The Bear is back. After several dozen emails inquiring into the welfare of Black Bear Speaks - the curious seeking answers to the Bear's whereabouts - the bear has decided to make a public appearance and return to the blogging world. You can find the Bear this weekend at the Wheatland Music Festival in Remus, MI where he will be sporting his new haircut. Happy Wheatland! Look for the Black Bear Speaks t-shirts.
Here it comes boys and girls, a redesigned site and a professionally designed logo will be up and running by next week. The Black Bear gotz Dreamweaver. The address will remain the same, don't worry about updating anything.
So there is much to do and much to write about. This summer was amazing, undoubtedly the best summer of my life. So Here it comes: a wave of angst released, a torent of rage against this dirty war and its instigators, and - best of all - new connections to the environmental community in the Great Lakes bioregion, providing up to date information, relevant political discourse, new books, new environmental programs, new ideas and fresh insight.
What more do you want kids? Let me know. The Black Bear exists for your edification. We aim to please. Send your press releases, comments, emails, tidbits of heresy and photos of you laying on the beach to blackbearspeaks@gmail.com.
Link to the Bear! The move to sustainablility in the midwest is easy. Create a hyperlink on your site to this one and we will reciprocate. We can push change the future of the Great Lakes through connections. Conduits of information are critical to sustainability. If you're one of the folks who can make a hyperlink, then by means, get started.
Peace,
The Bear
Friday, September 08, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
Where are we now? The debate intensifies over new nuclear plants
George Monbiot has just written what I consider the best piece on why the world doesn't need more new nuclear power plants that I have read to date. Mr. Monbiot's prose remains as eloquent as always, and as always it is an eloquency that smacks you upside the head with it's directness and well researched, highly cogent argument.
George, I hope you don't mind if you I quote you. I'm putting a pretty picture of trees next to your quotes here so that they look even better.
How on earth can we say what nuclear power stations will cost if we don't even know what their decommissioning entails? The government will assure us today that there will be no subsidies and no guaranteed prices for the nuclear industry. This should allow us to forget about the cost, and leave the market to determine whether nuclear power stations should be built. But in order to guarantee public safety, the government must be ready to rescue our power stations or their waste piles if the nuclear operators are in danger of going bankrupt. To ensure that the operators don’t fudge their figures, the government must make it clear that it is NOT prepared to rescue them. It is a paradox that cannot be resolved.
And how does any system - political or technological - cope with the timescales involved? If, as a result of slow leakage into the groundwater, radioactive materials from a burial site kill an average of only one person a year for one million years, those who made the decision to bury them will – through their infinitesimal and unrecorded impacts - be responsible for the deaths of a million people.
Well said, George.
Here's where you can read the rest: Monbiot.com
Personally, I've been doing a little soul searching lately, 'cause I'm spending far too much time wandering through the woods every morning. Here's what I've come up with... basically a lot of questions...
1. Sometimes I feel like I'm shouting into the wind, a billion voices drowning my own, my throat closes overwhelmed,the cacophony resounds from every direction.
2. How do you get disparate voices to follow your own? A wise man would say "Lead by Example. Set the tone. Define the argument. Challenge your opponents indefinitely." A wise man?
Unfortunately, these two thoughts seem to apply to every aspect of my life. I have this urge to be a leader, a decision maker, a consensus builder. And maybe, in some small fashion, I have a few of these skills. Most likely though, I dwell on this because I desire to have those skills in abundance. Am I a power hungry madman bent on imposing my will on the world? Hmmm... yes, these types of questions do pop up in my head when I've had too much coffee on a hot summer Saturday. And I would imagine that Homeland Security is evaluating me and at this very moment. You see, I'm also highly paranoid about my government.
Thomas Jefferson wrote - I'm paraphrasing: "When the people begin to fear their government, that is tyranny. When the government again fears its people, that is liberty."
Well, Tom, maybe I shouldn't work for the government then. Either way, I'm fucking screwed. Either I'm an asshole power hungry government employee gobbling at the public trough, or I'm an imcompetent power hungry government employee attempting to gobble at the public trough while being investigated by a grand jury.
Think to yourself current federal employee, please think this thought: "I'm way past-due for a little introspective self-assessment, and I welcome your participation and guidance. At what point am I now?" I'll be glad to help you answer that question.
"What does any of this have to do with nuclear power?" you ask. Well, I think there's more than a few people currently running the United States government that are trying to find their own answer to the above question. We've got a bunch of assholes and incompetents running this country... our country. The assholes are running our foreign policy, and the incompetents are running the Department of Energy.
And why do we have a Department of Energy anyway? If solar panels were required on all new home and retail construction in the United States, most of these buildings would power themselves. Screw nuclear power, let's make solar panel installation a zoning requirement nationwide. Konarka's new plastic roll solar panels will eventually change construction methods throughout the world. The technology is available to mass produce a lightweight easily installable solar energy system on every home in the US. It's here, now! And it's cheap.
Look, a 50 year or more investment in nuclear energy means hundreds of thousands if not millions of years of investment in clean-up of radioactive waste. That's just bullshit, my friends. We can't afford to give millions more cancer, millions that haven't even been born yet, millions that won't even be born in this century or the next. This stupidity will deeply affect hundreds of generations after us. It's is absolute folly in it's purest form.
George, I hope you don't mind if you I quote you. I'm putting a pretty picture of trees next to your quotes here so that they look even better.
