A Return To Innocence, a chapter from my forthcoming book, Simple Brilliance, is featured this month in Pear Magazine. I'm honored that they contacted me. http://www.pearmagazine.com http://www.simplebrilliance.com What is Pear? People are moving towards an organic way of life. Perhaps we are coming full circle through the cycles of science, industry and technology back to a new and expanded focus on the natural order of things, the beautiful way things grow when there is no interference. Perhaps we are seeking ways to make our complex lives more harmonious. And perhaps you have been waiting for a magazine like PEAR, a pivot point to give voice to this movement of people's hearts and minds at this very special point in time! If so, welcome! I hope you will subscribe to and enjoy Pear Magazine Online!

Excited to announce that we launched our website for Calliote Canyon. It's a wonderous, beautiful retreat and vacation home in Ojai,CA.

I just uploaded an audio interview I did with InspireMeToday.com
It reveals a lot about my body of work.. Simple Brilliance.
There are also two chapters from my forthcoming book for download.
There are now two: The Way of the Open Heart & A Return to Innnocence
Enjoy.

I have recently redesigned and launched my new website, Simple Brilliance.

After a hiatus for the last couple of years to pursue my own personal development, I am inspired. I have new energy and tools to share with you that have been of such benefit to me. I have found whether we are engaged or not in our work and play, a coach and mentor can give us the edge we need to live with more joy, enthusiasm and creative power.

In a short, succinct manner Simple Brilliance shares with you, from my heart, the current services I am offering as a life coach, business advisor and transformational counselor. You're welcome to call or email me for more information and a free consultation. Please pass this on to friends, family and associates if appropriate.

Also on the website is a free chapter for download from my forthcoming book, Simple Brilliance:A Conscious Approach To Re-membering and Re-Discovering Your True Nature.

In Peace,
Raymond

Sign Sign everywhere a sign Sign Sign everywhere a sign Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign And the sign said anybody caught trespassing would be shot on sight So I jumped on the fence and yelled at the house, Hey! what gives you the right To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in If God was here, he'd tell you to your face, man you're some kinda sinner (c) Five Man Electrical Band Well, this time the shoe is on the other foot. My foot. Living in the serenity and sanctity of Matilija Canyon for almost seven years now (not a long time for the residents who have called this home for decades, accepting fire and flood as part of their relationship with nature) I have been fortunate to experience life in various locations throughout the canyon. In 1999 I moved from Los Angeles, up canyon, close to the Dent House. For five years I studied the terrain, cultivated gardens, became familiar with seasons and learned of the pre-European Chumash culture and their continued devotion to this land. Since then, I have lived briefly, for one year, in the center portion of the canyon and now for the last six months given the responsibility and honor of stewarding and caregiving one of the most pristine and historical environments in the Ojai Valley. Though a "nature lover" and preserver during childhood, (in Junior High I was asked by my science instructor to join the environmental club. After school we planned eco-fairs for the campus and took field trips to places such as the landfill in the Santa Monica mountains) since moving to Ojai, I have become more immersed in the theories, methods and lifestyle of sustainability. At times failing and also celebrating my successes in sustaining land, livlihood and relationship. Ojai has become for me an important "real time" social experiment, as I experience myself and others balance nature, commerce, diversity and, at times, culture clash. The sign(s) posted on the roadside demarcate an area of the land, once public yet since 1988 rezoned as private, which fall within my stewardship. For at least three generations the families of Ojai, and visitors, have come here to take refuge during the hot summer months and take advantage of the swimming. Unfortunately, in my brief role as conservator, take advantage IS what some seem to do. Not one to enjoy policing, micro-managing, or outright harassing others, the last few months of summer left me in a quandry. How do I respect the lineage of Ojai who has enjoyed this river oasis while also protecting the land (and safety of the people) from pollution, broken glass, inebriated clumsiness, spray paint and gang activity? My solution was to make my presence known. Daily for several weeks I went down to the swimming hole and introduced myself. Something like, "Hi there, I'm Raymond and this is my backyard. I don't mind you swimming here and... could you help me clean it up, take out your trash and any other trash that others might of left. Also, if you could please park down the road since this is private property and there are no parking signs. The sheriff does come here and ticket as part of their rounds." Most of the time people were congenial, claiming they didn't see the no trespassing sign or parking sign (tee hee) and they would gladly help clean up. I thought, okay, I'll give everyone the benefit of the doubt and see if we, as a team, can take care of this portion of the property. (note: I was a bit skeptical seeing the amount