We've shared this multiple times here, but it's something the entire world should definitely see. Most of us are simply unaware.

North East of Hawaii, the ocean currents form a giant whirl pool of debris from around the Pacific, the scientific name is called the North Pacific Gyre. It’s one of the largest ecosystems on Earth, comprising of millions of square kilometres. Today it’s better known as “The Great Garbage Patch,” an area the size of Queensland, Australia where there is approximately one million tonnes of plastic spread  throughout the ocean. Drag a net in any area of this part of the ocean and you will pick up toxic, discarded plastic. Photographer Chris Jordan has documented this phenomenon.

I had been studying for quite a while the phenomenon called the Pacific garbage patch. I was looking for a way to visualize it, it was really surreal to land on Midway, seeing that my worst hopes of what I would find there are true. These are all albatross chicks, hatched out of their eggs and the very first meal they got was deadly to them. What happens is, when the eggs hatch one of the parents goes out and flies looking for food. They search over this vast area of the pacific and when they come back with is a belly full of toxic plastics, and they feed that to their babies. They die of starvation, malnutrition and chocking. Simply allow yourself to feel whatever it is you feel about this, without jumping to the way to solve it. Because I think we really need to feel these things, even if the feelings are uncomfortable, because those are the feelings that will turn into the fuel and drive passionate action – Chris Jordan

The desire to change these things will put the human race on a journey to do so, and we are in the midst of it.

Please Watch This Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1I7on22jA48
''This film should be seen by the entire world, please don't throw anything into the sea. Unbelievable, just look at the consequences''

The United States government is secretly moving forward with the Trans-Pacific Partnership despite the government shutdown...the largest trade agreement since the WTO, a corporate "Trojan horse."

The human race has been waking up to the fact that a great deal of secrecy exists within the government as well as many major multinational corporations. Another astonishing observation is that major events covered by the corporate media in depth seem to coincide with the creation of important bills, legislation and agreements without any attention brought to it by the corporate media. We saw this recently with the Boston Bombings, which coincided with the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which coincided with the passing of the bill in the United States House of Representatives during the Boston Bombings ordeal. Fortunately, leaks from Edward Snowden amongst others have shed even more light on this topic for the human race to wake up to. Despite the United States government shutdown, Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Asia for secret talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership which continues to move forward, and may very well be complete by the end of 2013.

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is the largest trade agreement since the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the United States has been engaged in discussion with eight Pacific nations to come to an agreement on the terms of the TPP. It is a free trade contract that would allow for a more open system of exchange between the United States and less developed nations, apparently, and it’s wrapped in secrecy since discussions began within the Bush administration in 2005.

Why is it wrapped in secrecy? Because it’s not really about trade. The agreement has 29 chapters, and only five of them have to do with trade. The other 24 chapters either put restrictions on domestic governments, limit food safety, environmental standards, financial regulation, energy, climate policy and more. It’s basically an agreement for establishing new and enhanced powers for the multinational corporations that seem to own all of the worlds resources. It will affect everything, and all industries we choose to allow to govern our planet and the way that we live.

A portion of the proposed partnership was leaked (1) and it already managed to cause quite a stir. Details about the negotiations have been so hidden from the public that some members of the US Congress have called on the President to come forward with new information. According to the leak, the Obama administration has been considering TPP provisions that would allow foreign corporations operating within the United States to appeal regulations on both the environment and banking that would be forced on American-owned businesses with no chance of reprieve. Again, it is a long agreement that touches on all industries, from health all the way to energy, food and finance.

This isn’t all, there is a great deal of concern with regards to internet freedom. This negotiation could create rules that give media companies new power over the internet. The TPP could make internet service providers act as a copyright cop, policing what information we share. Many have suggested that this is a fast track towards internet censorship. The fact that this agreement would tighten controls over the internet is no secret.

I basically wanted to point out that this has nothing to do with trade, it’s another example of a potential creation of global legislation that would only benefit the same corporations that desire to restrict our freedom, opposing global change.

Posted By Dissidentvoice:

So far, the TPP has been drafted with an unprecedented degree of secrecy. While information has been kept from the public, more than 600 corporate advisers have access to the treaty’s text – including companies such as Halliburton, Monsanto, Walmart, and Chevron. The Obama administration has kept the TPP classified, making it the first-ever classification of a trade agreement. In addition to denying public access to its text, the president has urged Congress to use Fast Track to pass the treaty. Fast Track would limit congressional consideration of the text to a quick up or down vote and give President Obama the power to sign and negotiate the treaty. This turns the Constitution on its head as the Commerce Clause authorizes Congress to “regulate commerce among nations,” and not the president.

Seven advocates dressed as workers attached four massive banners to the front and side of the US Trade Representative’s office. The banners read “Transparency: Release the Text,” “Democracy, not Corporatocracy,” “Corporate Coup against the People and Planet” and “Flush The TPP.org.”  Other activists at the front of the building held a large 15 foot tall sign that said: “Trading Away People’s Lives and the Planet’s Future.”  They were able to cover the building in banners and hold this non-permitted protest and negotiate doing so without anyone getting arrested; in fact, one activist who had been held in handcuffs was even released.

