Thank you Mrs. Raitt and all those who have sacrificed luxuries and volunteered many hours to maintain a livable biosphere.

As a life long (volunteer) ecosystem advocate (since 10 years of age (J. Carter's reign)) I think that the time for sugar coated stories of the current state of our biosphere and the plight of human civilization is long over. This article (pasted below ) I had published a few months ago in a small local sierra club newsletter (although I am sure the sierra club leadership would condemn me and my solutions as being "extreme").

I would be happy if folks anywhere took my suppositions, real solutions and used any of them to advocate for sanity and the biosphere. If we don't ask or even demand real solutions form our so called "leaders" they will never become reality.

Die Off of 6 Billion People by 2100 …..

“By 2100, the Earth's population will be culled from today's 6.6 billion to as few as 500 million,… “ stated James Lovelock in October of 2007, one of the twentieth century's most influential scientists. (see the whole interview here http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/16956300/the_prophet_of_climate_change_james_lovelock )

Can human civilization change course?

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England in the 1920’s did not achieve the lifestyle of today’s average American.
They had no major electric appliances, no air conditioning, no heat pumps, no airline travel, no malls, no super markets, no computers, no cell phones or television.
They may have owned an automobile or two. They were royalty, however they lived without the modern luxuries we take for granted every hour of every day.

The Real Problem: Our Industrial and consumer based civilization does not factor in the external costs of our current lifestyle on the health of the biosphere.

If one weighs all the current science on the state of our natural world, there is only one conclusion, that there is no solution to maintaining our current lifestyles as well as a livable biosphere. What is being offered to us by industry, governments, politicians, and even the big environmental groups are false solutions that only postpones our doom by a few years.

Green Cars: A False Solution
The manufacturing of hybrid, electric or hydrogen automobiles has a larger environmental footprint than manufacturing conventional gasoline automobiles because of the toxins produced during the manufacture and recycling of the batteries and electronics.

Real Solution: No New Automobiles
• Moratorium on the manufacturing and sale of new automobiles by…. 2012
• End of manufacturing of new light trucks and passenger vehicles that achieve less than 30 MPG by 2010
• Existing autos must meet strict emission standards and will be maintained with new motors and parts until they are scrapped

Liquid Biofuels: a false solution and great threat to all ecosystems and the world’s poor.
• Rainforest and grasslands are being destroyed around the globe to grow bio-fuel crops
• The Forest Service states that they can degrade 67 million acres of our National Forests to produce 21 billion gallons of ethanol per year
• Ethanol creates higher formaldehyde and ozone emissions degrading air quality
• Food shortages and riots around the world are already being caused by turning food crops into ethanol
• Genetically engineered microbes for wood-to-fuel conversion could create catastrophic harm if accidentally released into the natural world

Real Solutions via Biofuels
• Utilization of waste oils to power public transportation and waste collection fleets within cities
• Biofuels to farmers for food production and food transportation only

Real solutions to avoid human die off and biological holocaust:

• A Moratorium on new highway construction
• 80% Reduction of man made CO2 & methane releases by 2020
• Build New Rail transportation infrastructure to replace essential highways and freeways throughout the US
• Retool industries that are destroying the biosphere to manufacture components for a new restoration and renewable energy economy
• Re-localization of food production, as well as the manufacturing of essential goods and services to minimize trucking
• A Moratorium on all new fossil and uranium fueled power plants
• A Moratorium on all new airports and airport expansion
• Military and aerospace industries will be retooled to manufacture windmills, high efficiency appliances and solar electric technologies
• The Military budgets and personnel will be directed to perform toxic site cleanup (here and abroad), windmill and grid installation, restoration on public lands, and basic energy conservation upgrades to every livable shelter
• Mandate zero release of CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs and methyl bromide
• Mandate zero release of toxins and hormone disrupters into the environment via any manufacturing process or product
• Mandate all non-organic products sold will be reusable or 100% recycled by manufacturer
• Mandate the end of industrial grazing, logging, and mining on public lands

This will require a greater economic and social transition than that during World War II.
However, modern lifestyles will be maintained far beyond that of any human before that time.
We must ask ourselves: what is a living biosphere worth?
Is it worth giving up luxuries like airline travel, a new car, a big screen TV, a few meals per week containing meat, driving alone to work, and buying food and goods produced more than 200 miles away? Is maintaining a functioning community and a stable biosphere worth giving up a few luxuries?

In Conclusion, the big question remains even if we can accomplish the measures prescribed above, will this be enough to avoid the tipping point where global warming is unstoppable, toxins in the environment are beyond biological tolerances, and the subsequent collapse of civilization by the latter half of the 21st century?