How on earth can we say what nuclear power stations will cost if we don't even know what their decommissioning entails? The government will assure us today that there will be no subsidies and no guaranteed prices for the nuclear industry. This should allow us to forget about the cost, and leave the market to determine whether nuclear power stations should be built. But in order to guarantee public safety, the government must be ready to rescue our power stations or their waste piles if the nuclear operators are in danger of going bankrupt. To ensure that the operators don’t fudge their figures, the government must make it clear that it is NOT prepared to rescue them. It is a paradox that cannot be resolved.And how does any system - political or technological - cope with the timescales involved? If, as a result of slow leakage into the groundwater, radioactive materials from a burial site kill an average of only one person a year for one million years, those who made the decision to bury them will – through their infinitesimal and unrecorded impacts - be responsible for the deaths of a million people.
Well said, George.
Here's where you can read the rest: Monbiot.com
Personally, I've been doing a little soul searching lately, 'cause I'm spending far too much time wandering through the woods every morning. Here's what I've come up with... basically a lot of questions...
1. Sometimes I feel like I'm shouting into the wind, a billion voices drowning my own, my throat closes overwhelmed,the cacophony resounds from every direction.
2. How do you get disparate voices to follow your own? A wise man would say "Lead by Example. Set the tone. Define the argument. Challenge your opponents indefinitely." A wise man?
Unfortunately, these two thoughts seem to apply to every aspect of my life. I have this urge to be a leader, a decision maker, a consensus builder. And maybe, in some small fashion, I have a few of these skills. Most likely though, I dwell on this because I desire to have those skills in abundance. Am I a power hungry madman bent on imposing my will on the world? Hmmm... yes, these types of questions do pop up in my head when I've had too much coffee on a hot summer Saturday. And I would imagine that Homeland Security is evaluating me and at this very moment. You see, I'm also highly paranoid about my government.
Thomas Jefferson wrote - I'm paraphrasing: "When the people begin to fear their government, that is tyranny. When the government again fears its people, that is liberty."
Well, Tom, maybe I shouldn't work for the government then. Either way, I'm fucking screwed. Either I'm an asshole power hungry government employee gobbling at the public trough, or I'm an imcompetent power hungry government employee attempting to gobble at the public trough while being investigated by a grand jury.
Think to yourself current federal employee, please think this thought: "I'm way past-due for a little introspective self-assessment, and I welcome your participation and guidance. At what point am I now?" I'll be glad to help you answer that question.
"What does any of this have to do with nuclear power?" you ask. Well, I think there's more than a few people currently running the United States government that are trying to find their own answer to the above question. We've got a bunch of assholes and incompetents running this country... our country. The assholes are running our foreign policy, and the incompetents are running the Department of Energy.
And why do we have a Department of Energy anyway? If solar panels were required on all new home and retail construction in the United States, most of these buildings would power themselves. Screw nuclear power, let's make solar panel installation a zoning requirement nationwide. Konarka's new plastic roll solar panels will eventually change construction methods throughout the world. The technology is available to mass produce a lightweight easily installable solar energy system on every home in the US. It's here, now! And it's cheap.
Look, a 50 year or more investment in nuclear energy means hundreds of thousands if not millions of years of investment in clean-up of radioactive waste. That's just bullshit, my friends. We can't afford to give millions more cancer, millions that haven't even been born yet, millions that won't even be born in this century or the next. This stupidity will deeply affect hundreds of generations after us. It's is absolute folly in it's purest form.
G8 Plans for massive global nuclear energy domination
World leaders are planning a massive expansion of nuclear power in their own countries and across the developing world, according to documents drawn up for the G8 summit and leaked to the Sunday Herald.
An action plan for "global energy security" to be agreed in St Petersburg next weekend envisages a network of nuclear fuel plants in G8 countries combined with the widespread sale of reactors to developing countries, as long as they promise not to use them for making nuclear bombs.
Read More Here
"Is nuclear energy the best way to solve climate change and give every country on Earth the ability to develop nuclear weapons a good idea?" I guess that question seems to have been answered affimatively.
You can sort of see that logic, however thin, whirling through neo-con minds. "Who would start a war if their opponent had the ability to nuke them? We're killing two birds with one stone!"
Fools! I need to start slapping me some fools.
image from greendiary.com
An action plan for "global energy security" to be agreed in St Petersburg next weekend envisages a network of nuclear fuel plants in G8 countries combined with the widespread sale of reactors to developing countries, as long as they promise not to use them for making nuclear bombs.Read More Here
"Is nuclear energy the best way to solve climate change and give every country on Earth the ability to develop nuclear weapons a good idea?" I guess that question seems to have been answered affimatively.
You can sort of see that logic, however thin, whirling through neo-con minds. "Who would start a war if their opponent had the ability to nuke them? We're killing two birds with one stone!"
Fools! I need to start slapping me some fools.
image from greendiary.com
Friday, July 07, 2006
Congressman Ehlers votes against latest offshore drilling bill
The Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) Act (H.R. 4761) was recently passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 232-187. The DOER Act would end a moratorium on exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf, which is under the domain of the federal government. However, the DOER Act is much more comprehensive than just removing this 25-year moratorium on drilling. My representative, Congressman Vernon Ehlers, voted against it.
Congressman Ehler's comments:
Yeah, thanks Congressman for voting against this bill. We need folks in congress who will vote against more oil spills and further global warming. We need folks in congress who see that our future is wind and solar, not petroleum. But apparently in the short term the assholes in the oil industry are going to get their way. Well, maybe it's time to send packing anyone who thinks in the old way. Maybe it's high time we throw out every member of Congress who is leading this country down the wrong path. Yeah, that's the ticket. There's 232 of them for certain, and we know who they are. So don't forget to vote!
