The GreenplanetFM Podcast with Tim Lynch

Is it possible for a conscious shift to a new localised monetary way of life?Complimentary currencies, LETS. ‘local exchange trade systems’, mutual credit systems, barter exchange, including time banks and green dollars.Entailing the decentralisation of money, as well as creating a monetary unit that is democratic, accessible and retains its value?With a cast that includes Vandana Shiva, Thomas Greco, David Korten, Charles Eisenstein, Jean Huston, Elisabet Sahtouris, Bernard Lietaer, John Perkins, Hazel Henderson and Riane Eisler, this brilliant video needs to be seen by as many people possible - in all countries.Katie Teague with no experience in the profession of digital media became successful in her art form when she committed, by saying a full YES!As a therapist Katie noticed people carrying worries and concerns about money, as well as our disconnection from both our selves and the natural world. This as a result of the subtle and not so subtle abuses of how much money controls us, whilst at the same tim

With Lisa Er.Trees have a unique place in our environment. Without them, human life as we know it would not exist. Trees conserve water, make our air breathable, absorb air pollution, support our slopes, provide habitats for birds and animals and form the hub of enormous underground micro-environments that strengthen soil and foster insect life. Mature trees can even treat 16 cubic metres of storm water per tree per year.So why does the government want to delete tree protection from the RMA (Resource Management Act) and prevent local councils from deciding with their communities whether or not to protect their own trees, and create “Nanny State” control from Wellington?Trees that do not have formal heritage status and scheduled in a District Plan will now be vulnerable to changes to the RMA which will allow the fellow next door to cut down all the trees on his property without consent.It seems the new changes to the RMA will smooth the path of economic growth at the expense of our environment. Where is local

From Taos in New Mexico USA. A 'wayshower' to energy, food and housing independence.Designing and building a bio harmonic home out of indigenous materials of rock and soil, but inclusive of old car tires, glass bottles cans etc, can manifest an exceptionally stable and sustainable 'earthship' home. That with the addition of solar heating and water treatment and storage systems, plus garden area can make your home capable of sustaining you and your family in a well lighted spacious setting for months, without you leaving the dwelling.Earthships are becoming a growing global phenomena due to their use of waste and left overs from current western technologies and economic systems.  With knowledge and skills ordinary people can do extra ordinarily creative things to build an off grid dwelling, that positioned facing the arc of the sun, uses both passive / solar and or windmill energy to power your future with out paying out huge sums to electricity and water utilities. Whilst at the same time keeping the building

Who owns and who controls the media in New Zealand?Covering: The historical perspective, from private and governmental control to privatization?History of media, early Maori newspapers, wealthy family owned papers in main cities and eventually union owned newspapers. To print media today and by extension web sites.Then radio and TV their evolution that along with print media is now basically in the hands of about 5 owners and an increasing concentration into fewer hands. Other than TV NZ and Radio NZ, virtually all large media is overseas owned. Alternative media what’s happening? The internet where is it going? Censorship in the past and today? Programming and are we being desensitised and programed? Overlapping into telecommunications, via telephones, computers and morphing into electronic espionage and security issues.How can we encourage NZers to look for optimistic and solution oriented community news?What is the outlook on the future regarding mass communications and media, including electronic contro

With Lisa Er.Sponsored by www.TheAwarenessParty.comIt is no secret that we are living in interesting and challenging times, and that we are in great need of not just innovative, but collaborative strategies for sustainability to address our planetary emergency head-on.Nicole M. Foss is Senior Editor of the well-read website The Automatic Earth. Since January 2008, she and co-author Raúl Ilargi Meijer have been chronicling and interpreting the on-going credit crunch as the most pressing aspect of our current multi-faceted predicament. The site integrates finance, energy, environment, psychology, geopolitics and real politik in order to explain why we find ourselves in a state of crisis and what we can do about it.Nicole is also an international speaker on global finance, energy and environment. She has lectured in hundreds of locations across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and has made numerous media appearances in a variety of countries.Nicole describes our financial predicament, vulnerabil

