Earth Blog

EARTH MEANDERS: Resisting Global Ecological Change

2010-01-05T06:57:15Z

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

Shared survival requires powering down, going back to the land, and ecological resistance.

The human family faces imminent and (Copenhagen would suggest) inevitable collapse of the biosphere � the thin layer of life upon an otherwise lifeless planet � that makes Earth habitable. Marshes and rivers and forests and fish are far more than resources � they and all natural ecosystems are a necessity for humanity�s existence upon Earth. A few centuries of historically unprecedented explosion in human numbers and surging, albeit inequitable, consumption and resultant resource use, ecosystem destruction and pollution; is needlessly destroying being for all living things. Revolutionary action such as ending coal use, reforming industrial agriculture and protecting and restoring old forests and other natural ecosystems, is a requirement for the continuation of shared human being.

Earth is threatened by far more than a changing atmosphere causing climate change. Cumulative ecosystem destruction � not only in climate, but also water, forests, oceans, farmland, soils and toxics -- in the name of �progress� and �development� -- threatens each of us, our families and communities, as well as the Earth System in total and all her creatures. Any chance of achieving global ecological sustainability depends urgently upon shifting concerns regarding climate change to more sufficiently transform ourselves and society to more broadly resist global ecological change. Global ecological, social and economic collapse may be inevitable, but its severity, duration and likelihood of recovery are being determined by us now. It does not look good as the environmental movement has been lacking in its overall vision, ambition and implementation.

]]> The growing numbers of ecologically literate global citizens must come forward to together start considering ecologically sufficient emergency measures to protect and restore global ecosystems. We need a plan that allows humans and as many other species as possible to survive the coming great ecological collapse, even as we work to soften the collapse, and to restore to the extent practicable the Earth�s ecosystems. This mandates full protection for all remaining large natural ecosystems and working to reconnect and enlarge biologically rich smaller remnants that still exist. It is time for a hard radical turn back to a fully functioning and restored natural Earth which will require again regaining our bond with land (and air, water and oceans), powering down our energy profligacy, and taking whatever measures are necessary to once again bring society into balance with ecosystems.

This may mean taking all measures necessary to stop those known to be destroying ecosystems for profit. As governments dither and the elite profit, it has become dreadfully apparent that the political, economic and social structures necessary to stop human ecocide of our and all life�s habitats does not yet exist. The three hundred year old hyper-capitalistic and nationalistic growth machine eating ecosystems is not going to willingly stop growing. But unless it does, human and most or all other life will suffer a slow and excruciating apocalyptic death. Actions can be taken now to soften ecological collapse while maximizing the likelihood that a humane and ecologically whole Earth remains to be renewed.

Geoengineering Won�t Work

The only �Plan B� offered by the ruling elite is to actively consider geoengineering global ecological processes and countless other techno-fixes. Rather than power down or sacrifice, it appears we as a species are willing to gamble with long odds with our and all lives. As if scouring all sorts of ecosystems of their life, global polluting industrialism, and embrace of consumption as the meaning of life is not enough of a load for global ecosystems. Now it is proposed we further alter oceans and the atmosphere unnaturally at a global scale to engineer a biosphere. Humans cannot control most invasive species, keep oil out of water, or feed everyone; yet now we are fit to run the biosphere? Unintended, inequitable and horrendous consequences are assured.

Gaia � the Earth System � is far too complex to engineer and trying will seal the demise of our shared, finely honed, and naturally evolved biosphere. Geoengineering and the blind faith in technology it represents can only lead to further degradation of ecosystems and biosphere, over population and consumption, while virtually annihilating any chance of maintaining a natural and habitable Earth. It would be far better to embrace ecological restoration and other necessary policy measures including ending coal, industrial agricultural and old forest logging. A biosphere can never be engineered, but it may be planted, tended and assisted to restore itself. First you take the pressure off ecosystems, and then allow and assist them to naturally recover. Global ecological protection and restoration is the only sort of human ecosystem manipulation that can save us now.

Given the momentum of seven billion super-predators consuming ecosystems to meet their every (and endless) whims, it is not possible to stop social, economic and ecological collapse. But there is a still chance of a worthy human society post economic and ecological collapse if we return to the land, power down and resist. It is all about having as much intact ecosystems as possible to lighten the blow and reconstitute society and ecosystems post-collapse. Here, and in my forth-coming book �New Earth Rising�, as a political ecologist I offer a very different plan to the blind faith in technological progress that removes us more from natural life-giving ecosystem processes and patterns. Perhaps this can be called Plan �ER� for Earth Restoration.

Powering Down

It is a global ecological imperative that we begin dismantling the industrial growth machine to return to honest, well-lived and simple lifestyles � protecting, tending and restoring natural agro-ecosystems. Though terribly difficult given the choices society presents us, each of us must begin the process of getting off the grid, dramatically cutting our energy use and refusing to consume energy from burning fossil fuels. There will come a time where dismantling roads, industries and cities will be appropriate. We must insist that society�s resources are used towards these ends. But make no mistake, no amount of �renewable energy� can allow current, much less predicted, excessive energy usage for everything from our food to our transport to our housing to continue.

The �slowing� economy in the over-developed world is the logical conclusion of disease like growth in human populations, resource use and consumption. Highly satisfying for some for awhile, but such ecocidal resource binging cannot and will not last. And now the entire world, including the 2 billion that live on under $2 a day, understandably and justly want better lives. Sadly though, through the power of corporate media, most poor style the ideal life upon the excesses of the West. This means they undervalue their own more ecologically sustainable and personally satisfying lifestyles and livelihoods driven by community and sharing. Life is clearly more than what you own and consume, it is what you do and who you are that counts. And it is never too late to make positive changes.

Both personally and societally we must wean ourselves from gluttonous energy use and conspicuous over-consumption, and demand political and social structures that compel others do so as well. As individuals we are faced with much outside of our control, so it won�t all happen at once, but each of us must begin disengaging ourselves from the dominant growth paradigm, and begin to achieve some measure of self-sufficiency. Start by becoming as independent from slave wage labor and marketing neuroses as fast as financially feasible. Those that voluntarily begin to power down will be at an enormous advantage as the ecological shit hits the fan. And there is no better place to start than loving and being one with a piece of land. The land, think always of the land.

Back to the Land

The age of Ecological Restoration will be predicated upon a return to the land to practice local agrarian democracy. There is no chance of survival post economic, social and ecological collapse if you do not have a homestead � a piece of land, with water, good soils, tools, seeds and other implements of self-sufficiency. Cities are artificial constructs that consume resources from far and wide, and whose resource use and pollution can never be sustained. When collapse hits, billions will die there in a very short time, as the modern and ecologically illiterate learn food and water does not come from grocery stores and taps. Living the good life � or for that matter any life at all � will soon not be possible unless you have prepared your land and are willing and able to defend it. This does not necessarily suggest survivalist paranoia, as when the rains stop and Earth grows parched, it is highly likely mobility will cease and we will be left to live where we are.

Prepare to live upon land within the limits of your bioregion. There are many opportunities to pursue alternative sharing communities. Large numbers of well-networked people locally, and on the Internet for as long as it lasts, going back to the land to live in an ecologically sustainable manner is the second component of a radical turn away from inappropriate technology and economic growth; to a restoration economy, living more fulfilling lives with the land and reintegrating humans with nature. Even the richest countries still possess relatively inexpensive land with remnant ecosystems that can be assisted to enlarge. Not-yet-over-developed countries still hold much potential for self-support. We must all relearn to plant and tend our forest gardens, organic permaculture and native ecosystems starting now and for eternity.

As with any animal, we cannot long persist without intact habitat. Human well-being all comes back to the state of the land and its soil and biota. When we protect and restore land � water, oceans and atmosphere are much improved as well. It has long been known that full and sensible lives are possible from living within a local bioregion�s bounty. The explosive growth in everything is a new phenomenon and cannot and will not be sustained under any conditions. It is not necessary to work so hard to acquire stuff. Much satisfaction comes from being one with land, having a loving family and community, and enjoying the arts, sports, literature and other aspects of culture we love. Ecological collapse will still be wrenching, but on the land you and a civilized way of life have a fighting chance. Live simply, laugh often and love deeply.

Ecological Resistance

The next stage towards ecological enlightenment and serving Gaia is passive refusal to participate in the system, escalating through various stages of resistance until known ecocidal activities are ended � and ecosystems protected and widely restored � as soon as possible. No one including this political ecologist is suggesting that imminently we should start waging violent revolution against the speculative industrial growth machine that is killing us all. At this time we would lose an outright fight. But clearly it is time to have a conversation regarding what other types of protest activities besides petitions and protests are valid in a dying world, even within supposed democracies.

What the Earth System needs badly right now is a million acts of resistance to obstruct and eventually destroy the ecologically unsustainable economic growth machine. There is an immediate need to vigorously obstruct the growth machine through active non-participation in the speculative industrial system. At some point others may wish to consider destruction of Earth destroying equipment through carefully targeted acts of sabotage. And if this fails, we may come to realize a need to pursue more revolutionary acts, such as insurgency and guerrilla warfare. From time to time through human history it has been necessary to wage war to promote greater justice, equity and freedom � and now perhaps ecological sustainability as well.

Those that are so enamored with Gandhi and King that they cannot even broach the subject of possible revolutionary tactics are na�ve and misunderstand history. There are times when society has decades to change, and can do so entirely peacefully using patient tactics, and there are others where the elite rule and their own violence to Earth and the poor is so pervasive, that only rapidly escalating acts of resistance offer any hope. There has never been such justification � the destruction of the Earth as a whole and all its attendant parts � to at least consider various revolutionary acts to bring about a personal and social revolution in humanity�s relationship to Gaia. Collapse is inevitable and large numbers are going to die, the question in regard to our current actions is whether Earth, humanity and our sister species will persist and resurge or not.

Those on their moral high horses that refuse to even discuss destroying known perpetrators of ecocide, and ostracizing those that do, are dooming the Earth to an apocalyptic death. I state this fully realizing how devastating wars are. Yet much of the world lives in abject want and indelible violence of the existing industrial capitalistic system already, and the rest will soon join them as ecosystems and their economies collapse. We can stop the violence being done to Earth, humanity and all creatures in the name of �progress�; or we can wait passively for the coming anarchy. Our ability to withstand and recover from collapse depends intimately upon ending the destruction and beginning an era of Revolutionary Ecological Restoration.

Time is short and ecosystems failing. Almost certainly Earth is more resilient than generally supposed. But ecological limits exist and global ecosystems have never encountered such massive disturbance so quickly from one species. While I feel compelled to present this biocentric vision, it is one that does not come easily for me either. This thought of a less consumptive and more local living scares me too. I like technology and the comforts it provides. On several occasions, including after a nervous breakdown several years ago, I wanted nothing to do with this lifestyle. But now I realize it is the only humane and just way that allows humanity to survive and, perhaps along with all Earth�s life, prosper again.

Earth is dying. You can sit back and enjoy creature comforts for awhile more, participating in the slaying of Gaia, and then witness and feel personally the disintegration of being, or you can start crafting the land stewardship, resource renewal and political systems that will allow humanity to minimize the disruption and persist well post collapse. And the resulting death and mayhem will certainly be lessened if you and your friends decide to take a hard turn back to nature starting now � and choose to power down, go back to the land, and actively resist.

Discuss this academic essay at:
http://www.ecoearth.info/blog/

EI RELEASE: Papua New Guineans Protest World Bank's Ill-Conceived Expansion of Pacific Tuna Fish Harvest

2009-10-20T07:08:10Z

Peaceful protesters make clear PMIZ ecologically unsustainable, corruption is epidemic and democracy threatened in Papua New Guinea

October 20, 2009
From Asples PNG and Earth's Newsdesk, projects of Ecological Internet (EI)

Continue Taking Action Online at: http://bit.ly/png_tuna

(MADANG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA) -- Over 500 people gathered at the Madang Provincial Government Headquarters on Thursday, October 15th, to protest Papua New Guinea governments' support for the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ). The PMIZ, at Vidar along the North Coast Road, is expected to be one of the biggest tuna developments in the Asia-Pacific region. Local peoples rallied to express strong opposition to PMIZ and presented a petition to the Government calling on them to halt the project. Online, thousands of global protesters from around the world supported local peoples' demands [1].

Men, women and children sat in front of the Madang provincial government building with placards that read 'No more PMIZ', 'We want our land back � think about our future', while others proclaimed 'We do not want PMIZ � it will destroy our sea [2]'. The crowd was peaceful but frustrated. They also informed the government that a formal complaint has begun with the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC), and that legal actions are imminent against all parties involved.

The planned US$300 million (K990m) PMIZ project will greatly increase industrial harvest of Madang, PNG and the Pacific Islands' rich tuna resources. Canneries and dock and storage facilities are to be constructed to service foreign fishing vessels that would dump their tuna catch. It will bring tens of thousands of unskilled Asians into Papua New Guinea when local unemployment is high. And it most certainly will lead to fishery depletion and collapse. Unless PMIZ is resisted, overfishing and piracy will destroy PNG and much of the world's remaining tuna fisheries.

