COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS FIGHT BACK

I was stunned by Sarah Palin’s attack on Barack Obama because he was a Community Organizer. She mocked him, and I was seriously paralyzed at first. The directness of the attack was shocking. Then, a colleague told me that would come back to bite them. Then, I was sent this blog link where Community Organizers, who rebuild community housing, get folks health care, ensure access to education, clean up drugs, and fight environmental pollution that is often targeted at low-income and racially marginalized groups, responded to these insulting assaults. It was not a good move to attack them and it was to say the least “elitist”. I heard Barack Obama has raised 10 million since Palin’s speech. I wonder why so many people would give to someone without any proven accountability to their responsibility?

Hard to Forget, Necessary to Remember

So, I ran across this site last night, and it shifted my frame of mind in a permanent way.  Anyone who reads this regularly knows I have a lot of concerns about the whole nuclear development matrix, from power, to prolif.  I am often asked “What is your problem with nuclear technology?”  The implication is that I have some sort of technological blindspot that disallows me from seeing the potential there.  No, I recognize the power in this technology, and that is why I am skeptical of humans using it for power (only).  This is why.

Of course, nuclear power is different than the nuke bombs highlighted here, but it is relatively easy to convert the nuke power process into weapons technology.  The same technology that we will have going on with Areva in E. Idaho (Uranium Enrichment) is what we have threatened to go to war with Iran over.  The waste (which there is admittedly no solution to) is in measure to the severity of the technology itself–illustrated so well in these pictures.

I heard an interview with Obama the other day on nuclear.  He says we should keep it on the table.  But we have to be careful since this technology could “blow up and irradiate us.”  Yep.  Really, a hundred new nuke plants?  What do you think?

Protected: PRESENT(ING)PRAXIS PROGRESSIONS

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

You’ve Got to be Kidding Me! Right?

A poll released yesterday shows a rapid shift in energy priorities of about 10% in favor of drilling for oil and specifically in ANWAR among those surveyed.  While, put in perspective, 10% is a lot less than 25%, it is still a pretty evident trend since the change happened in the last six months.

This is explainable. People truly are panicking about the price of gas, and other energy use technologies.  I am becoming super vigilant about lights in my house, and have stopped using my clothes dryer. I hang my pants to stop the plants.  But I am not doing enough, and I could certainly do more.  

To get to that point one must be empowered by means, and organizing life so as to be able to truly conserve and be more efficient seems, often, too great a task.  So people want to ensure the staying power of the energy guzzling things they enjoy.  This will play a huge part in the election.  Obama must contrast himself with McCain on energy. He must discuss the very real opportunities for the nationwide enactment of a diverse energy portfolio with renewable energy as the standard.  There exists at the precipice of realization exciting technologies and renewable possibilities, but the question remains, how do we get people to realize this need for change before a crisis?  The answer seems to be that such an epiphone is not very likely.  So, who do you want to lead this country through crisis? For me, and likely for you, that would be Barack Obama.  

 

Obama’s position at the moment is good.  But to be bold and visionary, he must look to the technologies that could be so easily promoted and rather quickly bring us on our way to a new energy future in America.  S.Q. has perplexed many with the cutting of renewable funding.  But Wall Street remains in support.  Obama is in good standing to argue for a change in the way energy policy is being priortized right now.

Final Note:  We are not seeing the nuclear industry in a revival, we are seeing it in a reaction to the way renewable energy could truly encompass the energy market.  

“CEO Found Evading Vital Democratic Practices”

This is something I want to make public in the hopes of instigating the repetition of the information to the largest degree possible.  At the Interim Energy Committee’s meeting on Thursday, Don Gillispie, the CEO of AEHI, the company proposing a merchant nuclear power plant in Elmore County, ditched out on his coveted opportunity to speak to critical members of the Idaho Legislature.  He was there, and then, right before he was to testify, he left the building and called from his cell-phone to say he had to go.  The legislators were shocked.  For one thing, it is quite an honor to be asked to speak, one that many would love to have.  To miss that chance is totally disrespectful, not only of the legislators and their valuable time, but of the other members of the public, both in state agencies and the non-profit or for profit business sector, as well as the public at large.  Basically, Gillispie’s move was an insult to all of us. In addition, it demonstrates what kind of integrity Gillispie has, he has cancelled on at least two functions recently. In both those instances he was not “in control” of the proceedings.  The last “public” meeting he held, his staff used the local police to remove some who disagreed with them.

