We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Sad Future of Our Planet

Click here to access article by Roberto Savio from Inter Press Service.
The agreement is based on the idea that every country will publicly commit itself to adopting its own plan for reducing emissions, based on criteria established by national governments on the basis of their domestic politics – not on what scientists have been indicating as absolutely necessary.
"National governments" in the above paragraph hides the overwhelming fact of private control of governments and economies governed by capitalist principles to serve those tiny few who rule most of the world. Such people must promote growth of their economies to obtain the wealth and power that are the drugs that feed their addictions to wealth and power. 

However, like any addicted alcoholic, they like to make the appearance that everything is under control. Hence, we see these meetings where nothing of substance ever happens. Only if the vast majority of humans wake up and rid themselves of this human-habitat-destroying system will there be any hope for any agreements to prevent catastrophic climate destabilization.

Of course, the planet will continue on without humans just as it as has when numerous other species appeared for a while and then disappeared because they could not adapt to the planet's conditions. What will be really sad is if the vast majority of humans permit this tiny group of addicted people to destroy their adaptation. A sentient being looking back after the disappearance of humans will be thoroughly perplexed by this puzzle.

Now, contrast this article entitled "Lima Climate COP Fails (of course)" from a liberal source with this brief article from a real alternative media source, Climate Connections. The author, Anne Petermann, has a much better understanding of what is needed to really change things.
Fortunately, more and more people (except for the big green NGOs) recognize that these climate COPs will never get it done and are organizing peoples’ summits where grassroots climate activists, Indigenous Peoples and impacted community members can gather to discuss what to do about climate change from the bottom up....