Polaroids + Fiction = POLA-FICTION!! 29 March 2007

Shot date: 16. Oct 2007 (Polaroid SX-70)

Time to plug my new project: POLA-FICTION. If you’re interested in seeing me get crushed under the weight of having to write 50 short stories, click the link. If you decide I suck eggs as a fiction writer, maybe you’ll enjoy the Polaroids - I’m absolutely and positively obsessed with Polaroid photography. The worst part of it is that Polaroids are perhaps the most environmentally toxic cameras of all! Indeed, the film packs contain batteries in each and every pack - batteries that require dismantling of the film packs before they can be removed for ’safe’ disposal. Until recently, they were filled, like those nasty CFL lightbulbs, with mercury! Ugh.

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Again, the link to POLAFICTION. Click me, darling.

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Song o’ the Day = “Sometimes” by James as it has one of the great Pola-verses in rock:

There’s four new colors in the rainbow
An old man’s taking polaroids
But all he captures is endless rain, endless rain .

U.S. To Attack Iran April 6?

WE INTERRUPT THE USUAL SNARKY COMMENTARY TO BRING YOU THIS ALERT!!

(Recently, the UK tried ye olde “Gulf of Tonkin” gambit, but failed - resulting not in an open war with Iran, but an embarrassing capture of sailors who were meant to die. On to Plan B! I never post on this kind of stuff, but the U.S. and Brit governments are getting so desperate to come up with a reason/avenue to attack Iran before Blair departs in a month, that it’s worth TRYING to get people to wake up. A disclaimer - the following may have been provided by the CIA, not Russian intelligence, as part of the ongoing poker strategy)

Operation Bite - April 6 Sneak Attack
By US Forces On Iran Planned
- Russian Military Sources Warn

General Ivashov Calls For Emergency Session Of
UN Security Council To Ward Off Looming US Aggression
By Webster G. Tarpley
3-25-7

WASHINGTON DC — The long awaited US military attack on Iran is now on track for the first week of April, specifically for 4 AM on April 6, the Good Friday opening of Easter weekend, writes the well-known Russian journalist Andrei Uglanov in the Moscow weekly “Argumenty Nedeli.” Uglanov cites Russian military experts close to the Russian General Staff for his account.

The attack is slated to last for twelve hours, according to Uglanov, lasting from 4 AM until 4 PM local time. Friday is a holiday in Iran. In the course of the attack, code named Operation Bite, about 20 targets are marked for bombing; the list includes uranium enrichment facilities, research centers, and laboratories.
(more…)

Animal Extinction Planned to Provide ‘Green’ Power in U.S. 28 March 2007

Proposed changes to the U.S. Endangered Species Act would, according to Damien Schiff, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation representing landowners and developers battling endangered species restrictions, provide a bit of extra electricity at the relatively small price of, oh, a few species going extinct. He explains things this a’way:

Under the version made public, plans for dams to provide electricity and irrigation for farming could proceed with less hindrance even if endangered or threatened species were present. He said that in an extreme case, it was possible a species could become extinct, but only if it was determined that a greater public value such as providing water or power was being served.

Anyone else have a serious problem with this? I’ve read these words a few times and I still can’t get it through my head that anyone can think like this in 2007.

This L.A. times article (thanks, Larry!) is a concise summation of this potentially disastrous legislation, including a listing of who is fighting for what is good and right, and who is fighting on the dark side.
Here’s a link to the Pacific Legal Foundation’s website: SmugEvildoers.com. Contact them, along with your representatives and let them know what you think of their proposed tinkering to the Endangered Species Act. I highly recommend calling multiple times daily, every day. From the Evildoers website, under ‘Endangered Species Act’:

In the process of designating critical habitat for species listed under the Endangered Species Act, regulators are required to consider the potential economic impact of their actions. All too often this critically important analysis is given little or no real consideration. Under the auspices of the Endangered Species Act Reform Project, PLF attorneys are challenging critical habitat designations and bringing into question whether the government truly has considered the real economic impact of its actions.

How many bad guys are out there? The PLF? Just another acronym to write down on my too-long list of Evil Organizations that Seek to Destroy the World.

Technorati Tags: endangered-species-act, damien-schiff, pacific-legal-foundation, climate-change, evil-bastards

Hoorah! San Francisco Bans the Plastic Bag!!!

Examiner article here.