It is only through critical reflection and debate that we can evaluate differing visions for a present and towards the future.  To disallow that kind of engagement is authoritarian, in some respects, and it does not make me trust Mr. Gillispie’s wayward claims about what his plant will mean for Elmore County.  He creates truths without the transparency of valued democratic processes.  The opposition he is facing is a response to this lack of transparency, and is now operating fervently to resist his evasiveness.  In the specific case of this plant, the core of the operation seems rather rotten. ” Nuclear Power Plant Built by Rotten CEO”.  Mmmmmmm, not so much.  I wonder if the legislature would agree with me?  

Just to be clear, I know that, in practice business men like Gillispie, are not operating through a democratic frame of decision making. But what Mr. DG neglects to realize is that he is proposing a NUCLEAR POWER plant.  Nuclear Power plants are, and everyone should agree on this, implicitly risky.  There is a potential health hazard that could have devastating consequences for the surrounding population.  And despite  what is maybe a small possibility of a nuclear accident, there is, undeniably, the reality of nuclear waste.  So, Mr. DG, you’re just gonna have to buck up and get ready to answer the tough questions truthfully, or keep on runnin’ and don’t come back.

 

 

Do It Democrat

There are many exciting things happening I could write about: Obama has moved boldly away from corrupted public financing for his general election campaign; I met tonight with an excited and dedicated group of people concerned and ready to help shape energy policy in this state and this nation; The Interim Energy Committee of the Idaho Legislature is meeting again today to discuss state energy policy. 

It is the third point, inspired by similar components to the first two that I will focus on for a moment and then offer a way to act to combine these efforts through just doin’ it Democrat style. By the nature of the current state party power make-up, any move towards environmentally ethical and economically efficient energy policy requires bi-partisan operations and inevitably occurs at a snails pace of change.  We can shift this power matrix in the next election.  We can do everything we can to elect more Democrats.

When I got home last night I had an e-mail in my inbox from Chuck Oxley, with The Idaho Democratic Party.  My understanding is that Chuck is a key element to the DNC’s 50 State Strategy.  He is asking for volunteers to help in the office with all sorts of duties and he could use lots of help.  This is the way to make change, by helping Idaho Democrats navigate through the next election cycle and arrive at a transformed place for Democrats nationwide. Call Carlin at 208.336.1815 with days and times you might be able to volunteer (flexibility is accommodated). Just Do It Democrat!

Committed to Idaho’s Wild Places

No, I have not been kidnapped by nuclear industry fanaticos as a result of my last post (Although that would be exciting and then I could really give them a piece of my mind).

As the Convention has passed, life has accelerated, and I needed a quick inhale before posting more. Really, I just needed to get out into the wild and experience what I love about being an Idahoan–the wild places that remind me I am a sentient being. My passions come from my experiences and my committment to environmentalism is a result of growing up with a deep appreciation for nature honed by wild adventures with my parents, siblings and friends. While spending time this weekend on the Upper-Boise River I was able to reflect on two key points:

1) Thank you Idaho Families for Clean Water, the Idaho Conservation League, and Idaho Rivers United, the Boise City Council and Mayor Bieter for all the work you have done to prevent the cyanide heap-leach mine from being built at our headwaters. The battle is not over, but already these groups have delayed and changed the plans for this mine and the City of Boise passed a resolution of opposition that sent a clear message to the Canadian based “Atlanta Gold” that we are uninterested in their terrible proposal.

2) One of my favorite parts of the Convention was when we struggled over language in our platform to acknowledge the Democrat’s comittment to preserving and protecting Idaho’s wild places. At first we had language in place that referenced “historic access” to public lands. When it was pointed out by roadless activists that this language was being used to enable new access, on old roads, by motorized vehicles, we were able to pro-actively innovate our terms and escape this pitfall that could have damaged these activists work.

