This afternoon I was transfixed with local Portland television coverage of Greenpeace protesters' efforts to slow down disastrous oil drilling by Shell in Arctic waters.
Disastrous, because global warming is the greatest threat to civilization as we know it, along with the United States' national security.
Watching the incredible bravery and determination of thirteen protesters who hung from ropes on the St. Johns Bridge to try to prevent a vessel loaded with equipment needed for Shell's drilling to move from a Portland drydock, and the courage of "Kayaktivists" who did their best to block the progress of the ship, I felt like I was watching a re-run of desegregation efforts in the South back in the 1960's.
Meaning, it's pretty damn clear that history is looking to look favorably upon those who stood up for saving the Earth's environment, just as history does to those who fought the evils of segregation.
In each case, the Power Structure — police, government — started out on the wrong side, favoring special interests rather than the broad public interest.
It was frustrating to watch the Portland Fire and Police Departments, Coast Guard, and other agencies band together today to stop a protest that was morally virtuous, while clearing the way for a ship that will help destroy our planet's livability.
To all of the protesters, I say Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
You inspired me. You motivated me. You gave me hope for the future — seeing how many people were willing to risk arrest and injury in order to make a righteous stand against Shell's corporate greed and government's lack of concern for future generations.
I just gave $50 to Greenpeace. Not much, but I wanted to do something to express my support for an organization that fights so hard for our one and only Planet Earth.
Global warming is here. This summer's record-breaking heat in Oregon testifies to that, not that any more evidence is needed beyond what the world's climate scientists have already provided. Humanity ignores that evidence at its peril.
I'm disappointed that President Obama gave permission for Shell's Arctic oil drilling. Hopefully the Portland protests will help to change his mind. Or at least to stand firm when the next misguided effort to add to our planet's greenhouse gas pollution requests government approval.
If nothing else, those protests helped change my mind.
It isn't enough for me, or anybody, to recycle, drive an electric car, turn down the thermostat, and do all the other Green things that we're told will help the environment. It also is necessary to, in the words of today's protesters, say "Shell No!" to the rich and powerful who care about short-term profits rather than the long-term future of humanity.
If governments and corporations won't listen to scientists' warnings about the clear and present danger of global warming, then stronger steps have to be taken. Civil disobedience, for example.
Again, thanks to today's protesters for making this clear to Oregon, the country, and the world.
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Greenpeace damaged the Nazca Lines. (the huge ancient drawings seen from the air in South America)
http://gizmodo.com/how-greenpeace-wrecked-one-of-the-most-sacred-places-in-1669873583
Greenpeace stinks.
From the article- “The environmental group has a long, long history of insensitive or poorly-staged actions, ranging from big—like helping to destroy a GMO crop designed to prevent blindness—to small—like papering a small town with posters the day after a community cleanup.
They seem more interested in ineffectual stunts and PR to “raise awareness” and get donation$$$$, than actually doing anything that gets real results.
Some people just don’t get it — We are polluting our planet to death! Think I’m blowing smoke?? Just try starting your car engine with your garage door closed. Is it truly a quantum leap to see that burning fossil fuels is filling our atmosphere with deadly pollution?
As for Greenpeace, it seems their event in Portland yesterday made national and international news. Their message — stop the drilling, our planet is in trouble — was heard by our President, legislators, and leaders literally around the world. I don’t know, seems like it worked to me.
Steplightly said, “I don’t know, seems like it worked to me.”
Unfortunately, the blind leading the blind does not work for me. 🙁
How many people are going to live on the planet earth in the near future?
Google it.
Cockamamie liberal protests offer exactly ZERO solutions to the challenges of future citizens.
If you want to take up an issue to protest that has credibility and some meat, how about promoting the all out, world wide ban on the most dangerous chemical on the planet; Di-Hydrogen Oxide?
This chemical is the leading cause of death over the decades.
Ban it, Ban it, Ban it!!!
Eradicate it from the face of the earth!
That’s the problem with clueless liberals; they need to learn to carefully choose their fights!!
Well said Brian. I watched on TV too. The comparison that came to mind for me was Tiananmen Square — the guy in front of the tank. Kind of like the kayaker in front of the icebreaker. You are right. We need to see a lot more of this.
Hillary won’t even commit to opposing the Keystone XL pipeline. Anyone who cares about climate change needs to jump on the Bernie bandwagon!
It is curious that most people who protest against oil still buy and utilize products that depend upon it. They go around in cars and they utilize all sorts of products that are derived from oil and require all sorts of energy to produce them. Hypocrisy maybe? I mean, kayaks these days are constructed of petroleum derivatives, right?
When even those who protest against petroleum use it, what are the chances of getting everybody else to quit using it?
And then what if it turns out that the cause of climate change was something else?
Reply to Porter: What you have advanced here is the same ad hominem argument that I heard over and over on TV from those opposed to the “Shell NO” protest. It’s a logical fallacy and doesn’t carry any weight. Sorry. And as for asserting that climate change might be caused by “something else,” you are displaying great ignorance.
ME: We all need to stop killing lions!
SOME DUDE: Hey, right now you are eating meat from a lion killed yesterday, you ARE the problem!
ME: Ah a logical fallacy. Nice ad hominem attack. Seriously though, we shouldn’t kill lions!
*Picks a bit of lion mane out of my teeth*
Anybody know a good dentist for this?
What is “ad hominem”. Latin I guess, like habeas corpus? What is a “logical fallacy”?.. Doesn’t make sense? Seriously, I don’t know those terms.
If we need to stop killing lions why is it logically consistent to keep eating them?
Although fossil fuel burning may cause or be one of the causes of climate change why is it not possible the main cause(s) is something else that is not well understood?
Explain to me, or not.
I got off my figuratively fat ass and looked up ‘ad hominem’.
Sure, even if something is bad but people keep doing it, doesn’t change the fact that something is bad.
When are people going to ‘walk the walk instead of talking the talk’ about climate change? Yes, there are people out there trying to live primitively without modern manufactured products derived from petroleum and/or that require large amounts of energy to produce and operate them. But that number is very small. Until everybody (China, India, Luxembourg) is on board with that and shuts down modern civilization the environmental damage will continue.
The world has to come full stop and create a new paradigm. I don’t see that happening until there are massive die-offs. This thing has to run its course. But sure, hang off a bridge if you think it will help. After all, we’re here and have to do something with our short existences.
However, you might do more good by simply stopping buying stuff. Of course if everybody did that, the world would slip into a depression so bad that die-offs would result from that. So, I’m afraid many humans and future generations are screwed. You’re damned no matter what you do.
On the bright side, despite climate change, floods, famine and disease, some humans, like cockroaches, will find a way to survive and adapt. The species will continue on, imo.
In the Big Picture, does it really matter? Sure, we want to live. We want a good life for our children and future generations. But in a universe so vast, our earth doesn’t even amount to a miniscule spec of dust. Life will go on just fine with or without us. We’re all going to die one way or another anyway, including the planet.
No worries. We will meet our ultimate destiny despite ourselves.