Margaret Flowers, MD, who dressed as a workman to attach a sign to the front of the US Trade Representative said that “the TPP will undermine health care systems, make pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices more expensive and therefore increase pain and suffering and even cost people their lives.” Flowers, an advocate for a national health care plan that treats health care as a human rather than a commodity, warned that “The TPP will undermine the excellent single payer health care systems in Japan, Australia and New Zealand and make it more difficult for the United States to put in place a single payer system — which is what most Americans and doctors want to see.”

The protesters join Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-MN), Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), and many others who are opposing Fast Track and calling for the text’s immediate release. Earlier this summer, Rep. Grayson stated that, “this, more than anything, shows the abuse of the classified information system,” calling the treaty an “assault on democratic government.” Sen. Warren noted in her letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, “if transparency would lead to widespread public opposition to a trade agreement then that trade agreement should not be the policy of the United States.”

Groups of Republicans and Democrats are beginning to speak out against Fast Track, the lack of transparency and the TPP.  Just as the war against Syria was stopped by a cross-partisan coalition, such a coalition can stop the TPP. Indeed, 14 trade agreements have not become law in the last ten years because of citizen opposition preventing countries from reaching agreement.

An agreement that will empower corporations to dominate every aspect of our lives — food, water, health care, wages, jobs, Internet and more — should be debated openly and transparently.  The United States is supposed to be a democracy; acting in secret to create the largest trade agreement in history makes a mockery of democracy. Minimizing the checks and balances between Congress and the President undermines the Constitution, and giving away U.S. sovereignty to transnational corporations is the opposite of a country of, by and for the people.

While the full content of the treaty remains unknown, public opposition to what little has been leaked is growing. We are confident the TPP can be stopped, if people know what is in the agreement. They are keeping this agreement secret because they know its contents would be quite unpopular. People remember the negative impact of NAFTA, the TPP is NAFTA on steroids and will do great damage to working people all over the world as well as to the environment.

A new report from the Center for Economic Policy and Research finds that the TPP will produce small economic growth of only 1/10th of 1 percent per year, but it will hurt working Americans, as 90 percent of workers will see their income reduced as a result of the TPP. Unions including the Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO and Teamsters have raised serious concerns about the TPP’s impact on working families, and doctors have also highlighted consequences for access to health care and life-saving medicines.

Resistance is not limited to the U.S. alone. Other members of the treaty, including Japan and Malaysia, have seen significant public demonstrations in opposition to the agreement, while the lead negotiator from Chile, Rodrigo Contreras, resigned earlier this year citing concerns that the treaty would restrict Chile’s ability to shape public policies, control financial institutions and address issues of health, education and development.

One protester from FlushTheTPP.org, who locked himself to Margaret Flowers on top of the building’s scaffolding, has firsthand experience with how transnational corporations control and design free trade agreements like these. Steven Bray decided to quit his job after his former employer, Caterpillar, sent the entire company a link to an automated message in support of the U.S.-Colombian Free Trade Agreement. “When I learned how many of my coworkers responded without actually considering the text and its potential consequences, I couldn’t stand it. This made the voice of one CEO sound like the voice of 10,000.” The Colombia trade agreement has had a serious negative effect on farmers and workers in Colombia and has resulted in massive nationwide protests.

Protesters promised to escalate their tactics if President Obama continues to undermine the Constitution, transparency and democracy. On Tuesday, the protesters will crash a Fast Track train into Congress after driving it across the city from the US Chamber of Commerce at 11 AM.

Sources:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/protest-against-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-secret-negotiations-behind-closed-doors/5352012

http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tppinvestment.pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/04/trans-pacific-partnership_n_4039357.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/opinion/obamas-covert-trade-deal.html?_r=0

http://rt.com/op-edge/trans-pacific-partnership-obama-704/

http://rt.com/usa/tpp-obama-corporations-trade-725/

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/10/08/trans-pacific-partnership-moves-forward-despite-government-shutdown/#sthash.C052f0BC.dpuf

The agriculture commissioner of Kentucky will be pitching hemp to auto manufactures! As we all know, Henry Ford made a care and fueled it entirely off of hemp.

Agriculture Commissioner James Comer will take his pitch for hemp to auto manufacturers on Thursday.

Comer will attend AutoConnect, an industry trade conference in Nashville sponsored by Frost Brown Todd. Executives from Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda and others are expected to attend the event.

Comer hopes to meet with the executives to discuss using hemp, which he said has fibers that are "longer, stronger, lighter and greener" than other products currently used in the auto manufacturing process.

"It has been my goal to make the pitch for Kentucky-grown industrial hemp to automobile manufacturers," Comer said in a statement. "Now the opportunity is here and I believe this could be a win-win: a win for Kentucky farmers and a win for an industry working hard to find a more environmentally sound manufacturing process."

Some car makers in Europe use already hemp as a sustainable and biodegradable material in parts such as dashboards, soundproofing, and interior panels.

With federal restrictions eased on marijuana in some states, Comer said that Kentucky might plant hemp next year despite an advisory letter issued last month by Attorney General Jack Conway saying that farmers who do "will expose themselves to potential criminal liability and the possible seizure of property by federal or state law enforcement agencies."

