Earth Day – Engaging Peace

Start counting the victories

Posted on April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 by kathiemm

by Kathie MM

Activism is probably the lifeblood of a democracy. Despite the gloominess and scariness of recent governmental and corporate anti-democracy policies and behaviors, activism persists and can count its victories.

Many people are aware of the massive protests led by the Water Defenders against the Dakota Access Pipeline project last fall. Although Donald Trump is attempting to undo the success of that protest, the fight is not over yet, nor should it be.

Many people are also aware of and relieved concerning the huge and successful activist effort to resist Trump’s destruction of Obamacare, and encouraged by actions from the judicial system to restrain his racist immigration orders regarding Muslim countries.

And lots of people have read of the hundreds of “town halls” going on across the country right now, where local citizens have challenged their political representatives regarding distressing issues.

However, it is likely that fewer people know about other successful activist efforts that may be more local or fail to get the attention of the corporate media.

Here are just a few examples:

the success of faculty at one university in persuading their university to speak out against the Muslim ban
the success of activists in Portland, Oregon, in persuading their City Council to end its investments in corporations that have questionable records on the environment and human rights, including ties to the Dakota Access pipeline, the private prison industry and the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”
the success of grassroots activists in Maryland in defeating anti-boycott legislation for for the third time in four years
The success of Care 2 petitions in the efforts to reduce mistreatment of animals.
The success of Change.org petitioners in stopping bear hunting in Florida for 2017 and 2018.

Opportunities for more activism abound. Voices for peace and social justice, and respect for Mother Earth, unite.

Continuing through April 23, Resistance Recess: Town halls, and other outreach activities to politicians

April 22 Earth Day Protest March for Science . Learn more about the achievements of activism on this day historically by clicking here

April 29, 2017 People’s Climate Mobilization

Lots more opportunities can be found at the World Without War events list aimed at achieving a world without war .

*Let’s not allow this victory to be shattered by the current GPS (greedy power structure) in DC.

Earth Day during wartime (Part 1)

Posted on April 19, 2012November 3, 2012 by patdaniel

Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day. Today we honor the Earth by calling attention to the common goals of the peace and environmental sustainability movements.

But first, some context: Assessing the impact of war on the environment can be fraught with complexity, but here is a sampling of those effects:

Destruction or contamination of farmland, forests, wildlife and biodiversity
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) left to cause death and maiming of people and animals. In Laos alone, about 80 million undetonated cluster munitions are still present in the environment
Polluted water supplies for people, plants and animals
Exacerbation of climate change (the U.S. military is the world’s largest consumer of oil)
Oil spills, both deliberate and as collateral damage
Disruption of ecosystems from refugees and displaced people
Radioactive wastes from depleted uranium weapons and nuclear testing
Pollution from chemical weapons, herbicides, and routine operations of the military-industrial complex
Failure to clean up after warfare, causing long-term public health, agricultural, and ecological devastation

It works the other way, too–that misuse, destruction, and scarcity of natural resources can be the cause of war. Examples include conflicts over oil in the Middle East, rare metals in the Congo, food shortages and water scarcity in South Asia and throughout the world. More and more, climate disruption is becoming or is predicted (pdf) to be a source of conflict.

In other words, environmental degradation is a threat to global security.

As you celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, please consider what it will take to stop the intertwined scourges of warfare and environmental destruction. Even more important, make a commitment to do something about them.

Pat Daniel, Ph.D., Managing Editor of Engaging Peace

Earth Day and peace (Stories of engagement)

Posted on April 21, 2011April 19, 2011 by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome guest contributor Abbie Jenks, who founded the Peace, Justice and Environmental Studies program at Greenfield Community College (GCC) in Massachusetts.]

It is hard to believe that 41 years have passed since the first Earth Day celebrations. Reading an article from Look magazine, published on April 21, 1970, I recognized it could have been written today. We might be saddened and burdened by that knowledge, yet it is becoming increasingly clear that fundamental social change is taking place.

More people are recognizing the need to change behavior in order for our world to sustain itself, now and for future generations. Facing such challenges as global climate change, environmental degradation due to wars, harmful corporate practice, personal consumer habits, and resource depletion, we must learn how to work together collaboratively instead of competitively.

The Peace, Justice and Environmental Studies program at GCC is an example of approaching these issues from a systems or ecological perspective. We strive to understand the social and cultural forces that work in conjunction with science and technology, and to create an integrated path to positive social change through nonviolent means.

With so much ambiguity, anxiety and denial about our future, we must engage in fundamental change, change that will create sustainable systems to meet our collective needs, without causing harm. We must learn that no one or no living thing has more value than another. We must learn how to share power to solve our problems.

Until we see ourselves as fully interconnected, we will continue to cause harm. Our world and our people are traumatized and we need to heal and consider how to prevent the damage done through violence towards others, the Earth, and ourselves.

If we understand that what we do affects everyone, and nurture an ecological perspective, we will be able to create a just and stable world.

Abbie Jenks, MSW, creator and advisor for the Peace, Justice and Environmental Studies program at Greenfield Community College