]]> PMIZ would build 10 tuna factories and processing facilities like the current Filipino RD Tuna cannery. The existing plant has previously been shut down for birds defecating into tuna cans, fined for poor waste disposal, and employee relations are poor. Benefits have been limited to assembly line jobs for women who make K80 a fortnight (~ $USD26). Villagers have been affected by the "sex for tuna trade" where local women trade sex for fish by-catches.

The PMIZ project is being strongly driven from Port Moresby, the ruling National Alliance and their Chinese partners. The PNG national government, which is rushing the project through despite local opposition, tried to revoke permission for this democratic assembly and expression of concerns. The march had been approved by the provincial police authorities, but a government minister complained to Police Headquarters, who overturned the decision and banned the march. Still, people bravely marched.

This led Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta to ask "In whose interests is the country being governed? A foreign power? Foreign business interests? Illegal immigrants? Certainly not for Papua New Guineans. Section 46 of our Constitution expressly provides for freedom of expression; Section 47 provides for the right to freedom of assembly and association; Section 57 provides for enforcement of these guaranteed rights and freedoms� This is yet another example of the trend of this Government of turning PNG into a Mugabe-type regime."

Local people are increasingly expressing a sense of distance from the government, and are becoming angry. It is widely thought that PMIZ is for the overseas companies, the Chinese, the corrupt politicians and those few locals they have bought off. Said one young person, "the government doesn't give a ****. They just want the money for themselves. They are not thinking of us or our future or what damage this project will do to the people of Madang. Hell they don't even think we have a brain . What do they think we're going to do - just listen to their **** and accept it? They better not make that mistake."

Plans are to follow the same foreign investment driven development model, to quickly industrially over-develop the tuna resource, which has exhausted fisheries globally wherever practiced. It is not clear how PMIZ can benefit local peoples, as they will be left with no options but to work for the cannery under whatever conditions it chooses. Following the legally questionable ground breaking ceremony in June of 2009, the Madang Lagoon communities have begun holding meetings to explore collective organized actions to permanently block PMIZ.

Local communities are concerned about environment, pollution and land issues. More ecologically sustainable management -- such as a locally owned and controlled mid-size purse-seine fish industry -- could provide fish and income in perpetuity for the people of Madang. A deeply corrupt political system is selling out the land rights, resources and future ecological sustainability of its peoples for a small group to enjoy short-term profit and bribery. This industrial export model enjoys tax holidays, enriches primarily the Chinese-owned trade stores with the small amounts of wage money entering the economy, pollutes local seas, disturbs coastal fisheries and threatens Madang's tourism industry.

Over 75% of the world's ocean fisheries -- some 19 out of 24 -- are being, or have already been, overexploited. Billions of people depend upon wild caught fish protein, and Pacific and PNG fisheries are some of the last healthy wild fish stocks on the planet. Many Asian and European industries and consumers are in need of Pacific fish now, as their own fisheries are collapsing. The EU is RD Tuna's biggest market, with Germany and Ireland the primary export markets.

###ENDS###

[1] Still current at http://bit.ly/png_tuna

[2] Pictures can be found at: http://www.nancysullivan.typepad.com/

Action Alert: Stop Massive World Bank (IFC) Supported Expansion of Pacific Industrial Tuna Fish Harvest

2009-10-15T07:51:14Z

By Asples PNG (People of Papua New Guinea), a project of Ecological Internet

TAKE ACTION!

Over-fishing [search] comes to Madang, Papua New Guinea, as local peoples prepare to resist 10 tuna canneries. Support indigenous South Pacific coastal peoples as they are peacefully protesting right now!

In the peaceful South Pacific town of Madang, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the local indigenous people are being inundated with foreign industrial "development" projects -- mines, logging and fisheries -- for which they have not been properly consulted, have not given their informed consent, and from which they are unlikely to meaningfully benefit. This includes the PNG government's and World Bank/IFC's plans with China and Japan's governments to facilitate and invest in the construction of ten new tuna fish canneries and a large central warehouse and worker settlement along Madang's beautiful coconut lined north coast. A tranquil village culture -- living simply but well from small-scale fishing -- will be decimated.

A US$300 million (K990m) Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) is planned that will greatly increase industrial harvest of Madang, PNG and the Pacific Islands' rich tuna resources. Canneries and dock and storage facilities are to be constructed to service foreign fishing vessels that would dump their tuna catch. It will bring tens of thousands of unskilled Asians into Papua New Guinea when local unemployment is high. And it most certainly will lead to fishery depletion and collapse. Unless this expansion of an already socially and ecologically failed industrial tuna industry is resisted, overfishing and piracy will destroy PNG and most of the world's remaining tuna and other fisheries.

MORE INFORMATION AND TAKE ACTION NOW!

EARTH MEANDERS: Ecological Overshoot: Climate, Inequity and Corruption

2009-09-19T21:25:49Z

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

A call for reluctant Earth revolutionaries to unite and slay the economic growth machine consuming ecological being.

A disease is ravaging Earth as ever more people, consume ever more, destroying natural ecosystems that are our shared habitat. In a few short centuries the violent, expansionist and deeply ecologically unsustainable Western mindset has become virtually universally accepted. The meaning of life is more, ever more of everything, at the expense of a finite biosphere. The emptiness of such a vacuous worldview is revealed through changing climate, devastating human inequities and an irredeemably corrupt economic system.

More than just a climate crisis, humanity is facing profound over-population and injustice that are spurring dozens of inter-related ecological and social crises. Billions suffer as their basic human needs go unmet, while billions more gorge themselves. Forests, prairies, streams, rivers, estuaries, wetlands, lakes, soil, oceans, air and all the rest are all life's flesh and blood. Humanity, Earth and kindred species have entered the late stage condition of ecological overshoot -- whereby our cumulative demands upon ecosystems exceed their life-giving capacity and cause them to collapse.

We are eating creation. Hardly anyone is thinking or acting at the necessary scale to avert global ecological Armageddon. Market based solutions are pervasive with corruption and inequity. Nothing we do is going to maintain an affluent life, as it is now for some. Widespread economic decline will certainly accompany abrupt climate change and global ecosystem collapse; indeed, it has begun. If existing political systems are unable to deal with the inevitable collapse of the growth machine, at the same time as pursuing rigorous environmental policy-making, then new political structures will be necessary.

]]> A stewardship revolution that maintains life of some worthy, habitable sort is possible. Surely in a free country whose liberty came from such means, we can talk about revolutionary violence, as Thomas Jefferson said would continue to be necessary. "The blood of tyrants and patriots must flow to renew the soil." What could be more glorious than fighting, and perhaps dying, for the Earth, and maybe even succeeding in saving her (and us)?

It is time for a credible revolutionary threat to protect the biosphere. What is needed is a steady ratcheting up of pressure � protests, sit-ins, sabotage, assassinations -- giving opponents every opportunity to respond to reasoned arguments � and culminating in guerrilla warfare and whatever else is necessary to save the Earth. If a few thousand insurrectionists can tie up the American military in Iraq, think what dedicated, highly decentralized and autonomous groups of tens of thousands of Earth insurgents could do to bring down industrial capitalism and the Earth eating growth machine.

People power protest culminating in an Earth Revolution needs to be done urgently yet thoughtfully. Not speaking of mob rule or rioting -- that is what is coming from the status quo. We are speaking of highly disciplined, targeted protests including the possible use of violence to bring down the equipment and individuals responsible for destroying global ecosystems, and herald in a new ecologically sustainable, just and equitable way of living with the land, water and sky. Living must become a matter of what you can give to ecosystems, and others with whom you share being, rather than only being concerned with what you can take.

Economic growth cannot continue forever if greenhouse gases are to be curbed, and the myriad of other eco-crises solved. Efforts to cap and trade, certify, sustainably manage and otherwise reform our way out of the situation are orders of magnitude inadequate and failing. Free markets appear to inherently be unable to price carbon and other externalities. It is becoming increasingly unlikely (if not impossible) that current political and business growth systems can reform in time to maintain the ecosystems necessary for life.

The looming death of Gaia and most or all being is no one's fault, or rather, it is all our faults. As many species have done previously, we have collectively overgrazed our habitat. We simply must immediately allow traditional ecological disturbance, regeneration and succession patterns to again operate. The industrial growth machine must be powered off and we must herald in an era of ecological stewardship and restoration. Even while we organize and pursue revolutionary action; each of us must plant, tend and restore our Earth's natural ecosystems and permaculture gardens, and help others to do so.

Only dramatic and immediate revolutionary action to destroy the growth machine offers any hope of maintaining a livable Earth. We must commit to stopping burning and cutting -- antiquated means to make a living -- indeed killing those that refuse to stop. Rich people are setting themselves up to be fine in geo-engineered comfort while sacrificing the poor who no longer have free ecosystem services to sustain them. There can be no engineering of a biosphere; indeed, thinking we can has brought us to this moment. We must return to nature.

We must hold onto our humanity as we collapse and renew ourselves. Earth Revolution is as much about helping those that want to reconnect to Earth as it is sabotaging equipment and killing people directly responsible for ecocide. This means sharing food and water, shelter and clothing. But bring those responsible for ecocide to justice, utterly destroying them, their institutions and their equipment. There must be no indiscriminate terror, but if our warnings go unheeded, targeted violence against known ecological criminals is justified and warranted.

Given the momentum of nearly seven billion seeking to be super-consumers, do not see any other way to stop the forces of destruction other than a revolution. There is absolutely no way current energy and other resource use-- much less expected growth in population and per capita consumption -- can be produced either from agrofuels or more drilling. Humans have hit the biogeochemical limits of a finite planet, and each of us must seek what is enough, rather than always more.

It is well past time to be men and women of fortitude, set aside our computers and amusements, and commit our minds and bodies to stopping the destruction of being. We must demand more courage and less corruption from ourselves and our leaders. The Arctic has already been changed forever. Soon your neighborhood, ecosystem and bioregion will be too (if you really look, almost certainly it is already). Please, as I do, take the end of human being through needless habitat destruction personally.

Part of the solution is allowing people to get back to Earth on their own plot of land. How we live in the future will be by necessity less urban. We will be called upon to make do with what is in our bioregion. Let me make some further suggestions to you. Acquire land and seeds. Make or restore an Earth friendly shelter and plant trees and permaculture forest gardens. Prepare to live in your changing bioregion. Go back to the land. Ecologically farm and restore as you connect with like minded Earth revolutionaries to clandestinely carry out escalating protest, sabotage and guerrilla war.

I urge you to really think about what is necessary -- both personally and in terms of social change -- to sustain being, and committing to it. Token managerial reforms of the antiquated ecologically damaging activities of burning and cutting are not enough. Technology is not going to save us. Market campaigns using glamorous celebrities are not enough. Petitioning our leaders is not going to save us. Personal efforts will only get you and Gaia so far. Only escalating protest action targeting the destroyers, their equipment and their Earth eating worldview can still avert biosphere disintegration.

Set aside your best efforts at ecological denial, acknowledge the task before us, and join with others in becoming a reluctant revolutionary. An Earth insurgency could topple the growth machine in a day, though it may take years. The sooner the better, as more ecological remnants will exist to serve as the basis of ecological restoration. Even as we pursue revolutionary strategies and tactics to maintain a habitable Earth, commit to remaining free and humane. The answer is neither tyranny of the left nor right. Above all else we must achieve global ecological sustainability through just and equitable means.

Protect and restore natural ecosystems including old forests right now. Work with others to destroy coal, tar sands, fishing trawlers, oil palm, industrial agriculture, pipelines and ancient forest loggers. Start today. Now continued human existence depends upon your courage, ecological wisdom and taking direct lethal action in defense of our shared ecological heritage. Each of us and together will transition to a state of ecological grace, quickly, and through action against the Earth destroyers, or we will all die a horrific and barbaric death together as being ends.

If we choose to fight for Earth there is hope, otherwise there is none. Share the anguish of not knowing if revolutionary violence is the answer or not. But it has to be considered comprehensively, thoroughly and quickly. Prove me wrong and demonstrate how to ecologically sufficiently address converging eco-crises in a couple years time within current economic and political systems. Revolution is almost certainly the only possible way to sustain and restore healthy ecosystems as the basis of human civilization and all life. Be strong, slay the growth machine, for Gaia.

###

This is an excerpt from Dr. Glen Barry's forthcoming new book entitled "New Earth Rising". Sadly, this will not be finished by Copenhagen, though we intend to publish the introduction soon as we begin serializing it at http://www.newearthrising.org/. We eagerly seek a publisher and financial backers to finish the book which is nearing completion.

EARTH MEANDERS: Old Forests, REDD Rage and Earth Revolution

2009-06-29T23:05:47Z

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

Earth and her humanity need old forests to exist. And all enabling their destruction, including potential carbon markets paying for 'sustainable forest management' in primary forests, are legitimate targets for an Earth Revolution.

For too long those feeding upon the trough of "sustainable" forestry have been perpetuating the myth that primary and old growth forests can and should be harvested using "Sustainable Forest Management" (SFM) techniques. Old Forests are key to ecosystem, biodiversity, human and the Earth System's survival. Along with other intact natural terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats; old forests are the internal organs of the Planet and regulate the Earth System to maintain conditions conducive to life. Primary forests logged for the first time are permanently ecologically damaged in terms of composition, structure, function and dynamics.