Comer and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, have requested explicit direction from the Justice Department on whether the Drug Enforcement Administration will prosecute farmers for growing hemp, since the DEA is not going to pursue marijuana growers in states where it is legal and regulated.

Comer hopes that building a market for hemp will spur action to clarify the legal situation. Legislation passed earlier this year by the General Assembly lets the Kentucky Department of Agriculture set up a licensing structure for farmers to grow hemp and Comer's office is working on those regulations.

"We are not deterred by political shenanigans on this issue," Comer said Tuesday. "This opportunity is real, and we need jobs and rural economic development in Kentucky. We are not playing games."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/10/15/2877813/comer-to-pitch-hemp-to-auto-execs.html#storylink=cpy

Meditation Help Your Life In General! Give It A Try!

Meditation has the potential to transform the world. In 1978 what is known as the "Maharishi Effect" took a group of 7000 individuals over the course of 3 weeks and had them all meditating on thoughts of love and peace. They were able to radiate loving energy which reduced global crime rates, violence, and casualties during the times of their meditation by an average of 16%.

Suicide rates and automobile accidents also were reduced with all variables accounted for. In fact, there was a 72% reduction in terrorist during the times at which this group was meditation.

Almost 50 studies have been done further confirming the benefits of global meditation and it's direct impact on everything in the world, even so far as to have the results published in the Journal of Crime and Justice in 1981. We know meditation has endless health and psychological benefits, but it is now being explored by politics and sociology because of its undeniable energetic impact.

Everything is energy, including your thoughts. These thoughts have a radiant quality that ripple through the consciousness field and energetically effect all things around you. If you want to change the state of society, it starts right now by finding peace and love within yourself.

“I think the claim can be plausibly made that the potential impact of this research exceeds that of any other ongoing social or psychological research program. It has survived a broader array of statistical tests than most research in the field of conflict resolution. This work and the theory that informs it deserve the most serious consideration by academics and policy makers alike.” — David Edwards Ph.D., Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin.

Any day now, Aspartame could be added to dairy products as a hidden additive, without a label!

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) in partnership with the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is currently requesting a modification of the standards for milk and other dairy products to allow the use of non-nutritive sweeteners from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one of them being aspartame.  The petition states that milk flavored with non-nutritive sweetener promotes public health by offering children and adolescents a beverage they are more likely to consume than plain milk.  The petition is looking to amend the standard of identification for not only milk, but 18 other dairy products like sour cream, yogurt, sweetened condensed milk and more. Furthermore, the petition is pushing the FDA not to label the modifications made to the standards milk, arguing that milk flavored with non-nutritive sweetener/Aspartame should be labeled as milk without further claims so that consumers can more easily identify its overall nutritional value. Big food corporations and political amendments usually never have the general populations best interest at hand. Here is an excerpt from the petition to the FDA from the IDFA and NMPF. This is how they attempt to justify not labeling this soon to be new phenomenon.

IDFA and NMPF argue that nutrient content claims such as “reduced calorie” are not attractive to children, and maintain that consumers can more easily identify the overall nutritional value of milk products that are flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners if the labels do not include such claims. Further, the petitioners assert that consumers do not recognize milk — including flavored milk — as necessarily containing sugar. Accordingly, the petitioners state that milk flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners should be labeled as milk without further claims so that consumers can more easily identify its overall nutritional value. (1)(2)

I hope this petition doesn’t go through, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did. Petitions and bills like this one usually get passed through the act of lobbying, which is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies.  The FDA, IDFA and NMPF are all working together, although the IDFA and NMPF are petitioning the FDA, they are all on the same side. For example, lets look at Jay Rockefeller, who is a United States Senator and Chairman of Commerce, Science and Transportation, among many more(3). He is responsible for the regulation of consumer products and services, which also includes testing for toxic substances. It’s no surprise that the IDFA has a direct link to Jay Rockefeller, who supports the IDFA and has been advocating for them with his political power(4). The Rockefeller family played a large role in the creation of the FDA. After all, it all goes back to Codex Alimentarius, which stems from the United Nations, which stem from the Rockefeller Family, among others(5). Why would a Rockefeller sit in a prominent representational position for the International Dairy Foods Association, help the IDFA while the IDFA petitions to the FDA, it’s almost as if a Rockefeller is petitioning to a Rockefeller, of course it will go through, or will it?

Did you know that Aspartame has been proven to cause brain damage by leaving traces of Methanol in the blood? It makes you wonder why Aspartame has been approved as “safe” and is found in thousands of food products. Currently more than 90 countries have given the artificial sweetener the “OK” to be used in foods.

Given that Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, manufacturers are able to produce their sweet foods and market them as “low calorie” so they can market and appeal to millions of people on “diets.” There is no doubt that the less sugar you have in your diet, the better, but replacing sugar with aspartame is not the solution; in fact this is likely to be even worse for your health.

