I believe that medicine’s potential is much more than the version we see in the world today. A doctor should be an educator with the goal of bringing patients to a place of deeper understanding of who they are in the world. To me, medicine is ultimately about self-empowerment through self-knowledge and growth.
As April enters its final days, we wish a warm welcome to the Taurus!and the energy of endurance and stability. It’s the energy of the physical body!
Food Shortages
In case you haven’t heard, the Ukraine-Russian War is causing “the biggest supply shock to global grain markets in a lifetime.”
Russia and Ukraine are both major suppliers of food to the world, and exports have now halted due to the war. Combined they account for nearly 30% of global wheat exports, nearly 20% of the world’s corn and more than 80% of the sunflower oil.
Russia also exports 48% of the global ammonium nitrate, and combined with Ukraine, they export 28% of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.
Experts are now predicting fertilizer prices may double as a result of Russia’s ban on fertilizer exports.
What happens when there is a shortage of food?
Prices go up. Globally, food has never been so expensive.
What happens when food prices go up?
Ultimately history says this leads to unrest, riots.
What makes us more vulnerable?
Globalization of the food chain, industrial farming.
What else do we tolerate from industrial farming?
High greenhouse gases, poor nutritive content of food, destroyed ecosystems and soils.
What makes us more resilient?
Communities with local food production will be best positioned over the next decade and beyond. The war is an accelerator of a phenomenon already in the making. Local, organic and biodynamic sources of food are key to having access to good food.
Simple.
Don’t be a stick in the mud. There are things we have to change. We have to navigate new challenges and learn new skills. The solution will never be lab-made food. See through that with me. See how industry wants to offer solutions that don’t actually solve anything.
Case in Point
Scientists Rewind The Clock of Human Skin Cells to Make Them Act 30 Years Younger. (in test tubes) Great, right? I’m not so sure. De-aging isn’t new, but like a lot of things it is gaining traction as it comes around again. The fine print begs us to beware because cancers can result from this technique, at least at this point in the research. Our highest end, in my opinion, is not to be found in tending to our body and its longevity out of context of the soul and spirit.
The beauty of developments like this is that to find peace we are forced to clearly articulate who we are, at our finest essence, in fullest context. That and only that can guide us.
The bull with the lion and the eagle, symbolizing the physical body with soul and spirit.
COVID numbers round up
News from the week:The national case count continues its slight uptick, led by the mild increases in the Northeast. This week the US case count has gone from 38,000 cases per day to just under 44,000 per day. Hospitalizations and deaths are very low right now. This is the trend with Omicron. Many more cases, much less critically ill patients. Remember how people were calling Omicron nature’s vaccine? This trend persists.
From The MA Department of Public Health website: “On April 20, 2022 there were 384 patients hospitalized in MA for COVID-19. Of those patients, 239 (62%) were reported to be fully vaccinated for COIVD-19 when they contracted COVID-19. And, of those 384 hospitalized patients, 111 (29%) were primarily hospitalized for COVID-19 related illness.” Only 111 of the 384 COVID hospitalizations were actually hospitalized for COVID. Statistics are like excuses, everyone’s got one and they don’t tell the whole story.
In Mass the 7 day average for the entire state rose again slightly to around 1800 cases per day on average, up from 1400 cases per day range last week (max peak was 20,000 cases per day.)
Berkshires cases are at 52 cases per 100,000 population per day (seven day average) over the last week up from 39 cases per day last week (max was 300 cases per day). Columbia county continues a slight increase- now 24 cases daily per 100,000 population (seven day average), up from 17.
COVID is out there. Be smart socially. Omicron is different from earlier variants. We are generally still well positioned. I’m still expecting and hoping for just a ripple, not a massive wave. Be careful but don’t fear.
When all else fails think about the coming season of sunshine.