After a decade of working to rid their city of those awful plastic bags, San Francisco has finally passed an ordinance that will remove them from every large market and drugstore in town. This is the equivalent of taking MANY MILLIONS of plastic bags out of the waste stream and out of the San Francisco bay. Some key stats on plastic bags:

∑ Number of plastic shopping bags used each year, in the US: 110 BILLION

∑ Barrels of oil required for US annual plastic bag consumption: 12 MILLION

∑ Number of marine animals killed each year due to plastic bags: 100,000

∑ Average number of pieces of plastic in each square mile of ocean: 46,000

∑ Average length of time a plastic bag is used: 45 minutes

∑ Length of time for a plastic bag to degrade: 1000 years

∑ Nationally only 0.6 percent of plastic bags are recycled

This is a big, big step forward. I’m working on having a similar ban enacted in my small town, which is located just 70 miles north of San Francisco. Three other cities nearby have expressed interest in following suit, if we take the lead. This means, of course, that YOU should consider leading a similar charge in your town. If you need help, or ideas on how to get organized, don’t hesitate to contact me.

A small note about the article linked above. In it, Craig Noble, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, says “it would be disappointing if grocers rejected the biodegradable plastic bag option, since more trees would have to be cut down if paper bag use increases.” I have to cry bullshit on this, Craig. The corn-based “bio”-bags on the market are largely made of GMO corn, and as such constitute a huge potential problem. Additionally, these bags still take centuries to break down in a landfill setting, providing no immediate relief to our overburdened landfills. In short, the endorsement of these bags is merely trading one set of problems for another. Big thanks to my friend Dan Imhoff, one of the world’s leading experts on environmental product design and packaging issues, for helping me understand the risk posed by these ‘alternative’ bags.

Today, we must doff our hats and toss them in the air, shouting “HOORAH FOR SAN FRANCISCO! HOORAH FOR MAYOR NEWSOM!”

Then we can put our caps back on and feel truly embarrassed for yelling such nonsense.

Who else digs the Australian NO PLASTIC BAG logo (above?). Crazy Aussies have already banned the bags.

Today’s song? PLASTIC SUN by Sonic Youth. Rock it:

Tod Brilliant, A Christian Hater? What? 26 March 2007

I don’t hate Christians. Some of my best friends are Christians.

Ahem.

I’ve received a few emails questioning my post covering Pete Stark’s announcement of his non-theism as well as the follow-up where I suggest that some Christians condone rape. It seems that some readers have taken offense at my tone, as to them I am degrading the Christian faith and, hence, all Christians. Maybe I buried it too deep in the ‘rape’ post, so let me once again point anyone who is confused about my stance to THIS ESSAY, entitled “Christian Environmentalism” by Dr. Ray Bohlin. In it, Bohlin quite clearly puts across a viewpoint that, I believe, represents that of any Christian who truly follows the word of God. When I castigate those ‘Christians’ who rape and pillage the Earth, it should be clear that I’m putting these people in the same class as the Popes and ‘Christian’ leaders who organized the Crusades way back in the day. That is, in the class of those who profess a faith but live like the damned.

From Bohlin’s essay:

Nature has value in and of itself because God created it. Nature’s value is intrinsic; it will not change because the fact of its creation will not change. The rock, the tree, and the cat deserve our respect because God made them to be as they are. . . In its proper sense, man’s rule and dominion over the earth is that of a steward or a caretaker, not a reckless exploiter. Man is not sovereign over the lower orders of creation. Ownership is in the hands of the Lord.

Now, if only the U.S. President, and those like him, would start acting a bit more Christian, I believe our world would be in far, far better shape. The problem is not so much with Christianity, which is fundamentally a loving and nurturing faith (Yes, I said ‘fundamentally’ but don’t confuse that with those poor, errant fundamentalists) that has, at its core, the Ten Commandments, which neatly mirror much of the Buddhist 8-Fold Path. The problem is with modern Christian leaders who continue to allow their faith to serve to empower the aims of men (no, not “humans” - men). If these leaders would, at the very least, preach adherence to the Golden Rule, that would be something.

There is also confusion among some Bible scholars over whether man has “dominion” over all things or is “steward” of all things. The two words have quite different meanings. The “dominion” interpretation has proved erroneous (I won’t link to the debate as I doubt my regular readers are still following along as most aren’t aware of my degree in Religious Studies and if they were would likely brand me as suspect, at best) but has done great damage. More from Bohlin:

While God intended us to live in harmony with nature, we have more often than not been at odds with nature. This reality tells us that man has not fulfilled his mandate. The source of our ecological crisis lies in man’s fallen nature and the abuse of his dominion. Man is a rebel who has set himself at the center of the universe. Man has exploited created things as though they were nothing in themselves and as though he has an autonomous right to do so. Man’s abuse of his dominion becomes clear when we look at the value we place on time and money. Our often uncontrolled greed and haste have led to the deterioration of the environment.

