A Message from RFK, Jr:

The following is from a message from Robert Kennedy, Jr, the Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. I believe that Robert is the best environmnt attorney and advocate in the country. (This is from a "personal message," and thus I quote more than four paragraphs.)

"The next several months will be 'do or die' for America's environment.

"Why? Because the Bush White House is quietly putting radical new policies in place that will let its corporate cronies poison our air, foul our water and devastate our wildlands for decades to come.

"This sweeping onslaught will cripple many of the safeguards that protect us from the very worst excesses of the oil, coal, logging, mining and chemical industries.

"It took thirty years to put these vital protections in place. But by the end of this year, this Administration will be close to wiping them out.

"That's not exaggeration. That's not hyperbole. It's a fact.

"The scope of the coming attack is staggering. Few Americans even know about it, much less grasp what it will mean to our health and heritage. But you need to know what is at stake. And once you do, I trust you'll join with me in working to twart the Bush Administration's dangerous plans.

"Here is a small sampling of what they are looking to accomplish for their corporate allies over the next critical months -- unless we can succeed in stopping them:

" ** They're trying to excuse ExxonMobile and other behemoths from a key provision of the Clean Air Act and allow them to spew vastly more pollution into out air -- dramatically increasing asthma and heart attacks, hospitalizations, and premature deaths.

"** They plan to treat mercury pollution from power plants as non-hazardous even though mercury is one of the world's most dangerous substances. Why? So that those plants can keep pumping mercury into our air, where it rains down on lakes and oceans and winds up in the fish we eat.

"** They want to speed up oil and gas drilling in some of America's most sensitive and irreplaceable ecosystems, including Greater Yellowstone and Utah's world-famous redrock canyons.

"The list goes on and on."

These are fights that we cannot afford to lose. More, these are fights that we can actually win. There are several ways that you can participate in this effort.

One is to donate to NRDC. Later in this thread, if people want, I can give the break-down in how donations are spent. But I note that NRDC has been awarded the 4-star top rating by CharityNavigator. Your donation will go to cover the costs of Robert fighting these cases in federal court, etc.

If you can donate any amount, be it $5 to $500, make a check to NRDC and mail it to: POBox 1830, Merrifield, VA 22116-8030.

Next, type out the following two petitions, sign them, and mail them with you check to the same address.

(1) Dear President Bush: I strongly protest your Administration's plans to weaken our environmental safeguards. Americans did NOT vote to let corporations increase air and water pollution, cut down our national forests, or destroy our last wild places. I call on you to uphold 30 years of bipartison, environmental progress by directing your agencies to enforce our laws, protect our health, and preserve our natural heritage. (Your signature & address)

(2) Dear Senator: I stronglyoppose the Bush Administration's .....(same as the letter to Bush). Sign and address.

I will expand upon this, if DUers are interested. This is an action that we at DU can play a significant role in. Please let me know if you are able to help, either by donating, signing the petition, (or both), or if you are willing to assist the Water Man in an organized, grass-roots media plan.

We can save the world. It's a tough fight, but we can do it.

*'s rock headed, short sighted, corporately inspired policies, signing stuff like this at the very least has a positive energetic effect.

Thanks for posting.

This will not change Bush's diseased thinking about the environment. But it speaks in a language that some in the administration understand. It also will prove helpful when we begin an organized media campaign.

This is a huge fight. We will win if enough people have the same approach as you. I appreciate it very much.

The fact is that these are not people who listen to anyone except their corporate sponsors.

I wonder if the corporate CEOs have thought far enough ahead to realize that the pollution that kills the planet will also kill them and they can't spend their money after they're dead.

that President Cheney and his friend lack the ability to appreciate the environment, or common sense messages. I do not ask people to help on this because we are going to take a hat-in-hand stance. We need to treat the corporate CEOs and their Washington puppets the same as we would any foreign enemy that would seek to harm us by pouring poisons in our water supply. Our tactic will be to use the court system, and those other powers we have from the Bill of Rights. The petition to the president isn't aimed at appealing to his good side. I don't believe he has one. It is aimed at letting him know that we are ready, willing, and able to fight for America.

The republican far-right often tries to convince us that environmental issues aren't high on the average American's agenda. That is a lie. The general public recognizes the environment as a very significant issue, and it is something that unites people. Moderate republicans are no more interested in consuming PCB-contaminated water, or in having their grandchildren ingest TCE, than democrats are.

More, people understand that only their enemy would be eager to dump toxic wastes into the public well. We need to confront these criminals as the public enemies that they are.

We have a rather large core of talented, creative, and dedicated people on DU. This is an ideal project for DUers to work on. I am associated with a good many environmental groups, and in the next week, I will be spreading the word among them. I came to DU with this first, within a couple hours of getting the message in the mail, because I am convinced that DUers can work in ways that other groups do not always do. The democratic left is being portrayed as tired and defenseless by the corporate media. We must expose that lie.