Wanna support the destruction of the Outer Continental Shelf ecosystem? Here's the government's new propaganda website telling you how wonderful it's going to be: Pure Bullshit
Congressman Ehler's comments:
"One of my main concerns with the Act was a provision allowing oil and gas development to supersede any other type of activity deemed "incompatible" that may take place in the outer continental shelf. I was also concerned by language related to the cessation of state revenue-sharing due to the impact of any future federal laws that might alter or restrict drilling. These sections have the potential to imperil other marine industries such as shipping and fishing and I was very troubled by the breadth of the language."
"The Act also included a provision allowing coastal states that agree to allow drilling off their coasts to receive a large and increasing percentage of revenues from the leases in an area that typically has benefited the entire nation instead of a few number of states. While I am not opposed to states being involved in their coastal management, early estimates of the budget ramifications of the proposal suggest that we would lose $69 billion of federal revenues in the next 14 years. Furthermore, there are no reporting requirements governing how revenues to the states are spent. I believe very strongly that a substantial portion of both the federal and state revenues from this bill should be directed in a manner that seeks to reduce the high cost of fuel and our dependence on foreign oil through significant investment in the development of non-traditional energy sources and types of fuel. These funds should be devoted toward investing in research and development of energy efficient, renewable, and alternative energy sources that have the potential to reduce energy costs and international dependence. While I recognize a fossil-fuel energy supply system is necessary today, I believe that we have to provide resource opportunities for our kids and grandkids and prepare for the day when neither the OCS nor domestic or foreign sources can supply the fuel needs of our nation."
Yeah, thanks Congressman for voting against this bill. We need folks in congress who will vote against more oil spills and further global warming. We need folks in congress who see that our future is wind and solar, not petroleum. But apparently in the short term the assholes in the oil industry are going to get their way. Well, maybe it's time to send packing anyone who thinks in the old way. Maybe it's high time we throw out every member of Congress who is leading this country down the wrong path. Yeah, that's the ticket. There's 232 of them for certain, and we know who they are. So don't forget to vote!
Wanna support the destruction of the Outer Continental Shelf ecosystem? Here's the government's new propaganda website telling you how wonderful it's going to be: Pure Bullshit
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Robert Dean for State Legislature
This year's 4th of July passed without incident. Heck, I don't even remember putting on pants. I spent the day in front of the plasma with a never-ending supply of Bell's Kalamazoo Stout at hand (Think Global, Drink Local!). Then I grilled some steak, 'cause it seemed like a patriotic thing to do. A man should have a steak in honor of his country, and he should smother that steak in garlic. If he's really loving his country, he would dip that steak in some mango-papaya salsa and share part of it with his dog. We do have the best dogs in the world afterall... USA! USA! Ah, if only everyday could be the 4th of July. I love this country.
So that's why I'm personally endorsing Robert Dean for the Michigan legislature. If you live on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, you have the chance to make a difference by electing a man who truly deserves your vote. Most of you won't recognize that name, but he's on his way up to the top and I'm going to jump on his gravy train. Dean is a Democrat, a father, and has been on the school board in Grand Rapids for several years. Most importantly to me, Mr. Dean has expressed in his campaign literature the importance of moving Michigan toward alternative energy and he opposes the sale of our water to giant bottling companies who are basically stealing it and selling it back to us at a buck and a half a liter.
My friends, if you're paying a buck fifty for a bottle of water from Mecosta County, Michigan, your a freakin' idiot. You need to seriously ask yourself why you're so damn stupid. It's water. It falls out of the sky.
Now, the wind and solar industries are Michigan's future, and I want a man in office who understands that. If you feel that stopping decent hard working gay men from getting married is more important than your children's future, you can vote for the Republican. But you would be making a serious mistake. That's a bit short-sighted, don't you think?
Mr. Dean is a man who works hard for his family, works hard for his kid's schools and who believes the future can be better for everyone if we turn toward wind power in Michigan. I want to shake Mr. Dean's hand when he wins. Hell, I want to run his campaign for Governor after he gets done in Congress.
I recently signed up to volunteer with Clean Water Action in Grand Rapids to assist in canvassing for Mr. Dean. You should too, it will do your heart good. Support someone who will actually make a difference.
Where to vote in Kent County, Michigan
So that's why I'm personally endorsing Robert Dean for the Michigan legislature. If you live on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, you have the chance to make a difference by electing a man who truly deserves your vote. Most of you won't recognize that name, but he's on his way up to the top and I'm going to jump on his gravy train. Dean is a Democrat, a father, and has been on the school board in Grand Rapids for several years. Most importantly to me, Mr. Dean has expressed in his campaign literature the importance of moving Michigan toward alternative energy and he opposes the sale of our water to giant bottling companies who are basically stealing it and selling it back to us at a buck and a half a liter. My friends, if you're paying a buck fifty for a bottle of water from Mecosta County, Michigan, your a freakin' idiot. You need to seriously ask yourself why you're so damn stupid. It's water. It falls out of the sky.
Now, the wind and solar industries are Michigan's future, and I want a man in office who understands that. If you feel that stopping decent hard working gay men from getting married is more important than your children's future, you can vote for the Republican. But you would be making a serious mistake. That's a bit short-sighted, don't you think?
