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Global Country of World Peace    Translate This Article
24 March 2009

4 March was the 4th day of the ninth month of the 3rd year of Canadian national consciousness rising to invincibility.

4 March 2009

Dr William Overall, National Director of the Global Country of World Peace in Canada, presented highlights of news reports reflecting Canada's rising invincibility from Yogic Flying groups across Canada and the large Invincible America Assembly at Maharishi University of Management and Maharishi Vedic City, USA.

Extensive scientific research has documented the Maharishi Effect of rising coherence, harmony, and peace created in the collective consciousness of a nation by large groups of Yogic Flyers. The effect has been found to extend beyond national borders when the group is of sufficient size.

Following are press reports featured in Dr Overall's presentation:

Canwest News Service - Home buying in Canada expected to increase: Survey (4 March 2009) In its 16th annual Royal Bank of Canada home ownership survey, 27 per cent of Canadians said they intend to buy a new home over the next two years, up from 23 per cent in 2008. The online survey of 2,026 adults, conducted by Ipsos Reid between 6 and 9 Jan., shows that younger Canadians, those under 35 years old, are most likely to spark an upsurge in homes sales, with 48 per cent saying they plan to buy a home. That's up sharply from 36 per cent last year. The survey also shows that 38 per cent of renters plan on becoming homeowners in the next two years. 'Low mortgage rates and favourable housing prices are influencing home purchase intentions this year and may be the reason why more Canadians are poised to purchase over the next two years,' RBC said. In Ontario, home-buying intentions have increased over last year, with 30 per cent saying they are likely to purchase a home within the next two years. That's up from 21 per cent in 2008. Likewise in Alberta, where the survey found 35 per cent of Albertans were likely to purchase a home within the next two years, well above the national average of 27 per cent and up from 29 per cent in 2008. RBC is also predicting increased home-buying activity in Atlantic Canada, where 25 per cent indicated they were likely to purchase a home within the next two years, up from 20 per cent in 2008. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 25 per cent of those responding to the survey said they intend to buy a home in the next two years, compared with 21 per cent in 2008. A large majority of Canadians, 83 per cent, remain positive that home ownership is a good investment. 'The current economic environment does not appear to have dampened Canadians' overall confidence in the housing market,' said Karen Leggett, head of RBC's Home Equity Financing. 'Canadians continue to have an overwhelming belief in the long-term value of a home and we're seeing this in the buying intentions of many first time homebuyers this year.'

The Canadian Press - Tory bill would ramp up penalties for polluters (4 March 2009) The federal government is proposing tough new penalties for polluters. Environment Minister Jim Prentice introduced legislation Wednesday which, if it passes, would create minimum penalties and increase maximum fines. The bill would set fines ranging from C$5,000 to C$1 million for individuals, and from C$25,000 to C$4 million for small companies. Big companies would face a new maximum fine of C$6 million instead of the current C$1 million. Corporate offenders would also have to inform their shareholders of the penalty. They could also see courts revoke (business) licenses, confiscate profits associated with the crime, and transfer the money to a special environmental damage fund. 'You take away the profit and take away the license to pollute—and then you get a fine,' a government official said. 'Otherwise, it's just a license to pollute.'

From a Canwest News Service report on this: Enforcement officers welcomed the proposal as a deterrent. Gary Colgan, director of wildlife enforcement, told reporters it was 'incredibly exciting' that all money collected from fines would be directed to an environmental-damages fund. Money from fines now goes to general revenue, and only some of it—C$2 million last year—gets put into the fund. 'We use the environmental-damages fund to fund a whole suite of restoration projects that various community groups and non-government organizations come forward to us to do,' Colgan said.

Canwest News Service - Ont. prepares to sue tobacco companies (4 March 2009) Ontario is laying the groundwork to sue tobacco companies to recover costs associated with smoking-related illnesses. Attorney General Chris Bentley introduced legislation that, if passed, would allow the province to directly sue tobacco companies for alleged wrongdoing and for the recovery of past, present, and ongoing tobacco-related damages. Bentley said the province annually spends a 'staggering' C$1.6 billion on smoking-related health-care expenses. British Columbia and New Brunswick have passed similar legislation and have initiated lawsuits to recover health-care costs. Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba also have passed health-care cost recovery legislation.

