Greener Spaces

Oil money

2011-12-14T18:02:00.001-08:00

#Occupy & 350.org Stage "Human Oil Spill" at John Boehner's Office

Hundreds of 350.org climate activists and Occupy Wall Street protesters flocked to Speaker of the House John Boehner's Ohio office today, and proceeded to stage a "human oil spill". The action was intended to draw attention to the GOP's efforts to attach a provision to a popular payroll tax cut bill that would clear the way for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Garbed in black, the activists acted out a scene in which the pipeline ruptured and spread oil across a pristine Midwestern environment.
“The House brings shame on itself when its members take tens of millions in big oil money and then do the industry's bidding. Keystone XL creates no net jobs and pours carbon into the atmosphere. That’s why millions across the country opposed it. Its only beneficiaries are the fossil fuel industry and the politicians they support,” Bill McKibben, 350.org founder and environmental author, said in a statement.

When O's decision to simply postpone a pipeline decision was made i knew that the war wasn't over. But putting it in the tax bill was a quicker move than I expected.
The payola must be really BIG!

Hope from Washington

2011-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

Putting Farmland On A Fertilizer Diet

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a document yesterday that got no attention on the nightly news, or almost anywhere, really. Its title, I'm sure you'll agree, is a snooze: National Nutrient Management Standard.
Yet this document represents the agency's best attempt to solve one of the country's — and the world's — really huge environmental problems: The nitrogen and phosphorus that pollute waterways.
Essentially, it involves putting farmland on a sensible diet. Only feed the land as much as it really needs. And don't apply fertilizer, including manure, when the crops don't need it. Also, try to capture and store any excess nutrients. For instance, grow wintertime "cover crops" that can trap free nitrogen before it leaches into groundwater.

A move in the right direction.

Truth Force

2011-12-11T14:36:00.001-08:00

Visible Shape (Philip Glass & Lou Reed occupying Lincoln Center) from jaune! on Vimeo.

Declaration of Supercedence

2011-12-10T17:34:00.001-08:00

We So Declare:
We are a planet at war with itself. We are not here to fight.
We have acknowledged the time has come, to surrender.
We surrender all systems that have failed to sustain our survival.

Occupy Earth!

Scary and crazy Luntz

2011-12-01T17:18:00.001-08:00

A 'frightened to death' Frank Luntz offers Republicans advice on Occupy Wall Street

So Republican doublespeak strategist Frank Luntz went to a Republican Governors Association meeting to tell them how to talk about the economy in the age of Occupy Wall Street, which he's "frightened to death" of. He had a lot of advice that was standard Luntzian stuff—find the worst-sounding way to describe a basic function of government and run with it, like rather than "taxing the rich," describe it as "taking from the rich," as if taxes were jargon that needed translation. But a few were particularly rich sources of humor.

3. Republicans should forget about winning the battle over the 'middle class.' Call them 'hardworking taxpayers.'
How telling is it that the big Republican messaging advance is to try to get people to forget about the middle class? Of course we know that their policies are about eradicating the middle class, but I hadn't realized they thought that project was far enough along to stop talking about it altogether.

4. Don't talk about 'jobs.' Talk about 'careers.'
"Everyone in this room talks about 'jobs,'" Luntz said. "Watch this."
He then asked everyone to raise their hand if they want a "job." Few hands went up. Then he asked who wants a "career." Almost every hand was raised.
"So why are we talking about jobs?"
This is the kind of thing you say when you're so insulated from today's economy that you spend your entire life talking to employed political staffers. They have jobs. They probably have careers, even if they'd like better ones. But there are tens of millions of unemployed and underemployed people in this country who just want a damn job. And that's not even getting into the tens of millions more people who feel lucky to have a job, who have family or friends who don't have a job, who themselves recently didn't have a job. Ultimately, a lot of those people would love to have careers. But looking down your nose at the idea of having a plain old job—that's a luxury.