The Good News:There is a big increase organics in NZ.In past 3 years organic produce sales have increased by 25%, organic beverages increased by 80% and organic wine has quadrupled production.Franklin organic farmers grass roots organization of 300 people are organizing themselves by taking back control of their food supply, establishing community networks.Humans no need to be competitive, but cooperative relationships brings connection and happiness in communityOrganics NZ are still committed to be the worlds first organic country but Bhutan, Bali and Costa Rica are far closer. NZ organic growers definitely want NZ to lead. What we are dealing with:Though our Government is not talking organics to the world, ironically the world is talking organics to NZ. Especially China and Taiwan and milk supply for example, and if our food is contaminated the Chinese will instantly halt buying, because they are wanting 'NZs 100 percent pure products.'This superb, newsy, laughter ridden interview covers:Nestles - its probl

What is it that compels a very fit and energetic octogenarian, to come back to NZ for a visit to give talks and share his insights across the Auckland region?From the NZ navy, to the police to a farmer who went into local politics for 6 terms and realized that we should NEVER allow more than 4 terms maximum as any more than this and you lose your enthusiasm, energy and panache.Saw town planning become so restrictive and that produced the growth of bureaucracy.Realised in the 1960s that it was not National or Labour but 'the system' that was wrong, where Social Credit offered another viewpoint around finance and economy, he stood at different times against Bill Birch and also Winston Peters and Colin Moyle.Always pushing the envelope he owned a health store in Australia and then 'moved on'. What motivated him was he did everything because he wanted to see how he could help people. As a farmer he used to kill his own animals for meat and states that fat on meat is so important as it helps digest the protein, an

Leanora ~ Out of Africa, Ex IT Silicon Valley, to bee keeping, lavender grower, organic gardener of the inner self ~ a woman's journey.When we close our eyes to the outside world and become self reflective, we realize that we are all we have got. That if we want change in the outer world, we need to recognize that we need to change within as well.From our first breath as a baby we soak up the imprints of our first contact, to our mother, family and extended family to community.Surrounded in love we are secure in our localized environment and this allows us to be nourished and acknowledged and find our place in life.Leanora traveled extensively to finally find NZ and a tiny island microcosm nestled on Waiheke Island in a community who practiced organic principles. Here in the secureness of warm relationships she engaged in both inner and outer growth giving her an understanding of the psychological patterns that we as an emergent humanity need to become aware of as we clear our being of the need to drop anythi

Gavin, originally from the emerald isle of Ireland now lives in NZ, brings an insightful and holistic vision of how NZ can lead sustainability both locally and globally. And due to the unique and potent comments and articles in Element Magazine it's now becoming an important educator in both the business world as well as schools and community to looking after our children's future. The whole idea of the Element publication is to use media to create (drive) positive change in society in a world that is all about consumerism and how we can make more money. Using the triple bottom line and finding the balance between economic prosperity, health of the biosphere and the health of the people that live within the biosphere.      

Would you imagine that any government would be stupid enough to sign an international agreement that would allow overseas corporations to sue it, in secretive offshore tribunals claiming that new laws and regulations (for example a ban on fracking, GE, smoking control laws or a cap on electricity prices) have seriously undermined the value of their investments?Well, that is what the New Zealand Government and ten other countries around the Pacific Rim are negotiating right now under the TPPA, the secret Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, and President Obama wants it signed by October of this year. Of course the country that has the most to gain will be the US and their corporations!And do you really think the US needs our dairy products – the sale of which is the supposed benefit for NZ by joining the TPPA?From what has been gleaned so far, if the negotiations are completed it will make it much harder for governments to pass new laws, to look after the environment, promote health,  protect workers (from lon