I do not know that these real solutions will be enough, however “business as usual” and the false solutions being offered up by industry, corporations, politicians, and the big environmental groups is a recipe for disaster.

Physically join the struggle or the living biosphere that all life depends will collapse.

............is a forester, energy conservation technician, endangered species surveyor and has been an unpaid ecosystem advocate/forest defender most of his life. He owns three bicycles, uses vegi-oil fueled autos to protect forests since 2000, has used "low bagger" solar since 1991, and lives with his partner on an urban edible plot.

having been fortunate to work with Ms. Raitt and others, musicians and artists, in the late 70's, early 80's
with AMUSE then MUSE and other groups in RTP area, like NCCRER promoting AT solar, composting, using less, etc,
we promoted green, A.T. and sustainable systems then,and as President Carter said, then and now, the country should have listened and acted
so now USA is at this time owned by corporate big business, weapons profiteers, inefficient car corporations and Rotschild banks and oil bankers,
they care nothing for you, only themselves

{May 1, 2009}is a deadline..and a day of happenstance

anyway

many gave up, as the politics in USA changed,arrogance,greed,lack of education[TV vs books]obesity-bad health and food] and xenophobia under bush-reagan became the norm
some like me went to Central America to work with leftist groups and to continue work on Sustainable systems and Appropriate Technology

I am here with the 80 y.o. folks now, for a bit,
I am appalled, at the ignorance, greed, obesity and lack of understaning and cohesivceness so prevalent, but especially here in SC and Myrtle Beach, redneck Riviera

however, maybe it is NOT to late
only HEMP cultivation, for food, fuel, and fiber-biomass is an IMMEDIATE and viable solution for ALL American farmers, and will be a quick AND long lasting solution for our many needs in USA

fairtradefish,Vote Hemp,BACH websites with info and more

habitat destruction on the coasts, golf and development for the few at the expense of the many have contributed to serious reductions in fish and shellfish stocks,
a reason why I am mainly in Latin America, and working to prevent same, [gold miners are leaving, before we invite them fishing, and their attempts at poisoning the waters and aquifers]

revolution is seriously needed 'sheeples'

we will see with Obamanos, {however bilarybush-cheney , Sec'y state!!?? need to come 100% clean on Mena, AK and contra CIA drug business}
as Mr Richardson is the only new administration representative to Latin America, for the leaders and the people there

third world peoples are not as clueless as the 'sheeples' here in USA seem to think

wake up, be blessed, and do something to make a difference, if nothing else then call and or write your so called representatives in Congress... by law each and every call is collected and given stats, and they have to do, what their constituency demands
demand cleaner energy, no nukes no coal, solar,wind, biomass , the data is there to support their use.

good luck USA, you people need it
and, pray and meditate, it is good for the collective spirit

Senor Pescado

Viva El Frente/Verde
www.earthpeoplefoundation.org also for pdf of HEMP real data

http://hodad26-senorpescado.blogspot.com
www.senorpescado.com. ww.fairtradefish.org, www.yourhealthisyouronlyrealwealth.com
all need to be personally responsible for their own health, educate yourselves

Go Bonnie!

Instead of bailing incompetent corporate management teams out, consider bailing worthy teams in. Look for cheaper, safer, renewable, sustainable products made by progressive companies who want to be good corporate citizens. A true market economy will only work when all people, I mean all people, are free to enter as well as exit.

Go straight and hard for the climate goal of making nonrenewable fuels worthless so that we leave what's left of them alone. Find, research, develop and mainstream both minor and major technological improvements in warm houses, in transportation, in electricity and in industrial processes. Do the government's job, that no corporation is doing.

If we can warm the earth then perhaps we can cool it. Establish national goals to limit any runaway Arctic methane release, to get CO2 out of the atmosphere, to cool the earth, to ameliorate the dead zones in our oceans and to restore a semblance of natural ecology on land and in the seas. Find, develop and apply environmentally safe technologies to start this process.

Bonnie, as much as I love ya, I'm afraid I need to break some sad news to you. That is, Messiah Obama took money from a large nuclear industry(sorry, I read this months age, hence forgot the name) based in, guess where?, Illinois. I will wager all my Bonnie Raitt vinyls that four years from now we will: still be fighting against nuclear power interests, have no single payer health insurance, still occupy Iraq (they will rename the operation), be hopelessly bogged down in Afghanistan, and the Republican party will be positioning themselves for a predictable comeback. The sheep have their shepherd, but he's working for Wall St.

