Replicating Designs found in Nature (Biomimetics) should be what defines the Biotech Industry

Unfortunately, recent News from the Biotech Industry itself says that we live in a world without purpose, therefore GMOs are necessary. Seriously folks, this is exactly what motivates & justifies their actions

I wasn't going to make anymore mention on this topic, but I had this draft post for some time now and haven't done anything with it. However, with the recent revelation from the Biotech Industry that our natural world has no purpose and the collective intellect of Geneticists & Biologists employed by the Biotech Industry know how to correct this problem, well, who could resist. I've changed the title because some fascinating things have been discovered in the natural world that have important practical application in maintaining the Earth can be made and helping serve mankind in general. However, often times the only roadblock in such wonderful amazing discoveries is reasoning like this, "Yeah, sounds great. But can we make money with it ?" What I'll do is highlight two of the most spectacular biomimicry news reports lately out of the 100s which seem to be coming through the science news feeds lately and make comparison to what else is needed with regards balancing many of Earth's ecosystems. Keep in mind, there is no one fix-it-pill cure all for what ails our planet.

Opossum-Based Antidote Provides New Route For Treating Deadly Snake Bites

"Researchers from San Jose State University recently presented the findings of a new study at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, in Denver. Lead investigator Dr. Claire Komives explained the initial research into the opossum’s immunity was done in the 1940s, but since then the data has remained mostly stagnant. With new evidence that a certain peptide can be utilized in an antidote, fatal snake bites could one day be a thing of the past."

(Source) 

Im-possum-ble! (Credit: Thinkstock)

via adventure.howstuffworks.com

Previously last year, I reported on the research work done by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies who found that Opossums are quite literally tick magnetics. Of what importance is this ? Opossums are meticulous in keeping themselves clean, despite their notorious habit of digging in rubbish bins for food. Sadly their other claim to fame is often roadkill. But the researchers found that because of both being a magnet for ticks and their fanatic hygiene grooming allows for a  large part of their diet to include eating ticks as this was discovered in their feces. This revealed an extremely important reason for their purpose within any ecosystem. Now it appears that Opossums are a super source of antivenom: Medical Daily reported that “Opossum-based antidote to venom from snake bites could save thousands of lives.” Sure enough, it does appear that the opossums are immune to some forms of snake venom. They make a peptide that binds to the venom protein, rendering it harmless. This could lead to antivenoms that are easier to produce and have no side effects. Dr Claire Komives said that the Mice she injected with the peptide showed no signs of being sick. Below is a 17 minute video of a conference earlier this month in Colorado with the American Chemical Society. I'll let her talk more on what they have found, but I'll have a further comment about the usual critics who no doubt are jealous of both the discovery and results. 

Video: "Opossum-based antidote to poisonous snake bites could save thousands of lives"

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Common weed (Cattails - Typha dmingensis) revealed to diminish water pollution

"Francisco Delgado Vargas, from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), researches the use of the plant Typha domingensis in reducing bacterial contamination of water for agricultural use. This plant helps to reduce up to 98 percent of pollution by enterobacteria (usually found in the intestines of mammals) involved in the development of disease."

(Source) 

Cattail, Bulrush, Corn Dog Grass, Cumbungi (Typha domingensis)

image: Gerry Ellis

This report revealed that a common weed that most people globally are very familiar with can reduce water pollution. The plant, which they mistakenly are labeling a weed is the common Cattail or Bulrush or Typha domingensis which already grows in polluted waterways.  “This plant helps to reduce up to 98 percent of pollution by enterobacteria (usually found in the intestines of mammals) involved in the development of disease,” the Mexican researcher found. No doubt somewhere out there, we have other so-called weeds we should learn to love not only for their uniqueness when under control, but the beneficial roles they play in nature. Of course we are also aware that under the right circumstances, this plant can become weedy and choke vast waterways, but this is mostly due to human caused pollution which creates excessive nutrients for which the plant responds by excessive multiplying. While they are great at removing nutrients, there must also be strategies for removal as a means of harvesting the biomass for other intended purposes. Here are a couple more quick paragraphs from the article.

"Vargas Delgado indicates that mankind has an impact on the drains, "most pollution comes from fecal waste; this indicates that there is other bacteria that can affect health." He adds that Typha domingensis is considered a pest in the drains, and is therefore removed; however, proper management helps the ecosystem. "We are invading the places where these plants develop, removing them, and don't see the great ecological benefits that they provide." 

"Properly designing drains so that there is space for plants to help reduce pollution without affecting the free flow of water would allow the agricultural drains to play their role in the evacuation of excess water from the mainland and also lessen the impact of pollutants that are thrown into these channels.

Dwarf Cattail (Typha minima)

Most people are probably unaware that there is a cute mini-variety of Cattail which can be used for small ponds in your urban landscape to keep was nutrients in check. Aside from the fact that unlike it's large standard relative, it won't invade and overwhelm the pond. This Dwarf cattail [Typha minima] - (also miniature cattail or least cattail) is native to marshes and wetlands here in Europe and Asia. So great for colder climates. As with most all cattails, their root tubers over winter very well. This is the smallest of the cattails, typically growing to only 18” to 24” tall. Its dwarf size makes it an ideal marginal aquatic perennial for smaller water gardens, natural swimming pools and tubs. It features narrow, upright, grass-like, linear, mostly basal, green leaves and a stiff, unbranched central flower stalk. You know, so much biodiversity has been lost where large animals are concerned. I am continually pondering over and over in my mind just what has been lost from a vegetation maintenance perspective where large herbivores have been removed from certain ecosystems, just what the impact has been on overgrowth of many plants, especially aquatic environments. What was lost by the removal of the Grizzly and other bears, not only as far as a chaparral scenario, but also an aquatic one. Bears love the Cattail tubers, which as also edible for human consumption. But as many studies warn, stay away from the polluted environments when harvesting.

image: Robert Weselmann

These are just two excellent examples of where biomimetics not only promise to improve human life and health, but also improve biology around the Earth overall. The inspiration for biomimicry requires focusing on the plants and animals to understand them better even when some may often viewed in a negative light. That almost guarantees vast improvement with science education, updated & improved textbooks, and inspiring a new generation to enter biology. On the other hand, the present biotechnology needs a massive overhaul and clearly there should be laws or rules on the books requiring the employment of several full time staffed bioethicists in each Industrial Biotech company. Below are just a couple of examples of things probably most people do not know have happened in the past with GMO experiments or have been forgotten with these horrible biotech failures [which thankfully did not hit the markets] and one wonders, how many other things haven't even seen the light of day ?

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The earliest known public GMO which turned out to be more of a bio-hazard was unleashed on mankind around 1990. A Japanese Biotech company named Showa Denko genetically engineered an amino acid Tryptophan which is used as a food supplement. The process of using GMO technology was to cut corners and time on the fermentation process. This product was actually placed on the market in the late 80's, and within three months, 37 people died and 1500 were permanently disabled from using this product. A Lawyer named William E Crist took up the cause of investigation. Another Lawyer is Steven Druker has also written about this incident in history. Recently there was an GMO proponent named Wes Neilson of Onalaska Washington whom I had a discussion with on this very thing. He demanded that lawyers were inadequate to test safety and that only molecular biologists were qualified to examine possible problems. Here are his exact recorded words on the Missouri Organic Association's page:

"Wouldn't a molecular biologist have provided far more insight into GMO crops than a lawyer like Steven Druker who has no scientific background?"

Well, there is a huge hole in Mr Nielson's religious belief on this. The Geneticists and Biologists at Showa Denko deliberately destroyed any and all evidence that could have been used to determine scientifically the actual cause of the problem. They destroyed the genetically engineered bacterial stock samples, along with any potentially surviving specks that investigators might have recovered from the walls or on the equipment in their facilities. Clearly these molecular biologists and geneticists were less than honest. I don't have any doubts that they also may have been ordered to destroy such materials by their superiors at the Biotech Lab. I once wrote a piece of how important such negative data and research which generally never sees the light of day, could in fact be beneficial to other researchers so as not to make the same mistakes. But lo and behold there was more to this story. They concocted and fabricated some ridiculous story of the hazard being nothing more than a bad filtration problem with their new coal filters. However, the attorney William Crist actually demonstrated that this argument was totally false, because he found that hundreds of cases of eosonophil myalgia syndrome (EMS) occurred before reduced filtration was introduced. See here, it took an actual Attorney and not a Biotech Micobiologist or Geneticist to uncover the truth. And the so-called scientific consensus experts and Media wonder why people don't have faith in science [or rather their version of it]. So much for science being self-correcting. Clearly what goes on is not so much a correction as it is a cover up. That's all I'll say on this, but this is not a remote unique example of lab experiments gone wrong with Biotechnology and I'll post some more links at the bottom of this article.

There have been other incidents of gmo experiments gone terribly wrong, but fortunately these as far as we know of never saw the light of day in that they were mass produced and sold to the public. There was a past decade long genetic engineering project for developing a superior Pea with a transgene that would produce a toxin that would kill a common Weevil (Bruchus pisorum) pest in peas. This was a decade long project which revealed the same exact dangerous trend as the L-tryptophan fermenting process with the GM Bacteria by Showa Denko. However, this experiment with the peas and the transgene insertion was abandoned after tests showed it caused an allergic reaction in mice which also caused lung damage. Like other tests and studies done with experiments in toxicity of a certain protein extract from say, Organism A [in this case a bean], it had zero toxic effect on mice or humans. However, once this same protein producing gene is expressed within the context of Organism B [the Pea], it had just the opposite effect. In fact there were structural changes within the protein which did indeed cause certain allergic reactions. The informational content of this protein producing gene didn't jive well within the entirely different context of it's new host, the lowly Pea.

"The researchers - at Australia's national research organisation, CSIRO - took the gene for a protein capable of killing pea weevil pests from the common bean and transferred it into the pea. When extracted from the bean, this protein does not cause an allergic reaction in mice or people." 

 "But the team found that when the protein is expressed in the pea, its structure is subtly different to the original in the bean. They think this structural change could be to blame for the unexpected immune effects seen in mice."

