WoW! What a jammed packed ecoTrain magazine we have this week my friends! Our themes are very intersting this week, with posts covering topics like un-schooling, seed saving, freedom, telepathy, sustainability, vegetarian recipes, qi gong, earth day, and more!

@sagescrub

I Will Take A Radical Action and Save Seeds to Ensure My Freedom

Seeds are a revolution. Seeds in our hands is power in our hands. We cannot have freedom without seeds.

This is my unofficial response to the Freedom Challenge #5: What's the next action you will take to ensure your freedom? There is still one day left to enter this challenge!

As a gardener I am an amateur seed saver. This year I am exploring the option of growing seed as a business.

I contacted some local (and non-local) seed companies to see if they needed someone to grow out some seed in isolation from their main crops. Turns out that one of the companies I contacted is indeed in need of help growing seeds and offered to have me grow out some lettuce and tomato seeds, despite the fact that it is already so late in the season to get started.

Freedom Challenge #5 Wrap Up + Winners Announced!

https://steemit.com/earthday/@thegreens/earth-day-2018-and-endplasticpollution-were-our-main-focus-for-today-s-edition-of-green-radio

Announcing the winners of the 5th Freedom Challenge: "What's the next action you will take to ensure your freedom?"

We had 4 submissions in total - Everyone's a winner!

Thank you @el-nailul, @trucklife-family, @candadianrenegade and @mountainjewel for submitting your responses to this week's#freedomchallenge!

Your words were exceptionally beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for stepping up to the challenge of owning an action to ensure (your/our) freedom!

@hopehuggs

Ellie Gets a New Idea - A Story About Thinking Outside the Box

Ellie is a famous elephant painter. Hundreds of people come to see her paint every day, and lately, she has been stuck on what to paint next for her performance at the zoo.

It's always the same old picture of abstract blobs on the canvas, but she wanted more. So, she asked her mom for advice.

"Mom, I need your help to come up with new ideas to paint."

Her mom said, "You need to think outside the box."

"What does that mean?"

@solarsupermama

The Curse of the Gift

The ecoTrain question of the week is how would things be different if we were all telepathic? I decided to answer the question with fiction from the perspective of someone who wakes to a world of new abilities.

Dan's very first thought when he woke up on a gloomy Saturday in October was that he must have drank more than he thought he had on Friday night. His whole body was tingling, and there was a freaky humming noise. Kind of like one of those small spray bottle fans was inside his ears. He stood up slowly just to be sure he was actually steady. His head wasn't achy. Just buzzy. And he didn't feel nauseous, though he did feel a sort of vertigo.

Unschooling 101 Part III: Bodily Autonomy

We've been talking about the basic tenets of unschooling. If you'd like to catch up, here is Part I and Part II. In Part II we talked about the Freedom of Activity. I mentioned that freedom was such a big topic that we would have to divide it up. It's not really a hard and fast line between activity and bodily autonomy, but I had to divide it up somehow.

Freedom of the body is huge, and at least for me, it is so much harder. It encompasses a number of things, including toys, food, and clothes. We can just look at a few examples, and you'll get the gist of it.

Sorry, Not Sorry

The fabulous community @teamgirlpowa is hosting a poetry contest with the theme of Feminist Fire. I haven't really written a lot of poetry but have felt a lot of feminist fire. I have always considered myself a proud feminist. It has only been in the last few years that I've started to hear a substantial backlash to that word. Well, lemme tell you. I refuse to let other people define that word for me.

@eco-alex

If We Were all Telepathic, How Would the World be Different? The @ecotrain Question Of The Week!

Welcome back to the @ecotrain question of the week! This week we have asked a very interesting question, and one that definitely brought up some interesting responses. Just how different would the world be if we could all know each others thoughts? Would we be inundated with too much information and go crazy, or would we be able to tune ourselves in to someone with our intention?

Just how would life be different, and would we even want these changes!? Does being telepathic have anything to do with empathy? Whilst telepathy has traditionally been associated with rare and gifted people using a 6th sense, it is also very possible that one day we may all be given telepathic abilities using technology. When that day comes, we may have to ask this question again!

