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The Open Veins of Climate Change
Sadly, I will not be able to be with you. Hopefully, all that is possible, and also the impossible, will be done so that the Summit of the Mother Earth becomes the first phase towards the collective expression of people who do not direct world polices, but suffer from them.
Hopefully, we will be able to carry forward the two initiatives of companion Evo [Morales, president of Bolivia]: the Climate Justice Tribunal and the World Referendum against a system of power founded on war and on waste, which scorns human life and auctions our worldly goods.
Hopefully, we will be able to speak less and do much. The wordy inflation, which in Latin America is more damaging than monetary inflation, has done us, and keeps inflicting, grave damages. And also, and above all, we are fed up with the hypocrisy of the rich countries, which is leaving us without a planet while it delivers pompous discourses to conceal the hijacking.
There are those who say that hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue. Others say that hypocrisy is the only proof of the existence of the infinite. And the babble of the so-called "international community," that club of bankers and war-makers, proves that both the definitions are correct.
I want to celebrate, for a change, the force of the truth that words radiate and the silences born of human communion with Nature. And it is not by chance that the Summit of the Mother Earth is being realized in Bolivia, this nation of nations that is rediscovering itself after two centuries of a life of falsehood.
Bolivia has just celebrated ten years of a popular victory in the water war, when the people of Cochabamba were able to defeat a powerful Californian company, owner of their water by the grace of a government which said it was Bolivian and was very generous to those from afar.
That water war was one of the battles that this land saves for the defense of its natural resources: that is in defense of its commonness with Nature. Bolivia is one of the American countries where indigenous cultures have been known to survive, and those voices now resound with more force than ever, despite the long period of rejection and persecution.
The world, bewildered as it is and stumbling like a blind person in a shoot-out, will have to hear those voices.
These tell us, mere humans, that we are part of Nature, related to all that have legs, feet, wings or roots.
The European conquest condemned the indigenous people who lived in that communion for idolatry and, for believing in it, they were whipped, beheaded, or burnt alive.
From the time of the European Renaissance, Nature was converted into merchandise or into an obstacle to human progress. And till now, that divorce between Her and ourselves has persisted, to the point that there still are people of good faith who are moved by poor Nature, so badly treated, so hurt-but they see Her from the outside. The indigenous cultures see Her from the inside.
Seeing Her, I find myself. Whatever I do against Her, is done against myself. In Her, I find myself; my legs are also the road that they walk.
Well, we celebrate this Summit of the Mother Earth. And if only the deaf do listen: Human rights and the rights of Nature are two names of the same dignity.
19 Comments so far
Show AllI enjoy your writing very much, Sr. Galeano...
my feet are the earth they tread, yes...
to save the earth, man must battle man...and come out in a new direction...
will this conference address this? to what point?
Edmund Burke said in the 19th Century, The biggest mistake a man can make is to do nothing because he can only do a little.
It is devastatingly discouraging that individually we can do little to mitigate global warming. But for the sake of the planet we come from and live on we must try. At least I will ride the bus and avoid driving alone. I will grow as much of my food as I can and not use pesticides. I will support as I can afford NGOs that promote mass transit and reduce population growth.
When my job, and me, moved to a suburban location a few years ago and I could no longer walk or use the bus for everything, I bought a couple chinese electric motor scooters (street-legal-vespa-style). They needed a bit of modification to get satisfactory performance climbing hills and at least 45 mph top speed - including an expensive upgrade to LiFeP04 cells. But through all this, I thought of the scooters would be a rolling climate activism project and that I'd be getting inqquiries about them every day. Instead, the reaction from passers-by and friends in the city was disinterest, and the most common reaction expressed by strangers in suburban areas was hostile mocking and derision - especially from young people. ("Hey buddy - get a real bike or get off the road!" or "Do a wheelie" plus on two ccasions of a thrown egg and a possibly hazardous nerf football at the front wheel)
In spite of prominent "electric" stickers, and silent operation most simply don't notice or care that it is electric - probably a mix of both. USAn are both stupid, and apathetical over anything not seen on TV, after all.
So at this point, 4 1/2 years after getting them, I am still learning that all I can do is pursue right-conduct for myself and let the stupid USAns be stupid USAns.
Earth Day Took the Paved Road empirePie April 23, 2010
Earth Day took the paved road
and the cheers could still be heard: “Drill baby drill”,
as Ocean derricks tumbled and tankers went aground.
Our payday is a Mayday and our status is the clown,
there is just no way out of town and green has turned to brown.
Nest blessed with dirty oil,
we refugees don’t till the soil;
but slow simmer with the Superfund
to turn us blue with toxins that don’t check your bank
and metastasize even if you are Gold sacked Hank.
