For nearly three and a half decades — longer than many of you dear Grist readers have even been alive — the fossil fuel industry has waged a campaign to obfuscate and mislead the public on the science surrounding climate change. It’s all laid out in a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The report pulls together a number of industry documents, some disclosed only this year, that show that even though the industry knew that burning fossil fuels put the planet’s climate and residents in danger — one 1995 industry report notedthat “the science of the Greenhouse Effect is well established and can be demonstrated in the laboratory” — the companies campaigned to keep policymakers and the general public from arriving at the same conclusion

As early as 1977, the report’s authors note, “representatives of fossil fuel companies including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy, and Shell attended dozens of congressional hearings in which the contribution of carbon emissions to the greenhouse effect and other aspects of climate science were discussed.”

An email written last year by a former Exxon employee recounts that by 1981, the company was very concerned about the prospect of carbon dioxide emissions triggering climate change and bringing on regulation — so much so that it decided to forego the substantial profits that could have been earned by tapping the Natuna gas field, a huge natural gas reservoir off Indonesia, using procedures that would release a huge amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.

“In the 1980s, Exxon needed to understand the potential for concerns about climate change to lead to regulation that would affect Natuna and other potential projects. They were well ahead of the rest of industry in this awareness,” wrote the employee, Lenny Bernstein, who was once Exxon’s in-house climate expert as well as a lead author on two IPCC reports, in an email to his son, a professor at Ohio University. The email was later shared with other professors at Ohio University as part of a discussion on ethics. “Other companies, such as Mobil, only became aware of the issue in 1988, when it first became a political issue,” Bernstein continued.

But Exxon and other companies, while clear on the science, of course did continue to extract fossil fuels in locations other than the Natuna gas field. When, in 1988, James Hansen’s landmark testimony before Congress raised the alarm on climate change, the companies participated in a coordinated effort to discredit the science.Taking a page from the tobacco companies, fossil fuel industry groups chose to argue that the conclusions of climate scientists still left significant room for doubt instead of emphasizing points favored by other IPCC detractors (like that solar activity was to blame for climate change).

So, because of these companies’ political efforts — which have, at times, sunk to the level of having lobbyists forge letters from nonprofits like the NAACP claiming that minority voters opposed cap-and-trade on the grounds that it would raise electric bills — our energy economy continued to rely on fossil fuels. We know that story. The result? Humanity has generated more than half of industrial fossil fuel pollution between 1988 — when Hansen testified to Congress — and today.

Today, ExxonMobil and other companies acknowledge climate science. Many internally use a carbon-pricing scheme, and some have publicly called on governments to set a predictable carbon tax.

But the companies are, at the same time, pushing to drill in the Arctic, making it extremely unlikely, according to recent studies, that humanity will be able to stay within its remaining carbon budget before disastrous climate effects set in. The companies have also rejected shareholder resolutions aimed at getting them to change their business practices. Some are lobbying to prevent the U.S. from reducing its emissions.

The report’s authors argue that this has to change — and that, if fossil fuel companies were actually to take responsibility for the years of misinformation, they would have to pay up.

“Communities around the world are already facing and paying for damages from rising seas, extreme heat, more frequent droughts, and other climate-related impacts. Additional investments must be made to protect and prepare communities for these risks today and in the future, and fossil fuel companies should pay a fair share of the costs,” the report reads. In a blog post, UCS’s president, Ken Kimmell, suggests that some form of compensation could be part of the U.N. process to hammer out a climate deal. “The world is increasingly focused on climate change, and the international climate conference in Paris at the end of the year offers a last, best chance to make a meaningful down payment on our obligation to future generations.”

(Grist)

Dr. Farid Fata Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison as Cancer Misdiagnosis Victims Tell All

Jenna BirchJuly 10, 2015

Dr. Farid Fata (Photo: Zuma Press)

A mouthful of missing teeth. Chronic pain all over the body. Unrelenting weakness in joints and muscles. Even death. Those were some of the claims that Dr. Farid Fata’s victims heaped upon him at his sentencing trial this week for administering at least 2,000 unnecessary chemotherapy treatments.

