The president who fueled the fire of climate disaster

by: jandrews

Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 16:40:24 PM EST

"With his State of the Union speech, President Obama adopted the apocalyptic 'Drill, Baby, Drill' platform of the most rabid Republicans. He is parroting the fossil fuel lobbyists in saying that our public lands and our environment should be sacrificed for the goal of increasing domestic oil production."

"The President's spin ignores the fact that our most pressing problem isn't foreign oil, it's what fossil fuels, both foreign and domestic, are doing to our planet. The President's 'all of the above' approach to polluting energy is an alarming denial of the climate emergency we face and the urgent need to substantially reduce the amount of carbon we exhaust into the atmosphere. Our nation and human society around the world are already experiencing serious climate disruption. The President has given up the fight against climate change just when we most need to expand our efforts."

Cowards in Our Democracies, Part 2

by: eli_beckerman

Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 00:08:45 AM EST

Cowards in Our Democracies: Part 2
28 January 2012

Scientists are finding it difficult to persuade the public of the urgency to reduce fossil fuel CO2 emissions. This is in part because people profiting from fossil fuel business-as-usual support disinformation about the science, so that they can expand extraction of fossil fuels despite the evidence that such expansion will push the climate system beyond tipping points, assuring further climate change with impacts that are practically out of humanity's control.

Scientists attempt to communicate, but are flummoxed by the ability of the profiteers to manipulate democracies.  The scientific method (objective analysis of all facts) is pitted against the talk-show method (selective citation of anecdotal bits supporting a predetermined position).

The tragedy is that a common sense pathway exists that would solve our energy needs, stimulate our economy and protect the future of young people.  Yet people benefiting from business-as-usual are able to block adoption of policies in the public's interest, via the corrosive influence of money in politics and aided by corporate-dominated media.

Should scientists connect the dots all the way to policy implications?  Profiteers strongly oppose that, because scientists are trained to be objective, and profiteers want no interference with their functioning profit pathways.  Let's consider that issue after summarizing the situation.

Spinning the Bottle Bill and Wind and Munis

by: scott_laugenour

Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 14:14:56 PM EST

Cowards in Our Democracies

by: eli_beckerman

Sat Jan 28, 2012 at 15:40:08 PM EST

~Jim

Cowards in Our Democracies: Part 1
27 January 2012

The threat of human-made climate change and the urgency of reducing fossil fuel emissions have become increasingly clear to the scientific community during the past few years.  Yet, at the same time, the public seems to have become less certain about the situation.  Indeed, many people have begun to wonder whether the climate threat has been concocted or exaggerated.

Public doubt about the science is not an accident.  People profiting from business-as-usual fossil fuel use are waging a campaign to discredit the science.  Their campaign is effective because the profiteers have learned how to manipulate democracies for their advantage.

The scientific method requires objective analysis of all data, stating evidence pro and con, before reaching conclusions.  This works well, indeed is necessary, for achieving success in science.   But science is now pitted in public debate against the talk-show method, which consists of selective citation of anecdotal bits that support a predetermined position.  

Q&A with Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for President

by: eli_beckerman

Thu Jan 26, 2012 at 21:57:31 PM EST

A PEOPLE'S STATE OF THE UNION: A GREEN NEW DEAL FOR AMERICA

by: eli_beckerman

Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 21:31:16 PM EST

TEXT: A People's State of the Union: A Green New Deal for America

Presented by Dr. Jill E. Stein, Green Party presidential candidate, January 2012 ~

Good evening and thank you for this opportunity to talk with you tonight. We're here to talk about the actual state of our nation, and how we can reclaim the promise of our democracy and the peaceful, just green future we deserve. We have heard President Obama deliver his State of the Union Address.  And we heard the Republican response. Each claims to have the answer, and that the other was an obstacle to progress.

Report from Occupy Wall Street, January 18, 2012

by: eli_beckerman

Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 00:28:22 AM EST

Hi folks,

Time marches on, in the constant madness that is Occupy Wall Street, within the constant madness that is New York City, within the constant madness that is the earth in 2012.