I am stunned, dumfounded and enraged at the wholesale selling out of the climate and forest, led by big environmental NGOs (BINGOs). The latest positive idea for an ecologically sustainable Earth -- Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Diminishment (REDD) -- to pay for ancient forest protection with carbon monies, is at this very moment being watered down to mean business as usual first time logging of primary forests that forever destroys ecosystems and habitats. Like "sustainable development" and "certified forestry", the REDD concept of paying for protection of old forests' carbon stores, biodiversity and ecosystem is being taken over by industry.

]]> Current thinking is that REDD will not primarily pay for avoided deforestation -- that is keeping and benefiting locally from standing old forests -- but instead pushes long-failed and mythical "sustainable forest management" in the world's remaining dwindling primary forests. Latest REDD proposals as part of the UN climate policy process focus upon paying for everything but keeping old forests standing. I am absolutely appalled at the environmental movement for rolling over on climate offsets in general, and their tolerance or promotion of "sustainable forest management" for the world's remaining primary forests, rather than strict protection.

I am enraged and indignant. Well known NGO's obstinate support for Forest Stewardship Council's certification of first time primary forest logging as "well-managed", while implying sustainability, has set the stage for industrial logging to be falsely marketed as a climate change solution. On the back of NGO greenwashing, first time industrial logging of primary forests is now claimed to be beneficial to climate, never mind that most timber products are in the landfill decomposing within years, and that current and future forest carbon stores are reduced for millennia.

Nothing fills me with such rage as the selling out of ancient life giving forests by greens and BINGOs. Under REDD+ UN climate proposals, sustainable forest management, clearing of primary forests to be replaced by plantations, and selective logging of never before industrially harvested forests, could all be granted carbon credits. To solve climate change, your tax monies are to be used to pay to log the last primary and old growth forests which hold and remove unbelievably vast amounts of carbon. This is like being against slavery and committing to treating your slaves better at the same time.

Old forests make Earth habitable. The fact that such an ecological ignorant and ludicrous notion as logging old forests with carbon monies for alleged climate benefits is being entertained illustrates clearly the failure of the Western democratic consumption system. Along with other political signals, such as ridiculously low carbon emission reduction targets being set by rich industrial economies, emerging economies refusal to reduce emissions, as well as a clear lack of understanding how these targets will be met within the dominant economic growth paradigm, all indications are that current prevailing economic and government systems are inadequate and are unable to respond to looming ecological collapse and end of being.

Old forests are our home. We and many species have evolved there or nearby, and are utterly dependent upon their carbon storage, biodiversity, soil, water, wildlife, rain and other ecosystem processes they provide. Earth is faced with an unprecedented emergency as its surface is scoured of life and the ecologically cumulative biosphere collapses. Nothing impacts climate, water or oceans more than denuding natural forests. To advocate cutting down the last bits of old forests that allow us to live, to be paid for by money to address climate change, is an outrageous crime against humanity that cannot go unchallenged.

I am absolutely appalled at the environmental movement for rolling over on demanding sufficient climate policy. The forest movement has been piddling about with certified forests, once off protests, demonstration projects and market campaigns for decades. Specifically, their promotion of industrial scaled "certified" or "sustainable" forest management of old forests, rather than strict protection and local community eco-forestry, illustrates the death of ecological science based free thinking adequate to solve the Earth crisis on hand. And meanwhile Earth continues to be scraped of its forest skin.

The degree of corporate collaboration (including by BINGOS) to find ways to profit financially from ecological Armageddon is sickening. It is this desire for endless profit that has brought us to the edge of global ecocide. Any organization, individual, company, government, BINGO or other espousing industrial first time logging of remaining primary and old growth forests is a criminal and liable. They do not understand the imperatives of ecological science, and that our way of life is destroying the ecosystems required for our and all life. And as such they are legitimate targets for protests of many sorts.

I have come to believe the only way to bring about global ecological sustainability will be an Earth Revolution to overthrow the whole stinking and unsustainable system of growth in economy, population and inequitable consumption. We are failing to maintain Earth's ecological infrastructure, and it is now time to seriously raise our game and only pursue what is necessary to ensure humanity and Gaia's shared survival.

Human survival depends upon paying local peoples and governments to protect and restore old forests, while helping local peoples and governments benefit from them remaining standing. If REDD is not gotten right at Copenhagen (and ambitious short term emissions reductions targets set), than the only manner to achieve global ecological sustainability will be to overthrow the industrial growth machine. Any such Stewardship Revolution would be well advised to focus upon those that continue antiquated processes of burning and cutting Earth to death. Those scouring the Earth of biological life must no longer go unpunished. Whatever it takes, old forest logging and other industrial destruction must end now.

Failure at Copenhagen and immediately after to protect old forests, put in place immediate emissions reductions, and urgently address over-population and inequitable consumption will mean our only chance of ecological survival is revolutionary action. If international efforts to address climate change instead intend to clear the last remnants of an intact global ecosystem, they will need to be resisted using all means necessary. We may or may not choose to wage war upon those we know are destroying being, but failure at Copenhagen will make violent revolution THE only way to save a habitable Earth populated by complex life including humans. For life and Earth, it is time to revolt.

EARTH MEANDERS: Radical Idealism: Come Home to Gaia

2009-06-04T12:57:06Z

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

Let me tell you about the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees. THEY ARE ALL DYING. Global grassroots protest action -- informed by ecological science, impassioned by green rage, and dedicated to sufficient policies to achieve global ecological sustainability -- our last best chance, together, to avoid ecocide.

FOREWARD: For the past two months Ecological Internet has been micro-blogging on Twitter http://twitter.com/ecointernet (as well as at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ecological-Internet/84943913664 on Facebook) regarding requirements for ecological sustainability [search]. Being forced to capture complex ideas in 140 characters has been good for our biocentric writing by enforcing brevity. Ends up the series of one-liners string together relatively well to present a compelling vision of what is necessary to protect Gaia and our beings.

From these terse pronouncements comes a sense of planetary urgency. As we ponder whether there are enough funds for Ecological Internet to continue to use the Internet to facilitate global ecological sustainability, and consider cutting back or even closing (and whether our "public radio" type funding appeals remain a viable funding method), this twitter compilation is one means to make a compelling case for you to support our unique brand of global grassroots eco-advocacy.

Your support broadcasts such biocentric thought and action 24/7 to an ecologically hungry world -- as our portals and writings are used and read by several million people a year. Please enjoy this essay and donate now. Together we will make it.

For Earth,
Dr. Glen Barry
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(EARTH) - Gaia. Earth is alive. Biosphere is self-regulating. Interactions between ecosystems make Earth habitable. Gaia once vibrant is in mid-death swoon. Humans. Are killing. Gaia. Earth is faced with global ecological collapse, this is an unprecedented emergency, and threatens major upheaval and death of all. Wake up you bloody fools. Earth is dying. We are losing our habitat. Humanity is in deep shit as Earth well past carrying capacity. We and all Gaia's creatures are heading for mass extinction. Radical idealism that profoundly transforms humanity's relationship to natural being is the cure to ecocide.

Things are not as they ought to be. Humans dismantle natural ecosystems that are their habitats because they like making money more than truth, justice, equity and continued shared being. We spew into our air, excrete into water, piss in our oceans and foul the land for a pocket full of mumbles and throw-away consumer junk. All but a few are able to overcome their childhood indoctrination and limited lifespan to see this is not how life was meant to be, that humanity has morphed into a disease upon Gaia. Yet as our atmosphere collapses, water grows dear, and extreme poverty epidemic; more are realizing that something has gone dramatically wrong with the human project.

Gaia, the Earth System, is alive and self-regulating. Gaia is a super-organism, and as such can die. There is no guarantee of continued evolution after ecosystem collapse. Being can end. Humans are one with Earth and as goes Gaia's health goes ours being. Being is fragile. The biosphere is a thin mantle of life upon otherwise lifeless rock. These ecosystems are more than resources, they give life. All Gaia's life including us is crashing. Humans appear hell-bent to destroy life's biological foundation. Earth going bad with industrial agricultural, dead oceans, strip malls, toxic cocktail, climate weirding and logging old forests. Pandemic disease stalks an overpopulated, poverty wracked and ecologically devastated Earth. Factory farms breed disease sold as food. All must change, be restored.

Global inequity in wealth and standard of living is evil. Malignant consumerism devours Earth's being and the only profits to be seen are false. About 2 billion live on under $2/day and 2 billion in relative opulent luxury. These disparities are unsustainable and must end. Our and all creatures' being imperiled as human disease overwhelms all naturalness. Ecological fabric of being unraveling, daily news full of ecosystems failing, yet few put it together. We and our planet are needlessly dying now. Over-consumption from ecosystem liquidation by some while others starve root cause of ecosystem collapse, war and injustice

Continued being depends upon escalating protest action. For humanity's shared survival we must broaden our sphere of love and emotional support to include Gaia, all her creatures and the human family. Time for action is now. There is nothing wrong with Earth System that a good healthy dose of radical idealism can't fix. It's simple: humanity cutting and burning Earth to death. These practices must end. We can and must stop coal, logging, tar sands, industrial agriculture, war and poverty. There exists a global ecological imperative to protect and restore whole Earth as our garden. Either you are committed to stopping ecocide or you are the problem.

Only road to ecological sustainability is immediate industrial powerdown, and ecological protection and restoration. Time to level with global citizens -- fighting climate change raises energy prices and requires substantial personal sacrifice. The option is apocalyptic planetary disintegration. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an urgent planetary necessity whether or not it creates jobs as techno-optimists claim. Shame on people, and there are many, who put their opulent consumption and luxury ahead of needs of Earth and the poor. Fatal flaw in Western exceptionalism is its use as justification to overconsume. Climate change and sustainability require simpler lives. How much is enough?

]]> Most so oblivious to ecosystem collapse they will only note Earth's demise when they turn on the tap and there is no water, when there is no food, or they gasp for their last breath. Yet, even mainstream media is becoming aware that infinite growth on a finite planet can only lead to ecological collapse. But as we sit cocooned in our drugged comfort, no one is quite sure what to do about it. One third of planet lives in opulence relative to history, and their fellow one third of the human family are starving. Embrace of consumption as meaning of life -- even "communist" China -- means are eating Earth and will wake-up to toxic nightmare. A hard rain's begun to fall, and only personal transformation and social change can make it stop.

Whether we continue to be or not to be is being determined now. There are already too many people living on Planet Earth. Speculative, industrial capitalism is killing the climate, the Earth and our lives. Shame on hipster poseurs and those profiting financially from global ecosystem collapse. Solutions to ecological crises will not be engineered, they come from going back to the land, restoring and living simply on an organic Earth. There can be no economy if there is no ecology. Given industrial capitalism's ravenous resource appetite, should rainforests and climate be bound to failing economic markets? It is the land, always, think of the land. So much has been lost so swiftly. We must protect the rest and restore what has been lost.

Humanity's advancement screwed up by failing to realize soon enough that energy, water and land are scarce and precious. Food shortages caused by climate change, water scarcity, over-population and dead oceans are poised to bring down human civilization and perhaps eradicate all complex life. Food doesn't come from the grocery, it comes from healthy agro-ecological systems within intact climate, water and soils. There can be no economy, much less art, music, beauty or love; without healthy and abundant ecosystems. Humans are destroying our habitat. Most species know not to shit where they live -- it is time for us to relearn this as well. Where will you go when your habitat is gone and you have no water, food or air?

Prophecies of global ecological apocalypse are mundane, true and imminent. Only question remains what willing to do to stop what is otherwise inevitable (or we might as well roll over and all die). Challenge is to unlearn everything we have been indoctrinated with regarding economics, politics, and religion and return to Earth, ecology, community and love. Tragic how few stop to ask why we must destroy Earth. There are other ways to live. We are but one cog in the wheel of life that is increasingly falling apart. It is NOT too late to take climate mitigation measures to avert global heating's worst, but it requires immediate and dramatic emission reduction. Continuing as are will mean assured cruel, apocalyptic end for being. Green rage at senseless end of being is no vice. Feeling Earth's pain and committing to shared survival is virtue.

We need hard working, educated and organized resistance. You can feel energy building- - an ecologically informed movement willing to take sufficient actions to save being is growing. There is still time, just barely, to get back to Gaia's garden. Must pursue sufficient ecological sustainability policies; including ending coal, protecting old forests, reforming industrial agriculture and embracing energy efficiency and renewables. Measures taken to pursue global ecological sustainability by governments, business, citizens and most big NGOs are orders of magnitude insufficient. As long as we draw breath there is hope for humanity and Earth. But we must immediately reduce emissions and protect and restore all ecosystems. Either you understand growth in economies and human population are killing Earth or you don't. Even Obama thinks we can grow ourselves to sustainability. Growth in positive feedback always inevitably kills all!

We need dramatic people power protests, culminating if necessary in an eco-revolution. The movement for global ecological sustainability is greatest challenge of all time. The Internet offers global citizens its last best chance to come together to take the revolutionary actions necessary to save being. Start now, or start later, but sooner or later we will protect all remaining natural habitats and assist them to regenerate. Now is the time. No time left for ecological compromise. Every little scrap of nature must be protected and helped to regenerate and expand. Survival depends on it. Governments are shirking their duty and in effect abdicating. They won't fix their climate mess. If no Copenhagen agreement, may need to be supplanted to save being.

