Did someone say hemp paper?

If you could save the environment and save money, whilst also keeping your standard of living the same, would you do it? If I told you the answer lay in hemp, would you believe me?
Friends will know that I advocate the use of hemp for making paper and a variety of other things. Unlike the wood we currently use, hemp paper would allow the rainforest to be saved and would mean we would give climate a sporting chance of sorting out some of the problems caused over 500 years of pollution. Hemp is also very cost effective. It will grow almost anywhere and takes just 120 days to grow to 8 metres, ready for harvest. Compare this with the 100 years of many trees! That is also before you consider the transportation costs of shipping much of the world’s wood half way across the world. Hemp can also be made into furniture and is considerably more durable than wood. Paper made from hemp is also far more recyclable than paper from trees, as the former can be reprocessed more times before breaking down.
Of course the various paper companies do not want you to know this. Where would the money be? For those who disbelieve this, I will quote a brief section from wikipedia on the subject of hemp and paper production

"In 1916, U.S. Department of Agriculture chief scientists Lyster H. Dewe, and Jason L. Merrill created paper made from hemp pulp, which they concluded was "favorable in comparison with those used with pulp wood."^[3] Jack Herer, in the book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" summarized the findings of Bulletion No. 404:^[4]

"In 1916, USDA Bulletin No. 404, reported that one acre of cannabis hemp, in annual rotation over a 20-year period, would produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees being cut down over the same 20-year period. This process would use only 1/4 to 1/7 as much polluting sulfur-based acid chemicals to break down the glue-like lignin that binds the fibers of the pulp, or even none at all using soda ash. The problem of dioxin contamination of rivers is avoided in the hemp paper making process, which does not need to use chlorine bleach (as the wood pulp paper making process requires) but instead safely substitutes hydrogen peroxide in the bleaching process. ... If the new (1916) hemp pulp paper process were legal today, it would soon replace about 70% of all wood pulp paper, including computer printout paper, corrugated boxes and paper bags."

The decision of the United States Congress to pass the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act was based in part on testimony derived from articles in newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry, which manufactured his newsprint. As a result of the Marijhuana Tax Act, the production and use of hemp discontinued.

If anyone could grow and harvest hemp, how would they continue to make the vast fortunes that big paper giants do today? Where would the taxes be for governments?

Things are changing however, I attach a link below to a hemp resource page. Enjoy, and remember smoking hemp does not cause you go get ‘high’. Let us hope that if we all push this agenda, we will see greener sources of paper becoming the standard in the future. As for me, I going to start getting green paper asap!

http://www.birminghamfoe.org.uk/newslet/news0898/story13.htm

my thanks to http://www.illuminati-news.com/graphics/hemp.gif for the use of image.

Personality of the week

To regular readers of the blog, you may have noticed that there has been a high number of white anglo-saxon males and (usually) protestant at that. Though this group has done much that is credible, the cafe wishes to acknowledge the very considerable part played in our world by people outside this group.

This week, then it is with great pleasure we announce….

Morgan Freeman – our congratulations to you a free cup of coffee awaits you at your convenience.

Morgan Freeman was born in 1937 in Memphis Tennessee. Despite humble circumstances early in his life he won a number of drama competitions eventually resulting in him winning a partial scholarship to Jackson state university – which he turned down in order to work as a mechanic in the United states air force.

During the 1960s-1970s, Freeman worked in a number of film related roles without really entering the big time. He worked as script writing assistant and also had a number of minor roles in films.

It was during the 1990s that Freeman came to popular attention. A number of strong supporting roles, which included the respected films ‘shawshank redemption’ and ‘Amistad’ raise his status to that of a house hold name. It is for this reason, Morgan, that we give you this week’s prize!

(my thanks to Wikipedia for the photograph)

Taking five minutes off to review Maroon 5

Currently, I am working in a site of historical interest in Sussex. It I an unusual site because it contains a medieval structure, but also later developments – including a school. Today there is going to be a wedding here and I am getting ready to for it. I hope it turns out well, although the weather at the moment is somewhat rainy.

As I sit here I am thinking of the new Maroon 5 album ' it won't be soon before long' which I recently bought. I will review it here.

This is a good album with a number of catchy songs. I especially the b sides on this album such as 'back at your door' and 'better that we break'. Other songs, such as sweet kiwi, whilst acceptable, lack the 'humability' of other songs on the previous album ' Songs about Jane'.

Another difference between the two albums is there thematic nature. Songs about Jane was a concept album and achieved an excellent sense of unity and progression from a simple love affair to something deeper and darker. It won't be soon before long', by contrast has no story riding through it which I think is a shame. Instead, Maroon 5 have turned more 'poppy' with this album they confine themselves to love songs.

Adam Levine et al are such clever and talented people. They demonstrated on songs about Jane that they could play in a variety of styles and use quite different sounds between songs; whilst also keeping a strong rhythm going. Instead, it would be soon before long is more one dimensional. The album is good, but would be better with some acoustic numbers and a few where Adam Levine sang high and low. Topics other than love and relationships might have featured on the album such as what the band were doing between 2002 and 2007.

Overall, I give this album 7.5/10. It is easy to listen to and it grows on one. At least 4 songs are catchy and the rest are acceptable. Buy this album if you want 80's inspired pop/indie songs or you liked songs about Jane – but don't expect to be totally blown away.

Experience, feelings, beliefs and decisions

I will freely admit that I frequently get into long debates about the nature of feelings in the decision making process which have in the past been of limited success. Such debates often occur with Dantares and though such discussions are not confined to his company, it is usually with him that I am challenged the most. I hope here to have bring some insight.

