30 May 2010

When Activism Gets You Down, Just Do Something (Like Sign This Petition)

I've found I just can't blog about compassionate climate action when I'm feeling down about the lack of progress on the climate change emergency. My sweetheart always reminds me, "Don't get depressed, get angry." Depression immobilizes us, while anger gives us energy.

But I've been afraid to go that direction. Anger and I are not good friends! Then one day, I discovered that Gandhi must have gone through the same reckoning during that cold night on the station platform in South Africa after being thrown off a train for refusing to give up his first class ticket. He discovered the power in harnessing his feelings of anger and transmuting them into social action through acts of peace and nonviolence.

So, with that as my apology for being so quiet of late (my depression stemmed from all the post-Cochabama machinations of certain NGOs and governments trying to avoid getting the voices of the people — along with the Cochabamba People's Agreement — into the upcoming UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Convention talks), here's something simple and very compassionate that anyone and everyone can do.

Sign this petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/movement-for-mother-earth


As simple as that. (When you're down, it's good to take one small step.)

After all the work, time, money, energy, dedication and compassion that went into the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, I can't stand the thought that the People's Agreement won't become part of the UNFCC negotiations. I can't stand the thought that certain NGOs and their supporters, and certain governments and their supporters, still aren't accepting that when 35,000 or more come together because they're concerned about the future, their concern — and their ideas — should be heeded.

And no, I don't necessarily believe everything the government of Bolivia says, although look at how Obama engineered complete failure at the Copenhagen talks last December — and have you seen the documentary, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised? (Sheesh. You could do a whole year-long course on media literacy using just that one movie!)

Yeah, maybe that's another reason I'm feeling depressed these days. We sure as hell can't trust our media — or Big Media anywhere, probably — to tell us anything like the truth anymore.

It's so tiring having to research the truth, isn't it? We can't take anyone's word for it, and that includes right, left, centre, neo-libs, neo-cons, our leaders, our teachers, our parents, our favourite NGOs. Nope, if you want the truth, you have to do a LOT of research yourself. Sometimes you can reach the truth through triangulation (a research term I learned in university and am showing off here), but more often it takes hours and deca-angulation at least!!

Anyway, maybe I'll just make a cup of tea and go back to bed. I'm not hurting anyone when I do that ... well, except for those dang GHGs emitted if my boiling kettle throws my province's environmentally friendly hydropower into overtime and we have to import coal-generated power from our neighbours.

Ah, forget the tea. I'll just go back to bed!

15 May 2010

Strategies for Action — Report of Bolivia Climate Conference Working Group 16

Report of Working Group 16

STRATEGIES FOR ACTION

Recognizing that all beings are children of Mother Earth, which is not an inert object, but rather is alive, and being aware that while we are not in balance with Mother Earth we — people, animals, plants and all beings as a whole — are ill.

Today from Bolivia, we declare the world to be in a state of emergency and call on all world's peoples and their organizations to mobilize and on governments to raise awareness and commitment to defend Mother Earth, adopting a lifestyle in which all walk together and nobody is left behind, a way of life that offers all to everyone and in which no one lacks anything.

Therefore resolves to:

1. Demand that the governments of developed countries for the Conference of Parties 16 in Mexico fulfill their first period reductions obligations established by the Kyoto Protocol and to adopt during the 2nd period, which lasts until 2017, more radical commitments of greenhouse gas emission gas absorption and reductions by at least 50% within their territories, based on 1990 levels, so that the increase in global temperature does not exceed 1ºC. This is essential to ensure the continuation of life on this planet. We are strongly opposed to carbon markets and we demand that reductions and other obligations are not transferred to developing countries.

2. Demand that the negotiations in Mexico are transparent, inclusive, democratic and without imposed documents, conditions or blackmail. Resume the negotiation process from the point it was stopped before December 2009 in Copenhagen, respecting the previously agreed-upon working methods and keeping the two working groups.

3. Reject the Copenhagen Accord for being a threat to life and to demand respect for the legal framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

4. Demand the governments of developed countries "Financing for the Earth, not for War," and the transfer of military budgets towards increasing financial resources to save the planet and Mother Earth and to address climate change impacts in Developing Countries

5. Demand Climate Justice. Developed countries have the obligation to recognize the climate debt through: the compensation and restitution for damage and to ensure the return of atmospheric space, as well as financing and technology transfers to developing countries.

6. Denounce the lack of presence of peoples in decision-making regarding our common future and demand the creation of spaces for participation of the world's peoples in making climate change decisions, including monitoring and oversight of implementation of commitments made by developed countries.

7. Promote the creation of international legal norms that impose sanctions for infringements and breaches of greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments, financing, technology transfer and other obligations undertaken by developed countries. Also, work towards the establishment of a Climate Justice tribunal to be the means of enforcing these norms.

8. Require developed countries to respect the rights of migrant populations created by the effects of climatic change and provide funding to host and provide compensation on local, national, regional and international levels.