We are going to win.

And I don't want to go hat in hand to these people. They sicken me and I want them to be fought and for them to lose. I will sign the petitions and send what I can. And the court system is a excellent way to go. There is an organization called "The Author's Guild", not very big, who has been on the vanguard of protecting intellectual rights. They form coalitions with groups who have the same goals and have been taking their arguments to the courts, including the Supreme Court, and winning. They go about their business, raise enough money to hire good lawyers and then forge ahead. Likely many of their cases will not receive public attention but the good work they are doing will make a difference. I am definitely ready to join Mr. Kennedy in his effort to fight the little foxes for they are spoiling our vines.

You are a voice of reason on DU. And we have a lot of good reasons to work on this.

"Unite the tribes, Robert!" Opps. I felt like we were on the set of Braveheart:2005. And, indeed, we may be!

"God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours." ~ Ann Coulter on Hannity & Colmes, 6/20/01

These people openly advocate raping the earth, and doing it in the name of their God. The God I'm familiar with asked that we care for the earth, not rape it. Further, I don't see how this mentality feeds into their so called "pro-life" stance, as the unborn are clearly harmed by environmental dangers.

It's beyond belief ...

You are absolutely correct, they are the enemy ~ and we must treat this matter as one of life and death, because it is.

When I read quotes like that, I feel sad. These are the same people who pretend to be moral.

"The Earth is the Lord's, and its fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein." -- Psalm 24 seems to be in direct opposition to Ann.

Or many others that contradict their worship of money.

"Diseased" is right.

The fact that such venom has a "credible" voice in this society is difficult to fathom.

"The land shall not be sold forever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me."

--Leviticus 25:23 ("Handbook of the Priests")

By no small coincidence, this was the favorite saying of Thomas Ainge Devyr, the Irish immigrant to the US who became a moving force in the Anti-Rent War in the 1840s. This war against the feudal system being imposed by the Hamiltonian aristocrats centered in the Albany NY area, is seldom taught in public schools or colleges.

I do think - as Dean says ... that we need to have a MORAL discussion with Republicans in the coming election however.

"In as much as you have done to the least of these my brothers and sisters you have done it to me." ~ Jesus

http://www.jesus-institute.org/life-of-jesus-modern/jesus-poor.shtml

More here, Jesus was a partying feminist who spoke out for economic justice:

http://www.jesus-institute.org/jesus-modern-descriptions.shtml

Since so called "moral values" were a factor in the past election, you'd think those that proclaim they "worship" Jesus would care to learn from him? ;)

Not to sound "preachy" but I think we can find the common ground in many "religions" and promote how these ideals are in sync with "Democratic" ideals.

There are more than a few things about that Good Book that the republicans do not want the public to know.

"Whenever, in the course of the daily hunt, the hunter comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful, or sublime - a black thundercloud with the rainbow's glowing arch above the mountain, a white waterfall in the heart of a green gorge, a vast prairie tinged with the blood-red of the sunset - he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship.

He sees no need for a setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, because to him all days are God's days."

Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa) 1858-1939

One that Ann C. or George W. would be incapable of relating to.

just outside of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Sixty thousand
acres of prime winter range for elk and mule deer absolutely torn
to pieces with drilling pads and hundreds of miles of roads forthe
drilling rigs.

A recent article on the Jonah field stated at the current pace of
drilling the air in Yellowstone in 30 to 40 years will resemble that of
a World War One battelefield.

"The Coming Attack on Our Last Wild Places

The Bush Administration is about to set off a stampede of oil and gas drillers into our most treasured landscapes.

Here are just a few of the wildlands slated for plunder over the months ahead: the wildlife-rich forests of Greater Yellowstone .... the desert grasslands of Otero Mesa in New Mexico .... and the world-famous cliff walls of Utah's redrock canyons.

No place is too sacred or too spectacular to be safe from this imminent invasion. Consider this: if the Administration gets its way, the beautiful 20-mile drive approaching Dinosaur National Monument in Utah will soon be blighted by drilling rigs.

This desecration is made possible by the Administration's dangerous policy of making oil and gas drilling the number one priority on our public lands. They are steamrolling these disastrous projects right over the environmental review process.

Unless we rush to their defense now, some of America's most awe-inspiring vistas will be transformed forever into industrial zones of rigs, pipelines and compressor stations. NRDC will fight in court to stop the destruction of our last wild places!"

-- John Adams, NRDC President

he is so eloquent, and so knowledgeable, no matter what he talks about including the environment, I wonder why he isn't running for President? I really wish he would.

for office in NYS. I appreciate that he feels he can do the most good by continuing in the position he is in. But I think he has begun to give it more serious thought.

