Head of Compassion in World Farming, Philip Lymbery states :
“There is a desperate need for joined-up action on Industrial Farming if we are to avoid a catastrophic impact on Earth” – READ HIS ARTICLE HERE
IN ORDER FOR HUMANS TO BE ABLE TO BUY LOW COST MEAT – Interrelated conditions exist :-
In UK there are 1,674 intensive factory farms. Average space per. chicken 25cm x 25 cm. 94% chickens raised for meat in these conditions.
About 1/2 European antibiotics are given to livestock to combat infection & to enhance rapid animal growth. Infection spreads rapidly in factory farms.
Dutch scientists estimate 1/3 to 1/2 of antibiotic resistance in humans is due to infections originating in agriculture.
Poor working conditions for Farm Workers in factory farms: bacterial infections, cross contamination, excessive lines’ speed, exploitation, low wages
5 privately owned firms control the new MEGA FARMS:- Faccenda, Moy Park, Cargill, 2 Sisters, Banham Poultry .They supply cheap meat to Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison, Asda, Macdonalds, Nando,
Goat Yoga is ‘big’ in the US apparently; rapidly gathering enthusiastic joiners in the UK. From the imaginative response to her own challenges, Lainey Morse 45, from Oregon, has brought happiness to scores of people.
One such Goat Yoga class was featured by Kate Humble on her BBC Programme endorsing small- scale new ‘farm’ projects.
Another series of classes is promoted by Dartington Dairies ; an offshoot of Dartington Hall inspirations, over many years. ( The Dartington Trust founded in 1925 by Dorothy & Leonard Elmhirst is well worth researching as a transformative heart- land for thousands of visitors seeking inspiration around the arts, social justice and sustainability. ”It attracts people with big ideas who want to transform the world”).
And the facts: Petting animals releases stress-reducing hormones including serotonin ; there’s a similar effect from yoga practice.
A picture celebration of family and friends’ imaginings: skilful play, with all forms of Creativity
PERMACULTURE
Hand of the Desert, Atacama
Muttering on about, swaying between …the hopelessness of Plastic Pollution and the practicality of Permaculture, here’s some more thoughts, before the pix –
‘‘Instead of feeling hopeless about our beautiful planet, Permaculture opened my eyes to the many simple solutions that can be adapted & applied to create a better world’’ Mel Chambers. PDC Graduate (Permaculture Design Course). SEE HERE – to Learn more about Permaculture
CUBA : crisis of agriculture after Collapse of Soviet Union followed by US imposition of Trade Sanctions. Once it only grew sugar & was heavy handed with fertilisers and pesticides. Organic farming began, as a necessity. ‘‘People from abroad see us as a paradise of sustainable farmers, but we are not. We’re coming out of a very bad model of agriculture, to something better” (Guardian Environment 2/5/18, Food & Environment Reporting Network .US. FERN) SEE HERE – about CUBA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – Photo Hand of the Desert, Atacama – Yuri Beletsky, Nightscapes
THE GALLERY ILLUSTRATES THE PLASTICS AND PERMACULTURE THEME
GALLERY – PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN
GALLERY – CUBA’S PERMACULTURE JOURNEY FOR AGRICULTURE
Cuba embarked on the largest conversion to organic farming ever attempted.
Organic farmer Miguel Angel Salcines inspects vegetable planting beds at the 25-hectare Alamar farm. (all pix – Roger Atwood)
Part of the abandoned sugar refinery in the Cuban town of Hershey.
Manioc crops (foreground) and fruit trees (rear) thrive at an organic farm in Pinar del Ro province, western Cuba.
Organic farmer Agustin Pimentel uses a machete to slice open a coconut on his organic farm in a remote valley in western Cuba.
