tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56131772310724532462024-03-17T11:15:52.425-04:00Existential GaiaWritings by Dr. Glen Barry regarding ecology, justice, equity, peace, and truthUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-71430882056200258852023-10-29T20:25:00.004-04:002023-10-29T20:25:44.480-04:00On leave, back soon<p> I have been on extended sabbatical leave from my ecological essays. Expect more meanders soon(ish)...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-84009865331320746802021-10-31T07:07:00.055-04:002023-07-10T20:26:24.814-04:00Ecological Apocalypse Now<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px;">Rewilding, Population Controls, Local Food, Forever Peace, and Emission Cuts – or Die</span></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;">Witness inequitable overpopulation’s
thunderous crescendo before global ecological collapse destroys everything,
because many could not fathom how much is enough, as too many others have nothing</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">"You smell that? Do you smell that?... Napalm, son. Nothing
else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning." –
Apocalypse Now</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">"Humanity's and nature's future, if any, are being determined now." – Dr. Glen Barry</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Earth Meanders Essays by Dr. Glen Barry<br /><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZWWQpbOLRdNG38ajjHUKGHVpN-9iwc6g1Yei1JRKSw4m0HAdL51l_WAPcbMMk0jFyebWBnOXxjt19Q_2w3lWlaHFGOXoMPU4dnRbznHIMbTixqUAa2qVjh1fO2itxeVfVvs0NM5rbRop/s648/564469_626940393998050_1303773332_n.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZWWQpbOLRdNG38ajjHUKGHVpN-9iwc6g1Yei1JRKSw4m0HAdL51l_WAPcbMMk0jFyebWBnOXxjt19Q_2w3lWlaHFGOXoMPU4dnRbznHIMbTixqUAa2qVjh1fO2itxeVfVvs0NM5rbRop/s320/564469_626940393998050_1303773332_n.png" width="247" /></a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Ecological Apocalypse Now</h4><br />I have a story to tell you. It
regards the mayhem you see all around you. The exponential growth tearing apart
being, sending humanity well beyond Earth’s carrying capacity, and threatening perma-war,
abject poverty, and environmental collapse if we don’t act immediately…<div><br /></div><div>We will get to the solutions, but first understand the magnitude of intertwined crises as biosphere collapse looms.<br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Earth is massive yet finite. For
eons humans have intensively cultivated natural ecosystems, and once
overexploited, moved on to destroy the next forest, grassland, and aquatic ecosystem.
At low population densities, this allowed diminished areas time to recover.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In an ecological blink of an eye
humanity’s population has exploded. In just over a century, human numbers have
surged nearly ten-fold from one to eight billion. It’s so damn simple – the actual
and perceived material needs of these apex predators in sum are totally and
completely overwhelming nature.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The global life support system that humans and all life depend upon for our habitat is dying.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It is obscene that billions of
human beings live meagerly upon a few dollars a day, while a small group of
billionaires live lavishly, having hoarded half of Earth’s wealth. We now
witness the grinding violence of poverty as billions eke out a living unable to
meet basic needs for their children. As a sizable minority opulently
overconsumes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The madness of GDP growth as the measure
of human well-being is pernicious; nonsensically equating economic growth, often at the expense of liquidating natural systems, with
the well-being of billions of human beings, kindred life forms, and their
shared habitat and atmosphere.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Grotesque inequity, with everyone
wanting more and little sharing, precludes ever achieving global
ecological sustainability.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Living as if there are no biogeophysical
limits upon personal consumption and procreation is shredding natural
ecosystems and the climate. The human family faces an era (perhaps our last) of Ecological Apocalypse Now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A given piece of land can only be
so productive before overuse leads to collapse and becoming barren. There are limits on the water that can be
withdrawn from aquifers and rivers, and then they run dry. The atmosphere can
only bear a certain amount of waste, before run-away climate heating occurs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi7m6gzfYS1vYNrrDS2hgSowEwLe1U6CESv0Ztu1jBJGLEXBJ2sIyWIf7e5ZDpuMGoGCbVRI7uJbYWj2pHldWuNVBBfhGYGNHBZhTgsHI716BwyXZZzCbTbyMIoR7R4UUgFRC-jyTeo6Q/s2048/crowd.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="2048" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOi7m6gzfYS1vYNrrDS2hgSowEwLe1U6CESv0Ztu1jBJGLEXBJ2sIyWIf7e5ZDpuMGoGCbVRI7uJbYWj2pHldWuNVBBfhGYGNHBZhTgsHI716BwyXZZzCbTbyMIoR7R4UUgFRC-jyTeo6Q/s320/crowd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A couple decades ago it was said
that Earth could support all of humanity at the material wealth of the average
European. Sadly, those days are long gone, and reasonable levels of equity required
to sustain an operable biosphere are going to require the wealthy to share. And all of us to have fewer children, as we seek less impact from our consumption.</div><div><br /></div><div>Evidence of the population bomb going off are everywhere. People of different cultures packed more closely together make forever wars. Overt racism and even slavery are on the rise once again. Anti-bacterial resistance and epidemics result from many people living close together, including in proximity with livestock.</div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Look at the mangled landscape surrounding you, with quivering fragments of nature flickering out. Witness the mass migration of climate and ecosystem loss refugees. Hear the cries of terrorized wildlife, feel viscerally the loss of plants upon which all life depends, immerse yourself in the heat of a climate run amuck.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The human enterprise is drunkenly
careening past Earth’s carrying capacity, living as if our shared natural
habitat has no value. And like we have no duties to nature, if we are to
survive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When
you push nature too hard, she pushes back. Until nature becomes overwhelmed and
dies. We need to face the truth regarding our personal role in ecocide. Or together we face the end of being.<br /><br /></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Ecological Solutions Now</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Portends of the end of the world are all around you. Humanity's and nature's future, if any, are being determined now. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sustainability means redefining
progress. As an immediate triage we must stop destroying natural vegetation. And
quickly transition away from all types of burning including but not limited to
fossil fuels.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The underlying lack of knowledge – and widespread ignorance, superstition and conspiracies – are all so tragic because it does not have to end this way. People want to feel special, successful and clever, I get it. Yet
there is nothing appealing in a carefree, selfish lifestyle that pushes your
species, planet, and all life beyond the carrying capacity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As the world descends into a
dystopian nightmare, foremost we are called upon to hold onto our humanity.
While together we embark upon an unprecedented program of emissions cuts,
rewilding of natural ecosystems, demobilizing militarily and making forever
peace, re-localizing sustainable food systems, and limiting both our reproduction and personal consumption.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It remains possible to save nature
and thus ourselves and our children. But it requires a rapid emergence of a regenerative
worldview. Key is a commitment to degrowth, which requires shrinking extractive
and industrial activities; to focus upon a restoration of natural ecosystems, righteous livelihoods, a
commitment to reasonable levels of equity, and having fewer children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So much could be done now to
control population. Eliminate child tax breaks. Free condoms. Preferential
access to higher education for small families. A basic income to guarantee essential needs are met for all. And first and foremost, educate
all women and girls equally to men and boys.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Rewilding refers to actions to regenerate natural ecosystems as the surrounding context for meeting the needs of human society, kindred species, and our shared ecosystems right up to the biosphere. It involves both nurturing nature's natural process of succession and renewal, as well as augmenting regrowth with ecological restoration and permaculture plantings. Think of permaculture as forest gardens where human needs are met within perennial plantings that also provide ecosystem services.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Natural ecosystem processes,
though weakened, still have an innate ability to repair themselves. Strict land
controls will remove human pressures and allow fragmented ecosystems to recover, expand, and reconnect. Humanity can augment this natural recovery with carefully targeted restoration plantings. Massive greenhouses full of native plant genotypes, and a large
workforce of gardeners, will supplant natural vegetation’s regeneration. Such restoration ecology reestablishes dominant native natural plants, that provide the natural structure and dynamics for nature to do the rest. Maximal benefits are achieved by targeting sites for planting that increase ecosystem connectivity and reduce fragmentation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI4CmoajW-EJFqqSydgyex1W9cWozVUT93SszjpzGmmBIWuCbVJpUD889KRGjyxX1TOwVqlru3goNc9B9V2-govRO436w004DK9l2EO9KF2XKkp00VMDSMPVUq1WkdarVu1mbdEhkSeBP/s460/organic_garden.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="460" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI4CmoajW-EJFqqSydgyex1W9cWozVUT93SszjpzGmmBIWuCbVJpUD889KRGjyxX1TOwVqlru3goNc9B9V2-govRO436w004DK9l2EO9KF2XKkp00VMDSMPVUq1WkdarVu1mbdEhkSeBP/s320/organic_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Native ecosystem restoration will
be interspersed within a matrix of permacultural plantings to provide food,
fiber, and a healthy environment. Increasingly communities will be required to
live within their bioregion’s limits; growing, processing, and sharing their
own food. Local, organic, non-industrial, and non-meat food sources need to be the focus.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sources of drinking water must be
zealously protected and restored. And we have all the tools we need in
renewable energy, efficiency, and simplified lifestyles to end greenhouse gas
emissions. Avoiding abrupt climate change requires a whole-systems ecological approach that includes both technology and reinvigorated nature.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Other key pillars of global
ecological sustainability include an universally educated citizenry,
demobilizing standing armies, and a commitment to racial justice and restitution.
Imagine what is possible as the human family commits to Forever Peace. The quest for the stars, an AI assisted life of leisure, true passionate love, and great
accomplishments in sports and the arts lie before us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Within a couple generations, one
can envision a once again lush and productive environment surrounding human
works; where all basic needs are met, as those who work hard have reasonably more of the fruits
of natural abundance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A right-sized human future will be
one of peace, ecology, truth, and equity if we want it to be. Or else business
as usual means incomprehensible human and natural suffering before being ends. A verdant future is ours to make.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-75266018125663773262021-07-10T16:22:00.060-04:002023-11-19T15:44:40.526-05:00Falling into Nothingness<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Being is ending. Humanity and kindred species’ one shared environment is collapsing and dying. Wake up. Before you experience up close and personal the horrors of habitat collapse.</h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Go back to the abyss! Fall into nothingness that awaits you and your master!” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“The biosphere is collapsing… Global ecological sustainability depends critically upon a swift end to both cutting natural vegetation and all burning.” – Dr. Glen Barry</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsqQ3-oP6XJZ1Z5_KNFabyspk8Hy8VpJk5bL8fi8i5HeLdxv65XmDEdh7VZmOZWj99skx3YoCTLq4GwRn-1QgxpGXdPWF7Pc3hKJZ98tVCSIJGmxaHwnkUcTgPjj9X1JtUTfF84ZKKh4w/s755/Falling-into-Darkness.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Falling into Nothingness" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="755" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsqQ3-oP6XJZ1Z5_KNFabyspk8Hy8VpJk5bL8fi8i5HeLdxv65XmDEdh7VZmOZWj99skx3YoCTLq4GwRn-1QgxpGXdPWF7Pc3hKJZ98tVCSIJGmxaHwnkUcTgPjj9X1JtUTfF84ZKKh4w/w400-h265/Falling-into-Darkness.jpg" title="Falling into Nothingness" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falling into Nothingness</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><b>Earth Meanders – Deep Ecology Essays by Dr. Glen Barry</b><p></p>The environment, which provides the habitat to sustain life, has been and continues to be shredded by the consuming hordes for throw-away products. Water, food, clean air, and natural resource depletion loom as exponential growth gobbles the last bits of global greenery. Sick ecosystems, abuse of animals, and over-crowdedness threaten rolling pandemics.<div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaxVofct6u6tKU8VlI9s94HhO5YkL21KSWioHSwVH929kLbs5BhH95CnOOOEMU4DUoEmiJP95qDv5wWwmhBj9iW6Elchw0ux-NdlEINUcxGITRTqp3MMv4dVQehyphenhyphenB9aTc_fl-BqMbCVrx/s600/BiHaagpCcAEEGT-.jpg+large.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Nature is our only home" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="482" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaxVofct6u6tKU8VlI9s94HhO5YkL21KSWioHSwVH929kLbs5BhH95CnOOOEMU4DUoEmiJP95qDv5wWwmhBj9iW6Elchw0ux-NdlEINUcxGITRTqp3MMv4dVQehyphenhyphenB9aTc_fl-BqMbCVrx/w161-h200/BiHaagpCcAEEGT-.jpg+large.jpg" title="Nature is our only home" width="161" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nature is our only home<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Humanity is dismantling the biosphere, the shared thin mantle of life in which we live, to have ever more babies that seek more of everything. The human family has surpassed Earth's carrying capacity and unless we pursue a policy of deliberate degrowth the biosphere will collapse and die.<br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The state of the world is simply wretched. There has always been human environmental impact, sickness, war, and social ills. But rarely at this scale, with entire bioregions becoming uninhabitable dead zones, and the serious possibility of destruction of the global ecological system by humans. As much of humanity suffers wanton despair.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Gaia, our one shared biosphere, is analogous to a living organism. Her constituent ecosystem organs are being pillaged by war, resource thievery, a belief system based upon myths of ancient ghosts, and a thirst for ever more stuff. Millions of years old naturally evolved rainforests teaming with life, fantastical marine abundance, natural water flows and stores, fertile ancient soils, and clean fresh air have been raped and plundered for god, country, and fleeting personal wealth and soon will be gone.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We spend much of societies' resources upon war making. At the detriment of all else including education, health care, and job training. A handful of billionaires have more financial resources than billions of others. White supremacy and other intersectional forms of discrimination dehumanize all who are not white christian males. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Disease, hunger, ignorance, and greed run roughshod upon the land. We might as well eat our children, poison the well, and burn our food crops, as our behavior towards others and the natural world is so repugnant and could not be much worse.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Such pain as together we rush towards the darkness. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">How has the global zeitgeist become so banal, trivial and evil? What has become of pondering cosmological mysteries? Advancing the rights of humanity? Crafting hand-made masterpieces? Marveling at the wonders of the human body? Growing and building with our own hands? Working for truth, justice and equity? What of community, helping your neighbor, true love, and countless other human pursuits of excellence.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_Wfvbws2Syc3XF6XBhNpZsZLHBeAtuw_1T4_xWa7wQkh8AgLaE8a61XNPRgda1IUMKoY5Q03iOZF0sPsydBJuiH34Yn0gRixp7mydxTGhT8NFVcJnMthwJ3saBpss3mzt_Whq2bQvslP/s400/god_monte_python.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="There are no ghosts in the sky" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_Wfvbws2Syc3XF6XBhNpZsZLHBeAtuw_1T4_xWa7wQkh8AgLaE8a61XNPRgda1IUMKoY5Q03iOZF0sPsydBJuiH34Yn0gRixp7mydxTGhT8NFVcJnMthwJ3saBpss3mzt_Whq2bQvslP/w200-h150/god_monte_python.jpg" title="There are no ghosts in the sky" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No ghosts in the sky</td></tr></tbody></table>Many now aspire for no better than D-list influencer celebrity, a virtual life of gaming in the metaverse, and over-consuming. Rather than for a just, righteous livelihood within nature and community. Pixels on a screen are a poor replica of sunning on a beach, listening in an ancient forest, or finding true love (or for that matter lust). What an empty life. How clueless to not realize the energy and resources that technology requires.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And forget about engineering a biosphere, it will never happen. Too complex, too much can go wrong. And it is unnecessary as we already have a biosphere that can be be protected and restored.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A small handful of individuals possess half of Earth’s wealth as billions face the terror of abject poverty. CEOs make hundreds of times as much as their workers, and the working poor need food assistance and live out of their cars. Feel viscerally if you can the pain of three billion human beings living on a few dollars a day as they watch the opulent elite promenade. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">How long before the have-nots come for us? And pull down civilization such as it is. Or are they already?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The brutal rape of humanity and nature is nothing less than evil thuggery. Many must sell their bodies and souls simply to survive. As kindred noble primates cling to their offspring as their rainforest home is mowed for curios and trinkets. Wildlife and domesticated animals live lives of institutional terror as our playthings and factory food. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Our whole way of being constitutes profoundly illogical terroristic dismembering of ourselves and our habitat, in a willful death-wish.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDlsAytI4q1014HGCvkIsLliQXzyMmsLLIKe74NDY11vKlN3gFBjADXIc63kzhcBA55-v9i8FvRNbVP5tSnGJ1SJgPZoHvEqLJcDOZsHfkTOigUSyWjO-2PKS168Cl_knessEwcdhyphenhyphenI5y/s486/nuclear_blast.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tin-pot dictators can blow us all up on a whim" border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="387" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDlsAytI4q1014HGCvkIsLliQXzyMmsLLIKe74NDY11vKlN3gFBjADXIc63kzhcBA55-v9i8FvRNbVP5tSnGJ1SJgPZoHvEqLJcDOZsHfkTOigUSyWjO-2PKS168Cl_knessEwcdhyphenhyphenI5y/w159-h200/nuclear_blast.jpg" title="Tin-pot dictators can blow us all up on a whim" width="159" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tin-pot dictators can blow<br />us up on a whim<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And why have peace, justice, and international law fallen out of fashion? Because the American Empire was attacked 20 years ago, now we are going to wage global perma-war? How could such an exceptional political system have become so grotesquely debased, belligerent, and self-entitled? Petty dictators sit upon the tin-pot thrones of many rich and ancient cultures, now fading in glory, yet with buttons to at a whim unleash nuclear war.<p></p><p>How will this transition into depletion and collapse be managed? How do we avoid fascist, authoritarian, falsely populist responses? Will the superstitious, poorly educated, and simply deplorable low-lives ever overcome their crass, belligerent ignorance; to be made to feel their oneness with natural ecosystems and people that are different than them? To savor their rights, while realizing their duties? Or will they continue to babble nonsensical conspiracy-theories, fall prey to fascist demagoguery, pursue traitorous sedition, and terrorize those of other colors and faiths?</p><p>Such ecological and social deterioration in such a short time. It really began in earnest with Cowboy Reagan's slashing of government, and the rise to power of far-right christian white supremacy. And before that, and since, bi-partisan war-making bolstering the Congressional-Industrial-Military complex. Along with the unquestioned irrational belief that growth in population and inequitable consumption comprises development. </p><p>America’s recent fascist sedition epitomizes the underlying anti-truth, anti-science, hateful social disease.</p><p>I have tried to live a purpose-driven life committed to ideas. Channeling my visions of ecocide into written words and activism for 35 years has come at great expense to my physical and mental wellbeing, relationships with loved ones, and material comfort. I am getting tired. Recently I had a moment of doubt on whether I could continue. Thus, I have pared back my environmental science efforts including retiring aspects of EcoInternet after 25 years of service. My focus will be continuing to research artificial intelligence technologies for sustainability under the moniker Big Earth Data ( <a href="https://bigearth-data.com/">https://bigearth-data.com/</a> ), and perhaps other appropriate uses of information technologies. </p><p>And I will write as I can, even as few are listening.</p><p>While I do not want to believe it is too late, it certainly could be. Still my hope is that there is some unknown fount of global ecological resilience that will sustain us until we can marshal a great transition to renewed well-being.</p><p>It is going to take everything we have got. Every strategy: actions as diverse as Wall Street impact investing, youths organizing online, widespread social gardening, population controls, and income redistribution. Solutions for ecological sustainability include dramatic cuts in personal consumption, restoring ecosystems, end old-growth logging, demobilization of standing armies, and down-sizing of both corporate power and government bureaucracy.</p><p>Global ecological sustainability depends critically upon a swift end to both cutting natural vegetation and all burning. </p><p>We must allow Gaia to rest.</p><p>We begin together to work in earnest on these priorities or we all face unimaginable deprivation and horrors as, with our hands on each other’s throats, together we fall into nothingness.</p><p>It is a choice. Miraculous nature and being do not have to end this way. </p><p>Choose well.</p><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-7377901982016425992021-04-18T19:35:00.008-04:002023-11-19T15:55:08.448-05:00Be the Seed<h3 style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1d0yeeW_KA2pH5T0ANAY7aYH9b5a7wLt_RzRq7jVGQTX4eq3YKDu32GALoxfeqt3O1SpWu-HODNAi1giCJ8Y4P4DGdGZAKtyf7jGrsSJZbtMTEionkLhy7EKETUuArKYnVEMnbd4aPr8y/s865/acorn-sprout_lg.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Be the seed..." border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="865" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1d0yeeW_KA2pH5T0ANAY7aYH9b5a7wLt_RzRq7jVGQTX4eq3YKDu32GALoxfeqt3O1SpWu-HODNAi1giCJ8Y4P4DGdGZAKtyf7jGrsSJZbtMTEionkLhy7EKETUuArKYnVEMnbd4aPr8y/w200-h183/acorn-sprout_lg.jpg" title="Be the seed..." width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">Be the seed...</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Amid collapse, recall life begets life. Reject lazy thinking, reimagine everything, be the seed promoting truths that rejuvenate Earth and uplift all life.</h3><div><div></div><blockquote><div><i>“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”</i></div><div><i>Henry David Thoreau</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>“Life begets life. As ecology narrates… Be the seed, and tend to your garden.”</i></div><div><i>Dr. Glen Barry</i></div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Life Begets Life </h3><p>Miraculous seeds are our future and always have and will be. Programmed in sprouting seeds and animal zygotes, deeply within their DNA, is the perpetual renewal of life. Faith can be found in a seed, as well as the willful knowledge upon which life’s promise rests.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jkRuBbX2zsgddHs_G1pMu4J7qdPu9XVM52RL_rhNbnVVgIVvf5dU0PQltVltPWFZBQWC3aTTlDCeAKGYCoIyYXqojKcdeq_xHZ_kpehfmDLHEwS1_TXTEEngSmVYk64OXYqkbUYCwkj2/s848/oak-tree.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="… that begets future ancient oaks" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="848" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jkRuBbX2zsgddHs_G1pMu4J7qdPu9XVM52RL_rhNbnVVgIVvf5dU0PQltVltPWFZBQWC3aTTlDCeAKGYCoIyYXqojKcdeq_xHZ_kpehfmDLHEwS1_TXTEEngSmVYk64OXYqkbUYCwkj2/w200-h106/oak-tree.jpg" title="… that begets future ancient oaks" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">...that begets future ancient oaks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Together organisms propagated through seeds combine to produce plant communities, wildlife populations, human habitats and livelihoods, ecosystems, landscapes and ultimately our one living biosphere. In a cosmological wonder, these habitats born from seeds are the culmination of life, even as they make life of individual organisms possible.<p></p>Life begets life. As ecology narrates.<p></p><p>Out of this whirlwind of billions of years of genetic combinations emerged the hairless ape with the opposable thumbs. While clearly an animal, constant self-improvement has led to self-awareness. And the will to know, be free, and create.</p><p>Sadly, the human project while promising, has a dark, self-fulfilling death wish. Human comfort has come at the cost of a separation from, and destruction of, natural ecosystems. Packed tightly together, in weakened collapsing ecosystems, with industrial livestock and threatened wildlife; the future of the cosmic homo-sapien dance with nature is in question.</p><p>Nature and her humanity are in a race between ecosystem loss and regeneration, carbon emissions and renewables, vaccines and variants, scientific truths versus anti-science conspiracy theories. Human agency is both the problem and the answer.</p><p>At stake is personal and civilization’s well-being and survival. Human liberty for which it is worth living. And the future of a habitable biosphere. Nothing less than continued being or the end of being.</p><p>Powerful new seeds are needed to sow the pathway to continued nature and humanity. One might as well be an informed, awoke, and active you.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Looming Collapse</h3><p>We are really in the shit. Environmental collapse, coronavirus, fascism, and I think I heard something about fire tornadoes. We find ourselves in this position of ecological and social collapse because of abrupt climate change, ecosystem loss, and over-population.</p><p>And hubristic and inequitable human material aspirations cumulatively surpassing the biosphere’s carrying capacity.</p><p>In a geological blink of an eye there has been enormous change to the ecological systems of the planet of which humans are a part, fully enmeshed, and utterly dependent. Anyone that looks with knowing eyes can see indicators that conditions for the global biosphere’s health are worsening. And that human society has been profoundly negatively impacted by environmental decline, finding itself now perched upon an apocalyptic end.</p><p>Deforestation, atmospheric change, water and ocean degradation, soil and wetland loss, clearing of natural ecosystems, and widespread cataclysmic wildfires are completely unprecedented. As wildlife habitats shrink diseases are coming in closer proximity to humans and there are increased inter-species jumps.</p><p>The context within which we live is changing. Our shared habitat is being simplified, toxified, and is dying. Socially, economically, and ecologically things are deteriorating fast. The situation has been bad for billions of humans for awhile, but the social implication of environmental decline is now hitting the well-off too.</p><p>Social competition and stress for limited resources in increasing. Globally protests are raging and may soon converge into an ecological, demonstration, injustice maelstrom. And we are seeing authoritarian responses including a drift towards fascism.</p><p>Those impeding science (and indigenous, justice, equity) based policy responses are on the wrong side of history and will be vilified for however long we have left.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lazy Thinkers</h3><p>Nature’s last chance is threatened by conspiracy theories promulgated by lazy thinkers. You know the type. The ones that find meaning in random YouTube videos, obscure podcasts, and millennia old texts. Those with poor critical thinking skills that have not educated themselves, invested time in being well-read, and pondered cosmology amongst old trees peering at the inscrutable stars.</p><p>Personally I have been first shocked and then saddened to hear family and friends repeat to me known falsehoods for which there is no truth. Trump won, COVID vaccines change your DNA, and many more. Humanity faces a deficit in critical thinking from which we may never recover.</p><p>Yet so many objective, science-buttressed truths exist. Life needs water. Land has a finite carrying-capacity. Earth is alive. Humans are born and meant to remain radically free. No Abrahamic gods sit in judgment. Love is the answer.</p><p>Earth and her humanity are faced with looming tragedies for which we don’t have much time. Critical thinking and rejecting conspiracy theories are more important now than ever.</p><p>It is OK, indeed admirable, to seek to live a special life in service to higher ideals, that has meaning other than self-stimulating your nerve endings. </p><p>Science does not have all the answers and is fallible. But it is method whereby data and observable, repeatable outcomes very often arrive at objective truth.</p><p>In these challenging times, little is as fulfilling as taking the time to critically identify truth required for community survival and thriving. Which must be just, equitable, and sustainable. Reading and listening to experts of many sources and types, until becoming one yourself. And making your hard earned and demonstrable truths known to others, implementing with others your action-knowledge on behalf of being.</p><p>Here are some of my truths. Community gardens. Tree planting. Birth control. Reducing emissions. Eating locally. Flying and driving less. Race does not matter. Making Love. Feeding the hungry. Absolute radical freedom and responsibility. Teaching the uneducated. Healing the sick. Resisting fascists. Loving Earth. Serving nature.</p><p>All from life-long questioning and learning. And subject to revision at any time from new data and repeatable observation.</p><p>The deplorable indoctrinated hordes; bent upon self-indulgent consumerism and indoctrinated dogma at the expense of the biosphere, will try to limit, constrain, and tell you that you are not special. Maybe suggesting you are crazy.</p><p>Your task is the hard slog of self-education, to arrive at objective truths, to imagine a better society and world, and develop a program of self-expression and action. Despite lesser evolved beings.</p><p>Become the seed from which a new world springs that is just, equitable, free, and sustainable. And lasts forever.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Reimagine Everything </h3><p>We did it! Humanity is once again surrounded by intact nature. We have successfully returned to our natural condition. Energy, water, and nutrient cycles have been restored and once again make for a living biosphere.</p><p>After the decade long battle with coronavirus in which hundreds of millions died; we – the human family and kindred species – started over. The entire manner we related to our planet habitat was dramatically changed. When nature once again surrounded human works, we began to undo and reverse other types of collapse.</p><p>Many roads and other unnecessary human works were ripped out to reconnect water and woods and wildlife. Greatly reduced violence resulted from ending spending on militarism, and reductions in human population expanded wildlife habitat and opportunities for nature-based righteous livelihoods.</p><p>A choice was made to globally demobilize nuclear weapons and dramatically shrink standing armies. The money was plowed into children, and lifelong education, art and sport, job training, and of course the environment and health care.</p><p>Reasonable population reductions over time through educating all and on demand birth control were successfully implemented, allowing all basic human needs to be met with a guaranteed basic income. Positive results flowed from restraining capitalism’s excesses with simple long-prescribed notions like pricing environmental externalities, and favoring capital investments in the environment, social good, and governance.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">In Closing</h3><p>This seed seeks to highlight the universality of concerns across protests roiling the Earth, and the inherent ecological nature of many of these grievances.</p><p>There will be lasting peace. All humans will be treated equally. All will have enough as some have more. The Earth’s one shared biosphere will be sustained as the murderous suffering of nature will end as ecosystems are fully protected and restored.</p><p>Beside an occasional challenging essay, day in and day out EcoInternet’s seed provides an aggregated encyclopedic tracking and archiving of environmental and social events through <b><a href="https://bigearth-data.com/" target="_blank">EcoSearch</a></b>. We seek to augment ecological knowledge and action using artificial intelligence.</p><p>Be the seed, and tend to your garden.</p><p><br /></p><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-23243410097531618532021-01-18T19:40:00.011-05:002021-04-19T20:24:02.831-04:00Antifa(scism) is the Antidote to Full-Throated American Fascism<h3 style="text-align: left;">Under no circumstances will white supremacy, authoritarian fascism, and rollbacks of global human rights be tolerated</h3><p></p><blockquote><p>“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” – Sinclair Lewis*</p><p>“…another generation of American antifascists has been called to duty.” – Dr. Glen Barry</p><p>* quote disputed yet salient</p></blockquote><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOm-743gCXPksHqt7rcUUP1uoOIZ390KZpUq2U8VwHtRaBa4sxg2UlOdtW7g2xAU567Y-EBrzB_9CP4tNJR3B-sZYTMEw5tAsg-McB7yVcaJbpSuLOLU-E2wqisGUhZJBMdvKUa2Hj5x2/s960/confederate-flag.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The American Capitol defiled by traitorous deplorable confederate filth" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOm-743gCXPksHqt7rcUUP1uoOIZ390KZpUq2U8VwHtRaBa4sxg2UlOdtW7g2xAU567Y-EBrzB_9CP4tNJR3B-sZYTMEw5tAsg-McB7yVcaJbpSuLOLU-E2wqisGUhZJBMdvKUa2Hj5x2/w200-h113/confederate-flag.jpg" title="The American Capitol defiled by traitorous deplorable confederate filth" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.625px; font-style: italic;">The American Capitol defiled by <br />traitorous deplorable confederate filth</span></td></tr></tbody></table>America invented fascism. America’s centuries long system of white supremacy inspired Hitler’s Holocaust. Genocide and racial hostility are as American as baseball and apple pie, perhaps more so.<p></p><p>The new world of settler colonialism was born upon the twin sins of genocide and racism. Settlers wielding shotguns and bullwhips terrorized and subdued non-white nations; raping and enslaving dark-skinned people. Under the banners of christianity, capitalism, and democracy, white people have murdered and enslaved black people for centuries.