He is approaching this conflict as the fight of a life time. I think DUers who have heard him speak, such as yourself, do us a favor by letting others know what a good man he is. Thank you!

bring back camalot...we need it soooooo bad

We might even get "The Gropenator" to cross party lines and campaign for him? ;)

for our side, however, Mrs. Gropenator could, although I personally would consider her baggage.

(Tongue and cheek if you were) however, I like do like Maria. :hi:

MUST realize that they are poisoning their OWN children, and still not give a fuck if it means making an extra dollar. How MORAL is someone who poisons his OWN children for MONEY????

I live in Minnesota, land of ten thousand lakes, and EACH and EVERY one of them is POLLUTED with mercury. Each and EVERY lake (and ALL the rivers) have Warnings AGAINST eating the fish you catch!!!!!

WHAT MORE WILL IT TAKE!!!????

The Democrats should make this a MORAL issue!!!
If you vote Republican, you are voting to poison your own children!!!!

Hey, good bumper sticker!

If you vote Republican,
you are voting to POISON your OWN CHILDREN!!!!

Robert listed some of the billboards etc that he helped make to promote public awareness. Your bumper sticker is of much the same quality. I love it!

So, why not!

:toast:

This is NOT A DRILL!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1473573

REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. IT IS AN ACTUAL ALERT!!!

For the next 60 seconds, you are advised to STOP MULTI-TASKING and THINK. :think:

Your AIR, WATER and FOOD SUPPLIES are being POISONED. Your ENERY SUPPLY has long since been "privatized" by forces making significant inroads into WATER & FOOD. AIR is a problem only till they POISON it ALL and charge you for "filters."

REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. IT IS AN ACTUAL ALERT!!!

"Any delay will make it that much harder for us to mobilize and defeat the Bush Administration's attacks on our environment." -- John Adams, NRDC President.

We need to act immediately. The larger of a response we get on this thread, the better. I am going to send a generous donation tomorrow, and will bring this thread to the atention of NRDC.

They can't poison their young. Greedy corporatists eat their young live. Everyone knows that!

:eyes:

We have been ingrained to live in the suburbs and drive our SUVs an hour to work. Bush is doing nothing to break our dependence on oil.

Last year, ExxonMobil set an all-time record for corporate profits. Not all-time for ExxonMobil, or Exxon or Mobil. All time for ANY corporation, ever. Their net profit after taxes, expenses and everything else was $25.3 BILLION. If oil prices stay high this year, they will likely pass Wal-Mart as the biggest company in the world revenue-wise. (2004 was Wal-Mart with $288 billion, ExxonMobil with $270 billion)

Why do they need help?

That is the perfect type of point to make in the effort to change the public perception about what is happening in Washington, DC.

Let's get the Truth about the BFEE and what they plan to do to our nation and world. We the People beat the fasicsts once before. We can do it again.

good at being persistent. I never cared whether I won approval by others or not, and I never really did. They were all and I mean ALL republican family members. When I was young, I felt wrong being an "outsider" inside this web... now I feel "proud" and I know why. I don't go along, just to make nice, especially when it's DEAD WRONG.

Eleven thousand lakes? Man, the more I learn, I tell you, the more I get MAD.

I'm sending the petitions signed and a donation.

I listen to Bobby on the radio every weekend. He is really incredible. Is there a link where I could go and just jump into this fight? I've about had it, and that means a call for ACTION.



New Standards for choosing a mate:

If you smoke, I won't date you.
If you do drugs, I won't stay with you.
If you eat fish, I won't have your baby.

is found at: www.nrdc.org

I just learned if we use mostly post consumer recycled paper in one roll of paper towels, and every person did it, in ONE DAY...it would save over a half a MILLION trees!

That's really pretty incredible... I'm currently blasting Kimberly Clark for their 19% recycled paper...when they even bother to use it....

I've got to go to bed, I'll ramble til I drift off, having my head hit the desk and I knock myself out.

Must rest... many things to do in about six hours...

btw.. 8 am Amy Goodman on CSPAN 2... I hear it's a MUST SEE.

At the state party Elenor Roosevelt dinner. He blew the place away. Tried to get a transcript, but got no reply.

Wouldn't he make a great secretary of energy or head of epa?

a great elected official. I think he is an amazing man. Last week, I had another DUer tell me that the Kennedy is my "hero." I stopped having "heroes" when I was a teenager. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Robert, because I have had the opportunity to see the good work he does up close. I may get out one of my old files, and share something with DUers.

of duty, like altruism and brilliance, is genetic in this case.

that I think will explain one of the reasons that I feel strongly that RFK, Jr is a good man. I've spoken about this before on DU, though in general, I try not to say who I am .... but I noted on a thread by Skinner a while back his recommendation that people not believe anecdotal stories on here .... and so I'll be specific.

