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September 6th, 1998 What's In A Name? The time for healing of the wounds has come. There continues to be a growing movement to remove the earth, the air, and the water from the category of "free resources" for any to take and pollute to considering them sacred shared assets. I won't trivialize or simplify this movement by calling it the "environmental movement" any more because it is so much more than that. It is a growing number of people, some with no organizational or philosophical affiliation whatsoever, who are struggling to redefine traditional concepts of "resource" and "asset" and "ownership." They are people who are looking for sustainability, for community, and for kinship in the animal world. They are people who are trying to reduce the terrible confusion we have about our place in the web of life.
On the trail(Photos (c) J. Giuliano 1998)This movement is large - larger than can be measured. People everywhere are wondering, even if they have no clue what to do, if the present political, corporate, and consumer-based system we have accepted for so long makes any sense any more. They may show their concern by purchasing some vitamin C supplements for their children during flu season. Others will decide that they don't need that new belt sander after all - a little elbow grease and some sandpaper will do the trick. Some will decide to stay at home this holiday weekend instead of driving. Others will decide that enough is enough and chain themselves to a tree or to a bulldozer and say "NO." Individually these actions may seem small and insignificant. But collectively, they are huge. Corporate leaders and selfish politicians see these people as criminals and deviates. They are among the most dangerous people alive because they are sometimes making a conscious choice to withhold their dollars from the business and industries that are poisoning us. To combat this increasing sensitivity to the environmental and social disasters caused by overconsumption and rampant world corporate dominance, corporations and businesses all over the world have banded together to create groups specifically designed to confuse and sway those people who are unsure about which direction to go. Sometimes even dedicated environmentalists will have a hard time telling if these groups are for or against the Earth. In today's age of instant information access and retrieval, it may seem that we have the world at our fingertips. Information is power, we are taught. But what about the quality and accuracy of the information? Sorting the true from the untrue is even more difficult than it ever was. But surely there can be nothing wrong with these citizen groups that are banding together to express themselves. They have a right to speak too, don't they? Here is a list of groups that you might think are working for the Earth:
After looking at the web sites for some of these groups, it is easy to get very confused about what they stand for. But when you start to read between the lines and discover who supports these groups, their mission becomes clearer. The businesses and property owners who have the most to gain from environmental abuse fund them all. Here are some examples: The National Wetlands Coalition sounds like a group that is out to preserve the last remaining wetlands in our country. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, anti-wetlands groups gave over $4 million to members of Congress in contributions during the 1994 and 1996 election cycles. You see, designating a land as a wetland means that prime playgrounds for the affluent, condominium complexes and marinas cannot be developed there. It is also off-limits to mining or other resource extraction.
The Alliance for Environment and Resources (AER) and its subgroup "Mothers' Watch" must be ok, right? Well, the AER was formed by the California Forestry Association to act as the citizens face for the timber industry. It is the umbrella organization for other "wise use" groups, as they call themselves, in California. Mother's Watch is a group of wives and mothers of timber workers who boycott local businesses that support the environmental movement. So beware what you read and know who funds the organizations you support. Do what you can to build up your compassion and your heart so that you can rely on your gut feelings and your soul, not flashy web sites and doublespeak, for the answers to your questions. What's in a name these days? Not much. RESOURCES 1. The Greenpeace Guide to Anti-Environmental Organizations is a must for anyone interested in this subject. It is dated, but a good place to start. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but check new and used bookstores for a copy. 2. The Clearinghouse on Environmental Advocacy and Research (CLEAR) has a database of Wise Use groups at http://www.ewg.org/pub/home/clear/clear.html 3. Read a fascinating article about the tie that some anti-environmental organizations have to militia groups at http://www.epn.org/westernstates/extreme.html 4. Visit the sites of some of these anti-environmental groups. But BE ALERT. Immediately look for their membership lists. Alliance for America http://home.navisoft.com/alliance/afaweb/afahome.htm Remember - they have many members writing letters. We must do the same, recommending that decision makers not heed their rhetoric. 5. Read the wise use movement's creed at http://www.eskimo.com/~rarnold/wiseuse.html and see the fallacies in their claims that the Earth will be healed by our technology. 6. For something closer to a more balanced perspective, try the following sites:
7. Find out who your Congressional representatives are and e-mail them. Tell them listen to their consciences and the will of the people, not the corporations and private property advocates. If you know your Zip code, you can find them at http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ziptoit.html or you can search by state at http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html 8. Learn about the issues. Seek out books on the subject. A good source for used (and new) books is Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, Oregon at http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/associate?assoc_id=212 where you will find a wonderful alternative to the massive chain bookstores taking over the market. 9. Bookmark this website. Visit it often for ways we can all Heal Our World. |
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Copyright (c) 1998, Jackie A. Giuliano Ph.D.
jackie@deepteaching.com
So
companies like ARCO, the American Mining Congress, Chevron, Exxon, Kerr-McGee, Shell Oil,
Texaco, the National Association of Homebuilders, the International Council of Shopping
Centers, the National Cotton Council and the American Petroleum Institute banded together
to fund a lobbying organization - The National Wetlands Coalition - to weaken the Clean
Water Act and its wetlands protection provisions.