Man and beasts prepare soil for planting at the Alamar organic farm in Havana. Cuban agriculture was highly mechanised during the alliance with the Soviet Union
Workers tend to crop seedlings under a protective nylon film at the Alamar organic farm, in an outlying Havana neighbourhood, Cuba
GALLERY – RISC’s ROOF GARDEN
RISC – Roof Garden plans
Roof before …
Bitumen laying
Decking laying
Decking
Water
Felt laying
Hazel fencing
Irrigation pipes
Mansard roof before ….
Path laying
Roof Garden plans
PV installation
Railings installed
Staircase fitting
Substrate laying
Wood chip laying
Woven hazel
Garden – the finished oasis
GALLERY – SARAH COX, ARTIST : Bluebell Wood, First Light
Organisations who hold power ARE responding to the pollution crisis :- e.g.
Plastic indispensable part of daily life; not an environment problem..an opportunity to maintain the circular economy . UK Plastics Pact : Aim,together create a sustainable system for plastics at the forefront of the circular economy.
“ EU declared war on plastic waste” Plan includes 350 mill. euros funding research to modernise plastic production and collection…..Each piece of packaging on the continent to be reusable /recyclable by 2030.
EU “Priority to clamp down on single-use plastic: 5 seconds to produce,5 minutes to use, 50 year’s to break- down”.
George Monbiot:” Oil companies will invest £130bn.globally in new plastic facilities in next 7 years…..UK Government’s praiseworthy “clean growth” policy, in practice entails more growth, more resources, more consumption.
Encouraging : proliferation in mass- circulation newspapers of articles photographs & campaigns plus social media petitions calling for government, commerce & consumer action to control useage & wastage & pollution.
AND it all RASPS AGAINST FACTS… AND THE FACT that the present crisis has been known and “hidden”, for decades..MYOPIA : near- sightedness.
8 mill.tonnes of Plastic reach the sea every year.
By 2050 there will be more Plastic in oceans than fish.
99% of seabirds will have eaten plastic.
average sea-food eater will have ingested 11,000 pieces of micro plastic,yearly.
Orb media reports billions of people in 12 countries drinking water contaminated by Plastic particles.
Plastic debris in oceans a growing hazard as toxins climb the food chain.
See list references at end of TALES SECTION of this website
Glory falls around us
as we sob
a dirge of
desolation on the Cross
and hatred is the ballast of
the rock
which lies upon our necks
and underfoot.
We have woven
robes of silk
and clothed our nakedness
with tapestry.
From crawling on this
murky planet’s floor
we soar beyond the
birds and
throught the clouds
and edge our way from hate
and blind despair and
bring honor
to our brothers, and to our sisters cheer.
We grow despite the
horror that we feed
upon our own
tomorrow.
A picture celebration of family and friends’ imaginings: skilful play, with all forms of Creativity
SELF EMPLOYED: CHOICE…. NECESSITY
Here’s some of my research, following the middle of the night ALERT to myriad SELF-RELIANT WORKERS world-wide.
⇒ The crucial role GOVERNMENTS can play in protecting workers’ rights. UK Government legislation requisite to make self employment secure. (See WAKE UP suggestions for UK). In Ghana, the government aims to lift the ban on small- scale mining in order to provide alternative income- generating and environmentally sustainable, opportunities to GALAMSAYERS and rural communities.
The three co-founders of Mujeeb: Aghyad Al-Kabbani, Eyad Al-Shamani and Zeina Khalili
⇒ Young Entrepreneurs in Syria – “they’ll rebuild what the war has destroyed”. An estimated 5 million sought external refuge during the 7 years of war in Syria. 8 million people still live in Syria amidst rising poverty, high unemployment. Amidst the 52.9% of working age, 75% are Young People; before war it was 15%.
⇒ The INTERMEDIARIES, enabling for example, craftsmen in war- torn countries or small- scale producers, to access the complexities of Western markets. The Intermediaries include:-
⇒ Tradecraft Exchange– Two years ago Tradecraft Exchange started working with low-income Senegalese fruit farmers & collectors to expand the market for their exotic fruit
TC Exchange is also supporting new livelihoods for women in Bangladesh, by strengthening their trading position in the Jute trade.
