Thursday, 28 August 2014

Meditations in Motion,
Living Ecosystems Give Life

“Our Nature Consists in Motion; complete rest is death”
~ Blaise Pascal
As opposed to the usual offerings, today PeapodLife offers a series of videos, kind of meditations on movement in nature. We begin with starlings.

Video: Starlings Murmuration 

We soon discover that such mesmerizing movements are in no way limited to birds and other winged creatures (bats, mosquitoes, etc). If we dive into the oceans, we encounter similar phenomenon—schooling, shoals.

Video: Sardine Run 2010 HD 


And one might think such fluid movements may be limited to air and water; not so. Even land creatures,  herding and stampeding take on similar shapes and patterns of motion.

Video: Wildebeast crossing Mara river

And such movements show up in even the most unexpected places, in unexpected ways, in uncommon “herds” (if it’s 5,000 ducks waddling, does that make it a herd or a flock?)

Video: 5000 Ducks Stop Traffic in Taizhou, China: Hong Minghsu's Ducks March into Chinese City

From winds and waves to flying beasts and crawling critters, here’s a nice video of Movement in Nature to close out today’s blog.

Source: Vimeo

The point of all this? To show, rather than just tell, that the life-giving flow of energies reverberate and reflect on all levels in nature in all manner of manifestation. It is important to grasp this as one considers how the presence of an ecosystem in one’s life can fill one’s world with new movements of revitalizing and rejuvenating movements.

Ecosystems are in constant motion. There may be no better meditation than to go deeper into oneself in the still point at the centre of one’s life in constant motion. 


Thursday, 21 August 2014

Mission Blue: CODE RED
New Relationship with Nature Required!

Video: “Mission Blue” Credit: Netflix

“The Ocean is dying. … No ocean, no life. No ocean, no us.”
~ Dr. Silvia Earle
Source: “Mission Blue”

It’s not everyday one gets to meet a pioneer. In the latest Netflix Original film, “Mission Blue,” the viewer gets to do just that. What’s more, we are taken on a journey into the remarkable life of a remarkable pioneer: Sylvia Earle, “an American marine biologist, explorer, author and lecturer.” Source: Wikipedia: Silvia Earle.

Image Collage by PeapodLife: Looking back on a life dedicated to the sea:
Silvia Earle Diving early in her career; more recently on her “Mission Blue”

Just how much of a pioneer was she? Rather than reading through an impressive laundry list of her accolades, watch this short clip of from the movie. One quickly realizes that this feisty explorer and scientist was not just conquering the Great Barrier Reef, but breaking down social barriers as well:

Video: Mission Blue Clip: Breaking Down Barriers

But that was only the beginning. Now, in the twilight of her long and illustrious career, Dr. Earle is championing the creation of “hope spots,” her not-so-radical idea to save the dying oceans.

And they are dying. Ocean acidification due to climate change has ravaged the world’s coral reefs (over 50% of which have vanished in the last two decades). Overfishing and decimation of marine ecosystems—including foundational species like Menhaden, overfished for production of fish oil, and all things chicken feed—have caused the collapse of fish stocks worldwide.

But perhaps we should let the woman of the moment tell you herself…

Video: Sylvia Earle: How to protect the oceans (TED Prize winner!)

The Ecosystem Connection

Another famous personality and a marine explorer in his own right—he recently set a world record for deepest solo dive—James Cameron was one of the individuals interviewed for the film, Mission Blue. Something he said in the film certainly grabbed our attention…

“We need to develop a new relationship with nature.”
~ James Cameron
Source: “Mission Blue”
Image: James Cameron aboard his Deepsea Challenger Vessel during filming of National Geographic’s film “Deepsea Challenge”

That’s a profound platitude, to be sure. But how exactly does one do that? When our so-called “natural world” is becoming more and more remote, and our so-called “greenspaces” are little more than gardens masquerading as nature…they are anything but ecosystems.

That is one reason why the wildlife in cities like Toronto feed mostly on our garbage. There is no viable ecosystem for them to participate in. One of the reasons there is no viable ecosystem is because of us and our waste: the slowly dying Great Lakes is one prominent example.

PeapodLife’s approach are indoor rainforest ecosystems.  Living with and in an ecosystem—which is self-regulating and supporting, but still reliant upon us for establishment—is the key.