Fata admitted to misdiagnosing and exposing his cancer patients to unneeded and excessive rounds of chemotherapy to collect payments from both them and their insurance companies. He was sentenced on Friday to 45 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Paul Borman — which will most likely cover the rest of the 50-year-old’s natural life.

The sentence was greater than the 25 years that the defense advocated for, but well under the 175-year maximum requested by the prosecution. In total, his scam affected roughly 550 victims and racked up $34.7 million in payments. Fata’s restitution hearing is still coming; he has already agreed to turn over $17.6 million.

Prior to the announcement, Fata’s attorney argued that a sentence over 25 years would result in death, due to his client’s diabetes and hypertension, and asked that he “see light of day before he goes.” According to court reporters, Fata stood next to his lawyer and appeared to be crying.

In total, his scam affected roughly 550 victims and racked up $34.7 million in payments.

“I do not know how I can heal the wound. I do not know how to express the sorrow and the shame,” Fata said to victims and families as he addressed the court prior to his sentencing. “The quest for power is self-destructive. They came to me seeking compassion and care. I failed. Yes, I failed,” he said, according to Detroit’s Channel 4.

Back in September, Fata pleaded guilty to “13 counts of health care fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks,” according to the Detroit Free Press. Some of the patients never even showed evidence of having had cancer, something whistleblower Dr. Soe Maunglay began noticing in records soon after he was hired at Fata’s practice, in 2012.

Fata’s former patients, and the loved ones of those who had passed, had a chance to speak in court this week.

“Farid Fata, I hate you,” said Laura Stedtfeld, whose father passed away while under Fata’s medical care, according toUS News & World Report. “You are repulsive. You disgust me. You are a monster. … You poisoned, tortured, and murdered my dad.”

According to former patient Christopher Sobieray, doctors he consulted after Fata’s scheme was exposed were “appalled” by his massive overtreatment for testicular cancer. “Look at what’s left of my mouth — I have one tooth left,” he said. “They had no idea how I was sitting in their office. … I will never be the same.”

(Photo: AP Images)

Teddy Howard was another former patient of Fata’s. He does not have cancer and now must take additional medicine for the rest of his life as a result of the phony treatments. “What really makes me angry is the fact that he lied,” Howard told CBS News. “He knew he was lying, he gave the drugs to me anyway, and I had no knowledge of it, and now my life is turned upside down. I can’t do anything about it. I don’t know how long I’m going to live.”

The damage Fata amassed with his fraudulent cancer treatments is simply tragic. “I think he’s guilty of the most cruel thing that a human being can do to another human being,” former colleague Maunglay said.

What’s the toll of excessive cancer treatments on the body?

For context, there are many variations involved in chemotherapy, according to William Oh, chief in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York.

“Chemotherapy isn’t just one drug, but rather a group of drugs used in cancer patients,” Oh tells Yahoo Health. “They work by exploiting the difference between regular cells and cancer cells, which grow at a much more rapid pace.”

This is why a hallmark side effect of chemotherapy drugs is hair loss, says Oh, among other side effects like low blood-cell counts or loss of cells in the mouth and reproductive system. Normal cells that also reproduce quickly get caught in the crossfire of the powerful drugs.

Oh says it’s tough to know how overtreating a patient with chemotherapy — or giving a cancer-free person these powerful drugs — will affect the person, since chemo responses are so individual. But the drugs are extremely strong and need to be dosed with the utmost caution by a trained doctor.

“Chemo can be lifesaving when used in the right setting by people with advanced cancers,” says Oh. “But it’s definitely a case of using the right drug on the right patient at the right time — and you should absolutely not use chemotherapy if misdiagnosed, or in this case, something a little different.”

Oh says if you or a loved one has cancer, it’s important to do your own research and get a second opinion about your diagnosis and treatment. “Talk to several people about the drugs you’re getting, and why you’re getting them,” he says. “There’s a lot of good information online now about chemotherapy treatment, too. And if you’re ever unsure if your diagnosis is correct, it can never hurt to get a second opinion.”