And that, dear friends, is so damned right on that every single eco-warrior on the planet should cement those words to memory. Why? Because they explain so very clearly how Christianity has veered off course. And, if we are to fix this mess, we need every last Christian to get back on the Good Ship, back on the right Path. We are all stewards, my friends and while the job of Steward is far less sexy sounding than that of Dominator (note/image: PSA Airlines had some super-sexy stewardesses a few decades back), the dividends are a lot greater.

The real problem is that the eco-sphere doesn’t know how to talk to Christians. We dismiss them as irrelevant when we so badly need them to join the fold. Imagine the progress we could make if we had a few Ray Bohlins with whom to strategize.

Chevron Murders Environmental Protesters 25 March 2007

Business as usual for the oil monsters.

Read the article here: Chevron Execs are a Bunch of Evil Mother#$%rs

From the article:

Nine Nigerian plaintiffs sued Chevron in federal court in San Francisco in 1999 for deaths and other abuses in two incidents in 1998 and 1999, in which Nigerian military and police using Chevron helicopters and boats shot and tortured protestors and destroyed two villages associated with opposition to Chevron’s oil activities in the desperately poor Niger delta. The judge found that there was evidence that Chevron had assisted its Nigerian subsidiary, known as “CNL,” in these operations, including that Chevron “approved payments from CNL” to the Nigerian security forces and that, “after the attacks, [Chevron] engaged in a media campaign to cover up CNL’s involvement in the attacks.”

Guerilla News Network adds: Chevron is also responsible for the violent repression of peaceful opposition to oil extraction. In Nigeria, Chevron hired private military personnel to open fire on peaceful protestors who oppose oil extraction in the Niger Delta. . . Chevron subsidiary Unocal, in December 2004 settled a lawsuit filed by 15 Burmese villagers, in which the villagers alleged Unocal’s complicity in a range of human rights violations in Burma, including rape, summary execution, torture, forced labor and forced migration.

Of course, this is OLD NEWS AND JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

Next time you pull up at the Chevron pump, think about who died for your oil - maybe at least take the time to learn their names. Odds are, most eco-blogs have ‘tired’ of talking about the truly evil nature of Big Oil. Instead, they focus only on the economic and environmental impact of Big Oil, completely forgetting the rest of the story, the part of the story that tells exactly how they get away with their destructive actions - through brutal, state-sponsored opression.

Song of the Day = Outkast’s “Gasoline Dreams”. Not the most original pick, I know, but there’s enough anger to the song that it fits a bit. Could have picked “Greed” by Fugazi, I suppose. You can go ahead and hum that one in your head.

Electric Cars? Pfft. We Need Electric TRAINS 22 March 2007

I see the Prius’ whiz by me on the highway routinely (ever noticed how Prius drivers drive like speed freaks? It’s as if they’re trying to prove that their car is ‘manly’ or ’sporty’ somehow. Regardless of performance, the Prius rivals only the Pontiac Aztek as the ugliest car ever made. Not that it matters how your vehicle looks, mind you, not if you’re smugly trying to save the world via a $30,000 consumer purchase. I imagine the joy of 10 million U.S. drivers switching from gas vehicles to electric. I can hear the shouts of victory from short-sighted self-professed eco-warriors. And I want to cry when I imagine the environmental catastrophe as we annually dump into the ground (and water) the billions of pounds of toxic chemicals contained in the short-lived batteries of those electric cars.

No matter how one looks at it, driving cars of any type is not going to make a difference. We’ll simply trade one problem (ethanol, batteries, continued sprawl, et cetera) for our existing one (oil). In addition, we’ll still be reliant upon petroleum to produce the vehicles in the first place. No, the only solution is an overwhelming shift to mass transit and a complete restructuring of our suicidal suburbs. Cars must go. Read THIS ESSAY to understand what I’m talking about as I’m currently battling wicked, nasty allergies as a result of rolling down a grassy hill with my son a few hours ago and I’m fairly certain that clarity is beyond me at present. Most laugh when they hear suggestions that autos of any type are evil, shrugging the suggestion off as too radical, too unlikely to take hold to even consider. What’s worse, even the ‘greenest’ think to themselves, “I will never give up my individual, personal transport system.” Not even to save the planet? Nope, not even to save the planet.I had a point. What was it. Oh, the Red Car line of Los Angeles. See that picture above? Taken in 1959, it shows dozens of junked electric train cars - all headed to Japan where they were used as scrap steel, melted down, and reformed into Datsuns and Toyotas which were then shipped back for sales in the United States. Nice sustainable loop, no? Once upon a time, Los Angeles had a robust mass transit system. Even a subway. Over 1000 miles of track. Over 100 MILLION annual riders at its peak.

