by Staff Writers
New York (UPI) 

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Increasing drought conditions across the planet are part of a "new normal" which oddly presents new business opportunities, a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch report says.

The report comes just after insurer Munich Re's findings that North America has borne the brunt of weather-related natural catastrophes, with 30,000 deaths and insured losses of $510 billion in the 1980-2011 period.

The ongoing drought is the worst in the United States since at least 1956, with 63 percent of the lower 48 states suffering drought conditions in August, says the BofA Merrill Lynch report, "Global Drought -- Opportunities and Risks."

While conditions are far from those in the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, drought conditions are the new normal, the report said.

Previous reports in a series focused on obesity, energy efficiency and safety and security.

"Food, water and energy security are increasingly bigger issues, and as governments, businesses and other players struggle to adapt to and mitigate drought conditions, there will be an evolving set of opportunities and risks for investors," the bankers said in their findings.

For investors interested in the fight against drought and in promoting food, water and energy security, the financial group has introduced a screen that identifies liquid stocks exposed to global drought-related themes under the Bloomberg ticker MLEIARID.

The stocks included in the screen are those that it considers to be long-term solution providers in such areas as water, fertilizers, crop science, energy efficiency, second-generation biofuels and renewables.

"The severity of the global drought underscores the long-term challenges for national and global economies," said Sarbjit Nahal, a co-author of the report.

"Food, water and energy security are increasingly bigger issues, and as governments, businesses and other players struggle to adapt to and mitigate drought conditions, there will be an evolving set of opportunities and risks for investors."

The Munich Re report also cited conditions in which North American stakeholders could benefit by learning about the weather risks.

The study was prepared in order to support underwriters and Munich Re clients in North America, the world's largest insurance and reinsurance market.

Read Full Article Here

http://theperiledsea.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=6439274:BlogPost:36869

You wanted action, you wanted results, and you now have them if you follow certain people who have acquired a reputation for successfully discovering the truth. An enormous set up of hundreds of different personnel, are poised ready to apprehend the criminals who have been behind the most cynical and profitable crimes against you in recent times. The size of this project will ensure that it makes the media sit up and take notice, as it will be impossible to ignore it. That will be the start of more open reporting which shall be truthfully stated, and not dressed up purely for shock affects. At last the breakthrough will have been made, as it has long been overdue. It is important to keep calm and not allow the revelations to create a false impression of what is involved. Time will prove that those involved in bringing the culprits to justice, have acted on behalf of the people and that no ulterior motive is at the root of it.

The cleansing covers many different areas of life, and making way for the interim government is an essential number one requirement if the changes are to flow smoothly. Be assured we have a total understanding of the way you think and work, and it means that we can anticipate how things are going to proceed. Our allies are well rehearsed in their different responsibilities, and we do anticipate that these opening events will be successful. The most difficult challenge is the first one we are meeting, and it will be a real eye opener for everyone. Whatever you know now, will be far from the whole truth of what has been going on. There is hardly any part of your society or business that has not been tainted by the dealings of the dark Ones. Sometimes even honest people have been unwittingly caught up in their activities, but they shall not be a target for us.

Dear Ones, the battle royal has begun but since we are in the ascendancy, we have every reason to anticipate a great victory. You too may take your share of the plaudits as without you and your determination to bring the necessary changes in, we would not be where we are today. The number of Lightworkers is at a new high and paving the way towards Ascension. Levels of consciousness continue to rise, and that is also another sign of how well you have taken to the task of preparing for Ascension. In the little time that remains before the end of the year closes in on you, you will find it to be action filled and much given in the way of guidance.

Already the different countries and their governments have been made to understand that aggression must stop, and that we are authorized to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure there is peace. Hitherto, our intervention on your behalf was curtailed for karmic reasons, but now by Divine decree we are able to enforce the plan for your spiritual evolution. You will find that suddenly progress has leapt forward, and that has taken the dark Ones by surprise who never allowed for such a turn around. We are pressing ahead and know that it is now the turn of the Light to take charge, and commence to set up a society that can express its freedom to create a new peaceful way forward. Naturally, not all laws need to be reviewed but many are illegal or have been framed in false circumstances. Events such a 9/11 resulted in many unfair and unjust changes, directed at alleged terrorists that were not the ones responsible. Similar incidents have also taken place, and each time used to tighten the controls over you.