(Health Secrets) Are you wondering why we are living longer but ever sicker lives? Mainstream medicine advocates and apologists are quick to tout how much average life expectancy has increased over the past several decades and quick to give mainstream medicine much of the credit. However, what those same mainstream medicine proponents have a hard time explaining is why, despite the increasing use of mainstream medicines, we are also seeing an increase in chronic illness across all age groups. Here is the simple answer:

Life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past century or so due primarily to better sanitation, better potable water, better access to primary medical care (mainly trauma care) and, until recent decades, better nutrition. As one example – as late as the 1950s’s and even into the 1960’s a large portion of the country still had outdoor toilets and quite a few did not have indoor plumbing or hot water heaters. Go back another half century or so and childbirth as well as childhood was tough. It wasn’t until late in the 1800’s that doctors realized the value of sterilizing instruments and washing their hands between patients.

And we have continued to make strides in better diagnosis and primary care even up through recent decades. Doctors are pretty good at diagnosis and very good at fixing broken parts – though woefully deficient in treating the body as a whole and in knowing the role of proper diet and nutrition.

However, thanks to the ever-increasing load of toxins – and I include vaccinations and other unnatural medical compounds – which we spew into the air we breath, water we drink, croplands and processed foods, we are seeing a slowing down of life expectanccy figures, and in some parts of the country life expectancy is actually reported to be declining.

The signs are everywhere: lower immune markers, increases in chronic illness in every age group, lower sperm count and fertility. Add that to the GMOs that are proliferating and a health system which rewards bad health habits and survival of the weakest and the outlook for future generations is not so bright as some would have us believe.

Quite simply, if something is not found in nature – along with the supporting natural compounds – it is quite likely that our bodies will recognize it as a toxin. And when medicines merely manage symptoms with unnatural compounds which result in side effects that create more conditions which must be treated with yet more unnatural compounds and medical procedures – well, it is a great model for profit, especially when your only marketplace is our bodies – but it is a horrible one for healing and humanity.

You can debate to what extent it is deliberate or not, but what it looks like we have is mainstream (or maim-stream as I call it) medicine keeping us both alive as long as possible but also as sick as possible without actually dying – or at least until the insurance and/or savings run out and we are shuffled off to dying centers (hospices and for-profit rest homes).

Despite all the advances, the fact is that the United States continues to fall further down the ladder on the two most important measurements of health – life expectancey and child mortality. And that despite being by far the most medicated country with the highest per capita medical expense in the world as well as by far the most highly vaccinated. We are much closer in those measurements to Mexico than to the top countries – several of which practice natural healing to a much greater extent than we do.

Next time someone tells you that mainstream medicine is so wonderful, ask them if such is the case, why is it that the average lifespan of a doctor is about 20 years less than that of a waitress? It almost seems like you would be better off if you got sick to go to the local diner, get a cup of coffee and chat up the waitress!

About the author

Tony Isaacs

Tony Isaacs, is a natural health advocate and researcher and the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy". Mr. Isaacs also has The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. He is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near San Antonio and Austin to give lectures in health seminars. Mr. Isaacs also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup". He is working on a major book project due for publication later this year. Mr. Isaacs and his partner Luella May can be heard live every Wednesday evening on "The Best Years in Life Radio Show".

1776 IS THE YEAR THAT AMERICA DECLARED THEIR INDEPENDENCE, BUT IT IS ALSO THE YEAR THAT THE ILLUMINATI WAS FOUNDED, AND THE ILLUMINATI CAME FIRST.

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” Revelation 17:17 (KJV)

How well I remember the crystal-clear, cornflower blue sky on the morning of September 11, 2001. It was a perfect day, until the towers fell at the hand of Muslim terrorists. Out of the rubble, slowly arose a defiant new structure called the Freedom Tower, and it was being built to stand at exactly 1,176 feet from stem to stern. Patriots cheered and America got back to business. Then, very quietly, things started to change. Freedom Tower was out. The new name became the One World building.

What do I see when I look at the new logo? I see “One World”…”forever” as a message from the New World Order.