A study recently published in December of 2012 links the consumption of Aspartame to increased risk of Lymphoma and Leukemia. Conducted by the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health and more, the study was a follow up after a 22 year period of data collection that includes frequent dietary and health check ups of the study group. The combined results of this new study showed that just one 12-fl oz. can (355 ml) of diet soda daily leads to:

- 42 percent higher leukemia risk in men and women (pooled analysis)
- 102 percent higher multiple myeloma risk (in men only)
- 31 percent higher non-Hodgkin  lymphoma risk (in men only)

This is a powerful set of results as it leaves little to ponder about when it comes to the long time talked about risks of aspartame on our health. The results were based on multi-variable relative risk models, all in comparison to participants who drank no diet soda. It is important to note that it still remains unknown why only men drinking higher amounts of diet soda showed increased risk for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but the continuation of this study may reveal these results later.

Thanks for reading, I hope this inspires you to notice what you are eating, question it and do your own research. Much Love.

 Sources:

(1) http://www.idfa.org/files/resources/milk_petition_031009_final.pdf

(2)http://www.idfa.org/news–views/headline-news/details/7991/

(3)http://www.rockefeller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/committee-

assignments

(4)http://www.ezvote.org/page.asp?content=2013_14_open_seats&g=idfa&parent=BIPAC

http://www.uabmedicine.org/news/Food+%28sugar+substitutes%29

http://www.mpwhi.com/aspartame_methanol_and_public_health.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22385158

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16507461

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23097267

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17805418

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/02/aspartame-in-milk-without-label-big.html

http://www.prisonplanet.com/u-s-dairy-industry-petitions-fda-to-approve-aspartame-as-hidden-unlabeled-additive-in-milk-yogurt-eggnog-and-cream.html

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/27/aspartame-added-to-milk-dairy-hidden-additive/#sthash.MblWrI9r.dpuf

The reason why hemp is illegal is because it threatens a variety of corporate interests.

Hemp has been making a lot of noise lately, especially with the growing awareness surrounding the use of hemp oil for treating cancer. Although the word ‘hemp’ still often gets confused and lumped into the same definition as Cannabis, a similar but psychoactive plant, it’s important to realize hemp can be a major game changer for our world if used to its potential. As we go through this post, you will be wondering ‘why don’t we use this stuff all the time.. for everything?!’ Simple answer, farming hemp was banned in the US and other countries in the 1937 because of the threat it caused to certain companies and their businesses. More about that here.

Although hemp has many practical uses, let’s focus on one that would affect us every day; clothing. For this, we will compare hemp to cotton, as cotton is a very popular resource used in clothing production. We’ll need to focus on various areas that have to be taken into consideration when comparing the two so we can determine not only what is better for us, but also what is best for our environment as it’s important to view things holistically. Let’s do it.

Water

Cotton: To grow cotton you require about 1400 gallons of water for every pound you intend to produce. That’s a lot of water! Some areas of the world that produce cotton are running out of fresh water due to the production of cotton as well as clothing. Some areas of the world have even experienced desertification as a result of producing cotton.

Hemp: You require about half the amount of water to produce hemp as you would if producing cotton. Hemp is a strong and reliable plant that grows very quickly. Not only that, hemp produces about 200% – 250% more fibre in the same amount of land compared to cotton.

The victor: Hemp

Pesticides

Cotton: One of the biggest downsides to cotton is how much pesticides are used to grow the plant. Although organic cotton farming is beginning to catch on a bit more, the production of cotton worldwide takes up about 25% of the world’s pesticide use. The other unfortunate factor is that these chemicals can end up being absorbed into our skin as we wear clothing.

Hemp: The beauty of hemp is that it requires no pesticides to grow. In fact, it doesn’t require any chemicals at all to grow. The growing nature of the plant competes with weeds and over-powers their ability to sustain themselves. This allows the hemp plant to grow freely and quickly.

The victor: Hemp

Comfort & Longevity

Cotton:  Generally very comfortable to begin with, as you continue to wear cotton it ‘breaks in’ to become even more comfortable. There is no denying how soft cotton can be, but it is also true that cotton fibres break down over time and the more it is washed the faster it breaks down.

Hemp: The hemp fibre used in clothing is a strong natural fibre that, like cotton, gets progressively softer with each passing day you wear it and each time you wash it. Although it may not start off quite as soft, it is still soft and certainly would not be considered uncomfortable. The plus is that the fibre is much stronger and durable. Repeated washed will not break the fibre down anywhere near as quickly as cotton. Creating more hemp clothing would mean we would need to produce much less clothing.

The victor: Hemp

Breathability & Wicking

Cotton: Breathability is certainly a strong suit for cotton. It also does not hold odours for very much. This is quite possibly one of the biggest downsides to synthetic fibres, they don’t dispel odour well and don’t often deal with moisture well either. While cotton has a natural wicking system, it also holds moisture a little longer than what might be considered most desirable.

Hemp: Performs very well when it comes to breathability and wicks moisture away from the body effectively. Hemp also carries anti-bacterial properties that trump any other natural fibre. This means hemp will not mold or grow mildew very easily. Since it also does not hold odours, hemp clothing edges out cotton slightly on this one

The victor: Almost a tie, but hemp is our pal on this one again

Aesthetics

Cotton: Without the use of dyes, cotton comes naturally in white, cream and off-white. Cotton can be dyed naturally or synthetically to achieve a desired color. The growing knowledge that cotton is very taxing on the environment and not healthy for our skin is creating quite the demand for organic cotton. In terms of the fashion market, organic cotton is showing up more and more.