</p><p>A white supremacist state was enshrined with highfalutin words of liberty, justice, and equality. As dispossessed Native Americans wallowed in squalor and enslaved Africans counted as 3/5 a person. Millions of living human beings were murdered and enslaved because they weren’t white christians.</p><p>Such savagery has rarely been seen, and its vestiges live on, as the white supremacists’ system of control has never wholly been dismantled. American rape and murder of non-white persons continues apace. And rising American fascism in the heartland promises a return to genocide and enslavement of all non-white non-christians.</p><p>There have been many types of fascism. Yet all share far-right, authoritarian, nationalistic, irrationality that critically depends upon scapegoating and dehumanizing others. Here I define fascism as including systematic racism whether it be against Jews, Africans, indigenous peoples or others.</p><p>Hitler came to power democratically with the aid of conservative allies who thought they could control him. He built a fascist system that raged against all that was non-Aryan. And murdered millions of mostly Jews but also the disabled, intellectuals, Gypsies, and those of other political persuasions. Nazism is a type of fascism, but there are others.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUUgfSoti-1DTIMBoDIKWsxzyNKoMdK0I2bA9eW_thc5W9mdcQAS3ZOFHBC7DrWSyPSghyYu0rA9p1uy5ltOA-KxlV-L3dEWhTaUSNuGTeha8hw7gZBELg5-OPnPhHd1wOkoKj4w9QTrV/s980/holocaust_bodies-980x450.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fascism leads inevitably to mass murder" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="980" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUUgfSoti-1DTIMBoDIKWsxzyNKoMdK0I2bA9eW_thc5W9mdcQAS3ZOFHBC7DrWSyPSghyYu0rA9p1uy5ltOA-KxlV-L3dEWhTaUSNuGTeha8hw7gZBELg5-OPnPhHd1wOkoKj4w9QTrV/w400-h184/holocaust_bodies-980x450.jpg" title="Fascism leads inevitably to mass murder" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.625px; font-style: italic;">Fascism leads inevitably to mass murder</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In a display of confounding duality, out of the American melting pot has also come two of the world’s most substantial antifascist responses. In 1865 the confederate slave-owning traitors were resoundingly defeated. And again in 1945 the filthy, genocidal nazi fascists were brought to justice.</p><p>American soldiers storming Atlanta and later Normandy were amongst the first successful antifascists. These mostly white Americans understood something about humanity despite their indoctrination and society.</p><p>We are all one human family. And while our different hues reflect the diversity of a multitude of rich ethnicities, it is our individual character that determines our worth, not the color of our skin. Claims of superiority and repression based upon skin color and religious belief are evil. And after all the arguments are through, sometimes to end the threat of murderous evil, you must punch a nazi or a confederate in the face.</p><p>Over the intervening years, steadily the US and the world have embraced the notion of global human rights. It has been slow, and the results are incomplete. But progress has been steady.</p><p>All people are created equal and have a right to freedom and liberty. In some of the greatest strides of human betterment, universal suffrage and freedom from servitude have become accepted as universal truth. Whole regions of the Earth still labor under dictatorial cults of personality, but the expectation has been set eventually all will have their inherent rights of hu(man) recognized and protected.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Bqt9IKrntUf126gzL6n2uDyzb_LGW8W3r43UXYUqp776OJQT_PEisWwoiZVgeT9B5Mu5tmUjxyX9cKtTfj_hDsG9sIyNt4TYP6XVdv2oKblSR2ayxeRI7UNbu76Tsfw2tN1u5IKgNE35/s992/zip-tie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="American fascists sought to capture and murder America’s political leadership" border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="992" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Bqt9IKrntUf126gzL6n2uDyzb_LGW8W3r43UXYUqp776OJQT_PEisWwoiZVgeT9B5Mu5tmUjxyX9cKtTfj_hDsG9sIyNt4TYP6XVdv2oKblSR2ayxeRI7UNbu76Tsfw2tN1u5IKgNE35/w200-h113/zip-tie.jpg" title="American fascists sought to capture and murder America’s political leadership" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">American fascists sought to capture and<br />murder America’s political leadership</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Flash-forward another ~80 years and fascism and racism are again on the rise, particularly in America. In an age of increasing environmental scarcity and ecological collapse, poorly educated, down-on-their luck white people fell prey to a playboy New York huckster, here referred to appropriately as Creepy Donald.</p><p>Sweet nativist whispers were made by the creep that America would be made great again by rolling back history to a time of fascist white supremacy.</p><p>After four years of despotic rule by Creepy Donald’s cult, the nascent fascist disease – just in the nick of time – was defeated at the ballot box. The defeated great leader began sowing the big lie that the election had been stolen, seeking to illegally seize and hold power. This American authoritarian resurgence culminated recently with the creep’s white nationalist acolytes waging insurrection upon the capitol of the American Republic.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMr-_RLaOp44TnowFgDA2pqEfmmsdY4VnWhmRew95QxLlSFtWcdlstGkKq-AAjaranQd-vqKfQiqNh5RgFWIOnOKXAlsvnwyjNJ33y98HiBUlv00_ePE710SENiB0gcsvx3OLUeZEsYzf/s876/noose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Creepy Donald’s legacy is treasonably and seditiously sending a mob to murder political adversaries and seize power" border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="876" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMr-_RLaOp44TnowFgDA2pqEfmmsdY4VnWhmRew95QxLlSFtWcdlstGkKq-AAjaranQd-vqKfQiqNh5RgFWIOnOKXAlsvnwyjNJ33y98HiBUlv00_ePE710SENiB0gcsvx3OLUeZEsYzf/w200-h113/noose.jpg" title="Creepy Donald’s legacy is treasonably and seditiously sending a mob to murder political adversaries and seize power" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Creepy Donald’s legacy is treasonably<br />and seditiously sending a mob to murder<br />political adversaries and seize power</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In a speech worthy of fascist greats of old, the American great creep repeatedly lied, whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and directed them to the Capitol. I have no doubt that the deplorable fascist foot-soldiers that assaulted the U.S. Capitol intended to take hostage and murder Congressional leadership to seize power. And that the Capitol was purposefully left unprotected.</p><p>In shameful acts of demagoguery, Creepy Donald sent the mob to kill Vice-President Pence, House Speaker Pelosi, and others. As the mob descended chanting “Hang Mike Pence”, the great leader was gleefully watching on TV and calling Senators to further delay ceremonial counting of electoral votes.</p><p>Nothing shows what a pile of shit Creepy Donald and his deplorables are more than the beating of a downed capitol police officer with an American flag.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh496fRLVZAO73r-SrzSkqhPimmy3GjDwaI7ZxJCdmgK5JuYcIc9tu_iCfJ04r_Z889tiiS-Jr1kLStfMIS-AAALwm0BEZMaWkCDZabNzWjGqnuq5RpTFHSquY2jylBO0DnsNK3FJ-7Otm/s306/flag_beat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="American Fascist beats downed police officer with an American flag" border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="306" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh496fRLVZAO73r-SrzSkqhPimmy3GjDwaI7ZxJCdmgK5JuYcIc9tu_iCfJ04r_Z889tiiS-Jr1kLStfMIS-AAALwm0BEZMaWkCDZabNzWjGqnuq5RpTFHSquY2jylBO0DnsNK3FJ-7Otm/w200-h171/flag_beat.jpg" title="American Fascist beats downed police officer with an American flag" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">American Fascist beats downed police<br />officer with an American flag</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Whoever could have imagined electing a failed philandering, bankrupt reality-TV show host could have such consequences? Many saw it coming and resisted early.</p><p>The United States of America narrowly averted mass assassination of our country’s political leadership. The only thing that stood between white supremacist insurgents and seizure of power were a small group of valiant capitol police and legislative aids with the foresight to carry the electoral ballots to safety. A coup was narrowly averted.</p><p>Thus, another generation of American antifascists has been called to duty.</p><p>A white nationalist American government has brought sedition and treason, disease and ignorance, to America. At this moment American nazis and militias continue planning to overthrow the democratic government of the United States of America. Even as Creepy Donald’s negligence and lust for power have enflamed a pandemic that continues to ravage America.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjlO5ustBCpFSl1lLGahdeF-WKgWjaRT9gU8DhCyrky_UtKNKh3dcP8kkYTzNuUi1Ih1eJYcObIWv7N4-7LEbJB2VxMsXL77eUM5PJJ0QlZJi1iZSEWorKmNKgrHXhrtEC0MT0ZjMSKwt/s703/ballots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="America came perilously close to losing its Democracy" border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="703" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjlO5ustBCpFSl1lLGahdeF-WKgWjaRT9gU8DhCyrky_UtKNKh3dcP8kkYTzNuUi1Ih1eJYcObIWv7N4-7LEbJB2VxMsXL77eUM5PJJ0QlZJi1iZSEWorKmNKgrHXhrtEC0MT0ZjMSKwt/w200-h133/ballots.jpg" title="America came perilously close to losing its Democracy" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">America came perilously close<br />to losing its Democracy</span></td></tr></tbody></table>We must remain vigilant and ensure that full-throated American fascism does not come to power. Not now, not ever, using all just means necessary. We must tirelessly atone for America’s original sins, and continually work for self-improvement, and the achievement of universal human rights in America and globally.</p><p>Not every conservative is a fascist, but all fascists are conservative. Throughout history fascists have come to power through alliances with conservatives who thought they could control the racist, genocidal impulses of their fascist partners. They have been wrong. Thus fascist-enabling conservative sympathizers share responsibility for authoritarian atrocities.</p><p>Either you are fascist, or you are antifascist – often abbreviated as Antifa. Each of us must choose now, there is no middle ground. To not choose makes you a fascist sympathizer.</p><p>Antifa is merely a shared belief that all humanity has equal dignity and rights, and a commitment to resist within your means white supremacists, advocates of genocide, white christian nationalism, fascist dogma, and other authoritarian ideologies and outcomes.</p><p>You beat white supremacist fascism by removing their platform, denying their control of the streets, removing individual fascists’ veil of anonymity, and when necessary, by punching nazis. And by holding them and their conservative sympathizers and enablers accountable.</p><p>The Antifa philosophy has united all types of people to defeat fascism for decades. On many occasions post-WWII fascist resurgence has been beaten back, avoiding further authoritarian dictatorships and genocidal mass murder. Once again we have a deep-rooted responsibility to stand up to the resurgence of fascism of various types in America, Russia, Brazil, China, and Europe.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPMYfcolDr9kNnUm6tzg-9G0bILG8KMRQfCpX2ZQwrIyOf0kUx7BVFhYAsF92OuobJKl0BHOrlVWi5Iq5rJIlTON715bXk8sh-UB2NDSi6zcNWOlRApb4ahljdZkBa5gLkCvN6AlMdUJ2/s2048/indiana-jones-punching-a-nazi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Avoiding mass murder and white supremacy may require punching nazis and their equivalents" border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="2048" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPMYfcolDr9kNnUm6tzg-9G0bILG8KMRQfCpX2ZQwrIyOf0kUx7BVFhYAsF92OuobJKl0BHOrlVWi5Iq5rJIlTON715bXk8sh-UB2NDSi6zcNWOlRApb4ahljdZkBa5gLkCvN6AlMdUJ2/w400-h272/indiana-jones-punching-a-nazi.jpg" title="Avoiding mass murder and white supremacy may require punching nazis and their equivalents" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Avoiding mass murder and white supremacy<br />may require punching nazis and their equivalents</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />The prude boys, zero percenters, belch keepers and other deplorable white supremacist nationalist militias must be disbanded, and their members imprisoned. Under no circumstances must we allow their seditious behavior to continue un-resisted or become normalized. Or there will be dictatorial rule by a fascist lunatic, concentration camps in the American heartland, and the mass murder of all that is non-white and non-christian.</p><p>While America has much going for it, American exceptionalism has always been a pernicious myth. There is much to celebrate in America’s history. Yet the myth has been used primarily to justify our obvious shortcomings.</p><p>It is the human family’s ongoing realization of universal human rights that is truly exceptional. People of all colors and creeds, sharing equally basic rights including universal suffrage and equitable opportunity, living with liberty in multi-cultural societies, free of systematic oppression, where prejudice and persecution based upon race and religion are not tolerated. While bearing the duty to expand and maintain these global human rights for all. It is this marvelous recent historical accomplishment, not yet realized perfectly, yet a work in progress, that is exceptional and must not be allowed to be rolled back by nazis or confederates.</p><p>Truth exists. We are one human family. Love is the answer. There are no gods. Earth is alive. All there is, is humanity, nature, and kindred species.</p><p>While the current moment seems hopeless, there are things that can be done. Extra-judicial murders of black people by the police, anti-Semitism, and the disappearance of native women, must be eradicated. Occupied lands must be returned to indigenous peoples. Fascists and their sympathizers must be brought to justice for their sedition and treason.</p><p>Systematic racism must be dismantled once and for all through a commitment to communication, policy, and reparations that bring about equity and justice, and only then make sustainability and peace possible.</p><p>Reject the fascist white nationalist nonsense: to be Antifa is to accept that all humans are created equally and universally possess inalienable human rights. And a commitment to resist murderous fascists bent upon white supremacy and genocide. Antifascism is in tune with the equitable, just, and sustainable societies America and the world are becoming, rather than what we were.</p><p>Home-grown American fascists must be deplatformed, and denied control of the streets and government. The 29% of Americans that approve of domestic terrorism in service to christian and white supremacy must be soundly driven from power, imprisoned if they have committed crimes, and deprogrammed to avoid forever the horrors of American full-throated fascism.</p><p>A well-lived life is one that serves justice, truth, sustainability, and peace. And fights against racism and fascism.</p><p>Bless Gaia and may she and our shared commitment to Antifa ideals save us from these nazis in the American heartland.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-69929890811693131212020-11-29T08:54:00.003-05:002021-01-23T08:58:10.034-05:00The End of Being<h3 style="text-align: left;">Abrupt climate change and ecosystem collapse are leading to plagues, famine, perma-war and tyranny and will ultimately result in biosphere collapse and the end of being</h3><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7tA8SacAm-Sf8UklmszyFaAKk3MyL-DwjkuB-GnGy-bQM9a1O8M9mJirANXdFaQiDkMRbvym53lipFiZPUZRo-1p_JC_a4G4GTfP5QtmJjVonJTYKKQO-0SsJf4IbNfqNMBLIyocQvAI/s1536/fourhoursemen-1536x805.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — Death, Famine, War, and Conquest — result from our everyday choices and are not preordained" border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1536" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7tA8SacAm-Sf8UklmszyFaAKk3MyL-DwjkuB-GnGy-bQM9a1O8M9mJirANXdFaQiDkMRbvym53lipFiZPUZRo-1p_JC_a4G4GTfP5QtmJjVonJTYKKQO-0SsJf4IbNfqNMBLIyocQvAI/w400-h210/fourhoursemen-1536x805.jpg" title="The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — Death, Famine, War, and Conquest — result from our everyday choices and are not preordained" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-size: 14.625px; font-style: italic;">The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — Death, Famine, War, and Conquest — result from our everyday choices and are not preordained</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div><i>“I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round…”</i></div><div><i>John Lennon</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>“Regain a sense of wonderous awe at the miracle of creation and work tirelessly to protect and restore nature’s splendor.”</i></div><div><i>Dr. Glen Barry </i></div></blockquote><p>Look out the window, any window, and behold portends of the end of being. The very ecological fabric of being is unraveling. Disease, famine, false prophecy, and authoritarianism are rife.</p><p>The biosphere – the thin mantle of life upon the Earth that holds ecosystems that are the habitats for all life – is dying. And all Earth’s life is threatened with prolonged collapse followed by extermination. There can be no escape. Unless as individuals, societies, and humanity we dramatically change. And fast.</p><p>These are hard topics to talk about. Where to start? Religion and overpopulation, given the level of ignorance that exists regarding these topics, are as good as any.</p><p>Living our lives based upon millennia old myths, for which there is no evidence and the messaging is ecocidal, shackles the human family to a most ominous fate. Invisible ghosts living in the sky in constant judgment, and if we do not do as religious authorities say, we will burn forever; is a false, tawdry and dated manner to organize society. Particularly as we are told without proof that the ghosts want us to go forth and multiply and subjugate the Earth. And murder for our tribe’s rich old men.</p><p>Please, enough already.</p><p>We break free of god pollution or in a self-fulfilling prophecy all that we love will assuredly be unnecessarily destroyed.</p><p>The multiply part – from one to eight billion human beings in about 130 years – has led to exponential growth in human numbers, fueling the stripping of Earth’s life support systems. Some say the ghosts don’t want us to control our fertility, relegating humanity to the status of a disease upon the biosphere.</p><p>Grotesque inequity, a handful of super-predators possessing half of Earth’s wealth, while billions live on a few dollars a day, exacerbates the physical conundrum that Earth can not produce as much as we desire in total to consume. Vast forests, waters, oceans, and even the atmosphere have been fouled and destroyed to meet humanity’s insatiable hunger.</p><p>And then there is looming demise of nature. For millennia since humans settled, ancient naturally evolved ecosystems have been destroyed for “development”. Nature is destroyed for consumer goods, allowing human nerve endings for some to be positively stimulated for a while, as the habitats that constitute our life support systems are weakened. And eventually natural systems collapse and die. First the woodlot out back, then your city’s surroundings, next your bioregion’s ecosystems collapse, even whole countries’ and continent’s natural assets are lost, and eventually and finally Earth as a whole will follow in-kind and become a tawdry, denuded mess. And die.</p><p>The spilling forth of European ecocidal genocide into indigenous nations and their natural habitats represented an infection upon Gaia that has festered and grown. And may well prove fatal. Innumerable worldviews that understood the harmony between humans, nature, animals, and the stars have been wiped from being.</p><p>The industrial revolution, building wealth by murdering plants, wildlife, and non-white people, became a universally accepted twisted concept upon which to build society and individual aspiration. Wave upon wave of disease spilt forth from the destruction of wildlife and natural ecosystems and continues to do so. Most recently coronavirus, and any number of pathogens are yet to emerge during the collapse as nature ends.</p><p>Priceless ecological systems – that evolved novel and miraculous structures and patterns across scales from genes, to organisms, to communities, upward to ecosystems and landscapes; and together constitute our one shared biosphere – continue to be cut to wipe your ass. Nature is being liquidated for consumer throw-away crap, as basic human needs of so many go unmet.</p><p>Major ecological crises (sadly for which there are solutions) fester and grow, any one of them capable of toppling civilizations, and together capable of ending the conditions for life on Earth. Topsoil erodes. Rainforests fall. Diseases emerge. Water gone. Oceans die. Harvests fail. Toxics accumulate. Climate heats. War murders. And tyrants reign.</p><p>Granted, the momentary abundance provided for by market economies has led to the rights of man, slowly expanding (though not yet universally) to include all human beings. Democracy and liberty have made for greater well-being, remarkable liberties, unprecedented comfort, with less violence. Yet universal human rights have not been achieved and piece-meal advances have recently been shown to be weak and flaccid.</p><p>Resource scarcity and declining prospects have led to a surge in authoritarian tyranny, with petty dictators of all types in power over much of Earth’s inhabitants. One great people recently narrowly averted collapse into full-throated authoritarian fascism (for a while anyway). Other great peoples live under constant surveillance and threats of violence for thinking and acting freely.</p><p>Universal human rights are a precondition for just and equitable global ecological sustainability.</p><p>And then there is war. Huge amounts of Earth’s productive capacity continue to be siphoned off by the Congressional-Military-Industrial complex. Murdering other usually less fortunate people in the name of your god and country for the economic benefit of elite, usually white old men is good business if you can get it. Mass hysteria accepts war as patriotic. Yet free-thinkers and many vets know war is murder.</p><p>Humanity’s state of perma-war and resurgent tyranny is a direct result of environmental decline.</p><p>There can be no just, equitable, sustainable future until guns are beaten into plowshares one last time. Standing armies in times of peace are wasteful and evil. Imagine what could be done with these resources to educate, feed, clothe, house, employ, and limit the fecundity; while otherwise maximizing the shared well-being and sustainability of humanity. The obscene amount of armaments that presently exists greatly increases the potential for violence as ecosystems continue to collapse, and social strife explodes, making regeneration and reconciliation much more difficult.</p><p>The time for global demilitarization is long past due.</p><p>What philosophy remains unthought, technology un-invented, words unwritten, songs unsung, stories untold, and sport feats undone because we toil all day to destroy ecosystems and wage war? Humanity and you are capable and worthy of better.</p><p>And finally we have arrived at that painful matter of the entire biosphere collapsing and dying. Abrupt climate change and natural ecosystem loss are diseases of the Earth System that threaten an end to being for the human family and all kindred species. We immediately power down our fossil fuel use and destruction of nature or it is the end.</p><p>Failure to embrace a great transition means decades of war, pestilence, famine, and disease. Your family either starving or being raped and then murdered in front of your eyes. For the lucky, nuclear explosions to mercifully wipe the human taint. Before widespread collapse and mass die-offs, perhaps of all life.</p><p>Gaia, the Earth System, is a living organism. There are no guarantees that the tremendous destructive impacts of so many types, so quickly, upon already diminished biological systems, will not end the billions of years of conditions conducive to live, or that a re-radiation of evolutionary diversity is assured.</p><p>The biosphere too can die. Being can end. It’s happening now, creation is in its death-throes. Unless the will is found from watching and deeply understanding the multitudes of looming warnings, and necessary changes are made in how we relate and depend upon each other, kindred species, and nature.</p><p>There are things that can be done. Survival for awhile will be local, we need to grow our own food and find livelihoods that are local. Much can be done to limit consumption, but that will not be enough. Many of these problems are societal and can only be defeated through rationale thought, improved education, and global people power.</p><p>We know what must be done, all that is lacking is the will, even in the face of self-evident disease, fascism, hunger, and war caused by nature’s decline. Regenerative agriculture, population control, restoration ecology, bans on natural ecosystem clearing, universal human rights, global demilitarization, ending fossil fuels, energy conservation, and major expansion in renewable energy are all key (there are others).</p><p>The great transition will require far more than teenage girls striking. However well intentioned, if most others are self-righteously vilified, social change cannot succeed. We need allies of every type including farmers, business people, veterans, people of color, labor unions, financiers, indigenous peoples, and particularly the rich and powerful. History has shown that when the elite are made to understand it is in their interest to change, only then does social change come. Engage with efforts to reform finance in service for Earth.</p><p>Even as you grow coalitions, set your sights high, based upon what is ecologically sufficient. The business of war murders must end. Nothing short of societal transformation that eliminates the destroyers while fostering regenerative systems will suffice. Only a broad-based movement can avert being’s end.</p><p>Watch and understand the wheels going round and round. And then become a cog in the wheels of ecocide. Re-localize, grow food, make more with less, organize, convince others, take actions for Earth you deem necessary.</p><p>Understand that ecology is the meaning of life.</p><p>Regain a sense of wonderous awe at the miracle of creation and work tirelessly to protect and restore nature’s splendor. The human family must embrace the great transition – powering down, making love not war, and returning to nature – coming together to avert biosphere collapse</p><p>Starting now. Make it so. For Earth and all species. Or it is good-bye forever. </p><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-54838438251066417532020-07-19T23:26:00.006-04:002021-10-31T08:02:32.992-04:00Creepy Donald’s Fragile States of America<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h3" style="font-size: 31.5px; text-align: left;"></h4><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">I do not know how to tell Creepy Donald’s fascist death cult that they should care for other people</h3></div>
<div class="wp-block-image"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FvVH2gwF2Z90FTWbX3Fuci-CC6ObNKSEGURRbawYv0EXG-TyYg8Ti8aEPGCQW3p1uk5Tzl_90M2QB_Jd1q-EKsF8tcziaoifsNyA1_2tf5HOAKfcZd0-6FN3BGIBYCQ_GK7wheNAEZIa/s542/america_scarey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Fragile States of America" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="542" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FvVH2gwF2Z90FTWbX3Fuci-CC6ObNKSEGURRbawYv0EXG-TyYg8Ti8aEPGCQW3p1uk5Tzl_90M2QB_Jd1q-EKsF8tcziaoifsNyA1_2tf5HOAKfcZd0-6FN3BGIBYCQ_GK7wheNAEZIa/w400-h369/america_scarey.jpg" title="The Fragile States of America" width="400" /></a></div><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><figcaption><br /></figcaption></figure></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">The survival of America as we know
it – a particularly good, but flawed country, until recently working on
improvement – depends critically upon resoundingly thumping Trump at
the polls.</p><cite>Dr. Glen Barry</cite></blockquote><cite></cite><br /><div>
<p>Rarely if ever has the State of the Union been as grim or as fragile.</p>
<p>A pandemic rages without benefit of a federal response. Self-absorbed Americans gripe about the inconvenience of wearing a mask.</p>
<p>As 135,000 people are dead largely un-mourned.</p>
<p>It has become OK to be openly racist again. Non-whites are at risk of
false imprisonment or even death from squads of Karens and rogue cops.</p>
<p>Sick, weak, and vulnerable; our enemies put bounties on our troops.
While we surreptitiously wage war on Iran, blowing up nuclear
facilities. Unidentified federal agents abduct Americans off the streets
of Portland.</p>
<p>The 2020 budget deficit has already surged to $2.7 billion as money
is printed at will. The stock market rises as the economy crumbles and
mass unemployment festers.</p>
<p>The signs of abrupt climate change and ecosystem collapse are
everywhere. Record heatwaves advance more quickly than expected, as we
prepare to endure another year of burning sick forests. Water is
becoming scarce.</p>
<p>The environment is collapsing and dying.</p>
<p>Despair, fear, and broken dreams mingle with unemployment, ecocide,
and addictions to create a crazy morass of conspiracy, outrage, and
disease. </p>
<p>Hunger stalks the land.</p>
<p>Who could have imagined that electing a reality show actor as
President could go so badly? The stakes have never been higher as our
bankrupt President melts down.</p>
<p>The last days of the Trump administration are culminating in an
existential emergency threat to America and the world. Creepy Donald’s
anti-science, anti-truth, anti-justice, anti-equity, anti-women,
anti-non-white, anti-environment, and anti-democratic agenda has a name
which must be spoken.</p>
<p>It is fascism.</p>
<p>Frankly, the most fervent Trump supporters that I have seen
personally are those that did not do well in school and have limited
prospects as a result. Many were bullies in their youth and remain
political bullies today, and continue to not be the sharpest tools in
the shed. Further, oftentimes Trumpers have limited prospects because
they have shown an unwillingness to retrain for a changing economy</p>
<p>In an increasingly bifurcated world of haves and have nots, the
deplorables embrace a twisted populist vision of despair and revenge at
their imagined tormentors. Nationalism, scapegoating, falsehoods, a cult
of personality, and the threat of violence provide meaning to weak,
hurting, down-on-their-luck people.</p>
<p>The normalization of hate, racism, injustice, and untruthfulness by
Creepy Donald’s acolytes has been truly shocking. It is Unamerican and
threatens to usher in a dystopian authoritarian state that stops being
America.</p>
<p>President Trump’s negligence of the greatest health crisis in the
nation’s history, as he pursues personal vendettas and re-election, is a
crime. His defense of confederate traitors and inflaming of racial
tensions is unhinged. Justice will be had.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEej0-Pg3nJQ8e2VtlEoSIq_ysZFrvljZNLN0owOK6Xv6NEyB-tAGCb0kn5LEs6WTY3wyD1kp4_WpXkgpZBBkHV82N81sZCVOJMzfwjYJmYcWAkTsvQDNc0C_AzE67YHfkcNpkPG5nvhA/s2048/indiana-jones-punching-a-nazi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="2048" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEej0-Pg3nJQ8e2VtlEoSIq_ysZFrvljZNLN0owOK6Xv6NEyB-tAGCb0kn5LEs6WTY3wyD1kp4_WpXkgpZBBkHV82N81sZCVOJMzfwjYJmYcWAkTsvQDNc0C_AzE67YHfkcNpkPG5nvhA/s320/indiana-jones-punching-a-nazi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Anti-Fascism is American</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>What will become of America, a beacon of liberty and opportunity? Are
we going to let these deplorable dead-enders lead to the fall of
America and the planetary system?</p>
<p>Granted, America was founded on the original sins of genocide and
racism. We can never stop apologizing and making amends for centuries of
ethnic cleansing, enslavement, and murder of indigenous peoples and
black people.</p>
<p>You can love your country while acknowledging the truthful past and
wishing for a better future. America was built upon constant
self-improvement, and there is still hope of realizing our full
potential of the rights of hu(man). But the system built by genocide and
slavery has not yet been dismantled and there is hard and painful work
ahead to do so.</p>
<p>America is precipitously in decline. There is reason to be concerned
that another catastrophe – possible examples being a a major natural
disaster, political violence, or an attack from a foreign nation – may
overwhelm our resilience. Things may spiral out of control. Urgent
measures must be taken every day to avoid a fall into irrelevance or
perhaps even collapse. </p>
<p>Daily from now to 2021, we need to take measures to buttress the Fragile States of America.</p>
<p>Creepy Donald is unraveling and becoming an even worse blathering
idiot before our very eyes. His unsteady gate and grasp, and daily
tirades of petty grievances as the nation is sickened, are a window into
a sick and twisted mind. We need to stand tall and strong until Trump
and his virus are excised from the body politic at the polls.</p>
<p>So how do we ensure Fragile America makes it to the post-Trump era?</p>
<p>The survival of America as we know it – a particularly good, but
flawed country, until recently working on improvement – depends
critically upon resoundingly thumping Trump at the polls. Trump’s death
cult of hate, lies, ecocide, and a frenetic instability – and America’s
flirtation with authoritarian fascism – must be forever tarnished and
banished.</p>
<p>President Trump’s reelection will only be possible through
disenfranchisement. Plan your voting now. Ensure you and others around
you are registered and know how to get to the polls. Every opportunity
you have highlight the decay and disintegration of America values under
Trump, demonstrating civility as you speak hard truths, and emphasizing
that a Biden Presidency represents pulling back from the abyss to begin a
return to normalcy.</p>
<p>At every opportunity we have, we need to set an example of caring for
each other. Start by staying home when you can, and when you go out
following scientific public health policy. This means masks and
distancing at the least.</p>
<p>Model anti-fascist, democratic behavior. Care for yourselves and
others. Share when you can. Work to be more self-sufficient. Grow food,
plant trees, and care for children. Learn new skills. </p>
<p>Re-embrace grand visions of peace, love, truth, equity, ecology, and justice.</p>
<p>We must make crystal clear the democratic process will be followed to
the letter. Under no circumstances will election cancellations or
failure to accept the democratic results be tolerated. An attempt by
Creepy Donald to steal the election would bring forth an anti-fascist
fury that even the Trumpers should fear.</p>
<p>The US. Military is called upon to under no circumstances follow a
Trump nuclear launch order. To seek to deescalate international
conflict. And to pledge to respect the coming election.</p>
<p>Listen. Be open to others’ experiences. Question your white
privilege. However anti-racist you may feel realize there is more you
can know and learn.</p>
<p>The problems listed earlier are all solvable. It begins by reducing
the military budget, practicing diplomacy, and once again joining
civilized nations to end our state of perma-war. There is tremendous
potential to use these savings for renewable energy, job training,
health care, ecological restoration, public health, schools, and public
infrastructure.</p>
<p>Recommit to an America based upon both the best of traditional values and continual betterment. For all peoples and life.</p>
<p>We are called upon as a nation to continue down our path of perpetual
self-improvement and end all vestiges of racism once and for all. As we
make the investments necessary to restore and maintain ecosystems and
the climate. And ensure all have adequate water, food, and employment.</p>
<p>We can reclaim a United States of America where all basic needs are
met, where we are at peace with the world, and once again education and
health care provide the foundation for opportunity.</p>
<p>The Trump Virus must end. So once again America can stand proud and
continue the process of being a model of decency and progress.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-25669969963075150622020-07-19T23:05:00.004-04:002021-10-31T15:01:28.207-04:00I remain unbowed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nearly eight years ago I reported to Madison state, local
and federal authorities that then Congressional candidate Mark Pocan had made
statements in my presence recounting his travel to Costa Rica to sexually assault
young boys. Let me be clear. <a href="http://drglenbarry.blogspot.com/2012/07/wisconsin-congressman-mark-pocan-spoke.html">My account as communicated in an essay</a> was 100% accurate and I stand by it
completely. It is the truth exactly how it happened, and there is more to tell.