of graffiti, beer bottles, McDonalds wrappers and toilet paper that was strewn about. Changes of habit could be slow going.) I bought some silver spray paint and covered over the tagging on the counties water level meter box just at the paths edge. I cleaned up debris on the roadside and broken glass on the river front. Two days later the silver paint had green "tags" on it or was etched into with a rock. A tree by the river was marked with green paint as well as large stones. There was a clear territorial power struggle ensuing. I no longer felt safe. I even carried a pint size sledge hammer with me during one visit down to the swimming hole. Living in fear was something I refused to do. Something needed to change; within and without. There were those that blamed others with racial slurs, those that claimed underage innocence, and those that simply said they would do what they want since their grandparents first brought them there when they were a kid. It's funny, or not so, how the most brawny adults turn into little children when they are caught with their hands in the cookie jar, or interpret requests as a reprimand. There is a false sense of priviledge that comes with living in an opulent country, and this gets exhibited locally as well as internationally. People do what they do because they "think" they deserve it. It doesn't matter if their actions harm others, destroy the earth or negate an agreement made. and... I have great compassion for the causes and symptoms of living in a world based on crumbling models and dysfunctional systems. I digress. I did my best to circumvent animosity and my own personal stress. Though towards the end of summer my frustration had become proportional with the heap of trash and disrespect the land and my requests were getting. I found letters from the previous owners, dating back to 1994, written to the local police and county asking for help in maintaining privacy and environmental sanity on this land. These letters were to no avail, though through my efforts I felt I was getting some consistent response and help with parking violations. It was suggested I build a gate that blocks the road since it is illegal for the county to put one up at the entrance of our road that meets Hwy. 33 An expensive propositon. Maybe I can have some influence by simply being present and enjoying the swimming as well. I noticed that the more people who brought alcohol to drink, the trashier "my backyard" became. Someone was kind enough to bring down a trashcan, but it filled up quickly and it left the responsibility to me to haul the trash up the embankment. Uh Oh, not a solution I could live with. Once a young boy came to me and said he cut his foot, I knew I needed to be more proactive. So I put a sign up, (No Alcohol, No Drugs. You May Be Asked To Leave) figuring, hey, people can have a good time without drinking and getting stoned. It's not like I've handed out an invitation to a daily backyard. By this time many people were "regulars" and knew this was private property. Within one week both signs were maliciously torn down. I say maliciously because they were intentionally ripped up and left underneath the tree where I had posted them. I asked myself, "How do I change this behavior? Who am I Being that might be causing this? What can I do so I stop feeling like this is a war? Me against them." I decided to just distance myself for awhile and see if I could just not care as much. A little bit of "out of site, out of mind". This gave my stress level a little reprieve until... the screaming, splashing and even fire cracker noise continued to wake me and destroy my quiet mornings. Here I was living in paradise and strung out by the actions of people who"pave paradise and put up a parking lot", i.e are disconnected from how their actions affect the world around them. A classic and local example of how our consumer culture has caused so much separation from nature, separation from the knowing that "if I leave my trash here, it will go downstream in the rains, choke off wildlife habitat, pollute the water that people pump wells from and cause harm in ways I may not even know about." Not to mention the pain in the *ss this was all becoming for me. I decided to take on the role that I laughingly and begrudgingly called "the benevolent dictator or the mad shaman of Matilija." I did my best to educate, swam naked in the swimming hole (since it was my private yard anyway) hoping it would scare people off...NOT, picked trash up and piled it up along the river bank so it was easy for others to carry out, wrote warning parking citations and left them on windshields, politely asked and yelled for cars to be moved, explained directly that there was no alcohol or drugs allowed, asked people specifically to leave for not respecting this. As the heat of summer continued so did my challenge and my willfulness to create peace and understanding in this situation, as well as doing my best to have some behavioral modification stick, on myself as well. I decided to pile a heap of rocks at the entrance of the narrow path that led down to the swimming hole. I taped a sign to the largest one that said "Private Property. No Public Use." I rode my bike back to my safe abode behind the large fence that separates the living area from the road. Literally, ten minutes later, I hear loud shouting coming from the river again. I feel my blood and heart racing as I gun my car down to where I had built the barrier and posted the sign. There were three teens down there. I told them to come up and out and bring the stones up the path with them. They said they didn't push