Friday, January 10, 2003

Moving Toward Sustainability NOW ! Jan Heatherstone writes: WANTED: people who would like to start living fully ecologically and socially sustainably now, as an indispensable alternative to the ineffective ways of trying to counteract the effects of the environmental and social degradation that are being practiced today (that is - trying to do merely less harm, but harm anyway, instead of aiming for a true balance); people who would like to start virtual (in concept only, for now) ecologically and socially sustainable communities immediately, research how to establish real, actual sustainable communities eventually, and devise ways of living as ecologically and socially sustainably as possible in the interim. The case is straightforward: In order to stop and reverse the destruction and degradation of the Earth done by humans, humans should start to live truly ecologically and socially sustainably now, in balance with all Earth ecological processes, and in harmony with social processes, in order to heal the Earth and themselves. So far, on the whole, only attempts to lessen the damage, that has and is being done, have been practiced, a practice that has only, if ever any, short-term positive results. So far no fundamental changes that would result in lasting improvements have been initiated. (01/10/03) Dear President Bush (3) Daniel Coleman writes: One large set of pressing problems our nation and the world face—ranging from growing rates of childhood asthma to global warming—stem in large part from a shared root cause: the cumulative impacts of our habits of consumption. The asthma and global warming, for example, both stem largely from the build-up in the air of particulates from the production (through, say, coal-burning power plants) of the energy we use in our homes and the exhaust of autos. Yet most of us make little or no connection between our own buying habits and concerns like our children's asthma or the warming of the planet. The reason: Virtually none of us can give a precise answer to the question,"What are the impacts for health, the environment, our planet's resources, the gap between rich and poor, of the products we buy? The answers are potentially available, but now are hidden by a fog about the consequences for ourselves and the world of our own actions as consumers. Yet the multiplier effect—the vast number of people who buy those same products—creates a vast network of inadvertent, adverse consequences. This goes on because we have little or no information about the hidden links between what we buy, and how it impacts our world, our health, our climate, our children. So those of us who complain about or suffer from these problems still continue to be part of their very cause. (01/10/03) Beyond Empire Sarah Ruth van Gelder writes: The new Bush Doctrine sets a stance for the US that has many of the qualities of empire. An attack on Iraq may be just the first in a series of first strikes, unilateral actions, and “regime changes” envisioned by this doctrine. But what if the American people chose a different path? What if we chose not to assume the mantle of empire? To explore possibilities for an alternative to empire America, we invited five people to shed the light of their experience, spiritual leadership, and knowledge of world affairs. This is not a debate on whether we should go to war but an exploration of what might happen if the US chose a path that is neither the Clinton-promoted future of corporate globalization, nor the Bush Doctrine of endless war. (01/10/03) 9:14:37 AM

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