General Sustainability – Page 8

EARTH MEANDERS: Long Live the Cheddar Rebellion, We Are All Wisconsinites Now

March 7, 2011August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 5 Comments

On Wisconsin, forward, sift, winnow for freedom, worker and ecology rights
By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
Global people's power rebellions sweeping Middle East and American states are our last best chance for shared abundance on a finite Earth. We are one human family with natural human rights to freedom, worker rights, ecological sustainability, equity, knowledge, truth and justice. This essay calls for continued protest, more civil disobedience and a general strike if necessary to achieve these ideals in Madison and the world.
In the late winter/very early spring of Cheesehead discontent, the Cheddar Rebellion in Wisconsin is resisting a corporate take-over of the state by the neo-Fascist wing of the GOP teabagger nuthouse. The new tyrannical Governor – Scott Walker – is bent upon stripping teachers and other public workers of their collective bargaining rights; pushing through massive tax breaks for corporations and the rich at the expense of education, unions, workers and the poor; and deregulating environmental protections while selling the state to corporate interests. I don't believe in Scott Walker's god or family values yet he sure as hell is ramming them down my/our throats. He and his ilk continually vilify teachers, firefighters and cops as slobs and thugs.
Darth Walker's power grab manipulates a manageable budget shortfall as an excuse to take away state employees' collective bargaining rights and imposing an authoritarian worldview upon Wisconsin. Collective bargaining is the established human right of workers to freely associate with others, to organize and negotiate, to sell their labor. People own their bodies, their hands, their minds and their work; and they have a RIGHT to collectively organize for their interests and for maximal benefits. It is only due to the grace of 14 fabulous state Senate Democrats having gone into exile, and hundreds of thousands of protest participants, that Wisconsin remains free for now.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: EcoInternet: Being Green and Meaning It

January 22, 2011August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 5 Comments

Caring for Earth is cool; not caring, overly consuming, greenwashing, ecological ignorance, superstition and inaction are not acceptable By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk The Earth's life is some 3.5 billion years old. In a mere 300 years human super-predators have taken it upon themselves to cut and burn other…

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: The Rights of Earth

July 29, 2010August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 26 Comments

By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
…and All Gaia's Creatures to Ecological Self-Defense

Gaia – the Earth System [search] – is alive and like any living entity has rights. Earth has a right to not be stripped of its vegetative skin, its flesh mined, body punctured by wells, ecosystems liquidated; and precious water, air and oceans tainted. Gaia has the right to peacefully exist and to be free of harm, violence or ecocide (to be murdered). Air, water, land and ocean ecosystems are Gaia's self-regulating internal ecosystem organs. All Gaia's creatures possess an equal claim upon a fair share of her bounty for continued existence. Yet Gaia has a right to prohibit at any time, using any means, any one species from over-running the biosphere and habitats shared by all.
Sadly the industrial, speculative and unsustainable capitalistic economy benefiting some humans is killing Earth. This growth machine in population, economy and inequitable consumption has established as the norm an immoral, short-sighted way of life based upon eating ecosystems and children (or at least their future) to wantonly consume and grow a bit more. If cumulative impacts of human ecosystem destruction upon Gaia continue; the Earth System dies, taking humanity, all life and creation with her. The current paradigm's emphasis upon growth at all costs is so pernicious that almost certainly only revolution, fundamental social change and personal transformation can eradicate it.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: United States of Ecocide: Spilling and Consuming Way to Oblivion

May 29, 2010August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 19 Comments

By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
A great, free nation remains immobilized in the face of ecological collapse
The United States of America is an epic experiment, as despite great accomplishments and numerous imperfections, we share a long history of constantly striving to improve our union. As Americans settle in for Memorial Day to remember veterans of all stripes – from great wars of world defense to more recent military adventurism – it is appropriate to consider what the current Gulf Oil Spill says about the American way of life. Plainly, our addiction to oil and consumption in general threatens to destroy regional and global ecosystems – the water, air, land and oceans -upon which Americans, humanity and all species depend upon for habitat and life.
America is truly exceptional. Yet it is not because of our materially excessive lifestyles, as best demonstrated by our wide girths and ample posteriors. There is more to America than consumption. Our greatness is primarily due to our wavering, imperfect yet unique commitment to freedom and liberty. Over two hundred years ago a just revolution was fought asserting individual liberties from monarchial authoritarianism. The principles of freedom and liberty were a gift to the world. This is what truly has set us apart. And despite two decades of consistent roll-backs in civil and human rights, Americans remain for now free peoples to prosper or expire.
America has and continues to face many challenges – repudiating slavery, enfranchising most, world wars – and most recently the inevitable slowdown of economic growth as speculative, industrial capitalism runs its course. America has enjoyed for awhile super-sized living and grown to be what it is based upon liquidating ecosystems. We have progressed to the point where regional ecosystems are collapsing – most obviously in the Gulf Coast, but throughout the vast country as ecosystems are dying. America now faces our most difficult and profound test ever, coming to terms with our deeply ecologically unsustainable lifestyles, and committing to national and global ecological sustainability.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: Resisting Global Ecological Change