Our @ecotrain passengers have written a great selection of posts, and this week we have a wide range of viewpoints. I hope you enjoy reading, and would love to hear your thoughts on this question of the week in the comments!

Shake the back 7 times to eliminate the 100 illnesses. The 8 Brocades / Taoist Yoga Part 8 of 8

This 800-year old exercise, which the ancients likened to beautiful brocade, consists of eight sections, is very popular among the Chinese people. Each section can be practiced on its own and each targets a specific organ or health need. The whole set of movements are fine and delicate with moderate intensity. It is like yoga, but is performed in a standing position and does not require much space or a yoga mat. The 8 brocades are also known as the silk brocades because of the very slow and flowing movements. I have been practicing the 8 brocades regularly for several years, and have found it to be one of my great pillars that keep me physically, mentally and emotionally in balance.

12 Year Life Update, All Change! ... Building A Sustainable Community In Europe!?

Twelve years ago, almost to the day, I discovered Karuna Farm in India after a 15 year global search for the place that I would build my Earthship and call home. When I arrived in 2006 I began the very start of my off-grid life, and started at the very basics. The cottage I rented had no power, no water, no kitchen, and a hole in the ground for a toilet. Step by step I improved things and within a year I had learned how to install solar power, water systems, and some basics about building with Earthship Biotecture principals. I remember my first project was making a kitchen sink counter out of old fish cans and cement. That counter still stands today, 10 years later and you would never know it's made from old tin cans and a bit of cement!

@afifa

The role of dopamine in controlling pain and fear

Dopamine plays a crucial role in the control of behaviors related to pleasure such as the search for food, sex and social interaction. Its role in the avoidance mechanisms, however, has remained a mystery so far. A new study published in the journal "Current Biology" by Jennifer Wenzel and colleagues showed for the first time that dopamine is involved in the mechanisms of avoiding specific threats, such as physical pain.

Cheer and colleagues studied in the rats a particular brain area, the nucleus accumbens, which is involved in reward mechanisms, such as food and sex, related to motor activity to obtain it. The analysis was carried out with the technique of optogenetics, thanks to which it is possible to activate, in genetically modified mice for this purpose, a determinant population of neurons stimulating them with a light pulse. In the specific case, the authors used a blue light so that the neurons of the nucleus accumbens produced more or less dopamine, even when the animals were free to move in their environment.

Inherited genetic variants associated to autism

An accurate genetic analysis on 2600 families with at least one member of an autism spectrum disorder has shown that in the development of the pathology inherited genetic variants may be implicated that are found in non-coding regions of the genome, that is, external to genes.

The development of autism spectrum disorders is also linked to inherited genetic variants found in non-coding regions of the genome. This is shown by a group of researchers from the University of California at San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital, also in San Diego, who sign an article in "Science"

Management of emotions in Children

Adults play a fundamental role in helping children acquire the capacity for emotional self-regulation . In this way it is possible for the child to experience the emotions in an adaptive manner and this has a positive effect on the development of his self-esteem, on mental health and on his social well-being.

The emotions play a central role in the lives of human beings. The emotional state determines, in a substantial way, the state of well-being or malaise of people and influences their actions. For example, some dysfunctional behaviors such as binge eating, aggressive acting, substance abuse, promiscuity, self-harm and internalizing disorders such as anxiety and depression , are generated by inefficient emotional regulation .

@thegreens

Earth Day 2018 and #EndPlasticPollution were our main focus for today's edition of Green Radio,

It has been a exceptionally great day today on Green Radio, FM 99.0 as we talked about Plastic pollution and what we can do to curb plastic pollution in the North West Region of Cameroon.

Our resource persons for Green Radio today were Mr. Fombah Etienne from Y'G Inc., an IT Company based in Bamenda and Mr Fonsah Joel from HYSACAM - Bamenda, the company managing waste in Bamenda.
Mr. Fombah Etienne talked about the role of ICT in the sensitization and education of people about plastic pollution as well as how ICT can reduce the amount of waste generated in the city of Bamenda.

HAPPY EARTH DAY 2018, #EndPlasticPollution

Happy Earth Day!

Our #EndPlasticPollution Campaign Team is ready to work!

Learn about our Earth Day Team members.