While sitting by the River this weekend my serenity was often broken by the hum of four-wheelers actually driving in the river (And watching the fitting punishment of getting stuck–even though we were all punished by it, and the river bank was terribly damaged by the spinning wheels, not to mention the excessive fuel pollution that definately violated a critical Leave No Trace ethic, which is standard on wild rivers). While we all have a right to enjoy the outdoors as we choose, it is essential that how we choose to do so does not harm the integrity of our beautiful waterways, or magnificent trails. Now, more than ever, that commitment in our platform can help shift the frame to prevent this kind of abuse. There is still a lot of work to do to prove our commitment to Idaho’s Wild Places, but we all know it is worth the work.

Too Important to Not Address

Hold on here, because I am about to unleash my fury. If you have ever read my politico ponderings you will know I can sometimes get fired up. I actually held it in most of the Convention. But here it goes.

JOHN MCCAIN PROPOSES 45 NEW NUCLEAR PLANTS BY 2030! BAD IDEA! His ultimate goal is 100!

It is time to take a stand on this issue on some level. What is wrong with nuclear power? Why hasn’t a new nuclear plant been built in this country since the 1970’s? Well, there are plenty of reasons and John McCain’s assertion that if Europe is doing it, we should too, is completely uni-visionary and lacking innovation. We have the potential to develop truly renewable sources of energy and avoid the many hazards nuclear power poses for the overall security of our country.

1) Nuclear power requires uranium mining. Uranium is a finite resource. Over 70% of this country’s current uranium demand is met by foreign sources. Russia is the largest supplier. Nuclear power does not leave us less dependent on “foreign” sources of energy. Uranium mining is environmentally devastating and poses serious health risks to nearby communities. Navajo reservations in the Southwest have been left with thyroid cancer and leukemia as the legacy of uranium mining.

2) Nuclear reactors require water to cool their core temperatures. This requires, well, WATER AND LOTS OF IT! This water cannot be pumped back into the original source, and a significant amount of water volume is lost due to evaporation. Plants in the Southeast and France have had to go completely off-line due to lack of water as a result of drought. It is potentially dangerous to shut-down a nuclear plant, and it is not considered a normal and safe protocol. We in the West know how precious water is.

3) There is no good solution to the waste issue. FRANCE DUMPS RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL INTO THE ENGLISH CHANNEL THROUGH EFFLUENT PIPES. Yikes! No good solution, and 100 new plants means way more waste with no where to go. The “de-commissioning” plants that convert radioactive waste into “disposable” waste are decades from being built. And do not tell me that we should just get rid of regulations and build them faster. It is exactly that kind of thinking which will result in a nuclear disaster. Which brings me to…

4) We are a very large nation, with a very complex bureaucracy. In our current global political environment does it make sense, given the transparency of our current administration, to allow a massive expansion in the nuclear industrial complex?

5)RENEWABLES ARE THE FUTURE! Congress has repeatedly not extended the tax credits for renewable energy. The nuclear industry has far greater incentives than the renewable industry. Nuclear purports to be the whole pie energy source, but for all the reasons above, it cannot be a reasonable solution. We should focus on the development of a diverse energy portfolio with renewable sources as the priority.

It is time to take a position on this as a Party. Obama will have to say something, other than that he supports nuclear power, and soon. I believe Obama will democratize power in this nation in such a way that he will ask the people what power they want and when he hears a resounding call for an emphasis on renewable power like wind and solar (both of which will soon be available as baseload power) he will not unreasonably expand the threats of a nuclear energy source with too many problems to be considered reasonable.

100 New Nuclear Plants? 100 More Years In Iraq? John McCain Has Got His Numbers Wrong!

In summation, nuclear power has a hidden carbon footprint through the mining and transport process. There is no way it is renewable given the finite supply of uranium, and its health risks are in no way to our benefit. We should step up for renewable energy and encourage Barack Obama to emphasize a responsible vision for our energy future that does not include provisions for an army of nuke plants, but rather a peaceful plan for a country powered by the wind and the sun. Now that is innovation.

