Permaculture Blog

It’s no surprise that the “Big 6” Big Ag firms that make GE (GMO) seeds also make pesticides to go along with them.

Source: A Despicable Ploy by Monsanto and Other Biotech Giants Increased U.S. Pesticide Use by Over 500 Million Pounds in Just 5 Years

In 2011 alone, GMO crops used 20 percent more pesticides on average than non-GMO crops.

Californians please do not put red eared sliders, bull frogs, or gambusia (aka mosquitofish) in your pond. They are _not_ California pond critters. The first two will eat the native chorus frogs and ducklings. gambusia will eat the chorus frog tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, damselfly larvae, and pretty much everything that really does eat mosquito larvae.

gambusia are simply not appropriate for a pond. And I just had a client who put a few in and now wants to catch them and remove them all because they are harassing the Goldfish and Koi and making them hide. It has been night and day since she put the mosquitofish in. Previously the koi were always out, friendly, and eating well. Now they are hiding and not even coming out for food.

June 19 2016
Close to the longest day of the year. The most sunlight of the year. And look at this pool2pond.

It is also hot! But I am sure that this client is cool in their pool2pond.

From this: a couple of months ago.

And another picture of before….

Pool X: Wohooooo the Polaris is working well. I am going to have to add a small modification though. The pool water itself has gone completely non-toxic and my little test critters are now starting to do just fine. Now I’ll be able to start adding plants and more complex critters.

Pool Y: I have now started this one and the water unfortunately is still too toxic for some natives. I will comment again that: an owner comes out to find a little chorus frog or a slender salamander floating in the pool and they say awwww the poor thing, it drowned. And I cringe, and think, it didn’t drown it’s an _aquatic_ animal. They are poisoned by the chlorine. And the chlorine in this pool is entirely municipal (drinking water). People that own aquariums have known for many years that you can’t just fill up an aquarium and put fish in because the water is too toxic. And you are _drinking_ it. 😜 This particular pool is collecting rainwater from the roof and they were able to collect a fair amount of water with the last rains.

Bob
www.PuraVidaAquatic.com

My clients send me this kind of email.

Bob

www.PuraVidaAquatic.com

Sent from my iPhone

Source: Hungry Minnow Run Amok?

Their suspicions were raised when they examined the stomachs of 36 mosquito fish netted from a stream near Los Angeles and found that 65% contained tadpoles, while just 56% had mosquito larvae. They then tested the fish’s prey preference in the wild and in the laboratory by setting up in-stream tanks and tabletop tubs stocked with minnows, Pacific treefrog tadpoles, and mosquito larvae. Even when the tanks were swarming with larvae, the minnows went for the tadpoles.

The authors of the above article were Lee Kats and Jeff Goodsell of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Dr. Katz …

hopes the results will convince California officials to reconsider their policy of handing out the fish to anyone who asks. “Twenty years from now,” he says, “we are going to look at this practice and say: ‘What were we thinking?’ “

I have developed in over 20 years, an ecologically devised system that destroys the mosquito larvae eggs and doesn’t hurt native dragonflies, damselflies or frogs.

Mosquito fish destroy dragonfly and damselfly larvae also. Yet in my experience vector control officials are absolutely sure that they are right and that they know without question that introducing mosquito fish is the only way to control mosquitoes.

West LA vector control employees will even go around and put mosquito fish in ponds that have posted notices not to put mosquito fish in.

So you have to be vigilant but natural systems provide habitats for all sorts of creatures that we care about. Especially the Pacific chorus frog.

Best
Bob

Source:http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2016/02/26/longstanding-hillary-clinton-ties-to

Her biotech/agribusiness ties began during the 1980s as a Rose Law firm lawyer. Monsanto and Tyson Foods were clients.
During her years as first lady in the 1990s, she supported harmful to health genetically modified foods and ingredients – while banning them from White House menus.

As Obama’s secretary of state, she heavily pressured other countries to use and import GMOs. US taxpayer money continues promoting them worldwide, ignoring food safety.

Monsanto gave the Clinton Foundation up to a million dollars – dirty money buying influence. Last year, she hired former Monsanto lobbyist Jerry Crawford to run her campaign.

She hired a former Monsanto lobbyist to run her campaign. She didn’t hire somebody off the street. She hired somebody she knew a lot about. She’s been a lawyer all her life and she was confident in this Monsanto lobbyist to run her campaign.
Hmmmmmmmm is it just possible we have let Monsanto buy our science through our politicians.

He points to two suspensions.The government says he traveled without approval, behaved unprofessionally.

Source: Was a USDA scientist muzzled because of his bee research?

I especially suggest that you read the end. Has Monsanto’s money and contributions to our politicians purchased our science? Monsanto gave the Clinton Foundation up to a million dollars.

Wow I bet you a lot of the 99%ers would like to have a million dollars to just give away to a foundation for no reason. Oh wait maybe there was a reason.

Get the U.S. Department of State to call for an investigation into the murder of Berta Cáceres.

Source: Take action: Justice for Berta Cáceres! — AddUp.org

Permaculture is about paying attention to the rest of the world as well as your backyard. On March 3, 2016 gunmen entered the home of Berta Cáceres and murdered her.

Berta, Indigenous leader and Goldman Environmental Prize winner, committed her life to the struggle against a huge dam project in Honduras. We should do what we can to encourage the Honduras government to find, and bring her killers to Justice.

All you have to do is click “petition”. In my case Google Chrome filled in the slots.

Nike
Just do it.

You’ve probably heard of urban rooftop gardens, but what about roofs as watersheds? Meet the newest trend in skyscraper sustainability.

Source: Going Green With Blue Roofs – The Crux

In San Diego County you don’t need to own a skyscraper to have a blue roof! Yeaaaaa. We have someone who can help you with your own personal blue roof right here in our permaculture community. Alden and Ann Hough at Sky Mountain Institute can help you collect your rain water and run off so that you can use it on your property.

Yeaaaaa Alden and Ann.