Mr. Dean is a man who works hard for his family, works hard for his kid's schools and who believes the future can be better for everyone if we turn toward wind power in Michigan. I want to shake Mr. Dean's hand when he wins. Hell, I want to run his campaign for Governor after he gets done in Congress.
I recently signed up to volunteer with Clean Water Action in Grand Rapids to assist in canvassing for Mr. Dean. You should too, it will do your heart good. Support someone who will actually make a difference.
Where to vote in Kent County, Michigan
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Black Bear Speaks staff writers escape from NYPD drug task force lockup
Whew, that was close one! It appears that getting caught driving under the influence in New York is almost as dangerous as driving anywhere under any condition in Michigan.
Michigan's new anti-marijuana driving regulations are severe. Having any trace of pot in your bloodstream, even if you smoked a month ago, is now punishable by a severe beating by a Michigan State Police trooper. Young black men beware, the Republicans are out to get you.
You see, Republicans in the Michigan legislature just passed the most oppressive marijuana law anywhere. You don't even have to be high. In fact, not only can you go to jail for possession of a narcotic - even if you don't have any - you're going to do serious prison time just for smoking a joint several weeks previous to your being pulled over by the cops. If it's in your pee, you're gonna be bent over grabbing your ankles at the Jackson State Pen. And now that they have their so-called traffic "enforcement zones" you can be pulled over for any reason at any time. So, if you're a young pot-smoking black man, rest assured that you will do prison time if you live in Michigan. The cops here are vicious racial profilers.
Just more proof that Michigan Republicans suck ass, are in the pocket of the prison industry, and that they hate the poor and minorities.
Thank goodness the Black Bear Speaks Smart Car - recently dubbed "SmartBear1" - came fully equipped with the James-Bond-Superspy-Evasive-Manuvers Action Kit. It's definitely one of the extras I would advise you to have installed at the dealership. I can't tell you about all the features, you have to buy one and find out for yourself like we did. Let's just say we were able to get out of Mahattan in minutes by driving our teeny Chrysler Smart Car on the sidewalks and through an empty subway tunnel.
There are several street people we'd like to thank, especially that lovable and scruffy dude who goes by the name Delmont. Now I know I shouldn't be thankin' folk for helping us elude our NYC appointed captors, but we don't know how else to thank them except publicly, blasting it out to the internet universe so to speak. God Bless to those we left behind in our Escape from New York!
Movtivational thoughts to fire up the activist in your life...
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes a blow against injustice, he sends out a tiny ripple of hope... Those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall oppression and resistance. Robert F. Kennedy
Dear Lord, in this time of war against Osama Bin Laden and the oppressive Taliban regime, we are thankful that OUR leader isn't the spoiled son of a powerful politician from a wealthy family who is supported by religious fundamentalists, operates through clandestine organizations, has no respect for the democratic electoral process, bombs innocents, and uses war to deny people their civil liberties. Amen."
Huey Freeman
Do you want fries with that?
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Definitely Worth Reading: New Books on Alternative Energy
Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future by Jeff Goodell"Few of us realize that even today we burn a lump of coal every time we flip on a switch. Coal already supplies more than half the energy needed to power our iPods, laptops, lights - anything we use that consumes electricity. Our desire to find a homegrown alternative to Mideast oil, the rising cost of oil and natural gas, and the fossil fuel-friendly mood in Washington will soon push our coal consumption through the roof. Because we have failed to develop alternative energy sources, coal has effectively become the default fuel for the twenty-first century."
What we don't hear about in the news is that the byproducts of coal burning continue to rain down upon us, poisoning our water, causing birth defects in our children and contaminating the soil in which we grow our food. The Bush Administration's energy policy is a disaster for all life in North America. Read this book, and you'll be able to recognize all the bullshit and lies corporate-coal is trying to sell you.
Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options by Greg PahlNatural Home Heating is the first comprehensive guide to heating your home with renewable energy sources. Greg Pahl offers a well-organized, easy-to-understand tour of all available home-heating options, including traditional oil and gas furnaces, wood stoves and masonry heaters, active and passive solar systems, and heat pumps. Included is everything you need to know about the fuels, systems, technologies, costs, and advantages and disadvantages of each option. Pahl teaches homeowners how to retrofit existing heating systems and choose renewable replacements, or design an entirely new house that can be heated comfortably with minimal environmental and financial impact.
The New Independent Home: People and Houses That Harvest the Sun by Michael Potts"In this newly revised and expanded edition, Potts again profiles the solar homesteaders whose experiments and innovations have opened the possibility of solar living for the rest of us. Potts provides clear and highly entertaining explanations of how various renewable energy systems work, and shows why they now make more sense than ever. He is a brilliant guide to the stages of planning and design faced by everyone who seeks to create a home that reconciles the personal and global dimensions of ecology.
Over the past five years, the concept of an independent home has evolved beyond the energy system to encompass the whole process of design and construction involved in planning a renovation or a new home. Independent homes are homes with integrity and personality. Beautiful abodes are now being built with age-old materials, such as straw bales and rammed earth, and combined with state-of-the-art electronic technologies for harvesting free energy from the surrounding environment."
USA's First Offshore Windfarm Wins Approval
More than 12,000 took the time to call, and more than 20,000 wrote to Congress telling them NOT to kill the Cape Wind project, these voices weren't ignored. The Senate pulled the damaging Massachusetts governor veto power from the Coast Guard bill (he was opposed to the project) and now this important clean energy project will be able to move forward.