January 5, 2010August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 16 Comments

By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
Shared survival requires powering down, going back to the land, and ecological resistance.
The human family faces imminent and (Copenhagen would suggest) inevitable collapse of the biosphere – the thin layer of life upon an otherwise lifeless planet – that makes Earth habitable. Marshes and rivers and forests and fish are far more than resources – they and all natural ecosystems are a necessity for humanity's existence upon Earth. A few centuries of historically unprecedented explosion in human numbers and surging, albeit inequitable, consumption and resultant resource use, ecosystem destruction and pollution; is needlessly destroying being for all living things. Revolutionary action such as ending coal use, reforming industrial agriculture and protecting and restoring old forests and other natural ecosystems, is a requirement for the continuation of shared human being.
Earth is threatened by far more than a changing atmosphere causing climate change. Cumulative ecosystem destruction – not only in climate, but also water, forests, oceans, farmland, soils and toxics — in the name of "progress" and "development" — threatens each of us, our families and communities, as well as the Earth System in total and all her creatures. Any chance of achieving global ecological sustainability depends urgently upon shifting concerns regarding climate change to more sufficiently transform ourselves and society to more broadly resist global ecological change. Global ecological, social and economic collapse may be inevitable, but its severity, duration and likelihood of recovery are being determined by us now. It does not look good as the environmental movement has been lacking in its overall vision, ambition and implementation.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: Old Forests, REDD Rage and Earth Revolution

June 29, 2009August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 27 Comments

By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
Earth and her humanity need old forests to exist. And all enabling their destruction, including potential carbon markets paying for 'sustainable forest management' in primary forests, are legitimate targets for an Earth Revolution.
For too long those feeding upon the trough of “sustainable” forestry have been perpetuating the myth that primary and old growth forests can and should be harvested using “Sustainable Forest Management” (SFM) techniques. Old Forests are key to ecosystem, biodiversity, human and the Earth System's survival. Along with other intact natural terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats; old forests are the internal organs of the Planet and regulate the Earth System to maintain conditions conducive to life. Primary forests logged for the first time are permanently ecologically damaged in terms of composition, structure, function and dynamics.
I am stunned, dumfounded and enraged at the wholesale selling out of the climate and forest, led by big environmental NGOs (BINGOs). The latest positive idea for an ecologically sustainable Earth — Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Diminishment (REDD) — to pay for ancient forest protection with carbon monies, is at this very moment being watered down to mean business as usual first time logging of primary forests that forever destroys ecosystems and habitats. Like “sustainable development” and “certified forestry”, the REDD concept of paying for protection of old forests' carbon stores, biodiversity and ecosystem is being taken over by industry.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: Radical Idealism: Come Home to Gaia

June 4, 2009August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 15 Comments