On July 2, 1998, at the General Clinton Canoe Regatta in Bainbridge, NY (the largest canoe race in North America), my nephew and a friend were assaulted by a gang of 15 men. My nephew had brought the Sidney High School basketball team to a NYS title; in a federation game, my nephew shut down the star from the NYC Dwight school -- a kid who had been featured in a Sports illustrated story was held to 2 points by Sidney's captain. My nephew was getting a lot of media attention, and a racist gang from Walton, NY was upset that a "nigger" was so popular.

The gang dogged my nephew at the regatta. They called him a "dumb nigger" and threatened him repeatedly. My nephew told a cop what was going on, said he just wanted to enjoy the regatta with his girlfriend, and asked the cop for help. The cop refused to do anything.

An hour later, in a darken field serving as a parking lot, the gang attacked my nephew and the friend he was with from behind. A witness in a car said it was "like a pack of wild dogs attacking." They hit the two high school students without warning, knocking them unconscious. As my nephew lay out cold on the ground, with his hands in his pockets, a group of three men assaulted him. These were big guys: one weighed 280, one 290, and the other 310 pounds.

Although my nephew was seriously injured, the DA refused to press serious charges. During one court hearing, the Justice of the Peace said that in his opinion, the words "dumb nigger" weren't necessarily intended to be racist. This JoP was intimidated by the large crowd of black citizens, mostly NAACP members from Oneonta to Binghamton, who attended the weekly court hearings ... and so he had the cop who refused my nephew's request for help, serve as his "escort" or body guard. (Gotta watch them groups of black folks!)

Retired NYC police detective Will Perry, the president of a local NAACP branch, and I served as media spokespeople for the victims' families. A wide assortment of people, including the DA and Justice of the Peace, advocated for the gang members. And two things were becoming apparent: the media hinted the assault was racially motivated, but refused to quote the racial slurs used by the gang; and the young people in our area were becoming frustrated by the court process.

I had been working on an environmental case that Robert had assisted me on, and he was very aware of the assault case. He took a stand, and wrote to Dennis C. Vacco, NYS Attorney general, on 7-2-98. Here is the letter, which recommended the state file serious charges:

"Dear Attorney General Vacco:

I am writing in reference to an incident of racially motivated violence that occured in Bainbridge, NY on May 23, 1998 in which two young men from the Town of Sidney were badly injured. I hope that your office will investigate the circumstances of this incident and take appropriate action.

The incident occured as Neil Miley and Eric Wetsig were leaving the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, a popular event. After first baiting Miley with racial epitets, a group of young men ambushed Miley and Wetsig as they walked to their cars. Wetsig and Miley were knocked unconscious, severely beaten, and left lying in the parking lot. Both boys were hospitalized and Miley has suffered permanent hearing loss and nerve damage.

A second attack occured on June 12 when a 15 year old Franklin boy was brutally beaten in Walton. The boy was hospitalized with skull fractures around his eye socket where the assailant had struck him with a rock.

I urge your office to investigate these acts of violence and to prosecute the offenders to the fullest extent possible.

Sincerely,
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr."

The state refused to intervene, and the violence continued. After the gang leader who kicked and punched my unconscious nephew was given a $50 fine for having an open beer, but nothing for the assault, the violence escalated. The following year, it struck on SUNY-Binghamton's campus, as the same gang members targeted Asian-American students.

I'll write more later. But I want to put this on, to perhaps explain one reason I admire RFK,Jr. My family has never forgotten his kindness.

:hi:

are required. This is a fight we need to draw more attention to. We must somehow raise awareness among Americans that Bushco is destroying our "backyard." I am sure there is outrage in communities close to areas where the rules have an obvious effect, like new roads, drilling, etc. Many people fail to realize that the destruction of environmental rules directly effect their water and air and ultimately the ability of the planet (even in their back yard) to sustain us.

On a positive note, the NYT yesterday had an article stating that 132 mayors have rejected Bushco's atance on Kyoto and have formed a bipartisan comission to fight global warming on a local level.

http://nytimes.com/2005/05/14/national/14kyoto.html

Like many things, environmental protection is not a partisan issue and this administration is running roughshod over the will of the people. How do we get people to pay attention and raise their voices?

edited to add link

The following information comes from John H. Adams, the NRDC president:

"You'd be correct to assume the Clean Water Act requires water treatment plants to clean up sewage before releasing it into a river, stream or ocean.

But not for long. The Bush Administration is about to finalize a policy that will allow treatment plants to dump sewage -- virtually untreated -- right into your local waterway and even into your drinking water supply.

How will it work? Owners of the plants will get to save money by 'bypassing' the biological treatment that removes viruses and bacteria from waste. All they will have to do is 'blend' minimally-treated sewage with fully-treated wastewater and -- presto!-- it's good enough for the public.

Of course, you and I will pay dearly for this outrageous scam in beach closures and an increased risk of illness whenever we swim in contaminated waters.

This illegal assault on our water could be finalized at any time. We must not let the Bush Administration turn back the clock to the bad old days when rivers and oceans were cesspools. NRDC will take them to court to uphold our right to clean water!"

The NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental advocacy group. Their staff of 250 attorneys and scientists has helped to win some of the most important recent court cases, such as preventing Mitsubishi from industrializing the Gray Whale's last unspoiled breeding ground.

The information on this thread comes from NRDC. Please join with over 600,000 other concerned citizens in the fight to protect our environment from industries and their puppets in the Bush Administration.

When will people wake up? Will it take sh*t in their glass of water before they will recognize the destruction which has been done?

I am just warming up.

"When are people going to wake up?" Oh, I like that question. The answer is today. We are going to start waking America up. And we're not going to stop until we get this job completed to our satisfaction.

"The Coming Attack on the Air You Breathe

The White House is close to achieving one of Big Oil and Big Coal's fondest dreams: tearing the heart out of the Clean Air Act. The Administration has issued new rules that would allow 20,000 aging power plants, oil refineries, and other fat-cat polluters to evade pollution controls required by law.

The impact will be devastating. You and I will pay with more heart attacks, more asthma attacks, more hospitalizations and more premature deaths.

Hundreds of thousands of tons of harmful pollution will take its heaviest toll on the most vulnerable: children, seniors, and those already struggling to breathe in our cities.

The only thing stopping this airborne assault on America is lawsuits brought by NRDC and our allies. Now we need your immediate support to prevail over America's biggest polluters in court!"

-- John H. Adams, NRDC President

DUers, if a terrorist group wanted to harm America, and had plans to dump thousands of tons of toxic chemicals into the air and water, we would fight them by any means necessary. If a weasal in your community dumped chemical wastes from their garage on your property, you would do whatever is necessary to bring their ass to court. I'm not sure what description fits the Bush & Co interests that are threatening to harm Americans and to dump their wastes on your property .... but I know the most effective manner of fighting them is to support the NRDC. Please help.

"We've known about the dangers of mercury since the 1700's. It can cause neurological damage to infants exposed in the womb and learning disorders in developing children.

So it's practically obscene that in the year 2005 the Bush Administration has issued a new rule that will treat mercury pollution from power plants as if it were NOT hazardous.

This cynical sleight-of-hand will allow 500 coal-fired plants to dodge the tough controls that the Clean Air Act demands for other sources of hazardous pollution. Instead, the Administration's new rule will allow polluters to go on spewing excessive and illegal tons of mercury into our air FOR DECADES TO COME.

While big polluters profit, pregnant women and children will suffer as mercury continues to rain down our streams, lakes and oceans -- accumulating in fish and winding up on our dinner plates."

-- John Adams, NRDC President

I keep seeing posts on DU where people (understandably, perhaps) feel powerless in the face of the multiple Bush onslaughts. THIS is one area where we can make a difference, and it's one where we must make a difference if only for the next generation.

I'm going to join now and donate to NRDC, but not as a passive observer. I hope to take the information from this organization and make sure the message gets out to as many people as I can. Only a large, grassroots effort can stop the destruction of our environment - and we can do this.

Thank you again for the heads-up.

You are hitting the nail on the head. Our enemies have lied to us, and told us that we are powerless. But we are not powerless. The word power comes from the Latin root "posse," meaning to possess the ability .... and we do possess the ability to take meaningful action. And we can take action on a number of fronts. NRDC is a powerful force in the federal courts -- they possess the ability to enforce the law. And we possess the ability to educate the public -- we can compare our clean glass of water/ Robert Kennedy, Jr, with their polluted glass of water/George W. Bush.

is all too prevalent, and the appearances would seem to confirm that we are without recourse. But appearances can be deceiving and just as we aren't really "destitute", abandoned, without an ability to save ourselves, THEY aren't the "gods" they assume themselves to be. There are no "gods" on their side, not even The One in whose name they do their dirty deeds. He created this beautiful planet, why would He want it destroyed?

On page 803 of his biography of RFK Sr, Arthur Schlesinger Jr quotes Kennedy in South Africa (in what A.S. calls RFK's most eloquent passage):

"(Let no one be discouraged by) the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence .... Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

If the US Attorney General/ NY Senator could give a message to DUers and other democrats at the grass-roots level, who were feeling discouraged or powerless, I have to believe this would be it .... the same message he delivered to South Africans all those years ago.

... for those who didn't see it above.

http://www.nrdc.org/

More evidence that this past election was crucial.

I keep wondering where Ralph Nader is NOW?

:shrug:

every airwave to broadcast it from every roof top!
Most Americans think of themselves as "environmentalists" in one sense or the other. At least they say they care about the environment. How to do we appeal to that? RFK Jr. is such a good writer, but folks don't actually read that much anymore. :-(

works on it, the opportunities to broadcast it will open up. By working together as a group, we access an energy level that RFK Sr speaks of in that quote from South Africa.