the rocks down and defied my request. I watched and lingered behind as they left. I found my crumpled sign, my words from the "benevolent dictator." I rebuilt the mini-monolith, bigger stronger, and posted the sign back up; "Private Property. No Public Use." I drove back up the road for lunch. I lie relaxed, on the outdoor swing, feeling the hot breeze in the shade, full and content from my mid-afternoon repast. What? A young girls voice screaming! and again! I storm to my car, open the gate, and race to the monolithic site, MY monolithic legacy. It's demolished like the temples in Tibet, the water table in Afghanistan, the deer chomped fig tree in my garden. I careen down the embankment to the river, the sacred swimming hole, and there an entire family of four (plus friends) is lounging on the rocks. The little girl, in her naivete and her life preserver, floating in the small manmade pond. "Did you read the sign?" "We've been coming here since I was a little boy", says the father completely ignoring my question. "I blocked the path and put the sign up for a reason?" I say. "Who are you?" "Raymond, I live here." "I didn't know this was private?" "Well, considering there are three signs up...?" At this point the he tried to schmooze me; to try and convince me to allow them to stay. It was being laid on thick. Amidst the little daughters screams of delight and the guilty countenances of onlooking friends, I disgustingly say (with an afterthought of noticing how judgemental I was being) " Why is it that people in America feel so privledged that they just do whatever they want?" My statement is greeted with blank stares and just a hint of comprehension. I ask them to leave and to please take up their trash and more if they see any laying around. I waited as they left, carting out their refuse yet leaving the small pile of trash that I had collected and left at the base of the path. This was the final event of my first summer here on this land. An initiation of sorts to the energy it attracts, the flora, wildlife and people that make this their (habit)at and my own personal journey to find balance between my anger and my grace; my gentleman and my warrior; my teacher and my diplomat. I'm relieved the cooler weather has depopulated the river near and part of my home. As I think about Matilija Dam being deconstructed and possible properties being determined eminent domain, (def.- the power of the federal or state government to take private property for a public purpose, in exchange for payment of fair market value, even if the property owner objects.) I question my own beliefs about the injustices of declaring public forest land as private. After my experience this summer, maybe local private ownership is one of the ways to protect and keep the land uncompromised. When you are an owner, with a sense of possession, (albeit an inaccurate sense of possession) there is more at stake and a sense of belonging to the land. Maybe "the public" doesn't know, anymore, how to sustain paradise; how to recreate lightly in fragile ecosystems. Maybe it is wise to wait until there is more environmental awareness about our local terrain. I walk the rivers and streams in our beautiful valley and sing to the hearts of those who paint the stones, litter the trails and remain numb to the destruction. I also sing songs to those who remain steadfast and strong with their convictions in the face of over growth in the Ojai community. It is their integrity and action that are planting the true seeds of growth in our valley. I share one last anecdote. As I was asking a group of about twenty highschool students to leave the property, two young women walked up to me. They said they were from Matilija Junior High and were taking pictures for a class project. I inquired what it was about. They said it was a report on the pollution of the river and the need to take care of it. May their inspiration spark in the hearts of others and be the promise of our valleys future.

I live in Ojai, CA where the Day Fire has been burning the wilderness for a couple of weeks now. One of our local community, Tyler Suchman, who started the Ojai Post has been instrumental in deciminating information about the fire's status. Here is the latest report and make sure to visit Ojai Post for current, up to date information. Ojai Fire Watch: Day Fire - 9/24 Sunday Thread DAY FIRE RESOURCE PAGE [[Update: 6:26pm] Weather - NWS / Ojai (5:59 report) Fire Weather Warning - Red Flag Warning Is Cancelled...The National Weather Service in Los Angeles / Oxnard has cancelled the red flag warnings. [As of: 5:12pm] VC Sheriff's Dept (12:40pm report) All precautionary and recommended evacuations are still in effect. All road closures are still in effect for non-residents. All four evacuation shelters are still open and available to evacuees. Pine Mountain Club is no longer available for animal sheltering/evacuation. At 12:30 p.m., a DC-10 dropped 12,000 gallons of fire retardant on the Nordoff Ridge (this was the first useage of this plane in an ACTUAL fire), over an area that is 3/8 to 3/4 of a mile wide. 127,500 acres have been affected by the Day Fire, which is 40% contained at this time. Currently there are over 3,200 fire personnel, and over 45 aircraft (32 helicopters, 8 air tankers, 4 air attack craft, 1 DC-10) battling the fire. [ed.note: two days ago we had a report that the DC-10 was not being used because of bureaucratic red tape. Looks like the paperwork got done.] [Update: 2:58pm] KVTA.com has some interesting new info on the DC-10 Jumbo Jet. [Update: 4:01pm] blogger Mark Storer reports that the DC-10 was previously used