We've Moved!

You will now find us at www.rowanremedies.com the home page is the blog and there is much more informative content about natural remedies, holistic anatomy and sustainable living

Is it just me or does it feel like Autumn?

What with all this rain and lack of sunlight it's been feeling more like Autumn in NYR-Blackheath the last few days. I've been getting this urge to drink some elderflower tea which is great for colds, flu's and to clear a phlegmatic condition. I'm not helping myself with all the dairy rich chocolate I'm having but there we go. I had some elderflower tea today and realised just how long it's been since I had a proper herbal tea. The sensation was quite amazing. So refreshing, so harmonising, so relaxing. I took a sip and just thought; "what on earth have I been doing? Why haven't I been doing this more often?".

I think it's the busy lives of capitalism we lead, we forget to relax till we get symptoms of illness. What shocks me is when people (often men) ignore their symptoms of illness and try to push through it anyway. I can't think of a more disrespectful thing to do to your body. It is giving you screaming signs to slow down and you simply ignore it and carry on. Well, that's just asking for trouble isn't it?

I'm happy to say my website is up and running and I will be adding to it weekly. So from now on expect my more factual articles to be found on the website whereas my opinion, musings and rantings will be found here. I don't expect you to agree, disagree, get angry or inspired by my blog. It is what it is I just hope you enjoy it in all it's amateur glory.

www.rowanremedies.com for the facts!

Reality Tv's Good Side

We have probably always observed ourselves as a human race but with our ever expanding ability to gather and record information we appear to be observing ourselves now more than ever before. Reality TV is one of the ways in which we do this.

When we observe others we are inevitably reflecting upon our own choices as well. I wonder, if we are continuously approving our own choices by observing others do we ever really nurture love of our selves? Although, indirectly this may be the aim of the exercise, perhaps we are missing the point.

Arguably the increase in ways to observe others gives us a greater capacity than ever before to accept others and love ourselves, but this does not seem to be the case.

If, rather than revelling in judging people for not being like ourselves we used this time to open our minds to others and try to empathise more with others surely the world would be a better place.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Intensive Cow Farming

You may or may not be aware that there have been plans recently to bring intensive cow farming to Britain. It is something more commonly placed in the USA. However, it has already spread to China, India, the Philippines, Australia and Brazil (WSPA, 2010). In this practice cows are housed in large quantities on small amounts of land, usually in doors all of their life on concrete floors shuffling about in their own faeces. In order to maintain this environment the cows need to be given antibiotics regularly and artifical feed.

In Britain we have a tradition of small livestock farms. However, these have become less profitable over the years due to the nature of supermarkets competitive prices. The savins we make at the supermarket are almost always to the loss of the farmer. Therefore, these intensive methods of farming are far more profitable for them. There are 2 intensive farms (for cows) planned for the UK at present; Nocton and South Witham. For details about the set-up planned check this link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-how-zerograzing-is-set-to-bring-usstyle-factory-farming-to-britain-2010107.html.

It is clear to most that these systems are cruel to animals. However, what is not so clear is the impact these farms have on the environment. For each cow we rear we are creating twice as much of a carbon footprint because we are growing food to be fed to the cows, food which we could eat ourselves. The monoculture of this farming creates more lameness in the animals as well as many other diseases which are kept under control with antibiotics. Antibiotics which leak into our systems when we eat them or directly into our water supplies. The faeces created by the cows is not used as an energy source but is washed away into the water supplies causing great amounts of pollution to the water system by over-loading it with nitrate and can cause higher risks of miscarriage amongst humans. They also lead to a loss of soil fertility. In Brazil, the Amazon rainforest is being felled to make room for these farms.

I hope that adds some more depth to the ethical/vegetarian/vegan etc.etc. argument. Even if you do eat meat (as I do) it's possible to do it with more attention when you have all the facts.

REFERENCE: WSPA (2010) [online] http://www.wspa-international.org/Images/cattleleaflet_tcm25-2619.pdf [Accessed: 19/07/2010]

Making friends in allotments

I had a lovely afternoon with a friend Chiara on her allotment. I helped her I.D. a plant for her ( a beetroot we thought might be a chard) and met her allotment neighbours.

Her neighbours were interested to learn the weeds they keep pulling up are in fact medicinal herbs. I explained plantain is for skin problems, calendula for wounds, chickweed for itches and horsetail for skin and nails. Horsetail was the most prolific.

They say what you need grows around you. I have heard reports from word of mouth that the hard water in London thins the hair so perhaps this is why it grows so much in that allotment.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spirituality and ignorance

Today I heard someone say they think spirituality is a symptom of ignorance. He argued that we use spirituality to justify things we don't understand but in actual fact we just havnt discovered it yet.

I particularly didn't like that he equated spirituality with ignorance. However, I agree that spirituality provides us with general patterns and theories to explain things we are yet to understand by science.

However, I don't believe science is superior. In fact, I believe spirituality can be key to morality and humility for some and these human and social facets are more important than how we understand the world. I also believe it's probable that as humans we never will understand all the intricacies of nature. I think it's too clever for our minds and that is oddly comforting to me. It gives me the sensation of something being bigger and better than us, similar to this 'god' or 'spirit' we hear so much about. This is where I find my humility.

-- Post From My iPhone

Ecology and Capitalism

I've just finished reading a very basic book which outlines the subject of ecology. It used mostly pictures and cartoons with easy to read language. However, if you've never approached the subject of ecology before it's a very informative introduction. You can find a link to it on the facebook group.

Naturally, as any good book should do, it's got me thinking. I have found it very difficult in the past to sum up my political beliefs but this book has really helped me.

With the current issues of climate change, obesity in the west, famine in the third world, and pollution we clearly need to reasses our current life styles. At the moment we aim to gain material things rather than concentrate on being. These aspirations come from the idea that the world we live on is a resource to be exploited. When this was originally concieved it was also thought that we have infinite supplies of resources. However, we know now this is not the case.

These ideas of resource exploitation and materialism come under the economic system of capitalism whereby power, money and resources are centralised and profit, above all else, is sought.

Ecology does not react well to capitalism. If we want to save ourselves from our own demise (in the form of climate change) other alternatives would need to be embraced.

A decentralised system whereby resources are either shared nationally or grown close to where they are needed in a method which mimics natural ecology is what I think is needed. Sustainable energy supplies using water, wind, waste (methane) and the sun would be utilised. A decentralised system gives a bigger variety of jobs needed more frequently as there is a plethora of different jobs in every small town. Plus, with the increased efficiency of the decentralised system less work is needed. Quality goods are made to last and be easily repaired. This allows more time to be spent on the social side of life and furthering our knowledge.

So what actions can you take? Being aware of where your things come from is one step but just taking green decisions within the capitalist system does not promote true revolutionary change away from it. Try setting up your own co-op, grow your own food, squat, join your unions and force quality made things, oppose nukes, oppose wasteful developments in your area, boycott big unethical brands and support the ones that arn't unethical. I know I will.

-- Post From My iPhone