(Source)

Then there is also the case of Dr Árpád Pusztai, a Hungarian-born biochemist and nutritionist who spent 36 years at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, who bucked the Scientific Religious Orthodoxy and came out against GMO Potatoes as a result of his own developmental research on them. He discovered through identical experimentation that when he isolated the prtein lectin from the Snow Drop which was to kill Aphids on potatoes, that no harm at all came from animals eating the purer natural form of the toxin. However, once inserted into the potato's genetic informational context, structural changes clearly took place within the gene's newer genetic context. For revealing his team's findings and exposing the flaws of the technology, he was fired and black balled from working anywhere else. Some of his research team members were likewise treated the same. But there was one statement in the Guardian's interview with him that stands out identical to the two statements in the other pea study I quoted above:

"The results that Pusztai had hinted at in his interview were a comparison of rats fed ordinary potatoes and potatoes that had been genetically modified with a lectin from snowdrops. The rats on the GM diet grew less well and had immune problems even though the lectin itself caused no adverse effects at high concentrations. His conclusion was that the GM process had somehow made the potatoes less nutritious. The GM potatoes were not a commercial variety and were never intended for human consumption, but the lectin modification - which made them poisonous to insects - was an experimental model for other GM varieties."

(Source: The Guardian)

Clearly, the informational content of the Lectin producing gene of the Snowdrop was expressed entirely different within the context of the information contained within the potato. What many geneticists are discovering is that much of the non-coding genes within DNA which do not contain known instructions for the manufacturing of a specific protein, do however contain blueprinted instructions for guidance, regulation and purpose for which that protein under any certain specific situation or circumstances are to be used and directed. What apparently happens is that certain genetic switches are either turned on or off by the mere simple act of inserting the new gene. The trouble is knowing what those other genes are, what their switches turned on or off, do or don't do. The new field of Genetics, called Epigenetics, is revealing how far more complex DNA of living organisms really are. But Scientific discovery and moving forward in the field of genetics has been horribly held back because a handful of religiously driven ideologues within the prevailing scientific orthodoxy have in the past insisted that this non-coding DNA must be labeled Junk DNA for no other reason than because these geneticists decades ago found no function or purpose for it's existence within DNA. For no other reason than their own human ignorance and personal arrogance in admitting publicly that they had no clue as to what exactly that function was, instead gave the label Junk DNA and was supposed to be proof positive of being worthless evolutionary holdover from times past. Hence, one wonders how such religiously driven dogma has actually hindered rather than helped the Biotech industry who have used this as an excuse for taking shortcuts in the production, manufacture, patenting, packaging and labeling of a product to be sold on the global market as quickly as possible. There was another interesting quote at the end of that article. It was from Greenpeace Australia's campaigner on genetic engineering, Jeremy Tager. He said:

"It is rare for an investigation of the potential health effects of a GM product to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, he adds. "If it had been a private company doing this, it might never have seen the light of day"

Jeremy is absolutely correct. Had this Pea Research been some internal study & experiment conducted inside of a Monsanto, Bayer or a Syrgenta Lab, as opposed to a publicly funded organization like Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), none of the paperwork and other research papers would have ever seen the light of day. None of us would have known about the failures of such a technology and it's unintended consequences or inconvenient truth for that matter. This is not Biomimetics which replicates nature based on an actual understanding of knowledge based on facts of how nature operates by means of observation. This is Sci-Fi stuff based on a flawed blind faith religious beliefs that Biological information within DNA is not really true information as understood by humans. Now, how does that dogma go again ? Oh yeah, Biological information within DNA can be compared to rocks in a landslide or pebbles strewn along a beach or patterns of a snowflake. This information is not true intelligent information as we humans understand & know it, it's actually nothing more than meaningless patterns. As long as there are people like this in positions of power, obsessed with the pursuit of wealth and acquiring a global food monopoly at any cost, the entire planet will always be in serious danger. They are correct about one thing, DNA is NOT real information as humans know and understand it. In actual fact it is far more complex and sophisticated than all the collective thinking and understanding of things humans have ever invented or devised from the beginning, irrespective of what anybody with an opinion believes how that all originally happened. But never underestimate the power of religious blind faith and the Clerics which claim to be the guardians of such knowledge.

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Detour Towards Epigenetic Switches 

For those with a further deeper interest in the subject of Epigenetics, I'll provide a couple of interesting links to videos which will illustrate and highlight what the Biotechs refuse to admit. The first is a documentary produced by Horizon referencing British Geneticist Marcus Pembry and Swedish Geneticist Dr Lars Olof Byrgen, who are considered heretics in the field, but found by accident how epigenetics switches can be triggered by environmental cues to turn on or off with the resulting effects being the different expression of the genetic information contained within a sequence of DNA. In fact the the documentary even reveals an example of where the mere act of placing a mouse embryo in a Lab  dish actually caused two switches in that embryo to be turned off. Why ? Who knows. No one really understands why. Does the same happen in humans within the procedure of In Vitro Fertilization which is the process of fertilization by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish, and then transferring the embryo to the uterus. Is there also potential for switches here to be either turned on or off and if so what genes and what do they do when switched on or off ? Is such information important to understand ? Who knows. Does anyone really care ? Again who knows. Remember, this is also another big business model within the Biotech Industry. With that said, here is the BBC documentary and you may wish to bookmark it for later as it is 48 minutes long, but well worth the watch. 

BBC Horizon: "The Ghost in Your Genes"

SciShow: "Epigenetics"

Here are a couple of entertaining short videos illustrating the recent research work of the team of Scientists at ENCODE who have discovered that non-coding DNA does actually have function and purpose after all. Much to the religious outrage of the prevailing orthodoxy which claims to represent science today. Junk DNA is a dogma that will NOT go away any time soon. 

So 98% of your DNA is Junk ?

The Secret of your "Junk DNA" Revealed!   

 What the Encode project tells us about the human genome and 'junk DNA'

So the next time the Biotech Industry puts out another publicity P.R. stunt by either themselves or any of their Rent-A-Scientists and anonymous sock puppet trolls who will name call you an anti-science Luddite, you need to first remember who the anti-science people really are.

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Important Illustrative Update May 8, 2015

 Here is an important update which was published by the University of Buffalo Scientists who are working on Stem Cell research. What they basically have stumbled upon is that there is a hierarchical structural arrangement within genomes and they have found a protein they have labeled as, nFGFR1, which is a protein that regulates the regulators. Wow, who would have thought ? But who or what are these Regulators ? Basically they are the non-coding genes within the genome are those genes which did not code for the manufacturing of a specific protein, hence the term non-coding. However they do contain codes for regulation, instructions tec for other functions like what happens with those manufactured proteins by other gees. Actually, it's far more complex than that. But the fact that they didn't code for proteins, researchers mistakenly stamped the label - "non-coding". Rather than admit that science new nothing of their purpose within any genome and let the public aware they they were still going to research, study, experiment and find out what tasks these genes do perform within the genome, they took it upon themselves to provide these Genes with the label, "Junk DNA". Why ? Because it was religiously assumed that these genes must be useless evolutionary experimental mistakes which they called leftovers from some mystic historical past.  for no other reason than a powerful collection of powerful influential religiously driven Scientists couldn't find any function or purpose to it's existence. Hence it was just leftover evolutionary baggage. As I stated, the only respected genes traditionally have been those genes that they know of which code for the manufacture of proteins as a necessary product for life and MOSTLY, these are the genes with which the Biotech industry are interested in identifying and inserting from one organism into the genome of an entire foreign organism. Yet further discoveries are proving that there is a hierarchical organization made up of the more important regulatory parts and lesser parts which code for the proteins. These protein coding genes are at the bottom of the hierarchy. Layered on top are those extremely important regulatory or control genes. This is where the Biotechs have blundered in their disrespect of the instructional components within the entire context of the gene when they place emphasis and importance only on the coding protein manufacturing genes, such as the BT Cry gene which manufactures the BT Toxin protein for killing insect pests inserted into Maize and Soybean which had an entirely different set of regulatory instruction than the bacteria from which the trans gene was taken. This is likely what went terribly wrong with the three experimental examples I referenced above. Below are some partial quotes and a link to the entire article:

Opening Summary:

"New research shows how a single growth factor receptor protein programs the entire genome. The study provides evidence that it all begins with a single "master" growth factor receptor that regulates the entire genome."

" Now we think we have discovered what may be the most important player, which organizes this cacophony of genes into a symphony of biological development with logical pathways and circuits."

"We found that this protein works as a kind of ‘orchestration factor,’ preferably targeting certain gene promoters and enhancers. The idea that a single protein could bind thousands of genes and then organize them into a hierarchy, that was unknown. Nobody predicted it."

Science Daily: "Master orchestrator of the genome is discovered, stem cell scientists report"

Below was an article from PBS website from 2010 where previous discoveries were just revealing how ignorant that Junk DNA dogma really was. They had one fantastic illustration which stood out to me and here it is along with the link:

“It’s like a recipe book,” Wray said. “It tells you how to make the meal. You need to know the amounts. You need to know the order. The noncoding DNA tells you how much to make, when to make it and under what circumstances.” 

PBS: "Mysterious Noncoding DNA: ‘Junk’ or Genetic Power Player?"

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So how do such new science revelations expose the glaring  flaws within the Biotech Industry's technology ?

 So how does one make sense of the subject of just how genes work and function within any genome to an otherwise uninformed public ? It's not the public's fault really. Traditionally Scientists have never been the best communicators to the common people they view and label as "Layman", which is also a term used by those of the conventional religious leaders for the people who make up their so-called flocks who they view as ignorant of the more important matters that only they are capable of grasping. This is why I often make comparison between religion and science because in so many ways their behaviour and actions are identical, despite the promoted differences espoused by both sides of the argument. This is also why this world's massive Biotech and  Pharmaceutical Corporations, Academic Institutions, etc use Public Relations firms and journalists to take up the scientific data from the research and serve it up as a tasty meal for the average person to hopefully enjoy and benefit from. Unfortunately Journalists and PR Firms are prejudiced and biased too. Like other human beings with flaws and imperfections, these journalists and PR Firms are often shackled and committed to the business goals and aspirations of the business interests who employ them. 

