[GreenYes Archives] -
[Thread Index] -
[Date Index]
[Date Prev] - [Date Next] - [Thread Prev] - [Thread Next]
|
Scott- I don¹t know if you¹ve read my entire essay (Parts I through VI), but you ought to check out Part V at least. The environmental movement is obviously important, but it is encumbered with a plethora of programs and issues. Read Part V and you¹ll see what I mean. The impetus for my essay was the paper ³The Death of Environmentalism² which is a critique of the movement both because of its political impotence in the past two elections and because the issue of Global Warming is not being adequately addressed?both programmatically and politically. Go to Part I of my essay and there¹s a link to DoE. http://getunderground.com/underground/author.cfm?Contributor_ID=489 My concern, however, is not with the failings of the environmental movement so much as with the extreme potential of sustainable development and environmental justice. We have the opportunity to develop an entirely new economic system?let me rephrase (reframe) that: if we are to succeed in our efforts to protect the global climate, it is imperative that we re-invent the world¹s economy within the next 20 years. This requires a completely different mindset than the standard ³policy literalism² of mainstream environmental groups where you identify a problem or issue then establish technical and/or regulatory fixes through legislation and government mandate. While there¹s nothing wrong with that approach if you are concerned about protecting wildlife, conserving forests, or controlling pollution, it won¹t work if you are looking to re-direct economies around the world. We need to be investing heavily in R&D on the energy side of the equation; we need to figure out how to support organic farming, recycling, and mass transportation systems so that they become the dominant paradigms in our society rather than ³alternatives;² and we need to foster a whole new set of values that appeals to the instinct for creativity and innovation?not fear and selfishness. What I am calling Global Community Development is fundamentally different than Environmentalism because it addresses investment, profitability, business, jobs, community, entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, and the common wealth. Your concern about ³the apathy of the average American² is my concern as well. Db David Biddle, Executive Director <http://blueolives.blogspot.com> P.O. Box 4037 Philadelphia, PA 19118 215-247-3090 215-432-8225 (mobile) Dbiddle@no.address <WWW.GPCRC.COM> Read In Business magazine to learn about sustainable businesses in communities across North America! Go to: <http://www.jgpress.com/inbusine.htm> Finally, just a note on the wind debate in New England: it¹s Bobby Kennedy, Jr. who is opposed to the Cape Wind project, not Kerry. on 2/8/06 3:53 PM, Scott Kender at scott_kender@no.address wrote: > While I agree to some extent with your proposal, I find it problematic in this > manner: it fosters single-issueism, excluding others. Wilderness conservation > has a lot to do with global warming, poverty, sustainability, the war in Iraq, > etc.... > > What I find to be most problematic is the apathy of the average American to > these issues, and the lack of resolve of activists to push the electoral > agenda of the movement. While I am a Green politically as well as > socially/spiritually, the lack of support for candidates(and the lack of > candidates, especially on the local level) who do not compromise when it comes > to these issues(stated above) is like shooting ourselves in the foot. For > example: in 2004, I couldnt vote for Bush or Kerry, 'cause they both went > against my ideals(how many environmentalists know that Kerry called for > opening up more forests for drilling, for example, not to mention his desire > to increase the military in Iraq??) . However, many environmentalists did not > vote for a Green candidate, cause somehow Bush is the root of all our > problems(say what???). > > I am not simply advocating voting for Greens, just that when voting comes > up, the lesser of two evils still produces evil. Vote for candidates that > express your dreams, and if their isnt one, run for office yourself! Let us > learn from the "conservatives": they dotted the i's and crossed their t's, and > created a grassroots movement(albeit backed by big money) to take over the > entire government. > > Why is this important? Because having people in government expressing our > views assits us; we have access to government monies; and we could have access > to lawmaking that would derail the corporate fascism that is destroying our > society. It isnt coincidence that both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr > were both assasinated after they began organizing people to vote, and possibly > running for office themselves. > > > > my two cents. > > > > Peace! > > Scott Kender > > David Biddle <Dbiddle@no.address> wrote: > >> Tooting my horn one last time. For those interested, the last installment of >> my essay THE GREEN EMPEROR GETS NAKED (Part VI 6.4 Billion Romantic Idealists >> and Counting), is available at GetUnderground.com http://getunderground.com >> <http://getunderground.com/> (watch out for the music; you can turn it off >> in the box to the left). >> >> The whole essay is a critique of the Environmental Movement and calls for the >> rise of a new, complimentary progressive social movement centered on >> sustainable development and environmental justice using climate protection as >> an organizing principle. I argue that the environmental movement has bitten >> off more than it can chew with wilderness conservation/wildlife protection, >> public health/pollution, sustainable development, AND environmental justice. >> Environmentalists need to concentrate on conservation/protection and public >> health. A new movement, let?s call it Global Community Development, has the >> potential to change the world economy into a force for long-term Good by >> advocating for sustainable development and social justice. If you disagree >> with me, please let me know in GetUnderground?s comments sections...or here, >> shoot, I?m not proud. >> >> You can read the entire thing if you go to the archives: >> http://getunderground.com/underground/author.cfm?Contributor_ID=489 >> >> P.S. My 14-year-old son, Jesse, downloaded Jack Johnson?s new album >> ?Sing-a-longs and Lullabies? (the soundtrack to the new Curious George >> movie), and it contains a song called ?3 Rs. You guessed it: Reduce, Reuse, >> Recycle. It is fabulously funky and upbeat. If you go to iTunes to listen to >> the clip, Johnson sings: ?Well if you?re going to the market to buy some >> juice/you gotta bring your own bags and you learn to reduce your waste. >> Reduce, Reuse, Recycle/Reduce reuse Recycle...And if your brother or your >> sister?s got some cool clothes, you can try them on before you buy some of >> those...Reuse, we gotta learn to Reuse...? Maybe there?s hope for the world >> yet. >> >> I guess we?re all going to the movies. >> >> >> >> > > > > Yahoo! Mail > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/virusmail/*";>http://mail.yahoo.com> > <http://mail.yahoo.com> - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. |
[GreenYes Archives] -
[Date Index] -
[Thread Index]
[Date Prev] - [Date Next] - [Thread Prev] - [Thread Next]