Social Justice News, 1-12-07

Hey everybody,
I’m feeling better this week but am still recovering. I have a bit of a cough left and still tire easily. Plus my sinuses are plugged up still. Bronchitis always hits me hard when I get it. I spent most of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in bed. Now that I’m recovering, I’m dealing with a seriously ill cat. We spent all day in the vets office, and I have to take her back in the morning for them to finish the tests. She’s curled up on my bed right now sleeping. I’m worried about her but she’ll be all right. If it’s not one thing it’s another, isn’t that how the old saying goes?

I don’t have many leads on the job front. If anyone hears of anything, I’d appreciate it if you’d pass the info along. I need something part time if possible. I’m in school full-time now, and I really can’t do that and work full time!

Featured Articles
Step it Up 2007: A campaign to fight climate change this year.
http://grist.org/comments/dispatches/2007/01/08/mckibben/index.html

Global Warming, Warring, and Warning: Amy Goodman’s take on last year.
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0111-28.htm

Justice, Farms, and Victory Gardens: A very good essay on sustainable food production. A highly recommended read!
http://www.energybulletin.net/24634.html

The 100 mile Diet, even in winter: This is an idea rapidly gaining traction, among both environmentalists and nutritionists. I urge everyone to read this article, and seriously consider attempting it –at least for a week or a month!
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/46472/

GOOD NEWS
Humans Are Causing Climate Change: Really? You don’t say? But now it’s (finally!) the official word from a U.S. agency. I thought they’d wait until the Washington Monument was flooded by the rising seawater, but hey, wonders never ease! (They’ll just wait to act on it until then, I’ll wager.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/10/science/10climate.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

CLIMATE CHANGE
Where ‘Truth’ Left Off: A review of the new climate change book, Heat, by George Monbiot.
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/46318/

Thinning Ice: How precarious is the polar bears position?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16409848/site/newsweek/?GT1=8921

Connect the Dots and Be Scared: Global warming is here. Not in 100 years, or 50, or even 20 or 10. but now. Follow the yellow brick road and see where it leads. Next stop on the Climate Express: Waterworld. I’m going to go out back now and start building a big boat…
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0109-33.htm

Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest: Why are weathermen across the country playing dumb? They should be bright enough to know what’s behind the wacky weather. So why don’t they just come out and say it? Maybe they’re afraid of scaring people. Me, I’m going back to work on that boat…
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0109-26.htm

Global Warming Pledge: A pledge people can take to help fight climate change.
http://www.culturechange.org/global_warming_pledge.html

Wake-up Call: Canada’s new environmental minister has called the wacky weather a “wake-up call” on climate change.
http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n010847A

Rich versus poor: It’s the rich nations that produce most of the world’s carbon dioxide –producing more in a day than many countries produce in a year –but it’s the poor countries that have to suffer the worst consequences (so far). The rich party, the poor pay. Surprise surprise.
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2137667.ece

I Love Global Warming: This made me hit the roof when I read it. It is almost too ridiculous to be true, but here it is: this guy is claiming the net benefits of global warming will outweigh any negatives –including drowning polar bears, etc. And he says that people who die in heat waves are “who are likely to die soon anyway”.
http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/free_forbes/2006/1225/038.html

Gore Part of the Problem: An interesting take on An Inconvenient Truth a friend forwarded to me. I am neither agreeing with nor endorsing this viewpoint, merely sharing it as a different (and interesting) perspective.
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Archives2007/FittsGore.html

Return of the Reaper: Tropical diseases have returned to Europe along with the heat. How long will it be before they spread further north? And before things like malaria and dengue fever come to the Southeast?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2534982,00.html

POLITICS

POLLUTION
Drowning in Rubbish: China is literally in danger of being buried in its own garbage.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK208804.htm

ENVIRONMENT
The Seas in Jeopardy: Unless something is done –and fast –the oceans as we know them will disappear forever.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Enviro/envHEAD01010707.htm

OTHER
Local Economies: Yes! Magazine is running a special on building local economies. Check out these links to some of the articles. They’re really good!
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1548
http://yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1545
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1579

Website of the Week: A really cool “green” website! http://www.groovygreen.com/

UU Joke of the Week: General Assembly: Where committees of UUs meet to form next year's committees.

Have a good weekend everybody!
-Rebecca