By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk
Let me tell you about the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees. THEY ARE ALL DYING. Global grassroots protest action — informed by ecological science, impassioned by green rage, and dedicated to sufficient policies to achieve global ecological sustainability — our last best chance, together, to avoid ecocide.
FOREWARD: For the past two months EcoInternet has been micro-blogging on Twitter http://twitter.com/ecointernet (as well as at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ecological-Internet/84943913664 on Facebook) regarding requirements for ecological sustainability [search]. Being forced to capture complex ideas in 140 characters has been good for our biocentric writing by enforcing brevity. Ends up the series of one-liners string together relatively well to present a compelling vision of what is necessary to protect Gaia and our beings.
From these terse pronouncements comes a sense of planetary urgency. As we ponder whether there are enough funds for EcoInternet to continue to use the Internet to facilitate global ecological sustainability, and consider cutting back or even closing (and whether our “public radio” type funding appeals remain a viable funding method), this twitter compilation is one means to make a compelling case for you to support our unique brand of global grassroots eco-advocacy.
Your support broadcasts such biocentric thought and action 24/7 to an ecologically hungry world — as our portals and writings are used and read by several million people a year. Please enjoy this essay and donate now. Together we will make it.
For Earth,
Dr. Glen Barry
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(EARTH) – Gaia. Earth is alive. Biosphere is self-regulating. Interactions between ecosystems make Earth habitable. Gaia once vibrant is in mid-death swoon. Humans. Are killing. Gaia. Earth is faced with global ecological collapse, this is an unprecedented emergency, and threatens major upheaval and death of all. Wake up you bloody fools. Earth is dying. We are losing our habitat. Humanity is in deep shit as Earth well past carrying capacity. We and all Gaia's creatures are heading for mass extinction. Radical idealism that profoundly transforms humanity's relationship to natural being is the cure to ecocide.
Things are not as they ought to be. Humans dismantle natural ecosystems that are their habitats because they like making money more than truth, justice, equity and continued shared being. We spew into our air, excrete into water, piss in our oceans and foul the land for a pocket full of mumbles and throw-away consumer junk. All but a few are able to overcome their childhood indoctrination and limited lifespan to see this is not how life was meant to be, that humanity has morphed into a disease upon Gaia. Yet as our atmosphere collapses, water grows dear, and extreme poverty epidemic; more are realizing that something has gone dramatically wrong with the human project.
Gaia, the Earth System, is alive and self-regulating. Gaia is a super-organism, and as such can die. There is no guarantee of continued evolution after ecosystem collapse. Being can end. Humans are one with Earth and as goes Gaia's health goes ours being. Being is fragile. The biosphere is a thin mantle of life upon otherwise lifeless rock. These ecosystems are more than resources, they give life. All Gaia's life including us is crashing. Humans appear hell-bent to destroy life's biological foundation. Earth going bad with industrial agricultural, dead oceans, strip malls, toxic cocktail, climate weirding and logging old forests. Pandemic disease stalks an overpopulated, poverty wracked and ecologically devastated Earth. Factory farms breed disease sold as food. All must change, be restored.
Global inequity in wealth and standard of living is evil. Malignant consumerism devours Earth's being and the only profits to be seen are false. About 2 billion live on under $2/day and 2 billion in relative opulent luxury. These disparities are unsustainable and must end. Our and all creatures' being imperiled as human disease overwhelms all naturalness. Ecological fabric of being unraveling, daily news full of ecosystems failing, yet few put it together. We and our planet are needlessly dying now. Over-consumption from ecosystem liquidation by some while others starve root cause of ecosystem collapse, war and injustice
Continued being depends upon escalating protest action. For humanity's shared survival we must broaden our sphere of love and emotional support to include Gaia, all her creatures and the human family. Time for action is now. There is nothing wrong with Earth System that a good healthy dose of radical idealism can't fix. It's simple: humanity cutting and burning Earth to death. These practices must end. We can and must stop coal, logging, tar sands, industrial agriculture, war and poverty. There exists a global ecological imperative to protect and restore whole Earth as our garden. Either you are committed to stopping ecocide or you are the problem.
Only road to ecological sustainability is immediate industrial powerdown, and ecological protection and restoration. Time to level with global citizens — fighting climate change raises energy prices and requires substantial personal sacrifice. The option is apocalyptic planetary disintegration. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an urgent planetary necessity whether or not it creates jobs as techno-optimists claim. Shame on people, and there are many, who put their opulent consumption and luxury ahead of needs of Earth and the poor. Fatal flaw in Western exceptionalism is its use as justification to overconsume. Climate change and sustainability require simpler lives. How much is enough?

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: This Memorial Day: Should We Arrest Cheney and Bush, Impeach Obama?

May 23, 2009August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 16 Comments

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, EcoInternet
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.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: Only Cure for a Dying Earth May Be a Stewardship Revolution

May 17, 2009August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 36 Comments

By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet
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.

General Sustainability

EARTH MEANDERS: The Only Way Forward Is Back to Gaia’s Garden

April 9, 2009August 25, 2021 Dr. Glen Barry 23 Comments

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, EcoInternet
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.

General Sustainability