Dr Christoph Schumacher: Professor of Innovation and Economics, Massey University Auckland, posits the question from his recent exceptionally well attended public lecture."I saw this professorial lecture as a chance to say what I’ve really wanted to say for years, that our current economic mantra is always about growth, but continuous economic growth is not environmentally sustainable, and it is not making us happy."Should we be aiming for continual economic growth within a finite environment?"In other words, are we New Zealanders becoming more happier and less stressed with our current economic system of unrelenting economic growth that consumes resources and pollutes our planet?‘There’s not a single country (other than possibly Bhutan) on this planet that doesn’t have economic growth as one of its key targets. But we have to stop and ask ourselves why?'The drive for greater growth and productivity is depleting our resources without satisfying our material desires. He has linked current GDP growth with vario

Robina McCurdy: Community development facilitator, Organic gardener, Permaculture Educator, Land-use designer and Food localiser.One of the best known permaculture teachers in NZ, Robina has taken her innovative approach to South Africa and into their schools the 'Permaculture curriculum' and assisted large numbers of people to become more self reliant and sustainable in growing of gardens and food production.  Especially in squatter settlements, which have been funded by the NZ High Commission, where she trained up teams so as to make herself redundant, which is totally in opposition to todays economic ways which wants you to become 'dependent on the system.’Starting young on an organic market garden in Christchurch, in an extended family in Harewood planting and harvesting was a joyful thing with aunties and uncles and cousins and the experiencing and knowing of community and connection with the land, and in particular the feeling that this was perfectly normal and not a rare event, and this 'connection' ne

Robert, from the far North in North Auckland is a vegetable grower who decided back in 1997 and with one other founded the Whangarei growers market. This market is the largest and oldest market of its kind in New Zealand and by many accounts is one of the most thriving growers (farmers) markets in the country, attracting between 4500 to 5000 shoppers every Saturday morning.It is a 'David vs Goliath' success story that has enabled growers once on the brink of ruin, who were sick of the supermarket chains squeezing their returns, reorganized themselves and broke free. The market has grown by word of mouth and social networking and does absolutely no advertising to sell direct to the public.This interview covers the challenges faced, the food that is produced, virtually all spray free, and moving towards more organic, fruit veggies, dairy, meat, fish, honey and is a place where relationships develop between suppliers and the public.This is a place for small to medium growers to sell their produce, based on a set

Glenn, a New Zealander, has just returned from Schumacher College in Devon in the UK which runs courses around sustainability, using a transformative approach in helping organisations understand and find solutions. In this interview, our planet is personified by referring to 'her' in her ancient name as Gaia, and is mentioned as science and reality combine, with ancient knowledge we realise that of all the major planets in our solar system, only Venus has a female name, yet the ancient Greeks 2,500 years ago had a name for 'mother earth' and they called her Gaia, 'from her all things issued'.The many cycles of life on our planet, either cycle through the ocean or have contact with it as it's a gigantic dynamic system, in many ways the blood stream for the planetary body, which is 3.5% salt which in a uncanny way mirrors the salt percentage in the human body.This interview covers the wholeness of our ocean planet, in that all oceans are interconnected.The ocean is the life blood of our planet. We have until no

What really went on in Iceland? Iceland was the first of the economies to collapse in the increasing list of countries affected by the corrupt banking system.After most people lost their savings, how did the people of Iceland survive? How have they moved from a complete financial collapse in 2008 to a successful functioning "local economy”? After the collapse on October 2008 actor, singer and gay rights activist Hordur Torfason planted himself outside parliament. Every day for a week he stood in the same spot and asked the people two questions. The first, do you know what has happened in this country? The second, do you have any ideas about what we can do about it?By gauging opinion on the streets, and through innovative social media, he devised three demands which reflected the people’s immediate wishes: the government should resign, the board of the financial supervisorial authority should resign, and the board of the national bank should resign.Within three months and in extremely cold and wet conditions,