I reiterate my willingness to take a polygraph test on the matter when Mr.
Pocan agrees to do so as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since then Congressman Pocan has waged a harassment campaign
against me. He has had capitol police call my employers. An associate of his followed
and threatened me outside of my New York City home. He has repeatedly lobbied
to have my Twitter accounts shutdown. And he has coordinated a misinformation
campaign trying to destroy my reputation with lies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Madison Wisconsin’s response to a longtime resident coming
forward to detail such troubling behavior has been particularly disappointing.
It has shown the truthfulness of Madison’s reputation as a smug, elitist
bastion that holds few core values other than posing as being socially
concerned. And a thirst for power.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like in 2012, my request now is that my reported allegations be fully investigated, with the same legitimacy as other reports of
sexual abuse over recent years. There are half a dozen other individuals that were present
as Mr. Pocan went on at length detailing his illegal conduct. One boasted
repeatedly to me he “knew where the bodies were buried” and recounted other
episodes of sexual abuse of boys by Mr. Pocan. This was relayed to half a dozen Madison investigative bodies and the FBI. Have Mr. Pocan and these witnesses been questioned? What were the findings?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coming forward was the right thing to
do. Someday there will be justice. My conscience is clear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Yet it saddens me greatly that the capitol of the great
state of Wisconsin is represented in Washington D.C. by a child rapist, with
the full acquiescence of state political institutions and politicians. And that other children may be at risk. Not one
media or political figure expressed a concern or asked for more information. That is on them. I have
done what I can do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I affirm the above and original account are fully truthful. And I remain unbowed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr. Glen Barry<br />
July 19, 2020</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]--></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-3583985214433331982020-05-23T19:32:00.004-04:002022-01-01T07:49:08.482-05:00Scientific Truths Matter, Willful Ignorance Kills<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4"><font size="4">Key
bio-geochemical patterns and processes that sustain the biosphere, and
thus societies and wildlife populations, are failing. Only love,
science, and nature can keep us safe. Or disease, ecological collapse,
and despair rage until being ends. That is the truth, like it or not.</font></h4>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“What is all your studying worth,
all your learning, all your knowledge, if it doesn’t lead to wisdom? And
what’s wisdom but knowing what is right, and what is the right thing to
do?” – Iain Banks</p></blockquote>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“Science informed and strengthened
by love is our best bet to remain healthy and prosperous in these
troubled times… Looming global ecological collapse including abrupt
climate change is going to make the coronavirus pandemic look like a
picnic in the park.” – Dr. Glen Barry</p></blockquote>
<p><font size="4"><strong>Love and Science</strong></font></p>
<p>Anti-science sentiment and hateful rhetoric are in vogue in certain
quarters. In a disturbingly relativistic age, we have lost track of
profound truths upon which our shared well-being intimately depends.
Many people live their lives as if scientific truths, the natural world,
and empathy for those other than themselves and close loved ones, have
no importance.</p>
<p>Much of humanity enjoys the material comforts of products and other
advances derived through scientific processes. Ironically their
inventors, who are experts in their fields, and have spent a lifetime
mastering and contributing to all that is known about a topic, are
disregarded and even vilified.</p>
<p>Response to the COVID-19 pandemic roiling America and the world has
been profoundly disappointing. All of the above strands of thought come
to mind. Yet in particular, I am horrified by the lack of focus upon the
one hundred thousand Americans that have died and over a million
sickened. This is more than thirty times the tragic horrific losses of
911. </p>
<p>Where is the empathy and outpouring of support for these equally
innocent victims? America has become a hardened, soulless place where we
don’t mourn our dead but instead focus upon how continuing mass death
impacts our own conveniences. Even as the coronavirus is not yet
contained.</p>
<p>It makes one wonder whether looming potentially catastrophic
ecological crises can be responded to while maintaining our humanity.</p>
<p>Casual neglect of traditional wisdom, emerging knowledge, and
traditional norms of civility threatens our very existence. We are
constantly conditioned to hate all that is different or natural. </p>
<p>Let me share some objective, observable truths with you, that we disregard and fail to acknowledge at our own risk. </p>
<p>Biological life requires maintaining a narrow range of conditions.
All living things require water. Economies are utterly dependent upon
ecology.</p>
<p>Encroachment upon and destruction of natural ecosystems and wildlife
result in emergent disease vectors. Stopping a pandemic requires
reducing and eliminating pathways for disease transmission.</p>
<p>Earth is warmed as heat is trapped by atmospheric gases, an increase
of which results in further warming. A given piece of land has a finite
carrying capacity. Given their role in powering ecosystems, naturally evolved old-growth rainforests are worth more standing than logged.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mIsi8K1tokAK3M4MF_j6ugDKAQmJf2TrwpSEiwg-SY4N5EMy_O_9pBpihHVOMNxq7V0EbMu_QFuVxnjnQwiq7xOM5HAyAT6ZY4zzZ5B-TDwKo1QO_3Oh0t2BKzFl6ME1qWxf52tdciAl/s960/10337747_10152436361383665_8860362426258668600_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mIsi8K1tokAK3M4MF_j6ugDKAQmJf2TrwpSEiwg-SY4N5EMy_O_9pBpihHVOMNxq7V0EbMu_QFuVxnjnQwiq7xOM5HAyAT6ZY4zzZ5B-TDwKo1QO_3Oh0t2BKzFl6ME1qWxf52tdciAl/s320/10337747_10152436361383665_8860362426258668600_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Science Truth: Naturally evolved old-growth rainforests are worth more standing than logged</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Chemistry and physics are sufficient to fully understand and explain
biological processes and the cosmos (even if we do not yet know
everything). Evolution explains the diversity of life. Exponential
growth leads to feedback that tears apart systems.<p></p>
<p>There is no scientific evidence that an invisible Abrahamic god sits in judgment of our actions, or that we are destined for any life other than in the here and now.</p>
<p>And the penultimate truths of our times: Earth is alive and dying.
Even as true love continues to have transformative powers to motivate
you to do what is right, including making you more selfless. </p>
<p>Science is but one, albeit important, pathway to a love of observable
truth. The scientific method of posing hypotheses and seeking
repeatable methods to gather evidence for their testing has proven
remarkably effective. </p>
<p>Other routes to know and serve truth may include carefully and
reflectively listening to tribal leaders, trained naturalists, sage
women, and philosophers. All who have honed their skills of observation.
And seeking through reading, pedagogy, and reflection to become a
student and teacher of truth yourself. </p>
<p>Nothing overcomes ignorance like a life-long commitment to
self-education. Until such time as you become an expert yourself, act in
service to the truth by critically listening to the advice of experts
on important matters of life and death. And by not repeating every
junky, titillating, yet unproven meme.</p>
<p>Science and education have allowed much of humanity to overcome
superstitions that impede societal progress. Yet reactionary,
revisionist ignorance continues to pose a risk of collapse back into
medieval illness, servitude, and perma-war. Religious self-fulfilling
prophecies of a rapture like end of the world continue to foul our
thinking of what is possible with love and science.</p>
<p><font size="4"><strong>Love and Science in the Time of Coronavirus</strong></font></p>
<p>Now Earth and her humanity find ourselves in a time of pandemic. Scientific experts have long known that the world was vulnerable to new infectious disease.
It has been firmly established and documented that microbes can evolve
and emerge from animals and habitats, particularly when encroached upon.</p>
<p>It is truthfully self-evident that in recent decades there has been a reduction in public health expenditures. That China has a pattern of suppressing information about new disease outbreaks.
And that deeply divided democratic societies are ill-equipped to
mobilize quickly to organize the necessary social distancing and other
requirements to stop a plague.</p>
<p>I remain stunned and saddened by the amount of anti-science
conspiracy theories circulating that are undermining the science-based
medical response to a global pandemic. One can honestly differ in
opinion regarding how to balance health and economic aspects of
pandemic. The required steps to stop the coronavirus pandemic are
unnecessarily made so much more difficult by anti-science, hate-filled
sentiment by ignorant people amplified through social networks. </p>
<p>Don’t let your perhaps well-intentioned but poorly informed political
beliefs become a death wish for yourself and others. If you are sharing
kooky conspiracy memes on the Internet you are part of the anti-science
dumbing down of America that has allowed the virus to kill almost one
hundred thousands Americans and a third of a million globally.</p>
<p>Science doesn’t care what you believe. There is nothing conservative
(or liberal) about being untruthful, belligerent, and loud. Science and
her truths are apolitical. If you refuse to social distance and wear a
mask, and spread unfounded misinformation on Facebook during these
tragic times, you may well be killing your neighbors, loved ones, or
even your own parents. Do not let your beliefs make you a member of a
conspiracy death cult.</p>
<p>Shame on you, stop it now. Or this coronavirus pandemic – which is far from done – can and will get much worse.</p>
<p><font size="4"><strong>Loving Ecological Science</strong></font></p>
<p>There exists a plethora of other unpleasant scientific truths that
threaten mass human suffering, a rise of authoritarian fascism in
response, and ultimately societal and biological collapse. And the death
of billions of humans, and possibly biosphere collapse.</p>
<p>In past centuries, a wave of ecological imperialism spilt forth from
Europe that has globally decimated indigenous cultures and ecosystems.
The apocryphal worldview proliferated that natural ecosystems only
existed to be destroyed for growth in economies and population. The
massive illusory increase in material consumption has been inequitably
distributed and is not sustainable.</p>
<p>Key bio-geochemical patterns and processes that sustain the
biosphere, and thus societies and wildlife populations, are failing. </p>
<p>The list of ecological scientific risks is long and expanding, but
includes: 1) soil loss and infertility, 2) ocean dead zones, 3) water
scarcity, 4) abrupt climate weirding, 5) nitrogen and phosphorous
inundation, 6) declines in biodiversity, particularly keystone wildlife
and plant species 7) and loss and fragmentation of naturally evolved ecosystems including critical old-growth forests and wetlands. </p>
<p>There are science based policy prescriptions which will solve each of
these ecological crises. But it requires wisdom to know and trust in
the right course of action, and sacrifice and empathy based upon
understanding and commitment to the scientific imperative. Yet if we
don’t try, any one of these ecology truths left without a response could
cause mass disruption and death. Together they may well collapse the
biosphere and end being.</p>
<p>Looming global ecological collapse is going to make the coronavirus pandemic look like a picnic in the park.</p>
<p>Climate change and ecosystem collapse are the response expected by
science to inequitable overpopulation that consumes nature, it could not
be otherwise. These observations and others have led me to hypothesize
that Ecology is the meaning of life.
The test of this hypothesis is ongoing as humanity systematically
murders species, dismantles ecological systems, and fouls the climate. </p>
<p><font size="4"><strong>Love Science Truth</strong></font></p>
<p>Scientific truths matter, willful ignorance kills. Believe in love and science as transformative forces for good.</p>
<p>We will only protect and change for what we love and have empathy.
Shared survival depends upon each of us listening to and supporting
science and other ways of knowing, or we willfully choose to lose our
and our loved ones’ lives as being ends. Global ecological
sustainability requires expanding the scope of your love to include
others that are different than you (including both other cultures and
species), natural ecosystems, and Earth as a whole. Revel in
self-expression of your truths making sure they are defensible.</p>
<p>Though science has not always been channeled for social good, in sum
it has provided amazing levels of social benefit as we better understand
and adapt to observable reality. Yet even science must work to improve
itself by committing to its appropriate application. We are beyond the
point where we can return to a pre-science era. </p>
<p>Science informed and strengthened by love is our best bet to remain healthy and prosperous in these troubled times. </p>
<p>Reducing risk to you and your family’s well-being means, out of love
for others and Earth, staying home and wearing masks when you go out. At
the same time work on reducing your ecological footprint, while working
to be able to meet as many of your subsistence needs as possible. Be
open to and critically review information that comes your way, with a
commitment to truth and self-improvement. </p>
<p>Only from the transformative nature of love of science and truth can
we avoid a massive second wave of coronavirus in the short-term, and the
next pandemic and impending ecological collapse in the mid-term.</p>
<p>Only love, science, and nature can keep us safe. Or disease,
ecological collapse, and despair rage until being ends. That is the
truth, like it or not. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-56296606151815986712020-02-26T19:37:00.012-05:002023-06-30T21:45:02.566-04:00Amazon Standing<h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4">Financed by the Other Amazon Paying for Its Name<br /><br /></font></h3><div><font size="4"><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Amazon rainforest must remain standing for global ecological sustainability, and Amazon company is the best source of finance given their expropriation of the Amazon name. It should be possible to pay to fully protect the Amazon rainforest while meeting local people’s needs. The best place to start is for online Amazon Inc. to pay on a sustained basis for its long overdue unpaid use of the Amazon name. Transforming Amazon Inc. into a purpose driven venture will make it stronger and more appealing, while providing a long-term source of finance to keep Amazon Standing.</h4></font></div><h4><p></p></h4>
<p> </p>
<p><font size="4">EARTH MEANDERS<br />By Dr. Glen Barry</font><br /></p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“There’s nothing about our model
that can’t be copied over time… A lot of it comes down to the brand
name. Brand names are more important online than they are in the
physical world.” – Jeff Bezos</p><p>“The bill is due for Amazon company’s unpaid use of the mighty Amazon rainforest’s name.” – Dr. Glen Barry</p></blockquote><h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">The First Amazon</font></h4>
<p>The Amazon
rainforest is a global ecological treasure of unparalleled importance for Earth
and all inhabitants. Over at least 55 million years vast evolutionary radiance
has created a brilliant super-organism that powers the planet’s biosphere
through the sum of the interactions of its parts. </p>
<p>The Amazon is rich in ecological diversity with a dizzying array of
life across scales — from landscapes, downward to ecosystems, to plant
communities and animal populations, including indigenous peoples, down
to species and individual plants and wildlife, composed of their genetic
sequences. From such complex yet decadent disorder emerges the primary
bioregional ecosystem that powers the biosphere.</p>
<p>Though the Amazon as an ecosystem is more than the sum of these
parts, all parts are required for it to remain fully intact and thus
operational. The Amazon basin drains the slopes of the Andes through
biodiverse mountain slopes into the vast lowland swamp forests. This
vast plethora of micro-habitats contains stores of medicinal plants,
cycles water and nutrients, and drives global climate.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxJiEg11RRnYkLMqkWr3ufDD2VXoZGjrtOLrWXsJ8xV5J_kiWWzYfo2livc_VYcB2PTi4qK5MCriCn3bZTdDBx2rM_YQrNe53yQ-KITQ6JP-CRTufQAVhgcw1NkufjHpnt5t_852rAd5U/s2048/IMG_2496.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxJiEg11RRnYkLMqkWr3ufDD2VXoZGjrtOLrWXsJ8xV5J_kiWWzYfo2livc_VYcB2PTi4qK5MCriCn3bZTdDBx2rM_YQrNe53yQ-KITQ6JP-CRTufQAVhgcw1NkufjHpnt5t_852rAd5U/s320/IMG_2496.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Besides large-scale farming and logging, many <br />Amazonian rainforests are being slowly fragmented <br />for rural electrification and other activities</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Loss of the Amazon as an intact whole will result in a major
diminishment in climate buffering, disappearance of an unknown amount of
genetic wealth potentially valuable for diseases such as coronavirus,
deprive millions of indigenous peoples and settlers of their
livelihoods, and may in itself crash the biosphere. Yet a variety of
threats continues the European legacy of ecocide upon native nature and
peoples, cruelly propagating the myth that destroying millions of year
old ecosystems and their inhabitants is “development”.</p>
<p>Recently I wrote <b><a href="https://drglenbarry.blogspot.com/2020/02/on-amazon-fires-its-ecology-stupid.html" target="_blank">On Amazon fires: It’s the ecology stupid</a></b><strong>.</strong>
Therein it is noted that Global Ecological Sustainability depends
critically upon ending the logging and burning of old forests such as
the Amazon and letting them recover, expand and reconnect. Earlier I
have published peer reviewed science that is worth reading, identifying a
threshold for how many ecosystems can be lost before the biosphere
collapses: Barry, G. (2014), “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265969387_Terrestrial_ecosystem_loss_and_biosphere_collapse" target="_blank"><b>Terrestrial ecosystem loss and biosphere collapse</b></a>”, <em>Management of Environmental Quality</em>, Vol. 25 No. 5, pp. 542-563. </p>
<p>I have had the privilege to spend the month of February in Brazil,
mostly in the Amazonia region. There I trekked into lowland tropical
rainforests and was overjoyed to see big ancient trees and wildlife
including spider monkeys, pink river dolphins, and anacondas. The river
boat ride down a portion of the Amazon was an adventure. By the time I
reached The Amazon river’s point of entry into the Atlantic Oceans, I
was struck again and again by the generosity and kindness of the
region’s peoples. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqBY4teaNKhN6zJ-X9wghwucatSIJT2HBd0lWIJD0o0Satvc4Dk_aDfQe1dFvdBepcP90Jik-GPBiT7iFCNOZAzf3wJLkXppRBN9GfX7ZNqxpe-YOpdrMhiGhC6BfqmbeCiZvqhmcFYnR/s2046/IMG_2415.JPEG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqBY4teaNKhN6zJ-X9wghwucatSIJT2HBd0lWIJD0o0Satvc4Dk_aDfQe1dFvdBepcP90Jik-GPBiT7iFCNOZAzf3wJLkXppRBN9GfX7ZNqxpe-YOpdrMhiGhC6BfqmbeCiZvqhmcFYnR/s320/IMG_2415.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Dr. Glen Barry, Amazonia, 2020</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Mostly I silently rejoiced in my long-felt ecological intuition that
these Amazon rainforests are the global habitat that makes my and all
life possible. Often I just sat in the jungle listening for long hours,
fully feeling a bond with the diverse and dependent life therein. And I
also saw firsthand the senseless devastation being wrought by
agri-business and rural electrification.</p>
<p>And I became
further resolved that it must be possible to meet development needs of
Amazonians while keeping Amazon Standing.</p>
<p>This essay represents the beginning of efforts to develop a campaign
to find and implement a way to finance sufficient socio-economic
activities to ensure the Amazon remains standing. This must be done in a
creative, sustained manner that protects native livelihoods and means
meeting all basic needs and then some. Yet forgoes all commercial
exploitation that destroys or diminishes standing primary forests.</p>
<p>The greatest challenge of our generation is to find a viable way to fully protect the Amazon.</p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4"><font size="4">Time for the
Other Amazon to Step Up</font></h4>
<p>Imagine if you can that there was a large organization that has
benefited from the unreimbursed use of the Amazon name, and could help
fund keeping the Amazon rainforest standing. Surely, in such a case,
there would be tremendous potential to harness sustainable funding for
Amazon rainforest protection, and there would be a huge public outcry
that the company pay a significant portion of their revenue for the
right to use the Amazon name.</p>
<p>Wait, what of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon online store? He reportedly named it
Amazon because it was “exotic and different”, and the Amazon River was
the largest in the world, and he planned for Amazon company to be so as
well. Given the tremendous corporate and personal success realized by
Amazon and Jeff Bezos, it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that the
company pay to protect the threatened Amazon rainforest after which it
is named. </p>
<p>Mr. Bezos himself has expressed how critical branding is to online
success, and he has certainly benefited richly from the sentiments
evoked by his use of the Amazon name.</p>
<p>Indeed, given Mr. Bezo’s hundreds of millions of dollars spent on new
homes in recent months, isn’t financing by Amazon company to protect
the Amazon rainforest long overdue? It’s a justice, equity, and
ecological sustainability thing Mr. Bezos. How can you have so much,
benefiting from the globally recognized name of an impoverished region,
for which you have never paid? </p>
<p>Some would say that Amazon having made so much money without paying
anything to Brazil and neighboring countries is the very exemplar of
white and billionaire privilege. </p>
<p>Don’t get me
wrong, Jeff Bezos has built Amazon (the company referred to as Amazon Inc.)
into an amazing company. I spend considerable amounts of money with Amazon
Inc., making purchases almost daily given the convenience, selection, and speed
of delivery. And EcoInterent’s services are hosted on the Amazon cloud, which
is truly amazing in its own right. </p>
<p>But come on, at some point growth becomes greed. Already there is a
backlash against the richest man in the world, and how it has come at
the expense of local merchants and the climate. And then there is the
fact that Amazon Inc. simply pilfered their name from the greatest
ecosystem in the world that is mortally threatened.</p>
<p>Bezos’ recent commitment of funding to address climate change is
welcome and appropriate given Amazon’s huge carbon footprint. Yet an
additional massive, sustained investment in Amazonia rainforest
protection is still appropriate given the past and ongoing benefits
accrued from the expropriation of the Amazon name in particular and all
it connotes.</p>
<p>With all due respect Mr. Bezos, how much is enough? How many more
lavish homes do you intend to buy this year, as our global home and your
company’s namesake, the Amazon, is destroyed because of lack of
conservation finance. At what point does the existential threats to
global ecological sustainability become more or at least as important to
you, the richest person in the world, than delivering ever more
consumer goods faster?</p>
<p>We get it Mr. Bezos, your Amazon may not be legally required to pay
for use of the Amazon name for your branding. But it is the classy,
ethical, and just thing to do. And it protects your future as well.</p>
<p>There will be consequences of Amazon failing to act to protect its
namesake. Already popular sentiment is shifting against the company
given its size and extravagance of its owners. How much better to make
the company a purpose driven organization rather than only a consumption
growth machine. </p>
<p>Pressure campaigns are possible, but hopefully are not needed,
assuming the goodwill of a man and company that has benefited so much
from expropriating of the Amazon name. Some would say theft, like so
much else that has been forcefully taken from the Brazilian people.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN58uLyxDndSrvUuROZePDelWFqKED720u7ZBjd9hdbE2JJOTOJF-2i3R6ZrfZuTMufOD3kwKQL1MQ2yVTDT9uGtmtnMNmsBnYUxq5ao-mxt5iXWozC-KTiW1pP7osBliGJNs0C378UZvI/s2048/IMG_2469.JPEG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN58uLyxDndSrvUuROZePDelWFqKED720u7ZBjd9hdbE2JJOTOJF-2i3R6ZrfZuTMufOD3kwKQL1MQ2yVTDT9uGtmtnMNmsBnYUxq5ao-mxt5iXWozC-KTiW1pP7osBliGJNs0C378UZvI/s320/IMG_2469.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Big old trees in expansive primary <br />forests power the biosphere. <br />Dr. Glen Barry, Amazonia, 2020</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4"><font size="4">Amazon
Standing Trust Fund</font></h4>
<p>It should be possible to pay to keep the Amazon rainforest fully
standing. And in a manner that provides decent livelihoods for all
inhabitants. Surely there is more worth to be found in a live than a
dead forest. Particularly ancient naturally evolved old-growth forests.
All that is required is sustained investments in Amazonian alternative
development models and governance depending on protecting and not
destroying old, natural forests.</p>
<p>What I am proposing is that Amazon Inc. and/or Jeff Bezos establish
an endowed trust fund committed to full protection of the Amazon
Rainforest. “Amazon Standing” would use the interest on the endowment to
fund non-extractive efforts for local peoples and governments to
benefit economically and culturally from permanently standing and intact
primary rainforests. </p>
<p>Sufficiently endowed, such an approach has great potential to shift
the economics against large-scale extractive industries which are only
marginally profitable.</p>
<p>Without massive investments the Amazon rainforest will continue to
fall at an unconscionable rate. Slowly yet inexorably the last remnant
large natural ecosystems will be dismantled; liquidated for all the
wrong reasons, sending shock waves throughout the global ecological
system. </p>
<p>And moving us a step closer towards <b><a href="https://drglenbarry.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-sheer-terror-of-looming-biosphere.html" target="_blank">Biosphere Collapse</a></b> and the <b><a href="https://drglenbarry.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-end-of-being.html" target="_blank">End of Being</a></b>.</p>
<p>It is not OK for one of the largest companies to name itself after
Earth’s largest and most important ecosystem without having some stake
in its protection. Imbuing Amazon Inc. with social merit beyond
consuming ever more, faster, will make it a force for social good. </p>
<p>Transforming Amazon Inc. into a purpose driven venture will make it
stronger and more appealing, while providing a long-term source of
finance to keep Amazon Standing. There is tremendous reputational risk
to Amazon Inc. and Jeff Bezos of not immediately beginning to pay for
the use of Amazon as their brand name.</p>
<p>The bill is due for Amazon company’s unpaid use of the mighty Amazon
rainforest’s name. Significant funding can be provided willingly to keep
the Amazon rainforest standing while meeting local needs, or all sorts
of campaign measures are likely.</p>
<p>Amazon will
have earned its name based on merit and not merely size.</p>
<p>Expect to hear more about what it takes to keep Amazon Standing and
the rainforest movements efforts to get Amazon Inc. to embrace and
finance protection of its namesake.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-24468446570384266752020-02-10T19:18:00.005-05:002022-01-01T07:51:42.159-05:00Vile Chinese Authoritarian Tyranny Threatens All<h4 style="font-size: 27px; text-align: left;"><font size="4" style="font-weight: normal;">The
Chinese system of government has shown monstrous disdain for free
speech, truth, and basic human rights; most recently bringing disease
upon its citizens and threatening the health of the entire world. It is
time for Chinese Democracy, and for totalitarian communist tyranny to
end, starting with President Xi Jinping’s resignation.</font></h4><div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figcaption>Hong Kong protestors foretold the type of Chinese deception that has caused the coronavirus epidemic</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>“A healthy society should not have just one voice.” – Dr. Li Wenliang<br /><br />“There
are no rioters, only a tyrannical regime” (沒有暴徒 只有暴政) and “Five
demands, not one less” (五大訴求 缺一不可) – Hong Kong Democracy Protestors<br /><br />“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” – Winston S. Churchill</p>
<p>“The Chinese communist party cannot be trusted to tell the truth and must step down.” – Dr. Glen Barry</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator" />
<p>To start, let me express my most sincere condolences for Chinese and
other victims of the Wuhan Coronavirus. The whole world hopes for swift
containment and recovery. Yet this is a manmade crisis that with a
decent, functional government could have been avoided. Instead Wuhan,
China, and the world are terrorized by a disease spawned by the Chinese
government’s disdain for truth and stifling of free speech. </p>
<p>The coronavirus epidemic did not arise out of nowhere. It is the
logical consequence of a deeply authoritarian government, a casual
disregard for truth and freedom of speech, and Xi Jinping’s recent
strengthening of tyrannical rule. Xi and the Chinese government bear
full blame for the coronavirus outbreak and must be held to account.</p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">Failed Chinese Communist Dogma</font></h4>
<p>Most
cultures have a combination of a storied and horrifying past and China is no
different. Throughout Chinese history epic human constructs and monumental
battles have been wrought upon the back of the degradation of the common
person. Even within the past century the nation has jumped between enlightened
thought and despotic tyranny, at any time seemingly moments away from further wide-scale
state genocide.</p>
<p>Contemporary
China is a plutocratic criminal state based upon banning free speech and other
human rights, in a vile system that imprisons its citizens, so that the small
group of Chinese communist party leaders and their families can live opulently.
The term “communist” which implies equality has long been nonsensical in such
an inequitable and corrupt system. </p>
<p>A maelstrom of
threats emanates from Red China that threatens to kill Chinese and global citizenry
under the mantra of dated, self-serving communist dogma (which few believe, and
fewer adhere to). The communist party (which is in fact neither) maintains its
grip on power through the constant threat of an iron fist in its citizens’
face.</p>
<p>There is an epic battle underway between liberal democracy (now with
its own tendencies towards authoritarianism), and the communist police
state that is Red China. At stake is all humanity’s basic human rights
and dignity, freedom of thought and speech, liberty and privacy, and
protection from dangerous government secrets. </p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">State Terror and the Rights of Man</font></h4>
<p>The litany of contemporary Chinese tyranny runs the gamut of
conceivable intrusions upon human well-being meant by the state to
inspire terror. Minority, ancient cultures such as the Uighurs and
Tibetans are imprisoned in their own homelands and brain-washed to love
red China’s promise of imprisoned consumption. Entire ancient cultures
are being eliminated in acts of slow-motion genocide.</p>
<p>Much of China is constantly surveilled as a dragnet of cameras
connected to sophisticated machine learning databases permeates every
crevice of individual’s lives. What sort of vile voyeuristic artificial
intelligence seeks to spy upon every action of their citizenry? What a
depraved system that deems to algorithmically score the social
worthiness of the myriad types of human self-expression, as if obedience
to authority is the only measure of a person. </p>
<p>How long
until drone assassins use this surveillance infrastructure to wage war upon
individual thought, murdering free thinkers for daring to believe in free
speech and the rights of wo(man)? </p>
<p>In China we
are witnessing the fulfillment of Orwell’s big brother and it is terrifyingly
real and dangerous. This escalating assault upon the hard-fought rights of man
must not stand.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter">China will be free. Hong Kong protests will grow and spread to China post-coronavirus</figure></div>
<p>In Hong Kong a proud, un-servile people demand the rule of law, the
maintenance of freedom of speech, full democratic rights including to
vote, and freedom from the constant threat of state violence. This
modern proclamation of the rights of man; and simple, sincere requests
to be heard and to vote, face unremitting police violence. We must all
stand with Hong Kong as this is the proxy struggle between truth and
lies, justice and injustice, freedom and tyranny, and decency and
vileness.</p>
<p>There is not
a moment to waste. The human family chooses now between a future of bright
democratic liberty or dark autocratic tyranny.</p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">Filthy Live Markets and State Secrets</font></h4>
<p>And now the filthy, vile habit of slaughtering wildlife of all types
in brutal “live markets” for falsely purported benefits – including a
limp dick – has the world poised on the brink of pandemic. This
widespread Chinese bloody, unsanitary mess has no counterpart in the
world for incubating new diseases. Virtually anything that is alive
including endangered species are at risk of a merciless, brutal death
before being thrown in the cooking pot.</p>
<p>What sort of despotic, self-serving force knowingly allows viral
outbreaks to exponentially cascade out of control to maintain power and
save face for a while? People speaking truthfully of the virus outbreak
such as Li Wenliang and others have been silenced and even imprisoned by
government censors. If those giving notice had been heard early in the
disease’s spread, almost certainly coronavirus would have been stopped
before spreading widely. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><br /><figcaption>Free speech could have limited the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak</figcaption></figure>
<p>The monstrous manner the Chinese system allowed the Wuhan Coronavirus
to knowingly spread shows the evil, self-serving, and insecure nature
of Chinese power. Limp dick indeed.</p>
<p>Thankfully at this moment the coronavirus mortality rates are low.