Social change to ecological sustainability begins with personal transformation and ends with informed and empowered action on behalf of being. Those that mine and burn coal and tar sands, log and use old forest timbers and over-use land, water and oceans must be compelled to stop or else. No possibility of renewable energy providing amount of energy now used, much less expected growth. Energy use must decline dramatically. Large intact natural ecosystems are required for global ecological sustainability. Earth can't exist without old forests. Old forest protection and restoration key response to all ecocrises. Their full protection and restoration is global ecological imperative or all life ends. There is no way biomass can fuel industrial society, as terrestrial ecosystems are already collapsing!

It is time to seriously consider a revolutionary response to ecosystem collapse. When will enlightened free thinking global citizens coalesce to take action commensurate to the degree of threat posed by global ecological crises? What if democratic consumption unable to reform itself? What If those destroying Earth for profit won't stop? Then up to us to act swiftly and decisively. Well past time for each of us to intentionally align our very being with Earth's needs. It is well past time to go back to the land and serve Gaia and being. Time to plant, tend and defend your garden -- literally and figuratively.

So much to do, so little time, for Gaia, and her humanity. The meaning of remaining life is ecological protection and restoration. First rule of transformation: stop digging. Industrial capitalism destroys ecosystems, more speculative, techno-industrialism not the answer. Well past time to let Earth rest and regenerate. When pressure removed, ecosystems recover. Today is the perfect day to start/continue your personal transformation, to be one with the Earth, that is, to feel you connection to Gaia.

Reject most you have been taught about humanism and embrace ecocentrism. Have faith in Gaia and her resiliency, even as you take action to protect her, disavowing easy techno-fixes for personal and social change. The time for ever more reports, talking and seeking of consensus is done. The Earth needs passionate advocacy energy and action now or everything dies. We have choices other than allowing Gaia and humanity to die. Tomorrow we could together rush failed authority and be transformed.

The Battle against climate change and movement for global ecological sustainability offer YOU the chance to have your existence matter profoundly to humanity and Gaia. Many brave folks are taking protest action to stop climate change and the whole host of related global ecological crises. It is time to coalesce into a radical, sufficient movement. Together we can make dream of global ecological sustainability, justice and equity reality by committing to escalating protest to achieve sufficient ecological policy. Should our entreaties continue to go unheard, we may need to partake in a stewardship revolution. We are fighting for our very lives folks. Pacifism fine until you realize Earth is dying and being ending. If not willing to fight for shared survival, what is worthy of a fight?

Constantly marvel at miracle of creation and hope you do too. Human habitat depends upon intact, operable biosphere -- we are called to commit to protecting being. Ecologists and anti-capitalists' predictions are repeatedly right, yet ruling elite continue to exclude green thought from power and pursue economic growth at expense of life giving ecosystems. Earth system needs ambitious policy based upon ecology, protest action and if necessary a stewardship revolution. Anything less is giving up. Successful grassroots eco-activism means not waiting for government and big groups to solve problems, but you yourself learning and organizing for Earth. If you care about you and your family's water, air, food and shelter in the future, you will commit now to ecological protest to save being.

It is time to usher in the era of global ecological restoration and protection. Please join movement to achieve global ecological sustainability, the most epic battle ever of good vs. evil, to ensure continued being for all life. Together, we have one last chance to save being and learn to live with Gaia and each other justly, equitably, peacefully and sustainably. Working together, global ecological sustainability starts here now. What a gratifying way to live -- in pursuit of truth and working to support Gaia and family, by which I mean humanity and all creatures. Be strong, seek knowledge and prepare to act. Earth needs courage, wisdom and love. Be, one, with Gaia. Spread the word.

EARTH MEANDERS: This Memorial Day: Should We Arrest Cheney and Bush, Impeach Obama?

2009-05-23T16:51:56Z

Democratic consumption is an irredeemable political/economic system that has proven itself unable to justly and equitably allow all global citizens to live in peace, abundance and sustainability.

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

It has been awhile since I have written how U.S. militarism to prop up an unsustainable way of life is destroying both Earth and freedom. As Obama induced "hopenosis" starts wearing off, it is clear that on several key issues -- war, civil liberties and climate change -- we are getting "Bush Lite" policies from President Obama that differ little from his criminal predecessor. Military commissions to try those illegally held for years will occur after all, and some may be held forever without charges. We continue to be spied upon. Obama is escalating the unwinnable war in Afghanistan, and drawing out the criminal occupation of Iraq. Meanwhile the real Earth and society crushing crises of climate change and global ecosystem collapse remain woefully unaddressed. Heil Bush! Heil Obama!

After nearly a decade of criminal rule, America continues under new management to careen forward, wounded and flailing in vain attempts to return to a state of excessive democratic consumption. On the economy, the President has borrowed (stolen?) trillions from our children to rescue a dying industrial and speculative capitalistic shell game built upon usury, greed and unsustainability. And we are getting an inadequate climate change policy that cherry picks token measures to be seen as acting while coddling coal and tar sands which we know must end to survive. America's might makes right, damn the truth and consequences, mind set is destroying civilized society and our one shared Earth.

]]> Democrats and Republicans are two faces of the same imperial American war machine, hell-bent to destroy Earth for one last fix of economic growth. Happiness and meaning is always having more stuff, damn the consequences for the Earth and poor. President Bush is a known war criminal that a truly just, law-abiding, democratic system would bring to justice. Torture, rigged elections, unprovoked illegal and imperial wars, spying on law-abiding citizens -- President or not, these are illegal behaviors. As are the current weak (and orders of magnitude insufficient) climate bill, subsidizing coal and its mountaintop removal mining, and continuing a state of unjustified perma-war when a great nation and its peoples are going bankrupt -- both financially and morally.

Charge War and Climate Criminals Starting with Cheney, Bush and Further Down the Chain of Command

On this Memorial Day, consider the following. Ex-president Bush (thank Gaia), high ranking associates and some soldiers have substantively violated the 1996 U.S. War Crimes Act (penalties which can include death), the international Third Geneva Convention of 1949, and the 1987 UN Torture Convention. For almost a decade, climate science was willfully ignored placing our shared survival at imminent risk. Why are the war and climate criminals not being charged and their actions undone?

And responsibility for the state of affairs is diffuse and wide-ranging. The Uniform Code of Military Justice makes clear soldiers have an obligation and a duty to only obey lawful orders and indeed have an obligation to disobey unlawful orders. These include Presidential orders that do not comply with the Code, the constitution and international law. Further, it was established by the U.S. at the WW II Nuremberg war trials that "following orders" is not justification for war crimes. There is no moving forward until we acknowledge that, in fact, many American politicians and soldiers are war criminals -- including Bush and Cheney -- and must be tried for their crimes.

Apparently there are two sets of laws in America, one for the rich ruling elite and their well-armed minions, and the other for working, thinking men and women. Torture is against the law and immoral. Unprovoked war is against the law and immoral. Spying on your citizens is against the law and immoral. A state of perma-war against terrorism, which is a tactic and not an enemy, rather than taking coordinated international actions to police terrorism is just plain dumb and ineffective. Rather than fully reversing course and investigating and charging those that broke laws, Obama appears bent upon de facto pardoning and even continuing some of these egregious policies. Thus withers what remains of American ideals.

Obama's Free Ride Is Over: End the Wars, Sufficiently Address Climate Change

It is treacherous and unforgivable that President Obama does not fully support a truth and reconciliation commission. It is up to President Obama to end Bush's holy wars, embrace a foreign policy based upon human rights and ecological sustainability, and make peace not war, in order that we can address the real threats to our security which include unsustainable industrial capitalism and collapsing global ecosystems. There are other choices for governance than a two party system where both find truth anathema, and seek to grow the economy until its ecological foundation crumbles and falls.

It is sadly becoming clear that this Presidency will continue militaristic foreign policy and inadequate token climate policies. The new President has shown his true color, as apologist for the ruling elite's war-mongering, growth machine -- intent upon liquidating ecosystems for endless wealth for the rich and a few token jobs for the rest. The ruling elite and fossil fuel oligarchy find the new management to be perfectly fine, as long as U.S policies of raping the Earth for growth at the point of a gun are maintained.

Like many, I am beginning to question Obama's hopenosis -- the hypnotic rhetoric of change and hope. Either he is committed to undoing Bush's military fascism and Earth destruction, or he is not. You can't half make war or half address climate change. Either your policies are sufficient to bring peace and sustainability, or they are not. Either you uphold American ideals and rule in a law-abiding manner, or you don't.

If you do not and willingly lead America and the world to ruin, you have in effect abdicated, and lost the legitimacy to rule, including being the only lawful user of political violence. Obama should not yet be impeached, but he had best start living up to his rhetoric and lead strongly on issues of imperial perma-war, civil rights and ecological sustainability; which do not respond well to half-measures and compromise.

Time to Regain Moral Compass, Lead on International Law and Environmental Conventions

It is not the American government's job to keep us safe at the expense of global self-evident truths of freedom, liberty, justice and ecological sustainability. Some 3,000 people died tragically on 9/11. This is the same number of children that die DAILY from preventable dirty water, a problem that could be fixed globally with one-time $25 billion expenditure. Their lives are no less valuable than stockbrokers. America played right into the terrorist's hands with a disproportional, non-nuanced militaristic response which placed our economy and commitment to social and ecological issues at stake.

So what to do now? Wage war endlessly, killing hundreds of thousands in retribution, without setting up legitimate long-term international institutions to stop terrorism and the exploitation and military adventurism which are its causes? It is time to gain some perspective and move on to climate change, water scarcity, extreme poverty, ocean and land ecosystem collapse, sustainable jobs and the myriad of other emerging and merging ecological and social crisis that truly threaten all of our very beings. Earth is dying and America is still immersed in vengeance for past U.S. foreign policy blowback.

Virtually the only chance to address these looming global ecological and social crises is to sue for peace, negotiate global military demobilization (as was the norm before the World Wars), dismantle the military industrial growth complex, and divert these resources towards energy conservation, efficiency, renewable energy, and equitable sustainable development. It is unfathomable that billions live on under $2/day while good portions of the rest are obese and remain dissatisfied with their material lot in life. There can be no lasting peace or ecological sustainability until there is more just and equitable sharing of Earth's bounty.

It is better that America lives up to its ideals of liberty and freedom -- the only thing that truly does make America exceptional -- and have a slightly higher chance of a terrorist act occurring, than become a barricaded nation of affluence for awhile longer on a crumbling Planet. It is not our wasteful standard of living that makes America great, it is the belief that all men and women are created equal and free. Should that be jettisoned to protect ourselves from vicious, lunatic religious thugs? The way forward is commitment to international laws, universal disarmament and a sustainable Earth for all her creatures and peoples.

It will be difficult if not impossible to bring an over-populated and inequitable consumption plagued world into a state of long-term global ecological sustainability. There can be no lasting security unless America sheds its militarism and once again engages in global measures to establish sufficient international law and environmental protections. It is not military power or excessive lifestyles that make America exceptional, it is our flawed yet dogged advancement of the ideals of freedom, liberty and justice; without which there is nothing special in the American dream.

Don't you dare tell me I don't love my country. I am a true blooded, liberty loving American (including the sometimes ugly part) through and through. I just love being -- the Earth and all her creatures and peoples -- more. We are all one human family and these false national, tribal divisions are relicts of a bygone era. Enlightened global citizens know we are all one human family on a fragile, collapsing Earth habitat. We will fully commit to peace, freedom and sustainability, including a possible Earth uprising if all else fails; or we will all share a horrific ride together, at each other's throat, towards global self-immolation. Clearly America and world's political economy is failing both Earth and freedom.

EARTH MEANDERS: Only Cure for a Dying Earth May Be a Stewardship Revolution

2009-05-17T19:00:02Z

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

If Gaia, the Earth System, is alive, then it stands to reason she can die. And the fact Gaia has not yet succumbed in past mass extinctions is no indication, and certainly no guarantee, that when hit simultaneously, in a geological flash of time -- with climate change, deforestation, toxics, soil loss, scarce freshwater, dead oceans and more; caused primarily by over-population and inequitable consumption -- that Gaia will not pass from being.

The degree to which humanity has changed Gaia's balance ecologically is clearly known by global change and ecological science, yet it is not well appreciated by most of the masses and ruling elite. Until it is, humanity and our sister species are careening towards global ecosystem collapse, where one day soon we will wake up on a toxic, largely lifeless planet and it will be too late.

If all entreaties to power to pursue necessary policies to avoid global ecosystem collapse continue to be rebuffed, there is a long tradition of protest culminating in revolution to draw upon as inspiration for a Stewardship Revolution. We need to steel ourselves to the possibility that environmentalism in the face of continued neglect by the ruling elite has become a battle for shared survival of our and all being.

]]> Can the Earth System Collapse into a Lifeless and Uninhabitable Biosphere?

It is now generally accepted that the Earth System -- the sum total of natural life-giving ecosystems into the one biosphere, sometimes referred to as Gaia -- can in some important aspects be viewed as alive. This includes the ability as a super-organism to self-regulate its internal environment. Thus nutrients and energy flow between seas and forests, from water to air, and back again, in the (until now) seemingly endless rhythms of natural life. This habitat is our and all life's home.