Patricia Ranald, PhD of Sydney, Australian spokesperson for the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network.Interviewed on the underlying challenges of the secret TPPA, the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and how it could adversely affect Australia.(And NZ). The TPPA originally started with NZ, Brunei, Singapore and Chile, but they have since been joined by the US and Australia and five other countries. US corporations are  setting the agenda. Australian civil society groups want the TPPA text to be made public and debated in Parliament before Government signs any agreement. Why? Because they already have a Free Trade deal with the USA. They have had no economic benefit and are importing more from America than they export. For example, Australian sugar farmers did not get any additional access to US markets. The US wants to include in the TPPA special rights for foreign investors to sue governments for damages in international tribunals if a law or policy harms their investment. This can undermine democr

Listen to a very potent and passionate appraisal of the forthcoming 2nd Holistic Cancer Congress in Auckland which continues as a World First for its integrative approach to cancer therapies and diagnostics.With presentations from Dr Bruce Lipton PhD, Ian Gawler, Dr Thornton Streeter DSc, Dr Robin Kelly, Dr Nicky Baillie, Liz Hart, David Holden, Phil Kerslake,  and Peter Chaplin – each top experts in their own right. If you need to know the very latest information on cancer, and all approaches to its prevention and treatment, you must attend this Congress!Today, many people are being shocked to find that they have a form of cancer or a family member or friend has become afflicted. Modern mainstream medicines use of some very invasive methods, with varying success, has compelled many people to seek other more natural ways to heal and recover.This Holistic Cancer Congress follows on last years ground breaking 1st Congress where numerous presenters receive rapturous, standing ovations as they offered up not only

Controversial figure Ken Ring is the only long range weather forecaster in the country. He has been predicting weather for over 15 years and in this interview he explains the differences between his system of prediction, using lunar orbits, seasonal cycles and by examining historical weather trends, as opposed to conventional weather forecasting via observation from satellites."No guarantee of 100% accuracy is claimed. Sciences that depend on nature's patterns are never exact despite best intentions," Ken says. He predicted this summer would be drier than normal for most of the country.He highlights the politics of why it suits weather forecasters to get it wrong! Indigenous peoples and farmers have been aware of the moons influence on weather for years, but its influence is ignored in mainstream forecasting.Ken challenges the generally accepted reasons for climate change and says the system is too big and powerful to be greatly affected by human activity. He also tells the story of the politics behind global

Most places in New Zealand have fluoride in the water, but is it dumbing down the population and making people ill? Fluoride expert Dr Paul Connett, professor Emeritus in Chemistry from St Lawrence University New York USA, says “Yes”.For years health experts have been unable to agree on whether fluoride in the drinking water may be toxic to the developing human brain. Extremely high levels of fluoride are known to cause neurotoxicity in adults, and negative impacts on memory and learning have been reported in rodent studies, but little is known about the substance’s impact on children’s neurodevelopment. In a meta-analysis, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and China Medical University in Shenyang for the first time combined 27 studies and found strong indications that fluoride may adversely affect cognitive development in children. Based on the findings, the authors say that this risk should not be ignored, and that more research on fluoride’s impact on the developing brain is warranted

The Earth talking to Humanity via Sten LinnanderSten's quest in life is to understand how we can reconnect with the living world around us and take our rightful place as conscious participants in its evolution.Prior to the year 2000, Sten kept receiving messages that he refused to believe, and it took him over a decade to come to terms with the information that he wrote down, and now has published it.The challenge of not wanting to believe that the Earth (she) was actually talking, or whispering to him, caused him to question why he picked up these messages 'inside himself.'That the earths atmosphere can also be perceived as an aura and just as radio and TV waves can pass through the atmosphere from station to receiver, so can 'sensitive' people pick up information too. Most Indigenous peoples globally acknowledge animism and inherently know that rocks store information, as in crystals.That we too can program crystals ourselves when we understand certain principles that shaman and medicine healers know of AND