So now, how exactly do this world's intellectuals go about explaining how genes work and function to the common man and woman on the street who are otherwise viewed as an ignorant "Layman" public ? The art of teaching here doesn't come easy for an intellectual. First, you should understand that most people who come off as intellectual are not geniuses in the communication game. The problem is when attempts are actually made to justify why GMOs are so simple and safe, the kooky explanations given are the result of the Biotech scientists believing that the public in general are idiots. Take Biotech Scientists, Monsanto's Chief Science Officer, Rob Fraley and UC Davis' Alison Van Eenennaam. Remember the opening statements made at that silly "Intelligence Square Debate" back on December 4th, 2014 (HERE) ? It was the, "Hey folks, Legos are just Legos and Tinker Toys are just Tinker Toys" justication argument. We are simply taking a lego block from Red Lego Man and inserting it in with the other white blocks of Lego Man. It's just that simple, except it's not that simple. So please folks, don't be so stupid. If you'll recall, Ms Van Eenennaam insisted GMOs were no big deal and there was nothing for anybody to worry about. 

"We're just talking about genes, genes are genes, you take one gene from one thing and you put it with some other genes" 

That was nothing more than one of those typical lazy "Just Add Water" quips to an audience they believed were basically morons and yet, from the voting at the end of that debate, who's to argue they were wrong in their appraisal of people in any audience. This was identical to what Geneticist David Suzuki said about his fellow geneticist colleagues, remember ?

"In discussions I've had with my fellow Geneticists, they say, Listen Suzuki, we're just talking about DNA. DNA is DNA [Alison Van Eenennaam - "Genes are just Genes"], what difference does it make what organism it comes from. We pull DNA from one organism and put it into another organism, it's just DNA."

Now these geneticists employed by Biotechs are either totally ignorant [which I doubt] or they are holding back because there is so much at stake financially [which is stupid]. The revelation in the recent finds I just posted expose everything they are doing as nothing but a money making scheme which does nothing but cause consequences which the rest of mankind and the natural pay for. When it comes to the common person's understanding of a gene, couple with the cupcake explanation Fraley, Van Eenennaam, Folta, Wager, Entine and others are feeding them, it's no wonder that the average person thinks of a single gene as no more than downloading a simple App for insertion into your iPad. But it's not. Genes work and operate within a context of information as that article on May 8th revealed. Genes are NOT just Genes and DNA is not just DNA, it's all about informational content. Clearly the average person have heard of genes, but they generally have no idea how they work. Most organisms have 1000s of genes with  some of them having more or less than others. But apparently all these genes can have the ability to code for different proteins, especially when working within a context. The idea the biotechs are pimping to the public is that the gene inserted is just making a simple protein toxin to kill the bad evil bugs, it's as simple as that. But that is dead wrong as the three examples I gave above that we are aware of clearly illustrate how things go dangerously wrong. When proteins are manufactured, they are done so from several different stretches of many different genes within DNA, not just a single gene. In other words, our genes are often a collection of smaller segments that are separated within our DNA. Think about your own body, how many different kinds of proteins do you suppose there  are for constructing the various of components which make you ? Different proteins make up different parts. Proteins for heart cells, lung cells, brain cells, muscle cells, live cells, kidney cells, bone cells, blood cells, etc, etc, etc. See, like DNA and Genes, proteins are not just proteins. I love illustrations. I use them all the time. I find them more effective in teaching than all the "intellect speak" used in most scientific papers for teaching people. So let me illustrate what is happening when *cough-cough* consensus science backs the less than intelligent bio-technology behind Genetically Modified Organisms:

Let's imagine for a moment that a single Cell is like a Skyscaper building. Many many buildings represent all the cells which make up a living organism. Buildings of course need building materials and the intelligent instructions from skilled organizational teams. Let's say that factories which manufacture raw materials for the construction of a skyscaper are like protein coding genes. Let's also say that all of the general laborers, crane operators, concrete masons, steel workers, welders, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, insulation installers, sub-contractors, foreman, supervisors, inspectors, Architects, Engineers, etc, etc, etc all represent "non-coding genes" [Junk DNA] Now in a real world construction project there is a vast array of intelligent educated people with specific trade skills and experience which which are necessary to cooperate in a sequence of of skilled specific timing in constructing various stages of this building project. It is the same in the real world of microbiology. There really is no such thing as non-coding DNA, let alone "Junk DNA". Nevertheless, this is what we are all force fed as truth. But in reality it's religious dogma.

We also need to keep in mind that all materials for building are not equal. Steel, bolts, nails, concrete, grades of lumber, brands of electrical, plumbing, etc, etc, etc  components are not equal. There is a lot of input of ideas, experience and understanding which comes from the people from various background assignments involved with the building project. Their input as to the actual grade and quality of materials is imperative or there could be disaster later on. The collective leadership of this building project may even require a factory to create special specific formulation of the concrete or steel to be used for this particular architectural design to actually succeed. After, they are following rules and regulations of building codes and other safety laws which are also legally required by the hierarchy which demands strict adherence to these rules. This is also what goes on with non-coding genes where regulation, guidance, strict direction of the exact type of specific protein to be contracted all must be obey or the project is abandoned. 

Now lets say that the the projects main building contractor [a Donald Trump type guy] who is also the owner of the property wants to cut corners with regard costs and speeding up the project to a finish so he can start making money off long term lease tenants and any other services he'll offer to Joe/Jane Q-Public. So he insists that expensive high quality structural bolts and Rivets are not necessary for fitting together the building's horizontal and vertical steel I-Beams which make of the strong skeleton of this building. Instead he insists upon the construction workers utilizing wooden pegs. He reasons that if it was good enough for wooden post and beam barn construction in the old days, than it's good enough for his project. I know it sounds ridiculous and asinine, but roll with me here. This Donald Trump building contractor represents the Biotech Corporations and their aspirations for having a monopoly on the food industry. Can you imagine the disarray and organizational collapse of all the construction workers, sub-contractors, supervisors, foreman, inspectors, architects, engineers, code enforcement officers etc, etc, etc, if this Biotech Donald Trump is allowed to move forward with his irresponsible plans ?

This is the same chaos which actually did happen within the organizational collapse of the three examples [Tryptophan, Peas & Potatoes] experiments I referred to above. And science really doesn't understand what truly went wrong with any of them in any intricate detail, although they do have a general idea. And that's what stinks, they know full well the potential of consequences, but a good public relations sugar coating smoke screen can just seem to make it all blow away, even if it's convincing their own minds. The Biotechnology being used is like taking a collection of tradesmen and those of oversight from a 3rd world developing country whose experience is in Bamboo Construction and asking them to build Trump's Tower. There never has been any such thing as Junk DNA and the term "non-coding DNA" is a lousy label for those amazing sophisticated genes which code for regulation, guidance, direction, and ultimately when brought together with the protein coding genes, create an incredible blueprint schematics for any beautiful organism in our natural world. The Biotech world has no respect whatsoever for a natural world where everything has purpose and function. Seriously, this is true as I have referenced below an article  by some Belgian Philosophers and Biotechnologists where they adamantly admit their flawed worldview of the natural world being nothing more than a mistake ridden bundle of compromises and make fun of every anti-gmo person who doesn't accept their technology because they supposedly are all right-wing Fundies. Hardly. You know they are losing ground when they come up with rubbish like this. Everybody who purchases any and all of the Junk Foods which contain GMOs and those proponents who will go to their dying breath defending them are allowing this taxpayer publicly funded religious cult to release onto our natural world a degenerate blueprint which eventually given enough time will collapse the perfection out there in the natural world which up until now has lasted for countless thousands of years. The video below beautifully illustrates just exactly what it is they are offering us as our future.

Stay tuned, I'll continue to add to this

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 Why Biomimetics or Biomimicry are more important than ever Now!

As far as Biomimicry goes, there is some hope if it is done correctly. First, there is the hopeful antivenom from Opossums. There are of course a few hurdles to overcome such as corporate competition with competing researchers. This is true of the Pharmaceutical industry and exposes why they are so closely wedded to the biotech industry. There was a similar article in the National Geographic which was more skeptical. The National Geographic article referred to supposed snake expert, Jack Zoltan, who slammed Dr Claire Komives on several points he considered pertinent, all of which she actually addressed in that video conference interview in Colorado. Despite the criticism [which I generally chalk up to celebrity envy and jealousy], Dr Claire Komives and other researchers actually stand by their findings. 

"It was like a miracle, that this peptide really has this activity"

She also may have upset another apple cart as you may well understand. In that video, she revealed what most corporate exces would consider privileged insider information and that of course was the subject of Patents and the low cost for production. As she stated, cost of production per 1 gram would be about $1:00. But of course the Biotechs and Pharmaceuticals are definitely kool with that, but that is not generally information they like the public to be privileged in knowing. In their warped worldview, the public is only entitled to understand the retail costs of the wares they produce and sell. Go figure! These corporate giants and the research people who work for them are not really interested in finding cures to help people or feed them as their public relations departments feed the media. Their very nature is not doing something purely out of the goodness of their dear sweet hearts. The other issue as I stated above is that people need to understand that these researchers and other scientists are shackled to the same failings of jealousy, covetousness and adolescent pride as every other human being, despite the promotion that they as a group are above all that. 

And there are issues too with the Cattail as a solution for cleaning up water pollution. Humans cannot keep doing what they are doing as far as dumping filth into waterways and agriculture is the worst offender. As with most Eco-Green Solutions being promoted for cleaning up the environment, often times these solutions don't require a change of behaviour with regards industrial filth output or average world citizen consumption changes. Frankly I understand why because there ultimately is no profit in it. Humans excel at creating massive amounts of filth and contaminants on Earth and no amount of ideas for ridding the Earth of this filth is ever given which also at the same time requires for provisions in lessening the pollutants to begin with. With newer improved greener technology should also come responsibility of Joe/Jane citizen to also clean up their act.