QUOTE ...
the force of the truth that words radiate . . . UNQUOTE
If we truly want to recognize that force, then we don't
use patriarchal euphemisms for Global Warming warming --
it is Global Warming and NOT Climate Change.
That we are heating up the environment is what has to be
understood and "claimate change" does not make that clear.
Since 1957 it has been GLOBAL WARMING -- and there is no
reason to revert from using that term -- except to create
confusion in the minds of citizens.
And that confusion is intended to aid those who have done
this great damage to our planet.
Remember -- there is still an entire universe to destroy
and from what I can see patriarchy is ready, willing and
able to do it!
.
"According to all myth, the female - not the male -- gives life"
"If we truly want to recognize that force, then we don't
use patriarchal euphemisms for Global Warming warming --
it is Global Warming and NOT Climate Change."
I disagree. "Global warming" addresses only one aspect of the destruction that is occurring. Admittedly, climate change is a docile sounding term, but warming is not exactly scary. The effects of global warming are changing the entire climate in disastrous ways. I prefer "Global Climate Deterioration" (not my phrase).
Mr. Galeano blessed us all with yet another gem: "Human rights and the rights of Nature are two names of the same dignity." Deeply moving.
I bow to the beautiful 100 year old bosque cottonwoods every morning, happy they are still alive. They are my friends. But more boughs crash off their massive trunks every day; I tell them I too feel their sorrow from the irresponsibility of ruling man. Too many of them do not think the trees feel, breathe, live. Too many of them have become dominators or fearers of our world, our sacred home.
old persian saying:
You can't jump over your knees
Alan Ginsberg:
"...America I'm putting my queer shoulder to the wheel"
Dream like you'll live forever, live like theres only today
There has as yet never been a human civilization on Earth.
It would seem probable that there never will be.
The pot is coming to a boil and the frogs are still not jumping.
but humans did have a culture, for a million years when we were savages, that did live sustainably on this planet, and took perfect care of Mother Earth.
I cannot deny the truth of your words abuelo, nor you mine.
We do not disagree.
It's going to take more than just people reducing their carbon footprint I think. You can't tell someone with cancer that they just need to quit smoking.
Eduardo Galeano is the greatest living writer in any language. I'm pretty sure he wrote this to the Mother Earth summit. and it was a great event too, however ignored by the capitalist media.
the importance of the people's global summit cannot be overstated. After the rich fat northern suits gathered at Copenhagen to explain that capitalism must continue to grow, even if it does chew up and kill our planet the real prople needed to be heard
And then in Cochabamba Evo Morales said:
"We are here because in Copenhagen the so-called developed countries failed in their obligation to provide substantial commitments to reduce greenhouse gases. We have two paths: either Pachamama or death. We have two paths: either capitalism dies or Mother Earth dies. Either capitalism lives or Mother Earth lives. Of course, brothers and sisters, we are here for life, for humanity and for the rights of Mother Earth. Long live the rights of Mother Earth! Death to capitalism!
" The World is Too Much With Us."...William Wordsworth
"The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature, that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon.
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up- gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for every thing, we are out of tune;
It moves us not--Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckeled in a creed outworn;
So might I , standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me feel less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn."
Written 203 years ago, in 1807....I hope we're listening now
Galeano wrote:
"There are those who say that hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue. Others say that hypocrisy is the only proof of the existence of the infinite."
Hypocrisy, which is so characteristic of our adversaries, is indeed the homage that vice pays to virtue.
But, I am having trouble understanding how it is proof of the existence of the infinite? Can anyone help me with this?
Do you think Obama ever bothered to read the copy of Open Veins that Chavez gave him? We all know the answer to that...
"But, I am having trouble understanding how it is proof of the existence of the infinite? Can anyone help me with this?"
I don't know but I am always happy to speculate:
What about, "vice paying tribute to virtue" is an endless loop, ergo, infinite.? Or
That once you start on the road to hypocrisy, it is never ending?
For me, either of these seem to work and I can accept them and move on.
No doubt someone else can come up with some other possibilities.
We're all in this together, red, white, yellow, black people. No use making one side all good and one all bad; that stops us from acting for the common good and makes justification for war. Looking evil in the face means it has my face; facing guilt means there's something I can do.
Mother earth is a projection too; father earth would be just as true. We can get active in our communities. A few ideas at radicalrelocalization.com.
Ah, what does it say of English that we cannot comfortably translate companero?
Beautifully written article. It makes me remember moments I have had, just walking, on summer days...
pjd412- you make a point that I think of a lot. One reason that USAns do not "go off grid" or just do more real, true green, is that they fear looking "poor" by others, they fear being an otsider, not one of the psuedo elite. In this country there is such ostrasizing (sp?) of anyone that does things outside the norm.