[Sosfbay-discuss] 7th Generation

[Wes Rolley]

I just received a "year end summary" note from Restore the Delta 
<http://www.restorethedelta.org/>.  I am not in a position to write a 
summary, so maybe the best thing is to write a forward.  There is a lot 
to look forward to in 2007 and a lot of work that needs to be done.

One of the "Green" leaders whose work has attracted me over time has 
been Winona LaDuke.  In particular, I believe that the concepts 
underlying her call of a 7th Generation Ammendment 
<http://www.semcosh.org/7th.htm>to the Constitution embodies the best of 
what it means to be Green.

I am trying to start a non-formal 7th Generation Committee in Santa 
Clara County.  It might begin in South County, as I have invited local 
writer, journalist Martin Cheek to join me.   Martin made a very large 
media contribution to the ousting of Richard Pombo and has written this 
week about Global Warming in a MH Times Column which he concludes as 
follows:

> But in the final analysis, fixing the problem of global warming must 
> be about more than just the corporate bottom-line. As Gore stressed in 
> his film, it's an ethical responsibility. It must be about deeply 
> caring for our children and grandchildren who will be forced to deal 
> with a catastrophic mess we've made of the environment.
>
> I asked Dan Kenney [South County Dem. / moveon.or / house party host] 
> what he'd like to impress upon South Valley residents in regards to 
> the message Al Gore gives in "An Inconvenient Truth."
>
> "I would like to quote the author Henrik Tikkanen'" he told me. 
> "'Because we don't think about future generations, they will never 
> forget us.'"
>
> The time for change is now. Those future generations await what 
> decision we make as we now stand at the crossroads.

The purpose of the 7th Generation Committee would be to change people's 
minds on issues like Climate Change, Integrated Water Resource 
Management, Growth and land use.  The methods used would be based on 
using local media to gain as much exposure as we can.  One of the 
targets that I have in mind is the Santa Clara County Water Districts, 
whose 2003 Plan uses the word "sustainable" only in regards to growth.  
It is all about the ability to meet the demand of that growth. 

In a similar manner, the Bay Area Integrated Water Management Plan, 
approved and published only last month in all of its multi-thousand page 
detail, views "environmental regulation" as a "threat" to water supplies 
that must be confronted. 

I do not see that the idea of a 7th Generation Committee would be a 
partisan political effort.  Cheek is very much connected to MoveOn.org.  
Rather, I see it as a means to bring Green Idea to the forefront of 
everything we do.  

If anyone is interested in joining us, please comment here, write me off 
line, whatever.  I will set up some electronic means of communicating 
and participating.  (I know, don't gell me I have to get on yet another 
email list....)  So, maybe that is not the model. But we can decide that 
later.  Right now, I am just trying to find out if there are enough 
interested in going down this path to make it work.

Wes

-- 
Wes Rolley		 
17211 Quail Court	
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024

"Happiness is to be fully engaged in the activity that you believe in and, if you are very good at it, well that's a bonus." -- Henry Moore