If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as trees for paper and construction, were banned in order to save the planet, reverse the greenhouse effect and stop deforestation; then there is only one known annually renewable natural resource that is capable of providing the overall majority of the world's paper and textiles; meet all of the world's transportation, industrial and home energy needs, while simultaneously reducing pollution, rebuilding the soil and cleaning the atmosphere all at the same time... and that substance is the same one that has done it before . . . CANNABIS/HEMP/MARIJUANA!
In the link I have added, under the title 'The Emperor wears no clothes' by Jack Herer. The history, uses and effects of the King of plants is explained. It has been a tragic history since 1937. I think it's about time the truth about the greatest life giving plant is known.
Why Not Use Hemp to Reverse the Greenhouse Effect & Save the World?
In early, 1989, Jack Herer and Maria Farrow put this question to Steve Rawlings, the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Department of Agruculture (who was in charge of reversing the Greenhouse Effect), at the USDA world research facility in Beltsville, Maryland.
"First, we introduced ourselves and told him we were writing for Green political party newspapers. Then we asked Rawlings, "If you could have any choice, what would be the ideal way to stop or reverse the Greenhouse Effect?"
He said, "Stop cutting down trees and stop using fossil fuels."
"Well, why don't we?"
"There's no viable substitute for wood for paper, or for fossil fuels."
"Why don't we use an annual plant for paper and for fossil fuels?"
"Well, that would be ideal," he agreed. "Unfortunately, there is nothing you can use that could produce enough materials."
"Well, what would you say if there was such a plant that could substitute for all wood pulp paper, all fossil fuels, would make most of our fibers naturally, make everything from dynamite to plastic, grows in all 50 states and that one acre of it would replace 4.1 acres of trees, and that if you used about 6 percent of the U.S. land to raise it as an energy crop - even on our marginal lands, this plant would produce all 75 quadrillion billion BTUs needed to run America each year? Would that help save the planet?"
"That would be ideal. But there is no such plant."
"We think there is."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Hemp."
"Hemp!" he mused for a moment. "I never would have thought of it. . . You know, I think you're right. Hemp could be the plant that could do it. Wow! That's a great idea!"
We were excited as we outlined this information and delineated the potential of hemp for paper, fiber, fuel, food, paint, etc., and how it could be applied to balance the world's ecosystems and restore the atomosphere's oxygen balance with almost no disruption of the standard of living to which most Americans have become accustomed.
In essence, Rawlings agreed that our information was probably correct and could very well work.
He said, "It's a wonderful idea, and I think it might work. But, of course, you can't use it."
"You're kidding!" we responded. "Why not?"
"Well, Mr. Herer, did you know that hemp is also marijuana?"
"Yes, of course I know, I've been writing about it for about 40 hours a week for the past 17 years."
"Well, you know marijuana's illegal, don't you? You can't use it."
"Not even to save the world?"
"No. It's illegal", he sternly informed me. "You cannot use something illegal."
"Not even to save the world?" we asked, stunned.
"No, not even to save the world. It's illegal. You can't use it. Period."
"Don't get me wrong. It's a great idea," he went on, "but they'll never let you do it."
"Why don't you go ahead and tell the Secretary of Agriculture that a crazy man from California gave you documentation that showed hemp might be able to save the planet and that your first reaction is that he might be right and it needs some serious study. What would he say?"
"Well, I don't think I'd be here very long after I did that. After all, I'm an officer of the government."
"Well, why not call up the information on your computer at your own USDA library. That's where we got the information in the first place."
He said, "I can't sign out that information."
"Well, why not? We did."
"Mr. Herer, you're a citizen. You can sign out for anything you want. But I am an officer of the Department of Agriculture. Someone's going to want to know why I want all this information. And then I'll be gone."
Finally, we agreed to send him all the information we got from the USDA library, if he would just look at it.
He said he would, but when we called back a month later, he said that he still had not opened the box that we sent him and that he would be sending it back to us unopened because he did not want to be responsible for the information, now that the Bush Administration was replacing him with its own man.
We asked him if he would pass on the information to his successor, and he replied, "Absolutely not."
In May, 1989, we had virtually the same conversation and result with his cohort, Dr. Gary Evans of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Science, the man in charge of stopping the global warming trend.
In the end, he said, "If you really want to save the planet with hemp, then you [hemp/marijuana activists] would find a way to grow it without the narcotic (sic) top - and then you can use it."
This is the kind of frightened (and frightening) irresponsibility we're up against in our governments.
Happy Birthday!!!
From my computer desk I turned to see this.
Having never attempted the stairs before she was on the 5th step.
I shouted Mum who was upstairs to come see.
As FeeFee kept climbing.
Reaching the top without falling once.
The next day she had learned how to clambour down aswell. 
Decided this morning to take the kids for a trip up Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags on our way to Ally's flat. However after getting all wrapped up Mum opened the door ready to leave only to feel the wind and rain then threw the toys out the pram and refused to go aswell as banning Phoenix from experiencing traditional Scottish weather. Her loss for being such an Americanized pansy, imagine living in Scotland your whole life and not leaving the house when it's windy or raining - sad loser...
