the show. Let the Moon do the rest.Saturday morning, February 5 at 8:03 AM Eastern, another powerful solar eclipse-this one partial-took form, but was only visible to the eyes from Antarctica. The heart, however, should have felt it everywhere, particularly in the United States. The reason for that, says journalist Michael O'Reilly, is that Saturday's eclipse made a nearly perfect alignment with the planet Uranus, situated on the Fourth House cusp of the US natal chart.
Uranus has been called the "King-maker and King-breaker" planet because of its innovative but erratic energy. It has also been renamed "Prometheus" by some astrologers, after the mythical character who brought fire to humanity. We humans can experience a Uranus transit as a sudden and drastic change from the norm. (Richard Tarnas's Prometheus the Awakener is the classic on this subject. For recommendations from Eric Francis on this and other astrology books, click here.)
The Fourth House of an astrological chart depicts domestic affairs and conclusions. Taken together, and with other transits, this fourth house action indicates some "electrifying" news shaking things up. According to O'Reilly, we are seeing some sudden developments in American politics, like John McCain whuppin' up on Junior, first in New Hampshire, now in South Carolina. McCain's natal chart meshes well with that of the US, with his Sun conjunct the US ascendant, and Moon conjunct the US's Pluto, which is the ruler of the US natal chart. On deeper analysis, O'Reilly predicts a McCain presidency, but we're not big on the future here.
Former President Ronald Reagan's Sun was directly in line with the Solar Eclipse-Uranus combination, O'Reilly says, and it likely moved him more rapidly toward his transition. (For more on this, see here.)
All over the world, and throughout time, visionary teachers have taught that, eventually, the veil in front of the student's eyes would lift-when all that was hidden would be revealed to them. This, they said, is all that is meant by "enlightenment."
But the esoteric teachings also speak of a collective enlightenment-a time when the whole world begins to see together as one. Many believe that time is now. First, the shadows begin to be raised to the light.
We see it happening in the United States. Massacres of innocent civilians by American troops during the Korean conflict have come to light in the national news media recently. For the first time, the federal government has admitted that people working in nuclear weapons facilities were exposed to cancer-causing levels of radiation. We all know about big tobacco companies stepping up into the spotlight the last couple of years. And most recently the city of Los Angeles is facing possible financial devastation from potential lawsuits against a "rogue" police force. It seems perhaps thousands of people were wrongfully convicted of crimes and served time in prison as a result of dishonest police officers planting evidence and lying under oath. Clearly, the darkest, most insidious human motivations are being revealed.
But this can be nothing but good. Look what uncovering these things led to in Illinois. By bringing up all the hidden causes of what ails our world and ourselves, we cleanse ourselves of what would otherwise have remained buried, only to fester. And who knows?
We may save a few lives in the process.
After the darkness is brought into the light, the wise ones say, there will be nothing left but the beauty and holiness that has been there all along.++
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/01/29/nuclear.exposure/index.html
http://news.excite.com/news/r/000127/19/crime-police
Until next week, the Heart-Centered Third-Eye Witness PlanetNews team sees you making a space in your life for the beauty and holiness to emerge. Peace.
Hey Chris and Amy - You two rock. xx | ef
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