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Biotech Public Relations strikes again: Update April 24, 2015

Defending the Business Model by Bluffing#1: Definition Shell Games continue to mutate

Recently an article came out from the Ghent University, or should I say last year on October 13, 2014, but only now are we really hearing about this in many of the well known Science journals like Science Daily. It's curious that it should come out now, especially with the negative climate surrounding GMO Technology and the Biotechs behind them. In a nutshell, they are attempting to assert that Sweet Potatoes which contain DNA from what they have termed Agrobacterium which they assume, assert and speculate proves GMOs are natural. There is absolutely nothing to quote, but you may read the article from the link I post below. Clearly it is an attempt by the Biotech industry to normalize their less than clean technology. Frankly, from these lame attempts at looking for  justification arguments being invented for GMO Technology, all other examples in nature which can be infected with Agrobacterium like Oak Galls are apparently to be also considered natural gmos. This is further definition shell gaming at it's lowest. I guess the fact that humans have gut bacteria with foreign DNA would qualify humans as natural gmos. Or perhaps the photograph above of a human suffering from the infection of foreign DNA from a parasite which causes "elephantiasis" of the leg tissues would qualify this poor soul as a natural GMO according to the new warped definition we are all now to be force fed ? Oddly enough the bacterium symbiosis referenced in the article below is common in nature, but as I provided above, this has zero to do with their obscene profiteering business model that is attempting to monopolize the food supply around the globe. Here is the link:

Science Daily: "Horizonal gene transfer: Sweet potato naturally 'genetically modified'"

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Bluff Defense #2: The Religious Component Argument

So why ? you ask, am I seeing a picture of Richard Dawkins and his famous quote ? Because the Biotechs are now using his religious affirmation here to justify genetic modification and to fabricate a lie as to why anti-gmo people are against GMOs. The same team of Belgium researchers apparently believe that MOST ALL anti-GMO people around the world [especially Americans] must be religious folks who have a belief that nature is something sacred and has a purpose that must not be messed with in any way. Take a look at these researcher's imaginary findings below:

“Anti-GMO arguments tap into our intuitions that all organisms have an unobservable immutable core, an essence, and that things in the natural world exist or happen for a purpose,” Blancke explains 

 “This reasoning of course conflicts with evolutionary theory–the idea that in evolution one species can change into another. It also makes us very susceptible to the idea that nature is a force that has a purpose or even intentions that we shouldn’t’ meddle with.”

 (Source - ScienceDaily: Psychology of the appeal of being anti-GMO)

Now I find this odd that they would make such a desperate argument utilizing religion to blame for the opposition against GMOs, but I'll address this at the bottom here. First, it illustrates  just how much the official Scientific view of Nature has been warped by these Secular celebrity icons and their obsession with changing worldviews. Frankly, I could care less what anyone believes as to origins of the incredible complex sophisticated mutualistic components found within any ecosystem which allows life to fire on all pistons as a well oiled machine. The fact is irrespective of how one believes Nature became that fine tuned piece of machinery in the first place, the fact is that is exactly what Nature is. The fact that this disturbs some secular religious ideologues out there is not my problem. Richard Dawkins and others of his kind are by the way, staunch Biotech supporters for no one reason than it sounds sciencey and must therefore be correct. In fact his warped view of nature is well illustrated in a conversation he had with an American Medical Physician and Evolutionary Biologist, Professor Randolph Nesse, who actually said this about what was holding back in his view, true progress in medical research:

Nesse says that progress is being hampered by the fact that many medics still think of the body as a machine designed by an engineer, when in fact it is a "bundle of compromises ... designed to maximise reproduction, not health".

Unbelievable! Seriously, what kind of medical doctor would you choose to work on you ? You know, in my profession of market research with well known giant pharmaceutical companies where we have projects for collecting data on side effects of various drugs for any assortment of medical conditions where I interview Doctors, Specialists and Scientists, I have run a cross a majority who unconsciously use Dice Theory when prescribing drugs. I had one doctor who switched a patient over 8 times. He just randomly selected a different type of drug for no other reason [knowledge of the drug had zero to do with decision to prescribe] than to see what it would do in correctly what ailed the patient. Sounds like the kind of Doc Professor Nesse and Richard Dawkins would approve of. But there is more behind this philosophy than things medical for Professor Nesse. Here he laments that most medical doctors and researcher just aren't getting his religious philosophical take on the matter when it comes to utilizing evolutionary philosophy when doing research and how damaging this is in guiding politicians who regulate and pass laws:

"There is no question about the importance of applied evolution. The trouble is, if biologists themselves are only just waking up to how relevant and crucial evolution can be, what hope is there of educating  influencing the leaders and policy makers who need to understand and act upon this research? Not much, I fear."

Source - New Scientist: " Putting evolutionary theory into practice" 

Can you see the similarity between these ideologues and the purpose of Biotechs ripping pages out of their religious playbook to get what they want ? This has nothing to do with science. This is an obsession with power and wealth of Corporations under the cloak of "Science" and challenging anyone who dares go against them and their product as anti-science religiously driven Luddites and that is just a flat out lie. The anti-GMO stance is about people who actually do respect science, but want it conducted responsibly. The fact is, far from an anti-science Luddite problem, this is a moral problem. But wait, there is more from Ghent University:

"While religious beliefs, particularly those that hold a romantic view of nature, have been accused of generating some of the negativity around GMOs, Blancke and his co-authors argue that there's more to the story. Using ideas from the cognitive sciences, evolutionary psychology, and cultural attraction theory, they propose that it is more a matter of messages competing for attention--in which environmental groups are simply much better at influencing people's gut feelings about GMOs than the scientific community."

(Source: Science Daily: "Psychology of the appeal of being anti-GMO")

There were a number of misleading and actually bizarre statements made by suspect sources being used to champion this Business model. Take a look:

 "A team of philosophers and plant biotechnologists have turned to cognitive science to explain why opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has become so widespread, despite positive contributions GM crops have made to sustainable agriculture"

"A team of Philosophers" ??? I understand the presence of Biotechnologists being there marketing their Wares, but what do philosophers have to do with ecological, biological and psychological issues ??? The Biotechs are clearly casting their fishing lines around hoping to hook other kinds of so-called expert opinion on the matter aside from the usual suspected "rent-a-scientists" they are most often known to employ. Maybe we should be also asking some famous poets and well known fiction novelist [hey how about Steven King?] to chime in with their take on GMOs and why most people dislike them so much. Then there was this quote in that same paragraph:

"despite positive contributions GM crops have made to sustainable agriculture"

Seriously ??? The genetically modified crops and the chemicals created by Industrial Agri-Business for them may have allowed for a time higher yields for nothing more than monoculture commodity crops for brokers on the Global Stock Markets to play price war games with, but at what cost environmentally ??? There is nothing sustainable agriculturally or ecologically about their Industrial business model. The main strategy being used here by the Biotech industry and their largely ignorant supporters is to muddle things up and make the educational landscape nothing more than a gray area. For example, have you noticed something largely bizarre about their labeling of all anti-GMO people as religious nut cases ? Let's just take the United States and those who are on the side of Biotechs like Monsanto. Does anyone realize that most of Monsanto's support comes from the pro-business rightwing side of politics who represent the very nut cases they are making fun of ? The God & Country flag waving GMO Farmers and those religious folks who support them ? A good majority of these pro-GMO gang who in reality have a strong scientific disconnect because they  either don't believe in climate change or if they do, they also believe it has zero to do with any type of human activities ? So again, why the religious component being used here ? Because there appears to be two types of opposing factions here who both support GMOs. There is the rightwing pro-business side I just mentioned and there is the Sciencey side that feels an obligation to defend Biotechnology because after all, it's Science. Now under normal circumstances, these two side absolutely hate each other, but for some strange reason come to bed with each other on the subject of GMOs. The other thing I find peculiar and at the same time interesting, is that the Sciencey types are also the "Occupy Wall Street" people who protested big evil corporate America and yet the very institutions they hate, are what they support when it comes to Industrial Agriculture who are a large part of what is wrong with business and politics. Again, strange bed fellows here.  But why this article now ? For the simple reason that it was created by ideologically driven European secular minded researchers whose concept of all Americans is that they are mostly all religious anti-science Luddites. This will backfire big time because the anti-GMO crowd comes from ALL global backgrounds and do indeed have a healthy respect for nature, something the Biotechnology industry lacks big time. Just one more important bit of news before I sign off here. The Biotech Industry utilizes a number of misinformation websites to propagandize and pimp their products.

One of these is the Genetic Literacy Project website which I sarcastically refer to the "Genetic Illiteracy Project" because it's true purpose is to attack and dumb down, not teach real science. It is run by a collection of Rent-a-Scientists and a gaggle of sycophantic internet sock-puppets who dare not dispute the ignorant rantings of the Biotech authors for fear of being excommunicated from the collective. Most have zero experience in observing and understanding how the natural world is put together and operates smoothly. They don't understand that all commercial farm ventures should be put together and maintained like any other ecosystem on Earth and maintained as such through responsible and sustainable practices. Unfortunately, this completely ruins the profiteering business model of Biotechs & Industrial Agrichemical companies. Hence we see the reasons behind the vicious opposition against their opposers. It's these attacks will never convince people against their business model that they are legitimate and the reason is the low quality caliber of the proponents involved. Most are incapable of civil discourse. It would seem the new way to promote and champion science now days is to be as fouled mouthed, derogatory and annoyingly insulting as possible. Can anyone reading help me out to understand how this degenerate behaviour is suppose to help the cause of Science ?

