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Noted entrepreneur and organic herb producer speaks at MUM We can end global warming — without reducing the number of cars we drive or the number of coal-fired power plants in operation or dialing back other traditional contributors of CO2 to the atmosphere. The simple solution: convert all agriculture to organic agriculture. This was the thesis of a talk given by Tom Newmark as part of the University’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Entitled “Organic Agriculture to the Rescue: Using Ancient Farming Wisdom to Heal Our Broken Atmosphere,” Mr. Newmark’s talk showed in detail how soil sequesters carbon when allowed to function normally — that is, organically. And he showed how the amount under cultivation worldwide would be sufficient to sequester all the CO2 generated through human activity — thereby neutralizing the rise in the earth’s temperature. Mr. Newmark is the former CEO of New Chapter, Inc., one of America’s most respected and successful organic vitamin companies. Entrepreneur, speaker, and author, he is deeply devoted to environmentalism, conservation, and organic herb production, and has more than a decade of experience within the regulatory environments of the natural products industry. Mr. Newmark became a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program in 1974, then studied law at Washington University. He worked as an attorney for many years including providing his services to the Natural Law Party. He is best known for his past role at New Chapter, Inc., where he helped the company not only to expand, but also to become the first to have its entire line of vitamins and supplements certified organic, as well as verified by the Non-GMO Project. Mr. Newmark remains a tireless activist for organic and non-GMO causes, authoring editorial articles and participating in public speaking events. He is co-owner of Finca Luna Nueva, an eco-resort and biodynamic organic herb farm in Costa Rica that provides tropical-grown botanicals for some of New Chapter’s products. He also co-founded Sacred Seeds, a botanical sanctuary that preserves traditional and medicinal plants and the knowledge surrounding their important uses. This April, the Sustainable Living Department is offering an MUM Rotating University Course on tropical organic agriculture and rainforest ecology, which will be co-taught by Tom Newmark on the Finca Luna Nueva farm. The course will also include visits to the Sacred Seeds Sanctuary, other Costa Rica farms, and national parks. “The faculty and students at the Sustainable Living Department are thought leaders, bringing fresh vision and consciousness to the critical environmental challenges facing our planet,” Mr. Newmark said. ”I’m excited to share our farm, fields, and forests with the students, and it’s fantastic that this course will inaugurate what we all hope will be a long-term collaboration between MUM and Finca Luna Nueva.”
© Copyright 2013 Maharishi University of Management
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