Living with an ecosystem changes our perception of nature. We are a part of it; it becomes a part of us. We choose to sip our coffee in the morning next to it, or a glass of wine in the evening in its company. There’s no better place to relax, unwind, read, meditate or do yoga than in the fresh air and warm embrace of an ecosystem’s electromagnetic field. It’s a positive energy field; a field of negative ions.  

EVERY PEAPODLIFE ECOSYSTEM HAS AN AQUATIC ELEMENT AND IS DESIGNED BASED ON THE PLANETARY PRINCIPLE OF TWO-THIRDS WATER.

If you want people to comprehend the importance of the oceans, and get them to “get it”—that oceanic ecosystems support all other ecosystems—we have to get ecosystems into their life. If you want oceanic ecosystems to be top of mind, we must make ecosystems every bit as prevalent as computers, TV screens and hi-tech gadgets!

Image by PeapodLife: Ecosystem helps you discover an Intimate Relationship of Symbiosis and Harmony

Just imagine if every school, public building, hospital, workplace, and certainly every home had a vibrant living ecosystem. Imagine children interacting with those ecosystems. Studying them. Comprehending the infinite complexity of high-order ecosystems, and their ability to self-organize, self-regulate, and creatively adapt to every conceivable change…true intelligence, not “artificial intelligence.”

Imagine what creative solutions and revolutionary new relationships between humanity and nature would be born of that kind of cultural shift…that kind of paradigm. Humanity once again connecting to and identifying with their organic nature and the consciousness of collective symbiosis and harmony (as opposed to their mechanistic nature and the ego-intelligence of individualism and competition.

As Dr. Earle points out in her TED Prize winning Talk, alternative energy and all the green technologies associated with sustainability are pointless if the blue heart of the planet isn’t preserved—preserved and resuscitated.

But just as a patient recovering from heart surgery needs to rethink their lifestyle which lead to heart failure, Cameron is right: humanity needs to establish a new relationship with the planet’s big blue heart…and that means a new, close, intimate, mutually symbiotic and harmonious relationship with ecosystems.

Humanity desperately needs to discover the PeapodLife.


Post Scriptum

Thank you The Nature Daily for re-publishing this article.

Image: The Nature Daily Screenshot: Shared by Genesis Eco Fund
PeapodLife: Mission Blue: CODE RED New Relationship with Nature Required!



Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Naturally Produced Negative Ions: Think Positive & Live Positively

Image: A thunderstorm over Martinique.
“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it's lightning that does all the work.”
~ Mark Twain

We can’t see, smell or taste them, but negative ions are molecules that are believed to produce increase levels of serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, increase our energy and boost the immune system. We typically encounter negative ions in natural environments: mountains, waterfalls, beaches, forests. (Source: WebMD: Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes)

We also encounter them after thunderstorms, leading to the expression the thunderstorm effect. Prior to a thunderstorm, positive ionization of atmospheric molecules can cause nervousness, jitteriness, and irritability in both animals and many humans.

After the storm, many will experience a renewed sense of well-being, especially when exposed to the fresh, clean air.  This is because of an abundance of negative ions generated by the storm.
“Positive ions are often pollutants such as dust, bacteria, pollen, chemicals, and fumes.  The storm releases electrical discharges consisting of high concentrations of negative ions.  Negative ions destroy many of these air pollutants and, therefore, give us a sense of well-being.” (Source: envirohealthtech.com: Enviro-Health-Tech: Alternative"Healthy Living" Devices: Ions )

Image: Ions at Work 

How big of an impact can negative ions play?

According to Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.:
“Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy. … "[Negative ions] also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation."
(Source: webmd.com: WebMD: Health & Balance Feature Stories: Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes)

Why should this matter to you?

Our worlds are filled with positive ions. These carry with them allergens, contaminates, toxins, and all manner of elements which deteriorate our mood, our mental capacity, and our overall well-being. Air conditioning, computers, electronics, all manner of machines, motors, etc. are constantly filling the spaces we live, work, study, play—and even heal—with positive ions.

Negative ions can dramatically improve your mood, mental acuity, immune system and sense of well being. “Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants….And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air." (Source:  webmd.com: WebMD: Health & Balance Feature Stories: Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes)

So what does PeapodLife bring to the table?