As has been discussed in your thread, the harm being done in this country can sometimes seem overwhelming which leads to a sense of ennui which is almost paralyzing. And we did fight the good fight during the last election but trickery and deceit "won" the day. And our leaders, for the most part, still have not enjoined THAT battle. So maybe the point is not to look to others to lead us but to lead ourselves, actors instead of reactors.

meaning every one of us. That is a real challenge but that way our movement can not be crippled by targeting any particular person.
I see people moving beyond the hierarchical (and patriarchal) paradigms. That is a good thing. we have some eloquent spokes people such as RFK Jr. but it seems different now. Many activists groups today are now operating on consensus.

One of the points that he makes in his newest book, "Crimes Against Nature," is that even the republican groups he speaks to "get it" when he talks about the criminal behaviors of corporations and the politicans who prostitute themselves for them. The environment is a number of related issues that we need to bring together in a meaningful way for America. I'm not hoping for DUers to simply drop everything else to work on this. Rather, we need to remember that one hand washes the other. There are a lot of urgent issues today. Yet I am confident we will do better, for example, to have NRDC confront the administration in federal court, than we will looking for responsible journalism in the corporate media.

it will enable us to "sound the alarm" across the country -- including getting access to the media that we are so often denied -- and to "launch a massive counterattack in the federal courts."

This is important. We are not merely talking about "somebody should do something." We -- you, me, NRDC, and many more -- are taking the administration to court. We have smarter, more skilled attorneys. We have scientists who value the truth. And we still have a system of laws and a supply of honest judges, that gives us the advantage in fighting the corporate criminals.

If you can afford a donation, that is great. It is also very important to copy & send the petion from the OP. And, in the coming months, I am hoping to have a dedicated core of co-workers on DU that will help with publicity.

both as a citizen and as a father -- at the terrible price we are about to pay so that this Administration's corporate allies can cash in.

Three of my own kids -- and millions of others -- already STRUGGLE TO BREATHE on bad air days because they suffer from asthma. Should our children suffer even more to improve ExxonMobil's bottom line?

I live in one of the 45 statesthat ALREADY posts warnings about mercury contamination in lakes and streams. Should our families run an even greater risk of ingesting this terrible poison so that a few corporate fat cats can boost their profits?

I truly believe that if most Americans knew the truth, they would share my fury that the Bush Administration is allowing a handful of corporations to strangle our democracy and devour our greatest national treasures.

Fortunately, the Natural Resources Defense Council is counter-attacking in the federal courts and mobilizing a pro-environmental outcry that the White House and Congress will be unable to ignore....

I've been working with NRDC on the frontlines of environmental protection for 20 years. With our staff of 250 lawyers, scientists, and other professionals -- all backed by one million Members and online activists -- NRDC is respected around the world, by friend and foe, as America's toughest environmental advocate. ...

Please join us in making sure that the environmental progress we've worked so hard to achieve over the past three decades is not stolen from us over the next several months.

Sincerely,
Robert F Kennedy, Jr."

"The timber industry can't wait to log more of our national forests and the Bush Administration isn't going to let wolves, bears and songbirds get in the way.

The Forest Service has issued a new rule that gives it the power to open all 155 national forests to logging, mining and drilling without having to ensure the survival of native wildlife.

This abandonment of longstanding wildlife protections -- upheld even by the Reagan Administration -- will make it legal for logging companies to clearcut our forests while wiping out entire populations of animals.

Meanwhile, the Administration is preparing to launch dozens of massive timber sales in the pristine heart of Alaska's Tongass -- the world's largest remaining temperate rainforest. We're going to court on your behalf to defend America's wild forest heritage!"

--John Adams, NRDC President

More specifically, when talking to those in the center or on the right.

1) Focus on people rather than the environment.

I always remember an exchange Al Franken had once with Mark Luther. Al was talking about what was happening to the fish in a polluted lake. Mark's response was something like "I'm sorry, Al, I just don't have much heart for fish."

I wish Al had responded, "But you do care about your children, your friends, your fellow countrymen, don't you?"

People on the right think that environmentalists are putting the environment above people. (Personally, I think they are all of a piece; but again, I'm talking about moderate and right-leaning people.) Hence their epithets such as "green nazi" or "tree hugger." So you have to talk to people about people, not the environment.

2) Focus on the positive differences that have been made.

Everything that is happening to our water, our air, our soil, and all the beings that live here is so overwhelming. To many, it all seems so catastrophic and irreversible that there is nothing one person could possibly do, so why bother even trying?

But there have been changes that have led to positive results. One person or small group can make a difference. Finding these stories and reminding people about them can make them more likely to want to do something.

Just my thoughts after seeing your thread. :) Thank you for posting this, H20 Man.

-wildflower

The only advantage tha I can remember being associated with being old (tomorrow is my birthday) is that you can remember a lot of things. It helps you put some things in perspective.

