Today, Americans are engrossed in earthquake coverage. The tremor in Haiti bought unimaginable death and destruction just south of our borders. Events related to the recovery and rescues emerge as banner headlines. Haitians Seek Solace Amid the Ruins. For a week now, the struggle to survive, revive the injured, and retrieve the bodies strewn on the streets of Port-au-Prince was also the central theme of most every broadcast. In the midst of the misery, many Americans, felt desperate for a reprieve from the devastation that emotionally drained them. Millions took time to escape in a welcome distraction. Sassy, former Governor and Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin Made Her Debut appearance on Fox. Tomorrow another reality will replace these stories, just as each superseded the hoopla over Harry Reid's reference to race. Metaphorically, the tales provide persons, policies, and, or practices fifteen minutes of fame. In actuality, these fade from our mind quickly.
Wherever Americans turn, they are asked the same question; what issue is most important to you. If you could, what would you tell the President of the United States to do? What do you think must be his priority, or the country's greatest concern. Television commentators turn microphones on citizens. Radio announcers inquire; what does the audience think. Newspapers poll. Organizations count survey ballots. Legislators look for constituent answers in electronic mailboxes. Each attempts to usher in a new era. They want the common people to help shape the discussion.
I have a dream. I dream of a day when Americans will separate themselves from a difficult past. I dream of a time when partisan politics will not divide us. In my dream, I see a nation united; one in which Black children, white, Brown, yellow, and red offspring, people of any race, color, or creed will rise above their own imagined limits. It is more than my hope, it is my vision that together, we as a nation can give birth to what others think unbelievable. I have faith that my fellow man and I can give birth to what was not thought possible.
We can restore what was once good, and build what will be better. Old habits need not challenge us. These can be the catalyst for deep and authentic change. We need only begin.
You better watch out!
Better not cry!
Better not pout!
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is comin' to town.
He's making a list
and checking it twice.
He's going to find out who's naughty and nice.
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.
We better watch out. We better not cry. While Santa checks his list twice, so too might you and I. The ebony chunks Old Saint Nick might place in our stocking, contrary to what coal corporation sponsored commercials might claim, are not clean. Nor is this source of energy cheap. When used as a resource for power, this sedimentary rock is dirty, deadly, and digs deep into the pocketbooks, and personal lives, of those the industry touches. In America, that may be you and me.
More than 60 percent of all coal mined in the United States today, in fact, comes from strip mines.
In the "United States of Coal," Appalachia has become the poster child for strip mining's worst depravations, which come in the form of mountaintop removal.
An estimated 750,000 to 1 million acres of hardwood forests, a thousand miles of waterways and more than 470 mountains and their surrounding communities -- an area the size of Delaware -- have been erased from the southeastern mountain range in the last two decades.
Thousands of tons of explosives -- the equivalent of several Hiroshima atomic bombs -- are set off in Appalachian communities every year.
More than 104,000 miners in America have died in coal mines since 1900.
Twice as many have died from black lung disease.
Dangerous pollutants, including mercury, filter into our air and water (through mining practices.)
The injuries and deaths caused by overburdened coal trucks are innumerable.
Source . . . Washington Post. Jeff Biggers is the author of "The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture and Enlightenment to America."
"Drill baby, drill," is the now ever-present and popular battle-cry for many Americans. From Presidential candidates to everyday people, those who wish to consume sweet light crude as they have for a more than a century remind me of my hair, and the current President's energy policy. I ponder the parallels and invite you to consider . . .
During a recent press conference, as I gazed upon the President of the United States, noticeably aged after years in the Oval Office, I thought of my hair and my history. His wavy gray locks are not as the strands that fall from my head. Nor did the diminutive curl that danced on his brow remind me of my own tresses. The style the Chief Executive donned did not resemble the permanent waves, pompadours, or ponytails I once wore. As George W. Bush spoke of his energy policy, I pondered. His approach to petroleum and power were as the methodology I embraced when I colored my hair.