From this time onwards, you will become more aware of what is happening and kept informed through various sources of information, until we can provide you with a regular and reliable one. We intend to open our own channel, and thus be sure that you are provided with all that is needed to have a wonderful remainder to your year. Do not worry about any small confrontations as they will not escalate to anything more dangerous. So after looking for some signs that things were moving forward, there is an abundance of evidence to show it is. There are still some sources that are set up to give out disinformation, so use your discretion and intuition to determine which of them are reliable.

You will ask "what should we do whilst the changes are taking place", and we suggest as far as possible live your lives as before. However be aware that if as expected there will be a short spell very soon where your lives are disrupted, cover yourself by ensuring you have food and other necessities for just a few days. Whatever happens we along with our allies will make certain that operations are efficiently completed, with as little inconvenience to you as possible. As you would expect, we have everything in hand and that includes your safety. The dark Ones will fight until the last and even now plan atrocities, but since we are aware of them we shall prevent them from happening.

You are entering the final phases of Ascension, and it should not be forgotten that the changes are part of the preparations that have been going on for a very long time. As always it is important that until we can open up a free media, that you do not fall for false reports that will be expected to create fear. Some chaos is inevitable, but at the same time will not be lasting. Know that military activity will not be directed at the people, but in support of them. Our operations are being carried out to propel you as fast as possible towards Ascension. As we often tell you, we of the Galactic Federation are of the Light, and carrying out the orders of the Higher Beings that carve out your destiny.

I am SaLuSa from Sirius, and so pleased that matters can now be placed into public view. Information can now be released knowing that it will reach you, and in future there will be a direct line to you. We have nothing to hide but for obvious reasons do not reveal our hand to the dark Ones. Whatever information they are able to pick up, they will be unable to hack our systems as they are technically beyond them. It is in fact quite the opposite, as we have access to their communications and nothing is kept secret or beyond our reach. We are normally a step ahead of them, which is why we are confident of the outcome of our activities. Victory is ours, and we share the joy with you.

Thank you SaLuSa.
Mike Quinsey.

I received  this in my  email this morning  .  I thought it was important to share

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URGENT WARNING FROM GENERAL BERT!

(Major General Albert N. Stubblebine III ;U.S. Army, Retired)

            (http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?page_id=299)

"The new White House Executive Order of March 16, 2012, the so-called 'National Defense Resources Preparedness Order' is a clear blueprint for total government control over the civilian economy, under the guise of 'national defense.' This latest outrage against the Constitution reminds me of the totalitarian world of Orwell's 1984, where a few Ministries controlled everything. Below is our Counsel Ralph Fucetola JD's analysis of this Executive Order."

Push Back here: http://tinyurl.com/PushBackFree

From Counsel Ralph:  The White House has set in motion the regulatory basis for an American version of Lenin's "War Communism" whereby the entire civilian economy is militarized and marshaled as the Leader directs through five specific Federal Departments. Notice which Department now has control over which aspects of your lives.
 
This section quoted below provides for the take over of the means of production. It says that the Five Department heads can override private contracts and commandeer all the resources of all the people. This Executive Order, if allowed to stand, sets the legal basis for total government control over, as it says below, "food... energy... health... civil transportation... water... and all other materials, services and facilities..."

Read the entire Order here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparedness

Sec. 201.  Priorities and Allocations Authorities.  (a)  The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, is delegated to the following agency heads:

(1)  the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;

(2)  the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;

(3)  the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;

(4)  the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;

(5)  the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and

(6)  the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.

I  received  this advertisement from Costco  today.  I  find it  very  strange  thatthey   should  send  a  sole  advertisement for  Emergency Preparations.  Usually these items  are  located  at the  very bottom of their advertisement flyer. Today  it is at the  very  top of  their  flyer.  A clue  or  just   coincidence???

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Get Your Home And Garden Stocked For An Emergency And Save!

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-year-without-a-winter-in-t-1/59591

Low Snow Could Foreshadow Spring Drought -- The Biggest Impact On Food Prices
http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/US/2xSnowDepth.html

Unusual Jet Stream Patterns Blocking Snow
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45809978/#null

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1522/601/Trust_is_breaking_down_wholesale,_hoarding_has_begun.html

Check out this linked article too:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075371/Stocking-Doomsday-As-economists-predict-meltdown-meet-families-ready-worst.html :

'The American attitude is very different and the government there encourages people to be prepared,’ he says. ‘They see that civil unrest could follow a major disaster. If they encourage people to have food and water it will stave off that civil unrest while they put the infrastructure back on line.’