Population is too high, yes, but the factor that really counts is the "footprint". We could be doing a lot better here in North America, we use so much energy per person [but the economic downturn is helping lower that energy consumption]. From the way we produce our food to materialism and inefficient vehicles and buildings, we are genuine energy pigs.

But anyhow, HURRAY BONNIE RAIT!! She is saying what so many "experts" are not saying - renewable energy is out savior. What she didn't say is that renewable energy is CHEAPER than oil is, when the calculation is made over 10 years and not 3-to5, which is the current time frame used to make financial decisions [to get a return on the investment].

With renewables, we PAY FOR IT ONCE, AND THEN ITS FREE; after the initial investment is paid off, in about 5 to 7 years, it produces FREE electricity for another 15 years, maybe 20 or more years.

Renewable energy is CHEAPER than energy from fossil fuels is, when the calculation is made over 10 years and not 3-to5, which is the current time frame used to make financial decisions [to get a return on the investment]. And that is not even including the added costs of fossil fuel energy - pollution, wars in Arab nations, and global warming.

"Green" is a dream, a catch phrase, that's about it @ this time. The problem now is NO $$ too finance the switch where we really need it. ( the Power grid and a new Transport system.) BV$H's buddies made sure that the next President is tied hand and foot. Obama will spend most of his time just trying too keep body and soul together for much of the population. The GOP and it's wealthy core along with the Dems. wealthy core will effectively destroy any real change before it ever gets off the ground.

I have an idea to slow the population spurt in the US.In addition to removing deductions for children-anyone having more than 2 children will be forced to work a large number of public service hours.
Must we wait another 50 years to reach 600 million or more and make the Draconian choices that China did?

mf
You don't have to read the posts if our brilliance offends you so much. Just close the window and you won't have to feel so bad about yourself. On the other hand you could keep an open mind and maybe learn a thing or two that would benefit you and your community

There is more than enough for human need - it is human greed that is skewoing the balances. Its amazing to find that the propoganda of the major chemical/agribuiness interests still hold sway. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AND ARE BEING REMOVED FROM THE LAND.

The best way (my personal opinion here) to "go green" is to start with your thumb. If it ain't a green one, then you obviously haven't done enough weeding. That being the case, suggests you aren't spending enough time in the garden.

Look folks, for those of you screaming about the population problem, consider this: In India, which we know has over a billion people, there is a state called Kerala. It's down near the southern tip. They have a population there roughly equal to that of California, in a land area roughly equal to that of the San Francisco Bay area.

The people there live simply and rarely go hungry (I haven't been there, but heard all this from someone who has). Nearly everyone is involved in growing food, and much, but not all of the land is under cultivation. There is still enough wild land to support a healthy wildlife population there as well. I'm told the people there are primarily vegetarian.

The people of Kerala are very resourceful. They make a vast amount of useful products, including homes, food and clothing from the palm tree. They do this remarkably without the need to kill the palm tree. They have little use for petroleum products and other things that create problems associated with industrial pollution.

Kerala can be a model for the rest of us to follow. Yes, it's in a tropical equatorial climate, and many things grow there like mangoes, papayas, citrus, etc. So they have the advantage of year-round gardening. That's not possible everywhere. Certainly not here in the northern Rockies where my family and I live. But as soon as the snow melts in Spring we are out planting our patch of topsoil with all kinds of earthly delights.

So all this talk about going green means painfully little if you aren't out there planting food to eat. The Dalai Lama suggests planting fruit trees. Sounds practical. You get the benefit of shade in summer, fruit to eat, leaves for mulch, homes and resting places for birds, fresh oxygen, carbon sequestration... What more can you ask for?

My little niece planted a peach pit at my parents house in California about 5 or 6 years ago. My parents have been harvesting peaches from that tree for the past 3 summers now.

So what are you waiting for?

PLANT SOMETHING!!!

It must be great to be so outstandingly brilliant as all of the negative ass posters at this website.

I agree with both glb and JWVerez.

A better way of putting the dilemma we face is to say,"unless we stop population growth now, we won't be able to sustain the lifestyle to which we have grown accustomed whether green or not.

Personally I do not want to see "green" Walmarts, Targets or other big box retailers to which people must drive, park in megaacre parking lots, and stand in lines for long periods of wasted time.

As Derek Jensen says in his great book "End Game", any concentration of people that requires the importation of recources from elsewhere is not sustainable and will either lead to violence (in order to acquire the needed resources) or extinction (as those resources that are needed for its survival disappear (through total depletion or diminishing to uselessness through hyper-exploitation).

It is both the population of an area and its priorities that produce the crises we are facing.

Poet

Unless we stop population growth, green means nothing.