People may wish that the fuel tanks on the automobile they drive were full of gas. Yet, recently, due to the rising price of petroleum, many crude containers are empty. American citizens feel the crunch, the energy, and economic crunch. They have cried. They clamored. The public craves attention for what they think is issue number one, the cost of Texas Tea, Alaskan oil, and fossil fuels from foreign sources. John McCain hears the call. His Vice Presidential pick, Sarah Palin feels the pain of the poor persons, of all Americans, who scream for relief at the pump. Even Barack Obama has proposed a compromise on a previously held position.
Americans, addicted to oil and quick fixes, embrace a man and a mantra; yet, most are unwilling to envelop themselves in a cause. The public appreciates the need for clean energy. Accolades are bestowed upon the former Vice President, author, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and environmentalist Albert Gore for the work he has done to inform us of an inconvenient truth. Nonetheless, as knowledgeable as the public may be, nothing truly changes. Intellectually, nearly everyone accepts what a myriad of experts emphasize. The planet is in peril. However, emotionally, few internalize the urgency of what must be a global priority. There is a problem. We cannot wait to employ solutions.
Former Vice President Albert Gore challenges Congress, corporations, citizens in this country, and people planet wide to consider crucial connections, and what might be done to correct what appears to be an eminent disaster. Globally, civilization depends on us, and our commitment to change. Currently, the situation is critical. Catastrophes exist around every corner. The economy is shaky. Employment opportunities are limited. Weather is weird. Most experts believe the "energy tsunami" seems to have effected the environment. Forecasts for the future are not good. We can no longer count the years until our demise. The days are numbered. Too many species are now extinct; more are threatened. All people on this planet must acknowledge we are in peril. There is a climate crisis.
The Natural Resources Defense Council asks those of us who care about our Mother Earth to contribute to a worthy cause, a plea to the people for a clean environment. Perchance, we can help advance the message.
Please help run this powerful new ad in The Washington Post and turn the tide in Congress against legislation that would sacrifice our fragile coasts to Big Oil and the threat of catastrophic spills.
NRDCActionFund.org With our economy sinking and oil prices soaring, George Bush is offering snake oil: a plan to sacrifice more of our coasts to oil drilling on the chance it will produce a few weeks' worth of oil and reduce gas prices by a few pennies a gallon...in 2028. Imagine America forever tethered to Bush's failed energy policy. It's like giving him five more terms.
It's a cruel Shell game. And BP game. And ExxonMobil game. Over the past five years, the number of domestic drilling permits has nearly doubled. But because of rising worldwide demand, oil prices have skyrocketed. More drilling off our coasts is not the answer. Once destroyed they can never be replaced. The only winners will be the oil companies.
Want gas at $1 a gallon? America needs a bold new approach to energy, from more fuel efficient vehicles to plug-in hybrids and electric cars. A cleaner electric grid powered by renewables.
Existing technologies could have us driving at the equivalent of a buck a gallon for gas!
Tell your Representative and Senators to stop the giveaway of our coasts. Tell them you won't stand for billions more for oil companies-and snake oil for the rest of us.
[The Advertisement will be] Paid for by supporters of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund.
Thank you for your consideration and contribution.
For years, Sarah felt safe as she traveled about. She shielded herself from harm. She placed her faith in science. She listened to the advice of experts. She thought she had been careful with chemicals and creams. This wise woman knew not to trust recommendations without doing a thorough examination of evidence. After an avid assessment, Sarah avowed, "Sunscreens are good." Then one day, as she entered her home after being out and about, she saw what she had never imagined. Sarah was beyond surprised; she was shocked. Her mouth agape, Sarah shrieked; "I have been burned." Not only had the solar rays she worked to avoid scorched her skin in ways she had not thought possible. The lotion may have seared parts of her body not easily seen.
In Florida, talk of fuel prices flourishes. Citizens communicate concerns in Letters to Editors. For the populace in this Southeastern State is the focus of numerous negotiations, consultations, and deliberations nationwide. The subject is offshore drilling. Might Americans abandon opposition to this environmentally perilous practice and let the petroleum flow. There is much push and pull. There always is when purses are pinched. With the cost of gas high, and the use of cars critical in a culture built on travel, much hot and cold air is bandied about.
