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Earth Meanders
Insightful original Earth essays placing environmental sustainability within the context of other contemporary issues including peace, freedom, equity and justic
May 23, 2009
EARTH MEANDERS: This Memorial Day: Should We Arrest Cheney and Bush, Impeach Obama?
Democratic consumption is an irredeemable political/economic system that has proven itself unable to justly and equitably allow all global citizens to live in peace, abundance and sustainability.
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
It has been awhile since I have written how U.S. militarism to prop up an unsustainable way of life is destroying both Earth and freedom. As Obama induced "hopenosis" starts wearing off, it is clear that on several key issues -- war, civil liberties and climate change -- we are getting "Bush Lite" policies from President Obama that differ little from his criminal predecessor. Military commissions to try those illegally held for years will occur after all, and some may be held forever without charges. We continue to be spied upon. Obama is escalating the unwinnable war in Afghanistan, and drawing out the criminal occupation of Iraq. Meanwhile the real Earth and society crushing crises of climate change and global ecosystem collapse remain woefully unaddressed. Heil Bush! Heil Obama!
After nearly a decade of criminal rule, America continues under new management to careen forward, wounded and flailing in vain attempts to return to a state of excessive democratic consumption. On the economy, the President has borrowed (stolen?) trillions from our children to rescue a dying industrial and speculative capitalistic shell game built upon usury, greed and unsustainability. And we are getting an inadequate climate change policy that cherry picks token measures to be seen as acting while coddling coal and tar sands which we know must end to survive. America's might makes right, damn the truth and consequences, mind set is destroying civilized society and our one shared Earth.
May 19, 2009
Ecological Internet: Nothing Like It On Earth, For Earth
2009 Mid-Year Fund-Raiser, Support EI and Keep Green Hope Alive $50k Funding Appeal. Donate Now!
Dear Earth loving colleagues,
DONATE NOW! Ecological Internet (EI) is on the vanguard of biocentric thought and action sufficient to achieve global ecological sustainability. For over 10 years we have run the world's largest, most used and effective Earth Action Network and environmental portals, entirely funded from the generosity of our network members. It is time for our yearly mid-year fund raiser where we must raise $50,000 over the next six weeks to continue advocating for the Earth. Please donate what you can afford now!
Fresh off victories in the Ivory Coast and U.S Pacific Northwest, EI is currently engaged in campaigns to end industrial agrofuel's rainforest damage and expose FSC greenwash of primary forest logging, and is poised to confront REDD carbon/forest proposals which claim first time industrial logging benefits the climate. No environmental group knows and takes ecological science more seriously, and works more diligently and consistently for the suite of ecological policies -- including ending old forest logging, coal and tar sands -- required to avert global ecosystem collapse.
Continue reading "Ecological Internet: Nothing Like It On Earth, For Earth" »
May 17, 2009
EARTH MEANDERS: Only Cure for a Dying Earth May Be a Stewardship Revolution
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
If Gaia, the Earth System, is alive, then it stands to reason she can die. And the fact Gaia has not yet succumbed in past mass extinctions is no indication, and certainly no guarantee, that when hit simultaneously, in a geological flash of time -- with climate change, deforestation, toxics, soil loss, scarce freshwater, dead oceans and more; caused primarily by over-population and inequitable consumption -- that Gaia will not pass from being.
The degree to which humanity has changed Gaia's balance ecologically is clearly known by global change and ecological science, yet it is not well appreciated by most of the masses and ruling elite. Until it is, humanity and our sister species are careening towards global ecosystem collapse, where one day soon we will wake up on a toxic, largely lifeless planet and it will be too late.
If all entreaties to power to pursue necessary policies to avoid global ecosystem collapse continue to be rebuffed, there is a long tradition of protest culminating in revolution to draw upon as inspiration for a Stewardship Revolution. We need to steel ourselves to the possibility that environmentalism in the face of continued neglect by the ruling elite has become a battle for shared survival of our and all being.