From a Canadian Press report on this: The legislation is based on a similar bill in British Columbia that alleges tobacco companies marketed light cigarettes as safer than regular ones, and targeted their marketing toward children. Bentley said it is also alleged that the companies conspired to hold back research about the harmful effects of tobacco and to undermine the health warnings that were issued. 'This is about holding tobacco companies accountable,' he said.

The Canadian Press - Weed killer 2,4-D on final list of banned pesticides (4 March 2009) Ontario has released a final list of pesticides that will be banned for cosmetic use and sale, including weed killer 2,4-D, starting on Earth Day on 22 April. Dow AgroSciences filed a C$2-million notice of action against the federal government last August, alleging Quebec's ban on 2,4-D violates Canada's obligations under NAFTA as it prohibits a product without any scientific basis. Environment Minister John Gerretsen says he won't back down from a ban that protects the health and safety of Ontario residents just because there's a threat of a potential lawsuit. Ontario last year banned the sale and use of pesticides with a few exceptions such as golf courses and agricultural purposes.

From a Waterloo Record report on this: The Ontario government finalized its residential pesticide ban Wednesday, listing more than 250 products banned from sale. 'We're just extremely happy that the government has listened to the health and environmental people and taken this really bold step,' said Susan Koswan of Pesticide Free Ontario. 'That's the really big news on this, that they will no longer be sold.'

From a David Suzuki Foundation release on this: 'We congratulate the Ontario government for raising the bar on protecting people and the environment from needless pesticide exposure,' says Dr David Suzuki.

From a Toronto Star report on this: There was strong resistance to the ban from the landscaping industry but many, already under pressure from municipal restrictions, are switching to organic substances.

The Globe and Mail - Municipalities' group to vote on restricting bottled-water sales (4 March 2009) The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is considering a new policy to urge all cities and towns across the country to ban bottled water within their facilities. The big worry among municipalities is the packaging waste. Even though recycling is widely available, and the bottles can be reused, between 40 and 80 per cent of the containers end up as litter or in dumps. Trucking the water around also causes air pollution (and greenhouse gas emissions).

From a Canwest News Service report on this: Councillors from Toronto and London, Ont., will meet with representatives of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities this weekend at a meeting in British Columbia to urge members to vote in favour of phasing out bottled water in all Canadian municipalities. The resolution, expected to pass Saturday, was drafted by the two cities, which already have implemented bans, in a bid to help other municipalities minimize the environmental impact that millions of plastic bottles are having on landfills and recycling programs. According to the Council of Canadians, 27 municipalities across the country are currently phasing out or restricting the sale and purchase of bottled water in municipal buildings and at city events. The council is confident all Canadian municipalities will follow suit. 'Canada offers the best drinking water in the world . . . ,' said spokeswoman Meera Karunananthan.

The National Post - Religion may keep believers from losing their cool: study (4 March 2009) Led by Michael Inzlicht, a University of Toronto psychology professor, researchers measured activity in the part of the brain—the anterior cingulate cortex—that is important for self control. To test stress levels, he and his co-researchers used a 'Stroop task'. In it, subjects (from a variety of backgrounds including Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist) had a series of words flashed in front of them. But they were told not to read the word but the colour of the word. For example, the word might be 'blue' but if coloured red, the correct answer is red. 'It's difficult to do when the word and colour mismatch,' said Prof. Inzlicht. He said that no atheist in the study showed low anxiety and no religious person showed high anxiety. Prof. Inzlicht called the study 'statistically significant'. The study is published in the March edition of the academic journal Psychological Science.

From a Canwest News Service report on this: The religious people weren't just calm, they were more accurate. If they did make a mistake, they took it in stride. Prof. Inzlicht said the team was taken aback by the results, so it tried the experiment repeatedly. 'We're pretty sure it's a robust finding, and not just an accident.'

For further information on creating invincibility for your nation, please visit: www.globalgoodnews.com/invincibility.

© Copyright 2009 Global Good News®

Global Good News comment:
For information about Maharishi's seven-point programme to create a healthy, happy, prosperous society, and a peaceful world, please visit: Global Financial Capital of New York.





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