What happened? Why did the Red Car line die? There are many reasons, some even suspect a conspiracy (which isn’t that farfetched when one considers that GM bought up and shut down 100+ electric lines in 45 U.S. cities), but the primary culprit, of course, is the U.S. citizen’s overwhelming preference for the automobile. Not that the car was or is capable of delivering passengers to their destinations faster (even the 1930 Red Line maintained a pace that exceeds current LA averages), but the individual expression afforded to us via color combinations and sport packages (notice that the Prius now has a ’sport’ edition?) plays into the great American mythos that trumpets individualism as a key to success.

Well, some things are simply ahead of their time. So it was with our great electric trains. Yes, their energy source is also rife with systemic problems, but given that they are mass transit systems, the per-capita energy expenditures are whittled to incredibly small amounts. The time to scream and shout for mass transit in all world metros is right now. Take those tens of thousands you were planning to spend on a statement vehicle and invest them instead in your local citizens-for-clean rail movement (odds are, there is such a group in your area).

About the image: I stole it, without permission, from the terrific book ‘Imagining Los Angeles’ published by the L.A. Times. Click here to pick up a copy. If enough of you do this, perhaps they won’t sue me.

Song o’ the Day is another by Nick Cave (get used to it, I suppose). Rock out to the Train Song, if you so desire:

Arcade Fire

This has nothing to do with anything and I’m going to remove this post before long, but . . .

the new arcade fire cd is the biggest piece of overblown crap I’ve heard in years. and, yes, I really do like ‘funeral’.

i hate it when bands go ‘portland’ on me and turn into pretentious drama queens.

arcade fire has flamed out. so damned sad!

Lester Brown Issues Advisory - Ethanol is BAD, BAD NEWS 20 March 2007

My eco-heroes, Lester Brown and his Earth Policy Insitute, have issued the following media advisory:

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MASSIVE DIVERSION OF U.S. GRAIN TO FUEL FOR CARS IS RAISING WORLD FOOD PRICES

Corn prices have doubled over the last year. Wheat futures are trading at their highest level in 10 years. Rice prices are rising. Higher grain prices mean higher food prices. In Mexico, the price of tortillas has risen by 60 percent, driving thousands of angry Mexicans into the streets.

Food prices are rising worldwide. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects the wholesale price of chicken in 2007 will be 10 percent higher than in 2006, the price of a dozen eggs will be up a whopping 21 percent, and milk will be 14 percent higher. In China, pork prices are up 20 percent above a year earlier and eggs are up 16 percent. In India, a country of low-income consumers, the price of wheat has jumped 11 percent. And this is only the beginning.

In the past, food price rises have usually been weather-related and always temporary. This situation is different. As more and more fuel ethanol distilleries are built, world grain prices are starting to move up toward their oil-equivalent value in what appears to be the beginning of a long-term rise.

By 2008, close to one third of the U.S. grain harvest will be going to ethanol, reducing the amount available both for internal use and for export. The world’s breadbasket is fast becoming the U.S. fuel tank. Unless Washington restricts the grain used for fuel, it faces not only a consumer revolt at supermarket checkout counters at home, but also spreading political instability in low- and middle-income countries on a scale that could disrupt global economic progress.

Creating chaos in world grain markets is totally unnecessary. Raising auto fuel efficiency standards 20 percent would reduce oil use as much as converting the entire U.S. grain harvest into ethanol.

On Wednesday, Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute and author of Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, will hold a telephone briefing for journalists on this emerging issue.

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Once again, it’s worth mentioning that I will personally refund the purchase price of anyone who buys Brown’s Plan B 2.0 (link above) and does not find it the most instructive, realistic path toward a sustainable future in print. Go forth and buy the book - you have nothing to lose!

(dig how I nerded out and made my own eco-warning label. feel free to use it as I know you think it’s hella-cool, yo.)

Song of the day = Kool Keith’s ‘Lost in Space’. It’s a tenuous tie in, but how often do you get to hear Kool Keith on the web?

David Bowie, Eco-Psychic 18 March 2007

Today’s post is inspired by THIS ARTICLE in the Sunday Sun. Apparently, the man who may well be my all-time favorite musician (he battles for the top spot with Sylvester “Stone” Stewart, Prince and Nick Cave), is something of a prognosticator. Check out the lyrics from his incredible song, “Five Years,” which was written over thirty-five years ago. In them, Bowie clearly sees the repercussions of a consumer culture that was already out of control:

Pushing thru the market square, so many mothers sighing
News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in
News guy wept and told us, earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying
I heard telephones, opera house, favourite melodies
I saw boys, toys electric irons and t.v.s
My brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare
I had to cram so many things to store everything in there
And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people
I never thought Id need so many people

On to the song. Please, do give it a listen. It’s a perfect Sunday afternoon listen.