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Recalibrating Our Goals on 40th Earth Day
Forty years ago, we celebrated the first Earth Day. I was the environmental assistant to the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who founded the event and charged me to make it happen.
The project began when the former Wisconsin governor called Chuck Conconi, his press secretary, and me into his office in September 1969. He told us: “See what you can do about having environmental teach-ins on college campuses around the country on the same day next spring.”
Sensing a tremendous opportunity on behalf of the environment, I made it my mission to transform the idea into a national success, using the senator’s public visibility to drive the launch of this vast event. I worked 16 hours a day gaining media attention for the idea, then organizing the rapid response in communities, schools and campuses.
On April 22, 1970, about 20 million people participated in this country alone. Nelson was justifiably pleased. He had made protecting the environment his career, and it seemed that the USA, the world’s chief polluter, was ready to lead a cleanup revolution.
But despite new pollution control agencies in the U.S. and globally, hundreds of new laws and regulations, and the growth of environmental organizations lobbying and setting cleanup goals, the ecological health of the U.S. and much of the world has gotten worse. We now face the granddaddy of all pollution tangles: the warming world climate, degradation of the oceans, decimation of tropical forests, the elimination of mountaintops by coal digging, and the loss of habitats and species. At the same time, the supply of sanitary water around the world has been squeezed by the juggernaut of human population. How long can this go on?
Indeed, the moderate environmental crisis on the first Earth Day has become a wake-up call for the human race as the event’s 40th anniversary approaches. With powerful clarity, the message is coming across that something is grievously wrong. A common trouble is economic systems that are inimical to the environment and modest, efficient resource use. Even national environmental organizations often play by the system’s rules, making compromises with principles as they lobby Congress for least-bad solutions.
Given the record of the last 40 years, the focus of this Earth Day should be to initiate widespread discussions on policies that break from the present environmental quagmire and respect ecological rules. The key word is “sustainability”: practices to follow that don’t endanger the planet’s life-support systems.
In fact, numerous cases exist in which individuals, communities and even nations are taking steps to live in long-term harmony with the natural environment. A few examples:
• Food: Supporting farming practices that don’t wear out the soil, maintaining genetic diversity, and shifting to lower-food-chain diets.
• Population: Having smaller families by using birth control.
• Transportation: Investing in technology and land use planning to reduce the travel need.
• Residential: Shading and insulating homes and businesses to reduce heating and cooling needs.
• Energy: Investing in nonpolluting sources of energy and reducing overall energy needs.
This Earth Day urgently needs to advocate such methods for the health and safety of our planetary home. Copenhagen resulted in some initiatives, such as greater protection of forests, but it did not meet the challenge. While it is considering cap-and-trade and other controls on climate warming, Congress is as far from fundamental environmental reform as it ever has been. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has recently declared greenhouse gases major pollutants to regulate, but industry is already fighting the step.
Famed environmental scientist Rene Dubos said, “Think globally; act locally.” Will the innovators and risk-takers step forward and demonstrate what Dubos meant, with his emphasis on more tender care of the Earth built on a foundation of individual and community initiatives, boldly challenging the status quo? The goal would be a sustainable quality of life, and wiser management of nature’s wealth and productivity. To honor Sen. Nelson and his profound understanding of ecological limitations, the time between now and April 22 would be ideal to begin exploring such an environmentally benign system of human living.
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11 Comments so far
Show AllAll good goals but the devil is in the details of HOW we get resisting governments to go along -- moreover how do we inform the public in a way that doesn't spark anti-intellectualism as a knee-jerk response?
Gary
"The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands."
-- Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life (1923)
Focus on corporate personhood--all else will follow.
Surely not a serious comment -- definitely not a well-informed one. Is the writer aware that corporate personhood, far from being a creation of the 19th century Supreme Court, dates from the Middle Ages? Is the writer cognizant of the fact that every country in the world that has a market economy also recognizes corporate personhood (see the chapter on Ralph Nader in Paul Krugman's book The Great Unraveling)? Does the writer wish to live in one of the few countries that forbids corporations? -- I won't insult the writer by listing these countries -- let's just say that no one risks his life to become a citizen of these countries.