The best vitamins/minerals/enzymes are sprouts.  Make sure you have lots of seeds.  Vitamins and mineral supplements are essential in a food storage program. 

You should also have a good basic one-daily vitamin/mineral supplement.  The best deal I have found is here:  http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Synergy-Once-Daily-Multi-Vitamin.

Right now they are selling 60-capsule bottles for $19.99, with a buy-one get-one-free deal going.  So, if you buy 6 bottles, you get 6 bottles free.  Twelve bottles is equivalent to a 2-year supply, since you only need one tablet a day.  So that works out to $5 per month.

Check the labels (the Supplement Facts link) to see the amounts per serving.  These are minimum RDA, though the Vitamin D3 is a good amount to keep your immune system in shape during the low-light environment we may be encountering.  Anything you consider too low, you should get extra of.

This brand does not put expiration dates on its labels. Instead, it puts the manufacture date.  Mine are dated 03/11/2011, so these are newly manufactured.

Vitacost also has extended free shipping through the end of May. 

Another item you might be interested in is whey protein powder.  I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.  Here's the link:  http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Whey-Protein-Complex-with-BCAAs-Glutamine-Glutamine-Precursors. 

It is vanilla and sweetened with xylitol and stevia, no artificial sweeteners, good for those with blood sugar issues (but check with your doctor first to be safe).  It has no lactose or fat.  It provides 22 grams of protein per serving and there are 68 servings (2 months easily) per container, for $34.29.  So, that's $17.15 per month, or 57 cents a day for a high quality protein.

It's also available in chocolate:  http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Whey-Protein-Complex-Powder-with-BCAAs-Glutamine-and-Glutamine-Precursors/?bnPageBox=pp_frequentlyboughttogether.

In the fine print it states the company tests for heavy metals.  I am not sure if that means they are testing for radiation as well.  I think radiation encompasses heavy metals and thus would be removed, but if this is something you want to be sure of, then contact the company.

if might be prudent to stock up on powdered milk, butter, sour cream powder, and eggs NOW while non-contaminated supplies are still available, as well as lay in as much water as you can store.  You can use tap water.  If your city has already been hit, check out how to clean it of radiation: https://earthchanges.ning.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-make-safe-drinking.

Remember, it takes 20-something gallons of milk to make a pound of butter, thus butter will have a higher concentration of radiation.  You can buy it powdered (still in stock at beprepared.com) or you can buy it fresh in the store and can it yourself.  Recipe is at http://www.endtimesreport.com/canning_butter.html.  In the alternative, if you don't use butter, stock up on extra virgin olive oil.  It has a very long shelf life.

Note:  beprepared.com is currently backordered on both milk and eggs.  However, if they are backordering it, they expect to get more in.  Get in line NOW, because as Fukushima continues to spew the line is going to get longer and eventually the new supplies will be contaminated.

I have used beprepared.com for over seven years.  They consistently have the best overall price, ship quickly (except for backlogs, but those do come once they get the products), are very quick to follow up on problems (they once misdelivered my order to someone else and they quickly replaced it), and I think they are a good, ethical outfit.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c19ed90e-5328-11e0-86e6-00144feab49a.html#axzz1HBl7Da6u

"

Storage food is food that has a longer-than-normal shelf life.  It is usually grains still in their original shells/hulls (like Hard Red Winter Wheat or oat groats) and dehydrated or freeze dried.  Olive oil and honey have natural long shelf lives.  Does that mean you have to invest big bucks into Mountain House or other long-term-survival-food products?  No.  There is plenty you can get at your local supermarket and lengthen its shelf life yourself (such as placing in plastic buckets with oxygen absorbers).

There are other foods that you can get your local markets to order if they don't stock it or order from Walton Feed or beprepared.com or other suppliers:  large bags or pails of wheat (hard red winter and spring), honey (super-long shelf life), and other grains. 