But there is something even more insidious and hidden here about that "Genetic Illiteracy Project" that most people don't know unless they actually research their archived articles and recent articles on a subject called "Eugenics". Originally, Eugenics was created and promoted as an obscene scientific practice starting in the early 1900s, was further perfected by the Nazis from the late 1920s to 1945 and even further perfected by the Allies after WWII. Of course the degenerate motivation behind this is the ideological religious belief that certain flawed human beings do not deserve to pass on their DNA to future humankind and in the past were gas & murdered or later forced sterilized. But we now have the modern Eugenics movement which champions an even kinder and friendlier version of eugenics, thanks to the modern biotech industry who still believes in the original purpose of eugenicists of the past that in order to save the planet, we need to reduce human numbers, especially in the developing third world countries where birth rates are highest. This is where GMOs, which in some experiments have been found to reduce birth rates in lab mice or even sterilize, are a gentler method and solution to reverse the climbing birth rate trends globally. Hence this would make some sense of the reasons behind the strategy of giving out free samples of GMOs to those countries who don't actually have the funds to invest in them. This is a business strategy more commonly known to be employed by drug pushers who give out free samples at the neighbourhood elementary schools hoping to cultivate future clients. In turn they most likely learned their trade from the British Empire who gave out free opium samples from farmed Poppies in Pakistan and India to potential Chinese markets. Once an addicted clientele was established, the British could save their gold and silver and trade drugs for Chinese goods. This is what was behind the well known Boxer Rebellion for those who know their history. Isn't it incredible how people in positions of power and authority over mankind can manipulate the wealth for a small select few ? Ultimately when it comes to GMOs, I am against them not only because of the great ignorance which still exists within the geneticists world which promotes itself as otherwise, but also mainly because GMOs were never necessary in the first place. Biotechs have never attempted to biomimic our planet's ecosystem functions on a commercial scale. Every thing hinges on massive amounts of chemical sales. Irrespective of it being herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or fertilizers. Their entire concept is based on profiteering by off killing something. Not once have they considered looking for balance and working with nature instead of against it. To sum up, it's all about public relations, propaganda and misinformation being parroted over and over until they think their gamble has paid off by an ignorant public finally accepting them. It's all been done before, so why fix it.

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”Joseph Goebbels

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Was Beethoven was a Biomimeticist ?

"Beethoven’s journals and letters reveal his love of nature, as when he wrote in 1810, “How delighted I will be to ramble for awhile through the bushes, woods, under trees, through grass, and around rocks. No one can love the country as much as I do. For surely woods, trees, and rocks produce the echo that man desires to hear.” Recognizing and appreciating the natural world was a cornerstone of the Romantic sensibility, as espoused by Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau. With the Sixth Symphony, Beethoven joined a common thread in music, art, and literature of the early nineteenth century that rhapsodized on the beauty and grandeur of the natural world, with a reverence that was in no small part spiritual."

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, Pastoral

In an odd twist, at the end of the 1972 film, Soylent Green, there is a moving death scene, Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson in his final film role) final wishes of experiencing a painless and suicidal death in a euthanasia clinic's bed. He was put to rest in the assisted-suicide facility (within Madison Square Garden) with orange-hued lighting, classical music playing (Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony No. 6, Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony No. 6, and segments of Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite") and projected video of a peaceful and "beautiful" green Earth ages ago when animal and plant life thrived and there was no pollution. It's also a fitting end in describing where this world is headed without biomimicry's having any influence whatsoever on the consensus science.

Important Reading References

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: "Opossums - Killers of Ticks"

Medical Daily: "Opossum-Based Antidote Provides New Route For Treating Deadly Snake Bites"

American Chemical Society video: "Opossum-based antidote to poisonous snake bites could save thousands of lives"

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PhysOrg: "Common weed revealed diminish pollution"

Cattail farming could help save troubled lake

Cattail Cutting Machines

Showa Denko KK - Tryptophan & GMO Peas

Summary of the Tryptophan Toxicity Incident, by John B. Fagan, Ph.D. Professor of Molecular Biology, Maharishi University of Management

Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology: "The Showa Denko Tryptophan disaster reevaluated New evidence indicates that genetic engineering was the cause"

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/health-risks/L-tryptophan/introduction

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/jan/15/academicexperts.highereducationprofile

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8347-gm-pea-causes-allergic-damage-in-mice.html

Astrobiology or Earth's Biology - which ?

If all of the dire News Reports on the Earth being in trouble ecologically are true, where have all those research funds & government grants gone for the purpose of reversing all this ??? 😕 Take a look at the image below. It was everywhere in all the News a while back & people ate it up like candy an didn't question anything. 😮

(Image: University of Buckingham/Getty)

Alien Seed ???

Typical World Headlines Lately

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"UK Scientists: Aliens May Have Sent Space Seeds To Create Life On Earth"  

(Source: Huffpost)

"Antifreeze on Titan Could Affect Its Chances for Life"

(Source: Astrbio.net)

Opening two sentences from Huffpost

"Scientists in the U.K. have examined a tiny metal circular object, and are suggesting it might be a micro-organism deliberately sent by extraterrestrials to create life on Earth. 

"Don't be fooled by the size of the object in the microscopic image above. It may appear to look like a planet-sized globe, but in fact, it's no bigger than the width of a human hair."

But now lookie here below at this image 😲 

Image: Mycorrhizal Applications Inc, Grant Pass, Oregon

So what's going on ??? Are these round spheres in the above image a group of spores from an alien planet drop by an extraterrestrial intelligence to further colonize Earth ??? From another article on the same subject and image used, the Journal, Irish Mirror, had this to say about the Alien Seed:

"Scientists in the UK say this microscopic metal globe could be proof that aliens are watching us. Balloons sent 27km into the stratosphere to collect debris came back with the object, no bigger than the width of a human hair."

So we are to believe that dust collected by a weather balloon at high atmospheric elevations collected Alien Extraterrestrial seeds. Well, this image I posted under that image shows a clipart image of a group of endo-mycorrhizal propagule spores being used in an employment Advertisement by a company I do business with in Grant Pass, Oregon, called, Mycorrhizal Applications Inc. So it appears Huffpost and the researchers instead of having an actual Alien Extraterrestrial Demon Seed are actually using a Endo-Mycorrhiza Propagule (spore) obtained from either ClipArt company, 'Getty' or 'Carl Zeiss Vison' as Mycorrhizal Applications Inc did to bluff their readers into believing their secular version of a myth. And sadly, the majority of readers have been trained never to question the Scientific Orthodoxy on anything they publish. Dare to question them and you are immediately attacked and labled an Anti-Science heretic. Now why is that ??? Take a further look at what Huffpost wrote as to why what normally would be brushed off as Science-Fiction, is now suddenly considered scientifically possible. Why ??? Because of facts or scientific experimentation ??? Nope! Read further 😵

"One theory is it was sent to Earth by some unknown civilization in order to continue seeding the planet with life," Wainwright hypothesizes. 

That theory comes from a Nobel Prize winner. 

"This seeming piece of science fiction -- called 'directed panspermia' -- would probably not be taken seriously by any scientist were it not for the fact that it was very seriously suggested by the Nobel Prize winner of DNA fame, Francis Crick," said Astrobiologist Milton Wainwright.

Did you notice why something that would otherwise be dismissed as a religious myth or science-fiction is suddenly accepted ??? Because the guy who first proposed such a silly idea is a Nobel Prize winner and he's credentialed, which means he has a flattering title before his name and alphabet soup initials after his name on a business card. You may vaguely remember Francis Crick and his fellow side-kick, James Watson who formulated the design of the Double-Helix image of DNA ??? It's now famously in all the science textbooks. So it must be true if Francis crick said it. This is absolutely crazy.

For decades when I've debated and argued with the conventional religious leaders on such false doctrines as Trinity, Immortality of the Soul, Hellfire and Damnation, etc, all of which has never been backed in their Holy Bible, I was constantly told by priests, pastors, reverends, etc that I had no credentials to tell them anything, Why ??? Because they all went to Seminary Schools, College educated where the main courses learned were not the Bible, but rather a secular version of Theology and Business Management. Of course my response was that the average person does not need to be a Hebrew and Greek Scholar, they can easily look up for themselves words/terms in Bible Dictionaries and Hebrew and Greek Lexicons. So if I wouldn't let the conventional clergy get away with that, why would I now cower to the Intellectual Secular Clerics who are now in power and in charge of forcing their religious secular myths down my throat ??? Seriously, credentialsed ???😕

Of course I could go on and on and list countless headlines and papers over the last few years where a plethora of clever words like "could" or "might" or "perhaps" and "may" are used repeatedly in all of the Astrobiology literature and News Media headlines. But isn't Biology by itself supposed to tell everyone just what "does" happen now or what "did" happen in the past ??? 😟 Years ago I admit that as a kid in the 1960s and later 1970s, I was intrigued by the fantasy of the possibility of life on other worlds. Hollywood actually helped out a whole lot with further promoting that fantasy, as they still do today with all manner of Sci-Fi World. Of course I'm not exactly intrigued much anymore by anything Hollywood produces & publishes. Today mankind and our own planet face countless major ecological crisis after crisis which are very very real and Scientific experts continually pound their collective fists on the Media Soap Boxes declaring how dire the consequences will be if Mankind doesn't listen to the Science and change their habits. Yup, Climate Change is a real crisis, but unfortunately the warnings ring hollow when the very same people who led mankind for decades and gave us Climate Change now insist you listen to them when they say "Trust us, we're Scientists. we can fix this." But on a similarly related subject we have something called Astrobiology, you know, the research of possibility of life on other planets even though it's never been proven with something called facts backed by evidence. Once again, these so-called Astrobiologist experts who study this subject claim only they know what it takes for life to exist somewhere out there. Yet right down here on Earth, they haven't even come close to explaining how life originally got here or how to reverse life's present degradation. But supposedly because of their credentialed background, that's why they got the job in the first place, because they're the experts and know answers others do not, right ??? Then why can't regular down to earth biologists find real world solutions to reverse Climate Change & restore damaged ecosystems and improve or save existing wildlife habitats that go beyond mere half-hearted token protection concepts in the form of rabid protesting through eco-activism ??? Here's a start, how about eliminating pollution caused by Industrial Science-Based agriculture ??? With all their collective understanding about life on Earth, why not teach people around the globe to utilize a real world discipline we call biomimicry in caring for the earth ??? The fact is they really don't know have understanding of Earth's natural processes or we wouldn't be in this mess we are in at present. So how can anybody believe the almost weekly dosage of storytelling fantacies we are receiving in the Pop Sci News Journals on a daily basis about some mythical lifeforms on other imaginary earth-like worlds ??? Of course I still think it would be kool if life were elsewhere, but mankind has more pressing priorities now right down here on Earth. 