Hemp: Given the various processes available to remove fibres from the stem of a hemp plant, hemp can be naturally creamy white, black, green, grey or brown. Without even requiring the use of dye, hemp comes in a variety of colors. Of course, you are still able to dye hemp both naturally and synthetically. Hemp is quickly becoming more and more popular in the fashion market as designers see the potential in the material while being a very environmentally sound option. Since it is durable and lasts a long time, it can be attractive to certain designers.

The voctor: Hemp

Final Decision

Winner by knockout and growing undisputed champion of natural harmony, HEMP! This isn’t to say that cotton, especially grown organically, is not a good material, it simply isn’t better all around than hemp. In some cases, cotton could be a must use if something specific is being produced. The biggest differences are in the facts that hemp requires much less water and no pesticides to produce. Not only that, it boasts a lot more fibre per acre. Concerned about excess CO2 in the atmosphere? Hemp is spectacular at sequestering CO2! Take the time to check out some hemp clothing around the internet or see if there are some local stores who sell it. Although options can sometimes be limited right now, look out for more hemp clothing as awareness continues to spread!

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/17/hemp-vs-cotton-the-ultimate-showdown/#sthash.YoGef4mj.dpuf

Marijuana Legalization to be Voted on in Maine!

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington by legalizing cannabis.

Voters in Portland are being asked whether they want to make it legal for adults 21 and over to possess — but not purchase or sell — up to 2.5 ounces of pot. The Nov. 5 vote is being eyed nationally as momentum grows in favor of legalizing marijuana use.

The Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that supports legalization, says it targeted Portland because it's Maine's largest city and because, unlike many other states and cities, it has an initiative process to get the referendum on the ballot. Organizers hope passage of the Portland initiative could spur similar results in other liberal Northeast cities.

"I think there's national implications, keeping the momentum that Washington and Colorado started last November in ending marijuana prohibition," said David Boyer, the organization's political director in Maine. "This is just the next domino."

There's no organized opposition to the referendum, but law enforcement and substance abuse groups are speaking out against it.

In reality, the vote in Portland won't change anything because people aren't being targeted by police for possession, said Kevin Sabet, director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a national alliance that opposes legalization and imprisoning people for marijuana possession.

Legalizing pot sends a message to youths that using marijuana is no big deal, when really it carries health risks including an increased heart rate, respiratory problems and memory problems, Sabet said. The Portland referendum is simply a first step toward establishing a marijuana industry, he said.

"People with small amounts of marijuana are not being locked up in jail," he said. "This is really about a much bigger issue, which is moving toward the retail sales model where we really would be introducing our new version of Big Tobacco in Maine."

If the ballot measure passes, it will be largely symbolic because it won't override state and federal laws. Pot possession is a low priority for Portland police, but they'll continue enforcing state law, Police Chief Michael Sauschuk said. Besides, possessing 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana is already a civil offense under state law, where violators are issued a ticket and fined, he said.

A majority of Americans now think marijuana possession should be legal, according to a Pew Research Center poll in March. In the national survey, 52 percent of respondents said marijuana should be legal, while 45 percent said it should not, marking the first time in more than 40 years of polling that a majority favored legalization.

Washington and Colorado last year legalized the possession of up to an ounce of pot by adults 21 and over, with voters deciding to set up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and sellers. In August, the Department of Justice said federal authorities wouldn't pre-empt state law as long as the states developed a sound regulatory structure.

There hasn't been any public polling on the Portland ballot question, but marijuana-legalization supporters in the liberal city are confident it will pass.

Peter Johnson, a 28-year-old artist, is among those who favor the initiative. "I don't think it's a bad thing, as long as people use it in moderation, just like anything."

But George South, 59, thinks legalization would send a message to children that it's OK to do drugs.

Marijuana "affects your brain and slows your brain down," he said. "It's a drug that shouldn't be legalized."

Twenty states and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for medical use, and it's time to do the same for recreational use, said Mason Tvert, national communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

His group has identified 10 states where it intends to support legalization efforts in the next few years. A signature-collecting drive is now underway in Alaska to force a vote in 2014, with Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont targeted for legalization in 2016 and 2017.

"I think more people than ever before recognize the fact that marijuana is actually less harmful than alcohol, and they're questioning their beliefs about why it should be illegal," he said. "I think there are a lot of younger people, who, like with marriage equality, are simply growing up with a different mindset with this type of social issue.

"But I also think there a lot of people in their 40s and 50s who have come to recognize that what they've been told about marijuana their whole lives simply isn't true," Tvert said.

Mind Over Matter: Princeton & Russian Scientist Reveal The Secrets of Human Aura & Intentions

A Russian scientist has been studying the human energy field and is claiming that people can change the world simply by using their own energy. While this idea is not new, not too many have taken the time to scientifically go about proving such ideas -although the field of quantum physics has shed some powerful light on the topic over the years. Dr. Konstantin Korotkov, professor of physics at St. Petersburg State Technical University, states that when we think positive and negative thoughts, each have a different impact on our surrounding environment.

“We are developing the idea that our consciousness is part of the material world and that with our consciousness we can directly influence our world,” said Dr. Konstantin Korotkov.