to effectively fight a July Yucca Valley fire. [Update: 4:04pm] a 3:55pm VCSD update announces the Santa Paula Meeting, already covered below. [Update: 5:12pm] a 5:00pm VCSD update announces: "Sheriff's Officials have been in contact with Ojai Unified School District officials. Assessments are currently being made about the possibility of school closures for tomorrow (09/25/06). We will post the decision here as soon as it is confirmed." [No Change In Status: 4:58pm] VC Fire Dept (10:35am report) Fire Engine Strike Teams are currently on-scene for structure protection in the Upper Ojai area. Reports have been received of visible flames to the east. There is a Recommended Evacuation along highway 150 from Upper Ojai - Sulphur Mountain Rd. area to Steckel Park area. Fire is currently being seen at the top of Topa Topa Bluffs and adjacent mountain areas but has not gone over. It is firmly established in the head of the Santa Paula Creek and is working its way downslope toward the mouth of the creek. Erratic winds may cause unpredictable fire behavior. Fire personnel are on-scene. (read more at the VCFD page... [in Spanish]) [No Change In Status: 4:58pm] Forest Service / Inciweb.org: (8:42am report) Size: 127,569 acres, Containment: 40 percent, Cost: $33,685,016, Line to Build: 59 miles. Weather Conditions: Red Flag warning in effect through 6 pm tonight, for strong offshore winds and low humidity. Full report after the jump... [Update: 6:39pm] OUSD (5:45pm report) "The fire department has made excellent progress in pushing the Day Fire off of the Topa Topa ridge today. As of this afternoon, the fire appears to be moving away from Upper Ojai. The fire department has downgraded the evacuation to "precautionary" (6 hours notice) instead of the "recommended" (3 hours notice) that had been in place for Upper Ojai. Highway 150 will remain closed tomorrow. Because the fire department is anticipating heavy fire vehicle traffic on Highway 150, they have requested that we close Summit School and ask parents to stay off of the road as much as possible. This will allow our fire fighters to do their job much more efficiently. Summit School will be open on Tuesday, September 26 unless the fire situation changes. So to summarize, although the danger has lessened, we are closing Summit School to assist in reducing traffic on Highway 150 tomorrow. Stay home and read a good book! All other bus routes for high school and junior high students in the Upper Ojai are expected to be running tomorrow." [New: 1:52pm] Santa Paula Community Meeting on the Day Fire When: Monday, September 25, at 6:30 p.m. Where: Santa Paula Community Center, 530 West Main Street, Santa Paula Fire and law enforcement officials will update residents on the status and strategies for containment of the Day Fire. For further information contact: Ventura Co. Fire Info. Center at (805) 388-4276 Los Padres NF Fire Info. Center at (805) 961-5770 News Story 10:03am AP: Firefighters Face Hot, Dry Winds One of the "spot" blazes burned about 7,000 acres in the canyons above Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula along Highway 150, about 75 miles north of Los Angeles. The campus was evacuated late Saturday. Plumes of reddish smoke were visible as students raced between dorms gathering books and clothing. Charlie Kaiser, 20, walked to his car carrying a surfboard wrapped in a blanket and several books. "If we get Monday off, I want to go surfing," Kaiser said. Recent Photo: 10:10am photo courtesy of Ginny in Upper Ojai who writes: The smoke is blowing toward Dennison, so you folks in Ojai should start seeing action soon Oil Fields Reader Kira asks: Where are the Sespe oil fields in relation to Ojai? How close is the fire to them? What do the officials expect if the fire reaches the oil fields? Could we see uncontrollable fire burning for long periods of time? [Update: 3:09pm] reader mk answers: the Sespe Oil Fields are just north of Filmore. They burned over during the Piru Fire a couple years ago. They might be shut down, but I wouldn't expect long term oil fires. [Update: 4:12pm] Vacuum: Still no mention of the Day Fire, no resource links, nothing from our elected officials: Elton Gallegly, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Audra Strickland, nor the City of Ojai(!) Thank you to the Ojai community for passing the word around and contributing in the comments and via email. Additional updates and questions should be directed to: tyler -at- ojaipost dot com. Shout out to our hosting provider, Digital Housing, which is doing a great job keeping this site humming under an increasingly heavy load. And a big tip of our community hat to the 3,200 men and women who are working incredibly hard to save our local towns. Their efforts are invaluable, and we owe them our deep gratitude. If you see fire workers, officials and other personnel around Ojai, take a moment to let them know that they are doing a great job (unless they are lugging a hose through your backyard - just let them do their thing). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Information Update Los Padres/Angeles National Forest Phone: (805) 961-5770 September 24, 2006, 6:00 a.m Fire Name: Day Fire Date and Time of Fire Start: September 4, 2006 at 1:55 p.m. Location: Los Padres National Forest, Angeles National Forest, Sespe Wilderness Kind of Fuels: Heavy mixed brush with scattered timber Cause: Day Fire was human-caused, resulting from a member of the public burning a small amount of material within the Los Padres National Forest. The investigation is ongoing. Size: 127,569 acres Containment: 40 percent Cost: $33,685,016 Line to Build: 59 miles Weather Conditions: Red Flag warning in effect through 6 pm tonight, for strong offshore winds and low humidity. Expect East winds of 20-30 mph w/gusts to 45 this morning, decreasing this afternoon. Max temps – Valleys: 80-92. Ridgetops: 60-69. Min. RH – 5-15% above 3000’ / 15-25% below. Winds–Valley: 4-8 mph – gusts 20 mph. Ridgetops: 20-30 mph – gusts to 45 mph. Fire Behavior: Santa Ana winds surfaced 10:00 Saturday and fire crossed over Piru Creek near Alamo Creek.May spot across north side again due to wind eddies in canyon bottom. Fire is established at head of Santa Paula Creek, working downslope towards the mouth of the creek. Agency Jurisdiction: US Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest, Ventura County Fire. Agencies Involved: U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire, California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection, Bureau of Land Management, California Highway Patrol, Ventura County Fire, National Weather Service, Santa Barbara County Fire, Cal-Trans, and many assisting agencies. Incident Commanders: Mike Dietrich / George Custer Equipment and Personnel: 73 Hand crews 28 Helicopters 44 Dozers 270 Engines 500 Overhead 45 Water tenders Total Number of Personnel: 3,237 Threatened: Residences and commercial buildings; recreational campsites; water quality due to post-fire debris flows; electric transmission lines and gas pipelines; cell phone and radio communications; Sespe Condor Sanctuary; arroyo toad, California red-legged frog, and Sespe River steelhead habitat. Structures Destroyed: One Structures Threatened: 2049 Injuries: One [ed.note: 10news.com is reporting that its a bee sting (!)] Evacuations: Recommended evacuation notice for Ojai – Sulphur Mt. Rd to Steckel Park along Hwy 150. Precautionary evacuation orders in effect for the areas of Hwy 33 from Rose Valley Rd to Lockwood Valley Rd./Hwy 150 Santa Paula to Thatcher School/Lockwood Valley Rd from Hwy 33 to Frazier Mt. Park Rd. Shelters at Nordhoff High School in Ojai/Sacred Heart Church-Ventura/Santa Paula Community Ctr. Animal evacuations:Call 1-888-223-7387 Special Information: Hwy. 33 is closed northbound at Wheeler Gorge after the tunnels, southbound at Lockwood Valley Rd. Lockwood Valley Road is closed at Lake of the Woods Hwy 150, Mupu to Reeves RD. See website for national forest closure information.

Hands shown to emit light By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News Human hands glow, but fingernails release the most light, according to a recent study that found all parts of the hand emit detectable levels of light. The findings support prior research that suggested most living things, including plants, release light. Since disease and illness appear to affect the strength and pattern of the glow, the discovery might lead to less-invasive ways of diagnosing patients. Mitsuo Hiramatsu, a scientist at the Central Research Laboratory at Hamamatsu Photonics in Japan, who led the research, told Discovery News that the hands are not the only parts of the body that shine light by releasing photons, or tiny, energized increments of light. "Not only the hands, but also the forehead and bottoms of our feet emit photons," Hiramatsu said, and added that in terms of hands "the presence of photons means that our hands are producing light all of the time." The light is invisible to the naked eye, so Hiramatsu and his team used a powerful photon counter to "see"it. The detector found that fingernails release 60 photons, fingers release 40 and the palms are the dimmest of all, with 20 photons measured. The findings are published in the current Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology. Hiramatsu is not certain why fingernails light up more than the other parts of the hand, but he said, "It may be because of the optical window property of fingernails," meaning that the fingernail works somewhat like a prism to scatter light. To find out what might be creating the light in the first place, he and colleague Kimitsugu Nakamura had test subjects hold plastic bottles full of hot or cold water before their hand photons were measured. The researchers also pumped nitrogen or oxygen gas into the dark box where the individuals placed their hands as they were being analyzed. Warm temperatures increased the release of photons, as did the introduction of oxygen. Rubbing mineral oil over the hands also heightened light levels. Based on those results, the scientists theorize the light "is a kind of chemiluminescence," a luminescence based on chemical reactions, such as those that make fireflies glow. The researchers believe 40 percent of the light results from the chemical reaction that constantly occurs as our hand skin reacts with oxygen. Since mineral oil, which permeates into the skin, heightens the light, they also now think 60 percent of the glow may result from chemical reactions that take place inside the skin. Fritz-Albert Popp, a leading world expert on biologically related photons at The International Institute of Biophysics in Germany, agrees with the findings and was not surprised by them. Popp told Discovery News, "One may find clear correlations to kind and degree (type and severity) of diseases." Popp and his team believe the light from the forehead and the hands pulses out with the same basic rhythms, but that these pulses become irregular in unhealthy people. A study he conducted on a muscular sclerosis patient seemed to validate the theory. Both he and Hiramatsu hope future studies will reveal more about human photon emissions, which could lead to medical diagnosis applications.