NASA image of Amazon

If they actually really knew how live works on other planets, then why aren't they down here helping correct this mess they themselves caused here on earth ??? Well, NASA has shown us good productive viable results through meteorological satellites which have helped identify important cloud formation mechanisms which old growth trees and shrubs from rainforests and other plant ecosystems help facilitate the natural world's hydrological cycles. This is imperative for helping the world to reverse climate change. But the fact is, while NASA does a number of great things to help us identify climate mechanisms in nature like those that create cloud formation like this recent photo on the right here, over the Amazon where clouds always form over healthy vegetation, the Astrobiology division appears to be nothing more than a fund raising distraction which deflects attention away from our miserable reality of life down here on Earth. And most folks like that and go along with the fantasy without the backbone to ever dare question anything they say. It's a form of escape for most people, where wasting one's time debating on social media networking sites is more like a sport venue outlet then any real helpful viable discussion for problem solving. The reality is, NASA needs to recall all their astrobiologists back down here to earth to start researching and creating real world viable solutions for the Earth's real problems. Let me tell you what the real science was long before Astrobiologists started using divination to foretell the future from the stars. For me, the real science was done by the men and women scientists, engineers, mathematicians and others who created and designed viable innovations like the Hubble telescope, even though they later had to give it a contact lens for better universal eyesight. The real science were the scientists, mathematicians and engineers who designed and built the rocket ships which blasted Hubble from the Earth and released the Satellite into the orbit above us. Where the science fails is when Astrobiologists make up stories about what they think or imagine is out there based on personal bias, presupposition and blind faith religious or metaphysical gut feelings of how they wish things to be somewhere out there. Now as I've stated, I would love for there to be other places in the universe where untouched pristine life could be existing and waiting to be explored, but the fact that Scientists are incapable of fixing anything down here on Earth leaves me extremely doubtful that these astrobiologists are even close to knowing what they are talking about. Had our planet been managed and maintained more responsibly based on accurate knowledge of how nature really works, I'd be much more willing to allow them a greater measure of leniency for their published stories. Recently, the world lost one of the great actors who helped all of us escape the reality of our miserable world around us, even if it was only momentary. This was actor Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek star). Many of the basic myths of what could be out there as far as lifeforms were actually breathed life into by episodes of this very television series. For example you will often hear people talk about how real Silicon based lifeforms are possible somewhere out there. However, the only reason such a myth has itself been given any "life" is from none other than the mystic subject matter presented on one or two key episodes of "Star Trek." Leonard Nimoy was an actor, and so were the other cast and crew members who were nothing more just plain people on a movie set. None of them were scientists on an actual star ship which in of itself doesn't even yet exist. Neither does the so-called sustainable clean eco-green energy which was said to propel these mythical starships. But Leonard Nimoy also narrated some very interesting science programs. I wish he had done more, he had a great voice for making science interesting.

The fact is, there has never really been any "bio" (Greek for life) in the field of Astrobiology. The articles that come out in various Pop-Sci journals are simply loaded with stories and myths inspired by fantasy for the business purpose of clickbaiting people to increase their own ratings for advertisement revenues. You know what you get when you take the word 'bio' out of the word "Astrobiology" ??? You get Astrology. Know what Astrology was to the ancient Babylonian civilization who invented it ??? Divination. What these ancient priests did was simply gaze at and divine the stars to tell out future fortunes and happenings not yet realized or discovered. Of course these ancient Babylonian Intellectual wisemen also engaged in something known as hepatoscopy, where is fortunetelling was accomplished by reading the livers of butchered animals. How scientific was that ??? Know what Carl Sagan had to say about Astrology ??? Listen to this 9 minute video on just what he said about astrology, especially at the very beginning and pay real close attention to his first line in the video:

"There are two ways to view the Stars. The way they really are and as we might wish them to be"

In many ways, I really miss Carl Sagan. I may not have agreed with many things he said and believed in, but he made Science far more interesting than those who've since laid claim to taking his place in explaining the cosmos. Today there are numerous Science Gurus who want to trip you off into another mythical world of multi-universes where reality is not what we know it to be here. They tell us there is no such thing as freewill or that real solid truth is just an illussion. Indeed, they believe truth is a collection of like-minded philosophers of Science who agree on a preferred worldview and exclaim the Truth has been established by Scientific Consensus.

Seriously people, do you really like that kind of distraction to take you away from finding real world solutions for correcting things down here on Earth ??? At the end of last year 2014 a fantastic article came out about Climate Change which was far different from the other dumb boring political spitting contest articles by opposing sides on this issue that we generally read. It dealt with reality and viable options for solutions. I commented on it the first day it came out. I later went back and revisited it three days later to find out what others had to say and there were only 5 or 6 comments. Only 5 or 6, so I'm guessing most readers found a real honest article boring. Yet at that very same time, there was another modern day time wasting asinine article whose subject matter was something like, "Honey Boo Boo's Mama June has affair with Uncle Poodle who molested her Sister." Seriously folks, really ??? That article at the time I saw it had been out for only 4 hours and already had almost 2000 comments. People like being distracted from reality in our modern times and slipping off into fantasy world at an alarming rate. Fact is people in general have no real hope that things will ever improve down here on Earth. 

Now more interestingly, if you like the subject of Extraterrestrials, the Bible actually mentions how aliens from anotheer world really did come to earth and influence humankind for the worse. Now more than ever thsee biblical words below have more meaning than ever before:

"And they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away."  (Matthew 24:37-39)

Okay, you fill in the blanks! The point of that verse was that the people back then in Noah's day were preoccupied and busy with the customary daily activities & affairs of life, even though they were no doubt concerned about the prevalence of violence the perversion of that time as mentioned in the biblical account. Unfortunately they paid no attention to Noah's warning which they viewed as a joke. Now interestingly there are many bible critics who point to this biblical account as a horrific tale and fingerpoint to an unloving God who would do such a thing. But wait a minute, if you love the thought of Extraterrestrials really existing, then you've got some homework to do. In Genesis chapter 6, it speaks of extraterrestrials visiting Earth prior to Noah and cohabitating with human women. So do some research for a change. Instead of taking the mere surface shallow materialist view, dig a little deeper at why that world of tat time was so corrupted and perverted. Fo a change, research the term or expression for these extraterrestrial creatures or beings who were called "sons of God" or "sons of the true God." But occur in several biblical text. Here, let me help, I'll post them below in the reference section and quote them. I'll also request you look up the term,  'Nephʹi·lim', which is the offspring of these Extraterrestrials and human women. You'll be amazed at where such later civilizations as Greek, Romans, Babylonians all got their ancient mythologies from of gods coming down from heaven and marrying women and resulting offspring were the superhuman, you know, like "Hercules", etc. Just a thought for those really interested.

Now here we are today living in the time of the end which was referenced by making of a comparison of those warnings. People like being distracted and the world we all live in has no end to all the distractions available. We live in times where people just want to get back to a distracted sense of normalcy where the failed world on the outside is blocked out of their minds by countless distractions. In a twisted sort of logic, if the average person refuses to view the reality outside, then the real world problems don't exist. Please heed all the warning signs out there and stop putting blind faith in those who claim to be credentialed experts for whom you are indoctrinated into not questioning.

Update: July 4, 2019 - Mother Jones

Stop Building a Spaceship to Mars and Just Plant Some Damn Trees

Biblical References to the terms, "sons of the true God" & "sons of God"

Genesis 6:1-2 

"Now when men started to grow in number on the surface of the ground and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of the true God began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful. So they began taking as wives all whom they chose."

Genesis 6:4

"The Nephʹi·lim were on the earth in those days and afterward. During that time the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men, and these bore sons to them. They were the mighty ones of old times, the men of fame."

Job 1:6

"Now the day came when the sons of the true God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan+ also entered among them"

Job 2:1

"Afterward the day came when the sons of the true God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan also entered among them to take his station before Jehovah."

Job 38:7

"When the morning stars joyfully cried out together,  And all the sons of God began shouting in applause?"

 Psalm 89:6

"For who in the skies can compare to Jehovah?  Who among the sons of God is like Jehovah?"

2 Peter 2:4-5

Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tarʹta·rus, putting them in chains of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment. 5 And he did not refrain from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a flood upon a world of ungodly people."

Jude 6

"And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day."

Biblical & Secular Terms Defined

Nephʹi·lim 

Possibly meaning “The Fellers,” that is, those who cause others to fall down. The violent hybrid sons who were the children of materialized angels and the daughters of men or human women before the Flood.

Tarʹta·rus

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, a prisonlike abased condition into which the disobedient angels of Noah’s day were cast. At 2 Peter 2:4, the use of the verb tar·ta·roʹo (to “cast into Tartarus”) does not signify that “the angels who sinned” were cast into the pagan mythological Tartarus (that is, an underground prison and place of darkness for the lesser gods). Rather, it indicates that they were abased by God from their heavenly place and privileges and were delivered over to a condition of deepest mental darkness respecting God’s bright purposes. Darkness also marks their own eventuality, which the Scriptures show is everlasting destruction along with their ruler, Satan the Devil. Therefore, Tartarus denotes the lowest condition of abasement for those rebellious angels.

Extraterrestrial - (Merriam-Webster)

Originating, existing, or occurring outside the planet earth or its atmosphere. So certainly the "sons of the true God", "Sons of God", "Angels" would all therefore qualify as being real live extraterrestrials. 😉

Panspermia

Panspermia is the hypothesis, first proposed in the 5th century BCE by the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras, that life exists throughout the Universe. It is thought to be distributed by space dust, meteoroids, asteroids, comets, and planetoids, as well as by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination by micro-organisms.

Directed Panspermia - "Aliens did it or Extraterrestial Intelligent Life planned life on Earth. It doesn't matter if those extraterrestrials were Vulcans, Romulans or Klingons, the scientific Orthodoxy's rules mandate that the Extraterrestrial just cannot be the Biblical God. See, there's no such thing as Atheism or Agnosicism. Not when blind faith is demanded as a fact 😂

Maybe all the Pop-Sci Journals should have led with this Image instead 😆

Squaw Tea (Ephedra californica) or maybe something else ?