In the face of an increasing global warming crisis, positive projects like this are essential to turn the tide. It's amazing that with all of the scientific evidence and urgency surrounding global warming, we still have to focus on changing the climate in Congress. We won this important battle, but we can't declare victory until America's first offshore wind farm becomes a reality.
Source: Kate Smolski, Greenpeace
Fertilizer industry bill punishes local communities trying to protect Michigan lakes and streams
A message from Becky at Michigan League of Conservation Voters
Algae blooms are reappearing in Michigan's inland lakes and the Great Lakes. This odorous green slime drives away tourists from our beaches, reduces crucial oxygen levels in the water, and some algae blooms are even toxic to people, pets, and fish. One of the causes of these algae blooms is excessive phosphorous in the water.
We can begin to address algae blooms by restricting phosphorous in lawn fertilizers, as other states and local governments in Michigan have already started to do. It is also critical for us to ramp up education efforts in this area if we are to have any significant impact. Unfortunately, a recent bill introduced in the Senate does not go far enough to reduce phosphorous in fertilizers and would actually prevent local governments from enforcing stronger protections. The Senate will vote on the bill this week, but with enough public support we can convince them to reinforce community efforts to protect the lakes and pass more stringent phosphorous reductions.
Please click the link below to send a message urging your Senator to oppose this bill and pass more stringent reductions in phosphorous from fertilizers. Please take action by Friday, June 30th.
To send a message, please click this link now: http://map.e-actionmax.com/showalert.asp?aaid=1980
Algae blooms are reappearing in Michigan's inland lakes and the Great Lakes. This odorous green slime drives away tourists from our beaches, reduces crucial oxygen levels in the water, and some algae blooms are even toxic to people, pets, and fish. One of the causes of these algae blooms is excessive phosphorous in the water.
We can begin to address algae blooms by restricting phosphorous in lawn fertilizers, as other states and local governments in Michigan have already started to do. It is also critical for us to ramp up education efforts in this area if we are to have any significant impact. Unfortunately, a recent bill introduced in the Senate does not go far enough to reduce phosphorous in fertilizers and would actually prevent local governments from enforcing stronger protections. The Senate will vote on the bill this week, but with enough public support we can convince them to reinforce community efforts to protect the lakes and pass more stringent phosphorous reductions.
Please click the link below to send a message urging your Senator to oppose this bill and pass more stringent reductions in phosphorous from fertilizers. Please take action by Friday, June 30th.
To send a message, please click this link now: http://map.e-actionmax.com/showalert.asp?aaid=1980
Monday, June 26, 2006
Far North Peoples walk 2100 km to say no to mining
A group of four community members from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug who've walked over 2000 km since May 9 delivered a message to the Government of Ontario regarding ongoing mining disputes in their traditional territory during a news conference today at Queen's Park.
"We want our children and grandchildren to continue to use the lands and resources to pursue their usual vocations of hunting, trapping, and fishing," said Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug community member Mark T. Anderson who led the group of walkers from Pickle Lake to Toronto. "We want to protect the environment at the potential drilling/mining site plus the surrounding area which includes our Kitchenuhmaykoosib Lake."
Despite a community declared moratorium on resource development since 1998 and Supreme Court of Canada rulings to consult and accommodate with First Nations prior to resource development, Platinex exploration company received permission from the Government of Ontario to start drilling on Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug traditional territory located 603 km north of Thunder Bay in February 2006.
Mark T. Anderson, Darryl Sainnawap, Wallace Moskotaywenene, and Dylan Morris began their journey to Queen's Park in Pickle Lake, Ontario May 9.
The group of walkers - all from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug - are raising awareness of the failure of the Government of Ontario to update the Mining Act in light of recent Supreme Court rulings, including Mikisew (November 2005). Ontario's failure to implement the rulings of the Supreme Court of Canada has resulted in a $10 billion lawsuit against kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug for protecting traditional territory during a peaceful protest that stopped Platinex's drilling at the end of February 2006.
"Both Premier McGuinty and Prime Minister Harper talk about enforcing the rule of law as First Peoples stand up for their land rights - rights that are entrenched in the Constitution, the highest law of the land," said Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug spokesperson John Cutfeet. "Both governments, however, fail to enforce this Constitutional Law. Either they are selective in which laws they enforce, or they are intentionally ignoring Constitutional Law. In any case, it is not a flattering position for any government."
The $10 billion damage claim by Platinex is the largest ever against a First Nation and would take Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug 200 years to pay. The case will be heard June 22, 2006 in Thunder Bay, ON.
More background information:
In documents filed with the Ontario Securities Commission, Platinex reported that Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug registered its written opposition to the Platinex project as early as 1998.
In May 2000, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug filed a land claim with the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. The land claim could potentially include all areas in the immediate Kitchenumaykoosib Inninuwug territory including the disputed area.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug again issued a general moratorium on resource development in its traditional territory in 2000 and reaffirmed that moratorium in October 2005.
On October 27, 2005, four Far North First Nations, including Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, declared a joint moratorium on resource development in their territory.
In February 2006, Platinex commenced exploration activities in direct contravention of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug moratorium.
On February 23, 2006, 23 Sioux Lookout Zone Chiefs passed a resolution requesting that Platinex cease and desist their activities in
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug territory.
Following a peaceful Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug protest, Platinex vacated their exploration camp.
The O.P.P. were present throughout the peaceful community protest. No arrests were necessary and none were made.
On May 1, 2006, Platinex filed a $10 Billion lawsuit against Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug seeking to create a "treaty rights free zone" around their mining claims.