7. The three most important words you can say to an Occupier: 'I get it.' "First off, here are three words for you all: 'I get it.' . . . 'I get that you're angry. I get that you've seen inequality. I get that you want to fix the system."
Then, he instructed, offer Republican solutions to the problem.
"I get that you're angry. I get that you've seen inequality. I get that you want to fix the system. Here's my plan to make sure that the 1 percent gets even more of this country's wealth."

"Frightened to death?" Come on Frank. Frightened that your wallet may be a little lighter.
Wonder if he has consulted with the mayors and police chief when they talk about evicting occupiers because they are concerned about occupiers' own safety.

Connecting the dots

2011-12-01T17:15:00.001-08:00

Crisis of Civilization

Starting with the increasingly credibly analysis that each crisis we face is merely a symptom of a broader, systemic failure, the movie explores the connections and then goes on to look at what a post-carbon society, which is coming whether we like it or not, might look like.

Time to prepare.

Keystone

2011-11-30T18:41:00.001-08:00

We talked before that the war was not over...
Indigenous Leaders Will Hand Obama Emergency Mother Earth Accord

This Friday, tribal leaders from across the continent will meet for their third summit with the president in Washington, and one of the prime items on the agenda will be the ﬁght against the Keystone Pipeline. They'll talk about the way both the pipeline and the process of approving it have violated treaties, and they'll present the president with a copy of the Mother Earth Accord adopted in a special meeting at the Rosebud reservation a few weeks ago. It's a strong document, full of details about the impacts of tar sands mining and pipeline leaks and carbon emissions -- but it also speaks with the real power of the people who've lived longest and best on this continent. Indeed, it begins by afﬁrming that "the earth is our true mother, our grandmother who gives birth to us and maintains all life."

This comes at a great time since a Republican Bill Demands a Quick Keystone XL Permit.

Republican lawmakers in Congress introduced legislation on Wednesday that would force the Obama administration to issue a construction permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days unless the president decides that the project is not in the national interest.

So is the war coming to a final end? Which side will be victorious - Mother Earth or big Oil?
I think McKibben says it best...

No win lasts forever, not in environmental battles. There's always someone there who wants the money badly enough that they'll ﬁnd a way...

I just hope money loses to health and environment.

2011-11-29T17:26:00.001-08:00

Scientists Develop New Strain Of H5N1, Avian Influenza, That Could Kill Millions

It sounds like the setup for a Hollywood thriller: scientists in a lab create a virus as contagious as the flu that kills half of those infected. We're safe as long as the virus remains locked up, but if it escapes or gets into the h
ands of bioterrorists, it has the potential to become a pandemic and kill millions around the world. But this isn't the latest summer blockbuster. According to New Scientist magazine, researchers in the Netherlands studying H5N1 -- commonly referred to as the bird flu or avian influenza -- have created a strain of the virus that's easily passed between mammals, and it's just as lethal as the original virus.

The Big Question : WHY? Why did they create this? Fun? Profit?

Sheeple on Black Friday

2011-11-28T18:12:00.001-08:00

#BuyNothingDay saw the sheeple riot. But not against consumerism. Not against the corporate giants.
They rioted with pepper spray. They punched their way through. They were tased. They were arrested. For what?
For that "great deal" on that latest DVD player/toy/junk! They ran over or through fellow man to "get what they want!"
Instead of democracy and equality (what we need) the sheeple voted for more Stuff (what they want). Consumer culture remains strong - not something we should be proud of.
Instead of celebrating the increase in Black Friday spending over last year, we should mourn the loss of simplicity/family/quality time...

Be very afraid

2011-11-27T18:22:00.001-08:00

Senators Demand the Military Lock Up American Citizens in a “Battlefield” They Define as Being Right Outside Your Window

... the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.

Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a “battlefield” and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial. The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.

The people are watching this. If it is passed, there better be a veto! If no veto then be prepared for arrests!