UTEK Completes Two Technology Transfers to UK-Based Kwikpower International plc. LONDON & PLANT CITY, Fla. --(Business Wire)-- May 25, 2006 -- Transfers Include Licenses to a Unique Organism That Produces Bio-Derived Transport Fuel Hydrocarbons and for the Production of High Yields of Bio-Derived Hydrocarbons from Algal Varieties UTEK Corporation (AMEX:UTK) (LSE-AIM:UTK), a specialty finance company focused on technology transfer, and Kwikpower International plc., a diversified renewable energy and fuels company offering "Low Carbon Solutions," announced today that Kwikpower International has completed two technology transfers in stock-for-stock transactions. Both technology transfers relate to bio-derived hydrocarbon fuels. First technology transfer The first technology transferred includes the exclusive license from the University of California-Berkeley to a plant patent which describes a distinctive variety of the green alga known as Botryococcus that is unique in the quality and quantity of the liquid hydrocarbons it produces. The ancestors of Botryococcus are thought to be responsible for many of the world's fossil fuel deposits. Kwikpower International will use these green colonies for the production of bio-derived liquid hydrocarbons, which are potential substitutes for petroleum in the synthesis of many liquid fuels and petrochemicals. The ability to grow bio-derived gasoline and diesel components inexpensively offers Kwikpower a unique opportunity to meet demands for energy security while providing a "Low Carbon Solution" to the world's ever increasing demand for fossil fuel derived energy. Second technology transfer The second technology transferred is an exclusive license to a patent pending method developed by Plenty Energy, Inc. for the production of bio-derived hydrocarbon chains in novel algae. This new strain was derived from a variety isolated by Dr. Arthur Nonomura, while at the University of California in Berkeley. This new strain grows faster than previous wild-type algae and, when combined with methods to switch on growth and accelerate hydrocarbon production, this technology may allow bio-fuel production at costs much lower than currently possible. "This variety of Botryococcus has been shown to produce high levels of long-chain hydrocarbons that could be processed and utilized as gasoline and diesel," said Dr. Arthur Nonomura, inventor of the technology while at the University of California, Berkeley and founder of Plenty Energy, Inc. He added: "We are enthusiastic about the prospect of reducing the burning of fossil fuels and look forward to working with Kwikpower to be able to grow renewable supplies of fuel and hope to be able to implement a commercially viable development program of the algal strain." Dr. Jim Watkins, Chief Executive Officer of Kwikpower International commented, "A major focus of Kwikpower since it was founded ten years ago has been the production of bio-fuels and the reduction of GHG CO2 emissions. This new algal strain will provide Kwikpower with the ability to grow bio-derived gasoline and diesel components at prices that could be as low as US $25-35 per barrel. Compared to the current crude oil prices of US $65-75 per barrel, this offers Kwikpower a unique opportunity to produce bio-derived feedstocks at competitive prices. We believe this new strain will not only help to meet demands for energy security but will provide a `Low Carbon Solution' to the world's ever increasing demand for fossil fuel derived energy." "UTEK is pleased to consummate this technology transfer with Kwikpower International and we look forward to continuing our efforts to identify additional technology acquisition opportunities for its consideration," said Joel Edelson, Vice President Technology Licensing for UTEK Corporation. About the University of California Berkeley Office of Intellectual Property The University of California Berkeley's Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Research Alliances (IPIRA) was created in 2004 to provide a "one-stop shop" for industry research partners to interact with the campus. IPIRA's mission is to establish and maintain multifaceted relationships with private companies, and thereby enhance the research enterprise of the Berkeley campus. These relationships include sponsored research collaborations, and intellectual property commercialization. For more information about the Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Research Alliances, please visit its website at http://ipira.berkeley.edu. About Plenty Energy, Inc. The focus of Plenty Energy, Inc. is on the use of microorganisms to grow gasoline components. By driving the costs of producing a barrel of petroleum down, we believe that bio-derived gasoline components can now be grown at a competitive price. When gasoline is produced by microorganisms, it can be continuously supplied and will consume thirty-six molecules of carbon dioxides in order to make a single molecule of fuel. Some fossil fuel deposits originated from microscopic fossils that grew gasoline for millions of years. The first living fossil that produced large quantities of gasoline-type oils was discovered 26 years ago by Dr. Arthur Nonomura during the first gas crunch and has been verified by scientists worldwide to contain up to half of its weight in oil. Dr. Nonomura founded Plenty Energy, Inc. based on his ability to grow gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels from the original source. We believe that Plenty Energy, Inc. owns the only commercial means of using microorganisms to grow gasoline-type hydrocarbons known to humanity. About Kwikpower International plc. Kwikpower International plc. is a diversified renewable energy and fuels company offering "Low Carbon Solutions" through its Engineering Division (KP Wellman) and its Renewables Division, which includes its renewable energy subsidiary, KP Renewables plc. (LSE-AIM: KPR). The Kwikpower group is headquartered in Gibraltar with representative offices in London, England, Melbourne, Australia, and Toronto, Canada, and has manufacturing facilities in Oldbury, Dukinfield and Portsmouth, England. It had a turnover of US $75 million in 2005 (on an annualized