Documents filed by Platinex with the court revealed that an ex-British paratrooper, now working for a private security firm, had been retained by Platinex and was present at the mining camp during the events of February 2006.
On May 9, 2006, a group of four Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug community members (Mark T. Anderson, Darryl Sainnawap, Wallace Moskotaywenene, and Dylan Morris) began an awareness walk to protect the land in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug territory. They walked from Pickle Lake, ON to Queen's Park, a distance of approximately 2100km and will arrive on National Aboriginal Day, June 21st.
On May 23, 2006, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug filed a countersuit against Platinex and put the province of Ontario on notice that they will issuing a third party claim against the government.
Ontario has been put on notice of the claim brought by Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug that the Mining Act regime should be struck down as unconstitutional for breach of Aboriginal and treaty rights.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug signed the 1929 Adhesion to Treaty 9 with Canada and Ontario.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug is a remote fly-in community of 1550 members, located on Big Trout Lake 603 km. northwest of Thunder Bay Ontario.
The injunction hearing will be heard in Thunder Bay this week at the Camelot St. courthouse on Thursday June 22 and Friday June 23, 2006.
Source: CNW Telbec
"We want our children and grandchildren to continue to use the lands and resources to pursue their usual vocations of hunting, trapping, and fishing," said Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug community member Mark T. Anderson who led the group of walkers from Pickle Lake to Toronto. "We want to protect the environment at the potential drilling/mining site plus the surrounding area which includes our Kitchenuhmaykoosib Lake."
Despite a community declared moratorium on resource development since 1998 and Supreme Court of Canada rulings to consult and accommodate with First Nations prior to resource development, Platinex exploration company received permission from the Government of Ontario to start drilling on Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug traditional territory located 603 km north of Thunder Bay in February 2006.
Mark T. Anderson, Darryl Sainnawap, Wallace Moskotaywenene, and Dylan Morris began their journey to Queen's Park in Pickle Lake, Ontario May 9.
The group of walkers - all from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug - are raising awareness of the failure of the Government of Ontario to update the Mining Act in light of recent Supreme Court rulings, including Mikisew (November 2005). Ontario's failure to implement the rulings of the Supreme Court of Canada has resulted in a $10 billion lawsuit against kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug for protecting traditional territory during a peaceful protest that stopped Platinex's drilling at the end of February 2006.
"Both Premier McGuinty and Prime Minister Harper talk about enforcing the rule of law as First Peoples stand up for their land rights - rights that are entrenched in the Constitution, the highest law of the land," said Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug spokesperson John Cutfeet. "Both governments, however, fail to enforce this Constitutional Law. Either they are selective in which laws they enforce, or they are intentionally ignoring Constitutional Law. In any case, it is not a flattering position for any government."
The $10 billion damage claim by Platinex is the largest ever against a First Nation and would take Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug 200 years to pay. The case will be heard June 22, 2006 in Thunder Bay, ON.
More background information:
In documents filed with the Ontario Securities Commission, Platinex reported that Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug registered its written opposition to the Platinex project as early as 1998.
In May 2000, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug filed a land claim with the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. The land claim could potentially include all areas in the immediate Kitchenumaykoosib Inninuwug territory including the disputed area.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug again issued a general moratorium on resource development in its traditional territory in 2000 and reaffirmed that moratorium in October 2005.
On October 27, 2005, four Far North First Nations, including Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, declared a joint moratorium on resource development in their territory.
In February 2006, Platinex commenced exploration activities in direct contravention of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug moratorium.
On February 23, 2006, 23 Sioux Lookout Zone Chiefs passed a resolution requesting that Platinex cease and desist their activities in
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug territory.
Following a peaceful Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug protest, Platinex vacated their exploration camp.
The O.P.P. were present throughout the peaceful community protest. No arrests were necessary and none were made.
On May 1, 2006, Platinex filed a $10 Billion lawsuit against Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug seeking to create a "treaty rights free zone" around their mining claims.
Documents filed by Platinex with the court revealed that an ex-British paratrooper, now working for a private security firm, had been retained by Platinex and was present at the mining camp during the events of February 2006.
On May 9, 2006, a group of four Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug community members (Mark T. Anderson, Darryl Sainnawap, Wallace Moskotaywenene, and Dylan Morris) began an awareness walk to protect the land in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug territory. They walked from Pickle Lake, ON to Queen's Park, a distance of approximately 2100km and will arrive on National Aboriginal Day, June 21st.
On May 23, 2006, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug filed a countersuit against Platinex and put the province of Ontario on notice that they will issuing a third party claim against the government.
Ontario has been put on notice of the claim brought by Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug that the Mining Act regime should be struck down as unconstitutional for breach of Aboriginal and treaty rights.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug signed the 1929 Adhesion to Treaty 9 with Canada and Ontario.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug is a remote fly-in community of 1550 members, located on Big Trout Lake 603 km. northwest of Thunder Bay Ontario.
The injunction hearing will be heard in Thunder Bay this week at the Camelot St. courthouse on Thursday June 22 and Friday June 23, 2006.
Source: CNW Telbec
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Illinois Mercury Pollution Hearings Begin
Hearings are underway in Springfield before the Illinois Pollution Control Board to review the proposed mercury pollution reduction standards, which would require coal plants to reduce mercury pollution by 90% by June 30, 2009 by installing modern pollution control technology. These are among the strongest mercury pollution control standards in the nation.