Surely not a serious comment -- definitely not a well-informed one. Is the writer aware that corporate personhood, far from being a creation of the 19th century Supreme Court, dates from the Middle Ages? Is the writer cognizant of the fact that every country in the world that has a market economy also recognizes corporate personhood (see the chapter on Ralph Nader in Paul Krugman's book The Great Unraveling)? Does the writer wish to live in one of the few countries that forbids corporations? -- I won't insult the writer by listing these countries -- let's just say that no one risks his life to become a citizen of these countries.
My opinion is ... for all Americans ... who want to see our country be what it is supposed to be ... who want to see life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness(in the largest sense of its meaning) for all ... who want justice(also in the largest sense of its meaning) for all ... stand up and demand MEDICARE for all. Stand up and demand that all past and present politicians(including their families) forego their 'entitlements' until all Americans have access to the same/or equal to what WE provide those politicians and their families. WE THE PEOPLE have allowed them a privilege that WE THE PEOPLE deny ourselves. This is absurd!
It is so simple. Make it available. If you don't want to partake you don't have to. Those citizens can purchase through private insurance. If you choose to have additional insurance through private insurance you can do so. If each individual paid ... say $100/month ... or $400/month for a family of 4 ... I suspect it could all pay for itself. There could be a sliding scale cost according to income. Those below a certain level of income could have access at no cost. With cost increases assessed at specific levels of income.
All healthcare providers licensed to practice in the U.S. could not refuse or deny care to anyone. As we all are aware ... healthcare providers can and do refuse MEDICARE and MEDICAID recipients.
Dental and vision would also be included in the all inclusive
MEDICARE FOR ALL.
Without a healthy society ... without the security of healthcare ... regardless of job, income, severity of illness or accident, pre-existing conditions, age, etc ... our collective future is tenuous. It further contributes to the class division of our society.
The stress itself,of being priced out of healthcare coverage or it being stiflingly expensive or outright not qualifying for it, contributes greatly to some health manifestations. I am sure it contributes to some e.g. high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, general stress, lowered immune system levels.
The citizens could demand a nationwide referendum demanding termination or suspension of all benefits for all past and present politicians until MEDICARE FOR ALL is reality. MEDICARE FOR ALL = JUSTICE FOR ALL!
"How long can this go on?" Not much longer in my humble opinion.
The power is still the government because it controls the law, the police and military. Corporations have simply high jacked the government. Getting third parties easy access to the ballots would be a good start. The first step is to break the stranglehold that the two party system has the all forms of government in this country.
We all have different gifts and talents that we can all bring to the table. Some of us will bring our heart of gold to the Cause, others will bring their great minds, and others will bring their youth and energy to the cause. One person can't make a difference, but people joining together to form a big wave of people can make a difference.
Even when things look bleak and we think that all is lost, we must not give up fighting for the children and youth who will inherit this planet. There is nothing wrong with reassessing what we are doing and replacing things that aren't working and try new things that might work. I belive that there is nothing wrong with looking at how to move our message, platform into the 21st century.
I like the ideas listed. That is a really good starting place. As we explain to people why we feel that these ideas would be good, I think that more people will be open and receptive to Green and Progressive ideas.
First, let's purge GAIA's wasting disease of PARASITIC GLOBAL corporate "citizens"!
"In fact, numerous cases exist in which individuals, communities and even nations are taking steps to live in long-term harmony with the natural environment."
Some examples?
With the 5 trillion dollars we spent on the military over the last decade, we could have turned this country into a sustainable paradise and STILL had more than enough money left over to help developing countries.
We could have played a major role in leading the world in a "Great Turning" - to borrow a phrase from David Korten - "From Empire to Earth Community."
Instead, we have psychopaths reveling in turning this country into a bankrupt global Sparta as they make off with all the wealth they have looted from us.
F*** the Empire!
F*** the MIC
F*** Wall Street
F*** the MSM
F*** the Demrepubs
F*** the Rightwing Noise Machine
F*** the Teabaggers
With unemployment so high, it’s time for a Green New Deal to tackle economic and ecological problems at the same time.
Tell your senators to stimulate the economy with a giant green jobs bill for American workers:
http://bit.ly/greenjobsnow