Negative ions, but not just JUST any negative ions…negative ions as managed by an intelligent and self-organizing ECOSYSTEM. In other words, NOT-ARTIFICIAL IONIZATION! Our indoor rainforest ecosystems create negative ions the all-natural way, with a real living, breathing ecosystem fed by (and feeding) ionized living water.

There are many mechanical products on the market claiming to generate negative ions. Then there are Himalayan salt crystal lamps, which supposedly “shed” negative ions as they are heated by a candle or incandescent light bulb.  

But how much is too much?

With an ecosystem you don’t have to worry about it. The ecosystem will never generate more negative ions than is safe, appropriate, and optimal. In the same way, it will never allow positive ions to overpower the negative. It is alive, intelligently self-organizing and constantly “balancing” itself, just as the discharge of lightning during a storm can be seen as nature’s way of balancing itself.

One look at our ecosystems during their rain cycle and you can just imagine that fresh, clean, post-thunderstorm atmosphere.

Video: PeapodLife Living Wall EcoSystem Fitch Street, creates the perfect balance of negative ions for positive wellbeing.

Don’t just think positive, start living positively by filling your home, work, school or hospital with the life-boosting effects of negative ions, courtesy of your own beautiful, living, self-organizing rainforest ecosystem. 

Tuesday, 29 July 2014

Toronto Condo Market: what’s REALLY going to Happen?

Image by PeapodLIfe: Screenshot of Google Search “condo market toronto crash”
Source: Google
“I’ve been perplexed about that for a couple of years.”
– Prof. John Andrew, Queen’s University
Source: TheGlobeandMail.com: Reading Toronto’s real estate market is no easy task

It’s ridiculous, really. We offer the above screenshot of a Google search to demonstrate how there are as many differing opinions on the state of the condo market in Toronto as there are condo developments under construction.

So what’s really going on? 

I had an interesting meeting yesterday at my favourite cafe, The Good Neighbour coffee shop in the Junction. My companion was an experienced provider of business services to Toronto condo developers.

“Their worried,” began my newly found friend (who shall remain anonymous). “I mean, you would be too if you’re sinking millions into your development and across the road you see XYC Corporation breaking ground on a 300-unit high-rise.”

“And these guys spend millions of dollars on marketing, public art, anything to differentiate their products.” 

“Really?” I thought. Anything?

Image by PeapodLife Partner: Genetron Systems Living Wall Ecosystem, former Club Monaco Head Office

If there’s one thing we know about our ecosystems, is that you can't put a price tag on the “wow!” factor they induce in people when they first experience one.

Forget public art. You’ve seen it once; you’ve seen it a thousand time. A condo developer can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a giant piece of metal (or whatever) which will only ever be one thing: a giant piece of rusting metal (or deteriorating whatever).

An ecosystem is different. An ecosystem is alive. It grows, changes, adapts, and flourishes. There’s always something new to see. There’s always new discoveries to be made.

An ecosystem fills the air around it with a freshness and an energy that no piece of art can match—David and other works by the great masters notwithstanding (but what condo developer is springing for the equivalent of David?)

Image: Let’s face it, you won’t be seeing anything close to Michelangelo’s David in a Toronto Condo anytime soon.


But condo developers can still have a masterpiece in their buildings—what few low-rise or mid-rise condos can match and even fewer competitors will have—a beautiful PeapodLife ecosystem.

The best part, PeapodLife can install a compact, fully-functioning 5-biome ecosystem in sales offices and model suites, along with high-detailed renderings of what the ultimate full-size ecosystem will look like.

The result? Potential condo buyers don’t have to rely solely on renderings or their imagination. They can actually experience the freshness and energy of an ecosystem first hand, and let their imagination run wild as they see images for the full-size system.

Image Collage by PeapodLife: Small Unit to Big Ecosystem in your Condo Development

The bottom line is this: no one knows what’s really happening with the Toronto condo market, but PeapodLife knows what needs to happen if condo developers want to truly differentiate their product in a tightening marketplace with waning demand.


Tuesday, 22 July 2014

Are GMO Foods Dangerous? Opinions Aside, History shows us the Truth

Image: David Suzuki speaks out against GE (GMO) Foods 

“Any politician or scientist who tells you these [GMO] products are safe is either very stupid or lying.”

Genetically Modified Foods, or GMO Foods are certainly one of the hot-button issues of our day. Never before in the history of humanity have we had the ability to tamper with nature on such a fundamental level as we do today with the creation of genetically modified organisms.