Please sign the citizens' petition to support strong mercury pollution reduction standards in Illinois to protect children's health and the environment. To sign the petition, click here now: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/mercurypetition.
For more information on the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Centers's mercury pollution reduction campaign, see http://www.stopmercurypollution.org/.
Everyone who knows me has heard me say it: All coal power plants should be shut down immediately, the cost to the Great Lakes is to high. By continuing to rely on coal for our electricity, we are doing irrepairable damage to our water supply and our children's health. Of course, if you want all your children to be retards with short lifespans, you should do nothing. Personally, I want to shoot the kneecaps of some of the Republican bastards in the Michigan legislature who continue to ignore the scientific fact.
Please sign the citizens' petition to support strong mercury pollution reduction standards in Illinois to protect children's health and the environment. To sign the petition, click here now: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/mercurypetition.
For more information on the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Centers's mercury pollution reduction campaign, see http://www.stopmercurypollution.org/.
Everyone who knows me has heard me say it: All coal power plants should be shut down immediately, the cost to the Great Lakes is to high. By continuing to rely on coal for our electricity, we are doing irrepairable damage to our water supply and our children's health. Of course, if you want all your children to be retards with short lifespans, you should do nothing. Personally, I want to shoot the kneecaps of some of the Republican bastards in the Michigan legislature who continue to ignore the scientific fact.
Congressional Republicans Continue to Prove They Are Idiotic Assholes
White House, GOP Leaders Plan All-Out Assault on Federal Environmental Protections (copied from BushGreenWatch)
Rushing to lock in a long-sought goal before the fall elections, GOP congressional leaders may bring to a vote within weeks a proposal that could literally wipe out any federal program that protects public health or the environment--or for that matter civil rights, poverty programs, auto safety, education, affordable housing, Head Start, workplace safety or any other activity targeted by anti-regulatory forces.
With strong support from the Bush White House and the Republican Study Committee, the proposal would create a "sunset commission"--an unelected body with the power to recommend whether a program lives or dies, and then move its recommendations through Congress on a fast-track basis with limited debate and no amendments.
Three leading proposals have been introduced and are being winnowed into a final version. They would give the White House authority to nominate members to the commission. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has confirmed that his office is coordinating development of a final version for prompt floor action.
Sunset commissions have been proposed, and defeated, before. But public interest veterans say the current situation is unlike any in the past, because the House Republican Study Committee, which includes some of the most anti-regulatory members of Congress, has secured guaranteed floor consideration of a sunset bill.
If such a bill should become law, the sunset commission could be packed with industry lobbyists and representatives from industry-funded think tanks, and could conduct its business in secrecy. Two of the sunset proposals under consideration would mandate that programs die after they are reviewed, unless Congress takes action to save them.
Several environmental programs have been targeted during past sunset attempts. Experts predict those would be among the first a sunset commission would review. Among them: the Energy Star Program; federal support for mass transit; the State Energy Program, which supports numerous state and local energy renewable efficiency programs; the Clean School Bus Program; the Land and Water Conservation Fund; federal grants for Wastewater infrastructure; a national children's health study that examines factors leading to such problems as premature birth, autism, obesity, asthma, and exposures to pesticides, mercury and other toxic chemicals.
A coalition of public interest groups is fighting to block enactment of a sunset commission. Information is available through the Sunset Commission Action Center at OMB Watch.
Rushing to lock in a long-sought goal before the fall elections, GOP congressional leaders may bring to a vote within weeks a proposal that could literally wipe out any federal program that protects public health or the environment--or for that matter civil rights, poverty programs, auto safety, education, affordable housing, Head Start, workplace safety or any other activity targeted by anti-regulatory forces.
With strong support from the Bush White House and the Republican Study Committee, the proposal would create a "sunset commission"--an unelected body with the power to recommend whether a program lives or dies, and then move its recommendations through Congress on a fast-track basis with limited debate and no amendments.
Three leading proposals have been introduced and are being winnowed into a final version. They would give the White House authority to nominate members to the commission. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has confirmed that his office is coordinating development of a final version for prompt floor action.
Sunset commissions have been proposed, and defeated, before. But public interest veterans say the current situation is unlike any in the past, because the House Republican Study Committee, which includes some of the most anti-regulatory members of Congress, has secured guaranteed floor consideration of a sunset bill.
If such a bill should become law, the sunset commission could be packed with industry lobbyists and representatives from industry-funded think tanks, and could conduct its business in secrecy. Two of the sunset proposals under consideration would mandate that programs die after they are reviewed, unless Congress takes action to save them.
Several environmental programs have been targeted during past sunset attempts. Experts predict those would be among the first a sunset commission would review. Among them: the Energy Star Program; federal support for mass transit; the State Energy Program, which supports numerous state and local energy renewable efficiency programs; the Clean School Bus Program; the Land and Water Conservation Fund; federal grants for Wastewater infrastructure; a national children's health study that examines factors leading to such problems as premature birth, autism, obesity, asthma, and exposures to pesticides, mercury and other toxic chemicals.
A coalition of public interest groups is fighting to block enactment of a sunset commission. Information is available through the Sunset Commission Action Center at OMB Watch.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
MSU hosts environmental justice conference
A message from Dave Dempsey, MSU.
As globalization advances and the global character of many environmental problems become more manifest, wider perspectives are stimulated in local environmental traditions. In North America, a burgeoning environmental justice movement makes links between environmental damage, poverty and race that strongly recall longstanding political concerns in Europe and the South. In Western Europe, skepticism and mistrust of GM and other new deep technologies raises questions about the character of nature, long discussed in relation to the American wilderness tradition. About the globe, environmental activists grapple with new problems of human impacts, risk, technology, consumption and just distribution, and articulate new visions of the future.