Continue reading "EARTH MEANDERS: Only Cure for a Dying Earth May Be a Stewardship Revolution" »
April 9, 2009
EARTH MEANDERS: The Only Way Forward Is Back to Gaia's Garden
Geo-engineering madness will complete the destruction of the biosphere and human being(s). It is critical that we reject industrial geo-engineering, to instead embrace a program of sufficient global ecological protection and restoration.
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
Human Hubris
Gaia (or the Earth System if you rather) is not a science project, it is alive (albeit sick) and fully inhabited. To speak of geo-engineering the climate before having exhausted local, national and international efforts to reduce emissions, protect and restore old forests, reform industrial agriculture, and other ecologically sufficient policies to sustain being, is rash and foolhardy. Continued ill-conceived technological, industrial diminishment of naturally operating ecosystems can only hasten and ensure global ecological collapse.
Sadly, President Obama's new science advisor, John Holdren, has indicated the administration is investigating geo-engineering -- massive planetary alterations such as shooting aerosols into the upper atmosphere -- to 'solve' climate change and associated ecological crises. The Obama administration is clearly signaling it is going to take a compromising, technology heavy approach to climate change policy. Social change and personal transformation necessary to achieve global ecological sustainability have received nary a mention.
Obama's climate policies will not be guided by what science tells us is required to stop hazardous warming. Rather, the U.S. government will only pursue policies that do not threaten economic growth, and rely upon more industrial technologies at the expense of natural ecosystems. Given America's history of exceptionalism, I suppose such hubris -- going from doing nothing to address climate change, directly to seriously considering engineering the biosphere, completely skipping the stages of self-examination and national transformation -- is to be expected.
Continue reading "EARTH MEANDERS: The Only Way Forward Is Back to Gaia's Garden" »
December 25, 2008
EARTH MEANDERS: Earth Bailout and the Stewardship Revolution
Global citizens together committing to a revolutionary spirit of action are the Earth and humanity's last best hope
EARTH MEANDERS
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
From Earth's Newsdesk
Oceans on acid, certifiably crazy ancient forest logging, carbon markets paying to log and pollute -- the global ecosystem is failing and the world has gone mad. The disease of too many humans, each wanting to forever consume more at the expense of liquidating life-giving ecosystems, must be decisively cured before being ends. It has become apparent that changes of the magnitude necessary to ensure humanity's shared survival are not, indeed cannot, occur without transformative revolutionary action. What hope remains for the Earth and humanity lies in a global people's movement to topple polluting industries and usher in an era of stewardship.
Global citizens could choose to commit ourselves to planetary, bioregional and personal stewardship by pursuing mass protest and if necessary revolutionary insurgency to bailout the Earth. There is virtually no chance of saving the Earth and all her inhabitants without overthrowing speculative, industrial capitalism. To maintain a livable Earth, it may be that an unprecedented Earth Revolution waged by global citizenry -- first through mass protest and political means, and if need be through sabotage, insurrection and violent revolution targeting the Earth destroyers -- must commence immediately.
Continue reading "EARTH MEANDERS: Earth Bailout and the Stewardship Revolution" »
December 13, 2008
EARTH MEANDERS: Light REDD: The Looming Tragedy of Carbon Markets Paying to Destroy Ancient Forests
EARTH MEANDERS
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
From Earth's Newsdesk
Using carbon funds, the world's governments are poised to subsidize ancient forest logging, claiming it benefits the Earth's climate. REDD's potential support of "low impact" logging of ancient forests, and conversion of natural forests to tree farms, fails the climate, biodiversity and biosphere.
Plans to pay for rainforest protection using funds from carbon markets progressed during this week's UN climate talks. I have long promoted the deceptively simple idea of paying to keep rainforests standing, yet am far from jubilant with the results. It appears first time, industrial logging of ancient forests -- through so-called low-impact and certified logging, and the conversion of these and other natural forests to plantations -- is falsely considered as having carbon benefits, and will be paid for with our tax dollars and carbon offsets.
The concept of paying for rainforest protection with carbon money has become known as avoided deforestation, or alternatively, as REDD for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation". Like many promising concepts before it (i.e. "sustainable development" and "certified forestry"), REDD is in danger of becoming empty jargon meant to legitimate continued environmentally destructive activities.