Turning Democrats Green

I am not the epitome of environmental know how.  I fail miserably, often, at not considering the environmental consequences of my actions.  But, I did notice the utter lack of accountability at the state Convention for our consumption of paper, aluminum, and plastics.  I will be the first to admit that my glossy papered campaign piece and cellophane cookie wrappers, were an entirely environmentally unconscious choice of materials.  It was this recognition, after the platform meeting ended on Friday, that led to my noticing the tremendous amount of waste we all had left behind–for “someone else to clean-up”.  Plastic bottles littered the floor of the convention room; tons of paper campaign materials were scattered on the floor and on seats; cans and trash covered the floor.  There were two main implications of this scene for me: 1) We are Democrats, we had just adopted beautifully articulated environmental policies, but we had not developed a strategy for recycling the things we used at the Convention.  2) We expected other people to clean-up after us before the Convention started the next day.  Often, those who do the cleaning are not paid incredibly well, and are also often of what has been termed the “minority”.  The class and race implications of our carelessness did not, to me, reflect the values of the party I hold dear.  So, I spent about 1 1/2 hours, with the help of two other people gathering the recyclables.  The next day, I posted on my blog a request to folks to recycle, asked the main speaker for the party to announce that we should recycle and throw our trash away, and placed plastic bags in each corner of the room for cans and bottles.  Despite the requested announcement successfully being deployed, only a few of us, starting near the end of the Convention got the bottles, cans, and papers in bags.  I do  not mean to say I am somehow better than others for instigating this action.  It is just an ingrained habit of mine to notice the need for recycling.  To the credit of the folks present, no one was critical, and everyone was appreciative.  But after filling four bags of recyclables, and picking up lots of trash, it occurred to me that we have a long way to go.  A vision of the next Convention came to me.  A Convention, where we make an effort to practice what we preach, by preparing in advance for recycling by placing bins in visible places, using biodegradable water bottles, and attempting to reduce our paper use, or only use recyclable or recycled paper.  Would it not be fabulous to attempt what many progressive events are trying by striving for a zero carbon-footprint for our Convention?!  In so doing, we would achieve the best manifestation of our Democratic politics by walking-the walk, and embodying the values of our platform.  I joked to a fellow Democrat that Democrats are pigs, not donkeys, near the end of my Saturday clean-up attempt.  In four years, maybe we will see a cleaner and greener Convention by turning the democratic process and practice green.

Mind Your Obama Mama

This is a salute to the many “Obama Mamas” out there.  So many women connect through Obama to their mothering, and their mothers.  A sense, that actually, this person makes sense.  Our best feminist instincts lead us to the articulation of this vision.  Hope, Yes We Can, and this paradigm fits with our mothering.

In my house the children have been dragged dripping wet out of the bathtub, folded in towels in front of the radio, being told, “Listen, its Obama…this is important…” And they do.  In my house too, the entertainment is often found in simultaneous chanting and responding to, “I WANNA!”…”OBAMA!”  We all love it.  Canyon prefers O-BA-MA O-BA-MA rhythmically.

My mother made the Oatbama Cookies.  You could also call them Obamameal cookies.  She was a delegate in ‘72 to Miami.  There is a story in my family about how when my sister heard her father and mother talking about going to Miami, she asked “Whose ami is it, yours or daddy’s?”  So I’ve heard about the convention over and over again since I was born.

The reality is too that I love participating in democracy.  I thought today’s convention was exemplary for its commitment to the vital democratic process, and also a real good example of how people will work till they are exhausted and just a little “punchy” but still reamain determined to get it done!  It was a great rule-making process on the floor.  And even though we had to negotiate and confront each other, we all were committed with good intentions and that was indeed, impressive. Great language was added to the platform using descriptive and meaningful terms to affect the inclusion of sexual difference and orientation based on  multiple gendered bodies without hesitation and in equal measure. Excellent work was done in the environment section in varied ways.  Including, language around sustainability and a diverse energy matrix with priority given to Idaho’s abundant renewable  resources.  Wait.  We didn’t quite say it like that…maybe tomorrow? (Common Groan).  But really, especially the young democrats,came up with wonderful ways of recognizing efficiency and sustainability. Some real good language was struck down by the crowd when Steve went.  And he was right to recognize economic benefits.  That is major “fuel” in policy, and we do care about the economy right? It is really strategic language he proposed. 

We did good work.  But ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, equally, undetermined by a coin toss of tails!  Lets pick up after ourselves better tomorrow.  Lets recycle our plastic containers and cans.  Lets throw our trash in the garbage located back by the water table.  We can get bags, and in a matter of minutes, clean this place up and act responsibly.  Like Democrats do.  You know that’s what the Obama Mama in you would say is good to do!