On March 27, 2009 NBC News reported that “the agency that owns the site says that the signature 1,776-foot skyscraper replacing the towers destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, will be known as One World Trade Center. The change came after board members voted to sign a 21-year lease deal with Vantone, a Chinese real estate giant, which will become the first commercial tenant at Ground Zero. The negotiations with Vantone, which is closely affiliated with the Chinese Communist government, had nothing to do with the name change”

And just so you have it straight in your head, the new name of the building was not changed to “1 World Trade Center”, it was changed to “One World, trade center”. Because that’s how it appears in all the splashy new logos and graphics in their advertisements. It is the One World building, that also happens to be a trade center. But that’s just a name, you say, right? Let’s take a look at what’s under the flashy new facade.

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY IS SECRETLY PLANNING TO DEPLOY MILITARY-GRADE TECHNOLOGY AT ONE WORLD

In February of 2012, it was reported that the high-tech system of thousands of “intelligent” cameras and computer processors can recognize people’s faces and retinas and then compare that information with databases such as terrorist watch lists, sources said.

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER – A STAMP OF THE ILLUMINATI

Security measures at the 16-acre include the sensitive cameras alongside infrared and heat sensors that can be outfitted with explosive and radiation detectors.

And agency brass also are authorizing “artificial intelligence” computers that constantly track the behavior of people on the ground — figuring out how to spot “unusual movements” that can be flagged for security personnel.

For example, cops could be dispatched if the computers detected someone deviating from the normal walkways or walking against the flow of pedestrians; jumping around or making erratic movements; or dropping a bag where people do not usually leave their luggage.

“What we’re doing at the One World building has never been done before,” one agency official said.

The agency’s system will be connected to the NYPD’s Lower Manhattan Security Initiative,which has cameras and scanners spread around downtown. The Defense Department contractor Behavioral Recognition Systems, based in Houston, will set up most of the system, which is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars.

In other words, the new One World building is meant to be the hub point through which the entire city of Manhattan will be wired for around the clock, hyper-invasive surveillance.

MUSLIM MINARETS ADORN THE TOP OF THE NEW ONE WORLD BUILDING

When Muslims claim victory in a military conquest, they do two things. They build a mosque on or near the site of the battle, and then they raise up a minaret as high as it will go to show the world that that land has been claimed as an Islamic victory. The image on the left is the tower on top of the One World building, and the image on the right a minaret on an Islamic mosque. So what exactly would be the difference between these two structures? I am hard-pressed to discern between the two. They attempted to also build a huge mega-mosque right near the Ground Zero site as well, but were defeated by the efforts of our friend Pamela Geller from Atlas Shrugs. But, as you can see, raising the minarets was completely successful.

THE ILLUMINATI WAS FOUNDED IN 1776, NINE WEEKS BEFORE THAT OF AMERICA

1776 is the year that America declared their independence, but it is also the year thatthe Illuminati was founded as well. In fact, the Illuminati’s creation on May 1st predates America’s founding by nearly 9 weeks. If they would have kept the original name of Freedom Tower, as it was supposed to be called, then that would be a great and patriotic match to the year 1776. But with the name change to the One World building, I have to believe that 1776 is indeed a reference to the founding of the Illuminati.

Just as the New World Order decided to put the headquarters of the Luciferian organization known as the United Nations in New York City, they have also decided to put the central command center for the coming One Word Government in New York City as well. The One World building, which could aptly be called America’s Pyramid, is a collection of Illuminati triangles from any angle you look at it from, including from an aerial view at the very top.

And lastly, however you choose to believe that the Twin Towers were brought down, one thing is for certain. What arose from the rubble in the aftermath was a scary new world that is on 24 x 7 digital lockdown, with never-ending global wars, and open terrorist attacks in every major city in America. Police departments are all being militarized with battlefield tanks, and the uniform of the average policeman looks like a cyborg from a video game. Government-funded race riots break out every few months, attempting to provoke a new civil war.

A lot more than people died on 9-11, freedom died that day as well, as the Patriot Act, the Utah Data Center, and the Department of Homeland Security will attest to.

(nowtheendbegins.com)