Enjoy your turkey dinner

2011-11-23T17:07:00.001-08:00

Drugged-Up Turkey

As families across America adorn their dinner tables with plump, juicy turkeys this Thursday, they've likely given little thought to what their future food previously consumed.
By the end of this year, an estimated 248 million turkeys will have been raised in the U.S., approximately 83 percent on farms that produce more than 60,000 turkeys each and most eating a diet that includes low doses of antibiotics. This common agricultural practice results not only in more meaty birds, according to experts, but also in greater risks to public health.
"Antibiotic use in animals comes back to haunt people," said Stuart Levy, a Tufts University microbiology professor who focuses on antibiotic resistance. He recently co-authored a review of the evidence showing how animal antibiotics affect human health -- via direct contact and indirectly via food, water, air and anywhere manure goes.
Levy and other experts warn that the widespread use of antibiotics to treat sick livestock, prevent the spread of disease in cramped conditions or simply promote animal growth has fueled the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is making many infections in humans harder to treat.

Makes your mouth water doesn't it?

Santa needs a break

2011-11-22T17:59:00.001-08:00

#OCCUPYXMAS kicks off Nov 25/26

You’ve been sleeping on the streets for two months pleading peacefully for a new spirit in economics. And just as your camps are raided, your eyes pepper sprayed and your head’s knocked in, another group of people are preparing to camp-out. Only these people aren’t here to support occupy Wall Street, they’re here to secure their spot in line for a Black Friday bargain at Super Target and Macy’s.
Occupy gave the world a new way of thinking about the fat cats and financial pirates on Wall Street. Now lets give them a new way of thinking about the holidays, about our own consumption habits. Lets’ use the coming 20th annual Buy Nothing Day to launch an all-out offensive to unseat the corporate kings on the holiday throne.
This year’s Black Friday will be the first campaign of the holiday season where we set the tone for a new type of holiday culminating with #OCCUPYXMAS. As the global protests of the 99% against corporate greed and casino capitalism continues, lets take the opportunity to hit the empire where it really hurts…the wallet.
On Nov 25/26th we escape the mayhem and unease of the biggest shopping day in North America and put the breaks on rabid consumerism for 24 hours. Flash mobs, consumer fasts, mall sit-ins, community events, credit card-ups, whirly-marts and jams, jams, jams! We don’t camp on the sidewalk for a reduced price tag on a flat screen TV or psycho-killer video game. Instead, we occupy the very paradigm that is fueling our eco, social and political decline.
Historically, Buy Nothing Day has been about fasting from hyper consumerism – a break from the cash register and reflecting on how dependent we really are on conspicuous consumption. On this 20th anniversary of Buy Nothing Day, we take it to the next level, marrying it with the message of #occupy…
We #OCCUPYXMAS.
Shenanigans begin November 25!

Santa and his cronies will be upset but that shepherd and little drummer boy (both of lore) at the stable will revel in this campaign

O's mic check

2011-11-22T17:55:00.001-08:00

Occupy Wall Street Protester Delivers Statement To Obama

A speech by President Obama in New Hampshire was briefly disrupted Tuesday, when Occupy protesters attempted to upstage him with a so-called "mic check." Though they were quickly drowned out by a chorus of "Obama, Obama," one protester reached the president while he was shaking hands after his address and delivered him their complete message by hand.
"Mr. President: Over 4000 peaceful protesters have been arrested. While banksters continue to destroy the American economy with impunity. You must stop the assault on our 1st amendment rights. Your silence sends a message that police brutality is acceptable. Banks got bailed out. We got sold out."

A weak response by O. More of a "no response" IMO.

Pepper Spraying Democracy

2011-11-22T15:18:00.001-08:00

More at jockohomo.tumblr.com/

My own revolution

2011-11-21T18:08:00.001-08:00

What Does Gardening Have to Do with the #Occupy Movement?