When you study, research and observe these issues for decades, as I have, it becomes apparent that like any biological system, the Earth can die, and is already needlessly and prematurely dying now. I will not review the voluminous ecological science that indicates that uniformly global ecosystems are in decline and have already started to collapse. Google searches on "ocean dead zones", "water scarcity", "ecosystem collapse" to say nothing of "deforestation extinction" and "abrupt climate change", make this abundantly clear. I have spent a lifetime building environmental search and news tracking portals including http://www.ecoearth.info/ that catalog and make accessible what is known about Gaia's looming demise.

Or you can walk outside and note how many native plants you see, what percentage of your landscape is intact ecosystem, what is required to make your water drinkable, and note changing seasonality. And if you are truly interested in your and your children's survival you may even read! Start with "Limits to Growth", move towards the "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment", and continue by getting a degree in ecology and/or global change. Most of what is necessary to diagnose Gaia's condition and propose sufficient, transformative ecological policies is already known.

I am frequently derided for saying the Earth is dying, as doing so will only cause despair. My response is that ecological truth exists, and it will be impossible to solve merging global eco-crises without an accurate assessment of the severity of the matter. Those that resist this ecological knowledge do so out of dogmatic ideologies, of which they may not even be aware. They are cut off from the web of life and unaware of the essentially ecological nature of being.

It is particularly troubling that so many people find comfort in the far from certain notion that "Earth will survive" no matter what after humanity's own demise. Given evolution is not guided by purpose, there is no such guarantee. Any one of the past five mass extinctions could have ended with a loss of complex or even all life. Because life has survived mass extinction to evolve again into ever greater diversity and complexity does not mean it necessarily will do so.

This is particularly so when, as now, not only are species becoming extinct, but the biogeochemical nature of Earth's environment is fundamentally shifting and may move outside the bounds of what is habitable. Gaia is now being bombarded by major biological and ecological change, in a never before seen barrage in all manners of ecological decline, and at an unheard of rate of change.

Both lands and seas have been, and continue to be, scoured of their unique life. The current atmospheric composition is historically unprecedented, threatening long-established climatic patterns. Gaia's lifeblood, water, is treated as a bottomless sewer. Ancient soils are eroding, countless species passing, remaining ecosystems are accumulating dangerous nitrogen; and all this is occurring within a toxic soup of untested chemicals that may have unknown deadly synergies.

Most of these profound biogeochemical changes have occurred in a mere 300 years. Today's Earth system is struggling under the pressure of 7 billion super-predators and their billions of livestock, which have and continue to grow at a super exponential rate. Under the dominant growth paradigm, each of these unique individuals want and expect ever more consumption, procreation and money/power; which can only come at the expense of more ecosystem loss. At some point, like a shirt having pieces cut from it, this will prove to be too much, and the fabric of being will fall apart.

Something has to break under such a scenario, and unfortunately it is global ecosystems which are required to make Earth habitable. Systems theory shows definitively that exponentially growing systems in positive feedback eventually tear themselves apart and collapse. Technology extends but does not eliminate limits to growth. Given widespread dismantling of the ecosystems that have made Earth livable for eons, who is to say that Earth dying is not a distinct possibility?

As a Conservation Biologist, I could spend my life writing scientific papers to illustrate these points, typing as Earth burns, knowledge that already exists, and will not be much read. Alternatively, I could join with other scientists in a controlled experiment on our one shared biosphere -- essentially what is proposed by geo-engineering solutions to climate change -- and see if dismantling ecosystems one by one and haphazardly eventually leads to destruction of the biosphere.

Or as a Political Ecologist, I can trust a lifetime of ecological learning and intuition, and the findings of thousands of eminently more qualified scientists, and work together with others that have been similarly ecologically enlightened to promote the sufficient social change and personal transformation necessary to reverse ecological decline. I have chosen the latter. Please join us.

Can We Discuss Escalating Earth Protest and If Necessary a Stewardship Revolution?

I strongly believe we need to steel ourselves to the possibility that Earth has been so buffeted by humans that it is dying. And if this is the case, then we are in a fight for our lives and need to act with the requisite courage and resolve to ensure Earth and all creatures' existence continue. Once having realized a state of ecological awareness, together we can will a just, equitable and sustainable Earth and society into being.

My scientific prediction that Earth is dying could be wrong. Regardless, clearly there is going to be mass starvation, chronic water shortages and major flooded cities as a result of climate change and attendant ecological crises. This is established fact that is indeed already happening. The death of hundreds of millions if not billions in the coming century is bad enough and should warrant some serious policy changes. Whether Gaia and humanity actually die, or just wish they had; clearly profound changes in birth rates, equitable consumption and use of natural resources -- a Stewardship Revolution -- is required if Gaia is to be stabilized and restored, and descent into an apocalyptic dystopia avoided.

Americans, the French and much of the world have a long and illustrious history of revolutionary thought and action that is celebrated to this day. Revolutionary wars were fought to establish liberty and freedom, that however incomplete, nonetheless largely banished monarchial tyranny (excepting the last U.S. President). There are periods in history where questions of liberty and justice required conflict for what was just and true, and sometimes just what was necessary to survive.

Both Gandhi and King brought a powerful new tactic of non-violent struggle to social movements. And indeed we should use these tactics, but not necessarily exclusively as these are different times with different imperatives and constraints. The extent of the necessary social change, intransigence of ruling elite, and severe time constraints whereby past certain tipping points it is too late, are unprecedented.

What I am proposing is a serious dialogue to consider whether escalating protest actions may be required to transform and, if necessary, overthrow the global political and economic systems that are liquidating life-giving ecosystems for a throw-away consumer society for some. It is possible to envision a radicalized ecological sustainability movement that would move through an escalating series of protest actions -- from civil disobedience, through sabotage, and if need be violent acts of revolution -- until necessary changes for our shared survival like ending coal, tar sands and old forest logging occur.

The seeds for such a movement are already there as increasingly creative, and at times militant, protest is occurring globally, for example against coal and whaling. This would need to be grown as a movement as rapidly as possible, helping distraught and soulless consumers to reconnect with Earth. This is where the non-violent mass sit-ins, occupation of buildings, obstruction of loggers, whalers and miners would occur. We all hope mass mobilization of global citizens solves the problems.

Yet, global ecological crises are so acute, and so immediate, that it could be made known that if initial peaceful protest fails to immediately achieve ecologically sufficient action, that some in the protest movement would escalate to sabotaging equipment and property used to dismantle ecosystems. It would seem evident that surgical strikes against property of known people and organizations profiting from and causing a dying Earth would be far preferable to any sort of indiscriminate terrorism, which should be avoided.

Clearly global ecological sustainability rises to the level of inalienable rights and duties that must be defended at all costs. No ecology, and there is no economy, love, art, sport or anything else. An Earth insurgency with the globe as its battlefield may become necessary, and should be planned for along with other tactics. Industrial society is far more fragile than it appears. The history of past and ongoing insurgencies shows that a couple tens of thousands of dedicated Earth insurgents -- after due warning that continued governmental failure would be met with resistance -- could certainly find a plethora of soft targets in the industrial growth machine.

A leaderless movement of autonomous cells committed to defending their bioregion would be virtually impossible to stop, could significantly raise the price of ecocide, and just may pull the Earth eating growth machine down. What a life to be had: by day agrarian, relocalized democracy; and at night ruthlessly destroying the destroyers. This could not be merely tokenism; it would be about ending the disease of tar sands, coal, old forest logging and elite rule and inequity based upon plundering of natural ecosystems.

As a last ditch effort to save Gaia and ourselves, a Stewardship Revolution would need to be swift, lethal, relentless and uncompromising to succeed. As with any insurgency, people could choose to partake to the level with which they feel comfortable. If conditions continue to worsen ecologically and the Earth slaying elite remain intransigent, some may choose to carry out targeted, well-conceived violent actions. Others may limit themselves to providing support and comfort for those carrying out the fight, as well as helping those displaced from industrial society to reconnect to the land.

I do not condone nor do I mean to imminently incite such actions, but the point is the Earth is dying, and there is no sufficient plan to stop the ecocide. The idea of a Stewardship Revolution deserves at least to be considered. The time may be now to issue a warning to governments that failure to aggressively and ambitiously act on climate change at Copenhagen at the end of 2009 will mean radicalization of resistance to the status quo Earth destroying economic and political systems.

Earth and humanity, both of which I love very much, are dying; and all free thinking men and women of good faith should be willing to consider all alternatives necessary to save our and posterity's being. And thank Gaia for previous revolutions, which in my country give me the freedom to academically think and write these thoughts. Discussing requirements for actions to achieve global ecological sustainability is not a thought crime. It may be the only way home to Gaia.

Gaia willing, Dr. Barry will be further elaborating on these ideas in the forthcoming book "New Earth Rising" coming soon.

EARTH MEANDERS: The Only Way Forward Is Back to Gaia's Garden

2009-04-09T15:59:03Z

Geo-engineering madness will complete the destruction of the biosphere and human being(s). It is critical that we reject industrial geo-engineering, to instead embrace a program of sufficient global ecological protection and restoration.

By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
Earth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk

Human Hubris
Gaia (or the Earth System if you rather) is not a science project, it is alive (albeit sick) and fully inhabited. To speak of geo-engineering the climate before having exhausted local, national and international efforts to reduce emissions, protect and restore old forests, reform industrial agriculture, and other ecologically sufficient policies to sustain being, is rash and foolhardy. Continued ill-conceived technological, industrial diminishment of naturally operating ecosystems can only hasten and ensure global ecological collapse.

Sadly, President Obama's new science advisor, John Holdren, has indicated the administration is investigating geo-engineering -- massive planetary alterations such as shooting aerosols into the upper atmosphere -- to 'solve' climate change and associated ecological crises. The Obama administration is clearly signaling it is going to take a compromising, technology heavy approach to climate change policy. Social change and personal transformation necessary to achieve global ecological sustainability have received nary a mention.

Obama's climate policies will not be guided by what science tells us is required to stop hazardous warming. Rather, the U.S. government will only pursue policies that do not threaten economic growth, and rely upon more industrial technologies at the expense of natural ecosystems. Given America's history of exceptionalism, I suppose such hubris -- going from doing nothing to address climate change, directly to seriously considering engineering the biosphere, completely skipping the stages of self-examination and national transformation -- is to be expected.

]]> Climate change is exhibiting itself as abrupt and highly unpredictable changes in climate consistency. So what we do now is throw more variability into the system? Geo-engineering will lead inexorably to more climate variability, biological diminishment and loss of natural ecosystems, precisely at the time when we must stop digging our ecological hole (grave). Surely there will be as many or more losers as winners as climate predictability breaks down further with unexpected outcomes. To even consider such outrageous actions distracts from the urgent measures that need to be taken now on energy efficiency, conservation, renewables and a whole host of ecologically sufficient policies that require sacrifice.

Geo-engineering is Madness, Shear Madness

Geo-engineering is a lot of malarkey and can never work. The atmosphere and biosphere of which it is part is simply too complex to manipulate in a dependable, predictable way. Humanity is unable to control exotic species, keep plastics out of the oceans, stop illegal logging and fishing, and provide clean water for all; yet now we have the ecological expertise and political will to commandeer the Planet?

For 3.5 billion years the Earth has maintained conditions conducive to life and continued evolution; and now, in order to avoid giving up and sharing with the poor our large homes, cars, air travel and other conspicuous consumption, humans (including scientists that should know better) are considering taking the risk of humans ourselves maintaining the atmosphere and all attendant water, energy and nutrient flows. Even considering this as an option puts off the necessary actions to stop climate change and onrushing global ecological collapse by falsely suggesting there are technologies to avoid the necessary social changes required to lighten and reverse humanity's footprint upon natural ecosystems.

Nothing even remotely comparable to humanity engineering the Earth's biosphere has been attempted. Fertilizing the oceans, making charcoal of its ecosystems to bury, space mirrors, aerosol sprays, giant umbrellas -- are we crazy, or just in denial? Setting aside the ecological uncertainties for a moment, how would such a program be carried out socially? Who makes the rules of who can change the climate? I would suppose it is American business interests and not peasants more intimately dependent upon natural climatic patterns. What is proposed is similar yet even grander than Mao's Great Leap Forward and numerous megalomaniacal attempts to conquer the world throughout history.

Age of Ecological Restoration

Gaia is full of unbelievably varied, evolved, co-dependent and precious life. The biosphere, the relatively thin zone of life from under the soil and ocean depths, through terrestrial and marine ecosystems, to the top of the atmosphere; is the finely honed skin upon Gaia, of unbelievable complexity and sensitivity. Water and oceans are her precious blood. The sum total of over 3.5 billion years of evolution in organisms and Gaia, the super-organism, is a habitable Earth.

Eight millennia of forest clearance for agriculture, three hundred years of accelerating industrial fossil fuel dependence, and a century of growth in human population and inequitable consumption, have resulted in us all cutting and burning Gaia to death. We have misplaced our faith in technology, failing to understand it is the Earth System which supplies both natural and technological resources. You cannot eat a cell phone or money.