Here we are fighting the high winds at the top of the Crags, this is just a photo op. We decide to take the safer pathway below the cliff faces and miss out Arthurs Seat. Still had to be careful though the wind was very strong.
We walked past the Parliament building, up next to Calton hill then down to Stocky a fair walk for the wee one. When we got to Ally's gaff Charlie had to go for a nap. While Thomo, Josh and myself had a few games of Worms (an oldie but a goldie)
Aimpots has decided to move back to Leith, the spiders in Oxgangs were just too much for her. So she has moved back into our brother Duncan's flat because she kens there's nae creepy crawlies. So we all took a trip over to help with the flit. Grandad, Granny and the kids fooling around before the van arrives.
Granny at home rifling through the mail, Aimpots at home preparing scran. This event was interesting as I witnessed the power of authority in the hands of my own family; they didn't handle it well! Amy was storming round the flat furious, proclaiming that the 'dirty bitches' weren't getting their deposit back, that professional cleaners would have to be brought in to clean it up. It was sad to see the auld yins in agreement, they obviously belong to the breed of landowner that think the tenents should pay for refurbishment of the premises on their way out the door. There was nothing wrong the flat that couldn't be fixed by a splash of bleach and some elbow grease; professional cleaners my arse, you lazy cunts. Lets hope the true landlord isn't as much of a twat - doesn't look good, does it?
Phoenix as you can partially see is now pulling herself onto her feet, she is making massive strides towards toddlehood. Now she is pointing, cut her first tooth, picked up about five signs and a few new facial expressions in the last week or so. Here they are in front of Louis' tank.
Charlie, Grandad and myself are just back from a fantastic spot near Fort William, 'the Ring of Steall'. The name refers of course to the ring of 4 Munroes (7 peaks in all); we were staying in the 'Steall hut' next to the 'An Steall' waterfalls in the Glen Nevis valley.
Unlike a bothy, this hut had a generator and a gas supply which kept it bright and cosy, however it did not have a fireplace or even a wood burning stove which as a pyromaniac, I have to say was a big draw back.
Gas cooker, microwave, kettle, radiators, tables, chairs, flushing toilet are all handy but it really doesn't make up for the loss of the dancing flames that mesmerize and inspire.
Luckily the sights filled that void, the thundering gorge, the snow capped mountains and especially the waterfalls. Although, when we arrived at the car park it was pitch black, there is no darkness like being in the countryside when it is overcast. We had one head torch between us and I had Charlie on my shoulders. The first sign we see as we head down the trail is a warning that this particular trail has caused a number of fatalities because not only do you have to cross a few waterfalls like the one above.
But one loose or slippery rock and it down you go into certain death, there's no surviving that gorge even if you managed to miss the rocks, the noise was deafening. So there we are, me wearing the head torch, Grandad walking virtually blind along the cliff edge of death in the dark blissfully unaware of how treacherous this mile and a half is.
Look how beautifully the force of the water has carved the rock, during the day this gorge really was a thing to behold.
Here was our final test, traversing this bridge in the dark, on the far side it gets a bit dodgy because one arm is stretched out and the other bent in close to you but we made it to the hut without getting wet or dead for that matter.
Got the gas and electricity hooked up, had some din dins by which time Charlie was out of the game, she had done a fair amount of walking on the pathy parts of the walk in and had fallen asleep before I finished reading the first page of 'Beauty and the Beast'.
The next day Mike woke early to do the 'Ring of Steall' (here come the science bit!)
The Martin posse opted for a more leisurely stroll along the glen taking in the views at a more humble height. Charlie having her first experience of drinking straight from a flowing river, she loved it so much she was trying to drink out of puddles too.
This is probably the most amazing place I’ve ever seen although visiting at this time of year with all the vibrant colours of autumn combined with the crisp clear air really gave it an advantage.
A drunken autumn, staggers raucously
Throughout the weekend this was my fire place, the An Steall waterfalls. Oh man, it was pure magic by the way. A picture just can't do it justice, like a fire it's the motion - the dance, which hypnotizes you.
After our wee walk, Grandad and Charlie had a nap while I headed back to the car to pick up a crate of beers and the bag that contained our dinner (this is when I realised the danger we had been in the evening before). When I arrived back I couldn't resist a cheeky wee Stella with a J. I soon realised just how knackered I was and for the rest of the evening regretted not joining the others for a quick sleep.
Here's Mike and Grandad in a trance cast by the watery enchantress while Charlie fights off Snappy the Croc who had been hunting her in a bid to retrieve his teeth from Grandad's hat.
Sunday already and it's time to go, back to concrete prisons and a cesspit of fear and control - what fun! The walk out is easy going; it's only in the dark sharing a head torch that things could have gone very wrong. But isn't danger cool? I think it is...