"Vegetable gardening has been called 'the peaceful sedition' because at the most basic level, when a person can feed and shelter herself, she doesn't require a government to provide for her. ... It's not about pride or independence, or even connecting with nature. It's about wanting hash browns on a Saturday morning and being able to run out to the backyard in your bathrobe to grab some potatoes from the garden."
I would argue that, even more, it means that she doesn't need a corporation to provide for her. And when we don't need the corporations, they cease to have the ability to exist -- or at least cease to have so much power that the will of the people means nothing. Look at the way we're fighting for something as simple, as self-explanatory, as GMO labeling. 87 percent of Americans want to know if they're eating GMOs or not. The hubris of corporate America, and their Congressional lapdogs, is what is keeping us from that knowledge.
"Certain gardens are described as retreats when they are really attacks." -- Ian Hamilton Finlay This is how I've come to see my garden, bit by bit, over the years. Where others see a peaceful place to while away a summer afternoon, I see a full arsenal in my fight against corporatocracy. The shake of a seed packet is my chant; rows of chard and beds of potatoes are my weapons.

The power of the garden trowel!

FOX News - drug of choice?

2011-11-21T18:04:00.001-08:00

Surprise: Fox News Viewers are Most Misinformed About Climate Science, Study Confirms

It's almost become a cliche to point out that Fox News is less a reliable news organization and more of an ideological agenda-setter for the American conservative movement. As such, the statement itself has come to be regarded less as a fact than liberal griping. Which is why it's important to remember that all that griping is actually founded in facts.
Studies have previously been conducted to determine whether the existence of a so-called 'Fox News Effect' -- whether people who use Fox to get most of their news are more misinformed about world events and scientific truths, and whether that misinformation skews towards supporting a conservative political agenda. The answer, it seems, has largely been a resounding 'yes'.
There really does seem to be a “Fox News effect," then, and one that is playing a central role in driving our political divide over reality in the U.S. And now comes a true tour-de-force seventh study showing that Fox News viewers are the most misinformed, this time once again about global warming.

Okay - I know2 you really didn't need another reason to not watch FAUX News.

Crazy buys

2011-11-21T18:03:00.001-08:00

In Wake of Chevron's Major Oil Spill, Forbes Says: Buy Stock in Chevron

Yesterday, Chevron officially admitted that it was responsible for a massive spill that loosed as many as 3,700 barrels of oil a day into the Atlantic Ocean. Though the rupture that caused the release has since been plugged, oil is continuing to leak into the sea at a rate of 420-4,200 barrels a day. That's Chevron's estimate, anyway. The Brazilian government says that thus far, at least 110,000 gallons of oil have been released into the deep blue.
So, what's the response from Forbes? Buy Chevron!
Bearing advice that is sure to win Wall Street countless new fans, Nigam Arora, a stock trader and investment officer, penned an article for Forbes entitled "Why I'm Buying Chevron And Transocean Because Of The Brazilian Spill."

Morals? Who needs them!

Want to be scared?

2011-11-16T18:13:00.001-08:00

Then go to the Real Time Oil Spill Map.

Easy and meaningful

2011-11-16T18:10:00.001-08:00

Peace Wreath

Supplies: one old wreath, cardboard tubes, scrap fabric, and a hot glue gun.

Very easy to make. Makes a strong statement. A must have wreath!

Bloomberg and Keith

2011-11-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

Keith Olbermann was spot on when he called Bloomberg a

PUTZ!

Revolution

2011-11-15T16:27:00.001-08:00

Running through the fire, running through the flame, running through the hatred, pushing through the blame, running through the hopelessness and shame, revolution already underway.

Belated birthday greetings

2011-11-13T15:05:00.001-08:00

Enough of this Bull!

2011-11-13T14:54:00.001-08:00

Drugs in your burger

2011-11-13T14:50:00.001-08:00

FDA To Reject Antibiotic Ban

The FDA has rejected a petition to ban certain antibiotics for use in livestock that are important for the preservation of human health. The two petitions, filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Environmental Defense, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), and the Union of Concerned Scientists, were requested in 1999 and 2005, according to Food Safety News.
The FDA has announced that it will reject two petitions filed that would have banned the use of some antibiotics in livestock.

Did it really take the FDA 12 and 6 years to decide?
Maybe Perry should add this agency to his "cut list" after this joke of a ruling?
Need another reason to avoid meat?

Words of Caution and Sense

2011-11-10T18:30:00.001-08:00

Imitating #OCCUPY To Death

If #OCCUPY is to be a revolution, it cannot become a ritual. We must innovate and never imitate.