⇒ Turquoise Mountain– established 2006 at behest of Prince Charles works in Afghanistan, Myanmar and (so-called) Middle East. It aims to preserve and regenerate historic communities with a rich cultural heritage; reviving traditional crafts, creating jobs and skills and renewing a sense of pride.
Pratap Thapa and Lennart Budelmann, Co-founders, aQysta
⇒ European Young Entrepreneurs– Young People from an early age are creating opportunities not only for themselves but for whole industries, developing new technologies and thriving work- places
⇒ And INSECTS: FELLOW SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS– ‘Insect Armageddon’ local community research project aiming to raise- awareness of the crucial part that Insects play in our lives, globally AND THE FACT that the is an 80% global decline in global populations.
WAKE UPtrumpets Self Employment whilst unearthing limitations within the sector requiring serious UK Government overhaul action.
Self employed 4.6 million, represent 15% UK workforce. Increase of 800,000 since 2008.
Self Employed at lower end of market – take home pay considerably less than Employed.
1/3 families have no savings: issue of nil pension provision
Government policy / practice intervention urgently required e.g. cut Red Tape, incentivise savings, taxation administration clarified/ simplified, flexible systems in general, legal definition of Self Employment.
Accessible ongoing support plus education for young people to better prepare them for Self Employment
LINKS:
Who are the Self Employed ? -New Policy Institute (npi) SEE HERE
Who are the Self Employed ?– CAB ( Citizens Advice Bureau) SEE HERE and SEE HERE
Self Employment Review – an independent report by Julie Deane OBE .
“The labour market has changed, and continues to change. The opportunities have never been greater” SEE HERE
Enterprise for All – Review 2010-15 by Lord Young of Graffam SEE HERE
Starting 25 years ago, Riverford was one of the first pioneering organic vegetable box schemes, in the UK. From the family farm GUY WATSON delivered first to 30 friends in Devon; a business which has grown to 47,000 deliveries in the UK. Within the 4 English farms and 1 in France, Riverford has a dairy herd, a dairy producing yoghurt and cheese, poultry, farm shop, kitchen and bakery, meat box business and Field Kitchen restaurant.
“We work with a number of small-scale organic producers supplying everything from mushrooms to mayonnaise. They’re an interesting bunch. Some are innovators, others preserve valuable traditions.”
In addition, Riverford support the ‘Send a Cow’ project in Uganda with customer £1 donations (added to their order), plus fundraising to the tune of £204,000. The aim is to support sustainable living from small plots of land, teaching the families about access to markets and wealth creation.
MAKE YOUR MARK: SOUND YOUR VOICE – Across Time and Places
Three Artists MAKING THEIR MARKS : SOUNDING THEIR VOICE across time and place :-
– Iraqi Artists’ paintings, at the turn of the 20th century. Proudly treasured and personally precious paintings from Iraqi emigres’ private collections.
– Welshman James Bibey, a young artist with scant funds and accommodation, delights in playful night photography, in an Ascot garden.
– Filmmaker Ken Loach opens our minds to Benefit Seekers’ disempowerment by the system, in his 2016 Cannes Palme d’Or winning Film I, DANIEL BELL.
IRAQI PAINTERS
Modern Art renaissance in Iraq started by the early 20th century.
Map of Iraq
Iraq produced many prestigious artists and painters who were talented and well informed about western art and its movements.
The Gallery shows paintings by 3 artists who were reputable and well respected including paintings by one of the very first pioneers, Mohammad Salih (Zaki) Ali.
These paintings are part of a private collection and have never been exhibited in public before.
Mohammad Salih (Zaki) Ali (1888 – 1976)
While studying for a military degree in Istanbul he also studied painting at the Istana Academy of Fine Arts.