basis), and approximately 300 personnel. Kwikpower's Engineering Division (KP Wellman) has over 100 years of expertise in the design and manufacture of boilers, furnaces, heat exchangers and gas clean-up/recycling equipment. KP Renewables plc. was established by Kwikpower to be the leading independent renewable energy company in the UK. KP Renewables plc. was listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in July 2005 under the symbol KPR and is also quoted on the Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin Stock Exchanges under the symbol K1P. For more information about Kwikpower International plc., please visit its website at http://www.kwikpower.com. For more information about KP Wellman, please visit its website at http://www.wellman-thermal.com. For more information about KP Renewables plc., please visit its website at http://www.kprenewables.com. About UTEK Corporation UTEK(R) is a specialty finance company focused on technology transfer. UTEK enables companies of all sizes to acquire innovative technologies from universities and research laboratories worldwide. UTEK facilitates the identification and then finances the acquisition and transfer of external technologies for clients in exchange for their equity securities. This unique process is called U2B(R). In addition to its U2B(R) service, UTEK offers both large and small capitalization companies the tools to search, analyze and manage university intellectual properties. UTEK has operations in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel. For more information about UTEK, please visit its website at http://www.utekcorp.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words, such as UTEK or Kwikpower International plc. "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe UTEK's or Kwikpower International plc.'s future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including the financial performance of UTEK or Kwikpower International plc., as appropriate, and the valuation of UTEK's investment portfolio, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. 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My personal suggestion is that if you use dairy products buy Stonyfield Farms, Organic Valley or Strauss. Ask your local market to carry these products. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Investors Question Dean Foods at Stockholders Meeting re: Horizon Organic Dairy Practices Investors Question Dean Foods at Stockholders Meeting Horizon Organic Milk Brand Faces Consumer Boycott Over Factory Farms PRWEB, May 18, 2006 http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb386710.htm Socially concerned investors, who filed a shareholder proposal with Dean Foods, today questioned the company's management at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Dallas as its marquee organic brand faces a growing consumer backlash over its reliance on factory-farm milk production. Investors believe the large-scale dairy operations are damaging the Horizon Organics brand and threaten shareholder value. Dallas, TX (PRWEB) May 18, 2006 -- Socially concerned investors, who filed a shareholder proposal with Dean Foods, today questioned the company's management at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Dallas as its marquee organic brand faces a growing consumer backlash over its reliance on factory-farm milk production. Investors believe the large-scale dairy operations are damaging the Horizon Organics brand and threaten shareholder value. Because of their concern, shareholders filed a proposal in December 2005 asking Dean Foods' management to report to investors on how it is responding to widespread public criticism that industrial-scale organic dairies, supplying milk for its Horizon brand, violate consumer trust and seriously jeopardize share value. Company management responded to the proposal by having its attorneys file a formal protest with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asking for permission to omit the proposal from Dean's 2006 proxy statement on a series of legal technicalities. Proponents withdrew the proposal in March in response to the challenge but brought their concerns to today's annual shareholders meeting. The shareholder proposal is a by-product of the five-year debate raging in the organic industry over the introduction of large-scale factory-style dairy farms, milking as many as 10,000 cows each. A growing number of public interest, environmental, and farming groups are suggesting that these farms violate current USDA regulations by labeling their products as organic. The shareholders, led by Boston Common Asset Management, are asking for greater transparency from Dean Foods in terms of its organic milk suppliers and its plans for meeting the high consumer expectations for ethics and integrity in the rapidly growing organic milk market. "Even though Dean Foods and its Horizon brand procure at least half of their organic milk from family farms, we think management needs to rethink its sourcing of milk from these controversial mega-dairies, or this ongoing practice will drag down the Horizon brand and harm shareholder value," said Steven Heim, Director of Social Research of Boston Common Asset Management. Last year, The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy group, filed formal complaints with the USDA against three industrial dairies, including one owned by Dean Foods and another dairy from which it purchases organic milk for its Horizon label. The complaints allege that these mega-farms are violating the law by confining their cattle to feedlots and sheds rather than grazing the animals on pasture. The Institute is preparing to seek court intervention in order to force a full investigation of the alleged improprieties. In March the Cornucopia Institute published a report (available at www.cornucopia.org) profiling the ethical and farm management practices of the nation's organic dairy product suppliers. The Horizon brand ranked poorly relative to most of the 67 other branded organic dairy products. "We find this a credible report, and we are disturbed by its implications for Dean Foods," Heim said. Dean Foods is the nation's largest milk marketer