Comments earthy mom has made

  • Reply to JD

    1.  How do you not support agricultural or industrial society?  Did you grow your computer in a garden or magically produce it out of thin air?  Where does your food come from?  And how does it get to you?  Do you walk to the farm and pick it  yourself or graze or what?  How many changes of clothes do you own or do you go without?  
    2.  When humans greatly elevate their consciousness (and that is an ongoing process.  The existence of this forum is one of many signs that we are growing/evolving/becoming aware that we a part of something far greater than ourselves)we will contribute to ecological balance and place far less emphasis on material posessions and money.
    3.  Have you ever read anything by deep ecologist Arne Naess?
    On New E.U. environmental standards are changing the global marketplace posted 4 years, 2 months ago 7 Responses

  • they?

    "Once humans lower their population...THEY..."

    Are you not human?  What about the pronoun WE?  

    Wouldn't our planet be much better off if WE HUMANS became extinct?  Did humans NATURALLY occur?  Are we not also part of the "natural" environment?

     On New E.U. environmental standards are changing the global marketplace posted 4 years, 2 months ago 7 Responses

  • You are right

    JD,
    Yes, we all have options based on our priorities.  And we are each responsible for the choices we make.  The ultimate goal is to bring everyone along -- to inform and motivate individuals AND the masses.  We still need to work toward applying environmental priorities to our infra-structure AND legal codes.  There is much our government does through public policy, spending choices, and law  to make environmentally gentle lifestyles more difficult or more costly or significantly more inconvenient for the vast majority of people.  The majority are not activists.  The majority do not read this blog.  The majority know relatively little about the details on anything.  If they really understood or really knew the truth about what's in and on their food and environment they would be OUTRAGED.

    In the early 80's I lived in Europe and walked, biked, or took a bus or train everywhere.  It was almost always more inconvenient to use a car.  In the late 80's I lived for a year in a "3rd World" country without a car -- and a lot of electricity using conveniences we in the US take for granted and think are necessary (like water heaters). I would love to live in SF and not need a car.  My family and my vocation keep me in the Midwest instead -- for now.On Survey says ... posted 4 years, 2 months ago 9 Responses

  • Backwards

    JD,

    I applaud your idealism.  However, "greatly simplifying our lifestyles" -- like giving up CARS completely -- is not a realistic option for the vast majority of people.  Most people MUST drive to work, grocery, bank, school, etc to take CARE of their biggest priority -- their family.  Without a DRASTIC change to our zoning laws that in most places demand that residential and business districts be separate or that require large lots for houses and so on, peope will continue to be forced to drive.  I work in a city center.  The nearest apartments for rent are probably only 15 minutes away by foot -- but do I want my children to live in a small apartment in a downtown area without even nearby parks? (Not to mention I know of no nearby grocery store)  If all my co-workers decided they need to walk to work, competition for those few apartments would raise the rent significantly and still there wouldn't be enough to go around.  People want a healthy environment and are even willing to sacrifice.  Most people, however, do NOT SEE VIABLE ALTERNATIVES to their current way of doing things.  Environmentalists must teach us bit by bit -- describe the long term goals while explaining, baby step-by-step, how to get there.  Don't overwhelm a 1st grader just learning to read by giving him Shakespeare to read.  He will get there with practise.  I love "Ask Umbra" because she provides very practical advice that even "beginner" environmentalists can follow.On Survey says ... posted 4 years, 2 months ago 9 Responses

  • Uh . . .

    I'm speechless!  One more symptom of the patriarchal attitude that pervades the Bush administration.  On Uh ... posted 4 years, 2 months ago 2 Responses

  • european alternative

    Why is everyone so surprised?  We've been warned about energy shortages (and global warming and other ecological disasters)for decades. Does no one remember the oil shortage warning we got in the 70's?

    At least in Europe there are viable and affordable public transit alternatives to daily automobile use.  When I lived abroad in the 1980's I drove only twice one year.  It was simply cheaper and easier to ride a bike (plenty of bike lanes available), take a bus, or take a train.  Parking restrictions and city center "car free zones" added incentives beyond gas prices to leaving the car at home. And distances are not as great as here.  We build "business parks" in the middle of corn fields where public transit does not venture and the typical employee must travel 10 to 20 miles from another suburb to reach work.  Chances are one who works in a city with public transit lives in a suburb.  Most communties require business areas to be completely separate from residential development. We have based our entire culture, including zoning laws, on cars and cheap gas.  

    Why didn't we as a nation invest more in alternatives to petroleum dependance?  Talk about failure to plan ahead.
    On Will Brits pull off another gas-price protest? posted 4 years, 2 months ago 4 Responses

  • bitter greens

    Thanks for that link -- great little blog.  On New foody blogs posted 4 years, 2 months ago 1 Response

  • Allah's Wrath

    Al-Qaidah will soon announce via a Muslim website its claim of responsibility for the destruction of New Orleans.  Osama and his followers performed thousands of special terrorist prayers for the destruction of a major US city in retribution for Bush's foreign policy.  There will be further "natural" disaster attacks unless the US immediately withdraws from the Middle East and releases all prisoners.On Gays destroy New Orleans posted 4 years, 3 months ago 9 Responses