But as exponential growth in the spread of the disease continues, the
greater risk is overwhelmed medical facilities and social disorder.
Weeks into exponential growth of new cases and mass quarantines, the
Chinese government has been too proud to accept WHO and CDC assistance.
Now avoidance of a global pandemic appears to require further Chinese
totalitarian human rights atrocities.</p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">Chinese Ecocidal Tyranny</font></h4>
<p>China is the central organizer and buyer for the global trade in
illegal logging of ancient forests. Globally all standing rainforest are
threatened by the insatiable greed of a corrupt government that will do
anything to amass further power. The only relief for Chinese citizens
from brutal tyranny is to consume ever more cheap throwaway consumer
goods based upon the destruction of dwindling ecosystems. </p>
<p>While paying
lip service to climate change, the Chinese government ramps up its coal use,
and backs away from controlling the size of its population (itself a component
of the coronavirus’ spread). Chinese crowded conditions across degraded over-populated
landscapes create optimal conditions for the spread of diseases as Gaia fights
back.</p>
<p>Chinese
growth alone threatens to pull down the biosphere. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><br /><figcaption>China is the center of the global illegal rainforest logging market</figcaption></figure></div>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">Truth Matters</font></h4>
<p>The Chinese
system of government is a monstrous taint upon humanity’s progression towards
realization of universal human rights, and equitable and just ecological
sustainability, based upon scientific truths and the inherent rights of men and
women to be free.</p>
<p>The Chinese
government’s spying, imprisonment, ecocide, police brutality, and callous
disregard for the health of their own citizens (indeed the global population)
makes the communist party an illegitimate government. </p>
<p>The Chinese communist party cannot be trusted to tell the truth and
must step down. It is up to every Chinese and non-Chinese citizen to
demand democratic reform and an unraveling of authoritarian single party
tyranny. China will only ever fully realize its greatness when it is a
democracy and its citizens can express themselves freely and be heard.</p>
<p>Never has it
been more important to stop buying Chinese goods as a means of depriving such a
monstrous political system of its wealth.</p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">Imperfect Democracy</font></h4>
<p>On the other
hand, stands Western style imperfect quasi-democracy that glorifies militarism,
was built upon racism, and depends upon a foundation of elitist
over-consumption at the expense of nature. Liberal democracy is the worst form
of government ever, except for all the alternatives. </p>
<p>Yet in America’s
and Europe’s unrealized testbeds of democracy one finds a sense of freedom that
remains unparalled in human history. And continues perpetually to better itself
and overcome past evils. Clearly the systems of government found in the United
States and Europe are far preferable to Red, or shall we say Dead, China.</p>
<p>In America you have the right to be free, and that means something,
and it is worth fighting for such liberty for the entire human family.
Yet none of our freedom is guaranteed as long as some remain unfree, </p>
<p><b><a href="https://ecointernet.org/2018/03/18/absolute-radical-green-freedom/">All humans are born radically free</a></b> and are meant to enjoy forever an unfettered personal liberty.</p>
<p>For the most
part citizens in liberal democracies are free from random state violence
(though it does occur, particularly for non-whites). Except for the constant
barrage of advertising for democratic over-consumption, diminished but not yet
banished religious idolatry, and military dogmatism; generally, those living in
liberal democracies are not programmed as to how to think.</p>
<p>In Western
Democracy there exists personal and societal space to seek and find truthful
thought. To listen to the music and read the books you like. To say and write
what you wish. To move about mostly freely. To vote your desires. And to make
something of yourself based upon personal merit.</p>
<p>Certainly, the project of Western Democracy remains incomplete.
Expenditures on militarism to fund continued global resource thievery
ensure that education, health care, job training, and other social needs
remain unmet. The promise of equal rights for all races and sexes
remains incomplete. </p>
<p>And vile, filthy authoritarianism in the face of environmental
scarcity is bearing its ugly face in no less than Brazil and the United
States, where environmental rollbacks threaten ecosystem collapse.</p>
<p>Yet the
choice is clear. Democracy, despite its faults, is the far preferable system over
vile authoritarianism, wherever it bears its heads, and most particularly now
in communist China.</p>
<p>Humanity
stands at a pivotal juncture as the coronavirus threatens mass murder because
of the communist party’s lust for power and rejection of those who speak truth.
We recommit to human rights, democratic values, and to together finding a way
towards ecological sustainability; or we descend into the techno-invasive,
violent and disease ridden, police state future as espoused by Chinese
capitalism.</p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">Bring Necessary Manufacturing Home</font></h4>
<p>“Made in China” is synonymous with a system that wages surveillance,
torture, murder, and disease upon its own under-paid, over-worked, and
ultimately disposable citizens. No longer can state murder and torture
be paid for with the ill-gotten gains of selling cheap consumer goods in
the West. </p>
<p>It is time to bring back locally to the place of consumption all necessary manufacturing from China and discontinue the rest. </p>
<h4 class="fittexted_for_content_h4" style="font-size: 27px;"><font size="4">China Will Be Free</font></h4>
<p>For the welfare of the human family, let’s demand a Chinese political
system that tells the truth and lets its citizens speak freely. </p>
<p>That shuts down live markets massacring wildlife, creating the filthy
environment that incubated coronavirus and other diseases, and
threatens to do so again. That rebukes and dismantles the state driven
spying and flawed judgements upon everyday lives of its citizens. And
that implements a new Democratic China of liberty, freedom, truth, and
basic human decency absent from the current vile and evil Communist Inc.
</p>
<p>Let’s demand a Chinese government that lets people speak freely so that never again will Chinese tyranny threaten global health.</p>
<p> And let us hope that despite such a horrendous, irresponsible system
of government; that the coronavirus is brought under control to avoid
more Chinese suffering and a global pandemic.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><br /><figcaption>President
Xi Jinping has failed the test of leadership causing the coronavirus to
needlessly spread and is called upon to resign immediately</figcaption></figure>
<p>President Xi Jinping and the entire senior communist party leaders
are called upon to resign immediately, given their mishandling and
attempt to cover-up a disease of their own making. They have failed the
test of leadership and their corrupt, power-hungry leadership is not fit
for the challenges the country faces containing coronavirus.</p>
<p>Green Liberty is humanity’s shared future. Think of your children.
Your planet. And your loved ones. And embrace human rights, democracy,
and ecological sustainability for all. Before Dead China gets you.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-23708995628978912582020-01-20T22:19:00.001-05:002021-10-31T08:00:39.709-04:00Global Ecological Restoration: The Leaves of the Tree Will Heal the Nations<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutzBBhsFtTZ7eg9PQZr2mdqTGRfzaaQZNVOvSVgqiPcOjYtqLD3vdb_9uYMER349DqMxOgDQMrBWPxpDRHN0jvhYEHGq_STCjZJ-eiiD_9tAj-OW6FhMRuBnikrZ1kKcm6iZ6BCOuyenl/s600/rainforest_canopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutzBBhsFtTZ7eg9PQZr2mdqTGRfzaaQZNVOvSVgqiPcOjYtqLD3vdb_9uYMER349DqMxOgDQMrBWPxpDRHN0jvhYEHGq_STCjZJ-eiiD_9tAj-OW6FhMRuBnikrZ1kKcm6iZ6BCOuyenl/s320/rainforest_canopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Global ecological sustainability requires large scale tree planting to restore natural ecosystems<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Then the angel showed me the
river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the
throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of
the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing
twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves
of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22: 1-2<br />
<br />
“Ecosystem restoration of landscapes across bioregions can
ultimately lift the souls of dispirited citizens, provide continuously
for their righteous livelihoods, regenerate the health and well-being
of entire nations, while ensuring sustainability of our one shared
biosphere… Only more leaves on the trees can heal your and our many
nations’ brokenness. Please plant trees, restore ecosystems, and love
nature and others.” – Dr. Glen Barry </blockquote>
<hr class="wp-block-separator" />
<b>The End of Being Looms </b><br />
<br />
The ecological
fabric of being is fraying and Earth is at imminent risk of become
uninhabitable. The collapse of major ecological systems that provide
for the well-being of all life is intimately entwined with the personal
despair, and political and social chaos, roiling global societies. Many
growing social ills such as poverty, violence, and addiction are
ultimately driven by environmental decline; and can only worsen if
nature is not protected and restored. <br />
<br />
Here I will first
review our ecological predicament, before referring (as an atheist) to
biblical wisdom as to the role trees play in our healing. <br />
<br />
The <i>Age of Industrial Affluence </i>whereby
illusory human material advancement briefly occurred through the
liquidation of natural ecosystems is ending. We are well into the <i>Age of Ecocide </i>as
drawdowns of natural capital – water, soil, atmosphere, fish, wildlife
– have exceeded their regenerative capacity. Everywhere the
ecologically attuned eye looks, tawdry natural plant communities and
wildlife populations are collapsing and dying. <br />
<br />
Humanity has surpassed the carrying capacity of the atmosphere, ecosystems, and the biosphere. <br />
<br />
Simultaneously,
and as a direct result, human societies are distressed. Shocking
levels of inequality exist whereby billions lack basic needs as a small
group of billionaires live a life of grotesque opulence. Both extremes
further squeeze the Earth. <br />
<br />
The economic bubble of an
industrial growth economy based upon ecocide has burst. Violence, drug
dependency, sexual abuse, depression, suicide, perma-war, racism, and
even a resurgence in slavery are rife. All are related to the lessened
prospects of material comfort for the lower and middle classes as there
exists fewer natural areas to plunder for money. And to a general sense
of lack of meaning in lives devoid of nature. The entire premise of
capitalism, that an economy can grow forever by razing natural systems,
has been revealed to be nonsensical malarkey that threatens to kill us
all. <br />
<br />
Exponential growth in population and consumption drive
the fatally unsustainable resource consumption that liquidates natural
ecosystem habitats. This relentless growth in everything at the expense
of the natural world is the ultimate source of biodiversity loss,
ecosystem diminishment, a fatally diminished climate, and ultimately a
decline in human prospects for meaningful, universal, and lasting
advancement. <br />
<br />
Entering this new era of natural scarcity had
led to greater competition between both individuals and nations, and to
spiraling conflict and malignancies of all types. The final assault
upon the Planet’s last natural ecosystem engines can only lead to
collapse of societies and the biosphere. <br />
<br />
And the end of being. <br />
<br />
The
key point: human well-being (and indeed all life) is intimately
dependent upon natural ecosystems. Indeed, humanity is part of the
ecological whole, as goes nature goes humanity. <a href="https://ecointernet.org/terrestrial-ecosystem-loss-and-biosphere-collapse/"><b>Critically we have gone from a state of nature surrounding humanity, to humanity enveloping sickened natural remnants.</b></a> As ecology has dwindled under a centuries old assault, human mid-to-long term prospects have declined in tandem. <br />
<br />
After
years of human advancement in liberty, human rights, and equality; the
current rise of authoritarian fascism is the natural consequence of a
sick global environment. In the global rise of right-wing anti-science
populism we are witnessing fits of petulance when people and nations hit
the limits to growth and can’t have infinitely more of everything for
everybody. Ignorance, including regarding ecology, has lead to serious
misdiagnoses of societal problems. <br />
<br />
Humanity is hell-bent
upon destroying their habitat and the natural capital which makes
possible and enriches their existence. As the collapse of global
ecosystems intensify, together we face a brief period of unimaginably
grim social strife that threatens decades of conflict and pain; before
humanity, all life, and the biosphere die. <br />
<br />
Unless we plant more trees to restore the environment and our culture. <br />
<br />
The decline in natural ecosystems, and the reduction in economic
opportunity from their clearance, is a driving force behind a range of
social ills including perma-war, violence, addiction, depression,
suicide, and poverty. Only widespread tree planting to regenerate
natural and agro-ecosystems in an <i>Age of Ecological Restoration</i> can avoid collapse of societies and ultimately the biosphere. <br />
<br />
<b>Leaves Heal Nations </b><br />
<br />
As
an atheist rejecting worship of mythical ghosts, I’m not one to quote
scripture. My spirituality is found in self-evident truths such as
nature. Yet I recently became aware of the bible verse “The leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations,” and it deeply resonates
with me. The quote occurs within the context of Revelation’s grim
self-fulfilling prophecy of the end of the world as a result of sinful
pestilence and war. <br />
<br />
Stripped of Abrahamic myth, the quote
contains an important secular truth that nations and their peoples are
ultimately dependent upon the productivity and ecological health of
their land, water, air, and seas. From trees and related natural
ecosystems come the food, fiber, air, water, and livelihoods upon which
the well-being of human and kindred life is utterly dependent. And
when societies are in despair, it is ultimately nature and trees which
can best heal the wounds of greed, war, and personal pain.<br />
<br />
Innumerable cultural traditions – many of them massacred by
christians – have understood humanity’s oneness with, and utter
dependence upon, trees and nature. Destroying your shared environment is
the ultimate sin for which redemption may not be possible if you wait
too long.<br />
<br />
The core nugget of universal, objective truth found in this bible
verse is that tree leaves can heal nations. Tree planting will heal all
nations and restore a personal state of natural awe and well-being. More
tree and other plant leaves will lead inexorably to more fertile soil,
plentiful water, full stomachs, sustained wildlife, full employment,
peace, prosperity, and an operable climate.<br />
<br />
While planting trees is good, doing so with the intent of restoring natural forest and agro-ecosystems is even better.<br />
<br />
There exists tremendous potential to restore local ecosystems in a
manner that improves landscape health and ultimately allows nature to
once again provide the context for humanity. Remaining natural ecosystem
fragments can have their margins secured to allow natural succession
and their expansion to occur. This natural regrowth can be augmented
with the planting of dominant natural tree species. Ecosystem
restoration along with simultaneous rapid reductions in fossil fuel
emissions (covered in other essays) are humanity’s only remaining hope
to avoid destroying our one shared biosphere home.<br />
<br />
Several large contiguous large forest wildernesses, and significant
fragments of natural ecosystems, remain and for now are the ecosystem
engines that are powering the global environment. Despite the fragments
being nearly universally distributed; they are often small, isolated,
and are thus unable to provide the full range of ecological and economic
benefits necessary for the well-being of human and all life. And
wherever old trees stand they continue to be assaulted under the
quasi-religious dogma of economic development.<br />
<br />
These last naturally evolved ecological gems can be eliminated in a
futile attempt to prop up continued exponential growth. Or the pressure
can be taken off of the leaves of the trees; as natural ecosystems are
assisted to regenerate, expand, reconnect, and ultimately become fully
productive again.<br />
<br />
Multiple goals can be pursued. Core ecological areas that are large
and connected enough to maintain the entire panoply of life, and which
provide ecosystem services upon which all life depends, must be
protected and/or re-established. Within this landscape matrix areas of
production of food and fiber can co-exist. This will run the gamut from
perma-culture gardens of fruits, nuts, and vegetables; to natural
plantations of fiber for shelter and other necessities, all enmeshed
within the core areas. Local species and genotypes will be favored, yet
due to abrupt climate change it may be necessary to use species
assemblages that occur together in nearby hotter climates.<br />
<br />
There exist hundreds of millions of denuded acres globally that can
immediately be marked as zones of ecological restoration (given consent
of local peoples and plans for their economic benefit). In many areas,
small tawdry patches of naturally evolved plant stocks remain, that if
the pressure were taken off, could quickly regenerate, particularly in
the tropics. There will be millions of jobs for local peoples in plant nurseries; and tree planting, care, and harvest. While some core areas
must remain involatile to remain ecologically intact, small communities
of forest keepers will live sustainable, fulfilling lives throughout the
rest. And critically indigenous land tenure, including to stolen
lands,will be restored and solidified.<br />
<br />
Ecosystem restoration of landscapes across bioregions can ultimately
lift the souls of dispirited citizens, provide continuously for their
righteous livelihoods, regenerate the health and well-being of entire
nations, while ensuring sustainability of our one shared biosphere.<br />
<br />
<b>The Age of Global Ecological Restoration </b><br />
<br />
Please hear the clarion call of millions already working to usher in
an Age of Global Ecological Restoration. We must come together as a
global family to restore ecologically the places we inhabit and which
we and our forebearers have senselessly allowed to be destroyed. One
last time lets beat guns into plowshares, to make the shovels necessary
to plant the trees whose leaves we need to cool the frustrations of
diminished prospects and restore hope in a mortally threatened world.<br />
<br />
By reconstituting ecology, society will reconnect to the wonders of
nature. A sense of communal well-being will come; as guns, hard drugs,
suicide, and over-consumption fade away. The focus will be upon shared
advancement, well-being, and experience rather than insular, anxious
lusting for the accumulation of more stuff.<br />
<br />
In many a glen, after a day of hard work planting and caring for
trees, people will gather in new forests of their making for feasts
under the moon and stars; and again find community and make love.<br />
We will marvel at creation and the miracle of being as we work for
her continuation. Once again, we will feel in our very cells our own
intimate connection with kindred species with which we share this
billions of year long evolutionary journey. There will be a resurgence
in self-expression as art, sport, music, theater, science (and other
knowledge), and the written word rise in prominence. Emerging
technologies will be used appropriately, and only to the extent that
they augment ecology, and are used exclusively for social good.<br />
<br />
Frequent long-distance travel, the military-industrial complex,
fossil fuels, big government, abject despair, extreme poverty, and
social want will fade away as a more just society based upon equitable
and sustainable bioregional plenty re-emerges.<br />
<br />
Together the human family has arrived at the point where only the
leaves of the tree can heal the nations. We have one last chance, and a
closing window of opportunity, to restore the ecosystems that humans
need to both survive and thrive. We must power down, demilitarize,
reject industrial ecocide, and embrace centuries of ecological
restoration as the penultimate focus of human endeavors.<br />
<br />
Only more leaves on the trees can heal your and our many nations’
brokenness. Please plant trees, restore ecosystems, and love nature and
others.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-45962142125598482852019-09-08T21:12:00.002-04:002022-01-01T07:45:49.359-05:00On Amazon Fires: It’s the Ecology Stupid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Global Ecological Sustainability depends critically upon ending the logging and burning of old forests and letting them recover, expand and reconnect </h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Each act of cutting and burning
old trees diminishes and contributes to the pending collapse of the
biosphere… The cutting and burning of old forests ends, as a prominent
aspect of the coming Great Transition required for equitable and just
global ecological sustainability, or together we all needlessly die .”<cite> </cite><br />
<br />
<cite>Dr. Glen Barry </cite></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaG81uBIT2I_yKIY1DY1yBnQ6MD-5Y_Wg5V4BgVnxnRNZl8gSA70KGJniUrZaS3-amAYS9NWtEgZYKLYJsThwf3QuozG47HONLC7Xy4s27_wvbOL8XEGCS6Z506UMqjcgOqu6Ry9QNMbj6LLHbXjeQ2hHTxykpBM-eiJz4XApXZjhI2TosX4RMbTk0jw=s600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Old trees in old growth forests power the biosphere" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaG81uBIT2I_yKIY1DY1yBnQ6MD-5Y_Wg5V4BgVnxnRNZl8gSA70KGJniUrZaS3-amAYS9NWtEgZYKLYJsThwf3QuozG47HONLC7Xy4s27_wvbOL8XEGCS6Z506UMqjcgOqu6Ry9QNMbj6LLHbXjeQ2hHTxykpBM-eiJz4XApXZjhI2TosX4RMbTk0jw=w257-h320" title="Old trees in old growth forests power the biosphere" width="257" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old trees in old growth forests power the biosphere</td></tr></tbody></table><br />A particularly malignant social and ecological disease sprung forth
upon the Earth several centuries ago. A central component of European
colonialism was the pernicious, ecocidal belief that wide scale cutting
and burning of natural ecosystems was desirable. Indeed, cutting and
burning natural ecosystems defined “civilization” and made the Western
worldview superior to heathen naturalism.<br />
<br />
This pantheon to “development” was created around murdering natural
ecosystems and their inhabitants, which continues to be pursued with
religious intensity. Enormous temporary growth and wealth were
accumulated by some through the wholesale liquidation of vast expanses
of naturally evolved life. Generations of children were born and
indoctrinated into the fallacy that ecosystems existed to be cut and
burnt and had no intrinsic worth.<br />
<br />
In fact, as multitudes of indigenous cultures intimately understood,
humanity is completely dependent upon natural ecosystem habitats to meet
all our needs. Food, water, air, shelter, medicines, spirituality and
more derive from old forests and old trees.<br />
<br />
Humans and all life need naturally evolved ecosystems to exist and
prosper. We are part of and utterly dependent upon the web of life found
in the ecology of old forests and other natural habitats.<br />
<br />
Yet we have derived an economic system of growth dependent upon their
clearing. At a certain scale such habitat destruction could occur
without impacting climate, soil, precipitation, and other ecological
processes. Yet increasingly over recent decades landscapes, bioregions,
and increasingly the global system are being thrown into disarray as
terrestrial ecosystem processes and patterns are disturbed and
ultimately eliminated.<br />
<br />
Critical thresholds whereby natural ecosystems become disconnected,
and are islands of habitat surrounded by devastation, have been
surpassed. Abrupt climate change, lack of drinking water, soil
infertility, dead oceans – all are contributed to by loss and
diminishment of terrestrial ecosystems.<br />
This European spawned disease of over-development, since embraced by
many others, threatens an uninhabitable hell on Earth. Tremendous
suffering awaits us all and has already begun as climate weirding,
ecosystem collapse, food and water shortages, and authoritarian
responses destroy centuries of progress. Ill-gotten wealth from
ecosystem liquidation has enabled unsustainable growth in human
populations and inequitable over-consumption.<br />
<br />
Each act of cutting and burning old trees diminishes and contributes
to the pending collapse of the biosphere. Continued clearing of old
forests inexorably leads to the end of being.<br />
<br />
The Amazon rainforest, along with a handful of other forest
wildernesses in Africa, Canada, the Congo, Russia, and New Guinea,
contain the last intact, contiguous terrestrial ecosystems that provide
ecosystem services driving global ecological sustainability. These
naturally evolved large-scale ecosystems contain a complex panoply of
life that in sum power the biosphere and make Earth habitable. And at a
smaller scale remnant habits along rivers, in wetlands, forest
fragments, and even individual large trees continue to provide habitat
for all life including humans.<br />
<br />
Yet despite all that science has re-learned regarding the importance
of natural ecosystems for biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate; these
last planetary ecological engines continue to be sacrificed on the alter
of mammon in an orgiastic spasm of ecological cruelty and derangement.<br />
<br />
Ecology is the meaning of life (not development).<br />
<br />
It is ludicrous to log old trees found in millions of year-old
natural ecosystems. It is abnormal and a self-fulfilling death wish.
Think of the suffering of wildlife as they are consumed by flames or die
from lack of habitat.<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7x18Tb-SlefSdbJ7uL6z8dfZQIvFvgFd36NCiHvhRAT8offi9jZbJ6WAkZO8KQGvOgmUYBQ2DNF_LKJwvEFhXi8rRd1F7YJ-EkREngtXlo8rdVTsb1FwHymyRFMxPAv57IUJvf5r2oYNlgAOEilcyRizClSk58EaffeiPVGBarJRO_J57B6r9b-0ttQ=s780" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Amazon rainforest fires threaten Brazilian and global well-being" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7x18Tb-SlefSdbJ7uL6z8dfZQIvFvgFd36NCiHvhRAT8offi9jZbJ6WAkZO8KQGvOgmUYBQ2DNF_LKJwvEFhXi8rRd1F7YJ-EkREngtXlo8rdVTsb1FwHymyRFMxPAv57IUJvf5r2oYNlgAOEilcyRizClSk58EaffeiPVGBarJRO_J57B6r9b-0ttQ=w320-h180" title="Amazon rainforest fires threaten Brazilian and global well-being" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazon rainforest fires threaten Brazilian and global well-being<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Cutting and burning are both a cause and a symptom of the disease
consuming the Amazon.<br />
<br />
Rainforests are cleared for agriculture using
fire, and the resultant micro-climate changes, particularly along
exposed rainforest edges, make otherwise moist regions more prone to
burning.<br />
<br />
The current burning of the Amazon is the logical consequence of a
wicked worldview’s pernicious logging of tropical hardwoods and clearing
of land using fire for agricultural expansion. And most of this
destruction is to feed the markets of the over-developed world which
have already decimated their own natural systems.<br />
<br />
You can make a difference in protecting the Amazon and other old
forests. Your hunger for soy, beef, and timber are ultimately the cause
of Amazon’s fires. Eliminate these rainforest destroying products from
your life. For centuries settlers have threatened indigenous
communities. Working as an ally to support indigenous land tenure is
perhaps the most important thing you can do to help stop the Amazon
fires. And work to support ecological restoration and regenerative
agriculture in the Amazon and on all degraded lands including those near
you.<br />
<br />
Entire criminal sectors have made some powerful interests rich, and
provide temporary employment for workers growing soybeans, milling logs,
and cattle ranching. Yet all such extractive enterprises based upon
clearing millions of year old natural ecosystems ultimately prove
tragically unsustainable in the mid-to-long term.<br />
<br />
The collapse of natural ecosystems is made more tragic by a whole
lecherous NGO sector greenwashing particular types of rainforest logging
or farming as being “sustainable”. Should a hell exist other than in
Amazonian infernos, a special place is reserved for such traitors to the
Earth and ecological truth. You know who you are, shame on you.<br />
<br />
Around the world social protest movements are emerging,
strengthening, and coalescing into more than the sum of their parts; to
demand democratic, just, equitable, and sustainable social change. Only
through such a Great Transition can the global environment be sustained,
and all enjoy freedom and decent livelihoods. Crucially, protest
movements are emerging that acknowledge that the climate, biodiversity,
and ecosystems crises are one and the same.<br />
<br />
A central demand of those seeking ecology truths must be that all
cutting and burning of old trees found in natural old forest habitats
end immediately. And that an age of ecological restoration be embraced
with all haste to reestablish mature natural habitats across the
majority of Earth’s surface.<br />
<br />
Entire industries feeding themselves upon the trough of global
ecocide must be dismantled; and replaced with eco-enterprises based upon
regenerative agriculture and allowing natural ecosystems to age and
reconnect. There exists tremendous potential for good livelihoods built
upon restoring natural forests, soils, wetlands, and waterways. All of
which will prove important in restoring our global atmosphere by slowing
climate change as well.<br />
<br />
It is
morally wrong to kill old trees.<br />
<br />
The cutting and
burning of old forests ends, as a prominent aspect of the coming Great
Transition required for equitable and just global ecological sustainability, or
together we all needlessly die.<br />
<br />
I beseech you to dedicate yourself to living a life that does not
consume products produced by burning and cutting old forests and other
natural ecosystems. And commit yourself to restoring natural habitats,
indigenous well-being, and sustainable agriculture.<br />
<br />
Do so as if your and all life depend upon it. It does.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-11734822454164631992019-06-08T05:03:00.001-04:002019-07-21T11:43:51.038-04:00Regenerating Gaia: Imagine a Peaceful Rebellion that Regrows Nature<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Gaia – the living global ecological
system – is collapsing and dying as human industrial growth overruns
natural ecosystems and climate. Yet the biosphere can regenerate, as it
has done before, given the time and space, free from human burning and
cutting. As the twin emergencies of climate and ecosystem loss threaten
the end of being, I join in calls for a peaceful “Extinction Rebellion”
whereby people together do what they can, do what they must, for Earth
and our shared habitat. Let’s start by regenerating nature in order to
sustain creation.</b></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWmev_l5D7MtzccXuRqrfwZYA6fPPgjGkP0q4mJU-xJv4xiiBpbs_T20NfiS4QlLepb4YXccb8GOVh1_Z6F_m5NG5pc2FQ76Q6ewB3erBNjJIH23T-DKsMomtc8pHQcGEWn7lWaOGr6dG/s1600/organic_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="460" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWmev_l5D7MtzccXuRqrfwZYA6fPPgjGkP0q4mJU-xJv4xiiBpbs_T20NfiS4QlLepb4YXccb8GOVh1_Z6F_m5NG5pc2FQ76Q6ewB3erBNjJIH23T-DKsMomtc8pHQcGEWn7lWaOGr6dG/s320/organic_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regenerate Gaia, Regrow Nature</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“Imagine all the people living
life in peace… You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, I
hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” – John
Lennon, Imagine</blockquote>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“Imagine a peaceful rebellion that regrows nature…
Let’s return to and tend our planetary garden. We once shared creation
with other creatures, let’s do so again. Gaia can regenerate herself if
given enough time, space, and love.” – Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
One of many amazing things about nature is it can grow back. 10,000
short years ago much of the Northern hemisphere was covered by a mile of
glacial ice, scouring the land of all-natural vegetation. Before that,
cataclysmic asteroid strikes virtually annihilated biological life, in
moments of immense planetary scale death. In each case, fragmented life
re-emerged – renewed and diversified – in relatively short order.
Critically, enough natural remnants remained, and were able to recover.<br />
<br />
For eons biological life of all sorts including natural terrestrial
ecosystems have shown an innate, indomitable will to sustain itself.