and has also become the biggest U.S. marketer of organic dairy products with its acquisitions of the Horizon Organic, Alta Dena, and Organic Cow of Vermont brands. The company's core business has been somewhat stagnant in recent years, and it has recently been touting its investments in the organic milk labels and the country's leading soy milk brand, Silk, as vehicles to make its stock more attractive on Wall Street. But negative press surrounding Dean's organic milk procurement practices has already led to some retailers dropping the Horizon brand. And members of the Organic Consumers Association recently voted in favor of a boycott. "It is very important for Dean to address the core concerns articulated in our shareholder resolution," said Margaret Weber, Coordinator of Corporate Responsibility with the Adrian Dominican Sisters. "Transparency regarding organic practices has business implications for the company." Weber explained that the shareholder proposal asked the company to appoint an independent committee of the board to review its policies and procedures for sourcing raw milk for its organic dairy products, and whether its current practices conform to the spirit as well as the letter of the official rules defining organic dairy products. The investor groups also want to know how the company intends to respond to increasing consumer and media scrutiny, and whether a proposed $10 million investment in an additional large-scale dairy farm in Idaho will mitigate or exacerbate the criticism. Horizon has also been criticized for disposing of calves born at its organic farms and replacing them with yearling heifers that were not raised organically a practice that was disclosed and verified by Horizon senior management during direct discussions with The Cornucopia Institute concerning their procurement of the brand's organic milk. To replenish the farm's milking herd, commercially raised replacement cattle are then brought onto the Horizon farm. These animals may have been raised on feed treated with pesticides and mixed with additives including blood products recovered from slaughtering operations. "We are concerned that Dean Foods' lack of transparency to its shareholders betrays a similar attitude toward its core consumers, particularly consumers of its Horizon brand products," said Daniel Stranahan of the Needmor Fund, another investor-sponsor of the resolution. "Industrial dairies with 2,000 to 10,000 cows are antithetical to the concept of organic farming, which supports family-scale production with sound environmental policies." And Leslie Lowe, director of the environment program at the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility in New York, said, "Dean Foods has an excellent opportunity to return value to its shareholders through its investments in the organic industry. But they must respect the ethical beliefs of their organic customers, a very loyal and sophisticated market segment. Otherwise these investments could end up damaging their brand and costing investors dearly."  EDITOR'S NOTE: A Representative of the shareholders' groups will be in Dallas for the Dean Foods Annual Meeting of Stockholders being held Friday May 19th at the Dallas Museum of Art, located at 1717 North Harwood. Steven Heim is available for interviews before and after the meeting and can be reached at 617-720-5557 or 617-785-9527 (c). Mark Kastel, of The Cornucopia Institute, is also attending Friday's shareholders' meeting. Mr. Kastel can be contacted at 608-385-3803. The Cornucopia Institute acts as a technical adviser to investment groups regarding organic dairy production issues, USDA organic standards, and their policy/marketing implications. More criticism of Dean Food's organic brand management is also being raised concerning the use of commercially raised replacement cattle being brought onto their Idaho 4,000-head dairy. These commercial replacement cattle may have been raised on feed treated with pesticides, weaned on milk replacer containing blood products recovered from slaughtering operations, and been injected with hormones and antibiotics. All of these practices are unacceptable to organic consumers. At issue is how this affects the company's representation of its Horizon milk products as produced without antibiotics, hormones or toxic pesticides. Contact: Steven Heim, Director of Social Research, Boston Common Asset Management, LLC, 84 State Street, Suite 1000, Boston, MA 02109 Tel. 617-720-5557 Fax 617-720-5665, email sheim @ bostoncommonasset.com

Join Organic Consumers Association and Food and Water Watch June 19-25, to take the Starbucks challenge and protest or leaflet Starbucks cafes in your neighborhood. Let's educate Starbucks' patrons about Fair Trade and rBGH. Help us reach our goal of 300 actions! Despite over five years of grassroots pressure, Starbucks continues to serve milk from cows that are injected with genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone, also known as rBGH or rBST. Virtually every industrial country, except for the United States, has banned the sale of rBGH milk. Milk produced from cows injected with rBGH poses serious dangers to human health and the general welfare to dairy cows. The time has come to kick rBGH off the market, once and for all. If Starbucks, a major buyer of milk, were to reject rBGH dairy products, we could effectively eliminate it from the market. Similarly, while Starbucks has slowly bought more certified Fair Trade coffee, it represents only a very small percentage of their total coffee (about 3.7%). Starbucks rarely offers certified Fair Trade coffee as their coffee of the day, nor has it followed its own policy of brewing Fair Trade coffee, on demand. 1. Take the Starbucks Challenge! Hold Starbucks to their word. Simply visit your local Starbucks and ask: "Could I get a cup of fair trade coffee?" and let us know how it went. 2. Protest or Leaflet outside Starbucks stores. Download materials from the sidebar on the Organic Consumers website. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Starbucks/index.htm 3. Be sure to let Starbucks know your thoughts, either online or with their postage paid comment cards available at their stores.