This author statement after his arrest says it all so succinctly.
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Samo gives an unplanned and emotional speech which I think, succinctly, states the division we all live under.
He asks: “What is radical? Is it radical to expand fossil fuel infrastructure in the midst of climate change?” “Is it radical to use police force to quell public opinion, and public opposition?” “It is not radical at all, and stand up and be arrested to unjust laws," said Campos. It seems that many of us don't realize how seriously all of our lives are being affected. There are people, as you see here, who do go out and protest, who believe passionately about our lives, our earth home, and who point out injustices over and over again. Protesters, with such integrity as those at the Kinder site make the trip to the site, I'm sure at great cost to themselves, having to travel there, stand around in all sorts of weather, be willing to be arrested and deal with whatever eventuality occurs. They are doing it for us too. We will benefit because of their integrity, that is, if any one will listen. The environmental consequences are dire and somehow the government and many people seem to be oblivious. I assume that is their choice, informed or not. Maybe we have to accept that the bottom line is that money and greed rules our corporate lives and choices which ultimately means death to the planet and because of that we are all going to suffer a great deal in the very near future. SFU scientist, Lynne Quarmby, was also at the same protest against Kindger Morgan on Burnaby Mountain. She spoke out and was also arrested. Over and over again and more and more I am reading about protests happening. People are getting stronger and stronger in trying to stand against injustice and destructive ecological practices, which have such huge and devastating implications. However, nothing changes. The governments win out. Is there any point anymore? David Suzuki travelled across the whole of Canada giving speeches about the dire situation we are all in but what will change as a result? It remains to be seen. Nature's beauty can be easily missed — but not through Louie Schwartzberg's lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day. (Filmed at TEDxSF.) Blog for November 2014
Climate change is the big and very important topic these days or not, amongst family and friends, in the media, government, scientists, politicians, people concerned with their property, climatologists, the poor, the rich, those who are being more and more affected and are now fearful, various “religions”, the young and the old, teachers, financers, stock marketers, insurance providers and others. Published on Jan 29, 2014 - below There was a contest - THE TRAIL OF A TALE #Action4Climate competition @Con nect4Climate "A letter from the future is written to our recent past, telling us how the world ´it turned out right´. It follows the trail of someone that left words written, words of change, of simple change. In this near future, the images of our world are the same, but the value of words can be very different." http://youtu.be/v1iJ7X_OuQI Ten films from 10 different countries that inspire the world to take action on climate change were chosen as winners today in the Action4Climate documentary competition. The $15,000 top prize, in the 18 – 35 age category, went to the Portuguese filmmaker Gonçalo Tocha for his film The Trail of a Tale. This documentary revolves around a letter written in the future to society today. The nearly four-minute short film is captivating as the narrator tells us, the stranger, how things went right. Society gathered with a fundamental belief that the “purpose of the economic system is to improve the well-being for all within the limits of what the planet can sustain … We had to deal with overconsumption first. The prices we paid for things had to reflect the social and environmental costs…” 10 Inspiring Climate Films Win Action4Climate Documentary Competition Now we have some inspiration. Something in film not just in words and rhetoric. Something coming from young people. You can read the interview of the first prize winner on http://ecowatch.com/2014/10/30/climate-films-connect-4-climate/2/ It is a very thoughtful and amazing interview. Climate Change is a concept, reality, necessary change needed and yet there is so much confusion and resistance and denial about it. This difficulty and awareness, of course, has been going on for decades and continues now. However our shared Global Home started to have more dire environmental events, which are consequences of lack of care, along with selfish and greedy practice where money seemed to be the main motivator in decision making. So now, there is more of an awareness growing but is it too late and are there enough people who are concerned enough to change practices, sufficiently well to avert what will be more major and more catastrophic events. People ask what the word “spirituality” means. What relevance does it have to consideration of our environment and climate? Our spirituality is both personal and social, local and global and is experienced firstly in the place in which we stand and live. It is seen and understood through the lens of our experience. It involves body, mind and spirit. We are all connected and intertwined and so what one or some are doing or not doing, affects all of us. We share our globe, our water, air, cosmos and lives, our health and diseases, whether we believe it or not, whether we like it or not. Spirituality is not theory imposed on us from someone telling us what it is and how to live it. It is our own experience of the Other, or whatever people choose to call whatever that is. We even tend to argue about that and call it religion, dogma, theology, church, with all sorts of “ism’s”. So a dualism and separation continues, one which began centuries ago. There isn’t a shared appreciation of what “Life” is and how to live it in a health way together, so that we are caring for each other and our Earth Home. However, as we each become more aware and conscious of this truth and reality then our behavior changes and we become more concerned and loving of all of life. The change and transformation required to move from “I” to “we” is monumental. It requires major change at every level of being and great shedding of our fears, unhealthy belief systems, greediness, individualism as we seek to share and be open and not defensive and protective of our own live. This change needs to happen at personal, group, corporate and global levels so that we can all live with some sort of mutuality and in a circle of love rather than within a hierarchy of dominance over others or in victimization under others. MAJOR CHANGE! TODAY It's been almost a year since Typhoon Haiyan left a path of destruction and tragedy in the Philippines. It’s hard for many of us to comprehend the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan but for the 15,000 people still living in tent cities, the impact of these storms are all too real. Even in the face of such devastation, I have seen the collective spirit of the survivors as they responded with courage, resilience and heroism. They have shown the courage to continue, the resilience to rise up despite terrible loss, and the heroism to fight for justice. As the people of the Philippines struggle to rebuild their lives it’s easy to understand why many people think the world has forgotten them. But we want them to know that we won’t abandon them; we will continue to fight for climate justice and support the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan. Typhoon Haiyan reminds us that climate change is about far more than the environment. It’s about justice. The world’s most vulnerable people -- the ones that did the least to cause climate change -- are the ones that will feel its impacts first and worst. A message from 350.org http://act.350.org/letter/haiyan_anniversary_message |
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