This is not necessarily the case. Gaia, the planetary organism that is
the sum of all ecosystems, can – like all life – collapse and die. Yet
creation has proven to be remarkably resilient. When adequate remnant
nature remains, and once pressure is taken off quickly and long enough,
life is able to regenerate; genes evolve, wildlife has babies, and
natural ecosystems repopulate denuded land and sea.<br />
<br />
Gaia is a living organism. And once again, all her organic and
naturally evolved life is in peril. This time at the hands of humanity.<br />
<br />
It is difficult to fathom the degree to which natural ecosystems and
climate have been disrupted by human industrial growth, and the
potential for spiraling collapse should natural ecosystems and climate
not be allowed to recover. The biosphere is already bifurcating between
extremes (a sure sign of impending collapse) – demonstrated by trends as
diverse as climate weirding, rising authoritarianism, collapsing
ecosystems, mass migration, and a state of perma-war – before settling
into a new normal of a depauperate and perhaps lifeless planet.<br />
<br />
Now living in New York City and working in financial IT, much of my
formative years unfolded in close proximity to nature. Some of my most
pleasant memories as a child include fishing for bass from a canoe with
my parents, the smell of the Earth waking in a tent, and partaking in
the symbiotic ecological cycles of animal husbandry and gardening as my
family homesteaded. Over the past two decades I have restored a natural
forest ecosystem on a few acres of denuded farm fields – a gratifying
yet grueling task.<br />
<br />
From an early age I sensed Earth was alive and gravely threatened,
intuitions fortified by over a decade of graduate studies in ecology,
and a lifetime of rainforest and climate activism. It has been 5 years
since I published <a href="https://ecointernet.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MEQ-Terrestrial-Ecosystem-Loss-and-Biosphere-Collapse.pdf"><b>Terrestrial Ecosystem Loss and Biosphere Collapse</b></a>,
ground-breaking peer-reviewed science identifying a tenth planetary
boundary. There I hypothesized that 66% of Earth’s land must be covered
with natural and agro-ecological ecosystems to sustain the biosphere;
and foresaw the need for a revolutionary response to ecosystem and
climate emergencies, now being realized with global climate strikes and
extinction rebellions.<br />
<br />
Given such a massive and unprecedented global ecological emergency, surely an “Extinction Rebellion” is long overdue.<br />
<br />
Imagine a peaceful rebellion that regrows nature.<br />
<br />
The place for sufficient climate and ecosystem solutions to start is
to let Earth rest and recover. And most importantly, to allow and assist
natural ecosystems to regrow. We must once again put our faith in
seeds, and the ability of nature to sustain all life.<br />
<br />
Massive nurseries of natives plants from local genetic stock, nearby
genotypes adapted to warmer conditions, and species suitable for forest
gardens will be required to provide seed stock to re-establish intact
and functioning ecosystems over two-thirds of the Earth’s surface.
Enormous deforested and ecologically diminished areas exist,
particularly in the tropics, that must be quickly reforested.
Replenishment planting surrounding and reconnecting natural remnants
over vast areas will yield ecosystem services and store carbon, as well
as provide massive employment. Science knows much regarding how to
harness ecosystems’ natural restorative processes, carefully targeting
for augmentation the re-establishment of dominant and keystone species,
as remnant ecosystems are aided to expand and reconnect.<br />
<br />
There exists enormous potential to carry out landscape scale
ecological restoration activities which assist natural remnants to age,
expand, and reconnect. Protecting and restoring old-growth forests,
other natural ecosystems, and all kindred species are a huge part of the
climate change and ecosystem solutions, and a prerequisite to solve a
whole host of other ecological issues including biodiversity, soil,
wildlife, and water crises.<br />
<br />
We are speaking of restoring natural ecosystems, going well beyond
tree farms. Such rewilding focuses upon assisting natural ecosystems to
recover their full ecological integrity. This is demonstrated by their
possessing the full range of natural species, composition, structure,
and function. Diverse agro-ecological systems that emphasize organic
perma-culture will play a vital role, when interspersed with intact and
regenerating forests, in order to once again ensure ecosystems provide
the ecological context within which humans and other species can live
forever.<br />
<br />
Of course, successfully regenerating ecosystems on a global scale
presupposes that the damage to existing intact ecosystems ends. Much of
the foundation-fed climate and environment movements have myopically
focused upon technical solutions to climate change, failing to
understand the role intact and regenerating ecosystems play in
sustaining Gaia. Some go so far as continuing to sell logging primary
forests as being desirable and even sustainable. We must go far beyond
technophile solutions and end natural ecosystem loss and harness the
Earth system’s amazing ability to regenerate herself.<br />
<br />
This is what makes the Extinction Rebellion movement so exciting – it
correctly diagnoses the threat to the biosphere, humanity, and kindred
species as emanating from both climate change AND biodiversity/ecosystem
loss.<br />
<br />
Ecology is the answer.<br />
<br />
There is no way humanity emerges intact from the climate and
ecosystem emergencies and achieves global ecological sustainability
unless we grow justice, peace, and equity as well. This will require
powering down the industrial growth economy, demobilizing the
military-industrial complex, and coming together as one human family to
stop those destroying nature. Solutions include not only ending burning
of fossil fuels and destruction of natural ecosystems. We must also make
peace and demilitarize, promote greater fairness and justice, and limit
human numbers and inequitable over-consumption.<br />
<br />
Let’s return to and tend our planetary garden. We once shared
creation with other creatures, let’s do so again. Gaia can regenerate
herself if given enough time, space, and love. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-89928576715297129802018-12-08T17:51:00.003-05:002018-12-16T10:38:32.165-05:00It’s the End of the World and I Don’t Have Much New to Say<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote>
“Abrupt climate change is careening out of control, as
the impacts of dramatic polar ice melt are given short shrift… Not a lot
of new land is being made, and much of what remains is tawdry remnants
of their former productive glory… And the middle class and political
moderation are fading away. It is difficult to imagine how this can end
in anything but utter and total collapse.” — Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAnwhMAy0JrQcE7mSlUGuQI9JqMYCQAIjpp-1zYU6tuXWzT4-EDRxzI5l9SkyokyniZvndRfZ6iDUE_7ZxVzsppQgesJU5MilzZtMVVOeEEC4clw_SovTM1ISOuFRBaan7CncRIpZeOel/s1600/we_are_all_in_this_together.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAnwhMAy0JrQcE7mSlUGuQI9JqMYCQAIjpp-1zYU6tuXWzT4-EDRxzI5l9SkyokyniZvndRfZ6iDUE_7ZxVzsppQgesJU5MilzZtMVVOeEEC4clw_SovTM1ISOuFRBaan7CncRIpZeOel/s320/we_are_all_in_this_together.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are all in this together</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After decades of writing essays highlighting global ecosystem
collapse, I haven’t had much to say lately. That’s not meant to suggest
that I don’t care, the threats to our very being have diminished, or
that I am not still taking action for Earth.<br />
<br />
But as the World comes to an end, I just don’t have much new to say.<br />
<br />
Over the years I have written hundreds of essays. Recently my thoughts were about as poignantly put as I am able in <b><a href="https://ecointernet.org/2018/01/28/the-ecology-ethic/">The Ecology Ethic</a></b> and <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2018/03/18/absolute-radical-green-freedom/"><b>Absolute Radical Green Freedom</b></a>.
There my central theses of all these years can be found: Earth is dying
from ecosystem loss and climate change, only a profound cultural
transition can save us, and economic decline, mass migration, and the
rise of fascism are indicators of looming global ecological collapse.<br />
<br />
It’s not even that I have become jaded or immobilized. I continue to
develop machine learning systems to catalogue, and identify and network
solutions, from Earth’s ecological information. Much will be unveiled on
this soon (see <a href="https://search.ecointernet.org/"><b>https://search.ecointernet.org/</b></a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/ecointernet3"><b>https://www.twitter.com/ecointernet3</b></a> for an early start).<br />
<br />
But as I age I have become more pragmatic. Very few societal changes
have come about until the elite see it is in their interest and embrace
change out of the need for self-preservation. I am working hard to
connect with and understand global economics, looking for ways to build
bridges between deep ecology and sustainable commerce. Thus I work a
gratifying day job in finance to pay for my decades of past activism.<br />
<br />
Clearly things are worsening ecologically, economically, and
socially. Abrupt climate change is careening out of control, as the
impacts of dramatic polar ice melt are given short shrift. A relatively
large amount of heat is required to melt ice. Once the “air
conditioning” provided by this ice is gone, extra heat will dramatically
warm oceans and land, orders of magnitude beyond the calamitous
warming already occurring.<br />
<br />
Not a lot of new land is being made, and much of what remains is
tawdry remnants of their former productive glory. Large naturally
evolved ecosystems that power the biosphere are almost gone. The
majority of the human family continues to focus upon serving invisible
ghosts in the sky and buying more things, rather than concerning
themselves with sustaining their shared habitat and thus community
well-being.<br />
<br />
Global economic inequity has reached obscene levels. A sizeable
minority lives in cocooned techno-splendor, dying from over-consumption;
as the majority barely gets by, many scrounging a miserable existence
from industrially plundered environments. And the middle class and political moderation are fading away.<br />
<br />
It is
difficult to imagine how this can end in anything but utter and total
collapse.<br />
<br />
How long before the have-nots come to take what they need from those
that have-so-much extra? Facebook friends will not be there to save you.<br />
<br />
As we invest consider taking long positions in land, water, air, and
food; and shorting fossil fuels, armaments, and spying. By doing so
together we sustain a just, equitable, and free Earth; and we may
benefit personally from funding solutions to our existential threats.<br />
<br />
I do not think it is possible or necessary to seek perfection. But
there is so much we can do individually and together to dramatically
reduce the impact upon a sick Earth. Drive and fly, eat meat, and buy
stuff way less. And find community, make peace, and share way more.<br />
<br />
Recommit to humanity’s continual quest for self-improvement. Basic
advances in the human condition such as slavery, racism, sexism, and
militarism which nearly ended are once again threats due to profound
ignorance, sloth, and greed.<br />
<br />
We are all in this together. Resist the coming new Dark Age through love and connectedness with nature and fellow beings.<br />
<br />
The three billion plus year old naturally evolved Earth is a
masterpiece. The works of the hairless monkey with opposable thumbs are
profoundly brilliant. We must continue our evolution, and doing so
requires returning to our animalness, and relearning the most basic rule
of all life: not fouling the nest in which you live.<br />
<br />
Often I imagine a peaceful, thriving, loving humanity living enmeshed
within rewilded nature abounding with old forests, rich gardens, and
wildlife. I beseech you to make love not war, advancement not profit,
equity not misery, ecology not ruin, justice not elitism, liberty not
authoritarianism, respect not intolerance, knowledge not ignorance; and
once again together strive for shared betterment.<br />
<br />
Not sure how new this was. But I guess I had something to say after all.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-37538182922838943132018-07-29T07:00:00.000-04:002018-11-19T22:21:19.384-05:00New “Biosphere News Search” Web Site Launches to Benefit Global Ecology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpyg5oKihck4G-eCkAGyBFIBXtbwp8oy1YL1VDCsMrUoxDAb3cAhAHMYvJN_1X1ujNxOc8L9Jh3Ps_oh1xmrz3zoD4XlygYgvAp5bmUsSXD8lY_sf9Hnf5saYHX3pBCnEY7Dod5b4aNfC/s1600/biosphere_search_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="1342" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpyg5oKihck4G-eCkAGyBFIBXtbwp8oy1YL1VDCsMrUoxDAb3cAhAHMYvJN_1X1ujNxOc8L9Jh3Ps_oh1xmrz3zoD4XlygYgvAp5bmUsSXD8lY_sf9Hnf5saYHX3pBCnEY7Dod5b4aNfC/s320/biosphere_search_lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://search.ecointernet.org/">Biosphere News Search</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
PRESS RELEASE<br />
July 31, 2018<br />
<blockquote>
First of its kind climate and environment search engine,
using machine learning and big data for global ecological
sustainability, to be unveiled by EcoInternet this week in New York City</blockquote>
For more information contact:<br />
Dr. Glen Barry, President, <a href="http://www.ecointernet.org/"><b>EcoInternet</b></a><br />
<a href="mailto:drgbarry@gmail.com">drgbarry@gmail.com</a><br />
<br />
New York, New York (July 31, 2018) – Environmental non-profit
EcoInternet has today launched a new ecological search engine based upon
cutting edge machine learning, data science, and big data technologies.
Data tools typically used for finance and business are being applied
for the first time to integrating the full body of global ecological
knowledge in order to facilitate policies sufficient to avoid abrupt
climate change, continued natural ecosystem loss, and ultimately
biosphere collapse (1).<br />
<br />
The new <b>“Biosphere News Search”</b> site at <b><a href="http://search.ecointernet.org/">http://search.ecointernet.org/</a></b>
tracks global climate and environmental news, as well as related issues
as varied as rainforest conservation, sustainable agriculture,
indigenous rights, and human trafficking. The best ecology news content
from tens of thousands of news sources are continuously identified 24/7,
algorithmically rated, networked on social media(2), and loaded into
the new biosphere search engine.<br />
<br />
“As Earth’s one shared biosphere is being pummeled by abrupt climate
change and ecosystem collapse, EcoInternet is thrilled to unveil the
fruits of two years of research and development into information systems
to help provide solutions to these cataclysmic threats. The Biosphere
News Search continuously finds, integrates, and amplifies the best
global ecological knowledge using machine learning and big data
technologies (which can scale indefinitely). The system is learning
about the types of solutions known by experts, and desired by the
public, and is constantly improving its results,” explains Dr. Glen
Barry(3), President of <a href="http://www.ecointernet.org/"><b>EcoInternet.</b></a><br />
<br />
EcoInternet and predecessors have a long history of using information
technology and the Internet for environmental conservation, dating to
the late 1980s from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. For decades Dr.
Barry has pioneered ecological advocacy and science on the Internet,
work widely regarded by others as visionary. He was among, if not the
first, blogger and news aggregator, sharing forest conservation content
since the early 1990s. EcoInternet has initiated and participated in
hundreds of successful community and indigenous conservation campaigns,
while pioneering environmental search since the late 1990s. After a few
years of concentrated learning and training in emerging data
technologies, EcoInternet has recently entirely retooled their computer
systems, which had been initially constructed as part of Dr. Barry’s PhD
research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<br />
<br />
The current Phase 1 <a href="http://search.ecointernet.org/"><b>Biosphere News Search</b></a>
makes all global climate and environment news content searchable; with
sources running the full gamut of news agencies, NGOs, community groups,
and scientific bodies. Nearly a thousand articles are gathered,
networked, and made searchable a day. We are now raising funds to
complete our work on the new search engine by polishing the news content
aggregator and the search engine’s graphic presentation. Work has
already begun on creating a Google-like web search of all the best
reviewed scientific and educational information on rainforests, oceans,
agriculture, water, ecosystems, climate and related issues available on
the Internet. In coming months EcoInternet expects to release an
Internet wide ecology search engine and will also unveil a revamped
ecological action network. Partnerships and sponsorship opportunities
are desired.<br />
<br />
“The global ecological system is collapsing and dying as human
industrial growth overwhelms the climate and ecosystems. We urgently
need to integrate knowledge regarding ecological problems and their
solutions — from the local to the global scale — to inform advocacy and
policy actions sufficient to maintain a habitable planet. Future phases
of EcoInternet’s Earth IT Project will organize the most important
global ecological data sets into a ‘Global Ecology Data Vault’ using
cutting edge data warehousing techniques not yet applied to global
ecological sustainability,” says Dr. Barry.<br />
<br />
###ENDS###<br />
<br />
(1) Barry, G. (2014), “Terrestrial ecosystem loss and biosphere
collapse”, Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 25 No. 5, pp.
542-563. <a href="https://ecointernet.org/terrestrial-ecosystem-loss-and-biosphere-collapse/">https://ecointernet.org/terrestrial-ecosystem-loss-and-biosphere-collapse/</a><br />
(2) EcoInternet’s climate and environmental aggregated news are available at:<br />
Web: <a href="http://ecointernet.org/">http://ecointernet.org/</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/ecointernet3">https://twitter.com/ecointernet3</a><span class="hu-external"></span><br />
Reddit: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EcoInternet/">https://www.reddit.com/r/EcoInternet/</a><span class="hu-external"></span><br />
RSS: <a href="https://www.ecointernet.org/eifullrss.xml">https://www.ecointernet.org/eifullrss.xml</a><br />
Search: <a href="https://search.ecointernet.org/">https://search.ecointernet.org/</a><br />
(3) Dr. Glen Barry on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/drglenbarry">https://www.linkedin.com/in/drglenbarry </a><span class="hu-external"></span> — please feel free to connect</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-5605943663231883072018-07-08T06:55:00.000-04:002018-08-20T06:56:09.993-04:00Mass Migration Portends Fascism and Biosphere Collapse Unless We Share<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="post-title entry-title">
</h1>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_48424" style="width: 310px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhNbEHIXuQzP9MBL6UgPb_nG-unfxjqOZ3PVbYkupMLUhDJIoV9rFfWpzNppPYdArchLIoIhhXo53VavB6zMa9xGCIwpBwlX1p0x43sBFLVckurRq5gdMSe04i9k-xluRJqEiMXbNMMAi/s1600/migrants_fence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhNbEHIXuQzP9MBL6UgPb_nG-unfxjqOZ3PVbYkupMLUhDJIoV9rFfWpzNppPYdArchLIoIhhXo53VavB6zMa9xGCIwpBwlX1p0x43sBFLVckurRq5gdMSe04i9k-xluRJqEiMXbNMMAi/s320/migrants_fence.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is nowhere to run, Earth is full</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Decades of ignoring the converging crises of climate change,
ecosystem loss, nationalism, and inequity are reaching their logical
conclusion as Europe and America are threatened with inundation by
desperate peoples. Not all who wish to come will be able to be housed,
and certainly not those arriving illegally, without pulling down host
societies. Yet we must hold onto our humanity and work for global
justice and ecological sustainability. It is the rich nation’s
responsibility to stop ravaging developing nations’ environments, and
learn to share including providing massive development aid in place. Or
the biosphere collapses and we all die after enduring a dark era of
unbearable authoritarian fascism.</b><br />
<blockquote>
Mass destabilizing migration is what you get when
religion tells you to have ever more children. You get mass unruly
migration when a handful of individuals have seized half of Earth’s
wealth as billions live in abject poverty on a couple dollars a day. The
inevitable outcome of clearance of natural forests, fouling of water,
and exponential growth in human population and total consumption is
ecocidal mass migration. — Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
Illegal immigration is, well, illegal. And it is not sustainable.
Though absolute immigration numbers rise and fall at any given moment,
the trend is clear that a variety of crises are leading globally to an
unprecedented level of dislocation from people’s traditional homes. The
days of verdant sparsely populated paradises that the dispossessed could
flee to after devastating their own lands are long gone. At nearly 8
billion human super predators and counting Earth is fully occupied and
then some.<br />
<br />
In fact, the global biosphere is collapsing and dying. What we are
witnessing at affluent states’ borders illustrates long anticipated
limits to growth, the irrefutable consequences of inequitable
over-popuation, and the logical conclusion of being in a terminal state
of ecological overshoot for decades. Large swathes of formerly
productive land have been laid to waste by the combined forces of too
many people, global warming, natural ecosystem destruction, and
over-intensive land utilization. This ecological decline combined with
centuries of neo-colonialist resource thievery has made large areas of
the world ungovernable.<br />
<br />
Continued mass movements of refugees and economic migrants from the
periphery into the world’s prosperous regions reflect the convergence of
a perfect storm. Abrupt climate change, ecosystem collapse, grotesque
inequity, continued neo-colonialism, nationalistic perma-war, and first
and foremost over-population are all reflected in the streams of
refugees to Europe and America. There are nearly 70 million refugees who
have been forcefully displaced from their homes worldwide and many more
choosing voluntarily to migrate in search of economic opportunity.<br />
<br />
The imperial powers cannot house all the citizens of failed states
and ecosystems (even though much of the suffering is at their hands).
Trying will overrun liberal democracy and lead to authoritarian
responses. Yet we must not lose our humanity and turn our backs on
suffering of others. Our best response to mass migration is to stop
destroying developing nations’ environments as the foundation of our
economic system, dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and
sum consumption immediately, discontinue our state of perma-war to
ensure easy access to resources, and provide sizeable development aid to
support meeting basic human needs in place. This includes a well-funded
program of massive ecosystem restoration that will employ large
numbers. And educating all girls as well as boys, as provide free birth
control, is long overdue to stabilize and then reduce human numbers.<br />
<br />
Europe and America sharing their ill-gotten wealth with other nations
to provide for security, environment, education, justice, and jobs; to
make it worthwhile to stay in place, is the only immigration solution
that will work. There is no other way to shared well-being.<br />
<br />
Far more is at stake than providing for economic advancement and
safety from persecution for those fleeing failed states and ecosystems,
and legitimate (though often needlessly racist) desires to maintain
existing cultural heritages and jobs. Continued exploitation of cheap
migrant labor is not justification for abdicating the rule of law or
allowing haphazard flows of human beings into an area where many do not
welcome the influx. The future of humanity is threatened as we are
poised for a final apocalyptic collapse into nothingness unless we learn
to equitably share, sustain ecosystems, and make peace.<br />
<br />
Mass migration overwhelming America and Europe is a symptom of all
that ails Western pseudo-democratic capitalism. In a globalized world
everyone shares problems. For centuries Western thought has subjugated
and persecuted other cultures, as our ravenous appetite for resources
laid to ruin natural ecosystems. Developing nations’ landscapes are
strewn with the wreckage of the over-developed world’s resource
gluttony. Ironically some of the most culturally advanced political
institutions and works of human self-expression have arisen from this
thievery. Despite the over-developed world never having quite lived up
to the false exceptionalist rhetoric, there is much that is good and
noble in tolerant societies based upon free self-expression that must be
maintained to avoid another totalitarian dark age.<br />
<br />
Near zero tolerance may well be required to make clear that rampant
illegal migration is not acceptable. But not President Trump’s seizing
of children from their parents, which is clearly fascism and crosses the
line. Racism and demagoguery will not turn back the tide of
demographics. And there is nothing progressive in sending the message
that all the world’s downtrodden are welcome to overrun some of Earth’s
last prosperous and relatively well governed regions.<br />
<br />
There are few things as sad as serial child-abuser Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, <span class="st">Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus,</span>
proposing legislation to end enforcement of immigration law given his
history of traveling to Costa Rica to sexually abuse kids (wonder if any
victims became migrants, a lot easier to prey upon if they are here).
Neither far-right authoritarian thuggery or far-left sanctimonious
elitism will resolve immigration concerns, the answer lies in the
political center.<br />
<br />
While believing firmly in the ideal of the unity of the human race
and global citizenry, no one’s interests are served by continued
acceptance of the cycle of land degradation and poor governance leading
to widespread movement into other areas to repeat yet again the ecocidal
pattern dismantling the shared global environment. More people
embracing the Western throw-away culture of over-consumption is not the
answer. As signs of biosphere collapse emerge we are each called upon to
make sustainable livelihoods in our own bioregions as there is truly
nowhere to flee.<br />
<br />
Rarely if ever have the pundits and politicians failed so miserably
to diagnose a social issues’ roots as they have done with immigration.
The very same people who want to build the wall not only deny the
scientific truths of climate change and environmental decline, they are
loathe to spend a relative pittance on helping neighboring nations
develop sustainably so there is no need to flee. America and Europe have
long pillaged other nations and the bill is due. The U.S. spends 1% of
its budget or about $50 billion on foreign aid, much of that military
assistance. While at the same time in 2017 America spent $610 billion on
the military. It is arguable which has kept us safer.<br />
<br />
Mass destabilizing migration is what you get when religion tells you
to have ever more children. You get mass unruly migration when a handful
of individuals have seized half of Earth’s wealth as billions live in
abject poverty on a couple dollars a day. The inevitable outcome of
clearance of natural forests, fouling of water, and exponential growth
in human population and total consumption is ecocidal mass migration.<br />
<br />
Desperate people seeking to survive have to go somewhere. In a world
of abrupt climate change and collapsed ecosystems anyone of us could
become a refugee at any moment. Yay but for the grace of Gaia there go
you and I. If we leave no options for recovery and self-advancement,
desperation will lead to mass floods of humanity at our door step, and a
state of anarchy and war which cannot be won.<br />
<br />
All children are going to die if we don’t change.<br />
<br />
We can respond with inhumane fascist authoritarianism, or welcome the
flood as we willfully descend into chaos. Or we can hold onto our
humanity and way of life, and together get at the root causes of
inequitable injustice, while securing our borders. We can expand our
foreign aid by several billion, or spend orders of magnitudes more
building walls, to avoid the Western civilization we cherish from being
overwhelmed. Perhaps we should do both.<br />
<br />
I have experienced first hand the cultural uncomfortableness
associated with the unregulated influx of refugees. As my wife and I
raised a family in Madison, Wisconsin, a large family of migrants
occupied the house across the street from us in our quiet residential
neighborhood. At least a couple dozen people lived in the small house,
and half a dozen cars were put on blocks to fix in the street and
driveway. On numerous occasions I asked the new arrivals to not do their
auto repair on the streets, to no avail. One late night one of the cars
being worked upon exploded and nearly burnt down our home with us
asleep inside. No apologies were forthcoming. From this one coincidental
incident, I understand the unease as large numbers of outsiders with
different social norms flood our neighborhoods. This has nothing to do
with race — I have been in a multi-cultural relationship for all my
adult life — it is about illegal entry into the country followed by an
unwillingness to accept and abide by cultural norms. And an
understanding that not everyone that wants to come to America can be
accommodated without diminishing and possibly destroying the greatest
imperfect country in human history.<br />
<br />
We must be under no illusions. Much of the concern about immigration
is thinly veiled racism bereft of understanding regarding the ecological
and socio-political underpinnings of mass human movement. Yet real
concerns regarding the environmental, social, economic, and cultural
impacts of illegal migration exist. And it is clearly impossible for the
2 billion people globally living in abject poverty to be housed within
the developing world without entirely destroying political stability and
economic well-being.<br />
<br />
Unless we are willing to take broad-based measures to share, cut
emissions, nurture ecosystems, and stop murdering each other for
resources; Europe and America will be overrun by migrant hordes and fall
into the bad sort of anarchy. Without centers of prosperity it is very
unlikely we will achieve the technology, shared well-being, and
political will to avoid abrupt climate change and biosphere collapse. We
get at the root causes of why so many people are fleeing failed lands
and governments and help remedy those factors, or all of Western
civilization (such as it is) and our one shared environment are lost
forever.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-32865804533977894882018-03-24T09:03:00.002-04:002018-03-26T19:54:19.324-04:00Absolute Radical Green Freedom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>On the rise of high-tech global authoritarianism, as freedom
and ecosystems fail, and Amerika falls into Russian and Chinese style
tyranny</b><br />
<blockquote>
“Nothing is so unworthy of a civilised nation as allowing
itself to be governed without opposition by an irresponsible clique
that has yielded to base instinct.” – The White Rose, Hitler Resistance
Pamphlet</blockquote>
<blockquote>
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” – George Orwell, 1984</blockquote>
<blockquote>
“The world is converging on trans-national state terror as the biosphere collapses.” – Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
Earth Meanders – Deep Ecology Essays<br />
By Dr. Glen Barry<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDzYl3OU-j0GEDCU8DcjLEl0fp_zxFazH37pN1WrUu3o1zFralXYncuQlrb6DS-NPzQG9pxtsZClKuWsvW0Nvo0LGEr6kfO2rPyeySPSNR8b3_iEfFEpM_gCuOzyrGwdQL-Z2ZNeXIdwO/s1600/big_brother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDzYl3OU-j0GEDCU8DcjLEl0fp_zxFazH37pN1WrUu3o1zFralXYncuQlrb6DS-NPzQG9pxtsZClKuWsvW0Nvo0LGEr6kfO2rPyeySPSNR8b3_iEfFEpM_gCuOzyrGwdQL-Z2ZNeXIdwO/s320/big_brother.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big brother is not your friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As a child I remember the awe and pride of learning the history of
human advancement. From the realization of the rights of man, and the
ending of the slave trade, to the sharing of wealth with workers, onward
to constant — albeit incremental — progress on greater racial and
gender equality, as we stepped back from the brink of nuclear war,
embraced international law and human rights, and began addressing global
environmental issues; the human condition was always improving.<br />
<br />
What a wonderful time to be alive, I thought as a young man working
for rainforests, indigenous rights, and climate. Surely my generation
would complete the journey to a just, equitable, peaceful, and
sustainable world. The human family was inevitably evolving to a higher
level of consciousness and thus shared well-being.<br />
<br />
Now in my middle age, I realize how fragile and impermanent are all
advancess in the human condition in the face of sloth, ignorance, and
envy. Full blown global authoritarian fascism is descending upon the
Earth as China, Russia and America reject human rights and
environmentalism. In a series of largely bloodless coups, charlatan
demagogues have seized power, rolled back democratic progress,
stonewalled necessary measures to pursue global ecological
sustainability, and are thus committing treason against Earth and her
peoples. A small yet concentrated global oligarchy controls over half of
Earth’s wealth, and are harnessing big data technologies to forcefully
maintain their advantage, blocking all efforts to achieve global
justice, equity, and sustainability.<br />
<br />
Centuries of human progress are being jettisoned to placate the
masses with ever more shiny trinkets, as the rich ensconce themselves in
unimaginable opulent splendor far removed from failing ecosystems.
Summary arrests, show trials, abrupt climate change, routine spying, degraded environments,
centralized authority, minority scapegoating, growing inequity, drone
murder, and perma-war are pervasive. In general the rejection of global
human rights and environmental protections have become the new
international norm.<br />
<br />
The world is converging on trans-national state terror as the biosphere collapses.<br />
<br />
The American, Chinese and Russian political systems are increasingly
characterized by authoritarian tyranny under the guise of various
nationalistic window-dressings. In each surging inequitable consumption
destroys the ecosystems and atmosphere that are our shared habitat.
Fascist surveillance states fueled by faux-populism are all the rage, as
freedom and Earth let out their last gasping breath, before together we
fall into nothingness.<br />
<br />
We are being led in chains to our miserable deaths. The end of being is at hand.<br />
<br />
THE NOT SO GREAT POWERS<br />
<br />
China is a foul ecocidal failed state whose repulsive political
system is rife with corruption, tyranny, state thievery, voracious
growth, and an unsustainable appetite for resources that consumes global
ecosystems. Past glories of ancient ancestors do little to soften the
brutal savagery of a hyper surveillance state bent upon absolute control
through dehumanization. The hunger of over a billion potential
consumers, believing in little else but having more, alone threatens to
collapse and pull down the biosphere with it at any time. With Xi, yet
another tyrannical tin-pot dictator has arisen, the cult of personality
and mass murder are sure to follow.<br />
<br />
Russia is a constantly under-achieving and envious failed state which
seeks to get ahead through nefarious means and cults of personality
rather than substantively creating anything of value for its citizens or
the global system. Whatever contributions have been made to human
history in the past, Russia has become a perpetual basket-case of
poverty, mediocrity, and state violence. Putin would nuke the world
because of hurt pride. There are no notions of human rights, environmentalism, or progress in this Potemkin nation. When the oil is gone Russia will once again
collapse into serfdom, but not before the current state of impotent
insecurity unleashes war upon the West in support of murderous
nationalism.<br />
<br />
In America a treasonous regime has seized power, usurping the rule of
law, and threatening global ruin at any moment – perhaps over a slight
on Twitter. A once proud nation has become a belligerent, insolent
failed state that keeps itself drugged and amused to avoid addressing
the harm their over-consumption and militarism wage upon the environment
and global well-being. What was once Earth’s last great hope is now
shooting up on heroin and guns as fortunes fade as the easy resources
are gone and the environment and social cohesion collapse. A series of
stolen elections have installed a decadent self-serving oligarchy,
placing in the tiny hands of UnPresident Trump (a narcissistic
authoritarian madman) the button to impulsively destroy the world many
times over. The Trumpkin cult is bereft of personality.<br />
<br />
False, competing claims of exceptionalism by America, Russia, and
China share one thing in common – they each consider it their birthright
to destroy the world if they are not perceived as worthy of great
nation status (deservedly or not) and if they can’t have more of
everything regardless of the fate of others. Bots, learned machines, and drones keep the riffraff under constant surveillance and control lest they realize they are adrift upon a dying planet whose imminent collapse under the weight of inequitable over-population makes them expendable.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_48253" style="max-width: 310px;">
<br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsggb5QZ4tBp1L4eHAcL_WHfyjYBQkQxQhOPDgWIWhyphenhyphen4ZczAGv_pwFo92IyOlWNxd_ggbg-EfkCDMvSerFe1SBeJD3duhinnXt0-ue8twFxSlrTOsKOJfUaobMByftIqzALFF3amgtLDks/s1600/nuclear_blast.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1236" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsggb5QZ4tBp1L4eHAcL_WHfyjYBQkQxQhOPDgWIWhyphenhyphen4ZczAGv_pwFo92IyOlWNxd_ggbg-EfkCDMvSerFe1SBeJD3duhinnXt0-ue8twFxSlrTOsKOJfUaobMByftIqzALFF3amgtLDks/s320/nuclear_blast.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No person is worthy of such power</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In triplicate, self-absorbed political charlatans hold the power to
push a button and launch nuclear weapons that will destroy the world.