Funny how some images can trigger totally unrelated information than what you were originally Google researching for

Face Palm

Finishing some work on one of my latest articles on the Canary Islands, in particular Tenerife, I was researching some of the names of plants I had photographed on a recent visit. I hit Google images for Plants of Tenerife and one image stood out which immediately brought up one common name for a high desert plant native to the region where I come from in Southern California. The infamous Squaw Tea. The plant I was familiar with grows abundantly in an area east of Terwilliger Road in the Anza area. The plant is Ephedra californica, but it is known by common historical common names as "Mormon Tea" and the other common name which immediately rushed through my brain, "Squaw Tea". Yes, Yes, I know, I know. We don't call it that anymore, but old common names and terms are hard to shake off. This particular photo of the girl above is a Spanish Model on a website with other girls in outdoor Canary Island nature settings. But the pattern of the shrub and the Native American styling of the girl just fit like a glove. Most foreigners reading here won't understand the comparison, but Southwesterners will put two and two together. I don't believe the common name with the Native American reference is encouraged these days, but never the less the old names are hard to shake. So I thought, why not, write a short piece on the plant. I'm not particularly partial to Mormon Tea either. Desert Tea appears to be another preferred name for Ephedra californica. But the similarities of structural patterns in foliage, branches and habitat are where it ends. The flowering time of year will yield radical differences. The southwest has a few varieties of Ephedra. In many desert locations both species (E. californica and Ephedra virides) exist together. The species, "Ephedra nevadensis" is found from the Mojave Desert north to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas into Nevada's Great Basin. I'll post the Green Mormon Tea plant in full bloom below and contrast it with Teide Broom when it is in full flower to illustrate some difference.

Teide Broom, Tenerife - (Spartocytisus supranbius)

The plant I was actually looking for when doing my Google search is native to the area of the volcanic caldera on Tenerife and it's listed as the Teide Broom (Spartocytisus supranubius) shrub. It thrives best on the dry xerophytic lava and scoria zone (2000-2500 meters above sea level). But it bares a striking resemblance to the southwestern desert Mormon Tea shrub of those high desert regions. The Ephedra californica that I am familiar with grows in the eastern reaches of Terwilliger Valley on down to Anza Borrego State Park. Throughout the world there are several species of Ephedra, which are related to the Ephedra sinica which is from the region of Mongolia, Russia and northerneastern desert regions of China. This plant is well known to Chinese medicine, but by a more familiar botanical herbal name called "Ma Huang". Here is how one reference describes it's usage and I'll post the reference under the Caution heading:

"A shrub, the stem of which contains ephedrine, which is a bronchodilator, diaphoretic, diuretic and vasoconstrictor; it is used to treat asthma, bronchitis, fever, fluid retention, hypotension, paraesthesias, to stimulate the central nervous system and to suppress the appetite."

Wiki-commons

This plant is responsible for providing the raw ingredient for the well known weight loss drug called ephedrine. In the USA, many of these drug potions which added Caffeine and other powerful stimulants for weight loss have been outlawed because they caused dangerous health conditions in some folks with heart trouble, high blood pressure, rapid breathing issues, etc. This is why many probably get a lot of Spam email advertising Ephedrine as an appetite suppressant. People want a quick fix pill to rapidly take care of a situation for which they have no patience in making lifestyle changes. While there is evidence of short term weight loss, there is really no evidence of any long term keeping the weight off. As far as the Tea from the Mormon Tea, for me it has a sort of mild Alfalfa taste to it and the potency is not near as strong as the Ma Huang drug manufactured for Chinese medicine. 

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image Bert Wilson: Green Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis)

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image: Mundani Gardens - Teide Broom (Spartocytisus supranubius)

I think the Canary Islands are my new favourite Nature region. I have been here many times and it feels more and more with each visit more like Home to me than where I originally come from. There are so many interesting plants here and each time I want to know more and more about them. Technical and mechanism type stuff really. I always walk away with more questions than I came with. The chaparral environment is so familiar with where I come from, especially when so many plants here are so common in most California urban landscape. Anyway, tomorrow I have some fascinating information on Pinus canariensis, fire ecology and it's influence with the island's hydrology. But first, a little more on some historical ecosystem understanding of Mormon Tea diet by giant ground sloths now extinct.

Giant Ground Sloths dined on Mormon Tea

Photo by Leslie Shaw of Hi-Desert Star

"The Joshua tree drew a record-setting crowd for the Morongo Basin Historical Society’s lecture series Jan. 14 at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum. Chris Clarke spoke about how the tree got its name, how it is distributed, its two varieties, its pests and enemies and hopes for its future."

Photo by Chip Clark

Just a few side points on the Southwestern United States and what the now extinct Giant Ground Sloths dined on. Throughout many areas of the southwestern United States there have been found numerous caves discovered where these giant ground Sloth's once lived and in them mummified dung left behind. The dung really is not a fossil dung in the sense of fossils like petrified forest wood or other biological material with has been turned into stone, but rather mummified and preserved by the very dry sheltered environment of these caves. One famous cave is Rampart Cave in the Grand Canyon, another cave in between Benson & Sierra Vista Arizona called Kartchner Caverns, old lava tubes in New Mexico, etc. The animal's diet seemed to have consisted of plants from the various rugged chaparral plant communities (especially high deserts) such as Desert Globe Mallow, Joshua Trees & other Yuccas, Agaves and Mormon Tea. Other plants commonly eaten by these sloths found in Nevada were capers and mustards, along with lilies, grasses, mints, and a member of the grape family. This has all been verified by the examination of the invaluable mummified dung found in these caves. One wonders what happened as a result of this animal's extinction (which many now believe to be human caused because of it's slothful nature and easy hunting), what effect this has had on western ecosystems. Same is true of other now extinct megafauna like the Mastadon which was a browser as opposed to a grazer.
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Some interesting as well as important links

The Biogeography of California Jointfir (Ephedra californica)

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/262--ephedra-californica

Chris Clarke: "On the Dry Side" 

Some Caution

http://www.drugs.com/ephedrine.html

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/drug-ma_huang_ephedra/article_em.htm

Coastal Sage Scrub & Chaparral Exhibit @ San Diego Safari Park

image mine

San Diego Safari Park Chaparral Nativescape Exhibit

I've visited here many many times in the past and unfortunately I've always known that the Safari Park's Sage Scrub exhibit was the least visited of all the Park theme areas. But this time was worse and I'll actually go as far as to fault those in charge of oversight for this exhibit. Way back at the beginning of creating & constructing this exhibit, it's apparent that not a lot of attention regarding forward future thinking was undertook into the design planning that went into the layout. This isn't unique to San Diego Safari Park (former Wild Animal Park). I've found some of the same identical gross errors at the city of San Diego's Mission Trails Park near Santee, particularly near the old Padre Dam parking area. Next time you visit the parking area of the old Padre Dam area, see if you don't notice something odd about the Sycamores there. Same exact problem that exists here at the Sage Scrub Exhibit. But first, take a look at this *cough-cough* California Fan Palm below.

That's Not a California Fan Palm 😕

image: Mine

Listed as Washingtonia filifera or in Spanish as it's
common name of 'Palma de Abanko', but in reality it's a 
Guadalupe Island Fan Palm (Brahea edulis) from Baja California

There is a very interesting and truthful ancient biblical text which can be used to draw a comparison of what we observe in the botanical world and ability and insight in providing a true identification for the plant by the fruit it bears. Of course the original application was in identifying kinds of people by their actions, but it still never goes out of style when it comes to field identification. It reads like this:

"You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" Matt 7:16

Not very tough to tell what is meant by the text above, but can anyone tell me what is wrong with the botanical label stake at the foot of this Fan Palm tree when you compare it to the photo above ? It is listed as Washingtonia filifera, but I know better. The fruits of California Fan Palm are black and much tinier than the large round dates seen here. The Spanish name given on this label, 'Palma de Abanko' is apparently misspelled and should be "Palma de Abanico" which is basically a translation of the palm native to southern Baja California which we all know as Mexican Fan Palm or Washingtonia robusta. Mexican Fan Palm likewise does NOT have large dates on it's flowering fronds. They are like the California small and black little seeds. These palms were 5 together in the Baja part of the display. It is certainly similar in frond shape, but much smaller than the filifera and the spread is smaller. Clearly what it lacks in frond size and spread is more than made up for in date size. This is none other than Guadalupe Island Fan Palm (Brahea edulis). The main point here is the so-called University educated professionals who no doubt are paid high wages for their expertise in putting this display together dropped the ball big time on this one. In the Chaparral section where a typical desert oasis is incorporated within the SoCal Chaparral exhibit, those palms are indeed correctly labeled  as a visit would reveal. 

Image: Mine

I hope everyone appreciates what I am criticizing here is the lack of responsible expertise as I simply expect more out of Science Experts and Professionals who are promoted as being above the visiting layman public Park visitors when it comes to their understanding and knowledge of any particular section of this Safari Park. Now look at another extremely glaring example of incompetence below here. I often find this in other public venue areas such as the Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego. This photograph below was listed as a California Sycamore (Plantanus racemosa). So can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture ? Many in Southern California have a negative opinion on the chaparral plant community mainly because they lack in education on how to care for it. An exhibit which is badly maintained and choice of specimens planted in the wrong geologic location is yet another reason the plants look so dry jagged and rangy and many of the former lush types of species are now dead because of the wrong irrigation methods.