Here is a list of long-shelf-life food items available at places such as Wal-Mart or your local supermarket:

Milk, powdered

Potato, flakes

Pasta, all (including Ramen noodles)

Macaroni & Cheese (contains powdered cheese)

Rice, white

Flour

Corn meal

Grits

Oatmeal

Sugar, white

Oil, olive

Peanut butter

Jellies, Jams, Preserves

Beans, dry, various

Vegetables, canned

Meats & fish, canned

Meats, jerky (you can also make your own)

Fruits, canned

Jello

Puddings

Baking items:  baking soda, baking powder

Salt

Boullion cubes

Gravy mixes

Cake mixes

Spices

Hot chocolate, tea, coffee

Drink mixes (Tang, Lemonade, Powdered Tea)

Popcorn (cheap filler / bulk)

Note:  You can get larger sacks of things like flour, sugar, popcorn, etc. at "big box" stores like Sam's, Costco, etc.  Many grocery stores that cater to a Hispanic population usually carries 50-lb. sacks of pinto beans.

Prepare menus for one week. Make your menus from long-term-storage food.  Look at every ingredient you will need to make those meals.  Prepare a list from the ingredients.  That's what you should have on hand for one week.  Now, start collecting those ingredients until you have a week's worth.  (Take into account some things like boullion, salt, sugar, oil, etc. will last longer than a week, so your first week will be higher in cost.)  Now, work on your second week's worth of food. Keep doing this until you have as much as you decide you need.

You can also grow or buy fruits and vegetables in season and dehydrate them inexpensively then vacuum ziploc them for long-term-storage.  You can "can" your own butter, cakes, jello, hamburger easily.  See www.endtimesreport.com (Manna Meals). 

Also consider inexpensive barter items such as salt, tea, coffee, ramen, hygiene items, tobacco, etc.  Use these to exchange for other things that you need. 

Add to this list in the comments below.  And check out http://www.antsinyourpantry.com for more information about shelf life, preservation methods, recipes from storage food, and more.  And check out this link http://endtimesreport.com/food.html for more basic information; www.endtimesreport.com contains a wealth of information on self-sufficiency so bookmark it.

This is old news but makes a good point about the expenditures...

http://www.beaufortobserver.net/1FeedbackAllbody.lasso?-token.specificitem=21535.112112

"But here's what we do know. This kind of spending by a minor government agency in this economy just doesn't make sense ... unless there are extraordinary circumstances behind it, circumstances we aren't privy to. Because Congress has failed to pass a budget, the government is now operating under what's called a continuing resolution. The practical effect of this continuing resolution is that the government stays in business, but all extras are curtailed. Agencies spend far less on travel and training expenses, for instance. And they certainly don't start stockpiling supplies.

In this economic climate, you would expect FEMA also to be minimizing expenses. But clearly, they're not. If you do the math, the approximate tab for 420 million meals comes to about a billion dollars.

What is so urgent that FEMA is spending a billion dollars on survival food?

Could officials be worried about extensive power grid damage from solar flares? (A big one hit last week and took out communications in China.) Are they worried about riots and demonstrations causing gridlock in communities? (The demonstrations in Wisconsin and Ohio have been peaceful so far ... but look what happened in Egypt.) Are they worried about terrorist attacks? (Some reports say that there's been more "chatter" lately on terrorist communication networks.)

[And don't forget the New Madrid.]

Part 1:  http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/food-shortage-series-part-1/

"Point blank: We are in for some serious trouble with our food supply and consequently our ability to afford it on what we’re presently earning.  This trouble isn’t going to manifest itself in a year or two. Nope. We don’t have that much time in this particular area. Rather, it’s headed into our homes no longer than 6 months from now, and more likely to be obvious 6 weeks from now. Unless you’re enjoying an income that can take a 40-50% increase hit in your essential expenses, then I’m certain you will not be spared the impact of this snowball that’s rolling down hill, gaining in momentum and size; and it’s coming right to our front doors."

Part 2:  http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/food-shortage-part-ii/

"Many of the stores I’ve spoken to all over the U.S. have shared with me that it’s not even a matter of how much an item is. They expect to have NONE of these items until the next crop, specifically your vegetables. Several local chains said that prices have increased 50-300% just in the last 72 hours. (I strongly suggest you stock up on frozen vegetables and make sure that you’ve got sprouting seeds to replace some of your vegetable nutrients that will be glaringly missing from your plates as soon as this weekend.)"

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=eaea338540a0aea155a48a650a077352&tab=core&_cview=0

They obviously think it's coming....

In case you don't read the economy news, I wanted to bring this video to your attention.  It is a very dire warning ....

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/doom-and-gloom

Got gardens?