These ethically dubious individuals can do so at any time based upon
fits of rage, hurt feelings, or other human inadequacies multiplied by
their false sense of importance. Such power in the hands of
authoritarian megalomaniacs in service to their oligarchies is
unacceptable and must be revoked now through global denuclearization,
demilitarization, and a democratic decentralization of power.<br />
<br />
Ever wonder what you would have done as Hitler rose in Germany (or for that matter Stalin or Mao)? Now
you can answer as Trump, Putin, and Xi follow similar paths toward
absolute power and certain yet unknown atrocities to come. Each of these
governments are horrific in terms of lack of commitment, indeed a
shared disdain, for human rights and the environment. At least in
America there is a prospect, at least for now, of a democratic change in
government. Each nation’s peoples continue to largely lead normal and
worthy lives, though they do share culpability for allowing
authoritarianism to emerge unchallenged, and for embracing unsustainable lifestyles that destroy ecosystems. As has been noted throughout
history, trading liberty for security provides neither.<br />
<br />
What meaning is there besides various nationalistic myths and more
stuff in post-Modern America, China, and Russia? What is there to
believe in that is noble, equitable, and just? What higher vision for
sublime truth and goodness are to be found among the cheap throw away
consumer goods and blood? How will livelihoods of the masses be
sustained across landscapes whose ecosystems have been decimated to
build mammonist temples as playhouses for the uber-rich?<br />
<br />
Only revolutionary social change away from trans-national charlatan
oligarchic demagoguery can save the human family from final enslavement
and mass death before an apocalyptic collapse.<br />
We need a return to a shared sense of basic decency, including a
respect for global human rights, international law, and nature; in order
that we can address existential threats to our continued shared being.<br />
<br />
We must seek to return to and remain in our natural condition of absolute freedom and deep greenness.<br />
<br />
WHAT HAS BECOME OF AMERICA<br />
<br />
The United States of America has become decadent and depraved. Where
once many Americans stood together for human advancement and rights, we have
descended into hateful politics between deceitful extremes. It is
difficult to know which is worse: smug, corrupt, elitist Progressives or
fascist, treasonous, hypocritical Conservatives. The political center
has collapsed, spiraling crises such as climate change and perma-war are
going unaddressed, and the nation is on the verge of breaking apart.<br />
<br />
Fellow Americans it’s time to take a good hard look at our country.
How have we become a grotesque caricature far removed from reality?
Amnesty International now places the US in the second tier of democratic
states. We speak of freedom as we enslave others, of liberty as we wage
drone-based perma-war (often murdering innocents), and of
exceptionalism as we regress on virtually every measure of human
well-being.<br />
<br />
True lovers of liberty can’t sit by and watch the once greatest
Democracy in the world becoming self-destructive with substance abuse,
homelessness, and guns. Our rapacious appetites have left behind a
filthy environment and a slew of broken people. Deaths attributed to
alcohol, drugs and suicide increase at a record pace. With human
trafficking we are descending back into slavery.<br />
<br />
The opioid crisis, school shootings, a state of perma-war, and
Trumpian fascism are all symptoms of the disease that threatens to
destroy the America we all claim to love. We have no shared meaning, no
overarching commitment to anything other than ourselves and our
immediate gratification.<br />
Depression brought on by a sense of meaninglessness pervades the American psyche.<br />
<br />
Americans have turned into sullen, self-absorbed, and self-entitled
people. However much we have, we only care about having more. I know
because I am one of these Americans. I too feel a constant nagging
desire to consume more no matter how much I have already. And a sense of
hypocritical outrage over foreign election meddling and military occupation by
others, yet realize these are things our country has done
surreptitiously overseas for years.<br />
<br />
The USA has never really lived up to the rhetoric on human rights,
but until recently it has been committed to continued self-improvement,
and its turbulent democracy has nonetheless been the worst form of
government except for all the alternatives. Fascism is on the rise
globally. Putin to Duerte to Xi to Trump. Will America remain the last
beacon of liberal democracy? Or have we become something else, Amerika
perhaps? It is looking precarious as Trump is bent upon destroying
democratic institutions and norms required to maintain liberty.<br />
<br />
America’s commitment to freedom, however imperfect, is waning. America: what have we become? Who shall stand for global freedom?<br />
<br />
True lovers of American liberty must return to the political center,
and cultivate basic human decency in order that we can address
existential threats to our very being. I am first to admit at times I
have been a vicious troll on the Internet in service to what I believed
to be good causes. However others on the other side thought so as well.<br />
<br />
We must take a good hard look at ourselves and our country. And
step back from the precipice, tone down the rhetoric (but not the shared
pursuit of truth), and listen to each other. Good governance requires
making sensible compromises.<br />
<br />
It is time to embrace ambitious societal goals. Let's end abject poverty. Stop and reverse destruction of nature. Demobilize our militaries and redirect expenditures to health, education, and jobs. And embrace arts, sport, literature, wildlife, music, and all the other beautiful aspects of human existence. A shared spirituality that acknowledges the holiness of natural creation is long-overdue.<br />
<br />
We could be so much better. We are not caring for our children. Or our habitat. Or each other.<br />
<br />
We must turn back from becoming sullen, bitter, angry,
self-destructive people. We must care about more than having more. I
know because I am one of these Amerikans.<br />
<br />
HUMAN RIGHTS AND NATURE ARE ABSOLUTE, NON-NEGOTIABLE<br />
<br />
The natural state of humanity is absolute freedom. Humans have
evolved from the same primordial soup, and share ecological habitat,
with all Earth’s kindred life. Each person, like all organisms, holds an
inherent right to complete autonomy and control over their minds, bodies, and
actions; as long as they do no harm to others and the environment, and
while realizing the consequences of misdeeds.<br />
<br />
By nature of your existence you possess absolute radical green
freedom.<br />
<br />
True liberty can only be achieved and maintained through
continual free thinking and sustained natural ecosystems.<br />
<br />
For millennia as early humans settled and population densities
increased, there has been a constant diminution of free will, and growth
of centralized control. From storers of grain determining who ate, to
the rise of royalty, to being indoctrinated with myths that the reward
for suffering injustice was eternal life in paradise, to our present misguided faith that big government will care for us and keep us safe; we have
continually moved away from our true nature.<br />
<br />
The past centuries’ advancements in living conditions, political
freedoms, and free thought for some worked to reverse this trend. But
only briefly as a resource constrained world needs complex hierarchical
relations to control the means to allocate what remains.<br />
<br />
Advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence threaten to
complete the creation of an Orwellian authoritarian nightmare of
constant state surveillance and murder. The benefits that flow from free
thinking in a liberal democracy must not be traded away for a false
sense of security from the nanny state.<br />
<br />
Big brother is not your friend.<br />
<br />
The necessary policies for sustainability may more easily be achieved
under authoritarian command driven government. But the price of slavery
is not worth it.<br />
<br />
Better the human spirit remain untethered than in chains, at any cost.<br />
<br />
A call goes out to all global lovers of liberty to resist the rise of
fascism and other forms of despotic control wherever they may be found.
There is no higher calling than free thinking, absolute liberty, and
serving nature. Continued improvement in the human condition requires defending human progress that has been achieved thus far, as together we work for further human advancement by demobilizing the war industry, achieving greater equity, establishing universal human rights, and committing to global ecological sustainability.<br />
<br />
We sprang forth from wild natural ecosystems where we fended for
ourselves and our kin with no higher authority than the forest canopy
and stars above. Our better nature which has brought us so much progress
must be rekindled as we return to the garden.<br />
<br />
All that really matters in these troubled times is sustaining green liberty before it is too late.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-84593600357133999692018-01-28T07:48:00.002-05:002021-11-06T11:28:12.480-04:00The Ecology Ethic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Our one shared living biosphere is collapsing and dying. Continued being depends urgently upon reconnecting with nature through global embrace of an ecology ethic whose individual affirmative outcomes for natural ecosystems are sufficient in sum to sustain global nature. A primary ethical measure of a person is the degree to which their lifestyle positively or negatively impacts nature.
</b>
<br />
<blockquote>
"Ecology is the meaning of life. Truth, justice, equity, and sustainability are the ideals whereby ecology is maintained." – Dr. Glen Barry
<br />
<br />
"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” – Aldo Leopod, The Land Ethic, A Sand County Almanac.
<br />
<br />
"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival." – Wendell Berry
<br />
<br />
"To the question: Wilderness, who needs it? Doc would say: Because we like the taste of freedom, comrades." – Edward Abbey, The Monkey Wrench Gang</blockquote>
<b>Earth Meanders by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/drglenbarry/">Dr. Glen Barry</a></b>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaxVofct6u6tKU8VlI9s94HhO5YkL21KSWioHSwVH929kLbs5BhH95CnOOOEMU4DUoEmiJP95qDv5wWwmhBj9iW6Elchw0ux-NdlEINUcxGITRTqp3MMv4dVQehyphenhyphenB9aTc_fl-BqMbCVrx/s600/BiHaagpCcAEEGT-.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaxVofct6u6tKU8VlI9s94HhO5YkL21KSWioHSwVH929kLbs5BhH95CnOOOEMU4DUoEmiJP95qDv5wWwmhBj9iW6Elchw0ux-NdlEINUcxGITRTqp3MMv4dVQehyphenhyphenB9aTc_fl-BqMbCVrx/s320/BiHaagpCcAEEGT-.jpg+large.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth is a Living Organism</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Let’s start from the self-evident premise that <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/05/21/the-death-of-gaia/"><b>Earth is a living organism</b></a>. Like cells aggregating to tissues, and onward into organisms and populations; species and ecosystems are the lower level parts of the biosphere in sum. Old forests, natural waterways, oceans, soils, wetlands, and the atmosphere are the organs that together constitute a living Earth.
<br />
<br />
Big old trees in large, connected, and ecologically intact old-growth forests stabilize global climate and power the biosphere, making Earth habitable. Water is the elixir of life without which organic life is not possible. Soils take millennia to accumulate, providing the basis for plants, food growth, and ultimately wildlife and humanity. Wetlands and oceans, the atmosphere and climate, together constitute the environment needed by all life.
<br />
<br />
Such natural ecosystems – and the cyclic homeostasis of their interactions – provide the basis for all life and are thus godlike and worthy of veneration. Modern lifestyles have forsaken the ethical framework necessary to perpetuate 3.5 billion years of natural evolution.
<br />
<br />
Ancient flows of energy and nutrients between air, land, water and ocean ecosystems - that maintain our one shared biosphere - are ending. Earth is being killed by human industrial growth caused ecosystem loss, abrupt climate change, over-population, nationalistic perma-war, and inequity and injustice. <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2016/10/23/global-biosphere-collapse-the-end-of-being/"><b>Global biosphere collapse, the end of being, is upon us</b></a>.
<br />
<br />
Ecologists have been warning of global ecosystem collapse and abrupt climate change for decades. So many of the "natural disasters" we see in the daily news are in fact symptoms of this decline. However, much nature remains, and lag times when natural loss inevitably collapses the whole are unknown. And Earth is amazingly tough and regenerative (but not infinitely so). There may be a brief window of opportunity to <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2016/04/30/embrace-the-coming-ecological-inflection-point-and-great-transition/"><b>transition together to global ecological sustainability</b></a>, otherwise together we face <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2015/07/18/biosphere_collapse_the_biggest-economic-bubble-ever/"><b>biosphere collapse</b></a> and the end of being.
<br />
<br />
But it will require a revolutionary change in mindset – an "ecology ethic" which will be herein defined – to be nearly universally accepted. And fast.
<br />
<br />
A habitable global environment depends critically upon <a href="https://ecointernet.org/terrestrial-ecosystem-loss-and-biosphere-collapse/"><b>maintaining broadly distributed natural ecosystems</b></a> as the context for human endeavors. Thus the foremost tenant of an ecology ethic is to maintain all the ecological parts in order that their sum – the biosphere which makes our and all life's very existence possible – remains intact. This over-riding ecological necessity must guide all individual choices.
<br />
<br />
Together we must commit to the radical, science-based social change necessary to sustain Earth and all her life. This will certainly require a shared ecology ethic which universally values and enhances nature – the plants, wildlife, and ecological processes that make life possible – and that fosters individual-based community actions on behalf of natural ecosystems that are adequate to avoid biosphere collapse.
<br />
<br />
Humans are one species within a web of ecological relationships. The trees, animals, sky, and land you see is what there is to reality. We must stop killing other species, and ensure that all species have large expanses of habitats to meet their needs, as concurrently by securing the needs of all species, the well-being of the global whole is met by the presence of these large intact wildlife habitats.
<br />
<br />
Earth's carrying capacity has been exceeded and we are in ecological overshoot. Merging climate, food, water, ocean, soil, justice, equity, and old-growth forest crises destroy ecosystems and threaten to pull down our one shared biosphere. All life not just humans have intrinsic worth. All are part of the web that together constitutes the living Earth. Human activities that threaten the whole by destroying the parts will need to be restrained.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ecointernet.org/2013/10/20/ecology_meaning_of_life/"><b>Ecology is the meaning of life</b></a>. Truth, justice, equity, and sustainability are the ideals whereby ecology is maintained. Universal embrace of an ecology ethic before the biosphere collapses is all that really matters.
<br />
<br />
ECOLOGY ETHICS
<br />
<br />
In general an ecology ethic requires a profound shift in global consciousness to re-embrace our oneness with nature. Recognition of global ecology ethics begins with deep reflection upon and acceptance of ecological and other truths. Ecological truth exists. We need clean water to survive, land can only support so many people, we are all one human species, and there are no invisible ghosts in the sky ruling over us – just the nature from which we have evolved.
<br />
<br />
All we have is each other, kindred species, ecosystems and the biosphere.
<br />
<br />
Humanity is one species - separated by religious, class and tribal myths - yet utterly dependent upon ecosystem habitats. Love of other peoples and species, and of nature, truth, justice, and equity, are the only lasting basis for global ecological sustainability.
<br />
<br />
The ethical measure of a person is the degree to which they serve these ecological truths in their daily actions. An ethical ecological life requires living within nature without destroying it, and given historical environmental decline, that one is actually contributing to the regeneration of nature. A global ecology ethic also critically includes a sense of enoughness. There are limits to personal consumption in order that all basic needs of humans and other species are met, and that the biosphere thus remains intact.
<br />
<br />
Many years ago I wrote: "God is truth. Truth is Earth. Thus Earth is God." I was trying to communicate that sacredness aligns with truthfulness, and that the most truthful of all observations is that we need nature. Moving beyond belief in ghosts in the sky that judge us as our primary moral center, humanity would be well served by ethics that embraces the spirituality found within nature.
<br />
<br />
Aldo Leopold's classic Land Ethic was foundational in reemergence in Western society of knowledge long known by indigenous peoples of how to avoid destroying your habitat. Yet it must be expanded to better serve the needs of the entire global ecological system through maintenance of all natural ecosystems in a manner that stresses freedom, fairness, and justice.
<br />
<br />
The ecology ethic is about<a href="https://ecointernet.org/2016/09/11/declaring-climate-peace-through-an-age-of-ecological-restoration/"><b> individual actions that maintain and restore ecosystems</b></a>. Each of us is best judged by the balance sheet of whether our cumulative actions serve or destroy nature. Whether the sum total of humanity's ecological balance sheet remains within the bounds of the scientific requirements for maintaining the biosphere will determine whether together we avoid global ecosystem collapse (and much excruciating pain including the rise of authoritarian demagoguery and other widespread suffering).
<br />
<br />
An individual's ecological ethicalness is determined by whether the impacts of their existence positively impact natural ecosystems or not. Whether your sum impact upon ecology is positive or negative determines whether you are part of the disease or the cure afflicting your home.
<br />
<br />
An act is right to the extent that it increases the well-being of nature. And it is wrong, even evil, if nature is diminished. It follows that a crucial measure of the ethicalness of each human being is whether in sum your actions increase the welfare of natural ecosystems or not.
<br />
<br />
Only widespread embrace of such an ecology ethic can now save Earth and humanity.
<br />
<br />
ECOLOGY ETHICS AND PERSONAL ACTION
<br />
<br />
What does this notion of embracing an ecology ethic personally mean in practice? It starts with the impacts of your lifestyle and daily decisions upon natural ecosystems. There are so many things that you can avoid or limit in order to reduce your environmental impact, and that you can do to protect and allow natural ecosystems to expand and heal. And it doesn't require you to become a saint, just that you act to limit the totality of your impact upon Earth.
<br />
<br />
There are so many positive steps one can and must take if we are all to survive and thrive. Limit yourself to one child. Sell your car. Return to the land to produce food and restore ecosystems. Eat less or no meat, and local organic foods. Travel via air infrequently if at all. Protect and restore old forests, make love and share, revolt by embracing green liberty. And reject over-consumption as the meaning of life, instead valuing fairness, truth, and nature.
<br />
<br />
Bear witness to ecocide, highlight ecosystem collapse, propose and implement sufficient ecological science-based solutions. Favor deep experience, community, nature, and learning over more stuff. Consume only as much individually as is <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/09/24/horrific-global-inequity-threatens-ecological-collapse-and-grotesque-death-for-all/"><b>fairly available universally for all</b></a>. Know <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2016/08/21/essay-how-much-is-enough/"><b>how much is enough</b></a> and how to share. Embrace the here and now of the living Earth, to which you – like all naturally evolved animals – are an integral part, and return to upon death.
<br />
<br />
Such an ecology ethic in action is the new categorical imperative if together we are to avoid abrupt climate change and global ecological collapse. We need to embrace this change personally as we vociferously persuade others, as if our lives depend upon it, to do so as well. It does.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ecointernet.org/2016/05/08/on-ecology-and-going-back-to-the-land/"><b>Go back to the land</b></a>, returning to nature to once again make her your home.
<br />
<br />
SOCIETY'S WAY BACK TO NATURE
<br />
<br />
Protection and restoration of large, enveloping natural ecosystems is the penultimate task of all remaining time. It is critical for human survival and well-being that our population centers remain surrounded by lush natural and semi-natural ecosystems. That is, humans can only live sustainably within a sea of nature. We are at risk of fragmenting and surrounding nature with our works.
<br />
<br />
Life is all about <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2015/03/22/green-liberty-antidote-authoritarian-corporatism-global-ecological-collapse/"><b>green liberty</b></a> - maintaining our environment and all life's well-being as we remain radically free. Centuries of advancement in human rights and welfare are at risk as climate and ecosystem collapse are met with authoritarianism.
<br />
<br />
Specific ecological policy actions required to remain free and ensure nature remains the context for humanity can only be based upon the individual ecology ethic of us all multiplied by billions as we come together to return to nature. There are multitudes of actions that society must take as a whole if Earth is to remain habitable.
<br />
<br />
The threats posed by global climate and ecosystem collapse are leading more than ever to the need to end our current state of perma-war and <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/02/03/find-meaning-for-your-life-in-nature-and-theresistance-to-trump-fascism/"><b>descent into authoritarianism</b></a>. We must <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2014/05/25/this-us-memorial-day-remember-war-is-murder/"><b>stop glorifying war murders</b></a> and their perpetrators, and demobilize globally in order to address the far greater threat of abrupt climate change and ecosystem collapse
<br />
<br />
Stopping the violence waged upon natural systems will require <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/10/08/time-of-great-dying-population-bomb-bursts-old-growth-forests-end-and-the-great-awakening/"><b>urgent measures to reduce human fertility</b></a>. We have our incentives all wrong in terms of family size. There must be real advantages granted to individuals that have one child, and real incremental costs imposed for each additional birth, in order that families internalize the burden their growth places upon our shared habitat. Educating all children equally and free contraception are essential as well.
<br />
<br />
Greater fairness in wealth distribution (not equality, some who work hard and are smart will have more, but much reduced extremes) including a universal basic income to ensure all basic human needs are met is a must. The festering wound of abject poverty for billions as several individuals control half of Earth's wealth will never allow for global ecological sustainability.
<br />
<br />
We will require substantial resources to control the run-away growth machine consuming natural being. The magnitude of financing required can only come from making peace and dismantling the war industry, and by greater equity in the sharing of Earth's bounty. Massive diplomacy through re-invigorated international institutions is required to find and make the necessary compromises required to demobilize the war machine and to divert costs of war-making into nature, people, and community making.
<br />
<br />
Only through ending war and greater sharing can Earth's salvation become reality.<br />
<br />
With the proceeds from the ill-gotten Congressional-Military-Industrial complex, a massive sustained program of green peace can be waged. Massive employment programs to rebuild natural ecosystems and <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/12/27/the-coming-climate-famine-anarchy-2/"><b>transition our agriculture to a sustainable basis</b></a> can be launched. Science, art, and education that nurture our soil, wetlands, oceans, waters, forests, and air can be given the human and other resources they demand.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/09/04/abrupt-climate-change-in-hurricane-harvey-texans-reap-what-they-sow/"><b>Abrupt climate change looms</b></a>. Our shared atmosphere has been so polluted that burning will have to stop. All burning. Now. This will require substantial reduction in energy demand through efficiency, sharing, and living more simply. Failure to do so will destroy the biosphere and end being. Each of us are called upon to dramatically reduce our use of automobiles and airplanes, to grow and eat higher quality and more ethical food, and to live in smaller homes. And in so doing our personal ecological balance sheet will be much improved.
<br />
<br />
COMMIT YOURSELF TO ECOLOGICAL TRUTH
<br />
<br />
Workable solutions to climate change and broad-based environmental decline exist – including ending fossil fuels, protecting and restoring ecosystem, <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2015/11/15/for-paris-make-love-not-war-remain-free-and-become-green/"><b>making love not war</b></a>, <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2014/05/17/on-overpopulation-and-ecosystem-collapse/"><b>reducing population and inequity</b></a>, and <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2016/05/15/the-pernicious-myth-of-perpetual-economic-growth/"><b>establishing a steady state economy</b></a> – but it is not going to be easy. There are no easy answers to avoid global ecosystem collapse. Yet the longer we wait, the more limited our options, and the increased possibility that it is too late and our end days are full of <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2015/09/13/essay-mass-migration-is-biosphere-collapse/"><b>tremendous horrors of our own making</b></a>.
<br />
<br />
Collectively taking the actions required to sustain the biosphere will require <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/06/04/toughen-up-freedom-of-speech-is-absolute-there-are-no-thought-crimes/"><b>free thinking and commitment to the truth</b></a>. Numerous societal forces such as organized religion, intersectionality, nationalism, and economic class enslave humanity and murder people, species and Earth for elite profit, absent gods, prejudice, and nanny nations. Resisting <a href="https://ecointernet.org/2014/03/18/god_pollution_nature_is_my_rel/"><b>god pollution</b></a> and other societal myths is a requirement for re-embracing all that is natural, decent, and good.
<br />
<br />
We need to quickly change our ways personally and societally to embrace an ecology ethic, which includes a nature based spiritually. We are all one human family, entirely dependent upon ecosystems, kindred species, and each other for life and well–being. The establishment of ritual to encapsulate spirituality found in the natural world is the natural and truthful way to experience and serve the divine.
<br />
<br />
Gaia – the Earth System – is god–like and the giver of all life, the mother's womb from which all life flows, a loving but firm nurturer, that provides as long as her rules – and duties of her children – are recognized and respected. Gaia is spirituality that matters, because it is based upon truthful observation, not ancient and irrelevant god myths. Worshiping Earth and her life speaks to the challenges of ecocide, collapsing ecosystems, justice and equity, and truthfully sustaining global ecology, her peoples, and all life.
<br />
<br />
Truth, love, life, nature, and ecology are the only bases of a meaningful, knowledge based ethics and spirituality that liberate rather than control, that create not destroy.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ecointernet.org/2014/07/30/global-ecosystem-collapse/"><b>Abrupt climate change and ecosystem collapse are a global ecological emergency</b></a> that threatens all lives very survival, thus resistance to such ecocide is self–defense. If we are to be sustained, Earth's family will one day soon rise up all at once and end war, poverty, injustice, and abuse of children, women and Earth; to embrace a future of green liberty.
<br />
<br />
It is time for the whole world to come together in Earth Revolution based upon a shared ecology ethic to achieve sustained ecosystems, global human rights, lasting peace, and economic fairness. This is the very definition of justice.
<br />
<br />
As long as together we pull breath there is hope we can sustain Earth, but realistically the state of ecosystems and the biosphere is grim and worsening. We act courageously and resolutely based upon the requisite ecologically ethical conduct and our combined knowledge or we face final global ecological collapse.
<br />
<br />
The meaning of life is sustained ecology, radical freedom, free–thinking, truth and justice, and loving all life like kin. Everyone, the whole human family, will be green and free. And enjoy decent lives as we and all species live forever in global ecological grace.