And the truth is, environmentalists have made a heck of a lot of progress in the past 30 years. They really have. And it has been a combination of people on the grass-roots level, and scientists, and some attorneys, and -- in my opinion -- a lot of good school teachers that teach young people about "earth science" etc .... and so it needs to be recognized. Some things are pretty bad today, and some are even worse than 30 years ago. But a lot of things are better, too.

Also, I've noted that Robert always puts things in the context of how they effect humans. And you and he are right -- that's an important point in getting people's attention and support.

somewhere, on all the positive results that have been achieved in the last 30 years. And each person could memorize one or two for the next time they're talking to a friend, co-worker, cashier, etc.

I haven't read RFK's book yet, but I noticed from your quotes on this thread the way he puts things, and I think it's very effective.

I wonder...is there an additional term we could use besides "environment"/"environmentalist" for the people who aren't hearing us? A term that focuses on the health of people and life on this planet?

-wildflower

I can't say that I really know John, but I know of him, and have always been impressed with his work. He's one of the people who founded NRDC back in 1970, around the time of the first Earth Day. If I am correct, he was one of a group of pretty intense group of lawyers from the US Attorney's office in NYC, who was determined to pattern NRDC on the NAACP's legal defense team.

Adams either wrote or co-wrote much of the environmental legislation that became law in the '70s. By the 1990s, he and others had done fantastic work as far as helping getting laws on the books, and getting those laws enforced. But then, around 1994, a number of democrats and republicans joined in an effort to roll back a number of environmental protections. DUers may remember that Newt Gingrich's "Contract On America" was strongly anti-environmental, and that weasal Pat Robertson started preaching that "God" intended for us to ignore the environmentalists. But even usual democratic allies wilted, rather than face up to the vicious assault by Gingrich.

It was at that time that Adams showed uncanny organizing ability. RFK did, too, of course. But they played different roles. Adams is a legend among environmentalists (and in congress and federal courts!), but is not widely known outside of that circle. I think that's about to change.

I think that you are right, in that we should organize and brain-storm here on DU. But I'm going to look for some information that you might find surprising regarding the public's view of "environmentalists." I'll likely post it within the hour.

in his newest book, "Crimes Against Nature," describe his talking to three different very republican audiences. In each case he got standing ovations -- including one at a club in Virginia where no member had voted for a democrat since Jefferson Davis, and where it was the first standing ovation in 38 years.

The reason why is no doubt in large part because of his speaking ability. He is gifted at expressing the values that define environmentalism. But it is more: both democrats and republicans, he points out, want the same things for their children and grandchildren -- clean air and water, good health, and to live in a safe community that "stands for something good and noble."

He continues: "Moreover, I don't believe there are Republican or Democratic children. Nor do I think it benefits our country when the environment becomes the province of one party, and most national enviromental leaders agree with me. But today, if you ask those leaders to name the greatest threat to the global environment, the answer won't be overpopulation, or global warming, or sprawl. The nearly unanimous response would be George W. Bush.

"You simply can't talk honestly about the environment today without criticizing this president. George W. Bush will go down as the worst environmental president in our nation's history. In a ferocious three-year attack, his administration has launched over 300 major rollbacks that are weakening the protection of our country's air, water, public lands, and wildlife.

"Such attacks, of course, are hardly popular. National polls consistently show that over 80 percent of the American public -- with little difference between Republican and Democratic rank and file -- want our environmental laws strengthened and strictly enforced. In a March 2003 memo to party leaders, Republican pollster Frank Luntz noted: 'The environment is probably the single issue on which Republicans in general and President Bush in particular are most vulnerable.' He cautioned that the public is inclined to view Republicans as being 'in the pockets of corporate fat cats who rub their hands together and chuckle maniacally as they plot to pollute America for fun and profit.' If that view were to take hold, Luntz warned, 'not only do we risk losing the swing vote, but our suburban female base could abandon us as well.' In essence, he recommended that Republicans don the sheep's clothing of enviromental rhetoric while continuing to wolf down our environmental laws."

(pages 2-3)

Thank you for posting it. We need more people like this out there speaking about the environment's effects in this manner.

Oh, and since I may not get a chance to log on tomorrow...

Happy Birthday! :party: :toast: :bounce:

-wildflower

The new thing that the RW uses to demonize environmentalists is "Eco-terrorists" ... I think truthout had an article a few weeks back about Republicans pushing new "eco-terror" laws.

if you don't embrace the Cheney plans for enrich the energy corporations, you simply must be a dangerous terrorist. What other possible explanation could there be?