Ngalim Franklin (Mr. Green @dukefranky) is Founder/Executive Director of The Greens (@thegreens)

"From little things, big things grow. It suffices and will create a giant impact if every citizen of the planet can refuse, reduce, reuse, remove and recycle just one plastic. " Mr. Green 2018

@trucklife-family

United-100 Days of Poetry Challenge: Day Forty Four

United

I stand before you,
holding my head high.
Wisdom gleaming in my eyes,
I foresee the difficulty you have,
in believing in me,
but that reaction,
is just a mirror on how you really feel inside.
Freedom is not something to toy around with,
you will not win it fighting alone,
Who you stand with
helps define who you are
and how you are known.
Your inner wisdom shines
and lightens up the darkness you hold inside,
we are all one and the same
when we choose to walk side by side.

I will fight for what Is Natural-Freedom Challenge #5: What's the next action you will take to ensure your freedom?

Freedom

For me freedom for one should mean freedom for all.

There are so many things I could write about when it comes to my own personal Freedom, my choice of lifestyle would probably be the main one, living in a truck with my family and being nomadic. That is very important to me but alongside that is protecting our natural environment. Protecting the wilderness and all the abundance it provides for us, this amazing planet is our one true home and we should protect it ferociously.

Growth-100 Days of Poetry Challenge: Day Forty Five

Growth

Today I arise taller than before,
personal reflections greet me as I grow.
Mirror images holding common truths,
letting go in order to grow new roots.
Standing firmer,
Holding on to all I've learnt,
this road I walk on has come to meet me
and greet me with sure intent.
Embrace the warmness,
that radiates,

🔥 Steemit Vision Quest - Week 12: "Howllelujah"

Howllelujah

What does this mean to me?

I see this as a return to the earth.
A return to what has always been,
Our presence on this planet is only recent
when we look at the grand scheme of things.
This is not about a man made entity,
this is about what has come
and will be
before and after you and me.

@zpedro

This perfect handcraft will blow your mind!

Not as simple as it may seem

Just like friendships, musicians need to care for their instruments. Keeping them away from sudden temperature changes, low (and too high) humidity, keeping it clean of rosin dust to avoid damaging the varnish, and of course, minding every edge of it to avoid bruises or cracks that are much more expensive to repair than most car wrecks.

There are dozens of brands for strings, rosins, polishes, cleaning agents, and musicians become so picky and sensible choosing the right ones for them, that you would hardly find two violins with the same string choice in an orchestra. Most musicians don't even have all four strings of the same brand! The same happens with maintenance that needs to me made by experts. Bending and correcting bridges, fingerboards, tuners... And of course, bow rehairing!

How to make MORE money out of nowhere - Part 2

Money sustainability

Siddhartha explained to a merchant that knowing how to think, wait and fast were useful skills. A man that doesn't know how to fast is stressed to accept any job, in any conditions, because the hunger requires so. But for Siddhartha, being able to fast would allow him to think and wait for long periods, and accept only good opportunities.

By analogy, the worst way to be enslaved is when you don't know how to "fast", spending huge amounts of money you can't afford to lose. You have no choice besides accepting whatever job you can get your hands on. But if you could survive with less and less, fasting and waiting and thinking, you'd eventually find an opportunity to live sustainably and happy.

3 more myths about electric cars that refuse to die - Part #3

Transitions and fake news

As the time goes by I started becoming a bit concerned about a "too-fast transition" to electric vehicles. Our batteries aren't really efficient for now, being expensive, heavy, dangerous and a bit invasive. Sure they're 100% reusable and recyclable but they are definitely a work in progress. A fast transition (and I believe we're in a fast transition: 20% of new cars in Norway are EVs!) helps funding research for better batteries such as solid state batteries, but it can't overcome the variable of time. Researching and development require a lot of time, no matter how many money you throw at it.

