Are Soybeans Causing Deforestation in the Amazon?

According to a piece I discovered on Wikiepedia.com, soy beans are the main 'currency' in Brazil and the demand for soy beans in the US keeps rising. With this rise, farmers are increasing the size of their farms rapidly. Wow. I wonder where Jamba Juice gets their soy beans from! I never liked soy products much, but it's in so many things now days that it's hard to find things that don't contain it.

Here's the excerpt from www.wikiepedia.com.

Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon

The annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon region has continued to increase from 1990 to 2003 because of factors at local, national, and international levels.^[12] Brazil is currently the second-largest global producer of soybeans after the United States, and as prices for soybeans rise, the soy farmers are pushing northwards into forested areas of the Amazon. As stated in Brazilian legislation, clearing land for crops or fields is considered an ‘effective use’ of land and is the beginning towards land ownership.^[13] Cleared property is also valued 5–10 times more than forested land and for that reason valuable to the owner whose ultimate objective is resale. As stated by Michael Williams,“The people of Brazil have always thought of the Amazon as a communal possession which they felt free to hack, burn, and abandon at will.”^[14] The soy industry is the principal source of foreign currency for Brazil; therefore, the needs of soy farmers have been used to validate many of the controversial transportation projects that are currently developing in the Amazon.^[15] The first two highways: the Belém-Brasília (1958) and the Cuiaba-Porto Velho (1968) were the only federal highways in the Legal Amazon to be paved and passable year-round before the late 1990’s. These two highways are said to be “at the heart of the ‘arc of deforestation’,” which at present is the focal point area of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Belém-Brasilia highway attracted nearly two million settlers in the first twenty years. The success of the Belém-Brasilia highway in opening up the forest was re-enacted as paved roads continued to be developed unleashing the irrepressible spread of settlement. The completions of the roads were followed by a wave of resettlement and the settlers had a significant effect on the forest.^[16]

What Happens to Good People When Bad Things Happen to Them

Have you ever said, "Thank God I [input your own words here]..."? I've probably said it thousands of times without thinking about what I was really saying. "Thank God that guy didn't hit me with his car." or "Thank God I saved that document." Sometimes we say it when we come close to a crisis, an emergency, or when something didn't happen to us.

Well, if you are curious to learn how others interpret that saying, you won't want to miss my friend, Tricia Greaves, new project. She's going to be featured in a new book series called, "Thank God I." If you'd like to learn more about Tricia, her website is called, Be Totally Free.

Here's what Tricia has to say about being contacted to become part of this project.

"Amanda Kroetsch is co-spearheading the largest book anthology ever, entitled: “Thank God I”. Many grateful people who have had life-altering experiences with Be Totally Free! are going to actually be authors in this series. I have the honor of being a featured author in their flagship book, along with “The Secret"'s Michael Beckwith, which will be launched later this year. If you enjoyed “The Secret” you will LOVE the “Thank God I” books! Be the first to check out the new trailer for this incredible contribution to the gratitude movement: Watch the video"

Did you check out the video? I did and was amazed by the people who shared their stories.

We all have a gift. Sometimes we feel worthless, have no place in the world, or just plain ordinary. When something good or bad happens to us, we don't know how to process that into sharing our gift of experience with others. When something bad happens, we live in that bad place and think that we cannot do anything good in this world because we are bad people. Well, you have to check out the "Thank God I" video; it will change your whole outlook on what happens to good people when bad things happen to them.

I wish you much gratitude and peace.

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
The Virtual Nation - A community of learning. A nation of culture. A virtual village.
"If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a virtual village to grow a successful business." ~Michelle Ulrich

Women Out-Shop Men - Well, That's a No-Brainer!

I can certainly believe that, don't you? We women have been out shopping men pretty much all of our lives. Did you know that we now out-shop men where it concerns electronic purchases, too? Yep, we sure do!

Now, we're sexy and brainy! I recently heard a woman say that she is a geek who likes nice shoes. I say, "Ditto" to that!

Here's the scoop on women shopping for electronics...

New electronics stores cater to women
Sony Style and other electronics retailers are opening mall stores with a sleek, upscale feel while continuing to sell their products through big-box chains such as Best Buy. Extra touches in the new stores, including aisles that accommodate double-wide strollers and concierge desks, cater to women shoppers. The Consumer Electronics Association says women now influence 57% of electronics purchases. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (4/10)

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
The Virtual Nation - A community of learning. A nation of culture. A virtual village.
"If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a virtual village to grow a successful business." ~Michelle Ulrich

Social Networking - Are You Missing Out?

Hi there!

Have you heard the latest business term? It's called Social Networking and it's all over the internet.

If you are in business for yourself and primarily do business online, then you are an internet marketer. You could be missing out on big bucks if you aren't tuned into Social Networking.

Basically, Social Networking is all about networking online professionally. I have been involved in some really bad online networks where every person who wanted to get to know me was a guy and he said something like, "You're cute." YUCK! I'm not looking for a mail order husband! Now, there are some really great groups that are all business, but I still put that I am married and enjoy spending time with my husband and children just so that part is very clear.

Here are some great Social Networks that I participate in. If you sign up, let me know and we'll link up and become part of each other's network.

FastPitch Networking - online
LinkedIn - online
MeetUp - online and in person meetings
MySpace - I just set up my own MySpace account. (I have a teenage daughter, so I kind of had to. ) I was surprised to find that they have a huge business network going on.
Open Business Club - international

So, get out there and network, even if it's in your pajamas!

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
The Virtual Nation - A community of learning. A nation of culture. A virtual village.
"If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a virtual village to grow a successful business." ~Michelle Ulrich