I've made a point of attending more marches lately, realizing that this is one of the best ways to let people know that we're still here even though we're not in the park. One was a march against the NDAA. For those who don't know, the National Defense Authorization Act allows the government to detain any US citizen and hold him or her indefinitely without trial if they suspect them of aiding an organization which aids al Qaeda or the Taliban. The problem is that they don't have to prove to anyone this connection, so anyone who criticizes the US government might conceivably fall into this category. There would be no judge or jury to say otherwise.

It's especially ironic because the US government has given billions of dollars in assistance to the Pakistani government and military, which has aided al Qaeda and the Taliban with millions if not billions of dollars worth of assistance in the form of weapons, trucks, food and cash. So according to the NDAA, anyone connected with the US government, military or weapons industry could technically be held indefinitely without trial. This would include the president and any members of congress who voted for any of these military assistance bills.

Support Candidates Who Support Small Organic Farms and Relocalized Food Networks

by: michael horan

Fri Jan 13, 2012 at 10:33:00 AM EST

It's a good Act-a step in the right direction--and it's endorsed by MA Senate candidate Marisa DeFranco (the only candidate for Senate in MA  who talks about sustainable agriculture and cutting subsidies to Big Ag). If this is on your radar, please consider making a donation to the one candidate who addresses these critical issues and stands up for local, organic, sustainable food networks.  You can contribute to Marisa DeFranco here:

Join the conversation by LIKING her Senate page here

The other candidate in this race is raking in big money from some very suspect sources (more on that later). The only way to get OUR concerns promoted and talked about in these races is to put our money where our mouths are. $25 will help ensure that a genuine people's candidate has the ability to make your voice heard contributing (more will ensure that it's amplified!).  And when you DO contribute, pass along a note explaining that you expect to hear more on whatever issue it is that matters most you-especially if  it's the relocalized, sustainability realm!

BTW, this Act is also endorsed by the Northeast Organic Framing Association. As noted in a post below, I'll be at their always entertaining, eye-opening  all-day conference in Worcester on January 14. If you're going-and you can walk-in register-and want to learn more about the Farm Bill, there's a workshop on the Farm Bill, 3:30-5pm.  

New Year's Report from Occupy Wall Street, from Pavlov Katz

by: eli_beckerman

Thu Jan 12, 2012 at 22:00:00 PM EST

Hi everyone,

It's been a really long time since I last wrote. I left New York for a few weeks in early December, and returned later in the month. The timing wasn't too good, since very little happened around here during the holidays, and there was a lot of frustrating, idle time. One positive thing that did happen during that time, though, was that a lot of people worked on creating a sense of community among us who are staying at one of the churches in the upper west side. I'd originally thought of it as simply a place to sleep, and to simply leave in the morning and start my real day downtown at OWS. But some more insightful people saw it as more than that, as a chance to develop our identity as a group, a subsection of OWS. The original motivation for this might have been simple necessity-- to reduce thefts and conflicts, but in any case, it's turned into an actual community, an opportunity to meet new people and work together constructively.

Otherwise, things were scattered and thin through late December, until New Year's eve. Earlier in the evening a few of us went around town, happy to get away from the uninspired atmosphere, but came back to the area and walked into Zuccotti Park around 10 pm. Several hundred people were there, a low-level party. More people arrived steadily, and the absurdity of the situation became embarrassingly apparent. Here we are, 300, 400, 500 of us, in a park we lived in, a park from which we changed world history, until a mere six ago. And now we're surrounded by standing metal barricades which enforce arbitrary, stupid rules which are arguably illegal. Say, what about these standing metal barricades, anyway?

Testimony on Medicare for All

by: scott_laugenour

Wed Dec 14, 2011 at 18:37:46 PM EST

It has been proven throughout the world that that comprehensive health insurance will cost less and be of better quality when it is financed through public progressive taxes rather than through private regressive premiums.

...the barriers to implementing Medicare For All in Massachusetts are not based on economics, on health & medicine, or in public support.  The hurdles are political.

There has been a decrease in the number of co-sponsors of the bill ... and lackluster advocacy for Medicare For All.

Beacon Hill will respond more favorably when confronted with an occupation against big-money business as usual.

The complete testimony follows.