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-56806087282183958442017-12-27T18:27:00.001-05:002021-11-06T11:41:54.025-04:00The Coming Climate Famine Anarchy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtwYVNgrNejC6im4Klo_RGokCHiqPw-TCE5QawQ9jJ0sXLztl7pVQlNp08Abk7GE5fNtLT_79he-EPl8C5vC3Dku2mF5sh1BStSiomQzEMIGQcn7BkIwS7ht5M6BB5zIawgvUlaHcQzhX/s460/organic_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="460" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtwYVNgrNejC6im4Klo_RGokCHiqPw-TCE5QawQ9jJ0sXLztl7pVQlNp08Abk7GE5fNtLT_79he-EPl8C5vC3Dku2mF5sh1BStSiomQzEMIGQcn7BkIwS7ht5M6BB5zIawgvUlaHcQzhX/s320/organic_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Together as a society we choose to embrace an agro-ecology ethic
that governs our relationship with our food and the natural world or we
face the coming climate anarchy including mass famine, needless
societal and economic collapse, horrendous suffering and depredation,
and then death. EcoInternet is committed to re-localizing, de-toxifying,
and making global food systems ecologically sustainable (and more
tasty, nutritious, and healthy as well). Critically this will require
reducing human populations and greater equity.</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The future of food – if the biosphere and her humanity are to be
sustained – is local, organic, permaculture exchanged without
intermediaries.” – Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
<br />
By Dr. Glen Barry<br />
<br />
The global environment is collapsing and dying. For too long we have lived our lives as if nature doesn't matter and have failed to embrace an ecology ethic. We have treated water, air, land, and oceans as resources to be plundered and as waste dumps. Nothing grows forever – certainly not economies on the back of finite ecological systems – and mass psychosis pretending infinite growth is possible is a death wish.<br />
<br />
Such ecological imprudence is now catching up with us, threatening our very daily bread.<br />
<br />
Climate change is having profound impacts upon agricultural systems including a lack of regular seasonality. That is, the boundaries between cold and warm, and dry and wet, periods have become highly variable. In much of the world this makes it difficult to know when to grow your food.<br />
<br />
Knowing when to plant and when to harvest is becoming extremely problematic and this aseasonality is decreasing yields. This climate weirding is the direct result of our haphazard changing of atmospheric chemistry.<br />
<br />
Climate change is making it more difficult to grow food the way we have been. Huge swathes of farmland are faced by droughts and floods. Temperate region's lack of cold weather and snow has meant an increase in agricultural pests. Similarly, factory animal agriculture and fisheries are being hammered from disease, parasites, and decreased feed stocks brought on by abrupt climate change.<br />
<br />
Shifting seasonality, and at times even a lack of seasonality, simply exacerbate problems associated with industrial farming. Modern agriculture consumes massive amounts of fossil fuels which cause both warming and are finite. Factory animal farming's prodigious amounts of fecal waste become even more toxic in the heat. Increasingly toxic GMO Frankenseeds are being peddled in conjunction with a soup of dangerous chemicals as a means to keep production high.<br />
<br />
Our increased dependence upon limited genotypes mean that one crop or animal disease could swiftly kill vast amounts of agricultural products ushering in massive price increases and widespread hunger. Soils are eroding and becoming less fertile due to increased industrial intensification.<br />
<br />
Any increase in plant growth from increased temperatures and/or carbon dioxide is quickly eliminated as another limiting factor such as water and nutrient availability goes unmet. In many cases rising temperatures simply kill plants. And the food that is grown is often stressed and thus contains fewer nutrients. The end result of climate stressed industrial agriculture is low quality junk foods that are killing our bodies and our planet. Much of the over-developed world is addicted to the sugar and additives found in this industrially produced crap.<br />
<br />
As the global food supply becomes more precarious and subject to unexpected extreme weather events, the global population continues to soar, and has now reached approximately 7.5 billion people.<br />
<br />
Already nearly one billion people experience chronic hunger, sapping their soul and energy, and providing limited opportunity for a healthy and fulfilling life. Billions of emerging consumers now view steaks and hamburgers as their birthright, with all the attendant medical and ecological costs. In much of the world the cost of food is by far the greatest expenditure, and quality food is increasingly expensive in over-developed nations as well.<br />
<br />
The world's agricultural system is weak and vulnerable to major disruption that will soon result in an international famine of the sort that already ravages numerous nations such as Haiti and Somalia. Abrupt climate change may well be the final straw that ushers in global mass hunger and collapse into the bad sort of anarchy.<br />
<br />
It is difficult to communicate the horrors that await us if the globe faces widespread failure of food systems. Suffice it to say that post-modern collapse will utterly strip cosmopolitan consumers of technological vestiges of comfort including variety of high-quality and nutritious food. Rural areas will face a shortage of open-pollinating seed due to seed monopolies, and lack of traditional farming know how. Everyday life will be a struggle to avoid murder, find food, and otherwise meet basic needs. Sadly this is already the reality for a billion people who live in abject poverty, and soon it will be all our fates if we don't change.<br />
<br />
It is increasingly probable that climate change will precipitate a massive crop failure on a global scale. Perhaps America's wheat and corn crops fail. Or globally a drought persists for years that wrecks the majority of Earth's foodstocks. Or a super pathogen takes out genetically modified corn. One can expect in our lifetime for periods where the supermarkets are mostly empty and each of us left to persist from what we can raise, exchange, or gather locally.<br />
<br />
Imagine the coming horror of starvation in the heartland as formerly petite bourgeoisie experience the depredations of the street people they once ignored.<br />
<br />
The solutions are difficult yet known. We must re-localize our agriculture systems. More of our food must be grown in our own bioregion, and exchanged and consumed locally. Much more of our population is going to have to find employment in growing food. Every human being will be called upon to grow an increasing percentage of their own food, and bartering and otherwise exchanging their surplus with those nearby.<br />
<br />
The use of fossil fuels must be eliminated from the global food chain. Factory animal feedlots must be eliminated and whatever meat is produced come from time-tested small scale animal husbandry practices (or when desired eliminated).<br />
<br />
Monocultures protected with synthetic toxic pesticides and herbicides are literally death traps. We must return to inter-cropping and no-till agriculture that focuses upon maintaining the soil's structure and fertility. The emphasis must be upon organic food production and permaculture from natural seed stocks, whereby the boundaries between natural ecosystems, tree crops, and food crops are not strictly delineated.<br />
<br />
Permaculture is committed to realizing the full potential of righteous land and soil management to benefit the community's well-being including both high quality food and ecosystems. Increasingly our forest tree crops and traditional garden vegetables will be intermingled, to the extent feasible given a bioregion's flora, as forests and gardens merge.<br />
<br />
In general an agro-ecology ethic requires a profound shift in global consciousness to re-embrace our oneness with nature. Industrial agriculture has viewed natural ecosystems as decadent wastelands that should be destroyed, rather than embracing them as the ecosystem engines that make the biosphere habitable. And which provide the genetic seed stocks and inspiration for constructing semi-natural productive ecosystems.<br />
<br />
Continued exponential growth in human populations, particularly as some have so much as many have so little, can only result in global ecological collapse. Human population growth must be limited with urgency through incentives, and educating all girls and boys, including in the use of contraception; or the global environmental system will seek balance far more harshly.<br />
<br />
There is no path to food sustainability that does not include reducing military expenditures, a basic income, and more sharing. Fairness is not communism.<br />
<br />
In sum, much more work must be done to achieve the balance between natural and semi-natural productive ecosystems necessary to sustain Earth, her humanity, and all creatures. My peer-reviewed science "<a href="https://ecointernet.org/2017/06/18/the-end-of-being-abrupt-climate-change-one-of-many-ecological-crises-threatening-to-collapse-the-biosphere/"><b>Terrestrial Ecosystem Loss and Biosphere Collapse</b></a>" suggests that 2/3 of Earth's land mass must remain as ecosystems, 2/3 of which must be natural ecosystems (44%), and 1/3 semi-natural permaculture and other productive ecosystems (22%).<br />
<br />
Or we face biosphere collapse and the end of being.<br />
<br />
The future of food – if the biosphere and her humanity are to be sustained – is local, organic, permaculture exchanged without intermediaries.<br />
<br />
EcoInternet is committed to re-localizing, de-toxifying, and making global food systems ecologically sustainable. We are in the process of creating Internet resources which will help fulfill this vision. And we could use your help. More soon on these exciting initiatives.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-38482431626288488962017-12-06T19:27:00.000-05:002017-12-07T19:31:12.466-05:00The Appalling Meaningless of Being in a Post-Modern, Pre-Apocalyptic World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZIhYFl7B6JL2HuKFao65VeYrkHRRiVDIWUzGrg9_fPq1HSvtxbXnUMU5xqeWCfS-0PEbM89sVkcBaM176cKEzuS9SEvW0C92Fy2LZsCvESPPz0KyGCl0jAP0zkGNPhOgDDG5FLkaxGlx/s1600/nature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZIhYFl7B6JL2HuKFao65VeYrkHRRiVDIWUzGrg9_fPq1HSvtxbXnUMU5xqeWCfS-0PEbM89sVkcBaM176cKEzuS9SEvW0C92Fy2LZsCvESPPz0KyGCl0jAP0zkGNPhOgDDG5FLkaxGlx/s320/nature.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is nature</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Nothing really seems to matter much when your Planet is
needlessly collapsing and dying. Big important ideas to base your life
upon are in short supply. Pretty much god myths, stuff, and tribes are
all we got. There is nature. And she needs us.<br />
</b><br />
<blockquote>
“The Ultimate Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything is…42!” – Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979)<br />
<br />
“Lady Presenter: Well, that’s the end of the film. Now, here’s the
meaning of life… M-hmm. Well, it’s nothing very special. Uh, try and be
nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then,
get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with
people of all creeds and nations. And, finally, here are some
completely gratuitous pictures of penises to annoy the censors and to
hopefully spark some sort of controversy…” – The Meaning of Life, Monty
Python (1983)<br />
<br />
“The meaning of life is nature, and universal embrace of an ecology
ethic before the biosphere collapses is all that really matters anymore.
Bathe in the forest. Grow plants. No more burning. Stop bulldozers.
Howl at the moon. Know how much is enough. Be one with nature or die.” –
Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
By Dr. Glen Barry, <a href="https://www.ecointernet.org/">EcoInternet</a><br />
<br />
Living in an era of precipitous environmental decline, it is hard to
know what to do with oneself. Most choose to just muddle through life,
spending all their time working hard in order to be able to enjoy the
last ill-gotten fruits of ecological devastation.<br />
<br />
What a meaningless existence to be concerned only with the
stimulation of your nerve endings, to love only a relatively small group
of family and friends, and have no further connection with the profound
wonders to be found in the natural order.<br />
<br />
Humans evolved from the same genes as all life and are utterly one
with the natural world. Whether we know so or not. Our evolutionary
history goes back billions of years. We are part of a miraculous web of
life, whereby life begets life, and the sum total of all life – the
biosphere – is itself a living entity. Flowers, genes, meadows,
wildlife, ecosystems, and landscapes are our kin.<br />
<br />
Sadly, this living global ecological system is collapsing and dying
as human industrial growth systematically destroys the very habitat
necessary for our shared survival and well-being.<br />
<br />
Most have been more than willing to trade this epic eco-evolutionary
lineage for a world of toxics, violent video games, mindless television,
perma-war, wage slavery, and ongoing and intensifying ecological
diminishment. Resource scarcity, a global economy, and the rise of
artificial intelligence mean middle class bourgeoisie lifestyles are
shrinking fast. Dwindling natural ecosystems continue to be tilled and
paved. All the violent, misogynist imagery in music and movies
definitely coarsens and cheapens the real world of plants, lovers, stars
in the sky, and wildlife.<br />
<br />
Who can blame opioid addicts for seeking to numb the existential
horror of meaninglessness found in the post-modern era? This terrible
epidemic is but the most recent attempt at self-medication to numb the
pain of fewer opportunities for personal gratification as profoundly
inequitable consumer violence murders a living Earth.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_47863" style="max-width: 310px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VnC5lfgu7p-z02KZT6z6rxHdsuquQ2nkgFAFN2Onkc2gHpOqLsv9yW6aQdV-0HMdrG6FjVlowri0OLpaY6ATq8pTp_269ac8qgC9CYPMOE8qEBXD9kRwHQ5nFaBH2fhAvB4JBoIPkeNb/s1600/over-consumption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VnC5lfgu7p-z02KZT6z6rxHdsuquQ2nkgFAFN2Onkc2gHpOqLsv9yW6aQdV-0HMdrG6FjVlowri0OLpaY6ATq8pTp_269ac8qgC9CYPMOE8qEBXD9kRwHQ5nFaBH2fhAvB4JBoIPkeNb/s320/over-consumption.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More stuff is not the answer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To be ecologically and socially aware is to be constantly confronted
with dilemmas. What are we to do when the doctor says to eat more fish
and you know the ocean’s fisheries are collapsing? How has perpetually
having more as many have nothing been universally accepted as
development? How does one go to work in the modern economy knowing your
actions in sum with others are killing Earth?<br />
How tragic that relentless modern techno-optimism’s quest for human comforts has spawned an ecological apocalypse.<br />
<br />
Primordial, pre-modern humans were part of something that mattered.
Like a cell in an organism, indigenous ways of being were part of the
larger whole. Imagine the thrill of being the hunter as well as the
hunted, knowing your bioregion intimately and how to use natural
materials to meet your every need, lifetime intimate loving
relationships with your kin and surrounding life, sitting with friends
around the fire pit in the forest peering out to boundless endless stars
and trying to make sense of it all.<br />
<br />
Now as we seek to make a sensible, satiating life on a dying planet
there is very little if anything that is special and of real truthful
importance to care about. By and large we live empty, atomistic lives,
cut off from each other and our rightful place enmeshed within a
vibrant, living natural world. We live programmed, brain-washed lives in
service to non-existent gods, fake countries, and illusory consumption.<br />
<br />
What is there to believe in that matters? What is the meaning of life
(other than popular entertainment’s silly suggestions of 42 and
pictures of penises)? How is one even able to find any sort of profound
meaning, sense of purpose, and righteous intent and action in a
post-modern, pre-apocalyptic world? What can possibly matter when the
mere act of being is destroying your host and 3.5 billion years of
naturally evolved life, the only life of which we are currently certain?<br />
<br />
To bring a child into a dying world is an act of negligent homicide
to the child and our shared Planet. Unimaginable horrors await all of
us, indeed already afflict hundreds of millions of fellow human beings
and countless members of other species, unless we end war, learn to
share, stop destroying natural ecosystems, and end burning of fossil
fuels.<br />
<br />
We must find our way back to the garden. Our only hope, and the only
meaning for remaining human being, is to be part of the transition to a
sustainable, just, and equitable world. A glorious, truth-filled
existence can best be found in service to nature.<br />
<br />
Personal efforts to cut consumption and be green are of course
justified but they are far, far from sufficient. The only means of
achieving global ecological sustainability is collective action to
immediately stop biological diminishment and restore nature. That is
destruction of nature must itself be destroyed.<br />
<br />
The magnitude of change required to avert biosphere collapse is
mind-boggling. There are innumerable environmental and social movements
doing good work (but watch out for greenwash). Join with an established
effort or start a group of your own. Being part of #TheResistance to a
charlatan demagogue is worthwhile but we must think bigger, and come
together in mass action to stop the ecocide of nature that is killing us
all.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWaQ3rjBcdUVem7-Ux_tTxpm9jac9xHDwUSK-2tPRFPoI4Gg430O87sqU0dLjXi6lRGv8QBOeSzSwFb1sOgMaCp7gGACLuXFYB6IONbF4_s09AKxCJGOchNGxdyzVa_OaG3uEd1x1RweT/s1600/wolf_howl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWaQ3rjBcdUVem7-Ux_tTxpm9jac9xHDwUSK-2tPRFPoI4Gg430O87sqU0dLjXi6lRGv8QBOeSzSwFb1sOgMaCp7gGACLuXFYB6IONbF4_s09AKxCJGOchNGxdyzVa_OaG3uEd1x1RweT/s320/wolf_howl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Howl at the moon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have to stop the cutting, lashing, puncturing, burning, and
lacerations occurring to natural ecosystems – the water, soil, oceans,
air, forests, animals, and plants that sustain us – or shortly we face
painful and enduring utter ruin.<br />
<br />
Stopping ecocide at all costs is the only justification for existence
at this pivotal moment in the human family’s being. Even as you earn a
wage to pay off debts, work to transition yourself to an ecologically
righteous existence as you go back to the land, and make sure to come
together as one human family to say no to the end of nature.<br />
<br />
The meaning of life is nature, and universal embrace of an ecology
ethic before the biosphere collapses is all that really matters anymore.<br />
<br />
Bathe in the forest. Grow plants. No more burning. Stop bulldozers. Howl at the moon. Know how much is enough.<br />
<br />
Be one with nature or die.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-24941585611725712262017-10-08T07:57:00.000-04:002017-12-03T00:28:10.270-05:00Time of Great Dying: Population Bomb Bursts, the End of Old-Growth Forests, and the Great Awakening<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX24ff-eHM0vdsdFpl5FlysRnrz34nF448iaB5cOfYUQvYotlBX4pKzLSfxxXqpHadS7TgHUHigUH8ezoa0PKEruOE3VJbOz5nFjF4rbQ5hX-NmmDq-qS2HXSV0yfAqOa6KBCDs9bTM3QW/s1600/population_growth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX24ff-eHM0vdsdFpl5FlysRnrz34nF448iaB5cOfYUQvYotlBX4pKzLSfxxXqpHadS7TgHUHigUH8ezoa0PKEruOE3VJbOz5nFjF4rbQ5hX-NmmDq-qS2HXSV0yfAqOa6KBCDs9bTM3QW/s320/population_growth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exponential human population growth can <br />
only end in collapse (courtesy of <a href="http://www.populationmatters.org/anthropocene">Population Matters</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Gaia, the living biosphere, is infested with humans. Not just
any humans, but the type that grow fat and reproduce exponentially by
liquidating natural ecosystems. The population bomb has burst and we are
seeing daily the predicted consequences of collapse and death in the
climate, water, oceans, and on the land. Having spent much of my life
working to protect Earth’s last naturally evolved primary forests from
logging for inequitable over-consumption, I am today ready to declare
defeat. Preserving Earth’s last large old-growth forests is a lost cause
as there are simply too many people. This Time of Great Dying is
unlikely to end well unless a global ecology ethic – including a sense
of ENOUGHNESS, just population reductions, ending fossil fuels, and
massive ecological restoration – is widely embraced with all haste in an
unprecedented and overdue Great Awakening.</b><br />
<br />
By Dr. Glen Barry, EcoInternet<br />
<blockquote>
“The idea that we can just keep growing forever on a
finite planet is totally imbecilic…” – Paul Ehrlich, Author of The
Population Bomb</blockquote>
<blockquote>
“Over-population has destroyed Earth’s last large natural old-growth
forest ecosystems, aided and abetted by traitors to the cause… It is up
to each of us to develop a keen sense of enoughness, which among other
things means no old-growth forest products.” – Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsg6PbrZUAAUTp-OzuyyKK5tdq-jetb88v0gcBmE8407pluG8RHYVdA6SW1qqHmYRL39Q-TcBHZt5Aog05nSkbx96BO2j8tz413QyVRT1jD1AcT5pNG4HFhOwow_eh_BQXDs3qaCzZv5o7/s1600/crowd1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsg6PbrZUAAUTp-OzuyyKK5tdq-jetb88v0gcBmE8407pluG8RHYVdA6SW1qqHmYRL39Q-TcBHZt5Aog05nSkbx96BO2j8tz413QyVRT1jD1AcT5pNG4HFhOwow_eh_BQXDs3qaCzZv5o7/s320/crowd1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inequitable over-population will kill us all</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OVER-POPULATED, INEQUITABLE OVER-CONSUMPTION</b><br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1258667643"></span><span id="goog_1258667644"></span>In 90 years – a blink of an eye in ecological and geological time – the human population has gone from two billion to over seven billion. Another one billion people are added every 12-15 years, such exponential growth in human population can only end in collapse. Of these, a billion extravagantly over-consume (including a few hundred individuals who have amassed half of Earth’s wealth) as another billion live in abject poverty on less than $1.50 a day.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_9382" style="max-width: 310px;">
</div>
Concurrently capitalism has manufactured all types of artificial
needs for consumption to which the vast majority aspire, and which can
never be universalized at current population densities. Thus <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2017/09/24/horrific-global-inequity-threatens-ecological-collapse-and-grotesque-death-for-all/"><b>globally devastating inequity is assured</b></a>.
Each of these manufactured desires is fulfilled through apocalyptic
polluting of the atmosphere and liquidating of natural ecosystems that
have evolved over eons and make Earth habitable.<br />
<br />
Over-populated, inequitable over-consumption literally dismembers Gaia – the living Earth – to gorge upon her ill-gotten limbs.<br />
<br />
As long anticipated, the population bomb has burst, and we are
witnessing the impact upon the natural world. The result of such
democratic consumption has been our current Time of Great Dying – an
epic cataclysm of death and destruction rained down by humanity upon all
non-human life and their assemblages into natural wildlife populations,
plant communities, ecosystems, and landscapes.<br />
<br />
Humans, after all, are
animals too. It is not normal for populations of an organism to grow so
rapidly, or for an organism to so quickly destroy its own habitat. When
this does occur in nature, the result is always mass death and system
collapse.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_9376" style="max-width: 310px;">
<br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX597TfquxibP0lB1aRpl1kW4jZW50EQ-9vQb1VHnioIx69xvbnYLTR-SQxSbTMEIhZVmllEflYkJ0iwMnvKrRZSVxpwBX1b_QJhNG78V0vjZzVB2JtYEi_xSwQ-BP5viwn0Lrlu5NLsSG/s1600/bankers_eating_earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX597TfquxibP0lB1aRpl1kW4jZW50EQ-9vQb1VHnioIx69xvbnYLTR-SQxSbTMEIhZVmllEflYkJ0iwMnvKrRZSVxpwBX1b_QJhNG78V0vjZzVB2JtYEi_xSwQ-BP5viwn0Lrlu5NLsSG/s1600/bankers_eating_earth.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth is being killed and eaten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everywhere a trained eye looks, one can see the tawdry, traumatized
remains of much diminished organic biological life upon an immense
ecocidal battlefield. Oceans are plagued by overfishing and dead-zones,
the climate is failing before our very eyes, wetlands and soils are much
diminished, natural sources of water are increasingly scarce, wildlife
has been decimated in a reign of terror, and natural terrestrial
ecosystems have virtually disappeared. And the murder of remnant bits of
nature that still exist continues unabated.<br />
<br />
Over the past century throughout much of the world naturally evolved
millions of year old old-growth forests have in short order simply been
mowed to be replaced by farms, homes, and strip malls for the ever
burgeoning bourgeois population of over-consumers. We poorly measure
human advancement by the speed whereby this growth machine dismembers
our ecological habitat.<br />
<br />
As long predicted in the ecological classic <i>The Population Bomb</i>,
Earth’s natural ecosystems have been overrun. Not unlike bacteria in a
petri dish, industrial humans are reproducing (and many over-consuming)
uncontrollably, on track to quickly surpass their ecological base. Such a
nefarious enterprise is already leading to collapse and mass death.<br />
<br />
Earth is finite. There are biogeochemical limits to the amount of
energy produced on Earth, to the number of any given organism that can
be supported by a unit of land, and to natural ecosystems’ absorptive
capacity for waste. Numerous planetary boundaries – including climate
change and terrestrial ecosystem loss – have already been surpassed as
Earth spirals out of control in a state of profound ecological
overshoot.<br />
<br />
We are in the Time of Great Dying.<br />
<br />
<b>OLD-GROWTH FORESTS LOST</b><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_15980" style="max-width: 310px;">
<br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtl5kNQ86J2wnTYAIuiQRGiRbpecz_ueWd7uua5ZaUdvi4tJWp915GCVVNdl7Ux6P980chcg6PFO6V1Mba80XOd0KLqwPx-S_Ycmfsx8FfOX7rfha_ola0_y_UcwDtBVRTArVBJZ4KfLPo/s1600/rainforest_canopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtl5kNQ86J2wnTYAIuiQRGiRbpecz_ueWd7uua5ZaUdvi4tJWp915GCVVNdl7Ux6P980chcg6PFO6V1Mba80XOd0KLqwPx-S_Ycmfsx8FfOX7rfha_ola0_y_UcwDtBVRTArVBJZ4KfLPo/s320/rainforest_canopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fully protecting Earth’s last large old-growth forests <br />
is a lost cause</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Having spent much of my life working to protect Earth’s last
naturally evolved primary forests from being logged for inequitable
over-consumption, I am ready today to declare defeat.<br />
<br />
The campaign to maintain large old-growth forests is lost. What old
forests remain are emasculated fragments of their former ecological and
evolutionary brilliance. Earth’s old-growth forest heritage has been
dismembered through logging, saturated in nitrogen, cleansed of large
wildlife, and have become sources rather than sinks of carbon pollution.<br />
<br />
How could it have ended any other way when the organizations
self-tasked decades ago with maintaining ancient forests instead started
spouting nonsense regarding how they should be “sustainably” logged and
creating “certified” markets for doing so? No large, natural forest can
long withstand the demands of 7 billion super predators bent upon their
destruction for lawn furniture and toilet paper, particularly when
billions over-consume opulently as billions lack basic needs.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ecointernet.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MEQ-Terrestrial-Ecosystem-Loss-and-Biosphere-Collapse.pdf"><b>More old-growth forests and other natural ecosystems have been lost than the biosphere can bear</b></a>.
Over-population has destroyed Earth’s last natural forest ecosystems,
aided and abetted by traitors to the cause. You know who you are and may
you live your final days in shame and despair for your old-growth
logging treachery.<br />
<br />
It is pure ecocidal madness to individually and societally continue
to live in a manner that it known with certainty will kill us all.
Despite vast strides in knowledge and understanding of ecological
science truths by specialists, most of the world and its leaders wallow
in willful ignorance. Many are too concerned with the comfort of their
individual nerve endings to understand that their ecological context of
being, which they as organic beings utterly depend upon for everything,
is collapsing and dying.<br />
<br />
Slews of technologies are developed and then misused to exacerbate
over-population and over-consumption. Inordinate amounts of energy are
put into techno-optimist schemes that far from obviating ecological
limits, simply postpone them as ecosystems are driven even further
beyond sustainability. There is no technology that can safe us.<br />
<br />
There is one last hope. We must now embrace an <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2016/09/11/declaring-climate-peace-through-an-age-of-ecological-restoration/"><b>age of ecological restoration</b></a>,
to allow what fragments of natural ecosystem still exist to age,
recover, and expand. Of course this would presuppose that we stop
logging the last old-growth forest fragments, instead maintaining all
old forests as genetic seed stocks and ecological models. We must return
to the garden even as we learn to live with the sadness (for however
long we have) that we willfully destroyed the ancient ecological
tapestry of being from which humanity and all life evolved and have been
forever sustained.<br />
<br />
We best help old forests grow back fast from what remains of native
old-growth forests or we are toast. Much potential exists for
agro-forestry and perma-culture enmeshed within regenerating natural
ecosystems. Only returning to the land to tend our gardens and rebuild
ecosystems can prolong and possibly sustain human being.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcubhltyBhqjd5jMTvH4CbMDsn26rl1x1WxrVeqatLh_PQB21Kq50UP99J5cwuSV29gRPNtLdMc9F7pyhbOgGvV_zTbQHQlkGj0MKxBi2u0ppqIZzgWVkASMt4Gckdqwgx-plB8W2_M6y/s1600/earth_everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcubhltyBhqjd5jMTvH4CbMDsn26rl1x1WxrVeqatLh_PQB21Kq50UP99J5cwuSV29gRPNtLdMc9F7pyhbOgGvV_zTbQHQlkGj0MKxBi2u0ppqIZzgWVkASMt4Gckdqwgx-plB8W2_M6y/s1600/earth_everything.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth is Everything</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>THE GREAT AWAKENING</b><br />
<br />
The answer is less.<br />
<br />
Less people. Less stuff. Less inequity. Less technology. Less
industry. Less emissions. Less toxics. Less hate. Less war. Less
religion. Less ignorance. And fast.<br />
<br />
We need less of everything; except for far more natural ecosystems, sharing, truth, justice, and love.<br />
<br />
Only by limiting our own fertility and consumption can the human
family avoid biosphere collapse and the end of being. It is up to each
of us to develop a keen <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2016/08/21/essay-how-much-is-enough/"><b>sense of enoughness</b></a>, which among other things means no old-growth forest products.<br />
<br />
A mammoth coordinated program of population control, ecosystem
restoration, renewable energy, industrial degrowth, and total
disarmament are our only chance to avoid utter ruin. We must hold onto
our humanity as massive extreme weather, authoritarian demagoguery,
thirst, and famine of our own making ravage an ill-treated Earth.<br />
<br />
Only then can the human family together make its way back to the garden.<br />
<br />
Reducing population growth and inequity, and then absolute human
numbers, is deviously simple: educate all girls too, free birth control
and a universal basic income, provide meaningful work (including
restoring ecosystems) and human services with funds realized by
demilitarization, and tax the birth of children. And learning to share
with and love one another. Seems like a small price to avoid an
apocalyptic end of being.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ecointernet.org/2016/04/18/stop-being-afraid-work-together-to-make-things-better/"><b>Believe in a better world</b></a> and make it so.<br />
<br />
Only by getting back to the land and making a righteous living which
creates more ecology than it consumes can you overcome post-modern
humanity’s bacteria like destructive instincts. We each choose every day
whether we are part of the Great Dying, or its antithesis, the Great
Awakening. Time for each of us to decide, are you part of the disease
afflicting the Earth, or the cure?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-85763296573525759522017-09-24T20:22:00.000-04:002017-10-08T20:23:00.474-04:00Grotesque Global Inequity Threatens Ecological Collapse and Horrific Death for All<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF9XL8A_HnYNZjsl3nZ4C37KiFaOkT8-83Z9RC94DcjdUDETIVktc-wdQJ0XPDtDmRKxRdg1m0iX9eUHq4I76lgqUi73xb_Ow9m-9O9SXwWUeHYitMo2ajFrOKZpXotYqkETSrAoS4dQU/s1600/humanwant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF9XL8A_HnYNZjsl3nZ4C37KiFaOkT8-83Z9RC94DcjdUDETIVktc-wdQJ0XPDtDmRKxRdg1m0iX9eUHq4I76lgqUi73xb_Ow9m-9O9SXwWUeHYitMo2ajFrOKZpXotYqkETSrAoS4dQU/s320/humanwant.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live more simply so others may simply live</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Hundreds of millions of global elites feast upon the finest
delicacies a diminished Earth has to offer, as billions struggle to meet
basic needs, and oligarchs amass unheard of wealth and entire
governments. Each in their own way destroys our one shared biosphere
that makes Earth habitable. </b><br />
<blockquote>
“May you live your life as if the maxim of your actions
were to become universal law.” – Immanuel Kant, the “Categorical
Imperative” from <i>Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals</i> (1785)</blockquote>
<blockquote>
“Consume only your fair share of nature or being ends.” – Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
By Dr. Glen Barry, <a href="http://www.ecointernet.org/">EcoInternet</a><br />
<br />
The disparity of wealth and well-being which currently exists
globally is grotesque and threatens us all with a horrific death as
demands upon nature for consumption overwhelm the biosphere.<br />
<br />
The stupid among us will wrongly call such concerns communism, while
the intent is simply to ask how much is enough? And how much can we each
have if we value fairness, the well-being of all humans and species,
and seek global ecological sustainability forever?<br />
<br />
It is evil incarnate that some have so much as many have so little.
Systematic racism and other injustices provide a gilded legacy of plenty
to entire families over generations, as some human beings through no
fault of their own have few if any opportunities for advancement. Basic
human-needs of food, water, shelter, clothing – to say nothing of higher
level needs for community, love, and security – are systematically
unmet for billions. Some of the disparity is certainly due to
intelligence and hard-work, yet the majority of inequity is due to the
random location of your birth and the circumstances therein. And much
inequity is due to the rich impeding advancement by the poor if it even
minutely diminishes the growth of their own wealth.<br />
<br />
It is not a coincidence that record global economic inequity comes as
abrupt climate change and ecosystem loss threatens to end being.
Inequitable over-population and disparities in consumption are the
primary forces destroying our ecological heritage and ushering in an era
of resource-scarcity.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_9350" style="width: 241px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigznAGdzzitaylQcBh6w-09rtYkfOJssSFG63Umu2Uex3R2o2hi5_-fRN0_2CDAanwRBXHmLsrbQY3NzjJE0g9qMwR3MJ9sHx9OSuMyPUFDmwHj8ArrX0k9y-NILFINZ4yM5e-wEQQykuv/s1600/earth_crying_out.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigznAGdzzitaylQcBh6w-09rtYkfOJssSFG63Umu2Uex3R2o2hi5_-fRN0_2CDAanwRBXHmLsrbQY3NzjJE0g9qMwR3MJ9sHx9OSuMyPUFDmwHj8ArrX0k9y-NILFINZ4yM5e-wEQQykuv/s320/earth_crying_out.png" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth is dying</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
Natural ecosystems are collapsing as our very climate fails. Racism,
chauvinism, and even slavery are resurgent. The human family is poised
upon the precipice of biosphere collapse and the end of being. Solutions
are impeded by the rise once again of authoritarian fascism based upon
anti-science and anti-intellectualism.<br />
<br />
Science informs all equipped to listen that soils, wetlands, oceans,
forests, water, and the air– the foundations of biological life – are
all being liquidated for human consumption and as a result nature,
wildlife, and humans are dying. Our immediate future is one of <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2017/09/04/abrupt-climate-change-in-hurricane-harvey-texans-reap-what-they-sow/"><b>ghastly extreme weather events</b></a>,
a state of escalating perma-war scrambling to access reduced natural
resources, and large-scale famine as ecosystems collapse and water and
food sources fail.<br />
<br />
As I have earlier asked in <b><a href="http://ecointernet.org/2016/08/21/essay-how-much-is-enough/">How Much Is Enough</a></b>,
how have we allowed a band of a couple hundred selfish oligarchs to
amass half of Earth’s wealth as over a billion human beings struggle to
exist in abject poverty? How do we justify owners of capital making 600
times the wage of their average worker? Wouldn’t their job creation
prowess and hard work be sufficiently, even opulently, rewarded with 25
times pay disparity, as was once the case?<br />
<br />
It is difficult for the bourgeoisie to imagine the horrors of abject
poverty. Putting your children to bed hungry, in a cardboard box, as
they cry out in pain before death. Selling your body and soul for your
next meal, as your whole being aches with yearning for basic human
comforts you see others possess and to which all aspire and deserve. The
horrors include untreated disease, open defecation, human trafficking,
continual violence, and a joyless miserable existence.<br />
<br />
Dogs and cats for the well-off are treated much better than billions of poor people, many of whose labor supports the rich.<br />
<br />
The Earth is a finite place (however much the siren call of
techno-optimists wails). Humanity has gone from a population of one to
over seven billion in only 135 years. Demands for consumption of all
sorts of items including meat, iPhones, cars, air travel, large homes,
and appliances have surged.<br />
Quite simply not enough ecosystems remain to be liquidated for
resources to provide all poverty stricken peoples the level of
consumption enjoyed by a typical middle-class American. The nearly
global embrace of democratic consumption as the meaning of life means
that the rich scour the Earth for luxuries, as the poor do what is
necessary to survive (including <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2015/09/13/essay-mass-migration-is-biosphere-collapse/"><b>mass migration</b></a>), each diminishing Earth’s natural capital and productive capacities.<br />
<br />
It is not suggested here that everyone should live equally; just
fairly, with all basic needs met, as the sum of global consumption
remains within Earth’s limits for regeneration.<br />
<br />
Kant’s categorical imperative emphasized that ethics are founded upon
universality. Now more so than ever, the measure of a person’s
character is whether they are living in a way that does not diminish the
ability of others to achieve a similar standard of well-being.<br />
<br />
The ecological and ethical conundrum is this: the comforts associated
with consumption are being realized at a greater rate than nature can
provide, even as many suffer from want. Either the rich will accept less
in order that all can attain some basic measure of human well-being,
even as sum consumption shrinks; or we face the final liquidation of
nature and an appalling era of ecological collapse before the end of
being.<br />
<br />
We need to learn once again to share as we renounce usury, avarice,
and greed. We must seek a higher degree of enlightenment that values
equity, justice, and ecology more than gorging ourselves upon ill-gotten
fruits. It is time to evolve together to a higher consciousness that
values universal truths and well-being.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_26505" style="width: 287px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgsiTVstT8jSPBXekYB7DhUOIWzuOJJHk6rqyG5Nzaa9kRYaanSvq2LZKymDwHI2JdF9dFV5FvsSS5XJviPI-mJadRWHnklc1xK1F55D2rdxHaBEcAFkHUfmI4KmvJoj1_7ZwgMV7iMxv/s1600/we_are_all_in_this_together.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgsiTVstT8jSPBXekYB7DhUOIWzuOJJHk6rqyG5Nzaa9kRYaanSvq2LZKymDwHI2JdF9dFV5FvsSS5XJviPI-mJadRWHnklc1xK1F55D2rdxHaBEcAFkHUfmI4KmvJoj1_7ZwgMV7iMxv/s320/we_are_all_in_this_together.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Are One Human Family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2017/05/29/this-memorial-day-the-human-family-on-the-precipice/"><b>one human family</b></a>, and are all in this together. Believe that the world can be a better place and <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2016/04/18/stop-being-afraid-work-together-to-make-things-better/"><b>come together with others</b></a>
to make it so. Think big and out of the box for solutions. A basic
human income for all, just by virtue of your birth and existence, could
largely eliminate abject poverty while shrinking big government.<br />
<br />
At one time humanity sought increased awareness of the nature of
being, and to maximize our well-being through continual
self-improvement. Thus liberal democracy, personal freedom, and greater
political participation for non-white men became established.<br />
<br />
Yet these
advancements have been shown in recent years to be vacuous and weak as
even a slight decline in household consumption leads many to embrace all
sorts of charlatan demagoguery.<br />
<br />
As Earth and her humanity fall into nothingness, I implore you to resist such a fate.<br />
Consume only your fair share of nature or being ends.<br />
<br />
The ethical measure of a person is the degree to which they are
regenerating nature, and that their sum impact upon ecology is positive.