9. Build a global movement of peoples and social organizations in defense of life and Mother Earth, based on inclusion of and complementary coordination among all.

  • Organizing on local, provincial, national and international levels in order to defend Mother Earth and Life and curb the effects of climate change.
  • Developing a single mandate from the people in order to influence the Mexico conference.
  • Recovering ancient customs and habits, such as the reconstitution of calendars to return and restore Mother Earth’s natural cycles.
  • Promoting organic production and consumption of local organic products.
  • Promoting policies and create incentives for the consumption of natural local products.
  • Retrieving and promoting technological matrix of our peoples and build shared useful knowledge.
  • Promoting the creation of a people's system of barter or exchange worldwide.
  • Renouncing, as societies, overconsumption and waste and combatting pollution.
  • Technological innovation and promoting the development and use of clean energy.
  • Regulating the consumption of imported products.
  • Campaigning against companies in our countries and the world that prey on natural resources such as soil, subsoil and ether. For example: timber, Coca Cola, etc.
  • Promoting the redesign of cities to reduce distances.
  • Promoting discussion with our governments to identify policies and systems that are enemies to life and living well.

10. Promote the concept of “Living Well” and its principles as an alternative to the capitalist system of life

  • Recovering ancient customs and habits, such as the reconstitution of calendars to return and restore Mother Earths natural cycles.
  • Promoting organic production and consumption of local organic products.
  • Retrieving and promoting technological matrix of our peoples and build shared useful knowledge.

11. Promote and strenghthen the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth.

12. Replace the capitalist system for an alternative model that prioritizes harmony with Mother Earth, reciprocity, complementary coordination and balance of life rather than consumerism.

  • Promoting the creation of a system of barter or exchange of peoples worldwide.
  • Renouncing as societies, over consumption, and waste and combat pullution.
  • and promoting the development and use of clean energy.
  • Regulating the consumption of imported products.
  • Campaigning against companies in our countries and the world that prey on natural resources such as soil, subsoil and ether. For example: timber, coca cola, etc.
  • Promoting discussion with our governments to identify policies and systems that are enemies to life and living well.

13. Convoke a 2nd World Summit on Climate Change and Mother Earth Rights

14. Promote the Global Referendum on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth.

a. Urgently move towards the creation of an alternative World Organization of the peoples: UNO also creating spaces where peoples’ representatives have full decision-making power.

b. Create an international forum for continuing education to promote and strengthen the processes of decolonization, and the collective construction of knowledge, training and socialization in all areas and levels of life.

PROPOSALS FOR ACTIONS:

  • Activate and structure the alternative World Organization of the Peoples: UNO also create councils to implement the resolutions of the World Conference of the Peoples on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth.
  • To mobilize all indigenous peoples, social organizations and civil society as a whole in defense of Mother Earth and Life.
  • Organize 12 global days of the pedestrian and bicycle a year, reducing car use and creating non-motorized transportation routes.
  • Perform concentrations in front of embassies and consulates of the worst polluters.
  • Promote a Global March against Annex 1, a day march on all the embassies in the world.
  • Implement in oral, written and televised media the broadcasting of accurate information on the causes and effects of climate change and its leaders
  • Develop debates and seminars and meetings.
  • Disseminate and share our reports, proposals and actions by different media.
  • Build an international relationship of social movements to implement joint actions.

We propose to the peoples of the world that we ensure the compliance of all principles, requirements, commitments and actions necessary to preserve Life and protect Mother Earth, using any and all means to this end.

01 May 2010

Happy Beltane! (When Our Happiness Can Help Heal the World)

I recently received a lovely Beltane message from an Eco-Celtic singer/songwriter who became a friend when she did a fundraising concert at my school last fall. (Beltane is the special time of year in the old Pagan calendar when the Earth is fully awake and alive again after a deep sleep all winter.)

After all the heaviness of climate change and the recent conference struggles and post-conference dissections, Oona McOuat's message rang out loud and true for me. Please visit her website to listen to some of her divine music (turn your speakers on).
A moon round and golden is shining through my window, shimmering with the magic and possibility of Beltane. She invites us to dip into the fullness of this ripe and fertile time, to feast our senses, rejoice in beauty — be ribald renegades risking to celebrate life.

Go to the grove. Leap over the flames. Dance barefoot in the dew. Quiver and giggle and jiggle your way into an overflowing pool of Love. Believe that our subversively playful, pleasure-filled antics will help to mend a broken world. Blessed Be.
And indeed, we are all blessed ... all of us not yet affected by the ravages of a climate that is changing because we refuse to see the impacts of our breaking the laws of the universe, the laws of physics, the laws of cause and effect.

If you're reading this, you're probably old enough to be part of the last blessed generation of human beings. Our children and grandchildren won't be so blessed.

And yet, at times we must give up the hard work for a little while and remember to celebrate that for which we are working so hard.