But are GE (Genetically Engineered) Foods toxic? (GE Food = GMO Food)

Video: Dr. Leonard Coldwell talks about the dangers of genetically modified foods. 
Credit: iHealthTV.com  Source: naturalnews.tv: GMO Foods are Toxic

Dr. Coldwell talks about why GMO foods will cause cancer and what other toxic properties these foods have. He frames part of his argument on the energetic foundations of nature and the human body, and how tampering with nature on a genetic level alters the body’s ability to process it energetically.

We at PeapodLife concur with this premise. The long forgotten science of ancient civilizations is slowly coming to fore as alternative medicine slowly begins to go mainstream, and medical research is beginning to rediscover the significant impact more subtle aspects of our being have on our health.

Mental and emotional health have a direct impact on the physical health of an individual. Likewise, physical activity has a profound impact on cognitive function and psychological health. The word disease itself is a compound word meaning dis-ease…stress. One can understand stress as “negative vibes”…negative energy.

In the above video, Dr. Leonard Coldwell also makes repeated references to one of the GMO Food issue’s champions, Jeffery M. Smith, and his project, Seeds of Deception.

The website states that Smith documents “how the world’s most powerful Ag biotech companies bluff and mislead critics, and put the health of society at risk.” It also features books and films on the subject of GMOs including the 2012 film, Genetic Roulette – the Gamble of Our Lives.

Video: Genetic Roulette – the Gamble of Our Lives Trailer. 

Is there a precedent to GMO foods in history?

We opened today’s blog with the statement that human beings have never been able to tamper with nature on such a fundamental level. While this may be true, what precedents can we draw on to understand the potential consequences of genetically engineering life?

Video: Invasive Species Introduction 

Now, call us crazy, but if introduced organisms have the potential to devastate an ecosystem, what does an INTRODUCED GENE have the potential to do to the organism; and, by extension, what effect will that organism have on the ecosystem?

Australia is a shining example of the IDIOCY, sheer lunacy of so-called “experts” who decided it was a good idea to introduce species from other parts of the world to make life in Australia “better.” English hares for hunting and food. Cane toads from South America to control mosquitos.

All these experiments (and they were just that: not “hard science,” but reckless tinkering with the natural order of things) have proven themselves to be unmitigated disasters to ecosystems…failures on a continental scale.

Now, here we are again, being told by men in white lab coats (and the men in suits who fund them, and lobby politicians to draft laws in their favour): “trust us, we know what we’re doing.”

They don’t. They never have. But they’ve always claimed that they do. There is no way ANY materialist scientist can begin to comprehend the infinite complexity of nature, because they cannot even accept the existence of positive, negative and neutral energies at work at its foundation.

So long as we put our faith in a materialist science—so clearly being developed for the economic gain and political power of a few—we will be destined to keep repeating the same mistakes. Only this time, with GMO’s, it’s on a much more fundamental level.


Tuesday, 8 July 2014

How Green Roofs & Walls Impact Building Occupants’ Well-Being
Living Architecture Monitor looks at Green Infrastructure & Human Health

Image Collage: Living Architecture Monitor Summer 2014 Cover & PeapodLife Living Wall Ecosystem  
Source: livingarchitecturemonitor.com: Living Architecture Monitor (LAM) magazine Digital Edition Summer 2014 - Health Issue
“…Green infrastructure in commercial or residential properties can increase employee productivity and property values, by providing visual and physical access to green space.” 
– Living Architecture Monitor¹ 

In the Summer 2014 edition of Living Architecture Monitor, three professionals share their insights into the advantages and benefits of installing “green infrastructure”—green roofs and walls—into their buildings. The complete article can be read in Living Architecture Monitor Online, but here are some highlights:

On the affects of green roofs and/or walls on building occupants:

“The response that our employees had was and is overwhelmingly positive…The investment into what was unusable space and the environmental benefits increased company-wide awareness, exposure and appreciation of the overall design.” – Kevin Repasky, Director of Operations, Hanover Architectural Products Source¹

“The Manulife Centre’s green roof…is considered to be a garden in the heart of the city, a quiet and tranquil place for tenants and employees to use at their leisure, hidden above the bustling corner of Bay and Bloor Streets.” – Michael Bardyn, Managing Director, Greater Toronto, Manulife Real Estate Source¹

On the financial impacts of Green Architecture:

“The living wall is definitely one of the greater features to the building and an added value to the project. The visitors and guests are always admiring the living wall. It’s also a tour stop for our leasing team. The living wall is definitely an emenity for the tenants and visitors to the property." – Sherry Mashadian, Manager, Operations, Irvine Company Office Properties, Source²

“We believe it has a very positive affect on our tenants as evidenced by our low vacancy rate which drives long-term value for the property.” – Michael Bardyn, Managing Director, Greater Toronto, Manulife Real Estate Source²

Additionally, the article cites that 1330 Boyslston Street Apartment near Fenway Park in Boston generates an additional $120,000 in additional revenues for units that overlook a newly installed green roof. J.P. Morgan Asset Management estimates the green roof has increased the value of the property by $2.4 million.²

And, according to Economics of Biophilia report, 10% of employee absences can be attributed to architecture which has no connection to nature.²

For more information on what nature can do for YOUR commercial or residential building, its tenants, your business, etc, Connect with PeapodLife Today.

¹ Source http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2014summer/#/8
² Source http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2014summer/#/10


Thursday, 3 July 2014

Affordable Retirement Residence’s Rainforest EcoSystem Bursts into Life
Improving Life for Retirement Lifestyle Residents is a Great Source Joy for Us

This recently completed Living Wall Rainforest EcoSystem was installed at 235 Fitch Street in Welland, Ontario. 
Like most PeapodLife EcoSystems, it features orchids, moss, bromeliads, African violets, cacti, aquatic plants, fish & more. 
Like all PeapodLife EcoSystems, there is no soil, chemical additives or fertilizers of any kind. 
Published on Jun 30, 2014 by PeapodLife

“You know, I suffer from depression. It’s my morning ritual to come down here and spend 20 minutes next to the living wall ecosystem. It just makes my day.”
~ Fitch Street Resident

It’s when we hear feedback like the above from a resident of Fitch Street Affordable Retirement Lifestyle Community in Welland, Ontario that we are truly humbled by the power of nature to heal mind, body and spirit.

Throughout the entire ecosystem installation process (which we documented in previous blog articles), the number compliments and thoughtful conversations we enjoyed from contractors, employees, residents and visitors was a real joy for us.

Image by PeapodLife: Completed Ecosystem at Fitch St. Retirement Residence 

It was a joy, too, to start putting the finishing touches on the ecosystem itself, including more moss, orchids, aquatic plants (surface and submerged), and fish.

Only one orchid was blooming when the above photo was taken, but as they settle into their new home and literally put down their roots, more will begin to bloom as well.

Image by PeapodLife: Bromeliads growing in Fitch St. EcoSystem

As vibrant and colourful as the bromeliads appear in the ecosystem at this early stage of its life, they, too, will only get better as they acclimatize themselves to their new environment and begin establishing symbiotic relationships with the other flora and fauna of the ecosystem.

Image by PeapodLife: Aquatic Plants & Fish in Fitch St. Ecosystem

Difficult to photograph, the fish seem quite content in their new habitat, swimming and schooling the full length of the large tank which not only serves as their home, but also a catch-all for the water dripping down the living wall and off the leaves of the plants—an important design & safety feature.

The benefits of this design? Cleanliness. There’s nothing worse than encountering so-called living walls that do not account for the tendency of water to drip. If those walls are made with soil, the resulting mess on the floor can be unsightly and slippery.

PeapodLife EcoSystems use no soil, and our designs keep the water where it belongs—in the ecosystem—to be enjoyed by beings who actually appreciate it: plants, moss and fish.

Image by PeapodLife: Fitch Street Affordable Retirement Residence EcoSystem

As a result, occupants and visitors of the Fitch Street Low-Cost 50+ Lifestyle Housing Complex can get up close and personal with their ecosystem in the main lobby without any fear of slips and falls. And get up-close and personal they do. Who wouldn’t want to?

Pictures and videos simply do not do our ecosystems justice. Like anything in nature, there’s no substitute for being there, experiencing its magic in person. We are happy to be able to bring a little magic into the lives of older individuals in such a simple yet meaningful way.

“Making someone’s day?” It makes it all worthwhile...all the time, effort and care we put into our Rainforest EcoSystems; all the special ways in which our Living Wall EcoSystems bring sustainable beauty and enduring vibrations of positivity to people and places.