Only widespread embrace of such an ecology ethic can now save Earth and
humanity.<br />
<br />
What does this mean in practice? Sell your car. Return to the land to
produce food and restore ecosystems. Have 1 or if you must at most 2
children. Eat less or no meat, and local organic foods. Travel via air
infrequently if at all. And reject over-consumption as the meaning of
life, instead valuing fairness and truth.<br />
<br />
Favor deep experience, community, nature, and learning over more
stuff. Consume only as much as is available universally for all. Know
how much is enough and how to share. Such an ecology ethic is the new
categorical imperative if together we are to avoid abrupt climate change
and global ecological collapse.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-17815815912690512302017-09-04T20:14:00.000-04:002017-10-08T20:23:30.729-04:00Abrupt Climate Change: In Hurricane Harvey, Texans Reap What They Sow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="post-byline">
<time class="updated" datetime="September 5, 2017"></time>
</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_46589" style="width: 262px;">
<a href="http://ecointernet.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/spindletop.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1gH8zkEG_zT8cQ1xC-MqvE-qe_mOvMqFNnFqzABwWNve7Khya-qySs3sOo1yEy9qSa5VNW1TUo4FkFIjgkFLkxtTxcuTqogB7Ks8JGPD3u0EcPl0_zBGTCZcjdVYGwE71QXvu6zJsUZy/s1600/spindletop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1gH8zkEG_zT8cQ1xC-MqvE-qe_mOvMqFNnFqzABwWNve7Khya-qySs3sOo1yEy9qSa5VNW1TUo4FkFIjgkFLkxtTxcuTqogB7Ks8JGPD3u0EcPl0_zBGTCZcjdVYGwE71QXvu6zJsUZy/s320/spindletop.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A century and a half of Texas oil <br />
fueled Hurricane Harvey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Science informs us that Texas oil fueled Hurricane Harvey.</b><br />
<blockquote>
“Hurricane Harvey is abrupt climate change. And it shows
collapse of the atmosphere and ecosystems that threatens to destroy the
biosphere and end being… Texas’ war against science and the natural
world must draw to an end. Like waking up after a long drinking binge,
it is time for Texans to sober up and accept their living large – as if
the land, water, and air have no value – has brought them to the edge of
utter ruin.” — Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
By Dr. Glen Barry, <a href="http://www.ecointernet.org/">EcoInternet</a><br />
<br />
After 25 years of writing regarding looming abrupt climate change and
biosphere collapse, nonetheless I find no succor that my predictions
have come true with Hurricane Harvey. Firstly, my heart-felt sympathy
goes out to the hardy Texans who continue to weather nature’s wrath on
the Gulf Coast. I have had the fortune to spend some time in Port
Aransas and Rockport areas visiting family and it is a beautiful spot
full of warm, generous people.<br />
<br />
However, let there be no mistake (now comes the “tough love” part).
Hurricane Harvey is a man-made disaster that has directly resulted from
Texans’ oil addiction, anti-science denial, disdain for common sense
regulations, and super-sized lifestyles.<br />
<br />
So where did all that rain come from anyway? It’s global warming stupid.<br />
<br />
The basics of climate science have been known for 100 years. Simply,
what has occurred in the Gulf of Mexico with Hurricane Harvey is all
about heat, which is growing because of fossil fuel emissions (the
greenhouse gases that are released trap heat), including by Texans.
Since 1970 the average temperature in the South has risen 3.3° F.
Galveston Texas set a shocking 33 record temperatures since Nov. 1<sup>st</sup> of last year. Across Texas temperatures have been averaging 10° F warmer than usual.<br />
<br />
At its most basic level, this warmed air holds more water, making
possible Hurricane Harvey’s 52 inches of rain in areas around Houston.
Warming oceans expand in volume and melting ice combine to raise sea
levels. In just the past 50 years, Galveston Texas’ local sea level has
risen by 12.5 inches, resulting in coastal erosion and more powerful
storm surges. On average storm surges are 7 inches taller due to global
warming.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_46590" style="width: 310px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfVg10FBM6xjaNuMFpniykxZq4sQxlZHD6g9SWwJ21LSgeV5bXARz4-3vNg4MkQXJZD-enuVFQUHk7k2KkEn_G_diKx6DhDb08nVRrl2AVA30dtxBA65u0Klu0rCQ3AiCU-0OgG2Cf3Mx/s1600/gulf_mexico_warming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1484" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfVg10FBM6xjaNuMFpniykxZq4sQxlZHD6g9SWwJ21LSgeV5bXARz4-3vNg4MkQXJZD-enuVFQUHk7k2KkEn_G_diKx6DhDb08nVRrl2AVA30dtxBA65u0Klu0rCQ3AiCU-0OgG2Cf3Mx/s320/gulf_mexico_warming.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It’s global warming stupid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
Gulf of Mexico waters are much warmer than usual and rarely cool
down, feeding hurricanes. The average sea surface temperature of the
Texan Gulf Coast has risen from 86° F to 87° F over a few decades. As
Harvey approached the Texas coast, Gulf ocean temperatures were between
2.7° F to 7.2° F above average. This past winter for the first time the
Gulf of Mexico never fell below 73° F. Each degree of heat results in
3-5% more moisture in the air.<br />
<br />
Add to this a diminished Jet Stream and
other high level winds that are no longer blowing (likely due to Arctic
melting), and you have storms that linger in one location like Harvey
did.<br />
<br />
The science is rock solid that we are transforming the Earth in ways
that increase the likelihood of extreme storms and may even make the
environment uninhabitable. <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2017/06/18/the-end-of-being-abrupt-climate-change-one-of-many-ecological-crises-threatening-to-collapse-the-biosphere/"><b>Climate change is but one (albeit deadly in its own right) of several human caused environmental crises</b></a>
that threaten to destroy our one shared biosphere. You can either
believe in science or in ghosts in the sky. If you choose solely the
latter you open yourselves up to avoidable cataclysmic devastation.<br />
<br />
Any further climate change denial of the sort prevalent in Texas, and
refusal to change behaviors to pollute far less, is a willful death
wish. Not only for Texans, but also for South Asia and other areas being
hammered by the same oil fueled forces of abrupt climate change.<br />
<br />
Frankly, often Texans are egotistical to the point of being naively
cocksure (i.e. what sort of motto is “Don’t Mess with Texas”). Many are
uneducated and don’t understand the world around them, and are proudly
boastful of the fact.<br />
<br />
For generations Texans have over-built wherever their hearts desired.
Floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks, coast lines, amidst chemical plants –
there was no regulation to their sprawl – because they are god’s chosen
people. And regulations are for commie pinkos.<br />
<br />
Since 1866 Texans have pumped the remains of dead creatures to the
surface to be burned for transport and heat. Nearly 3.5 million barrels
of crude oil are produced a day in Texas. Further, Texas is a leader in
industrial animal agriculture – particularly cattle – which occupies
much land and emits huge amounts of greenhouse gases. This polluting
resource gluttony is the engine behind a warming world and makes Texans
directly responsible for their own suffering from Hurricane Harvey.<br />
<br />
Texans – in the destruction wrought by Hurricane Harvey, have reaped
what they have sown – disruption of the natural world. From oil to
cattle, urban sprawl to anti-intellectualism, very few if any regions
globally have as much historical responsibility for abrupt climate
change as Texas. It is fitting that the Houston/Beaumont area, where oil
was first produced commercially some 150 years ago, has been devastated
by abrupt climate change.<br />
<br />
Texas oil fueled Hurricane Harvey.<br />
<br />
As SCIENCE (a method of logical examination that seeks truth)
identified that burning fossil fuels was warming the atmosphere, Texans
doubled down, not only denying but also willfully obstructing the truth.
For decades Texas politicians and oil companies have lied and
obfuscated the truth in order to eke out a few more years of profits
from deadly fossil fuels.<br />
<br />
Disregarding established science has consequences, as those along the Texas Gulf Coast have come to realize.<br />
<br />
And as for that Texas economic miracle? It is not too hard to create
an artificial boom economy based upon ecocidal destruction of nature and
the atmosphere. But when the bubble bursts and the boom ends, and you
are left in desolate flooded or parched ecosystems, death comes swiftly
from the storm.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPeOcE472CUGzjmNikD9XyVLXsy0nfVTUWoMdKHdzlCUP5nvGg0i_VdfQ0DS7mzDRxWL3sXMf590ngzZmfyD2YpZDBNZl6QX6xuDyFdddrWAiRd6Uio5UOqc4yuTmWX39fy-yOSFBujHr/s1600/harveyclimatechange-TA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="942" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPeOcE472CUGzjmNikD9XyVLXsy0nfVTUWoMdKHdzlCUP5nvGg0i_VdfQ0DS7mzDRxWL3sXMf590ngzZmfyD2YpZDBNZl6QX6xuDyFdddrWAiRd6Uio5UOqc4yuTmWX39fy-yOSFBujHr/s320/harveyclimatechange-TA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurricane Harvey is either the end or the beginning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hurricane Harvey is abrupt climate change. And it shows collapse of
the atmosphere and ecosystems that threatens to destroy the biosphere
and end being.<br />
<br />
It doesn’t have to end this way. Texans can strive for a dose of
humility as they go cap in hand to ask the rest of the nation to bail
them out (as they have refused so often to do for others). Texans are
always for small government until they need help. Yet there should be no
funds unless the Texas mess – lack of regulation, oil dependency, urban
sprawl, and anti-science denial – is addressed.<br />
This includes
commitments to dramatically cut and soon end emissions from Texas oil.<br />
<br />
Meaningful recovery in Texas will require pulling back from the
coasts, restoring natural river ways, wetlands, and floodplains; and
otherwise REGULATING development. Once again ecosystems must surround
human endeavors in order to provide services such as absorbing
rainwater. In a world whose climate is abruptly changing, Texans are
called upon to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and exclusively
towards renewable energy – both wind and sun are plentiful.<br />
<br />
We must come together and <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2016/09/11/declaring-climate-peace-through-an-age-of-ecological-restoration/"><b>declare climate peace by ushering in an age of ecological restoration</b></a>.<br />
And let’s start teaching science again in Texas before their prevalent anti-science hate kills us all.<br />
Texas’ war against science and the natural world must draw to an end.
Like waking up after a long drinking binge, it is time for Texans to
sober up and accept their living large – as if the land, water, and air
have no value – has brought them to the edge of utter ruin.<br />
<br />
Hurricane Harvey was fueled by Texas oil. Until this truth is
acknowledged and responded to, there will be no recovery along the Texan
Gulf Coast, and the situation there portends the fate of all of
humanity.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613177231072453246.post-32637372525074241252017-08-30T22:09:00.001-04:002021-01-19T21:11:03.485-05:00Resisting Nazi Fascism and KKK Racism Responsibility of All True Americans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwF_cfO8Gow2Qp6FZzoWk3BB4MKRT3Wp-VMi1rkKwQuf7dRC9cltB4KQGVpNOLY5rMoXBVaZWAfVFEWKYUYwQxLsmotwVam27bPhy4DZHu6PFs57kezzIvcYRfeZhOmS289RlDk0yCCqC/s1600/indiana-jones-punching-a-nazi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="1600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwF_cfO8Gow2Qp6FZzoWk3BB4MKRT3Wp-VMi1rkKwQuf7dRC9cltB4KQGVpNOLY5rMoXBVaZWAfVFEWKYUYwQxLsmotwVam27bPhy4DZHu6PFs57kezzIvcYRfeZhOmS289RlDk0yCCqC/s320/indiana-jones-punching-a-nazi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anti-fascist liberal arts college professor <br />
brutalizes Nazi, who has a permit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The tragic events at Charlottesville and UnPresident Trump’s embrace
of Nazis and KKK members provide for a teachable moment on fascism and
race. The rise of the American fascist and racist far right-wing, of the
sort that festered and spread from the state of Wisconsin, threatens
national and global well-being and security. Historically lynching and
gassing of individuals based upon their race or religion have been
strongly resisted in America (albeit sometimes disturbingly late) at the
cost of nearly a million U.S. anti-fascist lives. Yet GOP political
figures such as Government Walker of Wisconsin refuse to repudiate the
hate of his voters. Listen closely: under no circumstances will threats
of murder and enslavement of non-whites and non-christians be tolerated.
Nazis and KKK are UnAmerican, and will be resisted using all means
necessary. Start by refusing to vote for candidates whose supporters
include Nazi and KKK members. There is no backing down when faced with
fascist hate; and we must seek love-based, yet forceful, unity in
resisting such monstrous evil. There will be no further American
genocide.<br />
<blockquote>
“Jewish Americans and immigrants should not have to worry
about being incarcerated in concentration camps and whether their
children will be gassed. Nor should black Americans fear lynching and
enslavement. This is evil incarnate… It is duty of all true Americans to
resist fascist, racist and anti-science hate as if our shared survival
depends upon it, it does.” — Dr. Glen Barry</blockquote>
By Dr. Glen Barry, <a href="http://www.ecointernet.org/">EcoInternet</a><br />
<br />
<b>THERE IS NO GOING BACK</b><br />
<br />
Centuries of human progress are at risk as fascism and racism are
again resurgent in America. Enormous strides have been made in recent
decades towards racial, sexual, and religious equality. The world is a
more just and fair place as slavery has been largely eliminated,
religious guarantees solidified (including the right to not believe),
overt racism and sexism are in decline (though issues with systematic
discrimination remain), and non-white ethnicities’ political rights
established.<br />
<br />
Sadly the societal diseases of state-based racism and fascism are
flaring up again, and in the United States of America no less. Granted,
America was conceived in genocide of Native Americans and slavery of
Africans, yet the nation had until recently become a beacon of perpetual
self-improvement. Appallingly fascism’s rise is occurring as humanity
is faced with a plethora of social and ecology crises – such as climate
change, ecosystem collapse, inequity, injustice, and perma-war – any one
of which could kill us all. At this critical juncture, humanity cannot
afford the distraction of again having to fight monstrous evils which it
was thought had been long banished.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIdT5jk31IaJxGMjhYqr96x_K2QKyqGa0TMGJULsx0a3xEmZyFt24uN7EnMJZyoXhoQ68QRDhq7lrvwZYoUul_cviZw01o2VGeh7tBAJm3lveyFe3Cm6moclbRSo2FL0DBRLkYrHs1P_D/s1600/DHUKOPvVwAArkId.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1532" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIdT5jk31IaJxGMjhYqr96x_K2QKyqGa0TMGJULsx0a3xEmZyFt24uN7EnMJZyoXhoQ68QRDhq7lrvwZYoUul_cviZw01o2VGeh7tBAJm3lveyFe3Cm6moclbRSo2FL0DBRLkYrHs1P_D/s320/DHUKOPvVwAArkId.jpg+large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right-wing terror is UnAmerican</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let’s be clear. Nazis murdered 6 million Jews in WWII and in total
over 80 million deaths resulted from the rise and defeat of the fascist
disease. In the American South over one-third of a million Africans were
kidnapped, tortured, and brutally enslaved; as the lunatic, treasonous
confederacy fought to continue this savagery. And over 4,000 black
Americans have been lynched by the KKK in the past 150 years as the
promise of racial equality went unmet.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ecointernet.org/2017/05/29/this-memorial-day-the-human-family-on-the-precipice/"><b>We are one human family</b></a>. And such filthy and vile ideologies have no place in civilized society.<br />
<br />
The rise of the American fascist right is one of the gravest threats
to global peace, stability, and well-being the world has ever known.
Their grotesque ideology threatens the terror of mass murder and
enslavement. In recent years in the United States there have been twice
as many terrorist incidents by right-wing extremists as by Islamist
extremists. In recent decades 74% of US domestic terror attacks are by
far right wing violent extremists, who have murdered 106 people in 62
attacks.<br />
<br />
Jewish Americans and immigrants should not have to worry about being
incarcerated in concentration camps and whether their children will be
gassed. Nor should black Americans fear lynching and enslavement. This
is evil incarnate.<br />
<br />
The lesson from German Nazism and America’s post-Civil War is that
you speak out against, actively resist, and utterly destroy state-based
fascism and racism immediately as it arises or face much worse problems
later on. Such horrendous evil flies in the face of all that America
stands for and aspires to be. Villainous Nazis and KKK have no place in
American politics and efforts to again murder and enslave blacks and
Jews will be met by The Resistance and vigorous Anti-fascist
counter-measures.<br />
<br />
America’s and the world’s hard fought gains in human rights will not
be so easily erased. Under no circumstances will psychotic homicidal
hate of the terrorist far-right be allowed to trump the peace and love
found in vibrant and tolerant multi-cultural communities based upon
universal principles of equality, racial harmony, social justice, and
basic human decency. There is no going back to Nazism and the KKK, and
there will be no further American genocide.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecointernet.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/800px-Woody_Guthrie_NYWTS.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Long history of anti-fascist resistance" class="size-medium wp-image-46555" src="http://ecointernet.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/239x300x800px-Woody_Guthrie_NYWTS-239x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.mIfkNjEXAN.jpg" height="300" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long history of anti-fascist resistance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_46555" style="width: 249px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
<b>HOW DID WE GET HERE</b><br />
<br />
Like many I have been appalled by the resurgence of Nazism and KKK
white supremacy (collectively referred to accurately here as “the
fascists”), and their recent murderous rampage in Charlottesville,
Virginia. And I have been shocked by the failure of the GOP – including
such leaders as UnPresident Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and my own
state’s second-tier Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker – to condemn in
uncertain terms rising right-wing hate.<br />
<br />
While it is true that historically the Democratic Party was the home
of Southern racism including tolerance of the KKK, there has been a
political re-alignment. For decades now racists and fascists have become
a vital GOP voting bloc in the rise of their extremist right-wing hate
politics. There is a long established tradition in the GOP’s electoral
strategy of a wink-and-nod promotion of racial intolerance for votes and
funds. America’s current political malaise whereby we even have to
consider the re-emergence of the KKK and Nazism is the logical
consequence of decades of GOP bigotry for political advantage. What sort
of people vote for candidates whose supporters include Nazis and the
KKK?<br />
<br />
The American government has been seized in a fascist coup by
treasonous UnPresident Trump. America’s government is in the hands of
the fascist wing of the GOP party. UnPresident Trump is emotionally
unstable, politically inept, morally bankrupt, and these traits along
with his fascist demeanor make him unfit for office. It is truly
shocking that UnPresident Trump can’t bring himself to condemn Nazis and
the KKK, for fear of alienating his political base. This and a whole
slew of other actions have shown #CreepyDonald to be a filthy, vile,
charlatan, authoritarian demagogue, madman bent upon waging war on
non-christians and non-white men, American and international security,
and even truth and science.<br />
<br />
Again, all peace and truth loving Americans are called upon to <a href="http://ecointernet.org/2017/02/03/find-meaning-for-your-life-in-nature-and-theresistance-to-trump-fascism/"><b>find meaning in nature and #TheResistance to Trump Fascism</b></a>.<br />
<br />
I have been an anti-fascist campaigner since first witnessing
fascism’s rise in my home state of Wisconsin nearly a decade ago. There <a href="http://drglenbarry.blogspot.com/2012/05/wisconsin-governor-scott-walker-is.html"><b>Governor Walker – a former college classmate of mine for which I have only derision</b></a><span class="hu-external"></span>
– has a long record of racist campaigning. I remember well when Scott
Walker was in college running for office and compared himself to Martin
Luther King, showing his total detachment from reality.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rIoac1bNnXhXHiCVi-KBLZeaCHoNwF_9tTlp9-sTRjMRhHkiG13S-xvgAre6Tee16ctjO5g2ZvACAauzBZ1tuJkFlwbuYSUl4I-Wi5wfBf3LV91JPSJcBnEHcKILiPIpEVlQIdBEe4GV/s1600/IEykkn8l_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rIoac1bNnXhXHiCVi-KBLZeaCHoNwF_9tTlp9-sTRjMRhHkiG13S-xvgAre6Tee16ctjO5g2ZvACAauzBZ1tuJkFlwbuYSUl4I-Wi5wfBf3LV91JPSJcBnEHcKILiPIpEVlQIdBEe4GV/s320/IEykkn8l_400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor Scott Walker is a balding fascist</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For decades Walker has used suburban hate of Milwaukee blacks for
political gain.<br />
<br />
Authoritarian fascism began to re-emerge with Walker’s
war on workers, the environment, and education. Under his reign it is
not unusual to hear racial epitaphs in rural Wisconsin, something I
never encountered as a child or young man. Walker’s political rise in
Wisconsin has been built upon consistent race-baiting and support from
racists, and the Wisconsin GOP has created the current environment where
Nazis and the KKK are ascendant.<br />
<br />
Given Walker’s history of race-baiting, it is not surprising that he
supports UnPresident Trump’s warm embrace of Nazi and KKK ideologies.
Both Walker and Trump are fascists. Governor Walker is complicit in
UnPresident Trump’s treasonous, anti-science, racist, war-mongering
hate. Walker’s electoral success shows that Trump’s political ascent is
far from an aberration, and reflects the heart and soul of the
Republican Party. As the Gubernatorial election nears in Wisconsin, we
must never forget the current intensity of GOP hate started with
Walker’s attacks upon workers.<br />
<br />
It is hardly surprising Scott Walker refuses to condemn Trump’s white supremacist bigotry, as he is a racist too.<br />
<br />
My warnings of fascist Wisconsin were widely ridiculed and ignored.
It doesn’t seem that my decade long predictions of American fascism were
so wrong after all. Nor should my avocations on what is required to
address fascism be dismissed. There is no backing down when faced with
fascism.<br />
<br />
<b>NEVER AGAIN</b><br />
<br />
There is a lot of nonsense spouted by the right regarding political
ideologies. Nazis were not socialist, they were right wing extremists.
Fascism is a political ideology based upon nationalism, militarism,
racism, corporatism, scapegoating and more. Similarly anti-fascism is a
philosophy, not a physical group, that opposes fascism, with many
divergent tactics to strategically destroy right-wing hate.<br />
Anti-fascists are committed to disrupting the activities of those
committed, by their own words, to carrying out mass genocide against
entire races. History shows us that by the time the fascists have
attained state power and genocide has commenced, it is too late to stop
mass murder and large-scale wars of fascist resistance.<br /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5DjWxQqnymsw7KuANrCR4LNAVTGZk49tMUwKXa8o2gnopXDJ72bQd2rUPR3woh2Pj-FIq-9MCFzo9gQR-KVtNG_Yks66wBkQOqryi1W9gOEk-XoKZpa1TB0dO1TR0fnfKC6tfc7IzJro/s1600/holocaust_bodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="760" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5DjWxQqnymsw7KuANrCR4LNAVTGZk49tMUwKXa8o2gnopXDJ72bQd2rUPR3woh2Pj-FIq-9MCFzo9gQR-KVtNG_Yks66wBkQOqryi1W9gOEk-XoKZpa1TB0dO1TR0fnfKC6tfc7IzJro/s320/holocaust_bodies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At all costs, the horrors of the Nazi <br />holocaust must never happen again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Over one million Americans died defeating the twin monstrous evils of
Nazism and the confederacy. And under no circumstances must such
vicious and intolerable ideologies be allowed to resurface and spread.
There will be no American concentration camps where fellow human being
are imprisoned, overworked, gassed, and burned. Nor will any Americans
of any ethnicity ever again fear being enslaved. The work to abolish
systematic racism still inflicted upon non-white persons must continue
apace.<br />
<br />
As Nazi fascism and KKK racism again rise in GOP America, there is no
neutrality. You are either anti-fascist, or a Nazi and KKK
collaborator. At first it is up to all stable and confident Americans to
ask nicely for rhetoric promoting the murderous hate based upon race to
stop. But at some point, more direct actions to utterly destroy the
metastasizing disease of racist fascism are entirely justified. It is up
to each of us to decide to what extent and how we will resist fascism
and take responsibility for doing so.<br />
<br />
One thing I know for sure – fascists must be confronted and revealed
as the monsters they are, or their political extremism becomes
established and regularized. Under no circumstances must fascists be
allowed to rule the streets unchallenged, or their hate-mongering will
win, and we will all live in fear of arbitrary detention, work camps,
and murder.<br />
<br />
Grieving fascist resurgence and establishment within American
government, I have been vacillating between which is the best response;
ridiculing, counter-protesting, or punching Nazis and KKK members. For
now it is best to show up in massive displays of pubic counter-protests,
and ridicule such repugnant ignoramuses given any opportunity. But
let’s not fool ourselves, these are violent terrible ideologies, whose
adherents are indeed deplorable, evil filth. We must never surrender the
streets to these foul fascists. And we may need to fight fascism again
to remain free and just, and we must be ready.<br />
<br />
Of course non-violent peaceful protests are always the best means to
achieve lasting and just social change. There are numerous creative
means to protest, that stand up to fascism with community displays of
solidarity and love; including displays of righteous ridicule, such as
recently Tubas playing cartoon themes to troll fascist protests. Yet
sadly, realistically stopping the rise of fascism in America may once
again require meeting force with force. Anti-fascist punching of Nazis
may be required. Anti-fascists must never stand down, particularly when
Neo-Nazis hold the reins of governmental power.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwmGjH80t-XOR1VPZUyNYzRmSJ_EL4deX-m_McNoMteXg98g1CSkFRFlIlJdbF4OlfVM1kejqSdD1cgbiioFaZIpWBumwkgNhkYHrbXrfslbWP5r2QTGoZpMmW9WGrFMxKkPtqwAx8ILV/s1600/jack_booted_thugs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="425" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwmGjH80t-XOR1VPZUyNYzRmSJ_EL4deX-m_McNoMteXg98g1CSkFRFlIlJdbF4OlfVM1kejqSdD1cgbiioFaZIpWBumwkgNhkYHrbXrfslbWP5r2QTGoZpMmW9WGrFMxKkPtqwAx8ILV/s320/jack_booted_thugs.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nazis are not nice people, and generally <br />you cannot reason with jack booted thugs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>THE ANTI-FASCIST WAY FORWARD</b><br />
<br />
Being a Nazi or in the KKK is never OK. Hate towards non-whites and
non-christians is never OK. Maybe if Hitler’s jack booted thugs had been
asked nicely to stop hating, war and mass murder of innocents could
have been avoided. Probably not though.<br />
<br />
Standing up to medieval anti-Semitic, white-supremacy, fascist hate
is the duty of all civilized people. All Nazi and KKK supporters should
expect to be resisted, and if their hateful threatening of others does
not stop, to be destroyed.<br />
<br />
It is duty of all true Americans to resist fascist, racist and
anti-science hate as if our shared survival depends upon it, it does.
There are some simple steps that can be taken now to minimize the risk
of fascism.<br />
<br />
Join me in calling upon Twitter to shutdown UnPresident Trump’s
account for his support of fascist and racist violence. Please take the
time to report his tweets, which clearly violate the Twitter terms of
service. Many other accounts including my own have been shut down for
far lesser reasons.<br />
<br />
We must ensure that Trump’s reign is short, and even as we work for
impeachment, seek to minimize the damage. The fascist-in-chief must not
be allowed to use nuclear terror to advance his far right-wing GOP
fascist and racist agenda. To avoid global nuclear war at the hands of a
madman, the US Military must under no circumstances obey emotionally
unstable UnPresident Trump’s orders to launch nuclear weapons. There
must be no nukes for Trump. The military is called upon to join the
resistance.<br />
<br />
Even as we confront fascism, and work to urgently address other
global emergencies such as climate change, we must all lower the tone of
our political rhetoric. It is time for a political force to arise in
Wisconsin and the nation that shuns political extremes, and seeks to
compromise and find truthful solutions from all sides. And we must vote
out of office all fascist and racist sympathizers.<br />
<br />
In highly polarized Wisconsin, both the Madison Congressional and
Wisconsin Governor’s race would benefit from candidates from the
political center. Imagine Wisconsin and American politics free of
Republican fascism and Democratic self-entitled elitism; finding truth,
justice and well-being in the political center. Let’s start by voting
twin authoritarian fascists Scott Walker and Donald Trump out of office.<br />
<br />
It is the SACRED DUTY of every true American to resist rising fascism
and racism with every ounce of their being. Never forget what happens
when Nazi fascists and Confederate racists seek to gain full state
power. The result is inevitably reigns of terror, mass genocidal murder,
and justified wars of resistance.<br />
<br />
Let’s together end this Nazi and KKK bullshit and get back to saving the Planet.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0