Partly out of a wish to clarify my own thinking on the matter and partly out of a desire to see what other people I offer the following as a starting point for discussion both on the blog and more generally: with a view to finding the forces that best sum up decision making.

On the most simple level, it may be observed that decisions are a logical process. One of two or more propositions is selected from a list – simple logic – nothing to it.

On a deeper level, though I would argue that this interpretation seeks to cut out the ‘subjective’ self or perceiver from the equation. Doing so renders the model at best simplistic and at worst unhelpful because as I will argue subjective factors influence the logic used to answer the question. It is therefore necessary to look at accounts that factor in subjective qualities.

Many times we have heard people say that ‘logically that is possible but it just does n’t seem right’. In such cases people effectively are resorting to the store of their past experiences and understanding of other’s experiences to determine that which is subjectively true. This is because people are limited in their perceptions in the sense that the cannot see all things from all positions. They are confined to their current individual attention. Thus they make a selective interpretation based on what they know. But, that knowledge is ultimately subjective.

That subjectivity is further more expressed as a feeling which informs people’s perceptions of ‘what life is really like.’ Were people to have a series of dramatically different experiences compared to their earlier ones, they beliefs feelings about what life is would be altered quite dramatically. Given this altered feeling, one would then make new statements based on logical processes. Thus for Descartes, the existence of God was ‘logically’ proven because for him his experiences informed his feeling about how life ‘really was’. From that starting point, a philosophy was built which used many logical steps, but which started from a feeling based on his prior experiences.

Whilst we’re on the subject experience and beliefs tend to be relatively stable in most people, which for many, gives the illusion that the two have only a limited relationship. I suggest that in fact they have a strong correlation. Though hard to measure with existing technology, I think that beliefs are formed of experiences which impact on consciousness and are perceived somewhere on the spectrum between good and bad. Based on the number of events of Good or Bad, people form beliefs and from these beliefs they continue to form new experiences which are in line with their existing beliefs.

I also argue that from a conscious attempt to experiences new things, even by just concentrating one’s attention on a different component of known thing, people can change their beliefs. For example, someone who believed that the NHS was a waste of money, might consider the price that private health care problems cost the Americans.

Beliefs can create experience, experience can create beliefs – the two are like Siamese twins – joined at the hip but with an important story of its own. It is also interesting to consider how readily people ignore some of their experiences and some of their beliefs when they conflict with their more deeply held attitudes and memories.

Current business

Owing to the nature of current revision requirements, articles have been kept to a minimum of late. I hope to rectify this soon. In the mean time, I hope to entice you to keep checking for updates by telling you some of the topics I have planned for the near future:

1. placebo effects - what do they show about will power
2. the rules science lives by - what are the paradigms that affect the studies we put so much store by?
3. consciousness - what is it and does anyone know - can we ever know?

In the mean time, two exam left.

Almost there…

The exam season finishes for me in three days. As of Friday, I will be a free bird until the BPS exams in July and I must say I will be delighted to finish this round of exams.

It has been, in so many ways, an extremely busy year. I feel I have progressed in all sorts of ways and the course has provided me with an excellent grounding in psychology. That is not to say, however, it has been a bed of roses. Working at part time jobs – 15 hours a week during term time 45 during the hols, applying for future courses, attempting to buy a piano for my family have all taken up considerable amounts of time and I feel in need of some time to myself soon.

Still, here I am… the end is in sight and I will make a good finish. To those of you who still have exams on, good luck!

And the Personality of the week is…

Once again it has been some time since the last episode of Personality of the week hit the café Lumiere headlines. It is back for another episode now and I think you will be pleased with this week’s choice, it is the antidote to Eurovision its…..

Lord W. F. Deedes, aka ‘Dear Bill’.

W. F. Deedes is quite a remarkable man and here is why…

Born on the fringes of the extremely wealthy and influential in 1913 Deedes was brought up in Saltwood Castle Kent and educated at Harrow until the age of 17. Owing to the 1929 financial depression, however, his father suffered very severe money problems; and young William’s promising academic career was cut short before he could attend university.

He became a journalist in 1931, writing first for the Morning Post and after 1937 the Daily Telegraph, for which he still writes today – yes, you did read that correctly, he is still active!

During world war two he fought with distinction and gained the military cross. After the war, he served as minister under Churchill and Macmillan before leaving politics (at least in Parliament) in 1974. After that he was editor of the Telegraph 1974-1986 when he also developed a friendship with the late Denis Thatcher, husband of the prime minister. Private Eye, during the 1980s, ran a famous column entitled ‘dear Bill’ which satirised the relationship between these two eccentric men.

Deedes was made a life peer in 1986, but that has not slowed him down, it would seem. He has appeared on Have I got news for you (twice) and continues to write and work for the abolition of Land Mines.

He family also takes it lead from him. His son, Jeremy Deedes, is a director of the Telegraph Group.

One of my favourite things about W.F. Deedes, is that he is a link with an age that is almost out of living memory. When I read his short book ‘brief lives’ it was quite incredible to realise that he actually met the people detailed in the book – who included Stanley Baldwin, Princess Diana whilst also surviving them to be able to write in a meaningful way about their legacy or some aspect of their personalities that has been largely missed . In his autobiography, ‘Dear Bill: a memoir’ one received a sense of the extremely sharp mind, yet humane soul that is at work in Deedes.

He reported alongside the young Evelyn Waugh in Abyssinia in 1936. It is sometimes claimed that ‘Boot’ the journalist in Waugh’s Scoop is the young Deedes. It should be noted though, that Bill Deedes has always denied this; saying only that there are ‘passing similarities’. I am not sure he has convinced me on that point.

Nevertheless, his writing continues to impress and inspire me. He is a fine example of Britishness and manhood.

Lord Deedes, a free coffee awaits you!