Is That Really a California Sycamore ??? 😲

Now take note of the photograph below of what is supposed to be a native California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa) planted within an Oasis setting with California Fan Palms in the San Diego County native plants Chaparral/Sage Scrub exhibit. Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture here ???

image mine:

 San Diego Safari Park Chaparral
 exhibit @ Oasis setting 

Let me help you out. Below are just three examples of three separate Sycamore trees which have a characteristic Maple leaf pattern which a California Sycamore does not have:

Mexican Sycamore (Platanus mexicana)

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

London Plane (Platanus acerfolia)

At worst both trees (SD Safari Park & Mission Trails) are in reality a cross bred hybrid of these non-native species of Sycamores with the characteristic Maple Leaf pattern with one of the Southwestern native Sycamores listed below here which in shape and form are almost identical in leaf pattern:

California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)

Arizona Sycamore (Platanus wrightii)

image - landscaperesource.com

This is the same exact mistake or blunder at the San Diego Mission Trails Regional Park near the Padre Dam Parking area when I visited there in June and along also the old winding Mission Gorge Rd in the Mission Gorge Canyon just west of Santee. I have also seen this same common mistake in many of the conventional retail Nurseries with a label advertising California Sycamore when clearly it was one of the eastern North American or European varieties. Now I could almost excuse a mistake if Arizona Sycamore was being mislabeled as a California since both these Western Sycamores have a long fingered leaf design as opposed to the obvious maple leaf pattern. But there is no excuse whatsoever for the mistaken identity by credentialed university educated staff who were hired to be in charge of such an important native plant exhibit for the purpose of educating John/Jane Q-Public. The other thing is that the eastern North American and European [maybe even Eurasian Sycamore] are a darker green instead of the lighter green which is characteristic of western Sycamores. Also the non-native leaf is thicker, smoother surface & has more of a glossy texture on the surface than the native Sycamores. The natives also have a more fuzzy velvety leaf hairs covering the entire leaf surface. Again, I can forgive a rookie gardener or greenhorn landscaper for this type of mistake, but it's flat out irresponsible and lazy coming from those people in charge of exhibits or displays at public locations where biologists and botanists are supposed to be in charge of oversight and in the business of nature education of the public. Even Landscape Company owners or supervisors and owners of Retail Nurseries should have a measure of responsibility for the glaring mistakes where I often see California Sycamore labels on what clearly is a London Plane or American Sycamore tree. At times I have stumbled upon a mistaken label and mentioned this to Nurserymen. But my experience has been that they don't exactly appreciate you pointing this out and dismiss the complaint as nonsense. Whatever !!! It should be noted however that at Native Plant Nurseries, I have never seen this since their reputation is at stake and they pretty much have an intense passion for their native subject and know their specific plant IDs. Another give away of incorrect tree identification is the tree's overall silhouette, shape and form when older. California Sycamores as well as Arizona have a more picturesque twisting contorted shape or form and often can be multi-trunked with competing leaders, but of course as in anything, it's not always the rule. In the urban landscape where most of the non-natives with Maple-like leaves are found, they are generally a long single straight trunk tree with rounded ball-like crown or conventional tree form that most people consider ideal in the landscape. Even when young the differences are obvious. 

It's not just me saying this folks:  

Evidence for genetic erosion of a California native tree, Platanus racemosa, via recent, ongoing introgressive hybridization with an introduced ornamental species

Irresponsible Irrigation Infrastructure 😞

But back to the other problems I had with the chaparral display at the San Diego Safari Park. They unfortunately use an inappropriate exposed drip irrigation system on the ground's surface which is normally a horrible idea for native California plants anyway. The result is an  unsightly, in decline and rangy dead appearance of the shrubs on display for the public to view. I'm not a real fan of drip irrigation as a permanent maintenance solution. While starting out it has the appearance of being the perfect fit, it creates a type of welfare dependency in the plants which does not encourage the plant to pursue a deeper more effective root system infrastructure like they have in the wild.

image mine: chaparral display with exposed improper irrigation

One of the main goals of any public landscape exhibit is to educate  and instill deeper appreciation of the subject being displayed. The Chaparral Plant Community in general gets bad press from an ignorant public relations land management service whose loyalties generally lay within groups with vested interests in money making. The Park's exhibit had a rangy appearance and degradation of the Chaparral and other native plants in the area which taken together  only serve to reinforce pre-existing negative viewpoints of the native plant life of Southern California in my opinion. I have posted time and again how imperative deep pipe irrigation is to California Natives and an irrigation system which should not be used all the time on a continuous basis. The other factor which hurts many of these plants they have selected is the exhibit's location on a southern slope exposure which have geologically shallow soils with a massive granite bedrock base below a few inches of soil in some places. For the Cacti displays that's great, like the one below of the Baja Exhibit.

Image - SD Safari Park

One of the things they could have done in preparation prior to planting is something home builders often do in rural environments where soil percolation for septic lines needs vast improvement. They drill fairly deep holes in strategic locations within an area and place specific sized explosive charge in each hole. The goal is not to blow things up, but rather to simply fracture the underground down deep. Had this preparation been done here, the chaparral and other native tree roots would have had an easier time of penetrating more deeply through the surface to subsoil layers. Water would also have a better chance at percolating down into deeper layers of the earth where native plants prefer it for summer survival. Now here was another disappointment for me below.

Image Mine: Former Tecate Cypress display which contained at least half a dozen trees which are all now dead and removed.

This was sad. All Tecate Cypress with the exception of the small one to the right here are all dead and removed. There are still some Cuyamaca Cypress, but even some of them are gone and the ones that are left are unfortunately defoliating. Once again the culprit is poor maintenance and an inept irrigation system which had an "enabling effect" on the trees which probably grew to fast and out performed the root system which could not later support the needs of the larger trees. Drip irrigation can be compared to putting and keeping plants on life-support. Take them of that drip life-support and they die just like a critically ill patient at a hospital. Despite the present California mega-drought, the power of an urban landscape garden is that it doesn't have to reflect how poorly things are doing in the wild. This doesn't mean they need to water during summer, but they could have supplemented the poor showing of winter rains by irrigating slowly and deeply during the cooler months of the season. Below here is an example of what is left from the Cuyamaca Cypress display in the garden which was always right next to the Tecate Cypress location along the service road.

Cuyamaca Cypress

Unfortunately, this Cuyamaca Cypress above is also in dire straights as it sheds foliage to weather the drought period until the next winter season's rains offer some hopeful respite from the heat. But to restate the main purpose behind an educational display such as this nativescape should always reflect the beauty of a Chaparral and other coastal sage scrub native plant community which will draw the average person into appreciating such ecosystems more fully. Maybe even encouraging them to use natives in their own garden landscapes. After all, this is a replica not so much of the wild, but of an urban landscape setting where people have the power to control the climate settings. Heat is no obstacle to chaparral and other native plants as long as they have deep access to available subsoil moisture. In fact that was the very purpose of creating the Nativescape Gardens in the first place. As their own website states, their goal is to influence as many visitors as possible to replicate this Nativescape Garden in their own urban landscape back home. Here is what the website and page on Nativescape project actually says:

"The garden's 4 acres (1.6 hectares) show off Southern California's plant communities: chaparral, coastal sage scrub, cypress, desert transition, high desert, island, low desert, montane, palm oasis, and riparian. With names like Apache plume, California buckeye, and monkey flower, these intriguing but often overlooked plants show that there's considerable variety and splendor to California's native landscape. Once you've experienced these unique plants, you can help restore some of California's botanical heritage by including them in your own garden!"

San Diego Safari Park: Nativescapes Garden

Now on a Positive Note 😄

image: Mine

One exceptionally bright spot in this garden was the health and vigor of the Parry Pinyon which once numbered in the 1000s up in and around Anza Valley where I lived for 20+ years. Unfortunately as I last informed readers on Parry Pinyon's health condition and survival up there in Anza, they are in a major steep decline. Many Parry Pinyon skeletons are everywhere on the southeastern end of the Thomas Mountain range where they once dominated. But it's still nice to see this one could indeed inspired landscape designers in building a nativescape and using this tree as a choice addition. I've always considered the Parry Pinyon the most beautiful of all the Pinyons and yet under used as a potential landscape tree. The closest pinyon competitor which is also beautiful would be the darker green Pinus edulis which is native to New Mexico thru Arizona on into the Mojave Desert's backyard in the New York Mountains. But still, the Parry is so unique and probably has smallest concentrated locations more than many of the  Pinyons.

Parry Pinyon (Pinus quadrafolia)

There were of course some other bright spots like many of the Native Oaks which looked healthy and some Manzanitas which also looked to be in healthy peak condition, but could have done with a bit of trimming and sprucing up. There were also some other negatives like the California Holly, Lemonade Berry, Dudleya and other plants needing cages around them to prevent the local wild Mule deer population from eating the display. Well you can't blame them, like the opportunistic gopher, they just do what they do. Every living thing is desperate in California at the moment. Again, while I understand the need to show or illustrate the wildness of the chaparral and other native trees and plants, the idea is to impress and inspire the public to develop deep appreciate for a beautiful but misunderstood and often demonized plant community. The demonization has always been unfair and the motives behind the Critics [who generally have no expertise on the subject] have always been influenced by power and money. I admit that I've been a critic myself of the way things are done at the San Diego Safari Park in other areas before, but not because I dislike what they are attempting, which I believe goes well beyond entertainment and a mere profit making venture. But I'm just jealous for things to succeed and work out towards a positive outcome. But I do hold what clearly must be the cream of the crop highly educated ones whom the Park hired in the first place because of their specific education and expertise in certain areas who were hired and placed in positions of  responsibility and oversight, for making what I consider countless rookie greenhorn mistakes that one would find at a high school level. If it's a landscape workers or laborers issue, then educational programs should be mandated as a requirement for anyone hired for a specific area of maintenance. Deep appreciation has to be instilled within the figurative heart of those assigned to care for such an area or the result is exactly as what exists now. In fact it should be a employment hiring qualification. Again, this is the one area of that entire massive Safari Park which has always been the least visited. I have been there maybe 100+ times, often as a yearly member since 1972 and people will stop short of the Baja exhibit and turn right around and go back to Park Central because nothing inspires them to continue beyond that point. Below here is a website which offers Garden Tours and one of them was this past season's winter period when moisture however slightly greened up the area a bit. It illustrates how beautiful the area could be. And using the wrong plants and labels ? go figure - rookie stuff

http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/wild_animal_park_gardens

 Just so that everyone is aware, this region up on that hill is still my favourite area of the entire Safari or Wild animal Park whatever you want to call it. I'm a freak for native chaparral woodland environments and so again if I'm critical, it's because I want their entire program up there to succeed and not fail. Generally when I come with family I have to tolerate several hours of seeing all the bottomland exhibits with the birds and animals before climbing up the hill to where I wanted go in the first place. But at least in the end I get my way. 😉

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Further Reading Educational References of Interest

http://www.californiachaparral.org/

Deep Irrigation Methods for Training Deeper Rooting networks 

California Native Plant Resources

http://www.laspilitas.com/

http://www.matilijanursery.com/

Tree of Life Nursery: California Native Plants