This conference aims to bring together a range of disparate voices across the globe and the disciplines, broadening these new international discussions by bringing distinctly American traditions of environmental ethics into dialogue with international concerns in environmental politics, philosophy, literature, sociology, history and economics. The conference is organized by the Lyman Briggs School of Science, which has long pioneered research co-operation right across the disciplines between arts and sciences at Michigan State University, the first land-grant University.
A registration fee of US $70 is required, $50 for graduate students, which can be paid by credit card online, by fax or international money order made out to Michigan State University. Registration in the sense of checking in will be on the evening of Thursday 24th August, with the first events beginning the following morning. Workshops will be held from 25th-27th August, with an excursion to a site of interest planned for the morning of Monday 28th August.
Find out more here: http://www.lymanbriggs.msu.edu/geeej/
As globalization advances and the global character of many environmental problems become more manifest, wider perspectives are stimulated in local environmental traditions. In North America, a burgeoning environmental justice movement makes links between environmental damage, poverty and race that strongly recall longstanding political concerns in Europe and the South. In Western Europe, skepticism and mistrust of GM and other new deep technologies raises questions about the character of nature, long discussed in relation to the American wilderness tradition. About the globe, environmental activists grapple with new problems of human impacts, risk, technology, consumption and just distribution, and articulate new visions of the future.
This conference aims to bring together a range of disparate voices across the globe and the disciplines, broadening these new international discussions by bringing distinctly American traditions of environmental ethics into dialogue with international concerns in environmental politics, philosophy, literature, sociology, history and economics. The conference is organized by the Lyman Briggs School of Science, which has long pioneered research co-operation right across the disciplines between arts and sciences at Michigan State University, the first land-grant University.
A registration fee of US $70 is required, $50 for graduate students, which can be paid by credit card online, by fax or international money order made out to Michigan State University. Registration in the sense of checking in will be on the evening of Thursday 24th August, with the first events beginning the following morning. Workshops will be held from 25th-27th August, with an excursion to a site of interest planned for the morning of Monday 28th August.
Find out more here: http://www.lymanbriggs.msu.edu/geeej/
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
This Bear Hibernates in June
Hey kids, it's summertime, and BLACK BEAR SPEAKS is shutting down for 2 weeks while I go backpacking in the San Juan range in Colorado. The right column "Great Lakes News" will continue to update automatically with environmental headlines from around the Great Lakes.The current backpacking plan is to climb Mt. Sheffner in the Sheffner Wilderness Area north of Telluride, Co. We'll be out in the wild for 4 days and 4 nights. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival begins next week, so our desent from the wilderness coincides with the start of the festival. Click here to check out the festival line-up. It includes Bonnie Raitt, Bare Naked Ladies, John Prine, Bela Fleck, Drive By Truckers and much, much more! 10,000 hippies dancing in the sun at 9,000ft! Should be a pretty good time. I hope to make lots of connections, and I hope to meet a few crunchy Earth goddesses to help me re-align all the negative energy that I've been spewing.
Thanks for reading. I sincerely appreciate all the positive email from readers lately, and I hope you keep it up. It's great to know that there are so many like-minded folk out there who really think that our current government is full of shit, that our environmental laws are far to important to be remain in the hands of the Republican congressional assholes, and that this next election will turn everything around. And for those nuts who've sent me a bunch of right-wing spam and religious crap, you all know exactly what I think of you.
I'll be re-energized and will be cranking out lots more in 2 weeks, so check back then. In the meantime, buy some damn books to support this site. Read dammit, read!
Peace!!!
bear photo stolen from US Forest Service website
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
New books available now!
An Inconvenient TruthAl Gore is the former Vice President and chairman of Current TV, an independently owned cable and satellite television nonfiction network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism. He also serves as chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to sustainable investing. Gore is a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer, Inc., and a senior advisor to Google, Inc. Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and the U.S. Senate in 1984 and 1990. He was inaugurated as the 45th vice president of the United States on January 20, 1993, and served eight years. He is the author of the 1992 bestseller Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit.
Strategic Ignorance: Why the Bush Administration Is Recklessly Destroying a Century of Environmental ProgressStrategic Ignorance sets forth not only the shocking Bush record but the stories and strategies behind it. Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope and coauthor Paul Rauber brief us on the key administration figures, as well as legislators and lobbyists on the reactionary right, who strive to gut landmark laws; facilitate payback to polluters; distort, suppress, or ignore science; and invent soothing flimflam like Clear Skies. The authors were prescient in predicting Bush's repeal of the Roadless Rule, the censoring of evidence on global warming, and the stonewalling on mercury emissions. They also foresaw the backlash now building: Congress rebelling against the EPA's sewage blending ploy, local opposition to coal-bed methane mining in the West, and resurgent environmental support at the polls.
High Tech Trash
High Tech Trash is a wake-up call to the importance of the e-waste issue and the health hazards involved. Americans alone own more than two billion pieces of high tech electronics and discard five to seven million tons each year. As a result, electronic waste already makes up more than two-thirds of the heavy metals and 40 percent of the lead found in our landfills. But the problem goes far beyond American shores, most tragically to the cities in China and India where shiploads of discarded electronics arrive daily. There, they are "recycled": picked apart by hand, exposing thousands of workers and community residents to toxics.
70 More New Books Here!
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