There exists a fundamental split between those that are willing to use technologies such as the Internet when they are appropriate, while generally proposing ecologically based policies; and those whose only response to environmental harm is further industrial technology at the continued expense of ecosystem diminishment. These decisions regarding which is the best path forward to global ecological sustainability -- geo-engineering and continued economic growth, or ecological regeneration and powering down to a steady state economy-- are questions of life and death for us all.

Humanity must return to nature, limiting our excesses, not complete her dismemberment. It is beyond our capabilities to dependably engineer a biosphere. At this moment of awakening of our oneness with the Earth, and the fact we have done her wrong, I intuit with all my being and ecological knowledge that we must return to nature's fold and not pursue more of the same resource industrialism that has brought us to ruin. A biosphere cannot be engineered, but it may be able to be restored. There is still time, just barely, to get back to Gaia's garden.

Restoring Gaia's Garden

Together the human family must commit itself to an Age of Ecological Restoration, disavowing geo-engineering proposals and minor reforms, in order to single-mindedly pursue global ecological protection and restoration. It is up to our best and brightest to aid ecosystems to regenerate with large-scale, targeted restoration ecology efforts placed to maximally benefit landscapes -- both ecologically and in terms of sustainable agro-ecological food and other plant material production.

Significant ecosystems, animals and genetic materials still exist as seed stock and blueprints for the new garden. Restoring the Earth is labor intensive and will provide many jobs and means of sustenance from healthy land. And restoring old woodlands where they historically occurred will absorb massive amounts of carbon. This is a sort of geo-engineering, but based upon restoring the natural systems that we have ripped asunder.

The hairless ape with opposable thumbs must return to Gaia's garden and restore and expand natural ecosystems, while reclaiming the industrial agricultural landscape with agro-ecological farming such as permaculture and other systems of sustainable agriculture that renew natural resources, increase natural diversity and enrich local ecosystems.

Land degradation is a much larger component of climate change and general ecological decline than generally supposed. We must not prematurely give up on Gaia's resiliency and the ability of her ecosystems to be restored and to persevere, even as human industrial society powers down to avoid further ecological collapse.

Now is the time to return to the land, sea and water; and begin rebuilding core strictly protected ecosystems and buffering agro-ecological ecosystems of abundance and joy, adequate to maintain being for humanity and all Gaia's creatures. Natural systems continue to exist that can be restored and aided to regenerate. Important remnants exist as roadmaps and seeds to allow their expansion and reconnection.

We must reject further industrial capitalism, brought to a maddening crescendo with ill-conceived geo-engineering proposals, and instead allow ourselves to be bioengineered at Gaia's command. Together we can create with natural stocks, and our hands, minds and communities; Gaia's new, old garden.

One Year for Governments and Then a Stewardship Revolution?

We could choose to give one year for the current governments (with plenty of escalating protest action) to get their act together and start taking ecologically sufficient policy measures on climate, forests, water and oceans; and reject geo-engineering, or it will be our and the human family's deepest calling to take whatever actions are necessary to destroy the industrial growth machine and begin powering down industrial society.

A Stewardship Revolution to stop industrial ecosystem liquidation, including its intensification through geo-engineering, may best serve humanity and the Earth's long-term prospects. It may be better to crash the global industrial economy now, to relieve unsustainable pressures upon ecosystems, than to allow the technological madness to advance to a state where humanity and indeed all complex life are irreparably lost forever. A credible revolutionary threat may spur governments to required ecologically sufficient action.

A mighty buck deer comes to my window when the moon is full to tell me these things. And a lifetime of ecological education helps too. I have found my oneness with Gaia. I encourage you to do so too, by seeing the natural world around you, and what it is saying to you, and by studying and acting upon political ecology. When you understand and feel the enormity of looming global ecological collapse, which if not acted upon will devastate you and your family, I encourage you to act accordingly, and with suitable urgency, using all actions within your power.

We are fighting for shared survival. Please start by fully understanding that we will never, ever, ever be able to design and run a biosphere. To try is ecocide and must be resisted using all means necessary by all ecologically knowledgeable, clear minded and free thinkers. But we may be able to recreate natural ecosystems and new agro-ecological systems. There is one chance for the corporate/industrial/military complex controlled governments to get ecological sustainability policy right at Copenhagen in late 2009, and if they fail, it will be up to global citizens to take the biosphere into our own hands.

RELEASE: Ecological Internet Boosts Networking of Biocentric Thought and Action

2009-03-31T15:59:32Z

EI commits to regular micro-blogging and social networking upon Twitter and Facebook, to promote ecologically sufficient policies adequate to achieve global ecological sustainability

(Earth) -- Ecological Internet (EI) has committed to furthering its leadership in use of the Internet to facilitate environmental conservation by establishing major new Facebook and Twitter presences[1]. While Ecological Internet's President, Dr. Glen Barry, is widely credited with inventing blogging[2] in 1993, a subject of his Ph.D. dissertation; until now EI has not embraced the large, commercial social networking sites. Supporters are asked to follow and recommend these efforts.

"Facebook's improvement upon public profiles made the time ripe to commit to these technologies to further biocentric thought and an ecologically sufficient policy agenda. The use of RSS/XML technologies has matured to the point where we can micro-blog in one place and have it replicate to all our sites and profiles. And Ecological Internet has long offered our own major RSS/XML newsfeeds of ecological media, alerts, and commentary which others are encouraged to share[3]," said Dr. Glen Barry.

]]> Ecological Internet, Inc. specializes in the use of the Internet to achieve ecological science-based environmental conservation outcomes[4]. Ecological Internet's mission is to empower the global movement for environmental sustainability by providing information retrieval tools, portal services, expert analysis and action opportunities that aid in the protection of climate, forest, ocean and water ecosystems; and to commence the age of ecological sustainability and restoration.

"We very much hope that many of our 60,000 person global network will choose to become Fans of our Facebook site, and to follow our Twitter feed, while encouraging others to do likewise. As we spend hours each day gathering news and knowledge, we will be sharing insights, observations and protest opportunities based on the latest happenings in ecological science with our supporters. Please link EI's inspiring, biocentric perspective into your social networks at the URLs below."

### ENDS ###

[1] Fan EI on facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Ecological-Internet/84943913664

Follow EI on twitter: http://twitter.com/ecointernet

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog#History
http://www.ecoearth.info/staff/glen.asp
http://forests.org/includes/phd.htm

[3] http://www.ecoearth.info/rss/

[4] For more information: http://www.ecologicalinternet.org/

Ecological Internet provides the world's largest and most used climate and environment portals at http://www.climateark.org/ and http://www.ecoearth.info/ . Dr. Glen Barry is a leading global spokesperson on behalf of environmental sustainability policy. He frequently conducts interviews on the latest climate, forest and water policy developments and can be reached at: glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org

RELEASE: New Earth Rising as Global Ecological and Economic Threats Worsen

2009-03-26T23:20:48Z

Ecological Internet's innovative environmental sustainability e-zine arrives as globally one quarter of land is being degraded, the Arctic is melting, rainforests are dying, and the economy collapsing. Gaia and her humanity's survival depend upon reaching a steady state economy and other biocentric policies adequate to achieve ecological sustainability

By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet
CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry

(Earth) -- Ecological Internet is pleased to announce the second issue of their "New Earth Rising" e-zine, entitled "Ecological Sustainability, the Growth Machine, and the Financial Crisis". There, nearly a dozen authors explore the implications of the current economic crisis for the survival of the Earth and all her creatures, including humans.

In the lead article, entitled "New Green Deal or Not: Industrial Capitalism Is Assured Death", the e-zine's editor, Dr. Glen Barry, critically examines New Green Deal proposals that supposedly will solve climate change while providing jobs. He concludes their focus upon economic stimulus to promote more economic growth, without reining in consumption, human population, natural resource use and ecosystem destruction, will make things worse. The e-zine arose from his earlier critically acclaimed "Earth Meanders" essay series.

"Nothing grows forever. It is amazing how few recognize economic decline as the inevitable outcome of an economy based upon growth at the expense of natural ecosystems. Required green policies, such as ending the use of coal and old forest logging, must occur regardless if they create or destroy jobs, just to maintain being," says Dr. Barry.

]]> Other articles share local "barn-raising" actions to weatherize buildings, note the threat to life from speculative capitalism, look forward to a simpler less consumptive life as industrialism ends, and several others intriguing aspects of the economic system as a subset of ecology.

These biocentric policy prescriptions come as emerging science reveals that some 24% of land is being permanently degraded, Arctic ice caps are set to disappear, and the Amazon is dying releasing its carbon. The Earth is on the verge of ecological collapse and all of our shared survivals are threatened. Only rigorous ecological protection and restoration, and moving our economy to a steady state, can save us now.

###

Dr. Barry continues, "Renewable energy is about more than jobs. It is about saving a habitable Earth. We must all be for green jobs and a new green deal, but only if their implementation is embedded within policies to strip capitalism of its speculative and industrial excesses. We must understand that no amount of green jobs will allow conspicuous consumption to continue."

Ecological Internet is now accepting submissions for the June 2009 issue: "Ecological Sustainability, Freedom and the Stewardship Revolution". We will be academically discussing what may be necessary to save being -- weighing the pros and cons of a "Stewardship Revolution" -- an agrarian, decentralized insurgent revolutionary response to averting full ecological collapse and death of humanity.

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EARTH MEANDERS: Earth Bailout and the Stewardship Revolution

2008-12-25T18:47:31Z

Global citizens together committing to a revolutionary spirit of action are the Earth and humanity's last best hope

EARTH MEANDERS
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
From Earth's Newsdesk

Oceans on acid, certifiably crazy ancient forest logging, carbon markets paying to log and pollute -- the global ecosystem is failing and the world has gone mad. The disease of too many humans, each wanting to forever consume more at the expense of liquidating life-giving ecosystems, must be decisively cured before being ends. It has become apparent that changes of the magnitude necessary to ensure humanity's shared survival are not, indeed cannot, occur without transformative revolutionary action. What hope remains for the Earth and humanity lies in a global people's movement to topple polluting industries and usher in an era of stewardship.

Global citizens could choose to commit ourselves to planetary, bioregional and personal stewardship by pursuing mass protest and if necessary revolutionary insurgency to bailout the Earth. There is virtually no chance of saving the Earth and all her inhabitants without overthrowing speculative, industrial capitalism. To maintain a livable Earth, it may be that an unprecedented Earth Revolution waged by global citizenry -- first through mass protest and political means, and if need be through sabotage, insurrection and violent revolution targeting the Earth destroyers -- must commence immediately.

]]> This academic examination of actions any Earth lover could take, if they want the birds to continue to sing and their children to breathe, is in no way meant to incite or condone imminent violent acts. Anyone choosing to do so would of course bear the legal risks and threat to their life of taking a stand for shared survival. It is meant solely to discuss one option for saving the Earth which is not spoken of in polite society, and deserves to be: revolutionary action to utterly destroy those killing the Earth.

INDUSTRIAL, SPECULATIVE CAPITALISM DESTROYS BEING

The economic heyday of living fast and loose based upon liquidating ecosystems on credit is over. And none too soon, as humanity has exceeded the capacity of the Earth to provide habitat for all its creatures including humans, and an inevitable economic and ecological contraction has now commenced. Modern capitalism, and by this I mean speculative finance and resource intensive industrialism, has failed to provide just, equitable livelihoods without destroying ecosystems. The whole existing economic, political and social systems are simply irredeemable.

Massive change in our environment and how we live are inevitable. We live in a money-grubbing, Earth destroying, inequitable and unjust world with a billion starving and a billion fat people, each in their own way sucking the Earth dry. A painful transition in how all of us live, individually and socially, is happening. Yet we can still determine whether this change is ultimately positive, in terms of more equity, justice and sustainability; or not, as the world is flung into despair and collapse from continuing with the status quo of endless growth in populations, economies and consumption.

We need to take one last concerted effort to reform existing government and society to sustainability, equity and justice. If peaceful entreaties to power, from a massive protest movement of global citizens, to do what must be done to achieve ecological sustainability are rebuffed, yet again, it is up to all enlightened folks to smash the growth machine. Industries and individuals liquidating natural ecosystems will have to be destroyed to get back to a steady state where we actually make a living, creating with our hands and minds, from an Earth that lasts forever. History is full of times where people needed to take decisive action to survive, and now is one such moment.

Looming ecological, economic and social collapse -- of which the human family is just on the front end -- is a repudiation of western democracy, of organized religion, of capitalism, and it illustrates how bereft and illusory those ideals are. Existing thought and social structures have been revealed as having little relevance for addressing seven billion super-predators that are eating their habitat. Our ability to access water, air, food and shelter required for biological life is already failing, and the despair and despondency associated with third world poverty is all of our futures.

These traditions would encourage us to carry on, making slight reforms, and to bicker and quarrel for scraps of former consumptive glory. They are unable to facilitate a reexamination of human relations to the Earth's ecosystem and other species, and achieve a powering down of the industrial economy and return to the land, at the necessary scale and speed to avoid an apocalyptic ecological, economic and social collapse. Business as usual, including minor reforms around the edges, will never bring about global ecological sustainability. Exponential growth always destroys itself. The forces of destruction are too pervasive and too powerful to learn to play nice and give up their positions of privilege.

