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In seconding Gerry's request for time to discuss ethics and climate
change. This was my post at CAGREENING today. <br>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>[California Greening] Whatever it takes</td>
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<td>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:50:33 -0700 (PDT)</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Wes <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net"><wrolley@charter.net></a></td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net">wrolley@charter.net</a></td>
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I have spent time this week browsing through the essays in the book
<i><b>Moral Ground</b> Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril</i>.
Browsing is a word chosen carefully as I can not really plow
straight through a book of 80 plus essays focused on providing an
answer to the same question: Do we have a moral obligation to take
action to protect the future of a planet in peril? Obviously they
all answer with an emphatic YES or there would be no reason to
publish such a collection. <br>
<br>
While there are many ways to say Yes.. almost like dialects of a
common language, I would pick on two particular items to make my
point. One by Derrick Jensen and the other by Barack Obama. <br>
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Jensen's vision is one of the darkest that I have read. He begins by
asking a very different question: "Do you believe that this culture
will undergo a voluntary transition to a sane and sustainable way of
living?" He finds no indication that such a positive future is in
store for us. Most of us who consider ourselves Green, or admit to
being an "enviro" all know the word to the litany, we make our daily
bended knee, but that is about it. Jensen demands more.
<blockquote>Those who come after -- presuming anyone survives -- are
going to wonder what the fuck was wrong with us that we didn't do
whatever ot takes -- and I mean whatever it takes-- to stop
industrial capitalism from killing the planet."</blockquote>
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At the same time, Barack Obama's contribution is to describe "The
Future I Want for my Daughters." This is not even his real work, but
seems to be pulled together from three different sources, each
footnoted and all attributed to <b>Senator</b> Barack Obama.
<blockquote>We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment
of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive
for businesses that will serve as a model for the world. Let's be
the generation that makes future generations proud of what we diud
here. The time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our
fear, and make good on the debt we own past and future
generations.</blockquote>
It is pretty clear that Obama and Jensen do not inhabit the same
world. According to Jensen;
<blockquote>When most people in this culture ask, "How can we stop
global warming?" that's not really what they're asking. They're
asking "How can we stop global warming, without significantly
changing this lifestyle [or deatstyle,, as some call it] that is
causing global warming in the first place?"<br>
<br>
The answer is that you can't.</blockquote>
So, let me post the future's question to now President Obama. "What
the fuck is wrong with you that you are not doing whatever it takes
to save a planet in peril." <br>
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I received an invitation to join in a protest against Canadian / US
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.tarsandsaction.org/">Tar
Sands</a> projects, especially the building of a long pipeline to
carry Albert Tar Sands Crude to US refineries. The asked us to dig
out Obama Buttons, if we had them from 2008, and to wear them. Given
that Obama has backed this project, and is obviously NOT willing to
"do whatever it takes" then it seems that the protest will turn out
to be just another of those environmental feel good happenings. The
only real reason to have anyone bring an Obama button is to gather
them all and ship them to the white house... collect. <br>
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At some point, our progressive friend will learn that one part of
"whatever it takes" is to divorce themselves from the idea that
salvation lies with the Democratic Party.<br>
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--<br>
Posted By Wes to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2011/07/whatever-it-takes.html">California
Greening</a> at 7/21/2011 02:50:00 PM
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