@stortbeker

Bike Polo – Taking Bicycles to the Hardcourt

Ever since balls were invented people liked to play with them. They would throw them, kick them, hit them with clubs, sticks, and rackets, and make up all kinds of rules about putting them through a particular place, be it a hoop or a net. Sometimes this challenge was a one-on-one face-off, other times a whole group of people would form to out-compete the other team. Many games, such as football, didn't require much else other than a ball and field to play it on, so they became very appealing to the masses. Others involved such high-cost infrastructure, as the upkeep and maintenance of a whole stable of horses. Games like this became known as polo, and were hence reserved for the aristocracy. And then, there was bike-polo…

Ride With Me – Hunting for Cultures

On what felt like the first Summer-like day this year (have I been here this long?) it was a wise decision to take the day off and get some stuff done that I've been procrastinating. It ended up being an odyssey, taking most of the day, with many eventful turns. As bad as it got at times, for some reason (the unusually warm and sunny weather, duh!) I remained calm and happy at all times, enjoying even the failures and moments of despair. But let's go step by step.

The Mission

I wanted to find some tibicos, a.k.a. water-kefir, to start making the same delicious soft-drinks as in Mexico. I'd have healthy, probiotic soda-pop to enjoy myself, share with others, teach people how to make them, and along with the word I'd spread the cultures. The only thing I need are the so called "grains" (though the culture is a symbiosis of various bacteria and yeasts, so it couldn't be any further from grains).

Murals in Canada – Native Images of Reconciliation

Somewhere along the Galloping Goose Regional Bike-Trail (or precisely where it crosses Seaton street, only a minute from Recyclistas bike shop) there is an unsuspecting underpass for pedestrians and bikes, under the Trans Canada Highway, running along the Goose. On the southern side it's nothing but a white-walled tube with nothing to adorn it but a plaque of 1977, indicating the year it was put in place, and a warning sign mentioning heavy fines for anyone who defaces public or private property.

@celestialcow

Love yourself, love the world, start your day right breakfast!

This time last week, Monday...

I was sitting in an office for a first day of a job, i'm a enthusiastic hard-worker, and I needed some kind of regular income, excited to have a job by the end of that day I felt like I had been punched in the face. I signed a contract which said if I leave the job before the 4 month period is over, I have to pay 750 euro to the company, bearing in mind my monthly wage would be 1200 before tax, also if I wanted a holiday I would have to give 2 months notice, i've never heard of such craziness in my life. This was all sprung onto me at the end of the day, after spending the day in an office with cold dirty air-con circulating round the room. One toilet for boys and girls and someone who kept spraying disgusting chemical aerosol in the space that is the size of my living room. The kitchen was filled with cheap sugary snacks and there wasn't even a working kettle so I could make myself a hot cacao to stay awake throughout the unbearable training which was 'reading of a sheet of paper and browsing the website, reading the terms and conditions' which I couldn't even make half way through without keeping my eyes open. I was in hell! Guess what.... I didn't go back the next day!

@stillwatersart

Mermaid Song - Original Digital Collage 🧜🏻‍♀️🧜🏻‍♀️🧜🏻‍♀️

"Magic
Sandra's seen a leprechaun,
Eddie touched a troll,
Laurie danced with witches once,
Charlie found some goblins gold.
Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known
I've had to make myself."

― Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

@sharoonyasir

Sometimes, All You Need to Do is Say No!!

I think the title of my post says it all, but if you do follow me, you know I don't do succinct. Nah, that's just not me. I am verbose and soft haha. Sorry, that came out unintentionally. Actually, every night before dozing off, my son tells me how much he loves me because I am soft and also reminds me of his mission to make me slim haha so I was thinking of that and unintentionally that came out, but I am in no mood of changing it because I am liking the way it is flowing. Okay, so back to the topic.I have been through many tough times in life. Before I became an adult, a lot of the hardships I faced were because of the wrong decisions taken by my parents, business, personal and otherwise. However, when I became an adult and did start living a life on my own slowly, I became more accountable for my actions.

@kiaraantonoviche

"What's for Lunch?" Healthy Recipe Series #19 - Mediterranean Veggie Bagel Sandwich

This week has been very rough for me so I decided to treat myself by going out to lunch and enjoying a tasty Mediterranean Veggie Bagel Sandwich and Wild Strawberry Smoothie from Big Apple Bagels!

It was absolutely delicious and really refreshing to get out of the house for something as simple as a bite to eat, but I would like to be able to make my own version of this sandwich in the future!

@ecoTrain

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