CRAPPING ON ECOSYSTEMS

Earth has been trashed. Global ecosystems, including air, water, land and oceans; continue to be destroyed for throw-away consumption, and to be treated as waste dumps. The atmosphere is warming, changing in chemical composition, and losing its protective layer. The Arctic is melting like dropped ice cream on a hot pavement; portending massive sea rises and further unleashing abrupt and runaway climate. The ability to grow our food, be safe from extreme weather, and dependably enjoy clean water is in doubt. And it is not just climate that is at risk -- FAR from it.

We are witnessing interconnected collapse of all life giving ecosystems, which aggregates to global ecological collapse of the biosphere. Our land has been cut and scraped of its life. With only a few massive forest wilderness ecosystem engines remaining to power the Planet, the delusion that these primeval givers of life should be cut to make our lawn furniture continues to thrive. Species continue to be lost daily, unknown and unvalued. Forests continue to first become farms and then parking lots. More terrestrial ecosystems have been lost than the biosphere can bear, and our sister species, and climate and water cycles, are universally in perilous, life-threatening decline as a result.

The well is running dry globally, and severe water shortages are set to kill hundreds of millions soon. Meanwhile business sees this (and climate change) primarily as a means to profit, and seeks to privatize water globally -- completing the elite's slavery of regular folks just struggling to get by. The oceans are nearly lifeless, fisheries are collapsing, and they are becoming acidic dead zones. Toxics pervade our environment and our body's very cells, and we do not know what they do individually, much less as a toxic cocktail. Soils are being lost, nitrogen cycles overwhelmed, deserts obliterate arable land, and populations continue to rise exponentially and demand more of everything which means more destroyed ecosystems.

Meanwhile, the rich panic as their economies stop growing, so their governments are halting even meager existing progress on climate change and other global crises. Billions live on a buck or two a day, and live brutal, violent and short lives while an equal number live in opulent splendor. Only the latter don't see it that way, and panic at the thought that their splendiferous ways will not continue to grow forever. The world is full of uneducated, crazy loonies that hold blindly to ancient superstitions and are completely oblivious that the foundation of their and posterity's existence -- the habitat necessary for all present and future life -- is being destroyed for their illusory comfort.

THE ELITE'S FAILURE

Over the past decade the Kyoto Protocol has shown us just how difficult it is for countries to make real and deep cuts in their carbon emissions. During this time, emissions have soared by over one percent a year, and are projected to begin rising soon by up to 2.5 percent a year. Emissions are growing beyond imagination and way faster than even worst case scenarios. Every year the science becomes more dire -- abrupt climate change of horrific speed and consequences looms. The Earth System needs cuts of emissions of at least 3 percent a year, and almost undoubtedly more, to avoid civilization ending abrupt and runaway climate change.

Sadly, the truth is simply that the cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases necessary to halt climate change below a dangerous level are now almost certainly beyond what human society can achieve in the timescale required while maintaining the status quo political consensus and economic growth. Faced with overwhelming science and democratic expressions of public concern, the ruling elite have squandered decades, showing clearly they are incapable of taking the measures necessary to protect the Earth System. At the first sign of ecologically mediated economic downturn, they have jettisoned international political cooperation and urgent domestic measures. Because it would threaten their privileges, the elite have virtually assured destruction of the Earth and doomed the majority of people to hopelessness as we descend into chaos.

It is grotesque that the world's governments have spent tens of trillions of dollars to bail out a failed system that turns rainforests into cheap consumer items, shits carbon into our only atmosphere, and views beautiful life-giving creation only in terms of money for its destruction. This willy-nilly effort to continue a deeply unsustainable economic system amounts essentially to governments directly paying people to consume. These funds could easily have solved every environmental crisis -- climate, forests, water and oceans -- and many other social problems, but instead were unquestioningly given to prop up criminal bankers and the corrupt system which exists to liquidate ecosystems. We can only hope the economic downturn will mean less consumerism and environmental destruction.

Governments are miserably failing to lead. From Australia's 5% carbon reduction target, to Europe's rainforest based biofuel aspirations, to the U.S.'s endless dithering -- the global growth machine has proven unwilling to release its death grip upon power. And while Obama's rhetoric is welcome, in all likelihood the magnitude of ecological change required is beyond what can occur within a majority rules democracy firmly in control of the polluting elite.

Obama is a great man, and appears concerned about climate change, but he is unlikely to overcome the economic and political system's utter suicidal dependence upon growth at all costs in a finite world. We all hope Obama can overcome oil oligarchy rule, and in a time of recession, get the right wing wackos to realize we need to cut carbon emissions by 80% as soon as possible, and put in place a sizable carbon tax. But realistically, it is not going to happen. Obama is certainly better than war and eco-criminal Bush, yet just how much transformational change can a President be expected to make that goes right at the privileges of the elite?

One person cannot bring about the transformative changes necessary from within a system whose whole purpose is to destroy ecosystems for increased consumption. He cannot do it alone, but a protest movement and credible revolutionary threat CAN give him and others in power more room to advance the ball. That is, a credible radical revolutionary threat can increase the political space to carry out difficult policies. Social change has always primarily come about only when the elites are faced with losing their positions of privilege, and must capitulate to avoid destruction.

Industrial, speculative capitalism based upon growth is going to end, along with the over-consumption, one way or another. The only question is whether after there will be habitat and ecosystems for continued human survival. This economic downturn will not be solved through greater liquidation of ecosystems for their resources. We need to return to the land and equitably meeting human needs, as we power down the Earth eating growth machine and begin an era of stewardship and ecological restoration.

It is ludicrous to despair over reductions in economic growth and money for consumption when these are precisely the measures required to bring humanity back into balance with the Earth System. It is difficult to not meet all of the "needs" marketers have hammered into our heads, particularly when our children feel it is their birthright. Yet it is time as parents to steel our will and cut back on consumption so that our children can survive.

The mainstream environmental movement has become an industry that profits from the existence of this myriad of ecological problems. They are fatally compromised and deeply in denial, failing to realize their efforts, even if fully realized, are insufficient by many orders of magnitude. Even the radical groups are confusing being well funded and on TV, with actually being effective at creating sufficient large-scale ecological social change. They completely fail to grasp the enormity of the global environmental challenges, the momentum behind population, consumption and ecosystem loss trends, and the magnitude of action required to save being.

All the earnest, scrubbed, comfortably upper middle class environmentalists assuring you that climate change is really an opportunity for green jobs are dead wrong. Their minor tinkering reform of an irredeemable economic system and consumptive way of life is not enough. Technocratic solutions' disconnect from ecological limits is downright dangerous. If we want to keep on living, the only way forward is for the Earth and humanity to be utterly transformed.

PEOPLE POWER, EARTH INSURGENCY

It has become abundantly clear that the transformation necessary to maintain the Earth and humanity will have to come from the people. The only pathway to Earth healing and sustained human betterment may be a mass movement of global citizens demanding policies sufficient to achieve global ecological sustainability in an equitable and just manner. And if this fails, committing to an escalating revolutionary spirit of action, willing and able to do whatever is necessary to maintain a livable Earth.

I do not intend here to provide detail, but rather to highlight key elements of a Stewardship Revolution. Given increased scientific clarity that humanity and Earth are heading towards a cataclysmic collapse, and the inability of current elites to respond to decades of warnings, it is essential that the possibility of escalating protest including revolutionary violence be considered.

The first response from both the politically correct and neo-conservative crowds alike will be how could I suggest such a thing? My response is that there are times -- including now when our very being is threatened -- where revolution is appropriate. There have been many instances in human history where revolutionary violence advanced human betterment -- ending slavery, establishing representative government -- and others -- India's independence and an end to institutionalized racism -- where non-violence was the best tactic. It is suggested we use both to save the Earth, as clearly all tools are needed now.

It is not acceptable to give up on the Earth. Protection of our genes, families and habitats are any animal's deepest intuition. After three decades of environmental campaigning, it is clear that changes of the scale and speed necessary to achieve global ecological sustainability are not happening. Political structures are ill-equipped to make the changes necessary, primarily because those who profit from ecocide are the ruling elite. With elimination of activities such as use of coal and ancient forest logging, and return to a less consumptive, localized life, the human species' future can be assured.

The long term vision of sufficient policy to avoid apocalyptic ecological and social collapse is an end to industrialism and a return to stewardship where humanity lives from the Earth's annual increment of spare natural capital. Yet there are many that benefit greatly from liquidating ecosystems and they will not stop doing so easily. There is no indication that the elites who are holding the reins of power, and even the average consumer enjoying an ill-gotten life of leisurely consumption, is going to give up their Earth destroying ways without a fight. But if they cannot be compelled to do so, we all die. The evil spirits of over-population, over-consumption and ecosystem loss destroying our shared existence must be exorcized using all means necessary.

It is time to return to the land, with our communities and families, and practice wise stewardship -- even as we prepare, if necessary, to destroy capital, organizations and people mortally wounding the Earth and our prospects for shared survival. Stewardship views the land and ecosystems as living entities that need to be nurtured, and defended at all costs. This means protection, restoration and regeneration, and harvesting what can be taken without diminishing the whole.

Now is the time for reclaiming the knowledge of our elders of how to live with Earth, and laying our lives on the line for her continued being. Revolutionary change is desperately needed that is committed steadfastly to fidelity to family, community and ecosystems; self-sufficiency and sharing of abundance; localism and bioregionalism; conservation and restoration and, above all, learning to get by decently within natural limits.

Everything we know about the state of the Earth indicates that revolutionary activity must commence immediately with an urgent program of mass mobilization of global citizens for peaceful protest, demanding the necessary actions sufficient to protect our and Gaia's being are implemented immediately. And should continued entreaties to power to do the right thing for the Earth and all life's future continue to be rebuffed, a credible Stewardship Revolution would pursue strategies to protect the Earth like destroying coal plants and old growth logging operations, and helping displaced persons reconnect to the Earth with provision of land, seeds and know-how.

It would need to be clear that failure to act on initial peaceful protests would result in escalating revolutionary action that first targets property and then full scale revolution and all of its attendant horrors. Speaking strictly from requirements for maintaining a habitable Earth, one could envision a 24 month revolutionary time frame. During this period revolutionary actions would slowly escalate from people power to all out revolutionary insurgency. To make this a credible threat, it would be imperative that organization of autonomous cells to carry out an Earth insurgency begin now.

The ability of governments to surveil their own citizens means an insurgency would have to be largely leaderless. To be successful it would require completely autonomous cells organically taking action bioregionally to destroy the capital and organizations that are destroying the Earth. This global, leaderless, covert resistance would operate clandestinely and independently of one another. The focus would best be upon large-scale destruction of Earth destroying equipment, to be followed with targeted attacks upon those responsible. No random acts of terrorism are merited, and again I emphasize, as part of the revolution much effort would need to be put into helping those formerly living unsustainable lives to reconnect with the land, and to provide basic needs for as many as possible.

As with most successful revolutions, there will be various levels of commitment and different tactics. The Stewardship Revolution will require loose affinity groups as well as actual fighters. Some will only feel comfortable with public protest. For those that choose to violate the laws through revolutionary violence, now could be the time to plan targets, lay in food, and otherwise begin clandestinely preparing for a revolution -- building their small cell of long-known, like-minded confidantes, building caches of arms, and training in insurgency tactics. All could begin building relocalized communities and ensuring the water and food necessary to weather the hard times that are going to come one way or another.

Again, the intent of the broader revolution would be to end Earth destroying activities peacefully. Yet, should this not be possible, then the focus must be upon totally destroying the enemy. There is no half making revolution, and if you try, the powerful elite will smash you. Future hope for the Earth and continued human existence may lay with the agrarian warrior -- committed to righteous living with the Earth by day, and at night an insurgency to save being. Our survival now depends upon Earth liberators aligning their lives and bodies around demanding the real solutions. Others have bravely done what had to be done in the past, and this facile generation can strengthen itself and achieve shared survival too.

How ironic and improbable that a habitable Earth is unlikely to be maintained without ecologists seizing power through mass people power protests and, if this fails, through the credible threat of an Earth insurgency. It is long past time to at least consider and seriously discuss an Earth Revolution, and without provoking any imminent violence. With the inevitable collapse of the global ecosystem and civilization looming -- violence is here for most already, and coming soon for all the rest -- if we do nothing. So it is really a choice between the hope attendant with fighting to maintain a livable Earth, or just sitting by and doing nothing, and letting climate and water and everything else necessary to live well go to hell.

RELEASE: New Earth Rising -- a New Biocentric E-zine -- Launches as Time to Achieve Global Ecological Sustainability Grows Short

2008-11-09T21:32:32Z

PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE

Ecological Internet's latest offering focuses upon truthfully knowing global ecological crises in order to effectively develop and implement ecologically sufficient solutions

By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet
CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org

(Seattle, WA) -- Ecological Internet, the world's leading provider of on-line environmental portals and action opportunities, is pleased to announce New Earth Rising, a new fiercely biocentric online magazine (e-zine), committed to thought and action to achieve global ecological sustainability. The green publication launches today at http://www.newearthrising.org/ and free subscriptions can be made at http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/ .