We cannot see energy very easily with the human eye and thus the world of unseen energy can be difficult for the mind to grasp without scientific measurements to verify what is taking place. Perhaps this is why the study of consciousness affecting our reality has been virtually untouched for so long. To help create a bridge between our physical and unseen world, scientific experiments using a technique called bioelectrophotography are being carried out. In these experiments, an assumption must be made that states the human body and consciousness is constantly emitting energy. Following this assumption, Bioelectrophotography aims to capture these energy fields seen as a light around the body. In the metaphysical world this energy emission is known as a person’s aura, while in the scientific field, it is often refereed to as our energy field.

Princeton Research

Dr. Korotkov is not the only one studying the affects of the human mind, thoughts and energy on our surrounding environment. The Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) Laboratory has also been trying to wrap their heads around the subject and have concluded that the mind does in fact have a subtle capacity to influence the output of devices known as Random Event Generators (REGs).

A project that initially started when a student was curious to study the effects of the human mind and intention on the surrounding environment, turned into a rigorous testing lab where Dr. Robert Jahn and his lab assistant spent many hours experimenting to determine whether or not the mind has an affect on our physical world. Jahn and his assistant were able to determine that the human minds interactions with the machines demonstrated a relationship that was not physical in nature. The mind was able to affect and change outcomes of the machine in ways that were beyond explainable. In essence, consciousness was having an affect over the physical world.

To determine the affects of the minds intention on the physical world, they built several machines called  a random number generator. The machine would essentially mimic a coin flip and record the results over time. The machine performed 200 flips per second and produced an average mean of 100 as one would expect. Left unattended, the machine would continue to produce results that suggested a 50/50 chance of producing either heads or tales. The interesting results came when human intention started to interact with the machine. What was once a random 50/50 chance of producing heads or tales began to deviate from expectation as the observer began to intend for the numbers to be higher or lower. While the affects of the mind over the the machines was not large, it was enough that contemporary physics is unable to explain what exactly is happening. Perhaps this is where the quantum world can shed light?

The implications this research could have on humanity is quite fascinating given it could reach into the realms of creating a world of peace, healthy living and joy. If intentions and thoughts can impact something the way it has been demonstrated above, why not explore the boundaries of how far this can go? It is my belief that we create our realities with our thoughts and intentions, I feel science is starting to confirm this and in time we will realize the true power of our minds and intentions.

The video below is a very brief synopsis of the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research laboratory of Princeton University, whose research into mind-matter interaction forms the foundation of Psyleron Technology.

Sources:

https://www.princeton.edu/~pear/

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/09/05/mind-over-matter-princeton-russian-scientist-reveal-the-secrets-of-human-aura-intentions/#sthash.miVWJBTO.dpuf

The Great Gathering of Humanity: The Time For Global Change is Now

The inspiration for the title I chose for this article comes from Miriam Delicado, who shares the message that we are one voice, one people, and one Earth. That we all need to come together, unite and collectively work towards planetary change. Inspiring people to take the necessary steps to create big change on the planet. More people than ever before in human history have the desire to do this. The words below, however are my own, they come from me and are not meant to speak for Miriam Delicado. If you want to know more about her great work, you can click on her name, it will take you directly to her website. She will also be making an appearance in our third documentary, The Collective Evolution III.

Never before in the history of the human race have we become so aware of what is really happening on our planet. Never before has humanity collectively united to spread awareness and voice their vision of a world they wish to create. Alternative media outlets are garnishing millions of hits from all over the world. It’s clear that people are looking for other sources of information beyond the corporate media as they continue to wonder what exactly is happening on the planet. Everyday it seems that more people are snapping out of the routine of their everyday lives, putting their critical thinking hats on and observing what we are letting happen to our planet and its people. What was once labelled a ‘conspiracy theory’ is now  an obvious fact. All global wealth and resources lie in the hands of a select few, several multinational corporations and the few financial institutions that control and influence our everyday lives. They literally program us and shape our perception of reality using a variety of different techniques. It’s easy to look up, almost all of the same financial institutions own all of the major corporations in  our health, entertainment, energy, financial, educational and political framework. There are even published ‘academic’ papers that outline this fact(1). This framework does not represent the people but rather the corporate interests and agenda these groups would like to see play out. It’s clear to the majority of humans that we have better ways to operate here, and our window of opportunity to make change dramatically decreases with every second. Elitist groups are loosing their ability to shape the reality and perception of the human being. Meanwhile, you have humanity in a struggle to take care of themselves and their families, putting them in a position of survival, so caught up in their own lives with no attention paid to mother Earth. This is exactly what is changing. Humanity is waking up exponentially, and more people everyday are viewing the current human experience on Earth as something we do not resonate with. We are all together here, part of one human race, we must all work together, come together and unite if we would like to see our civilization move forward, expand and reach our unlimited infinite potential.