This morning as I sat in what I would wish to think of as my safe little sanctuary from danger, I watched you mount the stairs and ascend into Air Force One. The television announcer spoke of your impending trip to the Midwest. As one with family in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois, I was grateful for your travel. I am certain the people in these regions will be comforted by your presence. Most will feel they have reason to hope that you will offer help. I truly appreciate you "swift" response to their needs. I am gratified that you have decided to fly high above the flooded terrain, and perhaps spend a moment with an individual or two. Perchance, you will speak to my sister or my Dad.
In a nation, where appeasement is condemned, Americans are anxious. The people have been pacified for so long they can no longer recall what it means to be other than indulged. On June 6, 2008, Congresspersons, uncomfortable with the notion that they might have to use the rod, concluded, for now, it is better to spoil the already pampered Americans. Lawmakers said, as they have so often, "Let them eat oil!" After all, the people love petroleum.
I'm of mixed mind about the recent surge in gas prices. Part of me realizes that pocketbook pain is the only thing that will get many Americans to reassess our gas-guzzling lifestyle. Cutting back on fossil fuels would be good news, both for the environment and our national security. But, on the other hand, our economy has been fueled by cheap gas prices for decades, and I fear it is an already-strapped working class that will disproportionately bear this pain. My latest toon, "Hitting the Road (Summer 2008)" [Archive No. 0820], tries to capture the current mood.
Americans speak of the divide within this country. Most accept the labels. We are a nation of Red states and Blue regions. People define themselves as Conservatives or Liberals. West Virginian primary election voters, who were asked, reinforced the notion in this nation we are not unified. One fifth of those polled stated, skin color influenced their decision. Former Senator John Edwards often expresses his distress for what he sees as "Two Americas." The one time Presidential candidate reminds us of why the common folks clamor. The rich get richer while the poor become more impoverished. For some of those who fight to endure, a "gas tax holiday" is thought essential. Others believe such a measure will negatively effect the infrastructure and the environment. In Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 14, 2008 a Black man and a white man stood on a stage together united and equal. Some, in this splintered nation of ours, thought this was a sign. Perhaps, Americans would finally come together as one.
Mother Earth is catastrophically ill. Our Mother is warm with fever. Scientists at the National Research Council report the temperature on the Earth's surface has increased one degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) during the last century. The consensus is her children gave rise to the heat that now harms her.
It was a day late in March. The month roared in like a lion and in some regions, the last days of this turbulent time were gentle as a lamb. A twister tore through the town of Atlanta, Georgia in mid-March. However, the winds died down, and the later hours were calmer, at least in America.
Late in January 2008, Americans read the startling news, Video Reveals Violations of Laws, Abuse of Cows at Slaughterhouse. Tears were shed by some; most turned away. The footage was too graphic. Countless wished to remain removed from a reality they do not wish to witness. Reports, of brutal treatment towards beefy cattle, were received by many as is steak on a plate. Those who eat the meat think it sad that a cow must be sacrificed in order to fill a human stomach. Nonetheless, numerous persons believe man kills "lower" forms of life; that is the natural order.
Each day you and I work towards peace. On occasion we stand in protest. At times, amongst a throng of individuals we march. We demonstrate and proclaim global harmony is possible. Some of us research before we rant. Numerous read. Millions reflect in isolation, then, share their thoughts with a few like-minded souls. Thousands write. People reach out. Individuals invite discussion. Yet, it seems only one or two respond.
The Corporate Destroyer is a peculiar mutation of man. It is known for its inactivity in the practice of any virtue. He is found in several different forms throughout the government, business, and nations. The fruits of his labors can be seen throughout the earth in 'greed, sloth, pride, wrath, avarice, envy, lust, and gluttony'. Absent conscience or allegiance to any land, this mutant will use any means necessary to feed his insatiable appetite.
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