Needs a bounce up.

if you insist on a short story from the book "The RiverKeepers," look to page 214. RFK,Jr was working with Cynthia Adler of the Creative Coalition, and they wanted to initiate a public awareness campaign about problems with the NYC drinking water. They hired Richard Kirshenbaum, from the avant-garde advertising firm that helped create the nation-wide phenomenon called Snapple that I'm consuming as I type this. RFK describes their meeting:

"He unveiled a series of posters designed to shock. The first showed a man's naked torso, from knee to neck. In place of his penis a chrome-plated water tap issued a graphic yellow spray into an eight-ounce glass suspended by a disembodied hand. 'Human waste is discharged into 80% of New York City's water supply,' warned the giant caption. A second showed an unmistakable stripe of toothpaste atop the bristles of a toilet brush. 'Brush your teeth with Fecaldent?' it offered. A third poster depicted ice cubes and a maraschino cherry-bespangled swizzle stick floating in a hospital urine vial; 'Sewage is discharged into 16 of the 19 reservoirs that supply NYC with drinking water.' The other posters were in a similar vein. They had their desired effect. Even we were shocked.

"Kirshenbaum laid out his plan. He told us he thought he could persuade Gannett Advertising to donate sixty-five bus shelters to display giant prints of the posters. He proposed putting smaller versions on every New York City subway. But the centerpiece of the poster campaign would be snipes. 'Snipes' refers to the thousands of posters that magically appear overnight on every available wall space in the city, usually advertising cultural events like plays or concerts or movies. Kirshenbaum proposed to secure the service of a 'snipe squad' that would glue sixty-five hundred posters on every bare wall in downtown Manhatten between midnight and 4:00 a.m. on the morning we announced the poster campaign from the steps of City Hall. Extra snipes would be hung strategically along the route from the mayor's Gracie Mansion residence to City Hall and along routes most often used by his campaign challengers and other important city officials."

Snapple, on a birthday?

I think there are some people on DU that have serious talent as far as eye-catching art work that has as subtle a message as those mentioned in The RiverKeepers. I was talking to Swamp Rat about this on a different thread last night. There can be a big advantage in conducting a public awareness campaign that makes people laugh .... and a bigger advantage if you can make people laugh at your opposition. I mentioned the greatest master of laughter, YIPPIE leader Abbie Hoffman .... because some of Swamp Rat's work reminds me of the Yippies .... (I'd recently looked through old copies of OverThrow) .... "I knew Abbie Hoffman, Swamp Rat. Abbie was a friend of mine. I explored vast regions of humor in humanity with Abbie. Your art work is a fine tribute to Mr. Hoffman."

Lotta caffeine this morning ....

About the art work and I would love to see what some of the very creative DUers could come up with, even something to hand out as fliers. What happened with the ads mentioned above, for I never saw one of them and am wondering if they were considered too extreme and not carried out.

Court TV has a special on RFK Sr tomorrow night, I believe at 11 pm.

thank you, H20 Man...RFK Sr. is one of my all time heroes!!

AFSCME girl

that the Cheney Administration will not want people to watch.

Robert Kennedy may be the most fascinating character study from the 1960s. I still have the tie clip he handed to a friend on the courthouse steps in Norwich, NY in 1964.

You hang on to that tie clip, H20 Man, that is a TREASURE!! Can you imagine the world we would be living in right now if things would have gone differently so many years ago.....

AFSCME girl :hi:

is about the benefits of a compassionate society, rather than one focused upon retribution. I agree that things would be so different, "if only " ..... It's hard for me to explain to my children that yes, there was a time when political leaders talked about building a compassionate society. The difference between him and the current president are stark indeed.

Sent in petitions etc., so I'm wondering if this is it. Are you staring a group here on DU?

is the main purpose of the 'nuclear option' distraction. Now that corporate media has signed on2 nuclear option coverage - the assault on the environment can move forward - corporate media has said muricans don't want 2 hear 'news' about the environment...so they have already divorced themselves from covering this 'invasion of choice' of our public lands.

I'm not so certain we can fight these thieves effectively anymore. I am coming closer & closer 2 believing there will have 2 B a complete, devastating collapse B4 most people wake the f*ck up!

They'll do it to themselves

http://lancemannion.typepad.com/lance_mannion/2005/05/no_damn_good.html

"The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value."

Much like the war in Iraq, we can not afford to allow the Bush administration's insanity to play itself out. While there are a number of other very important issues being confronted, and projects being undertaken by DUers, I am hoping that in the next 24 hours, we have more people declare their support for this project. But if not, we'll still move forward. Our next step may be to contact NRDC and ask what suggestions they have.

This might be the time to prove that we are not a maladapted species, which I suspect. There will not be many more chances, and for each missed the return is diminished.

or John Adams a question about this effort, what would it be? What would be the most important question(s) that you would like RFK Jr to answer about the plan to challenge -- and defeat -- the Bush administration and corporate allies' plan to destroy all the environmental advances we've made in the past 30 years?

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/campaigns/sgw/register/general_clark/?1=2

Try this link!

Maybe it should be posted in their forum/group

Or did you mean others?

I think the answer is yes. There are some other threads going that indicate people are aware of this.

That should be high on the list.

Thank you.