“Be the change you want to see the world,” a powerful quote from Mahatma Gandhi is something that really resonates with me. Gandhi, like many others before him and after him was well aware that our external world is merely a reflection of our inner world. If you want to see change without, you have to be that change within. Undoubtedly this could be the most effective method for global change, but I believe in these times it requires more than that. Operating from a place of inner peace, love and understanding is the key to change yes, but we must use action to change the world from this place of peace. We must identify what no longer resonates with us here, and take whatever steps our heart tells us in order to change it. Either way, events will continue to happen on Earth that serve as an awakening method for the human race, 9/11 is one example of many. You can create change in many different ways, it starts with your being operating from that place of peace and raising your own individual vibrational frequency. Planet Earth has been a very dense planet, a low vibrating planet which presents challenges for everyone to experience joy and high frequency feelings. The more the collective raises it’s frequency, the greater our strength becomes to change the world, and the greater the vibrational frequency of planet Earth as a collective raises to a new, never before experienced frequency range. Everybody has their own individual wants and lifestyle, but there are many here now that desire nothing but big planetary change, and will work towards that the best way they know how.

If you want to understand the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration

What kind of changes am I talking about? There are multiple examples of things that need to change. For one, our energy industry isn’t needed at all. Humanity has identified multiple ways to generate alternative energy without burning any fossil fuels.  Everything from free energy, solar, and more. We have countless ways to generate energy with very little input, and in some cases no input at all. We must start implementing these things if we are to move on and live harmoniously with our planet. Our ‘decision makers’ must have the best interest of humanity at the forefront of their hearts when it comes to making decisions for the human race, mother Earth and all life upon it. Right now it’s clear that our ‘decision makers’ do not have the best interests of the people within their hearts. These ‘elite’ must be removed from decision making, and the ones who see us as one human race, us, must take the reins. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Our health is another example. We continue to allow corporations like Monsanto to control the global food supply. This is another great example of the world waking up, humanity has identified multiple studies that show that GMOs can be harmful to human health. This is the reason why Monsanto and their GMO crops have been banned all over the world in a majority of countries. All it takes is peaceful activism and simply making the human race aware of what they have not been aware of for so long. Another avenue of awakening for humanity as been the revelation of the black budget, a lot of our history (over half) remains classified. Technological developments within the black budget world are coming to light. The point I’m trying to make is that our world has (very recently) become extremely transparent, any many people are speaking up about it. There are so many different aspects of our world that are becoming transparent, providing multiple awakening opportunities for many people.It gives them the deep desire to change what doesn’t resonate with them anymore. It’s funny, because the translation of the word “apocalypse” means “transparency.”

I am aware that planetary change cannot happen instantly, but what is instantly? Over the years our planet has changed exponentially, within the past 100 years alone the rate of our development in many areas is unbelievable, and that is a very short period of time. Right now, Earth is in a period where humanity has a choice, and the time period is even shorter. We can no longer sustain our current ways, and now is our window of opportunity to create massive, rapid change on a global scale.  The start of this global change, this global paradigm shift started a few years ago and the progress we have made has been tremendous. I can’t imagine where we will be 5 years from now with the amount of change and the awakening that has already happened. We still have a long way to go. We are living in very exciting times. Human beings are wonderful people, we are full of love, light and compassion. We are all born with these things and hate, fear and other low vibrational emotional states are simply programmed into us. They do not represent our natural state, and we must learn to let them go. If we operate from a place of peace, love, cooperation and understanding, we will take this planet and accelerate it into a higher frequency, an existence and experience that is more harmonious with the planet and its people. From this place we will be able to move on and explore other aspects of reality and join the galactic community that awaits our transition. Now is the time we choose which direction we go, we are living in critical times. Time to wake up world.

As we continue to become aware, our perception of the planet changes. If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. The collective consciousness of planet Earth is shifting as we begin to see things in a new light. Everything we are experiencing here is simply an opportunity, a test to see if we are really up to the challenge of changing our world for the better.  Seeing the world through the heart is much different than seeing the world through the mind. It’s time to let go of this experience we find ourselves in on the planet, it’s time to move on, take the training wheels off and fly. It’s time to grow up as one human race, come together and move on.

Sources:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025995

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/10/19/the-great-gathering-of-humanity-the-time-for-global-change-is-now/#sthash.9eWmfnp3.dpuf

Another Queensland Community In Australia Bans Fluoride From Drinking Water - See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/07/queensland-australia-bans-fluoride-from-drinking-water/#sthash.MSNPi0zU.dpuf

The Australian state  of Queensland recently cut their 14 million dollar budget allocated for water fluoridation which has already prompted the city of Cairns to end their water fluoridation practices. The Queensland government also ended a policy that required large communities to fluoridate their water.

Come the middle of March 2013, Cairns’ 150,000 plus area residents will no longer be exposed to fluoride chemicals in the water. This will be the seventh community in Queensland to end water fluoridation so far in 2013. Murgon, Wondai, Kingaroy, Nanango, Blackbutt, and South Burnett have all ended their water fluoridation programs since January.

Given the recent exposure of how bad fluoride is for us, do you think the ones who have been putting it in our water supply for decades did not know? Do you think all of this research and information is new to them? It’s not, the entities responsible for global water fluoridation have always been well aware of it’s dangers. The problem is that the research and information is used to educate medical practitioners is completely false, they have literally been brainwashed when it comes to fluoride. All it requires is us to wake up, ask questions and accept portions of our reality that are sometimes hard to face, but in order to change them we must face them. Chief medical authorities of Australia, as well as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say that it is indeed an involuntary form of “medication”. I’d like to point out that fluoride should never be considered medication, they use the term “involuntary medication” to agree with the general consensus that it shouldn’t be in our water, while calling it medication to uphold it’s reputation. I am sure they do not want it taken out of toothpaste, although it should be. We should not be putting sodium fluoride, sodium silicofluoride and  hydrofluorosilicic acid into our bodies!