He taught painting in schools and encouraged his grandchildren to paint by giving them watercolours as presents.
Zaid Salih (1922 – 1986)
Joined Iraqi military forces and was sent to Loughborough University (UK) to study automobile mechanics but was more attracted to painting, music and art.
He was one of the key founders of the Iraqi Pioneer Group SP (Society of Painters).
Nimat Hikmat (1937 – 2013)
Studied and taught art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad.
She also obtained a Masters degree in Art from the Catholic University in Washington, USA.
Coming soon to the Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square – ‘The Invisible Enemy’ inspired by Iraq
This year’s artwork is ‘The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist’ by Michael Rakowitz. Michael started The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist project in 2006. It attempts to recreate more than 7,000 objects which have been lost forever. Some were looted from the Iraq Museum in 2003, while others were destroyed at archaeological sites across the country during the Iraq War. For the Fourth Plinth, Rakowitz has recreated the Lamassu. This winged bull and protective deity guarded the entrance to Nergal Gate of Nineveh (near modern day Mosul) from c 700 B.C, until it was destroyed by ISIS in 2015 – READ MORE HERE
Michael Rakowitz’s syrup-tin copy of a treasure destroyed by Isis is a magnificent marriage of sorrow, futility and resistance. One of the best fourth plinth works yet – READ THE GUARDIAN’S REVIEW (*****)
JAMES BIBEY –a young artist with scant funds and accommodation, who came several times at night to have fun in the garden with a camera, torch and bucket of water! Brilliant way to see garden, afresh ! He’s disappeared again.
KEN LOACH – 2016 film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ – ‘‘with this movie, maybe his last, and maybe not – Ken Loach establishes himself, yet further as the John Bunyan of contemporary British cinema. The film intervenes in the messy ugly world of poverty with the secular intention of making us see that it is really happening and in a prosperous country too.” Peter Bradshaw, Guardian.
The Gallery links to the above article as its exhibit for Ken Loach – SEE HERE
AND ‘out there’ – Tate Britain’s current exhibition ‘ ALL TOO HUMAN’ shows artists across time and places ( till 27 Aug 2018) –SEE HERE
The Gallery shows works from the Iraqi Painters and James Bibey
Mohammad Salih (Zaki) Ali (1888 – 1976) painting in his own home in Adhamiya, Baghdad, Iraq first half of 20th century
Self portrait by Mohammed Salih (Zaki) Ali (1888 – 1976), oil on board, 1918
View from Iraqi countryside by Mohammed Salih (Zaki) Ali, water colours on paper, first half of 20th century
The bridge of Adhamiya after midnight by Mohammed Salih (Zaki) Ali, water colours on paper, first half of 20th century
A view from Iraqi countryside by Mohammed Salih (Zaki) Ali, water colours on paper, first half of 20th century
Zaid Salih (1922-1986), Mohammed Salih (Zaki) Ali’s son, photo taken in 1944
Self portrait by Zaid Salih (1922-1986), oil on board 1940
A boy serving Arabic coffee by Zaid Salih, oil on board, 1957
Horses by Zaid Salih, oil on board, 1954
Nimat Hikmat (1937-2013)
Date Palms of Iraq by Nimat Hikmat, oil on canvas, 1996
Japanese Puffer fish – to attract the best fish in the sea, male pufferfish, just twelve cm long when un-puffed, spend at least seven 24-hour days completing an intricate mating ritual that involves swimming their bodies into and through the seafloor to form ridges and trenches in the sand. If they pause too early, the entire ordeal gets washed away by currents. SEE HERE
Banksy’s ‘Walled Off Hotel’ next to the Wall in Palestine SEE HERE AND HERE
‘Opera !’ – a collaborative Art Project between Royal Opera House, Victoria and Albert Museum and Kings College, London SEE HERE
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TC Exchange is also supporting new livelihoods for women in Bangladesh, by strengthening their trading position in the Jute trade.
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