The inaugural issue, entitled Ecological Truth and Transformative Action, features original and diverse green essays that seek to more fully know Earth's crises -- including climate change, water scarcity and forest diminishment -- in order to achieve ecologically sufficient solutions. New Earth Rising links what is known regarding global ecological crises with specific personal and social transformations necessary for shared survival and to sustain being.

]]> Dr. Glen Barry notes in the opening editorial that "the environment movement is failing because of a dearth of truth telling and a profound lack of ambition... humanity is burning and cutting the natural ecosystems that are the foundation and provide habitat for all life." If we "can simply stop cutting and burning -- and begin an era of ecological protection and restoration -- we have a real chance... of surviving as a species, with other life, on a living Earth."

New Earth Rising is grounded in the ethics of biocentrism, deep ecology and political ecology. The first issue is a bit of a hodge-podge -- examining entropy in relation to solar energy, while promoting the eating of peaches; revealing the lure of big plantation schemes, while showcasing innovative water management schemes; and with ancient memories and cartoons thrown in the mix. The e-zine will initially publish bi-monthly. Original submissions are welcome.

###ENDS###
Dr. Glen Barry is a global spokesperson on behalf of environmental sustainability policy. Ecological Internet provides the world's leading climate and environment portals at http://www.climateark.org/ and http://www.ecoearth.info/. Dr. Barry frequently conducts interviews on the latest climate, forest and water policy developments and can be reached at: glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org

Note Ecological Internet's NEW address:

Dr. Glen Barry
Ecological Internet, Inc.
PO Box 9704
Seattle, WA 98109
USA

Bailing Out the Biosphere

2008-10-18T21:50:47Z

Global ecological sustainability is threatened [action] by a massive ecological bubble [search] -- whereby there are not enough intact global terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems to maintain life. Now this -- the destruction of our very being -- is a crisis worthy of some serious emergency funding. The Guardian shows what the $2-4 trillion financial bailout could achieve if invested for the environment [ark] . It notes funding on this "scale to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect nature would... be repaid up to 100 times over."

Bailing out the biosphere would support up to 8 years of needed greenhouse gas emission reductions [search], going a long way towards averting abrupt and deadly climate change. Alternatively it could pay for 80 years of forest and biodiversity protection [search], would be 2-3 times what is necessary to fully protect global ecosystems [search], or could entirely transition the U.S. away from coal and oil for electricity generation. For "only" a one time $50 billion investment, access to safe drinking water [search] could be given to the 2.5 billion living without, and for $30 billion a year all future threats of conflicts over food could be averted.

]]> I suppose something had to be done to stop a global bank collapse, however deserved through decades of conspicuous consumption at the expense of the biosphere. But rescuing troubled bankers when the Earth and her life is dying is a bit like redecorating the Titanic as it sinks. Yet the speed and extent of the financial sector's massive bailout shows what is possible when society perceives a calamitous problem and rises swiftly to the challenge. If fat cat bankers are deserving, the biosphere and global ecological systems are much more worthy and in need of a bailout.

The ginormous task of our generation's environmental movement is to demand action and expenditures commiserate to the threats posed. It remains to be seen whether growth obsessed capitalism is redeemable; yet interestingly, prudent and ethical banks [ark | search] have largely been untroubled.

RELEASE: Urgent Environmental Action Must Be Maintained in Bad Economic Times

2008-09-15T22:04:15Z

PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE

Ecological Internet warns converging economic, climate, food and fuel crises are symptoms of a massive global ecological bubble, and that without ecosystems there can be no economy

By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet

(Earth) -- Current economic difficulties are largely caused by failing global ecosystems and resource scarcity, and are not an excuse to reduce environmental commitments, warns Ecological Internet. The bursting of the mortgage and financial bubbles, and food and energy price increases, are the logical and inevitable economic consequences of over-population, inequitable and unreasonable consumption, and unsustainable economic growth. Environmentalism is the solution to economic hardship, not the cause.

"The global growth machine is seizing up because it is hitting ecological limits and because of its own greed. Current global economic difficulties must not stop urgent ecological measures -- like dramatic emission reductions and natural habitat protection and restoration -- necessary to maintain a habitable Earth. Without ecosystems there can be no economic recovery," warns Dr. Glen Barry.

]]> It is difficult to achieve political support for sufficient environmental policies even in times of rapid economic growth, yet this growth is the primary factor driving greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental ills. Human needs for water, air, food and housing are no less in hard times; in fact, ecosystem services are needed more then to meet basic needs.

More than ever ecological sustainability depends critically upon establishing a steady state economy, whereby production is right-sized to not diminish natural capital. Whole industries like coal and ancient forest logging will be eliminated even as new economic opportunities emerge in solar energy and ecological restoration.

This economic cooling may offer a welcome respite to reconsider the growth at any cost madness devouring the Earth�s life giving ecosystems. Growth and livelihoods based upon over resource use from dwindling ecosystems, that mostly benefit the elites, are a dangerous, unprecedented "ecological bubble" that threatens not only widespread economic hardship, but the future of civilization and terrible human suffering.

"In the mortgage bubble's bursting, we see signs of ecological bubbles to come. The world is not only at peak oil, but at or near peak water, land, climate, oceans, food and usable energy. The human enterprise and each global citizen's family size and consumption aspirations must be downsized to a scale appropriate to ecosystem limits. Or the Earth herself, with the assistance of the human created economic system, will do so brutally. Even the best high-yield financial instrument is ultimately only paper and cannot be eaten," observes Dr. Barry.

###ENDS###

Dr. Glen Barry is a leading global spokesperson on global environmental sustainability policy. Ecological Internet provides the world's leading climate and environment portals at http://www.climateark.org/ and http://www.ecoearth.info/. Dr. Barry frequently conducts interviews on the latest climate, forest and water policy developments and can be reached at: glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org .

RELEASE: Earth's Newsdesk Launches -- A Fierce New Voice for the Earth

2008-09-06T13:04:09Z

PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE

- Media releases and feature articles on the Earth's behalf, reporting upon the magnitude of global ecological crises and sufficient responses to achieve global ecological sustainability

September 8, 2008 (embargoed)
By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI)
CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org

(Earth) -- A new type of environmental news service launches this week, as "Earth's Newsdesk" will report upon ecological science, policy and advocacy from the Earth's perspective. Ecological Internet will begin regularly providing biocentric media releases and feature articles for publication elsewhere. This continues a long list of firsts from EI and its predecessors, including the web's first blog and environmental search engine.

The free service will build upon Ecological Internet's constant tracking of environmental science, policy and advocacy -- and years of deep green analysis and action -- and will report upon major threats and opportunities facing forests, climate, water and oceans. It will focus upon environmental sustainability and the needs of the biosphere, and her ability to continue maintaining a habitable Earth for all life.

]]> "The emphasis will be upon fully and truthfully knowing the magnitude of global ecological crises, and reporting upon ambitious yet attainable ecological sustainability solutions," explains Ecological Internet's President, Dr. Glen Barry.

"There is something deeply wrong when foundation-fed environmental groups tell us logging ancient forests protects them, and governments fail miserably to promote adequate climate policies. 'Earth's Newsdesk' will be a fierce, independent voice for ecological sufficiency. No government or organization's greenwash will be safe from criticism."

This new news service, along with the soon to launch "New Earth Rising" e-zine, will substantially increase Ecological Internet's original content offerings. EI continues to recruit essayists and guest bloggers. These writings will compliment Ecological Internet's unmatched environmental search, news tracking, deep ecological analysis and action alerts.

Those subscribed to Ecological Internet's Climate and Forest News Today email lists, and extensive global media list, will already receive the releases. Subscribers belonging only to Ecological Internet's "Earth Action Network" will need to add Earth's Newsdesk to their subscriber settings.

###ENDS###

Dr. Glen Barry is a leading global spokesperson on global forest and climate policy. Ecological Internet provides the web's leading environment, climate and forest web portals at http://www.ecoearth.info/, http://www.climateark.org/ and http://forests.org/. Dr. Barry frequently conducts interviews on the latest global environmental policy developments and can be reached at: glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org (note confirmation email response required) and +1 (920) 776-1075.

Ocean Dead Zones, Chaotic Nitrogen Cycling and the Earth's Survival

2008-08-14T20:59:14Z

Findings that oxygen-starved ocean "dead zones" have doubled every decade [ark | more\ark] since the 1960s, killing massive amounts of marine life at the base of the food chain, demonstrate just how sick the Earth has become. The new study in the journal Science found there are now some 400 ocean areas that are devoid of life with new ones popping up continuously. Ocean dead zones [search] most often result from nutrient rich river run-off -- particularly containing nitrogen from fertilizers and pesticides associated with industrial agriculture -- which cause algae blooms and low oxygen levels unable to support life. Climate change frequently exacerbates the condition.

Chaos in the planet's nitrogen cycle [search] is second perhaps only to climate change in threatening the biosphere's life support systems. The Earth's ability to provide habitat for humans and all life forms is deteriorating, as economic activities have overshot the carrying capacity of ecosystems. Dead zones show human activities can destroy all life in given area, and given continuation of current trends, the possibility of this occurring globally cannot be dismissed.

]]> Ecological Internet disagrees with the researcher's claims that it is unrealistic to try to return to pre-industrial levels of nutrients flowing into coastal waters. Only finding ways to achieve "unrealistic" actions such as ending greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating nitrogen from agriculture can save us now. Know the crises, be the solutions.

New Earth Rising: Call for Submissions of Original Green Writing

2008-08-10T02:32:44Z

PRESS RELEASE

By Ecological Internet, http://www.ecologicalinternet.org/

(The Earth) -- Ecological Internet, the world's leading provider of environmental portals including http://www.ClimateArk.org/ and http://Forests.org/, will soon launch a new Internet e-zine entitled "New Earth Rising". The publication will be committed to biocentric thought, and promote sufficient ecological sustainability solutions to pressing global ecological crises. Today they announce they are accepting submissions for publication.

New Earth Rising will build upon years of ecological sustainability writings and actions on the web by Ecological Internet. In 1995 they introduced the world's first and longest continually running blog, and their President, Dr. Glen Barry, was the writer of the critically acclaimed and recently concluded "Earth Meanders" series of personal essays.

]]> "I would like to appeal to our large international network -- including established and new environmental writers, scholars and activists -- for submissions. New Earth Rising will provide a unique opportunity to link what you know regarding the true extent of global ecological crises, with specific personal and social transformations necessary to achieve global ecological sustainability," explains Dr. Barry, New Earth Rising's editor.

New Earth Rising's editorial tone will strongly favor truthful ecological writings regarding global eco-crises, identifying necessary and sufficient solutions, and organizing action for their implementation. Submissions should be personal essays of 2-4 pages in length, and need not be scholarly and footnoted, but must be well-researched, informed and passionate.

The publication will be grounded in the ethics of biocentrism, deep ecology and political ecology. It will emphasize the need for ecological science and rationalism in formulating environmental public policy; examination of the seriousness of ecological and related social issues; propose necessary, sufficient and workable solutions involving global citizens, society and governments; and be skeptical regarding secular and religious ideologies.

The e-zine will initially publish bi-monthly, and also track other leading environmental writings elsewhere on the web. Initially essays will not be compensated, but will highlight the author's work to a large international audience. Please contact Dr. Barry with questions and submissions.

### ENDS ###

Coming Soon!
New Earth Rising -- http://www.NewEarthRising.org/
Biocentric thought regarding the magnitude of global ecological crises and sufficient responses to achieve global ecological sustainability

Contact:
Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecointernet.org, +1 920 776 1075

Reasonable Eco-Homes the Newest Status Symbol

2008-06-22T12:49:27Z

Nothing is more causative or indicative of America's ecological unsustainability [search] (and the rest of the rich world) than selfish splurging upon ridiculously large McMansions [search]. These resource hungry homes generally sprawl into natural habitats, fouling water, and require huge amounts of fossil fuel derived energy to power their pigishness. Conspicuous consumption [search] of this sort is killing the Earth.

The new chic is LEEDs certified ecologically sustainable building of right-sized homes [ark] using recycled materials and that generate their own energy. It is critical efforts to build ecologically sustainable homes [search] become more widely implemented and affordable. And let's not lose site of how much Earthly good can come from simple retrofitting of current habitations.

Ocean Ecosystems Collapsing, Running Out of Fish

2008-05-11T16:13:02Z

As incredible as it may sound, the world's oceans are running out of fish [ark]. Terribly wasteful and unsustainable industrial harvest of natural, wild fisheries [search] has led to much of humanity's swollen population eating ever smaller fish from inexorably shrinking populations. "Ninety years of industrial-scale exploitation of fish has... led to 'ecological meltdown'. Whole biological food chains have been destroyed."

Remaining high quality fish stocks are being stolen by rich nations from developing countries, and neither politicians nor consumers have invested much in developing a sustainable wild fish industry. Solutions including marine reserves [search] and greatly diminished harvests, including bans on some species as they recover, are possible and needed immediately. If not pursued much of the world will have to turn elsewhere for protein, and the future is toxic farmed fish [search]. Ecological Internet is pleased to offer Ocean Conserve to inform and bring action re: collapsing oceans and fisheries.