The news out of Los Angeles County of the newest success in the battle against the Plastic Bag Monster reminded me of this fun and inspiring video from Green Sangha, with Bay Area performers and activists AshEl Eldridge and Jenni Perez.
Here are the lyrics:
Shoulda brought your own bag
Yeah but you forgot it though
You were busy dreamin of ice cream and
all that cookie dough
Your life is wrapped in plastic
Convenience is your motto
But plastic addiction’s worse
than they want you to knowContinue reading »
Do we want a fresh coat of paint on the old economy? Or do we want something new, an economy that is more down to earth, one that is more respectful of place and relationships, one that prioritizes people over profit?
PBS NOW host David Brancaccio traveled across the country to talk with people who are experimenting with new economic and social models that are closer to the latter, offering clues to how we might move away from our current destructive economy. The program, called Fixing the Future, airs November 18.
Catching trains, buses, and bikes for much of the way, Brancaccio highlights worker-owned cooperatives, such as a women-owned catering service called Yo Mamas in Austin, Texas and Evergreen Cooperative Laundry in Cleveland, Ohio. He also talks with the folks at Business Alliance For Local Living Economies about what constitutes a sustainable economy; with members and owners of a small bank in North Dakota that invests in its local community; and with members of a time-bank in Portland, where members can deposit and withdraw hours of different types of services.
Los Angeles County joins the small but growing ranks of local governments that have banned single-use plastic bags. After California’s statewide plastic bag ban law (AB 1998) failed to pass this year under pressure from the chemical and plastic bag industries, it is up to cities and counties to take local action to halt the plastic bag monster.
Los Angeles County supervisors approved a measure on Tuesday that bans plastic bags from being given out at stores. The measure affects only the unincorporated areas of the county, so does not include the city of Los Angeles, but will apply to over a thousand stores and a million residents. The measure also requires stores to collect a ten cent fee on paper bags. For low income customers that receive supplemental food assistance, the new ordinance requires stores to provide paper or reusable bags free of charge.
The theory behind the ordinance is simple–by not having plastic bags available and charging a little bit for paper shoppers will be encouraged to bring their own reusable bags. The law begins to be implemented in July 2011.Continue reading »
Sometimes modern society is amusing, like when millions of dollars are spent by the National Institute of Health to tell us something mundane and obvious, such as exercising a little everyday is good for our health.
The details are interesting though. The airborne chemicals called phytoncides released by trees that help protect them from insects and rot are also beneficial to humans. That may be one reason why spending even a couple hours in the woods lowers one’s cortisol levels, pulse rate, and blood pressure. Spending some time in the company of our leafy amigos also raises one’s white blood cell count, which boosts one’s immunity.
It may be obvious, but it is always good to be reminded to hit the trails or go “forest-bathing” for those of us who spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the computer screen.
Organized by Indigenous Environmental Network and Northern Rockies Rising Tide, the summit has the goal of building an international movement to effectively resist the most destructive industrial project on the planet, the Alberta Tar Sands.
Concerned citizens and individuals representing tar sands-impacted communities will gather to strategize, learn skills and network in order to grow and strengthen efforts to resist tar sands development and their devastating environmental, health, and communal impacts.
The summit is free, though there is a cap and priority registration is given to impacted participants, especially from First Nations communities. Register here.
Here’s to more “resistance summits” on the horizon!
If you don’t know Tim DeChristopher, or Bidder #70, this Friday is your chance to learn more about him and why he is facing many years in federal prison. His trial has been delayed eight times now, perhaps in an attempt to keep the public eye off contentious issues: the hawking of pristine public lands to gas and oil developers and the connection between burning dirty fuels and climate disruption.
What did Tim DeChristopher do?
In December of 2008, in the waning days of the out-going Bush Administration, DeChristopher registered as a bidder at a fire-sale auction of gas and oil leases at the Bureau of Land Management offices in Utah. Hundreds of thousands of acres of public land–many of them adjacent to national parks–were being auctioned off parcel by parcel to the highest bidder for oil and gas drilling.
As Bidder #70, DeChristopher won several leases worth a total of $1.8 million dollars. The problem was he didn’t have the intent nor the ability to pay the money, which threw the whole auction into disarray. However, it did accomplish his real intent–to stop what he considered the far higher crime of despoiling public land and furthering climate change with oil and gas development. It also exposed the corrupt leasing process, which was later nullified by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar under the Obama Administration.
Tired of the delays, DeChristopher and his supporters are going ahead with a trial of their own this Friday across from the federal courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. They are calling it the Climate Trial that should be taking place and will be performing interactive street theater that is sure to humorous with serious themes. According to the website, “This trial is not just about Tim; it’s about holding the real criminals accountable. Join us—you’ll be the jury—deciding where the responsibility lies for passing on a healthy world to our children.”
Once his court date finally arrives (now set for Feb. 28, 2011), DeChristopher potentially faces many years in prison and hundred of thousands in fines for the two felonies with which he is being charged.
Thousands across the country have rallied in support of DeChristopher and are preparing to come to Salt Lake City or hold solidarity actions elsewhere during his trial. Some big names have also expressed their support, including Bill McKibben, James Hansen, Robert Redford, Naomi Klein, and Terry Tempest Williams, who all signed a public letter of support and urging mobilization during the trial.
Here is one statement from the letter, concerning DeChristopher’s felony charges:
“The government calls that “violating the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act” and thinks he should spend ten years in jail for the crime; we call it a noble act, a profound gesture made on behalf of all of us and of the future.”
Here is DeChristopher speaking at the Salt Lake City Global Day of Action on 10/10/10 last month:
RT @plantingjustice: Still time to register for an intensive aquaponics course in Oakland! Please join us!
Friendly Aquaponics, from... ht… 3 hours ago