In point of fact, fluoride causes more human cancer death and causes it faster than any other chemical – Dr Dean Burk, Ph. D. 34 Years at the national cancer institute

Fluoride continues to be a subject of increasing interest around the world. It’s nice to see the global community start coming together for something that’s  been obvious for years.  Why would we put toxic waste substances from the fertilizer, steel, aluminum and nuclear industries into our drinking water? I am glad more communities around the world are beginning to wake up and raise an eyebrow to a practice that has continued for decades. All communities that choose to fluoridate drinking water without the approval of it’s citizens are making a hazardous health mistake. Recommendation for water fluoridation on a global level is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control. Any information coming from these sources should be highly questioned, as they have been funded by the same corporations and people who fund the pharmaceutical industry as well as medical research. The Rockefeller foundation has been heavily involved with funding the United Nations, the WHO (a branch of the UN). Collective Evolution did a documentary about fluoride, check it out below as well as more of our articles on the subject.

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/07/queensland-australia-bans-fluoride-from-drinking-water/#sthash.MSNPi0zU.dpuf

Hemp Seeds: A Superfood You Need In Your Diet

Hemp seeds are becoming a very popular superfood among health conscious people. Whether you eat them plain, in cereals, snack bars, shakes or in oil form, they pack a big nutritional punch that should put hemp seeds in everyones diet.

Essential Fatty Acids
Hemp seeds are made up of 24% protein, include the full range of amino acids and contain a perfect a balance of Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs. EFAs include omega-3 and omega-6, both help us keep a strong and healthy immune system and are responsible for shiny healthy looking skin, hair and nails. In fact, just 2 weeks of 1-2 tablespoons a day of hemp oil will drastically improve the appearance of your skin. For breastfeeding mothers, the EFAs from hemp can be a big help in replenishing the 11 grams of EFAs that are pulled from the mother daily through breastfeeding. The extra EFAs needs to come from a food source as the body does not replenish them on its own.

Amino AcidsHemp seeds contain all of the 21 known amino acids. Below is a list of each amino acid. in bold you will find the 8 essential amino acids.

alanine arginine aspargine aspartic acid cysteine glutamic acid glutamine glycine histidine isoleucine leucine lysine alanine arginine aspargine aspartic acid cysteine glutamic acid

glutamine glycine histidine isoleucine leucine lysine methionine phenylalanine proline serine taurine threonine tryptophan tyrosine valine taurine (considered essential for premature babies) histidine (considered essential for children, but not for adults)

Protein
Hemp seeds are composed of over 30% pure protein, making them a great daily source of healthy protein. The protein found in hemp is high-quality edestin and albumin, making them the highest vegan source of this simple protein that’s required for proper immune system function. Hemp protein contains live and intact enzymes which make them easily digestible proteins that easily assimilate into the body. This is also a great alternative if you are allergic to other forms of protein found in dairy or soy. Hemp seeds are also an excellent source of gamma linoleic and stearidonic acid which can be therapeutic for a number of conditions like eczema, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and more.

Below is a comparison of the amounts of protein found in each popular source of protein.

Soybeans	35.0%
Hemp seed shelled	31.0%
Hamburger beef	27.1%
Blue fish	26.0%
Cheddar cheese	23.5%
Chicken	23.5%
Hempseed — whole	23.0%
Almonds	18.3%
Wheat flour	13.3%
Egg	12.0%
Tofu	08.0%
Rice	07.5%
Skimmed milk	03.7%

Fiber and Carbs
The hemp seed is composed of 40 percent fiber which is the highest amount of any grain this planet has to offer. Hemp seeds are comprised of 27% carbohydrates, almost all of which is in the form of soluble and insoluble fiber with a 4-to-1 ratio of insoluble to soluble. Soluble fiber is effective in slowing glucose absorption, slowing gastric emptying and increasing the excretion of bile acid, which helps to lower levels of LDL cholesterol in the body. Insoluble fiber is effective for healthy movement of food through our digestive system. This helps to keep our bowel movements regular as well. Adding hemp seeds to your daily diet will also lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Hemp seeds also contain disease-fighting phytosterols. Studies have shown that hemp seeds, or even hemp milk, may prevent heart disease, many forms of cancer, as well as inflammation-based diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

How can you eat hemp seeds?
Hemp seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, made into hemp milk, made into tea, and used in baking. You can also find hemp seed oil which  results from grounding the seed into oil form. This can replace olive oils in salads and other dressings. There are a number of products at health food stores that contain hemp seeds. Next time you are there, check out for cold and hot cereals, bars, bulk raw seeds, oils, milks and butters!

Sources:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/gamma-linolenic-000305.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/217904-hemp-seeds-health-benefits-or-hype/#ixzz2ML3kMtze

http://www.hempfoods.com.au/

- See more at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/03/01/hemp-seeds-a-superfood-you-need-in-your-diet/#sthash.OwnrD6Ep.dpuf