Report from Occupy Wall Street, Wednesday, November 23

by: eli_beckerman

Wed Nov 23, 2011 at 16:31:10 PM EST

Hi everyone,

It's been slow around here since my last post. Strange to say this, since up to recently things have been frantic.

We're still hanging in, securing housing for ourselves and running meetings again. I went to a spokes council meeting the other night. It was kind of nice to see the process functioning. Spokes council is a cumbersome process, but it's quite democratic. Of course, it's a messy process, lots of arguments, and then the next day everyone else yells about the decisions made. Once you explain the reasons, they lower the volume of their yelling a bit. I suppose groups making decisions about how to conduct themselves is by nature complicated and controversial and always will be.

The past few days in particular have been difficult. A lot of people arguing, about all kinds of things. I think this is partly because we're all stressed about not having a home, and partly because we're confused about our mission at this point. With Thanksgiving coming up it's unlikely much will be done about this in the next few days.

Greens Not Alone in Supporting OWS

by: michael horan

Tue Nov 22, 2011 at 01:06:54 AM EST

Worth Liking, no?

She stands for your values. She could use your support.

Stein calls for Investigation of Federal Role in Brutal Occupy Wall Street Crackdowns

by: jandrews

Fri Nov 18, 2011 at 15:35:42 PM EST

Stein calls for Investigation of Federal Role in Brutal Occupy Wall Street Crackdowns

Responding to reports that security officials within the Obama Administration held meetings with local authorities that led to a brutal national police crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street protests - including flagrant violations of freedom of the press -  the Green Party's Jill Stein called for a full investigation of the federal role. She urged that new federal guidelines be established to "prevent the lethal power of post-9/11 militarized security from being turned against the American people."  

According to news reports, officials of the FBI and Homeland Security Agency advised mayors and other municipal officials regarding the use of harsh, military-style techniques against people in the OWS encampments. The Federal officials reportedly tutored the municipal officials on ways to find legal excuses for closing down the encampments, on the use of riot police and advanced weaponry, and on techniques for interfering with press coverage of the evictions.

Occupy Green

by: gmoke

Thu Nov 17, 2011 at 22:33:40 PM EST

I've visited the Occupations in Wall Street, Boston, and Providence, RI.  Every time I go to one of them, I try to connect with somebody about making the Occupation green with, as yet, little success.  In New York, I saw the greywater treatment system Mobile Research Labs set up and talked to a couple of people about using some simple solar techniques.  In Boston, I've tried to connect the winterization team with the student Energy Clubs at some of the local colleges and universities and alerted my own network of solar enthusiasts to Occupy Boston's  efforts.  I've also tried to do the same by contacting OWS's Sustainability Group.  In Providence, I talked with the only occupier I saw up and around early on a Sunday morning.  He was picking up trash around the park and was disappointed that the group hadn't organized themselves enough to do recycling.  I gave him my card and my elevator pitch for a green occupation and he said he'd pass it on.

I look at the Occupations and see economic refugee camps and a possible test-bed for emergency response and sustainable economic development around the world.  Some may say that's crazy but the links are there if you look.

Report from Occupy Wall Street, Saturday, November 19

by: eli_beckerman

Sun Nov 20, 2011 at 01:10:44 AM EST

Hi everyone,

It's Saturday morning, things are actually quiet enough for me to sit and write. Here's what happened since my last, kind of frantic, message early Thursday afternoon.

I walked over to City Hall where I heard a rally was supposed to be held to demand Bloomberg's resignation. I just missed it, people had already left for Foley Square. On the way over I made another attempt to call someone here at the storage place, and by chance happened to catch him, and find out the space was open, so I turned around and came back here. Had I not reached him, I would have gone to Foley Square and then to the Brooklyn Bridge, and witnessed history, or gotten arrested, or beaten up.

You probably know better than me what happened there. I don't have video capabilities on this old computer. In any case, there were many, many people in Foley Square, and even more at the bridge, 5,000, I heard? Lots of pushing and shoving, hundreds of arrests throughout the day, I think. I was here helping restore the medical supplies shelf when one of the medics got a call that trouble was about to start, and we helped pack up bandages, etc. We were out of Maalox, which is used as an antidote to pepper spray. The shelf has thinned out considerably this week, since the police took the medical tent and all the supplies they had there.